Ranko woke up the next day, more… confused than anything. After a long lecture from Akane about how she couldn’t keep running away from all her problems, Akane had simply… climbed into bed with her. Ranko had expected to be relegated to the couch after all that, at the very least, but no. Akane even cuddled her!
Was this because she saw Ranko as a woman, now? Had the rules changed? Or was she just pitying poor Ranko who’d finally snapped and given up on his masculinity?
Ranko didn’t know. The smart thing would have been to just ask Akane about that. Ranko knew it, too - she wasn’t stupid. It was just… she wasn’t sure she could really bear to hear the answer. Whether Akane had swapped her behavior because of pity, or because she’d completely changed how she viewed Ranko… Ranko didn’t think there was a good answer to be had there.
So, instead of talking things through with her wife, she slipped out of bed and moved towards the closet to get dressed. There, she hesitated, though - did she go with the masculine clothes she usually preferred? Or should she actuall… put on a dress?
It wasn’t like it would be the first time she’d worn feminine clothing, of course! Not even close. It was just that doing it to get something, or because her wife had forced her into it, was different than simply wearing it because… because she was a girl, and that’s what girls did.
But she was a girl, wasn’t she? She’d given up her masculinity herself. Decided it wasn’t worth chasing anymore… so maybe there wasn’t anything wrong with it? Maybe… maybe it might even be fun, to wear a skirt. Something that went spinny when she turned.
With that in mind, Ranko pulled out a pink number she’d once used to mess with Ryoga, back when he’d still been obsessed with Akane. Smirking a little at the memory, she slipped on the clothes and turned back towards the door, only to pause when she saw Akane sitting up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
“Going somewhere?” Akane asked, sleepily
“Uh… Yeah,” Ranko said, awkwardly, rubbing at the back of her head. “I thought I’d get out of your hair for a bit, and… think things through, I guess? Maybe go talk to Konatsu?”
“Konatsu…” Akane’s brow furrowed. “Wait a minute… she was with you when Kodachi attacked, wasn’t she? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” Ranko assured her. “I mean, yeah, she got splashed by some of the spring water, but it’s not like she minded it or anything.”
“I suppose she wouldn’t,” Akane agreed, smiling a little.
“But uh… it’s still something of an adjustment!” Ranko added, remembering that this was her excuse for sneaking out. Or trying to sneak out, anyway. “It’s the sorta thing only another former guy can understand, you know?”
“I”m pretty sure Konatsu’s a girl,” Akane pointed out.
“Right… Same as me! All the more reason for us to go talk, don’t you think?”
“Ranklo… if you want to go talk to your friend for a while, you don’t need an excuse… just be sure to let me know whether you’ll be coming home for dinner or not.”
“R-right,” Ranko replied, rubbing the back of her head nervously. Right. Open communication was what Akane wanted with her… it had never been her strong suit, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try? “Well, I’m going to go sneak off so that I don’t have to think about my gender issues or what it means for our relationship!”
Akane didn’t respond, at first. Other than to tighten her fists, that is.
“Crap...Too honest?”’
“Just… go have fun with your friend, Ranko.”
“But…”
“Go!” Akane roared.
“Y-yes ma’am!” Ranko squeaked out, rushing out the door before Akane could follow up with her first.
“Honestly, that girl…” Akane muttered, shaking her head with a sigh. Maybe it was best to let Ranko think things out in her own way for a bit, but… did she have to be so blatant about not even wanting to try?
***
“Yo! Konatsu!” Ranko called out, pushing open the doors of Ukyo’s shop.
The shopkeep herself shot Ranko an unamused look - though it only lasted for a moment before she got back to flipping okonomiyaki. “Buy something or get out, Ranma!”
“It’s, ah…. Ranko now, actually,” Ranko muttered, tucking a strand of red hair self-consciously behind her ears. “And I was sorta hoping to talk to Konatsu?”
“She’s busy,” Ukyo replied, flipping an okonomiyaki into the air where it was immediately caught as Konatsu seemingly flashed into existence, running so fast even Ranko could hardly catch her movements as she plated the dish.
