See Yourself Be Yourself
[4] Drenched
“Hey, there. How are you feeling now?”
Misty cracked open her eyes. Elle ducked down and looked at her. Everything about her felt so sweaty and hot, wrapped up like that. And her lips felt like they were going to split from the dryness. Her head pounded with a faint ache. And there was an itchy, achy dryness between her legs. She resisted the urge to scratch down there but shifted instead, hoping that might help. All the impossible, horrible sensations returned. She was, for now and forever, this skinny, bolted-on-boobed, slight figure of a girl.
Her eyes trembled, but she seemed too dehydrated to shed tears. Elle passed her a water bottle and urged her to drink. Her plump, crusty, chapped lips felt unnatural when accepting the bottle. Bright blonde hair kept dropping over her eyes and twisting to get into her mouth. She gave a listless puff and continued to drink.
Meanwhile, Elle asked her what her situation was now and if she had a place to stay. Brent had parents upstate but felt absolutely terrified to call them. They hated Dina and called her a little brat after Brent first introduced them. At Dina's insistence, he actually skipped the holidays without explanation that year. They were livid for months. No return on his own since had patched up the rift. She had no hope they would forgive her, especially like this.
As for the apartment, Dina co-signed for it. She had every expectation that her ex would probably set fire to all her possessions before she went on this spiritual retreat thing, leaving Misty to pay any fines. Thank goodness they didn't have a joint checking account, and she had her most critical possessions with her. She could go back to the apartment and try to grab what was left. But she didn't want to stay there right now.
Elle smiled. “All right then. We can swing by your place, and you can grab whatever you need, but you’re staying with me tonight. Sound good?” Nothing lately had sounded or felt good, but Misty didn't want to be a sad sack and dwell on that, so she just smiled faintly and nodded.
"I can grab a nice change of clothes or two from your scenario. The gateway is still open. Something to wear tonight, at least. Sound good?" Misty only nodded when she asked. She didn't process the implication. Elle came back with a few different options for clothes. There were jeans, leggings, flannel and cotton pants, oversized shirts, and fitted tops, along with women's boxers and briefs. Misty stared at the selection for a moment, not sure what to do with it.
The nearby staff restrooms were quite busy. Elle told her she could just change here; that’s what everyone did. And there it struck. Misty had found a point of acclamation. It wasn’t acceptance; it wasn’t any kind of certainty or respite. It was more like a wobbly stone on a cliff where she could balance delicately without toppling over. Changing in front of Elle felt like a tumble. Changing in front of a girl. Never mind that other female workers were coming and going.
They paid little attention to her, but that wasn’t the point. It was an acknowledgment of this grim reality. She could change in the ladies' break room because she was a lady. She would take off her top and reveal a G-cup bra on her chest and a pair of panties below. The sensation of wearing them was stressful enough but acknowledging them was a step too far.
She told Elle that the workout outfit she was wearing was good enough for now. Elle offered one of the loose tops, but Misty already felt warm enough. Elle quietly gestured between her own lesser but relatively ample bosom and Misty's. Brent liked to think that he was generally quick on the uptake. But all the events and the sickly feeling left a definite disconnect. When it finally clicked, Misty sipped some more water and adjusted her clothes.
Wearing a loose top that downplayed her features definitely seemed ideal. At the same time, she liked the security of the relatively snug gray outfit. Elle shrugged and packed the rest of her clothes in a gray backpack she was carrying. Unfortunately, what she was wearing didn't have enough pockets for the essential reminders of her life, so all her remaining possessions went into the bag.
It wouldn't have been particularly heavy on any other given day, but to Misty right now, it felt like a mountain of rocks she could barely lift from the floor. The fact that Elle could easily handle it was another wound to her ego. She was so weak, with minuscule muscles. Elle let her carry her backpack. It was at least manageable, though she staggered, swiftly bundling her weakness into enough stability to stay on her feet.
Walking towards the center of the room, Misty spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Her brain told her that there was a cute girl over there. A sexy one with long blonde hair and tits that stuck out. And... yeah, it was her. Her reflection.
Glancing over, she saw the blonde with disheveled locks, plush pink lips, a tiny but curvy figure, and such a bimbo presence. Silicone beach bimbo. That's what she felt like. She swallowed. She should have swapped it for a looser top. Walking with her wide hips felt comically bizarre. It was something she had avoided thinking about before because there were much weightier issues. But the way her body shifted, and her butt presented itself made her feel deeply embarrassed, as if she were strutting around lewdly and flaunting this body without ever meaning to.
Misty could see at least part of what Dina claimed with how objectified she felt, even by her own mind. She was a curvy butt and luscious legs with slim, dainty, almost childlike limbs and perfect skin. She was an almost cartoonish face with wide eyes and lips that were meant to part and pout slightly, suggesting oral pleasure. And she was massive tits hanging boldly in the air with the soft suggestion of showcased sexuality between her thighs. She was practically a blow-up fantasy doll. Hiding it all seemed like the only option. But she resisted that for now.
As they walked out, she noticed that the eyes of Elle's female coworkers also caught her absurd features. She clung to the straps of the backpack, her tiny hands buried in the long sleeves. Elle stopped to socialize with some of the other girls, passing around jokes that went over Misty's head. At one point, Misty grasped that the gasps she heard were about her situation. The other ladies shook their heads at what Elle was telling them about Dina and ended conversations with a hand on Misty's shoulder, even going so far as to give her comforting side hugs. She never expected girls she didn't know to get that close to her. It was more touchy-feely than anything she ever expected as a man.
She heard so many worried words going back and forth. So sorry. Oh my goodness. Poor guy. At least you're pretty. Just like what happened to...? I wish I could help. Does she need a ride? Are you two going to be okay? Will she be okay? Is there anything you can do?
