You are standing by a tree
There are 3 paths.
One appears to go to a jungle,
one appears to go to a cave,
one appears to go to a beach,
you could try and climb the tree,
there is a nearby shop you could go in,
or you could do something else.
So what's its going to be?
Written by catprog on 01 April 2003
In the shop
There is a table with a sign saying
<strong>Free Sample:</strong>
Take one
On the table there is a fridge with a range of liquids. Also on the table are various magical trinkets including costumes. What would you like to take, or would you like to buy something?
Written by catprog on 10 April 2003
Vials of Liquid
Stepping up to the table you spy an array of liquids all contained neatly in vials on the table. Despite not being heated, some bubble and give off faint trails of steam others churn and twist as if they were alive and seeking some escape. You look over the table with wonder, but keep returning to the vials.
However there is another one that catches your eye, but for some reason it is as if the vial itself can not decide on what color it wants to be. This second it is blue, the next pink. What a strange shop, you think to yourself as you pick up the vial. "Well I don't see a price tag on this. Maybe it is a free sample." The vial is neither hot nor cold, and the color shifting continues as you hold it up to your lips in the dim light of the shop.
You catch a faint aroma of bubble gum, no maybe it is wood chips and campfires. Your brain can't figure it out and you shrug as you down the vial. The liquid courses down your throat coating every inch. You cough at the taste, definitely bubblegum.
"What was in that," you say to yourself out loud. The words becoming softer towards the end and lifting musically in tone. "OH no, what's happening to my voice!?" Your hand grasps at your throat trying to will the liquid back up and out. Each word takes on a more feminine lilt as the vials contents now settle in your stomach.
You stumble back trying to catch a glimpse of yourself, a mirror hung on a sidewall reflects a picture you are not quite sure you're seeing. Your form starting from the middle shrinks in, you feel the world grow around you as you find yourself shrinking. You look down to see the floor rising up at you then stop. You reach out a hand to steady yourself on the table as your center of balance shifts. You feel your shirt expanding around your chest and look down to see two large mounds pushing outwards. Your hands fly to them to discover that they were exactly what you thought they were.
Your stomach churns as your insides boil. "Oh man I should have stayed outside." You say aloud in disbelief.
"Why yes deary you should have." Came a response from behind the counter. A wizened older man steps out from behind a curtain that had obscured the back store room. "If you wanted a sample I could have provided, now it looks like you've purchase the full ride."
"Full ride?" You say the gasp as your feet crunch and shift growing smaller, more feminine. Hair spills forth weighing your head down and threatening to leave you permanently looking at the ceiling as it stops thankfully above your expanding hips.
"Yes, the full ride. I hope you plan on paying for that."
"Pay for it?" The question not registering with you, you take a second to take in your new form in the mirror. Your clothes hang loosely in places on your new figure and are far too tight in others.
"Yes yes, pay for it. This is a shop. You've enjoyed the merchandise. Now how do you want to pay for it?"
"Oh!" You say the context finally catching up. The edges of your vision are cut off by the hair you have to keep sweeping back behind your ears. "I... I have money. I think." You say patting your pockets for your wallet.
The old man sighs. "Money... what would I want with money. You can't expect a practitioner of the arcane arts to want something as simple as money. You simply have no idea how easy it is to conjure piles of the stuff... Money.. Pwah."
"You don't... You don't want my soul do you?"
"Child I am not some sort of demon either. You really have no idea what sort of store you walked in to do you?" The man cackled. "The sign outside is perfectly clear."
"Sign..?" you stammer.
"UGH! YES THE SIGN. "SHOP OF THE DARK AND ARCANE MYSTICAL ARTS AS PRESENTED BY IVAN MAKNARAK." The man yells at you. Some sort of power ringing through voice sounding ominous yet mysterious, like a loud rumble in your ears.
"I... I don't know how I am going to pay... This is my first time... meeting a wizard." You say tentatively not wanting to anger the magic man.
"Wizard! You think I am but a lowly wizard!" The mans brows furrow in anger. "I my sweet dear am a Warlock!" He says emphasizing the title. His focus shifts for a second and then his countenance eases. "I suppose if this is your first time meeting a warlock, you would not know the particulars..."
