Nabiki’s heart skipped a beat. Her special friend was coming, finally, and she would get to marry him. ‘Ranma! My Ranma! My Ranma is coming. OK, Nabiki, get a grip. You have to act natural. Show interest, but don’t commit to anything until you get to inspect the goods.’ At this point, her mind wandered off into a fantasy of how she’d like to inspect the goods. ‘Better stop before you drool all over the tabletop. Oh wait, what did father just say?’
Akane scowled. “Wait a minute! Don’t we have some say in who we marry?”
“Akane’s right Daddy,” Kasumi said heatedly. “We have never even met Ranma.”
‘Speak for yourself, sister. I may not have met him physically, but I know Ranma.’ Nabiki made herself busy with sipping her soda through a straw. It not only help create a sense of disinterest, but it helped her hide her smile.
“That’s easily fixed,” Soun told the girls. “He will be by later. Ranma and his father have been on a voyage of training. Recently, it seems, they crossed into China.”
‘Think Nabiki, what would I normally say?’
“Wow, China!” Nabiki stated excitedly, though her true excitement laid in Ranma coming and not where he had been.
Akane dismissed the statement, feeling jealousy that she didn‘t get to train in China. “Pfeh! What’s so great about China?”
Nabiki continued playing along. “Is he cute?” This was something she did want to know, never having seen Ranma before. Over her link, she could feel Ranma beginning to stir.
“How old is he? Younger men bore me,” Kasumi said with a look of displeasure. “What kind of guy is this Ranma?”
Soun looked uncomfortable, as if he was facing a firing squad. “No idea. I’ve never met him.”
A clatter rose from outside. Someone was shouting, “Leggo y’ol’ fool!” Even with Nabiki’s influence, Ranma’s speech patterns often reverted to less educated grammar when he was stressed or emotional.
Nabiki smiled as she hummed to herself in thought. “Hm?”
‘Must be Ranma,’ she thought to herself.
Kasumi stood up. “We have visitors!” She exclaimed.
Nabiki tried to suppress her side of the link. ‘Hehe, I wonder if Ranma would figure out which sister I am.’
“Oooo! It must be Ranma!” Nabiki squealed out in glee. She hoped her excitement at finally meeting the boy of her dreams didn’t look too suspicious. As she ran off to welcome Ranma in, Soun raced right behind her.
“Saotome, my friend! We’ve been waiting!”
While Kasumi and Akane lagged behind, Nabiki and Soun rushed onto and along the engawa. Around the corner, a giant panda greeted them. Nabiki knew the panda was Genma. However, the knowledge that Genma turns into a panda ill prepared her for the sight of Genma as a panda. She knew she had to act frighten of the panda, so as not to blow her cover. So when her father grabbed her and pushed her into running away, she didn’t resist.
As the pair ran away, the panda followed them around the corner of the house.
Ranma twisted around from where he was being carried in a fireman’s hold by Genma. “Hey! Yo! You’re scaring ‘em spitless!”
Genma stopped, placing Ranma down on the engawa in front of Soun. Ranma stared nervously up at Soun, who stared back.
Soun pointed at Ranma as he asked, “You ... wouldn’t be ...”
“Ranma Saotome,” Ranma answered. “Sorry about this.”
Soun was overjoyed to find out the identity of his new guest. “At last! You’ve come,” Soun exclaimed as he pulled Ranma into a hug. “It’s so good of you to come.”
Meanwhile Nabiki was staring around her father, trying to get a good look at Ranma’s cursed form. “Oh, you are cute!” She proclaimed.
Ranma finally noticed her. A smile played on his lips as he realized who he was seeing. “No use trying to hide or play games on me. I know who you are,” he broadcasted over the link.
Nabiki smirked in return.
Meanwhile, Soun had noticed something off with his hug, and pushed Ranma away for a better view. Nabiki decided to tease the boy she loved.
While Soun stood there in puzzlement, Nabiki walked up to Ranma and poked him in his chest. “Play along with me.”
“Huh? Why? What do you have planned?”
“He, is a girl,” Nabiki announced to her family in mock-disappointment.
“Because, while I am happy that it is you I get to be engaged to, it could have been anybody. Father deserves a little payback.”
