Warning: Violence and language.

Things get rough in Hawaii, taking place in the last day of the Show Your Colors event on this year.

Written in collaboration with WyldElyn Herr Wozzeck and Jason Blade

Art by WyldElyn

Furry Basketball Association spearheaded by steviemaxwell

NOTE: Other than the characters in the know, all events in the scenes are NOT for general IC knowledge. Is a behind the scenes deal.

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Show Your Colors, the Hawaiian event scheduled to showcase the talent of aspiring athletes, was coming to a close. It was smack middle of the day on the Hawaiian shores the hotel offered, the blue ocean crashing into the pristine white sands and the sun shining bright and strong. The polecat was promised beachside scrimmages, but he forgot the one optional activity that was now tradition, that swimsuit photoshoot for charity. Dumb, nonsensical, waste of time for the polecat who was growing antsy. He ditched the spot, got to a beach chair and laid back to wait until those egocentric dipshits were over with that shit so he could finally get to the part he was in for in the first place.

Once Jonathan Lawyer, the perky meerkat, basked enough into the photography session, (practically shoved away, citing being a camera hog) he went out towards the facilities again. The meerkat, in his flame-patterned trunks, saw the lounging polecat in the distance. "Yo Sterls!"

The polecat looked up from his phone at the voice. "Sup?" He said dryly at his ally.

Jon walks over to him. "Nothing much, just came from chillin with that sweet collie gurl and killin’ the photoshoot! Hehe" He says smiling. "The hell you doing all on your own?"

"Trying to find someone to ball, but they're all distracted by that bullshit" he pointed at the photoshoot going on some yards away. "Really fucking lame. Waitin’ for that shit to be done with so I can finally fucking play a game!"

"The photoshoot?" Jon asked. He then chuckled. "Really dude? Come on, we're on our fucking way to become one of the FBA's finest. Taking a couple of shots ain't gonna hurt anyone's image. Besides, it's a good way to get some sweet promos of ya early."

"And giving the Hawaii GM some prime material to touch himself? Pfft. Yeah fucking right..." he tugged on his sleeves. The meerkat could tell the polecat felt uncomfortable in the Hawaiian sun.

The meerkat laughed. "Oh come on dude! You really think that? Or is it because you're worried that your smug will crack all of the cameras?" He joked.

"Up yours too. Maybe FURNICEF will use your pics as a starving kid poster boy!" The polecat snarked back, snickering, but his snark was cut by the feeling of heat all around. Damn, Hawaii wasn’t the place for a Scandi. He wiped the sweat of his forehead. "Fuuuuuuuck it's hot in this shit!"

"Well take off the shirt. It's freaking Hawaii after all." Jon said still laughing. "Come on man, ya gotta learn to lighten up sometimes. Tried a splash at the beach yet?"

Sterling snorted. "No way. I'm fine." The mustelid shook off. "Gonna wait till we get at least a 2 vs 2."

"Suit yourself man. At least try to find some way to cool yourself off, you look like you're being steamed in a sauna!" Jon said.

The mustelid groaned. "Tell me when you ready to ball." He laid down, putting his hands on the back of his head. The meerkat saw his shirt was soaked.

Jon covered his nose once the wind blew in the wrong direction. "Damn dude! Someone call the bio inspectors for an emergency!" He said as the smell went through his nostrils. "How long have you been like that?!"

He huffed, glaring upwards to Jon. "Like what? Same time as you? We got out at the same time..."

".... Imma be right back" Jon says as he walked away for a couple of minutes.

"The fuck is up with him?" Sterling thought as the meerkat walked away. After a about 5 minutes, he sneaked right behind Sterling with a nice cold bucket of water. "COOL DOWN!" He says as he dumped the water right on top of him quickly.

“SHIT!” The polecat jumped in reflex, his heart skipping some beats. "The hell was that for?!" He threw some punches at the meetkat's side. "FUCKING HELL!"

Even with the wince of obvious pain, the Kat chuckled a bit. "To get you cooled down man! You obviously needed that shit." He says. A tiny gust of wind came by. "Ya feel that?"

The mustelid coughed some water out, letting his hair out. "All I feel is almost drowning. Good thing I got all my shit in my bag. I coulda ended you here now if it wasn't the case.."

"Pfft whatever dude." Jon says as he dusts himself off. "But in all seriousness, ya gotta know when to just chill out. Getting to the top don't mean work your ass out and grump your way thru this, yanno?"

