An Otter at Sea

Chapter 1

Music seemed to drown out everything in the world. Even the loudest of environments can are quieted down with some simple earbuds and a phone that had access to unlimited music streaming. Miko was thankful for this during the long bus ride as it rather loud in the old shuttle, even inside. With a yawn, he stretched his arms over his head, gripping a pencil in his left paw. This eight-hour bus ride was hell on his back, yet he didn't mind the length of time he sat; as long as he was drawing. Drawing was a passion for the young otter of twenty-one, his paw moving back to the sketch he was working on. He sketched clouds and a long stretch of road was the scene, a still life of the environment outside the window. He smiled as he looked at the clouds on his sketch pad. "The shading is almost perfect" He slowly whispered to himself, pushing up his glasses that slowly started to slip off his short snout as he smiled, pulling out his eraser. Miko could sit for hours and draw, shutting out any distraction with pin sharp focus he learned with vigorous study of the fine art. And With the help of music, he could almost go into a peaceful meditative state, his paws sliding over the page naturally like an otter in water. However, his peace was shattered when he heard a muffled voice come from behind him.

Miko jumped, a little startled. The otter had forgotten that he wasn't alone on the bus. He slowly looked behind him and blinked in surprised as an opossum in a grey hoodie smiled at him, the white fur of his head very fluffed up and curly. The words "WHO DAT?" sat in white letters surrounded by a red rectangle on the front. The opossum looked to be about the same age as Miko. The otter just stared at him for a moment with a vacant expression, before the opossum gestured with his paws, moving them up to his ears as he mimed taking something out of them. Miko's face flashed read as he realized his headphones were still in, the music drowning out any outside stimulus. Quickly, he took his earphones out smiling nervously over to the stranger.

"Man, what are you listening to?" The opossum chuckled, folding over his arm across the top of Miko's seat as he leaned forward. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Uh no sorry..." Miko replied, shaking his head.

The Opossum rolled his eyes, "I said, what are you drawing there?" He said, pointing over at Miko's sketch book. "Haven't seen an otter artist before. Are you getting into the art program at Oceanus?"

"Oh uh..." Miko stumbled over his words, not expecting anyone to bother him this whole bus trip. Before he could get anything out, the Opossum popped out of his seat to join Miko. The otter quickly moved his backpack over to himself before the stranger had a chance to crush his precious art supplies within. "Yea... yea I am" He finally managed to say as he slowly brought his senses back to reality.

"No shit?" The Opossum quipped, looking a little proud of himself that he managed to guess right. "I'm going into the music program myself" He said, laying back lazily against the seat as he crossed a foot over his leg. "Gonna be the next hot DJ, making record deals and making mad stacks. Know what I mean?" Turning his head, the Opossum gave him a coy grin, flashing many pointy teeth.

Miko just stared at the unexpected Opossum for a moment, not sure if he understood his vocabulary. "That's cool um...." He started to say before the Opossum interrupted him.

"Rory." The opossum said.

"Rory...right." He nodded, not sure if was gonna get a word in edgewise at this point. Miko wasn't very used to strangers, especially ones as extroverted as Rory. It was so much easier back home when he knew everyone. "I'm Miko nice to..." The otter started to say before he was interrupted again.