It was late afternoon, school was already over and after he had dutifully completed his homework, Limon now sat in his room and played a few games on his GameStation – At least until someone knocked on his door. "Yes?" the desert fox called without taking his eyes from the screen.
His mother came in. "Limon, dear, Jackson and his mom are coming over in a bit. Would you please come down to say hello?"
Startled Limon's over-sized ears flicked up. "What?!" he asked aghast and turned around. "I can't stand Jackson! Why does he have to come here as well?"
The petite vixen crossed her arms and her expression got stern. "Don't be like this, Limon!" she admonished. "Jackson is a nice boy. And besides that, it would do you some good to play with him for a change, instead of sitting in front of this thing all day! You just need to get to know him a bit better."
"I already got to know him well enough. And I can't stand him!" the fennec complained stroppily. He was determined: Jackson was an ass and every minute with him... unbearable. Just because their mothers were best friends, didn't mean he and Jackson had to become some as well!
To that the tone of his mother became resolute, "He is your guest and you will treat him with decency and respect! It's only for one afternoon. And now get down!" she ordered with her finger pointing at the door.
Reluctantly Limon turned the console off and trotted down the stairs to wait for their visitors, who stood in front of the door merely five minutes later. His mother opened and asked a huge female bear and her son in. Desert foxes, as the smallest breed of all canines, were of delicate build by nature, but compared to a bear the looked outright tiny! So did Limon and his mother, who were both towered over by their guests.
While the two ladies were quickly engulfed in a vivid conversation, Limon silently examined the ursine boy, over whose pudgy face a mischievous smile flashed. Suddenly his large ears flicked as his mother interrupted her chin-wag to tell him, "Limon, dear? Why don't you take Jackson to your room to play, while we're talking? I'm sure he would like that."
It was obvious that the two only wanted to talk in peace. And Limon was about to object, for he would much rather listen to some boring chitchat for hours than to be alone with this brute. But unfortunately Jackson was quicker to answer. "Oh sure, this would be great, Mrs. Y!" he said with a wide, over-friendly smile before he turned to her son. "Lead the way, Limon. We'll have a lot of fun."
Seeking for help, the small fox looked at his mother, who only smiled at him guilelessly. "A-alright... this way..." he sighed eventually and slowly scuffed up the stairs with Jackson in tow. The bear was almost twice as big as Limon and easily three or four times as heavy. He still towered over the fennec, despite standing three steps below him!
Inside his room, a lump formed in Limon's throat as his giant ears heard how Jackson closed and locked the door behind him. When he turned around, he could only watch as the key to his freedom disappeared in the bear's pants pocket, before he folded the arms in front of his thick belly.
"Well, Limon," Jackson spoke with a mocking tone. "Do you still remember about what we talked last time?"
Nervously the fennec drooped his ears. "Y-yes..." he admitted with a shaking voice. He much rather would have forgotten, though.
"Good!" the bear snickered. "This should make things a bit easier. But, just to make sure that you really understood it, how about you repeat it for me?"
Limon fidgeted anxiously with his hands. He tucked his tail between his legs and lowered his eyes to the ground, where Jackson's huge bear paws stood. "I'd rather not..." the small fox muttered with an uneasy feeling in his gut.
"What?!" Jackson asked snooty.
The brave fennec gathered all his courage and answered more clearly, "I said, I'd rather not do that!" Though Limon had little to counter the towering bear's menacing demeanor.
Jackson merely took a big step forward and thus brought his round belly uncomfortably close to Limon's face. "Say it!" were his only words.
Fearful the fox's long ears now clung firmly to the back of his head. Clumsily his tiny hands cramped around the hem of his shirt, while his knees got weak. With lowered head he stammered, "B-b-b-bears are n-naturally b-b-bigger, stronger and s-smarter than foxes..."
"And...?" Jackson demanded.
Utterly embarrassed and with blushing ears, Limon tried to steady his voice as the words left his muzzle, "A-and... that means... th-that bears are s-sup-perior to foxes b-by nature..."
"And...?" he asked again.
"And th-thus... it’s only natural i-if I... t-treat you with the respect a superior deserves..."
"Go on!" the bear urged.
The young fox hesitated as the humiliation seemed to become unbearable. With his eyes closed shut he only thought about getting over with it. "Inf..." he took one last, deep breath and then said, "In fact, you’re so much better than me that I should treat you like a king."
"Damn right!" Jackson confirmed. "I am your king and you are my subject! And what do loyal subjects do when they meet their king?" Limon could already figure what the answer would be, though didn't dare to speak. "They kneel down!" Jackson clarified. The unsettled fox, however, didn't do as he was told, so the bear repeated his royal command a bit more plainly, "Kneel down before your king, Limon!"
The weeny fox blushed embarrassed. "I... don't want to play this any longer..." he whispered defiantly. But next to the vigorous dominance of the bear, Limon's humble rebellion was just pathetic.
"Play?" Jackson scoffed. "You think this is a game? You said it yourself, Limon: It's natural! And now obey your king and kneel down!" he ordered once again with his finger pointing to the ground. "Or shall I punish you for your insubordination?"
Limon's stomach tightened. He didn't want to do this! Desperately he peered over to the locked door behind the bear, hoping that his mother would knock any moment. Though, there was not a sound to be heard! His mother was sitting downstairs, drank coffee, ate cookies and talked with her friend as if they had all the time in the world, while her son got subjugated here like a feudal menial! Why did they have to meet here? This was not fair! Sulkily the desert fox lowered himself to his knees.
"Good fox!" Jackson sneered triumphantly. "But you're forgetting your manners," he added warningly. "Fortunately for you, I'm a merciful king and will permit you to rectify your mistake and greet your king properly with the due respect he so much deserves. You may now humbly kiss his royal majesty's paw!" he announced lordly and offered his right foot to the kneeling fox in front of him.
Aghast Limon gazed upon the ungainly and terribly heavy looking giant paw. The brown fur down there was even more ruffled that the rest of the gruff bear pelt! Then he peered up at the expectant face of his self-proclaimed ruler, though Jackson merely raised an eyebrow and pointed his finger down to his paw. Nauseated the fennec followed his regent's cue and bowed his head to the royal paw. A harsh, slightly earthy scent filled his sensitive fox nose. It was so humiliating!
"His majesty's time is precious!" the mean kid urged.
Reluctantly Limon closed his eyes and hesitantly pressed his tender lips down on Jackson's shaggy foot to honor it with a faint kiss. Afterwards he quickly rose up to bring as much distance as possible between himself and the unpleasant bear's paw. But Limon's 'king' was not quite satisfied yet!
"Don't forget the other one!" he reminded with a disdainful chuckle.
And again Limon bowed his head down to greet his monarch. This time, though, Jackson lifted his other paw and quickly put it down on the back of his subject's head to push his muzzle down and thus keep the fennec's keen nose captive in the musty fur of his paw. "And this time you'll do it right! I barely felt anything the first time!"
Thank you! I definitely want to bring Jackson back some day. Though, I'm afraid it's going to take quite some time until I get to it. For now I'm writing on a different story, set in the same world (what little time I get to write, anyway. Life's so busy right now)
Thank you! I definitely want to bring Jackson back some day. Though, I'm afraid it's going to take q
