FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

This was making out to be the easiest job Noss had ever seen. The mark was an old decrepit lady who lived out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees and loneliness. Better yet, she collected rare items from across the globe from her old days as a diplomat. He'd already been in the house once to scope around, and he couldn't even find a sharp stick in the hag's shack. A single trinket from her shelves could make him rich, but he didn't want to tip her off. He wanted that necklace around her neck. That way, not matter what that slimeball Ioto took from the house, he wouldn't be able to draw as much profit from his score. He'd once again take the gold gem out from that self righteous prick.

Years ago they would have been casing the joint together, but Ioto had to get all high and mighty and one up Noss every chance he got. It was irritating beyond belief, especially with those cards he left in security cases, just rubbing his victory in Noss' face. He'd show him this time, this would be his last job, just as they agreed on. This was the job to see who won their bitter rivalry.

Finally he watched the woman return from town with her groceries, she always seemed to wait until it was almost dark before actually buying anything and make her way back to her home, but it wasn't because she was busy with other things, she literally would just wander aimlessly through the streets until dusk within view. Then she'd suddenly know exactly what she would need and it would take her a grand total of 15 minutes to buy everything and be on her way home. Sticking to the rooftops, Noss made his way along the woman's path, he didn't want to risk walking the streets since he was starting to get a name for himself after a few botched jobs.

Soundlessly he followed her through the woods as she approached her home, but didn't get close to the house in case she changed her routine out of the blue. Instead, he scaled a tree and waited. She usually passed out when the moon was high and the crickets sounded off their chorus. So his patience was tested as he got a lovely view of an old lady being old. She knit, looked through a few of the tomes and pricy articles she had collected, and then ate something for an hour.

Finally she moved to her bedroom, where she would pass out within minutes. Without any effort the thief enacted his favorite spells for infiltration. His feet were enchanted so that even a step on rice paper made as much noise as a feather landing amongst the grass, his eyes enchanted to be able to see life signs for 60ft through any obstacle, and his gloves enchanted to hold even something as large as the trophy head of a lion in a portable dimension for safe and stealthy travel.

There were only a total of 3 rooms in this little cabin of the old lady, the main room, kitchen and bedroom, but the main room was his favorite. He got to open the front door into an old woman's museum, with all the value of a regular museum, without any of the security. She didn't even have pets! He was relaxed as he left the front door open for a quick escape, and carefully picked his way through the kitchen, there was nothing to see there except some rare dishware, boring.

Noss stopped just outside the old lady's room, and no matter how easy the job, this part always got his adrenaline pumping. Anything could go wrong in there, and in fact....something was spooking him. This was just way too easy. She lived alone, with countless artifacts, most that any member of royalty would give a crown jewel in exchange for, and she even had a few of those! Yet she had no security...and the people in the town even knew she had all these things. It just didn't seem to cross their minds to steal from her. What did they know that he didn't....?

A deep breath. The slow turn of a knob, and a gentle push on a wooden slab. He was in. The room was practically just as he left it when he was here last. The only difference was the old lady sleeping heavily in the bed...and the gold figure on a necklace on the nightstand. There it was, the handmaiden.

The figure was a treasure contracted by the wealthiest king ever know for his daughter. He payed for the highest quality gold and best craftsmanship money could offer for this figure, which was supposed to be an exact replica of his daughter. The slow curves of the body, the neat press of the sculpting tools must've been gone over a hundred times. The figurine really looked like the princess had been turned to gold, and her eyes became emeralds. The figurine was no more then 4 inches in height, but its nature of not being the only one, but the tragic story of how the princess never found her love with her best friend before her death is what made it worth so much more. A thief had attempted to steal it in the night, and in a scuffle, mortally wounded the princess. The thief fled without his prize, but later claimed it, and the figurine was lost.

