FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

An orange and yellow glow of an eastward sunset, shone over the sandy beach. A large hideaway full of lights blasted music. The synthetic sounds moved through my ears. The feeling of slightly sandy bamboo under my paws as I looked under this hideout, on the far side a full bar serving glowing drinks.

I looked around to see familiar yet aging faces, a few with their spouses as well. I wanted to try to talk to someone, but I felt so out-of-place here. This gut feeling that I'd rather be back at my ship. All other parties I've been to have been full of CEOs looking to talk business with me, not people catching up with their lives.

I moved carefully and quickly across the floor, making my way to the bar. Away from the humans and anthros dancing, talking, and laughing. Drinks, food, phones, all of them in their hands and paws. Groaning, I set myself at the bar, small blue and orange flames coming out around it.

"Anything you want?" The human bartender asked me, wiping the counter down from the last set of drinks served. The flames reflecting in its shine.

"Umm yeah, just give me a mountain jungle." I ask him quietly, looking around seeing who I could approach. My tail flicking gently behind me.

"Mhmm alright, don't do anything stupid now."

"I can handle my drink." He starts to mix liquids, pouring this glowing brown and purple drink. Honestly hated how this thing looked, but the deep fruity flavors from Venus just hit everything right. Along with a hit of alcohol. Downing it, I could feel the burn in my throat. Putting the shot down I shake my face a bit.

As the shock of the drink wore off, I heard a voice at the other end of the bar. "Vex? That you? Where have you been all these years?" The booming voice startled me as I turn around to see a beastly sized human. Tanned skin and a dark blonde hair, he sets a beer down on the counter as he looked to me.

"Mhnn.. Kenneth right?" I asked, as I wasnt to sure on who this person was. To my surprise his eyes lit up, lifting his bear up in almost a celebration. "You remember! I'm kinda surprised to see you in a joint like this, how the hell did you get here?" He asks me, acting like we were longtime friends. Truthfully I only knew him from being occasional partners in group work.

"Well, the promise of free alcohol is usually a good way to get me out." I say with a half-joking laugh, even though that really was the reason I was out here.

"Cant argue with that I guess, what have you been up to man!" He takes a sip, turning the chair toward me as I prepared for an uncomfortable conversation. And as I tried to think of a convenient lie to tell him, as most of my work wasnt exactly legal.

"I uh, do mostly free-lance retrieval. Ship goes down in the jungle, or some other place say on Earth or Mars I retrieve the data and whatever valuables I can find for the client."

He nodded his head, at least pretending to be interested in what I was saying. "Mhmm okay, can seen a bit dangerous. You go into those jungles often?"

"I can yeah, was just in there the other day. Ran into slashers." His eye widened as he drank, looking like he was going to spit. "Salshers?! The hell kinda items are you retrieving?"

"Special ones, good pay though."

"I bet, I'm finishing up a degree in engineering. Not a masters or anything, but its gonna get me a good job on a few cargo ships. Already a job lined up for when I'm out on an Earth bound freighter."

I nod, listening to his plans for life. Even if I was going to find someone to help me, it wasnt gonna be him.

"Nice seein ya Vex!" He gives me a pat on the shoulder, taking another drink. "You take care out in those jungles!"

"I'll try my best."

As he left to mingle with others, I kept an eye out. Others coming to say hello to me, and wanting to see what I've been up to. No one heard from me after graduation, one even thought I died. Which I can thankfully say I havent. However, one did catch my eye.

A brown and cinnamon furred coyote, almond-shaped icy eyes. Short not quite petite build. She s

trutted over in some casual clothing, over to the bar asking for a normal drink. Her name.. what was her name?

"Just have a cola please." She asked in a softer voice to the bartender, as he poured her a fuzzy drink. "Dont have a ride home?" He asks her as she shakes her head, sipping the drink.

She looked to me, a bit of shock in her eyes. "Vex?" She asks, setting down the drink. "That you? I never expected-"

"Yes, it's me surprisingly." I interrupted, I was honestly getting tired of the question. "I didn't expect to be here either, yet I am!"

She smiles a bit, taking another drink. "It's good to see you though, highschool wasnt easy on you so it's good to see you here and looking decent."

