Bruno had let her fetch her favorite work outfit, the white one, so that was at least something good in this situation. The photos would show her in her favorite outfit, the way she liked to look.

  Now they were waiting at some sort of reception desk, with an elderly woman trying to make sense of schedules on a holo screen. It seemed Roger had not only surprised Bruno and her with his plan to get new photos but he had also sweet talked the studio owner to squeeze in an extra session for them.

  "Yes, I see it right here, priority shooting for Mr. Roger Rose, tied to some upfront payment. Still the studio is in use right now, you'll have to wait. Please take seat over there, while I inform Mr. Heggins that you have arrived," the woman let them know.

  Bruno nodded, "We need to be back in time for the show though. Mr. Rose will be very angry if Vivian cannot be on stage during the opening ceremony."

  The woman tapped some elements on the screen, "I understand, but the studio is in use and you'll have to wait untill the session is completed. Rest assured though that your session will be kept uninterrupted in the same way. You'll be right next in the queue."

  There was a line of chairs along the wall opposite to the reception desk and Bruno directed her there without much consideration, "Alright night cat, some more minutes to relax and recover till the serious side of life catches up with you again."

  "Bruno, you know my name. Why do you insist on calling me night cat?" She looked at him.

  "In public I have to call you night cat," he ignored her protest and pushed her into a chair before he took seat at her side as well, "Don't think so much about it and just relax until we are called in."

  She hissed quietly while taking a breath, "I'd rather you say my name, though. You know how I lost my voice, and those people also refused to call me by my name"

  He nudged her side with an elbow, "Don't think about that. As long as I'm with you you're safe. Promised. And I'll teach you how to defend yourself too."

  Arguing with a wall was about as effective and so she just leaned against him and closed her eyes for a while, soon to feel his arm around her shoulders and his cheek rested to her hair. For a moment she wanted to protest, but waived the thought and just accepted the feeling of sanctuary before the photo shooting would start.

  The pleasant moment didn't last long though and she heard the voice of the receptionist sound up, "Madam, the makeup artist wants to see you now."

  She blinked, and was gently shaken at her shoulder by Bruno, "Get pretty night cat. I'll wait here."

  She hissed a little sigh but nodded and got up, "See you later, Bruno" and looked at the woman, "Where to?"

  "Follow me," she was instructed and led to a back area of the studio, where the woman knocked at the door, "Marian, I've got work for you."

  The door was opened by a quite androgynous looking fox like furry, a bit shorter than her, very fluffy and only wearing a sort of skirt. They smiled at her, bowed and pointed into the room, "Please enter, Madam, I am Marian and your makeup artist today."

  "Hello Marian," she tried and hesitantly took a few steps into the room. To the one side was a sink and the typical chair of a hairstylist, a bit further an installation which reminded her very much of a shower cabin, but the most surprising was a sort of flat ceramic basin in the middle of the room, easily two meters in diameter.

  She heard the door being closed and Marian appeared at her side, "Such a strong posture! And the golden fur. And the black! Oh Madam, I'll turn you into the most gorgeous looking feline on earth."

  The fox person scurried around her, apparently inspecting her from all sides while she was just confusedly looking over them and the place.

  "Very well Madam, I think I need to adjust your haircut a very little first, and then we'll see about your fur. I think there is a whole lot of potential in it. Do not worry about the hair, it will just be a very tiny adjustment. Please take seat."

  She was taken by a hand and with gentle but determined force directed to the hairstylists chair, before she could make up her mind, "A haircut?"

  "Ah, what a pity that the photos cannot show your voice too! The more reason to make sure you look all the best. Take seat and relax." The fox person seemed to be everywhere at once, and before she could think twice, she ended up in the chair which was tilted backwards will she felt the rim of the sink below her neck, "Lean your head backwards, please. Yes, that is good. Tell me if the water is too cold or too warm"

  Gentle lukewarm water was flowing over her hair and she closed her eyes, still overwhelmed, "The temperature is fine, thank you."

  The hair wash took only a few minutes, then the chair was turned the other way so she could see herself in the mirror while Marian fetched a comb and scissors, "I need to trim the ends, just a few millimeters."

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  She nodded a little, and Marian trimmed her hair with the practised swiftness and precision of someone who's been doing this and nothing but this for all their life, "You have fantastic hair, just to imagine what one can do with it! A pity it has to be straight for the photos. Maybe next time we can try some more elaborate? Please tell the one who placed the order how much they missing out."

  She managed only a very small and quiet protest, "Marian, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I need to look on the photos as I look on stage. The customers will be disappointed otherwise."

  "Oh that is no problem at all! I certainly can make time each day to get you styled for the show. You'll be the star on stage and look better than ever!" Marian never seemed to lose the least bit of energy.

  She didn't know what to respond and her hair was still wet when Marian seemed pleased with the adjustments, "Now it's time for a shower, and then comes the actual work. Please, the shower cabin is right over there."

  "And my clothes?" She didn't see any place to undress in private or was she supposed to undress in the cabin and hand her clothes out?

