Furtropolis, The big city full of both anthro and feral creatures from all sorts of origins, a once quite town now a swiftly growing city with a friendly atmosphere. A city filled with dreams, A community filled with hope yet it was ran by a duo that was slowly being torn apart by jealousy and this was beginning to taint this once peaceful city.

Pierre the anthro Red Panda felt horrible about flirting with Jacob the anthro Weasels crush who was a cute anthro Fennec named Kai at a party last week. The two furs who were responsible for running the city in an orderly fashion were arguing over such a childish thing ever since it happened, the effects on the city weren't massive but it was still clear as day the leadership had taken a dive ever since that party and Pierre was sick of all this drama and just wanted to talk to Jacob about it, to apologise for what he did but the Weasel still held a grudge at him and it showed. The moment Pierre walked into his office Jacob glared at him, clearly annoyed by just the sight of his friend which obviously felt terrible about his actions.

“Hey Jacob can we please talk like adults for once after that whole 'flirting with your crush' thing at the party last week… Please?"

“I have nothing to say to you, Pierre. now leave my office I got shit to sort out."

“C'mon how the fuck was I supposed to know you liked him?!"

“Oh I don't fucking know, how about the fact that I talked to him every day and tried to get some one on one time with him for ages?! I'm pretty sure that's a fucking good sign I have a crush on Kai!"

“Well maybe you weren't successful because he doesn't fucking like you back!"

Pierre covered his mouth soon after blurting that out, regretting his choice of words almost immediately as he watched Jacobs face turn beat red with pure anger while his annoyed facial expression slowly formed into extreme anger, his eyes staring directly into his partners. If looks could kill, he would be charged with murder.

“Get. The fuck. Out."

“J-Jacob I'm sorry I didn't me-“

“Get out of my fucking office right now and don't fucking come back! You're done!"

“Can I at least collect my-“

“You got five seconds to get out before I knock you out cold, now go!!"

“Fine! Screw this stupid job anyways!"

Pierre screams at the top of his lungs before slamming the door behind him and walking out of the building muttering every curse word he could think of under his breath, angry with his now former partner at how he managed this whole situation when it could have easily been sorted out through a simple and calm discussion. 

After Pierre had left his office in a rather aggressive manner he rolled his eyes and sighed, laying his head on the desk feeling deflated from that confrontation, he already had enough on his mind as is and the fact he had just lost a good assistant mayor made him feel awful. After a few minutes of thinking he picked up the phone and called his best friend Dustin the anthro Jackel.

“Hey Jacob what's up? I was just about to come over to see how you were doing."

“Hey Dustin, that's great I really need you over here right now I got something I really need to talk about with you."

“Are… You alright?"

“Honestly, no. I'll explain when you arrive…"

“Alright Jacob… I'm coming."

“Thanks…"

Jacob hung up the phone soon after, sitting back in his chair and looking out the window, staring at the town as he holds back the tears that were forming in his eyes knowing that he needed some time to himself to get over this drama and to clear his mind. While he tried his best to bottle his emotions he heard Dustin walk into his office, hesitant to say something to him due to how depressed he had looked.

“Jacob…? You wanted to talk to me…?"

“Y-yea sit down…"

The Jackal did what he was told, Jacob facing him soon after with a tear running down his soft cheek as his emotions were starting to show.

“What's wrong Jacob…?"

“Look… I know this is extremely sudden but… I need a new assistant mayor and I know you had previous experience running this place while I was gone for a few days and I know just how much you wanted to work next to me full time so… I'm choosing you, is that okay…?"

“Uhh… yea that's okay I'm really happy you're giving me a chance here but what happened to Pierre…?"

“I don't want to talk about it right now…"

“Okay, I understand…"

“Im going to need to leave this city for a while… I can't have a leadership role while I'm in such a horrible headspace…"

“Wait hang on, so you're just gonna let me run this place without supervision for god knows how long?! How can I cope?!"

“Dustin… I'll be honest with you, Furtropolis basically runs itself I do fuck all up here other than pass a few laws and open new establishments from time to time, you know that's what makes this city so great, it's for the people, besides you do have previous experience"

“I… guess you're right but you can't just leave this place entirely! You have to stay! Lots of people will miss you, it won't be the same!"

