Chapter 1: Instant crush
>You are Anon
>It’s your day off so you decide to go to your favorite little restaurant
>You walk in and wave to the waiter, an old fox who knows what you like
>You look around calmly and enjoy the atmosphere
>But... Somethings wrong
>You see a maned wolf, Raquel, another regular there
>Your table is to her right
>She's usually quite happy, and has a laugh that you swear fills the room
>To be honest you had a sort of crush on her but never had the balls to do anything about it
>But now she’s quietly sobbing, her ears drooped
>An uneaten steak on a plate in front of her
>A young man is sitting across from her
>You don't hear the whole conversation but he looks quite unhappy 
>"One of you people"
>"Cripple"
>"Worst date ever"
>You can see tears falling freely onto the steak
>With each word her ears droop a little bit more
>You aren't exactly one to get into other people’s business, but seeing this made you angry and upset
>You stand and walk over to them both
>You put a hand on the man’s shoulder
>"I think you should leave" you say firmly
>"What? Man mind your own fucking business" he says looking up at you
>You don't remove your hand 
>"It’s my business when I see someone making a lady cry" you say frowning
>"Now get out of here" 
>He huffs and looks like he's going to reply
>Instead he simply says "Fuck it" and leaves
>You turn to Raquel and smile at her
>"Sorry, I just couldn’t sit back and see that"
>Her ears are still drooped but she’s looking up at you with surprise in her eyes
>"I hope he didn’t ruin your meal and hope you don’t mind I stepped in" 
>"Oh. Oh no it’s fine...You're Anon right?" she says 
>So much sadness in her voice...
>"Mind if I join you? I would hate to leave a sad lady alone" you ask politely
>Her ears perk up a little
>"Oh uh...sure I would like that actually" she says with a faint smile
>You look at her and notice something that should have been painfully obvious
>Her left arm is gone just below the shoulder, the long sweater she was wearing tied in a knot at the end
>You don’t want to stare so instead you focus on the rest of her
>Her entire build is what you would call lanky
>Long legs, long arms...arm, and long neck
>Long fluffy tail that is swishing behind her with a tip of white fur
>Her fur is a golden brown,, a black streak running from between her ears down past where you could see
>Dark brown eyes
>Her ears twirl and flick gently, the left one pierced towards the middle with a single gold ring
>You sit and smile at her, you get a small smile
>You wave to the waiter who is bringing you your usual meal of a bacon cheeseburger and fries
>"Ah here you are Anon, do enjoy" he says as he drops it off
>"Thanks Joe" you respond
>She's back looking sad
>Fuck
>"Hey what’s wrong, I hate to see a pretty girl frowning"
>Smooth dude
>She looks back up at you
>"I...I need help, can you...can you cut my steak for me..." she says sadly
>You smile at her
>"Aww that’s all you need from me? I would be happy to help with that!" you say as you reach over and grab her plate and slide it over
>"Now I just need a..."' you look around for a good knife
>"Here" she says as she hands you a steak knife
>"Thank you" you say cheerfully 
>You set to work cutting up her steak 
>"How big should I leave the pieces for you? I usually like bigger pieces" you say as you saw through the steak
>"However you like will do" she says as she watches you 
>"There we go, all done" you say as you finish and slide the plate back to her with her fork
>"Thank you Anon" she says with the first genuine smile you've seen from her today
>You wave it off
>"Don't mention it, it’s no big deal"
>She’s quiet for a moment
>"It is to me, I haven't had the best of luck lately" she says frowning
>"Ah well we can't all have the best of dates, I had one where the girl I was with played on her phone the whole time" you say trying to avoid the whole...missing arm 
>She sighs
>"Yea my friend set me up on a blind date, said that it would be good for me to go out and socialize, I guess she didn't tell him I was a maned wolf or about Uhmm...this" she waves the stump of her left arm at you
>You grimace
>"Well his loss then, I mean I don't get a chance to have lunch with a pretty lady like yourself very often, so I guess I should thank him later" you say with a smile
>She laughs at that
>God her laugh is addictive to listen to
>"Aw you flatterer, thinking I'm pretty" she says with a smile, looking down at her plate
>"Well it’s true" you say before munching on a fry
>You both eat and chat 
>You learn little things about her
>She’s 27, works as a designer, enjoyed reading and sewing as hobbies
>You tell her you work as a web designer
>When the waiter brings the bill, she reaches for her purse but you stop her
>"I'll get your meal, don't worry about it" you say as you grab it
>"Oh, but you don't have to Anon “she protests
>"It’s fine, besides I don’t let girls pay for dates" you say handing the waiter your card
>Her ears flick quickly
>"I didn't know it was a date" she says smiling
>"Well it started as your blind date, and I guess turned into a date between us" you say with a shrug
>The waiter gives you back your card which you pocket
>She smiles happily 
>She stands and you follow suit
>You walk her out and she stops to look at you
>"Thanks Anon, I needed a good time like that" she says
>"It’s no problem, I enjoyed your company" you say with a smile
>She hugs you
>"Here’s my number if you want to try date number 2" she says as she hands you a slip of paper
>Awesome!
>"I’ll definitely call" 
>"Ok cay then" she says with a happy bounce
>She says with a smile before walking away
>You look at the paper with her number with a little heart next to it
>What a strange way to start dating


