6. A WOMAN'S TROUBLE ….
Hi there !
I will exceptionally issue a WARNING before the beginning of a chapter.
You'll soon enough find out what this chappy deals with, and I know that the topic will make part of you uncomfortable. I'm well aware of this and completely understand + accept it.
The topic is indeed delicate and very personal, that's a fact. Dealing with intimate issues can be quite sensitive and make some people uneasy. It's normal.
But it's also normal for me to address this issue here, because it stems from Ranma's decision not to revert to her male form and therefore is a logical consequence of that choice.
If you don't want to read this chapter, once again, I understand and accept… but in this case, I kindly ask you not to review said chapter. The reason is simple : reviewing is the resulting action of one's reading something and willing to express their opinions/feelings about what they just read, so if there's no reading, there consequently shouldn't be any reviewing.
You can still PM me if you want to discuss the matter with me, but as always, I respectfully ask you to do it in a mild, peaceful way, and I will reply to you just as politely and kindly : one can disagree with another one about something, yet this doesn't prevent this disagreement to be expressed in a respectful way, from both sides. And I'm grateful to you for this.
And if you wonder why a man would write about this kind of thing… well, to be honest, I'm very supportive to ladies in general (I've been tagged as a "male feminist" quite a few times, and I admit I am…), and I'm notably sorry for them regarding the problem addressed in this chapter.
Thank you for your good comprehension of the above, and thanxxxx a lot to all of you for your reading, liking, following, reviewing of this story ! HugZ !
Dark eyes slowly opened and stared at the ceiling.
Blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Lips slowly stretched and bent upwards.
Happiness… best drug ever.
The more you have, the more you want.
And all this thanks to…
Ranma…
It was a pleasure to think about that name, and it was an even greater pleasure to utter it, especially in her presence.
She had lit up his life.
Well… darkened it at first, during several years, when "Saotome junior" kept on getting sandwiches that he, Ryoga, was trying to get… and when he wasn't able to find him on time for their duel in the waste land, at the back of the Hibiki house… and when Ranma indirectly forced him to cross half of Japan, in order to have that old argument settled… and when he stole away the heart of Akane, the only girl he had ever been in love with…
… up to now.
Because now… there was a second girl.
And by some bizarre twist of fate, it happened that this girl was a different form of the same boy who had made his life so miserable.
How paradoxical…
He considered this point as he stared on at the ceiling.
I hated him as a boy… and I befriend him and end up loving him as girl ! Talk about weird surprises of life…
But the fact was that he did love her now… or was it that he was gradually falling in love with her, and would be fully smitten with her quite soon ?
He wasn't sure which of the two – "in progress" or "complete", to say it in a funny way – but what he was sure about, is that it was no longer friendship between Ranma and him : it was love, no (more) doubt about it.
And it felt so good to have someone in your life, when you've been a lonely, wandering boy for most of your life, up to present.
Then his thoughts drifted to another woman he also cared for, a lot.
Akane…
Yes, he did care for her, so much… yet… was is still love, now ?
Do I still have feelings for her… or only for Ranma ?
He sighed, a long, tired, almost annoyed sigh…
…but deep inside of him, he knew the answer to that last question.
Yes, more than ever, the tide was turning… leaving the past way behind…
Blue eyes slowly opened and stared at the ceiling.
Blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice. (1)
Sensual lips slowly stretched and bent upwards.
Happiness… best drug, hands down.
The more you have it, the more you need it.
And all this thanks to…
Ryoga…
As always these past days, he was the first thing – or rather : person – on her mind as she woke up.
Thinking about him had become a habit of hers, and it made her feel soooo good. Best way to start the day, by far.
But will he reciprocate my feelings ? It's obvious he cares a lot for me… but that doesn't necessarily imply that it's really love. It might be a tender friendship…
…yes, but a tender friendship can lead to love…
…and regularly does !
There was hope.
And that hope fuelled her. Gave her strength.
Eyes closed, she kept on smiling…
Ryoga… take the step… cross the boundary… do it for me, Love…
Minutes passed, the smile drew out.
At long last, she had to get up.
A look to her right informed her that it was 6:41.
