Tara pried her eyes open as the ringing continued.  She glared at her phone.  Trinian was calling from Brightview.  She sighed, and answered.  “I hope you have a good reason to call me this early on my day off.”

“Sorry, but the boss really wants Dawn to show up for a big meeting this morning.  Is there any way you could have her here by eleven?”

Tara looked at the time.  Just after nine.  Normally she’d be up and moving but last night’s lovemaking had left her feeling languorous and lazy.  On the plus side, she was pretty sure Dawn was feeling the same way, so her usual impishness might be held at bay for a time.  “Yeah.  I’ll get out the door soon.  Soonish.”

“Thanks!  I might have a little favour to ask if you can stay to chat for a bit.”

“One that involves a certain ball?”

Tara could almost hear the blush in Trinian’s squeaked reply.  She hung up and went to get ready, moving quietly so as not to wake Rachel.  Once she’d breakfasted and had a quick shower (making sure to use her Sasha-cloth in the process) she dressed in workout clothes then asked Dawn if she was ready to do some design work.

The cascade of yellows across Dawn’s surface rippled slowly, but showed enough certainty that Tara grinned and slipped the magic kimono on.  “No nudity today, okay?  Brightview has some special client they want your help with.”

That got her two thumbs up, which turned into two hands groping her breasts.  They vanished away into the swirling yellows of the kimono after a moment, but Tara could still feel their presence as a little extra support.  “Scamp.  Just as long as it doesn’t show.”

She trotted off to Brightview, making good time.  Some of it was with two legs, some with four... but when she approached the building Dawn muted the effects and she opened the door fully human.  The receptionist, Trinian, grinned to see her.  “That’s great, there’s still half an hour to get her settled.  You know the usual room, could you drop her off there?”

Tara nodded and did so, giving Dawn a fond pat before leaving her on the display rack.  “Have fun but not too much fun, hmm?”

Dawn’s head appeared on the kimono’s surface, topped by a golden halo.  Tara laughed.  “Riiight.”

When she returned to Trinian, she asked if Tara could wait a bit.  She needed to greet their guests and get them settled, then they’d have time to talk.  Tara shrugged and went for a walk instead of waiting in the lobby.  A group of what looked like Japanese businessmen entered as she was walking by on one of her circuits.  Two of the women in the group were wearing kimono-like outfits, and Tara hoped that Dawn wouldn’t cause an incident with them.

After her next loop, Tara peeked through the door and saw Trinian waving to her from the front desk.  She ventured inside.  “All clear?”

“Yep.  Dawn was behaving herself last I saw, so hopefully this will work well.”

Tara nodded.  “She had a good night last night.  As did I.  I think she’ll be good, especially with a hope of more fun later.”

Trinian grinned.  “Cool.  I like Dawn, and I’m glad you’ve found a place for her.”

“So,” Tara asked after Trinian went silent for a beat too long.  “What was this favour?”

“You’ve turned people into... toys, right?”

“And been the toy,” replied Tara with a lascivious grin.  Having fun with your sweetie and the toymaker?”

Trinian nodded, but her smile was half-hearted.  “It’s just... Cyn is so keen on it.  Keen enough that she’s talking about becoming my possession, instead of my girlfriend.  Keen enough she’s written up the paperwork to make it real.  All I have to do is file it.”

“Oooh, nice.”

“But I want more than that!  She’s an amazing person, and while she makes an amazing toy, I’d miss her smile, her laugh...”

“And you’ve told her all this?” asked Tara.

“Yes.  She says she’d be happy if I found someone else...  I insisted that’s not what I wanted, but...”  Trinian sighed.  “She knew.”

“What did she know?”

“That her offer makes my heart do terrified, happy flip-flops.  The idea of owning her won’t get out of my head.  Every time she says ‘don’t change me back’ our lovemaking is... spectacular.”

“Did you change her back?” asked Tara.

Trinian shook her head, and pulled a sparkling orb out of her oversized handbag.  It swirled with patterns that looked like a field full of flowers.  “Not this time.  She’s gorgeous...  How do I do this?”

