Ranma Saotome was - unlike expectations of a young man of his age - not remotely interested in the pursuit of a girlfriend. This was not because of a lack of interest, or because he did not find them attractive. In fact, his reasoning was based entirely upon the opposite of that. He feared that a girl would prove to be a distraction from his one true lifelong passion: Martial arts training. He avoided relationships with girls for precisely the same kind of reasoning that someone with an addictive personality avoids taking a sip of beer. An abiding and rational concern that a single sip would be all it would take to enslave them to a new vice.
There is a form of poetry, isn't there? In spite of his deliberate avoidance of such relationships he would find himself neck deep in an entirely different kind of girl trouble regardless. And much like he had believed, all it took was a deep personal relationship with a girl to provide a tremendous distraction from the art. He just didn't think that he would be the girl. To put it another way that didn't quite sound so perverted, due to an entirely forseeable accident he had wound up with a rather odd curse that transformed him into a rather busty and cute girl with a splash of cold water. Hot water would return him to normal. This was to say the least an entirely undesired inconvenience that he would rather be rid of sooner than later.
Combine these two ideas and it's very easy to understand why he desperately did not want anything to do with some stupid engagement plan concocted by his father. To begin with he wanted to cure this curse, first thing. For another, even once that problem was dealt with he really didn't have the time to deal with some fiancee. There was training to be done! Knowing his old man the daughters of this friend of his were doubtless ugly, selfish, insane or any combination of the above or even something else he hadn't thought of yet. Who needs that hassle? A few hours back, no matter what angle he looked at this from this entire concept sounded like one to be avoided at all costs. No matter what angle, he couldn't imagine any way to come to the conclusion that this was a good idea.
He had since found that angle, and it involved a girl called Akane leaning over him - her at the moment, stupid rain - and asking to be Ranma's friend. Given the view Ranma had down that neckline, the girl could've asked ot borrow his small intestine and he'd have numbly agreed. Somewhere deep within that valley must surely lie the gates to heaven, and the lock upon them just so happened to hold the shape of his tongue. Give him a time machine, and the first thing he'd do is go back to yesterday and kick his own ass to get him here quicker. While Ranma had seen some pretty hot chicks - and was in fact currently one right at that very moment - nothing could compare to this vision of beauty. At the very edges of his peripheral vision, Ranma caught sight of dawning realisation upon Akane's face and she demurely covered her chest (somehow making herself seem even sexier in the process! How was that even possible?!)
"S-sorry about that," Akane stammered. "I wasn't thinking! I'm not used to this body yet."
"Huh? Not used to this body? What's that mean?" Ranma asked, and then something clicked. She was cursed as well! Maybe not in the same kind of way, but honestly it wouldn't be much of a surprise to learn that both their fathers dragged their kids off to the cursed vally Jusenkyo, no doubt having found the same piece of information from the same resource in their youth. And neither bothered getting the Chinese translated. Wouldn't be that much of a surprise at all. Anyone willing to be a lifelong friend of the panda couldn't have that many brain cells to rub together.
"I'm not sure," Akane replied after a moment's thought. "I woke up like... like this and I don't even know why. I can't even cover it up properly! Any time I try to wear something, try to cover up more effectively... It even affects my clothes! Turns them into something skimpy and revealing like this! It's not fair, and - And it's not fair of me to dump this all on you when you barely know me. I'm sorry... "
Ranma was a little caught off guard by the sympathy felt towards the smoking hotty after that little outburst. A Jusenkyo curse was one thing. Hot water undid it, turning her into a him again until the next splash of cold water. Ranma knew all too well how... infuriatingly annoying it was to be trapped in a body not his own. Yet it wasn't all the time. Sometimes Ranma could be himself as opposed to herself. In comparison, not only did Akane apparently have to deal with this transformation all the time, but it even extended to the point where she couldn't hide it. Couldn't pretend that it wasn't there. Couldn't control it, couldn't get rid of it, couldn't even figure out why it had happened to her.
