Family Socializing
Pain from Family
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma Half or Sailor Moon, both are owned by their respective creators and some big companies. I am making no money of this work.
Author's Note's: Sorry about making you wait so long for this chapter, but spring break has been keeping me away from computers with internet capable of handling uploading a chapter.
I probably could have bugged someone to take me to my cousin's and use his computer, but I just bought Fable, Shadow Hearts: From the New World, Kingdom Hearts Two, Ace Combat Five, Wild Arms Three, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, Grandia Two (or was it three?), and the movie Howl's Moving Castle.
So every time I tried to write I became distracted by the videogame pile just feet away. In short, my bad. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter.
111111111111111111111111111111111111
"So, Ranma, what was that look for downstairs?" Haruka asked as she led Ranma to the guest room.
"Huh?" Ranma replied.
"When you shook my hand, you had a funny look on your face for a second." Haruka clarified.
"Oh I just realized you were a girl is all." Ranma said.
'Damn.' Haruka thought to herself. "It, it doesn't bother you that I'm a girl?"
"Why would it? I know a lot of girls? I mean you know I even turn into one with the application of cold water." Ranma responded.
'I Guess it wouldn't be to hard for him to except considering his unique nature, but' Haruka thought as she stopped in front of the door to the guest room "Well it's just a lot of people disapprove of me and Michiru being together since we're both women, and simply put it bothers Michiru a lot when someone scorns her for it, especially family." Haruka said as she turned to face Ranma.
'I see what Mom meant, she's a good person, but blunt.' Ranma smiled. "Don't worry I have no problems with it, and I'm not about to do anything mean to anyone, especially family over some little difference like that."
'Good, still I wonder how he.' Haruka thought, "How did you realize I wasn't a guy anyway, most people never figure it out, and you made me moments after meeting me."
"You don't have an Adam's apple, after I noticed that I scanned your Ki to confirm it." Ranma said.
'Scanned my Ki, how did he manage that?' "I Guess turning into a girl yourself, you would no what to check for."
"Actually while it helps a little the only reason I ever figured out what to look for was a couple a people I know dress as the opposite gender often or all the time." Ranma Responded.
"Really? What are they like?" Haruka asked as she opened the door to the bedroom.
Ranma stepped into his room for the time being and his eyes went wide at seeing a huge room with a large cushy bed rather then a little futon like he was used. 'This is some guest room, it's got everything' Ranma thought as he noticed an entertainment center with stacks of movies off to the side.
"Wow nice room, um anyway, one of them is my best Friend Uc-Chan. I met her when we were little kids and because my pops engaged me to her, then stole her dowry, and left her on the side of a road; her father demanded she get vengeance for the dishonor we caused by either killing me and pops or marrying me. Then he made her dress and act like a guy and won't let her go back to being a girl on record until their honor was restored." Ranma said causing Haruka to gape in shock. Ranma started to continue before Haruka interrupted.
"Whoa, whoa, go back to that last part, I mean you were just joking about that right?" Haruka said, "I mean what kind of person would do anything like the horrible thing your or her father had done to children."
"Yeah, pops was always doing really stupid stuff, I found out recently he kept selling me out as a fiancée to girls whose families would give out dowries then take me and run out on the families. Then when these girls or families manage to track us down he lays all the problems on me, and then blames me when it's not resolved perfectly."
"And then some of the training ideas he has, man I'm lucky to be alive. I mean one time he kept using all these weird poisons on me to build up my immunity, I ended up in a coma for a week." Ranma responded with a wave of his hand like it was an everyday occurrence to have a father who sold you like a slave and routinely nearly killed you. "He was really unhappy I was out of it so long that he wouldn't let me sleep at all the next week and had me training day and night, wouldn't let me eat either."
Haruka was visibly twitching as she held in her anger 'Either he's really good at lying and making up stories or his father is a monster as bad as any Youma.' "Does your mother know about all this?" Haruka asked.
"Oh no, pops said not to mention it to her, said she's not a martial artist and wouldn't understand the sacrifices necessary to the art, I think he just wants to avoid her splitting his head open with the family sword." Ranma replied.
'At least I don't have to chase Nodoka away from Hotaru, but that man better never come near Hotaru or I will beat his head in.' "Ranma make sure your father knows he is not allowed here." Haruka growled.
"Oh don't worry Mom took care of that, no one from Nerima is gonna be stupid enough to come here without her permission, she laid down some pretty nasty consequences to anyone who caused any problems, like massive property damage or physical injury of anyone here." Ranma smiled.
"Those things happen a lot?" Haruka asked.
"Well usually it's only me who gets clobbered by that uncute tomboy when I'm defending my self from poor wittle Ryoga, or if a spar gets to serious I sometimes have to actually hurt them to stop it, but in general it's just massive property damage. The other's from Nerima are the people who destroyed my mom's house."
"I thought it was a gas main explosion." Haruka stated.
"Nope that's just what she put on her insurance claim." Ranma said.
1111111111111111111111111111111111111111
"Haruka, Hotaru" Michiru called out
"Ranma" Nodoka called out as well
"Dinner's ready." They called as one.
"It smells great, what did ya make?" Ranma grinned from the table behind the two.
"How?" Michiru asked as she turned around to see Ranma sitting were no one was a moment ago.
"I stopped trying to figure it out awhile ago, simply put you mention dinner and Ranma seems to just magically appear there."
"Did anyone else see a black and red blur go by?" Hotaru asked as she walked into the kitchen.
