This place was huge. Danielle was not expecting it to be small of course, but hadn't really
anticipated just how much difference in size there was actually going to be. From the window of the
car it was almost like flying to the mouse, and had the windows not been rolled up she could have
easily been taken by the wind.
Beside her, an attentive lynx was driving, eyes darting between the road ahead and a directional
display on the dashboard leading them to Danielle's destination. The car likewise was huge compared
to her and she sat secured in an elevated platform affixed to the front passenger seat. It was still
apparent even to her that his vehicle was a size lower than these streets, prompting the driver to
slow down whenever another, usually larger car drove by.
The houses here superficially resembled the ones where she had been living, albeit significantly
scaled up. Murid dwellings were typically retrofitted into houses that had once belonged to felids,
and as such a single house could hold dozens of apartments, enough to form their own small
communities. Many generally had schools and basic medical facilities, but more complex services
and many sundries still required smaller folks to leave their homes.
It was surreal therefore to think that some of these even larger buildings might only have a single
occupant. As the car began to slow, she withdrew a small mirror from her pack and made sure she
looked presentable. Her green eyes stood out vibrantly against the tan and brown mottled pattern of
her face, and her darker brown hair was combed to hang down to her right cheek with an elegant
ponytail holding behind. She pivoted the mirror in her hand to check that her navy blue coloured
meeting dress was still clean and straight.
'We're here, Miss Wrynn.' The driver alerted her as the car came to a halt. 'Do you require escort
to the door or shall I lower you to the kerb?'
'Kerb will be fine.' Danielle replied. 'Thank you Jaunn.' As she waited, the door lifted from the
pivot point at the front of the car, before the raised platform affixed to the passenger seat extended
and lowered not unlike a wheelchair lift. She undid her seatbelt and stood from the seat before
retrieving her satchel purse and glancing ahead. She made sure there were no larger pedestrians
before stepping off the platform and onto the rough concrete. She wished she hadn't bothered with
shoes, as they rested uncomfortably on the grit but at the same time she wanted to make a good
impression.
She walked briskly despite this and approached the front door of the enormous dwelling before
her. As she walked she sent a message from her phone to the house's occupant to alert him of her
arrival, since she was undoubtedly too small to reach the doorbell. The door opened a minute later
just as she reached the step just outside.
'Miss Wrynn?' The house's occupant, an amber eyed cheetah with red hair wearing a smart casual
outfit, greeted her.
'Danielle is fine.' She smiled. 'Mr. Correl?'
'Firros.' The cheetah smiled in return. 'Do you need any help?'
Danielle eyed the step before her, a paltry and almost insignificant thing to the large cat but
almost twice her height to the top. She glanced backwards for a moment, ensuring that the lynx was
occupied with his phone, then took a quick two steps and leaped to the top easily.
'I guess not.' Firros replied, stepping back and allowing the mouse to walk inside. Once the door
was closed, the mouse turned to him and raised a hand.
'I'll get a lift from you now, if you don't mind?' She asked, looking up with a somewhat awkward
smile. 'My dad just hates it when we let it look like we need the felids. But we'll still be doing this
tomorrow if I have to walk everywhere in this place.'
'Ah, of course.' Firros nodded, kneeling down and allowing the mouse to step onto his palm. She
knelt and held onto his curled fingers as he stood and carried her up the hallway and into what
seemed to be a bedroom transitioned into an office. Along one wall was a large desk set up with
multiple computer monitors and what looked to be sound mixing equipment.
'What's all this?' She asked, running a hand over a dial big enough for her to sit on as she was set
down on the desk top.
'Oh, sometimes I work from home.' The cheetah shrugged. 'It can be easier without someone
looking over your shoulder, you know?'
'Ugh, I hear that.' Danielle rolled her eyes. 'My father is so success driven that it's impossible for
me to have any fun. Even this trip was about finding my own investments and being able to earn my
own way in life. He freaked out too when I told him where I was going. Bought all the legal defenses
and crap. Just doesn't trust me to look after myself.'
'Right.' Firros nodded slowly. 'Speaking of, you do know why you're here, don't you? I was actually
really surprised when I saw a mouse reply to my posting. Truth be told I had to research to find out
who you are.'
