Gender Bender in a Blue Blender - 2. Chapter 2- Answer to Niada

Adain and Talon spent the rest of the evening sorting out delicate issues. The biggest problem was attending classes. Through many difficulties and a slew of old family connections, Adain was re-enrolled temporarily as his non-existent sister, 'Niada'...at least, until they figured out a way to dispel the curse. When they finally were back at the apartment, Talon caught sight of Adain holding up his long ponytail in one hand and one of his salon scissors in the other. "Hey, don't do anything too rash," He said as he plucked the scissors out of his hands. "How many times do I have to tell you that what you do to one body might affect the other and, in the end, could end up being permanent damage?"

Adain frowned when Talon took the scissors out of his hand. "Give those back!" He huffed as he tried vainly to take the scissors back. Blasted blond and his height. "Girls can have short hair too!" He complained. He sighed when he noted that the other man hesitated to hand the scissors back over. Then, an idea occurred to him. "Hey, if you're so worried about it, why don't you cut it for me? Isn't that what best friends are for?"

Talon took a deep breath as he considered it. He worked at a salon on weekends, so cutting and styling his friend's hair for free felt like a chore. But he knew that Adain would do whatever he felt like doing with or without his help.

"Fine," the blond conceded.

He tugged the shorter man into the bathroom and sat him backward on the toilet seat, tying a towel around his neck. "We will have to donate this mass..." He murmured as he began to carefully cut the long black hair. Afterward, he sprayed the remaining hair down. Adain had always preferred close cuts, so Talon was relieved that girls currently used such hairstyles. However, he made sure to give him sweeping bangs just in case. Adain's face didn't change much from one gender to another, so Talon wanted to ensure that the hairstyle neutrally flattered his face.

"There." The blond said when he was finally finished, placing the electric trimmer back in its place. His fingers gently tucked Aid's bangs to the side and slid down the shorter man's face. "Feel better now?"

"Much better," Adain replied with a relieved sigh. "Thanks, Tal." He ran his fingers through what was left of his hair. It was so much shorter, something he was thankful for. He looked in the mirror, and a smile formed on his face. "Guess I'm lucky to have a real barber around." His gaze shifted to the tied bundle of hair Talon set aside to donate. "I never wanna see all that damn mess again."

"We'll see what happens at sunrise," Talon warned as he swept up the rest. "On that note, you can shower first. I'll be in my room if you need me." Though their apartment had two bedrooms, it only had one bathroom.

Adain groaned, being reminded of what would happen again at sunrise. "Fine," he grumbled, heading for the shower so he could get washed up and get any hair that slipped down his shirt off of him.

Talon was relieved that, at the very least, all of this happened on a Friday. That would give Adain the rest of the weekend to adjust until their first class on Monday. The blond still hadn't figured out what he would say to explain Adain's absence. A family emergency? No, why would his newfound 'sister' be taking the classes for him? Perhaps...broken bones? A lot of broken bones?

Adain took a more extended shower than usual, hoping to calm his mind and relax. The warm water helped, but not as much as he had hoped. He got into his pajamas, just a t-shirt and bottoms, before going to Talon's room to bug him while he towel-dried his hair. "Got any ideas about any of this?"

"I'm more worried about how to keep you covered in everyday life," Talon replied. "Like how we're going to explain why your newfound 'sister' is taking over your classes for you...should we say you were diagnosed with a disease?" He asked. "Your grandfather and father are both looking for ways to dispel the curse, so I say we leave that part to them."

"Maybe I fell down some stairs, broke many bones, and am hospitalized?" Adain asked, not too sure himself. He frowned, though, his mind drifting back to the door. If he hadn't felt his mother's presence, he might have dropped any thoughts about going into that room ever again. But now he was even more curious, despite the curse.

Talon let out a snort. "Our minds do think alike. We'll just say you got into an accident and are undergoing operations and treatments for your broken bones." He concluded. The blond breathed deeply before forcing himself to broach the subject again. "In the meantime, you'll have to learn to adjust to your cursed form. I can't help you with things like adjusting your underwear...but I can be your punching bag if you feel overwhelmed again."

Adain groaned upon hearing him bring up the curse and his other form. "Greeeat, so for the things I actually need help with, I'm on my own." He concluded in a mumble before glancing back at Talon. "You better live up to that then, human punching bag."

Talon couldn't help but grin. "I could always be a hugging bag instead if you'd prefer." He added. "I will have to keep a close eye on you on Monday. Lord knows how many guys are going to want to hit on your 'sister.'"

