User:Hawl/Making a Man Out Of Jamie

Making a Man Out Of Jamie by Jessica Kylie Nichols-Vernon aka HawlSera

Jamie was riding to Gondwana with her hired protection, the owners of the late great Simone Bertrand’s old La Wrench De Paris garage. The asian woman rested easily even if she did find it odd they were willing to take her out so far for so cheap but she knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. The young woman meditated as she waited patiently to show Buttercup off to the crowd of RIDE Saviors and set her, or at least she assumed it was a her, she still didn’t feel like talking nor was she anatomically correct as she lacked any sex organs either way despite having hardlight upgrades.

A black man named Kane tried to talk to her and make conversation with Jamie as they traversed, which she allowed as she was in a good enough state with her meditation to hold a conversation her nanites and mental implants allowing this to be done easily. “It is very rare I see a person of your skin color Mr. Narret.” Jamie said. “You seem very nice.” He preferred talking to Kane over Paula as Paula looked very freakish and animalistic, something that Kyotokyo preached was best avoided.

Kane raised an eyebrow not sure what to make of this, but decided to play along as it didn’t seem spiteful or hateful in anyway. “Uhh thanks…..” he said. “I’ve accepted your request when I saw you saved RIDEs from abusive owners. Even illegally, I respect someone who does that, though if law enforcement comes by I didn’t know anything about the illegal aspect.”

“Not much of a promise I can keep as they’ll check our memories.” Jamie responded as she cracked a smile.laughing to herself, it was actually kind of cute and Kane found himself someone smitten to her. Perhaps after this he would ask her out on a date.

The two talked about games from the oil age as Paula and Ruby drove in Ruby’s skimmer form as it had a lot of room and prevented the two from being tempted to fuse together and risk integration. Jamie giggling as the discussion became like Five Nights At Freddy’s, Paula tried to listen in to find out what was the deal with Freddy Fazbear though Kane and Jamie had took most of it to private to prevent the surprise from being ruined for Paula for when she played for the first time as Kane wanted to record it as a completely fresh experience to her. Paula was jumpy and thus it would be quite hilarious. The two were able to say more physically as Paula began to rub the dash of Ruby beginning to once again obsess on the hope that she may soon be Integrated to her.

Eventually they reached their destination and found it surprisingly expansive for an illegal operation, but then again the Dry was an incredibly massive place. The meet was a full blown large drawn out carnival with stalls giving pamphlets, pushing products, and providing foodstuffs for surprisingly free instead of the inflated carnival food prices like a normal carnival. Paula and Kane walked around it while Jamie prepped Buttercup for the big exchange of RIDEs to new, less harmful homes. There was a rumor that many of the humans who participated in re-homing were in fact slaves of Alpha Wolf though it was never confirmed and Jamie highly doubted the validity of these claims. “Lots of people here today.” Kane said as he ate funnel cake with Paula.

“Yeah... “ Paula said, making her way to the stage with Ruby on standby as the exchange drew nearer, something they were glad for as they had been given pamphlets from various political parties promising that they had the best way to treat RIDEs, whether they actually did or not. There was even a Sturmhaven Valkyrie booth that tried insisting womanhood was the best way to care for RIDEs. This stand of pure sexism was the most transparent of the people using this event to push a further agenda, the only one less subtle was the Star Seekers booth which believed its teachings could help one with caring for RIDEs properly even though it was contradictory to that particular sect’s requirement that new members spend time off world if they haven’t been before. Considering it was mostly Native Zharusians who grew up around RIDEs that were at this event and participated in Illegal Rehoming very few people who joined wouldn’t have to take planet leave.

The Star Seeker religion was one that believed that Heaven was a planet and humans were gifted FTL travel in order to eventually find it and be with God. It had many teachings of respecting planets for each one was unique and alive, a gem in god’s vast cosmic dress. Though a few Star Seeker sects did believe Zharus was that Heaven and RIDEs were the angels, those made at least some sense in believing they could care for RIDEs. There were more than one of these sects, the most popular ones belng the Dry Disciples and the Quantumn Eternalists, the Star Seekers making the loudest fuss at this event were neither.

Paula showed Kane a Star Seeker phamplet for the Quantumn Eternalists Star Seekers. One that believed that Zharus was the great reward and thus who find it are meant to be reborn as RIDEs when they passed, and Integrates if they proved truly worthy as it was the one she agreed with the most. Recalling something about Simone as she did so. “Simone once tell me that she hoped of finding her father on Zharus. Apparently he left her and her family behind to undergo the God’s Galaxy Star Seeker pilgrimage.” Paula said, the pilgrimage being a time in a Star Seeker’s life where they left to visit every planet and then picking one as a home after visiting a good number of them, many on this pilgrimage never end it, these people are considered the holiest of all.

Kane agreed, though didn’t continue the conversation further as an announcer was about to begin starting the festivities of the exchange, which were cut short before a word was spoke past. “Ladies and Gentlemen, and thus unsure, we are gathered here today in the freedom of RIDEs, made from qubitite they are the true owners of this planet and land.” The crowd was anxious to hear more but the person speaking, a human with lizard like tags, jumped off the stage in a bit of a hurry. People were about to ask why that happened when it was all clear as a spherical object rammed right into the stage at a high speed, smashing into it. The sphere’s impact caused the stage to collapse into itself scaring most of the crowd away. Jamie stood still as panicked crowds ran past her and her bodyguards away from the flames. All three humans and RIDEs stayed in one area trying to stay together in the chaos bumped around like pinballs in a multi-ball bonus. Eventually Ruby tired of this and collected Paula, Kane, Jamie, Prometheus, and Butterrcup within her flyer form only dropping down when the crowd left convinced the explosion meant they were caught. These six stayed to investigate being more curious than most as this was what Jamie hired four of these people for and they weren’t going to welch.

As the crowds finally ceased and left from the running, yelling about how the marshalls had found them and were attacking with explodes, the six were left alone an armadillo like figure rose from wreckage, all six eyeing it as it walked forth. “How lucky for me only you stayed behind Jamie.” This figure said said laughing, appearing to be male,and holding two sawn offs at them.

“Well this turned out conveniently didn’t it?” Prometheus who had came with, mostly as backup for Kane if he needed it. “Everyone gone except for us… How odd.”

“The universe works out as it is supposed to sometimes.” Jamie said to Prometheus as he tried to focus on the one before her. “MightyDillion, you were talking to Ximenas Bertrand last night when I rescued Buttercup. You ruined the whole festival, it’s a good thing Ruby wasn’t cowardly. I need to take you out before you do whatever you were planning to do to Zane.”

“Did you say Ximenes Bertrand?!?!” Paula asked, but did not receive an answer, the question was forgotten as all were focused upon the integrate who appeared before them. Further ignored statements included. “As in Simone’s father? He’s on Zharus!?! What does he want with Clint’s kid!?!”

“Not a god damn thing, at least Alpha Wolf did something… Anyway. I would worry less about Zane and more about yourselves!” MightyDillion said with a growl, even though Armadillos didn’t growl this one apparently did.

Paula gasped, it was clear the this armadillo was an Integrate as thus this was the first she was paying attention. “Wait… Integrates revealed? To who?”

“Everyone….” The cowboy dressed armadillo intie said with a sigh. “We’re not a secret anymore.. Zane’s revealed Integrates to everyone, see for yourself.” MightyDillion rubbed his long nose in annoyance before regaining his composure and pointing his sawn off back to the six. “Give back Buttercup and maybe I won’t kill you.”

