It's not done yet-- but since part 11 is taking so bloody long I'm posting a 
teaser (sort of) to the list.  So, what'cha think?  

kenko


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	Girl Days

	A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction

	by Robert Haynie

	(And the crowd rejoiced at the disclaimer space.)

	Part Eleven:  Party!

	####

	There were aspects to Ranma Saotome's life that could be
considered unusual.

	He turned into a girl with cold water, he had at least three
fiancees, he was regularly attacked by superpowered martial artists,
his father turned into a panda, he was the only known master of the
Neko-ken, and at the moment was wearing a dress.  That he-- or rather
she-- had bought for herself.

	Okay, damn near EVERY aspect to Ranma's life was unusual.

	For example, Ranma and Akane were arguing.

	This in itself wasn't unusual.  The subject matter, however, was.

	"Akane, I don't care how much better you're getting in the Art,
you won't look right in my leathers, and that's not just because they
won't fit you!"

	"Well, if YOU can dress like a tough girl, I can too!  So I'll
just get some of my own!  Daddy, will you STOP that?"

	Soun was-- predictably-- bawling his eyes out.  "WAHHHHHHH!  My
little girl wants to be her husband!"

	"I do NOT!  I just want to prove to Miss Macho here that I can be
as tough as she can!"

	Ranma sighed.  "Look, I just don't think it's your style.
You're, well, more feminine than I am by nature," she said, resisting
the urge to add, (Not by very damn much, though!)  "You should wear,
if challenged, something more, well, you."

	"Like what?" Akane growled.

	"Well... actually... I kinda thought about that already.  So, I
got you something..."

	"You... you did?"

	"Well, yeah.  I mean, you're my student, and that means you're
going to be challenged eventually, and well, I don't want my student
looking bad, right?  So I just got you something..."

	"Ran-- I mean, Sensei, that's... an honor."  She'd wanted to call
it sweet.  Or nice.  But at the moment, she realized that that might
not be the best thing to say.

	"It's nothing.  Well, not nothing, but... aw, it's in my room.
Come on, let's see how it looks on you."

	The two went upstairs.  Soun started to calm down-- a bit--
reducing the usual floodgates to a mere trickle.

	Kasumi came in, carrying a tea set and cookies.  She'd heard the
discussion and suspected that they might be needed.

	And as Akane came down practically glowing-- she gasped.  "Akane,
is... is that proper?"

	"Sensei says it works on me," Akane retorted.

	And it did.  Akane was wearing a sort of severely modified
version of one of Ranma's Chinese outfits.  A yellow cheongsam-like
tunic-- fitting just as closely but slit up both sides, and only
reaching to the knee-- without sleeves over a pair of black tights.
The red sash at the waist added just the right accent.  Of course, a
normal cheongsam doesn't have a v-neck that exposed a, well,
distracting amount of cleavage.  Add to that a pair of Ranma's
bracers and a yellow sash around her head and Akane was, quite
frankly, looking both more dangerous and more sexy than she'd ever
had.

	Ranma followed, in her leathers.  "Ready to test the uniform,
student?  Well, maybe after a cup of tea first."

	"Hai, Sensei!  Do I really look good?"

	"I can say you've never looked better, Akane.  In... in more than
one way."  Ranma had expected the outfit to be effective, but even
she hadn't expected it to be as effective as it was.  Female she
might be at the moment, but it was a definite male eye that was
appraising the girl.

	(Okay.  NOW she's sexy...) she thought.  

	After tea and a short rest to allow Akane to get used to the
rather close fit of her new uniform, the two repaired to the dojo
proper to do some light sparring.  Nothing like the heavy training
that Ranma had been giving Akane recently-- well, Akane thought of it
as heavy, although she knew well that Ranma was holding back-- but
more like airborne kata.

	"Ack."

	The two stopped to see Ryoga staring in a now familiar fashion.
Ryoga hadn't been at the fight that had introduced the ward to
Ranma's leathers, and since Akane had never worn her new uniform
until today, he certainly hadn't seen that either.  Akane looked like
a somewhat modest Mai Shiranui from the Fatal Fury videos, and Ranma
looked like-- well, Ranma in skimpy and tight black leather.

