Michael stood in front of the convenience store, counting the money in his palm. The flickering LED lights did not make this easy. Still, it was something he needed to do. If he was caught failing to pay for 4 boxes of instant ramen one more time, the man was ready to die from embarrassment. 

He walked inside, the sensation of warm air reminding him how truly cold the weather. Absent-mindedly, he began filling his reusable plastic bag with groceries. 

How did this happen to him? Newport was a beautiful place, that much was clear. But seeing all those yachts passing by only reminded him how much worse off he was. The fact that he studied economics almost seemed ironic.

At least he had his parents to aid him, chipping in whatever they could. He was their first child to leave the family farm in Oklahoma, so they must at least have some faith in him. His only hope was that their trust did not turn out to be misplaced. 

“That’s all?” The cashier asked, clearly not wanting to be here as well.

“Yeah, that is all. Thanks.” Michael unloaded the necessary amount, dropping several patches of coins into his opened hand. The cashier didn’t even bother to count the money, handing him a receipt. 

“It’s not that bad.” Michael said to himself, walking back into the cold. “Gonna find a part-time job, buckle down, study, and make something of myself. Buy one of those big apartments which actually has room for guests. And a yacht I will only use once a year.”

Lost in a disorganized daydream, he began marching back to his small apartment complex. The man only snapped back to reality when it began to rain, with his stride turning into a proper run as he booked it to the building. The water washed down the city’s many drains as he made it underneath the main entrance, a small roof shielding him from the onslaught. He sat down on the stone stairs to catch his breath. 

“Michael!” A voice came from behind. It was Miss Chen, an east Asian woman in her early 40s who looked perpetually stuck in her late 30s. She had a short black hair cut that way for convenience. Currently wearing an oversized sleeveless shirt, it was a miracle that the woman wasn’t shivering. 

The smell of smoke originating from her cigarette grew stronger as she approached him. “Ah, Miss Chen! Nice weather we’re having!” He squeezed out. It also turned out that the woman was his landlady, and that he was about 3 days late on the latest payment.

“Yeah, haha!” Fortunately, she interpreted what he said as a joke rather than a gaffe. “Listen, could you please take out the garbage? I asked you to do it this morning, and the collectors will be coming tomorrow.”

Ok. She isn’t talking about the money. So good so far. 

“Yes, of course Miss Chen! I will get right on it.”

Whistling to himself, Michael marches his way down towards the dumpster. He felt guilty about screwing over Miss Chen the way he did, especially with how attentive she was to the block. Without being able to travel much, it pretty much became his entire world. It was surrendered by similar-looking apartment complexes which weren’t swept clean daily and where the owners didn’t stop for a nice chat. 

“She really is something…” Michael thought to himself as he threw the heavy black bag into the green dumpster. As he was about to walk out, he noticed a strange cardboard box found near the container. It was the type of box in which people would sometimes dump off the stuff they didn’t need anymore - clothes, books, wherever. 

The man walked up to it, inspecting the box. It was completely drenched in water, with its cardboard walls slowly collapsing. “Ah, shame.” He thought, poking the box with his foot. And as he did, a sound came from within. 

It was a sound similar to that a bothered cat would make, like when his nephew would come over and not give the farm’s cat - amber - a break. Kneeling in front of it, Michael carefully opened the box. Inside, there was a red blanket wrapped around something small - something gentle. It hid underneath it, with a shape resembling a feline ear poking out. 

“Looks like this is my problem now.” He groaned, lifting the box, and holding it so that it did not immediately fall apart. His consciousness wouldn't let him just leave the poor animal there, but now he had to feed it and keep an eye on it and waste time and money printing out posters. Already being overworked, he was in no mood to become the owner of some makeshift animal shelter. 

Arriving at his apartment, Michael flipped the lights and turned the heating on. The radiator grew warmer, allowing the man to remove his jumper as he sat down on his bed, inspecting the damage. Everything was pretty much the same as he had left it. There was a pile of old energy drink cans he promised himself he was going to take out neatly stacked in a corner, and the old TV continued fulfilling its duty of collecting dust. 

Reaching inside, he took the creature out, unwrapping it from its blanket. He blinked in disbelief, rubbing his sore eyes. The pitter-patter of the rain broke the silence, punctuated by a distant lightning bolt. No, it was still there.

Underneath the red fabric, there was a woman, standing at about 2 ft in height. She had messy medium-length brown hair with a decayed pink ribbon attached to it. Despite her small height, the visitor had a plump body, with thick thighs and large breasts - although it could just have been the proportions. What drew his attention, however, were the cat-like ears and tail which she possessed. Her ears were held back and her tail was tucked in, a look of restlessness on her face. Looking at her hands, they looked red and quivered violently.

Getting over his initial confusion, Michael's mind went back to aiding the creature - whatever it was. The first order of business was getting those drenched clothes off her body. She wore two black socks with a cute little white paw pattern imprinted on them. There was a large hole in one of them around the toe, meaning that he was likely going to have to throw them out. Then came her shirt. It was gray and comparably simple, although he had to be careful while removing it to avoid frostbites.

