FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

It was an average winter night. Snow fell in blankets outside, coating all the homes, sidewalks, and streets in the beautiful, white flakes. It had been snowing off and on for the past few days, so a couple of inches has already accumulated in the ground. With the snow came the chilly air, something people loved or hated - very rarely did people feel uncaring about it. Wes was the latter: he hated the cold, and winter in general. He did for a whole lot of different reasons.

Snow always came around Christmas. While many celebrated Christmas, he did not. He had nobody to celebrate with, having grown up pretty much on his own. His parents weren't ever really around, always being too busy with work to do anything on holidays and birthdays. Then there was just the general coldness. He loathed being cold - it always made his body ache. And then the runny noses and colds? How could anybody like winter?

Another reason he didn't enjoy winter was because of the snow itself. While snow was most definitely a pretty sight, it was also very dangerous. So many people fall and hurt themselves on ice hidden beneath snow. Tires could hardly stick to the snow. Granted, there were people who salted roads and sidewalks to help but… that wasn't always enough. He even had a coworker who slipped on ice and hit her head so hard that she had a seizure. As beautiful as it was, Wes just couldn't warrant it enough to enjoy it being around. When he was younger, that was a different story. Now that he was in his late twenties and had to deal with it? Not at all.

Wes laid on his couch in his living room, snuggled up in a blanket. He had a cup of hot cocoa in his hands that he sipped periodically to warm himself back up. The taste of chocolate was incredibly refreshing to him on this particularly cold night. As he sipped, he flipped through the television channels, where he stopped on the news. Just in time as well, where the weather came up.

"Snow is predicted to continue falling into the morning, with an estimated three to four inches being accumulated on top of what we already have," said the weatherman. He pointed out areas that were being impacted the hardest, where his own town was one of them. Living in the central US always brought on diverse weather patterns. He got to see pretty much it all: rain, snow, sleet, hail, tornados… that was part of why he decided to move there. "If you don't have to leave home, it is very heavily advised to not do so. Midday we can expect another batch of snow, which will make things even harder on everyone. The last thing we need to worry about is everyone being on the road who doesn't have to be. If able, try to get off work."

"Thank God I called off already. No way in Hell am I driving in this…" Wes said aloud, the sound of him sipping his hot drink coming after. Having heard enough, he went to change the channel again, when a loud bang came from further within his house. He jumped from the unexpected sound, almost spilling his drink in the process. "What the fuck was that?" he mumbled nervously. Without wasting a second, Wes threw his blanket off and sat his drink on the table in front of his couch then bolted to where the bang came from: his own room.

When he got in, everything seemed okay. His windows weren't broken or anything, which meant that nobody had broken in, thankfully. He looked around to try and find the source of the bang, but not a single thing was out of place. "...Maybe it was just a branch breaking or something and it hit the roof…" he said. He was about to turn around when a second bang made him jump even louder. He turned to where it came from, his heart dropping as he did: it came from his closet. "Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me…"

Wes ran to his nightstand by his bed and quickly dug through the drawers. He pulled out a pocket knife then opened it, ready to defend himself if he needed to. Nobody was going to steal from him - he was going to protect what was his. Slowly he approached the closet, his heart beating faster by the second from adrenaline. He reached out and grabbed the doorknob and took a deep breath then opened it quickly. What he saw on the inside floored him.

His closest was rather spacious, giving him room to walk in. A wired shelf ran along the top, clothes hanging from hangers. In the middle of the closet was a large, swirling, black and purple vortex. A very faint hum came from it. He couldn't see anything past it, just darkness. "Holy fuck…"

Wes very slowly approached it and looked at it the best he could. He felt the impulse to try and touch it but very quickly decided that wasn't the best idea. He had no idea what to do as he stared at it. Obviously the best course of action has to have been to call someone but… who? Law enforcement would just think he's some crazy person if he said this was in his closet. A government agency may have been the right choice, had he known exactly who or what number to call. "This is so freaky…"

As he looked it over, something flew out from it. He followed the object as it slowly fell to the ground. It looked exactly like a plain, white envelope. Slowly he stepped away then bent over to grab the envelope when a second came flying out, just as the first did. He grabbed that one as well. He took a couple steps back then sat at the edge of the bed. Slowly Wes opened the first envelope and saw writing on it. What stuck out to him was he could read what it said perfectly - it was written in perfect English.

