FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Act 5

Jackson's blue eyes studied the various bottles of bourbon on the store shelves. Many of the large ordained bottles were encased behind large panes of glass. The husky knew which bottle and brand to buy for his partner Kevin, the lion enjoyed sweet vanilla bourbon with hints of citrus and caramel. The lion wasn't able to have kept stock of his liquor due to his work distractions at his old company Firestorm Studios. Though today was to be Kevin's last day at the company which coincidentally had landed on their anniversary. Jackson decided to celebrate both occasions as he planned to surprise Kevin with his favorite expensive bourbon; Blanton's Special Reserve Bourbon. Once Jackson found the bourbon, he grabbed the attention of one of the employees to open the glass case.

Before the brown stallion employee opened the glass case, he asked for the husky's ID. Jackson nodded and took out his wallet to show the stallion his reissued driver's license. The horizontal shaped license showed his date of birth as the stallion examined it. Jackson still appeared under the age of 21, however the license still showed him to be a fully legal adult. The stallion handed Jackson his driver's license back and opened the glass case. Jackson pointed to the specific bottle for the stallion to retrieve. They then headed to the nearest cash register to complete the transaction. With the glass bottle inside a paper bag with one paw, Jackson headed outside to his car. The weather was extremely hot and the blazing sun scorched everything in its path. Jackson got into his dark blue car and blasted the A/C while he drove to Kevin's house.

Jackson had travelled to Kevin's house so often that he memorized the path that lead to the city of Azusa. Earlier that day, Kevin had asked him to drive over to their home to help him store away his belongings he brought from his old job. It would take Kevin quite a while to put away his belongings by himself so Jackson was more than happy to help. On the drive over, Jackson's fluffy husky tail wagged with excitement for what the two had planned. For months, they had finally agreed to start up an independent gaming studio. Kevin finished negotiations with his old employer and received a large severance package along with a bonus due to his seniority at the company.

The decision took many sleepless nights for the both of them. Kevin had spent thousands of dollars on office supplies, computer upgrades, and legal fees to establish a Limited Liability Company. Kevin planned to use his own home to act as his base of operations for the company's first game. He'd made slight modifications to his house in order to accommodate up to six new employees comfortably. As for Jackson, the husky already graduated from college earlier in the spring. He decided to put his university education on hold and quit his job at the package warehouse to focus on Kevin's project. For his parents, he had to convince them to sell their small blue sedan to him and to also obtain legal ownership of the vehicle. With the small certificate of deposit account his parents turned over to him on his 21st birthday, Jackson used the money to move in with Kevin.

Jackson pulled into the same neighborhood where Kevin lived and approached their house. The surrounding neighborhood was empty as most of the families were out to work and their kids were still in school. The husky had already spotted his lion companion by the time he pulled up to the one story house. Kevin started to carry a few large boxes from his car into the house. Kevin's car was surrounded by several more large brown boxes as Jackson pulled up beside him. Once Kevin returned to his car, the lion smiled as the two greeted each other with a soft kiss and hug. Jackson nuzzled against the lion's short mane as the two held onto one another.

Kevin patted his shoulder and signed, "Thanks for coming over to help!"

Jackson chuckled, "No problem, so how do you feel now that you're a free man?"

Jackson squatted over to lift one of the boxes as Kevin signed, "It's a weird feeling. One part of me feels relieved now that I have the freedom to pursue my own passions. But another part of me is still nervous, I'll miss the feeling of job security."

Jackson had already grabbed a large box and carried it inside the house before he replied, "It's understandable to feel that way. But, I'm pretty excited to work with you on this. I'm also excited to meet our new potential employees. You never told me who we'll meet today?"

Jackson swiftly carried the box into the living room as Kevin followed and explained, "We are going to meet them at a coffee shop in LA. The first person we'll meet is Hugo Romero, he's a deaf squirrel that recently graduated from the University of Southern California. Oliver referred him to me, and he'll be the lead programmer for our game. The second person we'll meet is Mika Jones, she's a deaf raccoon that will provide most of the background artwork and other art assets in the game. She also used to be an old girlfriend of mine."

Jackson headed back outside to stack a few more boxes on top of one another to carry. Jackson gave a curious look when he mentioned Mika being an ex-girlfriend of his. Before he lifted the boxes from the ground, Jackson brought his paws up to sign, "I didn't know you used to have a girlfriend. You sure it's a good idea to bring Mika along? Wouldn't it be awkward to have her with us?"

Jackson squatted down as he lifted and carried three more boxes in his arms. Kevin responded, "It's not like that. We've been very good friends for many years, plus she's already married. I couldn't do all the artwork by myself. I'm already in charge of designing the characters, cars, and writing out most of the story scenarios. I need someone that can match my artistic style and direction. I feel she's qualified for the job!"

Jackson still gave an unsure expression as he set the last of the boxes down in the living room, "I don't know, what if she doesn't like me? I just don't want unnecessary drama complicating this project."

Kevin gave a sympathetic look and kissed his forehead, "Alright, if you feel today's interview doesn't go well we won't need to hire her. However, I want you to meet her and see her work. I'm sure once you get to know her, you'll see why she was my first choice."

Jackson still felt unsure about meeting his ex-girlfriend but he decided to set his feelings aside until he met her.

Jackson nodded, "Alright, I'll give her a chance."

Kevin grinned, "Good, follow me I have a present for you for our anniversary. Close your eyes and don't open them until I tap your shoulder."

Once outside, Jackson chuckled as he kept his eyes closed, "Okay."

The husky could hear Kevin open his car door as the lion dug inside. After a few seconds, the lion grabbed the gift and closed the car door. Kevin tapped Jackson's shoulder so that the husky could open his eyes to see his lover standing before him.

Kevin held something behind his back. As he brought it out in front of him, Jackson's eyes widened with joy. He admired the large elegant katana like sword in Kevin's paws. The lion slowly drew the sword from its sheath to reveal the blade. The sword's blade had an amber color to it with an all-black hilt wrapped with red leather straps. It was an iconic weapon from one of Firestorms most popular MMO titles, The Bravest Warriors. Kevin stashed the sword back into its sheath before he presented Jackson the gift. The husky reached out with both paws and grabbed onto the sword. His blue eyes marveled at the miraculous detail put into the sword as if it came directly from the game itself. Jackson held onto the sword's sheath with one paw as he rushed over to hug Kevin.

Jackson then signed, "How did you get a sword like this?"

"It was a gift from a blacksmith in New York. They loved the game so much that they sent this sword as the gift to the team. The company gave it to me for serving 10 consecutive years at the company. I thought I'd give it to you!" Kevin kissed his forehead again.

Jackson wagged his tail as he held onto the sword's sheath. He decided to also present his anniversary gift to Kevin. Jackson went around to his car and picked up the bag with the expensive glass bottle to present to Kevin.

He set the sword aside and held the bottle in his left paw as he signed with his right, "And here's my gift for you. Happy anniversary!"

Kevin's eyes widened as he held up the bottle to get a better look. He glanced it over before he put it back into the bag.

"Thank you, I've been meaning to restock my bar. Plus, you got my favorite brand as well!" Kevin signed as he held the bottle in his left paw.

"Thought so, now let's drop off the rest of your things and meet the potential new recruits!" Jackson suggested.

Kevin nodded as they headed inside to store away the rest of the boxes. The two uncovered the attic in Kevin's master bedroom and stashed the boxes away for the time being. Kevin then put his bourbon gift away in his small bar as Jackson hung the sword up over on his side of the bedroom. After they finished, the two climbed into Kevin's car and pulled out from the driveway. Kevin sat behind the wheel and drove back into LA as traffic started to pick up. The lunch rush was in full swing as employees poured out from their work to eat at nearby restaurants.

Parking was always a nightmare as the two sat in gridlock street traffic. Though once they arrived at the coffee shop, their luck had turned in their favor as a car pulled out in front of them. Kevin parked next to a small red minivan on one side with a silver Victory motorcycle on the other. Kevin grabbed his carry-on bag and turned on his tablet as the two headed inside the large coffee shop. The coffee shop was a local hot spot that served various exotic coffee drinks and snacks. Inside the shop, foot traffic was light as not many creatures came there for lunch. The furnishings and wall colors were made up of various browns and tans, giving a warm homely feel to the coffee shop. Various couches were dotted against most of the walls along with a few that formed into a semi-circle off to the right side.

