D&B

Just wanted to post an update to let you guys know that I'm still alive and working on the next chapter of Swappz. I recently got over an awful bought of Covid, and as per usual I'm delaying my writing by over-thinking every little thing. It will still be a little bit before Chapter 4 is done, but I want to make it a nice, exciting, and long one for you guys! I'm also unsure of how much art to include in these, as the more complicated the scenario is, the less quality there tends to be. Either way, thank you for your patience. I might put out another poll to pass the time between chapters because I love polls. I dunno. We'll see!

Before we begin: Thank you so much for any support and attention you guys have given the story so far, and thank you for being patient! I am SUPER excited for this chapter, since we're RAPIDLY approaching our swaps. I'll be sure to reiterate it occasionally throughout the chapters, but I want to make it clear that Derek (Protagonist) and Ryan (his Boyfriend) are very open in their relationship! We can have all sorts of fun while still knowing that they are deeply in love. :D Alright enough yapping, please enjoy! -----------------------------------------------------------------

My anxiety must have been plastered all over my face, because Ryan was extra comforting this morning. Checking my phone upon waking up, the first thing I noticed was a notification from Swappz that said my account was authorised. This meant that I'm finally allowed to accept swap requests once I set my profile to public, but I would still have to touch base with my boss to see how that would affect my job - and this is where the anxiety starts.

My boss Markus is a great guy, or I guess a great wolf? He's very easygoing and sweet, always smiling, super kind - basically the kind of boss that you actually feel bad for letting down when you screw up. Sadly, no amount of positive characters traits could quell this gnawing feeling in my chest like I'm going to be executed, or worse, yelled at. Even giving Ryan a belly rub on the couch only had a marginal effect on my rampant overthinking, which he noticed, and proceeded to address me by the pet name he used whenever I was down. "Aw Der-Bear, I'm sure things will be fine. Every time I've met your boss he has been such a nice guy, and I'm not just saying that because he's super hot. But being hot does make you seem nicer," while it maybe wasn't exactly what I needed to hear right now, it was the thought that counted. And he was right, Markus is a very kind and understanding guy, and super hot. I continued to trace hearts and other shapes with my finger on to Ryan's tummy fur.

"I appreciate it babe, I know I have nothing to worry about, but still it doesn't hurt to be prepared for the worst right?" I said, and I partially believed it. Ryan's face however, said otherwise. "You can prepare for things to not go your way, sure. But letting the idea of the worst possible outcome eat away at you just isn't healthy." Ryan started to sit up so he could meet my gaze properly. I sulked a little bit because I knew he was right, but anxiety doesn't always care what you know.

"That's it! Dr. Ryan is prescribing you an Anti-Anxiety-Hug-Attack, also known as AAHA!" He was already reaching over before I could even prepare to defend myself, and I was totally enveloped in his soft furry embrace. Ryan's hugs are always dangerous - so warm and inviting that you never want to leave. His hugs also seemed to be doing just what they were advertised to do, which was melt away a little bit of my anxiety - maybe he really is a doctor.

With the support of my boyfriend, the rest of the morning was no issue. I prepared protein shakes for the both of us, with Ryan's being probably twice as large as mine, while he toasted a bagel for us to split. Finally, the most important part of a balanced breakfast, a quick goodbye peck and some gross lovey dovey chatter was exchanged before I was out the door and headed to the gym. Ryan is right, I'll go in to work, have a casual chat with Markus about Swappz, and happily spend the rest of my shift working with clients. Just a normal day and a laid back meeting. ... Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have such a convenient commute to work. A light jog is all it takes for me to get from my apartment building to the building where the gym is. I'm not really sure what other companies or firms operate on the other floors of the place, but the first floor is owned by Wolflex Fitness - an independant gym owned and operated by my boss Markus. Wolflex wasn't as grand and commercial as other gyms that are a part of a chain or conglomerate, but I honestly think that adds to the charm.

