Trust Machines - Beastly Beauty 2

Chapter 2 - Just a Little Nibble

They got to the mall early enough that there wasn’t much of a crowd around the Venn Machines yet.  Once they had one to themselves, Bailey asked what Violet wanted to test.

Violet grinned.  “Wait for it...”  When she was done, Bailey had gorgeous jewelled butterfly wings sprouting from her back.

“Did you mean to change me instead of my clothes?” asked Bailey as she fluttered her wings.

“Ah... no.  Whoops.  Still, it looks amazing.”

They emerged to cheers, and Bailey showed off her wings.  “They seem to work at getting attention.  Was that the idea?”

Violet shook her head.  “I’ve already been getting costume requests.  I wanted to practice different kinds of fairy wings.”

“Can it wait?  I love these.  Stupid school and its ‘must be yourself’ rules.”

“Sure,” said Violet with exaggerated agreeability.  “I’ll try out the other designs on our customers, and refund them if I change them by accident.”

Bailey looked pained at the mention of refunds.  “Ah…  I suppose we could do a few more tests.  If I get these back when I’m done.”

“I’ll set you up a fairy costume with those wings for Friday, too.”

They spent a few more cycles experimenting, and soon Violet had the knack for adding wings to outfits and making them move like living wings despite being part of the costume, not the person.

Once Bailey flagged them as ‘open for business’ online, a steady stream of girls from their school started showing up to get their clothes changed to something new and exciting.  Bailey organized the requests while Violet was in the Venn Machine with each client.  She also had a great eye for colour, working out palettes in advance.  Violet knew she could trust Bailey’s choices, and having the colours settled outside the machine saved loads of time.

Bailey’s posted pictures of her wings and the proximity of Hallowe’en drew lots of requests for costumes.  Since they took longer to design, Bailey bumped the price up to their ‘complex design’ rates.  Even so, it was a huge bargain over store bought costumes, and the quality was immensely better.  Business was brisk.

They took a break for a food court lunch.  As they were finishing up, Bailey waved to someone in the crowd.  “Hey Jimmy!”

The guy that approached their table was slim but had a fencer’s wiry muscles and grace.  He had a younger girl in tow.

“Who’s your tag-along?” asked Bailey.

“Hey Bailey, Violet.  This is my sister, Katherine.”

Violet looked puzzled.  “I’ve known you for years, but never heard about a sister.”

“She stayed with Mom after the divorce.  It was ugly, and I didn’t want to talk about it.  Sorry.”

“No, I understand.  So what’s up now?”

“Mom got her ass arrested for ‘drunk and disorderly’.  Not the first time, either,” said Katherine bitterly.  “But this time she assaulted a police officer.  So she’s doing time, and I’m stuck here in nowheresville.”

“You don’t like it here?” asked Violet.

“Mom and Dad have not been on the best terms,” admitted Jimmy.  “So she thinks she’s moving to an ‘uncultured hellhole’.”

“I didn't mean it.  It just sucks.  I wasn’t even given time to pack, so all my good clothes are being shipped.  I don’t know when they’ll arrive.  Or if they will.”

“Oh, Katherine, that’s terrible,” said Bailey, putting a hand on the younger girl’s arm.

“Call me Katie.  Mom was the only one who called me Katherine.”

Violet looked over at at Jimmy.  “Angling for an old friends discount?”

“I told her she could get some nice clothes here.  Dad gave me a budget, but he expects ‘real clothes’ for most of it.  We bought a bunch of basic stuff earlier.”

Katie sighed, “I appreciate it, and I do need basics.  But I saw sooo many pretty outfits on the other girls here, and I can’t find a single store here that sells anything even remotely like them.  What’s the secret?  Do they order it all online?”

Violet giggled.  “Kinda.  How long until we re-open, B?”

“Half an hour.  Lots of time to make some practice outfits on our new model.”

Katie looked back and forth between them in confusion.  “What new model?”

Violet grinned and stood up so she could take a little bow.  “Violet Bailey Designs at your service.  We use the Venn Machines to make ordinary clothes extraordinary.”

“All those clothes you were wondering about?  My girl here designed them,” said Bailey proudly.  “I just pick colours.”

“And deal with all our online stuff.  Jimmy handles tech support.  So of course we’ll set you up with a new wardrobe.  C’mon, let’s go hit the Machines.”

“But I’m only fifteen,” protested Katie.  “That’s too young to use them.”

Violet shrugged as she dumped her trash in the bin.  “The Machines decide that.  You seem reasonably mature, so the odds are good.  But if not, I’ll turn Jimmy into a copy of you and work my magic while she’s wearing the clothes you want changed.”

