Game Over

by MaveriKat

In a world where videogame productions are more of an emphasis on production and the stars are very real people, how do they handle life in the limelight? In general? Or more importantly, the rise and fall of popularity? Two foxes on either end of the spectrum will meet and find out from one another. Rated M for Drug Abuse, Violence, Adult Language, and Adult Situations.

2. Guy's Night

Disclaimer: The "Star Fox" videogame series is owned by Nintendo and Platinum Games. The "Sly Cooper" videogame series is owned by Sony, Sucker-Punch Productions, and Sanzaru Games. There are also many other videogame properties but rest assured, I credit their creators and developers for the wonderful IP's that inspired this story. Said story itself is a fan-based non-profit work of fiction written strictly for entertainment purposes only. Please support the official releases.

Game Over

By MaveriKat & Ego Dominus

Beta Read By Innortal

Chapter 2: Guy's Night

The smooth clinking of ice tumbling into a glass caught Carmelita's attention. Despite her usual aversion to alcohol, the vulpine found herself licking her lips in anticipation of the drink that Lara had offered her in congratulations of the job offer that she'd so graciously accepted. Of course, she wouldn't have had the gumption to do it at all, were it not for the Tomb Raider herself–so maybe she should have offered to buy the other woman a drink in return?

With practiced movements, a mixed drink the color of a candy-apple was delivered in front of her, and Carmelita took a heady drink of it... and promptly had to stop herself from choking. The fruity appearance was misleading, because the alcohol content had to be well over anything that she'd tasted before. If she wasn't mistaken, Lara was smirking slightly. Carefully, she returned to the glass, taking a sip this time.

"Congratulations, Carmelita! You're officially part of the Game Over family," the retired Tomb Raider said with more than a bit of pride.

Full lips turned up into a sincere smile, and Lara clinked an empty glass to the one that the vulpine held. Warmth spread through the fur's chest at the kind welcome. It was nice to have a place to belong again, even though she still wasn't sure as to what exactly her new job's details included. After another sip of her drink, and a small shudder to go along with it, she tilted her head. "Lara?"

The dark haired woman, who had been turning back to the drinks, whipped around, arching a brow as the vixen called her name. "Yes?"

"Exactly what am I going to be doing here?" Carmelita looked around. She was sure that she could wait tables or learn to mix drinks or... whatever it was that they had in mind for her. She was a versatile individual, after all. The foxy lady had confidence that she could pull off any task given and she wasn't about to screw things up, especially since her friend had stuck her neck out to give a good recommendation. Still, at least knowing would be useful.

"Oh," the Tomb Raider gave a half smile. "You've been hired as entertainment."

That made the fur blink her chocolate eyes once, twice, thrice. "Entertainment?" the vulpine tilted her head again, navy blue hair bouncing as she did. "What sort of entertainment?"

Lara's smile grew a bit wider, becoming almost predatory. She'd been expecting the question, but it was funny that even with all her detective skills and degree in criminal justice, the fox hadn't managed to figure it out already. "Dancing. You're the newest addition to our dancing entertainment." She was certain the girl would become a popular part of the lineup.

"Oh!" Carmelita's eyes instantly brightened up at the notion. She certainly knew how to do that! The nervousness of a new position was already beginning to fade away. "So, will I be showing off some of my ballet skills or slow dancing?" her eyes gleamed with excitement. "I can also show off some of my salsa dancing if you want!"

Lara's laugh caught her off guard, causing her eyes to widen slightly. The Hispanic fur lifted her drink to her lips, feeling slightly embarrassed that she'd clearly said something wrong... and nearly choked again when the Tomb Raider elaborated, "Carmelita, I mean exotic. You're part of the exotic dancing lineup."

Still, instead of letting the drink choke her, Carmelita took another enormous gulp, feeling the alcohol burn down her throat before settling into her stomach with a spine-shivering delicious sensation. "I... I didn't realize—"

The other woman cut in suddenly, interrupting her. "Oh come on, Carmelita! I know that you can do it," the British woman praised before smiled mischievously. "I've seen you give it a go before. You were quite professional."

Instantly, the vixen knew what the other woman was referring to. "That was for the game!"

"And isn't this the game of life?" the British beauty offered in return.

Touché, Tomb Raider. Touché, the fur thought a bit irritably. Still, she couldn't exactly complain. Jobs were scarce in the current market and anything was preferable to ending up on the streets. "So... you really think I can... um..." she was blushed a bit through her facial fur.

Nodding her head, the brunette told the shorter woman, "Absolutely." Her voice held all the confidence she had for the vulpine beauty. "Carmelita, you are wonderfully exotic as you are now. Even if you might not have all the skills that some of our long-standing members have, you will learn your own little tricks of the trade with time and become amazing. And you heard Duke," she motioned towards the office with a tilt of her head. "It would only be four nights a week. Plenty of free time for yourself and Sly."

Now the blue-tressed vixen was blushing for a whole other reason. "Sly and I aren't a thing," she stared firmly, her tone conveying that she didn't want to talk about it in the slightest.

The raised eyebrow on the club co-owner's forehead showed that she disagreed. "There's a story behind that..." the ponytailed woman said, curiosity lacing her voice. "And I must say, if you have hang-ups about men in general because of Sly, it could really interfere with your ability to work. Best to get it off your chest now before you start." She brought her hands down to the counter-top of the wooden bar, patting the smoothened and waxed cherry-wood. "In fact, I insist upon it. In the professional sense of an employer looking out for the welfare of one of her employees and wanting to help, naturally..."

Exhaling deeply, the vulpine woman met the Tomb Raider's brown eyes with her own chocolate gaze. "If you really want to know why, it's simple. Sly is a most terrible flirt in and out of the games... we did date for about five months after the wrap-up of the first one," she said, her tone almost wistful. "He was... well, there's just no denying that he was charming. He knew just what to say and when to say it, how to act around a girl..." she smiled slightly. "Not going to deny that the main reason I hooked-up with him in the first place was because I thought we had to but we did enjoy ourselves while we were together."

"Had to?" the human woman queried. "What do you mean, 'had to'?"

"I mean..." Carmelita sighed, gently running a finger along the rim of her margarita glass. "He was the hero of the game and I was its leading lady. Aren't they supposed to be an item?"

Needless to say, the blue-tressed woman hadn't expected Lara to burst out laughing. "H-hey now!" she cried out, feeling embarrassed as the woman continued to laugh much harder; a most melodious tone to be sure but it was coming at her expense. "I'm being serious!"

Nodding her head, the tall and buxom woman managed to reply, "I'm sure you are!" Managing to relax a bit, the woman let off a little sigh of relief. "Oh you silly, silly girl! These games are just productions, like those regular actors with their movies or television shows. Just because the scripts demand we act one way doesn't mean we have to in real life!" She smirked. "In fact, you'd be surprised by just how many so-called, 'official couples' simply... aren't!"

Blinking her eyes once, twice, thrice, the Hispanic vixen could only ask, "Really?"

Again, the woman have her new employee a small nod of her head. "Of course! Couples like Ryu and Chun-li? Ico and Yorda? The Prince of Persia and Farah? Guybrush Threepwood and Lady Elaine Marley? Dr. Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance? Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade? Hell, even the golden duo of Dr. Mario Mario and Princess Peach Toadstool? NONE OF THEM ARE A TOGETHER FOR REAL!" she shouted that last part, causing Carmelita to yelp and bounce up on her stool in surprise. Relaxing a little, Lara explained, "Some people just don't click where it counts. There's no shame if you couldn't make it work with Sly."

Nodding her head, Carmelita sadly replied, "And you're right. I couldn't work it out with him. As charming as he was... he was just too childish when it came to us! He also had some narcissistic tendencies that I wasn't a fan of but I was willing to work with his failings and look past them!" She frowned. "However, what I couldn't stand was that he had a wandering eye!" the furry woman snapped irritably. "I broke it off when I came home one night and found him on the couch getting to third base with that bimbat with the big tits from the Sonic games!"

"Rouge?" Lara offered, getting an idea of who the fur meant.

Nodding her head firmly, the blue-tressed Hispanic spitfire replied, "That's the one! I should have known they would start playing around. When we met up with her on one of our date nights, those two clicked; I knew then and there the buxom bat had more in common with Sly than I ever did... there was no way I could compete with her once she had Sly's attention." She frowned and gently picked up her glass, swirling the contents in it before turning her gaze back up to the human woman behind the counter. "I did remain friends with him after. I mean, it was just easier that way, you know? Let him do what he wanted and not make a big stink about things..." her smile became devious. "But oh, how it became so much easier and satisfying to shoot at him in the games that followed!" She then downed her drink, surprising Lara as she just chugged the bright red liquid like it was a lifeline she desperately needed to hang onto.

The teasing look in Lara's face turned into a small smirk, edged with the slightest hint of sympathies. It was just enough that Carmelita didn't have to shy away from the woman's gaze. "Well, you're better off," the Tomb Raider said as she took the vulpine's glass, switching it quickly for an orange juice. "Trust me on this one."

Carmelita nodded in agreement, already feeling as hazy fuzz began forming in the back of her head from the drink that she'd had downed so readily. She quickly took a gulp of the orange juice, realizing that the last thing she needed was liquid courage in her place of work.

Especially with what her work entailed.

"Think of the Game Over club as a new beginning, somewhere to start over fresh," the British woman's voice was soft, but encouraging. "You're going to show the world what you're made of," she leaned in closer to the foxy woman. "Think of it, it's really a powerful position once you consider that you're enchanting the masses with nothing more than a sway of your hips."

That statement made the anthro vixen blink her eyes in surprise. Wow, her friend certainly did have a way of making the position of stripper sound much more exotic. Carmelita gave her a small smile and nodded, taking another drink of her juice. "You're right. Of course you're right." She nodded again, leaning against the counter to steady herself slightly.