Just outside the front entrance to Wolflex, I took a breather to gather my resolve. The sign plastered to the inside of the front window served as both a welcome and barrier of privacy for the clients within; the silhouette of a wolf flexing, their curled arm mid flex making up the L in 'WOLFLEX'. I cautiously opened the front door and let myself in, the classic 80's rock that played from the speakers sounding as underbearing as ever. There were already some of the usual early morning regulars working out on their machines of choice, some of them stretching, and even a couple of personal training sessions already underway. Normally Markus would be manning our little front desk station, greeting anyone who comes in with a warm welcome or offering to show newbies around, but at first glance I didn't spot him. He was probably already showing someone around, or chatting with the regulars like he usually does. Sometimes I wonder if Markus gets tired of doing managerial clerical work, but he's always so optimistic and confident that I doubt he lets anything get him down in the dumps.

I was so zoned out thinking about about Markus that I might as well have actually summoned him to appear right in front of me, which took me completely by surprise.

There he was, my boss. Markus. I have never asked him, but I'm sure he must be almost 7ft tall. Right now under the overhead lights his fur took on the appearance of it's natural deep navy blue tone, but it wasn't uncommon to mistaken his fur for being as black as midnight under more modest lighting. Others have gotten on Markus's case in the past for his choice of a shirt - a tight polo that usually looks like it's just one flex away from bursting entirely; but it made sense to use his incredibly thick muscles as a sort of way to advertise the gym. I think the word Markus always used was 'Fitspiration'. Today Markus's polo was also a dark shade of blue, which to be honest at a first glance I almost thought he was topless, which would have definitely been a sight. Once again winding up totally lost in thought, I almost missed Markus's greeting, but I just couldn't help and stare at his confident smile.

"Hey Derek! I'm glad to see that you're as punctual as ever!" Markus's low rumbling voice was enough to snap me out of my foggy haze.

"Oh, yeah, good morning. You know me haha, I'm worried that if I didn't show up on time, you would work yourself to the bone to make up for my absence." I tried to come off as joking by adding some finger guns to the end of that statement, but I was being sincere. "Oh please, I could never replace you, and if I could have it my way I'd prefer to never have to!" He beamed while his tail swished behind him, which was a dead giveaway that a wolfman was being sincere. I tried to hide whatever blush was starting to creep up my face by continuing the conversation. "Actually Markus I was hoping we could maybe have a quick chat, er, rather a meeting to talk about something. It's nothing to worry too much about." "Is this about the email I received that has your name in the subject preview? Sure, I can have Kenny keep an eye on the front desk while we have our quick chat in my office." Oh shit so Swappz already sent the email to him, that was quick. Maybe it'll make things easier to go over it with him.

Following Markus towards the hallway that was just behind the front desk, I did my best not to stare too hard at the view I was presented with... But I would be lying if I said I didn't sneak any peeks.

His tail swished absentmindedly behind him, almost as if it were protecting the absolutely bakery of a backside that it sat just above. With every step, Markus's back muscles threatened to tear apart the seams of his poor polo shirt; and I swear I could hear the screams of his athletic pants as they tried to contain the tree-trunk legs inside them. At this point I was no longer just peeking, but rather shamefully gawking at Markus for the entire short walk to his office. I must have forgotten how to breath at some point because by the time he had opened his office door and sat us down I felt like I was out of breath. "Alright just give me a moment here Derek, I'll pull up the email and we can talk about it. Although I never confirmed that it is what you wanted to discuss," he tip tapped away on his laptop's keyboard with a shocking dexterity for someone with hands as large as his. "Actually yeah, you were spot on. No rush or anything, feel free to read the whole thing." Hopefully I didn't sound as nervous as I felt. I tried to distract myself by looking around Markus's office. It certainly isn't the first time I have been here - this was where I interviewed, did some training, filed reports on damaged equipment. But this time as I sat here with nothing but my thoughts, I started to notice that it was a pretty simple office. Markus's is desk on one side of the room, facing the dark fake-leather couch I'm currently seated on. There were a couple of bookshelves lined with various texts and a couple trophies, along with some picture frames with Markus at what looks like sporting events. "Alrighty I got it right here," I kept my eyes glued to Markus's expression as he read through the email from Swappz, waiting for it to change from his usual cheery demeanor to something more sternly upset or disappointed... Instead, his expression only changed ever so slightly to surprise.

