On August 31st, Danny Fenton had been terrified, sitting on the edge of her mattress playing with the strings dangling off the dusty-grey blanket. It was coming to the end of summer vacation, school coming up next week and it was only then that Danny had managed to muster all her courage to admit her biggest secret. Although being half ghost was certainly second on that list, the teen had always felt that this is what made her the most obscure. It was hard keeping both things hidden, one would cause her to be dissected by her parents, and the other might get her completely rejected, tossed out and disowned; candidly the youngest Fenton didn't know which was worse. She'd asked her sister to meet her in her room claiming that there was something big she had to tell her. Danny wasn't sure what Jazz could have presumed with those ominous words, probably something ghost related- and it was if you counted herself as a 'ghost problem.' The ginger had come in with a dramatic vigour, the door slamming open with a sudden force that made the half-ghost jump slightly and then roll her eyes, especially as her sibling attempted to smile falsely and act as if she wasn't worried. Danny had felt all of the sweat forming on her brow and that foreboding pit in her stomach which all of her hopes were dangling over, afeared that they would simply drop into that cavern of darkness. She had wondered where all of her courage from fighting incorporeal beings had fled to at that moment.
"Hey, Danny, what's up little brother?" Unwittingly, she flinched. It was said affectionately of course, but that did not stop it from feeling entirely wrong to her ears, it echoed into her mind as a taunt, and it always had. Danny had clenched her fists at her own reaction, knowing that it was proof enough that she had to admit it all. At least to Jasmine, even if she hadn't - couldn't- said (say) anything to her best friends yet. Cautious, uncertain, she patted the space next to her on the bed, keeping her face resolutely away from the familiar visage of the sister, the woman who had supported her through literally everything in her life.
In fact, telling her was like telling a parent, at least Danny imagined so. Jasmine had been the one to raise her, moreso then their parents had; Jack and Maddie loved them and they both loved their parents, but they weren't pillars in either of their lives. They were neglectful, they were obsessive, and they often forgot they had children at all.
Thus Jasmine had been the one to fix her lunches as a kid -even though she was still one herself,- Jasmine had been the one to send her to school on her first day of middle school with a soothing voice and a big hug. Jasmine had been the one to comfort her when she'd first gotten pushed around by bullies. And when Danny had been too little to really help out around the house; Jazz had been the one to make their breakfasts and dinners, do the laundry, and clean the toilets. Jazz had been the one to colour with her when she was lonely, read her bedtime stories and comfort her when she was scared of the boogeyman.
Danny was absolutely terrified of telling her.
Still, she had pulled at all her courage and forced all of her breathing into something a bit less panicked. Her nails bit into her palm though, and her eyes still stared fixated on the thread that her other hand was playing with, her shoulders were still slouched and her knees remained pressed so tight together one could imagine the sound of bones crunching. There was a desperate sting in her eyes and clenching around her half-dead heart, a heavy clog in her throat, and every bit of her body felt tense. Yet still, with sheer force of will she made her voice work, it cracked, it sounded broken and rasped, but she still managed to make it work.
"Hey Jazz… I have something to tell you…" There was a warm palm on her back, just in between her shoulderblades and it was rubbing slowly there in the same comforting motion the ravenette had known all her life. Danny felt her own breath shake as minutes passed by, unable to find the words and trying to stop her body from trembling.
She had done the research with a careful precision that she didn't normally have. Looked around the library, found books and resources. Checked and double-checked, she'd triple-checked by calling a number she'd found in a phonebook labelled 'LGBT support.' Having done enough research to actually know what the acronym meant. Calling, she had spoken with far more confidence than she did presently -which was very close to zero,- and told them about what she felt, how her body felt wrong, like something grated under her skin and how when she looked in the mirror she saw some strange guy's face, not her own. They had been the ones to truly verify what she thought. She had ended the call with a large swallow, and a huge sigh of relief. At least she knew why -or rather what type of individual she was.
Telling her sister was so extremely different, Danny wondered briefly if it was really comforting to know at all.
Gasping her next breath in, she'd managed to speak clearly, her voice was still cracking with pressure, but it wasn't quiet. "I'm transgender." There was hardly any doubt in the young woman's mind that her sister knew what that meant. She was too much of a genius not to. The halfa considered it placating because she wouldn't have to explain, she didn't want to explain. Hardly breathing except for frightened little inhales her body was rigid, and her consciousness was so keenly aware that the soothing circles on her shoulderblades had stopped. Hyperaware in fact, it felt as if there was a ringing in her ears, but everything was also so clear in her vision, she could feel the stick of her shirt to her armpits, the brush of each divot in the fabric of her blanket, the wrong sensation of her chest being too flat, the small cracks in the wall, the sound of shortened breath beside her. Everything was too quiet and too loud at once.
