FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Cafe Plaisir: October's Jaunt part 4; Colin and Conflict by October Flixard

"rap-rap-rap-rap- rap-rap-rap-rap-," said the door.

October was buried deeply and completely within a large nest of duvets and blankets. An impromptu bedding mountain fortress in which he had taken shelter from the loud music emanating from the from the dance floor just behind his bedroom wall.

It still hadn't been enough and it was only sheer exhaustion that had allowed him to slip away from the all-night party in the end. By now, eventual, painful now, he was sleeping at least a little better then before, stirring no more than by a few twitches of his ears at one gentle, but very insistent sound;

"rap-rap-rap-rap- rap-rap-rap-rap-," said the door.

The stirrings of a more than merely animal awareness began in October's mind, though he still instinctively clung to sleep, feeling a peace there that was he sure that he was otherwise sorely lacking.

The door flung open.

"Goooood morning!" sang a bright and high-pitched voice, followed suddenly by a dramatically shocked, "Oh!"

Beneath the blanket, October grumbled unhappily, his mind remembering the Morning Fairy.

"Oh my..!" gasped Colin, "October, what happened in here?"

Now October's half-asleep brain began to ponder what the words meant. He decided it could wait.

"October?" said Colin, "October..?"

Alright, that was annoying. He desperately tried to ignore it.

He felt something land next to him on the bed.

"October?" said Colin, then again, more musically, "Oct-ob-er..~?"

Ignoring this was very hard, but he was game. Sleep, precious, dearly needed sleep was in his grasp if he only just-

Then the duvet seemed to fly off him, whipping his ears to one side, half-tipping him and leaving him sprawling melodramatically and yowling with pitiful animalistic misery for one surprised moment.

His eyes opened and there was Colin, looking extra-pink by the highlight of the purple light from the Jar of Lost Things, looking down at him concernedly. It was horrifying, really. Something capable of causing him so much pain, bordering on soul-sick misery in tearing away his now-desperate need for sleep should not, as an effeminate Sylveon half his size, look so sweet and cute. So October thought with a briefly dead-eyed look on his sharp, yet currently wearied and drawn vulpine features.

"October, are you alright?" said the Sylveon curiously, looking at him with such sweet concern that you just couldn't consider him a nemesis. Couldn't hate him at all. Which was somehow worse.

"Ugh," half-growled grumpily brooding October as he sat up, "Yes, yes... I was just asleep..."

"Oh, thank all goodness," said Colin with drama in his sweet, yet clean southern voice, "I was worried something was wrong with you, October!"

"No, no," said October, trailing off to yawn loudly and with a slight and accidental whine, looking up and away.

Colin seemed to pause, then waited patiently until October had finished yawning and was looking back down at him. The Sylveon's sweet, 'hey, here's-the-day!' smile was somehow even stronger than before. "Actually, you look better today!" declared Colin, happily.

"Better..?" asked October, distantly.

"Mmmmm," said the Sylveon with a nod, "Your spirits look higher."

Frowning, October stood and commenced his morning stretch in the proper vulpine fashion, pushing his back end up high and back and lowering his front nearly to the ground, then pushing forward and up until his weight was on his shoulders and his back end brushed the bed.

Brushing the bed felt nice. Several neurons quickly fired to life, he realised why and glanced at the Sylveon.

The Sylveon was covering his mouth with a ribbon and obviously blushing. He shook with an audible titter as his eyes moved from October's morning-swollen shaft to make eye contact, his eyes full of glee.

"Yup," said Colin, "You're looking a lot more alert today."

October quickly lay back down and grumbled in embarrassment, coiling his tails about himself unconsciously.

Colin giggled.

"Alright, Morning Fairy," sighed October indignantly, "Please excuse my indecency, I wasn't quite awake."

"Oh, that's fine!" said Colin, his face lighting up with glee, "Hee-hee! Morning Fairy?"

October looked at him, half smiling, half frowning, "Yes, that's what I've nicknamed you."

"I like it!" said Colin with bright, joyful enthusiasm.

Of course he did, of course he did. October took a deep breath, his fate, for the moment, accepted.

"So," said Colin, frowning, "What happened to your room, October?" he said, looking around at the darkened wasteland of socks and other miscellaneous detritus he had pulled from the Jar of Lost Things in his quest for cigarettes. "What happened to your light? ...and your bed..? ...and the wall..?"

"Accidents?" said October, grinning awkwardly. Though he quietly wondered why Colin hadn't noticed the bed and wall yesterday.

"...and what's all this stuff?" asked Colin, gesting at the wasteland of junk around the floor.

"Oh, just lost things," said October, "I sort of need to tidy up," he said, looking at the scattered coating of lost and mismatched socks and gloves, batteries, guitar picks, receipts, tiny screws and such that had been scattered across the floor.

"You collect lost things?" said Colin, curiously, "How did you find this much?"

"Oh, I just used my Jar of Lost Things," said October, nodding to the purple-glowing Jar sat atop a mound of socks beside the bed.

"Ooh," said Colin, walking over to it, a curious sparkle in his big, blue eyes, "What's this?"

Colin grabbed the jar with his ribbons and stared into it, "I don't see a light, how is it glowing?"

"Magic," said October.

"Magic?" said Colin brightly, "Heehee, you're funny, October, so did you use it like a flashlight? There's nothing in here!"

...Then Colin began to turn the jar over, as if to demonstrate its emptiness.

October shot up and sprang over, his eyes wide. He grabbed the Jar in both forepaws and pulled it from the surprised Sylveon's ribbons, planting it back down on the pile, right-side-up.

He did all of that as rapidly as he possibly could. He waited a moment. Nothing happened.

He breathed a sigh of relief, "Please," he said, "Never turn the jar upside-down. Please... just please don't."

Colin started giggling again, "Oh October," he said, "You're crazy!"

October sighed a sigh of relief and decided to leave it at that.

Now woken and upright, he had been walked down towards the un-eagerly anticipated Morning Briefing with Colin. The Sylveon was apparently feeling extra-talky today... and curious.

"I really meant it when I said you were looking better," said Colin, "You seem a lot less grumpy. Did you sleep well?"

"Perhaps," said October with a shrug, not really having thought about it. He supposed he felt fractionally less awful today, but with early-morning embarrassment and near-disaster clouding matters, it was hard to tell.

"I think you might have," said Colin, "Could it be that you're starting to adapt, after all?" he said with cheerful optimism in his voice.

"Perhaps," said October, again, "I couldn't really claim to be alert and awake today..."

"I think SOMETHING helped," said Colin, with a suddenly teasing tone.

October looked at the smirking Sylveon with an eyebrow raised, "Really now?"

The Sylveon's short snout crinkled as he took some theatrically deep sniffs around October, which he followed with a big, broad smile, "I think Chai might have helped."

October's blush shot to his ears. Of course the Sylveon's sense of smell was good enough. Especially given that October had made no effort to wash himself, not knowing how to go about it safely as a Ninetales. Not since his first, incredibly painful experience with water. So now, he was scruffily wearing a log of events in a layer of very un-Ninetalesly grime soaked into his thick, crimson coat. He felt himself heat with embarrassment. "Ahhhh..." he just about managed to say.

"I think it's great," said Colin, warmly, giggling at his embarrassed haze, "I think Chai probably needed it, too."

"Well, ummm," said October, awkwardly, "Ah, please excuse my lack of hygiene... and... apparently as a result... discretion..."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it," said Colin, cheerily, "I think you wear it well," he had a briefly dirty smile, "the scent of sex, I mean. Some Pokemon customers like it, you know... and it fits with your scruffy Ninetales image!"

Scruffy... Ninetales. The words were so casually and cheerfully spoken, but they landed with a booming thunder of horror and shame for October. His inner vanity whined and cried.

"Anyway, it was about time the pair of you got to know each other better," said Colin, "Two days... and with how you two were getting on, I have to wonder who else has had your interest!"

"Who else?" said October, asking almost automatically, still distracted and reeling from the blow to his vanity.

"Yeah!" said Colin with a bright smile, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but I wanna know who kept you away from Chai for so long! Staff or customer?"

"Uh," October felt confused, "There wasn't anyone else. Last night was on impulse and-"

"No-one?" said Colin, with shock in his voice that gave October pause, "Come on," he said with an incredulous laugh, "You can't tell me a Ninetales with a British accent hasn't had offers."

Why would that help? He wondered, what did his accent have to do with any of this? Still, he answered, "I've had offers, of erm, customers," he said, frowning at the memories, "I just erm... haven't accepted any."

Colin's mouth was open in shock.

"What?" October was compelled to ask.

"You're... you are a prude?" asked Colin, incredulously.

Prude. Another thunderclap of horror. October had never considered that word could be applied to him. Never.

"No!" he protested, "I'm not a prude, I just... look, I..." he almost said he didn't like humans, but he remembered how well that went down last time. He didn't want Colin to think he was a racist. "I'm just not getting on with the customers, alright?" he said after a struggle.

"Oh," said Colin, sadly, "That's a shame, October."

He shrugged, deciding to roll with it. It was true enough. "I'm just not so quick to warm to people," he said, "I like there to be a rapport, some natural flow..."

"You're a romantic?" said Colin, curiously.

"No, no... well, yes," October took a deep breath, "Though all of my romance is for my mate, Silver. Romance shouldn't be diluted," said October, "It's something that should be preserved as precious. Though I've nothing against casual sex at all, still..."

"Right..." said Colin, "Okay, that's sweet - and I didn't know you had a mate, by the way, that's adorable! - " he interjected with rapid-fire words, "but... uhhh, I guess you mean, whilst keeping short of romance, you still want some... familiarity?"

October shrugged, "At least some decent lead-in. Some motivation, you know?"

"Hmmmm," said Colin thoughtfully, rubbing his chin with a ribbon, "You're surprisingly fussy, October... and reserved. I guess it's a British thing."

Fussy..? Reserved..? Those words landed with comical metallic clangs in October's mind. More labels he thought might never have been applied to him. He could have sworn he was as impulsive and unreserved as they came. Was he not born of chaos?

The Sylveon had scored one critical hit against his character after another. October was feeling thoroughly clobbered, at this point he was entirely reeling.

He'd have felt some offense or desire for vengeance if not for the Sylveon's entirely innocent, malice-free delivery. It was literally impossible to be angry with someone as nice as Colin. Which made it all so much the worse...

"Don't worry, October," said Colin, rubbing October's shoulder with a probing ribbon, then giving it a pat-pat, "You're in the right place to come out of your shell! If we can't help you at Cafe Plaisir, you can't be helped!"

October, wide-eyed, stared ahead and said nothing.

* * *

October's second morning briefing went much as his first, with one critical exception.

Pouncer had droned on, to one section of the staff then another. There were some inventory issues. A few of the Cleaning Mice were off, sneezing in their beds. October had fought to stay awake. Chai hadn't.

Chai had given October an odd smile when he'd come in and remained standing next to October. Literally about a minute later, the Umbreon was softly, almost inaudibly snoring, asleep, standing up. October had subtly propped him up with a pair of tails.

That wasn't the exception. No, even from a small sample size of two, October guessed that this was or would be fairly typical of Morning Briefing. The exception came later, when Mister Pouncer finally got around, from kitchens to laundry, to cleaning, finally to the morning shift's elite floor staff of two.

"...Now," said the Grovyle, "October and Chai."

October subtly gave Chai a push. The Umbreon's eyes snapped awake with surprise. October grinned toothily and distractingly enough that he hoped no-one noticed.

"It is the pair of you," said Mister Pouncer, "From whom I expect the greatest improvement. I do not wish to make specific accusations here and now, but I assume I should not have to in order to inspire improvement."

"Oh, certainly not," said October, with a cheesy smile.

Chai yawned.

Suddenly, a bright and chirpy voice erupted from next to October. It was Colin's voice.

"Oh, Mister Pouncer!" he said, waggling his ribbons in the air, as if he was difficult to notice, "Mister Pouncer!"

Mister Pouncer frowned in confusion, "Yes, Colin?" he asked.

Colin smiled a hopeful, appealing smile at the Grovyle, "Let me help out on the floor today! I'd like to help October out!"

October and Chai looked at the Sylveon in horror. He smiled at them sweetly.

"Well," said the Grovyle, thoughtfully, "This is probably going to be a slow-business day. It has been some time since last you worked the tables, however, Colin..."

The already huge smile on Colin's face just grew and grew as Pouncer gave his permission. He was brimming with glee by the time he spoke again, "Oh, I remember!" said Colin brightly, "I'll help out, no problem! Service with a smile!" He said, with a smile so enormous it was honestly terrifying.

"Alright," said Pouncer, with slightly fakish-sounding confidence, "Go ahead Colin, I'm sure the others will benefit from your example."

"Thank you mister Pouncer!" said Colin, happily, being allowed to work with the enthusiasm of someone being told that they could take the week off.

Colin smiled warmly at the still-horrified October and Chai.

* * *

It was a grim and terrible morning, with no chance to nap at all. October and Chai moved in a daze, unenthusiastically flipping chairs, deprived of a golden opportunity to nap whilst Colin seemed to float around them, humming a happy tune and seeming to be everywhere at once.

October and Chai shared an unhappy look with each other from across the floor.

Colin was veritably dancing around the floor. His surprisingly strong ribbons and the deft twists of his body were making for quick work of the upturned chairs and scooping up small bits of debris that had been missed by the cleaning mice. Colin was depositing trash into a bin almost as often as he was flipping a chair. He was a constant flow of busy motion making his way right around the Café.

It was immediately clear to both of them that this wouldn't do. The work was going far too quickly and restlessly. October hadn't been here long, but he realised that was setting a bad precedent.

From the look on Chai's face, he was definitely thinking the same thing.

October raised an eyebrow and shrugged, in a, 'What can you do?' kind-of-a-way.

Chai frowned. At October, then the spinning, humming Colin.

October grinned awkwardly. He sensed Dark intent, which amused him. He shook his head though, ever so slightly.

Chai's frown hardened, however.

"Hey, Colin," said Chai.

"Hm.?" said Colin, looking around.

"You didn't go and have to make us look bad," said Chai, "Like we needed your help. You could have just stayed in that room of yours."

"Oh!" said Colin, "Don't be silly, Chai!" he said pleasantly, "I said I was just here to help October with the customers. I don't think that anyone thinks the less of you."

Chai stayed quiet for a few seconds, then spoke again, "I'll be fine, but you embarrassed October. Didn't he..?" Chai looked sharply over at October. His red eyes like knives.

October felt somewhat caught out, not feeling any need or desire for conflict at this moment. Certainly not between the two Pokemon who had been the friendliest to him.

Colin spoke first, "Oh, Chai!" he said, still smiling, but sounding concerned, "Everyone knows October's new! I'm sure they understand him wanting a few tips. Besides, October doesn't mind, does he?"

Red and blue eyes stared at October. Feeling very awkward, he worded very carefully, "Ah, well," he began, unconfidently, yet spinning up quickly into the fine art of fast-talking, "Well, because I'm sure as Colin says, there's an understanding of my inexperience," Colin smiled, Chai frowned, giving him deadly eyes, October continued gamely, "I'm sure there's no lasting harm of course. Though it is a little embarrassing to be nursemaided, it is as he says. Just as long as it's not too regular a thing, of course."

He looked between the pair of them, neither looked particularly happy. Though Chai looked somewhat less unhappy.

"Aw, October," said Colin, looking slightly downcast, "You shouldn't be afraid of asking for help, you know! No-one will look down on you for having the courage to accept help, I'm sure of it!"

Chai spoke up suddenly, "You think too well of people, Colin, you're too naive."

Colin looked at Chai sadly, "Oh, Chai, I'm sorry you think that, but really, people and Pokemon are better than you think."

