Akane the Suicidal
Kasumi attempted four times, before her fingers were able to grasp the ringing phone. She picked it up almost nervelessly, and waited until she could gain her composure before speaking.
"Tendou residence."
"[Kasumi? What's wrong?]"
Akane's concerned voice at the way Kasumi's was trembling sent Kasumi straight into elation, "AKANE! WHERE? I MEAN, YOU'RE ALIVE!"
"[Um, could you not shout into the phone, please?]" Akane asked, "[Just thought I'd check in. I know how you guys worry about me.]"
"Ah..." Kasumi calmed herself down, "Where are you?"
"[Don't worry, I'm okay,]" Akane answered instead, immidiately setting Kasumi back on edge. Nabiki passed by, looking down herself, and the elder sister flagged her, mouthing 'Akane'. Nabiki's eyes went wide, as she quickly ran to the side of her older sister.
"That's good to hear, but where are you?"
"[I'm doing something for... Ranma.]" Ranma's name was said in a whisper
"What are you doing for Ranma?" Kasumi enquired, turning to Nabiki, who could only shrug.
"I can't tell you, I want it to be a surprise!]" Akane paused for a moment, "[So if you can, please keep him from looking for me!]"
"Well, if I am able to do that, I'm going to need to know exactly where you are," Kasumi stated, factually.
"[Huh]"
Kasumi sighed, as if having to explain the obvious, "How am I to keep Ranma from looking for you in the location you're at, if I don't know where to keep him from looking at?" Nabiki stared at her elder sister with an incredulous expression.
"[Ah, Kasumi, have you been in the 'special tea' again?]"
"I'm sorry, Akane, but if I don't know where you're at, then I can't stop Ranma from going out and looking for you. Oh my, I hope that doesn't ruin the surprise!" Kasumi asked, innocently.
__________________
Akane blinked, and rolled her eyes. If she wanted Kasumi's cooperation, she guessed she would have to comply. After all, it wasn't like she bothered to cover her tracks, and Ranma may be an exellent tracker, especially since he's had to rough it for a good portion of his life.
"Alright, alright, here's the address..."
__________________
Kasumi continued to nod, as she jotted down the address, "Okay, I'll try my best to make sure he doesn't try to find you there, have fun with Ranma's surprise!" With that, Kasumi hung up the phone.
"I can't believe you got Akane to fall for that," Nabiki stated flatly. Kasumi ignored her, and rushed to the living room, where Ranma was reading a manga on the floor.
"Ranma, I'm afraid Akane's about to do something again..."
Ranma rolled over, and looked towards the older girl, "What make you say that?"
"Just humor me, alright?" Kasumi asked with a half lidded stare, "She also wanted me to keep you from finding her at the address on this paper, and I won't let you have it under-"
::WHOOSH::
"Hey! Why's Akane all the way out there?" Ranma asked, reading the paper, while slipping his shoes on at the front door.
'-any circumstances." Kasumi finished with a slight smirk. Nabiki had to silently applaud.
__________________
"Ow!"
"Hold still, so I can make sure this fits properly!" Nodoka commanded.
Akane looked down at the white ceremonial kimono Nodoka was fitting her with, "Um, Mrs. Saotome..."
"Please, call me mother! It's been so long since I've been called that," Nodoka asked, smiling.
"Right," Akane replied, "Mother, is all this really necessary?"
"Oh yes! I want everything to be perfect!" Nodoka stated, "Family honor is at stake here!" The matronly woman pulled back, and studied the young girl, "Oh! I'm so proud! My son may be afflicted with a terrible curse, but he shall prove himself to be a man at the cerimony!"
Akane nodded, and continued to face forward.
__________________
"Take a left?" Ranma asked the subway booth attendant.
"Yeah, and then head straight for about twenty meters. The train for Oizumi boards in about ten minutes."
"Thanks." Ranma rushed off, wanting to get this done with.
__________________
Nodoka laid out the cup of sake and the washi paper, "Sorry that took so long, I forgot where I had put the paper!"
"That's okay, Mom," Akane was starting to become comfortable with calling the older lady that. Akane picked up the cup of sake, and as Nodoka instructed, drank it all in two gulps. "Eck! How does Dad drink this stuff?"
