Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Cat that sings ❯ Shopping ( Chapter 4 )

Kyo peered suspiciously into the dim enterance of the specialty shop, still trying to work up the determination to actually step inside. His red eyes scanned the walls of clothing, feather boas, and various sex toys, half-expecting for little perversion gremlins to jump from the shelves in an ambush and turn him into some sort of hentai, like a certain stupid dog he knew back home. He knew this was a totally irrational fear. After all, perversion gremlins didn't ambush so much as slowly infect and subvert. But shops like this was where they bred and dwelled, lying in wait for some poor unsuspecting sod to become a host, and then they would take over that person's home, friends, and entire lifestyle, spreading like a sex-crazed sort of cancer…

Kyo banged his head against the doorframe. Focus, idiot. You're here to get a fucking water bra, not turn into a degenerate hentai version of Frankenstein. He took a deep breath and stepped inside, trying to reason with himself that tons of people visited stores like this every day, and most of them were perfectly sane.

That led to a mental image of Tohru wandering around the bondage section, and Kyo had to resist banging his head against the wall again. He loved Tohru dearly in his own way, but there were some realities to life that he just didn't want to equate her with. It'd just fry his brain more than the strap-on hanging from the ceiling was already threatening to do.

Water bra…water bra…just focus on the goal, and ignore everything else in here… Kyo lowered his eyes and wandered farther into the store, glad for once that his hair was sliding into his eyes and making it harder to see. It had grown quickly over the past month, and already tended to hang in his eyes, no matter what he did with it. It was still far too short to be considered anything but boyish, but it was a start. And it helped him when he just sat somewhere and studied the women that passed by. After all, if no one could see his eyes, they couldn't accuse him of staring like some sort of lecher, and he could study the opposite sex in preparation for disguising himself as one of them. Reading magazines and books only did so much, after all.

And Uo had been right. Teen girls' magazines really didn't make any sense. At least, not to anyone who had any common sense.

Kyo shook his head, realizing he had gotten off track again. He was embarrassed to even be inside the store, let alone looking for something to buy, but he still had to do it. He didn't want to start looking for more feminine clothes or accessories until he actually looked like a girl, and that meant having a certain frontal extension. He brushed his overlong bangs back from his face and looked up, searching for water bras.

Five minutes later, the clerk behind the counter heard a horrified shriek from the back and came running to see what the matter was. He found Kyo cowering against one of the displays and staring in abject terror at the selection of bras on the wall. Having expected to see something scary, like a dead body amidst the feather boas, the clerk could only give the redheaded teen a perplexed look. "Er…is there a problem, sir?"

"The knockers! The horrible knockers!" Kyo yelped, his eyes fixed on one set in particular. "Godzilla's been cross dressing!!!"

The clerk looked over and rolled his eyes, keeping in his snort of laughter with much effort. Newbies were always so damn skittish. "Aw, relax. Those just happen to be the most popular line."

"But they're huge! How does anyone walk with those on?!"

The clerk shrugged. "Carefully. Don't worry, kid. Those are for someone at least a foot taller than you."

Kyo scowled, his eyes sliding from the gigantic water bra that would likely haunt his nightmares for years to come and settling on the store attendant. "Whatever. Then what should I wear?" he snarled, finding security in anger as always.

The clerk looked back at the display, used to a certain amount of hostility from people shopping for the first time. He led Kyo down the aisle a little ways to where the sizes were smaller and more realistic. "These would be better for someone of your build. We've got them in three cup sizes, too. `Plain Jane', `Sexy Momma', and `Porn Star'."

Kyo gave the clerk a look, to which he just held up his hands in defense.

"Hey, I don't make up these names. Anyway, with your build, you should be able to carry off the latter two choices. Nice shoulders, good hips, sweet little rear…"

Kyo hissed, his hackles rising. "Eyes and hands off, pal!"

The clerk shrugged. "No fear, pal. I'm hetero. But in this job, you gotta know how to, you know, grade people. Otherwise, they just look stupid."

Kyo sulked, not wanting to admit that the man had a point. He was still trying to dredge up the last remaining tatters of his dignity as it was.

"So, you want to try those two sizes on?"

"Yes," the Cat muttered, trying not to grind his teeth. Temper tantrums would just draw attention, especially in a place like this.

"Okay!" The clerk took down two water bras and handed them to Kyo, who tried to ignore their black lacy existence. "Dressing room C is right over there. Try them on and call if you need help." He gave a small leer. "Either me or Bruno will come running, believe you me!"

"I thought you were straight!"

"Yeah, but I'm also not blind."

