Ranma of St. Bacchus, Chapter 15

By Chaos Orchid

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"Martial arts is more than a role: It's a way of life!"

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The Role of a Female

Dress rehearsal over with, the Martial Arts School Theater students headed backstage to change out of their amateur but elaborate costumes and take off their elaborate makeup. Lunchtime had already started and it was only 40-minutes long. And the cafeteria was several minutes away!

Then a certain girl who was becoming a school celebrity jumped onto the stage from behind the top row of seats. "Ran!"

"I want to join! I want to join!" (She) bounced up and down, her hand raised, in front of the only adult. The man dressed as a noble Chinese woman. Peking Opera-style.

"Do you have the voice? You're a soprano. But how high is your register?"

"What? I hafta sing? I thought this was all about martial arts acrobatics! I can do that! …My body must!"

"Let her join!" , "She's just what we need to get an audience!" , "And a date with her!" , "What?!" , "Yeah: What?!" , "There's going to be a contest…" , " –And the winner gets a date…" , "–with Ran?! " , "Way would you want a date with a girl?" , "Idiot, it's the date with boy Ran we want." , "Quiet!" , "Shut up!" , "Why should I, ay, ay…."

Adults weren't supposed to know about boy Ran.

The girls ran away before they could reveal any more than they already had.

The opera teacher repeated, "How well do you sing? There is a reason it is called 'Chinese opera'. It is not all about the flash of Jackie Chan."

"Jackie Who? Sorry, I don't remember him. Uh, he is a guy, right?"

"Interesting. This is not entirely about being like your martial arts idol?""

"I have no idol." Then her feelings prompted her to say, "Except me. I'm the best. Jacqui Chan's got nothing on me." (She) didn't know if that was true, but (she) liked the bragging.

"Unfortunately, that would make all of your theater teammates look bad by comparison. Sorry. Isn't it time for you to go to lunch?" and he turned from her.

"Okay. For now!" But (she) leaped in front of him. "But I gotta know if it's okay to dress up like a woman!" What? What did (she) say? Why did (she) say it?

"It is 'okay' for a man to play the role of woman in China and, more especially, in Japan, where, traditionally, only boys and men were allowed to perform as females."

"Are you gay?"

"No, I'm not gay. Stop stereotyping."

"I ain't doin' that, 'cuz I got no memories of knowin' what is what!"

The the man dressed up and made up to flamboyantly look like a woman frowned at the small girl. But he saw her sincerity and…whatever was troubling her. The theater teacher told her, "It is all about roles. In East Asia, gender roles are traditionally determined by the traditional roles. Not one's biological gender. Roles. As long as you behave the way you look, tolerance is maintained."

"Re, really?" It was a revelation to Ran(!) "That, that means because I look like a girl, everybody expects me to act like a girl?"

"It would help if you began using female Japanese."

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The revelation hit (her) so hard, (she) actually almost forgot about (her) lunch.

It was getting late into its time before (her) stomach finally, forcibly reminded her of it. Where could (she) get food? The cafeteria? After last night's supper? Was it even open!? That was some liquid battle and food fight! What a mess! And if it were open, going there could be asking for more of same. And (she) didn't have the raincoat! –The vending machines!

Only, (she) didn't have money.

(She) searched the semi-uniform for pockets. (And not liking what (she) felt.) There were no pockets. "Then where would girls have money? (she) thought as (she) scanned the girls in sight. Were they missing something? What was it? Hrrm. (She) put (her) hand on its hip and the other on its shoulder. (And disliked the right bra'd boob getting in the way.) Whatever it was, it belonged here. (She) would have to ask the others why they didn't have purses.

"Purses! That's the word I'm lookin' for. Purses." The word still felt strange.

The school store, then? It wouldn't probably have food. Not when there were so many vending machines. But, then again, they all seemed to be on the dormitory floor.

"Then that's where I gotta go! Up to my room and the stash of cash! So what if I'm late for fourth period. Food is more important!"

Taking great, even roof topping, leaps cost (her) a great amount of energy. It increased (her) hunger! It didn't help that for some stupid reason (she) had only eaten a little more than the others at breakfast. Being polite was costing her!

Her body's trained and drilled resistance to doing more than sipping but actually drinking in the ki energy available in the Reservoir was weakening. It didn't help that (her) mind didn't remember what (she) needed to know to clamp down on the inflow valve.

(She) began to take some of the ki energy from the girls (she) passed without (her) being truly aware that (she) was. Ki energy was just chi energy shaped by emotions. They still carried the emotional charge until her own emotions boiled them off for easier digestion. The body automatically distilled some of the emotion out. But not all. One, it took kindling energy and that energy might be put to better use in a battle or emergency. Two, there were battle techniques that actually used an opponent's own emotions against them.

Three, it allowed (her) to have a better read of (her) opponent.

And (she) really, really needed to read which girls were feeling the desire to hit (her) with hot water! Most did not, not at any one moment, especially those who hadn't seen her. But even those could carry a potential of doing it. (She) was open to taking in any and all emotions her body didn't recognize as an adversary. Boosting their weak ki signals.

