Welcome to The Club: An Unexpected Reopening

[Ookalf]

Sherry didn’t stop James from leaving, simply offering the office-woman a halfhearted wave of goodbye.

James encountered nothing odd driving back home, though more than once she saw some men peeking through her car’s windows to get a look at her. The problem started when she actually arrived...

Because standing in front of her apartment building was James’ ex-girlfriend.

*James does her best to ignore the the various stares she receives on the way home, though they certainly annoy her... Seeing her ex, though, is another matter. Her first instinct is to simply storm up to her and demand to know what she's doing here... But then another though occurs to James. The drink had fixed her relationship with her dad - maybe it did the same thing here... Thinking this, James cautiously steps out of the car and walks up to the other woman.* Hello, Joyce... What brings you here?

[Harri-chan]

Elliot shivered and squirmed as Meryl leaned closer and wrapped her arms around him. She seemed huge, her breasts rubbing across his chest, although his blue eyes were looking up into her's as she claimed him for her own. His cheeks went a little red, just like her's did, but he returned the hug with his skinny little arms, squeezing her tightly, hands holding onto the back of her dress.

"You wouldn't fit that weird?", he asked, seeming kind of embarrassed.

"I was... s-staring at you earlier. Usually around girls I can't... concentrate... I d-don't mean to stare but I can't help it", he whispered shyly, closing his eyes and pressing his face into her shoulder after the embarrassing admission.

"But... it's different now", he murmured, and glanced down, his boy parts so tiny, buried beneath lace underskirts and a pretty dress so nobody would even know they were there.

"My head feels more clear...".

[Mystic Mina]

The girl gleefully giggled, glomped Alex with gusto, then gaited into the girl's fashion store with her girlfriend in her grasp.

Ggggggggggg. There, that's out of my system.

The inside was small but crowded. There were only about five rooms, yet all of them were packed to the brim with girls who were browsing the equally numerous clothing racks. Everything was LOUD: the colors of the walls and clothes, the pop music blaring from the overhead speakers, and even the gossiping girls who simply could not shut their gabbers.

"Found them! They've even got your size too! Sweet!" The girl was quick to gather up the pieces of the outfit they saw on display. Apparently this wasn't the first time they've been here, even if Alex couldn't remember it. "Now go try them on! If it looks good on you, maybe I'll get one too!"

---

Joyce wasn't looking too great. Her ashen brown hair streaked with blonde highlights was a mess, and her red blouse and black skirt were also in an unkempt state. Light streaks of mascara ran down from her brown, bloodshot eyes.

"J-Jamie." Jamie croaked with a shaky voice. Her hands went up to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry, I just... I-I just wanted to... Can I come in?"

---

"It's ok, Ellie. It wasn't your fault," Meryl reassured the child, giving him one last pat on the back before getting back on her feet. "I tend to have that effect on men... and some women... but never mind that. Let's get you to my house so you can rest, alright?"

Taking Elliot's hand into her own, the new mother then walked out of her office to the bar, where Sherry was waiting.

"I'm guessing that you want me to run the bar while you take care of the kid?"

"Yep."

"And that you're not going to be back for a few days?"

"Right again. You're getting better at this."

"Well, this wouldn't be the first time I've been ditched by you..." Sherry sighed. "Go on, get out of here."

And so Meryl and Elliot went off to the streets!

[Harri-chan]

Elliot curled his hand around Meryl's fingers, seeming fascinated by how large her hand seemed, and yet how gentle it was. The little dress began to swish and rustle again as she led him from the office, and back to the bar. It all looked rather daunting now everything was so much bigger, and he could barely see across the top of the counter, just enough to see Sheryl's face as Meryl told her that she was now in charge.

Stepping out into the street brought a fresh wave of embarrassment, as he couldn't quite shake the feeling that someone was going to recognise him as Elliot, the teenage boy. Of course, the chance of that happening were almost zero, but that kind of logic failed to ease his nerves. His smaller legs meant smaller steps, and he blushed as he heard the rhythm of Meryl's clicking heels had shifted, and realised she had slowed herself down for his sake.