“Do what?”

“Go back to normal,” whispered Trinian.  “To wanting... normal stuff.”

Tara chuckled softly.  “Oh, Trinian.  Welcome to the sisterhood.  She’s deliriously happy to be yours.”

“Is she really?” asked Trinian.  “How can you tell?”

Tara shrugged.  “Some kind of knack I’ve picked up by knowing so many, I think.  I can feel her emotions, and she’s so deeply into this it’s hard to convey.  If you keep her, you’ll make her so very happy.  So be happy, and enjoy this wonderful gift you’ve been given.”

Trinian looked down at the orb in her hands, petting it softly.  “She is lovely.  Are you really sure?”

Tara laughed, and shook her head when Trinian looked offended.  “I felt a pulse of emotion from her when you asked.  She is.  She really is.  She’s your toy now.  Forever.  Ooh!  There she went again.  She can still hear pretty well.  Or should I say it?”  Tara cocked her head, as if listening to a distant voice.  “Oh, no she doesn’t like that.  Not too surprising, she’s outrageously feminine like this.”

Trinian giggled uncertainly.  “Yeah.  I’m getting good use out of that other shape you gave me.  Tempted to ask for an upgrade.”

“More endurance so you can keep more toys happy?” asked Tara with a playful leer.

Trinian coughed and nodded.  “Gordon came over last weekend.  Wanted me to use the toy on him.”

“I don’t think you can keep him.  He has responsibilities.”

“I don’t want to keep him.  I made that clear.  And yet... he brought me gifts.”  She opened a box that was sitting on her desk.  In it were four similar toys.

“His entire collection?” asked Tara, wonderingly.

“Yeah.  He wanted to show he was serious.  I don’t want him as a boyfriend, but... um...”

“You like the idea of having power over him.  So he’s... what, a kinky booty call?”

Trinian opened her mouth and raised her hand to object then closed it again, and slumped.  “Close enough.  I’d rather use Cyn, but there’s just something about Gordon that begs me to break him.  That’s why I want...”  She ducked her head and looked around.  “Bigger.  And... more addictive.”

Tara raised an eyebrow.  “I’m not really sure how to do the latter, but... well, Rachel is fond of upgrades.  I’m sure I can manage something, but maybe here isn’t the best place or time.”

Trinian did something with her desk phone, then took Tara’s hand and led her to a private washroom.  She locked the door behind them, then tapped her fancy watch.  Tara recognized the six-slot model, the same as she had back at home except in gold instead of black.

Trinian slipped out of her skirt and pulled off her panties.  “Do it.”

Tara gave the ball a few squeezes, carefully imagined Trinian with a large cock, and tossed the ball.  Trinian cooed in delight, saved the form, and then considered herself in the mirror.  “Can you go bigger?”

Tara smacked her with the ball to reset its magic, and squeezed it up once more.  This time Trinian’s cock was improbably huge, longer and thicker around than her forearm.  “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.”  Trininan saved this form as well.

“Done?”

“No.  Though... maybe this is too big.  Can you do something a bit more normal sized, but ... way kinkier?”

This time Trinian ended up with a muscular tentacle between her legs, covered with little knobbles instead of suckers.  “Ooooh.”  She saved this change as well, then started to grin.  “Kinkier!”

Tara laughed and started to squeeze once more.  “Are you sure?  Any kinkier and you’ll have nothing but tentacles below the waist.”  

“Do it!”

Trinian sank down as her legs transformed into a writhing mass of tentacles much like the one she’d just had.  They varied greatly in length and size.  “Damn.  How many did you give me?”

“A dozen, I think...”

Trinian grinned as she saved the form, then reset herself back to normal.  She put her panties and skirt back on.  “I’m going to need more toys.”

Tara smiled at the thought.  “I’m happy with my sweeties, thanks.  But there’s a place I know where you might be able to find some volunteers...”

Trinian noted the location of Tara’s favourite grocery store as they walked back to her desk.  “Only one a week, you say?”

