FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Devon was finally out of the airport and into his red convertible rental, his carry-on bag half haphazardly tossed into the back seat. The car wasn't as good as his own at home. This one was five years old, and didn't have the pleasant features he was used to, but that was fine. He was only going to use it for a few days. The lack of bluetooth and a rear camera wouldn't be a big deal. What mattered to him is that it at least looked sporty, and had a retractable roof.

The young man was zooming down the highway with the top down, his short brown hair blowing in the wind and the sun warming his tanned skin. He had been vacationing in the Bahamas with his family for two weeks. His skin would've been pale if not for all the time he spent at the beach. The time in the sun had been great, but eventually the vacation had to end. He had convinced his parents to let him change his ticket so he could visit his boyfriend, who had moved after graduation.

Trey was his highschool sweetheart. They had gotten together in sophomore year, but once they graduated, Trey had to move to learn the family business several states away. The relationship had turned long distance, which was alright. They called, texted, and even video chatted, and since they were both from wealthy families, they could afford to spring for plane tickets for visits.

Devon couldn't wait to surprise Trey, a smile plastered on his face as he pulled off the highway. He was on the outskirts of the city now. By the time he was entering the city limits, he realized he should probably make sure his boyfriend was home. Trey was living in an enormous apartment on his own now, which was perfect. They hadn't seen each other in a while, and he could really go for some “action". He needed to see if Trey was even home. That way, he wouldn't get riled up for nothing.

Once he was stopped at a red light, he pulled out his phone and called up Trey's cell. It went to voicemail, and he hung up. Maybe Trey had left his cell phone in another room. Thankfully, Trey's parents had forced him to get a home phone, and that was called next.

“Hello?" a male voice answered. “Who is this?" That wasn't Trey's voice.

“Uh, hey. Is this Trey?" Devon asked, already fearing the worst.

“No."

Devon paused. Maybe this was just a housekeeper. “Can I speak to Trey please?"

The voice on the other end chuckled. “He's a bit… indisposed at the moment. I could take a message." There was a muffled groan in the background.

*Click*

Devon hung up and tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, turning off the road and into a parking lot as soon as he could. “That bastard!" He yelled in the fairly empty lot. For a few months now, he thought something was off. They hadn't been sharing as many sexy pics, or fooling around over webcams. He had just thought that it was because of the strain of a long distance relationship, but no. It was because Trey had moved on and was cheating on him!

His body slumped forward, head pressing onto the steering wheel as his arms hung down and the engine of the car continued to rumble. Devon's plans for the next few days were completely thrown out the window now, and he couldn't even change his ticket to leave sooner. His parents would know immediately what had happened. The last thing he needed was for them to play the “I told you" game right at Christmas.

“I told you that boy was no good for you! I knew right away he was a troublemaker!" His mother would say.

“I told you to at least try dating girls. They'll stay loyal, especially if you treat them well and buy them things." He could already picture his father's disapproving glare.

Nope. He would not run home just to hear all that. That meant he had to stay in this city. The same city where his cheating boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, was at. “Fuck it." Devon grumbled as he sat up, snatching his phone and stuffing it into his pocket before turning the car off and stepping out. He could stay here. The odds of him running into that asshole would be low, especially in a big city like this.

The car door was slammed shut, and he began walking to the strip of stores he had parked in front of. This must've been downtown, because these stores looked kind of rough. The signs were faded; the windows were dirty, and the paint on the building was flaking away. It didn't matter. He just needed a distraction.

Devon walked up to the end of the building and began walking while peering into the storefront windows. A laundromat, a liquor store, and a small bookshop went past. He didn't need to do laundry, wasn't old enough to drink, and wasn't in a reading mood. His stiff stride didn't come to a stop until he passed a store with windows filled with oddities. A quick glance at the sign on the door revealed it was an antique store.

That made sense, given what he could see from outside. A porcelain doll, a flintlock pistol, a dresser with intricate designs carved into the legs and edges, necklaces, rings, bracelets, full length and table top mirrors, dishes, glassware, and more. After a few moments of peering through the window, he stepped inside. It was quiet beside the bell that rang as he entered, and smelled like he would have expected for a room filled with old items.

The sound alerted the owner. A woman popped up from behind a counter where an old mechanical register sat. “Welcome to Auntie's Antiques!" She announced with a big smile, pulling back her frizzy brunette hair into a ponytail and securing it with a scrunchy. “Are you looking for anything in particular?" The woman prodded, eyeing up the young man dressed up in a white-collared shirt, gray slacks, and black dress shoes. If it wasn't for the man's young features, she would've figured he was a businessman.