His hand drifted over the figure, but just before his hand grasped the gold a haunting voice spoke in his mind. "Touch thee and make well the desires of she..." It was spoken in the young voice of a woman and honestly caused Noss to recoil, pulling his hand away. He knew exactly what that voice was, it was the telltale sign every item like that had. A curse. From the sound of this one, it would make him turn gold at the touch, much like that of King Midas. SMiling to himself, he opened his hand wide as a gaping hole formed on the palm of his glove...and Noss just set it over the figurine. By the time he lifted his hand, the figurine was stored in the pocket dimension, and he never touched it.....as a precaution he took off the glove and put it in his bag, but there was no glint of gold or shiny of jewels. He'd avoided turning to gold!

Victory! The clever thief picked his way out of the bedroom....and set out at a dead sprint, leaving the front door wide open, but why shouldn't he! He was home free! No matter the old hag would find her figurine gone in the morning. He didn't care. He even skipped his way to the inn he had taken up board after he broke the treeline. He didn't have a doubt in his mind there would be a buyer for this...even if it was cursed, but even more than that. He couldn't wait to rub in in Ioto's smug face. Morning couldn't come soon enough, stripping out of his thieving clothes, he donned his plain clothes and flopped onto his bed. As he drifted off with the light of the early morning sun, he dreamed of mountains of silver coins and sweet revenge!

No matter how wonderful his dreams, Noss broke in a cold sweat, but he didn't have the chance to ask why with Ioto and his impish grin balancing on the footboard of his bed. The childish, red haired, blue eyed man of 26 was always popping up unexpectedly with a stupid grin on his face like it was christmas morning. Even while Noss shot his rival icy glares while he rummaged for his prize, he just kept grinning away the day until Noss carefully brought out the statue. Ioto's expression was that of pure wonderment.

"H-how did you!? W-where did you!?"

Noss just gave him a smug expression as he put the gold back in the glove. Idly he scratched against his chest. He felt weird. Sore all over and a bit itchy. He sighed and made a note to check it later. He probably was coming down with poison ivy or something. Ioto smiled to him and brought out a dusty tome...but Noss knew it as a spell book with many different spells within it. From the look of the buildup it was old, and old magic meant strong magic. Still, it was nothing compared to his figurine, and they both knew it. In a solid grin, Ioto stuck out his hand.

"Great job bud. You won. I don't know how you did it...but you did it!"

Nos frowned. Bud? He acted like they were friends, the guy who tripped the alarm in a building they had both been robbing while he was still inside, was calling him bud? Standing up suddenly Noss began to call out to Ioto.

"What the hell!? Bud. I'm not your buddy. We haven't been buddies ever since you ruined my contact with my best client. Or maybe not since you got me attacked by a naga...and definitely not after you stole my prize money from that brawl. Go to hell!"

Both men were stunned by his sudden outburst as Noss plopped back on his bed. Ugh, he was definitely coming down with something. It felt like the flu. He felt sick to his stomach, his body was sore, and he felt like he was burning up. He figured this must be kharma's way of evening the playing field for stealing from an old lady. He looked to Ioto, and saw that he must look sickly, even Ioto's smile had faded and he looked at Noss worriedly. What surprised him was his rival coming over and putting a hand on his shoulder, talking gently to him.

"Noss. Stay calm. Where exactly did you get that figurine?"

Noss wanted to open his mouth to tell him to screw off, but there was something about Ioto's gaze. It didn't look to be conniving. It genuinely looked like he was concerned. Furthermore, he wasn't even looking Noss in the face. He was looking at Noss' head itself. A chill ran down his spine despite his fever. He opened his mouth to ask what he was doing but Ioto cut him off again.

"Nevermind about the figurine. Noss. I've always been your friend. This was all a friendly rivalry for me, I didn't mean you to come to any harm. This was all just so we could challenge each other. We were getting sloppy....but I think you went too far.."