“I made up my mind… I'm sorry but I just can't do this right now… let everyone know for me…"

“O-okay… just please take care of yourself…"

“I can't promise anything… but I'll try…"

“Good…"

And with that last worried tone escaping Dustin's maw Jacob leaves the office still trying to hold back tears trying to keep his emotions bottled up inside as he made his way to his house to grab a tent and a few other things. 

Once he got his camping supplies ready he packed them in a large backpack and made his way to the beach to take in the calming ocean breeze before he left his beloved city. It was his favourite spot to sit down at to clear his mind and he liked to pick a spot on the edge of the beach too since it was fairly quiet and not many people wanted to go to that spot. As he sat down on the cool, wet sand he finally let all his emotions out crying out softly, breaking down from all the stress and anxiety he experienced over the past week from all that drama with Pierre, his tears dripping down his soft face and onto the sand.

As he was crying softly on the beach sand Kai had been spending time in the ocean going for a relaxing swim as gentle waves nudged him towards land, cutely paddling in the cold water as his tail wagged slowly having the time of his life. That is until he saw Jacob sitting down covering his eyes as he cried softly. He couldn't help but wonder what was wrong so he quickly got out of the water and dried himself down with his towel before covering his lower half with it and running over to see what was wrong.

“Jacob, are you okay?"

He asks with a worried look on his face as he ran over towards him.

“No Kai I'm really not…"

“What's wrong…? Is that whole party incident still bothering you hun…?"

“I-it really is… I just can't stand Pierre anymore he always flirts with everyone while I'm here all alone and depressed trying to get with someone… it just… pisses me off!!"

“Hey hey hey calm down alright?"

Kai hugs him tight and nuzzles him softly.

“I'm here for you…"

 “…Thanks Kai I appreciate it, but I've already made up my mind to leave the city for a while..."

Kai looks at the large backpack that was sitting behind his weasel friend, staring at it for a few seconds before looking back up at him with a sad look on his face.

“But Jacob you can't just leave the city, think of all your friends! And who's going to run this city in your place?"

“Dustin is, just like last time…"

“Well… alright but still you can't leave!"

“Kai… My mind is already made up… I'm sorry…"

“Fine… but please take care of yourself for goodness sake!"

“Like I said to Dustin, I'll try but I can't promise anything."

“That's all I can ask for."

Kai says softly before giving him another hug, tighter than the last one he gave him before giving him a kiss on the cheek and speaking up again.

“I care about you a whole lot Jacob I don't want anything to happen to you."

The skinny Fennec got up soon after giving him a soft pet on the head before leaving his side to go swimming again, throwing his towel on the sand and running back into the ocean, Jacob watching on as he smiled slightly before getting up and making his way to the forest that was about half an hour away in terms of walking distance thinking to himself the entire time about how different things would have been if he handled this situation differently, Jacob knew he wasn't perfect but this was definitely something he could have avoided if he acted more mature but what's done is done and he had to live with his mistake. 

After half an hour of walking he had finally made it to the dense forest that borders most of the town. It looked very dark and lonely the perfect place to set up camp away from civilisation for a few days. He took in one last deep breath of slightly polluted city air before setting foot in the forest, slowly making his way through the tall grass and thick shrubs being careful not to tread on any dangerous wildlife living in the area.

It didn't take him that long to find a decent spot to camp at, finding a small fresh water lake to set up camp for the next couple of days. After determining the best spot to set up base he went to work on pitching his tent and collecting firewood taking him roughly thirty minutes to do so. Once his home away from home was complete he laid down on the grass to relax, looking up at the trees above taking in deep breaths of fresh forest air before talking to himself.

“So this is where I'm going to be living for the next few days huh… better get used to it."

———————————————————

It had been a week and a half since Jacob left the city to focus on healing his headspace and Furtropolis had been running just as smoothly as it did before he left, hardly anyone noticed a difference after Dustin had temporarily took over the role of city mayor in his absence, but that didn't mean no one missed his presence in fact almost everyone had missed him including Dustin.

Fortunately for the residents of Furtropolis Jacob was finally coming back, emerging from the thick bushes with his backpack making his way towards the city the fresh forest air slowly being replaced by a slight smell of carbon dioxide like any typical city would give off. Jacob would be lying if he said he didn't miss the stench, even if it was a bad smell, it made him feel at home.

“Ah it's so good to be back."

