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The cloying musty scent which permeated the air around Mustelae served as a message in two-fold to intruders:
The first was that you’d entered Mute skunk territory and that there were more than the Scooter Skunks living in Las Vistas.
The second, naturally, was that Mustelae was, in fact, protected by the Scooter Skunks as their home base, and guarded quite jealously at that. So, watch your step.
Or thinks would get real stinky.
To the skunks, of course, this smell simply meant “home.” The most pleasant, comforting fragrance one could ever imagine.
Enter a young skunk named Havelock Musk. “Locky” to his friends and familial surfeit.
Havelock was a skunk of rather average build—he was short, a bit stocky, and he had a little bit of a pudge to him. Thin, but with a bit of extra padding, one might say. A tell of the rather sedentary lifestyle he led, tinkering away at tech from the age when humans had the run of the planet.
And what a bang-up job they’d done with the place.
At least the fallout put the world on a better, more even scale. They’d hunted animals for food and sport, and now?
Well, as all the Sapio Skunks—the name Havelock’s circle had given themselves—would say:
Nature had righted itself, and the Prophet, Darwin, had been proven right.
Such a pity that a wise thinker and scientist such as he had been born a human. Even a wolf would’ve been preferable.
But c’est la vie.
Havelock reclined in his chair so he might relax as he watched through a set of square-rimmed glasses, one lens cracked, as the progress bar crawled across the monitor screen. He and the rest of the Sapio Skunks had been wrestling with this old “Wide Area Network” problem for some time now. It was …
Well. Like anything that involved networking, like having a tail full of sticky seed pods.
The mere notion sent a shiver down his spine. Such a nightmare to clean.
Or, in the realm of networking, an utter Einstein bitch to troubleshoot.
So far, so good. Packet drop was at an acceptable minimum, latency wasn’t terrible so far …
“Looks like we might have it!” another skunk named Artemis squealed.
Havelock turned to fix him with a look one might charitably call comical indignation. “Don’t jinx it, you nonce!” he scolded “We thought that this morning as well!”
Artemis’s hands flew to cover his snout. He gave a nervous titter and squirmed in place, his tattered blue skirt fluttered about his knees.
“Sorry!” he squeaked.
“Hey!” his partner, Hermes, took one of his beloved’s hands in support. His tail bristled irritably. “We’re just excited, no need to be such a jerk about it, Locky!”
A look at Artemis—sweet, kind, excitable Artemis—made Havelock’s cookie-shaped ears flatten against his fluffy white hair.
This was Artemis for stars’ sake. The same skunk who’d pranced about on the tips of his paws on each of Havelock’s birthdays and peppered his cheeks with kisses, as he’d do for each of his friends. His little tradition, ever since they were six.
He sighed and slumped in his chair. Havelock removed his glasses so he could rub at his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Havelock murmured softly. “I know, and I am too. I’m being silly about this.”
Artemis bounced over to stand before him and, true to form, planted an affectionate peck upon his nose.
“Don’t worry about it!” he chirped, happy as a clam. Artemis made as though to say something further, but stopped short.
Three sets of ears twitched, each to the sound of distant thunder.
No, not thunder. This sound was mechanical.
This, was the sound of engines familiar to all of Mustelae. Specifically, Musk Motors.
Matching grins spread across Artemis’s and Hermes’s faces. Artemis bounced a step from Havelock’s chair and did a little twirl.
“They’re back!” he cheered as the engines’ chorus drew nearer, louder, with each passing second. Rising into a crescendo. The giddy skunk was positively dancing on the very tips of his paws. “They’re back! They’re back! They’re back!”
He took Hermes by the hand and dashed off, giggling above his love’s protestations and sputtering through mirth himself. And why not?
The Scooter Skunks had returned.
Havelock’s ears slicked back. The Scooter Skunks were, without a shadow of a doubt, the protectors and heroes of all of Mustelae. Each and every skunk, himself included, had loved and supported them since they were but kits. He’d cheered and celebrated their exploits just as vocally as Artemis and Hermes. Not a bit of that was ever in question.