"Is it late?", he asked, as the city seemed bigger, and more frightening than it ever had before. The cars going by seemed so fast, and everyone that walked passed was like a giant. Elliot walked these streets every day, but nothing seemed familiar from his new vantage point.

[Ryan5011]

The girl gleefully giggled, glomped Alex with gusto, then gaited into the girl's fashion store with her girlfriend in her grasp.

Ggggggggggg. There, that's out of my system.

The inside was small but crowded. There were only about five rooms, yet all of them were packed to the brim with girls who were browsing the equally numerous clothing racks. Everything was LOUD: the colors of the walls and clothes, the pop music blaring from the overhead speakers, and even the gossiping girls who simply could not shut their gabbers.

"Found them! They've even got your size too! Sweet!" The girl was quick to gather up the pieces of the outfit they saw on display. Apparently this wasn't the first time they've been here, even if Alex couldn't remember it. "Now go try them on! If it looks good on you, maybe I'll get one too!"

(The more we go on with this....the more I'm loving it xD)

"Got it already, huh." Alex remarked with a wry smile as she looked around the fashion store from the spot the rather cheerful girl had dragged her to. She didn't mind the loud colors, or the music for that matter, but the gossiping girls nearby annoyed Alex a bit, enough to make her want to leave, but not show her annoyance otherwise.

Alex turned her attention to the outfit that she had seen earlier. She was about to reject to wearing them, until the girl said she might get one for herself. That, and Alex remembered she promised outside the store she'd already try it on, a statement Alex now regretted. "Alright already, I'll put it on. I still can't gaurantee I'll buy it though." Alex remarked before heading to the changing rooms, outfit in hand. She knew the next day, and every day after that, were going to be long ones. Especially if she kept wanting to keep this girl happy.

[Ookalf]

Joyce wasn't looking too great. Her ashen brown hair streaked with blonde highlights was a mess, and her red blouse and black skirt were also in an unkempt state. Light streaks of mascara ran down from her brown, bloodshot eyes.

"J-Jamie." Joyce croaked with a shaky voice. Her hands went up to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry, I just... I-I just wanted to... Can I come in?"

Ah... *James (or, perhaps, Jamie) isn't sure what she'd been expecting from Joyce, but it certainly wasn't this. And even after everything Joyce has put her through, it doesn't quite feel right to leave her like this.* Y-yeah, sure... *So, Jamie leads Joyce inside and up to her apartment...*

[Mystic Mina]

"No, it really isn't. But it'll be much safer for you at my home, and sleep helps wear down the effects of magic." Meryl's grip tightened around Elliot's tiny hand as they weaved their way through the ever thickening crowds, and the little boy could feel his new mother pull him closer. "Stay close to me, Ellie. If I lose you here... I won't lose you here. I promise."

On and on they traveled through the sea of legs and giants, until finally they reached an unassuming apartment building on a quieter side of town. It seemed rather lifeless and empty, but still Meryl walked up its door, picked a hairpin from her blond locks, and unlocked the gate that barred their entry.

---

(Goooood to know!)

Unfortunately for Alex, there wasn't much of a line to go into the changing rooms. It was almost too easy for her to find an empty stall.

It was small, but there was more than enough room for Alex to shrug off her old clothes. There was a full-size mirror attached to the wall right in front of her, giving her an excellent view of what was to come.

---

James'/Jamie's apartment appeared to be the same as before. There was still a couch in her living room, there was still a big screen TV, and if she looked in her bedroom, it'd be pretty much unchanged. The only things that seemed different were the photos. In each one of them, she saw the same brown-haired woman she was now. Even in the photo that showed her first date with Joyce at the city fair, she was female... but still kissing Joyce.

