Nabiki stood in front of the mirror, wincing at what she saw.
Bruises. Lots of bruises.
Jane hadn’t gone easy on her; the proof of that psychopath’s wrath was clearly evident, evident enough that she’d have to take special care to ensure no one saw her undressed until the bruises faded away.
She really wanted to blame Ranma.
Really … really wanted to blame Ranma.
But she couldn’t. Not because of some heavy emotional issue, like she loved him or whatnot. He was hot, but not ‘he can do no wrong’ hot.
She couldn’t blame him for the simple fact that Ranma controlled women—minus the libido of women—about as much as Tatewaki Kuno controlled his hormones. He had about as much control over those new wives of his as he had over say … Akane. Sure, she could charge him for this … but then his self-proclaimed wives would find out.
And then Nabiki was all but certain that she’d find more bruises on her form before the end of the week if not the end of the day. Those girls were not like the other fiancées.
Okay, the other girls would hurt her if they could—but that rule only applied to those actually engaged to Ranma. Luckily the one time she had been engaged to the jock, he had sheltered her from the hits like she knew he would. But these new ones didn’t seem to care she wasn’t engaged to Ranma.
They just cared about what she could and would do … at least Jane was.
Six had only choked Akane. Nabiki doubted the woman would attack her unless she became an active threat—active as in physical—against Ranma.
This wouldn’t have happened had Ukyo not attacked them, this much she was certain. They didn’t get brutal with people—people not engaged to Ranma—until Ukyo hit Jane with her Battle Spatula. After that, all bets were off. Hell, the two women were content to let the older Tendo sisters go about their daily activities.
The huge bruises on her shoulder, breast, ribs, and privates stated differently now.
Then those eyes… They haunted her, surprising since she hadn’t even fallen asleep yet. What would happen when she retired tonight? Hell, would those psychos attack her tonight as well?
She felt no need to alert the other women and men in Ranma’s life. They’d never paid Nabiki to warn them of real threats.
Those eyes though… Those eyes scared her more, not for what they could do, but what they might do. And the looks Jane had given her…
“A cost of business,” she murmured. If she had made herself more valuable to Ranma, he might have made certain she was protected. Instead, those girls could carry on doing this—under his nose or not—and he’d be unable to stop them. If she’d made herself more valuable to him, he would have at least tried to protect her. He had done so for Ukyo, before Six’s logic made him give up.
Well, she certainly wouldn’t have attacked the crazy women. Taken pictures of and sold them? Sure, but only after a threat assessment.
Besides, with what they wore, there was very little she could snap photos of that would entice the men further.
And her new information wasn’t generating any happiness.
Jane had visited the Amazons. And if what was overheard was true, Jane didn’t mind polygamy, she almost expected it.
What fucked up society did those girls come from? Hurting non-combatants? Acting psychotic?
Akane might not have learned not to mess with them, but Nabiki most certainly did. If they needed to know something, she intended to explain it—even if she needed to print out charts and graphs—she’d tell them truthfully and fully. Such crazies were not to be messed with.
The value of her own life was worth more than she could count.
“I need to be more valuable,” she murmured, as she lightly touched the bruise on her breast. She needed to ensure Ranma saw her as a rare asset, lest the self-proclaimed wives could try and torture her again.
For a moment, she thought about making Ranma believe he had slept with her. As such, he would need to protect her from his suitors, maybe even Akane. And if she was protected, surely he would ensure his ‘wives’ knew she was safe, not to be harmed.
But she tossed that out. For one, she’d never be able to do so considering at least one of those crazy women was with him at all times. And two, should they ever learn it was faked, said women would have no problem ending her life.
Damn it! Ranma wasn’t supposed to have women like that seeking his favor! If they were, they were focused solely on Ranma, not on those surrounding the gaping maw of the chaos he swam in.
“RANMA SAOTOME, PREPAIR TO DIE!”
She looked towards her window, shiver a bit. She wished Ryoga luck in the next life, hoped Akane wouldn’t blow a gasket when P-chan never showed up again, or that Ryoga ended up smeared across the Tendo lands. Otherwise, there would be only two Tendo sisters before the end of the night. And she had no desire to see what the title of Tendo Fiancée would mean if those girls focused on potential … complications.
She had no idea that by the end of the night, Tendo fiancée or not, there was a good chance that she would not be human anymore.
Not if Jane had something to say about it.
Otherwise, she might have soiled the carpet under her feet much like she did her panties in that closet.
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(Posted Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:11)
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