The moment that I hold my phone as it continues to ring feels like it stretches into eternity. I keep turning over in my head everything that’s happened to me in the last couple of hours, all while my brain keeps trying and failing to reject the evidence it’s just been presented with. Simply put, everything points to there being no way in hell I’m actually dreaming despite the situation I’ve been presented with defying all known physical and natural laws. 

 

My finger doesn’t budge from its position above the “Accept Call” button, but that’s more from me willing it to stay there than anything. How could I even possibly begin to explain this to Breeze? How can I explain it to anyone for that matter? I certainly can’t tell my folks about this, and if I go to a hospital I’ll probably spend the rest of my life inside a lab while scientists and cigarette smoking men attempt to either fix or even possibly clone me. 

 

I look back down at Breeze’s picture winking at me as the phone continues to ring.

 

“Maybe…” I stiffen as I speak almost unconsciously, “...maybe if there’s anyone out there I can actually trust with this information it’s them.”

 

As much as I want to fight that logic it makes an inordinate amount of sense. Even if our initial interactions in the past were extremely limited I always knew them to be the rebellious type, to the point that even in high school they were stridently anti-cop and government. As a recent college grad at the time I kinda just chalked it up to teen rebellion but seeing them now in their 30’s it genuinely seems like the only significant changes, top surgery notwithstanding, were their name and pronouns. 

 

My finger wavers as I gulp.

 

“Okay…” I say with a sigh and a touch of resignation, “...let’s not overplay our hand just yet. Don’t let on what’s happening, just answer the call and try to maintain this connection at least. They’re good people, and maybe they can help, but this might be a bit much for them right now.”

 

I hit the “Accept Call” button with shaky resolve.

 

“...hello?”

 

Hearing the confusion in Breeze’s voice makes me realize that I accepted the call without even responding, and I quickly shake my head to clear it of any cobwebs.

 

“H-hey there…” I respond hesitantly, “What’s up… man?”

 

There’s a moment of silence before I hear anything else.

 

“Is this Paige? Sorry I might have the wrong number…”

 

I’m about to confirm that they’re indeed speaking to the right person before I remember just how different my voice sounds now and I cough as if pretending to clear my throat, before forcing my voice lower and further back.

 

“Ohh, no this is Paige. Sorry, had a weird bubble caught in my vocal cords there. What’s going on, Breeze?”

 

It’s not a flawless approximation of my old voice, but it’s close enough and seems to do the trick.

 

“Oh, good! Yeah, I was just calling to let you know that you accidentally left your wallet on the counter at the tea shop. I just made it back here after I realized I’d forgotten to turn off some of the lights before I left and I noticed it sitting behind the register. I almost texted but figured I’d call instead, the situation seemed important enough to warrant one.”

 

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my new nose in exasperation, too annoyed with myself to think about its size or shape or the whiskers tickling my hand. Leaving my wallet behind is nothing new and I swear I should just keep it on a chain at this point.

 

“Ah shit,” I say with a deeply exasperated sigh, “Thanks for finding it for me though, I figure it’s in good hands with you.”

 

There’s another pause in the conversation, and when Breeze responds again I hear their plainly obvious confusion.

“Do you… not want me to bring it over for you?”

 

The question makes every single hair of mine stand on end, including the ones I’ve owned for less than ten minutes. I genuinely hadn’t considered the implications of this predicament until just now.

 

“N-no!” I say a bit more forcefully than I probably intended to, “I’m okay, no need to worry about me!”

 

I can hear Breeze chuckle on the other end and a smile audibly creeps into their voice.

 

“Paige, it’s no problem at all for me to bring it over for you. I don’t want you to go without your essentials for longer than you have to; also, you know how small this town is so it’s gonna take me 10 minutes tops to get to you, depending on whether or not I wanna stop by the store before it closes.”

 

I grimace at my seeming lack of options in this scenario, unable to convincingly say no to any of their proposals or points, before inspiration strikes.

 

“I…” I struggle to get the next sentence out, as blatantly lying about something has never really been a strong suit of mine, “...I have food poisoning! Really bad too, basically been in and out of the bathroom for the past two hours right since I got home. Made some tea to try and settle my stomach but it only helped so much. I’m kinda sweaty and gross right now and I don’t know if you’d want to see me like this.”

 

I breathe a silent sigh at how seemingly natural sounding I was in the moment. I guess my years of acting experience have finally paid off in a tangible way, just certainly not in the way I was expecting.

 

There’s another, more protracted moment of silence, before Breeze responds yet again.

 

“Well, I really don’t feel comfortable just holding onto all of your most sensitive information and would prefer to just get it back to you if I can, so how about you leave the door unlocked and I’ll just poke my head in and drop it off for you?”

 

Once again, I’m left flummoxed and mildly aggrieved at Breeze managing to construct such a foolproof and unassailable argument that I simply cannot say no to, not without coming off like I’m needlessly obstructing or impeding things anyway. 

 

With my last line of defense unmoored, I take a deep sigh and through my teeth I say, “Yeah, that sounds great. See you in ten minutes, you said?”

 

Breeze confirms the time and I send them my address in a text. They then hang up the phone and I’m left to contemplate how my situation has skyrocketed from being just terrifying to now profoundly dire. I can probably get away with hiding in the bathroom when they show up, but there’s still the chance our paths could cross and the absolute last thing I want is to be caught off guard if it happens. I feel the spark of an idea ignite in my brain and quickly turn on my heel to put it into action.

 

I still haven’t had a real moment to actually consider how drastically things have changed for me since everything happened, so when I pass by the mirror on my way back to my room I nearly have a heart attack all over again. I take several fleeting seconds to give my new features and assets a look before I remind myself of the rapidly ticking clock I’m now forced to contend with and rush upstairs.

 

Stepping into my room is another shocking moment as I’d completely forgotten the makeover it received before all this weird shit started occurring. The feeling quickly passes as the thought strikes me just how much easier this is going to make my current objective, and I tear open the closet looking for the right garments.

 

After about eight or so minutes I finally have everything I need pulled together, and I go downstairs to take a quick look at myself in the mirror again to make sure everything is well and truly covered. I don't plan on leaving anything to faith at this point because I genuinely don’t know when or how I’ll be able to properly explain any of this to anyone. 

 

Standing in front of the mirror again I’m confronted with yet another completely distinct yet still identifiable version of myself, although this one feels far more reminiscent of my earliest days post the cracking of my egg. I’m wearing the largest and baggiest hoodie I still own that I’ve pulled the front of as far forward as possible to help obscure anything, and I have the hood well over my head, hair, and ears and is cinched about halfway closed. I also found a face mask that, while it’s on its last legs, is more than capable of doing the work necessary for right now. It really helps that my new ears are at least in the same general location the old ones were, because I doubt this mask would stay on otherwise.

