Wholesome - Old Friends

Emil approached the door hesitantly. It had been several months since he had last spoken to his friend John, and even longer since he had last seen him in the flesh. Turning up at his home unannounced was risky, but Emil felt as though he had no other choice. His friendship with John had grown strained of late – though not from some argument or dispute between them. Emil had noticed John growing quieter and quieter after he had lost his job. It was almost as though he was retreating into himself. Conversations became shorter, before stopping altogether. Worried, Emil had resolved to visit him and see if there was anything he could do to help his friend.

Emil’s knuckles rapped against John’s door. He could hear someone approaching it, humming pleasantly to themselves. Emil stood back as he heard the lock turn, and someone opened the door.

“Hi Emil!” the woman said, looking at him. She was dressed comfortably in a stripy t-shirt and jeans, her thick glasses catching the light.

“Sorry – I think I’ve got the wrong house”, Emil said, confused, leaning back to check the house number beside the door. It was definitely John’s house. “I was looking for John, is he in?”

“John?” the woman said. “What are you talking about, Emil? I’m Joan”, she said, equally confused. Emil stood muddled for a moment. Looking at the woman, there was a hint of the John he knew in her features, but she was a cheerful, smart looking woman, not the unemployed friend he was expecting to see. Looking behind her, the layout of John’s house was just how he remembered it, but remodelled and refurbished to the height of modern, urban living. Then, something clicked in Emil’s mind. The thoughts of John faded. He blinked rapidly, as if waking himself up from a dream. What was he talking about? He didn’t know a John. He had come here to visit Joan, his friend.

“Sorry – I guess I’m just tired”, Emil said slowly. Joan smiled sympathetically.

“Do you want to come in? I can put a pot of coffee on!” she said, beckoning him inside.

Emil didn’t need to be reminded twice, quickly following the woman inside. The house was far brighter than he remembered. He was pretty sure that he had only visited it a handful of times, but now it was as familiar to him as his own home. Joan had clearly recently redecorated, the small but functional home now filled with light, plants, and trendy artwork.

“I love what you’ve done with the place!” Emil said, sitting down on the comfy grey sofa.

“Thanks!” Joan said over her shoulder as she prepared the coffee. “It’s a recent change, but I thought it was a good time to brighten the place up a bit!”

Soon, the rich smell of coffee wafted over to Emil. Joan filled up the mug and added only a dash of milk – exactly how she knew Emil liked it. The woman sat it down on a coaster next to him.

“Thanks so much for agreeing to drop by, Emil! I really wanted to see you ahead of the big day”, Joan said, sipping her drink and leaving the slightest hint of her red lipstick on the mug.

“Agreeing to drop by?” Emil questioned. His memory felt foggy, but he was almost certain it was him who had wanted to drop in unannounced on his friend, not that she requested him visit. He wanted to do a quick welfare check, but as he looked around the room and at Joan’s bubbly presence beside him, he realised that that wasn’t necessary. Joan was clearly a woman who had her life in order.

“Yeah!” Joan said. “Don’t you remember?”

Emil bit his lip for a moment, searching for the memory. It felt as though there was a weight on his mind, every thought clouded and doubted. He sipped the coffee, trying to focus.

“Perhaps I should have made that a double-shot”, Joan said, giggling softly to herself. “I wanted to hang out before I get married! You know, like old times”.

The cloud in Emil’s mind lifted and the memories linked up. Him and Joan had been childhood friends – he could remember them going to the park together as kids and being friends all throughout school. She was due to get married in a few months and Emil couldn’t be happier for her.

“Of course! Sorry, Joan”, Emil said, finishing the coffee. “I’ve had a long day. I think my mind is telling me I need to rest.”

“No worries”, she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You put your feet up – I’ll make you another drink!”

Emil relaxed deeper into the sofa, and soon he had another steaming cup of coffee in his hand. The conversation flowed naturally. Joan wasn’t some friend that Emil hadn’t spoken to for months, but a close friend with decades of history between them. They reminisced on childhood crushes, school drama, and Joan’s exciting career. Each story was strange to Emil at first, but soon he remembered their collective past as good as Joan did. As they spoke, Emil drank more and more of the bitter drink, and his body began to change. Across his body, Emil’s hair softened, growing lighter and lighter until it was barely visible. Across his legs and arms, the coarse hairs faded, with those on his chest vanishing entirely. The patchy, scraggly stubble he had been neglecting to shave for several days receded quickly back into his skin. Emil’s skin felt smooth and sensitive, pleasurable goosebumps appearing along his forearms as he took another sip of the coffee.

Just as his body hair had grown softer and lighter, the closely cropped brown hair that dotted Emil’s scalp began to change. It shifted colour to a naturally golden blonde, and then grew steadily throughout their conversation. Neither Joan nor Emil noticed as his hair tumbled down, twirling into bouncing curls that fell about his shoulders, moving softly each time Joan made him laugh. As he listened, Emil found himself unconsciously twisting one of the curls around his finger.

“God, Joan! I forgot how funny you are!” Emil said, giggling. “No wonder your fiancé is excited to marry you!”

