DerbyGhost

It's another Heart in our build up towards Valentine's day! Hope you're enjoying it! We are getting closer towards the end of the story unfortunately, but fear not. We've still got a little bit to go with our lovely KT and enby friends.

“Gosh Jay, I don’t know. I haven’t done something like that in years,” I cringed a little bit at my sister’s use of my deadname but I understood why. I wanted to talk to her and tell her the good news in person. But to do that I had to freaking get her over here. And wow I was running out of patience. I’d been trying to coax her over with more homemade dinners for days, but apparently work was still kicking her ass. So out of desperation I had turned to the big guns, how could she say no when the adorable sister she never knew she had facetimed her and asked her very politely to come hang out at a bar with her. No strings attached, I’m not a puppet after all. 

“Please Audrey, it would mean a ton to me. And I can be myself at Three Card so we don’t have to worry about me getting negative attention because of my cat ears. We’ve never been out to a club together, and I think it would be fun. Please, please please pleaaaaase. Let’s just go out and have a ton of fun tonight! Kass says I’ve almost unraveled so it would be really neat to go out on the town to celebrate.” I gave her my best pouty face, something I’d been practicing recently with Kass. Zie’d be all “Juni you’re way too big to nap on the kitchen table now, and I’d just give hir the ol’ cutie face and zie’d be a melted mess. I know that with great power comes great responsibility, but it was so adorable I just couldn’t resist! The way zie would sputter and change hir mind and I’d wrap hir up in a big thank you hug. It was just nice. 

Apparently I’d been getting “cuter by the day” to quote my roommate, which of course just made me a big flustered blushing mess. But zie was right. The changes really seemed to be escalating. Every day something new caught my eye and I would find myself spending minutes looking in the mirror just trying to see what I could see. Some may call me vain, but when I spent the last 7 years of my life hating my reflection, it was such a joy to be able to look deep and see the real Juniper. 

I’d grown a little bit, now measuring in at about five feet two inches. Which means of course Kass had to return my old clothes and traded them in for something slightly more girly on my request. This time zie brought me the whole gauntlet of feminine apparel, and I was adoring it. Through trial and error and a little bit of practice I was able to sew holes in my pants and leggings to accommodate my tail. Since I had settled at this height so close to my time being over, Kass and I both assumed I wouldn’t be growing much anymore. I couldn’t wait for hir to be able to take me to the mall, for me to run my fingers over the different patterns and textures and figure out my style. 

As much as I loved dresses, and skirts, and things that went woosh when you spun around- I also enjoyed the tough big titty goth partner vibe that Kass was able to pull off. We were close to the same height so every now and then I’d pair one of my silky tops with hir rough sleeveless denim vests and just beam at how amazing I looked. For the first time in my transformation, I could really imagine a future for myself beyond being a KT. I could picture going out on dates with, well with someone and being this flirty, fun, overeager gal who couldn’t wait to see the whole world unfold in front of her. 

Every day was a new exploration, trying different clothes and styles. I even experimented with makeup, Kass gave me hir meager stash saying that zie wasn’t going to use it anymore. Not that zie needed it anyway. After a few frustrating attempts to put on eyeliner, I realized I was going to wait til I became fully human til I got to really practice that. The fur of my KT form was getting in the way. But that just gave me another thing to look forward to, so I didn’t mind. At least the lipstick and mascara worked, and I found that that alone could make a world of difference. 

My sister looked conflicted over the grainy feed of her webcam but that meant that my guilt plan was working. “Uh, gee I don’t know Jay. Let me talk to Stace, but she’s probably going to say no. . .” She really was drawing this out, I knew she wanted to go and she was weighing her responsibilities vs. a night of fun. I just had to say the right thing to tip her over the edge into coming out and celebrating my first official night as a girl. Maybe she just had to know how important this was to me. 

“Auds, I know I seem all goofy and carefree right now, but I genuinely mean that it would mean a lot to me. This is going to be my first gals and nonbinary pals night out, and I really want you to be there for it.” I smiled, hoping she would pick up what I was hinting at. 

“Gals and. . . Oh my God. Jay.” Her face lit up on the screen and I swear her whole body was vibrating.

“Yeah.”

“JAY!”

“YEAH!!”

“Do I have a sister, or a nonbinary sibling? Because either way I’m freaking out!” She flapped her hands in excitement, barely able to contain herself. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Juniper your sister.” If my whole body was visible I’d do a little curtsy but instead I had to settle for blowing a kiss her way.

