FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"There's a leak in the room."

After a lot of effort, Evo finally moved to a new place. It was a fantastic deal that even he couldn't believe at first, especially since it had everything he needed and more. Since he was now fully dedicated to sewing custom suits and other paraphernalia, having a dedicated--and considerably big--room for that put a huge smile on his face. The red bear couldn't hold his excitement.

"The sewing machine will go here... and I can hang my tools here... might need another outlet for the 3D printer..."

It was so exciting! That was the first room he worked on after he moved, despite Poli's insistence in leaving that for later. He barely slept that night, and woke up earlier to continue. He moved stuff over and over again until he was happy, and then moved it again. And when he was pleased, he laid on the floor. Sweaty and tired, the bear let out a long sigh and fell asleep.

And then, the leak woke him up.

The place had everything and more. That "more" was one extra room Evo didn't know how to use. It was a great idea when he saw the building the first time, and thought it would be a perfect guest room. Clearly, he needed an extra bed, which he didn't have. So it turned into a storage room until he could figure out a better use for it. And it was the room where the leak appeared.

Evo ignored the sound at first. But the leak was persistent and, since the building was extremely silent, it made an annoying echo. Ignoring the sore back from sleeping on the cold floor, the fat bear dragged his paws across the hallway. The room was at the end of it.

The spherical knob turned easily, and the door opened without troubles.

There, in the middle of the room, was a little black puddle. Evo looked at it for a moment, then searched where it came from.

"What do you mean?" The landlord said, skeptical.

"I mean there's a leak in the room."

"It shouldn't be. If I recall correctly, you didn't report anything during your last visit and I made sure everything was in perfect state before listing the place."

"Well, I'm doing it now," he paused. "Look, I don't wanna sound rude. I'm just very excited about the place and, well, finding something wrong in the first week it's... sad."

"I understand. Don't think I'm blaming you for it. It just sounds very weird. I'm on a business trip right now, and should be back in a couple of weeks. Would you mind waiting until then? As soon as I get back I'll check the issue. It's not serious, right?"

"No. It's a very small leak, honestly. The water is dark, but it doesn't smell like sewage" he looked at the leak on the roof. Too small to even notice it. "I'm just glad it happened in an empty room. I just don't want to see it turning into something bigger."

"It shouldn't be. When did it start?"

"By the look of it, last night".

He remembered that because the night before was particularly rare. After accommodating most of his stuff in place, Evo gave himself a celebratory pat in the belly and sat on the sofa. Everything was perfect and in the place it should be: TV on the wall, a long cabinet for his consoles, video games and movies, some floating shelves for collection figures and a dining table for four. He loved the combined living and dining room.

It was then when he noticed how silent the place was. The landlord told him most of the tenants worked or studied most of the day, and only arrived to sleep. Only one stayed during the day, and he was as quiet as Evo. The nearby streets had little to no traffic. He wouldn't find a place like that anywhere else. He fell asleep on the couch with that thought in mind.

The doorbell woke him up. It was too dark and Evo had to use his cellphone to find the switch. It was already past midnight when he woke up, which made it even weirder to have someone calling. But the doorbell rang again, startling him. That was exactly how people got killed in horror movies. He slowly dragged his paws, making sure not to make any sound.

Through the peephole, Evo only saw a silhouette. The outside light was off. But the shape resembled a feline, and apparently he was carrying something. The stranger called again, startling Evo, who remained quiet until the shadow left.

"Weird," Evo muttered.

He went to bed after double-checking that the door was closed. He tried not to think about the encounter, and easily went back to his dreamscape filled with fluffy boys and delicious food. It was hours later when he heard the leak for the first time.

"It might be something temporary. But if it gets worse let me know so I could send someone to check". The landlord wasn't an asshole, but he wasn't responsible either. Still, he wasn't really in the mood to get into a discussion, not with stuff still waiting to get unpacked.

He ended the call. A defeated sigh was all he could do. After placing a bucket and trying to ignore the loud sound of the drip against the plastic, Evo left the room to continue working.

He spent the rest of the morning unboxing what was left. It wasn't a lot, but he had no more room to place the rest of his things. And he wasn't in the mood to start moving everything all over again. Good thing he had an extra room with... well, plenty of room. He moved both boxes to the corner and, since he was already there, took a look at the leak.

The bucket wasn't even close to being half full, so it wasn't that serious.

"What a relief," the bear said, despite knowing that was a lie.

Even with the slow rate in which it dripped, the unnerving sound increased compared to that morning. It was hard to ignore it if there was no other sound in the background, which meant a nuisance during the night. He wasn't fond of listening to music to sleep, but that was a better choice than that. A drip fell to the bucket, mocking his predicament.

Since everything else was in order, Evo focused entirely on work and get back to his schedule. His clients understood the painful process of moving, but the last thing he wanted was to abuse their patience. Especially when he was close to finish one suit. A couple of days on it and it should be ready. The sound made by the sewing machine was so relaxing and mesmerizing. It was by far one of his favorite sounds. Poli once told him he made a dumb smile as soon as he started sewing. Evo never understood why; not that he cared about finding a reason.

The doorbell broke his trance. Rule number one was to NEVER interrupt him during his work sessions. He made a perfectly balanced system to optimize times and production. Any little change to that system was a capital offense. The blue dragon was the only individual allowed to break said rule, and even then, Poli tried not to do so.

He let out a long sigh and placed down his hands. He heard the leak in the background.

"You're new here. They don't know you. Try to under-"the doorbell rang again. Evo clenched his fangs. Slamming both hands over the table, he went to see who was the one bothering. "Press that thing again and I'll rip it from the wall right in front of you."

Through the peephole, he saw a gray wolf in casual attire holding a small container. He looked nervously at the doorbell, and his hand clearly doubted in pressing it again. Evo sighed and opened the door.

"Oh, g-good day, neighbor," the wolf said. His fur was, in fact, entirely gray, and it had a weird gleam on it, as if he used too much gel and didn't check before leaving home. His clothes were bigger than his size, giving him a younger--and childish--appearance.

"Hi. Can I help you?"

"Sorry if I bother you. I know it sounds like a cliche but, do you have some sugar?" He put the small bottle between them. "I'm baking something but ran out of it".

Evo quickly looked at him from head to toes, finding nothing threathful on the wolf. Surely, the sole appearance meant nothing, especially when the bear was bigger than him. "Huh, sure... Give me a moment."

It was a weird request. Cliche too. But he asked for similar favors in the past. He had no reason to deny him some help. Besides--and this was a point considered after opening the cabinet--he had a lot of sugar.

"You moved recently, right?" The wolf asked.

"This week. I just finished unpacking all my stuff. There are some things I still have to buy, but nothing really important".

"This is a good neighborhood. And you don't have to worry about annoying neighbors. I believe you're gonna love it here".

"It hasn't been that bad so far. Except for a leak that magically appeared this morning".

"A leak?" The wolf leaned his head.

"Yeah. Nothing serious, only stressful. I reported it to the landlord early, but he's out of the city and he won't send someone to check it since it's not serious".

"He's kind of a dick sometimes, but he takes care of the building as much as he can. But the place is old, and the other inhabitants are out most of the day, so they won't bother in reporting any problem. I'm actually happy that you moved in. It's awfully quiet here."

Evo smiled. Weird, yes, but the wolf was friendly. And having a friendly face around could be useful.

"I'm..." he paused, as if he was pondering what to say. "I'm Harriet. Nice to meet you."

"You can call me Evo", he extended his hand holding the sugar bowl.

"I assume you'll be working from home?" Harriet asked as he walked towards the door. He held the bowl with both hands, as if it was too heavy to carry it with just one.

