The moment Leona came through the door, Barbara hustled her off to Leon’s office.  “You look like hell.  What has gotten your panties in a bunch?”

Leona winced.  “Is it really that obvious?”

“You’re wearing that body like an ill-fitted woolen suit.  And you’re wearing the magic ring.  Something’s up, you were fine yesterday.  What went wrong?”

Leona burst into tears.  “I hate this body so much right now.”

“What happened?”

Leona slipped the ring off, sighing with relief as her body returned to the shape it was supposed to have.  “This did.”

Barbara studied the catgirl.  The suit didn’t fit as well as before, but it wasn’t too bad.  This incarnation of Leona was only a touch smaller than Leon, and her chest wasn’t ridiculously huge, so it fit well in the available space.  It looked passable.  “You could make this work.  Just needs a little retailoring.  I have some safety pins in my desk, a minute’s work could smarten you right up.”

Leona stared at Barbara open-mouthed.  “You think I should just... walk out there like this?  Hi, I’m Leona, but I’m still your boss?”

“Is that what you want?”

Leona slumped into her chair, winced and repositioned her tail.  “I don’t know.  I never expected this to happen.  I liked being Leon.”

Barbara sat opposite Leona.  “Walk me through what changed.”

Leona waved at her body.  “This.  Jean asked me to design my ideal body and...  I love it.  It’s like... okay, like ice cream.  I like vanilla fine, and tried a few new flavours.  This body is... I don’t know, caramel mocha express or something, a new flavour I didn’t know existed and I never knew what I was missing.  Going back is...”  She sighed.  “I told Jean I can’t go back.  And she accepted that.”

“But you were Leon when you walked in the door.”

Leona nodded.  “In body, perhaps.  It’s just... not me any more.  I don’t know how to go back.  I don’t want to go back.”

“Okay.  We can work around it.  I’ll tweak your jacket, then we’ll go out and talk to the staff.”

“But... once I do that, they’ll all know.”

Barbara patted Leona’s hand.  “They’ve all heard the stories about what you four get up to.  There’s a betting pool on when you’d show up as a catgirl.”

“And who wins if I show up...”  Leona noticed Barbara’s smug look.  “You knew.  How?”

“You’ve been wriggling in your seat for a while now.  I could tell you weren’t fully comfortable in your skin.  Now...  I see a confident woman, ready to take on the world.”

Leona’s hands went to her ears.  “Woman, not catgirl?”

“Woman first.  Cat second.”

Leona considered that for a moment, ears canting comically.  “I could try being just... Leona as a human.”

“Show me.”

Other than the ears and the dusting of fur, the changes were slight.  Leona’s hands were already mostly human, and the slight protrusion of her demi-muzzle looked unremarkable without fur and coloured highlights to accent it.

Barbara glanced at the tail swishing behind Leona with an arched eyebrow.

Leona shook her head.  “It stays.  I can hide it.”

“How do you feel?”

Leona wriggled her fingers and stretched her arms, then snapped through a quick pirouette, her tail flicking out for balance before curling behind her as she stopped facing Barbara.  “Good.  Really, really good.”  Leona bit her lip then let the tail follow the rest of the catgirl, vanishing into her waistband.  “I could spend days like this, easily.”

Barbara’s eyes narrowed as she studied Leona.  She shook her head.

“You’re right.  I know, I know.  The tail really is necessary.  I feel off balance without it.  I could...  No, you’re right.  They all know?”

“Honey, they’re ready to throw you a party,” reassured Barbara.  “I honestly think you should go out there in the form you truly feel comfortable in.”

Leona’s ears perked up and the dusting of fur returned to her muzzle.  “You really think so?  What about our clients?”

“In a town this small the rumor mill works very fast indeed.”

Leona winced.  “The church!  Pastor Varley will be so pissed...”

“Yes.  We might lose a little business over it.  Less than you’d think, especially as you’re not the proprietor.  The worst I expect is that a few of them would refuse to deal with you personally, and ask for another lawyer from our office.  Oh... you’re not allergenic, are you?”

