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No really, 37k, just short of light novel. This story blasted my brain and wouldn't leave me alone for a week until I finally got it all down. And I could totally add more to it! I've already got a sequel outlined.\n\nWe follow Jesse, a 14 year old icy-furred squirrel who justifiably hates his life, and his whirlwind romance with the 16 year old okapi, Robin. Got some twists and turns, and a lot of emotions. Oh, and some sex, of course. No snuff in this (though there is a bit of violence at one point, but not in sexy times).\n\nI broke this up into chapters, most between 5-7k, with chapter 4 being the longest at just over 10k, but a LOT happens in it, and it didn't seem right to break it up. Get a snack and a drink before tucking into this one.\n\n- - - - -\n\nChapters:\n\n[url=https://inkbunny.net/s/3607360]Next>[/url] | [url=https://inkbunny.net/s/3607375]Last>>[/url]\n\n- - - - -\n\nA massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:\nSedyna | [fa]jafferroshak[/fa] | RoleplayCentral | [fa]akinkyyfox[/fa] | [iconname]Karmandel[/iconname]\n\nIf you would like early access to my stories, weekly previews and updates, access to my private discord, chance to have your character become part of the lore, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my [url=https://subscribestar.adult/xp_author]SubscribeStar[/url]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "My latest novella. No really, 37k, just short of light novel. This story blasted my brain and wouldn't leave me alone for a week until I finally got it all down. And I could totally add more to it! I've already got a sequel outlined.

We follow Jesse, a 14 year old icy-furred squirrel who justifiably hates his life, and his whirlwind romance with the 16 year old okapi, Robin. Got some twists and turns, and a lot of emotions. Oh, and some sex, of course. No snuff in this (though there is a bit of violence at one point, but not in sexy times).

I broke this up into chapters, most between 5-7k, with chapter 4 being the longest at just over 10k, but a LOT happens in it, and it didn't seem right to break it up. Get a snack and a drink before tucking into this one.

- - - - -

Chapters:

Next> | Last>>

- - - - -

A massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:
Sedyna | \n\t\t\t\t\tjafferroshak | RoleplayCentral | \n\t\t\t\t\takinkyyfox | \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKarmandel\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKarmandel\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t


