Nickolous ‘Cool guy’ Faradays was… more than a little nervous.
He was about to ‘date’ a lion-girl. Even if he did insist, they would just be friends, this still had all the hallmarks of a date. It was just them, going out… to see a movie. He tried to prepare a bit, pacing on the sidewalk on just ‘what’ to say. He could honestly say he never met anyone like her before.
A girl with the body of a lion… and he ‘knew’ it was going to be awkward.
Casting aside the whole ‘she was a guy’ bit too, what should he do? The whole world had seen transformations of sorts, albeit a very tiny number… so most would assume she was from that original class. The rumour was going though that other transformations were happening now, and that there was no possible way to stop it. He was a bit worried that people might hurt her- but he also knew that she was rather strong with claws and the muscles of one of the strongest hunters… If a lion was about to attack- was he ‘really’ going to stop ‘her’?
He was worried about his friend Will too… he seemed to really dislike Luke… though he could guess why, it was still not very ‘cool’ to him. He thought about how ‘rude’ he was… Nick wanted to get along with the changed people even if he wasn’t sure what the whole deal was. So yeah, going on a date with Luke as a friend was fine. Maybe they could hang out? He could learn more about her.
Nick was wearing his trendy leather jacket as he knocked on the door of the lioness.
“Coming!” The girl said happily. There was a bit of a sound of fumbling with the lock… and soon enough it was open. Luke had emerged wearing a necklace, some earrings… and it looked like someone had put makeup on her face? She grinned very excited… and her lion-tail was wigging behind her. “I- I didn’t think you would say yes I must admit,” She laughed nervously.
“Well, you seem cute to me,” Nick said smooth as butter. “You’re uh- dressed nice.”
“Thanks- I feel a bit underdressed but what can you do…”
“Lucca, don’t forget your purse,” Her mother suddenly said placing it on her neck.
Nick glanced up to see her parents, thankfully human. “Uh- hi there.”
Her mother and father seemed eager to take a picture of the two of them. “Come on why don’t you two get together.” Luke’s mother brought out the camera.
Nick gave his first awkward look and kneeled down a bit to the lioness’s level, taking the picture. He wasn’t at all sure… what he was doing. “So… Lucca?”
“Yep. It’s what I want to be called now.” Lucca said with a soft blush.
“Sure… I dig that. Uh- we’re going to see a movie?”
“Yep!” Lucca nodded as the picture was taken, the flash dazzling their eyes a briefly.
“Have fun you two!” Lucca’s father waved.
The two started to walk awkwardly outside. Nick watched the Lioness thinking… well… she was rather cute. Though he couldn’t help but think it was a bit like being with a pet- thoughts that he knew would land him in trouble if he… pursued them to any deeper conclusion. The two had reached a bus stop that would take them to the mall. Of course, there were stares… people looking at the two of them. At this point Will messaged Nick, to ask him if he’s ‘pet’ her yet- which Nick responded that he was just going out with her… it didn’t have to mean anything more then that.
‘Maybe I should say we’re just going as friends again,’ Nick thought succumbing to the pressure of the situation. If he reminded her there would be less tension, right? Though he had to admit he wanted to learn more about her. Saying that might just upset her and he might not get to speak to her. He refrained from that thought for now… “So, what’s being a lion like?” he probed, trying to learn more about her.
“Oh- well I’m making notes. Well- not literally but you know,” Lucca laughed. “Let’s see… keeping my paws clean is actually really hard. I don’t relish the idea of licking them like a real cat… but it’s something I got to be aware of. Hm… I hope to earn my wings someday too and become a real sphinx.”
“You- you really think you can?” Nick asked intrigued.
“I got to be a lion when people said it was impossible. They said nobody would be changing any more… I’m already quite exceptional in that! I’ll find a way to become a real sphinx. Maybe… you’d like to transform too?”
Nick blanched slightly fearful. Turning into a freak was… well… not really his cup of tea. “I- uh- I don’t think so Luke,” He rubbed his head not sure how to explain why that was a ‘bad idea’.
“Come on, you’re with me so… you must be curious right?”
“Curious about you Lucca… changing would feel… weird.”
“Oh… The thing is… I think being something else would really suit you. You’re not like others…”
Nick seemed surprised at that. “You barely know me,” he reminded a bit annoyed now. “I don’t really know how to feel about that. I am like everyone else.”
“You’re… kind.” Lucca insisted. “Kinder then anyone I’ve ever met.”
“There are many kind people, you just need to know where to look,” Nick insisted. “People are just people… and the kindest people often harbour dark secrets.”
“Hm.. there’s just something about you to me… you smell nice, you have a connection to nature that you hide. I can tell. You could be really awesome.” She wiggled her tail looking up to him. “I don’t think there is a dark secret in your heart at all.”
