Genma moved a tile and looked out over the horizon. "They are getting along well, Tendo-kun."
Soun nodded and moved his own piece. "Our families will be joined, Saotome-kun.
"Hmmm," Genma mused. "But what of the schools? The boy is letting Nabiki play with those silly spells."
Soun nodded. "Mm. Mm. Maybe we should have the engagement moved to Akane?"
Genma cocked his head. "They are getting along well."
"Oh my." Both men stiffened and turned to look at the disapproving frown of Kasumi.
"Of course," Soun added, "Nabiki is showing interest in magic combat. That is a kind of martial art."
Genma nodded once, firmly. "Anything Goes."
Nabiki carved another line into the floorboard and took a step back to examine her work. "How's that look, Ranma?"
The pigtailed martial artist flowed from one kata into a shorter one and came to a stop. "Um, it looks kinda...nice?" he offered, utterly at a loss for a critical appraisal.
"Good," Nabiki said, smiling. "Proper geomancy is attractive."
Ranma frowned. "Nabs, you're attractive. Those scratches just ain't ugly."
Nabiki colored nicely. "Why can't you say stuff like that more often?"
"Stuff like what?"
Nabiki facepalmed. "Never mind," she sighed, but without any real feeling behind it. Ranma was an idiot, but he was a sweet idiot, and more importantly he was her sweet idiot. "Well, it's not up to absorbing a complete spell, but it should hold up to accidents."
Ranma frowned. "Accidents?"
Nabiki pursed her lips. "Let's try this. You know how in training you learned to get more strength out of your body without hurting yourself?"
Ranma nodded. "Yeah. It's not enough to be strong; ya have ta know how ta use it."
"Right. Well, a spell is like that. I draw in energy, focus it into the...the shape I need, and let it go. If something goes wrong, the power shatters and can do weird things. These runes make the shards go away before anything serious can happen. It's kind of like the mat in a gym -- you know you're going to fall before you get it right, but it doesn't hurt as much."
Ranma nodded slowly as he puzzled that out. "Okay, I guess that makes sense."
Nabiki looked to her book and frowned. "I really should start practicing. If auntie is right, I might need these."
Hours passed, evening turned to twilight. Nabiki's hand was blistered with the power of her failures, but she had managed a weak counterspell and a small barrier.
Smirking at the memory, Nabiki looked over at Ranma. The boy had tapped her barrier with one finger before she could warn him about the heat and the pain and the blistering. But it seemed to be clearing with remarkable speed.
Nabiki looked up from her reminiscing as a peculiar flavor touched her empathicness. "I don't know anyone else that has that kind of resignation," she muttered.
Ranma came out of his kata and looked to Nabiki, a bit miffed that he couldn't use his own senses. "Ryoga?"
"Nah, he's just depressed and angry," Nabiki said, waving off the idea. "This is duty."
Ranma ohhed. "Shampoo," he said with a nod.
"Nihao son-in-law." The purple-haired girl came in through the wall.
Nabiki twitched. "Shampoo-chan, the door?"
"Amazon elders in Japan," Shampoo said glumly. "Soon Shampoo be judged."
Nabiki shared a confused look with Ranma. "Judged?"
"Shampoo know where airen is but not act, ignore duty. Is crime."
Ranma felt some pity for the girl, but was utterly at a loss for how to express it. Nabiki, on the other hand, "You said Ranma's curse disqualifies him. What about Genma's?"
"Son-in-law turn into spirit. Spirits dangerous, unpredictable, powerful. Airen curse just fat."
Nabiki hummed. "Can you explain that? Your law seems to target the dangerous and powerful."
"Husband must be strong, benefit village, make strong daughters, defend tribe. Whole village keep husband in line. Husband too strong, village burn, sisters hurt, tribe dies."
"In other words, you want men who are strong enough to be useful but not strong enough to say no," Nabiki surmised.
Shampoo nodded. "Is so. Airen have strong son, good father."
Ranma gagged at that comment while Nabiki shuddered. "He really isn't," she offered. "He really, really isn't."
Shampoo blinked. "Son in law not strong?"
Ranma stiffened. "I can take oyaji easy. He's a failure as a father, but he's a good trainer."
Shampoo looked Ranma over critical. "Shampoo not think so. Shampoo not lose to son-in-law, but lose to airen. Airen must be stronger."
Nabiki's eyes widened...
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(Posted Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:55)
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