STORY ONE: Kaleb's Killer Business

TW: Death

Kaleb sat in his chair, idly tapping his fingers on his desk out of boredom as he listened to the demands of yet another would-be usurper. This one was a clever little Sergal. So ignorant of the ways of Ferus, and so bold in his presence. Surely they could see he couldn't care less about their blackmail? After all, what was it to him if it came out that he was actively suffocating the local businesses? He had to expand his influence, his resources, and most of all, his reach. He would not die a nameless millionaire like his mother. He would not die as a footnote in the biography of another the same way his father had.

As the sergal recounted Kaleb's many crimes, only a few of which were false accusations, he let out a sigh.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kay, are you bored? Should I spice up my threats a little more? I can have you in cuffs by morning if I want, and you know it. Stop playing like you don't care."

"If you wanted me in cuffs, I'd be in cuffs. If you wanted me dead, I would be dead. Bruce has been at the door this entire time, you've had ample time to attack even with reflexes like his. I'm playing like I don't care because I simply do not care. Now please, either leave or be removed."

He reached for a bottle of water under his desk, drinking some before setting it on a coaster on the wooden top.

"Be removed? What, you think Brucie back there is going to do anything to me? You send me away now and I'll have the entire city reading all about you. No such thing as bad publicity? I'll put that to the test for sure!"

With another sigh, Kaleb waved his hand and without a word his guard was stepping forward. The Sergal barely had time to react before Bruce was on him, holding him and preparing to escort him out of the room.

"Bruce, please revoke his right to consciousness. I'd rather not have to spend any more this month to silence the press, we're already nearly a hundred thousand over the budget. Please ensure he doesn't tell any living soul anything."

The orca nodded, and grabbed the sergal by the head with both of his hands. As he cried out in fear and struggled against the powerful grip, the sergal shouted curses at Kaleb.

The snake simply nodded to Bruce, and with a sharp twist followed by a sickening crack, the Sergal went limp. Dropping the lifeless body to the ground, Bruce returned to his post.

Kaleb, for his part, simply pressed a button on his intercom, leaning forward just enough for it to pick up his voice.

"Please send Gavin up. I've made a slight mess of the carpet. Thank you."

STORY TWO: Kaleb and Devon

Kaleb straightened his tie, popping his neck as he walked off the stage. He'd been giving a speech and, as always, his throat was killing him. They never kept enough water on the stage for him. Likely thinking he'd be fine for a short speech. With a flick of his wrist, he called over a server as he entered the main dining hall.

"Water, please. And plenty of it."

His voice was hoarse and dry, and the server hurried to fulfill his order. They were back in seconds, and Kaleb drank through most of what they brought before they'd even left. Feeling much better, he smiled and put on his most presentable expression, kindness and interest in his eyes. Of course, he couldn't care less for any of this. A food drive, with Kaleb as the key note speaker. He recognized the absurdity of it all. The most well fed man in the city asking others to donate and cook food for these unfortunate souls, all while he and his employees threw away more food in an hour than this drive would provide in two weeks. Nonetheless, it was acts of perceived kindness like this that paved the way for his business to continue uninterrupted, and as he sat at a table, a familiar and wholly unwelcome face presented itself in the crowd, heading his way.

Sitting across from him now was the last man in the entire city he wanted to see, especially right now. He sighed, calling a server over.

"I'll take water, please. As much as you can give me in one go. My friend here will take a bottle of your finest wine."

The server nodded, and the other man simply grinned as Kaleb finally addressed him directly.

"Hello Devan. I see you're getting quite bold. I assume it's because Bruce is currently preoccupied?"

"Shit, you're as regal as ever, aren't you?"

Kaleb would roll his eyes, if he weren't so determined to ensure the crowd believed he was having a nice chat with an old friend. He maintained his most polite expression, and kept careful watch of his tone. Any paparazzi would simply think he's with a fan.

"Yes, I prefer to keep an eye on my image. After all, quite unlike you, I remain in the spotlight nearly at all times."

"Well we can't all inheret mommy and daddy's adoration from the public to go with their heaps of cash, now can we?"

That struck a chord, and Kaleb's pupils narrowed sharply.

"No, I suppose we can't. After all, if we did, then who would grovel and scrounge at our feet pretending to catch up to us simply to achieve half in their lifetime what we achieve on a daily basis?"

Judging by the snarl that came from Devan's throat, he struck a chord as well. His pupils returned to their calm state and he closed his eyes with a smirk. As the server brought their drink, Kaleb thanked him with a generous helping of cash as a tip, thankful for the six cups of water he'd been brought. Emptying one of them, he looked to Devan, who was still fuming as he poured a cup of wine for himself.

"Speaking of grovelling, how have your latest attempts at stealing my business gone? I do believe that Sergal from yesterday was one of yours, was he not?"

"He was, but only barely. Hired him a few weeks ago, didn't really care to lose him."

"And how did you think I would take being threatened? Surely you've lost enough enforcers and assassins of your own to know a simple street felon would fail as well, yes?"

"All I told the dumb fucker was to keep tabs on you and report to me. Not threaten your ass soon as he thought he could."

"Well, at least you're a little smarter than he was, then."

The opossum bared his teeth at the snake, claws digging into the table.

"Do be careful, Devan. I understand you're used to drywall, particle board, and faux oak, but this is true, genuine mahogany beneath these tablecloths. The cheap imitations you surround yourself with can be repaired and restored with far less hassle than this."

Devan grinned maliciously, a seething anger in his eyes as he dug his claws in deeper. A mistake Kaleb sought to rectify quickly.

"I said..."

He reached forward, casually grabbing the opossum by the wrist and squeezing roughly, twisting slowly and yet with force.

"Stop."

Devan couldn't believe the strength of the scrawny reptilian. Nor the fact he hadn't thought to avoid the grab. Something about Kaleb's calm, casual demeanor threw his whole radar out of wack.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Let go of me!"

His wrist felt like it was about to break, and while he'd give anything to simply make a scene and get Kaleb into an assault charge, he knew how his crew would see it and that isn't something he cared to deal with. He kept his voice low, and maintained his posture.

"Hm? I'm simply looking your hand over. Are you eating right? You seem to have quite tight skin right around here."

With that, he dug his thumb into a section of Devan's palm, and his entire arm went numb for a moment, a sensation that could only be described as buzzing pain shooting through him like a flash of lightning before his arm lost feeling for a moment. Once feeling returned, Kaleb let go and took another drink, satisfied with his show of force.

"Son of a...F-fuck...You ain't gonna be top dog forever. Don't doubt that for a god damned second, Kaleb. One of these days, I'm gonna get you. And when I do, I'm gonna tear out those fangs, shear off those scales, and turn you into a fucking snakeskin jacket"

Kaleb simply chuckled, a rare sound for the purple reptile.

"Is that so? Bruce, please show Devan the way out. He's had a tad much to drink and I believe it's making him delirious."

Devan whirled around, the orca behind him having gone unnoticed by his radar as well. That was all that went unnoticed, however. He grinned as a familiar feeling hit his gut, and he ducked down, rolling out of his chair just as Bruce grabbed at him, causing the grab to miss. He looked to Kaleb with a smirk.

"You must get high on water, cause I'm not the delirious one here, motherfucker."

He dodged another grab from Bruce, kicking the orca in the back. Not that it did anything. He more did it as an insult, to show he had no fear of Kaleb's bodyguard.

"I wasn't confident cause he wasn't here. I was confident because-"

Another dodge, another missed grab. There was a crowd watching now, and he felt fueled by their eyes, intent on proving his superiority.

"Because he was watching. By Malor's will, I'll have your hide one day."

He dodged a final lunge from Bruce, and ran into the crowd, weaving between onlookers as he ran from the table.

Kaleb let out a laugh as Bruce moved behind him.

"He's gettin' cocky."

Kaleb nodded, his bodyguard's conclusion entirely accurate.

"Yes, but it's quite refreshing. I recall the days when he was too afraid to even send a spiteful letter. Now he's making bold attempts at threatening me in person. Even attacking you to flaunt his skill. It's somewhat troubling you couldn't catch him..."

Kaleb closed his eyes, taking a few drinks from one of his cups.

"But I'm glad all the same. I'd hate to lose my favorite entertainment due to a little overzealous rough-housing."

STORY THREE: Ryder's Bully-Breaking

Ryder stormed through the crowd, hearing the insults and blows landing from all the way down the hall of his school. Towering over the crowd, he was easily capable of seeing what was happening. As he rushed through the onlooking students, some laughing and some hiding the shame of their inaction, he began to let loose a long, loud, furious growl.

At the center of the crowd stood Jackson, his usual group simply watching from the inner circle of onlookers. And at Jackson's feet lay David, curled up and clutching at his stomach. Ryder felt his lips curl back into a snarl as he rushed forward, nearly to the inner circle.

A distance he closed in less than a single heartbeat as Jackson drew back his leg once more, preparing to kick David yet again. Ryder showed no hesitation. Drawing back his arm, he rushed through the crowd. With the force of a full sprint propelling him forward, along with the rapid twist of his upper body on top of the sudden punch forward, he knocked Jackson a full nine feet away with a resounding crack as his heavy fist collided with the bully's jaw.

Immediately dropping to one knee and checking David for injury, he saw that the cat was bleeding from the nose and had a busted lip as well. It only spurred his anger on. Standing again, he let out a furious growl. It was short-lived, as Jackson had gotten up, dazed but pissed. The smaller boy charged Ryder, sending a powerful punch into the great grey's own face.

A meaningless gesture, as the smaller predator realized. Ryder barely budged, turning to look Jackson in the eyes despite the strength he was putting into knocking Ryder away. The great grey simply growled at the smaller predator before grabbing him by the shirt and the throat, carrying him to the nearest wall. The crowd parted easily, terrified of getting in the furious wolf's way. He'd been a silent guardian over David's shoulder for years, and seeing him finally snap had everyone nervous. Even the teachers made no move to stop him.

With effortless movement, he pinned Jackson to the wall and bared his fangs in warning.

"If you ever, EVER, hurt him again, or ANYONE ELSE in this school.."

He dug his claws into the tender flesh of the other boys neck, leaving droplets of blood on his claws and the skin.

"I will break every last bone in your body..."