"Of course I am! Now then," Lara leaned back, contemplating for a moment. "You're going to have to show what you're made of soon, so..." She bit her full lower lip and grinned. "Do you have any clothing appropriate to your new profession?"

Carmelita felt a flush beneath her fur. Did she have any clothing worthy of a stripper, she realized the woman meant.

The vulpine was about to say that no, of course she didn't have an outfit... but it was then the memory of a particular getup that was hidden in her car's trunk burned across her mind. Her mouth went dry, and she felt her blush deepen until she was sure that her skin was glowing like the setting sun through her fur. "I... uh..." she took a drink of the orange juice, wishing suddenly that it was a Screwdriver. "I might have something that would work."

From her reaction, the Tomb Raider could clearly tell that the outfit was absolutely perfect. "Whatever it is, you've got to wear it for your... interview."

"...A la mierda mi vida de lado con un gancho de carne..." the blue-tressed vixen cursed in her native tongue as she pushed herself off the stool and went outside. She was surprised when she found that her boss was coming out with her but didn't say anything. Coming to the back of her '91 Dodge Shadow convertible, the furry woman brought her purse around so she could retrieve her car keys. Opening her trunk revealed that there wasn't much back there but all that was would be useful for emergencies. An extra tire, bundled road flares, a bag of sand, a steel gallon gas tank... and one item that wasn't something that would be of much help in a car accident.

A cardboard box labeled in black marker as, 'Crap From Sly's'.

Raising an eyebrow, the taller woman looked down at her shorter compatriot. "Oh ho? And what do we have in there?" she queried. Considering even with what little the furry woman told her about the raccoon, it was still pretty obvious that he was the sort who was sexually active... and probably had requests. "Is it a little something that could help with your job?"

Blushing, Carmelita could only whisper, "Maybe..." so saying, she reached for the box and pulled it towards her. Taking a firm hold of the old masking tape, he pulled on it tightly, causing the box to open and reveal the debauchery within. Handcuffs and nightstick that were certainly not police-issued, a series of very phallic toys of various styles and materials, a large bottle of–now uselessly congealed–lubricant, an opened box of expired condoms, some adult DVDs, a couple of ball gags... and what looked like an unassuming manila envelope pressed up along on the right side of the box.

It was this envelope that the Hispanic beauty pulled free and held out for the woman to take. "It's in here," she said in all honesty before turning back to close up her trunk once more. The flush of her face managing to shine through her facial fur as she could feel the other woman's eyes on her.

Lifting the envelope in her hand and realizing how light it was, all Lara said was, "Why yes... I do believe this will be very appropriate."

"Oh hush," Carmelita whispered a bit more harshly than she meant to as she turned about and took the envelope back. As the taller human woman began to make her way to the club, the vulpine beauty was quick to catch up with her. "Is there a dressing room I can use?" she asked quietly as she entered behind the brunette.

Nodding her head slowly, the woman with a plait-style ponytail cooed, "Of course, darling. But since it's just you and me out here, you might as well just get down to it. I do need to see if you'll have what we need to pull in the customers..." of course, the Croft woman already knew that Carm did. But she always got a little kick out of seeing the new meat.

Blushing immensely, the vixen nodded her head. This is part of the interview, she's only being professional, Carmelita told herself as she took her purse off and placed it on the counter of the bar before reaching behind her neck, undoing one of the knots of her halter top. Letting it fall forward, she allowed her furry breasts to come into view before she reached behind her waist, the bare-chested vixen untying the second knot and removing her shirt in full.

Sitting on one of the bar stools, Lara merely nodded her head appreciation. Carmelita had a nice rack so at the very least, she would be able to serve as a topless waitress if everything else failed. "All right... now make a kissy-face as you pull down your pants."

The vulpine woman blinked her eyes. "Puh-pardon?" she squeaked.

"I mean it," the human woman replied. "I want to see you do that. It will help me determine if you're more cute or sexy. Both styles call for far different methods of portrayal on stage to make you successful. I merely want to help you make it here at the Game Over."

Nodding her head in understanding, the blue-tressed Hispanic fur answered, "Ah... that makes sense..." she murmured as she bent over towards the woman, puckering her lips and kissing the air. She then added a little wink of her right eye as her pants came down, the tight denim hugging along the sides of her hips as the jeans slid around them, exposing more of that furry beauty... especially as Carmelita was pulling her panties down with them.

Raising an eyebrow, the Tomb Raider nodded her head firmly in appreciation. "Sexy... definitely sexy." She brought her right hand up, index finger extended and making a circular motion in the air. "Okay, now turn around and shake those hips!

"Oh... all right," she whispered lightly. Stepping out of her underwear and jeans also meant pulling her feet free from her boots which said pants had been stuffed in. Now standing naked before the legendary Tomb Raider, the vixen turned around and gently thrust her furry booty out, shaking her hips side to side in a movement that she'd learned from her time training under that professional belly dancer Sony got her in touch with for Thieves in Time.

Now Lara actually lost her cool slightly. "Oh... my... God!" she cried out in awe as the beautiful hourglass figure of the vixen, combined with the expert hip shaking that was only enhanced by the tail movement made for quite the entrancing sight to behold. It was only thanks to the British beauty's experience holding interviews that she kept this in the realm of 'professional' and didn't merely jump the poor vulpine. The retired videogame star knew Carmelita was nervous enough as it was and the woman didn't want to lose what she knew would be one hell of an employee.

The triangular ears atop the vixen's skull twitched at the barely registered words. "What was that?" she asked, twisting her body to the right so the woman could look over her shoulder to Lara... which, incidentally, gave the human woman an excellent side-view of the vulpine woman's breast. "I thought I heard you say something?"

Schooling her features, the ponytailed brunette replied, "Nothing, Carm... nothing!" she brought her right fist to her mouth, coughing into it to clear her throat and get rid of the slight treble. "Nothing important anyway. You're doing great as it is! Now please, show me your outfit."

Nodding her head, the blue-tressed fur moved over to the table she had placed the envelope down on. Pulling the small metal prongs straight, she flipped open the lid-flap, pulling the duo-prongs through the metal-ringed hole of the flap. She then upended the paper container, allowing a navy blue thong with the Sly Cooper logo to fall out... as well as a pair of logos that were pasties.

"Oh, those are PERFECT!" Lara cried gleefully. "It's even better when you can give some hint as to your game outfit or your series of origin. When patrons feel they're getting with a star, they tend to be far more generous with their wallets." She watched as the woman began to fit the Sly pasties into place, hiding her nipples and yet accentuating her breasts oh so wonderfully.

Once she had some small measure of 'decency' for her tits, the Hispanic fox turned her gaze towards her employer. "So you think I should wear my boots?" she asked as she motioned to the pair on the floor. "They are the same style as the ones I wore in Thieves in Time?"

Looking down towards the ground for a moment, Miss Croft considered them for a moment. "Perhaps with another outfit. For now though, may I see how the thong looks on you?" she requested kindly, realizing the woman hadn't realized she'd lost focus. What is it with furs often forgoing pants? she idly wondered.

Blinking her eyes once, twice, the poor vixen went flush with embarrassment as she realized what the human woman was getting at. "Oh. Right... sorry..." she humbly apologized before taking the pair of thong panties in hand and lifting her legs into them one at a time before snapping the waistbands at either side of her hips. Standing there before the Tomb Raider in such minimal attire, the vixen turned about in place a few times, asking, "What do you think?"

The woman's lips puckered into small, mischievous grin. "What I think, Miss Fox..." the brunette said slowly. "Is that you and I are going to be making a lot of money." And that I am so going to enjoying making Duke admit I told him so, she thought with facetious glee. She then told the Latina vulpine, "Now, come back to the dressing room with me. I can think of a few things to add to really finish off this outfit for you..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Laughter... something that had been missing from Fox's home for so very long was now filling it. To top it off, he never would have believed in who could have done so before now. From his past experiences working with the Italian, the vulpine fur knew Mario to be Nintendo's petulant, trouble-making golden boy jackass. But to actually meet up with the guy outside of Nintendo's HQ? To spend time with the plumber in the privacy of his own home, well outside of the Big N's ever-watchful eyes?

Good God, he was a barrel of laughs!

All three of them had been moving all about the fur's kitchen, rotating from sitting at the table, just hovering about the island counter, raiding the fridge, or whatever depending on what Mario was talking about. The man was so energized, so positive! His gums hadn't stopped flapping nor had he stopped pouring them all drinks once he arrived; the mustached man refilling glass after glass of spiced rum or popping bright capsule pills of red, yellow, and blue since he got there. It only made Fox wonder what Nintendo would have done to see their golden goose like this, so carefree and wild without any agents or publicists to censor him.

He snorted. Who am I kidding? They'd have a shit-hemorrhage... and I'd die laughing as they did! Fox thought with a bit of glee, taking another sip of his drink, just listening to the insights that the human male had to share in a very animated fashion.

"And then... and then Reggie tries talking all'a business with me!" he shouted as he waved the bottle in the pilot's direction. "And I'm all'a like, 'I don't care if my face sells units! I already put out nine games dis'a year alone! I'mma on vacation! Now, unless you wanna talk to me about finally producing Mario Ballet, you can shut de fuck up and let me get back to fucking my girlfriend, Filet-o'-Fish'! And den BAM! I threw my cell against de wall and went back to my threesome with Pauline and Daisy. Damn near took'a me forever and a fuckin' day to talk my Sweetcheeks into a threesome and I wasn't gonna let dat piece'a shit ruin it for me!"

Even as the other two laughed about how Mario got away with referring to North American Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aimé as a McDonald's sandwich, something about what the mustached man said did penetrate the vulpine's skull. So taking a moment to gather his thoughts after that bout of laughter died down, Fox was able to say, "Muh-Mario! Hey, Mario!"

Raising an eyebrow, the off-duty videogame star/plumber/doctor/professional athlete/what-have-you turned his attention to the fur who's kitchen he'd turned into an impromptu bar. "Hmm? What's-a up, McCloud? You wanna say something?"

