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A** ct Two: "Getting Ready"**

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After their happy discussion to see about doing something after work together, the work day in question happened to pass by noticeably faster both Amber as well as August. That, no doubt, was due to the fact that they were excited at the prospect of wanting to try something new; hang out for a night after their shifts. And it wasn't like either of them felt awkward or anything negative about the plan.

Well, perhaps August did. At first, seeing as he'd never really been given the honor before in his life to entertain someone as gorgeous as his she-otter friend, he fell into something of an inward panic where he wasn't at all sure of what he was doing. How could he have agreed to go out with someone he just wanted to be friends with? Even if they would go out tonight as friends only, that didn't mean that by the end of the night that they might become more than friends!

What was so bad about that though? Why was the idea of Amber maybe becoming his girlfriend in the future such a terrifying thing to him? Well, many a time in the past, he'd undergone a similar experience like this where he'd agreed to date a pretty girl. Soon enough, they'd become lovers. Then, almost without a word, all of the girls had left him behind for one reason or another. Most of the reasons, of course and unfortunately, had been because they'd had their fun with gullible him.

With the thoughts of what could go wrong with his friendship with Amber, as he went about the rest of his work day where he actually got a customer or two to wait on for the next four hours, August began to fall into something of a depression. For instance, why on earth was he agreeing to go out with the she-otter when, heck, surely she was going to find out that he was the lamest person in the world to hang around with!

Truly, apart for his serious work ethic, August was a lame person in general. He had accepted that fact a long time ago. For his meager idea of having a good time wasn't in going out to burn the town down. It was to put creamer into his usually black coffee every so often. How very exciting, right? Nope.

Still, seeing as she'd encouraged him to ask her out in the first place, maybe normality - averageness - was something the energetic otter waitress would come to appreciate about him. Maybe he, himself, was someone that she would come to appreciate more than just a friend at work. Didn't the saying "Opposites attract" have a purpose, after all? And if there was anyone in the world who was August's opposite in most everything, he knew for sure it was Amber. He couldn't complain about that neither. He didn't see a need to, seeing as she'd never done him wrong like some girls had in the past.

Honestly, as he'd come to learn about her during their last eight months together, where the young human man usually acted firmly mature, the she-otter acted cutely immature. Where he handled situations with utmost care, she usually just plowed in with nary a thought of preparation. Where he considered creamer in his coffee something to celebrate, she instead preferred rejoicing with a Long Island or more than that.

Put simply, where the waiter was a tortoise taking his time in life, the waitress was the hare speeding through it. Like the North Pole facing the South Pole of the world, they were perfectly opposite of one another. Yet, despite their differences, they had become quite close, hadn't they? Close enough to attempt to hang out after work, anyhow.

One way or the other, as they endured the rest of their hours, the thought of the friendly date was all that existed in in both August and Amber's minds. It soon was agreed between them that they wouldn't do anything too big that neither of them couldn't handle. At once, it was suggested by the she-otter that they could try to go out to eat for dinner somewhere classy. However, working in a restaurant like environment all day kind, every day of ruined that idea for them.

It happened to be the human man who actually made a rather casual, laid back suggestion that won the day in the end; head to the city park where they could walk along the river which was quite beautiful during this chilly time of year, talk about themselves, enjoy the fresh air as well as do whatever else came their way. In short, starting at "Kreenville's Riverside Park", the date would hopefully grow into something quite enjoyable from there. Not that it wasn't already enjoyable, mind. The two best friends just wanted to do more than stroll through the snow in what would be a deserted park.

And without a doubt, with their hometown being so big, the pair of them would find things to do late into the night. All they had to do was begin in the park.

When she agreed with his idea of walking and talking, it was then that August's fears of maybe being used or anything diminished. He instead felt all the more confident that he was going to do fine in providing Amber with an at least decent date. For where most girls would have finitely grimaced at his suggestion of walking and talking out in the cold, the she-otter had been more than willing if not happy to follow his lead. It went to show that she wasn't like the other gals he'd tried to get to know up to this day.

Truth be told, for following his suggestion where most lasses would have sneered at him for his voiced idea of taking things slowly, the human man now realized that the otter maiden was much more mature than she'd led on for the last eight months. And such a realization on August's part was... very, very, very relieving.

