The same clouds smiled menacingly at me. This storm will go on forever, they said. I frowned, and turned back to Ryoga; away from the gloomy sliding door that only showed what I didn't want to see. Rain.
Ryoga sipped his 茶 again. "Imouto (younger sister)," he 说 with a serious expression. "If 你 want to go to Ranma's, I'm not stopping you."
I blushed 粉, 粉色 a bit.
"I-it's raining."
"Take my umbrella." he sipped again.
"Are 你 kidding? That thing weighs a ton."
Ryoga smiled.
"I want 你 to go, if thats what makes 你 happy."
"What do 你 mean?" I asked, fidgeting.
"I can't quite explain it, but I'm pretty sure that anyone living in the Tendo house is magically attractive. Maybe they've grown on you." he said.
I laughed, but I fidgeted more. I did want to go.
Ryoga handed me my raincoat and the bright green umbrella I had borrowed from school. As I was about to walk out the door, I heard a zipper closing, and saw Ryoga was preparing as well.
"Your coming?"
"Of course," he said.
"Thank you, Ani (older brother)." I replied, trying not to sound flattered. I knew he was going for Akane.
As we walked on the damp gravel path, it seemed like the world was empty again. Maybe it was the town. Maybe Nerima was filled with easily frightened people who shun the light after a storm. I looked at Ryoga's hand that I was firmly gripping to lead him in the right direction. Truth be told, being a Hibiki sister, I'm not so good at directions myself. But this was the one spot in Nerima besides school I knew best, and that was the Tendo Dojo. When we arrived, Kasumi lead us into the living room.
"Where's Ranma?" I asked eagerly to Akane as soon as I saw her. A few drips of rain water still lingered at the tips of her navy blue hair. She gave me her piercing brown eyes from over the edge of the 茶 cup held to her lips, and I was quiet. As if on cue, Ranma strided in as a male with a towel draped over his shoulder.
"Some storm, huh?" he 说 bitterly, not looking anyone in the eye but me. I cocked my head, and he huffed a grin. I sat down 下一个 to Genma, who studied me for a moment.
"Sofia?"
I bowed slightly.
"Hello, Mr. Saotome."
He smiled and put him arm around my shoulder.
"I haven't seen 你 in a while, eh?" and then laughed. He was always nice to me, because I was one of Ranma's only friends, and a girl at that. When Ukyo was still around with us as children, I remember Genma treeting us with great kindness. He allowed us to sleep over anytime and eat 拉面 to our hearts content.
Ranma sat across from me, and set a bowl of hot 汤 in my hands that Kasumi gave him.
"Ladies first," he grinned. Akane's punched the back of his head.
"Like 你 would do that for me!" she exclaimed. Ranma rubbed the spot the way his did the other day, and merely sat as if he was untouched.
"Well," he said, "I'v known Sofie-chan since I was a kid, Miss Macho, so I thought it would be nice to hand her some 汤 when I got it. No need to get all defensive." he shrugged. Akane raged and spat out the angry words, "I HATE YOU!" and stamped into the 厨房 with Kasumi. I was a bit shocked, but it didn't seem to effect the Tendo's.
"She'll come around." Soun stated. My face was hidden in the steam of my bowl to keep from anyone looking at my 粉, 粉色 cheeks.Drat. I thought. Why am I so flushed? He was only being a good friend! It's just soup, dammit!
"K-Kasumi!" I called. He appeared with her usual welcoming eyes in the doorway.
"Yes, Sofia?"
"M-may I help with dinner?"
"Of course! I could really use that!" I stood up and hurried into the kitchen, where wooden trays crowded the island, and empty bowls were being handed to her as fast as Akane could rinse them.
Kasumi suddenly handed me ingrediants I didn't reccognize at first.
"Would 你 make the Mochi, Sofia-san?"
"W-what kind...?" I studdered. Kasumi giggled,
"Any kind!"
"Strawberry?"
"Sure!" she smiled, and busily continued preparing 更多 food. Damn. I thought. This chick's a hard worker. Then Ranma appeared.
"Sofie's makin' dessert?" he asked. I turned to him, but didn't stop making the Mochi.