He said to himself before getting his mobile phone out of his pocket to call Dustin letting him know he was finally back in town.

“Hey Jacob what's going on?"

“I just wanted to let you know I'm back in town!"

“Oh awesome! You picked the perfect day too because I got a huge surprise ready for you! I'm holding a city announcement in the park very soon, so meet me there!"

“Sounds like a plan Dustin I'll be there soon, I just need to drop my camping supplies at my house then I'll make my way over there!"

“Alrighty then! See you soon Jacob!"

“See ya!"

Shortly after ending the call Jacob begins to jog to his house as a huge smile forms on his face, excited to see what Dustin had planned in the park. Jacob had arrived at his house minutes after he started jogging, quickly unlocking and opening his door before throwing his backpack onto the couch before running back to the front door locking it before full on running to the park now filled with adrenaline and excitement beginning to break a sweat, panting heavily but the excitement was too much for him to slow down now.

“I'm coming Dustin!"

He yelled out with excitement as he continued to sprint, pushing through the fatigue as he could see the stage that was set up for the announcement as well as what he assumed was a statue of some sort covered by a black fabric. The sight made him push through the exhaustion just that little bit longer soon arriving at the edge of the park, collapsing onto the soft grass shortly after arriving at the announcement stage that was set up, breathing heavily as he caught his breath from the sprinting. While Jacob was catching his breath Dustin saw him laying on the ground.

“Hey Jacob you made it! …why are you on the ground?"

“I *pant* sprinted over here *pant* because I was excited *pant*…"

“Hehe you silly weasel!"

Dustin chuckled before helping him up, giving his best friend a nice tight hug soon after happy to see him again.

“So when does this meeting start?"

“Very soon, people should be arriving any minute now!"

“Awesome!"

“Mhm, mind saying a few words after I'm done talking? I'm sure lots of people will want to hear from you after your break!"

“Sure why not!"

“That's the spirit!"

Both Jacob and Dustin sit on the edge of the stage while waiting for furs to arrive in the meantime they talked about their experiences and what they had been up to the past week, Jacob telling Dustin his time in the forest and how peaceful it was camping there, Dustin telling Jacob about his experience in running the city while he was away the past week and a bit which made him think the whole time he was telling him his experiences.

During their talk furs began arriving at the stage, gathering around as they wait for the announcement to start, many intrigued by what was hiding under that cover that was behind the stage. A crowd began to form as the next couple of minutes had went past, everyone eager to know what the announcement was.

Both Jacob and Dustin stood up onto the stage soon after the crowd had formed, Jacob sitting on a seat on the stage while Dustin made his way to the podium to address the crowd and settle them down, tapping the microphone a few times to test if it was on and working properly before speaking.

“Alright everyone settle down please, I'd like to start the announcement."

The crowd quickly settled down after Dustin began to talk.

“Okay, first of all I'd like you all to welcome back our mayor Jacob! He has returned from his little break and will be taking over all operations tomorrow morning!"

The crowd clapped and cheered happily as Jacob gave them all a wave with a smile on his face feeling really happy to be back where he belongs.

“Secondly and the main reason I put together this announcement here today is something I've been working hard on to keep secret the past few days and why the park had been closed for a short amount of time. To commemorate all of Jacob's hard work over the years to build Furtropolis from the ground up, I'd like to announce that we now have a new statue dedicated to him!"

Dustin pulls the black cover off to reveal the statue of Jacob with a wide smile and his arms crossed that seemed to have been hand chiseled out of stone, the crowd clapping and cheering loudly as all their eyes lit up taking in this amazing work of art. All Jacob could do was stare at it and admire it's beauty as a slight tear of happiness formed in his eye.

“And now I'd like to hand the microphone over to your beloved mayor for a few words! Jacob, the podium is yours bud."

The crowd clapped a few people whistling with excitement as Jacob stood up and made his way to the podium, looking back at the statue then to Dustin before facing the crowd again.

“Thank you everyone, it's good to be back after a week to myself and to thank Dustin for doing this very special announcement just for me, it really means a whole lot to me and I'm glad I mean this much to all of you."

A tear runs down his cheek as he pauses his speech momentarily, swiftly wiping it with his arm before looking down at the crowd smiling at how happy they all looked to have him back but something just felt off, he didn't feel like he should be Mayor anymore, there was just something telling him it was better to step down and let Dustin take over, it looks like he had done a great job taking care of the city while he was gone a way better job than he could ever do. He thought about his next words for a few minutes, standing there in complete silence as their smiles slowly formed into confused looks as to why he was staying quiet for so long which soon forced him to say something.

