Eric stepped out of the shower and dried off quickly, wrapping the towel around his waist. He had to make his way through the blurry room until he got to his nightstand and put his glasses on. Once nice thing about being a reindeer yesterday was not even needing the stupid things. Something in the magic seemed to have just fixed his vision. Not surprising if it could give him a new body. He sat down and picked up one of the other two items on the nightstand, the red collar.
He turned it over in his hands. Wondering what the were animals felt like wandering around in just their fur. The few he had seen still wearing clothing he thought might have been other tourists like himself, experiencing those new forms for the first time. And true, Clyde and Rudy had worn clothing, but that seemed more like a uniform and there wasn't much too it. The older reindeer in the pub had only worn an apron. He swore he had even seen his neighbors in the next cabin over sneaking home naked, though one had become a fox and the other a wolf. They had giggled and crept around like two kids breaking the rules. They had also been furiously making out, so that might have been it as well.
Eric looked over at the deer antler knife for a moment, then shrugged. He lifted the collar and fastened it around his neck. He shuddered, expecting the change this time it felt less strange, it actually felt kind of good, like a tingling shooting throughout his entire body. Relaxing his feet and hands as they changed felt more like a massage than cramping. He undid the towel and let it fall open as the fur started tacking over his body, the same reddish-brown pelt as before, with the cream colored fur growing over his chest and stomach. It was also the first time he watched his manhood change, pulling itself into a cozy, furred sheath that sat in a thicker ruff of fur, almost but not quite hidden. He pulled off his glasses as he felt his skull changing, his vision going blurry for a moment then everything snapping back into focus. A slightly familiar weight settled in on the top of his head and he reached up to feel the regrown antlers with a faint smile.
He stood up and walked around on his hooves a bit, getting used to being back in this shape. It was easier this time, adjusting the way he walked and stood. He even kicked off the ground for a moment, hanging a foot above it to see if he still could. After a minute of hopping on the air he tried to let himself down softly, but instead clomped to the floor once again. It was a short drop though and he kept his balance. "Drifting leaf my butt."
How did that look he wondered. He headed over to the mirror by the closet putting his back towards it and looking over his shoulder. It was covered in fur like the rest of him, but for the first time he noticed the short tail. Had that always been there. He reached behind him and gave it a light tug. Yeah. He could feel that. Must have been enough weirdness yesterday he didn't even notice the thing. He tried thinking if he had seen Clyde's, but he had been more focused on.. other things.
There was a knock on his cabin door and he strode over, not really even thinking about the fact he had no clothes on as he swung open the door. Standing in the falling snow was someone he didn't recognize. A young man, maybe 22 or 23, he was dressed in boots, green snow pants, a white cable-knit sweater and red parka. He had on earmuffs over shaggy brown hair, and had stubble along his jaw and big brown eyes. He was handsome and fair, despite a wide nose dotted with freckles, and he beamed as soon as he saw Eric.
"Glad to see you enjoy the present." The man looked at him with a smile, then down smiling even wider. Eric felt the urge to cover himself with his hands but just slipped behind the door a bit. Then it his him that voice, deep and slightly gruff with the faint accent.
"Clyde?" Eric opened the door a bit more and stepped aside, letting him inside.
"In the flesh. Er... human flesh." He looked down at himself as he walked inside, pulling off his earmuffs and jacket. "I don't use this shape very often. How's it look?"
"Handsome, er, I mean, very nice." Eric shut the door once Clyde was inside, taking his jacket from him and hanging it up.
"Nice place, haven't had a chance to come see the resort yet, had a day off and a good reason to come down, so I figured I would. I'm not used to so many layers, you mind?" As he pointed at his sweater. Eric shook his head so Clyde peeled that off two, leaving him in a black tee. He was quite a bit more buff than Eric expected, the fur must have hid most of it, and he had to peel his eyes away from those arms.
"Why come as a human? I thought you guys were allowed around here. I haven't seen any reindeer other than the normal ones out in the sleigh yard. But plenty of foxes, a couple wolves, a bear, and what I think might have been a seal." Erik took the sweater and hung that up, too.
"A selkie huh? Those are rare. Yeah, it would have been fine but I was hoping to spend the say with you, and I know some humans can be a little weird about being seen out with other species. Or so I've been told. And if you don't mind company for the day? I mean you, uh." Clyde stepped in closer and touched Eric's antlers lightly. He had a feeling that might be some sort of intimate gesture, and didn't pull away.
"I have to admit." Eric said quickly. "I didn't know what giving a piece of your antlers meant until Lars told me when he saw the knife." Clyd pulled his hand back, looking crestfallen for a moment, but Eric grabbed his hand. "But, um, I think it was.. right. I mean, maybe that's why the magic didn't make them disappear? I just wanted to be honest, but I'm glad I gave those to you." Clyde brightened back up, seeming like a kid on, well, Christmas.
"You know I'm still only here for a month, right? I'm happy to spend that with you, but, I don't think I can stay past that." Eric was prepared for another sulk, but Clyde just grinned and shook his head.
"Just gives me time to win you over. I'll be honest, too. There's not a whole lot of us reindeer up here. My sort anyway, a hundred or so, and not many that are, well, like me." Clyde blushed a little.
"Gay?" Eric asked with an arched brow. Getting a nod in return.
"I mean, I didn't even ask you if you were, but I got a feeling and you're kind of fun and cute and I figured it would be nice to give this a try. So, try?" Clyde spread his arms a little. "And I wouldn't be the first to go outside the tribe for a mate."
"Try." Eric nodded in agreement. "But, let's not talk.. mate talk quite yet. At least you being able to turn human would make bringing you home to the folks easier."
"Well, at least I know you like the idea." Clyde said, looking a bit lower on Eric's body. Eric blinked then looked down between his legs. He blushed and quickly sat, arms over his lap to hide that until it settled down. He was glad the fur probably his any blushing, but Clyde sitting there looking proud did not help. "So what were the plans for today anyway."
"I was thinking of trying out the sauna." Eric admitted.
"Got to get over that shyness then." Clyde said with a nod. "Those things are full of naked people. Glad I came human though, thick fur and hot steam do not mix. So you might want to change, too."
Eric nodded, and was settled enough to stand without feeling to ashamed. He headed into the bedroom, taking the collar off first. "So, explain the antler thing to me." He said through the door.
"Easy enough. Antlers are important to us. So tapping antlers together with another is kind of like, um, a bro hug. Means you're close, but friendly. But locking antlers means you want to fight." Erik made a noise of agreement, he'd seen deer back home doing that. "Touching antlers with your fingers is kind of like a hug, but more intimate." His voice faded away, maybe because he was thinking of that touch a few minutes ago. "And giving a piece of your antlers to another is like saying I want you to have a piece of me with you. We do that when we intend to, um, pursue someone seriously. Taking it means you'll let the other try to, um, win you over, I guess. Giving it back means you're not interested. Make sense?"
Erik had changed back and gotten dressed while Clyde was talking. So he stepped out of the room with a nod, putting his glasses back on. That Clyde was still smiling looking at Eric as a human had him wearing a grin of his own. "So." Clyde stood up and grabbed his parka. "Which way to the saunas?"