Waking up the next morning felt like a multi-step process where every section had to be done absolutely right or the whole thing would fail. When finally hauled myself to as close as conscious as I was going to get, I was hit by the vague memories of what had happened last night. I scrambled under the covers, my heart rate exceeding escape velocity almost instantly. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I’d Emerged last night!

My hands though, found no huge breasts, and instead came across a flat male chest. Travelling further down, my hands bumped into something I hadn’t altogether been upset about losing. My dick was back, which meant I was back to being my old male self. I was my normal male self in bed with Brook.

I scrambled again, looking over to see if she was awake, my eyes wide with panic. She was blinking at me in confusion, reaching up to rub at her eyes. Shit, where were my glasses? I felt around for them and then stuck them on my face just in time to catch the moment she realised that I was in her bed as my old self.

“Coby?!” she squeaked in uncharacteristic embarrassed surprise.

“H-hi Brook…” I breathed. Oh shit.

“Weren’t you a cute girl last night?” she asked in disbelief.

I nodded slowly, not trusting my voice right now.

“And now you’re not?” she whispered.

I nodded again.

“Why?”

I took a calming breath and spoke, “I don’t know…”

“It’s going to be really awkward if you have one of those powers that swaps randomly back and forth,” she murmured.

“Yeah, you’re telling me. If I swap back and forth from day to day it’s going to be really hard to function,” I sighed.

“Yeah… that…” she said, her cheeks flushing slightly.

I flopped back into the pillow and sighed, trying to gather the energy to get out of the bed. I’d thought I wanted to go back to being a guy, and in most ways it was a hell of a lot easier, but I found myself strangely depressed about being back in this body. I frowned, but couldn’t come up with any answers about that. Maybe it was an Emerged thing?

Struggling out of the sheets, which seemed to have wrapped themselves around my feet during the night, I stumbled out of the bed as Brook laughed at my clumsiness. I wished she wouldn’t laugh at it so much, I was pretty damn insecure about it.

As though it had decided that moment was the one it needed to truly humiliate me in front of my friend, my clumsy nature took charge. I kicked the foot of the bed and stumbled in pain, my foot catching on my discarded jeans. My arms windmilled as my balance failed me and I desperately staggered trying to regain it. My efforts to stop my descent to the ground were thwarted when my heel came down badly and I lost all control of my momentum.

As I was falling, I felt something strange crackle within me and suddenly I was no longer falling, but halfway through a cartwheel. I tumbled artfully, my legs arcing gracefully through the air before landing solidly back on the floor. My strange display of unnatural dexterity wasn’t finished yet however, as I twirled once around on one foot. Extending my arms in what was meant to be a balancing maneuver, I instead finished my acrobatics display with a flourish.

I stood there breathing heavily as Brook, who was still in bed, gaped at me in awe. It was only a moment later that I realised I could see something down in my peripheral vision. My boobs were back. I was a girl again. What the fuck?

“Coby? I mean… Elsie? What… what was that?” she asked, her voice bubbling up in a laugh of disbelief.

“I don’t know!” I squeaked, still holding my pose.

A grin spread across her face, “I think you might have a really weird power there Els!”

“Y-yeah,” I giggled, allowing my arms to flop down to my sides.

After that, I couldn’t stop giggling, my whole body shaking as a combination of the odd power I seemed to have and a strange euphoria that swept over me in a rush. I relaxed my legs, letting myself fall straight to the ground in a happy little heap. Whatever strange powers that now dwelled within me interfered again, and I found myself sitting with my legs crossed. My giggle fit only redoubled at the absurdity of everything.

Brook hopped out of bed and knelt in front of me, affection swelling in her eyes as she laughed along with me, “Shit you’re too cute when you’re like this Elsie. Too damn cute for your own good.”

“Shut up!” I laughed, a blush flowering across my face.

“Opsies, there you go again!” she teased.