He let go of the boys shirt, keeping him pinned by his neck as he drew his fist back before slamming it full force into the smaller predators stomach.

"Tear you limb from limb..."

Another swing, powerful and well-aimed, resonated with an echoing 'THUD' in the hall.

"AND FEED THE PIECES TO YOU UNTIL YOU CHOKE ON THEM!"

As he dropped the boy, he lifted his knee up sharply, striking Jackson in the stomach once again. The weight of his victim was nothing to him, and he simply swung his leg out, flinging the other boy a couple feet away from him.

"AM. I. CLEAR?"

Wordlessly, gasping for air, Jackson nodded in pain and fear, submitting wholly to the great grey. With a final snarl, Ryder walked through the crowd and picked up David, his anger melting away instantly as he carried him to the nurses office. Passing by a teacher, he looked to them apologetically.

"I'm sorry if I made a scene. But I had to do something. He needed a lesson that none of you were teaching. I don't care what the punishment is, he's had this coming for a long time."

Without waiting for a reply, he simply left, ensuring David made it to the nurse promptly before making his way to the office of the school to discover his punishment.

"Ryder, I can't ignore that you've seriously injured another student. I have to do something, even if your heart was in the right place. I can't suspend you. It's your first offense. But detention isn't nearly serious enough. After talking to the other faculty, I've made a decision that should get the punishment across though."

Ryder sighed. Creative punishment was never good.

"What is it?"

"You'll be assisting Jackson in his recovery."

STORY FIVE: A Cat in the Vampire's Den

David ran through the house, sprinting down the hallway from the bathroom to the living room. His pursuer was hot on his heels as he turned the corner and grabbed it to pull himself to the side.

Ryder couldn't turn fast enough and slipped, using a knee and his hand to save himself from a proper fall.

"You think that'll save you?"

He grinned as David took off again, running breathlessly to the kitchen as Ryder followed.

"You know I'll get you, why fight it?"

He growled every word through sharpened fangs, far longer than any normal wolf. His eyes a bloody crimson as opposed to their usual teal, Ryder watched as David vaulted over the kitchen counter. He followed suit, continuing the chase.

"G-go away!!"

David cried out, the fear in his voice palpable. His clothes tattered, he was barely covered. His white shirt, bloodied and torn, and his jeans, equally stained with crimson and shredded along the legs, did little to protect him from the sudden chill of the house he'd come to call home.

Getting distracted was the worst thing he could have done.

David slipped, and Ryder was on him in an instant, grabbing him roughly and pulling him up before pinning him to a wall.

"Got you~. And now I think I'll do it nice and slow. As payback for making me work so hard for it, you're going to suffer slowly, my little kitten."

He let out a hungry snarl, opening his mouth as his fangs dripped with the sign of his hunger. He bit into David's neck with a resounding....

Pop.

The two stopped, and looked down. One of Ryders fangs had come off from the bite, and fallen to the floor.

The two burst out in laughter, and Ryder set David down before picking up the fang.

"I guess that's what we get for buying them from the dollar store, huh?"

"I guess, haha. You look silly with just the one fang."

Ryder nodded, laughing at the visual. He blew on the fang and popped it back on over his incisor.

"At least we made the right call on the contacts. Expensive, but they're quality for sure."

David nodded, then gave Ryder a sultry grin.

"Well, vampire, you caught your victim. You gonna kill me, or would you like to enjoy me for a while~?"

Ryder grinned maliciously, picking David up again.

"I already told you, you're going to suffer slowly for making me work so hard. I'm going to take my time with you. All. Night. Long."

With that, he let out another hungry growl as he carried David to the bedroom. It was going to be a "happy" Halloween indeed~

STORY SIX: David's Ultimatum

David glared across the table at Ryder, baring his teeth and letting out a low, angry hiss. Ryder simply smirked at him, leaning back and watching the cat with amusement. This was the final straw. David huffed, and with dark finality, his words dripped with rage.

"You do this one more time, and we're fucking through, Rye. Got that? I'll pack up tonight, I'll go to my parents, and I'll just live with them from now on."

Ryder smiled at him, leaned forward with confidence in his eyes.

"No you won't."

And with that, he played yet another draw four, his fourth one this round and his twelfth one tonight, grinning as David let out a furious yowl, slamming his cards to the table and standing up.

"THAT'S IT, LEAVIN YA RIGHT. FUCKIN. NOW. I GOT NINETEEN CARDS AND YOU WANNA MAKE IT TWENTY THREE. WELL GUESS WHAT, DRAW 'FOR' A NEW MATE, CAUSE WE. ARE. DONE."

Ryder laughed aloud, standing up and walking up behind his mate, wrapping his arms around the smaller male. David, for his part, clawed at Ryder lightly, only half-faking his anger. Ryder chuckled at the action and turned David around to face him. With a kiss, David's frustrations melted away, and Ryder held him close. Once he broke the kiss, he looked David in the eyes, leaned in close to his ear, and whispered with nothing but love in his voice.

"Draw four~"

The kick to his shin was a surprise in and of itself, but the sheer force was more surprising than that, and he dropped to a knee to rub his now-bruised leg as David sauntered towards the bedroom.

"Nope. I quit, not playing anymore tonight. You can sleep on the couch, mister. Maybe if you learn to treat me right, I'll let you back in your bed."

He gave a playful, though mildly spiteful, grin at the larger male, and Ryder simply chuckled as he stood up, the pain in his leg having been barely noticeable and more surprising than actually painful.

"Alright, alright. If I get you a new outfit, can I sleep in bed tonight?"

David stopped and looked back. "Maybe~"

STORY SEVEN: Fine Dining

David held Ryder's arm, a nervous smile on his face as they entered the restaurant. Ryder had reserved a table as an anniversary gift, and David had dressed up quite well for it. He was wearing his black dress, custom made to his specifications. Ryder had worn his custom suit as well, and they certainly looked as though they had money to burn.

Still, the atmosphere was more than David was used to. The lavish decorations such as high class paintings and beautiful tapestries, the crystalline lighting fixtures and chandeliers, the velvet lining the floor, and the masterfully carved wooden tables, plush seats, and gorgeous, ornate tablecloth on each table...it was overwhelming.

Ryder smiled, his eyes locking with David's in a silent message of reassurance. A moment later, an employee came to them.

"Sir, name please?"

"Trayson."

"Ah, Mr. Trayson and his plus one. Come this way, please."

The two made their way after the employee, an Australian Shepherd in a suit vest and trousers, and David reveled in the softness of the floor. His paws were used to the rough carpeting, hardwood, and tile of most places. The gentle caress of velvet flooring was soothing to the pads of his paws, and he smiled softly at the feeling. As they reached their table, Ryder pulled a chair out for him, and he took his seat with a grateful nod. Ryder followed suit, and the shepherd that led them there placed a menu in front of each of them.

"Now, what might you want to drink, sir? Ma'am?"

David giggled a bit, and deciding to lean into it, he did his best feminine voice.

"I'll take some of the white wine, please."

Ryder clearly liked it, judging by the pleasant surprise on his face.

"I'll take water, please."

The employee nodded, writing down their requests.

"Excellent choices, both of you. Your server will be here shortly to take your orders."

With a bow, he left.

"So...Miss Seltz. Wine?"

David smiled, keeping up his act.

"Of course, Mr. Trayson. I've heard it's quite savory."

The two shared a quiet laugh and picked up their menus, reading through the options, until their drinks were brought to their table. The menu had a few good options, as far as David was concerned. A few fish fillet options, and when the server came he decided on a simple Tilapia fillet with garlic salt, lemon pepper, and a few other seasonings with a side of cole slaw. Ryder, for his part, ordered a medium rare t-bone with fillet mignon and a side of mashed potatoes.

With their menus gone, the two smiled at each other in loving silence for a while.

David was no longer nervous. He knew this establishment had a reputation for disliking men of his orientation, and the fact he'd slipped right under their noses was a little more than exhilarating. When the food arrived, he was eager to eat and could tell Ryder was as well. They quickly dug into their food, though with more grace than usual. David smiled as Ryder struggled to keep himself from tearing through his food as normal. Watching him try so hard to restrain his hunger, taking smaller bites rather than his usual mouthfulls. To say the least, David was amused. This date was certainly going to be fun~

STORY EIGHT: Year Four

Ryder sighed as he held up a rabbit against the wall with his hand, and a moose on the ground with one paw. Another night, another fight, another poor bastard too dumb to know to run. He'd heard some arguing earlier and had gone to look it over. Upon arrival, he'd seen a rabbit and moose yelling at each other over some vixen. The second he got there, the rabbit struck. Foot met groin with a resounding thud, and the moose dropped directly onto an uppercut from the rabbit. That, however, was as far as it went. Ryder grabbed the rabbit with one arm, pulling him away and pinning him to a wall.

The moose, of course, wasn't the brightest. He stood after a moment and charged Ryder, only to be stopped with a single hand. Ryder may have been a full foot smaller, but he clearly outclassed the moose. He gave a push as hard as he could, and the larger male stumbled back several feet and fell. Ryder looked at him with a murderous glare, teeth bared and a snarl in his throat.

"BACK. OFF. Go enjoy the club, or get the FUCK out. You got your ass beat by a rabbit, get over it tough guy. He's no threat to you in any real way, so just COOL IT."

The moose clearly didn't like that at all, and tried to charge again, only for Ryder to cut loose for a second. He dropped the rabbit, whirled, and swung his leg low. The moose was on the ground and Ryder had him pinned with a paw. He turned, grabbing the rabbit again and pinning him to the wall as he used his free hand to call for backup...

And that brings us to now. Waiting for his lousy coworkers to get off their asses and do their jobs. It'd been a long time since he'd started this job, and his original coworkers had long since quit, retired, or been promoted or moved. As head of security, he wasn't even supposed to be out here. His job was to stand by the door and make sure people coming in deserved or had a right to be here. Unfortunately, Kaleb had special requested he be on the floor tonight with the rest of security.

Despite being told he'd have help, his coworkers were nowhere to be found tonight. They usually did such a good job, too...

Reaching for his walkie talkie again, he growled into it.

"Lane, Kyle, get over to the south quarter NOW. Do NOT make me write you up!"

Within seconds, a large doberman and another wolf ran up to Ryder and grabbed onto his prisoners.

