Ranma helped his mother and grandmother to their feet. "The Nekohanten isn't to far away. It shouldn't take to long to walk there."
Genma was at his side in a moment. "Good luck boy, you'll finally be rid of that girl and focus on being with Ak-OUCH!" He was cut off as Seto snagged his ear.
"You will be joining us Son in law. I still want to get to know you. After all, I don't even know how you met my daughter now, do I?" Seto smiled at Genma.
Once again, his danger senses were screaming at him the way they did when the old crone or the Master would plan something painful. "Of course Lady Seto." Genma tried saying but the woman only frowned at him. "Yes Lady Kamiki?" Eyes narrowing menacingly? Not good. "Yes Ma'am?" Still frowning. "Your Highness?" Frown darkening, also not good. He felt a pinch on his leg and looked to it's source, his wife. "Yes Mother?" In a blink the frown vanished leaving a smile in it's place and Seto let go of Genma's ear.
"That is much better." She looked over the Tendos, eyes lingering longest on Akane. "Dear, would you like to join us? This will effect you as well."
Akane took a deep breath and considered what Kasumi had said after she made the wish. It was true, she couldn't pass the blame off on anyone else for this. She would have to 'share' Ranma with the other girls now. Well, unless this Seto woman chased them off but considering she was here to ensure all of them married Ranma... Well, she didn't like the odds of that happening. No. She would have to see what sort of trouble she brought on by her own actions. Standing and smoothing out her skirt Akane made a polite bow to Lady Seto. "Alright, I'll come along as well. Thank you."
Three Saotomes, a Kamiki and the youngest Tendo headed out trough the yard. Soun was a bit down Genma was being hauled off and wouldn't be available to help plot a way to avert this disaster but sure as hell wasn't about to step in. Nabiki slipped off to do her research on if she would be making an attempt at Ranma or not now that he might be wealthy. Kasumi cleaned off the table now that things were looking to be less strained for now.
En route to the Nekohanten, Ranma walked in the lead with Akane at his side. Behind them, Nodoka and Seto walked with Genma between them. The elder Saotome male was trying to relate how he had first met his wife. Ranma listened as he had never heard how his parents met and part of him wondered if any of this was changed by the wish. If so, would anyone even know? "Nodoka and I first met just before I found my calling studying the truly complex forms of the Art. I was still focused on the original Saotome family style at the time, more ninjutsu than proper martial arts." Genma adjusted his glasses. "I was trying to find work and not having an easy time of it when I ran across a young woman in a rougher part of Tokyo. She seemed to be lost so I offered to help her find her way."
Nodoka took over from Genma. "I'd just arrived in Tokyo from... home... and was new to this area. I was alone and not sure of what to do with myself."
"Helping her find a place to stay helped me find my first position, teaching in a dojo near the tea-house where Nodoka found work. We seemed close enough at the time the Master there thought we were a couple run away together to find our fortunes and gave me a break." Genma laughed a bit there. "We kept seeing each other and, well... Growf grow grrr..." Genma hitched in his step after getting hit with water tossed from an open window he had passed under. He was now a large and very nervous panda being examined by a curiously bone dry Seto.
Kind of surprised it wasn't me. Ranma thought, though he'd actually wanted to hear the rest of that story. For some reason he always thought it had been an arranged marriage between his parents. He didn't really know any other way to explain how his mother could have tolerated his father's antics.
While Ranma had been thinking, Lady Seto had picked up Genma in his panda form and was spinning him around to examine him as if he were a giant stuffed animal. To say Genma found the experience uncomfortable would be an understatement. Nodoka was hanging her head again with a hand over her mouth, she wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or scream. "How in the world did you do that? And why?" Muttered a puzzled Lady Seto.
"I guess I can explain that one till we can get some hot water for Pops." Ranma said with a grin. The old man looked to dazed to try and bluster and that was just sad anyway with those signs anyway. "It's a curse he picked up in China. A splash of cold water changes him into a panda, hot water changes him back to normal. He's only had it for a couple a years and getting cursed was his own fault."
Seto had set Genma down so they could resume their walk. "Amazing." Washu would have so much fun with this! Seto snapped a fan open and held it over her mouth as she chuckled darkly.
Genma held up a sign. [Can we just just go] *flip* [Deal with the old woman?] *flip after a pause as if an afterthought* [Please?] He desperately wanted to get his mother in law to stop thinking whatever it was she was thinking, that laugh gave him the creeps.
"Very well, though I look forward to hearing the rest of that story later Son." Seto followed after Ranma and Akane after seeing Genma confirm that he would continue later. As they walked on Seto changed subjects. "So, my Grandson. How did you and your fiancee meet?"
Both Ranma and Akane stumbled slightly at the question and both fell into the familiar patterns in answering at the same time. "Our parents arranged it for us."
"Really." Seto's tone was conspicuously flat. "As I recall, Daughter, you left home when I tried to arrange such for you. Why the change of heart?"
"My darling husband," Nodoka's answer came trough gritted teeth, "made the arrangements without my knowing." After that though her tone softened. "But after seeing How Akane talked about Ranma and, how the two of them got on together I couldn't really object. They do seem to care for each other so, even if they are to stubborn to admit it. Though that seems to be in spite of Genma and Soun's efforts rather than thanks to them. I fear my husband may be a bit heavy handed in his meddling, I think they just need time together."
Neither woman payed any attention to the [Children should honor the wishes of their elders!] sign Genma held up.
Seto noticed that she could see both teens blushing down their necks as she walked along behind them. "Very well, Daughter."
After a bit more walking, this time in silence, Ranma and Akane stopped with the adults behind them doing so a moment later.
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(Posted Wed, 21 Aug 2013 08:00)
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