Collared Confidence - Patron Request - TG TF
It was a hot and clear summer Friday afternoon, with a dry breeze. The main street of the decently sized town was moderately busy with the normal goings on. With people driving, walking down the sidewalks, or going in and out of the many shops on the street. From one of these, a froyo place, emerged Carl with a drained look on his face. Finding a seat by himself on a chair set up in front of the store on the sidewalk, he sighed deeply once down.
“Didn’t even have any flavors I wanted,” Carl lamented as he dug into the treat regardless. He already came there expecting to buy so it felt weird, especially with the employees on him. Or at least it seemed that way.
Carl was in his mid-thirties, and was a little shorter than six feet with an average body with perhaps a few too many extra pounds attached to his stomach and chin. He had black hair that he once took some pride in but today, like most days as of late, he didn’t put much effort in. Carl was in some ways rather easy to peg as a nerdy-type of gamer and attached to that came with certain issues. At least for him.
He wasn’t a social beast by any measure, with few acquaintances and fewer that he would call true friends. Even then, he wasn’t exactly the type to be very social. His self-confidence had never been that spectacular but the older he found himself getting, the harder it was to be social, friendly, or even happy in his own skin.
So, like many days previous, he decided to sink some of his sorrows into something sweet. Spooning it into his mouth slowly, Carl tried to watch people rather than get lost in the spiraling dark thoughts that would come with internal dialogue. It was a nice day, at least, and there were folks out and about.
For the first few minutes it was mostly the same sorts of people carrying out whatever business they had. They walked by with unconcerned faces and with never a look in his direction. That was different for the one person he saw approaching though.
She was a beauty, to be sure, with a similar height to Carl’s but with a thinner, slightly more curvy frame. She had long brunette hair impeccably styled to cascade over her shoulders and around her pale but strikingly beautiful face. At least to Carl’s eyes. Her body was certainly impressive but that was nothing compared to the way she carried herself. Wearing a tight short sleeved dress shirt, she had on a hip hugging pencil skirt and elegantly strapped heels. This didn’t prevent her from walking with utter assurance.
Chin up, she smiled and waved a greeting to everyone that passed, even stopping when someone was walking with their dog to kneel down and pet it while talking graciously with the owner. She was happy, confident, and already Carl was jealous of her.
It wasn’t so much her beauty, or at least he didn’t think that was it, but more that she was poised and controlled. She didn’t have any outward doubts or apprehension and when she was starting to approach Carl, he quickly averted his gaze so as to not appear to be staring. He assumed she would walk by without paying him even the slightest attention.
“That looks yummy! I hope you enjoy it,” Carl heard a woman say as he looked up and saw the brunette.
Carl’s throat seized up in that moment and as he tried to speak, he felt an overwhelming sense of pressure and expectation. Even if it was entirely self-imposed, he couldn’t overcome these issues and so just nodded. She smiled at him, her pearly white and perfect teeth showing.
Giving Carl a friendly wave, she continued down the sidewalk with him watching him out of the corner of his eye. She made it perfectly another ten feet before bumping into someone on the sidewalk. Both went to apologize before both the brunette and the woman seemed to recognize each other. They hugged and started chatting right away, both so happy to see each other. They continued to talk within earshot of Carl which gradually wore on him in a way he didn’t want to admit.
It wasn’t that they were loud or annoying or anything sensible like that. It was the energy, happiness, and tenacity in the brunette’s voice that was getting to a part of him. A part of him that was, if nothing else, jealous. Finishing his froyo as fast as hearing the woman’s happy and content voice was getting to him.
After throwing out his trash, Carl got up and despite the fact he needed to go in the direction the women were in, he went the other way. He felt like he could chance fall prey to her kindness or boldness again. This led him in a way he did not exactly know but he figured if he curved around the town enough, he would be able to get back to his car.
Twenty or so minutes of wandering down both the main street and a few side streets, Carl had gotten himself somewhat lost. It did not help that his mind was elsewhere at the moment as the thought of that woman wouldn’t escape his mind. It was her personality and demeanor that was getting to him as he started asking himself questions like, ‘Why can’t you act like that?’ and ‘Imagine what you could accomplish if you weren’t your own greatest enemy?’.
With his mind distracted, Carl walked out of an alley and was back on the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets and head down. He didn’t hear much in the way of traffic or others walking so he thought it would allow him to think a bit clearly. That was until he could hear footsteps some ways ahead. When he looked up, to Carl’s shock and surprise, it was the same brunette as before. She had an ice cream cone in hand and was enjoying it.
Carl’s heart started to race at the mere thought of having to talk to her again and so rather than think of what to say, he thought of how to escape. Thankfully, in between him and the woman were a few storefronts. Carl went to the closest one he saw and pushed inside quickly. A bell rang overhead while he kept flat to the door while also peeking carefully out the front window of the shop. There he watched the woman come and go without incident.
Finally breathing a sigh of relief, Carl only now realized he appeared to be inside some kind of antique shop.
“I sure hope you’re not running from the authorities or anything,” Carl heard a female voice say from deeper inside the store. Carl’s anxiety started to go up again though instead of making another exit, where he might happen to run into that woman again, he ventured deeper into the store. It wasn’t long before he caught sight of a front counter and a red headed woman sitting behind it. “And I sure hope it didn’t start just raining out either,” the woman further lamented as she set down the book she had been reading.
“N-no rain, no. Just, ummmm, uhhhhh,” but Carl wasn’t sure what excuse to use. Not unlike the brunette, the red headed woman behind the counter, with her ageless blue eyes, casually adorned corset and dress which were a bit out of style, intimated Carl with her easy confidence. “I guess I just wanted to come in.”
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow at the simple explanation but wasn’t about to press the man either. “Well, always glad to have new customers. Even if they don’t know that’s what they are yet,” she said politely.
