FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 5

Whether it was because he hadn’t managed to have an orgasmic ejaculation as a result of making furious love to Takoshi or that the previous evening was extremely heavy with emotion, Ryker had found himself waking up the following morning feeling like he hadn’t gotten any sleep at all. Tossing and turning all evening and in the early morning had left him more exhausted than when he had gotten into bed. Emotionally and mentally drained, Ryker briefly wondered if he could call in sick… Then remembered that this was one of the days when he wouldn’t be able to take the morning shift as he had classes.

It almost slipped his mind with everything going on that he was still taking a course in videogame design and programming. With a groan, he rolled off his bed, nearly face-planting into the floor because he was just that drained of energy. The alien sensation of wearing clothes to bed and not having his fur sticky with semen made him feel both sick and humiliated at the same time. Feet dragging across the floor, he shuffled towards his door, hoping to get a shower quickly before he headed off to class.

He stopped when he noticed there was a note that had been slipped under the door.

“What? Are we in middle school or something?” he grumbled and swiped the piece of paper off the ground. It was written in a surprisingly elegant script that he could have easily mistaken for Decanter’s.

But it was from Bryce.

“‘Thought about this after I left but didn’t want to disturb you,’” he read. “‘Make a list. You feel overwhelmed with everything that you feel you have to do so make a list of all those things. Don’t keep it in your head. Write it down and make sure each item is small and manageable. One step at a time.’”

Bryce signed it with a cute little image of a winking wolf.

“Bryce is an artist,” he laughed softly. “Who knew?”

He was already halfway to scrunching up the message and tossing it aside when he heard someone moving on the other side of the door. Likely Cliff or perhaps even Decanter getting things ready for the morning. Confrontation was not on his agenda - at least not before he had a shower and some coffee. Clearly the universe wanted him to follow Bryce’s advice.

Mentally groaning, he shuffled over to his PC and opened a blank text document. He was halfway to making a list when he remembered that there were other programs that would be better suited for this task and opened those. It took him a good fifteen minutes but eventually, he got a decent list down. It was long and looking at it made him feel like he was being flattened by a waffle iron. If anything, he could at least tick off a few things on the list if he could get some coffee in him.

After sending the list to his phone, he headed out of his room, feeling a little lighter. As fate would have it, at that moment the door opposite to his own opened. The burly and disheveled figure of Takoshi set one foot out onto the hallway before immediately freezing. Their gazes locked and for a long, awkward moment, Ryker fought to urge to immediately slam his door and avoid the inevitable confrontation. First thing on his list was to talk to Takoshi…

“Morning,” he greeted.

“Is it really?” spat the polar bear.

He lowered one eyebrow. “What?”

Takoshi grunted and rubbed the back of his neck. “Still waking up. I thought you said…” He growled and averted his gaze. “Whatever. I think I might sleep for another thirty minutes. However long it takes you to shower and eat breakfast or whatever the fuck it is you do before I get up.”

Ryker’s skin sizzled from the third-degree burns felt by those scathing remarks. “Wait,” he began, lifting a paw. “Can we talk?”

“What’s there to talk about?” Takoshi turned his back to Ryker. “Dunno why I’m surprised you went out of your way to do something as stupid as make a Pact with another IP from a corporation again. Again, you’re endangering me and now Decanter but hey, it’s not like you trust us anyway, right?”

“I do trust you,” Ryker pleaded. “I was just worried. You took a pretty bad hit. If you had given me any indication that you wanted to handle it all by yourself then -”

Takoshi gave him a withering stare over his shoulder. “You think we’re talking about you jumping in and healing me in the middle of the battle, don’t you?”

Taken aback by the comment, Ryker opened his muzzle and let out a soft squeak. For the past few seconds, he had already been thinking about potential comebacks and counters for anything that Takoshi might have thrown him on the basis that they were arguing about his recklessness in helping his IP in the middle of a battle. That was all thrown out the window. “You mean we’re not?” he choked.

“Fuck no!” The burly bear turned back to him, gripping the door frames with his mighty paws. It seemed like that vice-like grip was the only thing keeping those thick fingers from wrapping around Ryker’s neck and strangling him. “We’re talking about you going out of your way to trick Decanter and I with a ‘Hey look over there’ cliche and then making a Pact with Bryce!”

His world came crashing down. “You’re… you’re not mad with me jumping in then?”

“I was pissed at first but then Bryce…” Takoshi growled, more at himself than anyone else. “Look, we’re not talking about that, okay? We’re talking about the fact that you didn’t trust either Decanter or I enough to tell us what you had planned! Hell, even if you had just said, ‘I’m going to make a Pact! Hold down Cliff and Arthur’, I would’ve been down with that. But no! You decide to lie to us and rush off on your own!”

Ryker’s cheeks were burning and he immediately became defensive. “And how is that any different from you jumping over the barricade and into the fight? You told me you wanted to do everything you could to learn about Horizon but not throwing yourself into a death match!”

“It’s totally different!” spat Takoshi. “You could have died!”

A short distance away, the door to Hayden’s room swung open and the bleary-eyed, muscular gorilla wearing nothing but a pair of green boxers stepped out, rubbing his eyes. “Uh… guys?” Hayden blinked a few times. “It might just be because I’m still half asleep but were you seriously talking about death games and dying?”

Ryker panicked. In the heat of the moment, he had completely forgotten where he was and the fact that was yelling in a hallway populated by his friends. Almost everyone would be okay with the topic except for the one person whom they were working for and whose name was on the mortgage.

“We were up all night playing War of Worldcraft,” Ryker lied, grinning sheepishly. “Takoshi is kind of our group’s tank and he rushed ahead without consulting the rest of us. He told me had it and didn’t want backup but when he dropped down to below fifty-percent health, I jumped in and healed him. He got pissed at me for that.”

“And,” Takoshi scowled, “he put himself and the rest of the group in danger by forcing Decanter, Cliff and Arthur to come up with a plan on the spot that ended up with us trapped. A guy that we barely knew came in and sort of held us hostage in exchange for joining our guild. Ryker, without thinking, had him join us so that we’d get out of there.”

“It turned out for the best, didn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” his ursine IP sneered. “We’ve only known the guy for a day.”

Hayden scratched the top of his head and shrugged. “Uh… I dunno guys. It’s just a game. Why are you getting so worked up about it?”

Ryker exchanged glances with Takoshi and for an instant, their animosity towards once another faded as they briefly reflected on how well they had woven their lie together.

“It’s a game we’ve invested a lot of time in,” Ryker answered. “It’s basically a matter of life or death.”

“And trust,” Takoshi added. “If Ryker is going to be like that in the other world, who is to say what he’s really like in the real world?”

Before Hayden replied, he had to wonder if Takoshi had been taking half-truth lessons from Bryce.

“Well, if it were me…” Hayden mumbled, popping his shoulders and stretching as he woke up. “… I wouldn’t really care.” Both Ryker and Takoshi gave the gorilla stares of disbelief. “Hear me out,” said the ape, holding up a hand while using the other to scratch his muscle gut. “It was a high-stress situation, right? Everyone had to make snap decisions. Not everyone agreed on the outcome. People were scared and everyone did what they thought was best. The important thing is to learn from it. You can’t judge people for what they haven’t done so there’s no point worrying about them until they’ve done it.” He looked directly at Takoshi. “This guy hasn’t hurt you guys yet so why not give him the benefit of the doubt?” Then he looked towards Ryker with a smile. “And maybe next time take a second to breathe before you make a decision, right?”

Both men exchanged glances before regarding the sagely gorilla with a befuddled stare.

“Are you… like… weirdly smart when you’re half-awake?” Takoshi asked.

Ryker stepped forward, holding a paw to wave away Takoshi. “What he means to say is that was uncharacteristically wise, Hayden. Where’d you come up with that?”

The gorilla shrugged at them. “Dude, if you haven’t realized, that’s kind of the creed I live by. I don’t judge people by snap decisions they make on the spot. Those exams in school where you’re forced to sit down and answer questions under a time limit aren’t real. In real life, you have time. Yeah there are crazy situations where that’s not the case but I like to believe people are better than the brief moment when they’re put under pressure. Why focus on the one negative when the rest of them is pretty damn good, right? And if I worried about what they could be, I would’ve never hired any of you. I barely knew any of you when I hired you to run my gym.”

Ryker could almost feel the bolts of lightning that struck him and Takoshi as realization set in. Hayden was perhaps too trusting or maybe just a really good judge of character. Either way, he had walked up to Takoshi one day while Ryker had been at work and asked him if he was interested in a job at a gym. He had no idea who Takoshi was and had no clue he was attached to Ryker. Yet he still gave him the chance. In comparison, the argument between Host and IP seemed to have such a simple problem.

