Danielle felt as giddy as could be. She’d polished her hooves, shampooed and brushed her fur and mane to give them a nice shine, tied a blue bow around the tip of her tail, and put on her best jewelry (which only amounted to a fairly simple necklace and a couple bracelets, but it wasn’t as if she was lacking natural beauty). Yes, the jenny was ready. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was; not only did she have the privilege of being with her Master again, after years of being apart, but he had already invited her on a date!
Her hooves clopped on the sidewalk as she paced back and forth in front of the theater, waiting for Curt to arrive. She could hardly stand to wait anymore, when she saw a familiar car pull up, Meredith ran out of the driver's side, and opened up the passenger side to reveal her beloved Master stepping out, dressed a little more formally than he usually would be for business casual Friday.
Danielle rushed up to Curt, hugging him tight. “Hello Master! How was work? Have things been going smoothly for you at the mansion?”
“Work was pretty uneventful today. Though last night our head of security ‘robbed’ us to make a statement.”
“She did what?”
“She picked the locks, snuck in, and ‘stole’ a bunch of things before Skyla, Anna, and I happened to bump into her due to insomnia. She made a clean getaway, then came back in and told me that this was evidence we needed to upgrade our security for the Mansion.”
“Woah, that seems pretty harsh!”
“Well, she had a point, so I ordered an alarm system. But that’s enough about my day. How have you been?”
"Had some interesting times on the job. Couple of teenage idiots trying to explore a crystal cave with no equipment, poor little girl got lost trying to 'activate' fairy rings and meet fairies."
"You've had an interesting time."
"Makes me appreciate the calm boring times."
"I hope this evening isn't boring then." Curt smiled.
"I doubt it will be," Danielle leaned in close.
Curt looked back at the mouse girl still waiting besides the car, looking and feeling a bit out of place in the moment.
"You can go Meredith, tell Anna and Skyla I'll be taking Susan's bus home."
"I obey." Meredith bowed and got into Curt's car and drove away.
Curt looked as she drove off, then the pair looked up at the movie theater.
Curt admitted it was short notice, but he had decided that it was better than delaying it over and over and over. He needed to show Daniella, and himself, that he had given his word that he was willing to give things a second chance, and he was going to keep it.
+++
The movie had been a pretty standard romantic comedy, some simple misunderstanding blowing up into a dramatic mess because neither party thought to ask the other what was going on. Nonetheless, the pair had enjoyed themselves, and followed it up with a trip to a nice little Italian restaurant across from the theater.
“I gotta say, the bow on the tail looks pretty nice,” Curt said, “You might wanna consider wearing it more often.”
“Thank you, Master,” Danielle said, “I was hoping you’d like it. I was a little worried it might come off as too cutesy for a fully grown jenny.”
“No, I’d say it’s just right. Adds that little bit of color without getting distracting.” Curt paused. “How was working in Yellowstone, by the way? Was it everything you had hoped for?”
“Oh yes, it’s beautiful all year round, especially with the hot springs and the geysers… Not to mention you can get a chance to watch all kinds of animals in their natural habitat. And there's all the happy families... I could do without the reckless idiots or the litter bugs, but hey, that's a trade off I'm happy to make. And what about you? How has your programming career been?”
“It’s kinda tricky at times, but enjoyable. I get along with more of my co-workers than not,” Curt said, “plus it pays pretty decently.”
“Not that that’s really a concern for you anymore,” Danielle smiled.
"Eh? Oh right, the lottery. Skyla was telling me how I don't need to work, but I think I'd go crazy like that."
“That’s fair. I guess having everything done for you would get a little boring. Still, what do you like to do in your free time, nowadays?”
“Well, I’m still into video games when I get the chance, as is Anna. And I like to do a little reading and writing in my spare time, too.”
“Oh, what kind of writing?”
Under normal circumstances, Curt would have just said something vague like “fantasy,” though he had to admit, if anyone wasn’t going to be weirded out by his more… ‘niche’ writing, it would probably be any of the women he had transformed. “I enjoy writing stories about transformations, and anthro characters. And sometimes one resulting in the other.”
Danielle giggled softly. “Well, I’ve got a li’l interest in seeing people change too. And I gotta say, you must feel like one of the luckiest guys on Earth, having so many anthro gals as friends or maids.”
“Heh, ‘lucky’ wouldn’t even begin to describe it.” He smiled. Sure, Skyla and Anna had been more liberal with the gun than he was in a real-world situation, but at the same time, it HAD given him the chance to live out a fantasy that would have otherwise been impossible. And at least a few seemed much happier with their new state than before. He had improved Danelle's life at least. Getting the gun had been an incredible stroke of luck. Even if it had been adding some unexpected complications, if he could go back to the day that package came, he’d still have kept it. Still, he had to wonder where it came from, why it was made, why it’d been sent to him...