"Oh wow! You've signed up to be a host on the Swappz app? That must be so exciting!" I was dumbfounded to say the least.

"Wait, Markus, you know about Swappz?" I asked trying to hide how shocking this revelation was. "Absolutely! I've been a user on the app for a little while now, it can be quite thrilling to take a break from being yourself. I assume if you're going to be a host body, you were wondering if there was any way I'd still let you work while swapped with someone?" relief flooded over me when Markus asked that question.

"Actually yes! I was worried you might think I was unhappy with my pay here but to be honest I love this job, and just wanted to make a little extra cash on the side. If you'd prefer I stay looking like myself while I'm at work I totally understand since I can still swap when I'm off the clock." "Derek if anyone can perform their duties while swapped, I bet it would be you." Markus never failed to get me to blush, even with such simple compliments. "Thank you so much Markus, I promise I won't let you down." As I stood up to leave, Markus stopped me, and I swear I could see a gleam in his eye that wasn't there before. "Actually, Derek, before you go. . ." . . .

Thanks for reading! I originally was going to keep going with this chapter, but it has been soooo long since I posted anything and I'm started to feel bad. SO to make it up to you guys, here's another poll! I have had a few ideas on where this could go but kept getting hung up on which one to choose and it was delaying me. Also don't worry about choosing one choice over the other! They will both likely happen, but I just couldn't decide which one to explore FIRST.

Before we get into the chapter: I want to start by saying I'm sorry for the delay! There will be a little poll at the end because I'm trying to figure out if I'm putting too much yapping in these chapters. So please feel free to answer! Now back to our story! (I promise there will be actual swaps soon ;-;) ------------------------------------------------------------------- It hadn't really hit me yet, the absurdity of it all. I honestly didn't think the app would be real, I assumed it would be some kind of scam or roleplay. I was proven wrong when we got to the video interview that was required for host body approval.

After downloading the Swappz app and creating an account, I selected the option to be a 'host', AKA one of the individuals that users could request to swap with. In return I got a message telling me to download the Desktop client version of the app so we could schedule a proper video interview. It made sense, they probably wouldn't want any catfishing or sketchy individuals. Ryan and I set it up on his PC that he uses for work and occasional gaming, which is the only one we had in our apartment. The time rolled around for the interview, I switched on the webcam, and awaited whatever call or message I would be receiving. After an agonizingly long minute, the interview started. "Hello Mr. Derek! I'm Jeff and I will be conducting your interview for the host position on Swappz! I'm also here to answer any questions you may have and to explain some of the things you will be doing." Jeff, the scrawny middle aged man on the screen greeted me with a rather cheerful demeanor, which I hope is a good sign. He seemed to write some stuff down just out of view of his own webcam while I just awkwardly fidgeted with my hands.

