Estelle rolled slowly out of her bed and felt her feet touch the fuzzy carpet of her bedroom.
Pushing herself to stand however was a little more difficult, the weight in her belly adding more than
her tired mind was seemingly willing to contend with. With a grunt, she forced herself to stand and
walked into her ensuite, dealing with the morning's grooming and other tasks before returning to her
room to dress herself.
She didn't have a lot of clothes that would outright conceal the slight but noticeable bulge in her
abdomen, but she did at least have clothes that were a size or two higher than normal for occasions
like this. She obviously wasn't going to need breakfast, with her stomach still very much in the
process of digesting whatever was left of the rabbit she'd snared the previous night. He'd been with a
younger girl, likely his daughter, prompting the lynx to wonder what were these people ever doing to
be out so late. And with children no less. It was reckless, dangerous, irresponsible. Not that she had
cared in the slightest at the time. If anything, she would have preferred to eat the girl, as she'd leave
a far less noticeable impression on her figure. She never did find out if the child made it home or not
after Estelle had swallowed her father alive. She'd felt more concern after her hunter's lust had been
sated, but didn't have the endurance to try and determine the child's fate.
In any case, it couldn't be helped. The day's appointments couldn't be cancelled at this short
notice, so if need be she'd simply have to remain at her desk if any patients needed to avoid the
sight. She made herself a coffee to help combat the full stomach fatigue and when it was time, left to
make her way to the clinic.
Aure was alone at the clinic when Estelle arrived, informing her that an emergency at the hospital
the previous night had required Linda's attention and that she'd likely be later to arrive. The only
other doctor that occasionally worked here was also absent for the day, so for now they were the
only two staff in the building.
'Made a good run last night, huh?' The lioness asked. 'I thought you were going to try and limit
your hunting to just before weekends?'
'What can I say?' Estelle shrugged. 'When the urge calls, you have to do what you have to do.
Would you refrain from hunting if you were feeling the need?'
'Oh, I hunted as well.' Aure smiled, quickly concealing a look of concern. 'But a bunny doesn't
show up on my figure like it does yours.'
Estelle stared up at Aure's borderline smug expression before sparing a glance at the larger felid's
abdomen. The lioness was nearly twice the size of the lynx, and if there was indeed a rabbit in her
stomach as well, it would be genuinely impossible to tell. 'Point taken. Who's my first appointment?'
'A mouse.' Aure answered.
'Seriously?' The lynx sighed. 'Of all the days to have a mouse appointment, it's the day right after I
lose control and splurge.'
'Well psychology training takes a while.' Aure observed bluntly. 'You know that. So, until we can
attract more mouse therapists to immigrate here, it's gonna be another five or six years before we
have any of our own. On that note, we should have a talk after your first session today.'
Estelle nodded impatiently as she made herself another coffee at her office's kitchenette. 'Are you
going to tell me anything about the patient?'
'She's with an ocelot. A friend I think.' Aure answered, leaning down and placing a file on the
lynx's desk. 'They insisted on seeing you together. Cited trauma counselling. And possible anxiety.
Patient's name is Jillian Hazeleye. Her friend is Kira Aviles.'
'Alright.' Estelle nodded again. 'Give me five minutes and send them in.' As Aure nodded and left
the room, Estelle took a moment to open and glance through the file she had left. Something about
the name Hazeleye was familiar, as though she'd heard it somewhat recently. As she saw the
registered photograph, she made the realisation. This was the mouse making waves on the music
scene recently, with a slew of cover songs and a few originals. She had already made quite a name
for herself, but last Estelle had heard she wasn't part of any official record label. All of it was amateur,
albeit well performed, work.
As the door opened and Aure leaned inside with a questioning glance to the lynx, Estelle nodded
and closed the folder in front of her. A few seconds later, an ocelot stepped into the room carrying
the white furred mouse gently in the cup of her joined hands. The ocelot wore a green top and blue
jeans, and the mouse, presumably Jill, was wearing a beige shirt and similar blue jeans to her felid
friend.