Ranma just stared at Nabiki. “Um ... could you stop that?” “At least until we can find some privacy,” Ranma could not help but add over their telepathic link.
At Nabiki’s announcement, Soun collapsed in a crying fit of despair and depression. “How embarrassing. My father: the poster boy for the typical stoic, Japanese samurai ... NOT!”
“Oh my!” Kasumi rushed to he father side to offer aid. It was not long before she got her father situated in his room. The family crowded around the futon, as well as the two guests. Soun stared at the ceiling listlessly as his emotions left a trail of tears on his face.
“Oh, poor daddy. He’s so disappointed.” Kasumi said in concern and hidden relief.
“As long as your still a girl, I better act normal.”
“He’s disappointed? Some fiancé this is. I can’t date a girl.” Nabiki carefully filled her voice with measured scorn.
Akane, relieved she won’t have to marry some strange boy, came to Ranma’s defense. “Stop it you two! He ... she is out guest.”
Nabiki wasn’t about to let Soun off the hook that easily. “This is all your fault, Daddy. You should of made sure.”
Soun became riled up. “My fault? Genma said he had a son.”
Nabiki groped Ranma some more. “Do you see a son here? Hmm? Do you?”
“Punishing our fathers is a great idea. I know what to do about Pops.”
Ranma spoke up, “Yep, all girl. Sorry, but I can’t be engaged to your daughters. I’ll just take my panda and go now. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Growlf,” the panda said in shock. Since no one was paying Genma any attention, he wandered off in search of hot water.
“How soon before your father douses you with hot water?”
“Can’t be much longer now.”
“Join me in the practice hall?” Akane offered her hand to Ranma. “I’m Akane, you want to be friends?”
Nabiki teased Ranma. “You just got here, better not be running off and leaving me alone already.”
Ranma took Akane’s hand, shook it, and answered her politely, “No thanks, I think it would be better to stay here and answer any questions you father may have.”
“I have a question,” Nabiki said, “Do you have a brother, by chance, that I could be engaged to?”
Before Ranma could think of a reply, Genma returned as a man carrying a bucket, and splashed Ranma with hot water from the furo.
Everyone gasped and stared. Even Nabiki who had never seen Ranma transform before.
“Now you’re a boy,” Kasumi pointed out the obvious.
Akane was even more confused. “Where did the girl go?”
Soun looked more happy, seeing his friend and a boy now. “Genma! Where have you been?”
“Right here,” Genma answered. “I was the panda.”
Many voices chorused, “Panda?”
“A dreadful curse I picked up on my travels,” Genma explained. He then brought his arm to his head and looked up as if beseeching the heaven. “Oh, the life of a martial artist is fraught with perils.”
Kasumi looked to her father. “Who’s this, daddy? Is this your friend?”
Sound nodded as he gestured towards Genma. “Yes, this is my dear old friend.”
Genma bowed towards the girls. “Genma Saotome. And this is my son-”
Ranma filled in the blank as he saw Genma point at him. “Ranma Saotome.”
Nabiki draped herself bonelessly around Ranma’s shoulder. “My, you’re quite the hunk.”
“What’s this all about?” Akane asked in confusion.
Kasumi was no less confused. “Are you really her? That same girl?”
Ranma nodded his head.
Genma pondered the question. “Hmmm? How to explain this? Where should I begin? I know.” He made a grab for Ranma, but Ranma rolled on his back as he grabbed Genma’s arms and buried his foot in Genma’s gut. Genma was thrown out of the room, through the sliding doors that lead to the engawa and to the outside. “What do you think you’re doing boy, how else will we explain the curse to them?” Genma ranted as he stepped back into the room. Ranma’s response was to grab the bowl of water Kasumi was using to make Soun a wet compress and throw it at Genma, triggering his curse.
“He’s now a panda,” Nabiki stated for effect.
Soun looked at the panda in shock. “Genma, my old friend, is that you?”
The panda held up a sign that read, ‘Yes, Soun. It is me.’ Flipping the sign over revealed writing that said, ‘Can I get some hot water, please?’
Kasumi fretted about being a good hostess. “Oh, dear. I’ll go get some.” She left the room to grab the kettle of boiling water from the stove; she had intended to make her father some tea to calm his nerves when he first collapsed, and so had put the kettle on the stove. She quickly returned to find a panda giving a boy a noogie while holding him in a headlock.