"So how does this work exactly? Does someone pay 50 bucks and then promptly end up in my apartment and in my body?" in response to my question, Jeff cleared his throat, and I prepared myself for a long winded answer. "Actually we have a couple different ways we do swaps. The primary way is the Standard Swap, internally referred to as a Form Swap. This kind of swap uses our cunning edge technology to rewrite both bodies into exact replicas of each other! We do this because it is very risky to safely transmit a full neural network of brainwaves between two individuals, but that doesn't mean we can't do that! That's where our second style of swap comes in, the Local Swap. This swap does actually use a special algorithm on the Swappz app to transmit and switch two individuals brain waves at incredible speeds! There are other ways to modify the swaps that you'll become more familiar with as clients may request of you - for example if they need to show up to something that they don't want to, you may have to go in their stead. Of course you are free to decline swap requests but if you deny too many you may start taking a pay cut!" Jeff really squeezed out the last part of that answer, opting to finally take a breath and holding up a finger as if to tell me to hold on a second while he regains his spent oxygen. It's actually rather endearing to see someone so passionate about something like a body swapping app, and I can see why he would be chosen to conduct interviews. I really didn't want to bombard him with too many more needless questions, so I'll ask him one more thing. "So for Standard Swaps, the ones that basically change our bodies, will I still be able to work?" I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, but it may be hard to fit in time to swap between working, chores, errands, and lazing around with Ryan. Jeff's eyes lit up, his passion for answering questions palpable even through his webcam. "Well, thanks to you filling out your place of work on your application, we have already sent paperwork over to protect your job should you decide to take swap opportunities while working. Your position as a personal trainer is one of the jobs that is very performable while inhabiting a different body!" While Jeff seems sincere and means well, I'm not sure I totally agree that I can completely perform my duties as a personal trainer, but might be able to at least advise clients. The interview wrapped up shortly after that, with Jeff informing me that there are still many facets to the various swaps provided by Swappz, and that there are more little quirks to how the swaps will perform. As soon as the video feed cut and the call as wrapped up, Ryan's arms snuck around me and pulled me into a tight hug from behind. I didn't realise how anxious I was during the interview until I felt myself instinctively melt back into Ryan's embrace. "You sure you're ready babe? You seemed pretty tense that whole time." I turned to look back at Ryan, his big puppy dog eyes always able to get the truth out of me. "Actually yeah, the actual swapping isn't so scary, but the logistics are fearsome for sure. I might try to get ahead of the paperwork and ask my boss about Swappz tomorrow at work." My answer seemed satisfactory enough, as Ryan nodded warmly, and proceeded to pick me up fireman style despite my protest. He always does this when he thinks I need to relax, and deposits me onto our couch for some more lazing around. I tried to let myself let loose while we cuddled, but in the back of my mind I was already wondering what I was going to tell my boss tomorrow. It will certainly be an exciting day no matter what happens. --------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much for reading! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I have had a busy few days but am always still thinking about what to write next! Also here's the poll I mentioned at the start!

Climbing up the stairs of my apartment building is never how I want to spend my time after work. Sadly the elevator didn't seem to care that I have been on my feet all day, or if it did then it was doing a lousy job of expressing it with a sign that just said 'STAIRS'. Nevertheless, the perilous journey up the Evil Eleven Flights of Stairs is a hardship I have to endure if it means being reunited with my beloved couch... and boyfriend, who I suppose also qualifies as a couch.

I'm sure most other personal trainers would detest the idea of relaxation, but lately work has just been kicking my ass. Clients either need lots of extra help and motivation, or they're already the pinnacle of fitness and just want someone to pat them on the back while they humblebrag and demean you. I'm always willing to help how I can, but right now I definitely need a pat on the back too, ideally from either one of my couches. Finally arriving at the end of my journey home, a few twists of a key were all it took to unlock the absolute treasure of a view that was waiting for me. Ryan turned towards me, standing proudly in the middle of our apartment, radiantly framed in the glow of the evening sun pouring through the windows. He must have somehow known that I would likely be grumpy from trudging up several flights of stairs and taken it upon himself to tidy up the place.

"Welcome home, handsome" his greeting was accompanied by some subtle wagging from his tail. I could have wept an ocean from the relief and joy that washed over me in that moment. As if my body forgot the fatigue and exhaustion of the day, I crossed our apartment in record time, wrapping Ryan in a big hug that conveniently planted my face between his pecs. "Heh, that bad huh?" the rumble of his voice against my face soothing me like a lullaby. Sometimes I forget just how big he is until I'm properly squished up against him. Ryan has always been more into lifting and bulking up, while I tend to really try and keep a lean form. Some of the meatheads at the gym where I work will try to convince me I'm scrawny but I'm plenty strong; and some of the crossfit instagram types will try to tell Ryan he looks unhealthy while he benches more than two of them combined. Luckily we have each other, always reminding the other how much we love them no matter how they look.

