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Slacker-
Part One by: Moongoddess
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This story is dedicated to Cyclist for the profound and astounding story ‘Sweat and Tears’. Thank you also to Bailey Summers for Beta reading... Image is copyright SuperArtistbOy. All characters copyright 2011.
Esther came home from a hard day at the office to find her 19 year old son Artie, stoned on the couch, playing video games and surrounded by junk food wrappers and trash. She started to fume.
“Did you go to school today Artie?” she asked fully knowing the answer. The boy shook his head. Esther gritted her teeth and bit back on her anger.
“What did you do then son?” she asked a little more forcefully, demanding his attention. Artie looked at her quizzically from under his VR headset.
“Uh… I got up at noon, skated down to Game Stop, got a copy of Call of Duty 8, came home and blazed, then played multiplayer till now… when’s dinner?” he looked expectant.
Esther bit her tongue.
“Artie… oh damn!” she stormed back out of the house. Artie looked blankly at the door.
“What about dinner?” he asked no one in particular and went back to his game.
Esther sat alone at a small table in the bar where she had gone to have a drink and try to regain her composure. Artie had developed the ability to make her so angry without him doing anything at all. She thought back to the young boy Artie had been, so clever and polite and smart… he had been a genius. Then he became a teenager and everything had changed, her neat, tidy, clean boy had turned, almost overnight into the greasy, smelly, hairy, pot smoking… Slacker that was on her couch right now...
He had so much potential, but now he didn’t even care whether he had a job or an education or anything… And so much of it was her fault, Esther thought, ‘I coddled him and didn’t ask anything of him after his father died. I wish I could give him a second chance.’ She sat up straight in her chair, eyes bright with inspiration and alcohol.
‘A second chance!’ she smiled to herself and exited the bar to go to her place of business.
Esther was by no stretch of the imagination poor, her departed husband had left her his biomedical company and she had built it up to a near multinational in the years since. She may not have had her late husband’s genius in the lab, but her business skills were second to none. Tonight’s visit however, had nothing to do with spreadsheets and mergers, but a visit to one of the R&D labs. Esther had been following this project with interest, because if successful, not only would it ease a lot of mental and physical suffering, but make a fantastic profit for the company as well.
Human trials had just been approved by the FDA and were scheduled to begin shortly, so Esther felt well within her rights to begin them a little earlier and closer to home. She went to the medicine refrigeration cabinet and entered her code into the locking mechanism. She took an injector and the dose module and closed the cabinet. Smiling at her own cleverness, she turned out the lights and headed home.
Esther woke with a mild hangover and hazy memories of the previous night. She heard snoring coming from the next room. ‘Good, now I can give my child the second chance he... she deserves.’ She thought happily. From what Esther had read about the research, she could give the subject the treatment and it would start really taking effect in 24 hours or so… Perfect!
She walked into Artie’s room and pressed the injector into his forearm with a mild hiss. The boy didn’t even move.
It was just shy of noon when Artie rolled out of bed and into the kitchen. Esther noted with some disgust that he was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing for the last three days, but she still forced herself to be cheerful and pleasant.
“Sleep well Artie?” she asked with a smile. He blinked bloodshot eyes at her and grunted something that may have been English. Esther tightened her smile and pretended concern.
“Oh I hope you are ok sweetheart, maybe you need to get out of the house and be with your friends for a bit.” She opened her purse and took out a small wad of bills, “here, go to the beach or the movies or something darling, have some fun.” Artie brushed his greasy long hair from in front of his eyes and looked at his mother like she had two heads.
Uh… ok,” he mumbled through his cottonmouth, “if you’re sure it’s ok.” He took the money and shuffled out the front door. Esther waited till he was out of sight and called the number she had written down by the phone.
Esther had been very industrious that day, having boxes of Artie’s clothing and possessions boxed up and removed, getting painters to finish quickly and generally giving Artie’s rooms a total makeover. It was almost a pity when Artie stumbled up to bed, too wasted to notice that anything had changed at all. He shed his outer layer of clothing and collapsed onto the bed in his boxers.
Sometime around two am, the drug that his mother had injected him with started to take effect. First on his skeletal structure it narrowed his shoulders, widened his pelvis, and softened his jaw line and brow. His ribcage shrank as well giving his frame an overall slender look.
When his mother looked in at 8 am, the process was starting on his soft tissues and muscles; she quietly picked up his filthy boy clothes and closed the door on her soon to be daughter. Over the next twelve hours, Artie’s internal organs shifted and made space for her new internal reproductive tract, prostrate to uterus, testes to ovaries, penis to clitoris, and scrotum to labia. Artie’s body envaginated between her legs and completed the process, finally, adipose tissues formed beneath the skin, smoothing her new curves and gathering at the breasts and buttocks.