__________________
Ranma swore once again, irritated at the fact that the streets were not marked. Fortunately, a pedestrian out on a evening stroll.
"Excuse me, miss, but I'm looking for this address," Ranma handed the woman the piece of paper, and waited for her response.
"Oh! This is Nodoka-chan's house!" The elderly woman replied, "She's such a lovely lady. But she's been alone for quite some time, ever since-"
"Ah, where does she live?" Ranma interrupted, not really wanting to hear a story. He was also agitated that Kasumi tricked him into going out after Akane, when all she was doing was visiting some old lady.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in such a hurry," the woman replied, her voice had a touch of irritation in it from Ranma's impudence, "She lives two blocks down, take a left, and she's in the fourth house on the right side of the street."
"Thanks!" Ranma ran down the street.
__________________
Akane finished writing on the washi paper with the ink, "Finished!"
Nodoka nodded in approval, as she stood over Akane. They both ignored the knocking at the front door, not wanting to interrupt things.
__________________
"This is the place alright," Ranma mumbled, still extremely irritated at being splashed by some old lady watering her sidewalk at night, weren't they supposed to do things like that during the morning? "But it doesn't look like anyone's home..." Ranma shrugged, and as he was about to leave, voices in the back caught his attention.
The pigtailed martial artist leapt over the house, and found a small dojo in the back. She walked up to the open door, and the scene before her hit her rather abruptly; really, Akane with her own rather specialized issues, wearing a while ceremonial kimono, which was drapped down on her left shoulder, holding a blade to her stomach, while an older lady stood ready, with a sword raised... "Aw, Cripes!"
Akane immidiately turned to the sound of Ranma's voice, her own eyes wide at Ranma's presence. Nodoka jolted, causing her to drop the Saotome family katana towards Akane's head.
Akane's head snapped back, as Ranma's powerslide kicked the tanto from her hand, and snagged the raven-haired girl back in her arms, carrying her with Ranma in the slide, and out of the way of the falling sword.
"JUST WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, LADY!" Ranma screeched, turning on the older woman.
"Ow! Did you really have to maul my chest like that?" Akane asked, rubbing her sore left breast, which Ranma had grabbed on when pulling the other girl away from the sword.
Nodoka baulked, but then began to become indignant, "Young lady, you're interfering with a family affair!"
"So this is family to you?" Ranma turned and asked a rather sheepish looking Akane with a flat voice, "I guess insanity runs in the family."
"That is no way to talk about me and my son!" The woman went to retrieve the sword, sticking out of the wood floor, just in front of something red and something black laying on the ground. She then held it menacingly, as if to threaten the redheaded interloper.
"Son?" Ranma asked, incredulously, while looking back at Akane, "Lady, you're as loony as a toon, you know that?"
Nodoka started to become beet red, before she blinked, and a brilliant smile appeared on her face, "Oh, I see!" It was noticable how her mood completely changed, as her eyes began to sparkle in pride.
"Uh, you see what?" Ranma asked, nervously, finding the moodswings of the obviously, to her, insane woman a bit unsettling.
"I was so mistaken! My son is truly manly!" Nodoka enamored, "To have such a cute girlfriend risk her own life to ensure his!"
"HEY! I'M A-!"
"Ah, Ranma?" Akane attempted to interject, while pointing to the redhead's chest. Ranma blinked at the interruption, and then looked down at herself, "Uh..."
Within an instant, Nodoka was squeezing the breath from Akane's lungs, "Oh Ranma! You truly are a man among men! Your father honored the contract, even with your curse you're still able to prove your manliness!"
"Well... she is a bit of a tomboy..." Ranma mused, before realizing something, "Waitaminite... Why are you calling Akane me?"
"Akane?" Nodoka blinked, looking at the nervously sweating girl in her arms, "This is my son, Ranma. You see, he's afflicted with a terrible curse..."
"Hold... hold on a sec..." Ranma produced a kettle of hot water from somewheres, but before emptying it over her head, "You have a son named Ranma?"
Nodoka nodded.
"Would your family name happen to be... Saotome...?" Ranma-chan asked with more than a little trepidation.
Nodoka nodded in affirmation, wondering where the girl was leading to.
"What's your husband's name?" The expression of longing didn't escape Akane or Nodoka's eyes. Nodoka nodded slowly.
The now empty kettle clattered to the floor, "Mom?"
