Strings

	The alarm went off, letting its shrill noise pierce through Katherine's sleep cycle. Groaning and grumbling, she clumsily reached forward and ran her thumb along the screen. The beeping stopped after a moment, allowing for a moment of respite. The feline's ears flicked once, twice, and then a third time as she extricated herself from her covers. Through a squint, she could spy the glowing red '8:01' on her bedside clock. She stretched long and hard for a few moments, letting out a soft yawn as her tail swished behind her agitation.
	“Why do I always forget to turn that stupid thing off on the weekend...” she muttered as she stood up slowly, fishing a pair of glasses from the table and slipping them on. This was followed by pulling on a dark blue housecoat, and leaving her bedroom behind. “Coffee,” was all she said as she exited, idly scratching at the light gray fur across her stomach, letting out another soft yawn.
	A few minutes later with sunlight streaming into her apartment, Katherine sipped at her hot drink. She simply stared out the window with a smile. Saturday. A day off from work. Not that she minded her job at all – Retail work was simple enough. But unfortunately, it was simple almost to the point of monotony. The only times when it felt different was whenever someone seemed to find some reason to blame her for the poor performance of their products. Sometimes, customers would find the oddest things that would somehow be her fault. Either way, it was good to have the day to herself.
	“Could sleep in a bit. But then again, I've already got the coffee, I already have the caffeine flowing through my veins. May as well go out at the very least. Nice weather today at least,” Katherine said to no one. “Good start to the day. Talking to an empty room,” she added, taking another sip of her drink. After her coffee was consumed, she tidied up a bit and got dressed. She was one of simple enough tastes; red tank top, blue jeans, a thin jacket, no shoes though. It was a nice enough day that there probably wouldn't be too much water on the sidewalk. It had rained last night, so the air would have that lovely petrichor smell that she loved so much. She stepped outside after a bit feeling the light breeze against her fur. Her throat rumbled with a low, content purr. Today was going to be a good day.
	This good mood lasted for all of five minutes, as a car driving past a puddle splashing her clothes with muddy water. She let out an angry shout at the one driving, before walking off with a grumble. Her good mood was soured and not even the earthy smell around her could calm her. She was close enough to home. She could easily walk back and dry off, then change into a different set of clothes. But that was before something caught her eye. Another feline in a clothing store, though something seemed a bit... off about her. From her distance though, she couldn't tell what it was about her. She decided at that point that it warranted further investigation.
	The door chimed as she walked inside, a few heads turning quickly, including that of the strange feline. After only a few moments they resumed their regular browsing though. To them she was just another customer. Katherine idly looked over a few items, occasionally glancing up at the other feline. What was it about her that was just so enticing to her? Was it her hair? Well, it was a lovely shade of auburn, that was for certain. Taking a breath she walked toward her slowly to get a better look. She just needed to see what it was that drew her nearer to this woman.
	It was when she was close enough that she finally spotted it. The feline looked as though she wasn't, well, real. Rather than fur, her body seemed to be made of what looked like some form of lacquered wood. Or perhaps it was plastic? It was certainly something – coupled with the calico fur pattern all over, she looked simply stunning. The dexterity demonstrated by her fingers as she flipped through item after item clearly proved that she wasn't wearing a suit of some kind. Stranger still was what seemed to be some kind of weird piercing sitting at both of the woman's wrists. On closer inspection, there were more piercings much like it. She could spot them in her elbows, one at the top of her head, and one roughly half a foot from the tip of her tail. This also drew attention to the fact that every joint on this woman's body seemed specifically 'visible.' Not so much as if one was looking at a person but more… well, a life sized mannequin, or a puppet of sorts.
	The woman cleared her throat after a bit. “If you're going to stare, at least make it less conspicuous dear,” she said with a just little bit of a tilt to her voice.
	“I, oh, um, sorry! Sorry! I just… You… um, sorta… … I've never seen someone like you before,” Katherine responded, looking away suddenly. The strange feline simply let out a cheery laugh.
	“Oh I'm just teasing you,” she said, her face seeming to smile. Despite its strange lacquered appearance, her face seemed perfectly capable of expression. “It's not often that I go out, and I'm used to the stares by now,” Curiouser and curiouser.
	“Well, again, sorry for my stares.”
	“I said it's alright.”
	“If… if you insist,” Katherine said, looking aside for a moment. “I… I should be going home. Or something. I just… … I should go.”
	“Go? But we've only just met!” the feline retorted as she took a step towards Katherine. Her footstep seemed to make a strange hollow sound against the tiled floor. She looked over her for some time, as though trying to gauge her reaction to the noise. After a moment, she extended a hand forward. “Let me make things at least a little less awkward. Hello, my name is Iris.”
	She stared at Iris' hand for a few moments before grasping it firmly, giving it a light squeeze. Despite its solid appearance, her hand felt warm and even a bit fleshlike. “M...My name's Katherine,” she said, looking away for a moment.
	“There, introductions are out of the way, was that so bad?” Iris told her, breaking the handshake after a moment. Once again though came that look, that look on her face that almost seemed to be a bit predatory in nature. “Tell you what, how about to help clear the air a bit, let's go for coffee sometime… I'm sure you probably have some questions at least,” Iris added quickly. Before Katherine could even think of a response, she already had the girl's cell number scrawled on a piece of paper clasped in her hand. Without thinking, she simply set the folded scrap in her jacket pocket, her head simply spinning from the strange encounter.