If you would like early access to my stories, weekly previews and updates, access to my private discord, chance to have your character become part of the lore, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my SubscribeStar", "writing": "[center][b]Saved by Sorrow[/b][/center]\n[center][u]Chapter 1[/u][/center]\n[center]By XP Author[/center]\n\nA hand slapped his back hard enough that the icy-blue furred squirrel almost fell over. Jesse kept himself from letting out a sigh, knowing exactly what was coming. \"Hey, little man! Good to see you!\" The tall, muscular grey wolf walked around him, though kept his hand on Jesse's shoulder in a casually threatening way. \"How've you been, my man?\"\n\nJesse just kind of looked down, his voice quiet. \"Hi, Zack...\"\n\n\"Hey, snow-tail. My man asked how you were doing.\" The other member of the pair, Wade, walked around and crossed his beefy arms. \"It's not nice to not respond, you know.\" The lion was even taller than Zack and even more buff. Both of them towered over the squirrel. Enough it was easy to doubt they were all 14, the same age as the short, skinny, and meek young man in front of them.\n\nJesse nodded slowly. \"Sorry... I've been... okay.\"\n\nZack gave him a big, toothy grin that was anything but friendly. \"That's good to hear. So, that means you've got what we want, right?\" He held his hand out expectantly. \"C'mon, don't keep me waiting, man!\"\n\nJesse let out a slight sigh this time, shifting his backpack off and opening it. \"Yeah...\" He pulled out a folder, but before he could open it, the wolf snatched it out of his hands. \"Hey!\"\n\nZack passed the folder to Wade. \"You need to chill out, blue! We're only taking what you said you'd give us, right?\"\n\nThe lion opened the folder and smiled. \"Aww, look at that. He even made two copies.\" He pulled out a small stack of sheets, homework for their classes. \"One for each of us. Don't even need to copy them this time.\"\n\nJesse felt his eye twitch a little, but he managed not to let his emotions show. \"I-I made... two copies... so you could take one. Th-the other is mine...\"\n\nWade growled. \"What was that!?\" He leaned in threateningly, but Zack held a hand up.\n\n\"Now now, that's an honest mistake. Little man just forgot to make a third copy for himself.\" He also leaned in. \"There are three of us, right? You should be making three copies.\" He leaned even closer, the scent of weed almost pouring out of the wolf's mouth as he spoke right up next to Jesse's face. \"Unless you're trying to back out of our deal. You're not, are you?\" The squirrel shook his head quickly. \"That's good.\" He took the now empty folder from Wade and held it out for Jesse to take, only to let it go just as he reached out for it. \"But you did still make a mistake. So, you'll need to make up for it.\" He held his hand out again. \"And we're going to need some money for lunch.\"\n\nJesse closed his eyes, but nodded slowly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small amount of money he had for lunch. Before it was even fully out of the money clip, Zack snatched it out of his hands and looked at it. \"What is this? Seven bucks? That all you have?\" Jesse nodded slowly. \"Man, that'll barely cover it. No way we can get anything good with this.\" He scoffed.\n\nWade tilted his head. \"You ain't holding out on us, are ya?\"\n\nJesse shook his head, still looking down. \"No. That's all I have...\"\n\n\"Well...\" The wolf took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. \"We'll let you off this time. But you'd better bring more tomorrow. You still gotta make up for trying to take one of our homework copies.\" Just then, the bell rang, signaling homeroom was going to be starting in the next few minutes. \"Saved by the bell, little man.\" Zack pat him on the shoulder hard, nearly shoving him to the ground in the process. \"See you in class, my man.\" The two turned and left, laughing as they split what little money they took from him. It really was all he had on him. The situation at home was not exactly good. Meanwhile, both Zack and Wade came from pretty wealthy homes. He was sure they each had many times that amount on them right now.\n\nHe crouched down to pick his folder up off of the ground, only to hear someone else walking past. \"Ugh, you trying to look up my skirt, you little pervert?\" He didn't need to look up to know it was another one of his classmates. One of the 'popular girls' in class, a pomeranian, along with her clique of hangers-on. They all voiced similar disgust with him as they passed by. He didn't bother looking up, or even acknowledging them. At least they didn't throw a drink at him this time. He hated the high school. The whole place seemed to hate him, too, or at least everyone inside of it did. It was no different than middle school had been, only somehow worse since even the teachers weren't on his side, all of them calling him lazy or unmotivated for being late, or not having his homework, or always being tired. He never tried to explain anything to them anymore. They never believed him, only accusing him of making excuses.\n\nNaturally, gym was not long after the lunch period, where Jesse just had to spend that 40 minutes watching other student eat while he had to pretend he wasn't starving. So now he was hungry and had to try and perform athletics, something he was already bad at. Today was track, and they had to run. He hated running. About the only gym class he [i]did[/i] enjoy was swimming, as he was actually pretty good at it. But the school so rarely did swim class. The teacher for the boys was a tall and lanky greyhound, Mr. Albert, so of course he was very disappointed that Jesse performed horribly at running. Again. Most of the class had lapped him by the time Mr. Albert blew the whistle and told them all to hit the showers.\n\nThe showers. Another thing Jesse hated. As if being forced to show off his lack of athletic ability wasn't bad enough, he was supposed to shower with all the other boys. Something he would absolutely never do. He couldn't let them find out. \"Hey, little man!\" He flinched, bracing himself just as Zack's hand slapped him on the back, almost knocking him off the bench. \"You waiting for the showers to open again?\"\n\nHe just nodded slowly. \"Y-yeah...\"\n\nWade was also there, because of course he was. \"I think he just wants to watch all the guys walk around.\"\n\nZack smirked. \"Is that it? You like watching guys?\" Jesse just kept staring at his feet. In truth, he did, but that wasn't the reason he waited until everyone else was done. \"I bet if you go in there now, you'll see a bunch of guys, all butt ass naked! You'd like that, wouldn't you? Staring at a bunch of guy's cocks?\" Jesse just shook his head slowly.\n\nThe lion scoffed. \"I think he's just embarrassed by that freaky blue fur. Not like you can hide it. Am I right, iceman?\" Jesse shook his head again. He wasn't really embarrassed by his odd fur color. There were a bunch of people that had strange fur colors. His was because he was descended from a group of people somewhere in Scandinavia that also had the same icy-blue fur. Though he didn't know how far back. His mother didn't have the same fur, and he didn't know his father.\n\nZack shook his head. \"Nah, I think I know what it really is.\" The buff teen leaned over, tousling Jesse's short, darker blue hair. \"I bet it's because you got a really small penis, don't you?\" He chuckled. \"That's it, isn't it?\" Jesse didn't say anything. \"Yeah, I'm right, aren't I?\"\n\nWade chuckled. \"Yeah, bet you're right.\" He leaned over, both tall teens now hovering directly over the small squirrel, making him feel trapped under them. \"Never seen a micropenis before. How about you show us, eh? Or are you actually hiding some monster?\"\n\nJesse shook his head again. \"I-I'm not...\"\n\nThe lion grinned. \"Oh yeah? Then prove it! C'mon, we're all guys here! Just whip it out and show us if you're not embarrassed by it!\"\n\nHe let out a soft whimper, his tail twitching as he felt nervous, scared shivers start to run through him. \"I-I... can't...\" He absolutely could not let them find out. He'd never hear the end of it. And they already had enough ammunition to mock him.\n\nZack tilted his head. \"Oh? Why not? C'mon! Just show us! I'm sure you've seen ours in the showers. It's only fair, right, icema-\"\n\n\"Alright, you three.\" Mr. Albert walked past them. \"Stop whatever you're up to and get going. The next period is going to start soon.\" He stopped as he noticed Jesse was still in his gym clothes. \"Mr. Logans, have you not showered yet?\"\n\nJesse shook his head. \"N-no. I was just about t-\"\n\nThe canine rolled his eyes. \"I won't allow you to keep being lazy! No one likes a sweaty kid. Now go get cleaned up already! Before you're late to your next class!\" He looked at the two jocks. \"Same for you two. Get going. We have practice after school today, so we can't have two of our players in detention!\" With that, he walked away, making no comment about how it looked like the two were almost about to start raping the squirrel right there in the lockers.\n\nZack chuckled. \"Saved by the bell again.\" He pat the squirrel's shoulder hard once more. \"See you in math class.\" With that, the two bullies left, though he would unfortunately see them in the next class. For now, he made his way to the showers, grateful that they were now emptied as everyone hurriedly got dressed. He still went into the farthest shower stall, constantly looking to make sure no one was watching as he stripped and stepped in. It wasn't that he had anything too small or too large between his legs. It's that he didn't have a cock at all, instead having a slit. He had been born intersex. Though was still very much a boy, he had nothing in the way of breasts, and did still think like a boy. His mother had once told him that she debated raising him as a girl, but she'd always wanted a son. Being intersex was more common in women, but it did happen to men. Though it was still quite rare. And most were infertile, something his mother subtly brought up in those rare times he actually saw her, as she'd bemoan how she'd likely never have grandkids.