Kasumi attempted four times, before her fingers were able to grasp the ringing phone. She picked it up almost nervelessly, and waited until she could gain her composure before speaking.
"Tendou residence."
"[Kasumi? What's wrong?]"
Akane's concerned voice at the way Kasumi's was trembling sent Kasumi straight into elation, "AKANE! WHERE? I MEAN, YOU'RE ALIVE!"
"[Um, could you not shout into the phone, please?]" Akane asked, "[Just thought I'd check in. I know how you guys worry about me.]"
"Ah..." Kasumi calmed herself down, "Where are you?"
"[Don't worry, I'm okay,]" Akane answered instead, immidiately setting Kasumi back on edge. Nabiki passed by, looking down herself, and the elder sister flagged her, mouthing 'Akane'. Nabiki's eyes went wide, as she quickly ran to the side of her older sister.
"That's good to hear, but where are you?"
"[I'm doing something for... Ranma.]" Ranma's name was said in a whisper
"What are you doing for Ranma?" Kasumi enquired, turning to Nabiki, who could only shrug.
"I can't tell you, I want it to be a surprise!]" Akane paused for a moment, "[So if you can, please keep him from looking for me!]"
"Well, if I am able to do that, I'm going to need to know exactly where you are," Kasumi stated, factually.
"[Huh]"
Kasumi sighed, as if having to explain the obvious, "How am I to keep Ranma from looking for you in the location you're at, if I don't know where to keep him from looking at?" Nabiki stared at her elder sister with an incredulous expression.
"[Ah, Kasumi, have you been in the 'special tea' again?]"
"I'm sorry, Akane, but if I don't know where you're at, then I can't stop Ranma from going out and looking for you. Oh my, I hope that doesn't ruin the surprise!" Kasumi asked, innocently.
__________________
Akane blinked, and rolled her eyes. If she wanted Kasumi's cooperation, she guessed she would have to comply. After all, it wasn't like she bothered to cover her tracks, and Ranma may be an exellent tracker, especially since he's had to rough it for a good portion of his life.
"Alright, alright, here's the address..."
__________________
Kasumi continued to nod, as she jotted down the address, "Okay, I'll try my best to make sure he doesn't try to find you there, have fun with Ranma's surprise!" With that, Kasumi hung up the phone.
"I can't believe you got Akane to fall for that," Nabiki stated flatly. Kasumi ignored her, and rushed to the living room, where Ranma was reading a manga on the floor.
"Ranma, I'm afraid Akane's about to do something again..."
Ranma rolled over, and looked towards the older girl, "What make you say that?"
"Just humor me, alright?" Kasumi asked with a half lidded stare, "She also wanted me to keep you from finding her at the address on this paper, and I won't let you have it under-"
::WHOOSH::
"Hey! Why's Akane all the way out there?" Ranma asked, reading the paper, while slipping his shoes on at the front door.
'-any circumstances." Kasumi finished with a slight smirk. Nabiki had to silently applaud.
__________________
"Ow!"
"Hold still, so I can make sure this fits properly!" Nodoka commanded.
Akane looked down at the white ceremonial kimono Nodoka was fitting her with, "Um, Mrs. Saotome..."
"Please, call me mother! It's been so long since I've been called that," Nodoka asked, smiling.
"Right," Akane replied, "Mother, is all this really necessary?"
"Oh yes! I want everything to be perfect!" Nodoka stated, "Family honor is at stake here!" The matronly woman pulled back, and studied the young girl, "Oh! I'm so proud! My son may be afflicted with a terrible curse, but he shall prove himself to be a man at the cerimony!"
Akane nodded, and continued to face forward.
__________________
"Take a left?" Ranma asked the subway booth attendant.
"Yeah, and then head straight for about twenty meters. The train for Oizumi boards in about ten minutes."
"Thanks." Ranma rushed off, wanting to get this done with.
__________________
Nodoka laid out the cup of sake and the washi paper, "Sorry that took so long, I forgot where I had put the paper!"
"That's okay, Mom," Akane was starting to become comfortable with calling the older lady that. Akane picked up the cup of sake, and as Nodoka instructed, drank it all in two gulps. "Eck! How does Dad drink this stuff?"
__________________
Ranma swore once again, irritated at the fact that the streets were not marked. Fortunately, a pedestrian out on a evening stroll.
