7th of Ash, Dawn, 4622
A lean, athletic form. More capable of keeping up with me.
Vivian woke, and turned over to see darkness still outside from his small window. He sighed, and lifted the bedding to look down at his body. He had always been slender and feminine, his long legs tapering in a womanly way down to narrow little ankles. He'd always liked the little curve of his hip, and the narrowness of his chest. He sighed, and flopped onto his back. Alright, so he wasn't the most athletic thing in the world. His world had always revolved around survival. It was difficult to gain muscle when one was saving and stealing every scrap of food one could. But now, starving in Frost wasn't really on the table. He was safe in this house, and the cold winds wouldn't burn his fingers and toes. He wouldn't find himself sorting through garbage for pieces of edible food or eating around rotten apples and tomatoes.
Vivian ran a hand down his chest and stomach. He also didn't have to do his particular type of work anymore. He didn't have to keep himself feminine to lure men into fucking him in alleyways. Not only that, but he had to get healthy for his child. Didn't he owe it to his baby? He looked at his narrow thighs, his under developed chest. He could have a little more definition there. A little more strength. Certainly not as built as Alistair; he doubted he would ever be as muscular as the half-Orkhai. But perhaps lean, a little muscular. He had the resources and the time to build such a figure now.
More capable of keeping up with me.
Vivian huffed. "As though I wasn't the one matching him blow for blow across the table and in the streets!" He muttered to himself, as though Alistair could hear his complaining. "Right. You want a lover that can keep up with you? I'll come back in the later part of Ash running you around the block, old man." He sat up, and swung his legs off the bed. He touched his stomach again, smiling. "I want you to know I'm strong too. Maybe if I run a lot, then you'll come out fast too."
He wasn't exactly sure where to start, but he chose the shirt he had stolen from Lucas, and the loosest pair of pants he owned. Loose was a rather dubious term; they were falling apart at the seams from being ripped open multiple times, scuffed, torn, mended and mended over again. The fabric looked like it was on its last legs, so he supposed he wouldn't be too sad if it fell off his frame while he was exercising. His bare feet would suffice, since the beginning of Ash was still warm. The ground hadn't yet cooled, and rain hadn't begun to fall quite yet so there was no mud to track throughout the house. So how did he want to exercise?
He could work on lifting stones, but he feared that the gardener would spot some rough talent and put him to work redoing the garden beds. As much as he wanted to work out he didn't think digging him big fucking rocks for planting beds was going to help him any. Or even if it did, it would be hell on the nerves. He could do push ups? Vivian got on the floor slowly, extending his legs out with his hands braced firmly on the floorboards. He was supposed to be up on the balls of his feet right? Then...lift. He grunted, pushing upward. Lift. His arms shook and he swore under his breath. How did soldiers make this look so god damn easy? He pushed himself up, extending his arms and locking his elbows, with a loud, unseemly grunt. Right. Enough of that. That wasn't sexy at all and his arms already felt like noodles. He clambered to his feet and set out in search of some exercise outside.
He walked around to the back garden. Here there was a wide lawn made for entertaining, where he usually exercised Bara on a lunge line or let the large draft mule tire himself out playing with old towels or treat puzzles Vivian made for him with garden scraps and bits of wood. Bara flicked his ears up as Vivian came out, and hawwed at him. Vivian grinned and ran over to hug the mule around the neck, kissing his soft nose. "Hey there boy." he greeted him. "I've got a secret to tell you, you know." He grinned and the mule leaned down, expecting a treat or halter. Vivian pulled one of his ears over gently. "I'm with child." He giggled, and stepped back. It felt so odd to say, didn't it? He had taken to the new mutation like a fish to water. He had rolled and adapted with change. It made him feel closer to his magic, and the god who had inspired it.
"I've met someone. Big and strong and handsome. Kind of like if you were a man." Vivian smirked. "But he doesn't think I can keep up with him. Why don't we prove him wrong, hm?" He patted the mule's neck. "How about a game of tag? You know, tag? Oh nevermind, I'll explain it."
Vivian pulled off his shirt and wiggled out of his pants, tossing them aside. He tapped into his ether, and the imprint of the Consumer. He had built an elegant form for himself, blending the flea, the hammerhead worm, and Bara's own frame. It had the powerful frame of the mule, the slimy skin, head and tail of a hammerhead worm. The flea was the latter part of the equation, contributing two small eyes on the front of the creature, anchored by a small amount of chitinous armor. There was no skull to the creature, with the spine beginning just behind the fanlike shape of the head. Vivian shifted carefully, keeping an eye on the womb. It seemed it adapted here as well, tucking itself between the protective cradle of his hips. There was no opening, but there didn't have to be. He didn't intend to copulate in this form. Instead, he wanted to focus on building muscle.
Bara eyed him warily, snorting. He didn't particularly like this form, and Vivian didn't much blame him. It was a predatory animal, whereas Bara was herbivorous, and mules were known to be brave warriors. Degare's books had described them killing lions in the desert, mighty creatures who seized the great cats in their teeth and pounded them with their front feet. Vivian trotted away from the mule, flicking his tail invitingly. He curled up the edges of his hammer-shaped head to imitate ears, wiggling them at Bara. The mule followed him, and Vivian took to a canter. Running felt good, even if his stamina needed work. He was already gulping air after a few minutes. Now he knew why the mule protested so loudly when Vivian insisted on running off his extra weight in the springtime. Vivian couldn't imagine a comfortable stall all winter then having a mouthy prostitute insist you run in a circle until you were fit again.
He felt a sharp nip on his flank and squealed, galloping in a circle around the lawn. Ouch! So Bara had tagged him. He whirled, snorting, and chased after the mule. Oh gods, how was Bara so damned fast? He paused for a moment, blowing, and the mule whickered at him. Vivian stared. Was that mule actually laughing at him?! He flicked his 'ears' and lunged after the mule. He managed to tag him on the shoulder, extending out his long, white, branching tongue to tap him. They played for at least an hour, but by the final time Bara scored his hip with those teeth he was exhausted. His shoulders burned and his legs shook.
Vivian slowly pulled back his ether, shifting back into his human form. A skull sprouted at the end of a lengthening spinal column, and the tail slurped up into his tailbone. His hooves split into fingers, and his forelimbs shortened. Vivian had to lean forward and put his hands on his knees. His brow was sweaty, his hair flopped in front of his eyes. "Fuck..." he panted. Bara flipped his tail at him and trotted away, whickering. Alright, alright. The mule clearly thought he was out of shape and he was right.
"Shaddup." he panted at the mule. "We're doing this every morning until...until...I can catch you...as a man..." he pointed an accusatory finger at the mule.
Bara looked at him in disbelief, and let out a long, mocking bray. Vivian glared at him. If he hadn't been puffing so hard, he might have thrown something at him.
