Another chance - Ranna and Kappei

[Nan-Yo]

The three girls just gave Ranna a confused look, not sure what she meant when she mentioned Reiko's other ideas. Ranna had been doing rhythmic gymnastics before she joined the academy, so it was only natural that her sister would invite her to join so that she could help and protect her.

"Ah, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself." Madeline said, being the first to break the awkward pause. "I'm Madeline Alaire. If you need any advice on clothes, I'm your gal."

Ranna had almost met all the members by now, and all of them were really nice girls. The girls in Ranna's class had, of course, also been very nice to her, but in their case they seemed to have started seeing her as something of a class idol.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna did not really expect anyone in that room, other than Reiko herself, to have any idea what she was talking about.  Reiko may have talked about her, even explained the curse in her own biased way, but that was naturally a subject that would not have come up.  Maybe she would explain more to some of them later, depending on how things went.  But she was not going to dwell on it now.  “Never mind that for now.   Just thinking out loud about something the two of us don’t agree on.”

Of course there was still the question of her ‘welcoming party’ though the girls most excited about that seemed to have either been distracted or dragged off.  Reiko seemed to be staying out of it as well, leaving the current state of those plans unclear.  “As for clothes, I’ll keep that in mind, though I expect to need much help there soon.”  She was not expecting to be in a situation of needing more soon, or needing any sort of fashion advice regarding what she did have.  She tried to avoid situations that required dressing up beyond her uniform.

[Nan-Yo]

Madeline shook her head. Ranna was just a child, so her ignorance could be excused, but as her senior, she worried about the girl's lack of enthusiasm.

"That won't do, Ranna. You have to be enthusiastic about what you wear! It reflects who you are as a person." Madeline gave the fourteen-year-old a worried look. "Haven't you ever heard the expression, wear your heart on your sleeve?"

Sandy, noticing that Madeline was putting too much pressure on the little girl, decided to try to assure her that there was no real hurry. "Don't worry too much about it. There are still two days until we can have an official welcome party for you. That's plenty enough time to find something you want to wear."

Edited July 29, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Well yes, that was the problem wasn’t it?  Reflecting who Ranna was as a person.  In that sense her clothes probably did suit her, or at least close to it.  “For now, let’s just say that was part of the disagreement I was talking about.  I have never explored fashion all that deeply.”  If Madeline or one of the other girls tried to drag her along to that sort of thing, she would not be excited about it, but she probably do it at least once out team spirit/to be friendly.  With a girl like that, she was unsure if her admission was going to be taken as an ‘emergency’ that needed attention or not.

[Nan-Yo]

All three girls looked at Ranna with pity. The way she had spoken about it had such a matter-of-fact finality to it, as if not having an interest in your own appearance or what you wore was normal. Sandy couldn't hold it in any more as she suddenly enveloped Ranna in a warm hug.

"Don't worry, Ranna. Things are going to be okay." She said, tears threatening to burst forward. Madeline looked a bit conflicted, not having understood the full scope of Ranna's problem before now.

"Just wear something that makes you happy." She said, realizing for the first time that maybe she had made the young girl feel uncomfortable. They could help her and go shopping with her, but if they did that, then they would just be forcing their own ideas onto her.

Meanwhile, as Ranna was being hugged, the four remaining members had finally arrived.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna was just confused by that reaction, granted these girls did not really understand the situation and what she was talking about, but she still did not think she had said anything that prompted that reaction.  She did not think she had looked or sounded all that upset.  As far as she concerned, this was at least partially one those things that came from only looking like a girl as far as she was concerned.  “Mmm thanks…” she responded more of confusion than anything.  “…But I’m okay, really.”  Just being hugged by someone she had only just met was part of the strangeness.  She look towards Reiko, still off to the side, but could not really tell what her sister thought about this or where it might go.

Reiko’s intention was still not to get involved unless something strange happened.  That response had been just a little surprising, but she could not complain.  What Ranna really needed was one more real friends here, someone she could relax around and trust.  She was convinced that would help a lot for her relaxing around Kappei too.  It would just be easier to start with girls, the trouble Ranna had with Kappei would be similar with almost any boy, even if Kappei was much less likely to cause trouble than others.

