FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Pi?ce de r?sistance © Tsumi Moogle '14 Characters Themselves

The books spread over his desk had begun to blur slightly at the edges. The compounds and complex listings of catalysts and portions had all begun to merge together. Not for an alchemical purpose, the hyenid's brain had simply reached its maximum saturation of Chemistry for the evening. Eying over his books, and the notes he'd written down, he dropped his pen, groaning as he lifted a hand to rub at his tired eyes. His assignment wasn't due for another few days yet.

'Still not finished?' Quipped a voice as heavier footsteps tromped their way from the doorframe, up behind him. Invitingly warm hands gently kneaded along the tautened angle of his trapezius muscles, eliciting a ginger whine from the hybrid. Kai lifted his gaze to his room-mate, the pangolin smiling lightly down to him in kind, wider as the hybrid snuck his arms up and gently about the back of the sandy, firm-plated back.

'No, not yet, nearly though.. Another day or so and It'll be done.' he nuzzled along Varsa's smooth chest, mrrling fondly. The tensing torso wriggled against Kai's nose, before one of the Pangolin's hands reached to take a sheet of paper.

'..Is this a recipe..?' came varsa's voice from overhead. 'Yeah! Chef Cornell, I've actually been studying some of his works. I never realized before, but a lot of his finest works aren't just simple cooking, he employs chemistry in them!'

'Well duh, dough turning to bread is chemistry.' Grinned the pangolin, earning a soft nip on one of his nipples.

'That's a chemical reaction, yes. But I mean his actual methods, liquid nitrogen, some of the ingrediants, they'd be poisonous in any other setting, but he knows just how to mix them to make them not only safe, but delectable, too! There are some of his ingrediants he uses that not even his souz chefs, nor anyone in his kitchen know of, or understand!'

Varsa smiled, and gave a playful press of his torso over the hybrid's face, muffling him.

'And here I thought you were too tired to finish your paper..' He teased.

'I do, I just have too much on my mind.' the hybrid admitted gently, smiling as Varsa's tall frame bowed and gently hugged about his head, nosing down over his chest. 's'getting hard to focus on school work.'

'Oh..! That's right, you'll be going to your folks this weekend, right?' The pangolin smiled gently, leaning up to keep kneading along the tired shoulder muscles, somewhat admiring the shape of them as Kai sagged in his chair.

'Mhm.. Mom's birthday. I always head home for it. We're going out to a restaraunt for dinner, but dessert..' He trailed off with a slight sigh. 'Well, it's sort of family tradition for a family member to cook on our birthday.. So, I got volunteered for it, 'cause it's ironic to get the college guy cooking for mom.'

Varsa chuckled at this, nodding gently and smiling.

'Well that's not so bad, is it?' He coaxed, sliding his arms about the hyenolf's shoulders, rubbing cheeks warmly.

'Not entirely, no.. if my creation didn't end up horrible. I remember the last time I cooked for a birthday; Brendan turned green. Only reason he didn't stop eating was 'cause it'd hurt my feelings.' The hybrid looked aside sheepishly. The thought of his brother's face turning a magnificent shade of green still haunted him.

'This, comming from Mister chemistry major? Foreshame!' Smirked the pangolin, scooping Kai up and tromping towards bed. 'C'mon then, if you're too tired to work, we can practice something else.'

Kai simply raised his fists in agreement and delight, before being promptly tackled into his messy bed.

***

Savane verdoyant was a classy place. The air was a little stuffy; the decor modern, understated, elegant. The waiters were stiff-backed and varied. The smiles were hard to pick as hitched on, but service jobs were service jobs, even in a Michelin starred place like this.

The wolf who'd served them, a rather handsome peice, all said, had gone to every length to make their dining experience wonderful. The food had been an outstanding array of culinary skill, bordering art. The tastes, sublime, exquisite, and in some strange way, subtle..

having managed through the eight-courses without hassle, given the size of the servings, the air about the table was soft. Chatter modest among Kai and his adoptive family. His mother, the heart of attention, delighting in the fine little additions that had been so carefully placed on her dishes, in celebration of her birthday.

They were nearly ready to leave, before the sight of a large rhinocerous stepping out of the doors to the kitchen caught Kai's attention. The outfit and hat had all the mark of a chef, and an important one at that, determined by the air of several faces who noticed him. He had an aged look of dignity, lines suggesting a steely focus and a slight temper dimpled the corners of his eyes, and though apparently a considerable chef, he seemed more muscle than padded layers. The hybrid's father, a handsome deer buck, blinked after his son's gaze.

