While Project Mesozoic has been receiving more volunteers since Dinotopia's official unveiling, Project Cenozoic was nearly forgotten. This wasn't completely unexpected. Who would want to be an Ice Age mammal when one could be a dinosaur. Since it was still summer, becoming a reptile had a lot more appeal. Though when winter time comes around, there may be more people who'd be signing up for Project Cenozoic.
Though that wasn't always the case. Diego had recently received word that Horizon Labs has recently converted a woman into a Smilodon and they were asking for his help in getting her adjusted to her new shape. Diego was pretty sure they were mainly referring to her new canines and how to avoid accidentally stabbing herself. He just hoped that her name wasn't Sierra and her fur was silver. They were getting a bit too close to the Ice Age films as it is.
He was pleasantly surprised when he met Patty. Like him, her fur was a dusty brown. Her human hair was dark brown and in ringlets that ran down to her shoulders. Like Diego, her body was a bit shorter than the lion and tiger Animalians, but she was more thickly-muscled, with shoulders like a linebacker. But that wasn't to say she was too brawny. The sports bra and yoga pants she was wearing were tightly wrapped around outstanding curves. Diego was definitely feel physical attraction to her, but he reined himself.
"So, you must be Patty," he said.
"And you're Diego," said Patty, "I've heard about you. Well, more about after you were converted than before. I mean, I'm sure you're still a great extreme sports star."
"I'm still able to grind. I mean, ride," said Diego, aware that came out wrong.
"Well, having the balance of a cat must help," said Patty.
"A bit, though I had to learn how to balance again with this new body," said Diego, gesturing his large upper body.
"I get what you mean by that," said Patty, "I'm still getting used to it. And I'm afraid I'm going to stab myself every time I look down."
"Well, saber cats weren't designed to be bipeds, so that's part of the problem," said Diego, "I find it's better to bend at the waist than the neck if you want to look down. You can put rubber caps on your teeth until you get used to them."
"I'm glad I don't have a lisp from these things," said Patty.
"Yes, it's not as hard to adjust as one might think," said Diego, "So, you know why I converted. Why did you?"
"I've had problems with luck, both good and bad," said Patty.
"Problems with good luck?" asked Diego.
"Yeah, I've kinda always had good luck with gambling," said Patty, "Not enough that I can just coast off of it for a living, but I win more than I lose at a casino."
"Got in trouble with a casino owner?" asked Diego.
"Yeah, and it's worse when said owner's also a crime lord. I'm glad he can't follow me from Mexico," said Patty.
Diego gave Patty another look. Her voice had a faint lilt and the color of her hair reminded him of some he had seen before. "Are you Mexican?" he asked.
"I've got Mexican blood, but my family's been living in the United States as legal citizens for nearly a century," said Patty, "I'm not just Mexican either. My mom was part Irish, which is why I call myself Patty and not Patricia."
"I didn't want to assume," said Diego.
"I know why you might," said Patty, "But my family isn't going to be tossed out by our current government. Anyways, I do go south of the border for vacations and the last time I did that, I thought I'd have some fun at a casino in Mexico City. Unfortunately, my lucky streak was too lucky for the owner's liking. He was certain I was cheating and didn't believe me when I said it was just luck. So I had to get out of Mexico pretty quick and the government got into the ARP."
"And you chose a saber-toothed cat," said Diego.
"They're my favorite animal," said Patty, "And I don't think a black cat's gonna balance my good luck."
"So what do you intend to do now?" asked Diego.
"Believe it or not, I'm gonna work at the casino here," said Patty. Diego raised an eyebrow at her. "Not as a dealer," said Patty, "If my luck can make a casino feel threatened, it'd probably make customers stop coming if I worked for them. I'm going to be exchanging cash and chips, handing out the big prizes when someone wins big. I was thinking of calling myself Lady Luck there."
Diego could imagine Patty in a showgirl outfit, one in which her breasts were practically spilling out of. The thought turned him on quite a bit. "I'd might call you that too," he said.