Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bright sunlight poured through the window of the train as it rattled down the Marunouchi line. Hana fiddled with the strap on her purse, stroked the ears of the little plush bear clipped to it. It had been so long since she’d sat with Mei that her heart was fit to burst. Her eyes burned as she fought to keep from staring, absorbing every sharp curve of the raven-haired girl’s face as she looked out the window, so perfectly, effortlessly casual.

In her seat, so close that their shoulders brushed with every jostle, Mei stared out the window, dumbfounded; her heart- and her breakfast- racing to climb out of her throat. It had been, like, a whole fucking month since she and Hana had had any real time to themselves. And then, when all hope seemed lost- Hana had pitched a Hail Mary.

“Mei-chan,” she’d texted, “I know this is a long shot and it’s totally ok if you say no. But a few of my favorite shows are animated over in Nerima. It’s only an hour away! And I was just thinking- if you wanted- it would be so wonderful to see the places where this magic is woven with my favorite girl in the world.”

Favorite girl in the world. Mei swallowed the lump in her throat and turned her neck woodenly towards Hana, who weakly waved back at her. Here they were, nestled together, all alone on an empty train. She stood, fighting the urge to launch herself quickly across the aisle, landing with a plonk in the seat a safe distance from the ethereally gorgeous blond. Wordlessly, she slid back into her seat, ignoring Hana's little trills of protest and confusion. Another year was coming to an end. Soon, puberty might steal away her androgynous looks, swelling her body with muscle, distending her neck with cartilage. She didn’t give a rat’s ass about anime. But she couldn’t be Hana’s favorite girl forever. May as well soak it in now.

--

The anime museum was a miss, by Mei’s reckoning. Astro this, Urusei that. Some minorly interesting trivia on the nuances of birthing a cartoon into the world. Still, the hour of Hana’s indulgently info-dumping bliss was worth it to her. Now, as they walked, hands near enough that they almost brushed with every step, lunch held defiantly in the hands away from each other, Mei felt herself lulled into a strange peace.

“Hey, Hana…” Mei mused, nibbling on a crepe as they walked. “I can’t put my finger on it, but everything around here looks sorta… familiar. Are you getting that too?”

The golden giggle pouring from Hana’s throat made Mei’s heart skip a beat.

“Of course. I did tell you a lot of anime are drawn here. So the artists end up sketching a lot of these streets as backgrounds.”

Mei followed Hana’s finger, dainty and manicured, as it pointed to a low fence by the river, its seafoam green color cutting cleanly against the pale blue sky.

“You’ve probably seen that canal a hundred times.”

Mei wiggled her toes in her shoes. She’d learned something and the fact settled in her mind like a pearl in a clam’s shell?  Why couldn’t school be more like talking to Hana?

“Huh. That’s… neat, actually.”

“You almost sound disappointed. What, were you hoping for ‘past life memories?’”

Mei jammed her hands in her pockets.
“Ah, who needs that spooky stuff? No,  it’s just… I don’t know… nostalgic. Like coming home.”

Hana smiled, turning her thousand-watt smile on Mei.
“Maybe this is where we belong. We could get an apartment together after graduation.”

Mei’s eyes fell into her head, her jaw dropping to the floor. A rapturous, terrified rasping gurgled out of her throat. I need to visit a realtor right now. No, moron- you FORGETTING something? Yeah- wonder if Mom and Dad would give me a loan. No, no- the dick. The dick in your pants. The one that would make it really hard to convince her you’re a girl, and then she’d run away from you forever.

Hana rubbed the back of her elbow, her eyes lowering. She’d hate living with me that much, huh? Well… not that it could have happened anyway. She stretched a thin smile over her broken heart and affected a giggle.

“I- I’m only joking. It’s ok if you wouldn’t want to.”

Mei snapped out of her terror, heart hammering at the sadness in Hana’s eyes.
“No, you’re wrong, I TOTALLY would. You’d be like, the best roommate ever, I’m sure. It’s just… um… Nerima. It’s cute, but I can’t think of any reason we’d really want to live here.”

Hana’s smile grew just a little, and she looked up at Mei through her lashes.
“Right. I mean, it isn’t like anything interesting goes on over here.”

Just then, two girls screeched around the corner. The first, who sprinted headlong past them, barely drew their notice. The second… Mei yelped, snatching desperately at her wig as a bicycle’s tire bounced off her head, propelling its rider forward.

The purple-haired, maroon-silk decked girl let out a throaty battlecry as her bike hurtled at the first girl, who turned and shot out her foot. The heel caught the tire, crumpling it and hurling the purple-haired girl over her head in a graceful flip.

“Mei,” Hana cried, grabbing her chin, turning her head this way and that.
“You aren’t hurt, are you?”

Hana’s eyes were worry-wide, and the deep pools pulled Mei in dangerously. Her fingers began to tremble.
“No, Hana- I’m fine- let go- please, you can let go.”

She gasped a little as Hana’s fingers slid back along her chin. Beet-red, Mei traced her fingers along the wig’s edges, up under the veil of hair, to be sure that none of her short pink locks had spilled out. Sure that her secret was safe, Mei turned, fire raging in her belly. This bimbo almost outed me in front of the only girl who mattered. And even if I can’t hit a real girl, I can still give her… a piece… of… my mind…

Her fists opened, hanging limp at her side, as she and Hana watched, eyes sparkling. The purple-haired woman flowed like a waterfall, fists and feet crashing in a wild blur or blows. The ordinary girl she’d been chasing proved herself to be anything but: blocking hit after hit without flinching, scarcely bothering to dodge. When the purple haired girl flipped again, propelling from a nearby streetlamp with a flying kick, the blue-black haired counterpart rolled under it and came up with a vicious roundhouse that caught her opponent on the hip.

“Aiyaa!” cried the one. “You pay for that, violent girl.”

The other girl’s eyes narrowed.
“And who tried to hijack my brain with magic mushrooms? Who chased me with a bicycle, when it didn’t work, Shampoo?”

Shampoo crossed her arms, pushing out her notable assets.
“Is different! I fight for honor. You fight for too hot temper and too-small chest.”

The so-called violent girl scoffed. Meii’s eyes bulged in wonderment as the girl punched a fist into the pavement, coming up covered in asphalt rubble.

“Ugh! Why don’t you come here, see what Ranma taught me last night?” 

The sound of feet running on metal rang behind Hana’s ear, and a sudden gust blew her hair. A pigtailed boy in a red shirt leapt from the fence and landed between the girls, takeout bags in his hands.

“Whoah, slow down there. Shampoo. You know Akane and I were supposed to be going out today. I put it in the group chat.”