The little hair Artie had once had on her face and body became finer and very blond, the few coarse whiskers falling out. The hair on her head remained the same, its changes taking place at the roots. To look at her, you would think that she had been born female with only the greasy hair and stale body odor to give lie to the illusion. The changes to the body were nearing completion, with only a few trillion chromosomes to still change from Y to X. Artie slept on, neither knowing or caring about her incredible metamorphosis…
Esther checked in on her daughter around ten pm and was thrilled to see that her plan was working. She went happily to bed, to dream of the new wonderful life ahead for them both. Bright and early at eight am, Esther went to wake her daughter.
“Wake up sweetheart!” she greeted the sleeping form, “it’s a bright new beautiful day!” she got a face full of dirty boxer shorts in as a reward. She went over and shook the girl softly.
“Fuck off, leave me alone.” The sleeping figure buried her face in the pillows. Esther’s smile faded a bit but she remained positive.
“Alright darling, breakfast will be ready soon.” She left the room and closed the door.
Artie slept another two hours before dragging herself out of bed. She sat down on the toilet and just went, cleaning herself in a desultory manner after. She grabbed the robe on the back of the door, never noticing that it was a peach coloured silk creation and went into her room… she pried up the floorboards on the left side of her bed and got her stash. Artie quickly rolled and lit her first joint of the day.
“Oh yeah!” she croaked, “Wake and bake,” and wandered downstairs to the kitchen. Esther looked up from her coffee and newspaper, at first with interest, then dismay as she saw her wonderful new daughter stumble down the staircase, naked except for a silk robe that was untied and covering nothing. Her jaw dropped.
“‘Sup?” Artie grunted and made a beeline for the coffee maker, “why’re you home?” she took a big slug of the coffee from the mug she had poured. Esther struggled to regain her composure.
“I…uh…I thought we might spend some time together,” she stammered a little at first, “we haven’t done that for a while, you know go to the mall, have dinner, see a film?” sea blue eyes peered at Esther through a curtain of thick black hair.
“Huh… weird.” another grunt, “Are you dying?” Artie asked. Esther snapped head around in shock.
“No! Why would you think that?!” she huffed. Artie nodded slowly.
“Am I?” Artie blinked, “cause I feel really weird.” Esther’s brain reeled, could Artie not have noticed?
She stood up and guided Artie to a chair. “Weird how dear, like the flu weird?” She sat down again. Artie just sorta waved her hands around to indicate everywhere.
“No… I feel sorta off, all over…” Esther took Artie’s hand and held it to Artie’s face. The girl’s eyes widened.
“What’s wrong with me?” Artie whispered, “what the hell kind of flu does this?” she felt her face and body. “No frackking way, I’m a girl? Why am I a girl?” her hands continued to explore.
“Ohhhhh wow!” she giggled, “ohhhhh Fuck yeah!” Esther grabbed Artie’s hands before the girl could continue her explorations.
“Enough of that please.” Esther glared, “this wasn’t flu… I did this to you… to give you a second chance. Now you can live up to your potential!” Artie blinked, and then shrugged.
“Whatever dude… my friends always said you were making me into a pussy…guess they were right.” She shrugged again, stood and walked upstairs. Esther jumped up from her chair.
“But what about your second chance?” she sputtered. The girl on the stairs paused and shrugged.
Artie walked back up the stairs to her room and looked at what had been done to it. It was vomit inducing, all pinks and purples and a canopy bed? ‘WTF does she think, that I’m not nineteen?’ Artie sat on the bed to think, she was furious with her mother, but she wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of going along with this ‘second chance’ plan of her mother’s.
‘What prompted this anyways?’ Artie thought, ‘After dad died, she was so busy with that company of hers, she never gave me a second thought. She would just toss money at me and expected me to raise myself… Shit! She thinks this is good parenting? She didn’t like who I was so start over? If I wasn’t baked, I’d be furious!’ she giggled and was startled by the sound of her voice.
“Whoa! Trippy!” she giggled again, then frowned. ‘Good thing mom did just toss money at me, cause I’m gonna need some.’ She thought as she walked to her closet praying that Elise hadn’t looked too closely at the room when the fast forward renovation had happened. Artie crawled into the back of the closet and felt around till she found the wing nuts holding her ‘vault’ closed. To anyone looking at the bottom of the closet, it looked like a cold air return; Artie had turned it into a place to store things she didn’t want anyone (mother) to find. In fact Artie had bolt holes all over the house from the attic to the basement.
This one though, she kept money in. Contrary to her mother’s beliefs, Artie was still very smart and thrifty as well. At best guess, in the past seven years since her father died, his mother had given him in excess of fifteen thousand dollars. Artie had indulged in some day trading and managed to turn that over into about seventy five thousand dollars, give or take. Dumb stoner, huh?
