What a Drag

“Ouch” Mousse yelped as Konatsu tore the cotton strip away from his eyebrow, and took half of his eyebrow with it.

“I don’t see why this is necessary? I don’t have bushy eyebrows” he grumped and then yelped again as the other one was done.

“Don’t be such a baby, you have nice eyebrows for a man but they need a little shaping and defining for a woman. Now if you take a kick to the face and shake it off easily, you can certainly take a little plucking and waxing” Konatsu said and picked up her tweezers. Mousse’s eyes watered as each offending hair was tweezed from him and wondered again if this was a good idea. He could see the female Ranma looking on and swore that she was smirking. “There, we’re done” Konatsu announced and handed him a mirror. Again Mousse was surprised at the transformation; it was subtle but did frame his eyes better and gave him a look of nobility that he’d lacked before. The effect was unisexual and not extreme in the least. “I approve, now we just have to see about getting rid of the rest of the body hair when the time comes” Konatsu said with approval.

“W-what?” Mousse stammered.

“You’re lucky that you don’t have hair on your chest, but you’ll have to at least shave your leg hair and armpits for the contest” Ranma explained.

“No way!” Mousse snapped.

She put a hand on his arm and said “it’s not so bad; you wear long pants and a baggy top all the time. No one’s going to be the wiser until it grows out. I know that it’ll feel and look weird the first time that you do it, but it gets easier with time” she assured him.

“You shave?” Mousse asked.

She pulled up her pant leg and then undid some frogs to reveal smooth legs and pits, “I have to, I perform at least once a week. Akane found out about it, so I just told her that I do it to make myself more aerodynamic” she explained.

“She bought that?” Mousse asked.

“She lets me use her special lady’s shaving cream and daisy razors” Ranma said with a blush, smiling at the memory.

“Ranma I’m not sure that I can do this” Mousse moaned.

“You’d better, lots of time and effort has been spent on you, girlfriend” Konatsu said with a frown, his hands on his lovely hips.

“I could never look like you” Mousse challenged.

“Of course you couldn’t, what you see is years of effort. You can’t make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear. But as the army says; be all that you can be. We’re going to make a woman out of you if it kills you. Think of it as being another form of martial arts that you have to master” Konatsu demanded.

“Please Mousse, its just one day out of your life” Ranma pleaded.

“Ranma what are you?” Konatsu demanded.

“I’m a woman” she replied automatically.

“She says that now, I had to train her from the ground up to even admit that. I would have her in the frilliest lingerie and she would still demand that she was a guy. Mind you it was easier working with someone that has a girl’s body at his disposable. However, with a little effort on your part, you could be just as convincing. Are you willing to put yourself in my hands and allow me to become your sensei?” Konatsu demanded.

“I don’t know” Mousse replied.

“Well you better decide now because Ranma thinks that she can’t do this without you. If you want to leave, leave now” Konatsu ordered.

Mousse looked from the beautiful stern task mistress to Ranma’s pleading eyes. He suddenly felt sorry for her that she was so convinced that he was necessary. Then he questioned why he felt sorry for Ranma. “Okay, but if things get too weird, then I’m out” he declared.

“Wonderful” Ranma said and clapped her hands.

“Great, than its time to get you properly dressed” Konatsu said and handed him a pair of black stay ups, a padded bra and panties with a built-in girdle, and what seemed to be a thong.

“What are these?” Mousse said faintly, feeling like he was getting in over his head.

“These give you the illusion of curves” Konatsu answered, indicating the padded bra “and this is your gaff, it smoothes out your unsightly bulges and makes you look feminine.”

“Smoothes my what?” Mousse asked suspiciously. He soon found out when it felt like it was crushing his balls, while the panties nipped in his waist and padded out his rear and hips. He had had to blushingly ask for help doing up the bra and how to put the stay ups on. He blushed as Konatsu made his point his toe and pull them on a little at a time. He blushed even more when both ‘women’ made him stand in the middle of the room while they examined him critically. Mousse felt practically naked, except for the flesh coloured granny panties and bra.

“He looks better than I thought he would” Konatsu commented.

“I look like a fool” Mousse said staring distastefully at his padded body.

“A dress would help” Ranma said. “No one looks good in the base garments” she explained.

“Now for the moment of truth” Konatsu said and pulled out a black sheath dress, both of them helped him into it and stood back.

“Wow”, Ranma said, “if I didn’t know it was you, I would swear you are a real woman” he commented.

“Much better” Konatsu agreed. “Now before we let you see, its make up time” he said and dragged Mousse towards a chair and rolled out a bag. He began by making Mousse’s face into a blank slate with a foundation that matched in own pale skin perfectly. Then added blush, eyeliner, mascara and then blended his eye shadow. Finally he applied lipstick with a soft brush and then lined his naturally pouty lips with matching lip liner, then stood back and admired his work. Taking up a comb, Konatsu combed Mousse’s lustrous ink black hair until each strand lay perfectly flat on his back to brush his hips. “You have a wonderful face for makeup and your hair is perfect, you could easily wear it up or down. It’s amazing that its so healthy for being so long, not a single split end or damage, it’s a miracle” Konatsu commented.