'Haha!' Danielle laughed. 'Oh yea, I read your posting. I know exactly what this is about. I'm doing
exactly what my father wants me to do, in a way that I just know is going to piss him off. Still,
entertainment is big business, and that means big bucks. Talk me through your idea.'
'Alright...' Firros nodded. He took a moment to step across to the far right end of the long desk,
bringing up a video on one of the screens. He beckoned her over and provided a pair of books
stacked to provide a makeshift chair. On the screen was a low budget animation that looked to be
concept art for a game show called Last Chance.
Danielle watched intently as the cartoon played out, depicting seven mice competing against one
another in physical contests and puzzle type brain teasers. As scores increased, the mice were
eventually ranked, with the top three earning a place on the podium, the fourth place mouse being
offered the chance to walk away or play again, and the bottom three being dropped through a
comically drawn trap door to land in a waiting, equally comical, cat's mouth.
She laughed as the animation came to its conclusion. 'So seven players, three winners and three
losers?'
'That's right.' Firros nodded. 'My cousin originally had this idea, but that was five years ago. In his
model, the mice were eliminated round by round. It was also before Equality laws passed here, so
the mice were competing... involuntarily. The studio said it would never pass legal requirements,
calling it as just unnecessary cruelty.'
'So why is it different this time?' Danielle asked.
'Because mice can willingly sign away their lives now.' Firros smiled and shrugged. 'The city's
support institutions are pretty solid, but plenty of people still go bankrupt with some bad decisions
and worse habits. Particularly naïve mice who don't know the value of the opportunities they have
here.'
'So you think you'll be able to attract competitors?' Danielle asked. 'Is that why there are only
three losers in your model? Slightly better than a fifty percent chance to at least survive?'
'Exactly.' The cheetah nodded. 'Only having one winner would be too scary for most. But it
wouldn't just be mice either. I'm sure we could up a class and have some episodes for squirrels,
rabbits, so long as the competitors are in a close enough size bracket to prevent any unfair
advantages.
'It sounds perfect.' Danielle nodded, standing and turning to face him. 'There's always a visceral
and morbid fascination people have watching others risk their lives for a chance at glory, you know? I
think something like this could really draw crowds. Might be some naysayers as well, but as long as
the contestants sign the waivers and contracts and whatnot, what's really to stop us?'
'And you don't have any moral issues with it?' Firros asked, raising an eyebrow. 'We'd be sending
mice to... well, a rather unpleasant death.'
'Oh, fuf.' Danielle waved a hand dismissively. 'It happens every day here anyway, right? Besides,
my dad might be one of those mice sticking up for mice types, but I'm a lot more pragmatic than
him. I understand that real survivors look after themselves. If this makes money, then it keeps me
safe.'
'And he'll be okay with that?' Firros asked.
'Hell no.' Danielle laughed. 'He'll probably disown me. But if we get this underway while I still have
access to my inheritance then it won't matter.'
'Alright.' The cheetah nodded. 'My friend at the studio said this was pretty much a sure thing so
long as I could find at least one extra financial backer. So if you're absolutely sure, I can organise the
meeting and contracts to be ready in two days.'
'Sounds good.' Danielle clasped her hands together. 'I can't wait to be out from under that man's
thumb!'
'Family issues?' Firros asked, already typing his correspondence to whoever his studio contact was
on one of the other computers. 'Or is it all just your father?'
'Pretty much just him.' Danielle answered, walking slowly across the desk to stand beside where
the cheetah's hands were working his keyboard. 'Doesn't trust predators, micromanages the hell out
of the company, wants all of his kids to earn their own way. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't given
himself a heart attack. Still, I have three younger siblings, so there's time.'
'How old are you?' Firros asked.
'I'm seven.' Danielle answered. 'I think that's equivalent of early twenties for someone your size?
I've never really spent much time around felids back home. Mostly because there aren't any.'
'Young adult.' Firros nodded. 'So he's putting the pressure on you to look after yourself.'
'I guess.' Danielle shrugged, her eyes scanning as he typed. 'Are felid parents like that?'
'Kind of.' Firros nodded with a wry smile. 'Best parents in the world until you learn how to walk.
