Circe’s Smile [Multiple MtF Mythology TG] - Part 1

Tier Reward for Nathan Racher

Five loser frat brothers keep striking out, so they decide to spend the night playing a mysterious board game: Circe’s Smile. The more they play, the more the magic of the game transforms them, and their only hope for salvation is to win and hopefully get their old, male bodies back.

~

When he came to college, Shane had definite expectations. Especially when he pledged to a fraternity, he didn’t think those expectations were too high either; big parties, drunk girls throwing themselves at him, loud music, a few wild nights between exams. It was what media had promised him his entire life. Delta Zeta was pitched to him as the hottest new frat on the block, the one that was going to be the next big thing. 

Shane figured a new frat, trying to build up a reputation, would go even harder on the parties and signed up right away. Apparently, nobody else fell for it because several weeks into the first semester, Delta Zeta was still just him, the founder and three other guys. And none of them were very good at planning ragers. 

Like every other weekend, the five of them sat in the lounge of their expensive-looking frat house, being bored. Paul was complaining, as per usual, about how there was nothing to do, despite the fact that it should have been him organising things. 

Paul was the face of Delta Zeta, tall, tan, bleach-blonde with abs sculpted from hours of gym selfies and protein shakes. He had a talent for losing shirts and gaining followers; exactly the sort of guy Shane had thought would head a frat. Unfortunately, it seemed Paul’s looks were the only thing about him that fit the image. He certainly didn't have the creativity or planning skills to make a good party. 

“Well, maybe if our glorious leader would actually plan something,” muttered Nathan.

 Nathan hadn’t quite aged out of his high school persona yet; he wore all black, all the time. His dyed-blue undercut and septum ring made him look like a lost extra from a punk band that only played in basements.

Across from him, Ravi lounged with a vape in one hand and his art sketchbook in the other. Ravi was the ‘brother’ Shane liked the most. He was chill, always smelled faintly of weed, and spoke only when he had something cool or weirdly profound to say. He looked up for a moment, then decided he couldn't be bothered joining the argument. Shane was starting to think he just pledged to a frat to avoid student housing costs. 

“Maybe,” Ravi said, adjusting his man bun, “the universe is telling us to go inward instead of outward.”

Shane tried not to roll his eyes; Ravi had proclaimed himself our ‘spiritual advisor’ on day one. To Shane, he just sounded like a bunch of bad fortune cookies. Half the time what he said didn't even make sense, and when he got called out he’d just smile and nod, then say something patronising about how ‘all would become clear soon’. 

Shane was about to add his own bitching to the mix when Peter entered holding a dusty cardboard box above his head.

“Alright, bros,” he declared, “The night is about to start!”

“Really, man? What are we, twelve?” Shane sighed, “You want to spend the night playing Snakes and Ladders?”

“It’s called Circe’s Smile.” Peter explained, “You play the soldiers on the witch Circie’s island, and you have to get to the portal at the centre to escape. I found it at a black magic shop, come on, I bet it's all kinds of fucked up. The guy looked like a wizard and said it was ‘perfect for nights like this.’”

“Was the wizard drunk or just homeless?” Paul asked, eyebrows raised.

Peter ignored him. That was kind of his thing. He had a permanent gleam in his eye, a linebacker’s build, and the tenacity of a golden retriever chasing a laser pointer. Always the guy with an idea. Usually a bad one.

“Come on,” he said, sweeping a hand around at us. “What else are we gonna do? Sit here moping? You guys keep complaining that the frat never does anything, but I’m the only one coming up with ideas.”

“I’m not moping,” Nathan said. “I’m brooding. It’s different.”

But Peter had already started unpacking the game, cardboard pieces and a thick rule book. They all exchanged a look, Paul rolled his eyes, Nathan groaned, Ravi shrugged, and Ravi just smiled like he knew something the rest didn’t. Shane just sighed.

“I guess it’s better than nothing.”

“That’s the spirit!” Peter beamed. 

He unfolded the board and immediately coughed as a cloud of dust wafted into his face. 

“This thing looks ancient.” Paul scoffed, “You’ve probably got ‘the consumption’ now.”

“I think we should be open to new experiences.” Ravi smiled dreamily, “How do we play?”

“According to these rules, we each pick a coloured figure,” Peter read, pointing to the tiny soldiers in the box. “Then, roll a die to move along the board, while trying to avoid the transformation tiles. Land on one, you flip over a card that matches your coloured token and get “transformed”, any man who is fully transformed before getting to the circle is enslaved by Cercie forever. First one there wins the ‘special prize’.”

Peter held up a golden envelope with a faded SPECIAL printed on the front.

“What’s the special prize?” Paul asked, Peter shrugged.

“Guess we have to wait and see who wins.”

“Come off it,” Nathan said as he snatched the envelope. “Let’s see what it is now.”

He tugged at the paper, trying to open it, only to start sweating with each pull. Shane snickered.

“Are you seriously being bested by an envelope?”

