FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"So what do you think of our little nest?" wondered Lace. The shiny crow cuddled up to Jess, a human looking quite out of place in the relaxing sprawl of rubber birds.

"I mean, it isn't very little," they said, playing with their dyed-blue hair. "It's a pretty big house, and you do manage to fit lots of birds in it."

"True, but that's not really an answer. You like it here? Are we nice?" wondered the crow, excitedly. Its cosy latex wings were very snug, and Jess leaned against the soft bird and kneaded at its belly with their warm hands.

Lace was black from head to toe; soft, squeaky, shiny black. The light made it shine, from the tip of its short beak to the big feathery tips all along its wings, from its sleek nude birdy body to the rounded talons on its feet. One lovely seamless rubber crow. Jess had been friends with it for a while, but always the pair would meet elsewhere; this was the first time they'd been to visit it at home. There were other birds here in this comfortable room full of soft places to sprawl, all corvids: a couple of crows, a blue jay, a magpie, and a giant raven taking up most of a corner of the room. Some chatted more quietly, others listened to Jess and Lace.

"Course you're nice," smiled Jess, embarrassed. "I mean, it can get a little noisy sometimes. But I really like the vibe. You're all so sweet and relaxed."

"Would you like to join?"

"Huh?"

"You know, be one of the flock. With me. With us."

"So... move in?"

"Move in. Give up your human shape. Be a shiny corvid."

"Huh," said Jess. "I can do that?"

"We all did," said someone nearby.

They hadn't asked Lace about any of this stuff, but the revelation seemed obvious: shiny birds didn't just pop up out of nowhere. More organic furries might be born, but all the corvids here must have been made. Oooh. Jess suddenly had so many questions, but they also didn't want to be a pest by asking. They were dressed in close-fitting rubber of their own, underneath the light shirt and skirt, but that was just clothing. Everyone here really was a shiny bird through and through, mostly latex filled with a soft gel, but a few -- like the giant raven -- were inflatable and full of air.

"Well, um, what kind of bird would I be?"

"Dunno, you can't choose it," chirped Lace. "You just end up exactly what you should be."

"Can I turn back?"

"No? Or I guess, not easily. Would you want to?"

"Maybe? Like, how do I know it's for me?"

"Leap of faith. Look," it said, holding a shiny black beak mask that looked slippy and wet. "You are free to just put this on and we'll take care of you. Er, in the good way."

"Hmm."

The shiny crow leaned close to speak to them more quietly. "It's also a nice way to be all smooth and null down there. If you still thought that might be for you."

Jess blushed and looked distant for a moment, giving the crow a tender little squeeze. Gender was hard, and their human body wasn't a close match for them at all, as tall and stocky and fuzzy as it was. Yet, a completely smooth and nullified bird-shape, that did bear some serious thinking about. Very much so. In fact, Jess enjoyed a few minutes of daydreaming before doing something spontaneous: they took hold of the wet mask, which turned out to be a little gooey to the touch, and pushed it onto their face before their shyness could change their mind.

Lace's eyes were wide as saucers.

"Oh! That's... not what I was expecting! That's so awesome."

Rubbery goo started to trickle around Jess's head, the mask spreading out to helpfully cover up the soft pink blush across their cheeks.

"Ah, I... mmph. Mmf?" they muffled, the sticky-gooey mask coating tongue and mouth and getting in the way of speech.

"Mmm, relax. It'll change your head first. We can see your actual beak and see what sort of a bird you'll be. Oh. Oh. I'm excited. Hey birbs, we're getting a new flockmate and they're so cool."

The latex crow sounded so bubbly, not like the more subdued human whose head was slowly disappearing into the cool black ooze. Jess was excited, but inwardly; heart pumping, hands unsure whether to tease at their new features or leave well alone. The mystery latex felt cold on their shoulders and across their ears, swallowing up hair and coating skin until it had become a full hood. Mouth, nose, eyes; a little panic as the goo wrapped up their senses.

"This bit's a little weird but I've got you," said a voice, Lace's voice. Was this a good idea? Jess could second-guess all they wanted, but it didn't stop what was happening; a soft pressure in their face that just continued to grow. Shaping. Moulding. The lovely, snug touch of latex adjusting their head, bonding and stretching, replacing skin and hide and seeping deeper and deeper, causing a whole range of scents and flashes and memories and quiet whispered thoughts, from the top of their head to deep inside their chest. It felt like it was taking so long, time stood still, with curious and impossible feelings Jess just couldn't place their fingers on--

Gasp. Breath sucked through an open beak, latex tongue, heavy and cool in their throat. Eyes still closed, but nearby voices started to seep back into focus.

"Aw. Not a crow. Not raven? You'd think I'd be better at this--"

"Magpie," said a new voice. "You're gorgeous. Sorry. There's only like two of us. Three now." The feeling of clumsy wings around Jess; warm, comfortable, welcome. Another cuddle, more familiar, accompanied by Lace's delighted clucking.

"That's weird. I'm totally weird," said the uncertain voice. "Sorry. I'm Beep."

"Beep has said more words to you than she'd say all day," giggled the crow. "Huh. Jess, can you see yet?"

"Ahh, um. No," said a voice. Their voice? Jess was making the words, and their beak was forming each one, but it sounded strange; resonant, more heady, a bit wavy. "I'm freaking out a little. Haha. There's a lot going on. I--"

Suddenly, sight. Jess could see, and colours seemed that much sharper, brightness seemed that much brighter. At the bottom of their vision, a beak; long and rounded. Their very own beak, shiny and gooey as the latex continued to drip and drizzle down their body. Two birds were cuddled tight: one Lace with its head against their chest, and the other must have been Beep, a black and white magpie.

