In preperation for working on part 4 this week end, (my
wife is out of town) I've cleaned up parts 1 to 3 of
Yellow. It hasn't changed much, except I reworded a few
bits that couldn't seem to find a tense, and a zillion
spelling errors have been fixed.
___________________________________________________________
Yellow
By Joseph Palmer
"Kasumi, do we have any yellow thread?" Akane called,
rushing into the living room. She ran to the cabinet, slid
the bottom door, pulled out the sewing basket and began
rummaging through it.
"There should be some under the tray, on the right. Is
there something that you'd like me to mend?"
"Ah, found it. Thanks, no, it's just a simple thing."
"But I've finished, so I'm not busy right now."
"Thanks sis, but I can handle it."
"Okay," she answered tentatively. She quietly sipped her
tea while Akane raced back upstairs. In a moment footsteps
could be heard rushing back down.
"Kasumi, which of these do you think would be better?"
Nabiki held up two swimsuits, a practical brown one piece,
and a far less modest white bikini.
"Brown is a good color for you."
Nabiki paused, biting her cheek. "Mmm. Okay.... Thanks!"
She bounded back upstairs.
"Kasumi! Oi! Kasumi!" Soun called, from the back of the
house.
"What is it father?"
He poked his head around the corner of the doorway. "I
can't find my overnight bag, do you know where it is?"
"It's in the front closet, I'll get it."
"No, no, don't get up, I'll get it!" He rushed past,
leaving Kasumi to her tea. He returned in a moment carrying
his bag. "Swimsuit?" he asked.
"Stacked with your other clean clothes. I did laundry
today." Soun stood motionless. "I put it in your room."
"Oh, okay." He rushed back to his room.
Kasumi wrapped her teacup in both hands, the warmth
soaking into her fingers and palms. She sipped the last of
the tea and put the cup down in front of her. She smiled.
Tomorrow is going be a lot of fun, she thought.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Ne, brother, How about her?" 16 year old Mariko Tanaka was
engaging in her favorite activity, matchmaking.
"Where?" 18 year old Souichi Tanaka was engaging in his
least favorite activity, fending off his sister's attempts
at matchmaking.
"Red boots and purse".
"Her? But... she must be at least 20."
"Mmmm?" Mariko hummed. It was both a question and a bit of
an admonishment that her brother should be more open
minded. Mariko and all her friends had picked up the
'Mmmmm', and become surprisingly proficient at conveying a
wide range of information with it. "That's not too old for
you, you know."
"Sis..."
"Okay, Okay." Mariko sulked.
First a trickle, then a flood of passengers poured down
the steps from the tracks above. Mariko scanned the crowd
for prospects, but the train had been full of salary men
office ladies.
"Brother, you've got to help me here. What kind of girl
are you looking for?"
"I'm not looking."
"Hmmph. Looking is all you ever do."
Souichi kicked firmly at stone floor under him. There was
more than a little truth in what she was saying.
"Look, brother, we're on vacation. You should just relax.
Have a little fun. Flirt a little. Show off your nice
smile."
Souichi turned to his sister and gave her a menacing grin.
"Stopit."
They stood silently watching the crowds come and go.
"Where did our parents go?" Souichi asked after a while.
"Last I saw them they were headed for the shops, we still
have twenty minutes before the train leaves, do you want to
go poke around?"
"No, I'm going to save my money for Hakone."
"Me too. Let's just watch the people for now."
"Hey, sis, how about you? Maybe we should find a boy for
you."
"Mmmmm?"
"Aha! There, that one, yellow and black bandana."
"Oh, he is really cute, nice muscles, but he has that
'lost' look"
"You think?"
"Yeah, that's the third person he's asked directions
from."
"Oh."
The crowds thinned out, then another rush appeared.
"Ne-chan, how about him, long hair, white robe."
Mariko watched the boy for a moment. "He keeps talking to
the posters, besides, what about that girl with him?"
"The one with the purple hair?"
"So is purple hair your type?" Mariko nudged her brother.
He watched as they crossed the room. "Keba-keba." [Too
showy (fluffy)]
"Mmmmmmm." Mariko hummed.
"Stop that."
"Mmm?" Mariko replied, then laughed.
"Here's one. He's perfect for you, red shirt, pony tail."
Souichi nodded across the room.
"Where?"
"Just coming in. He's with the big guy in the Judo gi, and
the pretty woman in the kimono."
"Mmmmmm." Mariko looked over the group.
"I translate that to: 'he's cute, but there's something
about him...'"
"Yup." She nodded knowingly. "He's taken. It's the way he
keeps looking around. He's waiting for someone."
"Mmmm?" Souichi asked.
Mariko elbowed her brother. "Do you have any idea what you
said just now?"
"No, What did I say?"
"It's... It's... Well... It's just not something you
should ask your sister, that's all, okay?"
Souichi gave his sister a confused look.
Mariko pouted, then a smile broke across her lips. She
began to giggle, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Brother, you are SO gullible."
"And you...." Souichi began, but his attention was drawn
over his sister's shoulder.
Mariko ducked, waiting for her brother's reprisal. She
looked up, but he was looking past her, so she turned to
see what had so captured his attention.