"Yeah, actually," the Papetoonian vulpine chirruped. "You said that you were in a threesome with Pauline and Daisy. I know you said you talked your girl into it, but I gotta know! WHAT did you promise Peach to get her to let you hang out with two other women?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees as he said that, Fox sobering up all of a sudden as he could feel the hate behind the Italian's steely blue gaze. "Uh... I mean... you and Peach..." he cringed as Mario began to grit his teeth.

"Oh hell..." Link cursed as he put down his shot glass. Walking around the kitchen island, he came to the plumber's side and placed his left hand down on the shorter man's right shoulder, rubbing gently. "Easy, Mario... it's not his fault. This is the first time Fox has gotten to truly spend time with you outside of work... hell, probably the first time you've ever brought up your love life to him. He didn't know and meant no harm by it..."

Closing his eyes, the mustachioed male took a deep breath to calm himself and Fox felt a sudden rush of relief, the immediate danger having passed. He looked over to the Hylian with an expression that conveyed not only immense gratitude but confusion as well. It was unspoken but the vulpine male was obviously asking his long-time friend, 'What the hell did I do'?

Nodding his head at the silent inquiry–having played a silent protagonist nearly all his career had made him an expert of portraying and reading faces–the pointy-eared blond told the shorter brunette human, "Hey, Mario. Maybe you want to explain things to Fox so he doesn't bring it up again?" All the while, his hand kept massaging the plumber's shoulder in moral support.

"Yeah, yeah..." Mario grumbled irritably as he shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the numerous thoughts and emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Slowly, he pulled away from Link so he could run the fingers of his right hand through his short brown hair. "I understand you had no idea but I'm not gonna lie. De whole thing with my life, work, and Peach is an incredibly sore history for me. But if you wanna know..." he murmured as he walked back over to the kitchen table, pulling out one of the chairs. Take a seat. Dis is a long one..." he murmured as he sat down, motioning for the others to join.

"Oh... okay..." Fox said slowly as he looked back to Link. Seeing the sylvan male nod his head, the Papetoonian made his way over to the table and took a seat as well.

Seeing both his friends sitting down, the Italian leaned over in his seat, elbows resting on the table as he clasped his hands together in front of his face, entwining his fingers. His eyes closed, Mario seemed lost for a moment, gathering his thoughts, leaving the two in complete silence. "Fox? If we're gonna hang out together, you do deserve to know dis about me. Back in de day? I was'a carpenter before I ever made a videogame. It was'a simple but most blessed life, making my way in Brooklyn with Pauline, just working the odd construction job. I eventually met up with'a Miyamoto who was working at a warehouse for Nintendo, trying to recoup a bunch of crap arcade cabinets... and one day, he was inspired by my stories about workin' on de job. We sat down, we talked things over... and eventually he got'a me to agree to help him pitch his idea to his bosses about de every-man hero Jumpman i.e. yours'a truly. They agreed and de project eventually became, 'Donkey Kong'. We thought it would just gonna be a fun little game but WOW! It was'a everywhere overnight! Me and Pauline were so happy. My face was'a out there and people were having fun! FUN! People would'a see me on de street and smile, knowing who I was; all because I agreed to help a man who was in dire straits. A man, I might add, who would not only go on to become my boss... but something of a father-figure as well."

Reaching for the bottle and pouring himself a drink, the man sighed. "But de good times wouldn't last long. All too soon, things nearly crashed and burned. For me, '82 as a PR nightmare... we had done, Donkey Kong Jr. as a follow-up and my GOD! Everyone wanted my head on a pike! PETA was up in arms over my part in it, even though it was all acting! We tried to explain it to them but nope! Seein' me try to kill a baby monkey while I keep his big ape of a father locked up in'a way-too-tiny cage obviously meant I was a monster!" He snorted. "Good God, people will believe whatever is put in front of them!

Pushing his chair back, the Italian took a deep breath and then chugged his drink. Swallowing the shot in one go, he then exhaled slowly to revel in the burn. "What I did next was something I did once and only once. I listened to my agent. He did have some'a good ideas, sure... I mean, de Jumpman brand was now tainted by dis game, so they had me going by my name outright, which I had to admit I rather liked. But then they made other demands. They made me give up carpentry because, 'it's a little too related to Jesus'... and God forbid there be anything close to religious connotations in a videogame!" He snorted. "So they had me work as a plumber instead... and worse... worse..." he snarled. "They convinced me to break up with Pauline."

Fox felt his heart jump into his throat. The pain that he could feel radiating off the mustached male was reminding him far too much of his own when he lost Krystal. Feeling his own resolve start to waver, the male fur's eyes kept darting back to the kitchen island, where the bottle of rum still sat. God, he felt like he needed a drink more than ever... and he'd been drinking all afternoon so far!

After a moment more, Mario poured himself another drink before he continued, "They insisted dat in order to fix'a my image, I needed to be with a celebrity. Prince Charles and Princess Di were a huge thing at de time, having just married dat previous summer. So Nintendo decided, in all'a their supposed infinite wisdom, dat I needed to hook up with royalty too. And'a me, being de young idiot I was, they had me seein' stars! I swallowed dat tripe hook, line, and sinker and broke up with Pauline at their behest without a second thought!" The man's frown deepened considerably. "However, despite their insistence on me being available for some piece'a royal ass, it turned out they didn't have someone on'a hand to try and push me to get involved with! So, they decided I should first work on showin' off'a my family side..."

Seeing where this was going, Fox nodded his head. "And they brought in your brother Luigi, right?" It made sense, from a public relations stand-point. Show off how good a person Mario was by presenting him helping his younger brother would silence critics to a degree.

Placing the bottle back onto the table with a firm smack, the brunette snorted so hard he made the hairs of his mustache flutter. "Fuck no! Instead, they brought'a in dis Florence Maltese shit to play my brother! Some hotshot French method actor who could turn on the Italian accent like a drunken uncle at an Olive Garden! Nintendo didn't think'a my real bro, Luigi looked anything like'a me and could never pass as being my sibling! But some green-haired asshole with a terrible case of jaundice? Totally!"

Tilting his head back, the plumber took hold of his shot glass and downed its contents in a single gulp. Slamming the crystalline cup down on the kitchen table hard enough that it cracked, he looked about at the two and continued, "While a lot of the image makeover was comprised of some really odd'a choices and was a real a pain in the ass, I went along with it. Mario's Cement Factory, Mario's Bombs-Away, Donkey Kong Circus all went over well enough... and shoot... even dat jaundiced fuck actually managed to get out of the hospital long enough to do a genuine Mario Bros. game with'a me! But then, just two years later... they brought her in. De one and only, Princess Peach Toadstool..." he inhaled softly, practically seeing her in his mind's eye as he remembered how she was when they first met. "My God in heaven, she was'a de most gorgeous redhead I'd ever laid eyes on!"

"Redhead?" Fox chirruped. "I thought she was blonde?"

Smirking, the mustached man told his furry friend, "Another one of de many suggestions from the Nintendo Public Relation's team. She was a redhead in de NES Era but after, they talked Peach into dyeing her hair... but anyway," he trailed off, trying to get his story back on track. "Nintendo had'a de, 'perfect' woman for me and were ready to get us together. They showed us off when Super Mario Bros. came on de scene and it was DE game! It was de birth of an empire... Mario was'a Numbah One in all sales charts de world over! De likes of which had never been seen before or would since! Nintendo had its flagship title and those Japanese fucks were gonna milk it for everything they could, damn anyone who try to ruin it for 'em!"

"Hell, they were so'a pleased dat they were pushing us to work on a sequel! However..." a most devious smirk came to Mario's face. "Dat Florence guy? His sickness took a turn for de worst in the middle of production, well before we could'a finish Super Mario Bros. 2. Nintendo's execs went into a panic mode and didn't know what they were gonna do with all dis now useless work. There was'a no way he was gonna be back in any timely manner... so I suggested they bring in my real brother. Shigeru? Man was really open to it, but those higher-up fucks? They argued. They wanted more of the same but they had'a no clue as to how they were gonna have it make sense if de second game suddenly had a much'a taller and thinner Luigi!"

"Again, my man Miyamoto came through for me," the plumber said with a wide grin. "He'd change up the art-style and style of gameplay! They were doing it for Link over there, so there WAS precedent of it bein' a business model, so why not do it for'a us? So they quickly got a hold a lot of de sets and crap from dis Japanese production called, Doki Doki Panic... got in touch with a number of the staff from it, convinced them to fly over to de States for a second round of motion-capture filming and BAM! We had a whole new Super Mario Bros. 2! It was'a me, Luigi... we even got Princess Peach and one of those mushroom fuckahs from de first game to come forth as playable characters and really spice things up! It was an incredibly trippy but all too fun project dat scored BIG! It was de very event that inspired me to trust my gut over what'a some agent tells me..." he began to frown again. Then, ever so softly, the iconic Italiano continued, "Especially with what'a came next..."

"Things... things HAD been okay between me and Peach in the beginning," the mustachioed plumber said slowly. "Sure, we knew we were getting together because de company wanted us to but even then we were having a good time of it..." he smiled. "Don't tell Pauline, but nobody could'a kiss like Toadstool. Girl could practically suck'a your tongue down her throat!" He chuckled... laughter that was tinged with a note of sadness. "But come de sequel, when she got to meet and work alongside my REAL brother... well... dat's all she had eyes for thereafter."

And with that bit of truth, Fox's jaw dropped. "Wait, wait, WAIT! Peach and LUIGI!? But Nintendo always puts you and her together! You mean to tell me all those time, those two..." he trailed off, his mind completely blown at the thought of the lean, green machine and the girly pink princess together.

"Yep. I tell you Foxy boy, Nintendo was'a pissed when they found out... even more-so when they discovered she and my bro had ELOPED!" Mario shouted. "Can you believe dat? Those two got'a married and my bro didn't even have de common courtesy to let me be his best man! They took'a trip to Vegas, got a marriage license, and dat's all she wrote..." he sneered. "Of course, Nintendo wouldn't have it, even if de law said they were husband and wife."

