FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A brief vibration against his thigh was the only warning Luke had before his phone erupted in an obnoxiously loud ringtone. His eyes snapped open but remained stubbornly unfocused, and his hands wandered over Teeba's tail as he tried to get to his pocket. Inadvertently running his fingers along the scaly appendage as he tried to process what was blocking him from reaching his phone. Finally, he slipped his hand under her tail and fished around for his pocket. Not caring about his predicament, his current company, or the time of day, his phone continued to blare its incessant ringing, causing the dragons around him to groan in displeasure. Blinking, he focused and realised it was Teeba's tail restricting his movement. He pushed against it with one hand to give himself enough room to retrieve his phone with the other. His scrambling, combined with the racket his cellphone was making, must have stirred Teeba, as her head lifted sleepily and one eye opened before she swept her tail off him and curled it around herself.

Free to move at last, Luke yanked the loud smartphone from his pocket and mashed his thumb on the pulsing green icon before he half-rolled, half-crawled off the deep couch and stumbled towards the door. “Luke… Luke speaking?" he murmured, nearly falling to his knees. His legs were numb from having the dragon's tail draped over them, and he moved like a newborn giraffe towards the door before sliding it open just enough to slip through into the predawn morning. Closing it behind him, he tried to focus on the voice and learn the cause of the disturbance.

“Get here now, our back paddock is flooding," the voice on the other end of the phone barked urgently. “God knows when it blew, but there is water everywhere, and we have lost pressure to the rest of the farm."

Luke rubbed his face with the palm of his hand and grunted in acknowledgement as the voice continued describing their predicament and the vast amount of money now at risk. Pulling the phone away from his face, he checked the caller ID and recognised the farm. Like more and more farms around Crestmead, it and its neighbours had been bought by a large conglomerate and merged into one super farm. Managed remotely by people who had no experience running a farm, their incompetence usually meant more work for him. “Nosh beef? Aight, I'm on my way," he mumbled before hearing a click on the other end. He looked at his phone, saw the call had ended, and sighed. “Good morning to you too."

The sky was an inky black-blue, with hints of light towards the east as the sun made its approach. Leaning against Teeba's barn, Luke sleepily opened the app he used for work, his fingers moving on autopilot as he logged the job with the time of the call. His studious record-keeping had been drilled into him after taking up the reins from his father, since every minute he spent on a job was a minute he could bill. With the job now logged, he locked his phone and returned it to his pocket before yawning deeply and taking in a breath of clean country air.

He paused mid-stretch as the sliding barn door creaked, then turned to see Teeba emerging from within. “Sorry for waking you," Luke apologised, stepping back to give her room to exit the barn and close the door behind her.

“Work?" the dragoness asked sleepily before stifling a yawn and flopping her hind end down onto the ground. Now sitting with her neck curved downwards, her head was at his level and she blinked slowly to try and focus her bleary amethyst eyes.

“Yeah, a pipe blew out at Nosh Farms. I've gotta get out there," he said, but made no effort to leave. Looking at the dragoness, he could tell she wasn't an early riser, and he nodded back towards the barn. “You go back to bed. I'll be back once it's done."

Teeba's wings were loose, the trailing edges touching the ground as she blinked slowly, processing what he was saying. “Tell them you will be there later. It will still be there."

Luke chuckled softly but kept his voice low so as not to wake the rest of the dragons sleeping within the barn. “I can't, T. This is what I do," he said, and was surprised when she closed her eyes and drooped her head lower towards him. His hands moved without thought as he caught her muzzle in both hands and held her large head up. “Gods, Teeba," he gasped, as she smiled warmly and pressed the bridge of her snout into his chest. Clearly, the dragoness was either hungover, too tired to think, or possibly somehow still intoxicated from the cocktails she had consumed the night before.

“I'll pay you to stay," she murmured softly and crooned as his hands didn't pull away from the underside of her jaw. “I can give you a job to do here… like… bed," she added, her words incoherent and slurred.

Luke's cheeks burned, and all hints of his own tiredness vanished as he held the dragoness in a way that both felt wrong, and oddly…nice. Glancing between her two horns, he scanned the farm for anyone who might see them. It was far too early for anyone but the keenest farmers, and he was thankful the barn door was closed so her friends couldn't see them. “Sorry, T, I'm all booked up," he chuckled nervously and stepped away from her, but her head pressed into him further. With a small shuffle of her hind legs, she moved closer, and her long neck allowed her to keep pace with him until the back of his heel met the barn wall with a dull thunk. “Teeba, come on," he groaned as he became trapped between the large dragoness and the barn wall.

“Pancakes," Teeba murmured softly, as if that solved everything, and nuzzled into his chest with a tenderness that made something stir in the back of Luke's mind.

“Teeba, what? You're half asleep. Go back to bed," he said, and with his hands on her cheeks, he tried to guide her head away. Her scales felt so smooth and soft under his fingers, and as he managed to lift her off him, she growled softly and pressed her head back into his chest with more force.

“Pancakes," Teeba repeated with a sense of finality. “Stay for pancakes, Reevian makes good pancakes."

Luke sighed and moved his hands up toward the base of her horns. He could feel the warmth of her body through his thin shirt, and as his fingers stroked across the back of her jaw to her cheek, he felt a soft vibration in his chest as she let out a content purr. It was well-known to be rude to pull on a dragon's horns, but as Luke wrapped his fingers around their thick base and tried to lift her off him, he found her head completely immovable. At first, he wondered if it was just the sheer weight of her head, but when he let go he felt her lean into him further and knew she was deliberately resisting. “Teeba…" he groaned, letting his hands fall to his sides and denying her the touch of his hands. “You're being ridiculous."

