u/Cassie0707

Imgur Link in case Reddit decides to compress it to hell again (new to here so apologies if it doesn't work again lol: https://imgur.com/a/FWseQpY )

Big thanks to Olliekay for motivating me to actually make this, big thanks to Zodiallay because I totally stole the concept of a Yulpa ritual as a body swap trigger from him. And thanks to SP15 for the setting. I might do more with them here, we'll have to wait and see!!!

-----------------------------------

Memory Transcription Subject: Liam Yun, Software Engineer

Date [Standardized Human Time]: May 10, 214X

-----

Something was off.

That was the first thought that ran through my head as an alarm buzzed angrily at my side. I grumbled to myself, groggily finding the phone and turning it off without opening my eyes. It felt earlier than I expected, so I blearily opened my eye to look at the clock across from me.

… the ceiling? 

My head panged at the view. I was facing forward, but looking up? I muttered to myself, trying to clear the sleep from my head. Looking down, the suspicion that something was off became more than just suspicion.

This isn’t my apartment.

That chased the sleep out of my body. I felt almost frozen to the spot, barely able to move as I scanned the room- it was small, looking more like a dorm (especially with the scant furniture and cement walls), though one furnished for a single person.

“The fuck?” I muttered. Or at least I tried to- the words came out butchered and in a higher voice which was very clearly not mine. I tried to speak again, and the words spilt out slurred, like I’d forgotten how to speak correctly. 

Something was VERY off. I clasped a hand over my mouth, slapping my face instead as it protruded much further than it should’ve. Only, it wasn’t my hand. I brought it back into view, seeing a trembling, gray furred, four fingered hand instead. I moved my fingers. It moved its fingers. Something overwhelmed and scared yelped in my head, and I felt the sudden compulsion to flee. 

I managed to register the protest of something pinching at the end of my spine in the time between launching myself out of bed and colliding with the floor below me. My panicked struggle to escape the blanket was put to a premature end as the wind got knocked out of me. I laid on the floor, panicked, bruised, and very confused.

Opening my eyes again only led to more confusion, as my head and side continued to pound. I saw too much- way too much. I could almost see directly behind me. It hurt my head to process, and I shut my other eye. That felt normal enough.

I trained my vision down on my body. Well, it was definitely not my body, even as the black-blue blanket hid most of it from view. I, whatever I was, was covered head to toe in gray fur- with a mane of lighter, longer, wool like fur around the edges of my vision. My face felt long and distended, and I couldn’t breathe in with my nose. My feet looked more like paws, sticking out of the blanket. The end of a long, gray tail sat limply between them, protesting from the yank it’d received from my escape attempt.

“I’m… a Venlil?” I muttered in that strange, alien voice, barely even believing myself. The words were more recognizable than before, but still strangled and slurred, like I was fighting my mouth to say them. “What…?”

Shakily taking a paw, I pulled the cloth off of me, still struggling to accept what I was seeing. My legs were awkwardly curved inward at the knee, their frail appearance opposite my normal legs. They and my arms lacked their usual muscle, and I suddenly felt much more vulnerable. The cherry on top was, if the size of my chest meant anything, I was also a woman. My stomach churned from the revelations and the aftermath of the collision.

No, no no. This is definitely just a dream, or something. A weird, fucked up dream. There's no way I’m actually- 

A very real pang of pain from my side rebuffed the thought.

I laid there for a few moments longer, trying not to panic at the alien, unfamiliar body laid out in front of me. My breath was laboured, feeling like I couldn’t get enough air. The lack of a nose didn’t help.

‘Ok. This is actually happening. I’m… a Venlil.’ The thought just felt wrong.

I needed to get a better look at myself. There was no use just laying here and freaking out. I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a deep breath in and out. 

Trying to stand was difficult. My upper body’s strength felt sapped, these smaller arms protesting as I pulled myself up using the bedframe. I struggled to stand, my knees bending inward, and what should've been my ankle never touching the floor. I kept using the bed as support, staggering to unfamiliar feet. I tried to figure out how to walk again, getting used to the knock knees, and the feeling of walking with my ankles permanently a few inches in the air. I braised myself grabbing onto the bed, then the desk, then finally taking wobbly steps on my own. I managed not to fall, but only barely. 

I was learning new things as I went. For one, in spite of standing on the front of my feet, I was definitely a lot shorter. For another, my feet- paws- whatever they were, weren't completely covered in fur, the tiles of the bathroom cold against the pads. I pulled back at the unexpected feeling, falling onto my ass. My tail throbbed, being abused for the second time in five minutes. A pained hiss slipped past my lips, and my hands shot to the base of the limb. 

Wincing, I used the doorway to stand back up, and finally arrived in front of the mirror, flipping the light on. A very confused looking Venlil woman stared back at me, her ears pinned back. I let out a strangled whimper at the sight.

I leaned forward towards the mirror in morbid curiosity, staring at the alien reflection. My hands went to my face, feeling the strange shape of her head- my head? Whoever it belonged to, the intensity of the situation made it pound with an unnatural heartbeat. 

