FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The harbor district buzzed with activity, the sound of ship horns signaling the constant new arrivals. The late afternoon sun hung high overhead, bathing the area in warm rays of light. With its proximity to the ocean, the city had always been used as a refueling station for ships going down the coast. Goods from all around the world came through this port, and with it anthros from all corners of the globe. Even now, Dominick found himself pushing past a group of workers speaking in Italian to each other. He had never been one to pick up on the culture of other furs, especially when it came to try to learn a new language.

His ears perked up, however, when he heard one of them calling him a 'coglione' and he immediately raised one of his middle fingers up at them. He was called that enough by the family living down the hall from him to know that it was some kind of insult. It always angered him when they treated him this way, especially when he couldn't understand their language. Most of the foreigners he ran into thought they could treat him like dirt since he didn't have a job.

He hated coming to this part of the city. It was crowded, cramped, and it constantly reeked of fish. His nose was incredibly sensitive, and it always overloaded him when he came down here. The malamute was already panting a bit, his heavy black and white coat drawing in heat from the sun. He was tall, broad shouldered, and easy able to make his way through the throng of tourists. If he intended to or not, he certainly gave credit to the stereotypical rudeness of big city residents. Already he had snapped at a few people, getting tired of having to constantly fight to get through here.

His reason for being here was all he could think about; he had forgotten his girlfriend Annie's birthday. Even when she dropped hints all months, the canine had been far too dense to pick up on it. The only reason he remembered was because he got a notification about it on social media. With no present, no plans, and nothing special to do for her, he had forced himself to come down here. While Dominick didn't enjoy living in such a melting pot of a city, his girlfriend was all about it. Their apartment was filled with a variety of décor coming from many cultures; it got to the point he would have complained if he actually paid for the rent, or the bills.

The canine wore a pair of torn up blue jeans, as well as a letter jacket from his days in high school football. He and Annie had been sweethearts all throughout their days in high school, although most of their classmates hadn't though it would last. He didn't have the best grades, nor did he possess much in the way of talent outside of his bulky size. Annie had always dreamed of coming to this city, though, as it was her first destination for college. Dominick would have been content staying in his hometown, as all the other members of his football team ended up hanging around the area.

It had been five years since they moved here, and only one year since Annie graduated with a degree in Cultural Anthropology. Even when she tried to explain it to him, he had brushed it off, insisting that he knew it. Although he didn't let Annie know, it annoyed the big malamute when she talked about her studies. He had lost his own job a few months back and hadn't exactly been in the market for a new one. Money was a bit of a problem, and they had to downsize their apartment to a crummy, run down tenement on the edge of the harbor.

Even if his girlfriend had always managed to look at the positives, he despised being stuck here. He wasn't going to tell her that to her face, though, although he was sure he made it rather evident. Most of his time was spent on the couch in their apartment, either wasting time on social media or messing around with his guitar. There was little else for him to do than reminisce about the glory days and feel sorry for himself. Annie had been supportive of it the entire time, and he knew she didn't want to see him feel this way.

Dominick noticed the market stands set up along the side of the walkway, but he didn't spare them much more than a glance. He knew that most of it was fake junk, replications sold to gullible tourist under the pretense that they might be valuable artifacts. Even if he didn't care too much, his girlfriend would definitely be able to tell the difference if he brought her one of those. No, he needed something special for her, something that would really make her birthday memorable.

He bared his teeth a bit and growled when a tan furred canine and a tiger shark stepped out of an alleyway right in his path. They didn't seem to notice him, having the same inattentive attitude that most tourists possessed. He was about to snap at them before his ears suddenly perked up when he heard what they were talking about. The glint of light reflecting off of metal caught his eye, and he followed its source to a silver medallion hanging from the canine's neck.

"Fucking sodder, thinks she knows everything. I wanted the gold one."

"No wucka's, ya know silver goes with your fur. Fair dinkum, you look good with it."

"She said it was...what was it? The Eye of Rawr, or something like that. I don't know, she was a bit up herself, eh?"

"I think it was Ra, mate. And don't get your knickers in a knot, you were the one acting like a drongo."

"Ah, fuck ya, ya cunt. Let's get a sanger and a cold one, I'm stuffed...and speaking of knickers...I'm getting up in yours when we get back."

"Fuck me dead, when did you get so eager?"