It didn't help that the filter to the distilling process was now so porous. (She) had been entertaining the idea of trying out what it was like being like (other) girls.

On her way down from a roof, (she) pulled down the hem of her knee skirt, regretting (she) didn't have the extra hands to keep her middy blouse down, too. But at least (she) was wearing a bra. An unattractive piece of lingerie, like her panties.

(She) at last landed and took to running. There! (She) could take (her) hands off. The only thing that would make the hem go up were a breeze.

A breeze (she) was stirring up by her running. (She) slowed to a quick walk. But why should (she) care?! There were only –almost only, really– girls around to see (her)!

(She) had to care because there were girls and women about (her) that did care about how (she) acted. Especially if it effected (her) appearance. They weren't the majority, but they were a strong enough minority with strong enough feelings to get to her(!)

A lot was sort of positive. They knew what it was like when boys and men were about. A girl or woman should not attract undue attention to themselves. Just in case. Some of the less positive critiques had her being seen as just the sort of girl who wanted cheap attention. Sliding towards the mean side were those who wished they could be more like how brazen (she) had been acting. Envy. Jealousy. …Just plain meanness! The need to dominate!

All of this was taken in on body-level awareness. 'Ran' felt it, but really didn't understand any of it, not having any memories of them that (her) conscious could reach. (And, in fact, not having any girl memories at all. Ranma had been purposely raised to be as isolated from girls as his conniving sensei could.)

There were other loose emotions+ki. The all tugged at (her) from different angles. Not knowing how to select, 'Ran' was developing mood swings.

Developing. They weren't going to be violent mood swings. Not yet. And the body had heavily drilled-in safety valves to release the pressure at critical points. Except for cats. There, the safeties were busted.

Not remembering, all 'Ran' 'knew' about the safeties was the first one: (She) needed food!

(She) was headed to the third floor, but made it only to the second.

"HALT." It was the dreaded Matsushiba-sensei. Every girl seemed intimidated by her. That meant she should be, too. Uh, should (she)(?) "Playing hooky, skipping class are you, truant(?)"

"I thought it was still lunchtime. I need to eat! Hear my belly!?(!)"

"And whose fault is it that you missed lunch?" told, not asked, the tall, thin, wiry, almost elderly woman. "Whose fault was it that you missed Home Economics?"

"Uh, ha. Oops. You know about that, too."

"Appalling!"

"To you, it would…. Yes, you're, uh, right. Sorry." This is how the other(?) girls behave(?)

"By 'appalling', I mean your lazy, ungrammatical speech, young lady."

"What? Did I say 'gonna', 'gotta'? Did I drop my 'gees' in goin'?"

"I refer to how you use 'boku' when referring to yourself. You must speak of yourself as watashi!"

"Oh, right, ha, ha. I have been using guy Japanese. Sorry." 'Her' face reddened in shame as 'she' caught glimpses of the looks the few girls in the hall were giving 'her'.

"Male speech is rough, vulgar, abrupt or all three. Female speech is everything opposite of the male's."

"I'm vulgar just by talking like normal guys normally talk?" It was news to the amnesiac. It now made 'her' feel vulgar, crude, rude and, then, all three.

"Now, you will now go with me to your homeroom and your Japanese lessons." 'Ran' did not argue, though 'her' stomach did. Matsushiba, though, did argue her points to the student, "A female needs to acknowledge they are female."

"Because of their roles?"

It wasn't denied; the professor was thinking of something else, "I shall talk with Ōno-sensei about transferring you to my homeroom. Even if not, I shall judge your homework more harshly than the others, as you require greater motivation to climb the mountain other girls find to be hills. Fail to show the proper effort and you will be taking my cram class."

"Like Noa?"

"Ohara-san?" Looking to the ceiling, the woman clapped, praying. But her gaze returned to the short redhead. "At least she is learning to use proper female language."

When they entered the class room, the girls looked up from the books they were instructed to read their lesson from. The way they looked at 'her', the giggles, the snickers, the…. 'Ran' was tempted to jump in a hole. The windows were closed.

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Between fourth period and fifth, 'Ran' sped to Room 13. 'She' snatched the (reticule) bag of coins 'her' roommates had said was just for 'her' and dashed out to the vending machines!

Litter was in front of several vendors before (her) hunger was almost sated. The only discomfort (she) was feeling was feeling (she) was a girl. (She) was no longer feeling what females felt.

But (she) did have (her) memories of how (she) had reacted to them. They would not like the litter. Especially those that had hallway clean-up duty this week. It was better to be liked. That meant (she) should clean everything up. (It was easier than breaking camp.)

(She) would miss this week's Health and Hygiene lessons. Naw, there wasn't probably anything to learn that (she) didn't know already.

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(She) had skipped two classes. (She) was sure to be punished. How, she didn't know, yet. This was a private school, so…. So? (She) really didn't even remember her time, if any, at public schools.

It had to come after her last class of the day. PE. Would (she) meet Kodachi there?

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NOTE:

Unlike other schools, St. Hebereke recognizes that biorhythms of teens are later than those of adults. They are more alert and teachable later in the morning. That is why the school has only three periods before lunch.