"... So are we going to talk about the fact that I want to be a chihuahua?" asked Jeff, watching Sally patiently tweak settings on the computer.
"Are we?" said Sally. "You're one of the first people outside Transdem Labs to have a Chronivac, Jeff. You can be anything you want to be, at any time, from now on. This time, you're probably only going to be a chihuahua for a couple of hours tops, because of our agreement about your family coming home."
The situation was, undeniably, just as simple as Sally made it sound, but Jeff's own insecurity was far louder in his head than Sally's matter-of-fact acceptance.
"... Look," said Jeff, defensively, "just because you think chihuahuas are lame..."
"What?! I don't think--"
"... doesn't mean that they are. So go ahead. Try to tell me again, one more time, about how wimpy it is for a guy my age to want to spend a little bit of time as little, adorable dog that looks like a puppy it's whole life."
"Hold on, I never said--"
"Just one more time, I dare you! I'll tell you the same thing everyone with an ounce of experience with small dogs knows: chihuahuas may be tiny, but they have spunk! Ain't nobody gonna mess with a chihuahua! And yes, they ARE adorable. But ya know what? This is MY Chronivac, and I can turn into whatever I want, at any time, from now on--"
"That's exactly what I just--"
"--so get off my case, and get on with the change, if you want to be the one using that thing, and I won't laugh when you wanna turn into somethin' tiny, kapish?"
There was an awkward silence after Jeff's Freudian outburst, after which Sally finally attempted to complete a whole sentence: "So are you going to let me turn you into a chihuahua, or not?"
"Proceed," said Jeff victoriously. Sally facepalmed and clicked through some final confirmation dialogs, after which she turned back with an expectant smile to see what the Chronivac could do to her former master.
Jeff felt a funny feeling in his tummy and got a tad dizzy for just a second. When he got his bearings, he noticed he was a little smaller--and that he was still shrinking! In moments, he was was about the height of the computer desk. Being this small was really bringing back memories of what it felt like to be a toddler! It was also making his pants start to fall down and his shirt start to feel like a dress. "Wow! It's working!" he said in a higher pitched voice, followed by a celebratory whoop from Sally. By the time Jeff was smaller than a baby, his head was bulging, seemingly in an attempt to not crush his compacted brain any further. His eyes were giant in relation to his head, giving him some of the bug-eyed look of a chihuahua already.
"Oh, man, the world looks so big from down here! It's going to be fun being this small. Oh, and what are these on my face? Cool! Dog whiskers!"
Jeff reached up further on his head and found the fleshy, triangular lobes his ears had blossomed into while he was fingering his sensitive new facial hairs. He tried to make a comment about them, but this time he just yelped.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" said Sally. "I hope you have fun as a dog, even if it is just for a little while. The Chronivac is amazing! ... Aw, look, your little chihuahua tail is growing!"
It didn't feel little to Jeff. He sniffed the air with his little wet nose and tilted his head at the sensation of a new limb dangling behind him. He turned around and yipped at the sight of the new appendage his machine had given him. He waved it around pridefully, but he couldn't crane his arms around to reach it because they had already been locked into a new position in front of him. Pads and little claws were forming on his hands and feet, and soon Jeff had trouble keeping his balance and had to use all four legs to keep himself up off the floor. He looked up at his temporary master and let out a few playful barks, making eye contact and wagging his tail behind him.
"You're so CUTE!" said Sally, lifting him up and holding his face next to hers. "We're gonna have a fun evening in our new bodies, aren't we?"
"Arf! Arf! Pant-pant-pant."