My hands fell down to my stomach and hip, feeling the soft fur and shape of this body in disbelief. I experimentally flexed an arm, the lack of muscle obvious. In its absence was some curvyness; my thighs, rear, and most prominently, my chest. The obvious femininity of this body felt entirely wrong.

I felt my body flush as I focused my attention off of it and onto my face.

… which looked weirdly familiar.

The mirrored image definitely made it harder to tell, but I felt like I knew this person. Rich orange eyes, two earrings on her left ear, her body type...

Selkiv?

My hands shot off of my body, my face burning orange. I hadn’t just turned into a Venlil, I’d turned into a completely different person. It wasn’t my body to touch. 

Selkiv was a friend- maybe a more recently made one, but a friend nonetheless. She was definitely unique, the only Venlil I knew that engaged with nail polish and piercings (although I knew only two or three other Venlil)… and she was pretty bold for a member of her species. I tried thinking back to the last time we’d talked; she’d texted me maybe two days ago, and I’d hung out with her and some mutual friends a day before that. Nothing out of the ordinary.

But, the important part was that I wasn’t too far from home, from my actual body. Maybe only a mile or two! My long ears flicked upright in excitement, and my pained limp tail made an unconscious flick, sending a shiver up my longer spine.

Ok, focus Liam. You’re only a few miles from home- and her phone was back on the bed somewhere.

I stumbled back into the main room, feet still shaky. I made a brief stop at the desk by the foot of her bed, finding her purse and wallet. A Canadian passport with her name, and a photo of the face in the mirror confirmed my identity. Her phone wasn’t on the bed, though- being launched across the room during my panicked tussle with the blanket and impromptu flight.

I carefully knelt down to grab it on unfamiliar legs, calves shaking as I tried to use them like human ones. Her phone wasn’t cracked, and turned on without issue, unlocking itself after scanning her face. I closed my eyes, silently thanking that she’d gone with biometrics rather than a proper password. 

I slowly typed in my own phone number with a finger, letting it ring. 

“Come on, come on, pick up.” I muttered, fidgeting with my free hand. A few rings in, they did. I sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment, unsure what to say. 

“... Hello?” my own voice replied through the speaker. They spoke like they were still learning to speak; which only bolstered my resolve. “Liam?”

“Selkiv!?” I shouted, bringing the phone to my mouth. “Oh my god, Selkiv. What the hell is going on?”

“Uh, I- You’re me?” she replied, curious but not confused. “And, I’m you.” 

“Yeah, no shit.” I spat, before realizing how it came across. “Sorry- I- this-” I sputtered uselessly, gesturing at myself even though she couldn’t see.

“It’s fine, I get it.” She sounded weirdly calm. “This is really trippy though.”

 I felt my ears cock to the side in confusion. She wasn’t just not freaking out, she almost sounded… excited? I shook my head, rationalizing that she’s probably just struggling with her voice.

“Yeah, it is.” I offered. “It’s really, really weird. D-do you know anything about what’s going on? On what happened?”

There was a beat of silence. 

“Selkiv?”

“Yeah, I-” she trailed off. “I’ve been more focused on figuring out how to walk, honestly. Maybe we should meet up. It’ll be easier to figure these things out.” She muttered something under her breath.

“What was that last part?”

“N-nothing. How good are you at walking?”

I looked down at my strange, gray legs. “Not great, but I… might be able to make it?”

“Ok, that's good. I keep falling over every few steps, I don’t think I could walk to you.” She sheepishly admitted. “And your apartment is definitely bigger than my dorm.” 

The thought of trekking a mile or more in the cold, early May weather with these legs was not one of my favorite ideas, especially since I barely felt comfortable walking without something to grab onto. But she had a point- my apartment had more space, and even a spare room while my roommate was away. 

I wondered how much she’d poked around my place to know that. 

“I’ll come to you.” I replied. “What… uhm, do we need to take anything from here?”

“Oh, yeah, that would be smart.” She thought for a moment. “There should be a duffle bag at the end of my bed, with some stuff in it.”

“I see it.” I placed the phone down and turned on speaker mode, opening the bag to see a couple papers and accessories, scant makeup tucked in a side pocket, and an unopened wine bottle. I turned the last one over in my hands for a moment, before she continued.

“You should grab my fur conditioner, my computer if it's not already in there, both my chargers…” the distinctive sound of a fridge opening came through over the phone. “And definitely the food in my pantry; just in case we have to stick together a while.” She added the last part with certainty, like she knew that we would. I didn’t like the idea of being shunted into this body for an extended period of time, but I rationalized that it made sense to prepare… just in case.

The second grand tour of the tiny dorm room was easier and faster than my first trip around, my slow, shaky steps getting more confident as I went.

“You really can’t walk?” I asked as I pulled the charging cords from the outlet; something that required an embarrassing amount of effort with these new arms.

“Yeah, I’ve been trying, but I’m just really unsteady on my feet.”

“You are walking with your ankle on the ground, right?” 

An audible face palm came through the speakers. 

“Hey- try not to slap my face too hard.” I half-joked as I shoved the cords into the bag and started to the pantry. “I’m going to need that back.” She let out a small, feminine laugh- although it was totally incompatible with my body’s deep voice. 

