Ranma yawned and stretched out his arms as he walked out of school. ‘Glad that’s over with.’
“Desist from thy dark path, foul sorcerer!” Kuno brandished his boken as he stood in Ranma’s way. “The gods have sent word to my ear that you plan to use your upcoming engagement to Kasumi Tendo, the plain and mousy, boring older sister of my fierce tigress, in an underhanded and treacherous ploy to lure and trick Akane Tendo to the altar. I shall stop thy wicked ways by smiting thee. I attack!”
‘Oops, spoke too soon’ Ranma tossed his book bag to the side and prepared to take Kuno on. Dropping into a relaxed, defensive stance, Ranma sidestepped Kuno’s initial charge and ducked under his follow-up swipe. “Oh, come on you knucklehead! Like I really want to be married to that uncute tomboy.”
Kuno’s attacks did not let up. “Ha, thou expecteth me to listen to thy falsehoods? Now stand still and die.”
Ranma rolled his eyes as he back-flipped over Kuno’s strike. Then he seemed to pause and hang in midair for only a moment before dropping down onto Tatewaki’s wooden sword. Kuno found his sword ripped from his grasp from the unexpected weight of Ranma landing upon his boken. Kuno only had a moment to gawk at his empty hand while Ranma’s foot ascended in a perfect crescent kick, targeting three vulnerable spots before slamming into Kuno’s chin. The force of the kick knocked Kuno up and back, to land on the ground spread eagle and out cold.
“Come on, Kasumi is waiting for us,” Akane mentioned to Ranma as she brought his book bag to him.
Ranma accepted his bag and began walking besides his fiancée. ‘I’ll never understand her,’ Ranma thought to himself as he noticed she was in a better mood than at lunch.
“It’ll be nice to have a soak, don’t you think? Just melt the stress of the day away.” Akane nearly skipped down the street as she walked.
“Yeah, perhaps after dinner.”
Akane snorted. “You dumb-ass, the hot water heater is broken. We’re going to a bath house when we get back.”
“Oh,” Ranma breathed out. “Well, I won’t be able to go. Plus me, bathhouses, and Happosai do not mix well.”
“Won’t be able to go?” Akane looked at Ranma suspiciously. “And why not? Going to spend some time with one of your floozies?”
Ranma sighed. “Stop calling mom a floozy. She just wants me to visit to practice with the book of etiquette is all. Sheesh, not everything is a conspiracy, you know. Pfef, uncute tomboy.”
“Oh! Well ... maybe I can come with you. Help make sure you practice them right.”
“Please, Akane, no. I just want to spend some quality time with my mom, just the two of us. Or do you think something perverted is going to happen?” Ranma gave Akane a piercing glare.
“No, of course not, ... but, what if your floozies just drop on by?”
Ranma rolled his eyes. “They won’t if you don’t go blabbing about it.”
“I won’t. What kind of idiot do you think I am?”
Ranma bit his tongue on the easy retort Akane left herself open to, anxious to just get to his mother’s without incident. “Well, if you and Nabiki keep quiet, then there is no problem, right?”
“Right,” Akane agreed. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t try to sell the information.”
“You do that.” Ranma’s eyes turned heaven-ward. He then hopped a fence. “Race ya back, you flat footed gorilla.”
“Ranma, get back here!” Akane took off, trailing a laughing Ranma.
Ranma had only just entered when an energetic ball of black fur began to jump and bark at her legs.
“Ruff! Rowr, yip, yip. Ruff!” Inuma exclaimed his happiness that Ranma was back home. The puppy didn’t really notice the gender change, as Ranma still smelled mostly the same.
“Ranma, is that you?” Kasumi's called from inside the house.
Ranma took her shoes off and slipped into her new house slippers before scooping Inuma up off the floor. “Yeah! Akane is right behind me.”
Tickling the little puppy under his chin, Ranma headed towards her room, where she was going to deposit her book bag and grab her book of manners. The book was her cover story for why she couldn't bathe with the rest of the family.
Setting Inuma down once she got into his room, Ranma dug out the book Akane gifted her with.
“What do ya think? Wanna go visit ma' with me?” Ranma playfully asked her pet dog. She didn't want the puppy to be left home all alone.
“Rowr! Arf!” Inuma pawed at Ranma's leg while standing on his hind legs. “Arf, yarf.”
Ranma smiled down at the puppy. "I guess that means yes. Come on." Scooping the dog up once more, Ranma went down to ask Kasumi about the best way to bring Inuma to her mothers'.
She heard Kasumi's voice float up the stairwell. "Hello Akane, how was your day?"
