Jasmine quietly arrived to the kitchen feeling more then a little hungry. She had yet to really adjust to the new norm of eating with her head separate to her body and.. dwell on the physics of it. Perhaps her body was also a little eager to get something to eat so she had rushed a little quicker then she might have.
Her body’s shoulders felt a little better now from all the trials of school, baseball and carrying her head. Perhaps that was one annoying thing about being a Dullahan.. the constant need to carry her head in ones arms or hands. That weight, combined with her new body’s… somewhat lessened upper body strength compared to her own was starting to cause more then a few aches and strains. She wondered if Lucy had anywhere near as much trouble, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Either she was good at hiding it or, more then likely, she had a better understanding of the limits of her own body while Jasmine was still working with the assumption that she had the same strength and motions of her old body. It would take.. time to adjust to it.
She set her head on the table first while her body gave a little stretch.
Lucy also arrived from the living room and noticed the ‘little show’ Jasmine was putting on with her loose shirt. “Looking good and casual cousin!” She smiled with a wry grin.
“Huh?” Jasmine flicked her eyes to the side where her body was- but couldn’t see what got her cousin’s attention. On instinct she tried to crane her neck but- obviously she didn’t have a neck anymore and the sensation of trying felt a bit surreal. Her body reached her arms towards her head to turn her perspective towards herself once more. She came face to face with her body and- She blushed heavily. She didn’t quite realize how much her bra hid. The contours of her breasts were quite visible and even nipples could be seen through the white T-shirt. Her body squirmed embarrassed but more so, Jasmine was put in the unenviable position of being both watching said embarrassment and being the one embarrassed!
“Oh stop teasing your cousin Lucy, she can wear what she likes here,” Jasmine’s mother said matter of factly.
Jasmine was already picking up her head and retreating to her room. “I’ll- I’ll- go change-”
“Sit down hun, don’t let it bother you” her mother said taking the hands of her body and setting it down on the table next to Jasmine’s head before she could go anywhere- much to her surprise. “I heard you will be going to the cinema with friends?” She asked as her body started to bring a few plates to the table.
Jasmine couldn’t take her gaze away from her mother. Much like before she was locked in place unless she used her body to move. it was akin to looking at a mirror and being stuck. A mirror of.. what her future would look like? “Well- um- Just two friends. Dean and Harry.” She said.
“Oh… ah, yes those two.” her mother nodded. “Hmm, well I hope it goes well. You sure you are okay with them?”
“I think so.” Why was it such a big deal? They were just going as friends.
“I’ve invited Mary,” said Lucy. “She’s been having a rough time in school. Everyone thinks she’s a bit clutzy for some reason. Some mean girls or something.”
Jasmine was looking to her plate as it was set down by her mother’s body. The food looked delicious as ever but… it seemed so weird looking at food up this close and level on a table. How was she even supposed to eat without making a huge mess? She mostly worked out drinking but solid food seemed trickier.
She watched as her mother seem to easily take her head gently into her arms. Surreally her body cut the food and fed her head and… it kind of reminded her a mother feeding her baby- which was it’s own disembodied head…
… Jasmine felt her head involuntarily shiver, even if her body seem to be taking it quite normal and her head in theory shouldn’t be able to shiver like that.
Lucy however seem to be making it a bit of a game, where she would use her body to throw the food over a small distance. Something that her mother frowned at.
“Lucy, don’t play with your food. Honestly, you should have grown out of that when you were ten. I’ll have to have words with my sister otherwise.”
Lucy just gave a giggle. “I guess old habits die hard.” Though of course she was not aware she had that habit. She was just exploring how her body ate.
Jasmine looked down at her food as her body placed a cloth over her lap. It carefully started to feed her some chips with a fork but- there was something unsettling about pointy things coming towards ones head, having to be guided by eyes not attached to a body. “Um- I don’t think I’m that hungry after all.” Jasmine thought as the hands drifted away almost frustratingly so. The whole sight was too surreal.
“What’s the matter?” Her mother asked.
‘Everything is too freaky!’ Jasmine thought to herself. She was looking at her mother’s disembodied head being fed by her body- why would this even look anywhere near normal! “Just- not feeling so well-” she thought.
“Hm, well maybe just eat a little? Honestly you seem to be eating a lot less the last few days. You need to take care of your body you know, as much as she takes care of you.” Her mother said gently.
