'Older'
Tofu's frown hadn't waivered the slightest since his lunch date with Nabiki. It irritated him a great deal, the way his ex-sister in law wouldn't stop laughing when he made his proposition; it was an important matter to him to be able to look out for his son, and it felt like she was mocking him for his efforts.
Regardless, that wasn't the reason for his frown. He had grown accustomed to Nabiki's oft-times flippant and slightly condesinding attitudes. She was still a good woman, despite such vices. What had truly disheartened Tofu, was Nabiki's answer towards setting his son up with a meeting with a certain redhead that had smitten the young Ono.
"Believe me, Tofu. As much as I would like to help you with the idea, I'm afraid that 'she's' not at all interested in a relationship with guys." Nabiki had said, once she had managed to get her laughter under control. It wasn't unknown to him about girls finding boys undesireable during their teenage years, Heaven knows he heard the stories about Akane when she was younger. It was exactly how humorous Nabiki was finding the situation that tipped him off to what was probably the root of the problem. And if that was the case...
Tofu took a deep breath, before entering the clinic, finding his son preparing for his later oppointments. "Hello, Son."
Kaoru looked up from what he was doing, and gave his father a nod in greeting, "What's up?"
With a frown of swallowing a bitter pill, Tofu replied, "That redhead you're interested in... well, she may not be... availible... you see..."
Kaoru's heart began to shatter like thin glass under a stone grinding mill, as his father explained his theory about 'Rachael McClaren'.
________________
Nabiki still was chuckling, as she strolled into her office. The idea that her loving nephew... and Ranma's girl form...
"Well, that explains the couch, I guess," Nabiki said softly to herself. She shook her head, trying to imagine how the situation came out, and decided it was something remarkably similar to when Tofu first met Kasumi.
As humorous as the situation was, the middle-aged woman was pretty sure she couldn't let the infatuation continue. Problem was, she didn't feel she could reveal Ranma's curse freely without his permission, so she hoped to discourage Tofu's son through other means. Tofu knew of Akane's boy problems during high school, from how much Nabiki, Kasumi, and Akane's husband would tease her about it, so it was a simple matter of playing upon that. She wasn't sure if it would have any sincere effect, as she recalled how deep Tofu himself had it in for her sister... they did marry, after all. Ah well, they'd see the results eventually.
Even though there wasn't much she needed to do, Nabiki came to the office for at least a short day's work. She felt doing so set the level of professionalism in the office with her other employees. She was careful about keeping the enviorment casual, as anything too formal would tend to adversely affect both employees and clients alike. But, she couldn't very well have others that worked for her thinking that they could come in only whenever they like.
Nonetheless, she settled in for a few hours of mild boredom, as she pulled out her Wonderswan from her desk, tilted back comfortably in her plush chair, crossed her legs under the desk, and geared up for good stint of roleplaying games.
The sudden knock at her window startled her into dropping her gaming handheld. At several stories up, so it wasn't exactly common to hear her outter window being banged on, probably a bird that didn't realize the three centimeter thick glass that stood between it and the inside. Nabiki swore. as she picked up her toy, and turned a curious glance towards the window. This time, she didn't bother to make a save for her Wonderswan, as it slipped from nerveless fingers.
"SHAMPOO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE?!?"
The Amazon hanging upside down in front of Nabiki's window tilted her head curiously, before pointing to the window latch. Taking a hint, Nabiki quickly moved to the window, unlocked the latch, and strained to open it. She swore under her breath, as she was barely able to budge the window, as it had been rarely opened, if at all that she could remember. From the outside, Shampoo decided to lend her assistance, and stiff-palmed the window on the side, causing it to swerve open. The girl flipped inside from where she had been hanging by her toes, and then turned to greet Nabiki with a smile.
"What in the Hell were you doing hanging upside down my window... on the seventh floor?" Nabiki enquired, giving the girl a glare that sucked the cheerful expression from her face.
Shampoo shrugged, and walked past Nabiki, looking around the somewhat spacious office, "Shampoo bored, so track down Nabiki."
"It's 'I was bored', Shampoo, and why didn't you just come in through the door? Are you insane? Do you realize how much attention you could have attracted to yourself?"
"No let me into building," Shampoo replied to Nabiki's first question, "I no think you appreciate me if remove obstacles."
"No... no, I suppose not," Nabiki replied, returning to her desk, and stopping for a moment to retrieve her handheld game. She checked it, and growled, "Damn, I'm dead..."
Shampoo blinked, "What Nabiki say?"
Nabiki waived the question off, and turned off the portable game unit, "How did you find me, anyways? I don't recall telling you where I work."
Shampoo inspected on of the softly colored paintings on the wall, "Is pretty..." She turned back to Nabiki to answer her question, "I is best warrior of this generation. If track Ranma all the way from China, is easy track Nabiki in Japan."
Nabiki nodded, guessing that was true.
"And ask Auntie Nodoka, she know too, too well."
The woman behind the desk gave Shampoo a flat stare, as the girl smiled back at her. "And when did it become 'Auntie Nodoka'."
Shampoo sighed, and approached Nabiki's desk, "Since she say Shampoo part of family, be concubine to Ranma..." Nabiki stared blankly, as Shampoo cheerfully nodded, before tilting her head in question, "What concubine?"
Nabiki covered her forehead in embarrasment, "That woman..."
________________
Kaoru shuffled into the currently being renovated restaurant with a listless gait. The proprieter of the future establishment looked up, and gave her latest friend a cheery greeting, before she realized his lost, despairing expression, "Geez, Sugar, you look like someone ran over your dog!"
"She... she's..." the young Ono started, unable to overcome his depression at what his father had told him not too long ago.
Ukyo stared at the boy in concern, before approaching her newly installed table grill, "Why don't you tell me all about it, while I fix us up something? Been wanting to test this new grill out."
Slumping onto the counter, Kaoru buried his head in his arms, "It's useless! There's no way I can even get her to notice me!"
The chef easily caught on, as she oiled the grill, "That redhead of yours? What about her?"
Kaoru didn't even look up, "She doesn't like boys..."
Ukyo mused over it, before reaching over, and patting Kaoru on the shoulder, "Hey, don't get discouraged, hon. A lot of girls go through a 'I hate boys' phase! They just need someone to show them that they appreciate them for who they are, not what they are."
Kaoru still didn't look up, "You don't understand..."
"Then what am I missing?" Ukyo enquired, as she started pulling out ingridents, and placing them on another counter.
"She doesn't *like* boys... at all..."
"Still not following you..." Ukyo replied, starting to mix the batter.