Chai let out a sound somewhere between a spit and a hiss, looking away, "You'd be surprised, Colin," he said quickly and quietly.

Colin's eyes became bigger and sadder, "Oh, Chai! I know you had a bad time on the streets and I'm sorry!" and he suddenly plunged towards the Umbreon, ribbons outstretched.

Chai, eyes wide in surprise, had no time to react before Colin was upon him. The slight, but older Sylveon practically yanking Chai off his feet into an sprawled, squeezing hug.

Chai looked shocked and terrified.

"Things aren't like that most of the time, Chai!" said Colin, appealingly, "When you get right down to it, everyone wants more nice and less nasty! Let the nasty go, Chai!"

October stared on in shocked curiosity, wondering what it was that he was observing.

Chai, who apparently couldn't move, looked to October for help, but for the moment they could only share confused looks.

"Oh, that's sweet, Colin," said October, more out of desperation then plan.

"Um, yeah," said Chai, "Uhhh... thanks Colin..." he said awkwardly, tailing off at the end.

Colin released the Umbreon and smiled at him. Chai squirmed away at the first opportunity.

"Oh, it's no trouble to me," said Colin, smiling sweetly at them both, "To be honest, I'd kind of like to do this more often. It can get so boring in the early morning when there's no sleep-in customer. I like to share the sunrise!"

He smiled sweetly. He practically seemed to sparkle.

October and Chai again shared horrified looks, not for the first and not for the last time that day.

* * *

Out by the bins, October smoked enthusiastically, inhaling smoke so sharply the chery glowed like a flare, then exhaling so hard you'd have thought he was practising a Flamethrower.

'Stimulants, stimulate,' he mentally commanded the nicotine. Down a nap, he was feeling understaffed on his faculties and badly needed the reinforcement. He almost hoped the customers would start arriving so that he had an excuse to be near Mr. Coffee Machine.

He heard very soft pawsteps and wasn't too surprised when Chai appeared, standing next to him. He looked over with a nod. Chai looked about as dead as he felt.

"Hey," said the Umbreon.

"Hey," said October, taking another delicious, but inadequate draw of his cigarette.

"Got any special smokes that might help?" said Chai, quietly.

"None that are any good for the morning," said October, exhaling slowly.

Chai exhaled slowly through his nose. "Give me one of those, then."

October raised an eyebrow. "Hmmmph," he said, "It's not a great idea, Chai. These are terribly addictive, horrible for your health and comparatively unrewarding, you know..."

"Will it make me feel any better about this morning?" said Chai.

"Well..." said October, slowly, "A little bit..."

"Give me one, then," said Chai, firmly.

October sighed and drew one out of his mane. "Well, I've fair-warned you... So just as long as I get the magic word..."

"What, seriously?" said Chai.

"Mmmm-hmmm," said October.

Chai paused, staring at him as if still not convinced he was serious. When October didn't budge, instead looking at him with an expectant smile on his face, he sighed in awkward resignation. "Please can I have one?"

October's smile only widened as he handed him the cigarette. Chai took it in his claws.

"I didn't think you'd give a shit about pleases and thankyous," said Chai, sticking the cigarette in his muzzle.

"They cost nothing and make everyone feel a little better," said October, "Sounds like a good trade to me."

"Hmph," said Chai, silenced by the unlit cigarette in his muzzle.

October took a breath and tried to let out a smallish, controlled flame from which Chai could light up. He was aiming for perhaps six inches. It shot out for two feet and danced about in front of the suddenly wide-eyed Chai, flickering brightly in the dull morning light.

October was going to stop, apologise and try again, but the Umbreon darted in, taking a surprising risk to light the cigarette. It would have been impressive if he hadn't immediately dropped the cigarette, coughing.

It was a prime moment to tease Chai, but October elected to slump back against the wall with a sigh instead, "Well, at least you can say I gave you something, Chai," he said.

Chai picked up the cigarette, "Yeah?"

"A tobacco addiction. I'm such a good influence," said October, with a smirk.

Chai smirked back at him. "That's not all you gave me."

Chai took another draw on his cigarette. This time he didn't cough or sputter. October could see the determination on his face. It would be admirable if it wasn't misplaced.

"Oh..?" asked October, as lead, smiling at the Umbreon.

Chai exhaled slowly. "Yeah. A sore ass," he said quickly, smirking at October.

October grinned awkwardly, blushing at the ears, "Heh, ah, sorry about that... I think I was trying to be careful..."

"Oh, fuck no you weren't," said Chai, smiling, "but that was what I wanted. It's that lava you pumped into my ass. I think it gave me first degree asshole burns."

October, just in the midst of taking a draw, coughed it out in an involuntary chuckle at Chai's wording. Then he winced and gritted his teeth. "Ah... ehhh, sorry. I need to work-"

"Hey, don't apologise," said Chai, "You do that too much."

October frowned and raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously," said Chai, "You are what you are. I can deal with it."

"Really now?" said October, pointedly glancing towards Chai's back end.

"Hey, you play with fire, you get burned," said Chai, "and you're a blazing fire-type. I knew what I was getting myself in for."

"Yet I might have toned it down," said October, "Might have controlled myself better... and the apology costs nothing."

"No!" said Chai, uncharacteristically assertively, "Screw that. I wanted wild fire, not tame fire. That's what I got. You're making less of yourself apologising for being what you are."

"Interesting..." said October, leaning back and drawing on his cigarette, fanning his tails back behind him.

Chai suddenly remembered his own cigarette. In the brief pause that followed, he took a careful little draw of it, then breathed smoke as he spoke. "What is..?" he asked, a slight scrutinizing frown on his face.

October exhaled slowly, making a winding cloud of his own smoke. "I was going to tell you something similar."

Chai looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well," said October, "You're telling me to be the fire type that I am. I think you need to be the dark type you are, Chai."

It was Chai's turn to look defensive.

"Honestly," said October, "Last night I went wild for a sneaky, slinky, stealthy, vicious little thing and his determination. It's a pity I had to get you high and wind you up to see that."

Chai looked away. Now the one embarrassed.

October went on, "You're a predator in the night. You're the kind of incarnation of fierce base desires that could kick the higher processes of a psychic type into the ground. You're subtle and sharp. You slink in and out of notice. It's a pity you never show the customers this, because I can confirm that you're a truly sexy thing, Chai."

Chai was smoking enthusiastically now, looking away into the distance. "You think so?" he said without looking around.

"Oh yes," said October, "I'll make you a deal Chai, I'll be more fire if you be more dark. Be more Dark, Chai."

Chai nodded, then looked around at him, "Okay," he said simply. A sudden and strange look of determination in his eyes.

"Now, let's stop being so damned awkward about complimenting each other," said October, tossing the spent cigarette butt aside and and rising, "and dive once more into the breach before Colin tells on us. We can always hang out on the roof later and chat."

"Not gonna be on the roof later," said Chai, extinguishing his cigarette and following October as started walking back towards the door.

"Oh?" said October, his ears pricking.

Chai nodded. "Got something to do."

October considered for a second, but couldn't hold back his curiosity. "Excuse my manners, but mind me asking what..?"

Chai smirked at him, "Learning to be more Dark."

* * *

October's wish had come true and the customers had come. Now he wished he hadn't made that wish. He almost wished he'd never made any wishes ever. He was coming to regard every wish as some kind of monkey-paw ironic punishment deal.

A minibus full of tourists had arrived. Gaily adorned, middle-aged, yammering humans with cameras and a few small Pokemon pets. All of a sudden, he was in a rush, whilst feeling in no way ready for it. The bright colours and loud noises were like screeching and static to him.

He wove between tables with a load of Coffees and awful fruity beverages on his back, sharing a mournful look with an equally harried and tired looking Chai as he went and briefly catching sight of an energetic and happy Colin.

The tourists were sitting or standing around just a few tables, managing to clump together just enough to make their pocket of the otherwise quiet room a crowd.

The Ninetales quietly seethed and wondered who in the hell drove a tourist minibus to a Cafe/Whorehouse.

None the less, he was still determined to do a good job. On his pride as a Ninetales.

"Your drinks have arrived," he announced to the middle table, from whom Colin had passed the order note.

They stopped talking at once and looked at him.

"Oh my!" said a large, rounded woman in a sky-blue dress, shouting almost directly into his sensitive right ear, "You're British!"

October rose his left eyebrow as the lower lid of his right eye twitched involuntarily. "Why yes, apparently I am," he said with about as much false, customer service cheer as he could. Which wasn't much.

It didn't seem to bother her. "Oh my! How cute!"

Cute!? He was about to start thinking about how objectionable that was when suddenly the woman was roughly rubbing his head and messing up his mane. He'd have retreated or bit or resisted in any way that he could, were he not carrying a full haul of prepared, fiddly beverages.

When she finally took her rough and disgustingly human-smelling hand away, he was tempted to announce his displeasure with fire.

"You're so soft!" she said, "and what a strange colour you are! Aw, you're just adorable."

He was really tempted now.

A bearded man across the table laughed over-loudly, "Hahah, Iris, you getting smitten with that Pokemon?"

"AHAHAH!" the woman's laughter was even louder. October's ears went back. He felt his body heating involuntarily. "No Stan, I'm not that into Pokemon, you dirty man."

He laughed again, "Hey, hearsay has it, that's all above board here."

"I know that, Stan," she said, "actually, I'm surprised we haven't seen more than three Pokemon waiters."

"Well," said October, "I'm afraid it is eight in the morning, madam. The place doesn't get busy until much later." He said it pleasantly, but he was thinking, 'So please, go the fuck away!'

"Ah, that's a shame," said the man, "I was thinking of looking at your menu, but we're not staying long."

Well, that was good news at least. October almost let himself feel relieved, but then he noticed that the woman was staring at him in an unnerving way...

"Well, as it happens," the woman said, thoughtfully, reaching into her back, "I was more thinking of my darling Furfrou, here."

The woman produced a Pokeball. October edged away from the thing warily, not trusting the slavery sphere. She tapped a button on the front and it hinged open, vomiting a red light that coalesced quickly into matter.

It was the first time he had seen that for himself. He couldn't help but briefly wonder at the mockery of physics taking place before him. The sheer violence of the energy such a transmutative event should produce, the sheer unlikelihood of the reformation of the disincorporated Furfrou near-instantly taking shape in front of him. There HAD to be magic involved... and not just because of the elemental nature of Pokemon.

Yet his curiosity was distracted by the matter of the Furfrou that had reformed in front of him. Any thoughts to the continuation/discontinuation of consciousness and the experience of dematerialisation were immediately overridden by the mutual contempt she and he had in their eyes for one another.

The Furfrou was tall, nearly as tall as him. Pleasantly streamlined and skinny, where true anatomy did show, but everywhere were great puffs of ridiculously groomed and trimmed fur, seemingly cut into shapes reminiscent of 1970's Earth art deco, dyed bright pink. She stared at him like he was wasting her time.

He stared back as though an idiotic-looking, contemptible-seeming, that-woman-associated pooch-Pokemon really ought to watch how she was looking at a Ninetales.

"How'd you think of him, Joline?" said the woman, "Isn't he just the cutest?"

The Furfrou seemed to make a cute, thoughtful growl, that meant nothing.

"Think he's handsome, huh?" said the woman, seeming to draw meaning from that.

October asked impulsively, "Doesn't she speak for herself?"

"Huh?" said the woman, "Oh, Joline lets me do all the talking, isn't that right girl?" She reached and gave the Furfrou a careful and restrained pet that was nothing like the messing torment she had inflicted upon October.

Yet October was less horrified by that than the revelation. In all the planescape, there were but a blessed few Pokemon-bearing worlds where the curse that humans and Pokemon might never truly understand each other had been lifted or never enacted. Yet here was another Pokemon, like the Poochyena yesterday, who renounced that good fortune to let their human master speak for them as they lived their lives at heel. By his nature, October couldn't help but find that detestable.

"So what'cha think girl, want some?" said the woman, "Because Momma can arrange that for you. Yeah? You want some?"

October had been so distracted by the Pokeball and Poke-politics that he hadn't quite realised where this was leading. His eyes widened.

"Hey, how much for your time?" asked the woman, looking right at him, "I ain't sure of your rates, but I'm good for it."

"Wait, what?" said October, loudly, shocked and off-guard, "I haven't agreed to anything!"

"Huh?" said the woman, looking mystified, "I thought that was one of your main services here? Isn't it?"

"Ah, well, yes," said October awkwardly, "Though, ah..."

The woman looked hurt, "What, don't you like Joline?"

Now this was a bit of a prickly patch he'd found himself in. His first impulse was to burn it all down, literally or metaphorically, but that particular path to freedom was practically an admission that he was losing the game.

He struggled and spoke, "Oh, ah, that's not it at all, you see, she's quite nicely built and..." he struggled to find a descriptive way around her idiotic grooming. Nearly gave up. Nearly said, 'Oh, look, I'm tired, just fuck off...' It was on the tip of his tongue, with an avalanche of obscenities close behind.

Suddenly Colin had appeared next to him, as if by magic, smiling a ready customer-service smile. "Hey there!" said the Sylveon, brightly, "Is there a problem?"

"Hi!" said the woman, smiling seemingly as she saw Colin's smile, "That's what I'm tryin' to figure out here. Ain't this a house of... business?"

"It certainly is!" said Colin, brightly, "Cafe Plaisir is here to see to all your wants and needs!"

"So what's the problem then?" asked the woman, "I was hoping Joline here could spend some time with the Ninetales. Am I going about this wrong?"

"Oh!" said Colin, "Oh no madam, not at all!"

"I'm not?" said the woman.

"Oh no," said the Sylveon, with a slow blink and a pat on October's shoulder with a ribbon, "It's just that October here's new and he's still pretty shy."

October's maw hung open in horror.

"Shy?" said the woman.

Colin nodded and smiled, "Um-hmmm. He's still finding his feet and he needs a bit of familiarity before he's ready to dive into things, you see."

October cringed with almost his whole body. The beverages on the tray on his back rattled slightly.

"Oh!" said the woman, "How embarrassing!" She laughed and guffawed, "Sorry there, October, I had no idea."

"Oh, it's alright," said October, through gritted teeth, "No harm done. I really must apologise. Like Colin said, I'm... shy..." Internally, of course, his Ninetales pride was fuming and his sense of vengeance was considering whether the Sylveon might enjoy a ride on the ceiling fan, later, but for now, he supposed he had to let the Fairy have it...

The woman guffawed some more. "Hahah! Well, you never know what you'll run into on the road, huh? A shy Ninetales in a place like this!"

Colin giggled along with her.

'Burn, burn, burn it all,' said October's impulses. 'Wait a minute,' he told them.

"Well," said the woman, "I'm afraid I ain't got time for you and Joline to get to know each other, October. It's a real shame."

"Oh, I can attend your Furfrou, madam!" said Colin with a beaming smile.

The woman looked at the girlish Sylveon doubtfully. "Ah, well, I think Joline here likes a healthy man..."

Colin seemed undeterred, "Well madam, as it happens I was a resident Breeder at a Daycare Center before I worked here. I might not be as big as October, but I've got a good pedigree and a lot of experience with females. I can guarantee Joline a good time! Just you bet on it!"

"Really now..?" said the woman, thoughtfully.

As interesting as the revelation was, the fact of the girly Sylveon manning up for October was perhaps the biggest pill to swallow... no... suppository to manage, yet today.

October really needed another cigarette.

"Will someone please take these SODDING drinks off of me?" he couldn't help but ask aloud.

* * *

Colin had left with the Furfrou, but the tourists had remained. Slowly, but steadily, whittling away at October's patience.

He was impressed with himself for not blowing up earlier, but that confidence high was slowly draining.

He was doing well. He was sure he was. He hadn't set fire to ANYTHING yet.