"Ah... I'm sorry, Jamie. I'm such a mess." Joyce rubbed at her eyes again, but that only smudged her make-up even more. "I look terrible... and I am terrible! What I said to you was just- just..."

The poor girl couldn't keep herself together. She collapsed on the couch and let out a long, loud wail of grief.

[Ryan5011]

(Goooood to know!)

Unfortunately for Alex, there wasn't much of a line to go into the changing rooms. It was almost too easy for her to find an empty stall.

It was small, but there was more than enough room for Alex to shrug off her old clothes. There was a full-size mirror attached to the wall right in front of her, giving her an excellent view of what was to come.

Alex let out a sigh. She was hoping that all the stalls would have been taken, or a group waiting to get into a stall to try out some clothes, but no, her hopes were pretty much shot down and were now falling out of the sky. Alex first looked at her reflection in the mirror, and blushed a bit at the realization she was wearing a skirt without realizing it, but she quickly looked away from her reflection after that. At this moment, it was just serving as a reminder that she was a girl now, and not in college anymore as she was a teenager.

After a few seconds of looking at the outfit some more, she took off her old clothes and began putting on the outfit she was given, avoiding the mirror as much as possible until she got fully dressed.

[Harri-chan]

Elliot blushed as quite a few guys wolf-whistled as Meryl walked by, and even more turned to stare at her. He felt ashamed knowing that not so long ago, he'd been acting just the same way as them. There were no protests about how close she was keeping him, or the way she spoke, and from the fearful way he watched other adults, he seemed quite glad of her over-protection.

"Do you live on your own?", he asked as she paused to unlock the gate that stood at the entrance to the apartment building, his blue eyes looking up at her curiously.

[Ookalf]

James'/Jamie's apartment appeared to be the same as before. There was still a couch in her living room, there was still a big screen TV, and if she looked in her bedroom, it'd be pretty much unchanged. The only things that seemed different were the photos. In each one of them, she saw the same brown-haired woman she was now. Even in the photo that showed her first date with Joyce at the city fair, she was female... but still kissing Joyce.

"Ah... I'm sorry, Jamie. I'm such a mess." Joyce rubbed at her eyes again, but that only smudged her make-up even more. "I look terrible... and I am terrible! What I said to you was just- just..."

The poor girl couldn't keep herself together. She collapsed on the couch and let out a long, loud wail of grief.

*Jamie takes a brief moment to look around the apartment, and raises an eyebrow at some of the photos - she hadn't realized Joyce swung that way... But, there are more important things to worry about right now. Like girl crying on Jamie's couch. She takes a seat next to Joyce and places a hand on her shoulder.* It's, ah, it's OK... Just take some deep breaths, and say what you want to say. Slowly.

[Mystic Mina]

Alex's old outfit was tossed aside easily enough, though the girl would see that she was wearing some new white undergarments beneath. The new clothes were a bit of a tight fit, and she would have to squeeze herself into them.

As the mirror showed, the results were worth Alex's effort. All the features that made her look rather sickly before (the pale skin, the lack of muscles) now heightened the prettiness of the reflection in front of her, and the open clothing did much to show those off.

---

"Yes, I do." The words poured out of Meryl's mouth heavily, weighed down by a mixture of sadness and regrets. Despite all the wolf-whistles and lustful leers that came her way, she was still alone. "... But with you here, now I don't. It'll be nice to have some company, even if it's just for a short while."

The blonde lead Elliot through the gates and doors, where he'd find a place decidedly unlike an apartment building. It was more like a two-story house with walls and floors covered by the same wood used in Meryl's bar. Various paintings and knick knacks served as decorations, with many of them mystical in some way or another.

"Sorry if you were expecting something different. My house is quite otherworldly. Literally."

---

Joyce had to take some shuddering gasps before she went on.