"It's alright," Ranma said. "I think... I think I understand. I have a curse as well, so - " Ranma trailed off, uncertain of how exactly to explain this in the best way. It was not an easy conversation to broach when sitting on the bed of a very, very attractive girl that was still a bit of a stranger. Ranma fidgeted in place, trying to ignore that weird hot damp feeling.
"Eh?!" Akane gasped. "Cursed? What do you mean cursed... Unless... You don't mean the panda?"
Ranma mulled that over a little. "I suppose you could call that dumb panda a curse, come to think. Interesting way to put it." Couldn't help but get a laugh at that. Heh. Stupid pops was the biggest curse in Ranma's life! Though maybe this engagement thing wouldn't be so bad. Her unusual transformation aside, Akane seemed nice enough. Now that she'd explained that thing about the clothes, Ranma was easily able to see that it must be a transformed gi, which meant the girl was probably a martial artist, so there was at least that shared interest... Maybe this wasn't such a terrible thing after all?
"Well, never mind that! I'm just glad you're not a boy," Akane said, and Ranma's face froze entirely in place. "You're already sneaking peeks as it is... I shudder to think what might happen if you'd been some boy!"
"I see what you mean!" Ranma said, voice an octave higher than intended, teeth thoroughly clenched together.
"The last thing I need to deal with is a fiancee right now," Akane sighed. "I was already having to beat boys back at school as was... Now I'll have to worry about the <i>really</i> shallow ones that only see this body that isn't even really mine. So immature! If I wanted a boyfriend, I'd want one that likes me for me, not because I'm pretty to look at!"
"I like you."
"Ranma. Eyes up here. Then I might take you a bit more seriously."
"Sorry," Ranma blinked, and tried so very, very hard to keep focus on her eyes. Not an easy task given what was waiting for his gaze just a little bit below. "You're not angry that I keep staring?"
"Every time I pass the mirror, it takes everything I have in me to look away. I'd probably pound you if you were a boy, to stop you trying anything."
If Akane had noticed how poor her word choice was, she didn't show it. Ranma, on the other hand, did notice and discretely wiped under a nose that was not actually bleeding. Akane didn't notice that either. She was staring down at herself, her perfect shoulders slumped in dejected defeat. "With a figure like this, can I even do martial arts anymore?"
"Why don't we spar?" Ranma asked, and immediately regretted it as idle imaginings of Akane bouncing around the dojo and working up a sweat entered the imagination could unbidden. Again, a wipe at the nose. "I'll pretend to be some perverted boy, try to cop a feel or something, you try to stop me."
That earned Ranma a rap on the head. "Idiot. I can see that twinkle in your eye! Don't let this body turn you into a pervert!"
"Hmph!" Ranma smirked, beginning to feel a little bit mischeivous while making gropey gestures with both hands. "You say that like I was asking your permission! Stay still, this won't hurt one little bit!"
Akane let out a shocked shriek, and backed off towards the door while Ranma stepped slowly towards her with hands out at chest level, but then she must have caught something in Ranma's eye telling her it wasn't entirely serious. Before long, the two of them were embroiled in a laughing race towards the training hall. God, it had been far too long since Ranma had made a friend. Maybe... Maybe if she had a good enough impression of him now, she wouldn't hate him when she found out about the curse? In just the short time that they'd known each other, she had bewitched Ranma. Thoroughly and completely accidentally.
She hadn't expected to laugh like that today. Not after... whatever the hell this was. Earlier she had been deathly afraid of being forced into an engagement with some strange boy, a boy that would be completely incapable of keeping his hands off her. Not that she would have blamed him. Akane might have provided some discouragement towards that behaviour, but she wouldn't be able to blame him for it.
Instead she had a new friend! Ranma was a fun girl, a little shy at first but soon opened up. Akane could tell that she was trying - really trying - not to leer at this stupid, impossibly alluring body, to keep eye contact as much as possible. To try and show a little respect for something other than a figure she had not earned. On top of all that, Ranma was a martial artist - which she already knew, but it did give them a starting common point from which their friendship could truly blossom.
They had arrived in the dojo, prompting Akane to skid to a stop and jump around. She wobbled slightly, but adjusted her footing rather than falling flat on her face. A good start. Ranma was dead on her heels, hands still held up in a grabby claw like motion.