"Excuse me, miss, but I'm looking for this address," Ranma handed the woman the piece of paper, and waited for her response.
"Oh! This is Nodoka-chan's house!" The elderly woman replied, "She's such a lovely lady. But she's been alone for quite some time, ever since-"
"Ah, where does she live?" Ranma interrupted, not really wanting to hear a story. He was also agitated that Kasumi tricked him into going out after Akane, when all she was doing was visiting some old lady.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in such a hurry," the woman replied, her voice had a touch of irritation in it from Ranma's impudence, "She lives two blocks down, take a left, and she's in the fourth house on the right side of the street."
"Thanks!" Ranma ran down the street.
__________________
Akane finished writing on the washi paper with the ink, "Finished!"
Nodoka nodded in approval, as she stood over Akane. They both ignored the knocking at the front door, not wanting to interrupt things.
__________________
"This is the place alright," Ranma mumbled, still extremely irritated at being splashed by some old lady watering her sidewalk at night, weren't they supposed to do things like that during the morning? "But it doesn't look like anyone's home..." Ranma shrugged, and as he was about to leave, voices in the back caught his attention.
The pigtailed martial artist leapt over the house, and found a small dojo in the back. She walked up to the open door, and the scene before her hit her rather abruptly; really, Akane with her own rather specialized issues, wearing a while ceremonial kimono, which was drapped down on her left shoulder, holding a blade to her stomach, while an older lady stood ready, with a sword raised... "Aw, Cripes!"
Akane immidiately turned to the sound of Ranma's voice, her own eyes wide at Ranma's presence. Nodoka jolted, causing her to drop the Saotome family katana towards Akane's head.
Akane's head snapped back, as Ranma's powerslide kicked the tanto from her hand, and snagged the raven-haired girl back in her arms, carrying her with Ranma in the slide, and out of the way of the falling sword.
"JUST WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, LADY!" Ranma screeched, turning on the older woman.
"Ow! Did you really have to maul my chest like that?" Akane asked, rubbing her sore left breast, which Ranma had grabbed on when pulling the other girl away from the sword.
Nodoka baulked, but then began to become indignant, "Young lady, you're interfering with a family affair!"
"So this is family to you?" Ranma turned and asked a rather sheepish looking Akane with a flat voice, "I guess insanity runs in the family."
"That is no way to talk about me and my son!" The woman went to retrieve the sword, sticking out of the wood floor, just in front of something red and something black laying on the ground. She then held it menacingly, as if to threaten the redheaded interloper.
"Son?" Ranma asked, incredulously, while looking back at Akane, "Lady, you're as loony as a toon, you know that?"
Nodoka started to become beet red, before she blinked, and a brilliant smile appeared on her face, "Oh, I see!" It was noticable how her mood completely changed, as her eyes began to sparkle in pride.
"Uh, you see what?" Ranma asked, nervously, finding the moodswings of the obviously, to her, insane woman a bit unsettling.
"I was so mistaken! My son is truly manly!" Nodoka enamored, "To have such a cute girlfriend risk her own life to ensure his!"
"HEY! I'M A-!"
"Ah, Ranma?" Akane attempted to interject, while pointing to the redhead's chest. Ranma blinked at the interruption, and then looked down at herself, "Uh..."
Within an instant, Nodoka was squeezing the breath from Akane's lungs, "Oh Ranma! You truly are a man among men! Your father honored the contract, even with your curse you're still able to prove your manliness!"
"Well... she is a bit of a tomboy..." Ranma mused, before realizing something, "Waitaminite... Why are you calling Akane me?"
"Akane?" Nodoka blinked, looking at the nervously sweating girl in her arms, "This is my son, Ranma. You see, he's afflicted with a terrible curse..."
"Hold... hold on a sec..." Ranma produced a kettle of hot water from somewheres, but before emptying it over her head, "You have a son named Ranma?"
Nodoka nodded.
"Would your family name happen to be... Saotome...?" Ranma-chan asked with more than a little trepidation.
Nodoka nodded in affirmation, wondering where the girl was leading to.
"What's your husband's name?" The expression of longing didn't escape Akane or Nodoka's eyes. Nodoka nodded slowly.
The now empty kettle clattered to the floor, "Mom?"