“Yeah.  I’ve been slowing down, so it’d be good if someone picked up the slack.”

Trinian patted the box of toys sitting on her desk.  “Hear that girls?  You’re going to have company.”

Tara frowned.  “Can I have a look at those?  One of them...”  She shuddered.

Trinian nudged the box toward Tara, who picked up each orb in turn.  “This one’s happy enough, ooh and the next one’s super eager to be used.”  She gave both of them a pat, and handed the eager one to Trinian.  The next was content with her fate, but the last...  Tara shook her head.  “She’s horrified.  Which one is she?”

“I have no idea,” said Trinian.  “How can I tell?”

“I could change her into a human, but... that might cause a scene.  I know somewhere that can sort this out, may I borrow her?”

“You can have her.  I’d hate to be torturing someone with this.  Tell me who she is when you figure it out, and I’ll sign her over.”

Tara nodded, and managed with some difficulty to fit the orb into her bag.  She waved to Trinian then headed off to the Catgirl Emporium, by way of her condo to pick up the car.  Curly and Candy greeted her warmly when she knocked on the door of their lab. 

Candy was even taller than Tara had seen her before, and the tigress was corded with muscle to boot.  Tara looked her over for long enough that Candy started pulling muscle-builder poses.  “See something you like?”

“I... have started to see the appeal of muscular women.  Damn.  I could work out for a decade and never get that ripped.  It looks good on you.”

Candy wiggled her fingers at Tara.  “I can muscle you up any time you like.”

“I’ll let Rachel do the honors, I think.  But... I might save the result in my watch.”

“Oh yeah, those,” sighed Curly.  “They’re really eating into our recharger business.”

“Ah.  Sorry.  We’re still making good use of our recharger, it helps make a temporary transformation toy turn people into more or less permanent possessions.  It also seems to empower Dawn, maybe there’s a market for that?”

Curly tilted her head and her ears canted cutely as she thought about it.  “I suppose.  Worth a look, anyway.  They were always a little tough to sell, and we’re making good money on the licensing as spell dischargers.  To be honest, we’re so far in the green I’m not sure what to do with it all.  It’s not like doing this stuff feels like work.”

“Well, I do have a little job for you,” replied Tara while pulling open her purse.  “A toy that would rather not be one.”

“Oh?  Permanently changed?”

“Yeah.  Think your platform could turn her into a mousegirl for a while?”

“Why not just use your ball, that way she can be all girl.”

Tara shrugged.  “I figured you could run some experiments before and after.  She’s negative valued, all of Gordon’s toys were.  But I don’t know which one she is, or what to do with her.”

Curly held out her hand, and Tara passed the orb over.  Curly put it in front of her diagnostic gear, and made various cute thinking noises.  They became slightly more distracted thinking noises when Candy started kneading her shoulders.  “Mmmm...”  Curly’s fur rippled from tawny to pink, and then started turning into latex.

“Ooops, sorry.  Playtime can wait until you’ve figured it out.”  Candy kneaded Curly back to more of a catgirl.

Tara giggled.  “Is it always like that with you two?  Just... randomly changing each other?”

“Curly lost our bet last week, so she’s my playtoy this week.  Just... you’re a friend, kind of let it slip.”

Tara waved it off.  “I don’t mind, as long as we can get this sorted.  No melting Curly’s brain until later?”

Candy snickered and went back to kneading Curly’s shoulders, recolouring them to a vibrant green.  “Well, hon?  Any answers?”

Curly wriggled her arms happily, then turned back to her displays.  “Not a lot to say.  No power signature, from what I can tell this is an ordinary toy.  I don’t have anything that can tell if there’s a mind present.”

“I can tell,” added Tara.  “She’s not quite as terrified as before, but she hates what she is.”

“Ah?” asked Curly.  “That is interesting.  Would it be okay to contact you if we need to check in on transformed people in the future?”

“Of course!” enthused Tara.  “I’d be glad to help.  You guys have done so much for us.”