[Nan-Yo]

"...So that is basically what we decided on." Andrea finished, having told the four last members about their planned welcome party. Despite being such a large school, counting Ranna, they had only recruited two new members this term.

But that was how it was. They only recruited around two or three girls every year, keeping the club a close-knit circle of friends that all had some issues with the so-called culture of free love that was promoted by the Academy.

Sofia and Emma nodded in agreement, but Gabriella still looked a bit skeptical. She liked big spectacles and wasn't really a fan of low-key parties. In the end, more people than not were already onboard with the idea, so it was pretty much set in stone already. All they needed was Reiko's approval now.

Combing her hair over her shoulder, Kara left the gaggle of girls and headed towards Ranna. Having nothing more to add to the conversation herself, she decided to introduce herself to her junior.

"My name is Kara Spades." She said in a rather reserved voice. While Clara Davis might have looked anti-social, Kara sounded the part. "So you are Reiko's little brother?"

Edited January 29 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna was still unsure what to expect after her previous conversation.  Whether she was expected to dress up, and if so, if any of the girls were intending to take her clothes shopping.  She supposed she would wait and see.  But first she had to meet the other new girl.  She was not sure what to make this one.  Not hostile, but not seeming especially friendly either.

There was a surprise though.  Did she hear that right at the end?  Was someone finally seeing things her way?  "Yeah, brother."  She quietly replied.  "I understand you all have some idea what happened from Reiko.  This body is completely a girl's body.  But I basically have two bodies now, and I was not born into this one."  She was not sure what this girl thought about her, but it was just a relief someone finally understood she only looked like a girl at the moment.

Edited August 7, 2022 by SataiRolePlayingGuy

[Nan-Yo]

Kara gave Ranna what some might have construed as a disinterested look. Whether her expression matched what she thought, however, was left unanswered as the appearance of the remaining members of the club put a halt to the conversation.

"I'm Gabriella Rivera, and these two are Sofia and Emma." A tanned girl with a strong gaze said, presenting herself and the two girls that arrived with her. A rather skilled tennis player, Gabriella had never joined the ranks of the other tennis players at the school and had joined the rhythmic gymnastics club instead. The reason behind this was that she had become infatuated with Reiko at first sight. While they never became lovers, Gabriella had stayed a member of the club and continued to support the other girl.

"Emma Cooper." The blonde said, resting an arm around the brown-haired girl next to her. "And this cutie is my girlfriend Sofia."

"Sofia Campbell." The shorter girl confirmed in a shy voice, introducing herself. Sofia was a strong-willed girl, but she was remarkably meek around her girlfriend. In comparison, Emma herself only ever put on an act of bravado when she was around Sofia. You'd imagine that the two lesbians would have been better off joining the Rose Knights, but in the end, the two of them simply hadn't been able to accept the general attitude that prevailed in the other club.

Edited January 29 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna had been curious what Kara would have said if they were not interrupted.  What, if anything, someone who understood who she was thought about her?  She had been quiet in her response out of some consideration for the others.  She was not sure what they would think if she started insisting she was a boy, on a girls' team, and one where at least most of them seemed to have varying issues with sex.  She could maybe talk to some of them about it one on one later, but this was not the time or place.

 

Now, she had to focus on the next group.  A pair of proper girlfriends?  She considered herself both similar yet different to them.  Maybe it would be interesting to talk to them later, it did make her a little more conscious about the idea of claiming to be a lesbian.  Something basically a half truth, and only due sometimes having this body.  "Ah, that's sort of special here, isn't it?  Two people in a proper relationship."  Ranna was just trying to make friendly conversation here, still a little out of her element, with so many people introducing themselves to her as the focus of the event.

Edited March 31 by SataiRolePlayingGuy

[Nan-Yo]

Sandy was giving Ranna another sad look, and the lesbian couple looked a bit surprised. The one that replied to her was Gabriella, though.

"Don't worry too much about that kid." She gave Ranna a confident grin. "School isn't a place to find love, it is a place to find yourself and learn new things."

The two lesbians nodded in unison, oddly synchronized. Clara, the girl with the naturally mean-looking eyes, further elaborated on what Gabriella had said. "The first thing you need to learn is to grab what you want and take it."

