I do not own Ranma ½ or any characters part or parcel of that great work, nor lay claim to any of the incredible ideas expressed by Rumiko Takahashi, or Viz video. This is just a labor of love from one fan to the rest.
Like Fallen Leaves, the Willow Weeps. A Ying, Yang, Yakuza story (Y3)
Chapter 1: Walking in darkness, seeking light.
Akio Hasuko hurried from the school grounds, keeping his head down and trying to avoid his peers. He knew he didn't fit in, knew he didn't belong here. He skipped most days, so what would it matter if he stopped going? Yes, it gave him a place to be during the day, and he could usually manage to get something to eat from the cafeteria. It was his last year of classes, or should have been if he hadn't been held back for attendance. At seventeen, his life was going nowhere. That was fine, though. This life was a lie. One that he wished he could completely cast aside. Maybe someday soon he would be able to, he would be able to live fully as who he truly was. That he could stop pretending, stop telling a lie to the world.
That he could be who he was meant to be.
A couple of quick corners and down a few rather seedy alleys once he got into the more run down section of town, and he was at the abandoned warehouse that he, along with some other kids, were calling home.
Even though it was drafty and run down it was still..Home. The only one that he had left, now. He waved to a few of the other kids, and one even stopped what he was doing to greet him. "Welcome home, Kaida! So, you went to school again, eh? I don't see how you can do it. So lame."
That right there was why the person who to the rest of the world was Akio Hasuko loved this place. Here, he could shed the identity that never really fit him. Here, he could be Kaida, and be who SHE was meant to be. Being a transgender girl in Japan was not easy. Being one in a very conservative family was impossible. It was a sure sign of disfavor. It was a quick trip out the door and never looking back.
Of course, finding a living was not easy. She hadn't finished school yet, and for most places it was either go as her birth-gender, or don't go at all. There were very few places that would accept her for who she was, and after a quick change of clothes and applying what little makeup she had, she was out the door and heading for Shinjuku.
Kabukicho was her destination, the red-light district of Shinjuku. It wasn't a glamorous job, and finding someone who wanted her that was safe enough to go with was often a challenge, but she could be who she was meant to be, at least for a few hours.
All in all, it wasn't horrible, at least most nights. Sometimes, it was pretty bad. Other times, she had fun and got to hang out with someone. Sure, she might have to give a bit of head or something, but all in all it wasn't bad.
It beat sitting at her parents house and having the priest tell her how wrong the lifestyle she chose was, or being told it was a 'fad' or a 'phase'. The times they had tried to set her up with a straight girl were about the worst, though. They seemed to think they could just force her to be who they wanted her to be, who they thought she should be.
She arrived at Kabukicho, and started to make her rounds. There are corners and sections for people like her, the trans and gay sex workers. One of them is near the Teahouse, an oddity even in Shinjuku. A walled compound, large for where it is and filled with geisha. She finds herself moving to where she can watch the goings on through the gate since it's a quiet night. She had only had one customer, and he just wanted a bit of head before heading home.
She sees the side door open, and she can't help but hold her breath as one of the geisha steps out, opening her paper parasol and walking with it resting over her shoulder. She is tall for a woman, with long, black hair that is done up in a traditional manner. Her left eye is covered in an elegant and elaborate patch, black with a lilly in gold and silver on it. Her right sleeve hangs empty, but she walks with such sure grace and confidence that it's impossible to let such things detract from the image she projects.
In that moment, Kaida knows that she wants to someday be like her, to be confident and comfortable in her skin, to carry herself like the opinions of the world are nothing, that the only thing that matters is how she sees herself.
Dreams are not for ones like her, but still, she hopes and dreams.
Tachi enjoyed her walks. It was such a blessing to be able to walk like this, to be free to be herself. It was a debt she would never be able to pay Konatsu back for. She glances towards the section of the area that was reserved for the gay and trans street walkers, and meets the eyes of a young girl who was clearly still trying to figure out how to express her inner self. A brief nod of her head and she continued on, she was heading to meet some friends, friends that she had met through Ranma, of all people.
Ukyo Kuonji and Akane Tendo, who would have thought that with how different their backgrounds and circumstances were that they would have built a friendship? A friendship that had lasted through seven years now. One of the few deep connections that she had outside of the walls of the Teahouse. There were others, of course, but Ukyo and Akane were about the only ones that she saw on a regular basis. She picked up her pace, a smile crossing the severe lines of her face.
She did so look forward to her girl's nights. Perhaps they would have their adorable adopted daughter with them tonight? She had to admit, she liked being 'Aunt Tachi'. Perhaps, someday, she would become a mother herself?
It was a dream that she was unsure would ever come to pass, though.
Some dreams were a bit too far, after all.
*A/N*
So, here we are again. I'm going back to the world of Yin, Yang, Yakuza and dealing with aftermaths, with continued stories, and some new ones. I figured for the first one, I would deal with the Teahouse and it's denizens.