[WIP] You were always free to leave
Still unfinished, feedback is welcome. There's a bit of world-building at the start, but rest assured, there is a bratty anthro femboy coming.
You were a lowly conscript, recruited by the regime in charge of your country
A country where both humans and anthros coexisted as equals in harmony, in a classless utopia
The Aesthetic and Democratic Commonwealth of Melpomene
You read that right
They actually put "Aesthetic" in their country's official name
"Democratic" was mostly aspirational
The autocratic regime said that democracy would arrive "in due time"
"Melpomene" was the Greek muse of tragedy
The official state motto is "artistry and character through suffering"
There was plenty of suffering to be had
For one, almost all of your food came from neighboring countries that pitied you and sent humanitarian aid
The regime spun this as a "tribute to the great people of Melpomene"
Your farmers could barely subsist on the food they grew
The regime only allowed them to grow valuable crops with no nutritional value
In other words, they were growing every imaginable strain of cannabis and selling it abroad
Its use in the country was also outlawed, because it would cut into revenue
The regime also considered manual labor and any scientific or technical endeavor to be beneath its people
This was out of a psychotic devotion to "pure aesthetics"
The people of Melpomene were raised to be "artists, poets, creatives, and visionaries"
In practice, this meant that the people were exploited by foreign countries to mass-produce entertainment and other works of art
The people were also told that "money is worthless, and art is eternal"
The regime made good money with these deals, but made sure to pocket most of it
It only left just enough to ensure the country wouldn't collapse on itself, literally and figuratively
Public infrastructure was always on the verge of crumbling due to the lack of maintenance
Housing was mostly scrap materials cobbled together with poor craftsmanship by unskilled citizens
Every doctor, engineer, mechanic, even the street cleaners were foreigners hired by the government
The creation of art not meant for export was strictly regulated
Anything that wasn't propaganda and thus distracted people from the "glorious goals of the regime" was outlawed
The regime had a burning hatred for anything remotely erotic, let alone pornographic
It also despised anything that was seen as not masculine enough
Homosexuality was the worst offense against masculinity
At the same time, artists were allowed to get away with a lot
They only had to bullshit together an explanation
There was this one time where you attended a mandatory museum visit in school
You saw a painting of a human man and a male anthro mouse violently making out in bed
The artist, also an anthro mouse, had been invited to give a speech
He characterized it as a symbol of "brotherly union between species"
The title was "Stay Up Late"
It referred to how the regime would last "until the Twilight of the Gods"
The artist explained that he'd painted it back in 1992
The regime was still going strong years later, and he wished that it would last a thousand more years
Anyone with a pulse could tell that it was rehearsed bullshit, but no one questioned it
That painting was straight-up porn, the product of the artist's fetishes
The regime didn't seem to notice or care either
It ended up putting that painting even on postage stamps
You remember your mom always being a bit uneasy when she had to handle them
The poor woman was easily flustered by sexual matters
The regime would regularly remind people about the need for a "grandiose revolution"
In short, the goal was to invade as many countries as possible
Only then a transition to democracy would've been possible
In the meanwhile, men had to focus on cultivating individual machismo and collective military strength
The lion's share of the spending went to the navy, even though the country was doubly-landlocked
The regime was actually being forward-thinking
As soon as it would reach the coast, it would be able to invade other countries
The navy had exactly one "gunboat"
As in, a single fishing boat with a gun jury-rigged on top of it
The active personnel consisted of a single admiral, the owner of said boat
The gunboat's upkeep and the admiral's salary only accounted for about 2% of the yearly navy budget
The remaining 98% went to the scores of military strategists coming up with invasion plans that involved a single boat
The air force comprised about 30 carrier pigeons who had been trained to drop timed explosives
There used to be more, many died because the bombs exploded prematurely during prototype tests
The army conscripted anyone old enough to hold a rifle, but not so old that the recoil would dislocate their shoulder
The army only had enough funding to buy one second-hand rifle every hundred soldiers
Ammunition was in short supply too, and soldiers had to look for their spent bullet casings so that they could be reused
If they didn't, they would face punishments for "wanton littering on public land" and "waste of government resources"
It should be noted that the government owned everything, including its people
This meant that even slacking off was a "waste of government resources"
Shooting drills were done in alphabetical order
Your surname put you close to the bottom of the list
You always ranked dead last in shooting proficiency tests, because by the time the rifle got to you, there was no ammo left to hit anything with
You'd brought this up with your superiors, and suggested starting from the bottom of the list instead every once in a while
They said they couldn't change how things were done just for the benefit of a few people, because that wasn't how the regime worked
One day, one of the commanding officers handed you and a couple other people a ticket to a drag show
The regime occasionally organized burlesque drag shows for soldiers, by soldiers
They featured songs, dances, even tasteful strip-teases
The organizers went out of their way to pick the most androgynous and feminine boys they could find
Then they would spare no expense in elaborate costumes, make-up, sets and routines
