Scott flinched as porcelain scattered behind him. He took a quick step to stand in front of Mollie. Just in case her mother threw another mug.

"You!" Mollie's mother pointed at him as if Scott was the devil incarnate. "You poisoned her! With this nonsense." She lifted up the digital tablet that had escalated the situation. "Technology!" She spat out that word as if it was filth. Then she glared past Scott to her daughter. "Didn't we teach you better? We only use nature or magic!"

Scott could feel Mollie's hands cling to his back. Digging her fingers into his pullover as if her life depended on it. He knew she was frightened, but still, she fought back. "Magic is technology. It is a manipulative quantum field that-"

"Enough!" Mollie's mother threw the digital tablet on the floor. It shattered into a thousand pieces. "I don't want to hear another word. To your room!"

Scott's view shifted. He was outside of Mollie's house. A hastily packed bag landed beside him in the grass. "Be careful!" he urged his girlfriend who tried not to lose her balance or grip on the roof tiles slick with morning dew.

Worried, he saw Mollie make her way to the edge and then climb down the trellis that was part of the porch. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Scott rushed to her. Drawing her into an embrace and kissing her deeply.

"Are we really doing this?" Mollie whispered as they broke for air.

"If you let me, I will take you far away," Scott promised.

Mollie took a last glance back at her parent's house. "I never want to return here."

Scott offered his hand and as she took it, both ran towards freedom. Hardly any time at all passed before they were in the middle of a forest. Pushing through some underbrush, they arrived at an old dirt road.

"Is this it?" Mollie asked while pointing at an automobile barely in sight. She sounded excited. Eagerly pulling him closer.

"It's not much," Scott remarked as they arrived at the van a few seconds later. "But it should run just fine. By tomorrow, we will be far away."

"Let's go." Mollie urged him. "Come on, Scott."

"One last thing before we leave forever." He fell on one of his knees. Pulling out a ring with a small gemstone inlet I to the band. "Mollie, will you marry me?"

"Yes. Yes, I do." He slipped the ring on her finger and Mollie looked so happy as she looked at it. "It's beautiful. Where did you get it?"

Before Scott could answer, he was blinded by a bright light. It was enough to wake him up. However, the sight that greeted him was just as beautiful. Mollie was close to him and still soundly asleep. He scooted a little closer to escape the ray of sunshine that had woken him. Then, he gently brushed a strand of hazelnut hair out of Mollie's face. Every time he looked at her, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world all over again.

For a moment, Scott's thoughts returned to his dream. It was an amalgamation of his memories. He hadn't been there that last evening when Mollie's parents had found the digital tablet he had sourced for her. But he had witnessed the tantrums often enough that his mind could reconstruct the scene.

He had been there the next morning. So early the sun hadn't yet risen. Called by a little magic spell Mollie had used. Unlike his dream, it had taken hours to reach the woods and find the van he had hidden there. Their escape had taken two days before either of them relaxed. Then, after one week of freedom, Scott proposed.

It was funny how a dream could compress all these events into a single day. He wondered how often he would continue to dream about it. It was the story of their happy end. The happy ever after that they now enjoyed. But it was also a reminder of the darkness they both had escaped.

His thoughts returned to the present as Mollie stirred. Slowly blinking awake, Scott was drawn in by her unusual eyes - irises that were purple but shifted to brown on the outside - and the warm smile.

"Good morning," Mollie whispered.

"Good morning, my love," Scott returned.

They shared a kiss. And, as usual, it led to more. A half-hour later, they actually got up. Scott opened the side door of the van and stretched his body. Enjoying the sun and overall nice weather.

"I'll make us breakfast," Scott volunteered. Grabbing the small camping cooker from the van and a few ingredients.

"Thanks." Mollie gave him a lovely smile and then grabbed her digital tablet. A new one they had gotten recently. Opening up the rear of the van, she started to make herself comfortable and began studying.

Mollie's mother might have accused Scott of ruining her, but he knew better. She was a rebel. The first time Scott had met her, it was in a public liberal two towns over from where she lived. Just being there was taboo in the Arcane-Luddite settlement where she had grown up. Her education had been seriously lacking and now she was determined to catch up.

The breakfast came together nicely. A few eggs from the farm Scott had helped out yesterday and some greens and veggies Mollie had scavenged from the nearby woods. It wasn't much, but enough for them. Helping them save on the precious little money they had.

Mollie kept scrolling through the tablet. "The internet is so slow here," she cursed to herself but then looked up at Scott. "How are the batteries?"

"I'll check." He got up and walked to the van. Specifically to the driver's side and poked his head in. "Give or take thirty percent." The small van ran on electric motors and had solar panels on the roof. It wasn't a beast to haul stuff and couldn't keep up with faster automobiles, but it was enough for them. "Maybe one or two percent more when we get ready to leave," Scott added after returning to the small camping site they shared their breakfast at.

"That should last about two hours of driving," Mollie mused aloud. Tapping a bit more on her tablet, she took her sweet time to eat up. "Should be enough to reach a town called Frumond. Maybe a little further. We could look for more work there."

Whenever they had the opportunity to earn a few bucks, Scott and Mollie took it. But they didn't look for permanent work or residence yet. They still traveled away from the Pennsylvanian Heartland and the Arkane-Luddite settlement Mollie had grown up in.

"Sounds like a plan," Scott remarked. "Eat up and we can get going."

Mollie gave him a raspberry and proceeded to slowly eat her food. Probably enjoying it more than Scott had. Not that he minded. He loved her little antics. While Mollie finished her breakfast, Scott prepared the van. Not that there was much to do. He folded up the mattress and the large sleeping back they shared. Then moved some of their belongings from the passenger seat to the back of the van. There really wasn't much space. The van was quite small. It had roof rails, but they didn't have any hard cases they could strap to it. Maybe they will find some soon. Of course, they would block the two solar panels that powered their van.

A quarter-hour later, everything was stowed, and they hit the road. As always, Scott drove while Mollie played navigator from the passenger seat. He had given her some driving lessons in empty parking lots, but she was far from ready to hit the open road.

"Told you we will make it." Mollie gave him a self-serving grin an hour and forty minutes later as they passed the town sign for Frumond.

"I never doubted you," Scott remarked. Then, he slowed down the van a little. "Keep your eyes peeled for job offers."

Apparently, they weren't the only people roaming the land by car. There was a whole culture about free living for nomadic travelers. As such, many employers from large to small took advantage and offered small temporary jobs. They weren't the best paying, but it was enough to make a small living from it. Especially if one lived as frugally as Scott and Mollie. Most of Scott's savings had been annihilated when he bought the van. Thanks to the hard work of both of them, the few hundred bucks he had were now close to a grand.

"Scott, look!" Mollie pointed out a larger store at the side.

Scott couldn't see a board with a job offer, but that was okay. Mollie had spotted one of the Garments Second Life stores. A reseller of second-hand clothing. They both had escaped their old life with not a lot of outfits to their name and the roaming freelancer work had caused some wear and tear. The first time they had shopped at one of these, they had gotten a good deal. As Scott drove the van onto the shop's parking lot, he mused that this kind would be their preferred shopping method for quite a while.

"We've got to get you a pair of new jeans or two," Mollie said as she left the van. Then continued as Scott was out too and caught up to her. "T-shirts too. And maybe some work boots if they have them."

"All of that we need for you too," Scott reminded her. "That harvesting gig recently had been good and got us some cash. But it was horrible on our clothes."

The store was decently sized. Not as large as a department store, but as they entered, Mollie and Scott saw enough products that different areas were reserved for different kinds of clothing.

"Ready?" Mollie asked. Eagerly rubbing her hands. "Last time felt like a big treasure hunt."

"One we pay for," Scott reminded her, but he eased up as he saw Mollie's smile. It was infectious. "Just remember, doesn't just have to be in decent shape, but also affordable enough."

"Cheapskate," Mollie teased. Of course, they both knew their financial limitations.

Over the next hour, they methodically moved from area to area. Finding decent enough jeans wasn't the problem. Neither was finding shirts and tops. There was plenty of selection for those. Scott struck out on boots, but Mollie found a decent pair that was barely used.

"Come here," Scott suddenly said and grabbed Mollie's hand. Gently dragging her past rows of dresses. Not that she needed those. Her upbringing had been very traditional and she had more dresses than she wanted to wear. She only had packed her favorite two and barely wore them since having purchased her first jeans.

"Oh Scott, we can't," Mollie exclaimed as she saw where he was dragging her.

"Maybe not in our budget now, but we can pretend for a moment, right?" With a flourish, Scott pulled out a white wedding dress from dozens of similar ones. "How about this one or is that too much lace?"

Mollie tried to give him a stern look but then broke out in a smile. "Not enough lace!" She joined Scott in looking through those available dresses.

Scott's determination to make Mollie his wife and make her happy grew with each dress they examined together. Technically she was his fiancé, but both knew it would be quite some time before the wedding bells would ring for them. They had talked about it in detail and agreed on a plan. First, they needed to find a place to settle down. Of course, they needed some money, but both were determined to make new friends. Those who supported their marriage instead of shunning them both for their love. And only then, they would say their vows and tie the knot. It might be months off or even years.

As they neared the end of available wedding dresses, Scott noticed Mollie being distracted by a nearby display. "You know, nothing stopping you from looking over there too."

"Really?" Mollie asked with big doe eyes.

There were times when Mollie's upbringing still shone through and Scott vowed to enable her instead of keeping her down. "Really," he confirmed as he offered her his hand. Together, they walked over to the women's lingerie section.

This was not the plain underwear Mollie had grown up with and expected to wear. The finer threats made for decorative and flattering garments that were mostly unsuitable for daily wear. Especially for the gigs of random freelancing they did.

Mollie roamed through a few garments on display. Her eyes wide as those of a child in a candy store. With a giggle, she looked at Scott. "I feel so naughty right now. Just from looking at them."

"You know we can afford one or two of these if you like them," Scott reminded her. Money was tight, but if it made her happy he was all for it. Not to mention that he would benefit from it too. Still, looking at some of those price tags made his stomach flip. A set of bra, panty, and garters could be as expansive as a third to half of the pile of clothes they already had put together.

"It is not something I really need right now," Mollie said more to herself than to Scott. Then the childish mischievous grin returned. "But I can certainly look."

They looked through a few sets. Not all were to Mollie's taste and those that were often were in the wrong size. There was one maybe, when Mollie suddenly grabbed Scott's arm. "Look! They have a corset!"

A little confused, Scott followed as Mollie dragged him towards it. The corset was unlike the corsets he knew. It wasn't lacy or see-through. Instead, the material was thick. It appeared to be quite rigid too. The color stood out too. Similar to hot pink, but a tad bit more dipping into the red spectrum.

"Isn't that a bit narrow at the waist for you?" Scott remarked.

"That's the point. Look, do you see these strings at the back?" Mollie turned the corset around for him to see. "They are thicker because they are used to close the corset from behind. Pulling it narrower. It is called tight-lacing. I heard these kinds of corsets can be popular with Southern Belles and with those dancers in the West. What was the dance they revived? Can Can, I think."

"How do you know all that?" Scott asked, amazed. "Aren't you supposed to be this naive blue-eyed girl that doesn't know the larger world?"

"Not blue-eyed," Mollie insisted. "And I only know because we are driving south. So I did some research and found out about Southern Belles. I got curious why a few had such narrow waists and- "Mollie stopped as she saw the mirth in Scott's eyes. She didn't have to explain herself. He was just teasing her. "Well, ever since I wondered how it would feel to wear a tight-lacing corset."

"Uncomfortable, I would guess," Scott quipped. "But if you really are just curious, we can duck into the changing room and you can try it out."

Mollie looked left and right, before leaning over to Scott. "Let's do it."

Amused, Scott shook his head as he followed Mollie to the changing rooms. He was half-minded to tell her that what she was about to do wasn't illegal, but he was too amused to point it out.

Scott placed their basket of finds aside and settled in for a little wait, but Mollie had other plans. "Honey, come in here. I need your help." A little curious, Scott slipped into the booth. Spying Mollie half-undressed was a sight he would never grow tired of. She had slung the corset around her and closed it in the front. As she saw him enter, she had new orders for him. "Can you lace me up? It is rather awkward if I do it myself."