"S-Sorry Sir...Kyle was talking to someone and I was trying to get him to-"

"Bullshit! Lane was busy trying to get his dick wet and-"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! I don't care WHAT you were doing! You're security! I shouldn't even be on the floor, doing YOUR jobs, but Kaleb had a feeling you two weren't cutting it. I'm only out here to see how you're doing, and if it takes you FIFTEEN MINUTES to respond to a superior in need, I can only imagine how long it takes you to respond to trouble, or a fight, or anything important!"

The two security guards hung their heads in shame, and Lane started to speak up before his lupine coworker spoke over it.

"Sorry sir. Won't happen again sir. We'll do better."

Ryder smiled a bit. He hated being such a hardass, but he had to keep up the act. At least while customers could see, anyways.

"Good. Now take these two and get them out of here. Lane, take the rabbit to the south exit, Kyle, take the moose to the north. If they meet up outside and brawl it's not our concern but I don't want them fighting in here."

For their part, the two beligerents had been quiet. Ryder had shown his strength and proven to both they had no chance of getting out of this. Had the rabbit run away, Ryder knew he'd never catch him, but at least he'd be gone. This one was too scared to run and it made him wonder why he attacked someone so much bigger in the first place, if Ryder was able to scare him so-....

It's because he was a predator. Ryder's strength and size didn't matter to the rabbit. His predatory nature did.

In any case, the two guards dragged the hostiles out, and Ryder sighed as he returned to his post.

"Happy fourth anniversary of getting this job, Ryder. Subordinates that don't listen, having to treat people like shit all the time...God, I'm so ready to be up on that stage again. Just gotta make it to next week...Next week, I can get the crowd moving in the right way."

He frowned. He was going to have to report this to Kaleb. He'd done well, keeping up with Kaleb's demands and standards, and he didn't want to jeopardize that. Especially given the fact he knew the security cams caught the entire thing.

"Sorry guys...I really hope this doesn't cost you your jobs.."

He mumbled to himself as he looked out, the facade of the angry great grey taking over once again.

STORY NINE: You're Wrong

Ryder raised an eyebrow, his half-asleep state not helping him form any coherent thought to explain himself as David looked at him with a mixture of irritation and confusion.

"Look, Davey, I can't explain it, but you're just gonna have to trust me-"

"Trust you? On this? Nope. Absolutely not, mister. You're wrong and you know it."

"I am not! Look, just cause I can't explain it doesn't mean I'm wrong! I'm right about this, ask ANYONE and they'll agree with me!"

"Nope! Whole world accepts the truth but you. Even businesses and manufacturers and everyone else knows you're wrong, Ryder."

"I am not wrong!"

"You are."

"I'm not though!"

The cat glared at the wolf, intent on making him back down as Ryder bared his teeth at the smaller predator. They'd been arguing about this for several days now, and every time he thought they came to an agreement, even if only to agree to disagree, it was brought up again and he was tired of it.

"For the last damn time, David, it's-"

"If you say 'Monday is the first day of the week' ONE. MORE. TIME..."

"YOU'LL WHAT"

"I'LL BITE YOUR DICK!"

"WHY???"

STORY TEN: The Party

NOTE: Sammy Harris belongs to a friend of mine. While he is a canon character within Den, he is not one of my original creations. All credit to his design and personality go to the rightful owner. Massive thanks to the owner for helping me write this story!

David stood from his seat, carrying his drink in one hand. His walk was unsteady and drunken, and he felt fuzzy. Fuzzier than usual. He'd been drinking for a while, and was a lightweight as is.

Looking around, he saw so many cute guys to hang with... one in particular caught his eye, a sparrow he recognized from school. He'd always been shy and quiet. Maybe tonight was the night he'd cut loose?

David sauntered over, failing at his attempt to be sexy thanks to his staggered gait. Approaching the bird, he wrapped his arms around his waist and leaned in close.

"Heyyy~ Why ya all alone here? So cute, you should be surrounded with girls."

"U-um, well..I...I d-don't really know anyone here..."

"Aww, but don't you go to our school? Surely you know me~"

David giggled, swaying as he looped his arms over Sammy's shoulders in a small dance with the bird.

"David Seltz is my name. What's yours, cutie?"

"M-My name's Sammy...Sammy Harris..."

The sparrow seemed so cautious, so anxious. He was tensed up and seemed hesitant to move much. David sought to fix all of these.

"Well Sammy Sammy Harris~"

he giggled, stepping a little closer.

"I think you're really cute~. Care to dance with me a while?"

"Well...I...Uh...S-Sure..."

David grinned, pulling Sammy to a more open section to give them both room. His tail slid around, wrapping around Sammy's waist to keep him close as David lay his head on the avians shoulder. Purring as he led his dance partner through a simple sway- and-step dance, David smiled.

"So whatcha here for if you didn't know anybody?"

"I w-wanted to um...To m-make friends..."

"Well ya got the right dance partner for that. I'll be your friend~!"

David grinned, looking at Sammy for a second before leaning in, suddenly kissing him with gentleness and softness. His lips pressed to Sammy's beak and held their place their for several seconds before David finally pulled away.

"See? Friends already~"

The bird seemed more than simply taken aback by the cats suddenness, and it seemed like David had entirely blanked the poor avians mind for a moment before he came to his senses.

"I...Well, uh...Th-that was sudden."

"How? I think you're cute, you're dancing with me...or did I go a bit fast for ya?"

"Well i.. It wasn't bad... "

"Care for another then, cutie~?"

"I don't k-know."

"So nervous. It's cuuuute~" David gave a giggle before stumbling somewhat. "Oh boy, I might need to sit down.. Wanna walk me to a couch Sammy?"

"O-oh, ok...Uh...Don't worry"

Sammy walked David over to the nearest couch, carefully setting him down on it before sitting down beside him. Intent on staying close to the sparrow, David pulled Sammy to sit with him, cuddling up to him on the couch.

"You're a good dancer, Sammy~"

"Th-thanks"

Looking around, David let out a laugh, pointing into the crowd.

"See the big blue wolfie? That's my best friend Ryder. You're both so cute. He doesn't really know he's cute though. But ya are! Both of ya! Never kissed him though. You were my first!"

"O-Oh..."

With the initial shock of the kiss wearing off, Sammy was slowly getting comfortable again. He was David's first kiss? Was that...good?

"Yep. Never kissed anybody before you. It was really, really, reeaaally nice~"

David nuzzled against Sammy, purring happily.

"How about you? Ever kissed anyone before?"

The bird once again tensed up a little, his shyness becoming apparent.

"Not that I um...Not that I enjoyed, no..."

"Aww, I'm sorry. Bad kissers or bad people?"

"They just...didn't feel right...But um...But you did."

With a chirp, Sammy gave David a smile, prompting the housecat to give one of his own.

"Sorry if I'm being weird..."

"I think it's very sweet. Close your eyes, cutie. You've been so sweet, you deserve something in return."

"O-Okay..."

Sammy wasn't sure what he'd do. Was he going to kiss him again? Or something else? His heart raced with each passing second. David, meanwhile, smiled as he closed the distance, putting a hand on Sammy's cheek and kissing him again, this time coaxing Sammy's beak open gently to kiss him properly. Careful of the sharpness of his partners mouth, David was attentive and easy going in his kiss, until he pulled back to let his partner breathe.

"There. A little thank you~. Hopefully it was.."

yawning, he stopped for a second.

"Was good enough.."

David leaned forward and laid his head against Sammy's chest, smiling sleepily.

"So tired..."

Sammy didn't reel from this kiss. It had been soft, and gentle, with a passion he had appreciated. Watching the cat rest, he began preening through his hair, carefully combing through it with his fingers.

After an hour or so, Ryder stepped towards them and, seeing David dozing off in Sammy's arms, he sighed.

"I'll get him home. Was he a handful?"

He gave a curious look and reached to pick up David, offering to help Sammy stand him up.

Ryder stepped towards them and, seeing David dozing off in Sammy's arms, he sighed. "I'll get him home. Was he a handful?"

He gave a curious look and reached to pick up David, offering to help Sammy stand him up. As they got David to his feet, and Sammy helped Ryder put him over his shoulder, Sammy realized a concern.

"I actually really enjoyed his company...But um...How are you two getting home?"

His tone had become serious, and worrying.

"I don't drink. I'm here to keep him out of trouble. Saw the uh... what he did. That's why I asked. Wanted to make sure he didn't make you uncomfortable. Glad he wasn't too much for you. Lot of folks don't treat him right."

He smiled at the small bird.

"Get home safe. Yeah?"

Sammy gave the large wolf a shy smile back "I'll be fine, be safe."

As the wolf carried his friend out of the house, Sammy couldn't help but wonder what their next meeting might bring...

STORY ELEVEN: Study Session

NOTE: This is going to be an exposition-heavy story. Sammy's creator and I were using this as a way of expanding on the world of Den, so if you aren't interested in it then feel free to skip to the next story.

Sitting down at his kitchen table, David organized everything for the upcoming study session. He'd been asked for help by a sparrow from school, and didn't want to disappoint.

He'd seen him around a few times, and he'd always found him rather shy. Checking the time, he smiled as his tail began to sway with excitement. Only a couple more minutes... unless he's early. Or would he be late?

Regardless, with the table set with notes and lessons, he made his way to the front door to wait.

After hearing a knock at the door, David smiled and opened it up. He was greeted by the sight of a rather shy Sparrow in a grey hoodie and sweatpants. With a meek wave, the sparrow, named Sammy, greeted him.

"H-Hello..."

David gave the bird a cheerful smile and moved aside.

"Come on in, Sammy! I've already got everything set up. Make yourself at home. Need anything to drink?"

"Th-thanks...A glass of water is fine."

The bird seemed nervous, and David wondered if it was simply social anxiety, or if he was actually intimidating to someone for the first time in his life. Sammy, for his part, was nervous due to more than simple social anxiety.

David skipped over to the kitchen while leading Sammy, grabbing two water bottles from the fridge before sitting at the table.

"So what are you having the hardest time with? History of Bipeds or World Governments?"

His tail curled lazily as he relaxed, resting his head in his hands with a smile.

"I could n-never learn the History of the Bipeds..."

"Alrighty then!"

He grabbed a book and flipped through it, looking through his notes as well. After a second he set them down and looked to Sammy.