Hello! I hope this letter finds someone who would be willing to communicate with me. I can assume that you must be in awe to see a portal like the one you most likely just found. I would be too! I hope it's not in a place that will draw a lot of attention… I can't really control where it goes, so if it is… I'm sorry. I'm kind of hoping it's somewhere that maybe one or two people would see - not a lot.

Anyways! Hello! My name is Skye and I'm the one who made this portal!... Obviously. I'm sure you have a ton of questions like who I am, what I am, what I want, and a whole lot of other stuff. Don't worry - I'll explain when, or if, you decide to write back! And speaking of which, I bet you're curious how I can write like you. Well, simply put, I learned to! It was rather easy, actually. Your language is… almost exactly the same as mine, so that's pretty neat.

If you found this letter, you most likely found the second envelope as well. It is just a blank piece of paper. I would very much like to hear somebody write back to me. Please, anything would be swell. I really don't expect anything immediately but… who knows! If someone decides to write back, just push the letter through. It'll come right to me. Be careful, though! I have no idea how it will react if you were to come through. For all I know, and guess, it might just completely rip apart your entire atomic structure. I doubt that would really feel good at all… but yeah, just push it through or throw it… or something. God, I hope to hear from someone soon! I'm so excited!

Your new interstellar friend,

Skye

Wes was baffled to say the least. Some space portal opened in his closet. Out of the billions and trillions of other places on the planet it could have gone, it just had to have been his room… Now he was confused on what to do. He felt like he should write back but… what if something bad were to happen? He read the letter a second time, then a third. He couldn't believe there was some kind of life out there that was communicating with humans - and him specifically. He looked at the blank envelope and knew what he had to do.

He sat the stuff on the bed then went looking for a pen or pencil or something to write with. It took him a minute to find a pen but when he did, he rushed back into his bedroom. He sat back down and immediately began writing his message back, although it was considerably shorter than the one. I got your message. I just have one question… no, a lot, but a main one. Who… or what… are you? Figuring it was best to just get right to the point, Wes folded the letter back into the envelope and very slowly and carefully approached the portal. He then tossed the letter through, deciding to heed the advice or whoever this 'Skye' was. All that he could do now was wait.

So he did that, but not very long. Instead of just standing around and doing nothing, Wes walked back into the living room and grabbed his drink. After sipping it again, he carried it back to his room and, lo and behold, two new envelopes rested on his closet floor. "Wow… that was really fast…" he mumbled. After putting his drink on the nightstand by his bed, he grabbed the letters and looked them over. One had nothing on it while the other had something that just looked like a small paw print on it which piqued his curiosity. He quickly opened the one with the paw-shaped print on it and read the letter.

Wow! You wrote back really fast! I guess I opened the portal somewhere close to you, huh! Thank you so much for actually writing back to me. I was nervous it would be a long time before someone would send something back but you did instantly! I honestly wasn't really expecting anything for a while so you can bet I was pretty shocked.

As for your question, it would be easier if I showed you. If I told you, I don't think you would believe me… then again, you just stumbled upon a portal so… maybe you would… Whatever! I would love to show you but… not yet. Before I do, I would greatly appreciate it if you would answer a few things first.

What's your name?

How old are you?

What's your gender?

Is the portal in a secluded area where nobody but you or one or two others would know?

I'll tell you a tiny bit about me just so it's equal! My name's Skye, like I said in my first message. I'm 24 and I'm a girl. I'm very into technology which is how this is possible. Now it's your turn! I've given you another blank letter to respond. Since you responded so quickly before, I hope you'll do it again. I really can't wait to hear back!

Skye

Without wasting a beat, Wes began writing back. He had no idea why he already felt so into this but he knew he was. Maybe it was just because of how unique the situation was.

