Knock, Knock...

Kimberly

Politely declining any good-natured inquiries for photos or to pose with those who approached her, Kimberly finally found herself back within sight of the motel and, shortly after, made her way up the outdoor stairs and back into the sanctuary of her temporary abode.

She’d done it! And it had all gone off without a single hitch! She wanted to scream for all the relief and earnest exhaustion she felt… Wanted to squeeze something, to break something, if only it would allow her an outlet for all the oppressive tension!

Her shoulders outright slumped as she took a long breath and just chugged at a bottle of water she’d put in the room’s tiny fridge…

She was home free, and now, the very worst she had to deal with was reimbursing the hotel for any damages they’d incurred through her stay.

It was laughably unconcerning, when she really thought about it. Especially given she was getting away with murder here! A few sheets and a lamp were a small price to pay when the alternative was life in prison…

That being said, she wasn’t entirely sure if she exactly wanted to keep participating in the convention as a cosplayer. Given all she’d been through, it wasn’t much of a surprise. Moreover, though her face wasn’t wholly synonymous with her costume, the outfit itself was more than dazzling enough to get her noticed.

She could always just pack up and leave right then and there. But, again, part of her felt like that was the sort of thing someone would do when they possessed a guilty conscience.

No, for the amount she’d had to shell out for such luxuriously convenient accommodations, not to mention the all-access pass, the quick-line pass, the VIP stuff and everything else… Kimberly felt she should at least stay at the con for the remainder of her planned holiday if for no greater reason than she was frugal!

After all, she didn’t need to dress up in full regalia to look like she was enjoying herself. And, since she’d been wearing a mask and, after her face had sort of changed a little bit, she suspected nobody would recognize her if she just wandered around in her simple outerwear.

That notion did, of course, present yet another series of concerns that were, quite notably, not so easy to dance around. While her heels for the costume were open-toe, her flats were not.

And, all it took was one good glance at her feet to realize she’d likely shred through the damned things with a few good waggles of the old, taloned, piggly wigglys…

She scoffed at that, shaking her head at the utter lackadaisical attitude she was adopting… Honestly, she couldn’t really be that upset with herself… She definitely needed an outlet for her stress right now, and if stupid comedy was how it had to happen, then she’d need an entire boatload of it to help her unwind…

Still, as she stared at her reflection in the patio doors, her mind envisioning the illusionary presence of her wings as they rested behind her… No matter how she sliced it, she was a demon. Even without the unholy feathers actually present, she was hitting the acceptance phase, full stop.

Kimberly inwardly groaned as she pondered what the hell she was going to do with herself! Saying she was just going to dress up like an ordinary girl and go galavanting around the convention was all well and good… But, like it or not, the body she’d dumped on the roof was really only the most immediately concerning of her headaches.

The horns were possibly the most notable part of her new self. Followed, of course, very closely by her glowing pink eyes. After that, the tail followed right along.

Yet, in reality, even her fingers and their damned claws would be the subject of intense interest, even if everything else were absent!

Pretending she was normal while appearing as though she were still in some semi-costumed state was workable for the interim, of course…Walking around like a cosplayer who had gotten sick of her outfit after day one wasn’t exactly impossible to pull off…

But she’d still ruin her damned shoes! Hell, Kimberly wasn’t even sure if her shirts would fit anymore! W-well, no, they’d for sure fit, but she’d be exposing plenty of belly to go around… Her tits acting like some giant inflatable that she'd tried to hide up her chest…

The train of thought had her wondering if she shouldn’t just give in and play dress-up for a few more days… At least while the convention continued through the long weekend, but… that way of thinking sort of just shifted the goalpost further down the line.

Leaving her, in no uncertain terms, to try and deal with her new demonic aspect within a more problematic environment. One where people wouldn’t be asking for pictures and complimenting her attire. Rather, instead, possibly calling the police! Stating that some potentially crazy woman was walking through the neighborhood in skimpy clothes, just asking for an indecent exposure charge…

Yet, Kimberly was not without her own ideas on the matter.

After all, if her wings were optional, who said everything else wasn’t?

Her species or her kind—wow, did it feel weird to be embracing that… Well, either way, she was pretty sure that her general brand of soul-sucking demon was usually able to hide in plain sight… Typically under the guise of a more mundane appearance.

After all, if, and this was a big fucking if, she had been a demon all her life… And, as a side note, she’d need to have a potentially very awkward conversation with one and or both of her parents in the coming days… Kimberly had been, at one point, human enough to look as she previously had.