"And how do you learn? Are you better at figuring it out by doing it, or by reading it? Some people learn better by having it explained verbally, too."

"I love to r-read, but...I'm having a hard time breaking it down.."

"Alright, then maybe if I read it out loud, you can tell me when it gets confusing? You could read along with me while I do."

"O-Okay.."

"Alright. We'll start with last weeks chapter, and move from there, kay?"

He gave a genuine smile as he flipped through to chapter 9, titled "Split Species", and began to read once Sammy was on the same page.

"While most species are direct analogues of their feral counterparts, there are exceptions (See Aquan and Avian Evolution, ch. 2) which necessitate special accommodations. The most common to see is that of Avians, who require plentiful rest stops in the air because of their relatively short flight time. In order to fit these accommodations for Avians and Aquans, laws have been passed for everyone's protection. One such law is the Tiber Law, passed due to the infamous Tiber vs. Dail Airlines lawsuit. In this chapter, we will go over three influential cases resulting in what are now common laws in Ferus, and we will cover the impact they have had on our society as a whole."

He stopped for a moment and looked to Sammy.

"Still with me?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

The cat gave his student a happy look and nudged his leg with a paw encouragingly.

"You wouldn't believe how many people get lost there."

"Now. Section one, Aquan accommodation. Throughout this section you will learn what accommodations have been made for Aquans and why they were put in place. The primary accommodation is the implementation of building-specific water reserves and the construction of Aquan-reserved pools in most public places. While some believe it to be a step backwards, to the days of species segregation, it is actually to ensure that Aquans in need are never denied due to capacity, and to secure the medical safety of Aquans with weaker immune systems that may not be able to protect them from mammalian illnesses. The first pool of this kind was built in August, 1896, in a Torolla office building located in Glenville, in the state of Arcidia. This led to one of the most infamous court cases to date, Aquans vs. Filian."

He looked up again.

"Lost yet? Or still with me?"

"For the most part..."

"That leaves something. Whatcha missing, bud?"

His concern was genuine, and he looked at him kindly, ready to help.

"What was the Aquans vs. Filian court case about, and why has it become such a big problem?"

David cocked his head to the side.

"I'm a little surprised, that case is the whole reason mammals aren't allowed in the pools. But I guess it's easy to take that rule for granted after so long.."

He smiled, leaning back.

"The Aquans vs. Filian case came about when Damon Filian, a hyena, decided to take a swim in an Aquan pool at his job. Turns out, he had a couple mammal-borne diseases, and when a group of Aquans came in to soak up, they ended up all catching it, which led to a huge epidemic in the Aquan community around Glenville. They ended up using contact tracing to figure out it came from the pool, and work security footage proved he was the only mammal to use it. So they filed a class-action lawsuit against Filian."

David looked down a bit.

"A lot of Aquans died because of him. Younger ones, with weaker immune systems and less exposure to the surface world. He ended up doing a lot of prison time, and lost everything. Plus, thanks to him, we have Filian's Law, which makes the minimum penalty for swimming in an Aquan-Only pool ten years prison time and twenty thousand dollars in fines, not to mention legal obligation to pay any and all medical bills for every Aquan impacted by your crime, as needed."

Sammy gave his tutor a smile, finally understanding the importance. He'd been struggling with some of the class material lately, and this had been confusing for quite some time.

"I understand now...Th-thanks."

David nudged his leg again with a giggle.

"Good, cause I talked to Fen the other day and sure enough, this'll be on his test. Something something, degree, should know this, blah blah degree."

The two shared a laugh at their teachers expense before looking to the book once more.

"Ready to continue?"

"Yes. I'm ready."

David nodded. He could see the eagerness in the avians eyes, even if his overall expression was one of slight worry. At the very least, he knew Sammy was having an easier time with the lessons, now that someone was taking the time to talk it out with him properly.

"The next section explains a little about the Aquans vs. Filian case, but we've covered the in-depth version so we'll skip that. Next up is...Ah. Section two. Avian Accommadations. In this section, we'll cover what changes have been made to allow Avians to continue their natural lifestyles even in crowded cities with little airspace. The first accommadation was the introduction of flight tunnels. All buildings taller than one hundred feet are required to have flight tunnels built into the structure at the one hundred foot mark. Flight tunnels are specially designed to allow Avians to fly through the buildings without risk to themselves or occupants. On the outside, flight tunnels resemble circular holes in the buildings, about four meters in diameter. From the inside, they are simply a curved wall. This allows avians to fly through without blocking or hitting those inside the building. The second accommadation is landing zones, designated on the rooftop of each public building, as well as many Avian businesses. Landing Zones are specially designated for Avians because in many cases of Avians landing freely wherever they so chose, it led to the injury of the Avian or the injury of a bystander. Despite taking great care, even the best of fliers and landers have a risk of hurting themselves or others. Due to this, landing zones were deemed a necessity, and were put in place to show Avians where they could safely land without fear of injury to themselves or others."

"Still with me, Sammy?"

"Y-yeah. I took a flight course not too long ago...A lot of this was covered."

"Just checking. I figured this stuff would be easy for you. Being an Avian and all."

He giggled, looking back to the page.

"But did you learn about the Lockwood vs. Mikaels case?"

"No. I wasn't present that day..."

"Ahh, it was an interesting one. It went on for like, twelve years before they finally settled it. You probably learned about the law passed from it during your flight course, but the case itself isn't usually talked about. It's...a little painful for some to think about."

"Lyle Lockwood's mother, Tania Lockwood, a magpie, was flying to work on June 17th, 1945. On the way there, she got hit by an eagle named Kane Mikaels. Kane hit her, watched her fall, and flew off. A few other Avians tried to catch her, but couldn't do it in time. She ended up dying on impact..Lyle found out, and after convincing the police to review the skycam footage, they determined who did it and had all the evidence they needed. Only trouble was that Kane had a good defense. He had a medical condition that limited his wing strength, so he said he couldn't have caught her if he tried. Doctors backed him up, and the case was almost thrown out until a witness came up and claimed, with enough evidence to hold up in court, that the docs were lying. Things like that went on for twelve years. Almost convicting him, then some new evidence in his favor or against it would come up, then they'd find something around it...By the end of it, he'd told them his wings were weak, he was in shock at what happened...you name an excuse, he had it. And every time, a witness or some new footage would crop up that proved he was lying. But as long as he had the jury in his favor it didn't matter. Finally, it came out that he had been bribing the jury to work in his favor, but that a few of them weren't cooperating. When that happened, they finally got him put away by bringing in a new jury. Even then it took a while for the new jury to come to a verdict, and the result was a life sentence. It's why we have the Mikaels Law. He's the reason that there's such a strict penalty for hitting someone and doing nothing."

Sammy seemed disturbed by the story, and David could see the discomfort in his eyes. Despite this, he continued.

"Because if there's no law in place for it, it could lead to another long-term case like that, and there just isn't enough funding to handle cases like that all the time. And with growing populations in every species...Well, it was a necessity."

"I...I can't believe someone would be so...Selfish.."

David knew that feeling. The disbelief, wanting to believe people couldn't be like that...He was all too familiar with it. He simply gave him a sad smile.

"I can...There are some pretty bad people out there.."

He looked to the book for a second, thinking.

"These books are really good about telling us the major events, but they don't tell us anything about the people in them. We don't know what they were like, or how they were in day to day life. Kane could have been a model citizen who was just so afraid of prison that he did whatever he could to avoid it. Or he could have killed her on purpose, and tried his hardest to cover it up so he'd have a chance to do it again. Either way, he got what he deserved in the end."

He took a breath, relaxing again and smiling, shaking off the weight of the topic.

"Ready for Section three?"

"Before that...I d-do have an off-topic question."

"Shoot."

"W-why do you dress like that? If it's personal, you don't have to answer, but...I...I've been wondering.."

David blinked, eyes wide in surprise for a second before looking down at his outfit. He'd picked a sky blue crop top that exposed his midriff, as well as a pair of tight denim jeans that hugged his figure well.

"Well...I suppose the same reason anyone dresses like anything. I like the style and think I look good in it."

He smiled happily, then gave Sammy a sultry look.

"Why? Am I...Distracting you~?"

He giggled, returning to playful in an instant.

"Sorry if I am. I really don't mean to do it."

"W-Well...you d-do look c-cute in them..."

The avian seemed to shrink a little, and David could have sworn he was blushing beneath the feathers.

David smiled.

"Well thank you. But I'm on the clock right now, so let's get you caught up in class before we get you caught in my ass, kay?"

He smirked, his tail swaying playfully. He loved to tease, especially easy prey like Sammy. He loved the flustered look on their faces, and the attention always felt good.

"So, Section three?"

"Y-Yeah..."

David gave him a nod and a pleased smile before continuing to read through the book.

"Section 4. In this section, you'll learn how other species were impacted by the laws and events you've read about in previous sections. The majority of mammals have been impacted in relatively small ways on the individual scale. Aquan-only pools and Avian landing zones, as well as their related laws and such, are mostly taken for granted. Most know not to swim in the pools or loiter on the landing zones, and yet as a whole, these changes have impacted our society greatly. One such impact is the teaching of young children to avoid landing zones at all costs. They are treated no differently than the middle of the road, and are considered high traffic areas. As a result, most young species are afraid of landing zones, associating them with injury. For the pools, all schools are required to teach their mammalian students not to swim in the pools, leading to a similar fear: the fear of water. This has led to both pools and landing zones being subjects of fear for younger people, and some older people have formed groups demanding the 'desegregation' of these places out of ignorance. The lawsuits that sparked the changes to our society tend to be forgotten, either by a refusal to talk about them or simply a belief they do not matter anymore. As a society, these laws have massively impacted us, including sparking the fear of pools in many young mammals, even those not reserved for Aquans, and has caused a nervousness surrounding both Aquans and Avians, leading to some hostility in the more bitter factions of our world, believing it unfair that they be given such privileges. This bitterness has led to some members of the older generations being unwilling to hire or interact with Avians or Aquans, believing them to think less of non-Avians and non-Aquans. While this is wholly untrue, many of the older generation still believe it, leaving it to the younger generations to right this wrong."

"That's disappointing. From what i understood, these laws should be treated no different then common courtesy to ensure the safety and well-being of all species. I can't believe there are groups actively against these Laws..."

