Disclaimer: The characters here don't belong to me, k?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Akane was panicking. Not only had she been coerced to leave the Saotome House, she was told to never stay within a hundred feet from Ranma.
"But how would I even know if we're within a hundred feet?" she had protested before in a tired voice. "I don't give a damn about how you manage it; I just want you to do it."
Akane hastily packed her stuff into a bag. She left everything as they were; only one thing had been taken with her. It was meant to be nothing but a memento, a souvenir: her uniform.
Snapping out of her reverie, Akane realised that she had arrived home; everything was s normal as it had been when she'd left. The same birds were singing more harmoniously than Heaven's own choir, the koi pond had the same fish swimming about and the smell of lunch wafted through the air and found its way to her.
It must be Kasumi! Akane squealed with delicious delight. She might have felt sad a few minutes ago but the excitement encompassing her brain at that moment drowned out any thoughts of sorrow.
"Kasumi? Is that you?" Akane ran into the house; she set down her bags at the entrance of the kitchen. Kasumi turned around and looked at Akane; gently appraising her, Kasumi broke into a wide smile. "Akane? Why are you here so soon?"
The two embraced quickly; Akane wiped away her tears of joy; Kasumi sobbed lightly.
"I'm here early 'cos she found out about me." "About you?" "The soon-to-be Lady had discovered my secret identity. You know, my life as a thief."
Kasumi raised her eyebrows with slight disapproval and chided. "I knew you never should have started doing that in the first place."
"I know; though it's not like that purple haired girl wouldn't have done anything to get me out of that place." "Purple haired? I didn't know there were so many such people in our area."
Akane looked up in a moment of startle. "What do you mean?"
"Why, just a few days ago, a purple haired lady visited. She wanted to know about you. I forgot her name, though...."
"What did she ask about me?"
"Lots."
Kasumi described to her the day of Shampoo's visit and Akane fell onto her knees. "No wonder she knew about the map," she murmured. "What do you mean?" Kasumi echoed the words Akane had said a few minutes before. And this time, Akane related to her the time when Shampoo had shown her the map.
Suddenly, everything made sense. Missing bits of the puzzle instantly and automatically moved itself to its proper positions and the sisters understood everything.
Kasumi could see how Akane wanted to blame her for having got her kicked out of the Saotome House; but Akane was silent: it was nobody's fault.
"That's okay, Kasumi onee-chan," Akane whispered in a soft voice. "I could always get a job elsewhere."
That was why the very next day; Akane got a job at a dressmaker's shop.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Akane, remember to properly stitch in the lace to the skirt's hem," Sukiro, the head of the store, instructed.
Although Akane had never been good at sewing, she felt that she could be excellent if she tried. Endless hours of practise would strengthen her skills and get her used to holding the needle.
They had many customers at the dress store. The day before, a Countess had arrived, looking for a party dress. No sooner had she left than a mother and daughter walk in; they were trying to fit into the perfect dresses.
All in all, no less than ten people had bought clothing from the store.
Akane prayed fervently that today would not be worse than the day before. Suddenly, Fushika, another worker at the dress store, burst into the rear room.
She sighed with relief when she saw Akane. "Thank goodness you're here, Akane. An old lady out front, claiming to be a duchess, wants a beautiful dress for her granddaughter." "And you're having a hard time?" "Very," Fushika nodded," very hard." Akane grinned and made her way out to the front. There, on the couch, sat an old lady with pale white hair; so white it put even the purest form of snow to shame.
"Can I help you?" she asked gingerly, having been warned by Fushika that the duchess was going to be a tough customer to handle. "Obviously you can: why else would I be here?" "What would you like? Name the occasion, too."
"My grandchild is getting married in a few day's time and I would like a-" "A beautiful wedding gown." The duchess looked up in amazement. Akane had managed to stun her; she would soon get the old lady to buy a dress from their store.
"I think you ought to order this one with a ribbon. It goes with practically everything and even stands out." "Why?" "Because it's unique and sells at a good price." "No, why does it stand out?" "Oh," Akane said, not faltering or blushing at all, "the ribbon is not tiny but very nicely shaped. It adds an exceptional feeling to the dress."
"Hmm," the lady thought for a moment before turning to the next dress. "I think I like this better," the lady muttered under her breath.
"This has lots of frills and laces. Your grandchild will look like an angel." "Yes, she will, with or without the dress. What's all this glittery dots?" "That's a secret," Akane grinned. It was actually glitter on the dress.
"Ah, well, guess I can't help it." "You may look around and if you find anything you fancy, you can ask me about it."
Akane followed the old lady as she 'hmmmed' and "huhhhed". Finally, the woman turned to her and concluded, "I'll bring my soon-to-be son-in-law and ask him to help me."
"Sure," Akane put on her brightest smile although she felt like she'd just wasted her time, "anything. When will you be back?"
"Maybe tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow."
"Sure," she forced a polite grin, "see you."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"You were right," Akane said as she slammed the door shut behind her. She was lying against it; Fushika was in the rear room, happily humming and sewing some Spanish lace onto a dress. "She is tiresome."
"What did she buy?" Fushika's face grew with eagerness and excitement.
"Nothing."
Fushika's face fell. "But," Akane added, "she had said that she would return." Fushika beamed once more at the statement.
Then what Akane said next made Fushika groan. "And this time, I'll leave you to handle her."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A/N: Hey! It's been so long... Let's see... two weeks? A month? Sorry I didn't update so long. Have been dancing along with the beat of school and life.
Didn't use the computer for a long time, either. Well, haha... it was a mistake of Ranma finding out her name in the previous chapter (I changed it already. Heh heh... *blush* sorry).
