(Yashira's Note: Written long ago, like 3 years ago, before my style of writing changed. I've edited for mistakes, but tried to leave it as it was. It reflects old writing, to change it, would be to change what I had written it for; it would not be the same then.)
***A Ranma ½ Fanfic****
House Guest
By Yashira
Part 3 of 5
Girl talk
Akane's Room, later that morning.
"So let me get this straight," Akane began slowly, her brown eyes never leaving Risa's pale face. "Because your father doesn't have the time for you, he sent you here?"
Risa, her hands twisting uncomfortably, did not give a direct look at Akane. "There are other circumstances, but basically he doesn't have the time for me."
"So why can't he hire someone, instead of sending you overseas from Canada?" The look Akane threw at Risa's back was not kind.
Risa, who had unlocked the only suitcase she'd brought, gave Akane a strange look. "You don't like me, do you?"
The question was so direct and sudden that Akane took a step back. "Eh... What do you mean? We've just met... It's just-"
Your boyfriend saw me in that towel... is that what you're trying to say? Come, come, jealousy does not become you. Putting on her undergarments quickly and taking a blouse from the open suitcase, Risa shook her head dismissively. "I get a feel for these kind of things. It's okay, I'm fine with it. I don't expect people to like me..." She paused, as if to use Akane's name, but then thought better of it. "Especially in this kind of situation..."
"Look I really didn't mean..." But Akane trailed off, unable to think of a way to rectify her previous comment.
Risa didn't bother to acknowledge the effort, instead she continued on. "You asked why my dad sent me here, it's because of the circumstances I mentioned before. Look, my dad's weird, he does strange things you normal people wouldn't understand. He thinks for some stupid reason, I'll learn more and do better in an environment I'm not familiar with. You don't know what I had to go through just to get ready to come here... Before 2 months ago, I didn't know a word of Japanese- your culture-anything." Risa paused as she buttoned her blouse, letting out a deep, laboured sigh. "It was such a headache trying to memorize where each word goes, the sentence structure, the polite masu form versus plain, etc.. etc... I'm still having trouble."
Akane just stared at her. It was the look she gave often when something had the nerve to go over her head (informationwise) when she should have had the elementary knowledge not to let it pass. Basically she looked stupid. "About your dad, it just doesn't make sense..." Then another thought privately struck her, How can Risa learn Japanese so easily when it's hell for me to learn a simple English sentence... "Bur your last name is-"
"Japanese?" Risa actually grinned as she pulled out her blue jeans and put them on. "It's an old family name, passed on through the generations, if anything's Japanese in me, it's in name only. And I won't be surprised if you can't understand lunacy, I guess it would be hard for you normal people to understand. My dad's eccentric. He does things... differently... besides," turning from Akane's bed and suitcase to face her she said quietly, "he's thinking of opening an Arashi branch here in Japan."
Akane was still thinking on what Risa had used to describe her. Normal. Did she think Akane's life was normal? What with a perverted master running rampant around the neighbourhood, her fiancée and his father's shapeshifting curse, not to mention anything else... there wasn't an inch of her life one could call normal. That brought her back to Genma's earlier comment of Makes you wonder what Risa's father considers normal. Akane nearly smiled, and the effort to catch herself brought her quickly back into the conversation. "Aha," she cried slapped her hands as if she hit the hammer on the nail. "You're a spy then... scouting out the competition? Looks good to have a daughter as a representative. What does your father plan to do anyway?" Akane had been standing the whole time, but now that Risa was finally dressed and setting down the open suitcase on the floor, she went to sit down on her bed. After all this was her room, she could do what she pleased.
Risa, who'd been in the middle of putting on her long red high heeled boots, stiffened visibly. Her blue eyes clouded, her hands clenched, but the anger in her face remained drawn and locked away. Clearly, with hard effort, she forced her tone to be calm, polite. "I'm doing nothing of the kind, but it looks good on him anyway, doesn't it." Yanking out a red vest, before slamming the suitcase close, she turned to face Akane.
"My dad's into a bit of everything... electronics, computers, communication, just to name a couple. I'm surprised you've never heard of the name Arashi before, it's virtually a household name where I came from."
Akane had the decency to look embarrassed. "I live in a Dojo' I don't have time to keep up with that kind of stuff. So your dad's does a bit of everything?"
"Yeah," Risa didn't sound excited as she tied her hair up with a red bandana, allowing the ends to droop down on her left side like ribbons. "He does."
* * *
Somewhere downtown Tokyo. "Nabiki, I don't think we need all this," Soun wailed under a heavy load of clothes and other accessories, "I don't think-"
Wearing sunglasses and living the life of luxury as her father opened yet another door to a fashion boutique, Nabiki replied coolly, "Oh come on daddy, share the wealth."
* * *
Somewhere in one of Tokyo's Banks Bank Teller A: "Come on, can I touch it?"
Bank Teller B: "No, it was my customer so I get to hold his check. Hands off, I tell you!"
* * *
Somewhere, still upside down on a rooftop... "Memai ga suru" (I'm dizzy.)
