Blowing off Steam:
By TerraMGP
Everything hurt. That was how it usually went with Collin this early in the morning. It had been that way since high school started. Nearly four years of waking up far too early and walking to school every morning. It let him sleep in more than he would if he had to take the bus. The boy had a chance to get some coffee at the gas station and take a few minutes alone before dragging his butt though another day of tedium and pressure.
Once upon a time he’d walk with Justin and Hui. The talks and company made it a bit more bearable even if he was still too tired to do much even going back to those early years. In fact back in middle school it would be a whole group of them together. Though the middle school also offered an extra hour of sleep and the bus line hadn’t been as crowded back then.
Now the tired wah simply trudged the halls barely able to keep his tail from dragging on the dusty floor. He let his eyes slip open and shut while weaving though the nameless, faceless bodies jammed unceremoniously into the school hallways relying on the auto pilot of muscle memory to get him to the right class. Or if not, well, it didn’t matter too much.
He wasn’t quite sure when he stopped. When he ended up off his feet. When he ended up floating for an agonizing instant in the air only to feel the wind knocked out of him with his back slapping against the ground.
“Dude what the fuck.” A handsome heifer with ruddy brown fur glanced down at the sprawled wah, barely able to contain his disgust.
Collin glanced up. The figure towered over him. A slender athletic frame built of wiry muscle now further revealed thanks to the thick gash running though center of an otherwise immaculate basketball jersey.
“Jesus, my dad’s gonna be pissed.” The bull towered over Collin. Long flowing curls of dark chestnut hair falling before green eyes. Part of Collin would almost be attracted, if Kevin wasn’t such a shit person.
“Look, I’ll ask mom to pay for a replacement.” Collin muttered “can you just leave me alone? I kinda gotta get to class.”
“Oh do you?” The bull boy barked “What, the teacher’s pet worried he won’t have time to suck off the teach before everyone shows up?”
There was a blush. God damn it but Collin felt the blush burning on his cheeks. His fingers fumbling for his dropped items as he tried to hide himself. The boys surrounding him now starting to gather in a bit closer. “Oh Jesus fuck, he likes it.” One of the other basketball players chuckled “Kevin strike a nerve lil fag?”
“Maybe we should go tell the principal, or the coach. God knows we don’t want some dweeb like this hanging out in the boys locker room, right? So what is it dweeb? You fuck up my jersey hoping I’d toss you around? Maybe trying to feel my paws on you? Probably the only way you could get any attention from-”
Collin winced at the loud crash. He knew what it was. His heart hammering down though the cold floor even as he looked up. A familiar black coat and snarls of rage as the otter boy now above him hammered his shoulder into Kevin’s chest again and again. Justin’s face was contorted into a mask of rage that most found simply comical. He snarled and drooled like some cartoon berserker while ramming himself again and again against the bull, pounding him into the locker.
It didn’t do much damage. The few stretched out moments between Kevin realizing what was happening and one of his friends pulling Justin back in a full nelson simply saw the bull’s face darken with rage. Once Justin was far back enough that he could no longer come close to dealing a blow with his restrained arms he instead began kicking. Hauling both legs up and bucking like some WWE wrestler in a particularly bad spot. A few of the kicks managed to hit Kevin. A bit of pain, a bit more tearing of the clothing, but little else. A nod from the bull saw Justin released and a few hammering blows to the gut after that saw him doubling over even before he could lash out with fresh blows at his foe.
“Justin, knock it off!” Collin looked around to see who had said it, then was shocked to realize it was him. The wah pulled at his friends leg a moment and then stumbled back. He watched as Kevin hammered his fist into Justin’s shoulder and side again and again. The blows were about as undisciplined as Justin’s but far more powerful. The otter knocked to one side and slumping on the locker while trying to get himself back to his feet.
It was Kevin’s little entourage who finally pulled the bull away. The fist that had done the bulk of the damage to Justin now clutched under one arm. Apparently the most pain he had gotten from the whole encounter.
“Where are you going?” Justin screamed in a near tearful rage. “Get the fuck back here and fight me! I‘m not done with you!”
It was only Collin’s sudden intervention that stopped the otter where he was. The wah braced to get a blow of his own, to be shoved aside once more as Justin marched his way after the bull for a further beating.
“Flannery!”
Collin froze. Justin froze. The refrain was typical now, though for once not from Mistress. Both boys looked up at the heavyset panther woman who stood before them, glowering. Miss Dixon, the vice principal, pointed towards the front of the school with eyes narrowed. “Principals office. Now!”
