[Writing] Wishes to Gods

[Bigmouthstrikes]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------Wishes to Gods: Part 1--------------------------------------------------------



Loki smiled as he sipped a cup of coffee. Devious thoughts ran through his head. "So...they're here in "Chicago", are they? The rings containing our powers." He asked, coolly.

"It would appear that way." The gorgeous woman sitting across from him said with a pout.

"Scattered among the mortals in this city."

"And we have no way of tracking these rings." He restated.

"No...we'll have to wait for them to be used. Follow any leads we hear about." She said. "I already have many of my worshipers combing the land in search of rumor."

"I'm sure the others have done the same." Loki added. "I wonder how far you trust those worshipers..."

"Don't be a fool, Loki." The woman snapped. "My worshipers will come through. It will be only a matter of time before the mortals lead us to them."

Loki grinned. "I have no doubts." As the woman left his company, Loki smiled. Around Olympus, Asgard and the Sun Temple, the word was out that the rings that sealed the powers of 8 gods had been stolen and thrown down to earth. That meant that 8 Gods' powers were up for grabs. By the end of the week, every deity, servant, creature and warlock between here and Cairo would be pouring into Chicago to try to grab a bit of power. Allies and enemies alike would be combing the city for any word on the whereabouts of the rings. It would be chaos. And there was nothing Loki loved more than chaos. He smiled at the thought before finishing his drink and leaving the Chicago coffee house. The world wasn't going to know what hit it. Meanwhile, unsuspecting humans fated to cross paths with the rings, and the trouble they would bring, were all beginning to start their days...


Part I: Something Wicked….

Chapter 1 – University Dorm
Lyle awoke to familiar sensations. A swimming head, a queasy stomach and the sting of petrified contact lenses glued to his undoubtedly red eyes. He sat up quickly, nearly losing his balance as he teetered on the edge of his uncomfortable dorm bunk. Sunlight came in under the blinds to reveal that his roommate, a 19 year old freshman, had already left. He let out the audible first groan of the morning, which would inevitably be followed by many more throughout the day.

The memories of the previous evening were a shuffled puzzle to him. They were scattered, incomplete stories. Some of them had enough pieces attached to them that they made some sense, while others seemed to make no sense out of context. Some were only flashes, and some were not there at all. It had started simply enough. The cute girl from the University Bookstore had asked him to a drink or two at a local bar. He knew it wouldn't progress beyond a few drinks, but he liked the girl enough to compel him to go anyway. Being a Wednesday night, he hadn't expected to have much, but then again, he never woke up feeling like this without something having gone awry.

Wait a minute. He thought, Wednesday…shit!

He bolted upright and lunged down from his bed. His stomach lurched as his feet hit the ground, and for a moment, he thought he might throw up. He knew that running would only make his stomach feel worse, but he had no time to placate it. He threw on a hoody over his dirty white t-shirt, stumbled for some socks and rushed out the door shoving on shoes as he went. He took a furtive glance at his blue, digital alarm clock, and saw that it read 11:38. He sighed, knowing that even if even running at breakneck pace to the English lecture hall, he wasn't going to make it in time to take his Myth and Culture test. He sighed, and walked off in slow trod. He was resigned.

When he left the dorm, he had no idea where he was going. He might get lunch. He might go to his professor and beg her for a chance to retake. This thought lead to an internal discussion about what excuse he would use, if he even bothered to put up a fight at all. He debated all of these possibilities, but made no move to do anything substantial, and instead, walked without aim.

Chicago in October was cold and dreary. The bright colors of the fallen leaves served a stark contrast the perpetually gray sky and dead trees. Direct sunlight hadn't struck the earth in weeks, straining through a thin layer of gloomy clouds. Lyle hated this weather. It always seemed to match his mood.
As he walked across campus, slowly resigning himself to a failed test, he caught sight of someone who changed his frown into a small smile. To anyone else, Olivia Bowman would be unremarkable. She was thin, but possessed no real figure, which her boyish style of dress did little to compensate to compensate for. She had short-ish black hair that framed a cute, pixie like face on which sat a pair of black, square framed glasses. Most men didn't think twice when they saw her, but she was Lyle's best friend.

"Hey Lyle!" She said with a smile. She waved, and her scarf blew behind her.

"Hey, Libby." He replied.

"Shouldn't you be in Tei's class?"

"We had a test. I got out early." He said with the kind of shrug that she had not yet figured out meant he was lying. He didn't want her to know about the cute girl from the bookstore, or the missed test that he was currently fearing may force his graduation back another semester.

"I was just about to text you." She said. "Wanna get lunch?"

Lyle had been thinking about food for some time. The queasiness of his stomach was such that it seemed it would reject anything foreign, but he figured it might just help.

"Lunch would be great." He said. She smiled, and together they walked off to their favorite diner.

[Blaze]

That was really good BMS!

Look forward to more. Hit me up if you need more help.

[Marky]

Wow, very nice, man. I'm really looking forward to more of this story.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Chapter 2 – Mt. Olympus

"I don't understand why we couldn't have the meeting in Asgard" The bearded God grumbled. "Believe me when I say that nobody cares what happens to Loki there."

He trudged up the side of the mountain with a beautiful blonde woman at his side. She had long, flowing hair that fell to her knees like a golden waterfall, and a slightly muscular build. She sighed as the one eyed god complained.

"It's not Loki that Zeus was worried about, All-Father. It was anyone else who might want his power." She knew that it was not convenience that he missed by not holding the meeting in his own home, but rather the control. "Zeus is a vain playboy. I'm confident that you'll be the one in charge."

The God simply gave a chuckle of acknowledgement. As the pair reached the peak, they found a cave and wandered inside. The goddess lit a torch off the necklace that hung against her bosom and the cavern lit up. The cave wall stopped 10 feet into the cavern, and had a small yellow gate painted on it. The God pulled a spear from his back and prodded it. Immediately, the gate grew, consuming the wall and transforming it into a gate itself. He pushed it open for her, and they stepped through it together.

