“Of course I do, I went to the Splicing Center to get the pamphlets about it!” She retorted low as to also not be noticed talking to her cat.
When he felt Minako stop in her tracks, Artemis asked, “Are we here?” Looking up, Artemis saw they were standing outside of...
“An Electronics Boutique,” Artemis grumbled. In the window was a HUGE Display poster for Halo 2.
Minako’s eyes were glazed as she read the ‘newest release’ poster listings. “So much goodness...” She then shook her head violently. “NO! I must save every Yen for my Splicing! Must not... Give in...” Darn it, she SO needed a job to pay for all this goodness. But what job could she get that wouldn't cut into gaming or boy-hunting time?
“Minako,” Artemis spoke up. “Are we going to get you Spliced today, or not?”
The blonde blinked as she noticed a help wanted sign. Inspiration struck, but first Splicing! With amazing restrain she turned her back on the EB and kept walking. “Oh yes, we are... But we’re coming back!” She cackled manically.
Artemis rolled his eyes. “You scare me sometimes, Minako.”
(------)
Sitting at her desk, the Skunk Fur receptionist of the Splicing Center was watching the television that was recently set up in the waiting room. Currently, it was tuned to an important channel showing ‘American Chopper’. The current project was a motorcycle based on, what do you know! A skunk.
“I wonder if I can get Xero to make something like that for me," Jen wondered as she paid special attention to the TV. So much so, that she barely heard someone walk in.
The doors to the center slide open as Minako walked in, carrying Artemis. She noticed the receptionist and walked to the desk. “Uh, ma’am?”
Blinking her eyes once, twice, Jen turned to look at the human girl with blonde hair. “Oh, hello!” She blinked as she noticed the cat in her arms. “Let me guess. You actually wanna go for that discount, huh?”
Minako smiled sheepishly and giggled. “Uh... Heh heh... Yeah.”
Jen nodded her head to that. Picking up her appointment book, she asked, “Do you have an appointment?”
“Yeah I called yesterday,” Minako said. “It’s under Aino.”
“Aino, Aino, Aino...” Jen looked through the planner. “Ah! Here we go, Aino, Minako.” The Skunk Fur smiled. “Since you want to go with the discount, we’re going to need you to fill out some paperwork.”
“Sure,” Minako nodded. “Um, I also have a question. Is the process of DNA extracting painful for the pet?”
“Oh, not at all,” Jen answered. “We have trained staff that will be perfectly gentle with your pets. It’s just...” The Skunk Fur seemed hesitant.
“Just what?” Minako asked concerned.
“Well, our DNA specialist on hand, Jacques, is an Alligator Splice,” Jen said. “Unfortunately, it’s given him a slight taste for small pets. And sometimes, very rarely, he loses himself and has a sample.” She winced.
Artemis’s eyes widened as he tried running away...
...And would have gotten far if Minako’s hands weren’t around him.
Minako held him tightly. “Well... Not to try and be bitchy but... If he ‘samples’ my precious cat... I can’t guarantee he won’t end up luggage.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
Jen nodded. “Understood. That’s why we have you sign that agreement. You’ll sue him and NOT the establishment.”
“No problem. Even without this, I’d just get his ass.” The blonde said as she took the forms and started to sign them, without looking them over.
The Skunk Fur nodded her head. “Thank you.”
“No problem, I’m not some baka wanting to rip off people that aren’t responsible.” Minako handed Jen the forms. “All done.”
Jen nodded her head. “Okay. You can head into the Screening Room down the hall on you right. Just leave your pet with me, and I’ll take him to the genetics lab.”
Artemis turned his head and looked at Minako pleadingly.
Minako brought him up and kisses his forehead. “Be good Artemis. They won’t let anyone hurt you... And if it happens, I’m gonna have a new alligator handbag.” She handed Artemis to Jen and went to the screening room
“Not much comfort for me. You get a handbag, I get to see the digestion process up close and personal,” The white-furred Moon-cat thought irritably as he was carried off to the lab.
(------)
Minako sat there in the Screening Room in one of two chairs, her eyes intent on the laptop on top of the plastic computer desk. “Nice laptop, be nice to have one that powerful to play Half Life 2.”
