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Hey Y'all, this is going to hopefully be my first real continuous story. Still jumping in feeling new to this so if you have any suggestions or find any formatting/grammatical errors please let me know!

The Storm and the Cloud

Chapter One

Brief synopsis: Punk raccoon doing whatever he can/wants while picking up gigs anywhere he can. Bored at a gig for rich country club members on the other side of the city when he meets an interesting dog there who just might make a boring night more exciting...

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The enchanting and soothing melody of Yiruma's "River Flows In You" echoed throughout the ritzy country club ball room. A shiny and exquisite glass chandelier filtered light from the top of the room, illuminating all the furs dancing below it in a gorgeous display of colors.

A lot of folks, especially the wealthier ones, enjoy the calm atmosphere with couples holding each other close and enjoying each other's company. To most people this is an excellent way to end the evening... a tranquil slow dance with loved ones to wrap up the days goings.

Unfortunately for me, this evening is about as boring as watching professional paint drying leagues. My fingers thoughtlessly tap on the keys of the elaborate and shiny gold colored piano while my mind wanders to more exciting activities.

"I could be having the time of my life with my band right now playing loud ass music to a group of people absolutely blasted on a rainbow of drugs!" The punk raccoon complained to his conscious mind while still effortlessly playing the piano. "Instead, I'm playing yet another slow piano session for a group of snobby rich people." A long sigh escaped his breath.

Intrusive thoughts of Raymond climbing on top of the piano and clawing his tuxedo off crawled to the surface of his mind. Preferably with an electric guitar in his paws to start shredding notes.

The image of a ballroom full of "sophisticated" rich people with their mouths hanging open with shock at the sight of Raymond making an ass out of himself made him chuckle under his breath.

If these musical gigs for the rich side of Furtropolis didn't pay so well, Raymond would have already banged some off key notes on the piano and caused some chaos before flipping the crowd of people the bird and walking off. Just for the hell of it and to wash away the wave of boredom crashing over him right now.

"Alas, the punk rocker is stuck playing music for the enemy and blending in with the crowd." The raccoon thought to himself. "Like the old man said though... money talks and bullshit walks." It was this mantra that helped the eccentric raccoon go to stale, dry, and boring ass gatherings like this one to play music.

Despite his protests, Raymond did put in the effort to play great music and make sure he looked the part for his clients. He wore a black and white tuxedo originally tailored to his father and handed down to him, which gratefully fits Raymond just as well. His head fur, which was normally a small and fuzzy black mohawk was slicked back to give a cleaner and well-kept look to the raccoon. With a toned soccer player build and crisp appearance, he felt handsome and dapper with his typical raccoon fur pattern matching his tuxedo well.

Although if his punk bandmates ever saw him like this... not even the gods themselves could stop all the piss they would take out of him. Not that he could blame them, he would absolutely do the same to them if he saw them dressed up like a pompous rich person while playing music antithetical to their style.

"Finally, time to ditch this fuckin' joint." Raymond muttered to himself. The sound of piano music reverberating through the massive and ornate ballroom faded away to be filled with the sound of clapping paws, hands, and anything else that different species may be equipped with.

"And with that we conclude our monthly romance and family dance night exclusive to Wolf Mountain Country Club members! We hope you had a glamorous time, and we'll see you again next month!" The event organizer announced. Again, more applause rung out while couples and families started to coalesce and march out of the ballroom.

The antsy and tuxedo clad raccoon got up from the piano and stayed in a bowing position while holding a top hat out.

"These wealthy sons of bitches better tip me good!" Raymond exclaimed to himself in his thoughts. Sure enough, a number of furs and people walking by dropped money in the top hat.

While he wanted to cuss out the non-tippers, he held his tongue for the sake of professionalism. Some of them did compliment his piano music however, which added something pleasant to the otherwise uneventful evening for Raymond.

Everyone passing by was basically a blur to Raymond who was waiting in anticipation at this point as the rest of the event goers trickled out of the ballroom. His mind was wandering to what he would do for the rest of the night until one fur caught his attention.