"You're enjoying this too much…" Adain grumbled. His face dropped when Talon brought up something he hadn't even thought of, guys hitting on him being a frequent thing? "Damn it, why did you have to tell me that!?"

The blond shook his head. "You did look at yourself in the mirror, did you not? Did you just think of that now?" Talon reached a hand back to rub the back of his neck in nervousness. "Hey...if it gets that bad, you could pretend to be my girlfriend. None of them would dare touch you."

"Sh-shut it!" Adian hissed, sulking a bit just thinking about it. He raised a brow at Talon's idea. "How would that make 'em stop? Having a girlfriend or boyfriend won't stop people from flirting."

"I've never used my popularity status to my advantage before, but I have just enough friends in the right places that would help me keep you from getting molested in the hallways," Talon replied. "But, the drawback would mean suffering from half of the female population out of sheer envy..." He added with a smirk.

"So it sucks either way, huh? Fan-fucking-tastic..." Adain sighed, ruffling his own hair from frustration.

"Makes me wish I didn't have to work weekends," Talon added. "Not that I'd be much of use anyway."

"Don't say that, Tal," Aid countered. "I...thanks for having my back during this." He knew he was a handful, yet Talon stayed by his side despite it all.

Talon chuckled. "Remember, it's only between classrooms and during the classes we don't have together." He reached out to ruffle Adain's hair. "Besides, what are best friends for, if not to help you escape your messes?"

"I'm just surprised you've stayed around as long as you have, with all the trouble I get into," Adain pointed out, feeling slightly better. Before he could say anything else, his stomach growled in hunger.

"Right. We both could use some dinner and rest." Talon suggested. They both settled on ordering pizza while the blond showered and went straight to bed. He made sure that Adain took an over-the-counter sleeping pill that night. They both needed the rest, and his best friend would have stayed up all night fretting about being home alone with a curse otherwise.

::

The following morning, Talon got up and got ready early. He made them pancakes with banana pieces and scrambled eggs to start the day. He was worried about how Adain would feel when he woke up and realized that everything that happened had been real and not a dream.

Adain slept like a rock, thanks to the sleeping pills. He woke up with that same weight on his chest the following day. He groaned. So, it wasn't all a bad dream after all. He rubbed his head and was relieved that his hair stayed the same length during the transformation. He looked down at his crotch and gulped before looking into the under....yup, that was definitely not what he was used to seeing. With another groan, he stretched and headed toward the bathroom. When he was done, he made his way to the kitchen. "G'morning," He yawned.

"Morning," Talon replied, placing their served plates on the table. "Made some banana nut pancakes and scrambled eggs for us before heading out." He took a seat and glanced over at Adain. "How are you feeling?"

Adain immediately pointed to his new breasts. "I hate these damn things the most," He grumbled before resting his head against Talon's shoulder. He was not a happy camper when he first woke up.

Talon sighed when Adain pointed out his frustrations. His gaze couldn't help but settle on the current source of his best friend's problems, and he had to force himself to look away with a slight cough. Aid, in both genders, was desirable to him. But seeing his imp-like friend's personality shining through a female form was still somewhat jarring. "Perhaps you should change into one of the sports bras after breakfast?" The blond suggested.

"If it helps, I'll do anything," Adain mumbled, yawning and sitting. He rubbed his eyes sleepily as he started to eat breakfast. He seemed to feel better just getting some food into his system. Good food at that! "Good thing one of us can cook."

"That's only because you keep burning everything. I'm sure we both would have starved by now if otherwise," Talon replied with a soft chuckle. He reached out to brush powder blue bangs aside. "I see that at least you no longer have to worry about tripping over your hair. I was worried that it would grow back with a vengeance." A smirk formed on his face. "You're lucky this was the right generation to pass off as a tomboy. No need to worry about skirts. Should you ever wear one, I suggest you don't sit with your legs spread too open."

Adain nodded, glad that the most he had to worry about his hair now involved merely being a different color. He then raised a brow when he heard Talon suggest not to open his legs. "Wait, why would that ma- oh wait...ugh. That's actually a problem?" He thought it was something silly girls complained about…like their makeup or nails.

"It won't be too much of a problem. Your pants aren't tight, and you don't have to wear skirts. But, just in case." He commented. "You should also avoid trying to pee while standing, too. Just sit it out." He added. "And don't talk with your usual friends unless I'm with you to introduce you first. Have you given any more thought to my proposition?"