“Stop that,” Kasumi said, scandalized at their behavior.
Genma took the kettle from Kasumi and poured it on his head. “Hot! Hot! Hot!” He cried as the boiling water poured over him.
“Genma,” Soun cried in distress, “how did this ever happened to you?”
Ranma snorted, anticipating the usual bull from his father.
Nabiki knew what happened and didn’t care to hear the story. “Well, Ranma,” she coyly said, “aren’t you going to invite your fiancée out on a date to get to know her?”
“My fiancée?” He asked devilishly. “Which one is Kasumi again?”
“Careful, love, you’re walking on thin ice,” Nabiki responded in good humor.
“Hehe,” Ranma said as he chuckled nervously, “Who would that be?” He knew Nabiki didn’t want to be labeled a freak and desired their connection to be a private secret. She was a very private girl, anyways. So he had to play along with the act that they didn’t know each other.
Nabiki smirked as she draped herself across Ranma again. “Why, me of course.”
Her sisters looked at her in surprise. “You want to be engaged to this cross-dressing pervert?” Akane was disgusted with the idea of a girl that turns into a boy. Akane wasn’t quite sure if Ranma was a girl or a boy, but first impressions tend to stick with her.
Nabiki was as sharp as ever. “I’m sorry Akane, did you want to marry Ranma? But what about your boyfriend, Kuno?”
“I don’t want to marry that pervert. Kuno is not my boyfriend, and you know it.”
“Pervert?”
Ranma wasn’t happy with some random girl giving him grief, but he knew well enough to let Nabiki deal with her sister.
“Well, if you don’t want to marry Ranma, then I guess we have no problems. Looks like your mine, stud-muffin. Why don’t you go take a bath and I’ll go get dress and we can have that date.”
“OK, where’s the bath?”
“Follow me, Ranma.” Kasumi was more than happy to help a guest.
As Kasumi, Ranma, and Nabiki left the room while Genma was embellishing his tale, Akane sat to think and frown.
Nabiki was in her room, getting dressed and thinking of Ranma. She wasn’t aware of Ranma until shortly after her mother died. It was a difficult time for her, and then she started to become more aware of him and bonded tighter to Ranma. ‘He was like a blessing, a gift from the gods, given when I needed him most.’
“That sounds so sweet every time you think it.”
“You know it’s true.”
“I don’t know if it is, just that you believe it to be.”
Nabiki always thought the link and the bond grew from the tragedy of her mother’s death.
“If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know how I would of gotten through all of that.”
“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. Anyways, I remember you being kinda of difficult to get along with at first.” Ranma was clearly only teasing her.
“We already discussed this. You know I was not in a good mood generally during that time. I was also adjusting to us, I thought I was going crazy. Also, you were rather ill-mannered, yourself. Good thing our bond quickly grew to where I could sense your intentions and emotions. But, even with all of that, you were good for me. You distracted me from brooding, you were always there when I needed you, you did occasionally say the right things, and you gave me someone to confide in. I lost that when mom died.” Nabiki sighed. “I love you, and now you’re here, finally.”
“And we’re engaged.” Ranma’s giddiness transmitted over the link with his words.
‘Yes, we are. Which dress would darling Ranma like to see me in, hmm?’
Nabiki’s door slid open, interrupting her thoughts and effort to get dressed. Her sister Akane was at the door, scowling.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. “Can I help you, Akane? Or did you decide to barge right into my room for a laugh?”
“I just came to try to warn you, Nabiki. You shouldn’t hang around with that Ranma boy ... girl – whatever. You don’t know what kind of boy he is.”
Nabiki suppressed the urge to frown. “And, you do?”
Akane rolled her eyes, like everything ought to be obvious. “It’s not that hard, all boys are perverts. And he even turns into a girl. I bet he does unspeakable things to his own body.”
