literature

Sealing the Deal (Collector)

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Literature Text

(Man to Seal)


“So, that’s it?”  Patrick looked up at his new employer with a broad grin.  Life had a tendency to dump problems on the young adult’s head, beginning with the death of his parents and ending in his homelessness.  But now, thanks to Aqualand’s outreach program, he’d be able to work for his favorite water park!  This was a dream come true!

“Absolutely.”  His new boss smiled at him.  As he’d grown to expect, it didn’t quite reach her eyes.  That was the first thing he’d noticed about Emma Draes.  The second noticeable quirk of hers was how she seemed to treat one of the park’s security officers as her superior, rather than the other way around.  It set off a faint warning bell in Patrick’s mind, but when the alternative was living jobless…

Patrick shook off his apprehension, standing up to shake her hand.  “So, where do I get my uniform?”  He beamed as he spoke, eager to get the job underway.  She said he started today—without any training!  It had to be a simple custodial position, maybe even time as a checkpoint guard.

“Uniform?”  Emma tilted her head faintly as she spoke.  Still, she reached out to grab his palm, holding it tightly in her own.  “I’m afraid that that’s not in the agenda.”

Patrick tried to ask her what she meant, but he found himself unable to speak.  His whole body seemed frozen, save for the hand she was holding.  That was… Flattening, a thick webbing growing in between his fingers.  Moreover, his skin looked more rubbery, almost like a seal’s or a dolphin’s.

Patrick’s heart started to hammer in his chest.  This woman—she was a Collector?  He’d heard the rumors, of creatures who looked human but possessed the ability to transform people.  But to think one was here!  His body started to move, and Patrick panicked more as he started to obediently follow Emma, his arm starting to pull into his body.

She opened the back door to her office, revealing a small indoor pool.  “Sorry about this, but…  Oh, you’ll see in a little bit.”  She trailed her fingers along his other arm, and Patrick watched as it pulled back into his shoulder, his fingers spreading out into a seafaring fin.

He followed her into the pool, the water seeping into his clothing.  “Oh, you must be so wet like that!”  Emma exclaimed.  “Hold on.”  She embraced the man, her arms hugging snugly under his fins.  His eyes widened as his pants slipped off of him, his shoes and socks sinking into the water below.

It felt like his legs were acting much as his arms had, and his feet had lost their bones.  Moreover, his spine started to lengthen, additional muscles growing out from the new appendage he was growing.  If it was replacing his legs, it could only be a tail…  His eyes flitted back to Emma, wide and pleading.

“Oh, you probably want to talk, don’t you!”  She exclaimed, tapping his nose.

He watched at it turned a dull grey, the tip flattening out on his face until he had just a pair of nostrils.  “What the hell are you doing to me?”  He blinked as he realized he could speak; then he started to scream.  “Help, help!”

Emma’s eyes widened, and she hefted him in one arm with surprising strength.  With her other arm, she moved her hand to snake around his throat, and a tingling spread along Patrick’s vocal cords.

“H-urk!  Hort!  Urt Ark Ark!”  Patrick’s eyes widened as his speech degenerated into barking.  He had just enough time to process this before his mouth cracked out into a pinniped’s snout.  So, he was becoming a seal…  It was a small comfort; he’d rather be a mammal than some sort of fish, but…  “Ark!”  He barked accusingly, staring at Emma with widening, darkening eyes.

He could feel his skull shrinking around him as she hurriedly pet his head.  His hair fell out in clumps, and when she tickled his cheeks, he could feel whiskers poking out from the sides of his face.  Moreover, Patrick could actually make out his teeth and tongue lengthening, reshaping for his new diet.

“Sorry, sorry!  This room is water-proofed, but I hate hearing people shout like that!”  Emma yelped, hugging him tightly.  Patrick wheezed as his body started to bloat, his already-torn shirt finally giving way as he expanded to a proper animal’s proportions.  His belly ached too; no doubt his organs were changing around, prompting his ribs to barrel out.  His discomfort was accompanied by confusion: weren’t Collectors supposed to be heartless?  Not that her transforming him was anything close to generous, but she shouldn’t be remorseful about it…  Should she?

Emma loosened her hug to let Patrick’s torn shirt slip off of him.  Then, she waded back to a shallow part of the pool, plopping him on his stomach.  He yelped, taking in a deep breath before his face was dunked underwater.  Emma moved to straddle him, cupping her hands around his chin.  He let out a muffled back underwater as she pulled, cracking his neck.  It was reforming to a new position, and Patrick gasped for air as his muzzle broke the surface of the water.

Then, Emma pressed just between his shoulderblades.  There was a brief flash of discomfort; then a surge of relief as his shoulders reconfigured, snapping a little further towards his chest.  He realized he still had arms, but they were hidden a little beneath his plump, rubbery torso.  Emma continued pressing down, but slid her hands down to his hips as she cracked his spine.  Patrick could feel his body reconfiguring for aquatic life, and frowned with distress.

His eyes widened with shock as she grabbed his butt, reshaping the flesh to match the rest of his body, pushing his hips into his spine until they practically no longer existed.  Then, she worked her hands down, pressing his body out to form a tail, pushing in new bones into his fin-like feet.  Patrick’s eyes watered as his skin merged, leaving him with a perfect, wide fin.