Carl gave another look around the shop, trying to determine exactly what they sold but the best he could with all the random items on various shelves, bins, boxes, and hung on the wall he would have gone back to his thought about it being an antique shop but not everything looked so old. The place didn’t feel smelly or stuffy or old either.
“V-v-very nice shop you have here,” he said nervously as he broke eye contact from the woman and was soon looking down at his feet.
“Thank you,” the shopkeeper responded politely. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”
Carl was a little caught off guard by the question so could only vaguely nod back to her.
“And stop me if I seem to be prying a little, but you seem troubled by something. Normally when someone comes into my shop I can guess as to their concerns or interests. You, though, don’t seem my usual fare. So what is it that bothers you?” As she talked, she leaned forward over the counter.
At first, Carl was again feeling the tightness in his throat that came from worry and self-doubt. However, something about the woman’s voice, the genuine nature of it, appealed to something at the heart of the man. So, slowly, he turned to the woman, placing his hands just on the edge of the counter.
“I suppose, yeah. I mean, who doesn’t have worries, right?” he tried to joke and play off.
The shopkeeper wasn’t dissuaded though. “Everyone is stuck in their own mind to a degree, yes, but not everyone walks around with the life sapped from their posture, face, and very words.”
Carl smirked a little at that. “Is it that obvious on me?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t say obvious as much as I’ve had some experience when it comes to reading people. Sometimes I can tell more about a person than they even know about themselves,” she admitted. “So tell me, what’s on your mind? Don’t worry, it’s just you and me here. Oh, and my bunny,” she added, pointing to the rabbit in a cage on the back counter who was sleeping on her back, legs occasionally kicking in the air.
Carl sighed and tried to think of some sort of lie to tell but instead the words just kind of came out. “I guess I kinda, sorta, don’t like myself. And today just kinda highlighted how much I do,” he admitted with some sadness and shame.
“I see. And what did you see outside of my shop that was so important to get away from?” the shopkeeper pressed.
Carl tried not to blush but didn’t know how to say it exactly. “This will probably sound silly but, but there was this woman...”
“Oh?”
Carl nodded. “Yeah, she was… great. I mean, beautiful but that wasn’t it as much as just how she carried herself,” he lamented as the image of the woman returned to his mind. “I see these people, social creatures, being able to confidently talk to other people and just be themselves. Meanwhile I can barely, barely even make eye contact without shaking. And this isn’t anything new but just the latest sort of incident I guess. I can’t escape it. I’m stuck in a job I hate but I’m too worried to say anything to get a promotion or try something new. I’m in a rut and I just, I just feel like I can’t take it anymore.” By the end, Carl was feeling closer to tears. He had one hand on the counter to try and keep himself grounded but his anxieties were starting to stir up.
This growing worry was momentarily halted when Carl felt a soft, warm hand come down over his. When he glanced over, he saw the shopkeeper’s blemish free fingers wrapped around his own. “So this woman you saw, she reminded you of something you’re… not?” the shopkeeper queried.
His initial reaction was to say no but as he remembered the woman, the way she walked, how she held herself, the ease of her conversation, and comfort in just who she was. All those things that seemed to Carl like unobtainable traits as he lacked the heart for it. Or that was certainly how it felt over the many years of his life.
“You may find this a comfort but helping people with themselves is really what I do best. What you seem to be looking for is something that requires some special kind of… solution.” The shopkeeper then smiled before sitting back on her stool.
“You do?” Carl sniffled. “I didn’t think you could just buy confidence and self-worth at a store,” he tried to joke lightly.
The shopkeeper looked at the man closely, as if trying to take his measure. “I specialize in helping people with their… unique issues.”
“Really?” Carl asked nervously.
The shopkeeper smirked. “You can consider me a customer change expert of sorts. I’m sure I can come up with something that will help you. So I take it this woman you saw is something of an ideal you’re shooting for?” she asked.
Carl blushed a little at the thought of the woman before gulping hard. “Well, I guess, well, a jumping off point would be her? I mean, I still want to be effectively me, but, like, my own kind of confidence. In myself. Does, does that make any sense?” Carl had tried to speak clearly but his nerves were starting to show.
The shopkeeper stared at the man then, not answering his question at first. Carl was starting to feel increasingly modest and awkward until he saw the woman’s face soften into a warm smile. “So you want a new you that’s, of course, still mostly you but more the way you want to be? The more ideal you, as it were?”
“Y-y-yeah. I mean, something like that I guess. I don’t really know what that would entail or-” but before he could say another word the woman stood up, straightened out her sleeves, and came around the counter. He was a bit surprised to see that she was taller than him and, like the other woman, had a self-assured way of moving he relished to have.
“I feel for you, I really do. I think… I do believe I have something that can help you… what was your name?” she asked politely.
“Carl,” he answered meekly.
“Carl, a pleasure,” she greeted holding out her hand. He shook back, his hand more clammy than hers. “I think I may have something that can help you. Wait here and I’ll rustle something up special for you.” Without another word she was off into the shelves, leaving Carl standing there unsure what to do.
The shopkeeper was busy for only a few minutes before returning from the shelves with something in her hand, though Carl could not quite make out what it was until she set it down on the counter.
“What’s that?” he asked as he came closer to the counter.
“Something that will help. Now, just give me a few minutes in the back to… get something,” she carefully said before disappearing through the bead curtain behind the counter.
Left alone, Carl could look more closely at what looked like a black collar with a sheen to it like rubber. Checking to make sure the shopkeeper wasn’t heading back, he investigated more closely and picked the collar up. It was relatively light and was perhaps an inch wide and millimeters thin. While the outside gave the appearance of rubber, when he rubbed his fingers against it felt more like very supple leather. The collar was currently open with two small brass clasps meant to close it on the back. Curiously, on the front of the collar, there were two small loops that were barely exposed which were slightly off-center.
