Chapter Text
The warm ocean breeze rolled across the upper deck of the ferry as it sliced through the surf, heading toward its destination of the Tortoiseshell Islands, and the resort that waited on its northernmost landmass. Many animals wandered the deck, enjoying the mild, partly cloudy day, abuzz with excitement and anticipation for their arrival.
All of them, with the notable exception of one. Near the rear of the deck, a gray cat with a splash of blonde hair swooped neatly across his head, leaned on the railing, not looking out over the ocean, but rather deep into his phone. He was out of place amongst the other ferry-goers, in more ways than one. Most of the animals dressed in casual, touristy clothes, but the cat was dressed very stiffly, with a white button-up shirt tucked into long khaki pants. Where the other people had large suitcases, the gray feline had only a small black backpack.
And, while most of the passengers were grouped up with others, the cat was all by himself.
He turned around, leaning back against the railing and sighing deeply, adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses as an email popped up on his phone. The subject line read, ‘Regarding Raymond’s Mandatory Vacation.’ He grimaced, lowering the device as he let his gaze wander.
‘Ugh, they had to tell the whole company?’ he thought to himself. ‘They make it sound like I’m being punished.’
The truth was, ‘mandatory vacation’ was absolutely the most appropriate term for this outing. Raymond had been working on a project at his job that had a fairly strict deadline, and rather than delegate to his team, he burned his own candle to the wick.
So far, in fact, that he had passed out just before he was set to make the presentation he had been working so hard on.
After being seen by a doctor, and after the cause being attributed to a stress-induced episode rather than something more serious, the company’s higher-ups collectively decided that Raymond needed to take a vacation, despite the cat’s own protests.
So now here he was, on his way to a resort practically against his will, with strict orders that no work would be allowed during his stay.
‘Well,’ he considered, ‘at least the trip is being paid for by the company, and I’ve got enough paid leave saved up that I’m not going to fall behind financially.’ He glanced down at his phone again, considering reading the email itself, but deciding against it. If he was going to be forced to take time away, he may as well try to relax a bit. He slid the phone into his pocket, then made his way to the front of the ferry, making a conscious effort to detach himself from work by looking ahead toward their destination.
The bow was much more crowded than the stern had been, which Raymond didn’t find ideal, but didn’t deter him. He found a spot on the railing that had a gap between groups of people big enough for him to slip into, and scanned the horizon, unsure whether the islands would be visible yet. It was still too far to see, but he stayed at the ledge, holding on to the railing and letting the breeze flow through his fur.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the sea and the warmth of the sun, the sounds of the seagulls overhead and the water being thrown by the boat’s movement.
‘Maybe this won’t be so bad.’
Soon enough, the island climbed over the horizon, and the buzz of the ferry passengers picked up the closer it drew. Even Raymond himself was starting to feel a little bit of that excitement. He’d never been to a resort for anything outside of business trips, and when he was at them, he never made time to really stop and enjoy them, so it was almost as though this would be his first time really being at a resort.
He would soon find out that this would be unlike any resort he had been to before.
As the ferry began docking, Raymond’s phone chimed. He pulled the device out and checked the notification. It was an email from one of his coworkers, checking in on him, presumably because she had read the notice from earlier. He rolled his eyes, reading through the message as he followed the crowds to the ramps that had been set on the covered dock. He walked through the arrival terminal completely on autopilot.
As he walked up the path toward the resort itself, his attention was pulled away from his phone. The main building loomed overhead, imposing, but not uninviting. The trees and flowers that lined the path naturally funneled the groups toward the staircase leading up to the open-air lobby, where a queue had formed for guests checking in.
The lobby was minimalist, but the decor that was there, namely the fountains that guarded each of the foundational pillars, held a sort of sophisticated beauty. A beauty that Raymond probably would have appreciated had his phone not chimed and drawn his attention once more.
The line moved quickly, and the gray cat approached the desk, reservation paperwork in hand, which he handed to the receptionist absentmindedly as he continued reading yet another email from a concerned coworker.
The receptionist, a young brown koala wearing a casual white and green uniform that was still appropriately professional, took the papers and typed away dutifully at her computer before asking, “Do you have your ID, sir?”
