A faint buzz began to sound as the lights switched on in the hallway. Only one figure was on this 
floor at the moment, the owner of the medical practice that ran out of the large building that 
dominated this block of Leona City's central district. Not far from the hospital, this place served as a 
clinic for the less urgent of medical situations, and many of the hospital's higher-ranking doctors had 
their own offices here. The building was old and therefore large, sized to accommodate everyone up 
to the size of a lion. Despite feeling a little smaller than average here, the place was familiar and 
comfortable. 
     The lights illuminated a coyote woman of pale brown fur and ginger hair that was cut short at the 
back and hung in parted bangs to frame her blue eyes. She wore a yellow top and black pants, both 
with a tight fit that revealed her shape, and the slight bulge of her abdomen. 
     More footsteps sounded after she had taken only a few steps down the hall, and she turned to 
see a lynx in a much more professional looking suit, combed back black hair and similarly toned fur. 
A pair of green eyes narrowed as the felid's lips curled into a smile. 
     'Here early, Linda?' The lynx asked, grinning as her gaze fell to the canid's belly. 'And after a good 
night I see.' 
     'Only thing that would have made it better is if I'd gotten laid first.' Linda replied with a smirk. 'I 
guess I could have tried, but I don't think he would have been into it. I needed to get here early and 
switch some appointments around. I was meant to see two squirrels and a rabbit this morning, but I 
figured it might be a bit awkward while I'm visibly digesting what might be a friend or family 
member.' 
     'Fair enough.' The lynx nodded, still smiling. 'I've had to deal with that myself, it doesn't make for 
a productive session. I'll leave you to it then. Have a good day.' 
     'You too Estelle.' Linda replied. The pair headed their separate ways, with Linda heading to the 
front desk while Estelle made her way to the staircase. There was an elevator, but the lynx preferred 
even the meagre exercise of the second-floor climb over standing in a slow moving box. Once on the 
second floor, she stepped into a waiting room. The receptionist, a lioness named Aure, wasn't here 
yet but it didn't matter. There was still half an hour before the clinic's opening hours would begin at 
8am and Aure wouldn't need more than five minutes to be ready. 
     The door at the other end of this room had a distorted glass panel, one that held a separate 
attached plaque that read "Dr. Estelle Jargal." As she stepped through into her office and turned on 
the ceiling lights, she took a deep breath and let a smile come back to her lips. She'd worked hard to 
make it here, and the sight of it was worth it every time. As well as her desk, she had three different 
sized couches to accommodate patients of different sizes, two bookshelves that sat either side on 
the eastern wall and had her numerous certificates and qualifications hanging between them. 
     As well as this, she had accumulated a collection of toys, trinkets and various implements used to 
distract and provide a measure of comfort during counselling. It wasn't always an easy job, but 
success was always worth the time and effort. A small kitchenette just beside the door allowed her 
to brew coffee or tea for herself or patients should the need arise. 
     About ten minutes passed, during which time she made herself a coffee and Aure had arrived and 
done the same. When the clock ticked over to eight, Estelle pressed the silent switch on her desk 
that would alert Aure in the waiting room that she was ready for the first patient. 
     A few moments passed and the door opened. Aure stood in the tall doorway, holding it open for 
another felid who was just as tall, maybe even slightly taller. A cheetah woman, with short cut black 
hair that hung loose almost to her shoulders and resting on either side of her blue eyes. She was 
wearing loose fitting blue jeans and an equally loose grey shirt top with no patterns or markings. Her 
feet were bare, not unusual for a cheetah, and she seemed to carry a meek demeanour as she 
stepped into the room. Aure closed the door and the cheetah looked to Estelle with a nervous smile. 
     'Hello.' Estelle lifted a hand in a small wave and lifted a file from the stack Aure had left on her 
desk the evening before. She opened the file, finding only one sheet of paper inside. 'I take you're a 
new patient. Have you seen a psychologist before, or is this a new experience for you?' As the 
cheetah took her first few steps into the room, Estelle glanced down and took note of her name. 
