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Die Role, by SpectralWolf, April 2020 (revised October 2021)

"She was an ordinary person... until she die'd."

Chapter 3: Seeking to understand

It was nearly two in the morning on Sunday, and Karen was alone, and in the dark, in her home. She was standing in her second-floor apartment's bay window, covertly peeking out through the curtains at the colorful crowd of mostly queer people who were beginning to depart from the local nightclubs, as the bars and dance halls closed for the night. She had turned her lights out, so no one would see her lighted window, look up, and notice her. Yet she desperately wished she could mingle with them.

Most of the people who she could see were crossing her side street at the far end of the block, likely having left the Inferno club, which was directly across her street, or other clubs down the block, via their main entrances, and were heading for their cars in the parking garage on her side of the side street. But some of them were coming out through the Inferno club's VIP door, on this side of the building, fairly close to her window, so she could see them very well. And there were some absolutely delicious looking gay men down there, dressed in outfits that were often skimpy or sometimes outright kinky fetish wear.

The cursed necklace that she was wearing had, just an hour ago, restored her petite, feminine sized build, but had made her genitals and mind male, and she was now definitely inclined to seeking male partners for sex. She had restored her white timber wolf fur coloring and faint grey markings, but had colored her long, feminine hair a colorful cotton candy pink. So she looked like, and essentially was, a gay femboy now. The 18-year-old timber wolf sighed, desiring to at least go down and mingle with them. And maybe give her phone number to a few of them? With the cute miniskirt and off the shoulder top that she was wearing, and with her femboy body, she would blend in rather well with that mostly queer crowd of nightclubbers, though few of them were as young as herself.

She was also experiencing a very unfamiliar rush of teenaged male hormones, which were sending her mind off on decidedly erotic fantasies about what she would like to do with those handsome guys, or have them do to her... She fondled the male bulge under her skirt as she saw her escort friend, Amber, exiting the club. The sexy vixen was chatting with a dreamy tiger guy, who was dressed only in tight leather shorts and a leather body harness, and holding a coiled leather leash and collar. Given the way the vixen whore was laughing and joking with the tiger, and the way he was dressed, Karen was fairly certain he was an escort too... and if she wondered if she could afford his 'services'. She sighed and whispered to herself, "You could Top me any time, stud!", echoing the flirty comment made to her only yesterday afternoon, by a saluki femboy who had made a pass at her in the park... when Karen herself had looked like a darker furred, muscular, 6' 2" dreamboat of a guy.

The problem was, Karen was still very much a virgin. So what little she knew about for fantasizing over was mostly fueled by having read a few annoyingly vague 'Bodice Ripper' romance novel paperbacks, which she had bought a few months ago at a grocery store. She was only aware of Dominance and submission terms - like Topping or Bottoming - from having recently read a few flyers about D/s practices in the 'adult toys' back room at the Curiosity Shoppe, where she worked. Her place of employment mostly sold antiques, books, and rare items. But high-quality sex toys and extremely specialized 'furniture' designed for exploring various sexual kinks were also unique and hard to find items, and they sold a small selection of those, as well.

With another sigh, she closed the curtains, turned on a floor lamp, and curled up with her laptop on her futon bed, to look up male on male porn on the Internet, and 'educate herself'. She had to get her credit card out of her purse first, so she could pay to access several of the more intriguing websites. But after exploring them for a while, she got quite aroused. She quickly removed her clothes, grabbed a box of facial tissues, and got back on the bed, to pleasure herself. It still felt incredibly awkward and embarrassing to her to masturbate as a guy. This was only the second time she had done it. But at least this time, her mental gender role was in agreement with the genitals of her transformed male body. She tried to imagine what it must have been like to be the original owner of her cursed necklace. Her employer, Mister Chen, said that supposedly it had been made for the much-loved favorite concubine of a hedonistic Chinese prince, to transform them daily into random and different gender and body types? The cursed concubine becoming a petite and curvy girl one night, and a tall, muscular male another night, or a submissive femboy on yet another night, as Karen was now, certainly would have given the princeling a wide variety of sexual experiences with his private whore.

Karen blinked and paused the porn film she has been jacking off to, which featured a young and rather feminine poodle guy, who was wearing nothing but a leash and collar, and submissively sucking off his handsome and well-endowed great dane Master. "Since when have I been so into submissive sex?" she asked herself aloud, yet without ceasing to masturbate. "Or into sex at all, for that matter? I mean, I've pawed off occasionally since puberty hit, but I never felt all that much inclined to hook up with anyone else, boys or girls, or to lose my virginity. Are all teenage guys this much more horny than I used to be? Has the curse made me feel more submissive? It was meant as a gift to a whore, after all... I guess their master would have appreciated a submissive, horny and eager playmate in bed."

She started the video again and lay on her side, and soon had her hips thrusting mindlessly as she finished jacking off. This time she was careful to catch most of the mess in a fistful of tissues, rather than splattering herself and everything around her with the fifteen-minute-long spurt stream that accompanied her male orgasm. As her throbbing knot diminished, she caught the last few squirts of her semen on the palm of her hand, and then seductively licked it off, savoring the taste. "Not bad," she said contemplatively. "Maybe next time, I should try squirting as much of it as I can into a glass, and try drinking it, like that femme poodle boy just did at the end of that video, with his master's cum." She threw out the used tissues and washed her hands, without even thinking how she would have reacted just days earlier, if someone had suggested she drink a glass full of semen...

===

Karen slept fitfully that night, troubled by more erotic dreams, which, thanks to the porn she had just watched, were now much more explicit. Her last dream before she awoke had herself in her current femboy state, quite eagerly enjoying being spitroasted between two well-hung canine studs... and then her mother walked in, and somehow recognized that the submissive, outright slutty femboy, who was happily being used in her mouth and under her tail by two lecherous males, was her 'innocent' daughter, Karen...

"GAAAAHHHH!" Karen sat bolt upright in her bed, eyes suddenly wide open, as her mind recoiled from the last dream-turned-nightmare. "Oh, HELL no!" she shouted, shaking her head violently, to rid herself of the last after images of her mother's shocked and ashamed face.