“Sorry guys,” Hayden yawned, shuffling towards the two. “I’m going to scoot by and grab some coffee. Remember, it’s just a game, ‘kay?” The burly gorilla slipped between them and headed off to the kitchen, leaving Ryker and Takoshi in silence.

Takoshi was the first to break the quiet. “When I first met that knucklehead, I never expected him to have a brain between his ears.”

Ryker nodded in agreement. “Kind of makes you wonder if he actually knows what he’s doing with this bet he has with his dad.” Tilting an ear towards Takoshi he said, “I’m sorry things played out the way they did. I had a gut feeling about Bryce. He seems like a nice guy. I took a chance. I’m sorry I tricked you guys before making a Pact with him.”

“Yeah well…” Takoshi grumbled. “… I suppose he’s not so bad. The red asshole can hold his booze at least.”

“That’s how you got to know him? Over beer?”

“What? Would you prefer I sleep with him?”

Admittedly, the fantasy of being sandwiched between Takoshi and Bryce had invaded his thoughts more and more these days. “If you’re open to the suggestion,” Ryker teased, waggling his eyebrows.

Takoshi narrowed his gaze at the smaller, gray wolf. “You can’t squelch me, boy. I know you’re just coming into your sexuality and it’s like a dam just broke holding back all that cum. You’ve got a fucking hair-trigger and I know you’d pounce at the idea of me and Red fucking. That gives me leverage.”

“Name your price,” Ryker challenged.

Takoshi looked like he was about to immediately counter with something outrageous when his features immediately became somber. “Time.”

The demand confused Ryker. “Huh?”

“I just need… time,” Takoshi sighed, lowering his gaze. “Look, it took you almost dying for me to open up a little to you. I know we’ll get through this but… just give me some time to get back on my feet, okay?”

Ryker nodded and stepped forward, gripping Takoshi’s paw. “Okay. I’ll give you space. But you’re not alone, okay? If not me, then maybe Decanter or Bryce. Don’t lock yourself away.” He gave his bear a soft smile. “My promise still stands. I’ll do what I can to help you find out what happened at Horizon.”

Takoshi gave him a thin smile and nodded. “Yeah… Thanks, Ryker.” He glanced off briefly to the left before locking gazes with his Host again. “Just do me a favor. Talk to Decanter too. We kind of… talked shit about you behind your back last night.”

His eyebrows rose. “You… what?”

“Bryce got us buzzed!”

Somehow, he wasn’t that surprised Bryce was somehow involved. Yet he couldn’t be mad. “Okay, I’ll talk to Decanter. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here.”

Takoshi pulled him close and gave him a hug, not too tight and much lighter than he had expected from such a big bear but still warm and heartfelt.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

******

As much as he hated the idea that Bryce had manipulated him, he still couldn’t be mad at the wolf. The more he thought about it, the more he had the sneaking suspicion that Bryce had left that note after he had been drinking with Decanter and Takoshi to stimulate the inevitable conversation between them. He was even starting to suspect that Bryce had been the one that walked past his door noisily to drive him back into making the list. Paranoia aside, he did feel much lighter now that he had at least settled some affairs with Takoshi. There was still a lot to unpack but he felt better for it.

That made the rest of his day go by somewhat easier.

Classes were particularly boring as it was his Game Theory Class; the class where they analyzed current trends in gaming and questioned how to make games popular. Naturally there was speculation of how reviewers were paid off, moral integrity of publications, the reliability of online ratings and the phenomenon that was hype. The major part of the lecture and the topic of the day was ‘How to Measure Success’.

Though sounding like the topic was lifted right out of a business lecture, their professor specifically warned them to clearly identify what success looked like at the very inception of a game.

“What is the goal of your game?” ask the lynx. “Don’t just say it’s a passion project. Passion projects suggest you have a story to tell. Are you trying to test your limits? Are you trying to make money? Are you just trying to get your name out there? When you define this, you will understand what it will take to succeed. Why is it so important to define what success looks like? Because it prevents the one thing that all game developers and indeed, all software developers dread above all else - feature creep.”

Feature creep, the horrible tendency for developers to add more and more features the longer a program is in development. This often leads to games being thrown into development hell. In an ever-changing environment where technology was constantly advancing, new consoles were coming out, new techniques were being developed and thousands of developers were trying to make their mark, it was all too easy and too tempting to succumb to feature creep. There were stories from all over the industry when a game was in mid-development and then some executive noticed how much attention another game got and decided to lift some tactics from it, causing increased development time and potentially introducing more bugs. Other stories told about how consoles and technology would leap to the ‘next generation’ and suddenly the graphics were no longer up to scratch.

Ryker took notes, being sure to note that for his own projects. He had to define what success looked like.

What would success for his IP Dating Program look like?

“Maybe that’s what I’m missing,” he mumbled to himself. “What is my goal?”

“Don’t make your goal arbitrary,” continued the professor. “If you just want to make money, become an IT developer for a bank or one of those other corporations. If you just want you name out there, make YouTube videos. Define how you want to make money. Define how you want to be famous. Do you want to make money by making a game that uses cutting edge technology? Do you want to be famous for creating a new genre of videogame? Make that your goal. Break it down and understand where you draw the line and do not let yourself be overwhelmed or get jealous of other people’s success. The moment you start doing that, the moment you start suffering from… what is it class?”

“Feature creep,” Ryker groaned along with the rest of his class.

The rest of the class went into analyzing various examples of feature creep and how it ruined various forms of games. Thankfully, the class wasn’t really assessed but more supplementary to his other classes. All he would need to do was to sit down for an exam at the end of the semester, pass it and that was it. No projects in between. That made things a little easier and allowed him to drift off a little as he pondered what his goal would be for his program.

More so now that he had Bryce’s advice and list buzzing around in his mind.

The class ended when the professor told them to start reading up on the different software development life cycles and their advantages in the game development world - especially how they impact Early Access versus full releases. He packed up his books, barely noticing what was happening around him and stepped outside of the lecture theater. His stomach growled at him, warning him it was about to eat. Over the past month and a half, he noticed his appetite had increased exponentially since he was now bonded with two IPs and both men were much bigger than him. Said appetite grew even more when he started working out.

It was hell on his wallet and he feared what it would do now that he had Bryce to think about as well. And yet, Hayden’s words that morning resonated with him. Why worry about something that had yet to happen? Though he doubted he would ever be as trusting as his current employer, it was stupid to predict something that had had little to information on. All of this was still relatively new to him so he couldn’t tell what was going to happen.

Taking Bryce’s advice to breathe for a moment, he set aside those fears and concerns and took the elevator down to the food court. College food was never meant to be gourmet. It was a least convenient albeit pricey. The food court had a large selection from Italian, Asian, Mexican and even some Canadian fare like poutine. The menus were vast and he was left wondering what would fill him up with the least amount of money spent.

“Ryker!”

He turned his gaze from the blazing golden arches of the MacDonald’s branch and watched as the big boar that was Arthur came bounding over to him. It was odd seeing Arthur in anything but his gym outfit or golden armor from the Overworld and he had nearly forgotten that like him and Cliff, Arthur was actually studying at the same college. Dressed in flip-flops, dark gray cargo shorts, a blue tanktop and a backwards baseball cap, Arthur came marching over while waving at him.

“Hey,” greeted Ryker with a smile. “Classes today?”

“Yeah,” answered the boar, a backpack slung over his shoulder. “Total snooze-fest though, dude. Mathematics is so boring. I know what the quadratic formula is. What it has to do with actual business, I have no idea.”

That did beg the question…

“I never asked, what are you majoring in?”

“Business, bro,” Arthur replied with a bright grin. “Cliff and I have this plan that we’ll open a computer repair and custom PC shop together. He’d be in charge or building the stuff with me helping out and I’ll be managing the business!”

Setting aside his preconceptions that Cliff was a bonehead fratboy, Ryker could actually see that happening. “I thought Cliff was studying law?”

The boar gave him a light grimace. “That’s actually something his parents forced him into. They wouldn’t let him to go to college if it wasn’t for law.” Arthur rolled his eyes. “They think that his ‘computer building business’ is just a hobby even if he paid for his college tuition entirely from that business. They’re not really that trusting to technology.”

A humbling reminder that both Cliff and Arthur still remained quite a mystery. He knew next to nothing about Cliff’s parents apart from the recently acquired fact that they pressured him into law and didn’t think much about his talent for building computers.

“You know, you could call it the business the ‘Bit Bros’,” he chuckled. When he got a blank look from Arthur, he clarified. “You know. Because a ‘Bit’ is a unit of data in computers and you’re… like… bros?”