Everything was topsy turvy all of a sudden. The jovial attitude Ioto had was one of play, not scorn, and this wasn't the flu. He knew this because Ioto grabbed a mirror and held it in front of Noss' face. For a few seconds, it didn't even register that it was his face in the mirror. His mind registered it as a trick being played on him, but to confirm it by reaching his hand to give a testing tug on his now shoulder-length black locks, outlining the face of some stranger with slightly feminine features. This was a reflection. He was watching the hair on the reflections head grow longer as he could feel his own hair following suit...but his hair was brown. Furthermore, while this face had some of his features. It was becoming more that of a woman's. Even his eye color was changing! The typical sky blue of his eyes was tinting and shifting to a green that shone like an emerald.

Noss' mind was a jumble of confusion. What was happening? Was this an illusion? A prank pulled by Ioto? He couldn't think straight, it felt like something was pushing against his head and making it hard to think, like he'd drank one too many pints. Weakly he pushed away the covers to around his knees to try to get out of bed, only to lose all strength as it felt like someone was twisting about his stomach. He plopped his head back onto the bed groaning at the discomfort he felt happening. He was barely concious at this point as the sensations broke into pain and overwhelmed him.

"Of sweet deity! What foul magic is this?" Ioto would place his hand on his friend's shoulder as he could only watch in twisted fascination as he watched the scene unfold. He already figured out what was happening, but he was trying to comfort Noss still. "I have good news as to what is happening to you. I can tell it most likely won't kill you, but it will leave lasting.....scars."

Ioto frowned when Noss didn't respond but instead groaned in pain. Had his game cost his best friend something he couldn't live without? This whole rivalry was supposed to be a source of enjoyment for them, ever since Ioto left that note that they would be the greatest rivals among thieves there ever was, and both of them would be recanted in bar tales and legends across the land! He had left all the information about how their rivalry should go and what rules there were, and then he had took off in the night for his first mark and a headstart in this game.....but from what Noss had said, he must never have even seen the note on the desk stand if he took these last 4 years as some bitter attack on his skills as a thief.

None of this made the fact he was watching his best friend, and best thief he'd ever know, have his body twisted by some unknown magic. He spoke again to Noss, heavy with guilt.

"I'm so sorry Noss. I didn't mean it to go this far. Don't worry though, I'll stick with you and make it right...so just hang on."

This was probably all his fault. If he'd just stuck around as his friend, he would've never taken that item, and nothing would have happened.

Despite the still morphing body, Noss seemed to suddenly regain his strength, but of course the first thing he did was check out what his rival was talking about. So of course he screamed when he saw the slowly growing mounds on his chest. What sane guy wouldn't as he saw mammaries forming under their shirt. Breasts that heaved as he breathed at a panicked rate as he stuck a daintier hand into his pants, only to feel the part that made him a he shrink away!

The rest of his body kept changing, his breasts filled into a perk set of B's while the rest of his body thinned and curved, his skin softened and paled from his tan to give him a fair complexion. Tears began streaming down his face as he held to his last sign of manhood as he could feel his jewels suck inside of him. Leaving him without those either...he couldn't take this. He watched the body that was his shrink a few inches smaller and settle.....if it didn't used to be his body. He'd be impressed. This woman was quite beautiful in how her body curved and accented itself....and he could guess all of this woman was beautiful as well from what the face had looked like before. Tear after tear dropped onto the sheets of the bed as they streamed from her face..before she could feel someone wiping them away. Startled, the woman looked to Ioto as he froze...and averted his gaze.

"S-sorry...I can't stand to see people cry.......don't worry Noss. I'll find a way to fix this."

Anger swelled in his chest and the woman full out slapped Ioto with a loud snap from the contact. Tears of anger overtook those of sadness as she clutched his shirt with her other hand. Holding him close in case she needed to slap him again.

"Sorry!? What makes you think you are even allowed to be sorry!? This is all your fault!"

She reared to slap him again before a body quaking shiver shook her and she went limp on the bed...the hand letting go of his shirt to timidly check between her legs again...only to switch back to tears of sadness again. This body was now entirely female now. Her hand fell from a slap as she slumped onto the bed and rolled over onto her face. Burying it into the pillow with the flowing black locks covering her expression from view as she whimpered into the pillow the word gone...over, and over again.