His tail gave a nervous little twitch.
Havelock knew quite a few of them well. Personally. He’d been in the same learning surfeit together, grouped by age range as was typical of the various Mute societies.
In theirs, there were four current Scooter Skunks. Each of them high ranking.
He began to make his way over to a nearby window, eager to see her—them—despite himself.
The skunk came to the window and set his hands on the ledge, watching as about twenty-odd skunks on scooters, each of them wearing the uniform bomber jackets and colors, came skidding to a halt amid a crowd of Mustelae’s cheering, delighted citizens. At the head, Loretta, the leader of the group, grinned and pumped a fist into the air. Her smile telling of a successful raid. And her mate, a big, barrel-chested skunk by the name of Tank, ambled up with his launcher slung across his back, and stole a quick kiss before he swept up a cluster of chattering kits into a hug.
Despite a few lingering memories of Tank and his younger twin sister teasing and pranking him—one, in particular, involved dipping the tip of Havelock’s tail into some ink—a fond smile spread across his features.
Big damn heroes. Wonder who they raided this time.
His ears twitched to the sound of buckles ringing, a feminine grunt and rustling of hair, and claw tips upon the concrete floor.
He could see her reflection, dingy and old though the glass was. Her big, bushy tail, fluffy as it was strong, flicked in show of mild bemusement.
“Couldn’t even come out of your little hideyhole to say hi, eh?” she prodded.
Havelock couldn’t quite suppress a wince. She was only teasing, of course.
At least, her tone suggested it. Torque wasn’t exactly known for her subtlety when annoyed.
A few memories of noogies, ear pinching, and rather sharp tail pulling served as testament to that. But at least she’d never pummeled him like she had a few of the other kits who’d earned her ire.
Somehow.
He turned to face her, finally, and ducked his head. “Er, I figured you’d be busy with the crowd,” Havelock stammered. He turned this way and that, shifting his weight from one digitigrade foot to the other. Why did his tongue always have to find ways to tie itself into knots when she was around? “H-How did the raid go?”
Torque gave her muscular shoulders the slightest shrug, then leaned against a nearby support beam. “Wasn’t even a challenge,” she said, grinning wickedly. “Great job you nerds did on those musk bombs, by the way. Came in real handy.”
His ears perked. “Did they?”
“Yup. Knocked out all those stupid wolves before they could even make it to a door or a window. Also used ‘em to smoke out some Hummingbombers who’d gotten lippy.”
“Can they really get lippy? I mean, y’know, not having lips?”
Her smile vanished for a moment. Torque stood, blinking as she considered his words.
Havelock cursed himself. Why even go there? “Er. Sorry. Just nerd humor. I was gonna say, like, wouldn’t they be … um …” Color filled his cheeks. “Beaky?”
Torque’s ears twitched. Comprehension flashed across her features. She snorted and gave her tail a flick.
“You’re such a fuckin’ nerd!” Torque cackled, her tail swishing. “Darwin’s Beard!” With a roll of her eyes, she turned and angled her head back toward his desk. “C’mere a minute. Picked something up for you.”
Curious, Havelock padded over as asked, and stood beside her. Here, it was quite apparent how tall she stood, nearly two or three inches taller than he, and quite a bit bulkier. She was a buff skunk, well built, matching attitude with the means to back it up.
He watched as Torque reached into one of her jacket’s inside pockets, and pulled out a small drawstring sack, which rattled and clicked as she set it down.
He gave his tail a little flick and sent a look to Torque in silent askance whether he should open it. A slight smirk tugged at her lips, she gave a nod and a gesture with one of her hands that he go right ahead.
Havelock tugged on the drawstring and tipped over the sack, spilling the contents out across the desk. His tail hiked higher, belying his jubilant surprise.
“Glasses?” he asked, unable to hide his smile.