Shampoo charged forward, and the boy gulped as his two full hands left him defenseless from her hug, her cheek nuzzling his chest.

“But airen no come see Shampoo for so long. What I have to do to get alone time? Hmm?”

Stomping around the couple, Akane gripped the Chinese girl by the scruff of her neck. She went as limp as a kitten, hands curled innocently in front of her as she pouted.
“Nyaakane?”

“You know I don’t care who that pervert spends his time with. But if you want to crash, next time maybe show up with a batch of cookies. Some sodas. You know, like a normal person?”

“Violent girl no fun.”

With a huff, Akane tossed Shampoo clear over the fence, down into the canal. Hana gasped, running to the fence, peering through the chain links below.

“She’s gone! Where- what-“

Oh my god, oh no, holy crap did I just see a murder? Mei, Mei, save me, I’m a geek we aren’t cut OUT for stuff like this.

Keeping his eyes surreptitiously on Akane, the pigtailed boy shrugged. This poor girl was about to melt into a puddle.
“She’ll be fine,” he boy promised. “This happens… what, twice a month?”

“With her,” Akane said viciously, crossing her arms.

“Well, at least she tells me what she wants.”

“What are you talking about-“

“What was Nabiki saying I forgot your birthday? I didn’t forget.”

“You got me a stuffed owl, Ranma!”

“You said it was cute!”

“Yeah. If you’re into owls, is what I said.”

Flustered, Ranma’s fingers gouged the air.
“If you wanted something specific, you coulda’ asked for it.”

Mei cleared her throat.
“Hey, don’t mean to interrupt, but… that was amazing.”

Akane turned, and with a once-over, finally noticed her audience. The praise flipped a switch in her, and she beamed, hands crossed cheerfully behind her back.
“Oh, that? It was nothing, really. You should’ve seen me in my prime. Used to beat up a hundred boys every morning before homeroom.”

Hana quailed, backing behind Mei, bracing her hands on the scrapper’s shoulders.
“O-oh… you’re a… a delinquent?”

Mei nodded sagely, a finger stroking under her chin. Still no stubble. Thank God.

“Oh, no. It’s just… they all wanted to date me, but our kendo captain said none of them could unless they could take me in a fight. So… one thing led to another.”

Mei’s eyes sparkled.
“Amazing! You must be super strong!”

“Well, I am the heir to a dojo,” Akane said humbly, flashing a smile at Ranma. “You see? Some people still think I’m cool.”

“And they’d think I was ten times cooler if the saw me fighting,” Ranma deadpanned.

“Wow,” Mei was bouncing on her heels now. “Think we can go a round or two? If you’re better than her, I have to see it.”

Ranma waved the thought away.
“Well… I normally don’t fight with girls. Not if I can help it.”

“Well, that’s no problem!” Mei began brightly. She opened her mouth to continue and froze, the words frozen on her tongue. HANA is here, abort, abort.

“That’s right,” Akane said triumphantly, “It isn’t! Because I can spar her.”

Ranma puckered his lips in a surly pout.
“What? But we were supposed to be going out.”

“And we did. And then I made two new friends. And since it’s my dojo, and my house… come on, girls.”

Hana peered out behind Mei’s shoulder, her face pale under her makeup.
“Oh, we couldn’t impose. I mean… you don’t even know our names.”

“I’m Mei, and she’s Hana,” Mei provided, with a perfunctory bow of her head. “Nice to meetchya.”

“Tendo Akane,” the girl said brightly. “And this is my fiancé, Ranma.”

Hana gasped.
“A fiancé? But- you two can’t be much older than we are.”

“Arranged marriage,” Ranma said, resting his hands behind his head wearily. “Tell ya about it on the way. Now can we get a move on?”

Stopping to pull his phone out of his pocket, Ranma flashed the screen at Akane.
“Thirty percent chance of rain soon.”

Mei and Hana looked in unison at the clear, blue sky above.
“Are you sure?”

Akane flashed a knowing smile at Ranma, who stuck his chin in the air and started walking.
“The weather has a funny way of changing around here.”

Shrugging, Mei flashed Hana two thumbs up, and started off. Taking a resigned breath, Hana followed.

--

Hana and Ranma found themselves seated casually on the side of the Tendo dojo’s floor. Hana gawked, her eyes scanning the huge expanse of polished hardwood. Everything was traditional architecture, patched dozens of times from incidents she couldn’t imagine over who knew how many years. These people lived in an otaku’s fantasy of a martial artist’s house. It was perfect. But she found herself wondering how anyone could afford it.

Beside her, Ranma leaned his cheek on a hand, looking positively bored.

“Okay, ready when you are,” Mei declared, squaring herself against Akane.

Akane looked at Mei’s outfit and raised an eyebrow.
“You’re sure you don’t want to change?” she pressed. “I have spare gis.”

Mei gulped. Yeah, and if it comes untied, Hana’ll see I’m not wearing a bra…
“No worries,” she replied casually. “I fight in my street clothes all the time.”

Akane’s smile widened as she sank into stance.
“Oh? Should I be worried?”

“No,” Mei began tentatively. “But usually I’m beating up guys. Are you sure I can’t convince your fiancé to spar instead?”

Akane’s head shook vigorously.
“Don’t go cheating me out of my exercise now. And no- Ranma can’t fight any girl. Not until he’s taken a cold shower.”

Mei snorted.

“Don’t make me sound weird!” Ranma called, as Hana scooted away from him on the floor.

“You are weird, dummy,” Akane threw back.

Ranma’s braid stood on end.
“Uncute tomboy!”

Sticking her tongue out defiantly at Ranma once more for good luck, Akane snapped her focus back to the newcomer.
“Ready?”

Mei licked her lips and raised her fists, adrenaline tickling through her veins.
“Ready.”

Hana’s hands clasped in her lap, her eyes glued to the action.

“Don’t worry,” Ranma murmured quietly. “Akane may seem like she doesn’t know her strength, but in a spar, she has everything under control.”

Hana’s pale pink lips parted, and she let out a slow breath.
“I’m not worried. I just need to know, is it rude to cheer?”

Ranma appraised the nervous girl with a new eye.
“You really like her, don’t you?”
The blonde drank her in without blinking.
“She’s the best,” Hana said dreamily.

Ranma allowed himself a little smirk- at least he wasn’t that obvious about Akane- and settled in as the fighters bowed in. Usually by the time Akane was in the mix, things were chaotic and dangerous. It was refreshing to be able to spectate in the relative comfort of knowing she was safe in a friendly bout.

Mei moved like lightning. Ranma watched her footwork- basic and sturdy, nothing fancy. But fast. It was a combination you got if you were self-taught, scrapping with bullies all day. Her eyes darted across Akane’s form: reading moves, making predictions, hunting openings.