Within moments, the pair was engulfed in white light. As it dissipated, they found themselves standing in a large, comfortable looking quarter that was at present, populated by a number of characters sitting around a large table. The blonde goddess recognized most of them. The pretty, pale skinned woman in a long silk kimono was Amaterasu. She was stroking the head of a large feathered serpent who went by the name of Quetzalcoatl whose eyes glowed of thunder. Amadioha, tall, powerful looking god with skin the color of obsidian, sat quietly, thinking to himself. Missing from the picture was the powerful Sun God of Sumer, but in his place sat his consort Ki. She was hard looking woman with a bountiful figure and skin the color of brown earth. At the moment, she looked very angry. The Falcon headed god Ra sat cross legged on his chair next to a large throne at the head of the table at which sat the Thunder God Zeus. His wife stroked his long hair from behind him, and glowered at her as she entered.

"Odin! Freya!" He greeted "Now that you two are here, we can begin." They took their places at the large table, Odin sitting at the head as Freya took a seat next to Amaterasu. She had always liked the Japanese deity, and the two frequently met for tea together.

"So. Now that everyone is here, I'm sure you know why I called this meeting." He said. "As you know, the rings containing the sealed powers of 9 gods have been released into the world. I should not
have to tell you that if those powers are possessed by mortals long enough, we risk them gaining mastery."

"It should not have happened." Snapped Ki. "Had you not stolen his power, Anu could have prevented this. It is an outrage that you would strip a fellow creator of his powers."

"He knew the rules." Hissed the serpent in a high, raspy voice. "We are not to interfere in the lives of humans. I watched my own people be slaughtered by the white man and did nothing. There was no excuse."

Ki became quiet. Odin spoke up next. "What I want to know is how the rings were stolen from Olympus in the first place. Only Gods have access to the armory. I don't mean to question your security, Zeus, but it's something you should have noticed."

"I haven't the time to be in all places at once, Odin." He shot back.

Freya was next to jump in. "It matters little now who released the rings or how they were able to do it. Let us stop bickering now and talk of a contingency. What powers are available to the mortals? If the God is in your pantheon, identify him and give us a hint about what the ring is capable of."

Zeus started. "Two of our deities' rings have escaped. Aphrodite's ring will grant the wearer beauty and the ability to grant beauty to others. If it is wished on, all wishes will be twisted to fit a theme of sensuality. Fortuna's, the goddess of luck has lost hers as well. Hers will grant the wearer either great or poor fortune, depending on the day. Any wishes made with it on will either be granted exactly as intended or backfire horribly. She always was a gambler, that Fortuna."

Odin spoke next, a smug grin on his face. "Loki's ring will play tricks on its wearer, and he who requests a wish of it will find it twisted in ways he does not expect."

Amaterasu smiled and said "The ring of Buddai has been stolen from us. Being a god of giving and fortune, his ring will only grant the wishes of those around the wearer. It grants nothing to the wearer himself."

The Serpent hissed "Chaac is a god of the land. He required a sacrifice of children from my people in exchange for good harvests. Anything granted to the human who possesses his ring will be received at a cost of something valuable."

"I have lost the ring of Ikenga." The black skinned African God said. "He is our God of time. Any man possessing that ring will be a master of time."

"That sounds dangerous." Odin said.

"No man can truly own time." Amadioha explained. "As long as he is to stay a man, he will not be able to control it."

"Moving along," Ra said collectedly, "The goddess of balance, Ma'at's power is a power not in the control of her ringbearer. It cannot create nor destroy, only alter within the bounds of the world as it exists."

"And what does that mean for the human who bears the ring?" Zeus asked.

"It means that if one is to make a wish, it can only be granted without changing the world. If a man wishes to be rich he would find himself in the place of another man who is already rich rather than magically becoming rich himself." Ra explained. "The world cannot be changed. Only one's role in the world can be changed."

At that moment, another God came in. He was tall and bore light brown skin. His face was covered in linear markings. Freya recognized him vaguely as the Rangi, a sky god from the Eastern Seas.

"Did you start without me?" He asked, taking a seat. The other gods did not acknowledge him. Freya sighed. The pantheons formed such a boy's club, and it was not yet trendy to include the multitude of Oceanic deities as equals to the other gods.

"You're here now. Speak." Odin said gruffly

The god seemed largely unphaised by this treatment. "Uenuku the rainbow. He is a God who received everything he wished, but took advantage of it and became greedy. Now his power punishes those who wield it by granting their desires only to snatch them away."

Ki finally spoke, still obviously bitter. "Anu's power is absolute. It will grant the bearer whatever he desires."

"That's it then. Those are the powers that we are dealing with." Zeus stated. "Now, I have a plan that involves sending my nymphs to Earth to collect the rings."

"And why should it be your followers who do this?" Quetzalcoatl argued. "So you can have the leverage over our brothers when the rings are returned?"

The gods proceeded to bicker amongst themselves for a time. There were arguments about how to resolves the situation. The Gods, of course, could not interfere directly or they too would lose their powers. This lead to infighting about who should be sent amongst followers and accusations that each was trying to take advantage of the situation. After nearly an hour of listening to the other Gods yell at each other, Freya stood up and left the table, Amaterasu following her.

"Are you going to meet with Athena?" She asked Freya.

"Yes." She said. "Round up the women."

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Chapter 3 – Johnny's Bar and Grill

The diner across the street from campus looked as if it had been frozen in time 50 years ago. It had a shiny, chrome exterior that framed two large, revolving glass doors. A neon sign hung above them
that read "Jonny's Bar and Grill". The smell of beef and French fries greeted them as they entered. It had always been Olivia's favorite place near campus, aside from that small, adobe Japanese restaurant that used to be a Mexican joint. She had really wanted to go there, but Lyle had refused in a way that seemed oddly suspicious.

A red haired waitress led them to their seats. Her name was Ashley and Olivia had had a class with her way back when they were both freshmen. Olivia had remembered her being a bit of an airhead, and kind of a bitch. As they followed Ashley, she could see Lyle visibly tense up. As she looked around, she saw why. Sitting in a booth with a large order of food around him was a portly Japanese man. She recognized him immediately as Dr. Tei, whom Lyle had for Myth and Culture and she had taken poetry with some time ago. As they passed, he made eye contact with them and waved slightly. The two continued onto their own booth. She couldn't help but stare as he sat, but quickly pretended she wasn't when their eyes met. She secretly relished the moments they got alone, even if they were a little strange for her.

"I texted Dylan. He should be here in a bit." He said.