\n\nWhile he was glad the shower went uneventfully, he let out a sigh as he heard the bell while still getting dressed. He was going to be late... again. He still finished hastily pulling his jeans on, stuffing his gym clothes into his locker before rushing out the door and down the now empty hall. He got to the door for the room and braced himself. He was only two minutes late. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad this time. Just as he opened the door, he knew he was wrong. \"Late again, Mr. Logans.\" It wasn't a question, or even a statement, more of an accusation.\n\n\"Sorry, Ms. Swiftclaw. I had to wait for the showers in-\"\n\nThe aging black bear cut him off. \"I don't want to hear excuses, Mr. Logans! You should learn to take faster showers!\" Jesse gave a sheepish nod as he tried to move to his desk. \"Not so fast! I've already collected everyone's homework. I need yours.\"\n\nHe tensed up, his tail twitching nervously. He hadn't had the chance to do it again, since Zack and Wade took the only copies of the worksheets he had. \"I... don't have it...\"\n\nThe bear let out an exaggerated sigh. \"Again? That is the third time this week! Why don't you tell the whole class why this time.\" She took a sarcastic tone. \"Did the wind snatch it out of your hands just as you were leaving the house? Or did your uncle accidentally mail it instead of a letter?\" Several students giggled, or spoke in hushed, but still obviously mocking tones. The teacher did nothing to silence them.\n\nJesse had never used those ridiculous excuses before, but he couldn't say the real reason, either. He glanced up and saw Zack and Wade, both teens giving him hard glares. If he told the truth, they'd make his life even more miserable. So he just repeated. \"I... don't have it...\"\n\nMs. Swiftclaw let out a sigh. \"And just [i]why[/i] don't you have it!?\"\n\nHe let out a soft whimper as the giggles from the class grew louder. \"I... I don't... know...\"\n\nThe bear let out yet another exaggerated sigh. \"You don't know. You could at least tell the truth and say you just didn't do it.\" She shook her head. \"Honestly, I'm very disappointed in you, Mr. Logans. You need to stop being so lazy. Or were you simply playing video games too late? It would explain your appearance.\" Jesse knew that even after a shower, he still looked tired. And being hungry didn't help the matter, either. \"Very well. I'll see you in detention. [i]Again![/i]\" Jesse just nodded slowly, his shoulder slumping a little. He just started to walk to his desk again when the teacher called out to him again. \"Where do you think you're going?\"\n\nHe stopped, turning around, a little confused. \"To... my desk...?\"\n\n\"No. That isn't your desk anymore.\" The bear pointed to a corner of the room by the door. \"You will stand there.\"\n\n\"F-for how long?\"\n\nThe bear scowled. \"Until I say otherwise! You've already held us up enough with your [i]lying[/i]. Everyone need to see what a bad attitude like yours will get them. Now go stand there. And don't speak back to me again!\" Jesse just nodded slowly, closing his eyes as he walked to the corner. \"And don't give me that attitude, young man! Or I'll make you stand there during detention, too!\" He winced, nodding slowly. \"I didn't hear you!\"\n\nHe resisted letting out a sigh. \"Yes, ma'am.\"\n\n\"Good. And stop facing the wall! Face the class!\" He nodded slowly. \"I still didn't hear you!\"\n\nHis shoulders somehow slumped even more. \"Yes, ma'am.\" The teacher let out a satisfied grunt, turning back to the class to start the lesson properly. For the next half hour, he stood there. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, like they were burning through him. He wanted to cry... or scream. Or just run away. Instead, he just stood there, staring at his shoes. His legs already hurt from being forced to run. By the time the bell rang, they ached. Math was the last period of the day, so he would have to go right to detention after this. So while everyone started to file out of class, he stayed where he was.\n\nZack leaned over as he passed. \"See you tomorrow, Iceman.\" The wolf let out a chuckle as he walked out. Jesse really hated that nickname.\n\nAfter everyone had left, the teacher looked at him. \"What are you still doing here?\"\n\nHe didn't look up, responding in a quiet voice. \"You said I had to stand here until you said otherwise.\"\n\n\"Don't give me that lip!\" She violently pointed at the door. \"Get off to the detention hall! And be grateful teachers aren't allowed to spank students! I'd tan your hide for that attitude! Now go!\" He nodded, turning to leave. \"I didn't hear you!\"\n\nHe didn't know his shoulders could slump so much. \"Yes, Ma'am...\"\n\n\"Good. And stand up straight! Those video games you play are giving you terrible posture!\" He didn't even bother responding this time, just leaving the room. If only he could play games. He couldn't really afford any, not that he'd have time to play any if he did. They didn't even have a TV at home. Even the laptop he had at home was a really old one that barely worked enough for him to do homework on. He didn't bother going to his locker, instead heading to the cafeteria, which served as detention hall after school. He was the first to arrive, sitting at his usual seat and pulling out the worksheets from today's class to start. He'd have to try to find time to make more copies this time. Soon, more students started to file in. Most of them were the usual delinquents, all familiar faces to him. He didn't look up as they took their seats.\n\nHe did nearly jump out of his fur when a hand suddenly slammed down on the table in front of him, making a bang that echoed in the mostly empty room. He looked up to see Ms. Swiftpaw, the bear glaring down at him. \"You never took today's worksheets. I'm not letting you get out of doing your homework again!\" He didn't bother pointing out he didn't get them because she never gave them to him. \"There's also the ones from yesterday's homework. I expect you to finish both before detention is done. And don't let me catch you playing on your phone!\"\n\nHe just nodded. \"Yes, ma'am.\" He didn't even have a phone. Well, not a cellphone, at least. They still had a landline at home. The bear grunted at him, storming over to her seat and dropping down into it. The plastic chair creaked under her weight, threatening to give out, but managed to hold her for now. For the whole detention, he did exactly as she asked. The worksheets weren't very hard, so he finished them easily enough. Though he made it look like he was working on them for much longer than he needed to, since Ms. Swiftpaw was watching him the whole time. In fact, it seemed like she was fixated on him, and barely glanced at the other students. He had no idea why she hated him so much. The other students in the detention were the kind that would skip classes to go smoking, or have sex behind the bleachers. Yet he was the fixation of her ire.\n\nOnce the bell rung to signal the final after-school period was done, he stood up. \"All right, everyone out. Go home.\" She pointed at him. \"You! Give me the homework you 'couldn't find' earlier.\"\n\nHe nodded, \"Yes, ma'am.\" He handed it over, only for her to snatch it out of his hand.\n\n\"Good. At least you can do something. Now go.\" She waved her hand dismissively.\n\n\"Um... actually, Ms. Swiftpaw. Can I-\"\n\nShe interrupted him with one of her exaggerated sighs. \"What is it!?\"\n\nHe started over. \"I finished today's homework, too. Can I turn it in now?\" If he could turn it in now, he wouldn't have it for Zack or Wade to steal tomorrow.\n\nShe scowled at him. \"You want me to give you special privileges? After that attitude you've given me today? No! Turn it in tomorrow like everyone else! And don't give me some excuse about having lost it tomorrow!\" She pointed at the door. \"Now go!\"\n\nHe couldn't stop a sigh slipping from him. \"Okay.\"\n\n\"What was that!?\" She snapped\n\nHe just turned and started to walk away. \"Yes, Ma'am.\" He heard her grumbling as he walked away, but ignored it. He was finally free to leave this hell hole of a school for another day. Not that he had much to look forward to at home. He was just very thankful that Zack and Wade got rides after football practice and didn't ride the late bus with him. Once it arrived at the end of his street, he got off and walked down the sidewalk until he got to his house. More his complex, the tiny apartment he and his mother lived in being on the third floor.\n\nHe was not surprised to find his mother was not home when he got there. Instead, he found a note on the kitchen table. 'Working late, won't be back until after 2.' Even being one of the cheapest apartments in Seapoint, the rent was terrible. His mother had to work two full time jobs just to make ends meet, and even then it didn't leave much left for groceries. He barely saw his mother anymore. She was gone by the time he was going to school for her first job, a receptionist at a hotel, and her second, waitress at a diner on the other side of town, kept her late all the time.\n\nOpening the fridge, it was pretty barren. There was a few apples, so he grabbed one and ate it quickly. It was enough to stop his stomach from grumbling for now. He didn't have much time to enjoy the brief meal, though. Heading to his room, he changed. Jesse also had a job, working for a convenience store by the pier, called Orville's Quickstop. His mother hadn't been too happy about it, especially as he had to lie about his age to get the job since employing someone under 16 was against the law, but they needed the money. Even if he was getting paid minimum wage.