So, after a pleasant walk through the bright remnants of autumn as winter was quickly closing in, I finally returned to my home, greeted my mother as she was preparing dinner, and made my way back to my bedroom. There I changed into something less… discomforting than what Maxxie dressed my body in, and then plopped my butt into my bungee chair, before loading up a Google Doc to get started on our self-appointed homework. …Or at least that was the plan until my mother knocked on my door.

She had her blonde hair tied in a bun, was dressed comfortably in a dark green sweater and beige pants, and had a concerned look on her face.

“Hey, I just wanted to make sure everything is alright with you.”

“Oh, everything’s fine,” I promptly replied, “I was in the midst of working on something with Maxxie, which is why I was a bit weird last night and this morning… I only wore those clothes per Maxxie’s request. I could give you the details, but it’s a long story.”

“…Okay then, I just want to make sure nothing’s wrong with my little sweetie.” She said as she wrapped me in her arms, giving me a small hug. 

With her satisfied, I began working on the document for, well, specifically for Maxxie, as she was going to be in my body in a few hours. Even though we were both seniors and knew the school incredibly well, I still made it a point to emphasize and over-explain certain details. Because I knew Maxxie was the sort who would space out when it came to important details like room numbers and teacher names. I was done with everything before dinner, and after dinner, I pretty much went about what I would be doing on a Sunday night. Which was far more mundane than the body swapping social experiment I was getting ready for mere minutes beforehand. 

I browsed through NeoGaf, checked my RSS feeds, and re-listened to an episode of The Comedy Button from a year ago, took a shower, and spent about two hours playing Trails in the Sky. By the time I was done, it was 23:00, and I figured that I may as well get my body rested for tomorrow. Truthfully, what I did that evening was a complete waste of the VD. However, the only person I could use it with was my mother and… it was weird enough being in the bodies of my friends.

After 20 restless minutes of staring up at the ceiling, trying not to worry about tomorrow, I entered a dreamless sleep, and found myself waking up early, with my clock reading 6:30.

I decided to not waste this opportunity to get everything ready, and began my morning routine. Going to the bathroom, brushing my teeth, combing my hair, grabbing an apple and some toast from the kitchen, double-checking my backpack, and finally getting dressed in my uniform. 

Yes, my high school has uniforms, but it didn’t do the sort of thing where you need to wear the exact same thing every single day for four years. There were five base uniforms for both winter and summer months, and you could customize them however you please, barring a few exceptions like shortening a skirt.

I personally kept it pretty simple throughout the years and put on a light blue dress shirt, beige dress pants, and a navy blazer. It’s pretty much the default male outfit but with a different color scheme. Actually, the default male outfit used to have a tie included, but people stopped wearing those, and now they only hand them out to students who specifically order one. 

Aside from Zoe, I can only think of four people who I have seen wear them regularly. The rest just stopped wearing them after the first few days, because what’s the point? I guess ties do offer some visual appeal and perhaps individuality in the dark side of the business world. Where you are viewed as a money absorbing leech by management and not a resourceful individual who is an asset in and of themselves. But that’s all I can think of.

Rant aside, I left for Maxxie’s place at 6:52, walking through the scattered leaves and taking in the light frost that was coating the grass and sidewalk.

I reached Maxxie’s house by seven, where I promptly rang the bell, hoping that my friend was as enthusiastic as I was and would be ready a little early. After thirty silent seconds, the door opened for me, revealing a tired and disheveled looking Babs. Her eyes were blank, her normally neat hair was an absolute mess, and her lavender nightgown had a broken shoulder strap, partially revealing one of her fairly large breasts. After taking a good look at me and realizing who I was, she immediately woke up from her half-asleep daze, pushed some hair out of her face, and greeted me.

“Oh, good morning Jad— I’m sorry about this, it was just going to be a relaxed night with drinks and a film, but— things got a little loose and…” Babs said, sounding uncharacteristically unnerved.

