tent warningsmisgendering

  [colpse]Tales from the Basement: Fantasy2023 December 18Monday“Sebastian is correct,” Tabby says. “In addition to your testosterone suppression, for the past month and a half, we have been administerirogen, in appropriate doses, uhe pretense of giving you vitamin supplements. We io tinue doing so indefinitely.”

  Sebastian ot believe what he’s hearing. Of course, he’s thought about this sort of thing before. During moments of weakness, when his darkest desires could not be suppressed, he’d go to the more seedy parts of the i where amateur fiut, really—lentiful. He’d find some gender bender erotid take care of himself. Afterward, he’d tinue his self-appointed mission of making sure other young men with simir proclivities wouldn’t give in pletely and try to act out their fantasies in the real world.

  His taste in literature was obviously a vice. Many of these stories were degrading toward women, presenting the act of being one as one of the most shameful things imaginable. In others, the newly transformed girls might lose their sense of self, finding themselves inexplicably attracted to men for example, as if the author hadn’t even sidered lesbianism to be a possibility.

  Some of the uff avoided these tropes, but that came at the cost of it seeming too si was often written by mentally ill men instead of just the usual perverts and with the goal of ving others that being trans was an acceptable lifestyle. Sebastian would avoid these tter types of stories. It seems irrational but there was always the risk that these stories would somehow trick him too into thinking that he was already a woman instead of merely having the fantastic desire to bee one.

  What a fantasy, though. The transformations in most of these stories were perfect, doher through magic or some sort of mad sce. They were also involuntarily. If such a thio be forced upoian, then not even his own mother could find fault with him, right?

  Of course, the newer wave of fi cked on both of these ats; those being transformed often did so voluntarily and through ventional medical means. As his mother reminded him time and time again, such transformations could never result in one looking like a real woman.

  And that’s what makes Tabby’s annou so terrifying. Sebastian’s body might turn closer to the ideal, but no one will believe he is actually a woman. No one will accept what had happeo him. He’ll always look like some awful blend of man and woman, unreizable as either.

  The TV turns on, bringiian’s focus back to what is going on around him. The TV is showing a picture of Joe wearing a stupid hat and standing in a frankly ridiculous pose. It looks like Joe’s about to drop an Ameri football behind his back.

  “Joseph ‘Joe’ Thompson,” Tabby says. “een years old. Retly started studying psychology. A bigot with a short temper who thinks rules and responsibility for his as are cepts that don’t apply to him.”

  So Tabby is making an example out of Joe. It’s a shame. He’s one of only two other boys in the basement that are actually worth much—him and or. Yes, Joe’s attitude and opinions sucked at the time he arrived—Joe actually used to hold Jordaerson of all people as a role model—but at least Joe seemed ear in his opinions. And now that Bethany has gotten through to him, his opinions have been growing more tolerable day by day. Granted, if Bethany is anything like Pippa, Joe may start going too far iher dire, deg, for example, that trans “women” actually are women instead of mentally ill men.

  Joe has been involved in a lot of is, though, if Tabby and the list currently dispyed oV are to be believed. And nearly all of them involve LGB people. This calls Joe’s worth into question, but Joe’s attitude has been improving, and these is are growing less and less likely to be repeated. Plus, there are bigger issues to worry about, like Sebastian’s iable transformation into a mockery of womanhood.

  Joe interrupts Tabby’s speech with, “You stop now. I get the point.”

  Tabby responds, “I’m afraid I ’t, Joe, because this st eve illustrates exactly what we’re dealing with. It is, in fact, the event that brought you to our attention.”

  Good. Tabby’s almost done. After a quick bad forth between Tabby and Joe, the former starts to describe this st io the tter.

  “Oernoon of Friday, March 17th, you left your dorm room, intending to spend the weekend off campus with some friends. Shortly after you left, your roommate Lily O’or put on some feminine clothing and makeup to prepare for a cert that evening. Not that you khat was her the time.”

  It doesn’t take long to uand the implication: Joe’s former roommate “Lily” sidered himself trans.

  Tabby tinues, “Unfortunately, you had fotten something ba your room, so you opehe door and walked in unannounced, disc your ostensibly male roommate presenting as a woman. And then, Joe, you locked the door and started asking accusatory questions, ag as if her staying closeted was the same as her maliciously lying to you. She started making excuses for how she resenting in an effort to calm you down, and instead of you sidering for a single sed that maybe you were the reason she didn’t feel safe to share her truth, you smacked her so hard she fell over. And then you threateo escate further.”

  No. It was clear Joe had done some bad things in the past. After all, there had to be some reason the sponsors thought Joe was so dangerous he had to be brought in. This, though. His roommate hadn’t done anything to provoke physical violence like that except to express who he thought he was. What if… what if Joe somehow found out about Sebastian’s secret desires? Would the fact that Sebastian wasn’t ag them out actually keep him safe?

  Sebastian dares to sneak a g Joe to see if there’s any trace of remorse for what he did. Sebastian tries his hardest to maintain a straight face as he does so, but as soon as the two of them make eye tact, Joe starts to panic.

  Tabby’s story tinues: Joe’s roommate hits him with pepper spray.

  “Please stop,” Joe says.

  His roommate pushes past Joe and opens the door.

  “I expin.”

  His roommate runs into the hallway while yelling for help.

  “It’s not my fault.”

  Joe chases after his roommate and tackles him to the ground.

  “IT ’T BE MY FAULT!”

  Joe starts to swing his right arm up to knock Beth’s left hand off his shoulder.