She turned on a light and stumbled into the bathroom, where she splashed cold water on her face, grateful that the shock had at least flatlined any 'morning wood' that she might otherwise have awakened with. After checking the time, she got into the shower. The cursed necklace obstinately returned to her neck from the armrest of the futon bed couch, where she had left it while sleeping. "Well, don't blame me, for you getting wet!" she said to the necklace, when it appeared amid the soapy lather on her chest. "I tried to keep you dry." She was beginning to think of it like a living thing, talking to it as she might to an annoying pet, since it certainly displayed a will of its own.

Once she was dried off and brushed out, but before bothering to put any clothes on, she rummaged through her clothing collection, digging into the deepest corners and trying on several outfits, to see what suited her mood today. Eventually she put two changes of clothes and footwear in her gym bag - one for her current petite size, including a bra, in case she became a girl again, and one of the few sets she had which fit the tall, muscular male form which she had previously experienced. She also grabbed the empty puzzle box and added it to her fanny pack, and moved some cash from her purse to her fanny pack, before putting the purse in her gym bag.

Only then did she get dressed, choosing the stretchiest spandex panties that she owned, while frowning at their plain white color, then a casual knee-length royal blue knit skirt; and a loose, scoop necked, pale blue t-shirt, tugged to one side to show a bare shoulder; and comfy wedge heeled white sandals. She strapped the fanny pack diagonally across her chest, emulating a trendy new look which she had noticed in some of the shop windows the day before. After checking out her look in the mirror, she merely glanced at her magic bracelet, and effortlessly changed her cotton candy pink hair to a pale ice blue, then tied it back in a high ponytail, using a sky blue scrunchie. Satisfied at last, she picked up the gym bag, and headed out to find some breakfast tacos and coffee.

===

Trying to kill time before her 10 AM appointment with Mister Chen and Mia, Karen ate her breakfast while sitting on a bench in the waterfront park, also hoping to fill her troubled mind with more wholesome thoughts. It was a very peaceful setting, a warm sunny day, and a moderate, cooling breeze, with few other people in this part of the park, aside from early shoppers at the weekend crafts market, which was just opening for the day, under the bridge.

Jamie, the saluki femboy from the day before, jogged right past Karen without seeming to notice her. Not surprising, since Karen now looked nothing at all like she had the day before. Besides, the queer canine femboy had his eyes locked on the rump of a tall and handsome male Rottweiler, with short, dark brown hair worn in a crew cut. The bigger dog was shirtless, wearing only red spandex shorts and matching sneakers, and was jogging a few yards ahead of Jamie. Apparently, the big guy noticed he had an attentive audience, because he abruptly veered off the jogging path and performed several vigorous, martial arts moves. The femboy almost tripped over his own feet, coming to a stumbling halt to watch. The Rottweiler glanced back at both Jamie and Karen, gave them both a grin and a wink, and resumed his jogging. Jamie sighed audibly as he flopped on a bench a few yards down the trail from Karen. The athletic target of Jamie's attention was apparently much more 'his type' than another femboy, like Karen was now. Well, she could hardly blame him, as her own eyes tracked the bare-chested male jogger just as hungrily.

Karen dragged her eyes away from the beefcake on display, and looked elsewhere. A Chinese family, all Shitzu dogs, were flying long and beautiful dragon kites together. She enjoyed their smiles and the giggly laughter of the younger kids as the older family members expertly made their kites dance and soar through the skies. The colorful dragon kites brought to mind one of Mister Chen's comments, about a mage he knew trying to perfect making a chimera, and how hard it would be to use such magics to create a dragon. Had he meant to imply that, somewhere, in some distant part of the world, at least one mage had been successful in making dragons real? After her recent first-hand experiences with magic, Karen could no longer be certain such dreams were an impossibility. She people-watched for a while longer, and then, when she found herself fidgeting and could not bear to wait any longer, she threw her trash into the can beside the bench, grabbed her gym bag, and headed to the Curiosity Shoppe.

===

She was still a good hour early when she arrived, but her co-worker, Mia, was already there, holding a six-pack sized ice chest and a cloth lunch sack. The black furred feline girl was wearing an emerald green cheongsam dress today, embroidered in a dark golden design, with a mid-thigh miniskirt length, and perfectly matching green fabric-covered, 2" pump-heel shoes. She looked absolutely stunning, even to Karen's current gay male mindset. The femboy aspect of her mind immediately wondered where she could get a similar dress and shoes for herself, perhaps in blue.

"Hey cutie!" The kitty girl said to Karen, as their eyes met. Mia looked around, noting there were several people walking by, and whispered, "So, ummm, what should I call you in public now?"

Karen, realizing she should probably act like she did not yet know Mia, quickly replied, "Oh! Hi, I'm Kip! I have an appointment to see Mister Chen, but I'm afraid I'm way too early. Do you work here?"

Mia caught on immediately. "I do, yes, and my name is Mia. Good thing I was early too, eh? Come on in, Kip. My boss did say he was expecting someone who looked like you," she replied, unlocking the door. When it was closed and locked behind them, she led Karen back to the break room behind the cash register, and set her things on the table.

"Couldn't wait any longer," Karen said. "I'm really glad you were here, Mia. I thought I'd have no one to keep me company until the right time but the snake in the window."

"Well, I was anxious to continue as well. Mister Chen has never asked me to help figure out one of his magic artifacts before. And besides, you're my friend, and I really want to help you to get this curse dealt with," the feline girl replied. Then she said, hesitantly, "Hey, ummmm, so I know you're only 18, but... do you ever drink? I don't know about you, but this curse stuff that you've been going through is so weird, I kind of thought we could both use at least a cold beer or two. So... I brought a cold six pack in my little cooler."

"Normally, no... but yeah, the way this has been turning my life inside out and upside down, I'll most likely take you up on that, later. I told Mister Chen, the night the curse hit me, that I felt like I wanted a stiff drink. But honestly, I've never actually had anything stronger than beer, wine or champagne. And not even a full glass of those. I wouldn't even know what to ask for, in terms of stronger stuff, other than whisky, like in the cowboy movies."

