FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 2

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The Borrowed Shorts

Ryker paced back and forth at the foot of his bed, clutching the sides of his head and his tail tucked so far between his legs that it was almost getting in the way of every step.

"Okay, okay..." he repeated, stopping for a moment to stare at the still mostly naked Takoshi sitting on his bed. "Run this by me again. How are you here right now?"

The big bear scratched his hardened abdominals a little, raking his claws through the black tuft of hair springing from the rim of the shorts. "It's like this. The Overworld is the world of ideas. The Realworld is the physical realm. Normally, things from one side can't exist in the other. But ever since I became your IP and you became my Host, we can now exist in both places. I have to go where you go because I'm sharing your energy to maintain my form."

"My... energy?" Ryker placed a paw against his stomach which was steadily growling louder and louder by the minute. "Is that why I'm so hungry?"

"Could be or maybe it's because it's almost noon and you haven't eaten yet." Takoshi rose from seated position and stretched his arms over his head, showing off the black tufts of hair beneath his armpits and the size of his enormous muscles. "We have a shared 'pool of energy'. One could think of it that I'm sort of leeching life off you, halving your expected lifespan -"

Ryker's tail fluffed out in terror. "What!?"

"Let me finish," growled the bear. "But_because we both are in the same space now, you've got _two intakes of energy. So long as we maintain a decent diet, exercise and all that shit, you'll actually live a little longer than you normally would."

The excitable wolf's tail slowly lowered. "Oh..."

"Having an IP has other health benefits too depending on the IP. Some IPs - especially the medical kind - actually can improve your health."

"That's... nice. What can you do?"

Takoshi beamed brightly. "I can make it so that it takes more drinks before you get totally shitfaced!"

Ryker pursed his lips and his eyes fell half-closed in exasperation. "You're kidding me."

"I never joke about booze. Speaking of which..."

"I don't have any alcohol in the apartment."

"Wasn't expecting that from a 35-year old wolf."

Ryker's hackles rose. "I'm only 22!"

Takoshi looked genuinely surprised. "Really? Fuck, boy. With the shit you were doing last night, I thought you were going through some mid-life crisis! I mean, who the fuck puts himself in front of a complete stranger and presses an unknown application that just appeared on their phone?"

"I was curious, okay!?" Ryker clutched his head with both paws and tilted his head back in frustration. "Urgh... Okay... You know what? I need to get out of here."

"Great! I'm going to need some new clothes."

He stared at the bear between his fingers. "You're coming with me?"

"Of course. I'm your IP. I have to protect you."

"From what?"

As Ryker scrambled to find something for Takoshi to wear in his closet, the bear explained that Independents like him were like a beacon to Corpsmen, other IPs and corporations with access to the Overworld. Regardless of which world they inhabited, he would be a target. It was clear how this was the case in the Overworld as everything else was greyed out while only he and Takoshi - along with Oliver and Summer - were brilliant and well-coloured. In the Realworld, Takoshi - who stood past seven feet tall - would stick out like a sore thumb. Some IPs had to hide 'extra' features as well if they were to blend in not to mention the fact that some IPs wouldn't have knowledge of how to use modern appliances.

"You'd be surprised how a lot of the 'medieval' kinds of IPs wouldn't know how to use a toilet," Takoshi chuckled. "It's especially true with IPs from fantasy-style sources. People barely ever cover that shit."

"Pun intended?" Ryker asked, a soft smile on his muzzle as he handed Takoshi a very big, thick jacket.

"Huh?" answered the bear as he plucked the garment from him.

No shirt in Ryker's closet could actually fit his new white-furred guardian but at the very least he could give him something to keep him from walking down the street practically naked. The olive green jacket he had laying around had been a gift from a family member who didn't know anything about his size, but figured something heavy like this would be good in the colder months in New York. It looked massive on him, but it only barely covered Takoshi's massive forearms and couldn't close all the way due to his impressive chest, leaving his battle-scarred chest exposed to the elements. Pants where another story entirely with even his baggiest cargo pants able to reach just below his knees. There was a pair of huge sandals that Cliff had given Ryker when they had first moved in together with the tiger having assumed that Ryker was his size as well. The illusion allowed Takoshi to appear like a very showy frat boy. That would work at least until they got him better-fitting clothes.

"So you don't have access to your powers in this world?" Ryker asked as they emerged from his room. A quick glance around revealed that Cliff was back in his room, probably sleeping with his latest conquest or working off the hangover from the previous night.

"Somewhat. If our synch rate was higher, I'd have access to some but it's not."

"What is that synch rate?"

To avoid any questions from Cliff if and when he woke up, they decided to go out for brunch. Living so close to campus meant that there were plenty of places to eat and all of them within easy walking distance. They left the red-bricked building of his apartment and entered the bustling streets of New York City. Weekend foot-traffic was bad enough to begin with, but with Takoshi being so big, the narrow streets were even tighter than usual. Thankfully, that size played to their advantage as everyone instinctively avoided the big bear and it allowed Ryker to lead the way. Soon Ryker understood what his white-furred guardian meant that IPs would be very obvious in the crowd. He could only imagine how some characters in videogames that he had played would appear in the real world.

"It's our bond," grunted Takoshi as they walked, his huge paws in the pockets of his pants. With the shorts being a couple of sizes too small for the big bear, he could barely shove three fingers in while his thumb and pinkie hung out. "The closer we are to one another, the greater your abilities and mine are in one world or the other. If our synch rate was at 100% right now, I'd be able to manifest my swords and equipment and use my abilities. In the Overworld, our connection would be so strong you wouldn't even have to say anything and I'd basically know what you want me to do."

"So it's fairly important?"

"Fuck yeah!" The exclamation made a few of furs around them shy away from the big bear. "So we better start getting to know one another, boy."

"My name is Ryker," he insisted.

Takoshi just rolled his eyes in response as they approached one of the brunch places near campus, Toast-For-Two. It was a Japanese toast restaurant with an Italian facade complete with an iron-wrought fence, red, white and green awning and little gardens filled with marigolds.

"Really?" Takoshi scoffed. "This place?"

"It's Japanese!" Ryker protested. When a waiter approached, he asked for a table for two inside and was led into the very modern main dining area. Frescoes of Japanese scenery was planted on the walls in the style of traditional Japanese paintings. The table was, thankfully, big enough to fit Takoshi as were the chairs.

"Urgh..." muttered the bear. "What is this shit? 'Honey toast with strawberries and whipped cream'? 'French Toast with blueberries, whipped cream and chocolate cake'? Where's the meat? The protein?"

Ryker ducked his head behind his menu, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment and his ears folding back. "This is _brunch_not a steak house..."

His ursine partner placed the menu derisively on the table covered in a - admittedly cheap - red and white chequered table cloth. "Listen here, boy. I ain't one of those uppity, zen Japanese samurai that gets all the fucking attention, okay? I like my meat. Preferably _red_meat. I ain't gonna use chopsticks. I'm using my own fucking paws. I'm gonna tear into that shit. And none of those fucking 'small portion sizes' bullshit or 'course meals'. If you're going to give me food, give it to me all at once because once I start eating, I ain't stopping."

"Okay! Okay!" Ryker hissed, lifting a paw. "Noted. Just keep it down, okay?"

