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21: Seeing Spots

Kalico Black spun his revolver in paw, strolling over to the fallen plate. The audience held their breath, waiting for what they no doubt knew was coming. Small pups and kits held their paws over their ears, eyes wide, alternating between staring at the terrifying masked figure, and burying their heads in the crook of their parents' shoulder. Kalico ignored them, planting his boot on the lip of the ceramic plate, and shooting it 'dead'. He holstered the gun to the sound of roaring laughter. He rolled his neck, staring at some faraway place. The crowds' attention was then suddenly refocused as Ursula pealed onto stage, rolling and twisting forward, her head sliding between her legs.

Kalico did as he was told and retreated behind the curtain, peeling his mask back and breathing as Fletcher.

"Good, good. Your timing is getting better." Meridian whispered to him, patting him on the shoulder.

"It's easier with these." He replied, gesturing to the twin revolvers at his hips. The ones he'd used during the show before had been standard six-shooters, but as soon as the troupe had reached their designated setup point only a few kilometres from Firebrand, Aloysius had travelled into town and picked up two brand new eight-cylinder guns. The new tungsten-plated weapons had a double-action mechanism built into them, meaning the trigger would rotate the cylinder, cock the hammer, and fire in one smooth motion. They were large, and heavy, but they were easy to see on stage, and made his job so much smoother, cutting down both reloads and cocking actions.

Almost feels like cheating. He thought.

"They cost a fortune, so you'd better make good bloody use of them." Meridian said, shaking her head. Behind the curtain the crowd again erupted into applause, no doubt shocked by the bizarre pretzel-like knot Ursula had forced herself into.

"All good art requires sacrifice." Raime said, stepping by them as he lined up near the curtain, getting ready to take over after Aloysius finished his knife-throwing. "Is it really such a good idea to waste tens of dollars on some unproven young pup? _That_much is yet to be decided."

"Yeah, fuck you too Raime." Fletcher muttered, earning a short barking laugh from the pernickety greyhound.

"Fletcher has more than proven himself, I think." Meridian added, though Raime seemed to ignore the comment. He squinted at Fletcher instead, leaning in close.

"Finally done quivering in dear Tellurian's shadow are we?" He asked coyly, timing his words to line up with the crowd's roars of delight, as Aloysius hurled knives into targets, narrowly avoiding a comically dancing Thume. "Oh, right, you found a new master to yank on your leash." He rolled his eyes, glancing to where Narem and Nobu were warming down.

"I, er... I don't..." Fletcher stammered, earning a swat from Meridian for talking when the crowd was quiet.

"Raime." She hissed, but the greyhound just chuckled, Aloysius on the other side bowing to more whistles and cheers.

"Have a pleasant night, Kalico." Raime said, perfectly swapping places with the knife-wielding fox. Meridian waved after him, her gesture telling Fletcher to ignore him. She then checked in with Aloysius, and readied herself preparing the ravens for the show end.

Meanwhile Fletcher extricated himself, moving to the rear and watching Narem do his warm-down stretches. The leopard saw him and grinned, sticking out his tongue. Fletcher smiled back, stomach doing weird things. He and the leopard hadn't shared a bed since that first night during the travel to Kallinger, and their respective circus duties had been keeping them apart for the few days it had taken to reach the Firebrand outskirts and set up. They'd been sneaking off to kiss and cuddle occasionally, but Fletcher was still shy about doing anything further. He'd fantasised about it so many times, his naked body pressed against some hot wolf or cat or horse even, but now that he had the chance for real he couldn't bring himself to make that final step. Narem was patient though, he had more experience, though he usually did little in the way of initiating besides light teasing and inferences.

"I usually just raise my tail and wait for them to come to me." He'd joked one night.

It was the sweet thing about the leopard Fletcher was coming to recognise. Narem understood others, he really worked to know Fletcher, and he changed his behaviour accordingly. He'd never had anyone do that for him before, and the gentleness of it touched him. His father, Thume, even Lyric, they were all so aggressively themselves that drastically changing for someone else simply wasn't on the table. It wasn't a negative exactly, just a feature. Fletcher could appreciate it; Lyric was very upfront about who he was - take it or leave it. But the attention from Narem nonetheless did_feel good, it made Fletcher feel wantedand desired, _especially when the leopard kissed his neck and said he was pretty.