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The walk back was quiet. The air cold and far too crisp. Justin was limping a bit. He was trying not to show how pissed he was. He was trying to keep a lot of things in. Collin knew that. None of this was new. Tiring, sure. But none of it new.
“Dad’s gonna kill me.” Justin sighed.
“Ya think?” Collin muttered, rolling his eyes.
“Gee, you’re welcomed.” The otter snapped back before going back to his shoulder and rubbing what was probably going to turn into a bruise. “At least maybe that’ll shut Kevin up for a while. God knows someone has to. “
“Gee. Ya don’t say.” Collin muttered.
Justin picked up on the tone, but said nothing. He eyed the other boy and paused at one of the path openings into the woods, waiting a few moments for Collin to catch his intention before sliding down the slope of dead leaves and dirt into the forest bed below.
“Wanna get home before your parents, I take it?” Collin muttered. He started to follow after him, keeping his tail up straight to avoid the endless stickers and pricker bushes that usually lined the slopes. He landed with a sucking thud on the ground and pulled is tail around to begin picking the inevitable bevy of seed pods that’d be stuck in his fur. All the while shooting Justin a nasty look.
“Something’s up with the engine.” Justin shrugged “Felt it on the drive over. Because this day is made of suck. Kinda wanna wait until later and come back for the car so it doesn’t die in front of half a dozen people and net me a ticket on top of everything else.”
“Nice to know you’re only walking here for your car’s sake. Here I thought maybe you wanted to apologize.” Collin spat.
“Wait, huh?” Justin blinked “Did I like, punch you or something? I mean if I did I’m sorry. Absolutely not who I was aiming for.” He offered his paw and a small grin. The otter not seeming to pick up on the ever darkening mood of his best friend.
Justin wasn’t expecting the shove. The look on Collin’s face suggested he didn’t either. The wah boy puffed and bristled In a pose about as violent as he’d ever been. His amber brown eyes flashing with raw rage.
“What the fuck?” Justin snapped “What is your problem lately?
“Me? what’s your problem? You keep trying to fuck things up! Why are you trying to pick a fight like that?”
Justin rolled his eyes. The otter simply shoving his hands back in his pockets and growled. “What, you mean those assholes bullying you? And what, I’m supposed to just let them pick on you like that? Stand around with my thumb up my ass while you just put up with it?”
“Oh so I suppose getting your ass beat is better? Not to mention getting suspended. Almost getting ‘me’ suspended? Jesus, every time with this, Justin. Ever since we were little you have this idea that you need to do this. To beat the shit out of anyone who looks at you funny.” Collin snapped
“You mean to protect you? Protect myself? Protect Hui and all our friends?” Justin growled.
“You’re not ‘protecting’ us you idiot!” Collin snapped “What do you think they were gonna do? Hit me? Beat my face in? Oh no they called me a fag. Mistress does that all the damn time. Sure it’s not fun when they do it but it’s not like they’re going to stop just because you stepped in to be their personal punching bag for a few minutes.”
“I could have taken them.” The otter boy snarled “I had that stupid basketball prick on the wall.”
Collin stepped forwards, the wah shoving his friend back and puffing his chest out again. “Oh you were gonna take him, huh? Someone teaches you how to throw a punch and suddenly you can keep up with all the athletes?” Another shove. Then another. Something wild danced in Collin’s eyes as he approached on the other boy in a slow stumbling march. “And it’s not like you needed to know how to do it before now did you? Remember the last time with Kevin in fourth grade? Or that time with the Dempski Twins? Maybe drop-kicking that seventh grader in the back? In church? With our parents in the next fucking room?”
There was a punch. Then one returned. Neither boy was sure who threw it first. Within moments both were looking up at each other. Justin bleeding from his nose, Collin from his lip. The two growling as they smashed into each other in a hail of blows and half spoken curses.
Justin quickly pushed himself forwards and hammered a shoulder tackle into the wah. When Collin stumbled he brought both arms up and brought his fists down in a hammer blow. The swing missing Collin’s head and hammering into his shoulder.
The blow caused the wah to yowl in pain. He lashed out with a hard front kick knocking Justin back and making the otter stumble into a nearby tree. There was barely a moment for either to recover before Collin found himself hammering wide punches in quick succession against Justin’s chest. Every once in a while breaking the blows by trying to drive his knee up finding it meeting the other boy’s legs and pelvis though never quite making it to his gut.
