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Catharsis wasn't always as simple as going somewhere to get closure.

In some cases, the concept of going to do something with the hopes that it would help you feel better was, in fact, better than the reality that you found. People are always hopeful for change and improvement, thinking that they will see such if they go back to someone who hurt them in the past.

"This still feels like a bad idea..."

But those who had truly been hurt by someone in the past were usually still wary enough about reaching out to the person that hurt them. In this case, however, Niles wasn't the one reaching out to his ex-lover.

It was the other way around, and he was begrudging every step that he took up the long, elaborate path of interlocking bricks that led the way to a massive country house. Three stories tall, covered in wide, clear windows and looking every bit as wide as a barge, Niles was actually very familiar with the surroundings, and though the other guests who had been invited that evening looked on in genuine awe, Niles only felt a lump of disgust building in the back of his throat.

The invitation felt hollow, at the [b]very[/b] best. Clearly, his ex was just trying to get close to him once again, and though Niles couldn't rationalize why the two ever had to meet again, his overly polite nature forced his hand, and he accepted the invitation, thinking that perhaps, at such a large and rowdy masquerade, he could actually just blend in with the crowd and enjoy an evening of delicious food and expensive drinks; he did miss [b]that[/b] part of the relationship.

Of course, Niles wasn't a fool enough to think that he would make it through the entire night without seeing his former flame, and knew that even making it through the font door without encountering him would be a struggle.

It would have been a bit easier for Niles to blend in, if he'd brought his own costume, but he was still reading the invitation as he approached the front door, and no matter how many times he read the line [i]costumes provided; don't bother bringing one,[/i] he still found the concept unusual. Part of a masquerade seemed to be the mystery of who was actually under the mask, and giving people the chance to make an original outfit just for the occasion, but instead, Niles could see the line backing up at the entrance, and each person or couple that went through was given some sort of quick, easy costume.

Piercingly green eyes, mid-length hair of caramel and a firm stature made Niles stand out just a little bit from the average man in the crowd, but there was no hiding his face when he finally presented his invitation to the guard at the front door, someone who would recognize him on the spot.

"I'm surprised that you took the invitation, Mr. Standish. We really weren't expecting to see you here, this evening."

Niles had only bothered to learn a few of the names of the butlers and servants that were entrusted to his ex-lover during the time that they dated, but the few that he took the effort with were actually very pleasant to him. One such was the man taking invitations at the front door, Wesley Belcher.

"It seemed like a good opportunity to put the last nail in the coffin, Wesley," Niles explained, trying to think of an excuse on the spot. He still wasn't entirely sure what he thought he'd gain by doing this. "And hopefully, we can do that on good, peaceful terms."

"I'm sure that Mr. Russell would like nothing more, Mr. Standish. Please, head on in to the foyer. I believe Mr. Russell has been expecting you."

The front door was propped open, and Niles gave Wesley a quick, formal nod before he walked up the rest of the path to the white, wooden panels. It was eerily fitting that Niles felt as though he were walking through a field of his own ghosts, like a quick stroll through a beautiful limbo, as the golden lights that bathed the crisp, white paint of the door made it look as though it were the entrance to heaven. It was such a powerful imagery that he could never shake the humbling feeling it gave him, no matter how many times he actually walked into the house.

The warm, inviting glow and the harrowing sense that he'd crossed over to the other side was betrayed by the familiar voice of someone that Niles had come to think of as nothing more than a devil on earth. "Niles, my good man! You [i]actually[/i] decided to come!"

Joseph Russell, one of the richest men that Niles had ever known, and the man he once dated, was standing in wait, his arms filled up to the pits with different masks and costumes for the entering guests to choose from. "Joe...it's been a little while."

"I can't deny it, Niles; you really threw me a curve ball, here. I didn't think you would [b]ever[/b] set foot on my property again!"

"I wasn't exactly expecting to get the invitation," Niles admitted, "But...it was...refreshing, I suppose. It's nice to know that you still want to be friends, after all that happened between us."

