Inner Woman Ch. 02: Charmed on a Cruise

Once I attached the two clasps together, the golden symbol on the bracelet started to glow and heat up. The glow became so bright and intense, I had to close my eyes and look away. The heat intensified to the point where it felt like it was burning my skin. I felt a sharp pain on my inner wrist, then it was over. The whole ordeal only lasted two or three seconds at most. I looked at the bracelet in shock and fascination. It was so tight against my skin that it wouldn't budge, almost as if it was fused to my wrist. A tap on my shoulder brought me back to reality.

"Are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Oh, um yeah, I'm okay. This is a very interesting bracelet."

"I agree. It's one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. I knew it would fit you perfectly."

By the time the first song was over, I knew we would end up dancing late into the night. I felt more and more comfortable as each song led into the next. It felt so natural to let my body move with the music. I didn't feel self conscious. I wasn't scared of people watching me, in fact, I actually wanted them to see me shaking my ass with my new BFF. I even winked at a couple of guys who were watching us. Mikayla's little makeover gave me a confidence that I didn't know I had. For the first time in my life, I actually felt like a woman. I felt like I was "passing", which seemed like a big deal to me.

Over the past few months I'd seen post after post of women like me who would put selfies and timelines on the internet forums I followed. Many of which used the same heading. "Am I passing?". To feel like you're "passing" is a big hurdle, a hurdle that can take some transwomen years to cross, some are never able to cross it at all. Now here I was only two months into my journey and already felt like I'd just crossed that hurdle with ease.

Dancing really took it's toll on me. We'd been on the dance floor for an hour or so before we took a break. I wanted to continue, but I was absolutely exhausted. My arms and legs were aching and my eyelids grew very heavy. After a long yawn, I apologized to Mikayla and told her I need to get some rest. She was ready to call it a night herself so we headed back to our staterooms. When the elevator doors dinged open on my deck, I thanked Mikayla for a wonderful evening and hugged her goodnight. After stepping out, I realized that I still had her bracelet. The elevator doors shut before I could get her attention.

My mom was fast asleep on her bed so I quietly removed my clothing and slipped into a nightgown. That small act zapped my remaining energy so I fell onto my bed. By the time my head hit the pillow I was out cold.

Day 1

"Charissa...Charissa, wake up sweetie."

My mom's voice and a soft nudging of my shoulders woke me up.

"Good morning sleepy head. Would you like to come have breakfast with me?"

I groaned, then pulled a pillow and the covers over my head and muffled out.

"Just five more minutes Mom."

"Like you need five more minutes of beauty sleep Baby Girl. I guess you and your new friend did have a late night so I'll let you get your rest. I'm going to go get breakfast and try to find us a few lounge chairs on the Lido deck near the pool. I'll reserve one for your friend too in case she wants to join us."

"Thanks Mom, I'll come find you in a bit."

My mom left to start her day while I tried to go back to sleep. I stayed under the covers for a few moments but it was no use, I was wide awake. Not only was I wide awake but I felt energized, like I slept better than ever. My request for five more minutes of sleep was merely out of habit and not necessity. I untangled myself from the covers to use the restroom after coming to the conclusion that sleeping in a little more just wasn't happening.

I noticed that my nipples seemed to feel more sensitive than usual so I massaged my breasts through my silky nighty. Unfortunately, the act only made my nipples harden and grow even more sensitive, but I couldn't stop myself. With my right hand I reached under my nighty to pull my panties down. Once they were below my knees, I just kicked them off and brought my hand back up to resume kneading my nipples. A chill ran through my body as little sparks of electricity ran through my veins. I managed to hike my nighty over my hips before I sat on the toilet. After I finished dabbing a few squares of toilet paper on my lady bits, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. It was certainly not the face I expected to see.

My hair was a knotted and tangled mess and black circles were smeared around my eyes. Even my lips looked chapped from my smeared lipstick. I must have been too tired to clean my face or put my hair up before falling asleep. My mom must have been sarcastic when she said I looked beautiful because I looked more like The Joker if you asked me. I used some makeup remover to clean my face and attempted to brush out my hair but that sensitivity in my nipples returned. Wondering what in the hell was going on, I pulled my nighty over my head to inspect my breasts.

