Transitioning
Chapter 10 [https://www.rellawings.com/superluminal/chapternum/chaphead_10.jpg]
Leona bit her lip almost hard enough to draw blood. The pain was a needed distraction to prevent the release of a distressed whimper.
“It’ll be fine, I promise. Be brave my girl.” Goonie hugged the girl, who was currently forcing her lips to spread in order to show a smile.
At that very moment, the nurse drove the needle directly into Leona’s right elbow pit. She yelped aloud, and the nurse offered a smile of reassurance while Quinn smirked.
“Geez—she hadn’t even poked you yet, and you started carrying on like she ran you through with a sword,” Leona’s cousin chortled.
With a roll of her eyes and an exasperated sigh, Goonie fixed her eyes on Quinn. “Hush, you… Though, come to think of it, we’re a little behind with your vaccines.” She tapped her own lips thoughtfully.
Quinn’s eyes narrowed, and the nurse continued to smile as she applied a gauze ball to Leona’s puncture and tapped it firmly. She looked up at Goonie and then turned her eyes on Quinn with a smirk, saying offhandedly, “Actually, I heard there was a cancellation today. I think we could squeeze in a quick vaccination for your oldest daughter.”
The clever-mouthed sibling’s grin faltered as she dashed for the door on the double.
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“Mistral, the Weather Witch of the Great White North, has returned after disappearing for nearly half a year,” a newscaster announced. “She’s graciously agreed to give us an interview now. Let’s switch over to Joe Christensen and see if she’s willing to shed light on her recent experiences in the clutches of her nemesis, the Black Angel.”
Today, Leona sat alone, watching the news on their family television set, gaping in shock. They’d announced that Mistral had finally returned, and that there was an upcoming interview. Leona was relieved to hear that her favorite superhero was still in action.
A tear leaked from the corner of her eye even before a strangely distant-eyed Mistral opened, “My nemesis held me against my will. I won’t speak of what she did to me, but I will say that I will never again let her best me, let alone underestimating her. I wanted to speak out today to make it known that the search for this heinous villain is ongoing and I beseech anyone, anyone, who has information about her to come forward as quickly as possible. Too long has this evil roamed free and while it may take time, I will put an end to the threat she represents to this planet before it’s too late.”
“Very resolute and powerful words,” the camera switched to the face of the reporter who was speaking, Joe, “Are you certain that you can tell us nothing further after setting up this interview?”
“There is something else.” Mistral said with an uncharacteristic coldness. “I cannot overstate her cruelty and manipulativeness. She’s unpredictable in many aspects, but absolutely dependable in at least one regard. Namely, she always finds a way back, no matter what happens to her. I merely say that this endless cycle must end once and for all.”
“Are you saying what I think you just did? Are you saying that you intend to kill this S-ranked supervillain? That clearly goes against the policy of The Society of Sentinels.”
“That need not be the way it ends, per se. But I will no longer stay my hand if needs must—” Mistral said firmly. “And I’ll do what I must in order to protect this world. The Great Manitou says to—hmmm—” Mistral shook her head. “That’s enough for now. I’ve said all I wished to.”
“How did it feel to be at the mercy of your enemy?” Joe asked, pressing beyond the boundaries Mistral had set.
“You speak of ‘mercy’?!” Mistral snapped, her eyes narrowing. “—I don’t wish to speak about how I feel. I’ve obviously been affected and will speak with those that I think can best help me, but I have nothing to say publicly at this time. Perhaps in the future, but not now.”
“Thank you for taking the time. We all grieve with you and for your losses, Mistral. I believe our viewers can agree when I say that we believe in you and if you feel like sharing, our ears are ope—” Joe wasn’t fully able to finish his platitude before Mistral turned her back on the camera and took off, her cape fluttering.
“Ahem——this has been News 9, Joe Christensen. Thanks again, Mistral for your time.” The feed turned off and the main anchor took over and Leona muted the television, frowning. What had happened to her? Her hero was so changed.
Leona ran upstairs and got on her computer to browse the forums. She read all the speculations and theories that started floating around. The scenarios and explanations offered were mostly very bleak.