	“I… well, thank you I guess… Coffee… Coffee. Coffee! Yes, coffee, sometime,” Katherine stammered. Iris smiled and leaned in for a quick hug before leaving her alone with her thoughts. A few minutes later her mental processes finally returned to their normal status. She grabbed a new tank top and jeans, got changed, and went on her way. Perhaps she'd call Iris up at some point. There was just something so… alien about her. The way her skin looked and felt. The oddly visible puppet-like joints. The strange little piercings all over. Well, she could ask about them later if she called. 

	-------
	Two days had passed since then. Katherine was finishing up at her shift and pulling her jacket on, when she felt the piece of paper in her pocket alongside her phone. She paused for a moment and pulled it out, remembering her encounter in the store. She remembered Iris, she remembered the girl's strange appearance. She remembered how kind she was despite her stares. She smiled a bit, before suddenly the paper was snatched out of her hand.
	“Well well well, looks like KitKat managed to get someone's number for once?~” came the voice of one of Katherine's coworkers, Tina. Tina was overall a friendly mouse to work with, but sometimes she had a bit of a knack for getting under people's skins. This was one of those times. “Iris… A girl? Wow, didn't know you leaned that way hun, and yet you never made a pass at me aaaaall those times I bent over to grab something from the bottom shelves?” she added with another giggle.
	“Tina! I… give me that! That's mine!” Katherine protested as she tried to quickly grab the scrap of paper, Tina's hands darting quickly out of the way of her grasping fingers. She grumbled and stopped grabbing at it, folding her arms. “And she's just… we met, she gave me her number, and said she wanted to go for coffee sometime. Nothing more. Now give me that!”
	“Is she cute?”
	“I… That's none of your business!”
	“So you DO fancy her!”
	“I never said that! Don't be putting words in my mouth you little sneak!”
	“Have you gone for coffee yet?”
	“What does that have to do with anything?”
	Tina let out a small giggle as she waved the paper around a bit. “Well, you said she wanted to get coffee, and have you? Have you even called the number to set up a date or anything?”
	“Well, no, I've been… busy. Sorta. Kinda,” Katherine added, shuffling around on her feet a bit. It was the hollowest of lies – she'd spent the previous day simply sitting at home watching Netflix. She grumbled and made a quick grab for the paper again, but Tina simply moved back a bit. 
	“Uh-huh… And do you plan on actually going, or are you just gonna let the poor girl wonder and worry where her new friend went~”
	“I plan to… at some point. Just not sure when.”
	“You're free now, aren't you?” Tina asked as she pulled out her own cellphone.
	“Well, yes, but I just got off work, so I was going to just go home and relax,” Katherine said before she spotted the cellphone. “Hey wait a sec, what are you doing with that?”
	“Being the middle mouse here,” Tina said with another giggle as she thumbed the number in quickly, and held the phone up to her ear.
	“Wait… Hey! No! Nono! I... stop!” Katherine shouted,which was met with a shove to her chest pushing her back slightly.	
	“It's riiiiinging~” Tina said tauntingly, her tail swishing with excitement behind her. 
	“Tina, look, just, just hang up the phone, I'll call her when I get-” she was cut off by a gesture from her and her own speaking.
	“Hi there! Is this Iris?” she asked, with the barely audible response following. “Oh, me? This is Tina. Yes, I know we haven't met. I'm calling on behalf of someone you have met though! A certain kittykitty named Katherine?~”
	There was a brief pause, before Tina nodded a bit. “Yeah, she's standing right in front of me, wanna talk to her?” she asked before she nodded once again She smiled and presented the phone to Katherine. “It's for yoooooou~”
	Katherine blushed a bit as she grabbed the phone and held it up to her ear. “I… um… hi there Iris,” she said, glaring at Tina briefly.
	“Katherine! I was hoping to hear from you~” came the voice of Iris on the other end. Despite the mild digitization of the voice over the cell phone, she sounded just as cheerful and sweet as ever.
	“Yeah… sorry, I got distracted by… things. Lots of things.”
	“Well, I do hope you're doing ok. Are you, by any chance, free this evening? I mean, if you're not, that's fine, I just figured that.. well, some coffee might be nice… Well, that is, if you wanted to, of course.”
	Katherine was quiet for a bit, glancing back over to Tina for a moment. With a bit of resignation, she spoke. “I… yeah. Yeah, coffee sounds good. Um… Do you mind maybe picking me up from work, or should I just walk to the nearest Starbuck's and meet you there?”
	“Probably the latter is for the best – What one were you thinking?”
	“Well, there's one on the corner of Pine and Ridgewood… you know the one?”
	“Oh yes, I've been there before!” came Iris' excited reply. “I'll be there soon then dear, can't wait!”
	“Y-yeah! I'll see you there as well,” Katherine added as she hung up and glared back at Tina, who was once again wearing the largest grin she thought imaginable. She handed the phone back to her, rolling her eyes a bit. “I'll remember this you know,” she said as header for the door.