“Uh… Sure,” Arthur said with an awkward grin. The boar sniffed the air and turned towards the selection of various foods. “So, you hungry dude?”

Mentally kicking himself for the poorly received jest, he turned towards the wide selection and said, “Starving.”

“Whatcha in the mood for?”

Clearly they were going to have lunch together. The company was welcome. Though eating by himself was somewhat customary these days especially during class, he was glad to share a meal with Arthur. It struck him, however, that he didn’t really know Arthur that well. So much so that he had no idea what the boar like to eat or if he had any dietary restrictions. Some species of fur specifically avoided eating meat that came from their feral cousins. Bovines didn’t eat beef, avians didn’t eat chicken and pigs sometimes didn’t eat bacon or ham.

“Uhm…” he began, scouring the menus for anything that may contain pig-meat.

“How about a chili dog?” Arthur with a bright grin and pointing at the hot dog eatery a short distance away. It offered dine-in service but there was similarly a line for those who wanted to just take away. The tag line ‘Try our Famous Foot Longs’ hovered beneath the sign.

Nice, relatively cheap and confirming that Arthur ate pig meat… unless he preferred beef hot dogs… or turkey…

Ryker’s growling stomach told him to ignore the questions buzzing around his head. “Sure.”

They got in the relatively short line, giving Ryker enough time to browse the menu. He picked the foot long and when asked if he wanted to customize it, he added a few more toppings including pickles, cheese, bacon bits and toasted onion crisps instead of fresh, chopped white onions. Naturally, he went with the combo which gave him crinkle fries and a drink. When it came to paying, however, Arthur waved him down and flashed some cash, paying for them both.

“You sure?” he asked.

“My treat, bro,” said the boar, his smile framing his brilliant white tusks. “After what you did a few nights ago, you deserve it.”

“Really?” he asked, grabbing his tray. “I thought what I did was colossally stupid. I mean, because of what I did, we didn’t get what we came for.”

They found an empty table and sat down. Ryker was already shoveling fries into his muzzle before Arthur had gotten a chance to reply.

“There’ll always be a next time, dude. But you saved a guy. That’s not nothing. If you ask me, I kinda thought Cliff would’ve jumped at the opportunity.”

He straightened in surprise, a single crinkle fry hanging from between his lips. After pushing it into his muzzle with a single finger and sliding it off to the side of his cheek, Ryker said, “Cliff? Why?”

Arthur held up a hand as he bit into his chili dog. Like Ryker, he chewed it for a few seconds before moving it to the side of his cheek and speaking. “Well, that whole thing about having more than one IP killing you was clearly a lie. He could’ve taken on Bryce as much as you. Probably would’ve been better seeing as it would be less strain on you.”

That did beg the question. Why didn’t Cliff take the opportunity to form a Pact with Bryce? Or was Ryker just too fast?

“It’s honestly no trouble,” responded the gray-furred wolf. “I guess I wasn’t really thinking and sort of tricked you all so I could grab him. Not that I’m being greedy, or anything, I just felt we really needed to get out of there and he did have Cliff’s phone so he wouldn’t really have been able to make a Pact…”

“True, true,” Arthur replied, bobbing his head to the side. “Seriously though, bro. How’re you holding up?”

Ryker offered his friend a thin smile. “Honestly, a lot better than a few nights ago. Tako and I talked this morning and… I guess we sort of worked things out. Thanks to Hayden of all people.”

“You’d be surprised what you learn from Hayden, dude. I really like him. He’s pretty wise. Dunno if it’s because he actually knows this stuff or because that’s just how he is but he’s pretty cool.”

Ryker bit into his hot dog. It was incredibly salty but the mixture of the toppings helped balance it out. Mustard and ketchup really helped. “Funny. I’ve been working under Hayden for over a month and a half now and I barely know the guy. Takoshi is really the one that got to know him.”

Arthur nodded in agreement. “If you don’t mind me saying so, I honestly think you could do to be a bit more… social.”

Being defensive was his first reaction and that showed when he swiveled his ears forward at Arthur and nearly choked on his mouthful. A quick sip of his soda washed that down. “What… Ahem…” He coughed and took another sip. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well,” began the boar with a shrug. “Dude, no offense, but you kind of just live either at your desk, at work or at school. I mean, if it weren’t for me and Cliff, do you have any friends?”

Ryker opened his muzzle to counter when he stopped. Before becoming an Independent, he honestly didn’t have any friends apart from Tess and they barely spoke as it was. None of his classmates could really be considered friends either. In fact, the only time he actually got thrown into this whole mess over the Overworld was when Cliff dragged him out to that club.

“You really think I’m antisocial?” he asked, folding his ears back in shape.

“Sort of,” Arthur replied with a soft wince. “You’ve started coming out of your shell. I think Takoshi is rubbing off on ya. He’s kind of… honest but that could turn off a few people. All I’m saying is that maybe you could look at doing other stuff apart from working, sleeping, studying and eating. Live a little.”

“But what?” Ryker said with a shrug. “All things considered, I’m pretty lame.” He grimaced, looking away as he bit into his meal again. “I recall Oliver and Tako calling me a ‘dad’ once because I’m just that vanilla and out of it.”

Arthur gave him a little nudge under the table with his foot. “Hey, come on, dude. This is the time to experiment. Get to know people.” He set down his chili dog. “You know what? Let’s start with me. Come on, I bet there are things you want to know about me. Give me your best shot.”

“Now that you mention it…”

As it turns out, Arthur was not at all a vegetarian. Far from it, in fact. The boar absolutely adored barbecue as well. Fell in love with it when Cliff took him to a Chinese barbecue place for Valentine’s day and they once had suckling pig. Duck was his favorite even if it was very expensive.

“Okay, I’ve been dying to ask,” Ryker said, “America college tuition is crazy expensive. How did you manage to get enrolled here? Especially given that you don’t exactly have…?”

“A past?” Arthur responded with a grin. “A credit score? All the Libertatis, dude.”

The Custodes Libertatis may not be fully organized like any of the corporations nor have all the funds but they were wide-spread and had connections. When Cliff was picked up by the Libertatis and joined up, they had elected to use their vast resources to create an identity for Arthur. Naturally nothing too extravagant but enough to get him into college and find him a job to help support Cliff and their lifestyle. Obviously it had to be low key since they still had to rent an apartment with Ryker initially. Now that they worked under a boss that was very lax when it came to background checks, they had a little more breathing room.

“I wonder if I should pass that by Takoshi or Bryce,” he mumbled softly. “I don’t think they even have bank accounts. Though Decanter…”

“I dunno. Do you plan on having them stay in the Realworld forever?”

There was that question again; what was his ultimate goal?

“I guess I never thought about it,” confessed Ryker. He laughed softly. “I mean, if I become a famous videogame developer and make millions off my videogames, I might just keep them around as my boy toys and never have to worry about people asking questions.” He regarded Arthur with his lips twisting in worry. “But I really don’t know… You two have it all figured out. A custom computer repair and build shop. That’s amazing. Me though…?”

He began taking a sip out of his drink pensively.

“You could go into porn.”

Ryker immediately choking, the fizzy soda shooting up his windpipe and blaring out of his nose leaving that awful feeling of tiny pinpricks all up and down his nasal cavity. A few people saw and chuckled. Blushing in humiliation while Arthur was just laughing, he grabbed a few napkins and began cleaning the mess he made.

“Dude, I was joking,” chortled Arthur.

“Doesn’t make it any less startling,” he growled. “What did you mean by that anyway?”

“Just saying,” said the boar with a bright grin. “Takoshi, Bryce and Decanter are all pretty hot. They have ripped bodies and are sexy. You could start your own porn studio and rake in millions. I mean, two out of the three aren’t really… native to the US if you know what I mean. People won’t be asking questions when it comes to that sort of stuff. Especially from a porn studio.”

The sad part was, that was awfully true and made horrific sense. Neither Bryce nor Takoshi existed in the Realworld for more than two months. If they were to post their bodies having sex online, no one would be able to identify them because, realistically speaking, they didn’t have any identities. Not to mention the image of those two having wild sex was incredibly arousing.

Shaking his head of the lewd thoughts, Ryker said, “Let’s change the subject.”

As if an angel sent from Heaven, Cliff came bounding over, setting down his backpack on the empty seat beside them and clapping both of them on the back joyfully. “Hey dudes!”

Before Ryker could greet him back, the blonde tiger was already going off on his announcement.

“Dude, the Kappa Nu Tau’s are having a killer party tonight,” Cliff exclaimed. “You guys have got to come.”

