It was a perfect summer day. The sun warmed the body as the sound of
birds warmed the spirit. Ranma breathed deep and allowed the peace to flow
through him as he walked along.
It had been a month since the failed wedding. A month in which things
progressed from bad to even worse. Mousse and Ryoga were more persistent
in their challenges, the fiancees were more persistent in their attempts
to win him, and Akane had dumped all of it squarely onto him. It was enough.
Ranma had picked up his pack and headed west out of Tokyo. The mountains
would be a good place to try and regain his balance and decide what to do.
He had crossed into Kanagawa prefecture some time ago and now found
himself strolling through Hinata City. Ranma checked his remaining cash.
He was low on supplies, but Nabiki had made sure he never had much in
the way of funds. He was surprised at how much he had managed to hide from
the girl, meager as it was. He shook his head; it would not last very long.
It would pose no problem to his pop - Genma would simply steal what he
needed. Ranma was damned if he'd turn out like his father.
But that left only one option - he needed a job.
Ranma's Sunny Place
by Seraphim Doan
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, Love Hina, and Sailor Moon are copyright of their
respective owners. The author in no way implies either ownership or
permission to use the characters or settings. However, since the author
is poor as sin, he would appreciate their looking the other way for the
duration of this tale.
Notes: The timeline for this is as follows - it is a couple years after
Sailor Stars, a month after the end of the Ranma manga, and a few years
before the start of the Love Hina manga. Don't expect to see your favorite
Love Hina tenants in this story... at least, right off the bat.
Prologue: One Day, Destined Forever
Ranma quickly found out the problem with looking for work in a small
city - the only jobs open for someone in his position were menial tasks
that would detract from his training. Where the sun had been pleasant
before, walking under it all day in a frustrating exercise in futility
was starting to get to him. Spying a small park with a fountain, Ranma
decided it was time to cool off and relax. He started by dunking his head
into the fountain. Ranma sighed in relief as the cool water ran down her
neck. Now a red-headed girl, Ranma sat in the grass to relax and meditate.
"Excuse me, Dear. I couldn't help but notice your pack."
Ranma looked up to see an elderly lady.
The lady smiled and continued. "Are you just passing through, or
were you thinking of staying a while?"
Ranma brushed her wet bangs back. "I was thinking of sticking around
to make a little money before continuing, but work's kinda hard to come
by around here."
The old woman's smile widened. "Why, I have _just_ the thing! You
see, I own a small inn here in Hinata City, but I have to leave for a
few months on family business. Perhaps you would be so kind as to help
an old lady in need?"
Ranma thought about it. "Well..."
"It doesn't pay much, but you do get room and board." The old lady
sized up the girl. "You'd be managing the inn. Besides making sure that
anything which broke got fixed, you might have to help with meals. The
rest of the time would be your own."
After an afternoon of fruitless searching, the perfect job had just
landed in her lap. Ranma leapt at the offer.
"I'll take it!"
****
The old woman lead Ranma up into the hills. Just past a cafe, some
stairs lead up the hill to an old inn. They climbed the stairs to the
inn where the old woman used a key to open the front door.
"The ground floor gives access to the upper floors, and the kitchen
is off to the right." The lady gestured appropriately. "If you keep going
back, you'll wind up at the North building. There's a banquet room and
the hot springs there."
Ranma perked up at this. "You have a hot spring here?" Thoughts of
easy access to hot water anytime she needed flitted through her head.
The old woman nodded at the red-head. "Oh yes. It's one of the inn's
main attractions." She gestured at the stairs leading up. "There are two
floors up the stairs, with four rooms on each floor, two on either side
of the stairs. An extension was recently added on the west side, giving
two more rooms, one on each floor. The bathroom is behind the room on
the second floor in the extension."
Ranma committed the information to memory. She'd walk through the
buildings later.
The woman continued the tour. "The laundry is in the building to the
west of this one. There's a clothes line on the roof where you can dry
your things." The lady paused a moment before continuing. "If you go to
the right through the dining room and kitchen, there's a stairway leading
down to the Japanese Cafe we passed on the way here. My daughter Haruka
runs the cafe and lives there. I had thought to have her watch the place,
but she's so busy with the cafe..." She trailed off.
Ranma nodded. She turned to find the woman in a Hawaiian shift and
a straw hat. 'When had she found the chance to change?'
Unaware of Ranma's thoughts, the woman pressed a key in the girl's
hands. She grabbed a suitcase Ranma had failed to notice when they had
entered.
"The tenants will be moving in over the next few days." She had
a plane ticket in hand now. "Well, bye!" The woman hurried off, a trail
of dust showing her passage away from the inn.
Ranma blinked as the old woman vanished down the stairs. She shrugged
and moved up the stairs. After checking out the rooms, she decided to take
the one on the far left on the second floor, room two-oh-four. She'd make
a manager's plaque for it later. Leaving her pack, she quickly headed for
the hot springs.
****
Back in his uncursed form, Ranma climbed up to where the clothes
line was. He hopped up to the roof over the laundry and caught his breath
- the view was incredible from where he stood. To the north, a river ran
through the hills to a waterfall near a shrine. Closer to the inn, a pond
bordered the stairs running up to the shrine.
Ranma smiled as he stretched out on the roof, catching the last of
the evening sun. He was going to like it here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prereader: Joseph Fenton jlfenton65@yahoo.com
Thank you! YAY, I got a PREREADER! Thank you!!!
birds warmed the spirit. Ranma breathed deep and allowed the peace to flow
through him as he walked along.