There was a charisma to Joseph that came across as off-putting to some, to the point that his more meager guests actually strayed away from him, too nervous to try and strike up a conversation. He carried a loud, boastful confidence, and always wanted to be the center of attention. His smile was so arrogant that it almost appeared [b]angry,[/b] and his eyes, though a twinkling blue, never felt as gentle upon your flesh as they actually looked. Blond hair was beginning to dull just slightly as the years caught up with him, but there was still enough of a sheen to it that he could look youthful, even among all of the younger guests who'd arrived at the affair.

"I know things didn't end well between us," Joseph said, his impervious smile thinning just a bit, "But I'd like to think that we can start over fresh if we just put the past behind us and have a fun time this evening. Wouldn't you agree?"

Niles watched as Joseph offered his hand, still slightly bigger than the one that Niles hesitantly offered back. He wasn't sure he wanted to shake hands with the man just yet, but Joseph was determined, and nearly crushed Niles' palm in his grip as their hands moved, intertwined, through the air. "It's...i-it's a nice thought, Joe," Niles replied, clearly uneasy with the situation, "But I don't know if it'll be that simple."

"You don't want us to be friends again, someday?"

"Sure I do, Joe...I just don't think you can [b]force[/b] it, is all. A friendship is just another kind of relationship. We have to work back into it."

Joseph chuckled quietly as he released Niles' hand and gave a knowing nod. "You're right, I do have a bad habit of superimposing, I suppose. I should slow things down. You can approach me at your own pace, Niles...but I do have a special surprise for you."

Niles didn't look too thrilled at the idea. "I figured you would remember I'm not really big on surprises, Joe."

"I know, I know, but it's not a gift or anything like that. I just wanted to make sure that you got one of the best costumes that I have to offer. It's only fair, after the way things ended between us."

Naturally, Niles wasn't worried about sticking out at the party, or even being recognized. He wasn't a natural wallflower, but he was tempted to give the role a try this evening, all until Joseph provided an alternative idea.

"That's really not necessary, Joe. I appreciate the thought and all, but-

"Nonsense! Look at the kind of work that I'm putting into my regular guests!" Joseph pointed out, as his finger gestured across the large, open foyer. Stairs led up to the second floor on the left wall, but to the right, in an area much larger than the average living room, a team of servants and make-up artists were diligently working away at every guest who attended the masquerade, giving them much more than a mask to hide their identity. Some of the costumes were rather simple; a mere change of clothes and a couple accessories were all it took, but in other cases, entire outfits were replaced or covered up, and parts from different animals were added with such accuracy that it might fool the eyes into thinking they were seeing a [b]real[/b] werewolf. "If I can provide that for the average schmuck, I owe it to you to give you the best costume that I can, to honor your acceptance of the invitation."

Arguing with Joe was a lost cause; it was one of the many reasons that he and Niles weren't dating anymore, but all the same, Niles knew that if he tried to resist the idea, it would just make things that much more awkward for the evening. He could accept the generosity of his former lover and be done with it, and then, he'd be that much closer to drinking himself into a stupor and avoiding Joseph for the rest of the night.

"All right, Joe. Just point me in the right direction."

**

Away from the foyer, and even away from the rest of the regular guests, Niles was finally getting into his outfit, but it was [b]no[/b] simple procedure.

"H-honestly, Joe...is all of this [i]really[/i] necessary?"

"Only the best for my most honored guest," Joe did his best to rhyme his words as he spoke, trying to keep the mood light and the moment fun as the rather ornate dress clothes that Niles had picked for the evening were delicately and carefully pulled away from his skin. Black fabric and white cotton were folded up and set aside by servants, and once again, Niles found himself stripped down to his skivvies in front of Joe once again, in a much less intimate fashion. "I really pulled out all of the stops on this one, Niles. I think you'll come to appreciate it."

Joe was a master of sneaking small suggestions into greater actions, and Niles was on his guard, trying to figure out just what he would get roped into when he accepted the costume, but anything was better than being half-naked and next to a man that he still couldn't properly stand. "I noticed that you were going with an animal theme for the evening, Joe...what exactly did you have planned for me?"