The dragoness grumbled something unintelligible and wiggled the top of her head into him further to encourage him to pat her again. When he did nothing, she finally pulled her head back to look at him with half-lidded eyes. “Meanie."

“Go back to bed, save me some pancakes." he knew the farm was on the other side of Crestmead, and the work itself would likely take him most of the morning. “I'll be back by lunch."

Teeba yawned deeply, her mouth opening wide to reveal her ivory teeth, and her wings lifted slightly from her sides before she shook her whole body and blinked slowly. “I'll fly you out there then. It will be quicker," she added and rolled her shoulders. “Just let me get my harness–"

“Tea, it's fine. I'll need my truck. It's got all my tools," Luke explained and stepped past her to open the barn door just enough to reach in and retrieve his boots from inside. “Besides, you have guests." he added softly as he looked inside and saw the trio of dragons still sleeping on the inflatable mattress. Overnight, the large bed had lost some of its air, causing the two adult dragons to settle close against each other. Their hatchling, however, seemed completely unperturbed and slept with her head hanging over the edge of the mattress, tangled inches away from a choc chip cookie that had fallen onto the floor. Closing the door again, Luke tipped his boots upside down and shook them to make sure nothing had crawled inside, then dropped the pair onto the ground.

“Luke, I want to help," Teeba said, stifling another yawn. Blinking slowly, she focused her eyes as best she could while he knelt to slip his foot into his boot and began tying the laces.

Luke smiled politely up at her as he pulled the laces tight and switched to his other foot. “Thanks, but I've got this," he said, but other than a flicker of a smile in acknowledgment, he could tell she was still unhappy that he was leaving. “I'm coming back, it will just be a few hours," he added, focusing on weaving the laces and pulling them tight.

Letting out a small groan as he rose to his feet, he was grateful she made no further comment. He gave her a reassuring smile. “You really want to help?" he asked, and when she sleepily nodded, he continued, “Go back to bed." He smiled when she snorted. “I'm used to this, it's what I do."

“Back by lunch?" Teeba asked, and Luke nodded reassuringly. “Reevian and co will probably be gone by then, you should stay to say goodbye."

Luke could tell she was grasping at straws and shook his head with a smirk at her attempts. “Give them my best, I've got to get going. Sorry, T, I'll be back," he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Unless another farm calls for help," he added, giving her a reassuring pat before turning to leave.

Walking away from the sleepy dragoness, Luke smiled as she finally retorted softly, “I have a farm that needs help." Glancing over his shoulder, he saw her pout dramatically before shuffling her wings in an exaggerated huff.

Shaking his head at her antics, Luke continued walking up the hill toward his truck as the dragoness watched. All through the time he had been living at home, his family had never expressed such a desperate desire for him to return as Teeba had just done. He was sure that they had always wanted him to return safely, but something about the way she stubbornly pressed her head against him with a genuine sense of need made him smile. However, as he caught himself smiling, a mixture of guilt and shame welled in him for enjoying the close affection of the dragoness. Taking a deep breath, he tried to bury his feelings and focus on the job ahead.

Opening the door of his truck, he was greeted by the warm glow of the interior light, a reassuring sign that he hadn't drained the fresh battery he had put in only the day before. With a turn of the key and selecting Drive with the column shifter, his truck lurched forward, and he began his journey toward Nosh Farms. Turning onto the quiet country road that would eventually bisect Crestmead, Luke kept one hand on the wheel as he fished his phone out of his pocket and snapped it into a cradle on the dashboard. Once secure, the phone played a warm chime as it began to charge. Judging by the single digits of battery left, Luke mused that if the farm had called any later, his phone might have been flat. “Would that have been so bad?" he muttered to himself, stifling another yawn and checking his speed.

Country roads were always quiet, and as the sun began to rise, Luke didn't see another car until he drove through the town center. Even then, he recognized it as the baker's car as it came to a stop outside the store and the owner emerged. He was tempted to pull over and pick up something to eat but ultimately rejected the idea as he drove past. Even though he was hungry, he told himself that the sooner he fixed the broken water pipe, the sooner he could get back to Teeba's farm. If he was quick, he might still be able to join the others for breakfast.

In the corner of his eye, he noticed the screen of his phone light up, a notification appearing before it chimed merrily. Bracing his hand on the cradle of the mount, he tapped the icon with his thumb and quickly read the message. The subscription for the software he used to log his jobs was due for renewal, and they had just increased the fees. Locking his phone, he dismissed the message and leaned back in the driver's seat.

His grip tightened on the steering wheel as he began to contemplate how his work life would change now that his parents wouldn't be handling administration for the business. Previously, his mother had been the one to chase up overdue invoices, handle the paperwork, and file his taxes. Now, he would have to manage his own business on top of fulfilling work requests. Unfortunately, with many of the farms managed and operated by large, faceless organizations, getting paid on time was often a challenge. Invoices frequently became buried in a network of departments, red tape, and approvals. His frustration was compounded by the fact that these companies seemed to have no trouble approving work—especially in emergencies—yet became incompetent when it was time to pay their bills.

Luke cranked the handle to wind down his window, letting the cool morning air flood the cabin and sooth his frustrations. Glancing out the open window, he took in the view of the rolling hills of the countryside and admired how the rising sun made the grass glow. He estimated he was halfway to Nosh Farms when a large cattle truck passed him in the opposite direction, its passengers all crammed into the long trailer. His nose wrinkled as he drove through the pungent odor of manure that followed, and he held his breath for a few seconds. Once it had passed, he resumed taking in the country air and rested his arm on the windowsill. Extending his fingers into the air current, he let the wind lift his hand, using his digits to control the lift like a wing.

