Becoming Monsters: Nine Lives

Becoming monsters is the creation of AiLovesToGrow, setting used with permission

This idea comes from RetroLeopard, and spins off from Going Batty chapters 2 and 4.

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Chapter 1: Which One Am I On?

Leo the Gray Cat opened his eyes, and immediately wished he hadn't. What should have been comfortable light conspired to make the attempt feel like a pickaxe was being applied to his right eyeball. Leo squeezed his eyes shut. He could take a more traditional stock of himself first. Status screen showed he had full Stamina and half Mana, though his Health was in the low 60s. That Scorpion got him good, but it looked like he lived. All ten fingers and all ten toes seemed to respond to efforts to wiggle them. He didn't feel his armor, or his weapons on his belt, and the surface he was lying on was somewhat cushioned. Not overly so, not a bed, but it wasn't the cavern floor.

It returned to him. The fight, the venom, the Messenger Egg, the slow and painful walk as he'd focused on trying to not die. They said cats have nine lives. Which one was he on, now? Nice British childhood, one. Normal-ish adulthood trying to be a racecar mechanic and driver, two. Change hit and he found himself needing to eat meat and avoid laser pointers, three. Arriving in the US, making the choice that laid the curse on him for power made four. Maybe this was five? Halfway there, maybe some caution was warranted moving forward.

There was a soft sound, his ears twitched reflexively to catch it better. Then a woman's voice, familiar-sounding. "You're awake? That's a relief, for a while I was afraid we lost you."

"I'm alive, despite the Dungeon's best efforts. Just a bit light sensitive." Leo's eyes very rarely bugged him in the last four years since the Change, but due to the fact that they rather stubbornly refused to adjust to the lamp and sun properly at the moment it was making things unpleasant.

"Easy enough to fix, Leo. One sec." There were a couple of clicks and the sound of curtains being drawn. "Okay, this should help."

"How did you know my name?" Leo opened his eyes. He could see in near-pitch darkness as capably as most could see in the noonday sun, but with how his eyes were acting up even this dim light was uncomfortable. He could at least keep them open now, though. The room came into a slightly-hazy focus, revealing a somewhat cluttered but comfortable living room. He was lying on a couch, a fan spinning overhead with the light now off, television against the wall and a coffee table full of books and pamphlets. Standing next to him and carefully examining his wounds was a strikingly pretty Beastkin woman, definitely feline and looking like an Ocelot with a long blonde ponytail, wearing a white tee shirt and jeans.

"Funny that you didn't think to ask that at the guard station before you nearly died." Her smile took the sting out of what could have been a biting observation.

A spark of memory hit him. "Lola?"

"There you go, looks like your brain's working, which is a good sign." She smiled broadly, showing the teeth of the feline carnivore she was. Leo tried to stand, but it didn't quite work. Half due to his balance not being quite right yet (an unfamiliar experience for any cat), half due to Lola pushing him back onto the couch, gently but firmly. "Oh, no you don't. You are not recovered yet."

"Trust me when I say I'd love to obey, but I REALLY need to use your bathroom. This seems like a lovely couch, I'd rather not ruin it."

"Oh! Well in that case, I'll help you get to it. Though..." she blushed a bit, "I'll wait outside the door once you're there, if you don't mind."

Leo gratefully accepted the help up and the shoulder to lean on. Thankfully, the bathroom was close, and once he was up and moving Leo could recognize the layout of the place. It was an apartment nearly identical to his own, with deceptively tough walls and higher-than-normal ceilings. Such apartments only really existed in a few places, and only one of those was particularly affordable. The bathroom itself confirmed it, with its seamless and untextured linoleum floor meant to be easy to clean slime or blood out of. He sat on the toilet, uncertain of his continued balance, and addressed Lola, who was outside the door. "We're in the Camp Apartments? You brought me to your home?"

"Uh, it was faster and the medical tents were occupied when I called. You just needed some healing magic, so once I had you stable I brought you here. Yeah."

He wasn't entirely sure he bought that, but it worked. "I live on the second floor of Building 3 in this complex, so if I need to I can convalesce there." Resting was only half of it. Lola was a very attractive girl and getting more so the more he talked to her. Just her whole attitude. That degree of emotion could be dangerous for him unless she was into a very particular kind of predicament, and home was where his binding straps were.