"Fair enough," Mia replied. "Amaretto is a good one to try, for getting used to hard liquor. Half as strong as whisky, with a sweet, cherry taste, but stronger than beer. If you want to try a few kinds of booze, without going to a bar, you could come to my place sometime. My apartment is within easy walking distance, on the far edge of Chinatown from here. And... I'd also be cool with buying you a bottle of real booze on occasion, if you really want some."

"Thanks a lot," Karen replied. "Ummmm, so, do you... date... or like to go out nightclubbing? What do you like to do for fun?"

"What? Errrr... Well... ummmm, sometimes I go out on dates, sure. But I'm not seeing anyone special right now," the feline girl replied, uncertain if Karen had read more into her invitation to come to her place sometime for a drink than Mia had intended, and was suddenly contemplating asking her out on a date. Wasn't Karen attracted to gay males right now, and not girls? And honestly, Mia had very mixed feelings about how she would answer right now, if that question came up. It wouldn't be her first date with a girl, but... this situation was really different. "Ahhhh... My work schedule doesn't allow me to go out on weeknights. Saturdays are usually open, and on Sunday afternoons and evenings, I tend to get together with some friends and relatives, to play geeky card games and role-playing games. I usually just stay home and read or play video games on my off time during the week. Why?"

"Well... geeze this is so embarrassing to ask about." Karen replied. "Are the guys you've dated usually... pretty horny? Or... oh gosh! Do you only date girls? I just... this male body is making me have some pretty naughty thoughts, but... I don't... have any experience."

"Oh! I see... yeah... most guys our age are pretty horny, all the time. Kinda have to tell 'em to 'put it on simmer' at times, you know? But hey, there's nothing wrong with being a virgin either, honey," Mia replied. "As for what I prefer, well... I've been with another girl twice, and it was fun, but I would rather sleep with a well-hung, muscular guy. Not too big, though! The last guy I tried to date was a Great Dane. His knot was just too darned big for me!" She giggled and added shyly, "To be honest... the guy you looked like, before you became a femboy? He was pretty much the type I go for."

"Oh! So, you... you've been... fucked? By a canine guy? And you liked it, right? What's it like, and ummm, have you ever, errr... ever let a guy 'do you'... under the tail?" Karen was blushing fiercely now, and appeared clueless regarding some of the other possible implications of her friend's remarks.

Mia laughed. "Sure! Sex is fun, as long as you don't get knocked up. And I've got a hormonal contraceptive implant to keep me safe from that. Anal's not so bad either, if you're cleaned out, he takes his time to ease into it, and you use a good lube. And the best part is, a girl can't get knocked up from taking his 'delivery' via the back door! My first boyfriend and I, we did nothing but oral and anal for six months, before I let him pop my cherry. And before you try to ask, and die of embarrassment, yeah, I've experimented with quite a few kinks, too. Most of them, I can take it or leave it. But some can be fun, too, if your partner is also into it. So anyway, if you want to ask me sex questions, I may not be as experienced as your vixen friend, Amber, but I can give you good answers too, and I don't mind. I'm not bashful, or easily embarrassed or offended."

"You... know that Amber Is my friend?" Karen asked.

"Oh sure," Mia replied. "I've been friends with her myself for three or four years now. She chats with me pretty often, when she comes in to buy stuff. I saw her just last Thursday. She asked right away if you liked working here, and how you were doing. I told her you were working out pretty well, and I offered to call you up from the basement to see her, but she said she had to go service a client. Amber's okay. In fact, she was the first girl I ever had sex with! Another girl who I met when I tried going to college, one with some lesbian experience already, had told me in no uncertain terms that she wanted to do it with me. But I decided that before she took me on a date, I wanted to learn to do it right. So I hired Amber for a 'teaching session'. She even did me for half price, since it was my first time with a girl. She's pretty amazing in bed. Well worth what she charges."

"OH! I... wouldn't have expected you to have ever hired an escort. I... kinda thought only guys did that," Karen said. "But since you mentioned you've hired Amber, do you... know anything about the Inferno club, well... particularly... about the other escorts who work there? When you... hired Amber... did you... 'do it'... in the club?"

"Well, Inferno does have several very private VIP Rooms, where escorts or strippers or VIP members can do more sexy stuff with a client than would be allowed out in the open in the club, yeah. And some of it is outright prostitution, no holds barred. Amber told me all about that. But she agreed to 'teach me' more discreetly, at my apartment. She occasionally does outcall escort stuff, but only for people she already knows and likes. Why? Were you thinking of hiring her yourself?" Mia asked.

"N... no... I... there was a male escort with her last night. At least I was pretty sure he was an escort. Big buff tiger, dressed like a Master in a porn film?" Karen admitted. "I... was wondering about him."

"Never hired a male escort, myself," Mia replied. "But I think I know who you mean. I go there occasionally just to dance, and I've seen him pole dancing for tips in there. I've also seen him take both guys and girls back towards the VIP rooms, so yes, he's almost certainly an escort. But you'd be better off asking Amber about any of those escorts. They all know each other. Sometimes they even work together, with two, or even three, escorts serving one client. At least, that's what I've heard."

Karen blushed deeply as she imagined the buff tiger from last night and that handsome Rottweiler stud from the park today, both using her femboy body at once, like in her dream last night, before it turned into a nightmare. She was saved from further embarrassment by Mister Chen's timely arrival,

"Ah! You are both early, I see. Karen, did you have any problems last night?" he asked.

Karen instantly blushed again and said, "Well... I've been feeling more interested in sex than I ever have before... and having nightmares about my mom seeing me acting like a shameless slut. And... well... there are... kind of embarrassing things about sex... things I guess I feel a lot differently about... than I used to."

Her elderly employer held up a hand, and said, "You need not discuss intimate details which make you uncomfortable. But given the origin of the cursed necklace, I fear it may have other sexual repercussions over time. So again, I will urge caution regarding impulsive sexual activity. Are you well, otherwise? Any more urges to uncage and roll the die?"

"No other problems, really. I... well, I've pretty much given up trying to not wear it," she replied, fishing it out from under her shirt. "But I haven't wanted to uncage and roll it, no. I'm... unsure if it is affecting me in any other ways, though."

"Let us go downstairs and continue, then," Mister Chen said, heading towards the basement stairs. "I do have a few theories, based on observations so far. But only by testing them in action, and you experiencing several more changes, can we be certain."