I grabbed a handful of strange looking Skalgan vegetables, a few packets of vegan ramen, and a half-eaten loaf of alien looking bread, with her guidance on what tasted best.

“Ok. Chargers, laptop, food, toiletries, wallet, your purse…” I spoke towards the phone, listing everything in the bag. “Oh, clothes!” I stepped towards the closet, which had so far remained untouched.

Selkiv made a strangled noise from the phone's speakers. “Uh- Liam, we dont- I don’t need those.” Her tone changed to something audibly more desperate. “Besides- there's probably some in there- probably- in the back pocket?”

“I’m not going out there in the nude.” I retorted after a short pause, putting my hands on the handles. “I’ll just grab something from the-”

Selkiv protested, but I’d already opened the door.

It took a moment to process what I was looking at. Below a few hoodies, winter clothing, and more revealing outfits was something straight out of a cult movie. A black chalk circle, its outside adorned with glyphs, accompanied with humanoid scribbles, though whether they were meant to be human, venlil, or another bipedal species wasn’t clear. Three burnt out candles sat equidistant on the linoleum, and the most concerning part was a small bowl with an orange-brown blood stain and some ash sitting in the middle of all of it. I took a shaky step back without thinking.

“S- Selkiv.” My voice shook. “What the FUCK is this?”

“Speh- I wanted to explain in person, but-”

“Selkiv, you’re going to explain the… whatever the fuck this is right now.” I cut her off, speaking directly into the phone.

She took a deep breath.

“Remember when we met a few days ago, and I was talking about that occult stuff? Those… Yulpa rituals? I… find stuff like that online, and I do them on occasion- it’s like a hobby.” She paused. “But, a few days ago, I found this one on an archeological site, and it, uh, seems like it actually worked.”

“Y- you did this?” I shouted, holding the phone in a deathgrip. Rituals? Yulpa rituals?? I wasn’t very informed on quite a few species, but I knew enough about the Yulpa; that they’re disturbed, predator sacrificing theocrats, and far from friendly. 

“I- Well- Yulpa language is really hard to translate, and it’s even trickier with ancient Yulpan languages. It’s all cryptic and metaphorical-”

“Selkiv!”

“And- I didn’t actually expect it to do anything, these things never actually work! They’re just interesting, and kinda creepy, and…” She sighed. “I know it’s weird, but I didn’t think it’d really… do anything.”

“You- you-” I paced back and forth, trying to keep from freaking out more than I already was. “Wha- with- Why me?” 

“Uh- I was curious what it’d be like to be a human?” she paused, like she was expecting me to say something. I only felt my blood boil. “And I didn’t- well- I-” she sputtered, flustered.

“Selkiv, if you weren’t in my body I would strangle you.” I hissed. “Turn us back!”

That silence returned.

“I-it's not permanent, is it!?” 

“No- no!” She replied, continuing sheepishly. “Yulpa occult stuff is based on lunar cycles- it’s not permanent, but it might be… well, a week or two before it wears off.”

“Let me get this straight. You- you did a blood ritual, involving me, without asking or checking with me at all, and we’re stuck like this for two weeks.” I felt lightheaded.

“I- yeah.” She admitted, defeated.

I made a noise, holding my head and sitting down so I wouldn’t just faint. I rubbed my curved head, trying to relieve the stress of the situation. She said something from the phone, but I didn’t make it out with the ringing in my ears. I sat there for another minute or two, only standing when the pounding in my head went down to a manageable level.

“Selkiv.”

“Y- yes, Liam?”

“I’m going to head over. Unlock the door.”

“Ok, I’m sorry about-”

“No!” I interrupted. “I don’t want to hear it! We’re going to talk about this when I get there.” I hung up the phone.

One quick scream into the nearest pillow, and a few minutes of waiting out my light-headedness later, I slipped on a human sized University of Toronto hoodie (which thankfully covered most of her body), struggled to get the too heavy duffle bag around me, and clumsily marched out of her dorm.

It was a small struggle to find my way out of the building, especially because I was on the third floor. Finding the elevator was a godsend- as unconfident as I was with walking on flat ground, descending the stairs would be a dozen times worse.

At the very least, there didn’t seem to be too many other people around, only passing a few on the first floor. I felt self conscious in front of people; embarrassingly aware of my limp tail and awkward gait, feeling incredibly out of place with my new body. I tried to nestle my head in the navy colored hood, but it covered more of my vision, which only made me feel more anxious.

I put my address into my phone and looked that way, across the green, through a crowd of people. Great. I took a deep breath, and put one foot in front of the other.

One thing I was quickly realizing was Venlil do not handle being stared at. I kept looking downward, trying to avoid the looks that were almost certainly on me. Selkiv’s confidence certainly hadn’t stuck with this body- or her experience fighting her instincts.

As I made my way towards the crowd, I felt a new bundle of anxiety forming in my chest. It felt harder and harder to keep getting closer, like I was trying to walk into a lion’s den. I saw someone glance my way, and I nearly jumped, tripping over my own feet. My body felt hot, shaky, and very jumpy. I checked my phone. 1.4 miles. Crap.