"Do you remember my favorite animal, Niles?"

"Of course...you have an...[i]unusual[/i] fondness for donkeys."

No sooner than the name of the animal was uttered than did a pair of servants and a pair of make-up artists come sweeping in to stand before Niles, holding a long, flexible roll of latex. "I'm impressed at your memory, Niles. I'm sure the only thing that could be more impressive would be to see my favorite animal and my favorite person become one and the same..."

Niles shifted uncomfortably as the artists descended on him before he had a chance to decline the offer. "I d-don't know if that's really the b-best idea!" Niles tried to stammer out, still not wanting to give Joe the wrong impression. He was there for [b]closure,[/b] not for the entertainment of a sociopath and ex-lover. He could feel a familiar queasiness lurching up from his stomach toward his throat as the moment became truly inevitable, and though his head turned from left to right, looking for a quick exit, he was already accepting that he couldn't get away from the costume.

Little by little, Niles knew that he was slipping back into old and dangerous habits, allowing Joe to push him in smaller, measured ways, until the tidal wave would finally knock all of his inhibitions over.

[i]Not this time,[/i] Niles thought. [i]I'm gonna turn this back around on him...get into this nice, professional costume, enjoy the party, have my feeling of closure, and be on my way...[/i]

It was a flawed thought process, and Niles knew it, but it was the best one that he could adhere to as the costume artists began to wrap the latex tightly around his ankles. "You sure aren't resisting that heavily," Joe pointed out, as if he could see right through the weak wall of inhibitions that Niles was trying to support. "I can make them stop with a mere utterance, Niles! Just say the word..."

Saying "no" would have been the quickest, easiest ending to the evening for Niles. It would have been over then and there, with or without a drink, or closure.

Naturally, he wasn't going to give himself the easy out. Closure was [b]never[/b] that easy.

"You've already gotten started," Niles said, watching as the artists demonstrated just how seriously they took their craft. Not an inch of skin was allowed to show through, until the latex was at the waistline of his body. "I guess it would be a waste to have them stop, now..."

There was no hint of enthusiasm in Niles' voice, but Joe was thrilled to hear his consent to the idea. "That's perfect! They can really start to put the finer details on the suit, then!"

Niles tilted his head just slightly. "Finer details...?"

Though latex was already wrapped around his inner thighs and backside in a tight, black sheen, Niles felt some extra, special attention being paid to each cheek of his rump. Even as he stood upright, he could feel a weight growing as he looked down and watched the make-up artists, wearing a pair of eerie, tell-tale grins as they worked. Their hands tossed the latex back and forth across his backside, until his already shapely rear started to bulge further and further away.

"It's not enough to just look like an animal, Niles. It would be a waste of their talents if they didn't make everything accurate, down to the last detail!"

Joe's explanation did nothing to settle Niles, or his overly anxious nerves. He glanced back over his shoulder and watched, feeling paralyzed by a combination of polite nature, and an odd, curious air that actually [b]wanted[/b] to see just what the make-up artists were capable of. He still had the chance to stop the process before it got carried away, but already, his rear end was growing in size, and even though it was just a mass of cleverly concealed latex, one that he [b]knew[/b] wasn't real, his eyes were already convinced that it was.

"They...t-they're very good at what they do," Niles replied, trying to force conversation for the sake of his own comfort. The moment was more than slightly awkward for him, but the artists didn't seem to notice it one bit, or at the very least, they certainly didn't care. No matter how much Niles' cheeks burned with bashfulness, or how wide the grin upon Joe's lips grew, they simply continued about their work. Bright, shimmering hooves were procured, and without as much as an instruction, he lifted his feet and stepped right into them. "And I guess I am kinda flattered that you're going to this much trouble, just for me."

"After the way things ended between us, it's the very least that I could do, Niles. You're not any average guest," Joe reminded him, watching every moment of the latex transformation at peak interest. "And you're going to be [b]very[/b] important to the rest of the guests, before this night is over."

