FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

?The light of a nearby star wakes me as I pass. It had been my intention to sleep through the entire trip. I sigh. Now that I am awake I might as well do some preliminary research. I peruse my database for specific cultural information. Earth's dominant species is largely arrogant and paranoid when it comes to anything different. No wonder none of the other documented sentient races have attempted contact with them. If I am to find the one I seek, I need to blend in. It would not do to be captured for study when I have a task to complete. A shape is necessary in case I need to touch down on Earth's surface. Provided the shape is male, I don't have a preference. I let the database choose one for me for future use. I close my eyes to rest further until I reach Earth. A brief thought enters my mind: What will my one look like? How will they act? I push the thoughts away. A busy mind is a wasteful one and I need all of my thoughts focused on finding the one, not who they might be. I need to bend their conscience, break it only as a last resort, in order for my experiments to succeed.

I wonder what a being from Earth would do with a fraction of our power. I shake myself and push that thought away also. That is a question for my father. That is the kind of thinking that exiled him. Dreaming in the wrong hands destroys solar systems. Such was the tragedy of Kelidon IV. My father knew the risks, though, as I do now. I wouldn't let another tragedy like Kelidon IV happen again. I would rather not exist. My database informs me that my journey will end in one week earth time. I re-activate my Dreamguard and drift back into slumber.

***

Two weeks passed. Joel and I occasionally worked on our homework together, but he had become increasingly distant. He chose instead to hang out with Natalie and her group of friends. I tagged along sometimes, but my desire for Joel proved a very difficult animal to hold at bay. Too many times we had returned to the room drunk and I had almost taken him. I decided it was better to let him party on his own rather than risk doing something I was too inebriated to avoid.

Hugh and I shared lunch on pretty much every week day. It was nice to have someone to chat with even if it was someone I found terribly attractive. Hugh never talked about himself and he always looked very tired. He usually asked me questions about my day or whether or not the course material was too confusing. It was a simple ritual that brought a surprising amount of comfort to otherwise stressful days. Still I would have preferred to tell Hugh about my risky desire for Joel. When I returned to the room each day, Joel was never there and through the weeks I found that I would have to do his assignments for him because he would be too drunk to do them on his own. I wondered why the cheetah was drinking so much. By Sunday night of week two I was fed up. Joel was sleeping in his bed after a long party and I was up late trying to finish our collective assignments. The clock read three in the morning by the time I finished my assignment and looked at Joel's. I realized then, that the two assignments were different to discourage cheating. I ran my hands through my headfur in frustration. Five hours of sleep would not make me a happy camper in the morning. I shrugged and put Joel's assignment back on his desk. The cheetah could miss one assignment without too much penalty I hoped.

As I crawled into my bed to sleep, my mind drifted to thoughts of Ben. The wolf had been thankfully distant as well over the weeks and I was extremely grateful. Ben wouldn't even meet my gaze across the classroom anymore. I hoped that was a good sign. A part of me said that I should just be happy to have attracted any male student even if it was through less moral means. An image of Ben and I going out on a date flashed through my mind. We were both trying to act cool and be the "man" of the relationship. I imagined a date with him would be like pulling teeth. We were too similar, Ben and I. It would never work. I rolled over and rested my head on my arm, trying to get comfortable enough for sleep to take me. I didn't have to wait long.

Hugh was waiting for me in our usual spot that we had carved for ourselves in the cafeteria. He waved me over and I set my tray down next to his, plopping down tiredly after. I leaned on my elbow as the lion next to me took a huge bite out of his barbecue chicken wrap. I picked at my salad. Hugh swallowed the first bite, took a drink of the soda in front of him and then nudged me playfully with his elbow.

"What's bugging you, Mark?" He asked.

I looked up from my elbow and sighed. Hugh still had bags under his eyes, but they still sparkled. It made him look like he was extremely satisfied. I imagined his face would look the same way after sex or a really good meal.

"I'm worried about my roomate."

He blinked as if trying to recall something.

"You mean Joel?"

"Yeah, he's been going out to party every night these past two weeks and I'm really worried he's going to get himself hurt or something."

Hugh chuckled.