\n\nHe actually liked the job. Sure, it was tedious and boring, mostly stocking the shelves and waiting for someone to show up, and he had to deal with the occasional asshole customer. But most of the time, he was left alone, and most customers were nice enough. Since he worked such a late shift, the only other employee there was the owner, a kind older rat named Gerald Orville. Gerald was nice to him, let him have free soda during work, and even let him take one of the frozen dinners home after his shift for free. Best of all, none of the students from the school ever came to the pier, so he never bumped into anyone he knew from school. On the off chance someone he knew did show up, he could see them coming through the doors, so he could get Gerald to check them out while he took his break or found some excuse to not be at the counter. He was sure the rat knew he was avoiding someone, but never made a big deal about it since Jesse was a hard worker otherwise.\n\nToday's shift was no different. He stocked shelves, checked people out, and dealt with one of the regulars saying he still looked too skinny. There were only two annoying customers tonight, both drunk. The were loud, and kept calling him a she, despite him correcting them... several times. He just put up with it and let them buy their beer as quickly as they could so they would leave. Eventually, midnight rolled around, and it was the end of his shift. Gerald came out, smiling as always. \"Hey, kiddo. Shift's over. You should get home quick. Still a school night.\"\n\nJesse smiled, nodding. \"Yeah.\" He still claimed to be in high school, he just said he was a senior instead of a freshman. \"Hey, is it okay if I take one of the big dinners today? I... didn't have the chance to eat lunch...\"\n\nGerald chuckled. \"Hell, kid, you're skinny enough as you are! Don't go starving yourself. Tell you what, take two of 'em today. My treat.\"\n\nThe teen smiled. \"Thanks, Jerald!\" it was still so strange calling an adult by their first name, but the older man insisted upon it. After taking his apron off, he went and picked out two of the frozen dinners from the freezer section. They weren't exactly fancy meals. Each one had two large burritos with beans and meat. He took them and his apron into the break room, using the microwave in there to heat up the dinners. Once they were done, he used a few paper towels to hold them.\n\nThe rat called out as Jesse left. \"Have a good night, kid. Stay safe on your way home!\" Jesse waved back, actually smiling a little. He wished he could stay there longer. Jerald really was one of the only nice people in his life. Instead of heading home right away, he headed to the pier itself, walking all the way to the end. He sat down, letting his legs dangle off the edge. The burritos were... honestly quite bad, but they were at least filling. He devoured the first two in record time, but took his time with the next two. While he ate, he stared out at the water. To the south was a lighthouse, its beam shining out on the water. Though it seemed pretty useless, considering. To the north was Alta Ferro, and the lights from the city lit up that part of the sky, almost like it was perpetually dawn or dusk. It also made it impossible to see any stars. Seapoint was one of the mega-city's many suburbs, though it was more like a small city by itself. He had never visited Alta Ferro proper.\n\n\"You're in my spot, kid.\" He nearly fell off the edge of the pier when a voice spoke behind him. He turned to see a girl, not too much older than he was... at least he was pretty sure. She was dressed in a black halter-top, with a matching black dress that hung to her knees, and a pair of dark stockings. Even her short hair was black, though probably dyed. He wasn't quite sure what species she was. His first guess would be deer or goat, but that wasn't right. She had short, pointy horns sticking out of her hair, her fur was a light tan, but she had very dark stripes, almost like a zebra. She took a drag from what he guessed was some kind of e-cig as she stared at him, her eyes unusually yellow, even in the dark. She also had a few piercings in her pointy ears. \"You gonna just stare all night?\"\n\nHe blinked, not realizing he was staring. \"OH! S-sorry!\" He quickly got up, brushing himself off. He looked at the last, half-eaten burrito. \"I... um... I was just... leaving...\" He gave a half-smile, but quickly looked back at the ground as he turned away. \"S-sorry.\"\n\nThe girl let out a sigh. \"Hold on...\" He stopped, bracing himself. \"You don't have to go.\" She spoke in a resigned tone. \"At least finish eating.\" He nodded, taking a big bite out of the remaining burrito. \"Hey! Slow down! I'm not kicking out out of here or anything. I just... like that spot.\" She looked out at the water. \"It's one of the best views of the ocean.\"\n\nHe nodded, forcing himself to swallow way too much and coughed a little as a result. He did hear a slight chuckle from her, but unlike almost every other laugh he'd heard, it didn't sound mocking or teasing. After clearing his throat, he turned back around, glancing at her briefly before looking back out at the water. \"It... is a pretty nice view...\"\n\nShe gave him a sly smirk, but didn't say the obvious thought about what view he meant, instead turning back to look at the water. \"Yeah. The ocean just stretching on and on, vanishing into the darkness.\"\n\n\"Like you could just jump into it and disappear...\" He didn't know why he said that out loud.\n\n\"Yeah, exactly. You get it.\" After a moment of silence, she turned to him. \"Hey, sorry I was rude earlier.\" She held out her hand. \"I'm Robin.\"\n\nHe took her hand, shaking it gently, though her grip was incredibly strong. \"Jesse.\" Risking another look, he saw she had some pretty good tone in her arms, which explained the strong grip. She also had a really nice figure, with a pretty big bust, and curves at her hips.\n\n\"Okapi.\"\n\nHe blinked, looking up at her. \"W-what?\"\n\n\"My species. It's usually what people ask. I'm an okapi.\" She shrugged, taking another drag from her vape thing, blowing out an impressively large cloud that smelled vaguely of cinnamon and vanilla. \"Kind of a strange mix of goat and zebra, though we're apparently related to giraffes.\" She shrugged.\n\n\"Oh...\" He smiled, his tail twitching a little. \"I would have guessed a deer / zebra hybrid.\"\n\nShe chuckled. \"Yeah, I get that one sometimes, too.\"\n\nHe blushed a little, though didn't quite know why. \"S-sorry.\"\n\nShe waved her hand dismissively. \"Eh, it's fine. You didn't call me a mixer, hybie, or hwun, so it's fine.\" All were rather derogatory and insulting terms for hybrids, especially the last one. \"You'd be surprised how often I get those.\"\n\nHe winced. \"I'm sorry to hear that.\" He looked down at his hands. \"I get made fun of for my fur a lot, so I kind of get it... I hear a lot of ice puns...\"\n\n\"What, for that amazing blue you've got?\" She scoffed. \"Man, ignore anyone that makes fun of it. You've got awesome fur!\"\n\nHe couldn't help but smile a little. \"Th-thanks. You've... got some nice fur, too.\" He immediately regretted saying that the moment it was out of his mouth.\n\nRobin let out a genuine laugh. \"Thanks.\" She actually leaned over and nudged him with her elbow gently. \"Solid attempt.\"\n\nHe looked down again, but still had a slight smile. He was also blushing quite a bit. \"S-sorry. I'm... not good at talking to people...\"\n\n\"Ah, you're fine.\" She shrugged a little. \"Girls like guys that get a little flustered. Trust me, it's WAY better than undeserved ego or forced machismo.\"\n\nHe shook his head slowly. \"Not any girls I know...\"\n\n\"Then all the girls you know are idiots.\" She looked at him. \"I guess you are a little skinny and short, but that's fine.\" He frowned a little. \"Hey, didn't mean that as an insult. You can be a skinny short king for some girl.\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. \"Maybe...\" He really doubted it.\n\nRobin looked at him for a long moment. \"I think you're food's probably cold by now.\"\n\nHe blinked, looking down at the last bit of the burrito in his hand. He had totally forgotten about it. \"Oh... yeah, I guess it is.\" He still finished off the last few bites. \"Shtill good.\" He coughed as he again swallowed a little too much at once, making her laugh again. He liked her laugh. It was... almost kind. She was laughing because of him, but not [i]at[/i] him. It was a really nice change.\n\n\"Well, it was really good meeting you, Jesse.\" She put her vape in her pocket. \"But I should probably get home. And I'm sure you do, too. Got school tomorrow, right?\"\n\nHe nodded, his tail drooping with his shoulders. \"Yeah... I do... and I've got to finish my homework, too...\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"Man, glad I'm not dealing with that shit anymore.\" She turned, but before she walked away, she paused. \"Hey, do you normally get off at this time?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah.\"\n\n\"You working tomorrow?\" He nodded again. \"Cool. Let's meet here again. We can chat some more.\"\n\nHe brightened up. \"O-Okay! I'd... I'd like that!\" He winced, thinking that was maybe sounding a little [i]too[/i] excited.\n\nRobin still chuckled softly. \"I'd like it, too. This was nice. Just chatting with someone that isn't trying to stare down my shirt.\" She gently nudged him again. \"I'll see you tomorrow then.\"\n\nHe nodded quickly. \"Y-yeah! I'll be here!\" He smiled as she walked away. He noticed her hips swaying, her small tail swaying with them. He smiled a little, hoping just a little that he might have made a new friend.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
Saved by Sorrow