	The results were a nosebleed.  For once, Ryoga didn't pass out,
although there's no telling what would have happened if they had been
sparring in bikinis.

	"A--Akane.  What are you doing in Chicago?"

	"CHICAGO?!?" blurted Ranma.  "This is NERIMA!  How can you get
the idea you're in CHICAGO?"

	"I'm not?"  Ryoga said with some disappointment.  "Darn.  That's
where I was headed.  They have the greatest hot dogs in Chicago."

	"How would you get there, anyhow?" asked Akane.

	"Walking."

	"How can ANYONE walk to Chicago?" demanded Ranma, unbelieving.

	"Well, I've done it before.  It's just outside of Osaka, after
all... isn't it?"

	"I do not believe you," said Ranma, shaking her head.  Akane,
dumfounded, just gazed.  And went to check the family atlas on the
off chance that there was a Chicago outside of Osaka.

	Oddly enough, there was.  The mystery would continue...

	####

	Somehow it didn't seem to be a shock that Kasumi knew how to make
a Chicago style hot dog, had the materials to do so, and was able to
whip a couple up for the half-starved Lost Boy in less than fifteen
minutes.  It should have been, but it wasn't.

	Ryoga ate slowly, looking at Akane.  Mainly because he couldn't
bring himself to look at Ranma.  Every time he thought he'd gotten
used to the training that the redhead had been undergoing, something
like this would happen.  It wasn't good for his nerves.  Or, for that
matter, his blood pressure.

	Then again, the snug and revealing outfit Akane had on wasn't
helping a lot either.  Ryoga began to take an intense interest in the
caraway seeds that were mixed into the sauerkraut on his hot dog.

	"Ah... why are you guys dressed like that anyhow?"  he inquired.

	"Fighting uniforms.  They're meant to distract the opponents,"
Ranma replied.

	Ryoga thought about that.  His nose began to ache.  "I... I'd say
they'll work."

	"Thank you, Ryoga," said Akane, feeling really flattered.  She
sat up a bit straighter, which caused the tunic to tighten a little
bit, and Ryoga to almost choke on his hot dog.

	(Ranma couldn't have planned this to embarrass me.  Could she?)
He looked suspiciously at the girl in question, and almost choked
again.  Ranma had chosen that moment to stretch-- arms above the
head, back arched, head back-- innocently, of course.  She had just
come from sparring, after all.

	Ranma didn't know that that was also one of the classic
sexy-as-hell poses that swimwear and lingerie models had been using
for years.

	Ryoga urked.  It might not have been intentional, but it was
disturbing.  Also inflammatory.  "Will you STOP that?"

	"Stop what?" asked Ranma, in genuine confusion.

	"Stop LOOKING like that!"

	"I can't help how I look!"

	"You're doing it just to bother me!"

	"Doing WHAT?"

	"Ryoga, what are you talking about?" asked a confused Akane.  She
couldn't see anything that Ranma had been doing this time.  "She
hasn't teased you or called you P-chan or anything."

	"You feeling all right, buddy?" asked Ranma.  She was wondering
if the lost boy had finally flipped.

	"I'm going to feel fine when you stop doing that!"

	"Doing WHAT?"

	"THAT!"

	"I am not going to continue a loony argument like this," Ranma
sniffed.  She stood up, bent over to get her teacup, and accidentally
shot Ryoga a very good look at her cleavage.  (Honest, it was an
accident!)

	Ryoga angry glare suddenly glazed over.  Then he slowly toppled
over.

	"What's wrong with Ryoga?" asked Akane in sudden concern.

	"I have NO idea, I never could figure him out, and I'm NOT about
to try," retorted a miffed and confused Ranma.  She went upstairs to
change into something more normal while Akane tried to see Ryoga had
a fever.  He didn't, but he did have another nosebleed...

	####

	"So, you have your costume for Saturday?"  asked Ranma on the way
to school.

	"Hai.  And I'm really pleased with it too... I put a lot of work
into it.  How about you?"

	"Well, mine wasn't really that hard to make... but yeah, I got it
ready.  Looks to be pretty decent."  Ranma tossed her head, to get a
few strands of hair out of her face.  It was a breezy day.  "The hard
part was finding the accessories."