"...Damn..." the vulpine whispered in awe. "How long have they been married?"

"They got hitched while we were out in Nevada motion-capture filming segments for Super Mario Bros. 3's Desert Land..." he explained. "Why do you think it took'a so long for dat game to come out even though we cranked out de second one in LESS than'a year? Nintendo was working overtime to keep everything dat happened while working on de production under wraps. They even made us sign new contracts. Under NO circumstances was anyone outside of Nintendo to find out dat me and Peach weren't a thing anymore! De carefully sculpted image of, 'De Hero and His'a Princess' was not to be broken under penalty of mandatory five-year suspension! Suspensions dat could and would be initiated and reinstated whenever it was broken!" He frowned. "We found out de hard way dat they weren't kidding around either."

It was the way the Italian had said that which caused something in the back of the male vulpine's mind to click. Something he had noticed back in the day and thought oddly peculiar. "And suddenly, Luigi's disappearance from '93 to '98 makes all too much sense..." he whispered in shock and awe. It had always struck Fox as 'odd' that Luigi, one of Nintendo's 'dynamic duo' had just up and disappeared when the pilot was hired on, only to suddenly become a regular face again half a decade later.

"Exactly," Mario snorted. "My bro got in trouble because he eventually ended up telling mom de truth. He had to; she was going to be a grandmother. Oh, Nintendo did NOT take kindly to that so they punished him with dat damn clause of his new contract. Sure, they used imagery of him now and then but he had no actual parts outside of the shortest of cameos..." he shook his head. "Poor bastard ended up missing out on Mario 64 because'a dat damn suspension."

Nodding his head in understanding, Fox murmured, "That's a terrible thing to do... to... parents...?" he trailed off as the truth of what Mario had said hit the Papetoonian vulpine like a sack of bricks. "Wait! Luigi and Peach have a kid!?"

"Dat they do. You've already met'a her actually; Rosalina. Yeah, surprise-surprise! Nintendo eventually got her into de business too... easier to keep de lie contained if you have'a control over de variables. Set her up as a Princess of her own with NO known relation to any of us." The brunette man frowned. "But anyway, we're getting way off'a topic. Going back to Nevada; while I was annoyed dat Peach broke our relationship off without first consulting me I also couldn't have been happier for my bro to have gotten with one helluva woman! And since Peach was off de table... well... I didn't want to be alone. Sure, Nintendo tried to set me up with another Princess, Daisy... even had me do my own Mario Land game to introduce her to become either my new royal squeeze or Luigi's girl for image purposes... but I wasn't going to have it. I listened to Nintendo once when it came to my love life, and I wasn't gonna have any more of it!"

It was then Mario smiled. A small but all too genuine smile that conveyed the relief he felt. "Fortunately, it wasn't too hard to find Pauline again. While I may have'a moved up in de proverbial Super Mario World, she never left good ol' Brooklyn. Hell, she was still living in de same apartment we used to share. Oh, I tell you, she was livid to see me show up at her door... crying, wailing, screaming, swearing, throwing anything dat wasn't bolted down at me... seeing me again opened a lot of emotional wounds she thought she'd closed... opened a lot of my own too." He exhaled deeply. "We talked it over for a long time. We laughed, we cried... but mostly we just held each other. It was then I knew dat no matter what, SHE was de one for me... and I wasn't gonna lose her again! Not for Nintendo, not for fame, not for anyone! I'd given her up for de promise of a princess once and I'd be damned If I made'a de same mistake again!"

Silence reigned over the table for the longest while, the past half hour having been one hell of an emotional roller-coaster for all of them involved. Link was handling this information the best of the trio, having known the story for a long time already... but Fox had heard it for the first time and his mind was reeling as his world view had been blown. As for Mario himself? Shoot... it was always going to be a sore point for the mustached hero. The mistake he made, while rectified, still hurt him deep down to know he went through with it in the first place.

So it was no surprise that the Hylian was the first one to come back and break the silence. "So... now that everyone's had a little bit of a pity-party this evening," he said firmly, acknowledging his own worries concerning his daughter Robyn before Mario had arrived. "What are we doing tonight? Are we going to stick around make this a living room night? Just party-hearty and riff some old movies and shit while we drink ourselves into oblivion or are we going to go out and, you know, actually do something? Anything?"

"Well..." Fox spoke up slowly as he considered what he'd learned about his friends. "This whole get-together was about celebrating my upcoming return to the spotlight but I don't want to just pigeonhole you guys to anything specific. If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'm open to them." Left unsaid was the currently grounded pilot hoped to hell it included more drinking. So what if he was a recovering alcoholic? After what he learned booze seemed like the best prescription Doctor Mario could give him in return for shaking his world view!

"Gimme a sec," Mario told the group as he reached into the right pocket of his Bermuda shorts and retrieved his cell phone. He slid his finger over the screen and turned it on immediately, blue eyes gazing over his text messages. Taking a moment to peruse through them and the contact names associated, his right eyebrow raised when he came upon one in particular. "Huh? Well ain't dat interesting. Solid Snake is holding a Housewarming-Slash-Fuck Konami Party tonight at his new place in Beverly Hills." He looked up from his cell and cast his gaze back and forth between the fur and the elf. "Either of you want to go?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Fox murmured, "I don't know. Not to be a selfish prick but tonight is kind of supposed to be my thing, not Snake's. But if either of you want to go, I'm game for it."

Link rolled his eyes. "Nah. Better to pass on it. Much as I like Snake, there is just WAY too much talking is involved at his parties..." he specifically looked towards the human of the group. "And after your spiel just now, I'm in more of a mood for action than an overly loaded info-dump of a cut-scene I can't skip."

Giving the pointy-eared blond a dirty look, the mustached Italian then turned his attention back to his cell phone. "All righty... since Link's not up for it, let's see what else I got." He brought his thumb up to the screen and began flipping through messages once more. "Let's see, let's see..." he murmured as he gazed over names, searching for anything in particular that stood out. Finally, his eyes honed in on one in particular. "AH HA!" he chimed out merrily. "I got a message from'a Earthworm Jim here. Remember dat invertebrate? He's hosting a private party in one of de Presidential Suites at Hotel Indigo in Anaheim."

Fox considered it for a moment. "That worm does often have the good shit... been awhile since I snorted cocaine off of a hooker's ass." He'd tried that once in his life... only to have Falco end the party early and kick him out but not the prostitute.

Mario laughed. "Better than my brightly colored pills?"

"Fuck no!" the male fur shouted. "You still make the best shit I know, Mario; the cure for all my ills." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "On that note, I'm just surprised Pauline doesn't get upset by the prescriptions you pass out like candy."

Grinning wide, the mustached brunette wagged his eyebrows. "Hey, who do you think my best patient is?"

Fox barked out a laugh. "Okay, okay... I get the point. I've got no need to visit the washed-up worm when I got my own, and might I add, superior chemist on hand!"

"Right-o!" Mario cheered as he gave his pal a thumbs-up. "Mario is'a Number One!"

"Well guys," the tallest amongst the trio piped up. "If worse comes to worse, we can just get a cab and go bar-hopping. You know, hang around for a bit, see if we get recognized, and keep on going until we're too buzzed to stand. I know Fox has been enjoying the chance to actually indulge in booze for the first time in half a year."

"Amen!" the vulpine chirruped. He'd been dryer than the Papetoon desert planet for months and this day had been the biggest relief in his life! "I wouldn't mind getting so shit-faced that I end up on Access Hollywood or TMZ tomorrow."

Letting out a laugh, the Hylian told his furry friend, "That's the spirit!"

Shaking his head, the plumber couldn't help but shout, "OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE! You guys are'a way, WAY too damn easy to please!" pushing his chair back, the mustachioed hero stood up in an imperious fashion, in spite of his short stature. Looking back and forth between the other two men, he told his pals, "All you've done so far is just drink yourselves to'a death! You don't need a bar if all you wanna do is get liquored-up! If we're gonna head out and do our own thing than we're gonna have a proper guy's night out!"

Looking towards the now fired-up Italian, Fox couldn't help but query, "And what do you consider a proper guy's night out?" From what he'd known the plumber to be capable of, the fur was genuinely curious. Whatever it was, the pilot knew it was likely going to piss off Nintendo something wicked... which admittedly, could be fun in its own right.

Smirking in a most mischievous fashion, Nintendo Golden Boy told his pal, "Why it's most simple, my dear McCloud. Mario is gonna to be your guide to de best night of your life you ever'a fuckin' had!" Raising his right hand, the man then pointed with an almost commanding presence at the vulpine. "Fox, my friend? We're gonna get you LAID!"

Needless to say, the quest to get him laid was not what the Papetoonian vulpine had in mind when he wanted to throw a party to celebrate his return to the gaming scene... but he wasn't going to argue it! Still though, he couldn't help but asked, "Did... did we just drink so much that we ended up in a buddy flick?"

"Shut up'a your face and get in my car! We're going to de strip club!" the mustached paisano told his furry friend. "So up and at 'em, people! We got us some'a sweet titties to ogle and tail to get de tailed man of de hour!" He motioned towards the front of the house where the door was and chimed out, "TO DE MARIO MOBILE!"

Raising an eyebrow, Link queried, "Is the Mario Mobile still that red Cadillac of yours or did you finally upgrade from something that can pass anything on the road but a gas station?"

"Shut up'a your face, Elf-boy or you're not gettin' any of them stripper titties!" Mario was quick to threaten.

Exhaling slowly in mild annoyance, the sylvan male just leveled his human friend a calm gaze. "Dude. Did you forget? I'm married." He held up his left hand, showing off that even with the fingerless gloves, a band of gold managed to shine on the base of his ring finger. "Zelda would kill me if she found out I went to a strip club!"

