Story: Gullible Nabiki

It's essential to note that while gullibility is usually joined with stupidity, this is not a usual situation. It was a magical situation. Hence, Nabiki Tendo was still as smart as ever. She was just a lot more accepting of what she was told. What's the difference?


Right now Nabiki earnestly believed that Ranma Saotome was an evil sorcerer who had put a spell on her sister Akane and his own girl side. Now an idiot, let's call him Cuno, would take that at face value and put no more thought into the matter. You see, what this Cuno had done was the same thing all very powerful and also all very stupid people have done throughout history. Instead of changing his view to fit the facts, he had changed the facts to fit his views.


So, Cuno put no more thought into the consequences than that. He wouldn't think things like "If Ranma Saotome really was a sorcerer why hasn't he done anything to shut me up?" Nor would he particularly notice that Akane didn't seem all that interested in little things like physical intimacy, and the two of them got into arguments all the time. He would simply say that it was a coverup, put no further thought into the matter, and there you go. Facts changed to fit their opinion, because Cuno is a blithering, babbling idiot that happens to be good with a sword.


Now, a gullible Nabiki Tendo on the other hand...


"If Ranma's a foul sorcerer," Nabiki wondered aloud, "then what do you suppose he's up to?"


That was a genuinely intelligent question. Idiots don't ask sensible questions like that no matter how gullible they might be. What was the meaning behind the question? To understand that, one must understand how Nabiki Tendo thinks: Namely. How she could exploit this discovery to her own advantage. She might be gullible, but she was still the Ice Queen of Furinkan.


"That much is obvious enough," Tatewaki Kuno declared in his usual blustery manner. "He uses his spell to ensnare the hearts of otherwise strong and beautiful women! Why else would they flock to him so? Even my own twisted sister has been ensnared."


Funny. Put in those terms she could kind of see his point. Ranma's male form was super cute and handsome, but not nearly to the point he should have four total babes drooling over him. Which Akane did, no matter what she might say.


"You don't say..." Nabiki sighed. "Very well then. You have your pictures. I have your money. Good day, Kuno-baby!"


Kuno grunted and began looking over his pictures, seemingly unaware of the idiotic grin creeping up his face. Idiot. But he had given Nabiki some things to think about as she went back home. Was it really possible? Could Ranma actually be a perverted sorcerer using his powers to build up a harem?


She played with the idea in her mind. Let it sit. Let it percolate. She ran it over in her mind a few times. When Shampoo first arrived she wanted to kill Ranma. Now she wanted to marry him. When Ukyo first got here she wanted revenge on him. A couple of words after he found out she was a girl, and all of a sudden she's swooning over him.


It was a little scary all truth told. Nabiki knew that there was magic about the boy already. What if he had been using those kinds of spells to get himself a harem? No, wait. That didn't quite fit. He never seemed to act on it. And Nabiki had tried! Oh, she'd tried. Whenever something looked like it was going to happen between Ranma and Akane or Ranma and any of them, there was always an interruption, always one of them backing away. No headway. No progress.


Since Ranma was obviously a sorcerer there had to be some other reason for that contradiction. But more to the point, what would keep him from casting that kind of spell on her as well?


"You idiot, you broke my matchstick house!"


"A house? I thought it was a sick giraffe."


Nabiki stopped just inside the house. Was that the sound of yet another heated discussion between sorcerer and spellbound maiden Nabiki was hearing? It was a symphony to her mercenary ears. A chance to learn something, maybe figure out what was going on.


Of course, those mercenary ears were taking things rather more at face value than she used to. Regardless. Nabiki peered into the kitchen, the source of their "conversation," and she watched them with great care. What did she see?


Why, her sister wearing that cute little ensemble when she tried to look nice for her sorcerer master. Ranma himself was pretending not to notice and in fact was pointedly looking away from her. Now, our hypothetical idiot Cuno would probably say something like "he's just pretending to cover up his control over her," but Nabiki wasn't quite that stupid. In fact, she was so gullible that all she could do was take it at face value, and slightly modify her opinion to fit the facts:


Akane was probably under a spell, cast on her by Ranma. However, this was the kind of treatment Ranma desired from a woman. He liked to be challenged by a pretty face. So, Akane dolled up just a little and then got into a fight with him. It made sense that a foul sorcerer would have sexual preferences different from your typical person.


"The only thing sick around here is you!" Akane yelled into his ear. Nabiki nodded along in agreement. Yes, that kind of fetish was a little bit peculiar, and compelling you to engage in it against your will was rather sick. "Do you have no consideration for other people?"


"Hey now, stop yelling at me! I didn't break the house!" Ranma replied. "Uncute tomboy, you always think it's my fault without asking questions."


Aha, now Nabiki was starting to get it! Uncute tomboys yelling at him. That was the foul sorcerer's fetish in a nutshell. And since it wasn't entirely rational for Akane to always think it was Ranma's fault without asking questions, that must mean that behaviour is also part of the spell Ranma had cast over her! Deviously perverted, hiding in plain sight.


"Oh, really?" Akane sniffed. "Then who did break it if it wasn't you?"


"I don't know! It was like that when I got here!"


At this point Akane grabbed hold of his cheek and hooked his mouth. Oof, so kinky! Out there in the kitchen where anyone could see. Nabiki felt genuinely shocked that she'd never noticed before. This really was it! This was how Ranma flirted with them. This was the means by which he maintained complete control over his harem! By pretending not to be interested!


Armed with this gullibly derived data Nabiki sped off upstairs to her room, not even remotely feeling guilty that just before leaving she had accidentally tossed one of Ranma's dirty shirts onto Akane's matchstick house. Not even a little. After all, she had other things to think about, like how to protect herself from a devious master sorcerer and his peculiar kink.

1. Nabiki makes a wish.
2. Nabiki left the rock downstairs, where Ranma and Akane are still arguing.
3. Nabiki dropped the rock, and Kuno has it now.b
4. Forget the rock, Nabiki comes up with a plan.
5. Something else