Then, all of a sudden there was warmth around her, an embrace, a chin over her head, a kiss on her skelp. "Oh Danny, I should have known, I should have seen, I'm so sorry little sister." Wetness dropped on her hair, just as another did on her thigh. The teen choked, a hiccup coming too fast to stop, and then grotesque sobbing began, every relief felt as if it were flowing from her eyes, her body feeling so light as it became so much more lax, inappropriate or not, past the age of rationality or not; Danny wrapped her desperate arms around her sister, her head buried in the other woman's chest, propriety be damned. She was clutching the other woman too much, it must've been painful, but the thought of loosening her hold just made her fearful. "Don't you worry Danny." The ginger pulled away, and the young girl let her reluctantly. As for the first time that day she met her sister's aquamarine eyes, so softened and kind, with tear tracks on her cheeks and a sweet smile on her lips."Don't you worry, I'm gonna take care of everything. We'll get you some new clothes, get some make-up, maybe a corset or two, okay? I'll set you up to see an endocrinologist to fix those pesky hormones of yours and make them right. Big sister will take care of everything."A gentle kiss was put onto her forehead then, and Danny felt like a little girl again, her big sister being her everything. She hiccupped again.
Everything felt wonderful.
The dress, the dress, was simple, a knee-length one with pleated fabric a the skirt, circular collar over her collarbones, t-shirt sleeves, tapered at the waist with a thin -accessory- a navy-coloured belt. As a whole, the dress was a soft baby blue and there were printed designs of small pink flowers all over. Really it was rather old-fashioned, if there was a petticoat underneath, it would slot nicely into the fifties. Danny loved it instantly, it was cute to be blunt, yet it also suit her and the aesthetic she was forging for herself. The one she wanted, the one she'd wanted for herself since the end of freshman year, well actually, since she was ten years old, but she hadn't understood it back then. Looking into the mirror now, she could see some pink dust her own cheeks for the image on the other side she was rewarded with, the light pink lipgloss painting her lips accented both her blush and dress perfectly. She was smiling at her reflection, marvelling at the picturesque look of her face- so befitting to all that she wanted to be. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall she didn't want to smear her mascara- her eyelashes looked so full and long, she couldn't ruin it. Turning to the side she evaluated her figure now, it wasn't dramatically changed Danny had always possessed a more feminine body shape in general. Even so, while rather modest compared to some of the other corsets she had seen, it gave her distinctive hips and a thin waist that pronounced her chest more. It made her feel so right, yet in gazing at her chest, she felt a slight less so. She had fake mounds in her bra, which yes, made everything a bit better, not being entirely flat; she was a rather small B-cup size with them in, but they weren't real.
The young woman shook herself, coming to her senses and regaining her composure, smiling once more at what she could see in the mirror. Sure, her image wasn't perfect to her eyes, but it was damned close. She twirled a strand of straight black hair around her finger, making a little bit of a cutesy pose at herself, just for the fun of it. She had been growing out her hair over summer vacation, and it was now past her shoulders, so it wasn't completely what she wanted either, but it looked amazing regardless. It was shining, raven black and straight as an arrow and only a little frizzed. Her bangs fell over her eyes all the time, but truthfully, she loved it, it served as a type of tiny reminder that she had almost transformed completely into who she really was. Presently, one side of her hair was clipped back with a little pink -glittering- pin the shape of a cherry blossom. Even her nails were done-up with a classic french manicure.
Finally, she turned around, not even having to glance around for her sister. The other woman was speaking avidly with the kindly assistant who had helped them find everything. Danny bit at her lip, once again that sting behind her eyes coming forth. Forcing them back, she let her grin take their place, and walked over to the two conversing. Naturally, Jazz spotted her first, and Danny swore Jazz looked happier than she had when looking into the mirror.
"You look beautiful!" Their attendant vigorously nodded in agreement.
The store they were in was a rather special one. Jazz had known about it -though Danny did not know how.- It was a place called 'True Image,' and it operated rather secretly as a place for transgender persons to find assistance. To find the right equipment, flatter their visage, and even; more comfortable types of underwear. Every employee in the place was wise to trans identity persons, and according to the elder Fenton woman they also specialized in those newly transitioning. It was a type of safe haven really. Though they held the appearance of a simple clothing store for all those not 'in-the-know.' Things like binders, corsets, and specialized bras were held in storage and only brought out when directly asked for.
