Sleep did not reach Dan easily.

Overthinking life tended to be his default state, of course. Be it classes, appearances in public, or well, anything concerning forced feminization. It was his area of expertise and passion project, after all. If a passion project wasn’t worth doing perfectly, it wasn’t worth doing at all.

That’s why he insisted on being gendered as male to start out. Because this was the one opportunity to live out one of his many, many fantasies, and he wanted to do it right. Doing it right meant becoming enough of a man to give them enough man to strip away! 

Though he and Hunter had roleplayed quite a lot of the different types of fantasies already. Transformation through a divine entity was a big one, followed up by some ‘roommates’ scenarios, and even one with a pretend worn medallion that combined with clothing, could change people into whoever last wore said clothing. It took some explaining from Dan to get Hunter up to speed on a lot of the classics.

Of course, the first time Dan finds one of those classics in the wild, it has to be like this. He was ecstatic at first, realizing that a larger-scale fantasy was both real and could be something for him to partake in, unlike Hunter’s situation where Dan was limited to being a source of perfect advice! Becoming the demure and submissive secretary could have been a dream come true.

Instead, those idiots in charge of NewU here had thoroughly ruined the experience.

The dream of becoming an obedient secretary was unsalvageable at this point. The NewU people were not intimidating in the slightest. Even the CEO was apparently underwhelming, and that was the most critical role of them all! Dan could handle a little bit of incompetence from staff, in fact in many ways that could even enhance the fantasy. But the CEO? No.

Unacceptable.

He could perform the routine a million times better than they could. The sad part was, it wasn’t even like he was that dominant, either. Or maybe he could be? If Hunter could forcefemme people, why couldn’t Dan? It couldn’t be that hard, after all, Dan had thousands of stories worth of experience to draw on, plus he had a front row seat to Hunter’s series of convoluted forced feminization experiences.

The convoluted experiences set up by the Greek goddess, Artemis. 

Dan would give Artemis's setup a B+. Great plan with great results, and executed in a way that gave Hunter and Artemis a mutually beneficial arrangement at the end of it. 

The only real flaw was that Dan wasn't the target. 

Tsk. Out of anyone, including Hunter, Dan was the one most capable of appreciating Artemis's craft. Not knocking Hunter or anything, Hunter had been Dan's rock for most of his self-actualized life. 

He loved Hunter, in a very homosexual way. 

Depending on the day and whichever pronouns they felt like using, of course. Hunter was the best enby ever, because they were Dan's enby.

Dan's eyes fluttered. It appeared sleep might reach him, after all.

***

"Alright, interns. Welcome to your first real day on the job," Natalie, attempting to project an unearned air of authority, said. "Your first task is to get on the computers and order us some office supplies; it appears that we're out of several key things."

Finally, something relevant. Maybe Dan was overreacting, and everyone involved had just had a really terrible first day. He sat next to Hunter and Simon, logging on and taking a look at the list of supplies he was given, expecting some vaguely feminine-coded things to at least subtly get them some exposure in the early days.

"What's a gaff?" Simon asked while staring at his screen blankly.

Seriously?

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Hunter leaned back in his chair with a slightly hysterical chuckle.

Those damn idiots.

Dan looked over at Simon's screen, audibly groaning when he noticed the gaff was pink and frilly.

Not that pink and frilly was bad. Dan certainly enjoyed it whenever he could. The problem was the wasted shock value. It was so much better to suddenly be presented with a gaff and be pressured into using it to hide your dick. Instead, what were they going to do here, enthusiastically wait for the gaffs to come in the express shipping and politely unbox the packages together? 

There was no surprise factor. The best places would subtly build you up and prepare you for the definitive moment where you put on the secretary outfit for the first time, using the shock of the situation and maybe a couple threats to get you to seal your fate and put on the damn knee-high stockings. That always worked like a charm.

"I'm getting some water," Dan grumbled and stood up, not bothering to wait for Hunter or anyone else to follow him.

***

Dan furiously mashed the button on the water fountain a few times. Yet another missed opportunity to make the faucet shaped like something else, something that could be firmly grasped albeit very unhygienic if you were the type to put your mouth on it. 

Maybe that was slightly too far. A girl could dream. For as much as she considered herself a girl at the moment.

What was the point of the masculine charade and going by Dan if the fantasy was already ruined? Why not just be the beautiful Lori? A wonderful name picked by the love of her life.

