Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Unmasked and Uncertain

Gwen

My gut churned with nerves as I walked away from the table with this strange spider woman who had taken us into her home. She had been nothing but kind so far, but would she accept ‘Gwen’ as easily as she accepted ‘Lin’? Could I be brave enough to tell her? Could I– 

“What did you want to talk about, Lin?” Ellya pitched her voice into a low whisper. 

I answered in kind. “Well, this is a bit of a tough thing to ask, but um… so, from what you’ve said, Tellarans tend to be pretty accepting of others with differences, right?” 

Ellya nodded as I continued. “Well, what about gender? If someone says they are a different gender than they might appear?” My hands were so sweaty and shaky. Was I being subtle enough? Had I outed myself already?

She smiled. “I think I know why you might be asking and I can assure you, people like that are accepted here. I know only the faintest rumors of what your home is like, but I know it is often hard for folks like you – for folks like that to find acceptance. In fact, I myself would fall into that category. My sisters treated my realization of my own gender with joy and welcomed me as one of their own.” Ellya placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, looking me in the eye as I struggled to meet her gaze. “It can be hard, I know, even when people do accept you. It gets easier, though, the more you are able to embrace it. Here on Tellara, people like me are known as Blessed of Teara by the mages and alchemists view us as proof of the universe’s desire for creation and innovation. So, if you know anyone like that–'' Her stare had a knowing edge to it. “Then I hope they would feel safe in being themself around me and the people of this world. And if they do not, I completely understand.”

Ellya… was like me? She was so beautiful, it felt impossible, given how I felt about myself. But there was magic in this world, wasn’t there? A way to be yourself beyond what was available on Earth, maybe even without all the gatekeeping! I… could I really accept that? 

I could. 

“Well then, um, Ellya… I’d like to reintroduce myself: my name is Gwen and I’m a girl. Lin is just–” I was interrupted by Ellya pulling me into a tight hug as she spun me around in a circle, her arachnid arms pressing against my back. 

“Oh! Gwen! It is so nice to meet you! I’m so happy to welcome a fellow sister to our world.” 

Warm tears fell from my face. She called me Gwen! She called me by my name! It wasn’t weird or anything! I was so happy, I felt like I was going to burst! Nothing could ruin this moment, nothing at all–

The sound of breaking ceramic proved that a lie. I looked over to see Brian staring at me, his face contorted with confusion and other emotions I couldn’t place. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to drop the cup, I just…I couldn’t help but overhear. Who…who is Gwen?” Brian’s voice was quiet and tremulous. 

Ellya looked at me with worry, but stepped back and gave me some space. I took a deep breath before walking over to Brian. His eyes darted back and forth as he looked at me like I was a stranger. This was hard. “So, Brian, I have something to tell you.” 

“Of course, Lin–” the emphasis on that name stung a little bit. “You can tell me anything.”

“Well, the truth is: I’m not a guy. I’m a girl. My name is Gwendolin, Gwen for short, and I’ve known for a long time. I was just… I was too scared to tell you, back home. Too afraid that even if you accepted me, everyone else wouldn’t. So I stayed quiet. But Ellya tells me that people like me are loved here, in this world. I can finally be me. Is that… is that okay with you?”

“You? A girl? Impossible! You can’t just be – if anyone could just be a girl if they wanted then why – you can’t just do whatever you want, you can’t be so selfish, it isn’t right– ” 

I glared at him as he sputtered. “Selfish?!” My voice was full of venom. How dare he? After everything we’d been through?

Brian continued. “I mean… you can’t just do whatever you want. My parents always told me you have to put yourself last. You can’t just deprive your family of a son, that isn’t right. There are expectations, duties, you can’t just drop those on a whim!” 

“A whim? You think this is a whim? I’ve been keeping this a secret since we were kids, since Ms. Lavender was forced to leave. I only told her…and now you and Ellya. I thought you would be happy for me, but you are just gonna throw your family’s twisted rules at me?” I was shouting now as Brian winced and backed away until he fell back into his seat by the table.

