'Older'
Nabiki sat on her couch, savoring the silence that permeated her home. She wasn't aware of what Ranma was doing at the moment, but allowed him to whatever privacy he was currently indulging. She hadn't give much thought to his punishment, nor did she have any allusions that she could come up with anything that would be sufficiently diciplining.
Ranma, as far as she could discern, was rather used to a spartan existance; few posessions, lack of luxuries that she herself exeedingly took for granted, dicipline to bear most harsh but tolerable conditions. Sending him to his room was the best she could think of.
Nabiki sighed, as she leaned back, and laid her arms on the backrest of the couch. She didn't even believe it was really Ranma's fault, the whole fight, she had saught to punish him on the principle of it all. This was a civilized society they lived in, so regardless of what romantic ideals he had garnered on that ten year training trip, fighting was not welcome nowadays. Past that, she didn't blame him at all.
Nabiki didn't know the other boy, so she chose not to judge him, but Ranma had a noble character she could tell. The type of character that moved to disregard as many slights against him that he could overlook. Sincerely, she could believe he had forgiven her for the pervert comment, but she had to apologise to appease her own concience, and sooth her integrity. She knew the right thing to do, she was an adult, and it behooved her to prove so.
On that, she sincerely doubted that Ranma had intentionally instigated the fight, and more than likely did a good deal to cease conflict before it truly got out of hand. Whatever the grudge the Hibiki boy had against Ranma was strong enough for him to disregard any attempts to quell him.
Maybe it would help her to decide his punishment, if she knew what it was that started the fight, and the details behind it. There had to be more to it than a petty bread feud. She made her way up the thin spiral staircase to the second level of her home, and to the door of Ranma's room. Thankfully, the door was well ajar, and it was quiet on the other side, so she didn't believe she would be intruding on anything. She peered inside, finding the reason Ranma had been silent.
Ranma sat in the corner of the room that was only adourned with a bedmat, a couple of mangas, and a somewhat empty travel pack. A cursory glance to the closet had shown a sparse few outfits hanging within. Ranma wasn't asleep, but in a meditative state from what Nabiki could surmise. His breathing was slow and even, as he sat in lotus position with his hands cupped in his lap. She could almost feel the tranquility radiating from him, he had to have had much practice, she decided.
Meditation was something she couldn't do very well, feeling she lacked the patience for it. But, Ranma, she couldn't help but find him adorable in his relaxed concentration. She leaned up against the doorframe, studying how peaceful he seemed, and once again considered if he was capable of any intentional harm. Once again, the answer was no, but this time it was resounding and firm. Ranma was probably the most innocent of men she had ever dealt with in her life. His open honesty endeared her far more than a sly look, suave pick up line, or resounding confidense. Unwittingly, she may have discovered what she-
"Yo, earth to Nabiki. You in there?"
Nabiki immidiately snapped to attention, "Huh?"
Ranma frowned slightly, "You've been staring at me with that goofy grin on your face for a couple of minutes now. Ya got something to tell me?" Ranma frowned a bit, deciding he wasn't particularly comfortable with that look, "Ah... did you and... um... Mom decide on a punishment for me?"
Nabiki was too flustered to notice his rather blunt observation, "Ah... about earlier, Ranma... we need to talk. Feel like going out?" What the hell did I just do?
Ranma blinked a couple of times, before nodding slowly, "Sure, I have no problem with that." Truthfully, as long as it was somewhere other than his room. He didn't want to practice, for fear of irritating Nabiki further, so decided to work on his most neglected part of his training. Geez, did he suddenly remember why he avoided this part so much, was it ever boring!
Nabiki gave Ranma a weak smile, before suddenly bolting from the door. Ranma stared after where Nabiki was, listening to her slightly frantic footsteps down the stairway. "I wonder what that was all about?
______________________
Nabiki adjusted her cherrywood colored turtleneck for the umpteenth time since she had left her room, about twenty minutes ago. After picking an imagine piece of lint from her charcoal slacks, she called up the stairs for her houseguest, "Ranma, are you ready?"
Ranma walked down the stairway, pausing midway when he saw Nabiki, "Hey, why'd you change?"
Nabiki was about to answer in sarcasm to the question that had a rather obvious answer, before her mouth snapped shut; why *did* she change?" Snapping herself from that internal debate, Nabiki gave Ranma a onceover, "Were you planning on wearing that?"
"Huh?" Ranma looked down at his pants and chinese shirt with the sleeves rolled up, "Something wrong with it?"
"Wern't you wearing that earlier?"
Ranma shrugged, "Yeah?"
Nabiki groaned audibly, "Fine, whatever, let's just get going!"
"Geez, you're in a mood," Ranma mumbled, as he came up to Nabiki, and blinked, "What's with all the make up?"
"We're going out, it pays to look at least presentable," Nabiki snapped, "Is there a problem with that?"
"Ah... no, no," Ranma placated, "Well, it looks kinda, nice, is all."
"Oh..." Nabiki replied, immidiately quelled, "Thank you."
"It makes you look a lot younger." Nabiki's glance turned into a sharp glare, warning Ranma he had just stepped onto dangerous ground, "Ah, I mean you're not as old as you usually look! ACK! I mean you look beautiful reallyIdidn'tmeananythingbyit!"
Ranma stopped his babbling, when he finally noticed the blank expression on Nabiki's face. He took a couple of steps back to get some distance before addressing her again, "Ah, are you okay?"
"L-let's just get going, okay, Ranma?" Nabiki studdered, before making a brisk walk for the door. Ranma stood there for a few seconds, unable to guage his hostess's sudden mood.
Nabiki was already in the car when he got out the door. Ranma locked up, and set the alarm, before quietly getting in the passenger side of the vehicle. Ranma chose to remain quiet as the drove off, hoping Nabiki would make the opening conversation.
Several minutes after their departure, a figure landed on the rooftop of Nabiki's home. She was sure this was the correct place now, as the man with the outlander's panda described to her. It was also a great help that he 'generously' paid for her flight to Japan.
Jumping down to the front, the lavender haired woman frowned, as she couldn't hear any sounds from within. She doubted anyone was asleep inside, presuming it too early, and decided that it may be best to hide in the yard behind the house to not attract attention to herself. Soon, oh so soon, the troublesome redhead that had managed to give her the slip will meet her destined fate at Shampoo's hands...
______________________
Ranma stared incredulously at the doorway of the heavily packed nightclub in Ikebukuro that Nabiki lead him to, "You expect us to talk in *there*?" Even from outside, at about ten meters away, he still had to shout.
Nabiki gave Ranma a smirk, "That's not where we're heading."
The reply puzzled Ranma, as he was still being lead towards the source of the loud, thrumming techno music. Just as they got inside the building, Nabiki turned to her right, and dragged Ranma with her. After a few feet, Ranma was being tugged up a flight of stairs, partially obscured by the dark, and then another flight of stairs. Darkness gave away to soft, ambiant light, as he and Nabiki entered into what was obviously the attic of the four story building. Soft acoustic rock provided a calmer alternative against the hard rave beats below them by several stories.
Scents of well-prepared food let Ranma know how hungry he was, as he looked around at all the other pedestrians of the cozy club Nabiki had brought him to. Once again they were ascending stairs, placing them on a balcony that overlooked the band playing for the small crowd. There were plenty of seats around at ground level, but Ranma presumed that Nabiki preferred the view of where they were now.
"What is this place?" Ranma enquired, looking around, and studying the wood framework; nary any other building material could be seen around the room, giving it a certain rustic feel that had Ranma more relaxed than he had been in a while.
"Just a little something I discovered a while back," Nabiki replied, non-chilantly. Saying no more, the older woman motioned one of the sparse few waiters over, "You hungry, Ranma?"
"Yeah, um, am I gonna get a menu or something?"
"A Kirin Ichiban Shibori for me, and a plate of steamed green soybeans for the both of us to start out with. What did you want to drink, Ranma?"
Ranma wasn't sure what to order, but very well knew he wasn't old enough to get what Nabiki was, "Ah... peach soda, if you have it..."
"We'll send someone down to the vending machine on the side of the building," the waitress replied, jokingly, before taking off with their initial order.
Ranma turned to Nabiki, who was watching the band below them, "What did you want to talk about?"
Without turning to the pigtailed boy, Nabiki replied, "Ranma, are you okay living with me for the time being?"
"Ah..." Ranma was caught off-guard by the question, allowing the woman to continue.
"You're mother told me she didn't want to seperate the two of us, and quite frankly, I'm a bit hesitant to hand you over to her."
Ranma understood what Nabiki was referring to, and wasn't all too enthuesiastic about returning to live with his mother, himself. "I know what you mean. Man, that bites. My mom's loony, and my dad's an idiot." Ranma looked away with a wistful expression, "Doesn't leave too much promise for me, huh?"
Ranma nearly jolted, when he felt Nabiki's hand lay on his. "I think you're doing pretty well, considering," Nabiki consoled, gently rubbing the back of Ranma's hand. About that moment, the waitress came back, handing Nabiki an amber bottle with a frosted mug, and Ranma a glass of ice and a can of peach soda. She then set a bowl of steamed cold green soybeans between them, each dusted with seasoned salt.
The waitress then waited patiently, as Ranma stared blankly at her. "Decide what you want?" The waitress asked, politely.
