Tender Loving Care
'The Brat Wars' Pt. 4
"Ah, sorry about the dojo," Ranma apologized with a chagrinned tone, "I guess me and Akane got a little rambungious in there." The pigtailed boy tossed a withering glance towards Akane, who was grinning obliviously at Rouge.
"Ah,, heh heh... it's o-okay, R-Ranma... nobodywashurt... after all..." Soun blubbered, barely audible with his head turned face down on the tearoom table. "I-it can be r-r-rebuilt..."
"So, what brings you by, Rouge?" Akane asked the visiting girl.
The girl in question blushed, "Well, I just wanted to see how Ranma was doing."
"Oh," Akane replied in a dry tone, before turning to look at Ranma with a half-lidded gaze, "He seems to be doing fine, to me."
Rouge's eyes gained a concerned light to them, "It was a small wonder he is! Ranma-sama shouldn't be practicing in such a rickety dojo, he could get hurt!"
Akane's eye twitched at the backhanded comment, before realization came to her. "Oh! I need to get changed outta my gi," with a slight sniff of herself, she added, "I guess I probably need to take a quick bath, too. You probably should too, Ranma."
"I'll be in there after you're done," Ranma replied in a guarded tone. Wether Akane noticed it or not, she didn't let on, as she bounced up the stairs to get a change of clothes.
"I am so glad you are safe!" Rouge gushed, as soon as the other girl was gone, and continued to ignore the silent weeping of the Tendou Patriarch.
"Huh?" Ranma replied, apparently lost in thought, "Sorry, what did you say?"
"Did I do something wrong? Are you ignoring me?" the cursed girl enquired with a worried tone.
"Ah, it's not that," Ranma replied, "Just something came to mind, s'all."
"Would you like to talk about it?" Rouge asked with a pleading expression. Couples always talked with one another; communication was important in a relationship.
Ranma shrugged, before turning a smile to Rouge, "Sure, let's go for a walk."
_______________________
"The dojo is just the start, Nabiki!" Kasumi stated with a slight bit of hysteria in her voice, "Daddy can't take this for too long... I CAN'T TAKE THIS FOR TOO LONG!!!"
"Calm down, Kasumi," Nabiki tried to placate, finding her own words hollow, "We can have the Dojo rebuilt again, while we're remodeling the back yard. Both are covered under our insurance."
"But they're not going to stop! They'll keep going and going and going... THEY'RE LIKE A COUPLE OF PSYCHOTIC ENERGIZER BUNNIES!!!"
"Quit shouting, or Akane's going to hear you!" Nabiki snapped, before sitting down. Her seating posture spoke of how frazzeled she was, "But you're right, we have to put a stop to this, but we still need to figure out a way to get them out of the house until it's out of their systems."
"Out of the house? How about OUT OF THE FRIGG'N COUNTRY!" Kasumi shrilled, starting to pull at her ponytail a bit harder than she really should.
Before Nabiki could speak, the door to Kasumi's room creaked open, allowing the resident fluffy white albino bunny to enter, making a bee line straight for Nabiki's lap. "Hmm, I was wondering where you went," Nabiki commented, stroking the rabbit's back. Nabiki then looked up to find her sister plastered against her wall, standing on her bed, away from Nabiki and that... thing, with a look of utter terror on her face. "Uh, Kasumi?"
"Y-y-you're petting that.. that..."
Nabiki blinked, and looked down at the bunny, which seemed to be purring under her attentions. Nabiki then looked up at her sister, "Okay, I think we need to go take a bath to calm our nerves down. Maybe then, we'll be rational enough to come up with an idea or two.
_______________________
"I'm just concerned, that's all," Ranma continued, sighing at his apparent situation.
"Concerned about what?" Rouge asked, moving closer into Ranma's personal space.
The pigtailed boy surrupticiously stepped away, while looking whistfully into the sky, "Well, we're pretty close, right? I feel I can tell you anything," Ranma started again.
Rouge's heart went a-flutter, "Yes, yes you can tell me anything, Ranma-sama!"
Ranma gave Rouge a heart-breaking smile, "Thanks, I knew you'ld be there for me. It's just that... that..." Ranma gave a fustrated sigh, "It's just that, well, it's Akane..."
"Oh? The rather young girl you were sparring with?" Rouge enquired, adding a slight backhanded insult about Akane's maturity.