"Yeah. Have my own little business. It pays the bills."

"Good. I also work from home. Remotely. So if you need anything, let me know. My apartment is above yours."

"Sure. Same goes to you."

"Oh, and... if you're feeling lonely or anything, we can hang out or something". By the sound of it, Harriet invited people rarely.

Evo was a social butterfly, but that doesn't mean he was ok with a stranger visiting everyday. However, none of that was Harriet's problem. And since Poli wouldn't be around for a couple of weeks, some company could be nice. The bear chuckled.

"Just... try not to come at this hour. I don't like being interrupted while I'm working.

Harriet flustered. "Sorry! Sorry!"

"It's ok," Evo interrupted. It was cute seeing him act like that. "You didn't know I started at this hour. Come early if you want."

"T-thanks. I'll remember that."

As he closed the door, Evo thought about the encounter as "weird". But he was surrounded by weird people. Like the weird red crocodile who promised something for him after gifting his boyfriend a strange sunflower. And he liked having weird friends. They made things more interesting.

Evo returned to work and put aside the visit for the rest of the day.

There was one particular thing with which he loved to indulge himself after a long day of work. It was his little reward. Evo took it from one of the drawers and extended it in front of him. The sole sight of his latex suit was exciting. It gleamed for him, calling him to wear it and enjoy its tight embrace for the rest of the night.

He had prepared himself and the catsuit already, covering his fur in a special oil to prevent it from entangling or pulling it. The suit was a perfect fit and required special care to wear it. But while others might see it as a troublesome process, Evo enjoyed each second of it. The ritual was part of the experience, a way to make it look and feel more intimate.

Starting from his legs, Evo felt a soft pressure on his ankles, one that increased when he pulled up the rest of the catsuit to get in his arms. A soft moan escaped from his lips as the latex embraced his body. Strong, but not enough to hurt him. He pulled up the front zipper, closing the shiny prison around his fat figure.

He had so many ways to describe it and knew none of them would do justice to how he really felt when he wore the catsuit. He was safe. Protected. Disconnected from the world. Powerful. Sexy. Shiny. Noisy. But if he had to choose one, and just one feeling, Evo would say...

"I'm nobody".

Yes. That was the best way to describe it. Evo moved his hands over his body. The smooth surface made him forget he was a bear. There was no fur or scales or rough skin. He was just him and no one at the same time. He could picture any figure in his head and please himself by thinking he was someone else. A lion or a crocodile or a bull... anyone.

When his erection became too big to ignore it, the bear brought the magic wand to play. With his cock trapped under the latex, the vibrations were the best and most pleasant path to climax. His balls were the starting point, and from there he moved the wand upwards, making sure to cover each inch of his prominent bulge.

His body started to squirm on his own while he continued indulging his fantasy of being someone else. The latex squeaked after he started to rub his belly harder and faster, until the latex turned into something else. Something rough. The skin of a bull, a strong and huge bull. He took a deep breath and imagined his musk: strong, impossible to ignore, the type of smell that stays in the nose even after you move away.

Evo opened his eyes only to find a black stain at the roof, right above him. From the stain, two yellow eyes looked directly at him. One drip of black goo fell on his forehead. And the latex snapped...

The alarm woke him up after the third try. The bear turned it off and laid up in bed. The first thing he noticed was the sticky underwear. He didn't finish, but the amount of fresh pre made it look that way. It was a little embarrassing, having wet dreams so intense at his age. But at the same time, he enjoyed it, even if he couldn't remember it all.

One long morning stretch after, Evo jumped out of bed to take a quick shower. It wouldn't be until he returned that he noticed the coat of brown and red fur he left over the mattress.

The dialing tone played a couple of times before Policho answered the Discord call.

"Hey hubby," the dragon said.

"How's my favorite derg doing?" Evo was fixing a sleeve for the next suit.

"Working, as always. And studying, too."

"Studying but without the stu?" Evo looked at the screen, as if Poli was sitting by his side.

"Surprisingly, no. I've been feeling full of energy recently. I can't tell exactly why."

"Oh no, the sunflower is giving him mystic powers!" Evo pressed his cheeks with both hands, faking a horror tone.

Poli huffed. "Yeah, I can shoot laser beams from my anus now. Fear my mighty bowel roar!"

The couple couldn't contain their laughs. It brought Evo an immense comfort. Having Poli apart from him had been one of the hardest things to endure; sharing that type of moments made it easier.

"No, but really, I've been feeling a lot better now. Things are starting to go well, apparently."

"That's good, derg. I'm happy for you. And it could be better if you were here cuddling with me," he said that last part with a very cheesy voice.

"And I'll be there, just give me some time. I have something really special for you."

"Is it food?"

"It's better than food."

"You're the only thing better than food."

"Not that better, but it is good. I promise," he made a pause. Evo heard something splashing. "But anyway, how's the new place? I'm also excited to see it."

"Oh, it's looking great. A lot of space. Silence. Lack of neighbors. A fucking leak," and just like if the damn thing was mocking him, he heard another drop falling.

"Are you serious? But the place is new!" Poli roared.

"I should have seen that coming. The price was too good to be true."

"Don't try to justify it."

"I'm not, but there's no case in getting mad over it. That won't fix it quicker. Besides, it's not that big. I told him already and he'll be fixing it as soon as he gets back to the city."

"He. Better. Do," Poli cleared his throat. "Otherwise, I'd pay him a special visit."

"Smack that bitch, hun."

He heard some commotion coming from Poli's side. Before he could ask what was happening, Poli talked. "Ups, gotta go. But I'll call you later tonight, ok? Love ya."

"Love you too."

After finishing the call, Evo continued working, now more motivated after sharing a moment with his boyfriend, despite the distance. They were getting closer to living together, after planning it for so long. Nothing would be better than waking up every morning by his side. His cheeks burned by the thought of it.

Until the leak brought him back to reality. He slowly turned towards the direction of the sound. Putting down his tools, he went to check on the bucket. His loud steps echoed across the hallway as he approached the empty room, where he found the bucket almost full.

The water had a dark colour.

"Disgusting," he wrinkled his nose. But as soon as he approached, he noticed the water had no smell at all. And the blackish tone was unusual. It made the water look as if it had another texture.

Still, it was still water. Evo picked the bucket and walked towards the bathroom, with the weird sensation that something was missing.

The doorbell stopped him midway. Evo left the bucket in the bathroom and went to check who was outside, despite knowing it could be only one person. Harriet glanced nervously at the floor.

"S-Sorry for bothering you again. I left my keys in and the locksmith hasn't arrived. Can I use your bathroom?"

Evo sighed. "Go ahead. First door to the right. But you're gonna invite me for a beer in exchange."

Harriet giggled and walked in. "Thanks". Holding both hands behind his back, Harriet made sure to face Evo at every moment, a mannerism that shouldn't be a surprise from someone in need to use a bathroom.

Since the wolf knew the way, Evo went to the fridge to pick something to eat. He then remembered he still had to buy groceries. So far he has been ordering takeout, against his wallet's will. He picked a box of chinese food. "Well, it hasn't been a week since I ordered this," the bear mumbled.

Evo saw the box spinning at the edge of the microwave plate; he wanted to test that trick he read about the food getting heated evenly when placed there. 90 seconds later, he pulled out the box and took a bite of the fried rice. "Well, would you look at that?" Surprisingly, the internet didn't lie on that one.

A loud snap almost made him drop the plate. His first thought was Harriet. Did he fall? But he should have screamed then. Unless... Evo put the plate on the counter and went to check on him. But before he could grab the knob, the door opened and the wolf was shocked at the sudden sight of the bear.