"Now [b]that[/b] is what I was waiting to hear," Niles admitted, rolling his eyes a little bit, even as latex was tightly coiled around his torso. "Just what is all of this [i]really[/i] about, Joe?"

There was no way for Joe to look innocent, when the entire evening still had the air of a farce to it. Of course, he was a brutally honest person, and rather than trying to string out the truth any longer, he merely shrugged and tried to act as though Niles was only just starting to come around. "You remembered my favorite animal, and I'm flattered that you did, but...do you remember what my favorite pastime was?"

Niles raised an eyebrow, failing to see how an animal and a pastime could be related in this instance. "I know you had a rather obnoxious obsession with trying to do magic tricks..."

"And I've been working quite diligently on my act, Niles. I'm even putting on a full blown performance for the party this evening, and I simply [b]can't[/b] complete the act without you."

"So this costume...you need me to finish this, and then perform with you?" Niles asked, trying to mind his voice and his manners as the latex was brought up and around to his neck. Each of his arms were then held at his sides, as the artists put the finishing touches on the outfit, leaving no scrap of skin to be seen or discovered. "But what if I'm not any good?"

It was a legitimate concern on the part of Niles, but Joe thought it to be nothing more than an excuse. "Relax, Niles! I'm sure you're just nervous at the thought. You never were much of an extrovert, and I know you kinda hated being the center of attent-

"[i]Kinda[/i] hate being the center of attention?" Niles asked, cutting Joe off in his sentence. "If you were dressing me up in front of the rest of the party guests, I never would have agreed to this costume!"

"But you did," Joe reminded him, "And now that you're this far along...how about we put the finishing touches on the costume so we can make our way to the stage?"

There was one last thought, fleeting as it might be, in which Niles saw himself ripping out of the latex costume and rushing to the door. Truth be told, he couldn't give any sort of a care if the proposed magic show went well or not, but his overly polite nature was keeping him from ruining the impressive work of the artists. The last bits of latex were starting to come up around his chin to cover his face, but perhaps more notably, he could see a strange shape starting to take place between his legs. "Just what are the finishing touches, Joe?" Niles asked, able to see something long and thick being made out of the latex. It didn't take much imagination for him to realize what the artists were creating out of the flexible material, and suddenly, he was glad that his face was being covered; he knew that his cheeks would be completely flushed through.

"I am a firm supporter of anatomically correct costumes," Joe admitted, "And for the amount of work we've already put into the costume, we can't allow anything to be forgotten...you've already got this nice, thick, [i]smooth[/i] backside," Joe moved around as he spoke, gliding his fingertips over the bulbous mass of latex that was actually a perfect match for the wide, thick rump of a donkey, "Wouldn't it just be entirely wasteful if we didn't give you the entire ensemble?"

Joe was trying to speak more eloquently than he usually would, rather than outright saying what he was really doing. Niles knew it, though; the artists were crafting a life-sized, accurate cock, one made to complete the illusion of a donkey on stage. Slits were cut into the latex so that Niles could see just how accurate the false appendage was, complete with a wide flare near the end to represent the equine nature of what he was supposed to be.

"Feeling up to snuff, Niles? The show will be starting soon..."

The evening was quickly turning into a blur and spinning out of control for Niles, who could feel the artists urging him along. His wrists were cocked up by the tight grip of the latex, and his hands were quickly covered up by a set of hooves to give an authentic illusion of an upright, walking donkey. Joe led the way, and the artists accompanied Niles on either side, knowing that his vision would be a little restricted inside the costume. His voice was muffled by the latex snout that now surrounded it, and even if he could have argued his way out of the moment, it wasn't likely that Joe would have listened. Instead, he paraded Niles through the party, letting each of the less intricately dressed animals look him over on their way to the stage.

The illusion was growing stronger as Niles approached the stage, knowing that there wasn't any sort of a stage in the large country home before. There was a grand ballroom, however, and the makeshift stage that Joe had prepared for the evening fit perfectly in the room, looking entirely natural among what was an otherwise extremely odd crowd.