"Awesome!" She said with a fake smile. Dylan Dixon was their best friend, and third part of their triumvirate. She had no inherent problem with Dylan being around; point of fact, she quite enjoyed his company. But still…she had been looking forward to some one on one time with Lyle. She wondered sometimes if he was completely oblivious to the extra mile she went to be around him, or completely uninterested in it.

She was not left to her thoughts for long when a Dr. Tei approached their table. He was slightly fat, with a large, round belly, and he appeared totally hairless. He walked with a slight shuffle, but always kept a smile on his face.

"I did not see you in class today Mr. Hendricks." He spoke "Are you aware that we took a test today?"
Olivia felt a pang of anger at this revelation. Lyle was a good guy, but only toward others. He was constantly falling short on himself, and as a result, lying to cover his hyde for it.

"I meant to email you before I left." Lyle said, his voice taking an artificial turn toward miserable. "I was sick all morning."

"I have no doubt this is truth." Dr. Tei said in his Asian accent that had provided the punch line to many a joke in the English Department, "Though I also doubt you are ailed by anything medicinal."
Lyle shifted uncomfortably. "No, I think I've got a bit of a stomach bug."

Dr. Tei grinned broadly. "You get well and come to my office. I am a forgiving instructor, you see. You will have chance to make up exam."

At this, Lyle seemed to cheer up considerably. "Thank you Dr. Tei."

The professor waved his hand at him and walked off with a grin. As he left, Olivia began to object. "You should have told me that-"

She had no sooner started than a portly young man took a seat next to them. It was Dylan. He wore thin glasses and had curly, dirty red hair. He was overweight, and could always be found wearing one of about 7 different t-shirts and one of about 3 ratty pair of jeans. He was not an attractive man, but he had a good heart and Olivia had always respected how well he treated people in spite of how poorly they treated him.

"Hey guys." He said taking a seat. He looked slightly out of breath as he spoke. "Why weren't you in class today dude? Didn't you know we had a test."

"I was just about to talk to him about that." Olivia said sternly.

Lyle looked frustrated at this point. "Look, I know, and I'm taking care of it. Can we just get some food now?"

Olivia was still not satisfied, but let the topic go. Ashley returned to their table and took their orders. Olivia requested a chicken salad, Lyle a bacon cheeseburger and French fries, and Dylan a large bowl of chili. The three ate in relative silence.

"So what do we want to do tonight?" Dylan finally asked. "There's no school tomorrow. I think we should have some fun."

"I think we should go out tonight." She suggested. It had been some time since they had all gone out bar crawling together, and when they didn't she was left alone and rather bored.

"I don't think I have plans." Lyle said. "So I'd be game."

"Who do you even have plans with anyway?" Dylan asked. "We're your best friends."

"Honestly." She added, whilst giving him that look that she knew got him to do things. Dylan didn't know about the night a month ago in which the two of them had gone out drinking together. They started the evening in a bar with some mutual friends, but ended it drunk in each other's arms at her apartment. It was the first time in the 2 years she'd known him that she felt that what she'd always wanted was finally happening. However, since the night, which she now referred to as Black Friday when talking about it to friends, nothing had happened, business went on as usual, and the two had never spoken a word to one another regarding the ordeal. It hung on the tip of her tongue constantly. Sometimes, she had to stop and fight the urge to just stand up and scream "Goddamnit, Lyle, when are you going to just step up and deal with this!"

"Alright. I'm game for whatever." He said. "I don't have a whole lot of time anyway, I guess."

"Yay!" Dylan added with a clap. And then with an alarmingly fake serious tone added "I demand O'Connely's"

The trio finished their food and left a tip on the table. One by one, they got up, went to the counter to pay their bills. While Dylan fumbled with his credit card, Olivia observed the small group of vending machines that lined the wall. She wiggled her foot slightly as her moth sifted to the right side of her face.

"Uh oh. I know that look." Lyle said with a smile. "You're thinking about the claw machine, aren't you?"

"Mmhhmm." She said, stretching her arm out behind her. "Give me a quarter."

"Sure thing." He said, dropping on in her hand.

As Dylan finished paying, she marched over to the claw machine. It was filled with stuffed animals of all kinds and several plastic balls that could be split open for the prizes inside. She inserted her coins and took hold of the arm. 25 seconds on the clock.

24…23…22…

Olivia took aim. She spotted a fuzzy blue turtle with cute, black eyes and decided that come hell or high water, she was going home with it.

21…20…19…18

Her friends watching intently, she moved the claw along its rigid track, doing her best to position it over the turtle's head.

17…16…15…

She pressed the button and the claw lowered. It gripped the turtle's head and pulled it upward, leaving the entire weight of its lower body pulling it down.

14…13…12…

Halfway back to the reset position, the turtle broke free, tumbling back to the ground. The claw reached reset, and Olivia found she could move it again.

"Do any of you have enough change for me to go again?" She asked.

"No." Said Lyle, "I don't." Dylan similarly shook his head.

11…10…9…

She jerked the claw once more, bringing it as close as she could. She knew it was centered enough to grab the turtle, but she was running out of time, damnit!

8…7…6…

The claw dropped again, this time impacting the turtle and sliding past it. Olivia let out a grunt of frustration before the claw came up, revealing a small plastic capsule delicately balancing in between the prongs.

5…4…3…

The claw finally drew into the reset position and opened up. The capsule fell down the cute and clattered into the receiving tray. She quickly grabbed it popped it open.

Looking back, Olivia should have realized that it was the strangest thing. And even when it happened, part of her knew that it was pretty bizarre, though she had no way of knowing at the time just how bizarre it was. As the cheap, plastic capsule cracked open, three heavy, plain looking gold bands dropped from it, landing square in her hand. They had no markings or features of any kind, but were obviously heavy enough to be made of real metal.

"Would you look at that…" She mused, shuffling the rings around in her hand.

Lyle snatched one from her open palm. "Well, since I helped finance this venture, I think I'm entitled to half of the winnings." He examined the ring to find that it fit his finger perfectly. "Huh…what do you know?"

Olivia handed one over to Dylan. "Seems to be an odd prize in a 75 cent claw machine."

"It's probably fake metal." Dylan chimed in. "Brass or something that'll turn your finger green if you wear it too long.."

She paid no heed to his warnings, and cheerfully slipped it on her finger. "Well, they're ours now, so we'll just have to go see."