Uh… Hi Skye. You wouldn't believe it but… this portal is in my home. In my closet, actually, so… literally nobody else knows but me. I thought about calling someone but I had no idea who so… only I know. I guess it would only be fair to answer your questions so… My name is Weston. I'm 26 and a guy. I sell stuff to people at my job. So… I guess that's all I can say right now? Sorry, I'm not sure what to put or anything. I'm just… in shock, right now… I hope me not putting a lot doesn't make me seem not interested or anything, because I really am, I'm just… I'm sure you get it…

Deciding that was the best he would do for now, he folded up the letter and threw it back through the portal, again beginning to wait. He couldn't believe he was talking to something that might not have been from this world. It was entirely possible that this was some government experiment and they thought they were opening a portal on another planet but… there was always another chance that this was a new kind of life.

The idea that it was a new type of life excited Wes. He could be the first person, and maybe even the only one, to speak with a life outside of his planet. This was a thing that nobody may ever get to experience again, so there was no way he was going to blow it. The one he was communicating with seemed nice, but there was only so much one could portray through writing. The only thing that had him more curious than anything else was why this happened.

No more than five minutes later, a third set of envelopes came through the portal. However, it wasn't just the envelopes. No, they were held out to him. What he saw gave him so many different feelings and thoughts. For one, he knew now that it was not some government experiment gone wrong. The hand, or maybe even paw, was large. It had long fur that was a brownish color with tiny speckles of black all across it. The paw turned upside down, the letter resting atop it. He slowly and carefully reached for it then grabbed the letters away. When he did, the paw turned back over then waved before returning to the other side of the portal. "What the fuck are you…" Without even going back to his bed, Wes sat in front of the portal and read the letter.

It's awesome to meet you, Weston! I can't believe out of everywhere it could have gone, a house is where it went. That is so incredibly lucky! Truth be told, I was worried it would go out in the open but I guess I got lucky, huh? I do hope it caused no damage when it opened… or broke anything if yours. I'd feel so horrible if it did…

Anyways, I see it's nighttime for you. I only know because I tracked the portal's location and, from what I see, it's on the side of Earth where it's darker, which makes me assume it's night. I do hope I also didn't wake you or anything. I have no idea exactly what time it is… so if I did, I apologize. We can always resume talking tomorrow, if you're not busy! I personally don't like staying up when I'm tired so it's no hard feelings if you want to go to bed!

Oh! I completely forgot to mention! My friend Amira will be the one holding out the letter to you. It's the best glance we can give you about who, and what, we are. If you're at all anymore curious… maybe we could come show you? We don't want to overwhelm you, but I'm sure that ship has long since sailed. The only reason I'm hesitant to do it immediately is just because… well, I don't want you scared. I don't know how you'll react but… that is something we will cross when, and even if, you're ever comfortable enough. Oh! I have an idea! If you want, you could touch her paw next time! Yeah! If you want to, let me know! Ah! I'm so excited!

Skye

Wes really couldn't help but laugh at whoever this Skye character was. She seemed really enthusiastic and truthfully excited to see him writing back. He didn't feel forced or pressured in any way to write her back. In fact, he was even happy to. He liked the idea of someone from some faraway land being his friend.

However, he thought about the message. And the paw. It looked… familiar but he couldn't place how. The idea of being able to touch it did seem cool but… what if he was being tricked and would get pulled in the second he did touch this Amira person… thing? No, they could have easily come and taken him if that was what they wanted. There was zero reason for him to think that. Instead, they were being friendly and letting him be the one to decide when they could meet. So he was going to take them up on their little offer.

No, there was no damage, thankfully. I'll say, you scared me though because all I heard was this really loud bang. I thought someone broke into my home… though I would say this shocked me more than that really would have…

And yeah, it's night but I wasn't sleeping. It's not that late, and I stay up a little later than most anyways. So you don't have to worry about that, either.