Katie giggled.  “You’d do that?”  She looked over at her brother, who shrugged.

“I’ve been Violet’s guinea pig before.  Well, not an actual guinea pig, more like a dressmaker’s dummy.  I even went out dancing with them once in a Violet creation.”

Katie looked stunned.  “You’ve been a girl?”

Jimmy nodded.  “Wasn’t a big thing.  Think of it like a really good costume.”

Bailey snorted.  “No.  It’s not just a costume.  You really become whatever you turn into.”

Violet giggled, but didn’t offer any comment when Katie asked what was so funny.

And then they were in front of the Venn Machine, Katie dancing nervously from foot to foot as they stood in front of one that wasn’t in use.  Violet carefully explained that she was setting the machine for eight hours to start, just so Katie could get used to it.

Katie skittishly made her way into one side, and squeaked when the door vanished behind her.  Jimmy stuck his head into the other side.  “Guess it thinks you’re mature enough to do this.  Don’t worry Kit-kat, you’re in good hands.”

Violet shooed him out of the way and entered the Venn Machine.  She started to explain the interface to Katie, but the younger girl waved it off.  “It might be my first time inside one, but I’ve watched videos of how they work.  Just touch the bubbles and...”

“Stay away from the green circle,” interrupted Violet.  “If you want anything from me.  Ever.”

Katie took a step back at Violet’s vehemence.  “Sorry!  I get it, this is about changing my clothes, not you.”

“It’s okay.  I doubt you’d do anything mean, and Bailey’s there to change me back if needed.  But if you turn me into something without hands, I can’t exactly change your dress now, can I?”

Katie nodded.

“So... why Kit-kat?”  Violet asked, as she started working on Katie’s dress.  The colour seemed to suit her well enough, it was just... far too plain.  Violet worked patterns of ivy into the green, growing fabric leaves here and there to give it some extra flair.

“Jimmy started it one Hallowe’en when I was... five, I think.  Big fan of a certain kind of candy bar, and it was close to my name, so...”

“It’s cute.”

Katie made a face.  “It’s so babyish.  I wish he’d stop.  Mostly he only uses it around family, I guess that means he likes you.”

Violet blushed.  “If so, he’s never shown it.  Do you still like the chocolates?”

“Yeah.  Even though every time I eat a kit kat...  Huh.”  Katie touched the interface, then giggled.  “You look like a candy bar.”

“Now it’s even more important not to touch the green circle.”

“Would it really turn you into chocolate?” asked Katie, amazed.

“Yep.  Safe to eat and the best part is the calories go away when they change back.”

“You’ve done that?” asked Katie incredulously.

“Well… no.  I’ve had a few treats from the bakery here that Venns some of its ingredients.  I am curious what it feels like…” Violet mused.

“Let me turn you into one of those huge bags of candy bars, then!”  Katie touched the display again, grinning at what she saw.  “Please?  Pretty please?  I’d only eat a couple…”

Violet sighed softly.  “Let me finish this dress first.”  She looked Katie over, made two minute adjustments to the dress.  “I can’t believe I’m doing this...”  She touched the green circle.

Katie spent the first thirty seconds of the countdown admiring the dress.  Violet was starting to think she’d get out of the Machine unscathed, but Katie spotted the green button phasing away.  “Ooop, almost out of time...”

Violet felt herself slump to the floor of the machine, boneless and unable to move.  There were a lot of... things jostling about within her.  She was somewhat surprised that she could hear Bailey’s indignant yelling at Katie for changing her, and Katie’s softer explanation that Violet had allowed it.

“It’s just for a few minutes, then change her back.  Please?  She won’t be mad,” begged Katie.

Bailey sighed, and soon Violet felt hands dragging her out of the Venn Machine.  From the effort and grunting, she figured she must weigh at least fifty pounds, Bailey was no weakling.  She heard rather than felt the outer bag being torn, then hands rustling around at her innards.

That was unnerving, feeling her body stirred about like that.  Three small bits were withdrawn, followed by the bright but not painful sensation of having their wrappers torn open.  Then her inner parts were snapped in half, almost simultaneously.  Chewing was an entirely new experience as well.  It was only little bits of her, she recited to herself.  Nothing essential.  Just... a finger, a toe.  One felt a little like having her earlobe nibbled on, and that felt so good she’d have shuddered with pleasure if she could move at all.

But she couldn’t.  All she could do was listen as Katie begged to eat “just one more”.  Which turned into a handful for each of them.  Violet was slowly losing her sense of being human, of each bar being some bit of her.  The individual bars began to all feel the same, each part was a little bit of her, each bite and swallow a reaffirmation of her purpose as food.