There was a long pause until finally, he grimaced and looked down, sighing deeply. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t the right thing to say. I’m just trying to process, but it isn’t fair to you.” He looked back up with a contrite smile. “Gwen,you’ve been my best friend for nearly my entire life, and if this is who you are, then I accept you. Whatever my family might think, whatever I’ve been taught, it doesn’t matter. You being happy is what is important. I’m not going to pretend I understand; how could I? But that is my problem, not yours. Sorry for being a shit about it. Just… let me know if I stick my foot in my mouth again.” 

I punched him on the shoulder. “I’ll have to think of a way you can make it up to me.” 

He rubbed his shoulder with a chuckle. “Yeah, I deserved that. So, um, are you going to start wearing dresses?” 

“Are you kidding? Half of my closet back home is dresses. You just haven’t seen them.” 

“Wait, what?” 

Ellya chose that moment to swing over to us, her extra limbs hooking into recesses in the ceiling that allowed her to flow over the ground in an incredibly graceful fashion. She gave me a contrite look of apology before smiling and speaking rapidly. “I actually have some spare dresses you can wear, Gwen. I didn’t know what you would prefer when I brought you and Brian in a week ago, so I just chose something fairly generic. Oh, and if you want to do something with your hair or any makeup, please just let me know. You’ll have to fill me in on what folks back on Earth are doing in that regard–”

Brian interrupted her with a frown. “A week?”

She tilted her head to the side before nodding. “Why, yes. Your internal mana reserves were incredibly depleted and struggled to recover due to the atrophy common in people of your world. And Gwen here had some rather severe injuries. If I had access to some more sophisticated facilities, she would have healed faster, but my skills in the healing arts are rudimentary.” Ellya bowed slightly in apology. “Still, you both recovered quite nicely. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly your body has adjusted to a mana-rich environment, Brian. I may even have to teach you two a few techniques so you don’t accidentally try to wield old magic.”

My mind reeled over the implications of her words. Broken ribs and internal bleeding… fixed in a mere week… and that wasn’t even the extent of what healing in this world could do? It was unsurprising when my mind drifted to considering how good their transition care must be. 

While I mused, Brian picked up the pieces of the shattered cup from earlier with a thoughtful expression on his face. He nearly jumped when the pieces began to float out of his hands and swirl around in an orb of cerulean glow above Ellya’s upraised hand. 

“Magic…” Brian let out a low whistle. “I can’t believe something like that exists.”

Ellya lifted the orb high above her head, where a small, rotund spider, its carapace a brilliant shade of purple, crawled out of one of the ceiling ports and ferried the pieces away. Ellya gave a little nod. “Thank you, little sister.” The spider peeped out from the port after taking the last piece and gave a little wave of its foreleg. Ellya turned her attention back to Brian. “Magic is the soul of Tellara. It infuses the air you breathe, the ground you walk upon, and especially the oceans. When you arrived on our shores, did you feel anything strange when you touched the water?”

“Yeah, I felt a tingling sensation when I put my hand in and I felt invigorated. There also was… this song I think, at the edge of hearing. Very faint and hard to pick out, but it was definitely there.” Brian took another bite of fruit. “The tingling felt similar to what I felt when that creature attacked me, but like a mirrored sensation. The water felt soothing and pleasant; whatever the creature was doing to me felt like it was draining that all away.” He grimaced over the memory before looking directly at Ellya with a thoughtful expression. “I could hear that song again when you showed up.”

Ellya nodded. “Interesting – and what of you, Gwen? What did you feel?”

I thought back to those first moments on the beach, my memory a little hazy from the injuries I’d suffered. The tingling sensation sounded familiar, as did the feeling of refreshment, but the song was a mystery to me. “Tingling, but no song. That was all Brian, I guess. I did notice him looking distracted a few times, I suppose that must have been it.” I helped myself a bit of the food as well, nibbling on a wedge of fruit that was similar in texture to an apple, but had the sweet and refreshing taste of a mango. 

Ellya took a sip of her drink as she considered. “Mana flows more freely in our oceans than anywhere else on Tellara. The sensations you describe are the effects of mana being absorbed into your body, awakening dormant metaphysical structures tied to your soul. The feeling of rest and refreshment you describe is related to the health benefits mana has on the body. A soul brimming with magic is a healthy soul and the body follows suit.” Her spider limbs sketched glowing shapes in the air and a shimmering representation of a human body sprang into existence, floating above the table. There was a dense core directly in the center and cerulean lines flowed into it, making it grow brighter with a pulse like a heartbeat. 