“No, no, it’s fine, Maxxie just wanted to meet up with me early today— she isn’t awake yet, is she?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“That girl never tells me these things… Would you mind waking her and Tyler up?” 

“Sure thing,” I said as I kicked off my shoes and made my way up to Maxxie’s room. 

Maxxie always looked to be at peace when she slept, and today was no exception, her blankets disheveled, one arm hanging halfway off the bed, and her face half-covered by her pillow. It was not graceful by any means, but it exemplified her charm and, well, I thought it was pretty cute, for whatever that’s worth. Part of me wanted to let her rest, but we had a schedule to keep, so I promptly shook her, which did nothing. In retaliation, I crawled into her bed with her and give her a hug. A move that caused her to stir in her sheets for a moment, before finally opening her eyes and greeting me with a smile.

“Oh, hey Jad. You just woke me up from one of my more effed up dreams.” Maxxie said as she began hugging me back.

“Oh boy, what was it this time?” I said, anticipating something dirty.

“Alright. So, it was one of my many sex dreams. You were down on your knees licking my kitten, I had a bit of an overload when it came to my juices, and they splattered all over your face. We laughed, but then you went face deep into my lady guts, shoving your head up where the sun don’t shine, when normally only a few fingers can fit up there. Your body, neck down, then began wiggling and contracting itself, collapsing into one big fat limb that shifted and changed into an 7XL-sized cock. The skin changed to match my color, and for some reason, your curly brown hair started poking out right above my new super sized schlong. Then I did a Kululu laugh, and you woke me up.”

After explaining her cock absorption dream, Maxxie rose out of bed, rejuvenated by her latest erotic fantasy.

“…You stayed up until 1 AM looking for weird smut, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. I found the Tumblr of some Brazilian girl by the name of Nono, or Regulos. Love her ideas, but her actual art’s pretty whatevs.” 

There were so many questions I could offer, but so little time…

“Look, we need to be out of here in twenty minutes, try to get ready ASAP. I’m going to wake Terra up.”

Terra was, by comparison, far easier to wake up, as a single tap on her shoulder caused her to roll over and turn her head to face me. I quickly told her that Babs slept in, and left her to prepare for another day of elementary school. 

With the Flare children woken up, I returned downstairs and ran into Babs, who was still in her nightgown, and clearly flustered. For a moment, I wondered if she was truly Babs, or if somebody had stolen the VD from me last night to specifically swap her with someone else. …But I was pretty sure nobody took the VD from me overnight. 

“Damn, it’s already 7:10… Jad, can you heat up some milk? I just need a minute to take care of something.” Babs said before scampering away, clearly assuming that I would say yes.

Verde: Heat up some milk?

Yeah, English is technically Babs’ second language, not that you’d know that based on her complete lack of an accent, but there are some odd phrases she picked up here and there over the years. 

Oh, wait, you mean the milk part. Yeah, long story short, instead of coffee or anything normal like that, Babs makes Maxxie a cup of ‘Cocoa Honey Milk Tea’ or ‘CHarM Tea’ to wake her up. It’s fairly self-explanatory. Milk tea mixed with a spoon of honey, and some sprinkles of milk chocolate that quickly melts and gives the drink a certain punch. She probably would have prepared me a cup yesterday, when I was in Maxxie’s body, but seeing as how I got up nice and early-ish, I figured she thought I was good to go.

Explanation aside, I started up the milk, Babs took it from there, and I waited at the front door for Maxxie to come down the stairs, which she did about 20 minutes after I woke her up. Being the creative type, Maxxie took full advantage of the school’s customizable uniforms and crafted herself a catalog of outfits she shifted between regularly. 

Today, she opted for a dress shirt she had dyed a soft pink and a violet blazer that was customized with larger pockets. She was also wearing a navy skirt, thigh-high leggings, and naturally a pair of modesty shorts. You know, in case any pervert decided to relish in a fetish that Maxxie, weirdly enough, did not understand.

“Sorry ‘bout that, Jad. But we put aside some extra time just in case, right?” Maxxie asked, still sounding a bit sleepy.