"Thank you all for being so patient, ladies and gentlemen! We simply had a slight delay in getting my absolutely essential assistant ready for the show, but without a moment of further delay, we're ready to begin!"

Joe rushed up the stairs to the stage and made a loud entrance, jumping into the center of the stage to a thunderous herald of applause. "Thank you, thank you all [b]so much![/b] You're such a lovely looking bunch of wild animals...emphasis on wild, of course!"

Laughter broke out through the crowd at the rather cheesy, simple joke; Joe's charisma was shining through once again, and Niles could only follow in semi-blindness as the artists helped him walk up the side of the stage. "And there's my special assistant now! The two of us will be putting on an amazing show for the rest of you lovely beasts, one that I'm sure you'll all remember for years to come!"

Through the narrow eye-holes, Niles gazed out into the crowd and stumbled awkwardly across the stage, barely able to keep himself up on his feet, or, what now felt like his hind legs. The crowd was cheering and whistling at him as he clomped awkwardly closer to Joe, ready to get the show over with. Without being able to properly speak, he couldn't voice just how uncomfortable he was. Though he would normally be uncomfortable enough to bolt from the stage, he was too nervous to in the face of widespread judgment, and his polite nature was keeping him in place...at least for the moment. He was already praying for the moment to be over, but the show was just beginning.

"It sure seems that my partner in crime is excited to join us on stage!" Joe called out to the crowd, all while gesturing so obviously toward the long, thick, latex member that hung between his legs. "Do you think he's eager for our first trick?"

The crowd was already in the palm of Joe's hand, and even more enticingly, the latex cock followed. Niles was quick to realize just what kind of a show it would be, and the heat of the latex, combined with the nerves of the stage left Niles starting to believe that he really [b]was[/b] a donkey, part of a show that would be forbidden in any corner of the globe.

"Let's just see what we can make him do, then..."

Niles tried to wipe his own brow, but there was no way that he could. The latex on his wrist rubbed against the latex on his forehead, making an eerie, edgy [b][i]squeeeeeak[/b][/i] as he tried not to fall over from panic and exhaustion. It seemed, however, that Joe wanted exactly that, as he placed his palm right in the center of Niles' back. "It sure seems that our assistant is convinced that he's a [b]real[/b] donkey, but they certainly aren't acting enough like it...how about we finish the transformation, folks?" Joe asked the crowd, and right on time, they cheered their agreement to the stage.

"Well...I can't argue with an audience that knows what it wants! Let's see here..." Joe paused, as he gave a more forceful push on Niles' back. Trapped in his outfit and lacking balance already, Niles fell forward and slammed his fists to the floor, the hooves upon them making a loud, solid [b][i]CLOMP[/b][/i] as they contacted the wood. "Yes, that's [b]much[/b] better! You're starting to get the idea, Niles! Aren't you happy to be a donkey? You sure seem to be..."

Charisma wasn't enough to describe just the kind of control that Joe had over the crowd, or the kind of control he had over Niles. His background as a hobbyist magician meant that he had some mild experience in hypnosis, and it wasn't taking much effort on his part to convince the poor, latex-trapped man that he actually might be a wild animal.

[i]I...I'm not...I'm not really a donkey, am I? Why am I even thinking this...?[/i]

**

The show was fuzzy at best for Niles, who could only scarcely remember the details of what happened after the hypnosis began. He knew most of it was embarrassing at best, and when he awoke the next morning, he chose not to try and remember any specific details.

"Urrgh...unf..."

His mouth was still trapped by the latex, but after being stuck in the outfit overnight, he almost felt as though the slick material was fused to his face, bound by a thin miasma of saliva and condensation. It was no longer the second skin that it felt like before, but his own, and even if he had proper hands to try and peel the material away, he'd find that task difficult, if not downright [b]impossible.[/b]

"I see you're finally coming around. You must have [b]really[/b] gotten into the show, Niles!"