===

Once they were in his basement workroom, Mister Chen had Karen place her necklace on the work table, and sit nearby. He started his digital cameras recording, put on a pair of gloves, and then carefully examined the cursed necklace without opening the cage, using a large illuminated magnifying glass, as well as exposing it to both infrared and ultraviolet lights. "Ah! Most intriguing. Look here, along the edges of the caged die. With the ultraviolet light, we can see there are inscriptions along all edges of the die itself. We will have to open the cage to see all of what is there. Mia? You opened the necklace most recently. I expect that not enough time has yet passed for you to open it again. But will you try, please?"

"Okay boss," the feline girl replied. She struggled with it for a minute or two, then set it back down. "Nope. I can feel that heartbeat-like throbbing, through the cage. But the part I have to twist, where the chain meets the cage, may as well be welded solid. Can you do it?"

"Probably, but I wish Karen to do so, please. And inform me, at once, if the urge to roll the die begins for you, or if you sense anything else," Mister Chen directed.

"Okay," the wolf replied. She opened it easily, and said, "I just feel the heartbeat... it... seems to be beating as fast as my own pulse right now."

"I believe it may, in fact, actually be your heartbeat which can be felt," Mister Chen said. He extended his hand and added, "Hand the die to me, please."

Karen dropped the die onto the palm of the red panda's open hand. Or rather, she tried to. The die fell right through Mister Chen's hand, as immaterial as a ghost, and clattered onto the workbench's surface, bouncing off the edge of the case for the ultraviolet lamp, then striking the leg of a small tripod supporting one of the cameras, and coming to rest near the workbench's center. The Chinese symbol for the number 7 was on top of the die when it stopped moving. "OH! Now the urge to roll it is back! Really strong! Did it really just go through you like you're a ghost? Or did I miss your hand?"

"I felt nothing, as it passed through my hand. I suspect the die itself can only be touched by the person who uncaged it, though it interacts normally with inanimate objects, such as the table's surface. For anyone but you, right now, that die, and likely the necklace as well, seems to become intangible. You had best disrobe, and be ready to fall asleep and change. I think it will now require you to make three more rolls, and then affect your body. There is an oversized silk robe hanging on the dressing screen, for you to wear."

Karen ducked behind the screen, leaving the die and necklace on the workbench. A moment later she asked, "Wow, are you expecting it to turn me into a dire wolf? This robe is huge!"

"Merely a precaution, as we do not know yet what its range of effects might be. And the robe was already in the storage room. A large customer ordered an elaborately embroidered size 5X robe, but was displeased with how it looked on her," Mister Chen replied.

"Well, it hangs on me like a circus tent, but I guess that's better than tearing my clothes to shreds again. She OH!" She came around the screen, with the hem of the robe dragging on the ground behind her. She was clutching the opened necklace in one hand, and the die rested on the palm of her other hand. "Look what just came right back to my hands! Impatient thing! I was coming back for you. I'm tempted to name you..."

"SILENCE! Do not speak it!" Mister Chen shouted, getting up and rushing towards her so swiftly that he knocked his chair over backwards. "Names have power. When a magical artifact has bonded to you, and you intentionally give it a name, that increases the strength of the connection between you. And the meanings of a name and your mental associations with that name matter, as well. A name you associate with unfavorable memories can taint an artifact."

"Oh hell... Then I'm very glad you stopped me! The name I had in mind for it was not very nice," Karen said. She placed the necklace on the other table, beside the cot, and rolled the die two more times. "An 8 and a 1," she said, each time the die ceased moving. "I'm getting better at recognizing those Chinese numbers. So... the next roll should put me to sleep and change me, right? Here goes..." she tossed the die on the table, saw the result and said, "an 8!" and reclined quickly on the cot. Within 15 seconds after it stopped moving, she fell asleep.

Mia looked at Karen, and the reassembled necklace was now around the neck of a tall, muscular male wolf. Her physical transformation was much faster now. And even though the wolf was sound asleep, their coloration swiftly returned to the darker fur and markings which Karen had applied to herself the last time she was a large male. "Back to being the big guy, again. And look at how her fur just changed! Is... the necklace controlling the bracelet too?"

"I suspect that, even though she is asleep, her subconscious mind now recognizes this form for herself, and it is her mind and her will, not the necklace, which has guided the bracelet to restore her former coloring. She seems to have fully bonded with the bracelet, as well," the red panda replied, taking a moment to set the chair that he had knocked over earlier back upright. He jotted down some more notes, then awakened Karen. "Wake up please. You are a large male again, I fear. How do you feel?"

Karen sat up on the cot, looking rather groggy for a moment and patting their chest and groin. Then she said, "Well... the body is male, but my mind thinks I'm a girl again, and... Mia, you're really cute! Would you like to..." she shook her head and said, "Sorry... darned necklace is screwing with my preferences again. I definitely like girls now, not guys. And the urge to flirt with a cute girl like you, Mia, is pretty strong. Especially after... what we said to each other, earlier today..."

"It's okay. Honestly? If I actually believed it was what you really wanted, and not just the curse making you say things... I'd probably enjoy you flirting with me. Particularly while you are in this larger male form. Might even encourage you to do more than just flirt. But right now? It would seem too similar to taking advantage of someone who has had too much to drink, and who was getting more amorous than they usually would. Let's keep it at 'just friends', until you're either free of this curse, or in control of what it does to you, the way you can control that bracelet," Mia replied with a smile. "Oh, and I don't know if you've realized it yet, but you changed your fur back to your 'Kraig' coloration, before you even woke up."

"Thanks, Mia. 'Just friends' is fine, and I'll try to be a good boy and 'put it on simmer', as you put it earlier, even if this curse tempts me to be too forward with you," Karen replied, looking at her now darker hands, legs and tail. "Did I? Huh... guess I did. This constantly changing mental perspective is really strange. I remember everything just fine, especially that my real name is Karen, and that I spent all of my life as a female, prior to being cursed. I even remembered that when my mind was insisting I should be a guy. But if you asked me my name right now, yeah, my first impulse would be to answer 'I'm Kraig'... even though this time this big guy is straight, and not gay. Is... this another example of 'names having power', Mister Chen? I explicitly gave this form a first name and a last name, last time I had it. I didn't feel so strongly about the name 'Kip', when I used that for my femboy form."