Jasmine gave a hesitant look, remembering what happened in the ball-game. When she completely removed her thoughts of her body.. and tried to let her body do ‘everything’ on its own. It seemed so capable right? Though suddenly she felt this odd pity… seeing something so distressed, unable to see, hear, speak, confused as to what it was doing… and yet still autonomous, yearning for … completeness. It was that same feeling her head felt. They needed the other didn’t they? Even if eating seemed so undignified like this…
“Um.. okay…” She tried to let her body feed her head, relaxing some of her control. That seem to help as her body started to relax and attended to her needs. It was… a strange feeling, again similar to a parent and child and yet this was herself.
Her existence was a confusing one. At least going to the cinema was a step towards something more normal.
Harry was leaving school a bit late but was quite excited with going out. He just had to make sure Dean would also come. “So you still up for the cinema?” he asked using a mobile phone. “I got five tickets! I even got the dullahan girls! Both of them!” He was actually very happy about this arrangement. While it wasn’t really a date-date- as such- it was a step forward. Of course he hoped Dean would come- though part of Harry regretted it as he ‘did’ want to be alone with the girl but… well.. he wanted her to be happy too. If that meant making this a friends group well- that was fine.
Dean sounded a bit unsure as he hummed on the other side of the line. “It is a school night though isn’t it?” Though it’s true he liked spending time with Jasmine, they really didn’t do that much lately. It seemed like she was keen on being friends again with them. The teen just felt like… he didn’t deserve to be. Even if Jasmine forgave him, could he really forgive himself? He still recalled the admonishment he received as a child. He should have put a stop to it sooner. He felt it was wrong but at the time it… it just seemed like fun? No- that was an excuse. Still… Jasmine wanted to just put it behind them so maybe he could as well. “What are we going to see?” he asked somewhat relieved of the chance to start over.
“The Wishing Stone. It looks interesting enough and it even has some demihumans in it. I think Jennifer will really like it.”
The wishing stone sounded like one of those weird fantasy movies. Maybe it was like a genie then? People got some wishes, it all goes horribly wrong, then they fix it later. Dean wasn’t sure if it really was his thing as he was more into mystery genres. Maybe it was one of those generic fantasy movies that anyone can enjoy. “Eh, I guess I can go. Sure.”
“Great! See ya!” Harry clicked the phone off “Let’s see, four down.. one to go.” Jasmine didn’t mention anyone specific she wanted to have, but Lucy did mention a new friend called Mary. So yeah, that was all five of them.
Harry started to fantasise a little, on just how the experience would be… he could simply.. get some popcorn.. spend a bit of time looking at Jasmine’s gorgeous body- and of course if she was watching the movie, she might not have a clue what he was looking at! … and then he realized what a creepy horrible thought that was. ‘urgh come on- I’m trying to not be a total creep to her.’ Why did she have to drive him so crazy? It wasn’t that he wanted to be that creepy. He really liked her! He just didn’t know how to talk to her sometimes-
‘… but do you actually know anything about her?’ An inner voice asked him.
‘I’d like to if she gave me the chance!’ He replied to himself.
‘Focusing on her body so much.. you’re not going to learn a thing. You need to look at her head more. Just like Dean does.’
Harry fumed a bit at the internal argument he had. Like some small part of him… as if there was another him- inside his head that regretted not being friends with him- her-. (that was weird.) Dean was always better at getting closer to her with ‘aligned’ shared interests. If only he knew what she liked.
He was about to turn the corner and cross a road when he heard something.
“Get off!” A shrilled girl’s voice shouted a few feet away.
Harry stared his expression turning into one of shock and confusion at the scene. It seemed to be a... centaur? There were some young kids, who were trying to jump onto her back. The centaur herself seem collapsed on the ground.
“Hey let’s go for a ride!” One of them said. “Me first!”
Harry felt a little bubble of cold anger. It was just like- it was just like -him- as a kid. He knew without a doubt, he would have been one of them, and the harm it had caused. He had no choice as he ran towards the scene. “Hey leave her alone, she’s not a horse!”
The three kids looked up at Harry. The oldest looked to be about ten, the others younger then that. He felt a bit uncomfortable suddenly, realizing he’s now stepped in as an awkward ‘authority figure’, which is not something he had ever felt in his life. It’s not as if he had any younger siblings himself and was an only child.
“We were just playing!” One of the boys said.
Harry glanced at the centaur. She was unhurt, but seemed a bit scared. She was looking for something on the ground- oh! A pair of glasses? “Just- think a bit about it okay? Go home.” Harry insisted to them.
The kids looked at him and ran off not really wanting to confront the situation more.