	"Oh?  What are you going as?"

	"That's a secret.  You?"

	Akane smirked.  "The same.  You'll see Saturday night."

	"Hmm... well, we're about there-- down from the fence, rapid dash
to the locker room, and to class on my mark-- now!"

	One useful thing about the walk to school early on the fence
while wearing bloomers underneath the uniforms to get to the gym on
time was that there was less Kuno trouble.  Today was an exception.
The true heir to the art of being a near total idiot was waiting that
morning.  With a novel new approach.

	"Fairest of women, oft have I granted you both roses as tokens of
my regard.  Oft have you refused them, nay, even scorned them.  But
at last have I, Tatewake Kuno, finally understood the reasons for
your rejections of my tokens of affection."

	"You figured out that we both consider you an incredibly annoying
twerp?" sneered Ranma.

	"Nay, for that is impossible."

	"For once, he's right.  He'll NEVER figure it out," noted Akane.

	"It is obvious that my error was in choice of flora.  Doubtless
you desire other, more exotic blooms!  Sasuke-- the blossoms for the
blossoms of my heart!"

	"Huh?" chorused the two.

	And then they found themselves swamped by bouquets of lilies,
pansies, daffodils, orchids, daisies, forget-me-nots, honeysuckles,
chrysanthemums, and even a few wildflowers.  Ranma and Akane found
themselves looking very much as though someone had grabbed a
florist's shop-- the whole thing-- and shaken it over their heads.

	For a moment there was no movement from beneath the mound of
flowers.  Then a red-maned head poked it's way out from between some
ladies-breath and some foxgloves.  "Kuno.  No.  Baka."

	And one supposes that we all know what goes here.

	####

	"I really really HATE that moron," fumed Ranma carrying her
traditional buckets.  "Making us late with a stunt like that..."

	"Oooh, you and me both," added Akane, also holding the hated
instruments of punishment.

	"Shampoo want know if she can borrow stupid stick boy when is
time for Ranma to pummel him after school?" asked the Amazon
schoolgirl.  Who was also in the hall, bucket wielding, for the sin
of tardiness.

	"Why?" wondered Ranma.  

	"Shampoo wake up late but would have been on time.  Stick boy
leave mountain of flowers on path, Shampoo's bicycle no slow down in
time.  Crash because of stupid flowers."

	"I oughtta sell the jerk to the Amazons as kitchen help," growled
Ranma.

	"Ranma take lessons from mercenary girl?" smiled Shampoo.

	"Huh?  What'cha mean?"

	"Ranma get paid selling stick-boy.  Then Ranma get paid again,
take stick-boy back."

	Ranma and Akane both chuckled at the thought.

	"What I don't understand is why Kuno isn't out here with buckets
too.  HE was late also," sighed Akane.

	"Look out the window."

	Akane followed Ranma's direction-- and giggled to see Kuno with a
rake and broom cleaning up vast quantities of flowers.  "Guess that's
fair enough."

	####

	Lunchtime arrived.  As the now usual gang began to open bentos
(with the exception of the one grilling), Ranma arrived, glowering.

	"Enzo again?" asked Sayuri.

	"You know it.  Damn, Kuno may be a jerk, but at least he tries in
some way to be romantic.  Enzo just... Arrgh."

	"What did he do this time?"

	"The usual.  THIS time it included a love hotel, seventeen
gallons of mayonnaise, and a walrus.  Oh, and he wanted me to wear
Mickey Mouse ears.  The code won't let me really hurt him... but I'm
not sure he's going to survive."

	Akane gasped.  "Ranma, you didn't--"

	"Naw, of course not.  But guess who overheard his proposition?"

	"Who?" asked more than a few Helpers.

	Then they saw a terrified Enzo fleeing from a screaming Kuno.

	"You know, for giving me a break from pounding him, I'd almost go
on a date with the moron.  Well, maybe I'll let him buy me a cup of
tea."  Ranma thought.  "Naw."

	"Enzo hit on Shampoo also.  What chocolate sauce and iguana skin
boots have to do with dating?"