Scott needed a moment to sort through the many strings at the back of the corset. They crisscrossed a large gap of fabric and were weaved through eyelets. It took a moment to determine that it was just one string tied into a big complicated loop. Two smaller loops extended from the waist and Scott determined this was the most likely point to tighten the whole corset at once.

"Just tell me when to stop," Scott reminded his fiancé. "I don't want to hurt you."

As Mollie nodded, Scott started to pull. First, until the string grew taunt. Then, he pulled at the loops of string a bit more. Eliciting an "Uff" from Mollie. But she was quick to urge him on for more.

Hesitant, Scott gradually tightened the corset until the gap was half closed. "How does that feel?"

"Kind of restricted. Like a hug. A really tight one," Mollie admitted while admiring her altered silhouette in the mirror. Letting her hands roam over her waist as if she couldn't believe how small it had gotten. She even tried to bend forward but found out quickly how stiff and unyielding the corset was. Then, suddenly, she gasped. "That's strange."

"What is it?" Scott immediately wanted to know. "Does it hurt? Should I undo it?"

"No. I am fine." Mollie sounded more confused than hurt too. "It is just- It felt really tight, but the feeling melted away. As if my body adjusted to it really quickly. I wonder- Can you tighten it some more?"

Scott looked a little doubtful at Mollie. Her waist already was significantly altered and compressed. But she appeared fine. Cautiously, Scott tightened it more. Only to grow confused too. Each pull on the string had been harder than before, but now it had become easier again. Maybe Mollie had been right and her body had adjusted to it.

He stopped as the gap neared three-quarters closed, but Mollie urged him on. "More. It's so strange. I feel it tighten and then the pressure goes away faster and faster. It's amazing."

At last, the gap was closed. The corset was reduced to the highest compression possible. "I think that's it," Scott said and took a step back. "It's closed and look at you. How is this possible?"

Mollie twisted and turned in front of the mirror. Admiring her altered state. Her waist had been reduced by half or even more. "How is this possible?" she whispered. Then turned around to Scott. "It is tight, but I don't feel any pressure whatsoever."

A sneaking suspicion unfolded within Scott. "Maybe it is enchanted."

Mollie looked down at the corset and then back up to Scott. "Maybe. I've seen instances of permanently altered objects by applied quantum field before, but not to this extent."

Of both of them, Mollie was more knowledgeable in the applied quantum field. More often referred to as magic. No one could really explain how it functioned, but a certain percentage of people had access to it and its effects on an instinctual level. Its utilization varied from region to region. In some, it was outlawed. Others barely tolerated it. For societies like the one Mollie came from, it was embraced to an unreasonable degree.

"You know, you can just call it magic, right?" Scott teased. "It is a lot shorter."

Mollie gave him a deadpan look before continuing. "Well, whatever this quantum effect is, it doesn't appear to be harmful. If it is a quantum effect. I wish I still had access to a quantum-powered tablet."

Scott gave a nod. Compared to digital tablets, enchanted tablets were worse in nearly every aspect. Instead of running on electricity and boolean logic, they utilized the quantum field that surrounded New Terra. As it still was barely understood, enchanted tablets were slow, had limited function, and couldn't access the internet.

Their advantages were few. Societies like Mollie's original one could claim it was not technological and part of nature. Despite that, it was technically not true. They also had the ability to utilize the quantum field in a limited way. Mollie probably meant the function to take pictures of an area and have a visual representation of the quantum field was actively manipulating anything.

"Are you sure you are fine?" Scott asked. Worry crept into his voice. "Magic is known to be unpredictable and it could possibly affect your mind."

After a moment of thinking, Mollie grew worried too. "The corset could be crushing my waist and the quantum field is just suppressing my pain? I hope not. Let's get me out of it."

Scott did his best to undo the lacing quickly. As soon as there was a finger-wide gap, Mollie let out a gasp. Scott was about to ask when he saw the cause for Mollie's surprise himself. She had been able to undo the clasps in the front of the corset and it came apart as intended. However, the skin revealed beneath was without blemish. No bruises or signs of crushing could be seen. Instead, Mollie now had an altered physique with an impossibly narrow waist. It now looked like she had been born with an exaggerated hourglass figure.

"That is amazing!" Mollie exclaimed. "Simply miraculous."

"I am not sure I like that." Scott's facial expression turned more and more worried. "Is that permanent? What about your organs? Where did they go?"

"Everything alright in there?"

The sudden voice made them both jump in shock.

Mollie was the first to find her voice. "Yes. We'll be out soon."

"Ah, no hurry, darling." It must be the store's clerk that had surprised them. "If anything is too tight or too wide, there is a tailor down the street that can do alterations."

"No, all good," Mollie spoke up.

"I am not sure that is true," Scott whispered to her.

"No need to panic yet," Mollie whispered and then went for her original bra and top. Fully dressed, she held up the corset to exercise it closer. "I wouldn't have thought we'd stumble upon an enchanted garment here. Much less so a corset. I wonder how it got here. Maybe we can take it with us?"

Scott was more hesitant. This thing just had altered his fiancé. Maybe permanently. There was no telling what consequences would come out of it. He needed a way to dissuade Mollie from clinging to it. Thankfully, he spied just what he needed.

"Tag says it is seventy dollars," he said and held it up so Mollie could see it too. "That's more than all our other purchases combined."

Mollie might as well have bitten on a lemon. "That's enough to last us two or three weeks in groceries." Dejected, she pulled open the curtain of the changing booth and stepped out. "I really wish we could splurge on this."

"That old thing?"

Once again, they both were surprised by the clerk nearby. Filling up a few racks nearby. Mollie was startled enough to stumble backwards and Scott was quick enough to steady her with a hand to her backside. Of course, it reminded him of her altered physique underneath her now very loose top.

"It's been on the rack before I even started here," the clerk conversationally added as she walked over. "Told the owner we have to lower the price, but he doesn't want to go lower than seventy." She looked contemplative for a moment and then pointed down on the shopping back with their intended purchases. "You appear a bit tight on money. How much worth you got in there?"

"We can afford it," Mollie blurt out. Still, the clerk looked expectedly at her. Eventually, Mollie carved in. "About sixty-two dollars worth."

"Sixty-two. The corset is seventy. Hundred and thirty-two total." The clerk nodded and gave them a smile. "Tell you what. We had a large delivery of donated clothing from the region out in the back. Sorting through it is a pain, but maybe you want to give it a try. For both of you, it should take maybe five hours. Give or take. Instead of money, I can offer you those clothes and the corset too. What'ya say?"

Mollie turned to him. Looking expectedly. He was half-minded to reject the offer. It would be a nice way to get distance from a garment some might say was cursed. But even without the corset, the offer was a nice break. They could get their outfits and save money.

"Thank you for the offer," Scott spoke up. "We will gladly accept."

"Good. Good." The clerk beamed at them. "Saves me the trouble of making a sign for freelancers. Come on. Follow me to the backrooms."

As Scott and Mollie followed, Mollie let out a sudden yelp. Starling Scott. "What is it?"

Instead of answering immediately, Mollie took his hand and placed it on her waist. "It returned to normal," she whispered.

Scott let out a sigh. He had been more worried than he had let on, but it appeared the effect of the corset was temporary. It didn't even last that long. Maybe a couple of minutes.

---

"Today was a great day!" Mollie exclaimed as they roasted a little marinated rabbit meat on a skewer.

Scott gave a perfunctory nod but stayed quiet. It had taken them closer to six hours to sift and sort through the clothes in the backroom. As compensation, the clerk threw in an extra pair of jeans for each of them. They arrived at the camping site in the late afternoon. For once, the battery of their van was not on its last leg. It had plenty of time to recharge in the parking lot.

Normally, they both would forage in the nearby woods, but that duty today fell squarely upon Scott. He managed to hunt a rabbit, but his gathering skills still lacked compared to Mollie.

"Uhh, it is nearly time!" Mollie put the skewer aside and pulled out her digital tablet. Scott could see a countdown that was close to zero by a few seconds.

Mollie pulled up her top to give them both a look at her magically altered waist. Nothing happened as the countdown finished. At least for a few seconds. Then, her shrunk waist slowly expanded to the normal circumference.

"I knew it!" Mollie exclaimed with a big smile. "The duration of the effect last three times the duration of the corset worn. Fifteen minutes of wearing the corset amount to forty-five minutes before it reverts."

"So, your curiosity is satisfied?" Scott asked.

"For now," Mollie confirmed. "I am curious if there is a maximum duration for the lasting effect. But that's for another day to find out." She spotted Scott giving a relieved sigh and she had to ask: "What?"

"It's-" Scott reached out and took Mollie's hand in his own. "I am glad that you enjoying yourself. But I am a little bit worried. In my eyes, you are perfect as you are. I can understand if you want to experiment and maybe reduce your waist a little. Don't be mad, but if you do it all the way, that creeps me out a bit. It doesn't look natural anymore."

"So, you prefer me like this?" Mollie scooted closer. "Perfect as I am now?" She leaned over and rewarded him with a kiss. "How could I be mad at you when you are all sweet like this? Don't worry. Having such a small waist might be a good party trick, but I am not keen to always run around like this."

"Good. I am glad." Scott stole another kiss that was given freely nonetheless. Then, he noticed a glance from Mollie that lasted a little too long. "Mollie. I know what you are up to." As she gave him a little overdone innocent look, Scott had to put down his foot. "I am not wearing the corset."

"Aww, come on," Mollie whined. "I've got to know if it works on a man. Please. Just for a minute. For me?"

Scott stared at those big eyes and knew he was on losing ground. "You are gonna give me those puppy eyes until I say yes, don't you?"

"What puppy eyes?" Mollie asked with the faintest hint of a smirk and then ramped up her game by giving him the most innocent look she could muster. "But I would really like to find out. Pretty please?"

"Fine," Scott relented in a moment of weakness but quickly recovered to set some boundaries. "But not for long. If it works I don't wanna run around with such a narrow waist for hours. And not too tight."

"I swear I won't," Mollie promised while grabbing the corset. Giving Scott a predatory look. "Lose the shirt."

"You are enjoying this way too much," Scott complained as he pulled his shirt over his head.

He lifted his arms so Mollie could place the corset around his waist. On Mollie, the corset reached from her hips up to her breasts. Giving them a little lift with their cups. On Scott, it appeared slightly too small in length. Not quite reaching to his hips and only barely covering his nipples.

"You know," Scott mused as Mollie closed the clasps on the front of the corset. "I don't think this shade of pink is my color."

"Hmm, I don't know. I could get used to it." Then, Mollie had the corset ready to go. "I'll start slowly."

Scott felt the corset tightened around him. First eating up all the space between the fabric and his skin. Then, he felt it tightening around him. There was pressure around his waist, but Mollie indeed took it slow. And the pressure gradually vaned, until Scott couldn't feel it anymore. At least, until Mollie pulled on the strings again.

"I think that is enough," Scott remarked as he guessed the corset made two or three inches of his waist circumference vanish. "It is working."

"Uhm." The sound from Mollie wasn't promising of good things and the corset still tightened. "Don't freak out, Scott, but we have a problem."

"What problem?" he asked worriedly. Turning around to face Mollie. She stared at him with her hands placed in her lap. Still, the corset continued to tighten up. "Wait. It's closing by itself? How do we make it stop?"

"I don't know," Mollie admitted. "Maybe when it closes completely? It never did that when I wore it. Don't panic. I am sure it will turn out fine."

"Easy for you to say!" Scott's breathing got shallower despite that he could breathe just fine. The magic of the corset was still adjusting his waist. Scott fought to stay calm. Whatever the magic of the corset did, it had been temporary on Mollie. There was no reason to think it would be different for him. He turned so his back was to Mollie again. "How much more?"

"Two inches. One. It's closed." Scott could feel Mollie's hands on his now tiny waist. "Oh my gosh. It worked. Your waist is so small. I can span it with my hands."

"How about you get it off?" Scott's voice gained a little panicked edge to it. But before Mollie could react, he saw that it wouldn't be easy. Both loops of the corset's string started to move like snakes. Circling the waist twice and then staying behind his back.

"It's making a knot," Mollie reported. "It stopped moving. Hold on. I try to undo it."

