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Two weeks later.

Jacinto is standing in front of the bathroom mirror in his underwear, looking intently at his... her face. Not at single shade of stubble on her chin anymore, and when waking up this morning she could swear her chest felt more tender than normal. Her heart takes a skip as the obvious conclusion lands, then she takes a deep breath before calling out with an attempted calm to her partner in the next room.

"I... I t-think it's started on me."

Rowan blinks, then rushes to the bathroom door half-dressed. The changes have indeed continued for her, but slowly, in the past two weeks, her body hair has continued to thin, and her body has mostly 'shrunk', bits of 'him' growing smaller, but not quite yet growing out into 'her'. The biggest, delightfully unexpected change was the freckles appearing on her cheeks just a day ago.

She slides to the door, smiling wide, trying to hide the excitement in her voice, "It's started?!"

Jacinto swallows and nods, turning to look at Rowan: "Y-yes. I think so. The, uh... stubble. Or lack thereof."

She feels her heart skip a couple of beats as she steps close to her girlfriend. After a lot of fear and doubt, it felt like nothing was even happening for a while. "I... I am changing, I think."

Rowan closes the distance between them, bringing her hand up to feel Jac's cheek. "Definitely smooth... How are you feeling? I sorta suspect I already know..."

Jacinto sniffs, tearing up slightly. "It's... happening. So, uhm... excited, afraid, eager, feeling like my mind wants to go everywhere and nowhere all at once... you know, that buzz in your chest."

Rowan hugs Jacinto, pulling her against her, her own eyes threatening to tear up as well at the very familiar emotion, "I know it. I know it pretty well at this point."

Jacinto swallows, leaning into the hug. "...n-no going back. Not that I would want to. I want this... I want this." She smiles: "...a-and I'm pretty sure that's not just Cindi talking."

Rowan kisses Jac' and smiles, "Or maybe it is? But it doesn't matter much either way." She sniffles, finally starting to cry, "I am so, SO happy for you. And so very lucky that I have such a beautiful girlfriend already~"

Jacinto gives a soft grin after the kiss: "N-now, wait until I can, uh, qualify more as a g-girlfriend before you say things like that... o-or don't, I guess."

Rowan shakes her head, "Not gonna. I can qualify you as my girlfriend as much as I want." She blushes, "I mean... I want you to do the same to me."

Jacinto opens her mouth to object, but nothing of the sort actually comes to mind. "...s-suppose you have a point. We're uh... if everything we have read, we are on our way to becoming the g-girls we are." She pauses, then smiles as she gives the usual caveat: "...outside of fur, that is."

Rowan nods, practically glowing as she smiles at Jac', tears running down her face. "I love you, Jac'. Right now... I... I feel so good. For you, and me... Th-this is really happening."

Jacinto nods, her eyes not staying dry either: "Y-yeah... it is. It is. We're... and..." She trails off, then just gives a small shrug and leans to kiss Rowan so deeply right now.

Rowan kisses back passionately, letting herself just get lost in the moment. When they finally pull apart, she giggles, whispering, "When you first asked me to come over and help you build a fursuit... I was kinda dismissive. I definitely didn't imagine it would lead to... any of this."

Jacinto giggles softly. "Well... Neither did I. I just... Wanted to make the fursuit of my dreams a reality." She smirks, then lightly pokes a finger on Rowan's shoulder: "You decided you wanted your own suit, on your own, though."

Rowan nods, "Well, you looked so happy trying yours on, I didn't want to be left out... And hindsight, you know? Who knows how deep down the feelings were that I wanted to be cuter."

Jacinto nods: "Yeah... we definitely found that particular well... probably earlier than we realized any of this with magic. But suppose it's obvious in hindsight indeed."

Rowan chuckles, "I would have said it was escapism, or getting to play a character, or... any number of other things really. But now, yeah, it's obvious... it was some level of wish fulfillment. And now... somehow, insanely, magically... that wish has been granted."

Jacinto nods: "You can say 'insane' and 'magical' couple of extra times and it's still accurate. We've gotten... Kind of thing many just dream of." She hums: "... Suppose that includes us. Definitely guilty of some of that dreaming, wishing Cindi was real in some way."

Rowan nods, "Sure... Akari too, but... then beyond them, these changes to us...for as small as they seem, they feel bigger than the whole change that happens when in fur."

Jacinto nods slowly: "...it is, I guess, more life-shaking... I mean obviously it is." She swallows, looking at Rowan: "We're... changing our lives. Fur is awesome, but... yeah, it mostly has not changed our lives from a more... human perspective."

Rowan nods, "Y-yeah... guess as it gets closer, we kinda have to change more of our outside lives to reflect it too."

Jacinto winces: "That... unfortunately, may not be as fun as getting in fur is." She sighs, then smiles: "Worry for later. Right now I will just hold you close."

She does.

Rowan is quite alright not worrying about that now either, instead focusing her attention to holding her girlfriend tight. "That's something I'm very good at, in and out of fur."

