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It took a surprising amount of effort to smuggle Hunter's enormous naga body back to Julie and Kiera's apartment so he could slither through the rift and return to his human self. With the help of the Ruttweiler crew's creative savvy, they were able to concoct a plan with a fake moving truck, a giant box, and convincing costumes to make the residents of Kiera's complex think they were bringing in some large exercise equipment. That didn't solve when Hunter was finally inside the apartment, still not used to moving without legs. After a while of his serpentine lower half bumping into every object in the apartment, Hunter was finally able to regain his legs upon being carried by his friends through Kiera's closet and out the rift.

In the ensuing days, Rudd and Jeremiah went up against their most daunting negotiation meeting yet: convincing the Department of Genetic Research to let them use their findings from the experiment in some more of their pornographic offerings. Doctor Kassius was understandably apprehensive about showing the mutations to the public, but after a long fight between the stubborn bull producer and the ape of science, the primate finally relented. Enough about the truth of human existence and transformative effects had already been revealed by their films. What was another bodily revelation? It certainly didn't help that all of Kassius's underlings were fans of Ruttweiler's work and sided more with their horny instincts than their boss.

All the while, Terry had returned to their studies in the human world, grateful for each step of his feet after having spent that time without them. And now that he and his anthro friends had figured out a way to send texts through the rift, he was able to get more regular updates from the studio, as well as his friends.

It was especially helpful when Terry and Clive began to plan their date. The human could hardly believe he finally admitted his feelings to the anthro rottweiler on the other side. It felt liberating to no longer have to pretend he was beholden to his human side. Terry had chosen to stay in his home world for now— he still needed time to figure himself out and complete his degree, after all. But at least now he knew more surely than ever before that his future lied beyond the rift.

Their texting was limited, as Clive could only text Terry from within Julie and Kiera's apartment, where the human world's signal seeped through (Terry bought a couple phones from the human world to give to his friends on the other side). When they did text, however, it was more romantic, familiar, conversational, like a long distance relationship. They'd tell each other how their days went, who they fucked on the side, and even exchange pet names and in-jokes. Clive even let the human call him a “mutt", a hurtful word in the wrong hands, but charming and erotic within their loving familiarity.

Soon, a week and a half had passed since the DGR experiment, and Rudd had finally messaged Terry while he was on his way to class. Not only did he and the studio finally have a firm idea on what their next Hunter Prey film should be, but he had also finalized a restaurant to take Terry to on their big date. Terry's heart fluttered. He had never dated a man before, much less one of a different species, but Clive was just such a warm, creative presence. They brought out the best in each other, artistically and sexually. But more importantly, they understood each other on a deeper level.

Terry still knew relatively little of the rottweiler's past, but he could tell the canine had been through as much rough shit as he had, and that with time he'd grow more comfortable revealing himself to the human. Together, they were survivors who had crawled out of muck to enjoy success and stardom with one another, and no matter how big or famous they became, they could always humble themselves in each other's warm gaze.

I already got a great guest actress lined up, Clive texted Terry while his Zoology professor dryly lectured about insects. She's very popular in the bovine community. Jeremiah has connects there, obviously, and she's willing to do him a favor.

Cool! Terry texted back in between taking notes on the lecture. I assume I'll be turning into a fellow bovine in this one? Terry set his phone down to draw up a quick diagram of a moth coinciding with the one on the professor's board.

After a few minutes, a reply text from Clive had already been sent. I'll let that be a surprise ;3 Btw, I'm about to get us reservations for the restaurant. We're on for the week after the shoot, but we have to choose between the private table and the balcony one with a view. I know you're still not used to being a human in public in our world. Do you want it to just be the two of us so we don't have to deal with any gawking fans?

Terry smiled warmly at the text. He was always so damn considerate. The human texted back, We can get the balcony. Let the people stare. Who knows, maybe we can give them a show later~

The phone buzzed back, Hunter, you pervert! >:3 But fr, let's not do any public stuff. I want our next transformative rut to be just between us. No cameras, no audience... Just you and me.

Terry's chest swelled. Beneath all his deeply horny instincts, Clive had very classically romantic notions. He was a helluva rottweiler. It's a date, he texted back.

Great! Clive replied. g2g now. Julie and Kiera want their alone time back. Seeya tmrw for the shoot!

Terry typed a quick See you then! back before returning to his studies, feeling lighter than air after the cute exchange.