If she hurried up, she could catch Ryoga downstairs, for breakfast… and she definitely enjoyed having it in his company !
She made it to the bathroom with unusual energy for an early riser, but that was because of excitement, of course…
After relieving herself, she pulled her panties back up – since she had decided to live as a female, she had taken a few decisions reinforcing her "will of womanhood" (2), which including switching from tanktop and boxers to panties and nightgown -, turned around, mechanically looking down as she put two fingers on the flushing switch…
…and froze !
Down there, right beside the yellowish water, two small red circles could be seen.
A frown appear.
That's… blood, right ? Was it there before… or is it mine, and I hurt myself recently ?
Given what she had just been doing, she thought that the open wound would be located next to her crotch, and that it had bled while she was sitting and minding her little business.
Sitting back on the lid of the toilet, she pulled back her panties to check for a wound located by her groin…
… but stopped, her eyes wide open !
She was staring at the panties… more precisely, at that new red area right in the centre of the white cotton.
Oh no… no… don't tell me…
She gulped, feeling her temperature drop, and even a shiver shaking her body (what she wasn't aware of, though, was that goosebumps followed that shiver).
It can't be…
But then it hit her, like a violent punch right in the stomach : she hadn't reverted to her male form for weeks now. How many ? At least three… if not four… and what happened in a month's time to a woman, even if said woman was a male in the first place ?
I've remained a girl for so many days now… How long exactly ? I'm not sure, but…
She put a hand on her forehead and remained in that position for long, long seconds, with her mouth agape, then that hand left the forehead and slowly came down the right side of her face, a gesture expressing sheer disbelief.
So… is it really -
But she knew the answer.
Swallowing her saliva, feeling her heart giving louder thuds inside her ribcage and her skin still as cold, she lowered the same hand (which was now shaking)… past her stomach… past her abdomen… always lower… until it reached her privacy… and she then carefully "probed herself".
Bringing her hand back up, but not daring to look at first, she kept her eyes to the front and quickly licked her lips, nervous as rarely ever before…
…waited some more, hesitating, as if weighing the pros and cons of her decision…
…and finally, finally… she reluctantly allowed her gaze to slowly move down.
And of course, she did expect what she was seeing now, yet it still gave her a shock.
Her fingertips were red.
Gosh… I… I've got "them"! Oh damn… ! My first time ! I'm… I'm a real woman now.
A long moment of hesitation, of utter confusion.
Jeez… what should I do ?
She had been enthusiastic about meeting Ryoga for breakfast… and was now on the other end of the psychological range : distraught, worried...
Almost paralyzed.
Calm down, Ranma. Or else you won't think straight. Calm the hell down.
Following her own advice to herself, she closed her eyes and tried to breath deeply several times, to appease her stress. But she still shivered again at some point.
Reopening her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts, the only two words she could think of were :
Now what ?
She never read or heard that much about… "them", only a few basic things, but she at least knew what would be her next purchase. Yet even for that, she would need some advice, as she was obviously a novice in this "field".
It will be embarrassing to ask Akane, but I don't think I have the choice here : I can't just buy the first random stuff.
She let out a long, deep sigh.
Oh gosh, really…
She opened the bathroom door… and repressed a scream, eyes opening the widest they possibly could.
"Ryo-… Ryoga ?!"
He just remained kinda frozen, with his arm stretched, hand ready to grab the doorknob of the bathroom.
"H…Hey, Ranma ! How are you ?" he asked, feeling his face heat up.
"Uh… I… hum, fine… fine, and you, Ryoga ?" she said, swallowing her saliva.
"Yeah, me too. But, uh… are you sure everything's alright ? You sounded a bit… uneasy ? And, pardon me, but you look uneasy !"
She nervously rubbed the back of her head and laughed, no less nervously.
"No no, I'm ok, really !"
One of his eyebrows rose.
"Are you sure, Ranma ?" he insisted.
This time, unable to utter another word, she went for the silent answer, in the form of a vigorous nod.
A bit too vigorous, in Ryoga's opinion… but the young man kept mum.
"I'm glad to see you, Ryoga !" the redhead exclaimed warmly. "Actually, I was wondering if I would meet you at breakfast time."