By comparison, Akane was almost graceful. With a little flush of pride, he could tell she’d been practicing recently- copying some of his footwork and flair- and the result was like sprinkling a little spice on his favorite soba. He leaned forward, the corners of his lips tugging upward.

It was Hana’s turn to smile. He was as bitten by the love bug as she was: it made the eccentrically boy seem less frightening.

Back on the floor, Mei was losing any of her compunctions about fighting a girl. She blocked a chop and felt the impact rattle across the bone.

“What’s the matter?” Akane demanded, following with a roundhouse. “Didn’t you say you were tough? Or are you going easy on me?”

There- the flicker of anger in Akane’s eye  promised her next hit would go wide. Mei ducked in and planted a solid shot to Akane’s ribs, and another just below her chest. Akane pushed into the blow, shoving Mei back and putting her guard back up.

“Now that’s more like it,” she cooed, grinning.

Mei tucked her chin down; after what she’d seen earlier, she gave the girl two hits that were usually enough to lay a guy out flat. And here she was, begging for more? With a shout, she charged. Blows came faster. Mei dodged punches, jumped low kicks. Akane grabbed her opponent’s shirt and rolled back, throwing her with a classic move. Mei rolled immediately to her feet and surged back to meet her.

“Oh my God,” Hana breathed, “She is so gorgeous.”

“Mine or yours?” Ranma teased.

“Yeah,” Hana said distractedly.

Seeing how Mei’s muscles bunched, how she brushed off a hit to the jaw with a smile on her face. How her hair flew behind her like ribbons, and fire blazed in her eyes… Mei’s talents were always impressive. But now, as she and this total stranger fought to a blissful stalemate, a true amazonian display, the sheer beauty of it began to temper her opinion. She began to breathe a little faster, one finger toying with the collar of her blouse.

Ranma spared a moment of his attention and noticed her keen interest with a chuckle.
“You’re going to fit right in, Hana.”

There was a thump- he snapped his head back to see Akane straddling Mei on the floor, her fist frozen mid-strike a hair’s breadth from the brunette’s nose, and Mei grinning like a loon all the while. The hawklike focus in Akane’s eyes dimmed, and her smile brightened. Her head tilted to the side, and she let out a full-throated laugh.

“Mei-san, that was great.”

“Totally,” Mei agreed, holding up her hands in defeat. “If all girls fought like that, there wouldn’t be a creep left in the world!”

“Oh stop,” Akane said, quickly standing and offering Mei her hand.

Mei took the hand gratefully, her free hand gently tracing a bruise blooming under her shirt.
“It’s true! I haven’t enjoyed a fight this much since middle school!”

A soft voice filtered across the door.
“Akane, Ranma, supper is ready.”

“Be right there, Kasumi,” Akane called back.

Ranma sprang to his feet, nodding with newfound respect for Akane’s new friend.
“Gotta say, Mei, I’ve seen worse. Maybe I could show you a couple new moves sometime.”

Mei’s eyebrows furrowed in a ‘who does he think he is’ knot, then relaxed.
“Well, if you’re anywhere as good as Akane, that sounds like a plan.”

“You hear that, Ranma?” Akane purred smugly.

Ranma rolled his eyes. At least she was enjoying herself.

The trio paused- Hana was still seated, cross-legged, tugging at the hem of her skirt. Mei’s high spirits crashed instantly.

“Hana, are you okay?”

Hana looked up, a hand to her chest, trying to ignore the husky, demanding tone of Mei’s voice.
“Yeah, Mei-chan. I just can’t get up right now.”

Mei’s worried face softened.
“Legs asleep?”

“Yes,” Hana replied flatly.

“No worries,” Mei began to squat down, “I’ll carry you!”

Hana jerked upright, blushing.
“NO!”

Everyone paused, looking at her blankly. She chanced a nervous smile, fingers teasing out the tangles in her wig.
“I mean… no thank you, Mei-chan. I’ll only be a minute. And I’d like to stretch out anyway on the way inside.”

Shrugging, and trusting Hana at her word, Mei turned to follow her sparring partner.
“So, your sister a good cook?”

“Man, you won’t believe what you’re in for,” Ranma cut in.

Chapter Text

A heavenly breeze rolled through the open engawa as the group set down to dinner.
Hana marveled at the spread: ginger-pork, simmered fish, beef-and-potato soup, rice and pickles. All simple stuff like her grandma used to make- enough to feed an army, every bite enticingly aromatic. An excited gurgle escaped her stomach.

“Ah- sorry, Tendo-san,” she muttered to Kasumi. “It all smells so delicious, I can’t help myself.”

Mei nodded, rubbing her hands together energetically and licking her lips.

With an angelically serene smile, the older girl cocked her head.
“Don’t be sorry, it’s quite a compliment. Although, I’m sure it isn’t as good as your own mother’s.”

Turning a cup of tea between her hands, Hana shook her head.
“My mom’s an OL, and Dad’s always away. My sister and I do a lot of konbini takeout.”

“Oh my,” Kasumi tutted, smoothing out a nonexistent wrinkle in her apron. “That’s not healthy for growing girls. Do you cook at all?”

Hana scratched bashfully at her face, remembering a certain batch of cookies she’d made for a certain beautiful girl she hadn’t had the guts to confess to yet.
 “I mostly bake.”

Mei clenched a fist in front of her chest.
“Don’t undersell yourself, Hana! Those cookies were the best thing I’d ever tasted.”

“Well…” Hana muttered, shifting a little on her cushion, pink dusting her face, “If you’re certain.”

With the grace of a woman twice her years, Kasumi turned to Akane.
“My, my, such polite new friends you have!”

The middle child, a quiet, surly-looking girl with a chestnut bob, looked up past her tea with half-lidded eyes. Hana met her eyes with a tentative smile. She looked… cool. Like she was already over this whole thing. Kind of like she’d thought of Mei that first day.

Mei wiggled impatiently- what was the holdup? There was one more seat around the low table, but who were they waiting for? At that moment, Hana’s eyes widened, a hand flying to cover her mouth. Following the blonde’s gaze, Mei’s hair stood on end.

“Is that a panda?”

Hana squealed.
“You have a pet panda? Akane-san, your family is the coolest! What kind of anime life is this?”

Mei narrowed her eyes, wielding a pair of chopsticks with lethal intent as the bear waddled past her seat, close enough to smell his fur. Her watering mouth went dry. A real goddamn panda?

