Juliet Renard-Argenté was in many ways a practical woman, and while she had been born to a noble family, being practical was highly important. Unlike some countries in Europe that had retained a Constitutional Monarchy and allowed the nobility some means of "state protection," France had had a violent revolution that essentially lead to the creation of the French Republic. And while the period after the revolution had its trials and tribulations, the system of government remained a Republic and ultimately made it that France's nobles had to do far more than they'd done in the past to survive. Juliet's family endured those years by running a healthy and effective vineyard around their estate, though Juliet added in a care facility for the learning impaired after she matured.
Some of this came from issues where the Republic made many of the same sorts of mistakes over the years and people paid the price for it. Among them was her younger brother. He hadn't been completely handicapped, but he was a bit slower than most others and never really picked up what was needed to run the vineyard and meet the regulations that related to it. In theory there could have or should have been more done for him, but that wasn't to be and ultimately her father funneled her brother into the army as a means to be cared for and have something he could do. From there, letters eventually arrived that many officers and NCOs really didn't have time for some of his issues and took it out hard on him, and his letters then stopped after an incident where her brother was ultimately killed in what had been described as some kind of hazing incident. That drove a wedge between Juliet and her parents that lasted until they died, for reasons Juliet never bothered to look into beyond "natural causes."
From there, Juliet set up her chateau to be an extra place where those who had mental conditions like her brother's could be cared for and educated at their own pace and build them up into people who could then succeed in the outside world and wouldn't be held into doing things that they didn't want or would be embarrassing for them. Most that had come through the doors were from poor families though, and Juliet was further saddened at finding how many were slipping through the cracks that in theory the Republic was supposed prevent from forming. With no suiters, Juliet then poured her heart and soul into caring for those that came into her care and giving them the chance to become more than what they were before. After all, she saw in her charges all the great possibilities. They could become caregivers, bakers, farmers, perhaps even make it into high society as they share their story and how they'd overcome their challenges, and Animalia was just to be another of these steps.
Juliet started in becoming a Silver Fox Animalian to show that it was safe and that things would be fine, and that worked, but she'd never expected Fifi and Mia to latch on to the stereotypical "French maid" idea. Neither did she expect either to be interested in becoming Animalians through sex, with Fifi becoming a Striped Skunk Animalian and Mia becoming a Cat Animalian, as she feared it would only lead to them being exploited by others, and again by her own government. The Republic may not be tyrannical, but she was not about to let her Chateau be turned into a state run brothel or strip club. If her girls fell in love and wished to stay there with their husbands, that was one thing, but she wasn't going to let her girls be taken advantage of. And Fifi and Mia weren't the only ones in this, as Gigi also wanted to be converted through sex. Thankfully the Poodle Animalian that provided the milk for Gigi's conversion was straight and would only provide unvaccinated Animalian milk. The rest had gone along a more mundane conversion method, with Marie becoming an Icelandic Sheep Animalian with modest horns on the back of her head and a largely white coat of wool, though the parts covering much of her body was more a cream color than a true white. Olympe became a Percheron Horse Animalian, while Josephine had become a Lakenvelder or Dutch Belted Cow Animalian, and Eloise became an Argenté de Champagne Rabbit Animalian.
So far, none of her girls had given any indication that they were about to let themselves be taken advantage of, even Marie, but that still didn't abandon Juliet's worries. Particularly over the place they wished to celebrate all of their conversions, the Meat Market. Juliet had no problems with its existence and in theory had no problem with the businesses that played to that kind of entertainment, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted her girls involved in it. She'd heard more then enough stories of women getting picked up in such clubs and exploited by those seeking to take advantage of them, and noblewoman who'd taken it upon herself to help people who had been hurt by the lack of money to help those with learning disabilities still saw them as the girls in her care and she didn't want them being taken advantage of. She'd hoped that with Animalia getting their minds together that they wouldn't be looking be looking to celebrate here, but she had promised and this was the place they chose.
It was possible that now having a higher libido as Animalians was driving this forward this decision, and a part of Juliet wanted to put her foot down on that issue. But at the same time, since her own conversion, she'd been finding herself having more and more dreams, many of them of her running into a male Silver Fox Animalian who treated her well, came with a degree in education, and the desire to care and help others. At first the dreams were fairly friendly and normal, though, Juliet also had to privately admit that over time they were also becoming more and more erotic in nature as well. She didn't know how much the girls might have sensed on this, but she also didn't want to end up provoking a fight with them, either. So, here she was.
"This will be fun," Fifi said happily as they entered, "a show and some food as well!"
Juliet frowned at that, but said nothing. The club had accepted their IDs and they made their way in, finding it a bit dimly lit, though mostly to keep the ambiance that one would expect from a strip club. They had a pair that were on stage going through some routine, and looked like they were already down to their underwear while a handful of staff were serving those guests that had already entered. It wasn't packed, but there was a bit of a bigger crowd than what was expected. Juliet also noted that some of the food that was being served went a bit beyond what would normally be served at such an institution. One couple, a male and female, were seated at one table near the south wall and looked to be drinking champagne.
"What is..." Juliet began with her eyes focused on the wine glasses that were there and her nose telling her it was clearly champagne.
"A bit of celebration," came another voice, with a slightly hissing edge to it, "with the pandemic starting to ease a little... we're celebrating some things starting to return closer to normal. Things may not totally get there for awhile, but they're certainly closer than when I started..."