'That's Bartholemeu Cornell.' the buck murmured gently, to fill in Kai's unasked question. 'He's the head chef here.. the reason the place has stars.'

'You mean why each dish is fifty dollars.' Kai murmured back softly. He winced as his mother pinched his ear. 'Sorry..!'

They watched as the chef stooped to listen to one of the smartly-clad servers. The young ermine waving gently over a table with a somewhat cowed air. Cornell's eyes glanced up, narrowing slightly at the sight of the table awaiting him with an expectant, dismissive air.. Straightening up, he approached, either ignorant, or ambivalent to the eyes watching him, whilst others tried to pretend to keep eating.

Kai blinked lightly, but even for sensitive ears, he couldn't pick the softer tone of the chef. The scathing tone of the customer told him plenty, though. Unwilling to lower their tone to keep the peace of the place, the outspoken, and rather gaudily dressed Zebra berated the food, the air, the servers, and then finally the chef.

The hybrid had to give the rhino points for the stoic air the chef had all through the rather outrageous speil, offering only an attempted appology, that was swiftly spoken over by the zebra again. The air of the restaraunt rather tense, until at last the zebra seemed to have worked themself up into something of a fury at the simple tones of the chef, and standing, knocked aside the plate of the exquisitely prepared food with a final call of 'The food here is crap anyway! Frozen! Overcharged! Disgusting! We won't be back!'

And storming out, they left the chef, still cowed, staring at the plate on the floor, fine china shattered, staining the carpet.. It was swiftly cleaned by one of the waiters, and after a moment or two, the chef bowed his head again, uttering a soft appology to those dining nearby before he turned, stepping back into the kitchen. The weight in the steps, and way the rhino's fist clenched, told Kai plenty, as his mother gawped in awe.. His father called over the black-furred wolf with a soft 'Check, please.'

***

'And they stormed out, it was crazy! Nicest meal I've had, just about ever, and there's this insane Zebra calling his food disgusting to his face!' Kai finished, his phone to his ear as he sat in the old tree-house overlooking the back of his childhood home. They had foregone the home-made dessert, the air of the birthday rather broken by the sight in the restaraunt.

'And the chef? How did he take it?'

'He was pissed. Held back, as you'd want to do, when you're in a position like his, but the look in his eyes, he could have crushed the guy, in a heartbeat.. I was surprised he didn't.'

'Some people really don't get when they have something special infront of them, Kai. I thought you would have known that.' came the voice of an old friend, Alex. 'Tell me more about this zebra, though..'

'The Zebra..? Well, pretty gaudy, all said, I mean, it might have been classed as traditional garb somewhere, but it looked tacky.. Plenty of gold and..'

'..And a carved-ivory nose-ring?' asked the rabbit, Kai blinked.

'How did you know?'

'Because they've just been reported as kidnapped.'

Kai was back inside, with a jacket on, and insistant on going for an evening stroll, all about within a minute, his parents sharing a moderately confused look at one another.

***

'What do you mean you think he's the one who's behind it?' Morpheus frowned as he soared over the rooves of houses, darting this way and that over trees, and larger buildings as a voice spoke in his ear.

'Small indicators. Something Devlin was mentioning to me. It could just be coincidence, but you checking wouldn't hurt.' Alex guided. 'It's not the first time something like this has happened. People up and vanishing, hours, or a couple days after mouthing off at him. Maybe it is coincidence, no one's ever been found again. So be careful!'

The superhero nodded unseen to his assistance, lifting higher into the air with his cape billowing behind him. Nary a soul, busy with their night-life, saw the flash of bright azure passing overhead.

Easing to his feet as he arrived, the hyenid form eyed over the restaraunt. The dining area was dark, with cleaners and waiters all having headed home. The car-lot empty, and for all the world, seeming done for trading for the day, except for one small window with a light on. The kitchen.. checking about his surroundings, Morpheus darted towards the heavy door leading inside. The metal of one of his gauntlets momentarily flowed. drizzling over a finger, which he guided to the deadbolt over the handle. Metal seeping inside, it took a moment, before several pins unclicking and a slow turn of his hand lead a soft thunk of the lock opening.. Easing a hand on the door, he stole inside, closing the door behind him and keeping low.