Unable to help, Scott looked down. Hoping to find anything that might give a clue how to escape his fate. What he noticed was worse than he had thought.

"I don't think the corset is done yet!" This time, Scott's voice definitely had risen in pitch. "Mollie, I think I am growing breasts."

"What?" Scott could feel that Mollie stopped fiddling with the knot for a moment. "Your hair is growing too."

"And my pants are getting tighter," Scott added before standing up and shrugging out of the garment. Thankfully not many other people stayed at their current camping place and they had parked some distance away.

"You are definitely turning into a woman," Mollie remarked. It was entirely unnecessary to voice out loud. Not that Scott pointed it out.

"Mollie. I am freaking out here." Scott didn't even sound himself anymore. Even if one discounted the rising panic in his voice. "Tell me this is temporary. That we can reverse it."

"It is!" Mollie hunted for things to say and as she thought about it, a few things fell into place. "Think about it, Scott. This is not random magic. What we perceive as magic is actually a manipulation of the quantum field that surrounds New Terra. It is based on logic." The slow nods from Scott turned a little more eager and Mollie ventured on. "Let's say the purpose of the corset is to change someone into a woman and keep them as such for three times as a woman. Well, for me, I already was a woman. So, it probably didn't have to do a lot of work."

"But it does for me," Scott concluded out loud. "Had more work. I think I am finished."

"Maybe now I can open the corset," she pointed out and made Scott spin around so she could try again. "The knot. I still can't undo it."

Scott looked down. The damage was done. His silhouette was completely female. And, of course, his sex had changed. But he tried not to panic. Mollie was right. There had to be a logic behind it.

"So, let's figure it out together," Scott said more calmly. "The knot has to come loose at some point, right? So, what prevents it from doing so now?"

"What is the purpose of the knot in the first place?" Mollie asked instead. "I bet it is to make sure that the transformation process isn't interrupted."

"But the process is done," Scott pointed out. Then, his eyes grew wide. "But it needs to make sure that I turn back, right? While not wearing the corset. So, it has to enchant me on some level."

"That makes sense," Mollie agreed. She hunted for her digital tablet and showed Scott that she started a countdown. "How long did it take you to transform? A minute? One and a half?"

"I wasn't really in the right state of mind to count seconds," Scott pointed out.

"Right. Let's say one and a half. Plus us figuring out a theory. Say three minutes. Plus whatever it now takes. This, times three, should be the duration it takes before you return to normal." Mollie went for the knot again. "Now, I have to keep trying to undo the strings."

"Just a waiting game," Scott assured himself. Granted, being a woman didn't feel that bad. Most of the sensations that were unfamiliar to him, he could blend out. It was the enormity of a possible permanent change that freaked him out. He was happy being a guy. It felt comfortable. Not to mention that Mollie had fallen in love with a guy. Not a girl. Staying a woman might mean that he would lose what he cherished the most in his life. He couldn't imagine a world without her anymore.

"Got it!" Mollie exclaimed and Scott could see the strings around the waist loosen. Then they vanished from view as Mollie started to undo the backside of the corset. "What does the timer say, Scott?"

"Two minutes and thirty seconds," he replied automatically. Then, Scott made some mental calculations. "The knot stayed in place for five to five and a half minutes." He reset the timer to see if his next guess would pan out. "That means in about a quarter-hour I should turn back. Maybe a little longer."

He felt the corset loosen and then come off his skin. A second later, Mollie reached from behind and undid the clasps in the front. "There. Got you free. Now it is just a waiting game."

"Quarter-hour. Nothing to it," he agreed. Half of humanity lived their lives as women. Surely he could stomach a quarter-hour. Provided he turned back, there was nothing to panic about. Now, he even was a bit curious. Stalking over to the passenger side of the van to look into the mirror. "I definitely see a resemblance to my old self. Like a sister."

"Let me see," Mollie demanded and then got a good look while they both were calm. "Yeah, that's still your face. Just softer." An unexpected giggle escaped her. "Kinda cute."

That got a blush out of Scott. "Stop teasing. This is weird as it is."

"I mean it," Mollie insisted. Then she quirked her head. Critically examining Scott. "You are right. From this perspective, that waist is way too small. I see now why it freaked you out a bit. But something is strange." She pulled off her own top and walked over to Scott. Standing side by side next to him. "I think we are the same size up top."

Looking back and forth, Scott had to agree. They looked eerily similar. Just that his own skin looked a bit more pale in comparison.

"Maybe it copied your measurements to me?" he guessed.

"Only one way to find out." Mollie ducked into the van and grabbed her small portable sewing kit. Within, she had a small measuring tape. She slung it around herself in a way that it came to rest right over her breasts. Hiding her nipples. "Seventy-eight centimeters. Now you."

The tape was slightly cold and made Scott jerk in surprise as it hit his sensitive nipples. Had they always been this sensitive or was the feeling now heightened? Scott couldn't really tell.

"Seventy-eight too. There might be some weight to your theory." Mollie crouched down to go for the next measurement. "I guess we can skip the waist. Hips are eighty-two. And for me. Eighty-two as well. I think we could share outfits like this. Even underwear."

"Or how about-" Scott glanced at the timer. "We wait five more minutes and hopefully I turn back. Then we can leave this whole ordeal behind."

"Sorry." Mollie suddenly appeared unsure. "You aren't mad at me? Because of this."

"It's fine," Scott assured her. "I don't think you expected this outcome any more than I did. It just shows that knew has to be careful with unidentified magical objects. Maybe we should have visited an expert first and had it identified."

Mollie stepped closer. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't." Scott drew her into a hug. Only to be reminded of how strange the situation was. He was used to having Mollie's breasts pushed against his chest. But now, he had something to push back.

A few minutes passed in silence. Both waited with bated breath. Then, Scott felt something shift. "I think I am turning back." His breasts definitely were deflating. Slowly melting away and evening out to his normal flat chest. His hips rend down too, while his waist expanded. There were a lot of changes happening at once and Scott couldn't track them all. When he thought it had finished, he asked: "All done? Am I back to normal?"

"You are back to the Scott that I know and love," Mollie confirmed.

"I love you too." They shared another deep hug that lasted a long time.

As they parted, Mollie picked up the corset. "Let me put that away."

For a moment, Scott considered telling her to throw it into their bonfire, but he thought better of it. It was magical, after all. And while he wasn't into the intended effect, someone else might be. Maybe they could research on the internet if someone was interested in buying it. Provided Mollie was willing to let it go.

With everything returned to normal, they started to get dressed. The night had settled and too far away from their bonfire, the temperatures turned cold.

"You know," Mollie spoke up just when Scott had thought they had put the corset behind them. "I wonder who made this corset and why. Was it just an experiment or was it because someone wanted it?"

Scott gave a lazy shrug. "You said it is of the type Southern Belles wear, right? Maybe a mother lacked a daughter to pick up the faith. Hence a son had to take up the mantle. Well, corset."

"Can Can dancers too," Mollie added. "Maybe someone naughty wanted to infiltrate a dance troupe?"

Scott chuckled. "I guess we won't ever know. Unless you can find traces of this on the internet. Who knows how old this corset is. Magical items are rumored to be quite durable. It could be decades old."

"I'll put together a search algorithm," Mollie said as she grabbed her tablet. "If it is local, we might get fast results. But if it is older, it might have traveled far. Maybe even from another continent. Querying for information there could take the algorithm weeks if not months."

"Guess we have to wait and see," Scott said before returning to his own skewer of grilled rabbit. By now, it was cold. Nothing their fire couldn't change.

---

"Scott. Look. There." Mollie had put her fanning on the passenger seat on pause and pointed to the side of the road.

He swiped away some sweat before acknowledging it. "What is it," he asked. Unwilling to take his eyes off the road.

"There was a sign for a public beach." Mollie was quite excited.

Scott could relate. It was still in the middle of spring, but a heat wave had hit the region. Boosting temperatures to high summer levels. He glanced at the battery "Well, we have to stop soon anyway. Is it nearby?"

With Mollie's direction, they found it not five minutes later. The public beach had a rather makeshift parking lot and most spots had been taken up.

"I guess we aren't the only ones with the same idea," Scott remarked as they both changed into their swimwear in the back of their van. "The parking lot is rather full."

"And it isn't even noon yet," Mollie added with a sigh. "Hopefully the beach is big enough."

Following a dirt path through woods, they heard the beach well before they saw it. Screams of playing children and half a dozen different types of music blended into a cacophony of sound. Then, they arrived at the beach. The view was even worse than they had imagined.

"I guess most came on foot," Scott remarked as his view roamed over the tightly packed beach.

"Let's see if we can find a spot?" Even to herself, Mollie sounded skeptical. "Maybe we get lucky."

They walked the beach for nearly a quarter-hour when Mollie pulled Scott to a space that was just being vacated. It was right between two big families, but that couldn't be helped.

After placing a big blanket and towels down, both could finally head into the water. The cool water made it worth it to share it with hundreds of others. Still, they had to be careful. It was easy to bump into others.

It only took Mollie five minutes to head back to their blanket. Quickly followed by Scott. "There are so many here," she complained. "I am not used to it. Is this normal?"

"Not really." Scott took another glance at the masses of people they shared the beach with. Mollie came from a rural area with a low population density. But even Scott wasn't used to having so many people around. "It's probably more than usual as people try to make use of the heat wave."

They tried to catch a few rays of the sun when a nearby discussion drew their attention.

"Told you we should have gone to Bunny Beach," a teenage girl complained to her mother. "I bet it isn't as overrun as this one."

"You know that this isn't an option anymore." The mother sounded rather tired of that argument. "Your brother is too old to get in."

"Excuse me," Mollie butted in before Scott could dissuade her from the notion. "What's that Bunny Beach? Is it far from here?"

"You must not be from around here. It's a little further down the lakefront. It's a private beach with an entry fee." The mother leaned over so she could see past Mollie. "Is that your boyfriend? For you, Bunny Beach would be an option, but he won't get in."

Now, Scott's curiosity was caught. "Why not?"

"They let only girls and women in," the teenager quipped up before giving her younger brother a venomous look.

"Kaylee!" The mother gave a tired shake of her head before turning to Scott and Mollie. "It used to be some kind of themed private beach. Then the owner changed and rebranded it. Now they won't let any males in except boys ten and under. And since my Cody turned eleven this year we have to make do with this public beach." She turned toward her daughter. "No matter how much someone might complain."

"Uhh, Scott." Mollie turned around all excited and Scott got a bad feeling. "We totally can sneak in there with no one the wiser."

"Others have tried," Kaylee pointed out. "Once, the Mitchell twins tried to dress up. For a beach. It ended in disaster."

Scott ignored the ramblings of the teen and tried to resist those large puppy eyes Mollie gave him. He needed something to fight back. Luckily, it wasn't that hard to come up with something. "Think about it, Mollie. It is probably expensive. A private beach you have to pay for to get in."

"It's like ten bucks," Kaylee chipped in.

"Just ten bucks," Mollie repeated. Ignoring the fact that combined for them twenty dollars wasn't an insubstantial amount.

"It is so much better there," Kaylee continued. Scott was sorely tempted to go over and strangle her. She didn't know what Mollie had in mind of how to smuggle Scott into Bunny Beach. "They have water slides there and the sand is so much softer. Not full of gravel and sticks."

"I've never been on a water slide!" Mollie appeared so excited that Scott knew he was losing ground.

"Think about the logistics," he calmly reminded her. "Let's say we go there until seven or eight in the evening. That means we can't get in right away. About a fourth between now and then I need for - you know - preparations."

"You really are trying?" Kaylee asked. "But they will bust you!"

"Kaylee!" her mother spoke up. "Don't bother them too much."

Mollie stood up. "Oh, no worries. With a pinch of magic, I am sure we will manage." Scott couldn't see, but he was sure Mollie gave a wink. Then her attention returned to Scott. "Come on. Pretty please."

A groan escaped Scott. He should have burned that corset. "Never say I don't do anything for you," he said as he stood up as well. Quickly and efficiently gathering their things.

"You would do anything for me." The statement by Mollie sounded oddly sad. "I don't deserve you."

"Hey." Scott was quick to rush over and gently make Mollie face him. "That's your mother talking. I am the lucky one to have you. We both deserve each other."

