Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Dot 2: A.M.P.S. and other current events

Last Time: Thomas Brown was a soldier and a latent Hyper, who, when blown out of an airplane, fully expected to die. But he woke up in the body of Dot, the daughter he never had. With the help of her best friend Hazel, who was now her mother, she’s trying to adapt to being a teen girl, as well as being a Tinker/Mystic. Now, she was on her way to AMPS, the Canadian school for hypers ...

I had fallen asleep again, and I began to dream. In the dream, we had just landed for a second refill of our plane fuel, and a need started hitting me. It was like the urge I had to build things, but somehow different as well. I asked Sensation, who was our official escort to AMPS, if she could get me some paper and a pen.

She was, and armed with these supplies, I took the paper and pen and began to sketch a dress much like the one I had inadvertently created with my invention, the girl gun.

In my dream the pen moved at incredible speed, creating dress after dress.

I woke to the seat-belt sign going on, as we were about to take off again, and just like the hugglebug dream and the girl gun dream, what I had dreamed had happened for real, as several pages of drawings were sitting in my lap.

Once we were able to move about, I showed the drawings to my mom and Sensation.

Sensation looked thoughtful and said, “looks like an offshoot of your Tinker abilities.”

“Tinker? This looks more like a tailor’s work to me.” I responded, “Why dresses and not robots, or spaceships, or something?”

Sensation put a hand on my knee, and said, “Look closely. The dresses are being worn by boys.”

I looked, and realized that she was right.

“Why would I draw that?” I asked, perplexed.

“I think I know, Dot” Sensation replied, “You are attracted to boys, but at the same time you associate the feminine with safety, and the masculine with danger. So your unconscious came up with a compromise - a feminine boy.”

I sighed, and grumbled, “Just peachy.”

My mom put her arm around me and said, “Look at it this way. You’re adjusting, and hopefully healing. You might eventually not need your prospective boyfriends to wear dresses. And if you still do, you might make some young crossdresser very happy.”

I shook my head, and said, “With all this stuff going on in my head, how the heck am I supposed to function surrounded by strangers, alone? How am I gonna manage without you, Mom?”

Sensation replied, “A great author once said, ‘shared pain is lessened, share joy is increased.’ As I told you before, you won't be the only student with struggles. And if you give them a chance, they might help you more than you think. And maybe you’ll be able to help them too.”

Mom added, “And I won't be far away. I talked my boss into letting me telecommute, so I can do my job from that town as easily as I did it in Alberta. Sensation, what is the name, again?”

“Morristown, Mrs Brown.” Sensation replied. I don’t think you will have much trouble keeping connected. Especially since we have Tinkers who keep improving things.”

We ate a light supper, and I went back to sleep. The night passed, and the sun was rising over Hudson’s Bay as we came in for landing.

I’m not sure what I was expecting to see as Morristown and the AMPS campus came into view, but from the air it looked like a regular small town with a regular private school beside it.

I was soon to learn just how wrong that impression was.

We landed at a small airport just outside Morristown, and the same large man who had loaded our luggage unloaded them into a van. He told my mom, “Don't worry about your stuff. There are some cabins set aside for visitors, and you can stay there until your situation is resolved, and Dot’s stuff is being taken to her dorm.”

We thanked him, and got into a limo, and followed the van into town.

“I expected to see all the crazy inventions your Tinkers must make here” I said, “but the windows are tinted.”

Sensation said, “Don’t worry, you’ll get a tour of the campus and the town soon. As for crazy inventions, we mostly keep them on campus and away from ... excitable people.”

“You mean the town isn’t like Eureka, from the TV show?” I inquired.

“I’d like to think we have fewer accidents, or at least fewer ones where civilians could get hurt.” She replied, “But when you get a tour of the town, you’ll see that it is quite used to even the most unusual looking Hypers.”

I grumbled, “I guess I can be grateful I look normal, even if I am a mess on the inside.”

