Looking Like a Real Man

The delicious feast that was Kelli's transformation was sorely tempting the feminizing spirit, but time was too precious to relish in the succulent flavour of its victim's progress. It had work to do, but its goal was the sister. She would be the key to the spirit's future.

But still, despite its plans, it could not deny its nature. The magic had already begun to form around Kelli, gathering, reaching into the partially transformed man's body and mind. The spirit knew that with every step closer to completion of its task it was more in jeopardy of losing its hold on reality. There was danger in every move, risk with every change. Should Kelli and Jon transform too quickly, complete their journey, the spirit would cease to exist.

And yet it could not stop itself.

The spirit hovered over Kelli's body, imbuing the magic with with more and more of its intent, **** to act against its own best interests despite desperately wanting to survive.

Kelli blinked, only to find that he could not see. Had he dozed off? Where was he? There was a sensation on his face, a hot, searing sensation. It was painful, burning, suffocating. He reached up to free himself, only to find his face wrapped in some sort of piping hot cloth.

"Let it do its thing, baby-girl," a familiar voice said, muffled by the fabric prison that held him tightly.

"Let me out of this thing!" he shouted, but it came out as a muffled moan.

"I know, right?" the voice responded, "Suffering for beauty, but so worth it."

There was a loud ding, then Kelli felt hands unwrapping his face. After a few moments light filled his eyes and fresh, perfume-scented air filled his nostrils. He looked around. Of course! He was in the barber shop.

"That's better, isn't it sweetie-pie?" his barber asked.

Kelli touched his face. His skin was smoother than it had ever felt in his life. He looked in the mirror ahead of him and was shocked. Was that really him? How had his barber done such a profound transformation?

Sitting in a chair, wearing his clothes, wearing his body, was the reflection of a man much more masculine than Kelli had ever imagined he could be. His cheeks, his upper lip, were completely devoid of any sign of stubble for the first time since he hit puberty. His eyebrows, once bushy and unruly, had been neatly trimmed and shaped into perfect arcs. But those were not the most profound changes.

Somehow, this man, who had Kelli passed him on the street and seen him in those heels and that blouse would have dismissed him as a jock or a tough, had turned out to be an artist. Kelli's face had never looked so good before. Never before had Kelli noticed his cheekbones, but for some reason they stood out proudly, a prominent and attractive feature of his face. His nose, once large and bulbous, seemed to be tiny, pert, with a slight upturn. And his lips. How in the world has Kelli's lips suddenly swelled up, looking simultaneously pouty and inviting. If Kelli hadn't known better, he would have thought that his barber was a cosmetic surgeon!

Not only that, but the thing that Kelli had actually come in for, a trim to tidy up his messy short-cropped hair, had far exceeded his expectations. Gone was the boring style that he had shared with so many of the guys he knew back home. Instead, this creative genius had given him waves of long, blond hair framing his new, masculine face perfectly.

"It's incredible," Kelli breathed, never having felt more like a man than in that moment.

"Oh stop it, darling, you'll make me blush!" the barber giggled and covered his chest with one long-nailed hand.

Kelli loved this place, the artistry, the comradery, the nicknames. The gift that this man had given him was so profound. Soon he'd run into a woman in Girl World, they'd take one look at the new Kelli, and everything would fall into place. He only wished there was some way he could repay the barber.

"Now that you're done," the barber said with a meek smile, "I was wondering if you could do me a quick favour..."

"Anything."

The spirit disengaged. The work was done, both in the real world and in the game. Leaving Kelli to the scenario it had set up for him, it floated away to find Jon's sister. It was time to get to the real work.