Ranma
Hannibal
'Mind Games'
"Nabiki's asleep again. I told her that she didn't have to worry about going to school since I'm calling her in sick," Kasumi explained to Ranma, who was the last remaining at the breakfast table. Akane had already gone off to school, while Genma and Soun went to start a new game of go, suggested by Genma to take the other man's concern off of the ordeal with his middle daughter. Ranma wasn't all that concerned about getting to school on time, and felt that it was necessary to prove his concern for the middle Tendou sister.
"That's good, I think it's best she stayed home with you," Ranma smiled at Kasumi, "I think with your support, she'll start opening up just fine."
"But she seems better when you are around, Ranma. I... I think it would be best if you also stayed home."
"I'm afraid I can't be around her *all* the time," Ranma replied with a wry smirk. "If she's gonna get over this, she's gotta learn to stand on her own feet."
"I don't know, I've never seen her like this before," Kasumi replied in a helpless tone, while nervously wringing her hair out.
Ranma nodded slightly, "Yeah, I guess it's hard to see her like this. Heck, I don't even really know her that well, and it's eating me up. If I had only known she was following me sooner..."
"Don't blame yourself for that, Ranma. Nabiki's always been strong-headed."
"I could only imagine." Ranma turned to look at Kasumi curiously, "Tell me, was she a very dependant girl when she was younger? I mean-"
"I think I understand what you mean," Kasumi interjected, as Ranma paused for a few moments, "She... she adored mother. Her death hit her hard. It was hard for all of us, but she handled it much more dramatically than either me or Akane or even father. She used to be so outgoing and playful."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that's too far from what she still had been," Ranma replied, nodding as if he already suspected, or even knew what Kasumi's reply would be. "Well, if I stayed any later, I'd may as well be heading back from school for the end of the day. Take care, Kasumi, and make sure Nabiki's okay." With that, Ranma got up and left.
Kasumi walked a bit with him to the front door, before heading upstairs to check on Nabiki once more. As quietly as she could, she entered her sister's room, to find Nabiki had tossed around on her bed a bit, in the midst of a fitful sleep. Feeling her heart break, Kasumi urgently made her way over to Nabiki's side, gently resting her hand on her sister's side, and her other hand went to stroke Nabiki's hair.
That quelled Nabiki's fits, as she began to settle down, murmering unintellegently in her sleep. Kasumi blinked away the tears that were threatening to come forth, before her eyes caught sight of a thin red mark, a scratch that started from Nabiki's clavical near her neck and lead down into her pajamas. Carefully, Kasumi unbuttoned the first button, and found the faint scar ending near the top of her breast. The scar was recent, and stood out against her sister's pale flesh.
Almost mesmerized by it, Kasumi began to draw her finger along the damaged skin. At the gentle touch, Nabiki's fits started again, wilder and more violent than before.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry Nabiki!" Kasumi repeated in a quiet, crying, desperate tone, as she began to wrestle her sister down. She wrapped an arm around Nabiki's waist, and her other arm around Nabiki's torso protectively when she could not fight her sister's panicked thrashing down. Subconciously realizing she was secure, Nabiki quickly turned and latched onto her older sister, burying her face into the top of Kasumi's chest.
Nabiki was sobbing, not quite awake and not fully asleep; trapped in the two nightmares of true existance and the surreal. The eldest Tendou daughter tried as hard as she could to comfort Nabiki, but found her own strength lacking.
"Who could have done this to you, Nabiki?" Kasumi whispered, as she rubbed the back of Nabiki's head and shoulders, spilling her own tears of anguish.
__________________________
Soun stared intensely at the board, almost as if he were listening to time pass by. He attempted to force his concentration on the game at hand, trying with a herculean effort to ignore the outside word, to temporarily forget his plights, his worries, his fears, and his worthlessness.
Finally, his hand moved to shift one of the black pieces to a different position. "It's my turn, Tendou" Genma interjected, before Soun actually moved the gamestone.