Three young women were pulling a tall man with long hair
and a neat mustache up the hallway. Mariko looked at her
brother, he was clearly captivated by one of the three. The
tallest was wearing a serene smile and a simple blue dress.
She carried a patterned overnight bag. The next wore a gold
blouse over tight designer jeans, and carried a small
backpack. The last was wearing a red sundress and carried a
large and apparently very heavy athletic bag.
"Ne, brother, what's wrong?" she whispered. Her brother
didn't answer. "Brother?" she asked again.
"She's so cute!" he answered dreamily.
"Which one? Which one?" Mariko asked.
"I'm not telling you. You'll have to guess."
Mariko looked over the three. "Hmm." Her brother usually
preferred the shy reserved type. "Blue dress, with the long
pretty hair."
"Mm-Mm." He shook his head.
Mariko looked at the others, The one in the red sundress
was having trouble with the heavy bag, and the one in gold
top was shaking her head in disapproval. As they came
closer she could overhear some of their conversation.
"Sis, I told you not to pack so much..."
"But I couldn't decide what to bring..."
"Now you'll have to carry that huge thing
all over..."
"Daijyobu! [Its okay], you'll see. I don't have
to carry it much farther..."
Mariko nudged her brother, "You like the one in red don't
you...," she began, then stopped, because the girl in red
had stopped and had begun to wave across the waiting room.
The boy in the red shirt with the pony tail smiled and
waved back, then rushed out to meet her.
"Oops, looks like your dream girl knows my boy." Mariko
whispered.
When the boy reached her there was an embarrassed pause as
they both became aware of the public surroundings, and
their families' watchful gaze. The girl in red offered the
bag and the boy took it, then nearly dropped it. He made a
show of complaining about the weight, but then flipped it
over his shoulder as if it were empty.
"Poor, poor brother," Mariko began. "You must be crushed.
To find love at first sight, then it's " she snapped her
fingers dramatically "...snatched away. Still, it's better
to have loved and lost, than..." Mariko noticed her brother
was not paying attention to her.
"Isn't she cool?" he asked.
"Huh?" Mariko followed her brother's gaze. He was eyeing
the girl in the gold top. "Her?"
"What do you mean, 'her?' she's cute."
"Mmmmmm?" Mariko replied.
"And just what do you mean by that?"
"You want to meet her? I could just go over there and "
"Nooooooo! I'd die of embarrassment."
"Poor brother. It'd just be saying hi. Hmmph. Anyway, what
does it matter, they're going to get on a train, and go one
way, then we're going to get on a train and go another,
you'll probably never see her again."
At that moment the group headed for the stairs, lead by
the woman in the kimono who walked with the tallest girl,
followed by the men, who were laughing and carrying on
together like school boys, then came the couple in red, the
boy carried both bags, and lastly, the girl in the gold
top. She took a couple of steps then stopped and looked
right at Mariko and Souichi. He blushed and looked away for
a moment, when he looked back, the girl smiled at him, then
turned and left.
Mariko looked at her brother. "Oh, you've got it bad."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ranma and Akane took the seats behind their fathers, who
were already deep in a game of shogi on a portable game
board. Kasumi and Nodoka took the seats across the isle,
and Nabiki had two seats to herself across from her father.
The train accelerated smoothly away from the station
exactly on time for the 41-minute trip to Odwara.
Ten minutes out of Tokyo station Nabiki poked her head up
over her seat, "Auntie, what kind of room do we have?" she
asked.
Nodoka pulled the reservation sheet from her purse. "We
have two ten-tatami rooms, with a door between them."
Nabiki frowned, then smiled. "I think we should put our
two 'lovebirds' in one room, and the rest of us can all jam
into the other."
"Nabiki..." Akane hissed.
"But don't you two deserve a little privacy? You know,
it'll make up for when..."
"NABIKI!" The hiss turned to a growl. Akane glared at her
sister, and blushed.
"Auntie, I really don't think that putting Ranma and Akane
in their own room a very good idea," Kasumi pleaded.
Nodoka thought a moment. "You're right, Kasumi, for one
thing, if we left the lovebirds alone in one room, why...
why... then the rest of us would have to share one
bathroom."
Ranma picked himself off the floor.
"Mother..." Ranma hissed, then blushed.
"So I think we'll have one girl's room, and one boys
room, that splits it up three and four, and this way you
girls won't have to put up with my husband's snoring."
"Or the funny noises from the other room." Nabiki added.
"That's it Nabiki!" Akane jumped to her feet. "How would
you like to walk the rest of the way?" Nabiki shrieked and
ducked down in her seat.
Akane plopped angrily down in her seat. "Jeez."
For the remainder of the trip Kasumi and Nodoka made
plans, pouring over vacation pamphlets. Nabiki stayed out
of sight and Akane cooled down, though an ember still
glowed.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mariko sat next to her brother.
"She's in the next car." She said nonchalantly.
"Who?" Souichi asked.
"WHO?" Mariko mocked. "Just Ms. gold top, that's who."
"Stop joking."
"I'm not joking. She's on the this train."
