A hundred years later.

It was a fine spring day morning. The sun had dawned and dispersed the morning mist hanging low above the school grounds. Jude was geared up in his tracksuit, ready to kickstart the day.

Meredith Lee's school for boys was one of the top schools in the country and had large grounds and facilities to prepare its students for their lives in society. The school, situated on a small hilltop, had a good view of the surrounding landscape. Lush green hills that rolled across the horizon with patches of woodland occupying the valleys.

A gravel road led straight from the main building to the guardhouse down by the gate. Walls surrounded the grounds with exception for the woodlands to the east, which was only fenced.

Jude stood by the entrance of the main building and stretched, bending over at the hips, all the way down so his chin touched the knees. Then he switched position, widening his stance and squatted so low his butt touched his heels, the other leg he stretched to the side with toes pointing at the skies. He inhaled, held the position for a few seconds and exhaled as he relaxed. After going through a couple of exercises he felt ready. His body was warm and blood pumped through his veins, the cool morning air awakening his senses. A blonde boy with brown hazel eyes walked out from the main building with a training bag under his arm, yawning aloud. It was Mikkel, Jude's friend and classmate.

"Good morning Mikkel" Jude greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning Jude," Mikkel said and rubbed his eyes.

"You're awake early today, what's the occasion?"

"Well, you know it's an important day, with the parade and all, so I thought I'd get myself a head start but I regret itnow. We're not made to wake up this early. I don't know how you do it, it's unnatural, you must be a vampire or something."

Jude laughed at that, a sweet melodic laugh.

"It's nothing strange for me. I wake up this time every day. You'll get used to it eventually. Just get a good sweat going and you'll feel fresh and ready to tackle anything the day might throw at you."

He winked at Mikkel and gave him a thumps up.

"Don't know about that," He said and sighed, "I'm gonna do some squats, wanna join?"

Jude wasn't surprised to hear it, Mikkel had the biggest butt in school and he barely did anything but squats. With a single sway of his hips he could get any futa to gawk at his behind. Some of the boys envied him, calling it a cheat trait, but Jude did not see it that way. It was true that Mikkel was born with a natural talent but he still worked hard to enhance it, too hard in his opinion. It was typical when you had a talent that you would focus all your effort into that talent and forget to work on your other parts, as was the case with Mikkel and his butt. Jude once suggested that he should do some other exercises but Mikkel quickly put that down.

"We can't all be skinny like you, Jude. Some of us need to flaunt it and flaunt it good."

Jude sighed, he was a bit self conscious about his skinny frame and had tried to put on some weight but it went slow and he didn't want to hit the gym too much that his body hardened. Maybe he should do some squats after all.

"So, are you up for it?"

"Not today, i was going for a run but I'll see you in class."

"Sure, take care," Mikkel said and waved him off.

Jude jogged down the gravel road, passing the gym to his left and kept going to the guardhouse. The face of a Futa guard peered out of the window and waved at him. Her wide smile and jovial features stood in stark contrast to the scar that ran down alongside her face. Her crimson hair gave the impression of a fiery spirit though she was actually a gentle person and prone to shyness.

"Up early again, Jude? It's nice to see young males working hard."

"Thanks Chris, it's going to be a great day for the parade."

"I'm looking forward to it," She said, "Which section will you be in?"

Jude turned to run backwards as he called back, "I'm all the way back in the tenth row, but that's okay. I hope we can bring you a nice parade this year"

"I'm sure you will. I'll keep a lookout for you."

He turned back around and kept running along the wall. With a sudden inspiration he stepped to his left to run on the soft grass, heavy with morning dew. It felt good on his feet and gave light splashing sounds as he stepped on it. After some five hundred meters he entered the forest. The air was chillier here but that didn't matter as he was already warmed up. The joy of moving freely by his own means and breathing fresh air filled his senses. Aspen trees cantered the path, with newly sprouted grass in the spaces between, birds chirped in delight at the passing of winter and the approaching spring. He kept running for another three kilometers before stopping at a serene scene, a clearing in the forest with a small cottage next a pond. The rising sun struck rays of light between the trees, casting long shadows and making the moist moss glimmer from its reflection. The mist rising from the pond gave it a mystical atmosphere.

Jude began his exercises, push ups, crunches, pullups from a branch and the added squats. It wasn't the kind of workout to build mass, one needed weights for that, but it would keep his body lean and fit.