So, with the both of them agreed about starting their friendly get-together in Kreenville's Riverside Park located in the east side of town where the rich folks lived, August as well as Amber went about their work with vigor; more so than they'd had since the first snowfall last year at the start of November. All the while they worked, the two best friends were simply humored when their coworkers - snooping and trying to listen in on their whispered conversations at every chance - began treating them like aliens from mars for being so very optimistic about what was an otherwise slow, boring day at work at the County Seat.

Of course, their coworkers acted so rude because they were jealous. Jealous that they didn't have plans after work. Nothing as exciting as August nor Amber had in mind, anyhow.

Unfortunately, with other things taking priority in his mind, August never got around to finishing his book like he wanted to. Not when he was focused on everything that his she-otter companion had to say to him here or there about their date later on. So, one hour of his shift passed by. Then two were gone. Three soon enough vanished from his shift and finally, with the fourth hour drawing to a close, the human waiter got around to punching out from work with the otter waitress following behind him closely.

"Now remember. I get out an hour after you. It's seven now. Come and pick me up from my place in east Kreenville at eight so we can get this party started. I live at the Apollo Suite." The she-otter lectured of her humored friend, even helping him put on his black sweatshirt, wrap his grey scarf around his neck and then pulling his face close to hers when she got done, "And I know I've told you before but I'm telling you again, don't be unfashionably late to the party. I won't forgive you if you are."

"As you say, mom. Man, I'm under so much pressure here. I don't think I'll be able to handle it all." August replied jokingly, not being able to keep from smiling at having been told the plan for the millionth time in the last four hours, "Oh, but then again, I can handle this kind of pressure because I'm a big boy who works a big boy job, owns a big boy car and has his own big boy place. So, roger, I'll be sure to be at your suite in an hour. No, wait, I'll be sure to be there at ten' to eight. Sound good to you?"

"Ten minutes to eight sounds great. It really does." Amber replied, beaming as she followed her best friend towards the exit where the world outside was dark with the shadows of night but blazing white with snow underneath the street's lamppost lights, "You'll just need to give me some time to get ready then. You can't rush beauty, you know."

"Oh I know." August laughed, opening the restaurant door, stepping out of the warm indoors and into the chilly winter outdoors meanwhile, "But seeing as you have a lot of beauty about you already, Amber, I won't have to wait long."

"Aw. Shut up." The otter waitress snickered, playfully thumping her friend with her tail.

"No, seriously, I've seen you on your "off" days at work. And even during those days where you didn't bother "prettying" yourself up, you still made heads turn. Correction, you still made all the guys look at you on those days."

This was no flirtatious thing that August said to his best friend. It was an honest statement. He had a knack for that, saying things that he meant where other guys would have said it to simply get on the better side of a pretty girl. Yet, having known him long enough, having had him say such things to her before, Amber couldn't help but give him a playful elbow in the ribs. After she did that, to show just how pretty she could be, she brushed a lone strand of hair out of her shining eyes with utmost grace.

"Did I make your head turn during those days, August?"

"Yes." The human waiter simply responded, still not flirting but being honest which made the otter waitress's heart bubble up with the giggles for her own reasons, "However, unlike my fellows, I didn't look at your butt as you passed by. Rather, I simply took note of how, even on your off days, you racked in more than enough tips from your customers. Ha ha, I still laugh each time I think about it. Here, I do professional every day and you... you don't even have to try in order to make more doe than me."

"Jealous?" Amber laughed, very much enjoying herself. And they weren't even on the date yet.

"Of you? No." August said at once, pulling a comically disturbed face, "No, I'm good without feeling every eye glued onto my butt and chest every minute of every work day, thanks."

A grand laugh was shared between the best friends at the exit to the County Seat. If it wasn't evident already to them, their cheeriness was a sign of the good things to come later that night when they would actually be out enjoying their free time. For at this moment, they weren't dating yet. They were just being best friends. And if they were having such a good time doing that at the moment, how could they not have a better time during their plans for the coming night?

Easy, the pair of them would enjoy themselves. They would more than likely enjoy themselves so much that they'd maybe try it again in the future. Only time would tell. Only the future would tell.

As for the future telling anything, it was going to become nasty if August didn't start getting ready for the date soon and Amber didn't focus on the last hour of her work shift. Thus, after having given each a last smile, the she-otter waitress closed the restaurant door with a soft click while the human waiter - feeling better than he'd felt in what could be defined only as "forever" - began to march out into the snowy parking lot with the snow gently dancing downwards from the dark heavens above.