“Heh…” Nick didn’t know what to say to any of that. Lucca was just ‘weird’… still, he always gave one date hoping to meet someone special in his life. He wasn’t a ‘playboy’ despite his image of being the ‘cool guy’ whatever that was. Lucca was probably caught in the fantasy of who he was… an image Nick seemed to exude without trying when in reality, he was just ‘down to Earth’ with people and did whatever he wanted. He just didn’t desire to harm people, and he liked to have fun. Essentially a gentlemen… he wished people ‘could’ get to know the real him, and not the aura he projected at times. “Tell you what, if we find a way, I’ll think about it okay?” He said hoping that would hopefully satiate her.
“Ha deal! Oh! there’s the bus…” The lion quickly jumped on. “Sorry- can you get my student pass around my neck?”
So began their date…
Will was…a little nervous.
He was around the mall, wanting to see the results of this date. He wasn’t sure how close to get. Maybe they would kiss? Maybe she would start licking him- gross- he shook his head wondering if this was the right thing to do. A lion was quite dangerous after all… though he was more concerned about Nick’s reputation.
Once it got out that he was dating this ‘freaky’ thing… well…
…it wouldn’t be long before that would spread to his associates and Will might have to stop hanging out with him anyway. Not something he wanted to do, the two did enjoy the other’s company. But- what if things got ‘really bad’?
He waited for a bit, drinking a juice in the food court when… he saw a red faced girl… her skin entirely red. “Oh crap-“ It was a demon! A real actual demon girl! He stared at her red wings, tail.. she wore so little, with shorts and T-shirt covering her with small shoes with barely peeking out socks. The girl glanced to him.
“Hm? Oh- Will!” Damien smiled seeing the familiar face. She wanted to know how much things had changed here! Oh right- her name was now Rozzeriel… she had to remember that. She stared to approach in a relaxed fashion, her tails swaying behind her.
Will looked in horror and started to run away. “G-Get away from me!” He abandoned his drink quickly and ran for the exit.
Rozz gasped. “W-wait will It’s me!” She tried to run after him.
Rozz ran out of the mall, and into the parking lot… she looked around unable to see him. She decided to try flying up in the air. Maybe she should apologize? Wait- what for! She didn’t ‘do’ anything. “Where is he!” She lost him… He ran away from her. He… ran away.
Rozzeriel looked in quiet confusion, her tail slinking a bit behind her as she floated back down to the ground. Everyone was looking at her now… she tried to look less conspicuous and walked down the street a bit… folding her arms. Her red skin and body though impossible to hide.
She looked down, feeling an odd… sensation from her heart. Was this what it was like to feel rejected? Steven made it feel like everyone would still want to be her friend… but maybe they were right after all, for her old links to be severed. She clenched her fist in quiet frustration.
“Sucks doesn’t it,” A voice spoke fluttering from above.
Rozz looked around for the source of the voice, her pointed ears twitching upwards. “You…” The dragon-girl… Valarie Smithson. Rozz almost felt her heart stop. “Oh no..”
Valarie had become the most powerful transformed person of all. A dragon girl with bright green scales on her arms and legs… a rather ‘thick’ tail behind her. She had horns not unlike Rozz. In fact when the two were together, if one took away the scales they looked quite similar.
The green scaled woman somehow looked far more draconic than her initial change from what Rozz could recall. The scales had reached most of her face even changing one of her eyes into a reptilian slit. Her body was invulnerable… Bullets didn’t hurt her, nothing contained her… and she did ‘anything’ she wanted. She had the strength of a superman.
Rozz even as a demon-girl was not sure how to react to her presence. The only thing she hoped was that she was probably a little faster in the air… “W-What are you doing here…” Rozz asked.
Valarie shrugged. “Thought there might be something fun to swipe here,” She admitted. “Though truth is, taking stuff and hoarding it got boring quick.” She shook her head. “I’ve been in and out of jail, the cops finally gave up after I broke their jail and crushed one of their cars. I’m waiting to see if they send the army on me,” She laughed a little. “If they do, I got a new surprise for them.” She blew out suddenly raw draconic fire… melting a sign.
Rozz knew that fire would melt ‘anything’. She bit her lip. “Val, what the heck happened to you?”
“To me? You’ve never been a girl your whole life!” She spat. “Do you even ‘know’ how annoying it was being weak? I’m now at the top… and frankly, I’m enjoying it.”
“Someone will stop you eventually,” Rozz whispered.
“Oh? You maybe? Let’s give it a try… a bit of arial combat could be fun.”
