While the profit motive was fresh in her mind at all times, carefully looking out over the scene to see where she could con a buck to get something delicious Nabiki herself while cruel did stop just short of trying to get Ranma his father and possibly her sister murdered. So when she had set up the two for a much better happier life she, as she so eloquently rationalized it, had better make sure the new slave girl's mother was happy too. Although the worldly lady would need a different tactic to get her to swallow the pill, Nabiki was at least a little sure that Ranma's mother, as adamant as she is about her son's manliness hadn't totally forgotten about Ranko. She hopped beyond hope that some small part of her no matter how vaguely different from the account in the script would buy the story and like the cold read supply her own motives and meanings.
Nabiki had already taken the precaution of inking everyone's finger before hand. So she gently tried to rouse the Saotome, she could tell Kasumi was looking worried in the background. She probably knew this would be a harder sell than the two bickering fiancées. "hnnn Nabiki. Is it morning?" Nodoka asked a bit sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "It's a few hour from noon" Nabiki responded casually. "Are you feeling alright? You where acting really weird." "Weird?" Nodoka responded a little more alert, she was not too much of a morning person thanks to her husband's long absence, but she woke quickly. "Yeah, I mean, I guess its reasonable that you don't remember much either, Kasumi and the doctor, they accidentally let loose a little anesthesia in the room, You and Akane and Ranma where pretty close back then I guess you got caught in it too." Nabiki finished, waiting for the story to take "Oh my, so that's why I'm so drowsy." there was the half truth, she thought, that part really did happen, but Nabiki knew she had to lie with a straight face about everything that came after. "It should pass soon enough, but before you got knocked out, you where acting really weird. I was almost a little concerned. I mean it's none of my business, you are Ranma's mother and all, but you just go on and on about his manliness I never expected you to change your mind so suddenly." Nodoka snapped up, "I didn't! I couldn't, is my dear Ranma? And my husband!" she looked to the side, her husbands bed empty. Nabiki wasn't as thick as her siblings she caught on pretty quick and tried to defuse the situation. "C-calm down Auntie Saotome, Ranma and Genma are both fine, that's just the surprising thing, After all I had expected you to be furious, I never expected you to actually support Akane's idea like that, I mean, if it wasn't for you, Ranma might not have done it." "What? Done what?" Nodoka pleaded. Nabiki put on her most empathic concerned look she could muster and handed Nodoka the forms. She had made sure that the copies where just that, copies, the originals in her room, these where Xeroxed from them to give them jut a touch of legitimacy. Nabiki knew they still looked ridiculous and living alone for so long she wondered if she should bother to conceal the fact that they where forged at all. She decided to play it by ear and see how Nodoka responded. "V-voluntary slave contract." She whimpered incredulously. She scanned the document reading furiously quickly focused. Could it be? No, just the opposite she realized as her eyes carefully treaded the inked signature for her Ranma's name, signing away his freedom and masculinity.
Nodoka trembled while Nabiki tactfully put an arm on her shoulder. Nabiki felt a little guilty and raw at doing this, she had only once before felt that touch of feeling when he used tears on Saotome to goad him into seeing Nodoka. Perhaps she felt a touch of pain at the fear of the Saotomes being separated. "Auntie, do you really miss 'Ranko' that much?" she asked in as heart felt a voice she could, the soft pain in her stomach leaned her some validity too, but Nabiki knew she had more on her mind than empathy. Nodoka looked, still reading the other page. Seeing her handwriting, the shaky pattern interpreted to be her own trembles as she wrote those words. "What happened? What did I say?" Nodoka looked up to Nabiki hopefully, and evading her question she realized. That was okay, Nabiki didn't need to get an answer, just plant the idea. "Well, predictably, when Ranma proposed you where right at his back. You came right from the deck and sat down hopefully beaming at the two." Nabiki spun the tale of Ranma's proposal, she had failed to mention it at first, but maybe it was better this way, if she was more concerned about Nodoka's feelings and 'strange behavior' It might come across as more genuine. "Then Akane rejected him. She said it wasn't the kind of relationship she wanted; husband and wife." she paused gauging Nodoka's reactions "But she was quick to tell him the kind of relationship she did want. When she finished her tirade Ranma didn't know what to say. You doused him with a bit of sake and just held her hand and said, "You can say yes."" Nabiki finished. Nodoka looked at the forms again then back at her, picturing the situation. Nabiki hadn't needed to plant the desire for Ranko to return, it wouldn't have worked and it wasn't needed, Ranma must have been so heart broken, she really gave into her own desires to comfort her son, and went back on their families honor and contract? She knew there had to be something wrong with these forms, but now she wasn't sure they really mattered, she went back on the contract, not her son. "These are fakes aren't they?" she asked somberly. Nabiki felt her heart jump but she already had a response ready "Well yeah, Slavery in Japan? C'mon, you said there wasn't enough time to make them look perfect." Nodoka looked back incredulously "You couldn't have at least gotten the seal of Japan in the right place? What if we have to fool my stupid husband?"
Nabiki relaxed at the comment. "Glad your memory isn't entirely missing from last night; Akane and Ranma barely remembered anything, not even going to sleep together." Nabiki despite her statement was much more concerned about Nodoka's allegiance but it seemed for now at least she was in on the game. Hopefully if everything went well Nodoka wouldn't have that contract on her son anymore, the Saotomes would be close, Ranma and Akane would stop waking her up in the morning with their fighting, and there would be less repairs to make in the dojo. Oh and she stood to make a fair bit of pocket change on the whole thing too. She grinned a bit wider. "Well. Like I said, it's not my place to interfere with you and Ranma but I do get concerned. More than that though, I'm wondering what sort of tutoring you're going to be doing for my younger sister." Nabiki let on as Nodoka double took, she still didn't have a clear idea of what she was going to do with this situation, Ranma was lucky he had already proved manly as a woman, or Nodoka might not even have considered the idea of Nabiki's younger sister becoming manly possible. "Well I'm sure you wont do anything too rash to dear little Akane. Speaking of which, I should probably check to see if those two haven't blasted each other to the moon."
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(Posted Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:38)
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