“No, just browsing if that's alright." Devon answered quietly. He casually walked through the store, looking over any item that caught his interest. Despite his efforts, his mind was still wandering. He thought about how he would have to hide his feelings once he finally got home, what he could do while waiting for his flight for a few days, and how he'd confront Trey.

Hiding his feelings shouldn't be hard once he got home, and he was already planning all the things he was going to say to his ex. After being home for a week, he could tell his parents he broke things off because the long distance thing wasn't working out. There was sure to be some “I told you" with that, but much less than the real reason. The only thing he couldn't think of was what to do with his time in the city. He couldn't see himself moping around a hotel room all day.

“Looking for a gift for mom, a decorative item for your room, or a talking piece for your new place?" The woman asked, leaning over to peer at the blue chunk of crystal he was holding.

Devon jerked, fumbling with the crystal, before hurriedly placing it back down. “I, uh, don't know." He cleared his throat. “I guess I could get my parents a souvenir." The young man glanced around. “You wouldn't have any cool bladed weapons, would you?" He asked with a light chuckle.

The woman raised an eyebrow as she stood straight. “Do your parents collect antique weapons?"

“Oh, no. Different subject. My dad might like one though." Devon gave the store owner a sideways glance before continuing to another section of the store.

“I have some machetes from explorers in the 1800s, pistols used by cowboys, and even a sacrificial dagger from Egypt!" she beamed. “If it's not for your parents, though, who is it for?"

“Well, it'd be for me to use against my cheating boyfriend. Maybe I could use that dagger and make a sacrifice." He turned around with a soft smile that faded once he noticed her worried expression. “Uh, sorry. Just a joke. I'm not actually planning a murder or anything."

“Aw, I'm sorry dear. You must feel awful." She stepped closer and patted his shoulder. “I don't have anything that helps with revenge. It wouldn't be the right thing to do, anyway. Best to move on and find someone even better who wouldn't do that to you."

“Easier said than done after being together for three years." Devon sighed. “Don't suppose you have something that could find me the perfect guy or something?"

The woman's smile returned. “Well, of course I do! What kind of antique shop would this be if I didn't have something like that?" She spun around, her skirt spinning out in a flourish before she returned to her counter.

“You do?" Devon asked.

“That's what I said! Come, come." She beckoned him over, then knelt down behind her counter, fussing with a drawer. The woman found what she was looking for after a minute, standing up to see the young man at the counter. “This is just what you need." She laid a silver chain necklace on the counter. A purple gem cut into the shape of a heart with silver vines covering the back and curling around the sides was the crowning jewel on the piece.

“A necklace?" Devon asked dubiously.

“A special necklace that will help you find the one. That's what you asked for." She slid the piece of jewelry further across the counter towards her customer.

“Uh huh." Devon picked it up and looked the necklace over. It didn't look cheap, didn't show any signs of being fake, and was quite nice looking, but it was more like something you'd give to a girlfriend or wife for valentines. Not something that was supposedly “special." He set it back down. “And how much is this special necklace?"

The woman smiled. “For you, it's free! You seem like a nice young man, and I'm sure you could use it."

“Wait, really?" Devon asked. He figured she was about to give him an absurd price, some kind of scam she pulled on most customers. Promising “special" items that could fix whatever problem someone had. “Free?" Was this not a scam? Was this woman just a little crazy, believing this necklace could really help him? If she brought up healing crystals next, then it would all make sense. The lady would just be kooky.

“That's right! Just promise me you'll wear it and trust where it takes you. Sometimes true love is in the strangest of places, and they require some lifestyle changes to make it work." She continued to smile.

“Well, alright. Sure." Devon took the necklace and slipped it into his pocket. “Uh, thanks."

“Of course, dear! I wish you all the best luck, and don't let one poor relationship ruin your chances at your next one." The woman leaned forward onto the counter.

Devon nodded. He pulled out his wallet, grabbed a crisp fifty-dollar bill and slipped it into the tip jar on the counter. “Thanks again!" He smiled and hurried out of the store before she could stop him.

The woman giggled, the bell on her door ringing as the man left. “What a cute kid, and a good tipper too." The back of her skirt lifted, a fluffy brown tail with black rings poked out. She glanced behind herself and shook her head. “You just have a mind of your own, don't you?" The woman scoffed and stood up. “Just make sure you hide when a customer comes in and I won't tie you down again."

The tail slowly wagged up and down.

“Good. Now, I need to get to work."

