Jake and Rahim we're two friends who worked downtown in adjacent office towers. Both were 8n their twenties and had scored jobs in financial firms right out of college. When the weather was nice, they met in the plaza between their buildings for lunch.
"If you ask me, it's all bullshit," Rahim said before taking a bite of his burrito.
"You're not going to line up to take the pill that gives you a vag?" Jake laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"
Rahim looked offended. "Hey, it's not a sexist think, OK? I just don't trust this cult they built up. Tits and special effects are not the foundation for a strong religion."
"You think it's all fake? My Gramma bought into it, and now she's a twenty year old hottie. She says she's going to live forever, too. I mean, why not take the pill? Imagine a future where you're surrounded by horny babes…"
"It's unnatural, dude. Guys should have to give up their dicks to enter Heaven," Rahim protested. “And have you heard about how Christian militia groups are forming to fight against ‘false gods’? They’re just giving those loonies an excuse to get violent.”
“I know, right? It’s like they’re giving nutjob paragon of toxic masculinity an excuse to come out of the woodwork,” said a feninine voice behind them. Jake and Rahim were startled to find the the voice came from a ten-foot tall redhead with curving horns and large batlike wings.
“You’re…” said a starstruck Jake.
“I am,” said Shannon with a smile. “Shannon the Destroyer, at your service.”
“The Destroyer?” a trembling Rahim asked. It was hard not to be intimidated by the enormous woman so close to them.
Shannon laughed. “I just came up with that. I’m hoping it catches on. But I am obliged to point our movement is dedicated to pacifism, though I think we should have gone with ‘fuck around and find out,’ since I think we need to be flexible when it come to the assholes you just mentioned.”
“Huge fan,” said Jake, extending a hand. He wore a stupid smile on his face and he was hoping (unsuccessfully) that he didn’t look like a drooling fanboy.
Shannon graciously shook his hand, then crouched down for a selfie with Jake. “Your friend doesn’t seem to think so.” She blew a smoke ring in Rahim's direction.
Rahim seemed flummoxed and stammered some unintelligible syllables as he tried to backtrack. A small crowd of lunch-break executives was starting to form.
“No worries, sir. You’re entitled to your opinion. Trust me, we value that very highly. The Exalted Ones offer great gifts to everyone, and they have the ability to impose them on all by force, but they choose not to. We want others to come to us by the example we set.” Shannon’s tone was professional. She had given this speech before.
“Are you really immortal?” Jake asked breathlessly. “Can you really offer that to people who convert?”
Shannon chuckled and shrugged. “Nobody has tried to take a shot at me yet, and I’ve only been this way for a few days, so I can’t directly testify as to the ‘ageless’ part of it, but the Exalted Ones tell me it is true, and I have no cause to disbelieve them.”
Rahim scoffed. “I know it. You religious types always demand a leap of faith. Then you make a big ask of people who buy into your little cult.”
Shannon crouched down again so that she loomed over Rahim. She wasn’t trying to intimidate, but it was hard for someone of her size not to intimidate. Rahim tried to avoid eye contact, but that left him staring at her enormous bosom, barely contained by a black bikini. “Oh, there’s a ‘big ask’ coming. Love one another. Create. Make love. Be kind. It can be harder than it sounds. But we don’t ask you to take us on faith alone. Would you like to see an actual miracle?”
There were murmurs of assent from the assembled crowd, which now numbered over twenty. “Fine,” Rahim said.
Shannon turned to Jake. “You seem to have already made your decision. Would you like to join the Sisterhood?”
Jake’s knees were clearly shaking violently and words caught in his throat, but he nodded. Shannon reached into a pouch she had slung on her hip and pulled out a pill bottle. “Just one,” she said. “And there’s enough for everyone if any other men want to join us today.” In the end, five in the crowd also took a pill.
Jake washed his pill down with a sip from his Big Gulp. He stood there expectantly for several seconds waiting for something to happen.
“You look disappointed,” Shannon said.
“I thought…you know…”
“Dude, she’s shitting you. And you look like an ass because you just showed that you would throw away your manhood for some religious cult. Why not serve Kool Aid with that?”
Shannon was clearly holding back her annoyance. “Try not to sound so homophobic,” she snipped. “And give it a chance. He just needs exposure to a catalyst.” She leaned down and gently kissed Jake on the forehead.
The change was instantaneous. Jake shrank down six inches, and he lost much of his body fat. His hair grew a few inches in length into a messy bob. Though his business suit was now baggy on his, it was hard to mistake the feminine curves that had formed underneath. In the end, he became a cute brunette who was grinning like an idiot. Shannon smiled in response.
“Welcome to the Sisterhood, Jake. Please spread the word. And may I ask our other converts to form a line?”
One by one, the five volunteers transformed into women. One female executive also took the plunge. All seemed delighted with their change.
After giving the other new converts hugs, Jake looked around for her friend. But Rahim was nowhere to be found.