Backflow part 3

The Plunge

Izumi had only taken control briefly when they’d first gotten the bracelet. Just long enough to prove that it had worked and to ask for some instructions. Then she’d let Jacob take over again.

And she let him stay in charge for the next week.

He wasn’t complaining. He had work to do and a life to live. However… he couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. She was awake from time to time, making soft requests for cucumbers or to watch a show he saw someone talking about online. Or mumbling odd comments about him seeming different sometimes.

That was all, though. She never asked to take over. Even though he felt boredom and loneliness from her.

“I’m done with my gig,” he said, taking the chance to lay down. “Feel free to take over for a bit… pretty sure I’m too drained after that client to do anything else today.”

‘That’s ok,’ came Izumi’s soft reply.

“Seriously, I’m not going to be doing anything,” he said, while mentally trying to offer her control.

Only to feel himself shoved back forward.

‘I’m fine,’ she said, though he could tell that she was lying.

“Alright. What’s the problem? Does Larka scare you? Because she’s honestly really nice,” he replied while studying the ceiling.

He briefly felt like it was weird to talk to someone without being able to see them, before remembering that was basically how phones worked, so maybe it wasn’t weird. He’d not mind if more of his Boom meetings with clients were phone calls instead. That way he wouldn’t need to put on a tie.

He felt a soft sigh from Izumi. ‘It’s… well, I do not wish to sound ungrateful for your kindness, but your… your body… it’s…’

Oh. Right. Of course she wouldn’t want to take control of a body like his. He’d been so busy with his client he’d forgotten that obvious fact. She’d want a girl body, and... honestly, who wouldn’t? At least for a little bit, to--

No. Right. He couldn’t think about that with Izumi right there.

“There’s… um… there’s new clinics they have that might sort of help?” he offered, trying to hold back his nervousness about such things.

This was for Izumi’s sake, not his. So it wasn’t dirty and perverted and… all that.

‘What sort of clinics?’

“Uh… alien ones. But they let you change your sex in one appointment. We could go tomorrow morning. I was going to take a couple days off work, so you can have the body for a bit,” Jacob replied. “Then, I think you can change back fairly easily when we swap back?”

He felt a bit of giddiness from Izumi and… something akin to mental nodding.

-

Actually walking into the Issiod’rian run clinic the next day proved to be rather more difficult than Jacob had expected. He’d had so much more confidence about the idea yesterday. Now, though, every bit of conditioning told him it was weird for a guy to want what he was about to ask for. And a misuse of resources.

It wasn’t for him, though. Izumi was genuinely a girl, and deserved the help. If he just repeated that to himself as he paced outside the clinic then he’d eventually work up the courage to go in, righ—

“Would you like some assistance?” a male voice asked, shaking him from his thoughts.

Turning, he saw a male Issiod’rian was poking his head out the door and looking at him with kindness in those yellow feline eyes.

Right. Because people who actually needed these services would be nervous too.

“I… it’s… I suppose I should come to actually explain it,” Jacob said, feeling a bit self conscious.

The clinic worker simply smiled and let him in.

“So,” Jacob began, after walking inside, “it’s not technically for me. I’ve got, um…”

He raised his wrist and pulled back the sleeve of his winter jacket to show the switch bracelet (that he normally tried to hide, feeling self conscious about it).

“I was trying out a VR set up my Kobaroian roommate put together for me, but… um… got a tag-along when I exited. And, well… she’s a girl. So… for her comfort, I thought… y’know, temporarily. And she’ll be running things the whole time. It’s nothing weird or anything.”

“Oh. That’s… of course. I’m surprised you managed to get a switch bracelet, though. The one Earthling system who works here only just got one through the company,” the Issiod’rian said in a gentle voice, eyes on Jacob’s wrist.

“Uh… my roommate found a used one?” Jacob replied.

The feline man nodded. “And, are you seeing anyone?”

Jacob had to blink at that. “I… how is that relevant?”

Was this guy flirting with him? That… didn’t seem very likely. He wasn’t exactly what you’d call a catch… maybe it had to do with the procedure? A check for STI risks?

“Ah, I did not mean to pry, I merely wished to offer you an Issiod’rian counselor, since Earth psychology is…. well, no offense, but it’s mildly horrifying. About as bad as your situation for gender here,” the man said.