Jamie unsheathed an enhanced katana with electrical sparks coming out, it was reinforced with an EMP and hardlight to make it better at cutting. “I will defend Buttercup to the end, she will not go back to Ximenas.”

Paula grinned as she looked up Zane in her mental implants and found MightyDillion was indeed telling the truth, the owner of Brubeck Mining and son of Clint Brubeck was indeed an Integrate. After sending this Kane and looking at him anxiously and gleed as he nodded reluctantly.

“Whelp…” Kane said looking up at the sky. “If it’s not a secret anymore… I guess I can’t stop you….” Before turning on his zyuranger computer gloves and rushing the Integrate, throwing up very weak hardlight shields to block the balls of energy coming from the sawn off before punching him in the face reeling him back as the hardlight force fields from the gloves activated before contact to make the fists more fierce. He had to jump in order to prevent the person he was here to protect and someone he had gained quite an affection. “Don’t worry that pretty little face of your Jamie, I have this.” he smiled.

The cute asian girl giggled. “Thanks Kane, but once I draw my katana I have to draw blood before I sheathe it, that’s how the samurai operated and that’s how I’ll operate!” she cheered as she charged the armadillo next making a stabbing motion towards him only for the Intie to roll up and be unaffected as the rolled up version of him was predictably tougher.

The armadillo rolled back and away from Jamie and towards Kane hoping to run him over. “No human hurts me with his bare hands!” his sound system blared angrily. The human braced for impact not seeing time to roll out of the way of the rolling roller. His bones were squashed and organs painted the sands. At least that’s what Kane expected, certainly not what actually happened with him somehow throwing the armadillo a few feet without him trying to do or even attempting to do anything.

::I know how you feel about fusing with us, but it seemed appropriate.:: spoke Prometheus who had fused with Kane to save him.

Where MightyDillion landed Paula and Ruby fused never to defuse, flying around the ball and giving concentrated blasts of their, slowly becoming her, siren scream blast hoping to open him. Since the years of disrupting all machinery every time she screamed with her Master Exploder that Aristo had fitted Ruby with the two had made great effort to learn and upgrade the machinery involved to control it.

The armadillo didn’t seem to be affected as he spun around more, rolling around with the siren blasts still after him, continuing to be ineffective until he managed to trick her into hitting Prometheus causing him to short circuit and become immobile for a few moments. “Good you got him, now you!” he said, uncurling and blasting Paula and Ruby with both his energy shooting sawn-offs knocking her to the ground and another at Prometheus to strike him down. Twirling them around with a grin he charged his guns up intended them to be kill shots. “You two were more annoying than I thought, but now you will die.”

Paula-Ruby tried to get up, but the Integration process was now too far in and unfinished for her to move out of the way or react. Prometheus was trying to reboot as Kane panicked inside of him unable to move or escape the panda. Both were kind of frantic and really hoping Jamie would do something.

The asian woman threw one of her trusty shuriken tools, this one with a bomb attached at the armadillo only for him to catch it in his teeth and threw it telekinetically back at Jamie stabbing her right in the arm, blowing it off. Jamie now down on the sands and bleeding looked at Buttercup and called out to her. “Fuse with me if you want to be free!” he exclaimed, not giving the pain a chance to hinder her adrenaline rush.

Buttercup nervously looked at the armadillo and trotted over to Jamie, deciding to finally speak after a long silence. “First off, yes, I am male. I didn’t talk because I thought that if you knew you’d abandon me.. I know that’s not rational.. but I’ve been stuck with Ximenes all my life, literally it was living with him right after I got off the assembly line....I can take you out of here and we can leave them, if you want to keep your gender. He might abandon them to chase us, but I can’t promise what he’ll do…”

It wasn’t much of a surprise to learn this, seemed obvious in retrospect. Ximenes was male after all and didn’t really seem like the cross-riding type. Jamie looked up at the armadillo again and closed her eyes, weighing his options. A genderswap would take three years to reverse and Jamie rather enjoyed being a woman, sure Kyotokyo prefered men to women and it would make her father happy to have a son, but she had always been female and giving it up was frightening. Ultimately she decided that she could not risk MightyDillon killing people over Jamie even if she did run away. “They’re already down for the count and we know he’ll kill for fun…. Make a man out of me!” she finally declared. Jamie and Buttercup were both very glad that the armadillo was going overboard charging his weapons to make giant craters, even bragging aloud about this being his intentions as

Buttercup nodded and jumped gracefully in the air, splitting open and swallowing Jamie as he landed gracefully. Upon swallowing the girl he reformed into a humanoid shape and stood tall as one fuser, an anthropomorphic unicorn stallion, one who used his hardlight to form a fierce samurai themed armor. Taking control as Jamie was pushed into near unconsciousness as the nanites worked on her body. Not completely out of being awake, but very dissociated and only barely lucid. “Stop MightyDillion, it’s over. If you kill them I will self-destruct and you will have no RIDE to return and no bounty to claim as James will die with me.”

The armadillo returned the energy into his body and fired low power shots at Buttercup as a warning. “You are bluffing.. but if you do come with me I won’t be forced to remove your core.” He said cursing himself for writing off the ability to hack as being for nerds. If he hadn’t he’d disable Buttercup, but no, he had to solve everything with weapons and toughness. After this maybe he would cave into the suggestions of his enclave and take some classes.

Buttercup used Jamie, or rather James’ katana, looking through his memories to use it effectively. He was as strong as a raging fire and fought with the force of a great typhoon, knocking the blasts away with his katana combo of sword slashes, very professionally, these moves were as mysterious as the dark side of Earth’s Luna.

MightyDillon sparked a bit from his damage. The armadillo had not truthfully anticipated this kind of power and not really sure how to deal with the situation. In a panic the armadillo rolled up into a ball to avoid further attacks, and yet was shocked as this appeared worthless. Buttercup hopped atop the sealed ball and jumped eight feet into the air throwing down the katana, partially impaling the armadillo. The unicorn fuser landed right on the hilt and forced the blade in very far, backflipping off and pulling it back out sheathing the weapon. “Have you had enough?”

The armadillo unrolled and cracked his neck, his torso stabbed but he was still sitting pretty. “Interesting, you’re definitely Ximenas’ RIDE alright, very powerful. I’m not sure how to deal with you, outside of perhaps this…” he said aiming powerful sawn-off blasts towards Buttercup’s legs and firing only for him to backflip perfectly and throw one of his internal human’s shurikens at Prometheus, one with a small battery on it for recharging allowing him to re-enter the fight.

Kane took control of his temporarily shared body and fired the machine guns that Prometheus had, screaming ticked-off as he did so. “YOU MADE JAMIE CROSS YOU ASSHOLE!” he screamed, angrily envisioning the sex he could have had with the adorable asian after the mission as things did seem to be heading that way. If there was one thing Kane liked about Zharus it was the fact that women on this planet seemed far easier than back on Earth, and now that aspect was ruined.

The armadillo seemed more annoyed by this than anything converting the guns which were made of hardlight to begin with into an axe with a keyblade like handle and charged towards Buttercup who took this opportunity to take the katana back to allow himself to fight back against the armadillo.

MightyDillion began downloading the style that was being used against him to become better able to defend himself. It was lucky for his sake that Prometheus hadn’t had high caliber ammo due to being away from not having really been used as anything but good company since he fought Simone back during Aristo’s attempt to take over Zharus. The bullets were barely a tickle to the techno-organic beast. Paula-Ruby had finally finished integrating, but she took a step out to get used to all the sensations, she wished she could join in partially cursing Kane for preventing her integration the previous night especially since it would have let her have better knowledge of how her body worked and with a DIN for this fight if she had.

