Nick sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the app like it might bite. After the first task, the payout hit instantly. No delays. No fine print. He spent the next day in a weird haze—half proud, half mortified, $1,200 richer and unsure what it said about him that he was already waiting for the next buzz. It came just after sunset. TASK #2: Purchase a full-body hair removal cream. Apply it to your legs, arms, chest, and underarms. Record yourself reading the product directions out loud before application. Final payout: $2,200. He read it twice. Then again. It wasn't sexual. Not overtly. Just… strange. Personal. He looked down at his legs—light hair, nothing crazy—and then at the payout. Two grand for a little hair removal? He could rationalize it. Models did it. Swimmers. Hell, even athletes. It's not like they were asking him to wear a dress. Not yet, anyway. He walked into CVS twenty minutes later, hood up, avoiding eye contact. The aisle had options—"sensitive," "extra strength," "long-lasting." He picked one that looked clinical and unsexy. At home, he stripped down and opened the bottle. The smell hit him first—chemical, sharp, almost sweet. He set his phone up, hit record, and read the instructions out loud like the app asked. Then he spread the cream across his body—cool, slick, leaving trails of white on his skin. Five minutes in, he was tingling. Ten minutes later, the hair rinsed away under the shower like it was never there. His skin felt weird—soft, smooth, almost unfamiliar. The app buzzed. Task Complete. Funds Released: $2,200. He wrapped a towel around himself and stared at his reflection. It didn't look bad. Just different. He didn't know it yet, but the shift had already begun.
