FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"So, they let you out of the nut house?" Dylan asked with a grin as Nyeusi made his way down into the kitchen. The question was met by a middle finger from Nyeusi, and a glare from Jamie. Dylan overlooked the middle finger, but the glare caused him to clear his throat. "I...I mean how was your appointment?"

Nyeusi ignored the second question and continued over to the coffee pot. He reached up into the cabinet above the pot, and dry swallowed two pills from a bottle that was there. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the small island in the middle of the kitchen. "You had to tell them, I take it?" he asked in a voice that was still hoarse from sleep, as he looked over towards Jamie.

"I figured they would take it seriously," Jamie said before she again looked over at Dylan, her eyes lidded slightly. "I was wrong, apparently." She turned to look over at Nyeusi. "You got a headache again, hun?"

"Yea, head, and neck. Must be sleeping funny, or something." He had taken another sip of coffee before he looked over at Dylan. "My appointment was fine, thank you," he said, with a bit of a sharp tone in his voice.

"Is there something going on, Nyeusi? Something maybe we could talk about?" Kes asked. Kes could tell that hostilities had risen a bit, and figured his question would distract from those hostilities.

Kes was the only member of the family that Nyeusi would never argue with. Nyeusi had always thought of Kes as his little brother, despite Kes being older than Nyeusi. Nyeusi turned to look at Kes and shook his head. "No, nothing going on Kes but thanks for asking. There are just some things I need to talk about, and Jamie suggested trying a counselor for that. Not sure if it will work out, but I figured it was, at least, worth a shot."

"Hey, um...you know I'm sorry about the joke," Dylan said as he got up and sat down next to Nyeusi. "I...well I know the shit you have gone through or at least some of it, and I know you stopping drinking was pretty rough on you. I shouldn't joke about things like that. You know you can always come to any of us if you need to talk, right? You don't have to go to a stranger."

"I know." Nyeusi took another sip of his coffee, and then a drink of it when he found it had cooled down a bit. "The thing is, some of my life you really don't want to know about. I know I have said that a few times, but I really do mean it. This doctor has probably heard everything before so he can deal with those parts. I appreciate it, though, always have." Nyeusi reached into the pocket on Dylan's shirt and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He lit a cigarette and took a drag. "I know you want to know some of those events, but I think Jamie can tell you that you don't."

Dylan let out a snort as he grabbed his pack of cigarettes back. "Those are mine, thank you very much. Speaking of, Jamie mentioned that you might invite this doctor over here?"

Nyeusi turned to glare at Jamie as he shook his head. "She jokingly suggested that. He had asked me about apartments, and I gave him my card, but I really don't want him moving in and being uncomfortable. She said if he could tolerate us, he could tolerate any hybrid."

"Who said I jokingly suggested it," Jamie asked, as she walked over and poured another cup of coffee. "I wasn't joking when I suggested that, you know? I was quite serious. I would like to meet this doctor, and if the office is as spartan as you said it is, it would be far more comfortable here."

"And you would get to listen in, right?" Nyeusi asked, as he reached over and caught Jamie up in a side hug as she was headed back to the table. "Just to make sure I didn't tell too many secrets about us."

"Just think about it," Jamie said as she wrapped an arm around Nyeusi's shoulders. "You bring him here, you could make Dylan tell him about why we are banned from the couch."

"Hey, no I am not reliving that," Dylan said as he shook his head. "No, it was traumatic enough the first time, I do not need that back in my head, thank you very much."

"See, now you are making the idea of him coming here more interesting," Nyeusi said as he got up, and gave Jamie a light kiss on the muzzle. "I am going to schedule another appointment with his office next week, and I will actually ask him about that. If he has done something like that in the past, we can talk about it. For now, though, I have to go grab a shower and head down to the apartments. Gonna make sure nothing needs fixing and put up yet another ad for that two-bedroom unit that has been empty for going on three months now. Getting sick of it being empty."

"Going in on a Saturday?" Kes asked with a tilt of his head. "You don't normally do that."