“How is this supposed to help with my confidence?” he asked the collar which he was now wondering if would even fit on him. Just then he heard footsteps and so he hurriedly dropped the collar and stepped back from the counter.
Sure enough the shopkeeper returned only with a large box in her hands that was actually wrapped in a black bow. “You know, I didn’t think I would ever use that gift wrapping stuff but it finally came in handy,” she said with a tired sigh as she pushed the large box onto the counter. Doing so pushed the collar towards Carl who had to quickly grab it before it fell to the floor. Collar in hand, he looked at the oversized wrapped box that could have easily had five or more knit sweaters in it.
Carl was certainly intrigued though, as he squeezed the collar in his hands, he wondered what it meant. He wanted to ask but as usual, his nerves were choking out his voice.
“Not curious at all what this is?” the shopkeeper asked after popping her head out from around the box. All Carl could do was nod. “Well, consider it a part of my confidence boosting package. Though it comes with a caveat. Oh, and I see you have the collar. Perfect,” she noted when she spied the piece in his hands.
Carl looked down at it and then back up at the woman. “What is this for?”
“For wearing,” she answered as she came around the counter again. “Around your neck, in particular. I know, for you, it may seem a little strange at first. I would certainly, and highly, suggest you do this in the safety of your own home. I take it you live alone?” she asked.
Carl’s head drooped again. “Y-yeah. Just me,” he admitted sadly. But then the shopkeeper’s hand was on his shoulder, massaging it warmly and he was forced to look up at her smiling face.
“Well, that may be for the best. Gaining confidence isn’t an easy process, Carl. It will take some commitment to see it through on your part. It will also take a couple days or more to, well, finish. It’s at that moment, when you start feeling that confidence and belief in yourself, you may open this present. Not a moment before, is that understood?” she warned with her wagging finger.
Carl nodded quickly though he was still blushing at the thought of wearing the collar. Even in private. He still was not certain how all this would help.
“I know you did not exactly come into the store planning to buy anything but I’m glad that I was able to help. Or rather, I think you will if you follow my instructions and trust me,” she told him confidently.
He wasn’t sure why but she was right, he did for some reason trust her. Or at least he wanted to since she seemed to be offering a solution to a problem he thought couldn’t be solved.
“Glad to see you’re on board! I have the utmost faith in you, Carl. Now, onto payment. Since you’re a first time customer, I can let this all go for… twenty dollars?” she asked kindly.
Carl, struck by the sudden realization he was actually buying something, handed over the collar to the shopkeeper quickly before searching for his wallet. Once he found it and opened it, he found it empty. “Oh right, I spent my last at the froyo place. Do you take credit card?”
The shopkeeper shivered before answering. “No, sadly I’m not… able to,” she explained as carefully as she could.
Carl’s heart sank as what little hope he had for whatever this was seemed to be slipping through his fingers. Staring at his wallet, he tried looking for perhaps some cash he had stored somewhere for a rainy day. While he did not find any cash, he was able to produce a single card. “I suppose you don’t accept froyo frequent customer cards as payment? It only needs two more punches for a free small cup of your choice...” He had started off thinking it funny but as usual, lost confidence by the end and felt a fool.
So he was surprised when the shopkeeper took the card and inspected it more closely. “Hmmmm, I’m not sure what ‘froyo’ is but I have been open to keen trades in the past.” She considered things silently for a little longer before extending her hand. “You have a deal, Carl.”
Taken aback, Carl wasn’t sure what to say but did shake her hand. She then returned behind the counter with the collar and put it in a discreet black bag. Tossing it on top of the box she pushed it towards Carl until he was able to take it and found it a little lighter than expected.
“Here, let me help you with the front door,” the shopkeeper said as she came around the counter yet again to help. With the door open, Carl was able to get through just barely with the box in hand while keeping the bag on top from sliding off.
“Thanks again,” Carl said, trying to turn back but the door was already closed behind him. “I think anyway,” he lamented when wondering what he had just gotten himself into.
It took Carl a while to finally find where he parked and with some trouble he was able to get the box into the back seat of his car. Driving off, he certainly wasn’t sure what to expect but if life had taught him anything, it wasn’t to expect much of himself.
Due to Carl never really being able to grab the brass ring, he never did much in his life and so a studio apartment on the fifth floor of an apartment building was the best he could do. By the time he unlocked the front door and nudged it open with his foot, he walked in with the box still somewhat blocking his vision.
Moving to the left just after coming in he was two steps into his kitchen already and set the box down in some counter space. Going then to the fridge, he grabbed out a can of soda, cracked it open, and chugged it down. As he did, he looked over the somewhat messy state of his abode. Not wanting to do much about it, he finished the soda, tossed in the trash, and headed towards the small bathroom that was to the right of the front door.
The space was small but it fit a toilet, sink, and small shower well enough. He relieved himself before stripping and deciding to take a shower. For some reason, he felt like the day’s thought and emotions were coating him and he needed to try and wash it off. He spent a while in the shower, cleaning but also just staring at the wall blankly while steam filled the unventilated space. Of the many thoughts he had, the one that was still sticking with him was that woman and the way she was. How she could be the person she was, to be that comfortable and happy in her own body, was something he wanted. And when he thought about the solution, a simple collar, he thought himself a fool.
“What the hell am I doing with my life?” he pondered to himself while rubbing the water into his face.
Stepping out the shower at last, he dried off before heading back into his apartment proper. There was a space for a living room, was just a single recliner in front of a TV with several gaming systems, wires, and DVDs laying around. Just next to that was his bed, a queen sized, and along with a small closet the whole space was less than five hundred square feet but it was home. Or at least all the home he felt he deserved.
He pulled up some pj pants and a tee before flopping down in the chair and flicking on the tv. He had a nearby unfinished can of soda that he didn’t mind digging back into despite its flat taste. He then proceeded to spend the next several hours playing games, ordering a pizza, and wasting as much time as he could. Carl managed to eat most of the pizza and finished up a few more soda cans before, around eleven that night, he figured it might be time to clean up a little.