"Jesus!"

"Are you ok?" Evo asked, swiftly changing looks between him and the bathroom.

"I almost had a heart attack! You're not supposed to be that sneaky". Harriet held one hand against his chest.

He found no sight of blood, and Harriet looked ok, besides the scare. "I thought I heard something..."

"At least you scared me after and not before", the nervous laugh left clear that not even Harriet wasn't comfortable with that joke.

"Sorry", Evo moved aside.

"It's ok. Although I didn't hear anything. It could have been outside, maybe?"

"Yeah, maybe". But Evo was sure it came from the bathroom. After Harriet walked out, he looked again but everything was in place. The bucket, however, was empty; there was no water spilled, so maybe Harriet disposed of it.

"I better get back before the locksmith arrives. Thank you again".

"Anytime".

After bidding goodbye to the wolf, Evo went back for his fried rice, only to notice something on the ground. There was a trail of golden fur on the path Harriet took to the bathroom. He might not know the wolf entirely, but he was sure his fur was far from being golden. But it could have been anything else.

Before sweeping the fur, Evo returned the bucket to his place. After he left the storage room, he heard the leak dripping again, and only then, he noticed that he hadn't heard it until then.

A storm started outside.

The power went out, stopping the 3D printer seconds before it finished. Evo looked at it, barely seeing the silhouette of the machine, and counted to ten. Another thing he wasn't expecting to deal with in a brand new place. "I should have seen this coming," he growled, slowly. His claws were out without him noticing.

After his rage started to fade, he picked up his phone and used the lantern to walk out. He had some candles in one of the boxes he left in the storage room. He could already hear Poli by his side saying "I told you", after he discarded the idea of keeping at least one in every room.

"You'll never know when you'll need it," he imitated Poli while rummaging through the box. "Where are those damn things?"

Even with the storm roaring outside, the damn leak continued. It became more and more annoying. But he couldn't think of anything else. Fixing it by his own or calling someone was against the contract. Which was ridiculous in that situation.

"If he doesn't fix it right away I'll be the one paying him a visit," Evo clenched his fangs.

He finally found the candles under some old notebooks. Unable to resist the curiosity, he took a quick look at the doodles made in his chemistry notebook. "Why did I save these?"

He picked four candles. He then forgot where the bucket was, kicking and spilling the water before falling to the floor. The candles and his cellphone flew over different directions, with the last one falling with the camera face down. Evo cursed several times before trying to get back to his paws, placing his hand over the puddle of water.

"Dammit!" He shook his hand. But it stayed wet, and he felt something different from water. It was sticky. "This can't be worse." He stood back and looked around for his cellphone, until something fell over his shoulder. By instinct, he raised his head, just in time for the drip of water to fall right into his eye. "Fuck!"

A thunder roared outside. Evo stood still, rubbing his eye until he could open it again. It wasn't the night he expected. The bear stepped over the water when he went to pick up his cellphone, leaving pawprints after he walked out of the room. When he went to the bathroom to clean his hand, the fur was almost dry, but nothing sticky was in it or anywhere else. He only shed some fur after drying it with the towel.

The storm continued outside, and so did the blackout. Not in the mood to clean the spilled water, Evo played until his Nintendo Switch ran out of battery, then laid on bed. He listened to the leak dripping over the puddle in the floor. There was no way he would fall asleep with that thing; the sound it made was particular enough to stand above the rain. And with less than 20% of battery left on his cellphone, having some music playing in the background wasn't an option. He rolled over the bed on several occasions, but it was obvious he wouldn't fall asleep.

He was snoring loudly 15 minutes later.

There was no way to tell how much time passed when the discussion woke him up. At first, Evo tried not to pay attention to it, but as the things escalated, he recovered from his slumber. Harriet was above him arguing with someone. He couldn't make any of the words, but he noticed he was desperate. He lit one of the candles that he brought to his room and started walking across the apartment, trying to understand what the wolf was saying and with whom he was discussing.

He was begging to someone. Something about leaving him. But nothing else. Was he dating someone? He never mentioned it. And Evo worried as his desperation became notorious. Harriet was weird, yes, but it was his neighbor, and he couldn't just ignore him. Going against the voice in his head, he left for Harriet's apartment.

The discussion continued as he stood outside his door. Evo held up his fist, but the moment when he knocked at the door, Harriet went silent. For some reason, he tilted the candle in a way he could "stab" the first one that came through the door. But when the wolf appeared on the other side, Evo let out a quick sigh.

"Hey, is everything ok? I heard you from downstairs and... well, yeah, I got worried". It was as if Harriet didn't know what he was talking about. Evo pressed some more, whispering this time. "You can't talk right now?"

Apparently Harriet realized everything at that moment, judging his expression. He covered his forehead.

"Sorry, yeah, everything's ok. I was at... at the phone. It wasn't my intention to scare you".

"Oh, I wouldn't say scare me. Just, heh, you know, taking care of my fellow neighbors", he tried not to make his smile look awkward, but the scenario was bigger than him.

"Thanks," he smiled. He seemed lost for a moment, as if he didn't know what to do in that situation. So it was that kind of guy.

Evo wasn't thinking into going back to sleep anyway. "Seems the energy won't be coming back soon. Wanna pass the time together?"

Harriet flustered. "S-sure! I still owe you those beers, right? Come on in."

Evo walked into Harriet's apartment. It was pretty much just like his, but with less furniture. He couldn't see everything in detail under the candle's light, only the shapes. Wolves had a better night vision, so it wasn't a surprise the entire place was dark.

The bear sat on the chair Harriet pointed at. The wood creaked under his weight, and for a moment he thought it would snap. But it resisted. It wasn't that comfortable, though. Harriet took the candle and left to the kitchen.

"I wish I knew the kind of problems this building had before signing the contract," Evo said, trying to get a better view. His sight started to adapt, enough at least to catch more details. Like some old action figures and the frames hanging from the wall.

"Well, it's an old building. I'm surprised they managed to fix most of them."

"Is there any other thing I should know besides the leak?"

"L-leak?"

"Yeah. There's one in my apartment. Isn't something serious, just really annoying. I thought I told you about it."

"I probably forget it, sorry", he came back carrying two beer cans and a candleholder, which he placed in the middle of the table.

"It happens, don't worry".

The sound of both cans echoed in the room. Evo took a sip, and immediately felt refreshed by it. "I needed that", the bear said. "I haven't got a chance to celebrate the new place".

"Well, you can do it now. F-For your new home".

"And for the good neighbors".

Both take a sip. It wasn't the beer he liked, but the flavour wasn't that bad. And beer tasted better with company.

"I actually bought these before the storm started", Harriet said. "I promised you. Remember?"

"Yeah. I wasn't expecting you to buy them today".

"Well, I-I was excited-I mean, happy! Happy!" Harriet waved one hand in the air. "I don't... I don't have a lot of visits. It's good having someone else living here. It gets pretty quiet over here".

"Yeah", Evo scratched his head. Didn't he say that before? He couldn't remember. "It's weird".

"I was thinking about moving somewhere else, but there aren't many affordable places nowadays. And well, I don't think I need to move now".

Evo drank from his beer. He couldn't say what, but there was something weird about the place. Something was missing. With the candle barely illuminating his surroundings, Evo tried to look around without calling Harriet's attention. The living room was generic at most, but it lacked something way too specific, he couldn't just find out what it was.

"Has the landlord said something about the plumbery?" Evo quickly asked as soon as he noticed Harriet's concern. "I sent him a message this morning but he just read it".

"What? Oh, no. I... I guess we'll have to wait. I thought about calling someone, but..."

