>”...responded within the hour of follow up email with one of his own, claiming to have never received any invoice from us. Our mailer daemon reports that the was successfully sent to client’s email address, and the message was opened, read to completion, and attachment downloaded onto the client’s computer.”
>”Note by A. Ymous: This is the third time we’ve had a ‘miscommunication problem with this guy. Make sure Finance is watching the check this guy sends when he does pay, because I’ve got a hunch that it’ll bounce like a ball when it comes through.”
>Your fingers tap away at the keyboard as you finish up an account report. The third one today, and fortunately it was based around an email exchange.
>It’s better to read an angry email than take an angry phone call. At least your ears are spared in the former case.
>As you initial your report and double check for accuracy, a subdued chime plays from your monitor’s speakers. With it comes a partially opaque alert bubble in the corner of your screen.
>”dude finish what your doing already,” the message reads. “we gotta get out of here b4traffic gets bad if we want to see the opening”
>The rushed message causes you to look just underneath. Sure enough, it’s near time for you to clock out.
>You open up the employee message system, and click your coworker Jared’s face to open up the chat interface.
>The previous message is there, as well as other messages from earlier today ranging from inane bullshit to actually work related discussion.
>You reply back, “I just had to finish off our third complaint from sir bingle bangle bunghole. Tell Ein to make sure he has his wallet before we leave”
>Returning to the previous window, you skim once more to make sure you don’t accidentally tell Finance to give this guy a free pass before submitting it.
>Just in time, because Jared answers you as you sign out of the program.
>”forreal? that dude is a lawsuit waiting to happen. also will do, that fucker still owes me a twenty spot for a cab”
>Letting off a snort of amusement, you start your workstation's shut down process. As it closes down process after process before going dim, you start gathering your stuff.
>Jacket, keys, wallet (don’t be like Ein), and the birthday card you bought from the Mega Mart down the street on your lunch break.
>You tuck that last one into a jacket pocket before putting it on, and your computer chirps a farewell as it heads to sleep for the weekend.
>As you head away from your desk, you run into a crowd in front of the door.
>”Ey, there he is.” Jared calls you out first, and the group begins to shuffle out of the door. “So you’re sure you’re not too upset about playing bus driver tonight?”
>You shake your head as you and your coworkers head out to the parking lot. “Nah. I already got the gas money from everybody, anyways. Plus, I was heading to Silverton anyways.”
>The wolf laughs, “So wait, you just happened to be going to Silverton on the first night of the Riot Festival, but you aren’t going for the concert? Do you just like dealing with traffic?”
>You brush off his question with a wave of your hand, “I have something important I need to do, that’s all.”
>By now, everyone is making it to their own vehicles, and Jared looks away from you to shout, “Remember, we’re meeting in the carpool parking lot by Ceramica Hardware! You miss the ride, you miss the show, you fucks!”
>Jacq, a hairless sphinx, waves off Jared’s reminder as she slips a helmet on and starts up her motorcycle. 
>The Orto brothers, Alex and Conrad, both give a thumbs up from across the parking lot as they hop into Alex’s junk heap of a car.
>You don’t see Ein give a thumbs up, since the four foot tall corgi is too busy climbing into his Fiat. He does call back, though, “Don’t worry, I’ll remember!”
>Any hope you had of your best friend moving past your reason for driving several hours across state lines is dashed when he turns back around to press the issue.
>”So wait wait, what do you need to do in Silverton that is going to take the whole weekend? You’re our ride back, you know.” He tilts his head in curiosity.
>You shake your head, ready for this to be over already, “Just something I’ve been looking forward to. Don’t worry, I’ll be there to pick everyone’s hungover ass on Sunday morning.”
>Jared doesn’t buy it. “Okay yeah, but what are you doing?”
>By now you’re rolling your eyes, “Does it matter, man?” You say with a shrug.
>He leans in, tilting his head back and forth as he sizes you up. He even takes a couple sniffs of you, before leaning back and grinning. “You’re going to see a girl, aren’t ya Anon?”
>”Man fuck you Jared!” You push him away, and he only laughs before pumping his fist in victory.
>”I fucking knew it. I should have guessed you were the long distance relationship type. What’s her name, does she know you’re coming?” The wolf is having a hard time not laughing as his tail dances behind him.
>You sigh in exasperation, “First off, if I hear a word of this mentioned in the ride, everybody is getting dumped on the side of the road and I’m going to Silverton by myself.”
>Jared holds up his hands to prove his innocence, “My lips are sealed, my man. I ain’t about to miss out on Riot Fest over some gossip.” 
>With that out of the way, you run a hand through your hair, “Her name is Lake. And no, she doesn’t. I’m going to surprise her, since this weekend is her birthday. She said she wasn’t doing anything but working, so I thought it would be fun.”
>The canine reels back and sucks in air when you mention surprising Lake. “Dude, you sure about that? She might be playing you. It would suck if you showed up only to find her wrapped up around some other dude.”
>You open your mouth to say something, but you can’t really chastise him for saying something you’ve been worrying about for the past week now since you’ve made this plan.
>Ever the reliable companion, Jared fills the air. “What’ll you do if that happens, man?”
>You look at the ground for a moment, before giving a weak shrug. “Fuck, I dunno. Buy a late ticket to Riot Fest, and bang some racoon chick on someone else’s tent. Drink a lot. Get around to breaking your nose while under the influence.” You find yourself smiling by the time you finish. It’s good to have a back up plan.
>Jared is grinning too, nodding, “Yeah, now that sounds like a fucking plan. I’ll keep an eye out for any striped tail; just text me if this Lake chick is already occupado and you need me to activate order sixty nine, alright?” 
>You’re both laughing like a pair of idiots, and you nod, “Got it, Darth Jared. Keep that phone handy; I’ll tell you if I’m in the all clear, and you can help yourself to all the striped tail you find if things go well.”
>He gives you a toothy grin and a thumbs up. “Fuck yeah man. Remember, Ceramica Hardware. One hour.”
>You wave goodbye, and get into your separate cars to head home and clean up for the ride.
>Well, Jared got into his car.
>You climb into the road behemoth that you called a personal vehicle. 
>American vehicle design, where Mad Max meets creature comforts. The official vehicle of suburban America: the SUV.
>It fits eight, but you’ll only need six of those seats thankfully. Things get a bit stuffy once people are forced to squeeze into the middle seats.
>Everybody pitching in to pay for gas is part of the reason you were even able to go see Lake. This thing was a thirsty vehicle, and even though you topped it off this morning you knew you were going to be riding near empty when you got to Silverton.
>If Riot Festival hadn’t line up with her birthday, you would have to have dropped almost three hundred greenbacks in gas money alone.
>You head home, and after a shower to get the smell of work off of you it's time to make sure everything is in order.
>One last check through your backpack assures that you have the basic hygiene amenities ziplocked in a bag, right on top of three days worth of clothes.
>Rather than risk it getting crushed in your jacket, you slid the card into a flat pocket of your backpack, and toss it into the back of the truck.
>When you get to the carpool lot, the guys are already waiting for you. Several levels more punkified, but waiting patiently nonetheless.
>You’re not even sure where Ein found all the hair to make that mohawk, but the short fucker is rocking it.
>Jacq looks like her regular self, except not she doesn’t have to wear shirts that cover her tattoos. You’re pretty certain she could have afforded to fly herself to Silverton, but she would set off metal detectors from the parking lot with everything hanging from her face.
>You take a deep breath when you spot the Orto brothers. You don’t know how they managed to shower AND get that face paint on within an hour. You just assume that they didn’t shower.
>”Ayyy, Lord Anon has arrived.” Jared welcomes you as you put the truck into park and unlock the doors.
>”Hurry up, we got traffic to beat,” You shout.