Enjoying the childish pastime, his mind wandered to how it felt to ride on Teeba's shoulders and how, with just a few powerful beats of her wings, she had carried them across the countryside. As he thought more about the experience, he began to drift to thoughts of the dragoness herself. She was friendly and surprisingly affectionate toward him—something he was still trying to process. He liked her as a friend—that much he knew for certain—but he felt she might be looking for something more. Thinking back to how she had embraced him when he decided to stay with her and how he had woken up after their bonfire night, he wondered if he could ever see himself with a dragoness. Being held so close and tight in her warm embrace had shifted something inside him, and his mind lingered on what it might be like to be with a dragon, and if he could see himself becoming a tailchaser. Afterall, he did genuinely enjoy his time with Teeba, and was grateful for everything she had done for him. It was the differences in their bodies that he kept getting hung up on, if she was a woman, he felt he would have no issues asking her out on a date. But everything he had been taught while growing up told him to reject her… But why?

Their size difference would surely be a significant hurdle, and he doubted he could ever compare to a drake. However, a voice inside him reminded him that he wouldn't be the first, and others had made it work. His mind thinking of his squad mate Keenis, and how he had a human mate. Surely the woman couldn't take the drake's penis the way a 'ness could, yet they seemed happy together.

“Really, Luke? You're thinking about your squad mate's dick?" he said out loud, bringing his hand back inside the truck. He tried to think of something else—anything else—but his mind was awash with thoughts of the logistics of his anatomy compared to a dragon's. Part of him was tempted to look online for information on how it could work, but he dismissed the idea. He knew dragon-on-human porn existed, but the notion of gleaning insight from paid actors moaning about how perfect their partner was didn't feel like an honest source of information.

Instead, he wondered if he could ask Keenis or if that would be too awkward. He raised an eyebrow as he reasoned that the drake was a doctor and had likely dealt with his fair share of awkward conversations—he trusted Keenis to talk straight with him. Rolling his grip on the steering wheel, he made a mental note to try asking him at their upcoming BBQ. When sent pictures of them flying to their squads group chat, they had all asked him to bring Teeba, and though he hadn't asked her yet, he felt sure she would want to come along. He would just have to find a reason to get Keenis away from the others to ask him… what? He pondered what he would even say. He was certain his cock was nothing compared to that of a fully grown drake, but he had questions about what precautions were needed. Should he wear a condom? Hybrid babies weren't a thing, but was there some sort of sexually transmitted disease he needed to be aware of? What about positions? The top of her hips was at his shoulder height, and even if she lowered her front, would he need a stool? He found himself completely lost as to how it all worked and felt like he was going through puberty all over again, albeit thankfully without a face full of horrendous acne and his voice breaking as he talked.

A playful chime from his phone thankfully interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced down at it and tapped the screen. His phone opened the messages app to a spinning icon, and he alternated between looking at the road and at his phone as it loaded. Despite being with one of the major carriers in the country, reception in this part of the countryside was always patchy, and as he crested a hill he watched optimistically, seeing the message was from Teeba. Slowly, the image loaded, starting out as a pixelated mess of greys, blues, and whites but gradually becoming clearer.

Luke concentrated on taking a turn and avoiding a row of potholes before looking back at his phone to see a picture of Teeba, Reeva, and Neebis, all eating breakfast. His friend's smile was infectious, and his own lips drew back into a smirk as he noticed the carnage that had unfolded in his absence. The kitchen island they had used as a table last night now bore multiple large plates stacked with thick, fluffy pancakes. True to Teeba's word, they did indeed look delicious, and he chuckled upon noticing that Reeva had taken to pressing her head into her stack, eating in only one direction—resulting in her head almost disappearing into the pile of pancakes. He could only imagine the stickiness covering the small dragoness's scales as syrup stained her cheeks and neck. With a second chime, another message came through—a simple line of text reading, “Wishing you were here."

He chuckled again. While leaning forward with his hand braced on the side of the phone's cradle, Luke used his thumb to slowly type out his reply: “Enjoy the sugar high, hatchling :)" Pressing the send button, his phone made a swoosh noise and he looked back ahead. He swiftly jerked the wheel to one side as he realized he had drifted partially into the other lane. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone on the road, but he locked his phone and leaned back in his seat to focus exclusively on the driving.

---

Arriving at Nosh Farms, Luke slowed to a stop on the main road to give way to a large semi-trailer that drove out of the main gate. The rig growled loudly, and black exhaust smoke billowed out of its chrome stacks as it changed gears multiple times. Gripping the wheel, Luke gave the driver a friendly two-fingered wave as it passed, before releasing the brake and turning into the entrance, only to halt again as the main gate began to slide closed on its tracks. Not wanting to risk the gate closing on his truck, he drove toward a tall bollard with an intercom mounted on its side. The post towered above the cab and as it was designed for actual trucks, he had to half lean out of his window and reach up to press the button.

At first he thought the intercom was broken, but after a brief pause, a ringing sound could be heard as it made a call to their head office. While it rang Luke scanned the buildings of the farm to try and work out which one it might be connecting to before he mused that it could be calling an office on the other side of the country, as was the way with larger, corporate owned farms. The ringing continued longer than he expected, before it clicked and a polite, clearly draconic and masculine voice came through. “Nosh Farms, we've got everything you've 'herd' of."

“Hey, It's Luke Clipper, the plumber you called, you guys apparently have a burst water pipe?" Luke replied, leaning out the window so his voice would be picked up by the intercom. He wasn't sure if he had been heard, as there was a long delay before the dragon spoke again.

