Riot Force Reports: Realisations and Transformations
01-28-2021, 01:00 AM (This post was last modified: 01-28-2021, 08:22 AM by Bob Schroeck.)
01-28-2021, 01:00 AM (This post was last modified: 01-28-2021, 08:22 AM by Bob Schroeck.)
Unsurprisingly, the ceiling was not providing any answers, regardless of how long Rob stared at it. All that was going on now was his(?) thoughts going in circles, and he’d given that spider in the corner a name. Sighing, he sat up and considered his options. And really, the first thing was absurdly obvious just as it had been half an hour ago. “Lets face it, it'd be stupid not to ask her. She’s probably known since hour one, day one. And didn’t tell me because, well, hearing it from someone else, even her, wouldn’t really help me.” He couldn’t quite keep the irritation out of his voice at the thought, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.
A quick search found some underwear and socks, followed by a shirt and pants that were relatively clean. Picking up his armour's teleport beacon as he went out the door, he paused, then decided to take the train. Flying in his current state of mind, he’d probably hit a building. Or a War Wall. Instead, he went down to the street, suppressing the urge to turn around and just ignore the whole thing, to pretend that he’d hadn’t been having these thoughts. Again.
He wasn’t really paying attention as he boarded the train, still wrapped up in thoughts that were mostly going around in circles. What would people say? Did that really matter? Was he just finding excuses or making trouble over nothing? Did everyone feel like this? And… he wasn’t on the train anymore. Blinking, he looked around, realising he was standing in the street in front of the apartment building he wanted. A building that was quite some distance from the nearest train station.
“Okay, yeah, I am really out of it,” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose before heading inside. One elevator ride later, and he was standing in front of the door, feeling that sense of terror again. Scowling, he shook his head and forced himself to knock before he could talk himself out of it.
A moment later, the door opened to reveal the woman he wanted (Dreaded) to see. “Well, I didn’t expect to see you today,” Ifrit Barnes smiled. She tucked a loose lock of hair behind her long ears, the most obvious sign of her fae nature, then motioned for him to come in. “I hope you weren’t looking for task force numbers here. The kids are out doing catgirl things, and Nene’s off with Sachie. And I am in no mood to go out and punch people today.”
“No, I’m not here for work,” Rob replied, stepping in and closing the door behind him. “I’m here on a more personal matter. I need the unique perspective that you provide on me, given that you, um...”
Her ears twitched, even as a slight smile formed on her lips. “Was mostly just raw power and knowledge, trapped in a magical crystal, until your mind and soul provided the basis for me to recreate myself into an independent being?” Despite the wry humor in her voice, her flame-red eyes held an odd intensity all of a sudden, her gaze locked on him.
“Yeah, that,” he said, before realising he was drywashing his hands. Frowning, he shoved them into his pockets. “I don’t think we’ve ever really spoken of it, but you know things about me that no one else does, maybe even me.” He sighed. “Which really makes me wish I’d done this sooner.”
“Hmm.” Ifrit gestured for him to take a seat, before heading into the kitchen. She returned a minute later with a small tea set. “I think you’ll need something to drink.”
“Thanks.” As she poured the tea, he took a breath, watching the cup fill. “So.. I’ve been considering some things for, well, a while. And I think I might be trans.”
His sisters expression didn’t shift. “This isn’t a new thought, is it?”
“Not even close,” he admitted, chuckling bitterly. “There’s been days where it’s all I think about. I just… keep coming back to it. Over and over.” He didn’t dare look up from the tea set, terrified of what he’d see on his sisters face. “I keep wondering what it’s like, to be a woman, to have a body like that, to be like you…” He shrunk in on himself slightly, as if even saying that much had diminished him.
“To like who you see in the mirror?” Ifrit asked.
Rob didn’t reply right away, his gaze locked on his tea. When he did speak, it was barely above a whisper. “I hate it. Everything about my reflection is just, just wrong. No matter what I do, it feels like I’m a fraud, pretending to be someone I’m not. And then I look at you, or Mir, or Nene, and I’m...” his voice trailed off, and he forced himself to take a sip of the tea, mostly to buy time. Ifrit simply waited patiently, giving him the time he needed. "I'm jealous. Of how you look, how you move. I shouldn't, but I wish it was me."
“That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Ifrit said gently.
“Isn’t it?” he replied, anger in his voice as he looked up from the tea cup. “I’m pretty sure men aren’t supposed to think things like that. Shouldn’t I be happy as I am?”
“Isn’t that the point of this discussion Robin?”
Instantly, the anger flickered out as quickly as it arrived. Robin slumped back in the chair, looking like she'd just been hit. "I guess that confirms it," she said at last. "You knew."
"That was the name you'd secretly pretend Rob was short for, when it got too much." Ifrits voice was gentle, understanding. "You did that even before I was formed, even if you didn't really think about it."
“Yeah. It is. And I think I just demonstrated why you didn’t tell me,” Robin said, shrinking into the chair slightly. “I started this conversation, and I still ended up going all ‘but I must be manly!’” She shook her head. “God, I’m more of a mess than I thought.”
Reaching across the coffee table, Ifrit took one of her sisters hands and squeezed it gently. "You're not a mess. You're just working through the problem of your body not matching your soul. It's a hardware issue, not software, as Miranda would put it."
That got a weak laugh from the other woman. “She would put it like that… I admit, I’m scared of how she’ll react. I mean, I think she’ll take it well, or at least accept it…”
“But there’s a part of you that’s scared she’d just be pretending. That she wouldn’t accept you as her sister.” Robin closed her eyes and nodded, and Ifrit chuckled softly. “I was worried about much the same thing early on,” she admitted, getting a surprised look. “She was one of your loved ones, and I inherited that. From the moment I was restored to life, she was my sister in the heart. Of course I couldn’t help but be worried she wouldn’t want anything to do with me.” Leaning back, she gave a lopsided smile at the memory. “That lasted all of five minutes.”
“...Dare I ask?”
“Her first question once she got me alone was to make sure I wasn’t actually from a mirror universe.”
“No goatee or gold lamé,” Robin responded immediately.
“That was my response,” she agreed. “Then she got distracted with thoughts of bunk beds. Of course, she also tried to claim top bunk on the grounds she was technically older. Dad didn’t go for it, of course, said it’d cost too much. Which led to her trying to weld the frames together. Emphasis on try.”
Blinking, Robin leaned forward. “Wait, is that what happened to the old beds?” Ifrit nodded, and her sister couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Huh, and here Dad said he sold them.”
“It all worked out. I even claimed the top bunk,” Ifrit said with a fond smile, before getting back on topic. “I’m not going to lie to you. No matter what you choose to do next, there are times it won’t be easy. And I’m certain that someone will disappoint us about it. But I promise you, whatever happens, Miranda and I will be there with you.”