Despite the cold, despite the snow on the ground that groaned underneath each of his footsteps, everything felt perfect in the human's opinion. Without questioned, everything really was going to work out between him and the she-otter. This was going to be a memorable night.

August's feelings of contentment, however, was short lived when he abruptly slipped on some black ice on the pavement, floundered like a fool for several panicked moments, swore aloud and then fell flat on his rear with an antagonizing impact!

There, seated upon the parking lot ground underneath the nearest lamppost's light, hurting incredibly in his buttocks, with the snow gently falling down upon him, the human youth didn't do anything for a moment. Rather, he inwardly fumed about how Mr. Gravity liked to ambush unsuspecting victims from time to time.

On a side note, August was honestly very glad that no one - especially Amber - had seen him mess up like this so badly. He was appreciative that there was no one around to see him painfully stand upright, feel his injured behind along with hobble onwards like he was seventy years old. For if he had been seen, well, he never would've heard the end of this embarrassment in the workplace.

Still, where August thought he hadn't been seen by anyone of note, he had indeed been seen by someone. Someone who next pulled up to the straightening human in a very sleek, aerodynamic, red tinted, expensive looking Viper sports car, lowered the window on the driver's side and mockingly said what didn't need to be said. In the worst kind of humor, mind.

"Hah. Life can be a bitch sometimes, can't it, Aug-dog? What's the matter? Did you slip up_there?" The Viper's driver, a very confident, spunky looking he-wolf with a deep black-grey pelt, sneering grin and golden eyes, spoke superiorly, "Aw, what's the matter? Is life getting you _down? Ha ha ha!"

The inconsiderate wolf in question was the last person that August - with an ache in his butt, feeling very irritated already - wanted to see at the moment.

The wolfish canine in question was as young as the human waiter was but wasn't at all as mature. The immaturity on the wolf's side was due to the fact that he was Gary's, the owner of the County Seat's, son, "Loki Radwell", who hadn't ever worked on honest day of work in his life nor had he a well-earned dollar to his name. No, having been raised as a spoiled brat all of his life by his restaurant owning parents, having been given most everything he'd ever wanted by his brainless mother, Loki was everything that August wasn't; he was immature, he was snobbish, he was a play boy and he was uber rude to most everyone he met.

Moving on from his hating the young wolf sneering at him, doing his best not to seize the solid chuck of ice on the nearby curb to throw it as hard as possible into the Viper's driver's face, August straightened up in the parking lot, brushed himself off and then tried to act like he didn't know what was being discussed at the moment. Seriously, he wasn't about to give Loki - his actual rival - anything to use against him in the future. He wasn't about to say he'd fallen down due to the ice.

For during his last three years of working at the County Seat, he'd been through the experience of having the wolf taunting him in the workplace. It hadn't at all been pleasant.

"I'm sorry? Did you say that life has got you down, dog?" August wondered casually, secretly using the term "dog" as an insult rather than as a greeting towards the Viper's driver, "What about life can be a bitch? Hah, do you not know that already? Everything about life is a bitch. That's the lesson of today. You learned something new. Hooray. Don't worry, I don't charge for lessons. That one was free."

If there was something that Loki didn't like, it was being talked to. Naturally, he was used to having others look up to him where he, in turn, talked down to people. In August's case, though, that couldn't be said. The human waiter had come to be a favorite of Gary's for the last three years. Thus, he had gained the ability of being able to talk to Gary's son like they were equals... which was something that the young wolf could not at all stand.

Regardless, Loki sniffed along with continued to try to chase the truth that he'd seen the human waiter fall on his ass a second ago. "I said to you, April, is life getting you down? Because you fell onto your ass pretty hard there a second ago. Though I guess you would know how it feels to have an aching ass, being homo and all."

"What? You have to speak louder, sonny Jim. I'm getting' along in years." August said like an old man, doing his best not to laugh at the growingly angry reaction he was getting from Loki by pretending to be dumb to what was being talked about, "Did you say something about me having a pretty ass? And you were homo? Whoa, that's not cool! I know that I have to talk to your dad about you harassing half of the girls in the workplace but now you're moving on to guys? Me out of all of them? Crazy."

"NO!" Loki snapped, looking livid, "I said that you're the homo, homo!"