"Same here, to be honest. I'm pleased to see you up already. I just wanted to use the bathroom before getting down for breakfast…"
She slightly started at this, suddenly remembering he also wanted to use it right now.
"Oh, uh, yeah… yeah, of course… sorry, I'm keeping you waiting here, with all that babbling..."
"No no no, it's fine, mind you !"
The red-haired one swiftly left the bathroom and quickly told him she'd come down in a few, and it was his turn to give a nod of approval.
But his wasn't vigorous, rushed, uneasy or anything, just slow and calm… but not as calm as usual, as the brown-eyed boy was somewhat thoughtful, well aware that the usually relaxed girl wasn't at ease that morning…
Knock knock !
Akane opened the door and started to smile… before getting a worried expression, as she realized the visible self-consciousness of the shorter female waiting there.
"What's wrong, Ranma ?"
"Well… can I come in ?"
"Yes, of course !" hurriedly replied the youngest Tendo as she opened up the door and watched with concern her female friend quickly slip into her room.
She joined her on the bed and waited, resisting the urge to immediately ask what the matter was, and thus leaving enough time to the troubled to gather her words.
"It's… it's difficult to address that kind of thing… even if you're a girl and will understand... I… hum…"
The frail young woman was looking at her hands, and Akane could almost physically feel her embarrassment, as if it had a life of its own !
"I've been living as a girl for many days now, without returning to my male self… I don't know how long exactly… but… after all this time with a female body… there's a moment of the month… a few days in the month, actually, when a woman… well…"
She shifted her feet, her stare still on her hands.
Akane was pondering on the last words.
Female body… a few days in the month when a woman…
Realization dawned on her, eyes suddenly opening wide.
"Ranma ! Don't tell me..."
She couldn't continue, as she was taken aback. Quite understandably, actually : as far as she knew, her friend had NEVER been confronted to that !
Or had she been, yet she hadn't told anyone ?
"Yes, I've just got… " them". And… it's my first time, so…" She finally raised her head and looked her friend in the eye. "… so I thought I could get advice from you…"
That answered Akane's inner question : she had never been, and therefore needed help.
"But of course, Ranma ! I'm here for you. I'll do all I can to help you, and make you feel better through this ordeal !" She quickly gathered her thoughts, which were kinda messy due to the emotion she felt at Ranma becoming a "real" woman. "Hum… first of all… you haven't got any sanitary pads, right ? I'll lend you some of mine until you can get your own."
She went to fetch the pads and explained her maturing friend how to place them, and what she should take care of as she did, the basic precautions.
Ranma thanked Akane, took the sanitary pads and excused herself, returning to the bathroom to do the needful.
Once she was back, the red-haired woman once more thanked her saviour, who then asked :
"Now, what do you want to know exactly ? Probably which sanitary pads you should purchase next ? How to choose them ?"
The petite woman nodded, but added :
"And also, why do women get these "things" ? And why every month ?"
"Ah, you want to know the origins of… that phenomenon ?"
"Well… I never wondered about that, probably because I was never confronted with it. But now that I have to deal with that issue… I feel somewhat curious about it."
"Alright. Let's take it from the start then. I'll summarize it all for you."
And Akane explained to Ranma everything she knew about that unpleasant monthly disturbance that perturbed the ladies' quality of life : what it consisted in, how and why it took place, what were the main characteristics, how long it could last, what precautions should be taken…
The pigtailed female, now officially a woman, in her own right, listened intently to all the explanations and details given, and was pretty surprised by what she heard.
"So… it's not possible to determine the duration ? And neither the intensity ?"
"Alas no. It varies from one woman to another, it's really a very personal phenomenon. We could say it's… mmmmh… individualized. We will see in coming days how it will go for you specifically. But I'll be there for you, Ranma ! Anytime !"
The blue-eyed one gratefully smiled and thanked the dark-eyed one.
"Hum… and you said that the adverse effects include fatigue, possible belly ache and loss of appetite ?"
"Alas, yes. Oh, and also mood swings ! Many women get grumpy and easily irritable during these few uncomfortable days. I sure hope you won't, and that you'll get as little side effects as possible !"