"Yeah. The contract said we can't bring someone from outside. That's bullshit. I really need that thing fixed. Where did it even come from? There shouldn't even be a pipe there", Evo stood from the sofa and walked over the hallway leading to the room over the one with the leak.

Harriet jumped in front of him. "W-what do you mean?"

"Yeah. Unless there's a bathroom or something similar, I don't know how a leak could be right there".

"And where would that leak be?"

"There's a room at the end of the apartment. The layout here is the same so it should be the one at the end", Evo looked over Harriet's shoulder. He caught a shadow standing at the end, darker than his surroundings.

"W-well, I don't see that possible since that's my bedroom. Unless you... wanna go there with me? Because I can see you've been after me since we met".

Evo took a moment to digest Harriet's proposition. From the tone to the lame pose he made, pretending to look sexy. Laugh was the only possible reaction. "Oh God, I've seen worse dialogues at a porn movie. Sorry, sorry", he stopped laughing, recovering his breath. "You don't do this often, right?"

Harriet coughed, going back to his usual self. "Am I that obvious?"

"Not obvious, but that style doesn't suits you".

"What style do you think goes with me?"

"Romantic and shy, like a cheesy romantic movie", he looked again, but there was no shadow there.

"I can be cheesy, if you still want to get in my room".

"I'm taken, sorry", Evo went back to his seat. The sudden change of topic distracted him. "My boy doesn't mind me playing with friends, but only friends".

"That's a shame. You're cute".

"You too. I give you that", Evo winked, but he wasn't sure if Harriet noticed the gesture. "My gaydar must be broked, I never considered you were gay".

"Bi, actually. But I suck at giving signals, so no one even notices I'm there".

"Having confidence helps with that. You're handsome, so it actually surprises me you say that".

"Maybe I'm not that handsome?"

"Bullshit. Just try to work on your attitude. That's the key". Evo took another beer from the middle table. "Some of my friends can get a lot by just talking".

"Guess I'll try".

When Evo opened his second beer can, he felt something sticky in his hand. He had some kind of ink in his left hand. Harriet wasn't looking when he cleaned it on his jeans. It could have been something from his fridge. It wasn't important.

"You can always practice with me".

"Wouldn't that be awkward?"

"I might laugh, but don't take it seriously".

His awareness slowly went back. He caught a glimpse of some photos framed to the wall, but Harriet wasn't in any of them. Except for one, where he stood hugging a maneless lion. The same lion that was in the rest of the photos.

"So... is that your fur or I just make you blush?" Harriet shot.

After a short silence, both burst into laughs. Evo couldn't pay attention to anything else after that.

Their little reunion continued until the power returned an hour later. By then, the beer had the desired effect and Evo had to drag his paws so he wouldn't trip. He thanked Harriet for the good time and slowly made his way back to his floor.

He hated cheap beer. Even if the moment was enjoyable, the higher level of alcohol ignored his size and hit him hard. He stood in the hallway, trying to keep balance. Before him, the door to the empty room where the leak tormented him. It mocked him. It was something so simple yet it was driving him mad. And he couldn't stand that. In his drunkenness, he considered himself skilled enough to fix the damn thing. To hell with the contract.

The bear kicked the door and stepped in. The puddle from earlier was still there, and it was sticky now. It wasn't just water that was dripping from that thing. Evo looked at it; the liquid was dark, and it had a different aspect. "It might be poisonous", Evo said to the air, before bringing a chair from the living room.

As soon as he placed the chair beside the bucket, he had second thoughts. Was it really safe? The chair was made for bears, and the weight wouldn't change whether he was sitting or standing. He still thought it was a bad idea. But he wanted to take a look at least. Maybe he didn't need tools to fix it.

He found a black stain surrounding where the water was coming from. It looked old, even when the mark wasn't there when he saw the apartment for the first time. And it was humid. Evo stood on his toes to take a better look. It had no smell coming from it, so it wasn't coming from a sewer. But what could it be then...

Against all good judgement, Evo raised a finger towards the stain. Maybe if he could touch it he would figured out what it was; unlike the stain from the ground, that one looked fresh. The black substance got stuck to his finger, and a sudden shock made Evo lose his balance. He blacked out as soon as he crashed on the ground.

The first thing he felt was the sunlight burning his eyes, followed by the soreness of his body, especially on the right side. The headache came right after. Evo layed on the floor for a couple of minutes, grunting as his way to relieve some pain. When that didn't work, he stood up as slow as he could. He cursed between his fangs. His legs trembled under his weight, and he even thought his knees were about to snap.

"Nice work, idiot", he said, trying to open the door without falling down.

At the end of the hallway was a shadow of himself. No. It was more like a hole in the air. The perfect shape of the bear, visibly fake and real at the same time. And he knew he would fit on it perfectly. It had been made for him. And it was unnerving.

Evo took one step forward. Even when he wasn't sure about it, the bear advanced, pulled by the thrilling shape floating in front of him. He needed to confirm that thing was real.

His left paw succumbed under his weight. Evo tripped, but managed to hold on from the wall. On the next step, his right paw failed to support him too. The bear fell to his knees. He tried to get up once again, only to notice how unstable the floor was. It was like jelly. And so was he. And the more he tried to get up, the quicker his body turned into some kind of blob, losing consistency and spreading all over the tiles, until there was only his right hand and a part of his head poking out. He tried to reach the hole, and then everything went black.

A violent cough woke him up. He laid face down on the bed, coughing as if he was drowning. And he continued doing so until the soreness from his throat forced him to stop. Exhausted, he tried to sit on the mattress. The sheets were soaked in sweat. And the first thing he noticed was the catsuit. Did he... what did he do last night? His memories were foggy. He came back from Harriet's apartment, then what? Did he really put on the catsuit before blacking out?

The shiny latex squeaked as he sat at the edge of the bed. It was the first time he actually felt uncomfortable wearing it. And not because he didn't like it but for not knowing how he put it on. The oil bottle he used was still on the drawer, but his fur did feel oily. And the catsuit felt different. He ran his hands over the latex. Evo didn't feel the usual pressure around his body, but it wasn't loosen either. It fit perfectly. Almost like a second skin.

The headache stopped him from deepening into finding an answer. After taking it off, he kicked the suit away and stumbled upon the kitchen. One aspirin would do the trick with his head, but the rumble from his stomach was another thing. And he wasn't really in the mood for cooking. He also had a lot of thirst. It wasn't the worst hangover he had in his life, but he couldn't remember the last one when he needed that much water. Three glasses later, he cleaned his chin with his hand and changed his clothes.

While he checked he had everything with him, he finally noticed the lack of sound. Evo looked at the empty room, whose door was still open. The leak was gone.

The bear wasn't expecting the croissants from that small coffee shop to be that good. Freshly baked, he took his sweet time to enjoy the flavour and the crunch from every bite. And the coffee was amazing too. For that price it would turn into his favorite place to have a snack in no time. "Poli would love it", the bear whispered.

He scratched the outer side of his left hand. It had itched since he left home. Fucking mosquitoes. A couple at another table was drinking some mate. It reminded him to buy some, since he had none at home. He could hear the dragon already roaring by the lack of it. Preparing mate was the first thing they did whenever they visited each other. It was different from when he made it with friends.

He took another sip of his coffee. The headache was already gone, along with his hunger. The bear scratched his hand again. His mind went back to his little reunion with Harriet. Strange fellow, but he wasn't that bad or dangerous. He met a lot of wolves and a vast majority were quite social and energetic. Evo could just imagine what kind of life he had that made him so distant and shy.