MightyDillion was winning the sword-on-axe-fight as Kane and Prometheus discussed how they were going to change up their game plan and thinking of how to as they watched the fight between Buttercup and the armadillo for a bit looking for some kind of opening. It really became franticly nerve wrecking when the armadillo not only finished downloading the style that Buttercup was using, but a few more as well.

Buttercup tried to keep up nonetheless fighting for his freedom only giving up when MightyDillion had disarmed him, knocking the katana back a few feet from him. “The worst you guys could do is be an annoyance, accept that and know it to be true!” he boasted as the axe was held to Buttercup’s neck symbolically as a gesture of domination.

Buttercup showed no fear to this situation and infact smiled making the armadillo nervous as he truly expecting him to give up. “And now, I have finished my change and am ready to fight with Buttercup as one.” spoke an unfamiliar voice though everyone realized it was Jamie’s new voice, or James rather. “Even without having one of my own, I understand how RIDEs work. Human and RIDE must work as one, becoming closer than brothers. It’s something I have always admired about them and why I’ve wanted them free. I know what they can give our spirits!”

“You think that your ten minutes being up scares me?” MightyDillon asked taking the axe back and swiping it towards the fuser.

“Yes!” James replied catching the axe in his fuser hands. “And if it doesn’t you are a fool.” He cheered, deciding he would definitely keep Buttercup if he could something about being inside of him felt right, at least it did for now. The being a man part he’d have to worry about later. He threw back the axe which disintegrated as it was a far enough distance from MightyDillon.

The armadillo scowled aggravated, he was about to make a spear or maybe a whip when James grabbed one of his shurikens and cut at his neck, forcing it in as far as he could before backflipping. :: Your gloves Kane, activate them as you fire at his neck.::

Kane wasn’t sure how that would work or why James knew it would but he activated them channeling their power through Prometheus and hailing a bulletstorm at MightyDillon’s neck and finished it with a punch beheading him. “Wow… How did? How did you know that would work?!?!”

“I have gloves a lot like yours.” James responded giving him a thumbs up for a job well done. “I wonder if they still fit my hands, I imagine they’ve gotten bigger.”

The armadillo managed to grab his head maintaining some control over his body, rolling away to repair himself before he really lost it. “I’LL CLAIM MY BOUNTY ONE DAY, LIKE AN ARMADILLO RISING FROM THE ASHES!” He screamed as he escaped.

“That’s Phoenixes you idiot!” James sheathed his sword and walked over to Kane who seemed disappointed as Prometheus’ face mask raised showing the man’s face “I take it you aren’t into guys? I was actually starting to like you… I’m sorry…”

“Yeah... I just… I’m just glad we’re okay…” Kane sighed, looking at his body, or rather Promtheus’ fuser. “I’ve never worn a RIDE before… So this is a weird feeling… I feel very close and comfortable. Like Prometheus is a brother of mine. Maybe I should keep him until Shyver gets back.”

“I’ve felt it before, having had to wear RIDEs has been part of this work. First time with a male..” James said heavily. “Without the exchange, maybe I’ll keep him.. maybe.. RIDEs are frowned upon where I live, but well if I’m going to be a man I might as well get something out of it.”

“Gonna de-fuse and get a good look at yourself?” Kane asked, not sure how to handle cross-RIDErs even after years of selling RIDEs to people of the opposite sex and having one for a friend.

“No I don’t think I’m ready for that shock. Besides the desert’s kind of hot and dry especially with the air conditioning at the festival winding down without someone manning them.” James said, walking around aimlessly, just pacing about.

Kane nodded. “Yeah, same with Prometheus being with him feels good.. Plus… I may have Shyver’s body type now… actually I know I do.. Not ready to see myself as a bit of a fatty.” He felt awkward, it was so easy taking to Jamie when she was a girl, but now that James was a boy, no a man, this way rather difficult. Prometheus forced him to appreciation of how this was not the usual variation of this problem.

Luckily he wouldn’t have to force small talk as Paula-Ruby screeched out having found something. “HEY I FOUND SOMETHING YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT!”, she screamed paradoxically sounding very scared and relieved at once.

Kane and James ran towards the fresh Integrate to investigate, but didn’t say anything as they too were shocked to find a busted up skunk integrate one that appeared nude as her hardlight generator was busted up, she was there laying on the desert sands. They watched this female squirm about as they wondered if she was still alive, more intently when Paula-Ruby put a positive ID on this person. “This is Simone…” she said with her paw to her mouth. “I.. I hope she’s okay... “

“Does she have two vaginas?” James asked wincing as he saw this detail.

“...No don’t be….. Oh shit you’re right.” Kane’s eyes grew wide. “What is even the point of that? I mean nice ass though.. But still, Why two vaginas?”

Paula-Ruby and James both looked at Kane for the ass comment, but he just looked back at them. “What, she’s here naked, and I’m pretty sure we’re all thinking it!”

“Heh.. Th..thanks… as.. for the other thing.. Ask… Aristo… He made that a feature in…” The skunk paused for a few seconds. “Us..”Simone-Lucille turned her head to the six, well, five now. The skunk and dear friend seemed to be reacting to hearing her name. “Paula, I’m shutting down... Simone’s not as strong as I am.. at least.. not right now... I’m not quite.. Lucille, I don’t know who I am… just I’m more Lucille than.. Simone“

“Where have you been?” Paula-Ruby asked with worry.

“Earth, looking for Simone’s family.” Simone-Lucille said, her voice distorted and raspy from damage, more Lucille than Simone. “Take me to an enclave.. and… fi...x.. me.. I am sorr..rry.. I didn’t want this for eith.. either of us.. But I will die othe… otherwise.”

“Triangle Lighthouse isn’t far from here.” Prometheus said, defusing from Kane and turning into a skimmer, James and Paula helping Simone-Lucille into the back. “We’ll take her there… Shyver may be there too if Simone’s back from her trip.”

“I can’t believe you went to Earth....” Paula-Ruby said fitting Simone-Lucille into the skimmer’s backseat as everyone got in. Kane rubbing his now fat stomach as he sat in his seat. Kane had become quite plus size from Prometheus’ modifications to his build. “How did you get past customs? Does Earth know all about Integrates now?”

“Oh you look fine..” James nudged the panda-eared pound put-oner, still being slightly flirtatious just to see where it lead, he was mostly winging it trying to find what his male self was. “Very fine”

“Still…” Kane said, oblivious to Simone-Lucille as he was lost into his new fat.

“It’s bon to rendez-vous too Kane..” Simone-Lucille said, some of her Simone side becoming awake. “I’m glad to see you all again.. I… I’m sorry… I’m getting us stuck in an enclave… oh and… non.. Earth doesn’t know… It’s a shame Zharus doesn’t either or...”

“Actually…” Paula-Ruby explained the Zane situation which Simone smiled at.

“Good… I’ll come back to the garage.. and start working it again.. once I’m better.” Simone-Lucille smiled weakly, laying there glad to be among friends. “Contact Pierre’s RIDE or Maman’s, there comm codes are..”

“Who is Maman?” Paula-Ruby mistook it for a person’s name.

“....It’s francias for mother..” Simone-Lucille

“What’s Francias?” Kane asked.

Simone-Lucille glared at Kane in sheer disbelief he just asked that.

“Just a joke…” He responded.