Chapter 2: True Colors
>It had been a few days since you saved Raquel from her blind date
>To be honest you wanted to call right away and arrange the 2nd date
>But you also didn’t want to seem like you were desperately thirsty 
>But a few days should do it right?
>You pull up her contact info on your phone and press the dial button
>It rings twice before she picks up
>"Hello?"
>Oh good she sounds sad again
>You try to remain chipper for her though
>"Hey Raquel! It’s Anon! I was just calling to see if you were serious about that second date!"
>"Oh....OH! Anon! Yes! Yes I would love to go on another date with you!" She says as you hear a bit of cluttering around
>Her voice is melodically happy now, you guess she was sulking and you snapped her out of it
>"Great! When are you free? I would love to take you to this sushi place I know" you say as you rifle through some files on your computer screen
>"Uhh can I say tonight? I’m free tonight...or tomorrow...or the next day"
>Uh oh she’s going sad again
>You can only guess that this has something to do with her missing arm but you weren’t going to ask
>But you need to pull her out of this sadness
>Well...you didn’t need to
>But a part of you wanted nothing more than to hear that laugh of hers
>It was one of the things that made you have a crush on her in the first place
>She was usually sitting with friends drinking tea and laughing while you sat alone
>But you don’t have time to mope about yourself
>"Of course you can say tonight! And hopefully things will go well enough that you would want to tomorrow as well!" you say standing up from your desk and heading to your closet
>You weren’t going to wear your usual video game t shirt or band t shirt on a date
>"What time did you have in Mind Anon? It’s still pretty early but I’m down for whenever" 
>You think for a moment
>"Well I'm off work right now so I could say anytime, I mean even if its early we can do other things together" you say as you pull on a blue button down shirt
>"Is like an hour ok? I could be ready by then" She says with hope in her voice
>"Yea an hour is fine! Text me your address and I’ll come pick you up how’s that?" 
>"Oh that’s perfect! I’ll see you in an hour then!" she says happily
>"See you soon" you say before hanging up
>A moment later her address Buzzes onto your screen
>A 30 minute drive for you at most 
>You throw on your socks and shoes
>Brush your teeth because why not?
>Comb your hair so it isn’t a fuggin mess like always
>You grab your essentials, wallet phone, keys, jacket for the cold
>You step out of your apartment and head outside
>The brisk fall air blows by as leaves of gold and brown flutter past
>While it’s still only about 5 the sun is sinking down painting the sky with reds and oranges 
>You breathe in deeply and let out a relaxed sigh
>Tonight would be great you could feel it