After getting back to campus, the three split up, agreeing to meet at O'Connely's at 9. Dylan left for his math class, leaving the two alone once again.

"So." She said. "You want some company back at your place?" She practically lived there already, so the request was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Nah." Lyle said. "I've got a lot to do before I can go out, so I want to get a head start."

She nodded, feeling a bit disappointed. The two exchanged a hug, and went their separate ways. It was the last time she'd see him like this for a long time.

[Marky]

I'd suggest checking it out, for those that haven't. I'm honestly hooked onto the story.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Chapter 4 – Las Vegas

Dionysus owned a nightclub. It was the perfect place for the god of ecstasy; surrounded by lights, parties, booze and general foolishness. The club was named The Grapevine and it sported a two story bar, a large wine and drink selection, and the largest dance floor in Las Vegas, which was set to music by DJ Apollo. It was unlikely that most of the patrons would ever understand the hidden contexts behind the nightclub, but it was a popular destination not only for mortals, but those who were…something else.

One of those patrons sat at the bar drinking a club soda. The girl manning the bar had seemed irritated by this scant order, but that much was unavoidable. He was a man, roughly in his early 40s. He wore a charcoal gray suit of the finest caliber with a red tie, a white shirt, and a tiepin shaped like a crown. He had the American flag pin on his lapel that identified him as a politician. He was tall, broad shouldered and handsome. His brownish hair was worn parted neatly without a strand out of place. His right hand bore two rings: a wedding ring on his ring finger that looked to be far past the prime of its days, and a bulky, heavy one on his middle, on which the emblem of a broadsword was encrusted.

"So what are you? Some kind of big shot?" A blonde girl sitting next to him asked. She was trying to flirt, but his priorities lie elsewhere.

"US House Representative for Illinois's 3rd Congressional District." He said with a smile. "So no. Not really."

The girl giggled, and purred, "I've never been with an elected man before. What's your name?"

"Arthur. Arthur King." He answered. "And I'm already married."

His eyes gazed the bar as he spoke. He was looking for someone.

"Lots of people are married, bab-" she started to say before she was cut off. He stood up, pushed her gently aside, and strolled across the room toward a pretty, yet harsh looking woman of Asian descent. She wore a pair of blue jeans, a pair of boots and a silk top. Her long black hair was tied behind her in a ponytail.

"Are you…who I think you are?" He asked politely approaching her.

"Hau Mulan." She answered, extending her hand. "And you, I take it are –"

"Representative Arthur King." He said quickly and coldly. "And if I were you'd, I'd start using an alias like that before someone catches on to who you are."

"Perhaps in your case I can see that being an issue." She said, her voice unflinching, "But aside from that atrocious Disney film, I doubt most Americans are very familiar with me."

"They named a casino down the road after me." Arthur replied with a chuckle, letting down his guard. "I've been staying in it for the last few days."

He paused, looking around once more. "Are any of the others here yet?"

Mulan pointed to a broad looking man by the bar. "That over there is Bill Games. I think you know his true identity. And—"

"Come on!" Came a shrill voice from across the table. "Do tell me I was not completely overlooked!"

Arthur turned his attention to the person making the noise to find that a short man, not an inch over 4 feet tall. He had a large, bushy blond beard, long hair and appeared to be extremely muscular in build. The man climbed up onto a bar stool and sat on it, his small head barely sticking out above the table. He slammed large glass of mead onto it. "I'm small, but I'm not that small!"

"My apologies." Arthur said, stifling a smile. "And who might you be?"

"You can call me Dave Lyn, for that is my moniker on this world." The short man said, extending his hand.

"A pleasure." Arthur replied.

Soon, the man identified as Bill Games approached the table carrying a glass of tequila. Arthur immediately jumped up and gave the man a handshake that turned into a hug. He was a bigger man than Arthur, and he had a black beard and dark hair that grew to his shoulders. He wore a button up shirt without a tie, and a pair of khakis and looked rather uncomfortable in the whole getup.

"Good to see you Bill!" He greeted warmly.

"And you as well, Arthur!" He replied back. "How excited I was to hear that we'd be in battle again."

"Well, hopefully it never comes to that." Arthur said with a smile, "but if it does, I am glad that you'll be there with me."

The two ended their moment and looked on to the others. "So…who else is in?"

"Jason Argus, May Wii and one of Freya's people named Glenda Wand are already in Chicago" Mulan informed them.

"May Wii? Who is that?" Arthur asked.

"Someone you already know." She replied. "He has assumed the form of a woman to serve as our shadow agent."

"Excellent." Arthur said. "In that case, I will see you all at the airport.

They agreed, and the group dispersed. Some stayed longer than others, but Arthur was the first to leave. Trying to hold down a political career, it was not advantageous to be seen gallivanting in Vegas's hottest night club with people claiming to be dead Chinese warrior women and errand boys for gods. As he stepped outside, he lit a cigarette and paged his limo driver.

"Wait my friend!" He heard from behind him. Turning to address the voice, he found himself being approached by Bill Games. "I wish to speak with you."

"What's on your mind, Bill?" Arthur asked curiously.

"What have you been told of our mission?" He asked.

Arthur chuckled. "That all depends. I have two different sets."

"What do you mean?" Inquired Bill Games

"Odin and Zeus would like to see us round up the rings at whatever cost. Athena, Amaterasu and Freya have ordered me to protect the humans from harm and watch what happens."

"I know where your sympathies lie." Bill Games said. "And I agree that the people come first. But you should know that the dwarf will be very loyal to Odin."

"I'm aware of that." He said. "And I have a suspicion that he was sent here to keep an eye on us. I'm not terribly comfortable with Jason either."

"Him you can feel safe around." He said. "He has been betrayed before."

Arthur nodded as his vehicle approached. "I'll see you in the Windy City, Bill. I didn't tell the others this, but I'm flying out early. I have a feeling that something's going on. If anyone asks, tell them it's congressional business"

"I will keep eyes open and my ears tuned." Promised Bill Games. "And I will travel Chicago with the others."

Arthur waved his friend goodbye and climbed into the limousine. As his driver headed off toward LAX, he tilted his head back and tried to sleep. He had been involved in tussles between Gods before, and he knew it may be his last chance for a while to do it peacefully. Feuds came and went, but this was something else.

