Ranma's pride was fully broken, as one can see, from his not even pretending he wasn't running off to cry and maybe sulk some.
(Meanwhile, Sailor Neptune turned puzzledly and a little hurt towards Uranus as they saw the crazed Martial Artist roofhop away. "What.. WAS that?" Uranus just sighed "At a guess, love, a broken Closet door." "What do you mean, Clos-*Ohhhhhh*" *sigh* "Yeah, that.")
No, Ranma was simply lost in his own pain and confusion, until he heard a voice he'd normally loathe say "It's not really their fault, or anyone's, lad."
Looking up, Ranma saw Happi. The Freak was actually serious. Then again, Perversion WAS his bag, and..
..
"Hey.. Master Happosai? I'm not wanting to be.. but.. well... .."
Happi rescued Ranma from his own mouth, with a surpisingly sympathetic chuckle. "You want to understand, is all? Come on, I know a spot we can chat alone. Gauranteed, no interruptions."
Ranma numbly nodded, unsurprised when it turned out to be a room in a Love Hotel, but kinda stunned deep down that Happi didn't try to have him check in as a girl.
Presently Happi broke the silence.. "Akane's a lesbian. I'm told you were warned of as much your first day?" Ranma answered slowly.. "ye-eahh, but it was so oblique I didn't figure it out until you reminded me.. I'm a Ba--"
"NO, boy, you are simply a untrained naif, thrown to the wolves purposefully! I'm sorry to say this, but my honorless disciples Genma and Soun planned you to be their pewrfect retirement package, and even set ME up once they got over my survival, to further it! Hell, I'm almost proud of the assholes!"
"I do wanna hear about that and why Kasumi and Kodachi are doing it and all the rest, but I have to ask--why do you even mention Honor?"
Happi shook his head.. "Ranma, I'm like you in this regard. I'm forced to compromise my honor in almost every way, until i take a.. forgive the term.. *perverse* pride in being the walking warning for all others in Japan. None of it was truly chosen by me, it simply accumulated. Shall I continue?"
Ranma is now growing more comfortable with Happosai. maybe it's the simple fact that this talk is Honest and open, maybe he's just too weary to fight for things that don't seem real anymore.. He's just comfortable here, is all.
"Nah, I need to know who's doing what, why, in simple terms. In short.."
"You need a scorecard and Nabiki's would cost too much?"
Ranma broke in with a grin, though his eyes were still saddened beyond description. "Yup, that about sums it up."
"well, Ukyo's as butch a girl as they come, although she's apparently quite the femme with a man in her, this kinda figures, you didn't even know her gender as a kid, a good sign that she may take the Tomboy act a bit further than most.." "..And her Dad's asinine Loss of Womanhood Stunt..?" "Just made it all worse, as you guessed, lad. Shampoo is a Nympho, and likely has deep deep disinterest in committing to ANY one person. Ku Lon was the same way before I soured it for her way back when."
Raising a eyebrow at the honorable and correct pronounciation of her name, Ranma just said drily "I'd say too much information, but in truth.. it figures. Kodachi and Kasumi?"
"Harder to tell, but given the nasty odds of inbreeding in that insane clan, and Kasumi's Mother image.." Happi himself turned a bit green, Ranma noted, as he leapt in with "Yes, that's disGUSTing but makes sense, but why would Kasumi?" Happi thought about it.. "Hmmm.. Yup, that makes sense.. lad, my guess is Kasumi feels guilt over driving Tofu nuts all the time, and maybe needs it WILD after being so restrained all day, but not unloving.. How better, then, than with Kodachi?"
Ranma then asked the last one about any romantic hopes.. "And.. Nabs...?" Happi slapped his thigh sharply, the *slap* shocking Ranma into focus.. "Straight, interested in you, but forbidden to show it, for reasons her father would refuse to explain. He's been doing the crying jags to seem helpless and to drive all thought of staying out of Pragmatic Nabiki, too."
"But.. Why?" Ranma asked, before going on.. "I mean, she's smart, she does the finances, she's as flexible as any Anything Goes user.. Oh, Oh No.. no,no,no,no,no,nooooooooooo.."
Happi smiled.. it was a horrifying smile, but not threatening to Ranma.. "Yes, Ranma.. Smart enough to see thru their intent to retire and stick you with the cares of two lifetimes, so she'd NEVER do, better to curse you girl and leave you JUST male enough to impregnate the lesbian heir to the Tendo Art. Also leave her half-trained, so you have to save her bacon ALL the time and not have time to figure it out, plus if you are perverted by the sex, you're then suitable for MY training in the full Anything Goes."
Ranma's world was totally falling apart.. "But that means Jusenkyo.. How...?"
"Happi sighed in somewhat pained but true sympathy.. "remember, they baited ME into this with my own weak spots, Saotome! I'll spell how they got you out, though. I trained those two, including a tour thru coastal China.. They communicated in Chinese, Soun updating on all the events for the family, and of course, Genma CAN read Chinese.. He just made sure YOU couldn't."
By this time, Ranma was lighting the room a bright Greenish-Blacklighting effect, from his aura, occasionally tapped under control surreptitiously by Happosai.
Ranma sighed out a mewl of pain, then asked "I shouldn't, but I have to.. Tatewaki?" "Fantasies of owning women, due to repressed Bisexuality and subconscious memories of his Momma taking off, as who wouldn't from the Macadamia Nut? Remember, Ranma, in the old days, Samurai had the right to take women living in the lands of their Daimyo, Back before the Shogunate."
Ranma just shook his head in disgust.. "Okay. I'm guessing Ryouga is Bi or Gay, and simply wants companionship froim women, he never even looked away from Akane until we were forming a close bond, and is uninterested in romance with Akari as near as I can tell."
Happi smiled proudly. "Now you get it, lad! I doubt Ryouga KNOWS it though, you know how hard it is for guys to accept such truths in themselves, even in this culture. Not to mention his lack of social acculturation is a rival to yours, due to his crappy Hibiki sense of direction."
"Ouch." "You said it, boy. I'm ticked, but proud too, so I don't have any set plans for those two.. I'm goping to leave it all up to you, and help you with the Fiancees as well, however you want to take it."
"Why?" "After this, you'll never accept being ruled over again, so Ku Lon's out as a guide for you, and you ARE my Heir, let us not forget. I just teased you til now as you had some innocence remaining, but now...."
Ranma heaved one last sigh, then fell silent for a few minutes, auraout and shifting colors as his emoptions warred within him, introspective at long long last. Happi just watched, biding his time, until Ranma's aura flashed and glowed a steady confident blue..
"Alright, Master, let's:
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(Posted Thu, 17 Apr 2003 08:23)
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