Ranma of St. Bacchus, Chapter 28
by Chaos Orchid
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"Beware of somebody who wants to lose, yet fights to win! Once they give up the fight, they will change. And not for the better."
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Kodachi v Ran v Tatewaki
It would have pleased the 150 cm, 4'11" cutie to have led the 14 cm, 5½" taller beauty out of the school's annex. Very pleased. But (she) didn't. Kodachi was (her) senpai, by noble birth, by being the captain-general of her team and by being the daughter of the school's owner. All of which meant little to (her). Even the scholarship she gave (her) was a convenience, a way to get the amnesiac (her) bearings. What mattered to 'Yamada Ran' was the power (she) had over the girl who was all of those. (She) could only really win if the arrogant bitch could pretend to be the winner. Once Kodachi's secret was out, the ground would shift beneath both of them.
So the secret had to be protected. 'Ran' looked outside for some private place. (She) saw a tall tree with gaps in its foliage. Good! There were enough leaves to hide behind, but it also gave (her) the chance to spot eavesdroppers. (She) leaned down and unbuckled (her) Mary Jane-style slippers. "I could just leap up there, but I'm gonna stretch my legs with vertical parkour. See if you can follow." After pulling off (her) socks, (she) ran at the tree, jumping just high enough to get a toehold before reaching out for fingerholds. Using the tree's rough bark, (she) scaled it.
But not as quickly as (she) felt (she) could! The voluptuous girl silently curse the boobs that got in the way. And they brought (her) awareness to (her) too voluptuous body stretched the bra and panties! The good news was they were recovering from being near the very male physique of Kodachi's brother. (Her) boobs and buttcheeks had swollen from arousal. Even though psychologically (she) saw him as totally unfit! Ugh!
Meanwhile, Kodachi was having a psychological problem of her own. She knew the scattering of trees had been an art project in landscaping. Each one was said to have a different meaning. The one the uppity commoner with uncommon ability had chosen was the tulip tree. Its meaning was: Fame. Reputation. The symbolism was too appropriate! The orphaned stray had to know that! It infuriated her…but she couldn't afford to be. Not yet.
Kicking off her gymnastics slippers, the unchallenged champion of high school Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics went up the tree, too. It was improper for a noble to act like a monkey; she sought to glare at any who would dare to judge her. This was yet another challenge to her grandeur! But she judged herself better at ascending than the immodestly busty gamin. The girl would never be a great gymnast!
She saw the insolent girl casually leaning back against one of the branches growing out from a bough. She got on the bough and sat ladylike, sidesaddle. She drew on her arrogance and its gestures to act as a shield. "Well?! Are you wasting my time or do you have something to say that has any value?"
'Ran' spoke frankly, casually, "You're coward."
"How dare you! I am Kunō Kodachi, the Black Rose, the Undefeated Champion of–"
"MĀRG! I'm not gonna waste my breath talkin' to you unless you call it MĀRG!"
Kodachi growled in her throat and said, "Martial Arts Rhythmic–"
The redhead rolled her back off the branch and dropped to dangle several meters above the grass, keeping hold of the branch by one hand. "Last chance."
She stifled a scream of frustrated defeat. Then, "MĀRG."
The girl without dark hair swung back. This time she straddled the thicker branch, not caring if it made her look unladylike. (Even though it made her midi skirt ride very high up on (her) thighs.)
"The others may've the same idea about you, but they're not ready to show 'em they're right. I am ready.
"You're only the undefeated champion of MĀRG is 'cuz you're unchallenged." (She) saw (her) opponent flinch at the words almost as if they had been a body blow. The truth had hurt. "I haven't heard how you can be unchallenged. But it's probably by doin' something you can't get away with in a MĀRG match."
Kodachi regained her poise, nearly, "Actually, what I do is entirely within the rules of Martial–" She caught herself before the blackmailer could only make the first move to leave, "MĀRG." To her relief, the redhead – who was more wicked than her cute looks suggested – didn't leave.
"Okay, but…? You're doin' something the rules don't allow. Mmm, like havin' no referee, or, uh, not bein' in an official venue(?)"
"Natural Mar–MĀRG!" she insisted.
"Anything goes as long as it's a tool(?)"
"And parkour,' she said, proudly. "I, the Black Rose, am even more proficient in overcoming obstacles."
"The better to escape. You've never met a real challenge in your rich noble life and you're afraid to find your limits. You fear it will hurt your rep."
"Untrue!" There had been one time. The time she had fought Saotome Ranma. The tomboy had not been the target she had been waiting to ambush; the small girl had came out of nowhere! She had fought without tools, yet had outrageously returned hers as if they were her own! And yet the idiot refused to hurt her, unbelievably saying she did not fight girls?! To the Black Rose in her that meant she had homeless stranger she could use as a living practice dummy! But once the battle began, the stubborn, little girl refused to cede and was not "in the mood" to let her escape! Proud Kodachi could not say the word cede! And – finally! – she had won(!)! Barely. The redhead had become distracted at the critical moment. She herself, too, had almost had wondered about why a panda was loose in the city.
She could have killed the threat. But she couldn't. She was a coward.
Not remembering Ranma, 'Ran' misinterpreted the protest, "Your loss was unofficial. And you became determined to see none did."
The memory-loss poison was still active. The Black Rose had mistakenly(?) thought that putting the stronger combatant under her command, she could see that Ranma never became officially recognized as better than her. After all, she was Kodachi and nobody should be recognized as better than her!
Perhaps there was still a way.
'Yamada Ran' should be naive to anything not trained into her body. "My brother appears interested in you. If he becomes smitten, he will undoubtedly stalk you. Being rejected only increases his determination."
