Makoto smiled a few feet back. She was still getting used to Hotaru’s new look, but from the way the little girl smiled and bounced around she couldn't be happier for her.
Turning to look over her shoulder, Hotaru said, “Not much further!”
“It’s okay, Hotaru-chan. We’re not in any hurry, you know?” Makoto playfully asked.
The wolf-girl nodded, but kept up at her rather fast pace. She was just SO excited for her friend!
Setsuna walked impassively next to Makoto as they followed Hotaru, though in the inside she was smiling in satisfaction. Seeing the girls enjoy themselves this much was definitely enjoyable.
Eventually, the group made it to the outside of a rather nondescript building. “This is it!” Hotaru said as she pointed to the set of double doors with the frosted glass of a Griffon in front of a Double-Helix.
Makoto had a small feeling of nervousness course through her just then, as she stared at the building and knew that this was it. She hesitated in taking the next step, just for a second, before she firmed her resolve and followed Hotaru.
The wolf-girl smiled as she bounded into the waiting room. She smiled as she recognized the secretary at the desk. "HI, JEN!”
The female Skunk Fur blinked her eyes and looked up from the magazine she was reading. “Oh! Hotaru. Back so soon?” She asked.
“Yes!” The Wolf-girl nodded her head. “I brought some friends!”
“Friends?” The Skunk Fur repeated as she looked at two tall women; one with auburn hair in a ponytail, and the other with long green hair...
“Wait a minute... Long green hair?” Jen asked. “Hey! You’re that Meioh woman that was here last night!”
The green-tressed woman silently shook her head, signaling for the secretary to remain silent... But it was too late, so Setsuna nodded slowly. “Good to see you again.”
The Skunk Fur nodded her head. “Hey, where’d you go? You really startled the boss last night.”
The green-haired woman smiled mysteriously. “I saw myself to the door.”
Makoto nodded her head. “Well, that explains how you knew about the information for Splicing.”
Setsuna continued to smile faintly. That wasn’t her real source, but she needed to come in order to cover where her true knowledge of the Splicing came from.
“Anyway,” Jen spoke up. “What can I do for you three?”
“Makoto here wants to get Spliced!” Hotaru said excitedly.
Makoto nodded wordlessly, a little nervous still about the entire thing.
The blonde-haired Skunk Fur nodded her head. “All right then. I take it you don’t have an appointment, do you?” Jen asked.
Makoto was about to say something when Setsuna beat her to it. “Would it really matter? You don’t seem to have any customers today.” She pointed at the empty place.
Jen nodded. “True. Oddest thing. Usually we have many people lining up in here. But today...” She shrugged.
Makoto turned to give Setsuna a suspicious stare, which Setsuna met with one of her impenetrable masks.
“Well, I guess I can just pencil you in then,” Jen said. “How old, are you, Makoto?”
“Seventeen,” Makoto answered without thinking.
“All right,” Jen said. “Do you have any idea how many Splicings you’ll be needing?”
“Um... I guess I’ll be needing two,” Makoto said uncertainly. She still wasn’t too sure if she was making the right choice, but she didn’t want to be like the others. She wanted to be unique.
The Skunk Fur nodded her head. “All right. For more than one, you’ll be required to put down a one-thousand Yen deposit.”
“Here,” Setsuna said just as she handed the money to Jen.
An annoyed Makoto turned to look at Setsuna. “Will you ever quit doing that?”
Setsuna’s red eyes sparkled with amusement. Obviously she would not.
Accepting the money, Jen then took out a clipboard form underneath the desk. “All right. Fill out these forms and we’ll take you into the Screening Room as soon as possible.”
Makoto took the forms and went over to a chair to fill them.
As Makoto filled out her forms, Jen smiled at the Wolf-girl. “So Hotaru, how do you like being a fur?”
“I love it!” Hotaru said. “And I have Setsuna-mama here to thank for it!” She said as she squeezed the taller woman around the waist in a hug.
Setsuna managed to still look dignified as she returned the hug slightly.
