“Testing, testing,” Hiroshi said. “Can you hear me?”
Startled, Daisuke looked round the brothel office, but saw only Yuka, her face equally puzzled.
After a moment though, she smiled. “Learnt a new trick, Hiroshi?”
“Its called the voice of god option,” Hiroshi said. “Buried deep in the Master PC sub-menus, but I found it. I can disguise my voice too. Listen.”
“Tremble before me, ye puny mortals,” he said, his voice now a deep bass, echoing off the walls. “I am-”
“What did I tell you?” Sayuri snapped.
“You two together?” Yuka asked.
“No,” Hiroshi said. “I've linked our bedrooms up the same way. I could do visual too, or make letters of fire appear in the sky. They can be targeted so only the right people see them too, without any mental tampering. The possibilities are-”
“Never mind that,” Sayuri said. “Ranma's on his way to you, and he's being followed.”
“Can't you just remove the command?” Hiroshi asked. “We've removed Noboru's Master PC user privileges.”
“We can,” Daisuke said, “but do you really think he'll just forget about it? We need to make things look as natural as possible, so I've made reversal contingent on his curse.”
“Next time he changes, it'll wear off,” Sayuri explained. “Hiroshi, remember, you've got to watch your vocabulary too.”
“So, what do we do?” Daisuke asked.
“Two choices,” Hiroshi said. “You can stay in there, unreachable, until the coast is clear.”
“Any idea how long that will be?” Yuka asked warily.
“Unpredictable,” Hiroshi said. “Alternately, you can leave, and risk running into Ranma.”
Yuka shrugged. “He won't hurt us, and I'm not staying here with Daisuke any longer than I have to.”
Daisuke pulled Yuka into the doorway as Ranma sauntered past, his face intent.
“Not very subtle, was he,” Yuka muttered.
Daisuke nodded, watching appreciatively. Ranma didn't normally wiggle his hips like that, only when the latest mishap left him playing the girl, but when he did, it was always worth watching.
Yuka elbowed him. “And here come the rest.”
Akane strode briskly down the street, fists clenched, her jaw set, her father clutching at her elbow, babbling excuses. Close behind them, Genma followed, Nabiki a few steps behind him.
“What is it this time?” Daisuke said, deliberately distracting Akane. “magic doll, Amazon curse, Happi?”
“I don't care,” she snarled. “Whatever it is, I'm going to break it, or beat it up, or, um- What are you two doing here anywhere?”
“What do teenagers normally do in a doorways at night?” Nabiki asked, smiling.
“It's not like that,” Yuka said, blushing. “Oh, look! He can't get in the whatever it is.”
Ranma was indeed hammering on the brothel door, but his fists just bounced off the time-locked building.
“Odd,” Nabiki said. “Why summon him, then not let him in?”
“I don't care,” Akane said. “I just wish it would stop, then, um...”
As Akane trailed into silence, Genma smiled.
“Such is the path of a true martial artist,” he said pompously. “One must-”
“Never happens to you though,” Nabiki said sweetly, exchanging glances with Daisuke.
As Genma blustered, Akane stiffened.
“Kuno!” she spat. “I bet he's to blame.”
Daisuke sighed. Just what they needed. Kuno was still halfway down the street, but he was walking towards them. When he arrived, the circus would be in full swing.
Nabiki put a restraining hand on her sister's shoulder. “Let Genma deal with it, she is his daughter.”
“He's her fiancée,” Genma said. “She ought to look after him.”
Daisuke frowned, wondering what would it would take to stir Genma into action. Money would, of course, but he couldn't exactly bribe the man.
“I'm sure your wife will understand,” Nabiki said, “that you didn't care about your son acting like this.”
“Akane's got to deal with Kuno in school tomorrow,” Yuka added. “You don't.”
Akane looked at her, then reluctantly nodded.
Daisuke smiled. “Don't worry, Akane, I know Kuno likes to throw his money around, but I'm sure Genma won't accept any bribes.”
“Of course not,” Genma said, unconvincingly. “I am an honourable man.”
“He normally pays me 50,000 yen a question,” Nabiki added helpfully, “out of his pocket change.”
“My red-haired goddess,” Kuno shouted, catching sight of Ranma.
“Money means nothing to me,” Genma said, moving to intercept Kuno.
“So, what do we do about him?” Daisuke asked, looking again on Ranma. There was no way he could break into the building, but they couldn't just leave him standing there.
Nabiki pulled out a kettle. “And if this doesn't work, we'll try knocking him out.”
“So, what lessons can we learn from last night?” Hiroshi asked the next day, looking at Daisuke and the girls.
(Posted Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:07)
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