"I'm sorry... Sir Warlock. But I don't know how to pay you. I don't I have anything you want." You say still unsure of the situation.
"Oh on the contrary sweetie...you have exactly what I want." He says a wicked smile forming on his lips.
Written by Crunchynachoes on 04 October 2018
Try to Escape
You turn quickly, looking for an escape, whatever this old coot has planned is not something you want to stick around for. Your balance shifts on new legs, your extra weight up top carrying you around. Your new legs catch something unseen and with a shock you realize that you're about to crash into the table full of vials and relics.
"No!" Ivan screams at you. "Wait we can talk about it!"
You lift your arms up at the last second shielding your face, knocking the various trinkets off the table sending them clattering to the floor. The scene plays in slow motion to you. Perhaps it was an effect of the shop or some unknown hold over from the vial you swallowed but the fall seemed to take an eternity for your conscious mind.
Your wide hips connect with the table and roll unexpectedly down to the floor, your new bottom cushioning the blow nicely. Your back hits the floor as amulets fly around you. You feel your breasts roll into your armpits their weight pulling on your chest painfully. As if in slow motion you see the contents of the vials had skittered to the edge of the table, and now with your back flush against the floor, you're staring up at your impending doom.
The vials contents tip up and froth precariously, the rack leaning against the edge, threatening at any second to spill their contents on you. Dust kicked up from the floor of the shop settles around you as your eyes are fixed to the rack of vials. Green and red, purple and blue liquids sway back and forth with the sudden flurry of motion. One of the vials, seemingly coated in fur leaks a bead of contents down the side. The last vial glowing a violent shade of neon purple twists and thrashes at the glass.
"Careful now!" Ivan calls out to you. "Careful! Just move out of the way of the vials and we can talk about the payment. Easy... Easy." He says coaching you on as you shift around, first shifting your new hair out of the way, then untangling yourself from the various cords and cables that have found their way on top of you.
The dust scratches at your nose, your eyes water, you can feel the inevitable about to happen.
Ivan can see it on your face as he says, "Oh no. Don't, just hold it in!" But he is cut off as you sneeze viciously. The sound was all that was needed to free the vials from their precarious perch.
You try to reach up to stop the vials from falling, your new assets blocking your arms ability to reach it quickly enough. You grab the rack, only to spill the vials over yourself.
You watch in horror as the various liquids mix and tumble shining dimly in the light of the shop as they splash over you coating your face, torso, arms, breasts, and pants. You gasp at the various sensations of the liquids hitting you at once. A generous portion of the potions flows impossibly into your mouth as if seeking refuge from the shop. You feel the burning urge to swallow as the liquid practically forces its way down your throat. You feel your skin quake as it starts shifting and taking on different characteristics. You feel as if you're burning but freezing, wet but dry, alive but dead.
Ivan stiffens and watches the scene unfold. "Aww man not again. I always lose my best customers. I wonder what she's going to look like after this."
Written by Crunchynachoes on 08 October 2018
Anthro Skunk
Your skin burns and shifts, fur sprouts then recedes. Various parts and forms jut from yours, your mind races to try and catch up with the new and lessening feelings as every vials contents boils and freezes in your veins. One form seems to be winning out over the others, as black fur races down your body sprouting tufts of fur from various pores. You feel your form shifting as your face pushes outwards. Your clothes are eaten away or torn from the various reactions and interactions of the vials. The tatters hang about you as your form quakes under the changes.
You reach and now black furred and clawed hand up to feel your new muzzle. It is a strange feeling, having your nose be so far in front of your face, your eyes have a hard time not focusing on it. You touch what feels like your cheeks but are now hanging in front of your face and gasp. Your mouth has moved with it and takes up the lower portion of your new muzzle. Like... Like an animal. A dog? Your mind reels under the changes.
You feel a painful sensation as something pushes at your waistband. You pull down your jeans slightly to reveal new luxurious tail spilling forth from your ripped jeans. The black and white pattern is unmistakable. "A skunk!" You say aloud, panic in your voice.