Justin blocked the blows as best he could and winced at each one slipping past his meager guard. In desperation he finally pulled himself forwards and wrapped both arms around Collin’s left one. He put his whole weight behind the shift and dragged them both down, Collin’s shoulder getting the bulk of the blow as it smashed into the ground.
There was a sickening pop, then another as the red panda unintentionally shifted his arm back into place, pulling himself up on top of his erstwhile friend and beginning to rain punch after punch down on his face. Justin turtled up as best as he could but the blows were relentless. None very hard on their own but rage-fueled and relentless as a waterfall. Soon his arms were moving and swaying on pure inertia and it wasn’t long before one good hook snagged him right at the tip of his muzzle, twisting his face to the side as blood spattered out of his nose and on to the ground below.
There was a pause. God only knew how long. The two boys gazed at each other, growling, Collin unsure if he should go on. His fist still half cocked behind him ready to resume.
On instinct Justin sent a blow right up into Collin’s face, nailing him in the eye and sending him sprawling back into the dirt. With that he slumped down and started to gasp hard. Long-dormant sports asthma tightness tingling and tickling at his chest.
The two collapsed into the dirt. Blood trickling down their noses. Collin pushed a paw over a swelling eye while Justin gripped his muzzle desperate to ensure it had not broken once more. The two glared up from the leafbed where they now sat. Neither boy was really able to stand right after the brawl.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Justin snapped
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Collin retorted. The wah growling and shaking the haze from his head. “It’s bad enough you got everything handed to you, but you have to go and fuck everyone else over because you can’t stop playing the fucking hero? Mistress tells you she hooked you up with a job and the next day you go out and find some excuse to bust someone in the head. You get god damn suspended because someone hit the creepy coat kid’s berserk button.”
Justin blew his nose and a bit of blood came out. He spat a bit more on the ground and hugged the back of his head. with all the pain from his muzzle it was not immediately apparent, but his ‘friend’ had gotten in a few good blows there too. And his arms. A lot of him hurt, really. He looked Collin in the eye and narrowed his gaze unable to hold back the venom on his lips. “Mistress. You mean the psycho teacher blackmailing us? Look, just because you get off on it doesn’t mean she’s not forcing us into this.”
“She offered to teach you how to fight.” Collin snapped “And get you a job working on actual bikes. Something you can do to help you get a decent job while you’re in college. Meanwhile here I am and all I get is fucked and a few games. Only she’s playing them with you now, too. So what the hell do I even have?”
“She’s not my dad!” Justin snapped. “You… you don’t’ see him when I tell him this shit. Yeah he talks about how great it is that I’m getting a job or that I’m learning to fight. But he’s the one who taught me how to work on cars in the first place. He’s the one who wants to teach me to fabricate. He’s the one who should be teaching me how to fight.”
“Your dad knows how to fight?” Collin quirked his one good eye.
“Fuck no.” Justin scoffed “Everyone liked dad in school. You know him. Grandpa says he put dad in Thai kwan do for like, a year when he was a kid. Remember that spinny kick thing I used to do all the time back in grade school? He taught me that.”
“And then the teachers gave you shit for doing it all the time on school property.” Collin sighed “Look, if you talked to her I’m sure Mistress will understand. And it’s not like you can’t learn from him too. Well the car stuff. I’m sure she’d let you take a bit more time out from being Justine for that.”
The otter blushed, furiously. He pushed is tail down and looked away at the mention of the ‘other’ him. A self he was far less comfortable with than Collin seemed with Kathoey. “I might. But that’s not the point. You seem really ok with how fucked up this shit she’s got us in happens to be. And you don’t seem to realize that it’s still wrong. Yeah I’m basically agreeing to it at this point. Doesn’t mean I have a true choice in the matter. And you, You ever stop to think how far behind you’re gonna be when she finally decides she’s done with you?”
The smile that had been starting to hit Collin’s muzzle again faded. “What do you mean?” he whimpered. Even though he clearly already knew. A cold wash rippling up his spine.
“You’re a cute girly boy she can stick her dick in. So am I. She knows some shit about BDSM, but end of the day she’s just having fun. Collin… Have you ever stopped to think about what you want? I mean I figured you were just hard up for sex but if you really want someone to, ya know, collar you. Don’t you think it’s going to be harder to find her, or him, the longer you wait around looking?”
Justin looked prepared to take another swing. For a moment, Collin was ready to give one. His fist trembling. tears streamed down his face as he gazed at his friend with fresh hate. Each breath burning with the cooling fall air that hit his lungs. “You know what?” Collin spat. “Fuck you.”