An hour later, class had ended and Terry was still feeling the warm and fuzzies. He was getting seriously excited about going on this date, not to mention what the Ruttweiler crew had cooking for their next shoot now that Rudd was in an extra-horny mood. Terry was just in the middle of packing his things with a pep in his step, when a familiar student entered the classroom.

“Terry?" he asked. Terry immediately recognized him. It was Darren, the guy he had hooked up with on Grindr who was worried about Carla's recent absences. This could only mean one of two things to Terry. Either Carla was still nowhere to be seen, or she had finally returned to class.

“Darren," Terry greeted, “What're you doing here?"

“Did you not hear?" Darren asked with a bit of confusion. Terry lit up prematurely.

“Is it Carla? Is she finally back in class?"

“Dude, she dropped out of school."

Terry blinked a couple times, his brain short-circuiting at the combination of words he had just heard. “Sorry?"

“Carla's not going here anymore. She's getting married to that Jonathan guy."

The world fell out from underneath Terry. It felt like he was freefalling. He knew Carla liked Jonathan, that she was likely skipping more of her classes just to be with him, and he thought he had made peace with that fact. But just less than two months into their courtship and they're already engaged? Just like that? Does this guy just work that fast or was Terry really that shitty of an ex that he couldn't inspire the same passion after a whole year together??

Terry rubbed his forehead, trying to shake himself out of the initial shock. “Y-You're kidding... Already?"

“That's what I thought," Darren responded. “My guess is she's gonna switch to Princeton to be closer to him. Or she'll just skip grad school altogether to be a full-time housewife or whatever it is straight couples do."

“Y-Yeah... When did this happen?"

“The announcement was posted online to those business news sites half an hour ago. I was passing by your class right after finding out so I thought I should tell you."

“Jesus fuck... I mean, good for her, right? That's, uh... That's good for her." A roiling concoction of emotions bubbled within him. He knew he should be happy for her. Hell, he had no reason to still hold out hope for their relationship now that he had found a new partner as well. But something about it bit into him. Not just the fast engagement, but dropping out of school? After all she had worked for? He knew that being with Jonathan helped her feel less ashamed of her rich upbringing, but he thought that meant she wouldn't abandon her principles. That was how they got together, after all. Their shared belief in hard work and rising above both of their financial statuses.

Maybe being with Jonathan had done more than just help her accept her privileged status. What if she was done pretending she was morally superior to her Ivy League, Fortune 500 family and ready to work in the corporate muck? Once upon a time, Carla told him if she was starting to act like her spoiled siblings, he had her permission to slap her across the face. But that was the old Carla. Hell, it was the old Terry too. Maybe they had both changed.

“You okay, man?" Darren asked worriedly. “You look like you're about to vomit."

“I'm..." Terry took a deep breath. He couldn't let this get to him, couldn't let himself backslide after all the work he had done to improve his life and move on from his disastrous relationship with Carla. “Just a little shocked, I guess. Kinda came outta nowhere."

Darren chuckled, “You're telling me. Think we'll be invited to the wedding? If so, should we tell her we've hooked up ahead of time, or...?"

Terry could tell he was joking yet couldn't bring himself to feel as jovial as he was. “I dunno, uh... I gotta go. Got another class to get to." Slinging his bag on his shoulder, Terry stomped out of the room as Darren's voice trailed off.

“Okay. Hit me up if you hear from her. She still hasn't been answering my texts."

Terry could hardly hear him as he moved further away, trying to get his now happily engaged ex out of his mind.

---

With cold, muggy gray coming through the windows, Terry awoke the next day with a fittingly groggy demeanor. He found it hard to sleep last night with all his thoughts in disarray. Why the hell couldn't he just be happy for Carla? Why couldn't he get this bad feeling out of his gut?

These were things he'd normally commiserate with his anthro buddies over the phone, but this felt different. He didn't wanna drag them into the weird, dumb complexities of his human drama. Though he felt he may just tell Clive during their date, anything to unburden himself.

Groaning at the sight of a dreary day outside, Terry knew he had to get himself up and ready for the Ruttweiler shoot later today. He couldn't let all this baggage get in the way of his next performance. He had to be jazzed, horny, and ready to rut. Hmmm... Coffee. Coffee oughta do it, he thought. No time to dawdle on his ex. It was time to get in tune with his feral side.