James drowned out the conversation going into virtual finding a feudal era town inside. In virtual he was still a female, clearly he wasn’t used to this and not completely ready to embrace manhood. As Jamie once again she began petting Buttercup who was now far more obviously male as stallions often are.

Buttercup rubbed up against James into the pets as he began to speak. “Sorry I didn’t say anything. I was worried you’d eventually abandon me if you knew I was male. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me for yourself.”

“I didn’t plan on it, but, I may have too… it’s too obvious that I took you…” James said dressed like an old priestess as she rubbed the unicorn’s horn curiously. “..Really don’t know how I’ll keep you from Ximenes.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m a pessimist and even I feel I’ve seen the last of that freak for a long time. I’m so glad to get away, he was going to force me to be part of him forever as an Integrate.” Buttercup replied trotting around. “I’ll try to give you some tips on maleness, you will have to get out of me sooner or later. For now, enjoy this town. I made it for you, as a way of thanking you.”

The two rode around taking in the landscape trying to forget about the recent attack, delay the weight of the sex change, and the disappointment of the failed exchange festival. All for the rest of the travel to Triangle Lighthouse, before waking up back to the real world Buttercup spoke to James one more time. “Hey.. I wanted to speak to you about this… It’s none of my business, but I think you should tell Simone that her father is in Zharustead. Ximenes has spoken very ill of her and yet very fondly, might be something for them to work out.”

“How did you know they were related? I mean how do you know it’s the same Simone?” James asked as he shifted back to male during the waking up process.

“He’s been spying on her.” Buttercup answered.

When James woke up again he was standing outside of Prometheus outside of a large lighthouse like structure with a demonic creature bobbing it’s head, it’s red eyes glowing as it was now getting close to nightfall. He mentally prepared himself as he grabbed for his katana. Imagine his surprise when the creature came close and revealed itself to be of all things, an adorable Red Panda Integrate on the small side that happened to have red eyes. His head was bobbing because he was eating candy out of a small bag he carried with him.

Xhyz the red panda was looking over Simone-Lucille, Paula-Ruby having explained while James was in VR. “Mmm… critical failure, Our wine-loving friend here is on her last legs and will soon be dead enough for us to bury her brain and use her body for spare parts.”

Simone-Lucille’s ears went down as she frowned. “So I’m going to die… I’ve sacrificed myself in order to bring my family here… and to think I thought I was going to be there for them and have being a Bertrand mean something to me again…”

Everyone else seemed depressed as well, Paula-Ruby hugging her close and crying. “Simone… I… I’m going to miss you… I… Oh god.. what do I say?”

“Nothing!” Xhyz cheered patting her on the shoulder. “Look I can fix Simone-Lucille, well maybe, nothing guaranteed It’ll take awhile and she may lose her short term memory due to corrupted data.”

Simone-Lucille breathed a sigh of relief. “Nothing of interest has happened lately.. If anytime is a bad time to die zis is it..”

Xhyz put his paw to Simone’s forehead and deactivating her and carrying her into the enclave when she fell. The red panda tried to keep his paws off of her bosom out of respect, but with someone as well built as Simone that was difficult. Being a Pleasure Support Integrate there was very little part of her torso that wasn’t breast flesh. “Oh, Paula, Ruby congrats on the Integration you two.” he said as he silently invited everyone in.

James found this surreal as he came in, Integrates, he definitely lost a bet here with them existing. Now he was in their home. He concurred with Buttercup that he definitely owed his friend Sho a drink. Which reminded him, he needed to update Sho on everything that happened, he did that while people he didn’t know talked amongst themselves.

Much to Kane and Paula’s surprise, Shyver and Simone’s family had arrived before them and were already waiting inside. Prometheus ran towards Shyver and fused with him which disappointed Kane as now he felt he had to get a RIDE to feel that closeness, yet he needed to wait until the right one came around. Kane couldn’t just buy a RIDE, no that would go against his idea that RIDEs should not be slaves and thus not just bought to fill a need of his. This combined with the fact that he was now fat thanks to the nanites remodeling him to fit Prometheus better.

So many new people made the introductions slow as Xhyz started working on Simone. Paula-Ruby kept to herself while Shyver and Marvelle let their RIDEs get to know each other as they played games on virtual, currently the two were zooming down in Mario Kart VR. Kane found he actually did seem to get along with Pierre as their conversation started heading towards the subject of women they found attractive. Pierre hadn’t yet had sex on Zharus nor had he had it on Earth for quite sometime due to only recently getting a body, though he definitely wanted to. The two agreed to hit the bar together to get some tail sometime.

James was glad he didn’t overhear this conversation or would have been if he was listening as he didn’t need a reminder that his plans for the night were crushed by a sudden sex change. It would be better to just forget he had that lust for Kane and avoid the frustration. :: So… yeah.. and to top it all off I had to fuse with Buttercup and now I’m male.. At least Dad will be happy right?::

Sho on the other end didn’t know how to feel about that, introducing her brother to him may still happen as he was bisexual, but she wasn’t sure how it would impact their friendship or if it would at all. :: I see, well these things happen. From the readings I’m getting from Buttercup from the spyware I installed.. you’re somewhere listed as an Integrate Enclave. What are the odds? Zane reveals himself as an Integrate on the same day you go to one of their homes.. what’s it like? ::

:: Well you’re taking it well… See.. I’m still kind of unsure of my feelings..:: James sent looking around to answer Sho’s question. :: This enclave is kind of like being outside… sky and everything, real Alice In Wonderland vibe to it. Very trippy..::

The group stayed there for about a month before leaving. The Armadillo came back after Simone woke up and what happened next had to be seen to believed. For a woman who had been in a coma for a month and french she was quite the fierce fighter. During all of this there was something about Aristo still being alive, but James hadn’t been invested in that much reflecting upon his own life. After finally leaving to return to Venars, James told Simone-Lucille what he was told by Buttercup to tell, over the month he had learned to accept and began identifying as male and had actually gained somewhat of an idea for what to do when he got home. Right now they were in Paula, or rather Simone’s now, garage in Venars all unwinding, Pierre and Marvelle shopping for a place to live on a terminal.

“...Vous have got to be kidding.” Simone-Lucille tried to keep her voice quiet as she flared up her flamethrower, looking over at Marvelle and Pierre hoping they didn’t hear. “Okay… you are not messing with me are you? Zharustead? These co-ordinates?”

“Yeah…” James nodded, nervous about the idea of Ximenes remembering him as the armadillo mentioned being after him specifically. “I can take you there… though Buttercup will have to stay here.”

“I’ll bring Pierre.” Simone-Lucille narrowed her eyes, telling her brother, making sure not to bring it up to their mother until they checked it out for themselves. Something they agreed was best. Hoping aboard Pierre’s RIDE the three left, telling Shyver to tell them they were just going to the store as they looked into this.

As they traveled to Zharustead, Simone and Pierre seemed very aggressive and hostile, wondering if he had done the right thing he asked them about it for clarification. “I take it you’re not happy about him?”

“He left our family to decay and sell our body parts till we became nothing but machines. Now that I’m human again I don’t blame Simone for following in his footsteps, but she actually came back for us!” Pierre grumbled letting Nutkin drive himself as the anger rised remembering his unfulfilled promise to come back and use offworld money to save them from disaster and poverty.

“Indeed.” Simone-Lucille nodded in agreement watching her flamethrower palm heat up getting nice and toasty. “We need to see if vouz are right James. For if vouz are, I am going to shove ma fucking robot-ish foot so far up his ass!”