“Ah! Yes! Skies above, thank you for coming so quickly! The notes say paddock thirty-one, bottom of the hill. Do you have a radio with you?"

Luke reached into the center console of his truck and pulled out a handheld radio. It wasn't uncommon for larger farms to use radios to communicate between staff, and when he turned it on, he was grateful to see the battery was still charged. “Yup, I've got one."

“Aight, go to channel twelve—that's for all farm operations. Just give us a holler when you're done. Oh! And keep your speed down to five; we got crews moving herds between paddocks, and we don't need them spooked." Despite the clearly rehearsed line, the dragon's liveliness made Luke feel welcome.

“Will do, thank you." Luke began to ease forward as the gate slid open. Holding the radio against the steering wheel, he pressed a button repeatedly until he found the desired channel and was met by a flurry of chatter.

“Plumbers here—over."

“About damn time. If those cows get hoof rot, I say we send them off early—over."

“Boss man won't be yay'd."

“…When is the boss man ever yay'd."

“When you limp-winged fucks actually do your job and stop gossiping like 'nesses getting their talons done!" a voice of authority came over the radio. “Plumber, you on this channel?"

Luke couldn't stop himself from smiling; the man's tone reminded him of a drill instructor he once had. “Roger that. The name is Luke."

“You know where to go?" the man asked, then continued before Luke could reply. “Follow the main road past the buildings and keep going until you reach the bottom of the hill, then it's on your right. You can't miss it—it's completely fucked."

“Roger that, on my way." Luke hooked the radio onto his shirt. The road was paved only up to the end of the first paddock before turning into loose gravel, and he found himself jostled from side to side as his tires dipped into the many potholes. Keeping his speed down, he glanced out the window and saw an array of buildings dotted across the expansive property. On every rooftop, large red symbols were painted to inform flying dragons that the farm was a no-fly zone. Every quarter mile of the farm's perimeter fence had strobing amber lights that would be illuminated at night, warning dragons not to fly too close. Legally, only airports, military installations, and government facilities could enforce no-fly zones, but other than the occasional mischievous young dragon, most respected a farm's signage regardless of the law.

Looking across the property, he spotted a trio of dragons corralling cattle from one enclosure to another closer to the road. Each of them was spread out in a wide arc, occasionally flaring their wings and snarling to make the cows move away. Luke slowed to a stop as a large, muscular dragon crossed in front of his truck with a cart pulled behind it. The teal creature's muscles bulged and shifted under its thick, leather-strapped harness as it pulled the cart full of supplies. Luke found himself staring and wasn't sure if it was male or female. He was more accustomed to a dragoness being lighter or more streamlined than her male counterparts, but this dragon seemed to be built like a draft horse yet still had a softness to its features that confused him. Regardless, he gave it a friendly smile as it dipped its head in thanks and waited until it had passed before releasing the brake and continuing down towards the back paddock.

Coming closer to the end of the gravel drive, he immediately saw which paddock had the leak. While most of the paddocks were covered in grass, a full quarter of this last paddock had become a quagmire in the night. He briefly parked his truck at one of the gates to the paddock and kept the engine running as he stepped out and swung it open. After driving in and then getting out again to close the gate, he sat back in his truck before reaching down near the floor to pull a knob and engage four-wheel drive. Driving down towards the boggy corner of the paddock, he noticed a dozen cows watching him from a safe distance. Luke spotted the cattle's water trough near the edge of the newly made mud hole and pursed his lips. Judging by the way the land undulated, he doubted the leak was at the trough. However, he figured it was best to start where the pipe was exposed and prayed it was something as simple as a broken automatic watering valve.

Driving closer to the stainless-steel watering trough, the ground became softer and softer under his truck's tires. His progress momentarily halted as his wheels spun, and without hesitating, Luke pressed down on the accelerator. With a growl from the engine, the truck lurched forward as it found grip and continued to move, albeit with a fresh spray of mud up its side. Pulling up near the water trough, Luke killed the engine and stepped out of his truck.

Due to the size of the farm and the constant need for automation and streamlining of processes, each water trough had its own pressure regulator and valve that could be wirelessly opened and closed by the farm staff. However, in Luke's experience, the more complex a piece of equipment was, the more likely it would fail. Running his hands over the valve, he was surprised to find it dry as he began tracing back each component of the supply line. Unfortunately, everything above the ground was intact, which meant the break in the line was underground.

The mud under his boots squelched as he collected a box of tools and tossed in a spare coupling before pulling a large shovel out of the truck's bed. In the corner of his eye, Luke saw the herd of cows watching with beady eyes, their jaws grinding their cud as they silently judged him. “Scratch my truck and I'll eat you well done," he joked as he turned and walked towards the middle of the muddy bog. With his toolbox in one hand and the shovel over his shoulder, Luke followed the fence line and trudged through the mud. With every step, he felt the ground become softer and softer until his boots began to stick in the sloppy mixture of mud and manure. His jaw clenched as he felt the wetness on his legs while the hems of his jeans became soaked, but after a few minutes of searching he found the most sodden section of the paddock. With a few exploratory digs with the shovel, he knew he had found the leak as he noticed the water flowing in a current.

“Plumber man, why do we still not have any water?!" squawked Luke's radio as he heaved out a shovel load of wet, muddy water.

Driving the shovel back into the hole he was making, Luke paused and held down the button on his radio. “I've found the leak. Just gotta plug it – over."

“How long until it's working? I've got no pressure on the other paddocks," complained the clearly frustrated man on the radio.

