Son Turned Daughter, Chapter 52
An unusual disclaimer: Ranma1/2 is the trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications, and its characters have been borrowed without perFmission. And Son Turned Daughter was originally written back in 2002 by fanfiction author Tangent. Please see the first two chapters of this series under his pen name. This series has been written for noncommercial use only.
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This story is not about sex but gender. It is set in a late 1980's that mixes with, from the perspective of our universe, the early 1990's: a time when binary gender identity was the unquestioned norm. Ranma dys-ease with having a female brain-body is a reflection of those born with the brain-body of a gender other than the one their chemistry says they actually are.
Note: In an effort to show the problem Ranma is having with gender identity, the different pronouns ('her', 'she', 'he', 'him', 'his') are used to indicate which is the more relevant at the time. 'S/he' indicates the increased ambiguity or conflict. Japanese, though, has no gender distinction in its pronouns. That is in the grammar and words used.
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Chapter 52
In the kitchen, Cologne harshly whispered to Benten, "A Tiger hierarchy!?"
"Does the dragon wish to challenge me?" the goddess calmly replied.
"I just may: Now that we have a female cuīhuàjì, we can have a daughter tribe in Japan! These youngsters are that core!"
"And, passing the test, they will be. With me as their patron, or should I say, matron god. What could be more propitious(?)"
"Yes…what," she said sarcastically. "If you continue to seek…." She stopped when she saw the what had appeared to be another crone appear now to be a maiden and take off a ring from a finger of her right hand.
The Librarian Elder wished she could curse her for insisting on speaking only Japanese as long as she was a Japanese goddess.
"We are keeping the breakfasters waiting."
Cologne knew she was now no longer safe from martial arts ears. But still she whispered, "I will do the minimum."
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Acting as but not dressed as a waitress in her mid-thigh kimono, Benten pushed out an ornate serving cart with five breakfasts. From it, she set a bowl of ramen in front of Ukyo, Ranma, Shampoo and Akane. Instead of hot tea or milk, though, there were glasses of cold water. Ranma frowned at them.
The pigtailed boy tried to free himself from the grip of the two, too warm girls holding onto his arms. "I can't eat with you girls hangin' onto my arms(!)"
Ukyo glared across his chest at Shampoo, "Let go first or trade places."
"Let go hard when have good glomp."
Benten held up a glass of cold water. "May I?"
"No. Why should I?!" he said as he struggled (with them and himself) to pull himself free.
"Because they will feel less ardent towards a girl(?)"
"But, but the Doc said he can only undo the Cat's Tongue once!"
"Ask yourself, Can I go days, hours without becoming wet?"
Ranma knew the answer, but he wasn't ready to give up the challenge: Now that he had found out what made a man a man…
"Because you will feel less ardent towards the girls(?)"
…it gave him a discomfort that he had no experience in managing. Perverted impulses were growing in him.
He bowed his head.
After a trickle of cold water, s/he shrank and Ukyo and Shampoo were no longer fully leaning against Ranma and almost fell. While they were adjusting, the martial artist was able take her arm away from Ukyo.
Shampoo was yanked away from her by Akane. "Is this how the "glomp" works?!" she asked, a grin beneath her frown.
"No." But she would have to fight to get her arm loose from her bosom. This made Akane determined to hold on as a challenge.
"I can eat now," the redhead said, picking up her chopsticks. Ukyo did not try to reclaim the arm that was now female.
While Akane did not give up the female arm she had. Shampoo sighed. And Ukyo noticed.
Ukyo was still close enough, Shampoo less so, for Ranma to be aware of their femaleness; but it was tamed in her by her own femaleness. S/he felt little of what had excited him. Physically, at least.
There were remnants of the ardor s/he had felt as a he, though, now that s/he had become…wet.
"You are the only customers here; may I have breakfast with you?"
"Waitresses shouldn't eat with the customers," Ukyo told her.
