FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

** ** "I'm going to ask her to marry me." The ring glinted in the sun, a glimmering star captured in a silver band. It was resting in a black box, and the sunlight shimmered across the band as the paw that held the box tilted it back and forth. Snapping the box shut, Cooper placed it on the dresser nearby. Draped over his dark fur, a breathable vest left most of Cooper's chest and belly visible. Around his waist, a rope was cinched, holding up a breechclout made of a fabric that was a shade of brown lighter than Cooper's own fur. It was almost a loin cloth, but less revealing, making sure to keep the important parts covered at all times. Two feathers, white and yellow and as long as his face, hung from his right ear.

** ** Despite his attire, Cooper stood surrounded by many of the nicest amenities money could buy. A large flat screen TV, the newest game consoles, a leather couch. In the corner of the room, there was a desk with a computer that also had a flat screen monitor, nearly as large as the TV. The back of the room had a breakfast nook and a simple kitchen. Cooper's long tail drifted back and forth across the hardwood floors as he waited for a response.

** ** "Coop, that's the worst idea I've ever heard." A hyena joined Cooper in his juxtaposition. He was dressed in the same outfit, but the rope around his waist was lower and tied looser. "Where did you even get that? Did you order an engagement ring on the internet?"

** ** "No, I didn't order it." Cooper scowled, rolling his eyes. "I bought it a long time ago." He checked his breechclout in the mirror again, making sure it was hanging appropriately. He twitched his stubby ears, wiggling the feather earrings. He still wasn't used to the piercings, wasn't sure he would ever be used to them. "I've just been waiting for the right time. Since the season ends tonight, I figured we'd be able to have our wedding and honeymoon and be back to work by next summer."

** ** "Worst. Idea." The hyena reached over and tugged Cooper's belt rope down ever so slightly. "Like this, the patrons like it right here. What part of marriage sounds good to you, exactly?"

** ** "Plenty of it. There's...I mean why else would people do it if it wasn't worth it? And Em is great, we're perfect together. How could you say it's a bad idea?" Cooper slid the rope closer to his belly button, and then, satisfied with his overall look, turned to face the hyena.

** ** "For one, Em is always looking for real work. This place is just a stepping stone for her. She doesn't have a...uh...passion for it like we do. Second, you get enough preferential treatment as it is. Third, I watch a lot of television, and I'm sure if you wait until tonight to ask her, something will go wrong. If you're going to ask her, go ask her now."

** ** "You're the worst friend I've got, Rutt." Cooper grinned and grabbed the box off the dresser.

** ** Rutt slapped Cooper on the back hard enough to send him stumbling. "I'm a better friend than Frisbee. And a better employee." The hyena pointed at the figure sleeping on the couch.

** ** "So that puts you at second worst." Cooper shook Frisbee's shoulder. Looking down at the sleeping otter, Cooper felt like he was looking in a funhouse mirror. They were similar but they differed in several obviously noticeable ways and some not-so-noticeable ways. The shaking didn't elicit much response, Frisbee murmured and batted a paw at Cooper, though he appeared to remain fully asleep.

** ** "Allow me. I'll handle this." Rutt smiled and strutted behind the couch. He placed his paws on the back of the couch and lifted it forward, rolling Frisbee off the cushions and onto the floor.

** ** Waking as he fell, Frisbee sprawled on the ground with a thud. "Ow." He rubbed the top of his head, glancing intentionally between Cooper and Rutt.

** ** "Wake up, it's almost time for work." Rutt walked around the couch and held out his hand to help Frisbee stand up.

** ** "Oh. Already? Really? I only just fell asleep a few minutes ago." Still in his outfit from the day before, Frisbee's brown fur was matted tangled, like he had full body bedhead.

** ** "Get a shower before work or Em will actually kill you." Cooper could smell Frisbee from where he was standing. He wrinkled his nose at the musky scent.

** ** "At least make sure you brush...that." Rutt gestured his paws up and down Frisbee's entire body.

** ** "I'll just get messy again, anyway." Straightening his breechclout, making sure the rope was tied tightly enough that it wouldn't fall off in the next few minutes, Frisbee shrugged. His vest was nowhere to be found, and had been MIA for at least a few weeks. Cooper was pretty sure that Frisbee alone had gone through their entire stock of extra uniforms for the summer. "I'm out in the ocean every day. Nothing cleaner than the open ocean."

** ** "Except fresh water. Whatever, it's your funeral." Rutt crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't care if Frisbee looked messy or smelled bad, it would just lessen his competition, but making Em angry meant everyone had to deal with the consequences.

** ** "I'm going to ask Em to marry me today, Frisbee. Any advice?" Cooper held up the ring so Frisbee could see it.

** ** "Isn't it _ exciting?! _ " Rutt exclaimed with overzealous jazz hands.

** ** "Me?" Frisbee pointed a thick digit at himself. "Well, no. I'm no good at relationships. But congratulations."

** ** "Thank you, Frisbee." Cooper smiled and turned his head to Rutt. The hyena looked aside, arms crossed over his chest again.

** ** "I'll congratulate you when she says yes." Rutt replied, swatting a paw at Cooper. He turned and walked out into the hallway. He dropped some coins in the vending machine as he passed, but nothing happened. He kicked it swiftly, waited for a response. Nothing continued happening.

** ** Joining him in the hallway, Cooper asked, "What's wrong?"

** ** "Damn machine is broken." Rutt kicked the machine again.

** ** Frisbee had taken a seat on the couch again, and he watched the pair in the hallway as he tried to get the TV to turn on. Cooper shrugged. "This machine has never worked right. Why would you expect it to work today?"