	“Oh nooo, Kitkat's gonna remember me getting her on a date, whatever will I do,” came Tina's sarcastic reply. Katherine simply rolled her eyes once again as she left, not even wanting to dignify the sarcasm with a response.
	
	------------	
	The trip was uneventful overall. Shortly after Katherine left though she fired off a text to Iris, so that she'd have her number. Since the silence was finally broken, she saved the number to her phone. The two simply texted back and forth a bit along the way. While she was still on the way, she learned that Iris had already arrived at the Starbuck's. She was also asking if she should place their order. With a shrug, she responded in the affirmative: Vanilla latte, two sugars, lots of milk, size didn't matter.
	After hitting what felt like every red light at every crosswalk, she finally arrived at the shop. She spotted Iris sitting at a booth in the back. The strange puppetcat gave a small wave to invite her over, so she moved carefully around the few other patrons there and sat across from her. One thing she noticed was that she seemed to be wearing lipstick. She wasn't entirely sure why she took note of that fact. Though it was perhaps the fact that her facial markings here and there looked painted on anyways. 
	“I was starting to get worried,” Iris said as Katherine sat down, taking a sip of her drink. “I do hope they made it correctly, and hopefully I put enough milk in it for your liking,” she added, Katherine nodding slightly with satisfaction.
	“Oh, it's fine, thanks a lot actually,” Katherine said as she shifted a bit in her seat, looking over her cup. “You know, you really didn't need to get me a venti – I know how expensive some of this stuff can be.”
	“Hey, it was my suggestion we meet for coffee, so I decided to treat you. Is that so bad?” Iris said with a soft giggle.
	“Well, when you put things like that...” Katherine looked down for a moment, fidgeting a little bit. “Sooo… about those… um...”
	“Ah yes, I figured You would have questions about my appearance… It's alright, I get used to it. I am willing of course to answer the queries you have,” Iris said, sipping her own coffee a little bit.
	“Well, I guess I'll start with the basics then… Why do you look like a mannequin?”
	“Oh that's an easy one – all Meowrionettes look like that.”
	“Meowiowhats?”
	“Meowrionette. It's what I am, it's what I've been since my birth, and as such, it's why I look like a mannequin – or, a 'Marionette' as you might say.”
	“Don't marionettes normally have… well, strings?” Katherine queried, taking another few sips.
	“Yes, this is true, hence why I have these,” Iris then held her wrist forward, presenting the weird piercing Katherine had spotted before. Without thinking, she gently took hold of the offered wrist and took a closer look at it. It looked as though someone had put a sewing grommet just underneath the skin on its side, though the hole was still visible. Katherine shivered a little bit as she looked over the protrusion.
	“I… ok… so, do strings attach to that or something?”
	“Yes. I don't typically wear them when I go out though. Lots of grabby hands all around that I don't take a particular liking to. Downside is I get tired a lot faster without them, so my outings are generally short ones.”
	“I… guess? I wouldn't want people tugging at my strings if I had them.”
	Iris smiled an almost knowing smile. “It can be distracting… but when you find the right person to tug on them… it's an almost magical feeling,” she said with a bit of a distant look in her eyes. “But I'm getting distracted, let's change the subject – how was your day?”
	The two chatted for a while, though Katherine's distraction with Iris' body was constantly apparent. She watched as she ate, drank, even spoke with an almost fluid grace. She had so many more questions about her bouncing around in her headspace. Things like how she can eat, how she drinks, if she needs to use the washroom among dozens of others. But they still simply refused to pass by her lips as the two made simple small talk. She learned that Iris was a seamstress, she also apparently kept five cats in her home. She even lived with two other Meowrionettes who were apparently named Pearl and Cadence. Apparently, among Meowrionettes, noun-based names were significantly more common – but that was it. No family name, just the one simple name. Iris. Pearl. Cadence. Apparently there were others, but Iris seemed to avoid discussing where they might be.
	Before she knew it though, one coffee turned into three as the minutes turned to hours. It wasn't until Katherine noticed the dimming light of the sun that she realized just how long the two had spent chatting about each other. She was at the very least growing more comfortable with Iris. The initial shock of talking what was essentially a living marionette. But as the waning light of the sun reminded her, it was getting late.
	“Well, it's been nice chatting, but I should be going home – it's getting fairly late after all,” Katherine said, rising to her feet, pulling her jacket back on.
	“I understand, but I feel it would be rude if I didn't offer you a lift home? Like you said, it is getting fairly late,” Iris said as she got to her feet as well. Once again she wore that knowing smile, made all the more apparent by her shiny red lipstick.
	“I… I wouldn't want to impose or cause trouble.”	
	“It's no trouble at all dear, the girls can wait a bit longer. I'm sure they won't mind.”
	Katherine was quiet for a little bit, before nodding ever so slightly. “I guess a ride couldn't hurt,” she said quietly, inching a bit closer to the woman. “I… lead the way I guess?” Iris smiled at her once again and took Katherine's hand, leading her out of the store and towards her car. 