"I am a temp, filling in until Cologne can find a full-time waitress." (Shampoo the Slave sighed now as) Benten brought a fifth chair to the table with a graceful flourish.
"Hey! This ramen ain't fully cooked!" Ranma protested.
"It's an experiment," Cologne said from the kitchen opening. "Ramen shops are nearly as common as convenience stores. Ramen al dente could be our draw. Deep fried food without a deep fryer." And she laughed at her own joke. "All I have to do is wet the noodles for a few seconds!"
"It saves money," the okonomiyaki chef critiqued. "But it's a minimum of effort; customers come to a restaurant for cooked, hot food!"
"Just eat: It's free."
"I like that!" Ranma said. "And there's not much I can't eat!" And s/he bit down on the noodles more than s/he slurped. "Mmm, miso broth!"
Benten casually played with her meal as she sat femininely and properly for a chair, studying the group. What would be her first move?
It was easy to decide. She turned the ring on her chance/secret finger of her craft hand. After a silent chant, a hand-sized chibi of herself separated from her. This her looked up into her eyes and nodded. She ran across the table until she hopped on Akane's arm furthest from Shampoo and scurry up. Sitting on her shoulder, she moved the girl's long hair out of the way and whispered in her ear.
Akane realized what she was doing and, blushing, took her hands away from Shampoo.
The mini-Benten smiled, held up the "V" fingers and disappeared in a puff.
Akane and Shampoo started eating, avoiding eye contact for opposite reasons.
After finishing the ramen, Ranma didn't have to think about defending her food (a habit used mainly against Genma) so s/he could sense something odd. It seemed just out of her awareness. What s/he did notice was, "You got a ring on your left hand's little finger."
"Oh(!) It should be on my right." And she placed the ornate ring with a lion on her mouth hand's pinkie. "I have a habit of moving my rings to different fingers."
"You're not afraid of losin' a ring?"
"No," she confidently smiled. And took the ring off and effortlessly placed it on her thumb, parent finger; index, go-there/scout, finger; middle, come-here/dare, finger; third, medical/heart, finger; tugging on the ring that was tight while on each of them. When it was returned to the smallest finger, her 'habit' seemed like old news to everybody, not worth commenting on. Of course, the secret finger did not entirely ensure it would remain that way, as it was also the chance finger; but the odds were always in the favor of those of the Seven Lucky Gods.
Still, distractions would direct them elsewhere. "Another round of ramen, Cologne. And add eggs. We may not have to sleep until tonight, but we still need energy and nutrition."
"Here! Be a waitress!" Cologne said, having already placed the bowls on the opening's ledge, a nama tamago on each. Benten got up.
"So, uh, this test…," Ukyo became nervous.
"Shampoo no sure what test is Test," Shampoo said. "Too too many different kind!"
"If it's martial arts, I can win it!" The redhead was feeling more of his swagger.
"Don't count me out!" Akane told them.
"It will be a Tiger Test," Benten said.
"Aiya! Each must learn too too special technique and battle too too special technique of other!" Shampoo cried. "No can use old tricks!"
Benten returned with the Chinese cart and the second helpings. "Which of the special techniques you will be given to master will be different and determined by lottery.
"But first, let us have a gōkon."
"A group date!?" Ukyo cried.
"What mean by "group date"?" Shampoo asked.
"It's suppose to mean the girls get and give support to the other girls with them on the date," Akane told her. "But that's not going to happen with us."
"And a boy group dates a girl group," Ukyo said, wincing at a memory of hers…as a crossdresser on a boy team.
"I'll give you girls support," the redhead said between mouthfuls.
"Idiot," Akane told him. "You're the reason we can't support each other."
"Some team we are," Ukyo agreed.
"But support of Airen always good!" Shampoo smiled. She made to glomp.
Ranma was ready. S/he pushed off from the floor, twisted away, arched her back, did a flip over the chair's back and landed on her feet behind it. All while still eating with chopsticks. S/he frowned, though, being reminded at how her soft girl layers took time to settle.