Slapping his face to wake himself up, Terry sprung up from his bed and walked out to the kitchen, ready to brew up a fresh cup of wake-up juice.

He didn't make it one step out his bedroom door before he saw that his refrigerator was already open, and worse still, that someone behind the door was rummaging through it. Terry tensed up. He'd never been the victim of a burglary before. Though from the looks of it, this thief merely wanted his food. Could just be a homeless guy in dire straits. Hell, there was once a time where he was nearly in that position himself. Still, whoever they were, they could be dangerous if caught. He didn't quite have a baseball bat on him, though. Panicking, he grabbed the nearest thing, a decorative incense bowl, for self defense. Just in case.

Holding the bowl up like a blunt weapon, Terry carefully stepped toward the fridge in his best approximation of a combat stance.

“Hello—?"

Immediately, the figure screamed and jolted, causing Terry to respond similarly. Then he saw their face. It wasn't an intruder at all. It was—

“Carla?!"

Carla held a finger up to her mouth, calmly trying to shush him after their loud freakout. It wasn't hard for Terry, completely speechless at the visage of his ex rummaging in his fridge like a wild raccoon.

With a harsh whisper, all Terry could say was, “What the fuck????"

Carla sighed, realizing how this looked. “I didn't wanna wake you. And I knew you still have that plastic rock I bought for you from that gift shop. Just used the spare keys to let myself in."

“Okay, but fuck that— Why are you here?? Also, why do you look—"

“Like shit?" She wasn't kidding. Her hair was knotted, make-up hastily smudged off, and she was dressed in so many hoodies it was embarrassing. But most concerning of all was the black ring around her eye. It looked like she had just gotten out of a bar fight. “It's a fucking long story, Ter."

“Yeah, and after your big engagement with Jonathan, no less?"

Carla winced at the mention of his name. “Before I explain, you must promise you won't tell anyone I'm here."

“Of course, Carla. Not a soul. Now what's going on? I'm getting worried now."

Carla exhaled and stood back up, grabbing the sandwich she nabbed from the fridge and gnawing away at it like a hungry rat. “Okay," she said between chews. “I'm... Fuck, I feel so stupid for falling for it."

“You're not stupid. Falling for what?"

“Jonathan's nice-guy act. Even with my asshole-radar, he flew by undetected!"

Terry's heart fell into a lump. “Oh, Carla, I'm so sorry."

“I didn't even explain what he did yet."

“I can guess! He do that to you?!" he asked angrily, pointing at the black eye sitting plainly on her face. Carla groaned.

“Yes, he did. And I feel like such a fucking idiot, letting him do that! And don't you dare treat me like I'm a traumatized little girl! It was just one punch, and I fucking decked him back."

“Heh, I bet!" Terry exclaimed, exasperated by everything he was hearing. “Wh-What did you two fight over? Was it the engagement?"

“Tch, the engagement was announced afterward." Carla nibbled on more leftover sandwich while Terry went to the freezer and got a pack of frozen corn. He tossed it over to Carla. She caught it and pressed it against her eye, hissing from the pain. “Jonathan was a perfect boyfriend... Too perfect. Turned out my dad and uncle were feeding him info on how best to ingratiate me. The whole thing was an act. And he got paid for it too."

“Jesus fucking Christ," Terry gasped. “Why the hell would they do that?"

“Because of the fucking merger! Dad and Uncle Peyton saw that Lexington Enterprises were going to buy out all of Thornwood's shares. So they made a backroom deal to stop that from happening: give Lexington a stake in the family business by making one part of the family. Held off the merger and gave the Lexington family heir a dynastic partner."

Terry's jaw nearly hit the floor. Everything she said sounded like something out of a fucked-up episode of Succession. He heard that the corporate world was ruthless, but even he underestimated just how fucked-up the Thornwoods were for selling out their daughter like that. All just to keep control of their company. Just thinking about it got him pissed as all hell.

“Well shit, we gotta call the cops! That's fucking domestic abuse, he can't get away with this!"

“No! Terry, you know how many cops are under my dad's payroll? Under the Lexingtons' payroll? Jonathan's apparently a serial abuser, every single one of his ex-girlfriends is being paid hush money. Part of why they orchestrated this whole deal was his family was tired of paying off girls for their silence. They wanted to get him a partner who they could force not to leave him. Heh, well they underestimated my unwillingness to play their fucked-up game."