After that it's... learn everything and learn fast. Learn to hunt, so you can look after yourself even if
you make terrible decisions with your money. Aaand so on. I guess your dad hasn't completely let go
yet, not if he's bought you hunting immunity. So, the Immigration Department should have given you
a Vero Device, right?'
'Sure did.' The mouse nodded. 'It's at home.'
Firros sighed in amusement. 'The whole point of that thing is that you keep it with you when you
leave your house every day. It's a warning to predators that you're off limits. And a failsafe in case
they're disobedient about that.'
'Oh, should I have brought it here, big cat?' Danielle looked up at him with a wry grin. 'Are you
planning to be sneaky once you have my money and gobble me up?'
'Of course not.' Firros replied, blushing through his tan fur. 'I-I just thought you should know that's
what the thing is for.'
'When was the last time some poor mouse went down your gullet?' Danielle pressed. 'Don't be
nervous. I don't care if some hapless other mouse ends up as cat food.'
'Uhh... Nine days? I think?' Firros answered. 'Met her on Preddate dot net. She was, uhh...'
'Delicious?' Danielle grinned.
'Eager.' Firros breathed deeply with the reply. 'Keen on the idea of being prey.'
'Those weirdoes.' Danielle laughed. 'Well I'm the first to call myself a thrill seeker, but I don't think
I'd ever go that far. Although...'
'Although?' Firros asked, finishing his typing and taking a moment to reread it.
'When I can get back here without a... babysitter...' She began, grinning slowly. 'I wanna sit in your
pocket or something while you run. I wanna feel how fast a cheetah can go.'
'Sounds... fun?' Firros almost laughed. 'As long as you don't throw up on me.'
'I'll make sure I have an empty stomach.' The mouse laughed. 'Speaking of actually, I'm starving.
You up for lunch? I haven't eaten anything all day.'
In order to avoid Danielle being seen getting carried in public, the pair instead organised for a
meal delivery. The mouse called and dismissed her driver, instructing him to pick her up in the next
two hours while she and Firros discussed further details of the project. When the food arrived, he set
up in his kitchen, organising a small table for her out of a tea saucer and a stack of business cards.
'What are you gonna call the show?' She asked, lifting a handful of tiny shredded salad to her
mouth. As much as he had tried to figure something out, Firros had been unable to provide anything
analogous to cutlery in her size. Despite his embarrassment, she had not truly cared. She was an
heiress, but she was no princess and no stranger to her own animal side.
'Nothing too fancy.' He replied, lifting a forkful of steaming steak to his face. 'I was thinking the
name Last Chance conveys just about everything we need.'
'Well, I suppose the working title works.' She shrugged. 'Got a host in mind?'
'Not yet.' He shook his head. 'I'm sure we could organise an audition if you're interested. It's
probably a good idea to have a host or at least a co-host that can talk to the contestants face to face.'
'Sounds fun.' Danielle grinned at the thought.
'...Telling mice they're about to die?' Firros stared at her with mock horror on his face. 'You're a
bigger monster than I am.'
'We're all still animals.' She retorted, dipping her face into her bowl and eating noisily. When she
looked back up with a slew of salad dressing on her muzzle and a single tomato seed balanced on her
nose, the ridiculous look prompted Firros to start laughing softly.
'Careful, your delicious side is showing.' He joked. 'Don't go seasoning yourself in front of cats, you
hear? That's the sort of thing that leads to tragic misunderstandings. And that's a thrill you don't
want to seek.'
'Getting a kiss from a big cat?' She retorted between bouts of lapping the dressing from her own
cheek with her tongue. 'I think that's a thrill I could stand to endure at least once.'
Firros sighed with a smirk. 'You are a tease.' He reached down towards her, extending a single
pointed claw and poking it into the seed still on her nose. As he lifted it slowly away, she stood and
jumped after it, grabbing his claw with her hands and biting the seed back into her mouth. He could
hear the audible crunch as she worked it between her teeth, followed by an equally loud gulp.
'Waste not.' She shrugged, letting go of his claw as he slowly withdrew it.
'Want not.' He concluded, once again showing light red on the skin beneath the fur of his cheeks.
'So then, how about I give my friend at the studio a call and we conference out some details to make
sure we're all happy with this?'
'Sounds good.' Danielle nodded, causing a drop of dressing to land on her foot. 'Uh, can I use your
sink first?'
