A New Beat 3
Chapter 1: ANYASEMF 33
Chapter 2: ANYASEMF 34
"What's it like being a girl?" Nabiki asked as the three prepared dinner.
"I think you'd know that better than I would," Ranma replied, hiding her grin and making Kasumi giggle.
Nabiki nodded. "Alright, you've got me there. What I mean is, what is it like switching genders?"
"I'm not sure it's like anything but itself," Ranma said honestly.
"Huh," Nabiki said, "I see what you mean, I can't think of anything remotely similar a normal person could experience."
"That's not to say you're abnormal," Kasumi quickly assured Ranma.
"Normal means average and I am anything but that," Ranma told her. "Trust me I am under no delusion that the label normal applies to me. I've lived a life straight out of myth and legends."
"Really?" Nabiki asked, eager to hear more about her prospective spouse.
"Really," Ranma assured her. "I wasn't kidding when I said nearly everything you know about reality is wrong. Whatch this." Ranma tossed half a dozen vegetables in the air and her hands flashed blue before she caught the neatly sliced vegetables in a bowl. "The Neko-ken or Cat Fist, a legendary martial art thought lost and famous for driving anyone who tried to learn it insane."
The girls looked from the bowl back to Ranma in disbelief.
"Fortunately I came through it unharmed, but don't let Pops know, I've convinced him I'm terrified of cats and mentally turn into one when exposed to them," Ranma said with a grin. "It's what happens to almost everyone who goes through the training and made him a bit more cautious in what he put me through."
Kasumi accepted the bowl and added the vegetables to the wok.
"What is the training?" Nabiki asked cautiously.
"You have to learn it as a young child, it doesn't work if you've hit puberty," Ranma explained. "You dig a pit, fill it with starving cats, wrap the trainee in fish products-"
"You've got to be joking," Nabiki interrupted her.
"Watch my eyes," Ranma said. She closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again they were slit like a cat's. Once she was sure both had seen them, Ranma closed her eyes and returned them to normal. "Anyway, you can guess what the rest of the training consists of."
"That's horrifying," Kasumi said with a shiver.
"A martial artist's path is fraught with peril," Ranma quoted. "By faking insanity, I got Pops to be a bit more careful, so expect me to act nervous any time something feline is brought up."
"But… you're older now," Nabiki pointed out, "he can't put you through anything like that anymore."
"True," Ranma agreed, "but it's a bit of a laugh."
Nabiki giggled. "Cruel, but there's a purpose for it, and it's a well deserved reminder of his actions," she said, knowing how Kasumi thought.
"That is true," Kasumi agreed as she cooked.
"I'm letting you two know because when I go cat only two things 'snap' me out of it, activating my curse or taking a nap in the lap of someone I trust. That's how I snapped out of it the first and only time it affected me. I woke up with a nice old lady stroking my hair."
"Can you even fit in my lap?" Nabiki asked with a grin.
"Thanks to the Neko-ken I can curl up like a cat," Ranma told her, "it's a form of magic, like the claws and eyes."
"How much do you know about magic?" Nabiki asked eagerly.
"I've picked up quite a bit," Ranma replied. "Interested in learning?"
"Of course," Nabiki said.
"It takes years of practice just like any other art, but you can manage cantrips in just a few weeks," he told her.
"What are cantrips?" Kasumi asked, as she transferred the stir fry to half a dozen plates.
"Very basic spells," Ranma replied, "often called household magics, like mending clothes and repairing glassware."
"That sounds very useful," Kasumi said, too polite to ask but the question clear in her eyes.
"Would you like to learn?" Ranma asked. "I can teach you when we go out on dates. It's at least a year and a half until I can marry, but I don't think that's going to stop our fathers trying to force things if they think we aren't taking things seriously, so expect a lot of dates."
"I'd like that very much," Kasumi said with a smile.
"I'd like to learn as well," Nabiki added, the idea of learning something unknown to most of humanity a tremendous draw. "What's the end point? I mean, what does magic lead to?"
"I've never had anyone ask that," Ranma said with a bit of surprise as she snapped her fingers, cleaning all the cookware in an instant and causing both girls to stare in shock. It was one thing to be told magic could be used to do chores, but quite another to see it actually done. Ranma put them away while she talked, "Much like science, it leads to whatever you choose. People have natural inclinations and things they are better at of course, but the more effort you put in, the more you can do, just like any other art. Basically, it leads where you decide it leads."
"Where has it lead you?" Kasumi asked curiously.
Nabiki was surprised at her older sister's question, as it was much more perceptive than her older sister normally displayed.
"Everywhere," Ranma replied. "I've studied a little of everything and tried to learn everything I can. I'm a bit of a Jack-of-all-trades, or Jill at the moment."
"Can you break your curse?" Nabiki asked.
