"Damn," Kerry mumbled softly as she shook her head. "That's crazy. It's also wild and amazing, and I'm really happy for you both. But yeah. Crazy."
Stacey nodded, "Eight crazy days, yeah."
Our guest shook her head again, then had another sip of her wine as she stared at the two of us.
The coffee had been forgotten almost immediately, after my magic reveal Kerry definitely needed something stronger. And while Stacey was opening a bottle I ducked into the bedroom to pull on some clothes. We also put away my leash and collar, and my plushie was safely tucked away in the coffee table drawer where it belonged.
Since then the three of us played a few rounds of 'twenty questions'. Or in other words, Kerry asked some personal questions, stuff only me and Stace would know, so we could prove who we were to her.
That was a little uncomfortable, but we both understood it was kind of necessary. Our friend needed to know we really were the people we claimed to be, and with our appearances being so different there wasn't any other way to do it.
With that all behind us we'd gone on to share the details of how we both ended up like this. Stace and I took turns telling the story, about getting the enchanted plushies then how I used mine last Friday evening. Then Stacey came out on Saturday and used his shortly after that. We also told Kerry how we'd both met with our families and come out to them, and how all that went really well.
Kerry was staring at the pair of us again for another second or two, before draining the last of her wine. Then she smiled at us, "You two look amazing. Meg, you're cute and sexy and gorgeous. You're also kind of tiny and you look younger than before, but that just adds to your cuteness. And Stace, tall dark and handsome, rawr! And you look great together too. The ears and the tails are uh, that's a bit wild? Exotic and interesting, but also kind of freaky?"
"And the fact that you two can turn into actual foxes," she added as she slowly shook her head. "And Meg, you had a collar and a leash when I got here? Like you were ready to go out for walkies?!"
By that point my cheeks were bright red again, and our friend suddenly grinned as she noticed how embarrassed I was. "Wait, are you into that? Is that a couples thing for you two now? You play the cute obedient pet fox for your big strong hunk of a boyfriend?"
"Sort of," I mumbled. I probably sounded a little defensive as I continued, "I just like being a fox sometimes, ok? Foxes don't have to worry about jobs or chores or bills or any of that annoying people stuff. So when being a human gets a little overwhelming, I like to turn into a fox so I can be sort of carefree and relaxed."
Stacey sounded compassionate as he elaborated, "Meg's anxiety and depression have both been a lot better since she got her miracle transition, but they haven't gone away entirely. And being a fox seems to help her cope. Like when the stress builds up a bit too much, spending time as a fox can help her unwind and relax."
"Sometimes just knowing it's an option helps," I added quietly. "Like I don't always have to turn into a fox when I get uptight, just knowing it's there can help me get through stuff."
Kerry's expression shifted from amused to understanding by the time me and Stace finished explaining it.
She nodded, "Ok Meg, Stacey. Sorry if I came across like I was teasing or making fun of you. I'm glad you have that outlet, I'm glad it helps. And honestly it really is amazing. I don't think I'd have believed it though, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
"My parents both insisted on seeing it too," Stacey replied. "When we went to see them at the start of the week I had to take my little plushie along, so they could see me shift forms."
I frowned, "My folks haven't seen me change. They haven't even asked about it. But my mom already knew about the plushies, she heard about them back in June when her friend's trans daughter got her hands on one and turned herself into a cowgirl."
Our friend hesitated, "I'm guessing by 'cowgirl' you don't mean she listens to country music and wears cowboy boots, huh?"
"I have no idea what sort of music she likes or how she dresses," I replied with a smirk. "But no, by 'cowgirl' I mean she's part cow, the way me and Stace are part fox."
Kerry grimaced, "Ok, that's kind of weird. So there's more of those magic plush toys out there?"
"Lots more," Stacey nodded. "I don't know how many. And different kinds too? Not just foxes and cows, there's cats, bunnies, dogs, wolves, I've even heard of ponies."