Grabbing all his trash and taking it to the can in the kitchen, he cleaned and straightened everything before taking the garbage out to throw down the chute on his floor. By the time he returned he was tired and feeling beat from the day. Only now, as he staggered into the kitchen, did he notice the box from the shop.
“Hmmmmm,” he hummed to himself before deciding there wouldn’t be any harm in looking into what he bought. Or rather, traded for.
Picking up the box, he brought it over towards his bed and set it down next to it before taking the bag off the top. Taking the collar out and turning it over in his hands made Carl remember what the shopkeeper had said. Looking again at the box, he was extremely curious what was in there but figured he should at least try the collar first.
Having never worn such a collar, which looked somewhat more fitting on a goth girl’s neck perhaps, he was a little jittery. Carefully he pulled the ends apart and slipped it around his neck. Carl didn’t think, from the first look he had of it, that it would fit but to his surprise it not only did, but wasn’t exactly choking him either. The clasps in the back were easy to close and once they had the brass faded into the material; a sight that Carl did not see.
Instead he felt the collar on his neck and adjusted it up and down a bit until it seemed to find a natural spot, just over his Adam’s apple. Standing up from the edge of the bed, he walked around and into his bathroom and flicked on the light. Over the sink was a mirror where Carl found himself looking at the collar on his neck.
“And this is supposed to help my confidence, how?” he asked the reflection. With no answer, he just looked at the collar a bit more as he started to consider just taking it off and going to bed.
Carl was about to turn off the light when, rather unexpectedly, he started having trouble breathing. He tried to take some deep ones but was finding it hard. That’s when he felt the collar on his throat start to get tight, with the glossy surface shimmering.
“Ack! What’s happ-” but Chad’s voice was cut off in a squeak.
The collar was tightening around his neck, cutting into his skin a little. While his hands moved to the back of the collar to take it off, Carl watched the reflection and how the Adam’s apple he saw in the mirror was being pushed away by the collar. More than that, the stray hairs on his neck were receding while the general shape of the neck was changing too. Subtle at first, Carl was too preoccupied with unsuccessfully finding the clasps locking the collar on his neck to notice.
“Come on, come on,” he said nervously as he started to try just tugging the collar off which only resulted in lightly choking himself. Letting go and trying to catch his breath, Carl first noticed something strange about his neck that wasn’t just the collar itself.
While the leather still felt tight on his neck, the flesh itself actually looked smoother and without blemish, like white porcelain, before bleeding into the rough and, though recently washed, still rather rough skin of the man. Soon though he had concerns worse than just the smoothness of his skin as the collar again started to tighten. This time Carl could feel it in his voice box where every time he tried to draw out his voice it felt like it was being squeezed away.
His hands gripped the sides of the sink hard while Carl did his best to try and survive whatever was happening. In his mind, he was cursing the shopkeeper.
‘She’s trying to kill me,’ he thought desperately as he could just imagine the collar getting tighter and tighter until he was a lifeless heap on the ground. He had to fight this but he sure as hell didn’t know how to do that.
Just as his breaths were getting ragged and he was starting to really freak out, the collar again did not feel so tight. Gradually, his breath returned and he felt a little less like he was about to die. He waited a little longer, making sure the collar wouldn’t tighten again on him. Inspecting the mirror again and his neck, there were surprisingly no red marks from the collar but instead Carl’s neck looked… wrong.
Running his hand above and below the collar revealed more of the smooth, pale skin as before but more than that, a neck with an almost more elegant look to it.
“What the hell happ- my voice!” Carl gasped in shock when the words he spoke came out sounding entirely like that from a woman. A sweet, feminine voice that was a little stronger than the one her heard from the brunette or shopkeeper, but certainly not his old voice. Unsure if it was just a fluke, Carl had to try again. “My name is Carl and, oh my God, oh fuck, what the hell happened to my voice?” his worried female voice asked, only further worrying him.
Carl quickly left the bathroom, unwilling to view himself in the mirror anymore, especially while trying to deal with this new dilemma. Going to his bed and grabbing his phone, he thought to try to search for this issue and a solution. It was only when he started to type the question that he realized how utterly absurd it was. Instead he tried to look up the shop and see if they had a phone number. Or at least a time in the morning when he could go and get this thing taken off.
It was while he was focused on his work that he ignored the prickling sensation traveling up the back of his neck and into his scalp, or that this soon started to cause his ears to ache somewhat too. The smooth, near perfect soft skin that had taken over his neck was now moving up under his chin, to his ears, and up into his scalp, causing him to feel a bit hot. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead, over the roughness of his shaved face, until it reached the pure skin where it hung.
“Not even a phone number?” Carl gasped before again cringing at his voice being so different. It was particularly strange too, even if the voice was now female, it still had his nerves and self-doubt in it.
Frustrated, he tossed the phone down on the bed before once again trying to pull the collar off by force. This led to more feminine gasps and moans that were having the odd effect of turning him on slightly. Stopping and letting out a long breath, he tried to be calm and not panic.
‘This is just some, some weird sort of side effect,’ he told himself in his head, with an inner monologue that was still male at least. Frightened to speak, it was while he was keeping his trembling mouth shut that he brought his hand to his face and felt that skin under his chin felt so soft and supple. As his hand quickly moved under his jaw, he could feel more of that unblemished flesh and that it was spreading up from his neck and into his head. Worst still was when he felt his left ear and noticed that his earlobes didn’t feel quite the same. Nor did the rest of it, too small and thin, seem to fit.
“What the hell is happening to… to… oh w-w-what is happening to my lips!” Carl blurted out as his lips were twitching like they were being subjected to short electric shocks. Gradually they started to puff out and fill out more which, with the changed skin moving over his chin and cheeks now, made his mouth look more fitting for the sort of voice he now had.
