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Half an hour later.

Jacinto gives a soft, relieved sigh at being home again as he closes the car doors behind him. He's carrying a bag of groceries that may or may not contain several things impulse-bought because of a desire for sweets and chips.

He gives an amused, quiet chuckle at the thought of the furry side causing more eating, then locates his keys and opens the door.

"I'm home", he calls out tiredly, the day certainly having felt a bit long so far. But maybe the evening would prove better...

Akari has been sitting quietly in the living room with her laptop still open, but has mostly just been staring up at the ceiling lost in thought since the call ended.

Her ears perk up at the sound of the door opening, and she happily calls out, "Oh uh, I'm just in the living room. Let me come help!"

She gets up and heads to the kitchen to at least aid in putting away Jac's groceries.

Jacinto is surprised, if only for half of a second, at hearing and seeing his girlfriend in fur. "Oh? Seems you went ahead with fur anyway." He gives Akari a strong, tight hug, the fluff feeling as wonderful to touch as it always does.

Akari blushes, but is eager to hug back, "Y-yeah, I got self conscious about it all and got into fur before the call. I didn't even think about it afterwards, there was... A lot of other stuff to think about."

Jacinto nods, then lets go of the hug: "Good kind of lot of stuff, I hope."

Akari grins, "I... I think so? It all feels a little overwhelming, but it's also really encouraging and..." She giggles, recalling Geena's warning, "Well, you'll probably want to sit down."

Jacinto blinks, then does as instructed, moving a kitchen chair under him and sitting down. "Oh? What's this about, then?" His expression is somewhere between confused and curious.

Akari takes a deep breath, suddenly realizing just how much this all is... "Ooookay... s-so... magic. There's... so much magic... and it's not just the suits and being in fur, right?"

Jacinto tilts his head: "Yeah... definitely. Or, wait, what do you mean, not just that?"

Akari nods, "Like... okay, you said that you talked at the meet-up about 'changing' the suit and changing your image of who Cindi is. Well, that's this whole 'magic', and I guess it works based on desire, and your mental image of Cindi."

Jacinto pauses, then nods. "Yeahh... maybe I will dare to do something like that. Change my mental image of who Cindi is, sort of."

Akari lifts her hooves up, then crosses them, "W-well, according to Geena, the um, the girl I spoke with... those thoughts go both ways. That mental image of who Akari is..."

She swallows nervously, "A-and who Rowan is... and... He can be changed too... even so drastically as... as to become 'she'... If it's what I really want."

Jacinto listens, then pauses and blinks. "...wait, what? What do you mean?"

Akari laughs, "R-right?! I don't really know fully myself... but... Geena said she... was a 'he', j-just like me. And... she struggled with it, felt angry and depressed and... as she finally got to the point she fully accepted who she wanted to be, this magic started to change her to reflect that."

She shakes her head, "It's insane, I know! B-but also... look at me." She pats her fluffy chest. "Magic."

Jacinto opens his mouth, then closes it as he leans back on the chair rather forcefully, almost slipping off it before catching himself. "Oh."

He stares at nothing for a long moment as it sinks in. "You mean... oh b-boy. That's possible?"

Akari nods, "Y-yeah... at least, according to Geena. I don't think she'd have any reason to lie to me about this."

Jacinto swallows. "That's... oh wow. So..." He looks up: "You..." He trails off, not really having a coherent thought to add.

Akari blushes, "I... I don't know. She said it's still a long hard road, and that the changes might not happen right away... only that, if it's really what I want, and the magic seems to know, that it'll happen."

Jacinto nods, thoughts roiling in his head. "W-well... guess if it's magic like... everything up to now with this..." He swallows: "...what we do doesn't even matter much, does it?"

Akari shrugs, "It still feels like it matters... I don't know... I don't think if I just stop and 'let it happen' that it will. I think... I still need to fight for it to Make it happen."

Jacinto nods: "T-then... I suppose it won't... for me, like that." Why does the idea of that leave a pit in his stomach? He shudders slightly, then forces a smile for his girlfriend. "...if it works for you, t-that's amazing."

Akari notes the change in Jac's expression, reaching a hoof out to take his hand, "...it is... right? Are... you sure you're okay with all of this? I... I'm going to pursue it but... I don't want to do it if you're not alright with it..."

Jacinto swallows, then nods: "I... if you can get what you want, pursuing this..." He manages the smile again: "...t-then, do it, if it makes you happy. It's kind of amazing, and yes, magical, if that's how it works."

Akari smiles, a little more sadly, "...I don't know... but I guess we'll see? And... in the meantime, I'm going to keep doing research, and trying to learn, and trying to... I don't know... be what I want to be. Wh-what I think I need to be now. I- I'm sorry..."

Jacinto squeezes Akari's hand: "You can do it... I've seen how being in fur makes you glow." He gives a weak chuckle. "...p-pretty literally, too. You should try to see this through."

Akari nods, giggling quietly, "I... I just wouldn't want to do it without you. So... I want to be your girlfriend in every way and form... and I just hope that's alright."

Jacinto nods: "O-of course it is. I stand by what I have said before." As for himself, he's not quite as certain, mind going to all kinds of places right now.

Akari squeezes Jac's hand in her hoof, "Thank you... I love you, Jac'. I just... don't want to hurt you or you see you hurting either. And I'm here to help you with whatever you need too."

Jacinto nods. "Love you as well, as always." His smile wanes slightly. "...I don't know what this means for me, though. I'm probably not... enough, I guess, for that sort of thing to happen. But I'm happy for you if this stuff becomes any easier."

Akari frowns, thinking back to Geena's story. "You are whatever you want to be. I'm still figuring out what this means for me, but... I hope it can mean something positive for you too. Even if it's not to embrace this."

She pauses, "Or... even if it is. I'm starting to learn you can't be 'not enough' of anything if it's what you want."

Jacinto nods, feeling a bit deflated. "I don't know. I enjoy being Cindi, being in fur, but..." He trails off, not having a way to finish that sentence.

Akari watches her lover's expression, squeezing his hand again... "But?"

Jacinto glances at Akari, then just shakes his head. "I don't know. I don't have such a... drive, as you do, towards this. The, um... feminine side of things, I mean."

Akari nods, "I just know that you look pretty damn happy as Cindi too... I can't tell you how you feel of course, but... like I said, I want you to be happy."

Jacinto nods, something catching in his throat. "I... I..." He sniffs. "If... Cindi is me, l-like I have been saying... d-does that mean I should be..." He goes quiet, not even wanting to say the thought out loud.

Akari frowns deeper, then gets up from her seat to move around the table and pull Jac' into a hug. "I... I don't think I have answers... I've only barely figured it out myself."

Jacinto leans into the hug, sniffing as he closes his eyes. "S-sorry."

Akari holds Jac' close, "Nothing to be sorry about..."

Jacinto gives a weak laugh from somewhere near Akari's shoulder: "N-not even for raining on your revelation?"

Akari pats his back, "My revelation is big, but I don't fully understand it either. Nothing rained on or ruined, love."

Jacinto hiccups slightly, leaning on Akari for a quiet moment. After a bit, he whispers barely audibly if it wasn't for Akari's much better hearing. "I love you."

Akari hums quietly, perfectly content to hold Jac' to give him all the time he needs, only speaking after hearing his whisper, "I love you too."

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