'Welcome.' Estelle greeted them both, not standing from her desk as she gestured to the couch
that would best suit an ocelot sized person, conveniently one she could share if the need arose. The
file hadn't included the ocelot's name, and she couldn't remember what Aure had said it was after
reading so much about Jill. 'I know you must be Jillian Hazelye Miss Mouse, but I'm afraid I don't
have the name of your friend here.'
'I'm Kira.' The ocelot replied, sitting gingerly and carefully placing Jill down beside her. 'I'm a friend
of Jill's, and uh... I guess I'm somewhat relevant to the situation here.'
'I see.' Estelle nodded, adding the ocelot's name to her notepad before raising her eyes as kindly
as she could to the nervous looking mouse herself. 'And you, Jill? What help can I be for you?'
Jill took a deep breath, looking between Estelle and Kira as she tried to figure out what the best
way to explain herself was. 'I... I don't really know how to begin. It feels embarrassing.'
'Do you want me to try?' Kira offered.
'Yes. Absolutely.' Jill nodded, smiling nervously.
'Alright.' Kira nodded much more slowly. 'And you're okay with me telling everything, right?'
Jill took a deep breath before nodding again. '...Right.'
'Okay then.' Kira turned back to Estelle. 'The short version of this is that Jill needs counselling for
trauma and I think anxiety as well. The long version needs me to tell a bit of a story. Basically, uhh, Jill
survived being eaten. Alive and whole, about ten minutes inside another cat's stomach. Illegally, I
should mention. Another friend and I got the police involved as quickly as possible and they
managed to... extract her? She was in hospital for nearly a full day unconscious, but she pulled
through.'
'That's... genuinely incredible.' Estelle nodded, paying close attention to the mannerisms Kira
exhibited as well as the shivering and blushing form of Jill herself. 'T-to survive that, I mean. I imagine
it must also have been quite traumatic to experience.'
Jill nodded, finally taking a deep breath before she began to speak. 'So much. So dark... hot,
unbelievably wet and slimy. Moving constantly, everything burning... And the smell...'
'Right, right.' Estelle nodded, using her most comforting voice. 'A cat's stomach is no place for a
mouse. Especially since you were consumed illegally. It's a very good thing that you made it through
that ordeal. But it's left you feeling traumatised? Anxious that it might happen again?'
'That if it happens again... I can't be so lucky twice.' Jill nodded, losing a single tear down her
cheek.
'Right.' The lynx tapped her temple thoughtfully. She couldn't think of a great deal that could
really comfort such a fear. It was a fact of life in this city that most mice would eventually end up
inside a predator's belly. Luck ran out, and not everyone had a good stretch of it to begin with. Still,
she did have to try at least, right? Looking at this mouse now, this timid little woman was a far cry
from the joyous and confident singer she'd glimpsed once or twice on television screens.
'Actually, we do understand that might not be the easiest thing to get past.' Kira spoke up. 'But
there's another thing that might be more doable.'
'Oh, right.' Jill perked up, looking somehow equally more hopeful and nervous at the same time.
'Oh?' Estelle's ears perked up. 'Go on, let me hear it.'
'I want to be an actress.' Jill began. 'I-I auditioned for a part in a movie adaptation of Taste of
Devotion. For the role of Anwen.'
'The mouse.' Estelle recalled. 'Uhh, makes sense. I assume you know what that means...?'
'Y-yes.' Jill took a deep breath. 'A-and I need to move past that. I need to be able to... kiss my co-
star and potentially be inside her mouth without freaking out.'
'Of course.' Estelle tapped her head again. 'How did the audition go? Do you think they'll consider
you for the part?'
'She nailed it.' Kira said, almost laughing. 'The girl's got chops, doc. I've been helping her make
music for almost a month now, and talent isn't her problem I promise you. But this ordeal she went
through, it left a mark you know? We've tried to help her but it just isn't something we can really
figure out.'
'We?' Estelle enquired.
'Oh...' Kira hesitated. 'A friend of ours named Andrea. Jill's own boyfriend. And myself. We've all
been really supportive of trying to get her through this. But it's tough. And none of us can really
empathise with her. Andrea and I are felids, and Tanner? He means well but he's an immigrant who
never had to live as a scavenger. He just doesn't understand the life she's had.'