"Dude. I just don't want to be a fake look first guy. I can wind down. Just ask Aggie and that metal concert. Just need my element and I’m fucking set."

"And as I said before, taking a couple of simple shots ain't gonna kill that hardcore image." The Kat says. "Like Malone or Shane. They took a couple of shots for a Magazine, and nobody is calling them weak or spineless. All I'm saying is, it doesn't kill ya to try something new..."

"It ain't about image. Is just me not being the fucking posterboy kind. You wanna take the pictures, fine. I'll be busy ballin' and kickin’ ass." he squeezed the excess water out of his hair. "So, you in for a 1 on 1 or you still want to be the supermodel of the world with the rest of the fuckers? Need the high heels?"

Jon simply rolled his eyes. "Alright man, I'm in." Jon says.

The mustelid jokingly put an arm around the meerkat, who promptly tried to shove him away. The rest of the day was spent on the court and finally having his fun. Once the sun started setting, the tired mustelid set his way back to his room.

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“This always takes forever...”

Agundio was in his routine of grooming his forearm feathers. Back in college he knew just how stingy referees could be at even the slightest contact with rival players, even grazing with inoffensive feathers could risk giving away easy free throws to the rivals. He swore he heard the door of the room opening, but he didn’t pay much mind; he was deep in his grooming and surely it was just Sterling or Tryce. He used the softly humming machine to shorten his feathers, in the most minute of detail, an activity best done with concentration, silence and time.

Once done, the hybrid buttoned the collar of his shirt, shaking off the last of the groomed feather remains. He then walked to the living room as he heard a voice emanate from one of the bedrooms. Seems whoever he was, didn't notice his door wasn’t closed and not noticing him.

He took a peek inside the room, seeing Sterling standing off by the window in his bedroom. He noticed that the polecat was shirtless, one of his trademark sleeves laying on the bed next to his shirt. Agundio shrugged, figuring Sterling was preparing for a shower himself. He shrugged.

And then, the avian froze, noticing what was on Sterling’s left arm, and then his whole body not long after: both were covered in what seemed like... scars.

((“Yeah, Hawaii’s extremely fucking hot… No that piece of shit brand didn’t work out… Hey dad, if I tell you it’s a piece of shit, it’s a piece of shit, period.”))

Agundio’s eyes widened, his gaze remaining on the sight. He swallowed, before glancing to the side momentarily.

“Goodness…” he thought. “That is… what caused that?”

He remained transfixed on the sight of Sterling, the avian too surprised to move.

((“Alright, Imma call you later, showering to see what is there to do in this shitty island. Seeya.”)) he clicked his phone off, proceeding to toy with some of his apps in the meantime, letting his hair out of his ponytail.

Agundio gulped, realizing soon enough that Sterling was probably not going to budge. He sighed softly, proceeding to slowly step out.

Perhaps he just needs--

And then, at that precise moment, Agundio’s phone went off on the nightstand. Agundio nearly jumped, and as he turned back to look he could barely see the caller ID state Maria Jorgina’s name clearly. However, he barely glanced at it, looking up to see that Sterling’s gaze had also turned straight to where the avian was.

The mustelid’s heart skipped a beat. He recognized the hybrid’s phone tone and the door’s failure to close properly, but who else was there? What was he doing there? Angered and startled beyond belief he yelled. “The fuck is there?!” while heading towards said door to the living room.

Agundio jumped back reflexively, just barely dodging Sterling’s sight. “Oh, Sterling!” he said. “Apologies, it is just me in-”

Without warning, the polecat grabbed Agundio’s wrist and flung him into the bedroom’s floor, his teeth bared menacingly as he saw red. He then proceeded to pin Agundio up to one of the walls.

“Sterling!” Agundio shouted. “What--!?”

The avian couldn’t form many words, for he was interrupted by the mustelid’s forearm as it pressed against his throat. Agundio felt his airway constrict as soon as his back hit the wall.

“The fuck were you doing? Tell me! TELL ME!” he demanded through bared fangs and a piercing glare.

Agundio opened his beak, but a gargled sound came out, the avian grasping Sterling’s arms and pulling as much as he could as his air supply was cut off. He kicked his legs out, trying to get out, his mind setting off all the alarms.

“Who’re you working with?! Who the fuck’s behind you?!”

