Coffee Break The soft smell of coffee blew through the serene environment of the empty coffee shop. The delightful aroma filled a certain blue canineŐs nostrils. The canid, a 6Ő3Ó tall wolf, with luscious sapphire fur and sky-blue underfur, was stationed near the front of this shop, sipping his own cup of coffee while his senses took him to soothing and distant places. He lifted his cup with his right hand, sipping the coffee before placing the cup back on the table. He took long deep breaths and gazed at the puddles that had gathered outside. Cars flew by at undeterminable speeds on the road as people walked with umbrellas at their sides on the sidewalks, preparing themselves in case rain were to once again choose to fall. Trivol glanced at his watch and saw that it was 2:45 PM. He adjusted the monocle that aided his poor eyesight. He wore a black coat over himself but nothing underneath to cover his chest and abdomen. His dress slacks and shoes fit him nicely and a cane rested near the tableŐs edge. Minutes flew by as he considered the view through the window. His viewing was interrupted as a waitress approached him cheerfully. ŇWould you like another cup of coffee, sir?Ó Trivol glanced at his cup and shook his head, ŇNo thank you, miss. IŐll be all right. IŐm actually waiting on a friend. I will let you know when he arrives so I can order his drink.Ó ŇAll right, I can do that,Ó the fox waitress replied before moving on to other duties. Several more minutes passed before Trivol caught a glimpse of the German Shepherd for whom he had been waiting. With a hoodie pulled over his head he came through the entrance and pulled back his hood, exposing his clean-shaven face. He stood at around 6Ő 4Ó and weighed between 180-190 pounds. He had dark brown fur on top of his head and back, which extended all the way down to his tail. There was even a dark spot on his right cheek underneath his bright sapphire eyes. His second layer of fur was of a pine green color, and the final layer was tannish brown, a lighter contrast from his other two layers. His muscles were clearly defined, even through his clothing. He wore a red shirt with a brown vest under his hoodie. His waist was encircled by a leather belt which kept his dark jeans nice and snug against his body. Those stunning blue orbs glanced around the coffee shop seeking for his companion. Trivol waved his arm to capture his friendŐs attention. The German Shepherd acknowledged him with a subtle wave and sat at his table. ŇCorvanis, how has my favorite dog been lately? Pretty cheery, I hope?Ó TrivolŐs lips drew upward with a smile. The German Shepherd nodded grimly. ŇItŐs been all right, though I wouldnŐt call my day cheery and shit, you know? ItŐs just... my life is on the line every day and I have to be prepared to be sent out to the field at anytime. What are you doing these days? Still hoping to become famous through your writing?Ó ŇSomething to that extent,Ó Trivol replied while motioning the waitress for an order. After the vixen arrived at their table, Trivol requested an extra cup and a refill. She nodded, going back to her station. Corvanis looked over his shoulder, noticing the sexy fox ass that the waitress had and licking his chops. Trivol shook his head, chuckling to himself, as he glanced at the ShepherdŐs expression. ŇArenŐt you dating Lindsey? I mean, sheŐs gonna kill you if you donŐt stop scoping out other ladiesŐ asses all day.Ó ŇEh, I take what I can get,Ó Corvanis chuckled a bit, leaning back in his chair, unintentionally revealing the gun concealed inside his vest. Trivol understood the ShepherdŐs profession and that itŐs impossible not to have a firearm on you in the line of work, even if itŐs casual meetings. The Shepherd noticed the light blue fur on his chest over his coat and shook his head. ŇI take it youŐre doing the same thing, arenŐt you.Ó ŇWhat makes you say that?Ó the wolf said with a smile on his face. Meanwhile, the vixen returned with an extra cup of coffee and another refill for Trivol. ŇAnything else for you two?Ó the fox asked, keeping a smile on her face. ŇThat would be it, thank you. Here,Ó Trivol placed a five dollar tip in her hand. ŇYou deserve it.Ó The vixen cheerfully wagged her tail in excitement as she walked off. ŇHeh, what made you do that?Ó Corvanis smirked. ŇEh, sheŐs had a hard life so it wouldnŐt be bad to help her out with tips,Ó Trivol responded while taking another sip of freshly made coffee. He closed his eyes and sniffed it elegantly. ŇHmm, House Blend coffee. Always has that rich, fruity flavor... especially when taken black without all that god awful sugar and cream.Ó Corvanis grinned and nodded in approval as he drank his coffee black. ŇDamn straight,Ó he agreed while sipping his own coffee. The German Shepherd smiled, and glanced back at his companion. ŇSo, whatŐs been on your mind lately?Ó ŇWell, my canine friend,Ó Trivol answered, placing the cup on the table gently and leaning in to converse with him. ŇHave you ever had that feeling where you just wanted to be liked by everybody, but nobody notices you?Ó ŇHeh, we have all been there, my friend,Ó he sympathized while crossing his legs to the side of the table to avoid knocking down TrivolŐs cane. ŇHow do you cope with the thought that people are just not going to like you immediately?Ó he questioned, while taking a small sip. Corvanis thought about the question for a moment, before giving a thoughtful answer. ŇI certainly wouldnŐt give much thought about it at all. ItŐs true that we all want to be acknowledged by people. Certainly, I donŐt want to be going about and saying, ÔOh, you guys should be acknowledging me for all the things IŐve done.Ő Overall though, it means nothing in the end.Ó ŇI know that,Ó Trivol rebutted his friendŐs suggestion. ŇBut how do you manage to keep those negative thoughts from coming at you full force?