It was very obvious that I smelled like the sea... Being pickled in it for week will do that to you, and while I wasn't entirely sure about a communal bath... I needed desperately to get rid of all the accumulated dirt and salt that had crystalized on my skin and scales. To my dismay there was just a single communal bathing area without designated male or female times. Perhaps it was due to logistic or the fact that us MerClownfish were naturally trans, but it felt like a weird. Also I guess thankfully I was the only one in the bathing room for a bit... and then I realized what the bath was, and it seemed like a large pool of water with plants and little feeder fish that helped clean the body and keep the water purified. It felt odd and the pool of water was contained in solid stone instead of the anemone proper, but the water was VERY clear so... it was probably clean enough. The water was just a little warm, but just laying in the pool felt great as I could just float and let the little fishies tickle my body clean. I could just soak for a bit before "Oh, are you new?!" Came the sound of a young voice. I covered my chest a bit as I flipped upwards to see an integrated Mer... clownfish Centaur... Probably closer to a pony/kid but... Big world I supposed and if any race could be Mer'd... why not? He was just a kid and I wasn't afraid of seeing... little pony junk since I waS mostly a guy on the inside, but I did keep an arm over my chest.
"Um, yes... just got in today."
Then a third older voice asked "Calro, don't go ahead of." then came in an older, but familiar looking Centaur MerClownFish... Also male, "Oh, hello. I'm sorry if my son surprised you. I'm Dwavin... sir?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"You have the face of someone who was caught. A little bath like this is nothing to be ashamed of." Dwavin said
"Sorry..." I said trying to swim to the edge to get out "I'm not really feeling that comfortable being naked with a guy when I'm not-"
"Don't worry, I'm Calro's mother. I just finished a delivery and I find that my male form streamlines things." Then a few other Mers came in. Vanessa and Mark.
"I think I'm good enough, I really shou-"
Vanessa seemed to sink into the anemone parts of the bathing room and teleport to the edge I was trying to get out of and she said "That's no good. You really need to get submerged."
Mark said "Vanessa! he's new let him go." Vanessa sighed and then moved a bit to the side letting me out. I was only somewhat conflicted. I did feel like I needed a bit more time, but I also didn't feel like being in a big pot like this with so many different clownfishmer. Being a prude I left, put on a towel/robe I used to get to the bathing room... and back in my room It was mostly the same aside from... a bottle with a slightly shining liquid inside and a note.
Using the magical lighting I read "Welcome to our home, here's a small gift on the house from our [Alchemist] it triggers our clownfish genes for sex shifting. If you want to go back to being a guy for now feel free to drink it. If your fine being a girl, feel free to keep it as a barting chip. They tend to be worth a decent amount within our house."
While I wasn't uncomfortable as a girl my [shifter] class felt like it may advance by drinking a potion designed to shift my form. It tasted medicinal mixed with some sorta of sewage? I coughed and gagged but it went down. The potion may have initiated the transformation and maybe sped it up a little, but there was synergy with [Quickened Transformation] you could feel the changes happening in a much shorter time. [Influence Transformation] wasn't going to be doing a lot, at least not right now. I couldn't just hulk out, but... concentrating on my crotch the transformation was focusing just THERE right now as my clit was lengthening and my balls were starting to materialize while my breasts and other feminine aspects weren't being affected at all. That lasted for about ten minutes and then In my bed I started touching my breasts while Jerking my dick and it felt nice. Increase testosterone production, leave the boobs for last... It took roughly an hour or so till I was my... male Merclownfish self. Aside from my Merclownfish not being integrated I thought I looked a bit more handsome. Going to the chest where my clothes were they seemed to have been freshly laundered with a little mint scent. Putting on my Earth clothes made me feel more like myself. Even if they were a little more snug they were comfortable as I feel onto the new bed...
[Shifter] Level up: Level 11
Skill Obtained: [Catalyze Change]
In the haze of dream and leveling this excited me. I could probably swap sexes whenever you wanted with this, but... what other changes could I potentially Catalyze? How did the merfish integration process work? Then I drifted more into sleep sleep. That was until the entire Anemone apartment complex started rumbling. That woke I up and as you went outside into the halls I saw Dwavin and asked "What's going on?"
Dwavin said "I think Vanessa leveled and gained some [skill] that affects the anemone." Dwavin then took a double take and said "...you shift quickly... unless your a really manly man."
"I guess I just have a quick constitution for this clownfish thing." I said a bit unsure
Dwavin shrugged "We're allowed to have our secrets." the rumbling seemed to have stopped and while the hallway didn't seem... different in any particular way "If I had to guess... 3, 2, 1-" Vanessa emerged from the tentacle rug and gave me a hug I wasn't expecting.
"OOOHHH I knew I was right to bring you in. A new level, a new skill, and you are just the cutest little thing aren't you?" Vanessa said. Her embrace was warm, inviting, and dangerous in a sense. Clingy and claiming me as if she would never truly let go. I felt like I was having second doubts about renting here, but I managed to separate myself from her.
"It's a bit late for all this though right? We should get some sleep for tomorrow." I said trying to break away clean, and in a sense I did. However Vanessa just stood there as I opened my door back, smiling like a mother would. Like till the day she died the connection would last and I could come back whenever I needed. I closed the door on her and felt a shudder run down my back. In a sense if I considered this Merself of mine a new person Jel would be the father figure and... Vanessa could be a mother figure... It's just she felt a bit too clingy too quickly, and I DID have a mom and dad already... Even if they were in a completely different world and the likelihood that I'd ever see them again was probably remote. I just sighed as I went back to bed and waited for a new day to come