Rubbing at her eyes, Robin sighed softly. “Thanks sis. That, that means a lot.”
She sipped at her tea, then shook her head. “I’ve got no idea what to do next. I mean, is there a system for this, rules, a guide…?”
“The guide is to go at a pace you’re comfortable with,” Ifrit replied. “Name, pronouns, clothes, your body, it doesn’t matter. Our top priority is your health, both physical and emotional.”
Considering that for a moment, Robin couldn’t help but frown. “Physical, now there’s a concept. I mean, I’ve imagined it a lot.” She paused, savouring how good finally saying that felt. “So, I know there’s options, hormones and such, I’ve looked it up before. A bit anyway. I kept backing out and dropping the issue.” Ifrit’s lips twitched, earning herself a mild glare. “I know, I know. But would that really work? Look at me. This isn’t exactly the most feminine form to work with. Sure, it’s petty as hell, but-”
Smile becoming playful, Ifrit leaned back in her chair, tracing her fingers down her breasts and stomach. “You can’t help but want something more along these lines.” Cheeks blushing, Robin hid behind her tea cup for a moment, even as her sister laughed. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of there. And it’s not impossible.” Robin watched as Ifrit went to a closet, pulling out a large chest that shouldn't have fit in there. “It should be in here somewhere,” she added as she threw the lid back.
“What should be in there?” Robin asked.
“Something I came across ages ago. I held on to it because I was pretty sure you’d want it eventually. It’s just, well, it’s been a while.” Frowning, she pulled several old books out of the chest. “And someones been in here… better not have been Alice or Sammy, I’ve spoken to them about that…” The next thing she pulled out of the chest drew an odd look from Robin, as Ifrit drew a massive war axe, stained red with blood. That, she carefully laid to one side, with both the respect one gave a weapon, but also the care that one gave a valuable relic.
Unable to remain sitting any longer, Robin left the couch and stood next to Ifrit as the fae kept pulling various items of all shapes and sizes out of the chest. Frowning, she picked up one of them, an old flip communicator from Star Trek. “I thought I knew all your cosplays.”
“Oh, that’s not a costume piece,” Ifrit said, taking it back. Robin raised an eyebrow, and her sister shrugged. “There was a job with Portal Corp involving what turned out to be, well, you can guess.”
For several seconds, Robin could only stare at Ifrit. “I’m sorry, ‘a job with Portal Corp?’ To somewhere like that? And you didn’t invite me? I’m hurt.”
“It was very time limited,” she replied as she put her arm back in the chest, far more than should have been possible. “Plus if I invited you, I’d have had to invite Mir. And there’s no way we’d be able to get her to leave that universe.”
“Okay, that’s a fair point.”
“Aha!” the fae suddenly exclaimed, pulling her arm back out of the chest, bringing with it what looked like a well-loved plush toy of some generic green and yellow reptile. “That explains it. You better not have broken anything buster.”
To Robin's surprise, the plush toy proceeded to blink, grin and wave at Ifrit. “Hiii!” it declared in a cheerful voice.
Ifrit just kept glaring at the plush toy. “Don’t ‘hiii’ me. Seriously, I’ll find a way to take any breakages out of your hide.” She held it out towards Robin. “Do me a favor and hold onto him.”
“... Right.” Robin took the creature, looking it over. It grinned back at her, completely cheerful despite the threats Ifrit just made. “Um, Ifrit?”
"Little demon should not have been in here…" the fae grumbled under her breath, rummaging around in the chest again. "Ah, here we go." Standing up, she held up what appeared to be a small jewel box made of a dark timber with intricate patterns carved into it. Taking it back to where they’d been sitting, she popped the latches and opened it to reveal a small crystal vial resting inside a padded recess.
Sitting down across from her, Robin put the animated toy on the table and picked up the vial, studying the silvery liquid inside as it glowed with an inner light. “What is this?”
"It’s known as Fantasia. One of the most complex alchemical creations known to modern alchemy,” Ifrit replied, her voice soft. “I won’t go into the mechanics of how it works, but all you really need to know is that you drink it, go to sleep, and it recreates your body as you wish.” Robin squeaked in surprise, staring at Ifrit in disbelief, who now looked slightly smug. “We’re not going to use crude and incomplete methods. When you’re ready, your body and soul will match.”
After a long moment, Robin managed a slight laugh, sinking back into the seat cushions as she considered the vial in her hands.. “You really don’t believe in half measures, do you sis?”
“Not for something like this,” she replied honestly. Before she could continue however, the plush toy, apparently deciding it wanted attention, knocked over Robins cup, spilling tea everywhere. “Oh do you mind?!”
“Hi!” the creature said yet again. Sighing in disgust, Ifrit went to the kitchen to grab a hand towel, leaving the creature to lick at the spilt tea, and Robin to consider the Fantasia. It seemed almost impossible to imagine, the thing she'd dreamed of but never dared to admit for so long, right there in her hands. She knew what she wanted to do, but at the same time, there was a voice in the back of her head telling her to wait. That she needed to consider it carefully, make sure of all her options.
But the fact was, she'd been listening to that voice for far too long, and she'd gotten nothing but confusion and misery for it. So instead, she tore off the wax seal, removed the cap, and downed the contents of the vial in one big gulp. As she mused over the minty taste, a sigh of irritation grabbed her attention and she looked over to see Ifrit standing in the kitchen door. "You impatient bitch," she said, although there was a smile on her face as she said it.
"Not untrue, and soon to be more accurate," Robin agreed, feeling an odd warmth spreading through her body, starting in her stomach and radiating outward. As it spread into her limbs, she closed her eyes for a moment...
***
Ifrit sighed as her sister fell back into the chair, the empty vial falling from her hands. "If you weren't willing to wait even a day, you could have at least let me get you to the guest bed first," she muttered.
"Hi!"
"You stay out of this," she told the Winslow. "You've made enough of a mess already." Leaving Robin where she lay for a moment, she turned her attention to the spilt tea, wiping the table down despite the best efforts of the lizard thing to get in the way. Then she sighed, put the cloth with the tea kettle, and turned her attention to her sister. “I could just leave you there,” she mused, then shook her head. “No, that wouldn’t be fair to you if Nene or the kittens come home…” Grumbling to herself, she knelt down, put one of Robins's arms over her shoulder, and heaved.
Even with strength above baseline human, it wasn't particularly easy getting someone almost a foot taller than her to the guest bedroom. It didn't help matters that Robin was already starting to change, with her weight shifting at random in ways that left Ifrit struggling to keep her balance on more than a few occasions. After several minutes of stumbling along, and banging her knee on a doorframe, she finally managed to drop the taller girl on the bed, then fell down next to her, rubbing at her knee.