"Lighten up, Mark. It's college. Let the guy experiment. Look if anything bad does happen then Joel will probably learn from it. Besides he seems like a smart kid judging from his homework results so I doubt he'll make bad decisions."

I blushed and frowned down at the greens, absent mindedly smoothing my blue uniform tie.

"Um, about that... I've actually been doing his assignments."

Hugh stared at me and I cringed.

"All of them?" He asked.

I nodded.

"I had to. He always came back to the room too late to work on them so I figured it wouldn't hurt... Today's assignment, though was way too long. I didn't have time to do both mine and his over the weekend."

Hugh smiled a bit.

"You're not angry?"

He chuckled.

"No, perhaps the short lecture I gave him today after class will make him alter his priorities. But, I think you could use a priority adjustment, too, Mark."

I scoffed.

"Yeah right."

"I'm serious. For someone who doesn't care about the program you certainly are trying very hard to do well."

I didn't want to tell him the real reason. I wanted to impress him. I wanted to prove to him that I was a good student so that he would like me. Instead, I stared at my food, red faced. I was no longer hungry.

Hugh put his arm around my shoulder and I fought an impulse to shiver.

"I think you need to lighten up, Mark. Take things less serious for a change."

"I don't... I've tried..."

I didn't know what excuse I was trying to make.

"Look, why don't you and I go out later tonight and we'll have fun. I promise."

"Really? But you're teaching tomorrow."

"You're right. But I'm not doing that until 8am. There's a lot of time between now and then."

"Where are we going to go?"

"Just show up at my office at six pm tonight."

I gulped. Was Hugh actually taking me out on a date? What else could I do besides nod? We finished eating in silence. Hugh's arm was still resting on my shoulders, but I no longer cared. In fact I was enjoying the warmth it gave. I wished he could have kept it there for a while longer. But when Hugh finished his wrap and soda, he stood to throw his garbage away. I watched him as he waved goodbye, strolling towards the exit. I wondered what event he had planned for that night. I also wondered if Hugh had not given out homework on purpose and whether or not he had any ulterior motives. I shivered, hoping he did.

Six wouldn't come fast enough. I sat in my dorm room alone and surfed the web. I thought of booting up a movie or game, but I didn't want to get too distracted and lose track of time. Joel arrived at five thirty as I was getting ready to leave. He gave me a confused look when he saw me in my loose fitting jeans and black t-shirt. It occurred to me that he almost never saw me dressed casually during the week.

"Where are you going?" He asked as if it mattered to him.

"Out."

"With who? Where?"

"Why should I tell you? You never tell me where you run off to."

I turned towards the door after tying my sneakers and Joel grabbed my arm suddenly. I resisted the urge to rip my arm from his grip. But I glared at the hand and then up at his face. He looked sad. My expression softened with his grip on my arm.

"I'm sorry." He said simply.

I nodded as he looked away from me.

"What are you trying to escape from?" I asked.

He shrugged as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"Pressure I guess. I'm... I'm afraid I won't do well. That my folks will stop paying for school. That I won't make any friends unless I'm out partying."

He stared at the floor.

"Why do you need so many friends? Isn't a small group enough?"

The cheetah sighed and shook his head.

"Nevermind... you should get going. I hope you have fun."

"Joel, tell me. Is it family trouble?"

He grimaced and I realized I had struck a nerve.

"Joel, listen to me. My parents split right before I came to the Academy."

He looked up in surprise.

"They did? It must have been rough, right?"

I shook my head.

"No, actually it was the most civil thing I had ever seen them do. It was like neither of them cared about each other or how I felt."

The cheetah stood and started pacing.

"My parents fight all of the time. Over stupid shit too. Like whether or not there is a chip in a ceramic serving dish or what the proper way to cook brownies is."

I frowned.

"If you need someone to talk to, Joel. I'm here. And I've been through something sort of similar."

He smiled and I was relieved.

"Thanks Mark. What time do you think you'll be back?"

"I dunno."

"Well I'm going to stay in tonight and do the homework we had over the weekend. I'll see you later I guess."

I grinned as I turned back towards the door.

"See you later, man," I said.