‘Ok, it’s just a mile. No one's going to think anything’s wrong.’ I thought to myself. ‘Don’t freak out. You’re a human. Don’t let people freak you out.’

It was uncomfortably warm, even though I was only wearing a hoodie, and it was a cool May morning. I felt extremely exposed- nearly nude except for the cloth that barely covered my crotch (and definitely not covering my rear). The mortification of being so nearly nude almost convinced me to stop and turn around, but I had to keep moving.

Which was easier said than done- I cursed those frightened, anxious instincts under my breath. 

I pulled the hoodie up over my head as I shakily moved through the busier end of the green. As good as it was to cover up and feel less obvious, it came with even more vulnerability since most of my vision was obscured.

‘Snap out of it.’ I thought, miserably. ‘You know no one’s gonna pounce on you; or try to bite you, or anything.’ 

Being a prey animal sucked.

I managed to get through the metaphorical lion's den, the instructions on my phone telling me my place was only a few blocks away, which still meant crossing a few streets.

I felt blatantly out of place standing there in just a hoodie, encircled by people. The noise of the cars only managed to put me more on edge- I cursed how jumpy I was under my breath.

Against my better judgement, I looked up to watch the traffic light, only to catch someone’s gaze. They opened their mouth in a snarl-like smile. 

My wool puffed up, my legs refused to move, and my heart skipped a beat. I squeaked at the sight, which only managed to attract more attention. Their snarl faltered and they looked away, but I felt an uncomfortable amount of attention. I scurried away the second the walk sign changed.

The rest of the trip was a blur, only coming back to my senses at the door to my apartment complex. I was panting like I’d run a marathon, heart still beating hard. I didn’t know if I could make that trip again.

I slipped inside, beelining for the end of the hall and carefully ascending a flight of stairs to my floor. The apartment was thankfully devoid of life, and getting to my door wasn’t a problem. 

“S-elkiv?” I called, stepping in. My voice was still shaky from everything, and the discovery that everything in my apartment felt too big only increased that uncertainty.

She stuck her- my head out from the kitchen, taking a few uncertain steps. I flinched at the approach, and she paused for a moment.

“Hey, Liam.” She poked her fingers together with an apprehensive disposition. “You… ok?”

“No, I’m not ok- I’m you!” I buried my head in the hood further. “I- it's insane how calm you are about this! I- I nearly fainted just getting over here, and your instincts work completely different, and...”

She took another step towards me, and I felt my heart thump. It was freaky to see my own body acting independently of my actions- but having the undivided gaze of someone my brain told me was dangerous certainly was worse.

“I- I’ll explain everything, just let me do one thing.” She took another step, and I felt rooted to the spot. She reached over my head, locking the door, before reaching down-

I spaced out for a moment, before the hood was pulled off my head. 

“There! Now that won’t mess up your wool- I mean my wool.” She saw my dazed expression, tapping my head. “And, uh, might help you feel a bit better. It must be pretty hot in that.”

Coming back to my senses, I slowly took off the bag but kept the hoodie on. “I- it’s better than being nude.” I muttered.

“You’re a Venlil, you don’t need to worry about that.” she responded curiously. 

“It feels weird not wearing anything. And I can bear a little heat.”

“You’re gonna overheat in that thing, especially inside.” She meandered to the kitchen with unfamiliar steps and produced a glass of ice water. “And I’ve got some of that nudity instinct too, so it's my problem, now.”

“And how do you know that, exactly!?”

Selkiv froze for a moment.

“Forget it. I don’t want to know.” I rubbed my elongated face with my hands. “Ok. Start explaining.”

Selkiv took a deep breath in, sitting on the couch and placing the water in front of her. “Liam, I’ve already told you about the occult stuff, but not the actual ritual. That was pretty complicated to translate, and it’s at least a thousand years old, so everything I'll say isn’t a hundred percent confirmed. The ritual promised a way to expand your perspective, just kind of metaphorical, abstract language.” She spoke excitedly. “And it only required a drop of blood, a bit of chalk, and a representation of someone else, so it wasn’t like it was…”

She trailed off as she looked up at my expression. “And it’s not like I actually expected it to work.” 

“Jesus, Selkiv.” I muttered, having to break eye contact as my wool started to puff up. “T-this is insane! And why me??”

Her face- my face, shifted to a visibly more embarrassed expression. “Well, it was all just- cause I think humans are-” she sputtered.

“You have way closer human friends than me.” I stared her down. “If the things you’re saying are true, then you went out of your way to include me specifically in this… fucked up situation. And if you really didn’t expect it to work, then it could’ve been whoever you wanted. So why me?”

I hadn’t realized I’d gotten up in her face until I was only a foot away from her. She didn’t seem intimidated so much as flustered. I felt hot in the hoodie- getting so worked up hadn’t helped, either.

“Uh, well. You’re a xenophile, for one.”

“W-Who told yo-”

“And pretty good looking, and nice to me.” She continued, quieter. “And, uh, single.”

“...”

“...”

If I was hot in the hoodie before, I was boiling now.

“Are you serious?” 

She nodded.