She grabbed three thousand from the lockbox and re-sealed her hiding place. Now, as Artie expected, all her regular clothes were missing: replaced by this girly shit. ‘Dresses? Sheyeah, right…’ she thought scornfully, grabbing a pair of Capris, ‘now these denim things have possibilities though, almost board shorts.’ There was a knock at her bedroom door which she patiently ignored, ‘Now, something to cover up these… things and a couple of large shirts.’ She padded quietly to the fancy dresser and started tossing its contents across the room. She held up something that looked like jockey shorts without a fly and pulled them on. Two tight tee-shirts later and Artie felt reasonably covered.
Scissors were where she expected, in her desk, ‘mom really didn’t think this one through’ Artie sighed as she sat on the edge of the bed and started to cut the denims down to just below knee level. Artie paused for a moment and lit a roached joint she had, taking two or three deep tokes. She would have to lay in a couple of ounces of a good strong sativa just to keep her cool, even though she felt like bawling, ‘I won’t give her the satisfaction’ Artie thought savagely. With the shorts finished, she tried them on and looked in the mirror.
‘Gah! I look like a twinkie!’ she thought furiously for a moment, ‘The attic! There’s old stuff up there from back when… dad was still with us…’ she turned her thoughts away from that path and dragged her desk chair to the closet. There were two attic access hatches in the house, which could work out well for Artie, especially as the other access was in the guest bedroom across the hall… the guest bedroom where the big tree was nearest. Also, if her mom thought Artie was in her room, sneaking in and out would be a snap.
Her smile widened as she climbed up through the trap door in the ceiling, it was warm and bright with dust motes dancing in the sunlight of the front window. Artie had loved coming up here with her father when she was younger, errands to find photographs, Christmas ornaments, and old games. She shook her head and headed towards the boxes of clothing that was stored for reuse or recycling, but mostly her dad’s stuff that they couldn’t part with after he passed.
Artie dug through several boxes before she found a long sleeved tee, a hoodie and a flannel shirt… these would work. In another box a fanny pack and Score! Dad’s old RayBans! Shoes were gonna be a problem though. She dug around in the boxes for a bit before she found some small navy blue deck shoes that looked like they might fit. Artie headed to the other trap door when she stopped in her tracks, ‘Argh! My boards… mom will have gotten rid of them by now… SHIT!’ she looked around, where was it; it had to be here… and ‘Yes! In the corner by my first bike, now I’m glad mom was all nostalgic about saving stuff!’ she grinned happily as she dug out her first skateboard and headed down the trapdoor into the guest bedroom.
Finally dressed now, Artie took a look in the mirror. With the hood up and the RayBans, she almost looked like a skinny guy. She checked her waist pouch and made sure her money and stash was secure before zipping it closed. Last thing she checked was the board, the trucks had flex and play, but the bearings were nearly seized…Damn! Where could she find some oil… the garage was out so it was the 7-11 around the corner or nothing.
Artie unlocked the window and slid the sash quietly up, grabbing her board; she slipped out the window onto a large bough and gently slid the window closed. She almost lost her footing as he balance seemed to be off. Artie snorted quietly to herself and worked her way down the tree to the ground. As soon as she was sure she had not been seen, Artie bolted around the hedge and down the street as fast as her now shorter stride would take her.
Inside the house, Esther was starting to worry about the lack of sound coming from her new daughter’s room. Artie’s reaction to her second chance had been less then promising, she had barely acknowledged the changes to her body and had acted like it didn’t even matter that Esther had gone through such an effort to make Artie’s life better. The more Esther thought about it, the more irritated she got with her child, ‘rude girl, coming down here dressed like that and touching herself and was she stoned again?’ she fumed and stormed up the stairs to Artie’s room.
She tried the door but found it locked, well no worry, she had a key and wasn’t afraid to use it, especially today. Esther unlocked the door and pushed it open only to find sheer chaos, the drawers in the dresser were all pulled out and clothing was strewn everywhere. The closet was disarrayed and there was evidence of clothing being cut on the bed. The one thing that wasn’t there was her daughter, but how? There was no way she could have slipped out of a locked room, and it was a two story drop from her window…
“How did that little stoner manage this?” she wondered aloud.
Artie was less than a block away from the house, sitting on a parking curb, oiling the wheels of the ancient skateboard with the bottle of 3 in 1 she had bought from the 7-11. She lit up a smoke from the pack she had bought from the non-attentive clerk in the store, ‘what the hell,’ she thought, ‘new lungs came with the package’. She coughed a bit and worked till the wheels spun like new. Placing the 3 in 1 into her pouch, she tested out the board. It rolled beautifully but she found her balance still to be a bit weird, she shrugged to herself and headed out of the burbs towards the nearest oasis of civilization, Fairview Mall.
Artie rolled up to the glass doors and popped the tail of the board, catching the front truck smoothly with her right hand. This caught the attention of some of the mallrats hanging and thrashing on the low steps. Artie looked at them and flipped her cigarette towards the parking lot.