I ran to Hugh's office. The lion was waiting for me. He had shed his tan suit jacket and was now wearing a loose, blue Hawaiian shirt with a palm tree pattern on it. He also had khaki colored baggy cargo shorts on as well that sagged as if he was carrying something heavy in the pockets. He smiled broadly at me as I arrived. He was in the process of locking his office door.

"I thought you had chickened out for a minute." He said jokingly.

"No... way...!" I panted. "But you promised... fun. So if you don't deliver I'm going to be very disappointed."

He clapped his arm around my shoulder again as we walked from Enterprise Hall.

"I'm sure you'll find it very... entertaining. Here."

The professor handed me a bottle of water and a can of Turbo energy drink that he produced from his cargo pockets.

"Are we doing something active that I should be aware of?"

Hugh chuckled.

"Oh come on, you're fit, you'll be fine."

We reached Hugh's car, a silver convertible, and he unlocked the doors. We slid into the seats and he fired up the electric engine.

"But what are we even doing?" I asked, trying to get him to spill it.

"That's for me to know." He chided. "Relax, Mark. Just go with the flow and enjoy."

I folded my arms over my chest after putting the drinks at my feet.

"I'll try."

"No, you will." The lion grinned. "Are you hungry?"

I was. Six hours without eating was making my stomach try to devour itself.

"Yeah..."

"I have some snacks in the back seat. Help yourself."

I reached my hand back and grabbed a bag of chips.

"Go ahead and drink that Turbo." Hugh advised as he cracked open his own can, placing it in the cup holder attached to the front console after taking a large swig. I wondered why he was so adamant about me drinking the stuff. I shrugged and opened the can. As the carbonation hissed and the metal tab folded down inside the aluminum can, the strong scent of guarana filled my nostrils. I grimaced. I hated energy drinks, but since it was Hugh ordering me to do it, I complied. The drink tasted foul; as if turpentine and urine had been combined with a minute amount of sugar. It was warm as well. I fought every urge I had to gag and spit the disgusting drink out, but I made myself swallow, telling myself that I was doing it for the lion; to humor him. After the first gulp I stuffed some of the salty potato chips into my mouth, trying to smother the taste. Hugh chuckled next to me as he sipped his drink. The car turned onto one of the sleek new parkways on Long Island and drove towards New York City. It was already dark outside as we merged, the other cars on the highway speeding along with towards the spires of lights that covered Manhattan.

I took the opportunity to look around at the various objects that lay scattered about Hugh's car. Besides the bags of snack food in the back seat, there was a plastic box full of file folders. It was too dark in the car to make out what was written on the tabs of the folders, though. A music player was attached to the stereo from the front seat's center console, but no music was playing from it. Loose change filled the ashtray and a few pens were jammed inside one of the cup holders. I glanced at the lion as I took another sip of the Turbo in my hand. For some reason, the taste wasn't that bad the second time. The professor was concentrating on the road ahead; a pleasant smile on his face. His eyes still looked tired even after he polished off the Turbo. He looked over at me suddenly and flashed a huge, toothy grin. I chuckled softly.

"What's funny?" he asked.

I shook my head as I looked out the window.

"Nothing. You just reminded me of..." I trailed off as a minivan pulled up alongside us.

The parents of the family inside were discussing something pleasant in the front seat judging from their smiles. The children were in the back watching what looked like a cartoon on the drop down television.

"What is it?" the professor looked concerned when I looked back at him and I realized that I must have been frowning.

I made myself smile and looked ahead.

"You reminded me of my father when I was really young. He used to make goofy faces like that to cheer me up."

Hugh nodded as we pulled off of the highway with a line of traffic. Despite the amount of traffic on Long Island, Manhattan was a lot easier to drive in than my father said it used to be. The line of cars we were in swerved up to the middle layer of the three tiered road. The lowest road was reserved for delivery and garbage collecting vehicles and the upper road was reserved for through traffic. Before long, Hugh pulled his car into a parking lot. We were near Eighth Avenue. The clock on Hugh's dash read eight thirty pm. I couldn't believe that the drive from the academy had taken two and a half hours. I finished off the Turbo, throwing the can to the floor of the car triumphantly. Thank god that was over. The lion handed me a second bottle of water and held out his right hand in a fist as if to drop something. I held out my palm quizzically and a small blue pill with a paw imprint on it landed there. I stared at the pill in disbelief.

