Chapter 13 (Beast Complex)

**The Tiger and the Alpaca** (トラとアルパカ, *Tora to arupaka*?) is the thirteenth chapter of *Beast Complex*.

## Synopsis

Aisha, a tigress who works for what she calls "a company full of idiots", tries not to hurt the other's feelings. As one of the few carnivores in a company full of herbivores, Aisha always has to look out for herself, working hard and trying her best to put on a fake smile, even making her eyes blend into her stripe pattern. The only thing she looks forward to these days is attending a massage parlor once a week, the only place in modern society where carnivores can legally make herbivores obey them. The masseuse, an alpaca named Marilyn, who although doesn't look like it, massages with very good results with a technique in which even carnivores lose all their rigidity.

Marilyn asks Aisha to lie on her back, but Aisha tells her that she does not need treatment on her front, only her back and limbs. She explains that to for a carnivore showing their belly is a sign of "surrender" and therefore it is not so simple. Marilyn responds that she should surrender to her, putting pressure on the sole of her foot, causing Aisha a lot of pain. She tells Aisha her liver is a mess, so she should cut down drinking, and thanks her for being her client every week, regardless of an ulterior motive. Marilyn declares that she enjoys the work where she has full control over the body of a large carnivore, and claims to have the upper hand and orders Aisha to lie back. Shocked, Aisha asks Marilyn to call her name again, causing Marilyn to play with her.

The massage clinic is conveniently located on a busy main street and Aisha cannot tell anyone what she learned from the extremely sadistic alpaca masseuse. In order to deal with her work, Aisha continues to visit the massage parlor every week where she has to deal with Marilyn. One day Aisha can't take it anymore and asks her to stop, claiming that she only comes for a massage, but Marilyn always talks to her like she knows her, like she's some kind of counselor when she's just an impudent herbivore. Crying, Aisha declares that she is a tigress, her work, her personal life, everything has to be perfect and unbeatable, like a tiger. Marilyn replies that yet she continues coming here and after pushing her, Marilyn claims that here Aisha is just a helpless kitten mewling for help, and she still has not obeyed her request. She says that kittens should listen to adults and let her ease her breast muscle. Even when she does not want to lie back, Marilyn puts herself on top of her, forcing her to lay face up. Aisha, who is no longer a tigress, feels good, and is between tears, says she surrenders. Marilyn comments how fitting it is that her tiger pattern stops at her belly, and Aisha responds by telling her that she's a nasty masseuse.

Later, Aisha wonders what they did after that. She keeps trying to remember, but can't. At that time, the alpaca's fur didn't feel as real, it was too fluffy, and Aisha stopped going to the clinic after that day. About two months later, Aisha meets Marilyn on the street, who asks her how she has been and Aisha replies that she has never felt better. Marilyn tells Aisha her posture is looking much more relaxed since last time. Walking past her, Marilyn tells her to take care and calls her Kitty. Aisha turns around and responds by calling her "nasty masseuse", a moment that lasts forever.

## Trivia

* This is the first chapter of *Beast Complex* that stars two female leads.