His face grew red as Michael discovered that the cat woman wore a kind of black mini-bikini underneath. "Was she dressed for the beach? No wonder she was cold, then! It was a miracle that she survived that long in the late autumn frost. Who the hell wears a mini-bikini in November?!" Considering that he found her in a cardboard box near a dumpster, this really seemed like the least of his concerns. But Michael just really wanted something he could actually understand to complain about. 

“Fuck…fuck…” He thought to himself, rubbing his forehead. “What now?” 

After a few minutes, he had a wide range of towels set up near the radiator, using them to softly rub against the sleeping woman’s skin. 

“She looks so peaceful now. Hard to imagine that she was dying a few seconds ago” He squatted down in front of the Neko, seeing her snuggled up against the white towels. “I guess she will survive.” 

Walking up to his own bed, Michael spent a few minutes just looking up at the ceiling, restlessly thinking to himself. Was all of this real? If yes, not only was this another mouth to feed, but also another body to clothe. But hey, at least it wouldn’t be boring.

The sunlight slithered its way into the apartment, forcing the man to finally open his eyes after missing 3 different alarms. The first thing Michael did was look over at his radiator. The pile of towels was missing, as was the girl. He really didn’t remember drinking yesterday, so the vivid nature of the memory puzzled him.

This truly was bliss. It was like finding out that the professor had canceled an exam or couldn’t show up to class. A heavy stone was dropped from his chest…but the feeling of something pressing against it remained. Lifting his bedsheet, Michael jerked back as he found the creature from yesterday currently sleeping on his chest, her cheek plastered across his pecs as she continued snoring. It was a very quiet snore, the kind that most would find cute or at least a little endearing - like the snore of a cartoon character. 

“So she was real…” 

Having said that, the snoring stopped. Suddenly, the eyelids of the Neko flew open, her large green eyes staring at him. He stared back. Michael might have had no idea what that creature was, but her carnivore-like eyes with those thin black slits made him worry that the tiny girl was going to pounce at him if he broke eye contact. 

“Hello?” He finally broke the silence, trying to slowly look away just to find the woman’s eyes following his. She was like a machine designed to track an object - that object being his face. 

“Hi?” The man repeated after clearing his throat. 

“Ohayo!” She said, and this was about the extent of what Michael could understand as the woman continued speaking to him in Japanese.  

“Well, this is just great.” He exhaled. At least her eyes became round, making him less anxious about a possible assault. But at this rate, it didn’t look like the two were going to do much talking anyways. 

“Maybe I should ask Miss Chen? No, wait, she’s Chinese." He facepalmed. "What now?” Gently lifting the cat girl, Michael tried to get her off his chest. As soon as he did, he could see her arms flailing around, making him drop her back down. Despite her chubby little body, the woman moved with great grace, quickly managing to jump over to the carpet-covered floor while sticking out her tongue at him.

“Hey, I am sorry!” He finally got up, stretching. 

“Today’s supper…is a fish!” She spoke in English, making him a bit more confident. “Do I like fish?” Broken English, it seems.  

“Huh?” Tilting his head, Michael approached the fridge while maintaining eye contact. “You want…fish?”

“Yes, fish!”

“For breakfast?”

“Yes, fish!” 

He opened the fridge, just to be greeted by its cold white emptiness. The only thing inside was a can of energy drink, a single slice of cheese, two brown eggs, and a half-empty bottle of milk. “I don’t have fish- HEY!” Slamming the fridge, Michael turned towards the Neko as she stretched, arching her back while turning her cheeks in his direction. He could not tell if the woman was trying to offend him.

“Wait wait wait, let’s start from the beginning.” He squatted down. “Who are you?”

“Tanji!” 

“Tanji? Is that right? Am I…am I saying it right?”

“Tanji!” 

“Alright then, Tanji.” He pulled up a stool, allowing her to climb on it. “Where are you from?”

“Osaka!”

“Osaka! We are getting somewhere. Listen, I want to get you to your owners. This isn't kidnapping or anything like that.” Michael scratched his thin beard, looking away. “Eh…do you have somebody to call?” He took out his cellphone, a large crack across its screen. “I don’t think I can afford a ticket to Japan.”

“Poor bastard.” She snickered, draining all the joy from the man’s face. 

“Yes, yes. Very funny. Listen, I don’t know where that came from, but I would appreciate you being a bit nicer to me.”

“Please, say again!”

“Okay, now I think that you’re just fucking with me.” Annoyed, he took out a cigarette and a worn-out cheap red plastic lighter. Tanji pointed towards it, making a gesture of a lighter with her fingers. “You…you smoke?” She nodded. 

Before he could even process that, there came a heavy knock on his door. “Michael?” The familiar voice of Miss Chen cried out. “Package came for you. Please don’t tell me you’re still sleeping.”

“On my way Miss Chen!” He responded, realizing the predicament he was currently in. A half-naked - no, more like three-quarter naked with that mini-bikini of hers - woman was currently sitting in his apartment. Not only that, but she was also 2 ft and looked like a cat. 