Chapter 1

By XP Author


A hand slapped his back hard enough that the icy-blue furred squirrel almost fell over. Jesse kept himself from letting out a sigh, knowing exactly what was coming. "Hey, little man! Good to see you!" The tall, muscular grey wolf walked around him, though kept his hand on Jesse's shoulder in a casually threatening way. "How've you been, my man?"

Jesse just kind of looked down, his voice quiet. "Hi, Zack..."

"Hey, snow-tail. My man asked how you were doing." The other member of the pair, Wade, walked around and crossed his beefy arms. "It's not nice to not respond, you know." The lion was even taller than Zack and even more buff. Both of them towered over the squirrel. Enough it was easy to doubt they were all 14, the same age as the short, skinny, and meek young man in front of them.

Jesse nodded slowly. "Sorry... I've been... okay."

Zack gave him a big, toothy grin that was anything but friendly. "That's good to hear. So, that means you've got what we want, right?" He held his hand out expectantly. "C'mon, don't keep me waiting, man!"

Jesse let out a slight sigh this time, shifting his backpack off and opening it. "Yeah..." He pulled out a folder, but before he could open it, the wolf snatched it out of his hands. "Hey!"

Zack passed the folder to Wade. "You need to chill out, blue! We're only taking what you said you'd give us, right?"

The lion opened the folder and smiled. "Aww, look at that. He even made two copies." He pulled out a small stack of sheets, homework for their classes. "One for each of us. Don't even need to copy them this time."

Jesse felt his eye twitch a little, but he managed not to let his emotions show. "I-I made... two copies... so you could take one. Th-the other is mine..."

Wade growled. "What was that!?" He leaned in threateningly, but Zack held a hand up.

"Now now, that's an honest mistake. Little man just forgot to make a third copy for himself." He also leaned in. "There are three of us, right? You should be making three copies." He leaned even closer, the scent of weed almost pouring out of the wolf's mouth as he spoke right up next to Jesse's face. "Unless you're trying to back out of our deal. You're not, are you?" The squirrel shook his head quickly. "That's good." He took the now empty folder from Wade and held it out for Jesse to take, only to let it go just as he reached out for it.  "But you did still make a mistake. So, you'll need to make up for it." He held his hand out again. "And we're going to need some money for lunch."

Jesse closed his eyes, but nodded slowly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small amount of money he had for lunch. Before it was even fully out of the money clip, Zack snatched it out of his hands and looked at it. "What is this? Seven bucks? That all you have?" Jesse nodded slowly. "Man, that'll barely cover it. No way we can get anything good with this." He scoffed.

Wade tilted his head. "You ain't holding out on us, are ya?"

Jesse shook his head, still looking down. "No. That's all I have..."

"Well..." The wolf took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "We'll let you off this time. But you'd better bring more tomorrow. You still gotta make up for trying to take one of our homework copies." Just then, the bell rang, signaling homeroom was going to be starting in the next few minutes. "Saved by the bell, little man." Zack pat him on the shoulder hard, nearly shoving him to the ground in the process. "See you in class, my man." The two turned and left, laughing as they split what little money they took from him. It really was all he had on him. The situation at home was not exactly good. Meanwhile, both Zack and Wade came from pretty wealthy homes. He was sure they each had many times that amount on them right now.

He crouched down to pick his folder up off of the ground, only to hear someone else walking past. "Ugh, you trying to look up my skirt, you little pervert?" He didn't need to look up to know it was another one of his classmates. One of the 'popular girls' in class, a pomeranian, along with her clique of hangers-on. They all voiced similar disgust with him as they passed by. He didn't bother looking up, or even acknowledging them. At least they didn't throw a drink at him this time. He hated the high school. The whole place seemed to hate him, too, or at least everyone inside of it did. It was no different than middle school had been, only somehow worse since even the teachers weren't on his side, all of them calling him lazy or unmotivated for being late, or not having his homework, or always being tired. He never tried to explain anything to them anymore. They never believed him, only accusing him of making excuses.

Naturally, gym was not long after the lunch period, where Jesse just had to spend that 40 minutes watching other student eat while he had to pretend he wasn't starving. So now he was hungry and had to try and perform athletics, something he was already bad at. Today was track, and they had to run. He hated running. About the only gym class he did enjoy was swimming, as he was actually pretty good at it. But the school so rarely did swim class. The teacher for the boys was a tall and lanky greyhound, Mr. Albert, so of course he was very disappointed that Jesse performed horribly at running. Again. Most of the class had lapped him by the time Mr. Albert blew the whistle and told them all to hit the showers.