"Haven't been up there in about a week, and I just don't want things piling up. No phone calls, so that's good but the small stuff just ends up in the system, and I don't like it to sit too long."

"Be home for dinner, hun?" Jamie asked as she settled back at the kitchen table.

"I doubt I will be gone that long, but just to be on the safe side assume I won't be home until dinner timer."

"Alright, well ride safe and I will see you later," Jamie said as she watched Nyeusi head up the stairs. "Oh, and don't use up all the hot water. I would like a shower sometime before tomorrow."

"Oh, fuck you," Nyeusi said, laughing.

"You wish," Jamie replied with a grin.

---

Nyeusi looked up when he heard a knock at his apartment office door. "Come on in," he said as he pushed the monitor he had been looking at off to the side, "door is open."

The door opened enough for the head of a gray tabby to peek in. The tabby looked a little nervous when he spoke. "I...I saw an ad for a two-bedroom here, about a month ago. I was wondering if that unit might still be available."

"It is still available," Nyeusi said as he motioned for the tabby to enter the office. "Come on in and have a seat, and I can tell you more about the unit."

"Thank...thank you, sir," the tabby said, pushing the door open before he settled into the chair in front of Nyeusi's desk. "I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"Hardly," Nyeusi said with a grin. "I was just checking up on a few things and actually getting ready to put the order through to re-list that unit. I'm Nyeusi Rigby, and you are?"

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Nathan, Nathan Shepherd. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rigby."

"Pleasure to meet you Nathan, and please call me Nyeusi." Nyeusi reached down into a drawer he had opened and pulled out a tablet. He set the tablet on the table, and after a moment, he pulled up the information on the open two bedroom unit. "The unit that is open is number two-oh-seven," he said, sliding the tablet over closer to Nathan. "It's the odd unit, because of how it was built in. The second bedroom is a bit smaller than the other two bedrooms but not by much. The unit has two bedrooms, and two bathrooms as well as a balcony that overlooks the 'backyard', so to speak. Rent on that unit is two-thousand per month, and that includes heat, water, and garbage disposal. We have hook-ups for everything else. It's been re-carpeted and repainted, so it's all set to be moved into."

Nathan had been looking over the floor plan that was showing on the tablet, and looking interested. When Nyeusi mentioned the rent, however, Nathan's ears drooped, and he gently slid the tablet back towards Nyeusi. "Two-thousand is out of my price range. I should have checked that in the ad so I wouldn't have wasted your time. I apologize for that." He started to get up from the chair he was sitting in before Nyeusi shook his head.

"Don't get up so quickly," Nyeusi said as he took the tablet back and set it off to the side. "I might be able to suggest a place for you. What is your budget for an apartment?"

"I...I can only afford seventy-fifty safely. I could possibly do a thousand if I stretched it a bit," Nathan said in a tone that sounded embarrassed.

"Okay, so thousand as an upper limit, seven-fifty safe limit. Gonna be really tough to find a two bedroom at that price. Tell me, what are you looking for a new place for? Is this a starter home, or are you building a family or just need a second room for an office?"

"Oh, you don't want to hear why I am looking. I don't want to waste your time with that," Nathan said as he shifted a bit in his chair.

"You might be surprised what I want to hear. If you tell me what you need a new place for, I might have other suggestions."

Nathan let out a soft sigh, going silent for a few moments. "Well, I...I have a son who is going to be six in a couple of months. Right now we are living in a one bedroom apartment in a bit of a rough area. He sleeps in the bedroom, and I have the couch, but I was hoping to find a place that he could have his own room, and I could have my own room. Should have figured a two bedroom would be out of my price range, though."

"Must be awfully tight in your apartment: three people living in a one bedroom apartment. I can see why you would be looking for something a bit larger."

"It's just Daniel, my son, and myself. My wife passed when she was giving birth to Daniel." Nathan paused and shook his head. "Sorry, shouldn't have mentioned that. Sounds like a sob story."

Nyeusi watched Nathan for a moment, mostly watching body language. He then cleared his throat softly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. I am also deeply sorry that you lost your wife. I am not sure what I would if I lost mine." Nyeusi again cleared his throat and fell silent for a moment. "Well, unfortunately, I really can't think of a place that would fit your budget. It's expensive in New York City, and even the neighborhoods are high for rent."

