Once more unto the breech:

"Yeah," Ranma snorted. "It's the old man's fault though." He
paused for a moment then blinked and said, "You mean you got one
too, Ryoga? Aw, man... Mom's gonna be really pissed when she hears
about this."

Which mom?

continued, "I dunno what you're talking about. So I date some, what's
the big deal about that? And yeah, I like to do business while I travel.
That's not a crime, is it?"

Err, when you break the law, it is.

"You have defamed the Kuno family name and honor!"

Tatewaki: How dare you! That's my job!

"Boyfriend?" repeated Tatewaki numbly.

"Time for you to die then,' Tatewaki finished.

"Yes," said Kodachi anxiously. "Ranma dearest and I have
been dating for quite some time now."

Kodachi: And we've been sleeping together even longer than that.

Noticing his presence, Ranma turned and smiled as he said,
"Yo Kuno.

Yo, Kuno

"I want you to stop hounding Ranma about this engagement
idea of yours. He and Kodachi are obviously in love," said Kasumi in a
low whisper. "Do you agree?"

It doesn't seem likely he'll give in this easily.

Everyone turned to see Nabiki standing in the sitting room
doorway with the a confused Akane behind her.

"Oooh," Akane said in awe as she looked at Perfume. "There's
more of you! It's an Amazon party!"

I thought she saw Perfume earlier, or hasn't she seen the new members yet?

There was a long moment of silence before Akane clapped her
hands together and exclaimed, "Yay! We're going to have a wedding!"

Heh. Amazing how she can take everything in stride. Interesting variation.

"You don't know what love truly is," said Tatewaki fiercely. "I
can recall you claiming to love all those girls you tossed aside like so
much garbage."

Ranma the scoundral, eh?

hardly innocent but she is sweet and she never ever blushes. I say that
we keep our two Dachi's and never have them mix. Or else it'll cause
some sort of vortex like in Star Trek or something."

Heh.

"We've settled them," Tatewaki said. "I still do not trust him
entirely but I'll not interfere with your choices." He paused to add
quietly, "Yet."

He did give up rather easily.

"All right," Ranma said before he gave Kodachi a quick kiss
on the cheek. Bounding past Tatewaki he called, "Later Kuno!"

later, Kuno

---

"I'm sure child,"

sure, child

"Perfume," chided Kasumi. "I thought that you were trying to
stop using profanity?"

Yeah, right. Next she'll try to give up breathing.

"So in other words," Ranma began slyly. "I'm the one who
takes after you."

Pretty much

mean my brother can't marry one of them! He's too chicken to ask any
girls out and he's a Saotome too! Ryoga would be just great!"

Heh. Ranma does make it sounds like he's doing Ryouga a favor.

Soun looked warily over at Genma and asked, "Is this what it's
like having sons?"

"Pretty much," said Genma with a nod.

% Oh, like having nothing but girls is any better. Try leaving a toilet
seat up once and watch yourself get ganged up by every female in sight.

"Absolutely," said Genma with a nod. "Ranma can be stubborn
about these things. As he said for himself, I'm afraid that Ranma is far
too much like me." Genma slowly met Soun's gaze and said, "And
would you truly you want one of your daughters marrying someone
like me?"

Soun shuddered at the thought and said, "You have a point."

Heh. You know, it's kind of nice to see Soun admit to that.

He was about to say something more when a loud splash
sounded and they turned to see Ryoga standing on one of the large
boulders laughing.

boulders, laughing.

"Oh, Ryoga..." called a sweet and melodic voice as Ranma
rose out of the koi pond to reveal her elfin form.

Heh. This should be amusing.

---

"<Great Grandmother,>" began Perfume in a near hiss. "<How
could you offer the demon thieves a deal? They are criminals! We
should punish them with full force!>"

Perfume: Bitch slappings for all involved.

"<I'm sorry,>" Perfume said quietly as she flushed.

the toilet? (Perhaps there is a better word to use there)

"<And who said I did, child?>" Cologne asked as she tilted
her head to one side. "<I trust them about as much as I trust my fellow
Elders. If there's one thing that I have learned in this life it's

life, it's

"<Got that right,>" Shampoo said in droll tones. She then
formed a mischievous expression and crossed to sit next to Perfume
on the bed. "<Sooo,>" she began teasingly. "<Tell me just how your
new Airen managed to defeat you.>"

Basically, it involved a bananna peel.

It was a good two hours before Shampoo finally got Perfume
to tell her about her defeat at the hands of Kasumi.

And it was another two hours before Shampoo finally stopped
laughing about it.

Heh,.

Things like: What's a harlot? Why is she one? What's a bra?
And why should she put one on?

Heh.

"Dummy?" said Ranma with a scowl. "Who're you calling a
dummy you

dummy, you

big blockhead?"

"Ranma," interrupted Genma in a low growl. He was the only
person in the room who wasn't effected by Ranma's shirtless

I thihk 'topless' is better here since you use shirt in the next sentence.

"Ryoga!" said Ranma in outrage. "How could you do that to
me? Your very own brother!"

Actually, that's exactly how he can do it. ^_^

In a slow movement, Ranma crossed over to Genma who
looked into her eyes and said lowly, "Look boy

Look, boy

It wouldn't be until sometime late tomorrow evening that
Ryoga would finally realize that by him doing this he had helped his
father and Ranma to stick him with the engagement.

Oops.

"I have no idea," murmured Nabiki as she shut the door to her
bedroom. "But lets

let's

"How could I forget?" replied Nabiki. "They're still calling here
asking to speak to the 'Kawaii Wonder'."

Heh.

"Ranma," said Kasumi in chastising tones as she entered the
room. "Wrestling just isn't ladylike."

At this point both Ranma and Ryoga were on their knees with
their hands locked and were trying to overpower each other. It looked
like Ryoga had the upper hand and was about to win the match

I should hope so. Ranma's elven form shouldn't be that powerful.

"Business?" asked Nabiki suspiciously. "Daddy, what's going
on? What is this all about?"

"It's very simple, Nabiki," said Soun as he continued to smile.
"Ranma cannot carry on with the engagement so his brother Ryoga
had

has

 volunteered to replace him."

"Yup!" Ranma affirmed, slapping Ryoga hard on the back.
"My big bro is just cool like that, arentcha Ryoga?"

arentcha, Ryoga?

"Not true!" said Genma indignantly. "We have him gagged.
And that's a very different thing, Nabiki."

Hehe. Genma would be the one to point this out.

That was when Akane looked at Kasumi who looked as if she
was already aware of this fact. And when their eyes met both the
sisters came to a silent decision.

They would sacrifice the dateless member of their family to the
great beast of arranged engagements.

One member of the choosers is different, but the thought remains the same
among the Tendo siblings.

"And I'm afraid that I'm already engaged," said Kasumi who
knelt down next to Akane in front of Ryoga. "To a very nice but
somewhat violent Chinese Amazon with axes."

A clever way for using an awkward situation to her advantage.


D.B. Sommer