Note: Glad this has been enjoyable for everyone so far. Now, There's no time to explain, but I require the assistance of someone closely familiar with the lore, story, characters and settings of Genshin Impact. DM me here, or in Discord, if you are interested; I'll make it worth your time, Dragonborn.

"So…" 45 sits down on the toilet, an oddly reminiscent situation to that day at home. "Paradeus turned you into a girl."

"Yeah, that's about the gist of it." I continue to scrub myself down, almost wishing I could just wash all the changes away.

Just… go back to normal.

"A girl with bigger boobs than mine."

"...I wouldn't know."

"Mmm, of course you wouldn't." She mutters. "Okay, so what are you going to do about it?"

"I dunno, find Anisim and beat him until I know how to reverse it?" I start scrubbing my hair, which has continued to grow at an absurd rate. "Preferably as fast as possible."

"Well… I suppose that's one way to deal with the situation." 45 sounds casual, but I detect a note of malicious teasing in her voice. "Or, you could just stay as a woman. I hear that women combatants are in vogue."

"Uh huh." Grousing, I finish my shower and start drying myself off. "Look, I don't like this. I didn't want anyone to find out, and now that you know-"

"I'm not going to spread word around." She sighs. "I'm not quite that heartless."

"You came here to stick cameras in my bathroom."

"And now I'm not going to, because while revealing you're a woman would be hilarious, I was trying to sell your nudes and nobody wants nudes of a woman." She sighs heavily. "If I wanted those, I could just find a random woman on the internet anyway."

"...Can't you still do that with a guy's body?"

"Nein, I'm not in the habit of looking at random guys on the internet."

"Fair enough."

I clothe myself and step out of the shower.

45 glances up and down at me. "Well, I suppose if nobody told me anything, I wouldn't immediately figure it out." She turns to leave. "I'll let you get some rest."

"It's only like five PM."

"Yeah well, you're gonna need a lot of sleep for tomorrow."

"RO said I have the day off." I raise an eyebrow. "I mean, I know I have to at least get prepared for the event Friday evening, so I need to grab a few dolls beforehand, but I should be able to do that relatively quickly."

"Ah, but do you know how to dance?" 45's eyebrow raises.

"No, but I don't think I'm really going to be in the mood to." I cross my arms, aware that for the first time in my life there's something in the way.

"Tell that to the others." She puts her hand on the doorknob. "Seriously, you need some sort of infiltration training by Friday evening or you're going to ruin this for everyone."

"...Noted."

She leaves without another word.

I look back at the bed. After not sleeping properly for a few days, it does seem awfully inviting…

0600, Thursday morning.

I wake to an alarm going off in my room.

Turning it off, I blearily get to my feet and start my typical morning routine. Having slept for almost ten hours straight after getting bored of the videos I had been watching on my computer, I find that I'm severely dehydrated. And I have a headache.

God, the issues just keep piling up, don't they?

I swallow down a bunch of water, savoring the cold liquid pouring down my throat for a few seconds before turning off the tap and struggling to get my clothes on.

If anything, the binder feels tighter than yesterday, and I constantly feel like something is squeezing me. Well, it's because it is, but…

I'm gonna go get breakfast. I can think after breakfast.

I walk to the door, only noticing the note slipped under the door as I'm about to leave.

Reading the note aloud to myself, "Hadwin- there's three things I need you to do. First, get yourself something nice to wear from Kalina. Second, you need to select a few dolls you trust to infiltrate the party. Third, you need to pick your dates. Signed, Gentiane. P.S. if you get any other communications, ignore them. I send all my messages through post it notes."

Well… this isn't suspicious at all. I'll have to check with her later.

I stick the note in my pocket and set off for Springfield's cafe.

Despite the fact I had obviously intended to eat here, I'm still slightly surprised to see it open so early. I push inside and Springfield welcomes me with a warm smile. "Good morning, commander."

"Morning." I grunt. "Can I get some coffee, a glass of water, and some eggs?"

"Coming right up." She nods.

Before she can turn back, "Hey."

She tilts her head slightly. "Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime, commander." Her smile grows slightly before ducking back behind the curtain behind the bar.