Justin probably should have said something. Been gracious. Apologized. Instead he simply turned and held up a middle finger as he walked off. he absolutely was not going to put up with this shit.
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The garage was familiar. It was normal. it was something Justin knew something that made him eel safe. Unlike ‘auntie’s garage this was a proper shop. His dads old red rolling toolcase sat there along with the random assortment of gear that had been built up since Grandpa passed some things down. Work benches and part shelves dominated the place, and small stocks of sheet metal sat in one corner for when his dad absolutely needed to deal with the occasional issue that required actual fabrication outside of work.
For Justin it’d been a place for basic engine work until now. That was the deal. If he wanted a car, he ha to keep that car in working order and that meant figuring the ins and outs of it. Then when others his age were getting cars, he had to help them too if he wanted to earn money. Nothing too big. nothing that should be taken on by a real mechanic. But still it was amazing how little others knew about their vehicles.
He slumped over the engine of his Corvette slowly working over everything with a flashlight in one hand and a familiar glass-and-copper box in the other. Every once in a while he brought the thing to his lips. The taste of vanilla and almond slowly seeping into his lungs and the stress subsequently seeping back out with each puff.
“You in here, kiddo?”
The boy shoved his vape into his pocket and turned around to see his father standing in the door. The older otter was lanky and drawn save for a modest pot belly. Hard years working as a fabricator on construction sites had forced him to stay active and Justin’s mother had forced them all to eat at least somewhat healthy for one or two meals a day. Not that it stopped father or son from binging on fast food when they could.
He looked up into the graying otter’s eyes and waved the flashlight to indicate his business. He felt his dad’s presence rolling over him as the man paced up beside his son and sat down, titling his head a bit. A small poke at Justin’s muzzle caused him to recoil. he then slumped back and glanced off to the side grumbling a bit.
“Got it good this time huh kid?” The old otter snickered “Here I thought you were learning how to keep yourself from getting your face smashed in.”
“yeah, well, I guess I’m a slow learner.” Justin muttered softly
“I donno about that. You picked up on all the car stuff I taught you pretty fast. I’d be tempted to teach you how to weld if it weren’t for your mother threatening to make me sleep on the couch if I so much as handed you the torch.”
“Maybe Ms. Blake just isn’t as good a teacher?” The younger man offered.
John shook his head and tried not to laugh. “Maybe, but she sure as hell took an interest in you, son. Not sure what’s up with all of that. But I told her if she’s got someone who’ll actually take you on for regular work your mom and I are ok with it. That is, provided your grades don’t drop. And assuming you can keep your behavior in check.”
Justin was tempted to ask his father what exactly he meant. Then he remembered his fight that day. Both fights, though it was doubtful his dad knew about the second one. He decided not to bring it up, just in case.
“So, everything in there looking ok?” The older man asked as he slumped down on with one knee on what passed for a bumper at the front of the car. The weight of both men pushed the shocks down until they groaned and for a moment Justin panicked at the idea that he may have forgotten to set the parking break.
Tons of metal and fiberglass staying put rather than ramming though the back end of the garage door eased that worry at least.
“You‘re not gonna yell at me?” Justin sighed.
“Why? Because you got suspended again? Or the fight with Collin?” John noted.
Justin felt his blood run cold. His dad‘s smile disarmed him. It had a way of doing that even at the worst of times. “You knew, huh?”
“Lin called.” He shrugged “She dragged it out of him. He blames you. She‘s more amused that he took a swing than anything.” John sighed and leaned in. he pushed at one of the panels, frowning at how the fiberglass plate was almost ready to fall off.
“I gotta head to the junk yard and see if I can get a replacement.” Justin grumbled to himself and gave the panel his own cursory push and then looking away in annoyance. “But yeah no, he just went off on me. I kinda wish he‘d take a swing at the assholes who actually give him hell every now and then.”
The older otter sighed and put a hand on Justin’s shoulder, a flicker in his eyes as he squeezed the boys bruised shoulder just a bit. “Ever think he just doesn’t want to make things worse?” He sighed “Or that he’s just not interested in hurting the people who hurt him?”
Justin stared at his father blankly. The very notion genuinely confused him. His brain began to skip around and grind against itself as dozens of questions bloomed. All of them churning behind a dumbfounded expression as he just looked at the man. Even as his dad struggled not to break out laughing.
