To the World and Back book 2 - chapter 2, In and out they go.
"By the way, what do you think they named her, Ukyo-sama?"
"Huh? Who?"
"You know, their daughter."
"..."
"..."
"No idea. What brought this up?"
"Well I was contacted by Nabiki Tendo, she is looking for a job. Not for herself, but
for Kasumi."
"Sweet Kasumi? I never thought she'd leave her house."
"Since Ranma and Akane must now be the heads of the dojo, she may not feel needed
anymore."
"Maybe. So, what did you answer?"
"I told her we would be happy to give her a hand, Ukyo-sama."
"Konatsu, you remember what we talked about last week?"
"Of course, Ukyo-sama."
"Who would be better at taking care of our children than her?"
"I am not stupid, Ukyo-sama."
"You agreed on a price?"
"No, Ukyo-sama."
"Well, room and board, all costs covered, and a little pocket money should do the
deed."
"I'm not sure Nabiki-san will settle for too little a wage for her sister, Ukyo-sama."
"*Sigh* you're right. Oh well, we're anything but hurting for money right now, sugar.
And knowing Kasumi, we are about to hire ourselves a gold mine."
"Would 20 yen a day be enough then?"
"... I think we'll have to go over money's value again, sugar."
"Oops sorry, old habits die hard."
"It's okay honey. You still have duties to accomplish tonight, Konatsu."
"I just fed them, Ukyo-sama. They're quiet now."
"I was talking about me."
Konatsu was anything but unrespectful of his duties.
***
Of course, the children woke up 20 minutes after Konatsu had started fulfilling his
marital obligations.
"Arrgh! We DEFINITELY need a babysitter!" Should we mention that sometimes Konatsu
could be REALLY masculine?
"You said it, sugar. Now c'mon, let's take care of our two impediments and then go
back to our endurance training."
***
"You sure?"
"We should have reached Japan days ago; these ships are on a very tight time schedule,
and Japan to Korea shouldn't be more than 7 days, especially with such weather : no
wind, slow currents, it should be a breeze."
"Growf."
"Well, why didn't you check with the captain what was wrong, Ranma?"
"Oops, sorry! Habit, we usually traveled as clandestines before."
"We've been raiding their kitchen everyday openly, and you still can't adjust?"
"Well, it's no different than before, only now you distract them, Akane."
"Baka."
"Okay, I'll go ask the captain."
Some time later...
"WHAT?!"
Even later...
Ranma is facing Akane.
"Well, the ship does go to Japan."
"But?"
"It stops in Los Angeles before that."
"...How long?" Akane was obviously dreading the answer.
"Twenty days forth, seventeen back, release for three or four days in L.A."
"Forty days it is then."
"Yes."
Genma-panda had just found a tire to play with.
***
"Hello? Is anybody here?"
Kasumi peeked into the new Ucchan's, quite intrigued by the fact that it was closed
during a weekday.
The chairs were stacked on the tables, only the safety light was on, spreading some
faint light in the corner of the restaurant not covered by sunlight. Then all hell
broke loose.
"OOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNN!!!!"
"KONATSUUUU!"
*tap tap tap tap*
"Damn it Konatsu! Where is the thermometer!"
"I dunno Ukyo-sama!"
"FIND IT! I cant't see what it is they got if I can't get their temperature!"
"Yes Ukyo-sama!"
*tap tap tap tap tap ta-BRONK!* "Oooops!" *WHAM!*
"I hope you didn't break it Konatsu!"
"..."
"Konatsu?"
"OOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIINNNNN"
"Oh my. In stereo, even."
Kasumi made her way inside. Fifteen minutes later, Defcon 5 was disabled at Ucchan's.
Lucky Kasumi was both extremely fast and, well, very Kasumi.
"A little cold? Is that all? But how comes?"
"It can happen pretty often if the place is slightly stuffy at times then gets cooler.
Have you considered the fact that your room is right over the restaurant's grill?"
Silence.