"I... would prefer to keep monitoring you. Closely. I mean, you were poisoned, and although I don't think there's any left in your system I need to make sure. Can't have you go to the gym and push it too far right now."

Leo looked at the door. She seemed very enthusiastic about that. And how did she know about his frequent gym time? Sure, his Strength of 28 didn't come from nowhere, and like most Beastkin his body responded well to training regimens, but even so. Most probably wouldn't guess that exercise was one of his two main forms of stress relief when not trying to kill things that were trying to kill him. He found that he really didn't want to dispute it, though. Leo finished up and stood to wash, still a bit unsteady but getting better rapidly. "I guess that makes sense. Can you help me at least bring my things over? No sense leaving my bags and weapons here."

"Sure!" Her voice was chipper. "That's actually not too far, either, we're on the third floor of that same building."

When Leo got out of the bathroom, Lola was right there, looking him over and judging his balance. Another voice sounded, though, another woman but a bit higher and a lot more energetic. "Did he wake up?" The woman in question walked around the corner, another Beastkin. She was a canine, one Leo was familiar with. When he was a child in Britain, his family had that precise breed. English Setter, Lemon Belton coat. Blonde, hyper, floppy-eared, and friendly. It also looked like this one fit all of the above.

This is where Leo would normally make a mental note of her clothing or equipment. At least, he would if she was wearing any other than her fur. She was fit, small, and petite. Leo immediately yanked his eyes back upwards when he noticed the rest.

Lola noticed the motion and spun around. "Yes, he's up, and

why are you still naked, Amanda

?"

The blonde Setter shrugged. "Because it's my apartment and I don't feel like putting on anything. Come on, guy like him's probably seen plenty of nude women in his day. You could stand to wear less, yourself!"

"It's OUR apartment, and you helped me bring him in."

"And smelled the poison on him so you could heal him, don't forget!" With nothing more than that, she walked off to do something else. Her grin was showing, though, and her tail wagging. It was perfectly clear that she knew Lola's opinion on all of the above, and needling her was the goal.

"... is she always like that?" Leo asked, head tilting slightly.

"Nope, she's usually worse, but in a good way." Lola shook herself a bit. "These clothes are really dirty, let me get showered and changed and I'll help you out. You can get your stuff together, but don't push yourself! I'm still not at max Mana after the amount of healing you took!"

Leo held up his hands. "I promise that I won't lift anything that takes actual effort."

"Good. I'll only be a moment." Lola grabbed a bundle of clothes from the closet she was next to and entered the bathroom, Leo stepped out, and she closed the door. The hiss of running water soon followed.

Leo's head was still not quite straight, but he saw where they'd laid out his stuff. The leather armor was there, modeled after Army tactical gear but tailored for his frame and made from the somewhat tougher skins he farmed in the Dungeon. Next to it were his swords, twin scimitars magically hardened and sharpened to withstand frequent abuse from being swung at things that ranged from "tough" to "chitinous." With them were his utility belt and backpack. Time to go through and check what he had. He dumped them out, reorganizing his potions and bag of darkness powder before assessing the loot from the run that almost killed him.

Shards of onyx, fangs, a cheap-looking dagger that needed analyzing, a significant chunk of Coinage in Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Then, he found it. The Silver Key Shard, the thing that he nearly died retrieving. Earning one of those solo was a feat that almost nobody could claim to have done; he could now. Okay, maybe not QUITE solo since he needed to be rescued afterwards, but the Steel Scorpion guarding it had died at his hands and no others.

"What'cha looking at?"

Leo nearly jumped out of his fur. He had NOT heard Amanda approaching, which was a shock given that he could usually hear a heartbeat at the range she'd gotten to. He went from kneeling to standing in half a second, then took a few more to steady his head from the sudden movement. Amanda was there, this time wearing a sports bra and athletic shorts that concealed almost nothing. "I was checking if nearly dying on that run was worth it."

Amanda sniffed. "Not sure what the silver thing in your hand is, but from the rest of it you had a good haul. It smells powerful, though."

Leo nodded. "Made the run worthwhile by itself. Uh, why are you dressed like that?"