"I do hope I won't get cranky around you all…" admitted a somewhat thoughtful and concerned Ranma.
No wonder she was thinking of a certain young man in particular, the last person she wanted to get angry with…
I could tell there was something. She was smiling during breakfast, alright… but I also caught her preoccupied on two occasions. Her mind was… wandering. And when I met her earlier, by the bathroom door, she was already nervous. I could tell. *sigh* I hope it's no serious worry…
Ryoga was preparing another dish, but as he added the ingredients in the wok, working mechanically, his focus was definitely not on his work… but on this morning's events.
Well, not really "events", since nothing noticeable had really occurred… but there was something underlying, something hidden under the surface… which by the way wasn't as calm and still as usual.
Is she in trouble ? Has someone behaved badly to her ? Possibly harshly ? What could have been done or said, and by who ?
But then again, Ranma had become such a nice person that he couldn't imagine tensions with her these days. In fact, since his return, Ryoga hadn't seen or heard anything that could have given away any relationships issues between Ranma and somebody else. Everybody was now getting along just fine with her… and all in all, the people living at the Tendo residence had all been living together in almost perfect harmony for several weeks now. Tensions had become scarce, these days.
"Everything okay, Ryoga ?"
Hearing his name, he raised his head and saw a somewhat concerned Yusaku staring at him, obviously sensing his preoccupation.
"Uh, yeah… well, actually, I was wondering if a friend of mine was alright. She seemed uneasy and nervous this morning, and… I hope she isn't in trouble or anything."
"I see. Well I also hope she isn't, and that you'll feel better yourself, as soon as possible. I can tell you're a good lad, Ryoga. I mean good at heart, but also good in your job, hardworking, gifted, never complaining… It's a pleasure to work with you, and I sure wish for your friend to be alright, and you to be relieved !"
"Thanks a lot, Yusaku.!" replied his fellow cook, a brief surge of happiness temporarily replacing his worry.
A moment later, Ryoga got his break and, since he wanted to try that new seafood snack at the other end of the street, he headed in that direction, but given that Mr Takahashi had asked him if he could buy some soap for the restaurant at the nearby shop, he decided to go there first, and only after to the snack.
He therefore entered the shop and, instead of asking straight away to any employee where the section of cleaning products was located, he decided to try to find it by himself. (3)
Walking around in the various aisles, he soon managed to find the desired one and, after "scanning" the few soap kinds proposed, he opted for one – Mr Takahashi hadn't made it clear which brand he should choose… - and left the aisle by the other end, turning left and taking the direction of the checkout counters.
He heard something fall on his left and turned to have a look, ready to help if he could.
And his eyes widened…
Ranma had felt a tad bad for passing by THE RED PIG without even stopping, but while she had been thinking about her Love, there was something that had "obscured the sky of her mind" : what if Ryoga came out at that moment, saw her and proposed to accompany her ?
In any other context, she would gladly have accepted… but given what she had to do, that wasn't possible… to her utter disappointment, because she would see him any time.
Hum… any other time, actually.
Entering the shop, she started her purchases by the few food products Kasumi had asked her to buy, after hearing was Ranma was going for errands : some vegetables, milk, bread, spices.
Once she was done with the edible stuff…
One last item… for me. But gosh, what item again…!
Two minutes later, her blue eyes were scanning the assortment of white boxes that had various information and symbols. What drew Ranma's attention was the number of drops – from one to three – symbolically represented on the different boxes.
Alright, this refers to the abundance of the blood. Akane told me that it was indeed a variable factor between women. But since I've just started, so I can't tell just yet. She said the amount of blood would augment tomorrow and the following days… so what do I pick ?
Akane had proposed to go buy the sanitary pads for Ranma, to avoid her female friend getting embarrassed and not knowing what to choose… yet the now-woman redhead had replied that it was her own burden, her life, and that she had to do it, but she had still thanked her fellow martial artist for her kind help proposal.
She came to the conclusion that it would better to go for the pads used for abundant flow, because if she went for medium and this didn't prove sufficient, that would be a "lost purchase"… in other words, a waste of money. And she would have to come back here, with all the unease this implied.