Though, when she thought about it, that really didn’t explain what had been going on with the guy she’d brought back to her room… If she’d been a demon all her life, had he been a cat person as well?

Well, regardless of any paranormal baloney going on, Kimberly already had proof that she could blend in if the succubus in her nature was anything approaching the congenital.

On a tangent thought, the young demon idly wondered if twenty-six was some oddly important milestone in a more demonic individual’s life. Maybe sort of like a second puberty in which she suddenly bloomed into her tertiary infernal characteristics, which, quite honestly, was as close to a working theory that she’d come up with…

It seemed nonsensical, again; the pawed, furry and shriveled dead dude she’d dumped on the roof was evidence that something very outside the norm was taking place. But Kimberly had also been several hundred feet in the sky, absent an airplane, not thirty minutes beforehand, so, a potential moot point.

After delving through a bog of contemplative thoughts, Kimberly decided her best bet was to try and recreate that same sensation she’d felt with her wings, only with other parts of her body.

Once more, straining the individual muscles but now directing her focus at those within her hand. Kimberly working in a decidedly focused attempt at changing herself.

She pressed that queer stirring that had allowed her to dismiss her wings… And, to her sheer enthusiasm, not moments after making an attempt, she found herself groaning with a sort of ecstasy! Biting down on the lascivious sounds she was making while smiling like a loon, the talons on her fingers retracting in a hazy shroud of living shadow.

Just like that, her right hand was normal! Well, not normal in the sense it had returned to how it had been before; her fingers were still notably longer than they had been all her life, but they weren’t anything—obscene or freakish.

She believed the phrase would have been pianist’s fingers, which were quite honestly the least of her worries. They looked fine. Pretty even! In fact, she might just have a potential career as a hand model in the near future!

All jokes aside, this was a big win, real big. And, with her proof of concept secured, Kimberly began systematically re-humanifying herself, to her immense relief!

The only hiccups throughout the whole process arrived by way of the realization that changing colors weren't exactly—feasible… Annoyingly, her hair refused to shift back to its previous rusty shading, as did her eyes; though the pupils did return to circles, their glow subsiding.

Well, it was a good start, to be sure. It did feel sort of weird to have black nails again; shout-out to her high school days, but at least they didn’t look unhealthy…

If anything, she appeared as though she’d just gotten back from a manicure, the glossy obsidian finish workable if not exactly her choice in a professional environment.

Kimberly would need hair dye, color-changing contacts and… well, maybe she’d just go brunette for a while and pass it all off as some—fashion phase. That would probably be more appropriate for work than the candy-red dye she had in her bag, meant for the express use of her costume.

Another issue she found was that her teeth likewise refused to wholly return to normal. Though they weren’t nearly so carnivorous as they’d previously been, much like her long tongue refused to play along, her canines were, well, sort of vampy…

She had a small assumption that she just might be returning to the palate of her goth days as a teenager... But for all of it, the relatively small inconveniences completely paled in comparison to what had been going on before the reversal.

She still looked a bit like a demon, but it was a look she could get away with. Moreso with where she currently was, however it was something she felt could be mostly mitigated once she got back home.

The bigger question on her mind was what people would say when she inevitably did so. Given that, without trying to sound vain, it definitely seemed like she’d gotten some very expensive and stunning work done...

Unfortunately, that sort of thing never went unnoticed... Kimberly rather suspected she was in for a not-so-fun series of questions and running commentary, all directed at her new form.

The abrupt knock on her door, more of a slamming really, took Kimberly’s entire world from the serene edge of calm and right into a full-red-alert!

All within a single heartbeat!

She hardly had enough time to even glance in the direction of the horrid noise before the bell toll of her own death rang out in a loud and horrible cacophony of sound and noise!

The effeminate and catty voice belonging to the individual that she could practically see through the door slammed into her cognizance! Even as her world slowed to a crawl, his words erupting through her eardrums like the explosion of gunpowder from cold steel.

“Knock-knock knock—slut! I come bearing coffee and break—fast...” The cheery and singsong tune belonged to a slightly airy and high-pitched man slowly petered out. One who stood an impressive six-four and was built like a beastly gym bro who’d been hitting the iron for years.

After pushing his way into her room, he immediately paused. Halfway locked in place while spinning through the door, her spare keycard awkwardly held in his caffeine-laden fingers. His bouncing step, mid hip shake in an exuberant dance, outright halting as he took in the scene before him.

Kimberly’s whole—everything felt like it was about to shatter all around her!

Mind recognizing the immediately familiar face of William. His intricately shaven beard followed the tight curvature of his square jawline. Seeming, in that instant, to droop slightly as his expansive, laughing and honey-brown eyes shifted from playful to notably bewildered.