"Honestly, I was starting to worry you'd never figure it out on your own," she told the sleeping form next to her. “Which is really unfair of me, I have to admit. But gods, I just wanted to shake you and scream ‘you’re a girl, dammit!’” She giggled softly, sitting up and rubbing at the tip of one ear. “At least that part is over and done.” Glancing over at Robin, she watched as the Fantasia worked its alchemical magic. The womans hair was growing out, shifting from red to brown as the face it framed lost its harsh edges and square jaw. Eyebrow raised, Ifrit watched as the girls lips swelled, then chuckled as she recognised elements of her own face in Robins. “Good. You’ll still be my twin sister.”
Standing up, she took a moment to stretch, before adjusting the sleeping girls limbs so she was comfortable on the bed. The girl shrank more with every second, entire inches vanishing into the void, jeans and shirt becoming tents around her form, with the exception of a forming bustline. Ifrit couldn’t help but smile at that. Robin had always hated being tall, even if she’d never been willing to admit it to anyone. Brushing some hair from the girls face, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Returning to the living room, she retrieved her phone from the charger, typing out a quick text to Miranda. Best to have her come over so she could get the full story, after all. Once that was done, she turned her attention to the tea set, cleaning it all up before the Winslow could make another attempt on it. As she retrieved Robins teacup, she glanced over at the beast, eyebrow raised. "I don't suppose you'd like to explain just how you ended up in that chest?"
"Hi!"
"That's about what I thought you'd say," she muttered as she went into the kitchen.
***
Sitting up, Rob rubbed at his face, then made a grumbling noise and fumbled at his sleeves, trying to pull them back over his hands. He frowned, trying to figure out how the sleeves got so long, before pulling them back enough to reveal small, feminine hands, with slender fingers and soft skin. For several seconds, he stared at them in confusion, before the realization they were hers finally got her brain working and she remembered what had happened before she went to sleep. The realisation, the admission, the magic potion.
Scrambling out of bed, she face-planted into the ground as both her pants and briefs failed to stay up. Stumbling around, she kicked them away and regained her balance, before looking down past a shirt that had come unbuttoned and pretty much become a dress to see a pair of shapely legs and dainty feet. “Oh wow…” she whispered, before her eyes widened even further at the new, yet oddly familiar, voice. Glancing around, she spotted a mirror in the corner, took a deep breath, and walked over in front of it, struggling slightly with her balance as she did so.
![[Image: xLmMTgH.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/xLmMTgH.jpg)
For a moment, she thought she was looking at Ifrit. Then the differences to her sister became clear, as she realized that no, she hadn’t turned herself into a clone of her sister. The eyes were the first thing she noticed, bright green to her sisters red. Her features were softer, seemingly younger, and lacking the fey elements. Most notably her ears, which emerged from her now brown hair on the top of her head, a layer of fur on them, as they should be, instead of Ifrits long, furless ears on the sides.
This was her. The her that had been haunting her dreams all her life, in the stray thoughts she'd shoved back down. The her that she'd never dared to admit, even to herself, she yearned to be. Slowly, a smile formed on her face "Well Robin, it's nice to meet you," she told her reflection, before breaking into giggles. "Robin Barnes, reporting for duty!"
Still giggling, she kept studying her appearance, occasionally posing in front of the mirror in one way or another. Eventually the shirt ended up off to one side, letting her inspect the body underneath. The giggles trailed off as she took it in. "Woah." She hadn't been imagining the way the shirt fell over her breasts. And that waist, and her stomach!
"I have curves," she marvelled, running her hand along her leg, taking in how smooth it was.. "Hell, I could compete with Ifrit or Valles. Not Sachie or Priss though," she added thoughtfully after a moment. "Not enough muscle. That’s a different category." Resting a hand on her hip, she studied her reflection with more than a little pride. Even with her now shoulder length hair and the fur on her tail a mess, she looked spectacular. With the right clothes, or even the wrong ones, she'd leave almost any man speechless.
Imagining that for a moment, she closed her eyes, savouring it as, for the first time, the thoughts weren't accompanied by the instinctive shame and guilt she'd been taught to feel. Just pleasure and more than a little anticipation. Opening her eyes again, she gave her reflection a playful wink. "Be patient girl, you've got plenty of time."
With no other clothes in the guest bedroom, she retrieved her shirt and put it on, wrinkling her nose a little. Now that she was paying attention, she could smell her old self on the shirt, all the sweat and stress, the lack of self-care. She'd need to clean so much stuff. Possibly with fire. But for now, she made sure her tail was tucked in to prevent giving anyone behind her a show, then went to the door.
The plan, such as it was, was to sneak down to Ifrit and Nenes bedroom, to try and find something that fit a bit better. That plan was instantly foiled by the fact there were three catgirls waiting outside the door, all grinning widely. "Yeah," Alice said, looking her over. "You've got curves."
Sammy snickered as Robin's cheeks heated up. "Our ears aren't just for show Aunt Robin," she teased. "Don't worry, you'll come to appreciate it once you get used to yours."
"M-mine? Wait what are you all here for?" Robin stammered, now completely off balance. How were they all taller than her? When did Sammy of all of them end up an amazon? And the other two were eight feet tall?
Stepping forward, Neko took Robin by the arm and guided her back into the guest room. “We’re not going to make a new kitten in the family present herself to everyone in nothing but a mens shirt,” she said gently. “Plus your hair and tail are a mess. Let’s do something about that, shall we?”
Robin looked between the three of them, clearly more than a little overwhelmed, and Alice chuckled. "You haven't even noticed yet, have you?" The much smaller girl looked up at her, making Alice chuckle, then reached over to stroke one of the brown furred ears popping out of Robin's hair. Robin's knees gave way, and only Nekos grip on her arm stopped her from falling to the floor. "You're one of us Robin."
"Aahhh… mrrrrrr…" Robin replied, all her surprise and awkwardness vanishing behind the sheer bliss she was suddenly experiencing. A low rumble started in her throat as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations.
"Wow," Sammy said. "She's really into it. She's almost as bad as you when it comes to a good scritching," she added with a grin at Neko.
"Eh, it's her first time, it's to be expected," Neko replied, seemingly ignoring the reference to her own weaknesses while noting it for future retaliation. She guided Robin to a chair, making sure the girl was sitting properly before letting go. "Alice, you better stop before she shuts down completely."
When the hand moved away from Robins ears, her eyes slowly opened and she mewed indignantly. “Myrow nya?” she protested, completely unable to form words around the purring. Then she realised yet another giant had joined them in the room, unpacking several bags on the bed without her noticing. Her questioning mew had no real association with english, and she felt her cheeks heat up.
Thankfully, the other(!) catgirls in the room seemed to work out what she was saying. “Yeah, she’s not a catgirl. But Sachie has other skills we can use here,” Sammy said.
“Master of disguise,” Sachie noted, holding up a brush. “There’s many uses for such things.”
Taking a breath, the little catgirl focused, trying to regain command over the English language. "But how’d she get in?"