The two held onto their anger, feeling it boil as they saw that he lived in a mansion bigger than any house either of them had ever seen on any world. They realized he had the money to save them and knew that Zharus could restore their bodies and yet didn’t. There was no excuse for this kind of selfishness, forcing your own family to suffer when you have everything. It angered Simone-Lucille so much she didn’t even bother knocking, she just hacked the door locks and kicked it open finding she still had more to go, she and Pierre called out for their father. James followed after recalling the night he took Buttercup from this place.

They eventually found Ximenes looking in a room familiar to James, the main room where he first laid eyes on Buttercup. “Saw you on the cameras…” The older man who appeared to be much like an older version of male human Simone, or Simon looked at the empty cage where he kept Buttercup and swirled a glass of wine. “Karma says sooner or later this would have happened. Is Marvelle still around or has she traversed into the next universe?”

“Maman is at my garage.” Simone said folding her arms and walking around her father giving him the evil eye. “We didn’t want to cause her any much unneeded distress because she fucking despises vous. Maybe if vous weren’t such an asshole you’d know this.” she said, her rage making her accent slip. “I have been on this planet for a long time, it’s a shame we couldn’t find out about this sooner.”

“I already knew you were on Zharus, my former son, I’ve been keeping an eye on you since Cape Nord.” Ximenes sipped his wine before continuing to talk. “I had been encouraging my old business partner Aristo to do everything he could for you. He was instructed to do this all while keeping us apart. I wanted to work up the courage to reveal myself, but can you blame me after what I did to our family?”

“He is your kind of man.” Simone glared, unsurprised that her father worked with her old enemy.

“A coward even now, we used to look up to you!” Pierre exclaimed getting his turn to lay into him. “I don’t even remember why we came here…. I know it was to have closure, but, was it worth seeing you again?” The squirrel tailed brother of Simone was very hurt by the years of betrayal at the hands of the man whose sperm mixed with the egg of his mother to begin his existence and his voice unquestionably showed. “I lost my body and became a trash can for years because you never came back! All the while you enjoyed the finest… Whatever the hell it is you 1% types enjoy! I bet you aren’t even a real Star Seeker.”

“You’re right Pierre.” Ximenes looked into his wine glass finishing the last of it. “I wasn’t, it was just so I could get her to let me go. Your mother is a beautiful woman and I truly don’t deserve her but…” The old man put his hands on the shoulders of his son and daughter. “But now that you’re here. What do you want me to do? Say I’m sorry? Play football till it’s all better? Get back with your mother? God if her body’s been restored to what it used to be...”

“Cool down Father of the Year, you know that’s not happening. We just wanted to be sure you were actually here.” Simone kept her eyes on her father. “And to see if you had any shred of dignity left in you. Now we can close the book on you.”

The old man sighed, putting his wine glass on a nearby stand and walking away from them. “Simone-Lucille Adora Bertrand La Skunkette, I’m proud of you for making something of yourself here, for being able to see through the allure of Cape Nord, and for having the courage to do things I couldn’t, become a woman, and more importantly save our family. Above all…” Ximenes paused looking over Simone’s powerful, yet beautiful form adorned in a t-shirt with Samus posing in her zero suit in addition to a mini-skirt showing off her furred green lined legs. So simply and casually dressed yet still the embodiment of such a great force. “For obtaining what I’ve been looking for on this planet, Godhood. As an Integrate you have reached everything I’ve wanted for you Simone. You’ve always taken far more after me than Pierre did. I really hope I can rekindle something between us as father and daughter. Even now you remind me of what I like about me.”

Simone-Lucille was taken aback by this comment and sat down before she hurt him, the skunk was worried that she would kill him if she did. “You’d have a long way to go.” she said, Pierre nodded in agreement finding somewhere else to sit down. The squirrel tailed older sibling was more willing to give his father a chance than his younger sister.

“Yes, well. First off, I know that bitch who stole my prized RIDE is with you, hiding in the room before this one closest to the entrance. I saw him on the camera. I can tell it’s him because I had doctored her picture the security camera took to know what he’d look like if he fused with Buttercup as I thought she would.” Ximenes said, pouring more wine for himself, and two more glasses for Simone and Pierre who drank reluctantly.

James came in right on que having been listening in and looking guilty. “I was hoping I wouldn’t get in trouble while bringing them.”

“You won’t.” Ximenes assured giving a strangely warm and fatherly vibe, one that made Simone and Pierre seem to start to trust him. “To show my children that I can be soft and merciful like when I dearly loved my now ex-wife as deeply as they won’t believe I do now. I will not only drop the charges, but let you keep Buttercup under one condition.”

James was relieved, now he could keep Buttercup, his new friend he spent a month getting attached to. Not only would this mean he would now have his own RIDE, but Buttercup would be free from Ximenes’ abuse. “You.. you mean it?”

“What’s the condition?” Pierre asked draping his long tail over a regal looking loveseat.

“Well, I understand Simone owns her own garage. If she’d be willing to have our thief, Jamie, or James rather, work there to teach him responsibility and he continued it for a few months. I will inform the authorities so that if he tries to welsh he will go to jail, however.” Ximenes sipped his wineglass and closing his eyes as he savoring the flavor of the wine. “You can keep Buttercup regardless. Treasure him well, he’s the most powerful RIDE that my old associate Aristo ever built, well, One of them.”

“Done” Simone declared accepting immediately, trusting James did if he knew what was good for him. “This is a start, but not a very solid one. Though speaking of Aristo, you do know he’s alive again right?”

“No I.. didn’t..” Ximenes said, looking away from Simone and James for a little bit before breathing deeply and looking towards James. “Are you also fine with this deal?”

“I’m fine with it.” James said, wisely doing the smart thing and taking this. He knew he was guilty as hell.

Ximenes paused, and leaned back in his chair thinking, trying to get the subject off of Aristo as quickly as possible. “Simone and Pierre my children. What I did was horrible and I’ve felt guilty about it everyday, honestly had I had any idea my deeds could be forgiven I would have sought it out earlier, but since you’re here I can only do my best.” He said standing up and opening a holo-screen with a mental implant of his, performing a few hand gestures and staring intently at the screen. “Simone, I’m proud of you for bringing Pierre and Marvelle to Zharus, and for bonding with Lucille. The only RIDE I’ve seen more expertly crafted than Buttercup. Does that mean anything to you I wonder? That you have surpassed me and I confess that you are the better man, even as a woman.”

Simone looked down at her legs and back up at Ximenes. “I’m not a very forgiving person Ximenes, you have lost any respect from me as my father, but if Shyver can turn a new leaf I hope you can, I really do.”

“I’m noticing some favoritism here.” Spoke a jealous Pierre wondering why the favoritism, it was never a trait their dad had showed before. “What’s with you focusing only on her?”

Ximenes smiled fiddling with his holoscreen more. “She’s an Integrate, an immortal machine god that I have been trying to become. I’ve been looking for a way to force it as not to have to bond with a RIDE and waste time I don’t have in my old age trying to gain whatever it is that allows that process to happen. I am just curious if she wants to talk about it.”

“Father..” Simone said, feeling strangely warmed up since she came, probably because this phrasing that was just told to her made her realize that she didn’t want to see something awful happen to him. “Bond with a RIDE, befriend one, let them become apart of you. That’s the best way, a forced integration would just make you feel miserable along with the RIDE. You’d be stuck forever as something that isn’t you, something despicable, a souffle of the wrong ingredients.”