"Then you're not'a goin' to a strip club!" Mario grinned. "You're going to be our designated driver since you wanna sit back while we indulge and enjoy ourselves. Just like any responsible married man would do for his friends. Right, oh bestest best buddy of mine?"

And just like that, the pointy-eared Hero of Hyrule remembered just what being the only sober person in a group of drunken Nintendo alumni was like. He never wanted to go through that again! So suppressing the need to shudder for a moment, the blond glared at the short Italian stereotype with piercing blue eyes. "...Fuck it. Let's get Fox laid and stare at some tits."

Grinning, the face of Nintendo told his taller pal, "Dat's a what I thought!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

To say that she was embarrassed was an understatement. Carmelita had tried to mentally prepare herself for what was happening–she really had. But no amount of self-pep talk had prepared her for putting on the little outfit that she'd had stashed in her trunk; something she'd been meaning to throw out for years! There was a part of her that now wished she'd simply burned the box. At least that way she wouldn't be wearing the tiny bikini-sized getup right now. As it stood, Lara had provided her with black elbow-length gloves, six inch heels, and a black leather collar to complete her exotic dancer getup.

The Hispanic beauty stared at herself as she stood in front of one of the backstage dressing room's full-length mirrors for another moment and then nodded slowly. She could do this. It was just a job–it was no different from all of the things that she'd acted out before. It was just another performance.

That was all.

At least, that's what she had to tell herself to finally force her body to move out the door and into the main room where everyone was waiting.

One more deep breath and Carmelita made sure to walk in the heels like she owned them–it was the only way to do it when one was wearing six inches of potentially lethal death on their feet. She threw her hips into it, so that her body was one sweet rolling sway that sent the Hispanic vulpine sashaying with every step. She could feel her breasts jiggling with each stomp of her feet on the ground, her hair bouncing and swaying... and even she had to admit that she probably looked damn good.

It was a small confidence booster, though it didn't help the blush that was quickly gracing her cheeks at the knowledge that there were going to be eyes on her as soon as she exited the back room.

Her assumption didn't fail to disappoint. There were a number of men already at the tables, and all eyes turned to her voluptuous figure as she came out. She bit her lower lip, unaware of the fact that it just made her look all the more sexy and tempting. One gloved hand came up to run through her navy blue tresses, and she scanned the room for Lara–she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do now. The Tomb Raider, however, seemed completely swamped behind the bar with customers and Carmelita had a feeling that she wasn't going to be able to get any tips or advice from her for a little while to come.

It was while she stood there with one hand on her hip, that a figure walked past the bouncer and entered the room.

He was tall and well-muscled, with blond hair that stuck up in an array of spikes that had to have taken him hours to spray and style. A black leather attempt at a trench-coat covered most of his upper body, though one cut arm was left bare, down to a glove that crawled halfway to his elbow. Blue eyes swam over the room with interest but when they landed on her, they lit like a spark. A slow smile curled over his lips, wolfish like the silver adornment on the right side of his chest and shoulder. With that gaze fixed on her, Carmelita's cheeks burned brighter.

It was Cloud Strife, in his Advent Children get-up no less.

The blush deepened as he made a beeline straight for her.

"I didn't know that you worked here, Carmelita." The tone of his voice conveyed that he was very pleased with the surprise, even if he hadn't expected it.

To that, the blue-tressed fur managed a small smile that she hoped looked sexy, even though she was sure that her nerves shined through. "I'm new here, actually. First time out on the floor."

Something seemed to spark within the young man, because he dove his gloved hand into the pocket of his coat and showed off a black wallet. "I'll give you six-thousand Gil for fifteen minutes in the VIP room–I'd love to be the first one you ever gave a show to." One blond brow arched in question and Carmelita froze. In her mind, she had to quickly process numbers. Damn the different currency systems that everyone seemed to have.

Six-thousand gil–if she shifted a few zeroes...

That was 60 dollars.

Sixty dollars for fifteen minutes. Wow. Lara had mentioned that she'd be making a decent amount of money, but she hadn't expected her first few minutes to be so lucrative. It only took her a second to slowly nod, biting her lower lip again. Cloud grinned at the sight of her, her full lower lip gently tugging between her teeth. "Okay. If you'll follow me?" she turned from him before her blush decided to peek through her fur and led him back towards the VIP rooms, where off to the right of the backstage, a seemingly innocent plush red leather door was placed.

Nodding his head, the man was quick to agree, "Yes. Yes I would." Grinning, he was quick to follow the vixen past the door to the VIP section, which went on to reveal a length of hallway behind, five sets of doors aligning the open space; two on either side and one at the end.

However, entrance into the area was being manned by one of the club's bouncers, decked in the recognizable attire of black t-shirt emblazoned with the club's logo, a pair of denim jeans with a utility belt around the waist and black sneakers. Interestingly enough, what made this Italian-American male with short black hair stand out was the fact that he DIDN'T stand out. Where the few men she'd seen were all walls of muscle, this gentleman–while athletically trim–was short. Very short. As in, 4'7" short without being out of proportion. Plus, he had another addition to his attire: green boxing gloves.

Carmelita would have sworn she'd seen this guy from somewhere before but she couldn't place him. Maybe he's one of those Street Fighter characters? she idly wondered. After all, there were just so damn many of their games now; especially with how often Capcom was pushing out upgraded remakes of the same game in a timely four-to-six month succession. So perhaps he was just another of those Fifth-stringers from one of their Ultra-Super -Hyper-Mega-Funky-Chicken World Warrior Turbo Editions.

Turning his attention to the duo, the man eyed the pair for a moment... before his attention went straight to the blond. "Ah, Strife my man! How's it hanging?" he uncrossed his arms and raised his right hand up, doing his best to uncurl the boxing mitt. "High-five!"

Raising his left hand, the man who was practically the face of Final Fantasy returned the greeting. "High-five," he said in return as his left hand gently smacked along the viridian glove of the boxer-turned-bouncer. Lowering his arm to his side, he asked, "So tell me, Mac. Which of the rooms are open?"

His other hand coming up, the Bouncer brought both of his gloves between him and the leather-clad patron in a warding gesture. "Woah, woah! Slow your roll there, Romeo. You know the rules. First things first! Time and payment?"

Nodding his head in understanding, Cloud bent over slightly, his right hand reaching for the pocket that was sewn into his pants next to his right knee, ignoring the one that was in his half-coat for the time being. "I was hoping for fifteen minutes. Possibly more, considering how lovely Miss Fox here is," he added as he retrieved his wallet. Standing up, he began to count out his money. "And of course, I'm paying in gil."

Although she kept her face neutral, Carmelita was feeling so giddy inside; she couldn't help but feel rather blessed. It was amazing to think that someone as successful and influential as Cloud Strife thought she was pretty. Maybe if I do a good enough job, he could talk to the right people at Sony and help get my game series moving again, she thought with hope growing in her chest. While the vixen was ever-so-grateful to Lara for this chance, she would like to go back to acting whenever possible.

That meant that even if she was a bit of a newbie at this, the Hispanic fur knew she had to rock his world so hard he went straight on past the moon. In the proverbial sense, not literal. She'd seen how much time it took for some of those cut-scenes when they were summoning meteors or other celestial bodies to battle. Way too damn long.

Seeing the open wallet, the boxer known as Mac rolled his eye. "Gil again? Should've figured. You got six-thousand for the fifteen minutes?"

That caught the vixen's attention. Six-thousand? she thought with alarm. But isn't what he promised me? the woman wondered with a bit of worry even if her features remained schooled in a calm expression.

"Of course," Cloud replied as he took out six monetary notes that the Hispanic fox didn't recognize the markings of; a lot of weird sigils and runic script. She did, however, make out that each one was stamped with the number, '1,000'. "Six-thousand gil for fifteen minutes..." he looked over to Carmelita again and gave her a small but genuine-seeming smile. "Of course, if she's as great as I think she'll be if not better then I might be coming out again to give you another six... or even twelve-thousand."

That made the woman's eyes light up. Twelve-thousand more gil? If she could manage that, such was... What was the gil conversion rate again? She mentally queried as the gears in her head began to turn. She blinked her eyes as the answer came to her. Wow! He would really spend one-hundred and eighty dollars for less than an hour with me? Despite herself, the blue-tressed vixen couldn't help but blush a little, both from embarrassment and pride.

However, such thoughts and hopes died a painful, screaming death as she saw the man place the money in the open boxing-gloved palm of the Italian-American. Well... crap... the fur thought irritably. Still, it made sense though. The establishment needed to make money first and foremost. If she wanted any of that cash, she needed to shake her tail and get the man to be generous with her too!

Counting out the money for a moment, the raven-haired bouncer nodded his head. "All right, you're all settled up. Also, since you two are the first ones back here tonight, you should know that you have your choice of any room you want; they're all pretty much the same with the exception of being color-coded." He looked between the human and the anthro fox. "Now then, you two are familiar with the rules of the VIP area, right? Because none of those doors have locks so if I have to go in there for anything while you're in service, that means you done fucked up and someone will be tossed out on their ass," he specifically turned to the blue-haired fox. "No exceptions. That includes dancers too."

Nodding his head firmly, Cloud was quick to answer, "Of course, Mac. I've been coming here for so long that I know the rules better than you do. I promise, I will be a veritable gentleman with her. I'm not about to lose my favorite hang-out, period."

"All right," the man replied. "Just making sure, Mr. Strife." He turned to the shorter fur again... which ironically had them both at eye-level albeit with her being ever so slightly taller thanks to the black high-heels she wore. "And you, Miss Fox?"

Meeting the man's steely gaze with her own, the Hispanic vixen replied, "Yes!" Granted, she could admit to herself that she didn't know all the rules but she remembered the ones that counted the most. The various monetary conversions to make sure services were paid for, that each re-mixed song was around five minutes so one could keep track of their times via how many songs they danced to, that no sex could take place on club grounds between dancers and customers, and while patrons were not allowed to touch the dancers on the main floor, in the VIP room they could IF the stripper allowed it. And lord, did she ever plan to try and push the limits... hers, not his. She was certain Cloud was used to all kinds of things. The vixen could only hope to match his expectations and earn herself some cash!