"They're few and far between. The Grounded and Landlocked are two of the big ones. Global gangs, but instead of murder and violence they use protests, peaceful and all that. They make it sound like they're the victims, but they pretty clearly don't understand that victims is exactly what they could be if those laws weren't in place."

"Still...I think they're just being stubborn."

"Probably. They are mostly older folk. Change hasn't ever been their ally."

He grinned, resting his head in his hands again.

"So, that covers last weeks chapter. Next chapter starts Monday. Which means...~"

He nudged Sammy's leg with his paw once more.

"You're all caught up in class."

With a smile, the avian looked to David.

"Th-thanks again for the help."

"No problem. Be sure to go over this stuff again during the week, the test on Friday is supposed to cover this chapter and next chapter, so don't forget to review this along the way."

His tail drifted lazily behind him. "Got any other questions, concerns...requests~?"

"R-requests..?"

David giggled a bit, relaxing back in his chair.

"Nothing. I was joking a bit. Remember earlier? 'Get caught up in class before you get caught in my ass'? I was talking about that little joke."

Sammy blushed bright, even his feathers being unable to hide the red of his skin beneath. A fact David not only noticed, but delighted in.

"O-Oh...Th-that..."

"Yeah."

David smiled playfully.

"That."

He sat forward, tail curling behind him.

"Did you wanna? I was joking but if you need it, I don't mind."

"Um...I d-don't know...I mean, m-maybe, b-b-but..."

"You seem really, really nervous. You don't have to, you know. I just figured I'd offer. Would it be your first time?"

"N-not first b-but n-never with a g-guy before. "

David couldn't help but wonder if his cheeks were getting redder by the second. This guy was absolutely adorable!

"Ohhh. I get it, you're not opposed you're just not sure of it. Well how about this, take some time to think on it. My bedroom's always open if you need it~"

He giggled, standing up and stretching, making sure to put on a show of it for Sammy, showing off his slender figure, the soft fur of his abdomen, and the now-obvious outline of excitement in his jeans.

"For now, head on home. You're all caught up for now. Maybe next time you come around for my tutoring, you'll be a little more sure. If you are, feel free to take what you want."

He held out his hand to help Sammy up. The sparrow took his hand, shaking it and standing up before heading towards the door slowly.

"Th-thanks...I will."

With a mischievous grin, ran a single finger down the length of one of Sammy's primary feathers on his wing, remembering how sensitive they can be from his Anatomy class.

"Come back soon, Sammy~"

With that, he clapped a hand over Sammy's bottom, ushering him out the door and shutting it softly behind him.

STORY TWELVE: Luka and Recess

Luka cocked his head to one side as he watched Mr. Niel walk back to his classroom. Scratching his head, the sergal thought about what he'd just been told.

"Time to put the cows out to pasture...But there are no cows here...Are there? Where would they hide them?"

As he thought, the recess bell rang, and it suddenly clicked to him.

"AH! The cows are the children and the pasture is the recess yard!!"

He smiled wide, grabbing his cleaning cart and pushing it to the nearest supply closet, locking it inside before heading to the recess yard. It was always his favorite time of day, and it made him happy to see all the children enjoying themselves in the sun. Stepping outside and taking a deep breath of the spring breeze, he smiled and knelt down as a pair of 4th grade students ran up to him.

"Daniel, Katrina! How are you today?"

While the girls name was Kathrine, he always called her Katrina. It had annoyed her at first, but she grew to like the nickname over time.

"Daniel wanted to play some dodgeball, and he said girls can't play. But yesterday you played with me and Lily and Anna and Jade, so why can't girls play?"

Luka tutted, looking at Daniel.

"Now Daniel, what did I tell you about telling people they can not play the dodgeball?"

"If they can dodge and throw, they can play."

"Right! Now, how about boys versus girls, hm? I will be the referee!"

The kids smiled wide and nodded, running off to gather their teams. Luka stood and began to walk to the open field they used for dodgeball, making a detour to the toy closet to grab the ball bag. Once there, he waited for the teams to arrive, and once everyone was there, he went over the rules.

"Now, you all know the rules by now. But I will say them again in case you've forgotten! If I don't say them, eventually I will forget them! Haha. Now, there will be six dodgeballs along the middle of the field. When I say go, run and grab one. If you can't, be ready to dodge! If you're hit, you're out."

As the children listened, he kept going with his explanation, excited to see how the game would go.

"If you catch one, the person who threw it is out, and you can bring back in one person on your team that is out. Only catches count, you cannot punch, slap, or kick the ball back at the person. That will be you getting hit by the ball and you will be out!"

The kids nodded, and Luka gave them a happy grin before setting up the dodgeballs and stepping off to the side to give the children room to play.

"Do not get too rough, or I will have to pull you from the game. Now...Go!"

As the children played, Mrs. Bo came up to talk to Luka. She was a rather pretty cheetah, and Luka had a somewhat strong crush on her.

"I see the kids are having fun."

"I..Well, y-yes. They are."

"You know they wouldn't even know this game yet without you, right? I think it's sweet that you taught them to play it. They always come back in talking about how much time you spend with them out here."

"Well, I just th-think that it is better to do so. They are such kind souls."

She smiled, putting a hand on Luka's back.

"Yeah, they are. But it takes a kind soul to see that, too."

Luka blanked, unsure of how to respond or what she meant by it, and cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"I do not understand."

"I'm saying you have a kind soul too."

"OH! O-Oh...I see. I-..I um...Th-thank you. Very much."

Mrs. Bo smiled at the sergal, a genuine admiration in her eyes as she made her way back to the main playground to watch over the other students. Luka simply watched her go, a smile on his face. She thought he was sweet, and kind...

"OW!"

His attention was quickly brought back to the game, and he turned to see what happened. Layla, a meerkat in Mrs. Bo's class, had fallen down and was crying. Running over and kneeling down, Luka saw the source of her pain. Her right leg was bruised and swollen near the knee, and she had bristled and disheveled fur on the right side of her face.

"Who threw the ball that hit this one in the face?"

Daniel raised his hand sheepishly.

"I'm s-sorry...I didn't mean to, she got hit trying to dodge it..."

As the other kids agreed in his defence, Luka nodded and picked up the girl carefully, easing her up to avoid hurting her leg further. She burrowed in against him and he couldn't help but feel bad for her.

"There, there...It is only pain, it will pass. Children, I am going to take Layla to the nurse. Daniel, as you hit her, you are to put away the dodgeballs, and put the ball bag back in the toy closet. No more dodgeball today, I am sorry, but when someone gets hurt it is no longer fun."

With a few dejected groans behind him, Luka quickly made his way to the nurse, jogging slightly to get there swiftly without jostling his cargo too much. Seeing him carrying a student inside, Mrs. Bo followed suit, telling Mr. Niel to keep watch for her on the way.

Once inside the school, Mrs. Bo caught up to Luka and looked at Layla.

"Oh gosh, what happened?"

"She dodged too low and got hit in the face, then fell and hurt her knee."

"Is she okay?"

"She will be. I am simply hurrying to shorten her pain as much as possible."

For a moment, he could have sworn Mrs. Bo looked at him almost lovingly, though he shoved the thought aside. There were more pressing matters. He turned a corner, and in a bout of severely bad luck and clumsiness, slipped. His eyes wide, he turned to land on his back and hit the ground hard, doing his best not to shake the girl in his arms. She let out a whine and a fearful cry, and Luka felt horrible for the pain he likely caused her. The nurses office was only a few doors down, too...

Mrs. Bo looked at him in shock before reaching down to take Layla, who simply helped the cheetah woman pick her up. Luka stood, his arms now free, and the two made their way to the nurse together.

After explaining what happened, and getting confirmation from Layla that it was the truth, the pair stood outside the door waiting for the nurse to finish checking the girls knee.

"Luka, are you okay? That looked like a really bad fall..."

"I'm alright. I am quite sturdy, it was not my first time falling onto these floors. It will not be my last."

Mrs. Bo gave a nod and looked at his back worryingly. Sturdy or not, it had to hurt...

"I still think you should have the nurse take a look."

"I...Okay."

He couldn't say much else. After a moment, the door opened and Layla came walking out, a limp very visible in her stride.

"Layla, are you okay? Did Daniel do a big number on your leg?"

"I'm okay, Luka. Nurse Crale says it's just gonna hurt for a bit and to go easy on it for a while."

Luka smiled, thankful she hadn't been hurt too badly.

"Alright then. Recess will be over in a minute or two, why not go ahead and go back to class and get a headstart on your studies?"

The little girl nodded, walking carefully back to Mrs. Bo's classroom. Luka started to walk away, only to be reminded of his agreement with Mrs. Bo by a hand on his shoulder. He looked to the cheetah shyly, turning to go into the nurse's office. An elderly Labrador sat by a desk, typing on a computer as they walked in.

"Ehh...Hello Nurse Crale."

"Hello Luka. Is everything alright?"

"I had a bit of a fall as well."

"Oh, what happened?"

"Well, I um...I was carrying Layla to the office here, and at the turn of the hallway I slipped and fell. I landed on my back, and Mrs. Bo insists I get it looked at."

With a nod, Nurse Crale stood and gestured for Luka to sit on the medical bed. After a second of trying to figure out what she wanted, he realized and smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. It creaked and groaned under his weight, having been designed for children, not for large, full-grown sergals.

"Please take your shirt off, Luka. I need to see if there was any bruising."

Luka nodded, slipping his shirt off and humming to himself, unaware of Mrs. Bo's admiration of his physique. While he was far from bulky, and wasn't the most toned, he had a slim looking build with a broad chest and a slim waist, as well as toned but lean arms. He may not be winning any competitions for strength or looks, but he certainly had an appeal all his own. The dark grey fur contrasting with the white fur of his throat, muzzle, chest, and stomach was easy on the eyes, and the patterns of white and grey along his arms were interesting to the cheetah woman. Sergals were rare, and she had to wonder if all of them were patterned the way Luka was.

After checking for bruises and tenderness, the nurse gave Luka the all clear to put his shirt on again, and Mrs. Bo snapped herself out of her gaze.

"So Nurse Crale, am I okay?"

