Promotion (Rangiku/Ranma)

Listen… between his last training episode with Ranny, and his seasonal scolding episode from the ever-bonking Beetle, Ranma had actually made an active attempt at cutting down his… what do you call it? Urges? Instincts? Habits? The paranormal force that drove him to get into trouble at almost every turn? The magnetic pull towards making more holes in the barracks than needed?

And then, he baked pancakes with Erica. The love of his life was, as always, a master at bringing Ranma to his happy place – a world of tranquil and freedom from the oppressive masses that just wanted to scold his every move… listen, he knew he had some quirks, but he wasn’t that troubling to deal with, right? Ranny? Right?

Either way, when he got the summons, his eyes had red lines all over – what in the Soul King’s rectum did he do now?! Big, fat, heavy steps stomped towards her office, echoing louder and louder as he got closer and closer to her door – Ranny knew exactly who was about to waddle in-

*FLIP!*

“BULLSHIT! I AIN’T DONE NUTHIN’!” he expressed with a tone of seriousness that he hadn’t shown before – his character was being smeared, after all, and he wasn’t having any of it! “On your mighty cushions, I’m an innocent reaper! Who complained now? Was it Beetle?! I thought we were cool now – I swear, next time I see her, I’ll bite her! Like a cookie! *CHOMP*”

…

“… She prolly even tastes like one, don’t you think? I don’t know, she kinda just has cookie vibes all around her. Nothing beats cherry mochis, though!”

*Yip*

Ranma’s entire body language stiffens up with that sharp, soul-cutting glare from Ranny- I mean, Vice-Captain Matsumoto. He quickly noticed the chair, and the fact that her demanding, daggering eyes told him a very direct order.

Mother. Fucking. Sit.

And that, he did. Nice and tightly, he took a seat on the other side of her desk, his hands nervously clenched and rested on his knees as his gaze hits the floor in a strong wave of shame. Once again, she rebuked his behavior as unfit and incomparable for a Shinigami of her recommendation – his actions were ultimately painting a bad image on her sense of judgement, and it dawned on him like getting a 2-ton dumbbell dropped on his shoulders. “… S-Sorry… my deepest apologies…” he apologized with shivering eyes, “I-I just got a little… n-no, never mind. No excuses- I have no excuses! Please forgive me…!”

He'd almost bonk his face on the desk with the low, low bow he did, but he was genuinely regretful of his entrance and chaotic behavior. He just hoped his big sister figure would find it in her heart to not be so tough on him like this… but he also didn’t know yet the responsibility she was about to reveal to him. A Seated member of the Gotei United’s 8th Division…

His name was spoken up. Ranny’s tone hadn’t changed – shit, did he just blow his last chances of ever getting a Seat? Just like that? His reckless entry, his almost comical sense of wtf-ism… it did him so dirty in the end! He was ready to curse himself to oblivion for blowing his chance this fast when his panicking gaze met her sharp eyes… as she smiled.

“… Huh?”

He was genuinely dumbfounded for the next 5-6 seconds before registering what she just said. His eyes blinked, then sparkled with a deep echo of hope. “I… I’m a 13th Seat now? Wait, t-this isn’t a prank, is it?”

He… he wanted to pinch his cheek. Hell, he did pinch his cheek, but this wasn’t a dream. She sounded adamant. His body was visibly… shivering. Of course it was – he was beyond just overjoyed, he was astonishingly hyped. “T-This… this is lit! I mean, this is epic! Auntie, I’m moving up the ladder – are ya proud of me!?” he jubilated out in the air to his dead aunt and uncle, hoping that they were watching him from the cycle of souls. He felt like wiping off a tear from his eye.

“… Wait, 13th? Isn’t that an unlucky… ah, never mind. Hey, Hōkamaru, did ya hear that – I got a promotion!” he spoke up excitingly, holding his sheathed Asauchi to his face… and no answer. Oh well, words mattered little between the two – he’d rub his face on the sheathed blade lovingly, anyway. “Awww, I know you’re happy for me, Hōkamaru~ You don’t have to say anything – we’re partners, after all…”

Damn… it felt surreal. He actually had a Seated position now – numbers be damned, he was a Seated member of the 8th Division now! What a time to be alive… but…

A shiver ran down his spine the moment she uttered his last name. Ah yeah, everybody in the Gotei United had last names, and it was proper formality to address others by their last names, especially after their ranks. Still, in the eyes and ears of Ranma, Gekiretsu was a bad name – he had to give them some last name to refer to him as, so he was hasty back when he joined the Shin’o Academy and just used the last name his parents gave him.

He wished he could retract that decision now. He wished he could turn back in time and tell his past self [‘Hey, by the way, fuck last names – just say your name is Ranma… Ranma. Ranma Ranma. They’ll understand.’] Last names weren’t just decoration… they had power. All names did, in some way.

“Including improving your relationship with some of the unseated in this division.”

“Oh.” Ranma caught the implications – after all, he’d not been the easiest to deal with among his colleagues. How would they react to his promotion, too? Shit, if they’d lose their shit… nah, he wasn’t that disliked! He thought he’d been quite a helpful fella lately! He’d even gotten his face caved in a couple times when the squad had been bullied by the likes of Shura and Armina- woe to the next Squad 4 member who would visit them!

“… I think I have a lot of people to apologize to.”

Hmh… I mean, Ranma understood the assignment. Prove himself to be useful and helpful to his now, technically, subordinates… right? A word of apology alone wouldn’t do shit, anyway – in fact, it’d likely piss them off even further. So… actions. Yeah, responsible and cohesively helpful actions – stop shooting holes through ceilings in your sleep, and stop drinking all the good juice at parties!

Even as he was, pretty much, knocking himself down internally, Ranny still had words of encouragement to him – simple but powerful words of advice. Continue growing. Always become better. It’d be a pain over time, but in the end… he’d achieve all of his dreams if he hung onto it.

“… Yeah, you’re right! I can do this…” he hyped himself up, even leaping a bit on his toes, “I’ll go apologize to them, y’know, bring the news to the others. Then I’ll make sure to prove that I can be the best fuckin’ 13th Seated Shinigami ever!”

Skidaddling towards the door, he’d quickly turn around as if remembering something: “Oh yeah, first off – I wanna apologize to you, Ranny. Uh… I never really got used to calling you by your last name.” Simply put, Ranny was just too good of a nickname to let up, but… manners were, like, half his issues at the moment. Never too late to start.

“Also sorry for constantly trying to bump into your chest back when I joined – I kinda had a crush on you. Now, you’re just kinda like a naggy older sister I can’t live without.”

… Okay, did he need to say that now? It didn’t even matter anymore – his heart belonged to someone else now. Maybe there was such a thing as too much apologizing, Ranma-

“I should go apologize to Koga, too… he got beat up last night because of my big, fuckin’ mouth…” he began mumbling all the sins he needed to repent for as he strolled out through the door, never to be seen again until the plot demanded it…

Which would be very soon, hopefully.