"It seems like it." Ivan says, he had come into the shop from behind the counter to get a better look at your changes. "And a pretty one at that. Come come, no need for modesty. I have a shower in the back. We can talk about how you're going to work off the damages there."
You sigh aloud, and take his hand, how could this day get any worse. Ivan offers a large blanket to you which covers up the changes from prying eyes. You take a quick glance downwards to find your view still obstructed by your new assets. You shift and again, the black fur forming a seamless pattern down your midriff and nethers to meet your legs and carried on down to your feet. Your feet, had changed as well, looking more like paws than human feet. You lift one up and sure enough, the bottom is lined with pink pads. Your toes now sporting claws scraped slightly against the stone floor as you were escorted by Ivan to the washroom in the back.
The backroom looked much like the front of the store. Mostly old knickknacks covered in dust and the detritus of time. Ivan ushered you past this facade, through an old door and into a room with a series of doors on different walls. He strode to one door and pulled and pulling a handle on it ushered you through the door and into a bathroom that was seemingly out of place with the rest of the shop.
"Please freshen up in here while I think about how you're going to pay me back." Ivan said.
It seems in your effort to escape you have only made things worse for yourself. You walk into the bathroom, modern features greeting you. It takes a second but you figure out how to turn on the shower and wash the remains of the potions and the changes off of you.
Your figure feels like your figure, you do not feel any sort of shame or hatred for it, it is simply who you are. Perhaps that was part of the changes. Stepping out of the shower, you take some time admiring your new grace and agility in the mirror. You are flexible, lithe, and trim with muscles you have never felt before flexing and bending with you. You felt your new assets and decided that they were cute. You can feel yourself blushing under your new fur, abashed at your reaction but enjoying yourself nonetheless. Your admiration trance was broken by a knock at the door.
"Are you going to take all day in there?" Ivan called. "I have decided on how I want payment."
Dread rises within you. You hope that it won't be too bad. You don the blanket and stepped out.
Written by Crunchynachoes on 14 October 2018
Pay the Price
Ivan joined you inside the bathroom, out of some new instinct you pull the towel up and over your new furred breasts. Your stomach gurgles precipitously perhaps feeling some lingering effects of the potions running through your veins. You can feel the fur pushing out of your pours and your white and black patterning sharpens on your back.
You catch a glance of yourself in the mirror, your tail caught up by the upper rim of the towel twitches in fear and a little bit of anger.
Ivan takes you in for a second, and whistles softly. "My my, that could have turned out a lot worse than it did. Turn around let me take a look at you." He says motioning with his hand to turn around. The new instincts riding high you blush furiously but do as instructed. Your tail stiffens and twitches madly.
After finishing his inspection, Ivan steps back and looks at you. "My dear, I am sorry for how this has played out. It is incredibly unfortunate that I must still ask you to pay for the potions even though it was an accident." You nod at him sensing that he feels a little sorry for you. You notice with a shock that your emotions are running wild. When you entered the shop as a man, you were lucky to feel something at the end of a sad movie, instead opting to console your girlfriend. You sigh as you remember your girlfriend perhaps for the first time. Jennifer was going to be pissed.
You look to Ivan, resigned to your fate, anything he does will not be worse than facing Jennifer. "How much do I owe you?" You ask timidly already sensing that money was not going to be part of the transaction.
"Well my dear, as you have seen, this is a magic shop, so the prices are a little, different than what you may be used to. See there's this new spell I have been wanting to try out, and I think that you're an appropriate candidate." Ivan said.
"Is it going to hurt?" You ask.
"No, it shouldn't hurt at all, and it will be over quite quickly." Ivan consoled you.
"Alright let's do it then." You agree halfheartedly.
"Perfect!" Ivan smiles broadly. "Now then if you prefer, you can close your eyes, but I know some people tend to prefer to watch the changes as they happen."