Lori pouted. She knew she was being utterly ridiculous, screwing with her pronouns and deadnaming herself just to conform to her fantasy. Though who could blame her? She could honestly say she was on a mission from god! That was pretty much a license to do whatever she felt like. That was what everybody else did, at least.

"You've been out here a while, Dan," Natalie had appeared without any fanfare, staring at Lori with a piercing blue gaze. "Are you unhappy with the work you've been assigned?"

Credit where credit was due, the whole 'Ice Queen' aesthetic with the blue hair and pronouns really worked for Natalie. She just didn't have the presence to take it all the way, which was such a shame. 

"I didn't know this company was big on gaffs." Lori shrugged. Maybe she could at least get a punishment out of this interaction.

"It's one of our more…" Natalie hesitated, but continued. "...popular orders."

"Really uncomfortable too," Lori let slip.

"You've…" Natalie stammered, curling her lip, "...worn them, before?"

Lori seriously considered telling them she'd been forcibly feminized before, but knew that would very likely lead to an early departure from the internship program. Which was a shame, because blowing their entire operation up with a casual admission seemed hilarious.

Though honestly, how many people could say they were forcefemmed more than once? It was quite rare for someone who becomes a girl to not stay as a girl.

"My trans friend had me wear one on a dare," Lori said casually. She was touching on the single most important question of all, one that was extremely important for anyone going into a classic forcefemme fantasy to ask.

Do trans people exist to the NewU Corporation?

In a lot of the various stories and scenarios Lori had seen, it was a trend to discount people who were transgender entirely and act as though every single person getting forcibly feminized was a one-hundred-percent cisgender man.

There were many reasons behind this, but the one that had stuck out to Lori was the measure of responsibility. If one admitted to being a transgender woman, they were responsible for the forced feminization they were subjected to, because on some level it was validating and affirming and oh no what does it mean if I actually like it…

If one wrote about or thought of themself as just some random guy being held to the whims of the fates, then they didn't have to take responsibility for it. The pressure on them was gone.

Before Lori realized she was transgender, that was what had happened to her, after all. She frequently devoured any transformation content she could, only realizing she was trans after many months in her egg phase (‘egg’ referring to a trans person who doesn't realize they're trans yet).

After all, how many guys went back to being guys after accidentally getting in a car crash, losing their penis, and then having to live as a girl just because their dick went missing? A woefully unfortunate conflation of genitals and gender identity, but the concept at a broad level was admittedly very entertaining.

Lori sighed. She was getting too metatextual again. Sometimes, it was hard to live in the actual moment where instead she could just analyze every individual component to death.

Natalie cleared her throat, bringing Lori back to reality.

Right. Trans people.

"So you have experience with gaffs, good. That will serve you well when the time comes." Natalie grinned.

So did trans people…not exist then? She'd expected at least some level of acknowledgment, but no, apparently the erasure of trans people was to be taken literally. Brilliant, regressive fantasy it is then.

"What time?" Lori asked like the cheeky little fucker she was.

"You'll see."

"See what?"

"Get back to work." Natalie rolled her eyes. "You are off to a good start, though. Your experience will definitely help the rest of your colleagues."

WHAT!?

Bullshit. Complete bullshit. How was she the one NewU liked!? She wanted to be one to be punished! Not Hunter, who wouldn't be able to enjoy or even appreciate having themself molded into the perfect girl for the job, punishment by punishment.

Utter fools, the lot of them. Wasted potential.

She was actually at a loss for words. This was so unlike everything she'd been training herself for. Hunter was going to take it all seriously like they usually would and play it straight and narrow, and Lori would be the one to subject herself to all the punishments possible so she could get more information than would otherwise be available. Also punishments were hot.

She pouted and loudly stomped back to the training room, sitting down by Hunter and Simon, who looked at her with worried expressions.

"Dan, you good?" Hunter asked.

Right. Dan. The deadname didn't actually bother him that much, it was just another tool to play the role he wanted to fulfill.

He may as well continue using it, as maybe Natalie or mysterious CEO guy might get something right eventually.

Dan sighed. "I'm good, let me just order my stuff and focus."

Hunter and Simon continued to make small talk as Dan stayed quiet. It was actually a challenge for him to multitask sometimes because if he got distracted, he would inevitably forget things and he couldn't afford to fall apart in front of everyone.

If it couldn’t be done perfectly, then it wasn't worth doing at all.

"Do either of you watch sports?" Simon asked.

“I’m a fan of a few ball games of my own–” Dan started, until Hunter elbowed him.