Dominick didn't get much more than a glance as they walked past him, but what he saw was enough to satisfy him. Annie was a big fan of ancient crap like that, and the symbols he saw on it resembled some of the other knickknacks she owned. The two girls were gone before he could ask where they got it, leaving him with only the back alley they came from as a guide. Dominick checked his watch quickly, before grimacing when he realized he only had an hour before Annie would get off of work.

His footsteps echoed off the alleyway as he headed down the cramped corridor. It seemed like a strange place to have a shop, and he almost wondered if they had simply been passing through it. As he turned the corner, he would find what he could only imagine was the shop they had come from. There was no store front, little to indicate that there was anything here except for a hand painted wooden sign above a heavy, metal door. In dark blue paint, it said 'The Temple of Qetesh'. It struck him as a strange name for a shop, especially with the strange drawings below the name; they looked like little more to squiggles then him, but he assumed they were words in another language.

The hours were listed below the sign, and his heart sank when he saw that he was a few minutes past their closing time. When he tried the doorknob, he would be relieved to find it still unlocked. The door creaked loudly as he opened it, a burst of hot air hitting him in the face, making him grimace a bit. It was the dead of summer, and the thermostat in here was clearly cranked up high. Dominick couldn't see too far into the shop until he closed the door, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness slowly.

Incense hung heavy in the air, producing noticeable clouds and filling his nose with the pungent odor. The scent was as sweet as honey, with an earthy aroma mixed in to offset it. He couldn't see where it was coming from, but every breath he took was permeated with it. It was enough to make him sneeze a few times as he walked forward, the wooden floor creaking under his footsteps.

He could see that he was in the middle of a large, square room, each wall lined with shelves and buried under what he assumed was merchandise. There were hundreds of books on the other wall, the musty scent of them becoming apparent when he walked up to the counter. It was much different from what he had expected, in truth; most of the things he saw actually looked old. It seemed like it would take days for him to go through all the junk gathered here.

"Hello? Is there anyone here? I uh, know you're closed..." He trailed off when he reached the front counter, shuffling a bit unsteadily. There was a doorway on the other side of the counter, a beaded curtain hanging over the entrance. It did little to obscure what was past that point, but all he could see was darkness from where he was standing. The only light came from a few candles that were set out on the counter, and a small window on the wall above the book shelves.

A scurrying sound hit his ears as he set his paws on the desk, and his eyes drifted curiously towards it. The source was coming from a covered object sitting on a shelf above the only organized part of the shop. The light from the window shown down on the display case full of jewelry of all kinds; they all looked incredibly old to him, not that he had an eye for detail. It was completely full except for one open pedestal, which he assumed held the necklace of the girl he passed in the alley. The canine's curiosity got the better of him at that moment, and he moved towards it. A blanket rested over the top of it, rather thin and decorated with more of the glyphs he had seen above the door. When he finally pulled it off, his face curled up in disgust at what he saw.

It was a glass tank, the bottom of which was filled with sand, plant debris, and a decorative pyramid. Next to it was a beetle as large as his hand, seemingly disturbed by the sudden exposure to light. The insect's shell was a dark, ebony black, its pincers clicking a bit as it seemed to look up at him. The top of the tank was open, and as he watched the insect's wings shot out, fluttering along its side in a threatening manner. It made him drop the cover to the floor and quickly take a step back, worrying it might fly at him. He didn't have much of a chance to look at it, before it quickly dropped its display and scurried under a small chunk of wood.

"'Amrikiun 'ahmaq! You're upsetting Fireawn, stupid man!"

The stern voice made him jump in shock, the beetle immediately forgotten when he turned towards the back doorway. Standing halfway through the beaded curtain was a sight he had admittedly yet to see in the city. It was vulpine, with tan fur and very large ears sticking out above shoulder length brown hair. There were several piercings in both of her ears, and a golden necklace hung around her neck. Her blue eyes were emphasized by the mascara she wore, and right now she was glaring daggers at the malamute.

"I uh, sorry, but uh...I mean, it's just a bug." He walked back a few steps from the tank and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think it's upset." His immediate reaction was one of annoyance, and he didn't try to hide his frown.

Dominick watched as what he assumed was the owner of the shop slipped out of the curtain. She didn't take her eyes off of him as she made her way around the counter and over to the cage. She was a few feet shorter than him, not counting her large, tufted ears; she didn't seem worried about this, however. Her outfit consisted of a black dress, the neckline and sleeves emphasized with golden accents. It hung down to just above her knees, and he noticed that she wasn't wearing shoes. Her short, bushy tail stuck out the back of her dress, bristling with anger when she reached one of her hands into the tank. It made Dominick grimace when he watched her so willingly pick up the beetle's hiding place, and then take it into her hands.

