'Can't you see that I Love You?'
Ranma sighed in fustration; somehow, he knew that Nabiki wasn't going to listen to him. He was already left with few options, and regardless to what Akane requested of him, Nabiki was obviously going to force his hand. Ranma swore to himself for being in this predicerment; he was a martial artist, someone supposed to be protecting people. Why did something so honorable, noble, and just the all around right thing to do... have to be so complicated and difficult?
"Sorry Akane," Ranma mumbled to himself, before setting out to locate the Tendou Patriarch. It didn't take Ranma long to locate him, finding him at the dining room table, reading one of his noontime papers.
Soun looked up, and noticed Ranma's serious expression, "Is there something wrong, Ranma?"
The pigtailed boy sat himself down at the other end of the table, and patiently waited for Soun to fold his paper away, "Yeah, there is..."
"Oh?" Soun replied, "Is this concerning your engagement to Kasumi?" Soun's expression grew hard, "I sincerely hope you're not considering backing out of it, *are you*?"
"What? No! I mean we aren't, well, we are, but I mean we aren't... wait a minute! This isn't even about that!" Ranma almost shouted, after being put off balance by the man's inquery.
"Oh, well then!" Soun beemed to himself, after having convinced Ranma rather easily to continue honoring the engagement, "I guess the problem isn't so bad, after all!"
Ranma's face darkened, "That's not the problem, it's with your two daughters."
"But I have three daughters, if I recall..." Soun mused with a confused tone.
"YOU DO HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS, YOU IDIOT!" Ranma shouted, almost in Soun's face.
"Young man, there is no reason to raise your voice," Soun chided, smoothing his hair back down.
Ranma settled himself back down, and took a deep breath to calm himself, "It's with Nabiki and Kasumi."
"Ah, can't seem to choose between them, I see," Soun joked, while reaching into his gi for his pack of cigerettes, "Well, Kasumi seems most unobjectionable to the engagement, and she is an exellent cook and housekeeper, to boot!"
"That's not what I'm talking about," Ranma replied through gritted teeth, "Nabiki and Kasumi..." he looked for a delicate way of putting what he was about to say, "they're a bit too close."
"Well, they are indeed, aren't they?" Soun replied in a matter-of-fact tone, while lighting his cigerette, "They've always been close sisters. Sometimes I concern myself about Akane, but I know she's doing fine."
"And I don't mean it that way, either," Ranma continued.
"Well, anyhow," Soun took a studdering drag of his cigerette, "you need not concern yourself. Soon you'll be married to Kasumi, and everything will be alright."
"I don't think so, Mr. Tendou," Ranma countered, while gripping the table's edge and leaving finger indentures, "Nabiki, I think she's going to do something that's...."
"Ah, pay it no mind," Soun interrupted, rather quickly, "Once you and Kasumi are married, everything will be fine!"
"DAMN IT! WILL YOU JUST LET ME SPEAK?" Ranma shouted, slamming his palms into the table.
"DON'T YOU DARE SHOUT AT ME!" Soun challenged, "I WILL HEAR NO MORE OF THIS!"
Ranma wasn't ready to let the issue drop, and opened his mouth to continue, before something registered in his brain. "You... you know, don't you?" Ranma asked in an indreculous tone.
Soun glared at Ranma, "Perhaps it would be best if you found something to do for the remainder of this evening."
Ranma picked up on the non-too subtle hint, and got up from the table. Without so much as an acknowlegement, Ranma turned to walk to the dojo. Before he completely left Soun's sight, he turned to look over his shoulder, "You can't just ignore the problem, and I have a feeling that Nabiki's gonna do something we'll all regret." With that, Ranma left.
Soun continued to stare, long after Ranma had left, before slumping wearily. he took a long drag from his cigerette, but found no comfort in it.
_____________________
Ranma was much more fustrated than before. His only forseeable assistance wasn't even going to face the problem. Akane also didn't want to deal with the problem, despite that she would be letting her eldest sister suffer. Ranma decided that he had to gear himself up for an uphill battle on his own.
"By now, you're probably realizing that no one's going to help you."
Ranma turned around, and found a smugly grinning Nabiki in the doorway of the dojo. "Leave me alone, I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now," Ranma growled, restarting his kata.
