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Monday April 23rd

"So I'm guessing that you really like your job a lot," the silver-furred feline mused aloud.

Leo said nothing as the elevator finally stopped and opened on the skybox suites level of the stadium. Stepping forth and leaning his large frame against the doors, he swung his arm out into the hallway in a wordless gesture toward the other occupant of the elevator. Feres Svenlocke (Lynx, GM, ALK) only quirked his brow as he exited the lift and waited for the larger cat to lead the way.

The medical company owner hid his annoyance well while following Leo towards the Mayors' owner's box, his ears staying perked to the crackling broadcast of the game over the strategically placed speakers in the ceiling as well as the muffled roar of the crowd echoing just beyond the walls of the hallway he was in. The ushers had already shown him to his own private suite at the other end of the arena, where Leo had been waiting with an invitation in his paws. In the seven or so minutes that it took to cross the stadium, his efforts at striking up conversation with the big black feline had been met with either grunts, silent glares, or gestures. He was sure Leo had a voice; the cat's body language indicated he was restraining his vocal expressions. Feres was about to start again, but the burly feline had stopped at a pair of doors with frosted glass windows and was swiping a keycard to unlock them.

Stepping to one side, the darker feline pulled the door open and bowed slightly to the shorter and lighter-furred fellow, his escorting duties complete. Feres just nodded back as he saw the one who sent the invitation turn around in his chair and stand up to greet him. "Welcome, Mr. Svenlocke! Thank you for accepting my invitation!"

The lynx entered the suite with a smile as the door was secured behind him, Leo apparently standing outside in wait. "It's my pleasure, especially to finally come snout to snout with the elusive owner of the Mayors."

Stefan Calico (Tabby Cat, Owner/GM, HNT) grinned back as he stepped forward and extended his paw. "I've been staying rather put this half of the season! From what I've heard, you've been the one doing a lot more of the traveling this year, what with visits across the pond and all."

Feres shook the offered paw, chuckling lightly. "Owning a business takes a lot of hard work, which I'm sure you no doubt understand some of the everyday stress and pressure."

"Doubly so," replied the domestic feline, "since I've had the General Manager duties to handle as well!" He then gestured to the empty chairs by the windows overlooking the stadium, an ice bucket filled with orange popsicles and sodas nestled between the two nearest the center. "But have you been enjoying the rest of our Southern hospitality?"

The lynx flicked his ear, nodding to the chairs as he followed his host to them and relaxed in the plush seat. He had a clear view of the Jumbotron, already showing the score at 35 points for his Alaska Arctics and 31 points for Stefan's Huntsville Mayors. The second quarter of the game had apprently just gotten underway; considering the time it had taken for Feres to be ushered from the visitors locker room just before the start of the game up to his own suite, only to be escorted to his current location, he felt a little bit more annoyance at having missed the entire first quarter, but did his best to not show it to the other GM. "As enjoyable as all can be," he replied, taking out one of the popsicles and unwrapping it. "Going different places is always fun, even if it's all business. The U.S. is humongous, but every town I fly to seems to have some kind of personality."

"Well I hope that Hunstville's personality has been agreeable with you, especially since it seems your team down there is giving us quite a challenge so far," remarked the more domestic feline as the scoreboard updated to show the visitors extending their lead to 6 points.

The silver-furred feline grinned. "Please, last time a coach said that to me, ours got steamrolled," the lynx remarked while scratching his chin. "The crowd however is...well. Nothing can compare to Dakota. They're fiery, here!" he laughed.

Stefan chuckled. "You can blame our biggest marketing tool for that. John Stoat (Stoat, G, HNT) fires up the crowd so much differently than Zip-Nut [Xavier Knutten (Squirrel, G/F, SPO)] did. Plus our modified logo to match up with JuJu's budding brown spring pelt and his eye-patch really helped." Almost coincidentally, the audience gave a "threeeeeeee..." before a whooping cheer rose from the stadium.

"Your team always had a bit of a sense of humour," he grinned. "I don't understand one thing though... why oranges? I mean... colour scheme, is that it?" the lynx asked before biting into his popsicle.

