[Episode 209841] [Episode 209841]“Oh yeah?! Well at least my engagement to this idiot is actually going to HAPPEN!” Akane smirked as she one-upped the bimbo intruding in her house. Too bad for her that said intruder didn’t see it her way. Shampoo smiled and replied,
“Pervert girl forget,” her voiced changed as if talking to a child, “Ranma is husband. That is step up from where you are! Bai, bai!” With a fluff of her hair, the blue haired girl jumped out the window and into the night. Nabiki grinned at a vexed Akane and said,
“Actually, you’ve forgotten two things.”
“What?!”
“First, you gave the engagement to me tonight, ring a bell? Second, Shampoo jumped out with your nightgown.” Ranma looked at Nabiki, who looked back at Ranma. They both looked at the youngest Tendo who was still sans one nightgown. Akane yelped in embarrassment and rushed to her room.
Nabiki turned her attention back toward the suddenly nervous pig tailed youth. “Now, Anata, not even the first night of our engagement and you’re already in bed with another woman? I’m hurt!” Ranma went into a flurry of explanations. His newest fiancée’s neutral expression never changed throughout his less then eloquent presentation of the events. As a martial artist he made it his business to read intentions, but he could not tell if she found this whole thing highly amusing or was about to break down in tears.
Finally, it dawned on him what was needed. He searched through his backpack and clothes, but was unable to offer her more then a couple of 10-yen coins. Nabiki smiled sadly and put the two coins on the futon. The small coins jingled and Mr. Saotome turned in his sleep, but his subconscious noted the sound of the small dominations as being not worth bothering and went into a deeper sleep.
“Ranma, that’s not the appropriate response for a woman in distress.”
“It ain’t?”
“For a fiancée, you would comfort her with at least a hug.” Ranma’s eyes went wide at first, but then steeled his nerves. He stood in front of her, gave her a quick squeeze, and then sped to the other side of the room. The middle Tendo daughter regarded him with some amusement. “Really Ranma, that’s not right at all.” He looked at her in annoyance.
“Sure it is. Put both arms around and squeeze. I’ve felt Shampoo do it lots of times.”
“A hug can convey a world of information between couples.” Ranma gave a skeptical snort. “No really. Let’s pretend I’m you and I want to apologize for worrying your fiancée.” Nabiki raised her head, looked him in the eyes, and softly said, “I’m sorry for worrying you.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him warmly. At first Ranma tensed up and his pigtailed shot straight up. Then slowly he relaxed. After a moment, she released him and backed up. “Now it’s your turn.” Ranma slowly walked back to her until they were face to face.
“I…I…I’m sorry for worrying you.” He wrapped his arms around her, but instead of standing still, like he did, she wrapped her arms around him as well.
“Not so lightly. You’ll pass along the message that you’re afraid to touch me.”
“I ain’t afraid. Just don’t want to be called a pervert about it.” The look she gave him clearly showed disbelief. He took a deep breath and gently squeezed. She responded with a squeeze of her own that bolstered his confidence. He experimented until he found a hold that was firm, but gently. The pigtailed youth found that this hug some how comforted him as well. Apparently, he was doing it right as she laid her head in his shoulder and continued hugging.
The two of them stayed there like that for some time, just enjoying the silence of the moment. He was loathed to stop, but he had to know. He pulled away slightly and softly asked, “Nabiki, did I do it right?” She took a deep breath and smiled.
“Yeah, that feels about right.”
“That one was different than the first. I know I was suppose to be sending you a comforting message, but you were doing the same back. At least, I think that’s what you were doing.”
“Yes. In those types of hugs, each person supports the other.”
“What is Shampoo saying when she hugs me?” Nabiki blinked a few times as her mind switched gears and said,
“She is basically telling you not only how happy she is to see you, but that she is offering all that she is to you, and at the same time she is also declaring to the world that you are her territory.”
“That’s a lot to say in one quick glomp! Are there other type of hugs I should know about?” Nabiki considered for a moment and replied,
“Well there are hugs that can happen on a honeymoon,” Ranma blushed and was about to protest, but was silenced by when she shook her head, “but I don’t think you’re ready for that yet. Well, unlike me, some girls can be a little emotional and if you need to comfort them try using one arm to hold her tight and using the other one to stroke her hair.”
“Wow, would that really work?” Ranma was in full martial arts student mode. (or would that be marital arts student mode)
“Yes. Now imagine that all of my money got stolen and nobody will help because they said that the Ice Queen got what she deserved,” she continued only barely whispering now, “That nobody will love me, and they’re all glad it happened!” With that, she launched herself into the pigtailed boy’s chest breathing quickly as if quietly sobbing.
Ranma panicked and barely remembered his instructions. He held her tightly in his right hand and stroked her hair with his left. He was not sure what message he was sending to Nabiki right now, but he felt that he had to say something.
“I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but I’ll deck ‘em if they say that again. Did that actually happen? I mean, did someone actually steal all of your money and say all those things?” Nabiki smiled as Ranma released her.
“Thanks Ranma, it actually does make me feel better. My cash base was stolen once when I was a freshman and Tatewaki did say something along those lines. Don’t worry I made them and him pay . . . with interest.” Ranma decided in a hurry that he definitely did not need to know the details, but vowed to give Kuno an extra hard hit in the head the next morning. Turning his attention back to his fiancée, he asked,
“Did I do right? What message did I send?” Nabiki blushed a little and stammered,
“Well, I did felt safe. Almost, as if you would protect me from the world,” she blushed again,” Not that I needed it, but it did feel good.” Ranma blushed a bit and said,
“I’m glad. That’s what I was hoping I was sending out.” She smiled and walked over to the futon and took one of the 10-yen coins.
“My fee, for tonight’s lesson.”
“So this is what its like to be really engaged?”
“You mean hugging?”
“No, just talking quietly. No insults. No hammers. Even if everything that you’re doing is because you’re just fighting with Akane. Thanks for letting me see that Nabiki.”
He was about to make an Anything Goes adaptability jump in logic to say that he could hug her in thanks as well, but he froze as he felt a battle aura just as he closed his arms around a surprised Nabiki. She turned in his arms and saw Akane finally back from choosing a new nightgown. No doubt, it took Akane this long to find one that she thought would make her look as good as her Chinese competition. Nabiki smirked and said,
“Jealous Akane? I knew you’d want him back. I’ll sell him back to you for 3000 yen.” Ranma face faulted behind her as Nabiki took out a pad and a pen. “Just 3000 yen and I’ll hand over a receipt for one engagement.” Akane battle aura flared, then sputtered out, flared again, then simmered to a light glow,
“No thank you Nabiki. I’ll just leave you alone with your fiancé. I’m going to bed.”
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(Posted Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:53)
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