"Hm?" Kasumi hummed, her voice like an 天使 strumming a guitar.
"Usually Akane makes it when guests are over..." and then he made a pretend sick face. I chuckled, but covered my mouth. Akane whipped around and screamed,
"WHAT!? Do 你 WANT me to make dessert?"
"Hell no!" Ranma exclaimed, and ducked down. A wodden spoon flew across the room and hit the 墙 in the living room.
"You--!!"
I stirred faster. Oh, geez...
Ranma hussled over to me, and observed my motions like a hawk.
"Wha..."
"N-nothing," Ranma smiled, scratching the back of his head in innocence. "I just wanted to see what 你 did..." I smiled weakly, and conitnued with my nerves racked.
When 甜点 was finished, I took one of the finer-looking trays and arranged them evenly. Then, I displayed them before the family with my cheeks even brighter a pink. When we began eating them, I didn't know why, but everyone seemed uneasy about taking the first bite. When I did, and smirked a little hum of satisfaction, everyone jumped on them except for Akane.
"Wow... pretty good!" Soun said, taking a second.
"Didn't know 你 could cook, Sof." Ranma said. I bowed a little again.
"Thank you, Mr. Saotome. It means so much of this family to respect my food." I glanced at Akane, who had a single 草莓 Mochi in her hand.
"They're better frozen." she whined. I didn't as so much scowl, but inside I was flaming red. Ranma looked at her, and she looked back. I looked at both of them. At that moment, an another image flashed in my mind.
I remember Ranma, Ukyo, and me sorting through a box of various unmatching earrings as children. Not one of us could find two that were alike.
"Darn," Ukyo sighed, setting her Okonomiyaki 抹刀, 锅铲 to rest on her shoulder.
"What a waste," Ranma added, dropping onto the wooden floor. "Not one match. Phooy."
"There has to be a match!" I said, getting a bit worked up. "Two of these earrings have to go together! They have to!"
"Give it up, Sofie." Ukyo said, slouching. I stared back in the box again, thinking about all the lone earrings, mashed together with others they had nothing in common with.
I wondered if people were the same way.
Ryoga sipped his 茶 again. "Imouto (younger sister)," he 说 with a serious expression. "If 你 want to go to Ranma's, I'm not stopping you."
I blushed 粉, 粉色 a bit.
"I-it's raining."
"Take my umbrella." he sipped again.
"Are 你 kidding? That thing weighs a ton."
Ryoga smiled.
"I want 你 to go, if thats what makes 你 happy."
"What do 你 mean?" I asked, fidgeting.
"I can't quite explain it, but I'm pretty sure that anyone living in the Tendo house is magically attractive. Maybe they've grown on you." he said.
I laughed, but I fidgeted more. I did want to go.
Ryoga handed me my raincoat and the bright green umbrella I had borrowed from school. As I was about to walk out the door, I heard a zipper closing, and saw Ryoga was preparing as well.
"Your coming?"
"Of course," he said.
"Thank you, Ani (older brother)." I replied, trying not to sound flattered. I knew he was going for Akane.
As we walked on the damp gravel path, it seemed like the world was empty again. Maybe it was the town. Maybe Nerima was filled with easily frightened people who shun the light after a storm. I looked at Ryoga's hand that I was firmly gripping to lead him in the right direction. Truth be told, being a Hibiki sister, I'm not so good at directions myself. But this was the one spot in Nerima besides school I knew best, and that was the Tendo Dojo. When we arrived, Kasumi lead us into the living room.
"Where's Ranma?" I asked eagerly to Akane as soon as I saw her. A few drips of rain water still lingered at the tips of her navy blue hair. She gave me her piercing brown eyes from over the edge of the 茶 cup held to her lips, and I was quiet. As if on cue, Ranma strided in as a male with a towel draped over his shoulder.
"Some storm, huh?" he 说 bitterly, not looking anyone in the eye but me. I cocked my head, and he huffed a grin. I sat down 下一个 to Genma, who studied me for a moment.
"Sofia?"
I bowed slightly.