"We haven't even seen a menu, yet!" Ranma argued, before Nabiki interjected.
"Two plates of shrimp fried noodles. One with extra fresh ginger."
The waitress nodded, before walking off.
"Ranma..."
The pigtailed boy gave Nabiki his undivided attention, as she looked down at the band. The moment before she spoke, Ranma watched raptly, as the woman wet her mouth with a subtle sip of beer; barely moving her slender jawline that lacked of any babyfat to inbibe the mellow flavored nectar. He almost snapped back, when Nabiki turned towards him, "I can't honestly say how long this is going to be going on, but it looks like you'll be with me a while."
"Yeah," Ranma absently replied, casting his eyes down to the group below.
"I haven't had a man living with me before, so I think we'll have to watch for one another every so often." Nabiki picked up one of the seasoned steamed soybeans, and placed it against her lips. With the index and thumb on each hand, she squeezed the contents of the pod against her lips, where she softly sucked them into her mouth, allowing some of the seasoning to dragged into her mouth by her lips. She placed the discarded pod into an empty bowl that was given to them for their convenience, and continued, not noticing the way Ranma was staring at her.
"I'll admit, I'm probably not the best person to live with, but if we work together on this..." Nabiki turned to Ranma with a warm smile, "We'll get though this yet. So, you with me, Saotome?"
"Uh, sure, I guess..."
Nabiki gave a curt nod in satisfaction, before turning to watch the floorshow.
______________________
Shampoo cursed the time difference between her own home, and Japan, and then cursed herself for succombing to it. She had been running herself ragged in pursuit of her redhead nemesis, taxing her tracking skills (and her somewhat limited Japanese) to great limits. And now, once she had finally found what was to be the home of the outlander girl, she fell asleep, and probably missed her returning.
At the sound of a door opening, Shampoo jumped from the patio chair she had been slumbering in, and leapt to the roof, just in time to escape the notice of a woman with chin length hair approximately the age of a seasoned warrior. Not being the one Shampoo wanted, she waited patiently to see if her prey would also exit. She watched the woman stretch the morning kinks from her limbs, before going into a stance that Shampoo identified as Chinese Kempo. After several moment's pause, she began a graceful dance that belayed the practical teachings of kempo, which saught proficiency over form, yet still retained a great deal of potency and efficiency in ability. Just from several moments of observation, Shampoo recognized the form well enough, and knew she was at the right place. The woman obviously wasn't a practiced warrior, most likely a hobbyist martial artist that trained to keep in shape, but the moves were still eerily similar.
A certain vibrancy radiated from Nabiki, as she moved through her morning katas. Last night, she had completely forgot the talk she was supposed to have with Ranma about his situation with Ryoga, and instead chose to just enjoy his company. His companionship made her feel comfortable and secure, like she was able to relax and be unconcerned about everyday things; big or little. It was a therapeutic sensation, much like the aftermath of a soothing bath. Neither ended up saying much to one another throughout the night, but the silence between them was comforting and pleasant. Still, as much as she didn't mind the delay, she and Ranma would have to discuss things before they turn up to be a problem again.
Just then, a new problem dropped to the ground in front of Nabiki, causing her to pause in mid kick. "Um... hello..."
The young girl with lavender hair pointed at her with what looked like a beachball on a stick before addressing her, "Where Ranma?"
Nabiki slowly relaxed from her kick, suddenly finding the invigorating feeling she had gained drained away from her. Given the hostile motion of the girl, and the demand for the pigtailed boy, Nabiki surmised who the girl probably was. With an expression of distain mixed with disappointment and barely contained hurt, Nabiki shouted towards the house, "Ranma, someone here for you."
Within moments, the pigtailed boy strolled into the backyard, "Who, it's not Ryoga, is it? It's too early in the..."
Ranma stopped, once he caught sight of the lavender-haired girl, and bolted back into the house. Shampoo blinked, after watching the boy run off, before turning back to a puzzled and irritated Nabiki, "Where Ranma?"
Nabiki turned back to the girl, any trace of irritation replaced with even more dumbfoundment.
______________________
"Dad..." Kaoru began in a timid tone, as he approached his father preparing to open the clinic for the morning.
"Yes son?" Tofu looked up from setting out supplies needed for his early morning patients, giving his son his full attention.
"Well... y-you know that problem you had with Mom? I mean how she made it difficult for you to... concentrate?" Kaoru fidgeted, while his father stared at him. Finally, after a few moments of silence, Tofu turned back to his duties.
"Yes, your mother had that affect on me. Any particular reason you brought it up?"
Tofu's eldest son took a deep breath, here it goes, "You see, Dad, I'm having... having the same problem..."
Slowly, Tofu turned to look back at his son, and allowed a grin of amusement to cross his face. "I see," Tofu stated in a prideful voice, "So, who's the lucky lady?"
Kaoru turned away with a chagrinned expression, "Uh, truth is, I don't know. I can't even get myself to ask what her name is..."
Tofu chuckled, "That is bad."
"If you saw her, you'd understand," Kaoru quickly stated, "She's cute, I mean REALLY cute! And she's a real redhead, too!"
Tofu nodded, "Foreign exchange student?"
Even though his father didn't see it, Kaoru shook his head, "Nope! She doesn't even go to Furinkan. She's also Japanese!"
Tofu paused, and turned to his son, "Natural redhead? That's highly unusual." Tofu leaned towards his son, and patted him on the shoulder, "She sounds like quite a girl. I wish you the best of luck with her."
"Well... there's a favor I need to ask you, Dad..."
"Sure, anything."
Kaoru leaned onto the counter with his arms, "She's staying at Aunt Nabiki's. I was wondering... if you can... well... you know my problem and..."
Tofu spared his son his nervous pleading, "Sure, I wouldn't mind meeting the girl that has my son so smitten. Maybe I can also ask Nabiki about helping me set you up with a date or two?"
"N-NO! J-just a name would be nice..." Kaoru chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. From the stories his mother used to tell him of his father and her courtship, he didn't think he could properly handle anything with the cute little redhead so soon.
Tofu shook his head, and went back to work with a light smile on his face.
______________________
Shampoo dashed into the house, realizing that the pigtailed boy most assuradly knew the whereabouts of the outlander girl, and was running to warn her. "STOP! YOU TAKE SHAMPOO TO RANMA, YES!"
"NO! I WON'T TAKE YOU TO RANMA!" Ranma shouted out, rushing out the front door. Shampoo barely heard the door open, and rushed in pursuit. Hopping to get his left shoe on while running, Ranma looked behind himself to see if the crazy Chinese chick was still chasing him.
"SHAMPOO SAY STOP!!!"
Yeah, she was, unfortunately. Ranma groaned to the heavens, as he ran around the corner, and desparingly asked what he did to deserve this. His answer was a sudden deluge.
"SHAMPOO WANT RANMA SO CAN KI-" Shampoo stopped, finding her redheaded prey wiping water from her eyes. "RANMA! SHAMPOO KILL!!!"
Ranma finished wiping the water from her eyes, just in time to see the sword heading for her neck. "Eep!"
The pigtailed girl ducked, just in time, and then leapt straight up. Shampoo followed her with her eyes, before leaping after the girl. Ranma landed on the balcony of the woman still holding an upturned pail, quickly pulled a sheet from the balcony clothesline, and turned to the woman, "You owe me."
The woman stared incredulously, as the girl tossed the bedsheet into the lavender haired foreign girl's face, before leaping to another balcony, then to the roof, and out of sight.
Shampoo landed in a heap on the ground, quickly cutting through the blanket with her sword. She growled, when she found the girl nowhere in sight.
______________________
Ranma dragged herself back into the house sighing in relief for losing the psycho Amazon chick. Great, just great, first she meets an old aquaintance that wants to kill him, now she gets reintroduced to a recent aquaintance that wants to kill her. At least there wasn't a median that needed to be covered.
"Old girlfriend?"
Ranma froze, startled at the sharp chill in Nabiki's voice. Quickly recovering, the redhead turned her exasperated expression on her hostes. "Girlfriend? She's trying to KILL ME!"
"So an angry ex-girlfriend?"
"It's not like that! Back when I was in China, I beat the girl in some village tournament. She got mad, and gave me this kiss that promised she would chase me to the ends of the earth and kill me! Since then, she's been hunting me all over China!"
Nabiki's expression remained firm, as she nodded, and digested the information, "And now, she's found you here to Japan."
With a sigh, Ranma nodded her head.
"And I'm presuming you just lost her?"
Ranma nodded her head again.
"And you come back here, where she first found you."
Ranma began to nod her head once more, and stopped mid nod.
"DIE! RANMA!!!"
The expectant look on Nabiki's face turned into a confirming one, and she nodded once, as the redheaded girl's eyes went wide.
Nabiki jumped back, as Ranma twisted away from the bonbori mace lunge, followed up by a horizontal sword swipe, cutting through the doorframe of the kitchen. At the damage suddenly done, Ms. Tendou realized that just how problmatic the situation was about to become. "No... oh no..."
Ranma ducked under a stab of Shampoo's mace, allowing it to connect with the all too delicate wall that she had been against, leaving a sizable hole. At the sight, Nabiki's mouth twitched, while her mind attempted to wrap itself around the gravity of the situation.
