Chapter Seventeen – Replacements

Kasumi

This garlic press…

Kasumi's eye twitched as she worked at the utensil with a scrubber, picking out bits of garlic from the holes. Of all of the dishes, Kasumi hated – well, hate was a strong word, of course she didn't hate hate it, more like a strong dislike, tempered by her loving commitment to her family – dealing with the garlic press the most. For one, it was broken, had been for years, and Soun had stubbornly refused to replace it. On top of that, the press got garlic stuck in tight, and took so much effort to clean. That was why Kasumi was still fighting with the dishes at nine, long after everyone else had left the kitchen behind. Soun, Ranma, and Akane were off teaching a night class in the dojo, and Nabiki was off with her friends, plotting god-knows-what.

So there she was. Cleaning out garlic and thinking.

Kasumi tried not to think too much. Thinking wasn't conductive to getting everything that needed to happen around the house done; she tended to drift off and stop working. Lately, though, Kasumi had had little choice, between Nabiki's poor choices, Soun reopening the dojo, and Ranma coming into her family's life and ruining everything by turning everything that was supposed to happen on its head-

Oh my. Shaking her head rapidly to clear it, Kasumi went back to finishing the dishes, humming to try to bring back her light feeling. The garlic would have to wash out soon. She scrubbed harder.

Not thinking was better. Kasumi worked very hard to be supportive for her family, to give her sisters harsh love without ever being mean. Ranma's not my sister, though. No, brother- oh, bother.

If only Ranma could be less problematic, all of Kasumi's problems would go away! She had nothing but sympathy for him – such a horrid curse couldn't be anything but an egregious slight on his manhood – but lately, Ranma had started to… slip. Change. Become more feminine. Kasumi saw it, she knew Soun and Nabiki saw it, but nobody but her seemed to care (except Genma, of course, but Kasumi had no love for the panda)! Worst of all, Akane was enabling Ranma, feeding his curse.

It scared Kasumi. Ranma was such a wonderful young man – one she hoped might be her brother-in-law some day – and she didn't want to see him become... something else.

First it was the way Ranma had reacted to Nabiki, understandable, but alarming. Then it had been Ryoga. That had been cruel; how could Ranma have kicked the boy out, what with his own curse? Now it was Ranma's farce of being a girl to defend his engagement. Kasumi knew it was honorable, but she would never be blind to the context! Ranma was acting like a girl, and Kasumi couldn't help but wonder whether it was really about Ukyo, his other fiancee, or whether it was more personal at heart.

Blinking, Kasumi snapped back to the present. The garlic peeler was squeaky clean, shining under the kitchen lights. She had been rubbing the same spot to a silver polish for a while, and her knuckles were red.

Oops…

Chores finished, Kasumi drifted around the house, putting everything in order. She cleaned up the towels and rearranged the toiletries in the furoba. She drew all the screens shut for the night, trusting that everyone in the dojo would know to close the door after themselves. For good measure, she tidied up Ranma and Akane's room, even though she hadn't had to remake the futon in weeks (a positive sign).

By the time she was done, she was quite tired. She want to Soun's room to see her mother. Soun had changed from his sensei's outfit and now sat in bed, quietly reading. Kasumi knelt by the family shrine and clasped her hands together, smiling at the picture of her mother. "Hello, mommy," she murmured.

"Did you have a good day, Kasumi?" Soun asked.

She nodded, not looking back. "Yes, Daddy."

"And have you been preparing for university yet?"

Kasumi stiffened. "No."

"You should get started. Classes start in just two months, after all." He turned the page of his book, humming with a nod. "As my eldest daughter and the first Tendo to go to college, you would do well to start off strong. I'm sure you'll make us all proud, including your mother."

"O-Of course." Kasumi didn't like thinking, and college was one of her least favorite things to think about when she did. Before, dreaming about college had been just that, a dream. Now… How would the household survive? How would Nabiki and Akane manage without somebody to take care of them? Who would manage Ranma-kun? Everyone needed a strong mother figure…

Ranma didn't even know how much he was giving up by pretending to be a girl! He had so much opportunity he didn't even realize, and Kasumi wanted him to- to- Something she hadn't realized she had been holding back snapped, and Kasumi looked at the picture of her mother with her mouth set in a firm line.

She would make Ranma see what a mistake he was making. Kasumi wouldn't let his curse turn him into a girl! Everything good in her family's life had come from Ranma Saotome, and she could not let him ruin his engagement with Akane and tear them apart again.

If Ranma wanted to play with fire, Kasumi was going make sure he got burnt.