Luke sighed and leaned against the handle of the shovel. Sweat had already begun to soak through his shirt, and he took a moment to calm himself. “Working on it as fast as I can. Maybe half an hour if it goes to plan – over," he replied and waited for a response. When none came, he rolled his eyes and continued digging until he felt the shovel come in contact with something solid. With lighter strokes, he removed the majority of the dirt around the pipe while also scooping out the water that was now rushing out of a joint in the pipe.

Tossing the shovel to one side, Luke collected the spare coupling he had brought and selected the right wrench before kneeling down into the mud next to the hole he had dug. With fresh water rapidly filling the hole and mixing with the loose dirt, Luke was quickly elbow-deep in filth. Holding his wrench in his mouth and working by feel, he traced the pipe and felt the jagged break. Quickly, he slipped the new sleeve-like coupling over the split and began finger-tightening the row of nuts that secured the sleeve. Once his fingers could do no more, he took the wrench from his mouth and tightened each nut down one by one. Slowly, the stream of water eased until the muddy hole became completely calm. He double-checked the nuts on the sleeve with his spanner to make sure he hadn't missed any before pulling his arm out and breathing a sigh of relief.

Rising to his feet, Luke looked like a demon from the depths of hell that no one talks about. His shirt and pants were completely stained with dark brown-black mud, and when he wiped his hands on his jeans, he wasn't sure if he was making them any cleaner. Flicking his hands to get most of the muck off, he pressed the button on his soiled radio and reported in. “One leak is fixed, but I'll check the rest of the system before I go," he said and heard confirmation that they were now getting water at other areas of the farm. He was confident that he had fixed the problem; however, he had learnt the hard way not to tell the owners he was done until he had completely packed up his tools. It was common for them to keep an eye on the time and complain if he tried to charge an extra half hour to clean up. Snatching his shovel up off the ground, Luke set about backfilling the hole as best he could before he began to march back to his parked truck.

Once he reached the water trough, he manually opened the automatic valve and was rewarded by a flow of muddy water from the pipe. He waited patiently as the flow of water slowly became clear, then washed his hands and face before cleaning his tools. With a firm flick of his wrist, he cleared most of the water off his tools and tossed them back into his toolbox. Pulling his soiled shirt off, he clipped his radio onto his belt before rinsing the garment under the tap. However, he quickly discovered his shirt was completely stained and regretted not taking a moment longer to change into something more appropriate before leaving Teeba's farm. Wringing the shirt out, he sighed and tossed the shovel and toolbox into the bed of his truck.

He was midway through placing an old towel on the seat of his truck to protect it from his mud-soaked pants when his radio crackled to life. This time, instead of the voice of the man in charge of the farm, it was the voice of the dragon who was in charge of the intercom. “Hey… ahh plumber guy? Sorry, forgot your name. You copy?"

Luke frowned and unhooked the radio from his belt before lifting it to his mouth. “Sure am, almost done—over," he said, then held the radio to his ear.

“We have a delivery at the front gate for you," replied the dragon, the confusion in his voice matching Luke's own.

Racking his brain, Luke tried to remember if there was another job he had scheduled at Nosh farm. Sometimes he would get parts shipped directly to the farm to save him carrying them around, but he couldn't think of anything. “Um… do you know what it is?" he asked and waited as a long silence followed.

Finally, the dragon's voice returned with a hint of amusement. “It's ahh, a Grub-Wyrm order?"

Luke's brow furrowed in confusion. While he was starving, he hadn't ordered anything and didn't believe the service would deliver this far out of the major cities. Then it dawned on him, and a smile formed on his lips. Leaning into his truck, Luke tapped on his phone and saw a collection of missed messages, all from Teeba. He was about to key his radio when the farm owner's voice barked across the line. “Aye, I ain't paying you for eating your lunch, plumber. Are you done or not?"

Luke sighed and checked the clock on his phone. He had hoped to draw the job out a few more minutes to round it to an even number, but he reluctantly pressed the button on his radio. “I'm done. Tell the delivery dragon I'll meet them at the gate," he said, and swung his muddy legs into his truck. With a turn of the key, the truck fired up, and he pulled on the column shifter to select drive. Having been stationary in the soft ground for just over an hour while he sought out the leak, the tires of his truck had sunk a few inches into the mud and now spun with only a token amount of traction.

“Come on, baby," Luke hissed as he sawed at the steering wheel and pressed down on the accelerator. The truck shifted and lurched as its wheels dug in, gripped, then slipped, spraying a cascade of mud up the sides of the cab. Undeterred, Luke rocked in his seat, trying to help as the truck slowly began to crawl forward inch by inch. He was hopeful until the revs suddenly increased and the wheels spun in a particularly soggy patch of earth. Swearing under his breath, Luke flicked the truck into reverse and tried to back out, only for the wheels to spin again and dig deeper. Even after sawing the wheel from left to right, he quickly realised that his truck was now bogged. Growling to himself, Luke slammed the palm of his hand into the steering wheel in frustration before leaning back in his seat and taking a deep breath. After a moment, he looked out the window and confirmed his suspicions: his vehicle had sunk down to the axles in the mud, and the wheels were simply spinning in the holes they had dug.

He knew he could probably dig himself out, but the thought of tearing up the farm's paddock and then having to backfill each hole made his heart sink. Finally accepting defeat, he reached for the radio and held down the transmit button. “Hey, it's Luke, your plumber. I've gotten myself bogged. Any chance someone could help pull me out?" Looking over the farm, he couldn't see a tractor, but given the size of the farm, he was sure they would have one parked somewhere.