"STOP! NOT IN THE HOUSE!" Nabiki finally managed to shout, as she quickly stalked after the two.
Ranma somersaulted over the couch, just as Shampoo cleaved down where she had been. A 360 kick aimed at Ranma's head connected with the lamp on the endtable instead.
"M... my couch..." Nabiki whispered in shock. She loved that couch, took her ages to find one that suited her so well. Took her twice as long to break it in to her liking.
"WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!?" Ranma's desperate shout got Nabiki's attention again, as she looked up, to find Ranma turn towards Shampoo, ready for her next move. The older woman's eyes went wide, as Shampoo's deadly smirk grew, thinking she had the redhead pinned finally. Her sword wound back for a deep beheading diagonal strike that she figured the flightly girl would have a great deal of difficulty evading.
Ranma's face grew firm, as she prepared to leap in any direction, while bracing herself against the rather expensive fifty-two inch, wide screen, high definition TV.
Nabiki just couldn't let that happen to her baby. "RANMA, SHAMPOO, STOP! SHAN PU, TIN!!!"
Both girls suddenly froze, and turned to the heavily breathing middle aged woman with startled expressions. Shampoo had paused in mid-lunge with her sword raised high, and tipped over on balance, causing for Ranma to have to catch her in her pose.
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Nabiki stared down at the two girls, setting on different halves of her couch. As difficult as it was, she was remaining calm. But in compromise, she allowed her irritation to show in her expression.
Nabiki wasn't much taller than either of the girls, and much less skilled in the art than the two of them, but the unamused look on her face was enough to keep both Shampoo and Ranma quelled and sedate.
Nabiki first looked towards Ranma, before speaking in a wry tone, "So, Ranma, any one else you would like me to know about that will probably be hunting for your hide?"
Ranma smiled nervously, "Uh... technically, I only knew about Shampoo here. Ryoga was kinda a surprise."
"Funny, Ranma. Try not to make jokes when I'm not happy with you." Ranma almost scowled, until Nabiki's intensified on her. The redhead kept her mouth shut, and a chagrinned expression on her face.
Once she was sure Ranma wouldn't make any more noise, Nabiki turned to Shampoo, and began speaking in the standard Mandarin dialect she had learned. Shampoo turned her nose in distain, before replying. The answer Nabiki recieved caused her to throw her hands up in annoyance.
"What? What she say?" Ranma asked, upset at not being able to follow the conversation.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Nabiki asked in a sharp tone.
Ranma shook her head, "Um, no, you told me not to make jokes."
Nabiki was about to give an angry retort, before she stopped, and calmed herself, "I just asked Shampoo if she was even legally in this country. She just told me that Amazon vengance knows you national boundaries."
Shampoo glared at Ranma, and spoke some more to Nabiki, earning the woman's unamused gaze. Nabiki answered back, causing Shampoo to snort. Rolling her eyes, Nabiki asked Shampoo another question, and the Amazon complied with a lengthy answer.
After several minutes, Nabiki just stared at Shampoo, before slowly drawing her eyes over to Ranma, "She wants to kill you for beating her in a village tournament."
"Ah, that's about the size of it, yeah..." Ranma shifted nervously, before Shampoo returned to scowl at the other girl. Ranma smiled weakly, and tried to edge herself deeper into her side of the halved couch.
"What next? Anybody interested in killing you for walking on the wrong side of the street?" Nabiki asked, sarcastically.
Ranma shrugged, "Uh, maybe..."
Nabiki addressed Shampoo, who heatedly replied back. Nabiki's tone suddenly became sharper and angrier, causing Shampoo to baulk, and pout slightly. Fearing next she would be the center of attention, Ranma attempted to slink away. Before she even got off the couch, without turning to look at her, Nabiki snapped her fingers, and pointed at Ranma for her to stay put; the whole time not missing a beat of the discussion with Shampoo.
Ms. Tendou's tone suddenly elevated, as she leaned closer into Shampoo's face, causing the other girl to lean back deeper into her seat. When Nabiki finished, Shampoo nodded her head slowly.
Nabiki sighed after leaning away from the girl, turned her back to Shampoo, and dragged her fingers through her chinlength hair. Nabiki ashed Shampoo something in a resigned tone, seemingly unaware of the faces the lavender haired girl was making behind her back. Ranma dismissed that thought, when Nabiki added something in a sharp tone, and Shampoo immidiately ceased, chagrinned.
The Amazon threw Ranma a withering glance, before she reached down the front of her outfit, and pulled out a dog-eared book. Nabiki turned around, said something to Shampoo, and retrieved the book. Flipping through it until she came to a page apparently Shampoo stated to her, Nabiki read it, before her expression became deadpanned.
Nabiki asked something of Shampoo in an incredulous tone, causing Shampoo to reply harshly. Ranma could almost understand the 'you can't be serious' tone in Nabiki's voice, as she began to rubbed her index and forefinger against the sides of her nose. Once again, Shampoo argued, and stared defiantly at Nabiki.
"Yeah, well your people are barbaric," Nabiki mumbled under her breath, low enough that she hoped Ranma wouldn't catch it.
"Shampoo understand what you say."
Nabiki ignored Shampoo's quip, as she turned back to Ranma, "You know about the laws of her people that they have to kill outsider women that defeat them, right?"
"Um, not really?" Ranma replied with a cutely questioning lilt.
Nabiki's expression was far from amused, "Well, maybe we can minimize the damage..." With that, Nabiki quickly walked into the kitchen. For almost a minute, Shampoo glared at the redhead next to her, as the water from the sink faucet could be heard. Nabiki finally returned, walking up behind the nervous redhead with a glass of water, before she upended it onto Ranma.
"OW, hot!" Ranma shook his hair to relieve some of the access water, before he realized that Shampoo was staring at him in dumbfoundment. Nabiki began to explain something to Shampoo, and the only word Ranma understood was 'Jusenkyo'.
Shampoo shook her head, "Is still girl-type Ranma who defeat Shampoo. Kiss of death still apply."
"Well, you can't kill him," Nabiki replied in Japanese. Nabiki walked back to the kitchen, before returning without the glass, but a chair from her dining room. She sat in it across the coffee table, looking directly at Shampoo and Ranma. She focused her attention on Shampoo, and once again began to speak in Mandarin.
Shampoo bowed her head, and spoke softly, but loud enough for Nabiki to understand. Ranma noticed the sympathy growing on Nabiki's face, before she got out of her chair, and kneeled in front of Shampoo. Placing a hand on Shampoo's shoulder, Nabiki said something, that earned a nod from the younger girl. Nabiki brought her index finger of her free hand up, as if to began another point. She told Shampoo something in an extremely stern voice, causing Shampoo to look at her, and nod again.
Nabiki stood up, and looked towards the extra bedroom across from hers downstairs, "Shampoo, do you have much with you?"
Shampoo shook her head, and continued to speak in Mandarin. Nabiki gave a light snort, "Well, I guess we'll be doing a bit of shopping for you. It's the least I guess I can do for what you're having to go through because of Ranma."
"Hey! It's not my fault she was crazy enough to follow me all around the world!" Ranma interjected, offended at the blame.
Nabiki turned a sharp glare at him, "It's not her fault either that she can't return home until she's killed you, all because you got a case of the munchies."
"Huh?"
"Ranma..." Nabiki started in a softer tone, "It was either have her after you, or half the village warriors after you. When you ate their first prize, even if Shampoo was the one to win it, if you hadn't defeated her, you would have been hunted down by every warrior that had participated in the tournament. I doubt you would have gotten as far as you had if that were the case."
"Hey! I didn't know!" Ranma defended himself, starting to feel a bit more guilty.
"Not about their rules, but you should have known in the first place not to steal."
"Who said I was stealing?"
"You take village feast no asking. Is stealing to Shampoo."
Ranma was about to speak up against that, before his mouth snapped shut. After a few moments of consideration, he slumped into his seat, "I guess I didn't look at it that way. Heh, I was just following Pop's example."
"Ranma, I promise you, if you grow up to be like your father..." Nabiki warned, not sure what she would do if that were the case.
Shampoo nodded, "Wife duty to keep husband in line."
Nabiki gave Shampoo a sideways glance, as Ranma baulked, "I thought you said the Kiss of Marraige didn't apply, since Ranma was a girl when he defeated you."
Shampoo blinked, "Shampoo no steal airen from Sharp woman."
"Who's this 'sharp woman'?" Nabiki enquired, pretty sure she knew the answer, but just wanted confirmation.
"You is. Sharp like good blade. Talk good when fighting is no needed, like Elder." Shampoo paused, unsure of her explanation. Again, she reverted to Mandarin.
"I see," Nabiki replied, once Shampoo finished, before turning back to Ranma with a smirk.
"What?" the pigtailed boy enquired, nervously.
Nabiki chuckled, before turning back to Shampoo, and speaking once again to her to where Ranma couldn't understand what she was saying. Shampoo chuckled, looked at Ranma, and nodded earnestly.
Ranma frowned, "That's not funny, you two... whatever it is..."
The older woman barely managed to retain her laughter, as she shook her head. "Come on, Ranma, Shampoo. Day's still early, so we may as well go pick Shampoo up some clothes while she's staying with us."
"YOU MEAN SHE'S STAYING HERE?!?"