>With borderline militaristic efficiency, you have five metalheads tossing their bags into the back of your truck before they start sliding in and buckling up.
>You look over to Jared in the passenger seat, and he’s already hooking up his phone. “Remember,” you remind him, “The AUX cord is a privilege, not a right. No weak shit.”
>He scoffs, feigning insult, “Fucking please. Tell those clowns not to mosh too hard back there so we don’t get pulled over. I’d like to get there before sundown.”
>You take a moment to look into the rear view. Everyone is wearing black, or at least some sort of band t-shirt.
>Right now, you look like a dad about to drop off his son and his metalhead friends at a show before going to play a round of golf. Ah well, first impressions do matter, and this is the first time you’ll be meeting Lake in person.
>With a click, Jared’s phone is plugged in, and the pair of you fist bump. “We rollin’?” He asks.
>You put the truck in drive, “We rollin’.”
>There is a cheer from the four in the back and the horns are thrown up as you leave the parking lot and get up to speed on the on-ramp.
>At this point you thought you would be worried about what Lake would think of you showing up unannounced.
>Instead you’re learning that it is very difficult to avoid speeding while listening to Sanctified by Dynamite. Especially when five out of the six people in the car are half singing, half screaming the lyrics.
>By the second hour you’ve come to accept the fact that power metal in general makes it difficult to practice safe driving habits.
>You’re pretty sure you’ve never turned up the truck’s sound system this high before, and you’re worried something might break.
>Thankfully your boss was a music junkie himself and let everyone call it an early day to beat traffic. Things don’t start getting slow until the four hour mark, and you can’t tell if its actual traffic or the state line checkpoint slowing things down.
>When you’re about an hour out from Silverton, you pull into a gas station. You’re almost at hour five of driving and surprisingly making good time, but everyone needs a break.
>Well, the metalheads need a break to stretch their legs. They were getting too anxious back there for your own peace of mind. Last thing you need to deal with before meeting Lake is a backseat moshpit because they got bored.
>Everyone filters into the store, but you decide it would be smart to top off the truck while you’re here. That way you’re not desperate to find a gas station in a city you’ve never been in.
>Only another hour, and you’ll be face to face with Lake for the first time. You just had to dropped the kids off at their show before that.
>You take a deep breath of the evening air, wondering what you’ll do. You really only brought that birthday card and yourself. Everything else you’re just going to play by ear.
>Jared comes back out first, with a water bottle for the both of you.
>He leaves yours on the hood of the car as you pump gas.
>”So uh…” He starts, and you have a feeling you know where this is going. Such a strong feeling you shoot him a knowing glance.
>The wolf rolls his eyes, “Relaaaax, the guys are still in line for the bathroom. Anyways, how did you meet. Or, uh, find out about each other. Never did the whole long distance dating thing myself.”
>You sigh. If Jared wasn’t your go-to, down for anything friend, you would have fed him some nonsense. Seeing as he’s currently in the running for potential best man however, he at least deserves some answers.
>”I first started talking to Lake on a forum. I mean, I didn’t know she was a she at the time, but she was pretty cool. Liked anime, played video games. Good taste, too.” You explain.
>”So then you start flirting, right? Right? Slid into those DMs like ‘what up?’” Jared leans on the hood of the car as he tries to guess
>”So THEN,” You continue, “Eternal Daydream Fourteen comes out. Crazy big. Ads on the sides of buildings in Japan big. And so the forum puts together a guild. Lots of people join.”
>The pump makes a thump noise as the truck’s tank is filled, automatically stopping the pump. You wiggle the handle while you continue. “We never played any game together before. Work schedules never lined up.  ”
>By this point Jared is starting to get bored, leaning in as he waits for things to get juicy.
>Might as well stop beating around the bush. “Anyways, one day the stars align and I’m in a raid call. And in the middle of the call I hear a girl go ‘Wait wait, who’s NoPictureFound? Is that the same NoPicture from the forum?’”
>Jared grins and his brow lifts. You nod, “So I go ‘Yeah, that’s me.’ while I’m sitting there wondering why it’s important.”
>You hook the pump back to the stand, and smirk, “And then I heard a gasp, and she goes ‘Anon is that you? Oh my god!’ And I’m just confused when she goes ‘It’s me, Lake!’ So that’s the first time I heard her voice. Not very romantic, but yeah.”
>Jared rolls his hand for you to continue, pushing for the good stuff.
>”That raid was a fluke, and we wiped. I’ll spare you the details, but nobody knew what we were supposed to do. The moment the raid call was over though, Lake invited me to a private call.” You explain, leaning on the truck as you watch the gas station’s doors for the rest of the group.
>The wolf is really smiling now. It’s almost predatory, and you’re pretty sure he is about to start drooling.
>”Nothing happens at first,” You explain, which causes his face to drop, “Just casual chat, like on the forum, but over a mic instead of in text.”
>”It became a regular thing, though. After I came home from work and before she would go open her bar-”
>”Wait, this chick runs a bar?” Jared stands up straight as he goes from curious to invested in learning more about your long distance beau.
>”Yeah, a small bar. The kind old people go to. It apparently has been in her family for awhile,” You say, “But she’s running things for her uncle while he does physical therapy.”
>”Dude, if this works out with you and Lake, you gotta give us the hook up. Pay for our drinks with dick, you know what I mean?” He insists, licking his lips as his tail thumps against your truck.
>”Weren’t you the one who told me to be worried if she was playing me? Why are you making plans now?” You look at him sideways.
>”Say it with me now, Anon. Free. Beer. All you gotta do is smash, then ask if we can set up a tab.” Jared’s hand chops the air after every sentence,” And then, you smash a second time, and the tab disappears.” He fans his hands apart.
>”I think you’ve got more confidence in my sexual expertise than I do.” You laugh.
>”All I’m saying is that you might be able to get a good thing going on if you fuck her brains out, alright?” Jared waggles his eyebrows, and eventually you find yourself nodding to his inane plan.
>”Fine, I’ll pull out the magic schlong and put her to sleep.” You agree, just to get past this.
>Jared pumps his fist, “Yeah, that’s my boy. Go all porn star on that tail, and we’ll be set.”
>”Porn star on that what now?” Jacq speaks up, and you watch as Jared nearly jumps out of his fur.
>Seeing as the wolf is too busy trying to not have a heart attack, you have to do all the damage control.
>”Jared thinks I need a pep talk on what to do if I end up getting laid while we’re in Silverton.” You explain.
>The sphinx raises a bald eyebrow, and then she looks over to the smiling canine. “Are we talking about the same Jared here? Two pump chump Jared? He’s giving you sex tips?”
>Jared’s face screws up, “Hey, fuck you. I know what to do in the bedroom.”
>Jacq laughs, “First up, that’s yo mama’s job. Second, don’t even give me that shit Mr. Whiskeydick.”
>The wolf groans, “Man, if I wanted to deal with a bald pussy, you could at least do me the favor of not wearing anything.”
>Jacq snorts, “You didn’t even know what to d-”
>”Wow!” You introduce yourself back into the conversation, “It sounds like I don’t need to hear any of this nonsense. And look, the rest of the guys are coming outside. Time to get back on the road.”
>Jared lets out a sigh of relief, but Jacq rolls her eyes before dismissing Jared with a wave of her hand.. “Only because Anon is such a sweetie for doing this. Or else I’d hang ya with your own knot.” She hisses quietly.
>While the other three approach, Jacq climbs back into her seat.
>You take the moment to look at Jared. “Mr. Whiskeydick?” You ask while closing the gas cap on the truck
>”It happened one time!” He groans, keeping himself hushed as everybody else climbs into the truck..
>You do your best to not laugh as you grab your water bottle and slide back into the driver’s seat.
>Whatever traffic you beat by getting out early seems to have caught up with you.