My breasts... Oh my god I actually had breasts! I squealed out in joy. HRT had done well for a girl! I knew some of the girls on the internet forums were lucky enough to have early success on E, but this? And to happen over night? I went to bed only developing breast buds and woke up with full C cups. They weren't moob shaped, they weren't conical shaped or tube shaped either, they were perfectly developed and feminine boobs. And best of all, they were mine! I absolutely adored how they bounced and jiggled as I shimmied and shook. Not only did my boobs grow in size, so did my nipples and areolas. They were so puffy and easily twice the size as before. They were also a little darker in color as well but they fit perfectly on my perky new tits.

Then I noticed other changes to my body as I stepped back from the mirror. I appeared to be five or six inches shorter. My stomach was no longer muscular, it was still very toned and flat but now very feminine in appearance. My waist was tiny which made my hips look even more prominent. My pubic hair was trimmed and nicely manicured with a landing strip that led to my....my pussy? My pussy that I just absentmindedly patted dry? I looked back into the mirror in shock and said.

"I must be dreaming."

The mirror took on a ripple effect. When the tiny waves subsided and everything was back in focus, my reflection had marble sized tears running down her face. Her arms didn't move when I brought my hands to my face. Also, there were no tears on my face to wipe, unlike hers. The only thing on my face was confusion.

"Okay, this is weird, definitely a dream."

My reflection shook her head back and forth as the tears continued to roll down her face.

"No Charissa, this isn't a dream. We are finally who we were meant to be!"

"No, this isn't possible, it has to be a dream."

"Go ahead, pinch yourself if you don't believe me."

I didn't want to pinch myself. I didn't want this amazing dream to end but I tried anyway. Nothing happened but a stinging little pain on my forearm.

"Okay, so if this isn't a dream, what is it? How did this happen? Are you my fairy godmother or something?"

"Well for starters, I'm not your fairy godmother. I'm you, I'm your inner woman, I'm the version of you if you were born as a female. The magic from the Venus Charm bracelet allowed this to happen. It's not a dream Charissa, it's a dream come true!"

"So I'm a girl now? I'm really a girl?"

"Oh sweetie, we both know that you've always been a girl. Now you have the biology to match your heart."

Then marble sized tears started to roll down my face, the emotional tears of joy and happiness matched those of my reflection's tears.

"I can't believe it. I finally feel at home with myself. Please tell me I can stay like this."

My inner woman went on to explain that I could keep my new life if I fell in love within five days, otherwise the magic would be lifted and I would go back to my old life. She also explained that no one in my life would know the old me, they would only know this version of me. Last but not least, she said she would be around to help advise me if needed.

The first thing I did after hanging a "do not disturb" sign on the door and engage the manual door lock, was lie down on my bed with a mirror. I wanted to get a good look at my new kitten. It was solely out of curiosity at first, but as I opened my velvety lips to inspect my tunnel and clitoris, I became quite aroused. I had a pussy, a real working pussy that was absolutely gorgeous! My juices coated my fingers as I felt the sensations of my explorations. Soon the mirror was forgotten about as I became overwhelmed with pleasure. I moaned loudly as I slipped a finger inside my pussy and applied circular pressure to my clit. My walls were incredibly tight. My inner woman informed me that this version of myself, much like the other version, was also a virgin.

Soon after, I felt a heat build in my core. Electricity coursed through my veins and the most amazing wave of euphoria washed over my body. The sound that came from my voice was such a high pitch, almost like a pleasurable yelp or squeak. My fingers and crotch were soaking wet as my body shook and I continued exploring all of my sensitive parts, I wanted my first female orgasm to last forever. While it didn't last forever, it still lasted much longer than any orgasm I'd ever experienced. And to top it off, a second orgasm claimed my body only moments after the first subsided.

After masturbating, I took a nice long shower where I ended up bringing myself to climax yet again. Soaping up my breasts started my arousal and the removable shower head brought me to a lovely ending.