Holding his blue gaze with the woman's own brown orbs, the short male finally nodded his head. "All right then," the raven-haired bouncer replied. "Get comfy in one of the rooms. Your fifteen minutes start in..." he trailed off, listening for the song that was being pumped in through the ceiling speakers. "One minute."

"All right," Carmelita replied as she turned about towards the much taller blond once more, the swivel of her body giving off a rather nice bounce to her breasts and tail as she did. "Do you have a preference, Cloud? I can call you that, right?"

Smiling, the man gave the shorter fur a nod of his head. "Yeah, you can call me Cloud. As for the rooms..." he looked up, mulling over it for a moment. "I think room three at the end of the hall would definitely suit you best."

"Right," the vixen barked out happily, pleased he was trying to help her. "The customers get what they pay for!" she chirruped merrily as she offered her right hand to him. Watching as his own reached out and gently clasped over hers, the vixen gave his fingers a gentle squeeze as she lead him down the hallway, being careful not to trip in her heels. As she came upon the red-waxed wooden door adorned with a golden number, '3' at human eye-height, the woman reached out with her left hand and pressed the crimson wood barrier inward.

Her eyes going wide, Carmelita couldn't help but feel an immense wave of luxury crash over her. Immediately upon entry, she could see that as the door hinted, the theme here was, 'red'. There was a fireplace with wrought-iron gargoyle statues as part of the ember gating, the floor comprised of alternating orange and crimson marble tiles, smooth and polished enough to the point where they had a reflection. Also interestingly enough, settled before the fireplace was a gold-framed couch padded with cranberry-colored crushed leather. It would be a comfy place for a patron and someone on their lap to sit.

And that was just the bottom floor. There was a three-step divide that became apparent as one went further into the room, the second floor leading up to a stage-like platform with a brass pole and a couch the same crushed leather as the recliner by the fireplace. And beyond that? Good lord, the room had a hot-tub that rested on atop the highest raised platform.

Christ almighty. When they said this place was a VIP Room, they weren't kidding!

The decadence of the room kept Carmelita silent for only a few moments, before she realized that she had business to attend to. Her eyes swept the room, landing on the hot-tub. A slow smile curled across her features–the thought of being warm and cradled in that heat while she was trying to tempt gil out of a certain blond male was delicious. She tilted her head to Cloud, her hand gesturing to the tub in question. "We could always start there, if you wanted?" She could hear the little trills of excitement in her voice.

A look flashed through Cloud's gaze, a mixture of desire and disappointment. "If I had known that you were interested in the hot-tub... hell, I only knew you were here... I would have booked the room for the Champagne Experience in advance." His eyes flashed to the tub once more, and Carmelita saw the small smile flicker across his face. "I'll remember that for next time, hmm?"

Next time? The vixen's attention piqued–she wanted to make sure that there was a next time! As far as clients went, Cloud Strife was already showing himself to be pleasing to be around. She let a slow smile spread across her features and turned back to the soldier. Three quick strides brought her close to him, so that she could smell the sweet scent of leather and see the way that his breath caught slightly in his chest from her proximity. "Well then, what do you want, Mr. Strife?"

The human male paused, his eyes raking over her face, along her body, before rising back up again to fix on her lips. "I want to feel you close to me, that's all."

There was something almost sweet about the way he said it–of course, close to me equated to a lap dance, so Carmelita couldn't look too far into it. Still...

Her eyes searched around the room, before coming to rest on a rather plush looking recliner. A small shiver of excitement crept along her spine, and she put one hand to Cloud's waist, trying to push him towards it. "Over there, then?"

His eyes followed the line of her gaze, and the Latina vulpine saw the pleased smile that snaked across his lips in understanding. The blond man nodded and shifted away from her to go to the recliner. It only took him a second to get settled, before the vixen was faced with the reality that she needed to dance for him. One that was going to be a much different dance from what would be expected on stage though, something much more sensual. After all–you got paid for what you gave and she wanted to make that gil!

With that thought in mind, she put her intentions into her body language–as she walked towards him, Carmelita's hips swayed, her waist rolling so that each stomp of her foot to the ground caused her full breasts to jiggle. Cloud's eyes widened in anticipation, and she let a slow, sultry smile cross her face. "We aim to please," and she was pleased with the fact that her voice came out as a soft purr like she meant for it to.

She spilled forward to the recliner, her hands coming to the arms to prop herself up as she leaned forward. The line of her body nearly touched the blond's, her hips working forward so that he could feel the line of heat radiating from her frame. She could feel the brush of something in his pants that wasn't a codpiece, and jerked to attention at her ministrations. Carmelita bit her lower lip, letting her flush cross her face so that he could see her reaction to touching him.

A low, masculine laugh spilled from his throat and she grinned. With her arms still propped on the recliner, the Latina vixen leaned forward, letting her body roil in sensual lines that sent her gently rocking against the soldier. Before he had a chance to react, she pulled back, flipping her body around so that Cloud was suddenly faced with the sensation of her full bottom pressing against his crotch, the line of her back playing against his chest. Her arms on the recliner kept her with a perfect leverage to writhe her body against him: slow, steady, heated, and full of sensuality. Carmelita let her head fall back, resting against his right shoulder so that she could nuzzle his neck for just a moment–and she was rewarded with the sound of a low moan spilling from his lips. His fingers hovered over her skin, a hot promise of heat... but he didn't touch her.

With another roll of her hips, however, the question was forced to spill from his chest. "Can I touch you, Carmelita?" His face turned, nuzzling softly against her neck–the action sent trills of excitement through the fox's body. Softer now, husky and full of need, Cloud spoke again, "Can I, please?" And his hands skirted up along her body, hovering just below her ribcage, beneath her full breasts that bounced with the gyration of her hips. It was his mouth against her neck, warm and sweet, needy, that caused her to answer.

"Yes..."

The woman could have sworn that she heard a low growl of pleasure from him. His hands came down, warm and large, to cup her breasts gently. Fingers worked into the soft flesh, with only the boundary of her pasties to keep his palms from brushing her nipples. His mouth had set against her neck, the warmth of it a wet heat now as he kissed there, showing his appreciation. What perhaps surprised Carmelita the most, and drew a small sound from her chest, was not his hands or his mouth but when she rolled her hips downward, the sensation of something long, hard, and far warmer than his Buster Sword had ever been settled between her ass-cheeks.

Oh. Oh, my,was the thought that crossed the Hispanic vulpine's mind as she felt that sensation begin to grind behind her. The human male was obviously into this. Into her. And boy, could he show it! Whether it was from his time during sword-practice or working on vehicles, the movements of his hands were delicate and precise. He knew how to touch her, when to touch her, and get them both to just revel in the sensations. She knew this was supposed to be her entertaining him, but Carmelita couldn't help but feel that she was getting as good as she gave. It's a performance, Carmelita… just a performance. Relax and take control of—

She never got to finish that thought as the blond surprised her by gently biting down on her shoulder; not hard enough to draw blood but enough to make sure he had her attention, eliciting a small cry from her. "AH! C-Cloud?" she gasped as she tried to turn her head to him; blushing as he released the hold his mouth had immediately so he could nuzzle her cheek-to-cheek in a rather affectionate manner, his hands continuing to caress over her the expanse of her furry mammaries. A small smile played on her features, as she whispered to him, "You are a naughty boy, you know that?"

Now that smile on his face became a small smirk... not condescending but letting her know that yes, he sure knew he could be. "More..." he whispered to her, gently bucking up against the vixen's rear, allowing her to feel the heat of his member through his leather pants. His eyes closed as he groaned, trying to keep it from becoming a cry of pleasure as he felt the woman squeeze him atop his pants with her ass-cheeks. The spiky-haired blond released a hot and heavy breath in an effort to not merely growl of pleasure. "Oh, just like that..." he cooed in thanks before reclining back, allowing the vulpine beauty to slide across his chest so that she was resting her head on his left shoulder instead, allowing him to attack the right side of her neck next with a bevy of kisses.

Closing her eyes for a moment the Hispanic vixen had to fight to control her breathing. The woman had been intimate with Sly back when they were together and was no stranger to sex, let alone physical contact. But this? This was leagues above and beyond what the raccoon done for her, and the soldier hadn't even done all that much! "Dulce madre de Dios..." she whispered a he continued to play her body like a fiddle, setting off little nerve clusters as his hands trailed over her tits... and behind. His fingers came lower, curling over her belly as he gave her abdominal muscles gently scratches and caresses, causing the woman's eyes to go wide as, despite her embarrassment, she let out a cry of, "YIP!"

Despite himself, Cloud couldn't help but release her neck from his kiss and laugh. "Ah! So that is what the fox says!" he told her in a teasing manner, his smile only growing as he saw the flush of her embarrassment show up through her facial fur. Bringing his lips up to her right ear, he whispered, "Did I ever tell you how gorgeous you are when you do that? You glow with such warmth..." he then gently closed his lips on her triangular earlobe, giving it a little nibble.

With heat flaring through her entire body, Carmelita was made starkly aware of the fact that she needed to get some control of the situation, before she lost herself completely. She hadn't realized that there was so much more to offer in the way of sensuality than what Sly had given her, but now wasn't the time to explore that. She was a professional in this situation–and currently, she certainly wasn't acting the part.

Almost regretfully, she pulled her head forward, arms spilling downward as she did. The vulpine let her fingers massage at Cloud's thighs for a moment, feeling the taut, well developed muscles there. His mouth found the sweep of her spine, trailing soft kisses along her back and shoulders, and Carmelita gave a small jump–her hands moved quickly in an attempt to turn herself around...

