Furniture has been mostly the same for all of modern history, a simple wooden frame with stuffing and some covering on the outside. A few advances have come around as time passed, better support for the lower back, and some exotic or specialized materials. The same basic shapes and similar concepts. This was before hybrids existed, and human-designed furniture wasn't always usable by different species. Carter, for example, was mainly unable to sit upright comfortably on a human couch. As a result, he spent most of his time in my apartment either standing or lying on the couch. Occasionally, he would place himself on the arm of the sofa, but its lack of padding made this uncomfortable for long periods. 
 
        Begrudgingly, I agreed to let him modify the couch. He insisted that it would be lighter and easier to move afterwards. I didn't have much reason to say no; it wasn't like I could avoid it forever. As I left to finish signing everything with Nolan, Carter prepared a box knife and scissors. Trying not to think about what I would come home to, I tried to trust the man.
 
        I met with Nolan at Gabriel's bar. It didn't take long for Gabriel to find an excuse to sit at our small booth. He squeezed in next to me, pressing me lightly against the back wall, his fur slightly itching against my human skin. His leg bounced rapidly under the table.
 
        "So! When's the move-in date? Need any help moving stuff?" Gabriel looked around excitedly.
 
        "It would be nice if I could get out of the apartments in the next few days, anyway." I looked over at the muscular horse. "I could use some help if you are offering."
 
        Gabriel laughed. "I don't think Carter's going to be much for muscle. I could probably rope a few others into helping as well."
 
        "I'll need it… That's for sure."
 
        "Eh, as long as Carter is in a good mood, your place is in decent hands."
 
        Nolan nodded. "So, how have things been in your stable?"
 
        Gabriel looked confused but tried to keep a straight face. "I assume you are talking to me?"
 
        "Yes?" Nolan answered nervously.
 
        Gabriel's eyes turned to me as a laugh erupted from his mouth. "I'm not even going to say anything about that." He turned to me. "Do you call your place a nest?"
 
        "No?"
 
        Gabriel looked at Nolan. "See?"
 
        Nolan threw his hands onto the table and laughed. "You just said that you wouldn't say anything."
 
        "I didn't, Darren did."
 
        "Whoa, whoa! Don't drag me into this. I want to stay on the horse's good side." Leaning back into my seat, Gabriel continued to talk. My attention was broken as I noticed the bird once again in my view. I stepped carefully around the floor of the bar before jumping up onto our table. I flinched, but Nolan and Gabriel didn't notice it. As it walked closer, I leaned further back, trying to keep a distance. Gabriel noticed and waved his hand in front of me, causing the bird to step back.
 
        "You feeling alright there, Darren?"
 
        The bird turned before hopping back onto the ground and out of sight. I waited for the bird to appear again, but Gabriel's hand waved in front of me once again.
 
        "Darren?"
 
        I shook my head. "Yeah? What's up?"
 
        "You seemed odd there, you feeling alright?"
 
        I half pointed towards the table edge. "It's just... yeah," I muttered.
 
        The horse's eyebrow raised. "Okay, I think that's fine." He waited a moment. "So, you still need a job then?"
 
        "If I'm paying this guy, I probably will. What kind of work do you need?"
 
        Gabriel sighed before listing off jobs. "Dishes, cooking, bartending, cleaning, managing, whatever else needs to be done, too."
 
        "Probably better off in the back, not as visible." Still wary of people seeing me as I was.
 
        "Nonsense! If a nearly horse can stand before people, no reason the slightly bird guy can't do the same. If someone has a problem, they can see their way out."
 
        Nolan chimed in. "I'm a pretty easy-going guy. If you have any trouble with the rent, I'll always be there to help you out."
 
        "Probably the easiest to work with. No offense, but you can be a bit of a pushover." Gabriel shrugged and held his hands palms up.
 
        "I've been doing better about that." Nolan shook his head. "Not as much of a pushover as I used to be."
 
        Gabriel's voice continued, but I lost track of the conversation. Seeing something walk across the floor beside us. The sight of the bird once again pulled my attention away. It slowly walked down the isleway before stepping around the corner. Something in the back of my mind clicked, and I felt the urgent need to follow the bird. The longer I waited, the more anxious my thoughts grew. There was no reason I should have been so worried, but my hands began to tremble as I nearly pushed Gabriel out of the way.
 
        "Darren? What's wrong?" The horse asked while sliding out of my way.
 
        My mind raced as I needed to leave the space. My lower back began to burn, which only added to the fear of my current, but still unsure thoughts. I left Gabriel unanswered, but started to run towards the last place I had seen the bird. My eyes locked onto the door, but I failed to see Antony stepping in my path. With a loud thud, we both fell to the ground. I landed on my rear, which sent a shockwave of pain up my burning back. 
 
        "What's that all about?" Anton slowly sat up, rubbing his head. I couldn't help but ignore him as my mind had set itself onto a single task. With a foot sliding across the slick floor, I rounded the corner to see the osprey standing on the counter. As I approached, it vanished, and my mind was filled with visions of myself from a lower point of view. 
 
