OOM: Cubefall 2010

[isaysimplewords]

Cal has summoned the vidscreen back up and been quietly asking a few questions; now he's contemplating it in silence when Sam approaches. He takes in Cal and the vidscreen - and a room key on the Bar - and looks at Cal inquiringly, the better to let him start this particular conversation.

"She says I can get a delay on the transformation," Cal tells him, "and wait till we're upstairs. And the time limit's almost up, so it wouldn't have to be for very long." He sighs. "I'd still have to come back down to activate the screen before I can change back, though." That would seem to be non-negotiable.

Sam nods, studying Cal's face for signs of nervousness running too deep to be comfortable with. "It's your choice," he says. "I won't hold it against you if you don't want to do it. Honestly, I'm surprised you're even considering it."

Cal laughs a little at that. "Yeah, me too." He's surprised the idea stayed in his mind at all after his initial oh god no reaction. He's never liked the transformations in Milliways.

But what he's liked right from the start about Cubefall (aside from the Legos) is that the transformations are voluntary. People get to choose what to be, and they get to choose whether or not to be it at all. That makes a difference. It makes a big difference, bigger than Cal had expected it to make once he started thinking about the possibility of saying yes.

And Sam has done the female transformation before, and that was fun. And seriously, when you get right down to it, who hasn't wondered what sex is like on the other side?

Cal looks back down at the vidscreen for a long moment, tapping his fingers on the Bar. Then he takes a breath and picks up the room key.

"Not until we're inside the room, right?"

Right, says the answering napkin. Cal glances at Sam.

"Okay," he says, and touches the screen. It vanishes. Cal swallows and says to Sam,

"Let's go."

Sam smiles and reaches out to take Cal's hand, and they head for the stairs.

Comments

[isaysimplewords]

Cal shrugs with one shoulder. It's a faintly uneasy gesture that hasn't changed in the slightest.

"Just to see what I look like," he says.

[necessary_child]

Sam's first thought is to kiss him, but ... not quite yet.

Instead he holds out a hand to gradually create a mirror in the air.

"Your wish is my command."

[isaysimplewords]

The mirror spreads to full length in the air, revealing a tall woman with long, dark hair and a body that clearly (even under Cal's too-big clothes) in no way resembles a beanpole.

Cal stares at the reflection. This is something he had actually spared some consideration for - what it would be like to look into a mirror and not see his own face. There's still no way to prepare for how odd the experience is, even more disorienting than the change to his voice. It'll be a moment before he can even begin to find words.

[necessary_child]

Sam watches him, smiling faintly, and doesn't say anything for a little while.

Then, "You okay?"

[isaysimplewords]

Cal swallows and nods, slowly, gaze flicking to meet Sam's in the mirror for a second before turning back to himself.

"Not bad," he says finally. (Is it narcissistic that the woman in the mirror would unquestionably be his type if she weren't, well, him? He does like them tall and brunette.)

He glances at Sam again, sideways toward Sam himself this time.

"I could do better than you," he says with a small smirk.

[necessary_child]

"Oh shut up," Sam says fondly, running his fingers through Cal's new, longer hair.

"One of my ex-girlfriends was a Love goddess, and I'm not talking figuratively. So ner."

[isaysimplewords]

"I could at least find a guy who knows how to dress." Cal moves to ruffle Sam's hair by way of demonstration.

Except that movement is enough to jostle his trousers, which were staying in place on his slimmer, shorter body mostly by luck, and he has to hastily grab at his belt to keep them from falling instead.

[necessary_child]

Sam snorts. "I know how to dress. I just choose not to."

He doesn't laugh as Cal grabs for his trousers, but it's only because he promised not to. "You could always leave them," he suggests.

[isaysimplewords]

"That'd probably be easier," Cal agrees. And the entire point of this experiment most definitely does not involve trying to stay dressed.

He holds on to them for the moment, though. He'd known this would be awkward at first, but had figured that jumping right in would easier. It's starting to look, though, like he might need more of a run-up after all.

[necessary_child]

"True."

