Author's Note: That's right, I've gone to the dark side—I've written a genderbender XD Now, I know what you're thinking (at least, I know what I would think), but hopefully I can allay your misgivings a little. I've seen plenty of genderbenders floating around, most of which choose to bend Ed's gender. Nine times out of ten, it seems like this is just a thinly-veiled excuse to pursue a romance with a character who apparently becomes an option as soon as their gender is reversed...*cough*RoyEd*cough*...but no one's managed to convince me yet that simply switching somebody's gender can change their personality so completely that such things would magically work out. So no, this fic is not an excuse to pair anybody up non-canonically and implausibly. Nor is it an excuse to get on a militant feminist soapbox (or a militant anti-feminist one, for that matter) and rant about injustices and prejudices. If you want either of those things, please look elsewhere.
I've been toying around with genderbender ideas for years now, first just as an idle joke, but gradually I've grown more and more interested with exploring this concept. At first, I was more inclined to bend everyone's gender, because I don't like doing things by halves. But pretty soon, I realized that while that would be a hilarious and fun exercise to do in a visual medium (*hint hint*), it would just end up...weird in a serious story setting. I mean, just think about how different it would feel if Hohenheim and Trisha's genders were switched, for example. Or try to imagine how "Alexis Louisa" Armstrong would act *shudder* It would be fascinating to see what the story would look like if everyone's genders were flipped, because you would have to alter the entire society of the country...but that's just way too daunting for me to contemplate x.x (But I'm still rather fond of some of the names I came up with, especially "Regina Mustang" and "Rizel Hawkeye." I may do something with that eventually, we'll see...)
So instead, I settled for being a bit more arbitrary than I'd like, but hopefully not too illogical: I've flipped the genders of the Elric brothers and Winry. I was on the fence about Winry for a while, but eventually I decided their relationship would actually be a lot more interesting to explore like this. Genderbent!Winry is not in this chapter except for one brief mention, but I think you'll see what I mean in future chapters.
Which brings me to another point that I should probably make clear at the outset: This is going to be a series of oneshots, all set in this genderbent AU, in no particular order and posted whenever I happen to get the inspiration and write them. I'm happy to hear any suggestions or requests you might have for future chapters—whether scenes from the original story, or just scenarios like this one that you think would be interesting to see from the perspective of a different gender. This will generally be following the manga/Brotherhood line of events.
Hope you enjoy my little exploration, and Happy FMA Day!
Every September, the military hosted a formal dance as part of King Bradley's inspection of East City. Every soldier not on active duty was required to attend. Roy Mustang tried not to resent this too much; even though it was like the Fuhrer was flaunting his exalted position, the gathering of so many influential officers gave Roy a rare opportunity to make connections and subtly maneuver himself closer to a springboard from which he could take that exalted position for himself.
Soldiers were allowed to bring one companion to these affairs, so Roy had rounded up several of his adopted sisters from the bar in Central and handed them off to his men. Havoc had been a little disgruntled at first, since he already had a girlfriend, but Georgette soon had him smiling again. He and Breda would play a carefully-staged game of rivalry specifically designed to attract the attention of a general who liked tall, willowy blondes like Georgette. She would crack him open like a raw egg and make him spill all his secrets.
Poor Fury had the task of dancing with Pauline until she could pretend he'd offended her and one particular colonel could jump in gallantly to save her, listen to her woes, and keep far away from the colonel Roy needed to talk to, with Celeste hanging on his arm to charm them all until the colonel's wife invited them to dinner. Getting on that colonel's good books would be essential for Roy's plans in October. Falman had volunteered to be part of the security detail, and he would casually station himself within earshot of the Fuhrer, so he would be able to report every bit of conversation that went on.
Hawkeye played the most dangerous game, plying a major for information when they all knew he'd been staring at her hungrily for weeks. Roy wanted nothing more than to burn his face off, but he knew Hawkeye could take care of herself. And they needed information that only he could give them.
None of them were exactly relaxed; there was too much depending on the role each of them had to play. But by now, they'd done this enough times that none of them were nervous either (except perhaps Fury, who was already sweating and blushed bright red every time the beautiful Pauline looked in his direction). Roy was standing around chatting with Havoc and Georgette, waiting for a good time to start mingling his way toward the colonel. The music hadn't started yet, so they had a few minutes of respite before they had to get to work.
Because he had his back to the door, he didn't see what made Havoc stop short in the middle of his sentence and gape so widely his toothpick (a replacement for the usual cigarette) nearly fell out of his mouth. Roy turned around in confusion, not sure what he was expecting to see, but when he did his own jaw dropped open stupidly.
The first thing that caught his eye was Addie, of course—it was kind of hard to overlook a seven-foot-tall suit of armor. But as his eyes trailed down to the girl at her side, he had to blink several times to be sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. A pretty, skinny girl of fourteen stood at Addie's side, wearing a bright red dress that swept down her lithe frame from only one shoulder, leaving her automail arm bare from fingertips to shoulder. It gleamed in the light from the chandeliers, polished to perfection. Her hair, which Roy was so used to seeing in a messy braid dangling halfway down her back, had been piled atop her head in an elaborate bun, her usually-messy bangs falling in delicate ringlets around her face. She wore a necklace of some sort, and if he wasn't mistaken...lipstick.