“How would we find out?”

Barbara glanced away, thinking over the problem for a moment.  “Mrs. Dalton is coming in this afternoon, she’s allergic.  So we’ll find out then.”

“Just ask her to sniff me and see if she wheezes?” asked Leona incredulously.

“Yes.  Come on, the others are waiting.”

Leona bobbed her head.  She tried to put a smile on her face, but her ears were pinned back and her tail was thrashing.

Barbara studied her.  “You’re going to need to learn to control your body language if you want to do anything in the courtroom.”

“I don’t really, but... I’ll work on it.”

That got a smile from the older woman.  “Good.  That sounds like you’re finally accepting that you’re going to be like this for a while.”

Leona raised an eyebrow.  “For a while?  Not... forever?”

Barbara smirked in reply.  “You’ll want to be other things too, yes?  You seemed very keen on being turned into silk.”

Leona shook her head.  “I think I’ve had my fill of that.  You’re right, I want to stay like this.  But... still have some fun.”

“At home, in private?  Or do you want to see what it’s like being worn out shopping?”

Leona shuddered.  “As long as they don’t put me on a hanger...  Would you be willing to go with them, to keep an eye on me?”

“Of course.  Now that that’s settled...”  Barbara opened the office door, and stepped through to the gathered crowd of office staff.  “Everyone please welcome Leona.”

There was some muted cheering, and Leona blushed, then bowed to everyone.  “Thanks.  I hope this won’t be too awkward.”

“Nah,” said Stacey, one of the research assistants.  She moved forward to give Leona a hug.  “You’re so cute like this!  We need to get you a suit that fits, though.”

Leona grinned at her.  “No worries.  I know someone who can handle the job.  I’ll have properly tailored suits starting tomorrow.”  At Stacey’s disappointed look, she hesitated.  “You wanted to help?”

Stacey nodded eagerly.  “I minored in fashion design.  Could I... do some sketches?”

“That would be wonderful.  As long as it doesn’t impact your job, hm?”

Stacey grinned cheekily.  “I always do some sketching on my lunch break.  Will you model for me?”

Leona laughed warmly.  “Of course.  In my copious spare time.  Which from the look Barbara is giving me, has just run out.  Thanks everyone.”

*** *** ***

“Mrs. Dalton to see you, Leona.”

“You’ve warned her about the fur?”

Barbara nodded.  She opened the door wider and a woman in an elegantly tailored jacket and skirt entered Leona’s office.  “All yours, Dot.”

Mrs. Dalton studied Leona for a time, then sniffed the air.  “Oh, good.  You won’t make me sneeze.”

Leona let out her breath.  “I’m glad to hear it.  Now what can we do for you, Mrs. Dalton?”

“Oh, call me Dot, everyone does.  Just a little paperwork to do with my late husband’s estate, nothing terribly serious or pressing.”  She set a folder on Leona’s desk.  “Let me get a look at you.”

Leona smiled and got up from her desk.  She moved around it, doing a little pirouette as she did so, her tail flicking around behind her for balance.  “I know it looks odd, but it makes me so happy.”

“Odd?  You’re beautiful.  I wish I could have a catgirl as a pet.  Oh, sorry dear, was that inappropriate?”

Leona giggled and shook her head.  “Catgirls make lovely pets.  If you find someone who’s willing, we’d be quite happy to arrange for it.”

Dot’s expression grew thoughtful.  “I...  Really?  You can change other people?”

“Only if they’re willing.  They’d pretty much have to be eager about the idea for it to work at all.”

“Oh!  Is that true of all magic?” asked Dot.

Leona paused, thinking of the collars.  “No.  But ours... yes, pretty much.  It’s a bit more complicated than that, but suffice to say only someone who trusts us completely can be changed by our method.”

“I see.”

Leona returned to her seat in the ensuing thoughtful silence, and flicked open the folder.  “This all looks pretty straightforward.  Are you okay with me handling this, or would you like it to wait until Dad’s back from vacation and can look it ove?.”