>You pull up to the apartment building Raquel gave you and park in the visitor’s parking spot
>You check the time on your dashboard and see you’re still about 10 minutes early
>Should you wait in the car like a nerd?
>Nah fuck that noise
>You head up to her apartment and knock
>The door opens and you see Raquel 
>She’s wearing a pink sleeveless shirt and blue jeans 
>There are bandages around her stump
>"Hey Anon you’re a bit early" she says "Come on in and let me finish up"
>"What can I say I was eager to spend more time with you" you say with a smile
>"Oh you’re such a flatterer" she says before heading into what you assume is the bathroom
>You look around
>The walls are covered with pictures of different clothes styles,
>On her table there is a bunch of different papers you recognized as sewing patterns
>A sewing machine sit on the table 
>It has a thin layer of dust on it though...
>Your thoughts are broken by Raquel returning with some light blue eyeliner on
>"Hey there all ready to go! I haven’t had sushi in ages!" she says with a smile
>You picked sushi on purpose, quiet meal but also its easy to eat one handed
>Gotta plan ahead
>"I know this great place that’s not far" you say with a smile
>"You look great by the way"
>Her ears flick softly causing the gold hoop to fling around 
>"Thanks" she says quietly
>You open her door and hold it for her
>She heads out and you follow
>She locks her door of course
>The drive to the sushi place is filled with conversations about outdoor stuff
>She says she loves hiking and backpacking
>You had never been backpacking but were willing to try it
>You both have similar tastes in music and movies except she says she doesn’t like RomComs
>"They're so predictable and boring" she says 
>"The guy always gets the girl after some stupid shenanigans happen, plus I hate the humor where it’s just like Oh lets embarrass the main character" she said as she fiddled with the knobs on your radio
>"Yea I always feel embarrassed FOR the character! It’s not funny at all! My siblings loved movies like that and I always had to leave the room!" you said as you pulled into the parking lot
>But you were currently sitting across from her
>The little Anthro Shiba Inu family that ran the restaurant were very friendly
>"I’ll have Uhmm... the California rolls, the dragon rolls and some uh....of the pot stickers" Raquel says as she looks at the menu 
>"Oh and one of those ...Orion? Beers"
>You order Salmon, eel, octopus and squid
>"You said you wanted sushi! That’s not real sushi" you say when the waitress scoots off 
>"I don’t know about eating Raw fish though... seems weird" she says her ears drooping a little
>"Well how about this, you can TRY some of mine, just small bits" you say as you pull out your chopsticks and click them together a few times, testing your grip
>"Besides it is cooked just instead of fire they use sushi vinegar, it kills the bacteria and stuff that makes people sick" 
>"I didn’t know that, and yea I guess I’ll try some of it, gotta be a little adventurous right?" she says grabbing her chopsticks and struggling a bit to get the right grip
>"How are you so good at that?!" she says frustrated as she drops one of the sticks onto the table
>You reach over and correct her grip
>"I studied in Japan for a year while I was in college" you explain as you show her how to move her paws to grab things
>"Cheers on trying to Orion beer by the way" you say with a smile
>"Why what’s wrong with the Orion beer?" she says perking her ears up at you
>Her tail swishes a bit behind her
>"Let’s just say it isn’t the best beer they have in japan, I would have recommended the Asahi" you say with a smile
>"You dick why didn’t you tell me that when I ordered!" she says as she playfully hits you
>"I wanted to see your face when you drank it" you say with a laugh
>"Screw you I’ma love it I bet!" she says as she picks up and ice cube from her cup of water
>"Hey you got it!" you say with a clap
>"I had a good teacher" she says smiling happily at you
>Your food Arrives
>It never takes long to get your food here
>The Shibe dog behind the counter works fast and can make a large order in no time flat
>The waitress places your drink, a Dr.Pepper™ can in front of you with an empty glass
>She places the Orion beer in front of Raquel along with a small cup
>Wow that is just like Japan
>You pour the can into the cup and take a sip
>Mmmm refreshing
>Raquel pours her beer into the cup and takes a sip
>She makes a disgusted face and shudders at it
>She seem you smiling like an idiot at her
>"Oh yea... I...I love it...” she says, still making the face
>"Want another?" you say
>"NO" she says firmly
>She takes another small sip and sticks her tongue out in disgust
>"Why do they even have this?" she says to you as she pushes the glass to you
>"Every country has cheap beer, you just happened to pick the Japanese one, get an Asahi those are good" you say picking up the cup of beer
>"The key to drinking Orion is to down it fast" you say before drinking the whole thing
>"Wow I’m both disgusted you can do that and impressed" Raquel says
>"Hey I went to college! I learned stuff!" 
>You pick up a Piece of salmon and motion of Raquel to pull off a tiny bit
>"Just try it"
>She pulls off a piece and her ears droop 
>"D-do I have to?" she says looking at it pensively
>"It’s a small piece! Just try it!" you say before eating your piece
>She puts it in her mouth and chews a bit
>Her ears perk up almost immediately 
>"Oh that’s good! Lemme try the others!" she says reaching with her chopstick to snatch more 
>"Hey hey hey! Get your own!" you say as you chopstick fight her to save your meal
>"Nah Gimme!" she says laughing
>"Ugh fine! I’ll order more" you say as you wave the waitress over
>The rest of the meal goes very well, you convincing her to try new foods and her liking them then stealing them from you
>You get to see her true self under all that sadness
>You're walking along a boardwalk with her now
>"I’m having such a good time, it’s been a while since I had this much fun" she says looking out over the water
>"I’m glad" you say as you steal a glance at her
>She’s gorgeous, that’s for sure
>"You know I was surprised when you called me, I thought you wouldn’t" she says still looking out over the water
>She shivers slightly as a brisk wind gusts by
>You take off your jacket and put it over her shoulders
>"Now what made you think that? I thought our first "date" went great" you say slightly shocked
>"It was but I didn’t think you would call because...well this" She wiggles her stub out from under your Jacket
>"Oh... Well it doesn’t bother me at all" you say with a shrug
>Her ears perk up
>"Wait really?" she says looking at you
>"Why would it? You’re still fun to hang out with and a great person" you say with a smile
>She puts her paw to your face
>"Thanks anon, I really needed to hear that" she says before shivering again
>"Do you wanna go somewhere else or what?" you ask her
>"Let’s grab some beers and go to my place and watch a movie or something" she says cuddling into your jacket
> "Alright"

>You’re at Raquel’s apartment with a 12 pack of Dead guy Ale
>She chose it and you weren’t gonna argue
>"What movie should we watch" she says going to her DVD collection
>"I’m thinking scary!" she says
>You shrug
>"Scary works" 
>"Hmmmmm how about...Alien! Old school is best school after all" she says holding up the DVD
>You nod in agreement
>"Can’t beat the classics"
>She pops in the DVD happily
>But then her ears droop and her tail starts trying to scoot between her legs
>"Uhmm... Before we watch it...can...can I have your help with something?" she says sadly
>You get up and walk over to her
>"Yea what’s up Raquel? I’ll help with whatever" 
>"Can...can you. Help...change my bandages?" she says frowning at the remains of her arm
>You smile and nod
>"Yea no problem, just tell me what to do and I’ll get it done for you" you say 
>She motions for you to follow her into the bathroom
>In the bathroom, on the counter is a box of gauze, bandage material , medical tape and some type of antibiotic cream, and alcohol wipes
>"First take off these" she says pointing to the bandages currently on her arm
>"Then clean the area ,then put that cream on, then gauze, then bandages, then tape it up" she says pointing out each thing
>"Alright then let’s do this" you say confidently
>You gently peel of the tape and bandages from her left arm
>The area around the amputation is shaved clean, there are still stitches holding the cuts and incisions closed
>This happened recently, you don’t know how recently but you’re sure it’s within a week
>You gently wipe the area clean 
>She winces slightly
>"Sorry did I hurt you" you say as you jump back
>"No...No it just.... Stings around the stitches" she says as she watches your reactions
>You try to rub the cream on as soft as you can to not hurt her
>Gauze, bandages, tape 
>You make quick work of it with precision that would leave a surgeon proud
>"Th-thanks Anon, it’s really hard to do that one handed" she says as she looks down sadly
>You put a finger to her chin and raise it to look at you
>"It’s nothing, I’m happy to help. Seriously" you say 
>You’re deadpanned serious
>She gives a weak smile
>"Promise?" she raises a pinky from her paw at you
>You take her pinky with yours
>"Promise, now let’s get to that movie"