Sandy hugged Ranna from behind, her large boobs pressing up against the younger girl's head again. "We will support you, Ranna!"

Meanwhile, as Ranna was being hugged and fussed over, Andrea had walked up to Reiko to talk with her about the planned welcome party. Simple was best, and there should be no reason to change things and make them difficult, but one of the new members was the Captain's little sister, so it was possible that she had other ideas.

"So, what do you think about a dress-up party?" She asked, aware that Reiko would have heard the discussion about the welcome party.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna had been surprised several times at the way conversations went with these girls, and not really understanding why she tended to get pitying looks at times.  She did not feel sorry for how she lived her life.  Not that she disagreed with that advice, but she was still getting used to the place, and ‘what she wanted’ was not so clear.  The timing of the hug was a little awkward though, she had to assume it was a coincidence and the other girl was not ‘taking what she wanted’.  She also hoped the pair of lesbians did not she that she was not exactly complaining about the breasts pressing into her head.  “Ah, I appreciate it.”  She somewhat awkwardly replied, not sure where these interactions were going, though she was sure they would remain innocent, with this group.
 

Reiko had been keeping an eye on things, too far away to hear everything, but had heard a lot of it.  She nodded along to that idea.  “That should be fun.  But, knowing Ranna, she probably does not have anything suitable to wear for something like that…one of you, or a few of you, really should take her to do some shopping, maybe mixed with other things.  A girls’ day out.  She is cautious about opening up to people.  At the moment I’m probably the only one on campus she trusts.  Not necessarily a bad thing here, but she’s sometimes a little too cautious.  Though I’ll leave up to all of you to decide who does that and when.”  One of the reasons for this was to get Ranna one or more friends, friends that she could really relax and open up around.  The party and later club activities would help, but ideally Ranna would spend free time with them as well.

[Nan-Yo]

Hiding her weariness, Andrea smiled. Why couldn't Ranna get her own clothes? If Reiko felt her sister wasn't up to the task, then she should simply go with her herself. Wasn't this what you would normally do? Shopping with Ranna wasn't the problem, though. The problem was Madeline. She was crazy about clothes. What a girl wore was a window into her soul. This was a mantra the older girl seemed to live by. Who'd want to have to listen to one of her lectures about clothes again?

"Ah... then maybe Kara?" Andrea suggested. That girl had made some minor modifications to her own school uniform and simply accepted any reprimands sent her way. She came off as a rather laconic young girl, but she did seem to care enough about her own style that punishment didn't deter her from dressing and acting the way she wanted to.

Back where Ranna was, Kara gave Sandy's attempt at comforting a questioning look. Just like the pink-haired girl, the heiress to Spades Magic didn't really understand why there was this sudden display of affection. She wasn't much for small talk, though, and she didn't really care enough to ask. So she just stood there, feeling the situation was a little awkward.

Edited January 29 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

It was not just about the clothes to Reiko, she was looking for ways to help Ranna.  Getting the clothes was just a convenient thing to build such activities around, while also happening to get her ready for the party.  They could do something else without the shopping of course, but why not take care of both things at the same time?

 

Kara, though?  That was an interesting choice.  She did share some similarities with Ranna, in that sense.  Two of the more socially repressed members of the team, only Hina and possibly Kalyna rivaling them or being worse in some ways.  Reiko considered it for a moment.  "I probably would not have considered her.  That could be interesting and good for both of them.  Though left to themselves, I could see them either opening up or reinforcing their current behaviors."  She did wonder if one or both would need someone else around to help give them a push to open up, whether opening up or avoiding more interaction than necessary was more likely.

Edited March 31 by SataiRolePlayingGuy

[Nan-Yo]

Their current behavior? Kara could be a bit blunt when she spoke, but she was quiet most of the time. From what Reiko had told them, Ranna, on the other hand, was just a little bit of a tomboy. So what was the problem here? Considering how she had a clear interest in what clothes she wore herself, Kara would be the perfect choice.