"Is... is this what I think it is?" I asked.

Hugh chuckled, putting an identical pill in his mouth.

"Probably."

He swallowed the pill along with a large gulp of water and grinned at me again.

"It makes this a lot more fun," he said, "trust me."

I looked down at the pill again as the lion stepped out of the car. Well he did tell me to lighten up and if he can do it, then I can too, I thought. The pill slid down my throat with the water as I stood from my seat as well.

"Don't forget that water," Hugh said, "never stop drinking once we get inside either."

I gulped and looked up; taking the two bottles he had given me from the car. The tall buildings around us spiraled upwards toward the blackness of night above and the chill wind cut through my clothing and fur. I couldn't help but shiver as the lion led the way into the elevator that brought us down to street level. Hugh kept walking after exiting the elevator and I followed. I had no clue where he was leading me but when the buildings became shorter, I started checking street signs. We turned onto West Fourteenth Street and I concluded that we were somewhere in or near the old Greenwich Village. The buildings in the area were older, less modern than the business buildings farther north. It gave the streets a quaint, sort of homey quality. Eventually we came to what looked like a metal bulkhead in front of a two story old-fashioned, brick building. There was a well built panther standing outside of it, smoking a cigarette. The feline was wearing a black leather jacket with matching leather gloves; tight, black jeans; and a red t-shirt. He also had sneakers on. His left eyebrow was pierced with a golden ring and two other rings looped through his right ear near the pointed tip. Hugh grinned at him and saluted.

"Hey Roscoe, how goes it?" the professor asked.

The panther grinned back at first, but then his face turned serious when he saw me.

"Who's the kid?" he retorted.

"Just a friend of mine, Ross. He won't cause trouble."

"Does he know the rules?" The panther asked, his piercing yellow eyes looking me up and down appraisingly.

I didn't. Hugh hadn't told me anything about the place.

"Well, no. I'm trying to surprise him and to get him to lighten up a bit."

Roscoe nodded after a moment.

"Well here they are:" he said, "don't start shit, don't talk shit, don't be a dick, and pay your tab on time. There's no room for hate in this establishment. You'll figure out the rest once you get inside."

I gulped. This was starting to sound less and less like something I wanted to be doing. The lion saluted the panther and Roscoe opened the door. A blast of hot air struck me in the face as the door swung open. It was a welcome change from the bitter cold wind of the night. Hugh pressed his hands against my back to push me down the concrete steps and into the darkened bulkhead entrance. At first I thought of pushing back against him to resist, but his touch was electric. It sent shock waves through the muscles and nerves on my back, making me desire more of his touch. I wanted to feel it on my bare fur. So instead of pushing against him, I let him guide me down the steep staircase into the blackness below. Roscoe closed the bulkhead door behind us and for a moment I couldn't see anything, but it only accentuated Hugh's touch through my clothes. I may have been imagining it, but for a brief moment I thought I felt Hugh rubbing my shoulders. The bottom of the staircase was not actually completely pitch black. As my eyes adjusted, I saw that the stair was lit by a black light that only pooled enough to see when the bulkhead door was closed. The low throb of a bass beat could be heard through the walls all around us in the tiny space. In the small room, there was a card table, behind which sat a male tiger. He was thin for a tiger, barely Joel's size, and his clothes fell around him as if they were all handed down to him. The cargo shorts and open button-down dress shirt could have been any color besides white. The tiger wasn't wearing anything under the shirt and I could see his athletically muscled abdomen that glowed green in the dim light. He had small spectacles that rested at the tip of his nose and he was sitting in an aluminum folding chair. On the table sat a metal box and a clipboard with a stack of pages clipped into it. The pages looked like a guest list. Names were scrawled in print and signed next to across the page. The tiger looked up at us as we approached him across the room. He grinned a wide, green grin as he noticed Hugh.

"Howdy, Jim!" the tiger said in a lazy Southern drawl, "you bring a new boy again?"

