Hiro looked at her sister and glanced down at herself. God she couldn't tell her the truth! "I'm... H-Hikari," the young pointed eared girl explained. "I'm a- a friend. Of Hiro" she said a little hesitantly.
"Oh?" The fairly girl looked shyly a moment, a bit concerned of the stranger in their house. Hiro had not mentioned anything.. She wore her pink dress, that matched her wings really well. All she needed was a wand to complete the set. "Um.. where is my big brother?" She hoped he was around.
"He- He'll be back soon. Actually I'll... go get him." God how was she supposed to sort this out! She couldn't possibly tell Hitomi who she really was! This... was just crazy! She needed to go find the most 'male' looking avatar she could find until she could understand how the program worked well enough to tinker with it.
"Big brother really doesn't like anyone messing with his computer," said Hitomi cautiously. This girl was a stranger after all... but there was something about her... maybe it was her own transformation that told her someone was 'okay'?
Hikari bit her lip "Yes- I know. He- asked me to look at something for him."
"You mean you are gonna fix it?"
God why did Hitomi have to be so inquisitive! If she were Hiro she could just tell her to go back and do whatever she usually did. Not to mention she was supposed to be meeting up with Max at some point today. "Yes- there's a nasty virus on it."
"My brothers better then anyone when it comes to fixing things though."
Hikari face palmed. There is no way Hitomi would believe this! "Well- I'm actually a... an expert on the internet. I know... how Hiro works. I'm... going to make him better."
"Y-you do? Then you can help him?" Hitomi practically rushed to the other girl. "Please! Hiro is always so sad all the time. He thinks he's ugly when he's not an' he's always trying to be stronger and better on the internet, but they all make fun of him cause he's a cyborg an' not fully artificial!"
"A-" Hikari blinked at the rush of emotions from his younger sibling. Dear God... what had she put her through? All this worrying.. over her? She didn't want people worrying over her, let alone her sister. All this time Hiro had said nobody understood him-her (argh!)... now a girl comes in and says she 'understands' Hiro? (Which... to be fair, she had to if nobody else did. "Yes- I- I can help him. I promise. I'm... trying to understand his systems and... he'll do better on the internet now, I think."
"Really?" Asked Hitomi with wide eyes, her fairy wings fluttering.
"Absolutely."
Hitomi smiled. "I'm glad Hiro has a girlfriend."
Hiro blinked. "Wait- ah- no you got it wrong. I'm not his girlfriend. I'm a- an internet friend."
"Internet friend? You mean like a digital fairy? Big brother was trying so hard to get one."
"Er- sort of. Yes. Though... it means we... don't normally talk to each other in person. Because we're... internet friends."
"Why not?" Hitomi asked confused. Her elder brother could be so confusing.
"It's... Its just the way we do things, don't worry your adorable head about it" Said Hikari Why did she say it like that? She tried not to let the shock of that slip become evident in her eyes."Now... I really must get on with this work." There was another warning in her processor... sustaining this image was not going to last long at all... another couple of minutes at most. she was burning electrolytes and sugars like mad!
"Okay..." said Hitomi leaving her alone with some reluctance.
Hikari relaxed as her sister went away... this body and interacting with another person was making her feel 'less' like Hiro. Which was weird because she knew she was Hiro as well? Then she got even more concerned as her cellphone went off! Her sister was calling 'Hiro' to make sure she was who she said she was! She quickly de-activated the program, relieved to see normal 'male' Hiro was back. He quickly answered the phone.
"Oh.. yeah... Hitomi sis... yes I'm actually at home now."
But you didn't come in the front door? And there's a strange girl in your room. said her voice as she spoke from downstairs.
"Yeah er- I came in from the back. That's Hikari... she's someone... I met on the internet" Hiro explained. "She said she could help me out with a few things." Would Hitomi really believe this? His sister was young, but not stupid!
Hitomi paused at the line for a while. Okay brother... I... dunno... she seemed nice though.
"She's... nice- just- one of those really 'weird' transformations..." (In more ways then one!) "Don't worry I'm er- just sending her now out the door. Bye bye Hikari, say good bye to my sister," Hiro said waving... to the air.
Okay big brother. I don't mind though. She seems nice. But I think mum and dad might be worried 'bout it. You're not doin' anything weird, are you?
"No! O-of course not. Nothing weird... she's just a friend. See you soon."
Hiro put the phone down.
Great... just great. This is going to be awkward as hell! He quickly went over his avatars, finally settling on one that looked as much as a boy as possible. She was dressed as a tomboy, and had a hat on to hide her hair. There were still subtle hints that she was a girl, as well as being a little on the short side... the face looked very cute too. It would have to do.
Hiro activated the program... and was now projecting the image of this tomboyish girl. "Okay... just get it together. Walk out the house like this, then circle back as Hiro..."
Hikari went out the room, and quickly down the stairs.
"Bye bye Hikari!" said his sister, not really minding the fact she was wearing conservative clothing or the subtle changes in appearance.
"er... bye bye. I'm meeting Hiro later. He'll be in his room... please don't disturb him."
"Okay," said Hitomi making a little strange face.
Hikari bit her lip. What was her little sister thinking? The tom-boy elf girl quickly went outside the house, taking a deep breath. Honestly could this get any weirder? Turning back to the house ready to make her 'change', she decided she could probably try getting in the back way, or through the window, as long as Hitomi didn't notice. As she turned back though she bumped into someone...
... she bumped into Max.
- "“
"What are you doing?" said max, her fur a little bristled and her tail flowing outward.
Hikari took one look at her wide eyed. "This.. really isn't what it looks like," Said Hikari. "I- I'm a friend of Hiro's-"
"You're...trying to sneak into his bedroom, through the window?" Said the catgirl plainly.
"Yes- I mean- no! Not like that!" Hikari was.. now completely out of her depth. What could she possibly say. "I- Hiro lost his keys, and I offered to help get them."
"Hiro's a cyborg. He doesn't need keys to open a door."
Hikari raised a finger- then put it down. "Okay... you got me," she said her elven ears pointed downwards a little, with a blush. She shifted a little awkwardly in her tom-boyish clothes. Her mannerisms.. everything... it was like she really was a girl! She couldn't let Max of all people see this! Was it really going to be the worst day of her life? Honestly if her parents suddenly turned up next-
Then her parents were parking at the driveway.
Hikari stared, and glanced back to Max. "I need to get in my room-"
"Hiro's room" Corrected Max.
"Yes- I- I'm- I'm from the internet. I need to use his computer to get back there."
"From the internet?"
This worked on a 9 year old, this probably wasn't going to work on a cat-girl. "Yes... well... I'm actually helping Hiro. Really. It's just I had to get some things and I have to get into his room now, without his sister seeing me go back in."
"...you do realise what that sounds like, right?" Max said squinting her eyes.
"Just trust me. Help me get inside please? I'm begging you Max."
" how do you know my name?"
"...Internet?" Hiro said again.
Max studied her. Maybe this was just a little crazy... but... she couldn't mean harm. The internet had brought out a lot of 'strange' things, and it did make sense that Hiro would make a friend on the internet... even if she was acting completely nuts. "Fine... what's your name?"
"I'm... Hikari"
Max helped Hikari back into the bed room. It was a bit hard but together they managed it. Still she was a little worried of what the girl 'might' be doing...
Deciding not to leave it to chance, she quickly went to the front door, ringing the bell. "I'm here to see Hiro," She said.
