{"sf1_id":579576,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Fitting in, in Hobarrow.","author":"The Wizened Raconteur","words":3363,"posted_at":"2013-08-21T19:58:00.000Z","tags":["M/F","Story Progression","Transformation"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/579576-fitting-in-in-hobarrow","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/579576","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=579576\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"#4 of Robbin Red","content":"\u0026nbsp; Jon-Tom found out that touring the school was the only duty he had that day. He  \nreturned home, to find his new wife still is leopard form. She smiled at him  \nwhen he came up the stairs. It diminished a little when she saw his face. \"What  \nis it dear?\" she asked cautiously.\u0026nbsp; He  \nsat down rather heavily on the edge of the bed. He took in a deep breath before  \nanswering. \"So Sybeele, you attended school here?\" It was more of a statement  \nthan it was a question. She relaxed and sat down with him.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Yes, of course I did. Eve insisted that I learn as much as I could before you came  \nback in time to be the mayor here. It's where I learned your various customs,  \nand your wide variety of people. It scared the crap out of me at first, but  \neveryone was so kind. They found my constant changes intriguing. No one had  \never seen magic like that before, even the local wizard's guild. However, they  \nhad firm orders to leave me alone. It was easy to be friends with the various  \nspecies, since once in a while I would be the same as one of them. I quickly  \nbecame the most popular girl in the school.\" She stopped and looked to see if  \nthat was enough to satisfy his curiosity. It wasn't.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Look Sybeele, I'm really happy that this has worked out for you, but was it  \nnecessary to tell them about our sexual contacts? One of your former classmates  \nseems to have taken an interest in me, which the deputy mayor has assured me is  \nnot a good thing.\" He waited for her to explain. She got a crafty smile on her  \nface.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Look my fine hunk of man, every one of those girls has devoted their lives to being  \nsomething extraordinary. When they graduate, they move up to one of the guild  \nhalls. I don't know if you tallied them all yet, but there is a mechanics hall,  \na wizards hall, a soothsayers hall, an agricultural hall; and there are so many  \nmore. Once they graduate, they are expected to be and act like adults. But  \nwhile they're in the school, they are expected to act like children;  \nresponsible children. Of everyone there, I'm the only one who has had sex. Of  \ncourse, once it became common knowledge, everyone wanted to know about it. So I  \ntold them. I didn't think that everyone one of them would then want you for a  \npartner. Some are more interested than others. But they know that we were to be  \npartnered, so that dimmed the hopes of many. I can only assume that Pani is  \nstill being persistent.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; He nodded. \"Yes, she seemed quite interested. And I must admit, I would be curious  \nto know what it would be like with her. I have bedded quite a number of  \nspecies, but there are still many I haven't yet had a chance with. Of course,  \nmy duty now demands that I remain respectable, so any possibility of that is  \nout the window.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; Sybeele purred in his face. \"Look husband, you have already forgotten that I change.  \nEvery other day I'm something different. I become creatures that are, creatures  \nthat were, and apparently, creatures that are yet to be. Having your power will  \nmake that easier, just in case you thought it was all fun and giggles.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; He scratched his head for a bit, thinking. Roseroar and Talea had never had any trouble; why  \nshould this girl? \"OK, I'll bite. Why would you need my power to help with your  \ntransformations?\" She sat there looking at him, waiting to see if he could grasp  \nthe problem on his own. He was apparently in one of his stupid phases.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Look Jon-Tom, I have little control over these changes. My next one might make me a  \nmouse, or a rabbit, or a horse. Twice I have changed into ocean going people.  \nOne I think you would call a killer whale, and the other time was, uh, a  \nman-a-tee. Both times I was caught unawares until I woke up and was unable to  \nmove. My bed was flattened beneath the weight. It was a pretty rough time for  \neveryone involved. Now, with your power, I can always spell myself to the ocean  \nif the need arises.