The showers. Another thing Jesse hated. As if being forced to show off his lack of athletic ability wasn't bad enough, he was supposed to shower with all the other boys. Something he would absolutely never do. He couldn't let them find out. "Hey, little man!" He flinched, bracing himself just as Zack's hand slapped him on the back, almost knocking him off the bench. "You waiting for the showers to open again?"

He just nodded slowly. "Y-yeah..."

Wade was also there, because of course he was. "I think he just wants to watch all the guys walk around."

Zack smirked. "Is that it? You like watching guys?" Jesse just kept staring at his feet. In truth, he did, but that wasn't the reason he waited until everyone else was done. "I bet if you go in there now, you'll see a bunch of guys, all butt ass naked! You'd like that, wouldn't you? Staring at a bunch of guy's cocks?" Jesse just shook his head slowly.

The lion scoffed. "I think he's just embarrassed by that freaky blue fur. Not like you can hide it. Am I right, iceman?" Jesse shook his head again. He wasn't really embarrassed by his odd fur color. There were a bunch of people that had strange fur colors. His was because he was descended from a group of people somewhere in Scandinavia that also had the same icy-blue fur. Though he didn't know how far back. His mother didn't have the same fur, and he didn't know his father.

Zack shook his head. "Nah, I think I know what it really is." The buff teen leaned over, tousling Jesse's short, darker blue hair. "I bet it's because you got a really small penis, don't you?" He chuckled. "That's it, isn't it?" Jesse didn't say anything. "Yeah, I'm right, aren't I?"

Wade chuckled. "Yeah, bet you're right." He leaned over, both tall teens now hovering directly over the small squirrel, making him feel trapped under them. "Never seen a micropenis before. How about you show us, eh? Or are you actually hiding some monster?"

Jesse shook his head again. "I-I'm not..."

The lion grinned. "Oh yeah? Then prove it! C'mon, we're all guys here! Just whip it out and show us if you're not embarrassed by it!"

He let out a soft whimper, his tail twitching as he felt nervous, scared shivers start to run through him. "I-I... can't..." He absolutely could not let them find out. He'd never hear the end of it. And they already had enough ammunition to mock him.

Zack tilted his head. "Oh? Why not? C'mon! Just show us! I'm sure you've seen ours in the showers. It's only fair, right, icema-"

"Alright, you three." Mr. Albert walked past them. "Stop whatever you're up to and get going. The next period is going to start soon." He stopped as he noticed Jesse was still in his gym clothes. "Mr. Logans, have you not showered yet?"

Jesse shook his head. "N-no. I was just about t-"

The canine rolled his eyes. "I won't allow you to keep being lazy! No one likes a sweaty kid. Now go get cleaned up already! Before you're late to your next class!" He looked at the two jocks. "Same for you two. Get going. We have practice after school today, so we can't have two of our players in detention!" With that, he walked away, making no comment about how it looked like the two were almost about to start raping the squirrel right there in the lockers.

Zack chuckled. "Saved by the bell again." He pat the squirrel's shoulder hard once more. "See you in math class." With that, the two bullies left, though he would unfortunately see them in the next class. For now, he made his way to the showers, grateful that they were now emptied as everyone hurriedly got dressed. He still went into the farthest shower stall, constantly looking to make sure no one was watching as he stripped and stepped in. It wasn't that he had anything too small or too large between his legs. It's that he didn't have a cock at all, instead having a slit. He had been born intersex. Though was still very much a boy, he had nothing in the way of breasts, and did still think like a boy. His mother had once told him that she debated raising him as a girl, but she'd always wanted a son. Being intersex was more common in women, but it did happen to men. Though it was still quite rare. And most were infertile, something his mother subtly brought up in those rare times he actually saw her, as she'd bemoan how she'd likely never have grandkids.

While he was glad the shower went uneventfully, he let out a sigh as he heard the bell while still getting dressed. He was going to be late... again. He still finished hastily pulling his jeans on, stuffing his gym clothes into his locker before rushing out the door and down the now empty hall. He got to the door for the room and braced himself. He was only two minutes late. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad this time. Just as he opened the door, he knew he was wrong. "Late again, Mr. Logans." It wasn't a question, or even a statement, more of an accusation.

"Sorry, Ms. Swiftclaw. I had to wait for the showers in-"

The aging black bear cut him off. "I don't want to hear excuses, Mr. Logans! You should learn to take faster showers!" Jesse gave a sheepish nod as he tried to move to his desk. "Not so fast! I've already collected everyone's homework. I need yours."

He tensed up, his tail twitching nervously. He hadn't had the chance to do it again, since Zack and Wade took the only copies of the worksheets he had. "I... don't have it..."

The bear let out an exaggerated sigh. "Again? That is the third time this week! Why don't you tell the whole class why this time." She took a sarcastic tone. "Did the wind snatch it out of your hands just as you were leaving the house? Or did your uncle accidentally mail it instead of a letter?" Several students giggled, or spoke in hushed, but still obviously mocking tones. The teacher did nothing to silence them.

Jesse had never used those ridiculous excuses before, but he couldn't say the real reason, either. He glanced up and saw Zack and Wade, both teens giving him hard glares. If he told the truth, they'd make his life even more miserable. So he just repeated. "I... don't have it..."

Ms. Swiftclaw let out a sigh. "And just why don't you have it!?"

He let out a soft whimper as the giggles from the class grew louder. "I... I don't... know..."

The bear let out yet another exaggerated sigh. "You don't know. You could at least tell the truth and say you just didn't do it." She shook her head. "Honestly, I'm very disappointed in you, Mr. Logans. You need to stop being so lazy. Or were you simply playing video games too late? It would explain your appearance." Jesse knew that even after a shower, he still looked tired. And being hungry didn't help the matter, either. "Very well. I'll see you in detention. Again!" Jesse just nodded slowly, his shoulder slumping a little. He just started to walk to his desk again when the teacher called out to him again. "Where do you think you're going?"

He stopped, turning around, a little confused. "To... my desk...?"

"No. That isn't your desk anymore." The bear pointed to a corner of the room by the door. "You will stand there."

"F-for how long?"

The bear scowled. "Until I say otherwise! You've already held us up enough with your lying. Everyone need to see what a bad attitude like yours will get them. Now go stand there. And don't speak back to me again!" Jesse just nodded slowly, closing his eyes as he walked to the corner. "And don't give me that attitude, young man! Or I'll make you stand there during detention, too!" He winced, nodding slowly. "I didn't hear you!"