 

The biggest issue was finding pants, and not just because for some reason all of my jeans seem to be about three or four inches too long on me now in addition to being too small in the waist, but I had absolutely nothing that would comfortably accommodate my tail which ultimately took up the bulk of my focus. It took me far too long to get used to touching it to begin with, and once I realized I had no way of comfortably stuffing it into any of the pants I owned I had to improvise, which meant I settled on stuffing it up the back of my hoodie. It’s a rather inelegant solution to say the least but I didn’t have time to think about any of that in the moment and needed something that just worked, regardless of how well. As for the pants themselves I ended up settling on some dark gray sweats, mainly because they were about the only things that would reasonably fit me at this point but I also figured they’d best match the vibe I’d already established with the hoodie, though that was admittedly more of a happy accident than anything else.

 

I give myself a final once over in the mirror before I catch a glimpse of approaching headlights reflected in them, accompanied by the sound of tires on gravel. The knot in my stomach returns in full force and I quickly run over to the door to unlock it for Breeze to enter before dashing upstairs and into the bathroom. I turn on the lights and fan as I hear the door swing open and footsteps as they enter inside, holding my breath and closing my eyes in a vain attempt to phase out of existence. 

 

“Paige? Are you upstairs?”

 

I wince as I’m once again forced to acknowledge my own existence, as well as announce it to someone else.

 

“Y-yeah, I’m just in the bathroom again, had another, uhh… episode, and almost didn’t make it in time.”

 

I roll my eyes at my choice of words, although I genuinely don’t know how I could have phrased that more gently and I just hope it wasn’t too graphic for their imagination.

 

“Ooof, yeah, it sounds rough, hun.” I can hear them cringe even from all the way upstairs. “Are you doing okay otherwise? Anything else besides that?”

 

I close my eyes in annoyance and hope that none of it comes through in my response.

 

“I’m good! Just gotta deal with it now, and I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be in here for a while! You can leave my wallet on the table and go home if you want, I dunno when I’ll be out.”

 

My silent and fervent prayers for them to please just take the hint and leave me to figure this out on my own go unanswered, and the next words I hear from them come from directly outside the bathroom door instead of downstairs.

 

“Are you sure? I figured you might want someone to maybe stay over and help out if you’re going through it? I don’t work tomorrow so I’m not in any hurry to…”

 

My frustration finally boils over, and as it does the levy I hold all of my emotions behind starts to leak.

 

“I’m doing fine!” I say, much more forcefully than I intended, though with no less conviction. “I’m going to be okay, I don’t need help, and I don’t need any more questions about how I am! I can take care of myself!”

 

The silence that hangs following my outburst  is the longest and heaviest I’ve ever encountered. Not just from the unexpected escalation in intensity, but also from the fact that it’s the last thing that either of us says while I’m in the bathroom. The only thing I hear from them is their footsteps as they return downstairs, about 30 seconds or so after snapping at them. 

 

Once they’re safely out of audible range I give myself a smack on the forehead as I sit down on the closed toilet seat and bury my head in my hands. 

 

“Breeze is just trying to help, and this is the thanks they get? What the fuck is wrong with you?” 

 

I keep waiting for a response that never comes, and it isn’t until twenty minutes have passed that I finally steel myself to leave the bathroom, hoping that they at least took the hint and bailed after leaving my wallet behind. It wouldn’t be ideal, but at least that way I can just text them later and hopefully try to be a bit less of a cunt about it.

 

Much to my shock, and dismay, I come down to find them seated on my couch with their phone in hand, casually scrolling through their Twitter feed. Thankfully I’ve come down so quietly and deftly that they haven’t noticed my presence at all, or at the very least haven’t acknowledged it. I don’t know which one I’d prefer more.

 

I take a second to make sure my mask is tight around my face and my hoodie is pulled out far enough from my chest before I clear my throat to announce my presence. 

 

Breeze looks up from their phone and directly at me for what feels like an eternity, even if it probably only lasts ten seconds. Their expression remains unaffected for all that time, only for them to break into a gentle smile with a warm and welcoming expression following closely on the rest of their face.

 

“Hey hun, I’m sorry you’re feeling so lousy.”

 

My shock of being received so warmly, especially after snapping the way that I did, does not go unnoticed by them as they grin a little wider and even allow themselves a chuckle or two, along with a wink.

 

I fidget with the drawstring on my hoodie as my gaze avoids theirs, still embarrassed and ashamed. I look over in the direction of the kitchen and notice a gently simmering pot on the stove that most definitely was not there the last time I was downstairs. I look back in their direction.

 

“Uhh, thanks… um, did you…?”

 

They look back towards the kitchen and bolt up in shock. 

 

“Oh, right! Sorry about that,” they say as they shoot past me to turn off the burner, “I wanted to help you out and figured I’d offer some of my folks’ homemade bone broth. If you’ve got food poisoning there’s really no cure better for it than a cup of this stuff.”

 

They look back at me and their face falls just a touch.

 

“I mean, if you’re up for it that is. I understand if you’re still not ready for anything other than water but I just wanted to bring you some anyway, and you can have it whenever you want.”

 

I’m glad that I’m currently wearing a mask because it helps obscure the blush I feel rushing into my cheeks. 

 

“O-oh, that, uh…” I struggle to find a good excuse, but ultimately decide against any of them. “Yeah, that sounds lovely actually. Thank you so much.”

 

They beam wide at me and grab a mug from my cupboard, filling it with the dark brown and steaming broth from the pot on the stovetop. They walk over and hand it to me, still smiling gently and with a sincerity that cannot be mistaken.

 

“Here you go hun, it definitely got a bit hotter than I intended so I’d let it cool for just a bit.”

 

I accept it gratefully and manage to work together a genuine smile of my own, one that unfortunately ends up hidden behind my mask but Breeze seems to sense it anyways. They grab a mug from the coffee table and return to the kitchen, picking up the electric kettle once they enter.

 

“I was going to make you some tea initially but once the water had finished boiling I remember you telling me that you’d already tried that and it didn’t help, so I kinda helped myself to some  instead while I waited.” They look down at their feet with obvious embarrassment. “I hope you don’t mind.”

 

Yet again, my words catch in my throat as I’m increasingly more and more overwhelmed by how thoughtful and kind Breeze is, even after I blew up on them. Somehow, I pull both a response as well as myself together.

 

“Of course, man. I think you’ve earned the right to make yourself at home a bit after I was such a standoffish bitch at you for being so helpful.”

 

They smile again and even manage another chuckle as they fill their mug to the brim with hot water, bobbing the infuser sitting inside of it.

 

“Yeah, I will say I expected a bit of a warmer reception than this but I understand if you’re feeling shitty and not wanting to entertain anyone, or deal with people in general. I had the flu a couple months ago and my immune system still kicks the shit out of me for it sometimes.”

 

They return to the living room and take a seat on one end of the couch, and I do likewise on the other end.

 

“Oof, yeah, that’s no fun,” I say with a conciliatory tone. “I haven’t had the flu in a while but I remember how awful it was. About the only good thing that came from it was I quit smoking.”