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; He hadn't thought of that. Roseroar had turned into a dolphin, and he and Orath had  \nassumed naiad ( as well as kraken) form. Both required the ocean to survive. \"You  \nknow dear,\" he said quietly, \"I had never thought of that. Orca's, or killer  \nwhales, are fairly large. So is a manatee. Just be glad you didn't turn into a  \nblue whale, or you would have brought the school down around their ears!\" He  \nthought for a moment before asking his next question. \"Sybeele, is there a  \nmagic time when your changes kick in?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; She shrugged. \"It seems to be with the rising of the sun. That would be roughly six  \nin the morning. The sun doesn't rise and set like it does back home. Anyway, I  \ngo to bed, and I never know what I'll be waking up to. So like I said, you'll  \nbe able to try out whatever forms you haven't yet had the chance to play with,  \nbut you'll have to wait until they come around. Like I said, I have only a little  \ncontrol over them. It is part of the reason, I think, that I haven't had  \nanother ocean form in a while. But now it would be alright!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; He sighed again. \"I guess I see where you're coming from. And I suppose girls need  \nsomething interesting to talk about. But I don't want to get in trouble with  \nanyone here in town. I hardly need girls climbing out at night to make their  \nway here. You know how I am; and equal opportunity lover. But I've made a  \ncommitment to you, and I don't intend to break it!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; She smiled gratefully at him. \"You're very sweet husband, and I appreciate your  \ngood intentions. I suppose that we should both honor each other in what we do  \nwhile we're together. I am sure that there will be times when matters may  \ndictate a need for elasticity in that commitment. Besides, Eve has given me some  \nleeway in what I do. Therefore, as one female to another, our agreement trumps  \nyours!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; He didn't like the sound of that one bit. Females conspiring often meant the doom of any  \nmale caught in their nets. But he relaxed. Whatever they had cooked up, he was  \ncertain it would come out alright in the end. Even without his full power, he  \ncould still handle himself with ease. \"It doesn't sound like a have a choice,  \nso I guess I'll let matters go with the flow. But I'll still be keeping my eyes  \nopen for any tricks. I'm not so dense as to not know the mischief you two could  \ncome up with.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; She found the best answer to that was to simply get him undressed and make him deliriously  \nhappy. That went on so long they made love right through supper, forcing her to  \ncheat with magic. However, it was the best sauerbraten he had ever had, and the  \nkraut was nice and tangy. He was beginning to find this arrangement wasn't bad  \nat all! It was a little odd being on the receiving end, but he could get used  \nto it.\n\n\u0026nbsp; The next morning, she was herself again, pink cheeks, tousled hair and all. He got  \nup first, and set to making some breakfast. It had been a long time since he  \nhad to use mundane methods to prepared food. The larder was well stocked, and  \nin no time he had a tray of hot food. He came in and served her in bed. She  \nyawned and stretched and cracked open her eyes. She was delighted with what she  \nsaw.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Well, well! I like this marriage more and more! Of course, I could have saved you the  \nbother. But then again, Eve said you were growing tired of having things too  \neasy.\" She sniffed the air. \"It smells wonderful!\" She sat up, allowing him to  \nset the tray across her lap. She went to eat, stopping when she saw him  \nstaring. She realized that she was naked, and her breasts were jutting out  \nsharply over her food. She got a devilish grin. \"Let's eat first. We'll have enough  \ntime. Your appointment today is with the heads of the guilds, but it's not  \nuntil afternoon.\" So they ate, cleared the tray, and by the time they were  \ndone, most of the sheets as well. HE was reluctant to get out of bed when they  \nwere done. She knew better.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; She pulled out a dark suit for him to wear. \"The guild leaders are all rather  \nsomber fellows. They will respect you more if you dress appropriately; that is  \nto say, if you dress like them.\" He would rather have had his leather pants and  \nhis lizard skin cape, but when in Rome...or Hobarrow. He pulled it on, giving  \nhimself a once over in the mirror. He looked like something out of a Dickens'  \nnovel. Well, if Victorian was the rage of the day, who was he to argue? They  \nwent downstairs, Sybeele now dressed like a German barmaid. She looked  \nheartwarmingly like the label of a St Pauli bottle. He wanted to pull off that  \nblouse and start all over. She shooed him out the door and into the company of  \nGraven. The marmoset took one look at Sybeele and then to Jon-Tom.