** ** Rutt stormed off down the hall after giving the machine one more good kick.

** ** "Something pissed him off." Cooper said, turning back to Frisbee, but the otter had already fallen asleep again.

---

** ** Emma Fleece, Mailbox 12. She turned the key and grabbed at the letters with shaking paws. Her smile was nearly bright enough to illuminate the dark mailbox, and her tail was wagging behind her fast enough to generate a breeze. She pulled the letters free from their prison, rifled through them quickly, writing off the ones that weren't _ the one _ .

** ** "It's not here!" She shouted, still not all the way through the stack.

** ** "Keep looking!" Emma's best friend stood beside her, picking up the letters that was dropping from Em's hands.

** ** At the end of the stack, Emma shrieked. "Found it!"

** ** "Open it! What does it say?" Emma's friend, a purebred border collie, leaned over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse.

** ** Emma piled the excess letters together and put the important one on top. She took a deep breath and collected herself. "I'll open it back at my room. I don't want to make too much noise in the hallway."

** ** "Hurry up!" The collie shouted as she chased Emma back to her room.

** ** Safely inside, Emma sat down and tossed the rest of the envelopes halfway across the room. She had been aiming for the table but almost all of the ended up on the floor. Using her pointer claw, she tore into the envelope and slid the paper out. "Come here, look." She unfolded the letter and began to read it. After she read it, she stared silently for a few seconds. Then she looked down to read it again.

** ** "I got it...I got it!" Dropping the** **** letter, she jumped where she stood and shouted triumphantly, hugging the collie, who was also shouting. Neither of them noticed the figure stepping through the door. He shut it quietly, though it wouldn't have made noise over the two girls screaming.**

** ** "You got what?" Cooper's paw was held behind his back, rolling the ring box over and over. For a second, he wondered if he should've worn regular clothes to the proposal. Was it strange to propose in a loincloth? At the very least, he should have made sure he had a pocket to put the box in.

** ** "The job! I got the lead actress role. On that show, the one I auditioned for!" Emma ran to Cooper and threw her arms around him. He wrapped his own arms around her, making sure she didn't see the ring box.

** ** "That's wonderful. Where's it filming?" Cooper looked down at Emma, caught up in her excitement, he couldn't help but smile.

** ** "Oh. Um...Canada." Emma bit her lip, taking a step back from Cooper, she looked at the floor.

** ** Taking a step back, Cooper slid the paw with the ring box behind his back again. His smile faded and he felt fidgety. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't just walk out, so he scratched his head with his free paw. "Canada? How's that going to work? You'll film on the off season and then work here over the summer?"

** ** "I didn't...I don't think I can still work here at the same time. But you can come with me, Coop! It won't be a problem." Emma's smile faltered, but returned quickly after wavering.

** ** The box slipped from Cooper's paw as he turned it over again, it bounced along the floor. Emma didn't notice it, she was caught up in the moment. "I don't want to move to Canada. I like living here. I like working here."

** ** "Okay, well, it's time for work. We'll talk about this later. Okay?" Emma put her paws on Cooper's chest and gently ushered him out of the room. "We need to change. Head down ahead of us and make sure everyone is having a good time. It's their last day, make it memorable!"

** ** Trying to argue, Cooper couldn't get his mouth to form words before the door was closed in his face. With a sigh, he headed down the hallway and around the corner before reaching a door that led outside into the offensively bright morning light. Outside, Rutt was sitting in a golf cart, smoking a cigarette as he waited for Cooper. He flicked the cigarette and put it out on the cart's dashboard. He watched Cooper walk to the cart, the way he slumped into the seat next to him.

** ** "Told you." Rutt said.

** ** "Rutt, you're the worst friend." Cooper sighed, looking over the tropical landscape below them. The calm, crystal waters lay at the bottom of the cliff below, the wind was rustling the leaves in the trees all around.

** ** "What would you even know about it, anyway?" Cooper barked as he stepped out of the golf cart and checked his outfit once again, making perfectly sure everything was well fastened.

** ** "I've watched tons of people throw their lives away in marriage. You're better off as a bachelor. Especially being a hybrid and all." Rutt hid the key to the golf cart in the sun visor - the perfect hiding spot. "At least she won't get the chance to cheat on you with a hot model or actor or something."

** ** "Rutt!" Cooper scowled and jabbed Rutt on the shoulder. "We haven't broken up yet. I might move to Canada with her."

** ** "Coop, we live in Hawaii. Canada is a different world." He waved his paws around, gesturing at their surroundings as he spoke. The golf cart was parked in a small paved parking lot just off of the beachfront area where the guests stayed. It was best to minimize their exposure to technology, lest they ruin the resort experience. It wasn't a cheap one.

** ** "Maybe I could use a change of scenery. I've been stuck here for years." Cooper followed Rutt down the dirt path that led through the brush and towards the beach camp.

** ** "Where would you work?" Rutt crossed his arms, copying Cooper's stride, mocking him.

** ** "I'd get a job working at a theater or something. We are actors, after all." Cooper dropped his arms limp when he noticed Rutt's mocking.

** ** The hyena took a deep breath and smiled. "You're not that good an actor." He braced himself for another jab.

** ** "This is why I said you're the worst friend." Up ahead, the small dirt path they were on joined a larger one. A small bush positioned in the middle of the path discouraged guests from venturing down it.

** ** As they stepped around the bush, Rutt put his paw on Cooper's shoulder. "Look..." He glanced down and thought about what he was going to say. He looked up and directly into Cooper's eyes. "I told you so."

