####
Adjusting in Nerima
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(Excerpts from the journals of Ranma Saotome)
You know, it may have been hell of most of the planet at first,
but the Nerima Virus may have been the best damn thing ever to happen
to me.
Yeah, I know-- it messed up a lot of people's minds at first, but
mostly they made it. And I wasn't a freak any more-- not the way I
was-- instead I was normal. I tell you, it really made a difference
in my life.
Of course, it made a difference in everyone's lives, so you
shouldn't feel left out or nothing like that.
I guess it was a few months into it that people really started to
adjust at Furinkan...
####
Akane looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. Even after the
damn thing had unlocked, she still turned onto a boy at the most
inconvenient moments. So far he'd found himself having to make do
with t-shirts, slacks-- loose ones, and shorts. It was FRUSTRATING.
There had been one strange and unexpected blessing from the
curse, however. He could swim. Not very well, not with any grace,
but his male form could float where his female one was still about as
buoyant as a engine block.
He sighed. No more pretty swimsuits. Although an enterprising
vendor had come out with a line of men's swimtrunks in feminine
prints and trim, somehow that seemed pointless. You just looked
silly in pink trunks with a ruffle.
Apparently not all males-- or rather, as a present slang term
went, "Cold Water Girls"-- agreed. Some would try to make do with
t-shirts and shorts, usually with a bikini top underneath (since
when you had a basically masculine self image you weren't interested
in passing out a free wet t-shirt show) and most so far preferred
simple very modest cut one-pieces or extremely modest two-pieces.
The tankini with boy-cut bottom was a favorite with Cold-water girls.
Then there were those who had decided, "If I've got it, I might
as well flaunt it." Thus the racy high cut onepiece and scanty
bikini hadn't vanished, and neither had the infamous men's Speedo
cut. The idea seemed to be, if I have to be a girl/boy, I'm going to
be the best I can be.
He smiled, faintly. If there was anything good about the
worldwide curse, it was that it did tend to be a quality curse.
Unless you were extremely old-- say, Cologne level-- or downright
hideous, the curse form was nearly always decent in appearance.
Genma had gone from a bald and obese man in his late forties to an
attractive woman in her apparent early thirties, comparable to
Nodoka, except for a short black head of hair. (Which he complained
bitterly that it was unfair that it wouldn't stay there when male.)
Hikaru Gosunkugi may have been almost cadaverous and spooky as a
boy, but he took on a sort of mysterious and gothic allure as a girl,
willowy and actually a few inches taller.
And Tatewaki Kuno...
Tatewaki Kuno was something of a knockout. (To her great
annoyance, Kuno-chan had a great pair of legs, a figure rivaling
Ranma's or Shampoo's, and a damnably cute face. This wouldn't have
been quite as much of a problem were it not that instead of hot or
cold water triggering the change, it occurred randomly at night
during, it was theorized, REM sleep, and until she next slept no
change would occur-- or be guaranteed.)
He himself wasn't bad to look at when a guy-- tight abs, well
defined muscles, and a somewhat bishonen cast of face.
He grinned at that. Somehow, although Ukyo and Shampoo were no
slouches in the looks department when male, HE was, by the standards
of most girls, the cute one now.
Not that that would really make much difference to Ranma, of
course.
At least, he didn't think so. But he'd noticed an unnerving
tendency to... notice girl-type Ranma when boy-type Akane was the
case. And yesterday he'd been a boy at the same time she'd been a
girl, and she'd noticed him... looking at her.
Akane wasn't certain, but he thought he'd seen the beginning of a
slightly feminine blush.
Doctor Tofu had said that that would probably become something of
the norm. The two states had differing hormonal balances, and since
the average person would be telling him/herself that "She's/He's
really a boy/girl anyhow", there would probably be rather a lot of
social and psychological changes coming.
"Akane-kun," Kasumi said (She had an annoying tendency to use the
"proper" suffix depending on the state, hardly bothering with her own
changes-- after the first week, it had been as though she didn't even
notice), "I have something for you you'll like."
"It's early for dinner, isn't it?"