"Well according to the history books, the folks in St. Paul simply chose orange because it was the color of the basketball," explained the tabby. "Black and white were also pretty basic, plus all of the previous Huntsville management went along with the top hat and monocle of the original logo." The spotted orange feline gestured to the ice bucket between them. "As for the popsicles and drinks, well, easy to market that flavor with the team's color. And branding logo on the labels, of course," purred the cat.

"I guess they're pretty relatable to the public," Feres said, admiring his popsicle with great delight. "And delicious." He licked his lips before continuing on his business of finishing up the snack.

"I'm glad you agree," noted the tabby, even though he himself hasn't had any popsicles, sticking only to the orange sodas instead.

"Heard of the news in Alaska, Stefan?" Feres asked after giving much pause. His eyes had remained focused on the game, but his ears swiveled slightly over in the direction of the other feline and his paw was unwrapping a second popsicle.

"There's plenty of news that comes out of everywhere," replied Calico nonchalantly, eyes also focused on the game. "You'd have to be a little more specific as to what I should've heard."

"You'd think that in little quiet Alaska, the news would be pretty widespread," said the lynx as he gave a toothy grin. After a few bites, he added, "Especially if it relates to sports." Feres then took a moment to lick the popsicle stick clean, setting it aside on a tissue napkin. Licking his lips quietly and using another tissue napkin to wipe his muzzle, the silver-furred GM remarked, "I'm talking about the whole trouble that the USFTA is facing with the whole drug problem."

The tabby's ear closest to the lynx perked up, while the other flicked slightly. "Ahh, the maletophine issue. I've honestly not paid too much attention to the tennis scene, and only heard tangential things about it. I thought you'd be a little more perturbed with that grizzly bear agent and his statements about your team."

The lynx snorted at the reference to Bill Bayer, the sports agent who was representing Kasa Yalenchka (Snow Leopard, G, ALK). "Those statements are in the past, and he shouldn't bring them up in public again." chuckled Feres with a shake of his head as his paws were unwrapping a third popsicle. "His star player is getting a lot of time over the soon-to-be-free agent [Leo] Seppala (WolfDog, G, ALK)," he purred, though his expression remained somewhat unreadable behind a veil of amusement at the game. Particularly after KY herself had just been fouled on a drive to the hoop by Evan Ashton (Lion, F, HNT) and was getting her paws up to the charity stripe for a pair of free throws.

Stefan chuckled softly and closed his eyes with a rather smug smile. "Indeed. Though it seems you've been keeping rather close tabs on that drug issue. Is it hitting a little close to home for you?" asked the tabby.

"My first and foremost occupation looks at it with disgust," he said, referring to his role as CEO of Felidae Nutraceutical. "My second... yes, it's pretty close to home. I've made it a personal mission to handpick who to guard lockers and the stadiums constantly."

The domestic cat's ears wilted slightly as he turned to look over at the lynx. "Unfortunate, but I can definitely understand your need for increased security. I don't remember many of the Mayors remarking about it when they played there earlier this year, so congratulations for keeping your arena's heightened alertness levels from being too obvious or intrusive."

"Yes... I bet there've been a few accusations here and there -- empty ones, never fully pursued -- on some players in other sports. Funny how that works, hm?" The lynx leaned back in his chair, savoring the last of the popsicle in his paws. "I hope the situation's resolved. Things have been quiet, though the police continue to investigate. Supposedly they say it's becoming an international issue."

Stefan listened with his ears still perked, nodding at the mention of the issue spreading internationally. "Well the last report I heard about was the abandoned crates near the Canadian border, so it's definitely not limited here to the states. I'm guessing that you've heard word from across the pond back home, or are you referring to the Soviets across the strait?"

The lynx raised a brow. "Soviets? Now that is news to me," he quirks his lip. "What about them?"