He resisted letting out a sigh. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. And stop facing the wall! Face the class!" He nodded slowly. "I still didn't hear you!"

His shoulders somehow slumped even more. "Yes, ma'am." The teacher let out a satisfied grunt, turning back to the class to start the lesson properly. For the next half hour, he stood there. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, like they were burning through him. He wanted to cry... or scream. Or just run away. Instead, he just stood there, staring at his shoes. His legs already hurt from being forced to run. By the time the bell rang, they ached. Math was the last period of the day, so he would have to go right to detention after this. So while everyone started to file out of class, he stayed where he was.

Zack leaned over as he passed. "See you tomorrow, Iceman." The wolf let out a chuckle as he walked out. Jesse really hated that nickname.

After everyone had left, the teacher looked at him. "What are you still doing here?"

He didn't look up, responding in a quiet voice. "You said I had to stand here until you said otherwise."

"Don't give me that lip!" She violently pointed at the door. "Get off to the detention hall! And be grateful teachers aren't allowed to spank students! I'd tan your hide for that attitude! Now go!" He nodded, turning to leave. "I didn't hear you!"

He didn't know his shoulders could slump so much. "Yes, Ma'am..."

"Good. And stand up straight! Those video games you play are giving you terrible posture!" He didn't even bother responding this time, just leaving the room. If only he could play games. He couldn't really afford any, not that he'd have time to play any if he did. They didn't even have a TV at home. Even the laptop he had at home was a really old one that barely worked enough for him to do homework on. He didn't bother going to his locker, instead heading to the cafeteria, which served as detention hall after school. He was the first to arrive, sitting at his usual seat and pulling out the worksheets from today's class to start. He'd have to try to find time to make more copies this time. Soon, more students started to file in. Most of them were the usual delinquents, all familiar faces to him. He didn't look up as they took their seats.

He did nearly jump out of his fur when a hand suddenly slammed down on the table in front of him, making a bang that echoed in the mostly empty room. He looked up to see Ms. Swiftpaw, the bear glaring down at him. "You never took today's worksheets. I'm not letting you get out of doing your homework again!" He didn't bother pointing out he didn't get them because she never gave them to him. "There's also the ones from yesterday's homework. I expect you to finish both before detention is done. And don't let me catch you playing on your phone!"

He just nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He didn't even have a phone. Well, not a cellphone, at least. They still had a landline at home. The bear grunted at him, storming over to her seat and dropping down into it. The plastic chair creaked under her weight, threatening to give out, but managed to hold her for now. For the whole detention, he did exactly as she asked. The worksheets weren't very hard, so he finished them easily enough. Though he made it look like he was working on them for much longer than he needed to, since Ms. Swiftpaw was watching him the whole time. In fact, it seemed like she was fixated on him, and barely glanced at the other students. He had no idea why she hated him so much. The other students in the detention were the kind that would skip classes to go smoking, or have sex behind the bleachers. Yet he was the fixation of her ire.

Once the bell rung to signal the final after-school period was done, he stood up. "All right, everyone out. Go home." She pointed at him. "You! Give me the homework you 'couldn't find' earlier."

He nodded, "Yes, ma'am." He handed it over, only for her to snatch it out of his hand.

"Good. At least you can do something. Now go." She waved her hand dismissively.

"Um... actually, Ms. Swiftpaw. Can I-"

She interrupted him with one of her exaggerated sighs. "What is it!?"

He started over. "I finished today's homework, too. Can I turn it in now?" If he could turn it in now, he wouldn't have it for Zack or Wade to steal tomorrow.

She scowled at him. "You want me to give you special privileges? After that attitude you've given me today? No! Turn it in tomorrow like everyone else! And don't give me some excuse about having lost it tomorrow!" She pointed at the door. "Now go!"

He couldn't stop a sigh slipping from him. "Okay."

"What was that!?" She snapped

He just turned and started to walk away. "Yes, Ma'am." He heard her grumbling as he walked away, but ignored it. He was finally free to leave this hell hole of a school for another day. Not that he had much to look forward to at home. He was just very thankful that Zack and Wade got rides after football practice and didn't ride the late bus with him. Once it arrived at the end of his street, he got off and walked down the sidewalk until he got to his house. More his complex, the tiny apartment he and his mother lived in being on the third floor.

He was not surprised to find his mother was not home when he got there. Instead, he found a note on the kitchen table. 'Working late, won't be back until after 2.' Even being one of the cheapest apartments in Seapoint, the rent was terrible. His mother had to work two full time jobs just to make ends meet, and even then it didn't leave much left for groceries. He barely saw his mother anymore. She was gone by the time he was going to school for her first job, a receptionist at a hotel, and her second, waitress at a diner on the other side of town, kept her late all the time.

Opening the fridge, it was pretty barren. There was a few apples, so he grabbed one and ate it quickly. It was enough to stop his stomach from grumbling for now. He didn't have much time to enjoy the brief meal, though. Heading to his room, he changed. Jesse also had a job, working for a convenience store by the pier, called Orville's Quickstop. His mother hadn't been too happy about it, especially as he had to lie about his age to get the job since employing someone under 16 was against the law, but they needed the money. Even if he was getting paid minimum wage.

He actually liked the job. Sure, it was tedious and boring, mostly stocking the shelves and waiting for someone to show up, and he had to deal with the occasional asshole customer. But most of the time, he was left alone, and most customers were nice enough. Since he worked such a late shift, the only other employee there was the owner, a kind older rat named Gerald Orville. Gerald was nice to him, let him have free soda during work, and even let him take one of the frozen dinners home after his shift for free. Best of all, none of the students from the school ever came to the pier, so he never bumped into anyone he knew from school. On the off chance someone he knew did show up, he could see them coming through the doors, so he could get Gerald to check them out while he took his break or found some excuse to not be at the counter. He was sure the rat knew he was avoiding someone, but never made a big deal about it since Jesse was a hard worker otherwise.

Today's shift was no different. He stocked shelves, checked people out, and dealt with one of the regulars saying he still looked too skinny. There were only two annoying customers tonight, both drunk. The were loud, and kept calling him a she, despite him correcting them... several times. He just put up with it and let them buy their beer as quickly as they could so they would leave. Eventually, midnight rolled around, and it was the end of his shift. Gerald came out, smiling as always. "Hey, kiddo. Shift's over. You should get home quick. Still a school night."

Jesse smiled, nodding. "Yeah." He still claimed to be in high school, he just said he was a senior instead of a freshman. "Hey, is it okay if I take one of the big dinners today? I... didn't have the chance to eat lunch..."