Mom said, “Don't worry, sweetie. You might be a mess, but you’re my mess”, and then she hugged me.

The driver of the limo somehow reduced the tint on the windows enough that I could see we were approaching the campus. It had a sturdy looking fence, and a serious looking iron gate.

“Not very welcoming,” I said.

“Don’t judge it from the outside” Sensation replied.

The gate opened as we approached, but we came to a stop just inside. Sensation opened the door, and said, “Let me show you something”.

She got out, and I followed.

The first thing I noticed was the statue, and Sensation drew me towards it.

The statue was a woman with long hair and a costume, positioned as if she was standing guard over the campus.

“That’s Mesmer,” Sensation said, “the students call this area Mesmer Park.”

“Who was she?” I asked

“You’ll learn all about her soon. But for now I can tell you this. She was a great person who tried to help others, even at the cost of her own life. As a mutant you can either hide who you are or be larger than life, and do everything you can to make people see that not all Hypers are bad. She was one of those who chose to be larger than life, and when I came here and learned about her, I decided that since I couldn’t hide who I am easily, that’s what I wanted to be too.”

“I don't know if I will ever be larger than life. I can’t really do all that much, and I feel so .. broken.” I replied,

“Maybe you can’t do much now, but that’s what this school is for. To help you reach your potential, in terms of your powers, but just as importantly in terms of your personal development. It won't be easy, but if you’re willing to put the work in, you will become less broken in time.” She told me.

“And you won't be alone.” she added, There are the other students, and we are hoping you'll be able to help each other to some degree. Of course the staff will do all they can as well, including me.”

She then put her arm around me, and led me back to the limo, and we drove a short distance. Sensation helped my mom and I get out, and we went into the admin building. Soon we were in the reception area, and the first thing I noticed was the pretty young woman at the desk. She had four arms, but managed to look beautiful anyway.

She introduced herself as Susan, and had us hang our coats and take off our boots and then sit in some pretty comfortable chairs. She then paged her boss and told her we were here.

A moment later, Susan must have been told that her boss was ready, because she pushed a button, and the office door opened.

I stopped for a second at the desk and thanked Susan, who replied, “You’re welcome. I used to be a student too, and went by the code name ‘4-Warned’”.

I repressed a groan, shook my head, and then realized Sensation wasn’t following me, and she was motioning to my mom to sit back down.

Seeing my look, Sensation said, “Don't worry. We’ll be here when you’re done.”

I tried to steel myself, and went into the office.

The best way I can describe the Headmistress was that she was intimidating. She was tall and slender, with cobalt blue skin, and white hair. But it was her expression that had me worried. She had a serious and stern look, and right then I decided I would do my best to avoid making her angry.

I sat down, and she said, “Miss Brown, Miss Murphy sent an extensive report on you. To be perfectly honest, at first I had some reservations about having you come here.”

I hung my head, and wondered if we’d flown all this way for a rejection.

“However, since the alternative would be perhaps you becoming a serious threat, plus Miss Murphy and Mrs. Evans both vouched for you, so I am willing to consider your application.”

The hope I felt must have shown on my face, because she added, “However there will be some conditions. First, you will be expected to attend all your classes, on time and ready to learn, especially your power classes. Second, we will be scheduling counseling for you, regarding your ... eventful past. You are expected to make every one of those sessions, and do the work needed. Our counselors are licenced to prescribe medication, and if they do so for you, you will be expected to take the medications as directed, and report any side effects.”

She paused, and then continued, “Third, while we do everything possible to prevent bullying here, you might receive some attention you are uncomfortable with. You will be expected to ignore it and walk away, or calm the situation down, and if you are in genuine danger and have no alternatives, you will be expected to use the minimum force required to get away. More than anything else you need to understand. We here will do all we can to train you, to teach you, to protect you, and to heal you, but nothing we do will work without your full cooperation. Do you understand?”

I managed to squeak out, “Yes Ma’am.”

“All right then, Miss Murphy will take you and your mother to the medical building, you need a physical.” She stated.