Estelle opened the second drawer of her desk and withdrew a set of furniture she'd acquired in
anticipation of murid sized patients. A tiny couch, and a folded-up bundle of weighted blankets and
soft pillows. Finally, a small bottle of sweet vanilla scented oil that she popped the top off, allowing
its aroma to fill the room. 'Come here.' She gestured to Kira to bring Jill over, then invited the mouse
to make herself comfortable.
As Jill reluctantly lay herself down on the miniature therapy couch, Estelle carefully built the
pillows under and around her head. She placed two blankets carefully atop her, and lastly reached
back down into the drawer. It was difficult, but she managed to separate one from a tiny bundle of
sleep masks and handed one to Jill.
'Now, relax and rest assured you are completely safe.' Estelle whispered softly as Jill took a deep
breath, pulling the mask over her eyes and settling in. 'Nothing can hurt you here. The only ones in
this room with you are one of your dearest friends, and a doctor who wants nothing more right now
than to help you. Do you understand?'
'I do...' Jill whispered back.
'Now...' Estelle waved her hand, causing more of the calming scent of vanilla to waft in Jill's
direction and bringing her notepad to bear with a pen in her other hand. 'Tell me about the life
you've lived. From your childhood, growing up. How did you feel when Equality came and offered
you a new life? How have you lived, Jill?'
For the next half hour, Jill spoke of being a young mouse in the well-off manor belonging to
Andrea's parents. She described the fates that befell her family one by one, usually at the hands, or
rather mouths, of Andrea herself or the unforgiving maid named Bonnie. Estelle was impressed that
a friendship had formed, even recently, given that it had been Andrea that consumed Jill's own
mother. The lynx continued to listen as Jill described the ongoing situation, paired with more recent
revelations of Andrea's sympathy and new intentions. Of the change wrought by Equality, the
opportunites that she had begun to pursue. And, however briefly, the encounter with the law
breaking predator, a white cat named Therese.
'I understand that... felids have to hunt.' Jill said softly once her story was complete. 'I've seen Kira
and Andrea both with... full bellies, after nights they've hunted. The sight doesn't bother me. It's my
own thoughts that I can't cope with. And the idea of getting close to a stranger's mouth for an acting
role is something that...'
'Alright.' Estelle nodded. 'Jill, you seem like you have a lot of ambition. Your singing, your acting, it
speaks of someone who wants more out of life than to just be another person in the crowd. To be
just another mouse.'
'R-right.' Jill sat up and pulled the mask from her face, looking up at Estelle. 'A-and I also think that
if I could buy Immunity status, get a vero device. I'd feel so much safer.'
'How can you do that?' Estelle asked, deliberately enacting a callous tone in her voice. 'The only
way to do that is to be able to act in movies, right? And if you blow this one, how many other
chances do you think you'll get?'
'I...' Jill's face turned red through her fur and her breathing became a little more rapid. Estelle also
noticed Kira's eyes narrowing in scrutiny from the other couch.
'You survived nineteen years.' Estelle continued. 'For a mouse, that's phenomenal. So, you must
be a very practical person despite how ambitious you are.'
'I... guess so?' Jill replied, trying vainly to understand where the lynx was going with this line of
conversation.
'The reality, Jill, is a bit more disappointing.' Estelle continued, allowing an air of condescension to
enter her voice for the next words. 'See, the vast majority of murids in this city will end their lives in
the mouth or belly of a predator. The rest? Accidents. Sickness. Maybe attack from desperate
scavengers. These things happen. But most are going to be eaten. That means your most likely fate is
to be eaten too. But you already have the means to avoid that.'
'Doc, we've tried-' Kira spoke up, falling silent as Estelle raised a hand.
'I don't think you've tried hard enough.' Estelle began again, looking back down at Jill. 'You need
to be able to spend just a few minutes at a time in someone's mouth, in a safe and controlled
environment. What is that to be afraid of in the face of the alternative? Living in fear of one day
ending up back inside a cat's belly, knowing this time you won't be getting back out? Think
practically, Jill. Which is the easier path here?'