The door opened onto a small hallway, offices and supply closets on his left, and at the end, a wider doorway that lead to the expansive, yet still compact kitchen.

Several stations, well stocked, perfectly cleaned, all cleared away, save one. The largest.

The rhino was there, seeming quite calm, content, softly murmuring, or was he humming? Morpheus frowned gently, eyes scanning over the kitchen.. One of the ovens was open, but not warm, there was a small sign of a struggle, with several splatters of flour, and other ingrediants on the floor by the rhino's heavy boot-clad feet.

And there, on the table, near Dornell's hand, was an engraved ivory nose-ring.

Morpheus stared silently for a moment, as the rhino straightened up, and adjusting a heavy bowl in his hands, turned to walk towards the heavy freezer, just opposite the caped hyenid. His eyes landed upon Morpheus' frame, eyes momentarily registering shock. His face was still quite stoic, but much softer than the earlier hours of the evening.

'This is a surprise. ..And what can I do for you?' the rhino spoke. He was still softly spoken, a low and bassy tone reverberating through Morpheus as the superhero straightened up.

'Do excuse me, first. Tommorrow's batter really should be chilled before it loses its kick.' The rhino opened the freezer door, easing the heavy bowl onto a shelf, as Morpheus stepped into the kitchen, swallowing. The counter still covered in that floury mess, but otherwise seeming quite well kept.. The sound of the freezer door shutting made the hybrid turn.

'Morpheus, if I am not mistaken..? You normally reside in New-Rodia. Rather a ways out, aren't you?' Morpheus opted not to respond, other than giving a simple nod of his head.

'..You do amazing work, mister Dornell. I've studied some of your work.' the hyenolf said with a gentle tilt of his head. The rhino returned the motion, smiling faintly.

'You are too kind, thank you. Though, if you are here to ask for a freebie, or a favour, I am afraid I have a considerable waiting list.' The rhino rumbled lowly, seeming for a moment, sincere. Morpheus' tail twitched.

'No, nothing like that. Work like yours shouldn't be given for free, or for a simple favour.' He turned his head slightly, and gently lifted the nose-ring, taking it to hand, looking over. 'I heard.. a patron of your restaraunt has gone missing. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about them..?' Best ease in slowly.. The chef was a considerable figure. And he didn't much want to fight someone of such renown..

'..There is little to tell.' Said Bartholemeu after a few moments of silence. His voice was a little stonier. 'An ungrateful, blind fool. Someone who holds no appreciation for anyone but themselves.' came the gravelly tone of annoyance. The sound of a fist creaking made the hero's tear-drop ears flick.

'Because they insulted your work?' Morpheus asked gently, only to be met with a sudden bellowing roar of anger.

'My WORK?! They did more than insult my WORK! They insulted My life! ME! Everything I have ever known, ever LOVED! What would a snivelling piss-ant like that know of hard-work? Of sacrifice? Of giving your very being! Sweat, Blood and tears, years of my life given to be the best! To make the finest! And they DARE knock it aside? Call it disgusting to my face?!'

The hybrid took a careful step back. The busy kitchen slightly haphazzard to manouver around, when being bellowed at by an enraged Rhino. He lifted his hand, with the ivory carving in it.

'Mr. Dornell, calm down! Would you tell me where they are? What did you do to them?'

The rhino's eyes were narrowed dangerously. His nostrils snorting heavy breaths as he glared down at the caped figure before him, at the carving in his hand.

'I made something of them.' The rhino growled. 'I found them, and I gave them a first-hand experience of what it means to give your everything, for such a fleeting artform. They'll make a fine dish, tomorrow, to be sure. They will be admired, for the hard-work that went into their sculpture, the slaving toil, and the years of experience needed to even fathom the skill it takes to dream of such finery. And then, after everyone's done admiring, and have had their fill, they will understand beyond the finery, everyone, and all food, ends up the same way, forgotten, as waste!' The rhino's own tirade had fuelled the fires in his heart. And with a bellow, enraged as much by the memory of the insults, as his own apparent realization, the rhino swung an arm, not merely a meaty fist, but weighted rolling pin being met by the superhero's arms trying to glance the blow.

The force of it staggered Morpheus, who stumbled back, blinking and shaking his arms, before the rhino's other fist found his stomach, sending him crashing over one of the counters. A clatter of bronzed pans clashed over the clean tiles in an almighty din, before the hyenolf rounded. There was no reasoning with him now.