You shake your head and with a start Ivan flings his hand out at you and starts chanting. A red bolt of energy streams from his fingertips and strikes you in the chest. The magical energy crackles and sparks, lifting you off of your feet. Your towel is blown off and you struggle to cover yourself with your hands. All of that is useless in the face of the waves of magical energy covering your body. You feel you butt growing almost, and you look back in horror to see it extending out behind you, almost comically so.
Your tail follows it backwards, and looking behind you, you see it extending outwards. You try to reach for it in some vain attempt to keep it tethered to your already strange body, but you find your hands tethered in place by the forces surrounding you.
Wet tears fall from your eyes and roll down your furred cheeks. You were not in pain, but you were becoming that much different from how you entered the shop. There was no way you'd be accepted into normal society with your new body, much less now that your ass was another five feet long.
With a start you realize that large pawed legs form on the sides of your new torso and extend downwards. You were becoming some sort of strange centaur you realize. Fur fills in your new torso and your white on black patterning extends down your new back. Your tail flies wildly in mad arcs twitching fiercely and fluffing up in the excitement.
Ivan's spell finishes with a start and you fall gently to the floor the impact caught by your new padded feet and legs.
You look at Ivan eyes wide but red rimmed from crying.
"What have you done to me Ivan?" You ask, fear filling you.
"What have I done to you?" Ivan repeats. "My dear I have extended the boundaries of magic and science is what I have done! This is a monumental success!" Ivan said ecstatically.
"Ivan you've turned me into a freak." You say plainly. "No my dear." He counters. "Don't you see, Taur magic is one of the hardest schools there are! Even necromancy is child's play versus modifying an existing entity with an entirely new form, then stitching it all together seamlessly. My dear, you will be a celebrity in the magic world!"
"What are you talking about? Celebrity?" You say hesitantly. This is not what you expected in the least.
"Yes, yes! Celebrity! Don't you see! You're at the pinnacle of the magic world. You'll have warlocks near and far drooling to come see you, to inspect my handiwork!"
"I just want to turn back to normal and go back to the life I had," you say.
"Nonsense, how could you know if you're going to like this new life or not, you haven't even started living it yet." Ivan replied incredulously. "You will have every whim provided to, every need satisfied. What more could you want in life?"
"I am going to leave my girlfriend and my friends behind!"
Ivan pondered for a second before saying...
Written by crunchynachoes on 02 November 2018
What if they come with you?
Ivan looks at you hopefully and says, "Well, what if they come with you?"
You pause for a second, at a loss for words, then nod. You would like it better if they came along with you.
Ivan claps and laughs, "Perfect! I will make the preparations, listen you're in for the ride of your life." Ivan laugh again and starts chanting.
You step backwards and promptly back yourself into some miscellaneous crates. You're unused to having a back half. You sigh you yourself, this is going to take some getting used to. Your tail sensing your emotions swishes furiously knocking into other detritus lining the shelves and boxes of the storeroom.
Red energy cracks and sparkles in front of you as the portals form. Suddenly reality starts shifting in front of your eyes. You can see your friends in front of you in their homes, or at school, or on the bus. With a start, each one of them realizes they can see the portals. Each one of them screams as they plop through the portal and into the storeroom of the magic shop.
The storeroom explodes into screams and profanities as your two closest friends and your girlfriend pop into existence inside of the room. Noticing you they back away from you as if something is wrong. It takes a second for you to remember that you would look like some sort of mascot alien to them.
Ivan yells for quiet, then again, before finally sighing in resignment, casts a small spell that amplifies his voice and booms across eternity. "I SAID BE QUIET"
Each of your friends quiet down. You remember that you are practically unclothed but your fur does a great job covering your bits. You decide to ride with it and see how it goes.
Ivan sighs again and says in a much quieter voice. "Great, now that I have your attention, let me tell you why you are here."
Your girlfriend, Jennifer, cuts him off first. "Where are we? Send me back right now, I am going to be late for class. You just wait until I tell my boyfriend about this."
Ivan rolls his eyes and says "Funny you should say that," he waves his hand and Jennifer falls silent.
"You can tell him, or her, yourself, right now."
Jennifer, confused looks around, and says angrily, "What are you talking about old man? He's not here."