"And I say that you're a dick, dick!" The human waiter spat back, not angry but humored now that he was getting under the wolf's skin rather than the other way around, "You know, most people drive up to see if someone is okay if they slipped on the ice around here. In your case, though, you drive up to make fun of them. Whatever. How about you go drive this pretty little car of yours out of here, slide on some ice into a ditch and never come back to work here again? If you'd do that, it would be fantastic for me."

"Hmf, so you did slip on the ice a second ago. Why didn't you say so from the beginning? It could have saved us all of this trouble." The rude wolf youth chuckled, pretending like nothing had happened and instead falling back into his own hubris, "And I will drive my pretty little car, thanks. I won't go crashing it like you clearly want but I'll drive it still. Are you jealous of this baby? You have to be with the way you drive that old Ford Neon of yours around everywhere."

"Well, I prefer to be humble rather than stupid. My Ford Neon could outlast this sucker sports car of yours any day. And I happen to of bought my car two years back with honest pay from work." August came back, knowing he was going to strike home, "How did you get this "baby" of yours? Oh, that's right, through that allowance your daddy and mommy give you at work."

"Hey! I earn every cent that comes my way! I work too!" Loki growled at once.

"Ha ha, how?!" The human waiter actually laughed, finding this topic suddenly the funniest thing ever, "How did you earn honest money for this vehicle? How can you say that? Say, where did you apply for the "hanging out and flirting with the female employees all day at the bar and not doing anything worthwhile" job? I want a piece of that action. Especially if it will let me buy a sports car like this!"

"Yeah, well, too bad for you. I'm not spilling the beans. You won't be getting a piece of the action or a car like mine. Know why? You're not as cool as me and you won't ever be, loser."

At this, at being told he couldn't be as cool as him, at being called a loser, August literally grabbed the nearest pile of powder snow. Then, before anything could be realized or said, the human threw the snow into Loki's face, leaned into the driver window and snarled at the surprised wolf, "If cool means being like you, dog breath, then I'm super glad I'm me. In fact, I am me. Just mediocre me. Not you, Mr. Cool Dude who just had snow thrown in his face!"

No one else would have had the nerve to throw snow in Gary's son's face. No one else especially would have had the bravery to lean into a sports car with a very angry, very humiliated black wolf whose hackles were raised, eyes alight with menace and teeth bared. Nevertheless, August wasn't anyone else. He was himself. And when he finished saying what he needed to say, feeling a bit bad that he'd let his anger grab control of him, he pulled back out of the Viper, stepped back, then declared with a sneer on his own face.

"Now run along, you. Drive your pretty car up to the front of your daddy's restaurant so that everyone can suck up to you just like they always do. However, don't expect Amber to join in kissing your ass. And don't try to keep her. She has plans later on tonight."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Loki barked, looking angrier than ever at hearing that Amber - a girl he hadn't managed to get cornered yet thanks to August - had other things to do than act amazed over his newest ride. Come to think of it, the Viper was more than likely bought by the wolf to impress the she-otter tonight who wouldn't have time to pretend to be awed by it. Hah, the irony! "How do you know that Amber has plans later tonight?"

"Because they're with me, numbskull." The human waiter replied casually, "And if you make her late for my date with her tonight, I will kick your ass. Even if I have to do so in front of your dad."

After that, leaving a blustering Loki behind him, August walked past the dumbfounded wolf to his own humble car. That idiot dog could keep his viper. For the last two years, this Ford Neon had seen the human waiter to wherever he'd needed to go. It was, like him, average yet efficient. And feeling good that he wasn't in fact cooler than most anyone else, the human brushed off his simple vehicle, started it up without a problem, backed it out and then began to drive north towards his own apartment. He did all of this without so much as a backward glance. With Loki behind him, there was nothing to look at over his shoulder.

Damn. Speaking of that wolfish moron, it turned out that that he had distracted August for far too long. In all seriousness, the human waiter only had twenty minutes to get himself ready for what he hoped would prove to be a worthwhile night. Put better, after this drive home, he would only have ten minutes to dress himself! Blast it all!

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Just like everything else in his mediocre life, August had an average living arrangement. He lived in the commonly known "Acorn Glade" apartment complex which was located in the northern parts of town. There, the acorn trees grew in abundance throughout the seasons of spring, summer as well as autumn. It was also known that, thanks to the acorns being everywhere, squirrels were the usual residents of the said complex.

Either way, even though human, driving through town and parking his car in the eastern parking lot when arriving, August lived in the apartment numbered 117 on the first floor of Acorn Glade. After jumping out of his finer than fine vehicle, half wearing his sweatshirt and half taking it off at the same time, he rushed towards his home.