"Nice training hall," Ranma observed. "You ready?"
"I was born ready," Akane replied, slipping into a defensive stance as easily as breathing, then adjusting to compensate for certain assets, much to her own embarassment. In response, Ranma dropped her arms, and casually stared at her. Not planning on attacking? Fine by her. Akane's idea of a strong defense was a strong offense. Even during the morning brawl she always focused more towards hitting her assailants before they could launch their own attack on her, knocking them out of the fight long before the numbers would become overwhelming.
Akane threw a punch - and toppled over just the slightlest bit. Too top heavy! Too much force thrown forwards! She shifted her forwards foot a little bit more forwards, once again preventing herself from falling over. Ranma's head had quirked to the side, and Akane wasn't particularly surprised by that, but she'd be ready next time! With next time coming a few seconds later with a haymaker from her other hand... which connected, sending Ranma sprawling across the room.
"Ugh!" Ranma moaned, flipping onto her feet and rubbing her jaw. "You hit like a truck! Stupid! Should've dodged that... Come on, let's try another round! That won't happen again!"
For her part, Akane was elated. She had at least retained her hitting power, if nothing else. And she'd even landed a blow! She jabbed out with a few fast strikes, constantly mindful of her dramatically altered physiology. She stumbled more than once,l eaving herself open to counter attacks that never came, but each time Ranma gave her advice on how to stop it from happening again. Though it was odd, Ranma stopped herself from ever actually touching Akane to move her into the position she meant. But no matter. Her skill had not diminished in the slightest, she soon realised. Once she was more used to this form, she'd be every bit as strong and fast as she always had been. But for now, for now she'd be a bit on the clumsy side. It might take days or weeks to adjust, but she would be able to manage it eventually.
Ranma didn't know how much longer this would stand. Resistance was fading inch by inch and second by second. Touch her. Hold her. Look at the way she's moving. Look at the way she's dressed. She wouldn't mind, surely. She wanted to be held, to be touched, to be - No! No, no, no! Those were not thoughts worth entertaining. Not thoughts Ranma wanted to think. Even so, she was just... far too hot. Everything about this girl was driving Ranma insane with lust. The way she looked, the way she dressed, the way she moved... Normally it was Ranma's strategy to avoid the enemy as much as possible, let them make a mistake and then capitalise on it. Normally that was why with the dodging and ducking and weaving. Now, the reason was a bit different.
To put it bluntly, Ranma was terrified of what might happen upon launching an attack. Loss of self control is a terrifying notion to anyone, especially when it results in something... something so vile as the thoughts dancing through the back of the mind at the moment. It was the little things that were driving Ranma a bit mad right now. The body, survivable. The clothes, survivable. But those little body motions, the way she kept drawing attention to her breasts, then her hips, then her legs then back up again and down and up, drinking it all in... Ranma couldn't take it much longer. The only thing currently stopping an all out assault was the realisation that she wasn't doing it deliberately. That didn't fit with what she'd been saying earlier - was she not yet aware of these slight motions?
What had been a distraction at first was now proving to be drawing in all of Ranma's focus. Funny thing, though. If Akane could learn to control it a bit better, dish out those movements at strategically viable moments... virtually anyone would be left helpless enough for that killer punch to put an end to the fight there and then. The notion was more interesting than Ranma was currently willing to concede, even within the privacy of the mind. But still, the subconscious latched onto it... Interesting potential there.
Then Akane was moving again. She wasn't quite used to fighting like this, not quite yet. But she'd learn. Sooner or later she'd learn. This next attack was going to put all she had into it, from the way her (beautiful) muscles were tensing up under her (soft, silky, inviting) skin it was easy to tell. And easy to dodge. In another time and another place, that kind of blow would have been leaped over with the grace and ease of a bird in flight. As was, Ranma stood in place and met the blow with outstretched palm.