Jackson looked to his right side to see two creatures that signed to each other across from their respective seats. Hugo had a biker helmet placed next to him as he sat on one of the large brown sofas. The squirrel wore a white polo shirt with blue jeans and black leather boots. Jackson was surprised by the squirrel's tough exterior, as Hugo didn't look like a typical programmer with his head fur stylishly slicked back. Across from Hugo was Kevin's old girlfriend Mika, who sat with a teacup in one paw. The raccoon wore a stylish red crop top, high waist black pants, and white sandals. The raccoon's head fur had a pixie cut look with purple highlights along the ends of the fur. Mika's gold wedding band was worn on her left paw as she held the cup of tea with that paw. The two of them had carried on a conversation openly in the middle of the coffee shop.

Jackson and Kevin walked over as the two spotted them across the shop. They stopped their conversation to greet them before the husky and lion sat together on the same couch. All four of them formed a small circle so that everyone's lines of sight were not obscured whenever they signed.

"Good to see you two. I see you've settled in comfortably without us," Kevin teased.

"Took you guys long enough. Mika and I have been getting to know each other while you were gone," Hugo signed to Kevin.

"It's amazing that I've never met you before! I typically know most deaf creatures I come across in LA," Mika told Hugo.

"I haven't gone out to socialize much in the deaf community in quite a while. This is probably the first time I've stepped outside of the university campus in years!" Hugo chuckled.

"Yeah, I completely get it. So Kevin, how's everything? I see you've brought your very handsome boyfriend along!" Mika turned her attention to the lion.

Jackson's face became warm with embarrassment as Kevin signed, "It's been going well! In fact Jackson and I have our anniversary today!"

"Congratulations! That's awesome!" Mika applauded.

Hugo gave a warm smile as Kevin continued, "Yeah, we plan to celebrate later tonight. He's also going to be our communications and media manager for the company. Anyway, I've invited you two here to see if you're interested in joining our company Perfect Pictures Studio for our first indie game?"

"It depends, what kind of project are we talking about?" Hugo asked him.

As Kevin takes his tablet out to start his presentation, Mika also presented a binder to Jackson to show off her art portfolio. Jackson reached over and flipped through the many laminated pages of her artwork. Most of the artwork on display showed a wide variety of environmental drawings in various art styles. From cartoony, pixelated, to hyper realistic Mika had displayed a wide range of art styles and environmental subjects she's mastered over the years. Jackson continued to look through the art book as he gazed and marveled at her drawings.

Kevin took out the tablet and set it down on the table in front of them. He also placed two notarized work-for-hire contracts on the table for them to sign if they decided to join. Kevin's large tablet showed various sketches and concept art for the game he had in mind. Many of the artwork on display showed sleek fast street cars, derby cars, get away cars, and a large fictional city environment. Kevin had also designed sketches for many of the non-playable characters the player could meet, befriend, and even date.

Mika and Hugo took turns looking through the various concept art sketches as Kevin started his presentation, "The working title for this project is Champion Racing. I plan on creating a racing game that differs from most you see commonly nowadays. I will use a stylized art direction instead of photorealism to save on cost. For this project, I want to offer the player more meaningful choices besides car aesthetics. Players could set up and compete their own street racing events, derby racing events, or be a getaway driver for a criminal enterprise. In this game, the player's choices and actions will have realistic consequences such as car damage, property damage, bodily injury, relationship breakdowns, and a responsive police force through random encounters. Once I've assembled a team, Jackson and I will launch a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the rest of the game's development. I plan to price the game at $30 for digital distribution. Mainly, I want this to be playable on PC first through Steam. Though I am open to expanding it to other home gaming consoles if we receive any offers to do so. I plan to have this finished in the next two years at minimum."

Mika continue to closely scroll and study the concept art before she looked over at the contract. Hugo replied, "What is the scope you have in mind? Will it be a massive open world game or be a series of self-contained levels?"

"The player will start off with a procedurally generated self-contained level. Some aspects of the levels will be procedural generated while others will be crafted by hand. I do plan to allow players to mod the game however they see fit. With certain dialogue choices, the player will be able to start as a street racer or a rally car racer, or getaway driver. Gradually as they progress through the game, they'll have more of the world open up to them. Though for this game, it will be on a smaller scale. I am aiming to have a nine hour play time for each of the three different main paths the player can take," Kevin explained.

"What do you mean exactly when you say realistic consequences? Like if you crash is it possible to completely destroy your car?" Mika interjected.

Kevin answered her question, "There will be two modes for the game. An arcade mode would be an ideal starting point for new players. There will be fewer pedestrians, the damage physics will be more forgiving, cars will be easier to control, and the police AI would be less aggressive. However, for players that want more of a challenge then can play on the realistic mode. That mode will have multiple pedestrian's hazards, a smart police AI, a simulated driving mechanic, and realistic damage physics that won't be forgiving on the player. They can also get a game over in a few different ways regardless of each mode. Either they die in a high-speed crash, get arrested for a serious crime like vehicular homicide, or lose all of their cars with no extra funds to buy another one. They would have to start the game all over again if that happened."

Mika nodded as she looked back at the tablet to view more of Kevin's concept art. Mika signed to the lion, "So Kevin, what's your business philosophy when it comes to your company?"

"Well our business philosophy is simple. Our first goal is to deliver a unique product that provides fun for niche markets. The second goal is to offer custom controller figuration and full interface accessibility for gamers who are physically disabled. Our third goal is to give qualified deaf employees the same leadership opportunities as their hearing counterparts. And our last goal is to encourage all employees to communicate using ASL or written English," Kevin explained.

"Wow those are some very ambitious goals, but I do admire them!" Mika said.

Kevin then turned his attention to Hugo, "So what programming languages are you comfortable using?"

Hugo responded, "Well, I know C++, C#, PHP, and many other custom coding languages. I'm also great when it comes to learning new programming languages as well. I even learned Python and Ruby just for the fun of it. Though I highly doubt I will use those last two."

"Good, any good engines that can work great with those types of coding?" Kevin asked.

"Now that I think about it, this style of game would work great on an Unreal or Unity engine. Especially Unity since there won't be any royalty fees to pay if we use their engine. Plus, I've already subscribed to them and I can heavily edit the code to fit our needs," Hugo said.

"Great. Mika, what do you think? Anything you would like to add?" Kevin turned his attention towards the raccoon.

"It looks promising, I can definitely see myself working on such a project. Though, how do you plan on paying us? It better not be with any IOU's!" She teased.

Kevin chuckled, "We would both pay you above minimum wage obviously, and your salaries are listed in the contract. I've already taken out a loan so even if the Kickstarter fails you two will still have guaranteed income for two years. However, a percentage of the game's sales will go towards paying off the original loan before its disturbed back into the company. Our base of operations will be at my house, I've already made modifications to fit all six of us comfortably. And to meet our goal with completing this game in two years or less we'll have to work 40 hours a week."

Hugo nodded as Mika signed, "That's perfect for me! Plus if I'm ever late I'll be sure to let my husband pick up my son."

Hugo sighed, "Well I don't like long work hours but it sure beats working with an all hearing team. Though I have to ask, who's going to handle the sound design and music?"

Kevin gave a nervous expression, "I haven't figured that out yet. We are still looking for a music composer and sound designer. I know for a game like this we'll need someone's who's an expert on sound design. I tried to contact my hearing musician friend Travis for help with the music but he hasn't gotten back to me yet."

"I have a few hearing classmates of mine that could possibly be interested! I've worked with them before for my final project. One is a child of a deaf adult while the other knows some ASL," Hugo explained.

Kevin sighed with relief, "That would be perfect! If you can get a sound designer and music composer on board then we can start this project right away. So would you two like to join our team and create this game with me?"

Hugo and Mika looked at each other and gave a nod. They both read over the contract as Hugo was the first to sign the contract. Once the squirrel finished signing the contract, he reached out to shake Kevin's paw.