In response, Sammy gave her a remarkably flat look. "Ninja."
"Ah. Point."
Chuckling, Neko went to help Sachie unpack, spreading a selection of haircare items across the bed. "Those ninja skills are going to get a slightly different use today." As Robin gave them a curious look, her smile became a full blown smirk. "We're giving you a makeover."
For a moment, Robin was silent. Then, her eyes went wide, and a soft noise of pure glee slipped past her lips. Sachie chuckled, handing Sammy a brush. “Start on her tail. Alice, hair. I need to work out some clothes.”
***
“Ifrit, you mean well, but you’re an idiot.”
Looking across the table at her younger sister, Ifrit considered how hard it would be to dispose of a burnt out corpse. “Explain.”
Miranda Barnes leaned back in her chair, unconcerned by the death glare she was getting. “You answered the big question Rob’s never dared to ask anyone before. The question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. You confirm everything she’s ever dared to wonder about herself,” she said, taking care to use the right pronouns. “And then, before she’s even had time to process it, you put a magic potion in front of her, tell her it’ll give her the body of her dreams, and you’re actually surprised when she drinks it instantly?”
Despite her best effort to maintain the glare, it faded somewhat with her embarrassment. "That's not exactly how it went..." she protested, glancing at the stuffed toy on the kitchen counter.
“Hi!”
"It covers the important parts, really," Mir said. "So now, instead of easing her way into all the changes this realisation means for her, she's going to be thrown in the deep end."
Shoulders slumping, Ifrit nodded. “Yeah. Yeah it will.” Her eyes glazed over for a moment as she considered all the problems with society women faced. Everything from micro-aggressions and dismissive attitudes, to physical threats to ones well-being and life. “We’re going to be so busy, aren’t we?”
Next to her, Nene nodded. “Education, protection, hell, a shoulder to cry on at times… although the girls seem to have already volunteered for some of that duty… should we be worried about that?
"Possibly, but Sachie and Neko are providing adult supervision for the moment," Ifrit reassured her.
“... I’m going to have to build a new hardsuit for her from scratch,” Miranda mused, running a hand through her hair. A moment later, her eyes glowed as her form shifted slightly. Her proportions adjusted, her hair darkened and grew out, and her body language shifted to become more dignified as her Warshade partner took control. “You might wish to wait a little while before doing more than initial planning,” Jade Barnes said. “It wouldn’t really surprise me if she takes the opportunity for more self-reflection and reinvention, possibly even to the point of a new heroic identity." Her lips twitched in a slight frown. "It might even be better if she did adopt a new title. While her identity as Skydive has never been especially secret-"
At that, Ifrit couldn't help but snort. "If only because she's related to me, and my own nature always made a secret identity unworkable."
"True enough. But at the same time, the average person on the street may not make the connection, if she takes up a new heroic moniker. Which may help to shield her from some of the more hateful souls in this world.”
Nene scowled, tapping her fingers on the table. “Transphobic tools, you mean.” Jade nodded, a similar expression on her own face, and the redhead slumped forward, elbows on the table, chin resting in her hands. “And unfortunately, we can’t beat up all the transphobes. Just most of them.”
“The Column is rather good at gathering such people in one place,” Ifrit mused.
"Everyone loves punching Nazis," her girlfriend agreed.
"It's an option she can take. Personally, I doubt she will." Jade gave them a beaming smile. "I think today has definitely shown that Robin can make her own choices. As her family, we can advise, we can help, but we can't make those choices for her."
Ifrit conceded the point, before glancing past Jade as Sammy entered the kitchen. Considering the adults for a moment, she grinned widely before standing up straight, hands clasped behind her back. "Ladies, it is my pleasure to present to you, the new and improved Aunt Robin!" Stepping out of the doorway, she gave an elaborate bow, introducing the girl with style.
At first, there was silence. Then, slowly, a second catgirl stepped into the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. She was small, barely five feet, and that was if you counted the cat ears poking out of her long, neatly brushed brown hair. Despite her size, she wasn't just a stick, as the simple blouse and skirt combo was showing off nicely. And the girls had applied a small amount of makeup, just enough to highlight a rather cute face that showed quite a bit of similarity to Ifrit, just softer and, amusingly, seemingly quite a bit younger.
"S-So, how do I look?" Robin asked nervously. Despite the tremor in her voice and the blush on her cheeks, it was clear to all the women present that she was utterly delighted by her appearance.
Nene spoke up first, a reassuring smile on her face. "You look beautiful. And so… right."
Both ears shot upright as Robin beamed. "You really think so? When Sachie suggested the skirt I was a little worried, I mean, I've never worn one before, I thought I might look kinda silly, and the makeup, well that really had me scared - eep!" Before she could get lost in a severe case of motormouth, Jade teleported next to her from her chair, shifting back into Miranda in the process, who proceeded to pull the smaller girl into a one armed hug.
As Robin struggled in vain against the unexpectedly stronger woman, Mir merely laughed. “Not to worry, you make a very pretty girl. One that pulls off skirts better than me. Although…” she looked at Robin, then at Ifrit. “Seriously, am I the only woman in this family that didn’t inherit Ma’s looks?”
“Ack Mir lemme go!” Robin yelled, trying to pry herself loose.
“Ah, it’s probably for the best,” Mir continued, ignoring her prisoner. “I mean, if you have to trade inches in height for inches in the bustline, I think I’ll keep the height. Because it means I can do things like this!”
“Aaah Mir you suck!"
"Oh look, she's got a cute little ribbon on her tail…"
"Touch the ribbon and you die an undignified death tentacle beast!"
“What is it with you and helping confused little catgirls anyway?” she asked Ifrit.
“Miranda, let her go,” Ifrit said, suppressing a sigh at her younger sisters antics. It was impressive, in a disturbing way, just how quickly Mir had been able to establish her usual dynamic with Robin (specifically, annoying the crap out of her) despite all the catgirls changes.
The moment the grip loosened, Robin darted across the room, putting some distance between her and Miranda, then started smoothing down her hair and skirt. "Brat," she muttered, although there was an undeniable element of affection in the word.
Grinning widely, Mir returned to her chair. “It’s what I do, and I do it well.”
“You’re an inspiration to annoying sisters everywhere,” Sammy quipped. Alice stepped through the doorway, giving Sammy an amused look that she promptly ignored. “So, we do good work, don’t we?” she continued, putting an arm over Robin’s shoulders. “I mean, we had a good looking girl to start with, I’ll admit. But I think we cleaned her up nicely.”
“I’m definitely going to need some help for a while,” Robin said, blushing. “There’s a lot to get used to.”
Nene chuckled. “Ifrit was planning on easing you into it over time,” she pointed out. “Then you got impatient and chugged the potion. But well, I can understand it a little. You’ve been waiting for this a while, hmm?”
“Longer than I even knew,” she admitted.