"I know, I know," Adain replied before stuffing his mouth full of pancakes. He swallowed and blushed. If he remembered correctly, the proposition that Talon spoke of was..." You mean the girlfriend thing?"

"I believe that's the only proposition I've mentioned in the last twenty-four hours," Talon replied. "Unless I've had very loud dreams."

"Is it me, or does it smell sarcastic in here?" Adain huffed, knowing that the blond was right, though. With everything that was going on, he had to make sure. He looked towards his friend for a moment. "F-fine. I'll take you up on that offer."

"Done," Talon affirmed. "Adain's had an unfortunate accident. His sister, Niada, has been granted special permission to take over for him so that he won't miss the semester...guys, back off; she's mine." He rehearsed aloud as he placed their dishes in the dishwasher. "Sounds good to me."

"Wait... won't I need a nickname? I mean, if I'm my sister…I should already have one." Adain realized.

"Hmm, how about Nia?" Talon replied after a moment of thought. The blond needed to remind himself to keep from calling him 'Aid' out loud. One of his few female friends had found out about his feelings for Adain earlier in the year. He was wary of her reaction to his status as 'Niada's' boyfriend, but he anticipated no other problems.

"Works for me. It's easier to remember that way." Adain replied. When they finished eating breakfast and doing dishes, he headed to his room to change into his new clothes. He used the restroom first, which still wasn't any less awkward. When he transformed into a set of clothes, he was happy that the sports bra at least flattened his chest a bit.

Talon gave him two thumbs up on his way out the door. He'd be back from work in the early afternoon. So, at least the ravenet wouldn't be alone for too long.

::

When Talon returned from the salon, he dropped onto the living room sofa. He placed his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Though he hadn't thought it through when the words came out of his mouth that morning, a day's worth of mulling it over made him regret it. How could he have suggested such a thing as to have Adain pass as his girlfriend at school?

As his best friend, a part of Talon knew he was doing the right thing. Adain needed no further attention drawn to himself while he was in his female form. But, as his secret love, Tal was only setting himself up for hurt. If only there were some way he could just box up his feelings and set them aside until they managed to get everything back under control.

"Talon, you back?" Adain called from his room. "Should we check in on Dad and Grandad?"

"Yeah, maybe they've found something out," the blond agreed.

Adain dreaded his family's teasing. He just knew that he would hear a lot of 'It's your own dang fault for trying to break through the door' complaints. As his gaze fell on Talon, he noticed that his friend seemed like he was racking his brain over something.

"Something wrong?"

It was strange for Talon to look into his friend's alternate form's dark eyes, as they were even more unreadable than his usual blue eyes. "It's something that will have to wait until later," He admitted as he returned to the front door. "Let's go."

On the drive there, the blond's mind wandered to when he first realized that his feelings for Adain weren't the kinds of feelings he should have for someone who was supposed to be like a brother to him. They had decent dates for the homecoming dance when they were high school students. Neither of them was shy about celebrating with their peers. Adain had been asked to dance by a girl in their homeroom class for two years. Aid must have seen something in her, or he didn't want her to go alone. Having no excuse to go alone, Talon asked a redheaded cheerleader, the one he least disliked.

Apparently, Talon's date wanted more than what he could give. She kissed him near one of the tables just beyond the dance floor. The redhead had skills, as the kiss was fantastic. But, despite it all, the blond felt nothing. Aid had been laughing with his other friends on the other side of the dance floor. Talon realized that he would have preferred to have kissed Adain instead.

So it was then, at the age of fifteen, Talon began to accept that he wasn't as straight as he thought he was. By eighteen, he was absolutely sure that he was bi-sexual. But, also by then, his feelings for Adain had engulfed him, and he had to grasp that he was probably demisexual. Ever since then, he had been able to keep those feelings from forcing him to make a mistake. And presently, he had to focus on breaking Adain's curse.

The blond had to come to terms with the fact that he had the most rotten luck.

Sometime later, they arrived at their destination. Talon automatically walked to the other side of his car. It opened the door to help Adain out of the vehicle. He had been brought up in a manner his parents perceived as gentlemanly behavior, including opening doors and carrying books for girls. It was all like second nature to him by then.

Aid didn't know what to think of how Talon seemed lost in thought the entire way there. When they came to a stop, Adain undid his seat belt and was about to reach for the door handle when Talon opened it for him? Oh, right…girl body.

"Just because I'm a girl right now doesn't mean you gotta do stuff like that."

"Sorry about that," Talon said sheepishly. "Force of habit."