“This... This is bullshit!" Terry yelled. All these years, he thought Carla over-exaggerated the awfulness of her family, just assuming they were rich and entitled assholes, not outright evil. “Well fuck, you're not going back to that nonsense! Stay as long as you can."

“Thank you, Ter, but I don't think that's gonna happen."

“What do you mean?"

“C'mon, with all their resources and money? They're gonna find me eventually if I stay here too long."

“So what, you're gonna live on the run now?"

“I don't know! I don't fucking know!" For once, Carla showed a hint of vulnerability, her voice wavering and her eyes welling with tears. “All I know is anything's better than staying Jonathan's little pet!"

“Carla, don't just become a drifter because of one fucking asshole!"

“Ter, I appreciate you, but I'm not just gonna languish in your apartment every day without coming out. I'm sure with my old family connections, I could change my identity or something. Start over fresh. I never did like being a Thornwood anyway."

“Well, shit, if you're gonna become a new person, you may as well—"

Terry halted, nearly saying something he knew he shouldn't say. Yet it got him thinking. Carla was right that she couldn't just be cooped up in a safehouse every day for the rest of her life. But it wasn't like getting a new identity would be a guaranteed fix either, especially if the Thornwoods and Lexingtons were as powerful as Carla claimed.

In fact, there was really only one place those two families didn't have complete access to. A place where she would truly be hidden by any human eyes... precisely because no humans lived there.

“Uhh, Terry?" Carla snapped her fingers in her ex's face, trying to wrest him from his revelation. “I may as well what??"

Terry looked at her. He still loved Carla, at least as a great friend. He knew he'd do anything to help her out of this truly awful position, even if it meant revealing his deepest, darkest secret. “I think..." he began, trying to find the right way to tell her. “I think I can help. But you won't believe me until I show you what it is."

---

Terry and Carla walked together down the sidewalk of his old neighborhood, toward that abandoned factory that gave him his new life. As he stared at Carla's face, hidden beneath layers of hoodies and scarves, he couldn't help but feel immense anger toward himself for underestimating his initial impression of Jonathan.

Upon first meeting him, Terry gave him the benefit of the doubt even as he yelled at an innocent concierge. He fell immediately for the rich heir's charm even after seeing his true colors, letting his own wish to see Carla happy override his judgment. Some part of him felt responsible, even though deep down he knew there was no way he could've known the extent of his behavior. Still, it didn't feel good to be so thoroughly duped by Jonathan just because he was somewhat polite to him when they met.

Carla was silent as ever. For all her life, she was raised not to show weakness or vulnerability, even in the face of great adversity. She didn't mean to sound like she was “better" than traumatized PTSD victims, but her pride kept her from wanting to be seen as one. Deep down, Carla didn't hate Jonathan nearly as much as she hated herself for letting her guard down, and she knew that was a fucked-up feeling to have. If anything, she felt oddly humbled. People didn't end up in these situations because they made bad decisions. It could happen to anyone, even someone as tough as her.

Still, a part of her felt conflicted about running away. She knew she was strong enough not to let him push her around in any normal situation. If she hadn't been fucked over by her family, she would've left him plain and simple. The whole thing felt like an elaborate trap, one final fuck you from dad and uncle to punish her for all her years of rebellion. Times like this, she wished she was born to anyone other than her parents. A deeply shameful part of her was almost excited at the prospect of having an excuse to start over with a new life and identity. It's not like she had never thought about it even before this terrible incident...

If what Terry promised was anything remotely close to a new life, she'd accept whatever it was.

Finally, Terry and Carla arrived at the alley by the abandoned factory, where the rift stood, barely visible unless you squinted hard enough. Though Carla couldn't quite make it out, she did feel the strange energy that emanated from this alleyway.

“Uhh, Terry?" she finally spoke after an hour of uncomfortable silence. “Where are you taking me, exactly?"

Terry simply held Carla's hand. “Just don't let go of me, no matter what you see. Alright?"

Carla didn't know what to make of that, but she trusted Terry. “A-Alright." Clasping his hand tightly, she followed as Terry led her forward. The closer they stepped, the more she could see a strange... fold in the fabric of reality. Before she could even hypothesize what it was, they had already crossed over.

---

Darkness suddenly engulfed them, making Carla jump in shock. “The fuck?!" she yelled. “W-Weren't we just outside?"