Ellya continued. “Earth, as we understand it, is a world where magic is dormant, inert. Perhaps mana flowed through its veins once upon a time and may very well do so again, but you’ve grown up in that inert environment. Here on Tellara, mana is life itself. Once, magic was bound by a divine structure, imposed by the god of order, to ensure that it could flourish and nourish the world. That order was eventually supplanted by the Iron Imperium, a cruel empire that overtook all of Tellara and twisted magic to dire ends. Eventually, the world itself cracked under this pressure and suffered the Cataclysm. Magic ran wild, great fonts of wild magic launched chunks of the world into space, and created the vast oceans that we know today. Those oceans are still fed by the fonts of wild magic and their energy courses through the waters.”

I felt a surge of panic. “Wild magic is in the water? That sounds more dangerous than just the mana you were talking about.” 

Ellya moved her limbs again and the image of a person shifted to something akin to those illustrated diagrams you would see in a textbook. There was a cutout of the ocean, the shore, and a large hole in the depths of the ocean. A vortex swirled around the hole, glowing with cerulean and scarlet hues. She spoke in a careful tone. “Wild magic can indeed be dangerous, but you have nothing to fear. The red you see here is wild magic, but as it travels into the ocean currents, it is converted into safe mana, the cerulean streams, and travels throughout the world. Even if you swam right next to the font, the danger lies in the desire and temptation to wield it. Magic seeks expression, innately. It is the energy of creation, never destroyed or created, but flowing throughout Tellara.”

She paused and looked directly at Brian. “Of the two of you, Brian was in the most danger. It seems his body adapted a little quicker than yours did and that means he was capable of wielding magic. Old magic. Before the divine order was undone, anyone could wield magic safely and intuitively. Shaping mana within your core, your soul, and creating spells was an easily learned skill, akin to reading. With the Cataclysm, magic is no longer bound by that structure and wielding it means change.”

I leaned forward. “But you wield old magic, right? What kind of changes are you talking about?” 

Ellya smiled. “Someone has been listening. Whether mana or wild magic, taking magic into yourself to shape it means that your soul, and your body, are shaped in turn. Our forms are malleable, open to change, and possess no defenses against this nor do the changes correspond to any conscious process. No, to wield such magic without being warped and undone by it, one requires a catalyst.” The image reverted to the human form with a wave of her hand. A spiderweb appeared and overlaid the core, covering it in a latticework shell. “Catalysts are relics of the world before. Each kind was unearthed by explorers and once found, can be replicated. For mages like myself, that catalyst is a unique form of spider silk. What a catalyst does is imposes a specific structure, a template, over your soul. This prevents your soul and form from being affected by the magic you wield, but in return, you do not know how the catalyst will change you, exactly. The silk will always result in a spider form of some kind, but the details are up to the nature of each mage’s soul. Some will have hair, eyes, and limbs like mine. Others might have their lower half become a spider’s thorax and limbs. As mages go, the spiderfolk have less variations than our cousins, the Sylvans and the Dragons.”

The image of a body changed and flowed until it appeared similar to Ellya’s own, lining up with her explanation. Two more bodies appeared, one with a fae appearance of twisting vines, leafy branches jutting out from long, fine hair, and eyes with rectangular pupils like a goat’s. The other body looked similar to that of the woman who had pulled us through the portal: horns and scales and a tail, though this body also had two sets of reptilian eyes and four wings jutting from the back. 

She continued. “Those are the catalysts we’ve been able to find, forming the basis of the mage orders. Other catalysts have been mentioned in texts recovered from the ruins of the world that was, but we have not found the catalysts themselves. We also have been unable to fashion new catalysts. It is thought that as these are relics of an order that no longer exists, the conditions necessary for crafting them are impossible to replicate. But once a single mage has been changed by a catalyst, so too can they impart a catalyst upon another.” Ellya brought her spider limbs together and a fine white thread spooled together from the tips until she held a small ball of silk. She tossed the ball to Brian, who scrambled to catch it with a yelp. 