"Aaaah man, since it's usually cool by the time I'm done with closing the restaurant,
I never noticed!"
"The appartment's disposition is also different from the one in Nerima, Ukyo-sama."
"What to do then?"
"Either move the room to another location, or put some thermal isolation along the
restaurant's ceiling, or install a heat extraction system. The latter being a bit
noisy."
"If you don't have any problems with this room Kasumi-sama, please consider it yours;
we'll convert the guest room/office into our bedroom."
"Okay then, Konatsu take care of the moving, Kasumi get started on moving in and
caring for the kids, I'll open the restaurant. We can't afford being closed too
often."
"Yes Ukyo-sama"
"Very well Ukyo-san."
As a matter of fact, Ukyo decided to divide the restaurant's net profit in three.
Kasumi really was a treasure.
***
Los Angeles...
"What do you mean, 'it's left'?"
"I mean, 'the Aoh-Maru, having completed delivering its cargo and loading a new
shipment, left a bit in advance'."
"Since we bought passenger tickets, how comes we weren't considered?"
"It would cost far less to refund you than to wait for you."
Ranma looked at Akane.
Akane looked at Ranma.
The baby gurgled unhappily.
Genma started to growl.
"I hope a simple refund wasn't the ONLY thing you considered giving us."
"How so?"
"Well how about visas for starter, lodging, food, and such?"
"You're kidding?"
Ranma started playing origami with a sheet of iron used to cover a hole in the ground.
As in, half an inch thick trucks roll over it without leaving more trace than a plea
on Nabiki's generosity iron sheet.
"Well, if you accept helping somewhat in the harbor, we can lodge you here; it's still
international zone so you don't really need visas, we can pay you a little something,
and as soon as a ship leaves the place for Japan you can get onboard."
"We would need workers visas to do that; so okay for the lodging and food, no pay,
free tickets on the next boat leaving for Japan, and three tourist visas."
"It's not-"
Ranma just finished his origami bird in a groan of tortured metal.
"Welcome to Los Angeles harbor! I'll show you to your room."
"By the way, what do you think they named her, Ukyo-sama?"
"Huh? Who?"
"You know, their daughter."
"..."
"..."
"No idea. What brought this up?"
"Well I was contacted by Nabiki Tendo, she is looking for a job. Not for herself, but
for Kasumi."
"Sweet Kasumi? I never thought she'd leave her house."
"Since Ranma and Akane must now be the heads of the dojo, she may not feel needed
anymore."
"Maybe. So, what did you answer?"
"I told her we would be happy to give her a hand, Ukyo-sama."
"Konatsu, you remember what we talked about last week?"
"Of course, Ukyo-sama."
"Who would be better at taking care of our children than her?"
"I am not stupid, Ukyo-sama."
"You agreed on a price?"
"No, Ukyo-sama."
"Well, room and board, all costs covered, and a little pocket money should do the
deed."
"I'm not sure Nabiki-san will settle for too little a wage for her sister, Ukyo-sama."
"*Sigh* you're right. Oh well, we're anything but hurting for money right now, sugar.
And knowing Kasumi, we are about to hire ourselves a gold mine."
"Would 20 yen a day be enough then?"
"... I think we'll have to go over money's value again, sugar."
"Oops sorry, old habits die hard."
"It's okay honey. You still have duties to accomplish tonight, Konatsu."
"I just fed them, Ukyo-sama. They're quiet now."
"I was talking about me."
Konatsu was anything but unrespectful of his duties.
***
Of course, the children woke up 20 minutes after Konatsu had started fulfilling his
marital obligations.
"Arrgh! We DEFINITELY need a babysitter!" Should we mention that sometimes Konatsu
could be REALLY masculine?
"You said it, sugar. Now c'mon, let's take care of our two impediments and then go
back to our endurance training."
***
"You sure?"
"We should have reached Japan days ago; these ships are on a very tight time schedule,
and Japan to Korea shouldn't be more than 7 days, especially with such weather : no
wind, slow currents, it should be a breeze."