“Think quickly, dammit!” Michael shouted quietly, looking around his small living space. He took the initiative and picked up the small woman, throwing her into his closet like a football. As expected, she thrashed and swung her arms wildly yet again.

“Miss Chen!” The door finally opened, with the man trying to look as casual as possible. “Sorry, I had to deal with something. Overslept a little…you know how it is, haha!” 

In the distance, there came the sound of something scratching against wood. It got progressively louder and mixed with the sound of a small creature shifting from left to right.  

“Yes…” She raised her eyebrow, handing a small package into his arms. “What is that noise…Listen, Michael, do you have a pet in your apartment?”

“What? No, of course not.” He tensed up, his eyes darting to the closet and back. “No pets in the complex, you made it very clear. And how would I even afford a pet? Animals are expensive, you know.”

“True. Listen, sorry for asking.” Embarrassed, Miss Chen left. Finally being able to shut the door close, a wave of relief washed over him.

Opening the closet, he could see the Neko walking out of it, digging her way out from underneath a pile of hoodies he threw in there and promised to fold later. 

Animals are expensive, you know.

Those words echoed in his mind as he watched the woman once again stretching, arching her butt in his direction in a way that seemed more intentionally rude. 

“Let’s try to find your owners.” He said, lazily cleaning up the closet. “I can’t afford to have you here eating through my fridge. Plus, ciggies are expensive, you know.”

“Poor bastard.”

Michael just rolled his eyes. And despite calling him a poor bastard, Tanji did partake in a meal consisting of two scrambled eggs which the couple split between themselves.

“I am not sure what kind of luxury she is used to. She looked a gifted horse (which saved her life) in the mouth and even spat in it.” He thought, looking over as the girl reluctantly wolfed down the measly meal. She sat down on his counter, knocking over a plastic plant while leaving an imprint of her ass on it. “I guess she really is a cat, huh?”

In all the confusion, he had almost forgotten about the reason Miss Chen even came to his door. Opening the package, Michael began unloading its contents. Inside, there was a neatly folded T-shirt with a few pairs of underwear and socks. He used to be bothered by it as a child, but he grew to like getting clothes on his birthday. Even thinking it made him feel old. 

Putting on the shirt, he outstretched his arms and turned toward his new roommate. It had a simple pink-yellow vaporwave pattern with a large text saying “Game Over” on a backdrop of some city skyline. “Good?” 

She gave him an ok sign, making a little clicking sound with her tongue.

"I will take that as a yes." Looking at the cat girl, he slid off his shirt and placed it in her hands. It looked like she needed it more, considering her wardrobe situation. "I will try to get you some proper clothes, I promise." He gave a reassuring smile as she struggled to put the oversized shirt on. Frankly, she looked ridiculous. It might as well have been a blanket at that point.

Michael left the apartment, locking the door behind him. He has subconsciously been repressing them for a while now, but a dozen or so questions raced through his mind. It was a skill he picked up a while ago - just focus on the task and don't ask questions. Now, during his walk to the bus stop, he could finally think.

Tanji was intelligent, there was no doubt about that. But she also must have an owner, otherwise, she would have objected to him trying to find them. That owner - whoever they are - must be worried sick. Looking for her. But what is she? He has never seen anything like this back in Oklahoma.

The mundanity of yesterday became almost nostalgic.

Another day at college passed. It was true what people said, time did go quicker once you synchronized your body with the timetable. The forecast said that it was going to rain today. For the time being, the sky simply retained its depressing shade of gray, but there was no reason to risk it. He opted to use the (sometimes) reliable bus system. 

As he was ready to leave, already reaching for his ticket, Michael was stopped by a certain woman. Her name might have been Lara and she might have been going to the same class as him. Having a second look at her confirmed that yeah, that was her. She stood out with her dark green hair and those large rose tattoos barely visible through the exposed shoulders of her black crop top. Her belly button was pierced, as were her ears, although both were hidden underneath a black hoodie which she threw over herself. 

Looking up at him with her tired eyes, dark bags hanging underneath them, she slid something to Michael. It was a crude little pamphlet with the words “sewing club” and a cute icon of a pink sewing machine imprinted on it. “Hey, wanna join the sewing club?” Her face was filled with as much energy as her perpetually tired-looking eyes could muster, but her voice remained monotone.

“We have a sewing club?” He squinted. “We have one now. I am setting it up myself. You know how much emphasis they put on clubs.” 

“I was already planning to sign up for something else…” He lied. The idea of being in a sewing club did not really sound interesting to him. But the gears in his head began turning, slowly, with it taking a while for them to pick up speed. “Wait, do you make clothes?” 

“It’s a sewing club. What do you think?” She gave him a playful wink while pointing at the pamphlet. “Clothes, bags, plushies. You can make a lot of stuff with a sewing machine. And even if you aren’t making anything, it’s a good skill to have, like knowing how to fix a car.” 

Michael wasn’t sure about that comparison, but it did give him an idea. If he couldn’t buy clothes for Tanji, he could always just make them. “Awesome. Sign me up.” He carefully pocketed the pamphlet.