I ducked out of the room, and Sensation led us out of the admin building and over to the medical building. Sensation told me as we approached, “We have an emergency area which has a hotline to the hospital in town, plus some exam rooms. I’m sorry, but since you recently became a girl, you’ll have to take an exam of your new equipment, and that might be uncomfortable. But if you wish your mom can be with you.”

With that cheerful thought at the front of my head, we went in.

We once more hung up our coats and took off our boots, and waited. While we were waiting, I told both of them about what the Headmistress had said to me, adding, “I don’t get it, She acted like I was super dangerous, and talked about me using excessive force if I was being bullied or whatever. What was she talking about?”

Sensation responded, “Sweetie, you have incredible power, even if you have only accessed it while asleep or as a reflex. That means you could do a lot of damage, and not even know it, so the sooner you gain conscious control the better. By the way, have you decided on a code name?”

I said, “Do I have to have one? Mom doesn’t.”

“Actually I did have one when I first Activated,” Mom said while blushing, “I called myself Calmdown, but I soon realized it sounded stupid and stopped using it.”

“Probably a good choice,” I remarked, and stuck my tongue out at her.

Sensation interjected, “I think it would be a good idea for you to have one, Dot.”

I sighed, and said, “Okay, but what kind of code name goes with making amazing stuff but only in my sleep?”

“What about Trance?” my mom asked

“Taken, I’m afraid.” Sensation responded

“I got it,” I said, “Fashion.”

“Fashion?” Sensation asked.

“Yeah. It has a double meaning. Fashion can refer to clothes, style, but it can also mean creating something. Like I could say I fashioned my girl gun, and it creates fashion.”

“That sounds really good.” Sensation remarked.

Just then, my name was called, and we went to an exam room. I had been given a physical when I joined the military, but this exam was far more thorough, and I was really glad Mom was with me when they checked my new equipment. It wasn’t painful, but it felt extremely weird to have something be able to go inside of me, and the device they used was extremely cold.

Once I was dressed again, I thought it was over, but Sensation said, “Time for your counseling session, Dot.”

Both Mom and I started to follow her, but she said to Mom, “I’d like you to let me talk to Dot alone first, and then I will share with you anything she says I can.”

Mom nodded, and said, “All right, I need to freshen up anyway.”

It turned out Sensation had a counselling office in the medical building, and once we were comfortable, we talked about my past, my present, and my possible future. I won't say it was some kind of miracle cure, but I did end the session feeling hopeful that I could get better, if I dedicated myself to it, and asked for help when I needed it.

It was exhausting, however, and I also realized we hadn’t eaten in a while. Sensation took Mom and I to the campus cafeteria. It wasn’t like a regular school cafeteria, in that besides the usual choices, it served a number of specialty dishes for mutants who had special diet needs. Not for the first time, I was grateful that my activation had not given me those kinds of challenges on top of changing genders and age.

Once we finished, Sensation said that we should take a quick tour before I went to my dorm.

I was a little concerned about spending that much time outside in January weather, but as it turned out there were underground pedways that connected most of the buildings. The place really was quite remarkable, with an Olympic sized pool, a fully equipped gym, a dojo, a library with computer labs, weapon ranges, classrooms, an area where I would be able to learn electronics, mechanics, and other skills that would help me practice my Tinker ability without hurting anybody (I discovered that my “hugglebug” and my “girl gun” were already there), and a similar area dedicated to honing my Mystic ability.

The last place we went were the dorms, and Sensation said, “We have seven dorms. Three all girl dorms, three all boy dorms. The one you will be staying in is a mixed dorm, for students with special needs, especially those like you who have changed genders. Beneath each dorm, there are eight underground practice PDE areas, where each of you can unleash your powers safely.”

She continued, “If for some reason you need help, there is a security unit that can respond in a crisis, as well as EMT’s attached to our medical building, And for those students who may be having emotional or psychological difficulties, there is assistance for those areas available as well. All these services are accessible twenty-four-seven, seven days a week, three hundred-sixty-four days a year, and we encourage students to not be shy about using them.”

