Umbrella of Lies

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Oh what a tangled web we weave

When first we practice to deceive

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Summary: Did that fateful day underneath the Umbrella of Love truly awakened feelings in Nabiki Tendo for Tatewaki Kuno? Or is it an elaborate ruse to milk the poor sucker for all he's worth? Place your bets.

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Copyright: I'm not stealing Rumiko Takahashi's characters. I'm only borrowing them. I'll put them back where they belong once I finish my story. Promise.

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Table of Contents

1. Nabiki's Confession

2. Love and the Power of Suggestion

3. First Date

4. Good Night

5. Ranma's Evil Plot

6. Between Love and Hate

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Author's Note: I've decided the world needs more Nabiki x Kuno fanfics in general. So here's my contribution. I've labeled it humor and romance, but you can judge for yourself whether it truly has either. It's set in the manga world, directly after the "Umbrella of Love" story. I've done my best to stay in character, but, again, that's for you to judge.

After one year, I have finally completed the story. Took me long enough! It was amusing to write, but such a pain to edit. I'm not really naturally inclined to humor or romance. Oh well. It was fun. I hope you enjoy it and please review.

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Interpretation of Characters: Nabiki and Kuno are so outrageous, that they can go in almost any direction. Here's how I see them.

Kuno is clearly delusional, and the Shakespearean fluff he spouts is a wall to shield him from reality. (It's really fun writing his point of view this way.) Personally, I think he's a masochist; why else would he be attracted to two women who can beat the crap out of him? But for the purposes of this story, I've toned it down a bit. He likes strong women who play hard to get.

Nabiki, I've decided, is not really evil, but playful. She sees her string of manipulations as a game, which she excels at. It is, in a sense, her own version "anything goes," minus the martial arts. And, of course, it's vastly profitable.