"Aw, man! Just great! Geez!" (Her) boobs and butt had been getting smaller. Only (her) mind dominated now. (She) was away from a group of horny girls and (she) felt no incestuous feelings from Kodachi. Quite the opposite, in fact.
"But I know what you can do that will dissuade him from pursuing you." She remembered she was dueling with a martial artist. "Techniques, as it were."
'Ran' twitched at the 'magic' word. But remained cautious, "And I should listen to you, 'cuz…?"
"Because you have no other idea on how to be rid of my Dear Brother besides fighting with him(?) You witnessed how skillfully he fought against a horde of girls. He is determined to only date a girl who can honestly defeat him. He is seventeen years old, handsome, athletic, of noble heritage and wealthy, and yet he has never had a date. The only ones he has ever pined for are three sisters. They all have defeated him, yet he only actively pursues the one who has and continues to defeat him in combat. The stupid girl could be rid of him if she would merely lose to him. But she refuses. Can you cede?"
"No!" The answer came out so abruptly, it surprised 'Ran'. But (she) couldn't disagree with (her) subconscious. Even (her) body was on alert.
"Then I will tell you my Dear Brother's weak point." The predator was now the prey in her net; it was time to shift the dynamic of the relationship. The gymnast lifted her foot over the bough and dropped to the ground meters below. And walked away.
She had gone meters more away, before redheaded sucker dropped down behind herself. A smirk crossed her face. She continued walking.
It did not last: Kodachi was startled when the showoff leaped in front of her! (Her hands stilling her boobs.) 'Ran' gloated, "Ha! You didn't go into defense! You're too confident. It shows you've never fought in a real battle."
Her smirk was gone and she struggled to not show any emotion the low class, classless girl could get any satisfaction from. Her voice was strained, "I have trained intensely!" Which was also true.
"I should challenge you. But then everybody will know for sure your secret. Now, tell me the guy's weak point."
"Tomboys."
While the redhead repeated, "Tomboys?", the Black Rose strode away. She was making her follow. She spoke only when the runt girl came close enough to not have to raise her voice. "It is his fetish."
"Fetish? I don't know that word!"
"And I won't tell you unless you stay behind me. We're in public. Remember your place. Remember who the senpai is."
How 'Ran' would have liked to knock her literally down. But (she) couldn't. "I'm listening, Kodachi'- sama'," (she) said mockingly.
"My Dear Brother has an obsession for a quality in girls he finds dear. The more butch a girl is, the more he desires her. …And besides "fetish", you are no doubt unfamiliar with the word "butch"(?) It does not matter, all you need do to win his disinterest is to look and behave as the exact opposite."
"And that is?"
"Simply be the girl you were born to be. The more feminine the better it will be for you." And for her, the Black Rose.
"Feminine? –Be girly!?" The thought sickened 'Ran'. Never in the three days (she) could remember had (she) felt the disconnect between her mind and body more starkly. S/he didn't want to be like the other* girls (she) was living with, but (she) couldn't imagine being a guy. S/he had been in so great of a panic with the hair growing out of control when (she) was given the shampoo, (she) could only vaguely recall what it was like being in a guy's body. S/he couldn't even remember if the guy was actually somebody else, lurking, waiting to take control from her! And, too, (she) had no male role modal. S/he was in an all-girls boarding school and didn't come into regular contact with any guys. The only one of them (she) did have a strong impression of were unappealing. Especially the one in her nightmares. The nameless man, like the panda, haunted her. Sometimes they seemed to lurk behind her closed eyelids.
" 'Girly'(?)," Kodachi sneered. "How gauche. There should be none 'girly' at St. Hebereke? It would be contrary to the goal of my school's curriculum. Only true femininity is allowed.
"And that is only a tool! It is the opening ploy in the grand scheme to infiltrate the patriarchy! As body guard wives!"
"Okay." With no experience at being a girl, (she) kept to what (she) was interested in, "That means you and the girls don't like somebody bein' girly?(?)" A role.
"The womanly arts are the means to the end, not the girlish ones. It would be self-defeating! Only under limited battle conditions should the childish tactics be employed."
"Ah, I think I get it. Bein' a tomboy, I didn't learn how to be a real girl as a kid. Does that mean I won't learn to be a lady?"
Kodachi stopped and turned suddenly, ready to confront, though not battle, the rival more naive than the identity poison should make her. But she was taken by how easily the cutie could become a stereotypical girly girl with right (kawaii?) accessories. Hmm. "By your French braid, I am reminded that you are one of my Special Projects. As the effective head of St. Hebereke, I can give you permission to break the rules. As an…experiment. On a temporary basis, of course.
"Yes! Do learn first how to be, uh (ugh) 'girly'. Think of it as the foundation for womanliness. It will certainly make you unappealing to My Dear Brother."
'Ran' smiled. If being girly really was a way to get out of a fetish trap, could (she) also use the role as a turn off to girls training to be mature, womanly ladies?
Kodachi smirked, remembering Saotome Ranma's last words, I hate bein' a girl.
They had reach the gym arena. "I want to get permission now. I wanna see how the girls like me bein' girly." Girls wanted to date her! It was to get to through her to guy that came out of her with hot water, but they were still a huge, annoying bother to her! If (she) stopped being their fetish, a guy-like tomboy, maybe they leave her alone. And what could be more opposite than a girly girl?
"'Ran', you have no memories of even last week. Do you know how to act girly?"
"Uh…. Maybe?" Maybe that was hidden in her subconscious and body.
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NOTE:
What I have written about Kodachi an Tatewaki in this chapter, I believe is canon. Koachi was called "the unchallenged champion of high school Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics" in S01E13. With little risk to herself, she ambushed and injured the girls before they could face in the ring.