She sat this way for quite a long time in what would be silence if not broken by her sobbing. She felt that Ioto was no longer next to her, so now she was alone and a woman. Most of her mind hated him more then ever right now, but that sad part of her wanted something familiar and the same to hold on to. As her sobbing slowed, she could hear the steady turn of pages somewhere in the room, but even as sad as she was. She had to look. Ioto was there at the window opposite her bed, turning through page after page of the book he'd scored. Looking for something...and without even asking she knew what he was doing. Looking for a cure. Even better, she could see a pitcher of tea and a filled cup with some corn on the nightstand next to her bed. The jerk still remembered her favorite thing to eat at this tavern...since everything else was rubbish anyways.

As stealthily as possible she stole the corn and some tea and took part in them watching Ioto carefully. He seemed fully absorbed in his reading that she was able to pour herself half the pitcher worth of tea before he even looked up from the book. He didn't look in Noss' direction and instead stared out the the window for a bleak few moments. He then returned back to the book. What was he searching so hard for? He could just leave her to suffer her way through it, yet he just sat there reading. For hours she bided her time watching him make his way page by page, and as night fell he'd only made it about 1/16th of the way through the book. Honestly, she was impressed, to the point that when he finally closed the book and looked over at her to check, only to find her awake and staring at him..that she blushed and rolled back over to break the view. She heard his voice as it drew closer.

"I'll fix this Noss. Just...hang on alright?"

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Well, three days later and he'd pretty much finished the book...and the other tome he bought as well. There were any number of spells, but all they did was get a temporary change or change a small aspect. Now Noss had her brown hair back, but other than that she was just as woman as ever. Learning the new body was proving to be....a pain. The new equipment was troublesome and she found new reasons to hate it daily. Ioto was no help, she would catch him snickering whenever she was complaining to herself about the complaints of being a woman. Which she would reply he was doing a terrible job of finding a cure. His look left a bad taste in her mouth every time. Finally on that third day she came up to him and closed the book with a sigh.

"Ioto, don't worry about it anymore. It is a pain, but perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. I was getting a little too well known to go to any of the main cities...and now I'm a new face and a blank slate. Just, don't stop looking, but don't spend all your time on it."

She never saw the hug coming as she found Ioto's arm wrapped around her tight, her face lit in a blush as she uneasily hugged him back. Caught off guard as he gave a sigh of relief.

"I thought you were going to give up. You're the best friend I ever had and I don't think I could stand to lose you honestly."

This of course didn't help her reddening cheeks...but she slugged him on the arm half heartedly. As she murmured. "Then you can start by helping me go clothes shopping tomorrow...and don't get your hopes up. The only girl part of me is the body.."

Awkwardly they split the hug and the rest of the evening was the same as it had been for a while, and while clothes shopping the next day went off without a hitch....something definitely was different. Ioto really didn't noticed the subtle things, like after a week she really wasn't complaining about being a girl at all. She spent more time with him the she had before, and refused to stay cooped up. He didn't pick any of this off as out of the ordinary for his friend....until the day they sold the figurine.

That day was absolutely beautiful and Noss didn't hide her excitement about the pay out in the slightest. She was shifting around uneasily and she kept glancing in every direction, and while Ioto was hiding his face from the guards. She waved at them and asked them how they were doing! She was never this bubbly and excited before, and the guards were more than happy that such a beautiful girl was paying them mind. When the contact finally arrived Ioto waved him over, because he didn't recognize Noss in the slightest and didn't pay attention to her signaling him. The contact didn't believe that this girl was Noss, even when they both told him, and told him that it was something to do with the figurine. It was fine now though, Noss had checked a few days after the initial change. Nothing happened, no creepy voice, and the contact dind't hear anything when he picked it up to examine it. His expression at their claims actually being true were priceless, but not as priceless as the golden relic. It didn't take long to decide a price....there wouldn't be one. The contact was going to take it, and anything the guild would supply all the money straight into their treasury, as well as a healthy lump sum every month from then on. These terms were agreeable and Noss jumped about giggling and even dancing while Ioto and the contact made the final arrangements. Ioto waited for the contact to leave before going to retrieve his friend dancing with the grocer.

