kissy’s journey, much like samus’, is intrinsically trans. both of them had to navigate a confusing, labyrinthine world that was hostile to their very existence. there was no relief. they wore armor on the outside to protect themselves from harm but also, and more importantly, to hide their true selves from everybody else. it made anybody who saw them not notice the inner turmoil they went through whenever they saw another piece of media calling who they really were a joke at their own expense at best and a freak that should be avoided at all times at worst. they were stoic, unflinching. the armor, essentially, were portable closets for them to hide in.

the only major difference between their individual paths, really, were what little help they got along the way. samus’, compared to kissy’s, was much more lonely. she had to care for herself, and the only help she got were resources that were laid out by others who experienced the same thing before her, but nonetheless these were still hard for her to find, and had to be tracked down.

kissy, on the other hand, had a community of friends that felt accepting of her, and made her feel like she could let her guard down a bit. she wouldn’t outright say she was a woman, but she was comfortable with giving them hints. she would wear make up, or casually “joke” about how nice it felt to wear a dress for halloween one year. they were always too dense to get it but her friends wouldn’t outright make fun of her for expressing herself either.

she was still anxious around them, though, and gatherings or parties would would often mean she’d thicken up her armor and withdraw herself even more from everybody else. it didn’t help that these friends, despite how much they prided themselves on being progressive and accepting, would still make comments or jokes that would hurt. it always caught her off guard whenever that happened.

in the end, even with the company she had, it made the world feel more hostile towards her rather than less.

ultimately, both samus and kissy finished their respective journeys through different ways. samus, thanks to all the resources she eventually gathered together and used to overcome her insecurities, finally had the courage to come out to the world as a woman. kissy, meanwhile, came out purely due to her survival instincts. near the end of her journey her armor had gotten so thick it was suffocating her. she could hardly breath. for her, it was now or never.

their respective armors would still prove useful in their new lives ahead. it was less of a burden to wear now, after all, and became a style and look they decided to take and own instead. if people took one look at them and misgendered them they didn’t care anymore. they’ve been through hell and back and survived. life would continue to be hard for the both of them, but it was nothing compared to the turmoil they both endured. the friends kissy made all left her eventually. even takky, her most supportive friend, disappeared from her life. even though she found love and got married that ended in a messy divorce. her ex husband got custody of her older son, and they both ended up becoming even more well known then she ever was (she’s so proud of her son though! her ex husband however? not so much). samus ended up having a strong career and a figure everybody else looked up to. she’s still an inspiration to everyone involved but her career has reached an all time low right now. the most she gets these days are invites to smashing parties with her colleagues.

it was at the latest one, actually, that she met kissy, who was invited by pac-man to come. they got talking and their similar experiences coming out helped break the ice. they both got along well! they talked about everything they could together, and even talked a bit about the other people there (they both sounded like proud moms when they talked about link!) rumor has it they were both seen leaving the party together, holding hands…