Raymond looked up, taken slightly aback, as he had expected the reservation confirmation to be enough. “Oh, sure, yeah. One sec, sorry about that.” He pulled out his wallet, retrieving his driver’s license and handing it to the koala, then returning his attention to his phone.
The receptionist continued typing for a moment, then handed the card back to him, along with two folded papers and a wristband. “All right, Raymond, you’re all set. This wristband is what we use as a room key instead of an actual key or a card, so you can keep it on you if your outfit of choice doesn’t have pockets. It’s waterproof, and we advise keeping it on you, even when you’re in the pools, to make sure it doesn’t get misplaced. Your room is 208, on the second floor. Are there any accommodations that you would like sent up to your room now?”
Raymond shook his head, gaze still locked on his phone’s screen. “No, I should be good for now.”
The koala smiled cheerfully and said, “Excellent, don’t hesitate to call down from the phone in your room if you need anything. My name is Melba, and I’ll be happy to get you anything you need or answer any questions! Welcome to Heartleaf Haven, and please enjoy your stay!”
The cat gave a halfhearted smile in return, looking up at her just long enough to say, “Thank you,” before heading toward the elevators.
A few other animals boarded the elevator with him, and most of them got off on the second floor with him as well. A clear sign met him upon stepping out into the hallway, informing him that his room would be down the hall to his left. He approached the door, holding the wristband in his paw, and waving it in front of the RFID reader and entering the room as the door beeped.
The door slid open smoothly, revealing a room that was clean, bright, and deliberately unassuming. A large bed dominated the space, neatly made with crisp linens, and a soaking tub sat in the corner, clearly sized for more than one occupant, but otherwise unadorned. Minimal decorations and neutral tones gave the suite a calm, almost hotel-like feel. Functional, but comfortable.
Raymond set his backpack down on a dresser near the front of the room, eyes scanning the room. He noted the desk in the corner, the small refrigerator, and the simple shelving that held towels and toiletries. Everything had its place. He exhaled and muttered under his breath, “Well, at least it’s quiet.”
He sat at the edge of the bed, finishing up a response to the most recent email he’d received before laying back, staring at the ceiling. He could feel the tension in his shoulders and lower back, and as he noted the tension, he made an effort to unclench his jaw. ‘Relaxation’ was never Raymond’s strong suit. He lay there, pondering why it was so difficult for him to turn ‘work mode’ off.
‘Well, I’m here now, I may as well make the most of it and at least TRY to enjoy myself,’ he thought before getting up and making his way to the bathroom, deciding that a shower would be a good first step.
The bathroom was simple and elegant, a large standing shower with multiple shower heads and clear doors taking up one side of the room. On the other, a floor-to-ceiling mirror, which was the only thing so far that stood out to him as odd. Not that he hadn’t seen this type of mirror in a hotel or resort before, but normally they were either on the back of the door, or just outside of the bathroom, and also much thinner. This one took up almost the entire wall.
“Hmm,” he thought aloud, “Wonder why anyone would ever need a mirror this big.” It was out of place enough to notice, but not so out of place that he felt the need to dwell on it. He turned on the ventilation fan, then started undressing, placing his glasses carefully on the counter next to the sink before removing his shirt.
As he pulled the shirt over his head, he couldn’t help but notice himself in the large wall mirror. He eyed his reflection’s soft gray fur, and the physique obscured only slightly by the short hair was not terrible, by his own standards. Sure, he wasn’t ripped by any means, as he didn’t have much spare time for exercise, but all things considered, he could be in much worse shape.
He continued to watch himself as he pulled down his pants, exposing a pair of black boxer briefs. The act sent a chill down his spine, as if the cat in the mirror were stripping specifically for him. And, well, that was technically true. But something about imagining that it wasn’t Raymond on the other side of the mirror, stripping down to his underwear…it caused a different kind of tension inside of him.
He stood up, turned a bit, and inspected himself all over, as he’d never really looked at himself in a full-body mirror like this before, at least not without being fully clothed. He ran his hands down his sides, confirming the shape that he was seeing in his reflection, noting the stark contrast of the black fur on his paws, and the white on his wrists, against the gray of his body.