“Mousse you look amazing” Ranma said in awe.

“Can I look now?” Mousse asked nervously.

“Sure” Ranma said and led him over to a full length mirror. Mousse gasped when he saw a beautiful, young girl staring back at him. Konatsu had worked wonders with his face, each feature was more defined and his eyes really stood out. He was almost as beautiful as Konatsu, he realized, though he could see that he still held himself like a male.

“You look beautiful, we’re going to knock them dead” Ranma gushed.

“Have you chosen your Queen name yet?” Konatsu asked.

“Shampoo” Mousse said without hesitation.

“”Good name” he said with approval, ignoring Ranma’s groan. “We still have a ways to go before we can determine if you can pass. You still have to be taught to walk in stilettos, which is the most difficult part” Konatsu pointed out.

Mousse looked at Konatsu own platform stilettos and shuddered, yet the other martial artist seemed perfectly comfortable in them as if he was wearing his slippers.

“Do I have to wear those?” he asked.

“Being a drag queen means not only being a woman, but being an uber woman. Of course you must, no respectable queen would be caught dead in flats” Konatsu snapped. “But we’ll work on that another day. Now is the time to develop your S.A., or sex appeal. Now give me a sexy smile” he commanded Mousse. Mousse did so in a way that he hoped was sexy. “I said look sexy, not sick” Konatsu chided. “Just pretend that you’re in bed with your honey bunny making love and smile” he advised.

“Ah Konatsu.....” Ranma tried to intervene, but it was too late, Mousse had gotten a nosebleed.

“Another virgin” Konatsu stated with a roll of his eyes. He put his hands on his hips and said “how is it that a man with four fiancées and a man who lives next door to his woman can still be virgins?” he asked them.

Both Mousse and Ranma blushed at this “I-it’s just that Shampoo and I......” Mousse stammered. “Wait a minute why do I have to explain this to you? Aren’t you a virgin too?” he demanded back.

Konatsu fixed the gaze on Mousse that he normally reserved for the truly stupid. “I’ve gotten tons of tail in my time” he replied.

“Males?” Ranma asked.

Now someone else earned this stare “Females, underneath my splendor I wear boxer shorts and am just as straight as you two” he said evenly.

“Girls go for that?” Mousse asked indicating the elaborate kimono he wore.

“Lots of girl find this look alluring. It takes the term closet lezzies to a whole new level. Just think, they get the best of both worlds, a skill female lover who can give it to them as a man” he explained. “Girls want to eat me alive”

“Really?” Mousse asked, he’d never experienced this phenomenon.

“Just you wait and see” Konatsu declared. “Now breaks over. Ranma, show Mousse how to do a sexy smile” Mousse found himself oddly aroused as Ranma turned a slow smile on him and end it by running his tongue along her bottom lip. “See that is what you have to learn how to do, now practice this until I’m satisfied” he ordered him.

Ranma could only stand back and watched Mousse transform, he was coming along faster then Ranma would have thought and should be ready for the pageant. His smile wasn’t as confident as Ranma would have liked; it was more sweet and endearing. But that wasn’t a bad thing perhaps, all drag queens had their own personalities and if Mousse’s was inner sweetness, than perhaps the judges would respond to this. Ranma still wasn’t attracted to him, but he was starting to like him as a friend and suspected that they would have become that long before now, if not for Shampoo. He was a friendly, decent guy. Ranma wondered if he could help get Mousse together with Shampoo, if only to clear his path to Akane. Akane, he felt like he was forgetting something about tonight. He forced that his mind and made himself pay attention. Finally Mousse produced a smile that was sexy and heartbreakingly sweet at the same time.

“That’s perfect” Ranma said.

“Yes, we have ourselves a winner, if he can do it again” Konatsu said.

“I think I can” Mousse said, and then used the trick that he’d just tried. He thought about the day that he and Shampoo had been trapped in the forest and it started to rain. They’d still been pretty young then, about twelve. They’d taken shelter in a cave and Shampoo, who was afraid of thunder, had huddled into his arms until she went to sleep. It had been the best experience in his life. He smiled at the memory again.

“Okay I think that we’re done enough for today, we’ll meet up tomorrow” Konatsu suggested. “Besides I have a date tonight” he said with a completely masculine grin, leaving no doubt in their minds as to his gender preferences.

Mousse sighed to be wearing his real clothes and to have removed his make up, while Ranma changed sexes with hot water. He and Ranma exited Konatsu’s apartment (A/N yes I know that he lives with Ukyou. I needed the boys to have a place they can dress up without being discovered) “Where are you going Mousse?” Ranma asked.

“Back to the Neko Hanten” he replied.

“Would you like to come to the Tendo house for some tea?” Ranma asked, he sensed the other boy seemed kind of lonely. Mousse paused; he wasn’t sure why his enemy wanted to spend time with him. He looked into his eyes seeking motive, but they were clear blue and guileless.

