Finally, here it is, another update. A real one this time, not a forgotten chapter I rescued from my dusty harddrive :-P Hope I didn't make you guys wait too long. Have fun reading and as always, reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated!
Metamorphosis
Dani couldn't help but smile at the mischievous personality she was confronted with.
"Don't worry, these are brand new," Kasumi said holding up the lacy garments.
"Miranda recently did a little shopping in the Citadel. I followed her before I met up with Shep. Do you have any experience wearing something like this? No offense, you seem more like a practical underwear kind of girl."
Dani eyed the flimsy garments with apprehension. "They don't look very comfortable."
Kasumi laughed in a bubbly manner. "They are not designed to be comfortable, they are designed to make you feel . . . sexy."
Another term Dani had frequently heard but never understood. She was not about to admit that though. Hearing other women talk about feeling sexy, feel like a woman . . . it always made her feel like she was from a completely different species.
"Okay, your lack in response is – quite alarming. A lot of women prefer to wear comfortable undergarments, nothing wrong with that. But did you even understand me when I said the purpose of this –" Kasumi waved the lace in front of Dani's face. "Is to make a woman feel sexy? There's something hot about knowing exactly what you wear underneath your clothes even though no one else can see it you know."
Dani decided to take a little leap of faith here. "Why? Why does that matter?"
Kasumi lowered her hand and let the garment fall back on the bed.
"You know, that Dr. Torque really didn't do you any favors Dani," Kasumi said while shaking her head. "Don't ever think he did."
Well, Kasumi didn't laugh in her face so that was something, maybe. Dani quietly walked over to the bed and sat down. Almost the entire face of this strange woman was concealed by the shadows of her hood, only the lower part was visible. The partially red streak lips were curved in a fetching smile.
"What did you mean, that Dr. Torque didn't do me any favors?" Dani suddenly asked.
"Right to the point. No beating around the bush. I approve."
Dani tried not to roll with her eyes but something gave her away because Kasumi was quick to explain herself.
"You don't waste time with trivialities, I like that. About Dr. Torque. From what I learnt,
he offered you some kind of safe haven, a very good education and later a position in his company. I can appreciate that. I just don't like how he took advantage of your work."
"That's not true. I was compensated very well and like you said, he did pay for my education," Dani shook her head, rejecting Kasumi's words.
"No," Kasumi countered. "He made sure you received a good education but the funds he used were provided by Anderson. Miranda checked so obviously, I found out as well. I'm still trying to figure out how he fits into the picture . . . But, even overlooking the way Dr. Torque used you to enrich himself, that's not where he failed you the most."
"He didn't fail me. He helped me!"
Dani was about to jump up from the bed again, but a gentle hand on her arm prevented her from doing so. She glared at Kasumi instead.
"Everything I am today, what I achieved, is because of him. I have to give him that, even though the way he betrayed me still hurts."
"Dani, you are who you are today, despite of him, not thanks to him. He gave you so much opportunities, taught you so much, but he neglected to teach you the most important lesson of all. He didn't teach you how to be human. How to be a woman. Believe me when I say this, I may be a thief, the best one . . ."
". . . in the business," Dani finished with a smile. Kasumi smiled right back.
"Exactly, but still. . . I will always be a woman first!"
It took Dani a while to respond. Somehow she couldn't find the words to convey her feelings. In the end she just gestured at her own body.
"I thought being a woman kind of came with the territory. What you just said. . . it suggests I'm not and it feels . . . I don't know, hurtful, I guess."
"Relax, I didn't mean to insult you. You are a woman yes, but in many ways you're still a child. You know all the biological facts about a woman's body but I don't think you really know what it feels like to be a woman, what it should feel like. But that's okay. I'm going to help you get there."
"Why?"
"It's quite simple. You need the help and I can give it. It's not like there are many women on board you can go to."
"So, you are going to teach me about women things?" Dani didn't mean to sound so skeptical but she couldn't help herself.