"Cut the hysterics, Ranma, she promised not to kill you... for the time being."
"Uh..." Ranma wasn't quite comfortable with the notion of the girl who had hunted him all through China staying under the same roof as him, "I guess that's alright... then."
Shampoo nodded dilligently, "Husband good. Respecting wife wishes like faithful mans."
"HEY! We're *not* married!" Ranma proclaimed, adimantly. Shampoo blinked, before turning to Nabiki, finding her nod in confirmation to Ranma's reply.
"Why no?" Shampoo asked, puzzled. As far as she could tell, they weren't kin. She may not have been the most versed in Japanese customs, but the way they interacted was a bit defiant of what she understood of the social peking order. Plus Nabiki's subconcious comments towards the lack of a blood relationship moved to confirm her suspicions.
Ranma and Nabiki looked at each other.
______________________
Shampoo didn't understand the couple that accompanied her, or as they would have her to believe, non-couple. In her village, it wasn't uncommon for older warriors to take younger husbands. They would be at the perfect season of their life to breed mostly girls, and a young, virile, husband would most assuradly produce strong children. Yet, Ms. Tendou, As the older woman insisted on being called, if not just Nabiki like her young courter did, steadfastly argued that they were indeed not a couple.
At the moment, though, Shampoo had other things on her mind, such as the nearly unbearable discomfort she was recieving from the infernal device that Ms. Tendou demanded she wear strapped to her chest.
"Honestly, Xian Pu," Nabiki chided, saying the girl's name properly out of respect, "I don't know how things are where you live, but you can't run around this city without a bra on."
"Is restrictive, and not comfortable," Shampoo snapped, as she pulled at a bra strap with her index and forefinger.
"The restriction is the point of it, and you'll learn to deal with the discomfort," Nabiki replied. The older woman was more inclined to get Shampoo sports bras, but, much to her chagrin and irritation, there weren't many that fit Shampoo without being a bit too tight." Back in her mind, Nabiki yearned for a chest like the girl's.
"Shampoo no like it, is too, too uncomfortable!"
"Xian pu, listen. We're in a city where perverted freaks roam freely without much punishment. You provide them with a target, they'll home in on it like nobody's business."
"Then Shampoo beat perverted freak, is simple, yes?"
Nabiki shook her head, as she sat on the bench in the dressing cubicle, "Remember when I asked you if you had permission to be in this country?"
Shampoo nodded her head, "Amazon Law see no is problem."
"Well, the officials of this country would see it as a problem. If the punishment is as harsh as you said it would be, I wouldn't want to see you deported until I find a good way to get you out of this mess."
Shampoo frowned, "Shampoo no see how Ms. Tendou help Shampoo. Try to kill airen, and no even know Shampoo."
Nabiki smiled, "Let's just say there's a humanity issue at stake here. You're obviously a nice girl, and it wasn't your fault that this all happened. Truthfully, it's not *really* all Ranma's either. It's just one of those things that happened. Hopefully, your Elders can be made to realize this."
"Shampoo no see is likely," Shampoo began to remove the bra, utterly fustrated with it, "You find anything in law book?"
Nabiki grimaced, "Not yet. Geez, your ancestors may have been barbaric, but they knew how to cover loopholes."
Shampoo didn't understand what that meant, but knew it wasn't a good thing. She turned away from the older woman, so that Nabiki wouldn't see Shampoo's proud warrior facade falter in despair. Nabiki decided that the topic should be put on hold for the time being, as another issue needed to be discussed, "Xian Pu, do you have any animosity towards Ranma? If you do, it's best to get this out in the open."
"What animosity?" Shampoo enquired, not knowing what the word meant. Even if the meaning escaped her, Nabiki didn't miss Shampoo's slight flinch at the mention of the pigtailed boy/girl's name.
"Xian Pu, I know Ranma's caused you more grief than you wanted, but I can't have the two of you in the same house if you're going to one day snap and kill him."
"Shampoo no snap, just kill," the Amazon replied, hautily, as she began to put on her original outfit.
Nabiki held out a hand, forestalling her, then handed her another bra. Shampoo refrained from growling, and retrieved the item of clothing. "No, Shampoo, you will *not* kill Ranma at all."
"Shampoo only no kill because Sharp Womans demand Shampoo no kill annoying boy."
Nabiki chuckled, "Yeah, he can get under your skin if you're not careful. And what did I tell you about calling me 'Sharp Woman', even if it sounds flattering to you?"
Shampoo bowed low, chagrinned for her slight against the woman she was quickly becoming to respect, "Shampoo sorry, Ms. Tendou."
"Anyways," Nabiki waived off the apology, "Ranma really is a sweet young man, just a bit on the obnoxious side, but he has a good heart."
"Shampoo no see how you tolerate Ranma, even if is handsome man."
Nabiki chuckled again, "You should meet his mother. She makes Ranma's mannerisms seem elegent."
"What you mean?"
"Well," Nabiki paused, putting her index finger against her chin, "Let's just say Ranma gets his 'finer' points from her."
Shampoo blinked, "No see how Ranma mother worse then, if Ranma have all good points from her."
Nabiki sighed, "Note, sarcasm doesn't seem to translate well for her..."
__________________
Ranma sat impatiently, attempting to not seem like some pervert, as she diverted her eyes from the sea of bras and panties she was amidst. Not more than once, by accidental glance, she wondered why women preferred to wear such tiny things. To her, they would bunch up in the midsection and make things wayyyy too tight and uncomfortable.
"We've done enough here, ready for the next store?" Nabiki called out to Ranma, just as she and Shampoo were exiting the dressing room. Ranma quickly turned away, as Shampoo was irritatingly picking at the her blouse, even if she wasn't currently wearing a bra.
"I don't see why you brought me along for this," Ranma groused, turning her eyes up to the ceiling, where it was reletively safe. "I mean, a guy in a women's clothing store isn't right, you know?"
"That's why we made sure you were a girl at the moment," Nabiki countered, before looking around, "You know? Even if you won't be staying as a girl often..."
"No... oh no!" Ranma quickly countered, snapping her eyes back to Nabiki.
Nabiki kept her building laughter in check, as she turned to Shampoo, "What do you say, Xian Pu? Is there one other girl around here that needs to have *her* wardrobe expanded upon?"
Shampoo's expression grew sinister, "If Shampoo suffer, Ranma suffer too."
At that, Ranma turned to bolt, right before Nabiki's voice held him in place. "Ranma!"
The pigtailed girl froze at Nabiki's hard, unrelenting voice. Without another word, Ranma relented, turned around, and slumped back into her seat with a pout. Shampoo watched the scene with a little bit of awe, finding her respect for Ms. Tendou growing that much more.
"I was kidding, Ranma," Nabiki consoled in a lighter tone, causing Ranma to relax. "I tell you what. I think we've done enough shopping for now. How about we top off this day of girl bonding with a late lunch?"
Ranma eagerly agreed, finding both a respite from her embarrassment, and the anticipation of food soon. Shampoo wondered if she would be able to command a husband as prideful as Ranma with such ease, and unconciously agreed with Nabiki's idea.
__________________
Nabiki groaned in fustration, as she tossed the Amazon law book back onto her desk. If there was one thing she hated, it was letting people down.
There weren't any written counterpoints to the law that could negate the situation Shampoo and Ranma were in; the situation was pretty clear cut. Shampoo either killed Ranma, or suffered severe punishment for breaking the law.
"Well, no one ever said it would be easy," Nabiki mumbled under her breath, as she sat back down at her desk, rubbing her forehead. After several minutes, Shampoo entered tentatively, as if waiting for the older woman's permission.
Nabiki looked up to greet the girl, "Yes, Shampoo?" Nabiki decided that using the girl's nickname was just as good as using her real name, since Shampoo tended to do it herself often. Besides, maybe it would get her to quit calling her 'Ms. Tendou' all the time.
With a weak smile, Shampoo entered the room with her hands clasped in front of her, "Find anything?"
With a despairing look, Nabiki shook her head, "I'm not beaten yet, but this is definitely not an easy task."
Shampoo nodded her head, giving Nabiki a bigger smile, "Shampoo think... think that if anyone save Shampoo other than Great-Grandmother, is Nabiki."
Nabiki found herself smiling at the encouragement, "Thanks Shampoo for your vote of confidence. I have a question for you, though. Since it looks like you'll be staying here a while, I'm going to need a few things of yours."
Nabiki took a deep breath, before continuing, "I'm going to wager your records aren't kept with the normal Chinese resident records?"
Shampoo understood the gravity of the question, particularly since Nabiki switched to Mandarin to ask it, despite her insistance that Shampoo start learning better Japanese, "Yes, they're kept in the village. We're too remote for the goverment to really bother with us, so as long as we send annual reports to them, they leave us alone."
"Do you think there would be too much of a problem if I were to request those records. So that I may be able to set you up with legal... well... semi-legal visitor's status under a student Visa? Would that attract too much attention to you?"
Shampoo shook her head, "I doubt it. The Elders are actually encouraging us to learn more about the outside world. We hold our customs strongly, but we also understand that it's best to bring new knowledge into the tribe. Having me attend school here would provide a perfect..."
Shampoo paused, before her expression dropped to a frown, "Pardon me, you're enrolling me in school here?"
Nabiki nodded, not changing her stoic expression one bit.