"Hey there, I just wanted to say that you play a piano perfectly. Probably one of the best I've ever heard!" A deep baritone voice said with excitement to Raymond.

"Of course, my pleasu-." I was about to give my standard thanks in reply when I shook myself out of my post-evening planning stupor and actually looked at who directed the compliment.

Raymond had to look up into his eyes, since the man talking to him was at least six inches taller than him. The raccoon immediately blushed at the sight of the handsome samoyed looking back at him. He had exquisitely ocean blue eyes which mesmerized the raccoon and a strong, yet soft facial appearance. He had a patch of headfur which was gelled and parted to the side, contributing to an extremely clean look.

The entranced raccoon continued the visual feast by taking in a golden chain with a cross at the end which accentuated his fluffy white fur and black tuxedo nicely. That same white fur puffed out slightly at his neck, like puffy clouds that Raymond wanted to bury his face in. All of this came along with a powerfully built dog who boasted a very strong body and a muscular gut, complimented perfectly by his tuxedo which struggled to hide his muscular arms and pecs.

"Holy fuck, I would let this man throw me onto the nearest bed and do whatever the hell he wants." This, and a flurry of innuendos summed up what Raymond cooked up in that horny raccoon brain of his.

The swarm of naughty images and phrases that crossed Raymond's train of thought eventually stopped once he realized he was holding up the remaining line of people by basically just staring awkwardly at the attractive samoyed.

"I'm so happy you enjoyed my piano playing! The name's Raymond Ringley, look me up sometime!~" I chirped with more life in my voice.

"Sullivan Skye, my pleasure to meet such a talented fur." He replied with that silky deep voice while dropping a generous tip into the hat.

"If this was a cartoon, I would be melting into a fucking puddle right now. Hope to some god above he doesn't see me blushing right now". I thought with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. I bowed for him, and he bowed in return. I definitely spotted a wagging tail attached to a Herculean ass before he filtered out with the rest of the furs.

"If my son enjoyed it, then I certainly enjoyed your music as well. Good job." An even deeper voice than Sullivan's boomed out, and I really had to tilt my head up to get a proper look at the tall samoyed wearing a perfectly tailored tuxedo and expensive looking watch. I could only assume it was Sullivan's father, and I can see where the son got his looks and build from. The guy was a massive wall of fur and muscle! He offered me his large paw in a firm shake with mine, engulfing it completely due to it's size.

"Oh dear! You did such a fantastic job! I really do hope they have you back here again to play music for us!" A feminine voice directed at me, with more enthusiasm than the baritone of the dad's voice.

"Sax here doesn't compliment a lot, so you definitely did fabulously dear!" I would assume this is the mother now. She stood at around my height of five feet six inches, and she was a looker herself while wearing a stunning red dress.

Despite my estimates placing both of them in their forties, she looked a lot younger and refined. I also saw where Sullivan got the enchanting blue eyes from! She shook my paw gracefully and dropped a generous tip into my hat as well.

"I appreciate the praise so much, especially from esteemed furs like yourself. My name is Raymond Ringley, pleasure to have your acquaintance!"

"Of course, dear. I'm going to talk to the event organizer and see if we can get you here more often! The last one we had here had a little too much to drink and tried to swing on the chandelier!" She giggled and waved at me with a paw before wrapping it around her husbands and walking out with everyone else.

"That would be amazing, thank you so much!" I replied back with upbeat energy. While I hate playing boring slow songs the whole time, the money IS good for these events. And if it means I get to see more hunky samoyed... even better.

The rest of the event participants channeled out of the ballroom, giving me a chance to sit down for a minute and drink some water. While I decompressed I spotted the event organizer, a bouncy and energetic female squirrel, approaching me.

"I've got to hand it to you, you did really well. A lot of folks really enjoyed the ambience you provided!" She practically sang with joy telling me this.

