GREEN   114   0
   6668 37.17 KB    453

Crepuscule

By meslam
Created: 2026-02-18 04:22:20
Updated: 2026-03-04 02:25:01
Expiry: Never
ponytransformationpon-e/ptftg/

  1. 1.
    >You sighed and flopped down into the sofa, with a mug of Earl Grey in your hand.
  2. 2.
    >As you sipped, you looked out from the balcony window across the living room on your left, taking in the slice of the city beyond.
  3. 3.
    >The water on the lake was scintillating this fine Valentine’s Day, and there was twice the usual crowd milling up and down the boardwalk in the middle of the afternoon.
  4. 4.
    >Though you were not there, of course.
  5. 5.
    >You tossed your deep brown hair out of your eyes and huffed at the thought, slurping your tea like it owed you something.
  6. 6.
    >Your boyfriend was altogether - too serious.
  7. 7.
    >Anon was learning some programming whatever whatevers for work, or probably some project of his.
  8. 8.
    >”Just another framework, pretty simple actually, though I-”
  9. 9.
    >...So he had said, the first week of January, over dinner.
  10. 10.
    >That was the exact moment when you knew that your intimate time together was about to be slashed in half for the next month.
  11. 11.
    >And it has been, for all of January, and dumping into February now too, every evening you come back from work and find him still glued to his desk.
  12. 12.
    >Or you wait here, and he comes back from work, just to plop in front of his desk and do MORE work.
  13. 13.
    >None of the usual tricks un-pried him either; sitting in his lap, biting his ear, not even laying full across his thighs like a cat deterred him.
  14. 14.
    >All of it just resulted in a lame stalemate where you were snuggling a dead teddy bear that smelled like aftershave.
  15. 15.
    >You were certain that he’d even forget Valentine’s too.
  16. 16.
    >As you sipped your tea though, you smiled.
  17. 17.
    >You had a contingency.
  18. 18.
    >If he did remember, no harm done, and you would go on whatever date he had in mind.
  19. 19.
    >But if that man opened the front door you were staring at right now, and just waltzed straight into his study to tap away on his mechanical keyboard for an extra four hours immediately after he got off work, like he had done since January...
  20. 20.
    >You stuck your tongue out, and reached into the pocket of your button up blouse.
  21. 21.
    >There was a transparent pill bottle tucked inside, and you held it out between your index and thumb.
  22. 22.
    >Two plain, white pressed tablets sat inside, with little wing markings on each.
  23. 23.
    >A gift, from a friend of some bartender.
  24. 24.
    >Anon was not going to be typing anything else tonight.
  25. 25.
    >Just then, you heard the door lock click left and you hurriedly stowed the bottle away again.
  26. 26.
    >Flattening your blouse out, you nestled more comfortably on the sofa to appear casual, then, the moment you were secure and taking another sip of your tea, Anonymous stepped inside, kicking off his shoes.
  27. 27.
    >Watching closely, you saw him set down his backpack... put up his jacket... backpack on again...
  28. 28.
    >”Sup.”
  29. 29.
    >You jumped in your seat, spilling a little tea over the rim of your cup.
  30. 30.
    >Blinking away the surprise, you darted your eyes from Anon’s hand, to his face.
  31. 31.
    >He was peering at you a little bemusedly as his dark hair passed over his green eyes.
  32. 32.
     
  33. 33.
    >Your boyfriend stood up to his full height, his plain white shirt hanging nicely over his fit frame.
  34. 34.
    >He had those black jeans he always wore on the ‘casual’ work days, that looked practically like slacks anyway.
  35. 35.
    >Again, he was too serious.
  36. 36.
    >...Not that it didn’t have its own appeal for you, but the drawbacks were getting intol-
  37. 37.
    >”Alias?”
  38. 38.
    >You jerked out of your thoughts, taking a short breath and swiping your hair back over your shoulder.
  39. 39.
    >Putting on a little smile, you waved to Anon.
  40. 40.
    “Hey, Anon. How was work?”
  41. 41.
    >He smiled back, walked up while dumping his backpack on the floor, and leaned over the coffee table to plant a kiss on your forehead.
  42. 42.
    >”Good.”
  43. 43.
    >Then, rubbing your cheek once, Anon stared into your eyes for a good second...
  44. 44.
    >Before he turned around.
  45. 45.
    >Grabbed his backpack.
  46. 46.
    >Walked to his study.
  47. 47.
    >And shut the door.
  48. 48.
    >Your left eyelid twitched once, though your smile never faltered.
  49. 49.
    >You dully stood up, humming a little out of tune, and marched over to the boiler with all the tea paraphernalia in the corner of the living room.
  50. 50.
    >Taking out the pill bottle, you snapped one tablet in half and dropped it into your already full cup.
  51. 51.
    >As you watched, it dissolved, and rather quickly too.
  52. 52.
    “Great, just like he said.”
  53. 53.
    >You whispered to yourself, as you prepped a new cup.
  54. 54.
    >Anon’s favorite, that Japanese earthenware piece in green and brown.
  55. 55.
    >You plopped in his favorite tea for midday, some Irish Breakfast, then boiled up the water for it.
  56. 56.
    >Rinse and repeat, with the other tablet.
  57. 57.
    >Now with both steaming mugs, you sashayed over to his study, knocking the door open with your foot.
  58. 58.
    >Anonymous was sat there at his desk as usual, the sun beaming over his currently horrible posture.
  59. 59.
    >His eyes glanced in your direction when you entered, but he didn’t look up from his screen, bent over as he was in front of the well organized mahogany desk.
  60. 60.
    >Fingers tapping across that loud old beige keyboard he insisted was better.
  61. 61.
    >With a prize winning smile, and your eyes only hardly narrowed in insidious delight, you strode over to him.
  62. 62.
    >Then you pulled up that slightly less ergonomic Herman Miller he kept around for you to sit on in here, and sat.
  63. 63.
    >Finally, the cup of Irish Breakfast, down on his coaster to the right of his mouse.
  64. 64.
    >...So it was done.
  65. 65.
    >You would wait for him to drink, while you held your mug in both hands, watching eagerly.
  66. 66.
    >Your boyfriend nodded in your direction, as he reached for the mug.
  67. 67.
    >”Thanks.”
  68. 68.
    >His fingers threaded into the handle.
  69. 69.
    >Clenched around it.
  70. 70.
    >Anon’s arm lofted the cup towards his face.
  71. 71.
    >His lips touched the rim.
  72. 72.
    >...And he drunk of it.
  73. 73.
    >You smiled, like a cat with a rat, and sipped your own tea too, happily enough.
  74. 74.
    >As he was wont to do, Anon had some German classical music playing while he worked.
  75. 75.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps8rBGbNQtA
  76. 76.
    >The sun was warm upon your neck, shining in from the windows to your left.
  77. 77.
    >There were no motes of dust in the beam of it, Anonymous kept this place too clean for that.
  78. 78.
     