>The movie is just as good as you remember
>Action
>Aliens
>SPAAACCCCEEEEE!
>You’re on Raquel’s couch
>She’s leaned up against you, quietly watching
>At least she was
>A few short snores tell you she’s falling asleep
>You softly shake up awake
>"Hey Raquel, you’re falling asleep, let me tuck you in" you say softly before scooping her up
>"Mmmm ok Anon" she says sleepily before rubbing the side of your face with her paw
>You set her into her bed and turn to leave
>"Mmmm don't go...I’m lonely... just stay and snuggle with me please" she says groggily
>You breathe in deep and exhale softly
>You could call in tomorrow or just go to work from here... couldn’t hurt
>"Alright"
>You slide into her bed behind her, your right arm under her neck and your left arm around her waist
>She scoots into you 
>You reach and pull the blankets up over you both
>"Thank you Anon" she mumbles before quietly falling asleep
>You pet her head gently then close your eyes and drift off to sleep

Chapter 3: you and me
>It’s been about 2 weeks since your second date with Raquel
>You had had a few more dates, some nights of just hanging out
>She had perked up a lot since that first day 
>You were at her apartment with her
>It was raining out and her windows were open, you enjoyed the sound of it
>She was actually sewing again which made you happy
>She had worked through having only one arm and was currently sewing a shirt on you
>No literally
>You were standing in the middle of her living room as she danced around you happily pinning bits of fabric the shirt you had on
>"Hold this here" she said as she pushed a star shaped piece of fabric to your side
>You obliged and she pinned it down 
>"What are you making this for again?" you ask
>"One of my old client’s wants something called and wants something space themed for a movie premier or something" she says happily
>Oh good she’s working again too
>You smile as she works
>You didn’t mind being a living mannequin because it was for her
>"Ok now take it off!" she says 
>You pull the shirt off gently and hand it to her
>She goes to her sewing machine and starts sewing on the pieces
>She hums a tune you don’t recognize as she uses her foot paws to slowly work 
>Her remaining paw gently guides the fabric
>You sit across from her at the table and watch her work
>She eventually notices you watching
>"What?" she says with a smile
>"Nothing, you’re just beautiful and I like to look at you" you say with a smile
>She rolls her eyes
>"Oh please" she says 
>She goes back to her work sewing and humming
>God she’s pretty
>She finishes her work and admires it for a moment
>"Could you put this on the hanger for me please" she says, handing you the finished shirt
>You take it and hang it for her
>She’s gotten a lot better about asking you for help too
>You can see the Maned wolf from before again
>She smiles and laughs and jokes again
>She takes a few pictures of it and sends them to her client you guess
>You look at it
>Not something you would wear but if they liked it then whatever
>Her phone bings and she smiles happily
>"He likes it!" she says as she does a little jig over to you
>"That’s great!" you say with a big hug around her
>She hugs you close and holds you tight
>"Thanks anon, you’ve been a real great help for me" she says into your chest softly
>"Hey it’s nothing, anyone would do that for you" you say petting her head 
>"No I mean for everything" she says looking up into your eyes
>"I was in a real bad place after I lost my arm, and you helped me get better...you showed me I’m still me... even if there is a little less of me" She whispers
>You hug her closer
>You kiss her on the forehead and smile
>She kisses you and pulls away softly
>Her deep brown eyes are looking right into yours
>You pull her into another kiss and you feel her tongue push into your mouth
>An explosion of sensations, happiness, her beauty, her smell everything comes at once as you feel her body and tongue
>She breaks away and hugs into you
>"Thank you so so much" she says with tears in her eyes
>"Hey hey hey its fine" you say wiping away the tears
>A brisk wind blows and she shivers slightly
>You break from the hug and go get a blanket
>You go to the couch and drape the blanket over your shoulders
>She sits in your lap and you close the blankets around you both
>You spend the evening snuggling and listening to the rain