>It’s either because you’re in the city limits now, or that stop by the gas station somehow managed to lose all the time you saved by leaving work early.
>You’re not happy, and neither is the metal crew you’re taxi’ing. It only takes twenty minutes of sitting still before Jacq is calling other people asshole for you, and the Orto brothers are staring out of the window trying to intimidate the people next to you to give you space to change lanes.
>Guess that face paint does have a use after all.
>After fording your behemoth through Silverton’s street traffic, you make it to the festival district.
>For such a pretty name, it looks eerily similar to some cursed land out of a video game.
>Where the fuck did they even get a castle from?
>You turn into the parking lot and realize that there are -multiple- castles set up around the district.
>Judging from what you can pick up from the excited babbling going on behind you, the castles are just side stages. The amount of bands booked for this weekend is in the double digits. Too many to possibly have them all play over three days on one or two stages.
>You realize that you’re looking at the mecca for any metal fan on this side of the country. It’s slightly irksome that you aren’t as into it all as your coworkers are.
>It doesn’t help that this traffic is unholy. Jared and the rest of the motley bunch are too excited to give a shit that you’ve slowed to a crawl as you attempt to get through the security checkpoint.
>By the third car length forward, they’ve switched to some alternate, demonic language as they rattle off the names of the band names, band members, and swag retailers that will be present.
>You’re pretty sure the words “Afterbirth Gut Punch” were said out loud by Ein, and absolutely no one flinched but you to hear those words coming from the corgi’s mouth.
>It’s only getting darker as you chug along this conveyor belt into the festival grounds proper, and every minute longer you hear about a new band with a name that would have a priest panic if he overheard someone say it.
>Finally you get up to the checkpoint, and as you roll down the window you are face to face with a man who is more beard than human.
>”Anythen I need ta be ahware of in this truck?” The words practically project out of his face, because that beard hardly moved as he spoke.
>You look at the man, then Jared joins your partially concerned check into the backseat.
>The brother are sharing earbuds and are headbanging in the far back, while Ein looks like he’s found his zen. If it wasn’t for his wiggling tail you’re pretty sure he could pass as falling asleep with his eyes open.
>Jacq raises a brow when you and Jared stare at her. “The fuck you want?” You look back to your best friend, and shrug in unison before you turn back to the man in the booth.
>”I got a sphynx with an assault record, a corgi who may not be on this planet right now, two knucklehead humans, and a jackass timber wolf.” You give your best business smile.
>The living beard across from your window stares in silence long enough for your humor to hit the pavement before he presses a button, and the arm bar in front of your truck rises. “Ahlright. You lot behave now, and enjoy the festival.”
>As you drive forward you find yourself pleasantly surprised. “I think I could have told him we had a pile of axes in the trunk and he wouldn’t have said anything.”
>Suddenly Ein comes to life much to the surprise of everyone else, especially Jacq as she jumps hard enough to press into her door. “OHMYGOD YOU SHOULD HAVE. Then he might have given us merchant passes! Uuugh, wasted opportunity.”
>The corgi falls back into his seat, defeated by the world as his slumps over in remorse. You watch in the rear view mirror as Jacq’s look of horror slowly falls off and she eases back into her seat. “Crazy ass fucking dogs. Losing their minds over the dumbest shit.” She mutters.
>Jared isn’t too amused by the casual speciesism, but can’t fault her seeing as Ein got him pretty good too with that outburst.
>You just shake your head, and Jared sits forward to direct you to a spot where you can drop them off. Riot Festival may have taken over Silverton’s festival district, but at least it had the courtesy to keep the roads clear.
>After a bit of discussion, the five of them agree that the tent area would be the best bet. It seems they’ve already had the weekend living arrangements decided with another group over the weekend.
>When you bring your truck up to the curb, the five of them start to unbuckle. It takes some work to get the Orto brothers out of the far back seat, but they manage. 
>By that time you’ve already popped the trunk, and when everyone gets out they collect their things.
>Jared is the last one to hop out. “So, uh, good luck man. Remember, smash, then free beer.” He fires off a pair of finger guns at you before he jumps out of the passenger door and joins the others as they sort out which bag is theirs.
>As soon as everything is handled, everyone but Jared says their farewells and begin heading their way towards the tent city that was cropping up on the side of the district opposite the stage castles.
>It seemed even metalheads valued getting some restful sleep. It would probably be loud as hell to try and sleep through a concert, but judging by how Jared put your poor truck’s speakers through their paces you imagined none of your coworkers would be bothered much by ‘ambient’ metal.
>Speaking of the wolf, he leans onto the driver side window just before you could put it into drive and head over to Lake’s place.
>”So Anon,” he casually starts, a dumb grin on his face as he winds up the pitch, “I just want to let you know that my agreement to stay quiet was only good for one car ride. I’m gonna tell the guys now.”
>This motherfucker.
>He is already running off before you can reach him through the window. Good thing you have a back up plan whenever Jared is being a shitter.
>”Jacq!” You shout, and the sphynx looks around to see you pointing at Jared, who is running away laughing. That is, laughing until he sees her turn to face him. “Get’em!”
>The first syllable of the command isn’t even finished when Jacq drops her suitcase. She hardly needed a reason to mess with Jared, after all.
>She gets two long strides in on an intercepting route before he manages to redirect his momentum. By that time the feline is already closing in, leaning in with a grin on her face.
>The sound of that wolf coughing out a breath of air as a textbook shoulder check is delivered into his chest is downright magical.
>You nod in appreciation, and Jacq gives you a thumbs up as she stands over the knocked over canine.
>He may be your best friend, but Jacq made for a damn good enforcer when it came to keeping him in line.
>With justice properly dispensed, you pull away from the tent city and make your way out of the festival district.
>Before you leave, you prop your phone on on a cheap arm that sticks out of an air conditioner vent.
>It takes a couple taps, but you put the address of her place into the quick pick slots of your phone’s map app last night. 
>She had told you it in hopes that you would visit someday, but work schedules and budgets were a bitch to plan around.
>What little of your plan existed was based on peripheral details. 
>You knew Jared and company were headed to Riot Festival this weekend, so you had them help out with gas money.
>You know that Lake’s place is generally quiet on a Friday night, since her usual clientele were general occupied with matters such as family gatherings or bingo. Or just plain asleep.
>You know that it’s her birthday tomorrow.
>So, the plan was to show up, be romantic, and maybe have your first kiss as a couple before you shuttled your way back home with drunken metalheads strapped to your car seats.
>The drive is significantly less stressful as you leave the festival district, and turn into what your GPS identifies as ‘Old Silverton.’
>Parts of it could be confused with ‘Ghetto Silverton,’ but every other block or so is charming enough that if you were a tourist you would be hard pressed to not take a picture for QuickPic and reap those easy Likes for no effort.
>Lake’s bar is called The Forested Mug. She’s shown you enough pride filled pictures of the neon display that you recognize it even in the orange glow of streetlights.
>A brown mug, flanked on both sides by evergreen trees.
>There is a small parking lot next to the place, and you decide it would be better to risk an all night ticket in the lot than on the street.
>Only a few cars are sitting there. One of them is Lake’s green sedan, and you breathe a sigh of relief as you confirm that you wound up in the right place.
>Now you just needed to not fuck this up somehow.
>Parking next to Lake’s car, you dip around to the trunk to dig into your bag.
>Sure, it’s not her birthday yet, but it will be in about three hours so there is no harm in turning over the card a little early.
>Your heart drops when you pull it out of your backpack. You don’t know who was the culprit who did it, but there is visible crease where the card had sat folded over itself over the whole drive.
>So much for not fucking up.
>You do your best to salvage it, laying the card flat onto the bed of your trunk as you try to press the fold out of the paper.