Ó ŇLike I said,Ó the Shepherd repeated. ŇI wouldnŐt give a damn about them. Not everyone that you come across will like you. Maybe some will but for the most part, they wonŐt. You have plenty of friends that look out for you. Me, Sardius...even that muscle-headed Dmitri. Plus all the other friends you have around you and hang out with.Ó ŇI guess thatŐs true. Nothing I can do on my end to make people like me more. Bugger, oh well. No use in crying over spilled milk, eh chap?Ó ŇIndeed.Ó Corvanis smiled, patting Trivol on the shoulder. ŇDefinitely make sure you have good companions around you, kid. Like IŐve seen friends just backstab you like fuck, and seriously, you donŐt want to be in that position.Ó ŇI certainly understand that. Penny for your thoughts?Ó Trivol queried as he reclined in his seat while the Shepherd considered. ŇI suppose I can let you in on one of my stories,Ó Corvanis sighed and gathered his thoughts together. ŇWhen I first came to PAXA, there was a fox named Nikelus and, I have to say, he was the best partner I had. We always were together during target practice or exercising in the gym. Those were awesome times. However, things didnŐt turn out so well for him, for he got a better job offer that would sustain him and even take care of his future. I wasnŐt ready to let him go so I tried convincing him just to stay here. But, Nikelus had his own thoughts and intentions on this job offer. So, as a kind gesture, if you will, I took him out to dinner one night. It was just me and him together at a restaurant to honor his final night at the agency. Then, he came to tell me that he didnŐt want to do anything with me. I asked him why but he wouldnŐt tell me the reasons either. Then, I caused a scene within the restaurant and had to be restrained by the waiters and was forced out of the restaurant. Never spoke to that damn fox again, nor did I want to. That son of a bitch left me for a better job. You know what? Screw him and his life. IŐm happy here now and proud to be working alone.Ó After hearing the story, Trivol took his time pondering all his thoughts, pondering the events that happened to Corvanis. The wolf nodded his head and sipped his coffee while the rain began to pour rapidly. ŇI see,Ó Trivol said while he kept his paws around his coffee cup and waited for Corvanis to break the silence again. ŇOne thing I like about you, Trivol, is that you donŐt seem to be into backstabbing people at all. You always seem honest with people and up front with them. You donŐt keep anything back.Ó Trivol took the compliment well, forming a smile on his face. ŇWhy thank you. I didnŐt expect a tough guy like you to be so courteous in giving me the proper encouragement.Ó ŇHeh, IŐm not always the tough guy that you knew me as when we first met,Ó Corvanis reassured him with a smile. ŇBut I am willing to help out a friend who is in need of some comfort.Ó ŇGotcha,Ó Trivol nodded, showing his own smile in gratitude. ŇSo, Corvanis, you think itŐs possible that I can dislike people without having them like me in return?Ó ŇOf course!Ó he affirmed strongly. ŇThatŐs like you pretending to be someone youŐre not. Just be yourself and people will come to you. No need for putting on a show for everybody to see. ThatŐs like bad acting.Ó ŇHahaha, thatŐs true in a sense. Particularly, no reason to be someone that youŐre trying to impersonate. ItŐs just a matter of perception and how people will look at you.Ó ŇThere you go, buddy! YouŐre starting to understand yourself a bit.Ó ŇI guess so,Ó Trivol grinned, seeing Corvanis sipping his coffee. ŇMmmm, this is good stuff. You certainly know your coffee, Trivol. Damn, this is so good. I may take these coffee breaks more seriously and come here more often.Ó ŇGlad you like it,Ó Trivol grinned while placing his coffee cup on the table. ŇThis is one of my favorite coffee shops and I enjoy coming here. This is where I work on most of my writing but since I was meeting with you, I saw no point in bringing my laptop here.Ó He adjusted his monocle to get a clearer view of Corvanis through his poor eye. ŇSo, how are your stories coming?Ó Corvanis asked while placing his coffee down on the table top and gazing at his companion. ŇTheyŐre coming along. Slowly, but surely. I am hoping to get a rough draft into one of the publishing houses in one of the big cities. Spent quite a bit of time working on it before turning in every night. So, if my luck holds out, I should hear from them sometime in the next two weeks.Ó ŇI see. IŐm sure that you will be able to pull it off. Your writing is something you got going for you,Ó Corvanis said while reflecting on himself for a bit. ŇThe only thing I can do is take down hostiles and place them under arrest. I wish I was able to write fantastical stories with swords and chivalry.Ó ŇWell, it does take practice,Ó Trivol mentioned while placing the fedora he had on the table on his head. ŇBut donŐt forget, everything that we want to do takes time and dedication. Like you working out. IŐm sure it took you years to get the body you always wanted. ThereŐs always a maintaining aspect when it comes to working out, developing those muscle underneath your fur.Ó ŇThatŐs true. All a part of being in shape for the job,Ó Corvanis nodded in agreement while taking his last sip of coffee he had. ŇWell, I should get going. My coffee break is about up. Good to see you again, Trivol. As always, do what you care about most.Ó ŇThanks,Ó Trivol said, rising from his seat and laid down another $5 tip for the waitress who served them. ŇBe sure you stay safe on the job.Ó ŇI will,Ó he took in the word of advice and both left the coffee shop. Trivol wrapped his coat tighter to fight off against the rain. Corvanis pulled up his hood and walked in the other direction towards his working place. Both needed time to vent and have a nice cup of coffee to soothe them down while discussing every day things. They both hoped that another day would come together for them to relieve their tensions of work and stress.