He took a deep breath as he finished the last set and regarded his surroundings, a surge of happiness filled him as he thought of his life at the school. The outside world wasn't always as beautiful and could be outright terrifying at times. He was one of the few orphans enrolled at the school. His parents had lived in a small farm near the border which was one of the first to be attacked when the federation invaded eleven years ago. They'd managed to flee but was caught by the enemy in an open field. His mother, carrying him in her arms, was shot several times but she did not stop running until fatigue and blood loss caught up and her legs gave out. They tumbled into a ditch. He still remembered her bloodshot eyes as she lay there, gasping for air and coughing blood. She'd reached a trembling hand to touch his cheek, smearing it with an imprint of blood.

"Run Jude, run and grow up to be a beautiful, good boy."

A stab of pain seared his chest at the memory. "I will mom," he spoke out loud and looked to the skies, wishing his words could reach her.

He took a deep breath, stretched his shoulders and ran back to the school.

After his mother died he travelled through the woods on his own, foraging berries along the way and only sleeping when exhaustion forced him. Eventually he came upon a road which he followed until he met a group of refugees who took him in. For several days they travelled east with hunger as a constant reminder of their predicament and the threat of enemy soldiers lurking behind every corner.

They brought him to a relief center and from there he was placed at an orphanage which became his home for the following five years. As a seven year old boy with no parents to care for him and an entire nation up in arms, there was little care for him to be had there. He remembered little of the time but lonely nights, crying himself to sleep and the constant hunger brought on by their meagre war rations.

Five years later the war ended but for Jude his future prospects looked bleak. With no relatives the best he could dream for was to be the husband of a low income household but a more likely future would be for a factory to buy him and keep him as a worker until the end of his days.

Then one day everything changed. On a cold winter evening a futa visited the orphanage. She was a tall woman with black hair clamped tight to the back of her head. She wore black glasses and a formal black suit, her demeanor was strict and the boys from the orphanage looked upon her with fear. The mother matron lined them up and ordered them to undress into their undies for inspection. The tall futa walked down the row of boys, regarding each of them with a knowing eye, stopping to forcefully turn one every once in a while and let her gaze run up and down their backs. They shuddered, more from her gaze than of the cold. No boy dared to meet her eyes but Jude. The woman stopped as she got to him. The silence was tangible as they stared at each other until the orphanage matron interrupted.

"What's the matter with you, boy? Show some respect, cast down your eyes!"

The woman in black raised a hand to the matron, "It's okay Beda."

"What's your name, boy?"

"Jude."

"Jude," She repeated and hunched down to level her eyes with his.

"My name is Meredith, do you know what I am?" He shook his head.

"I'm a Futa." Her eyes didn't waver but neither did his, he wasn't sure why that was, a child of his age were usually sensitive to the behaviour of those around him, especially when it came to fear, but for some reason the tall woman didn't scare him.

"Now, Jude, you are a male and I'm a futa. Do you know the correct way to address a futa?"

"Ma'm?"

"Now that's a good boy. Make sure to remember it."

"Really Miss Meredith, I'm so sorry. We try our best to teach the boys proper manners but these are not of the best stock and they know little of etiquette in a finer society." The orphanage matron had a worried look on her face as she spoke.

"Don't worry Beda, I'm not offended. It's to be expected of children their age, they will learn in time."

Meredith stood and took a step back.

"Now step forward and turn for me, Jude." He did as he was told. She brought out a cane and whipped it at his legs to force him to widen his stance then hunched down to examine his behind. After being satisfied with her examination she pulled him around to face her and then ran a sharp nail down along his chest to his belly. The touch brought an icy sensation in Jude and he bit down on his lips to not squirm. Then with the one hand she reached around his waist and grabbed his buttock, digging her nails into the flesh. It hurt but Jude didn't yelp. Pain didn't scare him, he had known so much pain during his short life he had come to accept it as a natural part of being alive. When she finished her inspection, Meredith released him and addressed the mother matron.

"I'll take this one, have him washed and bring him to the car."

"Yes ma'm, would you like him wrapped up?" Meredith met Jude's gaze, who still looked at her with unwavered interest.

"No, that won't be necessary, just bring him to the car and don't take too long."

Beda bowed and Meredith left the room.

That was the day Jude was enrolled to Meredith Lee's School for boys. He'd felt a mix of excitement and fear at the time and he'd known, that for better or worse, his life would never be the same.