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Well human, you have a remarkable female. She has a rare ability indeed. It seems to  \nme, that if you ever got bored of her, two things would happen. First, you  \nwould be committed to an insane asylum. Secondly, every male in town would be  \non her doorstep to take your place.\" Jon-Tom was no fool. He said as much.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"My little furry friend, I'll have you know that she is very, very special to me. I  \nthought that I lost her once. Now that I have her back, I will treat her with  \nas much love and respect as I can muster!\" The marmoset looked up at his much  \ntaller companion and grinned. When he spoke, it was with deep respect. \"I don't  \nknow much about either of you, but you are certainly a fine pair. I believe  \nthat your presence here will be just what the town needs. New ideas have a way  \nof getting squashed, unless there is someone who has the strength and will to  \npromote them. I believe that you two will do just that!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The meeting was in the main dining hall of the mining guild. Representatives of all  \nthe guilds were there. In addition to  \nthe ones already mentioned, there was the builders guild, the bards guild, the  \nwriters guild (which he found out, was involved more with record keeping, not  \nstory writing), the musicians guild, and a host of others. It was funny that he  \nhad not heard of many of these before. He was more familiar with the thieves and  \nthe assassins' guild, neither of whom were represented here. That wasn't  \nsurprising, considering they were frowned upon by the respectable class of  \nfolks.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; The meeting started out civil enough. It was called to order, with each guild leader  \nstating his name, rank and guild hall. Jon-Ton didn't know if it was procedure,  \nor if they were doing it for his benefit. He nodded to each as they looked at  \nhim, and when his turn came, he rose and introduced himself. It was then that  \nhe realized that he was using his regular name. He hoped it wasn't going to cause  \nany problems. They all sat back down and the meeting started.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; It quickly became a shouting match. Apparently there was some purported stealing  \ngoing on between the guilds. Jon-Tom tried to sort it out, but it was making no  \nsense. He let them prattle on for a few minutes, trying to make head or tails  \nout of it. He finally had enough and stood. He might not have his magic, but he  \nhad his voice. \"ENOUGH!\" he cried. His yell echoed around the room. Everyone  \nsat down, all eyes on him. \"Now, gentlemen, will one, and I mean one of you,  \ntell me what this is all about?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; No one immediately stood. Finally, a badger named Phourteg, of the mechanics guild,  \nstood. \"Would the Lord Mayor wish to hear it from me?\" Jon-Ton nodded. \"Well,  \nyou honor, the stealing that is being spoke of is not in regards to goods, but  \nin regards to students. You see, we chose whom we think are best suited for our  \nteachings. Then, someone comes along and changes the student's mind. It  \ndisrupts how we plan our apprenticeships. It also causes, as you see here, a  \ngrave amount of discord within the guild collective.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; Jon-Tom thought it over. It could be considered a serious problem; if you were a guild  \nleader. These fellows needed to see what things were like back on Earth. There,  \nthere were two kinds of head hunters, the literal kind and the business kind.  \nIt was more of a dog eat dog world on Earth than it was here. He seemed to have  \na solution. \"Look gentleman. The purpose of each and every guild is to pass  \nalong your knowledge to those best equipped to learn it, use it, and hopefully  \nto build upon it. It seems to me a test should be given to each student to see  \nwhere their best abilities lay. Some may have high scores in more than one  \nfield. Give them a chance to experience those guilds, and allow the student,  \nnot the guild, to chose.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; That provoked an immediate outburst. Some called out, \"What? That would be most  \nunfair! You want us to give up our control over our own houses?\" That comment  \ngot several cheers. Jon-Tom was not so easily dismayed. \"What would you rather  \nhave, constant infighting and bickering? If you want the best for your  \nstudents, which I'm certain you do, then I don't see where this solution would  \nbe considered improper. In the end, you all get the best. A student who doesn't  \nvalue what he does is a poor student indeed. And if there are too many for one  \nguild, then the lesser students in that field can enter their second choice. I don't  \nsee where this is so bad.\" The room was stonily quiet. Finally Phourteg spoke  \nagain.