	As the two neared the passenger door though, Iris suddenly pulled Katherine close and kissed her. Her eyes widened in a mix of confusion and surprise. Why was she suddenly kissing her? This was only their second meeting after all. But still… It did feel kinda nice though. As the two broke the kiss she found herself inadvertently licking her lips a bit, catching the taste of her lipstick on her tongue. She blushed a little bit before Iris finally opened the door, letting her step in. Iris climbed in at the other end.
	“Sorry about that, I just… well, in case I missed my chance at your house, I just wanted to kiss you,” Iris said, observing Katherine's mild hazy look as she started to drive. “So, whereabouts do you live again?”
	“Oh… I live just on Pikeplace Crescent – Little apartment complex, I'll point it out when we get there,” Katherine said, her thoughts drifting back toward the kiss for another moment. She glanced out the window, her fingers idly running along her lips. It felt… nice? The more she thought about it, the more she found herself agreeing. It did feel nice. The taste of her on her lips, the subtle red mark left from it, the intimacy they shared, even if it was just a brief moment.
	“Pikeplace… Right, I think I know where that is, but I miiiight need a bit of guidance here and there. I don't know that area too well, that ok?” Iris' words rang through Katherine's head, but they seemed almost distant. Disconnected even.
	“Yeah… yeah, I'll help you out a bit,” Katherine managed to say, her head still spinning. But at the same time, it felt like the car itself was spinning. “I… um… C...can you use GPS or something… I'm feeling a little woozy.”
	“Oh, that's a good point, you feeling ok hun?”
	“I'm fine, really… just a little bit tired. I'm sure I'll be fine.”
	“If you insist,” Iris said as the two started to drive a bit. She occasionally glanced over to make sure Katherine was alright. Her eyelids fluttered here and there once in a while. She rubbed at them constantly as well, seemingly struggling to stay awake.
	“I… I'm just going to rest my eyes for a bit, wake me when we're close,” Katherine said, glancing over toward Iris. As her eyes finally closed and her consciousness abandoned her, she could have sworn that she was once again wearing that strange, all-knowing smile.

	----------

	When she came to, the first thing she realized was that she was not in her home. She glanced around quickly, trying to figure out what was going on. All that she could figure was that she was in the bed of someone else. But as for the who, the solution seemed to escape her hazy thoughts. The second thing that she realized was that with the exception of her eyes, she found that she couldn't find the will or strength to move. 
	Her thoughts were interrupted a few minutes later, as the door of the room she was in opened. Hollow footsteps rang through the space and drew closer to her. She then felt warm hands against her back, gently lifting her up and propping her up against the bed's headboard. She glanced at the person lifting her and almost immediately realized it was not Iris. However, there was no mistaking the strange jointed, shiny appearance for anything else. She was being handled by another Meowrionette.
	This one was a bit different from Iris though. She wasn't quite as tall, and her body was clearly more exotically designed. She could see a base of white underneath, but on the surface her arms and legs were adorned with what seemed to be paintings of just about anything. She spotted flowers in bloom, vines wrapping tightly around some spots, birds in flight… all kinds of things. One of the other things she noticed was that this particular Meowrionette seemed to not have a tail following behind her. She also couldn't help but notice that the girl was stark naked, allowing Katherine to see what looked like a strange seam around the girl's groin. She couldn't quite place the purpose of the seam at this time, her mind simply too confused form her strange awakening
	“Theeeeere we go, nice and upright, so that we can get a better look at'cha,” the stranger said. It was around this time that Katherine realized that she herself was naked as well. The bedsheets simply rested around her waist, leaving her breasts bare. Much like Iris, this woman seemed to be eying Katherine up and down, looking over her chest, her hair, and even her eyes. “Like little pretty rubies~” she said, before glancing around the room a bit longer.
	“I… who're you...” Katherine managed to say, though it took a surprising amount of effort just to get her jaw to function properly. Before she had an immediate answer, she felt both of the girl's hands against her sides. Her fingers ran through her fur ever so gently, teasingly even.
	“Who am I? Not asking where you are, or what's happening first? Interesting priority on questioning there~” the Meowrionette said, her fingers still running through the fur on Katherine's sides. After a long pause she spoke once again. “I'm Pearl – one of the girls I'm sure Iris musta mentioned.”
	“P...Pearl...” Katherine said, before her lips parted in a soft moan from the girl's ministrations. This provoked a soft giggle from Pearl, before she simply leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead. 
	“Thaaat's right. I live here with Cadence and Iris… Speaking of which, Iris should be getting here soon. Well, relatively speaking. She'll be coming along when she finds out that you're awake.”
	“Why do I feel so weak...” Katherine asked, as she once again struggled to move. Her shoulder wiggled a bit, but beyond that there was practically no movement.
	“Mmm, side effect of Iris' lipstick hon. When she told us about you, we just knew we needed to get you here. We needed to see you, we needed to meet you. And she certainly wasn't wrong – seeing you in person, I can see what she probably liked about you,” Pearl said as her fingers gently trailed up, cupping both of Katherine's breasts gently.
	Katherine let out a gasp as she felt Pearl's hands on them, glancing over at her. “H...hey. D… Hands off, those are mine...” she said, still panting ever so softly at Pearl's gentle touch. She tried to pull away, but was still dealing with the strange effects running through her body. In fact if anything, she felt as though her body's sensitivity had been heightened. Though that could very well be attributed to her just not being able to move in general.