"Oh, but I'm definitely in the mood, Saotome," Nabiki hissed, entering the training hall, "I wasn't in the mood ever since you got here, but then you had to go and stick your damn nose where it didn't concern you."
Ranma stopped in mid motion, "It concerns me now."
"Oh?" Nabiki's tone was almost mirthful, "Just because you have a passing intrest in my sister, you think you know what's best for her?" Nabiki barked a sharp laugh, before her tone grew sinister, "I know what Kasumi wants, what she needs. And you are the last thing any of us need."
Ranma turned to glare at Nabiki, "You done, yet?"
Nabiki seethed, before pivoting on her heel. Ranma would pay dearly, and the first place to start.... well, he went and talked with her father...
_____________________
Nabiki sat on the porch, waiting for Mr. Saotome to arrive from the new job he apparently started with the neighboorhood clinic. Nabiki recalled the one; the doctor had a crush on her older sister, that the middle Tendou sister had quickly worked to crush. Now, they don't even solicit his business, much less associate with Dr. Tofu. Her little sister still did, apparently, but that was of little consequence.
Eventually, the elder Saotome arrived, looking a little weary after an honest day's work; apparently something he wasn't completely used to.
"Hello, Mr. Saotome!" Nabiki almost chirped, standing up."
"Oh, Nabiki, good evening. Is dinner almost ready?"
Nabiki shook her head, "Afraid not, but I thought you could use something to drink, after your first day of work." Nabiki offered Genma a large mug of beer, with liberal amounts of sake added."
"How thoughtful of you!" Genma replied, taking the mug, "Anything to snack on with this? I think I'll have this at the shougi table with your father."
"He's a bit busy at the moment," Nabiki interjected, "How about you have it out here, and I'll tell him to meet you out here with the gameboard when he's done? It's a pretty nice day out, after all."
"Great suggestion!" Genma sat cross-legged on the porch, while sipping his beer. Nabiki smirked, as she went inside for a few moments...
_____________________
Nabiki filled Genma's mug once again, smiling cheerfully as she did so. Genma swayed a bit, but gratefully accepted the refill.
"Mr. Saotome..." Nabiki asked in a timid lilt, "Do you mind if I ask you about a few things...?"
_____________________
Nabiki walked past Ranma, giving him a chilling smile that set him on edge, as she went upstairs. His father had given her a nice amount of information for her to plan with, but she wanted a bit more on Ranma, something he couldn't escape. She deftly snuck into the guest room, and rolled her eyes upon finding their stuff still packed, as if they were about to leave any moment.
"I wish," Nabiki mumbled to herself, before picking a pack to go through. She grabbed the straps, and attepted to lift it, before cursing, and wondering how they carried these things around so much.
With a great deal of effort, Nabiki dragged it into her own room, not wanting to be caught in the guest room going through their stuff. She locked her door, and opened up the pack. A snort of irritation stated her disapproval with getting the wrong pack, but with nothing more to do, and not wanting to drag Ranma's into her room at the moment, she started sorting through what she found in it, while taking careful note of remebering where everything went.
Almost a half an hour, and Nabiki hadn't found anything useful. After growling about wasting her time, she started to carefully put everything back. her hand came upon a flimsy training manual, and noted it to be the one Genma mentioned earlier. Chuckling about that little tidbit of info, Nabiki started to put it in, before something tumbled out of it. Nabiki picked up the folded paper, and was about to put it back in the book, before curiousness came upon her.
"Oh, this is just lovely," Nabiki chortled; deciding that Ranma's fate was upon him.
_____________________
"Kasumi, you know where the phone book is?"
Kasumi's back went rigid at Nabiki's tone; that wasn't a good tone, "Ah, I think Akane had it in her room earlier."
"Thanks, sis!" Nabiki skipped up to her older sister, and kissed her on the cheek, and then whispered in her ear, " Ranma's going to be gone by tomorrow, and then we can put all this behind us."
Ranma had been sitting across the living room, with much of the household present. At Nabiki's intimate display, Ranma wanted to rush in, and interpose himself between the two, protecting Kasumi. Instead, he looked around to see what everyone else's reactions were. His father was still out on the porch, drunk, while Akane's eyes flashed in her sisters' direction, while Soun evenly ignored it.
Ranma swore to himself, as he watched Nabiki head back upstairs, after giving him a look that told him his days were numbered.
