Two hours has passed, and the sun starts to set, ending a long but rewarding day for the two wolves. They are in the very back of a large city bus, taking up quite a bit of room because of their purchases. Next to JJ is a large box holding the inflatable mattress and what looks like a decent sized cupboard. On Vael's side are bags of dog food and a box of puppy treats. Since they left the register, JJ wondered why Vael even brought that stuff. It seemed like a waste of money, especially since Amanda might not allow pets into the condo.

"So, um..." It took a few moments for JJ to muster up the courage, but he finally asks the question of the day, "What is with the dog food?"

"Oh, you mean this stuff? Um..." Vael's eyes search the ground, as if looking for some kind of excu- "I'm thinking about getting a puppy later. I'm sure Amanda wouldn't mind."

"What if she does?"

"Eh... let's cross that bridge when we get there, bro," Vael relaxes, popping what looks like a brown bone out of his pocket and tossing it in his mouth. He chews on it quickly before JJ notices.

"I'm surprised that I was able to get this bookcase for a decent price." JJ tries to keep it steady.

"For how much?" Vael examines the bookcase. It looks very old, at least a few centuries, but still has that fresh finish that would protect it from scratches and wear.

"It's about $70," JJ Answers, "A little bit less than the bed."

"How large is that bed, anyway?"

"Full sized if I remember correc-" JJ's ears twitch, catching the sound of REALLY crunchy chewing, "What was that?"

"Uhh... I'm testing the dog treats to see if they taste good. Want one?" Vael offers him one of those bones. It's the size of his palm but seem to serve as a tasty jawbreaker.

"No thank you," JJ turns his head to the bookcase, holding back some laughter. NOW it's pretty clear why Vael brought all that dog food, but at the same time it makes sense. They're not bringin' the pup.. he IS the pup!

OUTRESIDE
ORIENTATION ARC

TRACK/CHAPTER 1: Tenancy~ Verse 2

Amanda can't stand this damn heat anymore! Thank God that the sun is setting, that is her cue to open all the windows in the condo, except for one. Going to her sister's door, she pounds it twice.

"Oi, Mana!" Amanda yells.

"What is it?!" A teenage girl shouts from the other side, a bit livid since she was minding her own business.

"Open the window! It's nightfall and it's starting to get cool outside!"

"What if I like it hot?" The girl taunts Amanda.

"Fine," Amanda rolls her eyes, "Then don't complain if you start sweating!"

"Whatever!"

Amanda shuts off nearly every light except for the living room. She steps outside for some fresh air, a glass of lemonade in hand. She closes her eyes and stretches her arms, wagging her foxlike tail to keep it from going stiff. Just as she takes a sip, she opens her eyes, and...

"Que diabos??" Amanda nearly drops her drink!

The wolf troop strain their backs, pulling their last item out of the bus. So far, they got the Dog treats and the mattress, but the bookcase is proving to be a bit of a challenge for them.

"HURRY UP! We got a schedule to follow here!" The driver screamed this line at least three times, until they FINALLY got their stuff out. JJ bends down, resting his back.

"Well that's the last of it," Vael stretches his back.

"GOOD!" The driver shuts the door and speeds off!

"Well, he must've had a bad day," Vael shrugs, placing everything on top of the bookcase.

"Hey Vael," JJ stands up, "Thanks again for paying for all of this. I'll pay you back, I pro-"

"Let's focus on our backs instead of the cash, ok?" Vael bends down, lifting his end of the bookcase, "Come on, JJ! I can't hold it up forever!"

"Hold on a second!" Amanda rushes over to them, "You're gonna break your backs if you do it that way."

"Oh, hi! I didn't see you there." Vael sets it down and sweats a bit.

"I'll carry these in," Amanda scoops up the dog food with both hands, keeping her back erect and her knees bent, "I'll get the mattress too. You two bring in the bookcase."

"Are you sure you can carry that?" JJ approaches her.

"I'm lifting it, aren't I? Bring that bookcase inside."

"Um, sure," Rubbing his hands together, JJ bends down and lifts his end, "Ready, Vael?"

"I've been ready..." Vael grits his fangs, straining the hell out of his back as he turns his head to the door, "Okay, on the count of 3, step forward while I step back..."