"You seem fine to me, Luka. Go ahead and get back out there, okay? But let me know if it starts hurting later, you might have hurt something on the inside, like a bone."

Luka gave the nurse a smiling nod, and then seemed to get somewhat embarrassed.

"Do you think I could, um..Do you have any ah..."

The nurse simply smiled, moving to a cabinet and pulling out a jar.

"Of course, Luka. I always keep some for my best patients."

In the jar were suckers of all kinds, and Luka was careful about picking a honey-flavored one. With sucker in hand, he stood from the bed and Mrs. Bo walked out with him, back into the hallway.

"Thank you for looking out for me, Mrs. Bo. I...I do really appreciate it. Many do not have the patience for me that you do."

"I'm just glad you're alright. You're so good with the kids, and you're always taking care of them during recess. It's the least I can do for someone who cares so much."

Luka gave her a grateful smile.

"Th-thank you, Mrs. Bo."

"Luka, I'm not your boss. You can call me Olivia."

"Olivia Bo...You have such a beautiful name."

This time the cheetah was the flustered one, and she simply let out a soft giggle.

"If um..If you say so. I should get back to class, I'm sure the students are back by now."

"Of course. I need to return to work as well. We have our jobs. You, to fill their minds with teachings and curiosity, and me to make sure they can learn in a clean, safe place."

With an understanding smile between them, the two parted ways with Olivia returning to her classroom and with Luka finding his cart to continue his work of ensuring the floors and walls were clean.

"Olivia...Olivia...She truly is an excellent woman."

With a happy look on his face, he set about his work, a happy tune resounding through the hallways as he hummed out his joy.

STORY THIRTEEN: Luka and the Cafe

Luka sat in the cafe, sipping from a cup far too small for him. Despite many large species in the world, most things were still built for those more middling and on the smaller end. It didn't bother him any, except that chairs were usually too uncomfortable for him. Especially given his tail, which wasn't quite as flexible as that of a snakes, or as inconspicuous as that of a wolf. This particular cafe however had seats for all sizes, and it's one of the reasons he enjoyed it here, even if their cups left something to be desired. The other reason was...well...

"Here ya go, big guy. Another round, and one for after that too. Second one's on me."

A grey cat with black hair and green eyes smiled at him kindly as he sat the drinks on the table. His name was, as Luka had come to learn after his first few times here, David. He was his favorite thing about coming here. While the other workers were polite as well, save for one of them which seemed to always be in trouble for something or another, David was always very sweet to him.

"Spasibo, David."

The housecat simply gave him a pleased look before walking away. Once in a while, they would make conversation. But today was busy for the cafe, and Luka understood David couldn't stay with him this time. In any case, he drank his tea and watched the world outside of the cafe. Cars driving past, people walking along sidewalks. This was his favorite way to pass time after work. It took a toll on his savings, of course. This cafe was cheap enough for a short visit, but Luka was often here for hours at a time simply watching the world go by. A couple of dollars a drink added up quickly.

Nonetheless, he loved it here, and wouldn't give it up for anything. It was quiet, even when busy, and most who came here kept their voices low to avoid ruining the ambiance. To Luka, it was the most peaceful place in the city. The tea was fantastic, be it hot, cooled, or chilled. And of course the company, when it was available, was nice too.

STORY FOURTEEN: David and the Sergal

David sat down next to the large sergal he'd come to know as Luka. He was always extremely polite, and David had gotten used to their daily talks. He would spend his breaks sitting with the odd male, talking and sometimes simply sitting together. There was a peaceful air about him, and the gentle giant often listened to David's stories about work with more than simple interest, but genuine concern and curiosity. Today was no different, with David regailing him with tales of what was going on behind the counter.

"Jonas is being a dick again, as usu-"

"Language, David."

"A jerk again, as usual. He hasn't been rude to me since Ryder talked to him-"

"You mean scared the life out of him. You forget I was here that day. Many do, I am like the wallpaper in this place, most are so used to me they do not notice me sitting here. Your beloved was a sight to behold, not even as large as me and yet many times as strong!"

"Haha, yeah..He's something alright. That strength is scary, but it drives me wild to see him use it. Anyways, Jonas hasn't done anything to me since then, but he's making such rude comments about the things that are and aren't getting done. He yelled at Lana for not having the grill cleaned...We don't ever clean it until closing time."

"So he is being rude for the sake of being rude?"

"I think Kaleb got onto him again and it's got him riled up."

Luka took a sip of his tea, and David did the same.

"He's been treating everyone so badly lately...I can't stand him but...it makes me worry. What if he's going through something and just needs help?"

"I think if he needed help he would be sad, not rude."

"Well...It isn't always that simple. Do you think I should talk to him?"

"I think you should do what you think is right. Look at it like...The people out there. The lady standing by the crosswalk there. She does not seem to be hurting, or angry, or stressed. And yet you know she must be. Does she have children to worry about? A lover to confide in? A job to stress over? You know she has problems, yes? But do you go out to every person asking if you can help them?"

David sat back, thinking carefully before answering.

"No, because...it's not my place to. It's not my job to watch out for everyone else."

"Then why do you care if Jonas is hurting?"

"Because...It's the right thing to do."

"So why is it not the right thing to do to ask that lady?"

"I...I don't know."

"Because she has not asked for help. Of course you can ask her! And there is nothing wrong with it! Nothing stopping you! But you cannot help one who doesn't want it. It is like the children at my school. You can offer them all the help you have to give. And they will tell you no until they think they need to ask."

"So you think I shouldn't offer?"

"I think you should let him know it is safe to ask."

David smiled at the larger male, standing up and leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

"You're really smart, Luka."

"Ha! You are the first to say it. I am not smart. I do not understand many things. You got lucky, this is one thing I know well."

David looked out at the people roaming outside one last time before looking back to Luka.

"You're smart to me. Have a good one, big guy. I'm on tables today again so if you need me, just call out."

"I will do that, David. Do not overwork!"

"I'll try."

With that, the cat turned and skipped back to his station, a new perspective on things in mind.

STORY FIFTEEN: Cyrus' Party Trick

Cyrus grumbled as he pulled out his pocket knife, placing his hand on the wooden table as a crowd gathered around him. He'd come here to relax, not to show himself off like some kind of circus attraction, and yet here he was anyways about to perform a party trick he'd done a couple times in his freshman year. He hadn't done it since, and most people had respected it. But these were freshmen and had never seen him do it.

He dragged the blade across his fingers, and the crowd looked in amazement as the cuts quickly sealed up, becoming scabs, then scar tissue, then finally fading entirely as if they'd never been there. He took it a step further, cutting deeper on his middle finger. The first hundred times he'd done this, it'd hurt. But his teen years had been full of self-harm and his tolerance was now such that this was little more than a sting as far as he was concerned. As blade hit bone, he winced a little and pulled the knife away.

Again, the crowd was amazed at the speed with which he healed. It took a few minutes this time. The first cuts had been shallow, and took only seconds to heal, but this was deep, and the crowd of students watched in fascination as his finger healed over the next several minutes, with the cut in the bone healing almost immediately, and the rest following suit over time. When it was fully healed, one of the students grabbed the knife and, without warning, jammed it through the back of his hand.

With a cry of pain, he pulled his hand close to his chest. He'd never done something like that. He'd done worse, of course, and knew he'd heal, but he'd never put anything through his palm and the pain was immense as every flex and movement and twitch of his fingers sent jolts through him. With a look of anger in his eyes, he jerked the knife out of his hand and glared at the student who'd stabbed him with it.

"Why?? Why would you do that???"

"I...I didn't think it'd hurt...You cut to bone, didn't you?"

"NOT THROUGH THE CENTER OF MY HAND!!"

As the two argued, the crowd continued to watch his hand carefully, delighting in how the muscle and veins and nerves and tendons reattached and healed up, and finally watching as the skin itself sealed as if it had never been punctured.

"I do it myself because I know where to cut, where to stab, where it's safe and WON'T HURT. Let's see YOU heal up from a stab to the hand, how long will it take you?? Huh??"

By now the freshman had already started feeling badly, and was apologizing profusely. Cyrus growled a bit and shook his hand, thankful for how clean the cut had been. He kept his knife sharp for a reason...

As he folded up the knife and put it away, he looked to the crowd.

"Goes for all of you, by the way. I heal fast but it still hurts if it's somewhere fresh. Only I know where it's tolerable, and only I know where it's safe, so PLEASE don't go testing the limits of MY regeneration. I'd rather not die just because one of you thought it'd be funny to watch me choke on my own blood for ten minutes, or because you figured I'd just grow a new heart. We all have limits and I don't want to find mine."

He stormed out of the party, flexing his hand to adjust to the new tendons and such. As he walked home to the dorm he called his, he thought back to the student he'd yelled at. He recognized them as one of the faces at orientation yesterday. It was his first day here, and this was the introduction he'd gotten. As an upper classman, it was his job to be supportive and encouraging, not beligerent. He sighed, pulling out his student I.D and reading over it to remind himself of the position he carried here.

At Salvatore University, upper classmen had an option to work on-campus as Mentors, Teachers Assistants, and Tutors. Cyrus had chosen to apply for Mentor in his fourth year and was denied, only to be accepted in his fifth. Now, in his sixth, he'd built up a reputation for being a cold, but beloved, Mentor.

Though he put his Ward's grades above all else, he still made time to support them in endeavors beyond the academic, and it was this support that made him a popular Mentor. His list of Wards grew every semester, and he now had 12 Wards. While they all saw him as cold-natured, none would deny he does what's best for his Wards, and to think he'd just had an outburst at someone who very well might have chosen him as a Mentor otherwise made him feel somewhat sick.

While Mentors were often chosen by the administration, they took student preference into account. A student who outright refused a Mentor would not be considered for that Mentor, and a student who was eager or interested in a Mentor would be more likely to be placed with that Mentor. Of course, Majors and Minors also played a role. Often times, those with Majors and Minors similar to the Mentor were placed together.

Despite this, only six of Cyrus' Wards were going for a Major or Minor in any of his fields of study. As a result, he often studied the subjects his other Wards were studying so he could assist them better. Thinking of tomorrow's Mentorship ceremony had him worried now. Would that student go to the others, and tell people not to choose him? That he was a rude, hateful person? That he was a freak?

