It was a look she wasn't accustomed to from her father, not that she had seen him in quite some time. From her sly glances upwards from under her bangs, she could see the intense glare Soun was giving her. She immidiately cast her eyes back to her hands, that were folded in front of her on the table, nervously waiting for his reply. Even if she hadn't seen it, she could *feel* his eyes boring into her, and she could easily see the hardened emotionless facade he bore before her. She wasn't sure how he would take this news; she imagined her father would either be extatic, that the uniting of the Tendou and Saotome families is bearing fruit, or extremely discerned to the point of being overprotective of his daughters. Those two reactions she was ready to deal with, but not the scrutinizing gaze he was giving her.
After a long moment of silence, Soun finally spoke.
"Dojo... now."
Ranma; Hard Core
Book 2
Chapter 3
Soun closed the door, and motioned his daughter to the middle of the training hall. Nabiki glanced nervously after her father, nodded only slightly, and did as she was told. A few seconds later, her father was standing across from her. Soun had insisted all his daughters have at least minimal of a dan level in a school of martial arts, for their own self-protection. After earning their rankings, Nabiki and Kasumi largely dropped it, maybe practicing thirty minutes every three to four days just to keep a bit of practice. For Nabiki to be standing in front of her father for what she presumed was a training session rather unnerved her. She did allow a slight satisfaction enter her, over how surprised her father would be in a little bit.
"You sisters will not bother us in here, so we can discuss this matter in private."
Nabiki nodded, though had a sinking feeling that her father was also going to use the opportunity to show his displeasure with her.
Soun took his traditional pose of relaxed tension, with his left side forward with that foot pointed to Nabiki, as his back foot was pointing at fourty-five degrees. His left hand was held at chest level with the palm facing forward, with the arm slightly bent, while his right hand was at waist height with the palm facing up and the finger's slightly curled. Nabiki thought of how much of a traditionalist her father was, regardless the fact that his fighting style was Anything Goes Martial Arts.
Almost tentatively, Nabiki went into her own stance, which caused her father to blink in surprise. She stood with her right side forward, with her weight braced on her back left leg, which was slightly bent. The left foot was almost ninety degrees in angle with the right foot, which was pointed to her father. Her arms were held almost in Muay Thai style, exept they weren't held straight up, but a little sharper than fourty-five degrees. Her hands were relaxed, and her shoulders were only slightly hunched up. Soun also noted that she was making sure to keep her forward right hand on the inside of Soun's left hand, so that she didn't give up the center line.
Soun threw a testing left jab from his stance, shifting forward while twisting his left heel out on the ball of the foot, and sliding it under Nabiki's right arm. His daughter rotated her right arm ever so slightly inwards, redirecting the punch only a little. Her left hand did the rest, as it came down, and patted her father's fist to her left. As she was parrying with the right forearm, she had swung her left foot back to her right, placing her at a ninety degree angle from how she had been standing before.
Soun found himself impressed that his daughter apparently had picked up some Aikido to add to the Judo and Kempo diciplines he had originally taught her. Soun slid his back right foot behind his left, following his daughter so she wouldn't hold the easy advantage, "Was this pregnancy intentional?"
Nabiki didn't immidiately answer, as she punched her right hand towards her father's left shoulder. Soun almost sighed at the move, as it would leave her at a severe disadvantage, even if it were to test his defense. Soun parried the punch down with his left hand downwards towards his inside; and just as he did, Nabiki's left forearm slid against the top of his left forearm, and she brought her right hand back, and over her own left arm, dusting her left forearm with her right as she slid her left hand out from between her father's arm and her right. She then grabbed gently onto her father's wrist with her right hand, while stepping in deep against his waist with her left hip, and reached down with her left to grab the right side of her father's belt.
Soun felt the slackness of his daughter's hold on his left hand, and pulled it back. Nabiki suddenly reached for his right shoulder with her right hand, grabbing a handful of gi, and dropped to her right knee. She pulled her father forward by the shoulder as she fell to the ground, while using her left hand to hold his hip still. Soun collapsed over his daughter's knee, and landed on his back with his daughter now holding onto the lapels of his gi. He thrust both his palms up, knocking away her hands, and rolledl away.He immidiately went back into stance once back on his feet.
Wing Chun, followed by a Judo toss, his daughter definitely had been training recently, "Impressive."
"Yes... no..." Nabiki finally answered, "I mean... I was expecting it. And I wasn't doing anything to stop it, really."
Soun made a grunt of acknowlegement, "and what was Ranma's part of the decision?"
Soun raised an eyebrow as his daughter blushed, "Well... he... didn't know what was going on... I guess."
"Pardon me?"
"He didn't know... that I was trying, okay?" Nabiki almost snapped. Soun slid closer to his daughter, keeping in stance, as Nabiki went back into hers. He threw two left jabs, and then a front roundhouse. Nabiki patted away the jabs with her right hand, and slid back from the kick. Soun assessed his daughter, noting she fought extremely defensively, only attacking to bait.
"Ranma doesn't want you to fight, I see?"