The panda’s haunches settled into the empty seat at the table. There was a low grumble in the back of its throat, and then it held up a hastily-written sign:

||I’m nobody’s pet!||

Ranma clapped the beast on the shoulder, sending it face-first into its empty plate.

“Yeah, pops is a member of the family.”

Food forgotten, Hana reached out her hand to the panda’s ear, clicking her tongue.

“Hana,” Mei shot across the table, “That is a wild animal!”

“Oh, he’s not so wild,” Hana cooed, “Are you, big fella?”

She wiggled her fingers closer, but the bear twitched further away- could pandas even give looks of withering disdain?

“Maybe you want a snack, hmm?”

Pops immediately rolled onto his back, mouth open. Hana tossed him a slice of pickled lotus root, clapping as his jaws snapped shut around it. He kicked and begged for more treats as the rest of the household groaned in disbelief.

“Sinking to new lows, even for you, pops,” Ranma muttered.

The man of the house, a long-haired man in a casual jinbei, who had until now been content to observe, pulled his face out of his palm long enough to announce:
“Well, everybody is here. Shall we?”

The food turned out even better than the newcomers hoped. Mei’s eyes slid shut as she delicately chewed a velvety morsel of potato from her soup. Even Hana was distracted from the adorable little game of keepaway Ranma was playing with the panda over his dinner, absorbed in her fish and rice.

The talk was polite, domestic.

 Then the quiet girl with the bob plopped her rice down on the table.
“All right, I’ll bite. Are you two Ranma’s new fiancés?”

A synchronized spray of tea shot out from Hana and Mei’s mouths: Akane’s nostrils flared, and Ranma groaned, dropping his head into his hands.

“Nabiki,” Kasumi chided.
While Hana was busy wiping her lips, Mr. Tendo wiped his eyes, thick tears flowing into his mustache.
“My own son-in-law, two-timing my beautiful daughter. How could you, Ranma, after all we’ve been through?”

Words failed Mei, who could only flail her hands in a silent defense.

 Ranma slapped the table, clambering to his feet.
“Will you give it a rest, old man? I ain’t two-timing Akane!”

“He’s right,” Nabiki replied, tallying on her fingers. “Shampoo, Ukyou… he’s at least three-timing, so it’d be up to five now.”

Akane fumed silently.

Ranma spluttered, a vein standing out on his forehead.
“Na…bi…kiiiii” ground out between his teeth.

Hana stood so fast, she nearly toppled the table- Nabiki looked up at the blonde’s cherry-red face, her lips a silent o. Was she right?

“It’s true,” Hana began.

Mei’s face screwed up in horror. What- Hana, no- wait, when did they?

“He isn’t two-timing! Not with us, certainly. I don’t know how you can even joke about something like that in front of Akane... But even if he wanted to,” she said, spinning on her heel, golden locks cascading over her shoulder, “He couldn’t, because there’s only one person I like! And I know it’s the same for Mei-chin!”

Swallowing thickly, Hana froze, suddenly aware that she had everyone’s undivided attention. Mr. Tendo’s tears were coming down by the bucket now. Akane and Kasumi gripped each other’s hands, eyes flitting between the two in fervent admiration. Mei could only stare directly at her food, overwhelmed.

“Hana…” Mei managed, her voice a broken whisper.

Well, Yuuma, it’s been nice knowing you. This is the end now. I’m literally going to vomit out my heart, and that is the last Mei will ever see of me.

Desperate to break the tension, she stooped to pick up a chunk of juicy fish, throwing it high over the panda’s head. Eager eyes followed the morsel- a paw shot out, swiping the treat from the air and tossing a pitcher of water Ranma’s way. There was a splash, and then the world stopped.

Mei’s skin was tucked tight against her face, her bones jutting sharply under her bulging eyes. Hana dropped back into her seat like a puppet with cut strings, her posture hunched, jaw hanging open.

In an instant, the strapping, loud-mouthed young man was replaced by a woman with cotton-candy-pink hair in his sopping-wet clothes. With a sigh that made those mountains on her chest heave, Ranma pulled off her shirt, rolling the silk up to wring out right at the table. Mei and Hana’s eyes popped out further- because there had been no bra underneath to contain them.

Still staring, Hana’s palm prodded Mei’s shoulder.
“You’re seeing it too, right?”

The brunette was grateful for the bobby pin holding her wig down as she nodded.
“Uh-huh.”

A camera flash popped- the stimulus just enough to make them blink, each open-and-shut of their eyelids confirming the absurd impossibility. Nabiki plucked the photo printing from her retro polaroid, shaking it until Mei and Hana’s faces reflected back at them.

“A thousand yen and you’ll always know just what you looked like when you saw it the first time.”

Mei absently reached out, pushing Nabiki’s hand out of her way, still staring.

Now a soprano, Ranma grumbled.
“Jeez, it’s been a while since we did this dance. Well…“

Kasumi clasped her hands:
“Ranma is cursed! Any time he gets hit with cold water, he turns into a girl. But don’t worry; a little hot water, and he’s right as rain again.”

“That’s rough buddy,” Mei deadpanned.  “How’s somebody even end up with a curse like that, anyway?”

Hana’s face fell.
“Probably something really painful…”

Ranma flapped the shirt out to try, leaning back onto the tatami floor.
 “Eh, not really. Just fell into a spring. Splish splash, boobs.”

Unbeknownst to the other, Hana and Mei’s brains chugged down the same track.

A blond lock curled thoughtfully around Hana’s finger.
If I can get whatever curse Ranma has…

Mei’s blank stare shifted into a satisfied smirk.
Even though I’m totally a man…

Their eyes smoldered like coals.
She’ll never have to know… and there won’t be anything left in our way!

They were dimly aware of Ranma continuing, her speech a distant drone.

“Honestly, I think I got off pretty easy,” the redhead finished.

Hana shook her head free of the clouds.
 “What do you mean?”

The panda thrust a new sign into the air.
||Not too bright, are you, girls?||

Soun released a long-suffering sigh, upending a teakettle on the anima’s head.

Hana and Mei froze again, their eyes drifting in dizzy circles between Ranma, the kettle and “Pops” the “panda,” now a fully-clothed and dour-faced man.

And then Hana fainted.

--

Akane dragged her feet, chewing her cheek as she escorted the girls to the door. Hana had been out for long enough that the streetlamps were buzzing to life outside, the orange haze of sunset softening to the purples of evening. Akane shut the door behind them, locking the insanity away.

Hana’s legs were shaking so badly that Mei followed only a step behind, ready to catch her if she fell. Akane took a step forward, hand lifting hesitantly to offer her help. Instead, she gulped air around the tightness in her chest.

“I’m sorry for everything,” Akane droned bitterly. “I ‘ll understand if you don’t want to come back after all that.”

