A Transition Proposal

Armando woke, gasping for air. His breaths were raspy and gravelly, and he felt as if thousands of needles pierced his skin. He felt squeezed by very tight and slimy rubber, his groin and ball sack squeezed upwards, and his nostrils and mouth full of mucus. He breathed through his mouth, spitting as he exhaled, as his consciousness slowly recovered from the crushing feeling that left him breathless.

As he tried to stand up, he noticed more changes. His hips were large, and his rear was rotund but dragging down. He felt two heavy mounds of meat hanging from his chest, and long strands of damp hair all over his head. He touched his face, which felt soft but sagging. He looked at his fingers, long but thick, with long fingernails and no bodily hair. He looked downwards, noticing the two mounds of flesh were breasts – breasts that felt uncannily real to the touch. He swallowed his abdomen and leaned back, touching his groin only to notice his penis was completely gone, replaced only by a wiry bush of hair.

The revelation startled him, and as he fell to the floor, he heard the voice of Evelyn from the distance. “Mathilda?”, she asked. “You’re awake?”

“There’s someone else here?” His voice was as raspy as his breath, but it sounded lighter – coming from his nose rather than his throat. “Ay Dios mío, is that how I sound?”

“That’s how she sounded, my dear.” Evelyn slid near him, extending her hand. “How does it feel?”

“Disgusting. I feel like thousands of needles are punching through my skin, and I feel off-balance.”

“That’s how it feels at first. You’ll get used to it.” Evelyn placed her hands on his body and pushed it inwards. “Straighten your posture! Your back will suffer if you walk like that.”

He found it hard to remain straight. “It feels like I’m getting crushed.”

“Again, that’s how it feels at first.” She stopped, posing menacingly. “Come on... You’re not going to squeeze them?”

“Squeeze what?”

“These!”, Evelyn cried as she fondled his new breasts. “They’re flabby right now, but that’s because you need more fat in your body.”

“Wh... Why do they feel so real!?”

“Those ‘thousands of needles’ you’re feeling? They’re neural connectors. They connect the nerves in the matrix sheath to your own nerves. The longer you wear this flesh, the feel will be much better.”

“Feel?”

“Yes. In the case of cross-gender suits, I had to devise how best to mimic the feeling of real breasts. Figures that, once I added the cells, the pathways would correct themselves to the proper connectors.”

“So, it’s not immediate?”

Evelyn giggled. “Not yet, my dear! It’s the first time you’re wearing her. She’s adapting to you.”

“Adapting?”

The pair moved towards Evelyn’s desk, taking opposite chairs. Armando tried to cover his new body’s private parts, but she dismissed him. “Darling, I’ve seen your naked body almost every day. It’s beautiful. Why would you cover it?”

“Because...”

“Prudence?” Evelyn sighed, slowly taking off her clothes. “Perhaps this will make you feel better.”

“Oh no, I think this isn’t--” He felt his groin trying to expand, then crushed back. “--prudent!”

“Cast prudence to the wind, my dear Mathilda! Feel the cool air on your flesh. Feel the smoothness of the chair’s fabric. Feel the suppleness of your skin. Embrace these new sensations.”

Armando groaned. “It... feels painful down below.”

“The skin is trying to hold your penis in place – it's adapting to you, after all. The sheath is designed to wrap around someone Mathilda’s size or smaller. You’re taller, your shoulders are broader, but you also lack some of her structure. As the sheath draws from you, it’ll start to stretch and rearrange until it fits you better. Soon, it’ll feel as if you’re wearing nothing!”

“Like...” Armando gulped, watching Evelyn’s supple naked body. “Like in your case?”

“Indeed.”

“But if it stretches...”

“That is a peculiarity of the matrix sheath. It accepts information from a donor cell but rearranges it to a single owner. I couldn’t give you my body to wear because it has bonded to me – and just by wearing it, I cannot wear your body because it is bonding to you. The longer you wear it, the better it will fit you – but it will fit you, and only you.”

Armando hummed. “So that’s why you said this...skin, body, whatever you want to call it...is mine.”

