Back in the store, Macy was rifling through a new rack that hadn’t been there before — thick with rough fabrics, leather straps, fur-lined cloaks, and metal armor pieces.
"Jess, look at this!" she said, holding up two wild-looking fantasy warrior costumes — one with bone accessories and ripped cloth, the other a strappy leather set that looked like it belonged to a gladiator queen.
Jess furrowed her brow. “Where the hell did that come from?”
“Doesn’t matter!” Macy grinned. “These are amazing — we have to try them!”
Jess hesitated. Something was off, again. Just like with the maid outfits… just like with the superhero stuff. Something kept changing. But she couldn’t hold on to the thought long — it slipped out of her brain like a fish from her hands.
“Ugh… fine,” she said, again. “But this is the last one.”
They each grabbed an outfit and walked back to the changing rooms.
As Jess pulled the barbarian leather over her torso, she felt a hot pulse run through her body. Her muscles tensed. Her grip on the fabric tightened. Her breathing deepened — heavier, almost like she was preparing for a fight.
In the next stall, Macy let out a low grunt. “Ugh, gods, this stuff feels awesome. You feel that?”
“Feel what?” Jess asked through gritted teeth as she fastened the belt of the loincloth-like skirt.
“This power, Jess! Like I could break someone’s spine just by lookin’ at ‘em.” Macy’s voice had dropped an octave. She laughed — loud and unrestrained. “I like this. I really like this!”
Jess stepped out cautiously. Her hair had become wild and tangled. Her body felt stronger — lean and wiry but somehow bulked up in all the right places. Her usual discomfort was dulling… but the awareness was still there. She could tell she was different.
Macy exploded out of her stall. Her eyes were wide, primal. Her stance was wide, confident, her walk more of a stomp than a stride. She looked Jess up and down and laughed.
“HA! You look like a soft little cub next to me, Jess! Not bad, though. You got some fire in you now.”
Jess blinked. Her instincts told her to growl, to challenge, to prove herself — but her brain screamed this isn't you.
“I feel... weird,” Jess muttered, cracking her neck. “Like I wanna punch something. Or scream. Or— I don’t know.”
“Then DO IT!” Macy shouted. “Scream if you want! Or break something! Who cares what the sheep think?”
Macy grabbed a mannequin and hurled it across the store with one arm. Jess flinched — part of her wanted to stop her friend, but a stronger part wanted to cheer.
Watching From Afar
From behind a shelf, Billy stared wide-eyed. “Dude, they’re like… feral!”
Ryan grinned, almost nervously. “Yeah, okay, this might’ve been too much. They're really going for it…”
“Jess doesn’t look like she’s all the way gone though,” Billy noted. “She’s… hesitating.”
Ryan squinted. “You think she’s noticing something’s up?”
“No way,” Ryan muttered, shaking his head. “The system says her awareness is ‘on’ but low. She probably just feels weird, that’s it.”
Ryan’s fingers hovered over the keys. “Still… just in case, maybe we should distract them with another role. Something weaker this time…”
Back at the Store
Jess stared at herself in a mirror — face smeared with fake war paint, hair untamed, chest heaving from adrenaline. Her instincts told her to grin. Her brain told her to run.
Macy clapped a heavy hand on Jess’s shoulder. “Let’s go raid the food court. I’m starving. Bet I can eat a whole turkey leg in one bite!”
Jess let out a laugh she didn’t mean to. “You’re insane.”
Macy grinned. “Damn right I am.”