What Carl had worried was just creeping skin was actually much, much more as he could feel his bones starting to be pressed in while also being contorted and molded. It did not quite hurt but it didn’t feel particularly comfortable either. But he could tell something desperate was happening when his nose, usually a little bulbous and crooked, not only took on the softer skin, but reshaped before his very eyes into something more elegant.
“I have to see what’s happening,” he told himself while already getting up and racing back to the bathroom. He wasn’t sure what to expect but it wasn’t what he got. From just below his eyes was a face like a beautifully sculpted model, with defined, lovely necklines that came together in a cute and perky pair of kissable lips. That the kissable thought even came to Carl was a strange one but then again things were only getting stranger.
He could feel the strangest thing at the back of his head and, once he turned it in the mirror to see better, he could see that black hairs were growing down his scalp and not only that, they were growing out long and pristine, with a sheen and shimmer that almost looked like a salon finish. This realization alone caused him to abruptly look forward and watch as the top of his head started sprouting hair in some places, disrupting his part and entire look.
“It’s not stopping,” he panted hotly as he could feel the skin spreading to his forehead from his scalp, turning it like the rest before the shape of his skull altered more. This caused the man to close his eyes as he could feel the hair on his head growing madly and getting heavier and heavier. Meanwhile the sculpting of his face was starting to slow but there were still small tweaks here and there that caused him to gasp.
And so in those final few moments, Carl kept his eyes shut and hoped that when he opened them, he would be in bed and awake from this awful, confusing dream. Gradually, the hair growth settled and so did the strange feeling in his mouth- which was the teeth straightening and turning a pearly white while his tongue became more lithe and nimble- before he could start taking what felt like normal breaths again.
Very, very slowly, Carl opened his eyes, already feeling the weight of new lashes as he could see himself staring face to face with a gorgeous woman with dark, midnight hair that was straight but with a curl to it. Her eyes were pale blue and like sauna hot springs, you’d just want to slide into them and relax. Her brows were sculpted and her face was a near paragon of perfection. Those pouting lips, set in a strong but womanly face which commanded a certain amount of respect. It was only when Carl opened his mouth and spoke that he knew this was no dream.
“This cannot be real. I look like a...a...a woman!” he gasped in that new voice, stepping back from the mirror and quickly taking stock of the rest of his body. Thankfully, as far as he could tell, everything was just the same, however when it came to his neck and above, he was another person. And not just that, he was basically another gender too. “Holy shit, holy shit, I’m a woman… kinda, sorta. This, this wasn’t supposed to happen. How is this confidence?” he asked as the voice he had was strong but still shook with his nerves, though they could easily have been from shock.
After a while, the look he was giving himself was putting him off to the point where he flicked off the lights in the bathroom and apartment and simply went to bed. He pulled off his shirt to ensure his upper body was still his own while leaving his pj pants on. He was close to a panic but he also had no idea what to do about this. Plus why was all this hair constantly getting in his face? It took a while to clear it away while also feeling like his head was both smaller than before and bigger with all the hair.
“This will go away in the morning or I’ll go to that shop and she’ll fix this. If she doesn’t I’ll… I’ll...” but the threat couldn’t come as he couldn’t help but feel like he was on the back foot. So he closed his eyes and tried his hardest to calm down and fall asleep.
It took two hours before all the worrying and anxiety simply tired him out and he was off dozing.
He awoke to the sun coming in through one of the windows and striking him perfectly in the face. Experience had taught him that it was probably about nine in the morning and best of all, it was a Saturday. He could relax and forget about that horrible dream he had last time.
Sitting up, he yawned and stretched his arms, only to pull bits of hair with it, causing him to yelp in pain in that still feminine voice. Soon his eyes were open and there was a jungle of black hair in front of his face. Pulling it away and crossing his eyes glimpsed the nose of the woman he saw in the mirror last night.
It wasn’t a dream.
“Oh shit, what the hell am I going to- ah!” he gasped suddenly as his right hand began cramping, the knuckles cracked while splotches of skin were beginning to turn to that creamy white that rounded his face and neck so well. He tried to open his hand and was able to somewhat manage it but it only allowed him to watch it happen.
Each finger trembled on its own as the bones felt like they were shrinking while the fingers did the same, with more of the flesh spreading and making the creases and scars of his fingers soften or blend away entirely. It was not long before Carl’s right hand was no longer recognizable as his own. Especially as he held it next to his other which was unchanged.
Without a doubt the new hand was a soft and dainty pleasure that, as he was starting to notice, was spreading to his now thinning wrist as the hairs on his skin faded as the new skin grew in.
“This is insanity. I have to get this damned collar off!” Carl shouted as he again, with mismatched hands this time, attempted to pull off the collar both where the clasps used to be and just anywhere he could after that in an effort to save himself. It did not help, as the changes were continuing up his arm, making it smooth, though not lacking for strength either. Also now noticeable was how much shorter his arm was now compared to the other.
This was starting to really throw him off as Carl again shut his eyes before further burying them in his sheets to try and wish it all away. Instead, his arm kept changing until his upper arm and shoulder were completely female as well, with the flesh of the shoulder meeting with the neck at last.
For a moment, the tingling sensations subsided and Carl could again catch his breath and uncover his eyes. Looking to his arm, he could barely recognize it at first, much like with his new face. But as he moved it and it responded like any appendage, he gradually started to accept it, even though it was totally unexpected and weird.
“How could this be anything close to what I wanted? Maybe she thought I wanted to actually BE a woman?” he finally asked himself as he tried to think back to the conversation with the shopkeeper.
While doing so, the changes started up again, this time around Carl’s right pec where a soreness in his ribs was the first thing that he noticed that made him look down.