"Ioto! You are the best ever!"

This was the only warning he got before he had Noss' arms draped around his neck and her lips pressed to his as she kissed him strongly. His mind was sent spinning as he put his hand on her stomach to push her away in surprise...before that hand slid around her back to hold her close as he kissed her tenderly in reply. This only lasted a few precious seconds before both of their eyes snapped open and they pulled from each other faces turning red. Noss didn't say anything as she suddenly bolted for the tavern...leaving Ioto reeling as he tried to make sense of what just happened.

When Ioto finally arrived back at the room, Noss was on her bed holding her knees to her chest in her thief garb. It still fit her form rather well and he couldn't see her face through the hood covering her face. As Ioto coughed to announce his presence...she didn't move. Not even as he sat on the bed in front of her. He sighed and began what he had meant to say at the kiss.

"Look. I don't know why you kissed me, but I'm not mad, and I don't hate you for it Noss. You and I were both really excited at the sheer...well..amount of the money you got from that bust...I-"

He was cut off by a sharp kick to his ribs from Noss as she cut in, mumbling into her knees. "Amount of money we got you idiot..." She went silent again, but her body language seemed like she wanted him to continue, so after rubbing his side he did. Though it was more broken fragments than anything since he didn't know how to say the next part.

"I know we are friends and everything...yeah...have been for a long time. I know you only look like a girl and am looking to go back. I haven't had anymore luck with that either though sorry...." He sighs rubbing his head and looking to the ceiling. "This is weird."

She could be heard moving and he watched as she unfolded her knees. Her face was still a full red flush as she looked at him..but looked away as he looked at her. She fiddled and rubbed her knees together nervously...she went straight to her point.

".......you enjoyed the kiss didn't you?"

The male went silent as his face returned to it's shade of red....he nodded though in reply. Mumbling out from his breath he spoke only just loud enough to be heard. "Sorry...I didn't know how else to react with-"

Slap.

Noss struck him across the face as he spoke again, leaving his cheek stinging from the blow as he looked to Noss....as she kissed him again. Quickly, softly....affectionately. She backed off glaring at him...looking hurt. "Don't say you're sorry like it was a bad thing.."

Well, there went Ioto's thoughts about the situation. Ioto looked at her with a mix of shock and anger as she just up and dropped in the bombshell, but when he opened his mouth she clenched her eyes shut and spoke up again. Shaking her head as she spoke up again.

"Yeah. I liked it, I wanted it. I still want it and I know it's wrong. I was a guy, we were rivals, and while you thought everything was fine, I hated you! Now here I am hugging you and kissing you after you buy me clothes and take care of me when I was going through the rough patches of being a girl. So what? I'm starting to like it? I'm starting to like you? What does it matter, I can never be the old me so why-"

It was her turn to be cut off as Ioto kissed her back..his kiss was strong though, and when she melted and gave in, kissing him back. THey only stopped after a full minute and a half of soft kissing that left them both flustered...They looked at each other for a few moments before sighing. Ioto was the first person to speak.

"So...uhm...not just friends...?"

Noss sighed and leaned on him as she scooted closer. "I am going to try............" She nudged up with him to get comfortable as she tried to force her mind to just accept this, since she actually couldn't deny she'd developed feelings for him....and he seems to have done the same for her.

"Touch thee and make well the desires of she..."

The sudden words popping into her head seemed to make sudden sense. It wasn't just the body of a girl, she was to make well on the desires of she...the she being Noss herself's new feminine desires. She looked up to Noss smiling. Oh well, this wasn't a bad curse. This was actually a blessing in disguise..