As she grabbed a box bearing a three-drops symbol, her pinkie hit a neighbouring box, which fell nearby.
Ah crap…
The Saotome daughter – gone were the days when she had been a son… - put her purchase in the shopping basket then grabbed the fallen box and…
"Ranma ?!"
The head of the called-out one shot back up…
…and sure enough, her beloved was standing there, goggling at her !
"Oh, uh… hey, Ryoga ! Wh-…what are you doing here ?"
He showed the item in his hand.
"I'm on break, and just came here to buy soap for the restaurant. Hum… and what have you come to buy ?"
As he finished his utterance, he walked over to her, his eyes leaving her face to focus on the box she was holding.
She hurriedly put said box back in its place and laughed awkwardly.
"Oh, uh, nothing important. It's… something for Akane. She asked me to buy it for her."
He looked over at the very box she had put back into place.
" 'Sanitary pads'… Hum, what is it exactly ?"
She felt more nervous in this one situation than she had been in all of the tensed situations of the past 6 months, all together.
"You… you don't know what it is ?!" she asked in disbelief.
He shook his head.
"It's… a kind of remedy. Akane wasn't feeling well, so I'm bringing it to her. She'll soon feel better."
"Oh ! I hope it's not serious ! What is it exactly she's having ?"
"Uh… belly ache, if I remember well. Hum, anyway, we should be going : you must still make the most of your break, eat something and relax, and I have to bring those errands to Kasumi !"
"Yes, and the remedy to Akane, most of all !"
Ranma gulped.
"Yes… yes, of course…"
"I hope she'll feel better in no time !"
"Yeah, me too… But please avoid talking to her about it, as it's a sensitive issue. Just wait for her to feel better, you'll see when she does. Needless ask her about that issue, it would embarrass her."
Again, he nodded… but to him, right now, and in fact since this morning, it was obvious that the embarrassed one wasn't Akane…
Ranma dreaded that Ryoga would forget and ask Akane… who would then unveil the truth : she wasn't sick at all, but Ranma was… in a certain, special way.
But fortunately for the red-haired woman, her Love didn't cause her any unease, as he didn't forget. That was good news for her… but the bad news came the next day !
"Has anyone seen Ranma ?" asked Ryoga as he looked around the table.
As it was Sunday, he wasn't working and has had breakfast later than usual, that morning, with all other family members present (he had noticed Ranma wasn't looking her usual smiling self, stating she was feeling tired and wasn't too hungry, as she thought she hadn't digested well her last supper…).
Now was lunchtime… and the Saotome daughter wasn't at the table, in their company.
All answered they hadn't seen her since this morning, with Akane adding that the missing one had vaguely mumbled she would "rest for some".
Ryoga pondered this.
'Vaguely mumbled'… hum… that doesn't sound too good…
"I should go check on her !" he offered, getting up.
"No, wait, Ryoga !" hurriedly reacted the youngest Tendo as she got up as well. "I mean… I'll do it. I'm also a bit worried for her, after all… Don't worry, I'll be long."
And before the young man could utter anything else, she was gone… and knocked on her friend's door a few seconds later, calling her name.
Getting no answer, she decided to enter… and saw the small body curled under a quilt, while she heard stifled sounds of pain coming from over there.
Closing the door, she rushed forward and kneeled by the motionless shape.
"Ranma ! Ranma ! What's happening ?!"
The answer came in bits, winces and moans of pain interfering.
"P-…Pain… A lot… Belly ache… Very acute… And… much more blood… this morning… Also a lot… I wanted… to come and… tell you… but it's… it's… too painful… Sorry…"
A shocked Akane had put her hand over her mouth as she listened intently, and her reaction was prompt but kind.
"Don't apologize, Ranma ! Don't even think about apologizing when you're in such a bad situation ! Nothing is your fault here ! I'll get Kasumi : Dr Tofu had given her given her a special preparation, a few weeks ago; it's a natural kind of painkiller, made with a mixture of medical herbs, and she should still have some left ! Hold on, Ranma ! I'll help you out of it !" Sensing the sweat on the forehead of the suffering one, she added : "I'll also bring you a wet cloth, for your forehead, and a glass of water !"