“SELKIV!” I shouted. “Why didn’t you just FLIRT with me like a normal person!?”

-----

Memory Transcription Subject: Liam Yun, Software Engineer

Date [Standardized Human Time]: May 10, 214X

-----

Something was off.

That was the first thought that ran through my head as an alarm buzzed angrily at my side. I grumbled to myself, groggily finding the phone and turning it off without opening my eyes. It felt earlier than I expected, so I blearily opened my eye to look at the clock across from me.

… the ceiling? 

My head panged at the view. I was facing forward, but looking up? I muttered to myself, trying to clear the sleep from my head. Looking down, the suspicion that something was off became more than just suspicion.

This isn’t my apartment.

That chased the sleep out of my body. I felt almost frozen to the spot, barely able to move as I scanned the room- it was small, looking more like a dorm (especially with the scant furniture and cement walls), though one furnished for a single person.

“The fuck?” I muttered. Or at least I tried to- the words came out butchered and in a higher voice which was very clearly not mine. I tried to speak again, and the words spilt out slurred, like I’d forgotten how to speak correctly. 

Something was VERY off. I clasped a hand over my mouth, slapping my face instead as it protruded much further than it should’ve. Only, it wasn’t my hand. I brought it back into view, seeing a trembling, gray furred, four fingered hand instead. I moved my fingers. It moved its fingers. Something overwhelmed and scared yelped in my head, and I felt the sudden compulsion to flee. 

I managed to register the protest of something pinching at the end of my spine in the time between launching myself out of bed and colliding with the floor below me. My panicked struggle to escape the blanket was put to a premature end as the wind got knocked out of me. I laid on the floor, panicked, bruised, and very confused.

Opening my eyes again only led to more confusion, as my head and side continued to pound. I saw too much- way too much. I could almost see directly behind me. It hurt my head to process, and I shut my other eye. That felt normal enough.

I trained my vision down on my body. Well, it was definitely not my body, even as the black-blue blanket hid most of it from view. I, whatever I was, was covered head to toe in gray fur- with a mane of lighter, longer, wool like fur around the edges of my vision. My face felt long and distended, and I couldn’t breathe in with my nose. My feet looked more like paws, sticking out of the blanket. The end of a long, gray tail sat limply between them, protesting from the yank it’d received from my escape attempt.

“I’m… a Venlil?” I muttered in that strange, alien voice, barely even believing myself. The words were more recognizable than before, but still strangled and slurred, like I was fighting my mouth to say them. “What…?”

Shakily taking a paw, I pulled the cloth off of me, still struggling to accept what I was seeing. My legs were awkwardly curved inward at the knee, their frail appearance opposite my normal legs. They and my arms lacked their usual muscle, and I suddenly felt much more vulnerable. The cherry on top was, if the size of my chest meant anything, I was also a woman. My stomach churned from the revelations and the aftermath of the collision.

No, no no. This is definitely just a dream, or something. A weird, fucked up dream. There's no way I’m actually- 

A very real pang of pain from my side rebuffed the thought.

I laid there for a few moments longer, trying not to panic at the alien, unfamiliar body laid out in front of me. My breath was laboured, feeling like I couldn’t get enough air. The lack of a nose didn’t help.

‘Ok. This is actually happening. I’m… a Venlil.’ The thought just felt wrong.

I needed to get a better look at myself. There was no use just laying here and freaking out. I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a deep breath in and out. 

Trying to stand was difficult. My upper body’s strength felt sapped, these smaller arms protesting as I pulled myself up using the bedframe. I struggled to stand, my knees bending inward, and what should've been my ankle never touching the floor. I kept using the bed as support, staggering to unfamiliar feet. I tried to figure out how to walk again, getting used to the knock knees, and the feeling of walking with my ankles permanently a few inches in the air. I braised myself grabbing onto the bed, then the desk, then finally taking wobbly steps on my own. I managed not to fall, but only barely. 

I was learning new things as I went. For one, in spite of standing on the front of my feet, I was definitely a lot shorter. For another, my feet- paws- whatever they were, weren't completely covered in fur, the tiles of the bathroom cold against the pads. I pulled back at the unexpected feeling, falling onto my ass. My tail throbbed, being abused for the second time in five minutes. A pained hiss slipped past my lips, and my hands shot to the base of the limb. 

Wincing, I used the doorway to stand back up, and finally arrived in front of the mirror, flipping the light on. A very confused looking Venlil woman stared back at me, her ears pinned back. I let out a strangled whimper at the sight.

I leaned forward towards the mirror in morbid curiosity, staring at the alien reflection. My hands went to my face, feeling the strange shape of her head- my head? Whoever it belonged to, the intensity of the situation made it pound with an unnatural heartbeat. 

My hands fell down to my stomach and hip, feeling the soft fur and shape of this body in disbelief. I experimentally flexed an arm, the lack of muscle obvious. In its absence was some curvyness; my thighs, rear, and most prominently, my chest. The obvious femininity of this body felt entirely wrong.

I felt my body flush as I focused my attention off of it and onto my face.

… which looked weirdly familiar.