Then, when his hands reached the elastic that hugged his waist, he paused, letting his thumbs slip between the waistband and his fur, pulling up on it ever so slightly, his eyes fixed on the reflection’s nether region, contoured by the form-fitting garment in a way that left very little to the imagination, as every twitch caused by the cat’s growing arousal could be seen.
Raymond shook his head, as if to bring himself back to reality, then removed his boxers with no further fanfare, turning away from the mirror and turning the shower faucet on. The partial erection that had been forming retreated quickly, leaving only a tiny, shimmering drop of precum at the tip of his sheath as evidence that he had been aroused at all.
The shower was phenomenal, as the water coming from the three shower heads, all with a decent amount of pressure, massaged the cat’s head, shoulders and back with a pleasant intensity. Despite the high temperatures outside, the room had been nice and cool, which made for the perfect setup for a hot shower, which Raymond preferred. It was much more relaxing to him, especially when he had the time to really sit and enjoy it.
He pulled the provided shampoo from the row of shelves on the wall of the shower, lathering his blonde hair vigorously. The scent was of sweet grapefruit, and he could tell as he was rinsing that this smell was going to linger. He didn’t mind too much; it was quite pleasant.
He rinsed his fur thoroughly, meticulously, before he decided he’d probably been in the shower long enough.
By the time he shut off the water, the tight knot in his shoulders had finally loosened. He toweled off, then dressed in clean clothes from his backpack. The fresh outfit was notably more casual than what he had arrived in, opting for shorts instead of long pants, and a plain light-brown tee shirt instead of a button-up.
He sat back on the bed, checking the time on his phone. It was still early afternoon, and the itch to do something productive was overriding his self-set directive to actually try to relax; if he had his laptop with him, he absolutely would have given in. But the only work-related channel he had access to right now was his secondary work email on his phone, which major communications and messages directed at trying to reach him when he was away from the office were routed to, but was filtered from receiving the mountains of requests, follow-ups, client communications, and all the other things Raymond was compelled to engage with.
It felt like a withdrawal from an addiction, and by all accounts, the cat was addicted to work and productivity. Sitting alone in the room felt like the worst possible compromise between working and resting. With a quiet sigh, he stood, grabbed his wristband from the dresser, and decided he would at least take a walk to see what sort of amenities this place had.
In the hallway, signs directed guests toward the courtyards within the resort grounds, so he set off down the hall, compulsively scrolling through webpages on his phone. As he arrived at the elevator, another gentleman, a brown horse with a gray muzzle and a white stripe between his eyes, was already waiting for one of the elevators to arrive. He wore navy-blue swim shorts, and had a folded towel under his arm. He saw Raymond approach, and greeted him with a smile.
The cat gave a small smile and a slight wave in response, his attention never truly leaving his phone. The elevator door on the right dinged and opened, and the horse boarded, Raymond following behind absentmindedly.
The other gentleman pressed the button for the fourth floor, then looked back to ask, “Which floor you headed to, buddy?”
Raymond looked up, glancing at the panel of buttons, and seeing the one marked ‘G.’ “Oh, ground floor.”
The horse pressed the appropriate button and said, “Sorry about that, buck-o, looks like you’re going up a couple floors before heading back down.”
Raymond smiled, a little more genuinely this time, and said, “No worries, I’m in no rush.”
The horse’s tail flicked, his face lightened up. “See, that’s the right attitude to have. People need to learn how to slow down a bit sometimes.”
Raymond held his phone up to reference it before turning off the screen and slipping it in his pocket. “Yeah, and to live in the moment. That one in particular has been a tough one for me.”
The horse nodded. “Yup, that’s just the day and age we live in, though. The whole world exists in that phone of yours, it can be hard to detach sometimes.”
The cat smirked, patting his pocket. “One step at a time, right?”
“Yup. Next step is gonna be leaving that thing in your room. Trust me, you’ll be able to enjoy yourself a lot easier when the temptation to check your notifications isn’t within arm’s reach.” The horse tilted his head softly, before offering the gray feline a hoofed hand. “Name’s Elmer, by the way.”
“Raymond.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you. If you see me out and about, feel free to stop by and chat, okay?”
Raymond adjusted his glasses. “Sure thing, thanks. Same to you!”