“Our first meeting is this Wednesday, so in just 2 days. I hope to see you there.” Lara gave him a tooth-filled smile, slightly unnerving the man, before she walked away. 

After a few minutes of waiting, the bus arrived. It was mostly empty onboard, allowing Michael to put his backpack on the other seat. After scanning his ticket, the man popped headphones into his ears and turned up the music. 

In hindsight, it was probably stupid to join the club. Making clothes for Tanji? She was going to be gone in a few days - hopefully before Wednesday. In the worst-case scenario, he would just put her in a shoe box with a granola bar while waiting for the mysterious owner to come back. 

But for all his hopes of them returning to pick up the rude shortstack and hauling her off across the pacific, Michael hadn’t actually done anything to contact them. How would he? What was he even going to write? “Cat girl found. Inquire within”?

The bus finally stopped, and a short walk after that he had made it back home. There was a mess everywhere. Dried pieces of instant noodles mixed with spices covered his small counte, while the carpet was covered in milk. His drenched socks were stuck in the sink - likely used by someone to try cleaning up this mess. 

In the middle of the room there lay the culprit. She had empty boxes of ramen covering her body, with one placed on her head like a helmet. Michael wasn’t exactly sure how such a small creature was able to make so much disorder in such a tiny apartment. He was pretty sure it disobeyed some laws of thermodynamics. 

It didn’t matter who was looking, Michael was set on giving her a proper whooping. Raising his sleeve, he walked up to her. Reaching down, he stopped. 

Tanji looked up at him with quivering bloodshot eyes, her face even more red than before. She was sweating like crazy - her entire body shaking. Overall, she looked more miserable than the day he had found her near the dumpster.

Gently lifting her up, he made contact with her skin. He didn’t have a thermometer, but Michael recognized it as fever. She moaned up something incomprehensible as he placed her down onto the bed, cleaning the boxes from her body. Taking out a thick blanket, he placed it over her naked form.

Sitting down at the edge of the bed, he exhaled. She didn’t seem to be sick this morning. What gives? Maybe it took a time for the disease to set in. Maybe she was putting on a brave face. Either way, she was currently suffering for it. 

“What did I do to deserve all this?” This was just another mess he would now have to fix. Michael knew that he did not have any painkillers with him, and all the pharmacies were likely closed. 

Tanji was convulsing from side to side, saying something incomprehensible as she did so. He was pretty sure that he heard her swear once. It was like she was fighting with an invisible opponent who had a hold of her head. 

“What did she do to deserve all this?” He thought, putting on a rain jacket. 

The autumn streets of Newport harassed him as he moved through them at night, throwing frost and wind at his exposed face. Finally, they delt their final blow with a barrage of cold rain. Nonetheless, he continued moving. As expected the local convenience store was closed, with the fluorescent light dimmed out. But there was a light in the distance - one which was bright and green.

He knocked on the glass door, catching the attention of the pharmacist who looked like they were ready to leave. 

The man just shook his head in disagreement. 

Michael put his hands together in a praying gesture as a response. 

The pharmacist just sighted and gestured for him to enter. 

After a successful round of non-verbal communications, Michael was on his way back home, a small white box of pills in a pocket of his rain jacket. 

Getting ready to enter his apartment, he could hear a sound on the other side of the thin door. It was a different type of noise, and the man could not be certain if it came from Tanji. He has never heard her sound like that, with her exhausted murmuring sounding almost joyful and excited. 

“Well, I am glad that she is getting better.” He let out a relieved sigh, opening the door before once again shutting it behind. Walking up to his bed, the box of pills in hand, Michael shook the container while throwing her bedsheets off. “Look what I got, Tanji-” 

He could see the woman lying down, placing her left hand across her face while the second one ventured south. Apparently having a fever was a perfect opportunity to rub one out. She was doing a very sloppy job at it, with her fingers barely caressing the lips of her cleanly shaven pussy. Her hot and sweaty body shook - a sensation caused by a mixture of lust and fever. 

Tanji’s huge breasts jumped from side to side like two volleyballs, making the small mini-bra obsolete (more so than it already was). Eventually, one of her nipples slipped out, standing fully erect. They had a gentle pink color to them. Her chest, just like her plump little body, looked almost too perfect to exist in the real world, as if she were sculpted by an artist with some very peculiar interests. 

She didn’t seem to acknowledge him despite being mere inches away, continuing the dirty deed while murmuring something with a wide open mouth. At one point he could see her beginning to cry tears of joy as she went faster and faster, closing her eyes and placing her hand across her mouth. 

With one final moan, a streak of liquid flew across his bed, leaving a thin dark line across its blue covering. Tanji stopped, instantly falling asleep as if she were knocked out. 

And just as quickly as it disappeared, his desire to whoop the neko returned. 

But this was something he could do in the morning. He just placed the box of paracetamol next to her (his) bed before getting out his sleeping bag on the ground and readying for slumber. 

No use. Michael could not get the image out of his head. 