The mirrored image definitely made it harder to tell, but I felt like I knew this person. Rich orange eyes, two earrings on her left ear, her body type...

Selkiv?

My hands shot off of my body, my face burning orange. I hadn’t just turned into a Venlil, I’d turned into a completely different person. It wasn’t my body to touch. 

Selkiv was a friend- maybe a more recently made one, but a friend nonetheless. She was definitely unique, the only Venlil I knew that engaged with nail polish and piercings (although I knew only two or three other Venlil)… and she was pretty bold for a member of her species. I tried thinking back to the last time we’d talked; she’d texted me maybe two days ago, and I’d hung out with her and some mutual friends a day before that. Nothing out of the ordinary.

But, the important part was that I wasn’t too far from home, from my actual body. Maybe only a mile or two! My long ears flicked upright in excitement, and my pained limp tail made an unconscious flick, sending a shiver up my longer spine.

Ok, focus Liam. You’re only a few miles from home- and her phone was back on the bed somewhere.

I stumbled back into the main room, feet still shaky. I made a brief stop at the desk by the foot of her bed, finding her purse and wallet. A Canadian passport with her name, and a photo of the face in the mirror confirmed my identity. Her phone wasn’t on the bed, though- being launched across the room during my panicked tussle with the blanket and impromptu flight.

I carefully knelt down to grab it on unfamiliar legs, calves shaking as I tried to use them like human ones. Her phone wasn’t cracked, and turned on without issue, unlocking itself after scanning her face. I closed my eyes, silently thanking that she’d gone with biometrics rather than a proper password. 

I slowly typed in my own phone number with a finger, letting it ring. 

“Come on, come on, pick up.” I muttered, fidgeting with my free hand. A few rings in, they did. I sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment, unsure what to say. 

“... Hello?” my own voice replied through the speaker. They spoke like they were still learning to speak; which only bolstered my resolve. “Liam?”

“Selkiv!?” I shouted, bringing the phone to my mouth. “Oh my god, Selkiv. What the hell is going on?”

“Uh, I- You’re me?” she replied, curious but not confused. “And, I’m you.” 

“Yeah, no shit.” I spat, before realizing how it came across. “Sorry- I- this-” I sputtered uselessly, gesturing at myself even though she couldn’t see.

“It’s fine, I get it.” She sounded weirdly calm. “This is really trippy though.”

 I felt my ears cock to the side in confusion. She wasn’t just not freaking out, she almost sounded… excited? I shook my head, rationalizing that she’s probably just struggling with her voice.

“Yeah, it is.” I offered. “It’s really, really weird. D-do you know anything about what’s going on? On what happened?”

There was a beat of silence. 

“Selkiv?”

“Yeah, I-” she trailed off. “I’ve been more focused on figuring out how to walk, honestly. Maybe we should meet up. It’ll be easier to figure these things out.” She muttered something under her breath.

“What was that last part?”

“N-nothing. How good are you at walking?”

I looked down at my strange, gray legs. “Not great, but I… might be able to make it?”

“Ok, that's good. I keep falling over every few steps, I don’t think I could walk to you.” She sheepishly admitted. “And your apartment is definitely bigger than my dorm.” 

The thought of trekking a mile or more in the cold, early May weather with these legs was not one of my favorite ideas, especially since I barely felt comfortable walking without something to grab onto. But she had a point- my apartment had more space, and even a spare room while my roommate was away. 

I wondered how much she’d poked around my place to know that. 

“I’ll come to you.” I replied. “What… uhm, do we need to take anything from here?”

“Oh, yeah, that would be smart.” She thought for a moment. “There should be a duffle bag at the end of my bed, with some stuff in it.”

“I see it.” I placed the phone down and turned on speaker mode, opening the bag to see a couple papers and accessories, scant makeup tucked in a side pocket, and an unopened wine bottle. I turned the last one over in my hands for a moment, before she continued.

“You should grab my fur conditioner, my computer if it's not already in there, both my chargers…” the distinctive sound of a fridge opening came through over the phone. “And definitely the food in my pantry; just in case we have to stick together a while.” She added the last part with certainty, like she knew that we would. I didn’t like the idea of being shunted into this body for an extended period of time, but I rationalized that it made sense to prepare… just in case.

The second grand tour of the tiny dorm room was easier and faster than my first trip around, my slow, shaky steps getting more confident as I went.

“You really can’t walk?” I asked as I pulled the charging cords from the outlet; something that required an embarrassing amount of effort with these new arms.

“Yeah, I’ve been trying, but I’m just really unsteady on my feet.”

“You are walking with your ankle on the ground, right?” 

An audible face palm came through the speakers. 

“Hey- try not to slap my face too hard.” I half-joked as I shoved the cords into the bag and started to the pantry. “I’m going to need that back.” She let out a small, feminine laugh- although it was totally incompatible with my body’s deep voice. 

I grabbed a handful of strange looking Skalgan vegetables, a few packets of vegan ramen, and a half-eaten loaf of alien looking bread, with her guidance on what tasted best.

“Ok. Chargers, laptop, food, toiletries, wallet, your purse…” I spoke towards the phone, listing everything in the bag. “Oh, clothes!” I stepped towards the closet, which had so far remained untouched.