And he was apparently too late for the zebra. His own fist clenching, he leapt with much more strength than someone of his stature should have posessed. His arm crackling, lancing with small arcs of electricity, the hybrid landed an almighty punch into the rhino's cheek. His muscles swelled, adding a greater strength to them, sending the rhino staggering back in kind with a roar of pain.

Landing though, the hybrid was stunned to see his opponent standing. Most people who took a full electrified punch like that dropped like a sack of bricks. The rhino though, shook his head, nose dripping red, and charging the hero, slammed him into a wall, near crushing him, and grabbing his neck.

'You're no better! Flatter all you want, you're just as bad as the rest! They deserved what they got! Them and all those other dirt-grovelling worms! You think you're special?! A hero?! I think you need a lesson, JUST AS BAD AS THE ZEBRA!'

Morpheus wheezed as he was slammed bodily atop one of the counters. His hands gripping the rhino's fingers, trying to breath that grasp as the rolling pin lifted overhead. It swung, and with a flash of pain, he knew no more.

***

As he came to, his head pounded terribly. The world spun. His head sagged forward, but rather than the steady drop to his chest, his muzzle impacted something thick, rather warm and sticky.. His eyes fluttered open, sending a fresh wave of pain as light flooded his senses. He was stuck, bound in a thick mass of what appeared to be bread dough, weighing down a sizeable stainless steel bowl. The rhino had apparently heard the faint groans of pain, and tromped over. He was dusting his hands with some of that flour, smirking down to the hero with an odious look.

'So good of you to come around. I had hoped you would be awake for this next part.. You too, need a good lesson..' The Rhino's broad hands reached into the bowl, gripping among the thick dough. Morpheus felt the strong digits gripping about his form, before the rhino began kneading. The most bizzare sensation washed through the hybrid as the dough was kneaded and molded.

His body was responding in kind. He could feel himself, every inch of himself, yet at the same time, he felt it shifting with the dough.. layering, compounding, mixing, The rhino's adept grasp kept kneading, adjusting, molding the dough this way and that.. though he never pushed the hyena's head inwards. A look of stern concentration, mixed with that near condescending grin made the hyenolf stir.

A portion of the dough lifted, as the still stunned hero tried to push a hand out, to resist the rhino. It took shape, his hand, as he kenw and recognised it, as though reaching from within the dough.. Only for the rhino's heavy hand to push it back down, and kneading the dough and folding it over, compacted the hybrid back down.

'You see? The key to a great meal? Are the best ingrediants. The fresher, the better.. The livelier the meat, the livelier the meal. When you really put your all into a meal, it shows, don't you think? Store-bought, frozen, tasteless, heartless.. I should like to say you would serve up well to the customers in the morning.. but we do not serve pizza here.. No, you will be just for my enjoyment.. And I must say I'm looking forward to it.'

The rhino eased his hands free, pausing to dust them again with that flour, seeming sure to get every inch of his hands coated, and the table-top he was working at before he continued. The mass of dough was scooped from the bowl, planted on one of those work benches, with the rhino beginning to knead his knuckles into it firmly. Despite his predicament, his fright at what the rhino was doing, Morpheus couldn't help feel as though he were somewhat at a vigorous massage. Thick kneading hands working every inch of his body over..

'I really must thank you. I've never vented like tonight, getting it off my chest, out in the air has really cleared my head. I might have been content to going back to work.. Slipping on occasion whenever someone else stepped out of line. Some tasteless creature, bland, unappreciative, ending up where you are now.. But no, I can rather think of better uses for my skills. No one understands.. I'll have to teach them all.. every one to learn what it's like.. And I have plenty of names, numbers to start with.. All those at my restaraunt..'

Morpheus' eyes widened. His muzzle opening to retort, rebuke, resist.. only to have a small glob of that dough mooshed over his nose and mouth by the rhino, muffling him promptly.

As the hero shook his head, Dornell smirked, taking to hand the immense wooden rolling pin he'd clobbered the hybrid with.

It planted again, atop Morpheus' form, but this time, resting, and beginning to roll back and forth. Flattening out the thick dough slowly, the rhino's hands dextrously manouvered the simple tool, rounding out the dough, a darker shade than usual.. Soon bumping the wood up under the hybrid's chin, smirking down to the hero as he made a perfectly round pizza-crust.

