FSE

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Cody wouldn't have noticed the odd shape buried in the tree root if he hadn't looked directly at it. It blended in with the wood almost perfectly, having the same exact color and shape. What gave it away was the texture, something far too uniform to resemble the bark of a tree. He was walking down the trail through the park, his usual way home from work. It was way quicker to take the train, but a scenic walk through the greenery was always preferable after the smothering environment his job as an accountant offered. An extra ten minutes walking was better than stuffing himself into the cramped quarters of the subway.

So he'd taken this path hundreds of times but was only just now noticing the queer-looking object stuck in the tree root. He kept his eyes on it as he walked, phone in hand, airpods tucked in his ears. It made sense just to keep walking. Whatever he was looking at couldn't have been important. And yet some latent curiosity told him to get a closer look and see what it really was. He came to a stop on the walkway and made a slow turn towards the tree. It was on a decline from the path, requiring him to skid his way down towards it. Dust kicked up around his black shoes and business pants. His tie was loose around his neck with the top button undone. The brief trip down the hill jostled the glasses down his nose, exposing his softly freckled visor.

Once at the bottom he slid the glasses back up and got closer to the tree. The object was mostly consumed by the tree root like it had been sitting there when the tree was planted however many years ago. It was obvious now that it was separate from the tree, its texture resembling the scales of a snake. [i]Yeah, it's something alright.[/i] Cody paused the music he was listening to and squatted. The object was mostly obscured but was by no means irretrievable. He lacked any tools to perform such an extraction, but curiosity demanded he find out more about the thing.

A cautious hand reached out for it. Cody was surprised to feel the chill of metal on his fingertips. He tapped it twice, confirming that it was in fact solid, more so than the wood which encased it. What's more was the tiny bit of tarnish which was wiped away by his finger. It revealed the soft glint of what could've been either brass or, if Cody was really lucky, gold. That settled it. Without regarding who might have been watching or whether he was allowed to do it, Cody fell to his knees and began prying at the root with his fingers. His thumb pressed into a knob of wood, whiting the knuckle until the knob came off with a dry [i]crack![/i]

More of the object was revealed and Cody recognized the scaley body of a snake. He pulled and clawed his way further into the root until at last the top of the object and the pedestal it stood on was revealed. It was a miniature statue of a snake-person, its windy lower body half-coiled on the pedestal with the rest cocked up like the head of a cobra. The torso was a fierce looking woman with strong arms and a plump bosom. The head and neck was flared with a cobra hood. Her mouth was hung open in a frightening hiss, the two fangs extended and ready to puncture. Sparkling with even greater menace was the one ruby eye which Cody had freed from the tree root.

Cody gawked at it for several moments, still on his knees with fragments of tree scattered around him. [i]No fucking way. And I'm the first person to notice this?[/i] He went back to hewing the root until at last the statue's head was exposed enough for him to get a good grip on. With just a few sharp tugs he was able to free the statue. It lurched towards him, mostly covered in moist inner tree and smelling of it. Behind it was a neatly carved hole in the statue's shape with splinters hanging and falling to the Earth below. Cody brought the statue up onto its pedestal for his first full look at it. Those Plutonian eyes regarded him with malice. Though the statue was tarnished and dirty, he could already see the golden luster ready to shine just beneath the surface.

It was after another minute of just staring at the thing that he realized he was in the middle of the park with it, in front of a gaping hole where he'd just clawed it out of a tree. [i]Shit, I hope that's not vandalism.[/i] Cody stood up with the statue cradled in his hands. It was much heavier than it looked, weighing at least 30 pounds by his estimate. Without a bag or a jacket he had nothing to put it in or cover it. He was left to waddle through the streets with it in front of his shirt which was deeply stained by the time he got home. Cody didn't care about that, nor the myriad of bizarre looks he got on the way. If this thing was as valuable as he thought it was going to be, he'd be able to afford plenty of outfits to replace it.

At his apartment complex he made a quick trip to the elevator and his floor where he locked himself inside and carefully placed the statue on his kitchen table. He took a step back and shook the fatigue out of his arms. “Holy shit," he said softly, still having trouble believing what had happened. It was a surreal sight, one that garnered hopes of some ancient artifact worth millions. Of course that was rather far-fetched, but such fantasies were hard to avoid when dealing with something so fantastic and alien.

Fantastic, yes. Clean, no. The dirt on it was crumbling onto the table and had left a horizontal stain on Cody's shirt where the pedestal was pressed into his stomach. After a quick trip to his bedroom he came back with a new set of clean clothes. In the kitchen were some rags that he used to wipe the dirt off the table and into his palm. [i]The dirt under the pedestal is probably going to stain the table, but I don't really care about that. How am I going to clean the statue?[/i] He drew his phone and looked up ways to clean brass. WD-40 was the best option that was readily available. [i]But it might not be good for gold.[/i] Still not wanting to get his hopes up, he set that thought aside.

The WD-40 was under the sink. Cody pulled a seat up to the table with the can and a couple rags while his favorite podcast played in the background. He barely paid it any attention, the whole of his focus on cleaning the magnificent artifact which had found itself in his apartment. The steps were simple: spray some WD into the rag, then rub tight circles onto the metal. It worked its magic, smearing off the tarnish and dirt to reveal the shiny brass scales just beneath. A giddy smile split Cody's face. He left no curve or facet untouched, weaving the rags around the snake creature's serpentine body and her more feminine torso. More of her came to light, and Cody saw himself in her. He realized he was sweating. His podcast had moved on to a third episode from where he started and he hadn't even noticed. A glance at the microwave clock revealed that it was almost 9 o'clock. [i]I've been cleaning for three hours?[/i]