 

Breeze’s face lights up. “Hey good fuckin’ job babe!” They hold their mug out in my direction and I return the gesture as we clink our cups together. I take my first sip of the steaming broth inside after discretely pulling my mask up a smidge.

 

“Oh my god,” I exclaim suddenly as the broth hits my tongue. “Breeze, this stuff is incredible!”

 

Breeze laughs a bit more fully than before and gives me a knowing nod. 

 

“Told you! I bet you feel better already, don’t you?”

 

I nod vigorously, not even playing anything up because I genuinely feel much more rejuvenated after just one sip. The broth has a deeply layered and complex flavor, with multiple savory and umami notes bouncing around and settling on my tongue and all around the inside of my mouth, and the texture is velvety and unctuous without any graininess or floating particles. It truly is one of the most delicious and restorative things I’ve ever consumed, almost as good as…

 

A particularly invigorating scent draws my gaze which drifts to Breeze’s tea mug, still steaming in their hands as they take another indulgent draw from it.

 

“Oh, are you trying the… uh, Floor Tea?”

 

They bring the cup down from their lips and nod affirmatively.

 

“Mmhm, I saw that you’d opened it and since I was already curious enough myself when you found it I figured this was as good a chance as any to actually try some; I’m glad I had my infuser handy.” 

 

They pull the infuser out of the cup briefly, showing that it is indeed the same heart-shaped one as mine.

 

I shrug, “Can’t fault you on that one. I certainly had no idea what to expect myself.”

 

They greedily gulp down even more in the short window of time my comment provides. 

 

“Yeah, and holy shit what a find! This stuff is incredible, so full bodied and savory in a way I never would have expected from an herbal blend! I almost feel like I’m eating a steak or something.”

 

I cock an eyebrow in confusion at the comment, until I remember the umami note from when I drank it.

 

“Oh, yeah, I guess it did kinda taste like that a bit. I suppose I was more focused on the mint and bergamot.”

 

It’s Breeze’s chance to shoot me a confused look, which they do with little hesitation after downing the rest of their cup.

 

“Mint? Where the heck did you get that from? Because I’m not tasting anything like that at all, or bergamot for that matter. This stuff is just straight up savory… not that I’m not complaining but yeah, I didn’t get any of those flavors.”

 

I’m left a touch confused at the discrepancy, but I figure maybe the umami just overwhelmed everything else for them… even though bergamot is a hard flavor to miss. 

 

I dismiss the nagging thoughts and take another, less cautious, sip of the bone broth and feel its healing warmth glide down my throat and into my stomach.

 

“Well, either way, I’m glad you enjoy it too,” I say as I set my mug on the coffee table, “I really hope that I can figure out where it came from because I’d love to get some more.”

 

Breeze gives an enthusiastic nod, “Oh my god, for real! I’ll have to ask the boss if she tracks where our free samples come from; although that canister looked pretty dusty when you pulled it up so it had probably been under that shelf for a while, a few months maybe. She’d probably be as clueless as you and I in that regard.”

 

I scrunch up my nose in deep thought, which causes my whiskers to tickle as they rub against the inside of my facemask and catches me so off guard I nearly blow my cover. I quickly blurt out the first thing on my brain in an attempt to save face.

 

“W-well, we know it’s Asian at least, right? And you said the writing looked similar to what you saw when you lived in Japan, so I’d say that’s as good a lead as any”

 

Breeze nods again before a light turns on in their brain, “Oh! I just remembered that I totally know a couple from Kyoto who I still keep in touch with!”

 

My excitement rises with theirs.

 

“No shit, really?” I shift in my seat towards them, “That’d be amazing if they somehow could get us the hookup for this stuff!”

 

“Totally!” Breeze is as enthusiastic as I’ve ever seen them, an energy they seem well-suited for, “We don’t really chat all that often, and sometimes it takes a while for them to respond to anything I send them, but they’ve always been lovely and basically took me in when my housing situation was in flux near the end of my time there before I left for Manila. They’d almost certainly be our best lead for this kind of stuff.”

 

I feel a surge of excitement at the possible prospect of my new favorite thing not being finite in quantity, and enthusiastically clap my hands.

 

“Fuck yes, that’s awesome!” I say, much more energetically than I realize, “Just the idea that I maybe won’t have to stretch what I have of this tea as much as I thought I would is seriously something else. When I came home and tried some I felt amazing! I got so much energy I cleaned my entire ro…”

 

I stop dead in the middle of my sentence, realizing what I’ve just said. Breeze, as I’d feared, seemed like they already suspected something was amiss but was just too polite to actually address it; and now that I’ve given them a wide open door to step through, they shift nervously towards me to cross that threshold.

 

“So…” They say, as diplomatically as they can, “What’s going on?”

 

The color drains from my face, what little of it is still visible to them, and I remain frozen in my tracks. I genuinely do not know what to say, or how to even begin explaining my situation to them. 

 

As my mind races with possible explanations and lies I feel my tail nervously twitch against my back. I’d completely forgotten it was there, and the sudden reminder of its presence startles me enough that I jut my chest forward and feel my engorged breasts press against the fabric of my hoodie. Panicking, I grab the hoodie and pull it forward, before looking at Breeze with the guiltiest eyes anyone has probably ever shot them.

 

I open my mouth, without even thinking of what might come out of it next, only for the expression on Breeze’s face to shift from apprehensive to tender.

 

“Oh hun…” They say with clear compassion behind their voice, “Is your dysphoria really that bad?”

 

Once again, I’m frozen in place after having what feels like my death sentence get commuted. My mouth remains frozen open behind my facemask, but slowly words start to form inside of it.

 

“Y-yeah, it, uhh…” Once again, I simply don’t know how to properly tell a lie so I decide to tell the truth, or at least a version of it, “...it gets pretty bad a lot of the time.”

 

Their look shifts once more, but this time to that of empathetic pity.

 

“Yeah, dysphoria is a real fucker like that, but still,” Breeze indicates my baggy and overly cumbersome fashion choices, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone go so all out in trying to hide everything like this, and it didn’t seem anywhere close to this bad when I saw you at the shop. What happened after you left?”

 

I don’t say anything, completely at a loss as to how to proceed. Breeze takes the opportunity to shuffle closer to me and lay a hand on my shoulder, which makes my heart decide it's time to attempt a prison break from my chest.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

 

In any other circumstance there is quite frankly nothing I would want to talk about less than my dysphoria and how bad it fucks me up, but given my options otherwise are rather limited at the moment it seems like a perfectly lovely conversation topic.

 

“I…” It still isn’t an easy topic to discuss, but I find the words, “I just get so hung up on my lack of femininity at this point, even though there’s so much more I could be doing to actually address that.”

 

Breeze nods, but doesn’t say anything. It’s clear that I’m expected to continue talking, and I silently curse them for it despite clinging to my only lifeline with utter fervency. 

