***
Robin sat on the edge of the roof, legs hanging over the edge, looking over the streets of Brickstown. She reached up, brushed the hair out of her face, and
briefly wondered yet again about the benefits of getting a haircut. Then, without turning, she called out "Pick another roof to do business on and I
won't sharpen my claws on your freeze rays."
"... How'd you know?" the Crey radiologist asked, before he and the two security guards he was with froze at the sound of a multi-rifle swapping
over to buckshot.
Carefully, they turned to look at Leon McNichol, standing behind them near the roof access door. "I can smell you idiots a block away. She's a
catgirl, with a superhuman sense of smell," he deadpanned. "Honestly, you'd think Crey scientists threw out their hygiene with their damn
ethics." He stepped away from the door. "Scram." The trio took the opening and left.
The police officer snorted as the door closed. "Why can't they do their drug deals in their wacky science labs?" he wondered.
"Company rules," Robin replied with a faint smile. "Do what you like with our poisons, just don't do it where we can see you." Leon
snorted again as he slung his rifle over his back. "So, what brings you up to Bricks?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
"Talking to a guy I know in the Family," he answered. "Now I've just gotta figure out what he was tellin' the truth about and what he
was making up. The idiot's getting unreliable, nearly time to bust him." Robin nodded, thinking of her own list of informants. "So... new
costume?" he asked, noting the metallic blue armor she was wearing.
In reply, the catgirl laughed. "It's a little spell Angie taught me. Magical costume change. She just neglected to mention it functioned like a
magical girl spell and came with its own outfit."
"Well, a suit of armor doesn't seem so bad," Leon mused, before Robin somehow kicked off the side of the roof, flipped in midair and landed in
front of him, giving him a good look at the fact that the costume seemed to be all armor up top, the lower half consisted of a pair of high heels and a very
short skirt that did a wonderful job of showing off her long, toned legs and stopped just before... he forced himself to pull his eyes back up, and locked onto
Robins face. "Well, uh, half a suit and... um..." Robin let him struggle for words for a moment, then broke down giggling. "Gee, thanks,"
he said with a mock scowl.
Robin covered her smile with her hand, then turned on the spot to give him an even better look. "Well, I think I can call this costume a success,"
she said, getting her giggles under control.
"I guess you can," Leon agreed after a moment. "Still, it throws me a little. You in a skirt?" he chuckled.
She shrugged, tail waving idly. "Why not? I mean, it looks good, I've certainly got the legs to show off, and it's... comfortable," she
admitted, face taking on a thoughtful expression.
Studying the expression, Leon considered things fore a moment. "Something's on your mind," he said. "Something pretty serious." The
catgirl paused, then nodded. "Related to your other issues?" he added in a cautious tone of voice. Robin winced at that, then nodded again. Leon
paused, considered the matter with all of his considerable reasoning skills, then asked softly "Want to talk about it?"
"... You won't freak out?" she asked, having gone from amused to thoughtful to rather nervous in about twenty seconds.
Leon gave her a friendly smile in return. "Hey, it's not like I've got a right to freak out over what you're going through," he said.
"And you're my buddy. You need to talk, I'm here to listen."
Smiling faintly, Robin backed up slightly. "I'm dealing with this," she said. "And pretty well, I'd like to think. I mean, I'm not
curled up in a ball at home, pretending it'll all go away. I'm not flinching at my reflection, I'm not trying to pretend it didn't happen, and
when people try and have a go at me over it, I don't let it get me down."
"People have done that?" Leon asked.
"Usually people I'm beating into the concrete, but also the occasional person I've rescued."
"Wow. There's gratitude for ya," the cop mused.
"Yeah, the later does hurt," she admitted with a slight shrug and a pained expression. "The thing is, I'm not just dealing with this... I
honestly think that if they can't find a cure, I could live a long and happy life." She chuckled. "Maybe Mir was onto something."
Looking at her, Leon gave her a curious expression. "And that's... a problem?" he asked.
Her expression shifted again, this time to annoyance. "In an odd, yet frustrating way. What happens if they find a cure for the damn Yarnball in six
months, or a year? Do I take it and go back to being Robert? What happens about everything that happens in the meantime? It's just as valid as my life
before Yarnball, right?" she asked. Leon nodded in agreement. "Right now, I'm doing alright, but I'm still... sorta kinda idling."
"Because you're waiting for a cure," Leon mused.
"And maybe I shouldn't," she sighed. "Maybe I should just say 'hell with it' and move on. Enjoy the enhanced senses, fondness for
snacking on mice, the curves and the looks people give me... maybe even some romance," she mused, a faint blush sneaking through her fur.
"Yeah, that would be a problem if you changed back," Leon mused. "I mean, what if your girlfriend was gay, not bi?"
"Oh, it's even more complicated then that," she replied with a slightly bitter laugh. "I was straight before... and I'm straight
now."
Her friend paused, then gave her a surprised look as that worked through his mind. "Um... are you sure?"