Roy didn't manage to find his voice until the two wandered over, looking relieved to see some familiar faces. "Full Metal?"
Scowling up at him, she crossed her arms over her chest (and since when had she had any shape to her chest?) and griped, "What?"
He opened his mouth, closed it again, then finally figured out how to use his vocal cords. "El...you're beautiful."
She blushed almost as bright red as her dress, frowned, then tried to hide how flustered she was with a muttered, "Pervert."
"Sister," Addie admonished gently.
But Roy noticed as El looked away and impatiently blew a ringlet out of her face that her eyes were full of tears. And in a burst of clarity, it hit him: Had no one ever told her she was beautiful?
It made sense, he realized as Havoc joked around with the Elric sisters. Surely their mother would have told both of them they were beautiful, but she had died when they were both so young. And their father had never been around to tell them. They'd grown up with the Rockbells, who were as loving as family...but would either of them ever have reason to tell El she was beautiful? He remembered Madame Christmas telling him once that her only regret was that none of her daughters had a father to tell them they were beautiful. Somehow, it meant something special, coming from a father.
With a trill of strings, the music started up and couples started moving out onto the dance floor. Havoc sighed and glanced around to find Breda. "Guess it's time to get to work."
El raised an eyebrow. "You're working at a party?"
"Hey, Boss," Havoc said with a pout, "how come she didn't get an assignment?"
"Because I didn't think she'd be able to make it. She did just snap her leg in two last Tuesday."
El snorted again. "Never underestimate my mechanic." She hiked up her skirt in a very unladylike fashion and wiggled her automail toes to demonstrate. "Hawkeye fitted me out with this dress and everything, but my automail wouldn't fit in this stupid shoe." She stomped her real foot, which was encased in a sparkly red high-heeled shoe. "So Win made this cool detachable heel, see?" Leaning on Addie to keep her balance, she unscrewed a pointy heel from her left foot and showed it off. "This way I'll have one in case I ever have to go to one of these stupid things again."
El had never attended one of these dances; the previous two years, she'd been off on a mission or stuck in the hospital. He'd have to think of a task appropriate for her skills for next time—and one that her temper wouldn't jeopardize completely. Speaking of which...
"All right, enough chit-chat, Havoc."
Havoc sighed and offered his arm to Georgette. "Off to the battlefield."
"Good," El said, screwing her heel back in. "I'm gonna hit the food. You get a plate too, Addie, then I won't look like such a pig."
Roy smiled fondly as the Elric sisters wandered over to the table, then led Celeste onto the dance floor.
"So that's the famous Elaine Elric you're always talking about," Celeste said as they stepped effortlessly into the rhythm of a waltz. "She's a real doll."
Roy laughed. "A doll that would break your fingers if she heard you describe her like that. Just make sure you never say the word 'cute' in her presence," he added in an undertone.
Celeste giggled as he twirled her around. "I have to admit, I was surprised. The pictures in the papers almost make her look like a boy!"
"She does that intentionally." Roy glanced over Celeste's shoulder at the Elric sisters, who were returning to the table with plates of food. Addie was carrying two, which he knew El would steal from when no one was looking, so it would seem like Addie was eating too. He didn't understand how she could eat so much and stay so skinny, but he supposed her metabolism had to work fast to keep up with her high-strung lifestyle. "You have to remember, she's a teenage girl trying to make her way in the military. Most men either dismiss her or try to take advantage of her. In order to protect herself, she has to make people forget she's a girl. She wants them to remember her as a powerful alchemist they don't want to cross, not as a cute little girl playing at being a soldier."
As they continued to dance, a small, knowing smile played around Celeste's mouth.
He frowned. "What?"
"I think it's great, what you're doing for her."
"Oh? What am I doing?"
"Giving her a father."
Roy missed a step and stumbled to get back into the rhythm of the dance. "What?"
Celeste laughed the low, mysterious laugh that attracted so many men. "Just think about it, Roy. You protect her, you guide her, you give her opportunities to succeed. And you called her beautiful. Every girl needs to hear that at least once."
There was a certain wistfulness to her expression that made Roy realize Madame Christmas had been right. Celeste had never known her father either. She, like the rest of the girls Madame Christmas had raised, were the illegitimate daughters of prostitutes. She had offered them a warm, loving home and a way to earn money without having to go the way of their mothers. But one thing they had always lacked was a father.
As the song came to an end, Roy pulled Celeste close and murmured in her ear, "I know this won't mean much coming from your kid brother, but you're beautiful too."
Celeste pulled away, giggling and batting her eyelashes as she played her role. "My, Roy, you're such a charmer!"