Normally he would have taken a break, but the statue was almost completely clean with just the head and the cobra hood still dirty. He wouldn't have been able to go to sleep until it was all the way sparkling. Cody squirted another dab of WD into the rag and wrapped it around his finger. He rubbed away at the snake creature's neck, then moved up to its open mouth. The tip of his finger just barely fit inside, allowing him to-

“[i]Ow![/i]" He yanked his hand away and shook it, flinging the dirty rag away and onto the floor. A single droplet of blood trickled from his fingertip where it felt like he'd been bitten. “The fuck?" He snatched the rag off the floor and covered the cut up. [i]What was that?[/i] A close inspection of the snake creature's mouth revealed fangs that were much sharper than he thought they were. They looked dull under a thin layer of grime. Now that they were clean Cody could see the points were sharp like needles. Even when he got close to it he couldn't see the fang's tip. It just got smaller and smaller to the point where it was invisible. [i]For a statue that was stuck in a tree and for so long there's no way any part of it should be that sharp. What the hell is this thing made of?[/i]

He peeled the rag off his finger to see if he'd stopped the bleeding. A red splotch colored the fabric amidst the dirt he'd wiped off the statue. The bleeding had stopped, but he'd given himself a good nick right on his fingertip. “Damn." Cody retreated to the bathroom and got a band-aid from the closet. One went around his afflicted finger before he went right back to cleaning the statue. He made sure to floss the rag through the creature's mouth instead of sinking his finger into it.

Just a few more thorough scrubs across the cobra hood and the statue was finally pristine. Cody put the dirty rag aside and scooted back in his chair to admire the artifact. The craftmanship was something to behold now that all the dirt was gone. Every scale was perfectly carved out from the one next to it. The snake's features were fierce, her position frightening. Cody expected her to spring to life any moment. Most striking were those ruby eyes of hers. Staring into them, Cody felt mesmerized, almost paralyzed. When their gazes met, the throbbing in his finger where he'd been “bitten" grew faster and more intense. He clutched it to his chest, and with a rapidly growing pulse he forced himself to look away from the statue. [i]I should probably put this thing away. I'll find more about it tomorrow. [/i]

Cody picked the statue up off his table and moved it to the counter in his kitchen where it sat in the corner. After three whole hours of cleaning he was tired. Both arms were sore from the constant scrubbing and the smell of WD-40 had seared itself into his nose. He decided it was time to take a shower and go to bed. [i]I'll wake up rested. Maybe I'll find out what the hell this thing is.[/i] Cody left the living room for the hallway. Before entering the bathroom for a shower he looked over his shoulder and into the kitchen. The statue was still there, those ruby eyes still shimmering. He was too far away to tell, but he thought the statue's expression looked different. Now he thought it looked sad, or disappointed. It tempted him to take a closer look, but he quickly shrugged it off and went to bed.

[center]***[/center]

Cody woke up before his alarm clock the following morning. Hounding his dreams was the snake creature come alive, its brass body replaced by a splendid array of emerald and black scales. Her divine curvature slithered towards him, blanketing him in the shadow of her extended cobra hood. Those fiery eyes burned brightly in her silhouette. Slit pupils regarded him coldly. A wily flick of her tongue sized him up. In the exaggerated excitement of a dream state, Cody felt every bit of terror and amazement. He didn't know whether to run or to fall to his knees and worship what was clearly a goddess. Trapped on the line between fight and flight, he stood frozen, his gaze locked with Her Splendor.

It was not the shock of such a vivid dream that woke him up, but a flare of pain in his finger. It felt like the tip had been fractured. [i]It isn't infected, is it?[/i] He withdrew his hand from beneath the covers and held it over his face. The finger looked fine, at least under the bandage. He gently peeled part of it off and saw no swelling or discoloration. In fact, the throbbing and the soreness were starting to die down. His hand came down and a sigh rolled out of him. [i]That dream was so real. The realest I've had in a long time. I think I should stay away from the statue. It's dug itself into my mind pretty deeply. [/i]

Cody got up and got ready for work. All the while he tried not to look over at the statue in his kitchen. It was right where he had left it, still in that awesome pose, still looking disappointed somehow. [i]It's not going anywhere. Why am I so worried about it?[/i] He made sure to sit at the table with his back to the kitchen so he wouldn't have to look at it. Eventually it was time to go to work, so he got up and left for the tram.

He could escape the statue in his kitchen, but not the snake goddess who'd slithered her way into his conscience. That reptilian face would appear in every other thought of his. His face would grow hot. His heart would start to race. That aching throb would return beneath the band-aid, causing him to clench his fist and fidget.[i] Just a dream[/i], he'd chant to himself. [i]Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream.[/i]

So he told himself, but the snake goddess lingered still. He'd see her out the corner of his eye, standing on her snake body around the corner of a cubicle or a door. She was in the reflection of his computer monitor. Passing by someone's workstation, he would see her hovering about his coworker's shoulder like she were giving them advice. Cody would double take every time, only to see that there was nothing there. He'd blink, shake his head, and take a sip of coffee. [i]Just a dream[/i], he'd chant some more. [i]Just a dream. Just a dream. [/i]

He could escape the goddess's presence if he let his mind relax. Focusing on work helped, so did chatting with his office mates. On occasion he would rub his chest or tug at his beltline as some kind of nervous tick, but overall he remained composed. By the time he clocked out the snake had remained mostly dormant, though she'd imprinted herself on his mind like a bad memory. [i]I have to do some research on that statue. What the hell did I find, exactly? [/i]

Coming back to his apartment he found the statue still in the corner of his kitchen wearing that slightly disappointed face. It felt like taking a risk just getting up close to it to take some pictures. He wasn't quite ready to touch it, at least not yet. Going over the pics he'd taken he noticed that the snake goddess looked less disappointed and more like it was posing proudly, showing off her curvaceous figure and divinely sloped bosom. When he looked back at the statue with his own eyes it appeared to be back to its disappointed state, or at least something more neutral. [i]God, I wish I was that pretty[/i], he thought after a moment of gazing at her.