"Yes," Kasumi replied with a smirk.
"And how is this going to help exactly?" Dani picked up the flimsy underwear and eyed it suspiciously.
"Ah, allow me to explain . . ." Kasumi started, then stopped and smiled. "I think I have just the thing to help you understand. I will be right back. You. . . go start and get yourself dressed."
The air suddenly sparked and crackled again and Kasumi was no longer there.
Dani stared at the delicate panties. It took her a moment to discern the back from the front. She sighed when she pushed herself from the bed and let the towel fall away from her.
She quickly hauled the panties up her legs and found they fit her snugly. It felt really weird on her skin. The fabric was so delicate, just a thin bit of lace really, held together with strings that settled on her hips, it felt like she wasn't wearing anything at all.
The bra was just as bad. The lace was so delicate it was almost completely transparent.
A few lovely embroidered adornments covered her nipples but the rest was pretty much laid bare for the eye to see.
In the bundle on the bed she found a duplicate of Miranda's costume. Though it looked intricate, she found dressing herself with it was pretty straight forward. It was a one piece suit, but the front overlapped and closed in an asymmetrical manner so it almost looked like a separate piece.
She slipped on the black shrugs, complete with attached gloves, that only left the knuckles of her fingers bare. Opposite to the rest of the shrugs, the fingers of the gloves where as white as the material of the suit.
Dani took a few tentative steps in this new apparel and decided she liked the way the fabric hugged her frame and left her with more freedom to move than her usual way of dress.
She was still taking a turn in her new outfit when suddenly Kasumi appeared again, holding two wrapped boxes.
Kasumi whistled appreciative. "This look suits you, Pryde. Dare I say it looks even better on you than Miri? She looks a bit . . . overstuffed in this. You on the other hand. . . don't."
She approached Dani and settled herself down on the bed again, holding out the two wrapped boxes.
"Now, the point of the lingerie. Open this gift first."
Dani sat down next to Kasumi and took the offered box. It was wrapped in plain white paper.
No bows, no strings, no adornments. Just, plain white paper. Without further thought she tore away the paper and was met with a plain carton box. She tore the flaps apart, pulled out some protective stuffing until she reached a tiny paper bag.
When she opened it and shrugged out its contents, a beautiful diamond earring landed on her hand. Dani held it up for a moment before she handed it back to Kasumi.
"It's beautiful," she commented.
"I know," Kasumi acknowledged. "Too bad it's Miri's and not mine. I'm telling you, if we were not on this ship. . . I can't swipe it now of course, she'd know immediately where to look."
Kasumi actually sounded like she meant it and offered her the second box. "Now open this one."
Dani carefully took the box from Kasumi's hands. The shimmery gold tinted paper felt smooth to the touch. The package was adorned with a beautiful delicate strip of lace and a lovely satin bow. Between the knot of the bow were tiny decorative sprigs.
Dani carefully untied the bow, put the sprigs aside and took great care in removing the lace. Trying not to tear the beautiful paper, Dani opened up one side and wiggled out a luxurious carton box of heavy quality.
She opened the lid of the box and found a small velvet box on a bed of satin fabric.
When she took out the velvet box and opened it, inside she found the other diamond earring. She smiled and handed it back to Kasumi.
"I believe your set is complete again. Well, Miranda's anyway."
"So it is," Kasumi nodded. "But, I couldn't help but notice – you took such great care in unwrapping that last box, but the first one – you simply tore away the paper. Why?"
Dani looked at the wrappings on the bed. The beautiful paper still intact, the plain white paper torn to pieces.
"I don't know. It seemed wrong to just tear the paper off when it was so beautifully wrapped. Someone obviously took great care in wrapping the gift. I felt it should be unwrapped with the same care. It didn't seem to matter that much with the first box."
"So, the two boxes evoked different feelings. Which of the two would make a better gift?"