“Uh, you still there, Master?”
“Oh, er, right! Sorry about that.” Curt shook his head. “Got a little lost in my thoughts.”
“You aren’t fantasizing about your other anthro friends, are you?”
“No! I just-”
“Heh-he-haw!” Danielle’s laughter mixed with her braying. “Sorry, Master, I was just messing with you.”
“Thanks,” Curt nodded. He did wonder who had sent him the ray gun. From the choice of words, it was likely a person or persons of some reality spanning organization, assuming that wasn't just window dressing.
"I wouldn't object to 'sharing' you Master, if that's what you REALLY wanted of course... We all just want you to be happy."
Curt nearly went red in the face at that thought. Even if he was pretty traditional in his beliefs on marriage, the idea of having a ‘harem’ of gorgeous animal women definitely had it’s appeal. Even if he wouldn’t admit it outloud, his subconscious definitely approved, if his dream the night before involving Skyla, Susan, and Vicky, had been any indication. So many fluffy fox tails all around him…
“Master?”
“Er, sorry, again. I… Really wasn’t expecting that. Especially not on the first date.”
"Just saying the option is open Master."
"... Still, it might not be a good idea to just surrender to base urges."
"... I guess you wouldn't be the Curt I love if you just jumped into accepting that solution on the spot."
"I'm happy to hear that."
"Oh?"
"It lets me know you all actually like me, and aren't just machines programmed to obey."
"I think you might be staying up too late watching bad sci-fi. Or just really depressed, thinking the only way people could love you is being forced too.”
“I guess you’re right, heh. Don’t know why I’d think that.” Curt chuckled outwardly. Right, Daniella didn’t know about the ray gun. That WOULD be a pretty weird statement without that context.
“Then again, I remember, when you were taking your philosophy elective, learning that some believe we’re all programmed one way or another; maybe by nature, or our family, or society. So even if I were ‘programmed’ to love you, it’s not like it’s any less real than any other love.”
“That’s a good way to look at it, I guess.” Curt nodded. “You know… thinking about this sort of stuff… and how you said you liked Transformation stories earlier… I’ve got a hypothetical question for you.”
“Would I still love you if you were turned into some kind of anthro? Well, I think you’re pretty handsome as-is, but it’s your soul I love. As long as you’re still you underneath the fur or scales, I’d still be happy to be with you,” she said, before quietly adding “Now, if I were to pick a species for you, I think you might make for a handsome jack or a stallion, but I’m a little biased there, he he…”
“Well, that’s good to know, but what I was really gonna ask was… Let’s say you found out that you’d been transformed before. In body, mind… Even reality itself changed so nobody remembers you any different than you are right now. If you had a way of getting the memories of your previous life back, would you?”
The jenny put a hand to her chin. “When you say reality changed, would my family and friends still be the same?”
“Yeah, mostly.”
“In that case, naw. I’m happy with my life right now. I work a dream job, get to date the most wonderful man I know,” she winked playfully, “and while I don’t wanna sound vain, I’m pretty proud of my body.”
“I certainly can’t blame you for that. You’re the most gorgeous jenny I’ve ever seen.”
“Thank you, Master. Like I was saying, though, I’m happy with my life. The only reason I’d even think of going back is if there were some family or friends in my old life that’d miss me.”
“Well, to be fair, you wouldn’t be going back to your old life just getting back your memories of it.”
She shrugged. “Why bother to hold on to a bunch of memories that aren’t even about stuff that actually happened, anymore?”
“That’s a good point,” Curt nodded, “I probably wouldn’t have thought of it like that.”
"I could understand if I didn't remember someone I loved, but I'd like them to remember me too if that was the case, otherwise it would be just torture. Or maybe a member of my family. Or say, I was a brilliant scientist on the verge of finding a cure to cancer, and then was changed into well paid a strip dancer. But I like to think I'd I've gone more good than harm with my life."
"... I'd say so too."
"Thank you Master."
+++
The evening went on, and the two had soon finished their dinner. Susan had arrived on time, smiling as she saw Curt in front of the open door. “Hey there Master Not often you end up riding with me twice a week. Take a seat!” Curt nodded and stepped inside, quickly putting in his and Danielle’s fare. The Donkey woman followed shortly after. “Hi Danielle. Got to enjoy some time with Master, eh?”
“Oh yes, we had a great time!”
