Sorry, been occupied with work.

"Ah, geez." Ranma said, sucking up a breath and turning to Cologne as he rummaged through the small variation of shirts he had, the first real time he'd ever fussed over it. "I'm actually kinda nervous. I don't know what Amazons like doing on dates."

"I wouldn't know either, to be honest. Usually we skip this bit and just take a husband. If he's already called for, we fight for the rights. Clean and simple." The old ghoul chuckled as Ranma's face cringed. "But Shampoo's been accustom to the workings of Japanese culture for some time now; I'm sure standard fair will do for the most part."

"Well, there's no rain expected today. I hope my luck holds out." He mumbled to himself. "I mean, if she turned into a cat.."

"Oh yes... that. Ranma... you're going to have to overcome that fear, should you want to remain with Shampoo." Cologne said, tapping her cane lightly in thought. "By the end of this, you'll need to be able hold her in your arms in both forms."

"B-but!" He stammered, flailing. "I mean! I know it's not her fault, but-!"

"It's still Shampoo. She'll always be just outside your reach if you can't."

"How the hell do you want me to-"

"I've got a few theories I'm working with. You know, in america, they have a two theories about overcoming fears: flooding and gradation. I suppose you can work the difference: flooding is how you got your fear to begin with."

"So... gradation... mean I have to gradually get over my fear of cats?"

"Not of cats. You can keep that." She laughed as his face contorted.

"I don't get it."

"Shampoo. You only need to develop a tolerance to Shampoo, Ranma. In fact, I think it'd be much better if you only developed a resistance for my great granddaughter." Ranma's head bowed in thought. "You can do it, Son-in-law. I trust you."

"... I'll try." He said as he threw his shirt on.

Shampoo twirled her hair a few times, finding an odd interest in the bells that wrapped her fair neatly into it's trademark style. It was a straight feeling, the cool churning in her stomach and the constant nagging feeling Ranma was going to find someway out. He did, after all, manage to wiggle free when she'd try to force the issue.

It was so much more horrible, then, if he did it now, after she'd manage to get him to give her what she wanted. Especially after she'd gone a little extra and gotten one of her more... revealing silk dresses, high collared, a cut across her left breast that helped to accentuate her already impressive form, clinging to her so tightly that a would've been impossible; if she ever wore one. She did, however, opt for a pair of underwear this time: after all, with a dress this short, there was likely to be a few people trying to peek at something that was for Ranma's eyes only, and she doubted killing someone would end well. So on the thin scrap of cloth went, hugging her supple hips in all the right ways.

"Oh, Shampoo!" Her ears perked up. She turned, with a small smile, that quickly dipped as the form was boyish, but tall and filled with a long veil of brown hair. "... Oh right, Ranma promised you a date today... Did he not show up?"

"No... Ranma have few minutes, Ukyo." She said dimly. "He show."

"Of course he will." Ukyo said. She eyed the girl up and down. "I mean, if he doesn't he's an idiot. Look at you." She cocked her head back and took in the purple haired amazon's figure from the back. "Nice."

"Thank you, Ukyo... Shampoo think." She giggled. "But... Ukyo okay with this? No coming to stop?"

"Well, I knew it was coming, so nah. Sides, that's getting tiresome. I was actually on my way to the store to restock on supplies for the next couple of lessons." She took a few steps. "Sides, I'm not worried."

"Oh?" Shampoo said with a raised brow. "Ukyo getting confident?"

"No... actually... I dunno why, I'm just not." She stopped, as if she suddenly discovered some rare jewel or a wild animal. "And the weird part is... I'm not worried about either of you. Like... you'll both still be there." She said as she began down the street again. Shampoo's body shivered with an odd warmth, and despite her look of awe, she felt happy. "See ya."

"Shampoo!" The purple haired girl turned to see the hurrying figure of Ranma is his only Dragon print shirt, sleeveless like her dress, but much long down the middle. He quickly reached, one arm behind his back, and took a little time to catch his breath.

"Sorry, did I make you wait?" He asked. "Hey... is that Ukyo?"

"Nothing happen between Shampoo and Ukyo, Ranma." She quickly spat. "Just little talk."

"About what? You guys aren't fighting again, are you?"

"Shampoo no fight and ruin dress for date." She huffed. "Today too-too special. Ukyo actually compliment me on dress. Is nice, yes?"

She twirled for him, and Ranma couldn't help but lick his lips. A dress like that was like holding steak to hungry lion. It left very little for his mind to imagine; not that he had to imagine much. She wiggled her hips a little, showcasing just how high the dress rode, giving him tiny peeks of the firm juicy tush underneath. "Uh... wow... Shampoo... I … wow." She laughed at his finely worded compliment, leaned up, and kissed him on the cheek.

"We go?"

"Uh, sure." He said, offering an arm, which she was all to gladly to nestle on, purring slightly.

Ranma kept slightly vigiliant, still unnerved at the thought of running into Akane's friends, and Daisuke and Hiroshi, which would have been even worse, since those two were terrible at keeping secrets. He had, however, opted for a standard option: He asked her where to go. She pulled him along to a pretty nice European style restaurant, nothing over the top, but enough to make him feel like a shirt was not the best choice. There was some fumbling over the menu, as neither of them spoke English or whatever that word was too well, and it took Ranma a while to realize he could actually eat the biscuits on the table while waiting.

He didn't mind, however, once Shampoo's feet began to sneak up his thighs, and twice he'd knee'd the table, much to her amusement, and her daring only stopped once the entree had arrived, cooling down around his ankles, where she made ticklish little circles that he didn't bother to fight off.

He ordered... something American, he hoped it was a steak, and amazingly, Shampoo seemed to know the language and order in her broken tongue. Turned, and smiled wily at him. She ordered a drink, for both of them.