"I can take it off if you prefer, big guy."

Leo, being barely 5'4" himself, had very rarely been called that. Then again, she was three inches shorter and half his width. He pulled on his armor and sheathed his swords on his belt. They'd be easier to carry by far like that. "Ah, no, that's fine."

"Suit yourself. About to hit the gym once Lola's done helping you, they don't like me being there in less than this." Amanda bounced a bit as she stood, seemingly unable to really hold still.

"That makes sense. If I..." the rest of the sentence was lost as the bathroom door opened.

Lola walked out, now clean and dressed. Her outfit was nearly identical to Amanda's, a black sports bra and athletic shorts, but with one key difference. While Amanda was 5'1 and quite petite, Lola was nearly six feet tall and had both boobs and hips that drew the eye along with a tightly athletic core. They might be wearing the same thing, but Lola wore it MUCH better. Two things struck Leo immediately.

The first was how he knew her. She was a frequent patron of the same gym as him, working hard to maintain that rocking body. He tried not to stare, so he could focus on his own workouts, but he had to admire her focus. He'd even helped her out when a couple of creeps decided that outfit was asking for it. She looked completely different in regular clothes or her Cleric armor. Truth be told, he'd been trying to work up the courage to ask her out for a while, but after seeing how she was being treated he figured she wouldn't take it well.

The second, right on its tail, was how his body was reacting to her presence. His sense of touch had been boosted beyond all reason in the Change, he could feel it in detail as his heart started pumping harder and his eyes tried to dilate, as his fur fluffed and balance wobbled again by a few millimeters. A deep voice in the back of his head growled lustily, one which had broken loose a couple of times recently. Leo resolutely shoved that voice back in its box, praying the growl had stayed in his head and not come out his mouth. Lola's right ear twitched ever so slightly, Amanda didn't give any indication that anything was wrong.

"You put on your gear?" Lola's words pierced the haze in his head. "I'm

not

driving you to the Dungeon!"

Leo shook his head. "Nothing like that, just easier to carry." His heart was still pounding hard, a fact that had nearly nothing to do with the weight.

Lola nodded. "Then at least let me carry your backpack." Without waiting for an answer she walked over, brushing against him as she leaned over to pick up the pack, showing him a direct and nearly unobstructed view of how her rear filled out those shorts for one moment before she stood. "What is even in here? It's heavy."

"I didn't notice, it's mostly loot and maintenance things. Shall we head to my apartment?" He needed to be done with this quickly or he might not be able to hold on.

"Sure, let's go!" She sounded excited as she went to the door, he followed, and they got walking down the hallway towards the nearest stairwell.

"Lola... I need to tell you something." His control was eroding fast as he watched her hips sway in front of him.

She paused and looked over her shoulder, blonde ponytail swishing. "What is it? Are you okay?"

He took a steadying breath. "I have a... Status issue. From my Class. If I'm under too much emotion, I can transform against my will. I can lose control." They stepped down the stairs, his apartment was now facing them. "While we're getting things back where they belong, if you see my fur start to turn black, I need you to make sure I'm in the circle on the living room floor, get out of it, and use the command word

Priapus

. I have a Werebeast inside of me, and do not want you harmed." Leo unlocked his door, opened it, and stepped in. Lola was close behind.

She nodded at the circle on the ground. "I see. Go ahead and take off that equipment." She seemed a bit reserved.

Leo hoped he hadn't scared her too badly with the warning, but it would have been irresponsible not to give it. He took off the armor and opened up his gear closet, carefully putting things away on the various racks and drawers he'd installed there for organization and cleanliness. Others, even others of his Class, didn't have to rely on external gear. He did, mostly, and always made sure to keep it straight and clean. Even the loot materials got sorted into drawers, the dagger going into a box for evaluation later. The shard went into the armored one, locked in there by itself until he could find a buyer. He stood again, stretching. Honestly, the longer the morning went, the better he was feeling. At this rate, he'd be in top form and ready to go well before next week's contracted Dungeon runs.

He turned, affirmation on his lips, but the words crashed along with his chain of thought. Lola was much closer to him than he thought she would be. She looked him up and down. "Good. Now strip."

"What?"