“Oh, I trust you well enough, dear.  You have a very expressive face, I think it’s the ears.  I can tell you’re keen and your father has expressed every confidence in you.”

Leona smiled at the compliment.  “Thank you.  I’ll make sure these are filed before the court closes today.”

“That would be lovely.”  Dot headed for the door, and Leona scrambled around her desk to reach it just as Barbara opened it from the other side.

Dot winked at Leona.  “You don’t need to open doors for ladies, young woman.  But it is still appreciated.  I’ll get back to you about the other, I have... someone in mind.”

Barbara raised an eyebrow at Leona after Dot had left.  “The other?”

“I... may have offered to turn someone into a catgirl pet for her.”

“Starting an unlicensed transformation clinic on the side, are we?” asked Barbara with a grin.

“Oh, I probably should get a license.  Is there such a thing, do you think?”

Barbara shook her head.  “I can’t imagine so, no.  Maybe you could get one for an esthetics salon, that’d be close... but you’d need a licensed beautician to run it.  Stacey?”

“Yes Barbara?” replied the young woman from her desk.  “What do you need?”

“Can you find out if the county has a business category for Leona’s new transformation services?”

Stacey’s eyes lit up.  “Your... oooh, I’ll see what I can find.”

“Between your other duties, please.  This is a side project,” said Leona.

Stacey’s grin got even wider.  “I’m all caught up, I’ll get right on it.”

*** *** ***

Barbara tapped on Leona's door an hour before closing.  "Finished with the paperwork, boss?"

Leona smiled at her.  "Never, but everything for today is done.  Mrs. Dalton's files got to the court?"

"Stacey just got back from filing them."

Leona's ears canted.  "She doesn't usually do that.  What's up?"

"Come on out."

As Leona headed to the door she noticed the nameplate on it had already been changed.  "You work quickly."

"Always."

Once again, the staff was gathered around, with a card and a cake.  The latter had Leona's name on it, and a pair of cat ears drawn in icing.  Leona teared up when she saw it.  "You guys...  This is so sweet.  Thanks."

They all cheered, then Stacey advanced with a legal envelope in hand.  Leona opened it uncertainly, and discovered a business license for 'Alterations by Robin'.

"How?"

"Catchall 'other businesses not covered by existing categories', it specifically calls out 'other alterations'.  I talked to Robin to sort out the name.  You're good to go unless you want to form a corporation for it."

"I can't imagine getting enough business to need that.  This is wonderful.  Thank you."

Stacey grinned.  "You're welcome.  Make sure to tell me when you're accepting clients.  I'd like to try some new looks."

“Do tell... or perhaps don’t, not here.  Talk to Robin, she has all sorts of ideas.”

Stacey’s grin got wider.  “I already have.  All we need is an appointment time.  Robin deferred to you on matters of ‘work scheduling’.”

“She defers to me on little enough else,” chuckled Leona.  “We’ll get back to you on that, but likely not until tomorrow.  Fair enough?”

“More than.”

Barbara took the following lull in the conversation to announce that the offices were closing early so that everyone could have a little more time with their sweeties.  After the cheering, the others happily filed out.

Soon it was just Leona and Barbara.  “Did you ask Colleen?”

Barbara nodded.  “They’re cautiously curious, and willing to visit.”

“Cautiously curious?”

“I’ve told Colleen a little bit about you four, that you ‘play’ with transformation magic but not what all you get up to.  I suspect the caution is more due to fear of disappointment.”

Leona smiled warmly.  “We’ll do our best.  I’ve warned the others to be on their best behaviour.”

Barbara chuckled at that.  “What have you promised to do to them if they aren’t?”

“It’s more what I’ve promised to do to them if they behave.”  Leona grinned fiercely.  “We’ll be having a private chocolate fondue party after you leave.”

Barbara’s puzzlement barely lasted long enough to register on her face before she started to laugh delightedly.  “I can see where they’d be looking forward to all sorts of wonders.  Who will be the chocolate?”

