Ever since I was a young man, I have been molded into the perfect gentleman. Be cordial, go to church. Proper manners and decorum were expected at all times. A gentleman would never indulge in any sinful behavior! Unfortunately, my parents could hardly have predicted the result of their choice to send me to a boarding school. Here I, previously a dutiful follower of the rules, got my first taste of what I had been denied all these years. I hadn't known what I had been missing before, but temptation and new pleasures danced before my eyes. I fell in with a rather interesting group of like-minded youth, and together we would sneak from the campus into the nearby town, sating our desires for drink and, more importantly, female company.
It was hardly the reputable sort of woman who frequented the pubs, nor the one who would shamelessly flirt with those of such youthful appearance. In delirium I hardly cared. As a medical student, I did my best to take precautions, both during such acts and in leaving the school. My reputation meant far more to me than the trysts, though I was hardly going to stop those anytime soon. Some of my fellows were not so lucky and punished accordingly, by the school and by disease. I decided that I ought to seek a different crowd, one that was not so reckless.
It was with great delight that I happened upon a friendship with a Mr. Utterson and a Mr. Lanyon (now a doctor as well), with whom I got along splendidly. Our relationship was warm and friendly, and I trusted the two implicitly. Still, I avoided telling them much of my dealings; already, I had gained a reputation for being a bit wild, tempered by a new group of friends, to the approval of my parents.
As I graduated from medical school and set out into the world to practice, it grew easier and easier to cave into temptation. I found employment in the practice of a family friend who payed very well indeed, and the greater earnings meant the experience changed wholly for the better. More discreet, certainly, and the increased payment was certainly worth my while.
After several years of carrying on this way, I realized that something had to change. This was simply not sustainable; my desire still grew, and it began to affect my practice. I left the office with my head churning before dashing to the chemist to purchase some chemicals. I returned to my laboratory, frantically mixing tinctures.
I had been wondering for some time if it would be possible to separate different parts of my nature, that Henry Jekyll may return to the daily life of a society gentleman and another persona function by night. I had found some chemicals that I thought might be able to force the change. At nights now, I was cooped up in the lab working away, longing to be out in the city.
I tested numerous compounds on myself, each a failure, until one made my skin feel… fluid. Excitedly, I mixed the compound again, adding a drop more of the iodine, and downed the contents of the flask in one.
The transformation was an odd sensation, but not unpleasant in the slightest. It was the caress of a lover against my skin, a pleasurable tingling. I felt my bones shift and my skin melt.
Upon standing, I noticed I was much taller and a bit larger, as my body strained against the clothing that it occupied. Also, contrary to my hypothesis, I still felt in control. Perhaps this lust was ingrained too deeply in my psyche? But though I was in control, there was a different, more predatory element.
Hurriedly, I scrambled to the mirror, gasping when I looked upon my new form. By no means was I an unattractive man; I found no shortage of appreciative looks from ladies at parties. But the face I was greeted with was near perfection. I ran my hands over the perfectly smooth skin, moving the features experimentally. A simple smile came across as a seductive smirk, and even a grimace managed to look attractive. This body was lust incarnate.
I felt the stirrings of lust rise up in a wave, and I was powerless to resist this siren call. I slipped from laboratory out the back door with a catlike grace and set to wandering the dark streets of London. The feeling of complete freedom that came with a different face was exhilarating. No gossip about my goings-on, no nosy neighbors to note how long my gaze might have lingered on a pretty face. The few people I passed at that late hour seemed to stare at me whenever they first caught sight of my frame before hastily pulling their eyes away before they met mine. This new power of mine was heady and intoxicating.
Before I knew it, my feet were tracing their path to the location of the brothel that I frequented. I scowled, realizing that in my haste I had forgotten any form of payment. I shrugged before turning the corner the way that I had come, to my surprise crashing into someone running the other way. I found myself flung to the ground with a surprised young woman lying atop my hips, panting with exertion. I growled under my breath before trying to reassert my manners in favor of desire.
"Sorry, miss," I demurred as she scrambled to her feet before getting to my feet. "I didn't see you there."
She stared at me, transfixed, and the flush on her cheeks intensified. The silence grew.
"But what's a pretty thing such as you doing out so late, and alone?" I questioned. She stared dumbly. With a grin, I continued.
"Perhaps you would appreciate an escort tonight?"