“Indeed. The moment you stepped inside Mathilda, she would bind to you. It’d be worthless for me, or for anyone. Though, there is a possibility that it may bond to someone else, but that depends on how long you’ve worn it.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you were to take the sheath right now, it wouldn’t have enough time to bind to you. The possibility that someone else wears it and adapt to their body remains quite high, but it’ll decrease by the hour. In one day, the possibility is almost non-existent. In a week, the sheath will mold to your own body – no one else will be able to wear it.”

“I see...” Armando rubbed his neck. “And what was that injection for?”

“Triggering the regeneration mechanism.”

“Re-regeneration!?”

Evelyn scoffed. “Dear, your body replaces dozens and hundreds of cells per minute! What I did was to jumpstart the cell replacement cycle to seal you up. The nerve connectors – the cilia, as I mentioned – are also drawing nutrients from your body.”

“Explain to me like I’m five.”

“Promise you won’t tear Mathilda’s flesh apart from you?”

Armando gulped. “I suppose it’s bad.”

“Not exactly, but it sounds just as bad as you think. You see, Mr. Armando – Mathilda is feeding off you. She needs energy and nutrients to replace the cells she’s currently losing.”

“F-feeding?”

“You have an extra organ surrounding all of you, my dear friend.” Evelyn moved towards a nearby sink, filling a glass with water and handing a pill to him. “This is a multivitamin. It will replace the nutrients you lost. You’ll lose some protein and fat, though, so I recommend you dress up so we can eat.”

“Then, it won’t kill me?”

“You saw me when I took Mrs. Baumgardner off, no? Your body will be pale, full of red dots and humid, but as long as you feed properly you won’t feel any weakness or ailment. You will need to increase your caloric intake, however – and consume supplements as well.”

Armando’s eyelids popped open, making him feel the weight of the bags beneath. “This is too much for me to process.”

“You’re the one asking all the questions. I only satisfy your curiosity.”

“I can’t help it! I have so many! Like – why do I speak with a different voice?”

“Remember that thing I asked you to swallow?” Evelyn chortled as Armando blushed through his new cheeks. “That extends all the way to your throat. You effectively have a new throat, complete with new vocal cords. And before you ask – the sheath at that portion is thin and malleable, which prevents you from triggering your gag reflexes. Consider it a minor benefit.”

“My gums feel strange, though.”

“That is because you lack her dentures.” Evelyn handed a plastic case holding very realistic veneers. “This will help with that.”

“Are they...?” Armando asked as he shook the upper denture.

“Synthetic, but they’ll mold to your teeth, gums and jaw in no time.”

Armando sighed, rubbing his eyes. He was startled by the new sensations running within his body. “So, other than the teeth and... I guess, the plumbing down below, I look exactly like this Mathilda?”

Evelyn grasped his hand, rubbing it. “I wouldn’t say that you ‘look’ like her, even though it’s a correct assessment. To me, you are now her. No one that you meet will know that, under that broken beauty of yours likes a noble and diligent man.” She leaned back, relaxing on her chair. “Do you mind if I call you ‘Mathilda’ from now on?”

He shrugged. “Sure, if it makes you feel comfortable.”

“It won’t make me feel comfortable unless it makes you feel comfortable. My friend, everyone that sees you will see a woman. You will not be called ‘sir’ but ‘madam’, or perhaps ‘miss’; when people ask their name, they’ll wonder what kind of parents would give their daughter a man’s name – and a Spanish name at that, when you appear nothing like one.”

“I don’t?” He groaned, rubbing his face. “Of course not. My voice sounds different; of course I must look different. I bet I must look like a monster, though.”

“Perhaps if you see yourself?” Evelyn led him towards the free-standing mirror in the changing spot, and for the first time Armando could see what she saw on him.

His hair – her hair – was now dryer and looser but reached all the way to his – her – shoulders. The bags on his – her – eyes gave her a tired look, but her cheeks were plump, stretched by his – her – chin, giving him – her – an oval face. He – she – was hunching, but as he – she – straightened up, she could see her figure completely. Her breasts sagged like raindrops just touching the ground, like grapefruits hanging from bags on her chest but spread out like gel. He – she – was surprised by how slim she was, compared to when she saw her for the first time; there was a small bloat in her abdomen, but it straightened out as she did, giving her the barest of an hourglass figure. Her hips were large – immense, she thought – and soft and squishy, and her groin had a small bush of hair all the way down her anus. Her legs needed shaving, however, and so did her armpits.

