Chapter 2 Making Plans
"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to choose who I want to be engaged to, after all I don't know anything about them," snarled Ranma, "I told you what I thought about this engagement before we got here. If you want any cooperation from me at all, the girls and I need to talk, without any interruptions from the two of you. Now either ya back off now, or I'm outta here!"
"That's an excellent idea, Father," said Nabiki quickly, as she stood up, "Let's go into the dojo so we can discuss this." Akane and Kasumi looked at their sister in surprise, then stood up and followed Ranma and Nabiki out.
"Thanks for the support, uh, Nabiki, right?" Ranma said, "Well I think it's obvious from your reactions, that you're not too happy about this situation either. Looks like you three probably just found about it. I at least had several days warning, so I've had a chance to think about it."
Nabiki nodded, "Yes, Father just told us about the agreement today. I don't think any of us are real happy about the possibility either. The problem that we have, is we just can't afford the inheritance tax on the property when Father dies. At least if one of us gets married, then he can give it to you as a wedding gift, and skip that problem. I had been afraid that he might arrange a marriage for one of us for that very reason."
Ranma looked startled, "Oh, that changes things a little, I guess. The very few times I had thought about the future, and being married, I thought I would at least know the woman I was to wed. I expect you three had much the same thoughts. I didn't think about getting married to protect property. I'd like to find out how you feel about the mess we're in. Kasumi, let me guess, you think I'm too young for you, right?"
Kasumi just nodded. Nabiki added, quickly, "Plus she's interested in Dr. Tofu."
Kasumi blushed, and then said, "Yes, I had hoped to marry him, I care for him a great deal, but if family honor dictates that I must marry you, then I would."
"I thought as much. Nabiki, you were interested in seeing what I was like, but when you thought I was a girl, then found out I was actually a guy, it bothered you. You thought it was just too weird. Don't worry about insulting me; I think it's pretty weird myself. You should look at it from where I'm sitting. Especially since I don't know the first thing about being a girl," Ranma said.
Nabiki looked stunned, 'How could he know all this?' she thought. "Yes, I thought it might be nice to have a cute boyfriend. I'm not sure I could handle having a cute girlfriend as part of the package," she said.
"Akane, you're hurt the worst. You thought you had made a new friend, and all of a sudden that new friend turns into someone who stands a good chance of stealing your dream of running the dojo and teaching martial arts. Did I miss anything?" Ranma asked, with a faint hint of amusement. Akane just nodded her head in agreement.
Nabiki looked at her sisters, seeing their expressions. She said, "No, I think you have captured the highpoints. Now, you want to tell me how you did that?"
Ranma smiled slightly, and then said, "I wouldn't be much of a martial artist if I couldn't read the non-verbal cues of my opponents, now could I? I just observe everyone that way, so I tend to pick up on some things. I'm not always right, though, if that helps any."
Akane said, "That actually makes some sense, I never thought to try that. Obviously, you have some sort of plan."
"Well, maybe the beginning of one. I need a lot of help, as well as a lot of time, to put it completely together," Ranma replied, "Is there any way we can just get out of the agreement?"
Kasumi sighed, and said, "No, once Father starts talking about the honor of the family being involved, it is impossible to get him to change his mind about anything." The other two nodded in agreement.
"I was afraid of that. Pop is the same way, though I don't think he has any personal honor. Ok, since there's no way to get out of the agreement, at least not right now, I guess we have to go along with it. What I suggest, though, is that I don't actually choose any of you, just that eventually I will ask one of you to marry me. That way maybe we won't get too much pressure to marry," Ranma replied.
Nabiki said, "I think we can swing that by saying that none of us wants to agree to being engaged to a total stranger."
"Ok, then next, I want to wait until I am at least out of school before I get engaged," Ranma stated.
Akane said, "I can relate to that. But what does that do for us?"
"Well, it at least delays the decision. The other thing I can promise each of you is that I want the decision to be engaged to be a joint one with the woman I love. I want to know that she married me because she wanted to, not because she was forced into it," Ranma said, "What I would like to propose, oops, bad choice of words, sorry. What I would like to suggest is that we get to know each other, and if something happens between two of us, then we go from there."