"Sister, if you're making this up..." Souichi gripped his
armrests.
"There's an empty seat next to her..."
Souichi glared at his sister for a full ten seconds and
then made for the back of the car. He returned a minute
later.
"Told you."
Souichi slumped in his seat. "She's so cute," he said in a
daze.
"Maybe they're headed for Hakone too."
"If only she would... oh, never mind." He buried his head
in his hands. "I'd never get that lucky."
"At this rate, you may never 'get lucky'".
"And just what do you mean by that?"
"Brother, didn't your friends ever tell you that before
you can get to 'A' with a girl you are going to have to
actually meet her and talk to her first?" ['A' = first
base, kissing]
Souichi stewed in his seat. "I know, I know."
The train slowed, then switched to the platform tracks
with a gentle rocking. A prerecorded voice announced Odwara
Station in Japanese and English, and the train glided
smoothly to a stop.
Souichi rushed to the back to get their bags, and to take
another peek into the next car. His heart pounded when he
saw her pulling on her backpack. The notion of meeting her
both thrilled and terrified him. Mariko joined him in the
passageway.
"Lucky!" she whispered. " It looks like she's stopping
here. Now we need to plot a way for you to meet her."
Souichi turned his attention to the bags. "Sister, please
don't..."
"Nabiki, do you know her?" Soun nodded to the front of the
car.
"Mm?" Nabiki turned and looked. The girl waved. Nabiki
looked around the car, but the wave could be for no one
else. She turned back to the girl and waved tentatively.
"Ahhh!" Souichi grabbed his sister by the arm and dragged
her away from the doorway. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he
shouted.
"I'm just being friendly"
"Well, stop it."
"Don't you want to meet her?"
"No." Souichi frowned at his sister. "Yes. Anyway you
shouldn't..."
A northbound train thundered past at nearly 200 kph.
"BUT BROTHER YOU SAID..." Mariko shouted over the passing
train.
"SAID WHAT?" Souichi shouted in reply
The end of the train flashed past.
"SHE'S - SO - CUTE!" Mariko's words echoed in the now
silent car.
Nabiki froze.
After a moment Akane leaned over Nabiki's shoulder. "Are
you thinking what I'm thinking?" She whispered in her ear.
"No, what are you thinking?" The annoyance was plain in
Nabiki's voice.
"I'm thinking you have an 'admirer'."
"A what?" A chill went through Nabiki. She watched as a
red faced boy dragged the girl out onto the platform. "No
way!"
"It's okay, Ranma whispered in her other ear. "Maybe she's
rich."
Nabiki shivered, then followed the others out the back of
the car in a daze.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Part 2.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nodoka thanked the lady at the front desk and returned to
the others. "Our room won't be ready till three so..." She
walked to a nearby brochure rack and pulled one out. "We
have some time to see the sights. Let's see, we could take
the tram up the mountain." She pulled another from the
rack. "Or we could go down to the sculpture museum in Gora
or " Nabiki picked one and handed to Nodoka. "The Hakone
Wedding Chapel."
Akane trembled in anger. "NA---BI--- KI-----!" she
growled. Her sister ran to hide behind their father.
"Hmm. the Wedding Chapel. Say, that's a fine idea, don't
you think Soutome-kun?" Soun nodded wisely.
"So, so. A very fine idea, Tendou-kun." Genma agreed,
patting him on the back.
"Old man..." Ranma popped his knuckles menacingly.
"Or we could go to the onsen park instead." Akane held up
another brochure. She flipped it open and read: "The
visitor will find over 30 heated pools climbing the
hillside with a spectacular view of the Hakone hills."
"Onsen Park! Onsen Park!" Soun and Genma cheered, waving
fans and little rising sun flags in the air.
Nodoka sighed. "Well, I see we have their vote. Kasumi?"
"As much as I'd like to see the chapel," she smiled
sweetly at Ranma and Akane, "I think today we'd better
stick with the onsen park."
" Nabiki?"
"Tough decision, but if it's between the onsen park and
the chapel, I'll have go with the swimsuits and boys."
"Akane-chan?"
Akane picked up a brochure in one hand. "Onsen, or..." she
picked up the other brochure with the other, "...Chapel."
She held both brochures in her hands. Gazing first at one,
then the other. She turned to her fiance "Oh Ranma, I... I
can't decide."
"Heh?" Ranma's eyes popped out. Large drops of sweat
formed on his brow.
"It's just..." she paused, looking first to her father,
then to Kasumi, then Nabiki, then Nodoka, then finally back
to Ranma. "I can't decide which swimsuit to wear."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Souichi leaned back against he rough rocks lining the side
of the steaming pool. He closed his eyes and tilted his
face up seeking the cool drops of water that fell from the
rocks above. In moments the warm water relaxed him, and his
mind began to drift. With his eyes closed he could almost
imagine he was all alone, and the sounds of the others
sharing the pool and the ones nearby was just piped in
ambiance. His daydream was interrupted by a splash of
water.
"Wake up, sleepy-head, she's here." Mariko chimed.
"Huh? Who?"
"Who again. It's miss gold top again, except this time
it's a brown swimsuit."