Arthur slammed a frustrated fist into the table. “Aw, bro. You know I’ve got clients tonight. I’m gonna have to miss! Damn!”

Ryker could never get used to how Arthur could seamlessly switch between being knightly and even kingly and speaking like a drunken frat boy so easily. To Cliff’s question, he shook his head.

“Sorry Cliff, not my scene.”

Arthur cleared his throat. “I dunno, Ryker. There’ll be a lot of people there. Could be a good opportunity for you to be social.”

Those words might as well have been on fire and being pressed against his heart. Given the choice and even if Cliff had no idea on the context, he faced the crushing reality that Arthur was very right about him; he really didn’t have any friends. Throwing the boar a sour look he rolled his eyes and said, “Fine. Can’t promise I’ll have fun but… Sure. What time?”

Cliff beamed brightly. “It starts at six. We can go together!”

He threw Arthur a look as if to say that he knew he was going to hate this and he would blame it all on the boar. Arthur just gave him a smug, satisfied look like a king who had just won a war despite losing a battle. Strangely, he felt closer to the chubby knight. Perhaps there was merit to being more social.

Worst case scenario, he could use this opportunity to get to know Cliff better.

******

The Kappa Nu Tau Fraternity was one of the notoriously tight-nit frats that was very selective of who could join. This was because unlike other fraternities on campus, they actually had strong connections with wealthy people who funded the fraternity out of a sense of brotherhood other than obligation. The members weren’t trust-fund babies either. They excelled in various fields, often specializing in said fields, and used their connections to get them their fortunes. The Kappas emphasized using your own resources and not coasting on inheritances or loans.

At least that’s what it was on the surface.

Rumor had it that the Kappas were highly manipulative and often traded ‘favors’ with one another than actual material wealth. This included their wealthy benefactors. A graduate might just help land a Kappa a job in a powerful firm and then one day might call a favor from them or even lord that favor over them for the rest of their life. Parties such as the one Ryker and Cliff were attending always had the ulterior motive of making these connections.

If anything, the Kappas were very social.

“Bryce would fit right in here,” Ryker muttered.

“What did you say, bro?” Cliff asked as they bounded over to the large, red-brick frat-house which might as well have been a mansion in its own right. Sporting at least twenty rooms, it could have easily been mistaken for a moderately-sized motel with modern appearance. The Kappas’ insignia was draped over the front porch forcing people to gaze upon the mighty Rottweiler head that was their mascot. Ryker briefly wondered if there was an IP for the Kappas before answer Cliff.

“Nothing,” he said, adjusting his collar which was obnoxiously popped up upon the tiger’s insistence. “How’d you get in with the Kappas anyway? Do you know one of them?”

“Naw,” Cliff said, waving at him with his meaty arms. Sporting a black featherdown jacket that revealed his striped arms. There was a pair of dogtags hanging from his thick neck that he briefly kissed before heading towards the entrance. “The Kappas throw a party like this every month. To socialize and stuff. They open their doors to everyone.”

Ryker ruffled his hair a little, doused in product to ensure that it was spiky and youthful. Another of Cliff’s fashion advices. Shaving was also not advised even though he had forgotten to do so the past few days so now he had a rapidly growing scruff that had covered his cheeks, overtaking his gray fur. Likely more of Takoshi’s influence.

“It’s funny. I always knew about the Kappas but I never really understood them. I heard all the rumors but never really attended their party.”

“Don’t judge it until you try it!” Cliff exclaimed with a bright grin. “Come on in!”

Bracing himself for either a snooty, uptight celebration where everyone was discussing the New York Times crossword or a rager filled with drunken idiots, Ryker stepped through the door. He was surprised to find that the celebration was mostly restrained. People were indeed drinking and some were laughing very loudly but it wasn’t so bad that students were hanging off the walls or outwardly drunk.

The night was still young, however.

Having promised to be the ‘designated driver’ even though he didn’t have a car, he avoided any of the alcoholic drinks and just grabbed some soda. There was a full arrangement of finger foods that you wouldn’t normally find at a fraternity party with decent canapes and expensive-looking sushi rolls. Music was coming from the back of the house where many celebrants were gathered around or swimming in the pool. The smell of a grill wafted through the house. It came as a bit of a surprise, however, when he noticed one handsome Kappa - a turtle - guiding two girls upstairs.

“Wow,” was all he managed to say. “That guy works fast, right Cliff?”

When he got no response, he quickly glanced around and noticed that, once again, he had been abandoned by the tiger in the midst of a party. The last time this happened, he activated the Independent Application and was thrust into the bizarre Overworld, got chased by a Corpsman through a mall and made a Pact with a burly samurai bear who just happened to be passing by. Part of him wondered what would happen now. The other screamed at him to just stand still so that his world wouldn’t shatter… again.

He chastised himself for those thoughts. “Got to be social. Got to go around and meet some people. Expand my social circle.” Taking a deep breath while feeling awkward and stupid for playing the stereotype of the antisocial computer science major, he took a step forward -

.. And immediately rammed into someone.

The impact wasn’t intense. What truly shocked him was the mix of soda and beer that splashed down onto him as his arms collided with the poor soul that he had not noticed while he was caught up in his own mental world. Mixed with a few cubes of ice and he let out a shocked gasp. One of the cubes even went slid down his popped collar, following the fabric like a water slide down the back of his shirt and literally sending a chill down his spine.

“Oh god! Sorry!” exclaimed his victim.

“N-n-no,” he stammered through chattering teeth. “T-t-totally my fault.” He grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled at it so that the single ice cube could drop down on the floorboards.

The man he had hit looked like a student. They would have been about the same height were it not for the impressive array of antlers that stuck out of the stag’s head. His broad, chiseled features were incredibly attractive made moreso by the reddish-brown stubble that decorated his cheeks and the little tuft of facial hair jutting out from his bottom lip. Similarly colored hair was tied back in a manbun between his antlers. Bright brown eyes matched well with the auburn coat that covered his broad body. Though not as ripped as Bryce or as bulky as Takoshi, this was someone who clearly looked after himself. That much was evident by the thick biceps that stuck out from the pink collared shirt and the impressive thighs that forced his denim shorts taut.

“You sure you’re okay, man?” asked the buck. “You need a towel or something?”

As the cold beverage was starting to set into his clothes, Ryker fought the urge to say that he would be fine and make the excuse that he should leave and get cleaned up. With a wave of his paw, he said, “Yeah. Don’t worry about it, bro. It’s a party, right? Booze gets spilled everywhere.”

Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, he could feel his future self remembering this moment only to cringe at the awful words.

The buck let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, I guess so.” He held out his half-empty red cup. “Well, I guess if we’re going to make introductions, my name is Liam Haart. Pleased to meet you.”

“Ryker Wall,” he answered, lifting his cup in response. “You a member of the Kappas?”

“Loud and proud,” answered the buck with grin. Almost immediately, he cupped his free hand over the size of his muzzle, lifted it towards the air and shouted, “Kappas!”

Every member of the frat and even some guests immediately began shouting, “Woof! Woof! Woof!” in response.

Seeing Ryker’s puzzled stare, Liam explained that it was the frat’s call especially since Rocky - their mascot - was Rottweiler. You could usually tell a Kappa by their signature ‘woofing’. Biting back a comment about how that was a little obnoxious, he just took a sip from his cup, quietly lamenting that most of the drink was now being absorbed into his fur.

“So you thinking of joining, Ryker?” asked Liam. “Cool name by the way.”

“If you don’t think being named after a notorious jail is a bad thing,” Ryker responded, offering an awkward laugh. “And no. I’m not really thinking about joining. I just came here with a friend that…” He glanced around, hoping to spot Cliff but to no avail. “… seems to have abandoned me.”

“Aw man, that sucks.” Liam noticed that Ryker’s drink was empty and took the cup from him. “I’m not that much different to be honest. How about we hang a bit? Want another?” He shook the empty cup a little.

Glad for the company, Ryker took up Liam on the offer. They moved back to the beverage counter, standing in line as they waited. Waiting in said line, however, became increasingly awkward as they said nothing to one another. After having just met someone, he should have a tonne to say or ask but he found himself tongue tied.

“What’re you studying?” Ryker asked. He bit his lower lip, trying to punish himself for the very ‘dad-level’ question.

“I’m an art major.”

This time, he managed to keep himself from spouting off on a tirade about how art majors had no future and were likely to man the menial and manual labor jobs in the world.

“That’s… nice. I’m in computer science. Post graduate, actually. Going for my Masters.”

“Oh damn,” Liam exclaimed as they shuffled forward. “That’s pretty damn awesome. Funny. I thought after getting your degree, you’d be getting a job in Silicon Valley or something.”

