[Episode 31490] [Episode 31490]When Nabiki came home she found the house empty, which wasn't all that unusual now but before that would have set off mental alarms. But finding no note from Kasumi except for the one telling her dinner was in the fridge Nabiki knew everything was alright.
Atleast, that had been her first impression. It would've been nice if she could convince herself that she knew something was wrong, that something had changed. Instead she took out some of the tape recorders she stashed around the house. Preparing a light snack of tea and rice crackers (she would have drank coffee instead if it went better with the crackers) Nabiki sat down at the dinner table and played the first tape.
Nothing out of the ordinary, just Genma and Soun telling each-other how they must 'unite' the schools. They weren't planning anything, this was both good and bad. Good because it meant that their weren't gonna be any further complications for the next day or two. But this was also bad because it meant she would have even less to sale to the fiance's tommorrow or the day after not to mention all of the Furikahn students.
It looked like the price for Ranma pictures was going up.
Next she put in the tape fom the kitchen. Normally she wouldn't bug such places but sometimes one of Ranma-kuns enemies would go through the kitchen, speaking to themselves the entire time of their 'great' plan to get rid of Ranma. What idiots. Then she heard Kasumi's humming cut off with a gasp, replaced by a low moan.
"Oh no, we must'nt, not here...."
"Where then? I need you now."
Kodachi and Kasumi. Nabiki shook her head in disgust, not for Kasumi's relationship with Kodachi. But for what she was doing to Dr. Tofu. The good doctor fel to pieces everytime Kasumi appeared and or if her anem was mentioned and yet Kasumi didn't have the decency to tell him that she didn't like men. Kasumi didn't have to tell him that she didn't like men, instead she could just say that she fell in love with someone else, atleast to let the guy down easy instead of breaking his heart. Not interested in hearing where the couple were going (or drawing conclusion from what was said) Nabiki removed the tape and put in the next.
This tape was from the dojo and......nothing happened there today. Not too surprising since it was pretty calm today. But, a little portion of her mind whispered, its too quiet, too peaceful, what will happen when that peace ends? Nabiki had no clear answer for that question, from past experience she knew that each calm was broken by a literal storm of wierdness/fighting, each time the storm broke the chaos seemed to get worse. But Nabiki's problem was that she didn't know, couldn't predict HOW it would get worse. Would a new prince arrive to take Akane's hand? Would a new enemy appear to make everyone's life that much more difficult? Or would another fiance appear intent on nabbing Ranma? Or perhaps this time all the above?
It was too difficult to say though it seemed certain that when this storm broke the house was gonna need some repairs. Following that thought Nabiki popped in the tape from Ranma's room....
"YOU PERVERT!!"
And promptly turned down the volume.
"I knew you were faking it when you pretended that you weren't in control while in the neko-ken! I can't believe that.. You. Kissed. Me."
Nabiki knew that Akane loved to jump to conclusions, in fact it seemed that was all she could do correctly, but accusing Ranma of that was going really far. Even for Akane. All the same Nabiki winced as she heard Akane's mallet hit Ranma and not for the first time Nabiki wished that Ranma would get away from Nerima, not because she wanted him gone but because she was finding it hard to listen to Akane mallet him for these stupid little reasons.
"You thought that was funny?" Akane snapped.
"Yes." Shampoo replied.
Through the cheap microphone Nabiki thought she heard the rustle of cloth.
"I'd wish you stop doing that...I'm tired of having to bash that poor Ranma every times... and finding always dumber pretexts for it. Why don't you sneak into my bed, instead?"
Nabiki rolled her eyes. Poor Ranma? If Akane really didn't want to hit him with the mallet then she would get a hotel room for her and Shampoo. But Nabiki thought she knew the real reason behind the malletings, Akane secretly hoped that one of those hits would make Ranma think he was a girl again. Oh joy, then she, Akane and Shampoo could have a lesbian three-some and get married. Pfeh, yeah right. Okay, so Nabiki was biased, its not like she didn't have a reason to be.
"Mmmmmhhhh... Shampoo...wouldn't mind if Akane seduce Ranma first... would make Airen more open about it... better chances for Shampoo to get him then... ooohhhhh..."
"No way! You know what I think of boys...." Akane.
Is there anyone who doesn't? Nabiki thought to herself then paused the tape for a moment. Most everyone who lived in Nerima knew Akane hated boys and for those who didn't and those who just moved here Nabiki might be able to make some money off of that information. It was a thought. Pressing the play button Nabiki continued listening.
"Shampoo know what Akane thinks of men... and this one sure it have nothing to do with what Akane think of Ranma... especially girl-type Ranma."
"You know what we'll happen if I ever show I'm warming up to Ranma... we'd end up married faster than a blink by that pair of idiots that call themselves fathers. We're not ready for that, and I'm not even sure if Ranma could ever accept me as I am..."
That you hate boys and would rather he was locked in his cursed form forever? Nabiki thought to herself.
"Shampoo says if Akane fuck both girl-type and boy-type, Ranma become very accepting."
"You're such a pervert..." mumbled Akane.
Nabiki wondered if Akane heard any of the stories from the guys locker room, if she only knew she might not be so inclined to jump into bed with Shampoo.
"Hentai-onna is one to talk." Shampoo replied.
Hearing the moans Nabiki pressed the fast forward button to skip ahead. She was interested in information, not hearing Akane and Shampoo going at it again.
"I'm not sure I could ever make love to a man... even if it is Ranma."
"Akane is just being silly, like Spatula Girl was before. Ukyo was like you, swearing she won't ever let man touch her, until Shampoo convinced her trying Instant Nyannichuan. Since then, Uchan and Shampoo had lot of fun switching roles. Though Ukyo likes it more when being the boy...."
"That's a little two much information, thank you..." groaned Akane.
"You and me both!" Nabiki commented aloud. Then she grimaced as more moaning came over the tape. Why is it that Akane, her 'dear' little sister' and the princess of the house, got a bunch of girlfriends (and Kasumi had her on on again off again relationship) while Nabiki couldn't find one decent guy who could just like her for herself?
But she had. The only problem was that the fiance's were only interested in the guys cursed form, the form he hated and would do anything to get rid of while they (meaning the girls) would do anything to jump the bones of said cursed form.
As Akane and Shampoo said their goodbye's Nabiki listened for several seconds more. The bugs/tape recorders she used to record these conversations were triggered by sound, several times over the last two months Nabiki could have sworn that she heard Akane and Shampoo whispering to each-other after saying goodbye. If this were correct then it showed that Akane and Shampoo knew about the bugs and whats more it proved that they didn't care what Nabiki knew. Technically that was true as she wasn't a martial artist Nabiki would have a very hard time trying to stay ahead of her persuers. But instead of thinking of these whispering sound as Akane and Shampoo flaunting their relationship in her face (so to speak) with impunity, Nabiki prefered to believe their were other reasons. Interference from some appliance, a odd electrical short in the bug, or perhaps even the wind itself.
Wait, there it was. Nabiki frowned slightly, no, this was different, it sounded like objects were being moved around though with the intent of generating as little noise as possible. Could Sasuke be in the house? Maybe...
"Like hell."
Nabiki's train of thought derailed as she heard those two words. It sounded like her whole world was crashing down around her ears as her finger automatically hit the Rewind button for a second before releasing it, allowing her to hear Ranma's voice again. And again, and again.
She could hear the grief/anger in his voice. And Nabiki knew without a doubt that Ranma was gone.
Then:
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(Posted Fri, 10 Oct 2003 06:43)
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