"So you want to go with them?" No matter which way she looked at it, there weren't really any good choices here. Aside from Reiko herself, the only people responsible enough to act like a chaperone for the two of them were Sandy, Gabriella, and herself. Sandy could probably be roped into it, but she was such a pushover that Andrea would feel sorry for her, and Gabriella would probably do it because it was Reiko asking. Nobody really wanted to do it, though.

Edited January 29 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Reiko shook her head.  “No, Ranna is old enough I should not be constantly watching her.  Even if she can occasionally get in trouble on her own.”  Reiko was not going to elaborate on Ranna’s recent adventure in drunkenness, hoping her sister had learned a lesson there.  Though it was part of why she thought it would have been nice to have someone else there.  She would have possibly preferred another of the girls with them,  but it was supposed to be a bonding experience, fun, she was not going to force anyone to accompany them.  Kara at least could handle any boys that tried to get them to do anything sexual.  Granted she hoped to eventually warm Kara up to doing that sort of thing, but for now her hostility to it worked out.

 

”I am trying to give Ranna experiences she has been lacking, because I truly believe she might find them fun if she gives them a real chance.  Outside of team related activities, I don’t intend to force her or anyone else here to do anything.”  That was the point of all of this, she was trying to help all these girls in various ways.  She wanted them to be happy and get along with each other.  She would only force them to something if she had to.

Edited March 31 by SataiRolePlayingGuy

[Nan-Yo]

"Your sister is just fourteen years old, Reiko." Andrea reminded the older Rangorn sister. She could understand where Reiko was coming from, but she really shouldn't meddle like she did. Andrea didn't really understand why Reiko was doing any of this though. Why was she so adamant about making her sister more feminine? "She'll have plenty of new experiences in due time as she grows up."

Edited September 2, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

None of them had the full picture.  Reiko understood that.  It was partially her fault for not clarifying that Ranna was not born a girl.  She still still felt that decision was for the best though.  For now she would just let things develop, see how much being around the girls impacted Ranna, while she took a fairly hands off approach.  “Yes, and she has had a rather unique childhood.”  More importantly, young as she was, she was now at a more important age.  In the first days of the curse there was smaller difference between being a boy or a girl, she was only going to become more conscious of the differences over time now.  While she imagined there could be some interesting experiences being both boy and girl, it was better to commit to one sooner or later.  And she had reason to believe Ranna was finally shifting to thinking of herself as a girl, even if Ranna was still in denial about it currently.

It was about time to make the plans official though.  She cleared her throat.  “Quiet down for a moment, girls.”  She waited for the chatter to quiet down before continuing.  “Now that you all had a chance to meet Ranna, the next step will be the proper welcoming party.  Having heard several ideas, a dress up party sounds like the best option.”  She ignored the irritated look from Ranna and continued.  “I do want to give everyone a chance to get something appropriate for the event, in case you don’t have anything for it, or just want to get something new.  That being the case, we will have the party in four days, 6:00 pm.”  Of course there were issues with a bunch of dressed up girls trying to gather in one place on such a campus.  Best to minimize their movements.   “It would be best to have such a thing in the girls’ dorm, probably.  I will let you know shortly, when the precise room or rooms have been determined.”  It could end up being the room(s) of some of the girls there, but that would be decided just a little later.

”Ranna, Kara, I want to talk to you two for a moment before we finish for the night.”  Ranna slipped out from the crowd, happy to get away from being the center of attention.  Though she had some idea of what Reiko was thinking and was not sure this was much better.  After Reiko had the two of them away from the others, she let them know the plan.  “Ranna, I am sure you do not have anything to wear to something like this, and I am guessing you do not either, Kara?  I would like you two to find sometime and go shopping together.  This isn’t something you need to wear very often, but you both should have something to wear for events like this, which will happen from time to time.”

Ranna figured this was the whole point of Reiko’s choice of party.  Make her dress up as a girl.  She was not going have a tantrum about it here though or start a fight.  For now she waited to see Kara’s reaction.

Edited March 31 by SataiRolePlayingGuy

[Nan-Yo]

Such a bother. Kara came off as a quiet somewhat anti-social girl, but she herself just considered herself to be a pragmatist at heart. Going shopping with Ranna wasn't really a problem for her, but what was a problem was that she had been chosen to do so. The whole point of joining the club, was so that she could avoid being involved with people.