Terry's heart pounded. He could not believe he was letting her into his second life, but here they were at the door within Kiera's closet. “Just stick with me, okay?" he murmured, knowing that once he opened this door, there'd be no going back.

He reached his fist out to knock on the door. “Hello? Guys?"

“Hunter!" exclaimed an excited Kiera on the other side. “C'mon in, Julie and I were just getting ready."

Carla tilted her head. Hunter? Why'd they call him Hunter?

“Yeah, uh, don't freak out but... I have a surprise with me."

“Sorry, what?" Julie retorted through the door. “What is it Hunter?"

Terry sighed. Might as well just get on with it. He finally swung the door open, letting the light of the new world hit Carla's eyes.

Carla blinked, taking in her surroundings. Just a minute ago they were at the abandoned factory, and now they were in what looked like a nice apartment bedroom. But that was far from the weirdest thing. Standing before her were two women... two decidedly inhuman women. One appeared to be a bipedal skunk, the other a siamese cat. They looked almost like those fursuits she saw at that convention in the hotel last month.

In turn, Kiera and Julie stood frozen as they stared at the new human that had just entered their home. Neither of them knew how to react, Carla especially. What stood before her was impossible. Her mind went through backflips just to rationalize it.

“Terry? I know you're a furry now, but what the fuck am I looking at?"

Terry sighed, “Carla, this is Kiera and Julie. Julie and Kiera, Carla."

The two women waved their paws to say hi as calmly as they could. “H-Hi, Carla," Julie said with a nervous smile. “I'm, uh, sure you have a lot of questions right now."

“Her mouth is moving," Carla spat out. “It's not supposed to move like that, why is it moving." Her breath turned heavy at the realization that these weren't costumes. She turned to Terry, “Wh-Where did you take me?"

“Somewhere no one will find you," Terry calmly stated. “I told you, you wouldn't believe me until you saw it."

“Okay yeah, that makes sense. This makes sense, this is real, this is happening, this is cool. Am I hyperventilating? Shit, I know I'm hyperventilating but I can't stop myself, I'm usually better at this, I—"

Kiera padded toward the new girl in her midst, more used to seeing surprise humans pop through her closet rift than most. “Aaaalright, hun, let's just breathe nice and slow. You want me to make you tea?"

The shockingly normal question coming out of the skunk woman almost shook the human out of her stupor. “Yeah. Tea. You have tea, that's good."

“'Kay, why don't you come with me. I'll be happy to fill in the details for you, hun." As gently as possible, Kiera placed a paw on the human's back, leading her out of the bedroom. Carla shuddered at the very real and soft touch of her fur and pads, turning back to stare at Terry with widened eyes before being led outside.

Finally, Julie was alone with Terry. The cat spoke up first. “Look, I know you well enough to trust you had a good reason for bringing this new girl into our world."

Terry rubbed his face in exhaustion. “I know, I know. Long story short, she needs to hide from an abusive ex with old money connections, and this was the best place I could think. I-I should also mention that we used to date before I... came here..."

Julie stayed quiet for a beat, taking all this heavy info in. “Well. That's a mess and a half... Is it really that bad for her out there?"

“Oh gods, you have no idea," Terry exasperated. “Whole family screwed her over. She broke into my apartment and stole a sandwich from my fridge."

“Fucking hell," Julie sighed, able to tell her costar wasn't lying. “What kind of family would—"

“Thornwoods."

“Ahhh, right," the cat rolled her eyes in recognition. She hadn't heard that name since she was a human, but being reminded of it just now connected all the dots for her. “Well, I'm real proud of you for sticking your neck out for her, Hunter. I mean that. But how long do you intend to keep her here?"

“I dunno, until things blow over or we could come up with a plan B. Can you at least let her stay here for a few days?"

“I mean, I'm more than happy to, Hunter, but you really caught us at a bad time."

“How so?"

“Me and Kiera are gonna be out of the house all day. I have a really important check-up with the doctor about our twins and we won't be able to keep an eye on her. Like, we don't want her roaming outside by accident, do we?"

“Shit, you're right," Terry tapped his foot anxiously, trying to think of an alternative. “Well, she needs to be somewhere private. Anyone from the studio who'd be willing to do us a favor?"

“Hunter, everyone's going to your shoot today, remember?"

Fuck! he yelled internally. I nearly forgot. Hunter took a deep breath, mind racing. His worlds had finally collided and it was harder than he thought to balance them.

