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Chance's Encounters

Chapter College year(s)

By Roofles

It was a late night out and the two found themselves at the same spot they usually did. The Cougar's Den. A small pub off the main street, down a side alley and behind a couple of dumpsters. The pup was originally owned by an Irish family of Irish Terrier's. They sold the place when the recession hit and it was taken over by an older Cougar. Though the name was changed and a stage was built into the corner wall everything about the place was the same pup as before.

It was by chance that Chance stumbled onto the place looking for work. Always being a cat of all trades the feline asked for a job right there and then as the previous bartender was thrown, literally, out the door for stealing drinks.

"Have you ever bartended in your life?" The cougar asked eyeing him up and down. The much larger wild cat never had a fancy for his domesticated cousins. Never trusted 'em. They were a little too tame; up to somethin' he'd always proclaim.

"Sure." Was Chance's reply. And from there he listed things a bartender would most likely do that he had done except without ever directly saying he had experience in the field.

Seeing as how the day was young the Cougar reluctantly agreed and never regretted it; though he always kept an eye on the cat. Just in case he WAS up to something.

Chance enjoyed the job though it was grueling with having another job earlier in the day. Physically exhausted he'd go home, shower, get dress and have enough time to drink another three cups of coffee before going here to start his night shift. More of an afternoon to night but though Chance had tried to explain this to the older Cougar, Johnny wasn't about to hear none of his "young 'n riff raff, smack talk."

Chance wasn't an idiot and didn't argue. Not cocking or arrogant enough to argue any further on the matter and dismissing and forgetting it the next second; never being one to hold such petty things. To each their own Chance liked to think. To each their own.

Jasper on the other hand was the opposite. A bit close minded, pig headed, stubborner than any mule Chance had ever met kind of guy. The dog was a man who thought that things had to be black or white, up and down, left to right. Always up for an argument and not about to bow down to nobody when they were wrong and he was right.

So of course Chance was the bread winner of the two.

He didn't mind most nights. His natural charismatic nature allowed him to get plenty of tips, more than enough for rent by the end of the month and enough to keep things civil in the house hold. Money was always an issue it seemed no matter where one went. Such was life though and Chance wasn't going to bitch and moan about however. A good honest day's work for rent, food and minor necessities. At the end of the day he knew he had at least earned his keep.

The dog across the counter from him on the other hand...

The cat just smiled and nodded as Jasper would go on one of his tantrums. Chance wasn't sure why he did seeing as how the cat got the dog free drinks. Playing a gig here every other night helped the older cougar to look the other way. The fact that the "pretty boy" brought in the girls which brought in the guys was also a good enough reason.

Chance just went along with it. He wasn't no pretty boy. He wasn't like that beaver kid on TV or someone that could ever possibly be in a magazine. He was just an average guy. Chance worked out, maybe, twice a week. Ate decent meals, an acceptable amount of sleep and kept himself groomed and neat. Apparently that was all that was needed to be a "pretty boy" for the cougar.

The cat was busy lost in thought as he wiped a mug clean with the old rag Johnny had given him. It wasn't the most sanitary of things but the cat wasn't going to argue; not like he'd be drinking from it anyways. Thinking of these things, about bills, what they needed to buy - food wise - and if he could get this Sunday off so he could manage to go to church; all these things distracted him from the fat black rat waddling up with an almost unhealthily skinny hyena at his side (in hyena standards that is).

The lime green, black striped hyena took a seat on of the empty stools in front of the cat (after scaring the current occupants out of them) and leaned back against the counter looking around the crowded pup.

"Where's Jasper? We're on in five." He asked tipping his muzzle and head back so that he was looking at the cat upside down with a sickening yellow tooth grin on his face.

"What am I? His keeper?" Chance asked back lifting an eyebrow at the hyena.

The rat and hyena looked at each other before looking back and in unison said "Yes!"

"Oh...let me check." Chance said folding his round tipped triangular ears back, whiskers springing out slightly as he did so. His ears jumped back up and his brow furrowed as he headed down the bar counter to see if he could figure out where Jasper had run off too.

A lioness had taken a seat next to the hyena waiting for a chance to flirt with the bartender some more like she tried to do every night.

"This drink is amazingly smooth..." The hyena said taking a long sip from the long island ice tea left by someone else. "Like my penis." He added grinning at the cat and was properly slapped crossed the face.

At roughly the same time the dog was taking another two shots in turn. Jasper could feel the bile taste sliding down his throat and with a shake of his head was soon hit by a strong buzz. The dog hiccupped and swayed back and forth on his seat grinning slightly and panting as he saw the cat walk over.

"Hello," he hiccupped. "Handsome. What brings a devil like you to a pup like me?" The dog tried to be smooth as he rested his elbow on the counter and tried to rest his head in his hand. However he missed his hand and face planted the counter before sitting up quickly. "Whoa!" He nearly pushed himself off the bench. "Dude...bro...buddy...kitty." He said nearly glaring at Chance as if not sure if it was him or not. "You ok?" Jasper went on asking as if the cat had just face planted the table.

"I'm good." Chance chuckled looking crossed at the swaying dog. "The guys wanted me to tell ya' that you're on in five."

"I think you're on at five!" Jasper said pointing at him. He hiccupped before grinning and then laughed for no obvious reason the cat could figure out.

"In five, Jasper." Chance said as if speaking to a disgruntled, spoiled child. It was a soft but strict tone that both showed he cared for the dog but was going to make sure his message got a crossed to him.

"Ok." Jasper nodded as if he were in trouble. The dog perked up his pierced ears jumping onto the top of his head pointing high to the sky and his tail wagged. "You know what?"

"What's that?" Chance said amused going along with the dog's drunken antics.

"I love you man."

"Love you too bud." Chance chuckled getting an order for one of the other customers, the generic beer on tap.

"No, I mean I love you man!" The dog said again insisting far more this time.

"And I love you bud." Chance rolled his eyes pulling out his note pad and writing down two orders before turning around and beginning to make the cocktails.

"No!" The dog whined loudly. "I love you man!" The dog scrunched up his brow. "Like the sun. And moons. And star." The gears in his head, as hard as they tried, couldn't pull up anything poetic or sweet in his drunken stupor.

"You're up." Chance pointed out still chuckling over the dog's antics.

"You're my star man. Star!" The dog said getting up though and whining now as his ears folded back and tail tucked between his legs.

"And you, my silly dog, are the cookie to my crumble." Chance said sliding the cocktails down to the two ladies giving them a wink, doubling his tip, before turning back to the dog leaning over the counter and giving his nose a soft lick. "Go get 'em cowboy."

And with a wag of his table the dog began to sort of skip, gallop and trot away like a drunken show horse bumping into half a dozen furs, knocking a chair over and nearly tripping over a table as he headed over to the stage trying to earn at least some of the keep for their apartment.