	Pearl simply let out a soft giggle. “Oh hon, if this is how receptive you are now...” she let the statement trail off, shaking her head a bit as she took her hands off of Katherine's chest. “Just you wait. You'll see, eventually… I'll go let Iris know that you're awake. You stay put now,” and with that, Iris sauntered off. It was when she got a view from behind that Katherine noticed that she didn't have a tail. Where a tail should have been, there was instead a small round hole. She stared for a few moments, before Pearl was out of sight.
	Katherine sat in the bed as she still desperately tried to bring life to her limbs. This led to very little avail overall. She got a toe to wiggle here, maybe a finger to twitch. As time passed she did find some feeling returning to her arms, and a little bit to her legs. Whether it was whatever effects she was on wearing off, or through sheer force of will, she was getting stronger. It was at that point that she knew, in a now or never gambit she had to get out of this bed. She had to get out of this place and back home as soon as possible. She slowly worked her way to the edge of the bed. Her legs dangled over the edge, her arms weakly keeping her upright. Taking a breath, she pressed her feet on the floor and pushed forward to stand.
	She met the floor mere seconds later with a resounding thump. She let out a sharp shout of pain, followed by a low groan. However, the sounds of her groaning was soon met with another sound – more hollow footsteps approaching her. She glanced up after a bit and spotted Iris towering over her sprawled out form. Except something was different.
	The woman before her seemed to have strands of some sort trailing from the piercings that Katherine had spotted before. They all seemed connected to what looked like a lacquered cross, which rested on her back, secured by two straps that rested around her shoulders. She seemed more confident, seemed to possess more presence about her even. Something about her grin though was still predatory in nature though.
	“Welcome back to the world of the conscious dear,” Iris said as she idly ran her fingers through Katherine's hair soothingly, cradling her form gently as she lifted her back onto the bed. “Well, you met Pearl, I know that much. You'll get to meet Cadence soon as well. She's on her way, bringing something quite special indeed.”
	“Iris, why am I here? I thought you were going to take me home...” came Katherine's concerned reply, still idly fidgeting as she tried to bring her weakened limbs to life.
	“I did. Just not to your home,” Iris said. She hummed ever so softly as she helped Katherine adjust, gently moving her to the center of the bed and taking a seat next to her. Her fingers continued to run through her hair in an almost soothing way. It was around this time that Katherine finally registered that much like Pearl, she was completely nude. And much like Pearl, she seemed to possess that strange curved seam just above her groin.
	“But… I wanted to go to my own home.”
	“And I was the one driving, and wished to go in a different direction. If you wanted me to turn around, you could have asked me at any time. But you simply looked so peaceful, your head resting in my lap as I drove… I just didn't have it in me to wake you.”
	Katherine was quiet for a moment, bringing a finger to her lips. She once again remembered the kiss and how it felt. She remembered the exhilaration, the sensuality… and then the wave of exhaustion and tiredness that came crashing down on her afterward. Realization dawned on her as she remembered Pearl's words. The lipstick. The shine, the strange taste of it, how quickly everything seemed to fade to black.
	“Your lipstick...” Katherine said softly, looking over Iris once again. “Your lipstick did something. That's why I can barely move… That's why I fell asleep in the car.”
	“Ah yes, Cadence's concoction. The first stage is a heightened degree of fatigue, which almost always results in the subject falling into a deep sleep. You probably haven't even realized that it's morning now,” Iris said, starting now to brush Katherine's hair gently, almost soothingly. “The second stage is the muscle relaxant, which you're currently going though. Recovering a bit faster than anticipated, but still within reasonable amounts.”
	Katherine wiggled weakly in her cradled state, looking back over at Iris. “Why though. Why did you do this to me?”
	“All will be clear soon dear,” Iris said, finally pulling her hands away from Katherine's hair. After a few moments, it seemed her words were indeed starting to come true. Once again the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching the pair. A new figure emerged, stepping into the room, carrying a bundle in her arms that was wrapped in a white blanket.
	The new Meowrionette had a burnt blonde colouration on her skin, save for a few black stripes on her arms and thighs. Her chest was a simple white, much like Pearl's was. Her hair was long and black, contrasting nicely with the brightness of her body. Much like Iris, she also had a multitude of strings coming from her body, all attached to a lacquered cross that was strapped to her back. However, the more prominent feature was the fact that, unlike Pearl and Iris, she had a prominent protrusion from her groin. In all honesty though, it looked much more like someone had simply replaced her vagina with a black dildo. It swayed with each step as she brought the bundle closer.
	“Oh, there you are Cadence, I was wondering where you had gotten to,” Iris said, addressing the new girl. “I certainly hope I didn't disturb any of your alone time,” she added with a small chuckle, seeming to be directly addressing the dangling dildo.
	“It was more experimentation than alone time Iris,” Cadence replied, her voice carrying a cold, almost calculating tone to it. She stepped to the foot of the bed, setting the bundle down. “I brought the new Cross as you requested.”