Ranma

Wiping sweat off his forehead, Ranma followed Akane out of the dojo and into the kitchen for breakfast. Akane skipped ahead of him happily, elated at a hit she'd managed to score on him. Ranma had to admit she was truly improving – something in the combination of working with him and teaching the kids was making her technique click, and while she was still ages away from knowing as many forms and schools of martial arts as Ranma, she was going to be crazy good at what she did know.

Maybe this is why Pops wanted to join the schools so bad, Ranma mused. We work together great. Feels like we're really getting stronger together.

SPLASH!

A now-redhead Ranma spluttered, wiping water off his face with wild hands. "What the hell?!" he shouted, glaring at Kasumi, who was holding a glass of water unrepentantly. Kasumi gave him a sweet smile back.

"You should be ready for school, Ranma," she said, her voice sugar sweet. "Ukyo will definitely find out if you keep acting so masculine."

Ranma stared at her, his eyes bugging out. "'Scuse me? I ain't seein' what you're sayin', Kasumi."

Kasumi's eyes had a sharp edge to them. "You don't want to bring dishonor on our family, do you?" she asked. Ranma eeped in terror – who knew Kasumi could be just as scary as Nabiki and Akane?! How did Soun, such a gentle man, raise three demons?

"N-no! Of course not!"

Nodding in satisfaction, Kasumi sat down and grabbed her chopsticks, daintily starting her breakfast as if nothing had ever happened. Everyone else watched her with a mix of fear and confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened. Genma and Soun in particular were shell-shocked.

Ranma exchanged a glance with Akane. What just happened?

Akane

"I'm telling you, it's weird!"

Akane pursed her lips as Ranma, animated, leaned forward in his uniform, smoothing his skirt over his legs. They were eating lunch. Yuka and Sayuri were listening, rapt with interest, while Ukyo lounged, still a little uneasy around the four 'girls.' She, in truth, was just as weirder out as Ranma, her unease at school kept alive by the bizarre turn her home life had taken, even after she'd started to get used to a female Ranma as a constant.

"Isn't Kasumi supposed to be the nice one?" Yuka asked, a little bewildered. "I mean, I thought Nabiki got all of the crazy for the family."

Ranma shrugged, helpless. "Dunno. I haven't had a problem with her at all. Now all of a sudden she keeps trying to, uh-" Ranma blushed, looking to Akane for support. "Make me more feminine? I mean, she's been real strange."

"Yeah," Akane agreed. "It's weird. I think she's decided for some reason that Ranma's too much of a tomboy, maybe?"

A snort came from Ukyo's direction. When everyone turned to look at her, she took another bite of her food and looked away. "Ranchan's gonna be a tomboy, no matter what," she muttered. "Your sister's got one coming if she thinks anything different."

"Maybe she doesn't like your relationship," Yuka offered, glancing between Akane and Ranma, who, as usual, were sitting very close to each other. "I mean, two girls – it's not usual, y'know, and Kasumi's sort of a traditional one, right? Maybe she thinks she can break you two up if she makes Ranma go more 'girl?'"

For different reasons, both Ranma and Ukyo got uncomfortable after that. Akane bit back a sigh. When did my friends get so complicated? "I don't think it's that, either," she said. "Ever since Ranma arrived, everything in our family started going right! I can't see- Ugh..."

Akane buried her face in her hands. Ranma pulled her into a side hug, sighing along with her.

"Nobody likes change," Sayuri murmured. "You guys have had a lot of it lately."

Akane looked up at the cloudless sky, fiddling with her bow. "Maybe..."

For the rest of the day, Akane couldn't keep her eyes off of Ranma. Change. Things were changing for sure, and not in the least that Ranma was as confident as ever walking around school in girl mode. Furinkan had taken to 'Ranko' as well as she could have hoped. Ranma was making new friends and remaking old ones left and right, and Akane was impressed at how well her fiance could socialize when he put his mind to it.

Things were different, though. Some days, Ranma acted the same as ever, but others, Akane started to notice a whole new side to Ranma she'd never seen before. Ranma was flirty! Never would Akane have pegged him as a flirt, but there he was, batting eyelashes and sweet-talking Daisuke and Hiroshi into doing most of his math homework for him. Sometimes, Ranma even turned it back on her, which made her blush every time.

If Ranma was a real girl, and Akane had been a man, she would absolutely have fallen for Ranma. For the first time, she started to feel lucky to have Ranma as a fiance and a friend. She would have hated to have been in Ukyo's place, pining after hopeless love (because Akane didn't believe for a second Ukyo was over Ranma). Maybe her temper problems would be fading away. Maybe Soun would never had reopened the dojo. Ranma was everything good in Akane's life, and she hated the thought of losing him.

