During all the time that I've been dating my boyfriend, there's been one thing I've dreaded most: meeting his parents.
It's not that they were bad people, in fact he's said nothing but good things about them. It's just that they are foreign and still hold very traditional values. It's bad enough that their son was gay, but it was probably worse that the man their son was dating wasn't like the men from their home country. Normally disapproving parents wouldn't be such a big deal, but I was terrified of what my boyfriend's parents could do to me. You see, his family had passed down traditional magic from the old country for generations. My boyfriend had demonstrated enough minor spells to get me to believe in his magic, but I knew he was capable of much more. I wouldn't be surprised if his parents could turn me into a frog if I made them mad!
"Relax, my parents are very reasonable people. I'm sure once they get past all the surface stuff, they'll like who you are on the inside" my boyfriend tried to reassure me.
"That's easy for you to say, my parents didn't mind who you were on the surface when you met them. I wish your parents could be like that..." I snapped my fingers as an idea came to mind, "That's it! You can use your magic! Cast a spell to make them not care that I'm a different race".
"I wish it were that easy, but my parents are magic users too. They have a natural immunity to my spells. It'd be easier casting something on you" he said dismissively.
"That's not a bad idea... Yeah, you should cast something on me! Change me in a way that'll make your parents more accepting."
"What? Are you serious? That sounds like a really bad idea. I don't even know what I'd change about you."
"I don't know, just a few minor tweaks. Maybe my hair, clothes, the way I talk? Anything to make your parents forget that I'm so different."
"I guess that'd be okay" my boyfriend picked up his tome of spells and flipped through the pages until his finger landed on what he was looking for, "here it is, this spell will gradually change you in ways that will make you more acceptable to my parents. Once you become someone that my parents can accept, the changes will stop. However, the spell will not stop until you gain my parents' acceptance, and I can't change you back until this spell is finished."
"That sounds great! Like you said, your parents are reasonable people. I'm sure I won't need to change too much for them to like me. Hit me with it!"
My boyfriend cast the spell on me, starting the changes that would make me fit in with his family who are...