tinypiecesofgum

Previously there was a poll here regarding the schedule of uploads, but also a little thank you from us to you, which we'd like to keep around, because we appreciate all of you so much;;; So!! Thank you all so much for your continued patronage and support, it means the world to us that people are enjoying our first attempt at longform writing, and that this silly story that means so much to us can reach so many! We hope to continue to share Fox and Cat's story, and many others beyond them (We're either jumping into an MMO next, or taking a dip through Heaven and Hell), so hopefully we can keep you all entertained and feeling something nice! Thank you again!

Fox

It’s so different wandering these woods in Cat’s arms. I can’t see her, but I can feel her, I know she’s there, even as my paws gently carry me through the gleaming forest. As if I wasn’t already comfortable here as is, being in my girlfriend’s warm embrace makes me feel safer than I’ve ever felt before, even considering Geppette’s help just hours ago.

Interesting how the critters about the woods seem less bothered by my presence, some even approaching with friendly faces. Maybe it’s because I feel more comfortable in this body than I did before, a similar feeling of tranquility and safety cushioning my soul, just as I had felt as a doll. Ah, there she is…

“Ah, Fox!”

Penny greets me warmly, her smile as bright as ever. I hop on into my usual seat and curl up, feeling her hand stroking across my head, and ough. Oh this is heaven. Caressed by Cat. My mind cradled in comfort. Pets from Penny. This is just perfect.

“Aha, you seem quite pleased with yourself, don’t you?”

I do, in fact. I haven’t quite been myself before now, or rather, I’ve not felt like myself until experiencing it like this.

“I know how you feel. You needn’t even speak your thoughts, I can read your happiness right on that cute little face of yours.”

Ehe. Cute little face… I am a lot smaller like this, aren’t I? Though, now I’m curious. If I’m lucky, perhaps Penny will tell me more about how she feels about this.

“Oh, you’re just precious. You remind me of Yomboila, after many, many scratches and one sided arguments of course, aha.”

Is that so? She did seem rather tranquil last time we met during the day. Scratches though… The goddess’ story becomes ever more curious.

“I do hope she takes time to relax as her old self. She seemed so exhausted the years after she’d returned from her godly duties to visit my wife and I.”

It’s a good thing I’m too content to be bothered by all this foreshadowing, not that I would be able to ask if I could.

“If only it could be so simple with my descendant. I have faith that Yombroila might tear down the walls keeping loved ones out, but the other… Oh, I should be more hopeful, shouldn’t I? She’s a bright girl, and not one to miss an opportunity to let that be known. I’m sure, with a bit of a push, she’ll be just alright.”

I’m sure she’s right about…whoever it is she’s talking about. We’re all working towards being better, aren’t we? It’s nice to have someone like Penny around, so wise and caring, helping me to realize these changes for the better.

“Hmm. I speak quite a bit, don’t I? Aha, I admit, once I get started, it’s hard for me to stop. There are so many wonderful things to talk about, and you’re such a good listener.”

Heheh. Hell yeah I am. I don’t care if all I can do right now is listen, I’m a damn good listener. Maybe it’s the fox ears.

“Someone looks pleased. Care to join me on my lap?”

Oh hell yes.

Mgmgmgrm… Comfy…

I don’t even bother opening my eyes. The sun can shine down on me all it likes, I’m staying put. My face is stuffed firmly and cozily in the soft depths of my pillow. No thank you, consciousness. I’m…

Oh, fuck this isn’t a pillow.

My eyes begin to flutter open as the sound of Cat soundly snoring in her sleep greets me. So cute… But uhh. This is a bit awkward. Comfy as hell, sure. I don’t want to leave, definitely. I love my girlfriend and she’s so soft and warm and I love her, yes. But this can only mean one thing. Pushing myself up just a bit, as much as Cat’s arms try to pull me back down, a quick glance over my body confirms it.

The tits.

No claws still, but aside from our arms, everything below the neck is as it should be: furry. Cat’s face is also starting to look more…feminine? Maybe it’s our bodies getting us ready for what’s to come, and hopefully that means it’s working its magic on me too.

I gently lower my head back down to Cat’s chest with a huff, staring at her face and grinning happily before scooting up and leaving a peck on her lips-- mmm!! My partner’s arms slid right up to the back of my head, pulling me in for a lot more of a kiss than I’d originally intended! Not that I mind. Morning kisses are nice regardless. Eventually our lips part and we smile at each other.

“G’morning, foxy lady.”

“And good morning to you, kissy kitty.”

Ah! Our voices have changed too… Before I can think on that further, Cat snorts at me and begins assaulting my face with more smooches, rending me a giggling mess as I feel her tail rise up and begin wrapping around mine.

“Me? I’m kissy? Says the one trying to wake me up with a sweet kiss~?”