“Noticed you went and cracked yours again, probably when you dorks went up tinkering with those net-line-whatevers the other week,” Torque said in reply. “Since those wolves weren’t using them after their little musk nap, I figured I’d bring you a selection. I think a couple have that sorta purply shimmer thing you mentioned once before. The ones that help your eyes with that thing.” She jerked a thumb toward the computer screen.
“Blue light filters?” Havelock couldn’t help it now. A grin spread across his features, he let his tail swish as he removed his old pair and began trying on each pair Torque had brought along. They didn’t quite sit right on his snout, but that was fine.
A bit of adjustment would be necessary to make sure they sat properly on a skunk’s snout.
Torque gave a wave of her hand. “Sure, that. Got tired of seeing that stupid crack and watching you squint—yeah, don’t gimme that look. You were doing it last time you were reading one of those human books you love so much.”
“Discworld, you mean?”
“Sure. That sounds about right.” She hummed a low note, shifting so she might hop up and sit upon the desk, her hip brushing against the mouse. “How in Darwin’s name did you get so into those things, anyway? All that human fantasy babble?”
Havelock exchanged the first pair for a second. That one just didn’t quite feel like it suited him. “To be fair,” he murmured. “We swear by the prophet, Charles Darwin. A human. Why not read a series by a brilliant mind of fantasy crafting.”
Torque canted her head to one side. “Heh, fair. But that doesn’t explain why you like it, nerd.” She gave a predatory grin. “Or should I go get the inkwell and start dipping your tail in it like back in the old surfeit learning center when you wouldn’t let me cheat off your tests?”
He moved his tail out of reach, fixing her with a glare. “Don’t you dare.”
“I just might, punk. Start talkin’.”
Feigning a defeated sigh, Havelock swapped out the second pair for another. This, he noted with glee, shone with the familiar purple light of blue light filters, just as promised.
“My parents named me after a character in those books,” he said softly. “Havelock Vetinari, Lord Patrician of the big city in the story. It was one of the first series I read when I was little … dad actually paid off a friend in the Scooter Skunks to get a few we were missing from the Einstein Wolves for my eighth birthday.”
That drew a pricking of her ears. “Oh, yeah?” She edged closer, her nonchalant look faltering for the briefest of moments to betray interest. “What’s he like?”
The new glasses were square-rimmed, like his old ones. But a bit wider, less the sporty type, which meant he could rely on a bit more lens so he could look over the whole screen. Perfect for a near-sighted skunk.
“Deep, interesting,” Havelock answered. “Often rather snarky and sarcastic, but he’s … he’s a dictator, but his whole thing is to just take his city and … well. Basically drag it into the modern age, kicking and screaming. He’s a side character, but he’s always just so big when he appears.”
Torque threw back her head and gave a bark of laughter. “So, the guy who kinda moves things behind the scenes.” Her smirk took on a teasing edge. “Gee, I can only wonder why that would get you showing your stripes.”
“I-I mean, I don’t know that I’d go that far … he’s more … well. He can really push the story. I could show you if … you …” he trailed off, the answer clear to him before he even finished speaking. Havelock coughed into his fist and turned so he might check on the progress bar, the perfect way to check the blue light filter on these glasses, in fact. “I think these are nice. Thank you.”
She hopped off his desk, stepping closer into his personal space. “Look at me a sec,” she said.
As he did, Havelock found his cheeks cupped by soft, padded hands. He could feel her fur brushing against his, the slight tickle of claws against his jawline as he gazed into her eyes.
Torque hummed and tilted her head, her pink-dyed bangs fell to cover her left eye. He could feel the strength of her grip and arms, yet that surprisingly gentle touch like she didn’t want to break him.
Havelock only just fended off the urge to reach up and touch her wrists …
After a moment, he noticed her tail hiking higher, she gave a slight snort of laughter. “Yeah, those are good,” she said softly. Torque released his cheeks, chucking a light blow against his chin. “Don’t go breaking the lenses this time.”
“I’ll try not to.” Havelock bowed his head, more to hide his flushing cheeks and resist a want to just lose himself in her eyes.
He shuffled his feet. Damn, did he feel like a jerk. Torque had thought of him, in her own way.