“All the crews are busy right now, this pipe has already put us behind schedule. I should have one free in a couple hours, but I'm not liable if one of them damages your truck," replied the man's voice that Luke had come to hate. Looking around, Luke could see a few dragons staring at him with mixed expressions of amusement and sympathy.

They likely all wore radios and had heard their boss give an indirect order not to help. “For fucks sake," Luke swore to himself, pressing his head into the headrest and trying to mentally prepare for the grueling task of digging his truck out of the mud.

“Ah, boss?" came the voice of the dragon he had spoken to over the intercom. “His delivery is still at the gate. I'm gonna send her down to him, if that's okay?"

“Fine."

Luke wasn't sure if he was happy or embarrassed to see Teeba in his current predicament. On one hand, she might be able to help him get unstuck; on the other, he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it. Combing his fingers through his sweaty hair, he resigned himself to wait in the truck and smiled when he saw the dragoness walking down the gravel drive toward him. Her presence didn't go unnoticed, and Luke saw that many of the dragons on the farm had stopped what they were doing to watch the newcomer.

She seemed to pay the other dragons no notice as she scanned the paddocks, then broke out into a happy trot once she looked towards him and his stranded truck. A smile formed on his face as he watched her make her way towards him with a fabric shopping bag dangling from her jaws. Even at her rapid pace, the powerful muscles in her neck kept her head stable, and the bag only gently swayed with every step. Teeba paused briefly at the gate, used the talon on one of her wing wrists to manipulate the latch, and stepped into the paddock. Luke went to lean out the window to tell her to close the gate, but with a gentle push of her tail tip, she closed it herself and then continued towards him. Only when she came to the edge of the boggy section of the paddock did she slow down and hesitate to come further. Bending her neck, she transferred the fabric shopping bag of food to her folded wing so she could talk. “Did your truck break down again?"

Luke shook his head and leaned out of the window further. “No, I'm just stuck. Can you give me a push?" he asked, and could see the hesitation in her eyes as she looked down at the boggy mess he was in. “Please?"

“You want me to go in… that?" she protested and extended a paw forward, pressing it into the soft ground before retracting it quickly. “It smells kinda gross," she added, and to emphasise her point, one of the cows in the paddock let out a low call. Both of them turned to watch as the cow emptied its bowels, then looked back at one another with the same look of disgust. “Are you sure it's stuck?"

“Yeah, it is—" Luke said, holding up a finger as he remembered an old recovery strap he used to keep under the passenger seat. “I have an idea," he announced and swung the driver's door open. Without hesitation, he stepped out into the muddy bog and sank up to his ankles in the muck. With one hand on the side of his truck for balance, Luke slowly made his way around to the passenger's door and swung it open. Reaching under the seat, he extracted fistfuls of old receipts, an unusually large nut he didn't recognise, two empty sports drink bottles, and then grinned as he felt the thick nylon strap. Pulling it out, he held it up triumphantly and turned to see Teeba staring at him, or rather, his bare torso.

“How about you pull me out?" Luke asked and jiggled the folded strap as he got her attention, her eyes snapping up to his face. “I think it's long enough," he added, and when she nodded, he worked his way back to the front of his truck to begin securing it to a recovery point. Her silence was unusual, and he glanced over his shoulder as he crouched down in the mud to reach under the truck. “Everything okay?"

“Yeah? I mean, yeah!" Teeba said after shaking her head, smiling a sheepish grin. “Reevian and the fam left, and she wanted me to tell you that she's going to make you pancakes next time, to say thanks," she added before tilting her head and returning her gaze to his bare body. “Um? Is that a tattoo?"

Luke instinctively turned and moved his arm to expose his side to her. “This one? Yeah," he said before continuing to fumble under the truck, his muddy fingers slipping on the shackle as he tried to secure the strap. “I got it while on tour. It's a military thing."

“Oh? That's cool," she said, extending her neck to try and get a better look. “Wait… this one? Do you mean to say you have more?" she asked, causing Luke to chuckle.

“Oh, wouldn't you like to know," he teased and managed to get the bolt of the shackle to begin threading into its home. With half a dozen turns, he tightened the bolt and then gave the strap a tug to make sure it was secure. Standing up again, he caught Teeba staring at his bare chest and felt somewhat exposed under her gaze. “Something wrong?"

“No!" she replied too quickly and grinned. “I mean… no. It's just, you are kinda… never mind," she said, and Luke couldn't help but feel a bit proud of his body.

Since leaving the Marines, Luke hadn't continued the same rigorous training routine. However, between skipping meals and the hard labor of his job, he had kept himself in good shape. “Kind of what?" he asked coyly and began to coil up the strap to throw to her, deliberately flexing his biceps.

Teeba snorted in amusement at his antics and trotted away to place the fabric bag of food down on a dry patch of the paddock. “I was going to say hot…" her voice was serious, but as her words drifted off she looked back with a cheeky grin spread across her snout, “but then I remembered you are a Dragnaught main, and well, I couldn't call a scrub like that hot," she added, her humor retreating to the characters they played online.

Luke noticed that the grey scales of her snout seemed darker than he remembered and shrugged. “I aint a scrub for playing Dragnaught, She is a valid pick. Her rockets are S tier. Once she can get them off." He explained but could tell that the dragoness was not convinced. Despite his character synergising well with Teeba's favourite rider, they regularly had gone through the same debate over the imbalance of the characters. “But hey, maybe I think Dragnaught is just hot?" he teased and grinned as he threw the strap towards her. The flat strap sailed through the air and unraveled itself mid-flight before landing with a wet splat a few feet short of the dragoness. “Maybe I'm falling for her thick haunches–" he mused, his words cut off as Teeba snorted in amusement. Having said the words out loud, he felt his cheeks grow warm and quickly turned away to wade back towards the driver's door.