“Well… I’m not that kind of comp-sci major. I actually want to make a videogame.”

Liam’s eyes sparkled. “No shit! Really?”

Ryker laughed softly and brushed the back of his neck, the heat of embarassment causing his nape to prickle. “Yeah… That’s an even harder industry to get into. Between all the indie developers and the huge corporations that suck up all smaller companies, finding a job in a videogame company isn’t that easy.”

“Kind of like being an artist,” Liam said as they shuffled forward again. “You can draw anything you want, paint whatever you want and could be as good as the Dutch Masters but without the right kind of connections and the right kind of publicity, you’re not going to get noticed. One of the reasons why the Kappas are so good to me.”

Hoping this wasn’t an elevator pitch, Ryker still said, “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. One of the Kappas’ benefactors saw my work and thought I had talent. He’s been sponsoring me. Getting me set up in galleries and entering art competitions. It’s tough. I mean, with a videogame it either works or doesn’t, right? But with art, it’s always subjective.”

“Some argue that videogames are an art form,” Ryker said defensively.

“I suppose that’s true,” Liam gave him a sidelong glance and a faint smile. “Guess we’re kind of alike. Though you’re not in the Kappas.”

Deciding to dial down any form of sarcasm, he didn’t point out that a rich sugar daddy to ensure his success. Though that wasn’t exactly true. In reality, Hayden was his sugar-daddy given that he was living and working in the gym complex free of charge. The more he thought about it, he more he realized that he might just be like Liam after all.

“Well, not in Kappas specifically,” he said with a soft smile. “But I have a sponsor of sorts too. Do you know Hayden Okojo?”

“Isn’t he on the football team?” Liam responded. “He’s supporting your videogame?”

“No. Doesn’t even know about it. He’s running a gym not too far from campus. Use to be an apartment building that he converted. My friends and I are living in the complex above it and we work at the gym. He pays for all the utilities and doesn’t charge us rent but we work in the gym itself.”

Liam grinned at him as they finally reached the drink counter. “Dude, that sounds like a killer arrangement. Hey, tell me what the gym is. Maybe I can get some of the Kappas to work out there. The campus gym gets pretty crowded and the equipment is pretty damn old.”

A chance at expanding their clientele and potentially increasing their revenue was before him. Ryker was never much of a salesman and he was sure Bryce would have been better suited for this situation. Or Decanter. Deciding to try and channel them both, he said, “Yeah sure. It’s the 4 U Gym.” Liam handed him a now filled cup and he grabbed it just as he said, “My boyfriend is one of the personal trainers there as well so if you want, I can get him to give you a discount.”

His grin froze on his face just as time seemed to freeze as well. It took him an eternity to realize what he had just said. In his mind, he imagined Liam immediately recoiling, yanking his hand away and tipping the cup of soda back onto Ryker. The look of surprise on the buck’s face said it all.

“Wow.”

“Sorry,” Ryker said, taking the cup so that it couldn’t be used as ammo against him. “That was… uhm… too much information. I… uh…” He began to turn to leave, hoping to escape with those words. Surprisingly, Liam followed him.

“Does anyone else know you guys are an item?”

Caught off guard by the question, Ryker took a second to reply. “Yeah. The staff knows. It’s not any of the client’s business I guess…”

“But they suspect?”

Now fearing what his regulars were saying behind his back and wondering if the fact that his breaks happen to coincide with Takoshi’s gave them away, Ryker muttered, “I… guess…?”

Liam’s features started to relax. “And no one gives you any trouble?”

Puzzled by the question, he said, “Why would they?”

“Well… It’s just nice to see a gay-friendly gym. Where did you say it was?”

The line of questioning caused the gears in his head to grind to a halt. “You’re… genuinely interested?”

Liam seemed equally as puzzled. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s close to campus. It’s gay friendly. And the staff are obviously cute.”

It took him a second to realize Liam might actually be flirting with him. Heat began rising to his cheeks. “Uh… You’re…?”

The buck laughed as they moved away from the counter. “Dude, I’m an artist. It’s a given that my sexuality is all over the spectrum. But yeah, I paint with all the colors of the rainbow.”

“Oh… Oh wow…” Ryker chuckled at himself softly. “I… would never have guessed.”

Liam grinned at him as he took a sip form his cup. “Dude, am I that much of a fratboy or is your gaydar just off?”

“For what it’s worth, I only realized I was gay about two months ago.”

The buck almost gagged on his drink and stared at Ryker incredulously. “Seriously? How’d your parents take it?”

“I didn’t come out to them two months ago,” he corrected with a faint smile. “I just realized I like dick about two months ago.” He glanced at his soda. “This is non-alcoholic, right?”

“Totally vanilla. Back to the topic. You only knew you were gay recently? I mean, were you getting hard to a pair of tits before then or…?”

Ryker blushed and glanced away. “I guess… I was always just really busy. I had this plan. Study, career, house and romance then kids. But then that got derailed because of some stuff. I put all my energy into studying and my career that I never really gave much thought to sex or anything like that. But then…” He smiled wistfully at the memory. “I just met this guy and that all changed.” He rolled his eyes. “Then another guy came around and another. Both incredibly attractive and I connect with and…” Ryker laughed softly, rubbing the side of his head. “I guess twenty-two years or sexual repression just came crashing out from behind the cage and I’m suddenly this ravenous beast thinking I can bone every hot guy that crosses my way.”

The sheer honesty of his statement made him blush even more and he focused all his attention on the cup. “Are you sure there’s no booze in this?”

“Dude, you’ve barely taken a drink. You won’t get drunk like that.” Liam grinned at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I’ve pretty much known I was gay since middle school. Awkward boners and everything. If you need a gay mentor, I’m here for you. I can be your Gay Guru. Your Homo-Master. Your Rainbow Role Model!”

Ryker laughed and slipped out from underneath Liam’s grip. “Thanks. I might take you up on that offer.” When a loud splash erupted from the pool outside, he caught sight of the clock and was surprised just how much time had passed. “Whoa… It’s been almost two hours since I lost Cliff. I better go find him. Catch you later?”

Liam winked at him. “Sure thing, cutie.”

As he turned around to leave, he froze and turned back around, fishing out his phone. “Before I go, can I get your number?”

“You asking me out?” asked the buck, waggling his eyebrows.

“No, dumbass,” he laughed. “I’ll send you the address of the gym and if I have any questions for my Counselor of Cock, I can just text it to you.”

“Too bad. Would’ve been fun.”

They exchanged contact details and Ryker turned to look for Cliff. He had taken eight steps away when Liam’s parting words came crashing back down on him.

“Wait…”

He spun back around but, like Cliff, the flirtatious buck had vanished. Regarding the number in his phone, he wondered if he had actually successfully managed to pick up another guy or if he was just really drunk… or maybe Liam was drunk. Shaking his head free of the implications, he wandered around the first floor looking for Cliff. When he couldn’t spot the tiger, he dared to head upstairs to the second floor.

As luck would have it, he spotted Cliff - alone - slinking off into one of the nearby rooms. The second floor was supposed to be for the fraternity’s bedrooms so unless the tiger was hooking up with someone, he would have no reason to be up there. Wondering if he should interrupt, something just struck Ryker was… off… Then he realized that Cliff was Arthur’s boyfriend.

“Oh no he didn’t,” he growled and stormed towards the door. Thankfully, Cliff hadn’t locked it so he immediately barged it…

… and found the tiger nearly leaping out of his fur illuminated by the light of a nearby laptop.

There were no other people in the two-person bedroom. No clothes on the floor. No lube on the nightstand. It was just Cliff desperately trying to hide whatever it was he was doing.

“What the hell are doing?” he growled.

“Thank god it’s only you,” Cliff sighed, waving at him over. “Close the door. Lock it if you can.”

“Cliff…!”

“Just do it!” pleaded the tiger. “This is important.”

Then it dawned on him what this was. “You’re breaking into a Kappa’s laptop?” he hissed, shutting the door behind him. “What are you thinking?”

“Not so loud,” Cliff said, stepping aside so that the laptop could be seen. Some program was running on screen with folders and numbers flying across the command prompt. “Look, the real reason I wanted to come tonight is that I learned one of the Kappas actually has connections with Horizon.”

This was Libertatis work. Now Ryker felt both used and distrusted. Maybe this was how Decanter felt when it had been revealed that he had made a secret pact with Takoshi.

“Seriously?” he growled. “Was I just supposed to be a distraction?”