He shook his head. Where did that thought come from? Wanting to be away from the statue, Cody hurried his phone to his desktop where he plugged it in and uploaded the pictures. Google performed a reverse image search for him. While it didn't come up with any items that were exactly what the statue was, they did bring up ancient-looking carvings that depicted the same creature, that of a cobra woman attached to a long snake body.

Naga, the creature-goddess was called. Mythical hybrid animals that symbolized sex and fertility. Cody could tell as much thanks to the many lascivious drawings artists had made of them. He found himself squirming in his seat at the sight of such nubile and buxom reptiles. [i]Scaley curves. Magnificent hoods. Eyes so sharp.[/i] Cody's finger started to throb again. There was an agitation in his chest and the seat of his pants. Is it getting hot in here? Every glance at the feminine creatures, no matter how small, triggered that feeling of envy he'd felt when looking at the statue. [i]I've never felt this way before. What's wrong with me? [/i]

Cody closed his web browser. “I need a drink," he said aloud softly while standing out of his chair and making a quick journey to the kitchen. In the fridge were some beers, one of which he plucked and cracked open. Before it was done fizzing, he threw it back and took several deep gulps. He finished it off with a crisp sigh. [i]I'm not jealous of beautiful snake ladies,[/i] he declared to himself, something he never foretold himself having to do. He took another swig of beer but couldn't stop himself from glancing over at the statue on the counter. He couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like it was smiling.

[center]***[/center]

More dreams of the naga, but he was not being pursued this time. The naga was his friend, something that showed great interest in him. She coiled her scaley snake body around his legs, those powerful muscles capable of squeezing him into dust. But she didn't, and instead Cody felt safe in her grasp. [i]I want to be you[/i], he said to her. [i]I want to be like you now[/i]. The naga opened her mouth to respond, that glistening, pink inner mouth flashing him. Her fork tongue slithered forth. The tips of her fangs glinted.

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by the screech of Cody's alarm clock. It was dreadfully hot. He was doused in sweat. The sheets had been kicked off the mattress. His finger felt ready to explode. Sitting up he recalled what he'd said in the dream. I want to be you. Why did he say that? Why did his mind continue to concoct all these asinine thoughts and images? Why did he have to go and dig up that statue out of the tree? No time to sit and dwell on it. Work was in an hour.

The naga hallucinations had eased off, or at the very least Cody seemed to be handling them better. He did not jerk in his seat after seeing her in the corner of his eye or perform a double take every time he passed someone's cubicle. Her presence did not frighten him, but it didn't comfort him either. Thoughts of her reptilian form slithering about, stalking him, brought the usual throb of pain in his finger and the odd discomfort in his chest and hips. [i]Don't let it bother you,[/i] he'd say to himself now. He couldn't say it was just a dream anymore, not when things were beginning to seem very, very real.

The following couple days saw a repeat of those prior. From searching the internet to more pictures of naga creatures to dreaming of them. He'd grown blind to the pain in his finger, though he couldn't quite shake what he felt in his chest and his hips. The latter felt like it was spreading to his thighs. A trip to the mirror one night didn't reveal anything. He stood nude in his bathroom while getting ready to take a shower. Nothing was out of place or discolored. It was regular, old Cody. Same as always. Fit and healthy like a horse.

But there was one thing he noticed.

It was just before he turned to go cut the water in the shower on. It had to do with his face. Frowning, he approached the mirror for a closer look. What was wrong? Well, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. [i]Does my face look… rounder?[/i] That, and it was slightly paler too. Not like the pigment was gone, but like what little melanin he had was fading away and leaving something much fairer. What's more, his freckles were gone. They'd constellated his cheeks ever so subtly since he was a young adult. Now they were gone. With eyes widening out of surprise, he noticed that they too were slightly different, featuring an odd gleam like some camera filter. [i]What is this? Why do I look soft? And why am I not upset about it?

[/i]

But why should he have been? He looked nice. A lady would've killed for a complexion like that. He dazzled himself with his eyes. If he didn't know any better, his hair looked fuller too. Maybe he was just seeing things, but if that was the case, he didn't want to break the illusion. Smiling to himself, Cody spun around and waltzed into the shower. He felt confident. As he turned the faucet on, he wondered how he would upkeep such smooth skin. After Cody had taken his shower and was headed to his bedroom through the living room he spotted the naga statue in the kitchen. He was too far away to be sure, but he could've sworn it was smirking.

Cody coasted through another two days, having all but forgotten about the prick he'd gotten on the finger. There were still those odd sensations, but he'd grown blind to them too. He even got a compliment from one of his coworkers, Mikayla, on how nice his face looked. “Did you switch up your routine?" she'd asked.

“Oh no," he said, trying his best to seem humble. “Just taking care of myself and eating better. It cleared up on its own." [i]When have I ever worried about my skin this much since becoming an adult?[/i]

“Wow. I'm jealous," she said. “You might have to share some of your secrets."

Cody didn't know how to tell her that pricking her finger on a naga statue was the trick, so he just said “Oh, it's no secret. Just self-care."

Truth was, he still wasn't sure if the statue was to blame for all this. Maybe it was all in his head, some kind of paranoia that had been planted in his brain by his unexpected discovery of the statue. Something so potentially valuable doesn't leave your head that easily. All that pain in his finger and the stuff he'd felt in his chest and bottom had to be psychosomatic. [i]But what about the naga statue would even make my brain do something like that? Why do I look at those drawings and get jealous? Why is my face clearing up[/i]? Cody didn't have an answer, and most of him was too afraid to find out what it was. As flattering as his coworker's compliment had been, he decided to shove it aside. [i]Don't let it get into your head more than it already is. It's no big deal. [/i]

But he couldn't escape the naga, not in his dreams. She coiled around him again. A nude, seemingly hypnotized Cody told her again, [i]I want to be you.[/i] The naga opened her mouth. This time she was able to speak.