** ** Rolling his eyes, Cooper pushed Rutt's paw off of his shoulder. He was glad that their jobs led them in different directions at this point, there was no telling what he'd do to Rutt if he kept this up. He waved to the hyena and started down his own path. Up ahead, he could see the clearing with a cluster of huts built around the outside edge. The huts were faux patchwork, but in reality, they could stand up to a hurricane if they needed to. The village could hold about 30 guests a week, total, depending on how many people doubled up. This week, not all of the huts were occupied.

** ** The guests were just starting to get up and mill about the clearing, sitting at the makeshift picnic benches and tables. They were mostly dressed the same way as Cooper and Rutt, with a few stragglers still wearing their normal clothes. Smiles lit their faces, and laughter and cheerful conversation saturated the air. It was almost time for breakfast, but it would be a few minutes before anyone made their way to the restaurant.

** ** As Cooper approached, some of the guests turned to give him a nod or a wave, all of them with a smile. He tried his best to smile back, but he didn't assume it was very convincing. He at least gave them each a wave or a nod. He didn't want to be rude. Finding a seat towards the middle of the clearing, Cooper sat down and tried to absorb the happiness around him, but he didn't think it would work. He had met Emma when he had started working at the resort, and they had been dating for years. She couldn't just leave him so easily.

** ** It was the last day, and so most of the guests had their routine figured out pretty well. That made Cooper's job - guiding the guests through their activities - less than necessary. He watched as they made their way off for breakfast or a morning swim. Once most of the guests had gone, and he was sure no one had any questions, he stood up and made his way down the path to the beach, which sat on the far end of the clearing. All of the huts were beachfront.

** ** Several of the guests were walking slowly down the beach, letting the tides tickle their toes. Out in the water, Cooper could see Frisbee swimming around energetically. He only stopped for a second to consider how Frisbee had beaten him here from the condo. He had given up trying to figure out the otter a long time ago. For a while, he stood on the top of the hill that overlooked the beach, and he let the wind blow through his fur, enjoying the calm.

** ** "I don't expect you to come with me." Emma approached from behind. She was dressed in her costume now, a colorfully decorated chest wrap and breechclout, more ornate than the other employees to signify her authority.

** ** "I'll come with you." He replied without thinking. He didn't want to move to Canada, but he didn't want to lose Emma that much more.

** ** "I can't ask you to do that. You love it here. I know that." Emma looked out over the ocean, but Cooper was sure she was trying to figure out what he was thinking.

** ** "I love you here." His eyes followed the waves as they rolled.

** ** "We both knew this was going to happen eventually, Coop." She said.

** ** He nearly flinched, but he managed to hold it in. "You mean we both knew the relationship was temporary? It's news to me." His voice rasped.

** ** "No, that isn't what I mean. It could have been either one of us. We're just going separate ways now."

** ** "Separate ways? Emma, they won't have trouble replacing us. I'll come with you, I'll get a local acting gig." Cooper turned to face Emma, but she kept gazing at the horizon.

** ** "When I go, you'll be promoted to replace me. You'll be the manager of customer relations, and you'll have to train a new tour guide." Emma's eyes were wet, but the tears hadn't fallen yet.

** ** Cooper grabbed her paw and held it tightly. "How long have you had your mind made up about this?"

** ** "I haven't. It's just what I think is the best thing for us, now. We haven't made any major changes in years. We don't even stay in the same room here, Cooper."

** ** "I was going to, I mean, I..." He trailed off, and then let Emma's paw go. "We don't even stay...in the same room."

** ** "Don't act sad, you've wanted my job for years." Emma tried to force a smile.

** ** "So that's it?" Cooper sighed and looked back out at the water.

** ** "That's it." She said, putting her arm around him. A tear dropped from her eye, splashing in the sand. "We did good though."

** ** Rutt had been a bartender for his entire life. Even before he had a job as one, he would mix drinks for his friends to the same effect. Bar tending, for Rutt, served several useful purposes. Any hotness that came into a bar, or in this case, to the resort, had to come by him to get drunk. Furthermore, he knew how much each person had to drink, so he knew which potential targets were too sober or too drunk to work his magic on. Also as a bartender, he also learned a bit of flair, which never failed to impress.

** ** At breakfast time, most people didn't want drinks from the bar. Rutt stood with his arms crossed, waiting with the hope that someone would come get something to drink. This part of his job was not a benefit. On the far side of the bar from him was a large cabana, which housed the resort's only restaurant. It was where guests ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That despicable border collie was sweet talking them right now. She was Rutt's greatest adversary.

** ** "What would you like to eat today?" She would ask in her sickly sweet voice, and she would suggest water or fruit juices to drink in the morning. If she would push more alcohol, even just suggest it, maybe Rutt would have something to do all day. Nothing wrong with a bit of day drinking, especially on vacation.

** ** But she wouldn't do that, of course, because she hated him. Rutt had a theory that she was spawned from a demon, but most of the guests seemed to love her. She was one of the few female staffers that he hadn't slept with yet. The thought crossed his mind, and he gagged a bit. She was a succubus. Also, she was good with children, which was a strike against her, because Rutt hated children. He envied hybrids for this reason and for this reason alone. Cooper didn't know how lucky he was.

** ** Rutt stared at the demon collie until she glanced over and gave him a confused look. He quickly broke eye contact pretended he was looking at something else. After she was finished taking orders and handed the tickets through the window to the kitchen, she approached the bar. Rutt cringed and pretended to be busy wiping the bar with a rag.