"Thanks… Akane… and sorry for… worrying you…"
The other one made a weak smile.
"No apologies, I told you. And it's fine. They'll all worry for you now. Ryoga even wanted to come check on you, but… given the nature of your trouble, I thought it would be better if I came, instead of him. You know, women's business, eh !"
Ranma barely managed to chuckle, a more serious wince of pain distorting her features immediately after.
"Tell Ryoga… I'll be ok… and thank him… for his concern… tell him… I'll see him… when I… feel better…"
Akane nodded in agreement and hurried downstairs to talk to Kasumi.
It wasn't until the evening that Ranma felt somewhat better. But she knew she wasn't out of the woods yet, as there would be at least two more days to go through, based on what her "confidant of the moment" had told her, when she explained everything she knew about "them".
A minimum of four days, yes.
But in case she was unlucky, and that her "personal trouble" amounted to the maximum… it would be around seven days !
Seven… if not eight.
Oh my… when I think of it… I really hope it will be only four days… that's bad enough already…
A knock at the door.
"Yes, come in !"
The door opened, and behind were Ryoga and Akane. The former held the doorknob, while the latter came in with a tray containing light food : a soup, a piece of bread, a bowl of rice, a fruit.
"You didn't have to come up, really ! I could have come down !" remarked the poor "victim".
"No no, don't move. You're still weak, I know. You should rest and eat here in your room tonight." advised Akane.
"Do you feel better, Ranma ?" asked a clearly anxious Ryoga.
"A bit, yes. I hope that belly ache won't last though. Thanks for your concern !" She was looking at him as she said this but, realizing her slight mistake, she corrected : "Thanks to all of you for your concern !"
"It's normal, Ranma. Well, I'll let you eat and come back later."
"No, you can stay, if you want !"
She was again looking only at him, but as she didn't want Akane to think she was interested only in him, she shifted her gaze to the short-haired girl.
"Ryoga was worried for you and wanted to talk to you, so I guess I'll let you two have a discussion. I'll be in my room."
"Thanks a lot, Akane !" gratefully offered the redhead.
"Yes, thank you very much for your support, Akane !" added the Bandana Boy.
"Don't mention it…" replied the other with a kind smile, before closing the door, leaving the red-haired female and black-haired male with each other.
As if this was a signal, his hand immediately grabbed hers and gently squeezed.
"I was very worried for you, Ranma. I was for Akane before, as you told me she was sick as well, but she now seems ok, and now I am for you. I'm… even more for you, actually."
He looked down, wondering if he had started blushing, but not willing to let it see, if that was indeed the case.
She put her free hand over his, so that his hand was caught right between both of hers.
"You are so sweet, Ryoga. Thank you, wholeheartedly."
They looked at each other in silence…
"You deserve my sweetness, Ranma. You are very sweet yourself, you know. I'm lucky to have you in my life."
More time, more silence…
The magic of the moment, as they say…
"I hope you get better as soon as can be. You know, at one point, I wondered if you had caught Akane's sickness, after all…"
She let out a long sigh, averting her eyes from his, taking her left hand off his and lowering her right one.
Perplexed by her sudden change of behaviour, he released her right hand and observed her cautiously.
"What's wrong, Ranma ? You seem… disappointed ?"
"Yes, I'm disappointed… by myself. Because I lied to you, in order to protect myself."
He was speechless, clueless about what she was talking about.
Her blue locked with his dark brown again.
"It wasn't Akane who was sick, but me… since yesterday. And those sanitary pads I bought were for me, not her. But since I was embarrassed by the whole situation, I didn't dare to tell you I was the sick one, so… I pretended it was her. Sorry, honestly."
He hesitated for a few seconds, then…
"I understand. And it's ok, really. Don't blame yourself for doing that. I get it. But… those sanitary pads… they help fighting the belly ache, then ?"
She couldn't help lightly chuckling at this.
"No, Ryoga. They have another use. Hum…"
Her turn to hesitate.
After all… it was her intimacy… her privacy… it was very delicate, sensitive… and of course embarrassing…
Could she… could she tell him her "secret" ?
