Chapter 214

Addressing Crossdressing

Every once in a while I am reminded of the great Bob Ross, and how his words are still impactful if you take a step back and watch.

By all accounts what happened earlier today, with the nearly getting outed as the new master of the Thieves Guild, even before a true building has been erected for this task was almost a dire mistake. One that would mean that I would likely have to leave, or roam around as an instructor with a permanent death sentence having over her neck by the Thieves Guilds from around the world.

I have never seen what happens to a Thieves Guild leader who gets outed, I’ve only heard tales of those that did. Often times what happens is a major civil war, with a world class assassin with dirt on a lot of figures running wild in the streets.

This means the old Guild Master cannot go to any city they previously had dealings with, as most of those leaders know of the dirt and will likely try to find a way to cleanse themselves of any potential issues. Often times the easiest way to cleanse oneself of potential dirt and scandals is to kill off the very same disgraced thieves guild master who has dirt on you.

After realizing this, most ousted members will attempt to either run to new cities hoping to lay low for a time. Or go off into one of the different dungeons of the world and just stay there.

Thinking back on it, if I ever did have an issue like that, I would run to one of two places, the Arcanarus Tower, as there is something very important that I need to find on the top floors of that Tower. And then when that was done, I would go to the bottom floors of the Library of the Tribunal.

You know what, looking back, it might have been okay if I was outed in less than an hour after holding the position.

That said, I do need to remember to repay favors.

Mallory of course is a given, in fact I think it was mostly on her for not checking with me about the possible promotion without checking on my prior commitments.

No, right now, the person I need to truly thank is Johnny.

What he did was truly amazing. Not asking any questions, being thrust into the limelight, and forced to walk in women’s clothing while wearing a female form.

Honestly, I am grateful for the fact that he was wearing his soul-bound Guild clothing, otherwise it would not have altered so much to fit his drastically altered figure.

To my surprise, when I searched for Johnny, after the one fire was put out, he had actually left the practice field.

For a moment I wondered where he was, until I looked and found his unique Qi and mana signature in his room, sitting down in a chair at a desk that had a backdrop of a giant mirror.

At first I was excited to have found him, as I really wanted to talk and apologize to him. But then after seeing him for a moment, I knew I needed to act quickly.

Poof.

“Knock, knock.” I say, appearing right behind him in the mirror.

For his part Johnny only looked shocked for a moment, momentarily straightening up his slumping shoulders and getting an image of surprise on his face, before recognition filled his face. Then he dropped back to a sagging posture.

Seeing him, I went into full damage control. As I realize that I might have gone too far this time.

“Look, I am so sorry about that,” I say, scooching myself forward so that I am now right behind him with my feet dangling off the ground.

“What? No, it, its fine.” He finally gets out.

“Clearly not if you are in here moping about it. Look, I promise I will never force you to do that again.” I say realizing that it might have been truly embarrassing for the poor guy. I know for a fact that Rob Sr, and Jr both would have never even dared to go out on stage as a female. Their masculine prides are too fragile to handle such an act, even for a friend.

“What? Wait, no.” Johnny suddenly snaps out of his catharsis and turns to look at me, versus looking at me in the mirror.

Seeing his sudden and drastic change in emotions I pause, trying to figure out what exactly is happening here. Then I pause and have to ask, “so you aren’t mad that I made you go as a female?”

“What? Are you kidding? Well, I’m not going to lie, I was a bit angry at the lack of time to mentally prepare.”

“Trust me, you and me both. Speaking of which.” I say, then lunge forward and give him a quick kiss on the forehead.

Smack.

“Thank you, thank you, and thank you.” I say, making sure to float backwards just enough so that I can lock eyes with him. I’m not certain if I do this correctly, but I believe I have this down as he seems to visibly relax after a second.

“Yeah, speaking of which, can I ask why I had to go as Octavia of all people and prove myself to be worthy of the position of Guild Master for the new Mage’s Guild hall that is going to be established here?” He asks.