But inside, he wasn't that bad. The bear giggled after remembering the awkward proposition and the even worse follow ups he made during the night. Harriet was cute in his own way, and while he needed some alcohol first, he was also really talkative. Poli might like him. And maybe having more friends could give him some confidence.

He took his phone, and growled after seeing the battery below 10%. "I could have left it charging before knocking myself out", he growled. But it was enough battery to send a message to the derg. "Hey hubby, how's the morning going? I'm hungover but made a new friend". Poli hasn't texted him since their last call. He was excited about the idea of them living together. It has been on the board for some months already, but now it was a reality. He had been daydreaming more frequently about all the things they'd be doing.

Poli replied, "Chilling at bed, wishing you were here". The next message was a photo of the dragon naked on his bed. Evo covered his phone. His cheeks were burning. He swiftly wrote his reply, making sure no one was around. "Soon, hun". He took a good look at the picture; Poli was perfect in every sense. And he loved him with all his heart. He wanted to hold him in his arms once more.

He scratched his hand again. The itch was getting annoying and painful. He looked down and saw something blue under the fur. Evo put a finger under the blue stain, only to remove it immediately. The rigid texture reminded him of a scale. He raised his hand, and part of the fur fell slowly, revealing the dragonic scale growing in the skin.

He quickly hid his hand in the jacket's pocket. It wasn't real. He didn't see that. Still, he refused to pull out his hand. The bear left enough money for the food and tip, and walked away, attracting some curious gazes from his erratic attitude.

Evo pulled out his hand just enough to see the scale, and hid it again. It was not real. He didn't have a scale on his hand. It was the hangover and he was tired. That was it. All he needed was some extra hours of sleep. There wasn't a scale growing in his hand. But it itched. He tried to ignore it, and it only made it worse. He scratched across the jacket, and only stopped once he noticed it. He pulled out his hand, and there it was, a blue scale. Evo fought the urge to pull it from the skin, and quickly made his way back home.

In his despair, he almost crashed with someone at the entrance. There was disgust in Harriet's eyes as he avoided the huge body of the bear. Afraid he noticed something, Evo laughed nervously and looked at him. "How's the hangover going?"

"Excuse me?" Harriet covered his pockets and left in a rush, avoiding the bear's gaze.

Evo saw the wolf and pondered what just happened. Even his attitude felt different from the night before. He shook his head, that wasn't important at that moment. He probably was having a rough morning. What mattered was whatever was growing in his hand. Which was nothing. Because he didn't have a blue scale growing in it.

He had the keys in the same pocket that worked as a hideout for his claw. He was scared of seeing that thing again. It wasn't real. He repeated it several times, and the more he said it, the crazier it sounded. He pulled his hand slowly, fighting the urge to look away. In the same spot the scale was, he saw a substantial patch of fur. And under it, his skin. His real skin. Evo sighed with relief. "It was a hallucination after all", he muttered, turning the key and pushing the door with his shoulder.

But it felt so real. Too real. The texture and the color. How could something like that be a hallucination? He dared to check on his pocket, expecting to find a blue scale there. But there was nothing but an old receipt. Evo sat in the living room, trying to make sense of what just happened. And found no answer to it.

Something fell upstairs. And Evo heard heavy steps over him. But Harriet just left. He saw him in the stairs. And he never mentioned living with someone else. He found no signs of that last night. Then who was in his apartment? Maybe a visit, one with whom he discussed; that would explain why he left in such a hurry. He was fighting over phone the other day, after all. Could it be the same person?

He followed the sound to the door, and heard it being open, then slammed. Forgetting about the scale, Evo rushed to reach the peephole. He caught a lion running down the stairs. It was a visit, after all. And now he was curious about who could get Harriet that mad, considering the wolf he met during the night.

It made no sense. But nothing that day made it. Evo pressed his head against the wooden door. "What if he put something in my drink?" He said to himself. Could Harriet do something like that? The shyness could very well be an act. He wouldn't be the first one to do something like that. Which meant he couldn't trust Harriet.

"Nonsense!" Evo waved his hand in the air and moved on with his day. Harriet wasn't like that. He was strange, but not some sort of sexual predator. "I have a lot of things to do". He was right. The blackout put him behind his current schedule. He needed to finish that last suit. And luckily, work always made his problems go away.

While he waited for his computer and the 3D printer to start, he went to the bedroom to put on something more comfortable. As he rummaged on the wardrobe, something caught his attention. The catsuit was on its hanger.

"When did I...?" He looked at the corner where he kicked it that morning, but there was nothing there. He could swear the catsuit was there when he left. Or did he imagine that? "I'm not drinking cheap beer again".

Wearing a loose tank top and his boxers, he went back to his workshop and opened the window to let some fresh air in. He had a good view of the front street, good enough to see Harriet and the lion coming back. They were discussing something, and the lion looked... scared. "Not my business", Evo insisted, and went back to work.

Luckily for him, the only thing he heard was the door as they walked in, but after all, nothing. It was a relief that things didn't escalate. The last thing he wanted was a loud discussion in an almost empty building. As he continued his work, everything else also became irrelevant; Harriet, the scale, the catsuit, the headache. Everything except his thirst. He was really thirsty.

He lost track of time. Jumping between the sewing machine and the computer and the printer, Evo had his absolute attention in the suit. The only thing that stopped him was his tummy growling. When he looked at the time, it was past 3:00 PM. And he made huge progress in his current work. Patting his own shoulder, he rewarded himself by ordering something good to eat.

"What would it be? Hamburger? Pizza? Fried chicken could be good too..." he pondered on his way to the living room. "Maybe everything! I could eat that and more!" His enthusiastic walk was interrupted by an incoming call from Telegram. It was Lambert. "Hey Lamby", he answered.

"Hey! How's my favorite Argentinian red bear doing?"

"That's a very specific greeting. Do you know any more Argentinian red bears besides me?"

"No, that's why you're the favorite".

Evo laughed. "Dummy. I'm doing fine. I just finished working on a suit and was thinking about what to eat".

"You better order a lot. I wanna see a huge bear next year", he made emphasis on huge, and Evo pictured him making a hand gesture to say fat.

"It's my plan", he patted his belly and sat on the couch. "And I hope to see a stinky, fat crocodile too!"

"I'm already working on the stinky part. Let's see how long I can last without taking a bath. Four days and counting!"

Both red creatures shared a laugh. Evo liked to joke about that with the crocodile.

"Anyway. Did you receive my package?" Lambert asked.

"What package?"

There was a long silence at the other side of the line before the crocodile talked again. "What do you mean what package? The gift I sent. The one I promised you".

"I didn't receive anything. Did you send it to the new address?"

"Yeah, I double-checked. I got confirmation it was delivered and even gave some very specific instructions for its delivery".

"That's weird. There's only me and another neighbor during most of the day. But he didn't tell me about receiving something".

"Fantastic", Lambert sighed out of frustration. "Ok, I'll check that out. Once I figured out what happened, I'll let you know".

"Don't tell me you got me something expensive", guilt quickly took over the bear. What if someone brought the package that morning while he was out? Or any other day while he was sleeping.

"It's not the price. It's something unique. But don't worry", the crocodile went back to a happier tone of voice, "you'll get it one way or another. Trust me. Now, eat something good for me too, ok?"

"Sure".

"Take care, fatty".

Evo finished the call, but he lost his appetite, which was particularly rare coming from him. He couldn't avoid it; the bear had been excited about the gift Lambert promised since the after party at the convention. Poli got a weird flower, but he seemed to be happy with it. Way too happy. And curiosity got the best of him as he tried to imagine what the crocodile had for him.

And now it was lost. Probably forever.

He ended up ordering pizza 10 minutes later.