Finally, his worry got the better of him and he turned, heading back for the party. He found the victim of his outburst sitting on a bench out front, looking at their phone. They looked up as he approached, and he saw the remorse on their face as he sat next to them.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. Seeing me do those things, it was bound to get people worked up and excited to see what else I can do, and it's not unusual for someone to get impatient and rush things their way. I knew I would be okay, and that no harm had been done, and still berated you. That was wrong of me."

The student, a Maned Wolf, looked to Cyrus with a bit more than simple surprise.

"Dude, I stabbed you in the hand and you're apologizing to me? I deserved the lashing you gave me. Seriously, who does that? Superpowers or not, shouldn't just stab someone like that. I was a little buzzed and wasn't fully uh...there. I don't think you owe me an apology."

"Still, I should have been less beligerent. I have a standard I need to hold myself to, and tonight I let myself fall far, far below it. I appreciate the sentiment you've given me, but I still took it further than necessary."

The maned wolf simply chuckled and looked back to his phone for a moment.

"You're one strange dude."

"So I've been told."

The two shared a calm smile before Cyrus stood, looking towards his dorm building.

"I suppose I should go. Not that I'd expect it after tonight's fiasco, but be aware I am a Mentor. If you should want it, I'd be happy to have you as a Ward."

The maned wolf looked to him before smiling and turning his phone to face Cyrus. He'd been texting the head of the Mentorship Program to request Cyrus as a Mentor. It surprised Cyrus to no end, and his mouth was agape at the sight.

"You...already knew?"

"My big brother goes here, he's in your group. He's always going on and on about how great you are, so I asked to be put in your group this semester. I was thinking about telling them nevermind, cause I didn't think you'd want someone who...well...y'know...stabbed you...In your group. But if you really don't mind it, then..."

He saw it now. The resemblance. This was Nathan Terryl, younger brother of Blake Terryl. Blake had been a Ward of his since he first got accepted as a Mentor. To think he'd taken this long to see the similarity and make the connections to realize this was the younger brother he was always bragging on...

Cyrus smiled.

"I'll be proud to have another Terryl as a Ward."

The smile he earned was enough to widen his own as he left, finally heading home.

STORY SIXTEEN: Cyrus' Wards

Cyrus gestured for Nathan to join him. The Mentorship Ceremony had started twenty minutes ago, and as Cyrus sat underneath the shade of a particularly large tree, his Wards sitting in front of him enjoying the breeze and the shade, Nathan found a place next to his older brother Blake.

"Nathan, glad you were able to find us."

"Wasn't hard, just had to look for the biggest crowd."

Cyrus held back a smile. He had an image to uphold, and there was no need to add undeserved pride to the way people saw him. There was already a little bad blood between himself and a couple of the other Mentors, and he had no desire to give his Wards the idea that he was arrogant simply because of his groups size.

"Right, well, I'm sure the other Mentors have their hands quite full as well. Many of them are in their final year and have been accruing Wards quite a lot in the last few semesters. Anyways, I would like to start by introducing myself to those of you who are new. Those who are not, please get together and discuss any concerns you may have for this semester so I can address them when the time comes."

As the 12 established Wards stood, walking away a few feet to talk amongst themselves, six students remained. Cyrus gave them a polite smile and stood up. While they saw this as a signal to stand as well, he simply waved them down and began to speak.

"My name is Cyrus Ferrick. As you may have noticed, I'm quite an unusual creature. Truth be told, I have no idea what I am. I believe I may be a cousin species to certain amphibious reptiles, but that's a story for another day. I am studying bio-engineering, with minors in various other subjects. However, do not let my Major and Minors lead you to believe I cannot help you with your own studies. My job is to do exactly that, and I intend to do so to the best of my ability."

He felt a bit of pride seeing the looks on his new Wards faces. They, at the very least, seemed engaged. It made him happy to know they were so eager.

"Now, as proof, look to the crowd."

The group looked over as he instructed.

"The maned wolf there is Blake Terryl. He's studying liberal arts as his major, with a minor in literature, as he intends to be an author and wants to illustrate his own books. His grades since becoming my Ward have increased four hundred percent over the quality they were during high school. The okapi next to him is Majoring in Archeology, with a Minor in mathematics. He initially refused my help, even after joining my group, but once he began to take my help to heart, his grades increased one hundred and sixty percent."

The group looked back to him, though his eyes never left the crowd of established Wards.

"Each and every one of them is studying something I'm not. And with my help, they've become pinnacles of their craft. While it may sound like I'm bragging about myself, I assure you I'm not."

He looked back to the group.

"Allow me to explain. While it's true their grades improved significantly after taking my help, it's not because of me. Ultimately, I am a helper. A guide, and a tool to be used in whatever way is necessary to achieve your goals. Every step of progress is entirely on their own merit. I merely helped them find the staircase, so to speak. And that is what a Mentor does. We assist in finding your way to the best possible outcome. If you do not know where to look, or where to go, or where to start, come to me and I will show you the path."

The smile coming from a few of the new Wards was contagious, and Cyrus allowed himself quite a large smile.

"I will assist you in any way I possibly can, be it academic or otherwise. So please, feel free to come to me and I will help you with anything. Now..."

He raised his voice slightly.

"Come back over here, please."

The large crowd returned to their positions, and Cyrus took a moment to let them all settle in and finish up any last minute conversations before continuing.

"Now, I've introduced myself, you all know who I am, why I'm here, and what my goal in all this is. Next is for the new members to do the same, then we'll cover any concerns you all may have, and finally I will give a tour of the campus to the new Wards. While you were all given a tour yesterday to welcome you to the university, the tour I provide is more fine-tuned to your needs and your courses. Which is why we do introductions among the new Wards as well. So..."

He gestured to Nathan.

"Why don't we begin with you, Nathan?"

The maned wolf stood, a smile on his face.

"I'm Nathan Terryl, I'm a maned wolf, I'm 19 years old, and I'm Majoring in Computer Science, with a minor in Business. I'm also on the freshman's baseball team."

Cyrus nodded.

"Alright. Who's next?"

A timber wolf stood next as Nathan sat down.

"My name is Jackson Heburr, I'm a timber wolf, I'm 22 years old, and I'm Majoring in Communications. No Minor. Also here for the freshman's baseball team."

With a nod from Cyrus, Jackson sat down as a lynx stood.

"I'm Natalie Parker, I'm a lynx, I'm 20 years old, and I'm Majoring in Physics with a Minor in Applied Sciences. I'm also going to be signing up for the freshman's bowling league!"

Another nod, another introduction, this time from a large wolf.

"My name is Danny Fulbright, I'm 22 years old, I'm a dire wolf, and I'm Majoring in Business with a Minor in Communications. Also on the freshman's football team."

Danny sat down, and with an encouraging look from Natalie, a timid lynx stood.

"My name is Janette Parker...I'm a lynx, 19 years old, and...Majoring in Religious studies with a Minor in History.."

With a reassuring smile from Natalie, Janette sat down. Cyrus looked to the last new face, who seemed hesitant.

"Come on then, it's alright. We've all gone through this, it's only an introduction."

With a sigh, the rabbit stood.

"Name's Mike. Rabbit, obviously. 20 years old. Music theory Major, no Minor. Joining freshman Band."

He sat down, and Cyrus could tell it'd take time to get through to him. Oh well...After all, it was his job. This year was looking to be interesting, especially with so many new faces...

STORY SEVENTEEN: No Match

Cyrus sat back in his chair, watching results pile up on a screen. It frustrated him to no end that every attempt at sequencing his genetic makeup ended in disaster. At least most of the time it was user error, or systems error. Now it was simply...error.

The computer said he didn't exist. That his DNA was entirely without match. For years he'd worked with the tech students to devise a program with a database of species, and they'd assured him they finally got it right. While he was certain of their work, after all they were led by one of his Wards, he couldn't help but feel they'd missed something. Was he really so rare that there were no others of his kind in this country? No, they'd taken other countries into account as well...Was his species rare even overseas? Even...back home?

He jumped at the sound of a cup being set on his desk. It was a light sound, but the disturbance spooked him anyways. He looked up to see Clark Bixtra, the lead tech designer that was working on the program. He looked to the computer with a dejected sigh.

"Still nothing, Cy?"

"Not yet, no. I trust in your abilities, and those of your team, but are you certain you didn't miss anything? No user error to account for, no forgotten entries?"

"I reviewed it all myself. My team did exceptional work on this one, and we're even being considered for an award for it. They plan to implement it into medicinal practices within the next year, once we've fine-tuned it a bit more. But it is complete right now."

Cyrus looked to the computer, fighting back tears. Clark was one of his very first Wards, and had connected with him right away. He wasn't holding back for the sake of some image. He simply didn't want to let it hurt him again. He'd had his hopes crushed once again, and didn't want to feel it. But even he couldn't suppress it, and the tears soon flowed freely as he watched the computer run his DNA against the database, failing time and time again.

"I do-don-t underst-stand....I can't be TH-THAT r-ra-rare! Even h-hybri-brids show as f-f-fifty f-fifty, of th-their p...p...parents! You t-tested it a-a-alre-alread-dy!"

Clark simply rubbed his Mentors back. Unprofessional behavior and a breakdown on this level from his Mentor was something new even to him, but it was understandable. They'd been working on this program for two years now, and to finally finish it, know it's working perfectly, and seeing it register his genetic makeup as an error had to be hard. As if the system was calling him nothing, or no one.

Cyrus struggled to fight back his tears, and failed for several minutes. Finally, he got himself under control and took a few deep breaths to ensure he was calm.

"I'm very, very proud of your work, Clark. You and your team did fantastic. I've had this running all day, and it's still cycling through species. It's clear you put in the time needed to build up a proper database. Even if this can't discover my lineage, it can surely help less common hybrids, and those simply unaware of their kind, find theirs."

He stood, taking another deep breath before facing Clark, who was watching Cyrus was compassionate worry.

"Clark, please allow me to treat your team to dinner to honor their work, and reward them in my own way. Tell them to meet by the crest on the front lawn tomorrow at five in the evening. Everything will be paid for, so they need not bring any money of their own."

Before Clark could reply, he quickly turned away and left, his eyes heating up and watering once again. He would cry it out once more, but not until he was in the comfort and privacy of his dorm room. Clark had done enough for him over the years.

He wasn't about to add counselor to that list.