Nabiki opened a drawer and began to rummage around. “You don’t even know him, maybe you should give him a chance first. And anyways, what does it matter what he does with his own body, either of them. It’s no different than any other boy ... or girls, for that matter.” Nabiki finally found what she was looking for and turned to face her sister. In her hand was a long, shiny object. Akane’s eyes opened at the sight of it. “And anyways, if he has been doing that, then he probably knows what feels good for a girl. I don’t see any problems with that.” Nabiki ended her statement by tapping Akane on the nose with the tip of her shiny, metallic, rod-like object. Akane crossed her eyes, as she kept her focus on the object. Getting hit on the nose with it, all the color drained from her face and she took a step back. “Now, I think you ought to just leave the poor boy alone. It would be nice to have a boyfriend for a change, and I intend to go out on a date with him.”
Akane stuttered her reply, “I-i-i-if you s-say so.” She couldn’t back out of the room fast enough, sliding the door close more harshly then she needed.
Nabiki grabbed the end of her shiny stick and peeled back the foil to reveal a dark colored core. “What got into her? It’s like she’s never seen a chocolate cigar before.” With that, Nabiki bit the end off of the candy and enjoyed the taste of chocolate.
“Sorry to eavesdrop-”
“No you’re not.” Nabiki couldn’t help tease the love of her life.
“-But there’s not much to draw my attention while soaking in the furo. I hope Akane won’t become a problem.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine, give her time. Ah ha, found the perfect outfit. Hurry up, I can’t wait to go on our first, official date.”
Akane stomped away from Nabiki’s room. ‘Who knew my sister was such a pervert. But girls can’t be perverts, only boys. It’s different for girls. Ranma must be a bad influence on her. Well, I’ll just go make sure he knows to keep his hands off my sister.’ In a fit of poorly thought out theatrics, Akane stormed right into the bathroom where Ranma was getting out of the furo to dry off. She stopped to stare at Ranma.
“Ahhh!” Ranma screamed as he sank back down into the tub. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Akane slowly backed out and closed the door, before her face changed from one of surprise to one of anger. She ran from the bath and out into the yard. “I’ll drown him in the tub.”
She didn’t get far with the stone lantern, though. When she stepped back inside, both Nabiki and Ranma, who was fully dressed, were already waiting for her.
Nabiki shook her head while wagging her finger at her sister. “Tsk, tsk. Now Akane, Ranma is my fiancé. You will have to get your own.”
Ranma scowled at her. “Got a good look, pervert?” He hoped she wouldn’t be making a habit of walking in on him.
Akane only got more incensed. “What do you mean I’m the pervert. You were the one that was naked!”
Akane looked to Kasumi for help, but Kasumi frowned at her, having already heard the story from Ranma. “Now, now, little sister. You know it is rude to invade a guest’s privacy when they are taking a bath.”
Akane glared at Kasumi, feeling betrayed. Her father would be no help, either. She could see him in the corner, getting drunk with his friend. Looking back at Ranma only made her angrier. She still had to give him the message she was going to deliver in the bathroom. ‘He’s not going to get out of this by just flashing me, that pervert.’
Akane walked right up to Ranma, putting herself nose to nose in his face. “You better keep away from my sister. I’ll be keeping my eyes on you. One wrong step and WHAM!” She emphasized her final point by slamming her right fist into her left palm.
Nabiki frowned at Akane, before smirking. She got her father’s attention. “Daddy? Akane is trying to steal my fiancé, I think you need to get her one of her own to play with.”
If Soun had been more sober, he might of tried to use that as proof that the houses should be joined by pairing Ranma with Akane. Instead, he tried to think if he made any other marriage arrangements. “Ah yes. Genma, do you remember that one restaurant we ate at? The one with the overpriced menu and small portions? Where we washed dishes until they kicked us out for breaking too many and for all of those missing silverware.”
Genma nodded and grunted panda like, even though he wasn’t a panda at the time.
“No problem, Akane. Daddy can fix this. I’ll just call the Chardins, tell them we are ready to honor that marriage agreement. Kasumi, could you get me the phone.”
Akane blanched, becoming as pale as a ghost. Kasumi smiled and complied, thinking that her father was pulling one over on Akane as a punishment of sorts. She didn’t think her father would actually make such a strange arrangement. Nabiki, meanwhile, twitched. Thinking that she could of been forced to marry someone other then Ranma made her upset. So she grab Ranma and pulled him out of the house, to go on their date.
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See other episodes by Errol Peregrinus
(Posted Sat, 17 May 2008 05:38)
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