Soun had failed utterly in keeping his focus. No matter how strong his will, the muted cries he could hear coming from upstairs demanded his attention with harsh insistance. He couldn't protect his daughter. He couldn't be with her at every moment, so he had at least trained her to a great proficiency in self-defense. Unfortunately, even his rigerous training proved futile, as Nabiki had the misfortune to meet someone better than her in the still of night.
What if it had been the surgical murderer the new had dubbed the latest serial killer to introduce themselves to Japan? He would have lost a daughter, he... he just couldn't...
Genma saw his friend once again about to break down, this time not in shameless tears, but tears of complete shame. The eldest Saotome shifted uncomfortably in his seat, searching for whatever words of comfort he could offer. "Now, now, Tendou. The boy was there to make sure she stayed safe."
Soun's head snapped up in fury, "Yes, your son rescued her. The very same one that put my little girl into danger in the first place! YOUR son, behaving wrecklessly and endangering MY family! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO PRAISE *YOUR* SON, WHEN IT WAS HE WHO BROUGHT THIS HORROR UPON MY DAUGHTER!!!"
"Sit down, Tendou," Genma warned, "The boy messed up, but he didn't ask for your daughter to follow him."
Soun remained glaring, but brought himself back to sitting, "He has not been forgiven for this outrage, so I suggest you do not make mention of him."
Genma's eyes narrowed, "Be thankful the boy did save her, Tendou. His only crime was leaving past curfew. But, that doesn't put him to blame for your own daughter's carelessness."
The stout martial artist looked out to the back yard, past the stone wall and out into the slightly murky, cloudy sky, "I'm also concerned for the girl, even if she isn't my daughter. Quite frankly, she could be the one that ends up my daughter in law. Don't think that I do not hear her crying upstairs either, Tendou."
"I... I guess you're... I apologise, Saotome." Soun looked down at the game board, and sighed, "Forgive me, I do not think I can continue this game."
"I doubt we could, you scattered all the pieces," Genma responded, dryly.
The Tendou Patriarch wanted to laugh at his friend's attempt as levity, but he could not find the energy to do so. "Saotome... what is to become of my daughter."
"Only the gods can decide that, Tendou, only the gods."
__________________________
Akane failed to hold her attention to class, just as emotionally upheavaled as the rest of her family. What was Nabiki thinking? She wasn't a martial artist like herself or Ranma. What was Ranma doing out that late at night? Thank the gods that he found her before anything happened to her. If Ranma hadn't, Akane wasn't sure she could ever forgive Ranma, or herself. Ranma for leading Nabiki, even unwittingly, into such a dangerous situation. Herself, because she was the one that was supposed to safeguard her family from such dangers. She was the one that had trained since she was allowed to by her father and mother, she was the one that her father had charged with using her skills in the defense of those around her. Even with Nabiki safe at home, Akane felt like she failed somehow.
The final bell rang, telling her just how little she had actually concentrated on school; she hadn't even been aware that it was so close to time. Mechanically, she gathered her supplies, unnoticing of Ranma's approach.
The pigtailed boy's face was schooled in concern, as he reached to gently touch Akane on the shoulder, "Akane, are you alr-"
Akane suddenly whirled, trapping Ranma's hand at an awkward angle, and twisting it to force him down to his knees. Akane looked at the other boy wildly, before she realized who it was, and what she was doing.
Almost as if Ranma's hand was on fire, she let go, "I-I'm sorry!"
Ranma hid his victorious smile, just before giving Akane a pained, though wry look, "A bit jumpy, aren't you?" He then turned to give their classmates and teacher a look to signify that everything was alright. They accepted, and went about their business.
The pigtailed martial artist brought himself to standing, checking his wrist, "You looked like you hadn't been paying attention all day."
Akane kept her head down in embarrassment and remorse, "Of course! My sister was att-"
Ranma quickly cut her off, "Akane, let's finish this where there are less ears about, aright?" Akane nodded, and began to follow Ranma out of the classroom.