>Chapter 4: Be Together
>Fall winds blow as you trudge up the mountain
>Raquel and you were backpack hiking
>You had taken time off work for this
>A week long trek, going up the California mountains, through the redwood forests, maybe even a bit of abalone diving
>Backpacking wasn’t something you had done before, Raquel talked you into it
>Usually a few hour hike sated your need for the outdoors
>Raquel as besides you as you walked through the trees up the mountain
>"These aren’t mountains ya know, these are big hills" she says as she fidgets with one of her rucksack straps
>"Bullshit these are mountains, that’s what we called them on the east coast" you retort quickly
>You reach over and help her with the strap
>"That’s because they never saw REAL mountains, ones with snow caps!" she says as she slaps away your hand playfully
>"HEY I’ve climbed mount Fuji! Don’t mess with me!"
>You pull a kung Fu stance
>She’s laughs loudly
>God you love that laugh
>"What’s Japan like anyway?" she asks through a laugh
>The sun is slowly descending, the sky burns orange and red 
>The only traces of civilization are contrail etches across the skies
>You think for a moment
>"It’s...different... in a good way" you say as you stop and look around
>"Let’s set up camp over there" 
>You point to a small clearing next to a downed redwood
>"What do you mean different?" Raquel asks, dropping her pack roughly and leaning it against a stump
>"I mean I didn’t fit in there at all, the people were nice and friendly and the food was good but..."
>You stare off into the distance
>"But?" she asks sliding up to you 
>"The showers are too short for starters, people always want pictures because you’re different and have to sense of personal space" you say as you pull the 2 person tent out of your pack
>"I enjoyed the sights and such but god they are such a collective community that they seem almost 2 faced" 
>You had taken a few culture classes on your days
>Japan had a very collective culture, America and most of Europe were individual focused
>You start setting up the tent and swear gently as you struggle against it
>Raquel grabs a few of the stakes and pushes them in so they are upright, waiting for you to hammer them in
>You glance over at her occasionally
>She’s a total doll and you can’t help but feel lucky to have her here with you
>Her dark fur contrasts her bright yellow shirt with the words "Make music not war" printed in pink letters 
>Her stump has a small red ribbon wrapped around it
>You were sure she could be a model even with the missing limb
>There were models like that right? 
>You had seen a few ads with them
>You think about this as you set up the poles of the tent
>When it’s finished (after a lot of swearing from you) you set the packs inside and unroll your sleeping mats and bags
>Raquel is making a small fire pit, gathering stones to form a circle
>You go to gather the logs around and set a fire up
>Raquel watches as you walk around grabbing logs
>"You’re such a weird guy Anon" she says after you throw a termite infested log down the mountain
>You perk up and look at her
>"Yes, yes I am....but why am I this time?" you say as you dump the good logs you found into a pile and set up the campers stove on a boulder
>"You’re dating an Amputee maned wolf, take pleasure in stupid things like throwing rocks at the moon and yelling "fuck off space egg" and you drink and only get more romantic towards me" she says with her ears perked up and her tail swishing
>"Fuck that space egg" is all you can laugh out as you put some sausages on the stove
>She walks up behind you and hugs you tight
>"I don’t think I could be happier than I am with you now" she says softly "with or without my arm"
>You turn and pull her into a close hug
>"I’m glad you’re happy again, you deserve that"

>Dusk flows into night
>Raquel tells you about her childhood, her parents who live in Brazil, How she was raised in the US by her aunt, how her aunt died a few years ago in a car accident
>You think and take a swig from your flask as you listen
>That explains why she’s been lonely
>Most of her "friends" were fair weather friends, disappearing when she needed them most
>Her Family was back in Brazil and probably didn’t even know she had lost her arm
>"What about you Anon? What’s your family like? Can I meet them?" she asks 
>She's sitting on a tree stump looking at you with those beautiful eyes
>"My parents divorced when I was young, they got split custody of me and my siblings , so we went back and forth never really settling in" you say as you take another quick swig
>"And I don’t think you'll meet them, I'm Anonymous after all"
>A few years ago you had been pulled into this world 
>Simply woken up in a park with nothing save your wallet and clothes
>You lived on the streets for a while
>No one really noticed or cared until you met a factory worker who told you about the BHA
>They helped you get your life together
>You owed a certain tiger and her...boyfriend? Partner? Housemate? 
>You’re looking into the fire
>"You're Anonymous? I didn’t know that" Raquel says as she shifts and sits next to you
>You lean your head onto her shoulder and wrap an arm around her
>"Yea...appeared here with nothing" you pass her your flask and she takes a quick swig
>"That’s why I know loss" 
>"You lost your arm and felt empty like you weren’t the same, I know that feeling, wake up and everything you knew is gone, every person you ever met out of reach, it... hurts" you say as you pull her closer
>She’s quiet for a moment
>"You never asked how I lost my arm" she says drinking the final few drops and setting the flask down
>You look to her
>The firelight dances in her eyes, her golden brown fur shimmering 
>"I figured you would tell me when you were ready" 
>"It was... stupid" she says 
>"My friends and I were on the lake swimming around our boat and I guess another boat didn’t see me and.... well the propeller got me" she says with a tear in her eye
>You reach over and wipe it away
>"I’m sorry that happened to you Raquel"
>She leans her head against yours
>"I’m happy it let me meet you Anon"
>You smile and listen to the crackle of the fire
>You chance a peek at your watch
>10 pm
>You would be up at dawn so you should probably turn in
>"We should probably turn in for the night" you say, rubbing her side gently
>"Mmm ok" 
>You stand and both walk to the tent
>Quickly you kick off your boots and undress
>You help her out of her clothes and get into your sleeping bag
>"Scooch over Anon"
>She slides into your sleeping bag with you
>Warm soft fur pressed against you
>You wrap your arms around her and kiss between her ears, which flick quickly
>"Goodnight Anon, I love you" she says softly
>"I love you too Raquel"
>You were happy you could share your stories
>You were happy you could be together like this
>She fades off to sleep and so you do, with visions of you two together for years to come