But he was wary too, wary of falling into the trap Ursula had laid for herself. Fletcher had been watching, and since knowing she wasn't exactly thrilled with the other Raiji twin, it became obvious how mismatched they were. He saw how she cringed at Nobu's jokes, and equally saw how Nobu failed to notice. When they sat down together, he saw the sergal inch away, and his heart panged with worry. She was right - breaking it off was an option, but as the newest member of the circus, it would only ostracise her from the others more. And she did seem to like the cat, she just wished he would chill out a bit. Fletcher didn't want to make the same mistake with Narem.

_But he is different._He thought, guilt striking a chord in his chest as Lyric walked by, his arm now out of the sling, pointing at different items on the backstage as he gave orders to Lazarus and Theodore.

On the other side of the curtain membrane, the crowd wooed as a flock of wild feral birds exploded outward, furiously beating their wings as they exited the tent and escaped into the night. Fletcher knew the majority of the ravens would make their way back to Meridian's little hutches tomorrow morning, and a quiet part of him wondered if she felt any connection with the tiny ferals.

After the masses had dispersed, Clementine went to shut the front gates while Fletcher and Lyric tidied up the big top with Jenny and Brandon. There was always a plethora of abandoned popcorn boxes, spilled drinks, lost toys, all kinds of junk to pick up and dispose of. It was tiring, but ultimately easier to do it now, so the morning could be reserved for sleep and practice.

"How ya feeling 'bout your act?" Lyric asked casually, as Fletcher dragged the small tub of rubbish outside the tent. The crisp, lightly breezing touch of the Kallinger night air pulled at his clothes, tail swaying peacefully. It was a pleasant enough area, but they'd been camped there for only a few days and Fletcher was already sick of the ground squelching with each step.

"Oh, yeah. Good." Fletcher replied, grunting as he lifted the tub of rubbish and dumped it into a bigger tub. They'd leave the larger skip behind when they moved on, and the Kallinger workers would deal with it - one part of the circus's agreement for visiting. "I feel like a totally different person up there, almost like I can do anything."

"Yeah, I can agree to that feelin'." Lyric replied, lighting a cigarette. The conversation felt stilted, and awkward. Fletcher squirmed in place, wishing it would end. Things had been off with Lyric ever since he and Narem decided to be... whatever it was they were. The jackal seemed to want to keep his distance, but the few times Fletcher had changed into his Kalico outfit backstage, he'd caught the jackal surreptitiously watching him.

Of course, of bloody course you'd figure out you like me right as I get with someone else. Fletcher thought, shaking his head slightly.

"I been thinkin'." Lyric added, after a moment of the two standing quietly. "I'm getting' better, I've got the mind to hike it to Blood Mesa sooner rather'n later. But maybe... maybe it'd be best for you to uh, to keep clear boy." Fletcher sighed.

This again.

"I'm coming." He said resolutely. "I ain't that scared little boy anymore Lyric. You're my... you're important to me, I can't let you just run off and get killed. Meridian would have my hide, for one." The jackal dropped his cigarette, stamping it out in the dirt as he came closer.

"Fletch." He said softly. "I'm goin' after Oracen Drast, and you heard what Thume said about him. Beau Riddon, he's a bad seed sure but this Drast... he's a monster. This ain't what it was before, I ain't gonna snatch some know-it-all n'just make him tell me where Riddon is, kick in the bastard's door, piss in his cereal, call it a day." Fletcher crossed his arms.

"I know." He hissed.

"What I'm sayin' is, I ain't sure this is somethin' I'll be comin' back from. I figure if I can get in, an' at leas' cut the head off this snake, the rest'a them crazies will disperse. They'll do some bad shit yeah, but at least they'll be disrupted. If I can destroy Telos's fuckin' Serpent Vessel too, n'rid this damn world of that curse Sleep? All the better." He glanced away, licking his lips, ears falling slightly. "An' you got someone waitin' for you. I couldn't feel right, robbin' someone of a partner like that."

