Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Other characters and items belong to their respective creators. The story is mine though, so I don't think it's too much to request that you ask permission before posting this elsewhere.
Twin Trouble by Lioconvoy
Pre-chapter note: Whether Ranma is male or female he will always use male pronouns when referring to himself in his head. Some other characters will also continue to think as Ranma as a 'he' as well.
Chapter Twelve: Growing up with Ms Hinako Part 2
Ranma didn't have the slightest idea why he had been called to see the principal again. Yesterday it was just for a warning, and he couldn't think of anything he had done wrong since then. Skipping out on a club meeting wasn't against the rules, or at least not the ones in the rule book. Reaching the principal's office he noticed the door wasn't cracked open this time, it was shut. Then it opened and the janitor walked out.
"She'll see you now." The old man hobbled out of the office. It seemed the younger Narita was just as much a trouble maker as her sister, being called to the Mrs. Ninomiya office two days in a row. Funny he never caught her doing anything. Well as she walked into the office he just went about his work.
As the redhead closed the door behind him, he noted that as always the principal had her back turn towards him. After yesterday he wasn't sure if he should be afraid or not.
"The Janitor was just asking if he should keep locking the doors every morning since Akane's mob seems to have finally gotten the point. I told him yes. Tardiness for any reason is inexcusable." Hinako smiled, she didn't want to get directly to the point with 'Usagi'. "You wouldn't happen to know his name would you? I've been here for a month now and I only know him as 'The Janitor'. I've asked some of the other teachers, but they don't know it either. Since you're friends with Nabiki, have you heard anything about it?"
"No Ma'am." The older woman was still talking to him in a familiar manner, so maybe he wasn't in trouble, but why was he here?
"I see. Well, I saw you with a boy yesterday, is he your boyfriend?"
"What? No! No, Ryoga's just a friend, yes he's a boy friend, but definitely not a boyfriend." Ranma shook his head violently and raised his hands to deny the accusation. He knew others might see him and Ryoga that way but he didn't think anyone he knew saw him.
"The two of you do make a cute couple though." Hinako could feel Nodoka's second child becoming depressed. Maybe she went a little too far. "I'm sorry, picking on my students is wrong, for that I'll let you decide a punishment for me, but first I want to discuss your real secret."
The youngest Saotome's eye widened in shock, the principal had not only seen him and Ryoga together but overheard them as well? They hadn't been very loud had they?
"I guess you're wondering how I overheard you and Ryoga? Before I became a principal I was a teacher after all, and a good teacher is also a good listener. Still, if I hadn't been sitting in the booth behind you I might not have heard the whole conversation." The depression changed to surprise, and now surprise changed to fear. The principal frowned; she had hoped 'Usagi' wouldn't be afraid of her.
"You know about my curse. The reason I don't change in school because I use a special soap that keeps me a girl." Ranma paused, since both he and Ryoga read Ranma ½ they both knew how the curse worked, Mrs. Ninomiya probably didn't. They hadn't discussed that yesterday. "Um, it's a Chinese curse, I change into a girl with cold water and back into a guy with hot water."
"I see, and Kasumi had the brilliant idea of having you attend school in your cursed state since Goro knows you're a boy. I can see how that would work. So Usagi, what is your real name?" What the cursed the son of Genma described seemed hard to believe, but…the other boy just accepted it yesterday and that made it seem credible. The older woman did wonder though, how truly female the child was at the moment?
"Yeah. Ranma, Ranma Saotome, I'm not sure where Kasumi got the idea for me to be Usagi when at school." It didn't seem like he was in trouble for the deception. That was a relief. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the principal knowing about his curse, but now she did.
"Well, since you're Nodoka's daughter, I'll allow you to keep being Usagi. I've talked to your teachers and none of them have noticed you behaving any less than ladylike, although I guess for you that would be an insult." Hinako made sure her tone carried the fact that she was only teasing Usagi. "Oh, the next time Ryoga ends up at our school, please bring him to see me."
"Yes Ma'am."
"You may go now." As the principal heard Usagi leave she wondered what Nodoka thought about her child, a boy who understood what it was like to be a girl. Her own son got teased all the time that he looked like a girl, but it wasn't quite the same thing.