Paul threw back his head and laughed, quickly pulling out his phone to film before Nathan threw the envelope down on the board in frustration. 

“Best hope you don't win, friend.” Ravi teased, and Nathan sulked. 

The five of them gathered around the board and each selected a little figure. When the final piece was placed on the board, the edges suddenly glowed a dark, almost sickly green, and Shane couldn’t help but grin. 

“Okay, that was cool. How do you think it did that?”

“Let’s see if it can do anything else,” Peter said happily, taking the first turn. The first round was uneventful; they each rolled the dice over the cardboard and started to move their little figures along the path until Peter landed his little green figure on a transformation tile. 

“Damn!”

“Go on then, let’s find out what the witch is turning you into.”

“Mythologically speaking, it should be pigs,” Ravi said, as though the myth of Circe wasn't one of the most famous stories ever told. 

Peter flipped over a green card and cleared his throat.

“Creature of whimsy and fey fun, the satyr girl lures men into her glen with wiles and music. Her horns sprout from your head. Huh, guess I am turning into a goat lady.” Peter laughed, but then the sound turned into a yelp of surprise.

Shane was about to roll his eyes at how into this dumb game his bro already was, but then he spotted them. Two hard little bumps are poking out of Peter’s hair. They grew slowly at first, but then began to rapidly increase in size. They were a soft, delicate shade of brown, and no matter what Peter did, he couldn’t stop them from curling around his head just like the horns of a ram while the rest of them watched in horror. 

“What the fuck!”

“How are you doing that?”

“Aaaaaaah!” Peter just screamed and pulled at the horns, desperately trying to remove them as the tips curled around beneath his ears. That wasn’t all, his hair was changing too, taking on a slightly red tinge and growing out. Copper curls flowed from his skull like water until they reached halfway down his back. Shane felt his mouth open and close in shock, then he laughed. 

“Okay, good one, bro. You got us.”

“W-what do you mean? What’s happening to me?!” Peter cried, running his fingers through the soft curls in shock.

“That’s some seriously good make-up.” Shane continued, “A plus for theatrics, but you can take them off now.”

“I wish I could! I don't understand…I have horns!”

“No, you don’t.” Shane scoffed, giving it a good yank, fully expecting it to pop free.

But it didn’t. 

He yanked harder, and Peter cried out. “That’s my skull, dude!”

“What the fuck, they’re real?”

“They can’t be real.” Paul yelled, “This is some sort of trick.”

“Only one way to find out…” Nathan muttered, picking up the dice and taking his turn. He moved his piece along the board, counting up to the six he rolled, and landed on a transformation tile. This time, the room was silent as he picked up the first brown card to match his character.

“Wild, powerful, hooves batter the ground. The centaur huntress chases her prey; neither men nor beast can outrun her, for she is the wind and the strength of stone.” He muttered before adding. “Hair whipping in the wind, ears pricked to catch any sound…”

He put down the card, and Shane was ready to let out a sigh of relief. He knew this had to be some sort of trick, only for Nathan’s hands to fly to his hair as his hair started to grow as well. The gel melted away, replacing his edgy spikes with smooth, black locks of midnight that shone under the light. He pressed his hands against his skull, trying to keep them in, but it was useless; the long strands spilled through his fingers, and some even grew on the tips of his ears as they turned pointed and long. 

Oh God, this wasn't some prank by Peter. This was real; the game was transforming them! Shane got to his feet.

“I’m out of here!”

He turned and ran for the door, only to suddenly feel a pressure at his throat. With a painful tug, he was pulled to the ground by a green, glowing chain attached to the board. He choked and spluttered as it dragged him back to the circle of men all sitting around it and then vanished. Even though it was gone, Shane could still feel cold iron around his neck, and he coughed.

“I don’t think it's going to let us leave,” Peter whispered in terror. 

“So what, we have to all just…keep playing?” Paul cried, “No way, I don't want pointy ears or horns!”

“One of us has to win, that’s all.” Said Ravi in a slightly shaky tone. “Then…we’ll all turn back, I’m sure.”

“What if the only person who turns back is the winner?” Nathan asked, “What if that’s what makes it special?”

They all looked at each other, then the dice and Paul snatched it up.

“It’s my turn, I don't think we want to know what this game does to cheaters now…” He gave them all a warning look before rolling the dice. No transformation tile, Shane had never heard anybody sigh with more relief. 

The game kept going, but the air was charged now. Another round and then finally, Ravi landed on a transformation tile. 

“Change is natural; if I go with the flow, it won’t be so bad.” He said casually, but Shane could see the tension in his shoulders as he flipped over a blue card. “Siren’s song and shimmering scales, the…mermaid!?”

If there was more on the card, Ravi didn’t read it; his legs spasmed, and he stretched them out flat on the floor as far apart as possible. For a second, they all watched with morbid curiosity as he scratched at his legs.

“I can feel…scales.” He squeaked. 

