Fiction: In Too Deep
Nov. 10th, 2014 04:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamwritersTitle: In Too Deep
Word Count: 367
Rating: PG
Fandom or Original: Original: Intergalactic Urban Search and Rescue (IGUSAR): Backstory
Pairings (if any): Dani/Emmanuel
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): gender dysphoria, some of the content could be considered implied/internalized transphobia
Summary: Dani deals (badly) with one part of the aftermath of becoming a mage.
When Dani approached the town Master about learning magic, many people had mentioned that magic could cause a paradigm shift, probably an unexpected one, but this wasn't quite the dramatic shift he was expecting.
He can't look at himself in the mirror. This isn't the body he was born with -- all curves and weight.
He can still hear the Master's laughter. 'Yes, magic does sometimes have that secondary side effect. A user's sex and/or gender may change at will with use. Perhaps you'll learn something from it.'
If he can't look at himself like this, will Emmanuel?
He lingers in the bathroom with their puppy Carl trying to work up the courage looking down at the small feet tapping on the edge of the shag rug.
He hears the knock on the door. "Dani, are you done in there yet?"
"Emmanuel?" Even this voice is all levels of wrong and he doesn't know what to do.
"Dani?"
"Yes. Please don't be mad. You can come in."
He hears the door creak open and Emmanuel whistles behind him, wrapping his arms over his shoulders. "...So this is the paradigm shift the villagers were talking about?"
Dani doesn't answer, head down, staring at the small feminine feet on the rug.
"I don't think it's bad. Look at me, Dani."
Dani tips his head to kind-of meet Emmanuel's peripheral vision as his husband continues, "It's not the outside that matters. I love you for who you are. Did they say if you'd change back?"
Dani shakes his head. "I ran away after they said that a user's sex and/or gender may change at will with use, and that I might learn something from this change. I don't know how I'm going to get used to this. It's not MINE."
"Since they said at will, I suspect it's gender and sex roulette. So there is a possibility that you could return to your biological sex and gender markers or that next time you'll get a different combination. Meanwhile, we can at least go shopping and buy you something to wear so that you can own this body as yours. I have a couple ideas already based on your existing wardrobe."
Notes: Inspired by Pierre Bonnard's painting The Bathroom (1932), and two creative jam prompts: Magic works but has the interesting drawback of randomly shifting the user's sex (ysabetwordsmith, Feb 2012 Creative Jam) & Unexpected sex change creates traumatic paradigm shift (ysabetwordsmith, Oct 2014 Creative Jam). Posted for Writerverse Challenge B2: NaNo Check-In #1.
Word Count: 367
Rating: PG
Fandom or Original: Original: Intergalactic Urban Search and Rescue (IGUSAR): Backstory
Pairings (if any): Dani/Emmanuel
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): gender dysphoria, some of the content could be considered implied/internalized transphobia
Summary: Dani deals (badly) with one part of the aftermath of becoming a mage.
When Dani approached the town Master about learning magic, many people had mentioned that magic could cause a paradigm shift, probably an unexpected one, but this wasn't quite the dramatic shift he was expecting.
He can't look at himself in the mirror. This isn't the body he was born with -- all curves and weight.
He can still hear the Master's laughter. 'Yes, magic does sometimes have that secondary side effect. A user's sex and/or gender may change at will with use. Perhaps you'll learn something from it.'
If he can't look at himself like this, will Emmanuel?
He lingers in the bathroom with their puppy Carl trying to work up the courage looking down at the small feet tapping on the edge of the shag rug.
He hears the knock on the door. "Dani, are you done in there yet?"
"Emmanuel?" Even this voice is all levels of wrong and he doesn't know what to do.
"Dani?"
"Yes. Please don't be mad. You can come in."
He hears the door creak open and Emmanuel whistles behind him, wrapping his arms over his shoulders. "...So this is the paradigm shift the villagers were talking about?"
Dani doesn't answer, head down, staring at the small feminine feet on the rug.
"I don't think it's bad. Look at me, Dani."
Dani tips his head to kind-of meet Emmanuel's peripheral vision as his husband continues, "It's not the outside that matters. I love you for who you are. Did they say if you'd change back?"
Dani shakes his head. "I ran away after they said that a user's sex and/or gender may change at will with use, and that I might learn something from this change. I don't know how I'm going to get used to this. It's not MINE."
"Since they said at will, I suspect it's gender and sex roulette. So there is a possibility that you could return to your biological sex and gender markers or that next time you'll get a different combination. Meanwhile, we can at least go shopping and buy you something to wear so that you can own this body as yours. I have a couple ideas already based on your existing wardrobe."
Notes: Inspired by Pierre Bonnard's painting The Bathroom (1932), and two creative jam prompts: Magic works but has the interesting drawback of randomly shifting the user's sex (
ysabetwordsmith, Feb 2012 Creative Jam) & Unexpected sex change creates traumatic paradigm shift (ysabetwordsmith, Oct 2014 Creative Jam). Posted for Writerverse Challenge B2: NaNo Check-In #1.