Nabiki sat on her couch, savoring the silence that permeated her home. She wasn't aware of what Ranma was doing at the moment, but allowed him to whatever privacy he was currently indulging. She hadn't give much thought to his punishment, nor did she have any allusions that she could come up with anything that would be sufficiently diciplining.
Ranma, as far as she could discern, was rather used to a spartan existance; few posessions, lack of luxuries that she herself exeedingly took for granted, dicipline to bear most harsh but tolerable conditions. Sending him to his room was the best she could think of.
Nabiki sighed, as she leaned back, and laid her arms on the backrest of the couch. She didn't even believe it was really Ranma's fault, the whole fight, she had saught to punish him on the principle of it all. This was a civilized society they lived in, so regardless of what romantic ideals he had garnered on that ten year training trip, fighting was not welcome nowadays. Past that, she didn't blame him at all.
Nabiki didn't know the other boy, so she chose not to judge him, but Ranma had a noble character she could tell. The type of character that moved to disregard as many slights against him that he could overlook. Sincerely, she could believe he had forgiven her for the pervert comment, but she had to apologise to appease her own concience, and sooth her integrity. She knew the right thing to do, she was an adult, and it behooved her to prove so.
On that, she sincerely doubted that Ranma had intentionally instigated the fight, and more than likely did a good deal to cease conflict before it truly got out of hand. Whatever the grudge the Hibiki boy had against Ranma was strong enough for him to disregard any attempts to quell him.
Maybe it would help her to decide his punishment, if she knew what it was that started the fight, and the details behind it. There had to be more to it than a petty bread feud. She made her way up the thin spiral staircase to the second level of her home, and to the door of Ranma's room. Thankfully, the door was well ajar, and it was quiet on the other side, so she didn't believe she would be intruding on anything. She peered inside, finding the reason Ranma had been silent.
Ranma sat in the corner of the room that was only adourned with a bedmat, a couple of mangas, and a somewhat empty travel pack. A cursory glance to the closet had shown a sparse few outfits hanging within. Ranma wasn't asleep, but in a meditative state from what Nabiki could surmise. His breathing was slow and even, as he sat in lotus position with his hands cupped in his lap. She could almost feel the tranquility radiating from him, he had to have had much practice, she decided.
Meditation was something she couldn't do very well, feeling she lacked the patience for it. But, Ranma, she couldn't help but find him adorable in his relaxed concentration. She leaned up against the doorframe, studying how peaceful he seemed, and once again considered if he was capable of any intentional harm. Once again, the answer was no, but this time it was resounding and firm. Ranma was probably the most innocent of men she had ever dealt with in her life. His open honesty endeared her far more than a sly look, suave pick up line, or resounding confidense. Unwittingly, she may have discovered what she-
"Yo, earth to Nabiki. You in there?"
Nabiki immidiately snapped to attention, "Huh?"
Ranma frowned slightly, "You've been staring at me with that goofy grin on your face for a couple of minutes now. Ya got something to tell me?" Ranma frowned a bit, deciding he wasn't particularly comfortable with that look, "Ah... did you and... um... Mom decide on a punishment for me?"
Nabiki was too flustered to notice his rather blunt observation, "Ah... about earlier, Ranma... we need to talk. Feel like going out?" What the hell did I just do?
Ranma blinked a couple of times, before nodding slowly, "Sure, I have no problem with that." Truthfully, as long as it was somewhere other than his room. He didn't want to practice, for fear of irritating Nabiki further, so decided to work on his most neglected part of his training. Geez, did he suddenly remember why he avoided this part so much, was it ever boring!
Nabiki gave Ranma a weak smile, before suddenly bolting from the door. Ranma stared after where Nabiki was, listening to her slightly frantic footsteps down the stairway. "I wonder what that was all about?
______________________
Nabiki adjusted her cherrywood colored turtleneck for the umpteenth time since she had left her room, about twenty minutes ago. After picking an imagine piece of lint from her charcoal slacks, she called up the stairs for her houseguest, "Ranma, are you ready?"
Ranma walked down the stairway, pausing midway when he saw Nabiki, "Hey, why'd you change?"
Nabiki was about to answer in sarcasm to the question that had a rather obvious answer, before her mouth snapped shut; why *did* she change?" Snapping herself from that internal debate, Nabiki gave Ranma a onceover, "Were you planning on wearing that?"
"Huh?" Ranma looked down at his pants and chinese shirt with the sleeves rolled up, "Something wrong with it?"
"Wern't you wearing that earlier?"
Ranma shrugged, "Yeah?"
Nabiki groaned audibly, "Fine, whatever, let's just get going!"
"Geez, you're in a mood," Ranma mumbled, as he came up to Nabiki, and blinked, "What's with all the make up?"
"We're going out, it pays to look at least presentable," Nabiki snapped, "Is there a problem with that?"
"Ah... no, no," Ranma placated, "Well, it looks kinda, nice, is all."
"Oh..." Nabiki replied, immidiately quelled, "Thank you."
"It makes you look a lot younger." Nabiki's glance turned into a sharp glare, warning Ranma he had just stepped onto dangerous ground, "Ah, I mean you're not as old as you usually look! ACK! I mean you look beautiful reallyIdidn'tmeananythingbyit!"
Ranma stopped his babbling, when he finally noticed the blank expression on Nabiki's face. He took a couple of steps back to get some distance before addressing her again, "Ah, are you okay?"
"L-let's just get going, okay, Ranma?" Nabiki studdered, before making a brisk walk for the door. Ranma stood there for a few seconds, unable to guage his hostess's sudden mood.
Nabiki was already in the car when he got out the door. Ranma locked up, and set the alarm, before quietly getting in the passenger side of the vehicle. Ranma chose to remain quiet as the drove off, hoping Nabiki would make the opening conversation.
Several minutes after their departure, a figure landed on the rooftop of Nabiki's home. She was sure this was the correct place now, as the man with the outlander's panda described to her. It was also a great help that he 'generously' paid for her flight to Japan.
Jumping down to the front, the lavender haired woman frowned, as she couldn't hear any sounds from within. She doubted anyone was asleep inside, presuming it too early, and decided that it may be best to hide in the yard behind the house to not attract attention to herself. Soon, oh so soon, the troublesome redhead that had managed to give her the slip will meet her destined fate at Shampoo's hands...
______________________
Ranma stared incredulously at the doorway of the heavily packed nightclub in Ikebukuro that Nabiki lead him to, "You expect us to talk in *there*?" Even from outside, at about ten meters away, he still had to shout.
Nabiki gave Ranma a smirk, "That's not where we're heading."
The reply puzzled Ranma, as he was still being lead towards the source of the loud, thrumming techno music. Just as they got inside the building, Nabiki turned to her right, and dragged Ranma with her. After a few feet, Ranma was being tugged up a flight of stairs, partially obscured by the dark, and then another flight of stairs. Darkness gave away to soft, ambiant light, as he and Nabiki entered into what was obviously the attic of the four story building. Soft acoustic rock provided a calmer alternative against the hard rave beats below them by several stories.
Scents of well-prepared food let Ranma know how hungry he was, as he looked around at all the other pedestrians of the cozy club Nabiki had brought him to. Once again they were ascending stairs, placing them on a balcony that overlooked the band playing for the small crowd. There were plenty of seats around at ground level, but Ranma presumed that Nabiki preferred the view of where they were now.
"What is this place?" Ranma enquired, looking around, and studying the wood framework; nary any other building material could be seen around the room, giving it a certain rustic feel that had Ranma more relaxed than he had been in a while.
"Just a little something I discovered a while back," Nabiki replied, non-chilantly. Saying no more, the older woman motioned one of the sparse few waiters over, "You hungry, Ranma?"
"Yeah, um, am I gonna get a menu or something?"
"A Kirin Ichiban Shibori for me, and a plate of steamed green soybeans for the both of us to start out with. What did you want to drink, Ranma?"
Ranma wasn't sure what to order, but very well knew he wasn't old enough to get what Nabiki was, "Ah... peach soda, if you have it..."
"We'll send someone down to the vending machine on the side of the building," the waitress replied, jokingly, before taking off with their initial order.
Ranma turned to Nabiki, who was watching the band below them, "What did you want to talk about?"
Without turning to the pigtailed boy, Nabiki replied, "Ranma, are you okay living with me for the time being?"
"Ah..." Ranma was caught off-guard by the question, allowing the woman to continue.
"You're mother told me she didn't want to seperate the two of us, and quite frankly, I'm a bit hesitant to hand you over to her."
Ranma understood what Nabiki was referring to, and wasn't all too enthuesiastic about returning to live with his mother, himself. "I know what you mean. Man, that bites. My mom's loony, and my dad's an idiot." Ranma looked away with a wistful expression, "Doesn't leave too much promise for me, huh?"
Ranma nearly jolted, when he felt Nabiki's hand lay on his. "I think you're doing pretty well, considering," Nabiki consoled, gently rubbing the back of Ranma's hand. About that moment, the waitress came back, handing Nabiki an amber bottle with a frosted mug, and Ranma a glass of ice and a can of peach soda. She then set a bowl of steamed cold green soybeans between them, each dusted with seasoned salt.
The waitress then waited patiently, as Ranma stared blankly at her. "Decide what you want?" The waitress asked, politely.