It wasn't long before they were walking towards Akane's home. Ranma walked alongside the other girl, giving her concerned glances every so often.
"Thank you, Ranma."
"Um, what for?" the pigtailed boy enquired, seeming confused.
"I know I can't blame you for what happened with Nabiki, but thank you for stopping things before she... she got hurt."
Ranma's expression turned somber, "But she did get hurt, Akane."
"Wha? How?"
"There's one thing I have to say impressed me about your sister. She was spirited, and that made her just as beautiful as you and Kasumi in her own way. Unfortunately, this whole ordeal broke that spirit. She was wounded in a way that doesn't damage skin, but is very visible."
"I guess you're right," Akane whispered, feeling a tear escape her.
Ranma watched the lone dew of emotion trail down her cheek, "Remember, Akane, time heals all wounds. Your sister may be forever changed, but she could not stay the same forever."
Akane nodded, shaking the tear from her face. Ranma smiled, satisfied that she was in agreement, and was about to turn away. He suddenly noticed his breath fog before him, as his arms began to sense the pricks of chill cross them. His eyes continued to follow Akane's shed tear; their keen and sharpened vision watching it as it turned from clear, to vaguely opaque. As soon as it hit the sidewalk, it shattered like cloudy crystal.
The sudden temperature drop hadn't escaped Akane either, "D-did it just suddenly become freezing?"
Ranma's hand flashed out to right by the base of his own neck. Slowly, he brought the pinched index and forefinger to view, to spy a needle that had been intercepted between them. "Why yes, yes it has."
Akane blinked, and turned to follow his gaze, as he slowly met the cerillan blue eyes of another young man standing on the wall next to them, just behind them.
Ranma nodded in greeting to the newcomer, dressed in ice gray robes, staring back at the pigtailed martial artist with a complete void of emotion past total apathy. "Hello, Mu Tsu," Ranma said, as he rose his head, "I take it your trip from China hadn't been completely troublesome?"
Hannibal
'Mind Games'
"Nabiki's asleep again. I told her that she didn't have to worry about going to school since I'm calling her in sick," Kasumi explained to Ranma, who was the last remaining at the breakfast table. Akane had already gone off to school, while Genma and Soun went to start a new game of go, suggested by Genma to take the other man's concern off of the ordeal with his middle daughter. Ranma wasn't all that concerned about getting to school on time, and felt that it was necessary to prove his concern for the middle Tendou sister.
"That's good, I think it's best she stayed home with you," Ranma smiled at Kasumi, "I think with your support, she'll start opening up just fine."
"But she seems better when you are around, Ranma. I... I think it would be best if you also stayed home."
"I'm afraid I can't be around her *all* the time," Ranma replied with a wry smirk. "If she's gonna get over this, she's gotta learn to stand on her own feet."
"I don't know, I've never seen her like this before," Kasumi replied in a helpless tone, while nervously wringing her hair out.
Ranma nodded slightly, "Yeah, I guess it's hard to see her like this. Heck, I don't even really know her that well, and it's eating me up. If I had only known she was following me sooner..."
"Don't blame yourself for that, Ranma. Nabiki's always been strong-headed."
"I could only imagine." Ranma turned to look at Kasumi curiously, "Tell me, was she a very dependant girl when she was younger? I mean-"
"I think I understand what you mean," Kasumi interjected, as Ranma paused for a few moments, "She... she adored mother. Her death hit her hard. It was hard for all of us, but she handled it much more dramatically than either me or Akane or even father. She used to be so outgoing and playful."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that's too far from what she still had been," Ranma replied, nodding as if he already suspected, or even knew what Kasumi's reply would be. "Well, if I stayed any later, I'd may as well be heading back from school for the end of the day. Take care, Kasumi, and make sure Nabiki's okay." With that, Ranma got up and left.