"... so now he's gonna investigate what happened. I'll check with the neighbor, but I don't think he got it either". He called Poli while the pizza arrived. With the ears flattened against his head, the bear wished his derg was there to comfort him.

"Don't feel bad about it, hun. I'm sure you'll get that gift even if Lambert does nothing. It is for you, after all".

"I know, but what if he doesn't find it?"

"Trust me. He will. Just relax and wait". Evo puffed his cheeks. "Hun, if you're doing a tantrum, I'm not seeing it".

"It's not funny that way".

"You are overreacting. Whatever Lambert got for you, you're gonna get it".

"How can you be so sure?"

"Trust me on this one. And I know you're gonna love it".

"Did he tell you what it is?" At least the curiosity got him in a better mood. The bear started to jump in his seat.

"Nope, but Lambert wouldn't promise you something bad or boring. I'm actually eager to know what it is. So you better tell me as soon as you get used to it".

"I won't. You must come to see it. And I'll tease you everyday", Evo said with a fake, deeper voice.

"At least you're feeling better. But, going back to bad things, how's the leak going? I hope it's really nothing serious. Otherwise I'm gonna kick your landlord's ass".

"Now that you mention it", Evo turned to the hallway. Silence. "It's gone. I woke up this morning and it wasn't leaking anymore".

He chose to avoid talking about his little accident. Poli was sort of overprotective when it came to Evo's clumsiness especially when he was drunk. Even when he had good reasons to be so, Evo insisted that he was taking things too seriously and in the wrong direction.

"I really don't know what happened during the night but it was gone", Evo continued.

"That's not how it works. Something doesn't magically get fixed during the night".

"And it didn't, but it's not leaking right now. Which is good. I guess", someone called at the door. "My food's here".

"The landlord still has to check it, even if it's not leaking. I don't want him to blame you if that thing damages the roof".

"I'm paying him to keep the place in good shape. Thanks", he received the pizza from a young zebra, and managed to give him his tip. "But it's weird. My neighbor says his bedroom is right above the one with the leak, so the plumbing shouldn't go through that part of the floor".

"Who knows how they build the damn thing. There's a lot of people out there that shouldn't work in construction".

Pepperoni with extra cheese. And it was perfectly melted. Evo was already drooling even before taking the first bite.

"They build these places too fast". His entire body melted just like the cheese. He took a couple of extra bites before talking again. "But as long as nothing happens, I'm ok. I just need to clean. The water left a disgusting stain in the floor".

"Iuck".

"Yeah, I said the same".

Evo interrupted his meal after hearing a door upstairs.

"Well, I'll let you eat in peace. I'll call you later, hun", Poli finished the call, leaving Evo with the slice of pizza in one hand and the cell phone in the other. Seconds after, he heard Harriet's voice calling him from outside.

When he opened the door, the wolf jumped in place. "Jesus! I thought you wouldn't be at home!"

"What are you talking about? You saw me downstairs this morning".

"Did I? S-sorry", his ears flattened. "I got into a discussion. Guess I wasn't seeing things clearly".

"I heard that", Evo had his doubts, especially since the wolf was back to his usual self, compared to how he responded in the morning. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I don't want to be a bother. I just... well, I don't know why I came down in the first place".

"You wouldn't be here if you didn't need it", the bear moved aside. Harriet gave him a small smile and walked in. "Besides, I ordered pizza. I like being fat, but not that fat".

Harriet giggled. "Yeah, I could take a slice or two".

There was something different too. Evo leaned his head as he looked at the wolf from behind. It took him a moment to notice he was wearing clothes of his size, unlike the other days. It looked better on him.

"Something you like?" Harriet asked.

Evo blushed, and slammed the door by accident. The wolf covered his smile with his hand.

"Y-you look nice with those clothes. That's all", he cleared his throat. "So... what happened upstairs? I saw you with that lion. Is he your...?"

"Huh?" Harriet looked confused, and quickly realized what he meant." Oh! No, no, he's my boss. W-we dated a couple of times, but nothing serious".

"I see. So what was the discussion about? If you don't mind me asking".

Harriet made a pause to eat part of his pizza slice. "I... I fucked up things with a client. He wasn't so happy about it. You can imagine how serious it was if he had to come here".

"You fucked up big".

"Yeah. Well, it wasn't really my fault. Not entirely mine, I mean. There were a lot of wrongdoings behind, but I was the last one to get involved, so he decided to put the blame exclusively on me. He already fired me on the phone, but that was clearly not enough. So I... exploded. And I said a lot of things I shouldn't have" ears flattened again, Harriet sighed. "Personal things. Some weren't even about the job".

"I see..."

"It wasn't my intention".

"Don't blame yourself for that. I don't wanna make assumptions, but it looks like a lot of people abuse you".

"I wouldn't say abuse, but... yeah. I let a lot of things pass, and I think people just got used to that, so they started doing it unconsciously".

"I'm sorry to hear that".

"I'm the one to blame. I allowed all of that. And don't say they shouldn't", he stopped Evo before he could even say the words. "Of course they shouldn't, but I'm the one who started it all. I never spoke. Until now".

"But they should have noticed".

"Doesn't matter. I got fired so I don't have to deal with any of them anymore. I should see this as a new opportunity".

Evo smiled. At least Harriet was being optimistic. But he couldn't get out of his head the sensation that something was different. It wasn't just the slight change in his attitude or the clothes. Harriet wasn't like he remembered from the night before. It was like reuniting with a friend after years of not seeing each other, finding all the little details in his body that were different from his memories.

"Well, that's a good point. Everything is a chance to grow. I bet you're gonna find a new job pretty soon. And better than this one!"

"Thanks. I appreciate that".

"Hey, changing the subject. A friend sent me a package some days ago. Apparently it got delivered, but I didn't get anything. Did you get something recently?"

Harriet retired the slice of pizza, keeping a string of cheese connected to his mouth. He shook his head. "Maybe another neighbor got it. For some reason deliveries tend to arrive during the night".

During the night. He remembered the first night he lived there. Someone called at the door in the middle of the night. Could it be one of the neighbors? But he already forgot who stood outside. He lowered his shoulders in defeat. He didn't know anyone else besides Harriet.

"I could ask around if you want. I usually stay up late enough to catch them".

"I would like that. I don't know when they get home".

Harriet smiled. Evo suddenly wanted to get closer to him, but he couldn't say why. The wolf was cute, but he wasn't interested in that way. And yet, he felt that urge to be closer. Like if he had something he wanted. Or something he needed.

Harriet coughed violently. He covered his mouth with both hands and ran to the bathroom before Evo could even ask if he was ok. Seconds after he slammed the door, Evo heard him puking. He knew that sound. But that time it was different. Violent. Forced. Painful. The bear feared that Harriet could be sick, and followed to check on him. The stressful sound of his retching bristled the fur from his nape, and his hand trembled before he could knock at the door.

"Not now, please. Not now", the voice coming from the other side of the door pleaded. But it wasn't Harriet's. It was deeper and raspy.

"Is... is everything ok?" Evo finally dared to ask. No answer. Harriet continued puking. Was the food? Or what they drank last night? No. It wasn't possible.

He felt something under his paws. It was some kind of liquid coming from under the door. And it started covering his paws. But when he lowered his gaze to check what it was, the door opened. He barely caught a glimpse of the fist before it punched him right on his face, knocking him out.

Evo woke up in the middle of the hallway. He instinctively put his hand on the place he was hit, but he felt no pain. He got up and looked around, but there was no one there. In fact, there was nothing but boxes around. The same boxes from the day he unpacked most of his stuff.