Derys Vidalia... 
    'Oh, I've seen one once or twice.' Derys replied. 'My job can be a bit stressful at times? But they 
were nice enough to supply counselling. That guy's so focused on industry related stress though, so I 
was hoping to see someone with a more... generalized experience level?' 
     'Well, you came to the right place.' Estelle nodded, rising from her seat and walking around her 
desk. She stepped up to Derys and offered a hand. 'Would you like to sit down? You can make 
yourself as comfortable as you want.' As she spoke, a feeling began growing in the back of her mind. 
There was something familiar about Derys, something she couldn't quite place. 
     'Thank you.' The cheetah nodded, taking Estelle's hand and following the lynx to the largest couch 
before sitting herself down. She allowed herself to relax a bit more, laying herself down as the 
doctor rested herself on the second largest couch. 'So, um... How does this work?' 
     'Well...' Estelle began. 'Why don't you start by telling me your name and what you feel you 
needed to see me for? Take your time. There's nothing to be worried about here.' 
     'Alright. My name is Derys... Vidalia.' The cheetah answered. 'I guess the reason I'm here is 
because I'm feeling... things that I never used... to feel.' An uneasy look crossed her face for a 
moment before she continued. 'I keep thinking back to before Equality, when there were only felids 
living here, and anyone else you saw was usually a scavenger. Mostly rodents, the odd mustelid 
hiding in alleyways and sewers... and I can't decide whether or not... I prefer it this way?' 
     'I see.' Estelle nodded, thinking for a moment before posing a question. 'So, how often do you get 
the opportunity to hunt these days? Compared to the old days?' 
     'Not often.' The cheetah replied with a brief look of frustration. 'And it tells, especially given how 
often I need to interact with these... people.' 
     'I see.' Estelle nodded, beginning to understand how the situation Derys was dealing with could 
cause significant problems if left unchecked. Carnivores still felt the instinct to hunt despite how far 
evolution had brought the various races into sapience, and various psychological problems could 
arise from this instinct being suppressed for too long. 'So then, when was the last time you 
successfully hunted?' 
     'Oh, two nights ago actually.' Derys replied. 'Found a pair of bunnies running late getting home. 
The boy tried to lure me away so his girl could get away but...' 
     'Oh... But she was the one running.' Estelle nodded, understanding completely that a moving 
target was always the more appealing to a fast-moving hunter like a cheetah. Indeed, most felids in 
general felt their instincts spurred when faced with fleeing prey. It could at times be a difficult thing 
to keep in check. 
     'Exactly.' Derys nodded. 'I ran her down, he caught up. I gave him the opportunity to be as 
chivalrous as he wanted. But I guess when it became a reality? He flaked entirely. She didn't add 
much to my figure but she did scratch the itch.' She lifted her shirt and rested a hand on the pale tan 
fur of her belly. With the loose clothing partially out of the way, Estelle could see the faint bulge the 
rabbit girl had left on Derys' lithe feline form. 
     'I see.' Estelle nodded, feeling a slight pang of envy for that feeling, and sparing a fleeting thought 
towards her own next hunt. 'So, it sounds like everything is fairly normal, is there something specific 
that you had in mind?'      
     Derys sighed and nodded once slowly. 'Afterwards, I don't know why, but I just felt so bad for this 
guy. I've hunted in the past and felt nothing in the aftermath. Even when I've split couples or family 
like this. But this time? I don't know where it came from.' 
     'I see...' Estelle nodded. From her own understanding and experience, the lynx knew that it was 
unusual for a predator to go through something like this. 'It's not usually the case that a predator 
will feel empathy on this level when so deep in in instinct. So, what did you do next?' 
     'I... carried him back to his apartment building.' Derys confessed. 'It was kind of awkward, had a 
belly full of his girlfriend the whole way, and she wasn't quiet or still until half an hour after I got 
home myself. But I wanted to make sure he made it, and I have no idea why I would care.' 
     'This has never happened before?' Estelle asked. 