"Will you stop joking around?"
"I saw her in the dressing room. They were just coming in
as I was going out."
"Sis, if you're making this up..."
"Here's the plan. I'll go down and get into the same pool
as her and strike up a conversation. Then you can come join
us and I'll introduce you. Easy, no?" Mariko jumped from
the pool and headed down towards the entrance. "Don't you
chicken out on me!" She called back over her shoulder.
"Wait a second what about..." Souichi called, but it was
too late. It was a good plan in principal, but he wondered
if Mariko had forgotten about the encounter on the train.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mariko reached for the handle of the dressing room, then
stopped. After this morning it might not be good if I tried
to strike up a conversation in the dressing room, she
thought. Maybe I'll just wait for her out here.
She picked a nearby pool and climbed in. The pool was
shaped like a fountain and the water was slightly pink and
smelled of roses. Several girls came out of the dressing
room, but she didn't recognize any of them. Then after a
few minutes the door came open and she could hear voices
from inside.
"Akane-chan are you ready yet?"
"Go on ahead, I'll catch up."
"What's taking so long."
"I still can't decide."
The tallest of the girls from the train held the door for
the woman Mariko had seen with them that morning.
"Thank you Kasumi," the woman said. They stood scanning
the pools for a moment.
"I don't see the others," Kasumi said.
"Never mind, they'll find us. Let's pick a pool one nearby
so we can spot them coming out."
Mariko slid around to give them room to climb in. "Please
go ahead," she said.
"Thank you," Nodoka said to Mariko, then she and Kasumi
slid into the steaming water.
"Ah, this rosewater is so nice, isn't it auntie Nodoka?"
Kasumi waved her arms the warm water.
"Mmm yes, and probably more peaceful than the visiting the
Wedding Chapel would have been," Nodoka giggled.
"Say, didn't I see you on the train this morning?" Mariko
asked. "I'm Mariko Tanaka." she bowed, accidentally dipping
her nose into the water.
"Hee-hee," Kasumi giggled covering her mouth with her
hand.
"Sorry. Anyway, I'm Kasumi Tendou, I'm very pleased to
meet you, and this is..." she paused, pondering wow to
describe the relationship. "...my sister's mother-in-law,
to-be."
"Nodoka Soutome, pleased to meet you."
"When I first saw you I thought you might be sisters..."
Nodoka blushed. "You are so nice!" she said.
"But you look so young," Mariko prodded.
"Young lady, I have a son about your age."
"Oh, I remember, red shirt, ponytail, right?"
"That's Ranma, and the girl that was with him is my sister
Akane. Ah, here she comes." Kasumi waved her sister over.
"Wasn't there another girl about my age with you?" Mariko
asked.
"Yes, that's Kasumi's little sister Nabiki." Nodoka said.
She made room for Akane to join them in the pool. "This is
Akane Tendou, my son's fiancee."
"Hi, I'm Mariko Tanaka, I'm pleased to meet you."
"I'm pleased to meet you." Akane bowed. This girl looked
somehow familiar to her.
"A fiance? You're so lucky to have found someone." Mariko
said.
"Well, our fathers arranged it."
"Still, How about you Kasumi?"
"Oh, I think they're very lucky too."
"No, what I meant was, do you have a boyfriend?"
"Oh, no, no. I'm far too busy with taking care of daddy
and my sisters."
"Well there is someone..." Akane prodded.
"Really?" Nodoka asked.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Souichi got out of his pool and looked down the hill for
his sister. The pools were terraced down the hillside, with
paths meandering between them. Souichi began to crisscross
down the hill, checking for his sister. At one point the
path doubled back and he found a couple making out in a
secluded pool. He blushed and turned away to continue his
search.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mariko listened attentively to the conversation, waiting
for the right moment.
"So you're engaged," she said looking at Akane, "and you
have an admirer," she said to Kasumi. "What about Nabiki?
does she have someone special?"
Akane froze. It was the word Mariko had used. 'Admirer.'
Now she remembered. Mariko was the girl from the train.
Masaka!* She just asked if Nabiki had 'anyone special', not
about any boyfriends.
*[After all] (it might be true)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Souichi was halfway down the hill when he bumped into a boy
with a ponytail. They both apologized, then there was a
moment of recognition, and both pointed fingers at each
other.
"You look familiar." They both said as one, then laughed.
"We were on the train together. I'm Ranma Soutome."
"Pleased to meet you, I'm Souichi Tanaka." Souichi
answered automatically. Then it hit him. The station. The
train. His sisters blundered attempt at matchmaking. "Oh
no, that was you..." he let his head fall in shame.
"Soutome-san, please allow me to apologize for the
unfortunate incident with my sister this morning" he said
formally.
"Huh? Oh, No problem." Ranma replied cautiously.
"You see, my sister is really quite notorious in this
respect." Souichi explained. "Ever since she started high
school she's gained quite a reputation."
"I see." Ranma said. He and Akane had only been joking
with Nabiki, but perhaps there was more to it.
"You understand how 16 year old girls sometimes are..."
"Well, yes, that's something I know about." Ranma nodded.