  79. 79.
    >Your mind relaxed as the piano sounded resonantly from the speakers on Anon’s desk, your eyes lazily hovering over the scrolling text and websites while he worked.
  80. 80.
    >It had been some time since you really did that, watched.
  81. 81.
    >He kept flickering back and forth from his code, in the editor, to a buggy looking web page.
  82. 82.
    >The man would type a few new words into a block of words, async this, await that, whatever that meant.
  83. 83.
    >Then the webpage again, maybe changed, maybe not.
  84. 84.
    >Sometimes the page took a while to load.
  85. 85.
    >Whenever that happened, he sighed, leaned on his arm rest, sipped tea, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
  86. 86.
    >Before the cycle repeated itself.
  87. 87.
    >You wondered how long it would take for those pills to kick in, anyway, while you peered over Anon’s shoulder and into his mug.
  88. 88.
    >Almost empty.
  89. 89.
    >You rested back in your chair and looked down into your own.
  90. 90.
    >Your left hand was a hoof.
  91. 91.
    >White, pearlescent, with fur creeping along from the edge of it up your forearm that was subtly morphing to become a foreleg instead.
  92. 92.
    >Despite yourself, you gasped.
  93. 93.
    >Then you hurriedly finished off your tea in a gulp, with the silly thought that maybe the transformation would only go partway if you didn’t, and set the empty cup on the desk.
  94. 94.
    >”What?”
  95. 95.
    >Your boyfriend asked as he turned around his seat, eyebrows mildly knitted in concern, before practically airlifting into his bangs when he saw what was happening.
  96. 96.
    >You slipped out of your chair with a sharp intake of air, as you felt your legs yanking up reflexively while they transformed.
  97. 97.
    >The muscles bunched in your thighs and swelled, forming strong haunches that swiftly clothed themselves in more pearly white fur, bursting from the seams of your pants.
  98. 98.
    >Your feet had already long become hooves, and your right hand melded together to become much the same as your left hoof when you stumbled forward out of your awkward crouch, due to the shifting balance of your body.
  99. 99.
    >Anonymous jumped up from his seat but all he could do was watch for a moment, before he gathered his senses enough to squat down next to you.
  100. 100.
    >To your pleased bemusement, he began to softly caress your cheek and he spoke comfortingly.
  101. 101.
    >”...It must be that PON-E stuff. I’m so sorry, Alias. It’ll be okay, I’m here.”
  102. 102.
    >Your lips curled at the edge, though you felt totally out of breath, staring into his eyes.
  103. 103.
    >You made to answer him with a playful re-assurance, but then your eyes started rolling in your head from the overwhelming sensations rippling through your body, and you huffed in surprise instead.
  104. 104.
    >Your back arched, vertebrae aligning, producing several dozen worrying clicks while your ribs flared out into a pony’s barrel.
  105. 105.
    >Then with a sound like a sheet being pulled across an empty riverbed, you felt your tail fly out of your tailbone, slipping your pants down around your fetlocks.
  106. 106.
    >The bangs that always hung in your field of view, grew longer and wavier.
  107. 107.
     