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Several months later, with all the boring paperwork dealt with and the mildly more exciting but still very scary doctor appointment taken care of, not that it would be the only time she’d have to go, Leona stood in the yard of her happy family’s small lawn wearing a skirt, girl’s sneakers, a camisole and a sports bra.
Today was a very special day for her, since she finally and publically dressed in a way that felt best for her. In order to help Leona maintain the appearance of a young lady, her Goonie bought her something called a gaff. It felt really strange to wear, but was really nice when a soft pair of panties nestled over it, forming a smooth mound.
While Leona was adjusting her new clothes, she blushed about walking around like this. Quinn snuck up from behind, ruining her efforts by grabbing the unsuspecting Leona’s chest, startling her.
Leona admitted a startled yelp. “Yaiiiiiii!”
With a nervous look over her shoulder, Leona found it was Quinn who’d grabbed her and discovered that she’d yet again changed her hair color; this time a bright blue.
Quinn had turned sixteen a month ago, but—
“You’re keeping us waiting, Leona! C’mon! Mama’s finished the cake! It’s a lemon cake—ooops… I shouldn't have said that—pretend I said nothing, okay? I’ll tickle you to death if you blab!” Quinn was whispering by this time.
Leona bobbed her head in acquiescence quickly and almost drooled at the thought. Lemon cake! It was going to be so delicious! She bounced, but the moment she hopped up and landed, she winced. The small buds forming on her chest were aching. “Nngh. I promise—let’s go eat!” She eyed Quinn, tilting her head. Even though her sister was sixteen, Quinn didn’t look too different from how she had before the big day came and went.
Do I look very different yet now that it’s my turn? I’m twelve today, but I don’t feel different even though I’m wearing cute clothes—and just changing clothes won’t make my thingie disappear… Leona was feeling a little gloomy when she compared herself against her sis.
“What’re you staring at?!” Quinn batted her eyes innocuously and covered herself.
Blinking, Leona laughed. “Sorry… I just thought you don’t really look sixteen—”
Quinn glared and gently booped Leona upside her head. “Of course I’ve changed, silly! It’s a magical age! I’m just two years away from full adulthood!” She preened.
Leona thought about that. “Um—but you still can’t drink though.”
Her sister scowled at her little sister. “In the US, sure, but I’m not all that impatient. What matters most is that same great nation of ours says I can drive! Mama’s gonna take me to the DMV soon so I can get my learner’s permit!”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Leona gaped. “No way—you behind the wheel? Eeeeep!” She backed away dramatically.
“HEY! I’m your benevolent, wonderful, super-ultra-turbo-cool big sister! Have more faith in my boundless abilities or I won’t play dubstep for you tonight, and no, it doesn’t matter if it’s your birthday or not, you rotten spoiled brat!” Quinn jumped on Leona and dragged her down into the sweet smelling grass.
Out of nowhere, a bumblebee came loose from the grass and buzzed past as the pair tussled and Quinn giggled the whole time.
Leona wasn’t having too much fun as she winced and squirmed, since every jolt was like torture.
“Ouch! You hurt my boobs!” Leona admitted when Quinn ‘accidentally’ rubbed up against her growing breasts. Leona blushed, protecting her sensitive chest from her sister.
“Awwww… I’m sorry… I forgot all about that. I know it can be a pain—but it’s what you want, isn’t it?” Quinn asked and smiled down at her sister from her perch on top of Leona.
Without having to even consider the question, Leona nodded affirmatively. “YES! I do! I love them! But are they ever going to get bigger than this?” Worry was clear in the younger sibling’s eyes.
“Hmmm... I read up about this so you can rely on your big sister.” Quinn poked her own chest. “I’m already a C cup… I think if I keep working at it I could become—no—that’d be terrible—maybe I should keep them smaller—”
Leona waited expectantly. “You didn’t answer my question.” She pouted.
“Oh—” Quinn flushed. “Um—your birth mama, my aunt, had a fabulous set of boobs, and Mama’s, Goonie’s, aren’t bad either—so I mean—you can expect at least that much, don’t you think? It’s genetic! And I read that if you start before puberty does much, you develop like you should—so you should be just fine.” She shrugged and smiled.