She giggled as he held it gingerly in his hands. She looked over at me with a smirk. “If I were to cover either of you entirely in this silk, you would enter a deep trance and emerge as a mage like me, in time. It is different for other mages, as their catalyst dictates. Each order has their own rules and customs regarding the induction of new mages. Some are fairly open and hold large classes where any can join. Others are selective, but leave it up to individual mages to find an apprentice they wish to pass on the gift to.” The ball of silk dispersed into a cloud of shimmering dust with a wave of Ellya’s hand.

Brian looked contemplative as he spoke. “That is…a lot to consider. Not being able to know how you will turn out is a bit daunting, but surely people show up in droves for this kind of power?”

I found myself wondering the same thing and yet – “What about the alchemists you mentioned before?” Ellya winked at me and with a wave of her hand, a little golden starburst flashed in front of me. 

“Both of you are asking very good questions, I’m impressed. I know this is a lot to take in. I’ll answer Gwen’s first. Alchemists are the foundation of Tellara’s sciences and industry. It was actually an otherworlder like yourselves who arrived on Tellara shortly after the Cataclysm and found that her alchemical knowledge allowed her to wield a new form of magic that she could only dream of back on Earth. Alchemists do not draw mana into themselves, as mages do, but instead communicate in the language and elements of creation to change the world. Through understanding, deconstruction, and reconstruction, an alchemist is able to make use of the magic around them.” Ellya waved her hand and the images of the mages faded as a new image of a person in a closely fitted jacket and layered skirt, with satchels around their waist, raised their arm and a circle filled with symbols appeared. Water surged forth from the circle and formed into a globe before the image vanished. 

“Whoa!” Brian and I spoke at the same time, unable to contain our amazement. 

Ellya chuckled with a smug look on her face, pleased at our reaction. “And this in turn answers your question, Brian. Mages are able to wield magic intuitively and are able to do so no matter where they travel. Our power is tied to Tellara itself and mages serve as the voice of the natural world, allowing our people to live and thrive without unbalancing the ecosystem. But such power is no greater or lesser than that of the alchemists. Alchemy is a demanding art to master, requiring a fine mind and the ability to understand the world around you. While mages are the voice of the planet, alchemists work in the conceptual powers of creation. Together, we serve Tellara and our fellows. I mentioned before that bodily autonomy is very important to us. Thus, the decision to become a mage is not one taken lightly and if one’s goal is power, why not study alchemy instead and be able to choose changes to one’s form, if any, rather than be subject to the whims of fate?”

Brian nodded. “That makes sense. Wielding magic is an exciting idea, but I don’t know that I would trust the mage process. What if it turned me into something I didn’t like?” 

I took a sip of my drink as I considered the idea myself. What would it be like? The concept of changing your body in the first place was appealing, for obvious reasons, but I’d already lost one roll of the proverbial dice. Would I risk another for the chance at a body I could be comfortable with? No, I didn’t think I would. 

Ellya opened her mouth to speak more before a soft chime rang through the room. She frowned and raised her arm, tapping on a silver bracelet. A display appeared above it and her eyes darted back and forth as she read something I couldn’t see. She sighed. “Unfortunately, I have to attend to a few things around the house. Help yourself to the rest of the snacks and Gwen, I’ll send some of the little sisters to your room with some clothes that you might find more comfortable. Brian, would you like the same or–” He shook his head and she continued. “Ah, good, this will only take an hour or two, please consider this place your home and make yourselves comfortable.”   

I stared down at the floor as Ellya left and Brian fidgeted in his seat. Learning more about Tellara had been exciting, but all I could think about was Brian’s reaction. Did he really accept me? I believed he would try. Maybe things would be better as he got used to the idea… but all I could think about was that look on his face. The shock and terror and something else I couldn’t quite place. 

Was he afraid of me? Disgusted by me? I tried to summon up the joy I’d felt when I told Ellya, over the immediate acceptance she showed me. She called me sister! But it was all overshadowed by his reaction. There was now a gulf between us, a chasm that our previous closeness tumbled into. 