"I would say so, yes," Mister Chen replied. "It is conceivable that while your preferences may shift, the number of body types the curse can produce may be more limited. More time spent in a particular body may increasingly stabilize distinct personalities and identities for each one which you intentionally give a name to. And I find it curious that recent experiences seem to have some influence on your next change. Before you became a femboy, you had a favorable encounter with a femboy, who found this version of you attractive. Before this change, am I correct in guessing that Mia expressed attraction to this form?"

"Ummm, yeah, I did," Mia replied. With her all-black fur, the only way you could see that she was blushing was by the shift in her body language, and a darkening of the pink color on the insides of her feline ears.

"It may just be coincidence, but we shall make note of this. I have yet to roll the die today. But I wish to attempt to examine the die and necklace and get photographs of the magical inscriptions, before I do so. Come back to the workbench, and hand me the necklace. You, Karen, must stay close. But the two of you may converse while I examine it. I shall not attempt to listen to what you say, unless you speak my name. In China, where many people live close together, we develop a habit of not seeing or hearing what is not intended to be seen or heard. To live otherwise is to have no privacy. Ah, thank you, Karen," he said, taking the necklace and turning away from them, to begin his examination.

"I've seen him do this before. He'll zone out like that for a while." Mia said quietly. "My parents and grandparents have the same habit. It's part of why he hires assistants like us. He gets caught up in studying something, and just tunes out the world around him. Odd, though... I thought he's always lived here in America. Most of the Chinese and Japanese people I know who have that habit were raised in Asia, not here in the States. I grew up here, and I get what he is saying, but it's a lot harder for me to do."

"Okay," Karen replied. "Hey... if I do get rid of this curse, or at least figure out how to control it... did you mean what you just said? About... flirting... or more... between us?"

"Yeah, I did," Mia replied shyly. "I mean, no matter what form this thing has made you take, you still seem to be you, deep down, where it matters. And I do like you, just as a person in general. I'll admit, I find you a lot more attractive as this big guy, sure. But even as a girl, well... I know my family won't care if I date a girl. And I just can't imagine you ever being a possessive, bitchy drama queen, like my only lesbian lover other than Amber turned out to be. Gawd! I slept with Rachel once. Just one night! And the next morning, she was expecting us to get an apartment together, and be totally monogamous! And she was way too dominant for my liking, too. I dunno... if you still end up switching back and forth, I could get used to that, I guess. But there's also the fact that I'm 27, and you're 18. Nine years difference between us? What would your mom say about that? I know it would take a real selling job to make my family believe we could seriously make that work. I'm not sure myself. But I wouldn't say no to giving it a shot, either. I would need to start slow, though, and see how it pans out. Fair enough?"

"More than fair," Karen agreed. "My mom... well, it wouldn't bother her at all if I told her I had a romantic-type girlfriend. And she wouldn't care that you were a cat, and not a wolf, or at least canine. She's slept with several species herself. You said you've been dating dogs, so I guess your family is cool with interspecies relationships too, eh? But the age gap? I really hadn't considered that... I... well... below my waist, 'Kraig' clearly has no issues with the age gap between us. 'Kraig' thinks we would make a great couple. Honestly, my girl mind thinks 'he' is mostly thinking with his balls. I guess your age isn't a big deal for me though, really. I have almost no dating experience, so I never really gave much thought to dating anyone a lot older than me. But I don't really think of you as 'older', either. Maybe it's because we both like gaming and stuff, you know? So anyway, I just wanted to make sure we both thought the same way about that. No need to rush."

"Okay, thanks. I think we're on the same wavelength," Mia replied. "We can leave that for another day. Let's focus on your problems first."

They talked a while about inconsequential things, until Mister Chen suddenly said, "This is interesting! Look here, on the inside surface of each of the triangular frames which form the cage. I cannot translate all of this from memory, but these are clearly the spells which cause it to reassemble and return to you. And this part... and this matching phrase on the die faces... they imply a trigger condition other than four rolls, or distance to the bonded person. Lay down, and I would like to roll the die now."

It was nearly eleven o'clock when everyone was ready, with Karen laying down, and Mia and Mister Chen seated at the table beside her, Mister Chen uncaged and rolled the die, four times. "4, 6, 4, 2," he said, and on the fourth roll, Karen closed her eyes, and began to shrink in size.

A moment later, a much smaller Karen slept peacefully on the cot, with the necklace around her neck again. Her coloration slowly shifted back to white, and her petite build definitely seemed female this time.

"Did we... Oh wow, is she back to normal, now?" Mia asked. "And if she is, can we keep her in her real form now?"

"I am uncertain. This change almost validated my tentative hypothesis, but not quite. Let her sleep, while I examine the data we have gathered. I have a feeling that I am still missing something obvious," Mister Chen replied, returning to his notes and examining, in minute detail, the digital still and video images which he captured this time.

Mia moved a chair, to sit beside the sleeping wolf girl. The necklace was around Karen's neck, and atop the oversized silk robe, with the golden cage and its black octahedral die nestled between her breasts. She had watched carefully this time, and noticed the necklace always seemed to materialize an inch or so above Karen's fur or clothes, before settling into place. The kitty girl cocked her head curiously, as she looked at the caged die. Then she got down on her hands and knees, trying to look at the surfaces of the die from several angles, without touching or awakening Karen.

"Oh! That's weird..." she muttered to herself.

"What is?" Mister Chen asked. "Have you perceived something important?"

"Maybe? This die... it... isn't made the right way," she replied. "I mean, well... I play a lot of games that use dice like this one... and this die breaks the 'rules' for how they're invariably made."

Intrigued, the red panda came to kneel beside Mia. "Explain, please? What is wrong about this die? It looks well shaped and normal to me. I have measured and weighed it, and it is not irregular in shape or balance."