A lot of questions were asked that the avian couldn’t respond, as he struggled for air. Agundio’s eyes began to bulge out, unable to answer as he bared his talons, trying to scratch at Sterling’s legs desperately for anything, even a second of air. While he managed to cut Sterling a little, the fuming mustelid barely felt it, as he was determined to keep his secret at all costs.

Elsewhere in the room, the main door opened and Tryce walked in. The gelada had just pulled his earbuds out of his ears and shut the door when he heard the commotion in one of the bedrooms. Sprinting at it, what he saw shocked him.

“STERLING?!”

Of all the things Tryce expected upon his return to their shared room, the sight of Sterling pinning Agundio to the wall was not one of them. Though startled, the gelada paused only for a moment before rushing forward, gripping Sterling’s arm and giving it a rough tug, though the polecat’s grip doesn’t loosen in the slightest.

“Sterling, what the hell are you doing, man?!” Tryce snarled, giving the arm in his grip another rough tug, this time pulling hard enough to push Sterling back before Tryce quickly stepped in between the two of them, successfully pushing Sterling to the floor.

Agundio fell to the ground, the rush of air suddenly catching him off guard. The avian coughed violently, lightly placing his hand over his throat as he took in a few staggered breaths, a fresh coughing fit following each one. He teared up, shaking his head as he looked at Tryce in shock.

The polecat was blinded by rage; while he stumbled, he attempted to have another grip at the avian, only to be held down by Tryce, as he tried to contain the mustelid.

“Sterling, stop!” Tryce snaps again, a touch of concern under the anger in his tone. He’d seen Sterling angry plenty of times before, but never like this. “What’s gotten-?”

“YOU’RE FUCKING DONE!” he shouted at the avian, ignoring whatever the gelada tried to say to him. In the middle of the chaos, Tryce took a gamble: he punched the polecat in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. Sterling felt the impact, sending him to the floor for good, gasping, trying to recover from the blow.

Agundio’s coughing fit finally ended, and he hauled himself to his feet. “Tryce, thank goodness…” He then turned his gaze towards Sterling’s arm. “I… I don’t know what happened, but I returned, and I saw Sterling talking to his father and…” He then pointed at the polecat. “I… He must not have…”

“SHUT THE DOORS!” the mustelid yelled through his pain.

Tryce draws back a little at Sterling’s tone but, convinced that the polecat wasn’t going anywhere. he took a step away from him, regarding Agundio for a moment before striding across the room and slamming the room door shut before returning. He paused again, and was only then that his gaze fell on the scars stretched across Sterling’s stomach and arm. Fur was short on most areas, and the skin was jagged too, but he couldn’t help noticing a large furless patch on the left side of his stomach, matching the one furless patch in his usually sleeved left arm.

The mustelid could only sit in his bed, his long hair over his face, trembling in anger, sweating bullets after the melee. His rage was contained, but he looked ready to kill something at the slightest provocation. It was a secret kept most zealously, popping out unexpectedly.

Agundio exhaled, before looking over. “Sterling…” He then stepped forward, gazing at the mustelid’s arm. “I… how did you get those sc-?”

As Agundio walked to the polecat, he sprung up with the intention to pin him over again. Tryce stepped between them.

“Cool it, man,” Tryce growled, his tone softer but still warning, and he tries to keep his eyes from wandering back to the exposed body. Judging by Sterling’s unexpectedly violent reaction, those were definitely something not meant to be seen, but that didn’t stop the gelada’s curiosity.

“I knew I couldn’t fucking trust him,” Sterling said angrily. “See? Minute I turn my back, he already has the fucking intel ready to snitch on me!” he told Tryce, ignoring the avian, who could hear the interchange clearly.

“What intel?” asked Agundio, tilting his head to the side. “And regardle-”

“DON’T FUCKING START YOU BI-!”

“Sterling, enough!” the primate commanded, grabbing the mustelid’s shoulders and shaking them. He then moved to stand between the polecat and the avian once more. “Aggs might’ve seen somethin’ he wasn’t supposed to, but you need to calm down and quit actin’ like he’s about to blab it to the whole fuckin’ world!”

The two matched glares and growls for what felt infinitely times longer than it actually was. After a while, the polecat, still breathing heavily but the anger more contained, sat down, grabbing his shaking head. “Jävla helvete...”

Agundio glanced at Tryce, before turning his attention to Sterling. “I… I’m sorry,” he said. “It was an accident, I swear. I never intended to walk in on… that…” He gestured at Sterling. “Why would you think I’d have a reason to tell anyone about this?”