>The damage is done though. The most you manage is reducing the number of folds in the thing down to its original one, but the text is slightly harder to read with a sharp line splitting the middle of the confetti colored ‘Happy Birthday’ and the inside joke you spent three days deciding on before you even let yourself write your name on the card.
>After taking a moment to gather yourself, you don’t blame your coworkers. They didn’t know about the card, and you probably should have taken better care that it wouldn’t get smashed.
>Hopefully Lake doesn’t mind, you think as you close the trunk and start towards the bar door.
>It’s only a short distance from the truck, but you realize you’ve started to shiver by the time you’re reaching for the handle.
>Crazy mountain nights. What kind of madmen start up city on a mountain range and then actually have it thrive? You don’t know what you’ll do if things drop into the sub thirty range.
>When you tug on the heavy wooden door, the gentle ringing of a shop bell announces your arrival.
>The sound causes you to freeze up right in the door, and sure enough the people inside are all staring at you.
>Well, that makes it sound more dramatic than it really is. In reality, there are only three other people in the bar, and none of them either behind the bar or are Lake.
>Some kind of graying bear sits in a booth with an elderly human woman, both sipping something amber brown from short glasses as they nonchalantly return to their drinks and conversation.
>The third is some sort of vixen in a leather jacket, the collar popped just enough to show off a fluffy inner lining.
>The only reason you’re sure she’s even a fox is that practically trademark tail. Her fur coat is looks painted on with how colorful it is. Black, white, orange, gray. Definitely a fox, though.
>She’s twirling a near empty beer bottle in a small circles as she sizes you up with a grin from across the room.
>”Well, I think I’d be stating the obvious when I say you don’t look like you’re from here.” The woman snickers at her own cliche, momentarily distracting herself to see if she’s ruining any beer left in her glass before spinning it again.
>Your awkward chuckle in response shows your mental state plainly. You were really hoping that you could walk in, and go right to meeting Lake for the first time.
>Instead, she’s not even here, and you’re being teased by some stranger. You don’t look that much like a tourist do you?
>”No, you don’t.” The vixen answers your question somehow, and grins at your deepened confusion. “You were wearing the question on your face. It’s an ugly look, if I can be honest.”
>”Okay lady,” You decide to finally get some words in before she starts getting any worse with that wit of hers, “You’re kind of freaking me out here.”
>”Psh, you worry too much. I’m not a local either, but this is very much a local’s bar. People come in already knowing where everything is if they’re from these parts.” She uses the butt of the bottle as a pointer as she paints over the room, “First thing you did was check the place out. You’re new in town.”
>You can tell she’s pleased with her deduction by how she hums that last sentence. “That’s some TV detective work if I’ve ever seen it.” You give credit where credit is due.
>Seems she doesn’t want it, rolling her eyes as she swing the bottle in a circle between her fingers. “I wouldn’t be able to pull it off if I had what I wanted. I’ve run empty here, and little miss lady ran off a bit ago.”
>Finishing her little flair, she lines the bottle up to an eye, “Though I guess that’s more my fault. I bet she thought this bottle would last me longer than it did. Sweet thing, giving people credit like that.”
>The vixen looks away from the bottle to see you still standing near the door. Her face screws up before she beckons you over. “Why are you still standing? Come on, get over here. Take a seat before your legs give out. Hell, I’ll buy you a drink once the bartender comes back just for being a good sport.”
>She’s patting the stool next to her as you walk over to join her. While you were all for waiting patiently by yourself for Lake to return, you might as well keep some company so you don’t look like a crazy person.
>Though you don’t think you’d be the craziest person in the bar, because when you turn to face the fox is leaning in close enough that she’s about to annex your personal space bubble.
>She sniffs a few times before returning to her seat. “Do I...know you?”
>You shake your head, scooting to the opposite edge of the bar stool. “This is the first time we’ve met, I assure you.”
>Her gaze keeps dancing over your face as she takes measure of your features, looking for something to put the puzzle together. “You sure? The name’s Tanya. You’re not playing me, are you?”
>”I swear, we’ve never met before.” You’re not sure what Tanya is getting at, but you could use a rescue before she gets worked up any further.
>Your prayers are answered when the sound of rushed footsteps are heard from a stairway you can’t see. Suddenly the door behind the counter opens, and you feel butterflies in your gut as a lynx steps out.
>”Sorry, I had to take a call from my mom. Can I get you somethi-!” The feline starts comfortably, but she gasps and claps her hands over her mouth hard enough to cause her bushy brown hair to bounce. “A-Anon?”
>For all the golden fur she’s covered in, she’s still wrapped up in a puffy knit sweater. Maybe anthros like her prefer to keep warm at all times.
>Even to will the best of your willpower your eyes drift downwards, and find her squeezed into a pair of blue jeans that maybe aren’t the happiest trying to keep her hips in. The primal part of you wants to see her turn around, just to see if her rear is just as packed in as her sides.
>That’s not the part of you that’s in control right now. Right now, you’re trying to not fall over like a giddy idiot as your girlfriend recognizes you.
>You can’t help but smile at her reaction. “Hey Lake. Happy birthday. Well, I’m a couple hours early for that, but I think I got here just in time.” 
>In your peripheral vision you can see Tanya looking between the two of you, and you can see a pearly flash of teeth to your left. “Well, I don’t think I want to interrupt this.” The vixen chimes in as she stands up.
>A twenty dollar bill gets pressed onto the counter, and Tanya pins it underneath her bottle before she walks out. “You two have a good night!” 
>Both Lake and you watch her leave, but then you’re being tugged across the bar counter as the lynx wraps her arms around you and pulls you in for a hug, “Oh my gosh,” she says, shaking you both back and forth as she buries your head into her chest “It’s really you!”
>You find yourself laughing as you return the hug, standing up awkwardly so you can be face to face with the feline. “Yeah,” You mumble, and the two of you end up staring into each other’s eyes.
>No picture she’s sent you could do her hazel eyes justice. Maybe it’s because she’s tearing up just inches away from you, but the green, brown, and gold of her feline gaze melt together and you’re having a hard time looking away.
>”Yeah,” You repeat yourself, “It’s me.” You don’t know where your voice went, since you’re not sure if those last few words had any volume to them.
>Neither of you know what to do, standing stock still while listening as your breathing begins to sync.
>”Oh my goodness gracious.” You hear a deep rumble from behind you. Lake goes wide eyed, and you turn around to face the voice.
>The most exasperated grizzly bear you’ve ever seen is looking at the both of you, and he looks like he’s run out of patience with what he’s watching. “Kiss her, you fool!” The bear slaps onto the table with enough force for the glasses on it to bounce.
>”Leopold!” The old lady across from him scolds him immediately, slapping one of his gigantic mitts with a dainty hand of her own, “Let them take their time with this. Can’t you see the boy is nervous?”
>True. You’ve been fiddling with the damaged card in your jacket pocket since you’ve walked in the door.
>Being called out on it doesn’t make you feel any better about it, though.
>The bear looks over to his drinking partner, shaking his head in disappoint. “Those two will be standing there all night. Someone’s gotta kick’em in the butt.” His grumbling is coarse, but you can’t fault him. You don’t know what to do right now.
>When you turn back to face Lake, she has an embarrassed look on her face. She runs a hand through her hair before crossing her arms, “Sorry, Ol’ Leopold over isn’t very good at minding his own business.”
>You laugh, “I think he’s got the right idea, though.”
>She blinks a few times at what you said, but before she’s finished processing it you’ve already leaned in.
>Using your free hand you pinch at her jaw to pull her that much closer as your lips press to hers.
>Lake gasps, but then she presses back into the kiss as well. You hear her hands place themselves on the counter, and judging from the fact that she just got a bit taller she must have started standing on her toes halfway into the kiss.