Selkiv made a strangled noise from the phone's speakers. “Uh- Liam, we dont- I don’t need those.” Her tone changed to something audibly more desperate. “Besides- there's probably some in there- probably- in the back pocket?”

“I’m not going out there in the nude.” I retorted after a short pause, putting my hands on the handles. “I’ll just grab something from the-”

Selkiv protested, but I’d already opened the door.

It took a moment to process what I was looking at. Below a few hoodies, winter clothing, and more revealing outfits was something straight out of a cult movie. A black chalk circle, its outside adorned with glyphs, accompanied with humanoid scribbles, though whether they were meant to be human, venlil, or another bipedal species wasn’t clear. Three burnt out candles sat equidistant on the linoleum, and the most concerning part was a small bowl with an orange-brown blood stain and some ash sitting in the middle of all of it. I took a shaky step back without thinking.

“S- Selkiv.” My voice shook. “What the FUCK is this?”

“Speh- I wanted to explain in person, but-”

“Selkiv, you’re going to explain the… whatever the fuck this is right now.” I cut her off, speaking directly into the phone.

She took a deep breath.

“Remember when we met a few days ago, and I was talking about that occult stuff? Those… Yulpa rituals? I… find stuff like that online, and I do them on occasion- it’s like a hobby.” She paused. “But, a few days ago, I found this one on an archeological site, and it, uh, seems like it actually worked.”

“Y- you did this?” I shouted, holding the phone in a deathgrip. Rituals? Yulpa rituals?? I wasn’t very informed on quite a few species, but I knew enough about the Yulpa; that they’re disturbed, predator sacrificing theocrats, and far from friendly. 

“I- Well- Yulpa language is really hard to translate, and it’s even trickier with ancient Yulpan languages. It’s all cryptic and metaphorical-”

“Selkiv!”

“And- I didn’t actually expect it to do anything, these things never actually work! They’re just interesting, and kinda creepy, and…” She sighed. “I know it’s weird, but I didn’t think it’d really… do anything.”

“You- you-” I paced back and forth, trying to keep from freaking out more than I already was. “Wha- with- Why me?” 

“Uh- I was curious what it’d be like to be a human?” she paused, like she was expecting me to say something. I only felt my blood boil. “And I didn’t- well- I-” she sputtered, flustered.

“Selkiv, if you weren’t in my body I would strangle you.” I hissed. “Turn us back!”

That silence returned.

“I-it's not permanent, is it!?” 

“No- no!” She replied, continuing sheepishly. “Yulpa occult stuff is based on lunar cycles- it’s not permanent, but it might be… well, a week or two before it wears off.”

“Let me get this straight. You- you did a blood ritual, involving me, without asking or checking with me at all, and we’re stuck like this for two weeks.” I felt lightheaded.

“I- yeah.” She admitted, defeated.

I made a noise, holding my head and sitting down so I wouldn’t just faint. I rubbed my curved head, trying to relieve the stress of the situation. She said something from the phone, but I didn’t make it out with the ringing in my ears. I sat there for another minute or two, only standing when the pounding in my head went down to a manageable level.

“Selkiv.”

“Y- yes, Liam?”

“I’m going to head over. Unlock the door.”

“Ok, I’m sorry about-”

“No!” I interrupted. “I don’t want to hear it! We’re going to talk about this when I get there.” I hung up the phone.

One quick scream into the nearest pillow, and a few minutes of waiting out my light-headedness later, I slipped on a human sized University of Toronto hoodie (which thankfully covered most of her body), struggled to get the too heavy duffle bag around me, and clumsily marched out of her dorm.

It was a small struggle to find my way out of the building, especially because I was on the third floor. Finding the elevator was a godsend- as unconfident as I was with walking on flat ground, descending the stairs would be a dozen times worse.

At the very least, there didn’t seem to be too many other people around, only passing a few on the first floor. I felt self conscious in front of people; embarrassingly aware of my limp tail and awkward gait, feeling incredibly out of place with my new body. I tried to nestle my head in the navy colored hood, but it covered more of my vision, which only made me feel more anxious.

I put my address into my phone and looked that way, across the green, through a crowd of people. Great. I took a deep breath, and put one foot in front of the other.

One thing I was quickly realizing was Venlil do not handle being stared at. I kept looking downward, trying to avoid the looks that were almost certainly on me. Selkiv’s confidence certainly hadn’t stuck with this body- or her experience fighting her instincts.

As I made my way towards the crowd, I felt a new bundle of anxiety forming in my chest. It felt harder and harder to keep getting closer, like I was trying to walk into a lion’s den. I saw someone glance my way, and I nearly jumped, tripping over my own feet. My body felt hot, shaky, and very jumpy. I checked my phone. 1.4 miles. Crap.

‘Ok, it’s just a mile. No one's going to think anything’s wrong.’ I thought to myself. ‘Don’t freak out. You’re a human. Don’t let people freak you out.’