Ranma didn't seem to notice it, "Yeah. It's just that... I think she's developing a crush on me, and she's a nice girl and all, but a bit, well, possessive."
"Oh?" Rouge asked, arcing her tone, as her eyes narrowed.
"I want to let her down, gently, you know? But I'm afraid that if I try, she may, I guess, get even more clingy!"
"I can understand why that would upset you so much," Rouge replied, beginning to fume.
"I'm afraid that anything I tell her won't convince her." Ranma sighed again, and shook his head, "I just don't think I can convince her, myself."
"I can understand your fustration, Ranma-sama." This time, Her tone was dark and somewhat menacing, as if she had just recieved her new purpose in life.
"Thanks, Rouge-chan! I knew I could count on you!" Ranma replied, wrapping his arm around the shoulders of the girl, who was brooding and plotting.
_______________________
"Really, Kasumi, it's just a harmless rabbit. Maybe a bit hyper and not so people-friendly, but still harmless," Nabiki stated in a soothing voice, attempting to calm her frazzled sister. "Come on, a nice hot bath will do wonders for you."
"O-okay," Kasumi replied, attempting to regain her center, "I guess a bath won't hurt." Kasumi's hand went to the door of the bathroom, "And we still need to think of a way to get Akane and Ranma away, while they attempt to kill each other." Kasumi opened the door and turned to enter the bathroom. She stopped, as her eyes went wide.
"Kasumi, why'd you sto-" Nabiki was cut off, as Kasumi turned around and tackled her sister to the floor.
::BOOOOOOOM::
"WHAT THE?!?" Nabiki screamed in a voice muffled by her weight of her older sister.
"A-akane found her potato gun..." Kasumi whispered in shocked fear.
"Her potato..." Kasumi found herself thrown off of Nabiki, who was suddenly standing up, looking at the series of holes that appeared in every wall that had stood across from the bathroom entrance, "I THOUGHT YOU GOT RID OF THAT THING?!?"
"I-I thought we would need it one day... to-to stop Akane!" Kasumi started feeling herself breaking down.
"YOU DIDN'T CONSIDER THE FACT THAT SHE MAY FIND IT, FIRST?!?" Nabiki yelled, "THAT THING WAS LIKE A PART OF HER!!!"
"Kasumi, Nabiki? Are you guys okay?"
"ACK!!!" both older sisters screamed, with Nabiki jumping into Kasumi's arms, once their youngest sister made her presence known.
"I heard a loud noise, and... whoa," Akane continued, looking at the damage. She then looked at where it originated from, seeming to not notice her old toy, trigger-rigged to go off whenever someone opened the bathroom door. "Anyways, I'm glad you two are okay."
Her sisters continued to look at her with fearful shock, causing Akane to shrug, and walk off. They didn't miss Akane mumbling to herself, "Hmm, if *they* could dodge out of the way..."
"Kasumi..." Nabiki began in a whimpering voice.
"Nabiki?" Kasumi replied in a terrified tone.
"Hold me."
"Only if you hold me..."
_______________________
"We're back!" Ranma announced, entering the Tendou home.
"Ranma, we would like for you to meet us in the tearoom, please," Kasumi's voice requested.
Ranma turned, and looked at Rouge, before shrugging, "Be there in a sec."
Both he and Rouge entered the Tendou dining area, and sat down. "Sup?" Ranma asked.
"Ranma-kun," Soun started, flanked by both Nabiki and Kasumi, Akane nor his father were nowhere in sight, "We've decided that after the previous day's ordeal, that it may be prudent we all take a vacation for a few days..."
Ranma shrugged, as Rouge grew concerned at the idea of being seperated from Ranma, "Sounds good, but what about school?"
"Ah, don't worry about it, I'll take care of it!" Nabiki replied quickly, earning Ranma's suspicion.
"Where's Akane and Pops?" Ranma asked.
The three present Tendous turned to each other, nervously. They thought it was best that they left Genma out of their plans, in case he felt some misplaced obligation to save his son from their demonic daughter and sister. They sent Akane out on a pointless errand, finding a hundred yards of flight line at a hardware store, so they could discuss things separately from her with Ranma.
"Ah, Akane had a few things she needed to do," Kasumi answered for her sister.
"Your father, um. went and got drunk," Soun answered for Ranma's father. Technically it was true, though Soun had ensured that Genma was good and drunk at a local bar for the time being.
Ranma managed to keep his suspicion from showing, and shrugged, "Sure, sounds like fun."