I grumbled and put on a show of being disgruntled, but my ability to act broke down too fast and I found myself giggling all over again. My merriment was interrupted by my phone going off as it received a message. Who was sending me a message? I reached over to my jeans and retrieved my phone from it, unlocking it to view the text.

Madeline: Hello! I’m the girl you met last night behind that shed, I thought you were really cool and I liked how you listened to my talking about the ruins and the way you were so pretty and I want to be friends.

Oh crap! I forgot I exchanged numbers with her! Damn, though, was she still drunk? That was one rambling message.

Elsie: I remember! It was so much fun to hang out. I would like to be friends, yes.

I sent my message, and looked up to find an inquisitive Brook.

“Who’s that?” she asked.

“Um… it was Maddy, the girl from last night,” I said shyly.

Her eyes went wide, and a smile followed as she said, “You got her number?!”

“Y-yeah, she asked me for it…” I blushed, dropping my phone into my lap and poking aimlessly at it with a slender finger.

Brook snorted and shook her head, “Of course she asked you for your number. You’re far too anxious and shy to do the asking.”

“I am no- Damn, okay yeah…” I said, trying to disagree but realising that was a lost cause.

“Good girl,” Brook laughed, fluffing my hair as she got up, “So, breakfast now?”

“Sure… why not?”

“I don’t know, you tell me why not,” she laughed again.

I pouted up at her, “Brooooook! That was lame!”

** If you are not reading this on SH, it has been stolen. My author alias is QuietValerie. Come find me! **

Over breakfast, which turned out to be an omelette, I texted back and forth with Maddy. She seemed to constantly fluctuate between two states, energetic rambling and shy emoji filled hieroglyphics.

Madeline: Thank you! You’re the best!

Elsie: Thanks. Haha.

Madeline: So what are you doing now? I mean, like besides texting me hehe.

Elsie: My friend made breakfast. I’m eating it. It’s yum!

Madeline: ( �oωo`)_且
Madeline: I’m having breakfast too! Om nom nom! It’s just cereal tho…

Elsie: Aw damn. No eggs and bacon?

Madeline: Not for me no… my mum is vegan.

Elsie: Um, good for her I guess. And bad for you weehh…

Madeline: IKR. I want a burger or something I’m hungry for something fillinggggg~

Elsie: Yeah that sounds yum as.

Madeline: I might go and get one soon… I really really like the BK chicken, I don’t know why! I just eat it and it makes me happy. I think it’s like totally my comfort food or something. I mean, besides like chocolate and the normal stuff. Wait is burger king normal comfort food too?

Elsie: yay! You get that yum food. Hangover food!

Madeline: Yeah, sucks tho I always get worried going alone. (╥_╥)

Elsie: Saaaame. Going outside is scary!

Madeline: Yeah totally. I think I might try and brave it though… go to the burger king in the galleria.

Elsie: No! Don’t go there! It’s the day after an Emergence, things are probably super crazy!

Madeline: But I want buuuurger kiiiing!

Elsie: Go to the one in port chester if you’re close enough. It might be less crazy there

Madeline: Okay… Gah wish I wasn’t alone tho…

I had to stop when Brook nudged me, “Elsie you’re not eating, come on. We should get you down to the OMR offices right away.”

“Why?” I said in alarm, my heart skipping a beat.

“Well, you like being Elsie right?” she asked kindly.

“Yeah… but…” I mumbled.

She sighed, “No buts little girl, you need people to recognise you as who you were before, at least officially.”

“But this isn’t what I’m meant to look like!” I exclaimed.

“Elsie… what you’re meant to look like, is what you want to look like. Don’t let your Dad’s shitty outlook on the world dictate how you do things. You can swap back and forward, so figure out how to control it and then use whatever body you need at the time,” she lectured me gently, rubbing my shoulder soothingly.

“O-okay,” I agreed with a shuddering breath. My life had just gotten a lot more complicated.

****

We’d swapped out my shoes for some of Brook’s, which were still too big, but she has small feet for her size, so double socks fixed things somewhat. We’d also swapped out my huge jeans for a pair of her tight denim shorts, which I am almost ashamed to say were a bit too tight on me.