“Yes, but not much. We still need to pick up Zoe and Shiaka, you know,” I reminded her.

“Kay, just let me get my Charm Tea and I’ll get to it.”

“Right here, sunshine,” Babs said from behind Maxxie, planting a thermos in her hands.

“Thanks bunches, Babs!” Maxxie shouted right before she began taking a long swig of her drink, letting out a satisfied ‘ah.’

Energized, Maxxie promptly got ready, grabbed her car from the garage, and we headed to pick up our friends. We all got together, exchanged our information sheets while in the car, and eventually reached Oransen High School by 7:45.

“Alright, so today it’s Jad and Shiaka, Jad’s body and me, and then my body and Zoe, so you should take care of this li’l switcheroo, Z-meister!” Maxxie explained quickly, fueled by the power of her Charm Tea.

“I will… if you never call me that again,” Zoe told Maxxie.

“Deal. Just try not to get carried away with the powers you’ll receive. They have crushed sexier men than even yourself, you sexy-fficient specimen, you.” Maxxie quipped as she handed Zoe the VD.

“Sexy-fficient?” Shiaka repeated in confusion.

“A combination of sexy and efficient, where one’s sex appeal is beneficial to his general efficiency.” I recited, recalling Maxxie’s definition.

A second after I listed that definition, I felt a jolt through my body once again, and then found my senses fade away as my mind was being relocated into the person right next to me.

I reflexively shook my head as I regained consciousness, sending a few stray blonde hairs into my face. I lifted my right hand to push them away and was surprised not only by how soft Shiaka’s hair was, but how delicate her tiny hands felt. I brought the two of them together, taking a moment to relish in their shared softness, grinning as I did so.

I then looked downwards and examined my current body along with the uniform I was wearing. As much as I hate to say it, my attention was drawn to the chest. While I was somewhat used to having breasts after spending almost a full day in Maxxie’s body, it was still surprising to suddenly gain them. And it did not help that Shiaka was a bit… bigger than Maxxie, despite being a smaller person overall. 

As for the uniform, Shiaka pretty much stuck with a mostly black uniform with white stitchings and a yellow ribbon around the collar, along with some black stockings. It honestly looked a lot like the uniform from Persona 4. And that’s probably because I know who designed these uniforms, and she is a massive anime dork. Regardless, I always thought it looked nice, and have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how soft the fabric was as it touched my skin. Before I could delve deeper into observations, I was distracted by a satisfied chuckle from a very familiar voice.

“Why hello there my little friend, didja miss me?” Maxxie(J) said as she reached her hand down her newly acquired pants.

“Maxxie, is that really necessary?” Shiaka(Z) asked before taking in her new voice, grabbing her throat after speaking.

“Is what necessary, Zoe?” Zoe(M) replied to his former body, imitating Maxxie’s tone almost perfectly.

“Right— w-we probably should start using our body’s names,” I said, trying to get used to the softer voice and higher tones I had access to.

“In that case, Zoe, put the VD in the glove box. Maxxie, the key should be on your keyring, so lock it up in case daytime school-based burgle boys bust open your buggy.” Maxxie(J) instructed.

“Sure thing, J-Styles, but are you sure you’re feeling alright? ‘Snot that normal to see you so bubbly.” Zoe(M) pointed out.

“Right, right. I got up a bit early, and I guess a bit of your Maxxie-isms have been wearing off on me more than they normally do.” Maxxie(J) said, trying to match my tone.

“I locked up the VD, so are you guys— are you all ready for what will surely be a very… memorable Monday?” Shiaka(Z) asked, failing to capture her bodily persona as well as Maxxie(J) or Zoe(M). 

“No, I think everything’s fine. Do you want to meet up in the IRC or…” I answered, only to lead into another question, as that seemed like a very ‘Shiaka’ thing to do… 

Verde: Could you please define ‘IRC’?