"One..."

"Two.."

BAM!!

Both wolves land flat on their butts. The bookcase is hoisted up, and the strongman underneath is... another cat girl! Smaller and younger than Amanda, but with enough spunk and power to lift a 150-pound piece of furniture over her head!

"Hva jeg helvete?" Vael shakes his head, trying register what the hell he just saw. JJ's eyes bulge out and his jaw almost hits the ground!

Amanda puts one foot out, then pulls it back in. She steps to the side, narrowly dodging the speeding bullet of a bookcase held by a teenage kitten!

"COMING THROUGH!" Those are the only words heard as the girl disappears into the condo!

"Rachel...?" Amanda rests her hands on her hips, "Well as least she's out of her room."

"What.. just happened?" Vael approaches Amanda, still trying to guess if that's a young girl or a body builder in a small package.

"THAT was my sister, Rachel," Amanda answers while sweating in embarrassment, "She can be a bit... impulsive."

"But what about her back?" Vael asks sheepishly.

"She doesn't tend to care."

"Either way, that was impressive," JJ pulls out his notebook, jotting down a few things.

"I seen that book about three times already. What's it for?" Vael asks.

"Oh, it's a hobby of mine," JJ puts it away.

"Ja, sorry for intruding."

"Yeeeeah... I think you two better go inside before Rachel screws with your things," Amanda lifts the mattress box and brings it inside, not bothering to ask the boys about it since they are probably still reeling from her sister's little stunt.

"Oh hell no!" As if giving Sonic and Speedy a bit of competition, JJ and Vael both speed into their room! They make it just in time to see Rachel set the bookcase upright and dusting it off with her tail. JJ barely skids to a halt, but Vael...

"Døren ned ta!" Vael rams JJ like a torpedo and presses him into the wall, bouncing off and tumbling several feet back. Now both of 'em are seein' stars!

....

Vael's moans like a wounded pup, slowly but surely regaining his sight. The first thing he sees... is a cheddar doggie treat hovering right above his nose. The moment his nose caught the treat's irresistible scent, he immediately chomps down and swallows it!

"Ja.. Bacon and Cheddar," Vael starts panting like a puppy with his tongue sticking out, as if he is begging for more.

"Hey bud, don't embarrass yourself," JJ laughs, snapping Vael out of his trance.

"Uh, right.. sorry! I-" All of a sudden, a warm embrace wraps around Vael's torso. He looks down to a pair of yellow-furred hands, then turns his head to see a teenage feline purring against him.

"Aww... you looked so cute, ya big ol' puppy!" Rachel strokes his head, as if treating him like her own adorkable, sorry, adorable pet. Vael is in quite a pleasant position, waking up to a cute girl and her warm embrace... then it dawns on him that said cutie brought the bookcase in.

"Ja, hold on! Uh... could you lighten the grip a bit, please?" Vael gives a forced chuckle.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna break you, dude!" Rachel laughs, letting go of Vael so he can stand up. Vael dusts himself off as Rachel jumps to her feet.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but... how on earth did you get so strong?" JJ doesn't expect an answer right away, but he still has to know.

"Strong? Do you mean that bookcase? You're kidding, right?" Rachel laughs.

"Eh, not really," JJ sweats a bit.

"Come on, it wasn't even that heavy!" Rachel stretches her arms.

"Not that heavy?? That thing weighed a ton!" JJ thinks to himself. Whatever this kitten was eating, it made her put this wolf pack's straining teamwork to shame!

"So, I'm guessing you two are my new roommates?"

"Korrekt," Vael answers.

"Yay! I don't mind warming up to a few doggies, as long as you don't bark too loud," Rachel does a cute pose to bring the charm. It helps that she is wagging her big fluffy tail, "The name's Rachel. And you are?"

"I'll go first. My name is Joshua Jones, but most people call me JJ" JJ sits on the bed.

"And what about you?" Rachel points to Wolf Number Two.

"Um..." Vael's face goes red, "I'm the pup who likes bacon and cheddar, I mean, Vael! I'm Vael, no bacon involved!"

"It's okay, I get it!" Rachel laughs, sitting next to JJ. "So you like Veal, power to you."