“Parts of both Carrie-Lee and Robin.  So they both get both sides of the experience.”

“I cannot fathom finding that exciting, but as long as everyone’s happy at the end...”

“Oh, they will be,” replied Leona brightly.  “I think I’m looking forward to their reactions more than the fondue itself.”

Barbara chuckled and nodded.  “That sounds like a good way to handle it.  Enjoy their joy, even if you can’t understand why.”

Leona brightened.  “Oh!  Yes, that would help with a lot of this.  So we’ll see you tonight?”

“Yes.  Around seven, you said?”

“That should give us plenty of time to be ready.”

*** *** ***

Leona met Barbara and Colleen at the door wearing her new slinky dress.  She grinned at their reactions.  “You like it?  It was a gift from Carrie-Lee and Robin.”

“I heard it was more than a gift,” murmured Barbara.  “Colleen, this is Leona.  Leona, my sweetie, Colleen.”

Leona smiled at the uncomfortable looking brunette.  “We won’t do anything untoward while you are here.  Unless you ask nicely, and even then we’ll explain everything first.  Come in!”

Leona took their coats and hung them up, then ushered them through the mudroom into the main living space.  Colleen expressed her wonder at the open space, and Leona grinned.  “Dad found us an amazing place.  Having so much warm open space in the winter has been such a blessing.”

“Your father found this?”

Leona nodded.  “I was working for a law firm in the city, and barely making ends meet.  You know how it can go.  Thanks to lessons learned from a magic collar, Jean and I decided to take up his offer to come back home.  It’s crazy, the mortgage on this place is half what I was paying in rent for an apartment.”

“Wait, your father’s son is the... oh!  You’re Leon?”  Colleen looked suddenly far more relaxed.  “And... why a catgirl?”

Leona grinned toothily.  “That is an entertaining tale, one best told over a table full of food.”

Leona introduced the rest of her odd little family to Colleen.  Jean was fully human, for once.  Robin was mostly so, other than tentacles in place of her hair.  Carrie-Lee was much the same, except she had snakes.  Colleen looked from one to the other.  “This is your idea of putting your best foot forward for a guest?”

Robin giggled.  “At least we actually have feet.  Carr spends more of her time with a snake body these days.”

Colleen shot a look at Barbara.  “What have you gotten me into, here?”

Barbara smiled serenely.  “This den of iniquity is also the home of the county’s best – and only licensed – body sculptor.”

“You have a license?” asked Collen.  “How on earth did that happen?”

Leona got them seated at the table before telling that particular tale, and wound from there to her revelations about why she felt most at home as a catgirl.  When asked about how it all worked, he handed the conversation to Robin, who gushed about the collars and the ring.  She gave a quick demonstration of the ring’s capabilities, growing her arm into a long tentacle to reach across the table.  She set her tentacle in Colleen’s hand as the woman stared in wonder.  “But... why?”

“As much as anything, because we can.  Because being a human is far too limiting.  I’ve been a dress... still am, in one sense.  It’s incredible being so close to someone that you can feel their every breath, to cling to their limbs and move as they do.

Colleen’s eyes were bright.  “Oh, that sounds... lovely and also very confusing.”

Robin shook her head.  “It’s not as confusing as it sounds.  Being something new is surprisingly easy to get used to.”

“That’s because you’re so eager, sis.”  Leona laughed when Robin stuck her tongue out at her.  “Okay, all four of us are eager.  Though I might stick like this for a good long while, now.  I’m so happy in this shape I can’t even begin to describe it.”

Colleen sighed wistfully.  “That must be nice.  I’m so sick of this one, I’d welcome almost anything different.”

“We can do that,” enthused Robin.  “But... well, I did tell you about the collars.  You’d have to trust someone here absolutely.”

Colleen’s gaze immediately went to Barbara.  “I do.”

“I didn’t bring you here because I wanted to change you,” said Barbara, hesitantly.  “I just wanted you to understand there are... options.  And meet the people that could open them to you.”

