Second Skin

This is a nightmare, Simon thought to himself. Even after cutting his hair short, even after getting the same tattoos as his old body, he still couldn't see himself in the mirror. There was different person staring back at him. The woman he saw made the exact movements his brain was telling his muscles to do, but his mind would not accept it as himself. Eating, sleeping, and taking showers all made him sick to his stomach, like he was a parasite growing inside another human being. Eventually he managed to internalize it like his old body was simply wearing a second skin, rather than his mind being trapped inside somebody else.

With this mindset, Simon was able to start living life like normal. He even started gaining a new kind of appreciation for the female body. How it was strong in ways beyond the obvious, and resilient in so many others. He decided a certain alternative career path would help him in his adjustment period and applied to be a nude model. Despite lacking any experience, he brought a lot to the table. His rigorous fitness regimen combined with dainty feminine features made him quite the catch. There also weren't many other tomboyish young women so eager to be naked on camera, so he got the job right away.

On the set, Simon stripped down and stood in front of the white background. The photographer, lighting crew, hair stylists, and creative director all watched as he posed with his legs slightly spread apart and his arms above his shoulders. His body was shaved smooth, and his small breasts perfectly emphasized his feminine musculature. He knew he should feel embarrassed being naked in front of so many men, but because he didn't see this body as his own, it didn't feel like he was naked.