Akane walked briskly down the sidewalk, shivering from the cold. It was getting dark, and the December chill sliced through her school uniform like a naginata. She idly whistled the tune of Tatsuro Yamashita's Christmas Eve, smiling at the colored lights draped over the balcony railing of an apartment she passed. Man, that freaking song is everywhere this year. Those stupid train commercials, just every five freakin' minutes.
Pulling her black coat tighter around herself to guard against an icy gust, she smiled wistfully down at the Shakujii River, its water a dark snake cutting through a concrete channel opposite the chain-link fence to her left. So many times walking to school, Ranma ended up falling in there. Heck, half the time, I threw him in there myself. And out would pop… She felt her cheeks warm despite the chill in the air at the thought of the redheaded girl with whom she'd recently reconnected.
I wish I could call her. I can't risk calling the bar from home, but… maybe a payphone? She glanced down at her wristwatch, sighing in disappointment. Damn. It's almost six. They'll be opening any minute. She'll be too busy to talk, between her tables and singing. Akane smiled gently at the thought of her once-betrothed swaying on that tiny corner stage, beaming with joy and waving to the crowd. I wonder what Izumi's got her wearing tonight. She closed her eyes, breathing deep of the frigid December air and wrapping her arms around herself, imagining a slender redhead between them.
She giggled as she kicked a pebble along the sidewalk. Gods, what's gotten into me? When she was here with us, back when she was… when there was a chance, all I could think of most days was getting Dad to let me out of being stuck with Ranma Saotome. And now that she's a…
Akane turned her eyes to the southeast, staring up at the stars beginning to peek through the encroaching darkness. She half-expected to see spotlights dancing in the sky, beacons calling out to anyone who might follow them to a two-story brick building near the harbor, and within, the most beautiful thing in the Minato district. She bit her lip softly, shaking her head and turning back toward home. Ranko Tendo, what have you done to me?!
The high schooler sighed, turning her gaze from an office building. Both of the bushes flanking the walkway up to its front door were wrapped in colored lights and pocked with red and white glass balls. She was only with us for a year or two, but it already doesn't feel like Christmas around here without her.
Gods, I miss her.
* * *
Kasumi hummed to herself as she cleared the dinner table. Everything had been so peaceful at home lately, and she was glad for it, wrong though it felt sometimes. She felt terrible every time she allowed herself to associate the dramatic reduction in yelling, fighting, destroyed furniture, and general chaos permeating her home with the day that Ranma left. Of course, she missed Ranma, and still prayed often for his safety, wherever he might be. I hope he's at least found somewhere safe to spend the holidays, especially with the forecasts predicting more winter storms for the coming week, she fretted.
"Oh, Father? I forgot to ask you. What would you like me to make for dinner on Saturday? I'll need to go to the store tomorrow to make sure I have time to get everything ready."
Soun smiled up at his eldest daughter. She's becoming more and more the image of her mother every day, he thought with a proud sigh. "Whatever you think is best, Kasumi. I have every confidence in you."
Akane looked up from the television. "What's so special about Saturday?"
The Tendo patriarch chuckled, leaning over the table and reaching for his tea cup. "Well, Akane, as you know, the city council elections are early next year, and the mayor wants me to run again. More than that, though, he thinks I'd be well-suited to run for mayor myself, since he's retiring after his term ends. He's asked if he could come by for dinner and talk about it with me soon."
Akane grinned, turning excitedly to face her father from her cushion on the floor. "Wow, really, Dad? Mayor? That's great! I'm so proud of you!"
Soun chuckled, tamping down her enthusiasm with a downward wave of his hand. "Now, now, Akane, I haven't even decided if I'm going to run, let alone gotten any votes. But I have to admit, it's interesting, and we could certainly use the city salary since the dojo has been so quiet of late." He smiled happily at his girls. "I was actually hoping the three of you would all be here. I'd love to introduce the whole family to Mayor Dato."
His youngest daughter beamed, nodding emphatically. "Dad, that would be…"
Nabiki glared at her sister behind their father's back, making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction as she side-eyed the giant panda seated at the far end of the dining table. .