Stolen or not, these glasses were nice. And he didn’t even go out to greet her.
“S-So,” he stammered, giving his tail a fluff as he tried to draw strength. “I-If you’re not, um, busy. C-Can I buy you dinner at Funky Skunks? To, er, make up for not coming out to—eep!”
Torque caught two fists full of his shirt and stepped forward, suddenly, pinning him back against the desk. She loomed over him, eyes dancing and a predatory smirk tugging at her lips.
“Like you had a choice, Locky?” she growled, her voice taking on a huskier edge. Torque drew in close, tilting her head just slightly so she could seal his lips in a lingering kiss.
Havelock gave a surprised squeak. That heated blush bloomed across his features, coloring the very tips of his ears.
With a playful nip to his lips, Torque parted, staying just close enough that she might nuzzle his nose. “Finish up whatever you nerds were working on here, then get your fluffy tail to the bar, Locky,” she whispered. She gave his snout a quick lick, then tweaked it between two knuckles as she stepped back and turned away. “And bring one of those dumb human books.”
“One of—you mean my—“ his lashes fluttered, the tip her her tail teased beneath his chin. He could smell her scent, heady and musky. Such a perfect, natural fragrance for a skunk. “Which?”
“Pick one that character shows up in, ya nerd. And I don’t mean he shows up twice and just disappears until the end.” Torque cast a glance back over her shoulder, humming. “Then bring it with you and read me a bit of it after dinner. See what it’s about.”
With that, Torque left him alone in the run down old warehouse Havelock and the Sapio Skunks had turned into their personal lab.
Behind him, he heard the computer chime out its jubilant cry to tell him of their successful test. But, for once, Havelock didn’t care.
For once, tech was just about the least interesting thing in the world.
-----------------------------------------
The cloying musty scent which permeated the air around Mustelae served as a message in two-fold to intruders:
The first was that you’d entered Mute skunk territory and that there were more than the Scooter Skunks living in Las Vistas.
The second, naturally, was that Mustelae was, in fact, protected by the Scooter Skunks as their home base, and guarded quite jealously at that. So, watch your step.
Or thinks would get real stinky.
To the skunks, of course, this smell simply meant “home.” The most pleasant, comforting fragrance one could ever imagine.
Enter a young skunk named Havelock Musk. “Locky” to his friends and familial surfeit.
Havelock was a skunk of rather average build—he was short, a bit stocky, and he had a little bit of a pudge to him. Thin, but with a bit of extra padding, one might say. A tell of the rather sedentary lifestyle he led, tinkering away at tech from the age when humans had the run of the planet.
And what a bang-up job they’d done with the place.
At least the fallout put the world on a better, more even scale. They’d hunted animals for food and sport, and now?
Well, as all the Sapio Skunks—the name Havelock’s circle had given themselves—would say:
Nature had righted itself, and the Prophet, Darwin, had been proven right.
Such a pity that a wise thinker and scientist such as he had been born a human. Even a wolf would’ve been preferable.
But c’est la vie.
Havelock reclined in his chair so he might relax as he watched through a set of square-rimmed glasses, one lens cracked, as the progress bar crawled across the monitor screen. He and the rest of the Sapio Skunks had been wrestling with this old “Wide Area Network” problem for some time now. It was …
Well. Like anything that involved networking, like having a tail full of sticky seed pods.
The mere notion sent a shiver down his spine. Such a nightmare to clean.
Or, in the realm of networking, an utter Einstein bitch to troubleshoot.
So far, so good. Packet drop was at an acceptable minimum, latency wasn’t terrible so far …
“Looks like we might have it!” another skunk named Artemis squealed.
Havelock turned to fix him with a look one might charitably call comical indignation. “Don’t jinx it, you nonce!” he scolded “We thought that this morning as well!”
Artemis’s hands flew to cover his snout. He gave a nervous titter and squirmed in place, his tattered blue skirt fluttered about his knees.
“Sorry!” he squeaked.