Ranma sighed in fustration; somehow, he knew that Nabiki wasn't going to listen to him. He was already left with few options, and regardless to what Akane requested of him, Nabiki was obviously going to force his hand. Ranma swore to himself for being in this predicerment; he was a martial artist, someone supposed to be protecting people. Why did something so honorable, noble, and just the all around right thing to do... have to be so complicated and difficult?
"Sorry Akane," Ranma mumbled to himself, before setting out to locate the Tendou Patriarch. It didn't take Ranma long to locate him, finding him at the dining room table, reading one of his noontime papers.
Soun looked up, and noticed Ranma's serious expression, "Is there something wrong, Ranma?"
The pigtailed boy sat himself down at the other end of the table, and patiently waited for Soun to fold his paper away, "Yeah, there is..."
"Oh?" Soun replied, "Is this concerning your engagement to Kasumi?" Soun's expression grew hard, "I sincerely hope you're not considering backing out of it, *are you*?"
"What? No! I mean we aren't, well, we are, but I mean we aren't... wait a minute! This isn't even about that!" Ranma almost shouted, after being put off balance by the man's inquery.
"Oh, well then!" Soun beemed to himself, after having convinced Ranma rather easily to continue honoring the engagement, "I guess the problem isn't so bad, after all!"
Ranma's face darkened, "That's not the problem, it's with your two daughters."
"But I have three daughters, if I recall..." Soun mused with a confused tone.
"YOU DO HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS, YOU IDIOT!" Ranma shouted, almost in Soun's face.
"Young man, there is no reason to raise your voice," Soun chided, smoothing his hair back down.
Ranma settled himself back down, and took a deep breath to calm himself, "It's with Nabiki and Kasumi."
"Ah, can't seem to choose between them, I see," Soun joked, while reaching into his gi for his pack of cigerettes, "Well, Kasumi seems most unobjectionable to the engagement, and she is an exellent cook and housekeeper, to boot!"
"That's not what I'm talking about," Ranma replied through gritted teeth, "Nabiki and Kasumi..." he looked for a delicate way of putting what he was about to say, "they're a bit too close."
"Well, they are indeed, aren't they?" Soun replied in a matter-of-fact tone, while lighting his cigerette, "They've always been close sisters. Sometimes I concern myself about Akane, but I know she's doing fine."
"And I don't mean it that way, either," Ranma continued.
"Well, anyhow," Soun took a studdering drag of his cigerette, "you need not concern yourself. Soon you'll be married to Kasumi, and everything will be alright."
"I don't think so, Mr. Tendou," Ranma countered, while gripping the table's edge and leaving finger indentures, "Nabiki, I think she's going to do something that's...."
"Ah, pay it no mind," Soun interrupted, rather quickly, "Once you and Kasumi are married, everything will be fine!"
"DAMN IT! WILL YOU JUST LET ME SPEAK?" Ranma shouted, slamming his palms into the table.
"DON'T YOU DARE SHOUT AT ME!" Soun challenged, "I WILL HEAR NO MORE OF THIS!"
Ranma wasn't ready to let the issue drop, and opened his mouth to continue, before something registered in his brain. "You... you know, don't you?" Ranma asked in an indreculous tone.
Soun glared at Ranma, "Perhaps it would be best if you found something to do for the remainder of this evening."
Ranma picked up on the non-too subtle hint, and got up from the table. Without so much as an acknowlegement, Ranma turned to walk to the dojo. Before he completely left Soun's sight, he turned to look over his shoulder, "You can't just ignore the problem, and I have a feeling that Nabiki's gonna do something we'll all regret." With that, Ranma left.
Soun continued to stare, long after Ranma had left, before slumping wearily. he took a long drag from his cigerette, but found no comfort in it.
_____________________
Ranma was much more fustrated than before. His only forseeable assistance wasn't even going to face the problem. Akane also didn't want to deal with the problem, despite that she would be letting her eldest sister suffer. Ranma decided that he had to gear himself up for an uphill battle on his own.
"By now, you're probably realizing that no one's going to help you."
Ranma turned around, and found a smugly grinning Nabiki in the doorway of the dojo. "Leave me alone, I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now," Ranma growled, restarting his kata.