Perhaps she wasn’t conventionally beautiful – no blonde hair, no gleaming and smooth skin, no luscious breasts and flat tummy, no round and baby-like face – but she had something alluring to her. She touched her face, staring in awe. “This is me?”

“This is you, my dear. Now you see it? You’re beautiful.”

She cackled. “No such thing, Dr. Evelyn. I look like shit – but I don’t look like complete shit. Maybe if I lost these bags and had facial surgery--”

Evelyn slapped her. “Mathilda! You’re thinking like a man. Stop it!”

“But I am a man – just one that looks like a woman. I wasn’t born one.”

Evelyn sighed. “True, my dear. Don’t worry – I'll teach you the finer points of a woman’s life. Of course – if you agree to my partnership.”

“I was expecting to hear when I’d be duped.”

“I’m not deceiving you, my friend. I made three offers. The skin, the room and her life are yours, but my help depends on accepting my partnership proposal. And of course, my request to take the job as maid for the De Leons is a favor I’m asking – one that you shouldn’t feel pressured to take. You could certainly learn how to behave as a woman on your own – or perhaps give Mathilda a tomboy attitude. What you do with that face and that body depends greatly on you, but I’m more than eager to help with your transition.”

“Transition...” The befuddled woman snorted. “Good one.”

“Why do you say it’s a good one?” As she noticed her friend pointing at Mathilda’s body, she chortled. “Oh! Well, consider it’s not entirely a gender transition but also a life transition. Life as a woman is very different from life as a man, but the same applies to a young Mexican man adopting the life of a Caucasian ex-addict undergoing recovery.”

“The meaning behind it is ironic, though. I wasn’t planning on becoming a woman the moment I lost my job, let alone live my life as one.”

“Which is why I said it’s not entirely that kind of transition. The benefit is that you can always take her off.” Evelyn moved to the locker and took clothes from it. “Not now, though. I want your companionship, after all.”

--

“I don’t feel comfortable.”

Armando never imagined that the idiom “being uncomfortable in your own skin” could become so literal. He wriggled on Evelyn’s couch, struggling with the act of sitting. He pinched and pulled on his jeans, fixing his maroon blouse and the padded bra underneath that squeezed his new breasts. A denim vest was thrown aside along the purse Evelyn had given him.

“I already explained, darling. The suit is adapting to you.”

“It’s not just the feeling”, he insisted. “I feel like they were watching me.”

Evelyn appeared from the bedroom with a catty smile. “You were really afraid you were going to be read?”

“Is that supposed to mean they were going to figure out I’m a man?”

“Pretty much! But they didn’t, no?”

Armando crumpled on the couch, wrapping his arms around his breasts. “Luckily not.”

“Dear, the only reason they looked at you that way was because you were acting out. You pass as a woman in plain sight.”

“Why wouldn’t I act up? My dick’s getting crushed by this skin, these breasts are heavy, I feel like I’m wearing something smaller than my size and my buttcheeks are swallowing my panties!”

Evelyn giggled. “I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if you saw a woman with an ass the size of Kim Kardashian getting her panties swallowed by her buttcheeks, now do you?”

“I wouldn’t”, he replied after a long silence.

“Why?”

“Because...” Armando sighed, speaking in a rougher tone. “Alright - I’d definitely find that kind of image attractive, but I’d immediately feel bad about it.”

“And I assume it is because of your upbringing?”

Armando was about to stand in a burst, but a tug on his back sent him crashing towards the couch. “Dr. Evelyn, I try not to focus on a woman’s body! And if you need to ask – yes, wearing this woman’s flesh has given me a new insight on how uncomfortable it must be to--”

“Mr. Armando?”, Evelyn uttered in a low growl. “Her name is Mathilda. Have some respect for the woman you’re effectively wearing.”

He groaned. “Alright, fine! I apologize. It’s part of what makes me so uncomfortable – it feels as if I had stolen her life.”