“Wow! You care so much about me, you've gone ahead and read about what I’m going through?” Leona was both stunned and touched at how much effort her book-allergic sister had put in for her. They both flushed in embarrassment, Leona embarrassed about how little she knew in comparison and Quinn for having admitted taking the time.
Leona decided she would investigate things herself more so that she wouldn’t have to rely on her sister and Goonie for every detail for the rest of her life.
Since turning twelve, Leona was already facing the fact that her sister would leave the house long before she did—and then where would Leona be?
Quinn smiled warmly at Leona and ran her fingers through the girl’s now shoulder length hair. “You look good like this and you’re getting prettier already. I know you’re worried about it, but you shouldn’t be. You already look more like a girl than a boy. Heck, you look more like a girl than I do half the time.”
Clapping her hands to her cheeks, Leona gasped and smiled happily, although the compliment embarrassed her.
She could only fidget after her embarrassment faded, wondering if Quinn was just flattering her.
Quinn broke Leona’s twitching by grinning and saying, “We should go to the beach or something, sometime soon. You should show all that off a little!” She gestured at her little sister’s body, stopping short of physically poking her again.
Leona’s embarrassment quickly deepened into something approaching mortification and her eyes widened at the suggestion. The thought of going out into public in something like a swimsuit was overwhelming, particularly if it was a bikini. That idea was way, way, way too much and too soon, wasn’t it?
On queue, Goonie popped out from the house with her appearance heralded by the fragrance of a lemony cake that wafted from inside their home and she laughed before saying, “Playing nicely together, I see. If you wrastle so much there, you’ll stain your new outfit, Leona. Come inside! Though I can already see you’re already thinking about getting out there and turning some heads, hmm?”
Leona exaggeratedly thought about it and nervously smiled. “Okay.”
Her children's breaths caught when they thought Goonie might veto the idea, but she was nothing but supportive, “I think we’re going to have a week of boot camp before you make your public debut. There’s more you need to know about social matters. Like what to do if a boy hits on you, or if a creepy adult approaches you.”
Goonie waggled a finger. “You’ll need to learn about makeup and—well—everything else, really. Basically, we’ll have you graduate from Goonie's Gorgeous Girls’ Finishing School first.”
“I wanna take Leona to a rave too—” Quinn said and giggled while Leona grinned excitedly.
When Goonie’s expression became troubled, Quinn amended what she said, “Y’know——a safe one.” Leona’s sister had gotten more and more into the musical scene in the past few years. She was diving deeper, and it had become her dream to enter a college that had a speciality in the musical arts.
“That’s far too much!” Goonie exclaimed, “I’m not sure my heart could handle you taking Leona out on another of your crackpot adventures, Quinn. We’ll go to the park, the movies, do some shopping… and that’s all you’ll be doing.” Her eyes fastened sternly on a glaring and pouting Quinn.
Wanting to get a concession from their mother, Quinn pressed on, “At least we’re gonna get some henna tattoos! They look so beautiful and interesting!”
Hearing the word ‘tattoo’ nearly gave Goonie the aforementioned heart attack.
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Leona stared at the selection of purses available in the store Goonie had taken them to. She thought about how girls were supposed to keep a bag with them whenever they left their homes.
Even though a girl was expected to have a stylish handbag, Leona wasn’t sure how into them she was. She skimmed back and forth along the aisle, seeing pieces that ran the gamut from little handbags to large purses that seemed oversized to her. There were also some made for little girls like her that had popular dolls and Nisdey Princesses embroidered or decaled on them.
Leona wasn’t too sure about the branding, but the designs and colors of these were somewhat appealing to her.
Tilting her head, Leona stared at the selection. There were some that were cute and she thought that maybe if she had one, she'd look more feminine.
Quinn, in typical over-dramatic fashion, siddled over to Leona before literally facepalming. “Are you really interested in having a purse? That’s like——super girly—” Quinn’s lips twisted. “I can understand why you want to be as feminine as possible, but—they’re really bulky. I tried carrying one around a few years ago and I got sick of it reeeeal quick. What I want to keep with me, I can just keep in my pockets, so what’s the point?”