	“Thank you very much dear,” Iris said, grabbing a corner of the blanket and pulling the sheet away, revealing the contents of what Cadence had brought. Sitting on on the bed was a lacquered wooden cross, much like the ones Iris and Cadence wore on their back. Wrapped around several segments were a number of threads, not dissimilar to the ones attached to their bodies. Both lengths of wood seemed to be of equal size, and on one of them near the center were two straps.
	Katherine stared for a few moments at the cross, getting a strange sense of dread from it. She tried to back away from it, only to hit the back of the headboard quickly. Iris was there to quickly keep her steady.
	“Easy now, we wouldn't want you falling off and hurting yourself again,” came Iris' reassuring tones. “It's going to be alright.”
	“What are you doing? What is that thing? Why am I even here?!” Katherine shouted in a panic, struggling weakly against Iris' grasp. 
	Cadence looked over the two for a moment. “You didn't tell her?” she asked as she glanced over to Iris.
	“What, and ruin the surprise?” came Iris' reply.
	“Surprise?! I'm plenty surprised as it is!” Katherine retorted.
	Cadence stared over the two for a moment. “May I leave now? I'm fairly certain you two have got things covered from here.”
	“Hm? Oh, yes, you can leave us be,” Iris answered. Cadence was out of the room moments later, leaving Katherine alone with Iris.
	Iris looked down over Katherine for a few moment, simply stroking her stomach gently.  “Oh my dear, sweet Katherine… If you had an inkling of what was in store for you, you might just leap for joy.”
	“W...What's in store for me? What are you talking about?”
	“You certainly ask a lot of questions… Thankfully, answers are on the way,” as Iris spoke, she took a hold of the wooden cross Cadence had left behind, starting to unravel one of the strings from its tight wind.
	“What are you do-” Katherine started to speak, before Iris placed a finger to her lips, shushing her.
	“Like I said, answers are on the way. This is a momentous day for you. After all, it isn't every day that you are permitted to join the Meowrionette culture,” as Iris said this, she gingerly pressed the end of the string onto Katherine's wrist, where it seemed to just sink about half an inch in. Surprisingly, she felt no pain as this happened. Instead, she felt a strange sense of warmth beginning to spread from the point. It spread from her wrist to her fingertips and up to her elbow, where she could feel the warmth begin to weaken and fade.
	“J...Join the Meowrionette culture… What do you...” Katherine's words were cut off as another string was pressed into her other wrist, the same warm sensation beginning to spread. The feelings seemed more intense this time though, warmer and more pleasant. She found herself letting out a soft moan as the sensations took hold. What was happening to her?
	“All will be clear in time,” Iris said, continuing to push strings into Katherine's body. As they went into her elbows, she couldn't help but let out another moan of anticipation as the pleasant sensations spread up to her shoulders, still rising in intensity almost exponentially with each one. She wanted to pull the strings out, to stop this feeling of intense need building up in her body. But at the same time, she wanted to feel it go further. Curiosity gripped her like a vice, and she just kept losing herself to the pleasure. Losing herself to the filling warmth.
	“See? We're not even halfway done with this step, and I can already spot that you're begging for more. I made the right choice after all,” Iris said, giving her cheek a gentle caress. “Do you want me to stop? Or do you want to see just what more I can do for you.”
	Katherine stared at Iris for a good while, a hazy far-off look in her eyes. She wanted more. She knew she wanted more of this sensation. She wanted to leave though. Leave and never see this place again. But that would mean no more of this incredible feeling. She stared longer, the words bubbling in her throat. Stay. Go. Stay. Go.
	“I… I want more...” she said weakly, a smile crossing her lips. Iris mirrored that smile and leaned in, kissing her forehead ever so gently.
	“I knew you would,” Iris said, as she placed two more strings in her ankles. The warmth began to spread once again, going up to her knees and down to her toes. It continued the trend of intensifying the earlier sensations, while still being intense on its own. Before long, the pleasure coursing through her limbs blended to arousal. She fond herself letting out another series of moans, her fingers gripping the bedsheets tightly.
	When the strings entered her knees, she nearly let out a shuddering scream of need and want. The warm sensations had moved up along her thighs and around her folds. Iris clearly knew what she was doing, spacing out the time between placing strings in and where to place them. At this point in the sensations, they were so great that Katherine couldn't help but feel as though she was already on the verge of climax. Nothing was even touching her and yet she felt like a single touch of her quickly moistening slit would drive her over the edge. 
	As another string went into her tail, Katherine started to become aware of a newer sensation flooding her body. Or rather, a lack of one. She was starting to feel numb. Her limbs were cooling down from the warmth, though the heat in her loins remained. She could feel the heat flowing through her tail for a few blissful moments, but it was quickly replaced with the strange numbness that was running through her body.
	“I… I feel… weird...” she managed to say. As she spoke, she felt one more string connect with her back, just above the base of her tail. The warmth spread through her chest, causing a resurgence of warmth through the rest of her body. However it didn't last long before she felt the numbness overtake her once again. 
	“That's just the effect the strings have,” Iris said, holding one final string in front of Katherine's eyes. “Last one… Are you ready for just what this last string can deliver?”
	Katherine's breath was ragged as her eyes followed the tip of the string. Where would that one go? She had these strange, pleasure-delivering strings just about everywhere else. What was left? However, her desperate need for release overcame her fear. She simply nodded, her mind awash with pleasure and desire. Iris smiled that predatory smile once more, leaning forward and gently inserting the tip of the last string into the top of Katherine's head.