The rhino got to work with a focus, beginning to smear a thick, rich sauce. A tangy herby mix, certainly no store-bought brand.. He spread it smoothly, licking his lips in apparent relish, before tromping away to fetch a platter of toppings he'd been preparing while Morpheus had been out cold..

The hybrid's heart pounded. Such as it could when he was a pizza-base.. Things were certainly not looking good.. He didn't ache, so much as moving his body was difficult, simply because of how well-kneaded and rolled-out he was.. He felt rather like a cartoon.. Scrunching his eyes shut under his mask, he frowned, thinking frantically.. Head still shaking to get the dough off his muzzle, it finally rolled aside with a snort, lifting a small cloud of the flour he lay on.. It tickled his nose, making him sneeze.

'Gesundheit.' chuckled the rhino with a rumble as he began layering more toppings over the pizza.. and finally finishing the whole thing off with a great heaping mound of cheese.

'Et voila.' rumbled the rhino, peeling the pizza-hero onto a broad tray, beginning to tromp towards one of the large ovens.. Morpheus' eyes closed tight. His mind reeling, trying to think desperately of how to get out of his position.. The heat of the oven was not yet very great.. but he didn't have long. The rhino smirked, slowly closing the door behind him. 'Goodbye, Morpheus.'

And it clicked. The rhino's keen attention to flouring his hands.. It formed a barrier against the dough, whatever was in it, couldn't mix with it, even though it was mixed in among the dough. The superhero's form lay, focused on one task, simple, yet frightfully complex.. in a frantic race against time..

The rhino smirked broadly to himself, beginning to clean his counter anew, swift in rinsing his pots and trays, the great mixer he'd used for the dough would be last.. flicking his small tail. His tongue trailing his lips as he thought of the people he would like first to bring into his kitchen.. certainly the newest chef in the kitchen, that spotted cat, had plenty of learning to do..

Morpheus panted in the stiffling heat, feeling himself slowly raising. Pulling together from the dough, displacing the thick toppings, getting utterly coated in the melting cheese.. His fur had regressed into scales, this of a salamander as he panted, Gritting his teeth, tugging at his legs.. and finally, he knelt.

Clenching his fists, gritting his teeth, he watched the rhino as he passed along infront of the oven.. Laid back, he gripped the heated tray, feeling sweat beading over his form, and ducking his legs, they shifted into those of a broad kangaroo.

With an incredible double-feeted kick, the door of the oven crashed open, the force of it sending the rhino reeling. Morpheus scurried out, taking another, flying kick right to the rhino's chest. Sent Dornell crashing over the rim of the dough-mixer's bowl, an arm flailing in shock catching the start button.

Morpheus stared in awe, swallowing as the bellowing rhino was hauled into the bowl, dragged about by the great mixing arm.. The sizeable chunk of dough still left inside mixing, molding, merging.. Moment by moment dragging the kicking rhino in, until all that remained was the thick, greyish mass, whipped about.

Panting faintly, Morpheus swallowed. Staring over the bowl, he lifted a hand to his ear, pressing at his ear peice, with a click, it crackled lightly.

'-pheus! Are you alright?!' Alex's tone was frantic. Sighing softly, the hybrid smiled.

'It's alright, Lexxy. I'm fine.. More or less.. A bit woogly, but-.. Better than our friend. Dev might wanna bring some guys with gloves down here..' he murmured, panting faintly, a dollop of cheese dropping from his form.

***

It had taken a little effort to get the singed part of his mane under control. He wasn't sure if his family actually beleived the story that there was a foodfight at an eatery he'd gone to while on his walk, but the questions abated. Alex had mentioned the rhino was, in some way, shape or form, still cognizent, alive among the dough he'd been whipped into. Whether or not they could pull him together, as Morpheus had, was quite another..

The following day, Kai flicked his tail as he got to baking the cake he owed. Perhaps out of guilt, for the prior evening's events, or simply taking the rhino's words to heart, the cake was made from scratch. The recipe followed, and carefully tended to, all by hand.

And despite the slight lop-sided look to the cake, and the some-what too watery topping, he couldn't help smile at the results, the pleased look on his folks faces for the taste told him, even if the cake itself was forgotten, the memory of the effort, and the care taken, and the pay-out, was kept fondly.