Harry heaved a sigh. He honestly didn’t know what to do if the kids would insist on jumping on the centaur-girls back besides the use of force and well- that wouldn’t work well. He looked back to the centaur-girl. “Hey.. uh, here you go.” He found the glasses easily and passed them to her hands.
The centaur-girl looked a bit perplexed at Harry as she blinked a few times and- it was only now that Harry realized the girl was very young herself. She looked pretty from her human torso but at the same time her horse parts were huge! As she got up he realized he was staring up at her to meet her gaze, not even sure quite what to make of the sight. He didn’t expect the girl to be of similar ages to the ones playing. Maybe they were just playing? No- she did seem quite upset about it and was rubbing her eyes perhaps just tension from her lack of eyesight with glasses then any actual tears. Her horse parts meant she was a few inches taller then him, but not that much. She seemed to have no breasts that he could discern so.. yeah, she had to be a young girl. Cute blonde hair that was straight and framed her face.
“You helped me- thanks” she said.
“Oh- sorry uh-.” Harry quickly said again feeling awkward to having got into such a weird situation.. ‘Great, now people are going to think I’m the worst kind of creep possible. Why does life do this to me!’ He couldn’t help but look over her horse body at least with curiosity. Her human clothes were all.. normal looking, a white T-shirt and some kind of vest probably. Interesting blotches of dark brown fur and hooves as he gazed down, though her tail had that same blonde hair with a curious silky shine. ‘An actual… pony tail’ he thought with a slight grin inside. “You okay? What were those kids doing?”
“I was just on my way to the school when I lost my glasses. Then they- uh-” She sighed. “I guess they thought I would give them a ride.”
“I see. Just- ignorant kids you know? Well- no harm done right?”
“Yeah- I’m good,” The centaur-girl said with a stretching of her hooves and flicking of blonde tail. “Have you seen my brother maybe?”
Harry glanced around. “Oh… well- I’ve not seen any other .. centaurs. Does he go to the school near here?”
“Yes!” she smiled. “He’s recently enrolled. I’m still being home-schooled but I wanted to see how my brother was getting on with things there.”
Home schooled? Yeah.. that would make some sense. She had a naive look about her… a bit nerdy perhaps? Hm. “Well-” He began but then the sound of galloping could be heard across the green grass of the park.
“Oh Sis!” a male voice called out.
Harry was only just about prepared to see yet ‘another’ centaur though this time a teenager and a boy? So that had to be her brother as he came to a stop, with the sound rumbling on the ground.
“Hey!” the centaur teenager smiled. “So, who’s your friend?”
The centaur girl gave a meek smile. “Um.. we just sorta bumped into each other.” She gave a quiet look- Harry knew that look, it was a look that said ‘please don’t say anything about what happened!’
Given all the things that transpired Harry decided he had to comply. “Yeah. She was just asking if I had seen her brother. I guess I’ve seen you now!” Harry quietly compared the two centaur sieblings. It was actually so weird to see two very similar looking demi-humans. Usually one encountered them one at a time… and the Dullahan cousins tended to be an exception- but now here he could see two Centaurs! A brother and a sister. It was kind of nice to see.
James sized up Harry and smiled. “Oh! I know you. You’re a friend of Jasmine right?”
“Well-” Harry wasn’t sure how to answer that. The truth was he wanted to be.. and perhaps even a little more- if he got the chance to know her. “Yes, well- we don’t hang out much but yeah. We’re planning on going to the cinema though.”
“Cool! Oh right. My name’s James.”
“I’m Samantha! Nice to meet you!” The centaur-girl said offering her hand.
Harry was still a little perplexed by it all but took the hand with a quick shake. “I- never met a centaur before,” he admitted. “You’re both centaurs?” He had heard of them existing of course but to actually see them…
The female centaur gave a shy smile raising her glasses a bit. “Heh yeah. Is that weird to you?”
“Weird? Nah, My friend has her head on the table sometimes,” he laughed. “You’re pretty normal compared to that.” It was kinda weird maybe but he didn’t want to be rude. Not.. again anyway.
“So what’s the movie you’re going to see?” asked James.
“Oh- it’s called the Wishing stone. It sounds a bit weird but it looks fun”
“The wishing stone...”Samantha thought. “Can we go too bro? Come on, it’ll be fun!”
“Maybe next time sis,” James said with a ruffle of her hair. “Mom said I have to keep an eye on you when you’re out and about and she’ll want you close to the house.”
“Please bro? It looks like fun. I don’t want to be cooped up inside.” She gave a somewhat forlorn expression which her brother appeared to simply melt.
“Eh… well, let’s ask mom first and then if she says yes okay?”
