“You…want to go out with me?” The muscular gray wolf smiled. “That’s an idea.”
“Well, you turned me into your perfect man-err, horse-so I assumed…” Sam trailed off.
“That I wanted more than just a fling with a guy who wouldn’t even remember me a few minutes later?” Gio laughed, and Sam flinched. Gio held up a hand in apology. “Alright, sure. I guess I’m game.”
“Really?” Sam asked, excited. “I was afraid you were going to, you know…”
“Tell you I was just playing the field? I am. I’m just not ready to be monogamous.” Gio shrugged. “Turning people into anthros is kinda hot, I’ll be honest, and the quickies are part of the perks.”
“Oh…”
“Which is why I would not be upset if you engaged in the festivities as well.” Gio added quickly. "An open relationship, in otherwords."
“Open relationship." Sam mused. "So do you fuck every anthro you make?”
“Oh, obviously not. Maybe 30% are interested. Anthros do have a higher rate of homosexuality.” Gio explained. “Unless someone fiddles with the dampeners like last time…”
“Last time?!”
Gio smiled.
“Come on, I know a place we can go. It’s a couple blocks away.” Gio gestured at the brick walls of the alleyway. “Let’s not hang around here.”
-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-==-
Sam followed Gio and parked outside a bar called Papa’s. The big horse snorted at the name, wondering if he was walking into some gay bar. Not many around here-not many strip-clubs either, to be honest-but he was also surprised that he’d never noticed it here before. A plaque on the door said it was open 24/7, like a diner.
The sign was a bright and cheery pink color and within line of sight of his apartment, why had he never been here?
Gio got out of a midnight-blue mustang. It was brand new, and the wolf ran his hand lovingly over the paint-job. Sam wondered briefly if the job really paid more than his construction job, but shook his head. Anything would be better than roadwork. And maybe he’d get paired with the sexy wolf.
“So why were you carrying around a rat capsule?” Sam asked when Gio joined him at the door.
“Hmm?” Gio looked up at him and blinked. “Oh, in case shit like what we ran into happens. I save the ‘bad’ anthro forms for people that deserve it."
“Bad?”
“To humans, anyways. And that guy wasn’t hit by the dampener. He’s going to have a fun time.” The wolf pulled out a vape stick and took a puff, surveying the cars in the parking lot.
“What’ll happen to him?” Sam said.
“Oh, he’ll wander into one of our centers. We have a few clinics that specialize in this stuff. They’ll zonk him and he’ll just be a very happy rat twink with a taste for cat anthros, if I know the clinic folk.” Gio took another puff and place the vape back in his pocket. “Ready?”
Sam nodded, his mane blowing in the wind.
They went inside. He was expecting, by the name and the blacked-out windows, that it would be a strip club or something. Sam was soon disappointed to find that it was just a big family-style restaurant with a long bar in the back. There was a bowling alley attached and a small arcade next to it. What was really interesting was that the clientele was all anthros. Animals of every type-birds, reptiles, even one rather large orca-were all eating and drinking or playing pool or bowling. It was like an activity center and Sam realized what this place was. A social hub.
A cute fox host was waiting for them.
“Table for two?” The young male fox asked, eyeing them both up. “Or did you want bar seating?”
“Booth, please.”
“He’s a cutie, did you make him?” Sam heard the fox say to Gio.
“Mm-hmm.” Gio grinned.
“Tight.” The fox raised his voice and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Bryan.”
Sam nodded and shook the fox’s hand. “Sam.”
“Glad to have you with us, Sam. Follow me.” The fox took them over to a table. His hips sway and he swished his tail and glanced back, seeing Sam’s eyes on his ass and winked.
Sam looked away. If he were human, he’d be blushing. They sat in the booth and Bryan handed them menus.
“Drinks?”
“Beer, whatever’s on tap.” Gio said
“Same.” Sam said.
“Alright, I’ll be right back!” Bryan said cheerfully and left.
“He’s…interesting.” Sam said, watching the fox’s ass waggle.
“Oh, total slut.” Gio grinned. “He can take you if you want to fuck him.”
“I…you are weirdly open about this stuff.” Sam said.
Gio shrugged. “It’s just sex.”
Sam studied the menu. It was clearly made for anthros, each section having a herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore menu option no matter the course. He found his mouthwatering as he looked over the menu descriptions. Way better than what he had in his house.
“Man, why can’t your dampeners actually change reality.” Sam sighed. “Clothes, food, furniture. Everything is gonna be a hassle to replace.”
“Like I said when we offered the job, we pay forty dollars an hour.” Gio said.
“Whoa! No kidding?”
“Why not? It’s a job that needs to be done and it’s manual labor.”
“How do the dampeners even work, anyways?” Sam replied. “I want some answers here man. Spirit is willing and all that, but I hate remaining ignorant.”
Gio stared at Sam for a moment, as though he were weighing his words.
“I’ll show you tomorrow. Sleep on the whole ‘being a horse’ thing, get a list of things you need replaced, and I’ll help you.”
“Clothes. Look at this outfit.”
“Yeah, Not a good fit.” Gio smiled. “But you can just wear the uniform until your first paycheck.”
Sam wasn’t pleased with the answer, but to be fair, it was likely the best solution. He wasn’t going to be going to any clubs for the next couple of weeks.
“Was…was I always gay?” Sam asked after a moment.
“I didn’t fiddle with the settings. They toned the dampeners down in the apartments. Too many people in the radius.” Gio assured the big horse. “Plus you broke the conditioning, so you would know.”
Sam sighed in relief.
“When you mean fiddle with the settings, what do you mean?”