“I get that.  Thank you.  This is amazing, and... oh so very much yes please.  I see how Leona is about her body, and I can tell Robin has favourites as well.  Not just one?”

Robin grinned and shook her head.  “At least a dozen.”

“How do you decide?”

“I don’t really have to.  We have the ring, I’m home doing art commissions most days.  If I feel like being all squiggly, I can just do it.”

“Show me?”

Robin looked to her brother uncertainly.  “Squiggles and clothes don’t mix well.”

“Think of it as a design challenge,” replied Leona with a smirk of a grin.

“Hah.  Fine.  One fit-for-company squiggle coming up.”  Robin closed her eyes for a moment, then both arms grew a fine pattern of green and black scales.  Her hands became snakes’ heads, one of which had the ring embedded in its forehead.  The scales carried on up over her face, and her mouth widened and pushed forward, becoming partially snake-like in the process.  She opened her mouth wide to show off her fangs.  “Howsss thisss?”

Leona chuckled at the display.  “Suitable enough.  Do our guests agree?”

Colleen was staring at Robin in wonder.  “Have you ever been just a snake?”

Robin nodded.  “I like ssnakess... and my ssweetie likess tentacless... sso ussually I’m all ssquiggless and sshe hass sscaless...  But thiss iss nice, too.”

“Do you have to hiss all the time?”

That drew a giggle, and Robin shook her head.  “Nah.”  Her mouth became more human, though she kept some of the muzzle and all the scales.

“And can you eat with snake hands?”

Robin picked up a fork in one snake-hand’s mouth, and a knife in the other, and proceeded to demonstrate that she could manage, though not perhaps as neatly as she’d hoped.  After a minute she let her form slide back to what passed for normal.

Conversation around the dinner table largely concerned the ring and how they worked with the collars.  That led to telling various stories about the latter, with Leona contributing cautionary tales of just how much the purple and black collars had messed with his mind.

Colleen asked many questions about the black collar, and whether or not it could resolve her ambiguity about her gender.  Leona agreed that it could show her quite clearly what it was like to be just one or the other, but reiterated the risks.

That particular conversation outlasted the dinner itself.  Jean suggested that they move to the living room to continue it.

“No dessert?” asked Colleen.

Robin giggled.  “There will be.  But the chocolate sauce will be made from actual saucy wenches...”

“Ah.”

“We could bring out some fruit and shortbread now.  The fondue can wait,” suggested Jean.  “Please don’t traumatize our guests.”

Colleen shook her head as she and Barbara made their way to the living room.  Barbara pulled her toward the loveseat, and Colleen sat with her.  “Is it safe to eat magic chocolate?”

“Perfectly,” said Leona.  “If someone is in multiple parts, any part can be restored to the whole with the ring and the ribbons.”

“Ribbons?” asked Colleen.

Jean, Robin and Carrie-Lee took up places on the couch, leaving room for Leona between Jean and Carrie-Lee.  Leona paced as she explained how the anti-magic ribbons blocked the effect of the ring, both transforming and restoring.  “The upshot is, we can use the ribbons to make changes that last after taking the ring off.  As you could have guessed, given that three of us are obviously not human.”

Colleen nodded slowly.  “And you could do that for me.  Which is the whole point of this visit.”

“No, the point was to have a lovely evening and get to know you.  Showing you the options was secondary.  But a close second.”

“So show me.  Could I try a snake arm, to start?” asked Colleen.  “Oh, but I’d need the collar and...”  She looked down into her lap.  “I’m not so sure about that any more.  Would I still be me?”

“No,” affirmed Leona.  “But only while the collar is closed.  Once it opens again, you go back to being you... but you remember the other.  It can be very disorienting, living a time with essential parts of yourself suppressed, then coming back.”

“Ah.  Pity.”

“There is another way,” suggested Robin.  She held a hand out to Carrie-Lee, and the latter’s arm grew scaly and snaky until Robin let go.  “I can persuade the ring that things or people I’m touching are part of me, and change them.  I’ve been using it for sculpting, like the heart-shaped candles on the table.”

