She didn't know quite where she was, and for Setsuna, that was a rather odd thing, at least in her eyes. The structure around her was familiar enough, at least in design, as she could see the wooden walkway, with the shoji doors leading to rooms with tatami mats on the floor. Air and light was let through by the open framing of the walkways, and she could hear a sparrow chirping in the distance.Yet, Setsuna couldn't see it, and she knew that she wouldn't, no matter if all the lanterns were lit. A fine mist hung over everything outside, obscuring the finely manicured gardens and still ponds right until the walls that she could barely make out being there. Once past that property boundary, one could only make out the white of fog, save for an occasional tree or mountain.
This was the sort of home that she would have normally been used to... if it had been given a few modern items like electricity. Then there was the fact that the only sound that she could hear, save for the bird was the sound of her own tabi clad feet upon the floor. Oddly enough, this had its own strangeness to it, given that, even if she had worn traditional clothing plenty of times, but she had never dressed as she was now.
Her body was still the same, at least, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and she was familiar with wearing a hakama. However, the top was quite strange, with its extremely wide sleeves and hem that ended somewhere around her knees. That was not only belted with an obi, but had straps that allowed her right arm easy movement. Basically, the whole thing was looking traditionally Japanese, but came out of some modern take on it, as if a director had decided to slap together something that merely seemed like it would fit.
To her, if felt like she was being dressed up in some mish mash of Heian and Edo era clothing.
At least she had her sword though, as it didn't seem to be all that comforting to be around there at the moment. Such places couldn't be safe, and she planned on being ready for anything. Something about this building had her on edge, and so she kept one hand on her sword's handle as she tried to search the premises. Down the hallways she crept, wondering where the inhabitants had gone. Long years of training kept her alert, and she kept herself from being distracted by keeping her mind still and waiting for the next surprise.
And when she slid one door open, her eyes went wide, and she yelped in dismay.
"Oh, hi, Secchan," Konoka cheerfully murmured from where she lay on a futon, her lightly closed yukata exposing a good deal of her delicate body. One slender leg had slid out from under the covering, and her chest showed that the fabric was quite thin. "It's to have you back from your walk."
"'Walk'?" Setsuna parroted dully.
"Yes, you seemed to really want to have some air. Of course, I think that you just wanted to give us some time alone. What do you think, Ranma?"
The pigtailed boy just gave a shrug before handing over the cup of water that he'd poured for the prone girl. "Actually, I just figured that she was tryin' ta get her breath back. She did get a lot of exercise."
"'Exercise'?" the girl with the ponytail repeated, although there was no sign that she actually understood the word.
"Well, yeah. Ya got all sweaty, but ya didn't wanna take a bath yet. Makes sense, if ya don't wanna have ta keep on gettin' inta the water when ya are just gonna get inta exercise again that soon."
"Eep."
"Still, ya can take all the time that ya wanna," Ranma told the standing girl, and grinned at Konoka. "The two of us can just have plenty of fun, right?"
"Right!" chirped the smiling girl on the futon.
When Setsuna saw something about to... slip out as her childhood friend went to move towards the pigtailed boy, she had an overwhelming sense that she had to act. Just why that was wasn't something that her emotions could help with, as panic, worry, concern, and a need to get involved all pushed her before she could actually muddle through her feelings. Her mind said that she had to protect Konoka though, and that was what she aimed to do.
Of course, it would have worked better if she'd actually managed to draw her sword. Instead, she pulled it out, sheath and all, which loosened, and undid the sash belted around her waist. That freed all of her bindings, and allowed her top to fall open, exposing the fact that she was wearing nothing underneath. At the same time, the ties of her hakama snapped, allowing the garment to slide down her long legs... and trip her.
All that Ranma could do was brace them both as she fell on top of him, but that didn't stop his back from hitting the floor. She landed right on him, with her chest getting crushed against his. In that position, she wound up straddling him, which hampered any movements that he might have made.
Not that he seemed inclined to go anywhere. "Whoa. Didn't 'xpect ya ta take the lead...."
"Who?" Setsuna asked, blinking in surprise at him. "Me?"
"Who else? Ya always seem ta wanna get in when Konoka and I play."
"That's not true! I just want... my own...."
"Well, ya got it...."
With her eyes widening, the swordswoman looked down at him, and saw how she was pillowed against his body. This was an all too intimate position, and she knew what it suggested to others. As such, she really wanted to get a chance to keep herself covered, and rolled onto her back, pulling the nearest thing she could grab to cover herself.