Akane blinked in surprise, but caught her sister's hint. "I… I don't know, Dad. Maybe? It's this Saturday, you said?"
Nabiki walked out from behind her father and sat on the tabletop, crossing her legs with her typical brash air. "I'm terribly sorry, Daddy, but Akane and I already have plans. The sorority I'm joining is going to have a lot of girls graduate this year, and they're hoping to recruit my little sister to replenish the ranks."
Akane shook her head in surprise, making a confused gesture to Nabiki out of her father's view. "Uh, yeah! Nabiki, crap, was that this Saturday? It slipped my mind. Could we maybe do dinner with the mayor Sunday instead, Dad?"
Soun stammered, glancing up at Kasumi. "Well, I suppose I could ask him. I mean, if you're both too busy for the mayor…" How is it that my youngest daughters have fuller social calendars than I do?
His middle daughter nodded, shrugging her shoulders in her father's direction. "You know how it is, Daddy. Availability is the price of popularity. That advice is free, but if you want me to help you manage your campaign, we'll have to come to some other arrangement." She smirked confidently, winking to her sister. Having captured Akane's attention, Nabiki hopped off the table to her feet and made her way to the stairway, ascending it and lingering in the hallway between her room and Akane's.
"Well, I'd better get upstairs! Lots of homework to do tonight! Thanks for dinner, Kasumi!" Akane stood, stretching her back and making for the stairs. As she reached the second floor landing, she rolled her eyes in her sister's direction, looking Nabiki over suspiciously. "Okay, Nabiki. Mind explaining why you just made me lie to our father and blow off the freaking mayor?! We don't have plans on Saturday night!"
Nabiki grinned deviously. "What are you talking about, little sister? Sure we do."
Akane growled, stomping her foot in her frustration. "What are you talking about?! I'm not going to some stupid sorority party! Who has the time for frivolous crap like that?"
The lithe brunette cackled in amusement. "Oh, Akane. I said we had plans. I didn't say we have the same plans." She reached into the pocket of the green puffy vest she wore over her orange sweater, pulling out a Polaroid photograph and waving it in the air. "But you do, in fact, have somewhere to be."
Akane groaned in exasperation. "Would you please just stop with the games?! I'm not going to pay you for your stupid picture, okay, Nabiki?! Just tell me what this is all about!"
Nabiki sneered in self-satisfaction, leaning her backside on the wall between her bedroom door and Akane's and nonchalantly crossing her ankles. "Oh, my dear little sister, there's no charge. Not this time. Let's call this one an early Christmas present." She handed Akane the photo. "I'll let Daddy know you'll be at the sorority house with me until morning." She winked with another mischievous smile, popping her back off of the wall and quickly slipping into her room, closing the door behind her.
Honestly! She's so smug about this kind of stuff! Akane turned over the Polaroid photo in her hand, her facial expression changing from fury, to confusion, and then to warmth. The picture depicted a chaotic jumble of colored papers on a college campus bulletin board. There were multiple flyers announcing that people were giving away old furniture. A yellow sheet with several tear-off tags at the bottom bearing the same phone number offered calculus tutoring. A black-and-white photocopied picture of a poorly-drawn demon in a stone archway was overlaid with text seeking people to play something called Dungeons and Dragons. A formal-looking scroll of nearly-packed kanji blared that the college's kendo team was holding open try-outs on December 23rd. And, at the dead center of the photo hung a hand-drawn advertisement promoting a special Christmas party and concert Saturday night at the Phoenix.
Akane's heart leapt with excitement. I might actually get to spend Christmas, or at least a little of it, with Ran… her! She hugged the photo tight to her chest, grinning up at the little duck dangling from a nail on Nabiki's closed bedroom door. Mercenary though she can be, when I least expect it, Nabiki can always find a way to surprise me with her kindness. You can try to hide it from the world, and let everybody think you're a heartless bitch, but… You're still my big sister, and you're always looking out for me. Thanks, Nabiki.
She slipped into her room, closing and locking her bedroom door and throwing open her voluminous closet. A real concert? Ranko?! I bet she's going to be amazing. She's gonna be perfect. Gods, what the hell am I gonna wear?!