  108. 108.
    >Your warm brown was struck through with new shots of shimmering auburn, over and over until there was nothing but that brilliant hue.
  109. 109.
    >A muzzle inched its way into view as well, nostrils flaring while the soft freckled skin gave up to more white fur.
  110. 110.
    >The snout came with a long mark of auburn to match your mane and tail, starting at the end, ending just at the bridge between your eyes.
  111. 111.
    >For a moment, you could hardly see anything, then there was the dizzying sensation of your skull pushing out wider, and your vision was returned to you, making your muzzle seem not all that prominent anymore.
  112. 112.
    >You blinked several times, still feeling absolutely odd and nearly out of body.
  113. 113.
    >All the while, Anon was holding you close, his jaw set hard, though his eyes were soft with a kindness he reserved for you.
  114. 114.
    >”When I get my hands on whoever d-”
  115. 115.
    >FWUMP.
  116. 116.
    >...A white wing with auburn pinions shot out of your back and sent him sprawling.
  117. 117.
    >Then the other one followed on your right, tearing what was left of your blouse to shreds and launching it off of your body.
  118. 118.
    >You stared back at both wings, then at your stunned, slightly pale faced boyfriend, and laughed.
  119. 119.
    “Oh - Oh my God - Aaaahhhhahahahha! That was perfect! Perfect!”
  120. 120.
    >With your eyes twinkling devilishly and your lips curled in a wide smile, you bounded clumsily towards him, clacking your fore hooves loudly on the floor with each double footed step.
  121. 121.
    >Classlessly and half accidentally, you collapsed on top of him, still giggling and snorting.
  122. 122.
    >Anonymous had absolutely no idea what to think of or to do with you at first, he just lied there under your warm furry body, hands pressing noncommittally against your chest and barrel like he wanted to push you off.
  123. 123.
    >His lips were set in a thin line, his usual unemotional fallback, but after a few seconds of your horse play, his eyes narrowed, and he sighed.
  124. 124.
    >The man bumped his forehead against yours.
  125. 125.
    >”You did this to yourself.”
  126. 126.
    >Then he peered up at you suspiciously, with one eyebrow raised.
  127. 127.
    >”It’s temporary though, right?”
  128. 128.
    >You rolled your eyes and stuck your tongue out.
  129. 129.
    ”No, I decided that this moment, bored out of my mind watching you make a website, was the perfect time to become a pegasus.”
  130. 130.
    >There was a pause as Anon stared into your great big blue eyes.
  131. 131.
    >Then he answered, face a neutral deadpan, but spoiled with the slightest crinkling around his eyelids.
  132. 132.
    >”Right.”
  133. 133.
    >All of a sudden, he gripped your barrel firmly with both hands, and you huffed in astonishment.
  134. 134.
    >You were up in the air, hind legs dangling and kicking around, before you could blink.
  135. 135.
    >Anon stared you down with a smile you’d have to measure the edges with a micrometer to distinguish.
  136. 136.
    >”You’re pretty cute like this, actually.”
  137. 137.
    ”Oh NOW I’m cute.”
  138. 138.
    >With your left wing, you roundly smacked his arm to punctuate your statement.
  139. 139.
    >Then you nipped down on your stuck out tongue, to hold in taunting him about his impending transformation as payback.
  140. 140.
     
  141. 141.
    >The look in Anon’s eyes changed at your guarded expression, before sliding slowly to his own mug sitting empty on the desk.
  142. 142.
    >”You... wouldn’t have.”
  143. 143.
    >His legs suddenly buckled under him, and you wriggled out of his grasp, giggling as you clopped down on all four hooves to watch.
  144. 144.
    >Before your eyes, Anon’s thighs underwent much the same bunching and tensing as yours did a minute ago.
  145. 145.
    >He grunted and got down to avoid stumbling just as his legs burst into muscular hindquarters, rippling with sleek black fur and dappled with subtle rosettes.
  146. 146.
    >But instead of hooves, his socks tore away to reveal full and heavy paws.
  147. 147.
    >Anonymous looked back at them, just as surprised as you were, his eyes wide.
  148. 148.
    >”What did y-”
  149. 149.
    >He was cut off with a groan when the transformation passed up along his spine in a wave, making him tumble to all fours and kick off his jeans.
  150. 150.
    >A long slender tail unfurled out of his back end, while his torso deepened into something feline and svelte.
  151. 151.
    >Iridescent black feathers burst from his chest, the down spilling over from the top of his shirt as similarly sable scales formed atop the skin of his forearms and hands.
  152. 152.
    >Each finger stretched and flexed, the nails turning into long talons that scrabbled along the vinyl hardwood floor while Anonymous writhed from the feeling of his stomach cinching up.
  153. 153.
    >You watched in stunned silence as your boyfriend arched himself on all fours.
  154. 154.
    >His mouth was agape, eyes staring off into space, and he was struggling for air.
  155. 155.
    >It had you scared for a second, but there finally came relief for him when his face pulled out like stretched putty into a long black beak.
  156. 156.
    >He finally sucked down a deep hissing breath as the rest of his head followed, bristling with oily black feathers.
  157. 157.
    >Then Anonymous blinked, his eyes now dyed an inky, uncanny obsidian, and it was complete.
  158. 158.
    >The griffon your boyfriend had become, squawked, his beak ajar, a small pink tongue lolling out of the side of it.
  159. 159.
    >With his face still in that undignified expression, Anon took one hesitant step with his talons, and immediately tumbled to the ground.
  160. 160.
    >...You managed to hold it in for a good five seconds before you busted your gut laughing and tumbled onto the floor with him.
  161. 161.
    >Breathless, you squirmed over and flopped your snout into the feathery tuft of his chest, still snickering.
  162. 162.
    “I- I love it, Anon. You’re like... The weird crow... cat... ragamuffin you always should have been.”
  163. 163.
    >You got a hard peck to the back of your neck for that, before he just sighed and melted along into you too.
  164. 164.
    >His tail was thumping on the floor agitatedly, although he pressed his neck snug to yours, and muttered into your furry ear.
  165. 165.
    >”I actually can’t believe you did this. Where did you get the pills? Aren’t they illegal?”
  166. 166.
    “Not telling. They’re just illegal to possess and sell.”
  167. 167.
    >Smirking, you lifted your head to peer into those sharp, clever eyes.
  168. 168.
    “I mean what are they gonna do, pluck all your feathers, and call you a man?”
  169. 169.
    >Anon blinked once, tilted his head at a 90 degree angle at you, and retracted his tongue.
  170. 170.
    >He looked much more serious again that way, but it was odd getting that vibe of his from the head of a crow.
  171. 171.
    >”They could put us in jail.”
  172. 172.
    “Good, we could snuggle all night in the drunk tank then.”
  173. 173.
     