The brown-eyed man watched Adain open the house door with his extra key and walk in. After some hunting, they found the elder Calistros deliberating in the bathroom. Yes, the bathroom...with the door wide open. One of them was in the middle of doing his business on the toilet seat. The other was seated on the edge of the bathtub.

"Contemplating how to end world hunger in there?" Talon teased.

"Ever heard of a doorbell?" Mr. Calistro shot back.

Adain did the biggest facepalm seeing his father and grandfather in the bathroom. "Are you guys even taking this seriously!?" He hissed.

"Now, now," Grandpa Calistro spoke up. "It's good that you're here. We were going to call you over in a few minutes anyway. We'll be out in a few. Wait for us at the kitchen table."

Talon shook his head with a laugh and walked over to the kitchen table as instructed.

With a huff, Aid followed behind. He slumped into the chair next to the blond. "Damn it, those two…."

The taller man raised one of his brows. For a moment, his mind supplied him with images of the young man doing the same in his usual male body, and a strange nostalgia hit him. "Hey, Aid," He murmured. "Why haven't you dated anyone since high school?" He wondered aloud. "I mean, is there anyone at the uni? Is this going to cause you trouble with someone you like?"

"What? No, not really, I guess? I just haven't had an interest in dating anyone. Besides, so far, you're the only one that has been able to put up with me for long," Adain responded with a shrug. "What about you? You haven't been in the dating game much, either."

Talon's brown eyes fell to half-mast, and a secretive smile formed on his face. "There is someone I've had my eye on for a while. But, I won't be able to do much about it until after we get you un-cursed."

"Really?" Adain said, a bit surprised. He almost felt his heart sink hearing that, but he ignored it, figuring it was probably just a strange girl feeling or something. "Your being my 'boyfriend' won't mess any of that up, will it?" He asked, putting air quotes around the word' boyfriend.'

"I honestly don't know," The blond replied. "But, I only hope that it will help me down the road. I heard that the person's very high maintenance. Nothing but trouble..." Talon let out a sigh. "All I want is to be liked back."

"Well, since you're helping me, I'll help you however I can. Alright, Tal? Not sure how much help I'll be since I don't have much dating experience. But…yeah." Adain offered, laughing a bit. "You've at least gotten plenty of practice with high maintenance and trouble." He probably got them in too much trouble in the past...but no matter how badly he screwed up, Talon was always there.

"Yes, maybe a little too much practice," The blond teased as he reached out to lightly ruffle powder blue locks. He leaned closer to whisper softly into Adain's ear. "Be gentle with me, pretend girlfriend."

Adain shook his head and flicked his friend's nose. "Don't say stupid things like that, asshole...!"

"Well, don't you two make the striking couple," Grandpa Calistro commented as he took the seat across from Adain, causing his younger progeny to blush.

"Whispering sweet nothings into my grandson-turned-granddaughter's ear, are ya?"

"Not exactly," Talon replied.

"No?" Grandpa Calistro questioned. "It's a shame. I've always wanted to adopt you as a grandson, Talon. I've just never had a granddaughter to offer you."

The 'granddaughter' in question hissed, Aid's face reddening even further. "Wait, that better not be an excuse to NOT break this curse!"

"No, but either way, you're not going to like what we have to tell you," Mr. Calistro said as he sat across from Talon. The two elder Calistros looked at each other before settling their blue eyes onto Adain.

"Your father is trying to tell you that we've tried to contact other Warlock and Witch descendant families for help with that curse of yours. But we can't seem to get through to them," Grandpa Calistro began. "Now, don't give me that crap about technology and trying them on their cellphones because we tried that first and have had no such luck."

"We think something is interfering with electronic and arcane signals," Mr. Calistro concluded.

"When was the last time you contacted them without difficulty?" Talon asked.

"Uhhh...I guess when they were invited to my birthday a couple months ago," Adain replied. Just what was going on? "Wait, they're all within driving distance. Why not go talk to them directly?"

"Precisely what I suggested," Grandpa Calistro pointed out. He sent Talon a sympathetic glance. "I'll cover your gas expenses."

"Much appreciated," Talon stated with a nod. "We still have time to visit at least one of them if we go now."

"Good luck," Mr. Calistro said as they stood up.

"Yeah, let's get going," Adain agreed. He then confusedly looked at his father and grandfather. 'Good luck?' Wait a minute..." Wait, aren't you coming with us? And what the hell was with that look you just gave Tal?" Adain asked, watching as the two older Calistros got up.