“Hey!” his partner, Hermes, took one of his beloved’s hands in support. His tail bristled irritably. “We’re just excited, no need to be such a jerk about it, Locky!”
A look at Artemis—sweet, kind, excitable Artemis—made Havelock’s cookie-shaped ears flatten against his fluffy white hair.
This was Artemis for stars’ sake. The same skunk who’d pranced about on the tips of his paws on each of Havelock’s birthdays and peppered his cheeks with kisses, as he’d do for each of his friends. His little tradition, ever since they were six.
He sighed and slumped in his chair. Havelock removed his glasses so he could rub at his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Havelock murmured softly. “I know, and I am too. I’m being silly about this.”
Artemis bounced over to stand before him and, true to form, planted an affectionate peck upon his nose.
“Don’t worry about it!” he chirped, happy as a clam. Artemis made as though to say something further, but stopped short.
Three sets of ears twitched, each to the sound of distant thunder.
No, not thunder. This sound was mechanical.
This, was the sound of engines familiar to all of Mustelae. Specifically, Musk Motors.
Matching grins spread across Artemis’s and Hermes’s faces. Artemis bounced a step from Havelock’s chair and did a little twirl.
“They’re back!” he cheered as the engines’ chorus drew nearer, louder, with each passing second. Rising into a crescendo. The giddy skunk was positively dancing on the very tips of his paws. “They’re back! They’re back! They’re back!”
He took Hermes by the hand and dashed off, giggling above his love’s protestations and sputtering through mirth himself. And why not?
The Scooter Skunks had returned.
Havelock’s ears slicked back. The Scooter Skunks were, without a shadow of a doubt, the protectors and heroes of all of Mustelae. Each and every skunk, himself included, had loved and supported them since they were but kits. He’d cheered and celebrated their exploits just as vocally as Artemis and Hermes. Not a bit of that was ever in question.
His tail gave a nervous little twitch.
Havelock knew quite a few of them well. Personally. He’d been in the same learning surfeit together, grouped by age range as was typical of the various Mute societies.
In theirs, there were four current Scooter Skunks. Each of them high ranking.
He began to make his way over to a nearby window, eager to see her—them—despite himself.
The skunk came to the window and set his hands on the ledge, watching as about twenty-odd skunks on scooters, each of them wearing the uniform bomber jackets and colors, came skidding to a halt amid a crowd of Mustelae’s cheering, delighted citizens. At the head, Loretta, the leader of the group, grinned and pumped a fist into the air. Her smile telling of a successful raid. And her mate, a big, barrel-chested skunk by the name of Tank, ambled up with his launcher slung across his back, and stole a quick kiss before he swept up a cluster of chattering kits into a hug.
Despite a few lingering memories of Tank and his younger twin sister teasing and pranking him—one, in particular, involved dipping the tip of Havelock’s tail into some ink—a fond smile spread across his features.
Big damn heroes. Wonder who they raided this time.
His ears twitched to the sound of buckles ringing, a feminine grunt and rustling of hair, and claw tips upon the concrete floor.
He could see her reflection, dingy and old though the glass was. Her big, bushy tail, fluffy as it was strong, flicked in show of mild bemusement.
“Couldn’t even come out of your little hideyhole to say hi, eh?” she prodded.
Havelock couldn’t quite suppress a wince. She was only teasing, of course.
At least, her tone suggested it. Torque wasn’t exactly known for her subtlety when annoyed.
A few memories of noogies, ear pinching, and rather sharp tail pulling served as testament to that. But at least she’d never pummeled him like she had a few of the other kits who’d earned her ire.
Somehow.
He turned to face her, finally, and ducked his head. “Er, I figured you’d be busy with the crowd,” Havelock stammered. He turned this way and that, shifting his weight from one digitigrade foot to the other. Why did his tongue always have to find ways to tie itself into knots when she was around? “H-How did the raid go?”
Torque gave her muscular shoulders the slightest shrug, then leaned against a nearby support beam. “Wasn’t even a challenge,” she said, grinning wickedly. “Great job you nerds did on those musk bombs, by the way. Came in real handy.”