  174. 174.
    ##
  175. 175.
     
  176. 176.
    >The look on Anon’s face could kill.
  177. 177.
    >There was practically nothing visible, he’d narrowed his eyes so much.
  178. 178.
    >”Right. Good plan.”
  179. 179.
    >He growled out, low and gravelly.
  180. 180.
    >In spite of that, you planted a big kiss on his beak, and the black beady marbles in his head bugged out in response.
  181. 181.
    >Anonymous’ whole neck arched back, recoiling from you while his maw cracked open.
  182. 182.
    >At the same time, his feathers puffed up around his face and chest.
  183. 183.
    >He looked like a marshmallow with a beak that was personally offended because you dropped it in the ashes around a campfire.
  184. 184.
    >From this position, your boyfriend loomed over your face.
  185. 185.
    >...You just smirked and scrunched your snout smugly in return.
  186. 186.
    >There was no noticeable change in his expression for quite a while.
  187. 187.
    >But, eventually, he quietly deflated, stood and stretched, disengaging from you to stare all round at himself.
  188. 188.
    >And you did too, it was so strange, oddly comfortable, but strange.
  189. 189.
    >Walking in a tight little circle on yourself, you seemed to quickly adjust to your four legged gait.
  190. 190.
    >Your hooves started going where you wanted them.
  191. 191.
    >You had already seen most of your new body when you were transforming, the white fur, the auburn mark on your face, the wings on your back.
  192. 192.
    >But there was something else, that you hadn’t spotted at first, or maybe it didn’t appear till recently.
  193. 193.
    >”I saw the ponies on the internet had those too.”
  194. 194.
    >Anon poked your flank with a talon, making your hindquarters twitch.
  195. 195.
    >Under the end of his black digit, there was a marking, a simple symbol like depiction of a snow capped mountain with a spring winding down its side.
  196. 196.
    >It made you smile.
  197. 197.
    “So weird. Does ‘it’ know I like hiking? Is that how it works?”
  198. 198.
    >Your boyfriend shrugged his feathery shoulders, his long tail curling and whipping from side to side as he sat back on his haunches.
  199. 199.
    >He really did look just a crow, attached to the back of a black cougar.
  200. 200.
    >You sidled up and sat right beside him, spreading your right wing to press him into you.
  201. 201.
    >So warm, fur against feather.
  202. 202.
    >With a long breath, in through your nostrils, you rubbed your head against his body.
  203. 203.
    >Up his chest, neck, going on the tips of your forehooves to reach his head since he sat a foot taller than you.
  204. 204.
    “...Black is really your color... Maybe ‘it’ knew that too...”
  205. 205.
    >You murmured into one of his tufted ears, before softly nibbling down on it.
  206. 206.
    >He leaned away, but also layered his own wing atop yours.
  207. 207.
    >”...This is because I forgot Valentine’s day, isn’t it.”
  208. 208.
    ”Yep.”
  209. 209.
    >You popped one eye open, and met Anon’s left eye, staring sidelong into yours.
  210. 210.
    >When he went to disconnect, you quickly wrapped your forelegs around him and pulled him tight.
  211. 211.
    >Even though his beak shouldn’t have betrayed anything you could read his honest contrition in it.
  212. 212.
    >”Sorry.”
  213. 213.
    >He intoned, his voice vibrating out of his body, into yours.
  214. 214.
    >You rubbed your face back and forth in his warm feathers and answered,
  215. 215.
    “Thanks, it’s okay. Sorry I didn’t ask first, before I did all...”
  216. 216.
     