Looking back and forth, a smirk appeared on Minako’s face. Surely they wouldn’t miss ONE computer
After a moment, Minako then shook her head violently. “No! I’m not thief,” Minako thought firmly. “Besides, these people are going to help me get Spliced... I can’t steal! It’s wrong! Besides...” Minako smirked. “If I play my cards right on my array of ideas for gainful employment, I can buy a desktop that’ll whoop this laptop’s ass!” She mentally cheered.
After a moment, a Raccoon Fur walked in. “Okay, time to... Get... Started...” The Raccoon Fur trailed off as he saw his latest client. “Uh, Miss?”
“Eh? Um, yes?” Minako looked up at him
“Could you please stop the ‘Flames of Righteousness’?” He asked as he pointed to behind the girl. “This is a non-smoking establishment.”
“Oops!” The blonde de-flamed and blushed, rubbing the back of her head. “Uh, sorry ‘bout that...”
“Quite all right,” Dennis said. He looked at the clipboard he had with him and asked, “You’re Aino-san, right?”
“Yep!” Minako said excitedly. “I’m her!”
Dennis nodded. “Okay then,” He held out his hand in greeting. “My name is Dennis. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aino-san.”
Minako returns the handshake. “Just Minako.” She winked.
“Oh, okay, Minako,” He said as he eyed the girl. Why was it the women were hitting on him lately? Withdrawing his hand gently, Dennis said, “Anyway, Minako, have a seat and we’ll get started.”
“Alright.” Minako said as she sat back down.
Dennis sat in the other chair. He reached forward and grabbed the spherical digital camera, holding it towards the girl’s face. “Okay, Minako. Say, ‘cheese’!”
The blonde gave her best smile. “Cheese!”
Hearing that word, Dennis pressed the button atop the Device. “Thank you,” The Raccoon Splicer said as he placed the Digital Eye atop the monitor. “And now we wait.”
Computer’s CPU whirred and made a few noises.
And seemed to come to a dead stop.
“It freeze up?” Minako asked.
“Oh, come on!” Dennis said as he picked up the desk-top and started to shake it. When it began to make a few whirring noises again, he placed it down. “It’s okay now,” Dennis said, just as her image then appeared on the screen, a rather good pic too. And after a moment more, that image that went from a flat 2-D digital picture of her head and went into a full 3-D model.
“So, what’re you doing right now?” She asked.
“Well, since you’re going with out discount package, I can only show you what you’re getting,” The Raccoon Fur said. “You have a white cat, so,” Dennis began typing computer keys, and soon, Minako’s image appeared as a Cat Fur; white hair all over, tail, ears, and her hair still beautiful and blonde!
“What do you think?” Dennis asked as he turned the monitor so Minako could see it. “If you want, we can make you look more human than Furry.”
Minako’s jaw dropped. “Holy... I look... Great...” She looked up. “Hmm... Sure, more human would be good.”
Dennis nodded and typed into the keys once more. The image of Minako went back to a more human one, albeit with cat ears, a tail, and feline eyes. And while this absolutely looked like perfect Cosplay, Minako really did prefer the full furry look.
“Hmm,” Minako pursed her lips as she thought about it. “Go back to the full furry, I think I’ll go with that.”
Dennis nodded, and worked his computer skills. Again, they had a full model of Minako as a white-furred Cat Splice. “I do have to admit, you look good in full fur.”
Minako blushed at the compliment. “Thanks... So now what?”
“Well,” Dennis began, “We’ll get you over to the med-lab for injection and-”
*THUMP*!
*THUMP*!
*THUMP*!
“What the?” Minako mumbled in curiosity.
Dennis grabbed onto the table as the room began to shake.
Through the open door, Minako saw Artemis go running...
...Followed quickly by a HUGE Alligator Splice that reminded Minako far TOO-much of King Bowser Koopa from Super Mario Bros.!
*THUMP*!
*THUMP*!
*THUMP*!
“MEROW!”
*SNAP*!
“Artemis!” Minako got up to go save her cat.