“I like to watch a little football from time to time,” Hunter answered more seriously than Dan.

“Aw, dude, we should hang out sometime. Me and the guys would have football nights, until we all drifted apart…” Simon stared into the distance and whispered, “I wasn’t manly enough for them.” 

“That’s rough, buddy,” Dan said while attempting to hide a laugh. He took a moment to remind himself that no matter how much these people comically tempted fate, they were still, y’know, people. 

“Manly enough? Whoever they were, they sounded like…” Hunter glanced around to ensure they weren’t being overheard. “Felix. ‘Guys’, guys, I’m guessing?”

“Pretty much. We’d shoot the shit in the locker room before hitting the gym, talk about all sorts of junk, women we’d like to date.”

“Ah, yes. I love grabbing a brewski and then objectifying and degrading the women around me while hanging out with my bros,” Dan deadpanned.

“That’s not what he said, Dan…” Hunter protested, though Simon followed him up.

“Well, that’s not what I said. It’s certainly what they said, though. Anyway, they eventually noticed I didn’t really fit in with them and cast me out for not being enough of a man.”

Dan made sure Hunter got an eyeful of his ‘Meaningful Glance’, before turning back to Simon. “I mean, I know what I’d do in that situation.”

“Dan.” 

“I’d be thinking if I really belonged in the boy’s club, if you know what I mean.” Dan turned his Meaningful Glance onto Simon.

“You’re right, this really is a shitshow…” Hunter grumbled.

“That’s what they kept saying, that ‘I might as well be a girl’. I mean, I don’t really give it much thought, but that’s a bit silly. I’d have to start dating boys, play with dolls, and start plastering pink over everything. And that’s not really my style, y’know?” Simon finished by staring at Dan and Hunter as if everything he’d just said made complete sense.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this because it contradicts my usual beliefs, but Simon, you’re doing gender wrong.” Dan got up from his desk and angrily stormed out towards the hallway.

The last thing he saw from that room as he stormed out was Natalie looking at his screen and whistling, “Wow, efficient work.” In the same breath, Natalie glared at Hunter and Simon. “As for you two, you’re behind the curve. I think you both have earned yourselves a demerit, congratulations!”

The next few moments were a blur as the rage inside Dan burned. He only came back to his senses when he realized Hunter had followed him, and then enveloped him into a tight hug at some point.

"What happened?" Dan asked softly.

"You repeated the phrase 'blank slate' for a while, then made your forehead and that wall really accustomed to each other," Hunter whispered into his ear. "You're safe, okay?"

"Oh," Dan said.

Right. Simon. The perfect candidate to be forcefemmed alongside them. Carter and Felix probably had their own stories, but Simon…oh boy.

Simon didn't have anything else going on, as far as Dan could tell. Which was quite bad and frustrating for Dan, because there was a real possibility Simon was the type to get magically  turned into a girl and then learn absolutely nothing about gender during their entire journey.

Those were the most upsetting. You take a presumably cis boy and then make him into a girl, and all she does is go right back to what she was doing before, but now a girl. No mentions of her being trans, no special epiphanies beyond annoyance at her gender being transed, and living out the rest of her life by stereotypes and acting as effectively a cis woman, wasting all of the previous life experience. Simon was definitely acting like a dense egg in a more traditional sense, though the glorious opportunity to have an enlightening gender adventure seemed like it might miss him entirely.

Not even getting into Simon’s comment about ‘boys’. There was a lot to unpack there, and Dan wasn’t in the mood to confront heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality at the moment.

"You said I was safe, right?" Dan asked, earning a nod. "Good, because we're safe. You're right. You and I and the other three clowns are completely safe."

"I'm gonna do my best to not let them get hurt," Hunter said, ever the damn protector.

"You do that. I've got plans." Dan broke the embrace, looking at Hunter with a self-satisfied smile.

He knew what to do now. If this place was going to take his fantasy and set it on fire, the least that Dan could do is make it a controlled burn in his favor.

"Plans? For getting the Lunaris device out of here?"

Dan didn't answer his partner and started to walk back towards the training room again, undoubtedly leaving Hunter incredibly confused.

That device didn't need to go anywhere.

Why should they have to go through all the effort of hand-delivering Lunaris to Artemis? What would Artemis even do with it, use it for her own forced feminization factory?

No way.

Dan could do so much more with it than both NewU and Artemis combined.

This forced feminization factory was going to be Dan's.