"The Russians, they're right across from Alaska. Or do you not see them from your backyard?" joked the feline. Stefan's mirthful chuckle faded as he studied the serious expression on the visiting GM. "Oh. You're being serious." The tabby then cleared his throat. "Well, I'm not privy to whatever leads the police are investigating, but a similar kind of incident arose in Calico Industries, where shipments were not being properly routed to the right places. Turns out the shipping company that we had contracted got sold to another party without our knowledge, and was siphoning off inventory, delivering them and selling them to god-knows-who."

"I see..." A faint glint appeared in the lynx's eye as he digested this information. "I'm pretty awful for saying this, but -- what field exactly does Calico Industries work in?" he asked.

Stefan grinned. "No worries, the family's made it a point to dip their paws in everything nowadays. But our bread and butter has always been manufacturing, mostly small parts like nuts and bolts, to large plant machines. The electronics division that produced the CalicoVision was mostly sold off, but we developed a small robotics department to enhance our large machinery line.

"The shipping company in question, Road Runner Express, got taken over by Northern Tundra Shippers," notes the tabby. "Our investigation never led to anything proving them at fault, as all the blame landed on the 'incompetent' RRE personnel they retained."

The silver-furred feline flicked an ear. "Mmm. No wonder that name sounded familiar. Still, I'm not certain what this has to do with maletophine; though that might be well and good." Under his breath, he muttered the words 'Road Runner Express' and 'Northern Tundra Shippers', barely audible to the trained ear. "I just hope they get to the bottom of things. Last thing we need is anything to befall our players." His brown eyes scanned the playing field, his eyes homing in on Cliff Matthiews (Lynx, G, ALK) who had just sunk in a free throw, drawing a relatively small supporting fanbase into a cheer much to the dismay of the Huntsville fans.

Stefan looked back over at the game, with the Arctics still holding onto their lead as the Mayors had been keeping it from extending much further. "Well the only reason I mention our incident is because NTS is based out of Canada. And again, with the last maletophine news report I heard indicated abandoned crates of the drug at the Alaska-Canada border, I wouldn't be surprised if they were involved with the illegal trafficking, either unknowingly or willingly. Theoretically, it looks like a sign of a botched delivery between Russia and Canada."

"And you've heard true, and you might be onto something, there. I just hope the police can take care of that; I've got enough worries as it is." smirked the lynx.

The tabby cast a sideways glance at the silver-furred feline as the waning seconds of the first half of the game wound down. "Relax, Mr. Svenlocke! This may be a road game for you, but let us make it into a mini-vacation! Your team's up by a pawful of points and you're nowhere near Anchorage right now. Enjoy yourself! Have some more popsicles!"

Feres grinned. "Oh, I'm always enjoying myself. My youthful vigor and years have taught me that much, Stefan. And please, call me Feres." he turned to catch the tabby's glance with a toothy smile. "Honestly speaking here, I've had enough cold popsicles."

The tabby gestured to his supply of bottled orange sodas. "Trade?" he mewled. "My sodas and Quovaedis Broyles (Siamese Cat, F, HNT) for your popsicles and Rodger Umaechi (Husky, F, ALK)?"

Feres burst out into a laugh. "You've got a sense of humour, I like that. It's a shame we don't meet often."

Stefan mewed heartily and handed over a bottle of soda, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he does so. "From one cat to another, it's refreshing to hear my attempts at humor are appreciated."

"How many sourpusses have you actually tried that at?" Feres asked, pouring some into an empty glass. He drank deep, enjoying the fizzy aftertaste and stifling a burp.

The tabby folded his ears slightly from the sound of the horn signaling halftime. "Everyone that's visited me here. Which, counting you, makes three so far this season, though I wouldn't consider you a sourpuss at all."

The lynx looked up at the score, studying it briefly before looking back. "I do understand. There are a lot of stuck-ups in this business who try to lash out thinking all we try to do is con them out of their valuables," he smirked.

Stefan nodded, folding his ears back even more as he sighs out a "Yeah..." while looking away from his companion before taking a swig of soda from his own bottle.

