Karasuba stands on top of the wall between Shinto Teito and the wider Tokyo metropolitan area. To the west, the wall skirts the edge of Nerima, and she can see it's now almost complete. Her hands half unsheathe her nodachi with the thought of being able to discipline the Sekirei that try to get past the wall once the next stage of the game begins.
The beep of her phone has her sheath her sword once more and look down at the screen. The mysterious 109 has been detected in Musashimurayama, how she got there is still a mystery, and one that Karasuba is determined to solve. With an eager leap, she dives off the top of the wall down to a nearby rooftop that's going in the right direction. She's only half way there, with an MBI helicopter starting to overtake her, when the signal disappears once more, as 109 somehow hides her tama from detection.
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Katsuragi stands morosely next to Oriha as Izumi Higa, their Ashikabi, paces back and forth behind his desk.
"You had one job, to bring 109 to me. She is an untrained Sekirei, yet she humiliated the two of you. Katsuragi, you're supposed to be a skilled martial artist, how did she get past you to Oriha? And Oriha, why didn't you move to another rooftop?"
Before either of them can respond, Higa turns to Sai and Toyotama, "What about you two, what excuse do you have? You found another potentially unknown Sekirei and you had her beaten. Yet you returned empty handed."
Toyotama just scowls, "You already know what happened, she dived behind a bush and just disappeared. We checked the water, and there's no way it was deep enough for her to have hidden there. Why don't you ask Kochou for more information?"
Kochou looks up from her laptop, "I have gathered pictures of Saotome Ranko, primarily taken for titillation, as well as what information MBI has on her. Which isn't much, it's almost like she came out of nowhere almost a year ago. The website is most often updated from a place registered as the Tendo Dojo in Nerima. I have also identified Furikan High School as the background for a few of the photos."
Higa turns back to the room, "See, you have a place to start. Well, what are you waiting for? Get Out!"
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Nori stops as she's walking through Shiba Park, at night, on her way to the station. Her boss at Cavologies decided to stay exceptionally late today, so she's being careful of the less well lit areas. As her eyes adjust to the shadow that caught her attention, she gasps. Sitting there in only a lab coat is a blood-spattered young woman. Looking around, nobody else appears to be paying her enough attention to tell she's not just homeless.
Swallowing hard, she tries to rationalise doing the Japanese thing, and just walking on. However, her conversation with Ranma, and then Takami has been going around in her head for the last few days. As a result she finds herself walking over and sitting down next to the young woman.
"Hello, I'm Sadow Nori, are you ok?"
The woman shakes her head, "I'm Akitsu and I'm broken."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Akitsu looks up at Nori, and Nori carefully controls her features as the elegant tattoo on her forehead comes into view, "I will never find my Ashikabi, I am broken."
Nori shakes her head, "You don't sound broken, you sound human. Did you know that we can't find our own Ashikabi's?"
Akitsu looks at her uncomprehendingly, "I don't understand."
"Look, I'm on my way home now, so why don't you come with me and we can get you some food and a shower. After that, I'll try to explain." When Akitsu doesn't move, Nori holds out her hand and adds, "Please?"
Akitsu looks into Nori's eyes for a moment before slowly reaching out and taking her hand. With a smile, Nori pulls her up before carefully buttoning up the lab coat, "It's for modesty, so that men won't get the wrong idea about you."
A few minutes after they leave, Hayato, supported by Mutsu, make their way through the park looking for the Sekirei that the message said was here. Weakly he sits down, on the same bench the women vacated, while he gets his strength back, the aftereffects of the poison still ravaging his body.
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Nori looks up as the rice-cooker buzzes to say that it's finished, off to the side she can still hear the shower running. With a sigh, she puts her manga down and goes over to the bathroom. With a polite knock, she opens the door a crack, "Akitsu, are you ok in here?"
Akitsu looks over from where the shower is cascading over her back and shoulders, "It's warm."
"I know, but the rice is ready. Can you dry yourself, and I've left you some clothes on the hook."
Akitsu gives her a small smile, "I will."
A few minutes later, the quick stir-fry that Nori's made for dinner is ready, along with a large bowl of rice. Akitsu comes out wearing the night clothes that were left out for her, and smoothly kneels down at the table.
"Akitsu, what do you know of human society?"
Akitsu chews thoughtfully on a piece of pork, "We were allowed TV."