As for your offer, I would really like to see who you are. If you're able to make a portal from space, then I think you have a general idea of what I would look like. Me? All I get to see is your hand… leg… I don't know which. But I am very curious, to say the least. I would at least like to take you up on your offer though. About being able to touch. I think that would help. If it does, then I think I would be okay to meet... in person. I assume you would come here? If you can make a portal, I think it's a safe assumption you can go through them…

Wes (Please call me that instead… I don't like using my full name…)

Folding the letter, Wes gently tossed it through the portal again. He had a big smile from what he was doing. It was fun for him to just imagine what was on the other side. They had fur, that much he could tell. But were they completely covered in fur? Or did they have fur in specific spots, like legs or arms? Were they all the color of the one he saw or did they each have unique colors? In almost no time at all, the same arm came through the portal, holding three letters this time. He grabbed them and saw two had paw prints, though the two prints were marginally different. The only difference he could tell immediately was that one was much larger than the other. When he grabbed the letters, the paw turned over with the furred side resting up. He quickly opened the letter with the smaller paw.

Okay! We will call you Wes!

I'm glad there was nothing wrong! I do apologize for the jump scare though. It might have been from the sudden change in pressure from its opening. That would probably be my guess.

How long will it be until you go to bed, Wes? We don't want to keep you up longer than you're comfortable with!

Okay! Amira is writing her own letter for you to read. It's the one with the bigger print on it. Though you can't tell just because I haven't put my own paw through, she is much bigger than I. She's very gentle so you won't have anything to worry about. I just hope you will be in return. And I do hope you wouldn't mind if we did the same if we met in person. We are curious about you as well! Man, I hope we can soon!

Skye

Without wasting any time, Wes began to read the other letter with the larger paw print.

Heya Wes! Skye told me you wanted to touch so… by all means! Whenever you're satisfied, just tap my paw twice and I'll know you're done. Before you do, I just wanted to tell you a tiny bit about myself. My name is Amira and I'm the same age as you! I love attention and making people smile and making them feel comfortable. Whenever you're ready to meet us in person, I'll be one of the ones to be there first! So I hope you are able to trust me because of this! Because once I start giving attention… I kind of don't stop. You'll either hate me because I'm overwhelming or really like me because I give a lot of love. Whichever, I can't wait to meet you!

Amira

Wes looked over at the paw then back at the letter. He just couldn't deny how curious he was. Her paw shape and amount of fur almost made him think of her as if she was an animal from his own planet. He scooted closer. Slowly he reached out to it then rested a hand on it. The fur was very, very soft. It actually was shocking just how soft it was. He pushed his fingers deeper into the fur until he couldn't anymore, when he felt the soft skin beneath. He felt muscle beneath the fur, which made him believe that it either walked on all four legs or used its hands often. The fur was just long enough to cover his fingers, making them just barely visible.

Wes very gently turned the paw over, happy to pick up that Amira was okay with it, judging by how she let him do it without any resistance. He brought a second hand up and ran it across the underneath side of her paw. What he felt very greatly resembled paw pads, making him believe even more that this creature walked on four legs. The overall shape was not like a human, and much more like a larger cat or dog. But if that were true, how could it have learned to write or talk… or even slave travel. He gently squeezed her paw, where he saw claws poke out from beneath her fur. They were huge and could have done some serious damage if they needed to.

Having his curiosity sated the best he could for now, Wes pulled away then gently tapped her paw as instructed. Again the paw waved before going back into the portal. Without even thinking, Wes began writing his next letter.

I have to know what you are. Amira… her paw was so soft. I've never felt anything like that in my life. I have my own guesses on what she is but they're so far fetched that it's just… it has to be impossible… doesn't it? I mean… you made a portal so I guess nothing truly impossible but… God, what are you?!

No, there's no way I'm going to bed any time soon. I have to physically see you before I can. Please do not take it personally if I freak or something, because… well, I am honestly. This is so surreal. I'm ready when you are. I never thought that this could ever happen, communicating to potential aliens, let alone I'm the one doing it! I hope that, when you come, you'll tell me everything.