I look around at the empty room. Unlike yesterday where there were crowds practically clogging up the walkways, now it's peaceful. Maybe I should always get here absurdly early in the morning.

"Here you go."

I look back to see that Springfield had miraculously managed to cook eggs in roughly a minute.

"Uh… Okay, how did you do that?"

"I always start getting customers around 0600. I pre-cook some of the more common meals. After all, I'm just one woman."

"Yeah…" I glance at the door. "To be perfectly honest, I was surprised to see that you were already here. Do you live in here?"

"I close the shop at least once a night." She gives me an amused smile. "Don't worry, I have time to myself."

"Good, that's good." I dig into the fresh eggs and savor the flavor on my tongue. "Mmm."

"Do you want anything else?"

"No, thank you." I smile. "This is delicious."

"I strive to please."

The door opens, a bell above it tinkling. Both Springfield and I turn to see who has arrived.

DEFY, both AK-12 and AN-94 walking in.

"Good morning!" Springfield chirps, and I decide to focus on the food in front of me rather than the advanced dolls.

The advanced dolls that decide to sit on either side of me.

Oh boy.

"Good morning, Hadwin." 12 sticks her elbow on the counter and faces my direction. That closed eye thing is really disturbing sometimes. "So, I've been hearing some rumors."

"You have?" I frown. They found out yesterday about my changes, so what-

"You need a few dates for the Mansion job?" 94 asks.

"...Yes, I do." I sigh. "Why, are you volunteering?"

"Da." 12 smirks.

"..." Glaring at the smug woman, I take another bite of my eggs. "Y'know, I'm not exactly… all here at the moment." Making sure Springfield is out of earshot first, I gesture to myself. "And I can't dance."

"You'll figure it out." 94 pats my shoulder reassuringly. "We'll help."

"...Sure, whatever." I slug back some of my coffee. "You two are coming then. Just wear armored heels for when I step on your toes."

"Oh, I'll be wearing flats." 12's grin grows wider. "After all, I'll be wearing a suit. Got to match with our dear commander. It's a shame if two people in dresses dance together."

"...Ange is going?"

"She is, but I meant you."

"I'm not wearing a dress." I bite, though I keep it lower down because Springfeild just returned with their orders, setting them down on either side of me. "I'm gonna wear a suit."

"Keep telling yourself that." 12 shrugs and turns to her own food.

"Don't worry." 94 pats my shoulder. "I'm sure you'll look pretty in a dress."

"...Thanks, 94." I rest my head in my hands.

This is going to be a long day.

No.

This is going to be a long week, or longer depending on when I catch that Paradeus bastard.

I spend a bit longer in the day verifying Gentiane's orders (They're correct), gathering volunteers for the mission tomorrow, and generally trying to get used to my new body. I'm still not done locating everyone, but I'm mostly done. Hopefully I'll find P90 before the night is out.

In the meantime, I'm going to get myself some nice clothes.

Kalina opens the door to the storeroom, her eye figuratively lighting up as she spots me. "Ah, Hadwin! Gentiane told me you'd be coming. Here for a suit?"

"Yep." I walk in past the door being held open for me. "Need something fit for a fairly fancy party."

"Well, fortunately Griffin likes to keep our warehouse stocked with useless crap, so we've got a bunch of clothes to pick from. Might need to get someone handy with a needle and thread to tailor them a bit, but we should be able to find something that almost fits."

"...I can sew." I offer.

"Then that makes that easy." She nods. "If I had a spare minute, I might even like to learn from you! Never quite learned how to do it neatly myself, I just knew how to sew up the holes when the cloth started to wear through…" She blinks and her eyes return to the warehouse from wherever they were. "A-anyway! Maybe once this all blows over, I'll ask for some pointers."

"Sure." A genuine smile crosses my lips despite myself. "That would be fun, I think."

Kalina leads me back into the warehouse, where an entire section full of clothes waits.

Row after row of different sets of clothes, some of them looking more like costumes, greet my eyes.