This was going to turn into a war.

[Miku-chan]

Nice work so far, well thought out and as devious as some of your gameplay. I find myself looking forward to your next chapters and wondering what will happen next...

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Chapter – 5 University Dorms

Lyle wasn't an idiot. Quite the contrary, he was rather bright. He knew what was bothering Libby, and it bothered him in turn on his short walk back to his dorm room. For that matter, though, a lot of things were bothering him. He knew he'd screwed up with her. That was obvious. He knew he'd screwed up this morning with the test, and being forgiven for it and given a second chance was only a mild comfort.

It could have been worse. He tried to tell himself. Everything will be okay.

But knowing that, and telling himself that, didn't change the fact that it never should have happened in the first place. His mental defenses were coming down like a sea of dominoes, each negative thought leading to another one. He walked around acting so cocky; that was why women liked him. But just beneath the surface, there was doubt.

Of course you didn't go to class. He scolded himself. It's because you're lazy.

Laziness was the reason he missed so much class, which in turn was the reason he was so late to graduation. It was the reason he didn't have a job, which was the reason he was almost broke. It was the reason he hadn't done any work of value, which was the reason he was afraid of what would happen after he graduated.

And as he cleared the last staircase and unlocked the door to his small, crappy, dorm room, he contemplated that it was the reason he lived in it instead of a nice apartment somewhere. As the door slid open, there was shuffling in the darkness. The shades were pulled down and light was scarcely entering the room, but he could see a glowing computer screen in the direction of his roommate's desk on which was briefly displayed what he was sure had been a naked woman. Whatever it was, it had been removed in haste.

"I didn't know you were coming back." His roommate said to him.

Lyle chuckled silently to this, and simply responded "Yeah. I'm normally getting lunch just now, but I went a little early."

"Skipped class again?" The freshman asked.

Lyle didn't respond to this charge, but instead climbed up on his own bed.

"I ran into Libby." He said. "Decided to get an early bite to eat."

The kid nodded and continued to cover up his mess, throwing a blanket over his wastebasket. Sat on the edge of his and stared off into space. A sigh escaped his lips before he could even do anything to stop it.

"Something wrong?" His roommate asked.

"Oh, you know…graduating. Stressed out and stuff." He said. "I just have a lot on my mind."

Graduation stuff had become his default excuse anytime he looked a little down. It was nice because no one questioned it, and it at least partially true. He unleashed another involuntary sigh, and before he knew it, thoughts were spilling from his brain to his mouth in a torrent he no longer had control over.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just tired of worrying. I just wish sometimes that I had money, and job prospects that it was a little easier." He said in spite of himself.

The thought had no sooner been vocalized than he began to feel strange. He felt instantly more exhausted than he ever had before. He felt dizzy, and his balanced waned.

"Are you alright, man?" Asked his roommate. His voice sounded as it were travelling through a foot of water.

Darkness surrounded his vision. He didn't quite feel himself tip over and fall off of the bed, but the last thing he saw was the floor rushing up to meet his face.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Chapter 6

Lyle could see the world. He was no longer a part of it, but on the outside of it looking inward. From this particular vantage, it resembled a tapestry in which billions of human threads coalesced into a sprawling image. He found that he could identify each thread as its own person and could read their stories like open books, including those of the billions he'd never met. He looked upon a pizza boy struggling with debt and parents in Georgia. He saw a teenage couple excitedly giving birth to a child in Memphis, and sensed a certain dread as the realization set in that neither of them were old or wise enough to handle what was to come.

Totally disembodied, he struggled to find the place from which he'd come. His first thought was to look for Libby and he found her in her room listening to Paul Simon peacefully. Seeing that she was okay, he checked on Dylan. Dylan he found in front of a mirror fiddling with his hair and clothes trying to find something that made his reflection look appealing to him, and he sensed his frustration that nothing did. Having made sure his friends were safe, he looked in on himself and found his roommate hunched over him trying to illicit some kind of response. Having not gotten one, he went out into the hall to find his floor's RA.

No sooner had he witnessed this than a large, translucent blue hand reached out into his view. It moved toward his thread that he had been watching, and in one swift motion, plucked it from the tapestry. He was vaguely aware that some distance away, another hand was removing another thread from a different place. He tried to reach out a hand to stop his thread or to reclaim in some way; to tug it back from whoever was stealing it, but found that he had no hand to reach. He could feel himself being drawn back into his thread, which he now realized was being placed in the same spot the other had been taken from moments earlier. Looking over, he found it replacing his own, but also found that he could no longer read it or tell whose it was. He felt as though he were being turned upside down as he was being re-inserted into the world

And then...he woke up.

He awoke in a strange place. It was much nicer than the dorm room he had been in earlier. He was in a living area of some kind on the floor covered by and expensive rug. A designer sofa was near him, and he moved to pull himself up by it. As he did, he noticed that the arm doing to pulling was first, not as strong as his own, and secondly, not his own at all. It was a slender, feminine thing with well manicured nails on the end along with some fine jewelry. He became aware at this moment of blond hair hanging down in his face, and a certain chill on his legs.

'Aaah!' He screamed out in a high, shrill voice

He got up and looked down, and as he did, a sizable pair of breasts met his gaze that were largely exposed by the silk dress this new body was wearing. shuffled backward on the floor and found, gazing down at his body, that he possessed long legs, smooth, feminine legs that stretched on a great length. He was barefoot, and the colorful dress, which he could identify being Chinese in style, barely covered any of them at all.

'Oh my god!' He yelled as he stood up quickly. 'Ohmigodohmigodohmigod'

He bolted upright, his new body feeling very strange to him. He wandered hurriedly and confused through this strange flat. He found a small kitchen that appeared to be packed with absolutely nothing. He stumbled down a hall lined with photographs of a gorgeous blond woman posed sexily in various outfits.

Still confused, he stumbled into a bathroom and reaching around frantically, activated a light. As he turned around, he could tell that one, entire wall was a mirror. He backed up and saw a woman in it. It was the same one from the pictures in the hall, and as he looked at it, he realized that it was his new form. He had already determined her sizable bosom, and supermodel legs, but looking at the woman in the mirror, he realized that she, and perhaps by proxy he, was nothing less than a supermodel. She had long blond hair that fell in professionally styled waves to her her shoulder blades. She had a pretty face that, at the moment, wore more makeup than Lyle typically cared to see on a woman. Walking up the mirror, she ran her fingers over her own face, and then quickly cupped her hands to her breasts. They slid down to her waist and then ran once up and down her torso slowly. 'Unreal...' she breathed heavily in a voice that clearly belonged to the hot body she watched in the mirror.