“You’re too sweet, Emil”, Joan said, turning to the television. “Now that we’ve properly caught up, do you mind if we watch a show? I’ve been looking for some gardening ideas”, she said, grabbing the remote control and loading up a show.

“Sure!”, Emil said as the title sequence for ‘Garden Guru’ appeared. He had never taken much interest in gardening, but he was a guest in Joan’s home and wasn’t going to tell her what she could or couldn’t watch. After the quirky, upbeat intro music, Emil settled in to watch the show.

In it, a professional gardener was visiting people who wanted advice on how to improve their garden. Emil could see the grin across Joan’s face beside him.

“I love this show! Just you wait until you see what she turns it into!” she said, excitedly pointing at the screen where the gardener was walking through a tired looking garden with a young couple. Emil couldn’t help but nod along in agreement at the gardener’s opinion – their garden was a mess. There were cracked paving slabs meaning the outdoor space couldn’t be enjoyed properly, and the small scrap of greenery was little more than a rough square of wet mud, with a few sickly looking patches of grass. The gardener set out her vision to the couple, and then got to work.

Despite his earlier lack of interest, Emil was hooked. He wanted to see what magic the gardener was able to create. As she worked, she spoke about the importance of greenery and having a small slice of the outdoors to call your own. For the couple in the episode, their garden was a burden, rather than a place to relax. Emil found himself growing a little envious of the gardener after seeing the pleasure she was taking in her work. The woman was older but glowed with a youth and energy that was addictive to watch. A part of Emil longed to be like her, putting in hard work in the garden and knowing that he was creating a small paradise. He could already picture himself wearing a pair of practical dungarees and wellington boots, muddy but magnificent as he set to work.

Emil was too engrossed in the episode to notice that his clothing had begun to change. His comfortable boxers grew softer, the fabric shifting until it was far stretchier across his rear and genitalia. It increased in size until it was practically hanging off of him, his large body unused to the specific shape. Beneath his jumper, Emil’s shirt began to soften, slowly shredding and restitching itself into an entirely new form. Two straps crept over his shoulders, soon connecting with a wider strap that ran across the top of his back. In the front of the garment, two cups grew, increasing in strength and cup size until they hung limply from his chest. Emil was now wearing a bra and panties, though without the body to match.

On the screen, the gardener was laying out roll after roll of turf on the rapidly remodelling garden. Emil watched it almost hypnotically, marvelling at the slow transformation of the garden. He stretched out in his seat, unaware that his jumper was slowly stitching into his jeans row by row, forming one solid garment. As they connected, the fabric changed, keeping the blue of his jeans but the loose cotton of his jumper. Tiny white polka-dots appeared equidistant across it in a pleasant repeating pattern. Emil sat up in his chair, his legs sliding together. Slowly, the legs of what were once his jeans began to merge. At first, it felt odd to feel the touch of one leg on the other, but he soon grew used to the sensation. Pleats rapidly formed just above his waist, cutting down into the fabric so that it hung comfortably off of his hips. The lowest hem rose several inches off of the floor into a smart ankle length skirt. Emil for a second felt too hot, reasoning that the coffee from earlier had heated him up. He rolled up his sleeves, pushing them higher and higher until they were almost at his shoulders. The fabric restitched itself, adjusting the sleeves permanently to their new position. Slowly, the neckline of the dress dipped lower, until some of Emil’s chest was exposed.

The gardener was going through the final touches in the garden. She showed several plug plants of flowers to the camera, and for the first time Emil realised how beautiful they were. He had never truly looked at them in detail, but the care and attention the kindly gardener was showing the tiny plants made him love them all the more. As she potted bright pink flowers into the soil on the screen, several bouquets blossomed across Emil’s dress. Bright pink bunches grew amongst the polka dots, finishing up the colourful, feminine design. Soon, the programme finished. The gardener introduced the couple to their new garden, and Emil felt their excitement as if it was his own. The credits rolled, and he turned to Joan.

“That was so lovely!” he said genuinely. “I wish I could have a garden like that.”

“I’m so glad!” Joan said. “I tell you what – why don’t we plan a day where we can sort out the garden here? I think you’ll be good at it”, she said, pointing over her shoulder to the garden just visible out of her kitchen window. Emil knew that it wasn’t as messy as the one on ‘Garden Guru’, but he knew he could make it radiant. He could picture beds of colourful plants surrounding soft grass for a whole family to play on and enjoy.

“I’d love that!” Emil said, already brimming with ideas.

“Awesome!” Joan said. “I love your dress, by the way! I meant to mention it before. Very you!”

Emil looked down at his clothing for the first time since sitting down. Something felt odd, but he wasn’t sure what. He brushed his hands through the fabric, feeling its weight.

“You think?” Emil said, unthinkingly adjusting the bra strap over a shoulder.

“Of course! You should wear dresses more; they really show off your body!” Joan encouraged. Emil rolled the fabric between two fingers. He had never felt particularly confident in his body, but was it time for a change?