Small, gritty details filled Niles' mind as he tried to recollect the events of the previous evening, not for any sort of enjoyment, but merely for a sense of closure. It was a common theme that he kept coming back to, and this far in to his attempt at catharsis, he was more than able to realize just how much closure was simply a word; the feeling of satisfaction and relief couldn't be achieved by simply meeting back up with someone from his past.

[i]Wait...I...I can't talk...why can't I talk?[/i]

Niles' eyes shrunk down in panic, and Joe merely looked back at the wrapped-up, costumed guest with a cheeky grin. "Seems to me that you look a little worried. I dare say that you shouldn't be worried at all...I was a perfect gentleman last night, and you didn't expose any part of yourself that wasn't already out there thanks to the costume."

There was a brief respite of relief at that thought, but it wasn't enough for Niles to feel confident that he hadn't done something extracurricular. His head was still spinning just slightly, his thoughts were a blur, and there was still the chilling fact that even when he could feel the neurons firing in his mind, telling his mouth to open and his vocal chords to activate, there was no sound...at least, no [b]human[/b] sound.

"Ah, of course! [b]That[/b] must be what you're all panicked about. You can't make your voice come out, can you? Well, that's all part of the trick, you see. I never said that my little magic show was over, now, did I?" Joe asked, standing just barely taller than Niles, even though the former was on two legs, and the latter, on all fours. No matter how he tried to push back onto his hind legs and kick himself upright, Niles couldn't muster the task. The false hooves that had been placed on his feet and over his hands were feeling truer and truer as the seconds ticked by, and only then did Niles remember the hypnosis part of the magic show.

The worst of it was that, even though he was free to think for himself, his body simply wouldn't repsond. The claustrophobic terror of being trapped inside his own body made Niles thrash about on the stage where he still stood on all fours, sending a loud, clomping echo through the now empty ballroom and causing Joe to sneer and chuckle as he watched on, enjoying the show now more than he ever did the evening before. "Now, there's no need to cause such a scene, Niles...the show is already long over! It's a shame I couldn't get you to move like that last night...of course, we'll have plenty more practice to work on that in the next couple days."

[i]What could he mean by that?[/i] Niles wondered, as he quickly exhausted himself and stood still on the stage, his legs beginning to quiver and his arms growing tired from holding his body up in such an unusual pose. Exhausting as it was for Niles, it was starting to feel physically natural, and that was mentally unsettling for him. [i]And why the hell can't I wiggle my way out of this God-awful costume?[/i]

"You see, Niles...when you left me, cliche as it might sound...you took away the biggest part of me; my heart. You ripped it clean out of my chest and carried it away with you like it was a trophy to be placed upon your mantle," Joe continued chatting away, assured that Niles would simply sit and listen at this point. He'd taken away any other recourse for the poor, trapped man. "I did everything that I could to move on, but as the time ticked by and days turned to weeks, I found myself pining for you that much more, and realized that I had to at least see you again...but just at the thought of having you here for a party, I had to wonder...would it be enough, Niles? Would just seeing you one last time truly be enough for me?"

It was entirely in exposition to himself, but Joe was describing the same desire for closure that Niles so sincerely felt, and the latter felt a hint of sadness in his heart at the thought that this evening never could have been one last goodbye for the two of them. Niles felt selfish, in as much that he [b]knew[/b] this could never be their last encounter, and that neither one of them wanted it to be.

It also wasn't easy for him to focus on that fact when he could feel the latex that wrapped around his body beginning to expand, and with it, his flesh started to grow, as well. A panicked, hurried glance across the costume showed that all of the seams and layers of the latex wrapping had faded into each other, leaving his new skin shiny, seamless, and entirely smooth to the touch. "Just one more night would never be enough with a man like you, Niles. I had to come up with a way to get you back, but I knew that ours would be a failed relationship...it's tragic, isn't it? That we could love each other so much, but as we are, we'd never be right for each other, and lord knows I'm [b]far[/b] too stubborn to change, so...there was only one option left."