Thankfully, an idea struck him. “What about Jonah? He's never at the studio unless he's editing with Rudd."

“Yeah, you're right. And unless he's got a mate over for a one-night stand, he's usually pretty solitary. I'll call him." Julie pulled her phone out to call their African wild dog editor for the biggest favor he'd ever give them. Terry huddled beside her, waiting for him to pick up.

“Yello, this is Jonah," the familiar voice chirped.

“Heeeey Jonah! Julie and Hunter here. Got any plans for today?"

“Nah, just editing a personal project. Why, what's up?"

---

Carla took a big sip of her sleepy time tea, planted firmly on the chair as she eyed the skunk woman before her. She was still not used to looking at the strange hybrid, still not over the shock of her very real appearance. Kiera didn't mind. It brought her back to when Julie first came by.

“That sum things up for you?" Kiera asked plainly. Carla nodded shakily.

“Oh yeah. Dimensional portals, Zootopia society, porn studios... Next you'll tell me I have a Furry Tethered here."

“A what?"

“Sorry. It's a movie where— N-Never mind." She took another sip of tea, waiting for it to calm her nerves. It still had yet to work. “The crazy thing is, Terry did tell me about his new job. Hell, I think he mentioned your names too. I just assumed you were..."

“Not a skunk."

“Right. Not a skunk... Is it offensive if I—?"

Kiera laughed before the human could finish. “Don't worry, I've heard them all. Ask away."

“Okay, uh... How 'feral' are you guys?"

“Depends on what gets us going."

“Uh-huh... Is it just mammals or—?"

“Reptiles, avians, amphibians. Very few aquatics and zero insects, though. But hey, maybe one day they'll get the evolutionary message."

“Alright..." Carla cringed before finding the courage to ask this next one. “Soooo, you're a skunk. Which meeeaaans..."

“Yes, yes, I can spray if I want."

“C-Cool! I guess... Hey, thanks for not asking questions about my... y'know..." She pointed at her black eye, shrinking up slightly. Kiera smiled gently.

“Wouldn't dream of it. I'm just glad you're in a safe space now."

Carla smiled back. “You're very nice for a talking skunk lady."

“And you're pretty sweet for a furless fleshbag."

Carla laughed. Fuck, she actually laughed. It felt like her first laugh in ages.

“So, how long will you be staying with us?" Kiera asked, unaware of the traumatic incident her human guest had just endured.

Carla exhaled, thinking long and hard. Terry wasn't kidding about this being the perfect hiding place. Though it was hard to gauge whether it could provide her a fresh chance at a different life, free from the constraints of her elite family upbringing. After all, she couldn't think of a future in a world where she'd be seen as an exotic wonder.

“I don't know how long," Carla finally answered after a long beat. “Don't get me wrong, you're very nice and all, but I don't know how well I'd fit in with... whatever all this is. But I really appreciate you putting up with me."

“Oh, hun, it's not putting up with. Any friend of Hunter's is a friend of mine." Kiera gently placed a paw over Carla's hand. The soft sensation of her fur had a deeply calming effect on the human, not used to such a warm touch.

“Y-You keep calling him that. 'Hunter'. Is that his stage name when he... you know..."

“More or less, yeah."

“Heh, no wonder he's a furry now that he's... Hang on. Does this mean you two have—?"

“Pffhahahah! You humans are too funny! Sure, we've mated on and off set, but it didn't mean nothing. Gods, why is sex such a big deal where you're from??"

Carla didn't know how to respond to such a question. It was awkward enough learning that Terry's new porn job was actually with these animal people all along, but hearing such casual treatment of sex gave her serious culture shock. Not to mention that term: Mated.

“Carla?" Both the human and skunk turned to find Terry and Julie back in the room. Terry sat on the chair next to his ex while Kiera stood up to embrace her feline wife and give her a loving kiss.

“How's the new girl taking it?" Julie asked between smooches. Kiera chuckled back before nuzzling her expectant kitten.

“About as well as she could, given the circumstances. Why? She have troubles back home?"

“Oh, honey, you don't know the half of it."

Carla watched the two mammals' very physical displays of affection with wide eyed wonder. Terry clasped her hand to comfort her. “So..." he began, “Sorry for throwing you in the deep end like that."

“Yeah, uh..." Carla wandered off, watching the skunk and cat make out right in front of them. “I can see how this would be hard to explain verbally."