"We haven't even seen a menu, yet!" Ranma argued, before Nabiki interjected.
"Two plates of shrimp fried noodles. One with extra fresh ginger."
The waitress nodded, before walking off.
"Ranma..."
The pigtailed boy gave Nabiki his undivided attention, as she looked down at the band. The moment before she spoke, Ranma watched raptly, as the woman wet her mouth with a subtle sip of beer; barely moving her slender jawline that lacked of any babyfat to inbibe the mellow flavored nectar. He almost snapped back, when Nabiki turned towards him, "I can't honestly say how long this is going to be going on, but it looks like you'll be with me a while."
"Yeah," Ranma absently replied, casting his eyes down to the group below.
"I haven't had a man living with me before, so I think we'll have to watch for one another every so often." Nabiki picked up one of the seasoned steamed soybeans, and placed it against her lips. With the index and thumb on each hand, she squeezed the contents of the pod against her lips, where she softly sucked them into her mouth, allowing some of the seasoning to dragged into her mouth by her lips. She placed the discarded pod into an empty bowl that was given to them for their convenience, and continued, not noticing the way Ranma was staring at her.
"I'll admit, I'm probably not the best person to live with, but if we work together on this..." Nabiki turned to Ranma with a warm smile, "We'll get though this yet. So, you with me, Saotome?"
"Uh, sure, I guess..."
Nabiki gave a curt nod in satisfaction, before turning to watch the floorshow.
______________________
Shampoo cursed the time difference between her own home, and Japan, and then cursed herself for succombing to it. She had been running herself ragged in pursuit of her redhead nemesis, taxing her tracking skills (and her somewhat limited Japanese) to great limits. And now, once she had finally found what was to be the home of the outlander girl, she fell asleep, and probably missed her returning.
At the sound of a door opening, Shampoo jumped from the patio chair she had been slumbering in, and leapt to the roof, just in time to escape the notice of a woman with chin length hair approximately the age of a seasoned warrior. Not being the one Shampoo wanted, she waited patiently to see if her prey would also exit. She watched the woman stretch the morning kinks from her limbs, before going into a stance that Shampoo identified as Chinese Kempo. After several moment's pause, she began a graceful dance that belayed the practical teachings of kempo, which saught proficiency over form, yet still retained a great deal of potency and efficiency in ability. Just from several moments of observation, Shampoo recognized the form well enough, and knew she was at the right place. The woman obviously wasn't a practiced warrior, most likely a hobbyist martial artist that trained to keep in shape, but the moves were still eerily similar.
A certain vibrancy radiated from Nabiki, as she moved through her morning katas. Last night, she had completely forgot the talk she was supposed to have with Ranma about his situation with Ryoga, and instead chose to just enjoy his company. His companionship made her feel comfortable and secure, like she was able to relax and be unconcerned about everyday things; big or little. It was a therapeutic sensation, much like the aftermath of a soothing bath. Neither ended up saying much to one another throughout the night, but the silence between them was comforting and pleasant. Still, as much as she didn't mind the delay, she and Ranma would have to discuss things before they turn up to be a problem again.
Just then, a new problem dropped to the ground in front of Nabiki, causing her to pause in mid kick. "Um... hello..."
The young girl with lavender hair pointed at her with what looked like a beachball on a stick before addressing her, "Where Ranma?"
Nabiki slowly relaxed from her kick, suddenly finding the invigorating feeling she had gained drained away from her. Given the hostile motion of the girl, and the demand for the pigtailed boy, Nabiki surmised who the girl probably was. With an expression of distain mixed with disappointment and barely contained hurt, Nabiki shouted towards the house, "Ranma, someone here for you."
Within moments, the pigtailed boy strolled into the backyard, "Who, it's not Ryoga, is it? It's too early in the..."
Ranma stopped, once he caught sight of the lavender-haired girl, and bolted back into the house. Shampoo blinked, after watching the boy run off, before turning back to a puzzled and irritated Nabiki, "Where Ranma?"
Nabiki turned back to the girl, any trace of irritation replaced with even more dumbfoundment.
______________________
"Dad..." Kaoru began in a timid tone, as he approached his father preparing to open the clinic for the morning.
"Yes son?" Tofu looked up from setting out supplies needed for his early morning patients, giving his son his full attention.
"Well... y-you know that problem you had with Mom? I mean how she made it difficult for you to... concentrate?" Kaoru fidgeted, while his father stared at him. Finally, after a few moments of silence, Tofu turned back to his duties.
"Yes, your mother had that affect on me. Any particular reason you brought it up?"
Tofu's eldest son took a deep breath, here it goes, "You see, Dad, I'm having... having the same problem..."
Slowly, Tofu turned to look back at his son, and allowed a grin of amusement to cross his face. "I see," Tofu stated in a prideful voice, "So, who's the lucky lady?"
Kaoru turned away with a chagrinned expression, "Uh, truth is, I don't know. I can't even get myself to ask what her name is..."
Tofu chuckled, "That is bad."
"If you saw her, you'd understand," Kaoru quickly stated, "She's cute, I mean REALLY cute! And she's a real redhead, too!"
Tofu nodded, "Foreign exchange student?"
Even though his father didn't see it, Kaoru shook his head, "Nope! She doesn't even go to Furinkan. She's also Japanese!"
Tofu paused, and turned to his son, "Natural redhead? That's highly unusual." Tofu leaned towards his son, and patted him on the shoulder, "She sounds like quite a girl. I wish you the best of luck with her."
"Well... there's a favor I need to ask you, Dad..."
"Sure, anything."
Kaoru leaned onto the counter with his arms, "She's staying at Aunt Nabiki's. I was wondering... if you can... well... you know my problem and..."
Tofu spared his son his nervous pleading, "Sure, I wouldn't mind meeting the girl that has my son so smitten. Maybe I can also ask Nabiki about helping me set you up with a date or two?"
"N-NO! J-just a name would be nice..." Kaoru chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. From the stories his mother used to tell him of his father and her courtship, he didn't think he could properly handle anything with the cute little redhead so soon.
Tofu shook his head, and went back to work with a light smile on his face.
______________________
Shampoo dashed into the house, realizing that the pigtailed boy most assuradly knew the whereabouts of the outlander girl, and was running to warn her. "STOP! YOU TAKE SHAMPOO TO RANMA, YES!"
"NO! I WON'T TAKE YOU TO RANMA!" Ranma shouted out, rushing out the front door. Shampoo barely heard the door open, and rushed in pursuit. Hopping to get his left shoe on while running, Ranma looked behind himself to see if the crazy Chinese chick was still chasing him.
"SHAMPOO SAY STOP!!!"
Yeah, she was, unfortunately. Ranma groaned to the heavens, as he ran around the corner, and desparingly asked what he did to deserve this. His answer was a sudden deluge.
"SHAMPOO WANT RANMA SO CAN KI-" Shampoo stopped, finding her redheaded prey wiping water from her eyes. "RANMA! SHAMPOO KILL!!!"
Ranma finished wiping the water from her eyes, just in time to see the sword heading for her neck. "Eep!"
The pigtailed girl ducked, just in time, and then leapt straight up. Shampoo followed her with her eyes, before leaping after the girl. Ranma landed on the balcony of the woman still holding an upturned pail, quickly pulled a sheet from the balcony clothesline, and turned to the woman, "You owe me."
The woman stared incredulously, as the girl tossed the bedsheet into the lavender haired foreign girl's face, before leaping to another balcony, then to the roof, and out of sight.
Shampoo landed in a heap on the ground, quickly cutting through the blanket with her sword. She growled, when she found the girl nowhere in sight.
______________________
Ranma dragged herself back into the house sighing in relief for losing the psycho Amazon chick. Great, just great, first she meets an old aquaintance that wants to kill him, now she gets reintroduced to a recent aquaintance that wants to kill her. At least there wasn't a median that needed to be covered.
"Old girlfriend?"
Ranma froze, startled at the sharp chill in Nabiki's voice. Quickly recovering, the redhead turned her exasperated expression on her hostes. "Girlfriend? She's trying to KILL ME!"
"So an angry ex-girlfriend?"
"It's not like that! Back when I was in China, I beat the girl in some village tournament. She got mad, and gave me this kiss that promised she would chase me to the ends of the earth and kill me! Since then, she's been hunting me all over China!"
Nabiki's expression remained firm, as she nodded, and digested the information, "And now, she's found you here to Japan."
With a sigh, Ranma nodded her head.
"And I'm presuming you just lost her?"
Ranma nodded her head again.
"And you come back here, where she first found you."
Ranma began to nod her head once more, and stopped mid nod.
"DIE! RANMA!!!"
The expectant look on Nabiki's face turned into a confirming one, and she nodded once, as the redheaded girl's eyes went wide.
Nabiki jumped back, as Ranma twisted away from the bonbori mace lunge, followed up by a horizontal sword swipe, cutting through the doorframe of the kitchen. At the damage suddenly done, Ms. Tendou realized that just how problmatic the situation was about to become. "No... oh no..."
Ranma ducked under a stab of Shampoo's mace, allowing it to connect with the all too delicate wall that she had been against, leaving a sizable hole. At the sight, Nabiki's mouth twitched, while her mind attempted to wrap itself around the gravity of the situation.