The elevator came to a halt, chiming to indicate reaching the destination floor and signaling the opening of the doors. Elmer waved as he disembarked. “See you around, Raymond!”
The doors closed once more, and the lift began descending. But it slowed and stopped after only one floor.
‘Someone else must be heading down, too,’ he thought, instinctively moving to the back corner, opposite of the panel, to give whoever would be boarding plenty of space to file in and press the button for their desired floor, if they weren’t also headed to the ground floor.
The opening of the doors revealed a sight that Raymond was not prepared for. A group of animals came in, one by one, all chatting energetically with each other. The rowdy group of mixed animals, consisting of two dogs, an alligator, a cat, a mouse, and an eagle, wouldn’t have been particularly noteworthy on its own.
The standout detail was that, aside from a couple of towels slung over shoulders, one of the dogs wearing a tank top and the cat wearing a light sundress, all of the animals were completely and unabashedly naked.
Two of the animals, the white dog with the tank top and the jet black horse, both politely greeted Raymond as the group settled into the elevator.
Raymond, however, was doing everything he could not to panic.
He already wasn’t a fan of tight, crowded spaces, but being blindsided by the wave of nudity threw him off in a way he couldn’t have possibly been prepared for.
‘What is HAPPENING HERE!? Is this some sort of prank? Kids getting ready to streak through the resort for the thrill of it?’ The gray cat gulped, his gaze unable to avoid looking down at the unclothed bottoms of most of the new passengers, his eyes passing over the dogs’ sheathes, the mouse’s unexpectedly large testes, then focusing heavily on eagle’s and alligator’s cloacas, stunned by the brashness of the display, but finding himself slightly fascinated by the similarities and differences between the two, and as they both appeared to be males, secretly wondering what was hidden within their respective slits.
Then, of course, there was the feature that was impossible to ignore. Directly beside Raymond, the black-haired horse stood, the massive orbs of his testicles swinging between his legs as they settled from the motion, the flared head of his thick, cylindrical penis leaning ever so slightly in the cat’s direction, as if staring directly at him.
Raymond could not help but stare back. Even though it wasn’t erect, he knew enough about horses that he could imagine that this thing would be massive when this guy got excited. And, despite his discomfort, there was a part of him that was really curious as to what it actually looked like at full mast.
The horse noticed him staring, lifting his chin and saying, “Hey there. Like what you see?”
The cat’s face flushed with heat as he averted his eyes immediately, stammering over his words. “I was–that is, um, I was just–I’m sorry, with all of the, um–”
The horse laughed uproariously, bumping Raymond on the shoulder. The group that was with him joined in.
“Don’t worry about it, man! I get it, not exactly something you see every day.”
Raymond’s eyes widened, his body practically shaking from the nerves and embarrassment.
The mouse stepped a little closer, his nose twitching as he spoke. “C’mon, Roscoe, you’re scaring the poor guy!”
The horse, looking back upon hearing his name, said, “Nah, I wasn’t trying to intimidate him, but he was staring at my package like he was about to give it a smooch!” He stared down at the cowering cat. “C’mon, you know you wanna give it a taste. I know those kitty tongues can really do some work~”
Mercifully, the elevator door opened, and the group piled out, Roscoe spouting almost cheerfully despite his gruff timbre, “Loosen up, pal, you’ll have a much better time here if you lean into it!”
As they departed, the open doorway now revealed the bigger picture; this group weren’t the only ones in the nude. From his position, he could see pools, benches, gardens, and part of a lounge, all of which was active with the bustle of guests, some of which were modestly dressed, but many of which had little to nothing worn at all.
And the naked ones…didn’t seem to have any qualms with being close to other guests.
As Raymond stood there, mind completely blank, the doors slid shut. He absently moved to the panel, pressed the ‘2’ button, and stared into the void as the elevator began moving again.
The ride back up felt longer than it had any right to.
By the time the doors opened on his floor, Raymond already had his phone in his hand, scrolling through his contacts, dialing the number to contact his job’s office. The call directed him to an automated routing system, which he didn’t wait to listen to as he pressed the code to dial in directly to the desk of the office assistant. The person who had been tasked with booking his ‘vacation.’ Surely, she would have some answers.