The meeting

Opening the door, Laura-as-Lasse greeted Juliette with a wide smile. "Hey, Juli," she said, adjusting her voice to mimic Lasse's baritone as best she could. Juliette raised an eyebrow but stepped inside, looking around curiously.

"Where's Laura?" she asked, taking off her coat and hanging it up on the rack.

"She'll be here in a moment," Laura said, maintaining her facade. Juliette's gaze swept over her, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. Laura couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride. It seemed that the disguise was foolproof.

After leading Juliette to the living room, Laura excused herself, saying she had to grab something. As she exited the room, her heart pounded in her chest. This was the moment of truth.

Coming back into the room, Laura held the pen high in her hand. "What do you think this is, Juli?" she asked, looking at her friend with an intense gaze.

Juliette squinted at the object. "Looks like a... pen?" she ventured, clearly unsure.

And with that, Laura began to explain. She talked about her discovery, the transformation, and what she had done with Lasse. She omitted the part about making Lasse a permanent ****, though. That information seemed best kept secret for now.

Throughout the explanation, Juliette's face morphed from confusion to disbelief, to horror and finally to a strange kind of fascination. After Laura finished, there was a long silence.

Finally, Juliette spoke. "Laura, this... this is insane," she murmured. "If I didn't know you, I'd say you're lying."

To prove it, Laura reached behind her and slowly removed Lasse's skin, revealing herself underneath. Juliette's eyes went wide with shock and surprise. But there was no fear, no anger. Laura felt a rush of relief. She had been right about Juliette.

"I can teach you how to do it too," she offered. "And we can share this secret, this power."

Juliette was silent, her eyes glued on Laura. "Let me think about it," she finally said. "This is... a lot to process."