Mei swept her hair out of her face, her lips tight.
“Are you kidding?”

Akane went tense all over, tight as a guitar string about to snap. Mei had been restraining herself since Hana dropped, but now she could speak freely, and she was in for it.

She was half right.

“Of course we’re coming back,” Mei crowed.

Akane, flabbergasted, leaned back against the door.
“Really?”

“Totally! Definitely!” Hana added, rummaging into her purse.

Out came her phone, little bedazzled charms and all. Her face wouldn’t have looked out of place on a mob boss proposing an alliance with a rival clan.
“Would you want to exchange Lime info with me?”

“Yeah, and me!” Mei said, racing to pull her phone out of her hoodie pocket.

All the stress seemed to drip out of Akane into the ground.
“Of course! Oh my gosh, thank you two for being so normal about this! You would not believe how hard it’s been keeping friends with all this chaos.”

Hana and Mei’s faces, lit from below by the green-blue glow of their screens, were shadowy.

“Yeah,” Mei echoed, “Totally normal.”

“The most normal,” Hana piled on.

The window above them slid open- the next moment, Ranma, all-man once more, alighted on the ground beside Akane. His chin was rumpled, the universal sign for not bad, you two.
“You want mine, too?”

“Yes!” Mei said, a little too quickly.

“Do you have one for your boy side and your girl side?” Hana asked intently, already pulling up her contacts.

Ranma arched an eyebrow.
“No? Why would I do that?”


“No idea,” they said together.

“You two look so pale,” Akane said, warm concern flooding her voice. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Don’t worry about us,” Mei covered, “Long day is all. Well, gotta run, see you later!”

--


Back in his room, Hana’s wig securely on its pedestal, Yuuma flicked through his favorite gacha game. Normally, the thrill of the draw and the measured challenge of pitting his lineup of Yumeko idols against those collected by fans all over Japan in rhythmic combat would have him tapping his toes in blissful surrender.  Tonight though, the pink and purple hair, the riot of colorful outfits- even the water-splash effects of Summer Fun Mermaid Yumeko’s main attack- kept his brain circling a certain ward of town just a short train ride West.

He tousled his mousy black hair, trying to crush the thoughts into place. What time was it, even? Eleven PM on a school night? No. No way, he couldn’t. He- she- anyone he’d met was probably long asleep by now. His finger hovered over the contact, wishing both Ranmas had one- he’d feel more at ease knowing the girl Ranma was on the other side.

 
                                                                            Sunday, 7/15

Hiiiiiii! Nice meeting you today.                          Read-11:06

               Read- 11:06                                               Hey there. Sorry, which one were you again? 

Hana! Sorry to bug you so late.
I just had a question, if you don’t mind.   Read- 11:09

Read- 11:09                              Psh, don’t sweat it. I’ll sleep in homeroom.
                                                Depends… what are you gonna ask?    

Nothing creepy! Or weird! I think. Tell me if it’s weird, right?
Anyway, about those springs. They aren’t in Tokyo, are they?
It would be so scary to think about falling into some pond in a nearby park and…
coming out with a totally different body.                                                                                         Read- 11:13

Yuuma couldn’t breathe. He was gripping the phone so tightly as he typed that he’d almost cracked the screen. Over his shoulder, Hana’s wig looked at him, the blank face of her wig head judging his anxiety. Ranma had to text back soon, or his poor heart couldn’t-


Read-  11:13                         Oh, right. No, they’re in China.
                                             We had one by us, but it was only the spring of drowned man.

 Yuuma had barely read it before three undulating dots showed up on the screen.

Read- 11:14                         Shit, sorry Hana: I’m sure to a girl like you, fallin’ in and
                                            coming out a man would seem as bad as anything else.

Yep. Totally. A girl like me, coming out all hairy and muscled and-
blegh, I’m going to lose dinner just thinking about it.                                    Read- 11:15

Read- 11:                            Well, rest easy. It got blown up.

WHAT                                                 Read- 11:20

Read- 11:21                       There was a dragon man.
                                          IDK you had to be there I guess. Night!


Suddenly, Yuuma didn't feel much like staying up. Phone forgotten on his desk, he clicked off the lights and crawled under the covers.

Chapter Text

A meeting of the minds raged. The precious minutes of their lunchbreak whizzed by, but Yuuma had gathered his allies. Shimazaki Tsubaki, alias Udon, the famous cosplayer. Nakayama Jun, serial heartthrob but chronically afraid of girls… couldn’t make it. In his place, an unexpected substitution in his brother, Tanigami Yuzuru… a punk with lime-green hair who always hung around Satogiri Shuumei.

When the delinquent had pulled up a desk with Shimazaki, Yuuma had tilted his head queerly. His best friend had only shrugged. With a twinge of regret, Yuuma recalled he and Shimazaki were palling around now. After all, if he weren’t so busy with work and Mei… Mei. He had to focus.

His phone chimed, but he shook the noise away.

Adjusting his enormous glasses, Shimazaki offered his friend a warm smile.
“Hane-shi, good to be getting together again. What’s on the agenda? A convention in Odaiba? Concert in Akihabara?”

Yuuma’s spine curled in on itself a little.
“I actually… need to ask a favor of you two. I’m sorry.”

Shimazaki’s face chilled. He nodded, lips pursed. Ignoring the way his heart pulled itself to shreds at the void growing between them, Yuuma moved along.

“I’m sorry, Shimazaki-shi. I want to, I really do. But this is no ordinary favor. I…”

He closed his eyes, breathed deep, and allowed himself to consider the impossible.
“I’ve finally realized how Mei-chan and I can be together. It’s simple. It’s… elegant. But I need time to make it work.”

Shimazaki’s blood pressure spiked. After months of watching his friend tangle a web of drama and intrigue tighter around that little romance, the thought was a powerful balm.
“Mei-chan?”

Yuzuru perked up- well aware of Shuumei’s runaway ‘hobby.’
“You’re finally coming out to her?”

“Yes,” Hana said- Yuuma said- “In a manner of speaking.”

Yuuma froze.
“I mean, what-“

“It’s ok, Hane, I clocked you the second time we met. Moving on?”

Yuuma chewed his lip, slowing the torrent of thoughts and diverting them from his mouth.

I know Ranma said the springs were in China. But he could have been hiding something. He could have been wrong! I have to get to the bottom of this. One way or the other. Because even if I told Mei now… she would ask why I didn’t look for a spring. Why I came to her as me and not… me. Isn’t she worth changing everything for?

“I have a friend in Nerima,” Yuuma continued, “Who like, just became a girl in front of me. If anybody can get me ready to meet Mei for real… it will be her.”