“Good questions,” I begin and am about to tell him the truth, that I am already the Guild Master for the Thieves Guild hall that is also going to be built here. Then I realized something.

Target: Johnny

Current Faction standing: NA

Seeing his current standing within the Thieves Guild, I can’t help but curse myself. Of course, Johnny is too much of a goody-two-shoes to be a member of the Thieves Guild. Part of why I love the big lug. He’s like that loyal puppy that you know will always be there and do the right thing, never tearing up your slippers because he already has two shoes of his own.

Realizing I can’t just tell him, the same way I could for Mallory, I decide to do the next best thing. Talk around the subject and hope he learns to join my private club for thieves and people wishing to ensure they have skills that can help them to survive most problems.

“Suffice it to say that I already have already committed myself to enough growth programs around the city here.” I answer truthfully, though I make sure that there is plenty of room for double meanings everywhere in that statement.

“Very true. You are honestly the hardest working person here. In fact, I’m glad that you actually took a step back and allowed yourself to relax a bit.” Johnny stated.

“Ahh, you’re too nice.” I reply, feeling slightly sad at the idea of Johnny thinking that I am taking a step back. Though I guess from the perspective of needing to do all my current functions along with being the Thieves Guild Master, and the Master of the Mage’s Guild I am taking a step back.

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“I mean it. Sometimes I worry if we are pushing you too hard. I’m glad you actually pushed back against Mallory on this one. Even if you made it so that one of your Simulacrums, or someone wearing your Avatar would have to fill in for the role. Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that?”

“About what?” I ask.

“Why did you get me to put on the Avatar versus one of your Simulacrums?” Johnny asked.

At that, I momentarily pause not wanting to state how my Simulacrums were avoiding me at that time, and how I needed to track them down to find out why they suddenly ambushed me with the role of Thieves Guild master here. Instead, I go with another truthful answer, that will diver away from my actual thoughts at the time.

“Suffice it to say, that in times past I have tried to do just that with my Simulacrums, though they have had a proclivity of going completely off script.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, actually those two mages that were here and gave you, well the Octavia version of you, the position of Mage guild hall master. Both my Simulacrums and I both met them. At the time I was performing ministrative work. So, I needed to trust my Simulacrum to be me, a simple healer trying to make ends meet. Suffice it to say, my Simulacrum was a little too convincing, and while I did make it out ahead of where I had been had my Simulacrum gone as I expected. I still realize that sometimes…” I trail off looking for the right words.

“You are frustrating even to yourself? Oh that is hilarious.” Johnny stated. Then he paused, “wait is this that time when you were going as the male Mage Guild leader of that particular branch, and thus needed to play off how you were giving yourself high yield quests?”

Hearing that, I do remember others talking about this around camp here and realize it has likely gone a long way into building up my mystique.

“Something like that.” I reply.

“Is that why you couldn’t accept the post of being Mage Guild hall leader here? Because you, or rather one of your Avatars was already a Guild Hall leader?” Johnny presses.

There was a clear logical fallacy in that statement, particularly as this guild hall posting went to one of my other avatars, but you know what I will take the out, when I get the chance.

“Something like that.” I admit.

Johnny for his part got a wide-eyed gaze as he stared off. For a moment I thought he noticed the logical fallacy and was about to address, catching me up in something else that would make me talk around being the Thieves Guild Leader.

Fortunately, rather than where I thought this line of questioning would go, Johnny proved to be like one of my Simulacrums and went right when I thought we were still going forward.

“When you change is it always like that?” Johnny asks.

Shaking my head, I felt like I just took a Tyson punch to the jaw. Fortunately, I recovered relatively quickly.

“Always like what?”

“When you change into a form is it always like that, so complete?” Johnny asks.

Hearing that, I realized the problem.

“Yeah, I should have problem. My avatars are the actual people that once existed. For all intents and purposes when you wear that avatar you become that person. I forgot that it can be slightly jarring for anyone not mentally prepared for it.” I state, then trying to lighten the tension I give him a funny story about Gwen’s time as King De’Arcaneri.