And somehow, in her haste, the vixen found herself with a handful of hard, heated Cloud, and the mercenary-dressed man beneath her let out a long, low sound that caused her entire body to go up in flames.

"I-oh... I'm sorry. I..." her fingers involuntarily gave a sharp, teasing squeeze, and then Carmelita quickly pulled herself up, flipping around so that she straddled the recliner. On her knees, she was shocked to find that there wasn't half as much space between her pelvis and Cloud's arousal as she'd thought. He's huge! was the scream that went through the back of her mind at the sight. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she put her hands against his chest, stroking the leather there slowly. "I didn't mean to... ah... um..." she bit her lower lip, but couldn't fight the small smile crossing her features. Cloud looked well and truly pleased, himself.

So pleased was the man that it took a moment for his blue eyes to come into focus. He blinked his cerulean gaze a few times to clear the haze of lust before he could make out the luscious form of the fox that was straddling him... and grinned. "Oh my dear, Miss Fox... you spoil me so," he said in all seriousness as he leaned his head forward, gently pressing his forehead to hers in an affectionate gesture. "I so wish I had some heads-up that you were coming... I would have enjoyed the hot-tub with you."

Carmelita smiled a bit. While it was embarrassing to hear such things, it was the tone of honesty that reverberated in his voice that let her know he meant it not in an entirely lustful way. "I definitely would have enjoyed a relaxing couple of hours in a nice warm tub..." she admitted as she gently ground her forehead back against his, nuzzling the nose at the end of her muzzle against his human one in a show of affection. "You really know how to treat a lady..." she blushed through her facial fur. "Even if I'm not acting like much of a lady at the moment."

"If it helps," Cloud said slowly, gazing into her brown eyes with his own blue orbs. "I'm not acting all that much like a gentleman should either." And with that said, he tilted his head back and kissed her; arms coming up to embrace the woman and hold her tightly to him as he did.

Her eyes going wide in shock, the Hispanic vulpine tried to pull back... only to find herself moaning into the kiss as he dueled tongues with her. His hands were moving up and down her back to massage the vixen as he made out with her, playing with the vertebrae of her spine in a calculated, professional manner that just fired sparks of pleasure off in her brain. With all that attention he was lavishing on her, the only thing her mind could register was, Yep... blows Sly clear out of the water...

Finally though, Carmelita had to break the kiss, gasping for much needed air. "Cuh... Cloud..." she panted out his name. "You need to stop..." she said in all seriousness, even though she really didn't want him to. "We don't have much time. Third song..." she tried to explain, reminding him that even if he wanted more, the spiky-haired blond had only paid for fifteen minutes. "If we're going to continue, we need to talk to the guy outside and..." she yelped as he pulled her thong down in the back, his hands caressing over her bare foxy booty, fingers deftly playing with the base of her tail as he silenced her with another kiss, his tongue going further now; the tip practically tickling her tonsils. Being a taller character as a human, apparently his extended reach included a lot more than just his arms and legs.

Breaking the kiss again, the man looked deeply into her eyes, his blue piercing her deep pools of chocolate. "Do you want a tip?" Cloud's voice was husky and full of promise, and it was only the fact that he slowed his actions enough to speak to her that gave Carmelita a chance to regain at least a small level of her composure. She stared at him with wide eyes, and realized that speaking might not be the safest course of action. When she blinked once, twice, thrice, and gave a small nod as the only actions she could manage, Cloud laughed at her.

"Turn around." She wasn't sure if she should trust him, but she gave another nod–he somehow had an ability to make her senses go wild and she didn't want to end up giving him more of a chance to tip than she intended. Still, she trusted him enough to flip her body round... and then instantly felt his hands coming down onto her hips. With her ass firmly in the air and her tail flipping back and forth impishly in his face, Cloud had to sit back and admire the view of her plump cheeks for just a moment. After that second had passed, one gloved hand came to smack at those plump cheeks with a resounding swat that caused Carmelita to yip again.

"Do you like that?" He brought one hand out to pull her thong from her body–a bill slipped from his fingers against her ass, and he gave another loud slap. The sweet furred flesh bounced and Carmelita squirmed against him. The vixen's flicking tail and jiggling cheeks was pleasure enough but she ground down hard against his body, making a gasp of pleasure escape the blond and causing more gil to rain down from his fingers.

Another slap accented the air, and Carmelita's body ground down, hips gyrating against his hard, aching body. As their last song wound down, Carmelita's ass was covered in gil, handprints, and Clould's Buster Sword was aching for release. The fox couldn't help but cry out another yip as the thong suddenly snapped back into place and Cloud caressed her backside one more time.

"Thank you," he whispered, affection prevalent in his voice.

Her face was flush, cheeks crimson. She had the oddest urge to thank him in return. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't reply, "Yuh-you're welcome..."

It was then that a thought suddenly occurred to the vulpine. A small, embarrassed smile gracing her delicate features, the Latina beauty gave him another shake of her rear. "Care for another private dance?" She still needed to make four digits to earn her keep... and she was certain she could make it worth his while.

Cloud smiled so wide that all his pearly white teeth were showing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Although he had become renowned for his piloting skills, McCloud did have more passions than just flight and aerial dogfighting when it came to machines of power and speed. He also had interest in the ground-based vehicles that could produce better combustion for more powerful auxiliary... greater speed! This meant of course that he had an interest in motorcycles and the muscle cars... particularly the models and makes of the late 1960's and early 70's

It was the vehicles that came out of the 70's in particular which were of great personal interest to the canid car aficionado. It was that decade that saw extreme changes in both vehicle luxury and size. When it came to American automobile craftsmanship, cars became a smoother riding experience overall while vehicle weight, standard equipment, and engine displacement were all increased. One of the more prominent luxury car companies, Cadillac experienced record sales all throughout the '70's thanks to one of its brands in particular.

The Cadillac DeVille.

When the DeVille model was introduced as its own series within the Cadillac brand in the mid-50's, it had made quite the splash and became an instant sensation. A decade later and it became Cadillac's mainstream model, having overtaken the company's Calais, Sixty Special, and El Dorado series in sales numbers. However, it was the 1970's that introduced the classic image of the DeVille that could become the standard of American luxury cars, setting the record for interior width that would not be matched by any other car until '95, a full quarter-century later!

And there was Fox... sitting in the front passenger's seat of a beautiful two-door '72 Cadillac Sedan DeVille convertible, being chauffeured to his destination. It was a hot-rod red and gold accented beauty with a silver chromed V-shaped grille set within an egg-crate style of front insert that adorned a wide hood with full-length wind-splints. There was also a prominent center crease in said hood, both to help hide the windshield wipers as well as house a massive 8 Liter V-8 engine within. A Cadillac crest prominently decorated the nose and indicator lamps topped each front fender. There was also more chromed steel as a horizontal beltline molding ran from behind the front wheel housing, almost to the rear; coming to a stop where an elliptical bulge in the body came to a point and where thin rectangular side markers were placed above and below the shining silver strip of more chromed detailing. And finally, the rear wheel openings were housed in fender skirts while the front white-belt tires were on full and prominent display.

While an impressive ride all its own, this wasn't just any Cadi, oh no! This was the eponymous if not infamous, 'Mario Mobile'! The gold accents in the paintjob were ever prominent on the front hood and lid of the trunk, the golden car paint being used to adorn them with a large 'M' and the image of a Super Mushroom respectively while the license-plates front and back were a pair of vanity pieces that read, 'MARIO 1'. The whole vehicle itself was shaking from the pair of sub-woofers in the trunk that were thundering out the rap song the Italian stallion had playing as he drove them across the Interstate Highway.

"When I drive my Cadillac she wants to ride in it to death! If I walk'a I don't start talkin' cuz it's-a wastin' my breath!" Mario sang aloud with the song, proving once and for all that older white men shouldn't rap. "I remembah the times I had to put up with de fakin'!"

"Mario!" the Papetoonian vulpine shouted over the thundering of the music. "This ride is incredible! Where did you manage to get this beauty?"

However, he wasn't loud enough, and the mustachioed man continued singing, slapping his hands on the steering wheel. "But now things have changed, cuz it's-a records I'm'a makin'! Packin' hundred-dollah bills as they lose in manilas! Chalkin' girls I just met and takin' 'em to the La Quinta..."

Raising an eyebrow, the male fur shouted a tad louder, "Hey! Mario!"

Whether it was his hearing, his singing, or the fact that he was a few sheets too many to the wind after a few hours drinking at McCloud's house, Mario was way too into the song to notice. "Cuz my Cadillac got dat bass, BASS! You know my Cadillac got dat boom, BOOM!"

"MARIO!" Fox shouted at the top of his lungs... groaning as the human just started bobbing his head to the beat of the music, bouncing in the driver's seat as he cruised down the highway, practically lost in his own little world.

Rolling his eyes, it was the sylvan male in the backseat who acted. "Oh, for fuck's sake! Naryu-damn it, Mario!" He shouted as he unclipped his seatbelt. Leaning forward, the man reached for the dashboard from between the two front seats and hit the power button. The radio shut off.

As the music suddenly stopped, Mario's pupils dilated, his pupils shrinking to pink-pricks. He slowly turned his gaze to his right, glaring at the Hylian. "What have I told you before about de radio? Only de driver gets to touch it!" he snapped. "Are you'a de driver here or am I!? Bad things'a happen to those who touch'a de radio who AREN'T the driver!" Oh, Link was SO lucky that all his tools of professional pain infliction were in the trunk with the sub-woofer speakers... he would have so bitch-slapped him with an Ore Club otherwise!

Rolling his eyes at the death threat his friend was giving him–he'd gotten far too used to them at this point–Link calmly told him, "You weren't paying attention to anyone or anything going on around you, Mario. Fox had something he wanted to ask you and you were ignoring him." And with that bit of truth given, the blond slowly reclined into the backseat, making sure to buckle his seatbelt again. Knowing the Italian, he'd likely put the pedal to the metal in retaliation, really work all eight cylinders to pick up speed to try and scare him.