Chapter 5: Mourning Morning
>You had lost everything
>The wildfires had swept across states from California leaving fields of ash
>It took weeks to contain the fires
>You were standing in front of what used to be your apartment building
>You and Raquel had been evacuated, you literally only had a luggage bag of clothes and your car
>Raquel’s apartment building had been sparred but everything everywhere was covered in ash
>You kick a bit of burnt wood and sigh
>What now
>You had insurance on your things but that would take weeks to process
>Literally thousands of people had lost everything just like you
>"Anon? Come on babe, let’s go, we won’t be able to salvage anything" Raquel says putting her paw on your shoulder
>You stare up at fire scorched building and swear angrily to yourself
>Things were just going too well 
>You had just gotten a promotion, Raquel was getting more and more celebrities looking for her work
>And then life decided to kick you in the metaphorical balls again
>First you lose everything when you’re transported into this world
>Then you lose everything because California is a place where you could fart and the state would blow up and everything around it would burn
>You couldn’t even go back to Raquel’s place yet
>The area was under quarantine, the smoke and ash was heavily toxic after a few chemical plants burned down
>They said the cleanup could take weeks
>Your phone goes off, you look at the screen and frown slightly
>Jasmine the tiger was calling, it’s not that you disliked her, far from it
>She was friendly and nice and called you periodically seeing how you were
>She got you in contact with the people to help get your certificates and credentials back after you got transported here
>But you were in an sour mood and didn’t want to accidentally burn a bridge because of your temper
>You answer the call anyway
>"Hi Anon, how are you holding up, I hope those fires didn’t affect you too bad" she says with questioning tone
>Your frown deepens
>"Well I’m currently looking up at the charred remains of my apartment, so they did"
>You could almost hear her wince through the phone
>"Well Uhmm... what about your girlfriend? Could you stay with her?" she asks pensively
>"Toxic ash... her place is quarantined" you say as you reach over and hug Raquel briefly
>"Oh mhmmm....do you have anywhere to stay long term? Friends or fam....err your girlfriends family?" you know she’s doing her job but you really want to end this conversation
>"No we don’t" you answer grumpily
>"Ok well there is an Anonymous temporary shelter around there, let me make a few calls and see if I can get it open for you and your girlfriend" she says, you hear papers flipping in the background
>"Her name is Raquel by the way" you say with a slightly better tone
>"Oh ok! I’ll give you a call in a bit! Take care!" she says before she hangs up
>She’s a bit too cheerful for the mood you were in
>You look at Raquel and smile softly
>"Well we have some good news, that BHA Agent says there might be a temporary Anonymous shelter we can stay in until we're back on our feet" you say to her
>Her ears perk up a bit and she smiles
>"See, I told you things were going to get better" she says hugging you softly
>You get to your car and sit inside waiting
>Not like you could go anywhere else
>Your work office had burned down
>The restaurant where you met Raquel was extra crispy
>Your phone buzzes to life and you answer
>"Hey Anon! Good news! There is a Shelter you can go to in the next city, a BHA agent will meet you there with the keys!" Jasmine says happily "I'll text you the info!"
>"Thanks Jasmine" you say as you start up the car
>"Also can you send Me Raquel’s Info? I need it for your file" she says matter of factly 
>"Uhh I’ll give her the phone"
>Their conversation is short
>Phone number, address...Species
>By the time she hands your phone back to you, you had already gotten a text with the info
>You plug it into your GPS and get going
>The ride is quiet, you both were tired, 
>The evacuations, the busy shelters
>The traffic, the suspense from not knowing if you would return to your home or....nothing
>All of it lead to this
>You had stayed in one of these shelters before, little apartments, hotel room like suits with small kitchens and a few pots and pans
>Nothing fancy
>But you supposed you were better off than some... but that doesn’t make you feel better
>You park and there is a Man in a BHA uniform waiting
>"You’re Anon? Jasmine said you would be coming, here’s the keys, just drop them at the local office when you’re back on your feet"
>You enter the hotel like buildings front door with all of your possessions and with Raquel’s luggage
>Looking at the key, you see the number 114 engraved into it
>First floor at least
>"114 love, should be on this side" you say to Raquel as you follow the numbers
>You find it and unlock the door
>It’s basic
>A queen sized bed, a nightstand, a small TV, the kitchen was so small you doubted you could open the dishwasher the whole way
>But it was free and was a roof over your heads
>You collapse onto the bed, and Raquel follows suit
>"Fuck" you say softly
>"Fuck" she parrots
>You grab a hold of her paw
>She squeezes it gently
>"Well get through this"
>You always do

