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"Hello Alex! Do you fancy taking part in a modelling audition?"That wasn't what Alex had expected Kira to say. "Umm..." he said, trying to think of a sentence to answer with that conveyed his meaning, nothing could be less appealing to me except for being dropped into a live volcano, with politeness.She noticed his hesitation. "Oh go on Alex, I've always told you you'd do great. Go and do it. Trust yourself! I found an advert for an underwear modelling job and they're holding auditions tomorrow."Alex felt his shoulders slump a little. It wasn't that he was fat or scrawny, he knew that. It was just that, well, modelling? It just wasn't him. And he didn't pay as close attention to the correct bulking-up proportions for his biceps versus his triceps, so to a professional casting company he probably looked all unbalanced.He stretched the telephone cord and used his claw to scratch a little grime off part of the coil. "It's a nice idea Kira, but-""Great!" she enthused. "It's at-""No no no, I couldn't!" Alex interrupted, looking around at his bedroom in a bid to feel comforted by the familiarity of it. They'd had this conversation before and it always left him feeling a little uncomfortable. "I'm no model."She murred at him, a friendly admonishment. "You don't think so? Look Alex, I've seen your build. You look great, I've always told you so. So how about it, eh?""I'm not sure..." What did she see in him that he didn't?"Alex, you'll never know unless you give it a try. I have faith in you. Trust yourself!"Alex sighed. "Well... all right!" Maybe it would be okay! Maybe..."Yay! Okay, have you got a pen? I'll read you the details now..." xXx Little Steve listened intently as Alex listed the faults with his body. At least, Alex noticed how intent Little Steve looked while he explained the faults with his body. It was unusual to see his friend pay such close attention. The miniature koi frowned in concentration and bit the insides of his cheeks so that his barbels occasionally waggled."...so really, I don't think I'm going to have a chance at competing with the others there. But Kira was so sure I should go along that, well, here I am. And she's said this kind of thing a few times before, so I figured it'd probably be a good idea to show her once and for all that I'm not modelling material, that the casting furs won't think I am either. I just hope this isn't going to be too embarrassing."Little Steve stuck his fins in his pockets and gave Alex a very level look. "Alex, don't do yourself down. You'll do fine. And anyway, if you've decided to prove something to Kira then go and prove it. You might end up surprised," he added with a half-smile that managed to be more than half-reassuring, which was one of the reasons they'd become friends in the first place."Ah, I suppose," said the German Shepherd. Then he remembered something.

He'd been so worried about how he'd compare against the competition that he'd completely forgotten about his views on male models! "But you know, models are really superficial. The whole industry's superficial. I wouldn't want to be part of a world like that. I don't know why I'm going."Alex had stopped walking and by association, so had Little Steve. The koi carp put his fin on Alex' shoulder. "Look, Alex. If you're so sure you're not going to get chosen then that doesn't matter, does it? Either you'll turn up, they'll say no thank you and you get to go on your merry way, or you turn up, they say yes please, will you work for us? And you can still say no. Either way you can show Kira - and yourself - that it isn't for you."Alex looked down at the fish. "You're really sure it isn't for me?""No," Little Steve answered, his smile as straightforward and honest as Alex had ever seen it. "And I think it's time for you to try it, either to put it out to pasture or to find your calling in life. Come on, it's just down this street." xXx At the reception desk Alex discovered, to his slightly-horrified disappointment, that German Shepherds cannot shrink at will. He found himself spotting the other models waiting to audition: a koala with a certain rugged something that he didn't generally expect of the teddy-bear-shaped marsupials, a lithe and ridiculously good-looking Eastern dragon, a tiger...A tiger? Alex had known he shouldn't have come. How was he going to compete with a big cat?Little Steve had already gone to the reception desk. "Hi. I'm here to book Alex Ryan in."The okapi receptionist looked around the koi carp's frilly fin at Alex. "Is that him?""Yes. I'm representing him." Alex saw that Little Steve was smiling at the okapi from the way his barbels lifted."Professionally?" the receptionist asked."No, just initially.""Ah. D'you want to come over?" the receptionist called to Alex.Meanwhile the tiger had sidled up to Alex. "First time?"Alex hesitated for a moment and then sighed. "Yeah."The tiger wrinkled his nose. "Thought so. A lot of professionals are coming to this. Good luck, mate.""Thanks," Alex said, although it felt redundant to say it. He knew when he was being told he wasn't welcome.Alex approached the okapi hoping for some kind of reassurance, but didn't really get it. The receptionist's oval eared, pale face was impassive, as if he just wanted to get the task of coralling the models over with. Either that or he didn't think Alex had a chance, either."What's your surname?" he asked, pen poised over a register."Ryan," Alex answered automatically."Date of birth?"Alex told him.The okapi wrote his name and a number on the bottom piece of paper, tore it off along the dotted line, folded it up and added a clip, and handed it to Alex. "Down the corridor and third on the right.