"Some support Ranma is," Shampoo frowned in frustration.
"I thought you were tired of lezzing out," Ukyo said.
"Ah, make appetite for Shampoo one way lead to other way. Have best of both Ranma."
"I can't be both until I get a phoenix pill!" Ranma reminded her.
"Shampoo win pill and give Airen!"
Ukyo slapped her own forehead. Akane had to agree, "Now we're going to find there's a rule against that." She looked at Benten. "Right?"
"You can give Ranma your phoenix pill."
"But you will flunk the test!" Cologne told them. "The test is about your place in the hierarchy of the team!"
"I don't like hierarchies!" Ranma rebelled.
"Why not become its head and change it," Benten purred near her.
"I will!"
Benten smiled. Too easy. "But shouldn't you first honor the girl who has earned her place to come to your bed as a girlfriend(?)"
Ranma set down her empty bowl and stepped back to look at all of her friends at once. "The girls should honor my wishes before then! Ain't that the traditional way things work?! The man makes the decisions and the woman follows!"
Akane glared at the boy in girl form; Shampoo shook her head in deep disappointment. And Ukyo had the least expression, but it was she who said, "Do we look like traditional women?"
"Hear me out!" the small redhead pleaded now. "This sex stuff don't have to be a big hassle! I got it all figured out: When I can be a man again, me and Ukyo will do sex; then me and Shampoo; then Shampoo'll teach me how to do sex with Akane when I'm a girl; then‒"
"Shampoo have pride: Shampoo no go second!"
"Shampoo gets two times with you!?" Ukyo protested.
"I won't go after the bimbo!" Akane cried out.
"Okay, Shampoo can teach you how to do sex with girls!"
"I refuse to engage in sex with anybody who calls me a 'bimbo'!" Shampoo said, switching into perfect Japanese, only then reminding those that knew she only talked the way she did was because she was stubbornly trying to think in the way the Chinese language allowed her to think.
"Akane can go second! We'll teach each other how to do sex as girls!"
"If I'd ever want to 'do sex' with your girl half, I'd have to be your first: Before everybody else!"
"Aw, Akane! My first time just has to be as a guy! What if I like doin' it as a woman more'n a man!? I can't be disappointed in bein' what I was meant to be! My manhood'd be handicapped from the start!"
"Yeah, Akane." Ukyo was trying to come to the aid of her Ran-kun. "What if you had Ranma as a man first and found out you're really straight."
"Maybe I am!"
And on went their four-way argument. Benten looked at the mini-her sitting on her shoulder and they smiled at each other. "We didn't have to give them a nudge after all."
And on the astral plane tigers roared.
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Benten is different from the Norns of Ah! My Goddess because she, like all gods who have come to be storied by different cultures, have become the embodiment of persistent, 'immortal' glitches in the Yggdrasil System. This both makes her capable of being more powerful than even those licensed as a god first-class, unlimited, but also divides (and merges) her. Think of Sasuke's, Kaneto Kuno's and, now, Ryōga's special technique of multiplying themselves.
How powerful yet divided? Benten is one of the most active of the many incarnations of one of the oldest gods still on Midgard. The Bentens are themselves, as it were, unshrunk 'mini' versions of the overwritten original.
The kanji ideograph for hand has the symbol for craft added to it for the left one and mouth for right. In the system of magic Benten is using, her left is used for more physical spells, the right for more mental spells. The powers of her fingers is based on how the Japanese think of them; I have made those of the index and middle fingers more versatile. The little finger is their chance/secret finger (according to Wikipedia).
And the numbers of the fingers are, index: 1, middle: 2, ring: 3, pinkie: 4, thumb: 5. Then: 5+1 = 6, 5+2=7, 5+3=8, 5+4=9. The tens are counted on the left hand. This means Benten always has an abacus handy.