"Not the shape. The markings," Mia replied. "On every regular polyhedron gaming die that I've ever handled, with six or more sides on the die, there is one rule in common for how the pips are marked on the die. If it is a die shape that displays one face flat and parallel to the plane of the table surface, like a six, eight, ten, twelve, or 20-sided die... the pips on top and the pips on the surface in contact with the table always add up to one more than the number of sides on the die. For a six sider, the opposite faces are 1 and 6, 2 and 5, and 3 and 4. They all add up to 7. An eight-sided die like this should have 1 opposite 8, 2 opposite 7, and so on, with all of those pairs adding up to 9. But this one adds up to 6, 8, 10 and 12! One through 4 are on the four sides that are uppermost when that die is suspended from its chain, which is okay in itself. But the opposing faces should be arranged to follow the rule. I think it is supposed to be that way to ensure a 'fair' die roll, because if the pips are usually round dots drilled into the surfaces, the weight on opposing sides evens out."

"Fascinating! I have never noticed this. Did you come to this conclusion on your own? I recall you mentioned your gaming before," Mister Chen asked.

"Learned it in a gaming theory class. A few years back, I went to college, and took classes which I had hoped would land me a job as a videogame designer. I learned that stuff about dice in a class on game theory. I also took a couple semesters of computer programming, creative writing, and digital art. Turns out I suck at programming, so I dropped out," Mia admitted. "Oh snap! I just remembered the exception to that rule... Story dice!"

"And these are...?" Mister Chen prompted.

"Writers use them to get past writer's block, or to randomize a setting. The markings on opposite sides are opposing pairs of words, not numbers. Like 'sunny or stormy', 'good or evil', 'friendly or hostile'... You roll several dice, like one for people types, one for weather, one for action, and go from there, if the random stuff inspires you. I guess, since this die has the Chinese ideographs for the numbers, not dots or hash marks, they're just words, and that rule wouldn't matter. Sorry, I thought I had noticed something useful, for a moment there."

"Ah! But perhaps you did! Here do we not have, 'tall or small', 'male or female', 'preferred gender of mate', and 'gender identity'? Each traditionally a pair of opposites?" The old red panda looked truly excited. "I had already noticed that the smaller numbers might refer to more feminine traits, while the larger ones are more masculine. The Yin, or female, are 1 through 4, while the Yang, or male, are 5 through eight. One and five in opposition, total six! Two and six in opposition, total eight! This pattern, together with the numbers and changes observed, should lend us a clue regarding what, precisely, each pair of opposing numbers represents!"

"But... how does that help?" Mia asked. "As soon as we've done the fourth roll, we can see the result. What good is it to know before you're done, what the early numbers mean?"

"It means we must cheat! Wake Karen up! I think I know what must be done next!" he said with glee, turning his attention back to his notes.

===

Once Karen was awake and alert, she confirmed that she was mostly herself again. "So yeah. My body feels like I remember it, before all these changes. My chest and groin are female, and my size is right... my mind even agrees I am supposed to be a girl, but..."

"But what?" Mia asked.

"Well... I'm still crushing on you pretty hard, Mia. My mind is insisting that you're gorgeous, and sexy as all hell. And when I think about any of the guys I've met... I'd have to say I'm firmly lesbian now. And just as horny I was when I was a femboy, or when I was Kraig," Karen said. "Before the curse, I didn't have this much interest in sex at all, and I hadn't figured out yet if I preferred boys or girls." She turned to Mister Chen, and asked, "From the excited look on your face, am I right in guessing you have some good news for me? Have you broken the curse, and the way I feel is just a side effect I'll have to live with?"

"No, sadly. The curse, I am certain, is still upon you. But I may have found a way to direct its actions," Mister Chen replied. "I want you to essentially cheat on the die rolls. Instead of rolling four random numbers, for each of these rolls, I want you to select a number to be on top, and concentrate on your desire for that to be the next die roll result. Then very deliberately set the die on the table, and hold it there for a moment. Then let go, carefully, so that you do not cause the die to change its result. Try to do this with the numbers 1 through 4, in sequence, please."

"Okay, but why those numbers? " Karen asked.

"I believe those four values represent feminine norms. Feminine, petite stature; feminine genitalia; a feminine mindset; a desire for opposite sex partners. You are only missing one feminine norm now - attraction to males, rather than females," he replied. "I do not yet know for certain which numbers affect which trait. But if we can force all four, I believe that which you already are will remain unchanged, while your preference for female partners should become one for males. If this does not happen, my hypothesis is incorrect."

Karren nodded, and said, "Okay, here goes... one!" She set it down firmly, but then yanked her hand back suddenly. The die still had the 1 on top. "Ow! It felt like it gave me a small, sharp, electric shock! I don't think it likes this... Oh well, I'll try another, I guess. Two!" She yelped and yanked her hand back again, but this time, her eyes rolled upward in their sockets and her eyelids fluttered, then she moaned and slumped over forward, face down towards the table.

"Oh my gosh! Karen!" Mia exclaimed.

Mister Chen was less vocal, but faster to react. He caught Karen's shoulders before her head struck the table, and eased her down gently. Then he checked her breathing and pulse carefully. "She only sleeps, I believe. But she is not reacting at all to my touch. The curse's 'objection' seems to have rendered her unconscious."

"The necklace is already back on her neck, too, with the die in it! Doesn't look like she changed at all, though," Mia observed. "Will she be all right?"

"I believe so, yes, but this was not what I expected. The curse appears to have first tried to discourage her, then on her second attempt, it forced the result with the rolls incomplete. We must tend to her now, and determine if there are other penalties for this sort of 'cheating'," he replied.

===

It took half an hour this time for Karen to awaken, despite Mia and Mister Chen both attempted several times to rouse her. "Anybody got some aspirin? My head hurts." she groaned, as she sat upright.

Mister Chen went to a cabinet, and returned with pills and a stoppered flask of water. After Karen took the pain reliever, she twisted her head back and forth, then said, "Okay, it definitely did not like me doing that! I don't think it did me any harm though. Both times, it kind of slapped my hand away with a shock. But it knocked me out on the second cheat, and I woke up with a headache. Other than that, I feel okay. I don't feel any different, though."

"The two numbers you forced must relate to attributes you already had in effect. either the three or the four must therefore be gender preference. Can you put it back in the puzzle box, to reset it?" Mister Chen asked. "We could try the other two numbers, if you feel up to it."