Ah. Fletcher thought, blushing slightly. He stepped closer again, taking Lyric's paws in his own and meeting the jackal's eyes.

"Fletch--" He said, words cut off as Fletcher leaned in and kissed his cheek gently. When he pulled back, he grinned, wishing he could freeze the expression on the jackal's face. His eyes were wide, mouth held slightly open in shock - it wasn't easy to shock Lyric Tellurian. He glanced behind himself hurriedly, as if looking for witnesses. They were alone. "Boy." He growled. "You can't just... You..." He shook his head.

Fletcher cleared his throat. "Just because I... care for Narem, don't mean I can't have feelings for you. Whether we act on them or not, there's somethin' between us Lyric. I ain't gonna let you go out and throw your life away now."

The jackal looked to the sky, waited a moment. "I see." He said, after some time had passed. Fletcher nodded.

"I haven't quite figured this all out, but you need my help. I'm a better shot than you, and can keep that lot off yer back."

The jackal went very quiet, eyes focused on some important spot in the sky. Finally, he looked up, jaw clenched, and nodded. "Okay. I won't go without you."

Fletcher smiled. "Good."

"Goodnight, Kalico Black." And Lyric winked. Fletcher rolled his eyes and repeated the sentiment, turning away and making for his tent.

The surprisingly large layout of the circus was almost completely empty, most of the other troupe members having put themselves to bed while Lyric and Fletcher had their heart-to-heart. As he was walking, the coyote found himself wondering if in fact he'd been too hard on the jackal. If Lyric truly was an unmoving rock in the storm, a person incapable of changing for others, would he have tried to keep Fletcher from helping him take down Drast? Hell, would he have apologised for himself like he did on their way back from Vellem?

Fletcher didn't know, and it all felt very confusing.

His little section was dead quiet when he reached his tent, light snores from the neighbouring bivouac indicating Thume had already fallen into a deep slumber. Fletcher went to one knee, undoing the front of the fly, and pausing.

He looked around, licking his lips. I could. He thought, standing slowly. He began to leave his tent behind, journeying further into the winding mess of the crew quarters. His steps felt incredibly loud, and he was sure at any point someone - probably Raime - would pop up and yell at him. But no one did, and eventually he found himself outside the tent he'd been searching for. It was a little larger than his own, a small stool placed out the front.

"Here goes nothing." Fletcher whispered, inhaling sharply and undoing the front. The inhabitant stirred briefly, looking up sleepily as Fletcher slipped inside, kicking his boots off outside and sealing the door behind him.

"Fletcher, is that you?" Narem asked sleepily, sitting up, his eyes shining in the darkness. He blinked as Fletcher crawled over him, before leaning to the side and striking a match. He lit a small lantern with shaded glass, bathing the confined space of the tent with a soft warm glow, dim, but still light enough to see each other clearly.

"Hey." The coyote said, paw resting on the leopard's stomach. Narem was propped up, legs forward, Fletcher lying just against him, their faces close. The leopard's scent filled the tent, a soft, hugging kind of smell that made Fletcher grow hard in his trousers. "Were you asleep?"

"Close to it..." Narem replied. "I don't mind being woken though." As he mumbled, Fletcher's paw slid behind his neck, pulling him in close and kissing him. This wasn't a quick peck, but instead their lips holding, tongues brushing against one another. Kissing with a coyote muzzle was harder than with a cat's snout, but they managed. Fletcher broke away, panting a little, red and hot in the face. He pulled his coat back, slipping his arms free, allowing Narem to grab the hem of his shirt and pull it up. Topless now, he allowed the leopard to run his slender paws up the sides of his abdomen, tracing over the front of his chest and sliding down his soft belly fur. It tickled a little, and Fletcher felt his erection quivering in time with each caress. A second later Narem had his own shirt off and had shuffled closer again, paws running across Fletcher's broad shoulders and down the length of his arms.

