One of the hardest things about converting into an Animalian is choosing what kind of Animalian. This should not be done on a small whim. As of yet, there have been no ways found to change an Animalian back into a human. The research into that has gone into nowhere and most people are assuming there is no reversion. So people only had one choice that they'd have to live with for the rest of their lives with no do-overs. As such, a lot of consideration had to be put into it.
Even when the selections are narrowed down, it's not often easy to pick. Project Hermaphroditus currently had a small handful to chose from. While the hermaphrodite formula should work with any animal, but a few petri dish tests seemed to suggest that the herm gene didn't readily stick to any pre-existing Animalian DNA. Considering there were no 'backsies', the best way to make sure a hermaphrodite strain will work is by uplifting an animal with the herm formula. While there will doubtlessly be more Animalian choices available later, the current selection were limited to anaconda, hyena, horse, lion, angler fish, and kilifish.
The selection process went a little differently with the three volunteers. Greg and Ian were still going over their choices. Lysine had pretty quickly decided upon 'lion' and they haven't seen her yet. Though still batting ideas around, they were at least able to halve their selections. While anacondas were cool snakes, they had heard about how the anaconda triad had to carry their eggs for their whole pregnancy term and neither of them wanted that. It didn't too much longer to eliminate the fish.
"I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable as a fish," said Greg, "I can swim, but I don't spend that much time in water."
"I mean, maybe if a shark was available, but not the other ones. Though those fish do look lonely," said Ian.
"Don't worry," said Greg, "Allura has been getting plenty of fanmail and the way Rocket's becoming known, shi'll be having admirers too."
That just left the mammals. Greg and Ian could have picked horse and hyena to round things out, but that didn't seem quite right.
"The horses seem to be a really close-knit bunch," said Ian, "I'd feel like I was intruding if I didn't already have a mate and there aren't singles among them."
"Would you consider me if I were a horse?" asked Greg.
Ian studied him and said, "I'm not sure you would be my type, even if you were a herm. No offense."
"None taken," said Greg, "I see us more as friends than lovers. You know, lions and hyenas are social animals too."
"Well, there's one single herm hyena right now," said Ian.
"And there's only three lions with Lysine among them," said Greg, "I'm not sure who's bonded with who, but one of them has to be still single."
After that, it was a bit of back and forth on who should be the lion and who should be the hyena. It wasn't that either of them didn't want one or the other, but they were trying to figure which was the best match between them. They went over personality traits, likes and dislikes, general attitudes towards people, and other things. For a while, it felt simpler to go rock-paper-scissors for it. But eventually, they made their decisions: Greg would become a hyena and Ian would become a lion.
"I can't help but think we've made the dumbest decision of our lives," said Greg.
"Choosing to become herms?" asked Ian.
"No, about figuring out what animals we're going to become," said Greg.
Ian shrugged and said, "Maybe someday in the future there'll be an option to change back and pick another animal. But I think we'll have grown to like what we are by then."
"Yeah, probably will," agreed Greg.
Before long, it was time for them to go to their separate changing rooms and meet the prospective mates. "I hopes it works out for you and... what was hir name?" asked Ian.
"Kichecko," said Greg, "At least I know who I might be pairing with. You've got a roulette."
"Eh, I'm feeling lucky," said Ian. With that, they went their separate ways.
==========
Ian wasn't really sure what to expect. Or more accurately, who to expect. He hadn't really met Petra and Cameron before. He assumed the two were mates, but he wasn't really sure. It might be that Lysine had met one or the other's interests more. There wasn't even a guarantee that Ian would be a match-up for whichever lion converts him. He just had to wait and see who it will be.
Eventually, Ian heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door, though obviously not of someone wearing shoes. Soon afterwards, the door opened and a herm lion stepped in. Shi was wearing a sports bra and a pair of briefs, both doing little to conceal hir dual-sexed nature. "Hello, little man," shi said in a throaty growl, "I hear you want to be a big cat."
The voice sounded familiar and the mane was a familiar color, though much longer than Ian had last seen it. "Lysine?" he asked.
Lysine frowned a little and asked, "Was it really that obvious?"
"Well, I haven't met Petra or Cameron before, so I wouldn't know what they look like," said Ian, "But you still look and sound a bit like you."
"I guess that makes sense," said Lysine, closing the door behind hir.
"So, how was your conversion?" asked Ian.
"Totally awesome," said Lysine, "Petra was a totally awesome fuck." Shi looked at Ian and licked hir lips, "And I'm eager to pay it forward."
"You don't waste time, do you?" asked Ian.
Lysine gave a small sigh and said, "I suppose you wouldn't know what it's like to be a man trapped in a woman's body."
"I'm assuming it's different from a woman in a man's body," said Ian.
"Yes, for you, you don't feel comfortable with being so big and rugged. You'd rather be small and curvy," said Lysine.
"Well, I know I'm not going to get smaller, but I can at least meet halfway," said Ian.