Then she looked stern, and added, “That said, false alarms are not appreciated, and can result in disciplinary action.”

I nodded.

Then she added, “Your stuff has been put in one of the rooms in your dorm, so I suggest you unpack. Your mom will be back to join you for supper. There are a large number of students arriving tonight, and so I wont be able to join you. The rest of the new students will be getting their orientation tomorrow, and I’d encourage you to join them, so you can hopefully get acquainted with your new classmates before the school semester officially starts.”

I gave Mom a hug, said “Thank you” to Sensation, and went inside to unpack. Once I was done, I sat on my new bed and wondered what the other students would be like, and if I could make friends. I also wondered what my mom would do, if she could keep her job so far away from her home office.

I looked at my clock and realized I had about an hour before supper, so I laid on my bed, sighed, and thought, “I guess nothing I can do but wait and see what happens.”

The End (For now).

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 ....

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Dot 4: Catch the Fashion Bug

Last time: Dot had her first official school day, managed to get in trouble, and ended up designing a dress that Dana has seen before, but not on Earth ...

I crawled into my bed at the end of a busy first day of school. Even though I had managed to get in trouble with my new home economics teacher, the most disturbing moment came after, when Dana somehow recognized a dress I designed.

I sighed, and attempted to sleep.

The next morning at breakfast, Dana had an answer to my mystery.

She told me that she had a “magic cellphone” that allowed her to contact Danu, and her adopted mother had told her because she can see all the possible futures, she had seen me make the dress, and could show it to Dana before I had even made it.

I decided I would let the thing go, at least for now, since the idea of being able to map probable futures sounded like the sort of thing that would give me a headache.

After that bit of weirdness, the next few days were relatively calm.

Well, calm, but still very busy. I got into the school routine, I slept, ate, went to classes, went to therapy, did my homework, and then went to bed to start all over again.

Not that I didn’t have any downtime. Since the kids in the other dorms seemed to be wary of those of us from the mixed dorm, we spent what free time we had together.

Which meant I spent more time with Chris.
I had no idea what to do with my attraction to him, and he apparently had no idea what to do with my feelings either, since we never had a conversation about it.

But Friday, things changed.

I was in my Tinker class, trying to figure what my hugglebug did, when it activated.

It changed shape, enlarging its eyes, and producing a pair of arms, which wrapped around me.

I wasn’t scared, in fact the “hug” felt really good.

Then the hugglebug let me go, and before I could stop it, the bug had leaped out of the classroom.

I got permission from my teacher to chase after it, and soon I was running down the hall.

It went to a room, and when I entered, I immediately stopped in shock.

In the middle of the room was Chris, holding the hugglebug, which now resembled a cat ...

And wearing a dress.

At that moment, if I had the ability to drop into a hole, I would have done it.

He didn’t seem upset, but simply said, “Dot, I think we need to talk. Perhaps you can tell me what this,” He gestured to the dress he was wearing, “is about.”

My Tinker teacher, who had followed me along with some of my classmates, said, “I think we should give these two some privacy.”

Once we were alone, he muttered, “This is killing my dude cred.”, then he looked distracted for a moment, and then said, “Sorry. Please tell me what’s going on.”

Then for what felt like the millionth time since I had woken up as Dot I talked to someone about what happened to me during my boy childhood. I also told him about the dresses I designed on the plane ride here, and the fact that all my dresses were worn by boys, and my growing attraction to him.

I honestly expected him to tell me to stay away from him, but he surprised me by giving me a hug.

We separated, but he held both my hands, and said, “Let me tell you a couple of things. First, I’m very sorry you went through that. Honestly, I admire how you’re holding it together. And ... well ...while my body is definitely saying it's attracted to you, my brain is still processing being a dude, much less how attraction plays out in a dude’s body.”

“So what do we do now?” I replied.