"You're very pretty," the cat murmured playfully, his paws meeting at Fletcher's belly button, slowly trailing down to the peak of his belt. Narem raised an eyebrow questioningly, and Fletcher nodded. Moving slow, delicately, the nimble fingers undid the coyote's belt, then his jeans button, and then his fly. Fletcher shimmied as Narem tugged the waistband down, pulling the trousers off himself once they reached his knees.

"Ah, I'm nervous." Fletcher muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He was straddling Narem's legs now, his cock standing firm in his red underwear, a small stain of precum showing at the tip.

"It's alright, we can go slow." Narem said, reaching forward and squeezing Fletcher's bulge, the coyote jumping slightly as he did so. It felt good, and surprisingly warm, to have the leopard's fingers wrap around his dick, even through the fabric of his boxers. Fletcher leaned in, his lips touching Narem's, tongues again meeting. The leopard laid back, shoving his blankets down and allowing Fletcher access to his own lower-half.

Narem wore woollen long-johns, a kind of blueish colour, with delicate string tying them around his waist. Fletcher could see through the outline that Narem was just as hard as he was. Shaking a little, his paws touched the sides of Narem's hips, fingers moving nervously over the bulge, feeling the warm trembling shape of the leopard's cock.

"Oh..." Narem let out, giggling slightly. "It ah, it has been a while since I..."

"Me too." Fletcher admitted, nervously untying the string that held his pants. Once that was done, he hooked his fingers under the waistband and slid them down to the leopard's thighs.

There was of course no underwear beneath, and Narem's pale pink dick popped up, a shining drop of pre running down the side. Fletcher's breath caught as he stared. The cat's balls were small and tight, the dick itself long and narrow, curving up toward his stomach. The fur around the base of his cock was also lighter, and curiously had few spots.

"Wow." Fletcher muttered, reaching forward, his paw pausing right before he touched it. "Can I?"

"Please." Narem breathed, kicking the remainder of his pants off. Fletcher wrapped a paw around the lower half of Narem's tapered cock, sliding his paw up and coating his fur with pre. Narem sighed gutterly as he stroked down, squeezing and rubbing as he might on himself. "Ah, Fletcher..." He groaned, squirming in place, a mixture of purrs and light moans coming from his throat.

"Not too loud." The coyote said, though he wasn't too concerned - Narem's tent was a little shielded from the others.

Had he been anticipating this? He wondered. Putting the thought aside, he shuffled back, leaning down and putting his nose in the crook where balls met dick.

"Wait - I have not washed that in some time!" Narem exclaimed, but Fletcher ignored him, inhaling deeply, the sour-tang of sweat and crotch filling his nose. He let out the breath, again stroking a hand over the cock.

"Do you mind if I...?" He asked hesitantly, eyeing the tip, now dripping even more precum. In his own underwear, Fletcher could feel a small wet patch building. Narem nodded shakily, and he leaned in.

Fletcher held the leopard's dick by the base and paused, his head hovering above it, licking his lips. He was shaking all over, unable to believe he was about to actually do it.

"Please Fletcher!" Narem gasped, pushing hips up a little. The coyote chuckled, leaning down and taking the head of Narem's dick in his mouth. It tasted almost of nothing really, but the pre was sweet and warm on his tongue. He let his tongue swirl around the top, teasing at the small hole still leaking pre, conscious to keep his teeth away as best he could. He pulled back up, and saw Narem was totally flushed, his eyes pulled wide.

Fletcher went down again, taking more of the dick in his muzzle, moving slow, his paw squeezing up from Narem's base. He felt the leopard's paw on the back of his head, the cat's hips rocking in him with his slurps and motions. He pulled off after a minute, again sniffing at Narem's balls, and glancing up.

"Your turn puppy." Narem whispered, eyes going to Fletcher's red boxers. He blushed, which was silly, but sat up and shuffled forward. Narem took his waistband and pulled it down, allowing the coyote's red dick to pop up, the sheath just now beginning to pull back over the knot. "Oh, wow."

"Thank you?" Fletcher replied, his ears hot. His dick was as red as the underwear, and slick along the length. Narem touched just the tip, and a bolt of electricity ran through Fletcher and he gasped, dick flinching upwards, the leopard's finger coming away with a thin, sticky strand of silver.