"Oh, but I'm definitely in the mood, Saotome," Nabiki hissed, entering the training hall, "I wasn't in the mood ever since you got here, but then you had to go and stick your damn nose where it didn't concern you."
Ranma stopped in mid motion, "It concerns me now."
"Oh?" Nabiki's tone was almost mirthful, "Just because you have a passing intrest in my sister, you think you know what's best for her?" Nabiki barked a sharp laugh, before her tone grew sinister, "I know what Kasumi wants, what she needs. And you are the last thing any of us need."
Ranma turned to glare at Nabiki, "You done, yet?"
Nabiki seethed, before pivoting on her heel. Ranma would pay dearly, and the first place to start.... well, he went and talked with her father...
_____________________
Nabiki sat on the porch, waiting for Mr. Saotome to arrive from the new job he apparently started with the neighboorhood clinic. Nabiki recalled the one; the doctor had a crush on her older sister, that the middle Tendou sister had quickly worked to crush. Now, they don't even solicit his business, much less associate with Dr. Tofu. Her little sister still did, apparently, but that was of little consequence.
Eventually, the elder Saotome arrived, looking a little weary after an honest day's work; apparently something he wasn't completely used to.
"Hello, Mr. Saotome!" Nabiki almost chirped, standing up."
"Oh, Nabiki, good evening. Is dinner almost ready?"
Nabiki shook her head, "Afraid not, but I thought you could use something to drink, after your first day of work." Nabiki offered Genma a large mug of beer, with liberal amounts of sake added."
"How thoughtful of you!" Genma replied, taking the mug, "Anything to snack on with this? I think I'll have this at the shougi table with your father."
"He's a bit busy at the moment," Nabiki interjected, "How about you have it out here, and I'll tell him to meet you out here with the gameboard when he's done? It's a pretty nice day out, after all."
"Great suggestion!" Genma sat cross-legged on the porch, while sipping his beer. Nabiki smirked, as she went inside for a few moments...
_____________________
Nabiki filled Genma's mug once again, smiling cheerfully as she did so. Genma swayed a bit, but gratefully accepted the refill.
"Mr. Saotome..." Nabiki asked in a timid lilt, "Do you mind if I ask you about a few things...?"
_____________________
Nabiki walked past Ranma, giving him a chilling smile that set him on edge, as she went upstairs. His father had given her a nice amount of information for her to plan with, but she wanted a bit more on Ranma, something he couldn't escape. She deftly snuck into the guest room, and rolled her eyes upon finding their stuff still packed, as if they were about to leave any moment.
"I wish," Nabiki mumbled to herself, before picking a pack to go through. She grabbed the straps, and attepted to lift it, before cursing, and wondering how they carried these things around so much.
With a great deal of effort, Nabiki dragged it into her own room, not wanting to be caught in the guest room going through their stuff. She locked her door, and opened up the pack. A snort of irritation stated her disapproval with getting the wrong pack, but with nothing more to do, and not wanting to drag Ranma's into her room at the moment, she started sorting through what she found in it, while taking careful note of remebering where everything went.
Almost a half an hour, and Nabiki hadn't found anything useful. After growling about wasting her time, she started to carefully put everything back. her hand came upon a flimsy training manual, and noted it to be the one Genma mentioned earlier. Chuckling about that little tidbit of info, Nabiki started to put it in, before something tumbled out of it. Nabiki picked up the folded paper, and was about to put it back in the book, before curiousness came upon her.
"Oh, this is just lovely," Nabiki chortled; deciding that Ranma's fate was upon him.
_____________________
"Kasumi, you know where the phone book is?"
Kasumi's back went rigid at Nabiki's tone; that wasn't a good tone, "Ah, I think Akane had it in her room earlier."
"Thanks, sis!" Nabiki skipped up to her older sister, and kissed her on the cheek, and then whispered in her ear, " Ranma's going to be gone by tomorrow, and then we can put all this behind us."
Ranma had been sitting across the living room, with much of the household present. At Nabiki's intimate display, Ranma wanted to rush in, and interpose himself between the two, protecting Kasumi. Instead, he looked around to see what everyone else's reactions were. His father was still out on the porch, drunk, while Akane's eyes flashed in her sisters' direction, while Soun evenly ignored it.
Ranma swore to himself, as he watched Nabiki head back upstairs, after giving him a look that told him his days were numbered.