"For me, I always wanted to be one of the boys. Yeah, I was a tomboy growing up, but I didn't realize how deep down the masculinity reached. When puberty hit me, I was drawn to girls. Luckily, my parents were more understanding and accepted that. Eventually, I've even been able to go out with other lesbians. But...it wasn't completely fulfilling," said Lysine.
"You didn't just want to love other women, you wanted to love them as a man," said Ian.
"Exactly," said Lysine, "It was a little hard to explain, but I'm so glad this project came around. And while sex with Petra was great, we're...a little dominant for each other. What I need is someone submissive enough for me."
"Well, I guess I'm your man, er, woman, whatever," said Ian.
"Let's see if you are," said Lysine as shi discarded her underwear. Shi really did have an impressive mixture of muscles and curves. Hir breasts were still pretty large. Hir penis had also emerged from its sheath, its long length covered in soft nubs.
Ian quickly took the invitation and latched onto one of Lysine's nipples. Lysine moaned as hir milk was drained out. She looked down to see the changes taking place. Already, Ian's already long hair was getting longer, his ears growing bigger as they moved up his skull. His clothes were looking tighter as he put on more bulk. Eventually, Lysine pulled his half-formed muzzle away from hir breast and said, "I think that's enough. Let's see if you're female enough for me."
Lysine's claws easily tore through Ian's clothes. The claws he was growing helped too. His body was quickly being covered in tawny fur. A small tail was growing from the base of his spine. More importantly, his pecs were swelling out into the beginning of breasts. Lysine pushed Ian facedown onto the bed and felt his growing ass. With enough probing, shi found the slit forming behind the testicles. Shi slid hir finger up and down, feeling it open deeper for her. Ian moaned, sounding more feminine than before. "Please, don't tease me," Ian whined, "Put it in me."
"As you wish," said Lysine before lining up her dick with Ian's slit. With a slow push, shi buried hir length into the newly-formed vagina. Ian moaned as shi officially became part female. Once Lysine had a good length in, shi pulled back and thrust in again. Ian moaned as Lysine kept thrust into hir. Hir body was finishing its changes, speeding up in fact. Hir tail had grown to its full length as it was raised up. Hir amazonian muscles and curves filled in as the fur coat completely covered hir body. Hir hands and feet finished their changes into paws, the claws kneeding the floor and bed as shi got closer to climax. Shi gritted hir sharp teeth as hir muzzle finished growing out. While shi definitely had a mane now, it didn't make hir less feminine, no more than Lysine's mane did. Ian felt hir core tense as shi was getting closer to climax. Soon after that, the two lions roared as Lysine unloaded hir seed deep into Ian's newly-formed womb.
As cats didn't have knots to keep them copulating, Lysine didn't have a problem with pulling out of Ian. Helping the newly-converted lion to the mirror, shi took the time to admire Ian's form. Between the two of them, there wasn't much different. The herm formula made them equal in height, curves, and muscles. Though Lysine thought shi was a little more muscular because shi worked out more. Either way, Ian made a very sexy lioness, even if shi still had hir dick and balls.
"I got big," said Ian, flexing hir arm.
"In all the right places," said Lysine, groping Ian's breast. Ian left out a soft moan at that. "So, what are you gonna call yourself?" shi asked.
"Easy, Diana," said the new herm lioness, "It still has my old name in it and it would be suitable to named after the goddess of the hunt now, wouldn't it?"
"I thought Diana was more associated with deer," said Lysine.
"She was associated with all wild animals," said Diana, "Besides, don't I look like a Diana?"
"You certainly look divine," said Lysine before kissing Diana.
==========
Some time later, Lysine was back in her sports bra and briefs. Shi had brought a similar set for Diana which fit rather well. Heading back to the lobby, they found a pair of herm hyenas there. Greg was easy to identify as shi was still wearing hir shirt, which was not fitting well over hir new breasts. Greg spotted the lions and waved. "Hey guys," shi said, "Looking good."
"You're not bad yourself," said Diana.
"Your name's Kicheko, right?" asked Lysine to the other hyena.
"It is now," said Kicheko, "You two changing your names too?"
"Nope," said Lysine, "If it's not broke, don't fix it. 'Lysine' works fine for me."
"I prefer Diana now," said Diana, "And you're going by Gregoria, right?"
"That's right," said Gregoria.
"I think 'Georgia' would be better," said Lysine.
"I think 'Gregarious' would be even better," said Kicheko in a playful tone.
"That might grow on me, but not yet," said Gregoria, "Until then, only you can call me that." Shi turned to the lions and said, "You call me that and I will bite you."
"Not very gregarious of you," said Lysine teasingly. Gregoria growled at that.
"Ok, settle down, guys," said Kicheko, "We don't have to act like real lions and hyenas. No need to start fights."
"It's not a fight, it's an argument," said Gregoria.
"Shi might not be fitting that nickname anytime soon," observed Diana.
"Give hir time," said Kicheko, "We'll make a real laughing hyena out of hir yet."