I looked up at him and he was staring at me, not with hostility, but with curiosity. He caught me looking back and looked away in embarrassment. A moment later he picked up one of the pillows scattered around and hugged it as he spoke. 

“So… a girl, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s… I know I was shitty about it and I was surprised, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense, sort of. You’ve always been… pretty, I guess. Girlish. I’m a little afraid at how easily I can picture you in a dress.” He clutched the pillow tighter, his expression hidden as he buried his face in it. 

I couldn’t help but giggle a bit. “Picturing me in a dress already, eh? Pretty, eh??” 

He looked up, his face red. “No, wait! I’m not like trying to – that isn’t–” He took a deep breath. “I’m trying to understand, that’s all. I’m not trying to hit on you or anything… I don’t wanna be that kind of shitty guy. It’s just… you’re my friend. The closest friend I’ve got. How could I have missed something as major as who you are?”

I smiled and scooted a little closer. “Brian… how could you be expected to have known I’m a girl if I didn’t tell you? I was hiding it from the world, after all.” 

He grimaced. “Okay, sure, but there had to have been some signs or something.”

“Mmm, there were definitely signs. But the thing is, it’s hard to see them if you aren’t looking for them. We tend to see what we expect.” I reached back and undid the tie that held my hair in a tight tail, shaking my head a little to let it all fan out. “I’ve gotten pretty good at pretending to be a boy. Fooled everyone, really. It’s honestly rather funny how long you can grow your hair out and how much makeup you can wear without people realizing.” 

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Brian looked over at me and peered closely at my face. I laughed. “I’m not wearing any right now, silly. Haven’t had the time. But how you style your hair, how you present yourself, even how you speak–” I let my voice slip into the feminine range I had been practicing. “Most people never consider how much you can change with just the slightest shift…and how that affects how you are perceived.” 

He stared back, mouth open wide. “But that’s…you sound just like a girl! How?” 

“Voice training, I’ve been working on it for months. It’s honestly a bit frustrating to have to swap back and forth. Here in this place though, this world? I don’t have to pretend to be Lin anymore. Ellya says people like me are accepted here, beloved even. I plan to see how far that goes, how long I can just be Gwen. Forever, I hope.” 

“I… I don’t know if I fully understand how someone can just be a girl, not really. But I’m going to try. And just… smack me around a bit if I step out of line again. I’m truly sorry for how I reacted.” He reached a fist out, holding it in front of me. “Friends?”

I bumped my fist into his. “Friends. I’m still going to make you sit through a fashion show as I try on those outfits Ellya was talking about, though! C’mon, you’ve gotta see the room I’ve been staying in!” 

 

****    

 

I had talked a big game in front of Brian, but now that I was standing in my room, looking at all the outfits the ‘little sisters’ had left for me on the bed…I was a little nervous. I’d dressed up before, plenty of times, but each time had been out of town, away from anyone who knew me. Brian knew me better than just about anyone else. 

I sighed. C’mon, Gwen, you can do this. You don’t have to hide anymore. Even if Brian is weird about it, Ellya wasn’t and it sounds like other people won’t be either. Isn’t this what you’ve always dreamed of? No more secrets, no more pretending? 

Well, having a dream come true is often more nerve-wracking than stories would have you believe. Let’s see what we have to work with, at least. 

Scattered around the bed were a variety of outfits. Undergarments, blouses, skirts, dresses, nothing was all that unusual compared to the fashion back home. There was a little box with a note on it next to one of the bras. I marveled as the unfamiliar script shimmered as I focused and the words remained the same, but I could parse their meaning now. Magical translation, what a wonder!

 

Gwen,

 

I hope I am not presuming too much, but in this box is a little something I used to use before becoming a mage. It is entirely up to you if you want to make use of it, but it will help you fill out some of these outfits if you so desire. Just place the silk into each cup and put on the bra of choice. The small device in the box will let you adjust the size that the silk will expand to. Once you are satisfied, hit the symbol that looks like an upside down triangle with a circle inside. That will lock the size and transmute the silk into a facsimile of breasts. Simply tap the same symbol again when you wish to put them away. I hope you like them! 