Mollie couldn't help herself and drew in Scott for a sweet long kiss. It turned into a hug they both needed. It was Mollie who broke it as a giggle escaped her. "She never could decide, did she? Sometimes it was me, not good enough for a guy like you. Other times you weren't good enough for me."

"Come on," Scott gently urged her. "There is a beach we have to sneak into."

"And a corset to get onto you," Mollie added with a mischievous smile. Eliciting a groan from Scott.

---

"This private beach better be worth it," Scott groaned from the back of the van. Laying there to endure the heat better.

"Oh, it already is worth it," Mollie fibbed from the passenger seat.

Scott raised his head and glared at her past his breasts. He was a woman again. Thanks to that cursed corset. Now, he had to build up time so they could snug into the beach and stay the whole time without him turning back.

"Well, it is not you who has to endure a tight restricting garment that is so thick it makes you sweat like crazy," Scott pointed out. The layers of the corset weren't very good at cooling a person down. Making Scott think he was in a small sauna from hips to breasts.

"Just a few more minutes," Mollie pointed out. Then a mischievous grin appeared as she added: "Charlotte."

Scott propped himself up on both elbows to get a better look at Mollie. "What? Charlotte?"

"Well, I can't call you Scott when we infiltrate the beach like International spies. And I decided your codename will be Charlotte."

Scott groaned as he sank back down. Somehow, he knew the name would haunt him for a while. "But why Charlotte?"

Mollie shrugged. "Have you tried finding a female version of Scott? And Charlotte is at least similar."

"Similar?" Scott gave her a doubtful look. "It shares an O and two Ts. That's it."

"That's sixty percent of your name. Get used to it. Charlotte fits." Of course, Mollie knew him well enough to let him have some victory. "At least your theory panned out."

Scott glanced at his waist. It had. As he reminded Mollie often enough, magic wasn't as arcane as most people made it out to be. It was based on the quantum field that surrounded New Terra. Sure, intuitive interactions with it could be unpredictable, but enchantments - like this corset - usually displayed logic that made the computational nature of magic obvious.

He had pointed out that the corset appears to copy the figure onto a man of the last woman that had worn it. As Mollie had worn it before him all the way closed, the corset mimicked it once Scott wore it. Resulting in an equally reduced waist. Today, he had suggested that Mollie would wear it before him with a barely reduced waist. As theorized, once Scott wore it again, the corset barely shrunk before tying itself off.

"How much longer?" Scott asked.

Mollie glanced at her digital tablet. "Oh, we are done. Finally. Time to get ready."

Scott swallowed. He wasn't really looking forward to it. Mollie had convinced him to wear the corset for three hours. As it was now two in the afternoon, it would be well into the evening when he turned back after roughly nine hours.

Mollie moved behind him and undid the knot of the corset. Then helped him slip out of it. Next came a tiny bikini top for him to wear. Matching the bottoms he already wore beneath.

"You really don't have anything bigger?" Scott ask knowing full well that Mollie had only two sets of bikinis. "Feeling really exposed here."

Mollie gave a sharp laugh until she could stifle it. "I thought you liked this one. You always compliment me when I wear it."

"Because it is you who wears it." Someone probably could have said it in a sweet and respectful way to earn major brownie points. Scott managed a whine that could befit a teenager.

"You'll get used to it," Mollie promised. Tying a sarong around his waist. "Now, let's grab our towels and get going. I wanna go swimming and try a water slide."

Scott gave an amused shake of his head. Mollie definitely had her priorities straight. They left their van behind in a parking lot that wasn't even filled up to a third of its maximum. Finding Bunny Beach hadn't been hard. Signs pointed to it and they only had to circumvent a quarter of the large lake.

Now they followed a path that was actually paved. With each step, Scott felt more and more exposed. Mollie had lent him flip-flops and a bikini. Mollie wore a bikini too, but hers had a little more fabric. The half-transparent sarong didn't make it much better for him.

"Act normally," Mollie whispered.

"Easier said than done," Scott muttered under his breath. "I haven't been a woman for even a half day."

"Welcome to Bunny Beach," a bright-eyed older teen greeted them at the ticket booth. Probably earning a little extra. What threw both of them off was that the girl had bunny ears that looked remarkably lifelike. "First time here?"

Mollie was the first to find her voice. "Yes, we are. I am Mollie and this is Charlotte."

Scott nearly groaned. Who introduces themselves with their name at a ticket booth? That's got to be highly suspicious. Then, Scott chided himself. It was Mollie after all. She got better at living in more densely populated areas, but now and then her rural upbringing peeked through. Or she was just as nervous as Scott was. That could be a possibility too.

"A pleasure. I'm Becky." She gave them a short curtsy. "The fee is ten bucks a person. Five for children. No men allowed. Boys only at ten or younger. Obviously, that is not a problem for you two. Enjoy the water until nightfall. For legal reasons, we can't guarantee safety in darkness, so Bunny Beach asks you kindly to adhere to this rule. Bunny Beach closes at midnight."

"Midnight?" Scott couldn't help but ask. "What does one do at a beach until midnight when swimming is prohibited?"

"Good question." Becky gave them a bright, cheerful smile. "In the evening, we light braziers and bonfires for a very cozy atmosphere. We also have a bar with a good selection of drinks and a limited dinner service."

Mollie and Scott exchanged a glance. He could guess what she was thinking. His transformation should last to enjoy a little bit of the evening, but it wouldn't last until midnight. He doubted they would stay that long. They were here for swimming and enjoying the fun.

Since Scott wasn't used to wearing a purse, it was Mollie who withdrew the twenty dollars for both of them. It was a colorful assortment of half a dozen countries. All naming their currency some variation of "dollar". For the most part, people just equated them one to one. Of course, there were market trends and some currency was worth a little more and another a little less. But the difference wasn't big enough to really make a profit out of. So, people simply didn't care.

"One last thing before you enter." Becky waved them closer. Intrigued, Mollie and Scott leaned closer. Only to get promptly a headband with bunny ears placed on their head. "At Bunny Beach, we all are beach bunnies."

That elicited a giggle from Mollie and got Scott curious. "That's a rather strange theme for a beach, isn't it?"

"Oh, it was stranger," Becky assured them. "This used to be a water park around the old classic Alice In Wonderland. It was open to everyone and had the gimmick that magical items were handed out that caused small temporary transformations based on different characters in the book. Over time, the bunny girl transformation became the clear favorite. Then there was some ugly business and the water park was sold. The new owner rebranded it to cater to the clear favorite and banned men to avoid another incident."

"Do you still use magic items?" Mollie asked before Scott could.

Becky giggled and then wiggled with one of her bunny ears. It looked surprisingly realistic. "Let us know if you have trouble with the tails. Sometimes it interferes with swimsuits or bikini bottoms. We have free clean rentals for those cases."

"Tails?"

As Mollie twisted to look at her behind, Scott spotted a small fluffy tail right on her tailbone. Reaching behind, Scott could feel one too. How had he not noticed before? A little hesitant, he reached up and found bunny ears made out of flesh and blood.

"This beach is the best thing ever!" Mollie exclaimed. "Come on, Sc- Charlotte." Scott was grabbed and dragged by her five meters before she turned around and gave Becky a quick: "Thanks!"

"Have fun!"

The shout was barely heard by them as Mollie already had dragged them halfway to the beach.

"Mollie. Hold on," Scott spoke up, but Mollie was too eager to stop. "The enchantment."

"Isn't it neat?" Mollie marched onto the sand as if she was on a conquest. "Look at it. Even the sand is nicer around here. Not as grey and riddled with wooden debris."

"Mollie," Scott tried again as she had found a spot and grabbed for the blanket that he carried. "The ears and tail. What if they interfere with- You know what."

"Oh, the corset?" Mollie's eyes grew wide, but not for long. "I am sure it is fine," she said as she threw the blanket out onto the sand. "Magical items probably have safety measures that prevent complications. Surely an establishment has taken this into account when deciding to hand out these ears."

Scott wasn't fully convinced, but gave a half-hearted: "I guess."

"Come on." Molly took his hand. "Relax. We earned this."

Scott had just about enough time to give a nod before Mollie dragged him to the water.

---

Charlotte took a long sip of her virgin cocktail, before looking for Mollie. Her girlfriend took a last swim for the day. The lifeguards had informed them that the sun was setting soon. Charlotte could hardly believe how fast the day had passed.

First, she had been dragged into the water by Mollie. It sure felt nice to have the water cool them off after the hot last few days. After the third time, Charlotte even got used to swimming as a woman. Not that swimming itself was different. The water just flowed around her body in an unfamiliar way.

Between swims, there were plenty of other activities. Mollie had dragged them two times into an impromptu match of beach volleyball against other women and one long game of table tennis. But by far, Charlotte liked the most to laze in the sun or on one of the lounge chairs that were scattered around. Now and then sipping on a virgin cocktail that was surprisingly cheap.

Of course, to get there, Charlotte first had to quiet that nagging voice in her head that reminded her that she was supposed to be Scott. A man and not a woman. But in time, she managed to blend it out. Today, she was Charlotte. That's what everyone around here called her. This was her first real vacation day since she had eloped with Mollie. And in a way, she was taking a vacation from being Scott as well. In just a few hours, the transformation would end. Scott could wait until then.

As Mollie got out of the water, Charlotte felt butterflies in her belly. She was quite happy to experience this familiar feeling. Man or woman, she loved Mollie. There was also a flash of warmth spreading through her that she wasn't used to yet.

Instead of going for the towel, Mollie struck a pose as she noticed Charlotte watching. "Hello, gorgeous. Are you all alone here? That's a shame. Mind if I keep you company?"

Charlotte gave a chuckle. "I think you need to work on your one-liners."

Mollie gave her a raspberry and then went for her towel. "Oh, as if you are any better. What was it? 'Don't read History Of Old Earth by Professor C. Beckstein because it is boring as heck.'"

Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle as her memories went back. It was about a year ago when she had approached - as Scott - an unsuspecting Mollie. It had been at his local library and he had spied Mollie with a book that might have weighed as much as half of her.

"In all fairness, that book is boring," Charlotte shot back.

"True." Mollie stopped rubbing herself off. "Done with sunbathing and being lazy?"

"Sure. Done with swimming and being a tease?"

"Yes to the first and never for the second!" Mollie stood up and offered a hand. "Come on. I want to check out the bar. One of the girls mentioned that they fire up a BBQ in the evening and I am starving."

More expenses, but Charlotte wasn't too worried. So far the drinks they had weren't that expensive. Not to mention that Charlotte had way more cocktails than Mollie had iced teas. So far, the day had cost them slightly over thirty dollars. By day's end, she hoped they would stay under fifty.

They weren't the only ones making their way to the bar and the few tables arranged around braziers. Most of Bunny Beach's patrons had left, but Charlotte saw a good two dozen bunny girls in bikinis and swimsuits catered to by just a handful of official bunny girls.

Mollie steered them to a single table and that was just fine with Charlotte. They had met quite a few people here, some even present in the evening crowd, but she wanted to spend the evening just in the company of Mollie.

They didn't talk much. Now and then going for a skewer of grilled meat, cheese, and vegetables. When they weren't eating they cuddled close to the fire and each other and looked out to the water. At some point, an employee of Bunny Beach had released a few floating lanterns that gently illuminated the beachfront.

"Rather romantic, isn't it?" Mollie mused aloud.

"It is." Charlotte gave a sigh. "If only I could be here with you as Scott."

Mollie took one of Charlotte's hands in her own. "I don't mind," she whispered, before leaning over.

It was a sweet kiss and Charlotte savored it to the end. As they broke, she was a little short of breath. Still, a thought was on her mind. "I didn't know you liked girls too."

For a moment, Mollie looked at her bemused. Then her gaze shifted to the fire. Charlotte knew that look. Mollie was deep in thought. Had she said something wrong? Assume too much?

"I am not sure," Mollie eventually spoke up. "Do you remember those movies we watched just after running away together? Those classic ones with sleepovers and girls experimenting. I never had that. In our community, things like that were frowned upon and I doubt anyone another girl would have agreed to experiment with me." Mollie gave a sad shake of her head. "It didn't even occur to me that it was a possibility until later."