His cheeks went even redder, burning through his grey cheek fuzz when their waitress arrived.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked pleasantly. Her bright, brown eyes shone in the morning sun as they regarded him. "Hi, Ryker."

He slipped further into his seat. "H - H - Hi, Tess..." Just the way Takoshi's big, bushy eyebrow rose at him made the moment all the more humiliating.

"Who's your friend?"

"He's... Uh..."

The moment Takoshi opened his muzzle, Ryker knew his cheeks would explode from embarrassment. "I'm the guy that he met at the club and went home with last night."

Theresa North lifted both her eyebrows. The white-furred mouse with large, expressive ears and long, flowing blonde hair tied back in a cute ponytail broke out into a smile, showing off her large, front two teeth. She leaned forward, placing a paw on the table while the other was pressed against her hip. "Oh really now?"

"Tess..." Ryker moaned.

"He fell into my arms," Takoshi joked, flexing his right bicep. "Spent the night in his room. I'm wearing his clothes right now."

"Takoshi!"

Tess' grin grew even broader. "I knew it!" She straightened and cupped a paw over her muzzle. "Hey Marv! You owe me fifty!"

Another mouse poked his head out of the kitchen window. Tess' brother saw Ryker and he groaned. "Aw man! Come on, Ryker! I was counting on you, man!"

The spunky mouse waitress winked at Ryker and then turned to Takoshi. "My brother and I had a bet going on that Ryker was gay. He kept insisting that I should go out with him but when you grow up with someone for nearly 20 years it feels like dating your brother." Her whip-like tail did loops in the air. "I'm glad he finally pulled himself away from that computer screen of his and actually went out on a date."

Takoshi was beaming proudly. "And now he's inviting me to brunch so you know it's not just a one-night stand."

"Good to know."

Then Tess' paw snaked out faster than even Takoshi could catch. She caught the collar of his - Ryker's - jacket and pulled the bear forward until they were nose-to-nose. "Listen here, meathead. If you hurt my cute little howler, I am going to reach down those pants that I bought for him - yes, I know they're _his_pants because I'm the one that gave them to him - and tear your dick right off."

Takoshi was unfazed. "If you think I'm scared -"

Tess flicked his head, her finger slapping against his brow just between his eyes. "I'm not done, meathead. Once I have that sausage you're trying to pass off as a bat in my paws, I'm going to shove it so far up your own ass that not only will you be fucking yourself, but you'll be throwing up your own shit as well as your cock. And trust me, I'm going to make it agonisingly slow so that you feel every inch as it breaks your anal cavity, trails up your guts and then worms its way up your throat. Are we clear?"

The tough, scarred bear lifted his paws in surrender. "Okay! Okay! Fuck..."

Just like a switch had gone off, Tess pushed Takoshi back into his seat with enough force that he grunted from the impact but not enough to make any noise to attract attention. "Great! I'll get you the Honey Toast with strawberries and cream with some extra vanilla ice cream on the side."

"But I -"

Her eyes flashed. "With some extra vanilla ice cream on the side."

Takoshi gulped and handed the menu back to her. "That sounds fantastic."

Tess took the menu and then picked up the one from Ryker. "I'll get the usual for you, babe. Be right back."

Then she was gone, hips swaying confidently and tail cracking through the air like a whip.

Takoshi watched her go while Ryker sank deeper into his seat. He wished he had his hoodie because he would so love to have been invisible right about then.

"Boy, your girlfriend is scary."

"She's not my girlfriend," he muttered. "We used to be neighbours when we were kids. She's a year older than me and she's always been like a big sister. Even when the other kids were picking on me because of my glasses, she would always stand up for me and beat them up." He still remembered fondly when Tess, battered, bruised and with one eye swollen from a punch, confessed to the principal and their parents that she had fought those kids because they had been picking on little Ryker. She had always been brave and outgoing for as long as he had known her.

"First of all, you wear glasses?"

"It was just corrective lenses at the time." He made a circular gesture over his left eye. "Had a slight astigmatism in my right eye. Didn't have to wear them after high school."

"And she's been looking after you since you were kids?"

"Not after high school since we went to different colleges. She wanted to be a personal trainer. I got into computers. We still hang out from time to time, though."

"Clearly enough that her brother thinks you two should have dated and that she's comfortable enough to threaten a complete stranger."

Ryker straightened in his seat. "That's just how she is. Please don't antagonise her.Definitely don't seduce her."

Takoshi waved a paw dismissively in his direction. "If you're worried I'll get her pregnant or something, don't. IPs can't impregnate Hosts or others from the Realworld. We can fuck one another but unless it's specifically inbuilt into both our natures that we can conceive a child, then it's not going to happen."

It was much like how some IPs wouldn't understand indoor plumbing inherently. Unless the original creator had built a complete, complex fur, then they would never be the same as a normal person. Some things that Ryker took for granted - like the reproductive cycle or digestive cycle - would just be assumed by most creators. But when it came to IPs, such things had to be specified or else they just would not have them.

"Is there anything you can't do?" he asked tentatively. "Anything I should know about? Allergies? Weaknesses?"

Takoshi turned away from where Tess disappeared into the kitchen and back to Ryker. "Not really. Remember how I told you that I've been around a while and been eating Dosers? IPs that manage to last pretty long and devour Dosers tend to evolve and become more complicated. Sometimes, IPs can use the energies that they get from eating Dosers to modify themselves but then you'd be exchanging a modified body for food and survival. Usually, a single Doser, even the most basic one, will last an IP for a month or so. We don't really need to eat that often unless we're bonded to a Host."

"Have you ever... eaten other IPs?"

Takoshi's features grew dark and Ryker feared he had crossed the line. "No. But there are things out there called 'Zombies'. Rogue IPs that feast on others indiscriminately. IPs, Dosers and sometimes even Hosts. They usually come about if there's some sort of contradiction or conflict within their identities."

"Huh?"

Takoshi drummed his fingers on the table. "It's hard to explain since I've only encountered a Zombie once or twice." He lifted a finger. "An IP is basically an idea, right? When not bonded to a Host, they embody that idea. Say you have a red IP. From the moment he's born, he's always red. But what if that IP met a Doser or another IP that was blue? What if that first IP ate the second and suddenly couldn't comprehend a world that was blue let alone another colours? The IP might just have a bit of... I dunno how you'd call it..."

"An existential crisis?" Ryker prompted.

Takoshi nodded and wagged a finger at him. "That's the one. Tends to happen with simplistic IPs. Like the kind kids come up with when they don't get the world yet. You know, imaginary friends. The IP goes rogue. Absolutely goes nuts. Best thing to do with Zombie IPs is to put them down."

"That's kind of sad..." Ryker confessed.

"It happens," said the bear with a shrug. "So what about you? Any allergies? Anything that'll kill you like that." He snapped his fingers.

Ryker indicated a negative as Tess returned. She placed a beautifully golden crepe with a slice of strawberry cheesecake, cream and a strawberry sauce drizzled across it on Ryker's side while she placed the huge honey toast on Takoshi's side.

"Enjoy your meal boys," she said with a sly wink. "Lots of cream involved here."

Ryker groaned while Takoshi grinned.

"I like her," chuckled the bear as Tess left. He regarded the monstrosity in front of him. Like other forms of honey toast, it was a half loaf of bread that had been hollowed out, coated in honey, sugar, toasted and rested on its side so it was standing vertically. The hollowed out pieces had been likewise prepared and set back inside the toast 'bowl' with some cream, fruits and a rich, sweet sauce. A wafer had also been added for extra decoration. "So... how the fuck am I meant to eat this?"