 

Ellya

 

I opened the box and nestled within were two hemispheres of shimmering white silk, covered in circles of symbols connected into arrays. Next to the silk was a circular device with the symbol Ellya mentioned in the center and a ring around the outside, marked with more symbols that indicated sizes. 

I smiled. What a thoughtful gesture and way more convenient than the falsies I had back home. I quickly pulled off the simple top I’d been wearing and started to put on a teal bra covered in delicate ivy designs when I heard a spluttering cough behind me. 

Turning around, I saw that Brian was blushing and looking away from me, leaning awkwardly against the door. I covered up my own nervousness with a giggle. “What, we used to change in front of each other all the time, back in gym class!”

He very intently shuffled out the door as he stammered. “T-t-that was different! You weren’t wearing a–” His voice cut off with a strangled sounding hiccup. Rather cute, honestly. “I’ll just be outside while you are changing, let me know when it’s safe to come back in.” 

I snorted as I returned to what I was doing. The bra didn’t seem to have any clasps that I could find, but that proved unnecessary as it seemingly reacted to my desires and wrapped around my chest, leaving the empty cups in front. I followed Ellya’s instructions, fiddling with the size settings a bit, before settling on something small, yet visible. (The potential sizes these things could reach were a bit incredible. Tellarans must have spines of steel.) The silken semicircles expanded out into a familiar teardrop shape and pressing the symbol on the control device caused them to glow briefly before they changed to match my skin tone. A warmth filled my chest and I could feel them as extensions of my body, muted but present. 

And I could feel the warm tears that fell from my face as I felt a surge of euphoria crash through me. Looking down felt… right. More so than dressing up back home. A missing piece slotting into place as if it had always been there. It was like a dream and I had to pinch myself to remind myself I was awake. Wiping my eyes, I slipped into a matching pair of panties and then considered the options before me. 

There were a couple pairs of trousers and leggings on the bed, but I ignored those. Those were options for utility. I needed something to dazzle. I held up a tight-fitting white top and pondered it while looking at a nearby dress that was decorated in wave patterns, deep blues fading into turquoise as the waves reached the top of the dress. Yes, that would do nicely. But how would they fit – ah! The clothes reacted much like the bra had, sizing themselves for my body as I slipped them on. The top extended halfway up my neck and left my arms bare while the dress settled into a halter shape, with an overskirt bottom half. 

I searched around for a mirror and noticed a section of the wall shimmer as I looked at the symbols embedded within it. I tapped at a crystalline shape in the center of a circle and the wall next to it flowed like mercury until an oval, full body mirror was before me. 

A muffled gasp escaped my lips as I took in my appearance. I was gorgeous! The dress had accentuated what little curves I had, augmented by the bust, and the effect was incredible. I twisted this way and that, the soft fabric of the dress flowing smoothly from side to side. Oh yes, this, this was what Brian needed to see: the real me. The me I wished to show the world, but had always hidden away. 

There was a light knocking sound above me and I flinched in surprise until I noticed a small circular panel slide away in the ceiling and a little spider poked her head out hesitantly. I wasn’t well-versed in spider expressions, but I felt like she was wanting to know if I liked it. 

I smiled, speaking in a soft whisper. “I like it very much, thank you, little sister.” 

The spider peeked out further and waved her limbs in a little dance, jumping and spinning around before stopping and waving at me. She vanished as the panel slid back into place, clearly satisfied with her work. I’d never had a fear of spiders, that had always been Brian’s thing, but I wasn’t particularly fond of them either. I could see that changing; Ellya’s housemates were adorable little creatures. 

Right, now just to see what Brian thought. Any minute now. Just needed to tell him to come back in and see my outfit. Deep breath, you can do this. What’s the worst he could do, react like a shithead again and call you a man in a dress? As if. I am a goddess, I am a storm of feminine grace and power, I am… incredibly fucking nervous, but there is no time like the present! 

“Brian? I think I’ve got an outfit if you wanna see?” 

There was a muffled sound as he struggled to slide the door open again and then finally it opened, Brian’s face shifting from annoyance to wide-eyed shock. I ran my hands down my sides, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles as his mouth opened and shut repeatedly, his cheeks red. 