"My dear Pharaoh...'ant aman..." Her voice came out soft and soothing as her fingers slowly ran down the beetle's carapace. It seemed happy being held like this, as it didn't struggle or fight against the hold. "Foolish man, sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at Dominick, her own teeth baring a little bit. She spoke with a hint of an accent to her voice, but her English was practically perfect. "You would do well to respect others, even the smallest of creatures. The god Kephri, who rolled the sun across the sky was represented by the khunfusa' alrwth."

"Khun...what? What are you even speaking?"

"You ghabi Americans...I speak Arabic. And he is a dung beetle."

"And...you're touching it with your hands. That's really gross."

The stony glare that met him was enough to shut Dominick up, the look of utter contempt evident. Slowly she would return the beetle to its cage before walking back around the counter and setting her hands on the top of it. "What do you want?" Her tone was sharp and curt, demanding an answer from him. "The shop is closed. I would think you would at least know how to read?" Her fingers tapped gently on the counter as her eyes narrowed at him. "I'm a busy woman."

"Yeah, I read the sign..." He grumbled a bit before sighing loudly under his breath. His hands dipped deeper into his pockets as he looked around the cluttered shop, shrugging his shoulders. "I was looking for something for my girlfriend, she loves this kind of...stuff." Dominick looked down at the short fox woman, stepping up once more to the surface she rested her hands on. "I need a birthday present, and I need it fast. So, if you could just help me out and sell me something, you know, act like an actual store?"

The fennec fox's nose curled up at this, her ears folding back a bit as she looked up at him for a few moments. "So...it's a gift for a loved one you're seeking? And you need it quickly?" She scoffed before turning towards the shelf behind her, back facing towards Dominick. "I am surprised anyone would love a hayawan like you...American women need to respect themselves more."

"Yeah, listen lady, I've been insulted in every language you can think of." If he wasn't annoyed before, he certainly was now. It reminded him of all Annie's friends, the way they talked behind his back about their relationship. "Just sell me some of this trash so I can go." His hand came down on the counter a bit harder than he intended, immediately drawing the eyes of the shopkeeper. It was a little surprising seeing the anger that swelled in her eyes, her teeth baring together a little.

"You intrude in my shop, you upset my pet, and you insult me..." Her voice trembled a little from her anger, before she closed her eyes tightly. The small girl's chest rose and fell slowly as she took a few deep breaths, before finally she looked at him again. The anger had subsided, but she didn't stop glaring at him as she reached up to the shelf in front of her. "If it will get you out of my shop, then I will give you a gift, like you desire." When she turned around, she allowed him to see just what it was she held in her paws.

It looked like a jewelry box, carved out of reddish-brown wood, the hinges a dark brown metal. The top of it was decorated in ornate patterns around the edges, looking like it was hand carved. In the center was the figure of a naked woman holding a snake in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. It made Dominick grimace - he hated snakes almost as much as he hated bugs.

She appeared canid or vulpine, but it was hard to tell. Her belly was clearly swollen, making him think that she was probably pregnant. The figure in the carving was standing atop a lion, flanked on either side by what appeared to be two men. The one on the right appeared canid as well, with a spotted coat in a spear in his hand. The one to the left of her was equine in appearance; to his embarrassment, he also saw it had a very large erection. It wasn't exactly something he would have been happy to show to most people, but Annie had mentioned that history tended to be lewd.

He began to reach for it, before the hand of the fennec fox came down rather roughly on his own as she smacked it away. Her stern eyes stared him down as her fingers reached up and gently pressed down on the back of the box. "You waste my time by coming in after closing, the least you can do is understand the importance of what I'm giving you." She waited a few moments to see if he would respond before she cleared her throat and kept speaking.

"This is the Egyptian goddess, Qetesh. She is the namesake of my shop." Her fingers trace slowly along the top of the box, barely brushing against the figures. "Sometimes, I believe I am the only one in this land that so much as knows her name..." To Dominick, as her hand moved it would almost appear as if the figures were moving. The shadows produced by the candles danced along the top of it, convincing him it was just a trick of the light. "So, I have embraced her name; as long as my shop stands, I will never forget my 'iiman, my faith."

"My family has worshipped her for generations." She watched him for a few moments, making sure he was paying attention to what she had to say. "I do not give gifts. But if it means spreading the name of Qetesh..."