"Jusenkyo curses rank right up there with curses cast by minor gods," Ranma explained, "plus it has a karmatic component, so if I can break it I'll have to wait a number of years as it corrects whatever imbalance I have first."
"What kind of imbalance could you have that requires you to become a woman?" Kasumi asked thoughtfully.
"Pops thinks men are superior to women and has been yelling at me not to be a weak little girl for over a decade, trying to make me as manly as possible," Ranma replied, "that's bound to have some effect on my personality, but I think its discouraged me from believing any of that nonsense, so I don't really know."
"If you don't buy into it and he really believes it, maybe the curse on you is to punish him," Kasumi suggested.
"That makes perfect sense," Ranma said thoughtfully.
"So why does he turn into a panda than?" Nabiki asked.
"Maybe to help make up for the fact that I'm cursed to turn into a girl, because I'll be honest, I find it hilarious," Ranma said with a grin.
The girls burst out laughing before they gathered the dishes and went out to enjoy dinner.
The Next Morning
Ranma caught the school bag Genma threw at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Since we're going to be staying here for a while I enrolled you in school," Genma said, preparing for an argument.
"Good thinking, Pops," Ranma said, taking all the wind from his sails. "I was planning on enrolling and looked up where the school was. Good to see you're on top of things. I'd best hurry so I can take the entrance exam."
Genma just stared as Ranma left, Kasumi giving him a bento box before he made it out the door. Nabiki and Akane quickly retrieved their school supplies and followed, receiving their own lunches as well.
Soun put down his paper. "You look like you were expecting an argument."
Genma nodded. "The boy has become a lot more polite since we were cursed. It still takes me by surprise sometimes."
"At least there are some positive aspects to it," Soun told him.
"He's far more sarcastic at times, but also a lot more polite and a better cook," Genma said thoughtfully. "It's strange how the curse has affected him."
"Have you noticed any other changes?" Soun asked curiously.
"His skill in the art has increased by a fair margin," Genma said. "Learning to compensate for fighting in a different body has done wonders."
"Really?" Soun asked curiously. "It makes sense, but isn't something I'd considered before."
"As you saw this morning, he fought me to a draw," Genma said proudly. "I've been having to increase my own training to keep him in his place."
"He's going to make a fine husband for one of my girls," Soun said. "What do you think Kasumi?"
Kasumi nodded. "Younger men are usually boring, but that's not something you can say about Ranma."
The fathers chuckled and exchanged grins, pleased that their plan to unite the houses was going so well.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Ranma hopped across the rooftops, mostly avoiding the ladle lady who had splashed him so often in his first life. As he approached the school he saw the Hentai Horde was out in force with Kuno waiting in the rear as always.
If you know how Kuno thought it was actually a rather endearing display of devotion, however if you were sane it was simply a massive pain in the ass for all involved. Ranma made a mental note to assist Kuno in his courtship, but for now he had to get to the main office. Ranma leapt over the horde, bouncing off a head or two in the process, but treading them lightly enough that they barely noticed. Kuno opened his mouth to say something, but Ranma vanished into the school before he could speak.
It was a simple matter to find the office; lord knows he'd seen it enough before.
"Hello," Ranma said, attracting the school secretary's attention when he entered the office, "I'm here to take my entrance exam."
"Mr. Saotome?" she asked, glancing down to make sure he was the only one scheduled.
"That's me," Ranma agreed.
"We have you testing in first year," she said to confirm.
"That should be second," Ranma said, planning to take classes with Nabiki so they could spend more time together.
"I'll make a correction and have the tests ready for you in a moment," she replied, going to a filing cabinet.
"Thank you," Ranma said politely.
An hour later
Ranma stepped into the classroom and passed the teacher a slip of paper.
Mr. Jian read the paper and nodded. "If you'd care to introduce yourself to the class, Mr. Saotome."
Ranma turned to face the class. "My name is Saotome Ranma and I've just returned from a martial arts training trip to China. Please treat me well." Introductions complete, Ranma took a desk to the left of Nabiki, who was surrounded by empty desks except to her right where Kuno sat.
"I thought you'd be in Akane's class," Nabiki said.
"I've kept up on my studies while training," Ranma replied, "and I can hardly get to know my intended if I was in a different class."
Nabiki blushed despite herself, pleased that Ranma preferred her over Akane, a rare occurrence in her life.
"You are engaged?" Kuno asked, surprised.
"It's a bit up in the air as to whether I'll marry Nabiki or Kasumi, but yes," Ranma agreed.
"Excluding Akane?" Nabiki asked, surprised as she'd thought her younger sister would be up for consideration until Ranma got to know her better.
"She feels more like a younger sister than a prospective bride," Ranma replied, "which is fitting since once I'm married she will be my younger sister."
