Zoey gently pulled Lila's lips back, getting a better look. "Wow, they really stuffed you! This really helps with your transition?"

Lila nodded. "It'th thuppothed to releathe hormoneth thlowly over the next month." She still felt embarrassed talking with her new appliances. "Did you ever wear bratheth?"

"For a year and a half in middle school, but nothing like this. My older sister Anna wore them for what seemed like forever, but she never wore her elastics or headgear or anything. She wound up getting some experimental treatment she never gave me the details of, but it seemed to work for her." Zoey paused. "How do you feel anyway?"

"It'th only been a day, but my mouth ith thtill thore. My thkin feelth a bit thofter, but that might jutht be my imagination."

Zoey smiled. "Well, I've got a surprise for you! Here..." She pulled a package from under her bed, handing it to Lila.

Lila opened it and immediately blushed. It was a cute pink dress with a floral pattern.

"Try it on now! I promise I won't look."

Zoey turned away as Lila put on her first dress. It fit her quite nicely, though it was a little short. She twirled around in front of the mirror and grinned. Maybe the mess of appliances she saw weren't so bad...

---

A month had passed, and Lila once again approached room 433. She wore the dress Zoey gave her, one of the first times she wore it out around campus. She nervously walked through the dental center, receiving passing glances from young women in pink scrubs. Nothing to see here, just a regular girl going to the orthodontist, she thought to herself.

In the past month, she'd gone through some slight changes. Her skin had definitely gotten softer, and her breasts had begun to develop slightly. In terms of her teeth, she hadn't noticed much of a difference. She'd been trying to wear her bands like Pearl told her to, but had been forgetting a bit. It was also hard to keep up with her dental hygiene around all the equipment in her mouth, even with Zoey giving her advice.

Lila took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Pearl and Flossie were waiting for her.

"Lila, right on time! Take a seat, we're just about ready for you!" Pearl said, patting the chair's headrest.

Lila nervously slid into the chair, wincing slightly as Flossie began applying the restraints.

"That's a lovely dress, have you been dressing up more often?" Pearl asked, pulling up her mask and rolling over to Lila's side.

"Not really, not a lot of people know I'm tranth yet..." Lila said watching Flossie strap down her torso.

"That's fine, it's okay to take your time. And how are the braces treating you?"

"A bit uncomfortable, but I like the effecth tho far." Lila mumbled.

Pearl adjusted the examination lamp as Flossie applied the last few straps. "Now, this first month has been a bit of a trial run, we'll be moving you into the next stage of treatment today."

Lila squirmed a bit under the restraints. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what that meant...

"Now, before we start, we did notice you were a bit uncomfortable during our last appointment. Would you be interested in sedation beforehand?"

Lila perked up. "O-oh, yeth pleathe actually."

Pearl clipped a paper bib around Lila's neck. "Alright then, Flossie, would you please set her up?"

Flossie nodded, scooting up to Lila. "Okay thweetie, you're a poetry major aren't you?"

"Mm-hm."

"Could you tell me one of your favorite poeth?" Flossie asked, placing a rubber mask over Lila's nose.

"E-Emily Dickenthon..." Lila replied, nervously watching the hygienist.

"Do you think you could rethite one of her poemth for uth?" Flossie asked, turning on the gas.

Lila gulped, a strange scent filling her nostrils.

"Hope ith the thing with featherth, that percheth in the thoul, and thingth the tune without the... without..."

The last thing she saw before drifting off was Pearl looming above her, snapping on her gloves.

---

Lila moaned as she slowly came to. Her mouth felt even more stuffed than before, and something seemed to be tugging on her cheeks. She stretched, apparently no longer being restrained, though she still felt something wrapped around her head.

Her eyes fluttered open, seeing Pearl and Flossie in front of her again.

"How do you feel?" Pearl asked, seeming to carefully study Lila's face.

"Uh ah I aring?" Lila managed to get out.

Flossie held up a mirror to Lila's face. Pearl spoke up. "In order for your facial feminization to work fully, you'll have to wear a headgear full time."

Lila's eyes widened as she saw her reflection in front of her. It looked almost like a bright pink football helmet, with a plastic cup on her chin, a bumper on her forehead, and a metal halo around her head. Most peculiar was a series of six metal hooks in the corner of her mouth, pulling her lips wide open, giving a full view of her braces, linked to the headgear via a complex network of bands.

"Your appliances are far too delicate for your lips to rest on them, so I'm afraid you'll have to wear this as often as possible. Unlike most headgear, this can't be removed by the patient. Instead of going to the dining hall, you'll have to report to room 230 of the dental center for your meals, a student will be there to assist you." Pearl explained with a strange sparkle in her eyes.

"I really hah to alk around like thith?" Lila choked out.

Pearl nodded, smirking slightly. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Flossie here has been wearing headgear since she was a teenager, she can assure you that you get used to the stares quite quickly."

Flossie grinned. "I'm here if you ever need to talk!" She chirped.

"In the meantime, we increased your estrogen dosage, so you'll be seeing progress more quickly. I look forward to seeing you next month!" Pearl said with a smile, showing off her own orthodontia.

Lila sighed as she climbed out of the chair feeling the weight of her new devices. "I'll thee you then."

---

Lila again walked through the dental center, passing more groups of dental students. Nothing to see here, just a regular girl leaving the orthodontist...