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Nodoka walked along the path towards the main house of her father's property. She wondered just why her father had summoned her today. Maybe one of his spies saw her out and about not dressed 'properly'. In high school she and ..., were allowed to dress normally, but after she got married, she was expected to wear a kimono at all times.
Reaching the door she wondered where all the staff was. Entering, she announced herself. "Father, I'm here."
"I'm in my office."
Well, there was nothing in her father's tone to suggest he was mad at her. Oddly he sounded pleased…, not again, when would he learn? Natsume would not accept any of his arrangements, her daughter would sooner live on the streets than accept his choice in husband. Making her way through the house, she entered the only room in the building that was westernized. Her father motioned her to take the chair on the opposite side of his desk. The folder he had in his hands was likely pictures of the boy he had in mind for Natsume.
"Nodoka, I've found your missing son."
"WHAT! Where is Ranma?" Acting was a necessary skill in front of her father, ever since her mother died, the wrong thing could set him upon a very annoying path. It became worse when her sister 'abandoned' the family. Honestly, if she could support herself better, she'd 'abandon' her father. There was only so much she could take of his controlling behavior.
"Here take a look at this." Goro put the folder in his hands on the desk and pushed it towards his only child. He smiled, the day after the next he would reunite his daughter with her child, then engage 'Usagi' to Ryozo's son.
Nodoka picked up the folder and opened it. She was expecting to see pictures of Ranma as a boy, but instead the pictures were of him as a girl. Usagi looked very much like Natsume, it was no wonder her father picked her out, but still, how did he know this was her son? "Father, I thought you said you found my son. These pictures are of a girl, a very lovely young woman who I can't even imagine is really a boy."
"That is Ranma. Genma must think I'm stupid, using the name "Usagi Narita". Usagi was the name you wanted to give your next daughter, I remember you discussing it with Genma. As for his appearance, the younger generation is full of these disgusting 'beautiful boys'. With that fat tub of lard's weak genes it's no surprise Ranma takes after you so much. No, those pictures are of Ranma I'm sure of it. There can be no doubt, that child is a Narita." No doubt at all. Genma had lost this game of wits.
"Couldn't she be a …"
"Do not bring up that name! You are my only child, you have no sister." Goro frowned. His daughter should know better than to bring up the traitor. Why would 'her' daughter bear the Narita name? No the redhead was the boy Genma took; only the fat fool would be stupid enough to place Ranma under the Narita name.
"I'm sorry father, but she was my twin, couldn't her children resemble my own?" Of course she knew this was in fact Ranma, but she couldn't help but wonder why her father thought so. One of the pictures of was Usagi in gym clothes and nothing showed through the buruma. Surely he father wouldn't think her son had such a small…. Her father couldn't know of Ranma's curse, could he?
"Genma was seen in the area, he's since disappeared, but the child is Ranma. This Sunday I have arranged for him to have an omiai with the son of Ryozo Hibiki. The Hibiki family are very strong martial artists, and their school is quite prominent."
"The son?" Her father was trying to convince her that the girl in the picture was truly a boy, but now he was treating her like the girl she appeared to be? How far gone had he become.
"Yes, if Genma wants Ranma to pretend to be a girl then I will treat him as one."
"Father…."
"Nodoka, it will be as I have said, do you have objections?" Goro stared down his daughter. It was not like her to be so argumentative.
"I will not be in attendance father; I will not see my son in such an unmanly state." Nodoka frowned; there was no convincing her father that 'Usagi' was a girl. Would her father's plans ruin her own plans to see her child?
Now that was an expected reaction from his daughter. She was a firm believer in that fact males should be manly and females should be feminine. Poor Nodoka, her daughter was a tomboy and her son was a cross-dresser.
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Ranma knocked on the door of the twins' room, with the exception of the principal finding out about his curse the day had been fairly uneventful. They had already finished their practice for the evening and dinner, since Nabiki was downstairs talking with Kasumi; he had a chance to be alone with Akane.
"Ranma? Is something wrong?" Akane was sort of surprised to see her fiancé standing at the door. Then again since he knocked it could only be Ranma or her father, and her father was out playing a teaching game.