** ** "Is something the matter?" She asked, oblivious to his hatred.

** ** "No. Go away." He said, hoping that if he never made eye contact, the interaction wouldn't be real and she would leave. He focused his attention, instead, on a vixen looking at him from the dining room.

** ** The collie stepped into his field of view, so he looked down below the bar instead. "You're in a sourer mood than usual. Did something happen?"

** ** "You walked up to me bar." He crossed his arms, still comically reluctant to look at her.

** ** "That's my point, exactly. You're not usually this much of an ass. I mean, you're an ass. But usually more like a 5 out of 10. Something must have happened." She chuckled and leaned her elbows on the bar. "Did you get spurned?"

** ** "Of course I didn't." He scowled and finally looked up at her. He used his rag to wipe the bar where he elbows were, forcing her to step back. "Cooper just thinks he can move to Canada with Em and be happy there. He knows that won't work, I know that won't work, everyone knows that. Frisbee knows that. And then he calls me a bad friend for telling him the truth."

** ** "Cooper is planning to move with Emma? She told me she was going to insist he stay here." The collie bit her lip. "It's for the best, really. Coop is happy here, and those two were always a couple of convenience, anyway."

** ** "That's what I was telling him!" Rutt said, wiping obsessively at an invisible streak on the bar. "There's no passion there, just convenience. A marriage would fall apart in no time."

** ** "Marriage? Was Cooper going to propose?" She smiled slyly, looking sideways at Rutt.

** ** "No, I meant hypothetically." Rutt shook his head and feigned a look of shock.

** ** She stared at him for a few seconds, but didn't say anything. Rutt hoped she believed him, because otherwise, she would report back to Emma, and then Emma might want Cooper to go with her after all. Then she changed the subject entirely, and Rutt was partly relieved and partly enraged. "You've got something against commitment. What's up with that?"

** ** "What?" Rutt asked, equally unwilling and unsure of how to answer her.

** ** "Seph!" The kitchen bellowed, and the collie turned her head obediently. She waved at Rutt as she scurried off to the window to retrieve the guests' orders.

Rutt rolled his eyes again as she walked away, and realized he was still cleaning the bar. He put the rag out of sight and leaned against the wall behind him, careful not to knock over any bottles. As she left, he couldn't help but for his eyes to wander down to her legs and swishing tail. It didn't take long, however, for his eyes to snap back up to the vixen across the room. She had been looking at him, he was sure of it.

** ** "So, we broke it off." Cooper said, sitting at a stool nearby Rutt.

** ** Rutt had as much a problem with Cooper leaning on his bar as he did Seph. He hated to clean it so constantly. "Like, officially?"

** ** "She wants me to take her job." Cooper replied, matter-of-factly.

** ** "That's pretty cool, if you ask me. It's a promotion, better job, better pay. You don't have to deal with the commoners as much." Rutt readied his paw on the wash cloth, sure that Cooper was going to touch the bar any minute now. "Luddites."

** ** ** ***"I like interacting with the guests, Rutt. I see them as more than just a conquest. But you're right, maybe this is a sign that I need to move on. My relationship with Em wasn't really going anywhere. It was just sort of there."*

** ** "Yup." Rutt said, offering none of the sagely advice that Cooper may have been searching for.

** ** "You're a bartender. You're supposed to say more than 'yup'." Cooper said, tapping his foot on the ground.

** ** "You're not a customer, I don't care about getting a tip from you." The hyena shrugged, settling in on the bartender favorite activity of polishing a glass.

** ** "You're an ass." Coop raised an eyebrow.

** ** Rutt shrugged. "If there was any chance of conquest, then maybe I'd bother with advice. But you're taken, so I'm strictly paws off."

** ** "You're disgusting, and besides, I'm not taken anymore." Cooper said, planting his paws on the bar to balance as he stood up.

** ** "What?" Rutt asked in his wake as he walked away from the bar, approaching the service window instead. Seph was idling there, and she was more pleasant than Rutt.

** ** "I figure Em told you before she told me." He said as he approached her, leaning an elbow on the kitchen window.

** ** "She said she was going to insist you stay here." Seph said, and she slammed her paw on the window frame. "Hey! Hurry it up, Reed! People waitin' here!"

** ** A hefty raccoon inside the kitchen batted his paw in the air at her. She punched the window again. Cooper ignored it. "I'm staying here." He said, and again Seph responded with more amusement than surprise.

** ** "Well at least you've got me and Rutt to keep you company." She said, smiling and doing a curtsy.

** ** "And Frisbee." Cooper said, nodding off to the side.

** ** "And Frisbee." She said, wrinkling her nose.

** ** "You know, it doesn't even bother me as much as I thought it would. I'm hurt, yeah, but I'm not crushed." Coop shrugged, and he nodded as a dish entered the window by way of the raccoon. Seph grabbed it and scurried off to a table, but she was back soon.

** ** "Maybe she just wasn't the one." Seph said, sticking her tongue out at Reed, who was busy grumbling about something in the kitchen.

** ** "Maybe. I don't know. I was really happy with her. Things just seemed to work. Isn't that what a relationship is supposed to be?"

** ** "Relationships are complicated." Seph nodded, eager to dish out helpful advice. "They're hard to define in simple terms like that. You can love someone a lot, but be incompatible for a relationship. Or you could be content with someone, but never really love them all that much."

** ** "You don't think I'm taking this a bit well? We were together for years. Like, four years."

** ** "It'll hit you later." Seph smiled, and headed off to check on her tables.

** ** Cooper moved to the side, to keep from crowding the window for other servers. Now his stomach had a new weight in it, worry about the incoming pain. He sighed, pushing the worry away. In the meantime, he had a job to do.