"Thank you! And I'm grateful for the opportunity to play my music for everyone here at this wonderful country club." Okay, maybe not at this particular place. But I was happy to make some decent cash. I was also VERY happy to see that absolute specimen of a-

"Would you be open to coming here every month to play music for this event, and possibly other ones? I'll need to check my schedule but I should be able to find you more opportunities to play here." The squirrel asked me with her bushy tail swaying side to side while cutting off any more of my devious thoughts.

Maybe it's a squirrel thing, but it's hard to say no to such a squishy face. It definitely works in favor of her career choice anyways. This is one factor that swayed my answer.

Another factor is getting closer to that dreamy samoyed Sullivan. So with these two factors in mind...

"I would absolutely love to! You should already have my phone number and e-mail, so you can contact me there if anything besides this monthly event comes up." A part of me cringed at playing even more music for pampered rich types, but a gig is a gig.

"Fantastic. We look forward to seeing you here again!" She shook paws with me and scurried off in the other direction.

After scanning the entire ballroom and seeing it was empty besides myself, I breathed out a long sigh and gathered up my belongings before heading out the door.

A pleasant veranda greeted me upon walking outside with ornately embellished railings and comfy looking chairs that overlooked a flowery landscape. The night sky was filled with twinkling stars and a cool breeze to temper the otherwise hot summer air.

The night is beautiful... I pulled out a cigarette, lit it up and leaned on the railing while just taking in the view. The best part is that everyone else is already gone as I see them get into their cars in the parking lot down the hill and drive off.

Or at least, I thought everyone else was gone. The sound of footsteps started to enter my senses while I continued smoking my cigarette. Eventually I heard the approaching footsteps get closer until they stopped, presumably a few feet beside me.

I turned my head to get a quick glance at whoever chose to stand right next to me and I was about to tell them some choice words to give me some space until I saw that soft white fur that caught my eye earlier this evening. There was no mistaking him for anyone else, his alluring presence captivated me instantly.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" The samoyed said in that voice, dipping each word in sweet honey. I really want to hear it more.

"Absolutely, sometimes it's nice to just have a moment and take it all in" I replied while taking another drag of my cigarette and squealing on the inside that I get to see him again. "Mind the smoke?" I asked

The samoyed shook his head, drew a long breath, and let it out. "Definitely got to appreciate the small things like this. Nice to come out to after such a boring time in there." He chuckled with amusement in his voice.

"Oh thank god, at least I'm not the only one!" I exclaimed. "Why was it boring for you though?" The raccoon inquired.

"Well, it's either a bunch of couples slow dancing or families meeting up. Some of those families mainly coming just to not cook dinner or something since we get a buffet." He said. "I love my parents, but they drag me along so they can have a date night and knock out dinner."

"Two birds, one stone kinda situation I suppose?" I said, smiling at him.

"You guessed right!" He laughed and smiled back at me. I've got to watch how long I stare, because those eyes could hypnotize me easily... "Being single definitely doesn't help matters either. Basically, I just sat there and ate food the whole time for the last few months we've been going to this event. It dragged because all the people they brought in to play music either sucked or got dr-."

"Got drunk and tried swinging on the chandelier? A female samoyed told me about that one." I finished for him and we both laughed this time. His laugh is a booming bellow that makes my ears perk, a pleasant sound to hear. It was also pleasant to hear he was single, and my devious raccoon brain started to brew up some naughty thoughts again.

I noticed his fluffy white tail droop for just a second before it started wagging. "That was probably my mom. This time was a lot better! I still had to sit there and eat food since I had nobody to dance with. But your piano playing was amazing! It really helped pass the time!" He complimented me while giving me a solid pat on the back.

I definitely had to hide a blush and my tail started wagging in excitement from the compliment. "Heh, thanks. Glad to hear I could make someone elses night so less... boring." I responded bashfully.

"Where did you learn to play the piano like that, and why were you bored? I can't play an instrument to save my life, but it sounds fun." The samoyed asked curiously.