"Very," Robin said, giving him an intense look. "And all that's assuming they ever do find a cure. Because they were so successful with
fixing Trolls," she snorted.
"Then what's stopping you?" Leon wondered.
"Because I'm terrified of what it means," Robin sighed. "Because it feels like giving up, or it's wrong somehow. Like... I don't
know," she finished, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration, before slumping slightly in despair. "I feel like a freak for not giving up on
my old body... and a freak for thinking of moving on," she whispered.
Leon looked at her for a moment, shoulders slumped, ears drooping, then seized the initiative and pulled her into a gentle embrace, drawing a surprised noise
from Robin. "You're no freak," he said quietly, but fiercely. "You're just a person that's had a lot of weird shit thrown at you,
and you're dealing with it a hell of a lot better then I would. Anyone that's arrogant and stupid enough to give you shit over it doesn't know you,
and doesn't even deserve to be shown how dumb they are."
Robin looked up at him, eyes tearing up, before she buried her face in his shirt and breaking down crying. Slightly stunned, even after guessing just how
stressed out Robin really was, Leon just held her and let her cry, getting it out of her system. "It's not your fault," he said gently.
"None of us think any less of you for it... you're still our friend..." It took a while for the girl to calm down, although she still held onto
his shirt with a near deathgrip.
"Sorry..." she mumbled.
"Bah. You look like you needed a good cry. My shirt is a suitable sacrifice for that," he joked. Robin laughed slightly, the noise containing more
then a bit of a sob still. "I meant it though," he added, stroking her ears. "I know you're not a freak, and I'm not thinking any less
of you for this."
"... thanks," she mumbled.
"And you don't need to be doing that... I'm just doing what's right." Robin smiled faintly, letting the moment pass. Eventually, she
broke the embrace and looked up at him.
"So... You think I should just get on with life?" she asked.
In reply, Leon shrugged. "I reckon that's an idea. It's your call though," he admitted. "Either way, we're still buddies."
Robin smiled again. "So... wanna go see a movie?" she asked.
"Sure," he replied with a grin. "I still need to see Star Trek so everyone will stop begging me to let them mention spoilers around me."
Robin laughed, then pulled a small mirror out of nowhere and studied the tear tracks in her facial fur.
"I need to clean myself up first," she admitted. "I can't walk around like this."
The police officer snorted. "Are you sure you didn't already decide to go all femme?" he wondered. In reply, Robin punched him in the arm.
***
Robin sat on the edge of the roof, legs hanging over the edge, looking over the streets of Brickstown. She reached up, brushed the hair out of her face, and
briefly wondered yet again about the benefits of getting a haircut. Then, without turning, she called out "Pick another roof to do business on and I
won't sharpen my claws on your freeze rays."
"... How'd you know?" the Crey radiologist asked, before he and the two security guards he was with froze at the sound of a multi-rifle swapping
over to buckshot.
Carefully, they turned to look at Leon McNichol, standing behind them near the roof access door. "I can smell you idiots a block away. She's a
catgirl, with a superhuman sense of smell," he deadpanned. "Honestly, you'd think Crey scientists threw out their hygiene with their damn
ethics." He stepped away from the door. "Scram." The trio took the opening and left.
The police officer snorted as the door closed. "Why can't they do their drug deals in their wacky science labs?" he wondered.
"Company rules," Robin replied with a faint smile. "Do what you like with our poisons, just don't do it where we can see you." Leon
snorted again as he slung his rifle over his back. "So, what brings you up to Bricks?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
"Talking to a guy I know in the Family," he answered. "Now I've just gotta figure out what he was tellin' the truth about and what he
was making up. The idiot's getting unreliable, nearly time to bust him." Robin nodded, thinking of her own list of informants. "So... new
costume?" he asked, noting the metallic blue armor she was wearing.
In reply, the catgirl laughed. "It's a little spell Angie taught me. Magical costume change. She just neglected to mention it functioned like a
magical girl spell and came with its own outfit."
"Well, a suit of armor doesn't seem so bad," Leon mused, before Robin somehow kicked off the side of the roof, flipped in midair and landed in
front of him, giving him a good look at the fact that the costume seemed to be all armor up top, the lower half consisted of a pair of high heels and a very
short skirt that did a wonderful job of showing off her long, toned legs and stopped just before... he forced himself to pull his eyes back up, and locked onto
Robins face. "Well, uh, half a suit and... um..." Robin let him struggle for words for a moment, then broke down giggling. "Gee, thanks,"
he said with a mock scowl.
Robin covered her smile with her hand, then turned on the spot to give him an even better look. "Well, I think I can call this costume a success,"
she said, getting her giggles under control.
"I guess you can," Leon agreed after a moment. "Still, it throws me a little. You in a skirt?" he chuckled.
She shrugged, tail waving idly. "Why not? I mean, it looks good, I've certainly got the legs to show off, and it's... comfortable," she
admitted, face taking on a thoughtful expression.