Kaoru grew impatient, as his friend didn't catch what he was alluding to. "Don't you get it?" he almost growled, finally looking up, "She doesn't like boys because she likes *GIRLS*!"
Ukyo missed the flip of the Okonomiyaki, as she stared blankly at Kaoru. "Oh..."
Kaoru blinked for a second, "Uh, how did you manage to get that prepared so fast?"
Her attention drawn back to the meal being prepared, Ukyo quickly recovered, adding the necessary toppings, "Family secret. Anyways..." She handed Kaoru the Okonomiyaki, as she began hers, "...I guess that's too bad, hon."
"What am I going to do?" Kaoru wailed, burying his face in his arms again, "The one girl that I think would be the one isn't interested in relationships with guys!"
Ukyo frowned, realizing that Kaoru may be a bit too depressed to eat the food she had just prepared for him, which irritated her a bit. Putting on her best smile, she decided that she couldn't have food going to waste, "Cheer up, Sugar, it's not the end of the world, you know?"
Kaoru looked up with a slight expression of guarded hope, "What do you mean?"
Ukyo gave Kaoru a wink, as she finished fixing her own Okonomiyaki, "Just because she thinks she may not like guys now, doesn't mean the right guy can't turn all of that around..." Even though she lived as a guy for several years, Ukyo couldn't understand the notion of a girl liking another one other than on a ploutonic level. She had nothing against it, deciding long ago to each their own, but she couldn't help but think that it may just be a simple matter of meeting Mr. Right. Though she didn't harbor any romantic interests for the younger boy, Ukyo could easily see he was a catch and a half.
"But... but my Dad... and Auntie Nabiki..."
"Getting your information from third parties isn't the best way," Ukyo interjected, "If you want to find out for sure, you're gonna have to ask her, yourself. Girls like guys who are willing to find out more about them, you know?"
"How can I?" Kaoru lamented, "I can barely approach her without going spastic!"
Ukyo sat next to Kaoru, and patted him on the back, "I'll tell you what. How about I give you a few pointers on how to talk to her without losing your confidence?"
"Really?" the young Ono replied, eyeing Ukyo sceptically.
The chef favored him with her best smile, "Sure, hon! I mean, who best to coach you on talking with girls than another girl?"
Kaoru nodded, seeing the logic in what Ukyo had said.
________________
"Ah, I understand now. You're providing a service to others by paying for their debts, and having them invest their funds in a your own lucrative private firm," Shampoo reiterated for Nabiki, as she sat on the plush leather couch against the wall in the woman's office.
"That's about the size of it," Nabiki replied, rather impressed by the girl's intelligence.
Shampoo gave Nabiki a sly grin, "So, where's the catch?"
Nabiki's own grin formed; Shampoo was definitely a sharp one, "Nothing all that bad, really. We just recieve a sizable portion from their investments. The clients recieve 13% regardless of the profits, while we recieve the rest. The profit margin for our investments is typically 20-25% of what had been invested."
"Aiyaa. That is definitely a brilliant business scheme, as long as the investments are kept at a certain level, to reduce danger of inflation and devaluing of stock. Am I correct?"
"Actually, that's not really a problem, since we invest primarily in one of the worlds most established stock exchange firms, and we're insulated by the world's largest banking firms," Nabiki corrected, "But you did bring up some good points. I have to say I'm pretty surprised at your knowledge."
Shampoo shrugged, before she went back to playing Nabiki's Wonderswan, "I watched it on a movie, once."
"Well, don't rely on everything you see in movies." Nabiki started another round on her electronic Pachinko handheld, Question, you're obviously pretty smart, but your Japanese, forgive me for mentioning this, is atrocious. Are you just not putting that much effort into it??
Shampoo sighed, and paused her game, "Oh, I try, it's more my learning references than anything, I guess. It's now just a matter of breaking bad habits."
"Where did you learn to speak Japanese?"
Shampoo grimaced, wishing the subject had never been brought up, "Great Grandmother insisted that I have at least rudimentary understanding in English, Canton dialect, Japanese, Korean, and French.
"Impressive," Nabiki replied with a respectful nod, before she glanced over her toy with a coy grin, "But I think you didn't fully answer my question."
Shampoo sighed, realizing she wasn't going to worm her way out of this, "Japanese Animation."
"Well, that solves the source of your 'ditz' speaking patterns," Nabiki replied with a frown. Before she could go any further in the subject...
"Hey, Ms. Tendou, you hungry enough to go out with a-"
Nabiki and Shampoo both looked up at the same time to find`a black woman about Nabiki's age walk in, stopping short at the sight of the lavender haired girl, "Who's this? Love child?"
Nabiki sighed, as Shampoo rolled her eyes, "Shampoo, meet Jesse Summers. Jessie, meet Xian Pu."
"Making friends with haircare products?" Jesse joked with a straight face.
"Will you admit to knowing this woman?" Shampoo enquired, keeping her expression equally straight.
"Never met her in my life," Nabiki replied, hiding her face behind her electronic handheld, as she was unable to keep from nearly breaking down in laughter.
"If the two of you are going to talk about me, at least do it in a language I don't know," Jesse replied in a droll, unamused voice. Nabiki jolted, before her face colored in embarrassment. Of course Jesse would probably know Chinese, too.
"[I thought we were,]" Shampoo replied, in accented English.
The American woman grew a nasty smirk, before saying something that left Nabiki and Shampoo blinking.
"Jibberish isn't allowed," Nabiki stated, deciding she was going to referee this linguistic battle.
"Wasn't jibberish. That was Swahili," Jesse replied, triumphantly.
"{To sound a great deal of jibberish, it was for me.}"
"Didn't understand a word Shampoo said, but I'm presuming that's French," Nabiki commented.
"Poorly spoken French. You could kill the natives with a tongue like that."
Shampoo scowled, "Shampoo no have much practice, is okay?"
"Second thought, hon, go back to buthering French instead," Jesse suggested, causing Shampoo's scowl add a sharp glare.
"I don't like this woman, send her away."
Nabiki chuckled, "This is my former English teacher and good friend. She's sometimes a pain to put up with..."
"Just 'sometimes'? You mean I'm not working hard enough?" Jesse pouted, sitting next to Shampoo on the couch, and causing the younger girl to scoot over to put some distance between them.
"So what brings you by today?" Nabiki asked, finally turning off her game, and then sitting up in her chair.
"What? Can't I come down to visit you every so often? Do I need a reason?" the American woman asked, innocently.
"No sale," Nabiki replied, dryly, "Out with it."
"Uh..." Jesse began to stall, knowing how much of a rock it would be to get information out of her when she was this way, "I'm hungry. Why don't we go get something to eat, and I'll tell you about it then?"
