Our TG Captionpage 14
written by... radel
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The fluorescent lights of the department store seem overly bright as you navigate the racks of teenage clothing. Everything feels flimsy and ill-fitting compared to the comfortable clothes you were wearing just hours ago. Ben shuffles along beside you, looking utterly miserable as he clutches a pair of too-small jeans. Alexa, however, seems to be taking to her new (old) form with surprising adaptability, already picking out a brightly colored t-shirt with an enthusiastic grin.
"Come on, guys," she says, holding up the shirt. "Doesn't this look fun?"
Ben just groans in response.
Finding clothes that fit is a surreal experience. You catch your reflection in a mirror – your teenage face looking back with a mix of confusion and the lingering wisdom of your adult years. It's like wearing a costume of your former self, a ghost in the machine of your younger body.
Once you're all somewhat presentably dressed in clothes that don't threaten to fall off, the reality of your situation sinks in again. Explaining this to anyone seems impossible. Ben's wife and children... the thought hangs heavy in the air.
"I... I have to try," Ben says finally, a flicker of determination in his eyes. "I have to go home. Maybe... maybe they'll believe me?"
You exchange worried glances with Alexa. The chances of Ben's family believing that their middle-aged husband and father has suddenly turned into his teenage self seem slim to none. It could be traumatic for them, and potentially dangerous for Ben if they think he's an imposter.
"Ben, are you sure that's the best idea?" you ask cautiously. "Maybe we should think this through. What if they don't believe you? What if they get scared?"
"Then what am I supposed to do?" he asks, his voice laced with desperation. "Just... disappear? Start a new life as a teenager while my family thinks I've vanished?"
He has a point. The situation is impossible, a true no-win scenario.
"Okay," you say, making a decision. "We'll go with you, Ben. But we need a plan. We can't just show up on their doorstep and say, 'Surprise! I'm your teenage dad again!'"
"Maybe... maybe we can say I'm a distant relative who looks a lot like him?" Ben suggests weakly.
Alexa shakes her head. "They know you, Ben. They'll see it's you."
"What if we don't say anything at first?" you suggest. "What if we just... observe? See how they're doing? Try to figure out the best way to approach them?"
It's a risky plan, but it seems better than barging in with an unbelievable story.
"Alright," Ben agrees reluctantly. "But if they're upset... if they're worried..."
"We'll figure it out," you say, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We're in this together."
The three of you make your way to Ben's neighborhood. The familiar streets and houses feel both comforting and alien. You can almost picture Ben's adult self mowing the lawn, or his kids riding their bikes down the sidewalk. The thought of them now, wondering where their father has gone, is heartbreaking.
You keep a safe distance as you approach Ben's house. It looks the same as you remember it, a picture of suburban normalcy that now feels utterly disrupted. You see his wife, Sarah, in the garden, tending to her flowers. She looks worried, her brow furrowed as she glances towards the street.
Your heart aches for Ben. This is his life, his family. And now, he's a teenager again, watching from afar.
"Okay," you whisper. "What do we do?"
Ben looks at his house, at his wife, a deep sadness in his young eyes. "I... I don't know."
The weight of the impossible situation settles heavily upon you all. The initial shock and strange excitement have worn off, replaced by the stark reality of the lives that have been upended. The Arbitrary Abeyance, in its unpredictable nature, has created a crisis far beyond simply changing genders. It has stolen years, families, and futures.
As you stand there, a group of teenagers staring at a house that holds a life that seems lost, the question of what to do next feels heavier than ever. The library and the search for answers suddenly seem less important than the immediate human tragedy unfolding before you.
"Come on, guys," she says, holding up the shirt. "Doesn't this look fun?"
Ben just groans in response.
Finding clothes that fit is a surreal experience. You catch your reflection in a mirror – your teenage face looking back with a mix of confusion and the lingering wisdom of your adult years. It's like wearing a costume of your former self, a ghost in the machine of your younger body.
Once you're all somewhat presentably dressed in clothes that don't threaten to fall off, the reality of your situation sinks in again. Explaining this to anyone seems impossible. Ben's wife and children... the thought hangs heavy in the air.
"I... I have to try," Ben says finally, a flicker of determination in his eyes. "I have to go home. Maybe... maybe they'll believe me?"
You exchange worried glances with Alexa. The chances of Ben's family believing that their middle-aged husband and father has suddenly turned into his teenage self seem slim to none. It could be traumatic for them, and potentially dangerous for Ben if they think he's an imposter.
"Ben, are you sure that's the best idea?" you ask cautiously. "Maybe we should think this through. What if they don't believe you? What if they get scared?"
"Then what am I supposed to do?" he asks, his voice laced with desperation. "Just... disappear? Start a new life as a teenager while my family thinks I've vanished?"
He has a point. The situation is impossible, a true no-win scenario.
"Okay," you say, making a decision. "We'll go with you, Ben. But we need a plan. We can't just show up on their doorstep and say, 'Surprise! I'm your teenage dad again!'"
"Maybe... maybe we can say I'm a distant relative who looks a lot like him?" Ben suggests weakly.
Alexa shakes her head. "They know you, Ben. They'll see it's you."
"What if we don't say anything at first?" you suggest. "What if we just... observe? See how they're doing? Try to figure out the best way to approach them?"
It's a risky plan, but it seems better than barging in with an unbelievable story.
"Alright," Ben agrees reluctantly. "But if they're upset... if they're worried..."
"We'll figure it out," you say, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We're in this together."
The three of you make your way to Ben's neighborhood. The familiar streets and houses feel both comforting and alien. You can almost picture Ben's adult self mowing the lawn, or his kids riding their bikes down the sidewalk. The thought of them now, wondering where their father has gone, is heartbreaking.
You keep a safe distance as you approach Ben's house. It looks the same as you remember it, a picture of suburban normalcy that now feels utterly disrupted. You see his wife, Sarah, in the garden, tending to her flowers. She looks worried, her brow furrowed as she glances towards the street.
Your heart aches for Ben. This is his life, his family. And now, he's a teenager again, watching from afar.
"Okay," you whisper. "What do we do?"
Ben looks at his house, at his wife, a deep sadness in his young eyes. "I... I don't know."
The weight of the impossible situation settles heavily upon you all. The initial shock and strange excitement have worn off, replaced by the stark reality of the lives that have been upended. The Arbitrary Abeyance, in its unpredictable nature, has created a crisis far beyond simply changing genders. It has stolen years, families, and futures.
As you stand there, a group of teenagers staring at a house that holds a life that seems lost, the question of what to do next feels heavier than ever. The library and the search for answers suddenly seem less important than the immediate human tragedy unfolding before you.
What do you do?
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