Kevin shook Hugo's paw as Mika signed to the lion, "Can I take a picture of this contract? I want to discuss this with my husband first before I give my final answer."

Kevin nodded, "Of course, though I would appreciate an answer very soon! I hope you'll be able to join us."

Mika nodded and looked over at her phone to take a picture. After a quick glance at the time, she sat up from the couch, "I'll be sure to talk to my husband tonight and give you an answer tomorrow. Right now, I need to pick up my son from school. I'll message you then."

Kevin nodded as she went over to give him a friendly hug. The lion also gave the raccoon his business card after their hug. Mika then turned to Jackson as he handed her art portfolio back, "Also it was very nice to meet you!"

Jackson chuckled, "It was nice meeting you too! Drive safely!"

Mika nodded and grabbed her art portfolio before she said her goodbyes to everyone else. The raccoon then walked out to the nearest exit and climbed into her small red minivan. Kevin then looked over to Hugo, "I'm very excited to have you on my team. Though before we can start development we'll need to recruit a sound designer and music composer first. Any idea when you can get in contact with your old classmates?" Kevin asked Hugo.

"Should only be a few days. If they're busy I'll ask around my campus. There are still a few recent graduates that haven't been snatched up by other gaming companies yet," Hugo assured him.

"Great, let me give you my card to contact me," Kevin reached into his pocket to pull out a business card.

Hugo looked over the card before he signed, "We'll keep in touch. Anyway, I need to go soon to pick up a few parts from the bike shop. It was really great to meet you Kevin!"

"Same, I'm glad Oliver referred me to you. You'll be a great asset to our team!" Kevin commented.

Jackson stood to the side and chuckled as he watched the two continue their side conversation. It was common for deaf creatures to continue their conversation even when one of them announced they were about to leave. Hugo and Kevin both talked about their mutual friend Oliver and shared their personal stories with one another for a while. Jackson decided to go off and order a Frappuccino to drink as he left the two alone. Fifteen minutes had already passed by the time the husky received his drink. Jackson walked over to Kevin with a drink in one paw as the two continued to sign with one another. Thirty minutes had passed before Hugo looked over his phone to see the time.

Hugo looked up to Kevin, "I need to go pick up a few bike parts before the store closes. Let's continue this later."

Kevin agreed, "Yeah, let's keep in touch. I'll see you later."

Hugo nodded as he picked up his bike helmet and headed out the door to retrieve his silver motorcycle. Kevin looked over to Jackson as the husky continued to drink his Frappuccino.

"When did you get that?" Kevin asked.

"A while ago. I thought I'd order a drink while you two chat," Jackson chuckled as they headed for the door.

"Ah, sorry if I held you up for a while. I didn't mean to make you wait for me," Kevin rubbed the back of his head nervously.

Jackson chuckled, "You don't need to worry about that. If I was in a real hurry I would've let you know."

Kevin smiled, "Good, how about we head home and enjoy the rest of our anniversary."

Jackson leaned over to give his lion a light kiss, "That would be just perfect!"

Jackson finished his drink and threw it away before the two got into the Kevin's car. Kevin drove back toward the nearest freeway as they headed back home. The two sat together in heavy stop and go traffic as everyone moved at a snail's pace. Though with Kevin's A/C turned on, both of them wouldn't have to suffer the intense heat wave.

Jackson decided to pass the time by asking Kevin a question, "I want to ask you about Mika if that's alright?"

Kevin nodded, "Of course, what's on your mind?"

"How come you two broke up? In my experience, break ups always leave people extremely hurt and bitter. But you two continued to be good friends despite that," Jackson asked.

"Honestly it wasn't an easy choice. I dated her when we went to the same university together. The first two years together were a great experience for us. But there were things we didn't agree with that ended up causing us to break up," Kevin explained.

"Like what?"

"For example, she wanted to get married and have kids after we finished our education. Back then, I felt I wasn't ready to start a family because I was failing my classes at the time and I wouldn't have been able to finish on time. It put a heavy strain on our relationship, so we just broke up but kept in contact with one another throughout the years."

"Still, I know it's not easy to part ways with someone you used to hold very dear. I'm glad you two are still friends!"

"I feel the same, she's irreplaceable to me as a deaf friend," Kevin said as he slowly drove on the freeway.

Jackson's face became very warm as he asked, "Would you ever want to have kids in the future?"

Kevin pondered for a moment before he answered, "Maybe. I'm just mainly scared to have kids while I take on risky business ventures. But, if this goes well and we become wealthy I can see myself adopting a deaf child. How about you?"

"Honestly, I never thought I wanted one. Before I met you, I thought I'd never have a kid. There was no way I could support a child if I couldn't support myself. But, now that there's a chance we might end up okay, I can see myself adopting one in the distant future," Jackson admitted.

"Right, but for now let's just try to get our first game out in one piece!" Kevin chuckled.

"Agreed!" Jackson nodded.

Eventually traffic started to pick back up as Kevin sped down the freeway. Jackson relaxed in his seat as Kevin drove home. The sun was about to set over the mountains as the two pulled into Kevin's driveway. Though once they walked in the front door, Kevin wrapped his arms around the husky from behind and kissed his neck. Jackson's tail wagged with excitement as Kevin's paws slipped under his shirt to rub his fluffy canine chest.

Jackson turned around and his lips pressed against Kevin's as they passionately kissed. Kevin's powerful paws closed around Jackson's waist line as the lion held him close. After a few minutes, the two broke away and deeply sighed with satisfaction.

"How about we crack open that bourbon you gave me and get settled in?" Kevin suggested.

"Sure, I'd love that!" Jackson wagged his tail.

They both headed towards the master bedroom with their tails intertwined. Jackson and Kevin both stripped down to their underwear as the husky laid on top of the large king size bed. He could hear Kevin open the glass bottle of bourbon and poured out two drinks for each of them. Kevin reached under the bar to open the freezer door. He dropped one large ice cube in one of the glass drinks, just the way Jackson liked his bourbon: on the rocks. Kevin walked over to hand the husky his bourbon with one paw as the other held his own.

Kevin raised his neat bourbon glass with one paw as the other signed, "Happy anniversary! Let us have many more for years to come!"

Jackson nodded as they clinked their glasses before taking their sips. Jackson enjoyed the warm mellow flavors the drink provided. The husky only took a few sips and already started to feel his throat become numb. His ears and muzzle became warm as he continued to drink. Kevin took his time with his drink as they snuggled close to one another. Jackson became more affectionate when under the influence of alcohol. The husky was never a mean or a very eccentric drunk. Instead, Jackson was more openly affectionate as he showered Kevin with kisses and licks. Kevin set their drinks aside as Jackson climbed on top of the lion. While the two rolled around on the bed, Jackson instigated another passionate kiss. Their arousals were obvious as the fabric of their underwear perfectly conformed around them. They were both slightly buzzed from the drinks but still considered each other to be sober enough to consent.

Jackson reached over to grope and fondle Kevin's firm rump as the lion sat on top of him. Kevin raised an eyebrow curiously as Jackson acted more dominant around him. The husky's underwear bulge had nestled between Kevin's firm ass cheeks. Kevin thought for a moment about letting his husky companion top him for the first time. The lion had never bottomed for anyone before, though considering that it was their anniversary Kevin wanted to bottom just this once for his lover. He motioned Jackson to wait with one paw as he leaned across the bed to open a nearby drawer. After a few seconds, Kevin found a bottle of lubricant and pulled down Jackson's underwear to reveal his long circumcised penis. The lion had also stripped himself of his underwear as they both laid naked on the bed.

Kevin applied large amounts of lube on his fingers before he penetrated himself with them. Because he was under the influence of alcohol, the lion didn't experience much pain as his fingers travelled deeper inside him. His outer anal cavity was numb with a slight burning sensation around the entrance. He pulled his fingers out slowly and saw they were still clean. After he was lubed up, Kevin climbed onto Jackson's lap.