Trapped in Icy Flame: Sure, I'll mail you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Akane was panicking. Not only had she been coerced to leave the Saotome House, she was told to never stay within a hundred feet from Ranma.
"But how would I even know if we're within a hundred feet?" she had protested before in a tired voice. "I don't give a damn about how you manage it; I just want you to do it."
Akane hastily packed her stuff into a bag. She left everything as they were; only one thing had been taken with her. It was meant to be nothing but a memento, a souvenir: her uniform.
Snapping out of her reverie, Akane realised that she had arrived home; everything was s normal as it had been when she'd left. The same birds were singing more harmoniously than Heaven's own choir, the koi pond had the same fish swimming about and the smell of lunch wafted through the air and found its way to her.
It must be Kasumi! Akane squealed with delicious delight. She might have felt sad a few minutes ago but the excitement encompassing her brain at that moment drowned out any thoughts of sorrow.
"Kasumi? Is that you?" Akane ran into the house; she set down her bags at the entrance of the kitchen. Kasumi turned around and looked at Akane; gently appraising her, Kasumi broke into a wide smile. "Akane? Why are you here so soon?"
The two embraced quickly; Akane wiped away her tears of joy; Kasumi sobbed lightly.
"I'm here early 'cos she found out about me." "About you?" "The soon-to-be Lady had discovered my secret identity. You know, my life as a thief."
Kasumi raised her eyebrows with slight disapproval and chided. "I knew you never should have started doing that in the first place."
"I know; though it's not like that purple haired girl wouldn't have done anything to get me out of that place." "Purple haired? I didn't know there were so many such people in our area."
Akane looked up in a moment of startle. "What do you mean?"
"Why, just a few days ago, a purple haired lady visited. She wanted to know about you. I forgot her name, though...."
"What did she ask about me?"
"Lots."
Kasumi described to her the day of Shampoo's visit and Akane fell onto her knees. "No wonder she knew about the map," she murmured. "What do you mean?" Kasumi echoed the words Akane had said a few minutes before. And this time, Akane related to her the time when Shampoo had shown her the map.
Suddenly, everything made sense. Missing bits of the puzzle instantly and automatically moved itself to its proper positions and the sisters understood everything.
Kasumi could see how Akane wanted to blame her for having got her kicked out of the Saotome House; but Akane was silent: it was nobody's fault.
"That's okay, Kasumi onee-chan," Akane whispered in a soft voice. "I could always get a job elsewhere."
That was why the very next day; Akane got a job at a dressmaker's shop.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Akane, remember to properly stitch in the lace to the skirt's hem," Sukiro, the head of the store, instructed.
Although Akane had never been good at sewing, she felt that she could be excellent if she tried. Endless hours of practise would strengthen her skills and get her used to holding the needle.
They had many customers at the dress store. The day before, a Countess had arrived, looking for a party dress. No sooner had she left than a mother and daughter walk in; they were trying to fit into the perfect dresses.
All in all, no less than ten people had bought clothing from the store.
Akane prayed fervently that today would not be worse than the day before. Suddenly, Fushika, another worker at the dress store, burst into the rear room.
She sighed with relief when she saw Akane. "Thank goodness you're here, Akane. An old lady out front, claiming to be a duchess, wants a beautiful dress for her granddaughter." "And you're having a hard time?" "Very," Fushika nodded," very hard." Akane grinned and made her way out to the front. There, on the couch, sat an old lady with pale white hair; so white it put even the purest form of snow to shame.
"Can I help you?" she asked gingerly, having been warned by Fushika that the duchess was going to be a tough customer to handle. "Obviously you can: why else would I be here?" "What would you like? Name the occasion, too."
"My grandchild is getting married in a few day's time and I would like a-" "A beautiful wedding gown." The duchess looked up in amazement. Akane had managed to stun her; she would soon get the old lady to buy a dress from their store.
"I think you ought to order this one with a ribbon. It goes with practically everything and even stands out." "Why?" "Because it's unique and sells at a good price." "No, why does it stand out?" "Oh," Akane said, not faltering or blushing at all, "the ribbon is not tiny but very nicely shaped. It adds an exceptional feeling to the dress."
"Hmm," the lady thought for a moment before turning to the next dress. "I think I like this better," the lady muttered under her breath.
"This has lots of frills and laces. Your grandchild will look like an angel." "Yes, she will, with or without the dress. What's all this glittery dots?" "That's a secret," Akane grinned. It was actually glitter on the dress.
"Ah, well, guess I can't help it." "You may look around and if you find anything you fancy, you can ask me about it."
Akane followed the old lady as she 'hmmmed' and "huhhhed". Finally, the woman turned to her and concluded, "I'll bring my soon-to-be son-in-law and ask him to help me."
"Sure," Akane put on her brightest smile although she felt like she'd just wasted her time, "anything. When will you be back?"
"Maybe tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow."
"Sure," she forced a polite grin, "see you."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"You were right," Akane said as she slammed the door shut behind her. She was lying against it; Fushika was in the rear room, happily humming and sewing some Spanish lace onto a dress. "She is tiresome."
"What did she buy?" Fushika's face grew with eagerness and excitement.
"Nothing."
Fushika's face fell. "But," Akane added, "she had said that she would return." Fushika beamed once more at the statement.
Then what Akane said next made Fushika groan. "And this time, I'll leave you to handle her."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A/N: Hey! It's been so long... Let's see... two weeks? A month? Sorry I didn't update so long. Have been dancing along with the beat of school and life.
Didn't use the computer for a long time, either. Well, haha... it was a mistake of Ranma finding out her name in the previous chapter (I changed it already. Heh heh... *blush* sorry).
Trapped in Icy Flame: Sure, I'll mail you.