Hugh sauntered up to the table and leaned in close to the tiger. The lion had an annoyed expression on his face.

"Just let us in, Jesse."

"I'd love to, babe, but that one's not on the list." Jesse looked in my direction as he pointed to the piece of paper attached to the clipboard.

Hugh rolled his eyes and signed near his name. Then he slipped a bill from his pocket and slid it across the table.

"Here's the fee, you highway robber."

I couldn't be sure, but I could have sworn Hugh winked when he said it. It was disconcerting hearing them talk about me in the third person. Not to mention watching him flirt so openly with someone else in front of me. The tiger took the cash and deposited it into the metal box on the table. He stood from his chair and walked to the wall, opening a previously invisible door.

"Enter, gentlemen, if you please."

The door opened to a loud room beyond that was awash with lights and writhing figures. The music inside assaulted my ears and the bright lights were nearly blinding after the time spent in the black light. Hugh's hand was holding mine in an instant and again, his touch shocked me to my core. I could feel his rapid, excited pulse through his palm as it touched mine. His fingers squeezed my hand as he tugged me into the sea of bodies beyond the black frame of the door. I didn't pay attention to the mass around us as he pulled me. My eyes remained locked onto Hugh's back all the while. After several moments Hugh reached a spot where there was at least some space to move and he released my hand. I wanted to grab it right back again, but I didn't dare. It was then that I noticed the other animals around us. The whole basement room was filled with them and the heat from their bodies and movement was oppressive. I took one of the bottles of water from my pants pocket and took a few large gulps. The room itself was much larger than I would have originally thought. It seemed like the owners of the establishment had removed the floor of the first level of the building above and fastened lights to the ceiling. I ducked instinctively as a glowing object on a string nearly struck me in the head. The squirrel who was flinging it around didn't even acknowledge me as he undulated away with the beat of the driving music. There was a raised platform at one end of the room where a crocodile was wearing headphones and bobbing rhythmically behind some turn tables. I didn't see a single human in the entire throng of critters. When I turned back to look for Hugh, I saw that he was shimmying his shoulders and bobbing along with the crowd. I don't know why I started dancing, then. I never thought I was good at it to begin with. But there was something about that room. There was something about the beat, the lights, the heat; something passionate. I stopped caring about how I looked while I danced. No one was going to be paying attention to me anyway. I let the music move my limbs. It was as if the whole room was ruled by the beat and not even the DJ was in control.

I felt as though I was part of something much greater and I didn't matter at all. Everything I did was moving in time with the rest of the group. None of us were singular. I lost track of Hugh, but even though I couldn't see him, I could sense him nearby somehow. No, he wasn't nearby. He was part of me as I was part of him and we were part of the whole. The crowd in the room rose and crashed against the DJ's podium like waves riding the beats and melodies. The oppressiveness of the heat turned into a comforting feeling. The pressure it lent added to the intensity of the moment. Time vanished and no longer mattered. Nothing mattered except the music. My head swam with a sense of pleasure that I had never felt before. It wasn't sexual, just a feeling of gladness; of freedom. I felt like I could do anything. Even flying was possible to me in that moment and I wanted to pick Hugh up and take him soaring above the city and to the stars.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I suddenly found myself out of breath and the feeling snapped me back to reality. Somehow my shirt was around my waist and I noticed that Hugh was standing close to me and gulping down one of his bottles of water. The lion's shirt was also tied around his middle and I took his cue, pulling out the bottle in my pants and downing the rest of it. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I panted, tossing the bottle away behind me. The lion grinned as he did the same. Before I knew what he was doing, Hugh was grinding his hips into mine; one arm wrapped around my stomach just above the knot in my shirt sleeves. Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I found myself grinding right back. I wrapped an arm across his chest as we moved to the beat, the swimming feeling in my head returning swiftly. I carried Hugh with me away through the sea of notes. We were flying now, skimming the clouds as we rose above the city. Our bodies pressed tightly together as the heat matted our fur with our sweat. We danced together for what must have been hours. I finished off the second bottle of water and at some point had found a third that I was halfway through. Hugh hadn't left my side since that first brief break we had and as the music began to slow down, he continued pressing himself against me, still lost in the rhythm. I noticed the speed change, but I didn't make anything of it, dancing right along. I was also aware of the dwindling of the crowd in the room, but I didn't care. It wasn't until the slowed beat finally ended that I realized that Hugh's bare chest was pressed against mine and his jaw was resting on my shoulder. We had been slow dancing for god knew how long. We both stood there, silent as the fluorescent lights flickered on above us and the remaining dancers began to vacate the room. Hugh spoke first.