“Table 5,” Ukyo said, by way of instructions, and Konatsu nodded, heading off at a much more sedate pace.
“Yo, Konatsu!” Ranko called out, hurrying over to the woman - the other woman, she reminded herself. “How are you holding up since the whole spring water incident?”
“It’s just perfect!” Konatsu replied, flashing Ranko a smile. “Now I just need to find a way to make it permanent…”
“What? You thinking of going to China for the springs?” Ranko asked. “Because unless you’ve got as much money to burn as the Kunos, that’s a pretty expensive trip.”
“No, somewhere closer,” Konatsu said, shaking her head. “I heard a legend of a local shrine whose shrine maidens studied the art of locking curses… Unfortunately, they weren’t very popular - especially as they had no way of reversing the process… Eventually, they were forced to close down by angry past-visitors…”
“Well, what did they expect, running a scam like that?” Ranko asked, shaking her head. “But if the place is shut down, what’s the point in going to it?”
“Well, there might be some clues as to how they locked curses there,” Konatsu explained. “Plus, I’ve heard strange noises have been heard from inside it - wails and moans, mostly.”
“Oi, doesn’t that just sound haunted?” Ranko protested.
“It’s said that one of the shrine maidens was killed by an angry visitor of the shrine, who’d gotten cursed to throw axes at anyone he didn’t like… “
“Is that really a curse!?” Ukyo called out from across the room.
“Sounds more like an excuse to me,” Ranko agreed.
“Well, either way, it’s said that her spirit still roams the place, threatening a new curse upon any she comes across…”
“And you’re hoping to find something there?” Ranko asked.
“Crazy, right?” Ukyo called out, this time making her way over to the talking duo, carrying a plated okonomiyaki.
“Want company?” Ranko asked. “I mean, I am sorta responsible for getting you cursed in the first place…”
“WIth a curse I wanted,” Konatsu pointed out.
“Are you sure you’re not just trying to weasel your way out of more heart to heart conversations with Akane?” Ukyo asked, pulling the plate away as Ranko reached for it. “Five hundred.”
“Tsk… Do I look like I’ve got pockets in this getup?” Ranko asked, gesturing to her pink dress.
“You might need to consider getting a purse,” Ukyo remarked, walking away.
“Purse shopping…?” Ranko murmured, unsure whether to be horrified or excited at the idea - or maybe horrified that she’d even consider feeling excited… “No way. Not until after we get your curse sorted, anyway! Come on, Konatsu, lead the way to that shrine!”
“But I’m still at work!”
“Take her!” Ukyo called. “But I’m not paying her for the hours she isn’t working, so be quick about it!”
“Cheapskate…” Ranko grumbled, pulling the still protesting Konatsu along.
***
“So this is the place you meant?” Ranko asked, examining the shrine they were at. The tori gate stood proud, still, but the shrine itself looked dingy and dirty and the attached building looked so old Ranko half expected it to fall apart at any moment. Despite that, there was a pink sticky note attached to the door. “Closed ‘til nightfall… I thought you said this place shut down?”
“Maybe it means the ghost only comes out at night?” Konatsu suggested.
“Who the hell would wanna advertise that?” Ranko countered, before shaking her head. “Whatever. Whether it’s the employees of the ghost, it’s in our best interest for this place to be empty, right?” Saying so, Ranko shifted her stance, preparing to kick the door down.
“Wait!” Konatsu tried to protest.
“Hiya!” Ranko cried out, oblivious to Konatus’s protest. Her foot struck against the door - and practically bounced off it.
“You’re weaker in your form, aren’t you?” Konatsu pointed out.
“Not that weak!” Ranko protested. “There’s something up with that door…”
“All the more reason not to mess with it,” Konatsu replied. “Besides, just because they aren’t open doesn’t mean nobody’s home.” Saying so, she walked up to the door and rapped on it with her knuckles.