When she felt herself being dragged back into the Venn Machine, Violet wanted to protest.  Katie was doing plenty of protesting for her, and she agreed in every particular.  But that didn’t change anything, she still turned back to normal the moment the door vanished.

Bailey stepped part-way into the other side.  “You okay, Violet?”

Violet sighed wistfully.  “Wish I could have stayed a little longer.”

“Seriously?  Did you forget you were doing clothing?  You could have been stuck for a month if we ate too much of you.”

“I’d have become part of you,” said Violet softly.

“Until I set foot in a Venn Machine.”

Violet gave herself a little shake.  “Right.  Pity, the idea sounded pleasant.”

“Being digested and absorbed sounds pleasant?” asked Bailey incredulously.

Violet nodded eagerly.  “Want to try?”

Bailey held up her hands defensively.  “No thank you.  Today has been weird enough already without you eating me too.”

“‘Kay.  Want to send Katie in for another dress?”

“She’s just changing into a new outfit.  Oh, here she comes now.”

Katie slithered past Bailey, wearing a plain white T-shirt and jeans.  “Jimmy got me to buy a bunch of these cheap clothes.  I thought he was mad until I realized you could turn them into amazing things.”

“You sure you’re okay, Vi?” asked Bailey.

“Right as rain,” replied Violet.  “I did tell Katie she could change me, we’re good.”

Bailey eyed them both carefully.  “Be good.”  She slipped out of the Machine and the second door vanished.

Katie looked confused.  “Why aren’t there any bubbles?”

“Oh!” said Violet distractedly.  “Right.”  She tapped the green semicircle.  “There we go.  I was inanimate when I entered, so it gives me right of refusal.”

“Was it fun?”

Violet smiled at Katie.  “Not the word I’d have used.  But it was pleasant enough once you get past the weirdness of it all.”

“Can I try?”

“How about we do dresses with the time set to a month, and food when it’s only eight hours we’re staking?  I could send you home with Jimmy as a bag of chocolate bars after we’re done making pretty clothes.”

Katie mumbled something.

“What?”

“Nothing.  Can you make this T-shirt say something cool?”

Violet shook her head.  “I can put cool pictures on it, but not words.  The Venn Machines won’t generate words in any language, just swirly almost-word things.”

“Oh, so that’s why the wrappers didn’t say ‘Kit Kat’.  They looked perfect, otherwise.  Cool.  Can you make my shirt say something cool in that script?”

Violet shrugged, and a few taps later Katie’s shirt was made of a decadently rich butter-coloured fabric.  It was adorned with purple swirls across the front that looked more like an abstract picture of a tree than any kind of sentence.

“And... this is language?  What does it say?”

“Haven’t a clue.  Could be anything.  Maybe it says ‘I am a pretty, pretty princess’.”

Katie giggled.  “I love it!”

The Venn Machine opened, and soon Katie was back with another outfit, and another.  Three dresses and a stylish pantsuit later, she’d run out of cheap clothes to change and had a good start on a fun wardrobe.  She thanked Violet effusively as Jimmy dragged her off to his car.

“She’s a cute kid,” said Bailey.

“Like a kid in a candy store.  She was so happy!  Ah, I wish I had more customers like that.”

Bailey laughed.  “Ones that don’t pay?”

“Ones that make me happy.  Money isn’t everything.”

Bailey snickered.  “Oh?  Tell that to your next two customers.”  She pointed to two classmates standing nearby.

“Amelia and Stella?  Didn’t we blacklist them for turning me into stuff?”

Bailey nodded.  “Them and most of the rest of the cheerleading squad.  I’ve told them that as a one-off special occasion because it’s Hallowe’en, we’ll take them on.  For five times our usual price.  On top of the costume surcharge.  They already gave me the cash.”  Bailey fanned a handful of twenty dollar bills.  “Please?”

Violet waved the two girls over.  “You’re on.  But the condition is this... I design the costume.  Not you.”

“Will it be pretty?” asked Amelia.  “Your costumes are so beautiful...”  She glanced over at Bailey, who was still adorned with butterfly wings.

“I have standards,” said Violet primly.  “I will only change your clothes, and the design will be my best work.”

Amelia held out her hand, and Violet shook it.  “Deal.”

After setting the Venn Machine for the usual month she’d been using for costume work, Violet stepped into her side.  Amelia handed her purse to Stella, and followed suit.  She kept her hands carefully away from the interface.

Violet smiled when she noticed that.  “Planning to behave?”