"I remember your father taking me to my first rave..."

My mood was utterly destroyed. Why did he have to bring up my father at a time like that? Why was my father going to raves anyway? I couldn't picture him liking them. I pushed away from the lion's grip to polish off the last of my water. He didn't seem to realize the impact of what he had said. Good. As I gulped the refreshing liquid, I noticed a strange mark on the lion's chest. It was a tattoo in the center of his left pectoral muscle in the shape of a backwards "c" but the top of the letter was pointed vertically instead of curved. Hugh untied his Hawaiian shirt from his waist and slipped it over his shoulders, leaving it unbuttoned in the front, but blocking my view of his tat. I also noticed that his eyes were wildly dilated and I figured that he was still riding the high from the Ecstasy or whatever the drug was that he had given me. I was probably still riding it as well. I sure did feel good at least. The last of the water slid down my throat and the lion grinned broadly at me.

"What did you think?" He asked. "Did you have fun?"

I nodded. "It was great!"

Hugh started walking towards the door, clapping an arm around my shoulder as he did.

"Would you believe that I do this every night?" He laughed.

"That seems like a lot of work." I replied, still panting slightly. "What time is it anyway?"

"Probably about three in the morning." The lion grinned as we stepped in line to leave.

I could hear snippets of conversation from the other dancers. Most of them were talking about what a great time they had.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Well we could nap for a bit at my place. It's pretty close by."

My heart fluttered.

"What like, until class?" I asked.

Hugh smiled at me and ruffled my head.

"Of course, until class. No way you're getting to play hooky when you're with the professor."

I blushed and nodded. The crowd we were in the middle of dispersed on the street and I noticed a gray furred animal who looked familiar walking away. I shook my head, though. What were the odds that Ben would be there? I turned back to Hugh as we started walking.

"Alright, lead the way, Professor."

The lion grinned wide and sauntered along the sidewalk with his arm resting on my shoulders. The wind had turned into a chilling howl as it blew through the darkened streets. I loved the feel of Hugh's fur against mine. The chill in the air was barely noticeable to me. I was intently focused on the lion's face and body. He had a look of complete satisfaction and his sweat-matted fur was incredibly sexy. He couldn't stop smiling as we walked, the wind making his shirt flutter behind him like some kind of multi-colored cape. I had a brief image of him in my mind as a comic book hero, but I shook it away. Before long we were at the lot where Hugh's car was parked and he lead me across the street from it. The building we entered was much taller than the brick building the rave had been in. It was made of metal like the other modern buildings in the city. It stretched high above us, so far that I couldn't count the number of floors. The lobby inside was smaller than it seemed it should have been. The floor was made of black marble and the walls were painted a light cream color. A human doorman in a blue uniform was sitting with his feet up behind a desk near the glass doors. He was watching a movie on a very small television. The doorman waved to Hugh as we entered, but the lion didn't acknowledge him. We walked to the back of the lobby and boarded the elevator. The elevator was wood paneled to make it look old fashioned. The thing creaked ominously as we ascended. The doors slid open on the eighth floor and Hugh bounded out into the hallway. I followed him more slowly. Fatigue was starting to set in and I stared at the green carpet as I walked. The walls too were papered in green, though it was lighter than the carpet. Hugh stopped in front of a dark brown wooden door and fumbled with his keys. I rested my head on his shoulder tiredly as he managed to unlock it. I could hear his rapid breathing in my right ear, no doubt because of the drug.