"No, not really. I just wanted to talk to you about the practice sessions. Mind if I come in?"
"Sure." The younger twin stepped aside and let Ranma enter the room. She then closed the door and sat on her bed as Ranma pulled up her desk chair and sat in it.
"With what happened with Ryoga yesterday I sort of forgot about it, but I've noticed you're a little envious of Nabiki." It was something obvious during both the evening and morning practice sessions, his fiancé tried to hide it, but he could read the jealousy.
"It's just I've been practicing the art since I could walk and I have trouble with some of the more advanced katas, Nabiki does them all as flawlessly as you do them." Akane frowned. It wasn't fair she had put so much practice into the Art and Nabiki was better than her.
"Nabiki's good at mimicking, but that only goes so far. You're the one with the real skill, all your practice wasn't for nothing. I know you can't see your own spirit, but trust me, yours dwarfs Nabiki's. She's getting stronger, but so are you. She may be a little more graceful than you are but that doesn't make her better." After saying those words the youngest Saotome had a bad feeling he should have left the last part out, but it was a little too late to take it back. Maybe he could make Akane forget he said it. "You know if you want to compare Nabiki to someone close to your level just look at Karumi, her spirit is pretty close to yours."
"Karumi? You're kidding me." She didn't miss what her fiancé said about her sister being more graceful than she was, but she had a bit of a hard time believing scatterbrained Karumi was a martial artist. Since Ranma taught her and Nabiki how to read spirits she had read most of their classmates, but she skipped over Karumi and Mai because she was sure neither of them were martial artists. Maybe she should check Karumi's, Mutsumi's too. If Karumi was a martial artist, then maybe the schools greatest klutz could be one as well.
Ranma smiled. Given Karumi's personality, he probably wouldn't believe it himself. The blonde's abilities though, they proved what he saw in her spirit, her stamina and stealth were both pretty good. "It's funny I can almost picture Karumi in a pink Ninja outfit."
"You know, I can too." Nabiki's super cutesy friend did have a bit of a mysterious side to her. Akane could sort of picture Karumi as a ninja.
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Recca breathed heavily, this fight was not going well. The older woman was just as formable without her blade as she was with it. She was also very good at preventing both him and his sister from having the time to take her picture. Not that the picture would be very clear, the lights in the room were out.
Dodging the principal's fist, Karumi was having second thoughts about her eldest brother's plan. Kurei had the idea that if they got a picture of Mrs. Ninomiya's face, they could blackmail her. Maybe he should have come along too, because she and Recca weren't enough against her.
"We need to retreat, we have failed our mission." Recca frowned beneath his hood. Kurei would not be happy.
Hinako watched the two black clad ninjas escape out the window they entered through. Turning on the lights she saw how much of a mess they made. She sighed, then picked up her sword, before turning the lights back off and heading to her room. Tomorrow she would have another talk with Miss Nabiki Tendo.
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"I wonder who was thinking about you?" Akane teased her twin as they walked to school. Last night after they had gone to bed Nabiki let out a violent sneeze. The younger twin couldn't help but imagine Mai was mad at her sister for something again.
"Maybe it was Ryoga, since he can't have me or Akane, he's settled for Nabiki. Come to think of it, in the manga, the fictional Ryoga didn't like Akane till she cut her hair and the real Nabiki is basically a short haired Akane." Since he was always being picked on Ranma hoped he'd be forgiven for dishing out a little.
Nabiki rolled her eyes; her hair style was still different than Takahashi's Akane. "So you admit Ryoga liked you, are you sure you don't return those feelings?"
"OF COURSE NOT!"
"Usagi, maybe you should leave the teasing to me and Nabiki, you just don't have the knack for it without incriminating yourself." The younger twin patted her fiancé on the back, from what little she read of Ranma ½, the fictional Ranma was good at insults; her Ranma just wasn't.
"I have to agree, you just don't have it in you." Poor Usagi, she had the cutest frown on her face, the older twin couldn't help but pity her.
"Hey I'm good with insults, it's just I'm trying not to go overboard. If I was really trying you guys would get mad at me." The last thing he wanted was the twins mad at him, especially Akane. Ranma sighed as they reached the school entrance. In his mind it was a good thing he wasn't good at teasing, teasing was what girls did because they weren't any good at insulting.