"Oh she is here, she just looks a little bit different than he did this morning." Ivan says, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
Jennifer's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?" Looking at you hesitantly. You wave to her with one furred hand.
Her eyes roll back in her head and she faints, falling to the floor. Your friends, Steve and Jim, each rise from their crouched positions. Each had taken in your new form and each had come to the same conclusion.
"Cooool" They say in unison. "You look really weird," Steve says to you looking you over. "Like some sort of skunk centaur. Awesome."
"Whoah," Jim says reaching out a hand and brushing your fur backwards, sending a jolt through your body. "You've got to be hot under all that fur," he says.
"Well," Ivan replies. "funny story about that. She has become, or rather, will become, something of a celebrity very shortly and has selected you to come with her, and help her transition into her new life. Isn't that right." Ivan says, looking at you.
You nod and smile, shrugging to your friends. You felt some concern for Jennifer, but figured she would come to terms with it in her own time. "Wow that is hilarious," Steve says. "I am down for this," he says to Ivan. He says to you. "Any chance to miss school right?" You laugh and clap Steve on the back.
Ivan meanwhile has leaned over Jennifer and had managed to rouse her. She stands up, and looks at you with trepidation. Tears roll down her face. "Oh what has he done to you. I am not sure I can handle this." She wraps her arms around her chest and holds herself. You want to go to her, but understand that might not be the right move right now. You shrug at her sympathetically.
Jim looks you up and down and blushes himself. "I am in." He says.
Ivan looks at the four of you and sighs saying, "This isn't some mystery movie, if she wants you to go," He points at you then resumes, "you're going. Now then, a couple rules. You're going to be entering a world completely unfamiliar to you, everything you know is going to be upended. Don't touch anything. Don't eat anything. Everything you see is some sort of magic and will have lasting consequences if you mess with it. I will explain everything when we get to our room."
"Our room?" Steve says.
"Yeah it's like a hotel. A magical hotel." Ivan says. Then turns and conjures forth another portal. "Now then, through you go." He waves his hand, ushering you through the portal.
"I am not going through any portal, I want to go home." Jennifer yells.
Ivan sighs casts another spell which wraps around Jennifer's head and muffles her cursing. It binds her hands and feet together as well. Ivan gestures with a finger and lifts here up and through the portal.
"Shall we?" He says to the rest of you.
Written by crunchynachoes on 14 November 2018
Go Through The Portal
Ivan pauses for a second, holding up his hand. "Oh I forgot to mention. The magical plane is quite a bit different than where we are coming from. Some of my counterparts look at humans as a blank canvas and will take every opportunity to permanently change them as possible. So in effect you are going to need disguises."
Jim says "Cool like an undercover mission!"
Ivan looks at him not sure if he was being serious and says, "Yes, sure why not. So in short you're going to have to look similar to your friend here, but don't worry it is just going to be a temporary illusion until we can get you into the room. We'll figure out more permanent disguises later."
Jim nods eagerly, you can tell not really understanding what was about to happen, while Steve sighed and rolled his eyes. Jennifer thrashed violently against her restrains. Ivan pulled her back through the portal and snapped his fingers. Before your eyes you watch Jennifer sprout fur along her face and hands. Yellow, golden fur, moves across her body, growing into a seamless coat obscuring her from view. Her face seemed almost to be covered by a mask of some sort, before shrinking down to fit her face precisely.
Jim recoiled a bit a this finally sensing what was about to happen. Steve rolled his eyes again and said, "It suits her pretty good, doesn't it?" Steve had never made any mystery about his dislike of Jennifer. It was your turn to sniff and roll your eyes. You liked Jennifer but knew that the two of them were too similar to ever like each other.
Ivan turned to the group, "Gentlemen? Favorite animal?"
Steve paused and then said, "Well I was going to say dog..." Ivan immediately shot out a bolt of crackling red energy, enveloping Steve, dark fur pushing out of his clothing and from under his shirt as the illusion spread across him. His fingers formed large black pads, and his feet elongated as the mask type face settled about his own.
Steve held up his hand in wonder looking at the illusion. Ivan turned to Jim.