“Oh shit,” he gasped when he saw that his nipple, once not particularly impressive, was now bigger and with a more defined areola. At the same time as this he could see himself developing breast tissue akin to an A cup but worse still, it seemed to be growing more. More of that feminine flesh was spreading down too, both under his armpits- removed stretched marks and dissolving his armpit hair in a few moments- before going down the right side of his ribs.
Here was where more changes occurred as the skin spread and the old hairs dissolved away while fat was sweated out seemingly as the room got quite hot for Carl. As he was panting, he cupped his ample C cup while favoring his right side as it was actually starting to get noticeably smaller. Though in one place he was improving as part of his gut burned away and was replaced with at least the show of some muscle.
This had a strange effect on Carl he wasn’t expecting, as he couldn’t help but feel a little prideful in his body for the first time in a while. Even if this was a mistake and not what he wanted, it wasn’t like he was turning into some ugly version of himself either. Wanting to see himself but not wanting to go to the small bathroom mirror, he recalled the one full length mirror he had which he kept in his closet once he stopped liking looking at himself.
Grabbing the mirror was a little weird with the split sort of upper-body, but Carl managed to get it out and set it against the wall near the end of the bed. He then sat down in front of it and just marveled at what had happened to him.
“This is crazy, I’m turning into a woman but a badass? I feel like it anyway,” he smirked just before a familiar, and strangely welcome, cramping started taking his left hand. “Oh good, at least I’ll be even then.
The process was not quick, with the skin moving slower on his left arm while his stomach thinned and toned itself while with every breath he took and expelled, his ribs got a little smaller. Also changing was his spine which was the weirdest part of it all. In sudden jerks and jolts he would shrink a half an inch and really notice the difference. There was always a brief sensation of vertigo before his balance adjusted.
The whole time, both his hands cupped his breasts as they swelled to a very full D cup as his chest and body frame became female and toned while also preserving curves. Carl could not help but feel a degree of both elegance and pride in his appearance, unexpected though it was. As he watched more of his upper body settle, and his breath slowed, his beautiful pale skin was dripping with sweat, looking to be just fresh from the gym.
“Oh gosh, it was a lot more than just my neck,” Carl said as he felt the changes gently starting to subside again. Looking at himself closely in the mirror, there was no denying the truth; from the waist up, where his wider pelvis and hips somewhat conflicted with the thinner, toned female frame that took over above. “I’m fucking gorgeous,” Carl told himself as he looked in the mirror, focusing mostly on his chest and above, along with his arms and hands, which he found hard to keep off himself.
Gradually his hands started exploring more of the newly claimed body and finding the skin supple and soft and still quite warm to the touch. When pressing over his stomach, he could flex and actually feel muscles he hadn’t had in years, filling him with a bit of pride he couldn’t help but hold on to. When he came to hold his breasts again, he turned a bit to model them in the mirror, seeing how good they looked. His hair, while mussed from sleeping, still managed to look good on him. That this was now him, however unwanted at first, was something he found himself at strange comfort with.
His hands eventually found their way before his waist and into his pants where he was definitely still a man. It did not take long to stroke himself hard, as just the feel of his soft hands on him was enough to kindle his arousal. That this perfectly feminine hand was well-versed in exactly what he liked seemed to help too. Eventually he did away with his pants entirely and laid back on his bed enough so that he could sit up slightly and look at himself in the mirror while stroking off.
“Fuck, this feels good. Do you like that, Carl?” he found himself asking in his female voice.
‘So good,’ his male internal voice replied in his mind as both hands joined in.
“Not much of a man, but something else,” he said, not entirely sure where the words came from.
Still he answered himself, ‘I can’t hold back.’
“Don’t,” he whispered before finally exploding, squirting his cum so hard that it reached the mirror. His orgasm seemed to last longer than ever before as he was still sputtering ropes of cum nearly a minute after initial release, though he spent most of that time in a serene sort of bliss as he held his perfect tits in his hands. When at last he was done, he pushed himself up a bit more on the bed to relax. This lasted only a few minutes before the need to relieve himself rose along with a bit of hunger.
So after the bathroom, brushing his new teeth, and grabbing a bowl of cereal, Carl walked in his awkward way over to his bed and carefully set down his cereal bowl. He then went to his tv and turned it around so it would face the bed before crawling back into it with the bowl.
Carl spent the next eight hours in bed, waiting for the changes to continue. However, they never progressed beyond his waist. As evening came and Carl was deciding on dinner, he masturbated yet again, falling into it on accident when he brushed his hand against his still exposed member. After that, he went much the same as last time. He talked to himself in his new voice, teasing and saying things he would love to hear a woman say, while in his head he could only agree and nod. In the end, Carl came hard once more, not noticing that his balls were perhaps half their original size, having spent a great quantity of their purpose producing his prolonged orgasms.
But it didn’t matter. Carl was feeling great and after that release, he climbed back into bed only to think back on the real oddity of that day.
“I never did call the shop,” he said to himself while spying his phone on the dresser nearby. It was too late now but perhaps in the morning. Assuming she opened on Sundays.
That night was another easy one, with simple, comforting dreams that, by the time Carl rose, had made him feel relaxed. So when that same beam of light woke him up today, he was more eager to rise and find his body as he left it.
“Good morning tits and nose and lips and hands,” he said to them all. Catching himself a little off guard with his upbeat attitude, he shook his head and instead made for the bathroom.
After relieving himself and walking into the kitchen, his primary concern was what to eat. That was soon overridden when a sharp sensation struck him in the lower abdomen. Stopping where he was and reaching out for the counter to keep himself upright, the sensation felt like it detonated inside him and soon the effects were spreading out.
His hips ached in that dull way his ribs, spine, and face had before when reshaping. However that wasn’t the only feeling that was brought on by the starting blast, as he could also feel his ass starting to plump up and when he looked back, he could already see the shape of it changing too. Carl wasn’t stupid by this point and was fully aware of what was happening and partially welcomed it, for all the strangeness that it would bring. He very much wanted to see what woman was seemingly hiding in him.
