Izzy wasn't sure how he felt about his new companion. On the one hand, it would make this ordeal of being forced to stealthily change the whole con a little less lonely. And even better, if she happened to put two and two together, she might be able to help figure out a way to hold back Coyote. On the other hand, her presence might hinder the whole “stealth” part enough that Coyote might just get impatient and just override control of his body again, preventing him from trying to warn any other guests, or at least slow down the inevitable chaos to come. And there was also the fact that she was a furry.
Okay, technically he was one now, too, but she CHOSE to be part of that mess, he was just a victim of an ancient trickster.
Point was, he wanted no part of that, he didn't want to be remotely associated if he could help it.
I'm happy you've got yourself a girl, Izzy, Coyote's voice echoed through his mind, but remember, you gotta keep your old friends entertained, too! So how about we go and spread some more fun.
“Well,” Izzy mumbled, walking in the direction he'd heard the video game tournaments were being held, “We should probably get going. I... don't think we were the first group to get changed at this con, and I don't think we'll be the last.”
Laura's eyes widened. “We're not the first? What do you mean?”
Izzy suddenly realized what an awkward position he'd put himself in.“I... saw some fantasy and sci-fi cosplayers freaking out earlier. With some crazy-good costumes.”
“And you didn't freak out at seeing them? Nobody else did?”
Yep, that would be awkward to explain without Coyote interfering, especially since she thought he had changed at the same time. “I... just thought they had really good costumes? In my defense, I think there's some sort of magic going on keeping any of us from calling attention to being changed, unless the person we're talking to got changed too, any time I tried to call out while I got changed, I just made this weird yipping sound.”
Laura giggled. “Sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but that sounds cute.” She put a hand to her chin. “Still, that sounds like it could be a big problem. I wouldn't be surprised if there was also some magic going on to keep people from thinking too hard about what they saw, too. It's easy to miss stuff in a crowd like this, but at some point, someone would have to have noticed something!”
“Wouldn't surprise me,” Izzy said, before mumbling under his breath: “Any comment on that, mister Inventor of Lying?”
Am I making a cloud of obliviousness, you mean? Sorry, I gotta keep a few trade secrets.
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“There are some things in life you've just gotta find out for yourself.
Izzy sighed and shook his head.
“Something bothering you?” Laura asked.
Right, now there was someone actually paying attention to what he was doing.
“Just... this whole...” He gestured over himself, and at his tail. “Sorry, I'll try not to let it show.”
“Maybe we should try looking for those other people that transformed, first,” she suggested. “If we can find anything in common between the people, or what was going on around them, maybe we can figure out the source.”
“Yeah... Maybe...”
They entered the small, hot, dark auditorium where the video game tournaments were being held. Huge crowds gathered around the stage, where the main event, the latest iteration of a monster themed fighting game, was going on. Huge screens, vividly displayed a werewolf dressed solely in a ripped pair of trousers, fighting a shapely cat-girl (dressed as a nun, for reasons Izzy didn't care to learn,) in a graveyard. Off to the sides he could see tables where other games had been set up, mostly other fighting games, but there was also the occasional Real Time Strategy or racing game.
Izzy had gotten into video games on and off again in high school, but he'd never clicked with any fighting games, so he wasn't familiar with anything going on around him. As he looked around, he saw there weren't quite as many cosplayers in the audience as he might have hoped, though there were still some here and there. As he considered which ones to change, Coyote “spoke” up again.
You know, this little trick of mine can work on anyone projecting into a role, here. That includes this fine folks, fake-fighting as a flock of fantasy freaks. Just saying, that could be fun too.
Izzy was half tempted to just change a cosplayer in the crowd and immediately leave just to spite Coyote, before realizing that Coyote might just take control of his body again anyway if he didn't. At this point, he was starting to wonder if him being in control instead of Coyote would really make any difference, if he was just going to fold to the Trickster's every whim anyway.
Still, he thought there might be some hope. While he could only barely make out the players on the stage in the dimly-lit room, surely somebody would pick up on what was going on, in a crowd this size.
He pointed to the stage, and whispered, “those ones.”
“What'd you say?” Laura shouted over the crowd and the blaring sounds from the game. “Something happening on stage?”
Izzy had almost forgotten about her. “Uh, yeah!” He shouted back. “I think the guys on stage might be changing, too!”
Indeed, even in the poor lighting, he and Laura could still make out the two player's silhouettes, one short, wide, and probably on the heavy side, to put it politely, another tall and scrawny, both male. But all of that was soon to change.
The taller one's thin frame pressed wider, his twig-like arms swelling as muscle slowly bulged up under his skin. While out of sight of most, his legs also gained mass and definition, as did his abs and chest. Izzy and Laura could faintly make out an outline of fur growing over his limbs. His face stretched out into a canine snout, ending in a black, wet nose, while his teeth sharpened into fangs. A pair of triangular ears poked up through his hair, and fluffy, but tense and straight tail could be seen snaking out the back of his pants.
“It's actually happening,” Laura gasped.
The wider one, meanwhile, was slimming down dramatically in the waist and upper body, though his hips didn't shrink as dramatically. Much of the extra fat seemed to move into his chest, creating a hefty bosom, completing his new hourglass figure. His arms and legs both slimmed down, while at the same time growing longer, taking a dainty, feminine look. Out of sight, his sex began to shrink back, receding into its female counterpart. Her facial features softened, and at the same time, her teeth sharpened, and her ears grew to fur-coated points. Though it couldn't be seen in the darkness, her hair changed from blonde to pink, while a thin tail rose behind her, twitching in agitation. Her clothes joined together into the black and white hood of a Nun's habit.
Neither seemed to notice their changes, both too focused on the match to spare the slightest thought to the strange feelings in their bodies, dismissed in the moment as just the stress getting to them.
On screen, the cat girl glowed, the camera zoomed in on her, and she made a dash toward the werewolf, claws lashing wildly, taking out massive chunk's of the werewolf's life bar, before the final uppercut drained it completely, prompting the crowd to erupt into wild cheers.
“Knockout! Saint Katrina, Wins!” Called the in-game announcer, as text stating the same appeared in blood-red letters with a dripping font.
“It seems this bad doggy could use a little exorcise!” The character said, striking a pose.
“And the winner of the Con-Viction 20XX championship goes to Teir2Tater!” Called the host, as the lights came back on. The two changed players got up and stretched, as the crowd and the host alike let out confused murmurs, before turning to their opponents, intending to give a friendly handshake. Instead, each gasped when they saw the other, before quickly looking in horror at their own changes.
“Wha- what's going on here?” The host looked at the two, dumbfounded. “Did... Did the two of you cosplayers switch places with Tier2Tater and CampyAndy while the lights were off?”
The two tried to tell him the truth, but neither seemed able to find their voices, and could only stare in stunned silence.
The crowd around them began to boo loudly.
The host shook his head. “Has anyone seen Tier2Tater or CampyAndy?” After a pause he continued. “Well, I'm sorry folks, but it looks like both finalists are disqualified for letting another player take their place without prior notice. The prize will have to go to the runner-up!” He glanced to the two changed players. “Now get out of here before we throw you out!”
The boos intensified as the two fled the stage in shame.
“I- I can't believe it!” Laura stammered. “Not only did they change right in front of everybody, but all the people were too busy staring at the screen to notice!” She huffed. “Not only that, how would they even switch players mid-match?”
“It's the most rational explanation they have,” Izzy groaned.
Hah! Humans are so predictable!