"Use your own paws," taunted Ryker.

His partner gave him an exasperated stare. "Right. Only if you lick the sticky sauce off my fingers afterwards."

That made him blush and return towards his crepe. "Look, if you don't want it, you want some of mine? I can't finish all this."

"Are you fucking kidding me? That thing is puny and you can't finish it?"

Takoshi was being loud again and once again, Ryker was shrinking into his seat to avoid anyone from seeing him. "I just don't eat that much."

"Seems to me that you should! You're a scrawny little shit, aren't ya?" He reached over and poked his shoulder. "Bony too."

Trying to ignore the comment, Ryker cut the crepe in half, making sure that there was enough of all the pieces in both halves. "IPs are ideas, right? Who came up with you and why did you end up abandoned like that?"

The energy in the room suddenly faded, the mood turning dour. Though Takoshi's features didn't seem to change that much, his nonchalance became more of an act than just devil-may-care attitude. Ryker wasn't sure how he knew that the easy grin was forced. Maybe it was just because Takoshi paused for a little longer than he should have or because his small, rounded ears folded back a little. Maybe it was the tightness around his eyes like he was trying not to cry or how the cords on his neck tightened, causing the veins to pop all the more.

"Did you see that recent historical samurai film set in shogunate times?"

"Uh... No."

"That's 'cuz it was never released. Or made." Takoshi tapped the side of his head, his voice distinctly more subdued that before. "I'm the main character in George Samson Drell's samurai blockbuster set before the industrial revolution came to Japan."

"George Samson Drell?" Ryker asked, ears perked. "He's a great director. Most of the stuff he's made, though, were all fantasy or science fiction stuff. Conflict: Cosmos is everywhere and I heard that he's making prequels to them now."

"Probably is," Takoshi answered with a shrug. "He was heavily influenced by samurai movies and actually wanted to make a genuine historical samurai film about the struggles of one samurai who failed to protect his shogun, was left for dead, became a ronin and wandered the country for revenge."

His eyes went to the barely hidden slash on Takoshi's shoulder. "Is that...?"

"No. That's later. Hollywood doesn't like scarred main characters. It doesn't like historical films either. When George pitched the idea to the studios, no one would produce him. They told him that there just wasn't an appetite for that kind of film in the industry."

"Really? There's been a lot of period films that have come out and the Oscars are rife with films that are 'based on a true story'."

"That's the thing. This wasn't based on a true story. Drell was just making all this shit up. None of the studios wanted anything from him that wasn't set in some space colony or didn't have fireballs flying everywhere. That's what he was known for and they wanted more. Plus, when was the last time you actually saw a period piece come from Hollywood."

"I'm sure in Japan -"

"I'm not talking about Japan," interjected Takoshi. "I'm talking about Hollywood. Where George was pitching the idea."

Ryker's ears drooped and he lowered his gaze. "I guess you have a point."

Takoshi sighed and grabbed the spoon that seemed so small compared to his paw. He dug into the collection of toast, ice cream, fruits and cream crammed into the husk of the loaf he was given. Taking a spoonful, he lifted it towards his muzzle. "The studios were also opposed to the idea of a white bear playing the part of the main character." The sombre samurai chomped on the spoon with a loud crunch, his eyebrows rising slightly. "Huh..." he mumbled through the food. "This is good."

"Why?"

"It sweet, a little salty and the cream -"

"No, no," Ryker said. "Why is Hollywood against a polar bear playing a samurai."

"Huh? Oh." Takoshi shrugged his massive shoulder, the jacket groaning in protest. "Polar bears are mostly Russian or American. Maybe Canadian. Either way, it's not a species you normally see in Japan. Especially not during that period in time. They were saying that it was 'Americanising Japan' all over again and they were afraid of the backlash."

That was a trend these days. Controversy ran around a lot of movies where some Asian nation was 'saved' by a non-Asian fur or the main characters were 'Americanised'. Those movies tended not to sell as well and stained the reputations of studios.

"I guess even if they can control people using the Overworld, big corporations are still at the mercy of the public, huh?"

"Now you're getting it." Takoshi, placed his spoon down then picked up the basket of toast in one paw. "Corpsmen can just plant the idea of their product in people's mind. They can't fully change opinion of it. It's not like just because you put the idea of a gay porn site in a straight guy's mind that they'll immediately turn homo."

"So it's a little like targeted advertising. People will try it at the behest of the Corpsmen but they can still not like it."

Takoshi took a large bite out of the honey toast, taking a good half of the decorative meal in one bite. He took a few seconds to chew before responding. "Smart corporations will actually use samples of their products to help form opinions. Corpsmen will be waiting when someone is trying their product, drop into the Overworld, get their Doser to implant the idea as they're consuming it and then_boom_. They get to sway their opinion a little more. If you're thinking about the product while using it or experiencing it, you're more likely to form a better opinion of it."

That waiter back at High-Fen, Oliver, had done exactly that same thing to that woman. While serving her the very beer that he was pandering, he used Summer to place that seemingly parasitic idea into her mind. Maybe the idea was that corny catch phrase or the idea that it was supposedly 'all organic'. It would be like an earworm. The idea would keep festering inside that poor woman's mind, playing over and over again before she would eventually have to give in and have another beer.

Ingenious and sinister.

"Hey," he began, finally taking a bite out of his crepe. "Oliver actually existed kind of in the Realworld and Overworld back when I first encountered him."

"Who?" Takoshi asked, one eyebrow raised while licking his fingers free of cream.

"The tabby we fought last night."

"Oh. Right." The bear had a surprisingly long tongue that he used to lick his palm from heel to fingertip. "Corpsmen are different from Hosts. With us, we can only exist on one realm at any one time. Corpsmen can exist in both simultaneously but with severely muted powers. That works to our advantage because for us, in the Overworld, we can easily spot Corpsmen. For them, they can sort of see us as well but they'll need to rely on the guidance of their Dosers."

"I saw Oliver putting the idea of his beer into a woman's mind last night," Ryker said. "Summer was... it was this weird shadowy thing."

"That's the price of having one foot in two dimensions at the same time. Dosers can't really maintain a physical form." Takoshi scratched his cheek, finding a fleck of cream there before wiping it off with a finger and then licking it off. "Honestly, I'm surprised that we were against the guy who actually made that shitty stuff. Normally, Corpsmen just have _clones_of some other guy's IP."

"Explain."

Takoshi shrugged as he broke the rest of his honey toast in half and lifted both halves - one in each paw - towards his muzzle. "Corpsmen aren't really paid to be imaginative. They're there to spread the word of a certain product. Corporations turn an IP into a Doser, copy it and give it to Corpsmen to spread about."

Ryker glanced at his half-finished crepe. "Kind of like warped door-to-door salesmen."

"Pretty much!" Takoshi mumbled, having finished his meal "You done with that?"

He pushed the plate away, leaving the bear to consume the rest of it. Replaying the events of the previous night, his stomach was twisted into knots at the idea that other Corpsmen were out there, slowly manipulating people and trying to influence them. Were there actually Corpsmen trying to influence him now? What was stopping them from trying to implant an idea into his mind? Takoshi implied that for a Corpsman to actually implant an idea into his mind, they would need to physically approach him while their Doser tried to slip an idea into his mind. His skin crawled at the idea that so many other people had tried to influence him throughout the years. Was his brand loyalty all part of some corporate scheme? Who was to say that he wasn't just some slave to a corporation?