Lyle stumbled backward and fell onto the toilet, struggling to take everything in...

[Miku-chan]

Links please
*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

[Bigmouthstrikes]

-----------------------------Part 2---------------------------------

Chapter 1 - Dylan's Apartment

Going out, for Dylan, was always a mix of excitement and trepidation. On one hand, he loved his friends, he loved a good time and he loved being social. On the other, he knew he was not a good looking man, and going out was always a great way to emphasize this. He was always self conscious. About his dress, his weight, his appearance and his behavior. Alcohol either helped or hindered, but never anything in between.

At the moment, it was neurotic side taking center stage. As he stood,staring at himself in the mirror, he attacked his hair first; that slightly greasy, curly, ginger mess that sat atop his head and foiled any attempts to tame it. He tried slicking it down. He tried parting it. He briefly thought about spiking it the way that so many of the school body builders and frat boys did, but quickly decided against it. No matter what he did though, it continued its resistance, each time springing back from his treatments into the curly mess it had been in since he was a boy.

Taking a deep sigh, Dylan tried on different outfits. He experimented with various colors, patterns and combinations in an attempt to de-emphasize his weight, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, after what must have been a good 45 minutes trying to prepare himself, he let out a sigh, gave up, and opened a beer.

"Tonight, you're going to have a wonderful time", he told himself. "Because today is a wonderful day"

And in that moment, he meant it.

A large smile came over his face. He had started to turn on his Xbox when his phone vibrated. It was Olivia

"Back from dinner. U free 4 pregame? I got pizza"

He responded with a smile, looking forward to leaving to spend some time with another person. In a few short minutes, he'd made his way over to her apartment, and knocked on her door. She answered, grinning broadly, and let him inside.

As he shed his jacket, he looked around a room for Lyle, but found no sign of him.

"Lyle on his way?" He asked her as he took a seat on one of the unusually comfortable chairs included with her place.

"I sent him a message." She said. "Couldn't get a hold of him."

Dylan nodded and took a seat. It wasn't uncommon for Lyle to be out of reach to mere mortals, though Dylan assumed that he was just scatterbrained. He was always reminded of the previous summer, where he'd asked Lyle to live with him, and they'd planned for it only to have the whole thing fall apart at the last minute because Lyle had lost the paperwork and run out of his deposit money. In way, he was the antithesis of Lyle, Dylan thought. Where Lyle was good looking, charismatic and confident, he was none of those things, but where he was hard working, proactive and determined, Lyle was none of those either.

He watched Olivia busy herself poring their favorite drink; a creamy mix that was one part vodka, one part hazelnut liquor, and two parts milk. When she was finished, she handed it to him.

"Drink up with me. I don't want to spend all my money at the bar tonight." She said as she plopped down on the opposite chair with legs draped over one side and her back resting on the other. In the background, the Smiths were crooning about the bomb that would bring them together.

Dylan hadn't eaten yet, and the alcohol was affecting him more than it should. Though the pair ate pizza, the additional 2 drinks they had with it did not seem to help. Throughout their meal, Olivia fiddled with her phone. Every few seconds, she'd snap it open, or push some kind of button on it, only to lay it back down some distance away. It was as if she were expecting something.

"You seem kind of fidgety." He finally pointed out. "You waiting on a hot date to hit you back or something?"

"I wish." She said with a small sigh. "Just Lyle."

"Relax." Dylan said to comfort her. "We told him to meet us at O'Connely's tonight, and that's exactly what he'll do. If there's one thing Lyle can't turn down, it's a few drinks."

She smiled in a way that acknowledged his reassurance, and they finished their drinks. After drink number 3, when they were both feeling merrily tipsy, the two headed out. They walked down a side street that lead to campus, and from campus, north toward O'Connely's.

As the pair crossed the final street, Dylan saw him. It was Lyle. Though instead of heading into the bar, he appeared to be heading right past it. He could be seen visibly shaking and wasn't wearing a coat, in spite of the fact that the weather clearly demand he do so. Dylan suspected he was already drunk, and on his way to some other place having gone out without them.

Apparently he wasn't the only one. A few feet from him, he heard Olivia, in a low voice mutter "Goddamnit, Lyle..." He hadn't intended to point him out to her, but it appeared too late.

"You okay?" He asked. He was irritated right now, but had faith that Lyle would catch up eventually. Olivia, on the other hand, looked positively furious.

"I'm fine." She said with a snap. "Let's just go in and have a good time. screw him."

Dylan chose not to argue with her, and followed her in, trotting a bit to keep up with her quick, angry stroll. The bar itself was the kind of pub you'd expect to find in some European country. It was built into another building, descending down a staircase into the ground like a basement. However, instead of a basement, one, upon reaching the bottom, would find a nice, wood furnished bar with pool tables, darts and a large selection of fine drinks and cheap drinks. The special tonight, as it was every Friday, was $3 car bombs. He ordered one as he took a seat at the bar.

"I'll be right back." Olivia said in a way that masked her anger just enough that she wasn't yelling. Dylan had not had a chance to respond before she disappeared.

He sighed. Olivia was a sweet girl, but incurring her wrath was a serious, drawn out affair. He would likely be spending the night watching her be angry, or dealing with her storming off altogether. He remember then how positive he felt at the beginning of the night, and couldn't help but hold it against Lyle for ruining it.

Still, he thought, why let other people's tantrums ruin his night. He was here. And the booze here was still good. Why not have a good night for himself. He looked around for any familiar faces, and spotted a girl sitting alone at the bar who he recognized as a member of his work group in his historical teaching class. With a smile, he stood up, straitened himself out, and went to her.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Chapter 2 - O'Connely's

Olivia was hunched over the O'Connely's restroom sink, seething. She couldn't be around Dylan right now. She couldn't be around anyone. It was pride and pride alone that kept her in this stupid bar. Right now, all she wanted to do was go home, blast something angry sounding music and curl up in a book that was at least 80 years old.