“Well, first thing, I need to get some pants on. After that, maybe we take it slow. We’re young, we have time.” He stated.

“So maybe we start as friends?” I asked.

“Any other dude would be unhappy to be put in the friend zone by a pretty girl. But from what I’ve heard, the best relationships start as friendship. So friends will do just fine.”

“For now?” I asked, trying to keep the hope out of my voice.

“For now.” He replied with a smile.

I picked up the hugglebug, and said to it, “Please restore Chris’ clothes.”

The bug looked at me as if asking “are you sure?”

“Please, hugglebug. Restore his clothes.”

It leaped out of my arms, and faster than I could see, orbited around Chris. Moments later he was wearing the boy’s school uniform again, and he said, “Thank you hugglebug”

It landed in his arms, and purred.

I breathed a sigh of relief, gathered up the hugglebug, and returned to class thinking the worst was over. But, unknown to me, this event had put Chris and me on the radar of a group of students called the Wolfpack.

Up until that moment, we had not been a target of them, being among the more "normal" looking residents of Dorm 7, but after word of the hugglebug incident got out, they saw us as potential victims.

The Wolfpack avoided obvious bullying, preferring to act when there were no witnesses or recording equipment, so they did not strike immediately, but waited, and watched.

I didn't know it then, but the hunt was on ….

To be continued ....

T.T.S.D. 5: Dot Hunting

Last time, Dot’s hugglebug put Chris in a dress, which led to them having a conversation about their feelings for each other. Unfortunately, the group of students called the Wolfpack had taken note of the incident, and began planning how to bully Dot and Chris ...

Saturday, my period started.

It was one case where my dreams of being a girl when I was Thomas and the reality of being Dot didn’t align all that well, and therefore a struggle.

That struggle was made harder by Jesse’s reaction when I told the other girls. For some reason, she was very angry, even more so than when she realized I was crushing on Chris.

Finally, on Sunday night, I got Chris to get her to agree to meet me in one of the PDE rooms, so we could talk.

When she arrived, I said to her, “You’ve been giving me the stink eye ever since my period started. I may not have Chris’ abilities, but I’d say you can’t decide if you're more mad at me, or jealous. But your body will mature too and then you’ll get to experience this yourself and ...”

Jesse interrupted me by breaking out in laughter, and then she said, “I guess you didn’t understand what I told you. Dot, I may look like a girl, but inside I have essentially the same reproductive system as a plant. I won't have a period, I’ll flower and wait for some insect that has been at a plant-boy to come and pollinate me. And since there are no plant-boys, my flower will drop off. The scientists here still aren’t sure if I’ll be in flower all spring like most plants, or what.”

I facepalmed, and said “No wonder you’ve been annoyed at me. I’ve been upset about getting something you only dream of having.”

“Yeah, I was hoping my complicated biology would get simpler, so I could be a regular girl, but that’s not what happened.”

“I’m really sorry, Jesse”

“It’s okay Dot.” She replied, “Chris helped me see you were not trying to hurt me.”

“He’s a really great guy,” I said.

“He is. You’re a lucky girl.”

I blushed, and said, “We’re just friends.”

Jessie replied, “For now.”

I could think of nothing to say to that, and instead pulled her into a hug.

All things considered, I would be glad the next couple of days were quiet.

Because the Hunt had started.

Afterward, I would learn that the Wolfpack was tracking me, learning my routine. And not just me, but Jessie as well.

The first indication that something was up happened in a Chemistry class. Jessie and I were trying to use a bunsen burner as part of a class assignment, but no matter what we tried, we couldn’t get it to light.

Our teacher noticed, and soon the rest of the class was giggling at us as well.

Finally, a girl in our class who had chosen the code name “Hottie” used her powers to light our burner, while the class and the teacher laughed.

I spent the rest of the day in a funk, until I had some time with Chris, Jesse, and my other dorm mates in one of the PDE rooms. Jess told Chris about what had happened in our class, and he talked about a group of students who tried to scare him, but were foiled by his awareness, and added “The thing that bothered me is it seemed like they took me not falling for it as something really serious, based on how they reacted.”