'I-I know!' Jill protested. 'But you don't understand what it's like!'
'I know I can't understand your perspective.' Estelle continued. 'But I can explain ours. When a
hunter's instinct peaks, there's no mercy. No sympathy can save you. Even the strongest of wills
won't get far before succumbing to the basest carnal drive to consume. I watched a poor rabbit
desperately trying to keep his daughter safe, Jill. Do you know what I did next?'
Jill was silent, shaking her head slightly but already seeming to know the answer.
Estelle stood, pulling up her top just enough to show the bulge in her belly. 'I ate him alive. Felt
him squirm as he struggled frantically to keep himself from slipping down my throat. And I relished
every moment of the short time he spent trying to stay alive inside my stomach.' She released her
grip and sat back down. After a slow, deep breath, she locked eyes with Jill again. 'I couldn't help
myself, Jill. I didn't care that I was ending the life of someone's father. My instinct at its peak told me
to consume, so I did. And that's why you need to face your fear. Because the alternative is facing
what I just described. And without anything to save you.'
'Then... How?' Jill begged. 'You're supposed to help me figure this out, aren't you? How do I move
past this without freaking out?'
'Let's figure out what you're thinking when you get close to someone's mouth.' Estelle explained.
'Would you like to practice with Kira, or should I call Aure in here for a few minutes?'
'T-the lioness?' Jill's eyes widened. 'No! Kira!'
'Alright.' Estelle smiled. 'Kira, you brushed your teeth this morning, right?'
Kira sighed and stood from the couch, stepping over to the desk. 'Doc, I told you we already tried
this. Don't you want more time? Maybe try to figure out some other coping mechanism? A mantra
maybe?'
'The more I see what we're dealing with, the better I'll be able to help.' Estelle replied. 'Besides, I
think we've established what the problem is. We have a little time left for this session, so I'd like to
try at least one plausible solution. Is it alright if we put Jill near or in your mouth?'
'If... she's okay with it.' Kira replied firmly. She looked down to her mouse friend with concern.
'You are... okay, right?'
'We'll find out...' Jill shrugged with an awkward attempt at a brave smile.
'Alright.' Estelle held out her hand, waiting for Jill to step into position before carefully scooping
the mouse into her palm. She gingerly placed her thumb over Jill's abdomen, partially to keep her in
place and partially to measure her breathing. As she lifted the mouse closer to Kira's face, The ocelot
leaned down and parted her lips slightly.
Estelle stepped around her desk and stood beside Kira, the better to hold Jill close to the felid's
face and measure the murid's physical and emotional reactions. For the first ten seconds, Jill seemed
to be holding it together, suspended in front of Kira's pursed lips. 'Alright, now Kira, I want you to
open your mouth wide, and we're going to bring Jill a bit closer.'
Kira glanced sideways to Estelle, then looked down at Jill as she did what she was asked. Estelle
watched Jill begin to squirm a little more, her eyes widening and her breathing becoming more rapid.
'Jill, calm down.' She said softly. 'Remember, this is your friend. She doesn't want to hurt you. She
doesn't want to eat you. You need to be able to do this. Don't be afraid.'
Kira began to close her mouth until a gentle tap on her cheek from Estelle prompted her to open
back up. Estelle watched and felt as Jill tried to slow her breathing, taking a deep slow breath after a
few ragged attempts and doing her best to keep her trembling hands from gripping the lynx's thumb
too tightly as her wide eyes stayed fixed forward.
'That's good.' Estelle smiled, keeping her voice in the most reassuring tone she could manage.
'You are completely safe. Remember, being able to do this is your safest path forward. Just a few
minutes of this, and you earn yourself the thing you want most.'
'R-right.' Jill nodded slowly, not taking her gaze from Kira's wide-open maw.
'Now, we're going to do this again in your next session.' Estelle explained. 'Until you can do it
without being afraid. I want you two to practice this yourselves when you can, alright?'
'A-alright.' Jill nodded again, becoming visibly more relaxed as Kira closed her mouth.
'Should I... hold her the way you were?' Kira asked, working her jaw with a soft click to move past
some small discomfort.