"Tell your...girlfriend, that even if her hayawan - her brute, her animal - cannot respect it, she will find a use for it." Her hand brushed along the top of it once more, before she pressed her palm against the back of the box and slowly slid it across the counter towards him. When the box reached his edge of the counter, she would step back and cross her arms over her chest. "In ancient times, I was told that the glory of Qetesh shone as brightly as Ra or Anubis...that every entrance to her temple was a gateway for her power to shine through."

Her eyes narrowed when the malamute picked up the box and gave it a gentle shake. His fingers roamed along the edges of the box, testing it for imperfections and seeing just how strong the metal hinges and lock were. "I assure you, I would not give you trash, as you called it." Her lips curled up a little when she saw his fingers prying at the lid. The lock on the latch held tight, feeling like it was almost cemented shut. "It is locked, brute. You would do well not to try to force it open." From her pocket, she produced a small, bronze key, which she set on the counter next to it. "Now leave my shop, I'm done with you."

Before Dominick was able to respond to this, she had already turned and began walking towards the jewelry case. As she began to extinguish the candles, he looked down at the key before shoving it into his pocket. "Don't I uh, have to pay for this, or anything?" He raised an eyebrow as he watched the smoke from the incense swirl around her form, practically enveloping her. It seemed to gather around her as she walked from candle to candle, one hand waving him off without turning to look at him.

"If she does not like it, then simply return it. I won't be offended."

If Dominick had been uncertain before, the thought of getting it for free erased any doubt from his mind. Even if Annie didn't like it, he wouldn't exactly be out anything. He tucked the box under one of his arms before beginning to back up towards the door. "Well, alright then. I'm not going to refuse such a generous...gift." He didn't want to risk her changing her mind on him, and after glancing at his watch, he realized that he needed to get going right away. The malamute's curled tail had started wagging eagerly when he ran out of the shop, not giving a second thought to the female's generosity.

Back in the shop, the fennec fox would sigh a little to herself after extinguishing the last candle. The only light shown in through the window above the bookcases, but she had no problem seeing. Her footsteps made no sound on the wooden floor as she walked up to the tank holding the scarab beetle. As her hand dipped back into the tank to pick up the happily clicking beetle, she smiled a little and giggled to herself. "Of course, a true disciple of Qetesh can make a 'gateway' from anything..."

Dominick didn't have much time left, not having realized just how much time he wasted standing around listening to her. Now that he had a gift for Annie, the last thing he wanted her to do was find out that he had gotten it last-minute. With the money he saved from not having to pay for it, he pulled his phone out and quickly made an order for take-out. It wasn't anything special, but it would at least show that he was trying.

Even if he wasn't good for much, the canine was still in very good shape. The only difficult part was pushing past the crowds on the sidewalk. At this time of day, most people were leaving work for home. He got a few stern looks as he rudely made his way through them, not stopping if he bumped into anyone.

He managed to make it to the restaurant with fifteen minutes to spare before Annie normally got home. It was a decent Italian restaurant they had come to enjoy; he knew she wasn't going to be unhappy with it. Standing in line as he waited, he couldn't resist reaching back into his pocket to feel the bronze key. It felt icy cold against his fingers, surprising him by how dense it was; it seemed like it was made of solid metal, alluding to the craftsmanship put into it.

After grabbing his order, he hurried back out on the sidewalks and headed the direction home. On the way, he stopped at a bodega on the corner, waving a hand in greeting to the man behind the counter. Dominick only stopped to grab the most expensive bottle of wine he could, as well as a package of cupcakes. He begrudgingly handed over the last of the money he had in his pocket to the cashier, just barely coming up with enough. Now, with his hands full, he finally felt he was ready.

It was getting much less crowded the further from the city center he went. In this part of town, the sidewalks were cracked and run down, most of the buildings having boarded up windows. There were a few furs here and there sitting out front of their buildings, but he gave little regard to them. He had been living here long enough to know not to go out after dark, but the daytime was usually safe.

He was panting a bit when he finally stepped through the front door to his building. After fishing out his keys, he unlocked the front door and stopped by the mailbox in the lobby. He was relieved to see that it was still there, signaling that Annie hadn't gotten home yet. The large malamute grabbed whatever letters there were, before hurrying up the narrow flight of stairs to the second floor. The carpeting was shag, filthy after years of dirty feet walking on it, the wallpaper peeling and discolored. It was an absolute shithole, in Dominick's opinion, but it was cheap enough for them to live here.