Sterling was speechless, trembling at the scenarios crossing his mind a thousand miles an hour, shaking his head. "Allt är förstört!" he blurted out, punching the bed strongly.

“Sterling,” Tryce starts, raising his hands to try and placate the fuming polecat, “You don’t need to explain nothin’ to us, man... You don’t wanna talk, then don’t. But if I hadn’t shown up when I did we both know you could’a taken this too far.”

He only glanced at his friend, returning to look down at his paws, wanting to erase the last half an hour that passed. "...ja" he grunted, looking away. He didn't want to talk about it. At the same time, he couldn't pretend it didn't happen, and leaving without explanation could easily lend to unconscious leaking of this fact.

Agundio swallowed, gingerly stepping a little closer. He then took a deep breath, looking at Sterling kindly. He sighed. “I… I won’t tell anyone else what I saw,” he said. “I have nothing to gain from such a leak anyhow, and I quite dislike betrayal. That secret… for whatever reason you choose to keep it, I will keep it with me. I promise you that. And after all…” He looked up at the ceiling. “If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

After a while of breathing and thinking, Sterling raised his head, meeting both of their gazes "If a word even hinting this comes out anywhere, I'll have your heads because I know it WILL be from you both where it came out." he said, abnormally calm. "Literally. Dead serious."

Agundio gently stepped forward. “Of course,” he said. “As you say, Sterling.”

“Don’t doubt it, man,” Tryce agrees, offering the polecat a small smile. He doesn’t expect one in return, with the way Sterling’s hackles were still up, but hopefully it would put him more at ease.

The polecat grunted,standing up, grabbing his hair up, letting the two roommates look at his body. The marbled pattern on his back came to a halt in the middle of his torso: what followed were scars all around his midsection, the scars showed prominently amongst the shortened fur. There was a big hairless patch across the left side of his stomach, matching the one scar going through his left forearm. Sterling was reminded of his Combine medical visit all over again; this time, though, it was two of his fellow draftees who knew a secret that could break him.

“Kinda badass, if nothin’ else,” Tryce remarks as he looks over the scars, trying to keep his tone light. There was definitely a story behind those old wounds, but perhaps the story was best left for another day, and Tryce keeps his eyes on them for a moment longer before he raises his head to meet Sterling’s gaze again.

Agundio, on the other hand, let out a gasp. “Good Lord…” He placed a hand over his beak. “Is… Is this why you refuse to use the locker rooms at the stadiums?”

"That, and pools, communal showers, beaches, photoshoots, the medical tests at the combine, taking long in the room's showers, you name it..." He then turned to Tryce. "You say badass Tryce, I say the reason to kick me out of the FBA. I know Morgan, Misha, and those other fuckers would LOVE to use this to fuck me over. Other teams as well. Dad taught me to give best face 24/7 because the FBA will use all it can against you, so I'm not giving anyone any chance."

Agundio swallowed, glancing to the side. “It sounds like you have had those scars for a long time, if you feel that way about it,” he observed.

“Well don’t expect them to get the chance because of us,” Tryce speaks up, folding his arms over his chest. “We all got secrets man, and this,” he pauses, gesturing a hand towards Sterling’s torso, “ain’t gonna leave the room.”

"You better," he sighed. "If dad got flack when he was playing because mom was pregnant with me, those fuckers will have a field day with this. Don't be fooled by the sweet bitch attitude." He put his arm scar and his stomach together, gesturing them as merged at some point, then raising his arms for the two to detail his stomach more. "It's a bigass fleshwound. Doesn't affect my game as everyone thinks, you saw my combine game raise."

“Well, if they’re not above usin’ something like that against you then they’re not above gettin’ their asses kicked for it, cuz that's fucked up,” Tryce replies, sitting down onto the edge of the nearest bed with a huff. “I don’t like puttin’ blood on the streets to defend someone but I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again if it comes to it, so don’t doubt that I’ll have your back, Sterling.”

“I wouldn’t think to resort to violence, as you know,” Agundio said. He then uncertainly looked up, before gingerly placing his hand on Sterling’s shoulder. “But whatever the case, I will keep this a secret. And whatever happens, I will also defend you the best way I can.”

He sighed. "Swear?" He saw them both nodding. "It is how it is. This is my own shithole, let me handle it, alright?" he stretched.

“As you will,” Agundio said. He sighed. “And sorry for seeing that. I know it seems silly, but…”

“Hmm?”

