FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

With a hearty yawn, he slumped back into his seat, adjusting the cushion created by the fleece in his jacket to compensate for the hard, unforgiving plastic. Nervously, he tapped his feet, letting his mind wander in an attempt to drown out the deafening noise created by the public around him. Although he was unable to pick out one voice in particular, somehow the droning noise created a harmonic symphony of chatter. The atmosphere was selfishly one sided and unwelcoming, one of the many reasons Chase McNamara hated the big city.

The airport encompassed the traits of a suburban shopping mall rather than an international hub of travel and commerce for a major metropolitan city. The giant, looming concrete ceilings sheltered rows and rows of fast food and cheap trinket shops. Between the wafting aroma of a full diner breakfast and Blu Ray copies of the latest season of his favorite police procedural, each store carried with it it's own set of temptation.

Chase squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, doing his best to avoid projecting his anxiety towards the small family of crows that took the seat adjacent to him. Attempting to let his mind wander proved futile as the aesthetics of his surroundings left much to be desired. The interior was devoid of any interesting information regarding the city's history and the floors and walls that weren't bathed in the golden glow of the morning sun were cloaked in dull, rumbling shades of gray.

"Jesus, I wish this flight would hurry the fuck up." He said to himself, retrieving a pair of wiry green ear buds from his pocket.

Headphones in place, he proceeded to occupy himself with a rerun of a cartoon he'd seen many times over. The familiar noise calmed his nerves as the crowds seemed to pick up. Securing his wallet and hiding his phone, he pulled his hood over his the top of his head and allowed himself a chance to finally relax. Rather, relax as much as he could given his current surroundings.

For a cat in his late 20's, Chase still carried many features of a man ten years his junior. Although covered in a delicate coat of velvety periwinkle fur, his age betrayed him by the occasional striation of gray, particularly around his muzzle and paws. His onyx button nose capitalized his currently pursed lips, further tightened by the frustrating combination of a lack of sleep and sustenance.

His eyes also carried the burden of his early morning gesture. What normally shined a bright steel blue appeared dull and glassy. The sharp, pointed features of his face echoed his body frame. While not sculpted as a result of frequent visits to a gym, his frame carried with it an unnatural skinniness, right down to his longer than average tail, itself covered in a smooth layer of lavender fur.

His youthful appearance was further exemplified by his dress; dark fashion cut blue jeans led into a light blue skin tight shirt, covered by a collared pullover vest. While the hoodie concealed his carefully selected manner of dress, he was warm and cozy in an otherwise drafty building.

Through the distractions of television, a notification noise on his cell phone caught his attention. Peering at his screen, he laid eyes on a very welcome notification: "Flight 242 now arriving. Gate B23." Quickly, he removed his headphones and made his way to he and his passenger's agreed upon meeting place.

"I wonder if he's gotten off yet?" Chase asked himself, making his way against the hoard as though he were walking against a unforgiving desert wind wind. "I should text him..." He continued.

"I'm at the newsstand." He typed. "In a black hoodie with green logo." No sooner had his fingers hit send did he receive a reply.

"Sounds great friend! Can't wait to meet you! Thanks again!"

As he reached his destination, Chase continued his lookout amongst the ocean of meaningless faces, hoping one would stick out amongst the rest. Products of his imagination paraded through his mind, each bringing with it a greater caricature of his guest. He was jarred by a soft pat on his shoulder.

"Excuse me young man," A meek voice called him through the roar of the crowd. "Are you in line." Realizing his nervousness was burdening those behind him, he backed from the queue, extending his arm forward.

"My apologies Ma'am." Chase replied. A smile overtook the elderly hare's face as she stepped forward.

"Thank you sir, so polite."

Chase smiled back and turned away from the stand and the overpriced books and candy. Careful to keep his tail elevated from the floor, Chase continued to scan the crowd. Minutes passed him by as the amalgam of glass, steel and bodies morphed into a blur. As he adjusted his vision, his gaze picked up an silhouette that stood out amongst the rest. Past the inter species fox and cheetah family and the suited tiger screaming at his subordination over a cell phone, the undeniable energy and positive disposition of a muscular shepard met his stare.

Cautiously the figure scanned ahead towards the newsstand. Chase swallowed hard, hoping his trust in Elliot wasn't misplaced. It wasn't necessarily out of character to choreograph such a surprise for his best friend, but logistics aside, driving three hours out of town to pick up a man he'd only spoken to once in his life did carry with it a certain amount of risk.

Finally, the dog had reached the news stand. His slender, muscular frame slid through the crowd with ease, much more so than Chase's wiry, yet somewhat doughy figure. Up close, the canine was much more imposing than he had previously assumed. Even through his clothes, it was very obvious that he carefully crafted his figure. His toned abdomen created a very imposing outline through his tight fitting t-shirt and undershirt.