But no. She told Dylan she'd stay. And she told him that she'd have a great time, even if Lyle had bailed on them for some bookstore whore.

"Okay, that's probably unfair" she admitted to herself. "She's a perfectly nice person, and this is not her or any other girl's fault."

Stupid, stupid, stupid. That was the word that kept flashing through her head. She was stupid for having ever thought their fling would lead to anything. He was stupid for disrespecting his own best friend the way he had all the others this had happened to. The whole thing was so damn stupid, and it had all been fine before she got the stupid idea in her head that things were going to be any different.

Crap.

She took a deep breath to compose herself. This was not her. This was not the smart, independent girl she projected herself as. This was some silly girl with a crush. She reminded herself that everyone does this from time to time and that it would all be okay.

She was starting to feel better when, in the mirror, she caught a glimpse of Sarah. Sarah was the bookstore employee and friend of hers whom. She knew that Lyle had been courting her, and that she had no inkling. They had been roommates together briefly as freshman until Olivia had saved up enough money to move out of the dorms.

"Hey Libby." She said sweetly. "I saw you come in here and wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, Sarah." she said. "A little frustrated, but alright."

"Anything you'd like to talk about?" She asked.

"No. Not really." She said. "But thank you."

"Okay, well..." Sarah offered, "If you need some girl time, I'll be over by the pool tables."

She nodded to her, and watched her leave before standing up and taking another deep breath.

"Jesus" She thought. "Nobody gets to see you this way. Pull yourself together"

But simply telling herself that everything was find did not make it so, and try as she might, part of her brain still lingered on it.

" It's this stupid boy body" She thought. "And I'm just not one of those types of girls that can show herself off. I wish I was more attractive, but I'm not, and that's life. Somewhere out there, there's a guy who likes dumpy tomboys with glass..."

And then, she began to feel strange. The strangeness started in her lower body. It was an odd, ticklish sensation that felt as if ants were crawling through her legs. The sensation spread, and for a brief moment, she felt as if she'd gotten taller. The sensation worked its way up to her hips, and as she looked down at them, she could actually see them expanding. She screamed as butt inflated to match. Whatever was happening to her was happening for real.

As the changes continued, the crawling stopped briefly at her waist, which tapered in just slightly. She stood in shock, a small moan of terror escaping her every few seconds. Her chest was next, as her tiny breasts that she'd always been so thankful pushed out slowly into large, fleshy, inconvenient things. Unable to observe the remaining changes in her body, she rushed to a mirror to find that it was her hair changing now. It grew down from its short, unkept cut, thickening and straitening down to her waist, where it magically sprung up and began to twist itself into an attractive bun on the top of her head. Two bands dropped from the bun to frame her face.

Her face, which had always been the part of herself she admired most, went through little change, though a smattering of makeup appeared on it, and her lips became a bit more full. As she observed this phenomenon, her glasses shrank into a more attractive looking frames. She looked down as her clothes morphed next. The long sleeved t-shirt she was wearing changed into a polo of the same color, and suddenly sported a 'v' the exposed much of her impressive new cleavage. The bottom of the shirt had come up a couple inches to leave space between the place where her jeans ended. It now came down to an area slightly below her belly button, though she imagined if she said, it would get worse. The cotton zip up jacket she wore stayed the same, but zipped itself up to a point that framed her new cleavage. Her jeans came next, and were the most dramatic, as they shrank up her sleek new legs until they were only a few inches down her thighs. He shoes shifted as well, transforming into heels. Finally, underneath her clothes, she could feel her underwear morphing into small, comfortable things that she would never wear of her own volition.

She didn't know how long she stood there, staring at the mirror. She was stunned and horrified both at the same time. Looking at her new form, she knew how vastly different it was than her own, but at the same time, she could definitely recognize it as herself. People came and went from the restroom, and finally, one girl got impatient with her.

"Hey, some of us need to use the mirrors too." She said.

Olivia nodded silently, still shocked, and walked out of the restroom. Immediately after exiting the door, she dropped backward onto the wall behind her, in a near panic. She looked around. She saw people everywhere. She looked toward the bar and saw Dylan chatting up a girl she didn't recognize.

"Oh my God, Dylan!" she thought to herself "He can't see me like this. He'll think I'm a crazy person! I have to get out of here"

Being sure not to make eye contact with Dylan, she hastily ducked through the crowd. She got to the door, and scampered up the stairs, knocking some poor girl down as she went. When she reached the top, she went scurrying off toward her apartment, and fell flat on her face.

"This is why I don't wear heels", she reminded herself as she picked herself up. She stripped them off as she stood, and threw them in her purse, which she only now realized had changed to match her sleek new outfit.

She ran the rest of the way home.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Chapter 3 - O'Connely's

In the two hours since Olivia stormed off, Dylan hand gone from forcing himself to have a good night to having the night of his life. Talking to the girl, whose name he remembered was Alicia, was a good choice. For 2 hours he had been engaged in a magical conversation with her. They had more in common than he ever could have dreamed. They had both played guitar for their high school bands, and both preferred Fenders. They were both competent, but not great banjo players, and she was the only person he'd ever met who loved The Tallest Man as much as he did. She not only went to the midnight premier of Red, but was had read all of the comics and been the same theater he was the night it opened. She was a history major, considered Abraham Lincoln an overrated president, and wrote fantasy fiction all as he did.

She was all smiles as they talked, and it lit up her face. She had a pageboy haircut that he normally hated, but as the evening wore on, discovered that he found more and more cute with each glance. She had a way of talking that made all of the things that scared him about being social, and especially being social women, melt away. She was a sweet, but fragile. As the empty glasses piled up, and the night wore on, she began to talk about the breakup she had just been through and how it was like all the others, and how she knew that the pretty guys she always went for inevitably turned to be jerks, and she even conceded that knew she should look for something else. She explained that she had been lonely after things fell apart, and that she'd come to the bar hoping to meet someone that would make things different. When he suggested hesitantly that it might be him she was supposed to meet, she agreed.

Throughout the night, men came up to her. They offered to buy her drinks or to dance. She turned them all down to keep talking with him. He'd decided that he was glad that his friends had been unreliable that night, and even more importantly, that they were meant to be unreliable to give him this opportunity. This wasn't a random run in with a cute girl at the bar. This was something magical. It was an event for which the stars had aligned to allow, and was fated to be. As he drank, he believed this more and more.