I had been so enamored with my bodily changes, I didn't even notice my facial changes until I really looked at my face in the mirror. Everything was similar, yet so much softer and feminine. Like I was a patient of the best FFS surgeon in the world. I also didn't have a trace of stubble, but the most notable change was my adams apple. Or more accurately, the lack of an adams apple. It had completely vanished along with my deep voice. I didn't need to attempt to sound like a girl anymore, my regular speaking voice had a very soft feminine sound with no effort whatsoever.

I looked at the two bracelets on my wrist. One was the gift from my mom, the other from Mikayla. She had to know of it's magical power, right? She was the one who gave it to me. Maybe she was my fairy godmother? I needed to see her so I sent a text.

Me: Are you awake yet?

Mikayla: I am now, thanks to you.

Me: Sorry. Get up, I'll be there in a sec.

I didn't bother with underwear, I simply stepped into a pair of cotton shorty shorts that barely covered my ass cheeks. I thought the next piece of clothing that I grabbed was a mini skirt, but my inner woman assured me that it was a tube top. It was light green in color and very exposing. It hugged my upper body tightly, resulting in my nipples poking through the fabric and displaying my flat little tummy. Then I stepped into a pair of flip flops and left the room. Mikayla opened the door on the first knock. She was only wearing a large cotton shirt that she obviously slept in. As I stepped into her room, she said.

"Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine this early in the morning. You know some of us weren't a little miss goodie two shoes last night and actually drank alcohol."

"I'm sorry, but I needed to see you. It's about the bracelet."

After she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and she actually focused on me, her jaw dropped. She scanned my body from head to toe, then from toe to head. With a smirk, she said.

"Damn girl! Look at you! Now that's a glow up if I've ever seen one."

"Glow up? So you know what's happening don't you? You know who I was?"

She nodded her head up and down. I jumped into her arms, kissing her face all over. I shouted "Thank you!" between each peck as she tried to squirm away from me. In a fit of giggles, she finally broke free and said.

"Okay, Okay, Okay Charissa, you're welcome, jeez. Damn girl, you're like a freaking spider monkey."

"Sorry, and please don't turn me into a spider monkey."

"Turn you into a spider monkey? What? Do you think I'm a witch or something?"

"I don't know, but you turned me into this."

I motioned my hands up and down my body while slowly spinning around. She broke out in laughter and said.

"Oh Charissa, I didn't turn you into anything, it was all the bracelet. Sorry, but I'm not a witch or a magician or anything like that. The only thing I did was give you the bracelet, the charm did the rest"

"How did you know it would work?"

She took my hand in hers, then lined our inner wrist together so that her tattoo was next to the Venus Charm. That's when it hit me, so I asked.

"You're like me aren't you? You were born male too?"

"Yes, this bracelet has given me the greatest gift I could ever ask for, but I wasn't like you. I didn't have an ounce of the courage that you have. I lived a long time in misery and shame because I was too scared to find my happiness."

"But why me?"

"I could ask the same question. Why me? Right place at the right time I guess. You see, now that I've been through it, I can see a person's feminine desire. I could see it in you more than I've ever seen it before."

"Well I was dressed as a woman, I'm sure everyone could see my feminine desire."

"Yes, that's true, but I could see it in you stronger than I've ever seen it before. I don't know how to explain it but it's almost like a glow. Not a literal glow, but more along the lines of the glow you see in a pregnant woman. I've felt guilty for not giving this chance to others. I felt like I was being greedy. I planned on keeping the bracelet myself in case I ever saw that glow in my future children. But when I met you, I knew I'd never be able to live with myself if I didn't give you this opportunity."

She went on to tell me the story of how she came about the bracelet, how she reacted when she woke up as a woman, and how the bracelet released itself moments after declaring her love for Cole.

A short time later, I was in a skimpy little bikini on a lounge chair with my mom on one side of me and Mikayla on the other. Caribbean themed music played through the speakers while we soaked up the sun. I was on cloud nine. My boobs filled out my bikini top very nicely and my bikini bottom fit flush against my crotch like it always should have been. I felt somewhat exposed with my little baby blue bikini covering so little of my body, yet I felt powerful at the same time. I could easily see and feel the eyes upon me. It's quite a confidence booster to see the lust on a man's eyes when he looks at you. Even women looked at me with envious eyes. The same envious eyes I looked at them with only the day before. I couldn't blame them though. I know it sounds conceited, but I was a hottie. I was still tall and thin like my father, but thankfully I was the recipient of my mother's curves. Mikayla told me several times that I looked like the brunette sister of her friend Lindsay, who apparently could have been a super model as well.