     'I've hunted couples before.' Derys repeated. 'Usually, I go after the ladies. They're less fattening 
for the most part and easier to get down. But this is the first time I've ever felt bad for the one that 
was left over. I can't figure out what would make me feel this way.' 
     'Hmm.' Estelle nodded, giving the matter a few moments of thought. 
     'Has this ever happened to you?' Derys asked suddenly. 
     'Oh...' Estelle was caught off guard by the question. Typically she would try to keep the patient 
focused on their own thoughts and reflections, and in this moment had to admit she could not recall 
any instances of feeling sorry for her own prey in the past. 'I can't say that it has. But that doesn't 
mean it's a bad thing. Empathy definitely exists between species. It's just unusual that you would 
feel it while your hunting instinct is essentially peaked.' 
     'Should I track this guy down and finish the job?' Derys asked in a tone that suggested she was 
joking. At least Estelle hoped she was. 
     'No dear, that's illegal.' Estelle laughed. 'Pre-meditated hunting is indistinguishable from murder 
so you'd have to hope nobody questioned the timing. Besides, I don't think that's going to solve this. 
Do you mind if I ask how long it had been since you last hunted? Before this one I mean.' 
     'Uhh...' Derys narrowed her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. 'A week and a half? 
Maybe two, I'm not sure. My... job, makes it difficult to keep track sometimes.' 
     'Do you always hunt this frequently?' The lynx asked, her own eyes also narrowing slightly as she 
began to formulate an answer. 
     'Lately, yes.' Derys nodded. 'My schedule makes it difficult to know when the next opportunity 
will be. So I just take every chance I can.' 
     'I think I see what's happening here.' Estelle nodded. 'A carnivore's instinct is less prominent than 
it used to be back in our less evolved days, but it still pushes itself to the fore of our minds if we try 
to ignore it for too long. I think what's going on here is that your instinct isn't being pushed to its 
limits often enough. As a result, you become less prone to its other effects. You didn't eat that girl 
because you needed to, you ate her because you wanted to.'   
     Derys seemed to think for a moment, nodding slowly as she sat up and met Estelle's gaze. 'You 
think that's why I felt bad for the guy? My instinct wasn't really behind it all like it should be?' 
     'Precisely.' Estelle nodded. 'Your hunting instinct wasn't behind your decision to hunt, since you'd 
exercised it so recently. It wasn't hungry enough, so to speak. So it didn't bury your sense of 
empathy when you ate a poor young rabbit's girlfriend? Maybe fiancé or even wife?' 
     'Okay...' Derys nodded again. 'I think I get it now.' 
     'Someone's daughter?' Estelle continued. 'Slowly stewed in your stomach before she ever got the 
chance to be someone's mother?' 
     'Okay, that's enough!' Derys almost growled. 
     'Sorry.' The lynx raised her hands in an apologetic gesture. 'But at least we know your sense of 
empathy is intact.' She stood and returned to her desk, quickly typing something on her computer 
and sending it to Aure. 
     'So is there anything else really to talk about?' Derys asked, sitting up on the couch and looking 
over at Estelle. 'I feel like that pretty much covers what I was worried about.' 
     'It was a rather short session.' Estelle noted. 'But if you think you have enough to go on, we can 
call it there. However, I would like to see you again sometime after two weeks have passed. Just to 
see how you're getting on. Would you feel comfortable with that?' 
     'Sure thing...' Derys nodded. 'I'll make an appointment when I can.' 
     Once Estelle had escorted Derys back to the waiting room and bid her a good rest of the day, she 
returned to her desk and awaited a reply from Aure. It didn't take long before the email was 
returned, and the lioness herself stepped into the room. 
     'You were right.' Aure nodded. 'It's... I mean, technically it's a felony. Should we...?' 
     Estelle sighed. 'No. I don't think it would stick. Also, not really good publicity for anyone. No, I'll 
just try to coax it out of her in the next session. Even if she is trying to go incognito, Miss Delarys 
Vayne is still a person like anyone else, and I'll treat her accordingly whether she uses her real name 
or not.'