Goonie chuckled. “That’s you, Quinn, my darling tomboy. Your sister is transgender. It’s common for girls like Leona to experience a strong dysphoria.”
“What’s ‘dysphoria’ mean?” Quinn asked and Leona looked away from the Princess Oolong handbag she was most attracted to of all the ones she’s seen. Why were there no Mistral-theme purses? If this store had one, she’d have pounced on it in a heartbeat, whether she had much to put in it.
With a wry smile, Goonie responded to Quinn’s question and looked into Leona’s own questioning eyes, “It's dissatisfaction with life and anxiety. Everyone faces dysphoria throughout their lives, so it’s not like it’s a thing that only transgender people can understand. In order to ease these feelings, people buy things or work towards goals to keep their minds off their situation.”
Quinn’s mouth crinkled. “I'm pretty happy as is though.” She grinned.
Leona nodded with a smile for her sister and barked a laugh. “I am too. I mean, I felt like something was wrong—the thing—um—” she lowered her voice, “between my legs. Isn’t right—but—um… I’m pretty happy, anyhow!” Leona exclaimed the last few words loudly. “I am happier now that I’m changing, but like—” Her eyes turned back to the purses, and she giggled. “I don’t think these will make me feel any happier than I am now.”
“Well—when you go to school, if you make friends with other girls, they’ll talk about girl things. You don’t have to be the most fashionable girl in the world to hold your own, but I recommend avoiding any conversations about menstruation.”
Quinn blushed and giggled while Leona looked at Goonie with a wondering expression.
“Oh—oh my... “ Goonie coughed and Quinn’s laughter became wild.
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Sporting a new hairband Leona had selected with the light jacket Goonie bought her, Leona walked with Goonie and Quinn through the large wilderness park smack dab in the center of San Isidro.
Many pathways, bike trails, a few paved roads, hiking trails laced throughout it, many of which leading to special and private nooks that weren’t always safe given the high level of crime in the city. This would be Leona’s first time really going out in public since transitioning and she couldn’t be more nervous as they made their way to a veranda alongside a small lake or pond nearby through crowds of bikers and other pedestrians.
“If there isn’t any space on the veranda, we could try the gazebo across the way,” Goonie said.
When eyes seemed to fall on Leona, she blushed and fidgeted. Noticing her sibling’s squirming, Quinn commented, “Are you alright?”
“I am—it’s just a little——embarrassing.” Leona looked down.
“You’ll get over that awkwardness soon enough.” Goonie smiled and reached over to pat Leona’s shoulder.
“You think so?” Leona asked softly. “They’re—they’re looking at me—” There was a feeling deep inside Leona that cried for relief. To turn and run away from all the eyes on her.
Quinn chuckled. “That’s just your imagination. No one’s staring at you or anything. You’re just another cute tomboy. Don’t worry so much.”
“Very right, my girl. It’s paranoia—” Goonie stopped walking and leaned to Leona’s ear. “You think it should be obvious, but the truth is few care and even fewer look too closely.”
“There was a baby looking over its mother’s shoulder right at me.” Leona chewed her lip.
“Really? Infants are very curious about the world. You may think a baby knows what’s what, but it doesn’t. It looked at you because he or she thought you were interesting. Don’t be silly.” Goonie chided Leona.
Leona thought about that and nodded, taking a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m messing this up.” With a straightening of her spine, Leona put on a smile. “I can do this.”
“You can!” Goonie took Leona’s hands and squeezed them. “Now that you’ve shaken off your anxiety, how does it feel?” She winked.
Leona’s tentative smile bloomed and covered her face. “Pretty good. It’s a beautiful day, and it’s so sunny out!”
Squirming out from Goonie’s gentle hold on her hands, Leona charged ahead up to the veranda and her eyes fell on a lovely spot that had just been vacated by a couple who were snuggling. She vaulted over the bench to plop onto it, gazing out at the sunlit, sparkling lake where swans and ducks paddled across its surface.
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