Nabiki looked over to Shampoo, who shrugged indifferently. "I don't have a problem with it, your treat?"
Jesse twitched, but knew if she wanted to get the dirt on things, she would have to kiss up to the plot of land she was getting it from, "S-Sure. I-I'll pay..."
"Great! Wanted to take Shampoo to see Old Tokyo," Nabiki paused in thought for a moment, Or maybe Harajuku... we can get something to eat there. I know a few nice restaurants..." Nabiki let the statement trail off, waiting for a reply.
Jesse began to sweat nervously; this was going to be a lot of overtime at the hotel. "if that makes you happy... heh..."
"Alright, we're not leaving until you tell me what you're up to," Nabiki demanded. Suggesting something that outragious was more of a way to guage how desperate her friend was. And both knowing how exorbant Nabiki's tastes could be...
"Hello, Nabiki-chan. Did Shampoo find..."
Shampoo, Jesse, and Nabiki all turned in unison to spy the matronly woman in a kimono, entering Nabiki's office.
"Oh... gods..." Nabiki groaned, slumping back into her seat, and buried her face in her arms. After a moment, her hand reached out to to the comm. button, "Yuko, exactly *what* am I paying you for?"
"[Ma'am?]" Nabiki's secretary replied, a bit puzzled by her boss's tone of irritation.
"Oh dear, playing host to both a Chinese girl and African woman!" Nodoka beemed, feeling pride over her son's fiancee's hostess skills, "My daughter-in-law is so diplomatic!"
"Pardon me, miss, but I'm American, not African," Jesse clarified, before something flashed bright, neon tacky red in her mind, "Wait a minute, 'your daughter-in-law'?"
"I apologise for the mistake, and that is what we usually refer to the wife of your son, in our language." Nodoka replied.
Jesse looked towards Nabiki, finding the woman slowly banging her head repetitively against her desk. Then to Shampoo, who was currently paying no attention to the scene, choosing to busy herself with Nabiki's Wonderswan. Then back to Nodoka, who was smiling brilliantly, obviously proud of herself for helping a foreigner learn a little more of her language. Jesse then looked back to Nabiki again, who was still banging her head, before grinning, and looking back at Nodoka, who was still smiling obliviously. "Uh, how old are you?" She already pretty much knew the answer, but it was just a matter of complete clarification.
Nodoka's smile turned to a frown, "Um... early thirties... and that's not an appropriate question to ask in this country." Nabiki wanted to correct the 'slight' white lie made by the woman in her MID thirties, but she saw no point in doing so. She was about to go through hell, an unbearable Hell that she couldn't understand as to why she was being cast into unceremoniously. A hell that her friend would never let her escape.
"[Oh, there is *so* DEFINITELY a story behind this!]" Jesse exclaimed in English. "Really? Nabiki hadn't told me anything about her fiance, absolutely nothing at all!" The black woman stuck out her hand to shake, "Jesse Summers, we were about to go out to eat, care to join us?"
Nodoka looked over Jesse's shoulder, seeing Nabiki with her arms covering her head, while Shampoo stood behind her, rubbing the older woman's back and trying to comfort her. "Nabiki, you're not ashamed to be marrying my manly son, are you?"
________________
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry I haven't paid you a visit, but I've been busy here. Yes, fine, I'll be over tomorrow then, auntie. I'm pretty sure I can find it, so... Yes, tomorrow! No, I couldn't transfer until the start of next semester... I'm still in school, yes... alright then, I SAID... I said tomorrow! Yes, I love you too, by auntie."
Ukyo hung up her cell phone, fighting the urge to toss it away, lest her aunt call her back again. Oh, was her father going to pay dearly for alerting their family to her vicinity. "Well, I guess there's nothing I can do about it now exept humor her," the young chef relented. Tomorrow, looks like she was going to have to skip out on a day of rennovation, and catch a train to the Saitama...
________________
"I just fail to comprehend her reasoning," Nodoka lamented, "How could any woman resist my manly son?"
Shampoo no understand Nabiki, also," Shampoo added.
"You're telling me?" Jesse started in, "I mean, when was the last boyfriend you had?" The American woman turned to her friend for an answer.
Not for the first time since they left Nabiki's office... or the last minute or so... Nabiki wondered to herself exactly why she didn't suddenly grow temporarily insane, and attempt to drive the BMW they all rode in off the Tokyo highway, through the concrete barrier, sending them all plunging to their deaths. Unfortunately, she was sane, and therefore knew that the frame of her car would give much more than a concrete barrier would, and with the safety design of the vehicle, everyone would most likely survive to taunt her as they do now... plus her insurance would be higher.
Nonetheless, she attempted to bear her humiliation with surpeme valor, since she was still the driver, and she couldn't bear it by getting drunk. She sat at the table with her houseguest, presumed mother-in-law, and friend, as they discussed her love life almost as if she wasn't even there with them.
At the realization that she had just been asked a question, Nabiki looked up to find three expectant faces with her own, somewhat gaunt expression, "Why?"
Jesse patted Nabiki's back at the question, "We're worried about you, girl! Having this stifled of a lovelife isn't healthy!"
"Is true. Shampoo see too, too many women be too too angry because no have man for too, too long."
"No, why must you humiliate me so?" Nabiki clarified in a monotone voice, "Why do you insist on mascarading as a good friend, only to exploit me for disgusting need for gossip?"
Jesse stared for a few moments. "Someone's cranky... but anyways, I think her last boyfriend that lasted over two dates was... six or seven years ago?"
Shampoo shrugged, "She enjoy other womens. Is okay."
Nodoka gasped, as she covered her mouth, realizing this explained a couple of things, "So.. Shampoo-chan... and Rachael-chan..."
"NO!" Nabiki shouted, standing quickly. The majority of the restaurant turned to look at her with either irritation, curiosity, or confusion, prompting Nabiki to blush, and sit back down. "No, I do not have interest in other women, alright? So you can just bury that thought right now."
"So you just haven't been with a man in six years."
"Correc-NO- I MEAN THAT'S NONE OF YOUR... DAMN IT, JESSE!!!"
It was Nodoka's turn to shrug, "I don't see the problem in that. I haven't been with my husband in over ten years." Mrs. Saotome took a sip of her green tea, oblivious to the stares she was recieving from the other three.
"And you say that so casually," Nabiki commented, though with a bit lighter tone, since the conversation was now directed from her.
"Ten... years?" Jesse parroted, giving Nodoka a puzzled stare, "Separated?"
"No, he just took our son on a ten year training trip, that's all," Nodoka replied, folding her hands together over the table.