"I said strip. I need to check you out in more detail, and I don't think you want to do it in front of Amanda." She said this absolutely matter-of-factly. Almost enough to convince an outside observer that's all she wanted. Almost. Still, he obeyed. Off came his shirt, then the rugged pants he wore. He followed her gestures to come out into the more open space and stand still as she circled him. Poking and prodding seemingly-random locations. Possibly using magic to Scan him, but if she was he couldn't tell. She spent a long time checking his back.

Her touch felt... good. Really good. A little bat had told him not long ago that she was jealous of him for having touch as his enhanced sense. Although it meant that pain could hit harder and certain textures were torture to him, it also magnified things like this. That growl in the back of his head started getting louder. "Lola, I'm close to losing control. I might not be able to hold on if you keep doing that." He started stepping towards his circle.

Then stopped, her hand on his bare chest. Lola looked him straight in the eye. "And what if I don't want you to keep control? What then?" Leo's breathing started to get deeper and deeper, his fur darkening as he began to grow. Lola gulped, then smiled. "Good. Let it out. Don't hurt yourself by holding back." She saw where this was going to go. Wisely, Lola got out of her sports bra and shorts, her proud breasts bouncing free, her spots all out to see.

This time, the growl was very much external. Leo's voice had dropped most of an octave as he grew by over two feet, as his already-powerful muscle expanded, as his stance hunched forward. Eventually, his underwear gave way, ripping off. The thing that now stood where Leo once had, the Werecat, leaned forward to Lola and sniffed deeply. "You... he wanted you. But you wanted to see me. Consider your wish granted."

The Werecat dove forward, seizing Lola in both hands and lifting her up in the air. Lola panted, the thrill of fear combining with the lust she had been swimming in since Leo had awoken on her couch. She'd known intellectually how strong he was. This, though? The Werecat was moving her around like a toy. Leo was of modest size downstairs. Not so this creature, his erection was as massive and powerful as the rest of him. His two hands practically encircled her torso, his thumbs toying with her breasts as she writhed helplessly in his grasp. She felt the pressure, his tip ready to enter her, rubbing against her slit. With sudden power he pushed her down onto his length, her legs still dangling in the air as he sank all the way into her. She gasped as he bottomed out in her, filling her completely. Then came the motion. Those huge, powerful hands brought her up and down without consideration for her feelings or will. Over and over he brought her down until she could barely take it, then back up again.

She couldn't do anything to affect it for now, so she closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of getting pounded upwards. She came, at least a couple of times, but those were merely spikes in the overwhelming power of the experience. When the Werecat came in her, she felt it more in the fact that he stopped moving. Lola opened her eyes back up and looked him in the eyes. "It is time for you to leave and let Leo be with me."

"And what makes you think I'm done with you, little thing? You are my toy, and there isn't anything you can do about it until I feel like letting go." The Werecat had a fanged and feral smile across his face.

"That's where you're wrong. I know you, now, and I know how to stop you.

By the World Serpent, Lord of Endings and Beginning, I call upon the power to Calm Emotion!

"

A wave of gray light washed over the giant Werecat, whose shocked face showed the immediate effect. Almost as soon as it touched him, his fur started fading to gray right with it, his form shrinking, and before two breaths passed Lola could feel her feet touch ground. She guided the descent from there, and as Leo slowly fell to his back she found herself straddling him. The light faded, and Leo was himself again, blinking and looking down at where their bodies were still connected. Then to the side, as if he couldn't look her in the eye "Sorry for losing control like that. I... remember a little bit of it. You cast that spell on me, and I could control myself again. Thank you."

"Look at me, Leo." Her firm, practiced words made it obvious that Leo should not disobey. He complied with Lola's words. "If you remember that much then you remember that you both told me it could happen and tried to warn me when it was. Oh, and the fact that I very much wanted it. I've been praying for a new beginning with you ever since you came to the rescue at the gym." She wiggled a bit on him and smiled. "You're still rock-hard, too, so I don't think you mind too terribly." Her imitation of his faint British accent drew a chuckle out of him.

"And you feel incredible, too." He wasn't kidding, either. The sensation of her slick insides on him might have been enough to set him back off again if not for the continuing power of the Calm Emotions spell. "How did you even think to do that?"