Chapter 6: Help, Mall is scary!
Ariana’s POV
Approximately 5 months after the events of the last chapter
After that discussion on Europa we visited a few satellite and even passed by Pluto (which is smaller than the Moon!) then the week had passed and we made our last FTL jump to Earth to be back home.
Resuming a normal earth day to day life of college, work and assignments after a week visiting the solar system is surprisingly easy. It’s like a vacation in New Washington (the city, not the state, not DC the district of Colombia does not really exists anymore) but instead of the other side of the world it’s the other side of the solar system and instead of taking a plane you take a super-advanced alien FTL rated ship, well it’s not really the same thing I guess…
Anyway it’s been more than five months ago, we had some conversation with Aarin in the meantime, he managed to buy a phone and a phone plan and to hook up the world phone system in his ship? We only came back in his ship two times, once to visit the Moon and the second time because Sylvia wanted to test some of their theories on how to combine Union and Human technology to increase the FTL efficiency and speed, so far their theory remains unproven and they didn’t really succeeded to significantly increase the speed but Aarin was really interested and they were working together on the next generation of the drive upgrades.
That let me alone, I am not a scientist like these two, I apparently have a really good gift to pilot Unions Ship but I could not help them improve the drive, I’m not a physicist, I’m a drawer, I draw ships I don’t build them.
This, led us to now, Sylvia realizing they were abandoning me summoned me to their home, taking Aarin as a “friend from college” and their mom was there two and the two of the Uin’s (Sylvia’s last name they do not use it because they don’t like really much and can’t really change like me because they were not abandoned and forced by the state to change their name, not that they wanted to) adults were trying to convince me to go to the mall to buy clothes I love cute clothes but I hate malls.
And to be honest I’d much rather prefer being imprisoned into an high-tech Union prison cell than going to the mall!
- “But! I could order clothes online, you know the internet exists!” I whined it was one of my last valid arguments
- “NO, first you’ve changed so much that I think you don’t know your size, second if I let you do that you’ll let dysphoria telling you that you don’t deserve it blablabla you’ll never look good in it blablabla and I can not let that happen you’re adooorable and an adorable thing like you must have clothes for her. You can’t spend your life in your dorm room open to society!” Sylvia said their hands on their hips in a “that’s non negotiable” move.
They was right obviously I change a lot, Aarin said my external physical changes are finished and he was right every part of me felt so right that it was scary I was lean, thin and athletic and it really feels like my body for the first time in my life. I ended up being a bit over 153cm (5’0), in other term I was small like really small Sylvia towered on me and I was flustered every time they was in front of me.
I also lost a lot of body mass, that is coherent with the huge height loss to be fair, I had a layer of muscle all over my body and was really strong, I could breath again, my breast reduced in size when my torso reduced too so everything was perfectly balanced. My shoulder and waist was narrow. With a little of definition on my hips showing up my figure. All of my skin was so smooth it was a wonderful feeling. And with how much Sylvia was hugging me when we were together I think they loved it too. My legs were strong, definitely long distance runner’s legs and I kept on the distance I joined the track club in college and everyone was happy with me on the girl’s team they loved me and protected me from transphobic bullies.
So I was now a small but lean and toned athlete ready to run the miles, with friends on the girl’s track team, and a very hot best friend that was hugging me every time they could. I think nothing more happy could happen to me.
There was the situations of organs, last time I discussed about it with Aarin, he replied matter-of-factually that it should take a year or two for the internal change to take place and that yes indeed I could get pregnant, he estimated my menarche to take place in a year or so. But I had Sylvia to help me out so I was okay with that.
I was a lot less okay with the fact of being pregnant so I learned everything I could on how not to be accidentally pregnant and well I could start birth control if one day I’d have a trans girl girlfriend but in the meantime as I did not intend to sleep with cis guys I was pretty much protected against unwanted parasite in my soon-to-be uterus.
The remaining of my characteristics did not change much, my face softened a bit and my cheekbones where a bit higher, my hair were a bit shorter but that was not because of alien-HRT it was because of the fact I lost more than 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) and my hair were already at my but so I was literally stepping on them, not a very pleasant sensation.