“I didn’t nearly turn it into a full blown make out, did I?!”

We both laugh at each other, playfully slapping at each other’s faces without force until I roll over and off of her, laying on my back and by her side.

“You sleep well then, kitty?” I ask, stealing her attention away before the giggling girl’s hands could make it all the way to explore her new changes.

“Oh! Yeah, it was… really nice, to be honest. I’m sure sometimes we’ll want to just fall asleep in our own beds so we can just rest, but… I wouldn’t exactly mind spending as many of my nights with you as possible!”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page, then,” I respond, smiling back at the girl smiling at me.

Normally at this point we’d be getting out of bed and getting ready for the day, but…nah. Today is a day for us. I feel Cat’s hand slide over top of mine, prompting me to turn it over and lock fingers with her, our tails coiling tighter around one another under the sheets. I used to always hate laying around in bed, it always felt like it was just delaying the inevitable hardships of the day, but like this…it feels like cushioning. I lean my head closer to Cat’s, our foreheads meeting as we close our eyes and enjoy each other.

Eventually, we get out of bed, and before I can even get my bearings, Cat is already throwing stuff at me from across the room.

“Ack-- Hey, watch it! Bad kitty!”

My girlfriend laughs as I tear what appear to be garments of clothing from my face, looking at her pulling out her own clothes after.

“Go on, try it on! You haven’t had the chance to figure out your own style, but I think what I gave you there will do you well for now.”

I look down at the clothing hanging from my hands, laying them out on the bedside to get a clearer picture. It’s not too far from Cat’s usual femme style, but it’s a bit darker, which I like. I won’t lie, trying on something really girly does sound fun eventually, but this? This I’m comfortable with. Black denim jorts, though a little loose on me, a belt fixes that quick enough, and a black, long sleeve crop top… Ah. No bra. ‘Spose it only makes sense we don’t have anything for that yet. It does make the top a little more embarrassing, but it’s so my thing, I’m a bit too excited to put it to the side for now…Oh. I blush, looking up from myself to see Cat smiling down at me.

“You look beautiful, hun.”

“Th-thanks…”

God, it’s so different to hear that and also believe it as well. I do look good. And looking up at Cat, I can say much the same for her. She’s in a creamy orange t-shirt with a frilly design at the bottom, just a bit too small to fully cover her midriff now, and below that, a skirt with a gradient of sunset colours washed over it.

“Stunning as always, kitty,” I say, smiling up at her and enjoying the sight of my girlfriend blushing and wiggling her hips and tail all bashfully.

“Shush, you. C’mon, I’ll make us some breakfast.”

Cat’s frustration is clear as she sits down at the table, shoving my salad bowl towards me as she takes a big bite out of her meaty sandwich.

“We’ve gotta splurge on more food now that we have the cash,” she says, complaining as if her wagging tail wasn’t enough to show off how irate she’s feeling. “I’m tired of cooking the same old stuff. I need some… Some…”

“Fish?”

Her eyes light up at the mention of her favourite food. I’d always joked about how she might as well be an actual cat with how much she loves eating fish, but the jokes on me now.

“Fish…” she drones, drooling at the thought. “...It’s too bad no one in this town sells any. We might want to start making trips into the city for food. And other stuff, too. Goddess knows we could use some new undergarments now.”

I give my partner a nod, cleaning out my bowl and sighing as I look off to the side and out the window.

“A shopping spree does sound nice, but…” My muzzle--err, face, scrunches up before I let out a pained sigh. “How would we even do that looking like we do now?”

It’s not a question I want to be asking, as much as it had weighed on my shoulders nights now passed. I can tell Cat isn’t eager to answer it either.

“Maybe Jay can help us?” Cat muses, finishing her sandwich off before standing up and collecting my bowl to wash.

“That might be our best bet. Doesn’t feel like a very good one, but we might need to take what we can get until Ascended folk become socially accepted.”

Cat’s sigh is palpable in its mixture of sadness and frustration.

“I know furries being real is kind of a big thing, but we’re still people… I’ve never been happier than I am in this form. Even thinking about being my true self without the furry part, it doesn’t feel the same. Being a cat just…works for Cat.”

I nod in agreement, though I can’t help wondering if this makes it that much harder compared to just coming out as trans. Legislation is slow and the system in place only empowers the bigots that seek to erase us. It’s not something I’d thought about before, mainly because I didn’t know I was trans, but it really does piss me off. Maybe we, as Ascended folk, can put our might together to push back at some point. I’m sure Yombroila has some kind of plan of action, though, so I don’t mind dealing with our primary concern at the moment: the Inkton Witch.

“You alright, hun?”

I perk up, tail shooting straight out before wagging gently.

