Chapter Text
“I’m heading out!” Ranma called out to no one in particular.
“Have Fun” Akane said mechanically, adding a “jerk” when the only response she got was the door slamming as Ranma left. He was going out to see some friends in Juban, how he made friends with people out in Tokyo proper, Akane has no idea.
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“Wow Usagi, on time to something, that’s a real rarity” “Ranko” Saotome Snarked.
“Really Ranko is that a way you greet your friends?” Rei asked a bit to innocently to be real.
“Yup” Ranko didn’t miss a beat, “Where’s the others by the way?”
“Makoto’s in the Bathroom, Minako is gonna be here later, and Ami couldn’t come cause she has to study”
“So hows the game going Usagi-chan” Ranko asked, turning to face Usagi playing the Sailor V arcade game.
“Let me focus I’m doing great right now” Usagi insisted “This is my second best score so far and I won’t get dis-, oh come on that did not hit me!”.
“Ha-Good Try Bun-head, now give me a turn” Rei demands.
“No! you distracted me so you could get your turn early, I get another game”
“Wah?-I did not, you’re just making up an excuse”
“I did not!” Usagi, being the mature near adult age of 14, sticks out her tongue.
“Did Too” Rei, showing the grace of a young Shrine Maiden, also, sticks out her tongue.
“What are you two arguing about this time?” Makoto asks, fresh out of the bathroom, her voice a solid blend of amusement and exasperation. She missed the argument, and found herself viewing the aftermath tongue sticking standoff.
“Oh Usagi thinks Rei sabotaged her game of Sailor V, so she wants another turn, and Rei is insisting she would never, so she can have her turn” Ranko explained, her voice full of mirth, “I don’t think they’re gonna let up any time soon, so wanna go at a few rounds of Street Fighter?”
“Sure” Makoto agrees. The two martial artists of the group only ever got a spar once before. With Ranko out in Nerima any hang outs she gets to join tend to be as many members of the group they can get at once, and they can’t exactly spar in many locations but Rei’s Shrine, so their compromise is play Street Fighter Two when they meet up at the Arcade. It’s not exactly an accurate depiction of a true fight, but it scratches the itch well enough.
The rounds are 4-3 in Ranko’s favor when Makoto asks “Hey Ranko, how many clothes do have?” Makoto had noticed Ranko only really seemed to have the same Red Chinese Silks and Black pants that always looked so baggy and ill-fittting.
“Not that many, why do you ask?” Sure Ranko used a lot of clothes for her disguises, but many of those clothes were borrowed from Akane’s and occasionally Nabiki’s closets, and she didn’t want to take any of those on his Juban trips, on the off chance one of them found them missing, and figured out he was hanging out with his friends as a girl. “Not that I should want more girl clothes, they’re just for disguises and they should stay as only disguises” Ranma thought, trying to convince himself.
“Oh we need to fix that” Makato stated, snapping Ranko out of her thoughts “As soon as Minako gets here we are going to get you some clothes”.
“Now hold on a minute, when Minako gets here she is gonna want to play some games, shouldn’t we give her the opportunity to enjoy the arcade?” Ranko attempted to argue, to weasel her way out of shopping for clothes.
Usagi, having relented and given Rei a turn, joined to convince Ranko to go clothes shopping “Come on Ranko she’ll be fine it’s one of the greatest tragedies in the world for a girl to not have any cute clothes to wear”
“No Usagi I don’t need any new clothes Im fine, my silks work and don’t need replacement” Ranko counters.
“That’s the kind of thing a girl who’s never felt cute before would say” Minako asserts, dramatically entering in on the pier pressure, “Now come on Ranko we need to get you something good, we’re going to the mall!”. Ranko merely squeaks in response, trying to suppress any excitement at the turn of events.
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It’s a little strange Akane thinks, Ranma goes to some inane martial arts competition, says absolutely nothing about what happened, and suddenly has these friends from Juban that he also says little to nothing about, stops hanging out with them for like two months, and then starts hanging out with them again out of nowhere.
“I should probably ask Ranma about what he does in Juban” Akane idly suggests to Nabiki while doing her homework “Not that I really care what it is he does” She attempts clarifies, unconvincingly.
“Uh-hu” Nabiki deadpans “Well unfortunately I don’t quite know either, and I don’t have any financial motivation to investigate, if only someone were to patronize my private investigator business then I might see what’s up.”
“Forget it Nabiki, I don’t want anything to do with that jerk so I don’t care about what he does”
“Even if he’s chasing some girl?” Akane nearly snaps her pencil thinking about it.
“We’re not getting married Nabiki! If he finds some stupid normal girl it’s all the better for me, maybe he’s learned not to keep me out of his stupid two timing games” Akane continues to try and convince her Sister (And Herself).
There’s a brief lull in the conversation before Nabiki Suggests “Well if he’s in Juban he always has a chance of encountering those Sailor Scouts, you could ask him get an autograph from them for you, since you’re so jealous he has a chance to go to Juban and meet them and you don’t”
“That’s not what this is about” Akane continues to deny, sure she had some idle day-dreams about finding herself in Juban and getting to meet the Senshi, what 14 year old girl wouldn’t?, “I just want to know what he’s up to”
“I thought you didn’t care what Ranma did?” Nabiki asks mockingly
Akane Finally snaps her pencil.