But then, she remembered he had also shared a secret with her, not so long ago… the secret of his childhood… of his parents' demise, and his being orphan almost from the start. So, in a way, she owed him one secret.
That, and…
He's the one I love, after all. And even if this is very personal and delicate, very intimate… I must trust my beloved even about that. He has the right to know. He was very worried for me and cares a lot for me, so he has the right to know, yes.
It was her turn to seize his hand, and like before, she put both of hers around his.
"I'll tell you everything. I want you to know. I trust you, Ryoga"
Unfortunately for her, Ranma had "pulled the worst card of the deck" : not only was her cycle abundant, but it was also painful… and, to top it off, the longest of all, since it lasted a bit more than a week !
Every day, she would have to take the natural painkiller prepared by Dr Tofu – Kasumi had to go ask him a new provision of it on the fifth day – and this allowed her to avoid most of the pain…but not all. That, plus she got very tired that week, and lost part of her appetite, which naturally induced a weight loss.
"Ranma, are you sure you can handle this every month ?" once asked Akane, on the sixth day of that "cursed week", while she was by Ranma's side, with Ryoga on the other side, who worriedly observed that woman he had become so fond of over the weeks.
She gave a weary smile.
"Don't underestimate the heir of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. I can make it, and I will !"
"But imagine going through all this twelve times a year !" the black-haired girl insisted.
"You do it, after all !" countered the redhead.
"Yes, but I'm used to it and can't transform into a man, like you. You have that choice, Ranma ! You don't have to live as a girl : you CAN choose !"
The blue eyes closed, while a lopsided smile appeared below.
"Well… I've chosen." She reopened her beautiful eyes, which held a determined expression. "And I'll endure what it takes, no matter what."
Akane shrugged and, hearing Kasumi call her from downstairs, she realized she had to go help her for the dinner preparation, and excused herself as she left the room.
"She seems to be upset by your choice of living as a woman…" remarked the once-piglet man, spying on Ranma's reaction.
"I know…" she replied in a sigh. "And I understand her. But she'll get used to it over time. She'll have to, because I don't plan changing my mind."
Grabbing the box of sanitary pads, Ranma noticed that there remained only one.
"I'll have to go buy another pack tomorrow…" she casually said.
But he shook his head.
"You have to rest. It's obvious that you're very tired, if not exhausted. You'll stay here, I'll get you a new pack of these. I'll just take the empty box, to know what I must buy and thus make sure I don't bring back the wrong ones…" He said the last bit with an awkward laughter.
"But Ryoga, you can't purchased sanitary pads !"
"And why not ?"
"Bah, you're not a woman ! Why would you purchase some ?"
"And is it always women going to the shop to buy them ? Can't a boy get some for his girlfriend if she's too busy and hasn't got the time to go buy those pads ? Or if she's too tired or too weak to do so ? Can't he do it for his girlfriend, for whom he'd do anything ?"
This left Ranma without argument.
But, thinking of one of the words he had just used, she said : "So… you want to go buy those sanitary pads for your… girlfriend, Ryoga ?"
He gulped.
"Well, you're my friend… and a girl, too. So you're my girl friend."
She smiled, and it was a smooth, tender smile.
"Right. But, who knows, maybe one day I'll be your girlfriend. In one word."
He face now showed a teasing expression.
He laughed nervously.
"Perhaps, yes. Who knows, as you said… you could become my girlfriend, and me your boyfriend."
But although she smiled on, she actually remained serious regarding that matter.
"I'm not joking, you know. Imagine it happens…"
He regained his composure.
"I did laugh, that's true, but in fact… I wasn't joking either. It could happen."
And the long stare in silence was back.
The message was clear, on both sides : the door was open to… something more than tender friendship, although there was the word "friend" in the words "boyfriend" and "girlfriend".
Ranma licked her lips.
Ryoga swallowed his saliva.
Blue and dark brown couldn't get away from each other. Not even for a second.
And temperature wouldn't sink back down in their now hot bodies.
She put her hand on his arm and squeezed gently.
"Ryoga… I… I want to tell y-"
The door reopened at that very minute, and Akane stared at them… and more specifically at that soft white hand laid on the boy's arm.