>When you pull away, the fluffy feline is quietly breathing, eyes closed as her lips quiver.
>You finally pull your other hand out of your jacket, and place them both on top of hers. She huffs out of her nose when you give them a squeeze.
>Then she starts to purr. At first you can only hear it, but then she presses her wet nose against yours and you can feel the vibration pulse through your skin.
>”Gina,” Lake speaks quietly, her eyes still closed as her nose pushes down until she’s nuzzling against your neck from across the counter. “Do you and Leopold mind if I shut down early? You can pay for your drinks later. I know you’re good for it.”
>Judging by the deep voiced chuckle behind you, the bear is mighty pleased with himself that his suggestion worked.
>”Don’t you worry, dear. I’ll drag my old rug of a husband out of here before he can ruin this with anymore of his commentary.” Gina coos, delighted to see Lake like this. You can’t see what’s going on, but you imagine the bear is on the receiving end of a spousal ‘test me’ stare when you hear the sound of chairs scooting backwards.
>Lake sighs a pleased “Mhm” of acknowledgement, still rubbing against you in feline bliss. As the elderly couple take their leave, you reach up to her face. 
>There is a grunt of concern, but it melts away as her purrs become louder when you cup the side of her face, rolling your thumb along her cheek before your hand slips further up.
>She shudders at your touch when you trace along her inner ear while teasing the back of it as you roll her fluffy ear in between your fingers.
>”This is heavenly,” she says as she reaches up to hold onto your wrist with both hands, “But I need to turn of the sign before I turn into a melted pile of cat.”
>Lake bites her lip as you stare at each other a moment longer, before the two of you hear a tingle of a bell announcing Gina and Leopold’s departure.
>Still purring, Lake pulls herself away from the counter and from you, “I’ll be right back, okay?” She asks, as if you were interested in being anywhere else in the world at the moment. Still, you nod in assurance.
>You try to keep a calm attitude, but when Lake turns away your eyes dip low to take a glance. You’re only a man, after all.
>A man who’s higher thinking functions check out all at once when your gaze lands on Lake’s short tail and what it’s resting on.
>You would like to thank god for creating old blue jeans.  To thank god for deciding that feline women should strut like they do. And mostly, thank god for blessing Lake with the kind wonderful genetics that would take both of your hands to lift.
>It takes three swings of her hips to realize that you’re staring. The realization doesn’t change anything, since you don’t lift your eyes until she’s turning around the counter and removed the glorious sight from view.
>She must have seen you jerk your face up, because she bites her lip before bashfully smiling. “Pervert.” she gently chides, tapping your forehead with a finger as she walks past.
>As you turn to watch her, she’s looking over her shoulder with a knowing grin on her face. She starts deliberately throwing her hips with each step, and even if it’s exaggerated to the point where you’re too busy laughing to enjoy it you’re glad Lake has some confidence in her figure.
>Your laughter is some kind of infectious, because Lake is snickering as she locks the door to the bar. “Don’t tell me you came all this way just to stare, Anon.” She says, reaching over and pushing a hanging carpet to the side to get at something underneath
>There is the tck-tck-tck of switches flipped in succession, and suddenly the bar goes dim. If it wasn’t for the streetlights glowing through the front windows, and some assorted neon bear signage on the walls you’d be completely blind.
> “No, not really,” You explain, “I was thinking we could just hang out, watch some Youtube videos, get dinner tomorrow, and hang out a bit more before I head back on Sunday.”
>”Oooh, so this isn’t just a booty call.” Lake says contemplatively, as if you had surprised her with your honesty. Her eyes flick around in the darkness as she processes things. “Do you mind helping me clean up before we figure out what we’re gonna do, then?”
>You look around the almost completely shadowed bar, before looking back at the glowing pair of eyes in front of you. “Uh, Lake. I can’t see shit.”
>”What? Oh hell.” She groans. You hear her step back towards the wall, causing a shuffle and with another click the lights come back up causing you to blink as you try to readjust quickly. “Sorry Anon. I just assumed, you know, cat, night vision. That kind of thing.”
>You shake your head, “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just clean up. Though you might have to let me out in a bit; I left my bag in the truck. My clothes are in there, and so is my DS.”
>Lake is already turning some chairs over as you explain this, laying them onto tables. “Alright.” She nods, her face furrowed in concentration before it breaks, and she looks up. “You brought your DS? What, you wanted another beating in person this time?”
>You start copying her, flipping chairs onto tables to get this done sooner. “Uh yeah. Why wouldn’t I? Someone’s gotta teach a certain lynx that Stealth Rocks is a scrub’s crutch.”
>She stops what she’s doing and outright cackles, stopping to rub her eye as her laughter ends. “I think I’ll be skipping on giving any blowjobs if you’re going to be that salty, Anon.”
>”Scruuuuub.” You insist from the other side of the bar.
>”Losers don’t get to talk.” Lake sticks her tongue out. “Anyways, do you mind finishing up with the chairs while I deal with the money from tonight? I’ll be quick about it.”
>You count the chairs left to put up and shrug, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” Not like it was backbreaking work anyways. She nods, and plucks the twenty the fox left on the counter before dipping behind the bar to pull out the drawer from a cash register. “Be right back.” She says before going upstairs.
>That leaves you alone for the moment, and since laying chairs upside down isn’t much in the first place you’re done within a couple minutes. All that’s left is the booths, but they’re spotless besides where Gina and Leopold were sitting.
>The older couple left behind a couple whiskey glasses, and you pluck them up in between your fingers. What you weren’t expecting what was laying on the bench where Leopold was sitting.
>Three condoms half folded on each other, and left where someone e would have found them.
>In a moment of self reflection, you realize you didn’t actually bring condoms for yourself. While part of you couldn’t help but imagine and hope that getting it on with Lake would happen this weekend, it was very much a ‘cross that bridge when we get there” scenario for you.
>The glasses clink as you set them back down to examine the wraps.
>Pre-lubricated, enduro-thin Conquistador brand condoms. Not top shelf, but definitely better than whatever could come out of a bathroom vending machine.
>You flip the package over, and your brain stalls in confusion when you realize that these were in your size.
>Either a bear was as small as you, or you were packing the same heat as a seven foot tall grizzly bear.
>Or, to double down on the ridiculous nature of this coincidence, Leopold was a passing time traveller who knew that you were in need of protection.
>Whatever the case was, you weren’t about to turn up your nose at someone helping you out. You slip the condom pack into your wallet for safe keeping.
>Your momentary distraction dealt with, you finally get around to carrying those glasses back to the bar.
>It feels weird to be on the other side of the counter. Weird enough that you actually stood in front of the half-door for a moment wondering if Lake would be upset if you were a staff only area.
>After getting over your silliness, you place the short glasses into the sink next to a shelf stacked with various bottles.
>You take a second to peruse what’s on offer here at the Forested Mug. Nothing colorful or outrageously flavored, but Lake did explain to you in a video call that most of her patrons were the kind of old people who could make a beer last a long hour if they tried.
>Not exactly the audience for appletinis. Hell, Gina was sipping whiskey. Or rum. Or scotch. You don’t know your hard liquors very well. Certainly not enough to discern from a distance.
>Some stomping footsteps draws your attention from your lack of taste, and you turn to face Lake as she comes down stairs.
>She’s got a business face on, but it warms up when she sees you. “Hey Anon, did Gina leave any money behind? I know I told them they could pay later, but you know how old people can be.”
>You shake your head. “No, no money. But uh,” you start to trail off, which only piques Lake’s curiosity and forces you to continue, “I think Leopold left us some condoms. They’re actually the right size for me, too.” You scratch the back of your head as you explain.
>”Oh,” Lake says, standing up straight before clearing her throat. “Well, I guess that saves one of us from having to run to the drug store in the middle of the night.” She’s squirming, and you’re pretty sure she’s blushing underneath her fur.