Jackson nodded with glee as his erection already began to slide between Kevin's rumps with excitement. Kevin chuckled; he found the husky's playful dominance to be more adorable than intimidating. The lion braced himself as he slowly sank onto Jackson's long thin penis. He looked down to see Jackson starting to pant heavily, amazed by the warm sensation. Jackson's long length was able to reach far deeper than Kevin anticipated once he fully sat down on it. Though after the initial sharp pain faded away, a different sensation took over Kevin. A new feeling he'd never experienced before. For Kevin, it was as if there was a special itch that couldn't be fully satisfied on its own. The more he started to ride on Jackson's length, the stronger the arousing itch became.

Jackson placed his paws onto Kevin's hips while the lion bounced on his lap. The husky's dominating side faded away and Jackson became more submissive. Kevin still held most of the mental control and physical pleasure over the husky. The lion would intentionally slow down to tease his partner, he let the husky feel every single inch of his warm moist inner walls as the lion bounced up and down. The bed beneath them shook and rattled once Kevin started to bounce faster. For Jackson, the sensation of penetrating his partner had far exceeded standard masturbation. The warm grip and traction of Kevin's insides was almost indescribable for him. It only took a few minutes before Jackson's erection spewed thick amounts of viscous cum inside the lion. Kevin sat still, he could feel Jackson's erection pulse inside him. A warm sensation was felt in his lower abdominal region while his husky lover continued to squirt seed. Kevin reached down to stroke himself off with his paw, and his tip drooled pre-cum along Jackson's stomach. With the warm sensation still present inside Kevin, it only took a few seconds before he reached his own orgasm.

The itch sensation had dissolved away as Kevin's arousal softened. Kevin looked down to see Jackson with a cute derpy expression written all over his face. Kevin slowly pulled himself off as a thin string of cum drooled from his hole. To his relief, there were no signs of any mess other than the thick amounts of seed left behind. The lion shivered as he felt some of the seed drool down his legs as Jackson looked over. The husky gave Kevin's rump a playful smack as he giggled to himself.

"Enjoyed it I take it?" Kevin stuck his tongue out.

"That was more fun than I expected!" Jackson stretched out.

The two chuckled as they both laid in their messy state, their fur matted and stained with semen. Kevin lightly kissed Jackson's lips as the two snuggled together on the bed. The two spent the rest of the evening together in the large king size bed. Their libido subsided, however their affection for one another hadn't. The physical closeness they sought in each other seemed to never end. Their lips constantly connected as they continued to grind and snuggle throughout the night. The fact their relationship had been sustained for a full year gave them both a sense of accomplishment. While the honeymoon phase of their relationship had partially diminished, Jackson's emotional state was generally happier with the lion in his life.

Act 6

A week had passed before Kevin's small development team was fully assembled. After Mika had discussed it over with her husband, she eventually joined the team. She became the lead background artist for the game and pledged to help Kevin whenever possible. Hugo had managed to convince his two former classmates to join Kevin's team. The lead sound designer would be handled by an elephant named Xavier. He grown up with deaf parents which allowed him to use ASL and English fluently. Xavier had experience working with Hugo as they had both collaborated on many projects and games. Xavier's audio contributions to their final project had help their game reach the top 10 in the overall class.

The composer for the game's soundtrack would be handled by a black bat named Noah. The all black bat had only taken a few sign language classes in high school before transferring to the same university as Hugo. Despite his novice signing skills, Noah was willing to use ASL more often whenever he worked with Hugo in the past. As for his musical talent, he had the unique ability to listen and recreate any soundtrack by ear with almost any instrument. The two were convinced by Hugo to join Kevin's team as they were sold on the premise of the game. Plus, they also felt honored to work with a game industry veteran like Kevin as the two were familiar with the lion's past works.

Kevin had finished assembling his team with two deaf employees and two hearing employees. The first few weeks were devoted to discussion on the concept of the overall game. The small team had to decide on what aspects of the game to focus on and what to leave out. The discussion ranged from how their current budget would be spent before the crowd funding campaign, accessibility for disabled players, the gameplay mechanics, game engine, coding, graphic capabilities, musical composition, the story's settings, dialogue scenarios, and overall character development. The team were sold on the idea of realistic consequences for a racing game, but there were some things they would have to scrap completely.

The majority of the staff felt with their small size and budget, there was no realistic way to add the getaway driver path in the game or a player vs player online multiplayer mode. While disappointed, Kevin understood the constraints and agreed with his staff to scrap the idea for the time being. Though all the ideas they had to initially scrap were still kept on standby in case the release of the game was a success. The team would add those mods as expansions if the game proved to have a viable market for it.

Everyone agreed to keep the scope of the first game as small as reasonably possible. With such a small staff, they couldn't afford to stretch themselves out too thin. There was also the concern with the development of the player's options for cars. Kevin knew there was no possible way to license real car manufacturers without shelling out millions of dollars on royalty deals. Everyone agreed to let Kevin use his artistic license to avoid a possible lawsuit from an unhappy car manufacturer. The team was careful to select which specific cars to modify for their game. They wanted the cars to reflect the settings and characters of the game.

Each member of the team had to do research on their own time to discuss at their weekly meetings. Jackson, Kevin, and Mika did their research online, and they combed through many articles and documentaries that uncovered the subculture of street racing and rally racing. Hugo, Noah, and Xavier took a different approach for their research and chose to interviewed local rally racers and street racers. Xavier also took the opportunity to bring his field recorder to get a few audio assets that they could use for the game. The three also visited different rally races and street races throughout the state to get a better picture of both car sub-cultures. With everyone's combined research, they used their notes to craft the multiple story scenarios that would possibly be implemented into the game.

Once the writing for the game was edited and finished, the team began their work on the game itself. Weeks would pass while every team member would show up and use the full eight hours to complete their unique tasks for the day. Under Kevin's leadership a basic outline was laid out for every individual member to follow for the next few weeks. While everyone was free to approach the assigned tasks as they see fit, Kevin would have weekly meetings to review everyone's progress on the game.

Jackson not only functioned as a communications and media manager but also had to act as Kevin's ears. Whenever significant progress was made in the audio department, Jackson had to use his own personal judgement to make sure Noah and Xavier were on the right track. Kevin entrusted his partner to report on how the audio was being handled. Jackson acted as a mediator between Kevin and the audio department of the team to make sure both parties clearly understood what was expected from one another. The three hearing creatures started to learn more about each other's roles as months passed. Jackson would teach Noah more sign language while the bat would teach the husky about their specific duties on the game.

After spring turned into fall, Kevin felt it was the right time to start crowd funding for his video game. With the help of Xavier for audio and editing, the team had created a short video about their company and video game. Despite the lack of gameplay footage, the team did provide detailed 3D car models, character design samples, and game features for prospective supporters. The immediate rewards for the support ranged from t-shirts to autographed high quality print outs of their concept art. Jackson made sure the prospective investors knew where the money would go towards by breaking down how the budget goal would be spent. Their aim was to have the company run as transparent as possible to gain the trust of prospective investors. Once the video was finished, Jackson and Kevin used the video to advertise on their Kickstarter crowd funding page. Using Kevin's connection with certain game developers in the industry, the team was able to spread awareness of their new company and game online by word of mouth. Within a few weeks they had already achieved half of their initial budget goal. Not only had Jackson and Kevin marketed it online, but the two also marketed the game at local deaf events and meet ups.

Despite how small the deaf community was compared to the overall US population, there was still massive support received from the gatherings. Many deaf creatures were happy to see a successful deaf individual like Kevin start up his own gaming company. Even though most of the older generation were not interested in playing video games they were still enthusiastic about spreading the word throughout the community. The local deaf community's generous support had helped Kevin achieve his full financial goal for his game. There were still a few weeks left before the crowd funding was finished as they received more income from small prospective investors.

The company gained an extra few thousand dollars from small investors before the Kickstarter had concluded. Despite the massive monetary gain, the team agreed to stick to the schedule and to not add more features to the overall game. Instead, the extra Kickstarter funds were used to upgrade existing equipment and to offset some of the loan debt Kevin had taken out to pay his employees. Their plan was to release a small demo that would allow community feedback by next Spring. Jackson had limited involvement in the creation of the game but still gave it his all to run the company's social media accounts. The husky had already established the company's website, Steam store page, a Facebook profile, YouTube channel, posted on multiple sub-Reddits, and ran a Twitter account for their company Perfect Pictures Studio_._ Jackson provided unique content that was best suited for each platform to draw in active followers. As Jackson managed the PR for the company, Kevin acted as the face of the company. For every update video update they featured, Kevin would be the one to present the material in sign language with English captions attached to the videos.