“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d come,” Cliff responded, with an innocent shrug. “I knew Arthur couldn’t make it so I needed an excuse not to be around tonight. This party was the perfect alibi. I was going to go at this alone. But since you’re here…”

Ryker rolled his eyes, shoulder sagging. Since it was his fault that they failed to get the information they needed from Maydoor, he felt a little compelling to follow through with this plan. “What are you doing then?”

“Thanks,” Cliff said with a grin. “One of the guys in the Kappas has it in with Horizon. This is his laptop. Sponsors of the Kappas keep a tight leash on those they sponsor. It’s very public who they prop up, after all.”

Good to know. Ryker made a mental note of that given that he now had Liam’s contact.

“Everything from their academics, their public appearances and even who they sleep with is something the sponsors need to keep track of,” Cliff continued. “Apparently, it’s a two-way street.” He gestured at the laptop. “I got this little bug from a friend in the Libertatis. If we can…” His eyes shone as the laptop let out a soft ding. “Bingo!”

Both of them leaned towards the screen.

“What did you find?” he asked.

Cliff grinned brightly. “Exactly what I was looking for.” He pointed at the screen. “Acquisitions. All acquisitions from about thirty years ago go through the CSO of the company, Simon Sanders.”

“Why is that…” Ryker trailed off. “Acquisitions…” he repeated. “This is about what happened to Arthur’s show, isn’t it?”

“And Takoshi’s,” Cliff responded sharply.

“Cliff, Arthur said not to worry about it.”

“That doesn’t make what happened right,” answered the tiger with a growl. “I know Arthur. It’s hurting him inside. Yeah, he says right now that it doesn’t matter but really, I know it matters to him.”

“So you’re telling me that instead of figuring out if the CEO is an Overlord, you used this tech to pursue a vendetta,” Ryker said. “What if it turns out that the CEO isn’t an Overlord and the Kage tell us to back off? Are you still going to go after them?”

“Hell yes!” Cliff turned to Ryker fiercely. “Look, what Horizon did to Arthur and Takoshi is pretty much what Syntax did to you.”

“No,” he countered, lifting a finger. “Syntax stole my idea and then slapped me with a cease-and-desist order. This is totally different from a normal business acquisition. Yeah, Horizon didn’t do anything with the idea and orphaned both of our IPs but it’s nothing like Syntax.” He reached out and seized Cliff’s shoulder. “Please, Cliff. Arthur said to let it go. Just let it go.”

Cliff shook his head and shut the laptop. “I’m sorry, Ryker. I just can’t.”

“Why?” he demanded. “Why not?”

The tiger closed his blue eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “Look, people say they can just move on from stuff but there will always be an unresolved issue that’ll haunt you for the rest of your life. Every day when we’re out there in the Overworld, we’re risking our lives. I don’t want to be looking death in the face and have any regrets. I don’t want to go up against another Overlord and end up becoming a corporate stooge while knowing I had this opportunity in front of me to help out Arthur and Takoshi and not take it.”

Ryker gave Cliff a sour expression. “If we’re going by anime-rules, that unresolved issue will probably be the thing that’ll knock you out of your brainwashing at just the right moment so that it’s very epic.”

“Totally Shonen,” chuckled Cliff. The regarded Ryker pleadingly. “But you get what I mean, right? It’s an opportunity, dude. We’ve got to take it.”

Somehow, he felt that was not the only reason Cliff was doing this. There was the overarching question of why Cliff turned to the Libertatis in the first place. Yes, it gave Arthur an identity but given how he and Takoshi had managed to survive, there were certainly options. Cliff was smart enough to have found a way contrary to his mannerisms. There was also this vendetta against the corporations. What drove it?

Those were questions for another day.

“Fine,” he sighed. “But see if you can find anything about Overlords and hurry up. We don’t want to get caught in here.”

Cliff grinned brightly and returned to the laptop, reactivating the program. “Okay… so what I’m getting is Simon Sanders was a former British actor that moved to the states to work for Horizon. Because he knew the industry, he had the connections to start acquiring movies and IPs.”

“Is the guy we’re hacking under his wing right now?”

“Naw, dude. Someone as important as Sanders would never stoop so low as to look after a college fratboy. Even if they are Kappas.”

“You don’t like the Kappas?”

“Dude, they’re Corpsmen in the making. They’re being groomed to be officers and they willingly do it.”

“Some of them might not have a choice…”

“There’s always a choice.”

Something told him that Liam and Cliff would not get along.

Cliff suddenly frowned and straightened. “That’s… weird.”

Ryker leaned forward. “What? What’s going…?” He cut himself off as he regarded the information on screen. “Oh… That’s… disturbing.”

On screen was an email correspondence between the Horizon representative and the guy whose laptop Cliff was hacking. Apparently, it was a promise from the rep to produce the screenplay that the theater major was creating, even offering big names to star in the role. The only thing was…

“They’re going to make it a reality TV contest,” Ryker whispered softly. “They’re calling it ‘Director’s Cut’. Aspiring writers and directors will be competing against one another to produce their show. They’ll be tasked with minor tasks every week with the top three getting months and an immense budget to work on their production.” He straightened and shook his head. “Horizon wasn’t grooming this kid. They were auditioning him to be part of their show. Another reality TV show no less.”

“Preying on the poor guy’s desperation and dreams,” Cliff growled. “This is why I hate corporations. If we expose this -”

They both started as the doorknob behind them began to jostle and jiggle.

Ryker’s mind went blank and he immediately grabbed the tiger beside him. Without waiting, he immediately planted his lips against Cliff’s, shocking the feline until just about the time the door swung open. Cliff caught on just as that happened and wrapped his big, strong paws against Ryker’s rump, squeezing it hard and twisting his muzzle to the left so that their lips could interlock a little better. Both of them immediately parted when the door fully swung open to reveal a shark with a doe beside him.

“Dude!” Ryker growled. “Occupado.”

The shark held up a finned hand. “Oops! Sorry bro!” He retreated, shutting the door behind him.

Ryker sighed in relief even though his heart was pumping hard. “That… that was too close.”

“Quick thinking though,” laughed Cliff.

“Cliched, more like it.” He tried to pull away then gave Cliff a blunt stare. “You can let go of my ass now.”

“Just one more squeeze?” asked the tiger coyly.

With sigh, Ryker held up his paws.

“Fine. But then let’s get out of here.”

******

Returning to the gym late at night was not something Ryker was accustomed to. Normally, he would be in bed and winding down for the night well before ten-thirty in the evening. Walking through the employee entrance at ten-thirty with Cliff in tow smelling of booze was not his ideal night.

“Hey,” Cliff began as they started for the stairs leading up to the apartments. “Thanks for everything tonight, bro. I really appreciate it.”

Ryker gave the tiger a gentle pat on the shoulder. “I sort of felt responsible for what happened so I guess I owed it to you. Besides, I guess I sort of had fun as well.”

The tiger stuck out his tongue playfully. “That kiss was pretty hot.”

“Yes,” he answered with a slight inflection. “But also I met an artist at the party while you were off sneaking around. He seemed like a nice guy. I may have made a friend.”

“Good for you! Was he hot?”

He nudged Cliff up the stairs. “Doesn’t matter. Now hurry up. I want to take a shower. I don’t want to go to bed soaked in booze. My sheets will stink for a week until I next wash them.”

“Why don’t you go down and join Decanter in the sauna?”

He paused pushing the bigger tiger and gave his friend a puzzled look. “First of all, Decanter uses the sauna this late and night? Secondly, we have a sauna?”

As it turns out, it was one of Hayden’s many expenditures and pretty popular with the older crowd. The sauna, located on the second floor, was apparently one of Decanter’s favorite spots to unwind and relax. The white-haired rhino preferred to use it late in the evening when everyone was asleep. There was a stereotype to be pointed out about old men and saunas but Ryker pulled back and headed to the facility.

The second floor was designated for group workouts so it was somewhat eerie to find the four studios completely empty. They had four studios in total with the first two taking up what would be the equivalent of the lounge and kitchen where the staff stayed. The next two took up the space where the first few rooms would be. After that, they had a few solitary rooms used for personal massages. Given that they had no trained masseuses, these were redundant but Hayden still spent the money to buy those expensive chairs with holes in them so you can lie down on your face and shove your muzzle through said hole without suffocating and decorating each room to be as peaceful and relaxing as possible. At the far end of the hallway were the bathrooms and showers which were naturally divided into male and female sections. At the very end was the sauna facility.

With all the lights off save for the sole little window leading into the sauna, Ryker felt like he was walking right into a horror movie. Screeching violins were going off in his head but he shook it off as he approached the sauna. There was a locker room area before the sauna itself where patrons could remove their clothes and get changed into towels. At the end of the brightly illuminated locker rooms was the sauna itself. Ryker approached the door rapped his knuckles against the metal frame.