STORY EIGHTEEN: Test It Again/Clark's Determination

Cyrus sat at the computer. Once again, he was running his blood through the database. He didn't expect any results, the program had yet to be updated in any way. Despite this, he was trying anyways. So of course it came as a shock when the program hit a match. Hearing the sound of a positive result, Clark ran over from his own computer, where he'd been reading through new additions to the database to be added in the next update.

As the two stared at the screen, waiting for the results to appear, Clark put a hand on Cyrus' shoulder encouragingly. With a hesitant click, and the appearance of the results screen, Cyrus felt his heart shatter. According to the computer, he was half fire salamander.

"That makes no sense!! What about me is fire salamander!? I don't share the coloration, the scale texture, the physical durability, nothing! I can't STAND the heat, so how can I come from a volcanic-dwelling species!? Half fire salamander...HALF fire salamander. No. Something must have gone wrong. A thousand attempts, and the thousand and first says this? No, this is the fluke. This is the variable result."

Clark shared in his Mentor's frustration and anger. His program was flawless. In over one million test simulations, not once had it gotten anything wrong. If it couldn't find a fitting result it was programmed to show as no match. For it to show a match meant it must be correct, but even he could see the flaw in his mentor being matched as half fire salamander. With a calm anger, he stood up and went back to his desk.

"We'll get it working, Cy. Don't worry. It's got a bug, that's all. We'll patch it out, update the list, and we'll find your heritage. If I have to dedicate my entire career to this one program for your sake, I will. I wouldn't have even been able to do something on this scale without you, so I'm determined to pay you back."

Cyrus felt his anger melt, and once again his eyes watered. His Ward really was something else. Had he earned that loyalty?

Had he earned that level of committment and care? All he did was help him with his studies, nothing more. How was he deserving of this?

"I...Thank you...Clark.."

He was at a loss for words. His usual professionalism falling away entirely as he sat down, lay his head in his arms so as to not be seen, and let himself cry. He hadn't meant to get his hopes up, but when he heard the program declare a positive, they shot skyward despite his better judgement. The result, and its nonsensical nature, broke him. He didn't care if Clark saw. He didn't care if all his Wards saw. He could no longer fight the tears back, and he wasn't going to try.

Twenty eight years of wondering what he was, where he really came from, and who his parents were...it all came crashing down on him, and his crying could be heard even down the hallway. Clark listened to every sob, every wail, every anguished cry. He wanted to burn them into his memory, to remember why he made this program to begin with. To motivate him to get it working properly. He refused to accept an award for a program that couldn't even help the one person it was designed for.

Cyrus may never know why Clark truly began work on this software. But Clark was hellbent on being sure his Mentor could benefit from it the same as anyone else, even if he had to travel the world himself to collect samples for it all.

STORY NINETEEN: Devon's Dream

TW: Death, description of murder, sexual references

Devon let out a malicious, hateful laugh as he plunged the blade further into Kaleb's chest as the snake coughed up his own blood. Finally... he'd finally killed him. Watching the life fade from Kaleb's eyes, Devon leaned in close, kissing the purple snake with a sick grin as he tasted the blood he'd longed to taste for so long.

As he pulled back, he twisted the blade, relishing in the pained scream of his longtime rival. As he watched Kaleb go limp, he sat next to the body with a grin, touching the blade to his cheek and preparing to carve his name into the scales...

Only to jolt awake, a warm, sticky feeling below.

"Damn it... and I was having such a good dream too... clearly."

He pulled the sheets away, grimacing at the messy sight beneath them before laughing.

"A very good dream~. Guess I'll have these washed. Shame I couldn't finish the dream...So close, too."

STORY TWENTY: Luka's Student

Luka cocked his head to the side curiously. He could have sworn he just heard Mrs. Bo talking...But she was meant to be in class at the moment. With a shrug, he resumed his work, mopping up a particularly nasty mess a student had made. One of Mr. Neils students had gotten sick, and as janitor it was his job to clean it up. Once he finished, he smiled, nodding at the now shining section of floor before taking a wet floor sign and placing it in the slick space. As he turned around and began to push his cart around a corner, he realized he had heard Mrs. Bo after all. She had a student in the hallway and was talking to them. He didn't bother to listen in. It was rude, after all.

However, Mrs. Bo had other plans and upon seeing him decided to act on them.

"Luka, would you please come over here? I need a bit of help."

"Of course, Mrs. Bo. It would be my pleasure."

With a smile, he approached the pair. He wasn't quite sure what she needed, but he would gladly do anything for Mrs. Bo.

"Luka, you know Maizy, right?"

"I do not believe I do, no. Are you new, little miss?"

"Oh, um...Luka, she can't talk. She's mute."

"Oh! Do you know sign language, Miss Maizy? If you do not, I could teach you!"

Mrs. Bo almost gave him a heartwarming smile, only to remember why she called him over.

"Luka, apparently one of the other kids called her a name because of her condition. I only know because Daniel came and told me about it. I was about to talk to both of them, and then I saw Maizy kick him."

"Oh dear...That is quite a problem."

"Yes. I was wondering if maybe you'd talk to her? Try as I might, I can never seem to get through to them like you do. Daniel only told me because he said it's what you would want him to do."

"Ah, well Daniel is a good boy. He only needs encouragement! Now...Miss Maizy, would you like to come with me, and get away from that stuffy classroom for a few moments? Mrs. Bo needs to get back to the lesson, after all."

As the young fox girl nodded shyly, Mrs. Bo gave Luka a grateful smile before returning to her classroom, shutting the door behind her.

Luka smiled at Maizy and nodded towards the end of the hall.

"Come, we will talk while we walk. That way while Mrs. Bo does her job, I can continue to do mine."

The young girl nodded, and happily skipped alongside the relatively massive sergal.

"Now Maizy, I know you cannot speak to me, and I realize you do not yet know sign language, but you can nod, and shake your head, so I will talk to you no differently than the others. You kicked that boy because he called you a name, yes? Do you not think that is just as bad, or worse, than what he did?"

The girl tilted her head, clearly confused.

"Let me see...hm...If someone calls me slow, and I were to slap them for it like this-"

He playfully swatted at the broom handle sticking up from his cart.

"Would it not make me worse, since they simply spoke to me, and I attacked them? Who is worse? They, for speaking rudely, or me for attacking them?"

After a second, Maizy simply pointed to Luka with a regretful expression.

"Exactly. By attacking them, I not only become worse than them, but I was also made the bad guy because I could not control myself. This is no different. All your life, there will always be someone talking down to you. Not like this, I only talk down because you are so much shorter! I cannot talk up, I would be talking to the roof!"

Maizy gave him a smile, and he recognized the sound of a soft giggle.

"But you will always have at least one person telling you you are not good. This is life. The right way to handle it is to be better than they believe you to be."

She seemed to sadden a little, and Luka smiled at her.

"Take me, for example. I am...not bright. I ehm...I never finished school. I was removed from the school for not being smart enough, and moved here right after. I was home schooled after, but my parents never really taught anything."

The little girl seemed excited, as if the prospect of school at home without the work was good.

"And it has led to a lot of problems. Many believe I am...well...Stupid. The other staff members do not think I hear them in the teacher's lounge, but I do. They think very little of me. All except Mr. Neil and Mrs. Bo. But how do I handle it? Do I attack them, kick them, hurt them?"

Maizy nodded excitedly, pointing to the broom handle and mock-slapping the air.

"Wrong. I smile at them, I greet them like friends, and I go on about my day. Sure, they believe I am dumb for not realizing what they are saying, but I am simply ignoring it. I am happy with my life, and happy with myself. So how can they hurt me?"

Maizy saddened again, her ears drooping back.

"It must be hard, not having the words to express the pain. But you will make good friends. For every one person putting you down, you will find ten more who will lift you up."

As he put the cart away into a closet, he shut the door and dropped to one knee to be closer to Maizy's eye level as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Never let them tell you that you are any less than wonderful. If you let them hurt you, you are telling yourself you are not good. Always believe you are good. If you don't believe you are good, then think of me. I believe you are very good, and Luka is never wrong about these things!"

He smiled at her, and as she smiled in return, he gave her a playful grin.

"Would you like a ride back to the classroom now? I believe recess will be starting very soon, and I would be happy if you joined me and some of the other children for a game of tag."

With an eager nod, Luka smiled as he helped the fox girl onto his shoulders, holding her in place.

"Alright. But promise me you will not hurt the other children anymore. Tug one of my ears to promise, two to say no."

With a single, excited tug on his left ear-tuft, he smiled and began to walk back to Mrs. Bo's classroom, stepping carefully to avoid a fall.

As they reached the room, Luka dropped to a knee again and helped Maizy down before standing up and knocking on the door. As it opened, the two were greeted by Mrs. Bo's smiling face, and a few shouts from the children inside calling to Luka, who simply smiled and waved at the young students.

"I believe we have solved the problem."

"That's wonderful, Luka! Thank you so much. Maizy, were you good for Mr. Luka, then?"

"She was fantastic. She is truly a sweet little girl, I think you will have no more trouble with her."

"Again, thank you Luka. Maizy, mind taking your seat please? I need to say something to Mr. Luka really quickly, and then we'll get back into the lesson."

With a nod, Maizy ran inside and returned to her seat, quickly beginning to scribble something on paper. As Mrs. Bo stepped out of the classroom and shut the door, she smiled at Luka gratefully.

"You really helped me out. She was really proud of hurting him. Did she make it seem like she was sorry?"

"Yes, she seemed very saddened once I explained it to her, and she promised me she would not hurt the other children anymore."

"You really are so good with them, Luka..."

Mrs. Bo leaned in close, and before Luka could process what happened, she had kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you."

Without another word, she opened her classroom door and returned inside, shutting it. Luka raised a hand, dumbfounded as he rested it over where she had kissed. As his grin slowly widened and his face warmed up, he began to step away. So distracted was he by her kiss that he failed to watch his step, stepping over his own feet and slipping only to fall onto his bottom with a thud. Despite the fall, his smile never left his face, and he simply stood again, glancing at the door as he walked away.

"Anything for you...Mrs. Bo..."

As he rounded the corner, the bell rang, and he remembered he had a very important committment he'd made: he had to play tag with the children! Distracted or not, he would keep his promise!