"Not to stroke my own ego, but I'm kind of a musical savant. That's what my music teachers would tell me, anyways." I replied truthfully. Instruments and music came to me very easily. "I can listen to a lot of songs, compositions, chords... whatever and it just sticks inside my brain." He looked at me inquisitively while I pointed at my head. "Basically, I've taught myself a lot of what I know. It's kind of a curse though. If something doesn't engage me, or it's too simple, then I lose interest and it becomes monotonous. Nothing wrong with the piano pieces I played, it's just hard to keep engaged with it."

"So you're... too good? What you did in there was easy?"

"I guess that's a good way to put it, yeah." I pondered. "Believe it or not, I was mostly thinking about what I was going to do after this instead of the actual music itself. Unless it's challenging, it's almost automatic and mechanical for me to play it."

His handsome face looked at mine, some thought scrunched on his face before he flashed a toothy smile. "You know, with how well you played I can believe it. I'm not a musician, but I could tell your pace was perfect and your accuracy with the notes was too." His tail continued wagging with the occasional brush against my tail or my leg.

"Either he's hitting on me, or he's just a very friendly guy." I thought to myself hoping it was the former but assuming the latter. I'll lay off any overt flirting but I want to have at least a little fun!

"Enough about me for now, you told me why you were bored but dude... how are you single? Assuming makes an ass of you and me but you look like you play sports, come from a good background." I gestured to the country club surrounding us. "And, not to paint everyone from that same background in a bad light. You're not..." I tried to think of a tactful word to describe those people.

"Entitled?" He responded, with his pink tongue sticking out slightly and tail wagging even faster than before. God, that was cute.

"Yeah! That's a good word for it." I replied

"Well, you're definitely right about the sports! I'm the number one tight end for Furtropolis Upper University!" He flexed an arm muscle in that tuxedo and I swear he would have busted that thing right open if he flexed any harder. No lie, that stirred me a little down there as I imagined him pinning me down and laying me out with that adonis of a body. I also gleaned that he's around my age since he's going to college. He smiled as he continued.

"As for my background, you also ASSumed correctly." He winked and stuck his tongue out. "Not a hard assumption though, considering where we're at. This is probably one of, if not the most expensive country clubs in the city and region." I'm still questioning whether this is flirting or if he's just a super friendly samoyed who just so happens to be insanely attractive. I chuckled at his pun while pondering about my quandary and keeping my cool.

"Lastly, I like to think I'm not entitled. Yes, my family has a lot of wealth and I'm grateful for that. But, my parents have always pushed me to do my best and to become a hard worker." He turned his head away and stared off into the starry night.

"Honestly, I find it hard to fit in with a lot of the people I go to college with and the people I know. They're all wealthy, but a lot of them can be entitled too." His tail drooped between his legs. "It's hard to just have fun, let loose, anything like that when you're always expected to act a certain way... and that goes for relationships too. I'm afraid to really engage with a lot of them romantically because you never know if there's an ulterior motive."

While I most certainly don't come from a wealthy background, I could understand that. The poor guy must feel isolated from a lot of those people.

"Since you said I come from a good background, what's yours?" He turned to me and asked. I swear those deep blue eyes could suck my soul out of my body like Luigi sucks ghosts into the vacuum from the video games and figure me out with how intently they stared at me.

"Well, normally I would try and keep appearances but it seems like you've got a good head on your shoulders... Sullivan?"

He nodded his head eagerly, still gazing at me with intent. It's as if he's a house investor appraising a potential prospect. He's been honest with me, so I can at least return the favor.

"To be blunt, I'm pretty poor my guy." I did a quick spin, showing off the tuxedo. "This is my fathers, I'm lucky it even fits me well or I wouldn't be able to do events like these. Simply put, I'd look too impoverished. I can barely afford my apartment, and that's in Lower Furtropolis. I do gigs like this to get some cash."

Basically, Lower Furtropolis is the poor side of the city and one of three sections that comprise the sprawling city. Middle Furtropolis is the middle class, and Upper Furtropolis is where we're at now and contains the upper class and the wealthy. These sections have all sorts of accents, rules, customs, etc.,

The samoyed who previously was looking into my soul with shoulders tightened quickly relaxed his shoulders and gave me another toothy smile. "Not to be a dick, but even with how you're dressed I could tell you aren't from Upper Furtropolis. The way you talk and the fact you're not afraid to smoke right here gave that away to me." He said truthfully and without judgement.