"Sometimes they settle down and grow out of it, but with
My sister I suspect it may be a lifelong thing."
"So..." Ranma said, backing away a little, so he was under
the lip of a pool on the next terrace.
"Ranma-kun!" Nabiki called cheerfully from the pool above.
Souichi looked up. There she was, smiling down on them. He
watched fascinated as she dumped a child's pail of water
over the edge in front of him, then she disappeared back
behind the edge.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeya! That's cold!" Ranma-chan shrieked.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"That'll be Ranma. Again." Akane sighed, then dipped her
head underwater and shook it slowly.
"Mmmmm?" Mariko looked up the hill. It wasn't hard to find
the source of the disturbance, since every guy in the place
was staring at one point. (No, better make that two.)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Souichi looked back down, and a red headed girl was
standing right where Ranma had been just a few seconds ago.
He pondered that mystery only for as long as it took to
notice that the girl was topless. Very topless. Right here,
right in front of him, really, very, topless. He wondered
then for a moment why his peripheral vision seemed to be
going dark, and why was it when he rubbed a tickle in his
nose, his hand came away bloody? Then he wondered why the
topless girl seemed to be floating away, and why it was
getting dark so very quickly, and finally he wondered why
it was his sister kept screaming his name?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Part 3
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mariko was out of the rose water and halfway up the hill by
the time Souichi hit the ground. She found her brother
lying on his back on one of the cobbled paths. A red headed
girl was kneeling over him, gently slapping his cheeks.
"Oi, Oi, are you okay?" she was asking.
Mariko stood at her brothers feet, steeled herself to her
full 5 foot 3, crossed her arms, and demanded; "Hey, you!
What did you do to my brother?"
Ranma jerked around. "Nothing, we were just talking, and
he passed out." The commotion had caused a small crowd to
gather around them. The motion gave many of the boys
nosebleeds.
Mariko blushed at the brazenness of the redhead. Her hands
found her hips and she leaned in closer.
"Do you expect me to believe that? You - You - You -
HUSSY!"
Souichi drifted awake as from a dream.
Rough. Wet.
There was something rough pushing on his back, and it was
wet.
Shouting. Sister.
He could hear shouting, and the person shouting sounded a
lot like his sister. What happened? He opened his eyes a
slit and saw his sister shouting at a girl.
Girl. There had been a girl. Oh yes. Definitely girl...
and she was... and they were...
Souichi sat up.
BIG mistake.
A searing pain shot from the back of his head, straight to
the center, where it lingered a moment before it split.
Half sought out the sensitive region just behind his right
eye, and half found the left. His eyes reflexively snapped
closed. Cautiously he reached up and found a huge bump on
the back of his head. "Itai" he said. [Ouch.]
"Souichi!" Mariko cried. "Are you Okay?"
"Oh, he's awake." Ranma turned, her chest inches from
Souichi's nose.
"Te te te." Souichi hissed in a breath. "I was talking to
this guy, but then there was this girl, and she was..."
Souichi picked that moment to open his eyes. She was back,
and this time just inches away. "...topless."
A second trickle of blood left his nose, and soon the bump
on his head had a second one for company.
"Make way!" Akane pushed her way through the crowd, saving
her last shove for Ranma, tipping her and three or four
bystanders into the adjoining pool. "Back up, give him some
air!" She shouted at those remaining on the path. She bent
over Souichi with Mariko. "Is he okay?"
Souichi moaned and rubbed the back of his head. Mariko
stood and turned, scanning the crowd. "WHERE'D THAT RED-
HEADED HUSSY EXHIBITIONIST GO?" she screamed. The crowd
pointed to the pool where she and the others had fallen,
but there were only boys -- including Ranma, who searched
around convincingly -- and a very surprised Gaijin couple.
The redhead was nowhere to be seen.
Ranma completed his search, shrugged, and climbed from the
pool to join Akane. "Is he okay?"
"He'll be all right, but he doesn't have your hard head"
"Thanks. Anyway, I think I'll take him down to the
showers." Ranma helped the groggy Souichi to his feet and
started down the hill with him.
Akane called after them, "Oh, Ranma, as long as you're
there, why don't you get a T-shirt for yourself? You
wouldn't want to be too EXPOSED to the sun, you know."
"Hai."
Akane found the still fuming Mariko. "Ranma's taking your
brother down to the locker room so he can clean up."
"Thanks. Have you seen that half-naked red-head?"
Yeah, frequently, Akane thought, but the words came out as
"Ah... well... No."
"Will you help me look for her?"
"I'm sure she's long gone by now, don't you think?"
Mariko stalked off. "I'm going to keep looking."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nabiki stretched contentedly in a secluded pool. She was
rather pleased with the effect of her little trick, after
all, Ranma was family, well practically, and it was high
time he took his lessons in the Tendou school of unlimited
pranks (Nabiki Tendou, founder).
She'd stuck around at the back of the crowd long enough to
observe the after effects of Ranma's change, and hoped --
with a slight twinge of guilt-- that the boy who'd been
rewarded with an eyeful had not been hurt. Nabiki smiled.