 

“It’s not like I want to have a completely feminine presentation either, I always sorta saw myself as being somewhat on the non-binary spectrum, but I just feel stymied by everything that holds me back. What sucks is that even though there’s a lot of it I’m able to change, there’s also a lot I’m completely unable to at the same time.”

 

“Well, at least I was unable to, I guess…” 

 

“I keep thinking about stuff like how I never had and will never have a fully petite frame.” Hearing myself say these words also reminds me of the one thing that hadn’t changed in all of this bullshit, and the memory of it stings but I continue. 

 

“It’s not even something that I’m necessarily after, but it just sucks that I couldn’t have had that decision to make for myself and then whenever I start thinking about it, especially when I’m in public, it all just becomes too much and I end up barricading myself inside both physically and mentally, y’know?”

 

Breeze gives an empathetic nod and breaks their silence, “Yeah I hear you. It really is the worst when your dysphoria ties into something that you just have no control over and practically no recourse to actually do anything about, isn’t it?”

 

I nod emphatically myself, “Oh fucking hell, right? Skeletal structures are the biggest fuckers on the planet, because once they’re in they’re in and you just gotta deal with it.”

 

Breeze groans and throws their head back, apparently also not a big fan of the hand fate dealt them in that regard.

 

“Oh my godddd, they’re the worst! I mean…” Breeze wrinkles their noise in thought, clearly picking their next words very deliberately, “OK, so not to be ‘that guy’ or anything, especially not while I’m trying to be here to help you climb out of a spiral, but I thankfully don’t have a ton of things I’m dysphoric about. My tits were the only real thing that I couldn’t stand and they’ve been gone long enough now I don’t even think of them, but I do feel lucky I’ve been able to avoid anything else, compared to most everyone I know at least.”

 

They give my shoulder a knowing squeeze and my heart threatens to shatter several ribs in the process.

 

“That said…” Breeze falters slightly as they prepare to open up about something they clearly don’t with just anyone, “I do occasionally have those wandering thoughts that get stuck in the back of my mind and are nearly impossible to shake, sometimes for days at a time, and almost all of them center around this stupid skeleton I’m stuck with. I swear, the things I would do for some broad shoulders.”

 

I can’t help but chuckle in spite of the situation, “Heh, you wanna trade? I sometimes wish I could just shave these goddamn things down to a more manageable level.”

 

Breeze cocks an eyebrow, and realizes that their hand is still planted on my shoulder which causes them to retract it quickly.

 

“Oh, fuck, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to…”

 

I give them a wave and a chuckle, “Oh it’s fine, I rarely think about them when compared to all the other shit that gets me down.”

 

Breeze half-mockingly wipes their brow, “Ok, whew, I was hoping that I wasn’t sending you down the hole again. Although, I must say, having just felt them a moment ago they seemed rather petite and slender from what I could tell.”

 

I open my mouth to protest before I realize that there’s absolutely no reason for them to think otherwise, because my shoulders are most definitely one of the many things about me that are now vastly different.

 

“I… uhh… well, thanks. I’m glad you think so, that honestly makes me feel better.”

 

Breeze smiles and mercifully opts to turn the conversation back to them again, as I pretend to scratch my shoulder in an unsubtle attempt to feel what they just felt.

 

“Also, I just wish that I was a little more… well, imposing I guess.”

 

I shoot them a cocked eyebrow of my own, “How do you mean? You definitely feel like the imposing type to me, I feel like you could boss me around without much resistance at all.”

 

This elicits a much stronger and more prolonged fit of laughter from them than I expected, although it seems like it’s more from being such an unexpected and forward statement than being something they consider untrue.

 

“Ohh fuck, that’s funny…!” Breeze manages to finally collect themselves enough to actually string more than a few words together at a time between their giggles, “I mean, yeah I guess I am a pretty imposing person in general but a lot of that’s kind of a front. I might be a bit taller than most other people in my particular situation, but it’s not nearly as much as I’d like. I feel like I have to puff myself out and make myself seem bigger than I really am.” 

 

I nod, “Yeah I can understand that, even if I do have more or less the exact opposite problem. It’d be so nice to be the small one for a change and no one I’ve ever been with has been able to give that to me.”

 

Breeze returns the nod, “Oh yeah I bet, and you deserve to have that hun!” 

 

I smile again, “Thanks, I think it’d be pretty cool.”

 

Breeze smiles and leans back a bit.

 

“Like I said, I don’t really care that I look the way that I do, but sometimes it’d be nice to have this same shape in a more, well, amplified form I suppose. Also…”

 

They squirm a bit in their seat as a noticeable pall comes over their face and I feel the energy in the conversation shift dramatically.

 

“Also, I guess it’s because of all of that, on top of having to try so hard to be seen otherwise, that I feel like people see past it all and they still…”

 

The pause in Breeze’s sentence hangs in the air like a particularly unwelcome insect that they can’t bring themselves to swat away, until they find their resolve within a deep and quavering breath, tinged with the strained sound of barely held-back tears.

 

“...and they still see… her.”

 

It’s my turn to say nothing and allow Breeze a chance to continue if they want, an opportunity they take me up on.

 

“And… and when all they see is… her... the only thing that I can think of in that moment… is how all they see is a scared little girl who doesn’t know how to survive without her parents.”

 

Breeze turns away from me after finishing their thought, their breaths coming through in strained and shallow bursts. I’m uncertain what to do next, because hearing them be so utterly sincere and open about something that clearly pains them to even think about has left me at a loss yet again. 

 

I decide the best thing I can do is try and be there for them in the way they were for me just a bit ago; so I reach out to touch their shoulder, which causes no reaction from them other than a slight but sharp inhale.

 

“I just want you to know that…” I pause, making absolutely certain that I at least don’t say the wrong thing, “That I’m glad you came over tonight. I appreciate the thought behind everything you’ve done for me tonight, even when it turned out I was lying about being sick. I feel like you would have been well within your rights to just leave after that, and I wouldn’t have stopped you.”

 

They haven’t moved, and neither have I. I let the silence hang for a moment before continuing on.

 

“So, yeah… Thanks for listening to me like that, and thanks for giving a shit. Also, I know you probably didn’t expect to open up like that but thank you for trusting me with that too. I don’t want you to feel like you have to share anything with me but I’m always willing to…”

 

In less than a second Breeze turns towards me and flings their arms around my shoulders, holding me tightly while still maintaining distance from my chest, and buries their face into my neck as they sob without reservation.

 

It’s only due to the unexpectedness of the moment and a sudden impulse from my brain that I didn’t immediately move to push them off when it happened, but as it stands they’re currently clinging to me as if I’m a lifebelt and they’re alone in the middle of the ocean. I have no other option but to return the gesture, which I  feel particularly motivated to do given how open they just were.

 

I wrap my arms around their neck and back and hold them closer, although they still deliberately maintain their distance from my chest. I know they're trying to be respectful for an entirely different reason, but it’s still a well-appreciated gesture due to my rather unique set of circumstances. They continue to sob into my shoulder as I give them several awkward pats on the back, before they finally manage a few words in between their tears.