To promote their social media accounts Jackson would obtain concept drawings, test animations, and snippets of the game's soundtrack from the team. After the successful Kickstarter campaign, a flood of new followers were drawn over to their profiles. A few prospective game journalists had already tried to set up a formal interview with Kevin and parts of his team. Though the team was reluctant to do the interviews so Jackson had to expertly negotiate and stall the journalists until they had a demo ready. Jackson still kept in touch with a few game journalists he could trust that came from smaller gaming journalism websites.

Throughout the Fall, the strain and fatigue started to affect many of the employees. Especially for the deaf squirrel Hugo who still had to build the game engine's code from scratch. There would be constant bugs Hugo would try to patch due to the complexity of the driving mechanic Kevin wanted from him. Even with everyone pulling their weight, the team felt disappointed by their lack of progress. The backers were aware of their progress as Jackson set up weekly Q&A's online with Kevin by his side. The more problems that started to pop up, the more likely the team would miss their initial release date. Kevin started to show signs of serious stress as he kept himself cooped up in his bedroom. The lion would often spend many nights awake in his bed with his tablet. He'd redraw and re-edit his 3D car models constantly.

With the constant comings and goings of his employees, Jackson and Kevin found it difficult to be intimate with each other. Even when they were left with the house by themselves, the two would be too tired out from their work. The lion never snapped at his employees if a delay occurred or a mistake was made. However, Kevin kept his frustrations bottled up inside and Jackson could see it written all over his face. Jackson did his best to encourage everyone with small acts of kindness. He would prepare large meals for the team once a week and ran errands for them. This would leave the team in a slightly better mood as they refocused on their assigned tasks. Before Jackson and Kevin knew it, winter had arrived as they enter mid-December. Kevin had given the team a week off for them to visit their friends and families over the holidays. After the holiday break and the New Year turned over, Kevin's old team returned to his house to continue their work on the game. With the much needed break, the group felt revitalized and energetic enough to work on the game.

The team would hold weekly meetings as significant progress to the game was made. Everyone was kept well informed as the production ran smoothly on all fronts. Jackson would struggle often to keep up with the social media posts. Spring had arrived once more as the team were now officially in their first year of production. Hugo had worked overtime during the spring season as the basics for the games engine was mostly finished. With most of the car models completed and the 3D animations rendered, the team was able to get a better vision of what the finished product could look like. To see full motion high resolution video of actual gameplay was a much needed moral boost. They had enough resources to develop a demo of the game that was ready for public release. Jackson suggested that they give the demo to notable gaming personalities on Twitch and YouTube to demonstrate the games potential. Kevin was nervous to release the demo but eventually he agreed to it and allowed Jackson to send them copies of their games. Out of ten of the largest internet personalities Jackson reached out to, only three agreed to feature it on their gaming channels at first.

Once the demo was officially released to the public, more creatures online were drawn over to their social media pages with excitement. A slow boiling hype for the game was gaining traction online as the three popular streamers that featured their game gave a positive reception to it. The demo itself was a great way to obtain community feedback from their backers. They were able to report small bugs the team had missed and took in constructive criticism from their fans. The team planned to use the comments to better polish the overall gameplay. With more footage released to the public it had caught more attention from several popular game journalists' websites. One day, Jackson came across one in particular in an e-mail from a well-respected game journalist named Brad Davis. The colorful parrot lived in San Francisco and worked as a popular freelance writer for many gaming websites. He had a large following on various social media accounts and his connections ran deep from AAA gaming industry veterans to notable indie developers.

One day an email came up on Jackson's inbox as it read, "Hello, this is Brad Davis. I'm about to write an article about an employee that works for your company named Hugo Romero. Are you aware of his past social media posts as of late? Several sources of mine have identified your employee to be the owner of several problematic social media accounts. If you are aware of them, can you comment on your employee's behavior online and if it reflects the company overall? I plan to publish the story by tomorrow morning, I would like to hear from you soon. An archive of Hugo Romero's social media posts is in the provided links below. Sincerely, Brad Davis."

Jackson was taken aback from the message. Before he came up with a reply, he clicked on the links to see what they contained. Sure enough, there were archived images of Hugo's controversial social media posts. There was little doubt it was the squirrel as the messages came from his personal Facebook profile. While most of the evidence provided were simply jokes in poor taste, others messages showed a personal hostility for certain groups. The hostility for those groups would range from particular religious, political, and civil rights organizations. Jackson could only imagine what kind of a PR nightmare this could create if not handled properly. Deep down, despite disagreeing with some of Hugo's politics, Jackson didn't want to consider removing the squirrel from the company. However, if enough media outlets were to lambast the small company before their first game came out, it could significantly interfere with their bottom line if there was a successful boycott.

Jackson grabbed his tablet and rushed over to Kevin's bedroom where the lion worked. Kevin had left his door half open to indicate that he was able to let anyone come in if there was something urgent to report. Kevin was slumped over at his desk with an electronic pen held in his right paw. The massive tablet he drew on had shown a fully rendered 3D image of the last few cars he had to create for the game. To get his attention, Jackson flickered the light switch once so that Kevin knew someone was in the room. After the lights flickered, Kevin sat up and looked back to see his partner stand near the doorway.

Kevin smiled warmly and stretched out before he signed, "What's up? Does Noah or Xavier need something again?"

Jackson shook his head and walked up to the lion, "No, I've received an email from a games journalist named Brad Davis. I think you should read it and check out the links he provides."

Kevin gave a questioning expression as Jackson handed the lion his tablet. Kevin quickly read over the email and his face soured. After Kevin reviewed over the links all he could do was shake his head in disbelief. He set Jackson's tablet aside as his mind raced in deep contemplation.

Jackson sat on the king size bed as he signed, "What are we going to do? From what I've studied in school, it was always easier for companies to fire the employee when situations like these arise. We might have to consider firing Hugo."

Kevin sighed heavily, "I'm definitely not going to fire or reprimand him that's for sure. His skills and expertise are too vital to complete the game without him. I admit I don't particularly like what he's said online, but I could never remove or punish one of my employee's for something like this."

"But if you do that we'll be black listed from every mainstream gaming outlet! Brad Davis has a wealth of connections to many influential figures in the industry! They can bar us from advertising our game at their conventions or websites! They could also call for a boycott which will hurt our bottom line! We'll be left in financial ruin if that were to happen! We could lose everything; our business, our health insurance, and our home! We have to at least consider the option!" Jackson argued.

"That's out of the question! We are not going to punish or fire him, I refuse to do so! What if the situations were reversed and you ended up in this mess? Would you have me betray you if something similar to this happened?" Kevin asked.

"I'd do the rational thing and step down. I would let someone else take over my position. I wouldn't want my selfish actions to negatively affect our company!" Jackson signed with annoyance.

Kevin shook his head, "I appreciate your honesty, but I would still defended you regardless. This is part of the reason why I left my old job, they would've fired or reprimanded employees like Hugo for something as insignificant as this. I never want our company to perpetuate the same toxic business culture I sought to escape from. From what I saw, Hugo hasn't done anything illegal or morally questionable. I know it's asking a lot from, but can we at least try to work this out first? Before we make a drastic decision!"

Jackson took a deep breath to calm his nerves and to think clearly. After a brief awkward silence he responded, "Okay, but if we are going to defend him there aren't a lot of options we have that won't damage this company. We'll have to be careful about how we'll comment for a story like this. Regardless, when this story comes out this could negatively impact our company."

"I know, but we'll need to discuss this with Hugo first before we notify the other team members. I don't want him to feel singled out by the rest of the team. Have him come here immediately!" Kevin requested.