Terry couldn't help but smile. It was a very Carla way of rationalizing the initial shock of this event. “So unfortunately, you can't stay here today, but we have a friend who's willing to take you in for the night. He'll make sure you don't get into trouble."

“Wait, why can't I stay here exactly?"

Kiera and Julie stopped their nuzzles so they could answer the new human. “Oh, my apologies for not mentioning it," said Kiera. “Taking my wife here to the doctor for another pregnancy check-up."

“We're expecting," Julie added.

Carla didn't know what to make of such a thing. A skunk and cat girl having a baby together was just too much for her human brain to handle. Still, her time with Kiera was pleasant enough to warrant at least a positive-ish reaction. “C-Congratulations! Good for you... two..."

Julie smiled back at her before giving Terry a knowing smirk. Terry's cheeks went beet red, not wanting to open that can of worms in front of his ex. “We should probably get going!" Terry interjected.

“Oh, Hunter," Julie interrupted, “Aren't you supposed to be on set in an hour?"

“Yeah, yeah, I know, that's why we gotta hurry, c'mon!"

---

If Carla didn't believe what she was being before, she was at a loss for words now. As Kiera drove everyone down the streets of Groveside, Carla was given a personal tour of the anthro world and its boundless variety. On the sidewalks were bestial pedestrians of many species. She got to witness a pigeon woman hold a taxi door for her equine friend, a serval man tap away at his phone next to a jogging rhinoceros, two lizards holding hands by a fountain while a collie mother took pictures of her lil pups playing by the water. It all played out in front of Carla's bewildered eyes like a funhouse mirror version of home.

Terry could recognize that exact look on her face. He wore the very same when he was first introduced to this world. It was strange watching her go through the exact emotional journey he had to a tee. Almost relieving, in a way. It felt good to finally open up to Carla about his double life. Maybe after the shoot he could introduce her to Hunter Prey... if the shoot's still happening.

He was on the phone right now, waiting for Rudd to answer. The last two calls were missed, presumably because they were busy getting the set ready. Hopefully, third time would be the charm...

“Hunter, where are you?" the canine finally answered. “Call time's in half an hour, you're usually earlier."

“Yeah, I know," Terry responded. “Some personal stuff happened. Need to take care of it before I film anything."

“How personal, we talking? I mean, I don't wanna rush you or anything, but Mimi Michaels is in her dressing room as we speak. Jeremiah tells me she's impatient, so you picked a helluva time to have a personal issue. When will you be back?"

“I... I don't know."

Carla turned to Terry, unable to help but overhear the conversation.

“You don't know? How serious is this personal thing?"

“Pretty serious, Rudd. I can't get into it right now, but I can't just leave my friend behind while she's undergoing a crisis."

“What friend is this? Is it someone I know? It's not another human, is it—?"

Before Terry could respond, Carla grabbed the phone off his hand and hung up for him. “Hey!" he yelled.

“Terry, I'm not fragile goods, you know that."

“What are you talki—"

“Look, I appreciate everything you're doing, you've gone above and beyond the call; but don't just skip work because of some obligation to be my emotional support."

“But I—"

“No buts. I'm a grown-ass woman, Terry. What happened sucks, but I'll get through it my way. I mean, shit, you're harder working here than you ever were back home! Don't just throw that away!"

“Tch, always on that grindset, are you."

“Ugh, I can't help it. Once a Thornwood, always a Thornwood. Remember when Uncle Peyton got you legal pads for Christmas?"

“Oh yeah. Should've took that as my first sign that we'd hate each other."

They managed a chuckle together. Julie and Kiera looked back at the happy exes. “I can see how they got together," Kiera whispered.

“So, what exactly is it you do?" Carla finally asked, feeling now was as good a time as any to get the awkwardness out of the way. “Like, I know it's porn stuff, but if it's with these guys, does it count as, uh... bestiality or something?"

“PFFFFFFHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Julie couldn't do anything to stifle the hyenine laughter that erupted from her at that description. It was the only thing that kept Terry from blushing furiously at the question.

“There's, ahem, a bit more to it than that," he answered meekly. Carla smirked with a 'yeah, right' kind of slant.

“I'm sure there is. Soon as you get back from work, I want the full story. I mean, how popular are you in this world?"