The sound of music was flowing down the hallway from an open doorway on his floor. A bit of smoke was coming through it, and he rolled his eyes when he caught a whiff of it. It was more than enough to make him sneeze, the potent scent of peppers and spices almost making his eyes water. It burned his nose, and he sneezed a bit in annoyance. The smoke detector in the hallway didn't work, and since most of the windows were nailed shut, this was the only ventilation option available. His foot came down hard on the side of the door frame as he passed by it, his teeth baring a bit.

"Close the fucking door! Every goddamn day with this!"

He didn't spare a glance back over his shoulder to see if they had listened to him. When he got to the end of the hallway he didn't hesitate to step into his apartment. It was small, cramped, with a 'living room' that seemed smaller than Annie's college dorm room. The kitchen was attached to it, old linoleum and ugly faux wood, dated appliances that were still barely chugging along. It was clean in here at least, and although the faint scent of mildew hung in the air, it was bearable.

Everywhere he looked, there was an object sitting on a shelf or hanging from the wall depicting another culture. It annoyed him that Annie kept finding things like this to bring home, especially when there was apparently no rhyme or reason to her decorating. He didn't consider himself a xenophobe, but he would have preferred it if Annie let him decorate how he wanted to. The only thing out here belonging to him was his guitar, sitting on a stand next to the small tube tv they had scavenged after a neighbor moved out.

Dominick set the bag of food down on the kitchen table before setting the box down next to it. He looked at the clock quickly, before grinning to himself in success. At that moment, he considered the day a complete success. "Brute my ass..." He smirked a little, wishing the fox bitch could see just how wrong she was about him. He placed his jacket on a hook next to the front door, leaving him in his sweaty, white undershirt. The run had taken a bit out of him, reminding him that he wasn't as fit as he was when he was in high school.

He walked down the short hallway into their shared bedroom and sighed to himself as he moved in front of her mirror. When the malamute pulled his shirt off, he could see he still had a trace of abs, but they had diminished greatly. His fingers reached up and gently pressed against his softening pectoral muscles, and then running down his stomach. It was disappointing seeing himself like this, but he didn't have the energy to do anything about it.

Sitting on the nightstand next to their small, full sized mattress was a picture of the two of them from high school. As he took it in his hands, the memory of the night came back to him. Annie was smiling brightly in the picture, the cheetah dressed in her cheerleading uniform with her arms wrapped tightly around the malamute's neck. He had a few rips in his jersey after a rather aggressive bull tried to knock him over, but he had stood as firm as a wall. His smile in the picture was a bit labored, but he had seemed truly happy. That was the night their team had won the State Championship, after all, why wouldn't he consider that the defining moment of his life?

It almost made his stomach sink as he remembered all the good times they had together before graduation. They had met as freshmen, when she moved to his school. He had heard that her family came from the big city; it instantly made her popular to most of the small-town girls. The first few weeks he had mostly ignored the gossip about her. At the time, he had been busy in the gym and on the field training. He had been an early bloomer in high school, quickly shooting up to nearly six feet tall his sophomore year.

The feline had quickly made a name for herself on both the cheerleading squad, and in her academic studies. Back then, he had been so self-assured, not caring about possible rejection when he asked her out. The cheetah had seemed almost shocked with how bold he was, but after one date they both realized how much they liked each other. She was funny and smart as a whip, easily able to outsmart him; he had told himself he was fine with that, but now...now he worried, because he knew that she could do better.

He had been so confident that he would go on to play football as a pro, or at least make it in the minor leagues. At times, he found himself bitter about her decision to come to the big city, where he felt he didn't have any chance to succeed. It was much different than the small town he grew up in, and at times very intimidating to him. Dominick didn't want to admit to his girlfriend that he was nervous around big crowds or being in situations where he had no control. He wasn't the type to lean on his girlfriend for help, instead choosing to keep pushing it all to the back of his mind.

Every time her friends stopped by the apartment and saw how she lived, saw how her boyfriend chose to willingly waste the day on the couch...it was humiliating. He wasn't trying to relive his 'glory days', especially since he was in his early twenties, but he didn't know what else to do now. Everything seemed so much harder than it did when he was younger, and Annie took to it all so easily. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the front door opening, the chipper voice of the cheetah calling out to him.

"I'm hoooome! Oh Dominick, did you get Antonio's pasta? You know how much...is this for me?"