“And I wouldn’t have to trust you with a collar?” asked Colleen.

“Nope.”  Robin stood up and moved to kneel in front of the loveseat.  She held out her hand.  “Just put your hand in mine.”

Colleen reached out slowly, and tentatively laid her hand in Robin’s open one.  She gasped as copper scales cascaded over her hand and up her arm, and she drew her hand back.  The moment her hand left Robin’s, the scales receded.  “Oh!  So it is safe...  May I try that again?”

Robin grinned and wiggled her fingers suggestively.  “Of course.”

Colleen set her hand in Robin’s more confidently, and watched as the scales crawled up her arm.  They dove under the short sleeve of her blouse, but did not reappear at her neckline.  “More?” she asked softly.

Her hand compressed into a blunt tailtip, and her arm relaxed into a catenary curve.  “What did you do?”

“Snake arm,” replied Robin.  “Tail first.  Trust me, dealing with two heads is not for first-timers.”

Colleen wriggled her arm and it slipped free of Robin’s hand once more.  The reversion was swift, and she sighed softly.  “I wanted to look at it.”

“Leona, could you...”  Robin stopped short as Leona held out a white ribbon.  “One step ahead, thanks.”  She turned back to face Colleen.  “If we tie this around you, it’ll stop the changes.  Both to and from the snake.  As long as you only untie it while touching me or the ring, you should revert normally.”

“And if I untie it without the ring?”

“Your arm stays as a snake.  We have to go through the process again to restore your arm.  I’m good at getting people back to normal, if that’s what they want.  We could use the same trick to give you any body you like.”

Colleen nodded slowly as she digested the information.  Then she held her arm out again.  “Snake me.”

Once her arm was a scaly tail Leona advanced with the ribbon.  Colleen shook her head.  “All snake.”

“Uh...”  Robin looked at Barbara uncertainly.

“If that’s what she wants.  I have no issue with it,” Barbara replied calmly.

Robin nodded, and moved closer to Colleen.  She put her left hand against Colleen’s cheek then moved her right to join it.  “Ready?”

Colleen nodded, and then her head melted and shifted to a flatter, triangular form.  Her hair flowed into golden scales as the rest of her body slimmed and lengthened.  Robin drew her forward to slither out of her clothes, then gestured to Leona.

Leona wrapped the ribbon around Colleen then tied a neat bow in it.  “There you go.  A new look at the world.  What do you think?”

Colleen hissed then frowned and hissed some more.

“Sorry,” apologized Robin.  “I didn’t think... snakes can’t talk and you said all snake.  Are you okay with that for a bit?”

Colleen tilted her head curiously, then nodded sharply and slithered toward Barbara.  Barbara watched her gold-scaled sweetie advance with amusement.  As coils slithered around her she raised an eyebrow.  “There is quite a lot of you, wow.  Mmm, I could get used to hugs like this.”

Colleen flickered her tongue at Barbara’s ear, drawing a giggle from the older woman.  Then she nuzzled into the neckline of Barbara’s dress and started to slide in between her breasts.  

“Colleen!  What’s gotten into you?” exclaimed Barbara as the snake nosed even lower.

“Should we offer you a room?” asked Jean.  “I’m sure we could find something to do with Robin and Carrie-Lee.  Perhaps matching throw pillows.”

“Hey,” protested Robin.  “I was going to be chocolate.  If you have to get rid of me, all chocolate.”

Barbara fished the snake out from inside her dress.  “What’s gotten into you, Colly?  You’re never like... this...  Um, we should probably get going.  It’s okay if the ribbon stays on until tomorrow, right?”

Colleen squirmed around in Barbara’s arms, until she got the end of the ribbon in her mouth.  She tugged on it gently and the knot started to come loose.

“What are you doing?  Stop!” cried Barbara.