They first landed on Kimberly’s haphazardly strewn clothes and open suitcase, hesitating upon the chaotic scene that had been her hasty search for workable clothes.

Then, slid to the bed, its sheetless expanse utterly dominated by a mortifyingly large wet spot at its center... A horridly embarrassing reminder of Kimberly's somewhat notorious propensity for, ahem… making a mess...

The situation only worsened as his gaze continued its perhaps natural journey. Landing on the scattered bits of costumes that both definitely did not belong to Kimberly and had been utterly forgotten by her, of which were currently spread across the floor in disarray.

The knocked-over bedside lamp caught his attention shortly afterwards; its bulb shattered and shade punctured by her wing’s talon during the earlier frenzy that had ensued.

Without moving any other part of his body, William slowly, carefully, turned his gaze toward Kimberly, narrowing eyes filled with equal parts confusion and concern.

He had known her for most of his life; heck, they’d practically been attached at the hip once they’d met one another! Yet, given that the scene before him was unsettlingly out of character, and that she was no doubt, in his eyes, a potentially different person, it was no surprise when the word that escaped him was;

“Shit…”

Kimberly couldn’t help but agree with his sentiment! And as his eyes continued to squint, and indeed his brow furrowed ever deeper by the second, Kimberly realized she’d forgotten one more thing.

“I can explain!” She quickly burst out, both hands rising, even as her friend refused to give away his thoughts.

After a moment wherein neither party spoke, William Norvelle gently clicked his tongue before eyeing the cell phone still on Kimberly’s dresser. Almost like he was trying to gauge who might get to it first.

“Don’t drop the bear claws,” Kimberly warned, lifting a finger to point at the gorgeous adonis of a musclehead who stared at her in slight disbelief. ”Or the latte’s,” She added, really needing her morning after-sex coffee fix that was their sacred ritual after letting loose on the prowl.

“Oooo-kay…" He drawled, relaxing a modicum with the arrival of her voice. “Obviously, a few Q’s… would love some answers for them…"

"Starting with the appearance?”

"Not a bad idea. It’s not like I didn’t notice; I do work in security."

“It’s cyber security," Kimberly scoffed, rolling her eyes before digging in her barbs. “And you don’t even do any of that! You’re in accounting!”

"Look bitch; I work for a cyber-security company that does, surprise, cyber-security, ergo; I work cyber-security. Besides," he huffed, lifting his chin with indignation. “I, like, absorb all the chakra of everyone in the office, so I’m basically just as good."

"Oh my god, you’re such a bitch…"

"Oh my god, you are tooo!" Will whined, closing the distance between them to wrap Kimberly in his large arms, holding her without his hands wrists or reservations as Kimberly melted in his embrace.

He pushed her away a few moments later, holding her at arm's length while still carrying their breakfast, eyes seeming to drink everything he saw, fast as he was able.

"Okay, so first, clearly a fun night," He began, wiggling away while bumping his hip against her own. Then handing Kim her half of their food. "But—spill, the fuck happened to you. Seriously, and please, please, please don't take offense to this... You know how much I love you and body-positivity and girl-power, but you went from, like, a solid seven, maybe, and I mean maybe pushing middling eight with all that time at the gym, nine with makeup, but, ah-heh who isn't am-I-right?

Still, even with my high standards… and the fuck, even under whatever nonsense is going on with your color choices... You're like, and I don't want to make the comparison because you know I love her but, a young, you know who, fresh off the red carpet."

Then, almost glaring at her, he added. "Only, you absolutely just woke up after kinky sex and somehow still look amazing… No frizzy hair, no pallid complexion from lack of sleep, no fucking wrinkles!" He accused, nearly sounding offended! "And, did your… Jesus… did your tits decide it was time to revisit puberty?"

"Wow… lot to unpack there…"

"Fuck you. Have you checked the mirror? Because I'm pretty sure that when you do, you won't be as totally chill with your bestie suddenly looking like she stepped off a movie set."

"I thought…" Kimberly mumbled somewhat sheepishly while glancing at her feet, "You always said I was an eight?"

"Sweatheart…" William moaned, head bobbing from side to side as though about to give the worst news of his life to someone, "That's because I love you! And what are friends for but building each other up?"

Kimberly's mouth opened, moved to say something, closed, then promptly went for her drink. The woman deeply enjoying the wonderful familiarity of her safe-space coffee. Then, she stuck her middle finger up and glared at the foppish asshole who was grinning at her with zero repentance.