Mollie sought Charlotte's eyes with unspent tears glittering in her own. "I don't know. But when I look at you, I see not just you as Charlotte. I see the Scott that I know and love behind your eyes. In the lines of your face. The gentle soul that I have fallen in love with is right there."

Charlotte was overwhelmed with feelings. She didn't trust her voice, so she pulled Mollie into a tight hug. Arm in arm, they enjoyed the warmth of the fire and their own.

It must have been around five minutes when one of the waitresses approached them. "Sorry for the disturbance." She honestly looked reluctant to disturb the two lovebirds. "Management sent me. They would like to point out that your enchantment is running out in a few minutes."

"The ears?" Charlotte reached up with her hand to feel them. Most of the time she even had forgotten about them and the tail.

"Oh, no. Those last until taken off by the staff." The waitress looked left and right if she could be overheard, then leaned in closer. "The one that makes you female."

Charlotte gasped and Mollie voiced out their surprise. "You knew?"

"Of course. You aren't the first one to sneak in like that." The waitress gave a shrug. "Technically sneaking is the wrong word. The owner and management tolerate it. They just ask that you don't turn back while on the premises."

"We will make our exit," Charlotte promised.

Arm in arm, they made their way out of Bunny Beach. At the ticket booth, the clerk reached up and plucked the bunny ears off their heads. How, was beyond Charlotte. Not that she minded.

"Guess I got us kicked out after all," Charlotte joked.

"It still was nice. I wish we could be here every day."

"Well, I know we are saving up, but we could easily afford two or three more days."

"Really? You'd be Charlotte for me again?" As Charlotte nodded, Mollie drew her into a kiss. This one was more passionate. When they parted, a devious little smile overcame Mollie. "I like you as Charlotte, but to be honest, I am very glad that you'll be returning to Scott in a few moments. I can hardly wait."

Chuckling, both got a spring to their step as they made for their van.

---

Scott's heart was beating a mile a minute. For the seventh time, he checked his suit. It wasn't the most comfortable as it was made entirely out of natural fibers and materials. It still looked new and hinted that this wasn't his usual getup. The buggy ride with horses wasn't his wheelhouse either, but he made do.

Nervously, he glanced at the bouquet. Locally grown flowers and framed in a not quite white paper. He hoped Mollie would like them. A little hesitant, he walked up to the front door. He was just about to knock when he heard shouting from within. Scott could make out Mollie's voice and a few others. That must be her family. They were fighting again. Not an auspicious moment to introduce himself.

Mollie's voice grew louder and suddenly, the door was yanked open. Whatever Mollie was about to shout died as she saw Scott standing before her. All prim and proper. Having made a real effort to adapt to her folks' customs. Mollie was his stark contrast. She had dressed up in a nice summer dress that was now halfway drenched in some kind of fluid. Some kind of dirt was scattered through the wet patch that Scott couldn't identify. This was the first time that Scott saw her wearing makeup. It was in ruins. The lipstick was smudged and the eyeliner left trails as tears rolled down her cheek.

What made his blood boil in an instant was the red mark of a handprint. A slap that must have happened recently. He was about to head in and give her folks his take on things when Mollie stepped out and grabbed him.

"Don't. Please. Let's just go."

Grabbing her hand, they ran. His only thought was to take her away. Far away. Until they faded away.

Scott woke up with a start a moment later. He needed some time to gather his thoughts. This wasn't the night he first tried to introduce himself to Mollie's parents. It had ended in disaster before it had even started. Up to that point, he had respected the way of living that Mollie's family preferred. From that moment on, he had always felt at odds with them.

What infatuated him even to this day was that Mollie hadn't even worn real makeup. She had stained her lips red with a local berry that was often used to dye fabric. The eyeliner had been normal charcoal that she had very carefully pressed and then applied. It had been the bare minimum in almost any society. Yet her mother had called her the nastiest things.

Scott looked at the sleeping Mollie beside him. She deserved better and he had vowed to support her in every way possible. Since that day, Mollie hadn't experimented with makeup again. Not even since they had run away. He knew she was interested, but something was holding her back.

Determination filled Scott and he picked up their shared digital tablet. A short search on the local part of the internet revealed that what he needed was available to them close by.

The next part of his plan was a bit more difficult. Quiet as he could, Scott rummaged in Mollie's clothes. Fishing out the corset. It's been a month since they had been at Bunny Beach. Since the last time that he had been Charlotte.

He couldn't help, but look underneath his shirt. The tan lines had nearly disappeared. Waking up the first morning after Bunny Beach revealed a mortifying little detail that had Mollie in stitches with laughter. Scott retained the tan lines Charlotte had acquired the day before. The matter wasn't helped by the fact that they had stayed at Bunny Beach for three more days. Then, their little vacation got a little too expensive.

Scott glanced out and judged the day would unfold like the day before. Warm, but not hot. Mollie had worn summer dresses the last few days. Scott picked up one of hers at random and hoped she wouldn't mind. Especially with the surprise he planned. The next step was to wear the corset. By now, he knew how to slip into it. Just a light tug on the loops of string on the backside and the corset tightened up by itself. Then knotting the string to prevent premature opening. The change to become Charlotte didn't take long.

Charlotte's first step was to don Mollie's dress. Thankfully the corset copied the exact measurements so that they could share clothes. Then, Charlotte grabbed the tablet and stepped outside the van. Making a quick call. Being relieved that the business she called had already someone available to pick up. With this important step done, Charlotte slipped back in and made herself comfortable on the passenger seat. Researching what she had in mind a little more.

"Charlotte?" The sleepy question by Mollie was asked about five minutes later. As Charlotte looked back, the groggy expression on Mollie's switched to one of mischief. "Is my teasing finally getting through?"

Over the last month, Mollie had needled Scott now and then to become Charlotte again. Only light-hearted and never insistent. Scott took it in stride. He could guess why. Mollie hadn't any friends back home. She was the loner. The rebel. The odd one out. She never had a best friend to share things with. Scott guessed the days at Bunny Beach gave Mollie a taste of what it meant to have a female friend who could share activities with her. Today, Charlotte would make one of Mollie's dreams a reality. Even if Mollie might not know she had said dream.

"I have a surprise planned for you," Charlotte revealed. "One where you might prefer the company of Charlotte, rather than Scott."

"Doubtful. While I appreciate having you as Charlotte, you know that I am never tired of spending time with Scott." As Charlotte acknowledged it with a nod, Mollie pounced more excited on the real topic. "So, a surprise? What kind? Can I get a hint?"

"A hint?" Charlotte gave it some thought. She didn't want Mollie to guess the surprise, so she played it safe. "Well, the hint is this. I have to wear the corset for two more hours. Maybe three. We probably want to enjoy the fruits of my surprise."

"Three hours?" Mollie gave a pout. "Whatever it is, I can hardly wait."

In the end, Charlotte took Mollie for a walk in a city park that was close to the camping ground they stayed in. All the time dodging probing questions by Mollie. Normally, they would spend the morning foraging, but bending over was kind of hard for Charlotte. The corset was stiff and hindered such activities.

As the time in the corset came close to an end, Charlotte took Mollie back to the van and they hit the road. Their goal was close by.

"A mall?" Mollie asked as they drove onto the parking lot. "Are we going shopping? That will put a dent into our savings."

"Not shopping. Something else." Charlotte found a spot and parked the van before giving more explanation to Mollie. "Saving up is good, but we need to look out for ourselves. Now and then, we can spend a little on what makes us happy. And I think today's surprise might do that for you. But first, I need to get out of the corset. I don't want to be stuck as Charlotte for days." That earned her a chuckle from Mollie and Charlotte decided to reveal a little more. "You might want to change outfits too. Maybe your favorite dress?"

"You've got me all wound up with anticipation," Mollie grumbled, but Charlotte could see that she was playing. With a lot more anticipation, she changed. Then helped Charlotte to dress up too. This was a first for Charlotte as her previous experience was limited to just a swimsuit. "Yes, a bra too. You aren't going freestyle."

Ten minutes later, they both walked into the mall. Mollie was craning her neck to spot their goal, but Charlotte remained quiet. She could already see the target and subtly steered Mollie in that direction.

"We are here," Charlotte exclaimed as they stopped before a stationary store. Just as Mollie was about to protest, Charlotte turned her around one hundred and eighty degrees.

Mollie's eyes grew wide. "The wellness and beauty oasis," she read aloud. Then turned to Charlotte. "Are we doing a spa day?"

"That and more," Charlotte promised. Together, they walked in and bee-lined for the reception desk. "We have an appointment at twelve under Charlotte and Mollie."

"Ah, yes. The full treatment." The receptionist gave them a curtsy that was accented by the frilly dress she wore. Most of the fabric and lace were in black, but certain accents and a small apron were white. "My name is Robin and I will be your main caretaker. First, we start you off with a full-body massage. Once we've gotten you loosened up, we start in earnest. While receiving a facial, we will wash your hair and start on your nails. Then, as requested, we start a crash course for makeup that-"

"Makeup!" Mollie got flustered in seconds. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

Robin gave her a forgiving smile, but it was Charlotte who spoke up while taking Mollie's hands. "Last night, I remembered the one date when you experimented with makeup for the first time. Only to earn disapproval from your mother. But she isn't here, Mollie. It's just us. I set this up because I think you are still curious, but if you don't-"

Charlotte was interrupted by Mollie too. Not with words. One moment, she looked up at Charlotte with big wide eyes. The next, she had jumped her and planted a needy kiss on her lips. This was so sudden that Charlotte lost her footing and they both crashed to the floor. Never breaking the kiss.

As their kiss finally broke, both gave a flustered "Sorry" to Robin. Then accepted the strangely dressed woman's help to get up.

"Please be not worried, Maîtresse Mollie and Maîtresse Charlotte. It is not the first time I witnessed such a display of affection." Once Mollie and Charlotte were upright again, Robin continued as if nothing strange had happened. "As I said, a basic course in makeup was requested. Then, a haircut and styling are next, before we apply makeup for an evening out."

"I can't wait to get started." Not just her kiss clued Charlotte in on how much Mollie wanted this. She looked like a kid in a candy store that was handed a hundred-dollar bill.

"Then, please follow me, Maîtresse." Robin gave another elegant curtsy before leading them deeper into the spa area.

Charlotte was a little bit out of her depth and remained quiet, but Mollie was too excited to do the same. "Can I ask you something? I don't want to be rude."

Robin half turned around mid-stride and gave a smile. "By all means, ask. We want you to feel at ease here."

"Your uniform." Mollie flustered. Making Charlotte chuckle quietly. "It's kind of strange. All that lace. Why do you wear it? That looks impractical."

"I am a French Maid," Robin simply replied. As no recognition was evident on Mollie's face, Robin had to ask: "You are not familiar with French Maids?"

Mollie shook her head and it fell to Charlotte to provide more information. "Mollie comes from a very conservative and sheltered community."

"Ah!" Robin acknowledged. Then opening a door to a massage parlor. Indicating for Mollie and Charlotte to enter. There already was a masseuse inside prepping two tables. After instructing them on how to get ready, Robin returned to the topic of French Maids. "I am sure you are familiar with the concept of Pop-Religions. Technically, French Maids count as it. Being a French Maid is the devotion to an ideology that puts helping others over the needs of oneself. We enable others to do their best by providing the best support and service we can give. While looking good - sexy even - doing so."

"I see," Mollie acknowledged while laying down on a massage table with only a towel as a cover. "Is that why you called us a mattress?"

Charlotte cringed, but Robin took it with humor and gave a chuckle. "I called you a Maîtresse. The French word for Mistress. We, French Maids, prefer French terms in our professional conduct. Many also adopt a French accent."

More questions eluded Mollie as the massage began. It felt so good that both of them took enjoyment above slaking their thirst for knowledge. While Charlotte was familiar with French Maids in general, she didn't know many details either. Her own curiosity wasn't enough to interrupt the heavenly feeling of tight muscles loosening up. She hoped that the end result would translate to Scott, once she turned back.

In the end, Charlotte felt like she was made out of pudding when she stood up from the massage table. Slipping into fluffy robes, Mollie echoed her own sentiment. "I feel like well-kneaded clay." Noticing the strange look by Charlotte, Mollie was quick to explain. "One of my aunts is into pottery. Before she can do anything, she has to knead the raw clay until it is pliable and soft."