“I see.. As you can tell from my lack of tags. I am skeptical of sharing myself like that.” Ximenes scratched his chin. “I want to be all me… that’s part of why I was afraid to bring you here.”

Simone realized at this point she pitied her father more than hated him. “You need to open up to others, only then, can I or anyone respect you.” she said as she got up. “Pierre, I’m going back to my garage. If you want to stay here with him, you may. I’ll just fly back.”

Ximenes put away the holo-screen and walked towards Simone, putting his hand on her head. “Such soft fur… perhaps I can… Someday. Before you go, tell me. Can Marvelle share herself with a RIDE?”

Simone took his hand and lifted it off of herself. “Oui oui, and she was anxious to do so. Heck, she originally wanted to become a man, but changed her mind. She is just as adventurous as ever.” she said, continuing to walk away.

“Mmph… I see. Perhaps that’s something to consider for myself… Being more adventurous I mean, I’m confident that I can live without trying out the fairer sex for myself.” Ximenes opened the holoscreen back up again and made a few more clicks.

Simone stood up and let her Lucille side take over as she posed and smiled, spinning around slowly as she stretched. “I don’t know Ximenes, I used to be quite the manly man myself. Yet I don’t want to go back…. Well except during roleplays or the occasional off-days, but that’s what my hardlight generator is for. You might find you enjoy it.”

Ximenes chuckled to himself. “I doubt it, anyway, she likely needs a place to live as I know they haven’t been found of RIDEs in Venars, moreso than the rest of Laurasia, but still I mean they even have laws against cross-riding now. So you can’t have that much money, so I bought your mother a mansion in Venars, the least I could do… I’m sending the coordinates to your commcode, my camera detects those…”

“Merci beaucoup…” Simone said, taking James with her as she returned to Venars.

James had nothing to say to Ximenes and thus kept quiet as the Bertrands spoke following Simone out who carried him back to Venars as she flew, holding James in her arms like Superman holding Lois Lane. Simone mostly stayed quiet during the flight until James finally felt like saying something. Something that didn’t take place till she got over a temporary bout of acrophobia, the new man had flown before just not in someone’s arms. “...So I guess I work for you now?”

“Oui…” Simone-Lucille said, her mind elsewhere. “Do vous think there’s any hope for him? Ximenes I mean.”

“I don’t know, I’d like to think so. I was never on good terms with my dad, he’s always pushing me to find a real job or marry someone who has one.” James said, still not entirely sure Simone wasn’t going to drop him. “Overall it’s just that... It’s obvious he wanted a son... that’s the heart of it, maybe he’ll finally care about me.”

“Maybe…” Simone said deep in thought, pondering what Pierre was talking to their paternal figure from childhood about. “Maybe..” James could tell that the skunk was barely invested in what he had to tell her, her mind stuck on her father. Her memories literally replaying in her mind of the day that he left on his so called pilgrimage. The family was so proud of him for his commitment to the faith he had found, perhaps it was the fact that Ximenes never returned to his family that made Simone the strong atheist that she was.

Over the course of the next few days James worked for Simone, not returning to Kyotokyo the whole time. Mostly not looking forward to actually physically seeing her old friends as a male or bringing a RIDE into Kyotokyo which has always historically despised RIDEs. Simone was very quick in revealing to the town that she had been an Integrate all along and wasn’t dead, which resulted in far less fanfare than any of them had expected as a lot of people thought dead were revealed to have been hidden Integrates, she got her garage to work quickly setting Kane, Paula-Ruby, and of course James himself to work. James found he actually liked it, especially once they started getting a rhythm going.

Simone-Lucille was clearly the leader, encouraging Kane, Paula-Ruby, and James to do their jobs, catering to the customers and using her beauty which she had much of between her statuesque figure, long hair, and large bust, to sway them into going for more expensive RIDE, repair, and upgrade options. Something she took much delight into doing, though her fiance Shyver seemed to dislike it whenever he came by during work hours. It was quite the distraction seeing Shyver get jealous as Simone got friendly with the customers, everytime it happened all three of them watched him get flustered while she laughed at him and reminded him that she was Pleasure Support Armor and he needed to remember that just because she was polyamorous didn’t mean she’d just sleep with anyone and everyone. Shyver never seemed to be swayed by this entirely, James didn’t think too much about it much after Buttercup informed him how territorial men can be and it was just Shyver’s way of showing he loved her. Despite her overly flirtatious nature and approach, James became quite impressed with her ability to make good business calls and her skill with RIDEs when the four were backed up even without using her technomancey type abilities to work on them, overall, Simone was an amazing boss.

Next was Kane. Luckily James’ crossing didn’t impact their friendship too much, sometimes he’d go with him to the bar when Pierre came by to take them there to scout for women. Kane and Pierre had a few conquests, but James wasn’t really that comfortable with his manhood yet. Kane and Pierre seemed very close and James noticed that this was Kane’s biggest weakness as he never got anything done with him around. This along with how strange Pierre acted around Simone sometimes made James skeptical of his character as he swore that Pierre had sexual feelings for his own sister. Not that James could blame Pierre as his own libido flared up at her a few times, especially when Simone was flirtatious to him and Kane, something James just accepted that Simone just does whether she meant anything by it or not. It was likely an Integrate thing, so he dwell on the thought of it.

Kane did have other weaknesses such as him feeling strange around Paula-Ruby, something about Paula having been Paul once on Earth and Kane knowing her like that for years as opposed to just a few hours like when he knew James as Jamie and his refusal to get a RIDE despite how much he liked being with Prometheus. Kane did however use nanites to lose the weight he was given, he kept the tags though. The one strength Kane did seem to possess was that if he was told to do something he wouldn’t question it, this did lead to another weakness as if Simone was the one who gave the instruction Kane would do it exactly as she wanted even if he saw a better way or if it was obvious Simone had made a mistake in her calculations.

Paula-Ruby was the biggest mystery as it seemed like she was still having troubles setting a real identity for herself, though she did seem to genuinely want to take care of people. Always wanting to lend a hand when one of the others was in trouble. James couldn’t make heads or tails of her outside of her having skill with this job, though not her powers so much as she didn’t use them and even when she did the effect wasn’t as obvious as Simone’s. Simone had to leave the garage a few times to run errands, once this happened either Paula was in charge as Shyver didn’t have as much experience running the garage as Paula.

While taking over for Simone, Paula didn’t make as many sales but she did get Kane and James working a lot harder yet not feeling as though she was being bossy. If anything it was the opposite, Paula-Ruby had this special air about her that made Kane and James want to give 110% because they felt like it, not like they felt obligated. That said Paula was still a bit of a klutz and a few projects did have to be done again from the beginning due to her mistakes. James still had ire towards her for putting in the aroma and spray into a skunk backwards causing the poor mephit’s insides to overheat and made him and Kane spend two hours fixing him after having already spent three hours getting to the point where Paula messed up. Needless to say Simone was not there for that as it was certain a skunk being repaired was easy for someone who could get it right from remembering their own blueprints.

Finally Shyver did work there too, but he was mostly an accountant who handled the billing and kept track of funding. James didn’t see him much unless he came by during his freetime to see Simone. All James thought of him was that he was definitely not the one who wore the pants in his and Simone’s relationship, beyond that he really had no opinion on the guy good or bad. Prometheus, Shyver’s RIDE was pretty cool though and gave James and the others company if Simone and him seemed exceptionally busy in a purely work related manner, otherwise he stayed with Shyver as apparently Prometheus had a thing for Simone’s RIDE-Half Lucille.