There was a moment of silence that followed.

“Yes?” came the tentative response.

“Hey Decanter, it’s me,” Ryker said. “Do you… uh… have a second to talk?”

Another pause.

“Of course. Let me just finish up and then we can talk.”

Remembering Arthur’s advice about being social and trying new things, Ryker said, “How about I join you?”

This time, the response was instantaneous.

“N-N-no! I - I mean, just give me a moment!”

Puzzled at the response, Ryker grew worried and pushed open the door. “Decanter? What’s wrong? You sound -”

His voice cracked as he spotted Decanter perched on the far corner of the sauna. This was one of those saunas that had multiple levels so of seats much like bleachers. This gave Decanter the perfect position so that he could spear himself on a big, red dildo while maintaining his footing and seating himself comfortably at the same time. All those violins that were threatening to give him a heart attack suddenly changed to a throbbing bass followed with a resounding, deep-voiced ‘Oh Yeah’.

Blood immediately rushed towards Ryker’s cheeks, turning his gray fur red. Every instinct told him to immediately retreat but at the same time, he couldn’t help but take a lingering look at Decanter’s impressive foot-long, member. The only thing he noticed about the gray, humanoid member was that it still had its foreskin - unlike Takoshi. Then he was retreating and slamming the door, turning around and immediately heading for the exit.

He got right up to the threshold of the door when he stopped.

Shutting his eyes briefly, he waited for a few moments - hoping against hope that Decanter would come chasing him out the door to explain. When nothing happened, he sighed to himself and turned towards the nearby lockers.

“Please don’t make me regret this,” he muttered to his own semi-erect dick. He stripped off his clothing, tossed them into a locker and grabbed one of the fresh towels. With the white linen wrapped around his waist, he held up his head and strode boldly back into the sauna. Once again, Decanter caused him a moment to pause when he spied the rhino now on his hands and knees, trying to extract the impressively large artificial dick from his ass.

“Ah…!” began Decanter.

“So is this what you’ve been doing in the sauna every night?” Ryker accused, crossing his arms. His cheeks continued to burn as he realized the towel he had just released was now hanging off his semi-erect cock. He had hoped it would drop down just enough to show Decanter that he was very aroused by the situation. “Is this why you use this place after hours and after everyone has gone to sleep?”

Decanter, his own gray cheeks burning cherry red with embarrassment, couldn’t look him in the eye. “The positioning of the stairs is perfect for using the suction of the toy’s base and giving me enough footing to comfortably lower myself onto it. The steam is also good for my skin…”

Ryker sniffed the air. “What am I smelling?”

“Some aromatic oils. I like adding them to the steam. It’s meant to stimulate the senses and make things more… sensually pleasing.”

The scent was a thick, masculine, musky smell that wasn’t offensive. It smelled a little like a sporty aftershave that was strong enough to be detected but light enough not to cause headaches. There was also a faint hint of… grapes. Which fit Decanter quite well not only given his name but also his former Host.

“It’s working,” Ryker growled, striding forward. The towel dropped to the floor, momentarily drawing Decanter’s attention. Naturally, the rhino’s eyes were draw up Ryker’s legs before settling on the rapidly rising, pointed cock that was approaching him.

“Uh… Ryker… you… Ah…”

Driven by instinct and pent up hormones, Ryker strode forward with a predatory confidence. Without warning, he grabbed the base of the dildo still partially embedded into Decanter’s ass and gave it a slight push. Whatever Decanter was going to say died in his throat as the white-haired rhino’s eyes curled up into the back of his head, his eyelids fluttering and a soft whimper escaping out from where he was biting his lower lip.

“You like that?” rumbled Ryker, sliding the heavy toy back out of his IP.

“Y-y-yes…” moaned Decanter. “I… I… ahem…” Clearly, he was trying to regain his composure but there was some sense of satisfaction that Ryker drew from having the normally bossy and nosy rhino in such a state. Normally, Decanter would be the one telling him what to do, chastising him like he was a pup and organizing his day to the point that he couldn’t even eat what he wanted without Decanter’s express approval.

This was payback.

He pushed the dildo back in, this time a little deeper than before. Decanter arched his back, gasping in pleasure, his eyes staring up at the ceiling and glazed over while his mouth was hanging open. One hand was curled into a ball while the other reached behind him, groping for Ryker’s paw. For a second, he paused, fearing he was hurting his IP as the big, firm hands closed around his fingers. Then, he was surprised as that very same hand tilted the dildo a little downward and guided him into pushing it deeper into the waiting rhino.

His cock was already as hard as it could get.

This was an entirely different experience with Takoshi. Lovemaking with Takoshi was wild, primal and ravenous. Here, it was… technical. He had very little contact with Decanter at the moment and yet watching that thick, fat, red cock sliding slowly in and out of the rhino stirred the repressed, bestial wolf inside of him that was eager to mate.

“Ooooh… Master…” moaned Decanter.

That nickname was jarring and didn’t sit well with Ryker at all. His cock even deflated a little but the horndog in him was not about to let one little deprive him of emptying his sack after not having nutted for the past twenty-four hours. He drove the dildo forcefully into Decanter, causing the rhino to grunt in exertion. At the same time, he moved closer, reaching around the rhino’s head and grabbing the tallest horn before pulling it back forcefully.

“Never call me that again,” he growled, muzzle hovering right over Decanter’s ear. “I am not your master. I am not your CEO. I am not your owner. I am your Host, your partner, your colleague and equal. You don’t have to keep going around serving me out of some obligation. You can do it because it helps you but no other reason, got it?”

Decanter looked about to protest but Ryker pushed the silicone cock deeper into the rhino, bringing out another lusty moan.

“Y-y-yes…” was all Decanter could manage.

“Good. Now kiss let’s kiss on it.”

He leaned forward, releasing the horn and Decanter twisted his head to the side just enough for their lips to touch. The rhino’s lips were tender, the kiss tentative and hesitant but the moment Ryker pulled the dildo out, Decanter let out a gasp, dropping any defenses he may have had. He plunged into the open muzzle, their tongue happily meshing together as the barriers between them crumbled. Decanter’s free hand rose up, his strong abdominals maintaining his bent over position as his hands gently caressed the back of Ryker’s neck, drawing them closer together.

Heart pounding both in excitement and arousal, Ryker leaned into the kiss, his own cock sliding up Decnater’s back and brushing up against that thin, whip-like tail. Decanter tensed beneath him and he broke the kiss for a moment.

“What’s wrong?”

For a second, the rhino let out a soft laugh. “I’m used to feeling a cock in my ass.”

“You have one there. Unless you prefer the real thing?”

Decanter gave him a coy smile before slowly turning around, resting his back against multiple seats and exposing his immense cock. There was a bout of penis envy as Ryker could not help but compare his own modest dick to the monster hanging between Decanter’s legs. That moment passed when Decanter gently took his paw and pulled him close. Their cock pressed against one another, the heat from the contact of their sensitive flesh causing both men to shudder in excitement. Decanter took Ryker’s right paw and guided it towards their pressed cocks. His hand curled around both members and Decanter’s hand wrapped around his. Slowly, the rhino took charge and guided their hands to the base of their cocks before bringing it back up their length. Even with Decanter’s much longer member, there was at least one finger wrapped around Ryker’s cock before they went back down and repeated the motion.

Panting not only from arousal but the heat of the sauna, Ryker reached below him and seized the partially submerged artificial phallus still embedded into his IP. Mirroring their motions, he pushed the silicone cock into the rhino as their paw and hand rose to to kiss the tip of Decanter’s uncut cock. He pulled it out when their fingers pressed up against his inflating knot and the base of the rhino’s dick. Each motion brought a grunt from both of them with their rising passions increasing their pace rapidly.

Decanter’s soft, eyes locked with Ryker’s. A powerful magnetism brought them closer together. Their lips collided once more, tongues dancing. There was no hesitation this time. Just unbridled passion and affection. For Ryker, he was giving Decanter all the thanks his alabaster-haired butler deserved for enduring his moodiness for nearly two months and being there to support him, to take care of him and to chastise him with things a normal adult should be able to manage to do. Decanter, on the other hand, could finally express his gratitude to Ryker for taking him in, for giving him a purpose again and for being the object of his own therapy.

“Ryker…” mumbled the rhino. “… thank you, so much.” He threw his head back, barely holding back a groan as the dildo plunged deeper into him, the veins along his neck popping.