The sudden excited tone to his voice caused his ears to shoot straight up, before his eyes widened when he realized he had left her gift sitting on the table. He didn't bother to put a shirt on as he rushed out of their bedroom, only to see the cheetah happily holding the box in her hands. Her fur was an almost dirty brown, but her black spots easily shown through it; her yellow, feline eyes were traveling all along the box in her hands. Her short brown furred muzzle always seemed to be curled up in a smile, and her yellow eyes glistened with delight.

"Dominick...please tell me you didn't spend an arm and a leg on this." She wore a dark, gray dress that went down to her knees, her nametag happily proclaiming her a curator at the Natural History Museum. Her long tail flicked around quickly behind her, showing off just how excited she was.

"I...I uh...I'm sorry that I didn't wrap it." His muzzle curled up in a weak grin before he offered one arm to her as he walked up to her side. "Happy birthday, babe...I know it's not much, but..." He trailed off a bit, suddenly not feeling like such a good boyfriend as he pulled her in for a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're home..."

The vibrating purr of the feline was all he needed to know that she was happy. It instantly began to make the large canine's tail wag, his ears lowering a bit as he bent down to kiss the top of her head. He felt her tufted ears twitching a bit as he did this, the scent of her sweet perfume washing over him. Even though he had a sensitive nose, he had always found her fragrance alluring. "

"Easy there boy, you're all sweaty. And I think it's perfect." She giggled as she playfully pressed her palms against his chest, slowly rubbing along his furry pecs. "Did you go out for a run? I told you, exercising always chases my blues away..." She shot him a reassuring smile, her eyes softening a bit as she leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his muzzle. Their height difference made it a little difficult, but he chuckled as he brushed her bangs from her face so he could look into her eyes.

"Well, I guess you could say that I did..." His muzzle twitched a little at the feeling of her lips before he leaned down to kiss her. Unlike the quick peck she had given him to the side of his muzzle, this was a deep kiss. Dominick could feel the cheetah's claws digging into his chest, even as her tongue poked out against his lips briefly. "I definitely needed to get out...so yeah, I went for a run."

This made the cheetah smile, her hands moving from his chest and wrapping tightly around his flank. "I'm glad to hear it...and you even found time to get us dinner...and a present." She looked back down at the box in her hands, before setting it back down on the table. "I guess you do love me after all, huh? And here I thought you might have...forgotten." Her smile faltered for a brief moment, just long enough for him to notice. The tip of her tail traced along his hips a bit before she stepped away, her arms stretching out above her head. "I had suuuuuch a long day, maybe I could convince you to rub my shoulders for me too?"

He chuckled as he watched her walk off into their bedroom to change out of her uniform. While she was doing that, he moved over to the table and took out the boxes of food. "Of course, babe. It's your night after all." It was refreshing to be able to do something nice for her; he had been so worried he was going to mess up by having nothing to show for her birthday. "Do you want some wine? I got the red, like you like." He didn't wait for an answer, already heading for the cupboard.

While he was pouring the wine into a couple of cheap, plastic glasses - the only thing they had to drink out of - his eyes drifted once more to the box on the table. It was still weird to look at, especially the figures on either side of the central woman. "Hey babe, you know anything about uh...damn, what was it...Katish? Qetash?" He snapped his fingers a few times, trying to recall it. The malamute reached into his pocket and shivered a little when he felt the cold metal of the key. "Qetesh..." The name stuck in his head suddenly, making him wonder how he had forgotten it. Her sudden voice behind him nearly made him jump, his ears shooting straight up.

"Heh, I thought you didn't like history? I've heard of it once or twice." When he turned, he found Annie standing there. She wore a pair of pink pajama pants, while also wearing one of his old football shirts from high school. It was a little large on her, but when it hung against her chest, he could tell that she didn't have a bra on underneath it. She had let her hair down, letting it hang around her shoulders. "Easy there, pup...you doing okay? You seem a little distracted tonight..." She trailed off as she reached up to run one of her hands down his shoulder. "I think I have a book on Egyptian mythology...somewhere around here."

Dominick swallowed hard after she said this, his muzzle squeezing tightly together. "Well...just been feeling kind of...anxious lately, I guess." He didn't want to see the concern coming over her face, and he quickly turned towards their room. "Just uh, look it's fine, that's why I went for that run. I'm going to go get a shirt." As he walked down the short hallway to their room, he could feel her eyes on his back. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin her special day; he was certain he made that happen enough as it was. "Tonight, all I care about is you, babe."