[i]You will. [/i]

Cody woke up with a start. That declaration rang in his mind. [i]You will. You will. You will. I will what? Become a naga?[/i] He pictured himself as a scaley monster, his pale human body crudely attached to a long, snake half. [i]No, I don't want to be like that. I want to be like that goddess.[/i] Cody rubbed his forehead and noticed he was doused in sweat. [i]No. I don't want to be like anything. I'm me. Cody. A normal human guy. Forget about nagas. In fact…[/i]

Cody shot out of bed. Without putting any clothes on he hustled straight for the kitchen and hoisted the statue off the counter. He carried it back to his bedroom where he forcibly opened one of his closets, put the statue on the carpet floor, then closed the door. [i]Let me never think about it again[/i], he declared to himself. I never go into that closet anyway. The clothes he usually wore were in his dresser. After cooling off with a quick shower and some breakfast he went to put some clothes on. [i]Gonna go to work and not think about nagas.[/i] He threw on a shirt and quickly buttoned it up before grabbing a pair of pants and stepping into them. [i]No big deal. It's all in your-[/i]

He was pulling the pants up his legs when he was brought to an abrupt stop. The beltline had shoved into the swell of his buttocks and would go no further. He looked down at them with a scowl. “The fuck?" He gave them some extra tugs which managed to bring it up to his waist, but it wasn't a comfortable fit. Indeed, it barely fit at all. Trying to button the fly proved a nigh impossible task. His jaw clenched and his face turned red as he tried to force the little round button into its hole. “[i]Come on![/i]" he growled. The button sloooooowly made its way through, and finally it was inside. Cody could breathe finally. “Whew. Jesus Christ. Are these an old pair?" They couldn't have been. They came straight out of the drawer where he only kept his work pants which were all fitted. Maybe he'd accidentally put an old pair in there.

[i]But I've had the same size for years. Do I even have a smaller size in this apartment?[/i] Cody looked down at his beltline and felt around it. It was so incredibly tight around the seat, almost like his ass was about to rip through it. The same applied to his hips and thighs. [i]That's where I've had all that irritation.[/i] He tried moving around a few steps. Doing so dug the beltline into his body like it was trying to squeeze him in half. “Nope," he grunted. “This ain't gonna work." He popped the button he'd worked so hard to get done and pushed his pants down. He fetched another pair from the drawer and tried those on. It was as he feared; they wouldn't fit properly either.

“Ahh, come on!" he shouted. He gave up trying to put the button together. [i]No way I have two pairs in there that don't fit. It's me that's grown. Or rather, my ass.[/i] He had to see for himself. Peeling out of those pants he hurried to his bathroom and cut the light on. He gasped immediately. Standing in the mirror was Cody, but a version of himself he'd never seen before. His face was much softer than when he'd inspected himself in the mirror. Beyond just not having any blemishes or scares, his jaw was rounder, his lashes more radiant, his lips like soft pink pillows. More surprising was the length of his hair. It was as short as he remembered just a few days ago. Now it was long enough to touch his ears. Plus, it sported a lustrous sheen and wavy locks like he'd put something in it.

A timid hand lifted to his face and touched it. He turned his head one way, then the other. The image in the mirror responded perfectly. His fingers (looking much daintier than he was used to) slid down his cheek, something he felt. Yes, it was real, very, very real. “Holy shit…" He saw that it wasn't just his face. He'd come in there to inspect his hips and his butt. He could now that the shock of seeing his effeminate visage had worn off just a little.

Falling from the bottom of his shirt were a pair of thighs like small trees, perfectly broad and inwardly curved. Cody dared to lift the shirt and see more. There were his plump hips. The waistband sunk into the flesh within the reddish impression his pants had left after trying to force them on. These were not the assets of a masculine man, but those of an undeniably feminine woman. Cody, back in a state of mild shock, ran his hands down his flanks. They ran over the soft curves, whispering softly as they went. Gooseprickles erupted across his skin, perking his nipples against into his shirt. “No fucking way," he whispered.

Twisting around revealed the two plush cushions that sat between his back and his equally fluffy thighs. His underwear covered his haunches, but even then he could tell how Jovian each buttock was. He reluctantly gave one a squeeze. It was heavy and gelatinous, held in place by a neutrally firm bedrock of glute. Had he seen it on a woman he would've thought it sexy. Seeing it on himself struck some level of fear into his heart. [i]What the fuck. No wonder my pants won't fit. I've got ass for days.[/i]

He realized he was inspecting himself a little too closely. Blushing, he quickly twisted back around to face the mirror. What's happening to me? [i]Is someone slipping estrogen into my food?[/i] But he knew that wasn't the real cause. The source of his feminization was currently in his closet where he'd put it, the naga statue he'd pricked his finger on. He held the afflicted hand subconsciously. He thought he saw the naga in the reflection behind him, or rather he saw himself as the naga. He blinked a few times. The illusion dissipated, but the man who was turning into a woman remained.

“I gotta do something about this," he said aloud. But again, work beckoned him. He'd gotten up early, so there was plenty of time to get ready. That didn't change the fact that he had no pants to wear, or at least none that were acceptable in the workplace. Some sweatpants would've fit, but he doubted his boss would've let that fly. A quick trip into his bedroom and a glance at the alarm clock revealed that he had 40 minutes until it was time to leave. [i]Enough time to get some proper pants. [/i]

Cody dashed back to his dresser and threw on some sweatpants. Out the door and out of his apartment he went, looking strange in his button up white shirt and a pair of sweatpants bearing the Indianapolis Colts logo on one leg. The department store was not far. He went straight for the Men's department and grabbed a black pair of pants like he had on at home only a few waist sizes bigger. Holding it up against his newly inflated hips, he wondered. [i]Is this big enough? My ass looked pretty good- I mean, big in the mirror.[/i] Just in case he snatched two other pairs that were bigger off the rack and hurried into the changing room.