"You must have really missed him, then," Jesse asked with a sympathetic tone.
Nodoka stared back, blankly, "What do you mean?"
After the full minute of silence, Jesse opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by Nabiki, "I... think we don't need to go into this."
"But, ten years... not caring...." Jesse stammered, pointing at Nodoka who decided to ask Shampoo a few questions due to the pause in conversation.
"No," Nabiki replied, firmly.
Jesse just shrugged, before giving her attention to Ranma's mother, "Okay, then back to Nabiki's sex life." Nabiki groaned audibly, before looking for anything sufficiently blunt enough to knock her friend out.
"I agree," Nodoka started, "Even for a woman of Nabiki's age, the lack of companionship must be emotionally strenuous." Jesse raised an eyebrow at the comment, both at irritation, as she was the same age as Nabiki, and incredulousness, since she now knew Nodoka was only two years younger than the both of them.
"Then what's your excuse?" Nabiki snapped, putting her 'mother-in-law' on the spotlight.
Nodoka finished another sip of her tea, "I can make very well without Genma. This is lovely tea."
Nabiki quickly slapped her hands over Jesse's mouth, before the impending questions the American woman had could be asked. Shampoo stood up at the table, gaining everyone's attention, "Well, Shampoo..." Shampoo remembered that she was supposed to be learning better Japanese, "I say that I no stand by and let Nabiki give up Ranma. I say I vow make Ranma belong Nabiki, if last thing Shampoo do!" Shampoo stuck her hand at the center of the table, looking at the other two women expectantly.
"You're Great-Grandmother's going to love this," Nabiki mumbled under her breath.
Nodoka laid her hand over Shampoo's, "This is a matter of family honor, and I cannot simply sit aside and let my darling son be tossed away, even by a old woman that doesn't appreciate his manliness!" Smiling, Nodoka turned to Shampoo, "You'll make an exellent mistress for them, Shampoo-chan!"
Shampoo beemed, "Thank you, Auntie Nodoka... what 'mistress' mean?"
"Hell, I'm in Hell..."
"Well, count me in, too! If there's one thing I can't stand to see, is this woman here acting like some old-maid past menopause! Here's to Nabiki's future happiness!"
"And the union of the Tendou and Saotome lines!"
"Shampoo say Ranma and Nabiki make too, too cute couple!"
Nabiki stared up at the unified hands. They didn't symbolize as much the collaboration of three women intending to make her life better, but the bindings that would hold her in torment.
________________
Shampoo skipped in the front door of Nabiki's home, and cheerfully dashed upstairs. Nabiki slowly trudged in after the girl, like a man being walked down death row. What was supposed to be an uneventful day turned into one of the worst she had ever entertained.
Fortunately, she was now home, without the two banes of her life, Nodoka and Jesse, around to drag out her agony. She walked past the entertainment room, on her way to the kitchen for a drink of water, finding Ranma in front of the TV, watching Ryoga play her videogame consoles. "Ranma... why?"
"Hey, Mrs. Tendou," Ryoga greeted, turning away for just a moment from his game of Space Channel 5.
"Hey, Nabiki," Ranma greeted in a distracted tone, "Ryoga happened to drop by to kill me for making his life Hell, but I told him there's no fighting allowed in the house or you'll get ticked."
"Shut up, Ranma! I'm still going to rip your head off after I'm done with this!"
"Feh, whatever, you game nerd..." Ranma replied in a bored voice. Ryoga was ready to retort, but remembered that he needed to be a respectable guest in someone else's home. It had nothing to do with the fact that Ranma had found out about his curse, earlier that day, or the glass of water Ranma had on the end table. The one he had yet to take even a sip out of.
"Oh, that's fine then," Nabiki replied to Ranma, not even bothering to ask why they didn't just fight outside, "Hello, Ryoga."
Before Nabiki got too far, Ranma spoke again, trying to sound casual, "So... Nabiki..."
The older woman stopped at the door to the kitchen, "Yes, Ranma?"
"So, um... you're not a virgin, right?"
Ryoga immidiately paused the game, staring at Ranma incredulously, just as Nabiki whirled around with wide-eyed shock. Shampoo came a quarter ways down the stairs to stare at Ranma with a hooded, 'you're an idiot, you know that?' glare.
Nabiki quickly recovered, realizing the day apparently had not ended yet, "I'm thirty-seven years old, Ranma. What do you think?" Maintaining her dignity, Nabiki started into the kitchen, again.
"How many? Guys... I mean..."
"RANMA! HOW DARE YOU ASK THIS DEAR OLD WOMAN SUCH EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS!!!"
"Shut up, pig-boy," Ranma commanded, holding up his glass of water menacingly.
Nabiki growled, and counted to ten slowly, before replying, "That's none of your business, Saotome. And I'm *not* a 'dear old woman', Ryoga."
"Hey! I was just asking!" Ranma attempted to placate, before his brows furrowed, "I mean, you're not tryin' ta hide stuff, are ya?"
"Ranma..." Nabiki felt a headache growing, and decided to just answer his question somewhat to shut him up, "I've been with a few men, okay? Not that it was something you needed to know, and should know better than to ask."
"Oh..." Ranma replied, in a subdued tone, "Okay... I guess.."
"If that's all?" Nabiki asked, curtly, before entering the kitchen. Ryoga gave Ranma one last glare, before unpausing his game, while Shampoo rolled her eyes, and walked back upstairs. She decided that the first thing she probably needed to do, was beat some etiquete into the pigtailed boy, before she could successfully pair him with Nabiki.
"Who were they?"
Ryoga was the first to recover from his face fault, "THAT'S IT, RANMA, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR EMBARRASSING MS. TENDOU!" Ryoga quickly paused the game, before preparing to dive at Ranma.
"NOT IN THE HOUSE, YOU JERK!" Ranma immidiately shouted, flipping out of the way of the fanged boy's tackle. Upstairs, Nabiki could hear Shampoo swearing quite vibrantly. The name 'Ranma' came up rather often in her monologue.
Deciding water wasn't sufficient enough, Nabiki exited the kitchen with a glass, and a full bottle of wine. As soon as she left the threshold, she stared at the glass, and then walked back into the kitchen. She returned a few seconds later, carrying only the bottle of wine.
"I'll be in the my office. If you need me, don't bother me anyways. You choose to bother me, I will make your life Hell beyond anything you could imagine," she commanded, twisting the cork out of the bottle as she walked. Everyone was silent, allowing her door slamming to be the only sound to be heard.
Shampoo joined Ryoga in his intense glare at Ranma.
"Hey! I was just asking!"