“I can imagine,” Susan said, looking over the jenny’s jewelry with a sly grin. “Must have been quite the special ocassion. You can take a seat, just don’t let things get too noisy.” She gave a little wink, and Danielle headed back to sit next to Curt, as the bus started up.
The view out the window, after the bus had exited the shopping center, was pitch black, only interrupted by the street lights and the occasional car. Curt put an arm around Danielle’s shoulders, and she responded in kind. Curt smiled. It’d been a long while since he’d been able to go on a date, and he had almost forgotten what it was like. He still wasn’t sure how this relationship would turn out, but he was enjoying Danielle’s company again.
There were only one or two people on the bus, at the far end, and one looked to be asleep.
"I gotta say I'm impressed Master," Susan said while keeping her eyes on the road. "Finally dating one of us again? I was starting to worry that you were just stringing us along." Susan's laugh made clear she wasn't serious.
"Well, she did ask," Curt said.
Susan's eyes zeroed in on Curt for a split second in the rear view mirror. "Is that so? I'll keep that mind." She said sultry.
Curt remembered how in all those harem fantasy animes, the hero typically had to deal with ladies fighting over him in ever more convoluted schemes. But with Danielle's remark, it seemed the Ray Gun took care of that. The last thing he wanted was for all those changed to be pinning for him and resenting anyone he showed favor to, never able to find happiness with anyone else.
After a few stops, the bus pulled up in front of Danielle’s Neighborhood. The jenny stood up. “Well, this is my stop. Thank you again for the wonderful evening, Master.”
Curt stood up and gave her a hug. “Thank you, too, Danielle.”
Danielle walked to the open doors, Curt following a few steps behind. “Hey, one more thing,” Curt said before the jenny could step off. She turned around, and received a quick kiss on her snout. “Good night Danielle. Sleep well.”
The jenny smiled. “Goodnight, Master. See you soon.” She turned around again and stepped off the bus, stopping to wave goodbye as the doors closed, and the bus started to move again, Curt quickly getting back into a seat with a smile. He looked at his watch, only just now realizing how late it had truly gotten. He remembered how busy Skyla’s workload had looked this morning… He hoped she hadn’t gotten overwhelmed by it all.
"I'll admit, out of all of us, she wasn't high on my list of those I thought you'd end up going for. Shows what I know. I figured old Skyla would finally make her move first."
“Oh… You know, I hadn’t given it much thought, but yeah. She’s usually pretty persistent when she’s going for something she wants.” For a brief moment, he felt the same sort of urge as he had when he responded to Danielle’s request to try dating again. He wanted to try and make his friends happy after all. But this time, he stopped himself. He still wasn’t sure about having one serious relationship right now, much less two even if both of them would be fine with it.
“Well, I’m sure she’s found something to pursue in the meantime.”
It dawned on Curt that he had left the ray gun at home this morning. “Yeah… I can only imagine what that “something” might be today.”
+++
Curt was tired. After the eventful evening with Danielle, he was happy to just be home, or what was his home now. He barely heard Susan wishing him "Goodnight Master" as he stumped out of the bus.
Curt saw there were more cars park in front of the house than before... The garage didn't look bigger... but they could just now have an underground garage for all he knew, or it expanded more into the back if Skyla had indeed been 'busy' today.
Curt's eyes widened when he saw half a dozen brightly colored and naked lion women all 'bald' with the efficiency of an army squad moving boxes in and out of the mansion, driving away and driving back with a fresh load.
"Welcome home Master!" The lionesses all said without breaking step.
"Er, good evening everyone." THe lionesses simply nodded and continued. Skyla had been busy.
Meredith was just inside the front door, and took his coat without being asked.
"Good evening Master, Head Maid Skyla, with Security Chief Pamela's advice, has hired the new security staff. They're helping Luna and the others move in. At the speed they're going,they'll be done before the end of tomorrow."
Hired? As in they hadn't been retconned into having worked here for so long? That was new. Though Luna and the other rabbits had only just begun working here 'full time' as well. Rachel is helping Security Chief Pamela get the new security's bedrooms ready downstairs. She said she doesn't know if Leo's wife and children will be joining us yet but-"
"Wife and children?"
"Yes, Pamela said he was delighted to be hired."
Skyla hired someone WITHOUT transforming them? He didn't know to be impressed or alarmed! Then again from the sound of it, she couldn't have transformed him if she wanted to.
"Also, good news Master, Kitty is finally hired as a groundskeeper! Anna recruited her! I'll admit, if Leo hadn't been hired too, it's kinda novel having another human besides you living here Master."
Curt startled in spite of his tiredness... Anna hadn't zapped someone? With a name like that? ... Was there another block on the ray gun he didn't know about? He'd have to speak with her about it... if he remembered when he woke up.