"What I said to you... When I told you your brother and I were dating behind your back..." She turned her head down towards the ground and sniffled. "That wasn't true. I told you that lie because... Because I was afraid. It was different when we were just dating, but then things started getting serious and I... I..."

[Harri-chan]

Elliot's eyes seemed a little wider as Meryl revealed that she did live alone, and he found himself gently patting her arm.

"Me too", he murmured quietly. "I... I don't like being on my own", he added, with a little shake of his head, and his expression began to bright when Meryl spoke of how much she was looking forward to the company.

Eagerly, he followed her into the building, his blue eyes taking it all in. His small feet in those little shoes quietly pattered along the wooden floor, the dress lifting a tiny bit as he turned in a circle to look all around the room.

"It's way better than where I've been staying", he said with a smile, meeting her gaze before being drawn to a side table, peering at it's display.

"Are you a witch?", he asked, and although it might be easy to make that question sound insulting... it didn't really come out that way.

[Ryan5011]

Alex's old outfit was tossed aside easily enough, though the girl would see that she was wearing some new white undergarments beneath. The new clothes were a bit of a tight fit, and she would have to squeeze herself into them.

As the mirror showed, the results were worth Alex's effort. All the features that made her look rather sickly before (the pale skin, the lack of muscles) now heightened the prettiness of the reflection in front of her, and the open clothing did much to show those off.

Alex blushed a tiny bit at seeing the undergarments, but continued putting the clothes on. After looking in the mirror, she gave her reflection a small smile. Not once did she think her pale skin would help her looks, even though those thoughts were back when she was still a boy. Now that she was wearing the outfit, she couldn't deny it looked pretty nice on her, though she still didn't like the fact she was lacking sleeves over her arms. It was just something she wasn't used to.

Alex walked out of the stall and looked for the cheery girl so that she can see Alex in it for herself.

[Ookalf]

Joyce had to take some shuddering gasps before she went on.

"What I said to you... When I told you your brother and I were dating behind your back..." She turned her head down towards the ground and sniffled. "That wasn't true. I told you that lie because... Because I was afraid. It was different when we were just dating, but then things started getting serious and I... I..."

Joyce, I... I'm sorry. I had no idea you felt that way... I never meant to make you uncomfortable at all. But why couldn't you just tell me this before?

[Mystic Mina]

Witch. It was a word that followed Meryl throughout her life, and more often than not it was thrown at her with hate and spite. She couldn't get mad at Elliot, though. How could she? Those big blue eyes were just too cute!

"Not quite. I don't have green skin or warts on my face." She bent down to tickle the tip of Elliot's nose with a finger. "And I don't boil little boys and eat them for dinner!... Speaking of which, I should make you something to eat. You must be hungry after all of that walking."

Their footsteps echoed faintly through the rather spacious house as they traversed into the kitchen. Herbs and spices of many shapes and colors were stacked along the counters, and who knew how many more there were behind the numerous cabinets that lined the walls? Meryl quickly got to work, picking jars and boxes off the shelves, and soon the room was alive with the sounds and smells of cooking.

---

Alex didn't have to look around because the girl, now with arms full of clothes, was standing right in front of her the moment she opened the door.

"Oh GOSH! I knew it! It looks perfect on you!" The girl snuggled herself against Alex for the briefest of moments before zipping into the room herself. "You wait right here while I get these on! I swear you're gonna love them~!"

The sounds of undressing could be heard on the other side of the door, and Alex was left by herself.

... But there was a boy just a little older than her standing outside the dressing rooms too. He was tall, fairly handsome, and loaded with bags of clothes. Apparently he was helping someone with their shopping.

The boy didn't say anything; he simply stared at Alex with his big brown eyes as though he were lost in a trance.

---

"How could I? How could I say I wasn't ready to be with another..." Joyce couldn't say more, and she buried her face in Jamie's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Jamie. Could you... Could you forgive me?"

She simply stayed like that for a while. The blares of car horns and cafe music crept in through the windows, but not a sound came from her.