Juliet turned back around to see a four armed Cobra Animalian resting on her tail with a short skirt around her tail and a sort of tank top that left a good bit of her cleavage exposed and with to bottom cut open to give viewers a good look at the well developed abdominal muscles that stretched the female's belly scales. She presently held a set of menus.
"And you started...?" Gigi wondered.
"Probably more than a month ago, now," the Cobra Animalian, who many who came to the club knew as "Becka Doubledecka," answered, "a group of girls in my high school thought conversion would be the best insult... they were surprised when I lost the weight they liked to tease me for, grew bigger boobs than them, and confidence to match."
"High school..." Juliet said slowly.
"Well... yes," Becka answered, "I am still in high school... but I've been double dosed, so in a technical sense, I'm also a legal adult and I didn't join the Meat Market until AFTER I was converted."
"And you're still in school?" Juliet asked.
"Yes," Becka answered, "for the most part I'm looking for more to do once I graduate and move on... but with my confidence high and a well muscled and sexy body, why NOT have a little fun for now."
"How do you balance all this out with school work?" Eloise asked.
"For the most part, it's just once a week during the school year," Becka explained, "right now we're looking forward to summer... and in a few weeks... about a week before Memorial Day when school lets out for the summer, I can do more."
"And they do not control you here?" Juliet asked.
"Of course not," Becka answered, "every routine I do is by choice and as is everything else. Now, if you come with me, I'll show your group to a clear table and you can enjoy the celebration of things being able to return closer to normal."
She moved them to one booth that wasn't too far from bar, and left things open. Juliet allowed the others to climb into the booth before sitting down on the edge of the booth. Becka's comments on the Meat Market celebrating the progress against the pandemic proved true with a fairly wide menu and champagne, which Juliet found herself unable to resist. And a part of her figured things would be reasonably fine, since foxes, like most canids, did occasionally snack on berries from time to time in addition to the animals they regularly hunted. In this, the food was good and for the moment that was enough.
"See, this is fun," Fifi commented while chewing on piece of chicken, "and the food is good."
"And everyone has lots of energy," Gigi added wagging her tail a bit, though this mostly made her shirt wiggle a little bit as the booth didn't have an easy opening in the back of the seat for it, as she watched a pair of cleaners go over the stage.
"I was hoping we'd meet someone," Josephine commented, "the guidebooks all say this place is popular and people want to get in."
"It's probably more just in reference to all those that want to see an Animalian naked... or near naked," Marie commented, "not exactly the perfect romantic scene."
"And it might distract from other opportunities," Olympe commented while taking a bite out of an apple and being sure to flex her biceps as she lifted the apple up to her mouth.
"Yes, but it might be fun while we're here, don't you think?" Mia asked with a smile and with a glance to Fifi.
Fifi nodded, remembering the fun they'd had in their transformation, partially while also knowing that Gigi didn't get that fun during her conversion. Though, a part of her expected Juliet to give some comment about the nature of the present surroundings and avoiding abuse. It was a sentiment that Fifi recognized and respected, for in some ways she looked up to Juliet as another mother, but all the hormones that had gone along with becoming an Animalian, Fifi was happy for more of that kind of fun, even if Juliet was uneasy with it. Though to her surprise the only thing any of them heard from Juliet was a small hiccup. They looked to her and seeing Juliet tipping back and forth and with few ticks of his ears.
"Yes," Fifi eventually nodded to Mia, "I would LOVE to have fun!"
"Love..." Juliet was heard to say, her voice sounding drunk, "I would love to be in love... a handsome fox..." There was a pause as Juliet finished what, when the glass was set down on the table before Juliet's plate the fourth large glass of champagne. She then stood up and sashayed toward the stage, which was presently empty. "One would kind and smart, educated and an educator..." She continued on her way, up a set of stairs and swaying her brush-like tail in a circle behind her and drawing attention not just the silver black appendage and its white tip, but also the generous hips rear that was right below it. "Dashing and kind he would sweep me of my feet."
"Fifi! Mia! You didn't!!?" Olympe snorted to the Cat and Skunk Animalians as they watched as Juliet gripped one of the poles on the stage to let herself arch her back to the point that Juliet was well bent over backwards with one leg raised and her tail almost wrapped around the pole and giving the onlookers a view of the outline of Juliet's own generous but covered bosom.
"No! Honest!" Mia spoke.
"We thought it'd be a good experience, but we didn't think mom would actually get ON the stage!" Fifi added, not noticing the slip of the tongue in referring to Juliet as their mother. It'd technically be true, even if that wasn't how Juliet saw herself in relation to "her" girls.
"And would sire many kits within me," Juliet continued on the stage, barely noticing the whistles and one male voice calling out "foxy lady," and continued to give her drunk statement of the things she wanted, "and showing my father that a family is not made to do things, but is simply loved."
It was when one of Juliet's hands moved toward the buttons that held on her blouse that Olympe and Josephine rushed forward, caught Juliet by her arms and physically carried Juliet off the stage and back to the booth. There were a few protests of the crowd and some surprise from Juliet, but things from there weren't too bad. And from there, once they got Juliet back on the booth's bench, they'd found that it was at this point that Juliet passed out onto Marie's shoulder.