I was really really happy, and so was my bubbly friend they intensified the hugs and turned the dial to eleven. I once again wondered if this had a meaning?
It was time to answer their question,
- “Yeah I guess I need new clothes….” I said half defeated half excited to buy cute clothes for my cute self
- “I saw you smiling Ariana don’t pretend you’re not gonna like it! Take my money to shop you’re like our daughter and you’re too adorable not to help you” Syl’s mom was giving me her paying credentials which I reluctantly took, a small part because I was still blushing as the “daughter” statement but a much bigger part because I was an alone college student so I was broke of course.
A few subway stop later we were at the mall, it was a rather calm day, we were in the middle of april and the finals were next week so everyone was busy studying. I preferred it that way and I knew it was deliberate on the Uin’s part to do so they knew my incompatibility with crowds.
- “Sooooo were are we gonna start?” Sylvia said, smiling, of course the question was rhetorical because I’m sure they already planed the part. Aarin himself was following us like everything is fine. We were shopping for clothes for my alien-super-HRT altered body with the very alien who altered HRT and gave it to me disguised into a human but with only theoretical knowledge of the human society, what could go wrong?
It seems unfortunately that a lot of thing could go wrong. In fact a lot of things went wrong.
We should have told Aarin not to enter into any changing room, he got banned from a few boutiques and after a few times of that decided to activate his cat disguise to be more sneaky. He was really cute like that. It’s a shame these technologies were not compatible with human physiology.
But I got my cute body so I could not really complain. We finally arrived at the first real stop of Sylvia’s “path of cute clothes” plan. I swear they were a dork but the best best friend. And had really cute lips I wonder how they fee- ok Ariana stop we’re not thinking that here.
- “Huh, Sylvia we’re starting strong…” I said staring at the lingerie store in front of me.
- “Yep! Let’s get you measured and let buy you cute underwear!”
Ok that was embarrassing, first the vendor was more engrossed with the cat than with the task of helping us, I finally got myself measured and obviously it was exactly what Aarin already told me beforehand. I was embarrassed at first but I quickly got into the fun of trying underwear and lingerie. It was so much fun! I loved seeing my new body and I could see Aarin amused even in his cat form.
We bought a lot of underwear and some swimsuits to swim, I could do that now! No more dysphoria inducing shower or bath, now I could take showers, swim, bath, see me naked, and so much more without dysphoria! This gift from Aarin should be publicly available. He assured me doing his best but it could not appear from nowhere and I unfortunately once again agreed with him that humans were not ready for a first contact with the Union.
We continued on to buy some basic clothes like shorts, t shirts and more, I tried so much clothes that I was dizzy, I could spend a lot and Syl’s mom assured me it was okay it was not everyday she could arrange to buy a whole new wardrobe for a new daughter she said. I was okay with that and I was so grateful she was okay with me and so supportive and actually treating me like her own daughter.
Sylvia picked up my gaze and ordered a break, she then snuggled up to me,
- “I know what you’re thinking Aria but it’s okay we love you, my mom loves you, my dad loves you, they consider you as their daughter, you spent so much time at home that they already considered you as their child, you know they already knew your parents were awful right?” I nodded and started to sob they tightened their hug and started stroking my hair, “It’s okay you’re safe now you’re with us, Aarin’s here too and you saw what he can do, have you seen you on a glass you’re adorable now, not only that but you’re truly happy I never saw you so happy and I’m so glad you could have a body more suited to your taste. And dare I say suited to my taste too” she grinned at that
“The fact is Aria, we love you dearly, I’m sure Aarin loves you in his weird cold alien way of loving people but he does, he broke protocol to help you personally, and more importantly” Sylvia took and squished Aria’s hand “more importantly I love you Aria, with all my heart”.
With that I stopped sobbing, sat a little higher, and answered
- “I love you too Syl” Sylvia’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, “you are the best friend I could ever have had I’m so glad I have you in my life”.
