Nobody seemed to pay much attention as as the freshly cleaned and dressed duo of Ranma and Akane came out from the bath to join those gathered for dinner. Seemed being the operative word there, Nabiki was good at watching something without seeming to. She noticed the shy glances and little smiles easily, even as they took their seats opposite each other.
Aside from the Saotome's speed eating and subsequent explanation of the spectacle as speed training, things were fairly subdued.
Kasumi spent the meal blushing at the praise for her talents in the kitchen. Akane would ask Ranma a bit about where she had traveled and ignored Genma's blustery answers to listen to what Ranma had to say. Soun seemed oblivious to everything. Nabiki sat trying to figure out what it was about the hot bodied red-head that had flipped her switch. And Genma just shoved as much food into his mouth as he could, only pausing to talk himself up when a question was asked. Seriously, any question. Even ones that had nothing to do with him or his son.
Ranting and idle chat aside, dinner was soon over and the Tendos and their guests gathered to discuss things.
"First girls," Soun began gingerly, "I would like to explain why things seemed to go so wrong when my old friend arrived. We've used the time to discuss things and put the story together. It seems that the same sort of curse that has afflicted Genma here," Soun pointed to his portly companion, "causing my old friend to change into a panda has also afflicted Ranma. That is why the young man we were expecting arrived as a young woman. Unfortunately something seems to have had a strange effect on Ranma, not allowing him to return to his proper form."
Crap! Ranma sat, eyes glued to the floor as her secret was spilled. Damn it old man... Ah what the hell could I expect. I was guess I was supposed to get married to one of these girls. It figures this part wouldn't have stayed a secret. Now Akane's gunna hate me for sure.
What? Ranma wasn't raised as a boy, she used to be one? OK, technically, the same thing. Akane blinked and looked as she watched Ranma pretend the floor was very interesting. Thinking back, she tried to tell me and I just assumed differently and ran with my own ideas... Really need to stop doing that. But why not tell me... Oh right. The hurt looks and shyness and the whole bit about screaming and no more friends. And if anyone was a pervert when I walked in on Ranma it was me. Akane suddenly found something extremely interesting about the floor herself as she blushed a deep red. Much as her normal default was to blame 'the boy' she had already accepted what happened as her own doing. To late to shuffle the blame now. Ranma was anything but one until after I was.
Nabiki managed to keep the shocked expression from her face. Ranma should be a he. Oh Kami please tell me I picked up on that and that's why I thought Ranma was hot... Not that she isn't now but- NO! Stop it! People say enough about you at school as it is thanks to how you treat guys. That they say the same about Akane is bad enough. Even if it seems to be accurate in one case.
Kasumi just became very thoughtful. Oh, poor Ranma. It must be very hard to be changed like that.
"This is why Ranma will be staying with us for a while." Sound finished after his short pause to let his daughters take in what he had said.
It was Nabiki who the question Soun seemed to forget to answer. "Daddy, what exactly is the connection between Ranma being a boy turned into a girl and Ranma staying here?"
"Well young lady," Genma spoke up, "Your father was good enough to offer to let Ranma stay here and attend school for a while, to let him get to know you three. While doing this, I will look for a cure for these curses. He did mention you three seemed to want a chance to get to know Ranma before you decided who would get to marry him. This little delay will provide that chance." Genma crossed his arms over his chest and nodded several times. And it will be faster to track down and steal a cure without the boy and his moral code in the way. Then I can come back, get him married and settle into a comfortable retirement!
Ranma was a bit shocked by that. The old man... doing something useful for once? Ranma covertly pinched her leg. Ok not dreaming. What is he plotting now, this couldn't be so easy. Or is he just running away to ditch me now? Would be just like him. Ranma continued to sit, now a tiny bit depressed, as the talk continued on.
"Yes, you girls did seem reluctant to discuss the engagement when I first brought it up-" Soun was cut off.
By a polite reminder from a smiling Kasumi. "For the first time a few minutes before Mister Saotome and Ranma arrived."
With a strained smile, Soun continued on. "Yes. Anyway, this is a good chance to get to know Ranma. I'm sure it won't take Genma to long to find a cure for this strange and unfortunate curse. When we have this all sorted, we can decide then which of you gets along best with Ranma." Why, with those frightening looks his daughters were giving him earlier, he had to insist on it with Genma! Or else his little girls might be angry with him and Soun wouldn't allow that. "So, Ranma will be our guest for the time being. We'll be saying goodbye to my good friend the day after tomorrow though."
"It was a long trek from China." Chimed in Genma, for some reason feeling the need to defend not leaving right away.
"Of course. So, I think that about covers things."
"Say Tendo, how about another game. It's been so many years since I've had a good match."
"Sounds great old friend." With a laugh the fathers moved off to the shogi board, leaving the four youngsters in the room to... well, sit in awkward silence mostly.
"So..."
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Wed, 31 Jul 2013 07:43)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.