        I could feel something new, a weight hanging from behind me. I felt what could only be explained as echoes of feeling. It moved on its own at first, but as my mind prodded at it, the object began to move on command. There was something oddly satisfying when tensing the muscles to move the object. A calming stupor hid the burning feeling for a moment while I prodded at these new sensations. 
 
        I knew it wasn't real, but something about it felt so real. Knowing I was clear, I couldn't help but let my mind wander and push further into the feelings. I could feel the object swing side to side, and even at one point, it shook quickly. Tilting upwards, downwards, and twisting side to side, it all felt natural and as if it was happening to me.
 
        It was one specific muscle that, when tensed, sent me. With one small thought, I could feel the object spread out and fan, covering a large surface area. The immense feeling caused me to arch my back as my mind felt like it had broken free. The stupor didn't last long as the feeling melted away and the burning came back, stronger than before. This time, it was not only my back, but also down to my hips, the warmth causing me to lean against the counter and even crouch slightly.
 
        "Darren?" Antony said as he too rounded the corner. "Oh my god." He quickly ran to my side and grabbed my arm. He looked back as I felt something begin to press against my belt line. 
 
        "It's your turn then?" Antony's voice nervously asked.
 
        The pressure built and quickly turned painful as I felt the object jammed against the seat of my pants. Trying to resist the change, I held tight to the ledge of the counter, my mind flashing with images of the bird, specifically its striped tail. A million thoughts, not entirely my own, pounded my head and overwhelmed me.
 
        "What's he doing? What's happening?" Gabriel asked frantically.
 
        "Getting a little feathery, he'll pull through it." Antony grabbed my shoulder. "I remember when it happened to me."
 
        A labored groan escaped my lips as the pressure became unbearable. Antony lifted the rear of my shirt and let out a surprised sigh. With one hand, he grabbed the rear of my pants and pulled them to the ground. The feeling of my belt line falling to my ankles was nearly unnoticeable, but the relief of the object sliding free from its prison. I looked back at my rear and saw what had happened, and with a single tug of that new muscle, my tail feathers fanned out.
 
        Antony let out a sigh. "Welcome to the club, bird-boy. May you never sit right again."
 
        I grabbed the feathers in one hand and tugged at them lightly. As they pulled against my skin, I knew they were permanent. I turned to move them out of Gabriel and Antony's sight, only to realize my pants were still down, causing me to turn around completely.
 
        "I've seen worse, bud." Gabriel reassured.
 
        "I've experienced much worse." Antony added.
 
        With both hands, I pulled the pants as high as I could, only to find them restricted from coming up fully. The pantline pressed upwards against my new tail, and tugging would cause the tail to lift forcefully. No matter how I held them, it felt as though the rear of my pants was falling.
 
        "Don't worry about it, you are covered up." Gabriel said quietly.
 
        "Do I cover it up?" I asked in desperation.
 
        No, you just let it hang out. No shame in it, that's how they work." Antony shrugged. "Both of us have been walking with them out for a long time."
 
        I glanced down at both the horse's tail and the goose's feathers. Looking back at my own, the striped feathers lay softly against the top of my jeans. Feeling my hand up my back, the brown feathers now covered it entirely. The change had been a leap towards an osprey, but I felt out of control, like it happened on its own. Gabriel and Antony helped me clean up and keep my pants up. The two led me back to the table where I struggled to sit in the booth seat.
 
        "How does Carter sit in these dang chairs?" I asked, frustrated.
 
        "Until recently, he sat at the bar top. He only started sitting in the booth when you came around." Gabriel shook his head and smiled.
 
        "I'm surprised he can fit in here; his tail isn't that much smaller." I tried folding my tail up, but it caused me pain.
 
        "He doesn't, but you always ask for it. You'd be surprised what someone will put up with when they have a friend they can connect with." Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
 
        "Hmm. I guess so." I said quietly. 
 
        "I'm free tomorrow if you want some help moving stuff. Just say the word and I'll be there." Gabriel placed a hand on my shoulder.
 
        I slid sideways, allowing my tail to sit unobstructed. My knees pressed against Gabriel's legs in the small booth space.
 
        "Yeah, tomorrow sounds good." Wincing as I answered. My pants are still trying to fall down.
 

 
        As I left the restaurant, I closed the tip of a tail feather in the door. Having to turn and grab the handle carefully, I tried to keep from tugging the feather anymore. Trying to sit in the car seat was difficult. The feathers could not bend to be sat on, nor could they bend to rest against my back. Sitting with my legs turned to the door allowed me to fit, but not comfortably. 
 
        After parking the car at the apartment, I ran up to the door, holding my tail between my legs in a literal sense. None of the neighbors saw my new form, and with a turn of the key, the door let me slip by. The thunk of the door closing alerted Carter that I had arrived, and he cheerfully met me at the door.
 
        The owl fell into the wall, catching himself. "Have I got something to show you!" His eyes then turned down to see the feathers floating behind me.
 
        "I guess I could say the same." I smiled at the sight of the bird man.
 