Smiling, Nene nodded “Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say, it’s nice to finally meet you Robin.”
“It’s nice to meet me too. I’m looking forward to finding out who I am.”
Ifrit smirked, standing up and heading for the kitchen. "Well, you'll soon find something else out about yourself. I'm preparing Atlantic Salmon for dinner."
"Huh?" Robin said, only to be drowned out by the glee from the other catgirls.
(EDIT by Bob to fix black-on-black text in the San Felix theme.)
A quick search found some underwear and socks, followed by a shirt and pants that were relatively clean. Picking up his armour's teleport beacon as he went out the door, he paused, then decided to take the train. Flying in his current state of mind, he’d probably hit a building. Or a War Wall. Instead, he went down to the street, suppressing the urge to turn around and just ignore the whole thing, to pretend that he’d hadn’t been having these thoughts. Again.
He wasn’t really paying attention as he boarded the train, still wrapped up in thoughts that were mostly going around in circles. What would people say? Did that really matter? Was he just finding excuses or making trouble over nothing? Did everyone feel like this? And… he wasn’t on the train anymore. Blinking, he looked around, realising he was standing in the street in front of the apartment building he wanted. A building that was quite some distance from the nearest train station.
“Okay, yeah, I am really out of it,” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose before heading inside. One elevator ride later, and he was standing in front of the door, feeling that sense of terror again. Scowling, he shook his head and forced himself to knock before he could talk himself out of it.
A moment later, the door opened to reveal the woman he wanted (Dreaded) to see. “Well, I didn’t expect to see you today,” Ifrit Barnes smiled. She tucked a loose lock of hair behind her long ears, the most obvious sign of her fae nature, then motioned for him to come in. “I hope you weren’t looking for task force numbers here. The kids are out doing catgirl things, and Nene’s off with Sachie. And I am in no mood to go out and punch people today.”
“No, I’m not here for work,” Rob replied, stepping in and closing the door behind him. “I’m here on a more personal matter. I need the unique perspective that you provide on me, given that you, um...”
Her ears twitched, even as a slight smile formed on her lips. “Was mostly just raw power and knowledge, trapped in a magical crystal, until your mind and soul provided the basis for me to recreate myself into an independent being?” Despite the wry humor in her voice, her flame-red eyes held an odd intensity all of a sudden, her gaze locked on him.
“Yeah, that,” he said, before realising he was drywashing his hands. Frowning, he shoved them into his pockets. “I don’t think we’ve ever really spoken of it, but you know things about me that no one else does, maybe even me.” He sighed. “Which really makes me wish I’d done this sooner.”
“Hmm.” Ifrit gestured for him to take a seat, before heading into the kitchen. She returned a minute later with a small tea set. “I think you’ll need something to drink.”
“Thanks.” As she poured the tea, he took a breath, watching the cup fill. “So.. I’ve been considering some things for, well, a while. And I think I might be trans.”
His sisters expression didn’t shift. “This isn’t a new thought, is it?”
“Not even close,” he admitted, chuckling bitterly. “There’s been days where it’s all I think about. I just… keep coming back to it. Over and over.” He didn’t dare look up from the tea set, terrified of what he’d see on his sisters face. “I keep wondering what it’s like, to be a woman, to have a body like that, to be like you…” He shrunk in on himself slightly, as if even saying that much had diminished him.
“To like who you see in the mirror?” Ifrit asked.
Rob didn’t reply right away, his gaze locked on his tea. When he did speak, it was barely above a whisper. “I hate it. Everything about my reflection is just, just wrong. No matter what I do, it feels like I’m a fraud, pretending to be someone I’m not. And then I look at you, or Mir, or Nene, and I’m...” his voice trailed off, and he forced himself to take a sip of the tea, mostly to buy time. Ifrit simply waited patiently, giving him the time he needed. "I'm jealous. Of how you look, how you move. I shouldn't, but I wish it was me."
“That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Ifrit said gently.
“Isn’t it?” he replied, anger in his voice as he looked up from the tea cup. “I’m pretty sure men aren’t supposed to think things like that. Shouldn’t I be happy as I am?”
“Isn’t that the point of this discussion Robin?”
Instantly, the anger flickered out as quickly as it arrived. Robin slumped back in the chair, looking like she'd just been hit. "I guess that confirms it," she said at last. "You knew."
"That was the name you'd secretly pretend Rob was short for, when it got too much." Ifrits voice was gentle, understanding. "You did that even before I was formed, even if you didn't really think about it."
“Yeah. It is. And I think I just demonstrated why you didn’t tell me,” Robin said, shrinking into the chair slightly. “I started this conversation, and I still ended up going all ‘but I must be manly!’” She shook her head. “God, I’m more of a mess than I thought.”
Reaching across the coffee table, Ifrit took one of her sisters hands and squeezed it gently. "You're not a mess. You're just working through the problem of your body not matching your soul. It's a hardware issue, not software, as Miranda would put it."
That got a weak laugh from the other woman. “She would put it like that… I admit, I’m scared of how she’ll react. I mean, I think she’ll take it well, or at least accept it…”
“But there’s a part of you that’s scared she’d just be pretending. That she wouldn’t accept you as her sister.” Robin closed her eyes and nodded, and Ifrit chuckled softly. “I was worried about much the same thing early on,” she admitted, getting a surprised look. “She was one of your loved ones, and I inherited that. From the moment I was restored to life, she was my sister in the heart. Of course I couldn’t help but be worried she wouldn’t want anything to do with me.” Leaning back, she gave a lopsided smile at the memory. “That lasted all of five minutes.”
“...Dare I ask?”
“Her first question once she got me alone was to make sure I wasn’t actually from a mirror universe.”
“No goatee or gold lamé,” Robin responded immediately.
“That was my response,” she agreed. “Then she got distracted with thoughts of bunk beds. Of course, she also tried to claim top bunk on the grounds she was technically older. Dad didn’t go for it, of course, said it’d cost too much. Which led to her trying to weld the frames together. Emphasis on try.”
Blinking, Robin leaned forward. “Wait, is that what happened to the old beds?” Ifrit nodded, and her sister couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Huh, and here Dad said he sold them.”
“It all worked out. I even claimed the top bunk,” Ifrit said with a fond smile, before getting back on topic. “I’m not going to lie to you. No matter what you choose to do next, there are times it won’t be easy. And I’m certain that someone will disappoint us about it. But I promise you, whatever happens, Miranda and I will be there with you.”
Rubbing at her eyes, Robin sighed softly. “Thanks sis. That, that means a lot.”
She sipped at her tea, then shook her head. “I’ve got no idea what to do next. I mean, is there a system for this, rules, a guide…?”
“The guide is to go at a pace you’re comfortable with,” Ifrit replied. “Name, pronouns, clothes, your body, it doesn’t matter. Our top priority is your health, both physical and emotional.”