“There’s some…things we can do to people if we want. Like what the anthro clinic is probably going to do with the rat when he walks in. Change his sexuality and such. I mean, we’re already changing them into anthros. At least I’m not like Cassius.”
“Cassius?”
“The crocodile you saw when you left earlier. He’s…interesting.” Gio said.
“What makes him interesting?”
Gio opened his mouth to reply when a garrulous voice interrupted him.
“Hey there, Gio!” A scaly green hand slapped the wolf on his shoulder.
Standing near there table was the crocodile from earlier. Cassius. He wore a knit trucker cap that read ‘Men want me, Fish fear me’ on his scaly head and blue jeans and a plaid button-up with the sleeves torn off, revealing his bulging arms that rippled with veins. The crocodile was grinning, teeth showing, though the smile did not reach his eyes. A strange, primal fear twisted Sam’s stomach. He looked away from the strangely judgmental eyes of the crocodile.
“Cassius, we were just talking about you.” Gio covered lamely.
“Good, best he introduce himself.” A gruff voice said, and Zeke appeared behind the crocodile. The big boar was dressed in similar attire to the croc, a country-boy style outfit.
“Sam, meet Cassius. He’s going to be your partner while you’re on probation.” Zeke said by way of introduction.
“Probation?” Sam asked.
“New converts that haven’t been conditioned by the dampeners are required to undergo probation.” Gio explained, the wolf looking…a little scared, actually. Sam was now concerned.
“Better be a model anthro Sam.” Zeke winked at the big horse. “Or Cassius will straighten you out.”
The boar chuckled to himself and left, retreating to the bar.
“Nice to meet you, Sam.” Cassius extended a claw.
Sam took it warily.
“Likewise?” Sam replied.
“Oh, don’t be like that! We’re going to have fun tomorrow.” Cassius smirked and left Sam and Gio alone.
Gio looked at the menu nervously.
“I thought you were going to be my partner.” Sam wilted, his horse ears laying flat.
“Sexually!” The wolf grinned and nudged the horse in the ribs. “But seriously, this is bad, Sam.”
“Why?”
“Cassius is one of the best Dampener technicians we have. He practically created the damn things. You’re on probation. If you screw up even a little, you’ll be subject to…adjustments.”
“So I keep my nose clean…” Sam trailed off. The wolf was looking uncomfortable.
“You have a best friend?”
“Yeah. Alex. Knew each other since grade school. Lives a few blocks form here.” Sam asked. “Why?”
“You better find out what animal he wants to be and pop the capsule before Cassius does. And work the dampeners properly.”
“Because?”
“Cassius will turn your best friend into the most humiliating thing he can think of, hoping you’ll break. It’s what he does. He’s a walking loyalty test.” Gio whispered.
“And if I fail?”
“You can probably guess.” Gio sighed. “He’ll get out a dampener and suddenly you’re a very hard worker who loves his job. You might not be a horse anymore when he’s done with you, either.”
“That’s gotta be illegal.”
“No. Cassius is one of the Founders, Sam.”
Sam crossed his thick arms, veins bulging. “Talk.”
Gio sighed.
“His real name is Cassius Sobek. As in, the god of Egypt, and he’s four thousand years old.” Gio said.
“What?”
“Zeke’s full name is Ezekiel Moccus. He’s two thousand years old.” Gio sighed. “And I’m Gio Lycaon. I’m as old as Zeke.”
Sam rocked back in his seat. “No shit?”
“Where do you think all the stories about werewolves and animal people come from? It’s us.” Gio shrugged.
“What about your skunk partner?”
“Recent convert, but he doesn’t know it. It’s a good thing you didn’t fight Zeke, because he used to be a warrior. He would have laid your ass out and fried you with a dampener.”
“And the nanite thing? Was that bullshit?”
“No. It’s a hybrid technomagical thingamajigs.” Gio explained. “Based on our magic amulets that let us blend in with the humans.”
“Oh. I’m dating a god.”
“I’m not a god.” Gio shifted uncomfortably. “I’m the least powerful of the Founders. There’s a reason I’m just another worker.”
Sam shook his head. “This is a lot, man.”
“I know. I’m sorry-.”
“Alright! You guys ready for your orders?” The fox host, Bryan, chirped happily, coming up to their table.
They rattled off their orders, though Sam wasn’t quite as hungry. But he’d eat, because he was starving, and he knew it was just his mood.
“Okay, I’ll be right back!” Bryan said brightly and hustled off.
Sam watched him leave.
“I know that it’s a lot to take in. But I’m serious. Call your friend, find out his favorite animal, and take a capsule. Or text me and I’ll slip it in your gear. I’ll also text you the settings on the dampener to keep Cassius from fucking with him.”
“It’s just…why alienate me right off the bat like that?” Sam took a gulp of his beer.
“Hazing. Please just do whatever the croc says. I like you the way you are.” Gio laid a paw on the horses arms.
Sam’s nostrils flared as he scented the wolf’s spicy musk again.
“Okay, okay. I will.” Sam nodded.
Gio shook his head. “Fuck. Maybe I should follow you guys.”
"It's just one service." Sam said. "I can handle it."
“Your best friend won’t be the only one you’ll change. We have time to service three homes or six apartments a day. Prepare yourself.” Gio said, pulling out his phone and texting instructions to Sam’s cell. “Here’s the manual. Read it tonight. I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”
“Thanks.” Sam swallowed. “For everything.”
“Even turning you into a horse?” Gio raised a furry brow.
“Have you seen my cock?” Sam asked.
“Touche.” Gio smirked and rubbed the horse’s arm. “Wanna have fun afterwards?”
“Absolutely.” Sam grinned.
They enjoyed their dinner when it arrived half an hour later.