"Hello, Mr. Saotome."
He smiled and put him arm around my shoulder.
"I haven't seen 你 in a while, eh?" and then laughed. He was always nice to me, because I was one of Ranma's only friends, and a girl at that. When Ukyo was still around with us as children, I remember Genma treeting us with great kindness. He allowed us to sleep over anytime and eat 拉面 to our hearts content.
Ranma sat across from me, and set a bowl of hot 汤 in my hands that Kasumi gave him.
"Ladies first," he grinned. Akane's punched the back of his head.
"Like 你 would do that for me!" she exclaimed. Ranma rubbed the spot the way his did the other day, and merely sat as if he was untouched.
"Well," he said, "I'v known Sofie-chan since I was a kid, Miss Macho, so I thought it would be nice to hand her some 汤 when I got it. No need to get all defensive." he shrugged. Akane raged and spat out the angry words, "I HATE YOU!" and stamped into the 厨房 with Kasumi. I was a bit shocked, but it didn't seem to effect the Tendo's.
"She'll come around." Soun stated. My face was hidden in the steam of my bowl to keep from anyone looking at my 粉, 粉色 cheeks.Drat. I thought. Why am I so flushed? He was only being a good friend! It's just soup, dammit!
"K-Kasumi!" I called. He appeared with her usual welcoming eyes in the doorway.
"Yes, Sofia?"
"M-may I help with dinner?"
"Of course! I could really use that!" I stood up and hurried into the kitchen, where wooden trays crowded the island, and empty bowls were being handed to her as fast as Akane could rinse them.
Kasumi suddenly handed me ingrediants I didn't reccognize at first.
"Would 你 make the Mochi, Sofia-san?"
"W-what kind...?" I studdered. Kasumi giggled,
"Any kind!"
"Strawberry?"
"Sure!" she smiled, and busily continued preparing 更多 food. Damn. I thought. This chick's a hard worker. Then Ranma appeared.
"Sofie's makin' dessert?" he asked. I turned to him, but didn't stop making the Mochi.
"Hm?" Kasumi hummed, her voice like an 天使 strumming a guitar.
"Usually Akane makes it when guests are over..." and then he made a pretend sick face. I chuckled, but covered my mouth. Akane whipped around and screamed,
"WHAT!? Do 你 WANT me to make dessert?"
"Hell no!" Ranma exclaimed, and ducked down. A wodden spoon flew across the room and hit the 墙 in the living room.
"You--!!"
I stirred faster. Oh, geez...
Ranma hussled over to me, and observed my motions like a hawk.
"Wha..."
"N-nothing," Ranma smiled, scratching the back of his head in innocence. "I just wanted to see what 你 did..." I smiled weakly, and conitnued with my nerves racked.
When 甜点 was finished, I took one of the finer-looking trays and arranged them evenly. Then, I displayed them before the family with my cheeks even brighter a pink. When we began eating them, I didn't know why, but everyone seemed uneasy about taking the first bite. When I did, and smirked a little hum of satisfaction, everyone jumped on them except for Akane.
"Wow... pretty good!" Soun said, taking a second.
"Didn't know 你 could cook, Sof." Ranma said. I bowed a little again.
"Thank you, Mr. Saotome. It means so much of this family to respect my food." I glanced at Akane, who had a single 草莓 Mochi in her hand.
"They're better frozen." she whined. I didn't as so much scowl, but inside I was flaming red. Ranma looked at her, and she looked back. I looked at both of them. At that moment, an another image flashed in my mind.
I remember Ranma, Ukyo, and me sorting through a box of various unmatching earrings as children. Not one of us could find two that were alike.
"Darn," Ukyo sighed, setting her Okonomiyaki 抹刀, 锅铲 to rest on her shoulder.
"What a waste," Ranma added, dropping onto the wooden floor. "Not one match. Phooy."
"There has to be a match!" I said, getting a bit worked up. "Two of these earrings have to go together! They have to!"
"Give it up, Sofie." Ukyo said, slouching. I stared back in the box again, thinking about all the lone earrings, mashed together with others they had nothing in common with.
I wondered if people were the same way.