"Where do you get them?" our friend asked. "How do these things even exist? It's crazy that there's real magic out there and nobody's heard of it."
Stace and I explained about the toys being in vending machines a couple months earlier, then my boyfriend told her how he got them through someone online. And that most people just refused to believe it, so even if they did see someone like us or other demi-humans they assumed we were in costume.
That led to a brief rant about my first attempt at getting updated ID and how that nearly got us thrown out or arrested. Which in turn led us to explaining how I did finally get through the process and my new ID would be in the mail in a couple weeks.
"Wow," Kerry frowned. "I guess it makes sense, like you said my first reaction wasn't 'who is this real live actual foxboy' it was 'why is this weirdo wearing a foxboy costume'."
A thoughtful look settled on her expression as she continued, "Thinking back when I first got here, I knew your ears and tail were moving Stacey? I could see them moving and it was more like I wondered how you got the fake stuff to seem so life-like? It just never occurred to me that they might be the real deal. Not until you showed me your tush and I could see the tail was actually part of you."
That led to a brief awkward pause, then Kerry asked how we were getting by with normal day to day stuff now, like work and commuting and even mundane stuff like grocery shopping.
So we spent the next fifteen or twenty minutes telling her about all that, like Stace would be working from home for now and I quit my job but had an interview coming up next week. As for commuting we told her it sucked but was manageable, like between people staring at us and there weren't any tail-friendly chairs anywhere it was an ordeal but we could handle it.
"As for shopping, it's about the same?" Stace said. "We did our weekly grocery shopping yesterday and we got plenty of stares, but nobody said anything. Nobody gave us a hard time."
Then I changed the subject slightly, "Speaking of, it's well past lunch time and I'm getting a bit hungry. Is anyone else interested? I could make us all something to eat if you like?"
Stacey definitely looked interested, while Kerry thought for a few moments.
Our friend asked, "Would you two be opposed to going out? It's a beautiful day, I bet that little pub we went to last time has their patio open."
I hesitated, "I know we've already started with the wine but it's only half past one. It feels a little early to be hitting the bar? Unless you're just talking about grabbing lunch rather than going out for drinks."
"I could make us something light for now, a snack to tide us over?" I offered. "Then we can go to the pub a little later for proper drinks and a meal."
After thinking it over Stacey replied, "Let's go out now for lunch. It'll be nice to stretch our legs and get some fresh air. If we feel like doing drinks later on I'd be more comfortable doing that at home, to be honest? This might just be me being paranoid, but I'd rather not have Meg and I someplace we're likely to be surrounded by a lot of folks who are judgement-impaired. I'm not ready to put up with any potential hassles that might come out of that scenario."
"Good point," I grimaced. "I hadn't thought of that."
A moment later I sighed, "I hadn't thought of ID either. If I get carded, all I have is my old ID and a print-out that says my new ID is on its way. And the picture on my old ID doesn't look anything like me now."
Kerry rolled her eyes, "If you get carded just jiggle your boobs at them girl. It's pretty damn obvious you're a full-grown woman Megan."
"Speaking of ID what are you going to do Stacey?" she added as she looked to my boyfriend. "Actually now that I think of it, have you got another name I should be using? I'm sorry if I've been deadnaming you all this time."
Stace shook his head, "ID is going to take a while for me. And no, I haven't got another name yet? I'm thinking about it, but so far I haven't been able to come up with anything that I really like."
Our friend gave him an appraising look then said, "I could see you as a Damien. You really are rocking the 'tall dark and handsome' thing, and it feels like a dark-sounding name would suit you."
"I don't know," Stacey grimaced. "Like I said I've been thinking about it, but nothing's come up yet. Anyways we were about to go grab lunch, right?"
Kerry and I agreed, and the three of us set out together.
We were all dressed casual, Kerry was in sneakers, blue jeans, and an orange t-shirt. Stacey was in a pair of black shorts and a black tee, with some black running shoes. And I was in white sneakers and leggings, and a pale pink sleeveless sundress.
