Breakfast had become a weird ritual. She used to eat nothing all day and so her breakfast was a glass of water while Roger had a bowl of cereals. Cereals were a really boring kind of food to her senses, if not for the milk he used to pour over it. But even soaked in milk the cereals were no actual temptation.

  All in style with the loft, their breakfast table was shaped like an ancient factory machine. A sewing machine she assumed, with a table big enough to serve as breakfast table. And if it was a precision drill instead, she couldn't tell.

  "Roger I've been thinking about the mods and your offer," she looked at him.

  He looked up from his bowl of cereals and stopped chewing, "Right, so what do you think? Getting all of them?"

  She shook her head lightly, "Some. Capped fangs are alright, no problem there. I also think I'm ok with the leg bone extension as long as it doesn't harm my ability to jump and run. How about four centimeters?"

  He nodded slowly, "Four centimeters will be fine I think. We'll have to ask the doc about your leg muscles and how they can deal with the longer bones. From what I've heard four centimeters should be no issue. How about the other changes?"

  She looked down at her glass of water for a moment, before she looked at him again, "I'm against a different snout. I want to keep my face as it is. And I'd like to ask if the steel claws have to be actual implants or if you'll be ok with steel claw caps?"

  "Claw caps?," he tilted his head slightly while he looked at her.

  She nodded, "Yeah, a bit like capped teeth. The caps get glued onto the claws and protect them. It's just that unlike teeth, the claws grow and every few weeks the caps must be removed, the claws filed down and the caps applied again."

  He shrugged, "I guess that works. It's just for the looks anyways. Well, also for the feel if you touch someone, so they know it's actual steel. How about the boobs?"

  She smirked, "I'd like a medium size. Smaller than now, but still a good size. If we can agree on that?"

  He nodded, "I'll ask one of the light technicians to set up a hologram of you and adjust it, so we can see what will look best on you."

  "I assume you'll get me fresh outfits to fit my new size again?"

  He laughed, "Of course. Can't have a night cat in the club without properly fitting outfits."

  "So," she probed, "if I agree to all but the snout change, how much are you willing to pay?"

  He tilted his head some and looked at her, "Eight thousand? Snout was one of the bigger changes."

  She thought about it for a while. Eight thousand credits were still a lot of money, more than enough to get started with an actual life after her current five year companion contract. She didn't like any of the required operations, but the offered money sounded good to her.

  A bit hesitantly she nodded, "I think I'll take the eight thousand and do it. So, how will it happen?"

  "I'll get an appointment for you in the best hospital of the city, for the legs and chest operations. One of the next days, depends how tight their schedule is. And the next day, if possible, the fang and claw caps, to get that done while you recover from the bigger operations," he sketched his idea.

  Her fur bristled at the thought, "That sounds quite brutal. But maybe it's better to get it all done quickly so I don't need to think about it too much."

  He smiled encouragingly at her, "Don't worry. It's not like what the gangster did there to your voice. These are all professionals with the best equipment. You'll see, even with the legs done, you'll be able to walk home. It's nothing big these days."

  ----

  Her thoughts were all fuzzy. Had she been stunned again? She could not remember for a while, but her legs hurt, each in three different places and also her chest. And with the pain came some fragments of memories. Roger had brought her to the hospital, to have her legs and chest adjusted. The docs had done some checkups to see if she was healthy and not allergic to any of the substances they planned to use, there had been one last checkup if all measurements were as she wanted them to be. Well, actually if they matched what she and Roger had agreed upon. If it had been about what she wanted, there had not been any adjustments at all.

  Not stunned. Anesthetized, that's been the thing. Her thoughts cleared up slowly and she opened her eyes. One of those impersonal hospital wake-up rooms, white ceiling, softly glowing light panels. She tried to see more of the room and noticed Roger sitting besides her bed, "Hey Roger. I think I've survived."

  He smiled at her, "Sure. Docs say everything went fine. The pain should soon be gone too. How do you feel?"

  She reached for his hand and he grasped hers, "Chest and legs hurt some. But I think I'm alright."

  He nodded, "Sounds good. In a little while the docs will check the results of the operations and if everything is fine, we can go home soon."

  "I hope I can walk better than last time ... when I got this body," she spoke quietly.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  He squeezed her hand some, "Don't worry. It's the best hospital in the city with the best equipment and medics. If someone knows how to do it right, it's these guys."

  She must have fallen asleep once more, and when her thoughts cleared up again, there was a medic at her bed.

  "Hello Miss Vivian, I'm here to check the results of the operations. If everything is alright, you can leave with your partner. We would keep you for another day if you were alone, just to be sure, but this way you can sleep in your own bed tonight. So, how do you feel?"

  "I think I'm alright. My chest and legs hurt a little. Nothing too bad though. More like a little stiffness or a tension than actual pain," she tried to explain while he scanned her legs with some device, then her chest.

  "The tissue fused as expected, there are no remains of the cuts anymore and no scars. If you feel some lingering pain, it's from the disturbed nerves and should be gone in another hour or two. I'd like you to get up now and take a few steps to see if you can walk properly," he let her know.

  She nodded, memories of her first awakening in this body returning. How her legs had failed her, how the medics had dragged her to the padded room. She tried to push the thoughts away, tucked back the bed cover and swung her legs to the side to sit up, "Last time I've got new legs, I fell on the first step. Roger, help me please?"