Kasumi walked a bit with him to the front door, before heading upstairs to check on Nabiki once more. As quietly as she could, she entered her sister's room, to find Nabiki had tossed around on her bed a bit, in the midst of a fitful sleep. Feeling her heart break, Kasumi urgently made her way over to Nabiki's side, gently resting her hand on her sister's side, and her other hand went to stroke Nabiki's hair.
That quelled Nabiki's fits, as she began to settle down, murmering unintellegently in her sleep. Kasumi blinked away the tears that were threatening to come forth, before her eyes caught sight of a thin red mark, a scratch that started from Nabiki's clavical near her neck and lead down into her pajamas. Carefully, Kasumi unbuttoned the first button, and found the faint scar ending near the top of her breast. The scar was recent, and stood out against her sister's pale flesh.
Almost mesmerized by it, Kasumi began to draw her finger along the damaged skin. At the gentle touch, Nabiki's fits started again, wilder and more violent than before.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry Nabiki!" Kasumi repeated in a quiet, crying, desperate tone, as she began to wrestle her sister down. She wrapped an arm around Nabiki's waist, and her other arm around Nabiki's torso protectively when she could not fight her sister's panicked thrashing down. Subconciously realizing she was secure, Nabiki quickly turned and latched onto her older sister, burying her face into the top of Kasumi's chest.
Nabiki was sobbing, not quite awake and not fully asleep; trapped in the two nightmares of true existance and the surreal. The eldest Tendou daughter tried as hard as she could to comfort Nabiki, but found her own strength lacking.
"Who could have done this to you, Nabiki?" Kasumi whispered, as she rubbed the back of Nabiki's head and shoulders, spilling her own tears of anguish.
__________________________
Soun stared intensely at the board, almost as if he were listening to time pass by. He attempted to force his concentration on the game at hand, trying with a herculean effort to ignore the outside word, to temporarily forget his plights, his worries, his fears, and his worthlessness.
Finally, his hand moved to shift one of the black pieces to a different position. "It's my turn, Tendou" Genma interjected, before Soun actually moved the gamestone.
Soun had failed utterly in keeping his focus. No matter how strong his will, the muted cries he could hear coming from upstairs demanded his attention with harsh insistance. He couldn't protect his daughter. He couldn't be with her at every moment, so he had at least trained her to a great proficiency in self-defense. Unfortunately, even his rigerous training proved futile, as Nabiki had the misfortune to meet someone better than her in the still of night.
What if it had been the surgical murderer the new had dubbed the latest serial killer to introduce themselves to Japan? He would have lost a daughter, he... he just couldn't...
Genma saw his friend once again about to break down, this time not in shameless tears, but tears of complete shame. The eldest Saotome shifted uncomfortably in his seat, searching for whatever words of comfort he could offer. "Now, now, Tendou. The boy was there to make sure she stayed safe."
Soun's head snapped up in fury, "Yes, your son rescued her. The very same one that put my little girl into danger in the first place! YOUR son, behaving wrecklessly and endangering MY family! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO PRAISE *YOUR* SON, WHEN IT WAS HE WHO BROUGHT THIS HORROR UPON MY DAUGHTER!!!"
"Sit down, Tendou," Genma warned, "The boy messed up, but he didn't ask for your daughter to follow him."
Soun remained glaring, but brought himself back to sitting, "He has not been forgiven for this outrage, so I suggest you do not make mention of him."
Genma's eyes narrowed, "Be thankful the boy did save her, Tendou. His only crime was leaving past curfew. But, that doesn't put him to blame for your own daughter's carelessness."
The stout martial artist looked out to the back yard, past the stone wall and out into the slightly murky, cloudy sky, "I'm also concerned for the girl, even if she isn't my daughter. Quite frankly, she could be the one that ends up my daughter in law. Don't think that I do not hear her crying upstairs either, Tendou."
"I... I guess you're... I apologise, Saotome." Soun looked down at the game board, and sighed, "Forgive me, I do not think I can continue this game."
"I doubt we could, you scattered all the pieces," Genma responded, dryly.