Shimazaki and Yuzuru paused, giving each other a look. Hana’d met crossdressers before- including Yuzuru’s second mother. What made this one special?

Yuuma’s eyes clouded, and he tented his fingers.
“There’s just one problem.”

Shimazaki’s glasses glinted in the noon light as he nodded in comprehension.
“You can’t talk to her because she’s too pretty?”

“No!” Yuuma gasped.

Yuzuru toyed with the hem of his shirt’s oversized sleeves.
“You found out Mei’s a boy and now you have to deal with being bisexual?”

Yuuma’s soul left his body, which crumbled into dust over the table.
“What? I- I’m not-“ protested the dust pile.

His tablemates spoke as one.
“You are.”

“Ok, so I am. But I would know if Mei were a boy!” 

Shimazaki tensed as Yuzuru grabbed his leg under the table- the delinquent’s strong grip was just as tense as the otaku’s entire body. Yuuma carried on, toying with his hair in exasperation. His phone pinged again.

“And she’s the prettiest girl I’ve ever met- her makeup is- ugh. Focus, I have to focus. This is the problem.”

Yuuma dug in his messenger bag and produced a phone. One swipe put the issue on clear display: a pair of text alerts superseding his email, Lime, and even his beloved gacha apps.

Kaede: 34 unread messages
Kippei: 35 unread messages

Shimazaki cocked his head, laughing.
“Wow, Yuuma. I had no idea you were such a player.”

“It’s the same person,” Yuuma blurted, voice whooshing out as he collapsed onto the table. My evil twin.”

While Yuzuru blinked, Shamazaki played back a few moments he’d had: noticing his friend in public, calling out to him… and winning no response. It made a stupid amount of sense.
“Oh- he’s why you’ve been so hard to get a hold on?”

Yuuma’s voice was half-swallowed by the formica desk.
“Yeah… I like him. He’s nice! And he’s really fun when we hang out… as Hana and Kaede. But…”

Yuzuru took a swig from a juicebox, the sugar providing his brain a much-needed boost of energy.
 “Say less, you need us to distract your shadow.”

Yuuma looked up now, one eye just visible through the curtain of his bangs.
“Umm… you? I figured Shimazaki-shi…”

A casually-dressed arm draped around a uniformed shoulder.
 “You mean my buddy Tsubaki? I’ve been looking for an excuse to hang out outside of school. Win-win.”

Yuuma was sure his eyes now took up half of his face.
“B-but- it would be so much hassle, I couldn’t-“

Tsubaki gasped.
“Excuse you?”

Yuzuru’s hand tightened on Shimazaki’s shoulder.
“Hana helped put my family back together. And Mei… is a good friend. Don’t worry, nerd. We’ve got your back.”

The corners of Yuuma’s eyes stung. His lower lip began to tremble.
“You guys…”

He reached into his bag again- this time, he came back with a crisp form printed on snow-white stationery.
“I don’t know how I can ever thank you. But to show my appreciation, these are contracts guaranteeing one favor of your choice, unconditional, at the time of your choosing.”

Yuzuru looked at the paper blankly as Shimazaki buried his face in his palm.
“What?”

“Just initial here and I’ll affix my seal,” Yuuma promised, pulling out his hanko.

“Thank you Yuuma,” Shimazaki said slowly, in the way that said “Go with it Yuzuru, this is normal for him.”

As Yuuma folded the signed and sealed documents, he giggled, stuffing them into a nice, safe, pink envelope.
“It’s a deal!”


--

Shuumei’s feet kicked underneath his desk as he looked around. How the hell long did it take for Yuzuru to hit the vending machine? As it was, his only company was Kanoko: and the gentle giant was busy waxing poetic about Mei-chan’s charms as usual. Not altogether a bad thing- but a little irritating when he had to sit there like this. Scruffy pink hair and his single earring bared for the world to see, unable to seem too invested and cautious of being too dismissive of this ‘mystery’ woman’s charms. Nodding and grunting, he dug into his pocket.
                                                                     Lime
Yo, Akane. How’s it going?                          Read: 12:10

Read: 12:12                                                    Mei-san, hello! I was starting to think you were
                                                                       bluffing when you asked for my Lime.

Sorry. Just been busy. You’re rad as hell,
I could literally never ghost you. Read: 12:13

Read: 12:15                              ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶ I’m glad. So what are you thinking. Rematch?

You know it. I have a bone to pick with you.
But also… maybe we could go out?
Read: 12:15

                                                                                                         Read: 12:20 Mei, I’m sorry, I’m engaged.

Not like that! I mean, kind of like- shit. Hold on, distracted. Read: 12:23
                                                                    
Two meters of goliath twink was wrapped around Shuumei’s chest in a tearful hug.
“Shuumei-kun, are you even listening?”

One irate fist bonked down on top of the smitten punk’s head.
“I’m talking to a girl, Kanoko, buzz off!”

“Is a girl more important than our friendship?” Kanoko asked, rearing back, eyes distraught.

“One hundred percent,” Shuumei growled.

Struck through the heart, Kanoko fell back to a seat and began picking at his lunch.


                                                                                       Lime:
Sorry, had to squish a bug. I meant you and Ranma,
 Hana and I could do lunch sometime. Dinner.
 Just go out. Nerima has more going on than I
 thought and I want to see it all.

                                                            Finally, somebody gets it. Well… OK! I can do that.
                                                            Ranma’s ALWAYS down to eat. I swear, the calories go *poof* when he                                                                                                                                        transforms. Anything you want in particular?

O-makase, sensei.  (シ_ _)シ

                                                                                                                        Wise-ass.

--

To the uninitiated eye, the young man in the chic shirt was Hanae Yuuma, blessed at long last with confidence. To those in the know, he was Kobata Kippei, motor-driven boy with a face that thrived on smirks and pouts. Today he was firmly in pout mode. Meeting Yuuma, and Hana, had been fate. Identical faces. Identical interests. The same love of the female form, so beautiful you just had to crawl into its skin yourself.

But then his soulmate slipped through his fingers. Kippei was a reasonable man- maybe, just maybe, Yuuma had yet to understand the depths of his devotion. Maybe he was worried by Kippei’s attempts to extricate him from those undeserving, unappreciative casuals who were so selfish they needed people besides Hana or Yuuma to be happy. Totally fair, perfection takes time to process. Although... in the meantime, what was a boy to do?

Kippei paused, looking at the sign in the window of the store he was passing. Compared it to the one in Yuuma’s Flitter account from the hour ago. Licked his lips and felt himself smirk. He was on the right trail. Post after post, from bookstore to merch popup to cafe, he sniffed along the trail: closer, ever closer to ecstatic reunion. 