“When Gwen went as King De'Arcaneri, I left her like that overnight, which was fine. Until she woke up in the middle of the night having to use the bathroom but was apparently completely confused about how to use her new male part.” I said, and then just smiled as I continued, “apparently there was a big mess and of course being her first time Gwen’s aim was a little off, making it so she had to spend close to an hour cleaning up after herself. Then to make matters worse, Mallory awoke to find that Gwen had gone back to bed without putting the toilet seat down.”

Laughing.

I am laughing at this, though Johnny for his part doesn’t find this anywhere nearly as funny as I do as he just seems to be lost in contemplation.

“Well, I guess you had to be there. Or maybe you should be lucky that you weren’t there?” I pose, as I clearly lost Johnny somewhere in this.

“So you did this for Gwen too? Let her go as a male?” Johnny pressed.

“I mean yeah, but please don’t let it get out.” I state, realizing that I might have overstepped my boundaries, realizing that this might indicate that Mallory and Gwen were having problems. Problems that could only be fixed with extracurricular activities.

“Oh, no of course not. I just…” Johnny began and trailed off.

Hearing him sound somewhat vulnerable I press. “Just what?”

“I just thought I was odd for liking it.”

“Liking what?” I asked.

“You know being different for a moment. You know,” he said then gestured towards me before continuing. “Being pretty. I had so many people, males and females alike staring at me and it felt oddly empowering.”

“Oh.” I say, trying to process where this is going. Then I continue with an “OHH.” As I realize the actual reason Johnny looked so put out. Then hearing his words, seeing his initial posture, realizing that he had been staring at himself since the whole debacle, I realize where this is going.

“So, to be clear. You aren’t mad at me for putting you in that position, you are just now questioning why you liked being put in that position?” I ask, trying to make sure my assumptions are correct.

Johnny pauses and actually contemplates my words for a moment, before he finally responds.

“I don’t know it was over and done with so quickly that I don’t even know if I actually liked it.” Johnny states.

“Sounds like my first time with Rob Senior.” I state. Johnny for his part just turns to look at me and see if he should be disgusted. For that I continue.

“I will give you the warning that I wish I had received, though I doubt it would have made any difference in the outcome that happened next.”

“Why, what happened next?”

“Gwen. Gwen was the byproduct of what happened the next time I decided to check and see if I liked doing something.”

Groan.

Johnny audibly lets me know what he thinks about that joke, but at the same time, he does seem to be a bit more alive in this discussion.

“Oh, come on, you know its funny because it’s true.”

“Stop, just stop.” Johnny says, though even though he protests, I can see a slight smile coming to his face. Then finally he looks at me like he wants to ask a question but is just short on asking. Seeing his slight hesitation I push.

“Look, I can tell you want to ask something. So, know that this time if you ask, I will not hold any judgement on your question. Though know that I will likely ask for you to do the same in the future.”

With that Johnny pauses, before asking, “wait, don’t I already do that?”

“You do, but this time I will be able to call it in.” I state.

“What that makes no sense. I should have at least ten of these future judgement withheld cards.” Johnny states.

“Well the fact that you aren’t calling in yours makes you think that what I’ve asked so for is nothing. As such I am doing this for you to ease your tension.”

“You know what, whatever, as I am certain I will likely be forced to do whatever you ask anyways without judging.” Johnny begins.

“Oh, you do get it.”

“Get what?”

“What it means to be a friend. One that you can call upon unconditionally to solve any problem. Now out with it!” I state.

“Fine,” Johnny states a bit indignantly. Though I think most of his comments are just a way to get me to stop talking. There is a momentary silence, as Johnny asks, “can you do it again?”

Shake my head.

I totally lost where this was going. “What?”

“Can you, you know, turn me back into her?”

Then my mind finally catches up and I realize what he was asking about. “Oh, you want to go as Octavia? Sure.”

Then like that, I do a quick Avatar swap and boom, Johnny quickly transitions from being a broad shouldered muscular male to a much more slender female, with long flowing lustrous hair that drapes over his shoulders.

Johnny watches himself throughout the whole process and seems to genuinely smile upon seeing himself.