The temptation was just growing though. He had just been called over by a frowning, bald-headed man.

"This Coffee is cold," said the man, staring blankly at October.

"Well yes," said October, frowning, "The laws of thermodynamics state that your coffee will achieve thermal equilibrium with its surroundings, given a sufficient period."

"Huh?" said the man.

"You were talking," said October with a sigh, "and your coffee went cold."

"What?" said the man, sneering, "I weren't talkin' that long, pal."

October stared at the Coffee, "...and yet..."

"Look," said the man, pointing at October, coming closer to getting his finger bitten off than he ever would have believed, "Don't give me your guff. I want a hot Coffee, that's what I'm payin' for."

October took a deep breath. "Fine," he said.

Give the customer what they want. Some kind of important rule in customer service, he was sure.

So, taking inspiration from a powerful Ninetales he knew of, he decided to conjure up a wisp of Foxfire, known to humans as a Will O' Wisp. Because they had no idea how most Pokemon powers really worked.

Well, he tried to anyway. What happened was that he summoned his powers, gathered them into a ball in his chest, opened his mouth and tried to release it, releasing instead a burp of green flame.

"What the hell?" said the man, ducking back.

"Excuse me," said October, "One more try."

Again he gathered his powers into a ball, tried to mould it with his will, put in far more effort... concentrated the energy... then with the thrill of fire in his chest, opened his maw.

Ghostly, green-coloured flames vomited from his maw, washing over the coffee cup and the vase of flowers in the middle of the table. The dried, decorative flowers burst into flame. The tablecloth was blackened. The Coffee was warmed. The human jumped out of his seat.

October turned from the table, "There you go, nice and warm, free of charge," he remarked cheerfully, chalking that one up as a success. He certainly felt better for it.

Still, he reflected, as he decided to stroll off for another cigarette break, he supposed that technique could use some work. He was pretty sure he recalled Verrin referring to it as a Vulpix's trick. So, he knew he ought to feel more embarrassed than he did, but he didn't.

The colour was interesting though. Green? What was that about?

* * *

Chai watched October depart with a smile. The Ninetales had a spring in his step that had been missing for most of the day. Chai was happy to see it. He didn't even mind that he had to run and get a pitcher of water before the burning flowers set off the smoke alarm and sprinklers.

The human was stood nearby. "Dammit, that Ninetales is crazy!" he shouted at Chai as the Umbreon leapt up to pour the water over the flowers.

Chai stared at him silently as the water poured from the pitcher hanging from his mouth.

"What?" said the human, "Ain't'cha gonna say anything?"

Chai stared at the human harder, then, when he was sure the flames were out, put down the pitcher so his mouth was free. He looked right at the human, then shook his head.

"Fuh, Pokemon, y'aint safe," muttered the human, "You ask me, they should still keep y'all in balls."

Chai shook his head again, hopped down from the table and walked silently away from the forgettably unpleasant, intolerant man. He just about hid his smile.

So, October was apparently living up to his end of the bargain and not a moment too soon. Chai had been getting worried when the episode with the Furfrou had ended without a single upset customer. Worried and sorely disappointed.

Though when said Furfrou and Colin reappeared, Chai's smile vanished at once. There was a couple of Pokemon he didn't want to see.

Yet he found himself staring all the same as Colin escorted the Furfrou in a gentlemanly fashion across the Cafe floor, back towards its owner. He had two ribbons, one on her back and one under her chest, subtly helping her keep a dignified posture as they strolled.

Chai had trouble picturing how that had went, since Colin was noticeably shorter and smaller than the Furfrou, frankly looking the more feminine of the two. Despite what was transparently to Chai's perceptions, the Furfrou's poised pretence of indifference, that Furfrou had an unmistakable glow and tiredness about her that suggested that Colin had done a good job.

The Furfrou was returned to its owner, who seemed overjoyed that her darling seemed to have enjoyed herself a good time.

After being thanked and having shook the woman's hand with a delicately wrapped ribbon, Colin turned around and headed towards Chai with a bright smile on his face.

Chai had no particular love for Colin and he didn't smile as the beaming, bright-eyed Fairy-type practically seemed to float across the floor towards him, seeming even more energised than before. It wasn't so much that he had any rational reason to dislike the Sylveon, so much as he found him inherently creepy and unnatural, completely out of touch with the world around him.

"Hi, Chai!" said Colin cheerily, "Nice to see you!"

"You've only been gone an hour," said Chai flatly.

"Doesn't mean it isn't nice to see you!" said Colin with a giggle, reaching out towards Chai's head with a ribbon.

Chai ducked back instinctively, wary of the Sylveon's ribbon-like feelers now. Those feelers had after all lifted him clear from the ground earlier.

Colin didn't seem to notice, he was looking around the room, "Where's October?" he asked.

"He's on a break," said Chai, quietly.

"Hmmm, okay," said Colin, stroking his own chin with a feelertip, "He sure takes a lot of breaks. Still, he needs to take it easy. I was worried something'd be on fire by the time I came back, hee-hee!"

Chai shook his head, "Everything's fine," he said simply, not looking towards the blackened vase and burnt-scented table.

"Oh, good good," said Colin cheerily, now looking at Chai again, "Well, why are we standing around here? Don't the Customers need serving?"

"They're all served," said Chai, "We're waiting."

"Oh," said Colin, the Sylveon positively twitching with his desire to be kind and helpful, "well, there must be something we can do for them!" he declared cheerfully, "Do they have complimentary mints?"

"We don't do that in the mornings anymore," said Chai, quietly.

"Well why not?" said Colin, "That seems sad!"

Chai shrugged, partly because he didn't know, and partly because he didn't care.

"Do we still have them?" asked Colin, looking worried.

"Yeah, they're under the bar," said Chai.

"Well, let's do that then!" said Colin, practically skating off towards the bar.

Chai suppressed a shudder of revulsion and remained where he was. Creepy and wrong, he thought, finding himself watching the Sylveon's minty crusade.

He stopped and talked to every customer. He asked them how their day and Cafe Plaisir experience were going. He seemed to genuinely care about what they said. Chai literally couldn't understand how he kept it up, but the Sylveon seemed tireless.

Colin's appetite for dealing with people seemed limitless. He seemed to get a smile out of everyone... even the bald-headed man that October had dealt with; He shook the Sylveon's ribbons with his hands and shared an inane chuckle.

By the time October returned, Chai could have sworn that Colin had become fast friends with the whole jabbering, obnoxious lot of them.

Chai decided to ask October for another cigarette.

* * *

The shift had finally ended, not long after the tourists had went on their way, eventually wafting back out like a still chatting and yammering stormcloud.

October was feeling very tense and worn. The tourists had wanted endless amounts of drinks. His paws were still aching from handling cold beverages. His mind was numb from answering so many stupid questions. He was only on his feet because of his alliance with Mr. Coffee Machine.

Still, he sat next to Colin and Chai in front of Mister Pouncer in the Service corridor, sagging on his rump and staring impatiently up at the Grovyle, waiting to be released.

Mister Pouncer had his arms folded and was looking sternly down on them all. "Well, then," he said.

October opened his mouth and took a breath as if to say something, then decided he couldn't be bothered and settled back as everyone stared at him.

"Nothing to say, October?" asked Pouncer, peering at him.

October shook his head and waved a paw, gesturing submission and for Pouncer to go on. He was too tired to pre-emptively protest his innocence today.

"Very well," said Pouncer, "So, as I was going to say, well done, to all of you."

October looked up in surprise. They all did. October blinked at the foreign-nature of those words coming from Mister Pouncer. It was disorienting.

The Grovyle held up a palm, "Now, whilst I'm not saying you were perfect, there has been a much better job done today than there had been for some time on the Morning Shift." He stared over them all.

October was still blinking. Colin was beaming with his chest out. Chai was frowning suspiciously.

Pouncer went on, "Chai," he said, looking at the still-wary Umbreon, "I have rarely seen you so motivated. October," he said, making firm eye contact with the confused vulpine, "We have not had a single complaint. Colin," he address the proud-looking Sylveon, "If you've had this effect on those two, we might just have to see about doing this more often."

"I'd be happy to!" declared Colin, gesturing expansively with his ribbons, "Today was a lot of fun!"

"Glad to hear it Colin," said Pouncer happily, "After all, hard work is rewarding."

"It sure is!" declared the Sylveon.

October and Chai shared doubtful looks.

"Hahah, excellent Colin," said Pouncer with a smile," Well you can consider yourself re-proven today as well."

"Yay!" said Colin, flinging his feelers up into the air jubilantly.

October raised an eyebrow at the display. Chai just stared with a frown. October quietly wondered though, 're-proven?' Had he been proven before and then un-proven? It was a strange thing to have said.

"I hope we can follow this up with another, similar performance tomorrow," said Mister Pouncer, smiling at them all, "In the meantime, have yourselves a good rest. You've earned it today."

They turned and left slowly. October was still wondering quite what had just happened. They had done well? That was a GOOD day? He didn't feel accomplished. He felt as though he'd barely survived a very frustrating and unsatisfying ordeal in which his pride had gone through the wringer.

Still, it was an odd feeling, being thanked for a good job. Nice, even. It was bewildering.

"That was fun! I hope we can do this again!" declared Colin, the three of them still walking together.

"So... that was doing well?" asked October, distantly.

Chai shook his head and peeled off to the side.

"Where you going, Chai?" asked Colin.

"Stuff to do," said the Umbreon, "See you tomorrow, October," he said quickly, then he'd slipped away through a doorway making nary more of a disturbance then a slipping shadow.

There was a short delay. A loaded silence. October could tell nearly instantly that Colin was about to talk about Chai. When the Sylveon made eye contact again, there was a sad concern in his bright blue eyes.

"Hmm," said Colin, "He's so dark and broody. I hope you help him to cheer up, October. He's too morose. I think he's out of touch with the world."

October swayed his head, thoughtfully, "He could use a bit more confidence, but he has his own style, Colin. No less valid than your own."

"I wish he'd smile more, though," said Colin, sadly, "Customers like cheerful. He needs to connect more."

"Ah, but then the smiles you get out of him are all the more precious," said October, "He isn't always morose... and he can connect rather nicely, I assure you."

"Well... he seems to have you sold," said Colin with a naughty smile, "I wonder what you've seen in him that I haven't."

October grinned, "A dark little diamond in the rough," he said simply.

"Oh..?" Colin wore curious delight across his face, "Can I have details?"

"That would be indiscrete and unkind of me," said October with a challenging smirk.

"Aww... alright," said Colin, acceding easily, "You're right, too... I'm just really curious."

"Hmm... So..." said October thoughtfully, "The two of you haven't..?"

"Nope," said Colin, shaking his head, "He can be so hard to talk to. We've never spent any time around each other."

"Hmmm, interesting," said October, "One was getting the impression everyone might have gotten everywhere by now."

Colin giggled, "Nah, most of us do need a little lead-in, like you said, after all. At least where staff are concerned, people you'll see around long-term..." He giggled again. "Well, most of us, anyway. The unexpected can be fun too." He smiled sadly at October then, "It's a pity you know, I think I'd like to see Chai's smile."

"It's a thing worth seeing, but then, I'm starting to think you want to see everyone smile," said October, smirking.

"I do!" said Colin, in such a tone that October was assured that he meant it quite honestly, however October had meant it.

It was overwhelming in a way, the reality of Colin. He was like a shining beacon of welcoming nice, as far as October could tell. He was a fascinating, yet confounding creature; Could he, could anything really, be so seemingly innocent and pure of heart? His experience suggested otherwise and yet...

What a curiosity.

"So, where are you headed now?" asked Colin, "Where does October go when the shift ends?"

"Well," said October, "As it happens, one follows the axiom of intuitive necessity."

"Oh?" said Colin, tilting his head curiously.

October nodded, "I'm hungry, so I'm going to do something about that."

"Oh, right!" said Colin, with a smile, "Mind if I come along?"

"Not at all," said October, smiling back.

"Shouldn't we get rid of the trays first?" asked Colin.

October shrugged, "We'll just stash them. There are many fine cupboards and potted plants that can play host."

Colin went with that easily enough, but he seemed confused when October headed for the door leading to outside. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Well, to the woods of course," said October, "Where free food can be found."

"The woods?" said Colin, "Not the Staff facilities?"

October raised an eyebrow, "There are Staff facilities?"

"Well yeah," said Colin, "What have you been using?"

"The woods," said October, thinking it quite obvious.

Colin stared in amazement. "For everything?"

"Not for sleeping," said October, "but it's pretty convenient for most things. The woods around here are about the best thing about this place being the middle of bloody no-where."

"Most things? Even..?" Colin left his actual question unsaid.

"What..?" asked October, confused. His stride slowed for just a moment.

"Never mind," the Sylveon eventually said, back to cheery again, shaking his head and quickly seeming to forget the whole conversation.

October headed out into the woods, towards a promising Berry patch he'd found a while ago. There was a damp bit around there with some mushrooms that hadn't killed him yet, too.

Colin, initially smiling at each insect and flower, had gotten less chirpy the deeper they'd gotten into the woods.

"It's not very clean..." muttered Colin, as they waded through some long grass. The Sylveon skipped widely around any even remotely mucky portion.

"Well, it is a forest," said October, smirking, "They're full of life. Life isn't clean."

"I prefer indoors," said Colin, "I mean, it's nice out here, but I like to keep clean."

"Really?" said October curious now, "I would have thought most Pokemon felt some call of the wild... Don't you feel the life of the forest, the dirt between your claws and all of that stuff? I mean, inside is great at all, it has video games, beds, fireplaces, but it would be a shame to restrict oneself to just one or the other..."

"Well, the forest IS pretty," said Colin, "and it's nice walking with you, but I'm an indoor Pokemon, born and raised."

October looked at the Sylveon curiously, "You never come out here?"

"Nuh-uh," Colin shook his head. He did actually look pretty lost. Already. They were just minutes out of the car park.

"Oh well," said October, "I suppose it's time you took a walk on the wild side, eh?"

Colin smiled, "I guess so. Will you lead me?"

"Lead you?" said October, raising an eyebrow.

"Mmm-hmm?" said Colin, extending a ribbon his way, "If you don't mind?"

October looked at the Sylveon quizzically, but he seemed to be genuine. He wanted to be led, child-like, through the woods? It was simultaneously adorable and pathetic. It seemed to be an earnest request for comfort though.

Doubtfully, October extended a tail into range. Colin's feeler wrapped around it gently. Colin smiled happily and with surprisingly heart-melting sweetness.

It felt pretty weird, but then October generally liked weird. It was probably a pretty ridiculous spectacle, a Ninetales leading a Sylveon into the woods, tail-to-feeler, but that tickled his sense of humour, too. He found himself smiling.

A while later, Colin spoke again. "So, how far are we going?" he asked.

October paused, thoughtfully, "You know, I'm not sure, but I'm usually back in an hour or two. Then I'll nap, then I'm up for evening."

"Oh, okay..." said Colin, "Mind if we talk?"

"Not at all," said October, honestly. In fact, he wasn't sure if it was the pleasant day or the novel humour of the situation, but he was feeling very at ease indeed.

"I'm curious about you, October," said Colin, "You came out of no-where with a strange accent one night. Introduced by Mister Firenze of all people. Where do you come from? What do you do?"

"Well," said October, smiling, "Would you believe me if I told you that I came from an accidental event of meta-arcane entropy and that I'm here because of a misunderstanding?"

Colin looked at him quizzically, "I'd tell you I had no idea what you meant."

October smiled and spoke pleasantly, "Honestly, I come from literally no-where. As for what I do? Well, I adventure everywhere. Sometimes I get into trouble. Well, I get into trouble very often as it happens, but it's generally always in a good cause and it usually works out..."