I should warn you that my closet is pretty small. I have no idea how big you all are so… it might be better if you come one at a time. You know, just so you don't worry about space. Like… a minute apart or something. Or you know what, you probably know what you're doing. I just… yeah.

Wes

Wes quickly pushed the letter through the portal. He then grabbed his drink and then backed up to his bed. He sat cross-legged with his back against it. He was giddy with excitement, nervousness, and anticipation. He was doing something that billions of others wished they could. If they were as friendly as they acted, he didn't want to ruin it. All he could do now was wait.

He waited for several minutes, taking little drinks of his rapidly cooling drink. He didn't know what to expect. Were they tall? Short? Skinny? Fat? Multiple heads?... No heads? Floating heads? At this point, literally anything was possible. The anticipation was killing him. For all he knew, they could even be shapeshifters!

Finally, he saw something beginning to step through the portal. It was a darker brown and much more slender than what he saw Amira to be. Then the creature's head came through. "W-what… the…" he mumbled as the creature walked out of the portal and stepped into his bedroom only a few feet away from him. The two locked eyes momentarily. Wes looked it over and, in every single way possible, this creature looked exactly like what a German shepherd dog did to him. It had the same tail, same fur pattern, same colors… same exact build. In every single conceivable way he could physically see, this creature was exactly that: a German shepherd.

Around its neck was something that very heavily resembled a purple collar. On its back was a backpack that was the exact same shade of dark purple as the collar. It sat motionless, letting Wes come to senses about what he was seeing. "What… are you…" he said quietly, making its ear twitch slightly from the sound of his voice. After a couple of seconds, the creature looked back towards his closet, where a second had come through.

This one matched the paw that he touched only a few minutes ago. It wasn't much bigger in size compared to the one sitting in front of him, but it was either much fluffier or bulkier. It was some kind of feline, that much was certain. The facial fur almost reminded him of either a bobcat or lynx. He wasn't sure which. Like the one in front of him, the lynx sat in front of him. In a weird way, he could see just how excited it was to be here. It looked around eagerly, ready to explore this new place. Like the first, it had this collar thing around its neck, only this one was red.

Then another came through. This one was pitch black and much more slender than the other two. It didn't have nearly as much fur as the others. Piercing green eyes stared at him curiously as it approached. "You're… you look like a fucking panther…" he said in awe. He was scared of all three, but he couldn't move. He couldn't get up and get away. Or he just didn't want to. Whatever it was, he just looked at all three in bewilderment. "This… this is impossible…"

The one that he assumed was Amira slowly lifted her paw up to him. His eyes went right to it, but for some reason, he found himself mimicking her. Wes put his hand against her paw, now realizing just how big it really was. There was something going on, but it wasn't bad. No… he felt… good. He felt his worries fading away. This creature had the gentlest expression he had ever seen in his whole life. "This… this is amazing…"

The three creatures looked at each other then nodded. They all had smiles but Wes couldn't tell why. Did they agree on something? "I can't believe this is happening…" he mumbled. The one that looked like a dog gently tapped him on his leg, getting his attention. He looked over at it, where it just stared at him. He cocked his head confusedly but it nodded, almost as if knowingly. It stood up then took off the backpack and began rummaging through it. It pulled out something that looked like a collar. It was pure black and had something small and electrical on it. "What is that?" he asked.

It pointed at the device then at its own neck, then at him. He eyed it curiously as the creature then began to point at its mouth. He figured out what it was for. "Will it hurt me at all?" he asked. The creature held it out to him with a paw then shrugged. If he was guessing right, this was going to make it so he can communicate with them. So he took it and looked over it cautiously. It was soft and pretty stretchy. The side that was going to be on his neck has a softer material, maybe to ease any potential discomfort. The actual electric device on it has a little, singular knob on it.

Wes slowly slipped on the device. It wasn't tight at all. In fact, it was hardly even noticeable. With it on his neck, he looked up at them, unsure what to do. The one that held it out to him stood up and slowly stepped closer before reaching towards the device. Wes watched the paw cautiously but figured out what was going on so he relaxed. He heard a single click before the canine creature stepped back and sat between the two others again. "Wes? Can you hear us?" he heard a voice finally say, making him jump.