Nori sighs, "So basically nothing then. The first thing that you should know, is that the idea of a soul mate is something we imported from the Americans. Humans don't have that, we can't know if someone we're interested in will be good or bad for us. Because of that we have a lot of social customs and traditions that help us find someone that is compatible. If," she pauses while choosing her words carefully, "No, some families still practice arranged marriages, but these days it's something that busy people can employ a company to arrange a marriage for them. For the rest of us, we tend to try to find people doing the things we're interested in."
Akitsu slowly eats a few more bites as she thinks, "How do you deal with not being able to feel that they love you?"
Nori smiles, "We show each other instead. Gifts, private displays of affection, doing things together, even the language we use for each other."
"That, is confusing."
Nori nods, "It certainly can be. But you can now choose for yourself. You can meet people, socialise, get to know them, and find out if they're the right person for you. Look, I met another Sekirei a few days ago, and she lives in Nerima. I have to work in the morning, but I could see if she's willing to show you to her home, so you can see how she grew up."
"You are discarding me?"
Nori shakes her head, "No, no, not at all. You will be welcome here for as long as you want or need to be. I just thought that you'd prefer to have something to do during the day. And she grew up with humans rather than wherever you grew up, so she may have better insight into the challenges you'll face than I do."
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Akane smiles as she watches Kusano carefully hooking the sign she's drawn onto the door of Saotome's room, a vague memory of doing something similar at the same age.
"Well done Ku-chan, what's next?"
Kusano looks up at Akane like she's stupid, "We need to move a table to the door and put a bowl of water on top." She exaggeratedly taps her chin as though thinking, "And we need a flower underneath it to catch any spilt water."
"Ok, let's go and ask Aunt Kasumi if we can move a table. Once that's done it's time for your exercise."
Kusano stamps her foot, "I don't wanna, fighting is bad."
Akane nods, "It is, and most martial artists will say the same thing. But that's not why we do it."
"So why do you keep trying to hit onii-chan?"
Akane tries to think of an explanation that Kusano would understand, before her shoulders slump, "I can't stop myself. At school, I used to need to fight my way through what we called the 'Hentai Hoard' just to get to class. All because an upperclassman declared that nobody could date me unless they beat me, which extended into dating full-stop. When Ranma turned up, he was a cute redheaded girl and I thought we could be friends. Then I found him in the ofuro. I had no idea who he was at that time, so I called him a pervert. Even now, a year on, I keep expecting him to behave like one of the boys from school. He doesn't help matters by throwing insults around, though he's been better when he knows you're around." Akane looks a bit uncomfortable, "I've also got a temper, so even though I should know better, I can't help losing it at him. I don't know why I'm telling you this."
Kusano pats her hand, "Because I asked silly."
Inside the room, Ranma silently flows out the window, leaving the futon half prepared.
Akane sighs, "Maybe, let's make sure your sign doesn't get caught on the door, and then we can see Kasumi about the table."
After opening and shutting the door to the bedroom, they make their way downstairs, where Kasumi is on the phone.
"…Yes, yes, I'll pass the message on… As long as she doesn't mind helping me around the home… One moment, I'll grab a pen… 470-1264, Oyaguchi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo… Apartment 6?... Yes, Yes, it will be nice to get out the area for once… I'll bring Ku-chan too... Of course, only if Ranma can't get there early enough… I understand… Yes, the Tendo Dojo, 4-chōme-14-28 Nishiōizumi, Nerima City, Tokyo. I would be honoured if you would stay for dinner… 18:30… Goodbye."
Once Kasumi has hung up, and put down her pen, Akane lets Kusano go and they both finish walking down the stairs, "Hey Kasumi, Ku-chan has something she wants to ask you."
Kusano tries to hide behind Akane now she's been put on the spot, "Um, do you have a table we could put outside the bedroom, and a bowl we could keep cold water in? Only, the bedroom is girls only. AndcouldIputaflowerunderneathit?"
Kasumi crouches down to Kusano's level, "Not tonight. But while we're cleaning the house tomorrow we can look for a suitable table and bowl. We will also be having a visitor tomorrow, a Sekirei named Akitsu. Sadow-san found her in a park, and has given her a place to live. However, it appears that she can't get an Ashikabi, so Sadow-san wishes to teach her how the rest of the world manages."
Kusano looks absolutely horrified, "She must be hurting."
Kasumi nods, "It could be she is, but it's not the only way to find love. Sometimes people just click together, and sometimes you need to look for it."
Kusano shakes her head, "No, never. I have my Ashikabi."
Kasumi ruffles her hair, "Yes you do, come on, you have your exercise, and then it's time for bed."