“Ah, yeah. Just thinking about the future. With Ascended folk. We’re gonna have a hell of a fight ahead of us.”

My partner walks over to my side and pats my head, initiating no thoughts mode for a few moments before she stops and leans down to kiss my cheek, blush rising up my face.

“We do, but that’s not something we need to worry about right now. I’m sure you were also thinking about how Yombroila probably has a plan too, so let’s wait on that and focus on us for now, ‘kay?”

I can’t argue with that, she knows me too well.

“Alright, so what exactly about us are we focusing on then?”

Cat puts her hand to her chin as she thinks, an idea visibly popping into her head as… Ah, that’s a literal lightbulb above her head, one that quickly disperses into light a moment after Cat looks up at it in surprise. It’d seem our powers are slowly coming to us as well.

“Well, I was thinking about this the other night, but it seems especially more relevant after today’s changes--”

“Concerning.”

“Not those changes, you dummy!” Cat whaps gently at my head as I snicker, my tail wagging playfully before wrapping around her leg affectionately.

“Our voices, silly! I was…wondering if you’d be comfortable trying to sing again?”

Oh. Jeez. Now that’s something I hadn’t thought about in a long time. I used to love to sing, alone and around Cat, until puberty really started to kick in. Suddenly that makes a lot more sense. I’d picked up the guitar in place of it quickly after, but rarely had the time to play or practice after highschool. Musically, I’m pretty out of shape.

“I… I’m not sure. I doubt I’d be any good…”

“Do you doubt you’d enjoy trying?”

Hmm. Now that I have an opportunity to make music my own again, it does feel like I’d be doing myself a disservice by stopping myself from enjoying what I once loved.

“...Okay, but don’t laugh.”

“Have I ever?”

“No, but let’s not start now.”

Cat punches my arm softly as I stand up, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes as I try to recall a song that might let my voice roam freely. Oh! That one seems rather fitting at the start. I peek an eye open to see Cat sitting down and looking up at me eagerly. Oh boy. Easy, Fox. Close your eyes. She’s never disliked your singing before. Never ever.

“...Hey~ Show me your true seeeeelf~ Come alive toniiiiiiight~”

Oh, fuck, yes. This sounds…so good in this voice. I’m used to hearing this song in a much higher pitch, but my deeper, richer voice works well with the quieter tone I take with the song.

“Hey~ Open up your heaaaaaart~ When the feeling’s riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight~!”

I can practically hear the melodic strumming accompanying my singing, my hands moving on their own as if to mimic said strumming. This feels nice. My foot taps along to the rhythm and carries me along with the song. It feels amazing actually!

“Hey~ I have never seeeeeeeen you like this befooooooooooore~”

My body just remembers it all. The way my fingers move, from the chords to the strumming, it all comes back to me. I wouldn’t say I was ever amazing, but I wasn’t an amature by any means. Plus, I’ve never actually heard myself playing along with my singing and they sound as if they were made for each other.

“I’ll~ Give you what you neeeeeeeed~ You’ll be wantin’ mooooooooooooore~!!”

Oh this is it. Only now do I realize how much I had been holding back my true self and I’m ready to take it all out. With a merry grin on my face and my hips swinging from side to side, I open my eyes to see Cat awe struck, and I follow suit as I see the windy guitar now held in my arms. Well! I suppose that only makes sense! I’m about to stop, but Cat’s face pleads for me to continue, and how could I say no to my favourite girl in the world?

“I lead~ You to~ Unbound~ed joy~ I see~ Poten~tial in~ You~”

I’m so caught up in the music, I barely notice the wind sweeping itself about my feet, spinning into a gentle vortex that does little more than make Cat’s hair and clothes sway in its wind. I sing on and on, strumming along to my song, smiling and tapping my foot, feeling the wind in and around me moving to my tune. I feel in control for once, and maybe it’s just over my surroundings, but it’s enough.

“The mu~sic’s ta~king o~ver now~ Your bo~dy’s sway~ing re~stle~ssly~... Well~?” I ask, still strumming as Cat perks up at me. “Here I am, singing and playing. Where’s my merry dancing gal~?”

Her face goes red immediately. Seems like I’m not the only one who lost track of their passions.

“C-c’mon, I…”

I bounce on over to my girlfriend and take her chin in my tail, pulling her gaze up to mine.

“Can’t you feel it? Don’t deny yourself what your body cries out for. Dance with me, kitty!”

Seeing her face go from blushing trepidation to a glowing grin could fuel me for years. Cat takes the tip of my tail in her hand before I pull her up and spin, my cue to sing coming up as she giggles and laughs, shaking her body all about to the beat of our song. God, she’s so beautiful. From the joyousness on her face to the way her tail swings with the rest of her body, it takes a moment for her to find her footing, but it comes back to her just like old times. How could we have ever given this up? I mean, I know why, but…my heart won’t stop screaming love, and it’s hard to wonder why it took so long to return here. I even start to hear a cheery piano playing along to our tune, and looking up at my lover, it’s no wonder where it’s coming from. Guess I did lead her to unbounded joy.

