He didn't want it to be true, didn't even want to admit it, but as he stared at his reflection, taking in the naked female body that was now his, Nathan wasn't able to come up with any other reason why the Amulet of Zulo hadn't worked. He thought went back to the sex he and Jodie had had, how it had seemed so wild, so like a couple of dogs, and he shuddered at the thought of how great it had felt to have Jodie's knotted penis push past his slick folds and into his vagina. Thinking of this, wondering how long it took after sex for the life inside him to start growing, Nathan continued to stare at the reflected image.
Mind drifted back to what he'd said, admitted, seconds before and he struck a pose. Imagining what it'd be like to have the life inside him grow to full term, to one day be birthed, he wondered if his pregnancy would be like that of a dog's, or like that of a human's. Thinking back to when his mother had been pregnant with his brother, Nathan found it hard, almost as if it was a dream or someone else's life, but was able to vaguely recalled that she'd been sick for the first few months, lethargic and depressed a lot of the time, and not hungry, though she did gain weight, which she complained about. Turning to face the mirror a different way, studying the white fur that was slowly covering his body, the black spots, it came as a start when he realised that he didn't have a younger brother, that he was an only child. Cocking his head in confusion, he asked himself, "Is it Nicole Staci or Nathan Burkowskowits who has a brother who was six years younger than them?"
Before he could figure this out, though a small part of him insisted it was Nathan who had a younger brother, he found himself distracted by something else. Leaning close, turning his head one way, then another, he peered at his ears. Seeing the bottom lobe part that usually hung down had fused to the side of his head, he reached up and touched the top. Normally round, he found that it was so much more so now, and that it had had actually started to lengthened to the point that it folded over and hung down. Realising what was happening, that his ears had started to change from human to canine, Nathan sighed as he thought, "There's nothing I can do at the moment to stop it."
Made miserable by this, he stepped away from the mirror. Feeling trapped, he went over the bed and picked up the bra and panties he'd been wearing. Slipping the bra on, fastening it in the back, adjusting the cups and shoulder straps, he stared at the thong, but couldn't bring himself to put it on. Tail wagging, he glanced over at the mirror and couldn't help himself as he speculated on what it meant being pregnant, how his life would play out from the point he found himself at, and whether he'd take the option to change back if it was ever presented to him. Looking over the seat Jodie's grandmama kept in front of the vanity, Nathan walked over to it, picked it up, took it back over to the mirror, and sitting down on it, he took a moment to adjust how he was resting on it.
Underwear still clenched in one hand, he reclined back a little and spread his legs. Looking at his female parts, he reached down with his free hand and trying to ignore the sensual feeling of how it felt when his finger tips brushed against his canine clitoris, he exposed his vagina opening. Staring at, struggling to imagine what it would look like, feel like, to have a new life pushed out through the opening, Nathan found himself torn. On one hand, the thrill of motherhood filled him with a host of different emotions he was unprepared for, including a sense of pride, as well as joy. Yet, on the other hand, it left him even more depressed, as he didn't want to be a mommy, as he was a guy and it wasn't natural, "Or normal," he thought, for a dude to feel the way he felt. Taking his hand away, and again trying to ignore how great it felt when the tips of his fingers brushed against his clit, Nathan sat up, and as his tail wagged back and forth, he studied his reflection as he held his legs together, pulled on the panties, stood, and slid them up the rest of the way.
Settled on that he was scared by the idea of being pregnant, he gave his reflection one final look. Finding he though he actually looked cute with the underwear set on he had on, and that he'd look pretty with skirt and shirt on, Nathan turned away from the mirror to put back on the rest of his clothes. Not sure when he'd started to think of the things as his, he wondered what else had changed about how he viewed the garments as he tried to see them as girl's clothing and not his, but ended up failing. Starting to feel even more depressed, he finished dressing, yanked back on the boots and exited the room. Wondering where Jodie was, and why she hadn't turned up yet, Nathan wandered downstairs.
Unsure what he should do, Nathan felt the one thing he did want was denied to him at the moment. Finding himself back in front of the bookshelves, he picked up from the floor the book he'd dropped and for the first time examined the title. Reading "On Things Magical: A Compendium of Artefacts" he noted that only the name Boucher was printed and flipping it open, he scanned the first couple pages, then the back few for any information on the authour, where the book had been printed, and in what year. Not finding any of the information, he closed the book and after a moment's thought, settled on taking it with him, thinking Jodie wouldn't mind. Heading for the kitchen, he scrounged around for a minute or so before he found some scratch paper and something to write with. Taking it over to the table, he sat down, but didn't write anything right away.
His thoughts on what he'd read, what he felt certain was the reason the Amulet of Zulo had failed, Nathan tapped the end of the pen on the table. Mulling over everything, he knew that he didn't want to be pregnant, and he for sure didn't want to be female. If he had to become a dog, well it wasn't desirable, but he felt it was better if he were to be changed into a male dog. Trying to figure out what he could do to not become a dog, he soon gave up, as it seemed the only option to him was the necklace.
"Which Jodie has," he grumbled.
Not sure where she was, worried about her absence, as well as irate about it, Nathan soon turned his thoughts to what he found scared him. Wanting not to be pregnant, he went back over as much as he'd heard and read on the subject, most of it coming to him from classes he'd taken in senior high. Finding there was an overlap of what he knew as Nathan and what he learned as Nicole, he stopped tapping the end of the pen when he thought he had a solution. Going over it, knowing the option wasn't regard with approval by some within society, Nathan was unsure of the risks involved, but felt that his only option to not being pregnant was to get an abortion. Wondering where he'd go, thinking that he should talk to his mom or the doctor he saw every so often, he shook his head when he realised the things he was considering were things Nicole would.
Bothered by how easy it was getting to slip into what he was starting to call "A Nicole frame of mind," Nathan flipped the pen over. Taking off the cap, he thought about what he should write before he left a note for Jodie explaining that they needed to talk, that he'd gotten there after four in the afternoon, believed he understood why the medallion wasn't working, and was taking the book with. Leaving the note where it could be easily found, Nathan saw no reason to stick around any longer. Taking the book to the front of the house where he'd left his backpack, he thrust it in, pushed his arms through the loops, and after he'd gotten the pack settled comfortably on his shoulders, he turned and peered at the empty house. Trying to think if there was anything else he should do whilst he was there, or if he even should wait for Jodie, he turned and slipped out the front door, believing he had some answers to his problem, and feeling that the next step was to find his former fiancé and talk things over. Adjusting his backpack, he considered briefly where to go, thought about going back to the department store, but, changing his mind, decided to head for home.
That he didn't have to keys to the apartment escaped him as he instead toyed with the idea of catching the bus. Taking a deep breath, liking the smells all around him, he smiled as his tail lifted up as far as it was able and started to wag back and forth. Wanting nothing else but to walk home, he reached up and scratched one of his ears, which was now longer and had more of floppiness to it, before heading toward the sidewalk. When he came to the end of the front walk, he turned and began to walk in the direction his mind insisted was the way home, missing that it was in the opposite direction of the apartment he shared with Jodie.