As he'd feared, only the largest pair he'd taken fit given his ample backside. Men's business pants were simply not tailored to hold such curvaceous figures. The pair fit around his hips and thighs but hung loosely around his calves. Pride kept him from going to the women's section, but at this rate it wouldn't be long until he'd be expected to go there. Cody checked the time on his phone. 17 minutes until he was supposed to be at work. “Fuck!" No time to go home and change out of his sweatpants. He tore the tag off the pants he had on and made a beeline for the front counter. There wasn't a line, but that didn't save him from looking panicked and terrified by the time he put the tag down in front of the register. “Here. This is the tag to the pants I'm buying," he said half out of breath. His sweatpants were bundled up in one arm, looking more out of place than anything else.

The woman at the register, slightly concerned, took it and rang it up for him. “Find everything you were looking for?"

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I'm about to be late for work and none of my pants fit at home." It sounded so odd when he said it out loud. [i]Why wouldn't I or anyone have any clothes that fit? [/i]

“Oh, sorry to hear that! Here, I'll get this done for you. It'll be $60.89." Cody drew his wallet from his sweatpants pocket and paid using his debit card.

“Thank you so much," he said.

“You're very welcome, ma'am, and thank you. You have a nice day."

But Cody didn't say anything. [i]Ma'am. Did she really just call me that? Am I really that far gone?[/i] Heat rose to the surface of his cheeks, blushing their immaculately smooth surface. He calmly collected his card and wallet then tucked them into the pocket of his new pants. “Yeah, you too," he said finally before sulking his way out the door, leaving the cashier to wonder what she had done wrong.

Cody made it to work just a few minutes late. It wasn't an issue, but even if it was it wouldn't have bothered him as severely as the cashier misgendering him. The word 'ma'am', that single syllable, rang through his head all day. He was suddenly very conscious of the pressure his ass put on the seat of his pants. Worse still was the sensations taking hold of his chest, something he knew had to be breast growth. [i]I'll have to buy baggier clothes from now on. Something I can work in but won't bust around my ass or my chest. [/i]

“Hey, Cody," his coworker said to him as he was hunched over in front of his computer, struggling more than ever to keep his mind off his changing body and the statue which had triggered all this. Startled, he turned around in his chair to see Mikayla.

“Hey," he said back. “What's up?"

“Is everything alright? You seem… neurotic. I don't mean to be rude, but you look disheveled. You came into work with your clothes all messed up and you haven't been talking to anyone. We were worried about you."

[i]Is it that obvious? I'm turning into a woman, and I've lost my fucking mind[/i]. Cody cleared his throat and sat upright. “Ahem. Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a tough time this morning 'cause I found out none of my clothes fit. I think I'm gaining weight." [i]In the weirdest places too. [/i]

“Oh, well you look the same. Weight wise, I mean."

Cody wasn't about to tell her exactly how his changing body had warranted a wardrobe change. “Well, it's something else too. I'm kinda…" He crossed his arms over his chest. His finger felt like it was in a clamp that was being tightened. “I don't know. I've just been feeling different lately. I can't explain it."

Mikayla was quiet for a moment. “Yeah, you've been looking different lately too."

[i]So people can tell.[/i] “Yeah, you can see it?"

“Sorry, I don't wanna make you feel bad."

“No. You're not. Tell me what's different, what you can see."

“I mean, we talked about your face. I said your skin looked flawless, but it wasn't just that. Your whole face looks changed kind of like…" She hesitated.

Cody finished for her. “Like a woman's?"

Mikayla nodded. “Yeah, and your voice is different too. It still sounds like you, but it sounds like you're doing an impression of someone younger or, you know, a woman."

Cody hadn't noticed. He put his fingers on his throat. [i]It makes sense. If the rest of my body changes, my voice would too.[/i] “OK, I see."

“Is everything alright?" Mikayla asked again. His previous answer clearly hadn't convinced her “You can tell me. I won't tell anyone else."

Cody wasn't so sure about that, not because he didn't trust Mikayla, but because he wasn't sure if she'd even believe him. 'I pricked my finger on a naga statue and it's turning me into a woman' wasn't the most believable story in the world. But he couldn't just tell her it was nothing, not when it was painfully obvious that something was wrong. He could provide nothing but a half truth, a blanket statement that had echoed through his mind ever since he'd pricked his finger on the snake goddess' fang. “I don't know. Something's wrong, but I don't know why it's happening."

Mikayla frowned sadly. “Well, if something's wrong, I think you should see a doctor. In the meantime, some of us are having drinks tonight since it's a Friday. You're more than welcome to join us, just to get your minds off things."

“Yeah," said Cody. “That sounds good."

Cody had an easier time getting ready to go out that night than he did for work, if only because there wasn't any kind of dress code. Of course, his only clothes capable of covering his feminine assets were sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt he usually only wore as pajamas. Meeting up with his coworkers at the bar made him feel out of place. Where everyone was wearing casual out on the town outfits or what they'd worn to work, Cody looked like he'd just gotten out of bed. Nobody commented on it, but he saw the strange looks on their faces.

He tried his damndest not to let it bother him. [i]These are my friends. I can trust these guys. Just have a few drinks, watch some sports, chat, and try and forget about everything.[/i] A few beers later and the stress of the past couple weeks started to numb. The conversation at the bar grew lively, replete with funny jabs and uproarious laughter. Cody's was the loudest and most shrill, his effeminate timbre shrieking above the rest whenever someone said something particularly witty. He clapped his hand over his mouth and blushed at one point when he realized his friends and many other people at the bar were looking at him. Mikayla was there to put a calming hand on his wrist and tell him, “It's OK. We're all here to have fun. We're glad you are too."

