Part 5

It didn’t take long for streams of braids to show up in my hair. I got a couple glimpses from the window but Allison kept turning me back. The brushing itself was very nice. Like a slow, relaxing way to scratch an itch. I started to get a little drowsy just from the flowing motion of the brush but my eyes darted wide when I heard the bathroom door open at the end of the hall.

Lissa. She had to be a Kinrae too. And she was about to come around the corner and show herself. I took a deep breath. Allison kept prodding my hair. I glanced at the hallway and looked down as far as I could see. There were footsteps, slow and quiet. Maybe Lissa was trying to sneak in too? I wanted to give her an opportunity to surprise me.

When the moment came, I missed her entering but it was impossible to miss her standing there against the plain, lightly-colored walls with the brilliant green of her hair.

She stood there in a classy, white cardigan with a pale gray dress nearly to her feet. The colors of her clothing may have been subdued but her eyes were a sharp green that matched her hair. Her skin color was light but with more of a pink tone than mine. And she didn’t have my overwhelming mass of hair. That jade frame of her face just touched her shoulders but didn’t go further. She didn’t "best" me in the way she promised but, even with her loose-fitting clothes, it was clear we weren’t that far apart.

Tracing a smirk on her new face, Lissa gestured with small hands to the shape of her body. Despite the drastic change, I could still see the way Lissa always held herself in the Kinrae’s posture.

I gave a little clap which unfortunately upset a new braid Allison was starting. He pouted but turned to smile at Lissa, saying, “Very nice.”

Lissa spun in place and brushed at her hair. Then she gestured down the hall and said, “Actually, this is your roommate, Malcolm. Lissa is still in the bathroom. Don’t I look poster-worthy?”

My brain froze for a moment but then I frowned just enough to earn a little bright flick of tongue from her, before she muttered, “What? I can’t have fun too?”

“I can tell it’s you, Lissa.” She raised her eyebrows with their lime punctuation and told me, “I blame only meeting Malcolm a few times. Well, I certainly can’t pretend to be Allison.” Allison lightly-apologized then returned to his work. Lissa marveled and noted, “So far as niceness, you look very pretty with all those braids. Has he…she seen them yet?”

Allison gave a stern expression and admonished, “When they’re all done.” Lissa held up her hands in apology. The spiral marks were easily visible. I looked down at mine. Even with the same sunlight and overhead lamp, mine were obviously dimmer, more watermark than sharp print. I closed my palms and asked Lissa, “You want to take a photo too?”

She smirked and produced her camera from a convenient pocket in her new clothes. The blend of a regular-toned camera in her cel-like hand was disconcerting but no more than how my own hands looked against the material of the long couch.

Lissa brought the camera closer and showed me. She sighed, “You blinked earlier.” Indeed, I had. The same was true on Allison’s snapshot, when he took a moment to pause in his tireless work of brushing and braiding.

My eyes in the photo were half-closed. It didn’t look bad but it made me look like a drunk Kinrae, which was Lissa’s interpretation an instant later. Also, the lines of my mouth were twisted more like a grimace than a smile. Lissa deleted it, reiterating, “Remember, nothing but smiles. We need a second try. Maybe a group shot?”

We finally managed to tear Allison away from my hair long enough to take a nice photo of the two of us standing in front of the couch. Lissa urged my smile bigger than I could ever remember smiling. Eventually, I had to tell her, “It hurts.” She sighed and settled for the best smile I could offer while hers reached heights which bordered on disturbing. Reviewing the shot, Lissa contorted her facelines and admitted, “Okay, maybe not that big.”

The third try was the one we kept. It was strange to look at a photo taken of me and see a braids-covered Kinrae girl standing there beside another with her hands folded in front of her and her best smile on her face. We looked like someone had tried to do a poor image shop of artwork on top of a photograph, if not for the obvious shading the sunlight provided.

After that, it was sitting. Lissa leaned against me. I didn’t have time to take it in before I had to smile or ruin the photo. We checked the picture as Allison snuck back over to work on my hair. Lissa murmured, “I’m gonna print that one. Do you need a copy?” Thinking of my uncle, I made sure Lissa sent both good pictures to my regular email. He knew about Lissa and had even made suggestions in his usual way about boldness. He’d probably be happy to hear what I had done, although I still wasn’t sure if I was happy.