Tofu's frown hadn't waivered the slightest since his lunch date with Nabiki. It irritated him a great deal, the way his ex-sister in law wouldn't stop laughing when he made his proposition; it was an important matter to him to be able to look out for his son, and it felt like she was mocking him for his efforts.
Regardless, that wasn't the reason for his frown. He had grown accustomed to Nabiki's oft-times flippant and slightly condesinding attitudes. She was still a good woman, despite such vices. What had truly disheartened Tofu, was Nabiki's answer towards setting his son up with a meeting with a certain redhead that had smitten the young Ono.
"Believe me, Tofu. As much as I would like to help you with the idea, I'm afraid that 'she's' not at all interested in a relationship with guys." Nabiki had said, once she had managed to get her laughter under control. It wasn't unknown to him about girls finding boys undesireable during their teenage years, Heaven knows he heard the stories about Akane when she was younger. It was exactly how humorous Nabiki was finding the situation that tipped him off to what was probably the root of the problem. And if that was the case...
Tofu took a deep breath, before entering the clinic, finding his son preparing for his later oppointments. "Hello, Son."
Kaoru looked up from what he was doing, and gave his father a nod in greeting, "What's up?"
With a frown of swallowing a bitter pill, Tofu replied, "That redhead you're interested in... well, she may not be... availible... you see..."
Kaoru's heart began to shatter like thin glass under a stone grinding mill, as his father explained his theory about 'Rachael McClaren'.
________________
Nabiki still was chuckling, as she strolled into her office. The idea that her loving nephew... and Ranma's girl form...
"Well, that explains the couch, I guess," Nabiki said softly to herself. She shook her head, trying to imagine how the situation came out, and decided it was something remarkably similar to when Tofu first met Kasumi.
As humorous as the situation was, the middle-aged woman was pretty sure she couldn't let the infatuation continue. Problem was, she didn't feel she could reveal Ranma's curse freely without his permission, so she hoped to discourage Tofu's son through other means. Tofu knew of Akane's boy problems during high school, from how much Nabiki, Kasumi, and Akane's husband would tease her about it, so it was a simple matter of playing upon that. She wasn't sure if it would have any sincere effect, as she recalled how deep Tofu himself had it in for her sister... they did marry, after all. Ah well, they'd see the results eventually.
Even though there wasn't much she needed to do, Nabiki came to the office for at least a short day's work. She felt doing so set the level of professionalism in the office with her other employees. She was careful about keeping the enviorment casual, as anything too formal would tend to adversely affect both employees and clients alike. But, she couldn't very well have others that worked for her thinking that they could come in only whenever they like.
Nonetheless, she settled in for a few hours of mild boredom, as she pulled out her Wonderswan from her desk, tilted back comfortably in her plush chair, crossed her legs under the desk, and geared up for good stint of roleplaying games.
The sudden knock at her window startled her into dropping her gaming handheld. At several stories up, so it wasn't exactly common to hear her outter window being banged on, probably a bird that didn't realize the three centimeter thick glass that stood between it and the inside. Nabiki swore. as she picked up her toy, and turned a curious glance towards the window. This time, she didn't bother to make a save for her Wonderswan, as it slipped from nerveless fingers.
"SHAMPOO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE?!?"
The Amazon hanging upside down in front of Nabiki's window tilted her head curiously, before pointing to the window latch. Taking a hint, Nabiki quickly moved to the window, unlocked the latch, and strained to open it. She swore under her breath, as she was barely able to budge the window, as it had been rarely opened, if at all that she could remember. From the outside, Shampoo decided to lend her assistance, and stiff-palmed the window on the side, causing it to swerve open. The girl flipped inside from where she had been hanging by her toes, and then turned to greet Nabiki with a smile.
"What in the Hell were you doing hanging upside down my window... on the seventh floor?" Nabiki enquired, giving the girl a glare that sucked the cheerful expression from her face.
Shampoo shrugged, and walked past Nabiki, looking around the somewhat spacious office, "Shampoo bored, so track down Nabiki."
"It's 'I was bored', Shampoo, and why didn't you just come in through the door? Are you insane? Do you realize how much attention you could have attracted to yourself?"
"No let me into building," Shampoo replied to Nabiki's first question, "I no think you appreciate me if remove obstacles."
"No... no, I suppose not," Nabiki replied, returning to her desk, and stopping for a moment to retrieve her handheld game. She checked it, and growled, "Damn, I'm dead..."
Shampoo blinked, "What Nabiki say?"
Nabiki waived the question off, and turned off the portable game unit, "How did you find me, anyways? I don't recall telling you where I work."
Shampoo inspected on of the softly colored paintings on the wall, "Is pretty..." She turned back to Nabiki to answer her question, "I is best warrior of this generation. If track Ranma all the way from China, is easy track Nabiki in Japan."
Nabiki nodded, guessing that was true.
"And ask Auntie Nodoka, she know too, too well."
The woman behind the desk gave Shampoo a flat stare, as the girl smiled back at her. "And when did it become 'Auntie Nodoka'."
Shampoo sighed, and approached Nabiki's desk, "Since she say Shampoo part of family, be concubine to Ranma..." Nabiki stared blankly, as Shampoo cheerfully nodded, before tilting her head in question, "What concubine?"
Nabiki covered her forehead in embarrasment, "That woman..."
________________
Kaoru shuffled into the currently being renovated restaurant with a listless gait. The proprieter of the future establishment looked up, and gave her latest friend a cheery greeting, before she realized his lost, despairing expression, "Geez, Sugar, you look like someone ran over your dog!"
"She... she's..." the young Ono started, unable to overcome his depression at what his father had told him not too long ago.
Ukyo stared at the boy in concern, before approaching her newly installed table grill, "Why don't you tell me all about it, while I fix us up something? Been wanting to test this new grill out."
Slumping onto the counter, Kaoru buried his head in his arms, "It's useless! There's no way I can even get her to notice me!"
The chef easily caught on, as she oiled the grill, "That redhead of yours? What about her?"
Kaoru didn't even look up, "She doesn't like boys..."
Ukyo mused over it, before reaching over, and patting Kaoru on the shoulder, "Hey, don't get discouraged, hon. A lot of girls go through a 'I hate boys' phase! They just need someone to show them that they appreciate them for who they are, not what they are."
Kaoru still didn't look up, "You don't understand..."
"Then what am I missing?" Ukyo enquired, as she started pulling out ingridents, and placing them on another counter.
"She doesn't *like* boys... at all..."
"Still not following you..." Ukyo replied, starting to mix the batter.