When the bar closed at 2 AM and everyone was asked to finish their drinks and leave, they were still talking. She confessed to being tired, and asked him to walk her home. They talked happily the entirety of the walk.

"If I'd known you were so cool, I would have started hanging out with you way back when we met." She said as they approached her apartment.

"Sometimes it takes a while to find people." He said. "I didn't catch you either."

"That's true." She added with a grin. "Maybe it was just supposed to wait, you know. Until we were ready."

To that, Dylan had nothing to say at all.

They walked up the steps to her place. She turned to him. "Would you like to come in? It's awfully cold, and it's not that late, as far as a non-school night goes."

"I'd love that." He said with a childlike enthusiasm that was fueled both by his inexperience with being coy and his blood alcohol content.

The went inside, and she removed her coat. She asked him if he wanted tea, and he said yes. They talked as she busied herself with making it.

"I've had such a good night." Alicia said as the she put heat on her teapot. "I had no idea I was going to have such a good night."

"I'm glad. I did too. I was supposed to hang out with my friends tonight, but they ended up bailing...not that I'm complaining or anything."

"Well I'm glad they did." She said. "Really."

There was silence after this. The two sat close to each other...within touching distance. There was nothing to talk about that hadn't already been talked about, and nothing to say that hadn't already been said. For Dylan, it was a golden moment. He sat there contemplating his next move, and before he even knew what he was doing, he had leaned over and kissed her.

Alicia took in a deep breath as his lips touched hers. She pulled back, arms wiggling, leaving Dylan hanging forward, empty in the air. She looked sad.

"I'm sorry. Oh, God, I'm so sorry." She said, sounding genuinely upset with herself. "I didn't mean to...oh, God...I'm so sorry."

Dylan felt ill. He reaction was a strong, invisible punch to the gut. It had felt so right. He had known that this was going somewhere.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I thought...ugh, I'm such a moron."

She looked at him with pity, and hugged him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"You're a great guy, Dylan." She said softly. "But I thought I'd found a best friend...not...y'know."

"It's...fine." He said standing up. Her words were supposed to make him feel better, but they'd made him feel worse instead. Not only had he embarrassed himself, misread the situation and become carried away by his own expectations, now he she felt sorry for him too.

"I have to go..." he said. "I just...I have to go."

He had not been this stammery or uncomfortable in months, or maybe even years.

"I'm sorry." She said, giving him a hug and added sympathetically. "If you want to, we can still hang out. I really do like you."

"Sure, yeah." He said, retreating out the door. When the door closed, and he was no longer looking, Alicia fell onto her couch, and with her head in her hand, cried silently.

She wasn't the only teary one. On his walk back, Dylan felt and saw his eyes gloss over repeatedly. Tears ran down his face. He had never felt this embarrassed, or been this wrong.

I got my hopes up He thought to himself. I shouldn't have done that. I know better than to think someone like her would think that about me. I've known it for years

He got back to his apartment and rushed past his roommate's bedroom. His roommate was a kid named Todd and he was the embodiment of his name: a big, dumb jock who was always bringing some chick home to add to his body count. He could hear her and his lady of the evening going at it through their thin wall, but he was too upset to care.

"Damnit." He said out loud. He knew why this had happened. This did not happen because she had baggage, or because she wasn't ready to see someone. This happened because he was an ugly ginger, and no matter how nice he was, or who he made a connection with, or how perfect he was for someone, he would still be an ugly ginger at the end of the day. The tears flowed. He kicked a small trashcan by his bed, and it skittered across the floor dumping its wadded up crumpled paper contents.

"I wish I was good looking." He said, exasperated.

As he sat there, dramatic things were happening to him on cue. It started at his head. His hair went through what could best be described as an explosion. It grew hard, and fast, darkening slightly as it went from ginger red to auburn. It ceased growing and within seconds, straitened, leaving it resting on his lower back.

It was this that got his attention.

"What the hell!" He shouted, bolting upright from his bed. He was immediately facing his mirror, and could watch the changes hit him. He saw his cheekbones rise creating arcs under his face, and his nose shrink into a small, button shape. His face rounded, and fat began to vanish from it. It stopped just before it was all gone, leaving a trace amount of what was described on pretty people as "baby fat". His freckles were almost gone, but now speckled only an area on his two cheeks, and only lightly at that. His eyes grew slightly larger as lashes extended, and his irises intensified from a muddy green to a bright one. He became aware through the change that his eyesight had become blurry, and that this was remedied when his glasses slipped from his now smaller head. It looked like someone had taken the head of an adorable girl and photoshopped it onto his body.

As he touched his face and hair in wonder, the changes worked their way down to his neck, which became slender. As his torso was engulfed by change, he watched in awe as fat simply vanished. It was as if the air was being let out of him. He started to visibly shrink, dropping from his regular 5'11 height so something that was at least 6 or 7 inches shorter than that. Between his thinning body and his reduced height, his shirt hung on him like a tent. He could feel a tightening in his stomach as his waist clenched. He could see large mounds, or at least large on his new frame, push from his now small, slender chest.

His pants, now far too small, had fallen off him so rapidly that he'd not even had time to undo the belt that had held them up. The revealed in their wake, his legs, which were in the process of shrinking. The grew shorter, and then large buildups of fat on them sucked in just as his torso had. His thick leg hair fell off dramatically and as they fell, shimmered brightly and vanished. He watched them change, becoming curvy, but not fat, and feminine. His hips shrunk hugely, though looking at them on his petite frame, they looked wide. Finally, his butt pulled in, but retained a bubble shape. He had to hold his hair back to see it change.

All the while, Dylan watched her new body take shape in the mirror not with terror, but fascination.

"Beautiful..." She murmured to herself in a now high pitched voice. And then...she fainted.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Well, Deviantart's been pissing me off, so I'm going to start putting my work up here. Yay! I hope you enjoy it, and if you ever manage to force yourself to read the whole thing, please comment. Remember kids; authors don't have money, which means that they use feedback as food! You don't want me to start do you? I didn't think so

Part 1 has many TFs in it, but I decided to go ahead and post all of the FIRST ones that happen. I hope you like what you read.