I’d tried to resist the other outfit alteration at first, but after Brook had demonstrated the need for the change by having me do jumping jacks, I had complied and worn one of her sports bras. I had been surprised at how much it helped, although again it was too tight. I knew she was going to make me buy bras and other girl stuff at some point, and I was dreading it.

When we finally got on the bus, it was one to Port Chester. We were going to the OMR office there for the same reason I’d told Maddy to go to the burger king down here. We figured things would be less hectic than the White Plains one. The office was just a small one as far as I knew, but it would do for now.

Brook had insisted I sit next to the window so that I was safer, although I wasn’t sure what she thought she was protecting me from. Still, she was the girl who’d ridden public transport before. I’d only done it as a guy.

Arriving in the center of Port Chester, we hopped off the bus and Brook steered me towards the office, which was a block and a half away. The walk there started out fine for me, but then I quickly became more and more anxious. All around us, there were minor signs of the damage the Emergence had done. We saw a shop front with it’s window smashed, and a car that had been crushed flat my something. High up on one of the walls was a scorch mark that had melted some of the old brick that the building was constructed out of.

Thankfully, despite my mounting fear, we made it to the OMR office that took up the first and second floor of a three storey brick building, and pushed our way inside. The interior was much more modern than the exterior, and a long reception desk faced us. There was a small line that was dwindling as we watched. People were being led away through a door as they came up to the desk. Brook and I joined the line and waited.

Five minutes later it was our turn, and a chirpy woman in her early thirties greeted us, “Hello! I assume you are here because one or both of you Emerged last night?”

I blinked, trying desperately not to stare at her cat ears, and the momentary flash of a tail I saw lazily wiggling behind her.

“Y-yes, it was uhm, it was me who emerged,” I blurted after being nudged by Brook.

“Alright then, please follow me and we’ll get you sorted!” she smiled, walking over and holding a door open.

“Can my friend come too?” I asked nervously, looking up at Brook.

“You can have any support people you’d like to bring,” the cat girl nodded.

“Thankyou!” I sighed in relief.

With that we followed her through the door and briefly into a brick lined corridor, then into an office. The office was fairly large as far as single offices went, and there was a section of flooring that was plated in steel.

“Please stand on the metal plate if you would,” she smiled.

“What’s it do?” asked Brook with suspicion.

“Absolutely nothing malicious, it’s there as a small safety measure in case your friend’s powers break something, as well as a helpful tool to draw out control of someone’s powers,” she stated.

“Okay then,” Brook said as I stepped onto the plate.

Nothing happened, and I stood there awkwardly rubbing my side and shuffling my feet.

“So, let’s start with your name?” the catgirl asked.

“Uh, the one I want to use or the one I had?” I asked, taking a deep breath.

“The one that’s official please,” she said as she flipped open a laptop at the desk.

“Uh, Coby Earl Hartley,” I mumbled.

“Sorry could you repeat that?” she said, staring intently at me now, her ears turned attentively forward.

“C-coby Earl Hartley,” I said more loudly this time.

“Thank you, let me just pull up some information… Aha! Well, judging by this photo, I’d say you’ve had quite the change now haven’t you?” she said casually.

I nodded, too afraid to speak.

“Okay, so do you have any powers to declare?” she asked, not looking up as she typed.

“I… I think I can swap back and forth,” I told her.

“Swap back and forth? Could you clarify?” she asked, looking up at me.

“Like, between my old body and my new one,” I explained.

Nodding, she asked her next question, “Right, can you control it, or is it random so far?”

“Just random.”

“That’s fine, anything else?” she asked, her eyes searching mine and her tail twitching madly.

“I can’t fall over?” I asked tentatively.

“That one’s also going to need some clarification there Mist- Miss… uh. Coby,” she said stumbling over what gender to refer to me as.

“I fell over this morning, except I didn’t. I twirled and cartwheeled instead,” I said with a shy wave of my hand.