 

“It’s just so fucking hard,” is the first thing I hear from them, followed by another round of sobs. “I can’t believe that I went from being seemingly on top of my shit and living my life independently while doing what I love to fucking everything up and having my so-called ‘friends’ completely abandon me when I needed them most. The only thing I could do was pray that my mom at least didn’t want me to die on the street and had also forgiven me for…”

 

Breeze clams up before they finish their thought, and grips me even tighter as they do.

 

“...for getting my top surgery behind her back.”

 

Even in my desire to remain a compassionate and unquestioning friend for them in the moment, my curiosity can’t help but get the better of me at that statement.

 

“What? But, I thought you said that you had that covered by…”

 

They shake their head into my shoulder and after a few more shuddered sobs, I hear them draw in a breath to speak.

 

“She said that there was no way in hell she was going to let me get it on her dime and that if I wanted it that badly I’d have to ‘man up and figure out my own goddamn way to get my tits cut off.’ Her exact fucking words, Paige. I’ve never heard her that direct about anything before in my life.”

 

They take another moment to compose themselves before continuing.

 

“So I lied to my surgeon and even forged her signature. I was less than a month away from turning 26 and getting dropped from her insurance, and it was my best and only option outside of GoFundMe. I just couldn’t believe that she cared so fucking much about it and I was determined to get one over on her.”

 

Breeze pauses to wipe their nose on the back of their sleeve.

 

“Of course it blew up in my fucking face once she found out and she basically threatened to disown me over it. She said she wasn’t going to report me or file charges because she didn’t want to punish me, but she said she didn’t think she could ever trust me anymore. It was the last time I talked to her until 8 months ago when I had no other options.”

 

I wait for more sobs that never come from Breeze, only a firmer grasp around my neck in their place. Instead, this time the tears come from me. Slowly and silently, but with a determined steadiness as they stream down my cheeks. Hearing them be so brutally honest with me and the lengths they’ve gone in their attempt at happiness and the price they had to pay for it is simply too much for me to handle right now, especially with how close to home so much of it hits as well. 

 

I tighten my grip as well and let the silence hang, leaving the decision of continuing in their hands. It’s about five whole minutes of us holding each other and silently crying, before they move their arms to loosen their grip around my neck.

 

“Fuck,” they say as they let go of me and pull back, wiping their eyes with the back of their hands, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to latch onto you like that so abruptly, or spill my guts about committing a felony just so I didn’t have to take a hacksaw to my chest.”

 

I can’t help but let out a sardonic chuckle at the darkness of that image, which Breeze thankfully finds cause to briefly smirk at. 

 

“Hey, I’m just glad you managed to get it done and avoid any legal ramifications. I know it might not make up for a damaged relationship with your mom but there’s no jail and a lot less paperwork involved at least.”

 

This gets an even bigger chuckle from Breeze, who seems to have gotten through the worst of it but still has an air of fragility about them. I feel myself start to sag, both from the intense emotions as well as my still unavoidable predicament, and I decide to change the subject and energy to something a little calmer, which means I default to my go-to comfort activity whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed.

 

“Hey, I know this might seem like an odd request right now, and I hope I don’t seem like I’m trying to ignore or invalidate everything you just told me, but do you maybe wanna watch something? Like, a movie or TV show, or even just something on YouTube?”

 

The suggestion seems to catch them off guard and they fidget a bit before looking away with a somewhat implacable expression.

 

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I quickly say, “I understand if you wanna talk more or sit in silence, or if you wanna call it a night and…”

 

“Yes.”

 

The directness of their response means it’s my turn to be stunned.

 

“...yeah?”

 

They look up at me, with a warm and genuine smile on their face.

 

“Yes. That sounds like a lovely idea. I’m glad you were so receptive to me opening up, but I want to put all this bullshit behind me and not obsess over it any more, not right now at least, and watching something I can either focus my brain on or shut it off for sounds like the best idea in the world. Especially…”

 

They reach out to grab my hand again and, unlike back in the tea shop, this time I return their grasp.

 

“...especially if it’s with you.”

 

I’ve never been happier for the facemask in my life as I feel it pressing on my whiskers when I press them up against the fabric after breaking into a wide smile. I barely even notice the tickling sensation because I’m so caught up in the moment.

 

They blush a bit before continuing, “It really is nice having someone else who’s trans in this stupid town to talk to. Moving back here after being in what was a queer paradise comparably on the east coast for most of my 20s was some serious fucking culture shock, and seeing you earlier really lifted my spirits.” 

 

They give my hand a soft squeeze.

 

“And… honestly, not just because you’re also trans. I don’t remember a heck of a lot about you from that year when you helped coach the drama team because you were always so quiet most of the time, but I remember you always had an opinion on any movie that got brought up in the general conversation and I always thought that was really cool. It’s always nice when someone is super passionate about something and excited to share it with other people. I was kinda the same way with books, and whenever someone mentioned a book I read I’d never shut up about it.”

 

I laugh, “Yeah, I’m still like that with movies. I try to be more cognizant of it in public but I still slip up all the time.”

 

I smile again and give Breeze’s hand a soft squeeze of my own, “And yeah, I would love to talk more about all of this with you if you want sometime in the future. Believe me, I have my own baggage around my mom too. It’s not quite as dramatic as yours but it’s still very much a thing, and I guess I probably owe you one after everything you just told me.”

 

They chuckle softly, and give my hand a squeeze along with a bright smile.

 

“It’s a date!”

 

We both laugh at the choice of words and I release their hand to reach for my PS4 controller instead.

 

“So, what are you interested in? I have access to my roommate's Netflix and HBO so we could start there, or just scroll something up on…”

 

They shake their head and point at the wall behind me, “Nah, let’s pick something from the shelf!”

 

I turn my head around, remembering my extremely sizable wall of movies to pick from right as it comes into my field of view. Most of it is Blu-Rays and DVDs but there’s also a healthy selection of VHS too, which I mostly keep around for nostalgic purposes. 

 

“Yeah, that sounds fun!” I say as I turn back to them. “What are you interested in? I got all of the classic Disney Animated Canon, all the Batman movies, some Marvel movies too if that’s your thing, lots of romantic comedies, Studio Ghibli, and I don’t know if you’re into sci-fi but…”

 

Their eyes go wide as they hear something to latch onto.

 

“Ghibli. Yes, very much Ghibli. That sounds fucking amazing right now.”

 

I shoot them a wry smile of my own, hoping they can at least catch the essence of it behind my mask.

 

“Glad to hear. What strikes your fancy in particular? I tend to go for ‘Totoro’ whenever I’m feeling down, myself.”

 

They laugh, this time with a bit more of the sardonic edge that I’ve come to associate with them.

 

“Heh, boring,” they say with a jokingly snide tone, “I mean, if you wanna be a complete pleb about your Ghibli, that is.”