Studying the expression, Leon considered things fore a moment. "Something's on your mind," he said. "Something pretty serious." The
catgirl paused, then nodded. "Related to your other issues?" he added in a cautious tone of voice. Robin winced at that, then nodded again. Leon
paused, considered the matter with all of his considerable reasoning skills, then asked softly "Want to talk about it?"
"... You won't freak out?" she asked, having gone from amused to thoughtful to rather nervous in about twenty seconds.
Leon gave her a friendly smile in return. "Hey, it's not like I've got a right to freak out over what you're going through," he said.
"And you're my buddy. You need to talk, I'm here to listen."
Smiling faintly, Robin backed up slightly. "I'm dealing with this," she said. "And pretty well, I'd like to think. I mean, I'm not
curled up in a ball at home, pretending it'll all go away. I'm not flinching at my reflection, I'm not trying to pretend it didn't happen, and
when people try and have a go at me over it, I don't let it get me down."
"People have done that?" Leon asked.
"Usually people I'm beating into the concrete, but also the occasional person I've rescued."
"Wow. There's gratitude for ya," the cop mused.
"Yeah, the later does hurt," she admitted with a slight shrug and a pained expression. "The thing is, I'm not just dealing with this... I
honestly think that if they can't find a cure, I could live a long and happy life." She chuckled. "Maybe Mir was onto something."
Looking at her, Leon gave her a curious expression. "And that's... a problem?" he asked.
Her expression shifted again, this time to annoyance. "In an odd, yet frustrating way. What happens if they find a cure for the damn Yarnball in six
months, or a year? Do I take it and go back to being Robert? What happens about everything that happens in the meantime? It's just as valid as my life
before Yarnball, right?" she asked. Leon nodded in agreement. "Right now, I'm doing alright, but I'm still... sorta kinda idling."
"Because you're waiting for a cure," Leon mused.
"And maybe I shouldn't," she sighed. "Maybe I should just say 'hell with it' and move on. Enjoy the enhanced senses, fondness for
snacking on mice, the curves and the looks people give me... maybe even some romance," she mused, a faint blush sneaking through her fur.
"Yeah, that would be a problem if you changed back," Leon mused. "I mean, what if your girlfriend was gay, not bi?"
"Oh, it's even more complicated then that," she replied with a slightly bitter laugh. "I was straight before... and I'm straight
now."
Her friend paused, then gave her a surprised look as that worked through his mind. "Um... are you sure?"
"Very," Robin said, giving him an intense look. "And all that's assuming they ever do find a cure. Because they were so successful with
fixing Trolls," she snorted.
"Then what's stopping you?" Leon wondered.
"Because I'm terrified of what it means," Robin sighed. "Because it feels like giving up, or it's wrong somehow. Like... I don't
know," she finished, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration, before slumping slightly in despair. "I feel like a freak for not giving up on
my old body... and a freak for thinking of moving on," she whispered.
Leon looked at her for a moment, shoulders slumped, ears drooping, then seized the initiative and pulled her into a gentle embrace, drawing a surprised noise
from Robin. "You're no freak," he said quietly, but fiercely. "You're just a person that's had a lot of weird shit thrown at you,
and you're dealing with it a hell of a lot better then I would. Anyone that's arrogant and stupid enough to give you shit over it doesn't know you,
and doesn't even deserve to be shown how dumb they are."
Robin looked up at him, eyes tearing up, before she buried her face in his shirt and breaking down crying. Slightly stunned, even after guessing just how
stressed out Robin really was, Leon just held her and let her cry, getting it out of her system. "It's not your fault," he said gently.
"None of us think any less of you for it... you're still our friend..." It took a while for the girl to calm down, although she still held onto
his shirt with a near deathgrip.
"Sorry..." she mumbled.
"Bah. You look like you needed a good cry. My shirt is a suitable sacrifice for that," he joked. Robin laughed slightly, the noise containing more
then a bit of a sob still. "I meant it though," he added, stroking her ears. "I know you're not a freak, and I'm not thinking any less
of you for this."
"... thanks," she mumbled.
"And you don't need to be doing that... I'm just doing what's right." Robin smiled faintly, letting the moment pass. Eventually, she
broke the embrace and looked up at him.
"So... You think I should just get on with life?" she asked.
In reply, Leon shrugged. "I reckon that's an idea. It's your call though," he admitted. "Either way, we're still buddies."
Robin smiled again. "So... wanna go see a movie?" she asked.
"Sure," he replied with a grin. "I still need to see Star Trek so everyone will stop begging me to let them mention spoilers around me."
Robin laughed, then pulled a small mirror out of nowhere and studied the tear tracks in her facial fur.
"I need to clean myself up first," she admitted. "I can't walk around like this."
The police officer snorted. "Are you sure you didn't already decide to go all femme?" he wondered. In reply, Robin punched him in the arm.
***