“I know just the show for you – hang on!” Joan said, quickly grabbing the remote control and flicking through shows. Emil watched mesmerised. These shows on fashion and hobbies had never seemed interesting to him before, but now he wanted nothing more than to watch them all with Joan by his side. “Here!” Joan said, finally stopping on one named ‘Boss Your Body’. “This has given me so much more confidence! You’ll love it!” she said, sitting back and letting the show begin.

Emil had heard of shows like this before. The premise was simple – some women all independently discuss their flaws with the host, who listens as they discuss every wrinkle and pimple that they hate about their body. Then, the women review each other’s bodies, revealing that while they were critical of their own bodies, they have nothing but praise for the women around them. Emil was moved when the show reached its conclusion as the women listened to the positivity from their peers, eventually meeting the women who had showered them with compliments. As the show continued, Emil’s body continued to change.

Weight that he had built in recent years began to fade, the clothing now seeming even bigger on his thinner body. Emil’s prominent gut was gone, now smooth. His double chin vanished, his face becoming leaner. He rubbed at his face for a moment, and from his touch new changes formed. His jawline painlessly adjusted, giving his entire face a more rounded look. His nose grew smaller and thinner, his lips slightly poutier. Emil’s eyebrows were plucked and altered until they were thinner and more expressive. Finally, a dash of light makeup appeared across his now more feminine features – blue eyeshadow to match his gorgeous dress, and a soft pink lipstick that brought out the vibrancy of the flowers. On his chest, Emil’s nipples grew longer and puffier. Beneath, the fat was beginning to grow. It still did not fill out the large bra, leaving him with a pair of small, perky breasts. Emil looked down at his body once more. After watching the show, he began to consider it in more detail. He thought what someone else would think about the body that he still didn’t feel proud of, like Joan. Would she be as critical of his body as he was to it himself?

“It’s so heart-warming, right?” Joan said as the credits rolled.

“Totally”, Emil agreed, nodding.

“It makes me want to stop trying all those fad diets. Have you had any luck with them?”

“No, I don’t think so”, Emil said. He tried to think on the diets he had tried, but they seemed to have slipped his mind. He was certain he had tried and failed one after the other, never seeing the changes in his body that he truly wanted. “I think it’s easier to just be happier with yourself, you know?”

“Definitely!” Joan said excitedly. “Forget cutting out carbs or killing yourself on a treadmill – you’re beautiful just the way you are”, she said, touching Emil on the shoulder. “You can be healthy and happy without being stick-thin, don’t you think?”

“For sure!” Emil said, smiling.

The fat that had disappeared from Emil’s body bubbled underneath his dress. It rose up from beneath the surface, the flesh of his arms and legs jiggling. His thighs swelled, lifting him higher off of the sofa and then back down again as his body adjusted to the new weight. Fat amassed in his rear, Emil’s panties now finally fitting across his large behind. The dress now hung more flatteringly down from his hips, accentuating his curves. The small breasts that Emil had grown only a moment before now swelled up twice their size, easily filling the bra with soft, pliable mounds. Finally, the fat flooded his face, adding a feminine, chubby softness to his features. Emil ran one hand through his hair, feeling it through his chunkier fingers. He knew he wasn’t the smallest of people, but he still felt healthy inside. His body was curvaceous, but balanced. He took a deep breath, proud of being plus-sized. Now, only one thing of Emil’s masculinity remained, buried between thick thighs and hidden beneath dainty underwear.

“I wanted to ask you something, Emil”, Joan said, moving closer on the sofa.

“What is it?” Emil said, intrigued. His voice was now higher, almost girlish in pitch.

“Would you do me the honour of being one of my bridesmaids?”

A wave of excitement rose in Emil. Somehow, he felt as though this was something he had wanted his whole life. His place would be supporting his dear friend Joan on her big day – the culmination of years of friendship. Alongside the excitement, there was also an unfamiliar feeling of nervousness.

“Would everyone be watching me?” Emil asked, quietly. Suddenly, he found it hard to meet Joan’s eyes. The woman took Emil’s hands, rubbing them softly.

“I still want you as my bridesmaid, even if you’re shy. I won’t be able to do it without you”, she said slowly. Emil’s eyes rose to meet her.

“Okay”, he said. Joan squealed in excitement, hugging the curvier figure. The last vestige of Emil’s masculinity slipped away inside of himself, blooming into a more feminine organ that was tucked away between her chubby thighs.

“Thank you, Emily!” Joan said. Emily smiled, embracing her friend. Somehow, she knew that she would be able to do this. This was the start of a new journey for her, and Joan would be with her every step of the way.

Joan grabbed the remote, turning off the television.

“What are you doing?” Emily asked.

“We can’t sit around watching the TV all day – we’ve still got a wedding to prepare for, and I need to meet a few more people!” Joan said, giggling as she helped Emily up from her seat. Emily knew deep down, amongst the nervousness and the excitement, she would be the perfect bridesmaid for her friend.

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This is a sequel to 'Target Audience', a transformation I wrote in August last year and it was commissioned by deadshot9. Unusually, this is not the commissioner of the original story, but they've given full permission for the story to continue. I hope you enjoy reading it! The next few stories coming should be involving more forced transformations rather than wholesome changes like this one.