Kyo could see Bruno back at the front behind the desk. Big, hairy, and overweight. Kyo repressed a shudder and the sudden urge to yowl in disgust like the angry feline he was. Must…control…Fist of Death… Instead of risking incident by opening his mouth, he just turned and stormed into the dressing room.

He removed his shirt and pulled on the Porn Star size, making an instant decision that this wasn't going to be the one he chose. Not only was it massively uncomfortable and chafed like mad, but he couldn't even dredge up the courage to look at himself in the mirror. He felt mildly shamed that an object made of lace and plastic could strike terror in his heart to an extent that not even a rampaging Kagura had succeeded.

Ditching it, he tried on the Sexy Momma size. That was better. It wasn't nearly so heavy, which led to less chafing and a more comfortable fit. He still wanted to ask if there was a version that didn't involve black lace, but at least he was able to persuade himself to look at his reflection, pulling on his shirt first for added realism.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at the mirror.

Deep, utter silence…

"NOOOOOOO!!!!"

The clerk came running. "What?! What?! Did the walls fall in on you or something?!"

Kyo continued to wail. "I make a better girl than Yuuuuukiiiiii!!!! WAAAAAAAH!!!" he howled, and went back to his emotional breakdown, the few shredded remains of his masculine pride blown away to the four winds as if a hurricane had passed through.

The clerk blinked, then sighed and shook his head and walked back to the front counter. "Hey Bruno? Don't go near the guy in dressing room C, okay? He's having a…delicate moment."

"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"

Eventually, Kyo calmed down enough to take the water bra off and come out of the dressing room, shaken but otherwise intact. Okay, he considered, what would be worse? Being locked away in a hole somewhere by Akito for the rest of my life, or wearing that thing in public? Hole…public…hole…public… Can I get a second opinion on this? No! I don't want anyone to see me like this! Especially not anyone who knows me!

The vanity of his cat side poked at him.

But then again…I did make a better girl than Yuki…WHAT AM I THINKING?!

The cat inside him purred smugly.

I hate that side of myself, sometimes…

The cat within radiated smugness.

Kyo was tempted to bang his head against the wall again, but settled for just approaching the counter. I've gotta go through with this. The farther I step away from what my family thinks I'd do, the harder it'll be for them to find me.

The clerk looked up as he approached and grinned. "So, you gonna get that?"

Kyo closed his eyes and nodded.

"In a bag, or would you rather wear it out of here?"

Kyo grit his teeth and briefly struggled between embarrassment and practicality. "To wear," he finally growled. "I'm going to have to get used to the extra weight. How long does it take before I get used to it enough that I actually look like a woman instead of just some guy wearing water balloons on his chest?"

The clerk tilted his head, considering. "Lessee…it depends on a person's own natural grace. But I'd say…oh, wear it 24/7 for a few weeks, except for sleeping or showering. By then, you'll at least have accustomed yourself enough to it to be convincing. Cleaning instructions for the bra are on the back."

Kyo nodded, then thought of something that he'd picked up in a fashion magazine. Black bras didn't go with everything, especially white tops. "Do you have this thing in other colors? And not so…lacy?"

"Oh, sure! Come on, I'll show you the racks!"

After an embarrassing few minutes, Kyo had managed to find a couple of pairs in both black and white that didn't look like Victoria's Secret rejects. He put on one of the black ones, and paid the attendant, then grit his teeth and slunk out into the street, hoping that no one would notice. He hoped in vain, but the worst he got was a lot of giggles. Especially from women, he noticed.

He got one tiny sliver of satisfaction from the fact that the money he had used to buy the bras had come from the cashbox he'd looted back home. He had a feeling that if Akito ever found out he'd indirectly funded Kyo becoming a transvestite, he'd probably have apoplexy on the spot. He grinned at the thought.

I wonder if I could send him a postcard…no! Need to get to Hokkaido. He glanced down at his prosthetic front. What's with this thing? It's making me a sardonic bitch! Hey, it really works! This might not be such a bad idea after all!

Emboldened, Kyo stopped at a few other stores and bought some basic makeup supplies and a few blouses and skirts, paying careful attention to style, fashion, and his coloration. The magazine articles he'd read had been very firm about not choosing colors that mixed badly with his natural skin or hair colors. He didn't get anything really fancy, since he still had a lot of traveling to do and he wanted an actual female to help him with the actual details. He figured he'd fill out his wardrobe and accessories once he'd gotten to Hokkaido and met Uo's friend and could get real feminine feedback.

Somewhere between the lipstick and the pleated skirt, he realized he was having fun. It was a bit of a shock.

He decided not to buy shoes. That would have been the last straw.