 

I cross my arms and shoot them my highest-cocked eyebrow that I can, fully prepared to pick up the gauntlet they just threw down at my feet..

 

“Oh really now? You more of a ‘Pom Poko’ guy, or is ‘Porco Rosso’ your thing instead?”

 

Breeze grins again and slyly avoids my gaze, twirling their hair with their finger in a mock display of coyness.

 

“Ohh, I don’t knoww, those are all still so damn basic, hun.” They make damn sure I hear the emphasis on that word in particular. “Maybe if you had something like ‘My Neighbors the Yamadas’ or ‘Tales from Earthsea’ I might consider wasting my time with…”

 

“Which one would you like?”

 

They drop the facade in the blink of an eye and stare at me incredulously.

 

“Wait, you seriously have them both?”

 

I laugh, maybe a bit more than I intended, but it was hard not to with the sudden shift in their tone.

 

“Oh, point of fact, I have them all.”

 

Their eyes widen even further.

 

“Get the fuck out, really?!”

 

I grin again, “You know I’m a big fan of movies, so why doubt me? You can check for yourself, they’re up on the top shelf.”

 

They take another look behind me at the wall and scan it until they find the stack of BluRays that confirm my story.

 

“Holy shit, Paige,” they say with complete awe, “I guess that one’s on me, huh?”

 

We both laugh briefly at the moment, before they turn back to look at the selection and make a decision.

 

“Well, in that case… I guess let’s go with ‘The Cat Returns’. That’s always been one of my comfort movies and I haven’t seen it in a long time.”

 

Thinking about that selection in particular reminds me of the predicament I’m still in and had mostly forgotten about until this point, which causes the tail wedged up my back to twitch yet again as if to mock me. I nearly lose focus on where I am and what I’m doing before bringing myself back to reality.

 

“Y-yeah! Great choice, one of my favorites too!”

 

It’s a true statement, however profoundly dark the irony in it is as well.

 

I move to get up, “Okay, I’ll go and grab it for us.”

 

Breeze grabs my hand again, and I freeze in place.

 

“Also, I’m willing to bet you’re still feeling dysphoric considering you haven’t even taken off your mask yet and I understand that, but I thought maybe it might be nice if…”

 

They take a deep breath, clearly more flustered by this than they intended to be.

 

“...maybe we could cuddle a bit too? If you’re up for it?”

 

My tail strains against its bonds as it attempts to flail wildly around at the sound of their suggestion. I am similarly flailing around myself at the idea, if only in spirit, and Breeze picks up on my seeming reticence with a knowing nod.

 

“It’s ok, we don’t have to if you’re not feeling…”

 

I squeeze their hand even harder and they look me in the eyes.

 

“Yes, that sounds really nice actually.”

 

They beam again and their face lights up.

 

“Really? Because, I totally understand if you don’t and you don’t gotta make yourself uncomfortable just for me.”

 

I shake my head, “No, I want to. It sounds amazing if I’m gonna be honest. I’ve been so damn touch starved living in this stupid town that some platonic physical affection sounds really great and…”

 

I have to stop myself from going any further with this sentiment, as I still cannot let on to the way things currently are.

 

“...and even though I’m not still fully out of my dysphoria spiral right now, maybe we can just keep it simple? Something like, uhhh…”

 

I hesitantly reach my arm out and awkwardly stick it around their shoulders as I hold them closer to my side. I look at them lamely, uncertain if what I’m doing means anything.

 

They simply smile back at me.

 

“That’s perfect. Also, maybe if it’s not too much, could I…”

 

They lean in slightly and rest their head in the crook of my neck. Feeling them nestle softly into me like that, in addition to occasionally feeling their breath on my neck, brings the heat that I felt back in my bedroom slowly surging to the forefront yet again. I take a deep, but cautious breath of my own and feel the sensation abate slightly, which gives me the confidence I need.

 

“Yeah… yeah, I think that’ll work great.”

 

They look up at me and smile warmly again, which also has a mildly playful ttinge to it.

 

“Awesome, because I honestly love doing this kinda stuff with people. Not even with anyone I’m romantically involved in, just in a purely platonic sense too. I feel like we put so much emphasis on needing to have a deep and meaningful connection with someone before we can be physically close to them in any way, when we all need that kind of connection one way or another.” 

 

I give them a smile of my own, “Yeah, I can’t say I fault you there. I’ve definitely missed having someone to be close with and I’m cool with not putting any pressure on that one way or another.”

 

They grin even wider. “Also, well…” they blush slightly before continuing, “Not for nothing babe but you smell really nice.” 

 

I feel a sweat tickle the back of my neck, and my tail also twitches a millimeter at these words.

 

“I kinda got an example of it unintentionally when I was weeping into you and it… sort of helped? I guess?”

 

I don’t think there’s ever been a tomato as red as my face clearly is at the moment, which does not go unnoticed by Breeze who laughs cheekily.

 

“Uh… gee,” I say with obvious embarrassment, “Thanks for that I guess.”

 

They give me a wink, and my heart melts a bit in the process.

 

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go get us that movie!”

 

I smile back at them and we part so I can finally stand up and retrieve it from the shelf. I walk over and reach up to grab it, only to suddenly realize I can’t reach the top shelf like I used to; I can’t even get close to it. The thought causes only a momentary confusion, followed swiftly by annoyance at the predicament.

 

“Have these shelves always been so tall? I mean, I haven’t needed anything from the top shelf in a while and, sure, it’s always been really high up but I don’t remember ever having this kind of trouble.”

 

I shrug it off and grab a chair from the kitchen table to stand on, determined to get what I’m after. As I step up it Breeze gets up and joins me, holding the chair steady as they do.

 

“Need a hand, hun?”

 

I grunt in annoyance, still straining to reach the top shelf, “No, I got it. I just… can’t seem to…”

 

Even with my added height from the chair I’m still straining on my tiptoes to reach the top shelf and even griping another one with my other hand to try and help push me up. I’m wondering what the fuck is happening before the sudden realization dawns, and it freezes me in place the second it washes over me. 

 

“Oh shit…”

 

I can hear the eyebrow Breeze cocks behind me.

 

“What’s up? Everything ok?”

 

I barely have time to contemplate how absurd of a question that is before I feel that the back of my hoodie is starting to slide up further than I realized it would, and that thought alone causes the appendage wedged up my back to finally twitch that one hair too far.

 

“Wait, what the heck is…”

 

Breeze doesn't even finish the first half of their question before my tail finally escapes from its confines and I feel it flop out and land directly on their shoulder.

 

Neither of us says anything for far too long. I don’t move, and they don’t either. My arm is still frozen in the same reaching position and I haven’t stepped down from my tiptoes. Normally, my brain would be racing with every single disaster scenario and how it might possibly play out but for the first time that I can recall, my mind is a complete blank. I’ve forgotten who I am, where I am, what I’m doing, how I got here, and why I even exist at all. 

 

“Uhh, Paige?”

 

“Paige? Who’s Paige?”

