Art stood in front of the espresso machine, feeling bored out of his skull. It was his last day at this location, and the place was devoid of any customers. He'd already done a lobby sweep, stocked the condiments, refilled the carafes, and made more coffee. Business was bad, even for the most popular coffee franchise in the world.

Things would get better. After all, his social life had improved by the decision to go out with Venti, and tomorrow would be one of the better Valentine's Day dates if his plan was successful. He wondered if Venti had ever had a violinist serenade him during a candlelit dinner. If so, then the lion would be glad he chose a Jamaican themed restaurant with a real steel drum band instead of the traditional fare.

It was then the door opened, and a grizzled old ermine came in wearing a bulky looking trenchcoat, whiskers twitching excitedly. "Hey, where's that fat bear that works here?" he rasped upon seeing Art.

Fat bear? "You mean Damon?" Art asked, receiving a excited nod from the ermine, who broke out in a broad, toothy grin. "He doesn't work here anymore, sir."

"Well, fartnuggets! I wanted to show him my styrofoam bullets!" The ermine reached into his coat, pulling out a gun.

Oh, Christ, thought Art. Is he going to rob--wait, did he say styrofoam? Art recalled Damon mentioning some old ermine who built...what was it again? "Are you the guy who built the rip cord gun?"

"How the Hell did you know about that?" The ermine's tail lashed out rapidly behind him. "That bear been squawkin'? He told my neighbor, I bet!"

Art now recalled the ermine was less than rational. He raised his hands calmly. "No, no. Damon told me how your inventions were fascinating, and--"

"Fascinatin' enough to steal for his own, I bet!" The chrome of the gun glinted in the dim lighting as he aimed it towards art. "You tell that bear he better not steal my ideas or I'll introduce his ass to a bullet!"

What followed the ermine's statement was a pop!, then a sharp pain on Art's head, then total blackness.

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