  217. 217.
    >With a general waggle, you motioned to both of your bodies with your outstretched left wing.
  218. 218.
    >Anon threaded through your mane with his talons, looking down his chest at you while he replied.
  219. 219.
    >”It’s fine. More interesting as a surprise anyway.”
  220. 220.
    >Finally, the big lunk relented, like a chunk of a glacier falling into the tide.
  221. 221.
    >The griffon, your griffon, leaned back into you, his great weight reassuring and loving.
  222. 222.
    >You sighed wonderfully and smiled, closing your eyes.
  223. 223.
    >There was a deep thrumming-
  224. 224.
    >Your eyes snapped open, and you peered up into his face.
  225. 225.
    “...Are you - purring?”
  226. 226.
    >”What about it.”
  227. 227.
    >That wasn’t a question.
  228. 228.
    >His expression didn’t shift a millimeter.
  229. 229.
    >You blinked, cracked a fresh grin and laughed, bumping your head into his chest.
  230. 230.
    >Anonymous hugged you, really wrapped his forelegs around you and pulled you tight, tight into that infinite storm cloud of down.
  231. 231.
    >Your griffon’s talons pressed pleasantly into your withers.
  232. 232.
    >His purr was the rumbling of the world.
  233. 233.
    >”I love you.”
  234. 234.
    “I love you too.”
  235. 235.
    >The both of you stayed like that for a long, long while.
  236. 236.
    >Your hindlegs gave out slowly, and your whole body went slack into Anon’s embrace, so he supported you, spreading his own legs a touch to balance himself.
  237. 237.
    >You couldn’t see a damn thing, just black on black on black, swallowed up.
  238. 238.
    >Schumann was still playing over Anon’s speakers, but it was practically a whisper compared to his purring.
  239. 239.
    >Nothing else existed in the world for a while and that was just what you had wanted in the first place, time with him to yourself.
  240. 240.
    >Eventually, and naturally, the hug ended.
  241. 241.
    >Anonymous set you back on your hooves, which you took to with a little stumble, then recovered.
  242. 242.
    >He patted you on the head.
  243. 243.
    >”You want to go on a walk by the water?”
  244. 244.
    >You smiled.
  245. 245.
    “And get arrested?”
  246. 246.
    >”We can’t be arrested. If anything, they shouldn’t even charge me taxes in this body. C’mon.”
  247. 247.
    >With soft footfalls, Anon padded over to his PC tower on the floor and pressed the power button, then he made for the front door.
  248. 248.
    >You followed after him at a happy trot, already getting excited at the prospect.
  249. 249.
    “I wonder how hard it is to fly.”
  250. 250.
    >”Probably not too bad, if we learned walking like this so fast.”
  251. 251.
    >Your boyfriend returned, as he dug out your favorite brown wool knit scarf from the closet and looped it around your neck.
  252. 252.
    >It made you happy, seeing how dexterous he actually was with those talons, that he hadn’t just instantly locked to his desk again.
  253. 253.
    >He tied the scarf in a neat bow behind your back, leaving two trailing ends that dangled a few inches off the ground.
  254. 254.
    >You posed in the mirror by the door, lifting a forehoof and throwing your head to the side to adjust your mane.
  255. 255.
    >”Feeling alright?”
  256. 256.
    >Anon suddenly asked, sitting on the floor behind you.
  257. 257.
    >Blinking, you looked into his glittering black eyes in the mirror, confused.
  258. 258.
    “Yes?”
  259. 259.
    >His tail thumped once.
  260. 260.
     
  261. 261.
    >”Cool. You were just looking a little hoarse is all.”
  262. 262.
    >Your eyes half lidded instantly, your tail flicked like a red flag behind you, and you felt the most visceral, boiling, pun induced disgust.
  263. 263.
    >Without saying anything, you hopped up on your back legs and pinched the doorknob between your forehooves, turning it and pushing the portal open.
  264. 264.
    >Then you clopped onto all fours into the hallway, pivoting right to the elevator.
  265. 265.
    >The air was close in here, a thin, carpeted, old apartment complex’s inner passage.
  266. 266.
    >You peeked back over your wings with a slight bit of self consciousness, eyeing the doors running down to the end of the hall, but there was no one here except for you and Anonymous.
  267. 267.
    >He followed you apace, stopping first to lock the door with his key, which he then stuck on his work lanyard and threw around his neck.
  268. 268.
    >Overtaking you because of his longer stride, he let out an odd lowing cackle, like sequential caws more than anything.
  269. 269.
    >You puffed up your cheeks with suppressed laughter, squinting into his face as he pressed the down button with his talon, you said,
  270. 270.
    “You’re supposed to be serious.”
  271. 271.
    >Anon winked at you without smiling, and sat waiting diligently for the elevator to arrive.
  272. 272.
    >With a playful huff, you sat beside him, watching the doors.
  273. 273.
    >Despite yourself, you felt a bit of trepidation.
  274. 274.
    >It was so weird to think of... you lifted up a hoof and stared into it for a moment, before setting it back down with a soft clop to shift your gaze to the silver opening again... going out like this.
  275. 275.
    >”No one will recognize us anyway.”
  276. 276.
    >Anon said quite neutrally.
  277. 277.
    >You smiled.
  278. 278.
    “Yeah. Just weird.”
  279. 279.
    >He perked an eyebrow at that.
  280. 280.
    >”...And this was your idea.”
  281. 281.
    >There was a flush creeping up your cheeks.
  282. 282.
    >Really... you actually hadn’t thought as far as the moment after the transformation.
  283. 283.
    >Just getting your boyfriend off the computer was pretty much all you had considered.
  284. 284.
    >Mercifully, the elevator finally dinged and opened, upon a widely staring young boy in moderate winter wear and his mother similarly clothed beside him.
  285. 285.
    >Anonymous didn’t even flinch, inclining his feathered head half a quarter of a millimeter.
  286. 286.
    >”Hello.”
  287. 287.
    >He greeted, before walking inside and sitting to the left of the gawping kid.
  288. 288.
    >You followed with a growing smile, sitting next to Anon again.
  289. 289.
    “Heya.”
  290. 290.
    >Came your own greeting, to the mother, who seemed to catch your smile too.
  291. 291.
    >She just shook her head and let out a breath she was holding, while reaching over to press the ground floor button, trying not to stare.
  292. 292.
    >As soon as the doors shut, the little boy came at Anon with the kind of technique that caused one to reminisce on the Hogan v. Andre bodyslam of 1987.
  293. 293.
    >”Caw-f-uwuhfw??”
  294. 294.
    >Was all he was able to utter, before his fluffy, feathery form hit the floor with a resounding thud.
  295. 295.
    >You died and went to heaven laughing, along with the boy’s mother, before she cleared her throat and made a very valiant attempt at looking like she was trying to pry her son off.
  296. 296.
     
