Aquaphobia
[Greentext] Anon takes his tiger girlfriend to a waterpark to help her over her fear of water.
>You are Anon
>Your girlfriend is a beautiful tigress
>Orange fur like the twilight horizon, stripes like brushstrokes of the blackest ink, and narrow eyes citrine and confident
>She's at least a good head taller than you, a fur-covered, epitome of form and grace
>And a tail that tends to have a mind of its own, wrapping around your waist as she gazes undividedly at you
>You have to admit, she may have been little out of your league
>And you haven't been on more than a handful of formal dates, so “girlfriend" might be a bit presumptuous
>So, what does Ruba see in YOU?
>Well, you're extremely patient with her
>Listening to her stories attentively
>Waiting as long as it takes while she grooms herself
>And helping her with her deathly fear of water
>Ruba confided in you during your most recent date that she's never been a good swimmer, and she always has to make excuses to get out of pool parties with friends
>So when you told her you'd do everything you can to help her, she was hesitant at first
>And then proceeded to give you a back-breaking hug
>You decided to start with small, shallow bodies of water and work your way up
>The first time she walked out with her emerald, two-piece bikini your jaw dropped
>Her breasts were spilling out top and bottom, the fabric so stretched it left nothing to the imagination
>Neither did her bottom half, where her tail-tie was valiantly keeping her ass from devouring the rest of the swimsuit
>Even for such an outgoing, flirty feline, she was a little embarrassed to be so exposed before you
>"It's been AGES since I bought this," she said glumly, trying to pull the corners into shape
>You offered to treat her to a new one, but she refused
>"Thank you, Anon, but I don't want to waste your money on something I might not wear more than once."
>As arousing the ill-fitting bathing suit is, you'll make sure that doesn't happen
>So you eased her in over the following weeks
>Taking her to public pools, and then the beach
>And then your adventure today
>The two of you are on the way to Flood Frontier, the biggest waterpark in the region
>Sadly, a lot of smaller ones still ban most types of anthros, lacking the money for filtration systems needed to stop the drains from clogging with fur
>The bigger places are accepting to everyone, albeit at a premium cost
>But Ruba is worth every penny to you
>The whole city around Flood Frontier profits off its popularity, and you booked a hotel nearby so you wouldn't have to make the long drive twice in one day
>You figured there's stuff to do if you have to call it an early, unsuccessful night
>Both you and her are already in your swimsuits when you roll into the parking lot
>You try offering to buy her a new suit again, but once more she refuses
>This time out of pride
>"I know how much you've been staring at me," she purrs. “So if I'm going to be a cowardly little kitten I might as well be a sexy one for you."
>She puts her large paw on your backside as the two of you walk through the front gates
>Now YOU may need a bigger suit
>You find a nice set of beach chairs to drop your towels off right by the wave pool
>The waters are calm for the moment, and you ask if she's ready
>She nods
>You both wade out a bit, Ruba up to her knees and you to where your feet don't touch
>You coax her out farther, trying not to treat her like an infant learning to walk
>She gingerly goes deeper, now up to her waist
>Then the siren blares
>And a rumble echoes from the far end
>The waves begin, first starting small and rapidly growing to whitecap crests
>You buoy in place as Ruba shrieks at what must look like a tsunami to her
>The waves die down by the time they reach the shallow part where she's standing, but it's still high enough to splash up to her chest
>A few times the waves by you reach over your head
>"Anon!" she calls out whenever you dive beneath the surface
>There's pronounced worry in her voice
>She's genuinely terrified for your safety, and it's probably the only reason she hasn't already bolted back to the chairs
>You let the tide carry you back to shore, right into her outstretched arms
>She holds you to her chest
>It'd be arousing if you didn't feel so much pity for her
>"Please, don't do that to me," she says into your ear
>Oh well, maybe she'll reconsider it later
>You were hoping to save the “lazy river" till the end where you can relax and unwind, but Ruba really needs to get her confidence back
>Humans and anthros of all sizes float along the continuous circuit
>You find two large rafts for you both to lie on
>Ruba takes up all of her own, and even half of yours with her limbs splayed out
>It's a good thing the rubber is extra thick, because you're afraid her claws might puncture the rafts as she keeps you from floating away
>A few young otters swimming in the river flip their siblings off their tubes and splash one another
>Ruba shivers at the sight
>"Don't let those brats near me," she moans
>You pat her trembling paws
>It's around noon when you exit the river, but you sit at some nearby tables for lunch
>Ruba normally has a hearty appetite, but today she seems to be drawing the meal out as long as possible
>You ask if she's ready to take on some slides yet
>She spends an extra long time chewing her mouthful before speaking
>"Aren't we supposed to wait an hour before touching water again?"
