HELLO, RANMA. YOU LOOK POSITIVELY... DELICIOUS.
Ranma gulped. Through the portal that had opened up, she could see a face - a disturbingly familiar one. She knew it too well from her nightmares, from a day when her father had gone a little too far - and incurred an oni's wrath.
I TOLD YOU OF YOUR FATE - WELL, PART OF IT, ANYWAY. I DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE 'BRIDE' ASPECT OF IT...
She fought for her voice. He was frightening, to be sure, but there was an alluring quality to him, one she was forcing down. "I... I'll never marry you," she whispered. "I'm a guy. I like girls."
He chuckled darkly. NOT ME, PERHAPS... BUT ONE OF US... He reached a claw through the portal; Ranma jumped back, then stopped as the claw laid a piece of jewelry onto the floor. She held her nose; his scent was... intoxicating.
WHEN YOU ARE READY, LITTLE ONE, THIS WILL TAKE YOU HOME. MERELY PUT IT ON, WISH TO BE AMONG YOUR TRUE FAMILY... AND WE WILL WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS. His chuckles echoed through the room and her mind as she fought down the sensations inside herself; fortunately, he left before any further damage could be done.
Ranma picked up the necklace, and looked at it with all three eyes. Something inside her told her it was a simple teleportation spell woven into the black crystal, that its method of activation was precisely as the oni had said, and that it held no danger beyond that. She fastened it around her neck and adjusted its placement, then turned to look at it in the mirror.
It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, to be honest. A gold necklace, carved with impossible intricacy, with a black onyx crystal as the centerpiece. She turned to and fro, admiring it from several angles, before a knock at the door stopped her explorations.
"Ranma?" Akane peered in the doorway, then threw a bundle at her. "Put these on."
Ranma held up the articles of clothing - a plain bra and panty. "Do I haveta?"
Akane nodded grimly. "We need to go clothes shopping, Ranma... Nabiki and my clothes don't exactly match our bodies, anymore, and yours..."
Ranma looked down, at the ill-fitting tank top and boxers she currently wore, and nodded. "Okay..."
***
Ranma always hated clothes shopping - especially as a girl. Society put up all of these barriers between the sexes, and clothing was a major one. Guys wore guys' clothing, girls wore girls' clothing, and never the twain shall meet.
Unless they encounter Jusenkyo, that is.
The eyes turned toward them as they walked toward the shopping district; most girls were either sick at home or sleeping at home, so their new looks were grabbing some unwanted attention. Many women-only boutiques were shut down; without a clientele or employees able to come in, there was no point staying open. Eventually, they found a larger department store with everything they needed, and started to shop.
Ranma really wasn't liking this. She was noticing the guys as they noticed her; what really bothered her about it all was the way she was seeing them. They... it was hard to describe. It was like she was viewing Akane and Nabiki as 'self' and the boys as 'other'. The strong arms, the sparkling eyes, that expanse of hard, flat chest, the other things she could see through her third eye... they called out to her.
Probably the worst part of it was the smell. She could taste their scents from this distance, smell their desire so obviously on the surface, and it was inviting to her. A mental picture flashed through her mind, of a demoness and a human entangling...
She didn't want to smell any more. It disturbed her, really disturbed her, how she was changing. She used to take a guilty pleasure in watching Akane walk in front of her, the subtle bump-and-grind as she moved her hips to and fro. Now... it held nothing for her. Even her scent smelled... boring.
Her fiancee wasn't attracting her like before.
"Ranma? Try this on."
Ranma was handed a set of black women's cut slacks, a billowing red blouse, and some shiny black heels - demonic haute couture. She did as asked, put them on, then walked out for their approval.
"Oh, Ranma, you look delicious!" Akane squealed, then gave her a hug. It felt... wrong to her, somehow. Part of her was stirred by it, but it felt off... she couldn't find a way to quantify it.
It really was over, Ranma thought. The changes done had wrecked the one thing she held most dear. She fought to keep the tears back, and forced a smile as Akane disengaged.
She noticed Nabiki staring back at her quizzically, even as Akane went on, oblivious. A few more sessions of playing dress-up occurred, followed by a more embarassing lecture on undergarments in the lingerie section, before the trio was ready to call it a day.
She squirmed uncomfortably in her new outfits as they walked home, wishing she didn't have to wear them or even shop for them. The panties felt too snug on her, the bra was just wrong, and the pants felt a little too tight for her liking. Thank goodness her flying abilities ruled out wearing a skirt. She didn't like the eyes on her as she walked/hovered her way home, she didn't like the concerned/desiring eyes of her fiancee in her direction - and she especially didn't like what all these scents were doing to her.
She just wanted to go home and forget everything that had happened. Everything had changed, and the last thing she wanted was to continue to play the game on a public stage.
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(Posted Sun, 01 Dec 2002 19:28)
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