That was six years ago. He was now eighteen years old and on the cusp on manhood with a bright future ahead. How different things could have been had he not met headmistress Meredith that day.

He was sure his existence would've been a pitiful one. He never could have dreamed of at the time that he would be living the life he lived now, attending one of the elite schools in the country, with a room of his own and soft linen bedding to comfort him at night. That was another reason he worked so hard, to prove to those who believed in him they were not wrong in doing so.

He arrived back at the school and made his way to the dorms. When he got to his room, he fetched a fresh towel, his school uniform, a washing kit and his beauty products. With all of it in hand he headed to the showers.

He quickly undressed and got in, starting with cold water to cool himself off and then turned up the temperature. He shampooed his hair and ran a bar of soap across his entire body, making sure to not miss a single spot. When done he brought out his shower scrub and rubbed himself with it. This was to remove any dry skin and to get a deep cleanse. While washing away the soap he applied balsam to his hair and let it soak in for a few seconds before washing it off. It had a soft scent of lavender and rose petals, not too strong but just a hint so someone nearby could pick it up.

Done with the shower he got out, dried himself and moved to stand before the mirror. He placed his bag of beauty products on the counter and picked out a couple. Before he got to work with his creams he inspected his legs to see if they needed shaving but they were still silky smooth from yesterday's shave, same with his arms and armpits. He rubbed a cleansing, agave salve on his face and while it permeated the skin he applied lotion to his arms, legs, chest, belly and bottom. After washing off the agave salve he brought out a face balm and massaged it into the skin.

When done he took a step back and regarded his image in the mirror.

He had a skinny frame and unlike Mikkel he didn't have any strong points to focus on. His hips weren't particularly wide, his legs weren't longer than the average and he didn't have a muscular build which some futas preferred. He turned to regard his behind, His butt wasn't that bad. Not by any means as big as Mikkels but it had a firm, soft roundness to it. All in all he couldn't be described as anything else than average. If he had any good points at all, it was that he cared so much and took care of himself.If you don't have any strong points, you just have to work with everything you got, that was his motto and the words he repeated to himself every night before went to sleep.

The face balm had dried and gave his cheeks a slight sheen and made them look soft and puffy.

The first step to his everyday makeup routine was the foundation. He applied it at four spots on his face, one on each cheek and one on his forehead and chin, then gently spread it over his face with a fluffy brush. With foundation it was important to consider what you'd like the end result to look like. As the name implies it is what all the other makeup is based upon. It is the uniform canvas upon which you use light, shadow and pigment to bring out, recede and spangle the lines and points on your face. While the school frowned upon excessive use of makeup, they encouraged the boys to practice it by themselves. Jude had learnt that the first mistake beginners do is to apply too much of it and in tones that didn't match their skin. If done with grace, this can be done but it's important to consider the occasion. For everyday use a rule of thumb was less is more, and for special occasions one might dare to take out the turns.

The second step was bronzer. Some used bronzer to give themselves a tanned look but Jude didn't like that. He preferred the natural look and thus he picked a shade close to his skin colour. He brought out another brush, dipped it into the powder and hit it off the counter to remove any excess before he applied it to his chin and jawline and moved up along the lines of his face to the forehead, putting a little extra underneath the cheekbones to create a shade. To finish it off, he moved the brush in circular motions around his face and neck to even it out.

The third step was the blush and going along with the theme of a natural look Jude picked out a rosy peach colour. It would give him that lively flush that made you look keen and attentive, and full of life as if you'd rushed up a flight of stairs.

The fourth step was the eyes. Jude considered skipping it alltogether but decided to put some on anyway. He began with a bone coloured shade, dabbed it into the container and spread it on his eyelids. Next he grabbed a tapered brush and applied some shading closer to the eyeline, this was to control the intensity of the shade and give it a proper fade. He finished the shading with a navy blue eyeliner. It worked great to accentuate the blue of his eyes and didn't stand out too much. Last he put on mascara on his eyelashes. It might have been his lone strong point that his eyelashes was very long, which guided the gaze to his eyes.

To finish it all off he put on a pink lipstick and smacked his lips together.

Inspecting his work he nodded his approval then put the products back in their bag and got dressed in his school uniform before making his way back to his room. Looking at the clock he realised class would start in ten minutes so he lengthened his strides, he didn't want to run as to break out a sweat and ruin the makeup. It would also give a bad impression to his teacher if he seemed rushed. He threw his stuff into the room, took another quick glance in the mirror and straightened his shirt. Once satisfied he left and walked as fast as he dared.