"No. Fucking. Way."

"It works!" the same voice exclaimed happily and excitedly. "Do you feel any pain in your neck? Discomfort? Itching? Tingling? Anything? It's very important I know."

"Uhh… No… no, I don't think so. Just… feels weird but because I don't ever have anything on my neck…" he answered. He looked down momentarily then back up at the three. "Who is talking?"

"I am," the canine answered, raising a paw, "I'm Skye… the one you were writing to. I'm so glad you trusted me so much to try out my communicator and allowed me to touch you. I didn't think you trusted me so much!"

"Well… something just told me deep down I could. Maybe I'm making a mistake but… I don't think I am."

"You're really not. Your trust won't be taken for granted," she told him. He saw her smiling happily, something that seemed… weird to see since animals that looked like her didn't do that.

"I uh… I assume… you're Amira?" he asked the lighter colored, feline-shaped animal. It just nodded rapidly.

"I am! The second that I felt you touch my paw, I knew I would be able to connect with you. I can't even begin to describe how happy I am to actually see and meet you. Humans didn't seem too interesting from afar but…" the creature paused and stared at him before sighing and smiling awkwardly, just like Skye, "you're much, much cuter up close. I hope we can become good friends!"

"I… uhh… thanks?" he said, unsure how to take her compliment. "I… uh… I'm sorry, I hope I'm not rude but… who are you?" he asked the last black one.

"Ashira. Me and Amira are twins. She's the sociable one, I'm the smarter one," she explained, "I won't really talk much. I'm here to take notes and study for scientific stuff that can be discussed later. If you would be willing, I have several things I would like to ask you. Not now, though, as I'm sure you've got a million of your own ones."

"Oh yeah, you bet I do…" he mumbled, still in shock.

"I think it's time to explain, yeah?" Skye asked the two others who both nodded.

"Mind just… starting from the beginning? Who you are? What you are? Why you're here?" he asked them.

"Sure! From the very beginning, I'm Skye. This is Amira and Ashira. I don't think it's a stretch to say you recognize what we are, do you?" she asked him. Wes just nodded. He knew exactly what they looked like. "Well… that's what we are. We're animals. But we're… different. We're not from your planet… or even galaxy. We're from… much further away."

"What do you mean?" he asked confusedly.

"We're all from a planet that's almost exactly like this one. There's some differences we've noticed but… we can talk about them later. Me saying we're from a different galaxy is one thing but… we're not even that. We're further than that, too."

"Further… how?"

"We're actually from an alternate dimension," said Skye simply. That just had to have been impossible. Right?

"You're… you're joking. What do you mean by that?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm not joking in the slightest, Wes. Where we're from, there's no humans. Us animals evolved and are the dominant ones, unlike here where humans are the ones who progressed and became the top of the chain," she explained to him. Wes listened intently. "In our home, we progressed so much that we've figured out things that… you humans won't for hundreds and thousands of years. From our initial examination of your dimension, we've been able to figure out that it's almost identical here compared to us. Just… rolls are kind of switched. And… we're far more advanced."

"What have we not done that you have?"

"Barring interdimensional space travel, we've found out what causes mental illnesses in us," she began to tell him, "We've been able to almost eradicate all illnesses."

"Wrong - she means we've found ways to combat them," corrected the black cat.

"Right, sorry. We've come to realize it's better to let robots do the things we need instead of working ourselves until we're physically drained and… overworked. We've also come to realize that letting people live the lives they want with almost no getting in the way of that has brought more peace between everyone than anything before. There's so much more but… I think you get the point," she said.

"So… there's no humans on your planet or… wherever you're from?"

"None at all. You're the first we've ever seen."

"Why?" he asked. The three animals just looked at each other confusedly.

"Why what?" asked Skye.

"Why are you here? Like… what were you hoping to accomplish?" Wes clarified.