For the first time in a long time, Cody felt like he was going to cry. He lowered his hands and smiled. “Thanks."

Fully out of his shell now, he became the life of the bar, buying drinks and cracking jokes. He didn't just stop worrying about the naga statue, he wholeheartedly thanked it for turning him into whatever it was he was becoming. The goddess was not hidden around some corner or looming over the shoulder of one of his friends. She was right behind him, arm around his shoulder, whispering into his ear what he should say to his friends. He repeated every word verbatim, much to the enjoyment of everyone.

Part of him attributed it to the alcohol. He'd accumulated quite the collection of empty bottles in front of him. The thing was, he didn't feel drunk. His head was clear, his words were crisp, and his posture was flawless. In fact, he'd never felt more sober and in control. More than just sitting upright, he sat in his stool with a sweeping curve to his back so that his ass jutted into the seat of sweatpants, half suspended over the edge for passerby to admire. He caught a few gentlemen taking glances at it as they walked by, a few of whom were his own coworkers. He didn't take offense. Indeed, he wanted them to look.

His laughter was not the girly shriek it was before, but that of a confident woman who knew what she was saying was funny. Cody would crack a joke, and the whole group laughed. He didn't try to lower his voice anymore, not when such a throaty, authoritarian tone like his commanded attention across the bar. Seeing his coworkers and strangers flock around him was a massive boost to the ego. He felt like a Queen, a goddess. The naga whose likeness had been carved into bronze was no longer around his shoulder, whispering into his ear. She'd become him. Cody was her. It created a feeling of power like he'd never experienced before. He fucking loved it.

The night blurred past as quickly with more drinks and laughter. Some friends expressed concern over Cody's drinking, but he told the truth when he said he didn't feel anything. “Do I seem drunk to you?" he asked with a sassy waggle of the head and a sarcastic lift of the eyebrow.

“No," said Mikayla. “But that doesn't mean all that alcohol isn't doing some harm to you."

Maybe it was. A goddess might feel invincible, but it didn't mean she was. “You're right." Cody pushed the beer bottle aside. “I'll have some non-alcoholic stuff for the rest of the night."

That seemed to relieve everyone. “Good. If you need help getting home, just let me know."

Cody smiled and nodded. “Thanks. I think I might."

[center]***[/center]

Cody woke up immediately realizing that this wasn't his bed or his apartment. The mattress was much softer than his back home and the ceiling was painted a different color. A ceiling fan he didn't recognize twirled above him. [i]What the fuck?[/i] He snapped his head up to look around. It was already deep into daylight, the sun pouring in through the sliding doors that led to the balcony. [i]I don't have a balcony.[/i] [i]Where am I?[/i] He looked down at himself. A heavy, beige comforter was crumpled up to his neck. Cody squinted his eyes and rubbed them before slowly sitting upright. Every movement felt like he was crawling through molasses. [i]Where am I? What happened last night?

[/i]

The comforter slumped down from in front of his chest. He finished rubbing his eyes and hung his head to try and wake up for a moment. That's when he saw the bra attached to his chest. That woke him up rather instantly. His spine snapped into a line. “What the fuck!?" he all but shouted.

Then something jerked in the bed next to him. Someone was under the comforter. They sat up too, their auburn hair in a frizzy catastrophe, their eyes scrunched shut by sleep. A woman in a white tank top, Mikayla, Cody's coworker. “Mmm, what? What?" she groaned.

Cody's breath was trapped in his lungs. “M-Mikayla?"

She creaked one eye open and looked at him. She didn't seem surprised at all. “Yeah. What's up? Is everything OK?"

Cody looked around the bed. He spotted the sweatpants he'd worn to the bar discarded on the carpet floor. Just next to it were his boxers. His shirt was nowhere to be seen. [i]Am I naked?[/i] He shoved the comforter down off his legs. Another gasp rolled into his chest when he saw the pair of women's underwear wrapped around his hips, knotted in the middle by his clotted penis and balls. Another exclamation of shock was on Cody's lips as he opened his mouth to release it, but nothing came. He was paralyzed.

“Cody!" Mikayla said, now fully awake and fully concerned. She put a hand on his bicep. “What's wrong?"

Cody looked at her. “What… What happened last night? How did I get here. Is this… Is this your house?"

Mikayla's eyes went round. “Oh my God. You don't remember anything."

Cody shook his head. “Nothing. I…" He rubbed his hand across his forehead then down his face. “Last thing I remember you were offering me a ride home if I needed it." He looked back down at the panties still clung to his pecker. “I don't remember putting on… this." [i]Why aren't I repulsed by this. Why does it feel… comfortable?[/i] He looked back at her. “Did we..?"

Mikayla shook her head emphatically. “No. We didn't have sex."

That was an incredible weight off Cody's chest. “Oh, thank God. But… that doesn't explain why I put these things on." He put his chin against his collar looking down at the black bra he had on. It had plumped his breasts ([i]Apparently I have those now too[/i]) together into a nice apple-sized pair featuring some length of cleavage. Again, he felt no discomfort. [i]It's kind of sexy, actually. Now that the shock is gone, I'm reacting to this pretty calmly.[/i]

“You really don't remember?" Mikayla asked.

“No. Nothing. What happened."

Now Mikayla looked uncomfortable. “Well, you said you might need some help getting home, so I agreed to walk with you like I said I would. Coming out of the bar you said you might not make it to your place, so you asked if mine was closer. You asked if it was OK if you could crash on my couch for the night."

[i]This isn't exactly your couch,[/i] Cody thought.

“Actually, I didn't know how closer my place was, if it was, even. I don't know. I was kinda worried about leaving you, so I said yeah and brought you here. We chatted. You didn't seem drunk, even after all the drinking you did."