  Bethany never raises her left arm above shoulder level, preferring, for example, to switch which hand is holdiaser when she o reach high into one of the on room ets. The way her arm doesn’t slide smoothly away from Joe’s strongly suggests her ck of arm movement hasn’t been by choice. She loses her band begins to topple over. One of the new women who came down for the annous yells, “Beth!” as Bethany crashes hard against the floor, droppiaser in the process.

  The woman who yelled fires her taser into Joe’s arm. When it’s clear Joe isn’t going to cause any additional harm, the same woman and a few of the others carry him out of the on room and in the dire of the cell block.

  Bethany slowly stands up, motions for Tabby to proceed with the presentation, and then limps toward the doors out of the on room, probably in search of first aid.

  Tabby looks over the room. It’s clear that everybody else, includiian, has been stunned into silence.

  “So… as I was saying before we were interrupted.”

  2023 December 22FridaySebastian has spent most of the st few days hiding in his room. It’s clear that Joe saw something in his expression during the annou on Monday, and it is not time yet for a one-on-one discussion about what it might mean.

  It’s too soon to talk to the sponsors, also. Pippa, despite her obvious disapproval of Sebastian’s oivities before he was kidnapped by Dorley, always acted so kind before. Now, though, she’s revealed her true colours. Her and the other sponsors have been lying to Sebastian this whole time, spiring to turn him into some kind of freak. And this is supposed to aid in his “rehabilitation”?

  There’s a kno Sebastian’s door. It’s probably Pippa, e to get on his case about not socializing with the others. Or to gloat about what they’re doing to him. The tter optio seem too likely, but her entire personality has been called into question.

  Sebastian stands up and opens the door. Sure enough, it’s Pippa.

  “Hi Seb,” Pippa says. “ I e in?”

  “Fine,” Sebastian says. “Take a seat wherever.”

  Sebastian sits on his bed while Pippa pulls the rolling chair out from under his desk, spins it to face him, and sits down. She’s wearing the same hand-made bracelet on her right arm that she always wears. Sebastian has asked her about it before, but she always deflects his questions like she’s embarrassed about it or something.

  “How are you doing?” she asks.

  “How do you think? You’re pnning to make us into facsimiles of women. Not just pnning; you’ve been actively w on it for months now. It’s sick, Pippa! It’s like you’re pying a game with our lives. It’s like… it’s like…”

  “Like something from a story?”

  “Yes! I mean…”

  “I haven’t read any of them myself, but some of the other sponsors were discussing the simirities.”

  Pippa rolls the chair to her left so she is fag Sebastian and his bed square on.

  “Seb… about Monday m. I uand what we told you about our pns setting.”

  “No shit.”

  “Right. But I’m curious about why you got most upset when Tabby was talking about Joe and his roommate.”

  “You noticed?”

  “Not at first. I was standing at the wrong angle, but Tabby told me to review the camera footage of the annou.

  “Seb, why did you look so afraid?”

  She ’t possibly suspeything, she?

  “Because… because Joe went too far. He physically hurt his roommate. I know you all think I was awful for what I said to trans ‘women’, but I never resorted to violence!”

  “Joe hurt other people as well—grahe only people he physically hurt were gay men—but those is didn’t seem to bother you nearly as much.”

  She’s getting too close.

  “Yes, Joe hurt some gay men, but his stan them has softened retly. I’m sure those kinds of is won’t be repeated.”

  “And you don’t think his stan trans people will soften, also? It’s almost like you sympathize with Lily more than the gay meacked. But what makes her different? Why did you care so much about what happeo her?”

  “Because I wish I was a woman, too, OK! And I was afraid of how Joe would react if he khat. Is that what you wao hear?

  “It’s just… I want it so badly.

  “I’d give up anything for it.”

  Shit. He really admitted it. Now Pippa knows, and soon everyone else will, too.

  She doesn’t gloat over seg the fession, though. Instead, she puts on a soft smile before addressiian again.

  “Seb, it sounds like we’re giving you exactly what you want.”

  “But it’s wrong! I’m a man, and nothing you do is going to ge that.”

  “Are you, though?”

  “Yes? Yes! I’m all hairy and tall. I have XY osomes, I assume. I have a dick for Christ’s sake!”

  Sebastian tinues, “And I know what yoing to say. That what matters is what I choose to believe or whatever. But I ’t just pretend like I’m a woman. It’s wrong!”

  Pippa starts pying with her bracelet.

  “How is it wrong, Seb? You being a woman wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

  “Of course it would. Women—real women like you—put up with so much that men like me don’t have to. That’s what makes you different. How dare I try to sneak into your unity? I haven’t earhe right!”

  Pippa’s expression turns stern, and her voice drops a little. “That’s a bunch of ess and you know it! Do you think my womanhood is based purely on suffering? Do you reduce all women like that?”

  “No, I just…”

  “And regardless, did you really enjoy all the privileges of being a “man”? The expectations? Being automatically lumped in with the “other” boys instead of the girls you wished you could be like?”

  “No… I didn’t. I hated every moment of it.

  “But, Pippa, even if you were right—that it really is OK for me to just be a woman—it’s not like I’d be accepted. Everyone would know who I reallywas. There’s always a tell.”

  Pippa fails to stifle a ugh at Sebastian’s proposition.

  “What’s so funny?” Sebastian asks.

  “Sorry. I promise I’m not ughing at your about others knowing. A lot of people would tell you it shouldn’t matter—and maybe they’re right—but with the world we live in, it absolutely does.”

  She says, “I was ughing at the idea that you always tell.”

  “What? You know some women who transitioned, and you think they ‘pass’?”

  “A few.”

  Pippa stops fidgeting with her bracelet and looks up at Sebastian.

  “Seb,” she says. “I think it’s time for me to tell you about my bracelet.”