When he arrived, he saw an unorderly line of boys standing outside, waiting for the teacher to arrive. They were chatting excitedly and being raucous. He saw Mikkel standing further ahead in the line, talking to two other boys and making funny faces that made them laugh in delight. Jude positioned himself at the back of the line and just then the silhouette of Mrs Fawlorne could be seen walking down the corridor. She was always on time, seldom a minute early and never a minute late. As the boys spotted her, the chatter died down and they shuffled to get in line. She stopped a few paces away and regarded the boys who tried to look keen. Then she marched down the line and inspected each.

"Straighten that shirt Mikkel and buckle the belt another hole."

"But, Mrs Fawlorne, it gets too tight," He pleaded with her.

"Nonsense, if your pants are sagging it's not too tight."

Mikkel did as he was told, pulling in his gut as he adjusted the belt. Finding nothing else to take note of she walked back to the front of the line and opened the door.

"You may enter," she said and the boys walked into the classroom. No one dallied but went straight to their desks and sat down, waiting for the class to begin. With everyone seated Mrs Fawlorne moved to stand in front of her desk before the class. She was one of the Futa teachers in school and her subject was etiquette, she was also their homeroom teacher. Many of the boys thought she was strict but Jude knew that she was actually a very kind Futa who cared and wanted them to have a good education. He could only imagine how testing it must be to be constantly put in the company of boys that didn't know proper manners and having to teach them. She had divine patience and always explained proper way to behave and the reasoning behind it. Only time she would get upset was if someone was speaking in class or not diligent with the task at hand. She showed respect for all of her students and demanded the same respect for her classroom and herself.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Mrs Fawlorne."

"For today's class we will practice how a male should conduct themselves in a conversation between futas in a public setting. To illustrate I'd like to begin with an example. Jude and Axel could you come up and stand before the class."

Jude and the other boy, named Axel, got up from their desks and walked up front.

"For this exercise we will pretend that Jude is my male and I'm taking him for a walk, while walking we encounter a futa acquaintance of mine, which Axel will be playing."

"Good evening Ms Axel," Mrs Fawlorne addressed Axel. He seemed bewildered in having to play a futa so he resorted to doing what he was supposed to do as a male.

"Good evening ma'm," He said and curtsied.

"That was the proper response if you were a male, Axel. Futas address each other by name or rank, if that's appropriate. Also, you don't have to curtsy. This is only an exercise."

"Yes, Mrs Fawlorne."

"Let's try it once more. Good evening Ms Axel how are you today?"

"Good evening Ma-Mrs Fawlorne, I'm fine thank you," he turned to Jude who stood next to Mrs Fawlorne and patiently waited with his hands clasped in front of him.

"Good evening, Jude."

"Good evening Ma'm," Jude said and curtsied, "nice weather today."

"Yes, it's nice. A perfect day for a parade," Axel got a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Sure is," Jude responded and smiled, "I hope we'll be able to bring you a good show later this evening."

"There is something I wanted to talk to you about Ms Axel," Mrs Fawlorne cut in. Jude lowered his gaze but kept an attentive expression on his face.

"It's about the new political party, Solidarity Equality, a male for all. They've been gaining popularity recently. Last time i checked the polls they had grown two percentiles to number over twenty percent, making them the second largest party in congress."

"Yes, I've heard of them. Very troublesome," Axel said. Of course, he had no idea what Mrs Fawlorne spoke about.

"Now, I've been thinking," Mrs Fawlorne went on, "While I'm not unsympathetic to their cause, that there needs to be some distribution of wealth and males within society, I can't agree that males should be handed out for free. The laws we have are in place to protect the males and give futas incentive to be productive. If males are handed out without requirements of being able to support them, some futas might gather more males than they can keep and abandon them when they can no longer pay for their upkeep. It only seems fair we require futas to provide for their males. I was wondering what your thoughts on the matter are, Ms Axel."

Axel seemed unsure how to respond to the question and Jude wasn't surprised by that, political discourse wasn't a subject boys were taught.

"Ehrm, yes i think it is very important for us to protect the males," He said.

Mrs Fawlorne leaned in and whispered something in his ears upon which Axel turned to Jude.

"What are your thoughts about this Jude?" Having been addressed by a Futa, pretend or not, Jude curtsied again and raised his eyes to meet Axel's.