"So… she'll poison you and hit you with blunt objects?" Kuno asked, confused as he considered his own younger sibling.
Ranma blinked. "Exactly," he said with a nod. "I think that'll cover our interactions nicely."
"I can see that," Nabiki said with a slow nod, slightly amused.
"And just to insure there are no misunderstandings," Ranma said, taking one of Nabiki's hands in his own, "I swear on my honor that I have no intention of marrying your younger sister and shall treat her as my own sibling."
Nabiki's blush was understandable as was the smile that lit up her face. "I'll hold you to that," she teased, making no move to release his hand.
"Please do," Ranma said, pleased to see the softer side of Nabiki, one that he rarely got to see as it was normally buried in the chaos of the normal timeline.
Kuno looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed to have witnessed such an intimate exchange.
Noticing their inattention, the teacher called the pair up to solve a couple of equations on the board, which the pair easily accomplished before returning to their seats. The pair turned their attention to the lesson and didn't speak again until the bell rang signaling lunch.
"Lunch?" Ranma asked. "My treat."
"I'd like that," she agreed with a smile. It had been quite some time since someone had invited her to lunch without having an ulterior motive, "but it's going to be hard for you to treat me when Kasumi prepared both our lunches."
"I'll buy drinks," Ranma replied as they left the classroom, ignoring the curious looks and whispers from the surrounding students.
The pair settled under a tree outside and opened their lunches.
Ranma smiled as he saw the winged horse design in his rice and cucumber.
"If you're looking for a proper housewife, Kasumi is leagues beyond me," Nabiki admitted as she ate her rice. "I plan on going into business."
"Nothing in my life is proper," Ranma replied, "and if I want someone to cook and clean I can always hire someone. That's not to say I don't appreciate the traditional skills, just that they are in no way a requirement."
"So what are you looking for in a wife?" Nabiki asked.
"Compatibility and a high resistance to the insanity in my life," Ranma replied.
"I have yet to see anything I'd consider a negative," Nabiki offered with a smile. "Even your cursed form has its benefits."
"Just wait until the baggage following my old man and me shows up," Ranma said, smiling back at her. Nabiki's smile was infectious.
"Like what?" she asked.
"let's see," Ranma said, "there will be numerous master level martial artists who will show up to challenge our school, situations tend to spiral out of control around me, even when I'm not egging things on for my own amusement and I'm currently being hunted by a Jusenkyo Amazon who has given me the kiss of death."
"Kiss of death?" Nabiki asked, wide eyed.
"I defeated the village champion during their annual tournament so she gave me the kiss of death, it's a promise to hunt me down to the ends of the earth and kill me," Ranma casually replied. "They don't like being defeated by outsider women."
"But… You defeated her in your female form," Nabiki realized.
"I've been entertaining myself by flirting with her when she tries to attack me," Ranma said with a snicker. "It's left her confused and flustered like you wouldn't believe. She's actually started trying to learn Japanese so she can explain to me what's going on. I expect it'll take her a couple of weeks, possibly a month or more to locate the red haired girl and continue her quest."
"And you're not worried?" Nabiki asked, noting how relaxed he was.
"Nah," Ranma waved it off. "While she is skilled, I'm out of her league and it's a point of honor for her to announce herself before she attacks, besides the rules regarding the kiss of death have a lot of wiggle room, so I'll eventually be able to talk her down."
"How do you flirt while someone is trying to kill you?" Nabiki asked.
"Quite well, thanks," Ranma replied, startling a giggle from her.
"You know what I mean," Nabiki chided him with a grin.
"Well…"
One long explanation later…
Nabiki wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. "You like to live dangerously."
"What's life without any risk?" Ranma asked rhetorically. "But honestly, there isn't a lot of danger except to nearby property."
"Well please try not to wreck the house, repairs are expensive," Nabiki said shaking her head, "As is, our budget is carefully balanced and I don't want to have to redo everything."
"Don't let our fathers know, but I have a good quantity of uncut gems and Chinese currency I picked up in China that should make things a lot easier on you," Ranma told her.
"Intelligent, handsome, and loaded," Nabiki said with a grin. "Maybe father didn't make such a bad choice after all," she teased.
"And I even come with a trained panda," Ranma said, making her snicker before the bell rang, sending them back to class.
Typing by: Abyssal Angel
TN: I would imagine switching between male and female suddenly would primarily be a sudden shift in balance, leading to falling over at first if you hadn't gotten used to the sensation enough to compensate quickly, with the difference between falling forward or backward mainly depending on the direction of the shift in genders. Forward for male to female, backward for female to male. That, and an odd but far less noticeable looseness around the front of your underwear, or finding the front a bit tight suddenly, potentially painfully so. Boxers will likely be a must.