“Well, I'm sorry I'm not some jacked, dommy mommy 'ness with big cannons," Teeba said, extending her neck to reach the strap. Lifting her lips, she snarled in disgust as she picked up the tip of the strap in her jaws and pulled it taut.

Closing the door behind him, he started the truck and leaned out of the window. “Try looping it around your trunk?" he offered, then realized the issue Teeba faced. Because of the length of the strap, she wouldn't be able to secure it around her body without stepping into the soft ground. The dragoness's eyes flicked between the mud and his own while she held the rope, before giving a small shake of her head. Then Luke caught a glimpse of something else in her expression as she promptly dropped the strap. To his surprise, she used her paws to slip the strap through the eyelet that was sewn into the tip of the strap and tied it off in a large loop.

In order to gain the length she needed, Teeba stepped into the mud and her purple paws quickly began to sink int. She tested the loop to make sure it wouldn't tighten when she pulled on it, then turned around to face away from Luke. Using her her long tail, she curled it under the loop of rope and lifted it up, giving Luke a surprisingly unobstructed view to areas of her he had not yet seen . With a few ungraceful flicks and sways of her tail, she shimmied the rope loop to her tailbase, then stepped backwards through it with her hind legs to bring the loop around her waist. “Okay, I'm ready," she announced and took a half step forward to take up the slack.

Luke's hand hovered on the column shifter of the truck as he looked ahead, the taut rope guiding his attention towards her rump and tailbase. Her physique was more slender and delicate than the overly curvaceous figure of the dragon character he controlled in the games he played with Teeba, but the angle he was viewing her through his windshield was uncannily similar. Seeing her glance back with a grin, he remembered what he was doing and pulled the lever down to select drive. “Here we go!" Luke called out the window and began pressing the accelerator.

The engine in his truck growled menacingly as all four wheels spun, churning the mud into a gritty slop and flinging lumps of dark mess up the side of his truck and through the open window. Looking ahead, Luke saw Teeba's whole body tense and the muscles in her hind legs contort under her scales as she gave it her all. Her carefully painted talons sank into the soft earth, and her wings lifted from her sides as she pulled and pulled. Slowly, inch by inch, the truck began to come free. Spinning the steering wheel left and right, Luke tried to find any hint of traction to help as Teeba took a small step forwards and continued to pull. One of her hind paws slipped in the mud, causing the truck's momentum to temporarily come to a halt. In an instant, the dragoness caught herself from falling into the mud and hunkered down lower to the ground. Once again, the strap went taut as she resumed pulling as hard as she could. Feathering the throttle, Luke tried to find a happy medium between grip and progress until, with a sudden lurch, the truck finally came free.

Ahead of him, Teeba stumbled ungracefully forwards, her powerful hind legs launching her forwards while her forepaws remained stuck in the mud. Her long tail, once used for balance, now worked against her as it curled over her back like a scorpion's stinger, and its momentum caused her hips to be rotated up. With a crash, the grey dragoness fell into the mud and slipped forwards a foot as Luke quickly pulled on the steering wheel to avoid colliding with her.

In a flurry of wings and whipping tail, Teeba scrambled at the muddy ground to get her hind legs down on solid ground and regain some semblance of dignity. In her haste, her forepaws slipped and, with another wet splat, she landed with her legs splayed at all angles on the ground.

Luke tried not to laugh as he pulled the truck up beside her and looked at her disheveled appearance. Her once purple paws, light grey underside, and even her wings were now completely caked in black mud, blades of grass, and dirt. Even the underside of her jaw now dripped with filth as she lifted her head and looked at him with large amethyst eyes. “Are you okay?"

“Yup! It was all part of the plan," Teeba announced cheerfully and picked herself up. “You know…" she started as she flicked her wings out and sent clumps of mud flying. “If you had let me carry you here, you wouldn't have gotten stuck," she said and proceeded to shake her whole body. Her entire length rippled and thrashed, yet surprisingly she managed to keep her tail from swinging from side to side. However, despite her best efforts, her scales were still stained with dark mud.

Luke chuckled and swung the door open to step out. The ground was still slippery, but thankfully his boots kept him from meeting the same fate as the dragon. “Yeah, but then you wouldn't have had pancakes," he mused and approached her side to help undo the strap she had looped around her waist. It, too, was completely covered in wet mud, but he didn't care as he undid the knots she had made and pulled it off her. “And you had guests," he added, beginning to roll up the long strap. “And I needed my tools."

“I could carry your tools," Teeba retorted before lifting her wings to inspect just how filthy she had become. Curling her neck around, she gave herself a sniff and hissed in disgust. “Oh, this is nasty. The things I do for you," she added before walking forwards and collecting the fabric bag of food she had brought with her wing claw. “And to think I was just trying to bring you a meal," she added. Despite her words, her tone was still playful, and Luke couldn't help but chuckle.

“Thank you, Teeba. You're the best," he said and reached under the front of his truck to disconnect the strap. Without being submerged in filth, the bolt was easier to undo, and he quickly freed it and tossed the strap into the back of his truck to be washed when he got home. “Come on, let's get out of here," he added and tapped the side of the truck's bed with his palm. He figured that because she wasn't allowed to take off or fly over the property, the least he could do was offer her a ride back to the gate.