“Great!” The centaur-girl looked very happy indeed!
Jason Junior was now just getting on with homework at his friend’s house. At least until all the refurbishing was done… still he was a bit surprised that his sister didn’t recognize him at first. He chalked it up to just his sister being a bit weird or playing a game.
His friend, Brian always liked Demi-humans. They even as kids formed the ‘demi-human fan club’… where they pretended to have super powers. Brian himself was a fairly average young boy with short black hair and some Indian heritage. He had always liked Jason’s family finding them very interesting. Though he would ask so many ‘awkward’ questions about how his sister would do some things- at which case Jason had to say he had ‘no idea’.
“You every worry about losing your head?” Brian asked Jason as they got on with some video games.
“Nah,” Jason laughed. “My mom said it might happen, and I’m totally cool with it.”
“Reeealy?” Brian cocked an eyebrow and put Jason into a headlock. “I bet I can pop your head off!” He laughed in some mock-wrestling.
“Hey got off!” Jason eventually pulled away but the two just laughed.
“Man your family is just so cool. I wish I was a demi-human.” Brian grinned. “I would do all kinds of tricks with my head and body. Like- putting my head in the teacher’s drawer and as she opened it give her a shock.”
“Ha! Somehow I don’t think your body would let you do that.”
“Why not? I do what I want.” Brian seemed curious at that.
“It’s different when you’re apart like that. You’re still one but still- eh, never mind. Besides there are other demi-humans.”
“None are as cool as Dullahans though!” Brian insisted. “If you lost your head you could be at home studying and play video-games here. It’ll be fun!”
“It- it really doesn’t work that way.” Jason insisted with a light groan. As much as a fan Brian was of Dullahans and Demi-humans he really didn’t have a clue about them. “Why do you wish to be a demi-human anyway?”
“Eh, it makes life more interesting. Plus magic powers!”
“Heh magic…” Jason didn’t know what to say to that. It wasn’t magic of course but who really knew?
James the centaur was now back home with his sister. It was good to be home, as his tail gave a little flick from the cold air.
There was his mother setting the table. She looked similar to her daughter, slightly lighter greys instead of blonde hair and an average- rather ‘human’ figure. “How did things go in school?” she asked.
“It went okay! I think. Still haven't found the club for me though.” James shrugged. “Uh- mom? Can I ask you a weird question?”
“Sure.” she smiled. “Just remember to wipe your back hooves as well as your front ones.” She gave an enigmatic smile.
The house was well made for centaurs to live in. There were a set of stairs leading to rooms that were just for human feet, which was mostly used for storage. The bottom part of the house was completely open with few walls as possible. Even the doors were quite large leading into a garden. Privacy was maintained with some carefully made sliding doors on the inside for the various rooms.
James’s mother was at the moment changing out the hay for the bed from some new ones they kept in storage in the attic. “So what’s the trouble?”
“Well… I know you said most people wont even look much at my … horse parts of my body-”
“Uh huh.”
“What if I thought … someone was?” She vaguely thought of Tasha during the routine he had managed to choreograph.
James’s mother gave a sight cough recalling the.. awkwardness of her own interests. “Well- I suppose you’ll have to gauge that ‘level’ of attraction. You are not a horse after all you know? It just happens to be resemblance. People might be curious and it is possible for one to see a horse as beautiful without … further thought-” Well this was an awkward question.
“It felt a little embarrassing. I never felt that before.”
“We could get you some clothes if you want, but you never cared for them before.”
“That was when I was younger though… I mean- I dunno.” It seemed that people acting awkward about him was just going to be something that happened right? “So… is it okay for me to take Samantha to go to the cinema? There’s some other demi humans going.”
“Hm… well… I suppose. Oh? With Samantha? Hm…” She looked a bit reluctant but nodded. “I suppose you can sure. Just be home after its done no hanging about.”
“How should I dress?”
“As you always have I think? Honestly, I don’t think you have that much to worry about. People are probably more surprised that you are a centaur more then anything else.”
“Yeah.. I guess that’s all it was. Okay mom. Do you think… Samantha is going to be okay too?”
“She’ll be fine, you just keep looking out for her.”
James nodded. He had been home schooled himself for ages but.. he really wanted to just be a normal teenager despite his strange body. He still recalled the moment he changed. It was different as a child, people saw him as- well- unique, interesting and fun. Though as he grew up that seem to change and well- people thought it best that the two centaurs had to be home-schooled. James decided though to try the more ‘normal’ way and… he found it interesting so far…
… The teenage centaur just wasn’t sure how to react to some of the attention at times, and he was sure his little sister would ask how to deal with it too.