** ** "And here we have Wailele Waterfall." Cooper gestured behind himself to the incredibly obvious waterfall. He let the tour group get over their collective 'ooh' before moving on. "I'm sure plenty of you have seen it already, while you were out exploring the island earlier in the week."

** ** A couple of the guests in the crowd nodded or murmured in agreement. Walking over to the edge of the river that the waterfall fell into, Cooper bent down and dipped his paw into the water. "It's a very calming spot, one of many on the island. Many people find it to be very comfortable, and don't want to move on past it."

** ** One of Cooper's first dates with Emma had been to the Wailele. Well, he considered it a date. It was on one of the tours, when he started work four years before. He had been Emma's trainee. But it was a date. Their paws brushed against each other and everything. Their relationship didn't start officially for a few weeks after, but it was then that he really knew. He stared at the falling water, the mist that gathered at the bottom, and he listened to its calming sounds.

** ** "Cooper?" One of the guests raised their paw into the air, catching his attention. He shook his head and turned to the group, who were still watching him with bated breath.

** ** "Oh yeah, the tour. This waterfall is a very special, and sacred, spot. The Palekaiko people believed that the spirits of the river gathered here, and that coming here at night to offer prayers was the best way to receive their blessings. There is an old legend that the water falling here can tell if two people are soul mates. If they come here together, and they were meant to be together, the air will become filled with lights, will o wisps, which act as a good luck blessing from the spirits of the rivers." Cooper had never seen will o wisps at the Wailele.

** ** "...Obviously, it's not true. I've been here with my girlfriend tons of times, and I've never seen wisps."

** ** "Uh, Cooper," someone from the crowd called out. "I don't think you're supposed to say that. It kinda kills the mood."

** ** Someone else asked, "Maybe you're not soul mates?"

** ** "Well, she is moving away. Actually, she broke up with me earlier." He paused to let the group get over their collective "aww".

** ** "Why? Did you two have a fight?"

** ** "No, we didn't fight. It just kind of fizzled out. She got a job somewhere else, before I could ask her to marry me."

** ** "You were going to propose?!" The group exclaimed.

** ** "Yeah, today, actually. I just had really bad timing." Cooper shrugged, crossing his arms. "So, the Wailele..."

** ** "Hold on. Did you tell her you were going to propose?" The guests weren't going to let it go.

** ** "I didn't have a chance. She broke up with me before I could."

** ** "Tell her! Don't let her get away without telling her! It's not romantic!" Said by a woman who Cooper was somewhat sure had cheated on her husband with Rutt. He held back a snort.

** ** "Life isn't always romantic. Anyway, I'm not that upset about it, I guess. It's something I can live with. At least I'll get a promotion out of it."

** ** "That's selfish, letting her go just to get a better job."

** ** "I'm not doing it to be selfish. It's just falling into my lap. I really don't have much choice here."

** ** "Turn down the job in the name of love. Maybe you can win her back!"

** ** Cooper took a deep breath and held it. After a minute, he let it go, slowly. "Can we, you know, get back to the tour?"

** ** As they started following him, reluctantly, down the path along the river, Cooper ran through the situation in his head. Usually, he loved having chats with the guests, but now he found them insufferable. He'd rather they be inconsiderate, and force him to get back to the tour. It wasn't their fault they didn't understand, though. Emma wasn't the type of person he could persuade, even if he told her about the proposal. It would just make things harder on both of them.

** ** "It's okay to be upset." Someone said quietly to him as they walked.

** ** "What?" He asked, glancing over at the group. He wasn't sure who had said it.

** ** "You're trying to act like you're not upset, but it hurts. I can see it on your face." Frisbee emerged from the group and kept up pace with Cooper.

** ** Cooper scratched his head. "When did you get here?"

** ** The otter looked around, genuinely confused. "I dunno." He shrugged.

** ** "I'm not hurting that bad." Cooper replied, keeping an eye on the group to make sure they were keeping up.

** ** "Like the sun said to the moon, 'I'm not that hot'."

** ** Cooper was certain he'd heard that somewhere before, but he couldn't place it. "What?"

** ** "Hm? What?" Frisbee looked around, as if he was trying to figure out who Cooper was talking to.

** ** "It's more of an uncertainty, than a pain. I've been comfortable for so long, now I'm not sure where my life is going to go."

** ** "It's not so bad. I don't ever know where my day is going to go when I wake up." Frisbee brushed at his fur with a paw.

** ** "Obviously. What's with the advice? Before, you said you weren't good at relationships."

** ** "I'm not good at them, that doesn't mean I've never had one. Can't remember when the last time I dated anyone was, though. It's better to live in the moment, anyway." Frisbee looked over at the river.

** ** "Live in the moment? I'm not very good at that. I like to plan things out." Speaking of plans, Cooper realized he'd been ignoring the tour group. He shrugged. They didn't seem very interested anyway. Instead, they were following his conversation with rapt attention.

** ** "Sometime, just don't go to bed when you normally do. Go out and walk somewhere. Do something you wouldn't normally do." Frisbee inched closer to the water as they walked. Now he was walking on the riverbank, arms held out at his sides, he swayed back and forth.

** ** "I don't understand what you mean, Frisbee. What should I do?" Cooper looked over to Frisbee when he got no response, but the otter was already a few yards away, swimming with the current.