Jackson nodded and stood up from the large bed. He went to the living room to retrieve the deaf squirrel. After a few minutes, the two had arrived in Kevin's bedroom as Jackson shut the door behind them for privacy. Hugo grabbed a nearby chair and sat across from Kevin as Jackson sat between the two on the large bed.

Kevin looked over to Hugo, "Do you know why we have summoned you here?"

Hugo shook his head, "No idea, Jackson told me that something urgent happened and you needed me. What is it you would like to talk about?"

Kevin gave a look of disappointment as he chose his words carefully, "Jackson had received an email from a journalist named Brad Davis. He's uncovered some unsavory social media messages you've made in the last few months. I have them on Jackson's tablet here, are these truly your social media accounts?"

Kevin handed Hugo the tablet as each tab showed the squirrels past controversial remarks. Hugo bit his lower lip as a cold shiver crept down the squirrel's backside. He knew for a fact those were truly his social media accounts and posts. Without context, many of the jokes seemed damning as if he was a mean spirited bigoted individual. Hugo's fur stood on end, afraid of what Kevin might due to reprimand him for his past actions. He could try to excuse away his remarks, but Hugo knew that these comments would reflect badly on not only him, but on the entire company itself. Jackson felt uncomfortable as he watched the squirrel squirm nervously as his eyes shined with worry.

Hugo handed Jackson the tablet as he replied, "Yes, those are my social media accounts."

"So, you understand how this puts yourself and the rest of my team in a difficult position right?" Kevin asked.

"Yes. Kevin, I'm so sorry for..." Hugo was cut off by Kevin.

"Just wait a moment. Before you continue, I want you to understand that while I vehemently don't agree with your personal politics, you are not in any sort of trouble. I have no intentions to terminate your employment here or reprimand you. You have my word," Kevin clarified.

Hugo fur relaxed as a huge sigh of relief escaped the squirrel's lips, "Thank you so much! But may I ask why? Wouldn't it make more since to just punish me at the very least?"

"Hugo, I sought you out because I needed a creature of your skill and experience. From what I've seen, you've done nothing wrong legally or morally. To my knowledge, you've never threatened physical harm on someone nor harassed a particular individual. You were simply expressing your opinion on a public forum. I personally could never back stab someone who's been such a vital part of my team. That's why I've decided to keep you on this project and this company."

Hugo gave a warm glowing expression as he replied, "I'm deeply moved Kevin. I'm truly in your debt and will do anything in my power to make this right. Would you like for me to issue an apology on behalf of the team if that helps resolve this problem?"

"That is one idea, I don't think it's the only option we have. Jackson, do you think an apology could work?" Kevin looked over to the husky.

Jackson contemplated for a moment as he reviewed over his options. He looked over to the squirrel, "It depends, besides the jokes you've made online did you have a sudden change in political philosophy and want to make a clarification?"

Hugo shook his head, "No, the statements I made that weren't jokes are philosophies I still abide by and firmly believe. But I know a fake apology can still help in situations like these."

"If that's how you feel then a fake apology isn't necessary. It's important that our company still gives the impression of honesty and transparency from our actions. Once the article is published, there's nothing we can do to satisfy those who've taken offense with Hugo's comments."

"I see, what do you suggest? Should we simply not comment on the story?" Kevin asked.

Jackson shook his head, "Not exactly, I'm leaning more towards putting out our own statement. We'll decline Brad's offer to comment on his article but we will make our own statement through Kickstarter. As a company, I want to tell our backers that we've decided to keep Hugo on the team. That Hugo's comments only reflect his own views and, as a company, we'll continue to work with him on this project. What's important is that our backers know this situation will not affect the development of the game. That sound alright with everyone?"

The two looked at each other and agreed with Jackson's suggestion. Hugo shifted in his chair nervously, "So if that is all, may I go back to work?"

Kevin nodded, "You may, though I'm going to have everyone stay after work is over so we can explain to the situation to them. It's important that they know what going on. Until then, keep up the good work."

Hugo smiled as he stood up and left the room. Once the door was closed, Kevin reclined back in his chair with his head in his paws, a worried expression on his face. The lion looked over to Jackson, "Do you think I've made the right decision?"

Jackson walked over to kiss his forehead before he signed, "I don't know if it was the right decision right now. However, I'll do my best to work this out Kevin, I promise."

"Very well, I know this will put a lot of weight on your shoulders. Just know, I'm truly lucky to have you in my life," Kevin smiled as he closed his arms around Jackson's waist.

"I feel the same," Jackson signs and leaned down to hold onto his lion.

Act 7

By the time Brad Davis's article was published Kevin's team was already informed and well aware of the situation. Jackson had suggested that everyone lockout and keep their social media accounts on silent or private for the time being. Some of the staff members in Kevin's team were sympathetic towards Hugo while a few such as Noah and Mika didn't appreciate his posts. Still, everyone understood the situation and simply followed Jackson's suggestion to keep their social media accounts on a low profile.

To Jackson's surprise, Brad Davis was not the only one to publish an article about the debacle. Many of the bird's other game journalists' colleagues also covered the story on the exact same day as well. To Jackson, it seemed to have been a collaborative effort to reign in dissent on Kevin's small company. The fact that dozens of articles would all be published simply minutes apart from one another raised Jackson's suspicions that this was a collaborative effort to harass and bully the small team for not publicly chastising Hugo.

The company's name had also trended on twitter which put a massive spotlight on them. As for Hugo, his name and personal life was dragged through the mud from the various clickbait articles, a few of which tried to directly label him as a closeted Nazi sympathizer. While some were outrageously slanderous, Jackson knew there was no way to take on any of the major publishers for slander due to the lack of funds for legal and court fees. All they could do was keep silent about the articles and direct the bulk of their attention to the production of their game.

Later that day, Jackson and Kevin both created a statement they planned to publish on their Kickstarter to directly message their supporters. With the video editing and caption help from Xavier, Jackson filmed the video statement Kevin made to his backers. Just like Jackson suggested, Kevin explained how Hugo's social media posts did not reflect the company's overall view and how the company would still employ him for the foreseeable future. More importantly, Kevin made sure to let all the backers know that the development for the game would not be slowed down or on hold during this controversy. He ended the video by expressing his gratitude for all of the supporters who've helped fund the project.

After a few days passed, to Jackson's relief the majority of the backers were extremely supportive about their decision. While roughly 10% of their user base were outraged over the incident, the rest still showed enthusiastic support for the company. There were many game industry elites that had voiced their outrage over the situation on social media. However, various smaller gaming publications and many gamers defended Kevin's decision. When a few notable game journalists saw Kevin's video about the company's position to keep Hugo, there was an immediate call for a boycott. The company's name trended on twitter as multiple journalists from various websites demanded for a boycott. Though as the weeks and months passed by, the call for such a boycott was shown to bear little fruit. Still, this presented a conundrum for the team that Jackson was fully aware of. At the worst, if the game were to flop, there would be an incentive for unsavory actors such as game industry elites to capitalize on their failure and dog pile on Kevin's gaming studio. Their own fans could easily abandon the company if they failed to deliver on what was promised. Everyone in the company would be left in financial ruin with no possible way to save face in the gaming industry.

However, every demo the team had released showed noticeable improvement to the gameplay and graphical capabilities. The frame rates would run consistently over 60 frames per second, the pedestrian and police AI were more responsive, and the cars driving mechanics received a much-needed overhaul. Hugo's efforts had brought the game closer to their original release date and the team felt they could conceivably make it. However, throughout spring and summer the controversy still persisted. The company tried to continue with business was usual, but the controversy had dimmed everyone's spirits. The situation had progressively became worse as an unforeseen consequence unfolded one morning. When Jackson prepared for the weekly meeting, he had learned about a recent leak of everyone's personal information through Twitter. He stumbled onto several online troll websites that had posted everyone's sensitive information such as their full legal names, current addresses, personal phone numbers, places they recently visited, and email addresses. A group of anonymous users had managed to compile everyone's sensitive information from stalking their close relative's social media accounts and discovering old private resumes online. At first the husky started to panic as their most private information was suddenly made public on various well-known websites. While their critics never encouraged doxxing, they were silent when it came to denouncing the acts from their own fans.