And on and on with the kinds of questions that were also running through her mind. She spoke listlessly but as politely as she could. The presence of the place made her feel like an abject outsider and yet viciously invited. Brent once cracked a few jokes about the female hive mind when he observed Dina with her chattering girlfriends. But it was both comforting and utterly terrifying. As if the group of others were running the process of her thoughts faster than she could think them.
A very big lady enveloped her like a mother bear before they finally left. Misty feared she might snap like a twig. Once outside the break room, she saw that all the bright areas of the boutique were shut down, with people cleaning up and powering down the equipment. With the artificial light in the shopping plaza, it was hard for her to tell what time it was. Elle said it was around ten, with only the movie theater and the bar at the front open. Misty lamented that she slept so many hours and still didn’t feel rested.
The gauntlet before her represented the uncertainty of the bar and the theater. She imagined drunks and random men standing around, waiting for someone like her to walk along. Dina would decry catcalls and flirting as the worst of masculinity.
The plaza stretched with shuttered shops. Listening, Misty heard a sound like something grilling on a range or popcorn baking furiously. Elle sighed and apologized for not checking the weather earlier. Misty remembered a flash flood warning, but she and Dina expected to miss it by several hours. It was really coming down.
At least the sound and presence of the rain were a distraction from the loitering crowds ahead. Walking like this felt like a trick and a promise. A trick that she knew the shifting of her widened hips and a promise that as long as she didn’t think about it, she wouldn’t trip. She edged closer to Elle for safety and barely dared to breathe.
The bar came first, with loud karaoke filtering through. A group of men laughed together off to the side and seemed to be telling jokes. To keep her mind off it, Elle asked what kind of drinks Misty liked. Misty wasn't much of a drinker, but she remembered a few themed things from college. Grenadine also popped into her mind. Elle noted that it was just a flavoring. Elle recounted a plethora of stylish mixes, especially those with suggestive names.
Before Misty realized it, they were not only past the bar but also around the line of people waiting for the eleven o'clock showing of the Dune sequel in the theater and into the area that insulated the outdoors. Misty's heart began to slowly settle as she realized that no one whistled at her, hardly anyone looked in her direction, and if they did, it was just a quick glance. Even though the moment was small, she appreciated it deeply.
Unfortunately, waves of torrential rain splattered the glass door in front of them.
With a deep breath, Elle tied her very long, thick brown hair back and quietly offered the same assistance to Misty. She made sure that anything that could be damaged by the rain was wrapped in plastic and secured tightly. She gripped Misty's hand and laced it around everything they were carrying. It felt like a three-legged race, but with arms. She was safe with Elle.
Misty had to speak before they made their journey outside.
"Thank you so much, Elle. I really appreciate everything you've done. I don't know what I'd do without you. Everything's been crazy."
Misty's new friend bumped her on the shoulder with a shy smile as they stood in front of the entrance. "I'm happy to help. But the name 'Elle' is just for work. Easy to jot on a name card. My full name now is Lillian Ellender Shaw. But that's a total mouthful. Just call me Lillis. It's a nickname, for friends. I think it's easier to say. But you can stick with Elle."
"Lillis. I like it. It's cute." Misty sampled the name. She had never heard a name like that before. She didn't know many Lillians either. Elle was pretty standard. It didn't stand out too much. Misty wondered what her name was before everything that happened to her, but it didn't seem like the right subject to bring up right now, so that was all she said. She was safe with Lillis.
"I think Misty is even cuter." 'Lillis' replied. They giggled together.
They waited till the weather hit a lull and pushed forward. It was still crazy outside. Misty thought it was as heavy as the transformation method they gave to the nanoparticle. This round was like a shower turned up. Everything got drenched, and she could barely see across the parking lot. They didn’t sprint or scamper, but they walked steadily as their shoes became waterlogged. Misty shivered as it felt like her clothes were plastered to her. Just as she thought she might be knocked over by the wind, 'Lillis' pressed her car fob, and the doors of a silver truck popped open slightly.
Even though her dinky arms were struggling to do their part with the load, Misty shifted as if she was going to carry the bundle the rest of the way. Lillis unlaced herself and urged Misty to hurry over to the passenger's side. Somehow they both made it, with panting and a faint giggle from Misty. Lillis chuckled too as she looked in the rearview mirror.
She retrieved two large towels out of the back, passing one to Misty first before draping the other over her shoulders. Shivering despite the warmth of the night, Misty huddled under the towel. She could see a set of vast, erect, lewd nipples, vividly traced by her drenched clothes. She made sure that was covered first while Lillis started the truck and turned on the windshield defroster. Soon, they were on their way.
[Welcome to the Seventh Book in the Cerberus Saga. Yup. We’re doing this. I never thought I would delve into such a big part of the backstory and this may be a good idea but I like writing about all sorts of characters. I have the ending of the story in mind already. But is it the ending you might expect from what you know now? We’ll see…Provisionally, I am focusing on one chapter a week and we’ll see how things go from there. They might be longer or shorter and more numerous. Always feel free to offer suggestions. Reader response is going to be very important going forward. I’m open to anything. Although the squirrel thing is probably the closest I’ll ever get to furry. I’m gonna have some fun and funny characters this time too. Dunno how long this will go. It might be much shorter due to the different pacing. I hope you enjoy it. I plan to get the earlier books together and released in an official form. Look forward to that hopefully. As always, vast details, especially types of characters, character names, and more are wide open for this narrative. Feel free to add any idea which doesn't show up in the eventual options. Also, if you see any random typos or uncapitalized starts of sentences, please pass them along. I am currently using Quillbot and DeepL to assist with speedy editing, but that’s not 100%. Thank you for reading!]