"What do you mean?" Nabiki asked, her voice cracking in the feigned obliviousness.
"He only trained you to get out of danger quickly," Soun said plainly. Nabiki made a frown.
"I' can do alright, and he knows it too."
"I'm not so sure about that," Soun replied, committing a jab/cross combo, followed up by a mid-level crescent kick to pressure his daughter. Nabiki patted away the jab, then brought her left hand in and pushed out to parry the right cross. When she felt her father's right arm collapse forward, signaling he was still going to move forward while still in control, she spun her right side to her left, while using her right forearm to push the kick up and back the direction it came from. Soun lost a bit of his balance from the motion, and tried to bring his right foot back down into back position. Nabiki had kept him from bringing his right foot back, by hooking her arms under his calf, and then putting her left foot behind her father's left. She then fell backwards, leaving her father under her. She also only slightly pulled her father's right leg back with her by pulling back. Soun recognized the style of the technique from Russian Sambo, instead of Aikido.
Soun tapped the ground a couple of times, signalling that his daughter could let him up. They went back into the middle of the dojo, and bowed to one another, before taking positions again.
"Are you sure you understand the consequences?" Soun enquired, "What about income? And I can understand why Ranma sent you back home. Did you even truly think about the problems that a child would bring at your age?"
Nabiki almost chuckled, "Don't worry, Daddy, we've come across enough money to help us by."
"You're taking this way too lightly," Soun replied, and then started with a side left thrust kick, followed side left back fist. Nabiki stepped back from the kick, and blocked the backfist with her left, turning now so her right was placed back and her left side forward. She then wrapped her left arm over her father's, while trying to swing his back, and placing her left foot in front of his left foot. Soun saw the trip coming, and stepped his left foot over his daughter's. He then swung behind Nabiki, wrenching her left arm into an armbar. Nabiki kept him from completing the armbar, by pulling herself under his left armpit, bringing herself behind him, and reversing the hold. Soun forcably pulled his arm out the hold before she could pull her left arm out to grab onto his left elbow, and hold onto his wrist with her right hand, and retaliated with a stiff right palm thrust to her chest.
Nabiki turned her left side towards him, and parried the attack to the outside. She then slid her left arm under his armpit, and stomped on her fother's right foot HARD. As Soun grimaced, she wretched his arm up, causing him to bend forward. She then spun him to her right, causing him to lose balance, and fall face first to the floor while she still had his arm up.
"I can take care of myself, Daddy," Nabiki almost hissed, extremely irritated at her father questioning her judgement. Soun rolled his body forward, unstraining his arm. Nabiki didn't even know what happened, as she was now laying face first on the ground, with her left arm held ninety degrees upwards from her body by her father. Soun had his right foot on Nabiki's back, and held onto her left hand with both of his.
"You overestimate yourself, Nabiki," Soun said, simply, letting go of his daughter's hand. He then walked away, and out of the dojo.
After a long moment of silence, Soun finally spoke.
"Dojo... now."
Ranma; Hard Core
Book 2
Chapter 3
Soun closed the door, and motioned his daughter to the middle of the training hall. Nabiki glanced nervously after her father, nodded only slightly, and did as she was told. A few seconds later, her father was standing across from her. Soun had insisted all his daughters have at least minimal of a dan level in a school of martial arts, for their own self-protection. After earning their rankings, Nabiki and Kasumi largely dropped it, maybe practicing thirty minutes every three to four days just to keep a bit of practice. For Nabiki to be standing in front of her father for what she presumed was a training session rather unnerved her. She did allow a slight satisfaction enter her, over how surprised her father would be in a little bit.
"You sisters will not bother us in here, so we can discuss this matter in private."
Nabiki nodded, though had a sinking feeling that her father was also going to use the opportunity to show his displeasure with her.
Soun took his traditional pose of relaxed tension, with his left side forward with that foot pointed to Nabiki, as his back foot was pointing at fourty-five degrees. His left hand was held at chest level with the palm facing forward, with the arm slightly bent, while his right hand was at waist height with the palm facing up and the finger's slightly curled. Nabiki thought of how much of a traditionalist her father was, regardless the fact that his fighting style was Anything Goes Martial Arts.
Almost tentatively, Nabiki went into her own stance, which caused her father to blink in surprise. She stood with her right side forward, with her weight braced on her back left leg, which was slightly bent. The left foot was almost ninety degrees in angle with the right foot, which was pointed to her father. Her arms were held almost in Muay Thai style, exept they weren't held straight up, but a little sharper than fourty-five degrees. Her hands were relaxed, and her shoulders were only slightly hunched up. Soun also noted that she was making sure to keep her forward right hand on the inside of Soun's left hand, so that she didn't give up the center line.
Soun threw a testing left jab from his stance, shifting forward while twisting his left heel out on the ball of the foot, and sliding it under Nabiki's right arm. His daughter rotated her right arm ever so slightly inwards, redirecting the punch only a little. Her left hand did the rest, as it came down, and patted her father's fist to her left. As she was parrying with the right forearm, she had swung her left foot back to her right, placing her at a ninety degree angle from how she had been standing before.