  297. 297.
    >The tyke had your griffon pinned in an unassailable attack hug, shrieking with laughter.
  298. 298.
    >While Anon himself was writhing in shock on his back, beak agape, tongue lolling, left eye rolling, wings locked up, paws slipping on the stainless steel walls and talons clutching round your seated form in an attempt to get away from his attacker.
  299. 299.
    >As the elevator sunk past the 10th floor, you finally stopped laughing long enough to gesture to the mom to take a picture for later, which she did with a lot more enthusiasm and wherewithal than when she was trying to help Anon a second ago.
  300. 300.
    >After a couple dozen pictures were taken, and you had given your cell phone number to the woman for her to send them to later, the two of you actually freed your boyfriend.
  301. 301.
    >Who disentangled from the boy with a quiet hiss as the elevator opened, though it was obviously more for his wrangler’s entertainment than real anger.
  302. 302.
    >All four of you marched out of the lobby, and into the city outside.
  303. 303.
    >But just before the kid was out of reach, Anon grabbed hold of him with his talons and gave his hair good mussing.
  304. 304.
    >The youth tossed round in his scaly grasp, giggling, before Anonymous muscled the boy away into his mother’s arms.
  305. 305.
    >And all the griffon got for that act of revenge was even more uproarious laughter.
  306. 306.
    >As the two of them walked off, the boy waving frantically goodbye, Anonymous straightened up beside you and stuck his tongue out of the end of his beak in return, looking completely stone faced as he did it.
  307. 307.
    >The smile on your face had been on for so long now it was actually starting to hurt.
  308. 308.
    >You breathed deep and massaged your cheeks with your forehooves, managing not to giggle for a minute at least.
  309. 309.
    >And your griffon watched patiently, wings shuffling at his back in the stiff breeze, tail undulating behind him like a cat’s would.
  310. 310.
    >It was a mild winter day, more like autumn, if there hadn’t been snow on the ground.
  311. 311.
    >Ice packed the borders of the sidewalks in knee high walls, that now reached up to just under your head, so that everywhere you went you’d be peeking over them.
  312. 312.
    >Your breath steamed a little out of your muzzle as you looked around you, seeing the world through literally new eyes.
  313. 313.
    “Size makes a big perspective shift, huh?”
  314. 314.
    >”I feel half like a kid again.”
  315. 315.
    >Anonymous commented, looking about in much the same manner you were.
  316. 316.
    >The sun struck through the clouds beyond the opposite facing apartment complex, to beam down on him just then, making his black feathers really look iridescent.
  317. 317.
    >You could see the rosettes much clearer than usual as well, like brilliant flowers across his flank.
  318. 318.
     
  319. 319.
    ##
  320. 320.
     
  321. 321.
    >Anon spread his wings for the first real time and your mouth dropped open at the sight.
  322. 322.
    >They were two big inky hands steadily unfurling against the wind, freeing feathers that spun loose and tumbled like black snowflakes, until the pair were arched behind the griffon as a shadowy pronaos to the arch of his neck.
  323. 323.
    >His head had swung back and his face had turned west to look across the nearest towering glass rectangle that cut the sky.
  324. 324.
    >At least, you assumed he was looking where his beak was pointed, it was impossible to know for sure from his lack of visible pupils.
  325. 325.
    >Those eyes shot a glare that would have seemed pure animal, if it weren’t for the straight set to his beak.
  326. 326.
    >It all amounted to a perfect translation of Anonymous’ usual poker face.
  327. 327.
    >A slow smile grew on the end of your snout, as your lips met once more, and your eyes sparkled with delight.
  328. 328.
    >He was handsome, that self same tall dark stranger you met a year ago.
  329. 329.
    >You stood up on all four hooves, trotting off without a second thought past him.
  330. 330.
    “C’mon. Take me on a date then.”
  331. 331.
    >He didn’t nod; the twinkle in the onyx moon of his eye couldn’t have even measured a lumen, as he folded his wings and followed, up the path to connect with the sidewalk and head north to the lake.
  332. 332.
    >When Anon made pace with you, you bumped your flank against him with a wink.
  333. 333.
    “You’re hot.”
  334. 334.
    >”I’m getting a slight chill actually.”
  335. 335.
    >You rolled your eyes and bumped him again.
  336. 336.
    >He answered by wrapping his tail around yours.
  337. 337.
    >This wasn’t really the most upscale place in the city, so there weren’t any of the Valentine’s crowd around in the streets here.
  338. 338.
    >Just about normal, maybe quiet, for a weekend.
  339. 339.
    >Though all the parking spots were full, of course.
  340. 340.
    >Maybe that lack of a crowd made you feel less awkward, or maybe you really had gotten over the initial weirdness of being a pony around people.
  341. 341.
    >With a start, you realized you hadn’t even thought about it at all the whole time you were interacting with that woman and her son in the elevator.
  342. 342.
    >Huh.
  343. 343.
    >Either way, the both of you marched onward, making a little small talk as you went.
  344. 344.
    >Your gaze came pre-glazed for his bit of technical expatiation, but you always loved to hear Anon being INTERESTED in something.
  345. 345.
    >There was a metallic sheen in his soul that shined through, no matter what, when he was talking about computers.
  346. 346.
    >Even out of the solid midnight stare he wore today.
  347. 347.
     