Seeing how happy he looks like this, I can’t help but feel bad that I missed this part of my friend’s life. Here he was clearly hurting inside and I couldn’t help but feel that I somehow let him down by only noticing the disparity in him now.

“I’m, I’m beautiful.” Johnny said, as he smiled into the mirror and then gestured to his new appearance.

At that, I glide forward and hug him around his neck. “You were always beautiful, though now I’m glad you feel beautiful as well.”

“Stop, no one could find that face pretty.” Johnny said, apparently referencing his normal face.

“What’s so wrong with it?” I ask, wondering if he didn’t go through the same character selection process that I had.

“It is the face of a half orc human hybrid. No one in their right minds would find the green pigmentation of the cheeks attractive. I was too sickly looking for humans and too pale for orcs.” Johnny noted.

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but realize he was similar to my own situation, where I was forced to be a dark elf to begin with. Though fortunately two and a half bloodline transformations later and I am a different species of elf entirely.

“Not to sound like a mother here, but to me, you are just as beautiful now as you were a moment ago.”

“You don’t really…”

“Oh yeah I do. Do you forget that I can only see in terms of your Qi and mana?” I press.

“Oh I get it.” Johnny stated.

“Get what?”

“It’s another bad joke about how you can only see the true hearts of people. Which sadly in your case is true.”

“Yeah, we will go with that.” I reply.

Then finally, Johnny stares me in the eyes for a moment waiting to build up his courage to ask his true question that is on his mind.

“What is it?” I finally press.

“Can I go around as her?” He asks, then gestures to himself as Octavia De’Arcaneri.

At first I want to say yes, but then I realize there are a few issues. “We might be able to let you go as her on special occasions, particularly as the wedding is about to take place, but this will only be at specific occasions.” I begin.

Johnny for his part, looks somewhat saddened at the thought, before I continue. “Besides you don’t want to constantly be on the look out for a creepy necromancer trying to woo you back after a millennia of separation, or any of the random Deolarian courtly intrigue that might pop up with you walking around.”

With that Johnny visibly deflates realizing that I am correct about this. Which is when I come up with a different solution.

“That said, if this is truly something that you want, I can carve this into your cores that you can change into an alternate version of you at will.” I state confidently.

“You could do that?”

“Look if I can make a Pomeranian Princess be able to turn into a giant elemental protectorate dragon, I think I can do something trivial like letting you change sexes.” I begin, but then I make sure to end with a warning, “though just remember two things.”

“Two?”

“Yes, first you need to make sure that this ability to transfer at will is what you really want.”

“Okay, and second?”

“Secondly, just know that I like you regardless of what you look like on the outside.”

“Okay mom,” Johnny states.

At that I slightly wince, “yeah, I did sound a bit too much like a mother with that one. But still, I mean it.”

“I know, and that’s why you still got the comment. Mom.”

“You know what, just for that.” I state, then focus my mind and do something no one is supposed to do inside.

Glitter Bomb.

A bomb of bright glittery mana erupts outwards catching everyone, even me. Though it is my mana and all I need to do is absorb it with Qi.

Shock.

Johnny looks completely shocked for a moment, then just starts taking multiple slow deep breaths.

“What the heck was that.”

“A Glitter Bomb, don’t worry it will go away in a minute or fifty.” I state, realizing that I am not quite sure how long this spell actually lasted when I last used it on Mallory.

With that Johnny begins going around grabbing items to see if they are in fact damaged. There is an old timey newspaper that had thankfully been draped over a few books.

Seeing the paper, I realize that it had been face down with today’s date on it. Nothing says steam punk like good old fashioned black and white news papers to spread the news.

Slip.

Just as the paper comes up, the middle section drops revealing columns upon columns of text. Text that I instantly read and then disregard. Or at least I try to, as one message hits my cerebral cortex, causing me to pause in panic as I realize something terrible is about to happen.

“Gah!” Johnny, as a glitter covered Octavia begins as he tries to pick up the paper.

With that I pause and cry out, “wait!”