Really, the pointy-eared blond had dealt with so many of Mario's temper-tantrums and actions born of snap decisions over the decades, that he knew all the in's and out's of the man's psyche. He might as well have written a book on it... lord knows the other cast members of Nintendo's various game series would have appreciated a way to diffuse the bomb that was the mustachioed plumber hopped up on booze and pills. It's a Naryu-damned miracle he can even function like that as it is, let alone drive a fuckin' car, he thought in annoyance.

Blinking his eyes a couple of times, the Italian icon of Nintendo turned his head back towards the road. "Oh, all righty then..." he murmured as he brought both hands to the steering wheel, eyes checking up for a moment to gain some reorientation as to where he was on the Interstate. Seeing that their exit was coming up, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to indulge the others for a little bit. "What is it you wanted to ask'a me, Fox?"

"I just wanted to give you some praise," the vulpine said in all honesty, bringing his right hand up to stroke his hand over his scalp fur. "I mean it, Mario. This ride is damned impressive! I just wanted to know where you managed to find this beauty!"

Smiling a little to see that at least SOMEONE could appreciate the Mario Mobile–stupid fairy boys and their preference for tricked-out two-wheelers–the mustached man was happy to answer, "I'mma proud to be able to tell you dat dis baby has always been in the family! My grandpappy, God rest his soul, was a financially successful as de head of New York's Sanitation Commission..."

Blinking in surprise at that statement, Fox queried, "You're grandfather was a garbage-man!?"

Frowning, Mario insisted, "Head of Sanitation. He was an elected official and was an incredibly thrifty and cunning man. He could find all kind'a rare and priceless things among de trash dat people just threw out! Threw out, I tell you! Practically coined de phrase, 'One man's trash is'a another man's treasure'..." he gave a hearty laugh. "And don't get me started on his creative application of sanitation services. He was bringing in money hand over fist!"

Bringing his right hand up to his fist, the Hylian started mock-choking into it. "Cough, cough—Mafia—cough, cough!" was his aside to explain to the Papetoonian native just where Mario's grandfather made his real money.

Wisely, Fox didn't say a word to acknowledge that not-so-hidden message.

Fortunately–for everyone, really–Mario either hadn't caught onto or chose to ignore the snide remark. Instead, he continued to explain, "Yeah, he did a lot for de people... unfortunately, as he got older he developed a nasty condition: spinal ankylosis. A number of'a de bones in his spine fused together and de poor man became rather hunchbacked. He loved his driving so much but he had trouble with his new... posture. With de leg room and recliner seat of dis Cadillac, he was able to keep going up until his death. He ended up leaving it to me in his will."

"Ah..." Fox murmured in understanding. "So you inherited this baby from your grandfather upon his passing."

"Right-o," the mustached man answered, his eyes darting upward as he could see their exit was coming up. "By that time, I was already pretty successful with'a my games so grandpappy didn't think to leave me any money. No. Instead he probably figured I had'a de coin to maintain her... and I am!" His grin was absolutely immense. "And that is why I'm never gonna get another one to be MY Mario Mobile. No other vehicle is going to match the sentimental beauty of dis baby... not to mention she really is stylish!"

And with that said, Mario turned his car to the right, taking the off-ramp. Riding the Cadillac down the ramp and back into the city streets, the man drove by a series of short buildings, all of which were crowded together. A few of them even had store-fronts with their steel grating down to indicate they were currently closed. "I know dis area don't seem that'a great but give it'a moment, guys. Dis part of the town has way, WAY too many stoplights... but I promise you, dis is'a gonna be SO worth it!"

"You keep saying that, Mario but what's so special about this place?" Link called out from the back. "I can think of at least five strip clubs off the top of my head that were in the same if not neighboring town as McCloud's place. Why did you need to drive us out this far just to see some Naryu-damned tits?"

Grinning wider, a small chuckle reverberated in the mustachioed Italian's chest. "Well, my fairy paisano... I'm not going to ruin the surprise. You'll understand when we get there."

"I can't believe we're going just to get me laid," Fox murmured. "Isn't that prostitution? Isn't that, you know... kind of illegal in this state?"

"Only if you just'a pay woman to fuck... but if you film it as well?" Mario smirked. "Then you're just'a filming a movie! Trust me, I've learned how to bend de rules without breakin' 'em thanks to my lawyers!"

Fox just stared at the somewhat short male, not wanting to know just what situations cause the Nintendo icon to learn that. "You make me worry sometimes, you know that Mario?"

The plumber just barked out a laugh. "You only worry sometimes? You don't know me very well, do you McCloud?" His smile widened into a very toothy grin. "There it is, boys. Here we go!" he called out with a hoot and a holler as he pulled into a parking lot which was filled with a number of vehicles... even a few familiar ones.

Both Hylian and Papetoonian fox turned their head to look at the building, their gazes drawn to the neon-lighting over a portion of the building that faced the lot. "...The Game Over club?" Fox queried as the, 'me' of the second word flickered, straining to stay on.

Immediately, Link was interested. "Oh, no shit! You took us to this place? Hot damn! I haven't been here in years!"

That made the Italian chuckled. "Oh, really?" he inquired with a curious tone. Pulling into an open space, he put the car into the parking gear before he turned about in his seat to look over his shoulder; his right forearm placed atop the headrest for balance. "I thought'a you told me Zelda would kill you if you went to a place like dis? So how do you know of it, fairy-boy?"

Now it was the pointy-eared blond's turn to become somewhat flustered. "I was invited to Zack Fair's Bachelor Party as Cloud's plus-one. Everyone else he knew already had an invite and I had nothing better to do. I thought it would be a nice change of pace, you know?" He took a deep breath. "Oh my sweet Goddesses, did I see some crazy things that night..."

Raising an eyebrow, Mario queried, "So... did you get lucky?"

Snorting, Link said, "Even if there was some... temptation... I couldn't act on anything. Like I said, Zelda would've killed me!" he shouted. "My girl is very, VERY serious about our exclusivity and dedication to one another. Hell, you should have seen how pissed she was when she saw that the script turned Ocarina of Time into, and I'm quoting her, 'a bad harem comedy like those dumb anime shows'."

"HEY! I happen to like'a anime!" the Italian shouted irritably. Shaking his head in annoyance, the man still pressed, "Still doesn't explain why you didn't try!"

"Yeah, Link... no offense to Zelda or anything," Fox began cautiously. He knew how much Link loved his wife and respected her so he wasn't about to question him on that. "But you did say you had temptation. Is Zelda really that incredible that you could wait to get home to vent?"

The blond leveled the male fur with a somber gaze. "To be blunt, Sheik was Squall's plus-one."

"...Ouch..." was all Fox could say to that.

"Eh, enough'a dat, you wimps!" Mario shouted as he shut the car off. Pocketing his keys, he reached to his left and opened his door; unbuckling his seat belt and sliding out in one deft movement. "The plan is simple! We're gonna share de wealth and score us some'a our fellow gaming gals!"

Even as he was also exiting the vehicle, the male vulpine couldn't help but query, "Fellow gaming gals? I take it this place specifically caters to our kind?" With a name like, 'Game Over' it made sense.

Chuckling, Mario was making his way around the back of his car as he replied, "That would be'a yes and a no, McCloud!" He stuck his hand into his pocket, fishing for his keys to retrieve them once more. "The girls are former videogame stars! So many lovely, gorgeous ladies who need to make'a some extra coin!" He chuckled as he pulled forth his key. Sticking it into the lock of his trunk, he told them, "And coins we shall give!"

The lid of the Mario Mobile's storage space opened, revealing a plethora of various items nestled between a twin set of speakers. Red and green mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Super Leaves, metal boxes, pill bottles, plungers, tool boxes, Deku nuts, capsules, a couple of spring platforms, and all kinds of varied implements of pain.

Raising an eyebrow, the tall blond of the group turned towards the shorter human. "Fucking-A, Mario! What the hell did you do? Raid Nintendo's prop department storage?" He motioned to one small handle in particular. "That's a Naryu-damned beam sword in there!"

Smirking, the Italian chuckled as he told his friend, "Of course! A guy can't be'a too careful in dis day and age... too many crazies around. Besides... weapons and power-ups are not why I'm going into de trunk." He reached in further, grasping the tightened golden chord of three white sacks with black etchings and patterns in the style of the Goron people as well as a trio of shimmering gems that were adorned to the cloth. "It's for these babies!"

Link immediately recognize them for what they were. "Giant wallets?" He yelped as he acted on reflex, catching the sack that the shorter man threw at him.

"That's ri~iiiiight!" Mario chimed out most melodiously. "Like I said boys... I'mma sharing the wealth! You've got a mix of five-thousand silver and gold Rupees in dat thing and dis one..." he held out another of the sacks to Fox. "For you, has five-thousand gold coins." He shook the sack a little, making the contents jingle. "Go on; take it."

Fox just stared at the sack for a while, looking in awe at the generosity of the plumber. "Five-thuh... thousand?" he gasped, his gaze moving back and forth between the sack and the man holding it. "That... that's enough for a new life!"

Shrugging his shoulders, the mustached man replied, "Well, enough for fifty new lives... but who's counting, right?" He chuckled. "Trust me, Foxy. I've got more than enough money to last'a me a lifetime. There's only so much money a man needs to live on. De rest? It's for showing off!" He shook the sack again. "I want you to have a good time Fox, so come on! Take it; tonight's entertainment is on'a me!"

Although a part of him did feel bad when he thought about how much Mario was giving him just for a club night... he couldn't help but feel gratitude. "Thanks, Mario... that's... that's really kind and generous of you." He looked up, his green eyes meeting the man's blue orbs.

Smirking, the Italian told him, "Don't be getting all gay on me, Fox. You just head in there and you make it rain coins on some lucky bitch!" He laughed. "And then you take'a her to de back rooms and pound her like there's a no tomorrow!"