Lissa’s mood was light, so I didn’t see any way to broach the subject again. I hid my slender hands in my lap until Lissa asked me, “So, what will you be putting for your first impressions essay?”

I’d nearly forgotten. Our first real assignment, a first impressions essay. For those who would’ve potentially declined the device, the paper would’ve been longer and more research-based with video interviews of Kinrae. First impressions of them as a culture. For us, it was first impressions in their skin, first impressions walking around, and self-reflection on how we were seen by others. I wasn’t sure where to begin.

At least the professor wasn’t looking for anything as focused or cogent as I’d done in my composition courses. Still, there was a rigorous rubric which I’d only glanced through. Rough draft due in a week with what I was sure would be an excruciating read around before a summarized presentation in class after that. Allison’s braiding kept a lot of those worries away.

I could only answer Lissa, “Too soon. I have no idea.”

She gave an understanding nod and answered, “Same place. Although I think I might use your opening up of your suppressed feelings as part of it. Maybe 'gender typing' or something. Might do well to fill up some pages. If you don’t mind.”

I didn’t and I told her so. Then I offered her more than just a clap, saying, “You’re beautiful.”

She turned and brushed her colorful hair back, teasing, “I’m sure you say that to all the Kinrae.”

“Just one.”

The blush showed far more prominently on her Kinrae face than her human one. She cleared her throat a little. Allison even paused in his braiding to glance between the two of us, though he didn’t ask if we wanted some private time. He was too dedicated to his task. And it was very pleasant, so I didn’t want to protest.

I didn’t want to leave Lissa nervous, so I shifted things by asking, “How did you decide on that Kinrae?”

She settled a little, her blush receded, and she held up her control device. A quick glance at it revealed she’d already been through more than a half-dozen different forms before this one. She added, “And that doesn’t even count variations. I settled on this one because it felt the most comfortable for me. What about yours?”

I could tell she knew that this was my random first choice. It wasn’t ideal. The masses of hair I’d given Allison to tirelessly braid sure showed that. But I felt at ease with it. Sure, I could pick out so many different forms but this one felt like first love. I’d seen my eyes this way for the first time. I’d seen my love for the Kinrae made flesh for the first time. It was special to me. Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud, despite my newfound openness.

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Instead, I told her, “It seems like it would be too disconcerting to shift between so many different forms. So yeah, I settled on my first and I’m okay with it. Maybe when I feel ready I might try some others.” Then, I added that I would definitely have to establish other forms for the paper and the work that followed.

It made sense but Lissa cast a skeptical gaze at me. Allison also gave me a look between wiping his brow and finishing a long area of brushing and braiding. I gave a quick gesture towards Allison and noted how much of his work would be undone if I chose a different form. At this, Lissa narrowed her eyes.

I could tell what she was going to say, and I nodded as she said it, “You can save the state of any form.” Allison’s eyes edged open a little and he puffed a sigh of relief. It took just a few more minutes before Allison declared his work “done” and I made sure to save the changes with the device. Then and only then did Allison release me to observe his handiwork.

The first thing I noticed was that it didn’t fall as low as before. Allison had brought some of the locks around my head and shortened them. The longest section of hair touched my back now instead of tickling at my legs. However, my head felt a lot warmer with all the layers. The twirls and twists looked lovely, especially in the style of a Kinrae, but I had several questions. Allison had tied them securely, to the point some parts more resembled a Gordian knot with no end to start with if I wanted to unravel it.

My first question was, “How do I shower?”

Allison and Lissa exchanged a glance and then Allison whispered to Lissa, who nodded and told me, “You do know you can just reset to this form no matter what happens, right? So you can have all the private time in the shower you need…” She gave me a little smirk before continuing, “And it all goes back to where it was before. I almost wish I had it for everyday life.” Allison contributed a nod.

She was right but I hadn’t forgotten about that. I just figured it was like cheating to reset things over and over to keep them a certain way. Lissa smiled, “And that’s why you’re adorable too. But for me, I intend to use it to its fullest. Oh and before I forget…” She brought out her camera and snapped a photo with Allison taking one as well.