"Does anyone know where Ranma is we were talking and I turned when I heard my name called, but when I turned back to ask him if he was hungry he was gone." Haruka stated.
In response to both questions Nodoka pointed at Ranma grinning at the table.
"Let's get started I'm starving." Ranma said.
"Er, right. I'll bring dinner right out." Michiru responded.
"So Hotaru, how are you dear?" Nodoka smiled.
"I'm okay, how are you Saotome-san." Hotaru spoke softly.
"Oh, please call me Aunty, or Nodoka." Nodoka said.
"A-alright Aunty Nodoka." Hotaru whispered.
"Hope you are all Hungry, Aunty had me make a lot more then we should be able to finish." Michiru smiled as she brought out dinner.
Ranma grinned as he saw the huge amount of food being brought out. "It all looks so delicious." Ranma drooled.
"Well go ahead and dig in everyone." Michiru said.
Haruka watched in awe as Ranma's hands sped across the table snagging copious amounts of food in mere seconds before he started cramming it down his throat. "Dear god, it's another Usagi." Haruka whispered.
"Ranma, you can eat as much as you want, but slow down, it's disgusting seeing you eat like that." Nodoka frowned.
"Heh, sorry mom I forgot I don't need to worry about speed training." Ranma smiled sheepishly.
"Speed Training?" Hotaru asked.
"Ah never mind, it's not important." Ranma said.
'I wonder if it's another thing to do with his father.' Haruka thought to herself.
"Oh, I've enrolled Ranma at the nearby high school, but he maybe a bit behind, things have been chaotic at home, and I was wondering if you or someone you know could help tutor him if he needs it." Nodoka said.
"Well, either me or Haruka can help him out a little bit, but both of us have a lot of activities as well, so if he needs a regular tutor I think I know someone who can help." Michiru responded.
"Mom, I don't need a tutor." Ranma grumbled.
"Oh really, you're forgetting I talked to your teachers, you got bad grades in almost every class because you would always fall asleep and never turn in any of the assignments, the only reason you passed most of your classes was because the teachers were worried if they failed you, you would end up in their class again." Nodoka glared at her son causing him to sweat.
"I just don't want it to take to much time from training." Ranma said.
"You spent the last ten years of your life training you body, which is a very manly thing, but you neglected everything else, to be a true man amongst men you also have to be smart and you're going to be." Nodoka stated.
'Man amongst men? What's this nonsense.' Haruka thought.
'I forgot how Aunty always seemed obsessed with how manly she wanted her son to be.' Michiru recalled.
'She's scary.' Hotaru frowned as she looked between Ranma and Nodoka.
"Don't worry Ranma, if Michiru is thinking of who I think she is, she'll be able to help you catch up pretty quickly, and you'll only need a tutor if you can't catch up on your own, so if you manage to do it on your own, then your time won't be cut into at all." Haruka said.
Nodoka looked at the clock and sighed, "Sadly I have to leave now, I have to make sure my foolish husband was behaving himself while I was gone."
"Bye Mom/Nodoka/Aunty." Everyone said as she stood up.
"Can one of you show Ranma how to get to the school tomorrow, he hasn't seen it yet."
"I can walk with him, I just started high school so I'm in the same school." Hotaru said.
"Thank you very much Hotaru, you're such a sweet girl. If you ever need help with anything don't hesitate to ask." Nodoka smiled before leaving.
"Man amongst men?" Haruka asked.
"Yeah, she's always been a bit weird about that." Michiru responded. "Not sure why though."
"Well before we went on the training journey pops signed a piece of paper that if he didn't raise me to be a man among men that both of us would commit seppuku and since I couldn't read at the time when pops told me to put my hand print on it I didn't even bother to look at it." Ranma said.
"What?" Michiru nearly shouted and Hotaru's eyes widened in horror.
'Well this fits in lovely with what he told me earlier, what kind of life has he had.' Haruka thought angrily
"Eh, it's not to big a deal, she already declared me a man among men so it's fine."
'Aunty wouldn't have really gone through with it would she? I mean I know she kind of traditional about some things, but she's not like mom is she.' Michiru thought as she remembered the day her mom slapped her and told her to get out for embarrassing her by bringing another woman as an escort to a dinner party.
"Are you okay Michiru-mama?" Hotaru asked as she noticed the suddenly sad look oh her mama's face.
"I-I'm fine." Michiru stuttered. "I need to go use the bathroom." Michiru said before leaving the table.
"I'll be right back." Haruka said as she got up and followed her lover out of the room.
After a few minutes went by, "Did I say something wrong?" Ranma asked Hotaru worriedly.
"N-no, I think it probably has something to do with Michiru-mama's mother, I don't think they talk anymore." Hotaru said sadly.
"Yeah, my mom mentioned something about that." Ranma frowned
"Did she say why? If I could find a way to fix it maybe Michiru-mama would be happier." Hotaru asked.
"She didn't say exactly, but I figured it out later when I realized Haruka was a girl." Ranma responded.
"Why would Haruka-papa being a girl matter?" Hotaru questioned.
"I think Michiru's mother must be against gay and lesbian couples, and if that's the case there isn't anything I can think of to fix the problem between Michiru and her mother unless you can find away for Michiru's mom to stop being too stupid to love her kid for who she is." Ranma said sadly.
Haruka who had come back and been standing outside the kitchen since right before Ranma started talking leaned up against the wall and sighed. 'Good luck with that one.'
11111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Okay here's the chapter, all reviews are appreciated.