Chapter 6: on Melancholy Hill
>Things between you and Raquel had been...tense
>Not because you were mad at each other, you love each other
>The fires and loss of everything you own had actually brought you closer together
>The issue was that you were both cooped up in a single room with each other
>You had no outlets for your stress and too much spare time
>Your boss had gotten in contact with you and said the new office would be ready in a few months
>Raquel couldn’t get to her sewing machine because of the toxic ash
>You had bought a new TV and a laptop to get some stress away but you could only do so much
>Plus there were several other Anonymous members here that were affected by the fire
>Some alone, some had brought whole families
>Cabin fever was getting to you so decided...fuck it
>Vacation
>You weren’t losing vacation time so might as well right?
>Luckily you were smart and had saved all your important documents
>And because you were such a great guy, you saved it as a surprise
>You were currently driving to the airport
>Raquel was trying to get you to spoil the surprise by asking 20 questions
>Questions like "what’s around it" "what’s it known for?" and "do I know anyone there"
>To which you answered "Stuff" "things" and "no"
>You parked in the "long term" spot and unloaded the luggage
>"What gate are we?" 
>"A24, let’s go" you say as you look at the tickets, hiding them from her view
>She pouts
>"When do I get to know where we're going?" she asks slightly annoyed
>"Now" you say pointing up at the sign that says "Hawaiian Air" at the check in
>Her eyes go wide and her mouth drops open
>"HAWAII!?!" she yells happily as she jumps into your arms "HOW?!"
>"Yep Hawaii, I called in some favors" you say with a smile
>A certain Anonymous member was really well off and was letting you use his vacation house provided you make his business a website
>When you asked how he wanted it he said "I don’t care just don’t make it too annoying"
>Made your job easier
>"How Long?!" she says practically skipping up to the check out
>"A month, he said we could use it longer if we wanted since he wasn’t going to" 
>The whole process of getting through all the airport stuff was a breeze as Raquel happily danced around and talked about Hiking and swimming and snorkeling
>"Ooo we can go to one of those shows and I can see if I can get some inspiration for new designs!"
>She was ecstatic and that of course made you smile
>You loved seeing her happy like this
>Such a HUGE change from that first day you met her
>It was hard to see that same Maned wolf crying into her meal in the now happily chatting Maned wolf
>Or course you couldn’t complain about the change
>Boarding was easy and being the genius you were had reserved a window seat for Raquel
>You grip her hand softly as the plane takes off and close your eyes
>Might as well get some shut eye

>You're awoken by Raquel gently shaking you
>"Anon? Anon look there’s the island!" she says happily 
>You lean over her to look out the window and sure enough there it is
>A green jewel in a vast blue ocean
>The flight paths around Hawaii are actually pretty low only about 9000 feet compared to cruising at 32000
>She watches out the window as the plane lands and you try to wake up more
>"Did you sleep at all Raquel?" you ask her groggily 
>"No, I was too excited" she squeals happily
>You smile and rub yours eye
>The landing is uneventful and getting your luggage and a rental car was easy
>You followed your phones directions to the summer house 
>Pretty standard Vacation stuff
>As you pull up you're in awe of the view from the house
>You can see Diamond Head from here and the oceans beyond
>What did this dude have when he came? 
>It even has a full working shower for Anthros
>Raquel is already unpacking and listing things she wants to do
>"We have to see that pineapple plantation, and go to half moon bay and shark tooth beach!"
>You smile and start unpacking your things as well
>This was going to be a fun trip

>You and Raquel decided that today was a comfy relaxing day...not a sightseeing day
>So you found a beach that you and her could relax at and spend the day
>You were driving the rental car, windows down, sunglasses on, not caring
>You glance over at Raquel
>She’s wearing just her red bikini top and a Flowing white skirt 
>It took a while to convince her that she didn’t need to be self-conscious about her Missing arm
>"There are lots of amputees in the world, nothing to worry about" you said
>She’s humming happily to a song on the radio you didn’t recognize
>She had tried to get you to listen to some Anthro artists but most were pop music, which was one of the few things you and Raquel disagreed on, but didn’t let get in the way of your happiness together
>You breathe in the salty humid air and smile
>From what you saw of the islands mountains beaches it was almost as beautiful as Raquel
>Almost
>You park and get out and breathe deep
>God that salty sea air always smells great
>Raquel gets out and takes a few pictures of the beach and the sand
>You cover your face whenever she tries to snap your picture
>You aren’t vain enough to take selfies and dislike having your picture taken
>"Come on Anon! Please let me get pictures of you! How else will we remember this?" She pleads as you keep covering your face with random objects
>You sigh
>"Fine" you say reluctantly
>"YAY!" she pounces on you with a hug
>She snaps pictures as you both walk to the water
>Luckily this isn’t one of the "touristy" beaches so it wasn’t completely full
>You set up a beach blanket, an umbrella and a cooler full of beer, sandwiches and water
>You look out at the clear blue water, listen to the crashing of the waves and the cawing of gulls
>Paradise
>But it was only paradise because you were with Raquel
>She's taken off her skirt revealing her red bikini bottom
>You can’t help but stare as she runs off into the water laughing happily
>You follow and jump in after her
>You wade out to her and she hooks her arm around your waist as the water gently laps at both of you
>"I’m glad you’re here with me Anon"
>"And I’m glad you’re here with me"
>Yhe Gorillaz had it right after all
"~Look, if heaven had a VIP, this is it, white sand, blue sea"