>This might take a while
>But eventually you persuade her to try some tube slides, tandem ones so she's close to you
>Being the bigger one, she has to sit behind you
>Her claws dig into your shoulders, and her plump thighs crush your ribs
>The slide attendant gives your double doughnut tube a kick, and Ruba lets out a squeak as you speed off
>The tunnel is almost pitch black, but she seems to take the turning and drops well
>It's the end that you know she's bracing for
>The last part is a straightaway with streaks of dim lights, opening up to the deep pool that catches sliders at the end
>Her grip tightens into your skin
>You're both crying out together for different reasons
>She wails as the tube crashes into the pool, slapping the surface
>She rocks the tube trying to stay on while you try to counterbalance it
>When it's stable, you ease yourself off and drag her to the shallow steps out of the pool to help her out
>Ruba is laughing nervously, but there's some triumph to it too
>Her tail is coiled around your waist like a belt as you look at the park map for the next destination
>"Thanks for toughing it out with me," she says, leaning her head on top of yours
>You decide to slip a few calmer rides in to reward Ruba for her bravery, and prepare her for the rougher ones
>You do a group tube next, sharing the oversized tire raft with a human girl and her buck companion
>Ruba is pensively quiet through most of it, leaving you to make all the small talk
>The bigger rides like this don't quite jerk around as much, though splashes of water at every bend still make her gasp
>It gets harder when convincing her to try the single-person body slides, but she relents
>You wait at the bottom for her, waving as she hits the water pool at the end and submerges entirely
>She's still pinching her nose shut even after she gets to her feet
>Her fur is completely, adorably drenched
>Adjusting her top a bit, she gives you the first coy smile you've seen since entering the waterpark
>But the mood doesn't last forever, and unfortunately she catches sight of the colossal structure in the middle of the waterpark
>"That thing's a SLIDE?" she blanches. “I thought it was just for show! It's almost vertical!"
>Yup, The Big Slip
>A sky-touching, fully enclosed drop that shoots you to the opposite side of the planet
>You've seen big slides before, but this one in particular is a reason to give pause
>Such a big cat giving such a pitiful mewl is enough to break anyone's heart
>You tell her you won't make her do that one
>Her wide, fear-filled eyes narrow, and You see the sunlight glimmer off those citrine irises
>A look you've seen before when she refuses to let something stand in her way
>"Is that…the worst ride in the park?"
>Well, you'd consider the “Flood Frontier Stage Show" the worst, but you get what she means
>"So if I conquered that one, nothing else would be as bad…"
>It wasn't a question so much as an epiphany
>You tell her again she doesn't have to do it
>Honestly, you're not quite up to it yourself
>But she starts walking ahead of you
>"Come on, before I change my mind," she says
>THIS is the confident tiger you fell for
>The line is long and winding, going up for several stories
>Ruba's in a meditative state as you guide her up by the paw, each step like checking for land mines
>Even with her eyes closed, her breathing gets heavier as she knows just how far up you're climbing
>She's practically hyperventilating by the time you reach the summit
>Her eyes snap open and she twists to see the entire park far below
>It's the heavenly sight everyone's treated to before plunging to the underworld
>That's when she notices the “sissy stairs" in the corner, a descent of shame for those whose nerves get the better of them at the last second
>You feel a tug at your hand as she's drawn toward the stairs, but you hold on tight
>You tell her you'll go first and wait for her below
>And that if she really wants to back down, you'll fully support her
>She doesn't say a word as you break contact
>"Feet first, arms crossed, head back," the polar bear attendant says to you in a monotone
>You do as instructed, giving one last look to Ruba upside down
>You can't read her thoughts, so her choice is now her own
>You scoot forward and let gravity pull you down
>It's rough, to put it lightly
>You're in a free fall into the darkness, with the rushing water and air deafening you in the compact space
>It also seems to last for an eternity, giving you more time to worry how Ruba will handle it, if at all
>And then it's over
>You see sunlight again as you skid to a stop in the long track
>You feel like you're in shell shock as you wobble to your feet
>But you shake it off quickly as you turn to wait for the next one coming down
>You clench your fists in apprehension, hoping to see your tiger come sliding out
>And then, a flash of orange fur zooms from the void
>She lies there, unmoving
>Then laughs, almost to the point you're afraid the slide broke her
>She springs to her feet and skips out of the track
>"Ha…ha…I did it!" she yells, pumping her arms into the air
>You're so happy for her you almost don't tell her to look down
>But she sees your reddening face anyway and her head tilts forward
>Her bikini couldn't quite stand up to the challenge of The Big Slip
>One of her breasts had flopped out of her top
>Now THAT's something you wish lasted an eternity
>She quickly stuffs the errant boob back into her swimsuit with a sheepish grin
>That's when you notice the slide attendant near the end of the track
>But the hippo-on-duty just shakes his head in indifference
>"Nothin' I don't see happen at least a dozen times a day," he snorts
>As Ruba said, she conquered the worst Flood Frontier has to offer
>Everything seems tame compared to The Big One, and she tries everything at least once
>Even the wave pool gets a second chance, though the best she can do is still just tread water
>You'll make her an Olympic swimmer eventually
>Her spirit is back to normal, and she handles it all like the proud tiger you've always known
>Except now she's a little more self-conscious about having another wardrobe malfunction
>You finish your stay in the waterpark with one last lap around the lazy river, your rafts connected out of tenderness instead of panic
>As you complete the circuit, you hear the announcement of the park's closing time quickly approaching
>Ruba runs her nails over your sun-kissed skin
>In retrospect, you should have used more tanning lotion
>"You know," she says, “I don't think I'm ready to get out of the water for the day just yet…"
>Her paw curls around you body, and she pulls you completely onto her raft in an embrace as yours drifts off
>"And I believe our hotel has a hot tub in it," she says in a hushed voice
>Once again, really glad these rafts don't puncture easily