Title: Anissina Advances the Women's Movement
Pairing: Anissina/Gwendal? Nothing definite for now...
Summary: Anissina had two great passions in life: science and gender equality. Sometimes they collided, like when she invented a gender-switch machine. Gwendal plays guinea pig.
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"Ohohoho! Oh, Gwee~en…"
Gwendal stopped mid-step as he was coming back from the training session with his troops. He shivered, cold sweat dotting his brow, and quickly did an abrupt 180, briskly striding away from the direction of the red demoness' voice.
"Gwendal! Where are you, Gwendal? I need you to test a new invention!"
He barely suppressed a shudder. He'd just been her lab rat last week; it was too soon! Vowing not to get caught, Gwendal sped up his pace, his long legs carrying him far, far away from hell. When Anissina's voice no longer reached his ears, Gwendal let out a deep sigh of relief, like a man who had just been saved from a desert island mere minutes before he resorted to cannibalism.
"There you are, Gwen!"
She stepped in front of him! He gasped, shocked, eyes going wide. "What-- How?"
"Fufufu… Thought you could get away, did you?"
"N-no. What are you talking about? I was just surprised because I didn't hear you coming."
"Lies, Gwen! Come along, now." She grabbed his hand and dragged him behind her, heedless of the onlookers. If Gwendal's men chuckled at the sight of their stoic superior being pulled along like a misbehaving child by a woman half his size, they clamped their mouths shut at his glare.
"Ahem. Anissina…"
"Yes, Gwen?"
"May I ask how you did that?"
"Hmm? That? Oh, that's my other new invention, made just for you. I call it the Confuse-Your-Prey-Evil-Ventriloquist-kun! I used it to project my voice to a distant location and lure you over."
Prey?! That wasn't the slightest bit amusing. She gave him a smug, self-satisfied grin. Gwendal frowned back mournfully.
"…Anissina?"
"Yes, Gwen?"
"Could you-- Could you let go of my hand now?"
"Depends. Will you try to run away?"
"…"
"Then no. Ah, here we are!" She pushed open the door to her lab, pulling Gwendal inside. The large doors slammed shut ominously. Gwendal gulped. He wasn't much of a man of faith, but at that moment he sorely wished for Shinou, or anyone out there who might possibly be listening, to take pity on him and let him leave this horrible realm known as Anissina's lab without permanent injuries. Also hopefully with his mind intact, but that was stretching it a little.
Anissina disappeared behind a curtained off portion of the room and came back wearing loose, plain brown robes. She held another robe in her arms and handed it to Gwendal. "Go change. Your clothes might not fit after we're done."
That was probably not the right thing for her to say, because Gwendal's face contorted into a silent scream. "What do you mean, Anissina? My clothes 'might not fit'? Exactly what are you planning here?"
Gwendal tried his best to sound like the confident and commanding general that he was, but that had never worked on Anissina. She had been his only friend when they were both very young and Gwendal had been the extremely shy prince who was teased by the other boys for liking kittens more than swords. In fact, she was the one who beat them all to a bloody pulp to protect him. After all, she was the only one allowed to torture her Gwen.
The only reason Gwendal was involved in the military and political spheres was because of his strong sense of duty as the eldest son. He was in charge because the people needed him to be, but he would have been just as happy spending the rest of his days knitting, baking, and playing with bearbees. Most days, Gwendal was all bark and no bite. He really was such a sweet, gentle, easily-manipulated soul. Anissina cackled with glee.
"I meant exactly what I said. Your clothes might not fit you as a woman."
"Woman."
"Yes, woman."
"…Woman."
"Really, Gwendal. You're starting to sound like a parrot."
"I am not a woman."
"Not now, but you will be."
Gwendal could not believe his ears. This conversation was too surreal. He had nothing but respect for women, but he himself was not a woman and he would never be a woman. To those didn't know him as well, Gwendal appeared to be the epitome of masculinity with his chiseled features, imposing height, and broad, muscular shoulders.