Amelia nodded.  “I’m sorry about the chicken thing.  It was stupid.”

“Then why’d you turn me into a bird?” asked Violet, already working on the design of Amelia’s costume.

“Does peer pressure count?  That and it was kinda funny.  The way you squawked...  Oh, sorry.”

Violet giggled.  “Nah.  You’re right.  Being turned into a violet for the fifteenth time wasn’t funny.  But that... that kinda was.”  She muttered soft commands to the Venn Machine as she continued working.

“No wonder you charge more for these,” said Amelia after a time.  “Does it always take this much work?”

Violet nodded.  “To get it perfect?  Yeah.  Ready to see your costume?”

“It’s ready?  Yes, please!”

Amelia gasped as her dress vanished, to be replaced by a skintight suit covered in glossy white feathers.  Her shoes had been altered to have bright red scales and a subtle talon pattern to them.  She put a hand to her face to feel the mask there, tapping at the glass-covered ports for her eyes.  “I need a mirror!”

As soon as the Machine opened, Amelia darted out to look at herself in the mirror.  Other than her hands, feet, and the lower half of her face, her body was covered in white feathers that glittered in the bright lights of the mall.  Her head was covered in a cap of similar feathers, but with an iridescent sheen that made it look like she had rainbow-coloured hair.  A half-mask built into the hood covered her cheeks and eyes, and included a cute yellow beak just big enough to cover her nose.

Behind her, graceful feathered wings poked over her shoulders, folded and tucked against her back.  “I have wings, too?” she exclaimed.  

Violet nodded, and guided Amelia’s hand to a concealed pocket near shoulder level.  “Put your hands in here, and stretch them wide.”

Amelia did so, and squawked with surprise as her wings snapped open to their full span.  When she wiggled her fingers, the feathers titled and flared.  “Oh my God.  This is incredible.  How did you even...  Uh...  Where are my arms?”

The costume had folded over Amelia’s arms, concealing them within the wings themselves.  Violet grinned at Amelia’s worried reaction.  “Don’t fret.  They’re not gone.  Just hidden.”

“But how do I get them out?”  Amelia wriggled and squirmed, her wings fluttering in distress.

“Unclench your hands.  Relax.  Amelia!”  Violet shouted to get her attention.  “Look at me.  Calm down.”

Amelia took a shuddery breath.  “Okay.  Okay.  Calming down.”

“Relax your hands, like you’re letting go of a handle.  Then they should slide out of the gloves.”

“Rrrh.  Gloves are a little bit snug...  Oh!”  Amelia’s right hand popped free, and with the help of the one hand it was easy to free the other.  “That was scary.”

“Sorry.”

Amelia giggled delightedly.  “No!  After what I did to you?  This is nothing.”  She slipped her arms back into the wings.  “I love it!  Kinda wish you’d added velcro straps to snug around my wrists, I suppose I could find some...”

“Weren’t you just panicking a moment ago about being stuck?” asked Violet, confused.

“Sometimes being stuck is fun.  If the right person does it.”  Amelia winked at Violet, then gestured to her friend, Stella.  “Your turn.”

Stella stepped into the Venn Machine a little more nervously than Amelia had.  “You won’t make me get stuck in my costume, right?”

“Would that really bother you?  A costume you needed help to take off?” asked Violet.

“I’m not into that like Amelia is.  She lets Carson tie her up.”  Stella blushed, then leaned closer.  “Don’t tell her I said that, okay?”

“Of course not.  Anything else I should know about you before I design yet another gorgeous and experimental piece of art?”

Stella shrugged.  “I dunno.  Does loving to show my body off count?”

Violet laughed as she looked over Stella’s green micro-skirt and crop-top.  “I’d never have guessed.”

“No, seriously.  If I could get away with being naked...”  Stella blushed further, and turned away.  “I shouldn’t be telling you this.”

Violet chuckled evilly.  It ended in a brief coughing spasm.  “Sorry.  Can’t pull that off at all.  I don’t do evil.  Maybe a little karma, though.  Now shush, I need to work.”

Five minutes later, Violet tapped the green circle without warning.  Stella gasped as she felt her clothes vanish.  “You didn’t!”

“Not quite.  Bodysuit.  Nothing untoward shows.”

Stella stared down at herself, seeing almost every curve of her body.  Her nipples had been smoothed to nothing by the bodysuit.  She started to giggle.  “I look like a green barbie doll.  What’s with all the veins, though?”  

When Stella traced a hand down the darker green vein that plunged between her breasts she got another surprise.  “Petals?”  Her hands were covered in yellow gloves, and attached to the back of each finger was a broad yellow petal, thick enough to partially conceal the digit.  “I look like a flower!”

