Under Pressure

[Fredal Rabeak]

I'm not sure you really know what can hurt someone, Freddie's mind rattled off, but the words did not escape his lips.

Before he knew it, Gantuhar was, well, quite naked, and the young Nehantite heard a soft throat-clearing from the Cizerack gentleman before him, holding his own basket. Hesitation, and another glance up at Gantuhar, before at last Freddie bit his lower lip and pulled up on the hem of his long-sleeved tee shirt. It came up to reveal a slender frame and more gray fur, but also a large expanse of exposed skin. The boy's back, and the backs of his upper arms were nearly devoid of fur, instead a twisted mess of burn-scarred skin, broken in some places by other, older scars. Immediately his head dipped, shoulders caving as he attempted to make himself smaller, less visible once his back was on display. Dropping his shirt in the basket, he went to work on his heavy trousers. They, too, came off to reveal a few more old injuries, and a pair of white briefs, which he seemed not to want to remove.

But everyone was naked. Heart pounding in his narrow chest, and... something else worming into his brain from the scents in the air, Freddie finally shucked them off, standing as naked as his new friend, though his paws moved to cover his loin in an attempt for modesty, as well as being self-conscious about his size, compared to others he could see.

"So... now what?" he asked, trying very hard to keep his eyes on Gantuhar's face.