 

“Why are you wearing a tail?”

 

“What’s a tail? Who the heck is that anyway?”

 

“Wait a second…” 

 

I feel an icy cold hand grip my heart and freeze it solid, threatening to clench even harder and shatter it into a million pieces without a second thought.

 

“...are you a furry?”

 

Hearing that word jolts me back to earth in an instant, although that simply makes the horrifying reality of my situation all the more apparent. I latch onto that word and attempt to say something, anything at all, but my mouth refuses to operate the way I want it to.

 

“I… uhh… I…”

 

I can practically hear Breeze roll their eyes.

 

“Jesus, Paige, is this what you were so embarrassed about? You were dressing up and didn’t want me to see?”

 

My stomach forms a knot that even Alexander couldn’t slice in half.

 

“I… I don't…”

 

I hear them scoff, although from the sound of it not derisively, thankfully.

 

“I mean, you really could have just told me that. I’m no stranger to the fandom myself, even if I’m pretty much completely on the periphery of it, but now I feel a little more awkward about opening up to you about my dysphoria is all. I mean, not that I regret getting that off my chest,” they pause to chuckle darkly to themselves, “So to speak, anyways, but I really thought I was relating to you in a more meaningful and direct way because of it.”

 

I feel tears start to form in my eyes, completely overwhelmed as my brain finally starts to move into overdrive.

 

“No! That’s not it, I…”

 

My sentence, along with my brain, is stopped dead in its tracks when I feel Breeze place their hand on my tail and stroke it gently.

 

“Although I gotta say, you must really take this stuff seriously because damn hun, this thing is soft as hell.”

 

Every synapse I have short-circuits as I desperately try to grab any single foothold my mind will permit, only to keep tumbling further and further into the recesses of my brain in the process. Their touch, which went from being a simple up and down motion to something with greater pressure, has completely disabled me. The sensations are unlike anything else I’ve ever felt in my entire life, and the fact that it’s on a completely new part of my body does nothing to help the predicament.  

 

I feel every single hair as their hand passes over it, all the way down to the base, and with each pass of Breeze’s hand over them I feel a spreading warmth that rises to encompass my entire lower half. Much to my rising horror, this includes a specific part that I had yet again completely forgotten existed until now. I don’t have long to dwell on that however as the pleasurable sensation quickly overrides any anxieties I have and starts rising even higher up my body.

 

“Ohhh fuck, that actually feels really nice…”

 

Breeze increases the intensity of their strokes and I unconsciously bite my lip in an attempt to remain somewhat grounded.

 

“Mmmmm, it’s so fluffy and it even feels like real fur.”

 

I hear a soft and devious chuckle from them that has a mildly salacious quality as well. I feel my fangs dig into the skin under my lower lip, as I desperately try not to lose control.

 

“You should’ve shown this to me earlier hun, I would’ve been all over it if you’d have let me near it.”

 

As if yet again to mock my predicament, my tail decides at that moment to act on its own and twitches just enough to give Breeze a gentle smack across the face, and I am once again brought crashing back to the existential nightmare that is my current reality.

 

“Ahh! What the heck?” Breeze sounds confused but only slightly annoyed. “Did you just move that thing? How the heck did you do that?”

 

My brain oscillates rapidly between functioning and non-functioning, and yet again I am unable to even think of a single thing.

 

“I mean, I didn’t see your hips move at all and I can’t see a wire or anything else attached to it. Is it makeup? Seems a bit overkill to me…”

 

As they speak I realize that Breeze is working their hands closer and closer to the base of my tail, trying to find a seam or some kind of indication as to what is causing it to behave the way it does, but it isn’t until it’s far too late that I realize what they’re about to do, and my brain finally thinks of what to say.

 

“WAIT NO DON’T DO THA-”

 

With one sharp and decisive motion they grab my tail in both hands near the base and tug firmly. 

 

A searing and electric bolt of pain shoots up my spine and collects in my brain before exploding and scattering all across my body, all in less than a second. I screech out as the pain fully registers and the hand which was still resting on the shelf for balance jerks outward instinctively and pushes me back, causing the chair I’m standing on to tip over backwards too as a whole shelf's worth of movies follow closely behind me.

 

I go tumbling ass over teakettle straight into Breeze, who instinctively reaches out to grab me as I fall back. We both hit the ground with a decisive thud and weather the storm of DVD and Blu-Ray cases that rain down upon our heads, although thankfully we quickly shield both of our faces from them as they pelt us. Once the dust has settled the two of us remain frozen in place for about fifteen seconds until Breeze finally breaks the silence.

 

“Holy shit, Paige are you ok?!”

 

I open my eyes and realize that I’m staring directly into theirs. I’ve fallen directly on top of Breeze and they’re laying flat on their back, breathing heavily but staring at me intently and with worry and alarm. I quickly take an assessment of anything that might have gotten hurt, and nothing seems out of place.

 

“Y-yeah, I think I’m ok. Might be a bit sore tomorrow and definitely gotta do some cleaning up now but I’ll manage.” I realize at this point that I’m not the one who should have that question asked about them and my eyes bug out. “Are YOU ok?!”

 

They wince slightly as they nod, “Yeah I’m fine. Might’ve bumped the back of my head a bit but definitely no worse than I have in the past.”

 

They look back up at me and cock an eyebrow, before grinning at me.

 

“Nice work on the nose by the way, that thing looks super real too.”

 

The color drains out of my face yet again, and I reach up to feel absolutely nothing covering up my mouth and nose. The facemask had finally expended its use in the commotion and one of the straps broke off, leaving the rest of it dangling by my ear. I had been so preoccupied otherwise it hadn’t even registered until I felt my hand touching the dry, wrinkly nub of my new nose, as well as the long whiskers that are now bobbing around freely.

 

As my mind races for a possible explanation, Breeze looks down at my chest and notices something else.

 

“Oh hey, you’re wearing that pendant! I told you it’d suit you.”

 

They shoot me another wink moments before they then close both eyes and wince.

 

“Ah, shit!”

 

My mind yet again latches onto something to hold to.

 

“What, do you hurt somewhere else? Is something broken?”

 

Breeze flutters their eyes as they shake their head.

 

“No, it’s not that, that labradorite caught the light at a weird angle and it shined into my eyes. Kinda hurt a bit…”

 

They open their eyes fully and look me up and down, before finally breaking into a weak and embarrassed smile.

 

“Umm, do you think maybe… you could, uh…”

 

I’m brought back down to reality yet again.

 

“Oh! Yes, sorry…”

 

I quickly get up off of them and stand unsteadily on my feet, forgetting once again that I have far more weight on my chest than I’m used to. I see Breeze start to pull themselves up before I reach out a hand to assist, which they gladly take. Once they’re on their feet they groan loudly as they stretch out their back, and I hear a few vertebrae gently pop as they return to their normal positions.

 

“Ooof, my back definitely took the brunt of that. Nothing’s out of place or broken thankfully but I’m definitely gonna feel that tomorrow.”