I sensed Sylvia’s tensing and then relaxing,
- “Yeah that’s right the best friend I could ever have had” they said a little bit down but I think it’s more of the ambient sound why would they be down after I said I loved them back?
Half an hour later of relaxing sobbing and hugging, and petting our “cat”, we continued to browse boutiques, where I modeled a lot of dresses, skirts, blouse, shorts, pants, tight jean, and other unknown clothes, I’m sure Sylvia must have try all of the different kinds of clothes that existed in this world but each time I thought this was the last kind of clothing existing they presented a new one to model.
We had a lot of fun and ended up buying a lot of clothes for me, a bit of clothes for them, and even cat’s treat for Aarin, yeah apparently disguised are not only visibly he loved cat’s food in this form and I’m sure he don’t really want to kill and eat a mice. We stumbled across a high-end dress boutique with matching shoes
- “Come on Aria! You’d look stunning in one of those dress!” Sylvia plead
- “I don’t think so, I’m not a dress person you know it does not fit me” I said, and yes maybe it was dysphoria talking, I guess dysphoria did not completely disappeared, it was too good to be true
- “Aria! You let dysphoria talk! Again!” Argh, they were really reading into me like an open book, their face softened and they added “Come on Aria, trust me you’ll look very good, try one please, if not for you, do it for me please?” Sylvia plead again, this time with eyes even more cat-like than Aarin’s
- “Okay, okay! But you must try one on too! I know for a fact you like dresses and you’ll look even better than I will” I really wanted to see them into a dress like that.
- “It’s a deal!”
Sylvia’s POV
This dumb-ass, she is my best friend but she can be so dense! I tried an hundred times in the last few years to confess and each time she thought it was as a friend! I mean yeah I never clarified the situation so it was on me too but I’m.. a.. bit shy.
I managed to get her in a dress at the condition I model one for her too, so I took a dress that was okay for my body structure and adjust it on me, and I must say it was a really good dress and I was looking pretty good.
I must think what to do with my… Aria problem. With her transition she was transitioning from cute to cuter but with the alien-HRT that was illegal. She was literally the cutest girl I ever seen in my life. Okay maybe my love produce a little judgment bias but she was beautifully cute and innocent. And with how happy she know seems I can’t not think of her I need her to know I love her romantically but with her density and my shyness we are not gonna do it if I don’t change, and fast, I can’t let someone take my precious little thing!
Sound indicated that she was ready and she came out of the changing room dressed.
And I think I might need CPR because I’m sure my heart just stopped.
In front of me was a beautiful young woman, she was small but not a child and she was wearing a deep purple dress covering down to her ankle, a moderate amount of cleavage were displaying but nothing too fancy or indecent. This was a dress appropriate to go to an 18th century ball.
The sleeves ended in a ruffled balloon sort of structure which were accentuating her delicate hands wrapped into purple with gold gloves.
She was the epitome of beauty.
And she was my best friend.
The woman I loved.
I lost control of myself, approached her, and kissed her.
Aria’s POV,
a few minutes earlier
I don’t even know how I was ever gonna do that, I will pass the door of the changing room and my best friend will see how ugly I am and will…
No I should stop, this is anxiety talking, they will not be disappointed and I’m not ugly,
I took the time to think about my feeling towards them. I loved them sure, but not like they do, they loved me as their best friend while my love was deeply romantic. It was a curse, I was cursed to love my best friend despite the fact that feeling will never be mutual.
But they had said in a romantic way that they loved me earlier today, was I over interpreting? I don’t know. I resolved myself to say to them my love was romantic and accept any possible consequences of that statement.
First, I need to pass the door, I moved slowly and opened the door,
And here I was, in front of them, and I stayed here breath taken from me by an impossible beauty.
They was beautiful, tall, lean and cute, all of that packaged in a beautiful black dress that let little to my imagination. The hem of their dress was mid-thighs and contrasted with her pearly white skin, their shoulders were bare, the dress starting on her chest and showing a decent amount of cleavage.
I barely registered them approaching me, I did the same and before I knew it, I was kissing them back.
End of Chapter 6: Help, Mall is scary!