"You know that not all corporations have access to the Overworld, right?" Takoshi said, lapping at the plate.

"Huh?" Ryker stammered, breaking out of his reverie.

"Look. Don't go getting paranoid. Just because a corporation is big or really successful, doesn't mean that they are compelled to use the Overworld. Companies like Google, Apple or Toyota don't use it."

"Really? Why not?"

Takoshi shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe because they don't need it. You're sending people out to war by using the Overworld. People can _die_in there. If it isn't Zombies, other Corpsmen or Independents like us, it's some other IP that wants the Doser and could kill the Host. Why would you send people, who are the greatest commodity they have, to a war zone if they know that they have a slice of the market anyway?"

That made sense. With such high profile companies, the death of its employees - especially if it was en masse - would be highly publicised. They could lose much more if they used the Overworld. His breathing started to even out, surprising him since he hadn't even noticed he had begun to hyperventilate.

"I think I feel a little better about taking you clothes shopping now," he admitted.

"Really? I can't just keep wearing this? It's kind of snug." Takoshi was teasing him again.

"You can't wear it every day. You'll stink. Now come on. We're going shopping."

******

Avoiding malls was the key to not being targeted by Corpsmen. While they were invisible to Corpsmen and other IPs while in the Realworld, there was nothing stopping a Corpsman from stalking them in the Overworld until they entered the parallel dimension again. That would be a colossal waste of time for anyone but as Takoshi explained, it was a surefire way to catch an Independent off guard. With that in mind, they headed to a thrift store not only because they were less likely to attract a Corpsman but also because it was within Ryker's budget.

"So explain to me Functions," Ryker said as he sat outside the sole changing room while Takoshi tried on a few outfits.

"Every Independent gets a unique Function assigned to them," rumbled Takoshi from beyond the door. "No one really knows what determines how that Function is decided but no one has ever had the same Function assigned to them. Well, except Corpsmen but they're not Independents like you."

"Oliver said that he planned to 'steal' my Function."

Takoshi's head poked out from above the wooden door. "Who?"

"The tabby," sighed Ryker in exasperation. "The guy we met last night." He glanced around, ears swivelling to make sure no one was listening. The sole person in the store was the clerk, a raccoon with a punk-style going on and she was on the other end of the store absently playing with her phone. "The one that nearly killed us?"

"Oh right. Him." Takoshi dropped back behind the door as he kept getting dressed. "Yeah, people can steal your Function. Only if you die, though."

"He was going to actually kill me? For a Function?"

"Hey, Functions are powerful things. Corporations basically started as Independents with powerful Functions. Most Corporations these days now have the basic Functions like Copy, Paste, Pause, Loop. That shit. The basic stuff they need to spread Dosers and increase their influence."

"And I guess that if I were killed, Break would get into their repertoire as well..."

"Pretty much. That's why Corpsmen are always on the hunt for Independents. Sometimes they get really rewarded if they bring in a new Function to their corporation or they might even start their own if it's a particularly powerful Function." The door sprang open and Takoshi emerged.

He was wearing a very tight white, short-sleeved shirt emblazoned with a rough street-art-like emblem that Ryker _thought_said something like 'Unchained'. Over the shirt he wore a sleeveless, olive green down jacket with a fluffed up collar that would permanently remained vertical. A pair of well-suited, tan cargo pants wrapped around his legs, leaving him more room to manoeuvre. The borrowed sandals were now a pair of big boots better suited for walking long distances. None of these clothes, however, did anything to hide the huge samurai bear's muscles which still pressed up hard against the fabric. It was especially evident on his torso. There was barely any difference between his fur and the white shirt meaning that it almost looked like he was still walking around with a bare chest.

"What do you think, boy?" Takoshi asked.

Ryker couldn't help stare at Takoshi's chest, his paws lifted slightly with the expectation that the garment would soon tear off and slap him in the face with sweat-covered cloth. "You look good."

"Great. I'll grab more. Here, hold this."

The bear handed him the clothes he had borrowed and wandered off to the rest of the store, plucking more clothes that better suited him. Ryker, curious, leaned down and sniffed the clothing. He grimaced at the smell of the bear hit his nostrils. It was a strong mix of body odour, blood and the heady musk of a man who could spray his seed into his fur and no one would notice because of its colouration. It wasn't too offensive but just very strong. Then he noticed that there was one piece of clothing missing.

"Huh..."

"What?" Takoshi asked, returning with an armful of clothing. "Did I stretch it out? Because you're really pretty small compared to me."

"No. I'm just missing my shorts."

Takoshi gave him a sour look. "If you _really_want them back, you'll have to buy me some underwear because I don't think they sell that shit here."

He wasn't sure if he'd buy thrift store underwear either. "Point taken." He rose and nodded at Takoshi. "Got everything."

"Enough to last a week. That's enough, right? A week, wash it, then use them again?"

"I suppose." He gave Takoshi a faint smile. "Guess you're not one of those IPs that can somehow survive wearing the same clothing throughout their entire lives, huh?"

His ursine partner rolled his blue eyes. "I ain't no videogame character, kid. Came from a movie, remember?"

Thinking of videogame characters made another knot form in Ryker's chest. He took the clothes from Takoshi and hurried towards the counter. He paid, placed the garments in a bag, and then hurried out the store.

"Hey!" Takoshi hollered, almost crashing through the store's door. "What's that about?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ryker huffed softly as he started heading down the street.

"You just clammed up suddenly. What's bothering you?" Takoshi gave him a sly grin. "Are you falling for me? Did my muscles seduce you?"

Ryker gave him a piercing stare and deflated the flexed muscles the bear was showing him. "No. If you must know, mentioning videogames just hits a sour spot for me."

"Oh..." The big, white bear lowered his arms. "Alright then." He wrapped an arm around Ryker's shoulder and began steering him to the east. "Come on."

"What? Where are we going?"

"Just some place I like to go for some privacy."

He was surprised when Takoshi led him all the way back to campus, particularly the southern quadrangle. At this time of day, on a Saturday no-less, the college was mostly abandoned. Everyone was either in their dorms or out and about. With the sun already starting to set, the buildings of New York City cast long shadows of the green grass of the quad. A chilling wind was in the air causing the leaves of the sole oak tree to ruffle to its mournful tune. Takoshi led him to that very same oak tree and sat down, crossing his legs. His arms crossed behind his head and armpits emitting his unique odour, Takoshi looked straight at Ryker and said, "Okay, boy. What's bothering you."

Ryker pursed his lips. "First of all, stop calling me 'boy'. My name is 'Ryker'."

"And secondly?"

"There is no secondly."

"You can't have a firstly without a secondly," answered Takoshi. "Come on. I know somethings bothering you. Just say it."

Ryker, aggravated, tossed the bag he was carrying at Takoshi's feet. "Fine. Videogames piss me off."

"What? You're one of those guys that thinks that videogames rot the brain or something?"

"No."

"The kind of guy that thinks games these days are shit and the ones from a bygone era are way better?"

"No!"

Takoshi lifted his eyebrows and let out a knowing sigh. "Ah. You're the kind that thinks the game industry has become way too 'corporate' with all their microtransactions, esports and bullshit like that."