"Hey, Chase?" He asked. Considering he'd seen him in photos many times before, and now in person, his voice was no where near what he had envisioned. His tone carried with it a soft, floaty sort of carelessness to it. It was a youthful voice; cheery and direct with the slightest undertone of a lisp.

"Who are you?" Chase replied. A wide eyed grin overtook the shepherd's muzzle as though he had seen a long lost family member. Setting down a dark blue backpack crammed to the seams, he lurched forward, locking his arms around Chase in a tight hug. Instinctively, Chase shuddered a bit before eventually returning the embrace, carful not to feature his claws as prominently against his back as Ryan was.

"Ryan Schott. I'm so glad to finally meet you!" Ryan called out, a manner of relief had entered his voice, as though the end of a marathon had entered his view.

Ryan broke the caress and stepped back to take in the view of his new friend. His smile continued it's occupation as Ryan rested his slender paws across Chase's shoulders.

"This is so great," He started. "You have know idea what this means to me, man. I can't believe this is actually happening."

"Yeah, it's pretty nice to put a voice with the pictures." Chase replied. "How was the flight?"

"Ha! Slept through most of it." Ryan admitted, his paw nervously reaching behind his head grabbing a handful of his well groomed, golden fur. "Even though I'm on leave away from the cruise company, I've been working on my music at home pretty much all week." Ryan remained cheerful as he reached for his wallet, retrieving a carefully folded amount of money.

"There ya go man, one twenty five." He said, impishly placing the cash in Chase's open paw.

"That's too much, man." Chase replied. "We said seventy five for gas and time."

"A little extra as a thank you. This is an amazing thing you're doing. Eli's super lucky to have a friend like you."

"Well, you still don't need to overpay me like that... I'm not really comfortable taking that much from you." Chase replied, a note of hesitation accompanied his voice.

Ryan placed his paw under his chin and ran his pad back and forth. Slinging his backpack across his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around Chase and began to lead him down the long corridor ahead.

"Well," He started. "Tell ya what. How about you keep the 'hundo and we use the twenty five to go grab a bite to eat?" Chase gave a slight smile and nodded as the pair navigated the terminal to retrieve Ryan's luggage and set out on their journey back home to Touzalin.

* * *

"Do you mind if I open this in here?" Ryan asked, clutching the bright purple aluminum can in his fingers.

"Yeah, just don't spill it." Chase answered, taking a sip from his own soda.

Ryan opened his drink and indulged in the bubbly, sour liquid. He shifted his position as he propped himself against the car door in the roomy sedan. Ryan turned his gaze out the tinted window, his soul drinking in the pristine late summer New England countryside. Each passing tree, he figured brought him one inch closer to the person he'd been longing to lay eyes on in over a year.

"You know," Chase said, his gaze remaining on the road ahead. "You can sleep if you want to man, I'm sure you're tired. Besides, I would have figured a health nut like you would avoid energy drinks like the plague."

Ryan gave a slight chuckle, his gaze fixated on a grove of trees flooded in the bright morning sun. "I'm wide awake honestly. Besides, I'm way too excited to sleep! And don't worry, I drink so many of these fucking things that the caffeine barely gets me anymore." Ryan pressed the can against his lips for a final drink. "I'll be yawning again in about thirty minutes."

Chase laughed as he and Ryan continued to share pleasantries and exchange tales of their respective professions. Ryan took great joy in Chase's story about he and his roommate's trip to New York City. A particular instance in which the pair found themselves on a wrong subway train after dark garnered a hearty laugh. Just as Ryan was about to take the reigns in the conversation, the pair were jarred by the familiar noise of a ringing phone.

"Oh fuck!" Chase exclaimed. "It's him." A look of great distress and concern overtook Ryan's face.

"He couldn't have found out, could he?" Ryan asked.

"Just don't say anything." Chase replied swiping his finger to take the call. "Hey, Elliot." He answered. "What's up?"

Ryan sat as silent as could be, despite the thought of the voice on the other end of conversation setting him in high spirits.

"Hey man... Yeah, I uh, had to go into work for a bit... I'll be back while you're in class..." Chase adjusted the phone pressed against his shoulder and cheek. "I bet you're excited, I'm excited to meet him... Yeah, I'll still drive you up there tomorrow, but you're taking him back right?... Cool, hey man, I gotta go, okay buddy... Yeah, see you later." The pair shared a gaze and hearty laugh as Chase set his phone in his center console.

"I'm shocked he hasn't figured things out yet." Ryan said. "Eli is a snoopy little shit sometimes."

Chase nodded in agreement. "You guys really hit it off, I see. I mean, Since he met you he's been a lot happier."

"I'm nothing special," Ryan gave a low sigh and turned his head back towards the window. "but I've missed him so much."

"You're all he talks about, believe it or not. If it's not cards, video games or school, he's talking about you."

