He watched as the cab driver lifted his last of his bags into the trunk, slamming it shut as he walked towards the driver’s side of the cab. “Come on kid! We don’t have all day!” he hollered over to Rii.
Rii rolled his eyes, and paced over to the back door of the cab. Looking back over his shoulder at his old home, he noticed no one looking out the window, waving to him, nor giving him a warm farewell. He sniffed softly, and sighed, climbing into the back seat.


He watched out the door window, as multiple homes and parks passed when they got into the city. Furs littered the sidewalks, walking to and from one destination. He also noticed that they all looked like they should have. None had odd fur colors like his. He knew, from the bottom of his heart, that this place wasn’t going to be much different from any other place he had been to.
He yawned softly, and rubbed his eyes softly. Rii was getting tired quickly, and he didn’t know how much longer he could stay awake. The cab made one last turn to the right, and began to slow down. Rii opened his eyes, and looked out the window in awe. “Hey, uh, Are you sure this is the right place?” he asked curiously.
“Heck yea! Now hurry the hell up, and get out of my cab, dammit!” he replied, getting quickly angry. Rii sighed, and opened the door, and took his things out before me made the cab driver crabbier than he already was.
The cab driver wasn’t hesitant on leaving either. Rii just rolled his eyes as the cab driver squealed off down the road. Sighing again to himself, Rii turned around, and looked at his new home. “Holy Fu-.”
He shook his head as he looked over the exterior of the home. At the end of the long paved driveway, stood a large house. “This place is a freaking mansion...” he said to himself as he started up the driveway to the home.
As he walked up the driveway, Rii looked around him, noticing the scenery around him. On each side of the driveway were neatly planted rose bushes in between a mass of violets, which spread all the way up the house. Several large and tall cherry blossom trees also grew on both sides of the driveway.
He smiled softly to himself, and finally reached the house. Rii raised a hesitant paw, and thought to himself “Is this actually the place?” He shrugged the feeling off and rang the door bell. He tapped his footpaw silently as he waited, humming a familiar tune to himself. The door opened, and there stood a tall, broad cheetah.
“Yes, how can I help you?” The cheetah asked. He was dressed in normal attire; jeans, tee-shirt. His yellow and black spots an excellent contrast against each other. Rii eeped, and had to look up at the cheetah.
“I, uh, um... My name’s Rii.” He said, slightly feeling stupid. The cheetah’s eyes brightened and he smiled down at him.
“Rii! We’ve been wondering when you would finally get here. We’ve been expecting you for over an hour. Come on in! Make yourself at home.” The cheetah said politely, picking up Rii’s bag, and carrying it into the house. “My name’s Raphael. And this,” he opened his arms out, “is my place. My home sweet home.”
Rii walked in slowly, taking in the modern style of the home. He looked around, noticing that he wasn’t bombarded by an excess of eyes watching him move in, and a lack of snickering.
“Wow, Rii, they weren’t kidding about your fur either!” Raphael said, looking down at the husky. Rii felt himself get red, and wanted to shout at Raphael already. Raphael sensed this, and shook his head “No, no, I didn’t mean anything bad by it. It’s unique, and I like it.”
Rii blinked, and blushed softly under his black and white fur “Uh, Thanks.” He muttered softly.
Raphael smiled, and pointed up the staircase “First door on the left my friend. Would you mind coming down in about 10 minutes, so I can explain the way things work around here? It’s nothing big, just a couple ground rules. Don’t worry too much”
Rii nodded, and started up the staircase. Never, in his entire life, had he felt this welcomed. Something inside of him felt almost complete now.