"No!" Ryker frowned. "And how do you even know about that? I thought you were a betrayed Ronin from pre-industrial Japan?"

"That's my origin but I've been a freelance IP for about thirty years now. Drell abandoned me that long ago. I've been around long enough to know how to survive." He clapped his huge paws on his knees. "Look. We're never going to make a good team if you don't tell me what's bother you. Corpsmen with shitty Dosers are going to hit us hard if we don't get on know each other. You've already asked me how I was made. So now it's your turn, b -" Takoshi stopped himself just as Ryker's hackles began to rise. "Ryker. I'm asking you what's got you so fucking jaded against videogames so it's only fair you tell me."

With a sigh, Ryker crossed his arms defiantly even as his muzzle worked against his will. "Fine. I don't actually _hate_videogames, okay? I'm an information technology major and I'm actually doing my Masters on artificial intelligence. I was in the middle of making my own videogame when..." He choked a little, wondering why he was spilling his grievance to a near-complete stranger.

"Oh," Takoshi mumbled. "A corporation stole your idea?"

"They not only stole it," he exploded. "They had the balls to send me a cease and desist order because they were claiming that I stole the idea from them!_I mean, _sure there's no way to absolutely prove that they didn't start working on the same concept as me before I posted by stuff online but still!"

Takoshi just sat beneath the oak and listened. Ryker couldn't stop his fury and frustration from pouring out of him.

"Cliff, my roommate, told me that it probably wasn't even about suing me for the intellectual rights. They were just trying to cover their bases and making sure that my game doesn't hit the shelves before theirs do! They know they have all the power, all the leverage and all the money. A poor college student would_never_ be able to fight them!" He threw his paws into the air, shouting into the dimming sunlight in frustration. "It's so obvious that they stole my idea. And now that you're telling me this stuff about the Overworld, I can't help but wonder if they've got Corpsmen running around manipulating people just so that they're siding with those_assholes and not me!" His paws came slamming back down over his eyes, it hurt a little but no more than the hurt in his soul. "It just makes me _so mad that they could've done that!"

Still, Takoshi had nothing to contribute.

"I used to have faith in furkind, you know? I mean, so many people were willing to back me for my idea! But then _this_happened! What kind of slimy fur would do that to another one!" He let his arms drop and he stared helplessly into the sky, tears melding into his grey fur. "But what the hell can I do against that kind of power? Sure I have access to the Overworld now but what does that even mean?"

"It means you can hunt down the corporation that did this and crush them."

He stared at Takoshi in surprise. The bear was giving him a severe stare. "What?"

"Another reason why corporations fear Independents is not only because they are immune to their techniques but also because Independents are inherently stronger than any Host with a Doser. Corporations spend time and money training up their Corpsmen but their key strength comes from their numbers. One Independent is stronger than a thousand Corpsmen. Corporations and their investors hate the unknown and Independents like you have Functions and IPs that are unknown to them. You're a wild card."

"Okay... But what did you mean about 'crushing' them?" he asked warily.

"Just what I meant," Takoshi said, rising to his feet. "It happens all the time. Independents go in to the Overworld, sabotage a corporation's Overworld operations and let the public form their own opinions of their products. That's generally how scandals start. Better, Independents can go places normal people can't. You know how formulae get leaked? Early footage? Things like that?"

"Because of Independents?"

"Exactly. Guys like us sneak into corporations, find information and spread it out there. If you really want to get back at the corporations, you could assassinate their leaders."

Ryker jerked back in surprise, taking a step away from Takoshi. "I could never do that!"

"Yeah it hasn't happened in a long time either," confessed the bear. "At least not the real assassination. But I've heard of Independents bringing down corporations by finding the heads of their company and hitting them in the Overworld."

"Won't that hurt them in the real world? If you die in one world, won't you die in the other?"

The bear gave him a sly smile. "The Host, yes. But if you kill that Host's IP, it's like your destroying the part of that Host that inspired them, that drove them to such great lengths to be corrupt and evil that they're going into the Overworld and manipulating people's minds."

Ryker lifted a finger, trying to process all this information. "Wait... are you saying that if I kill a Host's IP..."

"You'll cause a sort of psychic backlash. What that'll do is up to the person. Remember, an IP is an idea given shape. It could be that the CEO of a corporation built their entire monopoly from that one idea or maybe that idea has evolved over time. But everything that they've ever done is built entirely around that idea. It's like the mascot of their corporation. If you destroy it, all the time, effort, blood, sweat, tears and maybe even part of their soul that was poured into that IP goes just like that..." He snapped his fingers. Then he turned that finger right towards Ryker. "You know how that feels, don't you?"

He did. It was still all too painful. All that work in the past four years had just been destroyed by some heartless corporation. It had driven him into a pit of depression that he almost couldn't pull himself out of were it not for Cliff and Takoshi. Given a few more days, he might have taken Cliff's advice and 'made something different' or just turned in another direction for his future.

"I hate the assholes who did this to me," muttered Ryker. "But I don't think I could do that to other people..."

"Not even the same people who are willingly manipulating people's minds for profit?" Takoshi growled. "I told you before that not every corporation does this but those that do are the worst of the worst. They deserve to be punished, Ryker!"

He saw where this fury and passion was coming from. Those very same corporations had caused Takoshi's creator to abandon him. For thirty long years, the poor IP had been wandering alone in the grey void of the Overworld, having to feast on Dosers and learn how to survive without a Host to accompany him. Maybe he met other IPs or maybe he had always travelled alone. There were clearly more scars than the one the enormous bear wore on his chest.

"Who are we to play judge, jury and executioner?" Ryker asked mournfully. "These people could have families. What if we kill a CEO's IP? What if the entire corporation collapses because that? There thousands_of employees relying on that corporation for a living. Most of them probably don't even have anything to _do with the Overworld. Can we just take a hammer and hit them all for the sins of the one guy at the top?"

"They're all fucking culpable!" Takoshi roared. "Everything they do contributes to the bastard at the top! Whether they know it or not, they're giving him more power to make more Dosers, to train more Corpsmen and to spread his influence further! I'm even willing to wager he's even used his own Corpsmen on his employees!"

From what Oliver had said, the Corpsmen had no qualms with using their powers to coerce others. He could just imagine groups of Corpsmen offering 'free samples' of beers on a Friday evening or even a Christmas party only to spread their influence all the more, perhaps building brand loyalty so that the unwitting employees spread the influence of the brand further. They were like carriers of a disease. Not showing symptoms but spreading it.

"We'd be hurting thousands just for a petty act of revenge..."

"Petty?" Takoshi repeated incredulously. "Petty?" He slammed a paw against his chest. "Do you know what those assholes _do_to IPs that are unbound?" The bear held out his paw. "Give me your phone. We're going to the Overworld."

Though he was hesitant to put himself in danger once more, Ryker held up his phone, his thumb hovering over the blue application icon. Heart heavy with this responsibility, he pressed it. That same rushing feeling like he was falling through the air as the world was hit by that 'negative field' that inverted all colours around them. Takoshi remained alongside him and the big bear roughly grabbed his arm before dragging him through the streets of New York City.

"This city is the city where dreams come true, right?" growled the bear. "Why do you think there aren't that many IPs or Hosts running around?"