Hugh's apartment was nicely decorated. There was a coat rack near the door and I slipped my shoes off, stepping onto the wood floor heavily. Hugh kicked off his sandals and galloped into the kitchen. I could hear him running the faucet. I stretched and looked around the rest of his apartment. It wasn't small by any means. In fact it was larger than I expected. Hugh's computer was sitting on a wooden fold out desk. Behind the monitor were shelves stuffed full of paperwork. A black rolling chair sat in front of the desk. Across the room from the lion's computer there was a glass table surrounded by wooden chairs that sat on a small oriental rug. Beyond the glass table was Hugh's living room. Two large couches sat facing an absolutely enormous flat screen television that sat proudly on a wooden case. Inside the case were what looked like parts to an elaborate entertainment center. A hallway left the living room on the far side and I guessed the bathroom and bedroom were at the other end. Hugh also had several paintings and bookshelves scattered around the central room of his apartment. As I turned back to the kitchen, the water stopped running and Hugh emerged carrying two glasses of water. As he approached, I noticed a black notebook that lay open on his desk. There were strange symbols written everywhere inside of it. I took the glass of water that Hugh offered me and he closed the notebook, winking. We drank the water in silence. I noticed that the lion's pupils were less dilated now and he was breathing slower. That was a good thing I supposed. The lion polished off his water and my heart sank when he gestured to one of the couches.

"You can crash there. We only have a few hours to sleep until we need to leave for class," he said.

I nodded. "Yeah..."

Hugh moved passed me toward the hallway across the living room.

"I'll get you some blankets," he said.

"Do we really have to go to class?" I asked piteously as the lion disappeared down the hallway.

He returned moments later carrying a large blue blanket. He glared at me from across the living room and I cringed.

"Alright, alright..." I said, taking the blanket from him and spreading it over the larger couch.

"I'll wake you in about two hours." Hugh walked from the room as I started to untie the shirt around my waist. A feeling of disappointment washed over me, replacing my formerly satisfied mood in a jarring manner. I sighed and stripped out of my pants, sliding in between the makeshift covers I had created. Without warning or reason, my erection slid from my sheath. I glared down at my crotch accusingly. Well since I was hard, I might as well take care of it. I imagined Hugh coming back into the living room. He stood near the doorway, smiling that smile with his handsome sparkling eyes. He walked to the couch where I lay and, without saying a word, lifted my legs toward the ceiling. I sucked in a breath as my cock throbbed on my belly. The lion's fingers lubed my entrance gently, slipping inside to tease my prostate. I whimpered in need, begging him to enter me. I wanted to feel his cock deep within me. The lion's erection was long, but thin. I didn't care how big he was, I just wanted him. He stroked his member with the lubricant and pressed the head against my puckered ring. I gasped as he pushed it through and let out a high pitched moan when he hilted roughly. My bear meat pulsed as he bent my legs forward over me and started to thrust his hips roughly. My voice yelped and whined at his rapid motion into my practically virgin passage. I didn't usually get fucked. In fact I tried to avoid it. Something about it brought back some really bad memories. With Hugh, though, it was different. Even though he was pounding me roughly I wanted more and more of him inside. I wanted him to fill me with his being. I wanted him and only him in that moment. His cock throbbed inside of me suddenly and I gasped. My hands reached up to stroke him and encourage his excited pace. I could feel every vein and contour of his long lion-hood and I knew he had entered me bare. His face was a mask of intense pleasure, but also exertion as he mated me. His sweat matted his fur in new places just like at the rave and I ran a finger along his odd tattoo. He growled and released my legs, dropping slowly until our chests touched and he hunched into me wildly. I panted with him, feeling my nuts pull up to the base of my shaft. I wanted his seed inside of me. I wanted to feel him pulse and throb as it coated my tailhole walls in thick white ropes. He sucked in a breath suddenly and I moaned with him. He clenched, clinging to my frame as if I was the last fuck on Earth. I felt my balls throb and he exploded. His cock twitched as he rocked his hips back and forth shallowly, his member hilted deep as it erupted inside. I whined and shot my own load up to my chin. Thick spurts of seed painted my chest and belly as I shook and shuddered on the couch. My breath came in ragged gasps with my pulsing erection as my nuts pushed the last of my white cum and it oozed from the tip of my meat to dribble down my hand. I tried to keep the blanket above me, but it was a loosing battle as my knees buckled and fell. The blanket landed on my sticky chest. Fuck, I thought. I hoped Hugh wouldn't notice in two hours. The scent wasn't noticeable at least. I felt an odd ache in my tailhole. Had I really cum that hard? It wasn't that surprising, just different. The muscle felt exhausted, just like the rest of me. I sighed and closed my eyes to fall into sleep.