The Tendou Patriarch wanted to laugh at his friend's attempt as levity, but he could not find the energy to do so. "Saotome... what is to become of my daughter."
"Only the gods can decide that, Tendou, only the gods."
__________________________
Akane failed to hold her attention to class, just as emotionally upheavaled as the rest of her family. What was Nabiki thinking? She wasn't a martial artist like herself or Ranma. What was Ranma doing out that late at night? Thank the gods that he found her before anything happened to her. If Ranma hadn't, Akane wasn't sure she could ever forgive Ranma, or herself. Ranma for leading Nabiki, even unwittingly, into such a dangerous situation. Herself, because she was the one that was supposed to safeguard her family from such dangers. She was the one that had trained since she was allowed to by her father and mother, she was the one that her father had charged with using her skills in the defense of those around her. Even with Nabiki safe at home, Akane felt like she failed somehow.
The final bell rang, telling her just how little she had actually concentrated on school; she hadn't even been aware that it was so close to time. Mechanically, she gathered her supplies, unnoticing of Ranma's approach.
The pigtailed boy's face was schooled in concern, as he reached to gently touch Akane on the shoulder, "Akane, are you alr-"
Akane suddenly whirled, trapping Ranma's hand at an awkward angle, and twisting it to force him down to his knees. Akane looked at the other boy wildly, before she realized who it was, and what she was doing.
Almost as if Ranma's hand was on fire, she let go, "I-I'm sorry!"
Ranma hid his victorious smile, just before giving Akane a pained, though wry look, "A bit jumpy, aren't you?" He then turned to give their classmates and teacher a look to signify that everything was alright. They accepted, and went about their business.
The pigtailed martial artist brought himself to standing, checking his wrist, "You looked like you hadn't been paying attention all day."
Akane kept her head down in embarrassment and remorse, "Of course! My sister was att-"
Ranma quickly cut her off, "Akane, let's finish this where there are less ears about, aright?" Akane nodded, and began to follow Ranma out of the classroom.
It wasn't long before they were walking towards Akane's home. Ranma walked alongside the other girl, giving her concerned glances every so often.
"Thank you, Ranma."
"Um, what for?" the pigtailed boy enquired, seeming confused.
"I know I can't blame you for what happened with Nabiki, but thank you for stopping things before she... she got hurt."
Ranma's expression turned somber, "But she did get hurt, Akane."
"Wha? How?"
"There's one thing I have to say impressed me about your sister. She was spirited, and that made her just as beautiful as you and Kasumi in her own way. Unfortunately, this whole ordeal broke that spirit. She was wounded in a way that doesn't damage skin, but is very visible."
"I guess you're right," Akane whispered, feeling a tear escape her.
Ranma watched the lone dew of emotion trail down her cheek, "Remember, Akane, time heals all wounds. Your sister may be forever changed, but she could not stay the same forever."
Akane nodded, shaking the tear from her face. Ranma smiled, satisfied that she was in agreement, and was about to turn away. He suddenly noticed his breath fog before him, as his arms began to sense the pricks of chill cross them. His eyes continued to follow Akane's shed tear; their keen and sharpened vision watching it as it turned from clear, to vaguely opaque. As soon as it hit the sidewalk, it shattered like cloudy crystal.
The sudden temperature drop hadn't escaped Akane either, "D-did it just suddenly become freezing?"
Ranma's hand flashed out to right by the base of his own neck. Slowly, he brought the pinched index and forefinger to view, to spy a needle that had been intercepted between them. "Why yes, yes it has."
Akane blinked, and turned to follow his gaze, as he slowly met the cerillan blue eyes of another young man standing on the wall next to them, just behind them.
Ranma nodded in greeting to the newcomer, dressed in ice gray robes, staring back at the pigtailed martial artist with a complete void of emotion past total apathy. "Hello, Mu Tsu," Ranma said, as he rose his head, "I take it your trip from China hadn't been completely troublesome?"