Chapter 2: The Birth of a New Form and a New World
The first rays of morning light gently filtered through the small window of Jiro's room, illuminating the modest collection of anime posters plastered on the walls—images of Attack on Titan teeming with Titans, the brave hunters of Demon Slayer, and the grand One Piece banner, a testament to his dedication as an otaku. His gaming setup, adorned with RGB lights that glimmered like a miniature galaxy, stood silently in a corner, while his ergonomic chair leaned against a desk cluttered with action figures, a half-eaten bag of potato chips, and a glass of iced coffee now dotted with melting ice cubes. A lo-fi anime playlist hummed softly from his Spotify in the background, offering a faint melody of calm amidst the chaos left by the previous night.
Jiro, who had dozed off on his sofa with a pillow propping up his neck, was abruptly roused by the soft groans of the two queens stirring awake. His neck ached from the awkward position, and his eyes were slightly swollen from lack of sleep. Beside him, Vespera awoke first, her long black hair slightly disheveled yet retaining an air of elegance despite her seated posture. "What kind of place is this?" she murmured to herself, her hands slowly tracing her face as if searching for the familiar sensation of her sharp fangs and icy alabaster skin. Her once ruby-red eyes had faded into an ordinary brown, sparking a look of bewilderment across her features.
On the other side, Lyra rose from the floor where she had slept, her tousled yet beautiful brown hair now dry in the room's air. Her hands brushed over her skin, which felt warmer and softer than before, the once-rugged claws of a werewolf now gone. "Why do I feel… so normal?" she wondered aloud, her voice laced with confusion as she examined her hands, devoid of any traces of her former self. She stood, but her legs trembled slightly, as if unaccustomed to the new weight of her human body.
As they both rose, they noticed a profound change. Their former appearances had vanished—Vespera's crimson eyes like precious gems and Lyra's hardened claws honed by battle were no more. Their skin had become warmer and more human-like, and their movements lacked the supernatural strength they once prided themselves on. "What has happened to us?!" Vespera exclaimed, her voice thick with frustration as she reached for a mirror on Jiro's table to inspect her face. "I can no longer feel my power as a queen! My fangs… they're gone!"
"Indeed!" Lyra agreed, standing and attempting a high leap—only to stumble back to the floor with a soft thud, her body unable to reach the heights she once knew. "Why can't I move as I did before?! It's as if my strength as Werewolf has vanished!" she cried, clutching her head as though trying to reclaim the lost sensation.
Soon, their gazes turned to Jiro, who now stood holding a glass of water as if it were a shield against their barrage of questions. His heart raced, unsure of how to address their complaints. "Uh… maybe… maybe it's just temporary," he said, feigning calm despite the turmoil in his mind. But the two were far from satisfied with his response. "That's not enough!" Lyra shouted, rising again and attempting to sprint—only to stagger and grip the table to avoid falling. "I want my old form back! I need to show them I'm not weak!"
"Good idea," Vespera remarked, standing and closing her eyes tightly, her hands clenched into fists as she visualized her past self as Vampire. Yet all she managed was a deep breath, with no trace of her sharp fangs or dark aura emerging. "We must show Jiro that we can still revert to our former selves!" she added, glancing at Lyra, who was now mimicking wolfish movements, barking and hopping around the room, creating a racket that stirred the neighbors.
However, no matter their efforts—whether Vespera's intense concentration to reclaim her powers or Lyra's attempts to transform— their bodies remained powerless. Their endeavors amounted to nothing, and the room filled with Jiro's stifled laughter, which he couldn't contain. "Look at you both, like toddlers learning to walk!" he chuckled, though his amusement quickly faded as their sharp glares met his.
Jiro was taken aback by their persistence, but his concern deepened. "If you revert to your old forms, you might break something… or worse, hurt someone!" he warned, his voice heavy with worry as he rubbed his forehead, searching for a solution. To prevent any potential trouble, he crafted another story. "You see, in our world, it's forbidden to reveal such forms to others. If people see you, they might fear you—or worse, harm you! There are those out there waiting to experiment on beings like you!"
The two rejected the notion of adjusting for others. "i don't care about them!" Vespera declared, her head held high as if she still reigned as a queen despite her lost memories. "I don't know why, but it feels like they should obey me—why should I conform to their desires?" Lyra added, standing firmly though her legs quivered, unaccustomed to her new human weight.