"I'm going to try to get a hold of another branch of descendants," Mr. Calistro explained.

"And if I don't cook dinner, who will?" Grandpa Calistro declared.

"That's your excuse!?" Adain hissed at his grandfather before letting out a sigh. He grabbed Talon's hand and dragged him out. "Fine, we're going."

"You remember how to get to your cousins' houses, right?" Talon inquired.

Adain nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. If you drive, I'll navigate."

When they reached the car, Talon gently squeezed Adain's hand, feeling rather pleased with the contact and contrite for it simultaneously. Once again, he opened the door for Adain to enter as if on automatic. He then walked to the driver's side to head towards the highway. "Force of habit," He whispered once again.

"I'll let it slide this time since I was holding your hand for a minute there," Adain replied, his face flustered since it dawned on him what he had done.

"Anyways, let's get going."

::::

Under Adain's guidance, the two made it from the highway to the closest of the imp's family, the Gaiten-Calistro residence. As soon as Talon pulled up the driveway, the two kids playing in the front yard ran over.

"Who are you?" The little boy asked when Adain stepped out.

Adain felt a slight pain in his heart when the kids didn't even recognize him. But he knew it couldn't be helped. His appearance was quite different.
Talon walked out of his own side and let out a snort. The kids recognized him immediately. "Are your parents inside?"

"It's Talon!" The little girl squealed as she shuffled to cling to the blond's leg.

"Yeah, they're making dinner." The little boy supplied before running inside the house and announcing their presence. "Where's cousin Adain?"

When they entered the house, Adain's other cousins were getting ready to split long loaves of sandwiches into quarters. "Talon? What brings you here?" Mrs. Suni Gaiten-Calistro asked upon seeing the blond.

"Forgive the intrusion, but Adain's dad and grandpa have been having issues trying to reach your cell phones," Talon explained. "Long story short, this is Niada." He said as he took hold of Adain's shoulders and gently pushed him closer to his cousins. "Adain's newly discovered 'twin,'" He held up his fingers for the quotations.

"Aid?" The knife fell from Suni's husband, Cesar Calistro's, hands as he gaped. "What the heck happened?"

Adain felt a bit relieved that at least his cousin recognized him. "Umm...any chance the three of us can talk privately?" A few moments later, the missus left with the kids, and they sat down to talk with his cousin, Cesar. "Long story short, you know that room I've always wanted to get into? Well...apparently, it's cursed me. From sunrise to sunset, I'm a girl. Then from sunset to sunrise, I'm a boy again."

Aid's cousin shook his head in disbelief. Whenever Cesar visited his uncle's house, little Adain would try to figure out a way to break into that room despite the countless family members trying to stop him. "I had a feeling something crazy would happen if you ever managed to break through." His gaze shifted towards Talon. "And something's definitely up," He continued, holding his cell phone up. "I can call everyone on my phone list without any difficulty except for our side of the family. And you say Gramps and Uncle can't even send an arcane message to anyone? Damn."

As Suni watched over them, Talon's eyes trailed over to the kids playing in the backyard. "We don't know what's going on," he admitted. "But it would be best to be on your guard. You have a lot more to lose these days."

Cesar followed his line of sight, and his mouth became a grim line. "I'll see what I can find out with the other family members in my part of town. In the meantime, Aid..." He couldn't help the snicker that escaped him. "Learn to answer to the name 'Niada.' You're going to need to."

Adain frowned at the thought of his cousin's wife and kids getting involved. However, his eye twitched when Cesar teased him. "Damn it, I know that! Shut it!" He huffed, folding his arms against his softer chest. His voice fell to a mumble. "It's not funny…."

The two younger men stayed for dinner and returned to the car before it became too late. "At least we have good news to tell your dad and granddad. They seemed to be alright despite the family connection being lost. We should stop by again and let them know before sunset hits."

"Yeah, I'm glad they're all alright. But I'm still worried about all this. Cell phones act up, but...the arcane messages rarely end up like this."

Talon was worried, too. Not only for Adain's sake but for the imp's scattered family. "If there's one thing for sure…when all of you gather together, you're unstoppable." He reminded his friend. "Cesar said he would physically check up on the family living North of I-6, so tomorrow, we should start seeking the family living in the South."

"Sounds like a plan. I just hope this curse is the worst thing about all this…." Adain said softly with a frown. He had a bad feeling in his gut that he couldn't quite explain. Even if he could, the hexed young man didn't want to worry his best friend more than he already was.