(------)
Makoto sat there alone in the Screening Room in one of two chairs; the only other pieces of furniture besides a only a plastic computer desk, and a rather large flat-screen computer. The screensaver showered a Griffon in front of a Double Helix; the trademarked logo of Splicing Inc. The girl was playing with her hair as she waited to pass the time.
Finally the door opened again. A Raccoon-Fur wearing a pair of khaki jeans and a white t-shirt with a flannel shirt over it walked in. “Hello, Kin-san, is it?” He asked in greeting.
“Kino,” Makoto corrected and looked at the guy. She had to lick her suddenly dry lips. Her eyes were fixed on the way his fur contrasted with his clothes.
“Oh shoot,” The Raccoon Fur bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Kino-san. My name’s Dennis. I’ll be your Species Selection Supervisor for today.”
Makoto nodded and managed a smile. “Don’t worry about it. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” The Raccoon said. He held out his hand in greeting.
Makoto took that hand in a shake and felt electricity shoot up her arm at the contact with the fur. Okay... maybe she was more than a little excited about this Splicing thing...
After a moment, Dennis spoke up. “Kino-san?”
“... Yeah?” Makoto asked.
“Could you...” The Raccoon Fur blushed. “Let go of my hand so we can get to work? We’ve been shaking hands for five minutes.”
A horrible blush covered Makoto’s cheeks. “Oh! I’m sorry!” She let go of his hand and turned to try and hide her embarrassment. Had it really been that long?
“It’s all right,” Dennis said. He walked over to the computer and pulled out the other seat and sat down. “Now let’s see...” He mumbled as he went to typing.
Makoto sat down and remained silent.
After a few moments more, the computer ringed. The Raccoon Fur nodded his head took hold of a digital eye device that was atop the computer monitor. Turning to face Makoto, he held up the digital camera and took aim. “Say Cheese!”
“Uh... Cheese?”
At that, Dennis pressed the button atop the Device. “Thank you,” Dennis said as t he Computer’s CPU whirred and made a few noises. After placing the Digital Eye atop the monitor, Dennis said, “And now we wait.”
“What is it doing?” Makoto asked trying to start a conversation.
As if to answer the Senshi of Jupiter, her image then appeared on the screen. And after a moment more, that image that went from a flat 2-D picture of her head and into a full 3-D model.
Makoto blinked. “Is my chest really that big?”
Dennis looked towards her and down for a moment. He turned away and blushed. “Yes.”
Makoto blushed slightly and fought down the urge to ask this cute guy out. She didn’t want to give him the impression she was that desperate. Even if she was.
“Anyway, Kino-san” Dennis started to get over his embarrassment, “This 3-D Model is a tool to help give us an idea of what Splicing can attain depending on how much and what type of genetic cocktail is used,” He said. “Now, any clue what you’d like?”
Well... I was thinking of something with a fluffy tail...” Makoto trailed off, a little embarrassed at admitting to that.
Dennis nodded his head. “Well, there’s three popular species for girls who want fluffy tails. Vixens, Squirrels, and Skunks.”
“Don’t the girls that become Skunks have trouble with the smell,” Makoto asked in puzzlement.
“Not if they don't want it,” Dennis said. "A lot of girls leave THAT aspect of the Splicing out.”
“... Who would want the smell anyway?” Makoto asked rhetorically.
(------)
Up front, Jen sneezed.
“God bless you,” Hotaru told the woman at the front desk.
“Thanks...” Jen said as she sniffed her nose. She needed a tissue.
(------)
“Anyway, Kino-san,” Dennis spoke up. “With all this curiosity about Skunks, would you like to see yourself as one?”
“Sure,” Makoto said and leaned forward to see herself as a Skunk Fur. Black fur for the most part, with white fur on her hands, belly and up her neck to her muzzle, and the biggest, fluffiest tail waving behind her.
Makoto blushed slightly. “Does the hologram... Um... Why am I naked there?”
“Well, we try to give a person an idea of the full body pattern for their fur,” Dennis said. “We want people to know exactly what they’re getting into.”
Makoto nodded and turned back to the hologram. “Is there a way to change the color on my breasts?”
“Yes,” Dennis asked. “Why do you want to?”
“Not just my breasts. It’s just... I’m not sure about having almost my entire front black,” Makoto ranted.
