In older times, the master of the house and the servants would rarely interact with each other, at least in terms of personally getting to know each other. These days, employer/employee relationships were much more open. Joanne in particular felt like her house staff was practically her family after they saved her from taking her own life. She was wiling to do more to reward them than just paying for moving them to her new mansion with luxurious servant quarters. Joanne was willing to pay for the conversion of anyone who wanted to become an Animalian and the accommodations they'd need afterwards. This was a very generous offer, though only a few of her employees were interested in taking her up on it.
One of these few was Reggie, Joanne's handyman. Reggie was pretty good at fixing things; furniture, plumbing, he could even get a car up and running so long as it wasn't damaged too much. Most of the other servants say his only faults was that he couldn't fix computers and that he was a little oversensitive about his mixed race. Most people wouldn't care that he was half-Caucasian, half-African-American. After all, most black people weren't full-blooded African, having been diluted over the last few centuries. Really, most people would assume Reggie was just another black guy. There were just a few features such as his Roman nose and his blue-green eyes that suggested he was part-white.
While his friends never cared if Reggie was a half-bred, it did gnaw at him a little. He hadn't really considered becoming an Animalian either until the opportunity was presented to him. He found himself wondering what it would be like to be a mixed-breed Animalian. There were obvious limits on that, per Animalia's edicts. But there were some hybrids that could be viable. And since Reggie heard there was a female mule who was available, he might as well give it a shot.
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Reggie was a little nervous about this. While Nelly was quick to respond to his request on the Animalia dating site, he wasn't quite sure what this was going to involve. She told him to meet her at her place and wear jogging clothes. Reggie might not have been on the dating scene as much as some of his acquaintances, but this seems an odd way to start a first date. Double-checking he was at the right apartment door, he knocked. As the door opened, Reggie said, "Excuse me, but does- WHOA!"
Nelly looked down at Reggie with a smirk. "Don't you mean 'Whoa Nelly'?" she asked in a teasing tone. It wasn't that Nellie wasn't dress proactively. Well, she was wearing jogging pants that hugged her legs and hips tightly and a tank top that gave Reggie a good eyeful of her cleavage. It wasn't because she was ripped, Reggie expected that for a mule. But Reggie wasn't prepared for how tall she was. She really towered over him and Reggie wasn't a small man.
Reggie looked at one of her arms that was leaning on the door frame, noticing both the thick muscles and the thick hair hanging from her forearm. "Er...was your father a Clydesdale?" asked Reggie.
"You're thinking of hinnies," said Nelly.
"Pardon?" asked Reggie.
"A hinny is what you get when you breed a stallion and a jenny. A mule is what you get when you breed a jack with a mare," said Nelly. Reggie gave her a blank look. "Yeah, there is a significant difference. Anyways, my dam was an Ardennes, a different kind of draft horse. My sire was an American mammoth donkey."
"Well, it certainly shows," said Reggie, looking her over.
"You going to inspect my teeth too or are we going to get going?" asked Nelly.
"Going where?" asked Reggie.
"A jog around the park," said Nelly, "I want to see what kind of shape you're in."
Reggie frowned and said, "That's hardly fair. Even if you were bred for strength, you're still faster than me."
"Oh, don't worry, I'll go easy on you," said Nelly with a teasing smile.
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'Easy' wasn't Reggie would have described it. Forced to run until he felt like he was going to pop his heart was more accurate. Eventually, Nelly had to carry Reggie back, slung over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Don't do much running?" she asked casually.
"Not...my...job...description..." wheezed Reggie.
"You're going to need to find more time to run," said Nelly, dropping Reggie on her sofa.
"What's...point?" gasped Reggie.
"Well, part of it is showing what the benefit of being a mule like me would be," said Nelly, "You won't tire out so easily if you're a mule. Also, I had to judge your character."
"What does that...have to do...with character?" asked Reggie, getting some of his breath back.
"Well, part of it is determination, see if you willing to tough it out. Also gauge your pride and humility, see if you can stand being out-shown by a woman. Also wanted to see your self-control," said Nelly.
"About what?" asked Reggie.
"Looking back at this bodacious ass," said Nelly, slapping her rear, "Not to mention you've gotten quite a view down my top while I was carrying you." She leaned forward, giving Reggie an even closer look.
Reggie averted his eyes and said, "I don't get that forward on the first date."
"Hmm...an acceptable answer. At least I know you're interested," said Nelly, eyeing the bulge in Reggie's pants, "Gonna have to work harder to make sure you stay interested."
"You don't really have to," said Reggie, "I truly am interested."
Nelly paused before asking, "Why? You could be any other kind of Animalian and mules don't have a stellar reputation beyond being stubborn."
"I've always been half-and-half and I feel like my animal side reflects that," said Reggie, "Also, I kinda have a weak spot for amazons."
Nelly smirked and said, "Good answer, but you're not winning me over that easily. I'm not like my brother, falling in love at first snark."
"First snark?" asked Reggie.
"You'll understand when you meet him and his mate," said Nelly.