“I love you, son. I wish I could just take whatever it is that makes you feel this way so you didn’t have to deal with it. It’s not bad to want to protect your friends but you can’t just go around beating people up if you don’t like them. Especially if you’re gonna keep losing it that way.”
Both men fell silent. Justin looked up at his father with an aching smile which quickly shattered. His body drooped down into a heap where he sat and his paws gripped the inside of the engine well until the flesh under his knuckle fur turned white.
“This is the second fight this year, kid. All you’re getting is suspended, but you’re an adult now. The only reason nobody is pressing charges really boils down to the fact that a few slurs were apparently said before hand and Kevin’s dad would rather not see his boy locked up or booted out of school and off the team. But you can’t keep dodging this. I was hoping your gym teacher was helping you get this all under control but…”
“I can control myself, dad.” Justin snapped “I just… God damn it.” He couldn’t. he knew he couldn’t. The otter boy slumped and shook his head utterly robbed of words. Deep breaths of the oily garage air scrubbing away all but the most pure and crystalline of his frustration.
John smiled and patted his boy on the back. “You realize you’re not gonna be going out much this week, right kid? I mean, not outside of the chores list we wrote up. And I’m gonna be confiscating the switch until your suspension is over.”
“I kinda figured.” Justin nodded “Same deal as usual then?”
“Most kids don’t ‘have’ a usual, son.” The older otter sighed “And you’re an adult. You realize you go out and do this shit once you move out and you’ll end up in jail, right? That’s not a joke or some idle threat. You’re a good kid. You really are. I don’t want to see you ending up with a record. You don’t deserve that.”
The older otter put a kiss on his son’s forehead and stood up giving his shoulder one last, unintentionally painful jostle. “Why don’t you go inside and relax a bit. God knows your mom’s going to give you hell when she gets home. Besides I have the feeling we won’t be able to fix this until the weekend anyways.”
“We really gotta bust out the lift?” Justin sighed, his ears drooping.
“Maybe. I’ll take a look at it. Just, try to think about what I said, ok?”
Justin nodded and made his way back into the house, stopping only long enough to pull a can of vanilla coke out of the garage fridge. He cast one more glance at the father he didn’t deserve, and sighed.
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Collin hadn’t been grounded that much before. A few times, sure. Mostly his parents simply told him to do better. Sometimes yelled. Usually nagged. Part of him felt a bit betrayed at the lack of sympathy from coming home with a black eye. That small part of him which had expected his mother to instantly dote. To demand to know who did this and what happened. She had been for a moment. Right up until her insistence on hearing the story shattered any sympathy.
Collin sat there in his room looking over the books his mother hadn’t taken out for the duration of his grounding. The empty spot where his rare binder, his painting kit, his gaming books and his laptop space all usually sat caused the wah to grumble. He was an adult. Legally. If he decided to simply stand up and walk out of the house there was nothing that the woman could legally do to stop him, and he presumed nothing she could physically do to stop him either.
“She’d probably call Justin over and have him hit me again.” Collin was surprised at the words leaving his mouth. Resentment. Hate, even. For his Mom? For Justin? It was hard to place the feelings but they still lingered there. They still festered in spite of everything.
He reached down into his pajama pants and gently caressed his cage. How long had it been since the last time Mistress let him out? He could count the number of times he stroked himself since it went on with one paw, and half of those had been ruined orgasms because Mistress was curious.
A knock on the door jolted him under the covers. Both paws shot away from his more intimate areas and wrapped around the pillow. For the second time since he‘d gotten home his mother made her way into his room. The middle aged wah tucked the few silvering strands of headfur from out of her face and back behind her ear with the jet black she shared with his sister.
“Did I wake you?” She sighed putting a paw on the blanketed bundle, petting his side a bit.
“No. Just… I donno.” Collin shrugged glancing back at the woman and wrinkling his nose a bit.
Lin offered a small smile and shifted her weight a bit further on to the bed. She pulled the covers back a bit more. Just enough to see his face. Her chest heaving as she looked down at him. The black eye forming causing her to wince ever so slightly. “You know if Justin really is this out of control by this point-”
“I threw the first punch, mom.” Collin snapped. An argument he‘d already spent an hour grinding though. The last thing he wanted was to reopen that particular wound.