Yet Jiro stood resolute. "If you keep acting like princesses, the police might lock you up! In our world, seeing vampires or werewolves isn't normal. If they discover your true nature, they'll arrest you and subject you to experiments—perhaps taking your blood, Vespera, or your teeth, Lyra!" His lengthy explanation brought a hush over the room, the two young women staring at him as they grappled with this new reality, their faces etched with uncertainty.
To ease the tension, Jiro invited them to breakfast. He prepared a simple meal—bread with butter, fried eggs with a pinch of salt, and sweetened coffee—but they remained seated, unsure of how to begin. "You need to wash your faces first," he said, retrieving two slightly damp towels from the wardrobe. When he handed them over, the two waited to be served, expecting others to tend to them. "What do you mean?" Vespera asked, her eyebrow arching, her tone tinged with pride. "Shouldn't someone else be doing this for us?"
"Exactly!" Lyra chimed in, crossing her arms. "It feels like there should be people handling this for me. Why must we do it ourselves?" Her tone was filled with bewilderment as she fixed Jiro with a look that seemed to blame him for the situation.
"Can you stop deluding yourselves into thinking you're princesses? Your memories may be gone, but you used to do this alone normally—what's so hard about washing your face?" Jiro retorted.
He noticed their astonishment. In their past lives as queens, they likely had servants tending to their every need—preparing meals, cleaning their bodies, and providing their belongings. The concept of performing tasks themselves was foreign, and their actions reflected their former lifestyle. With no other option, Jiro guided them. "Alright, I'll show you," he said, leading them to the bathroom, a cramped space filled with items like soap, shampoo, and neatly arranged towels on a shelf.
But when he mentioned they would bathe, a new problem arose. "Together?!" Lyra exclaimed, her face flushing as if challenged by the idea. "I won't share with a vampire—I deserve my own bathroom!" she declared proudly, glaring at Vespera as if issuing a challenge.
"I won't accept that either!" Vespera added, crossing her arms and eyeing Lyra with disdain. "As a superior being, I deserve to go first! The dog like you shouldn't share my space!"
The room erupted with their shouts, the two locking eyes as if ready to brawl. "You should adjust, you dog!" Vespera snapped, pointing at Lyra. "I'm not a dog, you chupacabra! You should leave!" Lyra shot back, stepping closer as if poised to push her.
Jiro intervened, raising his hands to stop them. "Wait! Don't fight! We can find a solution!"
To prevent escalation, he decided Lyra should go first. "Alright, Lyra, you go first. You woke up earlier than Vespera," he said, hoping for acceptance. But this choice ignited Vespera's anger. "Why her? I was here first in the room! I should go first!" she protested, her voice rising like a princess ignored. "That's unfair, Jiro! I'm more beautiful, so I should be first!"
"You're just making excuses because you lost!" Lyra teased with a mocking laugh. "I don't need excuses! Someone like you doesn't deserve priority!" Vespera retorted, approaching Lyra and grabbing her arm as if ready to pull her away. The two began shoving each other, their words clashing like swords. "Stop it!" Jiro yelled, rushing between them to halt the scuffle. "If you keep this up, you won't bathe or eat!"
Forced to devise another solution, Jiro suggested, "Then let's use a coin toss! The winner decides." He pulled a coin from his pocket, a small metal token symbolizing peace amid their war. They agreed, though hesitantly. Jiro flipped the coin, its faint clink shifting their focus. "Heads for Lyra, tails for Vespera!" he announced, and when it landed on heads, Lyra cheered, "Yes!" while Vespera scowled but complied. "This isn't fair! I'm sure you rigged it!" she grumbled, resigned to waiting her turn.
The coin toss became their new method for resolving disputes, bringing a brief calm to the household. As Vespera waited, Lyra noticed the bathroom's novelties—the gleaming silver faucet, the apple-scented shampoo bottle, and the shower resembling a gentle indoor rain. "What do I do with this?" she asked Jiro, now her temporary tutor. He explained step-by-step—how to turn on the water, apply shampoo, and avoid accidents like over-twisting the faucet. "Don't touch electrical devices with wet hands, or you might start a fire!" he cautioned, demonstrating usable items like towels and floral-scented soap.