Soun found himself impressed that his daughter apparently had picked up some Aikido to add to the Judo and Kempo diciplines he had originally taught her. Soun slid his back right foot behind his left, following his daughter so she wouldn't hold the easy advantage, "Was this pregnancy intentional?"
Nabiki didn't immidiately answer, as she punched her right hand towards her father's left shoulder. Soun almost sighed at the move, as it would leave her at a severe disadvantage, even if it were to test his defense. Soun parried the punch down with his left hand downwards towards his inside; and just as he did, Nabiki's left forearm slid against the top of his left forearm, and she brought her right hand back, and over her own left arm, dusting her left forearm with her right as she slid her left hand out from between her father's arm and her right. She then grabbed gently onto her father's wrist with her right hand, while stepping in deep against his waist with her left hip, and reached down with her left to grab the right side of her father's belt.
Soun felt the slackness of his daughter's hold on his left hand, and pulled it back. Nabiki suddenly reached for his right shoulder with her right hand, grabbing a handful of gi, and dropped to her right knee. She pulled her father forward by the shoulder as she fell to the ground, while using her left hand to hold his hip still. Soun collapsed over his daughter's knee, and landed on his back with his daughter now holding onto the lapels of his gi. He thrust both his palms up, knocking away her hands, and rolledl away.He immidiately went back into stance once back on his feet.
Wing Chun, followed by a Judo toss, his daughter definitely had been training recently, "Impressive."
"Yes... no..." Nabiki finally answered, "I mean... I was expecting it. And I wasn't doing anything to stop it, really."
Soun made a grunt of acknowlegement, "and what was Ranma's part of the decision?"
Soun raised an eyebrow as his daughter blushed, "Well... he... didn't know what was going on... I guess."
"Pardon me?"
"He didn't know... that I was trying, okay?" Nabiki almost snapped. Soun slid closer to his daughter, keeping in stance, as Nabiki went back into hers. He threw two left jabs, and then a front roundhouse. Nabiki patted away the jabs with her right hand, and slid back from the kick. Soun assessed his daughter, noting she fought extremely defensively, only attacking to bait.
"Ranma doesn't want you to fight, I see?"
"What do you mean?" Nabiki asked, her voice cracking in the feigned obliviousness.
"He only trained you to get out of danger quickly," Soun said plainly. Nabiki made a frown.
"I' can do alright, and he knows it too."
"I'm not so sure about that," Soun replied, committing a jab/cross combo, followed up by a mid-level crescent kick to pressure his daughter. Nabiki patted away the jab, then brought her left hand in and pushed out to parry the right cross. When she felt her father's right arm collapse forward, signaling he was still going to move forward while still in control, she spun her right side to her left, while using her right forearm to push the kick up and back the direction it came from. Soun lost a bit of his balance from the motion, and tried to bring his right foot back down into back position. Nabiki had kept him from bringing his right foot back, by hooking her arms under his calf, and then putting her left foot behind her father's left. She then fell backwards, leaving her father under her. She also only slightly pulled her father's right leg back with her by pulling back. Soun recognized the style of the technique from Russian Sambo, instead of Aikido.
Soun tapped the ground a couple of times, signalling that his daughter could let him up. They went back into the middle of the dojo, and bowed to one another, before taking positions again.
"Are you sure you understand the consequences?" Soun enquired, "What about income? And I can understand why Ranma sent you back home. Did you even truly think about the problems that a child would bring at your age?"
Nabiki almost chuckled, "Don't worry, Daddy, we've come across enough money to help us by."
"You're taking this way too lightly," Soun replied, and then started with a side left thrust kick, followed side left back fist. Nabiki stepped back from the kick, and blocked the backfist with her left, turning now so her right was placed back and her left side forward. She then wrapped her left arm over her father's, while trying to swing his back, and placing her left foot in front of his left foot. Soun saw the trip coming, and stepped his left foot over his daughter's. He then swung behind Nabiki, wrenching her left arm into an armbar. Nabiki kept him from completing the armbar, by pulling herself under his left armpit, bringing herself behind him, and reversing the hold. Soun forcably pulled his arm out the hold before she could pull her left arm out to grab onto his left elbow, and hold onto his wrist with her right hand, and retaliated with a stiff right palm thrust to her chest.
Nabiki turned her left side towards him, and parried the attack to the outside. She then slid her left arm under his armpit, and stomped on her fother's right foot HARD. As Soun grimaced, she wretched his arm up, causing him to bend forward. She then spun him to her right, causing him to lose balance, and fall face first to the floor while she still had his arm up.
"I can take care of myself, Daddy," Nabiki almost hissed, extremely irritated at her father questioning her judgement. Soun rolled his body forward, unstraining his arm. Nabiki didn't even know what happened, as she was now laying face first on the ground, with her left arm held ninety degrees upwards from her body by her father. Soun had his right foot on Nabiki's back, and held onto her left hand with both of his.
"You overestimate yourself, Nabiki," Soun said, simply, letting go of his daughter's hand. He then walked away, and out of the dojo.