She grinned now and gestured, “Can you show me?”

“I-I’ll try…” I nodded, gearing myself up to try and fall over.

Shuffling my feet some more, I tipped myself forward. Almost right away I felt some strange happenings in my body. Instead of hitting the ground, I flipped up on my head and did a handstand. Just like that.

“Well, that was certainly something,” the lady chuckled, typing away on her laptop, “Based on what I’ve seen I’m going to give you an Emerged class ranking of class one. Which means we won’t be needing to test you or anything along those lines.”

“Thank you,” I said as I flipped back to a standing position.

“Right, now on to your documentation… You mentioned you would like to use a new name?” she asked.

“Yes.. I, um, I’d like to be called… um,” I said trying to divulge the name I’d chosen, but my brain wouldn’t let me say it.

Brook rushed over, sensing my rising panic, and anxiety and put an arm around my shoulders for support. I looked up at her with a heartfelt and grateful smile.

“I’d like to be called… I’d like to be called Eloise May Hartley,” I finally told her, the name coming out in a bit of a rush.

“Eloise May Hartley, that’s a pretty name! I’ll enter that in for you under your second alias,” she said with a smile.

I blinked and looked up at Brook in confusion, “Second alias?”

The catgirl nodded with a long suffering sigh, “Yup. The government systems can’t handle people with two or more identities like you, so we have to essentially create a second person and then make a note in their file that they are the same person. It’s honestly a pain in the ass. They’d better get their shit together soon down in DC.”

“Okay… thank you!” grinned. That was better than I’d thought! My parents might not find out until I’d escaped home!

“You’re welcome! I’ve seen a lot of folks who are happy to have a bit of separation between one form and another. Now, the information will be private unless you get involved in a criminal case or you divulge any or all of it to someone,” she smiled back.

“That will help with your parental situation,” Brook whispered, echoing my recent thought.

“Yeah! Gosh I feel relief already. Isn’t that funny?” I whispered back.

Brook just searched my eyes and grunted. What was that meant to mean? Gosh and I was meant to be the grunting uncommunicative guy.

“Alright, I’m almost done. We’ll probably have a set of documents to send you by wednesday, do you have any particular address you’d like us to send them to? You can also pick them up if you’d like,” the catgirl said, typing away at her keyboard still.

“I think I’d like to pick them up,” I told her.

“Alright, I’ll need an email address and a phone number in that case, we’ll contact you through both avenues when they arrive,” she nodded.

“Awesome! My email address is…”

The rest of the meeting was wrapped up fairly quickly, with the helpful catgirl going over the current Emerged laws both at the federal level and the state level. She also made sure to mention not to use my powers in front of law enforcement. She didn’t explain why, but she didn’t need to. Everyone in New York knew why.

After that we were free to go, and Brook led me back out onto the street. The streets were livening up now, and workers were getting to fixing the damage from last night.

“What now?” I asked my friend, and she shrugged.

Smiling, she asked, “What do you feel like doing?”

“I don’t know…” I whined.

Taking my hand, Brook led me down the street, “Follow me then!”

Having no choice but to follow, I was pulled along to the next street crossing. There was a lot of traffic now, and even if I’d still had my Kiwi jaywalking tendencies, I wouldn’t have tried to cross.

Looking casually over to my right, I saw a girl with her back to me crossing a street, and then with a jolt I saw something awful. There was a truck heading straight for her at speed. I could see the driver texting through the windshield. I lunged towards the impending tragedy without thinking.

It took far too long to get to the short girl with the exceptionally long and messy brown hair. I dove, taking her by the shoulders and pushing her out of the way.

It’s strange what our brains notice when we’re in that adrenaline fuelled trance. I saw her hair fly as the force of my push sent her forward, and a single earbud had been dislodged from her ear. Turning my head further, I saw truck-kun flying at me, the driver having realised his mistake too late, his eyes wide with panic. I braced myself and closed my eyes.