"It's so big, have you ever measured?" Narem asked, his eyes glancing up. The coyote blushed, he had never been sure if it was big or not, he'd never seen another dick hard.

"Uh, it's about seven-point-two inches..." He mumbled, embarrassed at how specific he was. Narem's eyes went wide. "That's with the knot." He added quickly.

"Still." The cat grinned, one paw cupping Fletcher's balls, the other wrapping around the dick itself. His whole body tightened at that, quivering as Narem's paw slid down and then back up his length, soft fingers massing in all the right places. He squeezed the knot gently, and Fletcher whimpered, another heavy dose of pre dribbling out his front.

"I'm, I'm kinda pretty close already." He said, blushing fiercely. In any of the erotic storybooks he'd managed to steal as a teen (always with a man and woman, but he could pretend), the sex had seemed to last hours. He'd been with Narem maybe twenty minutes if that, and already could feel his orgasm building deep in his hips. He reached out and stroked Narem's own cock absentmindedly, it felt so good to be that free, to just be totally naked and exposed with another person that way.

"I'm not so far myself." The leopard chuckled. "Come here and kiss me." Fletcher obeyed, releasing the dicks and leaning in, their lips touching again. One of Narem's arms went up, touching the back of his neck. His other paw grabbed hold of Fletcher's slick cock and pressed it against his own. The warmth was almost too much, and the coyote couldn't help grinding a bit, a growl deep in his maw.

"Feels so good." He grunted through clenched teeth, after the two had separated their lips.

"It does." Narem replied, grinding his hips and moving his paw, their cocks rubbing together, both slick and wet now. Fletcher exhaled through his nose, listening to Narem purr deeply as the two picked up pace. He felt rough bumps along the bottom of the leopard's cock rubbing against his head, twisting his hips and thrusting into the tight mass, picking up speed.

"Narem... ugh..." He growled, burying his muzzle in the cat's neck, their two dicks sliding against each other, one of Narem's fingers expertly slipping beneath Fletcher's sheath. He groaned into the cat's fur, feeling his orgasm build and build at the base of his dick, like pressure on a gate ready to burst. "I'm gonna..."

"Me too..." The leopard gasped.

Fletcher cried out as a huge spurt of cum shot out of his dick, followed by about six more heavy loads. His body shook and he whined as he felt the hot jets racing along his length, his cum painting his and Narem's stomachs. The cat must have been watching, because he too cried out, cum shooting from his cock far enough Fletcher felt it hit his collarbone. His own orgasm subsided as Narem's continued, their cocks still pressed together, the cat shaking as he shot rope after rope of the hot sticky liquid.

By the time they both stopped, a small pool of cum had built just below Narem's stomach, hot strands sticking between their bodies, fur soaked, the cooling stuff running down the leopard's sides.

"Fuck." Fletcher gasped, collapsing onto the cat and hearing a squelch between them. Narem was similarly out of breath.

"Sorry, I always have a lot and then when it's been a while..." Fletcher laughed.

"It's okay, it's okay." He said, pulling back slightly. "I... uh, do wonder how we'll clean this up."

"I have some towels." Fletcher raised an eyebrow, and felt the leopard shrug beneath him. "I am glad you came to my tent tonight Fletcher."

"I too, am also glad I came." The coyote replied playfully, grinning. Narem slapped his shoulder.

"Silly." He muttered, shaking his head.

"Yeah. It was... good." Fletcher said, sudden nervousness and guilt in his stomach.

I hope it was the right thing to do. He quashed the feelings, enjoying the warm glow in his crotch, the sensation of being almost glued_to the cat. To _his cat.

"You're very important to me." Narem said, his fingers tracing over Fletcher's ears. "How do you feel?"

The coyote inhaled deeply. "Good. I feel good I think. Yeah." He laughed nervously, but it was true. He didn't regret anything. "I'm glad, I'm happy. Happy with you."

Narem closed his eyes, pressed his head to Fletcher's. "It makes me feel so good to hear that."

...

Ursula walked away from Nobu, heading for the front gate. It was the circus's night off, and their fight had begun by her saying how cute it was Narem and Fletcher were sharing a tent together full-time.