“‘Sup?” she grunted, keeping her voice low, “good gear here?” she added nodding towards the mall. The leader looked Artie up and down and gave a half nod.
“West 49th, Source, Wet Seal and a GAP, like if that’s what you wanted?” he half asked. Artie grunted her thanks and went in.
She stowed her board in a locker because rent a cops got all sticky about boards in the mall. She sighed; one of the stores was a girl’s store, so the Skater had seen through her disguise. She decided to start at the GAP and have one of the sales twinkies help her with some underwear that wasn’t all froofy shit like her mom had bought, but first… Timmies!
Extra large 3x3 in hand, Artie braved the ladies section of the GAP feeling totally out of place when a blond girl around her age snuck up with a cheerful “Hi! Can I help you miss?” Artie blushed but was determined.
“Um, I need some underwear and like junk,” she stammered, “stupid airline lost all my stuff…” Artie trailed off. The clerk pouted.
“Oh you poor dear, do you have your sizes?” she consoled Artie insincerely. Artie thought furiously.
“Well no, I’ve been in training for BoardStock and I've lost weight, so I want to be sure I have good sports underwear for the competition.” The saleswoman arched her eyebrow.
“I… see, and you want to try these on in the store.” The clerk became somewhat less than friendly, “Perhaps you could come back later this evening…?” Artie blushed brightly but fought down her embarrassment and flaring anger.
“What sweetheart?” she smiled savagely, “after I check into my hotel, after a shower perhaps? I am well aware that I am not fresh as a daisy. Not that I have to explain anything to you, but I have been training for a sports competition, I was on a long flight and I have no clean clothing.” Artie looked the blond girl directly in the eye, “Now get your manager and you can explain to him or her why you are willing to let a large sale walk out the door and why you don’t seem to want your commission on that sale. I’ll wait right here.”
The clerk almost ran to the office door across the store. ‘Damn, the last thing I wanted was attention.’ Artie thought angrily. The clerk returned with a twenty something woman in tow, Artie took about five hundred dollars in fifties and twenties out of her pouch and started counting it casually. The manager slowed and walked toward Artie, regaining her composure.
“Good afternoon Miss?” The manager, Elizabeth by her name-tag, began, “is there a problem I can assist you with?” Artie smiled inwardly.
“Well, before you send your spun candy clerk back to her job of being a decoration,” she snapped, “you might want to teach her not to assume anything about a potential customer. And then Elizabeth, you can find me a saleswoman who understands that all customers are potential commissions and would like to share some of my money. Preferably someone who is an athlete herself, please and thank you.” The manager eyed the cash and shooed the blond towards the cash registers.
“Of course Miss,” Elizabeth used her most soothing tones, “I think Sonya is available to assist you…” she flagged a merchandiser over, “if there are any other problems, please don’t hesitate to ask me for help. Ahh Sonya, if you could assist this customer?”
Elizabeth strode off to the safety of her office as Artie turned to look at the newcomer. Sonya was no twinkie that was for sure. The tattoo sleeve on her right arm was easy proof of that. Standing around 5’8”, she looked out of place in the GAP standard issue sales clothing. Her raven hair was tipped with an almost white blond and pulled back tightly into a bun atop her head. She had eyes the colour of sun cured bud and they danced with amusement at the scene she had just witnessed. Artie would have had a raging hard on if she had seen this girl three days ago, as it was; she had a strange warmth in her belly. Sonya extended her hand.
“Way to put Barbie girl in her place Miss,” Sonya grinned crookedly, “How can I separate you painless from your money?”
Comments
Interesting Start
This is a very interesting start to a story that I will definitely continue to read. Though I have to wonder how naive her mother is to think that simply by changing her son into a girl that his entire personality would change too. I'm also wondering why with technology able to change gender, she didn't have something to tweak his mind too.
I'm definitely curious to see where this is going :)
EOF
i really don't think Esther thought this out thoroughly EOF
frustration, anger and alcohol are a bad mix...to be followed by the words 'it seemed like a good idea at the time'... Act now, regret at leisure. I've heard the chorus before from 'friends'. "why did you shave his head?" "seemed like a good idea at the time" why did you tweak Star Wars so much?" "why ewoks or jar jar?" "seemed like a good idea at the time" lol
thanks for the read and the comment EOF.
Hugs to thee,
Diana
Underachiever's Fight Song
That whole history revealled from both mother and daughter's point of view. Not a pretty thing.
Kid gave every impression of being a useless ungrateful swine, but then showed hidden resources
and even dreams. And whatever legitimate grievence Mama had, her stone fucking violation of her child
leaves me hating her and rooting for her fascist rehabilitation scheme to go down in flames.