“You look – how is that even – what did you do with Lin? If I hadn’t seen you go in, I would have no idea you are the same person!” His gaze swept up and down as he took in the whole outfit. 

“It’s nice, isn’t it? And you have to feel this dress, it is so soft!” I did a little spin, letting the dress flare out a little, before walking closer. 

Brian reached out hesitantly, running his fingers over the edge. “Wow, that is soft! Are all girl clothes like that?” 

“Mmm, they tend to be, though this is some top quality stuff. I don’t know if Ellya pulled out the best she had or if this is just what clothes are like on Tellara. They also automatically resize, isn’t that something!” 

Brian continued to stare, his expression distant. “So soft…” He shook his head slightly as he stepped back. “Erm, yes, well. Gosh, I honestly can’t believe it. You look beautiful.” He looked at me with something akin to reverence. 

A fluttering warmth ran through me. Nobody had ever called me beautiful, not like that. It was wonderful. I’d had men hit on me before, at conventions, but I definitely wasn’t interested and that had always felt a little creepy. Brian, though… it was different. I blushed and my voice was shaky as I responded. “T-thank you. It’s a really nice dress.” 

Brian fidgeted nervously, opening his mouth to speak before stopping. I tilted my head at him. “Yes, you want to ask something?”

He winced and fidgeted some more before speaking while motioning towards his chest. “How… how did you do the, um, breasts?” 

I smirked. “They’re fake magical ones that Ellya gave me to try. Pretty nice, huh?” 

“Yeah, I guess fakes make sense. How else would you have them–?” He shrugged and looked away, strangely disappointed. 

“Well, I never got the chance back home, but you do know you can just grow breasts, right?” 

“Err, well sure, that’s how girls do it, but how would you–?” 

I frowned at him. “You don’t know about hormone therapy? I’m at least eighty percent certain that came up in several books that you and I both read, courtesy of Ms. Lavender.” 

“Wait, that was real? I thought that was like science fiction or magic or something. Stuff like that can’t possibly exist in real life, can it?” 

Things weren’t adding up. We’d definitely talked about this, I was sure of it. Back when we were teens, whispering during late night sleepovers when everyone else was asleep. Did… did he not remember? 

“Brian, is this why–”

I was interrupted by a light tapping at the door. “Sorry to bother you two, can I come in?” Ellya’s voice filtered through. 

I looked at Brian and mouthed “We’ll talk later,” before speaking aloud. “Yes, that’s fine.” 

The door slid open and Ellya looked at the two of us before focusing on me. “Oh, Gwen! You look incredible!” She walked around me, taking in every angle, nodding smugly as her gaze swept past my chest. I blushed slightly again with a nervous chuckle. She winked. “Yes, I had a feeling you might like this outfit in particular. Goes well with your eyes. A lovely dress for a lovely woman!” 

I shivered a little; compliments like that were unfair. “Thank you, you are too kind.” 

“Not at all! I meant every word! Now, I finished up a few things that required my immediate attention a little faster than I expected and I rushed over here as I forgot to ask if you two might like to accompany me on a trip to Valoris. It’s a city on the other side of the island. I have a colleague there who is very interested in helping me study the fluxbeast that attacked you two and I thought you might also enjoy seeing what our cities are like.” She turned to me directly and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I don’t wish to presume, but I thought you might be interested in body modification while you are there? Most otherworlders we’ve had have been like you and I and are generally very interested in what we have to offer in that regard. My colleague is very skilled in such matters if you would like to know more.”

“Fluxbeast?” 

“Body modification…” 

We spoke at the same time. Ellya smacked her forehead with the base of her hand. “Ah, of course, you two wouldn’t know. Tell you what; I’ll show you!” She set off at a brisk pace away from the room as Brian and I followed. I felt a twinge of disappointment that I hadn’t gotten to try on more outfits, but I suppose there was time for that later. 

Ellya led us through the portions of the house we’d previously encountered and then further beyond, past a door that opened to a staircase leading underground. The way was lit by gently glowing crystals caged within glass. Eventually we reached a large room full of arcane machines and a large cylinder filled with glowing liquid. Floating within was the same creature that had attacked us.

The fluxbeast.

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