“You can’t seriously expect that to…” The words died on Ranko’s tongue as the door slid sideways to reveal an opening.
There was nobody on the other side.
“...So much for the haunting only happening at night,” Ranko muttered, making her way inside. It was dusty within, the space clearly uncared for. Even worse, there was no light, beyond what filtered in through the mostly closed window shutters.
“Maybe running into the ghost wouldn’t be so bad?” Konatsu said. “I mean, she might know how to seal curses…”
“Or she might hit us with a totally new one,” Ranko replied. “You’re the one who told me about that bit, remember?”
The door slid shut behind the two before Konatsu could reply, causing Konatsu to jump in surprise even as Ranko spun towards the door and tried to open it.
“Tsk. Won’t budge,” she muttered after a second of trying. “Guess we’re stuck here…”
“For how long?” Konatsu asked, obviously worried. “Mistress Ukyo probably expects me to come back as soon as we’re done…”
“That’s what you’re worried about?” Ranko asked, flabbergasted.
“‘I don’t want to inconvenience her!”
“That’s…” Ranko shook her head. “Are you two even in a relationship?”
“Of course we are!” Konatsu firmly replied. “An employee-boss relationship! Mistress will expect me to help with closing, in particular, so we should try to finish this as quickly as we can!”
“Oh, I’m afraid you won’t be going making it back for closing,” a new voice answered. It sounded feminine.
“Who’s there?!” Ranko demanded, at the same time as Konatsu asked, “Why’s that?”
“Well, the sign was pretty clear, wasn’t it?” the voice replied. “We don’t open until nightfall! So you better tuck yourself in and make yourself comfortable. Because you aren’t going anywhere until I’m good and ready to deal with you.”
“And if we refuse?” Ranko demanded, glaring at… well, nothing, really. It was just a voice, after all.
“Should you really be threatening me, girl?” the voice asked. “Even though I’m already playing nice - letting you in early, and everything!”
“Is that supposed to be some sorta favor?” Ranko demanded. “You trapped us here!”
“You would have kicked down my door if I didn’t!”
“Um… If I promise not to kick your door, can I go?” Konatsu asked. “I really don’t want Mistrerss Ukyo to worry…”
“You…” Ranko growled. “I’m only here as a favor to you in the first place, remember!?”
“I’m pretty sure you’re mostly just using me to dodge Akane,” Konatsu replied.
“Enough!” the voice interrupted, as - with a flash of light - a semi-transparent woman in a miko outfit appeared, floating in the air between the two with both her hands held out in a “stop” sign. “I thought it would be fun to have company until nightfall, but you two are a nightmare! If I open the door, will you just get out of my hair?”
“Of course!” Konatsu replied. “Assuming I can come back another time?”
“Hold it, now!” Ranko protested. “We didn’t come all the way out here just to not get your curse sealed!”
“You want your curse sealed?” the ghostly woman asked, frowning. “You do know sealed means keeping it on, right? Not turning it off?”
“Of course!” Konatsu replied. “I love being a woman!”
“…Well that’s a new one,” the ghost muttered. “I don’t think I ever once treated someone who actually wanted their curse… Most people came to me thinking I that ‘sealing’ the curse meant depowering it - except for a few crazies that wanted me to help perma-curse their rivals, anyway…”
“And you sealed all their curses anyway?” Ranko asked.
“Hey, I never said I was nice! …Speaking of which, how do you intend to pay for that curse being sealed, huh?”
“I have money!” Konatsu replied, digging into a pocket. “It’s all my savings - five hundred yen!”
“…Just how little is Ukyo paying you!?” Ranko demanded.
“Lucky for you, it’s not money I’m after!” the ghost replied. “You see, now that I’m a vengeful spirit, I’ve learned a trick or two… which is why, if you want your curse sealed, you’re going to have to take on a whole new one, too!”
~~~
Author's Notes
Yup, I finally finished part 7! Now to do some more My Own Villainess... (Maybe. We'll see. I'm actually really tired from an all nighter right now, so I'm not quite ready to jump into writing...)