Someone called at the door. He remembered a feline outside calling in the middle of the night. Afraid of what could happen, he didn't open and waited until the stranger left. Evo walked towards the door, but as soon as he took one step, he noticed something different. He looked down to find something covering his paws. Something dark. Something... shiny.

The bear ran to see who was calling, only to walk into Harriet's apartment. He advanced slowly. The place was dark, and there were stains of mold in the walls. Black water dripped from the roof. Everything was where he remembered, including the pictures of the maneless lion, the same one that followed Harriet downstairs.

The entrance door opened. "I gave you one fucking chance to do things right and you had to fuck it up!"

It was Harriet's voice. But it was.. different. No one came from the room, but he heard the voices getting closer.

"I'm sorry, ok? It wasn't my intention".

"It's never your intention. It's never your fault. I'm tired of hearing that! You are too fucking lazy to take things seriously".

"Y-you wouldn't be where you are if it wasn't for me!"

The room slammed on it's own. Evo jumped when the voices passed by his side on his path to the bedroom, the room over the one with the leak. Harriet was too defensive about it.

"You didn't do shit! Stop blaming me for having the balls for doing what you couldn't! You do nothing but blame others for your mistakes."

"How could this be my mistake? I should have everything you own right now! You stole that life from me!"

At the end of the hallway, a maneless lion stood before the door. He was holding a package under his left arm. Evo approached him as he called to the door. He knew him. He was outside the night he arrived. He called to the door in the middle of the night after receiving a package that wasn't for him. And Evo ignored him.

The lion vanished in thin air as soon as he got close enough. Evo swallowed, afraid to move forward, even when he knew he had to. The know barely offered resistance when he twisted it. The door opened on its own. A cold chill ran through his spine when he found a lion on his knees, choking. Both hands were around his neck. An empty transparent cylinder rolled away from him. His first instinct was to help him, but his body refused to move. Because it wasn't real what he witnessed...

His fur started to fall. The sound of cracking bones became louder. Muscles appeared in what once was a fragile body. And no scream came out despite the agonizing expression in his face. In mere seconds, the lion was no more. In front of him was Harriet.

Terrified, Evo stepped back, while the wolf turned into a black goo. He stumbled on his big paws and fell on his ass. Only then he noticed his legs covered in that same shiny substance, and how it slowly creeped upwards. He tried to clean it out, and noticed it was stuck to his fur, like glue or... some kind of goo.

"It has been fun, taking over another host". That deep voice... he looked around, trying to find where it was coming from. "But I believe it's time to go back home".

Evo panicked, knowing the voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He could hear it, even when it wasn't really there. And the goo continued moving upwards, now covering his belly.

He got up with a huge effort. Whatever was that thing, it made his legs stiff. It squeezed his skin with enough strength to immobilize him without hurting him. And when he tried to pull that thing away, it stretched. But it wasn't just the black ooze; no, a terrified Evo discovered he was pulling his skin too.

"I've been trying to reach you, after all. But this little lion was too selfish to share. And too stubborn to accept defeat".

The goo was already at his chest. He pulled with all his strength. And the more he pulled, the more the goo stretched. But he felt no pain, as if there was nothing under it. Instead, he heard the sound of rubbing latex.

"It's not a surprise. He lacks the imagination that you have. He can only turn into what he already saw. You have a stronger will, a bigger mind. You can create more".

He rushed to the kitchen and looked for something, anything to cut through whatever that thing was. Evo pulled out all the cabinets, dropping the cutlery all over the floor, until he found a sharp knife. The sight of his black hand stopped him for a moment; his massive claws now turned into a giant toy.

"What are you expecting to accomplish?" He pressed the tip of the knife against the slimey substance. But what if he pierced his skin? Or worse... "Are you so afraid of me? Despite all I have to offer?"

But would that make a difference? Was any of that even real to begin with? His shaky hand pushed the knife into the black substance, but he felt nothing. Evo saw with horror how it pierced deep into his body without provoking any pain.

"I wouldn't let you do something to hurt you. You are my home, after all. I must take care of you".

Acting on its own, his arms pulled the knife and threw it away. Black tendrils appeared from where he pierced, holding both arms and hands. His entire body became rigid in that moment, and the substance climbed quicker. Evo felt it on his neck, then the back of his head, followed by his face.

"And I'll grant you the wish to be anyone you want. Isn't that your fantasy?" it whispered to his ear. The now familiar voice relaxed his body in an instant.

"A-anyone...?"

"Anyone. There is no limit". Having no control over his body, Evo saw his hands rubbing his chest and belly the same way he always did when wearing the catsuit. "You won't be tied to this simple shape. Anything can be changed".

As he said that, Evo saw his body changing under the latex. His belly grew bigger. And he let out a moan, feeling his own balls growing too. One hand grabbed his cock; covered in latex too, his shape was different. He started to jerk off, making the latex squeak.

"Wouldn't that be amazing? Isn't that what you really wish? Walk under a new skin. Be anyone else. Please yourself with the infinite possibilities".

His body squirmed. His cock continued changing under his grasp. He recognized the barbs from a feline, then the tip of a horse cock, and the smooth shape of a shark. And it was exciting. The mere idea of changing at will, of not having to pretend, but actually be anyone he wanted. And experience that change. It was a pleasure bigger than the orgasm building up.

"Would... would I be ok?" Evo asked between his moans.

A set of eyes appeared in the darkness before him. "My sweet child. You won't".

As soon as the goo went into his mouth, the slime covering his body reacted and forced its way into Evo's throat. The bear only had time to put his hands around his neck in an useless attempt to stop the substance from going in. As he fell to his knees, choking, a black humanoid figure appeared in front of him. And once he drank all the slime, everything became black.

A piercing pain woke him up. Agitated, Evo found himself on the floor, right where he fell after the lion hit him. Once again, he felt something piercing his back. He roared, slamming his hands against the floor. But instead of the red and brown fur, he found his arms covered in something black and gleamy. He quickly recognized the latex, but before he could ask why he was covered with it, the pain forced him to get on his four.

It was unbearable. Dozens of nails piercing his spine one after another. He wanted to scream, but no sound came from his maw. And he couldn't feel the tears he knew were coming out.

Poli came to his mind. He felt like a coward for what he wished at that moment. He couldn't bear the idea of leaving his boyfriend alone, without even an explanation of what happened. Poli would be devastated. But what else could Evo do but beg for an end to that excruciating pain, even if that meant his death?

And at that moment, the pain stopped. It was for an instant, but he saw the clear image of the dragon in his mind. From head to toes. And whatever was living within him saw it too.

A bone cracked. Then another. And another. And another. It started from his chest and slowly went down to his legs. The bear lost his balance and fell to one side. The violent seizure only increased the sensation of his body breaking from the inside. Two lumps appeared at both sides of his back, and Evo twisted when his little tail slowly became larger and thicker.

He tried to get up, but his leg was now longer than what he remembered. And his body felt... lighter. Something fell from his maw. Evo found his fangs on the floor, and drips of blood came from the open wounds as another set of bigger, sharper fangs emerged. When he tried to grasp from the wall, a set of deadly claws pierced through the latex.

With a huge effort, he got on his knees right when his bones started to accommodate. His belly disappeared. The skin stretched and started to tear off the latex, revealing the scales under it. Pieces of the black material and red fur fell to the ground. From the lumps on his back two wings appeared, throwing a black substance behind.

The bear, or what was left of him, put his hands over his face and pulled the latex as hard as he could. Only then he could scream, right when a set of horns came from under the black latex. His voice was different. His arms were stronger. His body was larger. Exhausted by enduring the pain, his legs wobbled while he recovered his breath. Smoke came from his nose when he exhaled, and he felt a burning sensation deep inside his throat. With a deep growl, who once was a red bear rushed to face the one that kept him captive for so long.