“STACE! STACE COME HERE!” Audrey shouted, looking right out of frame. “Holy shit June, holy shit. Oh my God I’ve always wanted a sister and you’ve been here this whole time. Wow! This is just, well of course now I have to go out with you to the club. You knew exactly what you were doing to draw me out of my comfortable little nest for the night huh, you little brat.” She stuck her tongue out at me. “Oh my GOD June how dare you tell me this over the phone where I can’t smother you with hugs right now, missy. Oh my God does Kass know?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of been hard to hide.” I giggled thinking about all the close calls of having to scramble to put on a shirt because I forgot about my new additions. I know I’m cute and everything but I don’t think Kass wants to constantly see hir roommate topless. I don’t even know if zie was into girls, or catgirls even. Zie might be allergic! That would be awful. 

“Oh my gosh, does that mean what I think it means.”

“That I’m totes a girl and I’ve been wearing girl clothes like 25/7? Have had a girl name that I repressed due to childhood trauma, and have slowly and surely transformed to be more and more in a body that is typically associated with the lady-types? Yeah. Fuck yeah even.”

“Noooooo, that’s not it. I was just wondering if my little sis has gotten a visit from the boob fairy yet.” Audrey’s innocent smile turned devilish. “Does my sis have her own little boooooobies. Oh my Gosh do you have a training bra?”

“God Audrey shut up.”

“Awwww, do they hurt and do you keep banging them into a door?” She smirked at my pouty face, God she was loving this. 

“M-maybe. God you’re so embarrassing.”

“Remember when you made fun of me for accidentally smacking my own tits when mine were growing? Payback is a bitch, sis, and so am I.”

“I was like, 9 and jealous and didn’t even realize it. You’re a grown adult.”

“Which means I’m smart enough to come up with the perfect insults that will leave little June so embarrassed.” At that moment Stace plopped down on the couch next to Audrey, casually draping a hand around her shoulder. 

“Hey babe, what’s up?”

“Well I just wanted to reintroduce you to our new Maid of Honor, Juniper Lane. She’s my little sister and she has discovered how adorable she is and has apparently been using it for evil.”

Stace nodded, “As she should. Congrats Juniper, you are positively glowing.”

Audrey cocked her head at her wife, “Isn’t that something that people reserve for saying to like, pregnant women Stace?”

“Eh it felt like it fits. Besides what am I supposed to say? Congrats on girl? You said yourself that you bet you’d have a sister by the end of the mo-”

“Shhhhhhh.” I rolled my eyes as Audrey leapt on Stace and tried to cover her mouth with her hands. That lead to an impromptu wrestling match on the couch with Audrey on top panting and flushed. “Ha! I’m the victor here and the victor says shush. Oh also the victor says find a dress you like because we’re going to some dumb magic bar tonight to celebrate my new sister.”

“We get to go to a bar Audrey? Oh my God it’s been foreverrrr, I can’t wait. You keep telling me that we’d check out a new brewery soon but then you keep wrapping me up with cozy little mysteries and cuddles and now we get to do it? Hell yeah. Double hell yeah. I like you already, June.” Stace forced herself out from under Audrey and rushed off muttering to herself about what she was going to wear and how badly she needed to shave.

It was silent for a moment before I decided I probably should break the awkward quiet. “So uh, so you knew that I was a girl all along?”

“Not necessarily no,” she shook her head. “But I never really thought of you as a brother either. You always told me you hated it when I called you bro so we settled on sibby instead, even if it sounded a little too cutesy.”

I nodded, “I guess that makes sense.”

“And then when I came over last week and you were standing there all proud and beaming in that dress. Well, I knew there was no way you’d be going back to being a cis guy. It was like a switch was flipped and you were finally letting yourself out of your shell. You’re a little bit oblivious when it comes to your own thoughts, you know?” She laughed, “although I am too. I guess dealing with what we’ve dealt with, it makes it hard for you to care about yourself as much as you care about others, y’know.” 

“Yeah, you know mom and dad used to tell me I had no empathy?”

