FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

This chapter is a prologue and contains, in story form, my views on shapechanging. Warning: it contains no yiff in this chapter.

"...and that concludes our meeting, see you all next month," said a hermaphrodite fox who was the president of the Shapechangers' Club of Swann University. It consisted of six shapechangers and about twenty five or so admirers.

One of those six was me, and since the beginning of the semester, I've been a donkey that pretty much looks like an average college student: jeans worn at the knees, t-shirt, and four earrings in my right ear. Yeah, I know, I wasn't a dragon or a griffon, but I already "experimented" with those forms when I was a teen.

I grabbed my backpack from under the desk, and when I stood up, I almost bumped into a black minotaur who was about a half a head taller than me and was wearing jean shorts, a red muscle t-shirt that he filled in nicely, a huge designer gold nose-ring, and a pair of designer shades. His hair was in a pony tail and he smelled like he had been working out and I detected a slight hint of expensive cologne. Even though we were less than a centimeter apart, neither of us backed up.

"Hi," he said almost like it was a command.

"Hi." My jeans suddenly got very tight.

"My name's Siriso and I'm doing an article about shapechangers for New Fusion Magazine and I'd like to interview you."

"Sure." I never heard of it before. It could be one of those micro-press thingies or he just made it all up to get a date with me. I didn't care.

"But I've got a problem. The deadline's tomorrow and I'm busy until tonight. Can we meet at the Ball and Chain at ten tonight?"

"Yeah, I'd love to." It was a Tuesday, and I had nothing in my schedule except a World Civilization test the next day, but I've found something more interesting to study. I hoped it'd be an all-nighter.

Ten o'clock didn't come soon enough. The Ball and Chain was a seedy gay bar in a bad part of town. It smelled of beer and men with just a hint of piss. It was moderately crowded for a weeknight, with some men staring at their mugs, some gulping their beer down, and some groping and kissing each other.

An ugly wolf with a nasty slash in the middle of his face gave me a really lewd look. "Hey! Gimme a piece of yourr assh!" he slurred at me.

Ha ha, very funny. You know, 'cause I'm a donkey? I see Siriso sitting at a back table. He motioned me over, so I hoofed it over there real quick.

"Hi," I said.

"Have a seat." He pulled out a small tablet and pen from his open leather vest. I hoped he was just as leathery underneath.

As I was sitting, an overdressed waiter approached us. He had a small round tray.

"I'll have what he's having." I pulled a twenty from my wallet.

"Very good." He set down two large shots of whiskey, I think.

"Get two more," said Sirioso. "I ordered two before you came."

The waiter took my twenty. I never noticed if he gave me any change back. I quickly pulled out a chair, sat down, and picked up the shot glass.

He raised his glass. "Here's to shapechangers."

"Thanks."

We clinked glasses and gulped the brown stuff down. Whatever it was, it seemed pretty potent. The waiter came again with two more shots, and we repeated the process.

"So you're doing an article on shapechangers." I stared into his dark eyes. I wanted more than a one night stand. I wanted to be part of his life. "First, name and occupation."

I gave my name and told him I was a college student.

"So, can you change into any animal?"

That's a pretty common question. "Sure."

"What about mythological or imaginary ones?"

"As long as there's a concept of it in my head."

"What about inanimate objects?"

"Well I have to breathe and I still need internal organs. So, sort of."

"Interesting, can you mix and match parts?"

"Yeah."

"Can you make certain parts bigger?"

"Sure." That question made something of mine grow.

He seemed very satisfied with that answer and wrote something down. "So exactly how do you shapechange?"

I shrugged. "Science doesn't have a good explanation, so I guess you can call it magic." That was the opinion of an undeclared freshman who struggled through algebra. "I just think of something and become it. I dunno, how do fish breathe water?"

"Can anyone learn it?"

"No, I think you have to be born as one." Shapechangers are even their own phylum, xeno- something.

"I wonder if genetic engineering could solve that."

I shrugged. "Maybe."

"Do you have any thoughts on the new legislation concerning shapechangers?"

Congress was thinking of passing a law in which shapechangers would have to get "written permission" before they could take on a new form. There was a shapechanger a few states away who completely changed his form every time he went on a daily convenience store robbing spree before he was caught. "Well, the honest people will be burdened by paperwork and the dishonest people will do it regardless of the law." Right now, we just have to get a new photo ID every time we change. "Can you think of anything to do to that could have stopped, who was that crook, the Shape Stealer?"

"I have no ... idea." Suddenly I felt really tired, like I worked my ass off for twelve hours straight and it now caught up with me.

"What's wrong?" He put his tablet and pen back into his vest pocket.

"I don't know, suddenly I feel really tired." I gave a really huge yawn. "Sorry about that."

"You look beat. Can I take you home?"

"Sure! I'd love that." I pushed myself up and wobbled a bit. The world was turning into a dream.

In a flash he got up and put his arm around me.

I put my muzzle on his chest and gave a really dopey smile. "Thanks."

Then we headed out together. Some of the guys gave us thumbs ups and catcalls.

Then we walked out of the bar. At first, we headed towards my apartment, but after a block, we took a turn in the wrong direction.

I felt like I was floating. "You're going wrong, going the wrong way." My eyelids were so heavy, and that didn't seem to matter anymore. I could sleep right now, with him as my muscular pillow. Mmmmmmmm...

(The next chapter has explicit material please consult the tags there if you find some material objectionable)