Information Resource Center. It’s basically a computer lab crossed with a library with a couple of rooms that are reserved for clubs and the occasional class where the kids need to type. Actually, the desktop computers aren’t used that often since Oransen High implemented a laptop policy. Every student either needs to bring their own laptop, or they get stuck with a crappy little netbook provided by the school. The policy only went into effect for the class behind me, the class of 2016, so I’m ‘exempt’ from the policy.

Verde: Do you bring a laptop with you?

My mother convinced me into getting one last year, but I don’t like using it. It is heavy, takes up a lot of space in your backpack, and is overall harder to use than a desktop. And in case you wanted to know, Zoe lacks a laptop, as he views them as unnecessary when there are desktop computers readily available. Shiaka has a really nice one she got a year ago, and uses it for pretty much everything when given the opportunity. As for Maxxie, she had a tablet she used for a while, but she can be a bit of a klutz, dropped it a bunch, and after a while, it broke.

…Where was I? Right, leaving the car.

We all went off in separate directions after walking through the front door, heading to our current body’s designated locker, and grabbing what we needed.

This, naturally, led me to walk around school in Shiaka’s original body. Now, I wouldn’t say I was a very tall person normally, standing at 177 centimeters tall. But losing about twenty centimeters, and just barely passing five feet, it felt pretty weird. Everybody was taller than me. Everything was relatively bigger than I was used to. Plus, the act of carrying around the books I needed, along with the fairly heavy laptop I did not even use, made me realize just how… dainty I would be for the next few hours. I was used to carrying around a seven kilogram backpack day in and day out, but Shiaka had pretty much no upper body strength.

There was also the weight I was regularly reminded of on my chest. It would sway slightly or bounce as I made sudden movements, or become agitated when I briefly forgot I was sporting breasts and pushed something against my chest. I know, I know, why is this new to me, as I spent a day in Maxxie’s body? Well, because I was carrying more stuff and the breasts were… bigger than Maxxie’s. Both proportionally and in terms of sheer volume.

But if I am going to compare Maxxie and Shiaka’s body, I will have to say that Shiaka was overall a lot softer. Her entire body had a silky texture to it, and her hair— feeling it brush along my face and neck, titillating my skin, it was enough to bring a smirk to my face. It filled me with a warm, cozy, comfortable, reassuring feeling with every step I took, and every tilt of my head.

Verde: So breasts suck, but the hair is where it’s at?

Breasts exist so that women may feed their children, but because male animals normally judge a female’s attractiveness based on how cool their butt is. The problem is that humans walk upright, so breasts evolved to resemble butts… Maxxie told me this in, like, eighth grade, so sorry if I got something wrong.

Verde: No, that is a decent explanation, especially given the years since you heard it… Why do humans have hair though?

Um… I don’t know, but if I had to guess… hair was a carryover from the predecessor that would give way to the Genus of Homo, containing Homo Sapiens, Homo Erectus. A term that always brings forth a string of giggles in freshman Biology. But the name just means that they walked upright, and… a third one I cannot remember. 

Verde: Homo Habilis.

Thank you. Anyway, they likely had a lot of hair, but as humans evolved and split off into different regions, started wearing clothes and such, hair probably became less valuable, and as such began lessening. However, body hair is very genetically influenced, and—

Verde: You’re getting tangled in the weeds of detail, Jad. What ‘function’ does hair serve?

Oh, sorry about that. It likely acted as providing warmth, but then that changed and now its appeal is mostly visual. 

Verde: …And sensory as you pointed out.

Right, right… Say Verde, I… no nevermind..

Verde: Pardon?

…I know that this is not a very polite question, but I need to ask, how old are you?

Verde: I have existed for roughly three years now. Not that my age should matter.

I… No, how are you only three years old?

Verde: It is a technicality that I shall answer this question in due time. Ask once we have completed this story, and you will learn the origin of the Dusk.

You gave me that offer about… how long have we been going?

Verde: Roughly three hours, so I guess it would be ninety minutes ago. Regardless, I was simply reiterating that you will learn everything in due time. For now, please carry on to your first period.