Cosmopolitans. Rutt liked making Cosmos. Lady magnets. Either that, or the more flexible guys. Either way, he liked making them. He didn't like drinking them, so he'd pour out a bit in between each sip. It made him look like a classy bartender, an illusion that the guests were always happy to indulge in. He took a sip of his Cosmo and set it down on the bar.

** ** "So, you're here for vacation?" He asked the lovely vixen he had finally beckoned to the bar.

** ** She had rusty red fur, and brown eyes to die for. Her tail was fluffy, and he swore she swished it as she walked to draw attention to it. She wanted it. "No, business." She didn't laugh.

** ** Rutt wouldn't strike out that quickly. The sun hadn't even set yet. "That's...unique. What line of work are you in?"

** ** A purple dress. It was covered in shimmering shiny things, Rutt didn't remember what they were called. Whatever. Purple doesn't go with orange. Rutt didn't care. He wanted to take the dress off. "I'm a travel agent." She said. This girl was too matter-of-fact. Rutt needed to loosen her up.

** ** "You get to see a lot of places. How does our resort stack up?" He puffed out his chest, taking another halfhearted sip of his cosmo.

** ** "It's different. Your costumes are a nice touch, but the whole thing feels too relaxed for me. There isn't enough excitement."

** ** Excitement. She was bored. This was perfect. "Maybe if you joined in, got a costume for yourself, you would have more fun."

** ** "Oh, I was wearing a costume earlier, trying the whole thing out. It's our last day here, though. I'm hoping to turn a few heads tonight."

** ** Rutt narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm sure in that dress, you're turning a lot of heads."

** ** "I know I am." She said, leaning onto the bar, moving closer to Rutt. This time, it didn't bother him.

** ** "You certainly caught my eye." He smiled, leaning towards her.

** ** "I know I did." She leaned back the tiniest bit. She was good, Rutt thought.

** ** "Are you married?" He asked.

** ** "Do you care?"

** ** "No." He leaned back.

** ** "Why are you drinking that drink?" She asked, pointing to the cosmopolitan.

** ** "I like it."

** ** "You're a good liar." She said, sitting back in her chair.

** ** "I've had a lot of practice." He crossed his arms. She was a hard one to figure out.

** ** "Are you married?" She asked.

** ** "Do you care?"

** ** "Yes." She crossed her arms now.

** ** "Me and commitment don't mix well. I'm strictly a one-time deal." He picked up his drink and poured it out in the sink.

** ** She picked up her drink and finished it in one swig. "It's too bad you're working. I was hoping you could show me some things I might have missed around the island."

** ** "No one will miss me." He said, walking around the edge of the bar to join her. He glanced over to make sure the demon collie wasn't watching. "I know a perfect little spot. You'll love it."

** ** Seph enjoyed Friday nights. She was off the hook on Friday nights, because dinner was replaced with a buffet style banquet on the beach. Also, they set a huge fire when it got dark, and who doesn't love fire? So many things to do. She had to talk to Emma about Cooper. He was going to propose, and it was something Em needed to know. She also had to figure out why Rutt was in such a bad mood. Cooper would probably need more helpful advice, too. It was getting late, but the sun hadn't set yet. Rutt was nowhere in sight, Cooper had just returned with a tour group.

** ** He was currently helping to set up the beach party, so talking to him would have to wait. Emma it was, then. Bursting through the door to the employee break room, cutely disguised as a chieftain's hut, she marched to the table where Emma was waiting. The job contract was sitting on the table before her. She sat down on the edge of the table and looked down at her friend.

** ** Emma had every right to be excited, to be ecstatic. One of her dreams had come true. Why was she frowning? "Why are you frowning?"

** ** "Am I doing the right thing? I feel like I'm being selfish, leaving Cooper behind." She sighed, slumping back in her chair.

** ** Seph frowned too. "You two are cute together."

** ** "But we're not anything special." Emma said, nodding.

** ** "No, you're not. Cooper shouldn't move with you, because you two need to find out what it is you're missing."

** ** "What if I get there and find out that what I'm missing is Cooper?"

** ** "You could always come back..." Seph shrugged. It was a terrible suggestion.

** ** "That's a terrible idea. I can't just leave and then come crawling back." Emma picked up her contract and stared at it.

** ** "True. Huh. Well, you'll be a famous actress. Finding a new Cooper won't be hard."

** ** "You really think so?"

** ** "Figuratively speaking, yeah." Seph slid off the table and sat in the chair next to Emma. She wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

** ** "What if I'm walking away from something big, Purse?" Only Emma called her Purse. She liked the nickname, though. It was cute.

** ** Thinking carefully about what to say next, Seph rubbed Emma's shoulder gently to buy some time. The door creaked open and Rutt slipped inside quietly, tying his breach clout back into place. Looking up at him, the three shared an awkward moment.

** ** "I didn't know anyone was in here right now." He said, adjusting the front flap of his costume.

** ** "We're in here right now." Seph said, pulling her arm back to her side.

** ** "Doing...what?" Rutt asked, drawing the attention away from himself.

** ** "Does it matter? Why aren't you at the bar?" Emma asked, glaring fire at Rutt.

** ** "Yes, I deserve to know if things are getting a little bit lesbian in here."

** ** "It's a break room. We're taking a break." Seph said, gesturing to the room.

** ** "Well so am I." Rutt responded, walking over to sit across the two girls.

** ** "No, you're not. You're still on duty." Emma said, kicking the chair out from under Rutt as he tried to sit. He let out a yelp as he fell to the ground. Seph couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

** ** "That was heartless and inconsiderate." He said as he stood up. Opting against a chair, he climbed onto the table and sat cross legged. When Emma's contract got in his way, he pushed it on the ground.

