Foxy News

“Good evening. I’m Nicole Winters…”

Nicole was a lovely vixen in her late twenties. Her striking red fur and piercing gold eyes did a great deal to keep viewership high, but her incomparable focus and dedication to her work spoke volumes of her character. She’d been with the station for only six months, yet had already risen in rank from a street-side reporter to co-anchor of the program. Needless to say, this did not set well with everyone…

“… and I’m Tom Renton. In our top story…”

Tom smiled to keep up a professional appearance, but secretly resented playing second to anybody, especially someone so young. He’d been working as a reporter for a long time and he knew what was in store for him. They bring in a fresh young face to brighten up the place and saddle them up with a seasoned vet until they’re comfortable with the routine. Nicole wasn’t his partner; she was his replacement!
Unbeknownst to her, Tom had made arrangements with a couple of stage hands. They were all too happy to accept his offer and agreed to sabotage the episode, spelling the end to Nicole’s career. The brothers took up positions just behind the set dressing and waited for the right time to strike. All was going just as planed and no one was the wiser!

“In our top story…”

Out of the corner of her eye, Nicole spotted movement. The Fox Brothers crept silently up either side of her, being careful to keep out of sight.

“The fire tied up traffic for three hours while emergency workers battled to limit the spread to nearby properties…”

Without wasting a moment’s time, the brothers slipped off her heels and cast them aside. The vixen tried in vain to move her paws away, but there was nowhere to go. She was completely at their mercy and beads of sweat were forming on her brow. Just the same, she pressed gallantly on.

“In other news…”

Wally eyed his brother with a worried look.
“She’s still going strong, Willy!”
“Oh, she has to, Wally. This is a live feed!”

“…leaving the family to ask why.”

Nicole focused her will and continued reading from the paper as if nothing was going on beneath her. The fact that the brothers were slowly rubbing their noses up and down her stockinged paws seemed to go unnoticed…
“She’s not budging, Will! I guess these socks’ll have to come off!”
“Oh, but can’t we wait a little longer? They’re so soft and silky!”
“It’s only a fifteen minute show! We need her to loose it, pronto!”
The trouser socks came off and went right in Walter’s pocket. Without them, Nicole’s russet paws lay exposed and waiting.

“And it all begs the question…”

“Right, get to it! Do whatever you have to, but make her laugh!”
Wally didn’t have to be asked twice. He and his brother were experts at making people squeal, but Ms. Winters was proving a very hard nut to crack!

“And… Hehe… Lastly…”

Her composure was starting to break down. Wally let his fingers dance beneath her toes while Willy’s held her ankles still. In all honesty, she wasn’t necessarily what you’d call ticklish, but the two were doing a great job of making her uncomfortable.

“This has been…Haha… Your News in Brief… I’m Nicole Winters… Er… Signing off.”

The tiny red light went out above the camera and she was free of its binding spell. She lifted her feet up onto the desk and gazed down at the pair with a scowl.
“Oh…  She’s mad, Willy…”
“I know Wally…”
Two security guards came up behind the brothers. They yanked them roughly to their feet and barred any escape. Nicole sat with her arms crossed, awaiting some explanation.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Well, what have you to say for yourselves? Why would you do something like this? Did you think I’d laugh? Did you think it would be funny to make me loose my cool?”
“Well, yeah…”
Walter elbowed his brother in the ribs.
“It wasn’t our idea,” he pleaded. “Honest! We like your paws, sure enough, but we wouldn’t of ever intruded on your show if we weren’t put up to it!”
“Put up to it,” she thought, “by whom?”
“Mr. Renton said if we could make you fumble your lines…”
“Renton!”
All eyes turned to Tom’s seat, but he had already skulked away, unnoticed.
Nicole was furious!
“You’ll swear to that? You’ll testify in court?”
“Court? Now, love, there’s no reason to get the system involved…”
“You climbed under my desk and started undressing me on national television!”
“It was just your shoes and socks…”
Nicole’s expression didn’t change.
“You could have just pulled my tail or poked me with a pin… I would have leapt out of my seat in alarm and made a fool of myself…”
“But that wouldn’t have been any fun!”
Nicole rolled her eyes.
“Look, if you two were so desperate to get my shoes off, just keep the darn things!”
“Really? We can keep them?”
“You have to testify against Tom, but sure…”
“And the socks?”
She snarled and the two stepped back.
“Get these two out of my sight! Someone fetch my slippers from my dressing room, and get me a tall mocha latté. Chop-Chop!”
Nobody moved.
“In case you missed the implications, I’m pressing charges! Then I’m filing a formal complaint with the union. Tom will never work in news again and unless one of you want a go at it, that makes me Top-Dog, so move!”