“I wonder if the same group was behind our little accident,” Jess said.

“Not sure, we’ll have to see if something new happens.” Chris replied.

It didn’t take long for the next shoe to drop.

I was on my way to my weekly counselling session, when I opened the door . . .

I was no longer at the school.

I was back in the office of the man who caused me so much harm back when I was a boy.

At first I thought I was in a flashback as events were playing out as they had done the first time.

But there was one difference, which finally got me realizing I was not trapped in a memory - I was still Dot, and not the boy I had been.

But that wasn’t enough to free me.

Then I felt something coming from reality.

It was my mother, trying to reach me with her calm-down power.

Trouble was, I wasn’t upset - I was disconnected.

But I tried to reach toward it anyway.

I could feel myself returning to my body, but suddenly realized it wasn’t my mother holding me - it was Chris.

For a second my fear of masculinity rose, until I realized that Chris was in fact wearing the same dress the hugglebug had put him in before.

“Oh Chris!” I exclaimed, “Did I do this to you again?”

“No. Your hugglebug asked me, and I said yes.” he replied.

“Why?” I asked. “You have been working hard at being a real dude.”

“Sometimes being a real dude means knowing when to put embarrassment aside, especially if it helps someone you love.”

“Love?”

“Yes. Love.”

I thanked him the only way I could - with a kiss.

To Be Continued . . .

TTSD 6: Leave no I undotted

Last time: Dot was assaulted by an induced flashback, and Chris chose to wear a dress again to be able to comfort her.

I next regained consciousness laying in a bed in the medical unit of the school.

To my amazement, Chris was still there, and still in the dress the Hugglebug had given him.

And I knew I needed to tell him.

“Chris? I have to say . . . Chris, I love you.”

He smiled at me, and said, “you have been ‘telling’ me that for a while now.”

I blushed, and said, “Maybe I have, but I still wanted to say it out loud.”

I then noticed how quiet everything was, and asked “Where is everybody?”

“The students have been asked to return to their dorms, and stay there for now. Your mom is on the warpath looking for evidence that will lead to whoever attacked you.” Chris told me.

“But . . . I just had a flashback. What’s this about an attack?” I asked.

“No. I’ve seen you having a flashback. This was different. This was a mental assault.” He stated firmly.

“You’ve . . . seen me having a flashback? Oh. of course you have.” I said with a sigh.

“Yes, Dot. Which is why I was willing to put on this dress again. But what you experienced was something worse. Something cruel. And your mom, and me, and everybody we can recruit is going to work on finding out who did it.”

I laid there for a moment, stunned at the revelation that what I had experienced was not a flashback, but a mental attack. Finally, I asked Chris “Who would do such a thing?”

“We don’t know, but we’re going to find out.” He replied.

“Good.” I stated, “But I still feel kind of guilty for you having to put on that dress.”

“They’re just clothes, Dot. Nothing to get too excited about.” He replied with a smile.

I sighed, and said, “Well, if I’m being honest, one of us is a little excited about you being dressed like that.”

“Dottie!” He exclaimed.

“Well, it's not like you can't tell, right? I might as well be honest, both with you and myself.” I said while blushing, then I sighed, and added, “God, I am so mixed up. I got a thing for a boy dressed in girl’s clothes.”

“There are a lot worse things you could have, Dot.” Chris told me, “Besides, I never said I didn’t find this . . . pleasant.”

“Really?” I asked.

He blushed, and said, “Well, if you’re going to be honest, I better be as well. I love you Dot, and I would do this for that reason alone. But there are some . . . enjoyable sensations about being dressed like this.”

I giggled, then yawned, and said, “Well, I am finding being all honest with each other is wearing me out. I think I’m going to close my eyes for a bit”

“Good idea, Dot. You rest.” Chris replied.