Shane waited for his legs to be drawn together and form a tail, but it seemed the game was taking things slow. Instead, sharp fins poked through the fabric of Ravi’s loose pants. Shiny blue scales began to poke through the skin at his hips, and they all held their breath.

“I think…that’s all for now.” Ravi sighed, but he didn’t cross his legs again. In fact, he went to great lengths to keep them far apart. It made him look even more ridiculous than usual. That just left Shane and Paul as normal humans. Shane took the dice in his shaking hand and continued. He knew, before he’d even finished moving, where he’d end up. 

“Please, nothing weird…” He begged as he picked up the first of his purple cards and read: “The matriarchs of dominance, the dark elf women rule with an iron fist, any weakness is not tolerated, but you, my friend, have a submissive streak.”

“Wait, you just get to be an elf?” Ravi complained, “That’s not fair!”
“What happened to change is natural and go with the flow?” Paul snickered, Ravi glared. 

Shane felt his hair stand on end; the oddest sensation was spreading across his skin, not quite pain, not quite pleasure. It made his breath quicken, and as the sensation grew stronger, he held out his hands and watched as the skin there changed colour. It darkened, then took on a dusky purple hue that spread up his arms and under his clothes. He blinked and felt his eyelashes lengthening, rowing almost heavy with extra lashes. Shane grit his teeth, then let out a breath when the sensation stopped. He was purple, but so far that was the only thing that had changed. He could live with that, for now. 

“Just leaves you, bossman.” Nathan snickered at Paul.

Another round, the little men continued around the spiralling game board, and then, Paul landed on the dreaded transformation token. 

The four other men all looked to him as he drew the black card at the top of his pile. 

“Creeping, crawling, queen of the spiders. Men run in fear, and yet her eyes draw them in. The Drider Queen.” Paul shuddered, “I hate spiders-AAAAAH!”

His hands flew to his face, and they all shrank back. For a second, he shuddered, then Paul removed his hands, revealing his face, and they all yelped. Six extra eyes, smaller than his two main ones, framed his forehead and the side of his face, all black and pupilless. 

“Oh God, Oh….this is so weird.” He muttered, “I can see so much.”

“Too much.” Shane made a face, “You look weird as.”

“Oh shut up, grape man.” 

Shane made a strangled sound that was somewhere between a scoff and an indignant squeak. Did he really look like a grape with purple skin? Maybe pulling the dark elf wasn’t so lucky after all.

“What if we just…refuse to play?” Shane suggested, “If we just sit here and drink or something.”

“Those chains…they are connected to the board, right?” Ravi mused, “If we all pick it up and carry it with us, maybe we can take it to the police or something.”

“What the fuck are the police going to do?” Nathan said. 

“I don’t know, but it's better than sitting here slowly transforming!”

As the men argued, the face of Circe at the centre of the board slowly began to glow the same sickly green that had appeared when they first unboxed it. Then, a cold, cruel laugh filled the air, and Shane felt all his hair stand on end. 

“Once the game has started,” the voice boomed, “it cannot end until a winner has been decided.”

The face in the middle of the board was smiling at them as it spoke.

“Try to run, try to delay, and you will rot. If you want freedom, you have to keep playing. The only way for this game to end is for somebody to reach my circle.”

Shane tensed; he couldn’t believe he was being threatened by a board game, even worse, it was working; he was scared shitless. One of those ghostly chains appeared and clamped around Peter’s wrists and yanked his hand over the dice.

“Your turn.” Circe smiled before the board went dull and the laughter faded away. 

Peter swallowed and picked up the dice. “I guess we don't have a choice.”

He rolled the dice, and the rest of the group held their breath as he landed on another transformation tile. Shane eyed off the pile of cards, and Peter slowly flipped one over and read.

“Gentle fawn, short and spry with legs made for dancing.”

A moment later, Peter began to squirm, and his jeans started to look oddly tight…and long. He was shrinking, losing more than a foot in height at the same time, the waistband of his jeans was starting to fail. Curly, coppery hair, just like the ringlets falling from his head, was sprouting and pushing against the denim as his hips widened. His bones cracked in a way that made Shane wince as the shape of his legs changed entirely. Peter had no choice but to kick the jeans off entirely, leaving him in his green boxers that were barely holding on. 

His legs were shaped like a goat's, and his shoes tore open to reveal delicate black hooves. Just when it looked like it couldn't get any worse, Peter suddenly fell forward on all fours and groaned. His back arched, and a moment later, a tiny goat tail pushed its way out of his spine. 

Shane’s eyes were drawn down, though, to the bulge at the front of those tight boxers and how it was slowly shrinking. Did that mean what he thought it did? Judging by the look on Peter’s face, it did. His cock and balls were disappearing, and Shane had a pretty good idea what they were being replaced with. 

Slowly, it dawned on him. That was going to happen to him and the rest of the group as well. They were going to be forced to keep playing this game, their bodies slowly transforming until they were all supernatural women, and his only hope for salvation was reaching the centre first. Peter sat back up, face red with embarrassment and handed Nathan the dice. 

“Your turn.”