Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Dot 3; Fashion forward

Last time: Dot had arrived at AMPS, got a dressing down by the headmistress, a full tour of the campus, and a new code name: Fashion. Now, she’s just waiting for the other students to arrive ...

I got off my new bed, and made my way to the cafeteria, to eat a bit of supper. I had just gotten my food and sat down when my mom came in, and sat down across from me.

She was wearing a huge grin, so I asked, “What’s up, Mom?”

“Miss Morris, the Headmistress, has offered me a job, well two jobs, actually.” she replied.

“Wow. What jobs?” I inquired.

“Well, most of the time I’ll be working with campus security. My ability to calm people down will be a big asset to them, according to Miss Morris. The other job is to work with the crisis response team. Sometimes, a person is hurting so much they start thinking of extreme solutions, and the team is there to hopefully help them through it. I pray we’re not needed, but if we are, we’ll be there.”

“Sounds really cool mom.” I said

Moments later I saw a group of people entering the cafeteria. Sensation was leading the group, and behind her was a group of kids. One was a pretty girl, and I felt a moment of envy, but before that could go too far I was dealing with a feeling of attraction to the one boy in the group. The other girl looked about seven and had green skin and hair. Behind the kids was another woman who I figured had to be staff, but she was so plain I almost immediately turned my attention back to the others.

Sensation brought the kids over, and said, “Dot, I wanted you to meet some of the students who will be sharing dorm seven with you. Guys, this is Dot, her code name is Fashion.”

She then pointed to the boy, and said, “This is Chris, his code name is Pinpoint.”

I blushed as he took my hand, and then the small green girl spoke up, and said, I’m Jesse, otherwise known as Flora”

I tore myself away from Chris and shook her hand.

“This is Jackie, code named Slush” The plain looking woman said, indicating the pretty teen, and after I shook her hand, the lady added, “And I’m Miss Munroe, code-named Sympath, and i’m one of the staff here”.

“Nice to meet you. Oh. This is my mom, she’s just joined the staff here.”

My mom smiled and said, “I’m Hazel, but I expect you students will have to call me Calmdown, or Miss Brown.”

I tried to hide my embarrassment.

Sensation said, “Since all of you are going to be in the same dorm, you can share with each other anything you feel comfortable with. However, I recommend that outside the dorm around other students I would suggest keeping some things quiet, like your gender swaps.”

“Wait a minute,” I interjected, “You’re telling me you all changed genders, like I did?”

“I’m afraid so.” Chris said, and gave me a smile that sent butterflies flying in my stomach.

I honestly dont know how long I would have stood there looking at him like I was a deer looking at headlights, but before it could go on too long, Jesse came between us, and said, “Well we should check our rooms.”

Sensation said, “Good idea. But hurry, I want you all to go to PDE room 8, I’ve set up a little situation that will hopefully help you to relax enough to get to know each other.”

After Sensation and the kids left, Miss Monroe lingered, looking like she wanted to ask me something, so I gave my best smile, and asked, “Is there something I can do for you, Miss Munroe?”

“Well, with your permission I’d like to copy you.” She replied.

“Copy me?” I asked, confused.

“It's my power. I can copy a person. Useful for helping a mutant understand their powers.”

“Okay, I guess.” I replied.

She took my hand, and changed.

I assumed she’d look like my twin, but she remained the same age, so it was like looking into my future.

“Whoa.” I said, “If that’s what I’m gonna look like, I’m going to be beating the guys off with a stick.”

She grinned, and said, “I’m afraid so, but you’ll have a few years to get used to it.”

“And my powers?” I asked.

She replied, “Sweetie, you’re going to be amazing. Using a combination of magic and technology, you’ll be able to change the world. Your potential is basically unlimited.”

I tried to picture that, but then she interrupted my thoughts by adding, “But I also have to say how sorry I am for what happened to you.”

I gaped, and then stammered, “You ...know what happened to me?”

She nodded, and replied, “Yes, dear. It’s unfortunately a fundamental part of your makeup.”

“But it’s not affecting you?” I asked.

“Not the same way it does you right now. But by the time you get to my age, you won't be debilitated by it either.” She stated.

“How can that happen? I feel so ... broken right now.” I cried.

“You’ve taken the first step,” she reassured me, “you’ve talked about it with Sensation. And since you could say I’m currently your future self, I can tell you, you’re capable of recovery, and much more.” she told me.