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You have the appearance of youth, yet you speak like one who knows the ways of the  \npassing years. What you say makes sense, which is why it will not get adopted.  \nThe guilds are too strict in their rules and regulations. It would require each  \nof them to rewrite their codes. I believe that I would be the only leader here  \nwilling to do that.\" He looked at Jon-Tom and winked. At the same time, an  \nuproar ensued from the other guild leaders. \"That's not true!\" said one  \npassionately. \"I have no problem with doing what is in the best interest of my  \nguild!\" cried another. Jon-Tom got the sense that there were going to be some  \nchanges coming up in the future. He also knew that he was going to like this  \nPhourag.\n\n\u0026nbsp; The rest of the meeting went smoothly, largely because their main problem had been  \nsolved with relative ease. Any other problem suddenly seemed insignificant. There  \nwas talk of the need to expand this building, or to have additional agricultural  \nland, or the need to import more ore or magical chemicals, but overall, these  \nwere the duties of the deputy mayor and his subordinates. Still, Jon-Tom listened  \nintently, since this was his town now. It was a far cry different from the  \nduties of a king. This job, thankfully, didn't require wearing a silly crown.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; When the meeting was over, he shook every paw of every leader, who seemed to view him  \nwith a little more respect. Phourag shook his hand vigorously. \"I like you  \nhuman, and that's saying something. It was an idea I've tried to promote myself,  \nbut no one would listen. It needed to come from another's mouth I suppose. It  \nwill do them all good to be shaken up now and again. We all claim to want what  \nis best for the next generation, but in reality, we prefer to stick with that  \nwith which we are familiar. It is good to cling to the old ways, but once upon  \na time, those ways were fresh and new. We cannot proceed forward clinging  \nsteadfastly to the past. You have paved the way for a better future!\" With that  \nthe dining hall was deserted.\n\n\u0026nbsp; Jon-Tom and his deputy mayor wound their way through the streets. Graven was curious as  \nto his larger cohort's meanderings. The way to the lord mayor's home was by  \nanother route. Jon-Tom didn't look down, but explained as they walked. \"I need  \nto get to know the town I'm suddenly in charge of. It help's to have someone  \nalong who knows the scenery.\" So as they walked, Jon-Tom asked about this shop,  \nor that building, until they were both tired. The marmoset even acquiesced to  \nriding on his shoulders. \"Look human, I thank you for the reprieve, but this  \nwill not be a common occurrence. I feel like someone's pet sitting up here!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Jon-Tom chuckled. \"Look Graven, I appreciate all that you are doing for me.   \nI really do want to do a good job, but there seems to be a lot to learn.\u0026nbsp; This is  \ngoing to be different than any other task I have had set before me. I intend to  \ndo it well. But I have a new wife, a new job, in a new town. It doesn't matter  \nhow much experience I have, it's all new to me.\" The marmoset could feel his  \nshoulders droop a little as rode.\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Look my friend. This job is an important one. It may not be as fancy as being a king  \nsomewhere, or who knows whatever positions you've filled. This town serves a  \nlarge portion of this world. The best of anything that happens in this world starts  \nhere. That goes for magic, food, buildings, ships, bridges; even beer and liquor.  \nWe train students into masters, and then  \nsend them forth to do as they have been trained. Your job is to keep this huge  \ntangle of egos in check. You have shown that you have the ability. Now you  \nmerely need the confidence. If it helps any, we already respect you. She who  \nforetold of your arrival, she who set to educating your wife; she was one to be  \nreckoned with. She said that you were too. I have seen no sign of power about  \nyou, but I believe her words nonetheless. Here, power is more a matter of what  \ncomes off your tongue rather than a matter of force. Never underestimate the  \nguilds. They cannot be coerced; they can only be coaxed and shepherded. I think  \nin that, you will have more than enough power.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp; By now they had reached the mayor's residence. Graven jumped up and grabbed the  \noverhang, swinging himself up with a steady arm. He looked down and gave a bit  \nmore advice. \"Look my human friend, don't fret. You may think you that you're  \nnot going to fit in, but this town doesn't need someone like that. It needs  \nmixing up, now and again, to keep it fresh. You and your lovely wife are just  \nthe thing. Now get in there and have her take your mind off your problems. I  \nhave full faith that she can do just that.\" With that, he swung up and out of  \nsight.\n\n  \n  \n\n"}