October caught himself mid-ramble. It was rarely a good idea to tell someone you were from a whole different universe; the knowledge that other worlds truly exist is not knowledge that should be recklessly imparted. But he hadn't thought about that, this time. He felt relaxed. Deeply trusted, and even more deeply trusting.

When he saw Colin's curious expression, though, he had to smile and continue. "I'm good at finding ways out of trouble. This is pretty much the first time I've been caught out and made to pay for something I've done."

"Caught out?" said Colin, worriedly, "What did you do?"

"Oh, it was mostly a misunderstanding," said October, "and some minor fraud and then some vandalism during my escape. Silver just wanted me out of the tower for a bit whilst he slept... Could have happened to anyone, really. As if I carry Dollars..."

"Oh, October," gasped Colin, shocked, "I had no idea you were..." he said the words in hushed tones, "a... troublemaker. I thought maybe you knew Mister Firenze..."

"Oh my no," said October with a smile, "I'm totally here to work off my debt. Firenze is just giving me the chance to make good."

"Wow... I had no idea... but... well, at least you're trying, that's good," said Colin. his voice full of sad concern.

"Well, it's been hard," said October with a sigh, "I don't normally stay anywhere for this long, nor do anything resembling servitude, this is far from my usual kind of adventure," said October, "but I did promise Silver I'd do this. So I will. If I can."

"Hmmm," said Colin, thoughtfully, he waited until he'd caught October's eyes with a soft look, "So Silver means a lot to you, huh?"

October nodded with a smile, "Before I met him I didn't even know what consciousness was. I literally owe him the multiverse and all its wonders. He's sweet, kind and is the only one capable of taking all I have to give on every level."

"Huh, I'm not sure what you mean," said Colin, "but he or she sounds like quite a Pokemon."

"He is..." said October with a nod, "he makes for quite a fetching Glaceon, too."

"Glaceon?" said Colin, with a look somewhere between alarm and curiosity, "Aren't you a bit hot for him?"

October grinned, toothily, "Like I said, he can take it. He can generally deal with all my bullshit."

"Mmmm.... but..." said Colin, suddenly looking anxious.

October gave Colin a confused look, the Sylveon sounded as though he was worried about upsetting October, but October was feeling far too pleasant for that, "What?" he prompted.

"Well... You're here and he's not," said Colin.

October sighed, "Well, yes. He seems to think that paying for my mischief will teach me something. So he made me promise."

"Ohhhh..." said Colin, nodding slowly, brightening up as he did, "Sounds to me like love is showing you the way, October!"

October tilted his head, confused, but not at all irritated, "Oh? What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, Silver has the right idea," said Colin, "and you're in the right place!" He put a feeler over his heart, "In the name of love, I promise I'll help you keep your promise to your mate and I totally bet you'll learn valuable lessons on the way to make you a better Pokemon!"

"So this is going to be a real, feel good story then?" asked October, slightly teasingly.

"Definitely!" declared Colin with confidence. His ribbon squeezed October's tail.

October chuckled, pleasantly, "You know, I do like you Colin."

"Thanks!" said Colin, happily, stroking October's tail with his feeler.

* * *

At first Chai had slunk around the Cafe for a bit, but unless he wanted to catch someone getting ready for work, he was in the wrong place. So he slunk out into the woods.

The daytime was unpleasant and oppressive, it was all too bright for him, but he was feeling far too unsettled to nap on the roof like he normally would. Today, he had something to do, a mission he'd set himself.

He ran across Vermont before too long, taking a brief stroll. Vermont as an example however, was laughable. Keeping to the deepest, darkest cover that the Umbreon could find, Chai continued on past the Glameow without ever being noticed.

There weren't too many Dark types out during the day, since most of the lucky bastards actually got to work sane hours for their type, but there were enough Pokemon at Cafe Plaisir that there were always a few exceptions.

So, Chai, proceeding as stealthily as he could, continued until he found a good, covered position from which to catch sight of the one he thought for sure would be out here.

He'd waited a while, but not quite long enough to fall asleep. Chai had been just nodding off when a streak of shining white, glowing in the strong daylight, caught his eye.

The Absol was prancing, playing in the bright, warm light as if it were as meant for that time of day as any other. Frollicking in the shine, leaping at butterflies and running vigorously. Every movement seemed to efficiently use every part of that healthy, black and white streamlined, elongated felinesque body.

Soon enough he'd had to move and follow to keep track. He tried to stalk the Absol through the woods, but soon enough the frollicking stopped and it was clear enough from the slowing of its gait and the subtle shift in poise that the Absol knew it was being watched.

Chai silently cursed. He was stealthy from paw to aura, but he was ultimately an urban creature, through and through. He must have made some mistake or other that the Absol in its forest home had picked up upon. He was detected and if he wasn't discovered, he soon would be.

Chai had given the impressive and beautiful predator one last look over, taking in the streamlined muscles, the flawless, shaggy-white fur, the perfect balance and gave both impressive sets of genitals once last lingering stare before he slipped carefully backwards into the deepest shadows nearby.

It was annoying, but he had to give hir the advantage in hir home turf. Anyone else and they'd never have picked up on him, Chai was sure.

Chai wasn't sure he had much to learn from that one, anyway. Omen was a beauty, for certain, but he didn't see anything of himself in those graceful movements, that running dance that spoke of a zest for life and all things natural.

This wasn't his world, this twisting mess of tangled life and soft, smoothly rolling landscape, where the sun shone through every gap in the leaves. Chai's world was hard ground and clean lines, sharp right angles, sheer drops and deep, impenetrable, looming shadow. He didn't hate the forest at all, but he just didn't fit here. The roof was his sanctuary, not here.

This wasn't his world and Omen wasn't his kind of Dark type. Still, he wasn't quite ready to rest and Omen wasn't the only Dark type likely to be found in these woods. So on he went.

He had set himself a mission, after all. If he was going to be more Dark, he was going to need examples.

* * *

They had eventually made it to the Berry patch. It had taken a tad longer than expected. Colin had slowed things down, somewhat.

"The sun is going down," remarked Colin, sadly, "I thought you said this wouldn't take very long."

"Well," said October, "We ah, weren't quite going at my usual pace."

"Oh," said Colin, "Sorry. I guess I slowed you down."

"Well, the company has been pleasant," said October, honestly.

"Thanks!" said Colin, with a smile, "So... what now?"

October nodded around to the multiple berry trees and bushes all about them, spreading his tails out as if to gesture at the comparatively glorious feast that lay before them, and declared, "We eat!"

Colin was hesitant at first. He seemed uncertain in the lack of plates or presentation, unaccustomed to nature's bounty.

October on the other hand tore in, having a hungry burning void within desperate to gain fuel for his inner fire. Sharp fangs ripped into berry after berry. He wasn't sure what most of them were; they all had such stupid names anyway. The main thing was that they were edible and most of them weren't disgusting.

Colin eventually got into the spirit of things in so such much that he nibbled delicately at a Pecha still on the branch whilst October was busily creating a pile of post-berry carnage on the ground.

"This is weird," said Colin, "I'm used to having Pecha cooked and served with sauce and pastry. It's different like this."

October had to pause and look at him, "You do realise that the vast majority of the world's Pokemon have never had cooked Pecha?"

Colin blushed and giggled, "Well, I guess so. Weird. So this is life on the wild side, huh?"

October chuckled with him, but awkwardly. This forest was as safe as they came, so far as he'd seen. It was verily not the feral survival experience. He briefly wondered how Colin would cope in a world without humans and artificial amenities.

October then had to smirk at himself, for what creature performs well out of its element? As adaptable as he considered himself, he was having no end of trouble pleasing people and following instructions. It was Colin who was helping him there.

"Well, hang around with me some more," said October, "and we'll see about getting you in touch with your inner animal, eh?"

Colin smiled sweetly at him, his eyes bright and enthusiastic, "Sounds fun!" he said, "but maybe next time I'll bring a napkin."

October placed his paw on his head, closed his eyes and chuckled.

"What?" said Colin.

"You don't need a napkin," said October, shaking his head.

"I'm getting Berry juice all over my face!" protested Colin, "These wild Berries really aren't very tidy. We should have thought of bringing one."

October gave a little smile then rose, advancing on the Sylveon. Colin looked at him curiously as he strolled up.

October stopped right in front of him, then set his long vulpine tongue to licking Colin across the muzzle. The Sylveon squeaked adorably and tried to pull back, but October planted a paw on his head and held him there like a bossy mother until October's nose had guided his tongue over every delicious patch of juice or fleshy debris on the Sylveon's compact, shapely muzzle. Only then would he release Colin.

Colin's muzzle twisted in his surprise, his adorable features flexing under October's tongue. With the confused and shocked squeaks and chirrs he made, it was a lot of fun.

"There we go, all clean!" declared October once he was finally so, letting him go.

"Eep!" squeaked Colin, pulling back on being given back his freedom, "Gross..! Ahh!" he went to wipe off October's saliva, but then wouldn't touch it with his paws, "It's all hot and thick!"

October smirked, suddenly feeling satisfied well beyond the food he had just consumed. "Well, it IS fire-type saliva. High vaporisation point and all," he said cheerily.

"...and it smells like tobacco!" squeaked Colin, eventually turning to a leaf he began to use as an improvised cleaning tool.

"Hmm, that reminds me, I could murder a cigarette," said October, reaching into his mane, drawing and lighting one then leaving it in his muzzle in just two movements.

It was pleasant, but he didn't really need it. He had enough satisfaction watching Colin clean himself and remembering the noises he had made. October had waited as long as he could and been careful about teasing Colin - as he'd suspected, it was almost too much fun. One might get carried away all too easily.

"Oh, there you go again!" said Colin, still dabbing his face with a leaf, "Those things are bad for you, you know, even a fire-type!"

"I know," said October casually, enjoying the thing all the more, taking another long, extra-satisfying drag.

"They smell bad too," said Colin, "Do you think they make you look cool?"

October smiled slowly, finishing an extra long draw. He sat in a relaxed poise and opened his fangy maw slowly, letting the smoke out then in a slow exhalation that played over his fangs and washed slowly back over himself. "Yes," he said with a cheeky grin.

Colin stopped cleaning himself and stared at him with a look in his big blue eyes that that was for the first time irritable, yet it was above an entirely new and more animate smile that October hadn't before seen on the Sylveon.

"You scruffy thing," said Colin, still smiling. He put on a faux-haughty voice when he continued, "Escort me back, at once!"

"Oh?" said October, smiling curiously at the Sylveon's new and stronger tone, "but we've just barely gotten out here..."

"We've had the afternoon your way," said Colin, a strange and newly determined gleam in his eyes, "let's have the evening mine. Which means indoors, for a start."

"Not feeling the comforts of nature, eh?" asked October, peering at the Sylveon curiously.

"Nope," said Colin firmly, "I couldn't get settled out here, so we're going back!"

"How suddenly assertive of you, what if I want to stay?" said October, teasingly, taking another draw of his cigarette. He had nothing against going back, but it might be interesting to see how Colin reacted to a challenge.

Colin stepped over closer, looking October right in the eyes, that smile growing. He reached out with his feelers and laid them gently on the Ninetales' shoulders. His smile became a smirk, his eyes seemed to gleam, "All I can do is ask you really nicely and see how much you like me. Will you let me go back on my own, hmm?"

October had been planning on teasing him some more, but something in the Sylveon's tone had him distracted. As set as he had been on provoking the Sylveon, suddenly it didn't seem as urgent. Walking back now suddenly seemed to carry some pleasant implications.

"You know, I could set us a fire and make it comfortable out here," suggested October.

"It'd still be cold and dirty," said Colin, trying to coax October up on to his feet with his ribbons, "Come on..." he smiled, "Please..?"

October smiled and stood, "Very well..." he said.

* * *

There had been a few other candidates, but no-one that had held Chai's interests for long. He knew Dark Types and most of Plaisir's didn't impress him. He'd been at it for hours, the sun was well on its way down to a glorious sunset and though the deepening gloom was starting to make him just a little bit more comfortable in this uncomfortable wooded setting, the streets-acclimatised Umbreon was just about cold, tired and sick enough to stop when he hit the jackpot.

He heard them first. They came on quickly, quiet despite their haste, without any actual attempt at stealth. The three large, strong forms had the confidence of the powerful, with the bodies and spirit to back it up.

Chai's interest piqued, he had slipped through the woods until he was in a good position to spy on them, slipping into a thicket of bushes with just enough clearance beneath for him to leopard crawl under.

He got into position just in time to catch the twins, first. They were clearly lagging behind their immediate alpha, who was just out of sight.

The two Mightyena were formidable, healthy and young. They were distinctive by the crescent moon fur markings on their faces, making them look like the two halves of a symbol. Like Chai, they still had some growing up and filling out to do, but though just barely taller, they were more massive than Chai by far. They were powerful; even their thick, shaggy fur failed to conceal the developing strength in their muscles. The female was slighter, but barely. Either one of them was a battle tank compared to Chai. He figured they could just about wrap his hips with their jaws.

Right away he felt more like he was looking in the right place. No spoiled indoor cat or spaced out Absol of the woods; Here was a Dark type that was what it was wherever it might happen to be. They had a look in their eyes that bespoke their confidence of a high place in the food chain... and something else... Chai caught the light of mischief.

The twins slowed, sharing a brief and unspoken dialogue through eye contact alone. Chai saw it, but only wished he could read what they'd said.

Then the two of them bumped noses and it was a little more obvious. Chai's keen ears heard the male grumble something, though it was a little too far to hear what. A moment later, they were just about hooking fangs with each other affectionately.

Chai found himself very interested indeed. Of course, like most Pokemon with eyes and instinct at Cafe Plaisir, he'd suspected something was up with the three Mightyena, but there was guesswork and then there was seeing it for yourself.

The twins, with their symmetrical markings made for a charming sight. Even in affection, Chai could sense the power and the strength of the pair, from the firmness and intensity of each little movement. Apparently their twincestuous lust was strong indeed. Strong enough that Chai found himself growing excited just watching them. He had to shuffle to let his sheath grow.

Suddenly there was a shout, clear and distinct, though weighted to carry no more than it needed to, a loud and rough voice with a tone of distinct assertion, "Hey, hurry it up!" shouted Eclipse, from out of sight, "Don't make me come back there!"

The power in that voice shook through Chai. He watched as the twins stalled their affection, sharing a look that belied both their pack instinct to follow their leader and their irritable unwillingness to break from each other.

For it even to be a battle after the intensity that Chai had seen between the pair of them spoke of the power of the one behind that voice.

They were an inspiring sight alright, but perhaps they weren't the ones Chai wanted to be watching. He doubted he was going to get the show he wanted, anyway.

Chai slipped out of the bushes and towards the low hanging branches of a tree. One which promised a good view of Cafe Plaisir's immediate Mightyena alpha.

A view he didn't get. Strange. When he looked down where he thought Eclipse might have been, the Mightyena wasn't there. Perhaps something had thrown his hearing off...

Chai stopped, hung halfway up a tree in good cover, looking and listening for signs of Eclipse. How wrong could he have been, though? ...and how hard should it really be to spot the big male Mightyena?

Suddenly his heart was pounding, though he wasn't sure why. Chai suddenly felt vulnerable, despite his well-concealed position.

He started to shift anyway, subtly at first, making no sudden movements. Chai was alive because he knew when to trust his instincts. So he listened to them now, despite his confidence.

He didn't jump down from the tree. As soon as he had his legs back beneath him, he slipped as quietly as he could further up the branch, deeper into the canopy. The sunset was deep now and he was confident the shade would hide him.

It was just in time. He heard the quietly storming pace of the powerful Mightyena long before he caught sight of that deceptively large, yet hard-to-spot form. The glorious brightness of the sunset was a pain. The sky above was ruining Chai's view of the gloom below.