Since said 'object' was Ranma, he was pulled on top of her, with one of her hands smacking into her long time friend's belly.
"Oooh. Do you want me to play too this time, Secchan?" Konoka asked, caressing that hand.
Setsuna might have gasped over that, but she was too busy hyperventilating over the fact that Ranma Saotome's mouth was about to smack into her own.
Setsuna's eyes shot open and she found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. While her gaze shot around the room, she couldn't immediately place the unfamiliar space, and knew that something was up. Something was up, as it was clear that she had been taken away from her familiar environment. There was something waiting in the shadows, and it had her laying there, which she could not just let go. This was a moment of uncertainties, and so she had to immediately move, or face the consequences. Never having been shy around action, she shot up to a sitting position.
"Oh, hi, Secchan," murmured Konoka, who was seated on the bed, and looking right into her eyes.
"EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!" screeched a feminine voice, clearly over the edge with panic.
As soon as he heard the yell, Ranma nearly fell off of the retaining wall that he'd been standing on. It wasn't only the sudden sound that had shocked him, but the almost immediate realization that he knew that voice. But since he also knew that it was unlikely that she would scream in such a way over something that he would want to get involved in, he decided that discretion was the better part of valor.
"Are you okay, Master?" Kaede asked from where she was perfectly balanced on the toes of both feet on a fence post.
"Yeah, yeah," he sighed, regaining his own balance easily enough. "It's just not somethin' that I'd expected ta hear."
"She doesn't seem to be the type, but she does tend to keep herself tightly controlled."
"Dunno 'bout that."
"Do you want to keep on going then?"
"Yeah, why not?" he asked, and smirked.
He might not have understood a lot of things, but he did know that he liked the Art. In its combination of self discipline, strength, and challenge, he had something that he could really enjoy. Results were there in a physical form, and didn't have the abstract notion that one would get from red marks on a test paper.
And he had Kaede to help him in that regard. She was someone who understood the dedication that it took to be a true martial artist, and had excelled in it herself. In her, he had someone who was quick, skilled, and smart, all of which made her a great sparring partner. Even if she hadn't been technically his property, he would have still wanted to hang around her whenever he could.
Due to her being his slave and retainer, he knew that he always had a training and combat partner who he could count on.
In this case, it was as much fun as it was work. On the grounds still wet from the previous night's storm, they had bounded from spot to spot, trading blows and dodging attacks. It was not only good exercise, but actually allowed them to face someone who could actually match their abilities.
That was the case as they leapt up into the air, heading straight at each other. Already getting back into the groove, he sent a punch towards her, but she was ready for it. Instead of getting hit, she used his arm as a pivot point, and stretched her tall body so that it went around his. However, he didn't let her go that easily, as he landed a kick that had his lower leg slam into her flank, to which she answered with an open handed strike against his side.
Almost as soon as she landed, she was already twisting around to go charging right back at him, which he mirrored. They came back together in the middle of the yard, with the both of them trading punches as fast as they could throw them. To anyone watching, it might have merely looked like a blur of motion, but it was a complex weave of punching, blocking, and counter attacking that moved faster than any normal human could think.
After their right fists smacked into each other, they leapt back and grinned at each other.
"Ya really are good, ya know that?" Ranma told his slave.
Giving a slight shrug, Kaede nodded back towards him. "Thank you, Master. But you are really good as well."
"Glad ta hear ya say it. When someone ya know knows what they're talkin' 'bout says somethin' like that...."
"You can trust it," she finished.
"'Xactly."
"But do you want to let it stay here."
"'Course not...."
"Yay!" interrupted a new voice. "Looks like fun!"
"What the.... HEY!" Ranma yelped as he found himself knocked down as someone literally leapt onto him. That person had a firm little behind, which he found out as the individual landed backside first onto his chest. Crashing down onto the ground was a pain, but it was only a minor annoyance. Looking down at his chest to see what had hit him was more of a worry, since he could see white panties being displayed by his view up the really short skirt of a tiny dress.
Not wanting to peep even if it was accidentally being presented to his sight, he looked up from the slender waist, and raised his eyes gaze at a brightly smiling and cute blonde. "Who are you?"
"Ku Fei! Can I play too?" the new arrival asked.
The pigtailed boy just stared at her as a sweatdrop ran down his temple, while:
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(Posted Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:18)
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