Jim blushed furiously and you got a sneaking suspicion as to why. Jim had previously confided in you that he liked girls so much that he wanted to be one. You had somehow beaten him there despite your previous feelings.
Ivan looked at Jim and said, "Well, what shall it be? We haven't got all day."
Jim stammered saying, "I... ugh... I want to be a cat. BUT. I want to be a girl cat."
Ivan shrugged again chanting, sending bolt of lightning energy at Jim, who made no effort to resist. The changes happened instantly, fur sprouting, tail growing, face changing. This time though, his form seemed to shrink in on itself, becoming definitely more feminine in nature. You can see the beginnings of illusory breasts forming pushing his now furred torso outwards. Jim gasped and from his lips came a feminine purr.
He held a hand up to his mouth in embarrassment.
Ivan turning to the group said, "Now then you will have amble time to explore when we get to the room."
"What... what about me?" You ask timidly. Ivan turns a twinkle in his eye, "My dear, you are the centerpiece. As soon as you step through that portal you and I will be the center of attention for some time to come."
"Oh..." You say, unsure of what to make of this and definitely not enjoying the direction this day has gone.
Ivan says, "Alright let's go!"
Dog Jennifer is sent through the portal, Jim and Steve take a second still admiring themselves but step up and through.
Ivan turns to you, "my dear, shall we?" He links his arm with yours, you blush under your fur, and he taps himself on the head, long grey fur sprouts from his body, his ears elongate quite a bit, and sudden you're holding onto a rabbit dressed in Ivan's outfit. He grins at you, buck teeth poking out from his lips. He pulls a old spiral hat out of thin air and taking care to poke his ears through, dons it and then pulls you through the portal.
You feel yourself being pulled into the portal and feel like the world has become statically charged, your fur stands on end, and suddenly like a soap bubble popping you're through the portal.
Jim and Steve are dealing with the same issue as their illusory fur stands on end, Jim's tail has fluffed up perhaps with the excitement.
You're immediately struck by how different this place is. In place of tables instead topiaries float in mid air. Brooms and dustpans sweep aimlessly around the room, cleaning on an endless loop. You seem to have been summoned into a small anteroom, Ivan gestures to you all as if to gather you up, and floats Jennifer behind him.
"Now again for the final time, touch nothing, eat nothing. Alright?" Jim and Steve nod. "Let me see if your companion has calmed down."
"What was her name?" Ivan asks you. "Jennifer," you state.
"Alright, Jennifer," Ivan says as he drops the spell around Jennifer's head. Jennifer stares at him coldly not speaking.
"Jennifer, if it makes anything better, I am sorry, but this simply can not wait. Will you be a good girl?" Jennifer's eyes flare with anger.
"A Good Girl! How dare you, you son of a....!" The shield springs up again, muting her.
"Careful now," Ivan says, "Best not to throw stones in a glass house. Alright well she will just have to follow along. Gather yourselves. Oh and don't talk to anyone."
Ivan throws open the gold encrusted door to a grand hall the likes of which you have never seen before. The high arching ceiling lay hundreds of feet in the air, sunlight streams in through thousands of windows on to scenes of unimaginable beauty and magic. Thousands of incredible feats of engineering mix with unbelievable displays of magical prowess. Hundreds of golems locked in eternal war fight and reassemble themselves in midair before changing into what looks like words, you gather it is an advertisement for something called Golem Wars, tonight at 9. The more you look the more you can draw similarities between this world and your own. Advertisements for vehicles, clothing, and the like line most obvious places. But it is the people themselves that differ. There are no people, but there are thousands of furred and scales creatures roaming the great hall.
Your mouth hands agape at the spectacle, Jim and Steve stand beside you taking it all in for a second. Ivan had started down the stairs in front of you, waving off handledly to someone he recognized. You look down the wall to see another hundred or so doorways like the one you just walked out of, all receiving and departing these beings, err people you now suppose you count yourself among.
Your paws touch the cool stone floor as you make your way out of the room and down the stairs following Ivan. Suddenly you hear a loud crash from beside you. Turning to look a female person sized guinea pig has dropped an armload of metal tins and stares at you with as much wonder as you look at her with.