	It was as if a switch had been turned on. The edge of climax finally approached, her pleasure surging forward in sweet release. The warmth flowed through her ears, her cheeks, her mouth and along her neck. She felt her thoughts start to grow sluggish after a few moments though, before she simply started looking down over her body. After a few moments longer, a new sensation began to emerge from her body. Or rather, she felt sensations returning to various spots of her body.
	She looked down to her fingertips and spotted them becoming… shiny? There was no doubt in her mind. Her fingertips were becoming shiny, the fur seemingly receding into her skin As the shine spread, she noticed that the joints of her fingers became more pronounced. It continued down along her hands, the light layer of fur simply flattening into one cohesive piece. It then finally dawned on Katherine with a crashing realization of what was happening.
	She was becoming like Iris, Pearl, and Cadence. 
	She was becoming a Meowrionette.
	She watched on as the change slid along her hands, approaching one of the strings. As the change overtook it, a grommet-like piercing seemed to simply emerge of its own accord. Much like the ones she'd seen on the others. The string simply seemed to rest inside of it, with a single loop keeping it in place.  She looked over to Iris, her mouth agape. 
	“I… Iris… Why?” she stammered
	Iris didn't answer as she continued to gently run her fingers through Katherine's hair. The conversion started to pick up ever so slightly. The sensation started anew at the tip of her toes, working quickly to her ankles. She felt an ever so slight stinging sensation as the strings re-emerged from her legs, bit by bit. She watched as her arms shifted bit by bit, the joints becoming oddly visible still. Despite the lack of pain from the sensation, she couldn't help but shiver at just how strange it looked and felt.
	Once again the realization that she was becoming a Meowrionette ran though her head.
	The change had reached her elbows and knees, hitting her with the sensation once again of small pinpricks coming from her skin. She remembered how pleasant the prior sensations felt, but this was different. It was far from unpleasant, but at the same time she was still frightened. She was frightened at what was happening to her. 
	She felt Iris' hand on her back, listening to her soft words. Listening to her say how everything was going to be alright. Hearing her say that she'd feel better soon. She felt the sensation reach her nether regions, and briefly felt a bit of a disconnect. As if for a moment her vagina just wasn't there. She then spotted that same semi-circle seam around her crotch, as well as the strangely large ball-and-socket joints of her hips to her legs.
	She then noticed that her shoulders had the same effect. Seams that were almost barely connected, and yet she could feel every bit of her arms. She felt the sensation travel down her tail, bulging a few times as a new swivel joint was created. She let out a soft sigh as it continued, the feeling of the conversion starting to feel pleasurable in a strange way. Her body was starting to heat up once again. Her limbs however, despite the fact that she had full feeling in them once again, simply felt like dead weight. 
	As the sensations crossed her chest, she felt a seam emerge across her chest beneath her breasts. This was then followed though by the feeling crossing her breasts, watching as the fur simply flattened and shined. She next felt it cross her nipples which both stood out prominently as the conversion moved along her. 
	As the conversion neared her neck, she felt herself struggling harder and harder to maintain a state of wakefulness. The sensations throughout her body were just growing more and more intense. She felt it crawling slowly, starting to overtake her chin. The feeling was still as intense as before, causing her to gasp with need, with desire. But she couldn't hold out any longer. Finally, after a long struggle, she felt consciousness flee once again. Her eyes closed as she let sleep overtake her.

	Wakefulness was sudden and jarring	to her senses. She sat up, rubbing her forehead as she thought over the previous events. She remembered the kiss, she remembered Pearl and Cadence. She remembered Iris as she placed strings in her body. She remembered the sensations that overtook her. And then she remembered what she had seen happening. She remembered the shine that overtook her fur, smoothed it out, and replaced it with something different.
	She pulled her hand away and looked over it. She spotted the visible joints, the single hinge ones along her fingers, a socket one for her thumb. She saw the swivel joint on her wrist, and then spotted the grommet piercing on her arm. She saw the thread that ran from it and led behind her. She pulled forward a bit and glanced behind her, spotting the lacquered wooden cross that the strings were attached to. Oddly, the dread she felt before was gone. Instead she felt a strange sense of possession? Something in her head simply clicked, saying that it belonged to her. 
	She soon realized that she was alone once again. However, she had proper feeling in her limbs once again. Something else felt off though. Something she couldn't quite place her finger on. She shook her head a bit as she got to her feet, starting to walk away from the bed. She didn't get far though before she felt a light tug against her limbs. She glanced back and remembered that she was still connected to that strange small cross. She took a few steps back and lifted it up, surprised by just how light it was.
	She stepped out of the bedroom, still rubbing at her forehead. What was it she'd forgotten. She groaned a bit as she walked before spotting Pearl stepping out of another room. This time though, in comparison to the previous visit, she did possess a tail, long and white, but completely undecorated. She approached her quickly, eager to speak with her. “P...Pearl. Where is Iris?” she asked as she drew closer.