“Good!  Hm.  Maybe we can use that.  Do you have the four names?  Miss, whoever you are, stuck in that ball?  Try to give us a pulse of positive emotion when Tara speaks your name.”

Tara read through the list, and the feeling of fragile hope that sprang out when she read Sandy Field’s name almost made her cry.  “Okay, Sandy.  Let me check the records...”  Tara sighed softly.  “Wow.  You’re way in the hole.  Just let me text Trinian...”

Trinian was quick to reply, and soon after that Sandy was in Tara’s name.  “So I guess you’d like to be a real girl again... but...”  She tapped at the screen some more.  “Hm.  I think it’d be safer to go with something that can talk, but that isn’t fully human.  If I turn you human, anyone can take you.”

“We wouldn’t,” protested Curly.

“You wouldn’t,” purred Candy.  “I might.  I could use a new chew toy.”

Tara frowned.  “She’s confused.  I think we need to talk this out.  Mousegirls aren’t people, right?”

“Right.  Pop her on the platform and let’s see how this works.”  Curly fiddled with a lever on the side of the platform.  “Ready?”  The ball didn’t respond.  She shrugged, and pressed the big blue button.

A mousegirl of a familiar design appeared on the platform, and started to pat herself down.  “I have fur?  I can talk!  Oh wow, thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me too much yet,” replied Tara.  “I own you, and what I’d like to figure out is... what should I turn you into?”

“A human?” Sandy asked hopefully.

“You’d be in someone else’s drawer before nightfall.  I could mail you to your family.”

“Like they’d care,” Sandy groused.  “No.  I’d rather be the toy.”

“But you hated that!” protested Tara.  “I don’t want to make you something you’d hate.”

“But you won’t make me human, either.”

Tara shook her head.  “No.  I could turn you into an exercise top, you’d see quite a bit of use.”

“A... what?  Why?”

Tara’s grin grew wicked.  “Because I love wearing people.  A good power top makes the workouts go much faster.  You’d be appreciated, and well cared for.”

Sandy whined softly.  “That’s not the life I wanted.”

“What life did you want?” asked Tara.  “From what I see in your record, you didn’t work toward much of anything.”

“I wanted to be a model.  Showing off pretty clothes...”

“I can offer you mannequin instead.  I have a pretty nightgown that would like to be better displayed.”

Sandy tilted her head to one side, ears perking cutely as she considered it.  “No sex?”

“Is that what you want?”

Sandy shuddered.  “No.  I had far too much of that in his hands.  A sexless mannequin sounds good for a few years.”

“I’m not offering a few years.  The position is permanent.”

Sandy shuddered even more vigorously.  “You... what makes you any better than him?”

“I didn’t fuck you over with a contract payment, for one.  Did you know he even got to keep the money?”

“Bastard.  Why should I let you do this, though?”

“Oh, honey,” purred Tara.  “It’s not about let.  You are going to be transformed.  Heck, your current form is only temporary, you’ll be a ball again in about fifteen minutes.”

Sandy slumped her shoulders, ears fanning back in defeat.  “Oh.  Um... where would you put the mannequin?”

“Bedroom.  You’d get to watch three women going at it... though sometimes none of us are exactly... stock configuration.”

Sandy’s ears perked up and her tail began to swish.  “I’d get to...  Oh.  Wow.  Um...  Can I negotiate a form change in a few years’ time?”

Tara lifted her chin haughtily and pretended to consider the request.  “I believe we can accommodate that.  What did you have in mind?”

“Just... after a few years as a sexless mannequin, I might um... want...”

“To be one of our special toys?  Perhaps something two women can use to have fun?”

Sandy ducked her head.  “I’d like that... eventually.  Right now it’s a little too raw, you know?”

Tara chuckled ruefully.  “Having been both physically and emotionally raw after we made some mistakes with magic changes, I can understand all too well.  Ready?”

“Not really,” admitted Sandy.  “Can I run around a little first?”