“Well, it'll most likely have more white for your abdomen,” Dennis said. “These things have a three percent chance of error.”
Makoto thought about it for a moment and smiled. “Could I be a Skunk with stripes?”
“Yes,” Dennis said. “Though Stripes do need a second Splicing in place. Tiger or Zebra would be good to get stripes on a Skunk.”
“I don’t like Zebras much. I guess we’ll go with Tiger,” Makoto said.
Dennis nodded. “Would you prefer Bengal or Siberian Tiger? Bengal, we can make your fur also somewhat orange-tinted. Siberian will be just black and white.”
Makoto frowned slightly. “The Skunk is black-and-white. Why not go with that? Let’s have Siberian.”
Dennis nodded and went to typing the keys on the computer. Pretty soon, Makoto looked like a Skunk Fur with a mostly white body, and black stripes all about in the ways one would expect of a tiger. However, her tail had a rather nice pattern, with patches of black along the white tail rather than stripes; done in a firm pattern.
Makoto whistled at the sight. She even felt playful enough to tease the guy working with her. “Would you date that hottie?”
Dennis blushed at the inquiry. “Well, uh...” He pulled at his collar, damn, it felt rather hot. “Yeah...”
Makoto leaned forward with a beaming smile. “Really?”
“R-really...” Dennis answered; a heavy blush showing up from underneath his fur.
Makoto winked at him. “Then I guess that’s what I’m turning into.”
“I... I guess so...” The Raccooon Fur said with a grin.
Makoto blushed slightly at the grin and nodded. “Yeah...”
(------)
“Come on, Setsuna-mama,” Hotaru whined cutely. “When are you gonna get Spliced?”
Setsuna was currently reading a magazine about health as she heard Hotaru continue to plead with her. “I told you already, Hotaru-chan. I don’t need to get Spliced.”
“But you came here for the information,” Hotaru said. “Jen even said you told her it was so YOU and Makoto could be Spliced.”
“That was only so they would let me in. While I’m interested in the process and its benefits, I don’t believe I need it,” Setsuna replied and flipped the page on the magazine.
Hotaru pouted cutely. She tried once more to give the green-tressed woman the ‘Sad Puppy Eyes’.
Setsuna rolled her eyes and gave Hotaru a serious stare. “Haven’t you learned yet?”
Hotaru added a cute puppy-like whimper to the look.
The green-haired woman sighed and closed the magazine. “Hotaru-chan...”
“Setsuna-mama?” Hotaru asked.
Setsuna leaned close to Hotaru and whispered on the wolf-girl’s pointed ear. “I don’t need to get Spliced, Hotaru-chan. I already am.”
Truth be told Setsuna didn’t plan on revealing that.
It was just that Hotaru’s pleading look just looked so adorable with her new genetics.
Hotaru looked at the older woman in surprise. Before she could ask what THAT meant, Jen walked back into the room, along with their friend.
Setsuna took that chance to get away from the conversation and stood up to get a good look at Makoto.
“Introducing,” Jen said with a voice filled with bravado. “A new skunk to the pack. And what an addition she is! Makoto Kino!”
Makoto smiled and posed, her fur feeling awfully warm and comfortable.
Yes, she was a Skunk Fur all right. But with the all white body and white tiger-stripes, she certainly looked unique. And her auburn hair stayed the same, giving her body a nice contrast.
“Woooow...” Hotaru said as she stared at the new and improved Makoto.
Makoto blushed slightly at Hotaru’s reaction, and was glad her fur covered it up pretty well, before saying, “I’ll take that as an ‘I like it’.”
Hotaru nodded her head.
The door opened again, and Dennis waved, “See you next Saturday, Mako-chan?” He asked excitedly.
Turning her head to look at the Raccoon Splice over her shoulder, Makoto winked at him. “It’s a date!”
The Raccoon Fur smiled. “See you on our date then, Makoto.”
NOW Hotaru was gawking. The words ‘Makoto’ AND ‘date’ in the same sentence!?
Setsuna just nodded. She’d been expecting something like this.
“Yes. What Else could it be but that time of the month?”
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(Posted Sun, 17 Oct 2004 23:42)
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