Gerald chuckled. "Hell, kid, you're skinny enough as you are! Don't go starving yourself. Tell you what, take two of 'em today. My treat."

The teen smiled. "Thanks, Jerald!" it was still so strange calling an adult by their first name, but the older man insisted upon it. After taking his apron off, he went and picked out two of the frozen dinners from the freezer section. They weren't exactly fancy meals. Each one had two large burritos with beans and meat. He took them and his apron into the break room, using the microwave in there to heat up the dinners. Once they were done, he used a few paper towels to hold them.

The rat called out as Jesse left. "Have a good night, kid. Stay safe on your way home!" Jesse waved back, actually smiling a little. He wished he could stay there longer. Jerald really was one of the only nice people in his life. Instead of heading home right away, he headed to the pier itself, walking all the way to the end. He sat down, letting his legs dangle off the edge. The burritos were... honestly quite bad, but they were at least filling. He devoured the first two in record time, but took his time with the next two. While he ate, he stared out at the water. To the south was a lighthouse, its beam shining out on the water. Though it seemed pretty useless, considering. To the north was Alta Ferro, and the lights from the city lit up that part of the sky, almost like it was perpetually dawn or dusk. It also made it impossible to see any stars. Seapoint was one of the mega-city's many suburbs, though it was more like a small city by itself. He had never visited Alta Ferro proper.

"You're in my spot, kid." He nearly fell off the edge of the pier when a voice spoke behind him. He turned to see a girl, not too much older than he was... at least he was pretty sure. She was dressed in a black halter-top, with a matching black dress that hung to her knees, and a pair of dark stockings. Even her short hair was black, though probably dyed. He wasn't quite sure what species she was. His first guess would be deer or goat, but that wasn't right. She had short, pointy horns sticking out of her hair, her fur was a light tan, but she had very dark stripes, almost like a zebra. She took a drag from what he guessed was some kind of e-cig as she stared at him, her eyes unusually yellow, even in the dark. She also had a few piercings in her pointy ears. "You gonna just stare all night?"

He blinked, not realizing he was staring. "OH! S-sorry!" He quickly got up, brushing himself off. He looked at the last, half-eaten burrito. "I... um... I was just... leaving..." He gave a half-smile, but quickly looked back at the ground as he turned away. "S-sorry."

The girl let out a sigh. "Hold on..." He stopped, bracing himself. "You don't have to go." She spoke in a resigned tone. "At least finish eating." He nodded, taking a big bite out of the remaining burrito. "Hey! Slow down! I'm not kicking out out of here or anything. I just... like that spot." She looked out at the water. "It's one of the best views of the ocean."

He nodded, forcing himself to swallow way too much and coughed a little as a result. He did hear a slight chuckle from her, but unlike almost every other laugh he'd heard, it didn't sound mocking or teasing. After clearing his throat, he turned back around, glancing at her briefly before looking back out at the water. "It... is a pretty nice view..."

She gave him a sly smirk, but didn't say the obvious thought about what view he meant, instead turning back to look at the water. "Yeah. The ocean just stretching on and on, vanishing into the darkness."

"Like you could just jump into it and disappear..." He didn't know why he said that out loud.

"Yeah, exactly. You get it." After a moment of silence, she turned to him. "Hey, sorry I was rude earlier." She held out her hand. "I'm Robin."

He took her hand, shaking it gently, though her grip was incredibly strong. "Jesse." Risking another look, he saw she had some pretty good tone in her arms, which explained the strong grip. She also had a really nice figure, with a pretty big bust, and curves at her hips.

"Okapi."

He blinked, looking up at her. "W-what?"

"My species. It's usually what people ask. I'm an okapi." She shrugged, taking another drag from her vape thing, blowing out an impressively large cloud that smelled vaguely of cinnamon and vanilla. "Kind of a strange mix of goat and zebra, though we're apparently related to giraffes." She shrugged.

"Oh..." He smiled, his tail twitching a little. "I would have guessed a deer / zebra hybrid."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I get that one sometimes, too."

He blushed a little, though didn't quite know why. "S-sorry."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Eh, it's fine. You didn't call me a mixer, hybie, or hwun, so it's fine." All were rather derogatory and insulting terms for hybrids, especially the last one. "You'd be surprised how often I get those."

He winced. "I'm sorry to hear that." He looked down at his hands. "I get made fun of for my fur a lot, so I kind of get it... I hear a lot of ice puns..."

"What, for that amazing blue you've got?" She scoffed. "Man, ignore anyone that makes fun of it. You've got awesome fur!"

He couldn't help but smile a little. "Th-thanks. You've... got some nice fur, too." He immediately regretted saying that the moment it was out of his mouth.

Robin let out a genuine laugh. "Thanks." She actually leaned over and nudged him with her elbow gently. "Solid attempt."

He looked down again, but still had a slight smile. He was also blushing quite a bit. "S-sorry. I'm... not good at talking to people..."

"Ah, you're fine." She shrugged a little. "Girls like guys that get a little flustered. Trust me, it's WAY better than undeserved ego or forced machismo."

He shook his head slowly. "Not any girls I know..."

"Then all the girls you know are idiots." She looked at him. "I guess you are a little skinny and short, but that's fine." He frowned a little. "Hey, didn't mean that as an insult. You can be a skinny short king for some girl."

He nodded slowly. "Maybe..." He really doubted it.

Robin looked at him for a long moment. "I think you're food's probably cold by now."

He blinked, looking down at the last bit of the burrito in his hand. He had totally forgotten about it. "Oh... yeah, I guess it is." He still finished off the last few bites. "Shtill good." He coughed as he again swallowed a little too much at once, making her laugh again. He liked her laugh. It was... almost kind. She was laughing because of him, but not at him. It was a really nice change.

"Well, it was really good meeting you, Jesse." She put her vape in her pocket. "But I should probably get home. And I'm sure you do, too. Got school tomorrow, right?"

He nodded, his tail drooping with his shoulders. "Yeah... I do... and I've got to finish my homework, too..."

She shook her head. "Man, glad I'm not dealing with that shit anymore." She turned, but before she walked away, she paused. "Hey, do you normally get off at this time?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"You working tomorrow?" He nodded again. "Cool. Let's meet here again. We can chat some more."

He brightened up. "O-Okay! I'd... I'd like that!" He winced, thinking that was maybe sounding a little too excited.

Robin still chuckled softly. "I'd like it, too. This was nice. Just chatting with someone that isn't trying to stare down my shirt." She gently nudged him again. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

He nodded quickly. "Y-yeah! I'll be here!" He smiled as she walked away. He noticed her hips swaying, her small tail swaying with them. He smiled a little, hoping just a little that he might have made a new friend.

*     *     *
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