	Pearl turned to face her and then smiled. She even bounced a bit with glee. “Oooh! You came out looking so pretty!” she exclaimed, running forward and giving her a tight hug. “Oh, wait right here! Or rather, wait in there, I'll go get Iris for you!” she said, pointing into another bedroom.
	“I… But…” she didn't even get a chance to finish her sentence before Pearl bounded off. She was quiet for a moment, then stepped into the bedroom with a shrug. What else was there even for her to do at this point? Nothing much, save for trying to figure out what it was that she was forgetting. She took a seat on the foot of the bed inside and simply waited for Iris to eventually arrive.
	She didn't wait long. The door opened after a bit, allowing Iris to enter. She eyed her with that same smile she remembered, though it seemed more motherly than predatory this time. She wasn't certain why though. The smile was still the same, but it just seemed to feel different. Why though? What had changed?
	“Ah, my darling's finally awake. Seems you're a heavy sleeper once the change finished. But that's alright, I'm sure you probably have at least one or two questions,” came Iris's soft, calming tones. She took a seat on the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around and resting her hand on her shoulder. “Now is the time to ask.”
	“First… What did you do to me,” she asked, though she felt she already knew the answer to that question. And she dreaded the answer.
	“I think it's fairly obvious. I made you a Meowrionette,” Iris said happily, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Despite the solid appearance, she still felt oddly flesh-like.
	“R...Right. I should have…” she trailed off, staring down at her knees. Something was at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't figure it out. What was it she wanted to ask? What was it that she'd forgotten. She brought her hands to her head, letting out a low groan as she struggled to remember.
	“Is something wrong?” Iris asked, still holding her tightly.
	“Something… I can't remember. I'm not sure what it is though. If I could just… figure… it… out...” she said softly, rubbing her forehead with more and more intensity. She was remembering so much else with such clarity. Days at work, her coworkers, her friends. She remembered all of them so clearly. Their faces, their appearances, their names…	
	It was at that point that she realized what she had forgotten. But at the same time, she couldn't remember what it was. That one thing that she had, that one simple thing. She had forgotten her name. She remembered the name of everyone else she knew, but not her own.
	“My… My name...” she said softly. “What was it...”
	Iris lifted her hand from her shoulder, and instead ran her fingers through her hair reassuringly. “It's alright dear. It's what happens to all new Meowrionettes. Out with the old, in with the new. I myself can't remember what my old name was, and honestly, the sooner I let go, the happier I became,” she said, still holding her close. “Just trust me… Things will work out well enough.”
	“But… What about who I was?”
	“You'll be able to start fresh. You look like your old self, but you're so much more! You'll see my dear… but you do need a name. Your old one simply doesn't fit,” Iris rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a few moments.
	“What's wrong with my old one...”
	“Beyond the fact that you can't remember it? It's not… proper,” Iris said, taking a step back, and looking over her for a few moments. Her eyes widened after a moment. “I hadn't noticed those lovely gray spots before. Or those little white ones either... So adorable. Just like little music notes.” 
	“I've… They've always been there. I never really paid them that much mind.”
	“Well, that's at least a start,” Iris said as she paced a bit. “Something musical, something musical… Aria? No, no, that just won't work. Melody… Blech. Too simple. Arietta, Carol, Viola...” she trailed off, continuing her pacing. After some incomprehensible mumbling she stood straight up, as though a bolt of inspiration had struck her suddenly.
	“Serenade.”
	“...What?”
	“I've decided. As the one who joined your strings to your body, I hereby bestow you with the name Serenade.”
	“I… but...” she started to protest. Her protests died very quickly though as the word – or rather, the name – bounced around in her skull. Something about her words just seemed to resonate with her. Something about the way she said it, the name just started to cement itself in her head. She could feel the blanks in her head simply start to be filled. Introductions changing slightly, as if she had somehow always used the name Serenade. And just that name. No surname, no middle names. One word. Serenade. It just seemed to stick.
	Serenade.
	“What's your name little one?” Iris asked, lifting her chin with a finger.
	Serenade.
	She remained silent. She could feel the one simple word on the tip of her tongue.
	“Go on, say it. What is your name?”
	Serenade.
	“S… S...” she started to say. It felt right. Somehow, the name just felt right. But why couldn't she say it. What was it that was holding her back.
	“I am a very patient woman… Now, tell me… what is your name?”
	Serenade.
	“Sere...nade.” she said softly.
	“Again.”
	“Serenade...” she said a second time.
	“And once more for good measure… What is your name.”
	“My name… is Serenade,” she said, the phrase sinking in and setting an almost sense of finality to her new name. Serenade.
	Iris smiled and hugged her closely, pressing her head into her chest. “That's right. My dear, sweet Serenade.” Her tones were soft and sweet. Tender and loving, much like a mother would say to her child. 
	“I… I like it. Serenade. It's… it's such a pretty name… It's my name,” she said softly as she rested her head against Iris' body. She wasn't sure how long she spent simply resting her head against her chest. However after a little while, she became aware of someone else hugging the two from behind. She spotted the decorated arms and immediately knew it was Pearl. She smiled at the proximity of the two and closed her eyes. She felt… home.
	“I think I am certain, my dear sweet Serenade… that things will be quite different from now on,” Iris said as she planted one last kiss on her forehead.