That boy was kind of cute...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mariko had given up on her search and was heading back down
the hill to find her brother when she spotted a rock lined
passage heading off towards the edge of the park. She
followed it around the corner, expecting it to end in a
service shed or pump room, but instead it opened onto a
small pool surrounded with high walls of rough rocks. There
was a woman there, but she didn't have red hair, and unlike
the floozy redhead, she was wearing a brown one-piece
swimsuit.
Nabiki looked up. For an instant the steaming water felt
like ice.
Mariko turned to leave, then turned back. "Oh wait, you're
Nabiki aren't you?"
Nabiki paused, then nodded hesitantly.
Mariko stepped down into the pool. She sat at on a rock
near the edge of the path, and dangled her feet into the
water. "I was on the train this morning. This is so
perfect! I've been really hoping to talk to you in
private." Mariko slid down into the pool. "Ooops. My
manners. I'm Mariko Tanaka."
"Oh... ah... hi..." Nabiki nodded tentatively. "How did
you come to know my name?"
"Oh, I met your sisters earlier, they told me all about
you."
Nabiki swallowed on a dry throat. "Is that so? What did
they say?"
"Nothing much, except that you're not dating anyone
special."
"Well no I..." Nabiki shifted uncomfortably.
"Me neither." Mariko looked up at the clouds and waved her
arms lazily in the water. "There was someone, but we broke
up last month."
"Oh. That's too bad." Nabiki surveyed the walls. They were
too high, and Mariko was sitting in front of the only exit.
"I'll say. I was really sad about it for a while, but now
I feel like it's behind me, and I'm finally ready to meet
someone new."
Nabiki felt dizzy. She wasn't sure if it was the
conversation or the hot water.
"Anyway, you should be happy. Starting this morning you
have an admirer."
"Eh?" Nabiki stood suddenly. Akane's whispered words
thundered in her head.
"You shouldn't be so surprised, you know. I think it was
that sexy outfit you were wearing this morning."
Each of the pools was equipped with flat stone seats, to
give the bathers a place to cool down out of the water.
Nabiki found one and sank heavily on it.
"Oh, I like that swimsuit too, it's something a girl would
wear for herself. It looks very comfortable."
Nabiki didn't feel very comfortable. For the first time
she regretted not having taken up martial arts. Akane could
have made it to the top of the wall and away in one jump.
Mariko continued to talk, but Nabiki tuned her out, the
words became an indistinct mumble. I don't want to make a
scene, I should just tell her I'm not interested, and
leave, she thought.
Mariko soon got around to mentioning her brother, and went
on and on how he wanted to meet her, but was to shy to make
the first move. She might as well have been talking to the
rocks. "...So maybe we could meet for ice cream later..."
"Wait..." Nabiki interrupted, snapping out of her trance.
"I I don't want to sound ...well..." She took a breath. "I
don't know how to say this, but I think you should know, I
prefer the other gender."
"Eh?" Mariko choked. Nabiki wasn't interested in her
brother, she preferred the... other... gender. "Oh, I see."
Mariko began to edge her way out of the pool.
"I hope you don't mind."
"Oh no, why should I mind? I don't mind." Mariko worked
her way closer to the exit.
"I'm glad you're so understanding. This could have been
really awkward..."
"Oh yeah, awkward..." That was exactly the word that
Mariko had been looking for.
"So, you're okay with this?"
"Yeah... sure." Mariko got up to leave.
"Good, I didn't want to offend you or anything."
"No, no problem... Ah look, I have to go check up on
Souichi, he bumped his head earlier, and Ranma took him
down to the locker room."
"Oh? Souichi? That was your brother?"
"Mmm. Bye-bye." Mariko waved and sprinted away down the
path.
She seemed nice enough, Nabiki thought, I wonder if she
would introduce me to her brother?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"FOUR???" The improvised ice pack fell to the bench, then
rolled to the floor.
"Careful with that, it's the only plastic bag we have.
Anyway, It's not like it sounds. Two were arranged by my
father, one was a misunderstanding in China, and the other
one just decided for herself. None of them were really my
idea."
Souichi returned the bag of shaved ice to his head.
"Still, four fiancees at the same time. That must be some
sort of record. Four." He shook his head. "Wow."
"It's really not at all it's cracked up to be."
"Look, I ah, I don't suppose...."
"I get that a lot. No." Ranma threw a towel at Souichi.
"Find your own."
"Stingy."
"Oh yeah. I get that a lot too. Don't you have a
girlfriend?"
"No, I..." Souichi kicked at the mat under the bench.
"There is someone here at the park I really want to meet."
"Well, see, now that's a start. What did you do? Did you
talk to her?"
"No, I didn't have a chance. I only saw her for a moment,
then I ended up here."
Ranma turned. "Oh yeah. Her."
"One of your four?"
"No." Ranma answered flatly.
"But you know her, right?"
"Oh well, yes, you could say that." Ranma opened the door.
"Will you introduce me to her?"
"I'm sorry Souichi, but don't waste your time chasing
after her. I happen to know for a fact that she's not
really interested in meeting boys." Ranma left, letting the
door close slowly behind him.