"Miss Nabiki Tendo, the principal would like to see you."
Nabiki looked away from her sister and Usagi to see the Janitor standing before her. No matter how hard she tried she never could learn his name, no one knew it. Taking in what he said, she wondered what she had done, she dropped all her illegitimate money making methods after their first talk. "I guess I'll see you two in class."
"Good luck." Akane couldn't think of a thing her twin had done wrong since Monday and school re-opened. As she and Ranma entered the building and headed towards their lockers, she hoped her sister would be all right.
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The middle Tendo daughter closed the door behind her after being summoned into the principal's office. The room seemed somewhat darker than the last time she was here. It gave her the impression that the trouble she was in was much more serious than before.
"Do you know why you are here Ms. Tendo?" Hinako made her words sound as icy as possible. She wanted the short haired girl to know just how terrible her actions were.
"N…n…no Ma'am."
"You know what you did last night, and don't try to deny it. I know of no other student who would go that far to see my face." There was a very good reason she didn't show her face to the students. The males wouldn't respect her if they knew what she looked like; two-thirds of her male students from her last school fell head over heels for her despite the fact they knew she was a mother of five. Perhaps if her principal had allowed her to rough a few of them up she wouldn't have had the problems she did, but still the last thing she wanted was for that to happen again.
Nabiki stared at the back of the principal's head. Just how far did the woman believe she went? As big a secret as the true face of Hinako Ninomiya was, it wasn't like she could make any money off of it, the school rules forbid it. She wasn't about to break the new rules, it wasn't worth it.
From Nabiki's aura she could feel many things; fear was there as expected, but not defiance. Had she jumped to the wrong conclusion? "Nabiki, you do know what your friend Ms. Asari did last night? It was under your orders."
"I didn't ask Karumi to do anything. Was she stalking your house?" The older twin was now curious, what had Karumi done? Now it made sense why she was here, if Mai or Karumi got caught doing anything people would automatically assume she was behind it, whether she was or not.
"You may leave. Ask your teacher to send Karumi to me." The short hair girled wasn't lying; she didn't have anything to do with last night. Thinking about it, her sending ninja seemed a little farfetched even for her, but….
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Hikaru sat on a branch facing the principal's window. Recca and Karumi failed their direct attack, but from here he'd at least be able to get a picture of the older woman through the window when she finally looked out of it. How could that woman force their cute little sister to wear a boy's uniform.
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Karumi walked to the principal's office in fear. Last night the older woman didn't attack her covered face, but the rest of her body had several bruises from their encounter. She was sort of lucky she wasn't wearing a skirt and that she could wear sweats in gym. Too many people might ask questions she didn't want to answer if they saw how hurt she was. Reaching the door she noticed it was wide opened, did that mean she was to come right in?
"Ms. Asari, come in and close the door."
Doing as she was told the youngest Asari child worried. The principal seemed very angry; she had to know it was her that was at her house last night. Did she also know her second brother was outside the school?
"I first thought Nabiki sent you, but I can read auras, and I know she wasn't lying when she said she didn't. Reading auras is a skill most female members of my family are very good at, without looking at you I can read your emotions, I can sense your fear, I can even sense the presence of your brother outside. What is this about?" After this meeting the students would be aware of more of her abilities, she didn't think Karumi would keep quiet about them. Still fear was her best weapon and the blonde needed to know just how scary she could be.
"Karumi's oldest brother thought if we got a picture of you we could…"
"I see, well tell your brothers that will not work. If you do get my picture you can show it to whoever you want, it will not change my decision." Hinako sighed. Now she felt sadness emanating from the blonde along with the fear. "I will not punish you for your brother's idea; I know how demanding older siblings can be. You may leave now."
Karumi walked out the office and headed to her class room. She wanted to cry, but people might assume the wrong things of the principal if she did. Mrs. Ninomiya was scary, but she wasn't a bad woman.
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Ranma went up the steps towards the roof, he wondered just what it was Karumi wanted to talk to him about. As he reached the roof he felt the wind breeze under his skirt. He really hated attending school as a girl. Looking around he couldn't see the blonde anywhere.