Agundio sighed. “You’ll probably reject this, in all honesty; but if you need anything, you can come to us about it,” he said. “And it won’t get to anybody else.”

“What Aggs said,” Tryce agrees with a nod of his head, “Don’t matter if it’s someone to listen or someone to knock the shit outta someone else, ya got us, man.”

“Thanks, I guess...” that word was very unusual in the polecat’s daily speech, they knew this was indeed a big deal.

Agundio gave Sterling a small smile, before removing his hand from Sterling’s shoulder. “Well, I believe we have discussed this all we need to.” He then stood up, walking back to his phone. “We should let you shower in peace, no?”

“Well I ain’t stickin’ around for that, friends or not,” Tryce grunts, getting to his feet before flashing the polecat a grin. “I say shake it off man, but you know where I’ll be if ya need me.”

“Yah yah whatever. Let me be... Ahhh...”. He looked at his leg, where one of Agundio’s talons got him good, the blood already drying up a bit.

Agundio chuckled nervously. “Ah… Sorry about that.” he said.

“Well he did try to put you through the wall and choke yer guts out, so he kinda had that coming,” Tryce remarks, though with no real bite to his comment. “Ain’t nothin’ to fret over.”

“Still,” Agundio replied. “Bodily harm is bodily harm, no?”

“Ain’t you two gonna head out?” Sterling asked. “I can always dress back up and not shower if you’re intending that.”

“Can’t speak for Aggs but I’m headin’ out,” Tryce replies, picking up his duffle bag to retrieve his wallet which was, oddly enough, the sole reason he’d returned to the room in the first place. “Don’t know this town yet but it’s got at least one chili dog with my name on it somewhere.”

Agundio paused, before checking his phone. “And Maria Jorgina called just before… well…” He shrugged, pausing. “That reminds me, I never did get an opportunity to introduce you to them, Tryce. Perhaps we could meet in the lobby in about five minutes?”

“Nah… I think I should stay...Stuff to do” Sterling said.

Agundio nodded. “Fair,” he said. “In all honesty, you probably did dodge a bullet, Sterling. Pietro has taken to calling you “Sir Swears-A-Lot”. Maria Jorgina and I have both tried to get him to stop, but…”

“Sure man, but if your brother tries givin’ me some weird nickname I’m gonna smack him,” Tryce shrugs, slipping his wallet into his pocket before he glances at Sterling again. “Change your mind about taggin’ along, just let us know.”

“Right...” the polecat just crossed his arms and looked away, the two roommates looking at the scene as they walked out.

“Well shit, man,” Tryce sighed as he shut the door to their room behind him. He shot a quick glance down the hall to make sure no one was lingering nearby to listen. “Can’t say I expected all that...”

“To be fair, Tryce, there are not many who would,” Agundio replied. He sighed. “Thank you, by the way. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t intervened.”

“Neither do I, and I don’t think I wanna dwell on it,” Tryce admits with a sigh of his own, slipping his hands into his pockets as they made their way down the hall and towards the lobby. “But bein’ that fierce when it comes to keepin’ a secret? At least that I understand.”

“I cannot understand it myself, but…” Agundio shrugged. “I think with a man like Sterling, it needs to be taken at his pace. He has been revealing layers lately I could never have seen coming.” He shrugged. “I should get my siblings. And don’t worry about Pietro, Maria Jorgina is good about keeping him in line. Me, not so much…”

“Gear and my brothers have given me enough experience about keepin’ someone in line,” Tryce replies, though actually looking forward to meeting Agundio’s infamous brother. “Besides, can’t be any worse than what just happened, huh?”

Agundio chuckled. “Indeed not,” he said. “I’ll meet you down in the lobby.”

Meanwhile in that room, a marbled polecat toyed with his used jersey as he looked at his now nude body, scars from his left arm, going through his abdomen and lower back, to his thighs, in the bathroom mirror. As much as he told himself those two were reliable, he knew it could be perfect blackmail if it fell into the wrong ears. He sighed audibly, looking at his phone. The mustelid felt the urge to make a phone call to his father and tell him all what transpired, but that thought was halted after pondering more. Is the nun and his bro in the draft THAT much of a threat?

“Fucking hell, pappa. You helped me to keep it down low… Never fucking told me what to do in this case, almost killed a guy today, heh... For now it stays as it is... "

Sterling stepped into the shower, the air getting thick with steam and his mind lost in thoughts.

"A secret worth years was ratted out huh... Least on guys that I know won't snitch... but...always that fucking what if…”