Besides, he thought, he rather liked his parts right where they were. And furthermore, he would make an awful looking woman, like Yozak. The world did not need two Ms. Biceps.
With this in mind, Gwendal objected. "No. Absolutely not."
"Now, now, Gwen. This is for progress! For science! For the good of all demon-kind!" Anissina dramatically proclaimed. Gwendal did not see how this was possible, but he let her continue.
"In order to advance the women's movement, I have built this wonderful machine!" Anissina yanked the covering off her newest death-trap, revealing what looked to be two man-sized cylindrical chambers made of glass, tenuously connected by colorful wires on top.
"Why is there gender inequality? Or any inequality at all? Because certain stupid men refuse to acknowledge that having external genitals does not give one the right to oppress the weak. Ah! But if they could experience life as a woman, they would not be so quick to judge others as inferior. That is why this See-How-The-Other-Half-Lives-Trans-Sexual-kun will help them realize that living as a woman is difficult only because of the restrictions imposed upon them by men! It will not change who they essentially are in personality and spirit, and they will find that there are no differences between the sexes in terms of mental capacity!"
Anissina finished her rant and looked at her friend with sparkling expectant eyes.
"The answer is still no."
"Well, I suppose a man like you wouldn't understand!"
"I'm not opposed to strong women, Anissina. You of all people should know that. I would just rather not have any drastic changes done to my body!"
"Well I think that risks must be taken for there to be advancements in science and society! If you really support the women's movement (and you know what's good for you), you'll do as I say."
Gwendal's frown deepened, but he knew he would acquiesce to Anissina's demands. He always did. It was okay, he told himself. Anissina's inventions only had about a 40% success rate in effectively doing what they were supposed to do. He let himself be shuffled along into the changing area and hoped that this was one of the other 60%...but changed his mind when the possibility of the machine working, but not quite as expected, came to mind.
Was it possible that he would be transformed into a hermaphrodite? Gwendal grit his teeth and prepared for the worst. When he came back out, Anissina was flipping a few switches on what looked to be the control panel.
"All set! Now you go into one of the chambers and I'll go in the other. Then voila! You and I will switch sexual characteristics."
Gwendal cautiously stepped into the chamber on the left. "Um…Anissina… This isn't…permanent, is it?" he asked worriedly.
"No, of course not! That would defeat the whole purpose! We want them to turn back into men and see the error of their ways."
"Then… How long will it last?"
"Oh, that? That's what we're testing, isn't it?" She reached out and pressed the final switch.
"Wait! Wait! You don't kno---AAAAAAH!!"
The wires on top of the cylinders went crazy. Electric blue lights flooded the room. A few stray test tubes burst into flames.
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In the sunny, peaceful courtyard of Blood Pledge Castle, birds were chirping and Yuuri was having a picnic with Greta and Wolfram.
"BWAAAAAAAAAA~" Gwendal's screams boomed. The birds scattered.
"Uh oh. Looks like Gwendal was caught again," Yuuri sighed in sympathy.
Wolfram calmly sipped his tea.
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Meanwhile, back in the laboratory, Anissina was clearing out the broken test tubes. Or at least it was a man who rather looked like Anissina. He was fairly tall and slim, with a build much like Gunter's.
In Gwendal's place was a strong, athletic-looking woman. She also had a considerably well-endowed chest, courtesy of her mother, most likely. If not for the nasty scowl, Anissina thought, the men would be all over her.
He smirked at Gwendal and spoke, "Come now, Gwen. It's not so bad. You're a beautiful woman."
"I don't want to be a beautiful woman! This will attract nothing but trouble!" Gwendal's voice was now a sultry contralto. She was close to hyperventilating.
Anissina walked over and Gwendal realized that they were about the same height, which was absolutely disturbing. Anissina had never been as tall as Gwendal in all the years they had known each other. It was just one of the rules of the universe.
The red-head poked a finger between Gwendal's furrowed brows. "You know, you'd be much cuter if you didn't wrinkle your forehead like that."
When there was no response, Anissina poked Gwen twice more.