"What on earth…"

"Ha ha, well…" Kalina sheepishly gestures to the clothes. "I kinda run a side business here. I sell clothes that I buy from flea markets and stuff to the dolls. I get it wholesale sometimes. The dolls like to be able to grab something nice once in while, and I make a bit of money. It's harmless, and they can buy their clothes from other places if they want to-"

"Calm down, I'm not accusing you of anything." I try to placate the woman. "I'm just amazed you have so many."

"Well… you'd be surprised how often these get used." She walks over to a set of clothes that are… very small. "Sometimes we have the dolls guard schools, and they get child bodies for that. Here's the section for those. Please never let me catch you with someone who can wear this size of clothes, or I'll cut it off."

"Noted." Internally, I grumble that that's not really an issue anymore-

"Over here's the wedding dress section. Lots of dolls like to pretend they'll get oathed or married one day and they pick out wedding dresses. Some of them are quite risque too, and I bet they wouldn't pick those if they had family who would see them flash their panties as they walk down the aisle."

I glance at the woman beside me. "...Who designs dresses like that?"

"Humans are weirder than dolls sometimes." She shrugs, like that one statement makes everything okay. "Anyway, here's the suits."

A comparatively small section of the clothing section of the warehouse displays a selection of suits.

I… roughly know my measurements. I haven't grown much since high school, so I should be able to find something that fits without having to try on everything.

"Do you need any help?" Kalina asks.

"No, I think I should be good." I grab a dark tan suit that looks fairly nice. "Thanks though."

She nods. "Okay, call me if- Whoa!"

She steps on a small round thing on the ground, arms windmilling as she tries to get her balance.

I quickly step over to catch her-

The muscles under my developing chest flex as I catch her, and I hear the binder elastic snapping.

I manage to get Kalina to her feet, where she leans over slightly to catch her breath.

"Whew. Thank you for that. I have no idea what that was, generally I keep everything nice and tidy in here-" She turns to me to find I have my arms crossed over my chest defensively. "...Uh."

"It's not what it looks like." I state.

"Um… It looks like you just grew boobs." She looks closer, despite my attempts to hide myself. "Is something wrong?"

"...At this rate, the whole base will know by sundown." I groan. "Fine, yes, I suddenly grew boobs. Anisim pumped me full of a drug that changed my body."

"...Oh."

"And, now that stupid binder that RO gave me snapped." I take a deep breath. "It does feel better without it."

"Ah." She continues to stare. "So… do you want a dress instead?"

"Wha- No! I'm still a guy! I want a suit, a suit!"

"Well… if you're sure."

I turn back to the suits, but the motion causes the holder to fall out of my shirt, hitting the ground with the soft sound of fabric pooling.

Hesitantly, I pick up the black cloth and turn to Kalina. "I don't suppose you have another of these?"

"I… I can check. What size is that? I'll get one a few sizes larger."

"Nah, the same size is fine."

"Hadwin." She stares right at me. "If you just ripped it, you need a bigger one."

"But-"

"Hadwin."

I throw up my hands in defeat. "Fine! It was RO's though, so I don't get why it could possibly be too small for me."

"...This wasn't RO's." Kalina holds it up. "I would describe RO as many things, but small?" She points to the tag on the holder. "Not likely. She probably got this for you, and is just trying to hide it."

"Oh."

"I'll see about getting you something else, something larger, but." She faces me squarely. "You need to let me fit you for a bra."

"What? No! I don't need a bra-"

"Yes, you do." She grabs my arm and moves it, a critical eye going over my chest. "Like it or not, you're gonna need something. You said it was Paradeus?"

"Yes."

"So only a few days ago." She bites her lip, still staring at my chest, the swelling in the shirt admittedly more obvious than yesterday. "I wonder if you're done growing?"

"...Given the holder worked yesterday, I'll go with no."

"Hmm. Well, I'll grab some things. You look for a suit, but I'm going to be straight with you." She places a hand on either shoulder and looks me in the eye. "You really might want to pick out a dress as well. Wearing one of these-" She lifts the broken holder. "-is not fun, trust me. I used to try wrapping my chest when I was still growing, and you can't breath sometimes."