“You didn’t”, Evelyn said as she approached the couch, rubbing his hunched shoulder. “You haven’t. Mathilda sadly had no chance to defeat her addiction. I couldn’t do anything to stop her death – I tried to avoid it, but when she refused, all I could do was ease her passing.”

“It still doesn’t feel right...” Armando leaned forward, scratching his back. “How do I take this off!?”

“Mr. Armando...” Evelyn grabbed his hands, pressing them gently. “Stay inside of Mathilda. Perhaps you’re not as she was, but to me, it is as if I was seeing her again. Would you appease me with this selfish request?”

He lowered his hands slowly after a long period of thought. “Dr. Evelyn, I wouldn’t say it’s selfish. You’re grieving for her – otherwise, you’d have said it differently.”

“How?”

“As an order, if you wanted me here for whatever purpose you wanted. Or as you did when you asked me to touch her breasts – appealing to my sense of lust. The way you touched me... You didn’t want to let her go, no?”

Evelyn’s face soured. “You have no idea. I saw her at the pinnacle of her beauty – before her addiction ravaged her. You are reflecting but a portion of her beauty by wearing...well, the synthetic replica of her flesh. It is selfish, though – she'll never return, and I’m forcing you to live within her flesh even if it feels uncomfortable.”

“Dr. Evelyn, you offered me a way out of my problems, and I accepted. I’m as selfish as you are by accepting this gift. I’m just... dealing with my feelings of guilt.”

“Don’t.” Evelyn sat near the man wearing her departed friend’s face. She grasped his – her – face, staring straight into the man’s eyes. “You’re not stealing her life. You are giving her a new chance in life. Perhaps the one I knew and loved is long gone, but I know I left her life in good hands.” She grabbed his – her – hands, fingers rubbing on fingers. “And I can’t wait to see how a new Mathilda manifests on you – in the same way I manifest a different expression of Martha Baumgardner.”

“I can’t promise you anything”, he said, his voice taking on a mischievous tone that brought a smile to Evelyn’s face. “I have no idea how to act as a woman.”

“Fortunately for you”, Evelyn said as she rose from the couch with flair, “you have a magnificent teacher in me. I had to study how a woman behaves to pass better, after all.”

“That’s something you mentioned. ‘Passing’ as a woman.”

“It’s...” Evelyn twirled her hand as she walked to the kitchen. “...a term that crossdressers use. If no one manages to figure that you’re a man, you ‘pass’. If someone does, they ‘read’ you. As I said, you pass as a woman even in close observation – no one that sees you naked will say that you’re a man.” She returned, handing a glass of juice to her companion. “They’ll say you’re a butch.”

“Um, you mean... A very masculine lesbian, right?”

“To put it very succinctly. You think as a man, and it reflects on how you project yourself. There’s nothing wrong in preferring women as a woman yourself, but you’re denying yourself the full experience.”

Armando sneered uncomfortably. “You don’t mean--?”

“My dear, you weren’t my first. And you won’t be my last.”

He felt like throwing up. “Oh God, it’s true...!”

“Want to know a secret?” Evelyn crossed her leg, smiling. “I had the same thoughts as you did. Unfortunately, madame Baumgardner was a rich man’s widow – to suddenly out herself as lesbian would’ve caused quite a stir, even if she was a private person – perhaps because she was one. And I needed to test if the canal could transmit sexual pleasure.”

“You slept with a man in the name of science, then.”

Evelyn grinned, pinching her companion’s cheek. “I do so love your poignant sarcasm, my dear.” Armando rubbed his cheek, feeling as if she pinched his real one. “But yes, I said that to myself at first. ‘This is for science; I must experience how this works’ and so on. The first time, it was an eye-opening, if awkward, experience. Next time, I was taking copious mental notes. By the fifth or sixth time I was improving the design for realism. And now? I seek young and virile men to fulfill my sexual desires.”

“So... You’re not interested in women anymore?”

Evelyn stared at her companion, pursing her lips. “You could say so – though I find it offensive that you feel so uncomfortable because of that.”

“I don’t feel comfortable with the idea of doing it with another man--” Armando’s eyes blew open, his lids snapping off those of Mathilda’s face. He winced, rubbing his eyes. “Sorry. This is just too new for me.”

“Dear, I won’t take it against you. You made your disagreement obvious last time.”