Kara just nodded, but didn't give any other reply. She was a pragmatist, but she really was a rather quiet girl.

Edited January 29 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Both giving her a sort of silent treatment, but for rather different reasons? Reiko was not that surprised.  Kara had never been all that social.  It would be interesting to see how these two interacted and to what extent they bonded.  “Well, I’ll let you two talk about that a bit.  Let me know what you decide when we leave, Ranna.”  With that Reiko stepped back to see if any of the girls had anything to talk about with her before they left.

 

”She is right this time.”  Ranna partially acknowledged what Reiko said, making some effort to make conversation with the first person who seemed to acknowledge what she really was.  “I’ve been like this long enough, I’m used to wearing girls’ clothes, but I’ve always avoided formal clothes as much as I could, boy or girls’ clothes.  I only have the vaguest idea what she expects us to get.”  Some sort of fancy dress, she assumed.  But beyond that she could only guess.

Edited March 31 by SataiRolePlayingGuy

[Nan-Yo]

Kara watched Reiko leave, then studied the younger Rangorn sibling as she was what Kara suspected, opening up to her. Why was she doing this? To begin with, the topic itself wasn't really worth discussing was it? Clothes were just something you wore and depending on the situation or the need, you chose to wear different things. There really was no need to invest too much effort into something like that.

"Is meeting her expectations important to you?" Kara asked Ranna bluntly. 

Edited April 1 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Okay, Ranna was getting the impression conversations with this girl were going to be interesting.  Generally short and blunt.  There was a chance it could make things more awkward, but she did not want to give up on it right away.  “I don’t know if you have any siblings, or if you do, how close you are to them, but…it’s complicated.  Reiko and I don’t see my situation the same way.  To try to keep it short, while trying to help, she really wants me to be the little sister she never had and always wanted.”  Of course there was more than Reiko’s expectations here.  This was a party intended for her, if she tried to avoid all this, Reiko was not the only one who might be disappointed or irritated with her.

”I don’t intend to do everything she tells me to, but she is my sister, and I can’t burn bridges with her.  Especially after already doing something stupid last night.”  It was not a simple answer to the question, but she hoped it was a good answer for whatever thought process was behind Kara asking it.

Edited March 31 by SataiRolePlayingGuy

[Nan-Yo]

Kara had not been making small talk, but the question wasn't really one where she herself cared much about the answer either.

The reason Kara had asked was because Ranna had presented it was if it was a problem. Something as simple as shopping should not be made more complicated than it was.

"Then you will just choose some clothes that will make her happy." Kara stated matter of factly. "Or you won't."

Even if she didn't like wearing such clothes, if she wanted to meet her sister's expectations because she valued their relationship, then she didn't have any choice but to do so. Either she did, or she didn't. Complaining about it didn't change anything. It was just draining.

Edited January 29 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Well yes, Ranna had come to that conclusion already.  She did not really want to do this, but felt she had to, for several reasons.  The original point she was making was just she had no idea what was really expected for this sort of thing, just how 'fancy' they were expected to be, as well just an attempt to make conversation.  It was hard to tell how serious Kara intended to be once they were there, if she just planned on grabbing the first thing that she thought qualified, or intended to take more time choosing something.

"I already get that, I have to play the pretty little princess for the night.  I'm only trying to say I've never done anything like this."  It was probably better to over do it, to be safe.  Not the most elaborate thing that could be found, that would be too expensive even if she want to.  But certainly something much more formal than she would prefer.  Something she would never consider wearing on a day to day basis.

Edited March 31 by SataiRolePlayingGuy

[Nan-Yo]

"I don't care at all." Kara told Ranna bluntly . She really disliked it when people found problems where there were none. What did it matter if this was her first time or not? Everything you have done in your life, you had to do a first time. She wouldn't press this though, because she hated pointless conversations even more. "Let's just get the clothes and be done with it."

Outside of the gymnastic hall, Kappei was sitting on a bench and leaning up against a wall. Maybe he should have brought a book? But that would have looked a little weird, wouldn't it? He hoped everything was okay and going according to Reiko's plans. While he would be there to protect her, if Ranna had some friends, then her life at campus would be easier.

Edited January 29 by Nan-Yo