"Yeah… I felt that this morning." I glance down at her own breasts and just how large they are. "Man, if they get as big as yours or RO's-"

"We'll deal with that if it comes to that." She turns me back around. "Now go find some nice things. I'll get you what I think will work and I'll be back momentarily."

"Okay."

She runs down another aisle of clothes, her orange hair standing out in the relative gloom of the warehouse.

I stare at the clothes in front of me, wondering how much longer I can even wear a suit.

"Well… AK-12 is going to wear one…" I mutter to myself.

I pick out a suit that looks nice, is in good condition, and is about my size.

Sliding the jacket on, I confirm my worst fear. It's feeling tight around the chest, uncomfortably so. It should be my size.

At least, it would've been my size a week ago.

I can feel my eyes watering up. This is bullshit. Why the fuck do I have to go through this? I didn't sign up to get experimental drugs shoved into my body! I didn't sign up to be turned into a woman!

"Is… is everything alright?"

I hadn't even noticed when Kalina returned, but her voice brings me back to reality. I swipe at my eyes to get rid of the unfallen tears and try to get myself together. "N-no, it isn't, but it's not like I can fix it." I turn to see that Kalina has a few bras and two breast holders in her arms. "You found some things?"

"I did." She sizes me up again, before pulling one of the bras out and holding it up to me. "Yeah, you should try on this one first."

"I don't want to."

"But, you're going to." Kalina commands. "It's for your own health, Hadwin. Letting the girls swing freely might be more comfortable in the moment, but they will weigh on your shoulders before long."

"...I understand." I reluctantly take the garment from her, the light pink, otherwise completely basic bra seeming like a step too far, like I'm admitting that something has changed.

Which it obviously has. I can't go to the bathroom properly anymore. I have to try to hide my upper body. But, putting on a bra?

"Do you know how to put it on?" Kalina asks gently.

"...I'll figure it out."

"If you have a hard time with the latches, turn it around so you can secure it in front before twisting it around your torso." She unhooks and rehooks one of the other bras to demonstrate. "And… I know you're probably not comfortable with this, but I can help you if you need it."

"I'll… keep that in mind."

She points me to a corner of the warehouse where a rudimentary privacy setup has been erected, little more than PVC piping with fabric along each side to provide coverage. The top is open to the air to let in light, and I feel really uncomfortable, but…

Kalina is trying to help me. She's not mocking me, or treating me like I'm a freak.

I shrug off my shirt, my breasts dangling down in front of me, taunting me with their very presence.

I slide the lower two straps of the bra around my torso, latching the six small hooks and turning it around as Kalina had instructed.

Okay.

Now what?

I stick my arms through the upper straps, but that squishes me uncomfortably, my newly grown flesh getting all jammed up. Maybe it's like the holder, and I need to put it on in a certain way?

"Everything okay in there?"

"No." I sigh. "Why is it so uncomfortable?"

"Can I come in?"

"Yes." My teeth remain locked together, part of me rebelling hard against the situation, the rest of my trying to just stop feeling like crap.

She steps in cautiously. "Okay, let me see." She examines my torso for a few seconds. "Did you tuck your boobs in properly?"

"I don't know how to do that."

"Right, sorry. Here, um, can I touch you?"

"...Sure."

"Okay, let me-"

She reaches out and sticks her hand between my breast and the bra, moving my flesh around so it's not longer twisted. Once she finishes, that side of my body feels a lot better.

"Okay, did you feel what I moved?"

"Yes." I try to repeat her actions on my other side, taking a bit longer but almost immediately realizing what position feels better. "Thank you."

"It's not perfect, but…" She nods. "If you keep growing, you'll fill it out better. If not, just be careful nothing slips out when you're moving."

"...Got it. Thanks." I repeat, my brain is still struggling to comprehend the advice I'm being given. I can hear the words, but…

"No problem! Always happy to help a girl out." At my expression, she backtracks a bit. "Which, of course, is just temporary for you, I'm sure, but…" her cheeks flush a bit. "Erm, I feel like I just got a sister, so I apologize if I come off too strong. I've always wanted a sister, and, well, the dolls almost qualify, but they don't get some things."