And that wasn’t the only one. They had me spin gently to show off the intricate braids of hair. With a deep breath, I shifted into the sort of poses I’d presented only to the mirror. I lifted one leg up and folded my arms with a gentle look. The pose was not as stable as I hoped, especially with trying to figure out the best way to hold my new balance. Allison and Lissa had no problem snapping pictures of me plopping on the carpet with my skirt bunched up and askew.

When I ran out of ideas for how to pose, Lissa had me stand in yoga poses. Eventually, she joined in as well. We leaned back to back. We hugged, which made my heart race from the feeling of touching a Kinrae while having their touch. Not to mention Lissa’s embrace. It was all so impossible to process.

Then, she jolted me by trying to lift me up. While the mass of a freshly-arrived Kinrae swelled, my mass had dwindled since putting on the imitation device. Lissa’s had too but our masses were comparable to the point I lifted off the ground far more than I expected. I flailed and Lissa gave me a pat on the head, confessing, “Had to try it once.”

She let me sit down and I took over photography duties as Lissa did a little posing of her own. Randomly, as she was transitioning from a lean to a crouch, Lissa asked, “Have you practiced moving like a girl before?” I shook my head.

Stretching a little too, she noted (and Allison backed her up on this), “You catch on quick then because you already move a lot like a girl. Even when you fall down.” I was unsure what to make of that. She added that my thoughtful expression even looked particularly girly. I flailed until her amusement died down.

By then, it was well into lunchtime. Lissa sought out new recipes from Allison as he prepared wraps from leftovers. This gave me some time to myself. I sat there with my hands folded in my lap, soft hands over a soft skirt.

As I sat there, I felt an odd, nagging sensation, like I’d forgotten something. This often hit me if I didn’t make a mental list for the day and found myself returning with some crucial task undone. Christmas hit me hard in that regard when I tried to figure out all the people I needed to buy cards for, as well as putting together what gifts I would give my roommates. Gift exchange was informal around the house but Allison’s gifts were easily the best wrapped. Mine were put in bags with enough tissue paper to hide everything. I waited till Allison was ready to give his before getting mine together.

Wait. That was it! My eyes darted open wider.

When I came out of the bathroom I’d locked lips with Allison and confessed to Lissa. I’d been so bold. But with a calming brush and braid by Allison, I’d fallen into my regular ways.

If I was going to be a Kinrae then I was not going to be just like me in a different set of colors and shapes. I was going to be bolder! I was going to be active. I’d have to earn this. I focused on what I needed to do.

I stood from the couch and hurried into the kitchen. I lingered around Allison and marveled as he went to work at lunch. I offered to prepare the wraps which would be for Clayton and Malcolm when they got back. I followed all of Allison’s instructions. My new hands were clumsy at first but I kept at it and Allison gave me a clap when we were done.

When it came time to eat, I paused and stared at the food for a while. I held onto a faint grimace that Lissa soon noticed and asked about during a lull. I only needed to look across the table at her. The contrast between the food of our world and the other-worldly face Lissa wore looked like a weird sort of cut-out animation from decades ago. I set my hands in my lap, across the silky texture of my skirt, and told her just what was on my mind.

With a wave of her bright hand, Lissa assured me, “I won’t get grossed out.” That helped but it wasn’t the point. I prodded myself again. Would a regular Kinrae be so reticent? I recalled the curious glances of the one I’d run into by the flower shop. Eating, it had to be done.

I nibbled at first. My taste buds didn’t respond in quite the same way as usual. There was something a little more tart about the sauce Allison typically used but it didn’t look any different. Also, I could sense the pepper on the leftover chicken whereas I usually needed to add extra pepper to taste it. At the same time, the onions at the bottom had a milder flavor closer to soft lettuce than their usual taste. I reported all this to Allison, who made a few quick notes.

Lissa looked at me and then gave a big chomp of her own wrap. She shrugged and offered, “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t had this before but it tastes like it should.”

Allison leaned forward and asked, his eyes wide, “But you both like it, right?” We both assured Allison of that and he relaxed.