Keeping his aura suppressed and his rings dark, Chai kept still, he kept very, very still, but in the end he also just had to look.

Even obscured by leaves and branches, Eclipse cut a distinct shape when you did manage to get your eyes on him. The big, dark-furred Mightyena was like a looming, hungry shadow on the ground. He moved quickly, though without half the sound such a formidable form ought to make.

Chai's breath was as slow as he could make it, but it was heavy. If the twins had been a picture of Dark type power, here was a masterpiece. Dark, silent, formidable, Eclipse was creeping confidence and power. Such a presence... so easy to miss until it was all too late.

Chai's heart was pounding as the Mightyena skirted by the bushes he had been hidden under and turned, his course sliding around seemingly by chance to carry the Mightyena under the tree Chai now hid up.

Eclipse paused. He seemed to take a few quick, deep breaths.

Chai willed his heart to be quieter.

Eclipse seemed to go very still, quite briefly, then suddenly he looked up, with his maw open wide, dark energies gathered within it. Chai's eyes went wide, but there was no time to react.

The Shadow Ball, a spinning, flickering dark orb of Eclipse's power, a ferocious condensation of the powerful malice within the Mightyena, shot out of his maw and upwards into the tree branch.

It didn't strike with explosive force, in the traditional sense, but rather with sheer kinetic brutality, ferocity unleashed. The branch first vibrated violently, then lurched as the wood split, the ball forcing its way in a fraction of a second. Chai barely had time to begin moving before the Shadow Ball finished tearing through the branch. The branch didn't just tear loose under him, it was thrown, spinning and flying off the tree with Chai still clung onto it.

The world spinning dizzily around him as he fell, Chai tried to bunch up his legs and jump free, but before he could, he hit the slope with a heavy impact, one foreleg instantly bruised under the impact of the branch. It twisted painfully as his momentum carried him free and Chai cried out as he tumbled down the hill, seeming to find each stone and branch. By the time he was able to sprawl and slow himself to an undignified and messy stop, it felt like every part of him was in pain.

He was dizzy, but he wasn't witless. He struggled in vain to find up from down, to try and get his feet under him before Eclipse caught up. He had survived on his wits and they were screaming at him to get up and go. His body just wouldn't let him. The world just wouldn't quit spinning fast enough.

With a grim inevitability, he heard those heavy, yet deceptively quiet pawfalls approaching. Felt, rather than saw the presence of the approaching Mightyena. Felt as much as heard the words; "The FUCK were you doing up there..?" the words were as much snarled as said.

Chai rolled over onto his front, desperation giving him the balance and coordination to bunch his legs under him.

He leapt forwards, up onto his feet, to make the sudden, fast-accelerating dash that had gotten him out of so much trouble before. His right foreleg instantly seized in a painful shock and he stumbled before he could get his hindlegs under him again.

It wouldn't have been fast enough anyway. Suddenly there was a heavy paw on his lower back and he was sprawled on the ground, wheezing as the air went out of him.

He was spun roughly around onto his back. For an instant he was reminded of last night with October, but when Eclipse's paw landed on his chest, it was with enough weight behind it to stop his empty lungs from filling again. The Mightyena's all-too-dull-feeling claws stabbed carelessly into his skin.

There was not the slightest bit of give. No chance of struggling. Chai fought the impulse to flail, trying to save his energy.

"I said," grumbled the Mightyena, dangerous sounding impatience in each syllable, "What the fuck were you doing up there? Don't you fucking dare think that you can run off and ignore me."

Chai couldn't even wheeze or gasp. He stared at the Mightyena, trying to look impatient, trying to keep up a bluff, trying desperately to keep the fear from his eyes.

Eclipse's black and silver face filled his vision. A huge-fang-bearing muzzle that was as thick as Chai's neck. Big, red-on-yellow eyes bore into him like the portals to some world of pain. An expression that was as angry as it was becoming cruelly amused.

Chai's need for air was becoming desperate, his reserve of discipline was just about to crack when Eclipse let up his paw, just enough for the Umbreon to desperately gasp for a few painful lungfuls.

"Speak, fast," growled the Mightyena.

Chai blinked and fought to speak evenly. "Just watching," he said quietly, between gasps.

"Spying?" growled the Mightyena, accusingly.

"Just watching," repeated Chai.

"Nope," snarled Eclipse, then jammed his paw down again. Dull claws bit into Chai's chest, drawing blood. The precious air was forced from him. He strained against that pressure to no avail. The Mightyena spoke again, "You weren't just watching. You snuck around, hid about and took your time on the details." From his tone, no part of that was a question or open to negotiation, he leant in closer, his fangs all too close to Chai's face as he asked, "Why?"

He let Chai breathe again. Again Chai struggled for the air his body was screaming for, but the paw was still on his chest and he could barely pull enough to speak.

"Just watching," he managed to wheeze and the paw went down again.

Eclipse growled. The sound of it was like a physical force, carrying the power of Eclipse's dark-type aura. Chai, far from lacking courage, was cowed by his sensitivity to the literal, tangible dangerous intent in those deep, ferocious vibrations.

"You're a smart-ass little girl, aren't you?" snarled the Mightyena.

"I'm not a girl!" gasped Chai, as soon as he was next allowed air.

"The fuck you aren't," said Eclipse, with something almost like a chuckle, then he bore down, showing teeth again, "Now start talking or..." he made a point of putting his teeth near to Chai's eyeline, "I'm going to get unpleasant."

The art of fast-talking was one that Chai had cause in his life to envy, but it just wasn't his forte. Verbally, he did direct and indirect, that was about it. Indirect wasn't working now.

"I'm watching other Dark types," he gasped, "I'm trying to learn from their style..."

Eclipse stared at him. There was a moment of silence as the Mightyena's eyes bored in, his maw hanging open.

Eclipse put the pressure back on his chest just as he started laughing. There wasn't much humour in that laugh, but there was a lot of harshness. Chai tried desperately to hold onto what breath he had.

The Mightyena snarled at him, "I don't know which is funnier; That you tried to sell me that or the likes of you thinks he could imitate me. Here's a tip, don't fucking bother."

He let off the paw again. Chai fought for air.

"Enough of this shit," growled Eclipse, right into his face, "You're that fucking deadbeat Ninetales' friend, aren't you? Did he send his little girly friend? Why?"

"I told you the truth," said Chai, he spoke as quickly as he could, as Eclipse's frown began to deepen, "It was his suggestion I get better, finding you was my idea."

Eclipse put his full weight on his paw and Chai wanted to scream. The Mightyena was crushing his chest as he leant down, nearly nose-to-nose, then spoke quietly, "You're either telling the truth or you're just really fucking dumb. Actually, could be both. I take back what I said, you're not a smartass girl, you're a dumb bitch."

He took his weight off Chai slowly, taking his damn time about it. He stood over Chai like a stormcloud, whilst the Umbreon wheezed slowly, fighting for breath with a chest that felt like it had been about to give and cave in.

"You can go," said Eclipse, growling, "Get the fuck out of my sight. Don't let me catch you hanging around me or mine again."

Chai was relieved to hear that, really. He'd have leapt up and scrambled if he could, but with the pain right across his body, with a paralysing shortness of breath, it was a struggle just to roll himself over, it took several attempts whilst Eclipse stared down at him with a smirk.

He slowly pushed himself to his feet, his leg, torso and back all screaming at him and started to limp away.

Suddenly there was a heavy paw on his back again and he was driven back down into the dirt. He couldn't look back far enough to see the look on the Mightyena's face. All he could do was breathe quickly and wait.

"Just one more thing," growled Eclipse, then paused. There was an awful, dreadful weight to that silence. A void Chai's mind dutifully filled with the potential horrors for which Eclipse had given him hope just to more cruelly visit upon him.

The Mightyena spoke eventually, "Since you're friends with that Ninetales, you can carry him a message for me. It's real simple so even a dumb bitch like you can carry it."

Chai opened his mouth, trying to think of something to say. He felt the Mightyena lowering himself, felt his breath as he came closer. He still couldn't think of anything to say. Why...? Why did his courage, his experience, just completely fail him under this beast's weight? Why was there such a tightening feeling in his chest that silenced him like this? What... What the hell WAS this guy?

Suddenly the Mightyena's jaws were around his long, pointed, bulbous right ear. Big and extremely sensitive, they felt every detail on the points of Eclipse's big, cruel jaws.

Slowly, so Chai could feel the slowly widening taper of each fang as it drove in, Eclipse bit down, slowly, his fangs tearing and widening each wound with excruciating, keenly-felt slowness until he was satisfied. Chai, never one to make much noise, shrieked then. The pain was profound.

"I'm still thinking of him," said Eclipse, letting go of his ear, leaving him panting, "and if I see him or any of his little friends again," Eclipse growled, speaking slowly, as if to make sure he understood it. "I'm not just gonna be thinking."

And then, the weight of his paw was gone. Chai didn't move at first, half-expecting Eclipse to pin him down a third time if he did. But... nothing. Slowly, gritting his teeth against the pain in his ear, he turned his head to face Eclipse, suppressing the dread in his heart at the thought as well as any emotion that might show on his face. He watched him as passively as he could manage with the pulsing pain from his bleeding, dripping ear... watched the sneer on the massive Dark-type's face slowly grow.

"NOW you can fuck off," Eclipse barked, a compelling order. Chai, knowing better than to disobey, picked himself up and skulked off as slowly as he could bring himself to, not wanting to run lest he abandon the last of his pride. Wanting... no, needing, to know that he was stronger than that. Beginning to fear that he really had lost his touch.

Well, he'd learned something, all right. He just wasn't sure he liked it.

* * *

The way back was quicker than the way out, but not by much. Enthusiasm seemed to have put a bit more of a spring in the step of the Sylveon, but he was still very fussy about which parts of forest he was willing to traverse.

"The sunset is lovely," commented October, looking at the glorious display of colour taking shape on the western horizon. It threw the trees of the forest into a sharp, dark contrast against the vibrant orange hues.

"It is," said Colin, sweetly, "it's the colours of fire. You look good in it."

October smirked at the cheesiness, but then smiled at the Sylveon, "Nice of you to say, though I wonder if you're trying a little too hard to butter me up..."

"Oh?" said Colin, "Is there no need to try..? I'd assumed from the way your tails move that you liked getting compliments..."

"Hey now," said October, less worried than usual about a poke at his vanity, "I wasn't really complaining, I..."

He trailed off when he suddenly caught a scent. It was faint, but definitely there.

"You... what?" asked Colin, confusion and a good-naturedly teasing tone both evident in his voice, not seeming to realise there was something wrong.

"Blood on the breeze," said October at a whisper, then he was off, loping ahead.

The grip of Colin's ribbon held one of his tails back but briefly. October slipped from Colin's grasp as he ran off to one side, following the trace upwind. Following a familiar scent with worries quickly pounding his heart.

"October.!?" called Colin after him, "October!"

It wasn't just the scent of blood that bothered him. Out here, where wild Pokémon lived, a faint whiff of a carcass might have been refreshing. But this wasn't a carcass. This wasn't something that had been hunted and killed and fed upon, this was fresh, this was something - someone - who still gave off fear of their hunter.

"Hurry!" he called back, racing up a slope and into the cover of trees.

It wasn't just that, either. A hunt in progress might have been fun to watch, if from a distance. But the reek of blood and the fetor of fear clung in specks to the lingering scent of Chai as it drifted downwind. He'd been lucky to catch it at all.

He had to be headed back to the Cafe too, just from a different direction. It didn't take long for October to find a fresh trace. He heard Colin shouting after him, the Sylveon had just reappeared over the closest horizon.

October pointed with his nose, following the trail, "That way!" he called, then set off again. He heard Colin shouting after him again, but he couldn't quite hear what. He was concentrating too hard on following the little red spots.

He moved as quickly as he could, but actually following the trail took more time than finding it. There wasn't much blood, but there was bleeding... and it was getting fresher quickly. The victim wasn't moving fast.

"October..?" gasped Colin, finally catching up, still chattering all the way, the Sylveon sounded out of breath, "You just ran off! What's going on..? What did... you say back there..?"

"I said there was trouble," October said, as Colin finally drew near, "Catch your breath and follow."

"Trouble..?" echoed Colin, worry in his strained voice, "What's wrong.!?"

October was already running ahead. He dashed through the woods, confident he had the right course. He couldn't be far now. He didn't waste any time.

Bursting through a line of bushes, he found Chai. The Umbreon looked back at him, a sorry sight. He was limping, one foreleg drawn up against his body. He was a mess, his fur ruffled, making it looked like he'd been battered all over.

October ran up, skittering to a stop next to the Umbreon, eyes wide, trying to force himself to be calm, "Chai..! Are you alright!?"

Chai looked at him with a frown, but sadness in his eyes. He said nothing.

"Talk to me, Chai," plead October, "Your leg? What happened?"

Chai coughed the first attempt, then spoke quietly, "I just twisted the leg... I'm alright... I'm just roughed up." His voice was soft and sulking.

"You're bleeding, Chai..." said October, inspecting the Umbreon further. There was dried blood on his chest, not much, but then the sound of a droplet hitting the dirt caught his attention and he took a look upwards from it at Chai's right ear.

The puncture wounds looked nasty. It looked like one deep bite. The bleeding would probably stop on its own soon, but for now Chai's ear was still slowly weeping. The spacing was broad, as was each fang-mark. He'd seen those implements up close. It was like an autograph. October felt his heart stop, then pound with furious heat.

He tried to force himself to be calm, but it wasn't working. "Eclipse did this..?" asked October, his voice low.

"Uh, yeah," said Chai, quietly, not looking at him, "He said he had a message for you, look-" Chai looked up at him and cut short.

October was scowling, a growl rose in his throat as he spoke, his polite tone breaking, "What was the message?"

Chai paused, staring at him with wide eyes, they caught a green glint, "Ummm... he's still thinking of you... look, October, wait a minute-"

October snarled dangerously, "HE did this?" he asked simply.

"Yeah," said Chai, "but October..."

October was already walking, without much thinking about it. He didn't run. He slunk into a stalking, storming pace as he strode towards Cafe Plaisir.

"Where are you going?" shouted the Umbreon after him, his voice sounding strange and high at such an unusual volume for Chai.

October didn't answer. October was leaning forward, into the furious course of his burning rage. On some level he heard, but he wasn't thinking clearly. He was focused entirely upon one task; Finding Eclipse. Operating on more of an animal cunning, he would begin wherever the scent of Mightyena was strongest.

* * *

Chai was limping along after the Ninetales when Colin came dashing daintily up, for once not the last Pokemon Chai wanted to see.

"Where is he GOING?" said Colin, sounding somewhat strained, staring after October and only slowly turning around to see Chai, "What's going on... oh my!" His eyes went wide, "Chai, what happened to you!?"

"I fell," said Chai irritably, "Look, you've got to get after October, calm him down, I think he's about to do something stupid."

"What?" said Colin, "What do you mean?"

Chai frowned. He was in no mood to tell Colin about any of this. "Just get after him and stop him, Colin! I think he's off to pick a fight!"

"A fight? Don't be silly... and I'm not leaving you here, look at you!" said the Sylveon, he looked frantically over the Umbreon, then suddenly stopped in shock as he saw Chai's ear. Chai frowned.

"Chai..." said Colin, "That's a bite! Who bit you?"

"Eclipse," said Chai quietly, "October's getting away. There's no time to explain."

Colin frowned and said, "You can explain on the way!" He pulled alongside Chai and reached over with his ribbons. Chai was too sore to dodge, so he just frowned as Colin wrapped his ribbons about his chest, waist and injured leg, supporting him carefully.

Chai sighed and went along with it, glad at least that they were moving after the storming Ninetales. He didn't particularly feel like talking about it though. Especially not to the likes of Colin.