“Oh. You meant—I thought you were talking about dating for some reason… do I need to see someone?” Jacob asked, feeling a bit foolish.

“It can be good for, like, conflict resolution lessons and such? We have some forms that you can fill out, since we also tend to have gender counselling. Just give me a moment to get them ready for you.”

Jacob nodded, heading over to take a seat in the waiting room. Waiting for a bit as the alien man filled out the paperwork, he slowly became aware of what was playing over the speakers. It sounded like music, but... alien. Which, well, made sense. It was an alien place.

It wasn’t really to Jacob’s taste, though.

“Mhm, yeah. New Year's music. Not really my thing either,” the Issiod’rian man said.

“New Year’s... music?” Jacob asked. “I... that’s... a thing?”

“Yes. Our homeworld has a much larger axial tilt, so the solstice is our biggest holiday. But they play the music much too long,” the man replied. “Anyhow, you just need to initial these forms and... actually, it should probably be your co-spirit’s signatures. Since she’ll be undergoing the actual procedure.”

“I... she doesn’t legally exist, though?” Jacob said. “Also... I think she’s seventee-”

‘You said that my manga ran for eight years, didn’t you?’ Izumi asked.

“Well, yes, but you didn’t have a birthday,” Jacob muttered.

‘I should have, though. Surely?’ she asked.

“I... maybe? Uh...”

“Well, if you both sign you can serve as legal guardian?” the man offered.

Jacob nodded, heading over to give the paperwork a quick reading over. Wanting to make sure he wasn’t signing his life away. It seemed legitimate enough. So he signed and then tried to nudge Izumi forward. Only for her to resist.

‘I was supposed to take over after the procedure?’ she asked.

“I can’t ask for that. I’m a guy. It’s... just... it has to be you,” Jacob whispered in a sharp tone.

Izumi felt a bit awkward, but accepted being nudged forward. She then signed the papers, accepting that Jacob thought they were reasonable. Especially since she got a bit of a headache trying to read English for too long. It was too different from the Japanese she was certain she could read (and Jacob had admitted was still present in some of the versions he’d had on his computer).

The attendant was then very polite, leading her to a small room with something like a dentist’s chair. The man then left her alone for a few moments before a second feline alien walked in. This one seemed to be female, and was quite nice as she ran an interesting little scanning wand up and down Izumi’s arms.

Though Izumi continued to do her best to not think about the body she had right now. It... well, she was sure it was fine for a man like Jacob but... oddly, thinking that seemed to get a protest from Jacob. It wasn’t really in words, just a... squirming.

“This will just take a moment,” the technician then said, pulling what Izumi had thought was a light over.

The woman turned it on, and it was bright. She closed her eyes.

“And you’re done,” the feline woman said.

Izumi opened her eyes, blinking. That couldn’t hav--oh.

Her chest was... that was quite a lot of chest. Standing up, the technician directed her towards a full length mirror.

There was a human woman looking back at her. She was quite pretty. And, well, plump. Which meant she had an actual chest and actual thighs. Like she’d always envied the older girls for.

She also didn’t have to worry about the water in her saucer anymore, which was so nice to be free of.

Really, even if being human felt a little strange, it was also... delightful.

“Thank you, Jacob,” she whispered, smiling at the reflection.

‘Please don’t wake me up when you’re like this,’ he replied.

She felt that response was a bit strong. She had been awake while the body was male... but, she supposed men and women were different. Or, at least... younger ones. She remembered everyone talking about men being more interested in that sort of stuff than women, but she also remembered the Countess chasing Ichiro around after getting drunk, so...

Her curiosity was pushed aside a bit when the technician then led her to another room. Or, more than a room, really. It was nearly large enough to be a store, filled with racks of clothing. A human woman stepped forward to help her, hunting for clothes that would fit and flatter her new figure.

Something she also found exciting. Kappa didn’t really wear clothing, and she’d always envied the other girls for that. But now she was a human girl. She could dress up in whatever she wanted.

Especially when the girl gave her the address to a store that specialised in ‘plus sized’ clothing over in Metrotown where she could get more outfits. She worried a little about spending too much of Jacob’s money, but she was sure he’d let her have one or two outfits. So she headed off, following the directions Jacob’s ‘phone’ gave her.