"The last one," Dani replied immediately.
"Why? You have to agree with me, the contents of the two boxes were exactly the same. In the end, both contained a diamond earring."
"It looks more like a gift?" Dani tried hesitantly.
"You don't have to make it sound like a question, Dani. Just give me the answer that feels right for you."
"It looks like a real present. The way it's wrapped suggests something special is inside."
"And you didn't feel that way when you unwrapped the first box?"
"No."
"Good, we're getting somewhere. Now you have to use your imagination."
Kasumi picked up the shreds of plain paper and laid it next to the neatly unwrapped golden paper.
"Imagine that the plain white paper stands for the plain and comfortable undies you usually wear. Then imagine that the beautiful gift wrap paper stands for the sexy lingerie that I like to wear. Now remember, you said so yourself, the last box looked like something special was inside."
Dani looked intently from the plain to the golden, remembered how she tore of the plain paper without thinking but how unwrapping the latter had made her fingers tremble with anticipation.
"That last box felt special. Can you imagine that's how I feel when I wear beautiful lingerie? Even though no else knows what I'm wearing, I do. I know how I've wrapped myself and I like the way it makes me feel. Now . . ."
Kasumi suddenly took on a low seductive tone. "Imagine that you are a present that Vakarian gets to unwrap. What gift wrappings do you think would appeal to him more?"
Dani widened her eyes when realization started to dawn on her. She could feel her cheeks heating up quickly.
"I can see you are getting the point. Now, imagine this . . . You know exactly how you've gift wrapped yourself. Vakarian doesn't. Unfortunately he saw a hint of what's going on down there but, no more than that, just a hint."
Kasumi got up and gathered the bits of paper and cleared it away.
"That hint had him tripping over his own feet," she continued. "You must've noticed. So, imagine what his reaction will be like when he gets to see his present. Imagine how that will make you feel next time you see him."
Dani covered her burning cheeks with her hands and shot Kasumi a glare when she started to laugh.
"I do believe Dani, you now figured out the purpose of lingerie. Now for our next subject . . . your hair! Here dry it with this so I can actually see what I have to work with."
Dani caught the small hair dryer Kasumi tossed at her. She placed the caps on her right thumb and index finger. When she connected the wire between them she could feel the energy jump between the caps.
She pulled her hair together and moved her thumb and index finger over her hair as if she was gathering it to bind it in a ponytail. She did that a couple of times until the energy disappeared.
Dani moved her free hand through her now dry tresses, pulled off the caps and tossed them back to Kasumi and muttered her thanks. Kasumi regarded her for a short moment and shook her head.
"I'm sorry Dani, no offense, but that just won't do. It looks terrible. Your hair has no body, it's limp, it's not curly but not really straight either. It just is, more or like. The only thing you've really got going for it is the color. How do you wear it?"
Dani pulled a face while she gathered the few strands on both sides of her head that she usually pulled back in small braids. With no clasp available, she held her hair in that position and turned her head to look at Kasumi.
"While that is a lovely look on a six year old, it doesn't do anything for a grown woman.
I wouldn't recommend wearing it loose either. Sorry, but you really don't have the hair for that. You don't strike me as the type for intricate hairdo's either so we will just have to update this look a bit."
Kasumi set herself to work. She started at one side, picked up small strands of hair, twisted them, pulled them back and added in more strands as she went. When she was finished, she marched Dani to the shower and let her look in the mirror.
The result looked like thick ropes of hair twisted to the back of her head where Kasumi had pinned them down and let the remainder of her hair flow freely down her back with just a few strands falling free to the front over her shoulders. It looked . . . different. Tougher, more grown up.
Over the past few years she'd really grown as a person. This morning, she had surrendered her body in pleasure to a man for the first time in her life. Kasumi was right, she was still a child in many ways or had been at least.
Somehow it seemed fitting to leave behind the little girl and let the woman inside her take her place, she just wasn't sure yet if this new style fit her.