Jackson tried his best to calm himself down and later explained the situation to everyone during their meeting. Later throughout the week, they would all eventually receive personal death threats to their private email accounts, snail mail, text messages, and company voice mail. The team reported the death threats to the proper authorities but would receive little follow-up. The perpetrators would use throw away email accounts, anonymous remail services, 3rdparty software to hide phone numbers, and used burner phones to leave little trace of their activities. Kevin's house would often be the subject of many pranks throughout the development cycle of their game. The pranks would start off innocently enough such as receiving multiple unwanted pizza deliveries. Though with time those pranks would escalate as a SWAT team was called to Kevin's house with guns blazing. Luckily, no one was seriously injured during the raid and the situation was cleared up within a few hours. Kevin had to replace the broken front door and a few windows before everyone could continue their work.

Eventually, the entire team had to changed their emails and phone numbers constantly. However, the harassment wouldn't stop as it was redirected towards their family members and friends. Hugo's family was hit the hardest as the constant harassment and obscene messages from anonymous creatures online had caused a rift in the deaf squirrel's family. Hugo's parents still stayed close to support him while the rest of his family either ignored, disowned, or actively antagonize him publicly on social media. The squirrel also tried to not let the family drama affect his work. However one day, when most of the employees went out for lunch Jackson stumbled onto Hugo as he would break down in front of his computer monitor.

The stress had tested Hugo's sanity, the squirrel felt cornered after being degraded for months on end. Tears streamed down his cheeks, Hugo covered his face with one paw as he sat alone at his computer. He looked physically shaken in his office chair as the squirrel lost his composure. Jackson felt empathy for Hugo and would try to cheer the squirrel up with a much needed discussion on the situation. Jackson sat and nodded attentively as Hugo expressed his bottled up frustration. Once the squirrel calmed down, Jackson gave a few words of encouraging support and tried to cheer him up. The husky would provide free meals, sweet treats, and encouraging notes throughout the week. The small kind gestures were enough to help keep Hugo's spirits up. With Kevin and Jackson acting as his support, Hugo had rebuilt his self-esteem throughout the development cycle.

As summer turned into fall and winter, the team was close to finishing the game. The constant harassment campaign had slowed down to a crawl during the fall and winter. Because the team didn't respond publicly about their situation, many of the trolls simply got bored and gave up on getting a reaction from them. A small number of creatures that did send death threats were eventually discovered by police and charged for their offenses. While some websites would report on the incident, Jackson convinced the team to not comment on the story and shift their focus towards their work. There was enough material to work with to create a trailer for their title.

The video advertisement would show in-game footage of fast cars and real time character dialogue interactions. Mika only had a few art assets left to finish as most of the environmental backgrounds and background character designs were nearly completed. She was mainly responsible for designing the pedestrians and constantly play testing the game to find bugs. Xavier had managed to collect and implement the all the unique sound effects needed for the game to be released. The elephant worked alongside Hugo to make sure the sound effects were implemented properly in the game's code. Noah had also completed the game's official sound track for the game. The bat had written, recorded, mixed, and mastered each song that would total up to three hours in length. Every aspect of the game was at near completion which significantly raised everyone's spirits.

Winter had turned into early spring as the team had only a few weeks left to release the game. Everyone volunteered for overtime as the team was dedicated on polishing the game, fixing any and all major bugs that would pop up. Even when the release date came down to the last few days, Mika would continue to find persistent bugs from the testing. Noah, Mika, and Jackson would dedicate themselves to testing every aspect of the game. All that was left was to find as many major bugs as possible before they uploaded the game onto the Steam's server for purchase. To promote the game, the team decided to send out free review copies to YouTube and Twitch streamers who'd agreed to play the game once released. Despite the controversy from many months earlier, there were a few notable streamers that agreed and accepted their offer. Though the team was unable to give the streamers a copy until the official Steam release of the game.

Everyone was in a rush to polish the game when it came down to the last day. Hugo and Xavier were at their computers to make sure to catch any software bugs. The entire team were on standby in case there needed to be a quick fix on their part. Kevin sat with his other employees in the living room as Hugo and Xavier scanned over the game code to make a few last finishing touches. It was already nightfall and the only lights in the room came from the computer monitors and a few lamp in the living room. Jackson had walked into the front door with several bags in hand and he placed them on the kitchen counter. He bought the team some celebratory Champagne bottles and a large cake for when the game finally went live. The husky looked over to see the team crowded over their computer monitors in the main living room. He took out Kevin's favorite coffee maker and started to make everyone coffee to help them stay awake. Once the coffee was finished, Jackson poured himself a mug along with Kevin's as he brought them over to the living room.

Jackson looked over to see Kevin, and his feline paws fidgeted nervously as all he could do was let the rest of his team handle it. Jackson sat next to the lion and handed him his coffee mug as the lion breathed in the relaxing scent.

Kevin took a few gulps before he looked over to Jackson, "Thank you sweetheart, I needed that."

Jackson chuckled as he set his mug down, "How's it going right now?"

Kevin let out a playful laugh, "I think it's going alright, I'm still very nervous. Watching my finish product getting release to the public is a very scary feeling."

"I know, we've put in so much time and effort into this. It's been a crazy rollercoaster these last two years. I don't know if I can ever get use to the stress of being the communications/PR manager," Jackson signed before he took his own sip.

Kevin nodded, "Yeah but we've come a long way since then. You've grown so much since the first time I met you at Ben's party. When I first met you, you were so shy and emotionally unsure of yourself for the first few weeks. But you've now become such a bold and confident creature. You're confident with your signing ability and conducted yourself in a professional manner. I'm just amazed with how much you've transformed as a creature."

Jackson laid back in his seat, "I'm just so happy that we could actually achieve something far greater than ourselves. Everyone here has poured everything into this game; for better or worse I'm proud of what we made."

"I agree. If it wasn't for your help, my company could've ended prematurely in a PR nightmare. But you've risen to the occasion and took care of it while the rest of the team worked on the game. And for that, I can never thank you enough," Kevin leaned in to give his husky a kiss.

Jackson held the kiss before he broke away, "You've became such a great leader for this project. Once this is over, I think a vacation is in order."

Kevin grinned, "Don't worry we will. I also have a surprise for you later. You'll see."

Jackson gave a curious look before the two were interrupted. Hugo motioned them over to get their attention as the gathered around his computer screen.

Hugo signed, "Xavier and I are happy to say that our game is ready for public release. May I upload it onto the server now?"

A rush of excitement filled everyone in the room as Kevin nodded with approval. After a few clicks of the mouse, the statues bar showed that the game would be uploaded and live in five hours with their current internet speed. Everyone had to simply wait patiently as they monitored the progress of the upload. Noah and Xavier had brought over several board games to play with to distract everyone from their boredom. Everyone on the team would join in for the games except for Kevin as he monitored the computer to ensure the upload ran smoothly.

Despite the team's attempt to distract themselves, the hours seemed to crawl by slowly. It was already past midnight by the time the upload had ten minutes to go. Jackson watched Kevin go to their bedroom before he returned to waited alongside the rest of them. The upload felt more akin to a New Year's party as the team counted down the upload time. Jackson cleared a nearby table to get their glasses and Champagne bottles ready as it was down by a few seconds. With anticipation, Jackson started to sign the number count down as everyone joined in. Once the upload for the game was finish and Kevin made a few clicks, the game was finally officially available on Steam. With a live link to the games store page, Kevin sent off a few Steam keys to the streamers he promised to give to. After that was done, the game was officially out of their paws and released to the public.

Noah and Xavier grabbed the Champagne bottles and cracked them open as foam poured from the bottle necks. Everyone laughed and cheered as the two started to pour everyone's glass of Champagne. They took up their glasses and made a toast to the successful launch of their game. Jackson went to the kitchen to retrieve the cake as he set out party plates for everyone to eat from. The excitement from the night started to wind down after 15 minutes. There was a sense of relief that filled the room. Everyone knew their work was far from over, however at the very least they published their game on time. Before Jackson could sit down on the couch, Kevin stopped him from behind.

Jackson turned around to see Kevin as the lion acted nervously as he had both paws behind his back. The husky wasn't sure what Kevin had planned and asked, "What is it?"