Sure enough the weather was just perfect out. It was bright and sunny, but with a gentle breeze that was just enough to keep the air moving so nobody got too hot.
Our local pub was a couple blocks away, and even on a Sunday afternoon the place was pretty busy. We managed to get a table on the patio though, and soon enough the three of us were sipping some cool crisp white wine as we looked at the menu. On the other hand we definitely had a lot of people looking at us.
From the moment we arrived, to when we were seated at our table folks were staring at us. And even through the general din of a crowded bar, my tall fuzzy ears were able to pick out the various comments people were making to each other.
About half the comments were people questioning why Stacey and I were in cosplay, like we'd discussed earlier nobody believed we were real live foxkin. Then another third of the comments were sexual, folks were commenting on my figure as well as Stace's. It was almost like they thought us having fox ears and tails meant we actually wanted the attention, like us being foxkin was an open invitation for people to stare and objectify us.
There were also a few unkind comments, but fortunately those were very much in the minority. Like people calling us crazy or weird. Or hateful sorts who assumed we were furries and the ears and tails were some kind of deviant sexual thing that we were doing out in public. It was annoying and depressing and made me glad this was the early afternoon crowd where most people weren't actually getting drunk.
"Meg?" Stace whispered to me as he leaned closer. "Don't listen to them, ok cutie? Ignore them, just focus on me and Kerry."
I realized he'd been watching me, and he obviously heard the same stuff as me. He could probably see how it was bothering me.
"Yeah," I nodded as I gave him a weak smile. "You're right. Thanks Stace."
Kerry gave us both a questioning look. Her human ears weren't as sensitive or manoeuvrable as ours, so she actually hadn't heard any of those comments.
"We'll tell you about it later," Stace told her.
And by that point the waitress was back to take our orders, so the three of us let the other stuff go. We ordered lunch, then we enjoyed our drinks and each other's company.
"So you mentioned an upcoming job interview," Kerry said to me, "Where abouts? And what sort of job?"
I smiled, "I don't want to jinx it but it's in graphic design. No more soul-crushing retail for me, I'm determined to get work in the career I actually studied for. This is just my first interview so I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but it's with a signage business in an industrial area a little ways north-west of here? According to their website their two main focuses are exterior signage, like for buildings? And vehicle signage, like you see on corporate fleet vehicles."
"Cool," our friend smiled. "I hope it's a good job, and I hope you get it!"
I smiled back, "Thanks Kerry. How about you? So far all we've talked about is our stuff, but how are things going with you?"
She shrugged as she sipped her wine, "Things are pretty good? I'm still working for the same place as before. They still have me doing the same stuff too, mostly back-end development on their customer web portal. It's equal parts challenging and new, but at the same time it can be boring and repetitive. An endless cycle of upgrades, improvements, and debugging."
"Are you seeing anyone these days?" Stace asked. "Or still too busy to get out and start meeting people again?"
Kerry made a bit of a face, "Yeah I'm still single. It's not that I'm too busy to go out looking? I guess I'm still a bit wary after the way things went with Brin."
Both Stace and I winced, then I gave our friend an apologetic look. "I know it was a rough break-up, but it's been what, eight or nine months now? And not everyone is like her, you know."
"Yeah I know," she shrugged. "Anyways I'm not lonely yet, I'm definitely not feeling desperate or anything. And like I said, I'm still a little wary of the same sort of thing happening again."
"If you ever just need to hang out or anything, Meg and I are both here for you," Stacey told her.
Kerry smiled, "Thanks Stace, and Meg. I appreciate it."
A moment later her smile shifted to a smirk as she asked, "Anyways never mind my sex life, I want to hear about yours. How are you two enjoying it now that you're both on the other side of the fence?"
Just like that my cheeks were bright red, while Stacey chuckled quietly and shook his head. Fortunately we were saved from having to discuss that topic as the waitress finally arrived with our food.