Dean prepared himself for going out to the cinema. Five friends to see a weird movie… the fact that two of them could lose their heads in the popcorn bucket was- well- a wild thought in his head. How would dullahans fare at the cinema? Actually now that he thought about it, Jasmine seem to be struggling more then she used to. She always seemed to handle her head better but now she was awkward about it, setting her head in places that were a little off. Like- when she was in class and setting it on her desk, she usually put it in the middle and set a soft cloth down to make things comfortable. She didn’t seem to be doing that now. Was she trying to be more normal maybe? Draw less attention to the fact that her head had its own separate existence?
“Demi humans are amazing though,” he quietly thought to himself. His dad was making some dinner while mom worked late. It was a.. different arrangement perhaps then most families but he was close to both of them. “Hey dad I’m ready to head off.”
His father looked down to him. “Alright but not too late son. You have your phone and everything?”
“I can handle myself” the teenager insisted. “It’s not even all that far.”
“I know I know. Just be careful okay? Sometimes I do worry when the sun sets.” He gave a light chuckle. “Here, a little spending money for you and your friends.” He passed him quite a.. generous amount of money.
“Dad? Fifty bucks?” He looked at the two twenties and a ten- that- that was a lot!
“Eh, you have friends, a bit of dosh to have fun is something I would have liked to have at your age. Its yours to do with as you wish don’t worry about it.”
Dean was quite excited. He never carried this much money before! Maybe he could do something really awesome with it. “Thanks Dad!” He said happily.
“Ah, I’m just glad you’re making friends again. You always seemed a bit of a shut in.”
Dean pursed his lips but nodded. “Yeah- I know. Stuff happened-”
“Stuff always happened! That’s the past. You got a bright future. If I kept on obsessing over the past I wouldn’t have met your mother you know.” He quickly started to cut and fry some vegetables. The aroma of it smelled wonderful. “Now just remember to be back here by eight thirty. I can trust you on that, right?”
“Of course!” Dean nodded. “Um- Dad? Can I ask.. do you or mom- do we have any demi-humans in our family?”
Dean’s father paused for a moment, grabbing some salt and placing it in the stir-fry. “hmm.. not that I know of. I don’t think your mom does either. She never mentioned it.”
“But if you did- would you have told her before.. having me?”
“Well it would be best to generally,” Dean’s father thought. “There have been cases where such information was.. not disclosed. Sometimes it’s too much for a parent to handle. I suppose one shouldn’t judge it.”
“Why not?” Asked Dean. “Why don’t we judge them?” For some reason that really annoyed him. Those were parents that just… didn’t care for someone because they changed?! Surly his Dad ‘should’ get mad at that!
Dean’s father blinked. “Eh, where’s the good knife- ah.” He picked up a blade and worked on dicing up some chicken. “Well, not publicly,” he eventually replied. “Ultimately we are all human, even demi-humans. “People have weaknesses, fears.. got to work with that. Though yeah, abandoning ones child is pretty much up there in the bad stuff. For what it’s worth if you ended up a demi-human you are still my kid no matter what.”
“Would mom think that too?” Dean wondered idly.
“Of course she would!” He smiled. “Besides you don’t really have to worry about that. Demi-humans tend to change very early. Natures way I suppose of ensuring the parents are prepared for it early on. You’re not likely to change. You’re well past that stage. You’re not worried because of that old story are you?”
Dean flushed a little. He used to be told of a bed-time story. Somewhat horrific really, where the parents believed that their child had been replaced by a ‘changeling’ found out when it ‘changed’, not believing it was their actual child.
In the past this could be taken to a whole spectrum of responses to such a transformation, from outright worship as a deity, to believing the child was evil incarnate. Fortunately humanity had moved on from that but still… the thought of poor Jasmine, if she had been born in a more primitive time.. what terrible things could have happened to her? No doubt he was glad that she was here in this time and seemed to be doing well. “Well- I guess I don’t know all that much about Demi-humans.”
“Just treat them normally when you see them Dean, you’re a good boy. Mistakes happen, you can learn from them. Who knows, you might marry someone with Demi-human blood!”
Dean almost gasped at that. There was always that chance right? Though even if he grew up, had a normal family.. his own kid might- well- that was a thought to consider. It certainly wasn’t something he thought of before!
Still.. would that be an interesting experience? Being a father to a Demi-human? Such a situation seemed so far away.
Maybe it was a good thing it happened young. Being a demi-human on top would probably be too much. “Thanks dad- I’ll see you later!”