Really fun well written story so far, slightly remniscent of Ami Komori's transformed
but rebelling skater chick in BECOMING AMY at Fictionmania. Viva los Slackers!
Tho' eventually some genuine communication + reconciliation might be nice.
~hugs, Veronica
Some of the imagery in this video seems eerily synchronistic with the story.
The Underachievers March And Fight Song (Archers of Loaf):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGhBifYDwg8
What borders on stupidity?
Canada and Mexico.
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(grins) I'll let you know as i learn the story...
these characters are talking to me now... telling me the narrative and filling in backstory... i'm as anxious to hear more as you are... mischievous mice in my head...typing away... part two in progress now...
Thank you for reading and more thank you for writing and sharing the link.
big hugs,
Diana
First I was like: "Oh no no
First I was like: "Oh no no no no, not another one of those..." And then you surprised me with how this is turning out to be :--)
I've never really read 'sweat and tears' so maybe that would've givin me a hint about what kind of story this would be?
Anyway I'm glad I don't emmediatly abandon stories that aren't to my liking, because I've been pleasantly surprised with this one ^^
hugs & grtz,
Sarah xxx
I'm glad you stayed Sarah
I think this is going to be a fun ride and not as cliche as it seemed at first glance.
Hugs back and thanks for reading and writing,
Diana
Hell to pay
Oh there will be hell to pay... That mother shouldn't have underestimated her kid.
I already like this story and can't wait for the next chapter.
Thank you for writing,
Beyogi
Yeah, Artie is an unusual person
and moreso with a deeper look at her family...
Thanks for reading Beyogi!
Huggls
Diana
Slacker Part 1
Will the new Artie seek revenge against her mother? What will she do now that she is a girl without any I.D.?
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
These questions and many more will be answered
In Slacker part two... now in production... hehehe... thanks for reading and writing Stan!
Hugs,
Diana
The mother
is supposed to be clever?
She's smart, but frustrated and a bit unfocused
i think you may find her a bit more sympathetic as the next part unfolds... i kinda know where shes at... I've been so frustrated by people in the past that my better judgement is overridden. it can happen... we get wrapped in our own heads and see only what we wish to see... sigh...
Thanks for reading Cliff, and the comment... muchas gracias,
Hugs,
Diana
My perfectionist streak
My perfectionist streak tells me that no one can change body by drug in matter of hours and certainly not bone structure. Even with nanotechnology it would take longer and be hard, becouse you can make bones grow, but to shrink them? The easiest way to shrink bone is break it...
As for mother, I wonder how can be successful businesswoman so naive? If she wants change her now daughter, she must impose strict regime on her leaving her no free time on her own. And best, remove her from her house, so she canˇt use any stashes and with no access to money etheir.
All in all I´ll look forward to next chapter as this story is really interesting.
Ahhh i know what you mean
but the nanotech is not perfect...muah ha ha! seriously though, it is a good plot device and Esther is not your typical villain... she is well intentioned but, well she didn't really read the rule book either... plus Artie cheated by being smart. part two will give us some more back story, a bit of the half pipe and friendships, new and renewed.
Thanks for reading Robin, and especially for taking the time to comment.
Huge Hugs,
Diana
I don't agree with the mother
What the mother did was wrong, but the child even though he is an adult is taking an equally wrong path. Drugs, smoking? Looks like mommy dearest had good intentions but all the wrong actions. I hope this kid stops being a brain dead moron and at least learns to respect his body.
Skater or not that is no excuse to become a druggy. I've had friends who were druggies, it wasn't pleasant, I still remember her... punctures where she gave herself heroin shots all over her body... always freaking out, always looking for the next quick fix even at the cost of selling her body off. If this is what her son had become... I can understand her reasoning.
That lies the path of self destruction, even if her actions were wrong... this kid needed a change. I hope it's not as bad as it's looking though... not cleansing yourself is inappropriate for both genders also. This kid needs to either be scared straight, or to wise up. Here's hoping he will.
I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Bisexual, transsexual, gamer girl, princess, furry that writes horror stories and proud ^^
I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Transgender, Gamer, Little, Princess, Therian and proud :D
I don't think Artie is a serious druggie
but i also don't think weed is a serious drug... YMMV. The smoking...i think she'll quit... i think Artie is using the slacktitude, the weed and behaviour to hide from his pain. and yes, Artie does start off as a pig, but she gets better... i had a friend also who was a serious junkie... so i have seen the sickness PrincessChelsea, i wouldn't let even a fictional character experience that horror... substance abuse is a horror, and i promise if i write a horror... it will be zombies or something (small Smile)
Thank you for reading this Princess, and especially for commenting,
Hugs 'n stuff,
Diana
Thank you for giving us this Diana ^^
I know people who say Weed isn't that bad, but I've seen some rather severe addictions of it. Mostly it's harmless except for a few hallucinations and severe hunger. And... I cant explain it but well however it is you explain someone on Marijuana. Anyway I hope this kid does change a little, male or female, acting like this isn't healthy ^^'
Thank you again, I want you to know I'm not judging your writing or your story. I'm just concerned for the kid is all.