"No, no, no, my name is Vael. Va-El!" The flustered wolf formally known as Veal (for about 2 seconds) sticks his tongue out playfully.

"Alright!" Rachel starts giggling, her feet kicking back and forth, "Either way, I hope you guys enjoy your stay! I kept telling my sister, 'one day, cats and dogs will be under the same roof.'"

"That can't be true enough," Vael jokingly agrees.

"Hey, if we're lucky, we'll get some mice too!" Rachel kicks her feet again; for some reason, both wolves lock their eyes on her legs.

"I HOPE NOT!" Amanda screams, her ears picking up the conversation from two rooms away.

"I don't mean THOSE mice!" Rachel counters! The guys can't help but chuckle at the banter!

"Oh, I forgot to thank you for bringing in the furniture," JJ shakes Rachel's hand, "you even put them where I expected them to be."

"No problem. Buuut-"

Crunch, crunch! Both turn to the right, and Vael munches on some more doggie treats. He howls softly like a satisfied pup as he digs into his pocket, tossing another treat into his fangs. Rachel strokes Vael's tummy with her tail, snapping him outta the trance!

"Oh, sorry about that," Vael's cheeks flush red, "I can't help myself. These treats are really good!"

"How about you give me one?" JJ asks.

"Let's hold off on that first," Rachel interjects, wiggling her feet again.

"Why?" Both wolves ask.

"Well, since I brought in your bookcase, how about you two return the favor?"

"Um, how," Vael tilts his head, "what do you want us to do?"

"Nothing much, really. Buutt..." Rachel hops to her feet and closes the door, "My feet have been aching all day. They need to feel better for tomorrow."

"Oh? I, uh... guess that means a massage?" JJ's face starts to go red.

"If you say no, I'll keep on asking until you do it!" Rachel sticks her tongue out playfully, wiggling it a bit as well. Is she passing on another message...?

"Uh," Vael's face is practically glowing, "Aren't you still in high school?"

"I'll be a senior this year. Besides, I'm eighteen, so there's nothing to worry about." Rachel giggles and does another cute pose, kicking up the affection for both wolves.

"Eh, can't argue here," JJ shrugs.

"Either way, it seems like we don't have a choice now," Vael sweats a bit.

"Nope," Rachel teases.

"Well, if you want, I'll take care of it," JJ rises to the challenge, or rather, to his feet, "I really don't mind."

"Thank you!" Rachel pats JJ on the head, jumping back on the bed.

Vael sits on his knees, watching attentively as the service begins. His pupils dilate, he breathes slowly, and his heart races faster by the second. He can't even tell how many beats it's going anymore, focusing instead on the opening act. As much as he wants to be a masseur, he is fine with being the observer. His breathing gets deeper, his glasses slide down, and his ears stand up straight.

"Are you ready?" Rachel teases.

She wiggles her foot more slowly, enticing her audience until her shoe starts slipping. JJ gulps, slowly reaching for the shoe and pulling it off. His cheeks glow red as her foot is revealed. It is a slender yellow foot with four wiggling toes. Looking at her nails closely, her big toe has a white paw pad while her second toe has a silver ring.

...

Rachel grins mischievously. Somehow, she knew that both of of these pups has a fetish, and the look in her eyes tell them that she planned this session... Perhaps from the moment she took that bookcase.

....

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

.....

She curls her toes, giving a beautiful display of her turquoise pedicure.

......

"Let's go!"

X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X

OUTREFILES

Rachel Herdeiros
Race: Feline/Fox
From: Brazil
Birthday: November 20
Age: Claims to be 18
Height: 163 cm
The younger of a pair of Brazilian migrants known as the "Kat Sisters." She is the exact opposite of her sister Amanda, setting aside her responsibilities to have fun and live the moment. There is another side to Rachel that surfaces once she catches on to a certain "quirk..."

Vael Ovenson
Race: Wolf
From: Scandinavia
Birthday: June 21
Age: 20
Height: 175 cm
An enigma who settled in Neumont, Vael is given every chance to explore his new surroundings. Although he enrolled at NiVA to study mass communications, the true reason for his arrival is a mystery. Rumor has that the "volunteer work" he participates in has quite the lucrative reward!