David sipped nervously at a glass of milk. "I can't believe they'd do that," she murmured. "What if...I mean, how would they even know what's out there?"
Robert shook her head in quiet wonderment. "I can believe it," she said. "From what I've seen of Lucas, this is entirely in keeping with her nature. I don't know that that makes it a good idea, but it's not exactly a surprising one." She smiled slightly, a little bemused by that even while she felt a bit nervous about it.
"I'm a little surprised at you, actually," Rachel mused, toying with her soup. "I'dve thought you'd get kind of offended at the whole idea, or something. I mean, it does seem kinda presumptuous."
Robert was still trying to figure out the tactful way to converse with someone who was naked, as the devil-girl again was; she didn't want to just stare off in a different direction while talking with her. She sighed. "To be honest, I'm still trying to figure out a lot of things at this point. But...no, not really. I don't believe that God is bound within this universe, or any others they may find."
The devil-girl chuckled. "'You can't get to Heaven on roller skates?'"
Robert smiled. "Or walking, or even traversing some path into other reality. At least, I don't believe so. Though I'm sure they'll find something worth seeing wherever they are."
David nodded. "But...maybe that something is what they're looking for? I mean, the way Lois said it it sounded more like they were going to see if there were any gods out there. And even here...there's one girl at school who's been changed into some kind of goddess-avatar from - uh, Hinduism, I think?" She didn't really know what to think of this talk of gods and goddesses...she didn't even really believe in one god, let alone several.
The devil-woman shrugged. "Well, it's what I believe. But as for the question of the changed, isn't it possible that she's not a 'real' goddess, like you're not a 'real' angel? I thought you'd mentioned being uncomfortable with the idea?"
The angel-girl nodded. She didn't feel quite as uncomfortable with it now, mostly because nothing like a repeat of that first strange night had occurred. She shuddered a little bit at the memory of the storm, the unearthly emptiness of that night, that feeling like she, Rachel, and her sisters were the only people in the entire world at the time, and the strangeness of knowing what she had to do without having any idea why. But...it wasn't traumatic, it was just all very strange, and her change was more than enough strangeness to deal with already, thanks. Lois came over with her hot beef sandwich, and she dug into it, finding a little comfort and respite from the strangeness in the warmth and the simple, pleasant taste.
"So...do you two come here often, then?" Robert asked. It was a little awkward to be bringing it up, considering that the last time she knew of was when...well, when she'd tried to burn the church...but she was trying to make conversation.
"Just a couple times so far," Rachel said. "We were on the way home from school and David just got an urge to stop in, or something."
David nodded. "And, Rachel being Rachel, she had to come with..."
The devil-girl sidled up next to her. "Oh, you know you enjoy having me around," she purred.
David blushed slightly, then smiled. "I have a little shadow, that goes in and out with me..."
Alex fiddled uneasily as she tried to get the dress off without causing any damage to it. It had slits down the back for wings, but they were merely hemmed slices through the fabric with no fasteners to open up entirely - probably designed for the angel-changed or something, not someone with bony, scaly structures with horns on the joint. She got it off all right, but it was a little unnerving at points. She supposed the easiest solution would be to wear something backless, but...yeesh, no! She wasn't even all that comfortable with the idea of wearing a dress to begin with, except for convenience's sake, let alone something like that!
She looked at the growing pile of clothes on the dressing-room bench, the stuff she was expected to try on...this was all so weird. It felt like...like she was at an outfitter, getting equipped for...for a life. She still didn't feel any particular discomfort with the idea of being female, but...the feeling of being poised on the edge of some enormous new undertaking was intimidating.
Undressing, she stood in the changing room and stared into the mirror. A girl stared back, a girl beginning to blossom into womanhood...a girl whose soft young features had a strange hint of a feral aspect to them, who looked just a little sturdier and wilder than one would expect a girl her age to, a girl with firey red hair, scaled wings and tail and forearms and calves, horns on her head and claws on her fingers...a dragon-girl. She rested a hand on her abdomen, feeling the scales of her hand against the smooth skin of her belly, feeling the musculature underneath the soft surface, feeling...feeling...
She felt her stomach knot. She prodded gently...that couldn't be...
Not even bothering to put her clothes back on, she cracked the door, hiding behind it. "Mom!" she hissed. "Come here!"
Outside the changing room, Susan frowned. "Alex? Is everything okay?"
There was a pause. "Just...come in here, please."
The naga-man sighed. This might look kind of awkward to an outside observer, but...eh. Alex might really need help with something, he didn't have time to worry about propriety. He slid inside and shut the door, his tail only just fitting underneath. Alex was inside, not even bothering with trying to cover up.
"What is it?" Sue asked. "What's wrong?"
The dragon-girl bit her lip. "M-mom, just...feel here..." She indicated a spot in her pelvic area, and Susan gently prodded at it. Was that...? Hoo boy. He nodded. "I think you're ovulating, honey."
"It...I...it...b-but..." Alex paused for a moment to collect her wits. It couldn't be! "But...what happens now!?"
Sue frowned. Giving the talk to Sally when she was an ordinary human girl had been one thing, but...what did happen now? He honestly wasn't sure. And it wasn't like they had an encyclopedia with them. But...well, Sally had been in 4-H for a couple years...maybe she had some even vague idea.
He extricated himself from the changing room and motioned his other daughter over. "Sally," he said, keeping his voice low, "Alex has some questions." Sally frowned, a bit confused, but went in anyway.
Andy came over to her husband. "What's the matter?"
Susan sighed, shoulders sagging. "Things just got a little more real for Alex, I'm afraid."
Sally stared at her sister, her hand resting where Alex had indicated. Yes, the lumps felt like separate objects, and no, she couldn't think of any more likely reason for them to be there. She nodded. "I think it's happening, sis."
Alex sputtered. "But...but...why me and not you? Why now? I thought you said it was like a week! It's only been five days!"
Sally shrugged. "Well, it doesn't keep to an exact schedule. And maybe, I dunno, maybe you had some kinda hormone rush when you changed or something, since you weren't already a girl?" But I'm probably not far behind, she thought to herself.
Alex sighed. She might have felt resigned, if she wasn't still trying to fully grasp what was happening here. "But...what happens now? When do they...?"
Her former little sister thought for a moment. "I think," she said, "I think with chickens, it's like 24 hours from start to finish. But we're a lot bigger, our eggs have gotta be bigger, so probably longer than that...I dunno, two, maybe three days?"
"Three days!?" Alex yelped. "You mean...I have to have these things inside for...for three days?" It wasn't that she wanted to hurry up to the next part, but...geez! "I guess...we have to be careful, don't we? I mean, what if they break?"
Sally shrugged. "Maybe three days, I dunno. If they break...I dunno, they didn't feel hard. Maybe the shell hasn't formed yet, or maybe they're kinda soft and leathery like a snake's. You're right, though, we should be kinda careful, but...I think just not doing tackle sports or anything oughta do it."
Alex stared into space. This was...could this really be happening?