We hugged, which felt a little weird, and then she said, Now, you have to get going. The other students are probably down in the PDE room already.”

I nodded, gave my mom a hug, and left the cafeteria.

On my way to the stairs leading down to the PDE rooms, I almost bumped into another girl. She had purple hair, bat-like wings and a tail, but instead of seeming scary, I found myself feeling jealous of her.

She must have recognized the look on my face, because she said, “Sorry. I produce pheromones, and can't control it yet.”

“No problem,” I replied, “I’m Dot, code-named Fashion. I’m just starting at this school.”

She held out her hand, and replied, “I’m Erin. I took the code name Allure, for obvious reasons.”

“Well I guess having people be attracted to you is better than them being scared.” I pointed out.

“You might be right. Come on.” She answered, and we went down the stairs together.

We went inside, and I stopped right at the entrance. I had half-expected it to have some crazy training situation, but instead, it had a quiet moonlit forest, with a trail going forward, Down the trail, I could see the flicker of a fire and hear the voices of the students by the fire.

Erin and I went down the trail, and it ended at a clearing with a roaring campfire in the center, logs making a circle around it, and the other students and Sensation sitting on the logs, holding sticks with marshmallows on them.

Sensation got up, and handed Erin and I sticks of our own, saying “We’re making s’mores, come join us.”

I paused, and found myself thinking of my boy childhood. I was so wrapped up in my pain, and painfully shy to boot, so I almost always remained an outsider. I realized I had a chance few people get, a chance for a do-over, to learn from the mistakes of my first childhood, and try something different.

So I smiled, took the stick, and sat down on a log with the others.

We spent a couple of hours roasting marshmallows, singing goofy songs, and sharing some of our histories with each other.

I quickly saw that Sensation had been right, each student had faced some tough events, and all of us were dealing with a gender change as well, except Jessie, sort of, since she went from an intersex girl to a sort of a girl shaped plant.

I wasn’t really surprised that my attraction to Chris actually increased when I discovered he’d been a girl not long before. I remembered what Sensation told me on the plane ride here, that my subconscious was struggling with being both attracted to boys and scared of them at the same time, to the point I made a bunch of sketches of boys wearing dresses. It seemed to me that Chris was ringing that bell as well, by being a former girl.

During a break in the party, Jessie asked Sensation, “Miss Murphy, is it okay if Dot and I go for a little walk?”

“Sure, go ahead,” She replied, “There’s no danger.”

Jessie took my hand and with surprising strength steered me down the trail, until we were out of sight of the fire.

Then she turned to me, and said, “I noticed you doing the double look at Chris.”

I blushed, and stammered, “Sorry.”

She smiled, and said, “Well he’s turned into a pretty cute guy, so I get it.”

“Well you won't have to worry.” I stated, “I may not be able to help looking, but that’s as far as it goes. I won't try stealing him from you, not that I’d have a chance of succeeding”

She laughed, and said, “Dot, he and I were raised together, he’s not just my best friend, but basically my brother. Plus, I’m not even the same species as Chris anymore, not to mention I’m way underage, at least in appearance. I’m not your competition.”

“But I saw you giving me the stink eye.” I responded.

She sighed, and said, “Chris is still adjusting to being a guy, and well, I didn’t know you. But then I realized it’s not my call to make, it’s Chris’. Which is why I wanted to talk to you alone.”

I didn’t quite know how to respond to that, but after a moment of silence, she added. “and with his power, his universal awareness, he probably has a better idea what you feel than even you do. That’s gonna make things very awkward.”

I put my head in my hands, and groaned, “I hadn't thought of that.”

“It will be okay. Chris is a good guy, and I have confidence he’ld let you down as easily as possible, if in fact he doesn’t share your feelings. I’m actually more worried what will happen if he does share them.. Got to be a bit strange to be attracted to a girl after spending your time looking at boys.”

“I hear you there.” I replied.

Just then we saw Erin flying overhead. It could have been used for some religious painting, Erin with her bat wings and tail soaring through the night sky, but the image would have been spoiled by the giggles that came out of her.

“I wouldn’t mind being able to fly like that.” I said.

“You’re a Tinker/Mystic, aren’t you?” Jessie pointed out, “Can't you just make a flying machine?”

I shook my head, and replied, “I’ve made two inventions so far. A gun that ‘fires’ a dress at someone, and a ball with legs called a hugglebug that I have no idea what it does. And I only was able to do those while asleep, and awake I failed to make a robot kitten.”