"Oh, it's not food. It's a wonderful new invention..."
Akane turned, and frowned in puzzlement. "And what's so
wonderful and new about a t-shirt?"
####
Man, the guy who invented the Support T is a genius. (And rich.
Licensed the idea to half the underwear manufacturers on the planet,
and is rolling in dough. I think his name was Mizuno or something.)
You'll remember just after the changes began, you know? Most
people were locked for a week or two before they started to change
like I had been doing for a year. Well, it caused a lot of grief in
one area that even Doc Tofu hadn't expected... the chest.
See, if there'd been one thing I really disliked about being a
girl, it was the boobs. They threw off my sense of balance, and they
jiggled, which distracted me (and other people) and even more than...
other parts, yelled, "Hey, Look, there's a chick here!" Which, you
understand, I HATED.
Now, I'd kept a secret for a while-- panties weren't something I
had any interest in, but there were a LOT of times I's wished I could
wear a bra. I could have used the support a LOT. But not only would
that have been unmanly, or something, but it would have just
encouraged You Know Who. (Said You Know Who, incidentally, was one
of those who DIDN'T become an attractive female. Heck, according to
Cologne, he never was an attractive male, and frankly, when splashed,
he looked like Cologne's twin sister-- except maybe uglier, and
balding. Served him right.)
Well, now I wasn't alone. Most people didn't seem to be the
water magnet I seem to be-- I think it's because I got mine from
magic where they got theirs from an alien virus-- but accidents STILL
happened a lot, and you never knew if your nice lingerie set was
going to turn into a painful wreck across your suddenly expanded
chest while what was supposed to be in those cups just wasn't any
more.
Akane complained all the time. She never was into the sexiest of
lingerie, you know, but she was proud of her femininity, and all of a
sudden she was dealing with the idea that a pretty bra that made her
look, well, sort of cute, could with a splash make him look like a
total and complete dork. Not to mention that the first few times he
was in serious pain. Like I said, Akane didn't wear wisps of lace
and air, but bras that were fairly solid-- made sense from a martial
artist's view, you know?-- and that meant that before they snapped
they squeezed HARD.
And of course, if you're normally a guy, well, you don't start
out wearing one. Most guys, anyhow. Heck, even Tsubasa and Konatsu
didn't, but I was never certain about that Kiro guy. (Where Nerima
gets all the crossdressers I never knew. Not that anything's
crossdressing these days.)
Then this guy-- or maybe a girl, who knows these days-- gets all
inspired, and realizes that a sports-bra ain't THAT much different
from a tank top T-shirt. So he or she designs the support T.
It's basically a t-shirt with a thin band of elastic inside, just
around the ribcage, with a few velcro thingies that work for quick
adjusting. Get splashed, no prob. You turn into a girl, you just
tighten the velcro and instant sportsbra with a sort of shirt-tail
attached. You turn into a guy, the velcro comes undone and instant
t-shirt with just a hint of tightness around the chest-- nothing to
worry about.
They came out with them in plain cuts for those who are born
guys, and somewhat lower cut and femme-trimmed versions for those who
normally are girls. Yeah, it looks a little funny in gym to see a
guy in a pink t-shirt made of satin with a lace trimmed collar, but
heck-- I know guys who wear that style, and girls who wear the more
macho type. (Including Akane. Now she's gone tomboy for sure.
Funny thing is, I don't mind as much as I used to.)
Anyhow, just about everyone I know-- male or female when
starting-- thought these were the greatest things since cup-ramen.
Man, I know I did. And Akane was DAMN glad of it, as was everyone
else in the household-- except for Pops.
Pops when a girl-- or I guess, woman-- is built like Mom is.
Pretty decent looking for her age. But he's still just about as big
as a panda when he's a guy, so we never could find one to fit him.
You know, I think there is justice in the universe after all.
####
Adjusting in Juuban
####
Usagi stared at her broach.
No, at HIS broach.
Then he glared at the mirror in annoyance. He'd have cut his
hair if it hadn't been that people didn't seem to care.
Sighing, he idly lifted a thermos-- almost a universal
requirement these days-- and returned himself to her natural state.