Rozz stared. Her demon body ‘did’ have some resistance to fire… but dragon fire was something else. Just one hit and she would- well- it wasn’t worth trying. “No…” she sighed. “Please Val, you were always so nice when you were human-“
“Shut up! You never even cared who I was before then! What we are now… that’s all that matters. You saw your pal run away from you… he doesn’t care. I bet you’ve seen the way guys lewdly look at you… give it a few weeks you’ll be just like me. Hell, I heard you practically ‘was’… so I’ll ask what happened to you? I wanted us to join forces until your change of heart…”
Rozz looked down. “…I was angry. Yeah. I lost all my friends… but… I don’t actually mind what I became any more. Sometimes it’s even fun. I’m a demon-girl but… nobody really knows what a ‘demon’ is right? Harpies are supposed to rip people apart, but people don’t mind them so much. Maybe with time… I’ll convince them I’m not anything to be feared.”
The dragon girl stared at Rozz… then started to laugh. “Ha- HA! You’re serious. You’re really serious?! You look like you came from freakin’ Hell itself! You’ll be chained up just like me. Except unlike me, your chains will probably be strong enough…”
Rozz shook her head. “I was wrong to be so … upset. I don’t even mind being a girl any more…”
“Hmph… that’s because you never grew up as one.”
Rozz didn’t know what to say back to that. “…I didn’t no… but I know many who have. They didn’t end up a psycho.” Valarie’s eyes flashed a sudden red… She walked up to Rozz’s face.
The demon woman held her breath slightly. “I-”
“Heh… you make an interesting point… Ah! I know… that friend of yours, how about we make a little bet?” She started to smile rubbing her hands.
“W-what?”
The dragon-girl gave a coy look. “You’re a demon girl right? You like making a wager? You can learn a bit more about your own power…”
Rozz frowned at that. With Steven learning magic… and herself subject to magic by virtue of being a demon… that would actually be quite useful. “What’s the wager…”
The dragon girl giggled. “… let’s transform Will.”
Rozz gave a flat dead pan look on her face. “W-what?”
“You seem to think it’s not that hard growing up as a girl… let’s test it shall we? I’ll turn him into one.”
“You- You can do that?”
“Sure. I’ve transformed a few people before… those who annoy me. He qualifies,” the dragon girl nodded.
Rozz blinked. The rumours of people being transformed… some of which had nothing to do with the original transformation. It was down to Valarie?! The dragon girl… she had to tell Steven! He was the only other one she knew with any magic that might be able to deal with this. “…and how exactly do we quantify ‘cracking’? People might say I cracked… you clearly are cracked.” Rozz tried to play it ‘calmly’ even though she was freaked out.
“Hm, you make a good point. Let’s see. It’s his birthday in a month’s time. If he ‘declines’ to have a party… with at least three friends. Does that work well enough for your legal document little demon?”
Rozzeriel quietly debated it- part of her wishing she wasn’t. “What if I say no?”
“I’m turning him into a girl anyway dear. This is just ‘extra fun.”
‘crap’ Rozz looked sullen at that. “… if you are going to do it and I can’t stop you… I guess I have no choice. If he doesn’t crack you’ll follow human rules? Accept being in jail for all your crimes.”
“Yep… but if he does crack… You and me, we become partners in crime. We’ll rule this world for as long as we live… you’ll succumb to your demon urges- and I know you have them…” She smiled. “You’ll be my pet… I’ll ravage you will … ravage in your own way…”
Rozz took a slight step back at that. “Urgh- no way. Val are you nuts! This isn’t even possible. I don’t believe you have that power…”
Val simply smirked. “Well do we have a deal?”
Rozz debated it quietly. Maybe she could help Will… If she didn’t stop Val though she would utterly destroy the world in a few years… nobody could stop her. This would be one sure way to stop her. As a demon girl she could actually ‘enforce’ a bet that was the result of magic. Val could not break her word… She slowly extended her hand. “On the proviso… I will decide what she looks like…”
“Ha… very well. It doesn’t matter… I was certainly not going to make her ‘ugly’… but I will concede that part to you…”
“Deal.”
Steven was at home now… very unwell. He wasn’t sure what had come over him. However something very ‘strange’ was going on. He felt so hot and bothered… and the worst part was how his sweat made the sheets so damp. He got up, trying to go to the bathroom again. “Urgh… what the heck is wrong with me…” He stared at himself in the reflection.
“Something’s not right…”
He stared hard in the mirror. He was still him though… wasn’t he? He was… he saw himself… he saw himself… yet there was a slight ‘shimmer’? No- he was wrong. Of course that wasn’t it. He still had to finish his research… the cause of the change… His phone then beeped. He looked at the message board… “Huh?”
Someone found ‘an egg’ in the boy’s toilets? There was even a picture of it. Rather big, with soft specs of blue. Steven recalled being sick there for a bit, but had left and didn’t see anything. He frowned a bit confused…