Considering that for a moment, Robin couldn’t help but frown. “Physical, now there’s a concept. I mean, I’ve imagined it a lot.” She paused, savouring how good finally saying that felt. “So, I know there’s options, hormones and such, I’ve looked it up before. A bit anyway. I kept backing out and dropping the issue.” Ifrit’s lips twitched, earning herself a mild glare. “I know, I know. But would that really work? Look at me. This isn’t exactly the most feminine form to work with. Sure, it’s petty as hell, but-”
Smile becoming playful, Ifrit leaned back in her chair, tracing her fingers down her breasts and stomach. “You can’t help but want something more along these lines.” Cheeks blushing, Robin hid behind her tea cup for a moment, even as her sister laughed. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of there. And it’s not impossible.” Robin watched as Ifrit went to a closet, pulling out a large chest that shouldn't have fit in there. “It should be in here somewhere,” she added as she threw the lid back.
“What should be in there?” Robin asked.
“Something I came across ages ago. I held on to it because I was pretty sure you’d want it eventually. It’s just, well, it’s been a while.” Frowning, she pulled several old books out of the chest. “And someones been in here… better not have been Alice or Sammy, I’ve spoken to them about that…” The next thing she pulled out of the chest drew an odd look from Robin, as Ifrit drew a massive war axe, stained red with blood. That, she carefully laid to one side, with both the respect one gave a weapon, but also the care that one gave a valuable relic.
Unable to remain sitting any longer, Robin left the couch and stood next to Ifrit as the fae kept pulling various items of all shapes and sizes out of the chest. Frowning, she picked up one of them, an old flip communicator from Star Trek. “I thought I knew all your cosplays.”
“Oh, that’s not a costume piece,” Ifrit said, taking it back. Robin raised an eyebrow, and her sister shrugged. “There was a job with Portal Corp involving what turned out to be, well, you can guess.”
For several seconds, Robin could only stare at Ifrit. “I’m sorry, ‘a job with Portal Corp?’ To somewhere like that? And you didn’t invite me? I’m hurt.”
“It was very time limited,” she replied as she put her arm back in the chest, far more than should have been possible. “Plus if I invited you, I’d have had to invite Mir. And there’s no way we’d be able to get her to leave that universe.”
“Okay, that’s a fair point.”
“Aha!” the fae suddenly exclaimed, pulling her arm back out of the chest, bringing with it what looked like a well-loved plush toy of some generic green and yellow reptile. “That explains it. You better not have broken anything buster.”
To Robin's surprise, the plush toy proceeded to blink, grin and wave at Ifrit. “Hiii!” it declared in a cheerful voice.
Ifrit just kept glaring at the plush toy. “Don’t ‘hiii’ me. Seriously, I’ll find a way to take any breakages out of your hide.” She held it out towards Robin. “Do me a favor and hold onto him.”
“... Right.” Robin took the creature, looking it over. It grinned back at her, completely cheerful despite the threats Ifrit just made. “Um, Ifrit?”
"Little demon should not have been in here…" the fae grumbled under her breath, rummaging around in the chest again. "Ah, here we go." Standing up, she held up what appeared to be a small jewel box made of a dark timber with intricate patterns carved into it. Taking it back to where they’d been sitting, she popped the latches and opened it to reveal a small crystal vial resting inside a padded recess.
Sitting down across from her, Robin put the animated toy on the table and picked up the vial, studying the silvery liquid inside as it glowed with an inner light. “What is this?”
"It’s known as Fantasia. One of the most complex alchemical creations known to modern alchemy,” Ifrit replied, her voice soft. “I won’t go into the mechanics of how it works, but all you really need to know is that you drink it, go to sleep, and it recreates your body as you wish.” Robin squeaked in surprise, staring at Ifrit in disbelief, who now looked slightly smug. “We’re not going to use crude and incomplete methods. When you’re ready, your body and soul will match.”
After a long moment, Robin managed a slight laugh, sinking back into the seat cushions as she considered the vial in her hands.. “You really don’t believe in half measures, do you sis?”
“Not for something like this,” she replied honestly. Before she could continue however, the plush toy, apparently deciding it wanted attention, knocked over Robins cup, spilling tea everywhere. “Oh do you mind?!”
“Hi!” the creature said yet again. Sighing in disgust, Ifrit went to the kitchen to grab a hand towel, leaving the creature to lick at the spilt tea, and Robin to consider the Fantasia. It seemed almost impossible to imagine, the thing she'd dreamed of but never dared to admit for so long, right there in her hands. She knew what she wanted to do, but at the same time, there was a voice in the back of her head telling her to wait. That she needed to consider it carefully, make sure of all her options.
But the fact was, she'd been listening to that voice for far too long, and she'd gotten nothing but confusion and misery for it. So instead, she tore off the wax seal, removed the cap, and downed the contents of the vial in one big gulp. As she mused over the minty taste, a sigh of irritation grabbed her attention and she looked over to see Ifrit standing in the kitchen door. "You impatient bitch," she said, although there was a smile on her face as she said it.
"Not untrue, and soon to be more accurate," Robin agreed, feeling an odd warmth spreading through her body, starting in her stomach and radiating outward. As it spread into her limbs, she closed her eyes for a moment...
***
Ifrit sighed as her sister fell back into the chair, the empty vial falling from her hands. "If you weren't willing to wait even a day, you could have at least let me get you to the guest bed first," she muttered.
"Hi!"
"You stay out of this," she told the Winslow. "You've made enough of a mess already." Leaving Robin where she lay for a moment, she turned her attention to the spilt tea, wiping the table down despite the best efforts of the lizard thing to get in the way. Then she sighed, put the cloth with the tea kettle, and turned her attention to her sister. “I could just leave you there,” she mused, then shook her head. “No, that wouldn’t be fair to you if Nene or the kittens come home…” Grumbling to herself, she knelt down, put one of Robins's arms over her shoulder, and heaved.
Even with strength above baseline human, it wasn't particularly easy getting someone almost a foot taller than her to the guest bedroom. It didn't help matters that Robin was already starting to change, with her weight shifting at random in ways that left Ifrit struggling to keep her balance on more than a few occasions. After several minutes of stumbling along, and banging her knee on a doorframe, she finally managed to drop the taller girl on the bed, then fell down next to her, rubbing at her knee.
"Honestly, I was starting to worry you'd never figure it out on your own," she told the sleeping form next to her. “Which is really unfair of me, I have to admit. But gods, I just wanted to shake you and scream ‘you’re a girl, dammit!’” She giggled softly, sitting up and rubbing at the tip of one ear. “At least that part is over and done.” Glancing over at Robin, she watched as the Fantasia worked its alchemical magic. The womans hair was growing out, shifting from red to brown as the face it framed lost its harsh edges and square jaw. Eyebrow raised, Ifrit watched as the girls lips swelled, then chuckled as she recognised elements of her own face in Robins. “Good. You’ll still be my twin sister.”