Ryker shrugged helplessly. "Because they don't have access to the Overworld?"

"Drell didn't have access to it either but he still made me. Even if you don't have access to it, you're going to make an IP with every idea you come up with that you pour your heart and soul into. IPs will hang around you and draw energy from you the more you think about them." He paused for a moment and pointed to where a little girl was strolling down a street. There was a bizarre pink and yellow polka-dotted bird hovering behind her with a green, spinning umbrella sticking out of the creature's back. "Imaginary friends are a prime example of them."

Realising what would eventually happen to imaginary friends as their Host grew up, Ryker could only say, "Oh..."

"Yeah. They eventually get abandoned. Either Zombies eat them or..." Takoshi turned him to face another street. There was an _enormous_building shining brighter than anything in the greyscape around it. It was also bizarrely designed. It appeared to be in the shape of a bull. "... corporations get them."

"What is that...?" Ryker gasped.

"A corporate headquarters with access to the Overworld. Come on."

He followed in silence with Takoshi's angry pace. But as they approached the building, he quickly came to realise exactly what Takoshi was furious about. Three blocks away from the strange structure that was covered in brown fur, a huge line of what could only be IPs streamed out of the building's entrance. All the IPs looked downtrodden, malnourished and some were hunched over on their knees. Pity instantly erupted in his chest as his eyes followed the line of IPs all the way to the entrance of the structure. Normal-looking furs in suits were strolling up and down the line. Shadowy Dosers hovered over their shoulders.

Takoshi immediately took him into an alleyway where they could not be seen by the patrolling Corpsmen.

"What is that...?" he whispered, knowing full well that his voice could be heard by the Corpsmen.

"This is what happens to IPs that get abandoned," Takoshi growled. "Seeing no other alternative, they give the fuck up and join the queue." He jerked his head towards the building. "In there, they get processed by the corporation's goons. Who knows? They might get lucky and the corporate bigwigs might decide that what they represent, the idea that they came from, is worth developing and they might get bonded with someone. Might become the next big thing in their select market."

Almost afraid to ask, Ryker said, "And if they don't...?"

"Then they get cut down, get their personalities drained and turned into Dosers to be mass produced for the Corpsmen."

"That's terrible!" Realising he had said that much to loud, Ryker ducked his head, folding his ears back. "Why would they take the risk?" he whispered.

"Because they don't have any other choice," snarled Takoshi. "Most of them are innocent little bastards and bitches who were never meant to fight. They can't just go up to their creators and tell them that they need help. For these poor souls, they'd rather take the chance of inspiring someone and going from dying embers back into an inferno than to die out here alone. Even if they don't get chosen, they'll at least live in some form as a Doser."

Ryker dropped his gaze. His thumb hovered over one of the squares on the console for the application, ready to Exit.

"Don't think about trying to get them to become your IP either," growled Takoshi. "Remember, just to maintain my form, I'm basically draining half of your strength. Having more than one IP could and _will_kill you."

"I understand."

He hit the 'Exit' Function and they were once more in the middle of New York City, the roar of the busy cars and citizenry hitting his ears.

"Now do you see?" Takoshi asked. "This is not just some petty revenge act. We're avenging all those IPs that got turned into mindless drones and made to fight because of corporate greed."

"What would happen to those that are unattached if the corporations are gone, though?" he asked softly. "You think it's better for them to just wither and die or hope that someone will stumble into the Overworld like me and pick them up?"

"I don't know!" roared the bear. "It's better than giving up! There has to be a way." He pointed an accusing finger at Ryker. "What happened to not letting anyone's efforts getting abused and turned into brainless zombies because of corporate greed? Huh?"

"Well what's worse?" he demanded. "Having an admittedly flawed system or taking away that system and letting all those IPs just go at each other in an effort to survive? You'd be turning them all into cannibals! You know that right?"

"You don't know that!"

"No I don't!" He was vaguely aware that people who were passing by gave them a brief stare before running off. It must seem odd that a wolf and a hyper-masculine bear were shouting at one another in an alleyway. "And I don't know what the alternative is! We can't just do what you suggest without having a way to replace what's broken!"

"Then maybe you make an announcement and expose the Overworld?" snapped Takoshi. "Become the ambassador to both worlds? Where the fuck is your ambition?" He lifted a finger. "Oh wait, that's right, it died when that company stole your videogame. Have you even thought about making some videogame where you make profiles for these guys and then give them off to people! Copy the Independent app, get people to download it and then suddenly they have a companion for life! I don't know!"

Ryker's eyes widened. "Wait... That's not a bad idea."

Takoshi frowned at him, his anger ebbing. "I was kidding. In all the years that app has been around, no one has figured out how it works or how it even ends up on people's phones."

His mind was buzzing with a million thoughts. "But you're right. We can't just give up. I didn't want to either but I was looking for an answer. Something so we can help all those IPs without leaving them high and dry." He spun to face Takoshi. "IPs basically sustain themselves on ideas and inspiration from their Hosts. We don't have to get to the point where they manifest in real life but if we can just make people aware of them just like how kids have their imaginary friends, it'd be enough to keep them around without going to the corporations, right?"

The bear leaned back, confused. "Uh... I suppose. So you're thinking...?"

"Corporations are able to sustain an actual material headquarters in the Overworld. I'm sure they must have some form of network that links to their Realworld counterpart or else you'd literally have to get someone to keep dropping from one side to the other just to get messages across. So if we can copy that and make it so that IPs can come in, chat with real people, you'd be forging that connection!" He grinned brightly, slamming a paw into his fist. "I've got it!"

"Uh... Lost me here."

"It's like a dating app!" He shook his head and paws through the air. "Okay, okay. Sorry. I tend to skip ahead when I'm really inspired. Come on, let's go back to my room. I know exactly where to start!"

******

Ryker never thought he'd be staying up late again, hunched over his monitor and tapping away at his keys like he was possessed. Ever since that cease and desist order his computer had served as a constant reminder of the injustice he had been through. And yet here was, already coding what he had dubbed 'Crossover'.

Creating a chatroom had been one of the first assignments he had aced back when he was still an undergraduate. It brought back memories of trying to figure out what 'packets' were and how IP addresses worked. Now, it was so easy for him. The skeleton program and concept was simple enough. Two people would meet based on certain criteria and they would chat. Even if it didn't work out, there would be a 'recommend' function that would allow the potential Hosts to recommend the IP to someone else.

Of course, the Host would not know the nature of the conversation. He would have to create some sort of filter that would ensure that fact would remain locked away until a significant bond had been formed between the two. Though he hoped that even if the IP and the Host could not form that bond, remaining friends would at least give the IP some time without having to resort to throwing themselves at a corporation.

He'd have to think of a way to make sure corporations didn't use his system to lure in potential Independents as well.

And to keep IPs from being too overzealous and needy.

And to keep Zombie IPs out.

What if there were purposefully evil IPs too...? How would he deal with those? Would he be arming potential serial killers if he gave them the power of an Independent?

The young wolf stopped tapping away, crossing his arms and looking at his code.

"Will this work..." he whispered to himself.

"Thank God..." groaned Takoshi. "Are you finally fucking done?"

He glanced over his shoulder where the polar bear was lying on his bed, bathed in the soft glow of the computer screen and mostly naked save for the red shorts he wore. Sometime during the night, he had kicked off the sheets.

"I thought you were asleep," Ryker commented.