	As Yuka and Sayuri explained Enzo, the high school's biggest
pervert, to Shampoo, Ranma began to eat.  Anger or no anger, food was
food.

	Shampoo listened for a moment, uncomprehending, and then suddenly
flushed a brilliant red.  "Shampoo skip lunch, go ahead eat hers.
HEY, STICK-BOY!  SHAMPOO HELP!"

	"I guess I'll be nice and not pummel him after school after all,
just dodge him.  That's enough of a thank you... hey, good ramen."

	As the Amazon joined in the chase after the terrified Enzo, Ranma
snickered.  And then ate.  Lunchtime as usual, really, at Furinkan.

	####

	"So, you guys have costumes ready for the party Saturday?" asked
Ranma after class.

	"Yup.  And mine's going to knock your socks off, Ranchan,"
replied Ukyo.  "I put a lot of work into it."

	"Shampoo have good costume too.  Bet no-one expect it."

	"Well, we'll see when we get to the party.  And I'm really proud
of mine," said Akane.

	Ranma just smirked.  Hers wasn't a slouch by any means...

	####

	"Bwee."

	P-chan was not happy.  As Ryoga, he'd planned to go to the party
if he could find a costume.

	Cold water wasn't what he'd intended for a costume.

	Akane came by, grinning.  Her costume was perfect-- and Ranma
would have to admit that.  Then she saw-- well, guess what happened
next?

	"Oh, P-chan, THERE you are.  I wish I could take you to the party
tonight... Hmm... P-chan, would you like to help me with my costume?"

	The little pig nodded.  Although at the moment he couldn't see
HOW he could.

	In a few minutes, he did.  To his eternal mortification.

	After a while, Akane came out, and displayed herself to Ranma.
Who began to freak out.

	"c-c-c-c-c--"

	"No, it's P-chan!  Look-- see?  Not a cat!  P-chan!"

	Ranma peered, and relaxed.  "You-- you're right.  Not a c-cat, a
pig.  A... hey, you know that that character is a female, right?"
She began to snicker.

	"Well, yes, of course.  What's your point, Ranma?"

	"Well, only that that's probably the first crossdressing pig in
history."

	P-chan would have groaned.  Or attacked.  Or something.  But
being in costume and held by Akane, all he could do was attempt a
piggy version of a meow.

	"Bweeow."

	It didn't QUITE work...
	
	####

	The Kuno Mansion.  A hive of lunacy and insanity unlike any other
place in Nerima... well, actually, most places in Nerima were hives
of lunacy and insanity, but the Kuno mansion was a very NICE hive of
lunacy and insanity.  Being rich had it's moments.

	They were greeted by Sasuke, who was the only member of the staff
that anyone ever actually saw.  The entire staff at the Kuno estate
were ninja, and had this fetish about not being seen.  In fact, even
Sasuke hadn't seen the chief chef in six years, and no-one was quite
certain who changed the bedclothes any more... it just sort of seemed
to get done.

	Ranma had been there a few times, but rarely of her own free
will.  Only a sizable amount of cash and a much desired CD were
bringing her here tonight.  Both she and Akane were wearing cloaks to
hide their costumes.

	And as they entered the hall, and doffed said cloaks, there were
more than a few appreciative murmurs.

	Akane had a damn near perfect Sailor Mercury outfit.  Boots,
tiara, short as heck fuku and all.  And as she had noted, yes, her
legs WERE good ones.  It only helped that P-chan was wearing a faux
cat's tail, small extensions on his ears, fake whiskers, and a white
crescent moon on his forehead.

	Yes, it was true, Ranma was right-- P-chan was technically
crossdressing.  Instead of a boy pig, he was representing the role of
Luna-- a female cat.  The only jarring note was the bandanna (with
the small combat cocktail umbrella hidden within) that Akane had not
been able to remove.  Well, she'd been able to remove twenty-six of
them before she gave up.

	Ranma, on the other hand, was a near dead ringer for the video
game heroine Lara Croft.  Khaki shorts over a blue leotard, hiking
boots and a backpack, and even a toy automatic rifle and paired
waterpistols.  She'd even gone back to her familiar pigtail for the
role. 

