Extinct or Alive

Diary Entry #6 - Yanni Gourde and Adam Erne's Threatened Tiger Trust (TTT)

Yanni's POV

Winter 2017

Tampa, Florida

Yanni pads nervously around the Lightning locker room, flicking his tail back and forth. "What is taking you so damn long, Addy?"

Adam's small dog head pokes around the door and looks in at him. "Hey, Yanni, um...we got the approval!!"

Yanni stops in his pacing. "REALLY?!"

Adam bounds into the room and nuzzles against Yanni's neck. "Yes, really, thanks to you, we can help the endangered and threatened tiger species' around the world."

"Well, Sunni's been my tiger guide for a while and...I just recall all the horrid things those keepers did to her, just cause they started it themselves! I mean, they're in endangered for a reason."

"I know all too well with this," a voice pipes up, followed by a throat clearing.

Yanni looks in the direction of the voice and pins his ears back as he sees a brunette man.

"Relax, Yanni, it's just me," the man says. "Brayden Point."

"Pointer?" Yanni growls. "What are you doing--?"

Brayden pets his head and Yanni sits loyally and purrs, thumping his tail in excitement. "Hush Tiger, I know all about your stories and I'm actually the one who approved it. Yzerman's got too much on his plate, but I'll gladly help out."

"Why?! You're not like part wolf, right?" Yanni questions.

Brayden chuckles. "Oh no, let's just say I've been looking to start a charity where I can save animal species from extinction...or even prove their existence. But let's face it, what hockey player has the time right?"

"Then why give us the okay?" Adam questions.

"Because I know you both can do well. Yanni, the passion and fire you bring to the ice each day, I know you'll bring as a focus on the charity missions."

Yanni lifts his head up proudly. "I'd like to follow through with Sunni's request. Not all tigers in zoos are well kept. That ends today." He stomps his paw on the ground. "I will seek out tigers of all kinds around the world that are being threatened by poaching and illegal means!"

"And I'll be right there by your side. You'll need your Right-Paw Rottie." Adam smiles.

Yanni lowers his head and crosses his paws, dipping his head in respect to the Rottie. "Thanks, Addy."

Brayden clasps his hands together. "Alright, it's settled. I'll begin research, while I assume you two want to speak privately to one another."

Yanni nods, gazing at Adam with dreamy blue eyes. "You're right."

Adam dips his head to Brayden, who spreads his arms out in a 'go at it' gesture as he smirks knowingly. He vanishes as Adam pads forward and sits on the ground before the white tiger.

"You wanna go out today?" Yanni asks.

"I--how--?" Adam studders.

"Addy, I know you were gonna ask, but I wanted the pleasure of asking first. I wanna become more than just your best friend. I wanna be your Butterflies." Yanni lowers his head and daintily licks his paw.

Adam licks Yanni's cheek. "It'd be an honor, as your RPR."

Yanni chuckles. "Okay, then. It's settled! Butterflies at 6pm?" He gets to his paws and tosses his head.

"Sure! Make it a date. Luckily, we're loved and welcomed at Jackson's. So maybe there?"

"Sushi? You know my inner cat too well..." Yanni pads past him, brushing his tail against Adam's face and neck. "Wanna...take to the butterflies a little bit for now?" He grabs his hockey stick into his mouth.

"You're on!" Adam says, still entranced by the tiger.

"First one to shoot on Vasy, gets to pounce on the loser!" Yanni taunts, playfully.

"Oh, you're on, Tiger!" Adam growls, narrowing his eyes in play at his friend as he grabs his own hockey stick into his powerful canine jaws.

They race through the halls and out of the tunnel onto the ice, which is freshly shaved for the next home game. Yanni skids out first with an echoing, 'weeeeeee!' and slides across the ice on his paws. Adam cracks his neck and skips across the ice over to Yanni, who is warming himself up with a little stickhandling exercise in his paws.

Adam drops his stick on the ice and gestures to the puck and ice with his paw. "You're still jittery. Like you're excited or like the puck is lava. Relax."

Yanni looks up at him and dekes around him and shoots on the goal. "Butterflies: One! Addy: Zero!"

Adam frowns and snorts. "That's it, Tiger..." He slides forward and falls on the ice on his face.

"Oh, Addy, no lectures!" Yanni says as he smoothly skates around on his paws, his tail fluttering behind him.

Adam gets to his paws. "You're gonna pay!" He grabs his hockey stick back up into his paws and skates after Yanni, stealing the puck from the tiger and scoring a goal. "Ha! Guess the Rottie got one back, huh?"

Yanni shakes his head. "You jerk! Oooh, look a butterfly!" He moves his head as though to follow a butterfly and Adam blinks and falls for the trick. Yanni takes the puck and shoots it through his legs, into the net. "You were saying?"

"Okay, now who's the jerk?" Adam playfully snides. He pounces on the bengal tiger and knocks the stick out of his paws.

"Addy, get off! Those weren't the rules!" Yanni whines, flailing his paws about as the Rottie lies on his stomach and rests his head on the tiger's neck.

"It's Adam Erne says so."

Yanni shoots him a glare. "Butterflies, Addy!"

Adam crosses his paws and smugly smirks at Yanni. "No. Besides, let's discuss something important right now. I'm curious about what our new charity's name will be. Since we got the nice approval from Bray."

"True...well it's gotta be tiger-related and catchy I guess?" Yanni remarks.

"Right, so tigers are mostly threatened and not endangered right?" Adam remarks, thinking about it.

"Right. Threatened tigers...maybe...the Threatened Tiger...Trust? Like a word for a specific action group. TTT for butterflies." Yanni suggests.

Adam smiles and licks Yanni's cheek. "I love it."

Yanni giggles. "Alright, now lemmie up and let's go on a date!"

Adam chuckles and half rolls, half slides off of the tiger to the ice. They get to their paws and exit the rink, grabbing their sticks back into their mouths. They dash down the tunnel, deposit the sticks in their stalls and then head for the exit.