He splashed it against the water, and barked with surprise as he realized he could move his body again.  He spun so he was on his back, glaring at Emma.

“There!”  She beamed, wiping a hand across her forehead.  She smiled widely, and before Patrick could ask what she was doing, she pressed her lips against his rubbery body and blew hard, giggling at the sound.  “You look so cute!”  She beamed, squeezing the seal in a comfy hug.

Emma waded up to the pool’s edge, still hugging Patrick under her arm.  She slapped her hand against a red pad on the ground, and a sharp whine of static pierced Patrick’s sunk-in ears.  He whimpered in distress, but let out a pleased “Ort!” as Emma pet his belly comfortingly.

“Mr. Barthes?  It’s done!”  Emma chirped.  Patrick looked at her with wide eyes, then had to close them as she started to scratch under his chin.  The action felt so calming, he couldn’t resist!  It was like all of his worries were draining away…

Emma stopped scratching him, and Patrick whined, looking up to see Aqualand’s head of security standing beside her.

The security guard looked at the seal, a faint smile on the big man’s lips.  “Now, Mr…  Patrick, was it?  As you can no doubt tell, this isn’t your typical park-and-zoo combination.”  His voice didn’t quite match his appearance—it was deep, but flowing; eloquent.

Patrick barked, rolling his eyes.  He wasn’t sure how much of the motion would be apparent with his obsidian eyes, but apparently it was enough to convey his point.  The guard laughed out loud, petting Patrick’s head.  The man-made-seal resisted the urge to snuffle happily at the pleasing sensation.

“We’re what you’d call a ‘city-sponsored relocation program’.  It’s an attempt to integrate these… ‘Collectors’ with normal people like you and me.  We clear the streets of homeless, put criminals to a friendly and good job…  Win-win.”  Barthes said it like it was well-rehearsed, no doubt a speech he’d given many times before.

Patrick’s response was an irritated bark.  He slapped his tail against the edge of the water, scowling.  Some solution!

Emma spoke this time.  “You probably don’t believe in our little… cooperative effort.  But think of it this way: you get free food, free hosing, people love you…  Hell, you might even get a mate before too long.  Doesn’t seem too bad of a deal now, does it?”

Patrick blinked.  Her sales pitch was certainly more appealing…  He nodded slowly, remembering how often he’d been hungry when he was out on the streets.  Sure, donations made for good money—but it was amazing how many Calories someone could burn when they were under the sun all day.

Emma looked up to Barthes, and he continued.  “So, I leave you with a question.  Do you want to keep your mind?  I ask because I must—we’ve had people who’d rather their lives in ignorance of ever having been human.  Personally, I’d recommend you keep your intellect—after all, you can ask us to change you at any time.  We just can’t change you back.”

Patrick frowned, mulling it over.  Then, he placed a fin on the ground, tracing out a one over a two, looking up at the two pointedly.

Barthes caught on quickly.  “You want to keep half of your mind?”  This time, he was the one to look surprised.  But that faded quickly, an uncharacteristically kind look on his face.  “It’s your memories, isn’t it?”

Patrick nodded excitedly, barking and clapping his fins.  He’d love to keep his personality, but he didn’t want to be burdened by the memories of his parents dying; his subsequent substance abuse; his struggles alone on the streets.  He looked to Emma expectantly, and she smiled back.

“I think I can do that.  Come here.”  She beckoned him closer, sitting down.  Patrick wiggled up to her, settling into her lap.  The Collector smiled at him, massaging his temples.  “Who’s a good boy?  Is it you?  Yes you are!”  She chimed happily, never breaking eye contact with him.

It started as a numb tingling in the back of Patrick’s brain.  He felt a faint loss, but couldn’t quite recall what.  After all, he’d been born a seal, was raised by a loving pod, then was brought here because he was the best of his family…  Right?

“You’re going to be the best seal here, Patrick!  So smart, with such a kind heart…  All of the trainers are going to love you!”

Patrick bobbed his head enthusiastically, settling deeper into Emma’s embrace.  Yeah, that was right…  He was the best damned seal they had at Aqualand, and he’d need to keep it that way!  When did he start his shows, again?  He barked, clapping; then pointing back to the main park.  He had to get back out there, please his crowd!

Emma started, looking at Barthes with a perplexed smile.  “He took on quick to that!”  She exclaimed, rubbing Patrick’s belly.  “Yes he did!”

Patrick rolled his eyes at Barthes.  Even if he was a seal, he wasn’t a dumb animal…  Though it did feel good to be pet like that.

Barthes nodded back.  “Maybe we’ll need to recommend that to others in the future.  For now, though…”  He looked over to a wheeled animal carrier.  “How about it, Patrick?  Want to go out?”

Patrick nodded eagerly.  This park was great!  Sure, it changed people into animals…  Which probably meant he was human at some point in the past.  But to hell with that, being a seal was great!  And his new life…  He wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.  The seal hurriedly flopped his way towards the cage, ready to go out and wow a crowd.

TF Types:
Man to Seal

Description:
I was in a bit of a writing funk thanks to a variety of senior projects...  So I figured I should write one of my favorite types of TF to knock myself a little out of it! ^-^
© 2014 - 2024 SketchySeraph
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AlolanLucario20's avatar

Twank woo for twe gwood stwory. (in case you don't get the reference, that's how the seals speak in the Seal the Deal DLC for A Hat in Time.)