“What the fuck June? You’re like, the most empathetic person I know. God, sometimes I think they were just straight up projecting, right?” Sighing, Audrey shook her head. “But enough about them, they’re gone and you get to be yourself. Sooooo, you have to spill. What is a catgirl like you going to wear to the club?”

~~~

It was about thirty minutes til I faced the music at Three Card Monty, but there was no time for stress. I was too busy scurrying back and forth making sure everything was ready. We had a really nice light salad for dinner with some grilled chicken to give us enough energy for dancing. I had a shoulder strap bag all prepped with the essentials (or at least what Kass promised me were the essentials), and Kass had hir trademark fanny pack. During dinner zie gave me a quick run through of girl survival tips. Some of it I already knew, since I did go to different clubs a few times with my lady friends and helped look out for them, but some of it was new to me. 

Kass drilled into my head how important it was that I never leave my drink alone, and that I always watch the bartender make my drink as best I could. I had to take a little convincing that it was okay for me to go into a bathroom with other girls, but that was mostly my anxiety. What if I had to pee and then as soon as I stepped into the bathroom they realized I was a KT and then they found out I used to be a guy. All of the things that I had heard second hand about trans panic rushed back to me and gave me such an uneasy feeling in my stomach. But if I was going to exist as a woman I’d have to get used to being in women’s spaces. They were designed for me after all, even if they didn’t expect it to be used by a catgirl.

This was going to be my first official foray into the world of femmes and I was ready to live it up. I wanted to dance with my friends in a circle and laugh while I drank overpriced drinks that got me too tipsy too quickly, gently slurring that I loved them as they helped me stumble back home. It was a college experience that I never got to have, and yet here I was about to experience it. Well besides the getting too drunk part, I wanted to remember this night in its entirety. 

“Oh hey before we head out, I’ve got something for you!” Kass walked towards me, hiding something behind hir back. Zie was wearing this wicked cool denim jacket decorated with different pins and patches that zie had collected all throughout hir college career. It was like a scrapbook of our time together. All the concerts we had been to, the theme parks we blundered around, the protests and queer events that we made signs for. It was living history, and made me smile every time zie busted it out.

My jaw dropped as I realized zie was wearing nothing under hir denim jacket besides an elegant black bra, leaving nothing to the imagination. The soft curve of hir tummy was visible underneath the lace and I had to try not to stare at hir gorgeous creamy skin. The top (or lack thereof) was paired with tight black pants and some simple flats, not that zie needed anything else to make this outfit absolutely eye catching. It was such a queer and exciting choice, and it took my breath away. 

“Do, uh, do you like it Juni? I wanted to be a little bold.” Kass was nervous, fidgeting with hir pockets when zie thought I wasn’t looking.

“Oh my God Kass. Kass you look,” Okay so this was a tricky situation. I didn’t want to be so bold and tell hir that zie looked absolutely gorgeous. I didn’t want to make things weird, and as far as I know zie was wearing this so zie could bring someone home. But at the same time, there was no way a beautiful human being could wear something like this and not be showered in compliments by me because my heart is weak and I’m so intimidated by my gorgeous friend. Holy cow. And ah shit zie’s still looking at me waiting for a response and I’m just staying here slack jawed, zie probably thinks I’m a moron. “Kass you look amazing. Absolutely incredible. This is one of the strongest outfits I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

Whatever I said, it must have been the right thing because zie wouldn’t stop smiling. “Oh, I won’t activate it on the way to the club, but check this out.” Kass spun around in place and colors began coursing around the denim jacket. Lines of purple, yellow, black, and white spiralled and collided over the coarse fabric and made hir whole look like a one person rave. 

“Oh my God that’s so cool.”“Right? I cast it myself, you had to sew some runes into the jacket itself. I have the bandaids on my fingers to prove it.”

“You know I could have sewn that for you, dork.” I smiled, giving hir a playful shove.

“I know dingus, but sometimes you have to do things yourself, even if it extracts a little bit of a blood toll. It’s worth it.” Zie nodded at hir job well done. “And besides I look hot as hell in this soooo, totally worth it.”

“Oh my God yeah you are so fucking cute,” I blurted out, smacking my paws over my mouth before I said any other idiotic thing that came out of the horny lizard brain element of my mind.