"But I don't want to."
"I think I heard Ranma moving around in there."
Kusano perks up and runs towards the dojo, "Onii-chan!"
Kasumi and Akane both share a glance before Kasumi giggles and starts heading towards the Dojo herself, Akane shakes her head before following along.
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Ranma looks up from his moving meditation, where he was trying to sort through what he heard Akane saying. As he sees Kusano standing there, eyes wide, he comes to a decision. Once Akane and Kasumi enter the Dojo, he comes to a standstill facing the door.
Kasumi smiles at him in that innocent way she has, "Ranma, Sadow-san called, she found a Sekirei in the park on the way home this evening. She wants you to show Akitsu here, as something happened to her, and she can no longer find an Ashikabi."
Ranma blinks and his mouth drops open, "Did she say when?"
Kasumi nods, "I've written it down by the phone, along with her address."
"Ah, right, I'll have a look once I've got Kusano to bed. Before you go, Ku-chan. I've been thinking about your exercises. You don't like them because you think they're about fighting, is that right?" Kusano nods vigorously, "Do you think that Auntie Kasumi would do something that involved fighting?"
Kusano looks up at Kasumi before shaking her head, "No, never."
Ranma smiles, "Kasumi, Akane, would you be willing to join Ku-chan in her evening exercises?"
Kasumi puts her hand over her mouth as she looks down at Kusano, "Oh my."
Kusano looks up at her with wide, innocent eyes, "Please auntie."
Ranma adds, "There's no need to change either, as I'm teaching Ku-chan Tai-chi and Wing Chun to help her learn control."
Kasumi slumps, "Very well."
As she says that Kusano turns her eyes on Akane, who just nods.
"Very well, before we begin I'd like you all to kneel on the mat while I tell you something that an old master in Tibet told me." Putting his own words into action, Ranma kneels facing the three of them, "Martial Arts is above all else, an art. Whatever style you practice, however experienced you are, it is a thing of self-expression. To start with, the movements are prescribed and rigid while you learn the motions and movements that your body can do. Like learning kanji, you practice the movements over and over until they become second nature. Then, you let go of the rules and make your own art. But we must always remember that it is a martial art, because there is always someone out there that wants to take, from you, from your loved ones, or from those who can't defend themselves. And so we test ourselves against other martial artists, seeking to find and exceed our limits. To perfect our art, and show the world something that's beautiful. But, this art also comes with it's own responsibilities, the first duty of a martial artist is to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Do you understand?"
As Ranma smoothly rises into an achingly slow Tai-chi kata, Akane nods along to the words. Kusano watches with wide, glistening eyes, at the graceful dance that would put a world class ballerina to shame. Kasumi just smiles her little half smile that hides her true feelings.
When Ranma returns to his position, he smiles, "To your feet, first of all you need to find your body's centre…"
Over the next 45 minutes he takes them all through the first 10 steps of the Tai-chi the Chinese police use. He smiles as Akane glances at Kusano a few times, when she gets frustrated with the style he's teaching, and how slow it is.
At the end of the lesson he turns towards the three girls and sinks into a kneeling position, "You've all done well. But now it's time calm down and bring our thoughts to a close. So we're going to mediate for 15 minutes. Ku, do you remember how to do this?" Kusano shakes her head, "Take a comfortable seat on the mat, with your back straight. Breathe in through your nose starting from your belly, and up to your chest, then breathe out through your mouth. If you feel lightheaded, you're breathing too fast."
Kusano struggles with the meditation, understandably given her age. But the surprise is that Akane also struggled with it too. Eventually, the 15 minutes pass, and Ranma carries Kusano to bed. When she comes back downstairs, she listens to Kasumi and Akane talking about the lesson for a moment, before reading the note. Idly noting that both fathers have 'magically' appeared in their customary spot, playing Shogi.
With a smirk, she takes a pile of forms that she had printed out at school, for Kusano. With a deft movement, she tosses the forms at the shogi board so that it slides under the stones without disturbing their formation, "Hey oyaji, those need to be signed and dealt with tomorrow."
Genma growls as he looks up at Ranma, "What are these for boy, and why are you a girl?"
"Sadow-san said something about registering Kusano at this address, and getting government aid for her. I asked Ninomiya-san for help while I was still on my period, and I finished the forms earlier." As Akane stares at Ranma, she bite back, "What? I can ask for help. Not like a tomboy like you would understand."
Ranma has a couple of seconds to regret her words before Akane launches her through the front door.
