Pretty.

It was a word Rudo used to hate. One that made her skin get all prickly and a gross taste in her mouth when seeing girls up in the sphere get spun around in dresses, with long braided hair, praised with how pretty they are, how beautiful of a woman they’d be. While there she was, scrawny son of a murderer with disgusting hands and gloves watching like a creep.

She felt jealous, selfish for even thinking she could be allowed to join in such a sacred practice, that she could have long hair and wear flowing dresses and hang out with girls, it was broken to think that.

It wasn’t until arriving to the ground and joining the cleaners did she realise it wasn’t bad to want something like that. Only really telling Riyo considering she was the closest girl to her thinking it’d be over and done with.

She just didn’t expect it to change anything until a week later when she was assigned to go out for a simple mission with a supporter who was out sick. With Gris then gently stepping forward and putting a hand on Rudo’s shoulder while simply saying.

“It’s all good, I’ll go with her instead.”

She paused. her. Did he mean someone else? But it was only him and Rudo. She looked up at him, a look of pure shock and uncontrolled joy in her eyes and face before he looked back with a wink and grin. He was!! He was talking about her!

She never felt anything like it before, her stomach felt warm and giddy like she needed to release all of it out yet it was only a special feeling for her that she could keep.

It was when you started helping her when it came to transitioning that she felt that feeling more.

She tried to form words as she looked in the big mirror you got her, her hair was still it’s usual short style, yet long enough for a little braid, a soft loose form fitting dress on rather than her usual cleaners uniform and everyday clothes. You watched her shaky gloved hands before taking in the sight on her bed excitedly.

“You look so pretty..”

She paused, her body going stiff, that feeling of joy eating her alive as she looked at herself in disbelief. She didn’t just look pretty, she felt she looked pretty as she held the big mirror, almost in shock before murmuring to herself. “I’m…I’m a pretty girl..”