This woman had a way of turning his lust into curiosity, and this was no different. Just above her clit, there was a small black tattoo of 3 numbers - 859.

The satisfying sound of the needle gliding across the fabric filled the small club room. Up and down, up and down. It was like listening to a monotone drummer. It was his first time working with a sewing machine, but Michael was getting a grasp of it. After some trial and effort, with him nearly accidentally breaking it, he managed to craft something resembling a shirt. Good thing too, since he could likely not afford a replacement. 

Fortunately, Tanji was getting better, returning to her rude demeanor while devouring half of his morning bacon he purchased a day before. Oddly enough, he was glad to see how much life she had in her while taunting him as he took her body measurement. 

“Alright, let’s take a break.” Lara said, probably checking if he had not once again jammed something. “I bought some donuts and coffee.”

“Thanks.” Michael settled himself down on one of the many foldable chairs stacked around the table. He grabbed the cup of lukewarm coffee and a plain donut, looking out of the window. As expected: more wind, more clouds. His gaze returned to the inside, looking at Lara. She appeared as passive as ever, looking down at her phone. There was something flashy and bright on it, with it taking some time for Michael to realize what he was watching at.

It was a video of a creature similar to Tanji. She had snow-white hair, her ears appearing puffier than those of his roommate. Her figure also was a lot more slender, matching her feline form. She wore a short black skirt with an outfit that reminded him of those the so-called “idols” would wear. The fact that she was in an extremely bright and flashy music video confirmed his suspicion. 

On her fingers rested another woman - this one having more avian features with her hands forming into two beautiful red wings. He always imagined Tanji to be fragile, but the parrot looked even more delicate. Even the accompanying Neko - standing at 2 ft tall - looked a lot more powerful next to her 5-inch form. 

“You like the Running Kingdom?” Lara removed a headphone from her ear, turning towards Mike. “Their old song had a bit too much ‘kawaii’ crap for my taste, but I feel like they really came into their own.”

“Running Kingdom? Are they a band or something?”

“Oh yeah, they are the best.” Her eyes lit up. “Running Kingdom was one of the first all-Kemonomimi bands on the scene. And after 3 years, they are still pushing strongly.”

“Sorry, this is all pretty new to me.” Mike rubbed his head in embarrassment. “I’ve heard a bit about those animal-girl-things, but not much.”

“Oh, that’s right. You are from Texas.” She googled something. “You don’t have any Kemonomimi down there, true?”

“I am from Oklahoma.” He corrected. “But anyways, what is this all about? I have heard a bit on the TV, but just seeing them walk around like this is a bit…surreal, I guess?”

“I’ve never seen one in real life. I would love to, though. Like, imagine squeezing their cute little cheeks.”

“Yeah, their cheeks can be tempting.” He smiled to himself. “Wait, if you like Kemonomimi so much, can’t you just buy one? Or adopt one?”

“Buy one?” She laughed. “That would cost me an arm and a leg along with a few internal organs. No way in hell I am going to afford one. And adopt? Are you crazy? People don’t just throw Kemonomimi away.”

“I guess they do.” Mike thought to himself on his way back home. It was time for him to perform some research.

Immediately, he took a little detour to the nearby internet cafe. He had only ever used the internet to save and publish school-related documents, not having a personal computer back home. 

The inside of the cafe had a very homey feeling to it, with paintings decorating the walls. Nonetheless, in this day and age, the place was mostly abandoned, with there being 1 other person and the owner in the building with him. Mike ignored the businessman, sitting behind one of the computers after paying.

He scrolled. They were surprisingly many cafes, clubs, and restaurants that specifically advertised themselves as having animal-girl hostesses. Talking to their owners was the first good step towards finding Tanji’s master. These kinds of men must have financial networks, keeping in touch with each other and others in this “industry”. If he kept following their webs of contacts, surely one line would lead to a certain cat girl numbered 8-5-9.

But things are never easy. Most of them were extremely expensive or required him to be personally invited. “There is a cheap place not far from here.” He confirmed, having scrolled through several different establishments. Putting on his backpack, he left the internet cafe. 

Standing in front of a large neon sign with the words “The Kingdom” written on it, alongside an outline of a girl with animal ears stripping, made Mike unsure about his decision. It seems like he has made it to the city’s red light district, with him having passed through many similar-looking clubs on the way. Some of them he even recognized from the search. Compared to them, “The Kingdom” looked a lot more worn out, with the club’s glass door having a large crack in it. He got that far, and there was no point turning back. He was just going to walk in, ask the owner about some contact, and leave.

He entered. The droning of music immediately overwhelmed his ears, with him being able to physically feel his eardrums vibrating. There was a woman with curly blonde hair wearing the club’s uniform behind the counter, placing a laminated piece of sheet in front of him. Her entire face was covered in an excess amount of makeup. 

“Looking for a girl?” She asked with a thick French accent.

“I am looking for an owner.”

“Club owner? No, the owner will not speak with you.”

“Well, can you ask?”

“No, he will not.” Despite her calm speech, Michael could sense that the woman was getting impatient. 