"Thank you," Dani said simply. Kasumi smiled at her. "You are very welcome."
Suddenly Kasumi held up her hand and touched her other hand to her ear.
"Yes, Shepard?"
Dani wasn't privy to what was said on the other side, but she noticed a devious smirk cross what was visible of her features.
"You can tell him we'll be out when she's ready and not before! You can also tell him he's very welcome cause he'll be thanking me later. And no, you don't have to know. See you later, Shep."
Kasumi snickered when she broke the connection.
"Well, we better hurry up. Apparently a certain turian is convinced I stole you away to sell you to the highest bidder and is now ready to embark on some kind of killing spree looking for revenge," Kasumi informed her with a grin. "Good thing we're nearly done. Now, make-up. How do we feel about that?"
"I don't use make-up," Dani replied with a smile.
"Yeah, I guessed as much. Well, you've got amazing skin so that's a plus. You don't need much, just a little touch here and there to enhance your features. I can always show you what the whole works in make-up can do for you, but not now. Come with me."
Dani followed Kasumi back to the bed and saw her pull a little bag with toiletries from the bundle on the bed. She then moved in and grasped Dani by her face.
"Close your eyes," she ordered and when she did, Dani felt Kasumi dabbing something on her eyelids. After that she felt her put something liquid along her eyelashes.
"Look straight ahead and please, try not to blink," Kasumi ordered after a while.
Dani did as she was told but it was very hard not to pull away when a little brush was moved very close to her eye again and again.
Kasumi picked up a different brush and dipped in some kind of powder, applied it on her skin and worked it over her face. Next, a few quick dabs of a different powder against her cheekbones and at last she put something moist and sticky on her lips.
"Oh very pretty. Go on, check it out," she suggested and Dani walked back to the shower to study her new look.
She actually looked pretty much the same but at the same time she didn't. Her eyes looked more defined and her eyelashes were more prominent. She detected a few tints of brown and pink near her eyelashes. Her complexion looked more smoother, her cheeks were as pink and rosy as Miranda's and her lips carried the same peachy color.
When she emerged back from the shower, Kasumi looked at her, a look of expectation in her eyes.
"Can you teach me how to do this?" Dani asked her and Kasumi smiled in obvious triumph.
"Absolutely! Now, put these on!"
Dani noticed the long black boots that Kasumi held up for her.
"I don't do high heels," Dani stated flatly.
"I feel your pain, never understood the appeal of them. Makes it so much harder to get away! But, you're not putting on those worn out things either. So, suck it up, put these on and pray you have the same foot size as Miranda!"
Dani reluctantly took the boots that were offered to her and pulled them on. When she tried standing on them, it took a few moments to find her balance and then she found it wasn't as bad as she had expected.
The heels were broad enough to offer support and not nearly high enough to put uncomfortable pressure on the balls of her feet. The moment she tried to walk though, she noticed her feet were sliding in the boots.
"Um, I think my feet are smaller than Miranda's. I'm sliding," Dani complained.
"Tough luck, you can find yourself a different pair on the Citadel. Now walk – no Dani, I said walk – not stomp around like a rhino!"
Dani rolled her eyes at Kasumi, "I am walking!" she said through gritted teeth.
"No you're stomping, completely different thing!" Kasumi objected.
"Look, this is me, walking like you do," Kasumi stomped around the room and even snorted like a rhino might have done when they still existed.
"Oh, come on!" Dani laughed. "That's not how I walk, no one walks that way!"
"Except for you!" Kasumi retorted. "Now, try walking with a bit more grace. Be light on your feet. Look, Rome wasn't built in a day, we've got time to get this right. But for Pete's sake, try! Now, do you have anything to add before I hand you over to your boyfriend?"
"Yes," Dani said while trying to mimic the graceful moves with which Kasumi flitted across the room. "It took hundreds of years to form Rome and . . . who the hell is Pete?"