“Speaking of fucking cute,” Zie said, circling around me appraising what I choose to wear. I felt even smaller than I had when I first transformed under hir hungry gaze. Part of me flared with pride as zie took in my choice, feeling like I was knocking this whole ‘being a girl and dressing up nice’ thing out of the park. I wasn’t reinventing the wheel when it came to my outfit choice. Instead I stuck with something tried and true, a short and slinky black dress. It really showed off my white fur and hung to my small chest in such an affirming way. I felt sexy, which is weird. Was I allowed to feel sexy? At this moment, while my best friend and roomy looked at me like I was a snack to be devoured, I decided that yes. Very yes, being sexy is a very good feeling. In fact I could get used to this. “Oh my God when I bought you this dress I didn’t think you’d wear it so soon, June. You look, well, you look good. You look so good.”

I blushed, “Th-thanks. I’m not used to this.”

“Being a girl?”

“Being so cute, I guess. Everyone keeps saying that and I just, I guess I’m sorting those feelings out. I have so many feelings right now and I don’t know if I want to laugh or cry or dance out of joy.” My ears flicked and my tail swooshed with joy, I was so overwhelmed by hir gaze, which still was directed right my way. How dare zie, doesn’t zie know that I was hopeless around cuties when I was a guy and I’m even worse now.

“Well there will be plenty of time to figure things out at a bar, but first, like I said, I had a gift.” Zie held out a rectangular box wrapped in glossy pink paper with a slight bow tied asymmetrically in the corner. Grabbing it, I used my nails to quickly rip through the paper eager to see what was inside.

The outside of the box had a symbol that I didn’t recognize, but I wasn’t necessarily up to date on all the latest fashions. You could have told me that it was Prada and I’d be like ‘oh yeah 100% makes sense.” Inside the box, however, cradled in a velvety fabric, was a black leather choker. I squealed, lifting it out of the box. It had a slight heft to it, and I eagerly scooped my curly brown hair out of the way and demanded that Kass put it on me.

“You know you’re going to have to learn how to do this on your own now, aren’t cats supposed to be flexible?” zie joked.

“Yeah yeah sure, look I figured out how to put on a bra just fine, I’ll handle the choker just fine in my own time. But for now since you’re my sponsor, you gotta take responsibility for me. I’m just a weak and helpless little kitten.” I let out a little meow to play up my goof while flashing hir my pitiful sad cat eyes. 

“Uh-huh. Well alright, June, go check yourself out in the mirror. I think you’ll like what you see.” I didn’t need to be told twice, I barely even refrained from rushing on all fours. It would have been bad for the dress, but sometimes these instincts are just dang hard to fight. Skidding to a stop, I looked at the girl in the mirror. 

I had gotten used to how I looked over the past few days, but now it was someone new. Someone who looked like me, without the fluff or the ears or the tail. She was just a normal girl, although her short height still made me look more like a college junior rather than a full blown graduated scholar. But she wasn’t feline, she was just me. I kind of missed the cat ears and tail, they were a huge part of me. I’d grown to love them, the balance that they provided. The way they expressed my emotions.

“Ah, I see that look on your face. You want them back already don’t you?” I don’t know how long Kass was watching me, but zie stepped over to the mirror and placed hir hand on my shoulder. “So this is a Beguilery choker. It’s a specific brand of glamour accessories that will help make sure people don’t freak out at your ‘cool cosplay’ until we get into Monty’s. It’s the more user friendly version compared to a Glamulet, which means anyone without magic can use it! All you have to do is tap twice and it will be back to your real self. And don’t worry, your tail and ears are still there when you have it on. They’re just invisible to the naked eye without at least a level 3 scrying spell. I uh, definitely paid extra for that because sometimes people can be real fuckers towards people with animal characteristics. Not as bad as knots, thank God.”

Staring into the mirror I suddenly noticed what it was that Kass had tapped to undo the glamour. It was a little metal heart attached to the collar with the word “Juniper” engraved on it in a fancy script. 

“I can’t believe you made this into an actual collar. Wow! Rude! But also adorable! Thank you so much Kass!!” Bounding over I lifted hir into a huge hug, tail smacking into the cabinets and door out of complete and total happiness. I could sense a purr building and I leaned into it, Kass was just so sweet and kind. I was so lucky to have hir in my life. This quick display of affection certainly wasn’t expected, as Kass was quite flush when I finally ended the physical contact. 

Smirking in a way that demonstrated that zie was desperately trying to keep hir cool, zie turned to leave the bathroom. “What can I say, I thought it fits, kitty. Now come on, we don’t want to keep your sister and her wife waiting. We’ve got a club to impress.”

DerbyGhost

She's coming out of her cage, and I have a feeling she'll be doing just fine.