Karen tried, but the box refused to open. She could not even get the first sliding piece to move. And they soon discovered none of them could now open the cage on the necklace. "I swear, it's having a petulant hissy fit!" Karen said, glaring at the necklace. "We didn't do what it wanted, so now it's refusing to let us use it."

"You may indeed be right," Mister Chen replied. "And yet, it still had not harmed you. My guess is that we must now wait until this time tomorrow, to try again. Can you both be here a little before Noon on Monday?"

"Yes, certainly," Mia stated.

"Of course," Karen added. "And if I feel anything weird before then, can I call you?"

"Certainly. The business line for the shop rings also in my office, if you press zero when it asks you to leave a voicemail," Mister Chen replied.

"I'll give you my number too," Mia added. "Open a new contact on your phone, and hand it to me, to fill in."

"Okay, thanks," Karen replied. She opened her phone's contacts list, handed her phone to Mia, and then went back behind the dressing screen, to get her clothes on. The oversized silken robe she had worn for modesty's sake during her possible transformations dragged behind her on the floor.

When she came back out, Karen was wearing a clingy scarlet tank top with a plunging v-neckline. And apparently she was wearing a bra that was designed much more for looks than to properly support her 3 breasts, judging from the way she jiggled as she walked. She also wore a very short pleated red micro-mini skirt; and black, knee-high, patent leather boots, with 4" spike heels. It looked absolutely stunning with her white fur and hair. The caged die on the cursed necklace nestled perfectly in her firm, youthful cleavage, partially hidden by the luxurious ruff of fur at her neck, while the silver magic bracelet adorned her left wrist. She had the blue outfit that she had worn as a femboy already tucked into her open gym bag, which she dropped on the cot.

"Wow! Planning on going out on a hot date after this?" Mia asked, gazing admiringly at her friend's sexy outfit. "Oh! Ummm, and here's your phone back."

Karen accepted the phone, and replied, "Huh? Oh! No, ummmm, this is just what the femboy version of me picked to wear, as him, or as me. At least he remembered to pack one of my bras. We seem to wear the same size in everything else, except I fill out my tops a lot better. Do you like how I look?"

She teased her long, white hair with both hands, causing her breasts to jiggle enticingly, while smiling at her friend. Then she brought her hands back down, moving them slowly and seductively down her flanks, and did a slow twirl in place, before casually turning away to gather up her things. Her skirt was so short that she flashed Mia with a very clear view of her matching red thong panties, when she bent over at the waist to put the puzzle box and her fanny pack back in her gym bag, and get out her purse,

Mia froze for a moment, open mouthed, and then took a deep breath before replying. If this level of sexy dressing and flirty behavior was Karen's idea now of 'putting it on simmer' and 'being just friends', she hesitated to think of what the attractive young wolf girl would be like if she was 'seriously flirting'! The girl was going to need a chaperone, if she went out in public dressed and acting like that! "It would... certainly get lots of attention, and might be fabulous for going to a nightclub. It really... shows off... how pretty you are. But... and please don't take this the wrong way... you seriously ought to dial it back a bit, or... you'll be having guys and girls lining up to get you to go to bed with them!"

"Oh! Oh wow, am I that much over the top? It doesn't feel like it. Though... come to think of it... this skirt is one I bought to wear as a minor cover-up with my red bikini swimsuit, for pool parties. I don't think I've worn it more than twice, and never as street clothes, just because it is so short," Karen replied. "Do you... think it makes me look like a street walker?"

"Well, not that bad, for sure. And it isn't just the clothes, it's the way you're still flirting with me, too. I doubt you even realize how much you're doing it," Mia said. "If you were just acting as demurely and innocently as you did when I first met you, I'd say the outfit is a bit too daring for the grocery store, but fine for a nightclub. But add in the sexy, flirty attitude, and, well... Yeah, I hate to say it, but you kind of look like you're ready to ask Amber if she would train you as an apprentice escort."

"Ouch! Okay, ummmm, wait a sec..." The embarrassed wolf girl grabbed her gym bag, and ducked back behind the dressing screen. She came back out wearing the knee-length royal blue knit skirt and loose, scoop necked, pale blue t-shirt which the femboy had arrived in, though still with the black boots. "Better?" she asked.

"Much. And still a cute outfit," Mia replied.

"Mister Chen? Do you have any idea why I feel so out of control? Mia's right... It isn't normal for me to flirt so brazenly, or to dress in such a sexy way," Karen asked, with a worried look on her face. "You said the cursed necklace was made for a courtesan. Not to mince words, but... that meant they were the... private whore of that Chinese prince, right? Do you... think it is always going to make me act so shamelessly?"

The old red panda shook his head, "It is not as bad as you fear, although I certainly do understand your concerns. I believe that before all this happened, you had a significantly lower than normal interest in sex, or in dressing in such an openly alluring manner, did you not? At least as compared to your peers? Your mother's guidance as you grew up, and her hopes you would 'remain a good girl', and not repeat her past behavioral mistakes.... These influences may well have caused you to repress your normal post-pubescent desires. I believe the necklace has merely restored your interest level in these areas to that of a normal teenager."

"He may be right," Mia added. "You do pretty much remind me of several high school girls that I used to know. Not 'bad girls', but just 'testing their limits', you know?"

Mister Chen nodded in agreement, and then said, "However... you have also changed genders several times in the last few days, each time experiencing a rush of new hormonal urges, suitable to your new gender. I think this has to have also affected you to some degree. No matter how your body is transformed, the prior version's hormones likely are still in your blood. Also, and more importantly, a few of your recent rolls included a repeated number, which may have magnified a particular aspect." He consulted his notes and said, "On your third transformation, two 5's were rolled, and two other numbers. You changed from tall to petite, remained a gay male, changed from a feminine to a masculine gender identity... and became more flirtatious. So perhaps, repeating the 5 on two rolls made you thus?"

"Oh geeze, are you saying these sexual feelings might get even stronger?" Karen asked. "I don't know if I can handle that!"