I closed my eyes, and as I drifted off, I couldn’t help but giggle about the whole situation. Who could have possibly guessed this is how my life as a girl would go?

While I slept, I saw my thoughts as a path, so I followed the path. It started with my abilities. I had changed reality to give myself a second chance of life as my own daughter, and things since then, I have had an urge to create.

I have created designs for clothes, but more importantly, I have created a hugglebug, a small flying machine with the ability to create clothes out of thin air. Not to mention it seemed to have a personality, as it has acted without my instructions more than once.

The path veered away from my own powers, so I followed, and found myself thinking about Chris, and especially his power. I couldn’t even imagine how he kept himself sane with all that information constantly coming in.

But he was more than simply sane, he was kind, one of the kindest people I have ever met in my life.

Then the path led to what had happened to me. That it had been a mental attack was shocking enough, but thinking about what kind of person would do such a thing was worse.

Plus there was the question of how to find out who did it. The biggest asset they would have in the investigation would be Chris with his sight, but he’s here taking care of me, so what can the staff do instead?

The path of my thoughts ended, with me having more questions than answers, but despite this, I fell into a deeper sleep.

Eventually, I woke, and saw that Chris was nodding, so I told him, “You should try and catch some sleep too. Whoever attacked me is probably lying low and won't try again for now.”

“I’m not sure we can rely on that, Dot.” Chris replied.

“But you need to be able to rest too.” I pointed out.

“The only place I can rest is in my room in the dorm. They put up some shielding so I don’t have to get everything at once.”

He paused, and grinned, and then said, “I guess I could take you to my room.”

I slapped his hand, and said, “I don’t think we’re ready for THAT just yet.”

He chuckled, and said, “Not like that! It's just . . . you could have the bed, I can sleep sitting in my computer chair.”

A different voice said, “Good Idea”, and my mother entered the room.

“Any progress, Mrs. Brown?” Chris asked.

“Just enough to make us worried,” My mom responded.

“Can Chris help?” I asked.

“Not right at the moment. You both can help best by being safe, and Chris’ room is probably the most secure place we can get to quickly.” My mom told us.

“We can use the emergency tunnels. They go from here in the medical unit to the dorms.” Chris said.

“How do you . . . Oh. Right.” My mom stated while shaking her head.

Mom led us to the tunnels, and quickly we made our way to our dorm, and up to Chris’ room.

To my surprise, my hugglebug was waiting for us, and it had some cloth and string in its “hands”.

“What’s your bug holding, Dot?” Chris asked.

“I . . . think it’s a way for me to help the search.” I replied.

“Rest first.” My mother stated firmly.

I could tell she was serious, so I climbed into Chris’ bed. Chris grabbed one of the blankets, and got as comfortable as possible in his computer chair.

Once we were settled, my mom turned out the lights, and said, “I’m counting on you two to control yourselves. You both need REST, not anything more . . . strenuous.”

I yawned, and said, “We’ll be good, mom.”

“What she said”, Chris added.

My mom shook head, and left, closing the door behind her.

I woke to find Chris sleeping in his chair, and no longer feeling tired, I took the supplies my hugglebug had given me and went to work on my idea.

The end result was a small cloth doll, wearing a dress much like the one Chris was still in, but with a much more feminine face.

I glanced over at Chris and hoped he wouldn’t be insulted by the resemblance, and decided to make some changes so it wouldn’t be as close a copy.

Then I did something my magic teacher called Imbuing my Intention.

Which basically meant I gave the doll instructions, a personality, and a name.

I named her Taffeta.

Once I was satisfied with what I had done, I opened the door to the hallway and let the little creature out, so it could begin its mission.

To find out who attacked me, and why.

Once she was on her way, I returned to Chris’ bed and quickly fell asleep.

I knew that Chris would do all he could, once he got some rest. And now maybe Taffeta would help too.

No matter what, I wanted to find out who did this, and why.

And I wanted to make sure it never happened again . . .

To be continued - I hope