Get changed into whatever you've brought and then the photo shoot's happening at the far end." He sounded like he'd said that too many times to bother making it sound reassuring."Thank you," Alex said, aware that he was now talking on autopilot, that he wasn't welcome enough here to say anything other than banal niceties.Little Steve gave him a reassuring smile and began to turn towards the corridor doorway but the okapi said, "Models only. Sorry."Alex cursed inwardly - he'd banked on Little Steve coming with him, just for a little reassurance. But they looked at each other and realized it wasn't to be."You'll do fine Alex. Be cool," he said warmly, and they went their separate ways.He found the changing room, forced himself to strip down to the red briefs he's worn for the occasion, left his stuff in his rucksack and went to the room at the end. He heard the babble of dozens of furs before he saw them. The room was warm and humid with the presence of so many anthros, high-ceilinged and decked with the supporting apparatus for staggered seats, although at the time that was all folded up against one wall. The tired herringbone parquet underpaw and the stage told him that usually this was a lecture hall.Today however, nofur was sitting or up on the stage. Instead they milled around, leaving an empty space in the middle where the camera operator, a small hedgehog with humble eyes and a diligent bearing, worked. He'd set up a space with a probably-photoshopped, reddish stormy sky-and-rocks background. As the German Shepherd watched, the hedgehog photographed a seriously, seriously ripped rhino in a pair of black trunks, who'd either stuffed a couple of winter socks down the front or was scarily well-endowed.The rhino left the scene, his walk deliberate and wide from his heavy musculature, and the hedgehog ticked off something on a clipboard. "Number twenty-one," he called. His voice was as humble as the rest of his bearing and Alex felt himself relax slightly."Oh, are you still here?" asked a familiar, smooth voice behind him and he looked around to see the tiger again. He looked confident and Alex could see why - he was a model through and through. He had intricate tattoos that bisected his stripes perfectly, making him appear like some exotic hitherto unknown species of cat.Ahead of Alex, a vulture with an air of cool badass glanced back and gave Alex the once-over. Without a word he dismissed him and turned away, as if leaving Alex to the tiger until later.Come on Alex, he thought before his mind went too far down that route. It's just rivalry. It doesn't mean I'm worthless, he just wants me to think it."Yeah, I am." He looked the tiger in the eye and folded his arms. "Why?"The tiger paused, laughed as if at a private joke and said, "Nnn... never mind." And he strode past, every muscle rippling to perfection.Alex kept a sigh inside, checked his ticket - he

was model number thirty-two - and walked on to be nearer the action. xXx "Number thirty-two?"Alex froze. He looked around at the hedgehog, who was looking around for somefur to respond. "Is number thirty-two still here?"Most models were too busy chatting but a few looked around as they realized that one of their number had either left, or wasn't stepping up.Alex willed himself to step forward but his paws wouldn't move. Damn it, damn it, damn it! Do something Alex, either go over or leave. He thought about Little Steve outside, about the fish's confidence in him. About his lack of knowledge of the rivalry Alex was tolerating in this room. What was he going to say if Alex called it off now? He knew his friend wouldn't hold it against him but he didn't want to leave having failed."Number thirty-two?" The tone in the hedgehog's voice sounded like he was about to give up and call the next model. It had to be now. What had the koi said? You'll do fine, Alex. Be cool.The German Shepherd stepped forward. "Yep, I'm here. Sorry."The photographer looked over at him and Alex felt instantly comforted. Despite the buzz in the room there was no sense in that gaze of the impatience he'd seen in the okapi receptionist. Just mildness and kind professionalism.This was it. Alex felt the nervousness in his chest shake harder and he sighed to try and dispel it. "Okay," he muttered to himself as he stepped in front of the background, his throat a little dry. "Where do you want me?""You're already there," the hedgehog smiled and sat down behind his camera.Alex smiled and tried a pose.The light flashed. "What was the last compliment a girl paid you?"Alex thought. Kira! Alex, I've seen your build. You look great. I've always told you so. He smiled at the memory and felt warm inside.The hedgehog took another picture. "Must've been some compliment!" he said, humility lending his comment a kind of understated charm.So how about it?She'd said that too. She'd meant it as encouragement to come to the shoot, but out of context he suddenly saw a flirtatious side to her comment. He felt a naughtier smile flood across his face.The hedgehog caught his smile in its fullest, most spontaneous moment, and Alex knew it was so in a split-second."And, you're done. That's it!" said the photographer.It'd been so easy! Relieved and pleased, Alex stepped out from behind the camera. They smiled at each other and he left to get dressed. xXx Dear Mr. Ryan,Congratulations! We were very pleased with your audition photographs and would like to offer you a contract. Please contact me on the number above to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet and discuss this further.Yours sincerely,Shaki WhitepawAnthro ResourcesMusk ProductionsTHE END.