This was all the observations of her coworkers James had made during the week in Venars, having slept in the sleeping quarters in the garage which Simone no longer used due to living with her family in the mansion Ximenes bought. As they learned all of this from first hand experience and just making careful observations James and Buttercup found more than enough ways to be helpful. Buttercup’s strength was that he could help James stay calm and focused even if something messed up, James was being overly observant and noticing smaller details that would have lead to big problems had he not been by, a skill his co-workers loved him for.

At the end of the first week, the garage was visited by Ximenes and a member of the Venars PD in a vixen fuser holding a rifle to check on things. Simone didn’t seem to enjoy this at all though tolerated it as they were here to make sure James was holding his end of the deal.

James was called to the front of the garage the second he was called for, where he found Simone and Ximenes arguing. “Vous know zis isn’t appreciated, if James didn’t show up I’d tell you! He’s the best of my workers. Merde, I’m actually about to give him some time off, he’s been away from his home for a good while too long for his age.”

Ximenes shrugged before leaning on a cane he had brought with him to lean on. “Well, perhaps I was overzealous, maybe I just wanted an excuse to see my daughter.”

The officer looked over James seeing him still here and having heard what Simone said she wrote down something in her vixen RIDE mentally and announced she had seen all she needed to if Ximenes had resulting in him dismissing her though he stayed behind.

Simone shook her head at her father as he stood there. Ximenes… What are you really doing here?”

James just stood there waiting to be dismissed, mostly to comfort Simone if she needed it. It was obvious that the skunk had no desire to see her father, James didn’t blame her as he got a terrible feeling around him.

Ximenes smiled. “Well that pizza joint that opened last week is ran by my old business partner and I figured I’d visit him. While in the neighborhood I thought I’d invite my old family out for dinner.” he said as he looked over Simone with delight to see her.

“Oui, that Fazbear place.. I can’t believe Aristo actually had the nerve to open it RIGHT ACROSS FROM MY GARAGE! Anyway I’ll talk to maman about it.” Simone said irritated as she gritted her teeth. “James has been working hard, you have what you want. Go away.”

“Fine…” Ximenes said sounding disappointed, he told James to keep up the good work as he left, that being the only mind he paid him the whole visit.

Simone sat back in a wheeled office chair exhaling as she turned to James glad that she wasn’t left alone with her father, even if he was gone quick. “Thank vous for staying with me, I know you didn’t do much but it meant a lot… I want to give him a chance like I did Shyver, but.. Shyver only hurt me… emotionally and physically.. Ximenes hurt all of us leaving us on Earth like zat. I don’t even believe in souls, yet I know that mine was hurt by him, maimed even.”

James nodded, not sure what more to do. “I don’t really know much about Earth, never been nor did I care to learn much about it.” Most of what he was doing was trying to hide the erection that Simone’s form was giving him, it had been a little bit but he still wasn’t used to controlling the actions of his member. James had often heard jokes about men thinking with their dicks and now he knew they weren’t jokes, this phallus of his did seem to think for itself. Here James was trying to converse with Simone and his groin was bothering him to try and tell him that it’d be neat if she bent over to get a tool from the bottom shelf again. Hiding this conversation between James and his penis was necessary as James had inherited certain stereotypes about stallions from his RIDE.

“It sucks.” Simone said without any kind of flair as she made a paper airplane out of hardlight and threw it bored trying to keep her mind off of Earth, watching it dissolve as it landed. “You can leave whenever you want. Take the next two weeks off, go see your family…. Tell them they have a son, brother, uncle, nephew, whatever… You know.. For what it’s worth, you are rather handsome.” the skunk integrate said, staring off into space, bummed out over having to see her father.

“Merci beaucoup? Well uhh Yes ma’am, I think I’ll do that now.” James said, not sure how to cheer his boss up or if she even needed it. The horse tagged young man called Buttercup from the back and was out of Venars, hoping to meet Sho at the Cafe 90’s if she was up for it.

“Oh, and James.” Simone smiled a little.

“Yes ma’am?” James turned around, Buttercup by his side.

“Du Rien.” Simone said with a laugh.

‘Du Rien?” James asked not sure what that meant.

“It’s Francais for ‘you’re welcome’, it made me smile that you seemed to show an attempt to speak in my mother tongue.” The skunk said before James left.

-Thirty Minutes Later-

Sho jumped at the chance to see her new male friend James and the two met at their favorite hangout not getting much in the way of privacy as people stared at his tags and at Buttercup. Kyotokyo frowned upon RIDEs for making people less human, which was the only reason that James never had one until now as he had always cared deeply for them. The young man tried his best to look away from the stares, giving Buttercup re-assuring pats near his horn. “It’s okay boy, they’re scared, but they won’t hurt you. I promise.” James said to the obviously uncomfortable stallion.

Sho and James sat at their usual table silently waiting for the other to break the silence. Buttercup waiting outside due to the restaurant not being built with RIDEs in mind. The two just say there, Sho staring at James’ new body, and James’ staring at Sho’s kid-on-Christmas eyes. After a few minutes of this facial expression ping-pong Sho finally decided to go for it and speak.

“So… You’re a man now.” Sho said with a smile on her face, she seemed actually rather joyous about the situation. “That’s cool! At first I thought it was weird, I didn’t wanna say anything.. but I don’t have many male friends so this may be fun. If you don’t vanish again that is.”

James didn’t really know what to say, he was a man, was there anything else to add on to that? “I’m doing parole for stealing Buttercup, though they did let me keep him. I’ll be gone in two weeks.” he said, tapping on the table bored. “I won’t be able to do any missions because of this though.”

“Understandable, especially since the guest list at that festival was left behind and now a lot of us have gone underground. So maybe its Kami’s way of telling us we’ve earned a break.” Sho agreed, keeping her eyes on James’ form judging the job the nanites did, he seemed rather handsome very no nonsense and focused like a real man. Paradoxically Jamie’s constant on the ready demeanor made her seem serious and tough, but when James did it was cute almost like he was a puppy dog looking to brighten up your day. It seemed so natural and yet so forced both at the same time. “What’s it like?”

James knew this question was coming and had actually prepared his answer in advance. “Well… I feel more confident, I find it easier to worry less and just focus on the here and now. Must be the hormones.” The horse tagged man said gathering his thoughts and assessing the last week and month. “I feel more comfortable without a bra, though my thingamajig gets in the way sometimes, it’s like I traded clutter on top for clutter on the bottom though the clutter on the bottom is far more itchy and I have to keep adjusting it. The itch goes away after awhile though and if you let yourself get distracted you can kind of forget there’s anything there but, it’s still weird having a growth where previously I had an orifice. If it weren’t for the brain rewiring I think it’d drive me crazy, even with it I’m not sure how men can get this thing to behave.... Especially if I see something I like… I haven’t really figured out my sexuality but, the girl I’m working for on parole is…. she’s… I don’t want to get hard remembering....” After thinking for a bit he decided to pause to let Sho ask specifics.

“I see, and how are the erections?” Sho asked, her mind in the gutter, about her friend but she was feeling somewhat adventurous.

James blushed as he spoke. “Well they’re big and powerful, kind of irritating. Once it’s there you HAVE to take care of it or it’ll throb with.. need. Hard to adjust your crotch during one without feeling like you could break it off. It’s very different from the other equipment as it just dangles about. Still not sure how I’m supposed to sit really.” His blushing became far redder as he recalled various embarrassing incident back at work with his colleagues Paula and Simone. ESPECIALLY Simone, Anytime she flirted with him it got him off, he was very much attracted to her though in the interest of professionalism he tried to hide it from her, she wondered if she knew anyway being that she was a crossrider herself and knew what men are like from experience. “Guys really aren’t kidding when they say it isn’t their fault, anytime I get aroused by anything it just starts by itself. Hell sometimes it happens for no reason at all!”