But sometimes, when she lost track of her thoughts, Akane found herself thinking of Ranma as a girl. Not always. But sometimes.

And on those days, her feeling for Ranma never wavered.

Watching Ranma walk through the hall, glorious with her red hair, laughing along with Yuka and Sayuri, Akane didn't know whether those feelings scared or excited her. Because no matter what the students of Furinkan thought or believed about Ranma Saotome, he was hers, and hers alone. Nothing, no curse or gender, would change that.

Maybe I'm the real pervert, thinking like that...

Then again, Yuka, Sayuri, and Ukyo all seemed to accept two girls being engaged perfectly well, at least on face value. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal as Akane was making it to be in her head. She hoped it wasn't, because something told her 'girl' Ranma wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and Akane want to cling to the good in her life for as long as it lasted.

Ranma

"Oh, Ranma?"

Ranma looked up at Kasumi as he and Akane took their shoes off, shrugging their school bags into the entryway. He was a little wary around Kasumi with how strange she'd been lately. Still, he'd had a great day at school and just felt great, period, so he gave her a grin anyways. "What's up, Kasumi?"

"If it's not too much of a bother, would you help me out with things around the house this afternoon?" Kasumi asked. "Chores and whatnot. Do you mind?"

Akane frowned, shouldering her way in front of Ranma. "You never want help!" she accused, crossing her arms. "Are you just gonna be weird about the curse again, sis? Cause I'm getting sick of it, to be honest."

She had a point in Ranma's mind. He was getting tired of getting 'accidentally' splashed and changing sex at the least convenient times. The curse made him a water magnent, sure, but Ranma was getting the feeling that Kasumi might be doing it on purpose.

"You could do Daddy's laundry," Kasumi said, her voice sugary-sweet, and Akane blanched.

Whatever – what could go wrong? Ranma never got to spend time with Kasumi anyways, so maybe it'd be nice. "Sure, I'm in," he said, brash, shooting Akane a confident (hopefully reassuring) grin. "Besides, I figure Pops and I owe you guys. I don't wanna be a freeloader like my old man."

Akane shot Ranma an unimpressed look. He could practically read it; if something happens, it's on you. "Knock yourself out, idiot. I'm gonna do homework."

Ranma met Kasumi's sweet, unassuming smile with one of his own. "Alright, what're we gonna do?"

To his surprise, Kasumi led Ranma into the dojo. The dojo was bright in the early afternoon, natural light falling over the rows of targets and scrolls. Ranma knew the mats like the back of his hand; to his surprise, so did Kasumi. Kasumi led him over to the targets and started piling them into her arms, expertly tossing her ponytail back over one shoulder. The way she picked things up, carrying what Ranma knew was at least twenty pounds, had him stopping and staring. How can she do that and still look so feminine?

Kasumi glanced at him. "How many can you carry?"

"Uh, a bunch, probably. More as a guy."

"There's no hot water right now."

"Of course there isn't," Ranma muttered. Kasumi looked entirely too smug. Squatting by a bunch of targets, Ranma picked up the whole pile and hefted it onto on shoulder, lifting up a few more with her other hand. "Where're we taking these?"

"Out back. I wash these every day before classes start," she said, leading him out of the dojo.

Ranma blinked. "Really? I kinda just figured they, uh-"

Behind the dojo, the hose was attached to a spigot. Kasumi dumped the targets by it and turned on the water. Each target got a solid blast before getting hung up to dry by little hooks on the underside of the roof. "Figured they clean themselves?" Kasumi asked.

He blushed a bit. "Kinda?"

"Well, they don't."

With the first round of targets clean, they went back into the dojo to get another. Ranma trailed after Kasumi, already a little overwhelmed by the older girl.

"So, how do ya know your way around the dojo so well?" he asked, grabbing a bigger pile than the first time. "I mean, besides living here. I get 'Kane, cause she practiced a lot before I got here, but- I've never really seen you round the dojo before. You got the same sorta, y'know-" Ranma waved a hand at his own feet, skipping a bit. "Poise. It's hard to notice, but-"

"But I know Anything Goes?" Kasumi asked.

"Well, I knew that." Ranma had. Kasumi was far too elegant not to know at least a little of her family's style, and he'd seen her pull off some downright acrobatic saves and dodges in the kitchen. "But-"

Putting a finger to her cheek, Kasumi set her targets down by the hose and hummed. "I used to be the heiress to Tendo Anything Goes, you know?"

"What?!"