It was time for Plan B. Picking up the menu, he quickly slid his finger across to the very bottom. “Okay, I will take this girl.” The man squinted, taking a look at what he was actually ordering. “Cinnamon?” 

“Cinnamon…” 

“Is there a problem?” He asked, looking up at the woman.

“No, no problem sir!” The woman took the menu away from him. “Cinnamon will be ready for you. Please, consider ordering something from the bar.”

"No way in hell I am getting one of those overpriced cocktails." He thought.

Michael walked deeper into the club, the mixture of sound, laser, and smoke discombobulating him. On the stage, dancing to the music he could see a huge shadow moving in the darkness. When the light shined on her, he was able to make up her form. It was a woman. At first, he assumed it to be a work of some forced perspective, but getting closer he confirmed the reality - she was 9 ft tall. Her ears were those of a canine, matching the dark black color of her long, braided hair. She looked at the crowd with her amber eyes which glowed in the darkness, making temporary eye contact with Mike. 

Her moves were sharp rather than fluid, with the muscular woman snapping between poses. Sweat dripped down her bronze skin as the wolf-girl continued her dance, opening her mouth as she did. With her large pink tongue and a set of sharp teeth visible, the dancer moaned softly while flexing her muscles in front of the crowd gathered on the floor beneath. The people raised their glasses and cheered her on.

His daze was broken as he felt a tap on his shoulder. One of the workers gestured for him to follow. 

Finding himself in a private room, Michael could still feel the distant vibration and sound of the music. He tried to relax, placing his hands on his knee as he waited in the darkened room. Having a look around, the place was even smaller than his apartment. It had a single bed in the distance, flanked on either side by two nightstands. Condoms and a bottle of whiskey could be found atop them, alongside a few wet wipes and breath mints. 

There came a quiet dinging sound as he could see a small hole in the wall opening. It looked like a mouse hole, with a metal sheet placed in front of it. As the sheet slid away, a 6-inch tall person stood behind it. Two white round mouse ears stood atop her head. Her long flowing milky hair matched the color of her ears. From what he saw of her eyes, they appeared to be bright blue. She wore provocative semi-transparent white underwear, matching her pale skin, with a cheap blue crop top with the word “Cute!” printed on it. 

Her petite form bowed down to him, forcing herself to squeak something out. “M-my name is Cinnamon! I hope to serve you today.”

“It's you.” He stood up, walking over to the miniature woman. She recoiled as he picked her up, gently placing her atop the soft bed. As he carried her, Michael could feel her little heart racing. Despite some difficulty with standing up on its soft surface, she soon returned eye contact with him after he sat down.

Michael could see her body beginning to move, her small hips shaking from side to side as she danced. She squatted down in front of him, hiding her face as she gave him a peace symbol. Her crop top was soon thrown off, with the woman showing off her chest. “I am such a b-bad girl…” The man could tell that the woman was trying her best at dirty talk, but she lacked both will and experience.

“I-I am ready!” She closed her eyes, walking up to Mike's crotch. Cinnamon placed one of her small hands against his pants, rubbing it gently. “I am ready to be your little onahole.” As she spoke, Michael could see little drops forming in her eyes. She began taking off her bra, with the woman now beginning to sniffle uncomfortably. Her face shook and scrunched as the mouse girl continued holding in her tears. 

“Hey, hey.” He reached down to her, placing his finger on her shoulder. She once again recoiled as if touching something hot. “I don’t want you to do…that. I just want to ask you some questions, alright?”

She looked up at him with her large eyes, whipping her face and sneezing into her discarded crop top. “Okay.”

“Let’s start from the beginning, Cinnamon.”

“Mia…” She whispered. 

“What did you say?” Michael got closer, trying to listen to her minuscule voice.

“Mia. That’s my real name. I am Mia.” She spoke up with more confidence. 

“Okay, Mia. I need to talk to you about…you.”

“About me?” She tilted her head. "Why do you want to know my story?"

“That’s not what I meant. I want to know how to get in contact with people handling creatures similar to you. You are my best bet.” Although this was true, she was also his cheapest bet.

“I am sure that there are other people you could contact. I am not really helpful…”

“Sorry, but I really need your aid. You are the only one who can help my friend.” Without even realizing it, he had just called Tanji a friend. He stopped for a moment to think about it. Were they friends? She was constantly rude and demeaning to him, and it's not like the two met under conditions that would allow a friendship to flourish. “Friend…let's go with that.” He thought.

“A friend? I will do my best, mister!” The small woman puffed up her chest, giving him a hopeful nod. 

“Thank you so much. You’re a real lifesaver.” Mike squinted at the woman. “Wait, do you have one?” He pointed towards her crotch, with the mouse covering herself. 

“M-mister!” It looked like she was going to cry again. “Was this all some sick roleplay? You being nice to me and all. Is this what gets you off? Being a cruel, cruel man?.”

“No, no.” He reassured, turning away. “I just need to know if you have a number above your clit, that's all.”

“A number?” She once again tilted her head. “No, I don’t have a number down there. Just a birthmark-” Her face lit up, with the woman hiding her eyes. 