Kaoru grew impatient, as his friend didn't catch what he was alluding to. "Don't you get it?" he almost growled, finally looking up, "She doesn't like boys because she likes *GIRLS*!"
Ukyo missed the flip of the Okonomiyaki, as she stared blankly at Kaoru. "Oh..."
Kaoru blinked for a second, "Uh, how did you manage to get that prepared so fast?"
Her attention drawn back to the meal being prepared, Ukyo quickly recovered, adding the necessary toppings, "Family secret. Anyways..." She handed Kaoru the Okonomiyaki, as she began hers, "...I guess that's too bad, hon."
"What am I going to do?" Kaoru wailed, burying his face in his arms again, "The one girl that I think would be the one isn't interested in relationships with guys!"
Ukyo frowned, realizing that Kaoru may be a bit too depressed to eat the food she had just prepared for him, which irritated her a bit. Putting on her best smile, she decided that she couldn't have food going to waste, "Cheer up, Sugar, it's not the end of the world, you know?"
Kaoru looked up with a slight expression of guarded hope, "What do you mean?"
Ukyo gave Kaoru a wink, as she finished fixing her own Okonomiyaki, "Just because she thinks she may not like guys now, doesn't mean the right guy can't turn all of that around..." Even though she lived as a guy for several years, Ukyo couldn't understand the notion of a girl liking another one other than on a ploutonic level. She had nothing against it, deciding long ago to each their own, but she couldn't help but think that it may just be a simple matter of meeting Mr. Right. Though she didn't harbor any romantic interests for the younger boy, Ukyo could easily see he was a catch and a half.
"But... but my Dad... and Auntie Nabiki..."
"Getting your information from third parties isn't the best way," Ukyo interjected, "If you want to find out for sure, you're gonna have to ask her, yourself. Girls like guys who are willing to find out more about them, you know?"
"How can I?" Kaoru lamented, "I can barely approach her without going spastic!"
Ukyo sat next to Kaoru, and patted him on the back, "I'll tell you what. How about I give you a few pointers on how to talk to her without losing your confidence?"
"Really?" the young Ono replied, eyeing Ukyo sceptically.
The chef favored him with her best smile, "Sure, hon! I mean, who best to coach you on talking with girls than another girl?"
Kaoru nodded, seeing the logic in what Ukyo had said.
________________
"Ah, I understand now. You're providing a service to others by paying for their debts, and having them invest their funds in a your own lucrative private firm," Shampoo reiterated for Nabiki, as she sat on the plush leather couch against the wall in the woman's office.
"That's about the size of it," Nabiki replied, rather impressed by the girl's intelligence.
Shampoo gave Nabiki a sly grin, "So, where's the catch?"
Nabiki's own grin formed; Shampoo was definitely a sharp one, "Nothing all that bad, really. We just recieve a sizable portion from their investments. The clients recieve 13% regardless of the profits, while we recieve the rest. The profit margin for our investments is typically 20-25% of what had been invested."
"Aiyaa. That is definitely a brilliant business scheme, as long as the investments are kept at a certain level, to reduce danger of inflation and devaluing of stock. Am I correct?"
"Actually, that's not really a problem, since we invest primarily in one of the worlds most established stock exchange firms, and we're insulated by the world's largest banking firms," Nabiki corrected, "But you did bring up some good points. I have to say I'm pretty surprised at your knowledge."
Shampoo shrugged, before she went back to playing Nabiki's Wonderswan, "I watched it on a movie, once."
"Well, don't rely on everything you see in movies." Nabiki started another round on her electronic Pachinko handheld, Question, you're obviously pretty smart, but your Japanese, forgive me for mentioning this, is atrocious. Are you just not putting that much effort into it??
Shampoo sighed, and paused her game, "Oh, I try, it's more my learning references than anything, I guess. It's now just a matter of breaking bad habits."
"Where did you learn to speak Japanese?"
Shampoo grimaced, wishing the subject had never been brought up, "Great Grandmother insisted that I have at least rudimentary understanding in English, Canton dialect, Japanese, Korean, and French.
"Impressive," Nabiki replied with a respectful nod, before she glanced over her toy with a coy grin, "But I think you didn't fully answer my question."
Shampoo sighed, realizing she wasn't going to worm her way out of this, "Japanese Animation."
"Well, that solves the source of your 'ditz' speaking patterns," Nabiki replied with a frown. Before she could go any further in the subject...
"Hey, Ms. Tendou, you hungry enough to go out with a-"
Nabiki and Shampoo both looked up at the same time to find`a black woman about Nabiki's age walk in, stopping short at the sight of the lavender haired girl, "Who's this? Love child?"
Nabiki sighed, as Shampoo rolled her eyes, "Shampoo, meet Jesse Summers. Jessie, meet Xian Pu."
"Making friends with haircare products?" Jesse joked with a straight face.
"Will you admit to knowing this woman?" Shampoo enquired, keeping her expression equally straight.
"Never met her in my life," Nabiki replied, hiding her face behind her electronic handheld, as she was unable to keep from nearly breaking down in laughter.
"If the two of you are going to talk about me, at least do it in a language I don't know," Jesse replied in a droll, unamused voice. Nabiki jolted, before her face colored in embarrassment. Of course Jesse would probably know Chinese, too.
"[I thought we were,]" Shampoo replied, in accented English.
The American woman grew a nasty smirk, before saying something that left Nabiki and Shampoo blinking.
"Jibberish isn't allowed," Nabiki stated, deciding she was going to referee this linguistic battle.
"Wasn't jibberish. That was Swahili," Jesse replied, triumphantly.
"{To sound a great deal of jibberish, it was for me.}"
"Didn't understand a word Shampoo said, but I'm presuming that's French," Nabiki commented.
"Poorly spoken French. You could kill the natives with a tongue like that."
Shampoo scowled, "Shampoo no have much practice, is okay?"
"Second thought, hon, go back to buthering French instead," Jesse suggested, causing Shampoo's scowl add a sharp glare.
"I don't like this woman, send her away."
Nabiki chuckled, "This is my former English teacher and good friend. She's sometimes a pain to put up with..."
"Just 'sometimes'? You mean I'm not working hard enough?" Jesse pouted, sitting next to Shampoo on the couch, and causing the younger girl to scoot over to put some distance between them.
"So what brings you by today?" Nabiki asked, finally turning off her game, and then sitting up in her chair.
"What? Can't I come down to visit you every so often? Do I need a reason?" the American woman asked, innocently.
"No sale," Nabiki replied, dryly, "Out with it."
"Uh..." Jesse began to stall, knowing how much of a rock it would be to get information out of her when she was this way, "I'm hungry. Why don't we go get something to eat, and I'll tell you about it then?"