** ** "You're a child." She said, picking it up.

** ** "And you're...a...face. Something. Whatever. Shut up." He pushed the paper on the ground again.

** ** "I can't believe I ever dated you. Are you drunk? On the clock?" Emma said as she sighed and picked up the contract again, handing it to Seph.

** ** "It wasn't a date. It was a one night stand. A very boring one." Rutt said, looking up.

** ** "I can't believe I ever touched you." Emma snarled. Seph thought that was a bit harsh. Rutt was a jerk, and he was gross, but she would probably give him a chance, if he tried. He was a decent guy on the inside. She just needed to figure out what had broken him. He was a project.

** ** "What you're doing to Cooper, it's pretty balls." Rutt said, changing the subject.

** ** "Says the asshole who told him not to date me, just because you have to project your awkward fear of commitment onto other people." Emma stood up, and came face to face with the hyena.

** ** "I'm not afraid of commitment, I just don't like it." He said, glaring at her.

** ** "You're a terrible liar. Now get back to work." Emma was a good boss, Seph thought, because she could control her people so well.

** ** Rutt slid off the table and headed for the door. "For what it's worth, I was going to try to convince you to stay."

** ** As he walked out the door, Seph stood up and turned to Emma. "What happened to him?"

** ** As the sun set, it was replaced by a more local light source, a gigantic bonfire on the beach. It burned brightly, passionately, as if it had been borrowed from the sun itself. Smaller torches lined the edges of the beach where the party was taking place, and they paled in comparison. Currently, the guests were learning a tribal dance from one of the performers, so it left the rest of the staff more or less free to enjoy the quiet.

** ** Cooper found Emma sitting by the fire, staring into it absentmindedly. He approached slowly and sat down next to her, trying not to feel too awkward about it. "Thinking about something?" He asked, shifting the sand underneath him until it was comfortable.

** ** "No, trying not to think, actually." She said, keeping her eyes on the fire.

** ** "I don't want you to be stuck here, Em."

** ** "What do you mean, stuck here?" She asked, turning now to look at him. It made it harder to talk, her looking at him.

** ** "Being somewhere else, but still living here. We've spent a good couple of years being comfortable, but I don't want you to be stuck here." Cooper wasn't sure now was the right time to start living in the moment, but he was going to try it anyway. He threw his plans away. "I love you, and I want you to be happy."

** ** "You can't break up with me, I already broke up with you." She said, grinning.

** ** Cooper rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Come on, Em, this isn't easy for me. I'm trying to say that you should follow your dreams."

** ** "That's hokey. Sounds like a fairy tale. The truth is, I don't know what I want anymore. I might get there and find out that what I wanted was you."

** ** "You could always come back."

** ** "That's a terrible idea. Anyway, I'm going to be contracted for at least one season. If the show takes off, I can't just leave. No, if I take the job, I'll probably have to stay there."

** ** "Then you can stay here. Turn down the job, and stay with me." Cooper rested his paw on top of hers.

** ** "I need to see if what I don't have is what I want. And I have to go to figure that out." She slid her paw away from him, and Cooper's paw fell into the sand.

** ** "It was worth a try." Cooper pulled his knees close to his chest.

** ** "What is it you want, Coop?"

** ** "Kids." He said, chuckling.

** ** "Very funny. Really, what is it you're looking for? What makes us so great?"

** ** "We're peaceful. I don't have to worry about the future."

** ** "Do you think about the future often?"

** ** "No, I don't have much to look forward to."

** ** "Exactly." Emma said, standing up. She offered her paw to help Cooper stand as well.

** ** "Exactly?" He asked as he brushed the sand off his backside.

** ** "You need to find out what your passion is. I'm not your passion." Leaning in close, she placed a kiss on his cheek.

** ** Turning to her as she started to walk away, Cooper raised his paw and touched where she had kissed him. It felt numb. "I love you, Em."

** ** Without turning around, Emma replied. "I love you, too, Coop. Now, let's go find out what that means."

"What broke you?" She asked him, and he tried his best to ignore her.

** ** "I'm broken?" Rutt looked down at himself, checking to make sure his body was in its proper form. "Where?"

** ** "Why are you so against commitment?" She asked, and he continued to try and ignore her.

** ** Oh boy, the commitment conversation again. Rutt hadn't gotten tired of that one years ago. "'Cause women are annoying, like you're being right now."** ***He took a swig of his beer, trying his best not to look at the demon collie. If he made eye contact, it acknowledged that she was real.*

** ** "But you've gotten worse since Cooper and Emma broke up. You had a bad break up, didn't you? You poor thing." Rutt knew Seph was sincere, which made him all the sicker. Pity from such an annoying girl.

** ** "Stop prying into nothing and leave me alone. I don't like you and I don't need you to fix me." Rutt stood up and started to walk away. Seph gave chase, and he grimaced.

** ** "I just want to know why you're so mean." She said, slowing down. She shouted after him, but let him keep walking away. "Why don't you like me?" She lowered her voice, whispering to herself now. "Everyone likes me."

** ** The rest of the party was uneventful, and before long, the fire was put out and the guests went to sleep. Cooper sat silently in the golf cart as he rode next to Rutt. They had nothing to say to each other at this point. Everything that needed to be said had been already. When Rutt parked the golf cart, Cooper got out and walked inside the front doors of the condo. The main living room was empty, but the lights were still on. He skipped past it and headed to his room, where he stripped off his costume and got straight into the hottest shower that he could stand.

