Jay's Journey

Chapter 9

AN: The following chapter depicts an intimate experience that is just really awkward and uncomfortable for Jay. If this is something that makes you really uncomfortable, feel free to skip this chapter!

Out on the farm far, far away, Jay hadn't known what a sweatshop was. Had someone asked, the only answer they would have gotten was "people buy sweat?"

Now, the word evoked the image of countless women working frantically with needles and thread. The room was miniscule, a fifteen by fifteen foot room that housed a dozen people working on separate garments. Most of them were simple workers' clothes to be sold en masse at cheap prices. The door never opened, and Jay could swear that in the intervals before and after lunch, the lock had clicked closed. The entire place seemed to box in heat, sweat, and nervousness. Yet, despite the setting's determination to be dismal, the women in it fought back with jovial attitudes, unflinching optimism, and welcome levity.

"I found a date yesterday night." One seamstress said as she began hemming the raw edge at the bottom of a shirt. Her name was Celine, and her curly dark hair was tied up in a tight ponytail.

"Really?" Another asked, her name was Valerie. She was only a year or two older than Jay. Her long brown hair was something that Jay envied. It would take years to get long hair, and months before Jay felt comfortable taking off his bonnet.

"Ooh, what's he like?" Another wondered enthusiastically. Jay was pretty sure her name was Tiari, but the name had only been said twice in his employment as a seamstress.

"Very tall. He offered to go to Vesperium with me!"

"Isn't that place fancy?"

"Oh yeah!"

"He's a keeper."

"Celine, you better not sleep on this man. When's the date gonna happen?"

"I think tomorrow."

"I'll sew you somethin' nice, no higher ups'll have to know."

"Thank you."

Jay passively listened to the conversation while focusing on the needle and thread. It was hard to contribute anything to it. Everything interesting he had to offer had to be kept a secret, so overall the others thought of Jay as rather boring. It made things easier, as the atmosphere was still greatly improved by the others.

"Jay, you're the only one who's yet to have a man, right?" Tiari inquired. Jay briefly froze, the sudden attention throwing off ever present focus.

"Darlin', Jay's more prudish than my grandma, course she don't have a man yet." Another contributed, Bella if Jay remembered correctly. The word 'she' was praise in Jay's mind, and it was one of the best parts of working as a seamstress. Here, Jay was treated as a girl, and it solidified his idea of wanting to be one. But... how was it possible? That was a question that didn't appear to have any obvious answers as of yet, and Jay was still uncertain how to find any.

"Well uh, I've never thought about having a man." Jay contributed honestly. Back home, the thought of having a wife had never crossed Jay's mind, and now the thought of having a husband didn't either. All of the dates and whatnot sounded like having a friend, and all of the fluttery feelings and flowery language of love was alien.

"Never?!" Valerie blurted in horror.

"No, not once in my life." Jay answered.

"Gosh, Jay, have you ever lived a little? You're dressed like that when we're here and you've never wanted a man." It was these moments that made Jay realize what he wore. The sweatshop was already baking as is, but Jay's heavy clothing certainly didn't help things. But, the magemarks on his arms had to be covered, and his hair was still far too short to show off.