'The Brat Wars' Pt. 4
"Ah, sorry about the dojo," Ranma apologized with a chagrinned tone, "I guess me and Akane got a little rambungious in there." The pigtailed boy tossed a withering glance towards Akane, who was grinning obliviously at Rouge.
"Ah,, heh heh... it's o-okay, R-Ranma... nobodywashurt... after all..." Soun blubbered, barely audible with his head turned face down on the tearoom table. "I-it can be r-r-rebuilt..."
"So, what brings you by, Rouge?" Akane asked the visiting girl.
The girl in question blushed, "Well, I just wanted to see how Ranma was doing."
"Oh," Akane replied in a dry tone, before turning to look at Ranma with a half-lidded gaze, "He seems to be doing fine, to me."
Rouge's eyes gained a concerned light to them, "It was a small wonder he is! Ranma-sama shouldn't be practicing in such a rickety dojo, he could get hurt!"
Akane's eye twitched at the backhanded comment, before realization came to her. "Oh! I need to get changed outta my gi," with a slight sniff of herself, she added, "I guess I probably need to take a quick bath, too. You probably should too, Ranma."
"I'll be in there after you're done," Ranma replied in a guarded tone. Wether Akane noticed it or not, she didn't let on, as she bounced up the stairs to get a change of clothes.
"I am so glad you are safe!" Rouge gushed, as soon as the other girl was gone, and continued to ignore the silent weeping of the Tendou Patriarch.
"Huh?" Ranma replied, apparently lost in thought, "Sorry, what did you say?"
"Did I do something wrong? Are you ignoring me?" the cursed girl enquired with a worried tone.
"Ah, it's not that," Ranma replied, "Just something came to mind, s'all."
"Would you like to talk about it?" Rouge asked with a pleading expression. Couples always talked with one another; communication was important in a relationship.
Ranma shrugged, before turning a smile to Rouge, "Sure, let's go for a walk."
_______________________
"The dojo is just the start, Nabiki!" Kasumi stated with a slight bit of hysteria in her voice, "Daddy can't take this for too long... I CAN'T TAKE THIS FOR TOO LONG!!!"
"Calm down, Kasumi," Nabiki tried to placate, finding her own words hollow, "We can have the Dojo rebuilt again, while we're remodeling the back yard. Both are covered under our insurance."
"But they're not going to stop! They'll keep going and going and going... THEY'RE LIKE A COUPLE OF PSYCHOTIC ENERGIZER BUNNIES!!!"
"Quit shouting, or Akane's going to hear you!" Nabiki snapped, before sitting down. Her seating posture spoke of how frazzeled she was, "But you're right, we have to put a stop to this, but we still need to figure out a way to get them out of the house until it's out of their systems."
"Out of the house? How about OUT OF THE FRIGG'N COUNTRY!" Kasumi shrilled, starting to pull at her ponytail a bit harder than she really should.
Before Nabiki could speak, the door to Kasumi's room creaked open, allowing the resident fluffy white albino bunny to enter, making a bee line straight for Nabiki's lap. "Hmm, I was wondering where you went," Nabiki commented, stroking the rabbit's back. Nabiki then looked up to find her sister plastered against her wall, standing on her bed, away from Nabiki and that... thing, with a look of utter terror on her face. "Uh, Kasumi?"
"Y-y-you're petting that.. that..."
Nabiki blinked, and looked down at the bunny, which seemed to be purring under her attentions. Nabiki then looked up at her sister, "Okay, I think we need to go take a bath to calm our nerves down. Maybe then, we'll be rational enough to come up with an idea or two.
_______________________
"I'm just concerned, that's all," Ranma continued, sighing at his apparent situation.
"Concerned about what?" Rouge asked, moving closer into Ranma's personal space.
The pigtailed boy surrupticiously stepped away, while looking whistfully into the sky, "Well, we're pretty close, right? I feel I can tell you anything," Ranma started again.
Rouge's heart went a-flutter, "Yes, yes you can tell me anything, Ranma-sama!"
Ranma gave Rouge a heart-breaking smile, "Thanks, I knew you'ld be there for me. It's just that... that..." Ranma gave a fustrated sigh, "It's just that, well, it's Akane..."
"Oh? The rather young girl you were sparring with?" Rouge enquired, adding a slight backhanded insult about Akane's maturity.
