The genderswap edition! I should totally be either 1) asleep or 2) trying to come up with an essay proposal for my Children's Lit class, but...eh, I'm waiting for the sleeping meds to kick in so I can not stay up all night worrying about the shit I have to do. So while I wait, I will post two bits from the WIP files for your entertainment.

Rufus genderswap - I don't remember the exact logic behind starting this, although it was probably whiskeynshinra's fault somehow. I don't think I'll write any more of this, because there's a lot of messy issues around forcing someone to grow up as a gender they're not, and I would want to do that justice, and I don't think I could without a ton of research that I'm not sure I'm up to doing.


Tseng knocked at the door to Rufus's rooms, and, when he recieved no answer, keyed the lock and pushed it open, expecting Rufus to be out and to simply leave the files he had on the cofee table. He had /not/ expected to see a shirtless Rufus walking out of the bathroom, drying dripping wet hair with a towel. Tseng's eyes widened slightly when he realized that the young Shinra president had a bandage wound around his chest. A more distant part of his mind noted that this was the first time Tseng had seen Rufus without some sort of shirt on, and the blond had an exceptionally slender waist, even given his narrow build. He frowned slightly. "Were you injured, sir?"



Rufus started, clutching the towel to his chest. "What the fucking /hell/ are you doing in here, Tseng?"



Tseng held up the folder of papers in his hand. "I brought these for you to look over - I knocked, I thought you were out." He put the papers down on the table and moved towards the other man. "You haven't answered my question." The edge of worry was not entirely hidden in his voice.



In response, Rufus tensed shoulders hunched. "I'm /fine/."



Tseng looked unconvinced, though he didn't come any closer. "But...the bandages?"



Rufus sighed slightly, shoulders slumping. "...I suppose you'll find out eventually, if you dig around." He moved towards the bedroom, gesturing at Tseng to follow him as he entered the bedroom. Tseng followed, standing in quiet curiosity as Rufus selected a black wool turtleneck, just loose enough to hide the bandages and hint of curves. Finished, he sat on the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched and gaze firmly planted on the floor. Tseng remained silent, waiting for the blond to speak. After a few awkward moments, Rufus sighed slightly. "You have to understand...this wasn't my idea. When I was born...well, my father wanted a son." A frown briefly creased Tseng's forehead as he tried to puzzle out the implications hidden in those words. The frown vanished as meaning made itself clear. "You're-"



"-a girl, yes." There was a certain amount of distaste in Rufus's voice. "I didn't realize until I was eleven - I had no real basis of comparison, as a child."



Silence fell again, and then - "I suppose - should I call you 'ma'am', then?"



Rufus laughed awkwardly. "Honestly? I don't know anymore, it's been so long."

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Ukitake genderswap. Born out of seeing a genderswap!Ukitake fic on FF.net which I thought had an interesting premise but kind of awful execution (Ukitake is secretly a girl, you've already established this, reinforcing how delicate and feminine and fragile she is every other sentence is annoying). So I sort of set out to do it right, sort of as a way of building up backstory for a possible AU journal for the Bleach DR. There will be more of this if I don't get lazy - I have a bunch of other scenes half-planned in my head already. This one is fairly early on - there is an Epic! Fight! Scene! before it that I haven't written yet and which will probably be very Exalted when I do. Basically, nasty Hollow attack, parents take most of them out but die in the process. The commotion wakes up the children, who come to investigate. Jyuushiko realizes that if someone doesn't do something, they're all dead, and she's the oldest and the biggest. Cue moment of epic Exalted badassery followed promptly by passing out, because that tends to happen when you get tossed around by a Hollow some and then use up all of your spirit energy in one blow.


Jyuushiko opened her eyes and then wished she hadn't - the lamplight felt like it was trying to pierce her skull. She groaned slightly, and a wide-eyed ten-year-old face immediately blocked out the light. "Jyuu! You're awake!" She gave her sister a tired smile, and tried to sit up - also a mistake. As soon as she put weight on her right arm, pain shoot through her injured shoulder, and she strangled a whimper. Right away, Fujiko was at her side, helping her up. "..Thanks." She glanced around the room - it was empty, aside from the two of them. Jyuushiko could feel a surge of panic rise up. "The others...is everyone alright?" Fujiko nodded vigorously. "We're all staying with the Tanakas, 'cause the house is still messed up." Jyuu could hear a tremor in her sister's voice that she couldn't really blame her for. But they'd get to that eventually. "We've been taking turns watching for you to wake up," Fujiko continued. Jyuushiko frowned at that. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Three days...we were really worried, but Kana-san said you had just worn yourself out."

There was a rustle as the door to the room slid open, and the healer, no doubt alerted by their talking, came into the room. "You did - and woke up half the village with that flare, I think." Jyuushiko looked chagrined at that, which only made Kana laugh. "Don't worry about it - I think you're far the more worse for wear than any of them. You should probably rest some more - I did my best, but you cracked two ribs, and that shoulder was torn up pretty badly." She nodded, and then coughed a few times, painfully. The healer frowned at the coughs. "I know you don't like the cough syrup because it makes you sleepy, but your ribs won't heal like that."

She sighed, but then nodded again. "...I guess it's alright for now." Kana nodded, and left the room, leaving the two sisters alone again. There was along silence, and then Jyuushiko spoke, broaching the topic she didn't really want to talk about, but knew she had to. "Mother and Father...?" Fujiko's hands tightened on the folds of her kimono, but when she spoke, her voice was mostly steady. "The guards me and Hideo brought back helped us - one of them knew a kido spell so they'd be okay. We didn't want to do the ceremony without you." By the end her voice was shaking badly, and Jyuushiko pulled the younger girl close, tucking her head under her chin. That was all it took - the tears Fujiko had been holding back came spilling out, soaking into the fabic of Jyuu's yukata. "It'll be alright, I'll make sure of it. I know Hideo's the heir, but I'm the oldest - I'll protect all of you."