“No number? Strange. My Kemonomimi has one.”

“You own your own girl? Are you some kind of pimp? Is that why you are here? Checking out the new girls to add to your collection?”

“Could you stop interpreting everything I am saying for FIVE MINUTES!” He rubbed his temples. “No, she is just a property I need to return.”

“I knew it! I knew you were kind!” She clasped her hands together in joy.

“Hate me or love me, just make up your mind. The way you flip-flop between the two is freaking me out." He took a deep breath. "I just need to know if you know anything about those numbers, that’s all. Have you interacted with any marked girls?”

Mia rubbed the sides of her head, with it looking like she was putting all her mental effort into shoveling coal into that little engine in her skull called the brain. Finally, a memory came to her. “Ah, I remember! I remember!"

“Yes?! Yes?! Go on!”

“The manager was talking about them, how rare they are, and how he is likely never going to afford one.” 

“Did he mention the name? Come on, keep going girl!”

“Koroka Solutions! The company’s name was Koroka Solutions!” At this point, she was shouting too. 

“Thank you!” In excitement, Michael reached down for the small woman, lifting her up and planting a large kiss across her head. “You just saved my life.” He dropped her back onto the bed, allowing her to recover. Mia wasn’t sure how to react, with the mouse girl resorting to the reliable strategy of covering her face and gasping.

Peeking out, she saw him ready to leave, walking closer to his backpack. “Mister…can you take me with you?”

His face winced. “Sorry, but I can’t”

All the light disappeared from her face. “Why not?”

“I…I can’t buy you. I don’t have enough money. And if I tried sneaking you out, everyone would notice.”

“No, they wouldn’t!” She shouted, walking up to his leg. “Nobody cares about me here. Please, I promise that they wouldn’t even know that I am gone.”

Mike knelt down, patting the girl on her head. “I am sorry Mia, I will get in trouble, and so will you. I think it's better that way.” Saying that, he left, the uncomfortable sensation still on his face.

“I hope you enjoyed your time.” The receptionist bowed, accepting his payment. 

On his way back home, the memory of the nightclub was still vivid in his head. He tried to relax, reaching into his bag to retrieve his phone and headphones. What he found inside was a tiny mouse girl tangled in the white wire, her hands and arms bonded together leaving her immobilized. It dug into her skin, squeezing her chest tightly. 

“Surprise.” Mia said with an awkward smile. 

“We are both going to be in so much trouble…” He could feel another headache coming on. 

“Yup.”

“Tanji, this is Mia.” Michael presented his roommate with the small creature, carefully cupping her in his palm. “She will be our new guest.” 

Tanji looked up from the old television set, lazily flipping over to her back before standing up. Her ears perked up as she noticed the fragile form currently taking a shy glance at her. 

“Hello!” Mia finally forced herself to speak, bowing down in front of the cat woman. “I am pleased to meet your master!” She shut her eyes, bowing even deeper. 

“I am not her master.” He dismissed. His “pet” was already laughing at the notion. “And I am not yours either." He said, turning towards Mia."Tanji, Mia is a girl from one of the clubs. She was a…dancer.”

A shadow loomed over Mia as Tanji approached, sniffing her. As she often did, Mia stood there paralyzed, glancing at Mike as if expecting him to do something. 

“Umm…” It looked like Tanji wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words in english.

Seeing her struggle, Mike took out his phone, opening the translator app. In her hands, the small screen appeared like a tablet. “Write what you want to say here, okay?”

After several loud taps against the glass, a text-to-speech sound rang across the room. “WHORE.” Tanji laughed while both Mike and Mia remained flabbergasted. “WHORE. WHORE. WHORE. WHORE.” She was spamming the audio button, with the same artificial voice repeating the phrase. 

Mia began tearing up again, with Mike quickly snatching away the phone. “Not funny.”

The man stood up, walking over to the fridge. “Empty again, damn.” He stared into the familiar icy wasteland. “I am heading out to get something to eat.” It was good that all the women he picked up so far could easily fit into a shoebox since his wallet could likely not afford bigger appetites. That being said, Tanji was already eating for a full person despite being less than a half of one. He hoped that Mia was a bit more reserved. “Tan-Tan, Mia is only with us until I manage to contact her owner. Just be nice, play nice, whatever-” 

Oddly enough, there was no sound of the mouse declaring that she wanted to stay with him forever. Looking back, he noticed that Mia was missing. Only Tanji was sitting on the bed now, twiddling her thumbs. She did a very poor job of looking innocent, Her cheeks were puffed as if she was holding a large candy in them, and Mike could see something round swapping places between them - left, right, left, right. 

“Tanji…where is Mia…” 

The Neko looked up, a large bead of sweat forming on her forehead. 

“Tanji…did you…”

Mia felt herself being thrown around from cheek to cheek, her entire body coated in a thick layer of spit. The rough surface of Tanji's tongue grazed against her body, overwhelming the woman. From every direction, the muscles of the cat’s mouth pressed against her, squeezing Mia’s entire body. It was warm in here - the air feeling stale. As Tanji was keeping her mouth closed, the poor mouse could feel herself slowly beginning to asphyxiate. The only thing saving her from being eaten was the fact that the nekomimi liked playing with her food. 