"Yeah. I've noticed." I tug at the strap on the bra a few times. It's certainly a lot more comfortable than the holder is. "I'll take you up on that offer, I suppose. At least, until I get this reversed."

"Right!" She hesitates. "Well, since you're already here, do you want to try on the suit?"

"Sure."

She leaves and I put on the holder and then the suit, once more feeling constricted. Looking down at myself, I almost look like I have a more muscular chest, so that's… good, I think. I still look like a guy.

Probably.

It's a little hard to tell without a mirror.

I step out of the rigged up booth and Kalina is there waiting. She had spent the time I was changing gathering a worrying amount of dresses in her arms.

"Oh, that suit does work on you!" She chirps. "Might want to pull in the sides a bit, but that shouldn't take too long, I think."

"I can get it done before tomorrow." I agree. "You look like you've been busy."

She laughs nervously. "Well, I figured you might want to try on a few. You know, in case."

"In case of what?"

"Well… in case you can't fit the suit comfortably anymore."

Noting how hard it already is to breath and just how tight I already feel…

"Sure." I can feel something inside me die. "Probably a good idea."

"Okay!" She excitedly holds out a dress. "I think this one would match your skin tone-"

Hours later, I knock on the door to P90's room.

She had agreed to go with me to the mansion job on the stipulation that I showed up to her dorm and did her a favor.

Not sure what this favor is, but I have the feeling that it's going to be vaguely embarrassing, if our brief conversation on level 2 was anything to go by.

P90 opens the door. "Haddy! You're just on time."

FN FNC, FAL, and Five-seveN look up as I enter, greeting me. I am introduced to the two I hadn't met previously, and a few pleasantries are exchanged before P90 leads me over to her bed. Laying on the bed…

A dress.

"Like I said, if I'm going I'm gonna be wearing the suit. You can wear the dress." P90 grins. "So, Why don't you try it on?"

After the dress show I had been put through earlier this afternoon, a task that I would have probably whined about a week ago suddenly seems laughable.

Why the fuck would I care about one more dress, when I've already put on a dozen or so just earlier?

Still, P90 and co don't know about my recent changes. If I put on the dress, there's no way to hide that, the dress is backless.

I'm still staring at it when P90 grabs the two other women and FNC follows her obediently. "We'll give you a few minutes.

"Yeah… sure." I wait for the door to close behind me.

It'll be okay. P90 is nice enough, she wouldn't just scream out my secrets to the world.

I take a few more breaths to steady myself.

I can do this.

I quickly strip, pull out the new dress, and pull it up to my chest. This dress has a built-in bra that is slightly too big, but if I'm careful I can keep it contained like Kalina had warned.

I get it all zipped up after a minute, and note that, while it's not exactly my size, it's not uncomfortably tight or ripping anywhere.

The color leaves something to be desired, a light blue that looks like a puppet hide.

The dress clearly props up my new breasts as well, the top open to the world.

Yeah… no. I can't.

This is just too weird.

It feels… wrong.

I shudder, and my hand goes to the zipper on the side.

"Hello?"

I turn around to see a doll I don't recognize.

We stare at each other, me frozen in the act of putting on a dress, and she seems to be curious.

"Are you… a new doll?" She tilts her head.

"..." If I tell the truth here… Oh, I'm going to be in so much trouble. "Y-yeah, I'm new."

"Oh, good to hear. What weapon are you?"

"The, ah, Ermn s-sixty four?" I say a random number that is definitely not based of the console I have back home and she nods.

"Nice. You're visiting P90?"

"Mmhmm. She wanted me to try on this dress."

"It's… certainly a dress." The newcomer holds out her hand. "FN2000."

"Nice to meet you." I hesitate, looking at the door. "I'm… going to go get P90."

"Okay. Cya!"

Reluctantly, I wander out to the door of the room, closing it behind me.

On one hand, hopefully I can intercept P90 before she says anything about who I really am.

On the other-

"Hadwin?"

Reluctantly, I turn to the side to see two eyes in the dark.

One blue, and one pink.

MDR's cell phone snaps a picture. "Hadwin, what are you doing in a dress?" She looks close and she blinks a few times. "Wait, you're a girl?!"

Well…

Shit.