	"Wonder what the others are planning?"

	"We'll see... hey is THAT Kuno?  NOT what I'd expected," Ranma
replied.

	Kuno, she'd thought, would be on his usual Samurai kick.  He
nearly always was.  But not this time.

	Instead, the familiar Stetson hat, battered leather jacket,
bullwhip-- 

	"I have to admit," Ranma whispered, "Kuno makes a pretty good
Indiana Jones."

	"Lara Croft and Indiana Jones-- maybe you ARE a couple after
all?"  giggled Akane.

	"Do not even THINK of going there."

	Nabiki chose that moment to arrive.  She'd given long and hard
thought to her outfit.  She had decided to wear something that no-one
would ever expect her to wear and that would attract the eyes of the
businessmen she hoped to make contact with.

	And what would attract businessmen more than the classic Playboy
Bunny?  Nabiki KNEW that she had the build for it, and wasn't afraid
to demonstrate the fact.  Besides, much teasing potential was
inherent in the skimpy bodysuit and ears.  

	Shame?  What was this shame thing?  Besides, the outfit was
cheap.

	"Hey, Ranchan-- what do you think?"

	Ranma blinked.  Ukyo was not usually given to feminine garments.
This was feminine-- but also had nearly as much attitude as Ranma
favored.

	Leather skirt and bodice.  Boots and armor.  One unexpected
combination.

	Ukyo, Warrior Princess.  SOME people should not be allowed to
watch Xena... but on Ukyo it looked good.  Ranma began to chuckle.

	"Not bad, Ucchan... not bad at all.  Although doesn't Xena carry
a sword instead of a spatula?"

	"Hey, a girl's gotta go with her own nature.  I wonder what-- I
do NOT believe this."

	That statement was prompted by Shampoo's entrance.  Most people
had expected the Amazon to wear something very very revealing-- she
usually did, after all.

	Instead, she was dressed in a very demure outfit.  Long robes,
complex trim, a new hairstyle--

	"Do they have Amazons on Jurai?" quipped Ranma.

	For Shampoo, who had decided that since Ranma wasn't responding
to her usual "be sexy as all hell" routine, had decided to be
ladylike.  And who is more ladylike while still being a warrior than
Ayeka from Tenchi Muyo?

	She bowed, carefully, and replied, "Shampoo not know, Lord Ranma,
but should have."

	"Isn't that Lady Ranma right now?" smiled Akane.

	"Whatever," replied Shampoo.  "Ranma like costume?"

	"Well... it's certainly a different look for you..."

	"Shampoo thank."

	"Got to admit, Ranchan, we're all kind of dressed in opposite
ways."

	"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

	"Except her," sneered Akane.

	Kodachi had made her entrance.  And her costume-- what there was
of it-- was impressive.  Tiny.  Black.  Skulls.  Bikini.  Impractical
as all hell.

	"Well, she's at least got the laugh right," mused Ranma as
Kodachi descended the stairs in the classic Naga the White Serpent
outfit from the Slayers movies.

	"And most of the attitude, and the lunacy, and the ego..." added
Akane.
	
	"Bweeow," commented P-chan.

	Ukyo raised an eyebrow.  "You got a smart pet there, Akane-chan--
I think it's actually trying to mew."

	"P-chan's a very very smart piggy, aren't you, P-chan?"

	"For a pig, yeah," muttered Ranma.

	"Shampoo not know crazy girl's outfit?"

	"Slayers.  Pretty decent show."

	"Not look decent to Shampoo.  Look indecent."

	Giggles rippled through the group.  Oh, and a snickering "Bwee."

	Others arrived.  Some more outrageous than others.  Oh, there
were the usual cowboys, singers, and the like-- but there were also
the more imaginative.

	Yuka and Sayuri had decided that if Ranma could be daring, they
could-- if only for a costume party where it could be excused.  They
made, with wigs to help, a fairly decent classic Dirty Pair.

	Hiroshi and Daisuke, who would be the first to admit they knew
squat about any real martial arts, nevertheless decided to also
attend in matching costumes-- as Ryu and Ken from the Street Fighter
videogames/anime.