"You aren't clay," Charlotte remarked. "Someone sculpted you already into perfect beauty."

"Oh, you." A flustered Mollie gave Charlotte a playful cuffing on the shoulder. "What comes now," she asked Robin to change topics.

"Next, we prepare your body for what is to come." Robin led them out to the hallway again and into a room close by. It was dominated by four reclining chairs that looked very comfortable. "May I see your hands?"

A little confused, Mollie showed her hands and was surprised as Robin took them and studied them from both sides. Charlotte was next. A resolute nod and Robin turned to one of her co-workers. "We need the bracelets."

"Bracelets?" Mollie asked before Charlotte could.

"Your hands show signs of hard work. Dirt is caught in your nail beds and the nails themselves are scuffed and chipped." The co-worker opened a small chest with gleaming bronze bracelets inside. Robin took two and placed one each on Mollie's wrist. She repeated it for Charlotte. "These will help grow your nails at an increased pace. It will push out the dirt and give us fresh healthy nails to work with. Have you considered what length of nail you want to have?"

"We work as freelancers," Charlotte spoke up quickly. All to best Mollie to the punch before she could settle them with something incredibly long. "Nails too long would be impractical."

"Of course." Robin pointed to the chairs. "Please take a seat so we can get started."

As Charlotte did so, she noticed that her nails were considerably longer. Looking at them, she could swear she could see them grow. "These bracelets. They are magical?"

"They are," Robin confirmed, before showing worry. "You aren't avoiding magic, are you?"

"Oh, no," Charlotte was quick to assure. "Lately magic items seem to pop up more than expected. I was just surprised to encounter them here."

"Are they expensive?" Mollie wanted to know.

Robin gave a shrug. "Not really. I think we get them for around one hundred dollars. There is a school for magic in the Louisiana Territories that makes them for us. Good for practice, they say."

Charlotte caught Mollie's eyes and knew what she was thinking. It was as if Mollie was determined to build a collection of magical trinkets. Previously, she had tried unsuccessfully to purchase two of the bunny girl headbands on their last day at Bunny Beach. Now, she had her eyes on those bracelets. With a hundred each, Charlotte doubted she would have a hard time convincing Mollie they would be too expensive.

Before this topic could go on, Charlotte took a seat. She was ready to move on to the next step of their spa day. To her, the massage had been the highlight, but she wasn't really looking forward to the rest. Still, she was here for Mollie and would endure everything to make her happy. Thankfully, Mollie dropped the topic for now and took her own seat.

What came next, wasn't as bad as Charlotte had feared. Mobile basins were wheeled over to give their hair a wash. Just the shampooing was worth it. Lathering it in was like a massage for her head. Her face was gently washed too, before a thick cream was slathered all over it. Again, it was not as bad as Charlotte had feared.

Meanwhile, other employees of the spa started to work on their nails. Expertly using a file to hone down their just-grown nails. The bracelets found their new place on their ankles where the magic found a new target. As everything unfolded, Charlotte was close to falling asleep.

Over at the other chair, she could hear Mollie and Robin talking. Clearly, Charlotte's fiancé was curious about French Maids and grilled Robin about everything she could think of. From the hierarchy to clothing conventions. Charlotte overheard that Robin was still the first rank of the French Maids. Like a novice or apprentice. She worked at the spa as a means to round off her education and earn a little extra. All while getting a formal education as a French Maid. Charlotte just hoped that Mollie wouldn't be recruited by Robin.

As they were declared ready, Charlotte and Mollie were led into a hair salon. Here, Robin and a co-worker started their basic education in all things makeup. To Charlotte's surprise, their crash course wasn't the same. As she now learned, they both didn't have the same skin type. Which had an impact on what products and colors to use. She even learned about basic facial shapes, which one she belonged to, and how to accentuate them best.

"You should pay a little more attention," her instructor gently chided Charlotte.

Caught red-handed, Charlotte tore her eyes away from Mollie. It was so easy to get lost in the view. Mollie listened attentively and clearly had the time of her life. Seeing her so happy highlighted Mollie's beauty more than any makeup could and it had been the reason why Charlotte had brought her here.

"Sorry," Charlotte mumbled to her instructor. "Makeup isn't really my thing. I am doing it for her."

"The tomboy type. I figured." The instructor gave a quick glance to Mollie before returning her gaze. "Listen, being a tomboy is fine. But you should still pay attention. Because I guess you can't visit a spa every day. But you can have makeup as a backup. Not for herself. Believe me, pulling out your best face on a day she doesn't expect- Well, that can be a gift in itself. One often rewarded well."

The wink at the end by the instructor was a little overkill, but Charlotte got the gist. Maybe she should take it more seriously. She originally had become a woman again to offer Mollie a girlfriend experience that she never had before. But Charlotte would be lying if she didn't enjoy parts of it herself. She couldn't still imagine going Charlotte full time. But now and then switching to Charlotte to have fun with Mollie had its perks. Just seeing how happy she was right now was a reward as well.

Charlotte vowed to pay more attention. She might not become Charlotte very often in the future, but doing makeup well on those days might show Mollie that she was taking it seriously and not just goofing off. Wearing makeup itself wasn't as bad as Charlotte had imagined. She could feel each layer applied, but it wasn't as heavy and suffocating as she had expected. Given time, she might not even notice anymore. Just like one wasn't aware of the clothes one wears all the time. The sensations drifted into the background.

After nearly an hour of makeup lessons and showing how it was done, Mollie and Charlotte transitioned to applying makeup themselves. It was by no means as good as the professionals could, but better than Charlotte had expected. All that new knowledge that rattled in her head helped out even as her actual skill of applying makeup was barely there.

Once pronounced good enough to at least apply daily makeup, the next step waited. Both got an expert haircut and it was styled for an evening out. Then, once more the professionals made up their faces.

"What are you in the mood for?" Charlotte could hear Robin ask Mollie.

"I want to be sexy," Mollie replied. "Max seduction."

Charlotte gave a quiet chuckle and then looked to her own instructor. "I'll have the same."

The next minutes were heavy with activity and even with her newfound knowledge, Charlotte could hardly follow as her instructor used tricks to get the most out of her features.

At last, Charlotte and Mollie were released. They both stood up at the same time and froze as they caught each other's gaze. Mollie had always been beautiful. Of that, Charlotte had been convinced. Now, that beauty was still evident, but it was highlighted in a new way. The eyeshadow made her expressive eyes stand out more. Lipstick made her gentle lips pop and made them so inviting to kiss. Contouring highlighted Mollie's cheekbones.

Mollie was the first to find her voice. "You look gorgeous!"

"Me?" Charlotte had been so occupied with the vision of Mollie standing before her that she hadn't even looked at her own reflection. She had only eyes for her fiancé. "You are so beautiful it is stunning."

Mollie turned to the mirror and Charlotte joined her. She was just as made up as Mollie and they both looked fantastic. That gave Charlotte some pause. As Scott, she looked good. Some might even say handsome. But now as Charlotte and wearing makeup, she looked downright desirable. It was a revelation that Charlotte was ill-equipped to handle. The feeling itself was strange and foreign.

"Thank you," Mollie quietly said beside her. Snuggling against her arm. "This means a lot to me."

As Charlotte turned to her, she saw a single tear escape Mollie's eye, despite her looking more than happy. As Mollie noticed herself, a slight pang of panic started to form, but Robin was quick to jump in.

"Your makeup is waterproof," the French Maid pointed out. "It should last a while."

Calmed down, Mollie looked at Charlotte again. Then leaned in. Both shared a kiss that made the world pause for them. It might not exist at all as they only had eyes for each other.

Once their need for skinship was fulfilled, it was time to say goodbye to Robin and their co-workers. Part of the whole makeup crash course was a small kit with everything they needed for a few basic looks and some more challenging ones. Each was customized to work well with their respective skin tones. With those in tow, they left the spa.

"I am not sure what to do now," Mollie remarked as they walked slowly through the mall. "A part of me wants to walk around for hours and show the world what a hot girlfriend I have. Then again, part of me wants to drag you to our van and have you all for myself."

"Tempting," Charlotte said with a knowing smile. "But neither is an option, for there is one more surprise I have for you."

"More?" Mollie asked. "How can there possibility be more?" Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe a candlelight dinner?"

Charlotte gave a nervous chuckle. "To be honest, I haven't thought that far ahead. But we are nearly at our next stop." She gently directed Mollie to a specific location. One that came now into few. "Over there. I thought you might like something to remember the day. So, I booked us a professional photo shot."

"You really thought of everything!" Mollie gushed, before adding deadpan: "Except for dinner."

"I am sure we will find something," Charlotte promised.

"Looking like us? Of course, we will." Laughing, Mollie pulled Charlotte to the photo studio. Not that it was necessary.

---

Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle as another piece of Sushi slipped Mollie's chopsticks. That earned her a mock glare. "It's my first time eating Sushi. Give me a break."

After their photoshoot, they walked around the mall. Then Mollie had spotted a Sushi restaurant and their dinner plans were sealed.

"Or, you could try eating by hand." Charlotte picked up a Maki and stuffed it whole in her mouth. "It's a lot easier."

"How can someone look so beautiful and refined, yet have the table manners of a five-year-old?" The smirk on Mollie betrayed how serious she was. She pointed at Charlotte with her chopsticks. "Everyone knows you eat Sushi with chopsticks. So, I want to learn."

"Everyone knows it is rude to point with chopsticks at someone," Charlotte corrected. "And everyone is wrong about how Sushi is to be eaten. It originally comes from Japan and was meant to be eaten by hand."

"Which Japan?" Mollie joked. "There are eight of them scattered in the Pacific and then there is that enclave in Alaska. They all claim they are the real Japan."

Mollie had a point there. When New Terra was created, it copied and stretched the land masses of the original Earth by a factor of ten. But for some reason, the process glitches on a few islands. The island nation of Japan had multiple copies instead of one enlarged one. A fate that it shared with the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean.

"The Japan of old Earth," Charlotte corrected. "And each piece isn't supposed to be drenched in soy sauce. It should be used sparingly."

Mollie wasn't really listening as she attempted another try to lift up a piece of inside-out roll to her lips. Just as she was about to succeed, her handbag buzzed and broke Mollie's concentration. Another piece fell and another chuckle escaped Charlotte. Giving her a mock glare, Mollie went for her handbag and withdrew her digital tablet. Instead of a quick glance, she unlocked it fully and started to read through chunks of text. The Sushi was suddenly forgotten.

As Mollie wasn't finished within a minute, Charlotte grew a bit impatient. "What is it? Something bad?"

"What?" Mollie looked up and Charlotte could see the moment in her fiancé's face as she remembered she wasn't alone. "Ah, sorry. Do you remember that I started a search for the origin of the corset? The search program just reported back."

"About time," Charlotte remarked. "The information must be from far away.

The internet was a global affair, but it had many blind spots, and often political borders could slow down bandwidth considerably. Local internet was the fastest, but jumping even one country or state line could add minutes to hours to get a ping back. With the continent of North America fractured as it was, some parts needed weeks to do a round trip. Information from other continents might take months to return.

To manage this problem, people send out semi-intelligent programs that spread through the internet. In Mollie's case of the corset, she had taken pictures of it and instructed the program to search for its origin or for cases of garments with a similar effect. It appeared that it was successful.

"You won't believe what it has found." Mollie scrolled up and summarized aloud. "According to this, our corset is old. Probably manufactured ninety to a hundred years old. And it was not intended for Can Can dancers or Southern Belles. It was made for a themed restaurant in the protected district of Folsom in the principality of San Francisco. There, couples could switch genders and experience the other side. There are quite a few garments as our corset. Meant to temporarily bend someone's gender."

Mollie read further and made a sudden frowning face. "Says here the restaurant went belly up as more and more garments were stolen. Among those is our corset. The restaurant couldn't get new ones as the manufacturer died of old age. It appears the process to create them was rather complicated and no one else managed to learn how to do it."

"It was a century ago," Charlotte mused. "Not many had embraced magic as a safe and reliable practice back then. That someone had created something like our corset is an achievement in itself."

"Oh, wow!" Mollie exclaimed and looked up shocked at Charlotte. "We have offers. My search must have tripped some wires. There are five people who offer good money for the corset."

