"I'll take her anyways", Roger declared quite resolutely towards the police officer after she had shown him her criminal record. The woman was a furry like her, but of the canine type. More dog featured than wolf, sporting almost white fur and the first furry police officer whom she had met so far. She remained silent, not to jinx the contract in the last minute before it was signed.

  "I see you two have a companion contract pending and Vivian needs to be transferred from her old, now defunct contract, to the new one", the white furred officer read something from the screen before she looked at her.

  "Do you agree to this transfer, Vivian? This is a five year contract with compensation clauses if one of you wants to cancel the contract prematurely", the canine woman asked her.

  She nodded swiftly, ears wagging a bit, "Yes for sure. Roger and me discussed this for quite a bit. I want the new contract."

  "Alright, then I need to scan your biometrics, both of yours, to make this legally binding. Last chance for either of you to say it was a mistake", the officer declared while checking some more things on the screen before she slid a scanner over the counter towards them, "Vivian, put your hand on the scanner if you agree to the contract."

  She put her hand on the scanner as told and a little later the device beeped. "Biometrics match with the records. That's good", the woman declared, "Now I need your scan, Mr. Rose."

  Roger put his hand on the device as well which soon responded with another beep.

  "Very well", the officer confirmed, "a matching entry was found. So, both of you want this contract?"

  She was quick to confirm, "Yes, I want this contract", and Roger chimed in, "Me too."

  Another beep.

  "Vivian, while this contract is valid, Mr. Rose will act as your guardian. Mr. Rose you are now legally responsible to take care of Vivian and by extension, responsible for any of her actions."

  She grimaced and hoped he didn't notice. The next chewed up ball would go on Roger's bill. She took a step closer to Roger to hold onto him before her could notice her expression.

  She soon felt his arm around her shoulders and was pulled against him. "My personal beast", she heard his voice.

  "Roger, please. It's not funny to call me beast", she tried to protest with a light hiss.

  "I like to think of it this way though", he replied and rubbed her shoulder. "Alright, pick your things and we'll get moving. I have a hovertaxi waiting outside."

  Everything she owned fit into her old sports bag, so that wasn't a problem at all. Outside it was overcast and to her relief she didn't need her sunglasses. She always felt silly with them on her snout. Overcast days were fine, among the best she could wish for, in terms of weather.

  Once they were in the car, Roger set the autopilot to the main tube train station and she leaned against him to feel his warmth, "Roger, promise not to call me your beast in public, please?"

  He nodded, "That's fine, Vivian. It's cool to have someone like you as companion. I'll try to come up with a better nickname". He grinned and put a finger on her snout.

  She huffed and snuggled more tightly to him, "What's wrong with Vivian?"

  "You deserve a a more scary name", he let her know.

  She wrinkled her snout, but didn't protest. Why was everyone so keen to emphasize how scary she ... didn't want to be.

  After a little while the taxi stopped near something that looked like a small kiosk first, but turned out to be an elevator hub which lead down to the main tube train station. Roger selected level four and she just hoped that it wouldn't be too crowded there, or that she could keep people on distance with a good hiss. At least they had the elevator cabin all for themselves.

  It turned out, on each level there were only two tube train platforms instead of a huge crowded space with a large number of platforms which she had expected. Just the two directions of one line, and just a small number people were waiting there along them for the next train to arrive, not too many to handle for her. The air here was full of irritating smells though, so many people and machines carrying so many scents with them, and the multitude of sounds and voices didn't help either. She just held onto Roger like an anchor in troubled seas, "I'm feeling uncomfortable in this place. All the strange sounds and voices and everything smells foreign."

  He put an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side, "Don't worry, I'm right here. Once we are on the train we'll try to find a quiet corner for you."

  It didn't take long and the tube train arrived like a giant metal caterpillar. The doors opened with a light hiss, spilling out a wave of passengers before it was their turn to enter. Roger directed her to a double seat and let her take the seat to the wall of the train, so she was away from people passing along.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "Thanks Roger", she smiled and leaned to him again, "I was really worried I might accidentally hurt someone if I'm too stressed and they touch me by surprise, just because they are in a rush or something."

  He rubbed her shoulder, "Don't worry, Vivian, just relax. We've got our seats and in a little more than an hour we'll be in Dalenford."

  With a solid hum and light vibration the train accelerated and left the station to be sucked up in the air-evacuated tube. Only gentle shaking and occasional rattling told of the speed they were traveling at. She rested her head to his shoulder and closed her eyes. Maybe she could nap a little while they traveled, and without windows there wasn't much to see in the train anyways. Better just sleep the time away.

  One hour and roughly ten minutes later, they arrived in Dalenford, Roger's home town. An elevator brought them up on street level and Roger was calling a hovertaxi for them, while she quietly cursed the rain that made her fur all damp and itchy. Once they arrived at Roger's place she'd need a shower or at least a good rub with a towel.