Performers were encouraged to mingle with the audience and interact with them as they saw fit
At the same time, these shows never featured actual women, because that would've been "improper" and "lewd"
The regime justified all of this by saying that it was an exercise in camaraderie
Soldiers who are close to each other will perform better in battle, that was their thinking
Also, soldiers were encouraged to dress and act like women because they were expected to be well-rounded
They had to be strong and virile, but also elegant and seductive
You figured that whoever came up with the idea for these shows had to be homosexual
The regime was just quoting the bullshit excuses he came up with word by word
The ticket said that attendance was mandatory, for your own cultural enrichment
You'd heard some sordid rumors about these shows being thinly-veiled brothels
You were curious to see if that was really the case
You wouldn't have made a report, even if that was the case
You were no snitch, you just wanted to know the depths of the regime's incompetence and delusions
Maybe they really believed in the justifications, and didn't bother to investigate
Or maybe they did bother, but they didn't feel like punishing anyone that day
The regime's laws were enforced so inconsistently, they weren't worth the paper they were written on
You arrived at the location written on the ticket, showed it to the bouncer, and he let you into a dimly lit room
An anthro boy greeted you in an effeminate, high-pitched tone, took your hand, and showed you around
He was only wearing a frilly apron, which left his backside completely exposed
You tried to look away, but you couldn't rest your eyes
Everyone there wore only an undignified amount of clothing
It would've been less embarrassing if they actually had been naked
You noticed that most of the performers were anthros, with very few humans
The attendants were more evenly mixed
You noticed all sorts of pairings between humans, anthros, and various species
It took a while before the anthro boy found a seat for you
He apologized for taking so long, and said that the venue usually isn't this packed
You told him not to worry
He asked if he could bring you anything
You asked him for a soda, since you weren't old enough to drink
They probably would've served you alcohol without asking a question anyway
You didn't hear the soft patter of his paws when he returned
You were distracted by a performer that was a few paces away from you
A cute fox boy with auburn fur
His eyeliner, dark eyeshadow and long lashes constantly drew your attention to his eyes
They were golden, feline eyes, round in shape and with upturned corners
He was wearing a black corset that shamelessly showed off his slender figure and his flat chest
His fishnet stockings drew your attention to his legs, which fluttered around with grace and sensuality
His arms were adorned with with long lace gloves, which reached past his elbows
His silky, straight dark hair was cut down to chin-length
His blunt bangs were held in place by a feathered hairband
His little fangs glimmered like pearls whenever he opened his mouth
He was busy whispering sweet nothings into an older official's ears
The fox boy spotted a wedding ring on the official's hand
He started fidgeting with it
He asked him whether his wife knew that he was into vixens
Male ones, that is
Then he reminded the official that the regime punishes homosexuality with death
The anthro who had greeted you noticed that you were transfixed
He put the soda you'd ordered next to you
The glass clinked against the wooden table
You turned your head, and saw him standing there
You thanked him for the soda, and asked him how you should pay
You'd never been to this place before
He replied that it was on the house
He told you to enjoy yourself, and left
As he was walking off, he approached the fox boy
He lightly tapped on his shoulder, and pointed in your direction
The fox boy turned to you with an amused, knowing look in his eyes
The official muttered something about how his wife didn't need to know and how he wasn't gay
The fox boy wasn't listening to him in the slightest
He straddled his lap, and wrapped his arms around the official's neck
He bared his fangs again, licked his lips, sniffed his neck
He whispered something you couldn't make out into his ears
The man shivered, and then tentatively wrapped his arms around the fox boy
The fox boy got off him, took one step back
He held the man's chin in his paw, between his thumb and his curled index finger
He told him to go back to his wife, before either one of them would do something they would regret
After the man hurriedly left, the fox boy moved on to you
He stroked your cheek, and set it ablaze with his fingertips
"What's your name?"
"A-Anon..."
"Anon", he repeated in a sultry tone. He kissed his fingertips and placed them over your lips
He tilted his head, smiled and told you to enjoy the rest of the show
He walked back on the stage, provocatively swaying his tail
He made quick, sweeping motions with every step he took
You got up and left as well
The air was getting too stuffy, you couldn't breathe properly
Your heart was thumping in your chest
Your stomach felt like it was turning and tumbling
Your thighs had gotten warm and tingly
You needed some time to clear your head
Later that night, you returned to your barrack
You noticed that there already was someone in your bed, laying on his side
You recognized him immediately from his eyes and the shape of his snout
He smirked when he saw your eyes widen in reaction
"Why did you leave the show?"
"Why are you in my bed?"
"Oh, this is your bed?" He tapped on it, surprised. "I didn't know, Anon. They told me to sleep here from now on."
The regime's bureaucracy was notoriously incompetent
This kind of incidents happened all the time
One time they accidentally relocated another family into your parents' house
It took them several months to fix their mistake
You had to submit countless forms and show up at court hearings almost every other week
It wasn't too bad, your dad got a fishing buddy out of the ordeal
They kept in touch even after the other family moved out
He continued: "Anyway, it's rude to answer a question with another question."