[i]A goddess is not affected by such mortal drinks.[/i] Cody didn't know where that thought came from, and yet it passed through his mind like it was his own. He put his hand back on his head as if to catch it, but it was gone. “I don't feel hungover," he said honestly, though it was mainly a cover up for the gesture.

“That's because you weren't drunk, or at least you didn't seem like you were. You were totally articulate and clear, I swear."

“I believe you. I just wanna know what led to me putting on a bra and panties." Saying that out loud felt as weird as it did liberating.

“Well, you asked if I had any you could try on."

Cody blinked. “I did?"

“Yeah, and before that you were saying some crazy shit. Like, some real off the wall stuff. You said you were blessed by the naga goddess when she revealed her idol to you. You showed fealty or something by cleaning her and providing a small blood sacrifice, now you're becoming her vessel. I'm paraphrasing of course, but that's what you said, I swear."

Cody's jaw was hung slightly. His heart had stopped. “I said that?"

Mikayla nodded slowly. “You did. I know it sounds like the craziest shit ever, and it was, but the way you said it made it feel totally real." She laughed awkwardly. “I was really starting to believe you. You sounded like a totally different person, and I'm not talking about your voice. You convinced me to show how you were changing into a woman." Mikayla paused and lowered her head out of concern. “That is what's happening to you, right?"

[i]Well, no point in hiding it anymore.[/i] “Yeah, it is." He looked at the hand with the finger he'd pricked on the statue's fang. “I pricked my hand on the fang of a statue I found in White River Park. It was stuck in a tree root. I don't know why, but I was compelled to dig it out and take it home. I was cleaning it and… that happened. Ever since then it feels like I've been invaded by some naga goddess."

“Naga goddess?"

“Yeah, like half-snake, half-human people."

Mikayla nodded as if she knew that. “Oh, right."

“And that's what's been changing me, what's been turning me into a woman." He looked down at his boobs and pillowy lap. “What gave me these." He looked back up at her. “I really asked if I could wear these?"

“You did. I said you were lucky we were the same size. I let you put them on, and you spent a while looking at yourself in the mirror over there." She gestured to a standing mirror near the wall. “I was kind of jealous because you looked so pretty, even though you were a man. It must've been obvious because you said there was no shame in falling short of a goddess. When you said that it really didn't sound like you, like a totally different voice and everything."

[i]The goddess. She took over.[/i] Did that terrify him, or did it exhilarate him? The part of him that chilled to think his body was no longer his own was equal in weight to the bitterness of not remembering putting on women's clothing for the first time. “I think… I think the statue is turning me into something else besides just a woman."

Mikayla frowned. “Like what?"

Cody didn't answer at first. He silently slid out of Mikayla's bed and walked in front of the mirror. There he was in all his feminine glory. Those thick thighs, budding breasts, silky hair, and illuminating face. He noticed his penis jutting against the cup of his panties, its flared helmet appearing against the fabric. It was smaller than usual. He could've chalked it up to shrinkage, but he knew that wasn't the case. The naga was claiming his last bastion of masculinity, and he would be a woman in body as well as mind. He stared at the person in the mirror for some time, still deciding on whether he liked what he saw or not.

“Cody?" called Mikayla from the bed. “Are you OK?"

Another period of silence before there came an answer. The person standing in front of Mikayla's mirror turned their head and smirked at her. “No," they said calmly. It was the same voice Mikayla had heard tell her she fell short of a goddess. “I'm not Cody. Call me Codessa. I'm still the person you know and work with, but I am no longer a man, nor a mere woman." She turned to face Mikayla, her feet at a wide stance, one hand on her hip, an amber gaze of wisdom and ferocity burning her irises. “I am a goddess, and soon my naga form will be complete."

Mikayla sat in bed completely silent. She just watched as the person she'd worked with for years casually strutted through her bedroom and picked up the sweatpants they'd brought to inspect them. Codessa pursed her lips wryly. “Hmm, hardly anything to outside in. Mikayla, darling, do you have any other clothes you can spare me? I'll pay you back lavishly."

Mikayla gasped a little. Her spine shot upright like a soldier at attention. She hardly wanted to spare any clothes, but a request from Codessa functioned as command. To fulfil her needs was the greatest honor. To deny it the most unforgivable shame. “Y-yes. I can give you something. Sure."

Codessa grinned. [i]That's what I like to hear. I think I'll get used to this.[/i] “Thank you darling, I think I'll make it worth your while." She took a trip to Mikayla's closet where she helped herself to whatever outfit she fancied. A nice pair of light skinny jeans with torn knees fit nicely around her ass while a slim white blouse did the same as a top. It was a shame her breasts weren't bigger, though she wouldn't have to wait much longer. She sauntered out of the closet like it was hers, finding a dumbfounded Mikayla still sitting on the bed with her hair in a mess. “Thanks, darling. Like I said, I swear to make it worth your while. Give me some time and I'll repay you enough to buy a million of these. Until then, ta-ta." And then Codessa wandered out of there, having come in a man, now leaving a goddess.

[center]***[/center]

Codessa took her time walking home, allowing all passersby to observe her as she went. Thirsty glances and lurid remarks were welcome. They posed no threat to her, not when every person in that city would be bowing down to her soon. At her apartment (It was no longer a place she rented. The entire building was just a fragment of what belonged to her) she tore open her closet door in her bedroom. There was the naga statue, the idol of worship and what would soon be her effigy. It was not the ferocious image she'd first found stuck in the tree, not the one disappointed in the vessel's refusal to accept her, nor the smug creature who was confident that they would come around. It was the image of a woman who knew her mission had been complete, that her vessel would become her, and that her reign of power would begin again. Codessa picked the statue up effortlessly, her thin, pale arms retaining a strength several magnitudes greater than what it was when she was just a mortal man. Free from the dark of the closet, it was placed on Codessa's coffee table in the very middle of her apartment where it demanded the most attention and reverence. Every other piece of furniture seemed to revolve around it, and soon so would the entire city. Codessa stood back admiring the statue with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She saw that it was good, but it could be better. Before her ascension to recognition worldwide she would have to wait until the transformation was complete.