I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Bisexual, transsexual, gamer girl, princess, furry that writes horror stories and proud ^^
I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Transgender, Gamer, Little, Princess, Therian and proud :D
Bad?
> I know people who say Weed isn't that bad, but I've seen some rather severe addictions of it.
I know people who say peanuts and shrimp (separately or together) are downright beneficial, but I've seen some severe (near fatal) allergic reactions to them. Almost anything can be "bad" for the wrong people under the wrong circumstances. The trick is to recognize that fact rather than inapropriately generalize from atypical cases.
Jorey
.
Like Sudoku?
sudokurose.com
Jorey
.
Drugs are better anyway
The problem is if she'll substitude the weed with hatred for her mother. Artie was pretty much neglected for years and now she just changes her with an experimental drug.
On the other hand, if she gets real gender identity problems, she might really start to take drugs to drown her despair.
It's like she wants her kid to give up on the real world, or why does she transgender the boy?
Fuck the world, drugs are better anyway would be a logical conclusion for Artie. But then s/he isn't exactly the person her mother thinks her to be.
If I were Artie I'd try to get the f2m drug and feed it to my mother. Revenge for the win ^^
Shrink talk
Back before I retired from the MH field (and if they weren't fictional characters), I would have described both mother and son as mired in maladaptive responses to trauma. And suggested both family and individual therapy. Both had the same response to the death, burying themselves in activities that allow them to avoid dealing with the life-shattering pain, and give them the illusion of control over their world. And perhaps the most maladaptive part of all is that in doing so they largely isolated themselves from each other as well, losing any benefit they might have gained from mutual support.
Yes, I have seen such things IRL.
As to his specific actions, he does not fit the pattern of the more pathological "druggie". While he is self medicating, he is also heavily involved in high focus activities which he values, and which he is aware would be severely impaired by heavier drugs. He is no worse than the after-work drinker or the like. His semi-secret, high function lifestyle (ironically) protects him from going over the edge, and makes it clear that he is anything but a "brain dead moron". I know a number of self-made millionaires who largely fit his substance use patterns on the way up (although most were in internet activities rather than day trading).
The more overt "slacking" erects a very effective barrier protecting him from dealing with the mother he effectively lost years earlier. Just as burying herself in the company (and superficial reactions to his "decline") protected her from such vulnerability.
Such psychological versimilitude is the mark of a good writer (or one with some very interesting aquaintences and good observational skills). Keep up the good work!
Jorey
.
Like Sudoku?
sudokurose.com
Jorey
.
"Then he became a teenager"
Still reading the story, but that quote together with the transformation reminded me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLuEY6jN6gY
Spot the parallels :)
[EDIT several minutes later...]
Aha, so Artie was pretty much abandoned by mum since dad died. It still doesn't explain the inattentiveness to education, smoking or addiction to video games. But then again, all three (plus the stock trading) point out how inattentive mum has been. Presumably either mum has been so inattentive she hasn't noticed the smoking, or she doesn't really care. If she did, she would have found the stash by now and/or the cubby hole / loft access. It could have been interesting if the R&D project had programmed in either an intolerance to certain substances or the ability to rapidly metabolise them (so the expected effects wouldn't occur - a sneakier way around getting the subject to give up).
However, there do appear to be slight tweaks to Artie's attitude: she's getting out of the house and planning to actively engage in skateboarding for the first time in years and buying an alternative (but still female) wardrobe. Perhaps at some point in time (i.e. probably not for several more chapters), once the proverbial dust has settled, mother and newly-minted daughter can get together and analyse the ways in which both of them have changed for the worse since dad died.
Oh, one possibly continuity error: at the beginning, Artie claims he skated down to the store. Later on, his/her skateboard is found in the attic, unused for years...
There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
no no, Artie said that his
no no, Artie said that his mother got rid of all his recent skateboards, so (s)he dug in the attic for his/her very first one.
Re: Then He Became a teenager
"It still doesn't explain the inattentiveness to education, smoking or addiction to video games."
Actually, it largely does. And the evidence that he is inattentive to his education is somewhat skimpy. All we really know is that he is (deliberately) giving his mother that impression.
The comments, and the video clip, reminded me of a time my cousin (also then in the MH field) and I were testifying before a Legislative Committee about a pending change to the MH regulatory laws, and he was asked something like "Well, what would you do to protect the public from unscrupulous operators?". He got annoyed and responded "The first thing I would look at is all those ads saying things like 'Are you scared and upset that your nice, polite, loving children are now acting like teenagers? Give them to us until the insurance runs out, and we'll give you your children back!'" They mostly sat there looking stunned (and the lobbyists for some of those same clinics turned such interesting colors), until the committee chair thanked him for being "so accessable" on the issue.