"STOP! NOT IN THE HOUSE!" Nabiki finally managed to shout, as she quickly stalked after the two.
Ranma somersaulted over the couch, just as Shampoo cleaved down where she had been. A 360 kick aimed at Ranma's head connected with the lamp on the endtable instead.
"M... my couch..." Nabiki whispered in shock. She loved that couch, took her ages to find one that suited her so well. Took her twice as long to break it in to her liking.
"WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!?" Ranma's desperate shout got Nabiki's attention again, as she looked up, to find Ranma turn towards Shampoo, ready for her next move. The older woman's eyes went wide, as Shampoo's deadly smirk grew, thinking she had the redhead pinned finally. Her sword wound back for a deep beheading diagonal strike that she figured the flightly girl would have a great deal of difficulty evading.
Ranma's face grew firm, as she prepared to leap in any direction, while bracing herself against the rather expensive fifty-two inch, wide screen, high definition TV.
Nabiki just couldn't let that happen to her baby. "RANMA, SHAMPOO, STOP! SHAN PU, TIN!!!"
Both girls suddenly froze, and turned to the heavily breathing middle aged woman with startled expressions. Shampoo had paused in mid-lunge with her sword raised high, and tipped over on balance, causing for Ranma to have to catch her in her pose.
______________________
Nabiki stared down at the two girls, setting on different halves of her couch. As difficult as it was, she was remaining calm. But in compromise, she allowed her irritation to show in her expression.
Nabiki wasn't much taller than either of the girls, and much less skilled in the art than the two of them, but the unamused look on her face was enough to keep both Shampoo and Ranma quelled and sedate.
Nabiki first looked towards Ranma, before speaking in a wry tone, "So, Ranma, any one else you would like me to know about that will probably be hunting for your hide?"
Ranma smiled nervously, "Uh... technically, I only knew about Shampoo here. Ryoga was kinda a surprise."
"Funny, Ranma. Try not to make jokes when I'm not happy with you." Ranma almost scowled, until Nabiki's intensified on her. The redhead kept her mouth shut, and a chagrinned expression on her face.
Once she was sure Ranma wouldn't make any more noise, Nabiki turned to Shampoo, and began speaking in the standard Mandarin dialect she had learned. Shampoo turned her nose in distain, before replying. The answer Nabiki recieved caused her to throw her hands up in annoyance.
"What? What she say?" Ranma asked, upset at not being able to follow the conversation.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Nabiki asked in a sharp tone.
Ranma shook her head, "Um, no, you told me not to make jokes."
Nabiki was about to give an angry retort, before she stopped, and calmed herself, "I just asked Shampoo if she was even legally in this country. She just told me that Amazon vengance knows you national boundaries."
Shampoo glared at Ranma, and spoke some more to Nabiki, earning the woman's unamused gaze. Nabiki answered back, causing Shampoo to snort. Rolling her eyes, Nabiki asked Shampoo another question, and the Amazon complied with a lengthy answer.
After several minutes, Nabiki just stared at Shampoo, before slowly drawing her eyes over to Ranma, "She wants to kill you for beating her in a village tournament."
"Ah, that's about the size of it, yeah..." Ranma shifted nervously, before Shampoo returned to scowl at the other girl. Ranma smiled weakly, and tried to edge herself deeper into her side of the halved couch.
"What next? Anybody interested in killing you for walking on the wrong side of the street?" Nabiki asked, sarcastically.
Ranma shrugged, "Uh, maybe..."
Nabiki addressed Shampoo, who heatedly replied back. Nabiki's tone suddenly became sharper and angrier, causing Shampoo to baulk, and pout slightly. Fearing next she would be the center of attention, Ranma attempted to slink away. Before she even got off the couch, without turning to look at her, Nabiki snapped her fingers, and pointed at Ranma for her to stay put; the whole time not missing a beat of the discussion with Shampoo.
Ms. Tendou's tone suddenly elevated, as she leaned closer into Shampoo's face, causing the other girl to lean back deeper into her seat. When Nabiki finished, Shampoo nodded her head slowly.
Nabiki sighed after leaning away from the girl, turned her back to Shampoo, and dragged her fingers through her chinlength hair. Nabiki ashed Shampoo something in a resigned tone, seemingly unaware of the faces the lavender haired girl was making behind her back. Ranma dismissed that thought, when Nabiki added something in a sharp tone, and Shampoo immidiately ceased, chagrinned.
The Amazon threw Ranma a withering glance, before she reached down the front of her outfit, and pulled out a dog-eared book. Nabiki turned around, said something to Shampoo, and retrieved the book. Flipping through it until she came to a page apparently Shampoo stated to her, Nabiki read it, before her expression became deadpanned.
Nabiki asked something of Shampoo in an incredulous tone, causing Shampoo to reply harshly. Ranma could almost understand the 'you can't be serious' tone in Nabiki's voice, as she began to rubbed her index and forefinger against the sides of her nose. Once again, Shampoo argued, and stared defiantly at Nabiki.
"Yeah, well your people are barbaric," Nabiki mumbled under her breath, low enough that she hoped Ranma wouldn't catch it.
"Shampoo understand what you say."
Nabiki ignored Shampoo's quip, as she turned back to Ranma, "You know about the laws of her people that they have to kill outsider women that defeat them, right?"
"Um, not really?" Ranma replied with a cutely questioning lilt.
Nabiki's expression was far from amused, "Well, maybe we can minimize the damage..." With that, Nabiki quickly walked into the kitchen. For almost a minute, Shampoo glared at the redhead next to her, as the water from the sink faucet could be heard. Nabiki finally returned, walking up behind the nervous redhead with a glass of water, before she upended it onto Ranma.
"OW, hot!" Ranma shook his hair to relieve some of the access water, before he realized that Shampoo was staring at him in dumbfoundment. Nabiki began to explain something to Shampoo, and the only word Ranma understood was 'Jusenkyo'.
Shampoo shook her head, "Is still girl-type Ranma who defeat Shampoo. Kiss of death still apply."
"Well, you can't kill him," Nabiki replied in Japanese. Nabiki walked back to the kitchen, before returning without the glass, but a chair from her dining room. She sat in it across the coffee table, looking directly at Shampoo and Ranma. She focused her attention on Shampoo, and once again began to speak in Mandarin.
Shampoo bowed her head, and spoke softly, but loud enough for Nabiki to understand. Ranma noticed the sympathy growing on Nabiki's face, before she got out of her chair, and kneeled in front of Shampoo. Placing a hand on Shampoo's shoulder, Nabiki said something, that earned a nod from the younger girl. Nabiki brought her index finger of her free hand up, as if to began another point. She told Shampoo something in an extremely stern voice, causing Shampoo to look at her, and nod again.
Nabiki stood up, and looked towards the extra bedroom across from hers downstairs, "Shampoo, do you have much with you?"
Shampoo shook her head, and continued to speak in Mandarin. Nabiki gave a light snort, "Well, I guess we'll be doing a bit of shopping for you. It's the least I guess I can do for what you're having to go through because of Ranma."
"Hey! It's not my fault she was crazy enough to follow me all around the world!" Ranma interjected, offended at the blame.
Nabiki turned a sharp glare at him, "It's not her fault either that she can't return home until she's killed you, all because you got a case of the munchies."
"Huh?"
"Ranma..." Nabiki started in a softer tone, "It was either have her after you, or half the village warriors after you. When you ate their first prize, even if Shampoo was the one to win it, if you hadn't defeated her, you would have been hunted down by every warrior that had participated in the tournament. I doubt you would have gotten as far as you had if that were the case."
"Hey! I didn't know!" Ranma defended himself, starting to feel a bit more guilty.
"Not about their rules, but you should have known in the first place not to steal."
"Who said I was stealing?"
"You take village feast no asking. Is stealing to Shampoo."
Ranma was about to speak up against that, before his mouth snapped shut. After a few moments of consideration, he slumped into his seat, "I guess I didn't look at it that way. Heh, I was just following Pop's example."
"Ranma, I promise you, if you grow up to be like your father..." Nabiki warned, not sure what she would do if that were the case.
Shampoo nodded, "Wife duty to keep husband in line."
Nabiki gave Shampoo a sideways glance, as Ranma baulked, "I thought you said the Kiss of Marraige didn't apply, since Ranma was a girl when he defeated you."
Shampoo blinked, "Shampoo no steal airen from Sharp woman."
"Who's this 'sharp woman'?" Nabiki enquired, pretty sure she knew the answer, but just wanted confirmation.
"You is. Sharp like good blade. Talk good when fighting is no needed, like Elder." Shampoo paused, unsure of her explanation. Again, she reverted to Mandarin.
"I see," Nabiki replied, once Shampoo finished, before turning back to Ranma with a smirk.
"What?" the pigtailed boy enquired, nervously.
Nabiki chuckled, before turning back to Shampoo, and speaking once again to her to where Ranma couldn't understand what she was saying. Shampoo chuckled, looked at Ranma, and nodded earnestly.
Ranma frowned, "That's not funny, you two... whatever it is..."
The older woman barely managed to retain her laughter, as she shook her head. "Come on, Ranma, Shampoo. Day's still early, so we may as well go pick Shampoo up some clothes while she's staying with us."
"YOU MEAN SHE'S STAYING HERE?!?"