Terry smirked, checking outside to find they were on the intersection of Berry and Hayvenhurst. Without verbally responding, he pointed out the car window. Carla rolled her eyes and turned around to gaze outside. What she saw quickly shut her smarmy demeanor up.

Outside was an enormous billboard for the latest Ruttweiler Picture: Hunter Prey in BOUND TO CHANGE. The billboard was a vertical image of Hunter's human self in a straitjacket standing back-to-back with her giggly hyena self, both in perfect contrast of each other. Carla could hardly believe it. Her meek little ex-boyfriend was a bonafide celeb in this gonzo otherworld. She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it for herself.

“Wow," Carla murmured. “Don't think I've seen a porn with that big of a billboard back home."

“Oh, you don't know the half of it," Terry responded.

“That your costar standing next to you?"

Terry smirked. Was she ready to find out now?... Eh, maybe later. “It's complicated," he misdirected. Julie and Kiera smirked in their seats too.

---

A series of knocks emanated from Jonah's front door, wresting him from the editing timeline on his laptop. The canine was always editing other projects on the side. It used to be he would edit bigger projects to support his friends' Ruttweiler films. Now that Ruttweiler was the hottest name in the industry, he was using the cache he got from working on the Hunter Prey films to help bring up smaller projects and documentaries.

It was his way of giving back after avoiding the spotlight for so long. He was never a protagonist type, always happy to play the supporting doggo. But getting called by Hunter and Julie to take care of a human-related emergency? That sounded like a main character challenge. He was apprehensive to take it on at first, but Hunter sounded desperate. He was willing to do a solid for the guy who singlehandedly jump-started his and his friends' careers.

Logging out of his laptop, Jonah padded up to the front door of his apartment. He was at least given warning that another human would be coming, but he was still nervous. It would be his second human sighting ever, and there was still so much he didn't know about them. Okay, calm down, the painted dog thought to himself. It's just another human. You've seen humans before. Don't jump out of your fur, dude.

After a few seconds of hyping himself, he finally opened the front door. Outside was Julie, Kiera, Hunter, and another figure hidden in layers of scarves of hoodies.

“Aight, get in, before my neighbors see anything." He quickly gestured them to come inside. Everyone shuffled in one at a time before Jonah shut the door behind them. Desperate to finally breathe again, Carla ripped the scarves off her face and took off all her hoodies. Jonah was a little surprised upon seeing her. It was his first time seeing a female human, and they didn't look how he expected. Gods, why was that hair stuff on top of their head so long? Humans were weird.

“Oh, uh, hi," Carla said to the new anthro before her. It was then that Jonah finally noticed the black eye on her face. Hunter didn't tell him much about what this girl was doing here, but by now he could tell that she was running from something. Not wanting to sound insensitive, he scrambled to come up with something to say to break the ice.

“Heeeyy," he said awkwardly. “You're a human."

“...That I am," Carla awkwardly responded back. “And you're..."

“An Alkebun wild dog," Jonah replied.

“Oh, is that how you say Africa here?"

“What's an Africa?"

Carla shut herself up. It would take getting used to talking to people whose culture she knew literally nothing about.

“Jonah's a good guy," Julie said to the human female. “Good at keeping secrets too. You can depend on him."

“You gonna be alright, Carla?" Terry asked worriedly, still unsure about leaving her at this moment of her life. Carla could sense that worry and rolled her eyes.

“I'll be fine, Ter. Don't let the total disintegration of my life keep you from maintaining yours."

“Well, you ask Jonah to call me if anything happens, okay? I'll be back to check in on you tonight."

And I probably won't be human anymore when I do, he kept to himself. He knew he should be warning her ahead of time that this was what he did now, anything to mitigate the shock that would come from seeing your ex transformed into a bestial hybrid, let alone the sexual circumstances that would cause such a transformation. Yet he couldn't bring himself to open that can of worms. Like before, he felt it would be less of a hassle to just show her.

Terry then turned to his phone, checking the time. Fuck, he was already late to set. Not a lot of time to explain either way. “See ya, Car," he said with a sad little wave. Carla waved back as he was led out with Kiera and Julie.

When the door closed, it was just Carla and Jonah alone in the apartment. The human, so strange to Jonah, had no idea what to say to the African wild dog, so strange to Carla. It was beyond awkward— they were completely foreign to the other on a fundamental level.

“So..." Jonah initiated. “I'm assuming humans can eat egg salad sandwiches."

Carla sighed. This was her life now.