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Devon checked out the rest of the stores. The only other one that grabbed his attention was a mom and pop pizza place. It wasn't very busy, so he had a nice looking supreme pizza within 10 minutes and ate at one of the tables. The pizza was even better than it looked. Despite his slim build, he could pack away nearly half of the pizza. Afterwards he sat back, sipped on a soda, and used his phone to book himself a stay at a pleasant hotel.

He hadn't planned on staying at a hotel, so it took several minutes to find a nice one in the area. With that done, he boxed up his leftover pizza slices and headed back to his rental car. More research was conducted on his phone for good places to visit in the area for tourists. Every time he had come here before, he spent all his time at Trey's place. He might as well see more of the city this time. Who knows when he'd be back here, if ever.

After some deliberation, he decided on a nearby park that was big and pretty famous. He'd never heard of it, but it must've been good if it came up in his searches multiple times. It wasn't too long of a drive, even with evening traffic on a weekday. Within twenty minutes he was parking, stepping out into the setting sunlight, and heading down a sidewalk to the park surrounded by iron fencing.

One entrance wasn't too far, an open archway allowed people and pets alike to leave or enter. The place must've been pet friendly, as he saw plenty of them running around. Mostly dogs, but he occasionally saw a cat, bunny, or ferret. Devon walked down one trail with trees on his left and right before coming to an open field. He was then able to find an empty bench and take a seat.

Parents were sitting on most of the benches, or at least he assumed, since so many kids and pets were running around. They tossed balls, frisbees were thrown, and even a few kites were flown. The park was nice, even with all the people around. The grass was a vibrant green; the trees had leaves with different shades of orange and brown, and patches of flowers dotted the pathways with small fencing of their own.

“Oh!" Devon was pulled back to reality when he felt something hit his leg. Looking down, he saw a frisbee on his foot.

“Sorry, mister!" A small beagle ran over, ears too long for his own good bounced around. “Are you okay?"

“Yeah, I'm fine." Devon leaned over, grabbed the frisbee, then offered it. “Here ya go."

“Thanks! Sorry again!" The beagle smiled, tail wagging as he accepted the frisbee into his paws.

“Hurry, Buddy!" a young boy called over.

The dog turned and waved the frisbee in the air. “Coming!" He gave a quick wave to Devon, then took off.

Devon figured he must've been a puppy, given the short height and squeaky voice. A full grown beagle would at least be as tall as a ten-year-old. He sat back with a sigh. At least, that is what he figured from TV and internet videos. His parents had never allowed him to get a pet of any kind, not even a small one like a bunny.

“I don't need a pet running around this house! They shed fur everywhere!" His mother had said.

“We already went through the effort of potting training you, and we're not doing that again with a pet." His father had scoffed.

No amount of begging or reasoning could persuade them otherwise. He supposed he could move out and get one now, but a pet makes more sense as a kid. A pet grows up with you and plays with you. They're a loyal friend, something he desperately desired as a kid. A puppy or kitten would make more sense if he was seriously dating someone, and they moved in together. It'd kind of be like a child of their own, except it grows up quicker, doesn't go to school, and is easier to raise than a human kid.

Devon reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace. He held it up by the chain, the heart jewel hanging and shimmering in the sunlight. After a few moments of admiring it, he undid the clasp and slipped it on. There was a bit of struggle to secure it without seeing it, but he got it after several moments. He didn't believe it had any magic, but the lady had been so sweet, and it was a nice-looking necklace, even if it wasn't his type of thing. Who knew? Maybe it would give him some luck or something.

The young man sat back and watched the different people and pets running around. He had gotten relaxed until his phone rang. “Mother fu-" Devon silenced himself, not wanting to curse with kids nearby. Trey's name was on his phone's screen. The bastard was calling him. He quickly declined, and after a few seconds, blocked the number. Now was not the time to talk. He wasn't sure if he ever wanted to talk to him again. No lame excuse was going to make him change his mind about breaking up. Trey had decided that long ago, but hadn't bothered to break things up.

With a grumble, he turned his phone off and slipped it back into his pocket. His mood was ruined once more, and he didn't think the park would help him calm down again. Not to mention it was getting dark and people were leaving. He supposed he should do the same. Devon got up and backtracked his way out of the park and to his car. His car was coming to life when he realized he didn't know where his hotel was.

Devon sighed and got his phone out once more and waited for it to boot up. It was the newest flagship model, and it still took a good thirty seconds to turn on. Immediately, he was met with a few missed calls and some text messages. They were dismissed and his emails were opened instead. He used his confirmation email to get the hotel's address, and once he arrived, his phone went right back to being off. It wasn't until he parked in the parking garage he realized how lucky, but stupid, he was.