 

They groan again as they stretch out even more.

 

“I guess once you cross over into your 30s you really do start feeling the wear on your body more, huh? Damn, that shit got my blood pumping though, feels like…”

 

Their sentence hangs in the air as they come to realize that they’re looking down at me, even if only by several inches, instead of being at eye level as we were in the store. The confusion takes a moment to fully register for them, and I slowly spot them furrowing their brow as it sets in.

 

“Did you… shrink since I saw you last?”

 

I open my mouth to speak, even though I can’t think of a damn thing to say, before Breeze clutches their sides and doubles over.

 

“Ohhhh fuck…”

 

I rush over to them.

 

“Is it something else?! Did you pierce a lung or break a rib or…”

 

They shake their head.

 

“No, it’s nothing like that, it’s not pain. It’s…”

 

They convulse slightly as their eyes roll back into their head.

 

“Oof, it almost feels like I’m nauseous but I don’t have to throw up at all.”

 

I keep watching as Breeze continues to clutch at their sides, moaning in discomfort. I notice the mug of bone broth I left on the coffee table and rush over to grab it.

 

“Here, do you want any of this?” I say as I proffer the mug in their direction.

 

They shake their head as their moans intensify. 

 

“No, I’m… I’m not…” 

 

Before they’re able to finish their sentence they shoot straight up, as if they were a marionette being given a command from their puppeteer. Their eyes bug out and they look at me with fear and alarm.

 

“Paige… I feel like I’m stretching out!!”

 

I only have a moment to absorb that question before I notice the changes occurring before my very eyes. Breeze does indeed look like they’re being slowly pulled and stretched outward, almost like taffy, but they aren’t thinning out or losing any mass in the process. It almost seems like filling out as they grow upward, being pulled taut but without losing any of their mass. The stretching seems to correspond to their heartbeat, a fact that doesn’t go unnoticed by them as one of their hands shoots to their chest and they shoot me a look of abject terror.

 

“PAIGE WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!!”

 

My mouth hangs wide open, but even if my brain could formulate words for it to say it would still remain inert. How do you even begin to cope with seeing something so sudden and unnatural occurring right before your very eyes? Not that I haven’t had experience with something like it earlier tonight but it’s still a greatly unsettling sight regardless.

 

Breeze, for their part, doesn’t say anything else either and simply stands frozen in place and whimpering as their body continues to be pulled upwards and out like they were an extra taut Stretch Armstrong doll. I doubt I’d have been able to do any different if it were me in their position.

 

The process starts to slow down after about 30 seconds or so and comes to a dead stop 15 seconds after that, at which point I’m finally able to fully take in what the hell just happened. Breeze stands in front of me, a full head taller over me than where they just were, and with a body that is now pressed tight against the formerly loose clothing they’re currently wearing. Their arms are thicker, as are their legs, and their shoulders have broadened significantly. I also can’t help but notice that underneath the shirt, specifically the part cut off at the midriff, they now have some well-defined albeit not overly prominent abs that I don’t remember existing before. 

 

Interestingly, their waist and hips have retained the same shape and curviness they had before, as have their arms and legs. They really do look like my imagination of the “enhanced” version of themselves that they had been talking about earlier. I only have a moment to consider all this before they look down at me with tear-filled eyes.

 

“W-what the fuck…” they can barely finish their sentence before they start hyperventilating, “...what the fuck is this shit, what is hap-, oh my fucking god…”

 

I rush over to them and grab their hand, pulling them to the couch to sit them down and to take my own seat next to them. They bury their head in their hands as I hold them close, and after about a minute they gradually start to slow their breathing to a less frenzied pace. They look up at me again, their hands still clasped to the sides of their head and tears still streaming down their face.

 

They’re about to say something before their eyes go wide with shock and they bolt up out of my arms, hands still at their temples.

 

“What is it?!” I ask fervently, “Are you still growing?”

 

Their eyes drift up to each side of their head and fear creeps back into their expression.

 

“I… I don’t know, but…”

 

They don’t say another word and bolt out of their seat and over to the mirror, as I follow closely behind. 

 

They stare intently into the mirror, as they start hyperventilating again. I reach over to try and calm them down but as I do they reach out to push me back, and the moment that they do is when I get my first look at it.

 

In the split second that their hand moves from their ear I see what’s coming in to replace it, which is a fuzzy brown and black point growing straight upwards.

 

In fear they realize what they’ve done and try to cover up again, only for their hand to no longer be able to fully contain it. Their hand falls to their side, followed shortly by their other one. They stare into the mirror in horror as the points of their new ears continue to rise upward until they stand tall and proud atop their head with lots of dark fuzz on the inside, plain as day to see.

 

Unable to tear their eyes away from the mirror, much like myself, the next change becomes readily apparent almost immediately as their nose starts to slowly recede into their face. They reach a hand up to cautiously touch it, only to think better the moment they do and bring back down to their side with a snap. Their nose continues to draw inwards, but as it does it also starts to flatten and round out, growing darker and darker with each passing second. Eventually, it settles on a large round button shape that is coal black and glistening wet, with two sizable holes for nostrils.

 

Breeze looks tempted to bring their hand back up to their nose, but opts to just stare at it with their mouth agape, which much like my prior transformation gives them the best look at the next change.

 

Their canines start to grow down, and find their way to sharper points like mine, but unlike mine they retain a bit of bluntness to them instead of the razor-like pincers I’ve had to avoid getting caught on my bottom lip and gums. If Breeze is in any way shocked at this development it doesn’t show, only because they still haven’t changed the expression of horror they’ve had for the last two minutes.

 

Once their teeth reach a certain length they finally slow and stop, and just when Breeze seems ready to start examining things again they bend over suddenly as if feeling something pressing against them. I have a good guess as to what, but I’m not about to try and interfere when they’re in this state.

 

As expected, Breeze reaches behind and ungracefully slides their now too tight slacks down just a hair, enough for what’s growing out of the base of their spine to finally find a path of egress. Sure enough, a tail starts growing out of them with a slow but steady determination. Like the hair on their new ears it’s dark brown with a black stripe on top, and as it spools out of them the hair on the bottom seems to get longer and lighter with each second of growth. 

 

After about 15 seconds, their tail stops growing and they are left frozen in place, still hyperventilating. Only this time their heavy and labored breathing sounds different, like something I’ve heard many times before. It’s almost like they’re… 

 

“Paige…” they finally say to me, with panting gasps, “What is going on? What the fuck is happening to me?”

 

I look at them, wondering how the hell I can even begin to answer their question, before realizing that I should just stop dancing around things and say what I should have said right from the beginning.

 

With a sigh of grim determination I loosen the drawstring on my hoodie and let my new mess of hair, as well as my brand new ears, out of their confinement.

 

“I… I have no idea, Breeze,” I say without any attempt to mask my new voice, “But I’m pretty sure that the same thing is happening to me too.”

END OF CHAPTER 2