"People can be such assholes," I muttered into his chest, squeezing him tighter. As I pulled away from the oasis comprised of Ryan's pecs, he smiled and pulled me to the couch. We took up our usual positions, him in a natural seated position in the middle while I leaned against the armrest with my legs reclined on his lap. I was already comfortable but Ryan, proving once again how perfect he is, began massaging my calves. The sound I made when his magic paws started working my legs would probably cause anyone to blush, but honestly I didn't care. "There are not enough words to describe how much I love you right now babe," I managed to get out between groans. Ryan just chuckled.

"How about you show me by putting on something for us to watch," he said, motioning with his head towards our rather modest tv. I had to stretch to reach the remote on the coffee table, but managed to secure it and switch on the tv, already pulling out my phone to sync it up.

"How about some compilations on YouTube from media sites that aren't YouTube?" I proposed.

"That's a funny way of saying TikTok compilations," Ryan's retort the perfect mix of snark and approval. I began to scroll, trying to pick out something long enough to unwind but not too long for us to lose interest. As I tapped on my phone, finally selecting a TikTok compilation that swore it would be just like Vine, the first thing to play on our TV was an ad. Ugh.

"Did our YouTube premium run out?" I asked, trying to not sound ungrateful or accusatory, which didn't seem to work since Ryan still seemed a bit guilty and embarrassed.

"Yeeeaaah, sorry about that. It was between that or Amazon and I still haven't finished watching House M.D. yet. Streaming services keep getting more and more expensive," Ryan confessed, looking and sounding like he felt it was his fault that money didn't grow on trees.

"It's totally fine babe, a few advertisements aren't gonna kill us, and it's not your fault corporations are greedy" I leaned forwards and planted a kiss on his furry cheek before turning my attention back to the TV. The ad was for some new app called Swappz. Normally I would tune out some random ad for a gimmicky app that I've never heard of, but this one did a good job of grabbing my attention. The person presenting the app explained it as a new kind of service that has never been seen before, using all kinds of new fancy technology that would provide an experience similar to things like DoorDash or Uber. Only in this case the users could switch bodies with other 'host bodies' for a certain price or fee, granting a unique experience to both parties. It honestly sounded like some kind of far fetched roleplay app, but if it was the real deal it was almost too good to be true. I had always felt I could help us out more money-wise if I could pick up shifts on DoorDash or Uber, but I didn't have a car and neither did Ryan since he worked from home most days. If this was a way to employ myself without the need of motorised transportation, while still working my job at the gym, then maybe could afford some of the luxuries that we normally have to pick and choose from.

"Hey have you heard of this Swappz app?" I gestured to the ad playing on the tv, "It actually sounds kind of interesting, maybe I could earn some extra cash to help us out." "Well, I certainly feel like you would be a highly requested host," Ryan purred, he always found a way to turn anything into a compliment. "You really wouldn't mind if someone looked like me, or if I looked like someone else for varying periods of time?" Ryan's muzzle was buried in my neck at this point, hot breath and sweet kisses making it very hard to concentrate on the conversation. He relented his affectionate assault to give a proper answer.

"Well, you know I love you, and I know you love me. I don't care what you look like. We even keep our relationship on the more open side of things on a physical level, because the emotional and romantic stuff we got going on is just that sweet." After saying one of the most romantic things I have ever heard, Ryan got this mischievous look on his face. "Besides, imagine how much fun we could have with you trying on all sorts of strangers."

Honestly that thought hadn't even crossed my mind, but he was totally right. There were bound to be plenty of individuals we both had an interest in.

"Alright," I said, "I'll get it downloaded and start checking it out,"

With a new and potentially sexy form of income on its way, we settled in for a TikTok compilation that turned out to be only sort of like vine. ----

Hello anyone that still follow me o/ After some careful thought and a bunch of time spent messing with ChatGPT as a way to organise my writing and messy brain, I have decided that instead of generating any comics (which is rather tedious and much more difficult to convey complex stories through when using AI, and also lacking in quality) I am going to generate more simple images as eye candy to be referenced while you read the short stories I write around them. I won't say I'm NEVER gonna write another caption story like I used to, but don't count on it as these furry body swaps are what are bringing me a bit more joy right now. With all that being said, I'd like to open up a poll on which series of stories that anyone who cares would like to see first!