In the ramen stand across the way, Tsubaki snickered, cooling his heels after a productive day of espionage. Yuzuru pulled up a seat at the bar next to him, surfing over his shoulder. Yuuma’s old phone, the one he used at school and with his family, was logged into Flitter. The most recent post was a picture of a movie theater marquee taken from the noodle shop’s window, captioned:

“New CaptureCreature movie? 1000¥ matinee plus bottomless soda? #Heaven!”

An agonized wail echoed through the plaza.
“He told me he hated CaptureCreatures! Yuuma, you liar!”

“He still hasn’t caught on, has he?”

“Noooo,” Tsubaki said, grinning into his hoodie. “I’m sorry, Tanagami-kun. It looks like I was a skosh paranoid about him recognizing me.”

A quick peek through the window confirmed a spiky-haired bundle of fury was tromping towards the movie theater across the street, oncoming traffic be damned. Yuzuru shrugged, cracking his chopsticks and giving his noodles a twirl.
“You can never be too careful with these yandere types. Besides. It wasn’t a total loss.”

Tsubaki cocked his head, scanning Yuzuru’s eyes for a hint of what he meant. Yuzuru only smiled, shifting his seat closer.
“Do you really want to see the new  CaptureCreatures?”

Blushing, Tsubaki rubbed the back of his neck and turned away.
“I don’t know. It’s a little babyish.”

A finger tapped his shoulder. Gathering the strength to turn despite the heart beating haywire in his chest, he was greeted by an indulgent smirk, and a familiar chiptune theme.

“You… play CaptureCreatures Safari?”

“For sure. Check out my roster.”

Lowering his guard, and dropping the hood that was really getting too hot to hide in anyway, Tsubaki thumbed through Yuzuru’s deck. An electric thrill shot through him.

“A solar eclipse prancel-lord? Those were a one-day drop, in one place!”

Yuzuru sighed as if reliving a heavy trauma.
“I know. Had to skip school and bus out to Hamamatsu to be there for totality. Worth it.”

Suddenly, his chocolatey-brown eyes pinned Tsubaki’s.
“Want to battle?”
 
Tsubaki beamed, straightening up.
“Next showing of the movie’s half an hour away. After that?”

Twirling his phone as he slipped it away, Yuzuru winked.
“It’s a date, Tsubaki.”

Tsubaki’s head spun. That was an expression, right? He couldn’t… he didn’t really want… As Tsubaki’s flustered blush spread, the twinkling in Yuzuru’s eye grew as bright as the sun. He’d thought this little excursion was all about trapping Kippei, and now he was the one getting snared. It made him feel important, special, moreso than then the crowds gathered around Udon the cosplayer… because this was just for him.

“Sure,” Tsubaki murmured, prodding his fingers together. “A date.”

--

“You’re going to love this place,” Akane declared, skirt twirling around her knees as she turned back to face the girls trailing behind.  “The Nekohanten crowd is a little weird, but the food is out of this world.”

Ranma tossed her braid with a roll of her eyes.
“It’s not too late to go to Ucchan’s instead.”

Akane prodded her girlfriend quickly in the nose.
“You’re just saying that because you get the friends and family discount there.”

“Could get it at the Nekohanten too if I batted my eyes,” Ranma muttered under her breath.

Akane treated her to a flinty stare, and the redhead cleared her throat hastily.
“Not that I would. She isn’t my type.”

Mei and Hana exchanged sidelong glances, checking if the other was in on the joke. Hana’s momentary fear of missing out disappeared at Mei’s shrug.

--

Hana couldn’t quite see what the fuss was about. Dark wood tables with Chinese Zodiac placemats. Gentle zither music floated through speakers in the ceiling. So maybe it was a little classier than she’d expected, but they’d still had to seat themselves among the bustling tables. Garlic and ginger scented the air, warm and inviting. Compared to the chaos of their first meeting, this was… honestly refreshingly tame. The only thing missing was the waitress.

A squeal of joy split the air.
“Airen come!”

The source of the cry was a pink and purple blur, and in the blink of an eye, Shampoo was wrapped around Ranma like a cozy sweater.
“I knew you wait too-too long, must have felt terrible not to see favorite girl in all China.”

Hana studied her menu, her eyes pinpricks in a calm mask as she studiously did not watch Shampoo shamelessly nuzzling the pigtailed girl’s chest. Mei gave a low whistle.

“So that’s what he meant about the family discount.”

Akane’s eyes rolled back into her head.
“Three, two, one…”

“Shampoo! Get your hands off Saotome, you don’t know where he’s been.”

A tall strip of a man in a white robe bounded out of the kitchen and lunged towards the object of his desire. He seized her in a protective embrace, stroking her hair gently.
“Oh, Shampoo, I- did you change your conditioner? Your hair feels so plasticky-”

Mei’s elbow rammed into the top of the man’s head, sending him sprawling on the floor. An angry blush burnt across her face, and her voice was a smokey rumble that stirred the butterflies in Hana’s stomach.

“The hell’s the matter with you, you blind?”

Lurching to his feet, the man extracted a pair of impossibly thick glasses from his voluminous sleeves and bent their arms back into position. Sliding them onto his face, he looked between Shampoo’s pitying disdain and the two strange girls glaring at him, and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

“Really, Mousse,” Shampoo tutted, prying herself out from Ranma’s pillowy front, “You need wear every day. No like, get contact lens.”

“I, uh.. thought you’d used the instant twin spring powder? Sorry, miss.”

Instant spring powder. The thought put jerked Hana and Mei upright in their seat.

Ranma chuckled, scooting her chair away from Shampoo and closer to her fiancé.
“You still keep that stuff around?”

Mousse, grateful for the chance to look competent again, stroked his chin, nodding.
“The Jusenkyou salesman is a good client. And single-use transformations can come in extremely handy.”

Ranma huffed, remembering her run-ins with the stuff.
“If you say so.”

Quick as a shifting shadow, an old woman bounded across the floor on a staff, the gnarled head cracking over Shampoo and Mousse’s skulls.

“Go on now, back to work you two. Before I hit you with the sprayer and get the pet carrier.”

“Of course, Cologne-zǒng”

Hana’s mind was spinning, fragments of thoughts swirling around each other like leaves in an autumn storm. Her voice sounded distant around the heartbeat thumping in her ears.
“Are they… cursed?”

The thought doused the last smoldering sparks of Mei’s temper, the black-haired girl eying the restaurant staff with a new reverence.

Ranma nodded, returning to the more important business of poring over the menu.
“As punishment. The cat café staff aren’t the experts on Jusenkyou for nothing.”

