Finally home!

I kick my oversized shoes off my feet, then head over to the bathroom. Before closing the door, I turn towards Rimar and say:

"I'm going to take a shower. They washed me a bit at the hospital but I still feel all dirty."

"Alright, I'll get us dinner in the meantime then. What do you feel like eating? No frozen meals, we're celebrating you getting out today."

"Mmmh... Chicken, then. Any kind. Could try that new rotisserie that opened nearby."

"Understood. I'll be back soon."

And with that, he leaves the apartment. I close the bathroom door behind me, get undressed, and place myself back to the mirror to avoid seeing my own reflection just yet.

I didn't get much privacy at the hospital. There was one bathroom for the entire room, so I didn't go through the trouble of inspecting my naked body. Now, however, I'm in my own home, I have all the time I want!

I take some deep breaths, trying to calm myself. I already saw the individual parts, I'll survive the whole thing. As I turn around, my gaze first settles on my face. I've already seen it before, but it still strikes me every time. While it's undeniably mine, the traits are a lot softer, my eyes and lips are bigger, the shape of my eyebrows is different, and there's not a single hair to be found where a beard used to grow. Not having to shave for a while might be nice actually.

The length of my hair hasn't changed at all, so I still have a bit of a boyish look. I guess the curse wasn't too concerned with social norms. I might still be able to be seen as a man when I go out, but I'd need clothes at my new size for that.

At the very least, my head still looks like me. However... it's filled with apprehension that I let my eyes wander down to look at the rest of my reflection.

My chest is entirely unrecognizable. I wasn't particularly hairy before, but what I did have is completely gone. It's also a lot narrower, and there's the most important and obvious part: the two breasts attached to it.

You'd think that, as a man who has been single for quite a few years now, I'd be overjoyed at the idea of being able to see and touch boobs whenever I want, but... Maybe it's because they're on my body, but I don't feel anything positive at all when looking at them. They feel strange to touch, too, and they bounced quite painfully when I tried to rush down the stairs to go meet up with Rimar back at the hospital, so much so that I had to slow down. They just seem like quite a nuisance to me, I don't know how women manage to go their whole adult lives carrying them non-stop like this.

Further down is my waist, which also thinned down, followed by my hips, which took the liberty of expanding outwards instead. I can also tell that I have a lot more fat than before in the lower half of my body, giving a rounder shape to my butt and softening my thighs. And, of course, there's my crotch, which I had the chance to get very familiar with during my trips to the bathroom.

I shiver. I don't know if it's because I've been naked for a few minutes or if it's a reaction to having taken a closer look at my body, but I can tell that I'm uncomfortable with the idea that, aside from my head, my body is completely unrecognizable. With large and thick enough clothes, I might be able to hide my curves, but anything more ordinary would make it clear I'm a woman, even if I keep my hair short and try to maintain a masculine demeanor. Thankfully, I should be back to normal soon enough that none of this will matter.

I enter the shower and start cleaning myself up. My usual routine works out fine for the most part, but I still end up having to be careful around some of the places that changed a lot. Touching my transformed body all over like this really drives home just how much it changed, but that's what I expected, so I manage to stay calm through it.

The dilemma arrives when I find myself having to wrap a towel around my body to head to my bedroom. In the past, I'd simply put it around my waist, but now... I have to be conscious of my breasts. I try wrapping the towel around my torso, and after a few tries finally manage to tuck it in such a way that it stays there. It doesn't reach very far past my hips, barely covering my butt, but it's still hidden at least.

When I open the bathroom door, I see Rimar, who's busy setting the table for dinner. He turns towards me, freezes for a second, then quickly looks away.

He never reacted like this to seeing me wearing only a towel. Is my new body so repulsive that he can't stand to look at it, or... is he embarrassed? That must be it!

"Ah, I'm really sorry! I'll go get changed now!"

Without giving him any time to respond, I dash to my room and close the door.

After quickly drying and combing my hair, I put on a pajama, which ends up being just as oversized as everything else I wore today. I then make my way to the dining table, where a nice piece of chicken is waiting for me. From the kitchen, Rimar asks:

"Izei, what do you want to drink?"

"A glass of water will be fine."

As I sit at the table, I feel a sudden wave of tiredness, causing me to waver and grab onto my chair to avoid falling. As I push myself back up, I see Rimar who's hurrying in my direction, a glass of water in his hand.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I think. Just started feeling very tired all of a sudden."

"You've been through a lot, so don't push yourself. Here, have some water, eat your dinner, and go to bed after."

"Thanks. I think I'll do just that. I feel a bit better now, so let's enjoy this meal."

I can tell that he's still worried about me, but he sits at his spot and starts eating. I can't deny that he's pretty reliable when it counts, and I'm really happy to have him as a friend. I don't know how I would have managed if I had to go back to a home all by myself after everything that happened.

As we're eating, Rimar says:

"I'm sorry to spring this on you so soon, but... do you think you could start getting dressed inside of the bathroom after you shower?"

"Ah, right. Yes, I'll start doing that. I'm sorry you had to see me like this..."

"I want to keep treating you like I always have, but... I can't make myself ignore that you have a woman's body right now, at least not when it's made this blatant. I'm really sorry, this is entirely on me, but it's still a request I feel I must make."

So he was indeed embarrassed. He's a healthy heterosexual man who hasn't had a girlfriend in a couple years, so I can't expect him to ignore a woman's almost-naked body in his own home, even if said body happens to be his best friend's. I would tease him about it, but... Now's probably not the right time. I'm too tired, and the situation is still too new, I'd probably just end up regretting whatever I say.

"Don't worry, I understand. While I'm like this, I'll do my best the adhere to a slightly stricter set of rules. Of course, I'm counting on you adjust your own behavior as needed too."

He nods, and we go back to eating.

Once we're done, I get up and head over to my bedroom. I feel so tired. Maybe this is all just a dream, and I'll wake up tomorrow like nothing happened at all and go back to my normal life where I can pee standing and don't have to worry about crushing my boobs when I let myself fall on my bed or the couch. I'll simply head into my next dungeon, and do my job. Yeah... all of this, it can't be real.

I pull the covers over my body and close my eyes. As I slowly fall asleep, my mind is filled with visions of large fiery beasts, cursed rings, and a reliable friend.