>She laughs at herself before closing in and wrapping her arms around you. “This is stupid. You know you’re handsome, right? You need a new webcam, because whatever you have doesn’t do you justice.” She lets out a happy sigh and rubs her cheek against your chest.
>When you hug her back, you find yourself resting your chin on the top of her head. Even with her ears you had almost a foot over Lake. “Yeah, but so do you. I didn’t know your smile was so gorgeous until I was inches away from it.”
>You can hear her sniffing, taking in your scent. Every now and then she turns her head to bury the other cheek into your, and her purring only gets louder as you reach down and help yourself to a handful of lynx booty.
>”Easy there, Anon.” Lake warns you softly, though not letting up in her nuzzling, “You sure you can handle all that?”
>You give her ass a squeeze, causing her to roll it back against your hand. “I’m honestly not sure. There’s a lot of kitty down there that I wasn’t expecting.”
>She snickers before pulling your head down for a kiss, “So you’re saying I’ve been flashing you the wrong parts of my body when we chat before raids?”
>”More like I should have been asking for some variety. I’m not usually an ass guy, buuuut consider me converted.” You say as she nuzzles into your cheek.
>”We’ll see about that.” Lake purrs before nosing against your chin, “I think I can pencil in a proper baptism this weekend.” She licks at your skin while purring.
>You have no right to complain about that; you were the one who showed up unannounced after all. “I think I’d be happy enough with just cuddling all weekend, if I can be honest, Lake.” You say, and it only makes her smile up at you.
>”Just cuddling? What kind of ronin are you?” She snickers when she backs away, reaching behind her to fill your hands with her own.
>”Oh, you know,” You start, “The kind that runs the Phantom Knight’s Manor raid with pubs until he has gets an Excalibusted with an MP capacity roll for his girlfriend’s Lord Knight..”
>Lake immediately goes wide eyed and she gasps. “You didn’t.” Her voice is hushed with excitement, and you feel claws dig into the back of your palms.
>”I only got it last night, but you were at work. I wanted it to be a surprise anyways.” You explain. The lynx jumps into your arms and squeals.
>”Lets get my stuff, and then you can login and get it. I left it in our marriage chest at our house in Indotol.” You try to keep things moving, but Lake is a bit too ecstatic to listen.
>”You know,” She starts, half purring her words out, “I promised I would never whore myself out for loot, but I’m pretty I had only meant that in-game. I think I can live with lifting my tail for a legendary or two from such a generous and handsome samurai warrior.” The feline starts drawing a finger down your chest.
>Now you’re laughing, and it doesn’t take long for Lake to break down either. Eventually you both calm down, and she starts pushing you back to the end of the bar. “Alright, we need to get your stuff, and then we can figure out what we’ll do tonight.”
>”We could cuddle while watching the dev stream tonight.” You offer plainly as you head to the door.
>”Oh yeaaaah” Lake latches around your waist from behind as she talks. “The Spring Festival event should be starting soon. Do you think it’ll come with new stuff, or just a repeat of last year?”
>When she remembers that she has the keys to the door, she steps in front of you to undo the lock.
>”Come on, Lake. This is CircleFoundry we’re talking about. If we get anything new, it’s going to just be recolored cosmetics from last year.” You reason.
>Your conversation continues as you walk together to your truck. Now it’s the only other vehicle in the parking lot isn’t Lake’s.
>In the short time you were in the bar, the night has gotten colder. Your words are accompanied by a puff of man made steam, but you don’t care.
>You’re talking to your not-so-long-distance girlfriend about your mutually loved, sometimes disappointing, MMO. And then the conversation trails to other video games. And onto anime.
>The both of you are still babbling away like it was your usual evening video call, except it’s not. Lake is right there in front of you, and every chance either one of you gets you’re touching one another.
>Lake’s hand is on your back when you lift up the trunk of your truck. While she’s locking the front door again, you’re causing her tail to flick back and forth whenever you touch it.
>You’ve got one hand on your bag, and the other is being pulled along by a lynx as she takes you around the bar and up the stairs.
>When you arrive on the second floor, the first thing to come to mind is ‘open.’ Outside of a door in the far wall, the second floor is entirely one room.
>You shouldn’t be surprised; you’ve seen it through her webcam often enough. The difference between peering in through a camera and actually standing in it is startling though.
>There’s her bed, slapped right in the middle of everything. Across from it is a flat screen TV large enough to make you curious as to how she got it upstairs. 
>Over in the corner is her computer setup. Just feet away from that is her ‘kitchen,’ which is more of a sink, a few feet of countertop, some cabinets, and the toaster oven “Sir Toasty the Third.” Lake’s only real cooking appliance.
>The dead space nearing what you assume is the bathroom has her dresser and the largest beanbag you’ve ever seen. You don’t even remember the last time you’ve seen a beanbag in the first place, and this one was the size of a couch.
>”So…” Lake breaks the silence you weren’t even aware was forming, “What do you think of my den?”
>”Well, I expected more pajamas and underwear laying around.” You admit.
>”You just missed out on that. I cleaned up before heading the gym.” She says with a laugh, wrapping herself up in your arm.
>You snap your fingers in playful disappointment before giving her a half hug. “Speaking of cleaning up, do you mind if I take a quick shower? I smell like a six hour drive and metalheads.”
>Lake raises an eyebrow at your description. “Uh, sure? Though I’m going to need some details on that last part.”
>It’s now that you realize that you hadn’t actually explained the trip over. “Do you know Riot Festival is in town?”
>The lynx scoffs, “The radio stations won’t shut up about it, and I’m pretty sure everyone in the city saw those castles pop up overnight. Why, is that where you’re taking me on a date tomorrow?”
>You think about it for a second. Jared and company would probably love to meet Lake. Sure, they may look like modern devils, but when they weren’t obsessing about Abortion Gut Punch, or beating the shit out of each other (though that may just be Jacq and Jared’s thing), or whatever the fuck else they were actually nice people.
>”Eh, maybe?” Your answer actually surprises her, and her ears fold back. “Okay, joking. Kinda. My coworkers are all die hard metal fanatics. Riot Festival was in Silveron, you’re in Silverton.”
>”So I had an idea. Driving to Silverton in my big ass truck is really hard on gas. It would be expensive as hell. So I thought; ‘Why don’t I drive my friends to Riot Fest, make them pay for gas, spend the weekend with my lovely lady, and then drive everyone back home where they would pay for gas again.’” You start digging through your bag for your pajamas as you explain this master plan of yours.
>”Because those guys, as cool as they are, can’t organize for shit. So when they heard that I had come up with a plan to get them all to Riot Fest all at the same time, they jumped on it. Of course, they didn’t know why I was going to Silverton until the last moment.” You shrug.
>”You told them about me?” Lake asks as she steps over to her bed, sitting on the edge of it.
>”I told Jared because he kept bugging me about it. Jared also sucks at keeping his mouth shut, so I expect every one of them knows about you by now.” It’s not like he didn’t make it obvious he was going to rat you out when you last saw him, or anything.
>Lake nods understandingly. It seems everyone knows someone like Jared.
>After pulling out your clothes, you toss the bag to the side.
>”Alright, I’m going to try and not burn myself figuring out how your shower works. Why don’t you log in to Eternal Daydream and look at that fancy new sword of yours?” You try to keep a poker face on as you point at her computer.
>Lake rolls her eyes, “I’m already smitten, you don’t need to show off.”
>”What can I say? I’m pretty proud of it.” You grin as you step into the bathroom.
>No bathtub here. Just a standing shower tucked neatly into the end of the small room, hidden behind a nearly opaque shower curtain.
>By the time you’re undressed and warily eyeing the knobs underneath the shower head, you hear the familiar orchestral music of the MMO’s login screen.