“Well I still think we may have to limit how much time he and Hui spend out of the house for a few weeks. Though from what the principal told me he saw you on the floor and figured those boys had attacked you.” Lin smiled a bit and pushed something from her other paw against his eye. It took Collin far longer than it should to recognize the item. A cold pack wrapped in a couple of wash cloths. The item still hovering at that agonizing point between the wrappings insulating it too much to be of use and the point where they make the cold worse.
The boy took the pack and pushed it to his face, slumping down once more. “People are as- er, people are jerks, mom. Always have been. That‘s just how it is. It‘s creepy enough when he flies off the handle at someone for mouthing off at Hui. But at least it‘s silly little edge lord shtick at that point. Gotta be the big dominant alpha boyfriend even if it gets him beat down.”
“I remember that story too, Chen.” His mother almost cooed. Her tone going a bit more tender. He hated it. The infantalization wrapped around his birth name. Even the borderline racist pet name his Mistress had given him was spoken with more respect and dignity. Still he glanced up at her, some small part appreciative of the tenderness all the same.
“I’m not going to say that he’s in the right dear. I’m very displeased with this and I plan to have my turn laying down the law when his parents are done. But I’m more worried about you right now. Sure I don’t expect you to go around assaulting other students. But you could still take it more seriously when others harass you. Tell the teachers, tell the staff. You know it will get back to me. You know I will take care of it. I already plan to speak with the parents of this ’Kevin’ later this week. Make sure you don’t get any classes with him or near him the rest of the year.”
The wah boy rolled his one uncovered eye. He felt his mother wince as he did, but thankfully she said nothing. Her paw simply reaching out to put a bit more pressure on the pack. “Honestly it wouldn’t hurt you to stand up for yourself. It’s important when you get to the work force. If you aren’t willing to speak up when someone does you wrong they will only continue. There’s no shame in taking it to the people who should be in charge.”
“Really mom? Really?” Collin sighed. Half a dozen snide comments died on his tongue. His ears folding back as he curled a bit more towards the wall and let out an overly exasperated sigh. “If I had a problem with it, I’d deal with it myself. But I don’t. It just is what it is. Besides, I don’t seem to recall dad ever having to go over his co-worker’s heads and narc on them.”
“Everyone loves your father, dear. It’s that simple. He’s always been that way. He just has a way with people.” Lin leaned in and gave him a small hug “You’re special as well, but you’re not him. You and Hui both remind me of zumu, frankly.”
Collin winced at that. His grandmother. His maternal grandmother. He’d barely gotten to know her before she passed. He could see it, in part. The bookish old woman in her little apartment surrounded by shelves upon shelves of small art projects and little curios she’d gotten from who-knew-where. He let the comparison roll in his mind for a long while before turning and giving his mother a small hug, letting his body go limp as he slunked back into bed.
“Thank you, dear.” Lin sighed “Though I still expect you to come straight home for the rest of the week. God forbid those bullies decide to retaliate. I’m sure I can talk though it eventually but until I do I don’t trust little thugs like that to handle their emotions properly.”
“Mom.” Collin snapped “I can take care of myself!”
“In academics, perhaps.” she nodded “In a fight with three or four bigger boys? This isn’t one of your games, Chen. I don’t want my son taking any chances. Right now you only have one job and that’s to make sure you’re prepared for college. Leave dealing with bullys to your mother.”
She got up before he could say anything. He wasn’t sure he’d want to anyways. Collin slumped back down and curled into the corner of his bed as he heard his mother walk out of the door and quietly shut the door. The idea of another semester, even another year of this, was almost more than he could take.
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It was already dark out. Justin always loved this time of year for that. He always preferred the dark. The odd creeping gloom pulling itself in though the one window of his little basement haven and elucidating the otherwise pitch black room. Casting long shadows that twisted and bent. The otter boy sighed as he lay there in boxers and his favorite shirt. His eyes glancing up at the flickering Bluetooth speaker blaring out the melancholic medley of songs that drove soothing pain into his soul.
“And I loved you long ago…”
Justin let the words trail into the twilight darkness of his room. His hand lazily at the hilt of his Elucidator prop as he gazed up at the unfinished floor beams that hung over his head, watching the soft smothering incense curling its way up from the stand by his bed and along into the wider basement.
His head swam with the aroma, with the drifting lilting song of the guitar. He held the dull metal toy of a sword up before his eyes and simply looked at the back edge of it. Melancholic detachment flooding from his hand down though his brain and along his spine while he moved the sword itself in slow, almost soothing circles in the air.
“And the stars that bear my name, are the wounds that never heal.” He muttered. The words dying on his lips before he let his arm slump back over the bed side.