Although there were no relevant changes to the law, those ads vanished within a few months.
Jorey
.
Like Sudoku?
sudokurose.com
Jorey
.
Not what I expected...
Started reading and after the first few chapters I figured that this was one story I could miss... and then it got all good and now I want Part 2...
Thnaks. ;)
JC
The Legendary Lost Ninja
I Loved this Diana:)
I told you a lot of the stuff earlier and it still holds true but this is a really great story and it's nice to get a good Skater story up. I can still remember the small boards and the old banana boards and Skating in empty pools.
Way before the grungers got into it. I'm really looking forward to the backstory bits and stuff too. I loved the graphic for the story too, really fitting.
So liking Sonya too.
*Great Big Hugs!*
Bailey.
Bailey Summers
I second Bailey. I'll be
I second Bailey. I'll be waiting.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
lolzzzz I like Sonya.
lolzzzz I like Sonya.
Away for a few days and...
I don't know what to say! Thank you.
I take the 'magical transformation' bit as I think it was intended: getting Artie to the point where the plot can start.
Really tired of the kind of story
... that I thought this would be. Glad it wasn't, I think I might hang around for a while...
Almost scrolled on by!
Thanks, I like this First Part/Chapter.
Please continue, love the tone and direction.
A Reader Reads.
Olivea Peterson
I like this, hon.
this has real potential to act as a antidote to all those "Mom sees her son going the wrong way so makes him a girl" stories. Well done.
Dorothycolleen
Sorry
I'm currently in Organic Chemistry, and I'm afraid that every time I see Esther's name I can't help but think of the ester functional group.
;)
LOL
it sorta tickled me that a woman who runs a biochem company is called Est(h)er... i'm silly that way
:P
Diana
From bad boy to bad girl.
Why did mother assume that changing her son's gender would make him a better person? Gender stereotypes probably. "The fairer sex" and all that.
I suspect our heroine is as shrewd as ever and may well teach mother a lesson in life.
Loved this story and look forward to more. Kudos
Unless he was a TG *trope*...
*the unhappy person because they were really TG and didn't know it so once they are transformed they quickly come to accept then love their new body* SHE is now TG by definition -- a male mind and memories in a female body -- unless she is a highly adaptable person. Hum, is HIS brain mostly unchanged or is it female too or changing to female just slower than her body? Can her sexual/personal preference/self-identity change along with the body?
I agree he was a *slacker* but IMHO much of it was grief over the loss of both his parents, dad to death and mom to running the R&D firm. Throw in the stress of being a teenager and ...
Mom did like far too many parents and put career ahead of family. Her way to grieve was to distance herself from her child and bury herself in work. Probably she justified all but ignoring her grieving child as making for a secure/better future for him. IE the, "I'll make it up to him later. He will understand."
The "I'll make it up to him later" but "later" never seems to come syndrome clearly applies here. She ignored him when he most needed human contact and substituted money instead. As to "a second chance", mom has all but raped her child. What the hell was she thinking? And why didn't she follow her child to her room and explain, comfort her, get her psych help, offer to change her back IF she cleaned up her act. And in exchange she would be a proper mother, "be there" for her child. Instead she did as before, thru money at "the problem* though this time in the form of the experimental serum and the makeover of her child's room and wardrobe, then ignored him But no close motherly contact... AGAIN. And after that was becoming angry her child didn't quickly come down from her room all sweetness and light, her happy new teen princess.
Bitch!
How will she explain his total and complete disappearance? How will she explain HER sudden existence IF she decides to come home and give mom a "second chance". What about the ID, paperwork, school records? If she wants to her *daughter* could get mom charged with murdering her son and disposing of the body.
Plus mom did an unethical, illegal human trial without the experimental subject's informed consent. THAT could destroy her firm and maybe get her a federal prison term. For that matter is the serum safe? Are there flaws in it, IE it may cause cancer, rapid aging, metal illness? Is it contagious or has it become inert in her body? Does one develop an immunity to the virus or whatever it was thus SHE is stuck as a female? Even if it is flawless and can be reversed the trama of an unwanted change could cause problems not unlike PTSD.
They are both once good people damaged by grief and mistakes. Can they find each other, forgive and heal or is this the end of the family?
Oh, can HE become male, his old male self again? BTW mom transforming herself into a male would be compounding her mistake even thought it sounds like justice/empathy for what she did to her child.
And is our unwilling heroine simply a female version of herself or some female unrelated to her parents? Does she even have her old fingerprints? IE can she ever prove who she was or who her mom is? Is she fertile; the story seemed to say so.
So my BIG Q is, will this situation end up a train wreck, bitter sweet or in the end cathartic and happy?