Knock knock knock.

Shit. That ain’t Sue-Zee. The two of us stop in place as silence rings through the air, my guitar dispersing into a gust of wind as Cat and I look at each other.

“O-oh! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” the voice on the other side of the door stammers. “It sounded so nice, I thought you were listening to a radio…”

...I recognize that voice.

“...We should probably just ignore--” Cat tries to warn me in a hushed whisper, but I’m already stepping towards the door.

“...James?” I ask.

“Y-yes! It’s me, James. I, uhh…”

I twist the door knob as he begins to answer, opening the door only ever so slightly for my eyes to peer out at the nervous looking guy.

“Can we help you?”

And now he’s the extra nervous looking guy.

“U-uhm, not… Really… I, uhh… I just wanted to come in and check on you two… I hadn’t really noticed until recently that you two visit my shop every Saturday and Wednesday, but you, uhh… Didn’t show up at your usual time this morning, so I…was worried…? Sorry, I don’t mean to overstep any boundaries or anything…”

Hmm. I stare at him as he squirms and rubs his arm, his heel bouncing anxiously. Poor guy. I open the door just a little more to show the rest of my face and smile at him, getting a rise out of the blush on his face.

“Not to worry, we stocked up a bit extra last time we were out, James. We’ve had some jobs out of town recently so we haven’t been around much.”

“Oh?” James tilts his head at me.

I nod. “Yeah, uhh, a lot’s been happening in the city lately, haven’t you heard?”

I hear Cat step up behind me and she taps my shoulder, staying out of view of James.

“Shouldn’t we wait ‘til Zee gets back to us on what was happening last night before we talk about this…?”

But her whispers fall on deaf ears. I don’t know what it is, but I’m not too worried about James here. I mean, literally nobody but Zee has ever shown concern for us, surely that’s gotta mean something, right?

“W-well, uhm…” our visitor mumbles, “Not much news comes in from Monorise, that’s something Harold and them make sure of… He wants this town as distant from there as possible. There has been talk around Railsent though…”

Ah ha. This might be our chance.

“And how much of that talk do you believe?”

Oops. That came out a bit more accusatory than I’d meant, putting James a bit on edge.

“A-ah. Well… People have been disappearing… I haven’t had Rosestein show up and uhh… review my store in a day or two, which is nice, but odd… Besides that though, talk of werewolves seems a bit… Silly…”

Huh. I could have sworn he was blushing for a moment there.

“...What if there were werewolves in town?”

“H-huh?!”

“Just! Hypothetically speaking.” Ugh, I am not good at not stressing this poor guy out. “If there were werewolves in town, would you be concerned?”

“O-oh, uhm… Uhh… no comment…?”

Yeah, he’s blushing and squirming about. Hmm.

“Gotcha, gotcha. Hey, can you keep a secret?”

“Fox.”

I can’t help but chuckle at Cat’s reluctance. I get it, but…bear with me, Cat. It’s not like we’ll be able to hide this forever, and I’ve got a good feeling about this, which is only strengthened by how excited James seems all of the sudden.

“Uhm! I mean… I’m… Not usually the one talking in conversations, so…say, have you done something with your voice--”

Before he has a chance to ask anything more, I throw open the door, revealing to him our closer-to true selves.

“Awooo. You’ve found the were-fox and were-cat.”

There he stands, frozen stiff, eyes wide, and blushing wildly.

“O-oh,” is all he manages to say as his eyes dart from my ears, to my tail, to Cat’s ears, then her tail, my feet, her-- Hey, hey I know you’re in shock, but that’s inappropriate! He catches himself thankfully, looking like he didn’t intend to stare where he did, in fact, he almost looked...envious somehow? Still, I really hope we don’t have to get too used to that with these new forms...

“Hey, James,” Cat calls out, hand on her hip and looking less than pleased with me.

“Come on in,” I offer, stepping aside for the frozen guy. “I’ll make us some tea.”

His gulp is audible, but he steps in, looking like a flustered mess as I walk over to the kitchen and Cat closes the door behind him with a sigh.

“So, how’s life been, James?” I ask, beginning to prepare tea.

“Uhh.”

“Life in Railsent can be kind of slow, I know.”

“Uhm.”

“But there’s lots of interesting folk around here, I’m sure you know.”

“UHH.”

Cat offers James a seat, and once he’s down, I begin pouring him a cup.

“...Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing. Ask away.”

“H-HOW. ASKING FOR A FRIEND.”