"Yea, I am finding that. I guess we will just make do with the place we are now until I can find something better for work. I do appreciate your time, though, thank you."

"Hey, before you leave," Nyeusi said as he stood up from his chair. "You want to go see the unit? I know that, right now, you can't afford it but you can see what we offer, and when you can afford it, maybe you will think of us."

"Oh, I don't want to waste your time. I know it's your job since every place does that, but I really don't like to waste peoples' time."

"Waste my time?" Nyeusi asked with a chuckle. "Nathan, I really have nothing but time right now. Besides, gives me an excuse to peek in and make sure everything settled all right after the bit of repair work we did on it. Come on, follow me," Nyeusi said, as he opens the office door, holding it open for Nathan. After a moment, Nathan followed Nyeusi up to the unit. "Now, all doors here are keyless. They use your chip for identification, and all you have to do is touch the door knob, and it will unlock." Nyeusi placed his hand on the door knob, and a soft click was heard as the locks unlocked. "Makes life simpler when your paws are full, and you don't have to worry about losing your key. They are also battery backed up for when the power goes out." Nyeusi opened the door and nodded into the unit. "Go ahead in."

Nathan went into the apartment and started looking around while Nyeusi stood in the kitchen. After a few moments of looking around, Nathan came back out to the kitchen. "It's a nice place. Seems silly to look around a place you can't afford, though. It's awkward feeling."

"Doesn't have to be," Nyeusi said as he leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Sometimes, looking at those things that we can't afford pushes us to work towards affording them. And, it's a thing I have to do. My boss would kill me if I didn't do a walkthrough, no matter what."

"Oh, I understand. As I said, every place does this. You say you can't afford it, they insist on showing it to you anyway. Same reason you gave, as well."

"Now I have to ask you the stupidest question, but again if I didn't my boss would be irate. Of all the places you have looked at, would you come back to us when you could afford us?" Nyeusi was trying quite hard to not let on to what he had decided he was going to do, so he was hamming it up as much as he could.

"I think so," Nathan said as he looked around the kitchen and living room again. "Nice unit, everything seems new, and from what I have heard the school that my son would go to, if I moved out here, is the...I guess the safest school for hybrids. He wouldn't be tormented because he is a hybrid, at least."

"Yea, the school has a good number of hybrids, so they aren't an uncommon sight in this school district. Well, when you can afford the five hundred a month for rent, you just let us know. You seem like you would be a good tenant and we do like to keep the complex friendly, or we try to at least."

Nathan nodded his head and started to say something before he stopped, muzzle still slightly open. "Wait a minute, what did you just say?" he asked, sure he misheard the leopard.

"I said that when you can afford the five hundred a month for rent, let us know."

Nathan looked at Nyeusi with a confused look on his face. "The rent is two-thousand. I have to be mishearing you. I thought you just said five-hundred."

"I did," Nyeusi said with a soft smile. "Let me tell you something, Nathan. As a landlord often times the tenant is more important than the rent. Now, of course, I have a bottom line I can rent the unit out, or I will lose money on it, but I can drop this unit to five hundred and break even. I would like to offer you this unit at five hundred a month."

"Oh, no I couldn't accept that," Nathan said shaking his head. "No, I don't want charity, and I certainly don't want you doing me a favor because of my circumstances. I don't want to take advantage of anyone."

"Not charity," Nyeusi said as he walked into the living room and looked at a few spots in the ceiling that were missed when the apartment was repainted. "You see, I was given a second chance at life, and I am more than happy to give someone else a first or second chance. Call it a...penance for my past, if you will. If you don't feel you can accept it, I won't be offended, but the offer is there." Nyeusi started towards the door pausing for just a moment. "Think about it. The offer stays in effect until you either say yes or no. I won't re-list the unit until I hear your final decision. Oh, and just close the door when you leave. It will lock behind you." With that, Nyeusi disappeared out into the hallway, the sound of the locks engaging left behind him.