It didn’t make any sense why the tears were streaming down his face. it didn’t make sense why he felt so… wrong. Why the hell did he have to be like this? So full of hate. So weak. So god damn tired. His eyes slipping shut as he drank in the pain of the music and found it soothing. His arm slipping down and the prop sword falling from his fingers as he began to cry.
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The reflection in the mirror made Collin happy. It felt right. Far more than he ever did himself.
Kathoey wasn’t built. Her chest was flat and her hips scrawny. She schoolgirl fuku she currently wore had her swimming in simple white fabric. The most prominent thing showing was her ass. A cutely flat booty just barley poking out though a pair of simple white panties. He watched her wiggle that booty around. Tensing and bouncing a bit with tail lifted and swaying in some silly imitation of what he imagined a stripper might do.
It was arousing. Collin only found himself able to admit that recently. She was sexy. Not just sexy in general, sexy to him. The mere idea of a hot, slobbery, shameful makeout session with the confident sex bomb he gazed at longingly was almost too much for him to take. He thought about how hot she was grinding herself down on Mistress’ dick. Her tight lil rump begging to just be pinned down and railed, ravaged. She loved to be used. To be nothing more than some pathetic whimpering fleshlight. To know she was simply there to take dick until her betters had dumped every ounce of cum they had into her.
The ‘girl’ in the mirror snickered at the thought. It was the kind of thing Hui would say far too loudly when their parents were out and she was on a chat with Justin. Except Kathoey was dirtier. Katheoy wouldn’t mind a nice hot makeout session with her sister while everyone watched. Not if it got dicks hard and pussies wet.
“You really are a filthy girl arnt’cha” Kathoey giggled and winked, swatting that flat booty and then wincing at the blow. The whole thing delivering far more power than had been anticipated.
“I bet any boy would drool. Even that stupid Kevin” she smirked “Oh that’d be sweet. Watching him cream his sweats like the premature little bitch he really is. Big tough boy getting all hard and moany watching me prance around. Bending over backwards for a shot at a kiss. The look on his face when he goes for a reach around. All big, strong, confident.” Kathoey smirk-giggled and licked her blue-painted lips, tossing some of the wig tresses over one ear. On anyone else Collin would have thought it looked goofy. Hell it probably did. That tail swaying side to side, curling with newly forming muscle memory at the thought of wrapping around a dick. Watching that drooling hunk of muscle squeal and whine as he realized it was a ‘boy’ who had made him spurt his load into that big bushy tail.
But… that wasn’t who Kathoey was, was it?
The idea of revenge sounded nice. Especially such a sweet, scarring revenge. Retribution for the way the dumbass acted. But she sure as hell didn’t feel that way most of the time. Not with Mistress around. Especially not without her around. Sure she was sexy, and sexual. Would be any kind of slut Mistress ordered her to. But…”
The Wah sighed and flopped on the bed, wincing as the blue wig that basically made Kathoey went askew. It felt wrong. Not just the dirty thoughts, or even dirty thoughts about some jock bully asshole. Something felt off and Collin for the life of him had no idea what.
He looked at the small pile of girl cloths he was able to hide in his room. The best he could really do with his near total lack of freedom. He sifted though a few shirts, skirts, and a nice warm zip-up sweater that would hopefully keep the night chill out. That done he pulled his wig back on right and fussed with the cap that kept it in place.
“Hey sis.” Collin called, resisting the urge to put a bit of Kathoey into the words “I’m heading out for a few!”
--------------------
The October air was finally cooling down. Justin didn’t really look forward to it. All those annoying snowboarder kids would head off to the dunes or up north to play on the mountains. He huddled against the side wall of the Walgreens and pulled his coat around him a bit more. Dark night air and buzzing yellow lights caught swirls of vapor leaving his lips and drifting into the air.
“Isn’t the cold bad enough for your asthma?”
Justin barely looked up at the figure. He pulled a bag of maple nut goodies out of his pocket and set it down to his side. From what little peripheral vision he had the otter watched the familiar blue haired figure slipping down beside him and shove her paw into the bag, pulling a couple out and munching on the candies.
“Aren’t you grounded too?” He snerked.
“Like my folks would bar me from going outside. I think mom’s just hoping the humiliation of having all the fun stuff locked in the hall closet is going to be enough to shame me into learning my ‘lesson’.”
“What lesson?” Justin scoffed “I hit you first.”
“Like hell you did.” Kathoey spat. “Anyways why the hell are you still smoking that thing? I thought you quit.”