"Thank you for letting me know Meredith."
"My pleasure Master... Did you enjoy your date with Danielle?"
Curt picked up the tenseness in the mouse maid's voice. "I can safely say I did if nothing else."
"I'm happy you're happy Master. I'll be sure to give the new hires the tour after everyone has moved in."
Curt said he wanted to observe, but he realized that might make Leo and Kitty uncomfortable even if the lionesses wouldn't mind.
"Also Master, Simone's family called, they say she really want you to attend her fiddler performance next week."
"Does she really?"
"I can't speak for her parents, but I'm sure of it myself Master."
"Get me the exact date and time, and I'll see if I can get the time at work."
"I obey Master."
+++
Skyla sat at her desk, having flashbacks to her job of her old existence, the soul crushing paperwork... This was for Master, all was for Master, she'd press on no matter what!
She actually found doing the paperwork for the lionesses tolerable, almost. With Pamela's help she was able to fill out the details, and gotten signatures from each of them downstairs for their lifetime contract with Master. They were part of the mansion now. And then there was Leo... a man, a human man, who was not Master, who'd be living here, with his family... Ugh!
And then there was Kitty, who was more eager to abandon her old home and move with her two children, and by logic, Susan would be moving in as well. Hopefully the Estate had grown enough to hold those not transformed.
Tiny blues flames danced around her, Skyla not even thinking about it, the little flames extensions of her magic, pulling along the sheets of paper, her hands writing, and her tails typing the same information onto the computer, and downloading it onto her day planner, and phone, and making redundant copies and saving them on thumb drive.
"Anyone else I zap, I am RETCONNING them to have always worked here! No more 'you're hired' nonsense!"
And the job contracts weren't the only paperwork, there was Kitty and Leo's children, and Leo's wife, there was paperwork to fill out with them being residents and dependents here, and redoing the grocery bill, finding what they preferred for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, assigning them rooms, introducing them to staff and security so they'd know the families weren't intruders. ... What a headache, retcon transformation employment was so much less trouble.
She held out her hand, one of the little blue flames landed in her palm, it didn't burn her.
'I could hypnotize you Kitty, make you another member of the 'we love Master Curt' club, you wouldn't question it, it would just be a part of you, and you'd truly be one of us, zapping or no... it would be so easy!' And something about that struck Skyla as 'wrong'... While she was at it, why not use her magic to make Leo, his family, and Kitty's children all loyal and obedient to Master? How was it any different from what the ray gun did?!
Or was it that it was like the Ray Gun that was the problem? As far as reality was concerned, the maids had always loved Master, simple as that, in this new reality, they'd naturally grown into it. If she used her magic to hypnotize them like that... Then it was something that wasn't part of their natural development in this new reality... But she'd already decided being a maid and loving Master was the best... so why was she hesitating?
With Kitty... it felt like admitting defeat. Kitty was determined to face whatever ruthless training she'd put Kitty through to mold her into a proper maid... and when she failed, Skyla would be justified in zapping her. If she just hypnotized Kitty now, she'd be admitting that Kitty WOULD HAVE gotten through her brutal maid training course, and Skyla just didn't want to give her a chance to win...
So why not Leo? ... Because Pam and the lionesses had all vouched for him... If she did so to Leo... she was saying that she didn't trust him to make a proper appraisal of him... It would be like saying she didn't trust her own family.
Skyla sent an email to Pamela, telling her to take over teaching the rabbits self-defense, she'd be using the same time to teach Kitty all the ins and outs of being a maid here.
She got an email back soon after saying that Pam would be using the time to teach the rabbits to also teach Leo. Skyla sighed.
There was a knock on the door. "Skyla?" Came Master's voice, the blue flame's poofed out, Skyla wasn't HIDING her magic from Master, but she didn't want to make things more complicated than they needed to be tonight.
"Yes Master?"
"Can I come in?"
"Of course!"
The door opened and Curt stuck his head in, Meredith right beside him.
"I just wanted to say that I got home safely."
"... I am happy you are well Master, I hope you had a good evening," Skyla said, unable to hide her edge in her tired state.
"Er, I did. I saw you did get some new hirings, I heard about Leo and Kitty, I just want to say I'm proud of you and Anna."
"... Thank you Master," Skyla said, digging her claws into the underside of the desk.
"Skyla, get some rest." Curt giving her a direct command like that? She'd be excited in most circumstances.
"I beg you Master, let me finish the paperwork, I won't be able to sleep unless it's done," she said wearily.
"... Alright, but please don't make yourself sick."
"I won't Master."
"Goodnight Skyla."
"Goodnight Master." The door closed.