Ryker lunged for those veins, running his fangs along them and allowing his tongue to slide up and down the sinewy neck. That drove Decanter wild with his strokes growing more intense and coupling with a few passionate thrusts. Heat was building rapidly in Ryker as well and the ravenous wolf in him desired more; more flesh-on-flesh contact, more taste of rhino meat and… just more. He pressed his chest against Decanter’s, his damp fur sliding up and down the smooth, muscled chest of the rhino. This squeezed their hands and cocks further together, intensifying each stroke and increasing their pace.

Decanter rolled his shoulders, gently brushing Ryker up so that their lips could once again meet, muzzles twisted to the size so that they could lock lips all the more and share the same heated breath. The rhino’s one free hand curled around Ryker’s back, pulling him close. The embrace sent every nerve on the gray wolf’s body firing and he found the pressing in his balls intensifying at an exponential rate. This translated to the fevered strokes of his paw and the rapid thrusts of the dildo deeper and deeper into Decanter. His rhino, his friend and now his lover squirmed under him like he was trying to maintain a modicum of control as was his butler persona and barely managing to hold on.

Ryker broke the kiss, leaning towards Decanter’s ear. “Just let go,” he growled. “Unleash the beast.” As the last words left his lips, he leaned forward and nibbled on the rhino’s leaf-like ear.

That seemed to be the trigger.

“Oh my god!” Decanter roared and he immediately arched his hips, thrusting into Ryker’s paw. At that moment, Ryker found less resistance against the dildo and pushed it deeper into the rhino beneath him. Decanter grit his teeth together, hissing like the steam around them as he bucked and thrust while stroking their cocks together. Still managing to hold Ryker against him, Decanter became an undulating, thrusting demon as he rapidly brought both him and his Host to the brink.

The moment Ryker pushed the dildo to the hilt, the dam broke.

Perhaps it was because this was a coupling between IP and Host and their connection drove them to orgasm simultaneously. Or perhaps it was just because both of them were starved for physical attention and had gone the entire day without sexual gratification.

No matter the cause, both men went rigid, Ryker rising slightly into the air as Decanter arched his back. Both went rigid, their cocks spasming and unleashing the payload their swollen balls had been building that entire time. Hot wolf seed mixed with molten rhino cum, some catching against Ryker’s belly-fur while the rest seeping down between the curves of Decanter’s abdominals, lubricated by the abundance of steam and moisture in the air. Both men thrust into one another, shooting another load that was bigger than the last. Ryker felt it creep up his chest and another quickly followed suit as Decanter collapsed against the seats. Held together by the bigger rhino’s powerful arm, he had no choice but to ride out the wave after wave of euphoric pleasure that burst from his cock. He could actually feel Decanter’s own cum bursting from the rhino’s balls, shooting up the length of that massive cock, pressing against the underside of his own member before it splashed all over his chest.

It took until the sixth or seventh shot that he realized he still had Decanter’s ear pinned lightly between his lips. He gently released the organ and gave it the lightest flick with his tongue. Decanter responded by bucking his hips again and unleashing another load.

He chuckled softly and nuzzled the rhino. “I think we found your trigger.”

Blinking with eyes glazed over, Decanter barely managed an exhausted smile before responding. “I… I’m as surprised as you. I didn’t know my neck or ears were so sensitive.”

“Aileen never…?” he cut himself off before he could finish referencing Decanter’s murdered former Host.

“No!” laughed the rhino. “I… I was always there for her pleasure. If I got to orgasm at all it was a miracle. Truthfully, she never cared about whether I finished or not. Sometimes I doubted if she orgasmed at all. It was all about the power play. About how she was dominant.” Decanter gave him a shaky smile. “This… this was entirely new!”

“Not unpleasant, I hope,” Ryker said, trying to pull away. Decanter refused to let him go and pulled him even closer. Their lips met, the tenderness of the kiss melting Ryker.

“No. It was amazing. I…” Decanter sighed softly. “I… I think I have somethings to discover about myself. Living as Aileen’s Host made me think I knew everything and I was superior to everyone because of my abilities and whom I served but now… I’m starting to think I wasn’t really living.”

“I’m glad I could help you realize that,” Ryker said gently. “But can we get out of here? I’m overheating.”

Decanter chuckled and nodded, finally relaxing his grip. “Say uhm…?”

As Ryker stood, he gave his rhino a grin. “Yes. We definitely do this again sometime.”

“Excellent. But I was more referring to this…” Decanter gestured at the silicone cock sticking out of his ass. “I’m going to need help… I’ve never taken it all the way before.”

Ryker’s ears folded back in horror. Suddenly, he had images of rushing Decanter to the hospital and explaining to the rest of the staff why he was in the sauna with the rhino and how that huge dildo had gotten stuck in there in the first place… or why he was covered in rhino seed.

“Oh…”

******

The executives of The Horizon Channel stood quietly in the conference room. Raven had always insisted that they were equals. Of course that was not quite true. One executive was missing from the gathered and for good reason. Martha was the face of Horizon and the Chief Production Officer. That was just a made-up title that placated her so that she had the illusion of influence. In reality, the four men standing in the dark office, watching the clip of the auditions held the true power.

Simon Sanders cast his gaze about the room, the British rabbit coolly taking in the different airs that each of the executives gave. As usual, Ethan Maydoor seemed distant and uninterested even though it was under his watch that the Independent had managed to sneak into the Horizon headquarters and escape. The Fennec Fox was tapping away at his own laptop, barely paying attention to the video being shown of the Independent escaping the facility. Not too far away was Van Basker, a Chinese-American panda. Strong with a powerlifter’s build thanks to his years being partnered with his burly IP, Outtake, Van was all bark and no bite. His intimidating appearance was all a front that would be effective against weaker people and even some other corporations but Simon and Raven knew Van was a follower not a leader. In essence, he was the moon to Martha’s sun - the harsh judge they needed on the panels.

Naturally, there was Raven Trieville, the CEO and the most powerful man in the room. Simon knew the crow well and the faint smile on his beak belied a sharp mind that was armed with disarming charisma and a hypnotic stare that had everyone taking whatever he said as gospel. ‘Rave’ as he preferred to be called was the sole reason why The Horizon Channel was as successful as it was. His insistence on meeting contestants alongside Martha made him approachable but Simon, how had brushed elbows with equally manipulative stars in the past, understood what those interactions were; seeds being planted.

“So what do we know?” Raven asked as the video ended. “Do we know who those Independents are?”

“No,” Van growled darkly. “Had someone been more welcoming to them instead of panicking, maybe we would have had them in our ranks and already had their functions by now.”

Maydoor didn’t even look up at the panda. “I don’t panic.”

“What do you call sending every IP in the arena after those indies!?”

“A calculated risk.”

“One that clearly didn’t pay off!”

Only then did Ethan look up, shooting Van a piercing stare. “Because one of our own spies went rogue. How was I to know one of our own plants would decide to turn on us. Isn’t that something you look after, Simon?” The last barbed question was thrown directly at Simon.

Naturally, as the Chief Security Officer, Simon was prepared for the accusation. “It truly is a pity that Bryce turned on us and was recruited by the Independents. Then again, we never saw if they made a Pact or not. We know that making another Pact with more than one IP is dangerous, if not outright fatal. If we do the calculations, we saw that gray wolf running up to the bear’s defense. Given that they looked nothing alike, it is safe to assume that the wolf was more likely paired with the rhino.”

He showed stills of the wolf in the red coat and rhinoceros that managed to summon a wall of glass.

“But the wolf used his phone on the bear,” snarled Van. “Explain that.”

Simon clucked his tongue at the panda. “Which leads me to believe that there might have been another Independent in the audience and had sent the rhino after him. Potentially a third. Because not long after the events, this started popping up on social media.”

On the screen, he showed what appeared to be a raving red wolf defending gay rights in front of a bigoted man. There was another wolf standing right beside him.

“That’s them!” Van exclaimed. “And Bryce too!”

“Exactly,” Simon said with a smile. “My team combed through the internet for their identities. No one identified the pair but we did learn that they went to a local French-Japanese fusion restaurant shortly after this confrontation.” He turned towards Rave with a knowing smile. “If you will let me, I’ll go there and investigate. Maybe we can learn where this pup took Bryce. After all, we might just have found more than one Independent. This is too important to leave up to those not trained in the field.”

“You mean acting?” Maydoor scoffed, rising from his seat and showing the first signs of interest. “You may have played a spy in several movies, Sanders, but you know nothing about the real world. I’ll go.”

Raven smiled at the Fennec coyly. “Ethan, just send one of your Corpsmen. No need to make this personal.”

The Chief Operating Officer’s eyes were afire with fury and rage, the most active Simon had ever seen the Fennec for a long while.

“It became personal when they made me stand up.”