“But… as much as I love being the mayor of this city… It is with a heavy heart that I wish to resign as mayor and hand the position over to Dustin."

The crowd gasps in pure shock as their jaws drop taken aback by his sudden announcement, Dustin completely gobsmacked by this as his jaw hangs wide open.

“He's done a fantastic job as mayor for this city and I think it's best for Furtropolis and our community that he takes over my position. I will still be around, I'll still assist him whenever he needs help but I will be stepping back from managing this great city."

Jacob turns around to face Dustin.

“So what do you say man, do you mind being my successor?"

“J-Jacob I don't know what to say…"

“You don't have to say anything, you're exactly what Furtropolis needs to grow."

“I… Thank you Jacob… The trust your giving me to look after your pride and joy… it means a whole lot…"

Jacob smiles softly before giving him a tight hug which he happily returned with tears of happiness running down his cheeks, the crowd cheering on as they embraced, the two walked off the stage soon after Jacob broke the hug both waving to the people while doing so.

“Well Jacob I got some sorting out to do in the office since you handed ownership to me, I wish I could stay and hang out with you for a bit"

“No no you're fine! Go do what you need to do, I'm pretty sleepy so I might take a nap when I get home!"

“Heh alright Jacob catch you later!“

“See ya Dustin!"

Jacob smiled at his best friend while waving goodbye to him before heading home, exhausted both physically and emotionally from the days events. He couldn't wait to get home so he can lay on his comfortable bed and get some much needed and deserved rest. Just thinking about laying down on his bed was enough to make his eyelids heavier and heavier as he walked home slowly resembling the appearance and actions of a zombie.

After what felt like an eternity of walking he was almost at his house, now well within his field of vision. The closer he had gotten to his house however he could see someone sitting down in front of the front door, Jacob quickly figuring out who it was after a few more steps of walking.

“Kai? What are you doing silly?"

The weasel says out loud a few houses away from his.

“Hmm? Oh Jacob you're finally here!"

“How long have you been waiting in front of my house?"

Jacob says as he gives his Fennec crush a soft hello hug while noticing he was holding a piece of folded paper in his hand.

“I heard you were back in town so I wanted to give you this!"

Kai unfolds the paper revealing a detailed drawing of him which Jacob instantly fell in love with.

“Oh my god Kai this is so good! Did you draw this?"

“Yea! I've been getting into drawing art recently and I wanted to surprise you with this as soon as you came back!"

“Aww that's very sweet of you Kai, thank you so so much for this!"

“You're very welcome Jacob!"

“Would you like to come inside for a coffee or something?"

“I'd love too but I have lots of house work to do unfortunately maybe another time?"

“That's okay Kai, I understand!"

“Great! I guess I should be going n-“

Kai was interrupted mid-sentence as he began to walk away.

“Wait Kai, I have to tell you something."

“Hmm? What is it Jacob?"

“I've been holding this in for a while now but I think it's about time I said it… I have a huge crush on you…"

Jacob looks down while blushing slightly as he blurted out his feelings for Kai.

“Oh I knew that."

Kai says with a sly grin on his face.

“Wait… huh?? Was it really that obvious?"

“Of course it was! You always spoke completely differently towards me and you always had a smile on your face every time you saw me, not to mention that whole party thing!"

“O-oh well uh… would you like to go out sometime perhaps?"

Kai gives him a big hug and a gentle kiss on the cheek before answering his question.

“I'd love to Jacob."

“O-okay cool uh… see you tomorrow then?"

“Mhm, it's a date!"

“Awesome!"

“Alright well I'm gonna get going now Jacob, have a great rest of your day!"

“You too!"

Jacob blushed slightly after saying goodbye to Kai, unlocking his door with his gift art in hand closing and locking it behind him once he walked inside putting Kai's drawing on the dining table before walking into his bedroom and collapsing on his soft bed, passing out shortly after laying down not that it mattered that much he definitely needed the sleep after today and he could finally sleep soundly knowing the city is in good hands now. There is certainly no doubt that Furtropolis will continue to grow and thrive over the next few years under Dustin's leadership