Kai had spent half the day rummaging through his apartment to find his dad's old clothes, then spent the other half in front of the bathroom mirror trying them on.
Vira zipped around him all-the-while, making comments, giving suggestions, and asking questions, but the Oathless could only return non-committal grunts and groans—too focused on his mission to listen to her rambling.
After her spell had changed him, Kai took a selfie and was astonished at what he saw. There were still parts of himself that he recognized: his small brown eyes, his soft round chin, his wide build, and average height… But everything else—he smiled to himself in the mirror—yes… everything else had changed.
His dad's plain gray T-shirt wrapped tightly around his bulging pecs, deltoids, and biceps, and as he lifted the hem slightly, it also revealed his finely toned six-pack.
His smile widened.
"Are you sure you know what you are doing?" Vira crossed her arms.
"Huh?" He took a few steps back from the mirror, turned, and stood on the tip of his toes, looking over his shoulders to check how well the jeans fit around his firm, round—
"Have you listened to anything I said?"
"What? Yeah, sure… What were you asking?"
She sighed. "Your plan, is it really going to work?"
"Yeah, sure," he left the bathroom, satisfied with his new look, and put on some shoes before making his way out of the apartment. "Trust me, I got it all covered."
"I'd feel more confident if you shared your plan with me," she said, floating into the hallway after him. "We are in this together, remember? I am here to help you—"
"Should you change, or something?"
"Huh?"
"You can't just float around out in the streets like that; you'll draw too much attention, people will ask questions, the government might even—"
"You don't have to worry about that," she puffed her chest proudly and smiled. Then, in a flash of red light, she changed back into her pixie-form. When she had first changed to her human-form in his room, she wanted to make an entrance and therefore let her magic run wild. But if she wanted, she could also hold the magic back and make the transformation more subtle, done in the blink of an eye.
"I can make myself smaller, and besides, they won't see or hear me unless I want them to."
"Ah…" He thought that over as he descended the stairs of the apartment complex, then exited out into the streets. What she said didn't quite add up… The Oathless in G.I. chat were able to see her well enough to rate her on the decimal scale. How was that possible? Could her supposed invisibility be telepathic in nature, forcing those around to ignore her presence?
"If you wish to speak to me while other people are around, just concentrate on directing your words at me, and the magic will mask that too… You shouldn't do it too often, though, as you might come across as awkward to whomever you are talking to."
"Ah… okay." He smiled to himself, concluding that the effect must be telepathic.
***
With magical vitality powering his new body and all his fat turned to muscle, Kai couldn't remember the last time walking had been this easy. As he made his way down the street toward the Verve nightclub, his steps were light, and his breath was steady. He had spent two years in the university hearing guys brag about how easy it was to pick up girls in that nightclub, but never dared to enter on account of his looks.
Now, things were different.
The blaring beats that used to taunt him from down the street were now his theme song, and the giggling couples sauntering drunkenly out of the club—echoes of his future self.
True Love? Chivalry? He smirked as he passed by the bouncer. What a joke, he scoffed to himself. Chivalry is for simps, and love is really only about one thing—sex.
His heart fluttered as he strode through the dark corridor leading to the club's main hall.
It is a biological truth—a genetic imperative. Men want sex with beautiful women, and women want sex with attractive, strong, and high-status men.
The overpowering music pounded in his head, and the flashing lights revealed hundreds of slender figures writhing on the dance-floor.
But I could never become that kind of man, not with my genetics. And if you can't have sex with beautiful women, what kind of man are you, anyway?
A circular bar was elevated by a platform at the center of the hall, lit by bright lanterns, with a DJ jamming in the middle, surrounded by bartenders serving drinks to the dancers.
He hesitated despite himself, not quite sure what to do or where to go. He faintly heard Vira complain about something, but chose to ignore her. This was his chance. With Vira's magic, he was able to cheat fate, sidestep his genetic inadequacies, and be the man he was always supposed to be.
***
"What in the stars is this debauchery?" Vira looked around the club. "I don't like this, Kai; this is a bad idea. We should turn back, return home, and think about something else."
He shook his head, dismissing her worries, and stepped forward into the mass of bouncing, undulating bodies.
"Kai!" she yelled over the deafening beats of the club music, but he either didn't hear or chose not to listen. "Kai!" She darted through the crowd after him, passing between the dancers and cringing at the suggestive movements they made to each other. "Ugh…" she moaned and looked away, focusing on the task at hand: finding Kai and getting out of there. Flying above everyone's heads, she searched and found him at the raised platform—where they sold alcohol.
"Oh, no," her eyes went wide.
***
Kai had barely managed to shove his way to the bar and was preparing to fight for the bartender's attention when he felt someone nudge his shoulder from the side.
"Hey, handsome!" the woman yelled over the music. "Take a shot with me!" She offered him a small cup.
Kai turned to the woman, and his heart skipped a beat, time slowing to a crawl. Despite the club's dark gloom, he could see her clearly, lit by the lanterns above the bar. She had long blonde hair, enchanting blue eyes, and a lithe hourglass figure. Her tight crop-top revealed a generous cleavage and a naked, flat midriff. He could have stared at her forever.
She shrugged with one shoulder and smiled. "I got one for my date, but I think he ditched me."
"What kind of moron would ditch you?" The words came out of his mouth before he could think them through, and he felt stupid for saying them. He should have said something cooler and more stoic, something like—
She leaned in and gave him her ear. "What?"
Kai closed his eyes and thanked fate for his newfound fortune. "Yeah, sure!" He reached for the cup.
"Ready?" She raised the cup with him, then gulped it down. "Woo-hoo!" she hollered, threw her hands up, then set the empty cup down on the bar. "Come on!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the dance-floor after her.
He didn't resist, wouldn't have dreamed of it. He had gulped down the liquor with her, feeling it burn, then followed to the dance-floor, unable to keep a shy, embarrassed smile from stretching across his face.
***
At first, he felt awkward and out of place, but as the buzz of the alcohol kicked in, the pounding music began to flow through him, compelling his body to move. He didn't fight it, fearing that if he stayed still for too long, the blonde would leave him and go dance with someone else or go looking for her date. He couldn't allow that. He had to stay close to her, dance with her for as long as he was able.
He began to plan, thinking about what he could say or do to win her over, to spend the night with her, but his thoughts kept derailing. He couldn't concentrate, not with her so close, moving the way she did—her swaying hips, her enchanting eyes, her radiant smile…
They went back to the bar for another drink, or… maybe two? Then returned to dance for what felt like hours, days; he couldn't keep track, and he didn't care. This was what life was about, what it was supposed to be like: easy, sexy—perfect.
The music slowed down to a romantic, tender tone, and she put her arms over his shoulders, interlocking her fingers behind his neck. Hesitantly, he placed his hands on her waist in turn, his palms pressing against soft, sweat-drenched skin.
"What's your name?" The music was softer now, so she didn't have to yell.
"I'm… Ah… I'm Kai."
"Hi, Kai," she smiled. "I'm Cathy."
"Hi…" he said awkwardly and smiled back.
She took a deep breath and let out a big sigh. "I'm getting kinda tired, Kai. I think I'm gonna go."
"Ah…" he gulped. This was his chance to say something, to ask for her number before she got away, and he never saw her—
"I live nearby…" she giggled. "Would you mind escorting me home?"
His heart leaped in his chest. "I, ah… yeah, I can take you home."
"Alright," her slender arms went down his shoulders, and she locked them around his right arm, pressing herself close and leaning her head on him. "Let's go."