"With your fucking mechanical keyboard going off like a fucking jackhammer all the time?" groaned his guardian. "I know you're into this idea, but you've got to get some rest, boy. It's one in the fucking morning."

"I can't sleep," he answered, turning back to the screen. "I'm excited about this and if I stop, I might just lose my momentum. Just do whatever you can to go to sleep. I'll try to be quiet."

"Fine."

He turned back towards his screen, scanning the code and puzzling over concepts such as privacy and security. There was the problem that since this would be an 'online' service, most people would create personas or lie about themselves. Would that just create another IP that could potentially get lost in the ether? How many IPs were there anyway? If one person could take one IP, at most - and this was being very generous - that would mean about seven billion IPs could be saved. That was including little children and the elderly. Would they even be able to host an IP?

Maybe he needed to learn more before he went about creating a dating app for IPs and Hosts.

He did have a source right behind him, after all. It was best to ask before Takoshi went to sleep.

"Hey Tako -" he began, turning around. Then he jerked back in his swivel chair. "Holy - What the fuck dude!?"

Takoshi glared at him, red shorts pulled partially down to expose his very erect pink member clutched in his paws. "What? You said to do what I could to get to sleep."

"I didn't mean pull down my shorts and... and..."

"Whack one off?" Takoshi said bluntly. "Look, this is partnership. So either you stop being obsessed over your little program or you come over here and help me with this."

Ryker pursed his lips. "It's not just a 'little program'. It could be the key to saving all the IPs in the world."

"Uh-huh. I bet you thought the game you were developing would also be 'the key' to revolutionising the videogame industry, didn't you?"

"It was! I had fleshed out characters! A system that would make every play through different! It was going to open a new genre of videogame! I was going to called it 'Deep Role Playing Game.'"

"So... D_RPG?" Takoshi glanced slyly towards his exposed cock, making Ryker blush and turn away in a huff. "You were just going to add _the D in there? Going to make the D the first thing you see? Was the D -"

"Enough!" snapped Ryker. "I get the point." He folded his ears back. "How long will it take you to finish?"

"Little longer now that you interrupted me."

The wolf groaned and got up from his chair. Paws clenched into fists, he padded over to Takoshi, standing awkwardly beside the bear. Even on a king-sized bed, the ursine samurai took up almost all of the frame.

"Finally come to bed, eh boy?" chuckled the bear. "Your computer go into sleep mode after a few minutes? Because that light is kind of distracting."

"No," he muttered, muzzle dry.

"Then why are you -"

Ryker took a deep breath and leaned down towards the slightly flaccid member in front of him. Even only semi-hard, Takoshi's 'equipment' was enormous. He wasn't even completely hard and had to be at least nine inches at that point, the shaft was also nearly as thick as a beer can with a thick vein running down its side. As was teased by that treasure trail, Takoshi had a full, thick bush of black pubic hair that carried his sweat, musk and his unique scent. With his sensitive nose, Ryker could detect the twinges of a faint floral essence, a little like shea and a distinct nuttiness, hazelnut. Mixed with the heat and masculinity that radiated from huge orange-sized balls hanging beneath the member, the aroma spoke of a man who was tough and dripping with testosterone but also had a gentler side. The scent pulled at him while the heat of the gently throbbing, pink dick in front of him drew him in with its gravitational force.

"W - Whoa there, Ryker," stammered Takoshi. "I - I was only kidding! You don't need to -"

He seized the cock in one paw, making the bear gasp in surprise. "Just shut up. I'm only doing this so I can get back to work and you can get some sleep."

"I -" Takoshi's next words came out as a choking gasp as Ryker's tongue snaked out between his muzzle and touched the base of his throbbing member. The saltiness was expected but it was the warmth that really caught Ryker by surprise. The twin sensations the overpowering scent and salty taste reminded him of the ocean during a warm summer's day. With great care, he slowly dragged his tongue up Takoshi's length, eyes shut and trying to forget that every lump he felt on his taste buds was another vein that was slowly pumping more and more blood into the ever-lengthening member.

After six inches of dick, he had to pause to wet his tongue again as it had gone dry. After another six, he was greeted by the oozing precum of the bear so he was able to trek the last two inches to the source without dragging a dry tongue along the sensitive length. His lips parted, every instinct in his body telling him to put that huge log of meat into his muzzle. But he pulled back and, cupping one side of Takoshi's meat in his paw, went back down to the base and began another lap. The bear's dark hairs tickled his nostrils, carrying the distinct scent through his muzzle. His imagination shaped those strands like that dark worm that Summer had injected into that one lady's mind; slithering up his nose, travelling through his nasal cavities before settling into his brain, corrupting it with images of sucking dicks, swallowing hot man milk and being speared by men from both sides, maybe even managing to fit two in his rear at the same time. His cheeks turned bright red even as he closed his eyes and tried to force the pervasive thoughts from taking hold.

Still, he continued his job and gently traced the river of veins running from the base of Takoshi's member all the way back up to the tip. Again, he had to pause about halfway as his tongue went dry. A quick shift of angle and he lapped at the right side of the member. A low moan rose from the samurai, bringing him to open his eyes just a little bit. Takoshi was staring straight up at the ceiling, not even looking down at him. His entire body was tense, sweat already oozing past his fur and drenching his hardened body. The bear's claws had dug into the sheets, bringing some sense into Ryker as he realised he'd probably have to replace those.

This was for the abandoned IPs, he reminded himself. The soon her got Takoshi off, the sooner he could get back to work and the sooner his program would be finished.

His irritation grew when he, once again, had to pause because his IP's dick was just so long that he ran out of saliva halfway up. So instead, he leaned closer towards the member, opening his muzzle ever so slightly so that he kissed the dick.

Takoshi moaned. "Oh! Oh god..."

Ignoring his partner's noises, Ryker continued, gently sliding his tongue out in small bursts from his lips which cupped the massive, throbbing tool that had now reached its full length of fourteen inches. Whatever George Drell had modelled Takoshi after was clearly far from realistic. Or maybe the renowned director was compensating for something. Distracted by those thoughts, Ryker reached the tip of Takoshi's dick once more and, since he hadn't change his position, found his lips wrapping around the bulbous glands. Some part of Takoshi actually entered him and for a second, he jerked back in surprise as hot precum shot down his throat.

"Wh - What?" Takoshi asked.

He averted his gaze, cheeks burning. "Th - This is stupid. Y - You can finish yourself off, right?"

"I guess... But... I kind of want you to keep going."

He glanced at the bear, those icy blue eyes returning the stare earnestly. "I don't care what Tess says. I'm not gay."

The polar bear slowly rose, his paw reaching out and gently cupping the back of Ryker's head. "Let's not put a label on this. Did it feel good?"

"Are you kidding me?" he spat back. "Your dick is so long that my tongue gets dry halfway up. Your pubes are so thick that it keeps tickling my nose, making me want to sneeze. And you stink!"

"Didn't answer my question. Did it feel good?"

Ryker's throat went dry. In the faintest of whispers, he said, "Yes."

"Then why stop?"

"You just want me to suck your dick." Even with those words, he shot a glance at the very rigid, very hot cock bobbing just a few inches from his chest.

"Yeah and you want to suck it. Right, Ryker?"