Ryan's pointy ears reached for the sky in excitement. "He's all I think about, Chase. I really think I'm ..." his voice drifted off.

A hush air of tension suddenly filled the automobile. Thick with emotion and uncertainty, Chase saw fit to allow the conversation time to defuse and Ryan's emotion to subside. Many miles and minutes passed as he enjoyed the ambiance of the winding New England countryside, and the occasional sniffle and whimper emanating from the direction of his passenger.

"Ryan," he started. "do you know exactly what you're getting into."

Ryan turned to face Chase. Although he wasn't able to remove his eyes from the road for an extended period, he was quick to notice the thin, wispy strands of red meandering through his now pink tinted eye.

"What do you mean?" replied Ryan, his voice a bit more weighted and nasality than prior.

"I mean, why Elliot?" Ryan was taken aback at his question, but allowed him to continue. "You're young and talented. You've got a few bucks in the bank. You're not a terrible looking guy. Why fly halfway across the country to spend ten days with a guy you've only met once while he was on an otherwise shitty vacation?"

Ryan's tail was stiff with aggression as his demeanor shifted. He allowed the gravity of the question to set in. Ryan had always assumed that Chase was Elliot's best friend, and it appeared to him that he was trying to talk him out of this trip.

"Figured you'd have his best interests at heart." Ryan replied sharply.

"I do." Chase responded, "He's my best friend, but I can acknowledge his shortcomings. He carries a lot of baggage and comes from a shitty family. Stepdad's an alcolholic. Mom's a zealot, sisters a raging bitch..." Chase found himself being cut off.

"Who cares!' Ryan said forcefully. "Last I checked, I'm wasn't interested in dating his family, y'know."

"No offense, but I wasn't aware you guys were dating period." Ryan's face quickly contorted as he processed by what he perceived as an affront to his character. Shocked at Chase's sudden swerve, he found himself quick to respond to the cheap shot.

"What the fuck was that about, man?" Ryan challenged. "I mean, Jesus... are you two banging?"

To Ryan's surprise, Chase let out a sharp chuckle. "No, no," He replied. "Far from it friend. I'm as straight as they come. I am an ally though, and I promised I'd rip the fucking skin off anyone that fucking wronged him." Taking his eyes from the road momentarily, Chase's gentle cobalt eyes stared deep into Ryan's light lavender orbs, now pointed with frustration.

"Look," Chase sighed. "I'm sorry. I just don't want Elliot getting the wrong idea about what's going on between you two. I don't know what you did to him on the boat... Well, I have a decent idea what you 'did' to him. But if this is just a friends with benefits type thing and you two end up being fuck buddies, then I suggest you be honest to him about it instead of filling his head with this 'knight in shining armor' bullshit."

"What the hell man?" Ryan moaned. "Why would you even drive out here if you're just going to bust my balls before we get to Touzalin?"

"Because," Chase replied piercingly. "Dogs like you typically are only interested in one thing."

Ryan quickly opened his mouth to deliver a sharp retort but returned his gaze to the soft Northeast countryside. The sun submerged the rolling forests in a heated auric glow. The land outside the speeding auto was far different than the rolling waves and salty spray of the ocean waters he'd been accustomed to for some time.

As he stared deep into the picturesque terrain passing him by, an interesting question entered his mind; was this an environment he could spend the rest of his life in? Could he trade in the freedom of life at sea for the predictability and stability of life ashore?

Silence dominated much of the remainder of the drive, the tension only broken by a brief request to stop at a gas station. The quiet, smooth ride gave both much to think about, however Ryan took the opportunity to prepare himself for the next ten days and reflect on exactly what it was he was doing. More important were his reasons for doing it.

"Look," Ryan started, his once cheery voice carrying a tone of anguish as he spoke. "If I had things my way, There'd be a pretty good chance that Elliot and I would spend a lot of time together. I don't know how we got off on such a bad way, but I hope we can change it."

Chase sighed and began to speak before being interrupted by his passenger. "Chase," Ryan said under his breath, his voice being choked with a stray tear. "I'm not who you think I am. I don't know how, but I want to make this thing... whatever it ends up being between Elliot and I work."

Ryan's gaze moved to the front of the automobile as the blurry sight of tall buildings and mature trees dotted the horizon. A lone silver water tower stood out amongst the miles of civilization. Ryan's stomach churned with nervousness as the realization that he was mere hours from seeing his face for the first time in nearly a year.

"Wow..." Ryan started, his voice continuing to creak with tension. "I can't believe it's almost here."

Ryan fidged and twisted in his seat, his tail snaking along the back of his car seat, riding the back almost to the neck rest. As Ryan stared ahead, a warm pressure on his shoulder jarred him back to reality. Turning, his eyes, met Chase's as the wiry cat flashed him a sly smile.

"Believe it, friend. This is going to be a good week"