As I scanned all of the guys on the pool deck, I wondered if one of them held the key to my heart, or at least the key that would allow me to keep my new life. My inner woman assured me that it would happen in due time and would be love at first sight. She advised me to not stress over it and that I should just enjoy myself and experience everything that I could, so that's what I did.

I experienced going down a water slide in a bikini that wasn't meant to do so. I heard a few whistles as I readjusted my top and pulled the wedgie from my ass. Some women may have found the whistles and cat calls offensive, but I very much appreciated the attention.

I got the experience of watching the hairy chest contest. The cruise director was hilarious as she joked with the men who were competing. I also found the competition slightly arousing. I wouldn't say any of the men were all that good looking, but there was something attractive about a man who had the confidence and personality to just let loose and make people laugh, even if it was at his own expense. The winner of the hairy chest competition was easily the most attractive of the bunch, but funny enough, he was the least hairy chested of the group as well. Probably in his mid to late fifties, a little old for me but I could easily see why my mom fancied him so much. His dimpled smile with the salt and pepper in his beard and hair gave him a distinguished look. His muscular torso and strong arms were proof that he kept in shape. Add that to the fact that he obviously had a sense of humor, all of the women were smitten by him.

I also experienced getting hit on... a lot. Most of the guys tried to use lame pick up lines or offered to reapply my sunscreen. I wanted to accept the offer from some of the cuter guys, but with my mom sitting next to me I didn't think that would be a wise decision. I simply said "No thanks, but maybe I'll see you around later." I really hoped to cross paths with a few of them later so I made sure to give them a little wink before they walked away.

One of the experiences that meant the most to me was going to the women's restroom with Mikayla. I know it sounds like a trivial thing, but it felt like a right of passage to go to the little girls room with your best friend. It was also nice to go into a public women's restroom without the fear of some transphobic asshole causing drama about it, like I was some pervert trying to spy on his daughter or something.

After our fun in the sun and a late lunch, we all showered the sunblock and salt water away and got dressed for another experience, karaoke! While Mom and I debated on who should go first, Mikayla suggested the three of us do a song together. We both agreed so Mikayla entered our names on the sign up sheet but refused to let us know which song she picked for us to sing. When it was our turn on stage, I died laughing when the first few chords to "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain played through the speakers. I rolled my eyes at Mikayla as she started the song with "Let's go girls!".

Back when I was living life as a guy, I actually had a good singing voice, I just rarely liked to sing. Now I felt like my singing voice sounded even better as I sang along with my mom and Mikayla. After our song was over, I had the confidence to try a song on my own. I chose "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. I sang with every bit of energy and emotion in my body. My mom rubbed the goose bumps from her arms as I belted out the final chorus. My performance even led to a loud applause from everyone in attendance.

After karaoke, Mikayla wanted to spend some time with her traveling companion. She said her godmother would kill her if she didn't play Bingo with her. I gave Mikayla a goodbye hug and thanked her again for everything she'd done for me. Mom and I walked around the ship for a little while with no particular destination. We just chatted about this and that while we walked. I learned that in this life, it was my mom who walked out on my dad after catching him with his secretary. The news really didn't surprise me because I'd already had a feeling they were having an affair during my old life anyway. My inner woman helped me navigate the old memories and childhood events when those subjects came up, but they weren't all that different than my old memories. My dad still tried to force me into playing sports at a young age, something that I didn't care for in either life.

After we nibbled on the amazing cheeseburgers from the burger joint, we decided to end our day by watching a movie on the Lido deck that was playing on the giant screen above the pool. It was fairly windy and the night air was a little chilly so we made use of the warm beach towels that were available. Halfway through the movie, we both caught cold chills at the same time. I offered to run to our room to grab warmer clothing for each of us, but Mom had a better idea. She climbed out of her lounge chair, then snuggled herself against me in mine. Once our bodies and the beach towels were situated, she asked.