Just before he got to his front door, though, the door of 118 opened where a familiar face - a he-raccoon of about August's own age called by the name of "Silv Clooen" - emerged with his face half crammed into the phone in his hands. Only a split second reaction on August's part was what saved him as well as the raccoon from running smack dab into each other. And in the end, with another loud swear word, as if he'd been through enough, the human slipped in the snow where Mr. Gravity once again pulled him face down into the cold banks shoveled onto the sides of the sidewalk.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence where Silv simply stared at the still form of August over the top of his phone. Then, when the human purposefully raised his hand up out of the snow, when he grunted with his face still buried in the snowfall, the raccoon hauled him upright and began brushing him off matter of fact like.

"In a rush, are we, August?" The he-raccoon wondered of his good friend with a grin, finishing up in getting the snow off of his next door neighbor meanwhile, "That's not like you. What's the deal."

"For one, yes, I'm in a rush. Two, aren't you going to say sorry?" The human asked jokingly.

"Say sorry? Me? Whatever for?"

"For jumping in my way like you did a few seconds ago! Duh. You should be thanking me that I didn't just tackle you off of your feet and had you join me in getting a chilly bath." August insisted, brushing off his gloved hands covered in snow, "This is all your fault you know. This isn't the first time you've caused me or someone else to dive off to the sides because you've got your snout shoved in that damn device of yours while walking anywhere."

"Well, excuse me for having a schedule that I have to keep up with on the dot. As you know, this phone is my life." Silv chuckled back, finding the conversation funny as he should have for it was all in good fun, "It's how I receive notifications on how my pet projects and web designs are coming out. I can't just ignore my customers, August. That's never ever good for any business. And seeing as you work in customer service, you should know that better than anyone."

Silv Clooen was a most intelligent, light hearted, electronic expert who had lived alongside August for the last three years in apartment 118. There, in his den, before even the human's moving in next door, the raccoon had established himself a successful online, advertising, web designing network six years ago where he now had regularly paying customers, a good income along with a phone that he never ever put down for even a second. For the phone was his email box, his private messages, his texts, it was his everything in keeping up with his customers.

And that was that. August couldn't despise Silv at the moment for carrying around the phone all of the time. As it'd been said for him before, it was the raccoon's source of income, work, everything. Either way, though, the human waiter was wasting precious time! He couldn't keep getting distracted like this. Not if he wanted to be late to pick up Amber, anyway, which he DIDN'T!

"Right, right, right." The human murmured, passing the curious raccoon who at once noticed the usually isolate human's attitude was missing tonight, "I don't have time for this. I gotta get inside, get dressed, re-brush my teeth, check my hair-"

"Seriously?' Silv next said, having followed August to 117 rather than going about his business like he'd come outside to do, "This doesn't sound like the August that I know. What have you done with him, stranger? You got plans tonight, eh? You got a date?"

"I'm no stranger. I'm myself. And the answers are yes to both of those questions you just asked. I do have plans. I have sort of a date coming up soon."

At once, when hearing the answers to his questions were not at all what he'd expected, the raccoon took a hold of his human fellow. There, looking into each other's eyes, they looked at each other for a long minute until the he-raccoon asked jokingly, "I'm sorry, I thought that you - August - said that you have plans and a date tonight. Did I hear that correctly?"

"Yeah, you did." August answered simply, trying not to get distracted anymore and unlocking his front door, "Now excuse me. And don't jump to conclusions. It's a friendly date between a friend and I. Nothing more."

"Pft, friendly fate> Yeah right. A date is a date. One way or the other." Silv said at once, feeling very bewildered over what was being talked about, "Hm, finally coming out of your shell are you? Who is the lucky girl? It is a... girl you're going out with tonight, right?"

"Yes, Silv, it's a girl. Shut your face."

"Oh phew. I don't have to keep wondering about something anymore." Silv laughed jokingly, wiping pretend sweat from his brow, "Aw but now I can't keep hinting that you're gay. Damn. No more fun with that."

"So sorry to spoil your fun. I know, I'm such a party pooper." August said, suddenly shoving the raccoon backwards with an exasperated laugh, "Would you seriously stop standing in the light and let me unlock the door to my apartment PLEASE?! God, you're unbelievable."