  348. 348.
    >The boardwalk came into view when you went up over the crest of Firth Street.
  349. 349.
    >It clung to the edge of the glittering lake beyond, lined with posts and chains
  350. 350.
    >There were pleasure craft moored for some three hundred meters on the stretch you saw, most of them empty though.
  351. 351.
    >While rounding the corner of Firth, to come to the front step of the Cafe Circo, Anonymous turned the conversation over to you,
  352. 352.
    >”So what have you been doing at home, since you got off work for training, anyway?”
  353. 353.
    >The griffon blinked and tilted his head at you, then gracefully extended one of his forelegs to hold the door open, talons clicking on the glass.
  354. 354.
    “Knitting.”
  355. 355.
    >You chirped matter of factly, then you trotted inside.
  356. 356.
    >There was the rush of warm air, the lax ululation of Brazilian classical guitar, the staring faces of all the patrons and then more importantly; Anonymous’ face coming into view, smiling genially at the edges of his beak.
  357. 357.
    >”Nice. Socks?”
  358. 358.
    “Yep!”
  359. 359.
    >He strode up to the counter first, paws pressing down on the tile floor as he lifted his scaly fore legs up to lay them by the debit machine.
  360. 360.
    >His long neck craned around to look at the menu behind the barista’s head, and to the clerk’s credit, he didn’t even flinch.
  361. 361.
    >Just smiled casually, and waited.
  362. 362.
    >Finally, taking the same approach he had many times before with you and your boyfriend, he asked,
  363. 363.
    >”Coffee, French roast, black, with a plain donut again?”
  364. 364.
    >Your tail flicked behind you, and Anonymous blinked, staring straight ahead for a second before his eyes went to the man, and he lowered his head.
  365. 365.
    >The barista was busy working the coffee machine, and fetching a donut from the display case, while he answered the griffon’s stare over the quiet bustle of the cafe.
  366. 366.
    >”It’s that keychain you always use to pay. I guess a crow might steal something like that though, was I wrong?”
  367. 367.
    >With his eyes narrowed and one eyebrow perked, he pointed a finger at the little solid gray and square plastic fob on the lanyard about Anonymous’ neck, beside your apartment key.
  368. 368.
    >Anon’s tail stiffened, and his tongue stuck out in what could be mistaken for fluster.
  369. 369.
    >”...No, you were right.”
  370. 370.
    >You laughed and sidled up next to Anon, bumping him out of the way.
  371. 371.
    >Your gaze met the barista’s for a solid 30 seconds while he pretended not to recognize you, then a new smile broke on his face and he started up the espresso machine too.
  372. 372.
     
  373. 373.
    >”Cappuccino with cinnamon, and the biggest oat-chocolate chip cookie I can pick out.”
  374. 374.
    “What, you want a 30% tip?”
  375. 375.
    >You teased, yanking Anonymous’ lanyard down in your mouth to the machine to pay.
  376. 376.
    >Your eyes narrowed as you leaned in to read the golden pin nametag on his shirt, acting as if you had forgotten it.
  377. 377.
    “...Dan.”
  378. 378.
    >”Shouldn’t I get some kind of kickback? For not calling animal control?”
  379. 379.
    >Came Dan’s response, and you answered right away with a snort, blowing your mane out of your face,
  380. 380.
    “I’d like to see them try.”
  381. 381.
    >Anonymous slid away and stalked over to a bench seat by the window to take his place, remarking simply,
  382. 382.
    >”So would I. Maybe I could get some work done with you in a cage.”
  383. 383.
    >Your face flushed for half a moment before you just huffed and pushed off of the counter, clopping back to the floor
  384. 384.
    >You were staring daggers across the room at him.
  385. 385.
    >Half the cafe was watching the two of you by now, but you knew Anonymous couldn’t care less.
  386. 386.
    >He was about as socialized as Tarzan, on a good day.
  387. 387.
    >Ruffling your wings a little in self-consciousness as you went, you walked over and sat across from Anonymous without saying another word for now.
  388. 388.
    >A few minutes passed in relative quiet.
  389. 389.
    >You briefly scanned the cafe.
  390. 390.
    >There were plenty of eyes on the two of you still, and a few phone cameras.
  391. 391.
    >Anon was perfectly uninterested, instead he was watching out the window at a flock of waxwings soaring by the lake and up to the hills.
  392. 392.
    >As much as the wonderful sight caught your eye too, seeing the birds flit in such beautiful patterns, your focus kept panning back to the attentions of the other patrons.
  393. 393.
    >One woman stuck out to you in particular, dressed in a trendy South Korean way, with a gray hoodie and baggy jeans combo.
  394. 394.
    >She was pointing her phone right at your face, and the whole scenario struck you as annoying.
  395. 395.
    >It was the blank look on her face, completely joyless.
  396. 396.
    >There was a lack of interest there, no amazement.
  397. 397.
    >Not that you expected people to be amazed by you, you weren’t vain.
  398. 398.
    >But if there was nothing going on that even got her to react, then why was she recording?
  399. 399.
    >So you blew a raspberry at her and turned aside, deciding to pay it no more mind than Anonymous was.
  400. 400.
    >You heard a few people laugh under their breath, and the tension in the cafe dissipated, melding back into the casual conversations from before.
  401. 401.
    >Or maybe you had really just learned to tune it out.
  402. 402.
    >Your eyes lit up as the barista laid out yours and Anon’s drinks and treats.
  403. 403.
     