He was so taken by the changes that he didn’t feel his pj pants loosen the point of only being supported by his cock and ass. He gave them a brush to drop them around his still larger feet before carefully stepping out, a smile on his face as he did it.
Carl felt the changes moving more into his hips and legs as he could see his female flesh covering over where paled skin and scant leg hair which was quickly dissolved away like the rest. This also occurred to the pubic hair he had around his crotch until he was left with a smooth and soft skin, though his manhood remained; slightly aroused. Gradually the sensation moved to his knees and calves, as Carl knew it wasn’t long before the changes would complete.
“Oh boy, I’m a lot smaller,” he admitted as he had dropped six inches already and still had more to go. The counter top was closer to his chest now and everything was just a lot bigger. “I may be smaller but,” and she then made a fist, feeling stronger in it than she ever did as a man, “I’m built a lot tougher.”
The subtle strength of her arms and core spread to her legs, which were athletic though slightly more buxom, especially in the ass. When the changes rounded his ankles, he carefully sat down onto the floor as the spreading of the skin to the sole of the feet was making him ticklish.
He then got to watch as his hairy, unremarkable, and slightly ducking feet shrunk and softened, with the nails looking more healthy and the skin looking flawless. The tingling remained for a bit longer in his toes but soon it faded and Carl was left panting in a seated position, with his legs in front of him. Carefully, he got up to his feet which were a good deal smaller than his old ones, but he managed.
He grabbed a roll of paper towels and went to the long mirror to clean off the stain of cum before again checking himself out in the mirror.
“Holy shit, I’m gorgeous. I’m damned near perfect,” he said while turning and inspecting every angle. There wasn’t one that was bad, though, there was still one thing that lingered which caused him some… doubts. Looking down between his legs, his cock remained. Reached down, for the first time Carl noticed his balls were considerably smaller than he remembered. His cock was the same, though it was getting harder with the work his dainty hands were doing. “Maybe if I use it more,” he told himself as he gradually began to do just that.
‘Oh yeah, that’ll work. And even if it doesn’t, feels damn good. What’s your name, anyway?’ the male part of his brain couldn’t help but ask.
Without missing a beat she answered, “You can call me Jen.”
‘Jen, if I can say so,’ Carl began.
“Of course, hun,” Jen answered, her hands stroking Carl’s cock the way he liked it. Looking down at the cleavage she had, Jen smiled and reveled in the feelings. “Oh, we’re so close, hun,” she moaned hotly with Carl feeling aroused though not exactly at the limit just yet.
‘So close together, hun. It’s like we’re one,’ Carl had to admit as to him it felt like there were only two points left in his body that were male: his cock and his mind.
“Soon. Soon we will be and we’ll live things right. I promise,” Jen said with a reassurance that caused Carl to trust her before realizing that he was just talking to himself.
At least, that’s what he thought. It was beginning to get harder to distinguish between the Jen and Carl thoughts but not in a disagreeable way. They often had the same thoughts, the same goals, desires, and dreams. Only when Jen thought them, there was such assurance and strength and confidence there that Carl couldn’t help but concede to her. He reminded and reassured himself that he and Jen were the same, only maybe Jen had that willpower and self-worth he didn’t.
“Oh Carl, you’re so close. This is your last one so you should enjoy it,” Jen said in a hot and steamy voice that called to the man inside her head.
Carl was feeling nothing but pleasure and bliss, combined with a respect and willingness to be Jen, but even still he heard the words. ‘Last time?’
Jen smiled as big as she could without showing teeth. “Yes, hun. One more orgasm and I can make us Jen through and through. You can hold back if you want and maybe the shopkeeper can turn you back the way you were. Or, or you could look forward, instead of back. You can take control, Carl. Jen is as much you as you’re her. The best of both worlds, and more. It’s your decision. What do you want?”
The words had almost felt compelled from his lips but he listened intently. Though the two points of him were his mind and cock, a third briefly appeared: the heart. In it, there still lingered some doubt. But around it was a circle of lions and tigers, guarding it and emboldened that part of him that lacked that something. That something he needed was Jen. He knew it now even if he didn’t when he put the collar on.
Reaching her right hand to her chest to tweak her hardened nipples, Jen started to stroke harder at Carl with renewed vigor. “That’s a good boy,” she said, already noticing that despite his erection, Carl’s cock was starting to shrink.
‘Take me there,’ Carl said as he felt himself give over to her and her control completely.
It was not long before the cock between Jen’s legs was squirting that final load, causing the balls to pulse smaller and smaller with each ribbon shot. The mirror was again coated and Jen was able to lean up enough and see through the drips that her slit was forming under Carl’s now miniscule balls and useless scrotum. As the last drop of seed dribbled out, Jen gradually massaged Carl’s cock smaller, and smaller, and smaller. All the while tending to her slit, forming it in a perfect part of her lips before taking the remainder of that old cock and pushing it into the folds as a new clit.
Laying back, Jen felt the last changes take place that were inside her body, the proper organs formed that would make her a woman through and through. Though sometimes they were odd and tingly in ways that caused her legs to sometimes squeeze together. Finally after perhaps five minutes, the sensation stopped and, curiosity driven, Jen slid two fingers up into her new cunt, gasping as she did so before trembling with pleasure seconds later.
Removing her hands and splaying herself out on the bed, a spent creature, Jen the woman was now there in place of Carl the man. Both couldn’t be happier about the arrangement. There was a small trail of pubic hair shaved above her new cunt that matched her pitch black colored hair.
“Oh wow, that was amazing. Oh shit, oh my,” Jen said as she caught her breath for what felt like the first time. It was a few minutes before she was finally able to sit up and rub her hair. Taking stock of her body, there wasn’t an inch that seemed out of place. Moving to the end of the bed and standing up, she simply looked down and admired herself, taking pride in her appearance in ways Carl never imagined. “This definitely feels right. If a bit… drafty.”