"Chai," urged Colin as the silence dragged on, "I want to know what happened, in full."

"Just forget it," said Chai, frowning. It was embarrassing enough as it was without Colin hearing about it.

"Sorry Chai," said Colin, sternly, "but I'm worried that your naughty ways are getting October into trouble. He's trying to keep a promise to his mate to change his criminal ways, you know!"

Chai frowned sharply at the Umbreon, "Hey, this is just a... misunderstanding," he said hesitantly, "and what do you mean, criminal ways? October's not a criminal."

"He told me so himself!" said Colin, "Theft, fraud, vandalism. He's a reforming troublemaker!"

"He ripped off a few drinks and broke a window when they sent Eclipse and company after him," said Chai, "October's just a bit wild."

"That's bad, Chai!" said Colin, apparently still genuinely shocked, "He should know better, don't you?" The Sylveon shook his head, sadly, "I really do worry you're a bad influence on him..."

"Me..?" said Chai, his eyes bulging, "I'm not the one who's poison to him. Dulling his fire, suppressing who he is, doing that shit you do, like what you're pulling right now, STOP IT, Colin."

"Stop what?" said Colin, looking shocked.

Chai frowned, gathering his anger deliberately and holding it like a sword at guard against the emanations of the Sylveon's feelers, "You're messing with my mood, trying to calm me down. You might not notice it but I'm a Dark type. To me, it feels like you're trying to switch me off, Colin!"

Colin was suddenly and for the first time speechless. The Sylveon hid his face and seemed to stumble, "I was just-"

"You were just being Colin!" said Chai, harshly, "This kind of shit is why you got in trouble. You should have learned something."

Chai was just about getting his anger back on track when he heard Colin make a pitiful noise indeed. The Sylveon whined and looked away. He stopped walking and loosened his grip on Chai. "I'm sorry," he whined, "I just like to see people smile..."

"Well that's who you are, Colin," said Chai with a subtle but angry snarl, "but it's not who I am... and it's not who he is," he said, nodding in the direction of the retreating October, "you can't just make everyone be like you."

"I'm not trying to," protested Colin, "I just want them to be happy..."

"It's not okay to mess with people's feelings all the time! You should remember the mess you made," said Chai, sharply, "Now hurry up, he's getting away..."

Colin whined again and looked away, "Maybe we're both bad friends," he said sadly.

Chai shook his head at the sulking, easily upset Fairy, wondering how the Sylveon possibly managed. Chai sighed, "Only if we don't stop him. We can argue over Fire, Fairy and Dark after we've done as friends should and acted when it matters."

Colin looked back around, his big blue eyes glassy. It was surprisingly disarming. Chai would have suspected another attack if he'd sensed anything aura-wise. No, to his own surprise, he actually felt a little bad about moistening the soft-hearted creature's eyes. He would have suspected guileful manipulation, but if Colin had one flaw above all, it was his utter lack of guile and understanding of things that are guileful.

"Maybe between the three of us, we'll make one balanced group of fuckups," said Chai, with all the fake confidence he could muster, "Now, let's go help him, Colin, together!" said Chai, feeling sorely awkward.

Colin's eyes were still damp, but he smiled brightly as he started them moving once more, with a dramatic nod. They started off faster than before.

Chai sighed slowly. Apparently he could fast-talk, after all. He thanked October for the inspiration.

"Wow..." said Colin, sniffling, "You're actually pretty cool, Chai."

Chai wondered then which was truly more painful, his current physical condition... or the living fact of Colin.

* * *

Hell was three steps behind October. At some point he entered the Cafe proper. He barely noticed. People and Pokemon got out of his way. He didn't notice them any more than the doors he bashed his way through. He was following scent and fury alone.

He was barely even aware that Colin and Chai were chasing after him, calling his name. He had the scent in his nose now, the fury in his heart and a dread, certain wish to put his fangs to flesh, scream his hate in fire and wreak a terrible vengeance.

He burst through the doorway into the better employee quarters where Eclipse's most recent trail had led and sighted his target almost immediately.

Eclipse and the two other Mightyena were walking just a short way down the corridor when they turned at the sound of the door crashing into the wall.

October growled like an oversized wild Fox, sounding more beast than Pokemon as he hunkered down to charge. He had just began his first leaping step when Colin and Chai, bursting through after him, leapt on his back from either side.

In mid-step, he was borne down, his head snapping up and blasting brief but furious involuntary flames at the ceiling, shrieking his anger incendiarily.

He started struggling back to his feet, despite the Eeveelution on either side of him, trying to hold him down. His anger burned furiously.

His eyes met Eclipse's as the Mightyena finished turning around. He surged upright, bringing Chai and Colin up with him. The Mightyena was surprised and angry... not remorseful at all.

He was barely cognisant enough not to simply start blasting flame. He would have leapt in though, were he not restrained. So he screamed instead, "You fucking DICK!" at the top of his furious voice.

Eclipse just scowled at him.

He surged forwards, trying to power his way free of Colin and Chai. They just about succeeded in slowing him down.

"Calm down, October!" cried Colin.

"You fucking DICK!" October shouted again, barely hearing the Sylveon at all, his breath fluttering like a blowtorch as Colin and Chai wrestled with him, just about getting him to stop, "He's half your size! You cowardly shitbag, if you've got a problem, come for me! Don't you fucking dare mess with my friends!"

Suddenly Eclipse was advancing on him, "Who the fuck are YOU to tell me what I can't do?" growled the Mightyena, in just as ferocious a tone as October's, "Some yapping fucking Fox bitch deadbeat piece of shit thinks he can come here and-"

"Eclipse, what the fuck?" shouted one of the Mightyena, the female with the waxing crescent moon markings on her face, as she strode just in front of him. He paused, but he looked balefully at her.

"Seriously," said the other, smaller male Mightyena, the one with the waning Crescent, "Who is this? What's going on?"

October was snarling insensibly, still trying to struggle himself free. On his back, Chai winced as his injured leg rode on the surprisingly strong Ninetales' back. Every flex hurt him and the heat was starting to become intolerable. He had all three good legs around October's left foreleg, but it was like trying to hold down an exploding furnace. Only the smoothness of the linoleum floor, on which October's claws were finding no purchase, was letting them hold him down.

"Colin, calm him down!" gasped Chai.

The Sylveon looked at him in shock, "...but... you said..."

"Now is a GOOD time!" said Chai, "Right now, would be great!"

Colin looked sheepish, "I'm already trying."

"Try harder!" snapped the Umbreon, "He needs you!"

Colin creased his brow in concentration. Chai gritted his teeth against the pain.

Just down the hallway, a different conversation was taking place, between a furious Mightyena and his two anxious and confused twin younger siblings.

"Get out of my way," growled Eclipse, clearly in no mood for talking, nor to be held back by his little siblings. His anger was clear in every part of him.

Yet it wasn't that simple. Eclipse wasn't a favourite with the management to begin with and he hadn't gone long without riding the line finely. Management here was pretty tolerant, but this was right in the middle of the employee quarters and things looked set to get right out of hand.

Sinister and Dextus were both thinking it, both knew the other was thinking the same. They confirmed it with a glance.

"What's going on, who is that? Isn't he from the other night?" asked Sinister, doing her best to try and slip in front, to try and catch Eclipse's focussed, furious interest from the oddly-coloured Ninetales struggling down the hallway.

"Yeah," said Dextus, her brother moving in from the other side, "Tell us what's happening, dammit."

Eclipse's eyes flicked angrily from the Ninetales to each of them, his gaze bearing a weight of threat behind it. Their brother was in an uncommonly foul mood. "That's the very deadbeat Ninetales," he growled dangerously, "He sent his little friend to spy on us. He was spying on the pair of you making nice out in the woods. Now get out of my way..."

"Wait, who was spying?" asked Sinister, quickly, "The Umbreon?"

"Is that what that was about?" asked Dextus.

"Uh-huh, big brother looking out for you again," grumbled Eclipse, "you'll be thanking me later. Now get out of the way."

"Wait a minute..." said Sinister, suddenly laughing as she looked over her shoulder at the Ninetales, who had just finished struggling back to his feet again, the Umbreon and Sylveon hanging comically off of him.

Dextus looked worriedly at his sister. This seemed like a dangerous gambit.

"...He's THAT Ninetales?" said Sinister, sneering slightly, "THAT'S the one you were on about? HIM?" She laughed again.

Eclipse's gaze fell solidly on Sinister. Dextus found himself swallowing. How she held her nerve, he'd never know.

"I thought you must have meant another one. That's the smallest, scruffiest Ninetales I've ever seen," said Sinister, "You're bothering yourself over him?"

To say that Eclipse looked unimpressed would be to say that the stormcloud but slightly loomed.

"Yeaheh," said Dextus, anxiously doing his best to pick up, "Arceus' balls, Eclipse, have you still got issues with Firenze? Thought you sorted that shit out, bro," he chuckled as casually as he dared, "Wanted a Ninetales your own size to pick on, huh?"

When Eclipse glared at him, Dextus shrank back. When he turned that withering gaze on Sinister, after a few seconds, so did she.

Then he looked away, but not at the Ninetales. For a glorious second, Sin and Dex thought the plan might have worked.

October, back on the ground again, was just starting to calm down or at least exhaust himself trying to scrabble to his feet and at the Mightyena on the smooth floor, whilst Chai and Colin did their best to hold him down.

Unfortunately, this meant that he was now cognisant and alert enough to follow most of the last half of the Mightyena's conversation.

He surged to his feet once more, causing Colin to squeak in surprise and furiously yelled, "Dammit, I will not lie here and be talked down by lefty, righty and COCK, the jackoff triplets!"

Eclipse returned his full, snarling attention to October.

"Wait a minute," said Sinister quietly, "What did he call us?"

"Now hang on," said Dex, suddenly twice as worried as he saw his sister's face twist.

"Fuck..! ...October!" shouted Chai suddenly, "Fucking shut up!"

"You shut up, you little fucking creep!" shouted Sinister, now looking nearly as angry and perhaps just as terrifying as her older brother, "I'll get to you!"

"You'll fucking leave him alone!" shouted October.

"Don't you even fucking LOOK at my family, Ninetales!" snarled Eclipse, "You and your pathetic little girlfriends need a lesson taught! I'm gonna teach you some respect!"

"Everyone, stop swearing!" squeaked Colin.

Suddenly everyone was shouting and no-one could hear anything anyone else was saying. October started making way his way down the corridor, dragging his friends with him. Dextus suddenly found himself backing up rapidly, trying to calm his steadily advancing brother and sister. Colin got himself in front of October, but proved no better at stopping October from the front, his pink paws just slipping on the smooth linoleum.

As Dextus and Colin bumped into each other, leg to leg, it was clear the critical moment was due.

Dextus leapt towards his sister, tackling her in a desperate attempt to get the one he loved clear of this mess. He didn't get far, but he ended up becoming an obstacle in front of the pair of them, braced up against the Sylveon. Eclipse and October surged at each other, snarling and snapping, just out of reach, barely held back.

The shriek that went up was ear-piercing, cutting over every shout and growl, interrupting every thought process. "EVERYONE CUT IT OUUUUUUTT!!!"

Somehow, the spell broke. The storm of rage seemed as if it had never been. It was suddenly quiet enough to hear a pin drop, but all that could be heard was Colin's wheezing breath.

The Sylveon was in the middle of all of them, his ribbons seemingly keeping all of them apart. He sagged, tiredly.

"Stop being so mean! All of you!" the Sylveon sobbed.

Dextus stepped in front of his confused siblings, catching their distracted eyes, "Hey come on," he said, "Fuck this, let's get out of here. We've got a message from Mom to watch."

"Yeah..." said Sinister, blinking and steadily becoming more alert, "C'mon, let's split."

Eclipse looked like he was in something of a trance as he turned to follow his siblings, looking stunned and dazed, half-asleep. Of course, the kind of forcible soothing a Sylveon projected from his ribbons didn't leave much else out of such an angry Dark type. For a brief, malleable while, Eclipse was calm. Temporarily calm. Very temporarily calm.

The three Mightyena walked away slowly, the stunned silence lingering in the hallway.

October and Chai were left blinking, staring at the Sylveon, as Colin panted and slumped.

Suddenly Chai leapt across October's back, before the Ninetales knew what was going on, ultra-sharp fangs were digging into his right ear, "Ahhh!" he cried out with a piercing yelp, but the bite wasn't deep, nor did it last for long.

"You dumbass!" said Chai still slumped across October's back, "You could have gotten us all fired!"

October, about to complain indignantly, took a deep breath, thought for a second and sighed. "Fair..." he admitted.

"Thanks anyway," said Chai, quietly. Very quietly. With his muzzle lowered and his ears back and everything. There might have even been a little blush.

Feeling instantly rewarded for all of it, October peered around at the Umbreon with a smile, "Anytime. I won't let the likes of him fuck with my friends."

Chai put a paw on his mane, "Thanks October," he said.

October accepted what he thought was a good natured petting, but when it concluded quickly, he glanced around to see Chai with one of his cigarettes in his maw.

"Light?" asked the Umbreon, then after a pause, flatly added a, "Please?"

October snickered and briefly gave the Umbreon a flame to light from. Six inches long, it was his most controlled yet.

"Well," said Colin, tiredly, picking himself up, "I hope you've learned a valuable lesson, October!"

"Hmmm?" said October, fishing for another cigarette, "What? No. If he fucks with either of you again, I'm setting him on fire."

Colin's mouth hung open in shock.

On October's back, Chai shook with inaudible laughter.

"No," October chuckled aloud. It really was fun to mess with Colin. He couldn't leave him with a face like that though. "What I think I've re-learned today is the power of friendship and that between the three of us, we might just make one working unit."

"I said that!" barked Chai, with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

"He did!" said Colin, brightening.

"It must be right! To us then!" said October, lighting his cigarette ceremonially, "May we three stand firm as friends for all that Fortuna throws at us."

"Hear hear!" cheered Colin, happily.

Chai shook with mirth, again.

October took a long and very, deeply satisfying draw on his cigarette. He took his time and savoured every atom of smoke.

"Ummm..." said Colin, awkwardly, waiting until both October and Chai were looking before speaking, "I don't think you can smoke in he-"

Suddenly an electronic beeper sounded. The sprinkler system started to squeak with water pressure. October's eyes went as wide as those valves.

He scrambled to his feet and was already running as the first sprays started. Chai clung to his back, an unlikely rider. Colin scampered along behind.

* * *

After they had escaped, left the building, finished replacement cigarettes, circled around and then come back in to Cafe Plaisir through another entrance, October gave Chai a ride to the Sick Room.

He would have carried Chai right to a bed, but upon stepping into said Sick Room, he caught sight of a dripping, fur-murderous Cthulian horror and with eyes like dinner plates and stiff posture like a string puppet, had to slowly back out of the room.

"What's wrong?" said Colin, "That's Nurse Boora. She's just a Goodra. She's nice!"

October could but shake his head in terrified silence. Back against the wall. Sheer Horror; It was like living ooze... Try as he might, he could not unsee that which had wished he had never seen...

Then the beast was at the doorway, looking out with some curiosity. The Goodra was tall and large even for its kind, being heavy set in build. She looked at October with some concern.

"Everything alright hun?" said the terrifying Nurse.

October's first attempt at speaking was more of a terrified yelp, but after clearing his throat, he managed, "Yes, I mean no, I mean, Chai needs help." He tried to nod at Chai, but merely twitched.

"Huh," said the Goodra, "In trouble again, Chai?"

October felt Chai nod.

"What is it this time?" she said, with a sigh.

"I fell," tried Chai.

"...and the bite?" asked the unimpressed Goodra.

"...Onto Eclipse," Chai sighed defeatedly.

"Well alright then," she turned her gooey stare to October, whose claws were attempting to dig their way through the linoleum, "Are you sure you're alright, hun?"