Standing up, she took a moment to stretch, before adjusting the sleeping girls limbs so she was comfortable on the bed. The girl shrank more with every second, entire inches vanishing into the void, jeans and shirt becoming tents around her form, with the exception of a forming bustline. Ifrit couldn’t help but smile at that. Robin had always hated being tall, even if she’d never been willing to admit it to anyone. Brushing some hair from the girls face, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Returning to the living room, she retrieved her phone from the charger, typing out a quick text to Miranda. Best to have her come over so she could get the full story, after all. Once that was done, she turned her attention to the tea set, cleaning it all up before the Winslow could make another attempt on it. As she retrieved Robins teacup, she glanced over at the beast, eyebrow raised. "I don't suppose you'd like to explain just how you ended up in that chest?"
"Hi!"
"That's about what I thought you'd say," she muttered as she went into the kitchen.
***
Sitting up, Rob rubbed at his face, then made a grumbling noise and fumbled at his sleeves, trying to pull them back over his hands. He frowned, trying to figure out how the sleeves got so long, before pulling them back enough to reveal small, feminine hands, with slender fingers and soft skin. For several seconds, he stared at them in confusion, before the realization they were hers finally got her brain working and she remembered what had happened before she went to sleep. The realisation, the admission, the magic potion.
Scrambling out of bed, she face-planted into the ground as both her pants and briefs failed to stay up. Stumbling around, she kicked them away and regained her balance, before looking down past a shirt that had come unbuttoned and pretty much become a dress to see a pair of shapely legs and dainty feet. “Oh wow…” she whispered, before her eyes widened even further at the new, yet oddly familiar, voice. Glancing around, she spotted a mirror in the corner, took a deep breath, and walked over in front of it, struggling slightly with her balance as she did so.
For a moment, she thought she was looking at Ifrit. Then the differences to her sister became clear, as she realized that no, she hadn’t turned herself into a clone of her sister. The eyes were the first thing she noticed, bright green to her sisters red. Her features were softer, seemingly younger, and lacking the fey elements. Most notably her ears, which emerged from her now brown hair on the top of her head, a layer of fur on them, as they should be, instead of Ifrits long, furless ears on the sides.
This was her. The her that had been haunting her dreams all her life, in the stray thoughts she'd shoved back down. The her that she'd never dared to admit, even to herself, she yearned to be. Slowly, a smile formed on her face "Well Robin, it's nice to meet you," she told her reflection, before breaking into giggles. "Robin Barnes, reporting for duty!"
Still giggling, she kept studying her appearance, occasionally posing in front of the mirror in one way or another. Eventually the shirt ended up off to one side, letting her inspect the body underneath. The giggles trailed off as she took it in. "Woah." She hadn't been imagining the way the shirt fell over her breasts. And that waist, and her stomach!
"I have curves," she marvelled, running her hand along her leg, taking in how smooth it was.. "Hell, I could compete with Ifrit or Valles. Not Sachie or Priss though," she added thoughtfully after a moment. "Not enough muscle. That’s a different category." Resting a hand on her hip, she studied her reflection with more than a little pride. Even with her now shoulder length hair and the fur on her tail a mess, she looked spectacular. With the right clothes, or even the wrong ones, she'd leave almost any man speechless.
Imagining that for a moment, she closed her eyes, savouring it as, for the first time, the thoughts weren't accompanied by the instinctive shame and guilt she'd been taught to feel. Just pleasure and more than a little anticipation. Opening her eyes again, she gave her reflection a playful wink. "Be patient girl, you've got plenty of time."
With no other clothes in the guest bedroom, she retrieved her shirt and put it on, wrinkling her nose a little. Now that she was paying attention, she could smell her old self on the shirt, all the sweat and stress, the lack of self-care. She'd need to clean so much stuff. Possibly with fire. But for now, she made sure her tail was tucked in to prevent giving anyone behind her a show, then went to the door.
The plan, such as it was, was to sneak down to Ifrit and Nenes bedroom, to try and find something that fit a bit better. That plan was instantly foiled by the fact there were three catgirls waiting outside the door, all grinning widely. "Yeah," Alice said, looking her over. "You've got curves."
Sammy snickered as Robin's cheeks heated up. "Our ears aren't just for show Aunt Robin," she teased. "Don't worry, you'll come to appreciate it once you get used to yours."
"M-mine? Wait what are you all here for?" Robin stammered, now completely off balance. How were they all taller than her? When did Sammy of all of them end up an amazon? And the other two were eight feet tall?
Stepping forward, Neko took Robin by the arm and guided her back into the guest room. “We’re not going to make a new kitten in the family present herself to everyone in nothing but a mens shirt,” she said gently. “Plus your hair and tail are a mess. Let’s do something about that, shall we?”
Robin looked between the three of them, clearly more than a little overwhelmed, and Alice chuckled. "You haven't even noticed yet, have you?" The much smaller girl looked up at her, making Alice chuckle, then reached over to stroke one of the brown furred ears popping out of Robin's hair. Robin's knees gave way, and only Nekos grip on her arm stopped her from falling to the floor. "You're one of us Robin."
"Aahhh… mrrrrrr…" Robin replied, all her surprise and awkwardness vanishing behind the sheer bliss she was suddenly experiencing. A low rumble started in her throat as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations.
"Wow," Sammy said. "She's really into it. She's almost as bad as you when it comes to a good scritching," she added with a grin at Neko.
"Eh, it's her first time, it's to be expected," Neko replied, seemingly ignoring the reference to her own weaknesses while noting it for future retaliation. She guided Robin to a chair, making sure the girl was sitting properly before letting go. "Alice, you better stop before she shuts down completely."
When the hand moved away from Robins ears, her eyes slowly opened and she mewed indignantly. “Myrow nya?” she protested, completely unable to form words around the purring. Then she realised yet another giant had joined them in the room, unpacking several bags on the bed without her noticing. Her questioning mew had no real association with english, and she felt her cheeks heat up.
Thankfully, the other(!) catgirls in the room seemed to work out what she was saying. “Yeah, she’s not a catgirl. But Sachie has other skills we can use here,” Sammy said.
“Master of disguise,” Sachie noted, holding up a brush. “There’s many uses for such things.”
Taking a breath, the little catgirl focused, trying to regain command over the English language. "But how’d she get in?"
In response, Sammy gave her a remarkably flat look. "Ninja."
"Ah. Point."
Chuckling, Neko went to help Sachie unpack, spreading a selection of haircare items across the bed. "Those ninja skills are going to get a slightly different use today." As Robin gave them a curious look, her smile became a full blown smirk. "We're giving you a makeover."
For a moment, Robin was silent. Then, her eyes went wide, and a soft noise of pure glee slipped past her lips. Sachie chuckled, handing Sammy a brush. “Start on her tail. Alice, hair. I need to work out some clothes.”