The Machine opened, and just like every other client of Violet’s, Stella’s first instinct was to dash for the mirror.  “Oh...  Wow.”  Haloing her head were more petals, making her look like a walking daffodil.

“There is another special feature, like the wings,” said Violet as she came up behind Stella.  “Stand with your legs tight together and stay still for a bit.”

Stella did so, then stared as her costume grew around her feet, making it look like she was rooted to the floor.  The change progressed up her legs, the costume ballooning out to make them look like a single cylinder.  “Wait, stop, I don’t want to be a plaaaant!”

Violet giggled.  The change stopped at Stella’s waist.  “It’s just the costume moving around.  Take a step.”

As soon as Stella moved, the costume went back to normal.  “Woah.  That was...  Wow.  I didn’t know you could do that with costumes.”

“Neither did I until just now,” said Violet.  “Like I said, experimental costumes.  I think they’ll be popular.”

Stella was standing with her legs carefully apart.  “Probably.  Uh...  This thing is too tight to have any zippers or stuff.  How do I get out?”

“Oh, that’s the coolest bit.  There’s a button at the back of your neck.  Wait, don’t press it!”

Stella had already found the button.  Before Violet’s warning could register, she’d pressed it.  Her costume melted off her body, flowing like water into a small green sphere the size of an orange.  And since all of Stella’s clothes had become part of the costume, she was completely naked.  “Oopsie,” she said with a giggle, covering her breasts with one arm, and her crotch with her other hand.  “Could you be a dear and put that back on?”

Violet nodded, and pressed the sphere to the back of Stella’s neck.  A moment later she was covered once more.

“Thanks!”  Stella blew Violet a kiss, then calmly strolled into the mall beside her dove-costumed friend, Amelia.

Bailey shook her head in wonder.  “Didn’t even blink.  Did you do that deliberately?”

“Maaaybe.  She said she was an exhibitionist.  I guess she wasn’t kidding!”

Bailey snorted.  “You’d have to be to wear that.  It’s barely even bodypaint.  Did you really give both of them amazing costumes?  I thought you’d take the money and run.”

“Oh, I’ve done far worse than cheat them out of money they’re too rich to miss.  Don’t you remember?  Amelia turned me into a chicken, and Stella turned me into a potted plant.  And this Friday, they’re going to wear those costumes around the school.  Every time I see them I’ll have to fight not to break out into giggles.”

“And because the costumes are beyond amazing...” mused Bailey.

“They’ll never find anything even close, so they’ll have to wear them,” continued Violet.  “They love them so much they’ll give me the biggest apology I could ever imagine, and they won’t even know it.”

Bailey laughed.  “Oh, girl, how innocent you are.  They’ll know.  They’ll try to pass these off as their own work, but there is no way in hell that Chelsea won’t recognize who designed those.  They’ll get an earful from her, and maybe even get driven out of the cheer squad.”

“Oh.”  Violet winced, then shook her head.  “Hey, they asked.  I delivered.  Not my fault, right?”

“Nope.  Just be braced for the fallout.”

The rest of the afternoon saw increasing demand for costumes, especially with Amelia and Stella showing off Violet’s best work.  Bailey added a new price tier for ‘dynamic and complex’ outfits, and it didn’t even slow demand down.

To Violet’s amusement, most of the rest of the cheerleading squad visited her at one point or another that afternoon.  Several even insisted on getting plant-based outfits to match Stella’s.  Violet struggled to conceal her glee at creating rose-girls, tulip-girls and even one daisy.  

Darla the daisy-girl paid extra for a second go-round to further enhance how the standing-still part of the costume worked.  When she posed with her arms to her sides, her entire body became a uniform stem, and her face became concealed behind thousands of tiny yellow florets, cunningly arranged so she still could see.

Violet asked if she wanted a lock, as well.

Darla flashed Violet a winning smile.  “Not on this outfit.  Can I take up the offer later?  My boyfriend’s birthday is in two weeks, and...”  Darla shuddered delicately, her petals shimmying.  “Ooh, the things I could be.”

Violet smiled back.  “I’ll do my best to make you happy.”

“Or make him happy,” giggled Darla.  “And both of us horny as hell.”  She peered into Violet’s face.  “No blush?”

Violet grinned back at her enigmatically.

After she’d left, Bailey asked the same thing.  “I heard what she was saying to you.  Normally that’d turn you into a flustered puddle.  What’s up?”

Violet bit her lip with an impish grin.  “Visualizing Friday’s party.  So many of my creations...  And I get to scare them all.”