She struggles to say something, "Ta... Ta... Ta.." and points at you. Steve and Jim continue with Ivan and Jennifer down the stairs. "Taur!" The guinea pig woman stammers. A small gasp runs through the crowd as more people start taking notice of your presence.
You smile slightly, emotions running through you. Your tail flicks wildly on your back half. Ivan turns, seeing the commotion and walks back up to you. "Smile and wave," he says under his breath. You wave to the woman and she faints straight away, sending the remaining tins scattering. The din of a thousand conversations hang in the air growing louder as the smile, now frozen to your face, struggles to remain there against a tidal wave of emotions.
Your tail fluffs up further heightening the thrall of the people now starting to gather around. You see animals of all shapes and sizes dressed in formal and nonformal wear, some more human than others, but all sprouting numerous animalistic features. A pair of tiger's in suits, one white with black stripes, the other Orange and black, turn to look at you, one spits out a mouthful of coffee.
You try your best to saunter down the stairs hoping not to trip over your own feet. Your body is so new and alien, this world so new, that you feel you're going to be swept away at any second. Ivan waves to the crowd now gathering around you, and smiles and waves back taking a second to shake furred hands here and there. He fends off thousands of questions. You feel hands reaching out and touching your tail, your rump, and your new back as if not believing it is real.
Ivan looks at you, smiles and says, "Well I guess the cat is out of the bag now." With a fluid motion he turns, spinning on his heels, and shoots a red beam of energy into the Golem advertisement sending thousands of blocks of marble scattering in the air. Big red letters present themselves in the advertisement. "TAUR! As Present By IVAN MAKNARAK!"
A gasp goes through the crowd before cheers start up. Apparently Ivan had been telling the truth this must be something incredibly difficult. You feel special, more so than you have in your entire life. More and more people seek out to lay a hand on your back half. You smile broader, but suddenly starting to feel overwhelmed move closer to Ivan and grab his arm gently.
"Ivan, can we please go to the room?" You say plaintively.
"Sure sure, these people will have plenty of time tonight. This is more than taste enough for them." Ivan moves through the crowd parting them with ease. You finally reach a rotund reception desk and Ivan states simply, "Checking in."
"Of course, Of course. How many?" The receptionist, a scaled woman with a carnivorous face looks at you politely. The manager on duty or someone of some authority you surmise steps in, looking at your party up and down. He looks like some sort of sea creature, maybe a walrus with large tusks and a wide set of whiskers and beard, says "Ivan! So great for you to rejoin the land of the living."
"Of course Walter! I couldn't stay away for long." Ivan says jovially.
Please, Susette, give them a Suite on the house." Walter says to the receptionist. He turns to Ivan and says, "I hope we wont have to replace the furniture like last time?"
"No no, not this time, my.... companions are quite a bit... tamer, than last time. You try getting on the wrong side of a Saurellian marital dispute and emerging unscathed." Walter laughs out loud "Never! Never have, never will." The receptionist rolls her eyes. The crowd around you growing larger and the sound of loud conversation filling the hall.
"Walter, I'd like also to rent out one of your meeting halls." Ivan says. Walter looks at him and then at you. "Yes I suspect you do. Let me check on the schedule and get back to you, I'll send someone up to the room once you're settled."
Ivan nods and reaches out his paw. Walter's meaty flipper like webbed hand envelops Ivan's and they part ways Ivan grabs your hand leading you through the crowd. You had taken to dancing nervously with your back legs, your tail dancing furiously. Jim and Steve had gotten blocked off by the crowd but rejoined you at the elevator. The only person missing was...Jennifer.
You turn to Ivan. "Where's Jennifer?" He curses under his breath and looks around, seeing only other furred people around him with no way to distinguish where she was. "I'm sorry," he said. "I will notify hotel staff, and they will find her shortly, they have spells for this sort of thing."