Cologne huffed, fingers itching for the pipe she had left in the kitchen.
“We are more than experts, son-in-law. We guard its secrets. Guide those in need of its magics. And… we offer free delivery within ten kilometers.”

Hana remained quiet, her face dissolving into a unique surface-level calm familiar to restaurant workers the world over.

Mei’s brows knitted together as she scrutinized the old woman.
“Are you cursed?” Mei asked, looking at a woman who looked like nothing more than a sentient pile of wrinkles.

“Only with a long and interesting life. Now, can I take your orders?”

--

“So fuuuull,” Hana droned, hands bracing the little two-pound food baby resting in her belly.

The four fast friends strolled languidly, even Ranma keeping her feet on the ground as satisfaction slowed her body and mind. She entertained herself by regaling Mei with stories of the Amazons and their convoluted conflicts.

“You’re kidding. She poisoned you so you’d marry Shampoo?”

Ranma’s head bobbed a little as she thought.
“Poison is a strong word. Just sucked not being able to bathe for a couple of weeks. Or to stand to take a leak.”

A little old lady they passed shot Ranma a scandalized look, and the redhead returned a caricature of it.

Mei’s lips were set in a grim slash.
“So… when I knocked that Mousse guy flat… He’s not supposed to be my husband now, is he?”

Akane shook her head.
“No. For one, I think it only applies to the women. Men are mostly there to look handsome and raise the kids. But also… I don’t think they like him enough to enforce it if they did.”

“I’m glad,” Hana mumbled, studying her shoes. “If some boy took Mei away from me, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Mei swallowed thickly. Hana… you’re the one who said we shouldn’t rush. We aren’t dating. Why aren’t we dating? Shit, we must be the biggest friggin’ idiots in Japan. Wait- this is a girl thing, isn’t it? She’s dropping a hint and she wants me to run with it. Think. THINK.  Prying apart her tense jaws, she squeezed out the first thought she could to reassure her innocent little cream puff.

“No chance. I’m only into girls.”

Hana went absolutely silent, her face totally blank. No way, Mei thought, I think it worked!

Akane smiled quietly.
“So confident about it, too. I’m envious. Took me years to admit I swung both ways.”

Ranma’s hips bumped into Akane.
“Oh, I knew right away. The first thing you did was swing both ways. I dodged, of course.”

Akane’s laugh was a swallowed snrk. As an afterthought, she stopped dead and turned to Mei.
“But in all seriousness. Do not fight any of them unless you’re ready to plan a wedding or a funeral.”

She could only think of one reason she’d want to fight them, and that was to squeeze out more information about their curses. Maybe win a little trip to China. That’s not a bad idea.

Mei folded her arms.
“I can handle myself.”

Ranma and Akane’s heads shook.

“Not against them,” Ranma declared.

“Not yet, anyway,” Akane hedged.

Mei’s face screwed up in thought. Not yet. I’ll take it.

Ranma turned to look out into the canal, enjoying the way the afternoon sun glinted on the water. Her smile wilted.

“Hana? Something wrong?”

The blonde, normally so perky, looked gray as a stormy day.

Only into girls.

                                Only into girls.
                                                                   O̴̡̡̢̧͚̱̦̪͔̱̮̘̍͊̐̊͊͒̓̕ͅͅͅņ̷̝͈̜̺̼͙͚͖̯̹̮̝̓̃͋͂͑ͅĺ̶̡̢̛̮̞͍̥̹̤̮͔̺̪͚̬̅̅̈͘y̶̛̰̼͐̈́̉̒͑̏͊̃̍͐͐͘͠ ̴͕̭͖̰̰̝̭̼͓̜͛̉̈̉̏̈́̈́͠ͅ  ḯ̶̧͍̺̙̟̬͎̻̦̯̩̼̩͑̍͆̒͒̇ͅņ̴̧̡̻̥̭͈̖̳͙̫̲̭̈́t̵̛͔͚̜̜͍̟̄̊͘ơ̴̹͖͇̤̳͉͕̿̌̈́̀̀͑̉̊̈̀͠   ̶̡͎̳̗̰̠̪̪̰͉̩̟̏͜ͅg̸̦͖̖̹͍̲̈́̒̂͂̚͠i̸̘̗̘̦̖̠͍̳̖͍̞͚̋̈́͋̈͑̇̓̽̊r̶̙͈̽͒̾̋̈́̔̄̕l̶̞̓ŝ̷̡̥͈̍̉̈́́͒͘͝ .̶͕͓̫̫͛̉͛́̚ ̷̢̛̖̜̟̼̜̝̦̝̘̺̱̳̋͑̅́́̉̉̅̓͛̅͘͜ͅ



The wonderful, horrible news slammed a long-overdue puzzle piece into place. A warm, fuzzy electric tingle skittered from her toes all the way to the ends of her hair and back. I am a girl. But it was hounded by a grim, hungry thought that scarfed down the joy that tingle provided.

 What if I’ not girl enough for her? Snap OUT of it!

“Ranma,” Hana croaked, “I thought you said… there was no way to get cursed in Japan?”

“They got cursed in China.”

Hana’s eyes locked hungrily on his.
“But what about that instant spring stuff?”

Ranma waved the thought away.
“Single-use. You’re back to normal with the next hot shower.”

Akane hummed under her breath.
“What about the permanent spring powder?”

“Pfft, probably a crock of shit. The only pack I supposedly got my hands on conveniently got spilled right before I could test it.”
 
Hana’s throat went completely dry. Her guts tied themselves into knots. She opened her mouth and nothing came out. Three bright, burning thoughts flared through her brain. Nekohanten. Permanent. Mei-chan.

Mei looked her up and down.
“Hey, Hana. I understand.”

Hana wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
“You do?”

“Of course.” Mei’s hand found Hana’s shoulder.

Akane slapped a fist down onto her open palm.
“Oh, I get it! Were you worried about falling in the spring of drowned man too? Mei was asking about it last night.”

 Ranma cocked an eyebrow and shot a look at Hana, who was growing paler by the moment.

“Look, it’s not the worst spring. How about yeti holding crane an octopus? Yeah, you heard me right and it’s just as weird as it sounds.”

Mei cleared her throat.
“It’s just that if we got cursed, I’d want to know if there was a way to cure it. Wouldn’t you want to jump into the next spring of drowned man you found?”

At this, Ranma shifted a little on the balls of her feet, scratching her chin.
“I would have. Back in the day. I’m kind of used to my girl side now. She’s part of me. I don’t know, could be the curse talking.”

Shrugging, Akane turned, a secret smile gracing her lips.
“Could be, Ranma. Could be.”