"Your current behavior and clothing choices are quite tame, when compared to an escort such as Miss Amber, when she is doing her best to entice a client. I have never hired her, but I have been in the Inferno club on occasion, for other reasons, and have observed her behavior 'at work'. You act like a hormone affected teenager, nothing worse," Mister Chen replied. "One presumes that to have gained the favor of their prince, his courtesan must already have been quite sexually active and proficient. I doubt it is a primary function of the curse to make you excessively aroused or passionate," he continued, in as much of a soothing tone as he could manage. "If you accept the randomness which the necklace seems designed to enforce, and only force changes from undesirable conditions to more desirable ones, then a truly unbearable random change can always be altered by encasing the necklace in its box for an hour, and then rolling again. Does that reassure you at all?"

"Well, I guess... not as if I have much choice. See you at lunchtime, tomorrow. " she said, and they all left the workshop.

===

Mia and Karen left the Curiosity Shoppe together, via the front door. At the sidewalk, Karen said, "Ummm, we never did drink any of your beer. I think I could really use one now. Care to come up to my apartment, and relax for a bit?"

"Sure... but I need to be back at my place by five," Mia replied. "My gaming group is getting together at my place. And hey, since you said you like gaming, would you like to join us? We aren't a very large group, and it is mostly my relatives, but we have fun. Tonight it should just be me, my two brothers, and a male cousin and his girlfriend, playing a wacky card game that is a total spoof on fantasy roleplaying campaigns. It would be really easy for you to join in. Want to come?"

"Yeah, thanks. That sounds a lot safer than me being at home alone, with my mind in this state. I'd probably be way too tempted to go nightclubbing tonight," Karen replied. She took just a few steps in the direction of the Chinese Restaurant, passing the narrow, gated walkway between the two buildings, and stopped at a recessed, plain, grey, unmarked metal door, with just a peephole, and no window. "Well, let's have a beer or two first. I couldn't live closer, without moving in with Mister Chen. This door, between the shop and the restaurant, is the stairway to the walk-up apartments that I live in." She pulled the door open, without needing to unlock It.

"Really? I walk past that door every day, and I've never given it a second thought," Mia said, as they started up the stairs. "Is that always unlocked? Not very good security, for a woman living on her own."

Karen pointed to an unlocked 'crash bar' on the inner side of the door. "Well. It's technically the back fire escape stairway, but yeah, all the crash bars are always unlocked. The hallway on the second and third floors goes all the way to the other side of the block, bridging over the alley that our shop's loading dock is on, and there's a proper apartment lobby at ground level at that end, in a tiny space between a sushi bar and a small knitting and craft supplies boutique. The mailboxes, intercoms, and even a small elevator are all at that end. And the apartments themselves do have steel doors and frames, and good locks."

"If it was me, I'd want that street level door to lock. At my apartment, you can't get into the stairwell without a lock code, or getting buzzed in by a tenant via the intercoms," Mia said, as she followed Karen upstairs, turning around several times at small landings, as the stairway curled upwards around an open central core. It was a bit of a climb, since the ground floor had rather high ceilings. The stairwell had frosted windows on the left side to let in light, which faced the narrow gap between this building and The Curiosity Shoppe. And looking up, there was a skylight at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah, but it was what I could afford," Karen said, as she unlocked her door, at the top of the stairs. "And hey, if I lived somewhere else, I doubt I ever would have met Mister Chen, or you. He says fate led me here. Maybe he's right. Hard to see an upside of getting cursed by this necklace, but I'm still glad I met both of you. And the magic bracelet that he gave me is pretty amazing."

"Cozy little place," Mia said, as she came in and looked around. "Three wardrobe closets? I wouldn't have guessed you were that much of a clothes horse."

"Came with the apartment," Karen said. She put on some quiet jazz music, and then folded up the futon bed into a couch, and moved a mismatched coffee table over to in front of it. She tossed her sleeping bag and pillow onto the floor on the far end of the couch, and said, "Pardon the mess. I don't have much furniture yet, and this couch is a lot more comfortable than the dinette table's chairs. Have a seat."

Mia put her six pack sized cooler on the coffee table, and got out two long-necked glass bottles of beer, made by a nationally known local brewery. She twisted off the tops, tossing them onto the cooler, and handed a beer to Karen, as she sagged onto one end of the couch. "Don't drink it too fast," she warned, taking a long sip from her own bottle. "This is a pretty good pale ale. Nice and smooth, and not sour or bitter. A lot easier to get used to for a non drinker tha a stout or an IPA beer."

Karen took a small sip, contemplated the taste for a moment, then followed that with a larger sip. "Kind of like non-alcoholic 'ginger beer'. Better than the sour stuff my mom's last boyfriend offered me as my first taste of beer, when I was still 16. Does take the edge off, though. Thanks. This should help both of us to relax."

They filled the time by discussing what sorts of video games, table top games, and card games they each liked to play, and then Mia explained the basic rules for the card game that they would play later tonight. As they talked, they each finished their first beer, and started on a second bottle. Halfway Into her second brew, Karen set her bottle down, and said, "I think I've had enough, thanks. Feeling a bit dizzy."

Mia looked at the time, and said, "Yeah, stopping now is probably a wise choice, for someone who doesn't really drink. And how much have you had to eat today, anyway?"

"Ummm, two breakfast tacos, and a coffee?" Karen replied. "Come to think of it, I am getting pretty hungry. Shall we get a late lunch?"

"Definitely. If we start walking to my place now, there are at least a dozen places where we can get a good, fast meal on the way," Mia replied.

Karen got her purse out of her gym bag, then held up the puzzle box. "Better bring this with me, just in case. I'm pretty sure that when the necklace wants me to roll the die again, I can at least resist it long enough to get back home. But hopefully, when it acts up, the puzzle box will also unlock, and I'll have the option of tucking the necklace away for a while." She put it in the fanny pack, and strapped that on her waist, with the pack on her left hip, and slinging her purse over her head as a small cross body bag, resting on her right side.

"Good plan. Well, follow me. It's only a 5 block walk to my place," Mia said. When they got to street level, she paused at the side door of the Jade Dragon Chinese Restaurant, under Karen's apartment. "We could eat at my family's restaurant, of course, but I'm guessing you've been eating there a lot already. And I know a different sort of place along the way that you might not expect to find, here in Chinatown."

"Different is good," Karen replied, eagerly following her friend into Chinatown.