Nabiki looked over to Shampoo, who shrugged indifferently. "I don't have a problem with it, your treat?"
Jesse twitched, but knew if she wanted to get the dirt on things, she would have to kiss up to the plot of land she was getting it from, "S-Sure. I-I'll pay..."
"Great! Wanted to take Shampoo to see Old Tokyo," Nabiki paused in thought for a moment, Or maybe Harajuku... we can get something to eat there. I know a few nice restaurants..." Nabiki let the statement trail off, waiting for a reply.
Jesse began to sweat nervously; this was going to be a lot of overtime at the hotel. "if that makes you happy... heh..."
"Alright, we're not leaving until you tell me what you're up to," Nabiki demanded. Suggesting something that outragious was more of a way to guage how desperate her friend was. And both knowing how exorbant Nabiki's tastes could be...
"Hello, Nabiki-chan. Did Shampoo find..."
Shampoo, Jesse, and Nabiki all turned in unison to spy the matronly woman in a kimono, entering Nabiki's office.
"Oh... gods..." Nabiki groaned, slumping back into her seat, and buried her face in her arms. After a moment, her hand reached out to to the comm. button, "Yuko, exactly *what* am I paying you for?"
"[Ma'am?]" Nabiki's secretary replied, a bit puzzled by her boss's tone of irritation.
"Oh dear, playing host to both a Chinese girl and African woman!" Nodoka beemed, feeling pride over her son's fiancee's hostess skills, "My daughter-in-law is so diplomatic!"
"Pardon me, miss, but I'm American, not African," Jesse clarified, before something flashed bright, neon tacky red in her mind, "Wait a minute, 'your daughter-in-law'?"
"I apologise for the mistake, and that is what we usually refer to the wife of your son, in our language." Nodoka replied.
Jesse looked towards Nabiki, finding the woman slowly banging her head repetitively against her desk. Then to Shampoo, who was currently paying no attention to the scene, choosing to busy herself with Nabiki's Wonderswan. Then back to Nodoka, who was smiling brilliantly, obviously proud of herself for helping a foreigner learn a little more of her language. Jesse then looked back to Nabiki again, who was still banging her head, before grinning, and looking back at Nodoka, who was still smiling obliviously. "Uh, how old are you?" She already pretty much knew the answer, but it was just a matter of complete clarification.
Nodoka's smile turned to a frown, "Um... early thirties... and that's not an appropriate question to ask in this country." Nabiki wanted to correct the 'slight' white lie made by the woman in her MID thirties, but she saw no point in doing so. She was about to go through hell, an unbearable Hell that she couldn't understand as to why she was being cast into unceremoniously. A hell that her friend would never let her escape.
"[Oh, there is *so* DEFINITELY a story behind this!]" Jesse exclaimed in English. "Really? Nabiki hadn't told me anything about her fiance, absolutely nothing at all!" The black woman stuck out her hand to shake, "Jesse Summers, we were about to go out to eat, care to join us?"
Nodoka looked over Jesse's shoulder, seeing Nabiki with her arms covering her head, while Shampoo stood behind her, rubbing the older woman's back and trying to comfort her. "Nabiki, you're not ashamed to be marrying my manly son, are you?"
________________
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry I haven't paid you a visit, but I've been busy here. Yes, fine, I'll be over tomorrow then, auntie. I'm pretty sure I can find it, so... Yes, tomorrow! No, I couldn't transfer until the start of next semester... I'm still in school, yes... alright then, I SAID... I said tomorrow! Yes, I love you too, by auntie."
Ukyo hung up her cell phone, fighting the urge to toss it away, lest her aunt call her back again. Oh, was her father going to pay dearly for alerting their family to her vicinity. "Well, I guess there's nothing I can do about it now exept humor her," the young chef relented. Tomorrow, looks like she was going to have to skip out on a day of rennovation, and catch a train to the Saitama...
________________
"I just fail to comprehend her reasoning," Nodoka lamented, "How could any woman resist my manly son?"
Shampoo no understand Nabiki, also," Shampoo added.
"You're telling me?" Jesse started in, "I mean, when was the last boyfriend you had?" The American woman turned to her friend for an answer.
Not for the first time since they left Nabiki's office... or the last minute or so... Nabiki wondered to herself exactly why she didn't suddenly grow temporarily insane, and attempt to drive the BMW they all rode in off the Tokyo highway, through the concrete barrier, sending them all plunging to their deaths. Unfortunately, she was sane, and therefore knew that the frame of her car would give much more than a concrete barrier would, and with the safety design of the vehicle, everyone would most likely survive to taunt her as they do now... plus her insurance would be higher.
Nonetheless, she attempted to bear her humiliation with surpeme valor, since she was still the driver, and she couldn't bear it by getting drunk. She sat at the table with her houseguest, presumed mother-in-law, and friend, as they discussed her love life almost as if she wasn't even there with them.
At the realization that she had just been asked a question, Nabiki looked up to find three expectant faces with her own, somewhat gaunt expression, "Why?"
Jesse patted Nabiki's back at the question, "We're worried about you, girl! Having this stifled of a lovelife isn't healthy!"
"Is true. Shampoo see too, too many women be too too angry because no have man for too, too long."
"No, why must you humiliate me so?" Nabiki clarified in a monotone voice, "Why do you insist on mascarading as a good friend, only to exploit me for disgusting need for gossip?"
Jesse stared for a few moments. "Someone's cranky... but anyways, I think her last boyfriend that lasted over two dates was... six or seven years ago?"
Shampoo shrugged, "She enjoy other womens. Is okay."
Nodoka gasped, as she covered her mouth, realizing this explained a couple of things, "So.. Shampoo-chan... and Rachael-chan..."
"NO!" Nabiki shouted, standing quickly. The majority of the restaurant turned to look at her with either irritation, curiosity, or confusion, prompting Nabiki to blush, and sit back down. "No, I do not have interest in other women, alright? So you can just bury that thought right now."
"So you just haven't been with a man in six years."
"Correc-NO- I MEAN THAT'S NONE OF YOUR... DAMN IT, JESSE!!!"
It was Nodoka's turn to shrug, "I don't see the problem in that. I haven't been with my husband in over ten years." Mrs. Saotome took a sip of her green tea, oblivious to the stares she was recieving from the other three.
"And you say that so casually," Nabiki commented, though with a bit lighter tone, since the conversation was now directed from her.
"Ten... years?" Jesse parroted, giving Nodoka a puzzled stare, "Separated?"
"No, he just took our son on a ten year training trip, that's all," Nodoka replied, folding her hands together over the table.