** ** He didn't come out until he heard a knock on his door. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around himself and went to answer it. Looking through the peephole, he couldn't see who it was, because they were holding something up in front of it. Annoying. He cracked the door, and found Seph standing in the hallway.

** ** "Can I help you?" He asked, and he noticed that she had been holding his engagement ring in front of the door.

** ** She held it out and he let her drop it into his paw. "Tell her, before she's gone. It might not change anything, but you'll regret keeping it to yourself."

** ** Cooper closed his paw around the ring and sighed. "It would just make it harder for her to go."

** ** "Maybe, but you still should tell her." Seph said, turning around. She had already changed out of her costume, into floral pajamas. They were cute.

** ** "Right now?" He asked, nodding down to his towel covered body.

** ** "After you put clothes on." She said, heading for the living room.

** ** Closing the door, Cooper put the ring on his nightstand. Why couldn't people mind their own business? He stared at the ring. The ring stared back at him. With a groan and a roll of his eyes, he threw some shorts on and grabbed the ring, running out of his room. Living in the moment, indeed.

** ** Waving to Seph as he ran past the living room, he got to Emma's door and began to knock fervently. Was it weird to propose in underwear? After a while, she opened the door. Behind her, Cooper could see she had already started to pack her things. A full suitcase sat on her bed. "That was fast." He said, keeping the ring in his fist.

** ** "I'm going to take the boat out tomorrow, and I'll come back and get my things later. I need to find a place to live in Canada, anyway, so I have to get started quickly."

** ** "Would it change anything if I said I was going to ask you to marry me?" He blurted out, clenching his fist around the ring.

** ** "Were you going to ask me to marry you?" She asked, showing amusement rather than surprise. Cooper was sure she should have been shocked.

** ** Now was the time, he had to make up his mind. He had come to tell her, so he was going to finish what he had started that morning. He was going to ask her to marry him, and let her decide their fate. He opened his mouth to speak. The ring was heavy in his paw. His mouth was dry. No more stalling. The future was waiting. "No." He said, shaking his head. Mentally, he kicked himself.

** ** "Then it wouldn't make any difference, no. Go to sleep, Cooper. You'll feel better tomorrow." Emma closed the door, and Cooper stood in the hall, defeated.

** ** Sitting together in the living room, both Rutt and Persephone remained silent. From time to time, she would steal a glance at him. He didn't notice, he was absorbed in the TV. Every time she thought about speaking, an old pain sparked up in her belly. So she stayed quiet. It would be okay, later. She just had to wait until the right time. She'd figure it out eventually.

** ** Rutt stood up from the TV and walked over to the vending machine in the hall, dropping his money into it. After selecting his soda, nothing happened. He punched the machine, but it didn't respond. He kicked it, but still no soda. He cursed under his breath and wrote a mental note not to use the vending machine anymore. He'd forget by the time they returned next year. Slumping into the couch, he sighed.

** ** Neither Rutt or Seph noticed as Frisbee entered the condo. On his way past the vending machine, he stared at it for a few seconds before giving it a solid kick to the side. Two cold sodas fell into the tray, and he retrieved them. Walking past Rutt, he placed one of the sodas on the table in front of him and kept going, to the hallway on the other side, where he exited the condo again. Rutt sat forward and stared at the soda. Everyone but him was a demon of some sort or another. A small smile crept onto his face, and Seph noticed, smiling herself.

** ** "Marriage rubs me the wrong way." He said, still watching the TV.

** ** "Why?" Seph asked, watching Rutt intently.

** ** "It happened before I got the job here. It's why I needed to find somewhere to get away from it all. It's why this job is perfect for me."

** ** "What happened?"

** ** Before he could answer, someone foreign peeked their head around the corner from the hallway. It was the travel agent from before. Rutt stood up and walked towards her. "Can I help you?"

** ** "The swim instructor told me where I could find you. I know I'm not supposed to be here, but I wanted to see you again." She said.

** ** "That dress is hideous." Seph whispered, crossing his arms against her flower pajamas. "Orange and purple."

** ** Rutt grinned broadly, scratching his chest. "Is there something in particular you wanted?"

** ** "Do you mind if we talk somewhere privately?" The fox said, putting her paw on his chest.

** ** "Not at all. My room is this way. I'll show you the way." He led her into the hallway.

** ** "My name is--" she started, but Rutt cut her off with a kiss.

** ** "I don't want to know. You're leaving tomorrow anyway."

** ** "Alright. I am married, by the way." She said, crossing her arms as she followed him back to his room.

** ** He opened the door and stood in the threshold. "I don't care. I said before."

** ** "You're a good liar." She said as she followed him in and closed the door.

** ** "What'cha doin'?" Frisbee asked, sitting in the dark on the beach. He was still in his same outfit, swim trunks with the costume over top. Cooper really wondered how often he showered or bothered to change.

** ** Sitting in the sand, enjoying the quiet and dark, Cooper shrugged. The tide rolling in and out was mesmerizing, the light from the moon just enough to make out what was going on.

** ** "It's comfortable, here." Frisbee said, crossing his arms behind his long back, cracking it.

** ** "It is." Cooper replied, still just enjoying the quiet.

** ** "Comfortable can be good, but I guess from time to time, I like the chaos of the waves. The ocean is unpredictable. It has its own charm to it."

** ** "Maybe you should have been born a sea otter." Cooper joked, and was happy to see that Frisbee laughed.

** ** "Shouldn't you be asleep?" The otter asked, holding out a soda can to Cooper.

** ** Cooper took it and popped the top, chugging it all at once. Finishing, he placed it in the sand. "I'm trying to live in the moment. I'm going to see where that takes me."