One never forgets their first love. Though with an uplifted Animalian, that love might not what someone might suspect. For some Animalians, it's with their mate who was also uplifted with them. For others, those who have lived with humans, it was a particular human who cared for them and made them feel loved. Former pets sometimes think of this as paternal love, but there were plenty who really fell in love with their former owners and caretakers.
Akia was no exception, even though shi was a hermaphrodite. Spotted hyenas aren't the most popular of zoo exhibits as a lot of negative imagery has been associated with them. But Akia felt that shi was really luck to have been cared for by a man who saw hyenas as something other than filthy scavengers: Vito Crisoni. Vito had cared for Akia when shi was young and when the opening for a hyena in Horizon's latest project had come up, Vito took her because she was nearing the end of hir life cycle. As an Animalian, Akia could understand hir feelings better and knew shi loved Vito. Though shi was uncertain how to act upon hir feelings, both because shi was an Animalian and also because shi was a herm.
Shi might have done nothing it if weren't for Kicheko. The two herm hyenas were pretty close since Buddy and Louise had already paired off. The two of them have had sex plenty of times to sate their dual-sexed libido. But Akia didn't feel the same kind of spark with Kicheko. Shi was a good friend and very good in the bed, but shi didn't seem to be her soulmate.
Kicheko had noticed that Akia's mind had been elsewhere during sex. After one such session, Kicheko asked, "What's wrong, Akia?"
"Well, it's not really your fault," said Akia, "I'm just thinking of someone else."
"Who's that?" asked Kicheko.
"Vito," said Akia, "He was the zookeeper who looked after me and brought me to Animalia. I think I'm in love with him."
"Oh, that's sweet," said Kicheko.
"You're not jealous or upset?" asked Akia.
Kicheko shrugged and said, "Guess I saw ourselves as sex buddies more than anything else. There will be other people who'll become like us. I'm not in a rush. You should totally try to see Vito."
"I'm not sure how I can do it," said Akia, "I'm a hyena."
"You're an Animalian," said Kicheko, "We've got as much right as humans to see who we want to see."
"But I also have these," said Akia, gesturing towards hir sheath and scrotum.
"Oh, that," said Kicheko, "Well, I think you're woman enough in his eyes. And when he's one of us, he'll find you doubly attractive."
"Well, I can't skip straight to that part," said Akia, "Humans have to court before they become mates and I don't know how to get that far with Vito."
"I think I can help you out with that," said Kicheko.
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The first few dates weren't very big ones. Mostly they were opportunities to catch up on things. Akia was more concerned about Vito being comfortable with hir. Shi was trying not to make hir gender too much of a big deal. Though admittedly the herm pronouns were phonetically identical to female pronouns and as long as no one was staring hard at hir crotch, shi could pass for a hyena woman easily enough.
As it turns out, things weren't all well at the zoo. The economy wasn't doing too well at that town and less people were coming to the zoo. "We might have to send some of the animals to other zoos," said Vito, "And there's talk of lay-offs in the future."
"Well, I'm sure Animalia can take in some of those animals," said Akia, "But are you going to lose your job too?"
"Honestly, I'm thinking of quitting first," said Vito.
"How's come?" asked Akia.
"The job has been kind unfulfilling since you left," said Vito, "I just can't get you or Animalia out of my mind."
"Is that so?" asked Akia. Despite looking doglike, hyenas aren't actually canines. But Akia felt like wagging hir tail.
"I would like to work at Animalia, but I'm not sure what a zookeeper like me could do," said Vito.
"You've got a veterinary degree, don't you?" asked Akia.
"I suppose that's a bit redundant in Animalia," said Vito.
"Not necessarily," said Akia, "A bunch of former zookeepers and vets have become doctors now."
"With everyone so fit, you probably don't have need of doctors," said Vito.
"Even fit people can get sick," said Akia, "In fact, flu season is going to be starting soon. I think you'd make a good doctor."
"A good doctor or a good Animalian?" asked Vito.
"I didn't say that," said Akia quickly.
"I'm not stupid, Akia," said Vito, "I know you were attracted to me since you were uplifted. You've been giving telltale signs for a while now."
"Oh," said Akia, "I didn't want you to think I was forcing myself on you. I mean, you probably weren't even considering becoming a hyena."
"Actually, that's been on my mind since I saw you change," said Vito, "Though male hyenas are at the bottom of the pecking order."
"What about...a herm?" asked Akia.