Jessie took my hand, and said, “Well, you can make it a goal for your time here.”

I smiled, and the two of us returned to camp.

The night wound down, and we went to our separate rooms to sleep.

*******

The next morning we were introduced to a new student named Dana, who used the code name Moonchilde. Once the introductions were over, we were quick-marched through getting dressed and fed, so we could pick up our school schedules.

Right away I thought I saw a problem, and managed to get a moment with Sensation, or Miss Murphy, as she now encouraged me to call her, and I pointed to my schedule, and asked, “Why do I have to take self-defence? I went through boot camp.”

Miss Murphy replied, “You had a different body then”

I held up my hands, and said, “Okay, fair point.”

Surprisingly, most of the classes were pretty mundane, as the school did intend for us to get a diploma at the end. But the classes that dealt specifically with our powers may not have counted towards getting that piece of paper, but quickly I saw the value they had.

That said, there was one class I had trouble in right away - home economics.

After introducing herself as Mrs. Papineau, our teacher said, “Our first assignment is to make a dress”

I decided to be a smart ass, and pull out the “girl gun” I had been working on in my Tinker class, and say, “Got it covered.”

The class giggled, but Mrs. Papineau replied, “Just for that not only do you have to make a dress by hand, the dress has to fit Moonchilde”

I instantly regretted my decision and put away the girl gun. Even as someone with almost no experience with women’s clothes, I could see designing something that would stay on her without restricting her wings was going to be a challenge.

I wondered if I could ask one of my classmates to knock me out, since I did my best work while unconscious. Since that seemed unlikely, I tried my best to design something.

I was barely fighting back the tears by the time the class bell rang, which I ignored as home economics was my last class of the day.

I decided I wouldn’t wait to get kicked out, and began to compose an apology for wasting the school’s time.

Just then, Mrs. Papineau sat down beside me, pointed to the letter I was writing, and said, “You wont need that.”

“Why not? I’m clearly not suited for this.”

“You can’t know that for sure after one day.”

“I’m sorry I pulled that stunt in class. I don’t even know why I did it.”

“It might have something to do with you being a Tinker, and a Mystic”

“I don't understand.”

“Tinkers and Mystics sometimes have a tendency to look for a shortcut. And the problem with shortcuts is you don't actually learn anything.”

“Well, without the shortcut, I’m stumped. I have never been able to make anything while I’m awake.”

“That’s probably because you’re scared.”

“Scared? Of making stuff?”

“Scared of making something that would hurt people. You have suffered enough yourself that you would rather make nothing than hurt another person”

“So how do I fix that?”

“Your counselling sessions will help with that. But for now ...” She touched my shoulder,

Suddenly, I could see the drawings I had done on the plane coming here, but broken down, showing how each dress was constructed. I could see how I could modify one of them to handle Dana’s wings.
I began drawing the dress, and very shortly, I had a pattern that I could transfer to fabric.

When I had the basics, she let go of my shoulder, and said, “That’s enough for today. Unless I’m mistaken, you have to go get something to eat because after that you have a counseling appointment.”

I looked at what I had drawn, and then said, “Thank you. You didn’t have to help me, especially after the way I disrupted your class.”

“Just learn from the experience.” Mrs. Papineau replied, and then helped me put my stuff away.

I practically ran to the cafeteria, and found that Dana and the rest had saved me a seat.

I told the others what had happened after the class ended, and showed Dana the dress I had designed.

She started to tremble, and shakingly asked, “Dot, what do you know about Tuatha De Danann? “

I shook my head, and said, “I don’t even know what that is.”

She said, “I want to tell you guys something, but you have to promise that you won't share it with anybody.”

We all swore, and then she said, “I told you guys I assumed I had been transformed into my idea of a daughter of Danu, Goddess of the moon, magic, and the mother of the Gods of Ireland. Well last night I met her, and I’m more than just a Hyper, I really am her daughter.”

She went on to tell us about meeting her “mother” and the other ”gods”, and taking her First Oath to defend the mortal realm.

“That sounds amazing, but what does it have to do with the dress I designed?” I asked.

“Dot,” She replied, looking worried, “I’ve seen this dress before. Danu showed it to me as a possible outfit for my appearance before the other clans.”

All I could think to say was, “Whoa ...”

To be continued ... I hope ....