Something else that amazed her. She’d never even used a computer (since they didn’t mix with water), but she’d seen Ichiro use one. Yet his large computer that took up a whole desk couldn’t do half the things this little rectangle did. Calling it a telephone felt like insulting it to her.

-

After a long day of dealing with rather annoying customers, Larka was very glad to be home and frying some tasty sprugs.

She’d plated them and was heading to the table when the door opened. She turned to say hello to Jacob... only for an absolutely adorable young woman to walk into the apartment. The woman had short dark hair, pale skin, and large warm brown eyes. Not to mention generous proportions that battled with her cute face for Larka’s attention.

Needless to say, Larka’s jaw dropped. Her grip also loosened on her plate, leading it to tilt and spill the delicious balls of dough wrapped greens falling onto the floor. Not that she noticed as the new arrival turned to her with a large smile.

“Look! I’m so cute!” the woman said, excitedly waving her arms about.

It was only then that Larka noticed her bracelet. Which meant...

“I--Izumi?” she asked.

“Of course! Who else would I be?”

“I don’t know, but I didn’t...” Larka muttered, her cheeks growing flushed.

The idea that a bit of sex-swapping could make Jacob’s body look like that...

“You don’t need to be so embarrassed?” Izumi said, leaning forward. “I suppose Jacob didn’t tell you.”

Larka’s blush grew worse. “I’m not... I’m not embarrassed. You’re just... this is a mean trick for him to play on his poor lesbian roommate.”

“You’re a lesbian?” Izumi asked, eyes going wide.

“Uh, yes? Is... is that a problem?” Larka asked, raising an eyebrow of her own.

Right. Earth had only just started to properly accept all that again after a few centuries of odd discrimination. Had Izumi’s story been written too early for her to accept that? She did seem rather pale at the confirmation.

“I--w-well... it,” she stammered. “Isn’t it? I thought it... what does it actually mean? I know the older girls threw it around as an accusation a lot, but I never knew what it meant. It just sounded bad.”

Larka blinked. How sheltered was this girl?

“It, uh, it means a girl who likes girls,” Larka replied.

Izumi simply stared. “That must be why they said I was one when--or, do you mean like like?”

Larka nodded.

“That’s... and so you... so I am cute, then?” Izumi asked.

“V-very... which is also complicated by you being 17,” Larka muttered.

“Ugh... that again. I was apparently 17 for eight years. I think I’m allowed to say I’m at least eighteen now,” Izumi replied, waving her arms in frustration. “I remember Valentine’s Day happening multiple times. And New Year’s. And... and...”

To Lark’s surprise, Izumi then grabbed her head, seeming to be getting a headache. Unsure what it might mean, Larka put her plate on the table and then hurried to steady the younger woman.

The way Izumi’s face was scrunching up, Larka felt rather sure she was struggling with an issue that often struck downloaded fictionals. Her memories had hitched on plot holes and continuity errors. Always an unpleasant thing, from what Larka had read.

“It’s really all... it’s really all made up, isn’t it?” Izumi mumbled as she leaned over, against Larka’s chest.

“Sorry... I... I don’t really know what I can tell you to make it better,” Larka replied, gently stroking Izumi’s short hair.

“All the girls were... and Ichiro was... and... and... why do I even care about Ichiro so much?” Izumi managed, between sobs. “He... I mean, he was nice, sure, but he wasn’t... it wasn’t... that much.”

“You were a girl in a romcom manga. That seems to be about par for the course,” Larka replied, pulling her into a tighter hug.

“It’s so... it’s so.... What’s even the real me and what’s bad writing?” Izumu mumbled, her tears moistening Larka’s shirt.

“That’s for you to figure out. You get to choose,” Larka replied.

Struggling very hard not to share her opinion that everything she’d seen, having watched an episode or two of the anime, was bad writing. Sure, Kobaroians were known to not be the best with diplomacy, but even she could tell that wasn’t the best thing to say.

-

Izumi sat quietly on the couch, a tub of cucumber ice cream on her lap as she leaned against Larka. They were watching other romcom anime, ones she could firmly see as an outsider. A lesson in tropes, cliches, and bad writing that Izumi hoped she could learn from.

Or at least find amusing.

Though, as she started to fall asleep, not used to being truly awake for so long, she had to wonder at the way Larka kept saying girls in the shows were surely lesbians.