Jacinto smiles: "Might be a scary trip ahead of us, but with you it's a considerably less scary one." She holds Rowan close and closes her eyes.

Rowan hums, keeping quiet a moment to simply embrace Jac'. "If the only thing that remains a constant in our lives is each other, I think I can make it through anything."

Jacinto nods. She hums quietly for a moment.

"...what do you think of the name 'Jacqueline'?"

Rowan blinks, then giggles, "It sounds lovely to me. I haven't even thought through that far ahead."

Jacinto gives a sheepish grin. "It's, uh... What my Ma would have wanted if I was born a girl. A-and you know me, I think too far ahead a lot."

Rowan giggles, "And I don't think much at all, hm? But I like it... and you'll still be 'Jac', I suppose? Jacqueline~."

Jacinto blushes a bit: "Y-yeah, it's p-practical like that. And, uh, I do like it." She glances aside: "Sadly Ma is not around to see this, but then I'd have to explain magic... So maybe it's for the better."

Rowan nods sadly, "I still don't know how to explain any of this to my parents..."

She takes a deep breath, "Maybe... something closer to who I want to be... you're moving from who you were, Jacinto to Jacqueline. But, maybe I could come from the other direction? Something like... Kari?"

Jacinto hums. "Kari? Mm... Don't know... Maybe something more feminine?"

Rowan frowns, letting out a breath, "I don't know... probably... maybe that's a bit too... I don't know."

Jacinto gives a soft smile: "On the nose? Even if just we know it." She considers: "...you know, having a way to differentiate when talking about the fur side or not, when in mixed company, and all that."

Rowan chuckles, "There is that... I mean, going the same route as you, there's 'Rowena', but we already know a Rowena, and the name doesn't feel 'me' anyways. I wish I could just be 'Akari' though..."

Jacinto hums, nodding. "Akane? Or if going the same way as me, something like Rona or Rowanda? But I suppose we have time to think about this... I just kinda already like the name my Ma would have picked." She gives Rowan a soft kiss on the cheek.

Rowan sighs, but leans into Jac', smiling at the kiss, "Guess that's true... but now that the question is there, I don't know why it bothers me... Maybe I already don't feel like 'Rowan' anymore... so... who am I right now?"

Jacinto shrugs with a smile: "Hasn't that been quite the question for both of us lately."

Rowan chuckles, "Okay, fair. Like I said, I don't know why this in particular presses down on me, now of all times."

Jacinto squeezes Rowan on the shoulder with a smile: "It's a big decision. Well, on paper, anyway, when we get there."

Rowan nods, "Y-yeah... yeah. Heh. Why is this the first part of all of this that's made me nervous? Like... I'll be honest... as scary as things were at the very start... I've... I've kind of wanted every step of this. Still do, of course."

Jacinto hums: "You know what? I want you to take a deep breath, and allow me to remind you that you do not need to decide all of that right now. My changes have literally just started."

Rowan does so, taking a deep breath to calm herself down, "I mean... big picture, mine have only just started too."

Jacinto smiles: "That's the spirit. We'll travel this road together, with everything it brings." She whispers: "...and we can always furry escape for an evening if it becomes too much."

Rowan giggles, "There is always that as well..." She reaches for Jacinto's hand to hold. "Everything it brings... yeah. I do love who I'm becoming. Or who we're becoming, together."

Jacinto winks: "Even if we don't entirely know where this might be going. We know the broad strokes, but not the exact end result."

Rowan giggles, "I didn't see freckles coming, that's for sure."

Jacinto smiles, lifting her hand to Rowan's cheek: "For example, that."

Rowan hums, "Maybe that's part of it... the changes feel out of my hands now. I'm just... embracing them. But the name isn't something that'll just 'happen', you know?"

Jacinto moves her hand from Rowan's cheek to her own: "Well... if you want to take a page off of my book... research. There's probably a wealth of resources for names, I'm sure something will click for you."

Rowan nods, closing her eyes at Jac's touch, "I will do that, yes. Back to following your lead, hm?" She giggles, tilting her head into Jac's hand.

Jacinto mm's: "Following your own lead, I'm just pointing out an avenue that might help."

Rowan quietly breaths for a moment, just enjoying the closeness, "I'll find the path, don't worry. Just feels a little cozy to know I can always turn back to you for help."

Jacinto smirks: "I promise, I will always make myself available for fuzzy cuddles."

Rowan hums, "These non-fuzzy cuddles feel pretty nice too though."

Jacinto smiles: "Well, those will probably get better from here... at least softer, I think."

Rowan runs her hand up along Jacinto's face, feelnig the new softness, "Yeah, we've certainly started in that direction."

Jacinto nods, leaning softly against Rowan's hand in turn: "Yeah. I'm excited."

Rowan grins, "Me too. I love you, Jacqueline."

Jacinto... Jacqueline leans for another kiss.

Rowan meets her, returning the kiss passionately.

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