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Ranko hated all of this, they had been clothes shopping for the last 2 hours, her friends had mountains of outfits that she shouldn’t try on. But she’ll have to do it, it’s a martial artist’s responsibility to protect the weak and being Sailor Terra allows her to protect more people from threats she couldn’t possibly face even as the best martial artist, she learned that the hard way. But the other Senshi wouldn’t accept her as a guy, she wouldn’t be allowed to join them in facing monsters. So pretend to be a girl she shall do, and pretending to be a girl means putting on the clothes.
*Knock* *Knock* Ranko Snaps her Head to the door “Yeah?”
“You OK in there?” Usagi asks from the other side.
“Yeah just… don’t really know where to start” Ranko responses
“...May I come in?” Usagi requests quietly.
“We’re both just girls, it won’t be weird if I don’t make it weird” Ranko thinks to herself, “Yeah, you can come it”
Usagi opens the door, and slowly closes it behind her, she has a worried look on her face “Look Ranko I’m sorry if we pressured you it’s just, your outfit is supposed to make you happy, and your outfit wouldn’t make me and the other girls happy if that was the only thing we had to wear, and we thought we could make you happier if you got something that felt cute or pretty instead of, blehhhh” Usagi made a grossed out face to accentuate her point that Ranko couldn’t help but chuckle at. “If you us to stop the game of dress up, just say the word and we can return all these clothes and move on to something else” Usagi offered.
Ranma held his low, feeling a whirlwind of emotions within him. On one hand, it felt nice to feel like he really had friends that cared about him, more than just being acquaintances that just ate lunch together like Hiroshi and Daisuke. On the other hand, the person they care about isn’t even real, it’s just some disguise he was using to keep doing super heroics, a lie that has since ballooned to a point where he’s convinced 5 normal girls to let a cross-dressing boy be a part of their group. Ranma looks back up at Usagi, and sees, nothing but a small smile, waiting patiently for a response.
“You know what, I think I can humor this little game of dress up”, Ranko starts, seeing Usagi’s smile start to brighten as Ranko feels her mood pick back up, “After all... Ranko Saotome never loses”
Usagi lets out a light laugh and starts “alright, I think we should start with this blue dress, it would go so well with your hair, and then we can try the brown skirt that reminds me of your Sailor outfit, and then we can try the fancy white dress, and” Ranko’s sheepish smile becomes that little bit brighter.
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“It’s just worrying” Akane says to Kasumi “The only other time he was out that late is when that evil queen the Senshi stopped sent Tokyo in darkness”
“I know Akane, I remember calling around to see if anyone had seen him, it’s a good thing we found him healthy and asleep” Kasumi gently reminds Akane, “But I think he’ll be fine, in all likelihood he and his friends just stayed out too long and he’ll be back soon”
Akane made a grimace as she considered the possibility. “I know I know, but when has anything involving Ranma had such a regular explanation”
“You remember all the time an issue occurred, not the times nothing notable happens” Kasumi explains patiently.
Akane was about to give a response when - *Ringggggg* *Ringggggg* the phone rings. Akane nearly jumps out of her seat as she goes for the phone: “Hello Tendo Household and Dojo Akane Speaking” she gives, a touch frazzled hoping it’s Ranma.
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“Hey ‘Kane it’s me Ranma” Ranko is glad she got some privacy, or else she would have a tough time not using her name. “Things went a little long with some of friends, so one of them offered to let me stay over for the night, is Pops home?”
“Uh yeah he should be home” Akane trys to not let too much relief bleed into her voice, I can ask him real quick for you”
“Yeah cool, if he needs some convincing, tell him I can get a good spar in with a friend if I stay”
Akane feels a stab of jealously, of course he gets a new sparing partner everywhere he goes, but still won’t fight her, of course “Give me a second”, she walks into the living room where Dad and Genma are playing Shogi, again. “Mr. Saotome, Ranma wants to stay the night at a friend’s house so he can have more martial arts practice”
Genma gives his assent “Of course he can train with his friends, really the only objection I have is that he shouldn’t be staying in some house, he should be camping in the wilderness like a man”
“Leave it to the Panda to insult the Dojo life” Akane thinks, before picking up the phone again, “Your dad gave you permission, but he thinks it’s unmanly since you’re not in a tent.
Ranko snorts “Yup sounds like something pops would say. Well I won’t keep you any longer so-”
“Wait before I forget” Akane Blurts, before realizing she interrupted Ranma and blushing “Since your in Juban, there’s a chance you’ll see the Sailor Senshi, I’m assuming you know who those are?
“Hey what does that mean?” Ranko asks, a little offended.
“Come on you think a man among men would care about some girls who fight for love and justice?” Akane dryly states.
“I don’t live under a rock ya uncute Tomboy”
Akane bristles, she nearly slams the phone down if it wasn’t for the fact that she still needs something from the jerk “You- look all I’m asking is that if you encounter them, can get you get something from one of them, like an autograph or something”
Ranko tries to act casual “Sure... any member in particular or?”
“Sailor Terra if you can” Akane smiles, “Shes my favorite you know?”
Ranko nearly chokes, “I’ll, see what I can do. Anyways night ‘Kane”
“Goodnight” Akane hangs up, it’s only hours later, right before she falls asleep that she realizes something odd, Ranma was in his girl for the entire phone call.