"I wasn't feeling too good."
"Mhm," he nodded, then leaned in, and blinked. "Sure. It does happen."
You started feeling shaken again
"Anyway, I'll try to get this sorted out."
"Good luck!"
He waved at you as you turned around
You went to the barrack's master and asked him why there was someone in your bed
The master took a deep breath, and put on his glasses with inhuman slowness
He was hoping that you'd give up and leave him alone
But you weren't so easily discouraged
You told him your name and bed number
He started looking through a disorganized pile of scattered documents
He flipped through each page, and licked his finger every couple of pages
Eventually he found what he was looking for, and squinted
"Oh, yes," he says in a monotone voice, "that bed is also assigned to a fox anthro, named Cedric."
"So, what am I supposed to---"
"You figure it out."
He carelessly gathered the pile of sheets together, tossed it aside, and leaned back on his chair
This was the regime's bureaucracy being helpful
It could've been worse
When it did try to solve problems, the original problem would've gotten significantly worse
Not to mention how you would've been saddled with ten new problems
You pointed at a bed that had been moved aside a few days before
"There's that empty bed, maybe I could sleep there."
"That decision is above my pay grade."
"I don't think anyone is going to use it, can't I just use it until you sort the bed arrangement out?"
"Sleeping in a bed without official authorization is misuse of government property, a class A felony."
"Got it. So you're saying I should share my bed with another man? Wouldn't the government... disapprove... of two men sharing a bed?"
"Two men sharing a bed and having barely any room to spare isn't inherently homosexual. Are you saying that you're attracted to him?"
"No, no, I was just wondering."
"Alright. Go sleep. Goodnight."
Your superior took off his glasses, signaling a definitive end to the conversation
You returned to the fox boy, defeated
"How did it go?"
"They told me that I have to sleep here."
He moved over to one side, leaving some room for you, and tapped the mattress
You surrendered, and joined him
You noticed that he was wearing the same scent he had during the cross-dressing show
He took your hand and squeezed it gently
His fur was warm and velvety
His paw pads were gliding on your skin, caressing it back and forth
You were surprised, but didn't pull your hand away
You expected him to grab it again anyway
At any rate, his touch was too nice to just let go of it
It wasn't nice because he seemed to have taken an interest in you
It simply was an objectively nice feeling
Everyone would agree
On that note, what everyone wouldn't agree with was you holding hands
You tried to hide the suspicious act between your bodies as best you could
You couldn't afford anyone to see what you were doing if you wanted to live
His reaction was to intertwine his fingers with yours
"What answer were you expecting?" he asks, trying to stifle a laugh
He was amused by your attempt to reason with authority
He was right, you were expecting your superiors to be useless
"You knew what was going to happen, but did it anyway. Why?"
A voice shouts that the lights will be turned off
That meant no more talking
Anyone caught talking after lights off would get charged with a misdemeanor, "disturbing a soldier's sleep"
Cedric was still holding your hand
He squeezed it again, and murmured
"Is my lonesome, tragic hero still thinking?"
He lifted up one of his legs, slid his tail underneath, and brushed it along your leg
"Or maybe you're worried they'll catch us holding hands if you talk now?"
"What else was I supposed to do?" you finally answered
"You could've gotten in bed with me right away."
Your heart skipped a beat
You couldn't go on like this
You had to know
"Why are you doing this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you telling me that you just happen to end up in my bed, after what happened earlier today?"
"Stranger things have happened."
You could tell he was playing with you from the tone of his voice
"You planned this, didn't you? You asked for my name, then figured out my barrack, my bed..."
"Sounds like a lot of work," he chuckled
"Exactly."
"So you agree that it's a coincidence?" he asked, delighted
"Why did you go through all that for me?"
He remained quiet for a moment
He already knew what to say, but wanted a dramatic pause
"You got me. As for why I did it... well, why not?"
"You did it for... for no reason?"
"You just happened to be there. You looked so serious. So out of place. I couldn't resist."
"So you would've done this to anyone else?"
He let go of your hand, and grabbed your waist
You instinctively stiffened up, not knowing what was going to happen
But that probably made Cedric's job easier
With a surprising amount of strength for his slim body, he pulled you on top of him
Your body was pressed on top of his, pinning him down
His warm breath was tickling the skin on your neck
"There you go. Still getting jealous over hypotheticals in your head?"
He was right, again
Why were you getting lost in your thoughts when he was right in front of you?
Did it matter in the slightest why he happened to pick you?
You reached for his head
Stroked his furry cheeks
Then you reached for his ears
You lightly touched them near the base, and he flicked them
"It tickles," he giggled
You caressed them again, mindful of his ticklish spot
Your thoughts faded into silence
Your eyelids became unbearably heavy
Your body began to soften and melt away
"That's nice," Cedric whispered as you kept stroking his ears
That was the last thing you could hear