It had been a month since the failed wedding. A month in which things
progressed from bad to even worse. Mousse and Ryoga were more persistent
in their challenges, the fiancees were more persistent in their attempts
to win him, and Akane had dumped all of it squarely onto him. It was enough.
Ranma had picked up his pack and headed west out of Tokyo. The mountains
would be a good place to try and regain his balance and decide what to do.
He had crossed into Kanagawa prefecture some time ago and now found
himself strolling through Hinata City. Ranma checked his remaining cash.
He was low on supplies, but Nabiki had made sure he never had much in
the way of funds. He was surprised at how much he had managed to hide from
the girl, meager as it was. He shook his head; it would not last very long.
It would pose no problem to his pop - Genma would simply steal what he
needed. Ranma was damned if he'd turn out like his father.
But that left only one option - he needed a job.
Ranma's Sunny Place
by Seraphim Doan
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, Love Hina, and Sailor Moon are copyright of their
respective owners. The author in no way implies either ownership or
permission to use the characters or settings. However, since the author
is poor as sin, he would appreciate their looking the other way for the
duration of this tale.
Notes: The timeline for this is as follows - it is a couple years after
Sailor Stars, a month after the end of the Ranma manga, and a few years
before the start of the Love Hina manga. Don't expect to see your favorite
Love Hina tenants in this story... at least, right off the bat.
Prologue: One Day, Destined Forever
Ranma quickly found out the problem with looking for work in a small
city - the only jobs open for someone in his position were menial tasks
that would detract from his training. Where the sun had been pleasant
before, walking under it all day in a frustrating exercise in futility
was starting to get to him. Spying a small park with a fountain, Ranma
decided it was time to cool off and relax. He started by dunking his head
into the fountain. Ranma sighed in relief as the cool water ran down her
neck. Now a red-headed girl, Ranma sat in the grass to relax and meditate.
"Excuse me, Dear. I couldn't help but notice your pack."
Ranma looked up to see an elderly lady.
The lady smiled and continued. "Are you just passing through, or
were you thinking of staying a while?"
Ranma brushed her wet bangs back. "I was thinking of sticking around
to make a little money before continuing, but work's kinda hard to come
by around here."
The old woman's smile widened. "Why, I have _just_ the thing! You
see, I own a small inn here in Hinata City, but I have to leave for a
few months on family business. Perhaps you would be so kind as to help
an old lady in need?"
Ranma thought about it. "Well..."
"It doesn't pay much, but you do get room and board." The old lady
sized up the girl. "You'd be managing the inn. Besides making sure that
anything which broke got fixed, you might have to help with meals. The
rest of the time would be your own."
After an afternoon of fruitless searching, the perfect job had just
landed in her lap. Ranma leapt at the offer.
"I'll take it!"
****
The old woman lead Ranma up into the hills. Just past a cafe, some
stairs lead up the hill to an old inn. They climbed the stairs to the
inn where the old woman used a key to open the front door.
"The ground floor gives access to the upper floors, and the kitchen
is off to the right." The lady gestured appropriately. "If you keep going
back, you'll wind up at the North building. There's a banquet room and
the hot springs there."
Ranma perked up at this. "You have a hot spring here?" Thoughts of
easy access to hot water anytime she needed flitted through her head.
The old woman nodded at the red-head. "Oh yes. It's one of the inn's
main attractions." She gestured at the stairs leading up. "There are two
floors up the stairs, with four rooms on each floor, two on either side
of the stairs. An extension was recently added on the west side, giving
two more rooms, one on each floor. The bathroom is behind the room on
the second floor in the extension."
Ranma committed the information to memory. She'd walk through the
buildings later.
The woman continued the tour. "The laundry is in the building to the
west of this one. There's a clothes line on the roof where you can dry
your things." The lady paused a moment before continuing. "If you go to
the right through the dining room and kitchen, there's a stairway leading
down to the Japanese Cafe we passed on the way here. My daughter Haruka
runs the cafe and lives there. I had thought to have her watch the place,
but she's so busy with the cafe..." She trailed off.
Ranma nodded. She turned to find the woman in a Hawaiian shift and
a straw hat. 'When had she found the chance to change?'
Unaware of Ranma's thoughts, the woman pressed a key in the girl's
hands. She grabbed a suitcase Ranma had failed to notice when they had
entered.
"The tenants will be moving in over the next few days." She had
a plane ticket in hand now. "Well, bye!" The woman hurried off, a trail
of dust showing her passage away from the inn.
Ranma blinked as the old woman vanished down the stairs. She shrugged
and moved up the stairs. After checking out the rooms, she decided to take
the one on the far left on the second floor, room two-oh-four. She'd make
a manager's plaque for it later. Leaving her pack, she quickly headed for
the hot springs.
****
Back in his uncursed form, Ranma climbed up to where the clothes
line was. He hopped up to the roof over the laundry and caught his breath
- the view was incredible from where he stood. To the north, a river ran
through the hills to a waterfall near a shrine. Closer to the inn, a pond
bordered the stairs running up to the shrine.
Ranma smiled as he stretched out on the roof, catching the last of
the evening sun. He was going to like it here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prereader: Joseph Fenton jlfenton65@yahoo.com
Thank you! YAY, I got a PREREADER! Thank you!!!