"Um, sir?" Kagome's mother said, placing a tentative hand on his shoulder. "You know, there's really no reason to cry this much."
Tendo Soun responded to this by wailing in despair. She supposed that, she, too, would have been distraught if she had to pay a year's salary to repair a stranger's house. Especially if she were unemployed.
Especially if her daughter had destroyed a stranger's kitchen.
Especially if a strange young man wielding a wooden sword had broken in through the roof of the stranger's kitchen, yelling about "finishing Saotome Ranma once and for all" and had started a duel. That one had to pay for.
All right, she conceded. There were plenty of reasons for this man to cry. But she didn't understand why he was crying about the sword-wielding stranger and "Saotome Ranma." As far as she knew he had no connection to those people –
"I'm so very sorry for the behavior of my daughter and her fiance!" he said, rubbing one eye and stopping the Niagara Falls for about five seconds.
...She supposed she was wrong.
"Fiance? Your daughter is engaged already?"
Tendo Soun nodded and hiccupped.
"I-I just thought they'd be a great match. They both love martial arts! They both study the Anything Goes School! She hates boys and he's a girl half the time!"
"Wait, could you explain that last part?"
"But my daughter Akane is just too beautiful, athletic, stylish, and popular!" he howled. "Ever since she got engaged to Ranma-kun, our house has been destroyed at least twice a week! Boys keep chasing her too much!"
"I – "
"And Ranma-kun has two other fiancees!"
"Could you please explain that last part?"
"And now they've followed my dear Akane-chan to your house and will ruin it again!"
He shrank in on himself after this infodump. She noted with alarm the rising water levels on the floor.
Yes, he really was crying that much.
"Uh, Tendo-san, it's all right...you don't have to pay anything. I have insurance."
He looked up with sparkling, hopeful eyes.
The roof caved in again.
"Ran-chan, are you here? I was so worried when you didn't show up at school!" someone yelled.
A/N: A brief interlude into the just as chaotic modern era...
Does anyone ship Kagome's mom/Akane's dad? Two widowed people making a life together. Hahaha.
Tell me what you think. :)