"You know... I feel bad."

"Why Ranma feel bad?" Shampoo asked, her voice sinking as she thought she'd already ruined their day. Ranma smiled at her.

"I did the same thing everybody else did; I thought you were dumber because of your speech... but I just realized... you're probably smarter then me. I mean... you know how to speak multiple languages. I can barely speak Japanese, really."

It took her a moment, the gears clicking in her mind to pull out the notion he had complimented her. Heavily too, just laced with the tiniest insult. Her usual demeanor to jump him didn't seem correct, so she sat there heavily redden and unsure how to respond.

"How long did it take you to learn, anyways?"

"Japanese... is few months. Plan to stay, pick up book and begin daily pratice. Pick up new word every day, though. English too too easy, stupid man's language." Ranma snorted a laugh. "Is more useful, though, when travel."

"I didn't know you went anywhere outside the village. Well, I mean, except to hunt my butt down."

"Shampoo travel once for training. Is pretty. Rain lot. Scotland full drunks who want hand broken." Ranma snorted another laugh. "Ranma order a medium rare Ribeye, before Shampoo forget."

"A what?"

"Steak."

"Oh. "

"Ranma like, Shampoo think. Is simple, not too-too hard to make. Is juicy, but Shampoo never have anything other then well done."

"I hope so."

"Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"... Thank you. Is nice."

"...Of course. You deserve it, Shampoo."

He'd never seen a slice of meat in that size that hadn't been stolen or freshly butchered off and roasted till it was slightly burnt off the edges. Except for that week he was in corset, and then couldn't eat or enjoy the taste anyways. He'd long last had to display some manners, and took his time to savor a it.

And the side of vegetables were great, too. But mostly, it was the view to be admire. Shampoo really could be graceful if she needed to. Which she never did, which made it a rare treat to behold. Admittedly, he felt he lost points in not being able to order a wine or drink, both by law and by his own tastes, but water would hold up fine.

Sure as hell wasn't going to order a soda and completely blow it.

Dinner came and went, Ranma struggling to bring up a conversation that didn't involve all the fighting they did. As it turns out, martial arts and her cooking were really all he knew.

And that sadden him. I've always just run away. I never got to know Shampoo. That's kinda pathetic...

"S-Shampoo?"

"Yes, Ranma?"

"Tell me about your travels..." He said, attempting to crack the away at the most obvious question he wanted to ask, but knew it was a pitfall to be avoided. "I mean, I've only been to Asia once. I... wanna know what the world's like."

They were interrupted by the waiter returning with the check; he'd have had a heart attack if Granny hadn't supplied him with funds earlier. Oh right.. and he owed a little extra, if he'd remember... how much was it? How much was a that percent of... Ugh, I'm just gonna leave a couple of yen. He said, fumbling with a good number.

No that was too much... maybe this? "More, Ranma."

"Huh?" He looked up. Shampoo was smirking. Of course she knew he was bad at math. She actually paid attention. "Is... this much."

Her slender fingers sent a chill up his spine, exploding with heat in his cheeks as she danced and rolled over the bills with her own fingers. "Tip good. Is important. Learn that in Americas."

"You've been to America?"

"Once. Is nice... in some states."

"Oh yeah, that got that weird division thing..." She pulled a bill from his hand and placed it in the mangled pile. Half way to Ranma's original amount. "... Thanks, Shampoo."

It turns out, America wasn't as he'd pictured it; in fact, it was like going to completely different countries at times. Some of it was true; mostly, she was told to avoid a section label "the south" which wasn't all south, and there were a few states that did better then others, but she'd only been a handful, of which she enjoyed were the sparkling beaches along the Florida, Texas, and Californian coast, particular when she got show off at beach in California where they adhered to the insane notion of raw physical power being the only way to go.

"They no know what power is. Bulky, slow. Shampoo beat them easy." There was no real martial arts in the Western world, save for a style that combined dancing and combat.

"You mean like the anything goes school of dance combat?" She giggled.

"It less about the fighting, more about the rhythm." She said, wiggling her hips for effect. And a powerful one it was. "Lots of twirl and spin, big circle of people. Is more like game, but... Shampoo find fun. Wish it more popular. I try show Amazon tribe, but they no like."

It was only now Ranma realized they were on their way through the park, wandering aimless around, trying to avoid the Nekohaten. His head guided back to her. He had to wonder when she'd latched onto his arm, squeezing him softly against silk wrapped porcelain flesh.

His features light up as she nuzzled him against her chest. "Sounds like I'll need to talk to the old ghoul."

"Great-grandmother?"

"Yeah, get her to look up the basics of this style for me. Maybe I can get a few friends to help out, and you can show use how to do that. What's it called?" He looked over. Reveled in the sight.

Shampoo, for once in her life, was stunned. Her lips were parted, trying to find the right way to ask why?

She kissed him. Gentler then she thought she could muster, on the cheek. It caught the both of them off guard. "Capoeira." She finished. She found her courage had left her, and she couldn't face him as he smiled gently back.

"Capoeira, huh." He noted, looking around to see if the ghoul had tailored around and overheard them, as she was prone to. But no, she'd given them her privacy, and Ranma would have to jot it down mentally.

It took him a while to realize neither of them had spoken through the dimming sky that flared in colors that seemed to match the stroked feelings in his belly, and he noticed she'd laid her head on his solid shoulders.

"Shampoo... feel weird." She finally said.

"Yeah?"

"Have all to self... and can think of falling asleep in arms." He grumbled lightly in response. "Great Grandma be disappointed."

"Dunno about that." He said. "Anyways... I've always been told if your happy, screw it. Are you happy?"

"Yes." She whispered at the continued to watch the sun set.

R&R.