>With some sort of luck, you manage to get the shower at a decent temperature on your first try.
>As the water washes over you, you chalk it up to another bit of good fortune you get to enjoy today.
>The drive over was mostly uneventful. Lake wasn’t tongue wrestling another man when you dropped in. You already have the support of an elderly interspecies couple. And when you finally were by yourselves, you and Lake hit it off like this wasn’t a long distance relationship.
>Suddenly you hear Lake from the other side of the wall, loudly repeating the words, “Where did he put it, where did he put it?”
>”Lake, the sword’s in the marriage chest.” You call out after wiping the water off of your face. “The one by the Nephilim Wings trophy?”
>”That’s not what I’m looking for, you dork!” She shouts back.
>You stand there in the shower, confused as all hell.
>Suddenly you hear the woman yell, “Aha!” Whatever she was looking for, she found it. You still don’t know what she was looking for in the first place, though.
>Confused, you just return to the hot water running over you. It’s not like you can use any of the soup or shampoo here, unless you want your leg hair to be absolutely luxurious.
>You’ve settled for just washing the grime of the drive off of you so you can feel at least a bit fresh when laying with Lake.
>Suddenly the door opens, and through the cheap shower curtains you see Lake’s curvy form.
>Golden, curvy form. You can’t make out any specifics, but there is definitely a naked lynx on the other side of this plastic.
>”Anon,” She says as she walks up to the shower. Her fingers curl around the edge of the curtain, and she steps through.
>There is just enough room for the both of you as she lets herself in.
>She doesn’t hesitate and before you know it she’s wrapped her arms around you. You see something blue in your peripheral, and when you turn you realize it’s one of the condoms you had stuffed into your wallet.
>”Anon, Anon, Anon.” Lake purrs your name onto your naked chest, “How much did you spend upgrading that Excalibusted to plus ten?”
>So that’s what this is about. “About three hundred thousand gold, and fifty real dollars on premium upgrade insurance from the cash shop.” You say, leaving out the times you cursed the blacksmith NPC for not knowing how to do his job. Some would argue it as wasteful, but you knew she had been looking for that sword since it was added to the game.
>She nuzzles up to your chin. “You spoil me, my handsome ronin. I think I need to start showing my appreciation as soon as possible.”
>A hand is placed against your chest, and you feel her claws lightly dragging into your skin.
>Lake starts to kiss her way down your body, and by the time she’s on her knees you’re already hard and ready to go.
>The first thing she does is place the rubber onto a soap dish, but the moment she has both hands free she is grabbing onto your thighs.
>The water crashing against your back feels numb compared to the purring muzzle placing kisses along your length.
>Her hazel eyes look up at you, and you can see her smile from on high before she sticks her tongue out and drags it from base to head.
>Your breath catches as the rough texture rolls along your cock, and Lake looks pleased with herself as you shudder.
>She keeps herself busy, tongue bathing every inch she can find before sighing to herself. “As much fun as it is to see you squirm like that, we better get this done before the dev stream starts.”
>”Oh, uh, alright.” You agree, distracted by what was just happening.
>Lake snickers, biting her lip. “Trust me, I’m not letting this be a one off.” She says as she reaches for the condom.
>The feline looks over the packaging for a moment, “Enduro..? Okay, maybe this’ll take awhile.” She hums before ripping it open.
>You both stare at the rubber, slightly shocked by the candy blue of it. “Does it have to be so tacky?” You ask.
>”If we’re doing anything right, you won’t be seeing much of it.” Lake says as she places it against the head of your prick and begins to unroll it.
>”Hoo,” You exhale, “Snug.”
>”That means less mess for me. No complaints here.” She adds as she traces a finger along the length of your dick’s neon jacket.
>After doing so she clicks her fingers together, “Mmm, nice and slick.” The lynx purrs as she gets off of her knees.
>Licking her lips, she flaunts as she turns around. One hand on the wall, the other on her hip she swings wide before pressing her ass out.
>Her puff of a tail looks like some sort of decoration resting on top of it, a small flair on top of the handfuls of feline rump. “Are you ready for your baptism? I should warn you; the rewards for good faith can be addictive.” 
>You know exactly what you’re doing when you close in behind Lake, and you near sink in between her cheeks. “Do you usually try to convert people this enthusiastically?”
>The lynx rolls back, and your groan of pleasure pulls a purr of amusement from Lake.”I mostly try to do it from across the counter, but it would be disappointing if I did put more effort into showing my man the joys of a full bodied lady.”
>”Now who’s spoiling who?” You ask as you start grinding against her ass. Gripping with both hands, you squeeze her cheeks together to create a makeshift hole to rail.
>Lake sighs and leans against the wall, bringing her other hand up. “I don’t know about spoiling, but you’re a natural at this already. Get it, baby.” She coos, urging you on.
>Like you need the encouragement as you begin bringing your hips in. Maybe a bit too enthusiastically, but every time you land home you push her tail up and cause her cheeks to bounce from the force of your thrusts.
>Lake gasps and grunts as you push her into the wall, but she reaches back to slow your aggression eventually. “Okay, let’s get to the real fun stuff I’ve been wanting to try. Change your aim, will you?”
>You nod, and pull back to get things going proper. Hopefully you don’t disappoint.
>Her ears shoot up when you start poking around, and a hand reaches back to slap at your arm.
>The lynx grumbles, “Come on, Anon. I sent you a link to a doujin about this a couple days ago.”
>Oh.
>Ooooooh.
>You retreat just a bit, and free a hand to angle your wrapped shaft along the curve of her body. 
>Once you’re sliding forward again, you feel her close her thighs as tightly as she can manage and still let you pass through.
>”Okay, now that’s snug.” You blurt out.
>”Really?” Lake chimes up proudly, huffing as you grind against her mound.
>”Oh yeah.” You really don’t have anything else to add.
>Any thoughts you have are being pushed aside as she begins to wiggle her thighs back and forth, wringing your dick as that tuft of tail dances against your stomach.
>”What about you, Lake?” You ask, realizing this is going to be over pretty quick if your breathing is anything to go by.
>”We’ve got all weekend don’t we? I’ll get mine later.” She grins over her shoulder. With that she bounces herself off your hips, “Now lets get to it.”
>Lake seems to determined to make this happen whether or not you’re participating, so you roll with it.
>Both hands are on her waist as you begin to thrust, trying your best to shove upwards and grind your wrapped cock against her folds.
>She does her best to keep it under control, but you start hearing her whimper every other pass.
>You can see her ears flick with each of your grunts. Suddenly, Lake is touching your cheek and traces her fingers down to your jaw.
>”Anon…” She says distractedly since she’s trying squeeze her thighs together with every rocking motion you make, “Spank me.”
>::
>Error Report: DISCONNECT FROM LOGIC NODE W41.FUR -- UNEXPECTED QUERY RECIEVED
>Timeouts occurring when trying to access Anon/brain/speech_and_hearing. Motor function files still accessible; continuing previous operation until troubleshooting finishes.
>::
>Claws dig into your cheek as you absentmindedly thrust, “Come on, I know you want to. Get a handful already!”
>You don’t remember when you raised your off hand, or when you brought it back down.
>But you are distinctly aware of how it feels when your palm sank into a healthy feline cheek.
>First there is the fur, but it parts against your fingers and you find supple flesh.
>The water from the back of your hand and around the impact site on Lake’s ass flies, and you can hear it splatter against the shower curtain.
>Lake groans, and jerks against your hand as her own movements come to a standstill, pulling her legs closer together when she freezes up.
>You don’t mind that at all, and you’re starting to relish the feeling of her bouncing off of you as she holds herself against the wall.
>”A-again!” She gasps.
>Ask and ye shall receive, and immediately she receives as you send water flying once more.