“I did.” Justin sighed. He pulled the tip of the vape into his muzzle even as he said it and took a deep pull. His ears folding back and his nose bristling with the unpleasantness of the action. “I kinda figured mom and dad would be more pissed, I guess. I donno. Yell and scream. Ground the fuck out of me. Give me a lecture.” The otter glanced off to one side and pulled his legs in closer to his chest. “The hell are we doing here, man. Everything’s just going away. We got maybe half a year left and then…”
Kathoey wasn’t looking at him. The blue wig on the wah girl shifted as she gazed up at the stars. What little of them could be seen though the dingy halo of store lights at least. She said nothing for a long time. Occasionally pinching one of the candies from the bag but never once casting her soft brown eyes down from the cold night sky.
“Feels like we wasted a lot of time, doesn’t it?” There wasn’t much conviction in her voice. Kathoey finally glanced down at the pavement and took a deep breath. A bit of the left over flavoring from Justin’s latest drag tingling the air around them. “It doesn’t feel like we’ve done enough. Feels like we’ve been stuck here. Just grinding our gears and doing whatever the hell our folks say.”
“Or teachers.” Justin noted “Pastors. Babysitters. Anyone, really.”
“Being one of the ‘good kids’ always kinda pissed you off didn’t it?” Kathoey laughed “I remember when we used to have to hang out at Ryan’s house when his mom would do church stuff with our moms.”
“And he got us kids hooked on the plastic crack.” Justin snickered warmly. “Yeah, one hell of a babysitter, huh?”
Kathoey sighed and bit back a tearful snicker. She bit her lip and fidgeted into the cold cement. The night air seeming to grow more dense around her.
Justin glanced at his best friend and then back down at his own boots. He wanted to say something, but god help him if he knew what.
“I don’t know if I’m going to college.” Kathoey finally muttered. The blue hair falling in front of her face a bit as she looked off to one side.
“Nani the fuck?” Justin blinked
There was a easy smile on the wah’s lips. She looked up to the sky again and took a hit of the cold clean air while pushing herself into the bricks, warmed from the buildings internal heating just enough to cut the chill fall air. “I don’t want to leave Mistress. I’m tired of doing whatever my parents want. If I’m going to get bossed around by someone, I’d at least like it to be someone I pick. Besides, I think I-”
“Don’t.” Justin snapped “Just… don’t. Even if you feel that way.” Kathoey turned to him and the otter slumped back. The strength in his voice faltering. He glanced off to the side once more and shook his head “Look, you know how I feel about all of this. You know what I think about what she’s making us do.”
“Do I?” Kathoey bit the words “You don’t seem to mind nearly as much as you used to. Assuming you really did mind before.”
Justin hated himself for the blush on his cheeks. He pulled in close and was once again suddenly aware of the cage on his shaft. He was also aware of the anger that should have filled him, but didn’t. “Let’s put that all aside a moment. Have you even talked to her about it? Dude you’ve known her for like, a few years. Mostly as a teacher. A teacher we kept skipping out on and pissing off. I hate to say it but do you even know for sure if she feels the same way?”
He braced for another impact. Kathoey, Collin, had already proven more than willing to hit him over this kind of thing. Asking it was probably inviting a re-break of his muzzle.
The blow never came. Kathoey curled up a bit more and sighed popping another candy into her mouth and curling her tail around herself “I just want to get free, Justin.” The wah muttered “I wish I could make you of all people understand what it’s like. You or Hui. Someone.”
The two fell silent. Both huddled up as the night slowly and steadily grew colder. The bag of candies quickly ran dry. No words were uttered, only the faint muffled whine of carefully curated easy listening from inside the store and the sound of light traffic dulled the quiet in any real way.
“I have a game written up. Shadowrun.” Justin finally muttered though the cold. He shoved the vape into his pocket and glanced at the clearly confused wah.
“Think you can manage it with all the homework?” Kaothey blinked.
“What homework?” Justin grinned. “A few quick reports run though grammarly to cover English. Tweaking some bullshit history stuff off of wikipedia. Hell we’re not even allowed to work on shit at home for shop, since that’s not fair to people who don’t have tools.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Your mom doesn’t like homework enough to make you do extra shit.” Katohey scoffed.
“All the more time to get a good narrative going.” Justin chuckled “Hui’s already in. I think we just need one or two players.” He offered the wah a knowing grin and tilted his head ever so slightly “So, got anyone you may want to invite?”