***

I awake to a screaming sound. Something is wrong. There is fire all around me and the scent of burning. Why is there a scent? I look under me and can just make out the image of white clouds far below. Why am I descending? I check my database, but get no response. Something is very wrong. My mind races. How could they have cut off my connection to the database? I would need to look into this development later. Crashing on this unknown planet is my top concern. I try to alter my course to prevent more burn, but it is no use. I have awoken too late in the decent. Clouds break under me and I am suddenly looking down on the sea of lights that is a city. I am a beacon in the sky, a falling star to those below. A body of water reflects to my left and I steer towards it. Landing in water would be better than drawing attention by destroying a building. The water is in my sights and I sigh in relief. Until, that is, I just barely pass over it. I curse to myself as trees break my landing, splintering and being set ablaze by the fire around me. Eventually the ground breaks the rest of my fall. The trees look Earthen at least. Maybe they cut me off too late. I look around at the terrain and determine that it is definitely Earth. Excellent. Most of my systems are still intact and working despite my crash landing and I pull up the form my database had chosen for me. I crawl from the small crater. It is no bigger than... I search for the correct Earthling analogy... an average doorway and for that I am glad. Any larger and I would have attracted undue attention to my arrival. I look down at myself as I walk from the fires towards a paved path nearby. I have gray fur and a white front. My guess is that I am what the Earthlings call a wolf. I need to find clothing. A nearby snoring sound draws me towards a bench along the path. A human is asleep on the bench and I take in his clothing. At least my replication systems are still active. A few moments later I walk from the forested area and into the city I passed over earlier. It seems I crashed in a park. I notice a wolf across the street staring in the direction I came. He runs up to me with a startled expression on his face.

"Did you see what it was?" He asks. I really need to start thinking like an Earthling if I am going to blend in. I recalibrate my systems in an instant.

"The star?" I looked back towards my crash site as I spoke, feigning surprise. "No. I bet it burned up on entry."

My ears perked up as I heard sirens in the distance.

"Well I hope the fire department can control it. I can't believe something from space landed in Central Park!" The young wolf exclaimed.

He looked about the right age for my being and he had the curiosity that I was looking for, but I was not sure if he would do. He seemed... odd to me. He smelled of sweat and musk. It was pungent about him, but I kept my nose from wrinkling. I would have to get used to the Earthling sense of smell. He was fit. Not bulky, though and he looked like he had recently been exercising for quite a while. The wolf held out his hand suddenly.

"I'm Ben." He said.

I hadn't thought of a name yet. I picked one at random.

"Call me Sam." I replied.

"Pleasure to meet you, Sam," Ben smiled. "I should get going, though. I need to get back before class."

I perked an ear.

"Where do you go to school?" I asked, trying to sound innocent.

"I'm attending the Academy out on the island." Ben said it proudly and his chest puffed out slightly.

"Would that be the Universal Exploration Academy by chance?"

Ben looked at me like I had said something strange.

"Uh, yeah... what else would it be?"

"I'm actually headed there myself," I told him.

"Why?"

"I have a... son who is interested in attending."

"So you're going there at four in the morning?"

I paused for a moment.

"Better early than never," I replied.

Ben gave me another strange look.

"I think you mean late, but I understand. I can take you there if you like." He smiled again.

"That would be excellent, thank you."

We walked down the dark street together with Ben in the lead. I watched behind us as large red vehicles with flashing lights on them stopped in front of the park entrance. At least I arrived mostly undetected. Ben would give me insight into Earthling culture that my database could no longer provide. In the meantime I would have to practice my conversation skills. These creatures were far cruder than I had originally given them credit for. Oh well, at least I could now begin my search in proper fashion.