  He nodded, got up to hold a hand of hers, his other hand at her upper back, "Sure thing, Vivian." She swung her legs back and forth a few times to get a better feel for them and then slid down from the bed to stand. There was a certain tension in her legs, which was new. Not unexpected though, the medics had told her about this. Her muscles and tendons had to get used to slightly longer bones. Her chest felt lighter, it was easier to stand upright, a sensation which she welcomed.

  A hesitant smile grew on her snout, "I can stand. Legs feel a bit stiff, but not too bad."

  The medic explained, "The stiff feeling is quite normal and will last a few more days. You should make sure to walk a lot during the next days, that will help."

  With Roger's support she took a step. And another. Her balance was quite good, but she stood notably taller now, almost as tall as him, and it felt more like strutting than like walking. Roger smiled at her and she smiled back, "I think the legs are fine. Feels different, but not bad. Chest feels fine too."

  She took a few more careful steps, up to the door and then back to the bed where she sat down again, "It's a bit weird to walk and stand so tall, but I guess I can get used to it."

  The medic took some notes on his device and Roger let her know, "Quite the impressive cat you're now."

  She smiled at him.

  "Don't hesitate to call in if something is not as expected, our service line is open 24/7. I recommend you stay here for another thirty minutes, walk around the room and the corridor to get a good feeling for how your legs work now. But if you want, you can leave already."

  Roger nodded, "I'll walk with her a bit, thank you."

  Compared to the pain from her forced voice operation, this was really just an inconvenience. The bigger inconvenience came when she got dressed and her top hang rather loosely around her chest instead of being well filled as it had been before.

  "Roger, before we go home, can we stop to get me a better fitting top, or rather, several? I guess we can toss all my old tops now ..." she hissed in slight frustration. They certainly could have planned this better.

  Roger just rubbed her cheek, "We'll do that right away. I can set the hovercar's windows to mirror mode, so no one will see you during the ride. It's just out of the hospital, into the car and then into the shop."

  The way out of the hospital had been the worse one, way too many people staring at her. The way into the shop felt like reaching sanctuary, but now she was confronted by a new problem.

  "What happened to you, Miss?"

  It was the same saleswoman who had attended her last time.

  She shrugged a little, "I had an operation to get my chest adjusted, and now I need new tops which fit my new size. They should match the sets you sold me last time in color and style, if possible."

  "Yes, I see that, but I meant ... your fur, the black dye, the silver claws. And you seem to stand taller now? You didn't seem happy about the the fur dye last time and now it's a whole different you."

  She nodded, "Yeah, it's my job though. I need to look like this."

  "Your job?" The saleswoman inquired.

  "Yes. Please don't make it more complicated than it is already. I just need new, fitting tops for the outfits you've sold me last time. They are all nice looking. Do you have matching tops in my new size?"

  She got another inquisitory look from the saleswoman but eventually was told, "I can look up the item numbers from the transaction and see if there are matching tops available."

  She smiled, "Thank you, that sounds good."

  She followed the woman to a terminal in the shop and watched how she looked over the sales and the items, not really taking in any of the details though, until the woman spoke up again, "I've got matching tops in your size for the black and white sets, but not the red and the purple one. Those are made only in a few sizes. But maybe we can find something to match."

  Colors. She'd not be able to tell if they actually matched. Not on screen and not from memory, because her eyes neither could tell red nor purple from yellow and blue.

  She waved, "Roger, I need your help!"

  He had been waiting in a distance, apparently trying not to interfere with their talk, but now approached, "Is there a problem?"

  She nodded, "Yeah. You know I don't see colors well. And there aren't any offers of matching tops for neither the red nor the purple set. So, either I must look for new sets or I need your help with the colors. You can see the old colors here on screen."

  He seemed confused for a moment, "Ah, right. I had forgotten that you can't see some colors. I don't think though comparing with the screen will be good. How about getting two new sets in colors that you like?"

  She nodded again, "That's the best I think. Just wanted to ask you before I spend the money."

  He smiled and rubbed her shoulder, "Don't think about it. I've told you I'll pay for new outfits. It's nothing compared to the costs for the operations."

  That triggered the saleswoman's interest, "So, you made her do all this?"

  Roger crossed his arms, "I just offered the ideas to her and paid for it. She chose to do it by herself."

  The woman looked at her, and she nodded, "Yes, like he said. He also offered to pay for a different snout, but I didn't want that. It's really ok."

  The woman didn't seem very convinced, "If you say so," and added after a pause, "So, besides the three tops in the new size, you want two more sets?"

  She looked at Roger, "Will you pay for three?"

  He nodded, "Sure. Purple looks good on you. White too. Red, I think the patrons will like it, but with the light in the club, red just doesn't stand out enough. How about a red one if you want a red one, another white and two purple ones?"

  The saleswoman squinted, "Club, patrons?"

  "I work as mascot for a club. Nothing bad. I just need to look good, that's all," she tried to defuse the situation.

  Roger gave her a thumbs up while the attention of the saleswoman was on her.

  "Mascot?" The woman shook her head, "Alright, I'll stop asking. So, lets see what we have in white, red and purple"

  "Glossy," Roger interjected, "glossy looks good on her."

  The saleswoman eyed him briefly and nodded, "Well then, glossy white, red and purple."