Kevin brought both of his paws up as he got everyone's attention, "Everyone, I want to thank you so much for making this game possible. Every single one of you has helped me produce a game I've always wanted to make but never could back at my old job. With your help, we've accomplish something barely few people will ever experience in their lives. I know it's been stressful for many of us, but I'm truly proud of every single one of you. And while we celebrate tonight, let us have more celebrations in the future!"

Everyone cheered and applauded the lion's speech as Kevin gave turn directly towards Jackson.

Kevin ears flattened with shyness as the lion signed nervously, "Jackson, after so many years together I've watched you grow into a strong husky. No matter what obstacles we both faced over the years, you stayed by my side and worked through our struggles. And for that I wanted to ask you a very important question."

The lion got onto one knee as Jackson's heart started to race. Emotional tears of joy started to fill up in Jackson's eye lids as he watched his lover kneel before him. The team around them looked on to notice Kevin kneeling in front of Jackson. The lion dug through his front pocket to reveal a small black engagement box. He open the box to reveal an elegant engagement ring with two gem stones attached to the center. One half was a light blue aquamarine gemstone while the other was a light green emerald that represented their birthstones. Surrounding the centerpiece gems were various tiny moissanite stones that reflected more light than a typical diamond, making the ring sparkle brighter from the surrounding indoor lights. The stones themselves were attached to a white gold ring which was the perfect size for Jackson's ring finger.

Kevin looked up and smiled, "Will you marry me?"

Jackson was overwhelmed with the question, his mouth covered with one paw. He looked down as tears crawled down his fuzzy cheeks. A massive emotional lump formed in his throat which made it difficult to breathe. His paws trembled with excitement as he was also unable to sign his response. He knew what his answer was but his body started to freeze up from the excitement. The only thing Jackson could do was enthusiastically nod his head to convey the answer yes. Kevin's smile stretched from ear to ear as the lion stood up. Kevin slid the ring onto Jackson's ring finger before the two held each other in a loving embrace. The team that witnessed the proposal gave fervent applause for the two. Jackson and Kevin both panted heavily as adrenaline washed over the two of them, their body heat blanketed each other from the chilly air. The two leaned their muzzles in for a sweet kiss, their fingers intertwined in a loving hold.

For Jackson, the realization that he would promise to spend the rest of his life with Kevin finally sunk in. The couple had experienced many emotional ups and downs, though Jackson couldn't imagine his life without Kevin. And neither could Kevin after he finally found a partner to enjoy the rest of his life with. For Kevin, to finally wed someone he could fully trust was something the lion had always yearned for. And now, the search was finally over as he made his decision to marry Jackson. A rush of memories filled the two as they reminisced about their first interactions with one another. From how they first met to this very moment, it was a road they both traveled together. Jackson buried his muzzle into Kevin's fluffy furry mane as the two clung onto one another throughout the rest of their night. No words were exchanged as the two were complacent and happy in each other's arms.

Act 8 Epilogue

Champion Racing was met with extremely positive reviews on Steam. While the game wasn't flawless due to its limited features, the strong compelling story campaign and immersive gameplay mechanics were enough to make it a favorite among many gamers. Perfect Pictures Studio managed to sell 1,000,000 digital copies of the game by the end of spring. The original team continued to work on the game to make quick patches for the first few months. They were also able to incorporate a player vs player online mod and a getaway driver path as free expansions to show appreciation to their loyal fans. During the summer, the game gained notable traction once it became a popular play session for streamers on Twitch and YouTube. By the end of the year, the company was able to sell an additional 3,000,000 digital copies. They were financially and critically a major success in the indie gaming scene.

There were still some barriers the team faced when they attended gaming conventions. It was not unusual for the team to find out that they would be banned from certain private functions because of their employee Hugo. Though, the team responded by hosting their own events for all attendees to enjoy. Even a few reputable gaming critics across various gaming websites had listed Champion Racing among one their favorites of 2020. The few industry elites that still harbored bitterness for Kevin simply faded into obscurity thereafter. After a year had passed since the release of the game, Kevin expanded the game onto other console platforms which further increased his company's profit margins. The lion was able to use the massive fortunes to grow his company beyond his humble rented home. Jackson and Kevin moved from Azusa to Riverside to build their dream home.

Once he paid off his original loan, Kevin leased out a small office building in Riverside to accommodate 20 more new employees. Everyone from the original team stayed on once they saw potential to build a viable career path from Kevin's company. Despite the slight majority of the staff members who were hearing, Kevin chose hearing employees who were not only qualified for their job but also were willing to build experience working with deaf creatures. The company was able to give promising young deaf artists a chance to compete for leadership roles for their next game project. Kevin took on the title and role of Chief Executive Officer who oversaw the entire company. The lion also hired a deaf graduate from Rochester Institute of Technology to act as the Chief Technical Officer for the company. As for the positions of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, those positions were filled by two qualified hearing employees. The two hearing creatures who filled in those roles were both fluent in American Sign Language and English. Jackson, meanwhile, continued to run as the head of the communications and PR department for a short term.

After the two were engaged for an entire year, Jackson and Kevin were officially wed on July 17th, 2021. The day before the wedding, they celebrated their joint bachelor party where the two originally met; at Ben's mansion in Pasadena. Jonathan was out of town visiting family which gave them a perfect opportunity to hold their bachelor party at Ben's mansion. They invited Kevin's old friends Black, Mark, and Travis to their private bachelor party. From their last encounter, Blake had already starred and voice acted for several video games and animated TV shows. Mark had flown from Canada to attend the bachelor party and wedding. The mouse currently worked as a director for an animated project that was slated for release next Fall. As for Travis, he retired from his concert band to focus on personal projects that provided music for smaller independent media. They were all ecstatic for the happily engaged couple and brought a wealth of gifts as the small group of friends partied throughout the night. Precious memories were created during the bachelor party that only a select few were able to experience. For the day of the wedding, the reception was a small gathering with both families in attendance. At 24 years old, Jackson had fulfilled most of his dreams of living a stable life with a partner he truly loved. He didn't mind so much that Kevin was 10 years older as the lion still was very young at heart.

The newly married couple continued to strengthen their bond as years passed. While not every game from Kevin's company was a wild success, the company still stayed afloat and lasted longer than most competing independent companies. There were generously extravagant offers from large corporations to buy out Kevin's company for majority ownership. Perfect Pictures Studio had developed a plethora of iconic intellectual properties that could be further explored under a different company's direction. However, Kevin had refused their offers as he intended to have a successor within the company take majority ownership once he felt ready to retire. Because the young couple had a reliable source of income, they've decided to look into adoption and form a family. They stumbled onto raccoon twins who were eight years old with one being partially deaf and the other being partially blind. Despite their young age, the foster agency had a difficult time finding them a home due to their language deficiencies and disabilities.

Once Jackson and Kevin got to interact with them, the two fell in love with the small raccoons. After the long arduous process of paper work and adoption protocols, they were able to adopt the twins and gave them the proper home they needed. They named the deaf raccoon Mathew Davis and the blind raccoon Patterson Truman. Because they would be first time fathers, they sought parental guidance from their own parents. Jackson's and Kevin's parents would both watch their sons every weekend. The young twins were thrilled to have grandparents as they looked forward to their visits every weekend. Jackson would eventually step down from the Communications/PR department at Kevin's company in order devote his time for his two sons. The small family had developed a unique communication system so that everyone can interact and communicate with one another. At first the two raccoons did struggle to adapt to their new environment for the first few months. Mathew would attend a school for the deaf while his brother Patterson would attend a normal school. However, after they had gotten a routine down the twins soon became comfortable with their new environment.

Jackson's and Kevin's lives were far from perfect as the two continued to face massive obstacles. Whether it be from the company or their newly appointed duties as fathers, there would always be major hurdles to overcome. Whenever one of them felt overwhelmed, the other would always be there for encouragement and support during their worst days. The two heavily relied on one another to keep themselves mentally sane. Even when they would have many disagreements, by the end of the day they were still committed to each other. With clear communication, honesty, and loyalty acting as the foundations of their relationship; their bond was inseparable.