"I've thought about it," admitted Vito, "I think I'm sorta drawn to it, but I don't know if I'm subconsciously bi or not. I think you're sexy as a woman, but I don't know if you're sexy as a man."
"Why not both?" asked Akia suggestively.
"That's something I'm going to be thinking about," said Vito.
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From that admission, things started to heat up between Akia and Vito. Akia started wearing sexier outfits for their dates. Vito was making arrangements to start a new life in Animalia. Most of it involved getting ready to move, donating the clothes he'd soon no longer be able to fit, and applying at Animalia's Vet-to-Doc course. Finding a place to stay was easy when Akia agreed to let him stay at hir place.
"How do you pay for your apartment anyways?" asked Vito as he was taking another box of things in.
"Horizon has been paying me to study my hermaphrodite condition," said Akia.
"Do you have an actual job?" asked Vito.
"Well, I'm not really sure what I want to do for a career," said Akia.
"Well, considering Horizon probably won't pay you forever, you might want to start looking for your own employment," said Vito.
"Maybe I can work at the hospital with you," said Akia.
"Maybe, or you could work at Horizon Labs with their Project Hermaphroditus. They may need someone more on-hands with it. Or, this is off the top of my head, a couple's counselor."
"Couple's counselor?" asked Akia in confusion.
"Who better able to see both sides of a couple's argument than someone who is both male and female?" asked Vito.
"I think it'd be more complicated than that," said Akia.
"Well, you never know what you're good at until you try," said Vito.
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Finally, they had gotten to the point they had been waiting for: Vito's conversion. Akia was thrilled to be the one to be converting Vito. Considering the gender reassignment that will be involved, there was a little extra paperwork for Vito's new identity. But obviously it was the actual conversion that was the biggest part. And Akia was just going to give Vito a little nip or let him suck on hir breast. Shi wanted the whole experience.
"Am I impressive?" asked Akia, lying naked on hir bed. Hir hermaphroditic body was presented in all its glory from hir big breasts to hir hard dick.
"Uh, I've seen you naked before," said Vito, "Just not fully erect."
"Odd to think this was just a clitoris before," said Akia, stroking hir member, "But having a proper vagina is a lot more convenient."
"I'm...not sure I can put that in me," said Vito.
"Oh, no, no, I would never force that on you. I want you to make a woman out of me first," said Akia, lifting hir sack to reveal the wet pussy behind it.
"Oh, well, that's easier," said Vito, "I...might not be as big as Kichecko."
"Oh, that will change pretty quick," said Akia, "Now hurry up. I really need something up there."
Vito sighed a bit. He was still rather intimidated, being outsized in pretty much every category. But he did want to be with Akia. Getting on the bed, it took a little bit of work to get his dick into hir pussy. It required the missionary position to really make it work. "Are you feeling good about this?" asked Vito.
"I'll feel even better when you get started," said Akia.
Vito started thrusting into the hyena, starting to feel a bit of an odd tingle. His dick seemed to be growing even more, filling hir out better. Then fur started creeping up his stomach and spreading over his chest. His muscles were getting bigger and stronger, giving him the energy to thrust harder. The tingle got very strong in his chest as it started ballooning out until Vito had a pair of breasts to match Akia's. He made a brief yelp as he felt the skin behind his ballsack split to allow a new opening connecting to new reproductive organs.
Akia sniffed the new scent in the air and said, "Smells like you're a real herm now, Vito."
"I think 'Vita' would work better now," said the changing human as hir neck was growing longer.
"Works for me," said Akia before leaning up and licking Vita's face. As Akia licked, Vita's face changed more, extending into a muzzle while hir teeth became sharp, jaws perfect for grinding bones. The others features were finishing on Vita's body: hand and feet becoming paws, tail extending out of hir spine, and hir figure was now a perfect mix of male and female. Vita thrust into Akia even harder, feeling a greater need to finish. Finally, the two let out a cry as Vita erupted into Akia.
Vita sighed before pulling out and looking at hirself. Shi was a pretty impressive specimen for a spotted hyena. The main differences between hirself and Akia was hir human hair and darker coat. "So this is what it's like to be Animalian," shi said, her voice more feminine now.
"And how does it feel to be a herm?" asked Akia.
"I don't know. You'll have to show me," said Vita, bending over and exposing hir new pussy.
Akia grinned as hir dick got hard. "With pleasure," shi said. It would be a long night of mating for these two hyenas.