You nod having no choice but to trust him. So many people looking at you at the same time was racking your nerves. You simply could not handle Jennifer missing at the same time. You walk up a set of stairs to what looks like an elevator bank. Ivan hands a key over to the assistant waiting there and speaks quietly into his ear. The assistant ushers you through a back door and away from the crowd following you.
The assistant stops an elevator and gestures your party through. "Enjoy your stay," he says as the doors close behind you. The elevator opens almost immediately to a room unlike any you had seen before. Keeping with the theme of the lobby, massive vaulted ceilings reach hundreds of feet in the air. A soft chorus plays throughout the chamber. Windows look out onto a vista wonderful to behold.
But you can not turn your thoughts away from...
Written by crunchynachoes on 18 November 2018
Jennifer
You knew Jennifer would be in trouble in short order in this place, you ponder as you absentmindedly stare at a couch unsure of how to position yourself on it in a comfortable manner. You were certain that she had not listened to any of Ivan's warnings and was certain to be doing everything exactly wrong.
An idea comes to your mind perhaps Ivan could cast an illusion around you so that you could look for her. You knew that if you walked outside you'd be mobbed in a second what with all the attention you had drawn before.
"Ivan?" You say aloud trying to catch his attention. He was lost in preparations for tonight writing busily into a book.
Jim and Steve were looking around the suite exploring their illusory selves and the room itself. They did not seem to care at all about Jennifer.
Distress rising in you, you feel your cheeks flush and your temper starting to simmer. "Ivan!" You yell louder.
Ivan looks up from his notebook, ink stains on his hands from writing so quickly. He grunts something unintelligible and turns to start writing again.
"Ivan! I need to go look for Jennifer." You say to him.
He looks back at you doubtfully and says, "Not like that you're not. Lose my big star on the eve of my triumph! I think not."
"Ivan! Listen to me, I need to go look for her, you know the dangers of this place, she is going to be lost and afraid and wind up getting us in trouble." You hoped that that line of reasoning would work with him. You sincerely doubted he would care if Jennifer wound up becoming a permanent resident of this place or worse.
Ivan's brow furrowed, "What is it with you people and wanting to bring along your friends. All I wanted was a nice assistant to demonstrate my warlockery and all of a sudden I have to become a babysitter too."
As if on queue a loud crash sounded through the room as a large vase topped to the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces. Jim and Steve looked around at each other innocently. Ivan cursed, grumbled some more, and then begrudgingly said, "Fine! I suppose you'll do less damage out there than in here. But I can't have you wandering the halls alone, and I cant have the two of you getting lost and causing more problems."
"You two, stay in the room," Ivan's eyes glowed red as he pointed a devilish finger at your two friends. Ghostly red chains sprouted from the floor, wrapping themselves around your friends legs. Try as they might, they could not struggle free.
"Hmmmm, not my better work," Ivan says then looking at you. "Now then, about you. I am going to cast an illusion on you, this time you have to be careful not to bump into anyone or anything, your physical form will not be changed, only the one we can see, alright?"
Not quite following you look at him questioningly. Ivan sees the confusion on your face and annoyedly says, "Your butt and tail will still be behind you when I cast this. Try not to be clumsy." You nod.
Ivan's rabbit form twitches, his nose wobbles and whiskers flare as his eyes glow red. He intones magically some arcane cantrip and its flows red and eerie surround your body, but you feel nothing. White fur sprouts over your own black and white fur, this time tinged with grey. You see illusory paws form over yours as you struggle to understand what animal Ivan has chosen for you.
Your back half grows wavy then disappears from view, you can feel your tail still back there flowing around and twitching occasionally. The white and grey fur spreading still. Eventually right above your illusory butt you see a long bald tail sprouting and it dawns on you. You are going to be a opossum. "Huh, strange choice Ivan."
He looks at you while wrapping up the spell, and shrugs. "You won't draw as much attention this way. Marsupials are generally ignored for some reason."
You shrug as well, taking a second to look at yourself in the mirror. "Not the best, Ivan." You scold him, while not wanting to be noticed you still felt indignant that he had chosen this form.
"Alright, whatever, where should we search first?" You ask him.
Written by crunchynachoes on 20 November 2018