"Usagi--" the cat paused for a moment-- "Chan! I just remembered
something, but we have to test it! Turn into a boy, all right?"
"But Luna," the blonde complained, "I've been a boy for three
whole hours today! I had to help Rei at the temple, and there was a
lot of boxes, so we all went boy because we're stronger that way, but
I don't LIKE it, and I wanted to--"
"This is important!"
Usagi sighed, and changed again. Shaking his now damp head, he
scowled. "So, what's so important this time that I have to be a boy
to do it?"
Cats do not grin. This didn't stop Luna, who almost purred,
"Well, handsome, I remembered that the Queen had seen something like
this happening as a possibility-- and had prepared for it. Say Moon
Prism Power--"
####
Youma are noted for being three things--
Female.
Scary.
And most of all, a pain in the butt to the Sailor Senshi.
The others had managed to get to the scene of the fight without
being splashed. Usagi, on the other hand, was now almost a half a
foot taller, somewhat more muscular, and uncomfortably male.
Rei snickered. "You're going to look really silly again, Usagi."
Usagi smiled. "Not this time. Luna remembered something
again..."
And he raised his hand, and cried--
"MOON PRISM POWER-- SUIT UP!"
Rei paused. "Hey, that's not how it-- WHOA."
It wasn't the old Sailor Fuku at all. The tight white bodysuit
seemed to be retained-- now displaying Sailor Moon's lean and wiry
physique-- and the sailor collar hadn't changed. But the skirt had
been replaced with a pair of close-fitting blue thigh length shorts,
the bows had become a scarf at the neck and a sash at the waist, and
the ribbing on the shoulders and gloves had become a sort of
armor-styled plating. Even the boots had taken on a more masculine
styling. The earrings were gone, as was the choker... although the
tiara remained.
"Well, what are YOU waiting for? Transform!" he said, as he
leapt to do battle.
The others, who normally wouldn't have hesitated, were rather
distracted.
"Uh, Rei..."
"Yes, Ami?"
"Those shorts are... awfully tight..."
A cat hissed. "Stop leering at Sailor Moon and transform! Use
the old phrase, you're girls right now!"
"He looks just like my--"
"If you EVEN say it, I'll kill you! Mars Power, Make Up!"
"Oh, right-- Mercury Power, Make Up!"
"Venus Power, Make Up!"
"Jupiter Power, Make Up... And I STILL say he looks--"
####
The youma was gathering the energy that she (it?) required. Then
suddenly a ringing tenor voice cried out, interrupting her.
"Hold it right there! Using cursed bowls in a beef bowl
restaurant is unforgivable to all the hungry people out there,
especially me! Agent of love and justice, I Bishoj--"
And the figure paused, and corrected himself, "I mean, BISHONEN
Senshi Sailor Moon will not forgive you! In the name of the moon,
I'm... I'm going to kick your butt!"
"Sailor Moon, such language!"
"Mercury, I'm just trying to say what a boy would say-- WAHHHH!"
Youma attacks began-- as they tended to do, and once again the
dance began, the Senshi dodging while jockeying for position to
launch an attack. But Sailor Moon found that he was having a harder
time than usual. He seemed slower, clumsier somehow. (Great. I'm a
klutzy GUY too. My life is hell!)
And then he saw the youma reaching for him with vicious claws,
and instinctive he tried to kick it away, to gain some chance--
And was rewarded with a pained grunt.
As a girl, Sailor Moon was somewhat stronger than normal. As a
boy, he was now close to Makoto level. The youma doubled over in
pain, to not only Sailor Moon's surprise, but that of the others.
"It's a gift. MOON TIARA ACTION!"
Even the Tiara seemed to hit harder. "Wow. Maybe this turning
into a boy stuff isn't so bad after all..."
And as time passed, they adapted. Even to Tuxedo Kamen's strange
alternate outfit of strapless leotard and fishnet stockings under a
tuxedo jacket, like a weird cross of his normal self and a Playboy
Bunny. (Which he also adapted to, even if he couldn't figure out why
the roses had gone pink.)
####