It was uncomfortably warm, even though I was only wearing a hoodie, and it was a cool May morning. I felt extremely exposed- nearly nude except for the cloth that barely covered my crotch (and definitely not covering my rear). The mortification of being so nearly nude almost convinced me to stop and turn around, but I had to keep moving.

Which was easier said than done- I cursed those frightened, anxious instincts under my breath. 

I pulled the hoodie up over my head as I shakily moved through the busier end of the green. As good as it was to cover up and feel less obvious, it came with even more vulnerability since most of my vision was obscured.

‘Snap out of it.’ I thought, miserably. ‘You know no one’s gonna pounce on you; or try to bite you, or anything.’ 

Being a prey animal sucked.

I managed to get through the metaphorical lion's den, the instructions on my phone telling me my place was only a few blocks away, which still meant crossing a few streets.

I felt blatantly out of place standing there in just a hoodie, encircled by people. The noise of the cars only managed to put me more on edge- I cursed how jumpy I was under my breath.

Against my better judgement, I looked up to watch the traffic light, only to catch someone’s gaze. They opened their mouth in a snarl-like smile. 

My wool puffed up, my legs refused to move, and my heart skipped a beat. I squeaked at the sight, which only managed to attract more attention. Their snarl faltered and they looked away, but I felt an uncomfortable amount of attention. I scurried away the second the walk sign changed.

The rest of the trip was a blur, only coming back to my senses at the door to my apartment complex. I was panting like I’d run a marathon, heart still beating hard. I didn’t know if I could make that trip again.

I slipped inside, beelining for the end of the hall and carefully ascending a flight of stairs to my floor. The apartment was thankfully devoid of life, and getting to my door wasn’t a problem. 

“S-elkiv?” I called, stepping in. My voice was still shaky from everything, and the discovery that everything in my apartment felt too big only increased that uncertainty.

She stuck her- my head out from the kitchen, taking a few uncertain steps. I flinched at the approach, and she paused for a moment.

“Hey, Liam.” She poked her fingers together with an apprehensive disposition. “You… ok?”

“No, I’m not ok- I’m you!” I buried my head in the hood further. “I- it's insane how calm you are about this! I- I nearly fainted just getting over here, and your instincts work completely different, and...”

She took another step towards me, and I felt my heart thump. It was freaky to see my own body acting independently of my actions- but having the undivided gaze of someone my brain told me was dangerous certainly was worse.

“I- I’ll explain everything, just let me do one thing.” She took another step, and I felt rooted to the spot. She reached over my head, locking the door, before reaching down-

I spaced out for a moment, before the hood was pulled off my head. 

“There! Now that won’t mess up your wool- I mean my wool.” She saw my dazed expression, tapping my head. “And, uh, might help you feel a bit better. It must be pretty hot in that.”

Coming back to my senses, I slowly took off the bag but kept the hoodie on. “I- it’s better than being nude.” I muttered.

“You’re a Venlil, you don’t need to worry about that.” she responded curiously. 

“It feels weird not wearing anything. And I can bear a little heat.”

“You’re gonna overheat in that thing, especially inside.” She meandered to the kitchen with unfamiliar steps and produced a glass of ice water. “And I’ve got some of that nudity instinct too, so it's my problem, now.”

“And how do you know that, exactly!?”

Selkiv froze for a moment.

“Forget it. I don’t want to know.” I rubbed my elongated face with my hands. “Ok. Start explaining.”

Selkiv took a deep breath in, sitting on the couch and placing the water in front of her. “Liam, I’ve already told you about the occult stuff, but not the actual ritual. That was pretty complicated to translate, and it’s at least a thousand years old, so everything I'll say isn’t a hundred percent confirmed. The ritual promised a way to expand your perspective, just kind of metaphorical, abstract language.” She spoke excitedly. “And it only required a drop of blood, a bit of chalk, and a representation of someone else, so it wasn’t like it was…”

She trailed off as she looked up at my expression. “And it’s not like I actually expected it to work.” 

“Jesus, Selkiv.” I muttered, having to break eye contact as my wool started to puff up. “T-this is insane! And why me??”

Her face- my face, shifted to a visibly more embarrassed expression. “Well, it was all just- cause I think humans are-” she sputtered.

“You have way closer human friends than me.” I stared her down. “If the things you’re saying are true, then you went out of your way to include me specifically in this… fucked up situation. And if you really didn’t expect it to work, then it could’ve been whoever you wanted. So why me?”

I hadn’t realized I’d gotten up in her face until I was only a foot away from her. She didn’t seem intimidated so much as flustered. I felt hot in the hoodie- getting so worked up hadn’t helped, either.

“Uh, well. You’re a xenophile, for one.”

“W-Who told yo-”

“And pretty good looking, and nice to me.” She continued, quieter. “And, uh, single.”

“...”

“...”

If I was hot in the hoodie before, I was boiling now.

“Are you serious?” 

She nodded.

“SELKIV!” I shouted. “Why didn’t you just FLIRT with me like a normal person!?”

-----

Big thanks to Olliekay for motivating me to actually make this, big thanks to zodiallay because I totally stole the concept of a Yulpa ritual as a body swap trigger from him. And thanks to SP15 for the setting.

I might do more with them here, we'll have to wait and see!