He shut his eyes and pressed a paw against Takoshi's broad chest. He shoved the bear back into the bed, momentarily stunning his ursine guardian and himself because of just how hard those muscles were. Then he turned back towards the member. Without even having to see it, he found his muzzle gravitating towards the cock. His lips parted fully and he gently took the entire head of the member into himself. Takoshi moaned, bucking his hips slightly. Ryker could tell the bear was holding back from a full thrust and appreciated that he wasn't about to choke on a samurai's dick. A jet of precum shot into his muzzle, dripping down his throat and filling him with a warmth that radiated outward from the moment it reached his belly.

Surrendering to the situation, Ryker slipped his tongue out from between his lips and Takoshi's dick, sending a river of drool down the member while his tongue gently lapped at the cock before him. He dared to suckle at the cock, bringing yet another jet of precum shooting down his throat. In the process, the member twitched a little and brushed up against the roof of his mouth and his fangs. Takoshi gasped. That had to be fixed. So he took hold of the base of the dick, keeping it in place while he continued to apply a little bit of suction. Another jet of precum poured down his throat, this one more voluminous than the last. The sound of tearing fabric told him that Takoshi's claws were raking through the sheets. He tried not to let that distract him as he dared to slip another inch into his muzzle, the warmth of those glands throbbing in his muzzle like he was feeling Takoshi's heartbeat in his jaws. More precum came pouring out and, on instinct, he squeezed a little tighter around the base with his paw. Takoshi hissed softly and a second jet of precum followed the first. Clearly, he liked that.

His innate curiosity triggered, Ryker slipped another inch into his muzzle and as he did so, he squeezed down on the member like he did. This time, Takoshi did buck, harder than before, and it forced another two inches in. That was a full five inches that he was unprepared for so he gagged and instinctively pulled away. The sensation of having that warm rod slide out of his muzzle was strangely... erotic. A shiver ran down his spine like he was hit with a bout of emptiness that needed to be filled desperately. A little bit of spluttering later, he dove back towards the member with fierce determination, sliding down the full five inches again before slowly backing off, lips wrapped around the member and using the force of his retreat to draw more essence from the convulsing bear.

"Oh shit... You sure you've never done this before?" moaned the bear.

Ryker mumbled a soft response before diving back down, making it to five and a half inches before his gag reflex threatened to betray him. That was about as far as he could go but he was determined to feel_every inch of that dick at some point or another. A plan formed in his mind and he had seen enough pornos to know what to do. As he dove down against, he pulled his paw from the base of Takoshi's member up the length. He could _feel the molten precum rising from the bear's balls, following the clamp of his claws before it reached the ring of his lips where his muzzle's suction took it from there. The flood of precum was thicker than before with that salty taste even stronger.

There was no denying that some pheromones or something about the IP was affecting him because he could feel his own dick rising to attention. Maybe there was some psychic link between him and Takoshi and as the bear grew aroused so did he. That was a likely explanation... even though deep down, he knew he was just enjoying this on a primal level. The warmth that the bear was giving him, the embrace of the those huge thighs cradling his waist as he was pulled closer and closer to the muscular man... It made him feel safe, warm and appreciated.

He dared to dive a little deeper, taking a full six inches.

Then Takoshi's paw seized the back of his head. Stunned, he was subject to the bear's lust as Takoshi thrust into his muzzle while holding his head in place. Eight inches dove down his muzzle, brushing against the back of his throat and making him gag. His partner moaned. Some part of him felt good for eliciting such a primal response so he suppressed instincts and bobbed his head back in tandem with Takoshi's retreat. When the bear bucked, he too pushed his own head down, swallowing a good nine inches. His eyelids fluttered when that hot, increasingly thickening precum poured down his throat.

Something inside told him that he had to get _every_inch in him.

And he was going to try.

Takoshi's thrusts grew in ferocity and Ryker's determination built alongside it. Nine inches grew to nine and a quarter. Then nine and a half. With one powerful thrust, he took a full ten, panting with exertion while clutching Takoshi's enormous, tense thighs for support. His fingers curled around the bear's quads, sliding past the bright red shorts that he had loaned the bear and were now serving as underwear for the samurai. He found purchase against Takoshi's firm, steel-like glutes and even used that leverage to add what little strength he had to each of the bear's thrusts.

It was only when those ten inches rammed down his throat for what felt like the twentieth time that he realised his eyes were open and he watching that rod disappear over and over again into his muzzle with increasing ferocity. The precum pouring down his throat was getting hotter and thicker. He wanted more. He wanted the main course. Slowly, his eyes drifted up towards the owner of that monstrous member, four inches of which were still woefully exposed to the elements. Takoshi was looking back down, his eyebrows arched and his features contorted in an expression of a man about to reach his limit.

"Tako..." Ryker mumbled. "I... You..."

"Oh fuck..." moaned the bear.

"W - Wait... Don't -"

Takoshi grit his fangs together. "M - Make it quick! I'm gonna blow!"

Ryker pulled his muzzle back for a second. He pursed his lips for a second then shook his head. "Forget it. Give me your load." He opened his muzzle, gobbled up as much of Takoshi's dick as he could and clamped down without using his fangs. Takoshi's balls slammed hard into the base of the bear's dick, unleashing the floor and breaking down the floodgates. Holding on for dear life, Ryker braced himself as the hot seed rushed past his fingers, pumped through the canals of the hulking samurai's dick and went blasting out between those glands. Takoshi's paws clamped down on his head, pinning him there even if there was no need. Like a volcano erupting, molten seed exploded from Takoshi's cock, hit the roof of Ryker's mouth before pouring straight down the tensed wolf's throat.

Ryker was ready for the first blast, immediately swallowing it but the second came too soon and too fast that he spluttered and some of the cum came bursting out between his lips, dripping down his chin and hitting Takoshi's balls. That didn't stop the massive bear who just shot a third load that Ryker also gagged out. Quick on his feet, Ryker quickly braced himself for the fourth blow, catching all the seed in his cheeks before swallowing it immediately. That game him room for the fifth shot and he quickly found a pattern. By the eighth blast, he had worked out a system but at that point, Takoshi's convulsing body had started to calm.

The storm of the bear's orgasm eased and Takoshi collapsed into the bed, panting and dripping with sweat.

Ryker swallowed the last - eleventh - load that had been given to him and slowly, gently pulling his muzzle away from the still-throbbing muzzle. A twang of disappointment hit him when he noticed one list spurt of cum shoot from the tip of the member and land in the white valleys of Takoshi's body. He smiled softly to himself, satisfied and a little proud that he had managed to take most of that length into his muzzle and give head good enough to drive Takoshi into a near comatose state.

Now it was time to get back to work.

Or so he thought until Takoshi's big paw, still nestled on the back of his head, pull him down, pressing him against the bottom half of the bear's iron-hard abdominals.

"Tako, I - "

He was interrupted by a very loud snore.

"Oh..." he mumbled.

Then, as if a sign from the universe, his computer screen went blank, going into sleep mode after being unattended for so long.

Ryker sighed to himself in defeat, momentarily glancing down at his own erection and sighing to himself in defeat.

He clearly wasn't going to get any more work done tonight. Might as well nestle in for the night.

With that in mind, he wrapped his arms as best as he could around Takoshi's legs, nuzzling the soft, albeit sweaty fur covering those hardened abdominals and closed his eyes.

When Takoshi's other arm reached down and wrapped around his shoulder, he smiled.