Souichi watched the door close, and in a few moments the
the ice pack fell to the bench for a second time.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nabiki left her hideout, and walked warily to the end of
the path. She poked her head out and checked to her right
then left, then stepped out to the right, square in front
of Akane.
"Going somewhere?" Akane planted herself in the middle of
the path , blocking Nabiki's way. A child's pail swung
heavily from her right hand.
"Oh, hi Akane, what's up?
"This yours?" Akane held the plastic pail out, sloshing a
little to the cement walkway.
Nabiki watched the pail swing.
"I found it in the cold pool." Akane let a little spill
again. It splashed onto Nabiki's feet.
"Akane, This is against the rules, you can't get even for
Ranma, he has to do that for himself."
Akane smiled, and let the bucket down a little, then slid
her other hand under the bucket, ready to throw.
"Akane, wait..." Nabiki felt her way back into the narrow
stone passage, her hands seeking purchase on the stones on
each side.
Akane followed her step for step.
"Akane..." Nabiki pleaded, but Akane only smiled wider,
and readied the bucket. "You can't. It's the rules. Ranma
should..." Akane paused. "You have to wait for him. Where
is he?" Akane's eyes flicked past Nabiki a moment. "Oh,
very good. I've seen you use that trick on Ranma a hundred
times, but it's NOT going to work on me." Akane looked past
her sister again, then nodded. Nabiki shook her head.
"Akane, stop that. I know he's still in the dressing room."
Nabiki's swimsuit, while quite modest in front, plunged to
her waist in the back. In one smooth motion Ranma reached
out, hooked it with his left index finger, and pulled it an
inch. His right hand dumped half of his shaved ice into the
back of her suit. Nabiki jumped, the ice to sliding to the
small of her back.
"KYAA! COLD!" She turned, Ranma was leaning against the
stone wall grinning at her. "YOU!" Nabiki glared at Ranma
and pulled the fabric of her suit away from her skin, but
that only allowed the ice to slide lower. Her eyes went
wide and her chin quivered a moment, then she let out an
undignified "Eeep!" and ran gingerly for the relief of the
hot pool.
Akane joined Ranma. "Not a bad move for your first game."
"Thanks. Now are you going to explain this game?"
"Sure, but first I have to decide what to do with this."
Akane swung the bucket menacingly.
Rather than backing away, Ranma reached down and hooked
his thumb into the back of Akane's bikini bottom. "No, I
think the question is, what am I going to do with the rest
of this shaved ice?"
Their eyes locked. Akane was clearly weighing the risk
against the entertainment value.
"Hey Ranma. This stuff better not stain!" Nabiki called
from the pool.
"It's melon." Ranma called back, his eyes not leaving
Akane's.
"The syrup was clear, so it should be okay." Akane smiled,
but kept her eyes on Ranma. "Pretty sticky, though."
Nabiki stood up and tested her suit. "Oh jeez yuck. I'm
heading for the showers." She walked stiffly out to where
Ranma and Akane were locked in a Mexican standoff. "Okay
Ranma, we're even. It wasn't really fair using Akane to
help, but since you're a beginner, I'll give it a pass."
Neither Ranma or Akane looked up. "Oh jeez. Are you two
going to stay like that all afternoon?"
"I'll put down the pail if you put down the ice." Akane
let the pail down an inch."
"Okay. On three. Ready? One... two... three." Ranma began
to lower the ice, and Akane lowered the pail halfway.
Nabiki reached out and flipped the pail, drenching Ranma
and Akane with the ice cold water.
"Your turn! " she shouted, running for the exit.
"Ranma, Wait." Akane grabbed his arm.
"But she's getting away, why shouldn't I go after her
now?" He tugged but couldn't get free.
"Three reasons. One, you forgot your tee shirt." Ranma
checked. Akane giggled. "Maybe that's two reasons.
Umm Three, It's more fun if you make her wait. The longer
she has to wait, the more nervous she'll get. Then after a
while she'll start to relax..."
"Yes! Then I get her." Ranma rubbed his palms together.
"No. Then you make it clear that you could have, but you
don't. You wait, and then do it again, and again.
"You're scary."
"Thanks, but that's actually Nabiki's ploy, I was never
that patient, I just cased right after her. But anyway...
Most importantly... Number four..." she leaned to Ranma's
ear an whispered. "That secluded pool is empty." Akane
dragged her fiance off towards the pool.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Sounds nice, where is it?"
Mariko pointed up the hill. "Follow that path up past the
cold pond, then go behind the sauna, and watch for a gap in
the wall."
"Are you coming with?"
"No, I should wait here for my brother."
"Okay, see you later."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nabiki held her swimsuit under the steaming shower, rinsing
and twisting it to remove sticky syrup. Ranma learns
quickly, but it was worth it, she thought. She smiled,
closing her eyes to savor the scene when she'd surprised
him. The look on Ranma's face had been absolutely
priceless, and the effect on the other boy... Nabiki looked
at the wrinkled swimsuit. I wish I'd brought my white
bikini, she thought. Oh well.... She turned off the water
and was about to put her suit back on when she remembered
Akane's beach bag. She warped herself in a towel and set
off to raid her sister's collection.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Souichi, over here." Mariko waved her brother over.