Sam smiles, then kisses him, sweet and slow and almost careful.

[isaysimplewords]

The difference in angle, at least, is something that's more familiar, thanks to Sam's own changes during Halloween. Kissing Sam in general is, in fact, familiar, and soothing, with the differences not as pronounced as he might have expected.

Which isn't to say it's the same - far from it - but it's more similar than just about anything else they do tonight will be.

And he always likes when Sam kisses him like that.

[necessary_child]

And Sam likes kissing Cal like that, so they are equal!

And he's going to carry on doing so, for the moment. Cal is very much going to be the one taking the lead here.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal concentrates on kissing Sam, arm still wound around his waist.

It doesn't take long for the trousers situation to become a problem - he'd really like to have that hand free, to touch Sam's face or hair. He shifts his weight, to see if he can hold them up by leaning against Sam. If he tugs them up far enough . . .

His breasts press against Sam's chest, and that's a whole new distraction.

[necessary_child]

Mmmmm.

Sam breaks the kiss enough to laugh, softly. "You may as well just leave them," he says. "Although you can keep doing that all you like."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal laughs a bit himself, sheepishly.

"Kinda more trouble than they're worth, aren't they?" he says. He lets go of them and, with a bit of maneuvering, succeeds in getting rid of them while keeping his underwear in place. While still big on him, the boxers fit more closely, and seem more likely to stay in place on their own.

He manages to do all over this without moving away from Sam too much. The wriggling it requires has an interesting effect all in its own; erogenous zones, he thinks, beginning to understand the application of that term to breasts in a whole new way.

[necessary_child]

"I've always said so," Sam says cheerfully. He keeps one arm around Cal as he moves away, and when Cal's done he smiles at him, sliding a hand back into his hair.

[isaysimplewords]

With that hand free, Cal can return the gesture, and does so, letting Sem's hair slide through his fingers.

"I think," he says softly, "this might not have been such a bad idea."

He's still glad it's only for a few hours, though. (Or until they wake up in the morning, whichever. The part he sleeps through won't count.)

[necessary_child]

Sam smiles. "I'm glad you think so," he says.

The trick - given Cal's issues with sex - will be making sure he keeps thinking that way. Sam has an idea or three in that direction, though.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal is more than confident in Sam's abilities in that department. It helps, too, that Sam has had experience with this himself, with going from one end of things to the other. He can understand in a way most people can't. And he knows Cal, in a way that most people don't.

None of this makes Cal's nervousness disappear, not by a long shot. But if he didn't trust Sam completely, he wouldn't be doing this at all.

"So am I," he says, wry. "I wasn't really sure downstairs." In case Sam hadn't noticed.

[necessary_child]

"I know," Sam says, stroking Cal's cheek. "There's one upside to you having to go downstairs to change back, though... We can take our time."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal leans into the touch as he always does.

"That's true," he says. "I think we're gonna need it."

*

This turns out be be a very accurate prediction - Cal can't even begin to guess how much time has passed when he and Sam finally curl up together in the middle of the bed (advantage to having a magical lover: no wet spot). Of course, he hasn't exactly been watching the clock, either.

He's quiet for a while, tired and trying to sort out all the new experiences and sensations, and how he feels about it. Good, he thinks.

Yeah. Despite all the nerves and awkwardness on his part . . . definitely good.

This may convey itself to Sam through the complete lack of tension in Cal's body.

[necessary_child]

Sam curls around him, comfortable, gently stroking Cal's hair away from his face. He doesn't say anything for a while, just... breathes.

That was fun.

[isaysimplewords]

Eventually, Cal opens his eyes and smiles.

"Hi."

[necessary_child]

Sam smiles back.

"Hi, yourself."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal is still at something of a loss for words here.

He also wants the sheet to cover up with, now that his body temperature is returning to normal, but he's not quite at the stage where he's ready to put out the effort yet.

(Normally, it wouldn't worry him at all unless the room were too cool, but this is not a normal kind of day.)

"Blanket?" he suggests. Because it would be much less effort for Sam, that's why. Sam wouldn't even have to move.