>You were hiking through the jungles of Hawaii up some mountain that's name you couldn’t pronounce right
>But you heard there was a beautiful waterfall and pool at the top you could swim in
>Raquel was having a bit of a rough time though
>The trail was steep in some places and required handholds
>So being the gentleman you were, you would go first and find the easiest way up then help her with both encouraging words and the occasional helping hand
>You were sweating though and she was panting
>Humidity was killer here but you could tell the daily rain shower was coming
>Plus the hottest it ever got was 92 degrees Fahrenheit 
>"I love the outdoors! I love this it’s such a different kind of Hike!" Raquel says as she looks up at the canopy of the jungles
>"The air is clean and wet, the ground soft! You can even see those super colorful birds!"
>"Plus you don’t need to worry about bears or mountain lions" you say with a smile
>You take a drink of water from your bottle and offer it to Raquel, which she accepts happily
>"We should be nearing the top" you say looking at the mile markers
>You climb a bit further only to have your heart sink a little
>There’s a sheer wall about 12 feet tall
>You could climb it easy but....
>Raquel...
>You turn to her, expecting the worst but you’re actually surprised
>She has a look of stern determination
>"Fuck this wall! I’m not letting it ruin our day. HOLD MY BAG!"
>She hands her bag to you and throws herself at the wall like nothing you’ve seen in her before
>She’s about 2 feet front the top actually after that solid jump onto it
>But she’s stopped
>"Uhmm...Anon...Can you give me a boost?" she says over her shoulder
>You smile and drop the bags off then walk so you’re under her
>"What do you need me to do love?"
>"Uhmm. Push my right footpaws up, I can’t find a good foothold"
>You cup both your hand and push her footpaw up and continue to push until you can’t reach further
>You hear a bit of scrambling and then a triumphant yell
>You look up and See Raquel jumping around at the top
>"I did it! I did it!" 
>You smile and get the bags and throw them up to her one by one
>You start to climb and get to where she was stuck
>Fuck you can’t find a foothold either
>"Raquel can I get a hand?" you yell up
>You see her poke her head over the edge 
>"Sure love!" she says happily
>She lays down and extends her arm to yours
>You grab her wrist and she grabs yours
>"Ok... one...two...THREEEE" 
>She pulls you and you jump up until you can grab the edge and swing yourself up
>You roll over the edge panting, Raquel next to you doing the same
>You take her paw into yours and smile
>"I Love you Raquel" you say through pants
>"I love you too anon" She says with a toothy smile
>You couldn’t be prouder of her
>After catching your breath you both continue the hike until you make it to the springs
>A 30 foot waterfall crashes into a large clear pool of water
>"We made it!" Raquel says happily
>You hug her close and scratch between her ears gently
>You get a happy growl from her 
>"We sure did babe" you say as you kiss her 

>The past month has been amazing
>You got to do so much with Raquel
>Swimming, snorkeling, hiking
>You went everywhere on the island and a few other islands by again trading favors
>The Anonymous network reached everywhere it seems and favors for things were pretty commonplace
>You got to see the pineapple plantation, an aviary
>The USS Arizona... where one of your great grandfathers had died...in the other world
>That part hit you hard, the other world
>But Raquel was there to comfort you about it
>You were happy for that
>As you both flew home you knew that even if you were cooped up in a small room with her, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else

Chapter 7: Undisclosed Desires
>Some time has passed since the fires destroyed your apartment and left you with nothing
>But you moved on with Raquel
>And moved in together
>You shared a small 2 bedroom townhouse now
>The 2nd bedroom was a workshop / office
>But none of that was important today
>You were sitting at the rebuilt diner you had met Raquel at
>She’s sitting across from you laughing and drinking her tea
>It’s like the maned wolf from before the accident and it filled your heart with Joy to see her again
>Of course she said it was all you that did it
>But you couldn’t take all the credit
>All you did was show her the way, it was her choice to follow it
>"Raquel I have a surprise for you" you say as she finishes her tea
>"What is with you and surprises? You always do...this..." her words trail off
>You look over your shoulder and see that the plan worked
>Her mother and father are sitting at the Table behind you
>They had had their muzzles and faces buried in newspapers, pretending to read them
>Well they might have been reading them
>"Anon...What. How? Why?"
>>"I called in some favors" you say smirking
>"But that’s not important"
>"This is" you fish a ring out of your pocket and present it to her
>Her paw is to her mouth her eyes wide
>You slide out of your chair and onto one knee in front of her
>"Raquel Silva, you’ve made the past year of my life better than ever before, and I would love to spend the rest of it with you"
>You hold the ring up to her
>"Will you marry me?"
>Tears of happiness run down her face
>"Yes! Yes Anon!"
>She holds out her paw and you slip the ring onto her ring pad
>The Diner erupts in applause as you stand up and kiss her
>Her father slides over his chair and so does her mother
>The elderly Maned wolf speaks in broken English but you understand
>"Anon he. Call us, tell of your accident and his love for you and for blessing"
>Her mother speaks now
>"Of course we say yes! He good man! And so handsome!"
>You feel yourself blush as she grabs you cheek with her paw
>"Mom! Stop it!" Raquel says swatting away her paw
>You can’t help but smile as she talks to her parents


Sometime later
>The wedding was amazing
>The A man commonly called "the Chickenman" was your best man and he had brought along Jasmine the tiger
>You swear you saw a tear in his eye but didn’t want to point it out though
>The honeymoon was more than amazing
>You took her to Japan and got to explore 
>She loved climbing My Fuji with you, going to the poke centers and seeing the full-sized Gundam in Tokyo
>Work was going great too
>You were now able to work from home to take care of Raquel
>Raquel still designed but there was a small hindrance
>You look over from your computer to see her struggling to bend down to grab something
>Her swollen belly was in the way
>She’s about 6 months pregnant at this point
>You smile and stand up and hug her from behind
>"Hey! I’m working! Stoppit!"
>"No" you answer simply as you rub her belly
>She swats you away with her prosthetic left paw
>"STOPPIT Lemme work you romantic weirdo! Go yell at the moon again or something and let me work!" she says shooing you away
>You couldn’t help but love this Maned wolf more and more everyday
>"Hey babe" you say as you sit back down and let her work
>"Whaaaaaatttt" she says with a sigh
>"Love you!"
>Her ears perk up
>"Love you too"

~FIN~