Teeba didn't need to be asked twice, and passed him his bag of food. She carefully climbed into the bed of his truck, taking care not to stand on his toolbox or shovel. Luke heard the suspension protest, but made no comment as he took his place in the driver's seat and pulled the column shifter into gear. Even with Teeba's added weight, the truck managed to drive the rest of the paddock without getting stuck, and Luke was grateful when Teeba leapt out of the truck to operate the gate for him. Even though his stomach growled, he ignored the temptation to pick at the food she had brought him. After where his hands had been, he knew he would need to give them a decent scrub before eating.

Driving slowly across the farm, the pair received all sorts of looks and snickers, but Luke simply smiled and waved until they reached the front gate. After using the radio to announce he was off site, he turned onto the main road and pulled over onto the shoulder. Twisting in his seat, Luke leaned out the window and looked up towards Teeba, whose head loomed over the cab. “I'll see you back home if you want; it's probably faster to fly."

“Oh, it is," Teeba said, shrugging her wings. “But I'll ride with you, if that's okay," she asked, and Luke couldn't help but smile at the idea. “You know, just in case you get stuck again… or your battery goes flat… or your truck just dies—"

“Hey, it's a good truck," Luke retorted quickly and, while reaching out the window of the truck, slapped the side of the door to emphasize his point. He immediately regretted it as his hand became covered in mud once more. “Once she's cleaned up again, that is," he said, retreating back into his seat as the dragoness chuckled in disbelief.

“I don't know, Luke. This has been two days in a row I've had to help you with it," Teeba added, flaring her wings to maintain her balance as he released the brake suddenly. “Oi!"

“Sorry!" Luke called back out the window, but chuckled. Accelerating gently, Luke was grateful for the wind blowing through the cab to help dry him and ease the stench of the mud that clung to him. Movement in his rearview mirror caught his attention as he drove, and he tried to keep the truck steady as she moved in the bed. At first, he thought she was going to take flight, but instead she sat down on her haunches and curled her tail around herself. He was sure that the country road wasn't doing her any favors, but she seemed to have enough room, provided she kept her head and neck above the truck's cab.

Driving down the road, he heard the thudding of mud slinging from the tires and slapping against the wheel wells for almost half a mile before everything sounded normal once again. Coming up to a quiet intersection, Luke slowed to a crawl as he checked both directions. The intersection was on a notoriously blind corner, and now that the sun was up, it wasn't uncommon for trucks and local traffic to come flying around the bend. Cautiously, he double-checked each direction before easing off the brake and accelerating with some authority to clear the intersection. He had only made it halfway across when something large, grey, and fast suddenly filled the window to his right.

His foot instinctively went to the brakes as he almost leapt out of his skin. At the last moment, he realised it was Teeba's head beside him and they were in no real danger. “Teeba!! Skies above! Sorry! I thought you were a truck." Luke exclaimed and eased onto the accelerator to continue driving. “What's up?"

“You thought I was a truck?" Teeba asked with a wry smile. “I guess I'm about as clean as your truck," she added with a chuckle, her head drifting from side to side as she tried to keep it steady against the wind and the rocking of the vehicle. “I was just going to ask a favor."

Luke alternated between glancing at her and the road ahead. “Teeba, you've given me a place to stay, brought me food, and got covered in shit to help me get un-bogged. Girl, I owe you more than just a few favors." Luke retorted, and when he looked across at her, he could see a playfulness in her eyes that made him partially regret his next words. “Anything, you name it, I'll do it."

Teeba's eyes lit up mischievously, and small dimples formed at the corners of her lips as she smiled broadly. “Anything?" she giggled, and Luke heard a tapping from the back of his truck as her paws danced on the bed.

“I mean, well… almost anything."

“Oh, keep your pants on, Marine." Teeba roared with laughter. “I ain't gonna make you do that!" she added and angled her snout to show the muddy underside of her throat. “I was hoping you could help clean me up. I think I'd just clog the shower if I tried to bathe myself like this, and you only just got the pool clean."

Luke remembered Neebis' remark about nozzles on hoses being tricky for their paws to manipulate and nodded. Of everything she could have asked, he was surprised it was something so obvious. “Of course! This is all my fault after all," he replied and saw genuine joy fill her expression. Her smile was contagious, and he found himself grinning as he looked ahead. “Hey Tea, I've got this thing coming up with some of my Marine buddies. You didn't want to, like… come along or something, did you?" he asked, and when she hesitated, he shrugged. “It's okay if you don't, it's just a barbecue sort of situation."

“Are there going to be many people there?"

“Nah, it's just my old squadmates and maybe a few of their significant others," he explained, and when he glanced toward her, he could see uncertainty in her eyes. “Never mind, it's all good. Just an offer." He backpedaled and renewed his grip on the steering wheel.

“So, just the people from that photo?" Teeba asked softly, “Minus… well, the obvious, of course?"

Luke tilted his head from side to side. “Keenis will be there too, so you won't be the only dragon. He's a doctor and is probably going to bring his partner Meg. But otherwise, yeah, just a handful of us."

Teeba seemed to think for a while before finally nodding. “Sure!" she said cheerfully, although Luke wasn't sure if it was forced. After a brief pause, she chuckled and nodded more enthusiastically. “If it's a party full of buff Marines, then it sounds like my kind of party," she added with a grin. “Did you want to fly there? Or drive?"

Luke found himself unsure; he had truly enjoyed flying on her shoulders, but the party was a few hours' drive away, and he couldn't bring himself to ask her to carry him such a long distance. “I was going to drive. It's a bit of a trip."

“That works," Teeba said without any hint of disappointment. “But you are gonna have to clean this truck though, and I'm bringing some pillows—and snacks! It can be like one of those road trips!" she added gleefully. “It will be fun!"