>“Oh god.” This time she whimpers as she lets her head fall.
> Lake is shuddering and breathless; by now you’re doing all the heavy lifting here, but all is forgiven when you hear her moan after you spank her a third time without having to be asked.
>Your hand stays where it falls, and you massage the spot you been abusing. You roll your palm in a circle and as soon as Lake has caught her breath you can hear her purring even as she rests her head against the wall.
>”Okay, it’s official. I’m into it.” She mutters almost regretfully.
>”More?” You ask, squeezing her ass. You’re sure it’s worse (or arguably better) for her, but you’ve only swung three times and your hand is tingling. 
>”Nnnm don’t tempt me. Save it for tomorrow night.” Lake rumbles as she comes alive again, rolling herself back against you. ”We’re going to miss the stream if this takes any longer.”
>”I don’t think I’ve had to apologize for my stamina before.” You admit.
>You can feel the pressure bubbling bubbling at the base of your spine, so it’s only a matter of time and effort at this point.
>Lake crosses her legs, tightening the makeshift hole further. “Don’t apologize; just fuck me.” She purrs.
>”Yes ma’am.” You say with bravado as you lean forward onto her shoulder.
>The is a groan of approval as you reach around to grope at her chest while you widen your stance. “I wanna be sore when you’re done.” Lake mutters.
>There’s encouragement, and then there’s laying down a challenge.
>An “Oh?” comes from the lynx as you let go off her breast to get a firm, two handed grip on her cheeks, followed by a delighted gasp when you press her against the wall.
>She thoughtfully pushes her ass back just slightly to keep you from ramming the head of your dick against the wall, but after that she relegates herself to resting on her crossed arms as you begin hammering away at her thighs.
>The bathroom fills with the sound of your enthusiastic humping, playing back up to your grunts of exertion while your bodies clap together.
>Lake does her part and joins in with the occasional moan, but eventually her head drops back down.
>It takes a few repeated requests of “harder” and “keep going” to realize that she’s watching the neon blue length slide back and forth between her legs.
>You wonder what the look on her face is when you start to cum, thrusting in a primal-yet-doomed attempt at getting your seed into the depths of some hole.
>She doesn’t make leave you curious as to what she thinks of the sight though. Not when she starts to growl encouragements. “Holy shit, fill that thing Anon!”
>Once again she’s wiggling her hips, almost dancing back against you in an attempt to milk you dry. “Come on baby, let it all out.” She purrs.
>You’re not sure if she’s talking to your or your dick, but either way there is only so much in the tank.
>After a few more purposeless thrusts, you find yourself pressing a hand to the wall to stay steady.
>Nobody told you shower sex was this exhausting.
>Your handhold is threatened when Lake pushes you backwards a bit to make some room. You comply by stepping back and resting on the opposite wall.
>A curious look downwards reveals a neon blue condom with a bloated tip, with the lip of the rubber pushed a few inches farther up than where you remember Lake sliding it onto.
>You never thought you would ever be proud of an orgasm, but the way Lake is biting her lip when she gets onto her knees tells you that it’s okay to put this one on a pedestal.
>”I think keeping you away from human women is doing everybody a favor. You ever consider being a stud instead of working an IT job?” She says as she begins to tug the condom off.
>”I don’t think I can deliver like that consistently, Lake. That’s probably the best one you’ll get out of me this weekend.” You didn’t go out of your way to save up that mojo, but damn if you don’t feel lighter when Lake pulls the used condom off before diligently tying a knot into it.
>”Don’t say that! I still got this thing for two days. I need to get some mileage out of it.” Her muzzle drifts closer to your still hard shaft as she jokes.
>”Hmm, missed a spot.” She purrs, and once again you feel a semi-coarse tongue dragging itself across your dick. You jerk and hiss through your teeth as she begins to lap away all the lingering seed that stuck to your skin.
>The lynx places a dainty kiss on the tip of your dick, “There, all clean.” She snickers as she stands up to wrap her arms around you, before reaching behind you to turn off the shower head.
>”I was honestly worried you were going to try to force a second round out of me.” You say as she pulls the shower curtains aside.
>”I’m a lynx, not a lioness Anon. I can afford take my time with my man.” Lake says, before tightening her hold on you and nuzzling into your collarbone.
>”Good, because I just became aware of how out of shape I am.” You say with a grin as the pair of you awkwardly hug-walk out of the shower. You start drying off first with the towel that’s already hanging on a hook nearby.
>She huffs as she pulls out a second towel from under the sink, giving you a wonderful view of her mound. “That’s what you call out of shape? My butt is gonna be in some real trouble if you ever start working out. I’m all tingly right now.”
>”There’s a joke about anal somewhere in there…” You say as you put the towel back up on its rack and start slipping into your pajamas.
>In the corner of your eye you see Lake’s ears flick upwards. “I-I mean, I’ve been thinking about it. Just a little bit though. Can we just stick to the spanking for now?”
>”I’m just playing. Come on, this takes any longer and we’re really gonna miss it.” You insist as you give her a light slap on the butt on your way past her.
>She jumps up, holding her towel close to her chest. “Hey! I just said I’m still tingly.” She whines while following you out to her bedroom.
>You step out of the bathroom to see your clothes lightly scattered on the floor. Lake obviously had some trouble locating the condoms.
>Not one to leave a mess you start pulling things into a neat pile, starting by putting your wallet someplace you’ll find it instead of halfway under your pants on the floor. “So where are the other two party balloons?”
>Lake is wiggling into a pair of panties when she answers, “Over on the night stand. You know, in case we need them. Because we’re going to need them.” She sticks her tongue out before tossing on a loose t-shirt that is at least two sizes too big for her
>You nod sagely to her reasoning as she sits down at her computer. “Can you turn on the TV? For some reason it doesn’t work unless the TV is on before I open up a stream.”
>It might be because she cleaned up earlier, but the remote is sitting neatly next to a pair of JoyFortress 4 controllers.
>After you turn the TV, you flick through the inputs until you get to the one that displays her desktop.
>”Thank you, thank you. Now sit somewhere we can cuddle while I do this.” She chimes in as she begins to click her way to the Eternal Daydream’s Flickshot channel.
>You know exactly where you’re going, but first you have to grab something before you sacrifice yourself to the beanbag throne.
>Finding your backpack out of your pile of stuff, you fish the birthday card out before walking two feet over and letting yourself sink into the plush filled bag.
>”What’s that?” Lake asks as she joins you, laying right on top of you as the countdown to the stream starting enters the last minute.
>”Your birthday card. I was going to give it to you first, but Mr. Leopold made a very convincing argument and I changed my plan accordingly.” You say as you hand the card over.
>The lynx grins as she plucks it from your hands, giving you a kiss on the cheek “A little early, but since you came all this way just to give it to me I’ll take it.”
>You watch her face as she opens and reads it. The smile that crosses her face makes your heart soar.
>Lake closes the card, dropping it onto the floor as she turns and pulls herself up to your face. “You’re a big, dumb samurai playing loser, Anon.”
>”I’m surprised they let you out of the temples, silly gaijin warrior.” You reply as she rubs her nose to yours.
>”Only to show wayward idiots like you the light.” She purrs, before closing in for a kiss.
>You see her eyes close, and yours do too when you pull her close.
>It lasts until the stream begins to play the theme of Eternal Daydream, but when your guess that the spring event would just be a repeat of last year turns out to be correct, it stops being important.
>Lake simply turns off the TV, and returns her attention to you.
>You still have a couple hours until it’s truly her birthday, but judging by how closely you’re holding each other you think you’ll still be on this beanbag when the clock hits midnight.
>That gives you plenty of time to think about what you’re going to do tomorrow, but you don’t bother spending the mental energy on doing anything but listening to the purring lynx resting on your chest.