Tara nodded, but had fished the ball out of her purse and was already squeezing it.  Sandy jogged around the lab in circles, and just as she was turning to face Tara she got pegged by the ball and froze.  Her fur glossed away into smooth white plastic.  The mannequin grew almost as tall as Tara, and ended up rather more rounded.  Her face was last to vanish, smoothing her surprised expression away into a glossy orb.

Tara held her hands near the mannequin and nodded.  “She’ll be okay, I think.  Going to take a while to build up trust with this one.”

“Like she has any reason to trust any of us,” muttered Curly.

“I know.  The system has its issues.  People just... vanish.”  Tara frowned in thought.  “Which reminds me.  There was a woman who worked with me before all this started, and she just vanished one day.  Do you think...”

“DME would know,” replied Curly.  “If you have your name, we can at least see her standing and see if anyone is registered as her owner.”

“I tried that.  It came up with a page saying ‘privacy locked’.  I didn’t even know you could do that.”

Candy frowned.  “How is that possible?  If she has family, they wouldn’t be able to find her.”

“Beats me,” said Curly.  “You could go ask the exceptions department at the DME, that’s your best hope.  They probably won’t be able to tell you anything about her directly, but...” he shrugged.  “Maybe they can help somehow?”

Tara thanked them for their help, paid their nominal fee for a mousegirl session...  Then pulled out a little more cash for another mousey workout run.  She managed to break her own record on their murine exercise course twice more.

When Tara finally made it home, she set the mannequin up in the bedroom and pulled out her special purple nightie.  She draped it over the figure and gave it a gentle pat.  “You two enjoy.  Maybe I’ll get a few more of you.”

Rachel wasn’t home, so Tara wasn’t tempted to play with the various muscular designs that had been floating through her head.  Instead she followed up on Curly’s suggestion, and after a light lunch and an even lighter workout, she headed to the DME.

Her favourite clerk in the exceptions department was free, and helped Tara with double-checking that she’d got the right person for the orb Trinian had given her.  Then Tara revealed that she was looking for a missing friend, one Ursula Carroll.  She mentioned that the entry was tagged private before the clerk started looking.

“Oh.  One of those.  I’m not even allowed to look at her information myself.”

“Is there nothing I can do, then?  I’d just like to see her again, whatever she is, so I can be sure she’s happy.”

“Anyone powerful enough to get privacy tagged isn’t going to let go of someone just because you think they might be unhappy,” noted the clerk.

“I suppose, yeah.  I was hoping... I don’t know what I was hoping for.  Closure, I guess.”

The clerk tutted softly to herself.  “I suppose I can see that.  There is one program we offer that might help.  If you write a letter to her owner, an actual physical letter, there is a department that handles delivering them.  You won’t know if it has been received, and the only way you’ll hear anything further is if they decide to contact you.”

Tara shrugged.  “Worth a shot, I guess.  Is there a special form?”

“No, it just has to be hand-written.  I don’t know why.”

“Not signed in blood?” Tara asked jokingly.  The clerk raised an eyebrow, but didn’t seem to find it funny.  She did give Tara a few sheets of paper to work with, so Tara found a corner to sit in and began to write.  There wasn’t that much to say, mostly that she missed her co-worker and wanted to see her again.  She made it clear that she wasn’t asking for Ursula to be restored, just a chance to use her newfound ability to understand what objects are feeling.

She handed the one-page letter to the clerk when she was done, smiled hopefully, and headed for home.

Rachel was there upon her return, and greeted Tara with a ferocious hug.  “I missed you!  Where’d you go?”

“I could ask the same, I was back here for lunch...”

“Oh, I went down to the pool for a swim.  There’s a couple of kids asking about being mermaids.  If we hurry, we might catch them...”

Tara grinned, and grabbed her watch.  “In that case, let’s go for a swim.  And afterward, I have some fun ideas to try out.  How muscular would you like to be?”

“Using the ball?  Oh...  How big can it make me?”

Tara waggled her brows.  “We’ll find out tonight.  Maybe let Sasha watch, too...”

“Rrowr.”