In their room, he grabbed a clean white shirt from the dresser and pulled it on. After getting dressed, he was about to head back before his eyes drifted to the nearly overflowing bookcase on her side of the room. It contained most of the textbooks she had collected over her schooling. She had always claimed she was too attached to part with them. Remembering what she said about the book on mythologies, he got down on one knee in front of it. It took him a few moments of searching before he found it tucked into the back; it was a small book, black bound with the title 'Deities of Egypt: Early Dynastic Period and Onwards'.

Even if it wasn't something he showed an interest in before, he couldn't help but be curious about it. Once he got back to his feet, he headed back out to the living area to find Annie sitting at the table. She had the box in front of her and was gently trying to push the top open with her fingers.

"I think it's a little sticky...where did you get it from?" Almost immediately after she asked this, she raised an eyebrow as she glanced his way. "You didn't steal it, did you?" Her playful tone emphasized that she was joking, her eyes glistening in amusement.

"No, no...I didn't steal it. I was down in the harbor district a few weeks ago looking for a present..." He hoped it wasn't obvious he was lying, even as his eyes drifted downwards. "And I...found this weird shop. Ugh, the owner had this huuuuuge beetle as a pet, you believe that?" The memory of it made him tremble in disgust against his will, his ears folding down a little. "Ugh, and she actually held it in her hand...anyways, she said that this would be a good present for my girlfriend. Not too sure why...if you don't like it, I can always get you something else."

He set the book down on the table in front of his chair before sitting across from her. "I got you the seafood pasta, I hope that's okay." He pushed the take-out box over to her before grabbing his own. The bright smile she shot his way let him know that he had picked right, and he allowed himself to relax. Dominick didn't exactly want to admit he hadn't remembered her favorite choice, but he was glad that he picked correctly.

The food wasn't cheap, but it had become Annie's favorite place to eat since they moved here. It was worth it to him as he dug into his own meal. He could see the cheetah eating ravenously, clearly not worried since her boyfriend was the only other person in the room. When she caught him staring at her, he playfully winked at her. "You're gorgeous, you know that right?" Under the white sauce that splattered her muzzle, she blushed, and then quickly grabbed a handful of napkins to wipe it away.

He chuckled at her reaction and she rolled her eyes at him. He felt one of her feet nudging against his leg under the table, and he immediately returned the touch. Once he finished his meal, he stuck the leftovers in the fridge; he noticed, however, that Annie had nearly emptied her box. It made him shake his head a little, knowing just how embarrassed the feline got at how much she could eat. Now that he was full, he grabbed his wine glass and nodded down towards the box that had gotten pushed to the side of the table. "Anyways, what's with the guy with the ugh...boner, on there."

"Heh, I remember that at least...that's Min, he's the Egyptian god of Reproduction. He's depicted with his erection in his right hand...and a flail in the left." She giggled before reaching for her glass of wine and taking a large gulp from it. "I mean, I would have been more willing to go to church if I saw things like that." She winked at him, before taking another small drink from her cup.

He nodded before flipping open the book and heading to the table of contents. It took him a few moments of looking before he found the name. The page that listed Qetesh had the same picture, identifying it as the 'stele of Qetesh'. His eyes drifted up to Annie when he noticed her silence; it amused him to see her looking so intently at him. Maybe it wasn't so bad trying to get interested in her hobbies. "Qetesh, also known as Kadesh," he cleared his throat a bit, smiling at her as he leaned back in his chair. "was adopted into the Egyptian pantheon at the end of the Bronze Age, coming from the Canaanite religion..." He trailed off a bit, before noticing Annie's hand gesturing towards the book.

"Don't stop, this is the best gift I've gotten in years." The cheetah was sitting straight up in her chair, her elbow resting on the table and her chin in her palms. "You know, you're pretty sexy when you act smart."

Dominick's face grew a little red at this, and he chuckled a bit before continuing along. "A fertility goddess of...wow," he looked up at Annie, waiting a moment before clearing his throat again "Sacred Ecstasy and sexual pleasure. Usually depicted between Min of Egypt, and the Canaanite Warrior god Resheph. Gees, if I had known history could be so interesting, I might have picked up a book back in high school." He stuck his tongue out at her, before chuckling at the grin that graced her face. "Oh, be quiet, I'm just joking..." He paused as he brought his glass to his lips and took a small sip, grimacing at the fruity taste of the wine. Even if he didn't like it, it was the only alcohol Annie drank.

"I don't really remember hearing about that in class...you would think that would be the first thing they told us to get our attention." Her face had warmed under her fur, causing her cheeks to redden a little. She was already starting to pour herself a second glass, her mention that it was a long day coming back to him. Although she hadn't mentioned it, he knew that she had been pulling double shifts to keep up on their bills.