Charlotte's mouth suddenly felt dry. Not too long ago, she - as Scott - wouldn't have minded getting rid of the corset. Now, things were different. As Charlotte, she felt she had made a whole new connection with Mollie. It didn't mean she wanted to be Charlotte all the time, but being her from time to time had some surprising appeal to it.

"How much?" Charlotte asked. Secretly hoping it wasn't too substantial an offer.

"The lowest is fifteen hundred," Mollie gushed. "But it goes up all the way to two thousand one hundred."

"That's a lot," Charlotte said before looking to the side. That was more money than they had made in the months since they ran away together. She liked their little van, but with that kind of money, they might have a good down payment for a bigger one or even an RV. Was it really worth holding onto Charlotte if they could improve their overall situation like that? "Two thousand. That goes a long way."

An uncomfortable silence settled over their small booth in the restaurant. Two thousand wasn't a lot for most people, but for them, it was game-changing. Yet both were reluctant to let go of Charlotte.

Suddenly, Mollie snapped her fingers and gave Charlotte a triumphant grin. "What if we could get more than two thousand?"

Charlotte eyed her skeptically. "What do you mean?" Then it dawned on her. "If there are five, then there is demand. We could hold an auction. See how much they are really willing to pay."

"No. No. No. No." Mollie looked ready to spring the biggest surprise and it made her radiate with excitement. "Remember what Robin said? About those bracelets. They get them from a magic school in the Louisiana Territories. Clearly, someone is studying magic and willing to create new magical items. Listen. What if we find someone who can make copies of the corset."

"Provided the manufacturing cost isn't too cheap-" Now, Charlotte started to feel excited too. "We could sell to all of them. Maybe even look around for others. Those five were those that knew about the corset and were actively looking. There might be more people wanting a garment with this ability. They just don't know it exists."

"We could also look for more magical items," Mollie suggested. "Who knows what people came up with in the past. There might be more lost items. Oh, this is exciting. We could build a whole business around this."

Mollie's excitement was infectious, but it also set them up for potential disappointment. She hated to do it, but Charlotte had to be the voice of reason. "If we find someone to make copies. And as I said, the manufacturing cost is a problem too."

Mollie was about to say something when her tablet beeped again. A quick glance and she turned all serious to Charlotte. "Well, we better find someone, because two more offers just arrived. Even if we just make three hundred bucks on each sale in profit, it would be more than selling it once. And we can keep Charlotte around. So, eat up, buttercup. We got a maker to find."

Charlotte gave an amused snort and took one piece of Maki between her fingers. Holding it up, she deliberately made her voice sound a bit snobbish. "Sushi is not something to gobble down. It is meant to be enjoyed slowly."

Mollie looked down at her spread of Sushi and Charlotte literally could see when it clicked and Mollie was reminded that it was her idea to come here and try Sushi for the first time. Just as deliberate as Charlotte had been, Mollie picked up a Maki on her own. "Cheers!" she said before bumping into Charlotte's Maki as if she was clinking champagne glasses and then biting into it.

Charlotte was shocked for a moment and then gave a long-suffering shake of her head. "That's not how to eat Sushi either."

---

Scott tried to cool off by fanning himself by flapping the collar of his shirt. Not that it helped much. Even his little attempts were futile and probably not a wise action. He was, after all, driving their little van. Not that he was doing so very fast. Ever since they had added a small trailer their meager maximum speed had dropped further down.

"We really need a better van," Scott lamented. Glancing at Mollie who was busy in the passenger seat. "One with an AC."

"Maybe," Mollie said without looking up. She was busy playing with a new tablet. This one was arcane in nature. "I'd rather use the money we have to invest in new products. If we find some. Maybe a new van can wait? It will be Autumn soon."

Scott gave a hearty chuckle. Since their day at the Sushi restaurant, they steadily made their way south. Taking just a little longer than two months. A further month had passed looking for someone to partner up. Then they had to wait for the copies of the corset to be made and enchanted. Only now, they started to travel again.

"I don't think you have thought that through. We are still in the Louisiana Territories. This far south Autumn and Winter will still be hot. Not to mention that we are heading west instead of north."

"Urgh, you are right. A better van would be nice. If we sell two or three more corset copies, we could afford it." Mollie finally looked up from the tablet. Only to inspect her painted nails. Satisfied, she slipped off an ornate bracelet and placed it on Scott's right wrist. "What do you think?"

Scott glanced at his hands on the steering wheel. His nails appeared to be growing, but he knew it was not so. Just an illusion. They also changed color to a uniform pink. More details appeared. Giving his nails French tips and a motif started to form. Delicate little branches in brown with white flowers.

"Cherry blossoms?" Scott guessed. "Not bad. You are getting better"

"Not that hard with this." Mollie lifted up the arcane tablet and saw the design for each nail in a painting application. That was really all to the tablet there is. One could paint designs for nails and transmit them to the synchronized bracelet. Which then created illusions to display those designs on the nails of the wearer.

It was one of three products they picked up besides the copies of the corset. The tablet and bracelet were made by the same person who made the nail-growing bracelets for Robin's Spa. It had been a bust on the corset front until the maker recommended a nearby magic wig manufactory. There, they had finally found someone who could duplicate the corsets.

Of course, Mollie couldn't resist. After sending on the first few corsets and getting paid, she invested some of their funds into a few of these magical wigs. Those fused to one's head like the bunny headband at Bunny Beach. With this, a quick change of color was possible in seconds.

Scott glanced over. Currently, Mollie was wearing metallic blue hair. He preferred her natural hair but wasn't about to burst Mollie's bubble. She had too much fun wearing colorful wigs in the last few days.

"You might want to shoot a little video," Scott recommended.

Along with a small online shop, they started to build an online presence. Which was rather hard as they still haven't come up with a name yet.

"Of course." Mollie snatched the bracelet off his wrist and then put it away, along with the tablet. "I think we are close." A moment later, she pointed at a sign. "There. The SuperGrocer."

"Yep," Scott confirmed and steered their van onto the parking lot of the local supermarket. "Now we have to wait for our client."

"A covert sale on a parking lot," Mollie mused. "Makes me think we are some kind of spies."

"You'd be a horrible spy," Scott remarked and got a shocked face in return. "What? We both know you would boast about the fact to everyone. Five minutes into any discussion and you would be made."

"Not true."

"Right. What was I thinking?" Scott gave her a grin. "No more than two minutes."

"I should be angry," Mollie said, narrowing her eyes. But quickly cheered up again. "But to be fair, that's probably about right."

A half-hour later, an unassuming young man walked toward their van. He clearly looked nervous before approaching. "Are you the sellers from Transformative Delights?"

Scott gave Mollie a questioning look, who leaned against their van beside him. She crossed her arms. "What? I had to give some name."

"We are," Scott confirmed to the customers. "Though the name is not yet final. Just to confirm, we need your name."

"Evan. Evan Burch." The young man looked ready to bolt. "You have the corset, right? Does it really work?"

"It does," Molly said as she pulled out a box from within the van. Lifting up the lit revealed a pastel pink corset. "Didn't you see our demonstration video?"

"Things like that can be faked," Evan remarked. "There is a whole industry for such videos. Leading to plenty of fake hits in my search for the corset."

"This one works," Scott insisted. "Every corset we sell has been worn twice. Once by Mollie here to imprint a female figure. Without that step, it wouldn't work. Then, I wore it shortly to confirm the enchantment works. But you can easily check if it works by just wearing it."

"Here?" the client looked around the parking lot if anyone could have overheard him.

Scott gave a shrug. "Sure. The transformation doesn't last long. Well, the effect lasts three times as long as the garment is worn. The minimum is five minutes for wearing it before the corset can be opened again. Making the overall minimum time twenty minutes. But if you want to become a woman full-time, you have to wear it for at least six hours a day."

Evan blushed heavily. "Oh, no. Not for that long. Four or five hours now and then."

Mollie slit the lit onto the box again. "You ain't buying the corset to sneak into some locker room, are you?"

"I swear I am not!" Evan himself noticed how forceful it sounded. A little defeated, he explained. "My mother is a participating Southern Belle. As was my grandmother and her mother. Three generations. But I don't have a sister and it would be a shame to break tradition. So, with this corset, I can keep it alive."

Mollie and Scott exchanged a glance. It was Scott who spoke up. "Sounds risky. If you are found out, you could anger a lot of people."

"I already told my Ma and Grandma," Evan assured them. "They think it is fine. And I will be completely open about it. Telling everyone."

"Sounds like a lot of trouble to go through," Mollie mused. Then, she offered the box with the corset. "And expensive. That will be two thousand dollars."

As Evan handed over a stack of bills, Scott had a sudden insight. "There is a woman there you fancy." A twitch by Evan revealed that he had hit Bullseye. "Ah, don't worry. I know how far one goes for love. Certainly had me jump the gender fence a few times."

With the bills handed over, Evan took possession of the corset. Clutching it like a treasure chest. Still, he was flush with red. "I mean, I really want to continue the tradition." Then a little more meek: "But I wouldn't mind catching Shannon's attention."

"Good luck with that," Mollie wished and Scott gave the same sentiment a moment later.

Then, Evan hurried off. Once out of sight, Mollie raised the two thousand to her face and sniffed. "Ahh, I like the smell of freshly earned money."

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Scott reminded her. "That was the last of the original offers. Now we have to turn up new clients."

A mischievous grin made Scott know he was in trouble. "Well, we need to turn up new clients," Mollie purred. "That means more advertisements. I think I have a few ideas for videos we could make. Maybe one goes viral."

Scott shook his head while giving a bemused grin. He should have known. It looked like the weather forecast for the next few days was sunny, with high temperatures, and occasional appearances of Charlotte.

---

They had been at it for hours and there was no end in sight. Slowly, the many garments before Scott's eyes began to blur together. It was ironic, really. A year had passed and their little business was growing. They had found a few arcane crafters willing to work with them, but the hard part was to come up with items to duplicate. Most of their new additions had been scavenged from second-hand shops. Just like this one. Or the very first one that started it all.

Scott was currently looking through a section of long evening gowns. Mollie had created a hit list with garments that were known to be magic with transformative enchantments and currently missing. Three of the candidates were evening gowns and would be hiding here. Provided that they were lucky.

The urgent squeaking of shoes on the cheap floor that came closer alerted Scott that Mollie was looking for him. "Over here," Scott shouted as Mollie rushed past. There was a nasty squeal of shoes on linoleum as he heard her make a full stop and turn.

She came to him like an excited puppy with her find. "Look what I found!"

Scott took the garment in his hand. "Spanks?" He raked his head if there was one item on the bounty list that might fit the bill. There were Spanks on it but of nude color. This one was dark brown. "I don't know, honey."

"Look!" Mollie handled the garment until the tag was out. It was worn and faded. "It is hard to make out, but I think these are the initials of Bottom Betty."

That name rang a bell for Scott. Bottom Betty had been a successful porn star about seventy years ago. She had managed to garner fans outside of her own country. A rare feat and it could probably be attributed to her main selling point. A legendary bubble butt. At least until rumors started to circulate that her behind was the work of magic. The rumor about magic spanks had been the nail in Bottom Betty's career's coffin.

"Honey," Scott started gently, to ease the let down for Mollie. "They are the wrong color."

"Aha! And there, you are wrong." Grinning from ear to ear, Mollie folded the Spanks before his eyes. It was not hard to see what Mollie had stumbled upon. Both parts of the fabric she now sandwiched should have the same color, but the dark brown was slightly different. "I think someone dyed it. That would explain why the colors don't match perfectly and why the tag is hard to read."

Scott took the garment and inspected it himself. "Could be. Maybe the next owner was African American and dyed them to match her skin color."

"Well, there is only one way to know." With a twirl and a flourish, Mollie pointed to the changing rooms.

Scott gave an overdone eye roll and then sauntered over to the changing rooms. Purposely walking a bit slower to tease Mollie. But if Mollie was right and this was indeed Bottom Betty's magic Spanks, then they had won the second-hand store lottery. There were bounties posted on the internet for up to three thousand dollars. Hopefully, they would pay the same for copies. Provided it was the right magical garment.

Taking a booth, Scott started to strip out of his shoes and pants. Then, he held up the Spanks. "Should have come as Charlotte," he muttered before stepping into the underwear and pulling it up.