After Lyra's bath, Vespera followed, her pride intact. "This should be faster with servants," she muttered, gingerly handling the shampoo as if it were an alien object. Both marveled at the new technology, and Jiro continued guiding them, ensuring their safety at every turn.
After the morning, Jiro decided to take them outside to buy clothes. "You need outfits that don't stand out as… non-human," he said, preparing his bag filled with money and essentials. As they stepped out of the apartment, their first glimpse of the real world left them stunned. The whirring cars, the hurried pedestrians, and the street's clamor—from vehicle horns to children's laughter—transformed their expressions from arrogance to awe.
"Don't wander off from me; if you get lost here, you won't find your way back," Jiro warned. The two clung to his clothes as they walked, their grip making him uneasy, especially as passersby stared at the odd trio.
At the plaza, they wandered, their eyes fixed on everything—from clothing stores with elegant designs to children playing in the park. Vespera paused at a boutique, her fingers grazing a stunning black dress with a long hem, its fabric shimmering like silk in the sunlight. "This suits me," she declared confidently, recalling her past regal self. Lyra, however, chose a vibrant red blouse with floral patterns and a short skirt, paired with low-heeled shoes. "This fits me better!" she said, her smile brimming with joy as she embraced her new look.
While shopping, comedy ensued when Lyra tried on her dress in the fitting room but struggled with her new form. "Help!" she cried from inside, her voice frustrated as the dress tangled around her head. Jiro rushed to assist, pulling back the curtain to find her arms raised, shouting, "I don't know how to wear this!" Vespera laughed from outside, taunting, "You look ridiculous, dog! I should've tried first!"
But when Vespera attempted her black dress, she faltered too. The long hem caught her foot, and she tumbled to the fitting room floor with a loud thud. "Jiro! Help me!" she called, her face flushing with embarrassment as she tried to stand. Lyra burst into laughter, "Karma! You thought you were so grand!" The two resumed their bickering, but Jiro acted as referee, helping them adjust their clothes. "Stop it! You're like squabbling siblings!" he said, though his grin betrayed his amusement at their antics.
After shopping, they rested on a plaza bench, but the comedy persisted. Jiro gave Lyra an ice cream, which she dropped onto her new dress in her excitement. "Oh no!" she gasped, wiping it with her hand, worsening the mess. Vespera laughed, "With that big head of yours, you can't even handle ice cream!" But when Vespera ate hers, it slipped and smeared her face, eliciting louder laughter from Lyra. "You look like a messy kid!" Lyra teased.
Jiro quickly intervened, urging them to calm down as onlookers watched. He handed them tissues, chuckling, "You still have much to learn!" he said, adding, "You've forgotten a lot due to your memory loss, but that doesn't make you weak. You need to relearn everything together."
"I'm willing to learn what I've forgotten, but I can't accept why it seems you favor her over me," Lyra remarked.
"That's not true; I treat you both equally as your guardian," Jiro replied.
"Liar! You wiped her face!" she accused.
"What? That's a tiny thing. You shouldn't get upset over it," he said.
She huffed and rolled her eyes, so Jiro approached Lyra, wiping her mouth with a tissue and helping clean the ice cream from her dress. He realized Lyra hated being outdone, a trait likely from her past as Werewolf Queen.
He indulged their preferences but, to prevent future squabbles, crafted another story, telling them that before their memories faded, they were close like sisters and should maintain that bond. Lyra and Vespera exchanged glances but said nothing, shaking their heads defiantly. Though living under one roof, accepting each other remained a challenge.
"Lyra, Vespera, if you don't make up, we're not going home," Jiro threatened.
"What? That's unfair!" they protested.
"I didn't start it; she teased me first!" Lyra argued.
"Learn humility and cooperation. Constant fighting isn't good, so shake hands," Jiro ordered.
Reluctantly, they complied, shaking hands to truce for the day, then quickly released each other, rolling their eyes and clinging to Jiro's clothes again. "Well, it's a start, I suppose," he muttered.
The simple shopping trip turned into a day of laughter and lessons. As they walked home, carrying their new clothes, Jiro noticed a gradual change in them—despite their conflicts, a budding friendship was slowly taking root.