Outgrowing your clothes Pt12

(Note, this page takes place between pages 10 and 11)

The mall was quite busy, which was surprising considering that everyone was still seemingly worried about the “Gericho Virus”. It had been almost two years since the first case state side, and even now, people were worried about catching it and ending up in the hospital.

Those concerns were not at the top of Victor Montagu, IV mind, even as he watched some furs walk by sneezing. He had just been given the latest booster shot, so he was calm and at ease. Besides, he was the epitome of health, even if he did get sick it wouldn’t amount to nothing more than staying bed for a day.

“Some furs need to take better care of themselves”, he muttered to himself as he strolled confidently through the mall.

It was nearing the end of October and his company, Boan Tech, was having a little holiday party to celebrate people coming back to the office on hybrid schedules. Like many other things, Victor had no desire to go, but he did not want to lose out on regional branch manager, so he figured he should make an appearance and at least look somewhat interested in his fellow employees.

The question was, what was he going to wear? He was much too refined to buy one of those stupid little costumes that were sold in stores, and he was not going to spend his hard-earned money on a reproduction of a costume from a popular movie or TV show. So, the question was, what was a horse to do?

He looked at his phone to see if there were ideas for simple normal clothed costumes that he could do. So deep in thought was the lithe fur that he barely heard heavy wheezing and footsteps that approached him. He just saw a shadow looming closer and closer to his position and at the last moment he barely moved to his left, just avoiding the figure.

“Eek, what the hell?”

“Burp, ugh, so-sorry. Didn’t, pant, see you there”, the figure responded.

Victor finally looked up from his phone to see the back of what he could only assume was the fattest fur he had ever seen in his life. From her voice he assumed it was a female, as well as her long, barely kept hair. She was wearing what looked to be a dress, though that dress resembled a bed sheet, one that was covered in sweat and other various stains. He watched as the fabric clung to her bouncing rear, shaking and quaking with each footfall. He was almost speechless. Almost.

“Jeez, who needs to worry about a deadly virus when you’re walking around with no regard for others!”

The woman, who he now realized was a monkey, turned back towards him. Her eyes were cold and angry, even as she wiped sweat away from her brow. She clenched her plump digits together into a fist, seemingly like she was going to pound the horse in front of her. To any on looker, they probably would have picked this woman in a fight as she was a hulking figure and he was just a scrawny horse. Victor felt that too as he took a step backwards, ready to run if she tried anything.

Fortunately for him, the monkey just shook her head and waved him off.

“You’re, gasp, not worth the energy. Go, pant, on, being, gasp, a fucking prick”, she said, before slowly waddling away and towards the food court.

“Hmph, she’s going where she belongs”, Victor said as he readjusted his buttoned-down shirt and designer slacks. “I don’t hit ladies, but that beast was anything but!”

He heard her belch and fart as she continued walking on, and he instinctively waved his hand In front of his face to get rid of the smell.

“Ooof, and an uncouth one at that as well.

With that, the horse continued his trek around the mall, only stopping when he saw a thrift store near one of the entrances.

“Huh, don’t recall seeing that. Oh well, maybe they’ll have something in here that I can wear to this forsaken party.”

He took a few steps towards the store and looked inside, seeing a variety of clothes on different racks. Nothing stood out to him, but he decided to go in further.

“I just hope they wash the items before they sell them. Who knows what lived in them before they got back here.”