        Carter ran over and grabbed one of my feathers in his hand. "Well, shoot, that was sooner than I expected. But it is just in time!" Carter ran towards the living room, and he ushered me towards the couch.
 
        Entering the room, I could see my couch along with materials of a similar color lying strewn across the floor. Foam with rough cut edges lay against the wall, and the proud owl tried his best to stand before it. His hands were held out wide in the direction of the couch. The couch was the same as usual, but the lower section of the back had been roughly cut and sewn to have a slot leading out the rear. Far from professional, it was visibly a job done by someone unqualified.
 
        "Oh. So your tail can fit through it?" I asked.
 
        "No! So our tails can fit through it! I told you it was perfect timing." Carter immediately sat on the couch, letting his tail hang out from behind the backrest. "Come on and give it a sit!"
 
        I looked at the massacred mess that was my lovely couch and turned my back to it, carefully guiding my tail through the slot with my hand. Upon falling back, I expected a shot of pain up my back, but instead I sank into the cushion. It was comfortable and felt almost normal. After the experience at the bar, it was nice to have somewhere I could actually sit. It nearly let me forget about the avian tail I now carried on my back.
 
        We sat and mindlessly watched television for the next two hours. What played on the screen did not matter to me, but sitting and pretending everything was still normal was all I needed. My eyes grew heavy as the image flickered on. When my eyes opened once again, it was daytime and the television was off. Looking around, Carter was lying on the floor with his blanket covering himself. I poked at the owl with my foot, stirring him awake. 
 
        "Carter, what are you doing on the floor?"
 
        He rolled onto his stomach and pulled himself onto his knees. "What?"
 
        "You're on the floor?"
 
        "You were sleeping on the couch, and I didn't want to wake ya." Carter pulled himself to his feet.
 
        "You should have told me to go to bed. I would have been fine with it."
 
        Catrer shook his head. "You went through a lot yesterday; a good couch nap was what you needed."
 
        "Little more than a nap."
 
        "Yeah, doesn't help that I fell asleep, too."
 
        
 
        For once, I tried to cook breakfast before Carter could. Although it was simple, I wanted to make an effort before we began the move today. Pancakes and bacon were among the few things I had in the kitchen, but they came together fine, even with the odd feeling of my tail brushing on everything. A knock on the door was answered by Carter, who was surprised to see not only Gabriel, but also Antony. 
 
        Carter was proud to show both of them his couch creation, with Antony even giving it a test sit. I could tell by the way Gabriel and Carter interacted that the owl only had the two of us. 
 
        "You know, I wish I had something like this back at home. Too bad I don't own the stuff in the lounge, haha." Antony laughed as his goose tail stuck out from the back of the couch. Compliments like that only got Carter more excited about his creation.
 
        We worked on moving the largest furniture first. Gabriel brought a friend's truck over to help, and the smaller items went into my trunk. As I watched the car fill with boxes of things, I dreaded driving it, knowing I would not fit in the cramped seat. But thoughts of Carter's couch gave me ideas. On my next trip in, I grabbed a box knife and took it with me. 
 
        I crouched down at the side of the open door and held the open knife to the seat fabric. Worried about the damage I was about to do, I second-guessed making the first cut. After more than a few moments of deliberation, I drove the blade into the cushion. The first cuts were painful, but as I hacked more into the seat, I grew more accepting that it was for the better. 
 
        I thought that Carter would be proud of me and that I was doing well for such a simple project. That was until I hit the wire harness in the seat. At first, it was a small spark, but after shrugging it off, I cut again, this time hitting just the correct wires to be met with a sack of air and a face full of powder. I was surprised at first, but as the hearing slowly came back to my ears, the deployed airbag lay across my seat.
 
        Carter came running to the car. "What the hell are you doing!?"
 
        My powder-covered face looked at the surprised owl. "I don't know what I'm doing."
 
        Antony and Gabriel soon joined in, and everyone had a good laugh about the incident. I was lucky the knife did not come free from my hand, but I tried to ignore that fear. As I stood and brushed the dust off, my pants tried to fall once again. Acting quickly, I pulled them back and felt the tail pull upward. 
 
        Antony nodded and ran off to his car. He returned with two clips on a band with an adjustable slider in the middle. Without a word, he grabbed my tail and slid the band between my tailbone and feathers. At first, this was uncomfortable, but who better would know the anatomy of a bird?
 
        With two snaps, the clips were attached to my pants and helped support the rear divot. While the pants still felt wrong, they were less prone to falling, at least giving me more time to act.
 
        "Made them myself!" Antony said proudly. "Work decent enough until you can go fully pantless."
 
        "Pantless?" I asked.
 
        "Once you get that full bird ass, you won't be able even to slip them on. At least you'll be fully covered by then. As long as feathers or fur obstruct your bits, no one cares if you are naked." Antony smiled.
 
        "Another great thing to look forward to then?" I asked jokingly.
 
        "Oh, you're in for a few treats if you think that." The goose laughed as his arm came around my neck. "We won't worry about those things, for now, let's get you moved out of this awful place."