K-9, ep.2 (Patreon)

“Did you find anything?” Scott asked excitedly. Laica had been nose to the ground as she sniffed out a trail, and he’d been following close behind waiting for any news that she could provide him.

“Yes!” she said and stood up on her hind legs, hands on her hips and proud. “I have determined that there is a racoon using the factory’s bathroom.”

Scott’s face fell. “That’s it? Just a racoon?” He was thoroughly unamused. He’d been wishing there was something more to find, something more dangerous for them to tackle.

“You look disappointed. But I can assure you racoons can cause quite a bit of trouble,” she padded back over to Scott on all fours and looked up at him. His expression hadn’t changed, and he seemed lost in thought. “Is something wrong?”

The question flustered him. “W-what? No! No, nothing’s wrong. It’s just…I was just noticing how you look different when you walk on all fours versus when you walk on two.”

Laica giggled and ran a few circles around him, tail wagging a bit. “Isn’t it great?! Like this I am your infallible canine companion like you always wanted.” She circled back in front of him then raised up on her back legs. “But then when I stand up like this, I am your beautiful, sensual guard companion.” Laica walked towards him, deliberately swaying her hips a little to draw his eye.

It was currently just the two of them in the building, and Scott was more than happy about that because his thoughts about Laica were running wild. “A-anyway, we uh we better get back to work,” he stuttered as he tried to tear his eyes away from her.

Laica rolled her eyes and dropped back down to all fours. “You’re a killjoy.”

“You don’t have to walk in front of me,” Scott said as he followed closely behind her. Her claws clicked on the floor as she led the way down the hall.

“Oh, come on, you know you like seeing my cute butt,” Laica deliberately swished her thick tail a little.

“You're in dog mode, I'm not going to look at your butt,” Scott said while he pretended to look away. “But at least we don't have to worry about your breasts being exposed anymore.”

"That's true. This bodysuit was a good idea. It's practical, and plus I look good," said Laica. There was silence between them for a few moments as they walked on. "Hey Scott, how are the savings going for the detective agency?"

Scott sighed. “Unfortunately, there’s still a long way to go. Between the licensing itself plus finding a building to either rent or buy…there’s just a lot of overhead expenses that will take some time to get together.”

“You know it would be easier if you let me contribute, too,” Laica said.

“Do you really want to invest in this crazy dream I have? There is a good chance it will fail miserably,” Scott said.

“Of course, I do! It’d be great. We could get hired to uncover a mysterious case involving an evil landlord trying to take advantage of the poor people who just want a place to live. And when we catch them, they’ll say ‘I would have gotten away with it if weren’t for this meddlesome detective and his stupid dog!’” Laica stifled her own snicker.

“Did you just call yourself stupid?”

“Oh, please tell me you understood the reference,” Laica halted until Scott nodded. “Good, because I would have rethought our friendship if you didn’t.”

“Look, even if the agency does manage to get established, the cases we’re likely to get will be about cheating spouses or finding lost relatives.”

Laica sighed. “I know, but a girl can dream, can’t she? I mean, right now the detective agency itself is a dream. That’s not bad, but that’s how things are born after all.”

“Heh when I was in school my dreams were made fun of,” Scott said. He hadn’t intended for there to be a sad note in his voice, but it leaked in just the same.

“Children are cruel and stupid,” Laica said.

Scott nodded his agreement. “What about you? Did you have any issues in school after you mutated?”

Laica’s ears perked up as she chuckled a bit. “Mutated? I was born like this!”

It was Scott’s turn to be surprised. “Oh! How were your parents then? Were they supportive and accepting?”

“My parents are gems,” Laica said as she stood up on her back legs and retrieved a wallet from one of her pockets. From it she pulled a rough-edged photo that looked like it had been well loved and held it out for Scott to see. “These are my parents. All the women in my family are dog women. It’s been this way for generations. The boys are all born as normies, but the women? We’re born as puppies.”

“So, your grandmother? Great grandmother? All of them?” Scott asked as she looked at the photo of little Laica cradled in her mother’s furry arms. Her human dad stood beside them, and all of them were smiling.

“Yep, ever since my great great grandmother back in the 1800s,” Laica said. She was smiling now as she gazed at the picture like she was recalling some fond memory. “So, when people say that mutants didn’t appear until the 1900s, they are wrong. We’ve been here longer than that.” She put the photo away, making sure it was safe and snug in her wallet.

“Wow I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be a mutant back then. It’s rough for mutants now I know, but back then? Man…”

Laica returned to all fours and led them around the corner. “Oh, it was. I have a few stories I could tell once we finish our patrol. If you’d like to hear?”

Scott nodded a very enthusiastic “yes, please!”.

They checked the remaining areas then headed for the guardhouse where a box of donuts and a pot of fresh hot coffee were waiting for them. Finishing the night with a good story would be the perfect thing.