"Kay. Clearly, you're not getting what I'm trying to say because I'm the one who is standing here and wondering why I suddenly find my best friend attractive. For serious," Will pointed, first to himself and then at Kimberly. "you're making a serial butt bandit who's been packing it since he was fourteen and in the back of Terry Greene's back-forty seriously consider reforming and switching teams!

I should not be, but I currently am having a hard time keeping my eyes off your ginormous mammaries, and it's just really weird to the point I'm sorta feeling not so awesome. So, again, I would just love some answers, sweetheart!"

Will moved to stand at the other side of the room, leaning against the door as though to say that Kimberly wasn't going anywhere until she shared what was going on. Sipping loudly from his latte while staring pointedly over the rim of his cup.

For her part, she really wasn't kidding. There had been a lot to unpack there, but Will tended to get chatty when he was nervous... More, her friend's final statement also threw her for a sort of loop. But where to begin?

What should she even say?

It wasn't like Will was, well, no, at this point, even if he didn't know, he was, in point of fact, likely implicated. And, she probably had a responsibility, awkward or not, to let him know the situation they were now both in.

Let alone the work that was trying to explain the rough assumptions she was operating under regarding why he found her suddenly—desirable…

She took a breath, counted to five in her head for a little meditation, then decided to just come clean.

"I—killed a guy last night," Kimberly announced, breathing deep through her nose as she watched her best friend merely nod a single and slow time in affirmation. "I… We, came back to the hotel, had a few more drinks, and I started getting him into some light sub stuff, lick my toes, foot job, heavy-petting and positive reinforcement for being nice and obedient."

"Kay, still missing some key things there…"

"Yeah, getting to it."

"Okay, see, the attitude really isn't working after you just said you fucking killed a guy!" William hissed, looking for all the world like he was about to scream at her to get on with it!

“Soooo…" Kimberly continued ignoring her friend's outburst. "After that, the night goes on, you know, as usual for me, and he really opens up and embraces everything once I start finding his switches… And—afterward, we get into rough stuff…" She finished, looking somewhat ashamed about it all and glossing over exactly what such phrasing entailed. "Then, at some point, we just sort of pass out. After, I wake up as though nothing is wrong, head to the washroom and bam!"

"Bam, what?”

"Bam changes!" Kimberly exploded, nearly spilling the lid off her drink as she waved her arms with wild abandon! "I see the face, the hair, the eyes, tits, legs, nearly everything! And I'm, like, okay, weird, but maybe I'm still dreaming."

"Right."

"So, I go back outside, ready to wake the guy up and kick him out when…"

"Body…" Will finished, gesturing to the bed with his cup.

“Exactly, so I start freaking out a little more than I already am because he’s not just dead but… sort of…"

"Jesus Christ…"

"No, no, no, no! It's nothing as bad as you're thinking! Oh—well, okay, maybe it was as bad, but it's not the same, mmhmm, kind of bad?"

"Does, coked to death with a foot-long down the throat and a strapon up the ass trying to touch each other sound close because that's pretty much what I'm imagining," Her BFF stated, eyes drifting towards the closed washroom door with considerable apprehension. "Oh fuck… is he… is that where he is?"

Kimberly, in a way, wasn't happy William had described at least part of the scene in question… The fact that the poor guy had gone out while she was... heh... inside of him, was likely not the most dignified way for one's life to end... Still, she wasn't done.

"I already got rid of the body," Kimberly intoned, earning herself a somewhat impressed and utterly horrified look from her closest confidant. "It's where the sheets went. I balled him up and took him outside, then dumped him on a roof."

"The fuck Kimberly!”

“No, don’t freak out!"

"Already there, hun, no worries about that! How the hell did you even manage all that? It's not even like, eight!"

"Well… You still only really have half the story… B-but I really need you to promise you're not going to, like, run away screaming."

"Acknowledged..."

"That's sort of more of a; okay, I promise I won't run. O-or a yes, I will run away from you, sort of question..."

"Mmmhmmm!"

Eyeing her friend, Kimberly noted just how much his body was shifting, as though already halfway prepared to punch the doorhandle downwards and make his escape. And, for any number of reasons, that was something she couldn't have happen.

"Willie, please just do me a favor and move from the door." she pleaded, feeling certain things beginning to—react with her apprehension and concern.

"Going to be perfectly real and completely level with you, hun, I'm, at this point, reasonably certain you might just have a severed head hiding somewhere, possibly your trunk, which is obviously super scary… and, by the way, your teeth are getting really sharp and—umm, long…"