Sho listened with interest, feeling a bit daring with James in ways she didn’t think she would until he was right in front of her. “I see and.. Have you… used it yet?”

“No…” James said looking away from his friend. “I mean I’ve, yanked it, but…”

Sho smiled and looked up and down her friend’s body feeling quite turned on by him, she admired how Jamie thought and acted, yet she was a woman. Part of why Sho liked Jamie was she was everything she wanted in a guy, but as a female friend allowing her to look up to her and not feel odd about her. Sho told herself that she’d try not to make it weird, but here was a man just like Jamie so it was at least worth a shot. “Do you like girls?” she asked, putting her foot again James’.

“Sho, I thought our relationship was.. simpler than this…” James said nervously, not sure if he wanted this to go into this direction.

“It was, but, damn it. You’re kind of a hunk and I’ve always admired who you were on the inside...“ Sho swooned over her partner in crime. ‘I want to be brave like you and try….” the woman said standing up and lifting the skirt of her school uniform in James’ direction. “Do you want to?”

James swallowed, his member stiffening. Jamie was a heterosexual, James wasn’t sure what he was just that he definitely liked girls, especially when Sho bent over pretending to pick up a quarter. “You’re cheating.” he declared.

“I know I am.” Sho laughed, taking advantage of James’ unfamiliar emotions to see how far this could go, this didn’t feel awkward or forced so she rolled with this flirtation. “But the question is are you as curious as I am?”

James couldn’t fight the testosterone, Sho was slender, well built, had a round backside, and a look on her face that seemed to touch the cross-rider in just the right way. Sho was just too cute and he was never so close with her as to really connect as best friends, just partners who happened to be good friends, acquaintances really, the highest you could connect with someone while still being their acquaintance, so it wouldn’t be that awkward. His heart was beating five times faster than normal as he weighed his options. Was this really how men felt around an attractive woman? Did he ever do this to some guy when he was a she and not realize it? That thought actually made him feel kind of bad for any cockteasing that happened without her knowledge because of her being in the wrong place at the wrong time for some bloke who had this ticking timebomb attached to them.

The two stepped out of the booth and wrapped their arms around one another, rubbing down each other’s backs. Both of them looked at one another for a solid five seconds before James finally thought with what men have used for thinking for millenia and kissed Sho deeply letting instinct take over, the two snapping out of it only when Sho broke out of it to suggest they find somewhere private. At this time of day James’ father was at work and his mother had passed when he was a kid, so they went there, straight to his room.

Once there Sho jumped onto James’ bed back first after stripping down to her undies. “This was a gamble, but I think you’re glad I went with it.” she smiled as James looked over her admiring her form as he stripped himself completely naked his muscles and more eyebrow raising to Sho, his genitals had been very obvious in the fact they were created by a horse, in both size and shape. It still looked very human, but his member had a few equine elements to it, especially around the head and foreskin.

An hour later Sho and James were cuddling proud of the former’s experiment as they felt quite fulfilled. Sho feeling sated and at rest, James feeling powerful and accomplished, he had had sex as a woman and so far he liked the after feeling as the male sex. The same preference went towards the act itself as it felt more like a challenge, like he was actively journeying through the world of eroticism instead of depending on a man’s guidance. It reminded him of when he was out saving RIDEs in his rescue missions, only now it was erotic and with more passion.

Sho had become quite enamored and satisfied by James’ performance, nibbling on him before asking the million dollar question. “So was it still good in the male sex?”

James laughed. “Loved it, it was breathtaking. I felt like I was being challenged to orgasm and I just couldn’t lose… It wasn’t as intense as a female one when it happened, but.. damn I felt like I was Goku firing off a Kamehameha Wave ….” he felt Sho’s arms wrapped around him as he decided to finish his thoughts. “I don’t think you’d be into it…” he smiled, just enjoying the snuggling which went on for a few minutes until his father did get home. James had been waiting for this confrontation, whelp, at least he’d be in a good mood while dealing with him. Even if that good mood started to fade as he got dressed, he was not looking forward to speaking with his father. “Sho, you should probably come with me. It might help.”

James went to the living room of his small house with Sho by his side, wanting to get there before his dad did as Buttercup was standing there charging by an outlet. Luckily he did and sat on the couch by where the horse was energizing just as his father walked in and right up to the three with a judging look on his face. “...James I take it? And you brought the RIDE in this house…”

“I’ve decided to keep him, but I do use him for a job I have over in Venars… I’m going to be staying there a lot, but I’ll visit here. The garage has a place for me to sleep and everything.” James said calmly hoping for this to go over as well as it could. It wasn’t the sex change he thought his father would have issue with so much as him being arrested and being away for so long. His dad always did tell him that RIDE Rescue would get him into trouble, and he just didn’t want to hear I-told-you-so. All he really needed to do was convince him to let him keep Buttercup.

“I see….” James’ father said to himself thinking about this. “...Well son, I figured this would happen with your hobby. And well I…” The man thought to himself for a moment weighing the situation. “You know what, as long as long as you’re working hard I don’t think I care.” and walked away fixing himself something to eat.

“...I thought he would give me more shit than that…” James said dumbfounded by the easiness of that.

Sho shrugged “Yeah I’ve never seen him that chill… maybe you were right, he did just want a son.”

“..Still I thought he’d say something about the RIDE.” James still couldn’t get over the simplicity of what just happened.

“Well if he’s not worried about it, I wouldn’t be.” Buttercup observed, looking up from a chatroom for a brief moment to give his two cents.

“Your unicorn is right. If your dad isn’t being an asshole for once we shouldn’t question it.” Sho said, snuggling up to James. “Come on, we have to throw you a crossover party.” her voice had a hint of seduction to it, James had a feeling that party wasn’t going to happen for awhile as long as Sho was all over him like this.

“So are we dating?” James asked for clarifcation.

“I think so.” Sho answered with a kiss still feeling woozy from taking the largest rod of her life. “Hehe, what’s that twencen song we heard at the Cafe 90’s once? The one that made everyone go silent while you and me laughed? I just had sex! And it feeeeelt so goooood! A woman let me put my…. Wait no I think that’s your line.”

“But I recently swapped genders… Doesn’t matter had sex!” James laughed as he sung that part to the tone and began to gear the conversation in a new direction. “Hey… well I’m glad you had fun with that, but maybe we should get our minds out of the gutter…” James said looking down at himself. “I’m not a machine, though I am hungry… I don’t think we ever got a chance to eat at the restaurant…”

“Ya know, a spinach and ham omelette with a side of crunch berries sounds amazing right now.” Sho said in anticipation of filling her other lips.

“I heard that!” James responded, taking Sho outside and helping her onto his horse so the two could ride him the old fashioned way back to the diner. The two had just worked up a monster of an appetite.

Two weeks later James would return to Venars and go back to work, with a lot to think about and yet nothing to think about. His dad wasn’t dicking him around at all nor appeared angry with what had occurred, and what had occurred was mostly positive for him. James had a RIDE, a girlfriend, a job he liked, and found that he actually enjoyed the male sex, he felt guilty that he wasn’t rescuing RIDEs, but he’d try to find a way to work that in. For now he had to work at a job that wasn’t that bad for a parole job.