His ears perked. “Did they?”
“Yup. Knocked out all those stupid wolves before they could even make it to a door or a window. Also used ‘em to smoke out some Hummingbombers who’d gotten lippy.”
“Can they really get lippy? I mean, y’know, not having lips?”
Her smile vanished for a moment. Torque stood, blinking as she considered his words.
Havelock cursed himself. Why even go there? “Er. Sorry. Just nerd humor. I was gonna say, like, wouldn’t they be … um …” Color filled his cheeks. “Beaky?”
Torque’s ears twitched. Comprehension flashed across her features. She snorted and gave her tail a flick.
“You’re such a fuckin’ nerd!” Torque cackled, her tail swishing. “Darwin’s Beard!” With a roll of her eyes, she turned and angled her head back toward his desk. “C’mere a minute. Picked something up for you.”
Curious, Havelock padded over as asked, and stood beside her. Here, it was quite apparent how tall she stood, nearly two or three inches taller than he, and quite a bit bulkier. She was a buff skunk, well built, matching attitude with the means to back it up.
He watched as Torque reached into one of her jacket’s inside pockets, and pulled out a small drawstring sack, which rattled and clicked as she set it down.
He gave his tail a little flick and sent a look to Torque in silent askance whether he should open it. A slight smirk tugged at her lips, she gave a nod and a gesture with one of her hands that he go right ahead.
Havelock tugged on the drawstring and tipped over the sack, spilling the contents out across the desk. His tail hiked higher, belying his jubilant surprise.
“Glasses?” he asked, unable to hide his smile.
“Noticed you went and cracked yours again, probably when you dorks went up tinkering with those net-line-whatevers the other week,” Torque said in reply. “Since those wolves weren’t using them after their little musk nap, I figured I’d bring you a selection. I think a couple have that sorta purply shimmer thing you mentioned once before. The ones that help your eyes with that thing.” She jerked a thumb toward the computer screen.
“Blue light filters?” Havelock couldn’t help it now. A grin spread across his features, he let his tail swish as he removed his old pair and began trying on each pair Torque had brought along. They didn’t quite sit right on his snout, but that was fine.
A bit of adjustment would be necessary to make sure they sat properly on a skunk’s snout.
Torque gave a wave of her hand. “Sure, that. Got tired of seeing that stupid crack and watching you squint—yeah, don’t gimme that look. You were doing it last time you were reading one of those human books you love so much.”
“Discworld, you mean?”
“Sure. That sounds about right.” She hummed a low note, shifting so she might hop up and sit upon the desk, her hip brushing against the mouse. “How in Darwin’s name did you get so into those things, anyway? All that human fantasy babble?”
Havelock exchanged the first pair for a second. That one just didn’t quite feel like it suited him. “To be fair,” he murmured. “We swear by the prophet, Charles Darwin. A human. Why not read a series by a brilliant mind of fantasy crafting.”
Torque canted her head to one side. “Heh, fair. But that doesn’t explain why you like it, nerd.” She gave a predatory grin. “Or should I go get the inkwell and start dipping your tail in it like back in the old surfeit learning center when you wouldn’t let me cheat off your tests?”
He moved his tail out of reach, fixing her with a glare. “Don’t you dare.”
“I just might, punk. Start talkin’.”
Feigning a defeated sigh, Havelock swapped out the second pair for another. This, he noted with glee, shone with the familiar purple light of blue light filters, just as promised.
“My parents named me after a character in those books,” he said softly. “Havelock Vetinari, Lord Patrician of the big city in the story. It was one of the first series I read when I was little … dad actually paid off a friend in the Scooter Skunks to get a few we were missing from the Einstein Wolves for my eighth birthday.”
That drew a pricking of her ears. “Oh, yeah?” She edged closer, her nonchalant look faltering for the briefest of moments to betray interest. “What’s he like?”
The new glasses were square-rimmed, like his old ones. But a bit wider, less the sporty type, which meant he could rely on a bit more lens so he could look over the whole screen. Perfect for a near-sighted skunk.