"You must have really missed him, then," Jesse asked with a sympathetic tone.
Nodoka stared back, blankly, "What do you mean?"
After the full minute of silence, Jesse opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by Nabiki, "I... think we don't need to go into this."
"But, ten years... not caring...." Jesse stammered, pointing at Nodoka who decided to ask Shampoo a few questions due to the pause in conversation.
"No," Nabiki replied, firmly.
Jesse just shrugged, before giving her attention to Ranma's mother, "Okay, then back to Nabiki's sex life." Nabiki groaned audibly, before looking for anything sufficiently blunt enough to knock her friend out.
"I agree," Nodoka started, "Even for a woman of Nabiki's age, the lack of companionship must be emotionally strenuous." Jesse raised an eyebrow at the comment, both at irritation, as she was the same age as Nabiki, and incredulousness, since she now knew Nodoka was only two years younger than the both of them.
"Then what's your excuse?" Nabiki snapped, putting her 'mother-in-law' on the spotlight.
Nodoka finished another sip of her tea, "I can make very well without Genma. This is lovely tea."
Nabiki quickly slapped her hands over Jesse's mouth, before the impending questions the American woman had could be asked. Shampoo stood up at the table, gaining everyone's attention, "Well, Shampoo..." Shampoo remembered that she was supposed to be learning better Japanese, "I say that I no stand by and let Nabiki give up Ranma. I say I vow make Ranma belong Nabiki, if last thing Shampoo do!" Shampoo stuck her hand at the center of the table, looking at the other two women expectantly.
"You're Great-Grandmother's going to love this," Nabiki mumbled under her breath.
Nodoka laid her hand over Shampoo's, "This is a matter of family honor, and I cannot simply sit aside and let my darling son be tossed away, even by a old woman that doesn't appreciate his manliness!" Smiling, Nodoka turned to Shampoo, "You'll make an exellent mistress for them, Shampoo-chan!"
Shampoo beemed, "Thank you, Auntie Nodoka... what 'mistress' mean?"
"Hell, I'm in Hell..."
"Well, count me in, too! If there's one thing I can't stand to see, is this woman here acting like some old-maid past menopause! Here's to Nabiki's future happiness!"
"And the union of the Tendou and Saotome lines!"
"Shampoo say Ranma and Nabiki make too, too cute couple!"
Nabiki stared up at the unified hands. They didn't symbolize as much the collaboration of three women intending to make her life better, but the bindings that would hold her in torment.
________________
Shampoo skipped in the front door of Nabiki's home, and cheerfully dashed upstairs. Nabiki slowly trudged in after the girl, like a man being walked down death row. What was supposed to be an uneventful day turned into one of the worst she had ever entertained.
Fortunately, she was now home, without the two banes of her life, Nodoka and Jesse, around to drag out her agony. She walked past the entertainment room, on her way to the kitchen for a drink of water, finding Ranma in front of the TV, watching Ryoga play her videogame consoles. "Ranma... why?"
"Hey, Mrs. Tendou," Ryoga greeted, turning away for just a moment from his game of Space Channel 5.
"Hey, Nabiki," Ranma greeted in a distracted tone, "Ryoga happened to drop by to kill me for making his life Hell, but I told him there's no fighting allowed in the house or you'll get ticked."
"Shut up, Ranma! I'm still going to rip your head off after I'm done with this!"
"Feh, whatever, you game nerd..." Ranma replied in a bored voice. Ryoga was ready to retort, but remembered that he needed to be a respectable guest in someone else's home. It had nothing to do with the fact that Ranma had found out about his curse, earlier that day, or the glass of water Ranma had on the end table. The one he had yet to take even a sip out of.
"Oh, that's fine then," Nabiki replied to Ranma, not even bothering to ask why they didn't just fight outside, "Hello, Ryoga."
Before Nabiki got too far, Ranma spoke again, trying to sound casual, "So... Nabiki..."
The older woman stopped at the door to the kitchen, "Yes, Ranma?"
"So, um... you're not a virgin, right?"
Ryoga immidiately paused the game, staring at Ranma incredulously, just as Nabiki whirled around with wide-eyed shock. Shampoo came a quarter ways down the stairs to stare at Ranma with a hooded, 'you're an idiot, you know that?' glare.
Nabiki quickly recovered, realizing the day apparently had not ended yet, "I'm thirty-seven years old, Ranma. What do you think?" Maintaining her dignity, Nabiki started into the kitchen, again.
"How many? Guys... I mean..."
"RANMA! HOW DARE YOU ASK THIS DEAR OLD WOMAN SUCH EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS!!!"
"Shut up, pig-boy," Ranma commanded, holding up his glass of water menacingly.
Nabiki growled, and counted to ten slowly, before replying, "That's none of your business, Saotome. And I'm *not* a 'dear old woman', Ryoga."
"Hey! I was just asking!" Ranma attempted to placate, before his brows furrowed, "I mean, you're not tryin' ta hide stuff, are ya?"
"Ranma..." Nabiki felt a headache growing, and decided to just answer his question somewhat to shut him up, "I've been with a few men, okay? Not that it was something you needed to know, and should know better than to ask."
"Oh..." Ranma replied, in a subdued tone, "Okay... I guess.."
"If that's all?" Nabiki asked, curtly, before entering the kitchen. Ryoga gave Ranma one last glare, before unpausing his game, while Shampoo rolled her eyes, and walked back upstairs. She decided that the first thing she probably needed to do, was beat some etiquete into the pigtailed boy, before she could successfully pair him with Nabiki.
"Who were they?"
Ryoga was the first to recover from his face fault, "THAT'S IT, RANMA, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR EMBARRASSING MS. TENDOU!" Ryoga quickly paused the game, before preparing to dive at Ranma.
"NOT IN THE HOUSE, YOU JERK!" Ranma immidiately shouted, flipping out of the way of the fanged boy's tackle. Upstairs, Nabiki could hear Shampoo swearing quite vibrantly. The name 'Ranma' came up rather often in her monologue.
Deciding water wasn't sufficient enough, Nabiki exited the kitchen with a glass, and a full bottle of wine. As soon as she left the threshold, she stared at the glass, and then walked back into the kitchen. She returned a few seconds later, carrying only the bottle of wine.
"I'll be in the my office. If you need me, don't bother me anyways. You choose to bother me, I will make your life Hell beyond anything you could imagine," she commanded, twisting the cork out of the bottle as she walked. Everyone was silent, allowing her door slamming to be the only sound to be heard.
Shampoo joined Ryoga in his intense glare at Ranma.
"Hey! I was just asking!"