"I'm FINE!" said October, his voice tone breaking, "Just... don't like gooey things! Trauma! Bad experience!"

"Bad experience?" echoed Nurse Boodra, curiously.

October nodded, over-vigorously, "There was a predatory plant. I got stuck on a strand. Six hours of struggle before Silver rescued me. Watching other things get eaten. Worst... day of my life..." He shuddered and twisted his shoulder at the memory.

"Oh..." said the Goodra, "I guess I'd best leave you be, huh? Come on through, Chai..." and with that, thankfully, the Goodra turned and went back inside. October stared at the empty doorway in silence.

"Well," said Chai, slipping off of the immobilised Ninetales, "Thanks for the ride and the cigarettes October... and for backing me up."

"Oh..." said October, still shaken, but remembering to smile at Chai, "No problem."

"Colin?" said Chai, half smiling, half frowning at the Sylveon.

"Hmmm?" said Colin.

"Good work," said Chai, quietly, not quite meeting the Fairy's weird, blue eyes, "Thanks. Now look after October. I think he needs you tonight."

With that, the Umbreon limped into the Sick Room, where October now and henceforth pledged to never again set paw.

Colin came over to him and put his ribbons on his shoulders, his touch seeming to wake October from his frightful, neurotic daze.

"Come on, you," said Colin, "It's been a long day. I hope this wasn't the Adventure you promised me."

October managed to smile, "I'm sure we can think of a much better adventure... Another day."

Colin nodded and smiled sweetly, "Well, I think it's time to get settled, huh?"

October nodded and smiled back. Colin withdrew his ribbons and smiled pleasantly as he lead the way.

* * *

"Nope," said Colin, grabbing October by the shoulders just as he was about to turn towards his own door.

October almost stumbled, yanked mid-step and looked confusedly around at the Sylveon. Colin was smiling at him broadly, "How's about we go to my room, huh? It's a bit more comfortable."

October could but let a slow smile grow on his face as he gestured with a paw for Colin to lead the way.

Colin's room was but the next door down, looked the same from the outside, was part of the same dingey orange-brown corridor as the rest of the temporary bedrooms, but on the inside it couldn't have been more different from October's.

Stepping inside was like entering a magical portal, the type through which October should never be allowed.

As the light shone through a multi-coloured crystal lampshade onto the many, billowing layers of fluff and frill, he realised that everything was so fragile and so burnable, that he became immediately terrified of merely existing here.

The orange-brown walls were hidden behind sweeping white and pink frilly hangings, sheets that billowed down from ceiling to walls to floor, making the room seem like a tent or an inside-out wedding cake. The carpet beyond the immediate quarter-circle of the door's access was covered in brown-grey faux-fur rugs. A huge, perfectly arranged, billowing bed featured prominently. Most of the rest of the furniture was soft and plush. Even the wardrobe was padded.

Colin closed the door behind him and hopped in front with a smile. "It's about time I got you in here! What do you think?"

October made a show of looking around, a smirk upon his face as he was tempted to make a joke of the imminent disaster he feared. He didn't want to worry Colin though. He was worried enough.

"It suits you," said October pleasantly, "It's very nice." For indeed, they both were.

"Thanks!" squeaked Colin happily, smiling sweetly, he gestured around the place with broad gestures of his ribbons, "I've made it as comfortable as possible. I kinda wish we had windows down here!"

"Seriously," grumbled October with a wry smirk, "You'd think they were trying to trap us in..."

"I don't mind," said Colin, "I've made this my home... and my place of business, heh."

October padded across the carpet. It was extremely soft under his paws. "Well," he said tunefully, "When your work's your life, might as well have it nice."

"Mmm-hmmm!" said the Sylveon, putting his ribbons behind his back and swaying slightly. An uncomfortable murmur escaped him.

"Are you alright?" asked October.

"Ummm... I'm a bit tired," Colin explained, his voice low and slow. "Normally I'd offer you some cake or wine... but I might need to lie down..."

October chuckled sheepishly. "By all means, don't let me keep you up. Do you need anything?"

Colin paused, then, with an odd look in his eyes, nodded, "I do," he said with a slow sigh, "After a day like this, I really need a big strong male to snuggle up to."

October paused, then smiled, "Oh, really?"

"Mhh-hmmm..." said Colin, "...Please..?"

October turned towards the door, "I'll go find you one, I'll be right-"

"No!" squeaked Colin in protest, "You! I want a hug!"

"Sorry," said October, with a cheeky grin, "Couldn't resist."

He turned back towards the Sylveon and nodded him towards the bed.

"Oh, you..." said the Sylveon, smiling at him, only now seeming to get the joke October had played on him. He was so naive it was unbelievable. It was frankly adorable. Quite a contrast from another, far less Sylveon-Sylveon that October happened to know...

October paused to let Colin leap onto the bed first. Landing lightly on the poofy coverings, Colin hopped, skipped and then rolled daintily onto his side, flopping with his pink paws pointed towards October as if beckoning!

October stood onto the bed and seemed to almost instantly sink in. He shook from side to side as he tried to catch his balance. It felt practically like quicksand!

Colin giggled as he wobbled. "Sorry," said the Sylveon, "I like soft things."

"Like Ninetales fur?" said October, eventually deciding just to let himself drop next to the Sylveon.

Colin was on him in an instant, wrapping his forelegs around October's chest and pushing his snub muzzle into October's fluffy chest-ruff.

"Mmm-hmmm," said Colin, "Soft and warm."

"Perhaps this was just all some big elaborate plan just to snuggle up to my fur..." said October.

Colin giggled, then started nibbling at him. It was the first experience that suggested that Colin had any sharp edges at all. Tiny little pinpricks of fangs were barely felt from the gentle bites through thick, crimson Ninetales fluff, even fur as unkempt as October's had fast become, yet they were tangible.

"Hmmm..." said October, "Now there it is..."

Colin made a confused squeak and stopped, looking up at him.

October smiled, "The first sign that you're from predatory stock, like any other Eeveelution," he reached down with a paw and carefully opened Colin's muzzle. It took the Sylveon by surprise as his head was moved back and the Sylveon's fangs were revealed.

They were clean and white and perfectly maintained, but they were definitely big and sharp. October sucked in a breath, "Predatory... almost vampiric..." he commented.

Suddenly Colin tried to squirm away, whining unhappily. He withdrew the feelers that October hadn't even noticed being put about him. October worried for a second that he'd struck some nerve with the Sylveon's fangs, but when he withdrew his paw, Colin just looked sadly at him.

"I'm sorry, October!" said Colin, "I'm being bad again!"

"Bad?" said October, doubtfully.

Colin seemed to push his feelers into the bed behind himself, as if trying to hide them from October. "My feelers give off soothing emanations," said Colin, "and I can make people or Pokemon calm. I'm really good at it, too. I'm well bred. So I keep messing with people's emotions... and I've been messing with yours..."

October frowned, starting to perform some basic addition and subtraction. Some teasing that had been cut short. October being questioned whilst uncommonly at ease. A fight stopped dead in its tracks. Further, distant memories of another, more broken Sylveon and another, far more terrifying and functional Fairy. The dangerous possibilities that had presented, then. The suspicious possibilities it presented, now. He raised an eyebrow at the Sylveon...

"I just want to be nice!" said Colin, unhappily, "I just want everyone to be nice, but I keep messing up! I got a bunch of customers into debt and made some people feel really awkward and even hurt some... and caused all kinds of messes..."

October tilted his head and squinted slightly. He could more or less picture most of it. It was hard to picture Colin, after all he'd seen, with a malicious agenda, however. Perhaps selfish at worst. Naive and foolish seemed more likely.

As if October could judge Colin for foolishness. Still... it was a lever that had fortuitously presented itself.

"Oh dear," said October, with a sigh, "To think that I'd have cause to question the responsibility of the use of someone's powers..."

Colin whined. It was heart-rendingly sad. What a delight, indeed...

October moved in closer, putting his nose just in front of the Sylveon. He looked up with surprise. "Emotional manipulation is most unkind," said October, firmly, "I wouldn't do it myself. I could if I wanted. I definitely don't like it being used on me without good cause..." he let a little bit of fang show, let himself growl a little, "So the question becomes; Whatever should I do with you, Colin?"

Colin's eyes went wide.

October smiled, "I suppose I'll just have to thank you for stopping me and punish you for manipulating me all at once."

Colin's eyes went wider, still...

"Oh, don't worry," said October with a toothy grin, letting a bigger growl progressively creep into his voice, "both of these problems happen to have the same prescription: Tonight, your ass is mine." He showed what he hoped was the right amount of fang.

Colin's eyes went soft, he made a happy keen, then flopped back up against the Ninetales. October smirked. Colin was definitely fun to play with...

So he decided right then to play with him some more. Shifting suddenly and then lunging with the speed of a predator going for the kill, October kept his claws sheathed, but his digits waggling as his paws darted in quickly towards the Sylveon's flanks!

Contact! Fox paws teasing into tender Fairy flesh..!

There was a tense silent moment, but within a second Colin was giggling feverishly and struggling. He was very ticklish and he squirmed very delightfully... October was very pleased and pressed in, ever more wickedly, his paws quickly figuring out the Sylveon's nerves... "Pre-punishment!" October declared gleefully as he grinned, toothily...

Colin fought and kicked, but not hard. He covered his flanks! So October tickled his belly... then his butt! (Oh and how he loved the opportunity to sneak a squeeze or two of Colin's oh-so-grabbable rear!) Then, when the Sylveon finally managed to squirm around and cover his butt, October tickled his flanks again! Colin's resistance was feeble to say the least, so he wasn't the best at this game. Still, it was more than a little adorable and more than a little exciting to easily defeat the Fairy so... and the high pitched noises he made and desperation on his adorable face were rewarding indeed to a wicked, wicked vulpine! October's body temperature and his physical energy seemed to increase with that excitement, too.

Colin was panting and flailing, crying, "No, no more!" when October finally relented. Colin giggled a little longer, then seemed to sniff the air.

"That worked you up?" asked Colin, curiously, apparently having caught the scent of vulpine arousal in the heated air...

October smiled, then grinned as he checked, then nodded. His sheath was filling.

"You're naughty," said Colin, with a smirk.

"Yup," said October bluntly, with a big grin, "and you're a lot of fun to play with! Why I could just-" he reached a paw towards Colin's belly again. The Sylveon flinched and covered up, though October stopped his paw far short. October grinned.

"Oh goodness," gasped Colin, "Do I get the impression this is you being gentle?" He smiled as he said it.

October shrugged, "I do rougher and rougher still," he said teasingly.

"I'll bet you do," said Colin with a smile, "I'm getting the impression you're the direct-type."

"I can do relaxed, if that's what you mean," said October. Honestly, he had expected this might be a slow night.

"Oh no," said Colin with a smirk, "We can get to that... but I was hoping you might indulge my way a little, first... before you get yourself all worked up on my cute charm..."

"Cute charm...?" repeated October, "Well, I suppose you are cute and charming..."

Colin giggled, "It's another thing I do. I turn aggression into affection..."

Did he now? No wonder he was driving October's impulses crazy. October chuckled, "Oh Colin, you don't need that for me. It's just doubling the natural effect." He looked aside, trying to remember the appropriate wording, "Why against me, your Cute Charm is super effective!"

Colin almost certainly didn't get the reference, but he giggled anyway.

"So, I suppose we should be careful," said October, "Who knows what'll happen if I should happen to bite you..." He grinned.

Colin smirked, "Oh, just for a little bit..." he said softly, his eyes seeming to catch a sparkle as he ran a paw through October's fur, "Why don't you roll over and let me play with you a little, first?"

October had to admit, he was itching to get at the Sylveon. It wasn't just the compliments or the, 'cute charm...'; that soft, shapely, sensual form had been teasing him for days. The spirits of frustrated morning woods cried out in their desire for vengeance. October subconsciously kept a tally towards such asses that would in future require visitation.

Well... there was no harm in a little patience. He was a Ninetales, was he not? An infamously patient breed. He could surely do a little patience, just as he was sure that the Sylveon could show him a thing or two in the process. So, for once obliging someone, October rolled over onto his back, propping himself up a little. His tails fanned out over the bed below him.

Colin seemed to slide over, part-pulling and pushing himself on his ribbons. He rose smoothly over towards October's hip and lay his head across the inside of his thigh.

Colin seemed to inspect October from this perspective, looking up at the Ninetales from down his belly. He made an odd, appreciative whine. "Can I lay on your tails?" he asked with hopeful eyes.

October rolled his eyes, but more for the sake of taxing the Sylveon than of truly caring, "Go on..." he said slowly, ensuring that Colin felt this was a privilege not given lightly...

With a look in his eyes that suggested he appreciate such intangible value, Colin slid himself on down around and under October's leg until he was carefully lying across a bed of warm, soft tails. October felt the Sylveon subtly writhe and enjoy the feel of his warm fur... The feel of the Sylveon's soft and yet shapely form against his tails was just as enjoyable in turn to October.

Then Colin reared up like a shark, his big blue eyes focussed keenly upon October's balls and hotly, healthily filled-out sheath. He seems to take a few sniffs and his mouth opened.

"You like?" October felt prompted to ask.

"It's even better up close," said Colin breathlessly. Then he sprang up, but not quite as October expected. His dainty, three-toed paws landed on October's hips, where they began to softly knead at that vulnerable region, making the sensitive Fox gasp and nearly start to writhe before the apparently attentive fairy made his touch gentler by far... Meanwhile, Colin's head kept up high whilst his ribbons began to softly stroke down October's own flanks...

October grunted pleasantly, the treatment was very fine indeed, but his by-now very hot sheath was feeling a little cramped and pracically screaming for more immediate attention. "This is nice..." he said, as the feelers caressed him and the paws took some of the aches from his waist, "...but perhaps we can be a little more direct..."

"So impatient!" said Colin with a smile, "Let me take some of the tension out of you, at least!"

"I think the tension might be rising..." muttered October, as he felt his body and sheath heat up all the harder...

Colin flopped forwards onto him. His own little sheath pressed cutely against October's and then wiggled with the Sylveon's happy hips as if it were begging. The Sylveon's ribbons stroked over and around and about October's shoulders and chest as he looked up with those big, blue, innocent eyes full of excitement as as he plead; "Just a little more, hmmm?"

October growled, but softly, "Okay..." he said with a smirk.

The Sylveon went to work. It was about the softest experience October had ever had. Never one much predisposed to foreplay, the extended session of stroking was strange indeed. Yet the Sylveon' with his four smoothly stroking, softly probing feelers and his surprisingly deft paws was apparently an artisan, for he combined a sensual appraisal of October's form with a kind of light massage. He seemed to leave every part of October's body with better blood flow... whilst yet ignoring the part with the greatest increase in blood of all. Whilst most of October's body seemed to feel light and lighted, that part began to feel weighty in its pressure indeed as he strained within his sheath, desperate to be freed. Colin had to have noticed. They were sheath to sheath. He couldn't help but growl softly.

Colin looked at him with a big smile, "It's getting hot down there..."

October's answer was a melodious growl. He felt odd. Relaxed and frustrated at once. Out of balance.

Colin giggled and began grinding his hips, very slowly. Colin ground his soft form very carefully, dragging one sheath against another. He was very slowly and carefully working them both free. October's member peeked and popped free of its constraints gratefully and immediately draw a gasp from the Ninetales as his member shot out between his own deep soft pile of belly fur and the intensely soft and fine white fur of Colin. Colin seemed to make an appreciative, high pitched trilling noise as he was prodded.

Colin reared up, paws resting on October's hips again and seeming to balance there as his ribbons moved in to wrap both Pokemon's growing members in an intertwining double-tunnel, framing them together, held close yet with a window to rub against one another. Colin twisted his odd knotted structure back and forth, grinding October's growing black vulpine member against his own smaller, pink canine meat.