“Deep, interesting,” Havelock answered. “Often rather snarky and sarcastic, but he’s … he’s a dictator, but his whole thing is to just take his city and … well. Basically drag it into the modern age, kicking and screaming. He’s a side character, but he’s always just so big when he appears.”
Torque threw back her head and gave a bark of laughter. “So, the guy who kinda moves things behind the scenes.” Her smirk took on a teasing edge. “Gee, I can only wonder why that would get you showing your stripes.”
“I-I mean, I don’t know that I’d go that far … he’s more … well. He can really push the story. I could show you if … you …” he trailed off, the answer clear to him before he even finished speaking. Havelock coughed into his fist and turned so he might check on the progress bar, the perfect way to check the blue light filter on these glasses, in fact. “I think these are nice. Thank you.”
She hopped off his desk, stepping closer into his personal space. “Look at me a sec,” she said.
As he did, Havelock found his cheeks cupped by soft, padded hands. He could feel her fur brushing against his, the slight tickle of claws against his jawline as he gazed into her eyes.
Torque hummed and tilted her head, her pink-dyed bangs fell to cover her left eye. He could feel the strength of her grip and arms, yet that surprisingly gentle touch like she didn’t want to break him.
Havelock only just fended off the urge to reach up and touch her wrists …
After a moment, he noticed her tail hiking higher, she gave a slight snort of laughter. “Yeah, those are good,” she said softly. Torque released his cheeks, chucking a light blow against his chin. “Don’t go breaking the lenses this time.”
“I’ll try not to.” Havelock bowed his head, more to hide his flushing cheeks and resist a want to just lose himself in her eyes.
He shuffled his feet. Damn, did he feel like a jerk. Torque had thought of him, in her own way.
Stolen or not, these glasses were nice. And he didn’t even go out to greet her.
“S-So,” he stammered, giving his tail a fluff as he tried to draw strength. “I-If you’re not, um, busy. C-Can I buy you dinner at Funky Skunks? To, er, make up for not coming out to—eep!”
Torque caught two fists full of his shirt and stepped forward, suddenly, pinning him back against the desk. She loomed over him, eyes dancing and a predatory smirk tugging at her lips.
“Like you had a choice, Locky?” she growled, her voice taking on a huskier edge. Torque drew in close, tilting her head just slightly so she could seal his lips in a lingering kiss.
Havelock gave a surprised squeak. That heated blush bloomed across his features, coloring the very tips of his ears.
With a playful nip to his lips, Torque parted, staying just close enough that she might nuzzle his nose. “Finish up whatever you nerds were working on here, then get your fluffy tail to the bar, Locky,” she whispered. She gave his snout a quick lick, then tweaked it between two knuckles as she stepped back and turned away. “And bring one of those dumb human books.”
“One of—you mean my—“ his lashes fluttered, the tip her her tail teased beneath his chin. He could smell her scent, heady and musky. Such a perfect, natural fragrance for a skunk. “Which?”
“Pick one that character shows up in, ya nerd. And I don’t mean he shows up twice and just disappears until the end.” Torque cast a glance back over her shoulder, humming. “Then bring it with you and read me a bit of it after dinner. See what it’s about.”
With that, Torque left him alone in the run down old warehouse Havelock and the Sapio Skunks had turned into their personal lab.
Behind him, he heard the computer chime out its jubilant cry to tell him of their successful test. But, for once, Havelock didn’t care.
For once, tech was just about the least interesting thing in the world.
A pair of skunks living in Mustilae, the city of the mute skunks, chat.
Category Story / All
Species Skunk
Gender Multiple characters
Size 90 x 120px
Listed in Folders
I really love this story. The way you portrayed the life of scooter skunks and made a whole city of them was awesome.
( I would really love to visit it)
And the subtle romance you created with the two characters was beautiful.
Can’t wait to see where the story goes from here
( I would really love to visit it)
And the subtle romance you created with the two characters was beautiful.
Can’t wait to see where the story goes from here
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