The incoming blow was stopped cold, kicking up dust and dirt from the surrounding floor. Ranma's hand wrapped around Akane's fist, not wit hthe intent of hurting, merely containing it with a gentle firm grip. Her jaw went slack, that really had been everything she had. If it had hit properly, then it would've sent Ranma flying. Right now Ranma didn't care. While Akane gaped at the display of strength and the gap in skill between then, Ranma gave the gentlest of pulls and dove forwards, burying into Akane's cleavage facefirst.
"R-Ranma! Get - get off! Stop it!"
But Ranma knew that this was impossible. Self control was long since shattered, worn down bit by bit by bounces and shakes and impossibly inviting wiggles. At this point it was all Ranma could do to merely hold her, inhale her intoxicating scent, feel the warmth of her skin and feel even that resistance slowly begin to crumble...
No. Not like this. Akane was the first friend, real friend Ranma had made in years. Throwing her away like this was not an option. Removing from that warm, inviting cleavage was like tearing flesh from the bone, but Ranma had been through more painful events in such a short life already. All for the sake of training. All of which was paying off now. Akane assisted in the seperation, pushing Ranma away with a fearful look on her face. Not that she could be remotely blamed. Ranma's own breathing was laboured, and she could swear she could see the reflection of the blush on her cheeks on the opposite wall.
"S-Sorry about that, I couldn't... I couldn't stop myself."
"It... It's alright Ranma. At least you weren't some boy." Again with the remarks about boys. Ranma's heart sank further. How would she react when she inevitably discovered the truth? "You're pretty amazing! Do you think you could control yourself enough to help me adjust to this new body?"
Yes. Ranma would help with that much. She deserved it. What's more, any boy that tried to touch this girl would pull back a bloody stump. Even if she couldn't do it because this body was too clumsy, or there were too many, Ranma knew for a damned fact that anyone that tried would regret it. Deeper than they regretted anything else in their entire lives. Martial artists are supposed to protect the weak, but more to the point, friends are supposed to protect one another.
1. Ranma suggests training Akane to use her new body to her advantage.
2. The curse is revealed…and things proceed as expected.
3. The curse is revealed…and things go even worse than canon.
4. The curse is revealed…and Ranma and Akane are able to move past it.
5. Ranma chooses to keep the curse a secret to keep Akane's friendship. That won't go well.
6. Something else.
It...kind of feels disappointing that Ranma missed getting a "You have a curse Too?" line out. I kind of like the direction you are going, but it seems sad that Ranma is bludgeoned even harder with the 'Revealing you are a boy is a terrible thing'.
ReplyDeleteIt'd be most neat for that to be a reveal, Akane to conclude it some wrong but positive way, and most the scene to continue on anyway.
It'd still be neat if it was revealed 'there's a curse', but Ranma clams up after a 'glad you're not a boy', so there's some Akane puzzling, some sort of positive flow back toward Ranma (She can feel bad about it, friendly toward Ranma rather than just betrayal when she finds out.)
The sexiness of Akane is played rather far, but that's the fun of the thread :)
Seems like you're missing a fun area of play: Ranma's first lust as a girl. Not just 'she's attractive' but feeling the signs of attraction and showing them. Heck, Akane could even worry she's turning her new friend into a lesbian. It seems like the kind of stress that'd go just along with what she'd been worrying about so far.
Mmm, I sort of like Akane's sexiness overcoming Ranma's self control, but at the same time, it seems like it loses Ranma taking his martial arts seriously.
Oh well, some thoughts :) Hopefully they help.
That's an interesting idea. I'll look it over again and see if I can get the "You have a curse too?" line in there. I'd need to figure out the positive thing as well.
ReplyDeleteI'll probably play up Ranma realising the first time she feels lust as a girl in the next update. Ranma will also be endeavouring towards regaining a little self control around Akane, and probably training her into controlling her own seductive body language a bit better.
I'm about to edit in some options. Let me know what you think of those as well. I'll try to make alterations later on, then post tomorrow around the same time I close this week's voting thread.
Sure, sure, says the sleepy reader. Just comment when they're up. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd edited. Let me know what you make of it, though it was just a brief edit in the grand scheme of things. I'll be posting it momentarily to the BEA.
ReplyDelete