Looking to the window, Jen spied an open crack so she quickly jogged over to close it. As she did, she nearly tripped over the package that had come with the collar. Remembering it and what the shopkeeper had said, she picked it up and walked it over to the bed.
“Well, I definitely am confident about myself and we’re, I mean, I am happy with me. So I guess that means present for me!” Jen delighted as she tore into it. Finally getting to the box proper, she lifted the lid. Inside were some pieces of clothing- which were dark in color and had a similar sheen to the collar- wrapped in white tissue paper while on top was a smaller box with a note stuck to it. “Oh lovely.”
Taking the note off and setting it aside, Jen grabbed the box and opened it. Inside were items she identified with amazing quickness: velvet red nail polish, blood moon red lipstick, dark eyeliner, matching mascara, and a small tin of concealer. This immediately had Jen go for the note and open it up to read:
‘To whomever reads this,
I hope that you have found the confidence you were missing before. Sometimes in order to find it, one must find themselves. I had a fairly good intuition about you, so I packed you some things to at least hold you over for a little while. Sorry that I didn’t have anything more understated.
Love and care,
Shopowner
Jen’s smile grew as she read the letter.
“Oh boy was she smart,” she said with a blush before taking the makeup and disappearing into the bathroom. There, she set down the box and set about applying everything in a way that she seemed to almost know. As she applied the concealer, it did not exactly feel like her first time but she could never recall doing it before. The same could be said with the eyeliner and mascara, before she pursed her lips and applied the lipstick flawlessly. Puckering them only improved the look as the woman in the mirror was not only stunningly beautiful, but exactly the person Jen wanted to see.
She returned to the bed with the nail-polish in hand and spent the next twenty minutes applying it to the perfectly manicured nails she had developed during the transformation. The color complimented her lips and eyeshadow perfectly; a prideful feeling that had her brimming with joy.
Returning to the box and unwrapping the rest, Jen quickly realized it was a dress in pieces. It lacked a bra and the dress itself was more made up of straps of shiny leather which thankfully at least covered her ample bust though at first she was not sure what the top clips of the dress attached to. That’s when she remembered, from Carl, that there were loops on the underside of the collar that were likely made for this. And so after clipping it on, she then moved to the match skirt which hugged her hips perfectly, as if it was perfectly tailored for her. It had a cut up one thigh that showed off her great legs, though cut short of showing her crotch.
The high heels were not only easy to put on, complimented the dress well, and looked great, but when Jen stood up, she took her first steps on them without a wobble or worry. She moved like an old pro on five inch feels already.
After a short walk, she returned to the box and got the final piece, which was a black lace set of underwear that left little to the imagination. However Jen soon found herself lost in imagination as she bit her lower lip. Again she cleaned the mirror before adjusting her skirt so that cut in her thigh allowed access her fresh new cunt which was already glistening wet. Seeing this in the mirror, and wanting to experience that first release as a woman, Jen got to work, both sliding in and out of her gently while fingering her clit.
“Oh fuck, this is perfect. Oh I’m starting every day like this now,” she moaned, curling her toes and lifting her legs in the air as she leaned more on her back as her fingering got more rapid. The sensations were so good and hot, she couldn’t help but go faster and faster. She got wetter and wetter, with her mind feeling so perfectly content while also stimulated.
It took fifteen minutes but when Jen came, it was three cascading orgasms before she finally collapsed back onto the bed, panting, and feeling totally spent. She soon dozed off, unconcerned with losing time on a lazy Sunday.
When she did wake up, she went for her phone and remembered to check the shop’s hours again and wouldn’t you know it, they were open.
“I suppose I owe her a thanks, if nothing else. And see if she knows any good places for clothes around here since I might need a bit more of a wardrobe than just this dress. Not this I don’t look amazing in it,” she said, fixing the skirt again.
Standing up and stretching, Jen grabbed Carl’s wallet and keys and ambled to the door, thinking through all the things that were going to have to be taken care of now that she was Jen and Carl was, well, Jen. But that she could take care of. Jen didn’t doubt herself and she could see the opportunities that lay ahead.
Stepping out of the apartment, Jen was feeling good. That’s when she heard a neighbor exiting their place, dog leashed to them. Rather quickly, the neighbor, maybe twenty years her senior and someone Carl knew as a bit of a weirdo, noticed her.
“Why hello there,” he said with a smile that was not exactly inviting. “I haven’t seen you around. You, ummmm, what’s his name’s sister or something?”
Jen locked the door before approaching the man, who was taller than her, but without an ounce of fear. “His sister? Why wouldn’t think I’m his girlfriend?” she asked him bluntly.
The man chuckled. “Ha, he ain’t the sort to talk to any lady that isn’t obligated too,” he joked.
Jen’s eyes narrowed as she took the man’s measure quickly. “Well I actually am his girlfriend and I can already tell you he’s twice the man you ever will be. And if you have a problem with that, I’ll gladly set you straight on the matter. You get that, hun?” Jen spoke with self-assured bravado that a distant Carl had to applaud, having never had an interaction with that man he liked.
“Well, I didn’t mean, uhhh,” fumbled the man who wasn’t prepared for something to stick up to him.
“Yeah, you didn’t mean anything. You have yourself a nice day,” she said knowing full well he was taking peeks at her cleavage. Now he’d get to watch her perfect ass as she walked away.
As she rode the elevator down, after the man failed to follow to join her, Jen’s smile got wider. It wasn’t because of the confrontation she had just bowled through with ease or that she loved that the man was flabbergasted by her looks. It was that she had done it all without having remembered to put on any underwear. And as the she reached the ground floor and stepped out, she didn’t see much need for the rest of the day.
If anything, it made her feel all the more daring.
Carl swapped up and had gotten what he wanted, even if he didn’t know he wanted it. Now Jen was happy to show Carl how to live a life.