"Well damn, am I really that dead of a give away?" I smiled and winked, turning the Lower accent up to eleven. "And you're not a dick for saying that, as long as I can convince everyone else here that I'm one of them it pays the bills." I shrugged.

"You did just fine covering your background up. I just have to be good at assessing people right away... Raymond right?" He chuckled at my accent while asking more about me.

"Right, but you can just call me Ray. Don't gotta be formal with me dude."

"Alright, Ray. And you can just call me Sully." I nodded in response.

"Anyways, it's a skill I have to use a lot. There's a lot of fakeness in Upper Furtropolis and if you can't pick it up fast, people will use you up here." He stated matter of factually, and I could see his ears droop after saying that.

"Trouble in paradise, huh?" He nodded in response while I crushed the cigarette and set it on the railing for now. "Well, I can see that. A lot of rich people love that Game of Thrones and royal family kind of shit. That would piss me off having to deal with that." I said bluntly because that's definitely not how things go on the Lower side.

The samoyed perked up at this. "Really? Not having the money certainly sucks, but it sounds like people are more honest on that side of the city." He asked curiously.

"It has its ups and downs. People can also be WAY too blunt that way. Sometimes you want somebody to just sugarcoat something for you or put it more nicely instead of tearing your ass a new one." I responded. "And the money thing also sucks a ton."

"I can certainly see that sucking like you said." Sully replied while having an expression of thought written across his face. "This has been a refreshing conversation though, it's nice to talk to somebody more straight up." He said with a grin.

"You too, dude! I tend to think a lot of the Upper furs and people are pompous dickbags, but you're a stand up guy and I respect that." I told him earnestly with my tail swaying contently. This HAS been a really great talk, and I'm really hoping I can get something further out of this. I can settle for a friend, but damn if I could just tap that hot samoyed ass! I would be in cloud nine, or maybe cloud canine since he looks like a big huggable sexy cloud.

When I finished my compliment towards Sully, he stared at me for a few seconds and I stared at him back. While it was only a few seconds, it felt like I stared into those sky blue orbs for a lifetime. Definitely some real hallmark movie energy right there. I began to blush and, unless I was hallucinating, I thought I saw a blush creep up on his face.

Sadly the moment was cut short with a text notification from his phone. We both snapped out of it with him pawing for his phone in his pockets while I turned my head back towards the front of the country club and still blushing furiously.

"Mom just texted me that they're about to head out. I did come with my own car though, and I wanted to see if you were up to anything tonight?" He asked me with his cute tail wagging eagerly. "Nothing to crazy or long though, got classes tomorrow."

"Di-did he just ask me out or is this just a super extremely friendly chill samoyed hunk asking to hang out?" Endless amounts of dreamy possibilities started flicking through Ray's mind like a thousand sparks on the fourth of July. The raccoon decided to play it cool though, and took a deep breath.

"Crazy and long is usually my modus operandi, if you catch my drift!" I winked at Sully and he chuckled with that booming laugh. "But I respect that, give me a second." My devastatingly horny raccoon brain flicked a bunch of ideas across my smooth, wrinkle-less dome until I finally latched onto an idea. "There's a pretty chill nightclub in the Middle section, it has karaoke and performances but it's definitely not crazy. You want to meet there?" I asked him. I knew a lot more places in the Lower section, but those are a lot more seedy and I'm trying to make a good impression.

"Sure! That sounds great right about now. Let me text my parents where we're going and we can meet up there." The samoyed responded excitedly. "Been a while since I got to hang out with anyone and I'm looking forward to it."

I blushed a little before sharing the address with him. We walked towards the parking lot, got into our cars and headed off into the night towards Middle Furtropolis.

"This boring night just turned into a REALLY interesting one." Raymond thought to himself while giggling on the inside like a schoolgirl. The city lights shined brightly as he drove forward.