  404. 404.
    >He had made a feather pattern with the foam in your cappuccino that curved ‘round the whole cup, before he dazzled it with cinnamon.
  405. 405.
    >Automatically, you felt your tongue lap out and lick your lips.
  406. 406.
    “Thank you.”
  407. 407.
    >”Thanks.”
  408. 408.
    >Anonymous echoed, before taking a measured sip from his mug.
  409. 409.
    >Dan nodded, and then... He didn’t leave.
  410. 410.
    >His eyes darted to the top of your head, then to your eyes, then to Anon’s stolid expression.
  411. 411.
    >Before flicking right back to - Oh, your ears.
  412. 412.
    >A smug smirk slid its way across your muzzle from ear to fuzzy ear, and your voice came out low.
  413. 413.
    “You wouldn’t be thinking of groping a customer’s ears, would you?”
  414. 414.
    >With an amused, but also slightly pained expression, the man tugged at his shirt collar while you flopped your furry ears around, up and down, on your head.
  415. 415.
    >Like two ailerons.
  416. 416.
    >When you leaned forward to sip at your cappuccino, both big, blue eyes upturned at him comically from your long face, he finally blustered an answer.
  417. 417.
    >”...I wanted... To pet your head, and rub your ears.”.
  418. 418.
    “Sure.”
  419. 419.
    >You perked right up and tilted it, bumping against Dan’s stomach.
  420. 420.
    >Behind you, your tail was swishing around just like a cat’s.
  421. 421.
    >Immediately, the coffee monger looked to Anonymous for some guidance or permission.
  422. 422.
    >Anon turned his head, slow, and stared.
  423. 423.
    >Whether at him or you, it wasn’t really possible to tell, but after a few seconds of stretched silence, the griffon finally answered in a slow and measured tone.
  424. 424.
    >”As long as you think that... Is the appropriate thing to do.”
  425. 425.
    >Your eyes must have left your head.
  426. 426.
    >You pawed at the clerk’s shirt with your hoof.
  427. 427.
    “He’s harmless. Pet me.”
  428. 428.
    >And Dan acquiesced almost instantly, laying one palm right across the flat of your head, between your ears.
  429. 429.
    >With a slow and gentle movement, he ran his fingers through your auburn mane and let it slide over his open hand.
  430. 430.
    >The feeling was pleasant, not as nice as Anonymous with his talons earlier.
  431. 431.
    >No love, just affection, no passion, if anything he was still timid.
  432. 432.
    >You smiled though, and leaned in to offer more.
  433. 433.
    >Anonymous was thoroughly in... A mode.
  434. 434.
    >He was perched up like a statue of a griffon, sitting on the bench, stock still and holding his cup up by the handle with two efficiently placed talons.
  435. 435.
    >Smirking at him, you bent down to take a bite of your cookie while he took a sip of his joe, looking every bit like a gargoyle in a diner.
  436. 436.
     
  437. 437.
    >Finally,
  438. 438.
    “Alfright ahlfright... Enuff.”
  439. 439.
    >You grumbled around your cookie, waving a wing up to brush Dan’s hand aside.
  440. 440.
    >”Sorry, you’ve got nice fur.”
  441. 441.
    “You’re never gonna get yourself a girl, petting mares like that.”
  442. 442.
    >You countered brutally, before taking a prim lap of your cappuccino, ears flicking.
  443. 443.
    >Dan looked thunderstruck.
  444. 444.
    >Arms down at his sides and palms out as if to ask why you were so cruel.
  445. 445.
    >But he thought better of saying anything, just shook his head, turned away, and walked back to his post
  446. 446.
    >Anonymous watched curiously, his head tilted at an angle while he gently pecked at the donut he held up with both fore feet.
  447. 447.
    >”What was that about?”
  448. 448.
    >You bobbed a fore hoof around, glancing his way over the rim of your cup.
  449. 449.
    “You were the better petter, obviously.”
  450. 450.
    >A short breath left Anon’s nares.
  451. 451.
    >”...Oh so he’s supposed to do a better job than your boyfriend.”
  452. 452.
    “He is if he wants to fall in love, yep, yep.”
  453. 453.
    >To punctuate, you took another big bite of your cookie and licked the chocolate off your lips.

Nemetona

by meslam

Anu

by meslam

Crepuscule

by meslam