  The trip with the hovertaxi had only taken a good fifteen minutes and now they had arrived at Roger's home.

  His home was part of a skyscraper, much like Tom's apartment had been part of an apartment complex, but it was not like Tom's apartment at all.

  She just had entered and found herself in some sort of loft which was styled like an ancient factory hall with brick walls and metal pipes running along the walls and ceiling. Even the air had a faint metallic smell to it and also the scent of more people than just Roger. So he had guests now and then. No plants, though. Maybe for the better, less temptation for her to try and find out how their leaves tasted.

  Some installations looked like ancient machines, but doors and lids told they were actually storage compartments. She even noticed resting chairs disguised as ancient industrial equipment.

  She had stopped just a few steps past the door and Roger came to her side, "So, what do you think about your new home, Vivian?"

  She smiled at him, almost bouncing on the spot in excitement, "Looks pretty cool! Are the pipes solid enough to climb? I want to try!"

  He chuckled and stroked over her head and ears once which made her blink, "They are metal at least. No idea though if the mounts can hold your weight. We better check that first before you try."

  She nodded and took another two steps into the room. It was all one huge room as it turned out, kitchen, bathroom, beds all just put in different places of the big area, like being part of one big installation. Then she spotted the posters. Actual paper posters on the walls, or replicas that looked like paper, showing scenes from a discotheque or some sort of night club.

  "What's with the posters, Roger?" She turned to him and he came to her side again.

  "They are from my night club", he let her know with a gentle smile.

  She almost dropped the bag with her items. "You own a nightclub?" She tried not to scream.

  He nodded, "I do. The Night Rose"

  She put the bag down for real and tried to stand a tall when she faced him, "You didn't tell me that!"

  He shrugged, "Old habit of mine. Most people act strangely if I tell them I own a night club."

  She hissed lightly, "I still think you should have told me before we signed the contract!"

  He smirked and ran a hand over hear ears again, "Would it have changed your opinion?"

  She thought about that for a while, "I want to say yes. But I also wanted the contract very much." She hissed quietly again.

  "See", he smiled disarmingly at her.

  She stood as tall as she could to look him right into the eye, "I still think you should have told me!"

  He just pulled her into a hug and placed a kiss on her snout. For a moment she wanted to refuse, but then just put her arms around his neck to pull him into the kiss.

  He smiled at her once they parted and rubbed his nose to her snout, "See. A hug, a kiss and it's good again."

  She hissed a very little and pressed her cheek to his chest, eyes closed, "It's fine. Just next time, tell me something like this a little earlier."

  "How about I tell you now that you'll make the perfect mascot for the club?" She heard his voice.

  For a long while she had no idea what to do or say and just kept holding onto him.

  "Roger. A mascot, really?" She eventually looked up at him, incredulous.

  He stroked over her head and ears a few times and it felt good, the little lightning sensation each time his hand touched her tufted ears, "Yep. A big scary cat."

  She closed her eyes again, hissed quietly once more and just leaned against his chest. She was pretty sure he had arranged this very deliberately.

  "Do I get a chance to say no?" She asked without opening her eyes, cheek once more pressed to his chest.

  He rubbed her upper back, "Not really. I'll be there and as my companion you cannot refuse to go with me, unless it puts your health at risk", and embraced her with both arms.

  She grimaced. Very cleverly arranged. And probably completely legal even. Trisha would all be, "I've told you so!"

  "I want some extra benefits if I act as mascot for your club", she let him know in a small voice without looking up.

  He rubbed her upper back some more, "We can talk about that, but later."

  Then she felt lifted up, was carried to a resting chair and placed into it, "Tomorrow we'll go shopping. We'll get new clothes for you, and if you need anything else, just let me know."

  "A better hair dryer and a new tooth brush", nothing else came to her mind right now, still baffled by the idea to become a mascot for his night club.

  "That's no problem at all", Roger let her know, "and I have a proposal for you."

  "A proposal?", she was sitting in the resting chair and he squeezed himself in at her side.

  "Yep, a weekly allowance, say, fifty credits that you can spend on whatever you want if you do me a favor", he said with a winning smile.

  She eyed him suspiciously, "What sort of favor?"

  "I think some fur dye would look great on you. How about black forearms, lower legs and a black tail tip?"

  She looked at her hand, covered with golden fur, then at him, out of words again for a while, "Black?"

  He nodded, "And silver claw polish."

  She hissed again, "Fifty credits and a sports club membership! Track and field, or something similar, where I can run and jump."

  He smiled and nodded to her, "Sounds good to me. Some friends of mine are training regularly, maybe you want to join them? If not, we'll look for a club of your choice."

  She snuggled up to him just because he was comfortably warm, "Doesn't have to be a club. Just some place where I can run and jump. And if your friends are into ball sports, like to throw passes, I am good at catching."

  She would explain the secret of squeaky, bite resistant toys another time.