[Episode 27004] [Episode 27004]There is such a thing as too sexy.
Ranma felt the nosebleed start.
Sure, ladies lusting after Ranma was too common an occurrence for comfort. But those ladies were domineering chicks that violently insisted on his attention wholly on their own terms. This one couldn't even help herself from acting cute and sexy. This one was a whole lot sexier than even Ranma's female form. This one would go along with what Ranma wanted. This one would do whatever he asked.
Sure the temptation was there. But it didn't pass any kind of analysis. Ranma was a paladin. And Nabiki, who had just become his new friend and business partner, was vulnerable and hurting. Ranma wouldn't think of betraying her.
It was a magical compulsion that was crushing Nabiki's spirit. Ranma didn't want to be domineered by his fiancées, and he wasn't about to do that to someone else either.
Ranma had to cool things down. They were both too close to impulsively doing something very foolish that couldn't be undone. With Nabiki overwhelmed by a magical geas, it'd be squarely his fault. And they'd be married within hours, he was sure of it.
Ranma avoided thinking about getting married. He knew he didn't understand very well what marriage meant. Although he didn't even admit it to himself, he was a bit scared of the topic. With his parents, fiancées, and acquaintances as role models, that's actually kind of understandable.
If anyone had ever taken the trouble to ask Ranma, he would have had a lot of trouble organizing his feelings well enough to explain them to someone else. But he instinctively knew that he needed a partner he could enjoy a solid two-way trust and giving friendship with. He wasn't yet confident that that could be developed with *any* of his current female acquaintances.
So Ranma applied his considerable talents in tactical analysis. There was always a way out of any situation if you were sharp enough to find it. Ranma usually did pretty well.
One of Ranma's favorite tactics was a combination of distraction and probing his opponent's weaknesses. Done well enough, no one even realized what had happened underneath the distraction. Insults worked great as a distraction. But Ranma didn't want to insult his new friend who was ready to cry anyway.
Out of simple curiosity Ranma kind of wanted to see that magical 'complete submissiveness' in action. He could distract Nabiki from sex that way. But Nabiki was already pretty sensitive about that. While it'd be kinda funny to have her give him some money, he'd make her cry if he demanded that she do something she didn't want to. That wasn't so funny. Not at all. He'd better leave that alone unless there was a pressing need. He was confident could do much better than that.
Better look elsewhere.
There was the lamp, but Ranma just knew it was a mistake to first try to use magic to solve problems you could do something about on your own. Magic was trouble. Ranma didn't need his newly acquired knowledge of how to escape curses to know that.
And then he arrived at what he would do. Nabiki was both lusting after his guy form and terrified that he would use her submissiveness against her. He could help that. And there was a half glass of water on the desk.
******
Nabiki had just finished revealing the depth of her predicament to Ranma. Laying yourself wide-open like to anyone that was really dangerous in the best of times. If she didn't trust Ranma's desire to do the right thing so much, in her position, it would have been the heights of folly. But her partner wouldn't betray her. And it did help her feelings a bit to bare her chest - uhh emotionally. Physically there wasn't a lot more to bare. Even though she couldn't help the desire.
Nabiki couldn't miss the nosebleed her revelation caused Ranma. But she could also see his expression shift into the one she associated with him considering options as he looked for a way out of a challenging situation. He didn't take long to reach a course of action. He really was pretty sharp in his own domain.
Ranma took two steps, and splashed himself with the half glass of water Nabiki had left on the desk last night.
"How's this, Nabiki.", Ranma said in a higher pitched voice, looking for approval.
Nabiki had trusted Ranma, but she hadn't really thought ahead trying to predict what he would do. She hadn't expected him to change to girl form for her sake, but she could see the logic in 'his' action. Ranma was truly trying to comfort her. While Ranma was over his head when it came to verbally interacting with females, he had a gift for heroic actions. Ranma was clearly trying to remove himself as an object of unreasoning lust and clearly state that he would not take advantage of her. Ranma, bless his heart, really had helped calm Nabiki's fear.
If only it worked to remove her lust. Nabiki still knew perfectly well that with a cup of hot water, Ranma could still give her what this body wanted so badly. And his gallant actions had charmed Nabiki's heart. Anyone else she knew except perhaps father or Dr. Tofu would have taken advantage of her.
For Ranma's sake, she turned around to see her own expression in the mirror and worked diligently to regain control. She couldn't do anything about cute and sexy, but she did manage to look more relaxed, hiding her lust and need. After a couple moments to compose herself, she turned back to face Ranma.
"Thanks, Ranma. I appreciate the sacrifice. It did help.", Nabiki stated with sincerity, only partially manufactured. After a short pause for effect, she continued, "I've got to get my own body back. If we were married, this body could be fun for a while, but I'd eventually want my own body back even then." She winked, half-hoping Ranma would get the hint.
Of course, he didn't. Or at the very least he didn't give even the least sign he had.
"Well, the only way I can see to get your body back is with a wish.", Ranma concluded after a second's thought.
"So I guess I just need to make the wish. If the lamp works like it did last time, Happosai will remain bottled up, and I'll trade back into my own body.", Nabiki stated. After a pause, she continued, "This is a lot like the old fables where the first two wishes are soaked up in making and recovering from a stupid wish."
(Posted Fri, 14 Feb 2003 18:36)
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