“Oh geeze, not another one,” Dennis grumbled as he rubbed hi temples. Standing up, he better see if he could salvage this somehow.
In the hallway Minako had AMAZINGLY pried open the Gator splices jaws, and grabbed her still living cat and pulling him out of the Gator’s throat. “Nobody... Eats... MY CAT!!”
Artemis swung there, being held upside down by his tail; drool dripping off of him. “I feel so violated...” Artemis thought irritably.
Dennis whistled at the sight. “Wow. Such heroics. Almost like a Sailor Senshi.”
Minako sweat-dropped as she backed away from the Gator Splicer, giving him a nasty look and using a handkerchief to clean off Artemis. “You okay?” She asked the cat, scratching his left ear.
“Nothing a good lawyer can’t cure,” Artemis grumbled.
“We may get one,” Minako thought to herself, she looked at Dennis. “One question...WHY an Alligator Splicer for the pet DNA extraction?” Sacasm laced her voice.
“He got so many lawsuits back in America, he couldn’t stay there because he’d be breaking a restraining order in one way or another,” Dennis said irritably. He waited for the Alligator to leave before adding, “And because he was one of the pioneers in Splicing like myself, Dr. Mera just can’t bring himself to let the guy go.”
Minako nods. “Right... So... Did he get the DNA before or after he tried to lunch on my cat?”
“He got it,” Artemis grumbled. “Ow... Painless, my ass...”
Minako began to stroke his fur. “I’ll make it up to you,” She did so in a cooing sappy way that people usually have when talking to cats. To Artemis it translated into: Extra steak and extra privileges. While Minako could be conniving... She did made good on her word.
Artemis smiled. Oh yeah. This might be worth it.
(------)
Jen continued to watch the Television set, seeing as Paul Sr. whacked Paul Jr. upside the head with a torque-wrench for taking two leather seat cushions, (one white, one black) to make a skunk-themed seat, and ruining them both. “Ah... Family values...”
However, the Skunk Fur’s attention on the television was taken away as she heard foot-steps. She turned her head to look at the new Minako. “Not bad. How do you feel?”
Minako literally purred, “Purrfect, if you’ll pardon the pun.”
Jen smirked. “Not at all.” She blinked her eyes. “By the way, where did you get the rub-on tattoo? I didn’t know they made them for fur.”
“Eh?” Minako asked.
Jen blinked. “You know,” She said. “The shiny female gender tattoo on your forehead.” The Skunk Fur said, “I wouldn’t have thought so, but orange really is your color.”
“Oh that,” She chuckled. “Um, birth mark... Yeah...” Well, it wasn’t a lie, per sé.
Jen blinked her eyes, but nodded uncertainly. “A birthmark that glows and shows up on fur?”
“Don’t ask me, I’m as clueless as you,” Minako giggled airily.
Jen blinked her eyes once, twice, “Riiight. Well, take care, Aino-san.” She genuinely smiled. “Enjoy the new you!”
“Oh I will!” With Artemis in her arms they left the center. “...I am SOOOOO sorry bout the gator thing Artemis!” She said now that she could aloud.
“Yeah, yeah,” Artemis said. “Just remember. You promised me Kobe steak.” He smirked, “And I look forward to a nice sleep on my new ‘furry pillows’ tonight.”
“I haven’t forgotten,“ She poked his cheek.
“Just don’t forget now,” Artemis said. “I deserve it after having a needle shoved into my ass.”
“Yes, yes, and I didn’t forget the licking rights here...” She mumbled.
Artemis smiled. He blinked as they passed by a restaurant. “Hey! Stop here!”
She stops. “Eh?” She looks at the restaurant.
Artemis pointed to the sign a female Wasp Splicer was posting up outside the door.
[Anthro Diner Contest: First Five Furs to come in with matching animals eat free!]
Minako looked at the sign, “...What the hell. I’m hungry!” And she went right on in.
“Hey, I do have a life outside of the Time Gates you know.”
“I don’t know. It either looks Something like a girl in a bikini, or Else I’m feeling too randy to tell.”
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(Posted Thu, 21 Oct 2004 23:19)
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