Chapter 3
I stirred in my sleep, a ray of sun shone in through the glass as I lay flat on the cushy Futon. I lay on my back and purred as I felt the warm fingers of sunlight caress my skin, wait….skin? I jumped awake and looked myself over; hands, normal, arms, a bit fluffy but normal, legs, normal with a bit of orange, feet, normal. I sighed in relief as I realized I could be human once in a while if society called. “hey kitty, good morning” came a singsong voice from the hallway “how’s it goin… aww!!!!! What happened??” said Leslie. “I guess I can blend in if I need to,” I replied “what would you have done if I was stuck like that anyhow?” “Fair enough, but you can still be a tiger when you want right?” she pressed. “I really dunno” I said quizzically “are you just saying that ‘cause your kitty fell asleep before you could play with him?” “oh shut up,” she said playfully “I’m just curious” I grumbled a bit but focused intently on any gambit or lever I needed to use in my mind to bring my tiger out again. I paused abruptly as I may have thought correctly as to my switch. I began to get itchy as the fur began growing in again and I gritted my teeth as my muzzle pushed out with a painful crack. My tail started inching out but began to swish playfully and happily as the change began to feel good again. as the changes stalled and stopped, I lay back down on the futons purring.
Oddly enough I heard Leslie calling out to me even though her lips were still, as if on another world, her voice was a bit muffled. I then fel a prod in the shoulder and my furred eyelids fluttered open to Leslie standing over me. “time to get up Kitten, it’s almost noon” she said playfully “I still wanna hear that guitar riff you promised to show me” I looked down at my body in shock, I was not human at all, it seems the reverting of the change was just hopeful fantasy. “Holy god Leslie, how could you be so cool about this?!” I’m stuck like this and now I can’t venture out without some federal laboratory killing me and dissecting my body!!!” I was panting in fear, my entire pelt was puffed out and I looked at the window crystallized. “I thought that too Ich, but check this out” she said as she switched on the news. The reporter spoke up in the usual businesslike dramatic pattern as he ran through Sig-alerts in Pomona or another drug bust in Boyle Heights but he then got to the most interesting piece of all. “in news that would be the dream of the entire furry community, you no longer need fursuits when you can do it for real, the Sigma and Dow chemical firms have collaborated and made a viable FDA-approved solution to fuse yourself with the animal you envy. “ “The procedures begin at a hefty 200 thousand but those who afford it can really connect with nature, The U.S. government is calling an addition of anthropomorphized individuals to status of American demography and bylaws against discrimination, more at 11 this evening” my jaw hung low and I turned to my grinning girlfriend as I relaxed myself. “hey, maybe word’s gotten out huh?” she said playfully “it would be a shame if you were just cooped up inside all the time.” I still could barely believe it but I sighed and sat back a bit calmer “yeah, I guess the band’s going to have a pretty pumped up guitarist now huh?” I replied, not being able to help my excitement at this prospect. “Hell yeah, now kitty can come outside!” she cooed playfully “he needs his exercise.” “nezurashi Lezri-kun, bakadena yua!” I said back mockingly “show some respect I’m a tiger!” she smirked and said “no matter how much Japanese you toss around and no matter how fierce you try to be, I still think you’re cute!” “fine,” I said back “just don’t get too ahead of yourself sweetie.” I curled back at this, being a tad overly affectionate. “aww… you’re being so sweet” Leslie said before I could speak up “could we snuggle some? We never actually got to last night.” I was a bit shy but agreed feeling her warm intents as I walked back to my room. I smiled and swished my tail happily as I padded into the doorway Leslie followed close behind. She giggled “well, looks like someone’s in a good mood” she said as she stroked my tail affectionately. “What can I say, I feel great!” I said, optimistic for the first time in a while “like what ya see?” she walked up and kissed me on the muzzle then hugged me sweetly, I purred and kissed back as I was half aware of my yukata slipping down from my shoulders. I paused and looked at her quizzically until realization dawned on me and I smiled playfully back. “well, it might be nice to let my fur breathe” I said to her. She smirked and led me onto the closest futon, nuzzling my chest as I lay down. “Wow, your fur is so soft!” she cooed as I snuggled up “damn, I envy you Ichiro!” I chuckled and nuzzled her head “well, I dunno, but if you’ve got 200K then maybe you can join me!” I said playfully grinning down gloatingly. She gave my shoulder a playful punch “why did you get it for free then? That’s not fair!” “maybe I’m special, I don’t really know how this came about,” I said more seriously, “well, maybe if you spend enough time near me, it’ll rub off on you.” She surprised me by pouncing on top of me and hugging tightly, “Well then I guess we’ll just need to try that huh? I’m game to try kitty!!” “Leslie, let’s just snuggle for now, I don’t know if I’m here yet” I replied sensing her inner meaning, “it’s not that I don’t want to it’s just that I need to think about it.” “okay Ich, I guess I can wait” said Leslie, a bit disappointed “you’re so soft and cute!!” “quiet you” I said playfully as I licked at her cheek lovingly, “I’m the biggest cat in the world, why am I so cute to you?” “uuy!” she exclaimed taken aback “you’ve got a tongue on you, I’m sure of that much!” “Sorry,” I said “did that hurt? I was just trying to be nice” I turned red and apologetically withdrew my tongue. “No, it was just a tad rougher than I thought it was,” Leslie replied but then suddenly doubled over in pain or some other sensation as she began to sweat and grow short of breath. “Gods Ich, I feel sick!” she moaned in pain “who put up the heat and started stabbing me in the gut?!” “Wait! Leslie I felt that way when I first changed!” I said loudly, snapping to realization, “I think I may have rubbed off on you!” “Damnit!!” she yelled, sweating and squirming in pain and heat “did it hurt this much when you went through this?!” “Yes I remember that part,” I said bending over her to help, “relax, I’ll help you out.” “Ahh!!! It feels like my spine’s ripping!!” she whined as I witnessed her vertebrae lengthening and a stub pushing out from the base of her spine, “for god’s sake do something!!!” “look, I didn’t have anyone to help me when I was changing!” I said half sarcastic as I supported her back while her bones continued to shift. Just then, her speech was lost in a series of heated grunts and growls as the change accelerated. Her ears rounded to furry points at the top of her head and snowy white fur with ebony black stripes began to wash over her features. She stopped struggling and then let out a mild purr, enjoying herself as the changes began to feel good. “d..did you go through this too?” she asked in a dreamy voice “this feels so good!” “yeah, this was the fun part” I said as I gently set her down, stroking her growing tail as it grew fur and stretched outwards. She cooed blissfully as her paws shaped more, becoming cute little pillows of fur with pink pads. Leslie’s already blue eyes became the deepest sapphire shade as her fluffy face stretched and became more feline. Her changes slowed as her entire body was coated in fur, leaving her the prettiest white tigress I had ever seen. “guess I can join ya now” she purred in a sweet singsong voice “this is great!” “Guess that little angle worked huh Lez?” I chuffed playfully, she didn’t answer but wrapped me in a fluffy embrace and purred lovingly.