"Cut the hysterics, Ranma, she promised not to kill you... for the time being."
"Uh..." Ranma wasn't quite comfortable with the notion of the girl who had hunted him all through China staying under the same roof as him, "I guess that's alright... then."
Shampoo nodded dilligently, "Husband good. Respecting wife wishes like faithful mans."
"HEY! We're *not* married!" Ranma proclaimed, adimantly. Shampoo blinked, before turning to Nabiki, finding her nod in confirmation to Ranma's reply.
"Why no?" Shampoo asked, puzzled. As far as she could tell, they weren't kin. She may not have been the most versed in Japanese customs, but the way they interacted was a bit defiant of what she understood of the social peking order. Plus Nabiki's subconcious comments towards the lack of a blood relationship moved to confirm her suspicions.
Ranma and Nabiki looked at each other.
______________________
Shampoo didn't understand the couple that accompanied her, or as they would have her to believe, non-couple. In her village, it wasn't uncommon for older warriors to take younger husbands. They would be at the perfect season of their life to breed mostly girls, and a young, virile, husband would most assuradly produce strong children. Yet, Ms. Tendou, As the older woman insisted on being called, if not just Nabiki like her young courter did, steadfastly argued that they were indeed not a couple.
At the moment, though, Shampoo had other things on her mind, such as the nearly unbearable discomfort she was recieving from the infernal device that Ms. Tendou demanded she wear strapped to her chest.
"Honestly, Xian Pu," Nabiki chided, saying the girl's name properly out of respect, "I don't know how things are where you live, but you can't run around this city without a bra on."
"Is restrictive, and not comfortable," Shampoo snapped, as she pulled at a bra strap with her index and forefinger.
"The restriction is the point of it, and you'll learn to deal with the discomfort," Nabiki replied. The older woman was more inclined to get Shampoo sports bras, but, much to her chagrin and irritation, there weren't many that fit Shampoo without being a bit too tight." Back in her mind, Nabiki yearned for a chest like the girl's.
"Shampoo no like it, is too, too uncomfortable!"
"Xian pu, listen. We're in a city where perverted freaks roam freely without much punishment. You provide them with a target, they'll home in on it like nobody's business."
"Then Shampoo beat perverted freak, is simple, yes?"
Nabiki shook her head, as she sat on the bench in the dressing cubicle, "Remember when I asked you if you had permission to be in this country?"
Shampoo nodded her head, "Amazon Law see no is problem."
"Well, the officials of this country would see it as a problem. If the punishment is as harsh as you said it would be, I wouldn't want to see you deported until I find a good way to get you out of this mess."
Shampoo frowned, "Shampoo no see how Ms. Tendou help Shampoo. Try to kill airen, and no even know Shampoo."
Nabiki smiled, "Let's just say there's a humanity issue at stake here. You're obviously a nice girl, and it wasn't your fault that this all happened. Truthfully, it's not *really* all Ranma's either. It's just one of those things that happened. Hopefully, your Elders can be made to realize this."
"Shampoo no see is likely," Shampoo began to remove the bra, utterly fustrated with it, "You find anything in law book?"
Nabiki grimaced, "Not yet. Geez, your ancestors may have been barbaric, but they knew how to cover loopholes."
Shampoo didn't understand what that meant, but knew it wasn't a good thing. She turned away from the older woman, so that Nabiki wouldn't see Shampoo's proud warrior facade falter in despair. Nabiki decided that the topic should be put on hold for the time being, as another issue needed to be discussed, "Xian Pu, do you have any animosity towards Ranma? If you do, it's best to get this out in the open."
"What animosity?" Shampoo enquired, not knowing what the word meant. Even if the meaning escaped her, Nabiki didn't miss Shampoo's slight flinch at the mention of the pigtailed boy/girl's name.
"Xian Pu, I know Ranma's caused you more grief than you wanted, but I can't have the two of you in the same house if you're going to one day snap and kill him."
"Shampoo no snap, just kill," the Amazon replied, hautily, as she began to put on her original outfit.
Nabiki held out a hand, forestalling her, then handed her another bra. Shampoo refrained from growling, and retrieved the item of clothing. "No, Shampoo, you will *not* kill Ranma at all."
"Shampoo only no kill because Sharp Womans demand Shampoo no kill annoying boy."
Nabiki chuckled, "Yeah, he can get under your skin if you're not careful. And what did I tell you about calling me 'Sharp Woman', even if it sounds flattering to you?"
Shampoo bowed low, chagrinned for her slight against the woman she was quickly becoming to respect, "Shampoo sorry, Ms. Tendou."
"Anyways," Nabiki waived off the apology, "Ranma really is a sweet young man, just a bit on the obnoxious side, but he has a good heart."
"Shampoo no see how you tolerate Ranma, even if is handsome man."
Nabiki chuckled again, "You should meet his mother. She makes Ranma's mannerisms seem elegent."
"What you mean?"
"Well," Nabiki paused, putting her index finger against her chin, "Let's just say Ranma gets his 'finer' points from her."
Shampoo blinked, "No see how Ranma mother worse then, if Ranma have all good points from her."
Nabiki sighed, "Note, sarcasm doesn't seem to translate well for her..."
__________________
Ranma sat impatiently, attempting to not seem like some pervert, as she diverted her eyes from the sea of bras and panties she was amidst. Not more than once, by accidental glance, she wondered why women preferred to wear such tiny things. To her, they would bunch up in the midsection and make things wayyyy too tight and uncomfortable.
"We've done enough here, ready for the next store?" Nabiki called out to Ranma, just as she and Shampoo were exiting the dressing room. Ranma quickly turned away, as Shampoo was irritatingly picking at the her blouse, even if she wasn't currently wearing a bra.
"I don't see why you brought me along for this," Ranma groused, turning her eyes up to the ceiling, where it was reletively safe. "I mean, a guy in a women's clothing store isn't right, you know?"
"That's why we made sure you were a girl at the moment," Nabiki countered, before looking around, "You know? Even if you won't be staying as a girl often..."
"No... oh no!" Ranma quickly countered, snapping her eyes back to Nabiki.
Nabiki kept her building laughter in check, as she turned to Shampoo, "What do you say, Xian Pu? Is there one other girl around here that needs to have *her* wardrobe expanded upon?"
Shampoo's expression grew sinister, "If Shampoo suffer, Ranma suffer too."
At that, Ranma turned to bolt, right before Nabiki's voice held him in place. "Ranma!"
The pigtailed girl froze at Nabiki's hard, unrelenting voice. Without another word, Ranma relented, turned around, and slumped back into her seat with a pout. Shampoo watched the scene with a little bit of awe, finding her respect for Ms. Tendou growing that much more.
"I was kidding, Ranma," Nabiki consoled in a lighter tone, causing Ranma to relax. "I tell you what. I think we've done enough shopping for now. How about we top off this day of girl bonding with a late lunch?"
Ranma eagerly agreed, finding both a respite from her embarrassment, and the anticipation of food soon. Shampoo wondered if she would be able to command a husband as prideful as Ranma with such ease, and unconciously agreed with Nabiki's idea.
__________________
Nabiki groaned in fustration, as she tossed the Amazon law book back onto her desk. If there was one thing she hated, it was letting people down.
There weren't any written counterpoints to the law that could negate the situation Shampoo and Ranma were in; the situation was pretty clear cut. Shampoo either killed Ranma, or suffered severe punishment for breaking the law.
"Well, no one ever said it would be easy," Nabiki mumbled under her breath, as she sat back down at her desk, rubbing her forehead. After several minutes, Shampoo entered tentatively, as if waiting for the older woman's permission.
Nabiki looked up to greet the girl, "Yes, Shampoo?" Nabiki decided that using the girl's nickname was just as good as using her real name, since Shampoo tended to do it herself often. Besides, maybe it would get her to quit calling her 'Ms. Tendou' all the time.
With a weak smile, Shampoo entered the room with her hands clasped in front of her, "Find anything?"
With a despairing look, Nabiki shook her head, "I'm not beaten yet, but this is definitely not an easy task."
Shampoo nodded her head, giving Nabiki a bigger smile, "Shampoo think... think that if anyone save Shampoo other than Great-Grandmother, is Nabiki."
Nabiki found herself smiling at the encouragement, "Thanks Shampoo for your vote of confidence. I have a question for you, though. Since it looks like you'll be staying here a while, I'm going to need a few things of yours."
Nabiki took a deep breath, before continuing, "I'm going to wager your records aren't kept with the normal Chinese resident records?"
Shampoo understood the gravity of the question, particularly since Nabiki switched to Mandarin to ask it, despite her insistance that Shampoo start learning better Japanese, "Yes, they're kept in the village. We're too remote for the goverment to really bother with us, so as long as we send annual reports to them, they leave us alone."
"Do you think there would be too much of a problem if I were to request those records. So that I may be able to set you up with legal... well... semi-legal visitor's status under a student Visa? Would that attract too much attention to you?"
Shampoo shook her head, "I doubt it. The Elders are actually encouraging us to learn more about the outside world. We hold our customs strongly, but we also understand that it's best to bring new knowledge into the tribe. Having me attend school here would provide a perfect..."
Shampoo paused, before her expression dropped to a frown, "Pardon me, you're enrolling me in school here?"
Nabiki nodded, not changing her stoic expression one bit.