NICE start.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Yes i'm guilty of a "trope"
I used the "weird Science" trope, however that was to get things moving quickly...Mea Culpa (grin), However, i hope to flesh out all the characters involved to take the 'Bad Boy to Good Girl" story to a different place, and trust me, John, WebDeb and all of you lovely readers, This is not your same old same old, if i can help it... Thank you all for the amazing commentary.
Hugs 'n stuff,
Diana
Noticed a bit more,,, VERY GOOD START by the way
I quote... about the mom.
>>
Esther was by no stretch of the imagination poor, her departed husband had left her his biomedical company and she had built it up to a near multinational in the years since. She may not have had her late husband’s genius in the lab, but her business skills were second to none. Tonight’s visit however, had nothing to do with spreadsheets and mergers, but a visit to one of the R&D labs. Esther had been following this project with interest, because if successful, not only would it ease a lot of mental and physical suffering, but make a fantastic profit for the company as well.
>>
So mom is a brilliant business woman but a *slacker* of a parent. Actually worse than a *slacker* of a parent as she did actual physical harm to him and his possessions. He merely picked on her nerves, clearly in response to her mom all but abandoning her after dad died from what SHE said to herself post transformation. He was not perfect but was she any better? What gave her the right to do what she did?
And at least twice you mentioned he WAS 19? Yikes! that could make what she did to his possessions/clothing grand theft. The transformation from male to female reeks of felony assault/illegal medical experimentation/mutilation. IF he was still a minor she might have had a legal excuse of her being a desperate parent looking to help her child but making a honest but terrible mistake in judgment, IE mitigating circumstances. But in reality she did it to a legal adult! If she didn't like what he was doing she could have legally kicked him out.
Mom had better hope her daughter isn't so angry she frames mom for her son's death. Simply outing herself to the authorities if done right would also get mom in a shit load of trouble what with the illegal and unethical drug *trial* and the rest of her fool plan. She may have built up a modest biomedical firm into a giant but all it takes is some very bad publicity to destroy it all.
I wonder too like others who commented, was this body, beyond the question is it a female version of him or someone totally different genetically, tweaked for *optimal performance*? Her physical response to touching herself in mom's presence during breakfast hints at an enhanced sexual response or at least an enhanced body overall including her senses. What else is special about her or is it just his being new to a female body? Is she brighter, stronger, more disease resistant, genetic flaws fixed ... what what what?
She also has become strongly assertive for the first time in a long time, at least from what we have been told so far. There is the whole escape and how she acted in the mall. Or is that just her anger and thus she dropped the stoner shell he was wearing?
But then I am speculating on very little evidence so who knows? Could be way off the mark.
Oh and how did her dad die? Could explain why mom distanced herself from her son as she did,
Please post again soon.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
John, i think the serum has farther reaching effects than Esther
realizes... Artie thinks, or is able to deal with the situation because of anger or weed... i feel it's more due to the effects of the injection... which will be cool in the short term, and lead to what i hope is a surprise , long term for them both... i'm glad you are finding the characters both human too john... it's what i've been striving for
Hugs and thanks,
Diana
Lovely way to spin that
Lovely way to spin that trope on its head. This seems like it has the potential of going some interesting places, especially as we see just how 'slacker' Artie is, because successful daytrading requires research and analysis. Artie also looks like she can make a new friend in her salesperson.
Heather
We are the change that will save the world.
Heather
We are the change that will save the world.
A great start. I'll be
A great start. I'll be looking forward to future installments.
Have delightfully devious day,
Glad I read it.
The picture caught my attention a couple of days back. Then I read the blurb that introduced the story. I wasn't sure how much I would like it. Tonight I finally decided to take a look at things. At first I started getting a bit mad at the mom. I know the kid is a slacker, but what gives her the right to decide he would be better off as a girl. Then as I continued reading I realized that Artie wasn't going to take it laying down.
As my subject line states, I am glad I took the time to read this and I'm glad you took the time to write it. I'm looking forward to the next installment in the story. Please keep writing and I'll keep reading.
V/r Jeff B.
Just a big thank you to all you readers!
You have all made me feel so welcome as a new author (3+ months) that my head still spins with the comments... I give Kudos to all of you reading, commenting or just enjoying the amazing high quality writing that all of the creators offer here, and kudos to the people who keep this site up and running so that silly girls like me have an outlet to ramble on... Thank you all... More to come soon!
Hugs,
Diana
*posted also to my blog*
Slacker
Goddess,
Just found you, interesting story, Hope Artie likes the journey you have him/her on.
JessieC
Jessica E. Connors
Jessica Connors
Way to put Barbie girl in her place Miss
Got to love that, great start.
-Elsbeth
Is fearr Gaeilge briste, ná Béarla clíste.
Broken Irish is better than clever English.