"Oh, yes, my bad." The raccoon casually said, hopping further aside out of the way of the light so that the human, ramming his shoulder into the front door, finally ran inside without taking off his winter clothes, fluidly rolled across the floor onto his feet when he tripped on something, then vanished down the hall like nothing had just happened; like he hadn't just ducked, rolled and dove out of sight like some covert expert on an ops mission

Silv, having been allowed into apartment 117 many times beforehand, causally stepped inside. "Who are you going out with tonight, buddy?" The raccoon questioned aloud from the door which he closed behind him.

"My business is my own." Came August's rushed reply, clothes flying everywhere from his room door down the hall, "Speaking of business, don't you have some to attend to? Isn't that why you got in my way and me dive headfirst into the snow?"

"Firstly, it's not my fault you got a white wash. Secondly, I did have business but it got cancelled."

"That's a lie. That's such a LIE! You're just snooping around now cuz' I have a date. Don't be rude to your customers, striped face. Do your job web designing. Leave me be."

"Aw, don't be like that. I'm not being rude to anyone. I have a dozen customers trying to have me make them early Valentine's Day websites that will encourage the lovey-dovey atmosphere that is to come. Making them wait a little longer isn't going to kill them. They're all on a wait list anyway." The raccoon answered, tapping off his snowy boots and stepping into the abode lightly, "C'mon, Aug, buddy, spill the beans. What lucky girl actually managed to catch your eye? Was it that otter waitress down where you work."

There was a pause of silence where the he-raccoon instantly guessed that he'd hit the nail on the spot. For the last few months, the human waiter had been talking quite frequently about a certain she-otter waitress - supposedly bright, mature as well as beautiful - that went by the name Amber. If there was anyone who had gotten August to come out of his shell tonight, it had to be her for sure.

"No. It wasn't that otter." August lamely lied next.

"Why are you lying to me? You never were a good liar." Silv responded, laughing aloud, "It's definitely her you're going out with, isn't it? Admit it."

"Fine, yes! God, shut up!" The human yelled, having lied to prevent the raccoon from teasing him, "We're going out but only as friends."

"That's what they all say in the beginning." Silv chuckled, feeling pretty good to see that his formerly isolated human friend was actually going to go out with a she-otter he'd admired for the last few months, "Then the love bug pops in for a spell and makes a mess of things for all of those folks who are "only" friends. Suddenly, they're not so much friends. More like lovers."

"God, stop talking, Silv. Seriously. Hey, why are you in my house?!" August exclaimed, reappearing from his room dressed in waaaaaaay too causal a get up, "Out! Out now. I'm leaving and so are you. I don't have time to stand around trying to pretend that you're not an annoyance - What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"Hah, no way, dude. There's no way in hell you're going to your first date in forever looking like that." Silv stated sternly, fighting along with dragging August - who was dressed in a normal brown shirt, blue jeans along with black shoes - back to his room where there was definitely something more formal for him to wear to the supposed "friends only" date. "Look, I know that you've been cooped up in your little corner of the world here for a while but you need to rediscover your inner style, mate. I know you have one. Maybe you consider yourself average in most every way but that doesn't mean you're going to dress like it tonight. Nuh-uh, c'mere. You and I are going to dress you to knock this babe of yours out at first sight."

"It's just a date between friends! Not anything classy. No one is looking to knock out anyone at first sight!"

"So you say but you know that that's not true. Your girl is certainly going to want to rule tonight with a handsome mug, not a dirty teapot. Come on, bud, we can dress you better than that."

"I can't dress better than this! I don't have the time." The human exclaimed, struggling in his friend's grasp, "I've got fifteen minutes before I have to go and pick Amber up from her place! The drive will take me ten minutes!"

"You mean to say we only have five minutes to dress you? Lord almighty, bro, why did you take your sweet time in getting back home?" The raccoon laughed in a relaxed manner, remaining calm despite the obvious severity of the event now, "Don't worry, five minutes is all I need. You're in good hands, my friend. I've been in worse cram situations than this one and still pulled through. Here, give me a chance to style you up and you won't regret it."

Finally having the human standing before the closet in his cleanly bedroom, Silv began opening drawers and sorting through clothes hanging on hangers while muttering to himself, "Now, let's see... Ah yes. Here, Aug, put on this brown sweater. It'll go well with your onyx sweatshirt. Replace those ripped blue jeans with these non-ripped ones. It's winter, if you hadn't noticed already, dork. And let's have you try on some other shoes that won't make you look so, well... crummy."