"I'm sorry to admit that i haven't much reflected upon the matter ma'm, but i would like to express my wish for all of us to get along. If everyone can work together, it's my belief that we can build a better society for both males and futas."

"Excellent response Jude," Mrs Fawlorne said, "truly excellent and i have to give you extra remarks for the good posture and attentiveness you showed throughout the exchange."

Axel, you may return to your seat. Jude, if you'd be so kind to stand before the desk."

"Now class, what I'd first like to point out the correct posture which Jude kept throughout the conversation. A straight back, shoulders slightly tucked but not so much that it makes him slouch, legs tight and hands clasped at the front. These are the basics of all interactions with Futas and i expect you to be fully versed in them by now. When the conversation began Jude waited until he was addressed before he gave his greetings. He also provided the futa with a simple answer to respond to but kept his speech short as to not force a conversation. When the conversation between me and Axel ensued, he lowered his gaze but kept his attention on us, he didn't look away or fiddle with his hands but kept an attentive expression at all times until he was addressed again. The most important part, however, and the one Jude handled with such grace, was when he was asked about his thought on the matter of the Solidarity Equality party. Having been addressed, he raised his eyes to meet Axel's and gave his answer. He graciously apologised for his ignorance, although expected, and gave a heartfelt answer for his wish of peace and cooperation. Now, some of you might feel that he could've given a more thoughtful answer to the question. While this is true it is not the correct way for a male to behave in public. The reason a futa might ask of your opinion in a public setting isn't because she's interested in it. It's a test. If the male were to give a willful answer, or go into a thorough explanation, it would reflect poorly upon his mistress and call into doubt the loyalty and respect he has for her. Indeed a futa is not interested in your opinion on such matters, no one expects you to have a clear grasp on something as delicate as politics, and it's better to not have them voiced at all. Worse yet if you were to give a bad answer, which is the likely outcome, it would put even more shame to your mistress."

The boys scribbled as they took notes and Jude concentrated to memorise each and every word Mrs Fawlorne had said so he could write them down later. He'd read all about it in his textbook but no textbook could explain it as clear and explicit as Mrs Fawlorne could.

"The only situation were a male can give his opinions on such matters will always be in a private setting and only if specifically asked of it by his mistress. Speaking out of turn is considered rude and i expect you all to be better than that."

The scribbling went on for a short while until everyone was done and the boys put down their pencils and raised their eyes.

"Thank you Jude, you may return to your seat. Excellent work i must say."

Jude couldn't help but smile at her praise. He curtsied and walked back to his seat. As he passed the rows of boys, he picked up a whisper.

"Skinny suck up."

"I'll have no whispering in my class," Mrs Fawlorne called over their heads. The boy who'd whispered bowed his head and his cheeks flared in embarrassment.

"Sorry Ma'm, it won't happen again."

The boy's name was Jan and he was one of the more popular boys in school, often winning popularity contests, he'd also been chosen as their class representative.

It was not the first time he'd thrown such remarks at Jude.

Once Jude lost his textbook and searched all over school in search for it. He didn't find it but that same evening someone pushed it under the door to his room. There had been all kinds of different slurs and derogatory terms scribbled over the pages such as 'Teachers slut', 'Twigboy and 'cum dumpster'. He'd been so upset that he nearly cried, but the shame he felt when he was forced to lie to Mrs Fawlorne that he'd lost it was even worse. He didn't dare show her what they'd done to it. He got off with a warning and an appeal to be more careful in the future. While He couldn't say for sure it was Jan who was responsible he had a good hunch that it was.

Mrs Fawlorne ordered them to pair up into groups of three and practice the example they'd been shown. Jude got paired up with two other boys and this time he got to play the futa. He felt embarrassed, but it was also a bit exciting.

They finished class by reading a chapter on the subject and as the clock's pendulum hit the spot where class ended Mrs Fawlorne called out.

"Just a short moment before you leave. As you all know today is Liberation day and there will be no classes after lunch. Each student is expected to meet with their respective groups in the assembly hall to prepare for the parade."

She gazed over their heads, there was a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

"As the last year's in the curriculum you will be walking at the front, leading the parade. From all the teachers I wish you good luck. Class dismissed."

There was a rustle as the boys pulled out their chairs and collected their textbooks. Everyone chatted excitedly among each other.

It was finally here, the Liberation Day Parade.