'To begin with, yes.' Estelle responded. 'Eventually she needs to hold her own ground. And when
you're both comfortable with her progress, she needs to sit on your tongue for at least thirty seconds
without flinching or losing control of her breathing.'
'Thirty seconds?' Jill asked, clutching at her hair. 'Isn't that a bit drastic?'
'It may not be necessary for your movie role...' Estelle shrugged, sitting back at her desk. 'But it is
the best way to help you move past your fear. Tell me, do you know who your potential co-star will
be yet? The one playing Velisse?'
'Not yet.' Kira shook her head. 'Only that whoever she is will likely need to be a wildcat I guess.'
'Like your friend, Andrea?' Estelle asked. 'Maybe she should help with this exercise too. It would
be closer to what you'll be dealing with than an ocelot's mouth.'
'I'll... keep that in mind.' Jill replied nervously.
Estelle paused for a moment. 'I just want to say... I'm sorry if this seemed a little bit
unconventional. To tell the truth, murid patients are still a new experience for me, and naturally I
can't directly relate to some of the... ordeals, they bring here. Even so, it is my job to do my best for
them. And I have done my best for you Jill, and I will keep doing my best.'
'I understand.' Jill nodded as Kira gently scooped her into a cupped hand.
'However, one thing I have seen a lot of, is anxiety.' Estelle continued. 'And anxiety has patterns,
no matter how big or small someone is. In your case Jill, I'd say your fear is very well founded. But
you have the best of friends right there beside you, ready to help you through this. Your fear has put
a wall between you and your goal. Right now, that wall might feel like a cliff. Insurmountable. But
keep working through it the way we did today, remember why you're doing this, and once you realise
how brave and determined you can be, that wall will crumble before you.'
'Thank you, Doctor Jargal.' Jill nodded, smiling for the first time since she had been here.
'You can call me Estelle.' The lynx nodded back.
Aure stepped into the office a few minutes after the ocelot and mouse pair had left. The lioness
found Estelle at the kitchenette, pouring another cup of coffee and stirring vigorously. 'So, how did
they go?'
Estelle gave a brief laugh. 'Convincing a mouse to stop being afraid of being eaten? Surprisingly
well, all things considered.'
'I thought you weren't supposed to share patient details?' Aure placed a hand on the lynx's
shoulder and carefully pulled the smaller felid to face her. 'Fourth coffee this early. Are you alright?'
'Of course.' Estelle nodded. 'And it was far more complicated than just that. You don't have
anything close to details, I promise you.'
'You're tense.' Aure narrowed her eyes, leaning in close. 'Del's due back later today. I'm
rescheduling his appointment. You're in no condition.'
'Who are you to-!' Estelle began to protest, being cut off by Aure's powerful grip clamping her jaw
shut. She felt her fingers flex as her claws unsheathed, a momentary fury being quickly tempered by
the fear factor of just how much larger the lioness was than her.
'It's my job to make sure you're okay.' Aure insisted. 'Your age is catching up to you. You hunted
three times this week already. We cannot risk one of these last flashes hitting you during a session,
alright?'
Estelle pulled herself free of Aure's relenting grip and looked back up at her in frustration. 'I can
keep myself under control for these sessions.'
'When last flashes start, you lose that authority.' Aure said firmly. 'We don't need your mind
slipping on you when you're alone in this room with a rabbit or a squirrel. I let that last appointment
go only because that mouse had her friend in there too. This is for your sake, Estelle.'
'What then?' Estelle demanded, mildly amused at the implication that an ocelot could have
stopped her if she had lost control.
'Either find a nurse, let me sit in, or else I'm limiting you to one prey appointment per day.' Aure
answered. 'I'm telling Doctor Canis as soon as I see her. This needs to be addressed, and quickly.
You're a doctor, and an important one.'
'Fine.' Estelle growled. 'Now let me drink this, and tell me who's next.'
'It's Miss Vidalia.' Aure grinned. 'Another stress session. Looks like she's eaten, too.'
'Fantastic.' Estelle smirked. 'This should help me calm down.'