"Fine. Have you seen Ranma around?"
"I'm right here," Ranma announced herself as she entered the room.
The phone interrupted anything Akane might have said. Kasumi went to answer it.
“Oh, hello Nabiki. ... Busy? But what about dinner? ... And a bath? ... Well, OK then, if you have no choice. ... I’ll be sure to keep some warm. ... Alright, then. See you later.”
Ranma figured that was her cue. “I’m off to visit Ma’, Kasumi. She wanted me to drop by to make sure I was reading the book of manners. I’ll prolly catch a hot soak there and a meal. See you later.” Ranma hastily left so as not to give Kasumi or Akane any chance to question her.
“Ranma!” Nodoka greeted enthusiastically as she opened the door. “Come in, come in.”
Ranma smiled. “Hi, Mom. Glad you could make time for me.”
“Anytime, Ranma dear. You know that. And lookie here, little Inuma.” Nodoka fussed over the puppy. “Iiinuuumaaa,” she chanted in a throaty voice as she rubbed noses with Ranma’s dog.
Ranma was amused by how girls seemed to respond to a puppy, even the strangers on his way over to her mom’s.
“Is that a book dear?”
Ranma sheepishly hid her book behind her back. “Just something for the subway ride is all.”
Nodoka smiled. “I am glad you are reading the book on manners. The table is set and dinner is almost ready. Sit down and I’ll make us some tea.”
Ranma was seated at the table when Nodoka emerged from the kitchen with a kettle of hot water and a teapot. “I admit, I was surprised. You haven’t made much of an effort before to visit.”
Ranma ducked her head, sheepishly. “Heh, sorry ‘bout that. I just got thinking, is all, ‘bout my future. I couldn’t see one for myself. Nabiki said I could try to find myself first. She thinks getting to know you better might help.”
“Nabiki?” Nodoka probed gently as she laid out pastries and poured the tea, setting aside a cup of hot water for her gender switching son.
“Yeah, we got to talking. She’s got a good head on her shoulder; the only one with any street sense in that house. At least, she does when she isn’t conning me for fun and profit.”
Nodoka raised an eyebrow and gave Ranma a flat stare.
“What? Do I have something on my face?” Ranma tried brushing off the crumb he imagined was somewhere on his cheek.
“Have you spoken with any others? About your future, I mean?”
Ranma shook his wet head. “Naw. I figured I ought to start with my own mother. Most of my friends, though, I wouldn’t talk with. They have their own futures to think about.”
Nodoka gave Ranma a warm, motherly smile. “I am glad that you came to me. What would you like to talk about?”
“Well,” Ranma paused as he sipped some tea, “what was I like before I left?”
Ranma returned to the Tendos, stomach full and freshly bathed. “Hello, I’m back.”
“Welcome home, Ranma-kun,” Kasumi greeted.
“Don’t forget homework,” Akane called from the table where she was doing her own schoolwork.
Ranma nodded then went to get his homework. Along the way, he set Inuma down so the puppy could scamper off and play. Settling at the table, across from Akane, Ranma dug through his book bag, trying to figure out what subject he wanted to do first.
Inuma, in a playful mood, started to tug on Ranma’s pants’ cuff. He absentmindedly reached down to give the dog a petting.
“Hrumph,” Akane groused, “you shouldn’t let it distract you from homework.”
Ranma flashbacked to all the times Akane had P-Chan at hand when she did things, including homework. “No more than you let yourself be distracted.” His tone was somewhat condescending.
“I never let myself get distracted. I’m a martial artist; focus and discipline were lessons I learned early on.”
Ranma snorted. “Keep telling ya’self that. It won’t make it any more real.”
“What did you say?” Akane leveled an angry glare at her fiancée.
“You’re as disciplined as an angry bull in a tent full of clowns.”
Akane’s face grew red and her teeth clenched. “Well I’m not the one distracted from their homework.”
“No, you’re just the one doing the distracting. I was fine until you had to start something.”
“I’m starting something?” Akane cried incredulously. “Ranma, you idiot! You’re the most frustrating dumb-ass I have the displeasure of knowing.” With a mighty swing, Akane malleted Ranma back into the entrance hall.
Inuma growled, but as soon as Akane turned her fiery eyes towards the dog he gave off a yip and quickly ran off towards Ranma.
With a guilty sigh, Akane shook her head and returned to her homework. “Why does the idiot have to start so many fights?”
Meanwhile, in the other room, Ranma stared up at the ceiling while holding his puppy close. “Why does the tomboy have to start so many fights?”
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(Posted Thu, 01 Oct 2015 04:58)
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