His carry-on backpack had been sitting in the car's backseat with the top down all day. Thankfully, no one had noticed or stolen it. Not that he had anything expensive in it, but it was the only clothing he had. The rest of his luggage had gone home with his parents. He slung his backpack on, grabbed his leftovers, then headed to the inside and to the front desk. Within ten minutes, they checked him in and he was stepping into a nice suit on the 5th floor. A small living room with an entertainment system and a sixty inch TV, a bedroom with a king sized bed with another large TV, a bathroom with a jacuzzi tub, and a balcony with a table and chairs welcomed him. It wasn't the nicest hotel he had ever stayed at, but it was good enough.

Devon still hadn't decided what he would do for the other two days in the city before he could leave. If he ended up moping about here, at least there was room service and a lot of channels and movies. He didn't bother unpacking. Instead, he tossed his bag onto the bed then retired to the couch, where he munched on his cold pizza while clicking through channels. After a few hours, the pizza was all gone, several shows had been viewed, and the young man was yawning.

It was barely ten o'clock, but he was getting drowsy. Maybe it was from the emotional rollercoaster he had gone on or the jet lag from changing time zones. Either way, he was ready for bed. He brushed his teeth, changed into some pajamas and promptly passed out with hopes of a better tomorrow.

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*Knock Knock Knock*

“Housekeeping!" a woman's voice called out.

Devon turned over to lie on his front and pulled the bedcovers over his head. “N-No, no housekeeping!" He weakly yelled back.

“Okay, have a good day!" The sound of a door closing was easily heard.

“Ugh." Devon groaned after a few minutes, not able to slip back into sleep. If housekeeping hadn't come in so early, this wouldn't have happened. He went to sleep around ten, and even if he slept nine hours, it should've only been around seven in the morning. The covers were tossed aside, and he opened his eyes, admitting defeat as he looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. Eleven? How had he slept over twelve hours and still felt tired?

Devon sighed and reached for his phone. “Huh?" He blinked several times to get his vision clear, but something was blurry in the inner corners of his eyes. That wasn't the thing that had confused him, though. His phone was left untouched on the nightstand and his hand was pulled back to his face. He blinked a few more times, but the sight of a furry hand protruding from his pajama sleeve remained.

He sprung up, eyes wide open as he looked at his other hand. It was also covered in gray fur. Not only that, but his nails were, well, more like claws than nails. They were black, sharp, and uncomfortably long. “Oh." The claws retracted slightly when he relaxed his hand, but they were still fairly long. The question remained; Why were his hands furry and sporting claws?

“Shit." Lifting his shirt revealed white fur on his belly. His eyes went cross-eyed shortly after, the blurry spot in his vision becoming clear. “N-No." He raised a hand and felt his face, or rather, muzzle. “No, no, no." Devon looked about the room until he spotted a full-length mirror peeking out from the back of the bedroom door. The bed covers were tossed aside, and he leapt out of bed and hurried over, closing the door to see the mirror stuck to the back of it.

“I'm a… dog?!" A shocked canine peered back at him from the mirror. A canine with dark gray fur and pointed ears on his head and white fur starting at his chin and running down to disappear into his shirt. After a moment, he peeled his shirt off and threw it aside. His pants were quick to follow. Now, only in his boxers, he could see his changed self more completely. He had dark gray fur all over, except for white fur from his chin down to his belly, on the tip of his tail, and his feet, or rather, paws. It looked like he was wearing socks, though the claws on his feet broke the illusion.

So many questions were running through Devon's head. How and why did this happen? Why a dog? Why him?! What breed was he even supposed to be? “Wait." He leaned in and opened his mouth. His teeth were fierce, but he noticed his eyes hadn't changed at least. They were still a bright blue. That wasn't what caught his eye, though. He was still his same height. Dogs weren't as tall as humans, they barely got taller than four feet. Was he some kind of special breed? There were larger breeds of dogs, but did they even go over five feet?

Another thought crossed his mind. His head lowered, and a hand went to his boxers to drag the waistband forward. Yep, he was fully canine. A sheath and fuzzy orbs rested inside. His boxers snapped back into place, looking at his reflection once more. A concerned canine looked back at him. After several moments, his eyes caught sight of something shiny in the fluff of his neck. He leaned in, then reached up, pulling the necklace out of his fur.

Did that antique lady do this to him?!