"How do you feel?" Their attendant was looking at her with a kind but contemplative expression, eyes going over her figure in evaluation that everything properly fit.
"Amazing!" She might've yelled that a bit too loud, but she only got smiles in response. He nodded and seemingly satisfied with his quiet evaluation, waved as the two women left the store. Danny smiled up at her sister -she was still short, and she loved it, though many might not. A cheeky grin was her return, before something like realization filtered onto the ginger's face.
"I just realized, what do you want to be called? Do you want to stick with Danny?" Said girl blushed, she had thought of it naturally, and had looked through naming books for something that sounded good and fit her. Surprisingly, she found that she didn't want something terribly different, still while 'Danny,' was by no means a bad name, it did not feel right. After having looked through several books she had deviated to those of different languages, and in searching through a Slovene one, she had come across one that wasn't too far off from her birth name, not to mention the meaning was a little bit ironic.
"I like Danijela, it means 'god protects.'" Jazz giggled beside her, and her grin was wide.
"I like it! Danijela it is!" Everything felt so wholesome. Although a little paranoia was in the back of her mind; they were walking through the mall and it was drastically public, and extensively busy as so many teens were dallying about with their last day of summer, some parents picking up last-minute school supplies that they'd only just remembered. The atmosphere in general was great, but that didn't stop Danijela from feeling a slight nervous that someone familiar from Casper High -and she had seen a few classmates around,- would recognize her. "Oh! I gotta go meet someone, I'll be back in half an hour or so, why don't you hang out at the snack bar or something?" Staring at the big clock in the main area Jazz had jumped, and with the commonality of her sister's punctuality coming forth, the half-ghost rolled her eyes. But really, the ravenette couldn't imagine being annoyed at the woman ever again; Jazz had gotten all of her new clothes, equipment, make-up and had also paid for her hair and nails to be done, and now she was attempting to arrange -secret- hormone treatment for her. So she merely shook her head in fondness as the flurry of ginger hair whisked away.
There was a foodbar not too far off, and as she did have a few dollars in her wallet -which was currently taking a stay in one of the two paper shopping bags she was carrying. The want to treat herself was high, a nice vanilla milkshake sounded ideal, it was still significantly hot out and she was sweating a little- even with her new perfume on, she didn't want any smell to filter through. Approaching, however, her foot nearly slipped, a small crunching sound under her -white- slipper as her balance teetered. Looking down, her sky eyes widened at the sight of a keychain -with keys on, sprawled on the ground. Hesitant, she picked them up, finding a cute chiwhawa charm dangling along with a flame-printed house key. Flipping it around to try and find a name -or anything identifying, there was a noticeable engraving of a name on the other side of the dog. Clean and clearly reading: 'Dash Baxter.' And that kind of felt like an invisible kick had landed on her face -her ghost sense hadn't gone off though,- and she breathed deep. For a moment her mind went to revenge, but she shook herself to dislodge the thought, she wasn't that mean, she wouldn't stoop down to that level.
Glancing around, she presumed the man had to be in the area, the keys were still somewhat warm. She was right, although it did take her a minute to recognize the jock, he wasn't wearing his letterman jacket and instead a black tee, but his hair was the same, and he also looked to have tanned a little in the summer. He and Kwan were sitting across from each other at one of the adjacent tables in the food area talking about who-knows-what. Gathering her nerves into a cluster of marginal courage; the last person she wanted to find out that she was 'Danny Fenton,' was Dash Baxter. Giving him ammo would be disastrous in this instance because he would pass it along to the entire popular clique and she would be outed, it would be miserable. Everyone in school would know if their precious quarterback did, and the ammo he passed along would be loaded into everyone's guns, even some of the nerds -the lowest class of people in Casper High,- would torment her. Transgender persons were not accepted, there were no anti-discrimination laws even for minor protection, LGB people had them, but trans people didn't and if the highschoolers found out that she was born male, then everyone in the whole town would; and that thought made her cold to her bones.
Still, she approached the table. It wasn't as if she wasn't going to come across him in school, but at least there she would have the protection of being introduced as a female -at least that's what her sister had promised her, and she trusted Jasmine Fenton's word more then anyone else's. As it was, there was the small possibility she could be outed without any type of safety net.