Ranma didn't seem to notice it, "Yeah. It's just that... I think she's developing a crush on me, and she's a nice girl and all, but a bit, well, possessive."
"Oh?" Rouge asked, arcing her tone, as her eyes narrowed.
"I want to let her down, gently, you know? But I'm afraid that if I try, she may, I guess, get even more clingy!"
"I can understand why that would upset you so much," Rouge replied, beginning to fume.
"I'm afraid that anything I tell her won't convince her." Ranma sighed again, and shook his head, "I just don't think I can convince her, myself."
"I can understand your fustration, Ranma-sama." This time, Her tone was dark and somewhat menacing, as if she had just recieved her new purpose in life.
"Thanks, Rouge-chan! I knew I could count on you!" Ranma replied, wrapping his arm around the shoulders of the girl, who was brooding and plotting.
_______________________
"Really, Kasumi, it's just a harmless rabbit. Maybe a bit hyper and not so people-friendly, but still harmless," Nabiki stated in a soothing voice, attempting to calm her frazzled sister. "Come on, a nice hot bath will do wonders for you."
"O-okay," Kasumi replied, attempting to regain her center, "I guess a bath won't hurt." Kasumi's hand went to the door of the bathroom, "And we still need to think of a way to get Akane and Ranma away, while they attempt to kill each other." Kasumi opened the door and turned to enter the bathroom. She stopped, as her eyes went wide.
"Kasumi, why'd you sto-" Nabiki was cut off, as Kasumi turned around and tackled her sister to the floor.
::BOOOOOOOM::
"WHAT THE?!?" Nabiki screamed in a voice muffled by her weight of her older sister.
"A-akane found her potato gun..." Kasumi whispered in shocked fear.
"Her potato..." Kasumi found herself thrown off of Nabiki, who was suddenly standing up, looking at the series of holes that appeared in every wall that had stood across from the bathroom entrance, "I THOUGHT YOU GOT RID OF THAT THING?!?"
"I-I thought we would need it one day... to-to stop Akane!" Kasumi started feeling herself breaking down.
"YOU DIDN'T CONSIDER THE FACT THAT SHE MAY FIND IT, FIRST?!?" Nabiki yelled, "THAT THING WAS LIKE A PART OF HER!!!"
"Kasumi, Nabiki? Are you guys okay?"
"ACK!!!" both older sisters screamed, with Nabiki jumping into Kasumi's arms, once their youngest sister made her presence known.
"I heard a loud noise, and... whoa," Akane continued, looking at the damage. She then looked at where it originated from, seeming to not notice her old toy, trigger-rigged to go off whenever someone opened the bathroom door. "Anyways, I'm glad you two are okay."
Her sisters continued to look at her with fearful shock, causing Akane to shrug, and walk off. They didn't miss Akane mumbling to herself, "Hmm, if *they* could dodge out of the way..."
"Kasumi..." Nabiki began in a whimpering voice.
"Nabiki?" Kasumi replied in a terrified tone.
"Hold me."
"Only if you hold me..."
_______________________
"We're back!" Ranma announced, entering the Tendou home.
"Ranma, we would like for you to meet us in the tearoom, please," Kasumi's voice requested.
Ranma turned, and looked at Rouge, before shrugging, "Be there in a sec."
Both he and Rouge entered the Tendou dining area, and sat down. "Sup?" Ranma asked.
"Ranma-kun," Soun started, flanked by both Nabiki and Kasumi, Akane nor his father were nowhere in sight, "We've decided that after the previous day's ordeal, that it may be prudent we all take a vacation for a few days..."
Ranma shrugged, as Rouge grew concerned at the idea of being seperated from Ranma, "Sounds good, but what about school?"
"Ah, don't worry about it, I'll take care of it!" Nabiki replied quickly, earning Ranma's suspicion.
"Where's Akane and Pops?" Ranma asked.
The three present Tendous turned to each other, nervously. They thought it was best that they left Genma out of their plans, in case he felt some misplaced obligation to save his son from their demonic daughter and sister. They sent Akane out on a pointless errand, finding a hundred yards of flight line at a hardware store, so they could discuss things separately from her with Ranma.
"Ah, Akane had a few things she needed to do," Kasumi answered for her sister.
"Your father, um. went and got drunk," Soun answered for Ranma's father. Technically it was true, though Soun had ensured that Genma was good and drunk at a local bar for the time being.
Ranma managed to keep his suspicion from showing, and shrugged, "Sure, sounds like fun."