"There's actually a better reason to wait. Ranma really needs to be over twenty before he can legally inherit the property. If Father gives it to him before then, he's still considered a minor, and someone else has to be the trustee," Nabiki said, "Ok, so far everything that you've said sounds reasonable. Why are you interested in this farce?"
"Well, a couple of reasons, I suppose. One, I've been wandering since I was six, and I would really like to find a home," Ranma said. He started looking sad, then said, "Damn, excuse me for a second." He left the dojo, and then a loud splash was heard. Ranma walked back in, then she continued, "Sorry, I don't handle emotions well yet as a guy. According to Pop, guys don't cry, and if I continue much longer I may need to. Second, I haven't had a chance to make friends, every time I got close to someone, Pop would drag me off somewhere else. If I stay here, I hope that we can at least become friends."
Kasumi looked at Ranma, seeing the unshed tears in the young girls eyes. Her heart went out to her. She walked over to Ranma, and hugged her. "You're that lonely?" she asked. She continued to hold Ranma, trying to comfort her. Tears began to flow down Ranma's cheeks; Kasumi joined her. They stood there in silence as they wept together.
Finally, Ranma brought her emotions under control. "Yeah, Kasumi, I'm that lonely. Thanks for understanding. Pop was never any good at teaching me relationships, ya know, he didn't want any distractions from the art." She shivered for a second, and then said, "Ok, we need to work out a plan about this. That ain't something I'm real good at. One of you want to jump in here?"
"I'm your woman," smirked Nabiki, "What do you want to accomplish?"
"Well, if I marry one of you, I want it to be because we want to. Second, I don't want any of us to lose out on finding someone else. Third, I want all four of us to be happy, or at least, willing, about the plan. Fourth, I don't want your life ruined because we are here. And lastly, but not least, I hope we can be friends," Ranma replied.
Akane said, "That sounds reasonable, how do we pull it off?"
"I've got some ideas," Nabiki said, "The other problem I have, is that if we add two more people to the household, the money situation gets tight. Since Father stopped teaching, I've had to earn money any way I could, to stretch the money we get from the few investments I made before. Adding two more mouths to feed won't help. Don't take this the wrong way, Ranma, but we can't afford any freeloaders."
"Uh, then maybe one of the conditions is that Pop finds a job. He'll hate that, having to work, but if he does, he'll have less time to cause mischief. Hey, Akane, do you think your father would be willing to teach?" Ranma asked.
"Father hasn't been interested in teaching since Mother died," Kasumi replied.
"I don't think he would object if we taught, however. You'll have to train me though, it's obvious that I'm not as good as you," Akane said, trying to hide the bitterness she felt.
Ranma looked sad, obviously Akane hadn't hidden it very well. "Akane, I had the advantage, if you want to call it that, of training with Pop. Also, we trained at dozens of dojos under many different senseis. That allowed me to get pretty good. If you had had that experience, you'd be my equal, I'm sure. The talent is there, just not the training or control." Akane suddenly brightened. Ranma continued, "Ok, we can try teaching. Nabiki, if there is anything else we can do to help out money wise, talk to me about it. Kasumi, that goes for you too, if there is something you need done around the house, let me and Pop help. One other thing, if I am going to train Akane, I would like the two of you to join us as well, that way we can possibly talk about any other issues."
"Akane, I'm afraid that this engagement will be hardest on you," Nabiki said, "I'm sure that Father will be pressuring you to get engaged to Ranma. After all, you're the same age; and both interested in martial arts. The only difficulty is your dislike of boys."
"Why do you dislike boys? Is that why you were so happy I was a girl, when we were practicing, and I beat you?" Ranma asked in astonishment.
"Because all boys are perverts. The horde of boys that keep challenging me at school, hoping to beat me so that I have to date them, just proves that," Akane replied.
"I don't think all boys are perverts," Ranma said, "I'm pretty sure I'm not, though I'm not sure what you mean by that anyway. What do you consider a pervert?"