For the next couple of hours, Roy kept busy with the job at hand. As he joked and made small talk with countless officials, he kept an eye on his men. As he danced with the colonel's wife, making sure to flatter her till she was practically breathless, he noticed Georgette was dancing with the general, while Havoc and Breda both watched her sulkily. At least that was going well. He also noticed Hawkeye dancing with her man, and tried to feel happy that they appeared to be deep in conversation.
But finally, he had secured an invitation to the colonel's house, finished the last of his conversations, and headed back to the table to let Celeste rest her feet after all that dancing. The Elric sisters still sat there, and Fury had joined them. Roy noticed Pauline chatting with a few men over by the punch bowl. Hawkeye was still out on the dance floor, moving gracefully in the long, high-necked dress she wore for the occasion. If only the mission weren't so essential, maybe that could have been him.
"This is so boring," El moaned as they sat down. All three plates of food were empty, and she leaned back in her chair, her head lolling backwards and her hair beginning to trail out of her bun.
"Next time, I'll be sure to give you an assignment."
El groaned loudly.
Havoc had apparently grown bored, because he wandered over to the table and knocked his knuckles against Addie's hollow shoulder. When she turned to see who it was, he bowed with a flourish and said in a formal tone, "May I have this dance?"
"Oh...um...I don't...think that would be such a great idea," Addie said awkwardly, glancing between Havoc and the dance floor, which was beginning to thin out a little. "I don't know how to dance."
"Don't worry, I'll teach you." Havoc grabbed one of her huge hands and pulled her to her feet. "I'm actually pretty good at dancing, if I do say so myself."
"Oh, I don't know..." Addie protested, but Havoc didn't listen. He grabbed her hands, hauled her to her feet, and dragged her onto the dance floor. Soon, they were clomping around, Havoc keeping up a steady stream of instructions.
El watched them with a wistful smile. "I'm glad he did that," she said softly. "Hardly anybody treats her like a girl anymore."
And what about you, Full Metal? Roy wanted to ask. Does anyone treat you like Elaine Elric anymore, or are you just a State Alchemist? Abruptly, he stood up. "Come," he said, holding out his hand. "Let's dance too."
"W-What?" El spluttered, flushing bright red again. "No way am I dancing with you! Besides, I don't know how to dance either!"
Roy raised an eyebrow. "Are you really going to disobey a direct order from your superior officer—here, in front of the Fuhrer himself?"
Grumbling under her breath, El reluctantly allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. She refused to let him take her hand until they faced each other and Roy told her how to get into position. Scowling and blushing deeper than ever, she placed her left hand on his shoulder and let him clasp her metal hand in his.
"Left, right, left..." Roy murmured, leading her through the steps of this slow, steady dance. "Turn... Right, left, right..."
El stumbled at first, almost tripping over her high heels, but she frowned down at their feet and tried to mimic what Roy was doing. She had excellent footwork from her training in martial arts, and besides that she was a genius. Before too long, she got the hang of it and raised her head again.
Roy waited until she met his eyes, then smiled. "You see? It's not so bad."
"It's okay, I guess," she grudgingly conceded. "I'd still rather be in the library doing something useful." She glanced over Roy's shoulder, and her expression softened. "But at least Addie's having fun for a change."
The next time they turned, Roy spotted Addie and Havoc dancing in one corner of the dance floor, laughing helplessly as Havoc had to do a little hop to get their arms high enough for Addie to twirl. They had completely lost the rhythm of the music, but they didn't seem to mind. The music built up to a crescendo, and El twirled at just the right moment. Her bright red skirt flared around her, her blonde hair glistened in the candlelight, and her raised right arm glittered like it was made of diamond rather than steel. Roy surprised her with an extra spin, and she let out a breathless laugh as she came to a stop and put her hand on his shoulder again. Her golden eyes were bright with joy, startled from their usual grumpiness.
"I meant what I said earlier, you know," he said as they continued their dance.
He could tell by the furtive way she glanced up at him and then back down that she knew exactly what he was referring to. She gave an unconvincing roll of her eyes and said, "Pssh. Right. I'm sure I look just ravishing with all these scars."
Roy glanced down at the puckered skin around her shoulder port. Automail had to be screwed into the bone and nerve endings had to be grafted into copper wires. The whole process sounded extremely painful, so it was no wonder it left scars. Roy had seen them plenty of times before, when El had been in the hospital or had to get automail repairs. He'd never thought much of them before, other than sympathy for the pain she must have gone through, but now he realized what such scars must mean for a young girl like her.
"You're a beautiful young woman, Elaine," he said firmly. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
El came to a stop, even though the dance wasn't quite over yet. Her eyes filled and she glanced around, as if trying to figure out where to look. "No one's...ever..." She stopped short, biting her lip and staring down at her feet.
"Well, they should."
As the musicians struck up another tune, this one livelier than the last, El hastily swiped her hand across her eyes and sniffled. "How about this next dance? It sounds fun."
And so Roy danced and danced, till his feet were sore and El began to laugh again.