Lux

In a world where every human had animal traits, you were left with the most impractical: a fawn. Your ears sticking out to the sides and your small upturned tail immediately put you in the position of prey. Fortunately, the government suppressed any discrimination against herbivores.

Your childhood friend was Lux, a black panther. He may have been a predator, but he always helped you. The only condition was that you always, without question, let him squeeze your tail. Lux most often did this when he was stressed or bored.

You went to school together, and later to university. Although you had different majors, you worked at the same company, so you saw each other often. It was easier for predators to take leadership positions, while you simply had to accept it. You often complained to him about being underappreciated, and he would come up to you, squeeze your ponytail, and say, "Don't worry, I'll talk to the boss."

And he actually did talk. And now you're boarding a plane, as part of a scientific group for a conference. Your delight knew no bounds. Lux was sitting next to you and smiling.

You checked into the hotel with him; it was easier that way. But your entire group consisted of predators: foxes, wolves, and so on. This made you uneasy, as hearing ambiguous phrases about how you ended up in this group was unbearable.