"Growf."
"Yeah, yeah, oyaji. It's not my fault you dragged me off on that stupid
training trip to China and got cursed to be a panda. At least I got the
better deal out of it."
"Growf!"
"Think you're good enough to beat me?"
"....growrf..."
"Heh, thought not. And it's all thanks to you, oyaji. So, where are we
going?"
[We're going to meet an old friend of mine in Nerima. Tendo Soun.]
"Hey, how'd you do that?!"
[...It's a secret technique, heh heh heh.]
"Oh. Thought you pulled a sign out your ass or something and scribbled on
it."
[........]
"Well, I guess we'd better hurry up and get out of this rain, huh?"
"Growf."
* * * * *
"He's coming from China? Oooh, how exotic!"
"So he's been to China. Big deal. That doesn't make him good."
"So what is he like?"
The middle aged man known as Tendo Soun smiled broadly, then became very
subdued. "I don't know."
All three girls stared at their father at this. The girl in the kimono gave
her father a flat expression. "You don't know?"
"I've never met him before." He chuckled a little nervously.
"So let me get this right, Daddy. You engaged up to your friend's son, and
you haven't even met him?" Tendo Nabiki, Soun's second oldest daughter,
deadpanned.
"Well, yes."
"Uh huh..."
"Oh Otousan," the oldest daughter Kasumi spoke in a neutral tone.
"Figures," Soun's youngest daughter Akane snorted, flipping her long hair
over her shoulder in a dismissive gesture. "For all we know, he just engaged
us to a hentai."
=DING DONG=
"That must be them now," Soun said, getting up.
"I got it!" Nabiki lunged towards the door as well. The two disappeared
around the corner of the wall. A moment later, the girl tore back to the
safety of the room, screaming. Soun wasn't too far behind backpedaling.
Kasumi and Akane looked on, wondering what had had them scared like that. In
response to the unspoken question, a giant, wet panda walked into view.
Shaking its fur a little, it looked around the room then let loose a "Growrf?"
"What interesting friends you have Otousan..." Kasumi said, standing up fully.
Soun whipped his long, black hair back and forth violently in reply.
"Well, do something, Daddy! You're the master here!"
Akane looked at it warily. "If only I had enough time to get a weapon..."
"Oooyajiiii..." a new voice singsonged. The panda looked down the hallway
where the voice was coming from. "You could've just waited for me, you
know..."
"Growrf gworf ruh."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Hot water..." The owner of the voice was coming into
view rapidly. "Geez, you're so impatient."
A man came into view. He was tall, about six feet, and a very toned body.
His red shirt, which was chinese style with wooden ties and all, stretched
over his body and adhered to his skin as if it was painted on. His black
hair was tied up in a pigtail, the bangs puffing out very full for a male and
in spite of the rain. Leather bracers were wrapped around his forearms, and
one end of an umber sash dangled behind him, almost touching the floor.
The three daughters studied the newcomer. Nabiki was bouncing up and down,
trying to contain her own excitement. "Bishounen. Very, very bishounen,"
she breathed.
Kasumi observed him with a look that was both blank and knowingly, distracted
and alert. Her eyes widen and her brows lifted. Slightly. "...my, he
certainly looks...interesting..." she whispered to herself.
Akane looked him over, her expression softening a little. "Well, he is kind
of cute...."
"Excuse me, but who are you, and why are you in my home?" Soun asked,
breaking the quiet spell the outsider had upon his daughters.
He looked at Soun dumbly for a brief moment. "Oh! sorry, um, Tendo-san, ne?"
He nodded. "Hai, that's correct." He looked him over a little longer. "Are
you...?"
"Saotome Ranma. Sorry about this." He calmly thumbed the panda. "Could
someone get him some hot water?"
Overjoyed, Soun grabbed Ranma up in a sudden fierce bear hug, which squashed
the air out of his lungs. "Oh happy day! Oh happy! Oh, happy-URK!" The
patriarch soon found himself crashing into the floor very violently by one
arm.