It reminds Akane, somehow, of all those times when she was little and she'd been invited to take a boy's part in country dancing or a class play or-- any of those things, because she'd been 'as good as.' Except Connie hasn't said anything to her like that. Connie treats her like a girl, like the girl she is, even if she's horrible at being one. Even if she's outclassed by a boy who isn't really a girl, who only has a girl's body sometimes.
Why couldn't Ranma have really been a girl?
She takes Connie's hand and the bridge of the song together.
"Casual moments like these mean the most to me Treasured times that don't need any key. In the album of my heart I keep, Old times stay like new...
Connie gives Akane a wide smile as she raises her arm to twirl her. It really was like her first dance with Steven, in a way; except she was the one bringing Akane out of her "shell" (if a complex about physical and violence could be compared at all to moderate social anxiety). Yet it felt different enough to be entire new; forging new memories that she would treasure instead of dredging up old ones that were painful with the lens of time and maturity laid over them.
"No, I won't forget... No, I won't forget...
These gentle times We'll share forever Long past all Those times are through"
Maybe it's because Connie's taken the boy's role in the dance, even though she's of course not a boy either. And that's good. Akane wouldn't want her to be a boy. She's wonderful how she is already.
"Even when I'm sad... Even when I'm glad... Memories of days I'll never, ever let go."
She comes out of the twirl with her head tilted slightly up, looking up into Connie's big, dark eyes, her heart beating the way it did when Ranma (who she had thought was a girl) had poked in her the back after tricking her into punching through the wall.
At the very end of the dance, Connie dips Akane. She smiles down at her, the warmth in Akane's eyes reflected in hers. What a strange mirror memories can be. Just a few months ago, Connie would've given to share this moment with Steven again, to be that innocent and carefree... but now, she's infinitely more glad that it's just her and Akane.
Connie smiles wider at Akane's thanks, opens her mouth to say something, then-
Remember that intense sparring match that sparked this entire interlude? Connie's finally feeling its effects. Such as losing strength in her legs.
She falls to the side, desperately rolling over so she won't crush Akane beneath her, and ends up flat on her back, laughing.
Akane lets herself get pulled down as well, coming to a thump on the sandy grass right next to Connie, laughing as well.
"Thanks," she repeats. "I-- really needed that, I think. It really does help to know that... I might not be as good as Ranma, but I had a better life than he did. Even with what happened to my mom and everything else. I mean, having to fight my way into school every day was awful, but it's not being wrapped in fish sausage and being tossed into a pit of hungry cats."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Why couldn't Ranma have really been a girl?She takes Connie's hand and the bridge of the song together.
"Casual moments like these mean the most to me
Treasured times that don't need any key.
In the album of my heart I keep,
Old times stay like new...
no subject
"No, I won't forget...
No, I won't forget...
These gentle times
We'll share forever
Long past all
Those times are through"
no subject
"Even when I'm sad...
Even when I'm glad...
Memories of days I'll never, ever let go."
She comes out of the twirl with her head tilted slightly up, looking up into Connie's big, dark eyes, her heart beating the way it did when Ranma (who she had thought was a girl) had poked in her the back after tricking her into punching through the wall.
"Thanks," she whispers.
no subject
Connie smiles wider at Akane's thanks, opens her mouth to say something, then-
Remember that intense sparring match that sparked this entire interlude? Connie's finally feeling its effects. Such as losing strength in her legs.
She falls to the side, desperately rolling over so she won't crush Akane beneath her, and ends up flat on her back, laughing.
no subject
"Thanks," she repeats. "I-- really needed that, I think. It really does help to know that... I might not be as good as Ranma, but I had a better life than he did. Even with what happened to my mom and everything else. I mean, having to fight my way into school every day was awful, but it's not being wrapped in fish sausage and being tossed into a pit of hungry cats."
no subject
Beat.
"What, what happened to Ranma?"