"Well, I know you care oh-so much about gods-damned Fletcher." Nobu had said tartly, rolling his eyes. When Ursula had pushed him, he'd admitted that he was still angry she'd gone into Vellem. "That was so dangerous, and so irresponsible, did you even stop to consider how I would feel if something had happened to you?"

"Excuse me?" She'd been at a loss for words, finally snapping. "Always me-me-me with you isn't it Nobu? Fuck, Lyric nearly died you selfish prick!" And it had only escalated from there. Once she got on a roll, she couldn't stop herself, the words just kept coming, about how selfish and smothering he was, about how she just wanted to be able to have a night or two to herself but he couldn't bear to be away from her. He'd shouted back, the other members tactfully making themselves scarce.

Finally, Ursula had screamed that it was enough, turning away and marching outside, borrowing one of the ferals. She was barely thinking, she just had to be away, away from Nobu, from the circus. She really wanted to talk to Fletcher, but he was busy practicing his shooting with Lyric somewhere down near the forest. So she just rode away, the sun warm on her neck as it started to slowly set.

She'd ridden all the way to Firebrand, finding it larger than Bantam, and constructed mostly out of stone and metal. It wasn't a pretty town, but she hadn't come for aesthetic beauty.

She found a bar called By Jove's and slid up to the bar, ordering two whiskeys and slamming them back to back. She wasn't much of a drinker, but she'd seen Thume do something similar and it seemed like a good idea. The taste was awful, and it burned her throat, but the discomfort at least got her mind off that stupid leopard. She spent a good hour there, sipping her later drink, eating out of a small bowl of nuts the bartender sympathetically passed her.

"You doin' okay there sugar?" She jumped at the unfamiliar voice, turning to see a handsome opossum sitting next to her, his eyes welcoming. He wore a denim jacket, a wide brimmed hat pulled low on his head. "Ya don't look so crash-hot, 'scuse a man for noticing."

"I... I'm doin' okay, thanks." She turned away, feeling a little awkward.

"Ain't often you see a sergal round these parts. You new in town or somethin'?" He asked, licking his lips. Ursula looked back at him, wondering if he had somehow been involved in the Vellem shootout.

"Ain't so often you see a possum either."

"_O-_possum, thankya kindly." He corrected gently. "I'm new m'self, I been travellin' of late. Thought a... fellow stranger might be welcome for some company, but since you seem content to yerself..." He slowly peeled away, and Ursula felt guilt pull at her.

"No, it's okay, sit, sit, c'mon already." She said, tapping the bar. "I'm sorry, just a... a rough night y'know."

"It's perfectly alright, I 'preciate it ma'am." The fellow said, taking his seat and ordering two beers. "Hope ya like beer, it's happier than whiskey."

"Thanks." She said, smiling despite herself. The guy was weird, sure, but he spoke the way pilgrims from the north did. It was oddly disarming. "So then, where have you been travelling?"

"Oh, here and there, seeing the sights, meetin' all kindsa inter-_esting folk." The opossum said, choosing odd places to over-enunciate his words. "I was in Hatten Province for a bit wouldya believe it? Stepped through Gaerus and Hildeburg, got a bit side-tracked in Hildeburg, then hauled ass to Eleckton. Umen Province is surprisingly plain." He laughed, and Ursula sipped her beer. It _was nicer than whiskey.

"How'd you end up here?" She continued.

"I spent a bit in Gallentry, cesspit that town is. I was gonna travel over to Sacarvin, in Ablish, but I got closer and just wasn't feelin' it. So I circled about Vellem - hate Bantam, apologies if ya from there miss -, and here we are... the... lovely Firebrand." He laughed again, and Ursula joined him. He was charming, there was no point denying it.

"It's an interesting town for sure." She admitted, nodding. "I'm sorry... I'm all out of sorts today, I didn't catch your name."

"Oh! My manners are missing; my mother'd strip me bare for that." The opossum replied suavely, removing his hat and holding it against his chest. He then held it out to her, inviting eyes gleaming, white teeth flashing. "The name's Riddon, but you can call me Beau."