Time hadn't stopped while the new magpie's head had been changing, and the gooey shine now ran over their clothes and into the rubber they wore. The stiff, shiny garments seemed to be mixing with the goo, deepening and speeding up the change. Beep and Lace's wings were also starting to slide through the melting rubber, as though it was liquid; spreading and encouraging it to spill down Jess's legs and arms.

Deep breaths. The thought came that they wouldn't need to breathe for much longer, but it was still a relaxing pause to what had been several hectic minutes. Jess found themself trading beak rubs with Lace, letting silky-smooth latex squeak and brush together, and then also sharing some with the more withdrawn Beep, who softened and returned them with a warm and appreciative caw.

"How you feeling?" wondered the crow. Jess's instinctive reply was to lift back their head and let out a high and satisfied ca-caw, such that they could feel every shiny bird in the room seem just that much happier to be here.

"Oh. Um. Everything's turned up, sound, sight, and I'm just more aware of everyone, and-- err. It's like I know what you're feeling. Lace, and Beep, and actually everyone. Like there's colours but not really colours, it's just a feeling. I'm babbling. I don't know if that means anything."

"Ohhh. We're a flock, a big shiny corvid flock." explained Lace. "So we're all connected, just slightly. It's an extra sense, and it means you're one of us. Just need the rest of you to finish changing so you'll be a nice, complete, shiny magpie. Look, you'll have wings soon."

The changing bird's arms were drawn down to their sides, as cool latex stretched and coated and covered clothes and skin alike. Fingers vanished, along with the slender shape of arms, as though Jess was wrapped in a shiny latex cloak. It grew and grew, with wavy feather-tipped points starting to surface from the slick goop, and the chill seeping deep as organic human arms became shiny new magpie wings.

"Huhh, it's tickly," murmured Jess, trying to wrench themself free. The wings slid apart with a few drops of rubber, as warmth returned to them; gently drying in the light, as instinctively Lace and Beep both cuddled up under them.

"Oh, they're really big and comfy! Bit jelly," murmured the other magpie.

"I think you're enjoying yourself, aren't you," chirped Lace, and the mostly-magpie couldn't hide the wry, beaky smile. Huff. Caww. They shrank a little into their cuddly wings, trying to hide among the two most cuddly of their new flockmates. "Shhh."

It wasn't long before Jess had to shuffle and stand up, in order for the latex to continue its way along their body and down to pool around their feet. Tailfeathers had the chance to grow out, long and shiny. They had grown visibly taller, with a wingspan to match; a shiny, wiry magpie with no white patches and a few matte spots along their body. Their body was light, thickly latex-coated but soft and kneadable, as though built for cuddles. It seemed almost dreamlike that their movements were translated to the shifting and stretching of this synthetic latex birdy body, their thoughts in tune with their new flock, and a growing fondness for the pair of corvids that were being so curious and cuddly. Beep stretched out one of their wings, and Lace lifted up onto the edge of its talons to whisper another quiet word. "Don't forget you're null. Squeaky, shiny, smooth and soft. Null like all of the flock. Bet you missed the change. It's only making you be you. Good bird."

The magpie would have flustered, if their hide could do that; but it didn't stop the feeling, the squirming, the gentle clicky caws from their beak. "Laaaace. Shhh."

"I'm helping," it chirped. Being null was an excellent realisation that really should have been making Jess's cheeks rosy red, but it was as the crow said; no great surprise. It felt like being home. Physical changes to match how they saw themself all along. To chirp in elation or sigh in relief; that was a deep question.

But, the magpie did want to watch the last steps of their change, when all their human traits were gone and all that was left was delightfully shiny. Legs and feet disappeared under the thick coating, before stretching and spreading out into plump, rounded talons. There was a hint of detail, where a more organic bird might have had firm scales, but most of their body was smooth and soft, drinking up the light and shining brightly. The wet look was starting to fade from their body and wings, but it would remain on legs and talons for a while longer. Jess felt strange to finally realise they weren't breathing, which had surely happened minutes ago. Wings poked at their new hide. An involuntary shiver ran up them, surely all in their mind. They were a bird. A shiny bird. A magpie. The newest corvid in the flock.

"Oh my gosh."

"Good, isn't it?"

"Oh, you've no idea."

"I bet I do," chirped Lace.

Jess blushed; it was a silly thing to say to another bird who had been through a very similar transformation, but they felt silly. Impulsive and passionate too, but still with some disbelief. Wings outstretched. Not just rubber-coated, but rubber-everything. The magpie's change had captured the attention of other birds, and in their glances Jess could feel all sorts of moods; curiosity, elation, satisfaction. The joy of being with someone new.

That seemed to be the cue for everyone to pile onto Jess, with Lace and Beep already there, but the jay, and another crow, and a jackdaw who'd arrived more recently, and more crows, and even the giant raven wobbling and shuffling and inevitably knocking a few birds over with his bulk. Well-received though, with chirps and giggles and the last of the new magpie's hide drying to a single shine.

"What now?" wondered Jess.

"I mean. I'd kinda like to just cuddle for a while," said Lace.

"And I have to show you our shinies," said Beep.

"Our shinies?"

"If you agree to get more. Then they're all our shinies."

"But it's up to you," added the crow.

"Ohh. I'm not in any rush. And I still need everyone's names, and I want to hear all about you, all of you." Jess felt so comfortable in their new skin, as their new self; shyness happily tucked away deep inside. Now was a time for meeting, greeting, enjoying life.

-fin