"I'm just glad Alaska's coming together towards the end of the season. That and there haven't been too many offers. Then again, many of mine were ignored. Hmm..." As the lynx shrugged with a sly grin on his lips, the tabby seemed to be lost in his thoughts while still staring over at a large framed jersey numbered "14" on the wall of the suite.

The silence caught Feres' attention and his ears flicked once, as if catching the tabby's thoughts about the late Jackson Price (Fisher, HC+). "We ate crabs together, at the start of the season," he sighed. "He was a man of ambition. Friendly. Funny."

The tabby's ears also flicked at the lynx's sigh, his gaze unflinching from the jersey. "He and I didn't get along very well in the off-season, with all the aggressive trades and offers I was making. I wasn't around for our pre-season game, and I wasn't there when the Mayors played in Santa Ana. The last time I saw him was just after his tail got handed to him by the Stanislaus Thrust. He really didn't like the joke I tried to make then." Stefan paused to wet his throat with another gulp of soda. "I really admired him when he was a player, and had the utmost respect for him as a fellow GM, but..." he sighed again.

"A loss. The world needs more honest furs like him," replied Feres, shaking his head and distantly gazing at the roof. His ears flattened briefly at the sudden sound of the horn, marking the start of the second half.

The other feline blinked, having missed the halftime show completely. "Enough depressing thoughts, eh Feres? Let's see if my home team can make a comeback."

"Yes. The world has enough of those. I'm feeling peckish for another popsicle now, though. Perhaps what they say about vitamin C making you happy is true, hm?" He reached over for another frozen snack, watching the game start to unfold.

"Well if not the vitamin C, maybe it's the excessive sugar in these popsicles and sodas!" noted the Huntsville GM. "Though the excessive liquids are taking their toll, so if you'll excuse me..."

The silver-furred feline laughed. "Of course, Stefan." He watched the tabby get up and wander into the private restroom of the suite, locking the door behind him. Feres then pulled out his phone and sent off a quick message, his brow furrowing slightly as he mulled over the information that the other cat had given him. Something about Calico's attitude seemed overly eager and cooperative, as if he were hiding something else that was weighing heavily on his mind. His phone vibrated with a reply, and a quick read made him purse his lips and flick his short tail. Much as he wanted to stay, the lynx needed to follow up the leads he was given.

When Stefan had finished in the restroom and opened the door back to the suite, he saw Feres standing from his chair and smoothing down his clothes. "Your turn?" he mewed, holding the door open.

"Actually, I just got a message about some business that needs my attention," purred the lynx. "I wish I could stay to enjoy your company longer, but I hope you understand."

The tabby smiled toothily and extended his paw. "Of course! I'm just happy that my presence has been enjoyable for you."

Once again Feres shook Stefan's paw with his own, nodding. "Thank you again for the invitation, and good luck to you and your team."

"Likewise, Feres," purred Calico as they walked over to the suite's exit to the hallway. "I'll have my bodyguard Leo escort you." As the tabby opened the door, however, he saw the imposing form of Leo flanked by two Explorer Stadium security guards. "Leo?"

As the extra guards looked over their shoulders at the pair of felines, the lynx offered a suggestion. "You should keep your personal security here, I'm sure these two fine furries can be my escorts."

The burly pit bull and equally big horse in the security uniforms wordlessly focused their attention upon Calico, who smiled back and nodded at them. "Very fortuitous for you to be here, then, gentlefurs. Make sure Mr. Svenlocke is kept safe and secure." He then gave the silver-furred feline a pat on the back and added, "Talk to you later, Feres?"

"Indeed," remarked Feres as he nodded to the security detail and made his way down the hallway towards the elevator.

As Stefan re-entered the suite, his gaze once again was caught by Price's hanging jersey on the wall. Next to it was a framed poster of Healey Davis (Cheetah, G/F, retired) in his classing Mayors road uniform reaching for a layup over Jake Masters (Orange Tabby Cat, G, retired), as well as a picture of Xavier Knutten holding the championship trophy above his head. With the crowd in the stadium cheering on the home team, the tabby's eyes flicked from each of those items on the wall as he drew in a deep breath and softly said:

"Forgive me."