"Usagi-pyon!" Karumi jumped down from the roof of the stairwell exit. She had just finished sending Hikaru a report about what happened earlier via mirror reflections. Her older brother would report back to Kurei, and hopefully the oldest brother would accept that his plan was a failure. If he didn't…fighting the principal again wasn't something she wanted to do.
"You wanted to see me?" The redhead couldn't help but be a little curious about what the blonde was doing above the stairwell. More and more Karumi was fitting into his image of a ninja.
"Yes, Karumi would like you to teach her how to read auras"
"Read auras? I would if I could, but I can't really read them myself. I can sort of see them and tell how strong they are, but that's the limit of my ability. The Saotome School doesn't really deal with them much, so I'm trying to teach myself more about them." That was an interesting request, why did the blonde think he could read auras? He was attempting to all the time, but he unfortunately could do no more than what he taught Akane and Nabiki.
"Saotome School? Aren't you a Narita, why does Usagi-pyon study another family's style?" Karumi scratched her head, why didn't Usagi know her own family's style. She had hoped since Usagi was stronger than the principal that she was also better at reading auras and she could teach her how to be better than the principal. "Oh wait are you betrothed to a Saotome, is that why you were taught their family's style?"
…The youngest Saotome stared at the overly cute girl. The last thing he ever wanted to think about was being betrothed to some guy. "My father is a Saotome, and legally I am too, it's just he has enemies so I use my mother's family name. Um, when Natsume came to the Otaku Club meeting, that was my first time finding out I was even related to her. I had just thought Kasumi picked a random family name off the top of her head."
"Oh." Karumi tilted her head a little then straightened it. It had seemed like Usagi-pyon and Natsume-sempai were meeting each other for the first time that day. The redhead had also mentioned when they first met that she lived with her father. Karumi frowned; the dumpling-haired girl had a hidden talent she didn't even know about. "That won't do, the women of the Narita clan are supposed to be very skilled in reading auras. We need to find you a tutor!"
"Karumi, what makes you think that?" Ranma frowned he wasn't a woman of the Narita Clan; he was a man despite the shape his body was presently in. Unfortunately he couldn't exactly tell the blonde that, now he was worried how she'd react if he did.
"Karumi can't say." Was it possible the reason the principal remained in the shadow was to hide from her husband, that she was Usagi-pyon's mother? Maybe now that Natsume-sempai was in college she came back to Nerima. The house she and her brothers visited seemed way to big for just one person, maybe she had plans to take her daughter back? All that was possible, but her name wasn't Narita, maybe like Usagi she changed it to deceive someone?
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Ranma walked along the streets of Nerima. Karumi was probably going to be annoyed at him for skipping out on the Otaku Club, but he needed some guy time. Tomorrow was the day, he'd finally get to meet his mother.
If it wasn't for his stupid grandfather, he could show her the man he'd grown up to be despite his old man raising him. Instead she'd get to meet the girl he had to pass himself off as at school. What would she think of him because of that. Would she be disappointed, would she be strangely proud.
He spent the majority of his life thinking his father was his only family, Genma never talked about his mother of the fact he had an older sister. Despite the time gap, he and Natsume got along great, would he get along with his mother.
"Help!"
The youngest Saotome stopped self reflecting to see what was going on. Tracing the cry for help, he saw a young woman running a food cart being attacked by a panda. So his pop finally reappeared. Where had that good for nothing old fool been? Well that wasn't important, what was important was saving the poor woman from his father, and then taking Genma home.
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The master of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial arts sat in his cage convinced that the panda they had caged before was in fact a Jusenkyo cursed victim like himself. Why else would they only bath him in cold water, why else would the cage be so sturdy. It's previous occupant had to have been a strong martial artist like himself.
His wife didn't seem to mind the predicament he was in. She visited him daily and when ever they were alone she would talk to him about how her life and Natsume's life had been. He would never admit it, for it was a sign of weakness, but he did enjoy hearing about how she and his daughter were doing.