I felt awkward from the compliment, I was far from decent really. This old clothing I had was well below what most people were wearing, stained and muddied up from exploring planets. "Thanks I guess." I look away shyly, I wasnt here for this small talk. I hated this small talk shite!

"Oh jeez, you don't remember who I am do you?" She cocks her head, a sly smile almost laughing as she lifts her drink. "Friday remember? Friday Tisek?"

The name rushed back as I raised a finger, waving it a bit. "That's right, shite what did your parents do?"

"Own a ship building company, BlueStar?" It all started coming back. While everyone was rich in my school, it was private after all, she was the rich of the rich. I mean hell, her parents sold ships and tech to the government and military sometimes. They had money, and of course that came with the thought of her being above everyone else. Come to think of it.. this may be what I need.

"Right right, been on a few I believe, umm." I snap my fingers, thinking of the class of ship I was on. "Nova liners? They're a subsection right?" I ask her, my face puzzled.

She shakes her head, paws facing me as I had her interest. "Not really, they're more in good faith with mine. We occasionally share details, but that's about it really."

I nod, pretending I understood the business jargon of it all. "Ah, because I was on a cruise liner once for a trip around Mars. Very formal business you see."

Scoffing, she takes a moment to chew on some ice, swirling the rest around in her glass. The little spheres dancing about in the fizzy soda. "What kind of business do you run to take a line around Mars?" I told her it was mostly retrieval, leaving out my activities beyond the asteroid belt.

"Interesting, maybe you'd be up for some work for my father?" My ears perked, a job opportunity with some powerful friends with even more powerful friends? I'm all paws in.

"What kind of work is it?" I ask, leaning forward.

"You said retrieval right?"

"I did."

"My father is holding a party for business associates and the like, seeing how you're a fan of them why don't you swing by. This weekend, I can forward you the details."

I groan, not another party. I'd prefer she just give me his details, and not dance around the point.

"Any more information you can give me?" I tried to pry from her, hoping shed give.

"Hmm," She looked around the room, making sure no one was listening in. "Since you said retrieval, my father has bugged about something. Under Iceland."

"Iceland?" My ears perk, whatever what could be so important in Earth's frozen north. Especially some island no one has lived on in centuries.

"Yes Iceland, I can't talk about it too much in the open." She tells me, looking around the patio to all the faces.

"Care to come back to my ship after this? I'd like to know a bit more before committing."

Groaning, she reluctantly agrees to come with me back to my ship. Honestly I wasnt a fan either, but a job is a job no matter who it's from.

We ordered a few more drinks, her another soda me some more alcohol. She tried small talk again, but honestly once business was over I had a hard time feeling it.

"No idea how you're able to handle drinks like that." She starts. "Last time I had alcohol I nearly threw it up."

"Well, I mean I guess I'm just us

ed to it. Always mixed the stuff myself."

"Might've been the problem, I just had straight whatever it was. Burned the whole way, tasted terrible." She waves a paw, drinking from the soda.

I gave a slight chuckle, sipping on my drink. "Drinking straight was your first problem, gotta ease into it. Youd probably like something that has more taste to it than alcohol. Let's try something more customizable, and good for this beach."

I order her a margarita, an old drink from Earth. Making sure the bar tender only put in a hint of alcohol. Trying it her eyes lit up, maybe not from taste however. "Well it's not terrible, kinda salty though." She licks her lips, her canine tongue trying to get the salty taste out of her mouth.

"That's cause they salt the rim, after this one you want another without the salt?" She stops to think about my question, swirling the drink in her paws. Occasionally tapping a claw. "Sure why not, can't go that bad could it?" Taking another sip, she agreed to it. Leading to a long night ahead of us.

Unsurprisingly a lightweight, me and Friday probably drank for another hour. Or two. Getting a bit heavier and heavier, making the rest of the night an uneasy blur.

The things I do remember, I remember walking or more practically stumbling along the beach. As the sun set over the mountains beyond, the only light coming from the city and the party itself. Mine and Friday's paws sinking into the damp sand as we walked along.

Occasionally she touched a paw against mine, laughing at the smallest of things. One thing I'll give alcohol is I feel dumb enough to talk openly to people. A real confidence booster that one, although it very well leads to trouble for me.

As we stumbled back to the ship, I let her in. Making sure BB kept his AI mouth shut. From here things got really blurry, and I certainly don't remember talking about a job opportunity with her father.