Their visibly embarrassed faces, as they looked back at her, also spoke by themselves.
"Dinner is ready…" simply announced the youngest Tendo, as her hand slowly left the doorknob, her gaze still lingering on the two uneasy lovebirds.
"Ok, we're coming. I was just comforting Ryoga because he… he felt so bad for me, you know !" she quickly made up.
"Yeah… yeah, exactly ! I was very worried indeed !" he exclaimed… a bit too rapidly and too loud, as a matter of fact.
Akane nodded a few times, short fast nods that didn't appear quite natural.
A smile returned on her lips… but a forced one.
"Well it's good that you care so much for each other. It's important to have… close friends."
The smile widened a bit, but no warmth radiated from it.
A discrete sadness did.
"Come on, let's go !" she concluded in a seemingly joyous, her lips still forcibly stretched.
But neither Ranma nor Ryoga bought it, and both exchanged an anxious glance as they followed Akane downstairs…
Author's Notes :
Thrice : in case you wouldn't know, this mix between "twice" and "three" is actually an old-fashioned way of saying "three times". Coz yes, at times, I can be old-fashioned… ^^'
Will of womanhood : I love that last word ! No wonder, given that I'm one of those all-too-rare male feminists (and proud to be)… but it's also because it relates to one of my fav' Ranma episodes : AM I… PRETTY ? RANMA'S DECLARATION OF WOMANHOOD. One of the finest, in my opinion.
Ryoga trying to find the soap by himself, in the shop : that's something I do, actually : some people generally ask infos immediately to the employees (where is this, where is that), but I try to find the stuff I need by visiting the shop by myself. The idea is to manage things yourself, instead of running for help after only one attempt. It's good to be independent. ;)
And that was it ! Jeez, I didn't think it would be THAT long ! It's still less long than THE FIGHT, but still… Russian writer syndrome, remember ? ^^'
So yes, that was a male adult writing about the beginning of a certain phenomenon in a young female body. I can't get why a man couldn't (or wouldn't be able to) write about this topic, just under the pretext that he doesn't experience it himself…
I considered it important to broach that particular theme, given that Ranma has decided to pursue on existence's path as… a woman ! And since he stays in a female body for weeks, it's only logical and natural that he/she would then be facing that ordeal, at last.
You evidently noticed that I never used the "P" word referring to that female monthly discomfort, instead using pronoun "them" or periphrases to refer to that infamous blood loss over several days. Why, may you have wondered ? Because it's taboo ? I don't consider that topic as taboo, although I understand that some may be uncomfortable to discuss that matter. No, simply, that word starting with "P", which is used to name that biological female process, is alas related to much inconvenience, embarrassment, pain, fatigue, all in all : much discomfort, as I said above. And because that word implies all those negative notions, I dislike it… hence my decision to avoid using it. At all.
About Ryoga going to buy the pads, to allow Ranma to rest and spare her some effort (her condition entails much fatigue, after all… so maximal rest is needed), my idea was to show that, even if ladies generally purchase their own stuff, it's not impossible for their companion/partner to do it for her if they're too tired/weak/busy to do so : after all, it's a way like another to be helpful and oblige the one you love, no ?
About the end of the chapter (from "Ryoga… I… I want to tell y-" till the final dot) : it has been changed today, as I finished re-reading and correcting this chapter. It initially ended very positively, with a conclusion where Ranma told Ryoga how happy she was when he was around, and both grinning widely at each other, but I then opted for a dramatic and suspenseful ending, because… eh, a chappy cannot always end on a positive note, can it ? And truthfully, I want Akane to start suspecting things for good.
My gratitude to all those who chose to read this delicate, sensitive, very personal and intimate chapter ! I bow to you for accepting to do so, and to all those who didn't, I renew my understanding and respect. We are all different after all, right ? :)
Alright, time to put the final dot to that new long chappy. Hope you liked what you found. Thanks for your reviews and comments, keep 'em coming… with a special THANKS to 3 out of 4 people who left reviews. I'll be happy to get more feedbacks whenever possible.
Alright, time's up.
Take care and be happy !
# LEO #