“Yeah, but...” Armando groaned. “You told me you didn’t consider yourself a man anymore.”

“I distinctively recall mentioning that it was pointless to me. You’re not entirely wrong, though. Under this delectable skin, I am very much a man. I just choose not to present myself like one any further – particularly when I wear this.”

“It’s just that... You felt so sad when I told you that.”

“My dear, I was sympathizing with your plea. I could’ve done different.” Evelyn grasped and squeezed Armando’s hand. “This is new to you, and I recognize it must be a shock. I’m here to help guide you into this new life.”

“And I appreciate it, but...” Armando covered his face. “I’m sorry for exploding like that. Can we just... ignore that part?”

“Perhaps, but I must insist. Do not deny yourself that experience, my dear. Try it at least once. If you feel you can’t proceed, then I’ll desist - as long as you make a genuine effort.” Evelyn patted her companion’s thigh, shaking it. “I wasn’t going to send you to the wolves unprepared – I expected to let you play with your new parts before, say, making the upgrade to live action.”

The response baffled Armando. “You mean you wanted me to play with, um... This thing?”, he said as he pointed downwards.

“Well, of course”, she replied with a grin. She moved her fingers towards his groin, startling him. “Though I really want you calling it your pussy – because it is.”

“Dr. Evelyn? Please stop it.”

The doctor sighed in frustration, removing her hand. “Alright, my dear. I respect consent, after all.” She moved her fingers to her own groin, moaning. “But I insist. Maybe not tonight – you should eat well and get a good night’s rest to let the sheath stretch and encompass you better – but perhaps tomorrow night. Start with your fingers, then with a thick, long thing rammed up inside.”

“Um, y-you...” Armando tittered. “Dr. Evelyn, am I right in what I’m thinking?”

“What?”, she purred.

“You’re horny, right?”

“Indeed. The mere thought excites me.” She slipped her fingers off, clenching her thighs. “But it’s unfair that I think of myself when I should think about you. When I think about how you will enjoy this experience, I feel a different excitement.”

“Dr. Evelyn, are you serious!?”

“I am. But not a sexual one.” She drew a gentle, warm smile on her lips. “It’s joy. Knowing that someone I care about will engage in their own journey of discovery; that I’ll have someone to talk about our shared experiences rather than keep them to myself.”

Armando shook his head. “Alright. That’s something I didn’t expect.”

“Perhaps you expect me to be a pervert?” She sighed, getting comfortable on the couch. “I won’t deny I am one – it takes deviation from the norm to wear the synthetic flesh of a woman you considered your friend in life – but I’m also very curious. Do you understand why I want your friendship now? I want someone diametrically opposite to me to share my journey, undergo one of their own, and compare them. I want a confidante to whom I could tell my deepest, darkest secrets – even if that means I’d feel judged by them. And seeing that you’re taking this better than I thought is refreshing. I wouldn’t want you to end your journey and see me as a depraved monster because of something I did.”

“Monsters don’t have emotions.” Armando’s claim drove Evelyn into a profound silence – so profound, it startled him. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Oh, no! Of course you didn’t! It’s just that... it’s so unusual to hear it. Is that what you think of me? That I can’t be a monster because I have emotions?”

“Yeah. You’re strange, for sure. And a pervert. You can also be a little shady. But you’re also charming, and your strangeness can be charming too. You’re like an excitable little kid.”

Evelyn grinned, teary-eyed. “That’s the most noble compliment someone could’ve given me.” She slapped her thighs, gasping. “Oh dear, we haven’t eaten anything! Want some takeover? How about Chinese? I’m hankering for some lo mein and General Tso’s chicken.”

“I was half expecting you’d say Mexican.”

“I’m not so cruel as to suggest that in jest! Though – if you want Mexican food, I’d ask your opinion on where. I’d appreciate enjoying genuine Mexican food.”

“Well, there’s a food truck two blocks from where I worked. They’re the real deal.”

“Then maybe some other time you can take me there. For now...” Evelyn moved towards the phone, shaking her hips as she walked. “...get yourself comfortable. And you can take your clothes off if you want to.”

“Why would I?”

“You’re awfully overdressed, my dear. Don’t you want to feel your new skin?”