Colleen turned her head to meet Barbara’s gaze, and very deliberately pulled the ribbon loose.  A moment later she opened her mouth and it fluttered to the floor.

“You’re stuck like this!  What... why...”

Colleen jerked her head toward the door.

“Oh...  Um...  I guess we’ll be off, then.”

Robin giggled and nodded.  “Have fun!  Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do...”

Carrie-Lee laughed warmly.  “I don’t think that’s possible if they don’t have the ring.”

Jean and Leona saw the couple to the door, and Leona gave Barbara and the snake a warm hug before bundling the snake up awkwardly in Colleen’s jacket.  “You two look cute together.  Call ahead if you plan to come back tonight, we’ll likely be... busy.”

Colleen smirked and shook her head.  Barbara stammered something incoherent, blushed fiercely, and headed for her car at a brisk walk that quickly turned into a run.

Once their guests were out of sight down the driveway, Leona and Jean returned to the dining table.  Robin was already melting her arms into the fondue pot, and the body that was left behind was all snake from the neck down.  Once her arms were completely gone, Carrie-Lee helped her with a ribbon, after which Robin dropped the ring from her mouth into Carrie-Lee’s waiting hand.  Carrie-Lee then turned into a mass of tentacles with a human head in the middle, and swarmed over the table to curl up next to the fondue pot.  After some concentration she asked to be ribboned, and Jean obliged.  She slithered over to Robin, leaving a large bowl of strawberries behind.  “Couldn’t let her have all the fun.”

Leona shook her head, smiling fondly at the two.  “You two are wild.  Would you really have gone all chocolate, sis?”

“Dip a strawberry in me, let’s see how it feels.”

Leona snorted, but did so.  She chewed on the morsel thoughtfully.  “Lovely.  You two are so sweet together.”

Robin blushed faintly and ducked her head.  “Thanks.  And the way that feels?  Oh heck yes.”

Leona paused halfway through dipping another strawberry.  “Is this going to become a regular thing?”

Robin shook her head.  “Special occasions only.”

They all joined in at the fondue set then, dipping and nibbling and giggling at how Robin and Carrie-Lee squirmed.  Once the strawberries were all gone, there was quite a bit of chocolate left in the fondue pot.  Carrie-Lee set the ring on the table, and swarmed around Robin.  “Off to the bedroom, my slithery steed!”

Leona watched them go, unable to keep a goofy grin from her face.  “They really do work so well together.”

“As do we,” squeaked Jean.

Leona turned to look at Jean, wondering at her high-pitched voice.  She saw that Jean had the ring clutched in both her hands, and had shrunk herself to about six inches tall.  “Bath time!” she cheered.  She slipped an arm through the ring and then clambered into the fondue pot, getting herself thoroughly covered in chocolate.

“Mmm, such a lovely morsel.  Shall I slurp it up, or just lick it clean?” mused Leona.

Jean waggled tiny eyebrows.  “If you slurp me up you won’t have anyone to keep your bed warm.”

“That might tilt the balance,” Leona teased.  She fished her treat out of the chocolate, picking it up by an arm before letting it dangle over her mouth.  “Say please.”

“Please eat me... I mean please don’t eat me.  Damn it, now Robin has me wondering...”

Leona sobered.  “If you turn yourself into a strawberry, maybe.  I’d rather not eat a person.”

Jean nodded, almost as somberly.  “Bath time, please.  Tongue bath, that is.”

Leona grinned, and scooped her wife into her maw, where she teased her with her tongue until she sung out in pleasure.  She gently laid her now-clean sweetie in her palm and headed to the bedroom.  When she got there, Jean grew back to full size, naked and lovely.  “Ready for round two?”

Leona smiled serenely, and turned her back on her wife.  “Undo my ribbon?”

Jean blinked at Leona for a moment.  “But you’re not wearing a ribbon.  I don’t think there are even any in this room.”

“Please?”

Jean’s eyes went wide, and she touched her ring-bearing hand to the back of Leona’s neck.  When she tugged, flesh spooled away into fabric.  “As you wish.”