"Hi sis." He stepped into the pool.
"How's your head?"
"Still spinning. I had a very... interesting conversation
with Ranma."
"I had one of those with Nabiki."
"Oh?" Souichi thought about it a moment. "I'll bet."
"I'm sorry Souichi, but I have some bad news."
"She's not interested in boys?"
'You've heard."
"Ranma filled me in."
"It's too bad too, she's really nice."
"Mmmmmm?"
Mariko splashed her brother. "Stop it."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Jeez. Are you sure this water is hot enough?"
"It should be, but this seems to be taking far longer than
usual."
"Do you ever find out exactly what temperature is needed?"
"No, the Furinkan science club wanted to do an experiment
once, but when I showed up the club had quadrupled in size,
and seemed to now include all the members from the
photography and video clubs, and they all insisted that
clothes would somehow throw off the results. I never did
find out"
Akane giggled, "Maybe you need more water." She filled the
bucket and poured it over Ranma's head. She was dipping it
again when the change came.
"Thanks, that's enough." Ranma took the bucket from her
hand and set it on the rocks above. "Now, tell me about
this game of yours."
"You mean this game?" Akane shifted, floating onto Ranma's
lap. She hugged him and leaned up to kiss him.
"Here it is... Oh, is that you Akane?" Kasumi stood in the
narrow passage.
With a loud splash Akane shifted to the other side of the
pond.
"Ah, there you are Ranma." Nodoka poked her head over
Kasumi's shoulder. "What are you two up to?"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nabiki checked her profile in the mirror. It was a little
tight, no, it was a lot tight, but all in the right places.
This suit was surely not what a girl would wear for
herself.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"It was just this game that Nabiki picked up in school from
some of the boys," Kasumi explained. "She was about nine or
ten at the time, and she decided to try it out when we went
to an onsen in the mountains. She hid some balloons in her
swimsuit, then filled them with cold water from a hose,
then she climbed a tree above the pond and dropped them on
us. Akane grabbed the hose and turned it in her, and of
course the cold water rained down on everyone, including
the other guests."
"So you didn't get even?" Ranma asked.
"Oh yes she did," Akane interrupted. "That night we had
sushi and Kasumi loaded one with wasabi and put it in front
of Nabiki. She took one bite and there were tears rolling
down her cheeks. She had to drink 5 cups of tea to wash it
away."
"Kasumi, you didn't..." Nodoka looked shocked.
"Oh yes she did, and that's not all," Akane giggled. "One
time Nabiki pulled some prank at home, I don't even
remember what it was, but I sure remember the revenge."
"Oh? What was it?" Nodoka asked.
"It was amazing. It took over a month before Nabiki
figured it out," Akane began to laugh. "She... She..."
Akane doubled over laughing.
"Kasumi-chan, you'd better tell us." Nodoka prompted.
"It was just a little sewing, that's all."
Akane let out an "Eep!" then covered her mouth.
"What did you do, dear?"
"I just took her school dress in a little."
"That's all?" Nodoka looked confused.
"Oh, and I let it out a little."
Akane recovered. "There was a little more to it. She took
it in at the hips just a little tiny bit every other night,
and let it out in the bust just a little tiny bit at the
same time. Nabiki thought she was putting on weight in the
backside, and loosing what little bust she had."
"Kasumi, I'm shocked." Nodoka smiled conspiratorially.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Souichi settled in. "What was wrong with the last one?"
"It was okay, but this one has a better view."
Souichi looked around. "I don't get it, we still can't see
the valley from here."
"That's not..." Mariko paused to watch a boy walk past.
"...the view I was talking about."
"I see."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"That was too close, Soutome-kun."
"Hmmm. Too close, Tendou-kun."
"Did you spill any Soutome-kun?"
"Only past my lips, Tendou-kun."
"We should find a more hidden pool, don't you think,
Soutome-kun."
"Sou-sou, Who'd have thought that a place like this
wouldn't permit sake, Tendou-kun?"
"A very strange rule, indeed, Soutome-kun. It's a very
good thing we bought our own."
"Sou-sou, a good thing, Tendou-kun. Let's have a look up
that way."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Gamel bent one last time and picked the dusty boll from the
lowest branch. He straightened his back, moaning out loud
with pain. This was the last of the season, perhaps the
last ever for this field which had been tilled with one
crop or another for all of recorded history. The government
told him last year that they would begin to fill the high
dam, and his field, and every field in sight would be
flooded. In fact every acre of land Gamel had ever walked
upon would one day be under water.
He twisted and pulled the seeds from the dirty fibers,
just as his ancestors had done for generations before the
machines had come from the outside. He wondered where this
handful would end up. Maybe part of a flag waving over a
distant capitol, maybe the handkerchief of a king, maybe
even part of a space suit. Gamel smiled. Imagine that, my
cotton on the moon. Naw, probably just part of a diaper.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
tsuzuku (to be continued)
<http://www.best.com/~jpalmer>
_______________________
Joseph Palmer, Founder
Video Storage Systems
jpalmer@videos2.com
www.VideoS2.com