"Growf."
"Well, why didn't you check with the captain what was wrong, Ranma?"
"Oops, sorry! Habit, we usually traveled as clandestines before."
"We've been raiding their kitchen everyday openly, and you still can't adjust?"
"Well, it's no different than before, only now you distract them, Akane."
"Baka."
"Okay, I'll go ask the captain."
Some time later...
"WHAT?!"
Even later...
Ranma is facing Akane.
"Well, the ship does go to Japan."
"But?"
"It stops in Los Angeles before that."
"...How long?" Akane was obviously dreading the answer.
"Twenty days forth, seventeen back, release for three or four days in L.A."
"Forty days it is then."
"Yes."
Genma-panda had just found a tire to play with.
***
"Hello? Is anybody here?"
Kasumi peeked into the new Ucchan's, quite intrigued by the fact that it was closed
during a weekday.
The chairs were stacked on the tables, only the safety light was on, spreading some
faint light in the corner of the restaurant not covered by sunlight. Then all hell
broke loose.
"OOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNN!!!!"
"KONATSUUUU!"
*tap tap tap tap*
"Damn it Konatsu! Where is the thermometer!"
"I dunno Ukyo-sama!"
"FIND IT! I cant't see what it is they got if I can't get their temperature!"
"Yes Ukyo-sama!"
*tap tap tap tap tap ta-BRONK!* "Oooops!" *WHAM!*
"I hope you didn't break it Konatsu!"
"..."
"Konatsu?"
"OOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIINNNNN"
"Oh my. In stereo, even."
Kasumi made her way inside. Fifteen minutes later, Defcon 5 was disabled at Ucchan's.
Lucky Kasumi was both extremely fast and, well, very Kasumi.
"A little cold? Is that all? But how comes?"
"It can happen pretty often if the place is slightly stuffy at times then gets cooler.
Have you considered the fact that your room is right over the restaurant's grill?"
Silence.
"Aaaah man, since it's usually cool by the time I'm done with closing the restaurant,
I never noticed!"
"The appartment's disposition is also different from the one in Nerima, Ukyo-sama."
"What to do then?"
"Either move the room to another location, or put some thermal isolation along the
restaurant's ceiling, or install a heat extraction system. The latter being a bit
noisy."
"If you don't have any problems with this room Kasumi-sama, please consider it yours;
we'll convert the guest room/office into our bedroom."
"Okay then, Konatsu take care of the moving, Kasumi get started on moving in and
caring for the kids, I'll open the restaurant. We can't afford being closed too
often."
"Yes Ukyo-sama"
"Very well Ukyo-san."
As a matter of fact, Ukyo decided to divide the restaurant's net profit in three.
Kasumi really was a treasure.
***
Los Angeles...
"What do you mean, 'it's left'?"
"I mean, 'the Aoh-Maru, having completed delivering its cargo and loading a new
shipment, left a bit in advance'."
"Since we bought passenger tickets, how comes we weren't considered?"
"It would cost far less to refund you than to wait for you."
Ranma looked at Akane.
Akane looked at Ranma.
The baby gurgled unhappily.
Genma started to growl.
"I hope a simple refund wasn't the ONLY thing you considered giving us."
"How so?"
"Well how about visas for starter, lodging, food, and such?"
"You're kidding?"
Ranma started playing origami with a sheet of iron used to cover a hole in the ground.
As in, half an inch thick trucks roll over it without leaving more trace than a plea
on Nabiki's generosity iron sheet.
"Well, if you accept helping somewhat in the harbor, we can lodge you here; it's still
international zone so you don't really need visas, we can pay you a little something,
and as soon as a ship leaves the place for Japan you can get onboard."
"We would need workers visas to do that; so okay for the lodging and food, no pay,
free tickets on the next boat leaving for Japan, and three tourist visas."
"It's not-"
Ranma just finished his origami bird in a groan of tortured metal.
"Welcome to Los Angeles harbor! I'll show you to your room."
