However, to her own surprise, she was feeling something now. Her new Master was someone who had caused her old Masters some trouble. Considerable trouble in fact.
It was surprising for her to learn that she could still feel enough to enjoy that little fact and the irony that went with it.
One hand touched briefly the third slavemark she had, the one that was normally hidden from view. The Leash. A measure of control that had been put in place after she'd rebelled just a bit after one fight. The Tiger Eye that allowed her to gauge an opponent's strength, the Crossed Swords that gave her some extra toughness against weapons - those two were visible.
Akane noted no one paying particular attention to her at the moment and used the Eye.
Akane would have used the Eye Of The Tiger earlier during the brawl, but she'd wanted to observe him first. Now that she knew that the group 'Bird Of Passage' was after the father at least - it was time to see what cards were on the table.
She'd already used it to gauge the abilities of her sisters and therefore just gave them a quick pass.
The Rei unit was as hard to figure out as Kuno's version. Something like a fog that obscured details. There was power and danger there, but she couldn't tell much else.
"-well, not all dragons are exactly bad people," said Ranma mysteriously.
This 'Genma Saotome' looked like a fat lazy fool to her normal eyes. She could see otherwise though and not merely because she'd seen him in that fight acting like some demented superball. It might take some motivation for him to stir himself, yet the man was quite solid and powerful. He would be able to make quick work of a number of the enforcers and operatives within the Yakuza. As for the regular 'bruisers' and 'thugs' - he'd go through that sort of fighter like a threshing machine through a wheatfield. Just faster.
"-now that Kraken, THAT was scary," recounted Ranma.
"Ugh," said Genma, shuddering. "The less said about that the better."
As for Ranma himself, Akane allowed herself to be slightly impressed and thought that maybe the tale he was telling now about facing a two-headed ogre summoned by a renegade pit boss - had some truth to it.
Ranma was definitely a fighter, and though he covered it with a playful attitude - he had killed. Not simply once but several times. Likely the sort who didn't do it casually, but when convinced it was necessary was quite capable of ending something's life.
"Actually," said Taki. "I think I've met her. Lives like a hermit, bakes various kinds of bread mostly-"
He also had some 'enhancements' - much as her slave tattoos, but these were strikingly different. She wasn't quite sure how to interpret what she was seeing, not having encountered these precise things before, but she could make guesses. One was the monstrous chi slumbering within him. Another was an old old mark. Likely applied a decade or more ago as it blended with his own patterns.
"That's the one," agreed Ranma. "That cinnamon-apple bread is pretty darn good, especially when it's just finished cooking. Of course, as she IS a dragon-"
She knew he'd fought the Shimoda-Kansai Yakuza. Nabiki had found brief mention of it earlier, and Akane knew that this would mean he had to have some considerable power to defeat their enforcers. Not just the Gentle Fist techniques she'd seen evidence of earlier.
She also knew that there was currently no trace of the Shimoda-Kansai Yakuza. That might have just been the whole tendency of the wounded shark to get pulled down by all the other sharks. Then again, perhaps the wound had been fatal by itself.
"Yeah but not all kitsune or even youkai are bad sorts," protested Ranma to Taki. "Sure, some of 'em are just plain monsters that need putting down-"
Yes, there were things about this Ranma that she thought intriguing, decided Akane as she cancelled out the active Eye. Too draining and she was already getting some signs that a massive headache was on the way. It was only meant to be used for brief flashes anyway.
There was also the sword to consider. With tengu-training and this Shinmeiryuu stuff, it was to be expected he'd have one.
"-there are those who always seek power, and always there will be some of those who overreach," said Taki, apparently quoting from something.
"Yeah, that's one thing that keeps the various monster-hunters working," agreed Ranma. "There's someone locally?"
Akane considered what she'd seen of the sword but that wasn't something she'd focussed on particularly before. Most of her pit fights had been weaponless, and none of her fights had involved enchanted purposed weapons like Taki or this Ranma wielded. Knowing how to interpret the information was as much an art as anything else.
"-and besides Gosukugi there's Kuno, who's been known to 'dabble' in a few things," said Taki.
Akane wondered about what she'd seen, though outwardly she would seem unconcerned with everything. She was also quite aware of the Rei unit's scrutiny.
KA-BLAM!
Everyone startled at the sound of an explosion, with a section of the back property wall flying apart to reveal:
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(Posted Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:08)
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