  Marian pointed to a shelf, "You can put them here."

  She shook her head lightly, "You want me to undress right here? You can't be serious about that."

  Now Marian stopped in their tracks for the first time, apparently stunned, before life returned to them, "My apologies Madam. I thought you are used to the procedure. I will have to take care of all your fur, I can't work around the rims of your clothes. Once I might stain them with conditioner or powder, and second it will show if the fur is not treated the same everywhere."

  She eyed Marian suspiciously, "All my fur?"

  They nodded, "The door is locked, I can guarantee for your privacy in here."

  "And you?" She eyed them more sternly.

  "I'm an artist and you'll become my artwork today," Marian bowed towards her.

  She took a deep breath, "So, you want to have your hands on me while I am naked?"

  "Madam, please, this is horribly tasteless way to say it. But if you insist to use such words, yes, I need to touch you, there is no other way to work on your fur," Marian bowed again.

  She took off her top and threw it at them. Marian caught it with surprising grace, "Ah, I see you've got your vigor back! Very good, that will make the photos even better."

  With a hiss she got up, pulled down the bottom piece as well and handed it to Marian before she walked towards the shower cabin.

  "Shampoo is in the cabin. Please rinse carefully. Just rub yourself dry with the supplied towels, I need your fur to be a little moist when I apply the conditioner," she heard Marian's instructions before she closed the cabin. The self defense training with Bruno might help to save her dignity on stage, but certainly not in here.

  One hour later she had been sprayed and foamed with all sort of smelly things to shine and fluff up her fur, brushed, combed and trimmed in places, and eventually powdered to soften the shine to a satin sheen, except for the black dyed parts of her fur which were now dark as night with a fine silver shine in the light.

  She definitely never had been this fluffy before and she was sure it would take half the night to wash all the stuff out of her fur again. Definitely she did not want to go to bed with all the chemicals in her fur. But there was no way but to admit that Marian was excellent at what they were doing.

  Fresh silver claw polish, silver coating for her fangs and actual makeup for her face, particularly the area around her eyes completed the styling and Marian was very obviously proud of their work.

  "Oh, I wish I could change places with you Madam. Please visit again soon, you are the material to let dreams come alive! Whenever you need a new hairstyle, dye or just anything, call me. Even if you don't need photos. I do makeup for all occasions, styling for every sort of event. Hair extensions, more fluff in some places, a new look for your eyes - I can do it!" The smaller fox person scurried around her once more with a sort of brush to apply a last tad of powder to some places, even that she was dressed again meanwhile.

  "Marian, I'm sorry to say, but if you work all night in a club like I do, you only want to be yourself once you are off work. But it's appreciated and I'm sure Roger will commission you again once I need a new style," she tried to give them a warm smile, even that she hated the procedure. It was not Marian's fault at all, "But thank you. I'm sure I never looked this good before."

  Outside, Bruno had apparently dozed off on the chair when she returned and she gave him some gentle pats on his cheek till he opened his eyes, "Who reminded me not to sleep at work when I yawned on stage?"

  He laughed a little, "No idea whom that could have been. But you are one impressive night cat now. Ready for the photos?"

  She nodded, "Ready as I can be. I want you there too though, you know better what Roger actually expects from the photos."

  The photo studio itself was quite small but 3d projections could turn it into about anything Mr. Heggins desired. Virtual rooms, landscapes even the interior of a vehicle could be simulated. Right now it showed a scene from the Night Rose night club, frozen in time and the photographer pointed to her podium on the bar, "Be careful, it's the only solid thing in the scene. You can sit and stand upon it safely. Just don't forget everything else is just light and won't hold your weight if you try to step on it."

  Without much ado Bruno lifted her onto the podium. At least the environment felt a bit like the club, the place she had gotten used to meanwhile. It helped to feel not so forsaken up here, even if it was just a hologram.

  Lights were trained on her, not as harsh as the spot lights in the club but strong enough to make her golden fur and the silver claws shine and stand out, while the black fur remained dark as night except for some silver shiny highlights.

  "Alright Vivian, first pose. Sit down, support your weight with your left arm, left knee pointing to me, put the right knee up and the right hand to your chest so people can see the silver claws," Mr. Heggins laid out the plan.

  She tried to get into position but was soon corrected, by Mr. Heggins, who was not shy to put his hands on her. She definitely didn't like this, but protesting didn't seem particularly fruitful either, so she tried to follow his guidance the best she could. "More like this and ... move the knee, yes, and put the hand here, yes," he instructed her while his hands put her into position before he returned to the camera.

  "Push your chest out some more, weight on your left arm, yes, very good. Lower the snout some, keep looking at me, yes, good. Smile so one can see your pretty silver fangs, yes, that is nice. Now turn your chest more to the left, yes, and now more to the right. Good." He kept ordering her while he took photos.

  Bruno remained quiet during the whole procedure but kept watching her with overt interest and she tried her best to ignore him and focus on Mr. Heggins and the camera.