Maybe just maybe when he finally got out of this prison called a zoo, he and Ranma would return home. Things were working out between Ranma and Akane, and Kasumi wouldn't let them merge the school till after they graduated anyway. Nodoka even mentioned that she and her father no longer saw eye to eye, maybe she'd be an ally against Goro.
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Lio's Corner:
-Sorry for the major chapter delay. I actually finished it on time, but I didn't quite like what I had so I went and re-wrote most of the chapter.
-Howard Russell: thanks for the info, poor poor Ryoga.
-Wonderbee31: well Ranma doesn't have to worry about Goro yet. Something will get in the way next chapter.
-Daniel Thomas Stack: actually Ryoko found the club accidentally while looking for the girls bathroom. Why she thought there would be a girls bathroom in a all boys school we may never know.
Nodoka does indeed have a twin, with several daughters in Hokkaido, Ryoga's just met one.
As for me giving insight to WarGiver, well he does have some. The truth of the matter is that some of his off the wall ideas are the inspiration for certain aspects of the story. I had no intention of trying to engage Ranma and Ryoga originally, then he wrote the omake, and that got the gears turning in my head. The same goes with Nodoka's twin, I had no plans for her, but after the third omake I couldn't help but see the possibilities it created. WarGiver and the rest of the people at Fukufics(dot)com deserve a lot of credit for making this story what it is.
-Manga/Anime that exist in this world: Ranma ½(Manga only), Guyver, Flame of Recca, Dragonball, Sailor Moon, AI Love You, Ai Yori Aoshi, and Maharomatic.
-Manga/Anime that do not exist in this world: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dear Boys.
-WarGiver's Omakes are not apart of the actual story continuity, however if you enjoy them, check out his fanfiction(dot)net account too.
NGNGNG
Name Game (This is the part where I explain semi-original characters.):
The Asari Brothers: In age order from youngest to oldest Karumi's brothers are Recca, Hikaru, and Kurei. I'm not sure why I decided Karumi was going to be a ninja, but when I introduced her it was always my intention. For that reason when I chose the names for her brothers I looked for names that seemed ninja-like to me. Recca's and Kurei's names came from Flame of Recca, and Hikaru in a round about way came from the web comic Shortpack.
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WarGiver's Omake:
Ryozo Hibiki paced in front of his chair in his home office. He was pondering criticisms of his family's directional curse to keep himself distracted from the problem at hand. The fact was his son was a half day late, and the Omai was tonight.
When he herd his daughter's "I'm home," and his wife's "Welcome home" he smiled, but something sounded off. As the family dog ran off to guide the child to the room he realized that his daughter was in the room with him. A very confused look came to his face. The look only became worse when he saw the newly arrived girl. He stood up quickly and asked, "Ryoga?"
Ryoga nodded and explained, "I was on my way here and when I was a couple blocks away I got splashed with water and then…" Ryoga trailed off as 'she' realized 'her' father was pacing again. He then looked at his daughters, and then directed his actual daughter to come closer. He whispered a plan into his daughter who giggled and led her gender misplaced sibling off.
As Ryoga was dragged away Ryozo muttered to himself, "If Goro Narita wants to play games, then lets play games." Ryozo was pleased with the plan, it would show that arrogant ass a thing or two.
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Across Nerima Goro was upset and trying to figure out how to recover this mess, before him was his daughter and grandson. He looked back at the photo and then to Ranma. 'Usagi' and Ranma could pass as siblings, but it was clear that Ranma was male, and very male, just as Usagi was very much a girl. He frowned and thought to himself that Ryozo Hibiki was up to his old tricks, and he had a traitor in his staff. Fortunately for him he had planned for such a problem, his sudden grinning only increased when he noticed Ranma's discomfort.
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Entering the Tendo dojo at that moment was Kasumi who put the bucket back, Ryoga would be unhappy, but they can't marry two girls without loss of honor. The irony in the situation was completely lost on her.
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At the Omiai later that day A female Ryoga wearing chest bindings and skillfully applied make up and padding under 'her' kimono gave a very 'pretty boy' look. On the other side of the table sat a male Ranma, wearing ample 'padding' in other areas, and less skillfully applied make-up, and dyed red hair made Ranma look less like his female form, and more like an oversized, thunder thighed, flat chested, tomboy.
