The memory was… hazy, yet somehow incredibly vivid.
I was at the beach… sitting… looking at the sea.
I wanna go for a walk, but my body told me to keep sitting. Dunno why… The sand was comfortable? Hehe… that can’t be right…
And that’s when you notice me… Or I noticed you? Whichever way it was, something tells me this encounter was fateful…
Wordlessly, you stepped in front of me… and reach your paw out.
I… I don’t remember what I was feeling. Surprised? In awe? Confused? Most likely a mix of them…
It was not often that someone come to me. I kept avoiding people even though I'm out of the lab for years. This interaction... feels different... almost like a sign to... something...
So... I followed that feeling...
I also reached my hand out...

Commission done by Jinxed-Designs
https://bsky.app/profile/jinxed-des.....ns.bsky.social
Raccoon is Tide, mascot of UC San Diego's Furry Club, Triton Tails!

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Oh man this is gonna be my favorite piece for a long time. Triton Tails feels so different from any groups I have encountered. It's the place where I can put down my worries. It's the place that I can truly be myself, in a life with the need to fulfill societal duties. It's place that tug at my heartstrings the most when I need to leave.

I joined at a time where I got sick of hiding things... and in there I don't have to. I joined at a time where I need to find a path in life that I'm genuinely happy with... and in there I have forge a new path. I joined at a time where I wish to find new connections... and in there I have discovered it. To that I want to thank everyone in Triton Tails at the bottom of my heart. I owe the world to you.

Keep making more lives beautiful. I know I will be there too...