Patience would reward her. The following Monday she came into work to kindly inform her former boss that working such a menial job was well below her station, and that soon every person in that office would be free of that shackle. “Not to worry," she told him straight to his face and in his office. “You treated me and my brethren well. I'll see to it your life in my coming Kingdom is comfortable as it will be for everyone who submits." He was sitting behind his desk, utterly dumbfounded by the tall, buxom woman who stood in front of him. Broad, muscular legs filled most of her height. They vanished into a woefully short skirt whose bottom just barely came below the awesome swell of Codessa's haunches. Above was an equally athletic-looking trunk that was laid bare by a cropped shirt ready to explode around her breasts. Long, black hair as lustrous as obsidian spilled down to the nape of her neck. Stabbing into the boss was a gaze like daggers thrown from a pair of fiery irises ready to pass judgement as easily as one breathes.

“A new Kingdom is coming," said the goddess who'd wandered into the office. “Submit or die." Then she spun around with a twirl of her skirt and marched out of the office, leaving the branch manager both gobsmacked and utterly convinced by what had been said.

Codessa made good on her word. She attracted friends and followers like moths to a light, her otherworldly beauty and stoic charm swaying even the most stubborn of skeptics. Her second greatest pleasure behind expanding her flock was waking up in the morning and seeing how her body had changed. Beyond the resolute inflation of her breasts and ass were the muscles growing denser and more disciplined. At the core of such a feminine apotheosis was strength and power unimaginable by the average mortal. Her stature grew in height with each passing night, her mattress having to be replaced every other day. No matter. She'd vacated the apartment complex, now surrendered to her by the owners who'd fallen in line. The top floor of the tallest building was suited for her residence and contained suitable accommodations for herself and her rapidly growing harem.

Her feminization completed with the vanishing of her penis into what was now a perfectly chiseled chalice. Every hair follicle south of her scalp had fallen, leaving behind a blissfully smooth, angelically fair canvas of white skin. It did not last long. She had completed her transformation into a woman. Now she would turn into a naga. That brilliant white skin began to harden and segment itself into a mosaic of emerald, black, and white scales. The white descended her inner legs, starting around her groin and then plummeting to her ankles like the inseam of a pair pants. Most of the rest was a deeply exotic emerald greener than the amazon. It was striped by scales of black which fell down the length of her back and her arms. That beautiful head of black hair rounded itself by the bell into a natural bob. It curved outwards and then back inwards at her shoulders in an abrupt bow shape. Soon the hair was fusing together into an onyx cobra hood. It too took the texture of dense, leathery scales. The inner part, the side where her face was, took on the white segment scales like what covered her inner legs.

It was what happened to her visage that was the most striking. Soft and friendly was what her human features had been. Ferocious and wise was what they were as a naga. Her nose lengthened into a stout and stocky snake snout complete with sensitive, notched nostrils. Naturally black eyeliner swept down into the bridge of her nose from where the pits of her eyes had become a radiant, blood-ruby color. Her body reflected such power, though she maintained a wonderfully robust bosom and hindquarters. Nipples as black as her stripes dotted those enormous emerald globes. They shared the same color as the needle-sharp claws which sprouted from her fingers. All but perfecting her reptilian presentation was the forked tongue and pair of venomous fangs which would glint maliciously whenever she smiled or sneered.

All that remained was her legs. They needed to become the lengthy snake body required to fulfill her status as a true naga. It started with the fusing of her inner legs. The segmented scales conjoined at the very center to help create what would become the underbelly of her snake body. The muscles and bones slowly fused together into a single unit, the toes filing themselves into a point at the tip. Codessa was not hindered much by the bizarre change, relying on her followers to move her while she slowly grew a maneuverable tail. That tip grew, and grew, and grew, until it was the girth and length of an oak. Dozens of feet of scaley, muscular power would slither and coil behind Codessa wherever she went. The floor would vibrate around her, that tremendous weight carrying along like it was nothing. At full length she was over 60 feet long. Standing up like how a snake would lift its head from a coil she could reach 30 feet tall, an appropriate height for gazing over her hoard of devout followers ready to chant and worship her name.

The city fell in line in short order. Any signs of allegiance to previous power structures were torn down in favor of Codessa's. Her fierce image was printed everywhere, fluttering on flagpoles and swinging from banners. A throne was built for her leisure, a massive pedestal of mahogany and gold where she could coil her body and make decisions, or if she pleased, make merry with her harem. It could not be used for very long, however. Her Majesty's power grew with every soul added to her flock, and so did her body. With the hundreds of thousands, then millions who pledged fealty to her there were tons added to her mass, meters added to her length. The skyscraper she made a home of did not merely fail to contain her but could be coiled around dozens of times by that seemingly infinite snake tail that followed her everywhere. There she could rear her beauty over her capital and see for leagues what belonged to her.

Statues were built across her empire, all of them featuring the most brilliant of precious metals and gyms. They were modeled after the one the human known as “Cody" had found in White River State Park, now considered the most holy of artifacts short of only objects personally blessed by Her Majesty. The city, renamed in her honor as Codexia, was hers and hers alone. The nation who previously claimed that land would simply have to deal with it. Codessa wasn't bothered by them. They too would fold to her just as fervently.

And so Codessa ruled over her Kingdom, one that grew from a nucleus in that city, the one she'd made her own, the one where they worshipped her image and name above all others. The progenitor of a new dynasty that would span millennia to come. Codessa, empress and goddess, Her Majesty and Grace, the one who, just a month before, had walked through the park while coming home from work.

[center][b]THE END[/b][/center]