“That would be nice” he said and let Ranma lead the way. Both gasped when they realized that the house was surrounded by men clutching gifts.

Ranma wretched the nearest one around “what’s the meaning of this?” he demanded.

“It’s Akane’s birthday” the other boy answered. Mousse saw Ranma go pale and thought he was going to faint.

“You forgot her birthday?” he observed, just at the same time he heard Akane calling “Ranma there you are? I thought you wouldn’t make it in time for birthday cake” Suddenly she was standing in front of Ranma wearing a cute, yellow party dress.

“H-hi Akane” Ranma stammered, he was stunned by how cute she looked and knew he would say something piss her off. She made him nervous and he always put his foot in his mouth in her presence. “I just wanted to say......”

She giggled “you forgot my birthday huh? Don’t worry about it” she said, just so happy to see him.

Mousse watched Ranma struggling and touched the roses and gift wrapped box that he’d secreted inside his sleeve. He’d intended them for Shampoo, but couldn’t bear to watch someone suffer like this.

“He was trying to say that he hadn’t forgotten. We just came back from shopping for your birthday. Happy birthday Akane” Mousse said as he handed her both objects.

“Shopping together?” Akane asked, a little surprised by this.

“Happenstance, we ran into each other” Mousse said, “right Ranma?” he asked the other stunned looking boy.

“Right” he agreed weakly and prayed there was nothing hentai inside the box. He was both relieved and embarrassed when it proved to be a beige teddy bear with red paws, a heart shaped nose with a red bow around its neck.

Akane squealed when she saw it and hugged it, “Ranma how did you remember I wanted this bear? I showed it to you months ago!” Ranma flushed and got tongue tied when she looked at him so adoringly with her clear brown eyes and gave him THAT smile.

“Ranma has a good memory” Mousse observed, sharing a look with him.

“Well either way, you’ve made my birthday wonderful” she declared and gave him a kiss on the cheek, Ranma turned even redder. She took his hand in hers, “come on let’s get some cake” she suggested and led him inside, then paused. “Mousse we’re having a small family party, would you care to join?” she asked, effectively dismissing her other would-be suitors.

“I would love to” he said as the others trudged away in defeat.

“Great! Where are your glasses?” she asked.

“Let me explain.....” he said and did so. The night was fun for Mousse as he rarely ever socialized. Akane and Ranma bickered good-naturedly, but he could sense the closeness that lay beneath and envied them. He laughed at Happosai antics, did some tricks of his own for entertainment purposes, drank some sake with the fathers and helped Kasumi with the dishes. It was all over way too soon, and he excused him. Ranma walked him out.

“Why did you help me like that?” he whispered to him.

Mousse pondered this and came up with the best answer that he could. “We girls have to stick together” he replied, remembering what Mimi said.

“I owe you one” he said and glanced back to where Akane was sleepily hugging her teddy bear.

“I never forget a debt” Mousse said with a wolfish grin.

Shampoo had gotten worried when Mousse didn’t come home, not that she’d admit that to herself. She sat the table waiting for him to appear like a frustrated spouse “stupid Mousse” she muttered for the umpteenth time that night, with visions of him lying in a ditch dead. She added the mental image of serving him in duck form at the restaurant to that. Finally she heard a key turn in the lock and soft footprints padding up the stairs.

“Mousse where you been?” she demanded leaping to her feet.

“Shampoo, what are you still doing up? You should have been in bed hours ago. My play rehearsal went overtime and some of us went for coffee afterwards” he explained. He’d chosen this as a cover story for his long hours spent away from home. He knew that she’d never check this or want to go see a play he was supposedly in anyway; she had little interest in what he did or where he went.

“I not be able to sleep” she lied.

“Should I make us come cocoa like I used to when you couldn’t sleep?” he suggested.

“Thanks, I think I would like that” she said. She studied him as he went about making the homely smelling cocoa; he added extra sugar and several mini marshmallows for her without her having to ask. He sat opposite her; the dim lights of the kitchen made his face seem to glow ethereally and for him to look like an angel.

“Mousse?” she asked. He looked at her and gave her the smile that he’d been working on so hard that night; it was her smile after all.

She was struck again by how handsome he was. Why had she never realized that flecks of gold danced in his green eyes, that his smile could light up a room or that her childhood friend had become a man. A very desirable man. “Yes?” he questioned her. It was then she noticed that there was lipstick between the cracks in his lips.

“Why are you wearing lipstick?” she demanded.

He blushed painfully bright red “I had to kiss a girl in the first scene, she forgot to wear kiss-proof lipstick” he explained. Actually he had been wearing kiss-proof lipstick and being an amateur, he hadn’t removed it correctly. “I think I’ll go to bed” he said and hurriedly left. He was horridly embarrassed as he didn’t want Shampoo to find out about his queening, she barely thought him a man as it was.

Shampoo stared after him and frowned, she didn’t know which bothered her more; that he was seeing someone or that she could tell that he was lying to her.