After setting the book down on the table, he paused when he noticed a slight difference between the book's stele and the carving on the box. "Huh, that's weird...her stomach looks a lot bigger than it is in the book..." As Annie pulled the book over to her side, her face grew a bit downcast, which in turn made Dominick frown. He knew that shopkeeper had been too good to be true. The painting of Qetesh in the book clearly depicted her as having a flat stomach.

"Huh, you're right." She looked from the book and back to the box. After a moment, she simply smiled and set the book down. "Oh well, you can't expect to find genuine treasure in a store, can you?" Even if she tried to seem positive about it, the subtle droop to her ears clued him in that she was disappointed. She was never one to express when she was upset. Even when Dominick would do that rubbed her the wrong way, she never wanted to let him know she was mad. "It's still beautiful, even if I can't get it open..."

When she reminded him that she still hadn't been able to open it, he quickly reached into his pocket to fish for the key. "No, no! It opens, I think...she said that it was locked." After a bit of digging, he pulled it out and smiled as he reached across the table to hand it to her. "I mean, it better open..." When their fingers brushed together, he gently pressed the key into the palm of her hands. "Go ahead, let's see if there's any kind of prize inside."

Annie stood up a bit straighter in her chair, examining the heavy key with a curious eye. "Heh, we'll see...I'm hoping for jewelry." The cheetah leaned forward and grabbed the box, spinning it around to face her. Dominick would lean closer as she pressed the key into the lock, twisting it slowly before a loud click filled the apartment. At that moment, both of them felt a chill running down their spines from the sound.

Once Annie pulled the key free of the box, the lid flipped open, hitting the table with a loud crack. A gust of air seemingly billowed out of it, wisps of solid white smoke appearing with it. The scent of the incense from the shop - albeit much more powerful - hit Dominick's nose, a cloying scent that made him stumble out of his chair. The heat in the room seemed to jump incredibly high, soaking into his thick fur. It made him feel light-headed, his breathing coming a bit heavier.

The cheetah had tried to get up from her chair only for the wisps of smoky incense to surround her. They surrounded her like they had the fox in the shop, swirling much more intensely than before. Her eyes widened in panic as she tried to brush the growing clouds away from her, before they reached her muzzle. Dominick could only watch as his girlfriend inhaled the cloud, her eyes fluttering immediately after. A glazed look came over her as she slumped back down in her chair, her ears folding back.

"Oh...wooooow..."

The malamute's legs felt like rubber as he stepped towards the table, trying to make it around to her side. "Annie? Annie, look at me ..." Dominick had to use one hand to balance himself on the table, his free hand landing on her shoulder. Even when he tried to gently shake her, she didn't so much as respond to his touch. The room had started to grow hazy as the blowing heat continued to pour from the box, saturating the room with it.

The smoke almost seemed like a living creature, coiling itself around him slower than it had the cheetah. After seeing how quickly Annie had succumbed to it, he clamped a paw around his mouth. Dominick turned towards the door, only managing a few steps towards it before he felt his muscles constricting. A low, hissing noise filled his ears, making them shoot up.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see it. The wisps of smoke had begun to solidify, the facsimile of scales beginning to form. His heart raced when it coiled around in front of him, the outline becoming more serpentine by the second. The head formed into a rounded shape, fiery red eyes appearing to stare at him as its mouth slowly opened. The hissing noise sounded again as a hood of scales began to rise in a threatening manner.

Dominick reacted before he could stop himself, his mouth opening to scream. No sound came out as the snake shaped cloud of incense darted forward, losing its form as it dispersed around his face. The large canine couldn't stop himself from breathing it in, his throat growing scratchy as he began to cough heavily. He tried to brush away the cloud hanging around his face, but it stubbornly clung around him. With his vision blurred, he didn't see the couch until he collided with the back of it, making him yelp as he tumbled over it.

Every so often he would catch glimpses of the apartment's ceiling, but they would quickly fade away to whiteness. He didn't know if he was dreaming or conscious, his senses dulled significantly. The heat had begun to fade away from the room, the clouds clearing from his vision. The next time he closed his eyes, he could hear a voice ringing in his ears, clear as a bell. It had a feminine tone to it, demanding his attention even as it softly whispered to him. As soon as it stopped talking, a much more familiar voice followed it, a bit more excited in tone.

"Qetesh yamnihuha niema."

"Enjoy yourself, hayawan..."