Niles was growing taller, and he could see it, as his body rose further and further up off the floor. His limbs extended and his muscles grew, as the sinew and fibers between them melted and expanded all at once in a sensation that was terrifying, and somehow, entirely soothing to Niles. Every few seconds, he could just [b]barely[/b] see his vision climbing higher and higher. His second skin was now his only skin, and just from a curious brushing together of his hind legs, he could feel everything between his thighs, as if the latex had completely overtaken him...even the long, false member that hung between his legs was beginning to fuse with the real one just underneath it, in a combination that was more permanent than Niles could ever realize.

"I had to change [b]you.[/b]"

[i]Can't be happening...this can't be happening! I'm dreaming, this is a terrible dream, I drank too much, I'm still just a normal guy![/i] Niles thoughts turned into a rambling, derailed train, until they flew right off the tracks and into oblivion. He could try to deny everything as much as he wanted, but all the same, he wasn't the kind to live in such a state of mind. His muscles reached an expanded peak, and his limbs turned taut again as the bones within elongated to match the new, thicker tissue, creating a solid affirmation of what Niles was beginning to believe, and what Joe had already known was coming.

"It wasn't the kind of change that I figured you would mind, though. You were always so great at performing under pressure and making decisions under duress in our relationship that I just knew there had to be a way to keep you in my life, without forcing you to date me. Force kept coming back into the picture, and I didn't like that..." Joe admitted, as he took a long step across the stage and slowly approached Niles as if he were an easily startled horse; Niles reacted in kind, jumping just slightly at the approaching presence, as if it were beyond his control. "That's why I sent you an invitation. You could always have said no and made it clear that you never wanted to see me again, but you came, and then, you decided to put on this costume...the last one you're ever going to wear."

Joe rested his hand on the flat of Niles back, right between the narrow pass that his shoulder blades created. He was more of a beast than a man anymore, save for the somewhat human features of his face. They were clearly equine, and yet, anyone who knew Niles might be able to tell that it was him, just by the decidedly human glint in his eyes, and the intelligence behind his expression. "I'm glad you're finally settling in, Niles. I was worried that you might have a panic attack and ruin everything, but it would seem the material has fully taken a hold of you, now. Even your most delicate parts," Joe paused, as he slipped his fingertips alongside the thick, smooth torso of the newly transformed male and gave his hanging member a cautionary touch, "Are now every bit as real as you are, Niles."

Sure enough, the moment that Joe brushed his lazy fingers over Niles' cock, it jumped forward and began to fill with vital fluids, bouncing up and down with the length and weight that it now carried. Joe continued his inspection, brushing his hand under the soft, smooth tendrils of fur that made up the now all too real tail that jutted out from just above Niles backside, and he nodded in approval as he felt the smooth, warm entrance to Niles' ass under his examining fingertips.

"This way, Niles...we really can be together forever, in a way that suits both of us...I can be on stage, performing to a captive audience and providing them with hours and hours of entertainment, while you, the quiet little man that you once were...you don't have to say a [b]word.[/b] You just have to stay by my side and do what I say, just like I wanted you to in the first place."

In a sick, twisted way, Niles could feel his lips curling up into a smile, one that was equal parts acceptance and satisfaction. It was true that Joe's controlling personality was the reason that they separated in the first place, but in this new scenario, where Niles didn't have to worry about making any decisions, or being put on the spot as a boyfriend or a date, he felt so much less pressure already that it was maddening, almost as much as the sudden arousal that coursed through his body from just a few simple, subtle touches to his hefty cock.

"But I imagine we'll have to find a way to take care of that before showtime...can't have you all pent up and excited with a crowd of eccentric individuals looking on, now, can we?"

Niles shook his head just faintly, finding that he had a rather limited range of motion in his new body, but there was just enough that he could follow Joe back to the center of the stage as he stood there. Of course, a thick, erect donkey was just what the crowd was coming to see that evening, and with the transformation complete, Joe could string Niles along all that he wanted, perhaps giving him a release some day, perhaps not...

It was entirely uncertain, and though Niles never found his closure, he had an entirely new appreciation for Joe...and the magic of catharsis.