Not wasting any time, Mike ran up to the cat woman, just in time to see her gracefully leap away atop his old TV set - the box still blaring out information about the weather. 

“GET BACK HERE!” He shouted, pouncing at Tanji. As always, the cat was quicker, now jumping over to the counter. Mia could feel herself slipping deeper, her legs now dangling above her gullet. She did her best to hold on, but she was soaked. 

Tanji stopped, feeling something lodged in her throat. This was not what she planned. She could feel herself choking on the fresh food, but still kept her mouth closed so as to not allow the fresh meat to run away. 

This was his chance. Running up behind the cat girl, Mike lifted her plump little form, placing her in a Heimlich maneuver. In many ways, it was like wrestling with the oversized teddy bear he had as a child.

Like a wet, slippery missile, Mia was flung across the room. She hit her head against the wall, falling down onto the bed’s pillow. Mike carefully lowered Tanji’s body before running over to her, picking up the battered mouse. Although dazed, she was still conscious - just barely.

“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!” He walked over to Tanji, seeing her spread on the floor with her belly up.

“Hungry…” She whispered as if that was any excuse. 

“I will get you your damn food." He glared. "I am leaving.” Michael pocketed the little woman into his bag after wrapping her in a napkin, hoping to at least get some of the saliva off her. “Don’t leave the apartment. If Miss Chen comes, don’t say anything.” His voice sounded angrier than usual. Trying to eat someone was hardly appropriate. He just hoped that Mia would take it well (who was he kidding, of course she wouldn’t).

He shut the door behind him, leaving the Neko to watch the news by herself. 

A few hours later, Michael left the pet store. Having just purchased some food for Tanji and Mia, he noticed his own stomach rumbling. It was good that his parents sent him some extra cash since there was a pizza place around the corner. And just 15 minutes later, he was out on the street again - a warm pie in his hands. 

“I just hope they eat the food I got them.” He looked towards the cans. “Otherwise, I have the feeling that the two will devour the pizza without me.” The clerk was very vague about whether the animal girls ate actual animal food, and it was not like Mike knew any better

Up the street, Michael saw people stampeding in his general direction. It was like watching a pack of wild animals move past him, with people knocking over stuff in the narrow city street. “What is it now?” He tried looking towards the source, a sea of heads washing past him. “Is there some kind of deal going on?” Although he said it as a joke, a deal this good demanded his attention. But what he saw chasing those people was not a deal, but a creature. 

An 8 ft tall behemoth was rapidly approaching him. It must have been one of those creatures; the same type he saw in the club. This one was slightly smaller and had a different idea of what “crushing his head” entailed. 2 canine ears flapped in the wind, matching her long, black braided hair. Her eyes were amber, with the pupils contracting to almost a needle-sized point. She had a bright yellow collar with a bone charm around her neck made from some type of resistant material considering it hadn't snapped during the rampage. A similar substance was likely used in the creation of her white sports bra - the poor thing was working overtime, preventing her goods from spilling out for the public to see. 

From his point of view, she looked less like a woman and more like a dog-shaped bulldozer. 

She turned to Michael, scrunching her nose. “I CAN SMELL THE BITCH ON YOU. WHERE IS SHE?” The woman growled, presenting her ivory-white teeth. "WHERE IS THAT FELINE FUCK!"

His fight-or-flight response kicked in. Fortunately, he always picked flight, with the man running down the nearly empty streets for his life -  pizza raised above his head with the same attention mothers give to their newborns. After having recovered slightly a few minutes ago, Mia's face lost all its color again as the mouse was thrown around the bag's interior like some loose change. 

“Fuck. Fuck! FUCK!” Her large feet continued thudding against the concrete in the distance, signifying that she was getting closer. Michael continued running, taking a left and squeezing his way through a narrow alleyway. She thrashed at him, not falling too far behind. Her large size made it difficult for her to squeeze through, buying him some time. Looking back, Michael could see her muscular arms pressing against the brick walls, leaving small dents in them as she huddled her way across. 

The man caught his breath, adrenaline still swirling through his brain. A black car slowly rolled its way in front of him. Michael tried peeking inside, but the tainted window prevented him from taking a proper look. He knocked on the car’s door, looking back as the amazonian wolf was on the edge of reaching the street. “You gotta get out of here. There is this woman-” Before he could even finish, 2 men dressed in red business suits exited the vehicle, forcing him inside. 

The inside of the car was warmed, with the comfortable seats and darkened light really setting the atmosphere. It was a shame that Mike could not appreciate it. 

“Listen, you don’t want my kidneys! I eat a lot of salt!” He assumed a defensive position, carefully settling himself across the entourage on the leather car seat. 

There was a moment of silence as the passengers stared at each other. 

A shape moved in the shadows, pointing towards a collection of soda cans. “Those are mine. You can have a cup of water from the mini-fridge.”