October's hunger and frustration flared. This was pleasant and skillfully delivered, but the burning flame within was only burning hotter and his patience was wearing thinner all the faster. Increasingly, he wanted to take the Sylveon...

Colin seemed to sense it. At least, that's what Colin's suddenly naughty smile told October.

"Am I in trouble?" asked the Sylveon, his tone curious.

"Mmm-hmm," growled October.

Colin smirked, "Just one more thing then?"

October growled again, this time rolling up to a higher pitch. His eyes briefly looked wrathfully upon the Sylveon, but he held his reserve. Soon... he told himself, soon...

Colin slid down and grasped October's member in his feelers, twining them about as if to present October's hot and swollen meat to himself in a garland. Pre shone at the tip, catching the room's multi-coloured light as it ran, slowly, down the long, tapered, pointed stake-like shape of October's shaft.

"Mmmm..." said Colin, then dove in with his tongue, darting to catch the pre and chase the trail all the way back up to the tip. October gasped and growled.

Colin pressed in with his cool nose, drawing a gasp, then quickly, teasingly, moved in... seemingly for a nibble at first; opening his snub muzzle wide to fit his maw over the point of that big Fox dick. Just tiny pinpricks of his big upper fangs were felt, no more enough than to prick and somehow excite. Colin made another appreciative noise - this one muffled by the very mouthful he was appreciating! ...Though the vibrations of that squeak were definitely appreciated in turn...

Suddenly October's tension lessened, but not by much; it was just enough for him to keep in control. Just enough, indeed, like a thrown piece of meat just big enough to appease a wild beast, in fact. Wiser now to the Sylveon than before, October raised an eyebrow suspiciously...

Though not for over long. Suddenly the Sylveon was diving enthusiastically at his shaft He drove October's upraised vulpine shaft into his muzzle as if it were a delicious treat. October's eyes briefly widened, thinking of a narrow muzzle and sharp teeth, yet it wasn't until the Sylveon had greedily stuffed half his tapering length that he felt even the beginnings of any pinpricks upon his stake.

October was impressed... and he enjoyed the soft feel of the Sylveon's greedy muzzle even more. The tenderness of Fairy flesh meant for some very soft and fine feeling gums and throat tissue, most certainly, enough to make a big red Fox want to grind his hips and test the elastic limits of that flesh... The slight feel of fangs was a small price to pay for that overstuffing pleasure as Colin began to skillfully work at him with a soft, yet certain and even pressure.

Colin's skill was certain, as he deftly angled his neck, grinding the top and bottom of October's shaft and teased, dexterously with his tongue. October thought he might come to an untimely conclusion several times, but each time there was a pinprick of fangs and he would settle back down again...

Some of October's subtle suspicions were thusly confirmed, but he was happy, for now, to let the Sylveon enjoy his game a little longer.

Colin went on happily, seemingly entranced in the activity. October smiled and growled and enjoyed Colin's enthusiastic work. He had figured the Sylveon for a cock-loving type. Still... fire burned... and sometimes when you tried to suppress it, it burned all the hotter. October's inner flame was now very hot indeed under a very thin crust of restraint... Wild fire in the waiting, waiting to burst free.

As Colin bobbed and twisted his muzzle, October's waited until he felt his fires were burning hotter again before his forepaws shot out and caught the Sylveon by the head. Colin just about had time for a confused, full-mouthed chirping noise before October put his hips to work, driving his meat back and forth as aggressively as he could without encountering fang.

Colin struggled and flailed. It was delightful. Those struggles finally sent October over the edge with a snarling growl of savage joy! He exploded suddenly, with a sudden, cock-pulsing eruption that welled up from a burning, exploding pit of pleasure from deep inside and made his body arc with a joyful wave of heat even as he flooded the Sylveon's throat! So intense was this burning wave that he had to take his paws away from the Sylveon's head before his claws shot out with the thrill! ...Only to flood that little Fairy's maw so thoroughly that October swore he was almost shot right off of his dick!

Colin sprang back, but by pulling with his ribbons, remained upright... The Fairy recovering just enough to keep October's erupting cock just barely inside of his muzzle, just barely preventing any spillage of the hot, surely burningly hot seed that he was just barely managing to greedily gulp down...

October growled happily and lay back, letting the Sylveon feed, seeming to lap the day's tension out of him, raising and lowering the pitch of October's growl...

All of a sudden, October was feeling a lot better!

Colin reared up and started blowing, like someone who'd eaten a hot curry too quickly. Vapour burst from his mouth, as if the room were freezing.

October smirked and enjoyed his bliss on several levels.

"Oh, you beast!" said Colin, then, the Sylveon growled, surprising October. It wasn't a harsh growl, in fact the sound was... ticklish, if anything. Colin leapt up onto his belly, prompting a suppressed "oof" from October. "If you go soft on me, you're not going anywhere!" declared the Sylveon bossily.

October grinned, "My fires are burning. Not much danger of that," he said, pointing down at his bulging knot and still-throbbing member. "Unless the fires were to go unattended, of course..."

Colin stared at that still-eager member, then smiled, with more eagerness still in his twinkling blue eyes and even more in his seductively-excited, sweet voice as he sang, "Perhaps if we were to put it somewhere warm...~"

"Why," said October, grinning very toothily indeed, "Just what I was thinking..."

Colin started to get up, but October quickly grabbed his hips with his paws, seizing the Fairy and holding him in place, slightly unsheathing his claws to enforce the physical message of his dominance...

"Hmm?" squeaked Colin, innocently, "I was going to get some lubricant..."

"Oh?" said October, with a now-impish grin on his muzzle, "but Colin; There's really no need! Look!"

He angled his hips deftly and pushed the Sylveon back down.

October's tip was still messed with pre and cum from his previous orgasm. The shaft was nice and moist from Colin's muzzle.

That sensitive tip struck the Sylveon's hole as unerringly as a guided missile. The feeling was immediately exquisite, the Sylveon's flesh was very soft, warm... and surprisingly, almost virginally tight. October's growling gasp of surprise pleasure was counterpointed and excited by Colin's surprised yelp.

"Oohhh... you BEAST!" repeated Colin. Which pleased October.

"We have all the natural ingredients," October managed to growl, "Wild side," he added quickly.

Colin sounded like he might have been about to speak, but he seemed to melt into a moan instead... after a while he said, "Oh it's warm... I LOVE fire types..." and began to gently grind himself down onto it.

October growled appreciatively and let the Sylveon work. He would have been more aggressive, but the tightness was shocking. He could have sworn Colin had an Arcanine through here just the other night...

October's shaft supplied more pre as Colin gained enthusiasm. He had to stretch for every inch, but stretch he did, with skill and practised care. He was making for a very fine fit, as if he was tailoring himself as he went...

The Sylveon worked his way in and back and forth for some time. He was very methodical and it was a pleasure to experience that slow and skillful ride... and...

"You're good," October had to admit out loud.

Colin just squeaked appreciatively.

"However..." said October, teasingly, letting the word hang, ominously...

Colin looked up with a cute squeak in his voice and surprise in his eyes.

October slowly gave a particularly hungry and predatory grin, the kind that something like say, a Ninetales, would give something like say, a Sylveon, when it was time for his patience to be rewarded and his trap, truly sprung. He leant in close, his green eyes glowing with glee and reflected in the bright-blue of the Fairy's wide eyes as he growled; "Let's not forget your prescription...~"

"Hm?" the Sylveon had just about time to ask, when October surged forwards.

Neither that suppressed wild fire nor October's predatory vulpine nature would be quite satisfied with anything but the taking of this Sylveon. He couldn't just be had, he had to be gotten. So now, this was on October's terms.

He leapt forwards, spilling the Sylveon back onto his tails, keeping him on his cock. Colin squeaked adorably as he suddenly found himself surrounded by Ninetales, tails below, body above.

"If I don't cut loose," grumbled October, "there's going to be fire everywhere."

He didn't give Colin time to respond, he began thrusting. Slowly at first, not completely without care - but greedily hunting for more depth with every thrust.

Colin gasped and squeaked with each movement, "Oh, October! Careful!"

"Tell me if I do anything you can't take," growled October, making firm eye contact with the Sylveon.

Colin looked apprehensive, but his eyes were wide with pleasure, "Hmmm-hmmm," he nodded, already beginning to lose his breath.

October worked himself in deeper and deeper with each thrust. He found himself staring into the Sylveon's eyes. Colin's big blue eyes showed his feelings clearly. By the look of them, October could tell right away what he could get away with. Yet those adorable squeaks tickled October's predatory vulpine nature such that he couldn't help but push...

Of course, there was an easy solution for that dilemma.

Grasping Colin's body with his paws, October began, slowly and surely, a small twist with each thrust, to turn Colin around. Colin went along with it limply, though he seemed saddened as eye contact became more difficult.

It was fun pounding Colin from each different angle, his shapely behind was a pleasure to grind into and explore by hips alone. It was also a pleasure to ruin Colin's careful fit. As admirable as it was, it was slowing things down... and now he was getting more of those adorable squeaks...

Inevitably, however, the slow transition was over and Colin was over on his front, being taken from behind by a Fox very much on top of him. As, of course, it should be, thought October, delighted to finally get that rump fitting nicely into the nook of his hips as it was also surely meant to.

"You like working me, don'tcha?" gasped Colin between thrusts as he was bounced like a particularly adorable ragdoll beneath the Fox...

"Yes," growled October, then he hungrily thrust inwards!

Colin squeaked as October jammed himself entirely, but for the growing knot, into the Sylveon at once, in a single, ruthless thrust! Then felt his muzzle peel back into a wide, snarling grin of sheer feral glee as he felt the Fairy squeeze down and squirm around his savage spearing! Oh, warm, sweet, tight and squirmy and shrieking like a squeaky toy! It was almost too much pleasure for a wicked vulpine! October had to still his hips entirely or risk immediately exploding!

Colin gasped and squeaked as he struggled to adjust! His squirming stilled only slowly, until he was eventually able to cry, "Ahhh! October, that's too much!"

October, however, had been waiting for that protest and he put his foreleg in front of the Sylveon's muzzle on cue. Colin looked at it, his squeaking interrupted by the confused noise he made

"Go on," whispered October conspiratorially, "bite down. You were going to work your way towards doing so anyway, weren't you? ...I'd rather it wasn't my tail."

Colin made a confused merping sound, then looked up at October with wide and glassy eyes.

October grinned a knowing grin at him, "Those vampiric fangs of yours..." he said, eyes narrowing, "you use them to heal yourself, don't you?"

Colin whined. Caught out, October knew. "I just, uhhh, taste a little bit of aura," said Colin, too quickly, "I don't really-"

October chuckled, wickedly, throatily, "You steal energy. I'll guess you do that with every customer... and that's why you're still so tight. You always heal perfectly..."

Colin looked as if he was trying to protest, but couldn't quite focus his mind, somehow, with October six inches up him. "Ummm... maybe... but it's just... sharing! Not much more than you'd radiate anyway..." he eventually managed to say.

October decided not to take Colin up on the ethics of sucking energy out of someone's aura. At least not right now. That wasn't his plan. "I'll bet that drawing blood is even more effective, healing you in seconds," said October, "am I wrong?"

"No, but, ew..!" Colin managed to say.

October grinned, "Well, I don't mind if you do. In fact I encourage it, if it lets you deal with me."

Colin just about managed to squeak uncertainly before October got going.

Already built up into a ravening hunger, the blaze of October's lust was furious indeed. The Sylveon's tight hole and soft flesh were a perfect receptacle for the moment. October was a creature of Fire, a living internal combustion engine and the hotter he got, the more furious and powerful he became.

All the tension he'd built up over Colin's teasing came flowing out, then... followed by all of October's frustrations in general! All of that the negativity went into the fire and burned up, becoming lust and pleasure... Lust and pleasure he was pounding into that Fairy's hole!

Colin squeaked and gasped wildly, but never told him to stop. October's long, tapered, knotted vulpine member noisily spread and smacked into the Sylveon again and again with almost no restraint, the Ninetales knowing Colin could heal any stretch or tear that he created. Colin squeaked communicatively with each thrust anyway; telling October just through pitch and tone what was too much - and when he could take more!

Colin was blissfully pleasureable to thrust into. A living squeaky-toy in more than one way, his body was like a fuckable stress-ball. It was very therapeutic to say the very least...

...Those fangs dung in as little pinpricks to October's foreleg and that tiny pain only drove October on harder. October was strong and fast... and the Sylveon's earlier soothing massage had loosened him up enough to use that physiology to its lustful fullest!

The pinpricks of Colin's fangs became gradually harder as October's thrusts became even harder. October's fire driving the Fairy to bite and bite he inevitably did; with a sharp pain and a tingling feeling as the Sylveon finally succumbed to taking from him more forcefully.

It was exactly what October was waiting for. He was barely sensible enough to speak, but he managed to growl out, "Of course... now that you've bitten me..."

October bit down on the scruff of Colin's neck. A little too hard. Quite deliberately. Oh but the Sylveon's blood was sweet. Sweet as though sugared. Flavourful as cake meat.

October went verily feral. Colin took it all, suffering and feeding from the blaze at once, caught in the eye of the firestorm he had fanned. Stroking at himself like mad as he gasped and sipped at October, being physically jolted with each thrust!

October wasn't particularly sure when he began to reach his peak, but he remembered shoving in his knot. It went in to those freshly-tight, so-far untouched depths on the first try. With a rising, swelling heat like the bloom of a reactor core explosion roaring from the core of his being outwards, October growled and erupted instantly into those deliciously tight depths of Colin... October's entire body feeling like living, glorious, exultant fire as he reared up, feeling his tightly-wrapped and engorged member straining and swelling as thick, hot cum forced its way into the keening Sylveon, flooding like magma under pressure. He seemed to shake physically with each throb of October's cock. October growled in animalistic appreciation, anything more sentient long lost in the sheer burning intensity of this incredible moment of ferocious feral fucking and peak dominance; feeling for that moment at least very much a creature on top of this particular world. Yes, the Sylveon was therapeutic, indeed...

Colin released his foreleg enough to screech in pleasure as the fiery torrent exploded within him. Apparently a master of timing, he finished himself off at the same instant, the Sylveon shooting onto the bed in impressive, audible quantity that made his insides contract delightfully with each spurt. Colin's squeaking cry reached a crescendo with October's lustful growling as the tensions of the day were reduced in a flash-blaze of bliss by the furious release.

There was not a drop of dribble at the back. Colin's grasp of October's knot was perfect. That deliciously tight rear was like a snug lagoon of cock and cum. It was gorgeously warm as a result... though October was already wondering what it would take to break the Sylveon's seal....

They lay panting and gasping for some time afterward, heaving like the embers in the aftermath of a smouldering blaze.

Colin was practically buried under the Ninetales, his muzzle barely poking out from under October's fur. October was completely sprawled, covering most of the bed. Nor did he plan on moving anytime soon.

"I LOVE fire-types," said Colin, eventually... "and you're my new favourite!"

October growled happily and sighed, "Thanks Colin... I really, really needed that. You lovely, talented creature, you..."

"Glad to help!" said Colin sweetly, "I hope we can do this again!"

October grinned once more, "Again? Why Colin, we're not even done for tonight." He wriggled his hips, moving the thoroughly-knotted Sylveon under him with each movement, "I hope you're not planning on sleeping, over-much..."

Colin squeaked happily, "Ahhh! You know what?" he said, "I knew it as soon as I saw you, October!" he declared, "Best... neighbour... ever..!"

October chuckled, Colin giggled and then the pair of them were laughing together. Sharing smiles that would last for the rest of the night and on until the dawn.