***
“Ifrit, you mean well, but you’re an idiot.”
Looking across the table at her younger sister, Ifrit considered how hard it would be to dispose of a burnt out corpse. “Explain.”
Miranda Barnes leaned back in her chair, unconcerned by the death glare she was getting. “You answered the big question Rob’s never dared to ask anyone before. The question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. You confirm everything she’s ever dared to wonder about herself,” she said, taking care to use the right pronouns. “And then, before she’s even had time to process it, you put a magic potion in front of her, tell her it’ll give her the body of her dreams, and you’re actually surprised when she drinks it instantly?”
Despite her best effort to maintain the glare, it faded somewhat with her embarrassment. "That's not exactly how it went..." she protested, glancing at the stuffed toy on the kitchen counter.
“Hi!”
"It covers the important parts, really," Mir said. "So now, instead of easing her way into all the changes this realisation means for her, she's going to be thrown in the deep end."
Shoulders slumping, Ifrit nodded. “Yeah. Yeah it will.” Her eyes glazed over for a moment as she considered all the problems with society women faced. Everything from micro-aggressions and dismissive attitudes, to physical threats to ones well-being and life. “We’re going to be so busy, aren’t we?”
Next to her, Nene nodded. “Education, protection, hell, a shoulder to cry on at times… although the girls seem to have already volunteered for some of that duty… should we be worried about that?
"Possibly, but Sachie and Neko are providing adult supervision for the moment," Ifrit reassured her.
“... I’m going to have to build a new hardsuit for her from scratch,” Miranda mused, running a hand through her hair. A moment later, her eyes glowed as her form shifted slightly. Her proportions adjusted, her hair darkened and grew out, and her body language shifted to become more dignified as her Warshade partner took control. “You might wish to wait a little while before doing more than initial planning,” Jade Barnes said. “It wouldn’t really surprise me if she takes the opportunity for more self-reflection and reinvention, possibly even to the point of a new heroic identity." Her lips twitched in a slight frown. "It might even be better if she did adopt a new title. While her identity as Skydive has never been especially secret-"
At that, Ifrit couldn't help but snort. "If only because she's related to me, and my own nature always made a secret identity unworkable."
"True enough. But at the same time, the average person on the street may not make the connection, if she takes up a new heroic moniker. Which may help to shield her from some of the more hateful souls in this world.”
Nene scowled, tapping her fingers on the table. “Transphobic tools, you mean.” Jade nodded, a similar expression on her own face, and the redhead slumped forward, elbows on the table, chin resting in her hands. “And unfortunately, we can’t beat up all the transphobes. Just most of them.”
“The Column is rather good at gathering such people in one place,” Ifrit mused.
"Everyone loves punching Nazis," her girlfriend agreed.
"It's an option she can take. Personally, I doubt she will." Jade gave them a beaming smile. "I think today has definitely shown that Robin can make her own choices. As her family, we can advise, we can help, but we can't make those choices for her."
Ifrit conceded the point, before glancing past Jade as Sammy entered the kitchen. Considering the adults for a moment, she grinned widely before standing up straight, hands clasped behind her back. "Ladies, it is my pleasure to present to you, the new and improved Aunt Robin!" Stepping out of the doorway, she gave an elaborate bow, introducing the girl with style.
At first, there was silence. Then, slowly, a second catgirl stepped into the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. She was small, barely five feet, and that was if you counted the cat ears poking out of her long, neatly brushed brown hair. Despite her size, she wasn't just a stick, as the simple blouse and skirt combo was showing off nicely. And the girls had applied a small amount of makeup, just enough to highlight a rather cute face that showed quite a bit of similarity to Ifrit, just softer and, amusingly, seemingly quite a bit younger.
"S-So, how do I look?" Robin asked nervously. Despite the tremor in her voice and the blush on her cheeks, it was clear to all the women present that she was utterly delighted by her appearance.
Nene spoke up first, a reassuring smile on her face. "You look beautiful. And so… right."
Both ears shot upright as Robin beamed. "You really think so? When Sachie suggested the skirt I was a little worried, I mean, I've never worn one before, I thought I might look kinda silly, and the makeup, well that really had me scared - eep!" Before she could get lost in a severe case of motormouth, Jade teleported next to her from her chair, shifting back into Miranda in the process, who proceeded to pull the smaller girl into a one armed hug.
As Robin struggled in vain against the unexpectedly stronger woman, Mir merely laughed. “Not to worry, you make a very pretty girl. One that pulls off skirts better than me. Although…” she looked at Robin, then at Ifrit. “Seriously, am I the only woman in this family that didn’t inherit Ma’s looks?”
“Ack Mir lemme go!” Robin yelled, trying to pry herself loose.
“Ah, it’s probably for the best,” Mir continued, ignoring her prisoner. “I mean, if you have to trade inches in height for inches in the bustline, I think I’ll keep the height. Because it means I can do things like this!”
“Aaah Mir you suck!"
"Oh look, she's got a cute little ribbon on her tail…"
"Touch the ribbon and you die an undignified death tentacle beast!"
“What is it with you and helping confused little catgirls anyway?” she asked Ifrit.
“Miranda, let her go,” Ifrit said, suppressing a sigh at her younger sisters antics. It was impressive, in a disturbing way, just how quickly Mir had been able to establish her usual dynamic with Robin (specifically, annoying the crap out of her) despite all the catgirls changes.
The moment the grip loosened, Robin darted across the room, putting some distance between her and Miranda, then started smoothing down her hair and skirt. "Brat," she muttered, although there was an undeniable element of affection in the word.
Grinning widely, Mir returned to her chair. “It’s what I do, and I do it well.”
“You’re an inspiration to annoying sisters everywhere,” Sammy quipped. Alice stepped through the doorway, giving Sammy an amused look that she promptly ignored. “So, we do good work, don’t we?” she continued, putting an arm over Robin’s shoulders. “I mean, we had a good looking girl to start with, I’ll admit. But I think we cleaned her up nicely.”
“I’m definitely going to need some help for a while,” Robin said, blushing. “There’s a lot to get used to.”
Nene chuckled. “Ifrit was planning on easing you into it over time,” she pointed out. “Then you got impatient and chugged the potion. But well, I can understand it a little. You’ve been waiting for this a while, hmm?”
“Longer than I even knew,” she admitted.
Smiling, Nene nodded “Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say, it’s nice to finally meet you Robin.”
“It’s nice to meet me too. I’m looking forward to finding out who I am.”
Ifrit smirked, standing up and heading for the kitchen. "Well, you'll soon find something else out about yourself. I'm preparing Atlantic Salmon for dinner."
"Huh?" Robin said, only to be drowned out by the glee from the other catgirls.
(EDIT by Bob to fix black-on-black text in the San Felix theme.)