The lion packed only the essential. He heard the horrific screeches under him, telling him he was running out of time. The quicker he could get out of there, the better. Only a change of clothes and some money, that's all he needed. Harriet had some in his wallet, but he wouldn't be able to use his credit card. What was left of the slime wouldn't work for even a small transformation.

He expected the bear to have some answers about whatever that thing was, but he wasn't expecting the slime to react that way. To leave him for the bear. His one and only chance to fix his life just vanished when the slime entered Evo's mouth and started to cover his body.

And now he had no choice but to run away. After what he did... The lion looked at a naked Harriet, tied to a chair in the corner of the bedroom. The life he wanted was right there, and now he lost that chance. Keeping him captive without the power to transform into him was extremely risky. After a moment of hesitation, he loosened his binds; the wolf should wake up in a couple of hours with just a headache.

The lion opened the door and there he was, a dragon standing at the end of the hallway. The blaze between his fangs made him tremble. His deep growl resonated across the hallway.

"Are you going somewhere?"

It wasn't the bear talking. The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The lion dropped his backpack and moved backward, closing the door even when he knew a beast that big could break it with one kick.

"I thought at first you were the one. But you lack the imagination and will to handle my power. Entertaining, but a weak host at the end".

"I-I'm sorry! It wasn't my intention", the lion cried out. He continued walking until he reached his bed.

"Don't be. Mortals have selfish ambitions. Some are weaker than others. Dreams born from regrets are just a meaningless wish".

The dark slime slipped from under the door. It creeped slowly towards him, forming a puddle from which a dragon head peaked out. His dark eyes fixated over the lion. A twisted smile grew in his face. Two huge hands appeared, and the dragon emerged from the goo. The naked figure stood out in front of him. The remnants of the goo stuck to his paws and fused with the scales.

"It's not your cowardice. You simply lack the will to endure me".

Paralyzed, he saw that thing getting closer. He saw the murderous intent in its eyes. And his mind refused to react. Because there was nothing he could do to stop that thing. What he imagined was his ticket for a better life was now about to end it.

Only when the claw closed around his neck was when the lion reacted. By pure instinct he grabbed it from the wrist, surprised to feel the hardness of the scales.

"But you are still useful. I just need to put you somewhere else". The dragon held him in the air. The lion recovered more control over his body after feeling the claw turning back to goo and spreading across his body. He kicked him as hard as he could, but the dragon remained still. His sick smile revealed the joy he got from seeing his pitiful struggle.

He cried out, losing sensation over the places covered by the goo. His arms fell to his sides, and his legs lost strength until his last kick let them hang like noodles. By the end, only his head remained. He begged him to stop, even when he knew it was useless. That devious creature fed from his desperation, forcing him to feel the goo slowly creeping over his face, extending his torture as much as he could, until it reached his mouth and nose, making his way inside him.

And when it covered his eyes, he saw it. Its real form. And his scream echoed across the Void.

The body turned into a shapeless blob that the dragon's claw started to absorb. He arched his back and shivered with pleasure. His memories, feelings, desires, he devoured each one of them and hid them deep within him. He couldn't remember the last time he had a real meal like that one.

The door creaked behind him. He licked his lips with eager lust. "The Mind Reaver in flesh. What a surprise". Some scales fell from his body as the goo emerged from within. By the time he turned to face the crocodile standing under the threshold, all the features from the dragon disappeared, and he was once more a humanoid figure with his body covered in black latex.

Lambert looked at him, and for a moment, he felt regret from his actions. "I should have imagined you would find him".

"And yet you came. What a good friend you are".

"I'm not so sure of that anymore".

"We are bonded to them. We'll find them no matter what. You just make the process easier", the humanoid approached. The top side of his body slowly turned back to the shape he recognized. But at that moment, he knew it wasn't Evo the one he looked at. "And we are grateful for that. And so are those that have been chosen by us. Your friend is safe, thanks to you. All he needs to do", the bear put one hand over the crocodile's chest, "it's get used to my presence".

Lambert grabbed his wrist. "Why me?"

"Because you listen", he slipped his hand away from his grasp and kept him in front of the reptile's face. "A gift. For you". From the slimy claw a collar made of fangs appeared. Five in total, of similar sizes, but from different species. The middle one belonged to a lion. "Whenever you need me, crack one of these. You might find it useful in the journey ahead. For now", the bear lowered his voice. Patrick did nothing when he got close enough to whisper to his ear, "I believe you could enjoy my power in a... different way".

The T.V mounted to the wall turned on.

"I'm afraid another Traveler is looking for me already". He gave the bear a cheeky smile.

"What a shame. But I'm curious about who shall be the next one".

Lambert paid attention to the static, and listened to the call only he could hear. The screen flickered, and the image of a dog of blue hair appeared for an instant. It was all he needed to know.

The walrus frowned, finding no evidence of the leak Evo reported days ago. He scratched his nape, then sighed. He looked at the bear for a moment, then returned his gaze to the roof. But a stain didn't magically appear.

"Well, it looks fine to me".

"... is that really all you gotta say?"

"Look, I wish I could do more for you. But right now I can't even walk into the other apartment, less pay someone to check this up. Not until the police close that case".

After the real Harriet woke up, he went right to the police to report what the lion had done. Apparently he kidnapped Harriet and tried to steal his identity; of course, they skipped Harriet's declaration about the lion transforming and labeled it as an hallucination result of a concussion.

They did open a case and started to investigate the disappearance of Dan Miller. Evo answered their questions, but the officers couldn't get anything from him, nor from the other neighbors. And some days later, a witness called to report he saw a lion that fit the description driving north.

Of course Evo knew that already. And he knew the leak was gone for good. But he had to pretend a little longer.

"Besides, you said it hasn't leaked recently, so maybe it was just temporary. I'll take another look if it starts again", he added, raising one hand as a sign of compromise.

"I guess that's enough for now".

Evo took a good look at the walrus as he turned to leave the room. He was fat and fit perfectly in the category of old bastard. But, putting his attitude away, he was good looking despite his age. It was the type of body he wished to have. And there was something particularly arousing about his tusks.

"It's a shame what happened to Dan. I hope you don't mind being the only one living here right now. Well, at least during the day", the walrus said.

"I like the silence".

"Let's keep it that way, ok? I don't like loud parties here".

"There won't be none".

"Good. And don't be a kidnapper too, ok? It's gonna be a pain in the ass to get someone to rent the place. Assuming the police would return it anytime soon".

"I won't give you trouble. Promise".

The walrus huffed before walking out of his apartment.

As soon as Evo closed the door, black goo came from the sides of his maw and quickly covered his body until the latex suit was complete. He got rid of his clothes while approaching the living room, and the complexion of his body started to change. A bigger belly, thicker legs and arms, and two long tusks poked out.

The latex quickly snapped under the pressure of his new body, and the naked walrus sat over the couch. The texture of his skin was so different from having fur, but he loved the roughness of it. It felt wide. As he indulged himself by rubbing the tusks, his erection grew; he gave himself some creative liberties over the things he couldn't see, and he liked the of a walrus with big, musky balls.

He got used to him quicker than expected. The pain from the transformation wasn't that strong anymore, and he started to enjoy the sensation of his body changing. It was exciting. Arousing. He loved it.

"There is no doubt we were made for each other. You are a perfect fit". Evo walked to the window. Of course the price was... questionable. But he could always use it to get rid of some questionable folks. There was a very special place deep within him where he could keep them safe.

"Isn't that right, Dan?"