"Somebody trying to see me without my clothes on, or trying to force themselves on me, or you know, things like that?" Akane said.
"Is that what was bothering you in the bath, or were you startled to find out that I really was a guy? Remember, you opened the door on me, and at least we were more or less decent. As for trying to force myself on you, or any other girl, that won't happen. Remember, I have to worry about that when I'm a girl, myself, so I sorta understand. And even if I wasn't cursed, an honorable man wouldn't do that, and I am a man of honor, if nothing else. Akane, to be honest, though, guys are as curious about what girl's body looks like as girls are about a guy's body. But whatever curiosity I might have had before, a girl's appearance isn't a mystery to me. I'm just glad I heard you moving around in the changing room, so I was able to spare you some embarrassment if you had just walked in on me. I had hoped to show you I was really a guy a bit more gracefully. I'm sorry you found out the way you did," Ranma said softly, "Anyway, what does beating you in a fight have to do with you dating?"
"It's just something that Kuno came up with," Nabiki said, "He's an upperclassman who thinks he's in love with my sister. He made this challenge that no one can ask Akane out unless they beat her in combat. So she's been fighting off the Hentaii Horde every morning since then."
"That's just plain stupid," Ranma said in anger, "Akane, why do put up with that? Surely that's got to be getting old, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is, but I let it go on because at least that way I had someone to spar with. Since we are going to train together, I need to put a stop to it," Akane said.
"Well, I guess I could tell them I beat you in a fight, though that session we had really shouldn't count. Of course, I don't have to tell them I was a girl at the time," Ranma said with a smirk, "But would that insult you as a martial artist?"
Akane shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if that would help or not."
"Anyway, we can worry about that later. Do we have a basic agreement on how we handle our parents?" Nabiki asked. They all nodded. "Ok, let me handle the negotiations, just follow my lead."
Ranma said, "I need to talk to Akane for a minute, just wait outside and we'll join you." The other two girls left. Akane looked a bit puzzled. "I hope you realize that your sisters were going to suggest that you be the fiancée before I stepped in. Not that I blame them, nor should you. I thought I needed to step in because I wasn't ready for an engagement. We made a good start toward being friends this morning, I hope that you are still willing."
Akane smiled, and said, "I'd like that. Were you serious about wanting to help me get rid of the boys attacking me?"
Ranma said, "Yes, I was. We need to get Nabiki back in on that, though. I don't want to do more harm than good." With that they left the dojo and joined Nabiki and Kasumi.
The four of them went back into the dining area, stopping in the kitchen long enough for Ranma to change back, and dry off. They interrupted their fathers playing shogi, both of them cheating outrageously when they thought the other wasn't looking. There was a half empty bottle of sake and two saucers sitting beside them.
"Father, we have come to some agreements among the four of us. There are all non-negotiable demands, so pay attention. If you disagree with any of them, Ranma will leave and not come back. It was basically all I could do to talk him into this as it is. First, the four of us agree that family honor requires the formal acknowledgement of the engagement, however none of us will be engaged. In other words, Ranma has agreed to be engaged to one of the three of us, but it will be a mutual decision on their part. Second, none of us will get officially engaged to him until after he graduates from high school. Third, there will be no interference by either of you with this agreement. Fourth, there will be no training or fighting in the house, and we need to minimize the damage outside, frankly, our finances couldn't stand the additional expense. Fifth, Mr. Saotome must find gainful employment to help supplement our household income. Sixth, Ranma will attend high school, and he and Akane would like to begin training students, also to help with the additional needs. Because of that, any sparring must happen in the afternoon, after school. Furthermore, Kasumi will need additional help around the house, and all of us will need to pitch in. Also, the four of us will be training together, and that is our time, so you will refrain from attending those sessions," Nabiki said, as she handed them a written copy of the agreements she had just stated. "If you agree, sign where it shows your name." Genma and Soun looked at each other, and started to protest. Ranma just shook his head, went and got his backpack, and started to the door. They immediately signed the papers. "It's a pleasure doing business with you," Nabiki smirked, as she notarized the documents.