It was quite snug on his skin. It was, after all, their function. Tighten the hips and push the butt up. Seconds passed by. "I don't think-" Then the tingling started. "Hold on. Something is happening."

His behind suddenly exploded into a new girth of his butt. It was accompanied by the ripping of fabric. His boxers that he had worn under the Spanks.

"Mollie." Scott glanced at his behind. "I have good news and bad news."

Mollie peeked her head in and Scott had just about time to say "don't you dare" before Mollie burst out in laughter.

"Yeah. Yeah. Laugh it up." Scott glanced at his butt. It looked enormous. "I could sit a beer can on that."

"A can?" Mollie managed in between snickers. "More like a whole keg."

"I mean I knew Bottom Betty was famous for her behind, but this?" Scott had to touch it. His butt was surprisingly firm and definitely not an optical trick.

"You know what this means?" Mollie asked. "Ka-ching!"

"That's the good news," Scott agreed. "Here is the bad news. How do we get it out without revealing to the sales staff that they sit on a small treasure trove? For that matter, how do we get me out? Not to mention that I had a wardrobe malfunction."

"I need the Spanks first," Mollie urged him. "I should buy it before they know it is magical."

Scott rolled his eyes but dutifully stripped out of the Spanks. "Glad you got your priorities straight."

Mollie blew him a raspberry, before eyeing him critically. "And maybe I'll find a skirt for you. Extra large."

She was gone before Scott could say anything, so he muttered to himself. "I really should have come as Charlotte." Having an extra large bubble butt was definitely not a look for a guy.

Impatiently, Scott waited for Mollie's return. Or for his butt to shrink. Both would be welcome. It was Mollie who won that race.

"I got this," she said, before handing him over a layered lacy ruffled skirt that would reach to the floor. "Only thing that might fit."

"Are you sure?" Scott dug. It would be just Mollie's thing to dig out the frilliest of skirts for him.

Mollie placed her hands on her hips and tapped her right foot. "It's paid for. So, unless you want to wait it out, it is this skirt or nothing."

Grumbling, Scott pushed the skirt over his head. There was no way he could step into it and pull it up. "This looks ridiculous," he remarked as he saw his mirror image. It looked like someone had strapped two pillows to his butt. Not to mention that the frilly skirt clashed with his black Revival Metal motive shirt.

Red like a tomato, Scott followed Mollie out of the store. They nearly made it when the clerk at the register perked up. "Sir? Sir! Hold on. What's that under your skirt? Are you smuggling clothes out?"

"It's my butt," Scott protested while getting even more flustered. Seeing the doubt in the clerk's eyes, Scott lifted up the backside of the skirt. "I have a condition."

The statement wasn't helped as Mollie burst out at the same time with: "Allergies."

Seconds passed before the clerk waved them through. Hurrying out, both burst into nervous giggles.

Both returned to their van and Scott took a seat. "Damn, that feels strange. So squishy."

"Comfortable?" Mollie teased.

Scott gave her a glare. "Let's just hope the duration of this condition doesn't last too long. I've worn the Spanks for maybe a minute and the effect is still there. Any idea how long it will last?"

Mollie shrugged. "Everything I collected on them were rumors. Some of them were at odds with each other. While most said the Spanks grows one's butt - now confirmed - others implied Bottom Betty's behind actually was this large and she used the Spanks to reduce her girth. Which makes more sense, given what Spanks usually do. We might need to tweak how strong the effect is. And the duration. Maybe some variations. We could be at the manufacturer in Hobbington in two or three weeks. How many copies do you think we should get."

Scott gave an amused snort before giving a sad shake of his head. This was so Mollie. Jumping onto the business opportunity before the enchantment had even worn off. "How about none?" His statement had Mollie puzzled, so he stood up, took her hand, and led her a few feet away from their van. "Now tell me where you want to stow our newest product."

Mollie's confusion gave way to contemplation. Scott saw her gaze fall onto the van. It wasn't their old small van they had started out with. Their new van was the biggest electric van they had found. At that time, it had felt spacious compared to their first mobile home. It even had a small shower and kitchenette. With plenty of storage room.

Or so they had thought. As their business had taken off, more and more merchandise had taken up storage space. They had stuffed every nook and cranny before they found an alternative. The solar panel on the roof had to make space for a rack that could strap on weatherproof boxes. Instead of relying on fixed solar panels, they now had some they could roll out.

Mollie's view shifted as she acknowledged that their roof space was used up too. Her gaze fell onto their trailer. Not the first either. In hindsight, it had been a mistake to buy a small trailer and thinking it would suffice. Just three months later, they exchanged it for one that was nearly as large as their van. It too was stuffed full of merchandise.

Scott knew he had Mollie dead to rights. "I am listening. Any suggestions?"

"Maybe we could temporarily put some in the shower?" As Scott gave her a less-than-enthusiastic look, Mollie swiveled on the spot. "Well, we would have space if someone wasn't hugging the closet space."

Scott only shrugged. "Well, I am dressing for two."

Mollie's eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth. "Don't tell me. You are pregnant?"

In reply, she got a long-suffering look. "I said dressing for two. Not eating. And I might point out that most of those clothes are in there because you treat Charlotte as your personal dress-up doll."

"True," Mollie admitted. "But I wouldn't mind seeing you pregnant. I heard rumors about special strap-ons the tribes of Florida use."

Every reply on Scott's tongue died away as his mind entertained the thought for a moment. How would it feel to carry new life in one's belly? Could it work? Did he have to wear the corset for three to four months to make it work? That was a daunting duration.

"I think you are getting ahead of yourself," Scott said to avoid giving Mollie a comment on her suggestion. "Look at our van. There isn't space for any new product line. Even less so for starting a family. Mollie, we have to-"

"Get a bigger van!"

Scott sighed. Taking a seat nearby, he motioned for Mollie to join him. "Do you remember our original plan? We wanted to travel the continent to find a new home. Some place we can settle down. Yes, I have grown fond of traveling with you too. But we have to decide now. We can't grow our business any bigger or start a family with our current setup. Getting something bigger will only postpone the inevitable. Do we settle down - grow the business and start a family - or do we take a step back and keep traveling? We have to decide."

For once, there was no quick quip from Mollie. Her gaze drifted between Scott and their van. He could see that the decision wasn't easy for her. At last, she looked like she was ready.

"So-" She stretched out the word like it was bubblegum and a hint of mischief returned to her gaze. "If we settle down, I can put a bun in your oven?"

"Not if I put a bun into you first," Scott shot back. Giggling, Mollie drew him into a hug and passionate kiss.

As their kiss ended, Mollie turned thoughtful again. "Settling down, huh? In the beginning, we talked about it all the time. Not so much lately. A lot has changed since then. I am not even sure where we should stake our claim."

Scott gently rubbed his fiancé's back as she snuggled against him. "Well, I have given it some thought-"

"Of course, you have!" Mollie exclaimed after a short sharp laugh. "Go on. Woe me with details."

"You liked the Louisiana Territories, didn't you? Most of our business partners are there too. How about that small town with the mage academies."

"Oh, we can pilver promising alumni!" This time, it was Scott's turn to laugh. Undeterred, Mollie ventured on. "It's not too far away from the Gulf of Mexico too. I loved the beaches there. Not enough beach bunnies though. Maybe we should ask if we can franchise Bunny Beach."

Scott shook his head in amusement. "Maybe we find a house first? Then we can open up a shop and get established. And then, when we have solid ground under our feet, we can tackle other big projects."

"Deal!" Mollie extracted herself from the hug to offer Scott a handshake. After they shook, her real motive revealed itself. "Time to test out those Spanks myself. That butt of yours has me jealous."

Scott gave a muted chuckle. Yes, that was exactly how the woman he knew and loved behaved. And in their little social dance, he knew exactly what to say next. "Ah, so you want to have child-bearing hips. I think I know who will carry our first child."

Mollie, halfway into stepping into the Spanks, stopped to give him a raspberry.

---

"Nervous?" Charlotte asked as she took Mollie's hand in her own.

"A little," Mollie admitted. "The other two properties had been good, but our realtor promised something amazing for this one."

"Hopefully, we can afford it," Charlotte grumbled.

Hand in hand, they casually strolled along the boulevard. It was obvious that this part of the town was for tourists. Not just by the masses of people walking around, but also by the shops and restaurants that lined the street. Pushing past those buildings, they arrived at the riverfront and the promenade that paralleled the shore.

The whole town was built into the Mississippi delta and branches of the mighty river could be found everywhere. This fact was underlined by the many boats that lined the shoreline. A few were swimming restaurants, but most were converted to houseboats.

"Over there," Mollie pointed out and a moment later, Charlotte caught sight of a red jacket too. As they arrived, Mollie took the initiative. "Good afternoon, Miss Hodgkins."

"To you too, Mollie," the realtor replied as she shook her hand. "Scott isn't with you today? And who do I have the pleasure to meet today?"

"Charlotte," she introduced herself. Then gave a mock glare at Mollie. "I am afraid Scott won't join for the foreseeable future. Say, nine months."

"Oh, shush, I won fair and square." Seeing the confusion of Miss Hodgkins, Mollie chose to explain. "You see, Miss Hodgkins, Scott and I have a business that deals with bodily alterations and transformations of the magical kind. Whenever Scott becomes a woman, she goes by Charlotte."

"Oh!" Then it dawned on the realtor what really went on. "Congratulations. How far are you along?"

"Thanks." Charlotte didn't sound very excited. "I should have turned back two days ago. So, I would say I am two days along."

"Oh, don't mind her grumpiness," Mollie injected. "She can be a sore loser sometimes. But we both are looking forward to becoming a family."

"Well, in that case, you need a home," Miss Hodgkins quipped. Quickly and professionally switching to the task at hand. "And this one might just be perfect. If you would follow?"

Instead of leading them to one of the buildings overlooking the boulevard, she walked just a few meters and stepped onto a pier. Passing a few willow trees, a breathtaking view unfolded. Moored to the pier was a large riverboat with three stories.

"This is the SS Nixie," Miss Hodgkins opened her pitch and pointed at the name painted on the bow. "Or it would be if it was a real boat. Let me explain. This house was built to mimic the classic paddle steamer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century that used to traverse the Mississippi of Old Earth. It - sadly - rests on a concrete foundation and the large rear paddle is purely decorative."

The realtor walked over a plank to set foot on the fake ship. She waited for her clientele to follow who had trouble taking it all in. "It originally was built as a bed and breakfast and operated as such for fifty-odd years. The owner changed and it was remodeled as a fine dining establishment. After thirty years it closed down and remained in private hands for another decade before it was sold to a luxury designer company. This was their southern subsidiary and showroom."

Opening up, they stepped into a large room that had an amazing view of the shore and river through floor-to-ceiling windows. "As you can see, this space is ideal for a shop or boutique. As it was used as such before. The rear end has plenty of storage space. The floor up is currently set up as office space. Above, there is a large private apartment."

Mollie and Charlotte followed along as they were shown the houseboat in detail. The more they saw, the more they loved it.

"It is perfect," Mollie gushed. "The price-"

"We'd have to take a loan," Charlotte confirmed. "But the way our business is growing, that shouldn't be a hurdle. Just imagine."

They both could. Downstairs was perfect for a large sales room with changing cabins. As well as a large storage room. The office space might be a bit premature, but they both knew they might need to hire staff sooner than later. And the apartment was large enough that they could have a dozen children.

"All that is left is to walk you down the aisle," Charlotte mused after they both had signed the contract. "I can't wait to see you in a white dress."

Mollie smiled, before sharing a passionate kiss. "Of course, there is an opportunity." Charlotte arched her eyebrow and Mollie was quick to explain. "I bet you would look great in a wedding dress too. It might also be a dream of many of our customers. We could have a little photoshoot. Show them that dreams can come true. With the added benefit that I too can walk you down the aisle."

Charlotte chuckled. Of course, she had to expect something just like it from the woman she loved. "Of course, my love." Arm in arm they looked at their newest purchase. "After all these years traveling, we finally have a place to call home."

"And we will fill it with more love than our parents ever did."

The end.

---

Author's note:
This story was voted for by my readers on my discord.
If you want to influence what I write next join my discord server here: Cassy's Library