"Nabiki never had any interest. Akane was too young, and Daddy had given up on ever having a boy by then. I think that's why he made the contract with Saotome-san in the first place. So I was the one he trained." Kasumi giggled, but to Ranma's ears, there wasn't much laughter to it. "I was nearly a tomboy! Never as bad as Akane, of course, but-"

"You? An uncute tomboy?!" In his shock, Ranma let his initial mean nickname for Akane to slip back out. He winced, but his shock was still overriding. He waved a hand at her dress, frills and all. "But you- You're- How-?"

Kasumi got distant. She turned away from Ranma and looked out over the fence at the sky. Ranma hushed, sensing whatever she was about to say was important, and followed her gaze. It really was a beautiful day. No clouds, no signs of the impending winter. For a late October day, it was all anyone could hope for.

"Everything changed when Mother died," Kasumi said, running a hand through her hair. "We all did. Daddy the most, but Nabiki and Akane too. Nabiki grew cold, distant, hyperfixated on being different from the rest of us. Akane was young, but she had just started to learn Anything Goes. She never gave up. We're all stubborn, like that."

Shifting, Ranma looked at the ground, his heart heavy. "She died young, didn't she?"

"Twenty-eight."

"That's so tough."

"I'm sorry."

"Why would you apologize?" Ranma frowned in confusion. "She was your mom, y'know."

Kasumi laughed lightly again, this time more genuine. There was a sadness to it, a lilt that bent on the crispness in the air. "Because she would have loved you," she told him. "She was fierce, enough to keep both your parents and Daddy in line, but she was so loving too. Before you disappeared, we used to babysit for you sometimes. You and Akane loved each other back then."

Ranma gaped at Kasumi. "I knew 'Kane all the way back then?" Kasumi nodded, and Ranma rocked back on his heels. "That's- I mean, I guess it makes sense, cause we're family friends and all, but still..." A thought crossed his mind. "Wait, what about you?"

"What do you mean?" Kasumi asked.

"Well, you said you all changed. What about you?"

"Somebody had to take responsibility for the household," Kasumi said. Her pensive look snapped back to reality, and she pushed past Ranma, nodding him toward the house. "There's more to do. Unless you're ready to take a break…?"

Something didn't sit right with Ranma about how fast Kasumi moved on from her own struggles. He didn't see how he could keep pushing the conversation, though, so he grinned and jogged into the house after her. I know her game. She's trying to prove something. Well, Ranma Saotome doesn't lose! Actin' like a girl isn't no more of a challenge than doing a hard kata – Anything Goes! "In your dreams!"

"Are you sure? You're gonna have to put on an apron..."

Bring it on, sis.

Akane

Soun and Nabiki were both busy trying to hold back laughter. Genma was white as a sheet, staring at the debacle going on with a shaking finger. The aroma of homecooked food filled the air.

Akane leaned against the doorway, massaging her temples, and tried to piece together exactly how letting Ranma do chores with Kasumi could have gotten to this point. "Ranma… What did you do?"

Ranma stood by the stove, monitoring four pots at once, triple-wielding two spoons and a blinding smile. He had a big poofy white apron on and a dishtowel thrown over one shoulder, a little spatter of soy sauce on his left cheek. "Oh, hey 'Kane! Hope you're ready for dinner!" he said cheerfully.

Kasumi rocked back and forth by the table, shellshocked. "It's no use, it's no use," she was whispering under her breath, too low for Ranma to hear. "It doesn't work if he likes it."

Shaking her head, Akane smiled at Ranma. "It smells wonderful, Ranma," she said. "Maybe next time we can cook together."

Ranma seemed happy at that, so Akane didn't bother wondering why everyone else blanched, or why the wooden spoon in Kasumi's hand snapped in half. Mid-afternoon hijinks always worked out in the end.

[A/N] Kasumi's such a fun character cause she's so restrained. You gotta figure she's got a ton of stuff going on in her head. I love writing it. There's one more chapter in this little mini-arc, so more Kasumi to come.

I've been on a roll this month – I don't think I've posted three chapers on this fic in so short a time ever. I haven't gotten three chapters out in a month on any single fic since, I don't know, maybe Spring of 2018? Crazytown.

Thanks to Alucard45, Hermione Blackwood, XIIIroxasKOD, Beedok, Katt1848, James Birdsong, and elusivetruth for reviewing! Special shoutout to roxas for some good advice on the summary and to Beedok, because I totally binged through their fics and they're a sick writer (my personal recs – the two longfics Brown-Eyed Girls and the Stop! Hibari-kun crossover (which is a manga/anime you should totally go for if you haven't seen/read it yet))! Tell me what ya think~

Lots of love, Allie