"Your dimension is not the first we've been to. About… a hundred or so years ago, we learned how to travel between realities and dimensions. We wanted to see what life was like outside of our own dimension so… we started to look," explained the canine, "In all but this one, animals were the only ones. There was no life like humans. We had heard that other realities talked about humans as mythical creatures but they weren't real. We wondered if, just by some random chance, we could find a reality where you were real. And we did!"

"I see… What now then?"

"We want to learn about this dimension. We want to learn about humans - your social structures, laws, diets, everything! We are also very interested in how you all are around animals that aren't us. Do you think… you would be willing to help us?" asked Skye hopefully. She got up and took a couple steps back then began to walk around curiously. "Of course, we would be willing to teach you about us in return. We could even teach you some of our secrets we've learned and maybe you could publish them as your own findings and get famous or something? I mean, if you would even be interested."

"I don't think that would be a good idea," he told them, "the thing about you telling me things that are all scientific and… whatever. I'm… realistically, a nobody. I don't have any kind of science background so for me to just come out and say I figured out… whatever… it would draw attention to me that… isn't good. But I wouldn't mind answering whatever you need or want. Just… keep in mind I'm not the smartest about a lot of stuff so I might not be too much help."

"That's okay! We're not too interested in the scientific stuff, actually. We're more curious about the social aspect, as well as your animal relationships," clarified the dog. Wes slowly nodded.

"Then I guess I can help where I'm able. I can always research whatever if I don't know and just… get back to you on it if I need to."

"That would be lovely! I'm sure we can create some kind of mutual relationship with this. If there's anything we can do, then tell us for sure!"

"I will. I uh… hope I don't come across as rude or anything but, before anything actually happens, I think I need to make some stuff… very clear," Wes told them all seriously. Skye saw he meant to be serious so she nodded and sat down in front of him again. "I need you to please understand that only very certain animals are kept as pets here."

"Pets?"

"Pet has two different meanings. One is an action, the other is a way of describing something. The way I mean pet is, essentially, a way to describe an animal that is domesticated and kept by humans for companionship and, sometimes, as a service animal. Only certain animals can be pets," he explained to them. He then nodded to Skye. "You are similar to what we would call a German shepherd dog. They're a very strong, smart, and beautiful dog. They're great in families and actually help humans in hundreds of ways. You would be a fantastic pet."

"What about us?" asked Amira, nodding to herself and Ashira.

"You two would not be a typical pet. You're both animals that we only keep in a domesticated way if you're hurt and can't survive on your own," Wes continued to explain. "Even then, very few do this. Your species are… much more temperamental towards humans so only the people who have studied big cats their whole lives can even consider taking care of you. A lot of people like the idea of owning big cats like you two as pets but… it's too much a risk. There's people who do it but, in most areas, it's illegal."

"Interesting. What about you? Do you have any pets?" asked Skye curiously. Wes shook his head.

"Nah. I don't have the money to afford to take care of one. I want one but… I don't want to bring in something I couldn't take care of."

"Aww… that's sweet and very thoughtful!"

"Yeah… Anyways, the reason I bring this up is because, excluding Skye, I could get in a lot of trouble if someone finds out you two are in my home. So, if someone ever comes over, I'll need you two hide in my closet. I--."

"We can just go back through the portal and you can give us a sign it's okay," Ashira said simply. Wes likes that idea.

"I would really appreciate that. For Skye and certain others, it would be… more okay but for ones like you two, not so much…"

"Okay! That's fine! What other rules or things do we need to be aware of?" asked Skye.

"I… I trust you all. If… you want to come and go between your… ship I assume and my room, you can. However, if I'm not home, please try and stay in my room. I'll knock on my door three times so you know it's me. If you don't hear three knocks and someone is coming in and I'm not home, please hide. That shouldn't really be a problem but… just in case," he explained.

"Got it! It means a lot you open your home to us. We will gladly accept your offer," Skye said. She bowed her head humbly to him. "I must ask, is it okay if we study things here? What I mean is, if something strikes us as interesting, do we have permission to examine and touch? Anything you say no to, we will respect."

"Sure. Just try and be more careful around my computer, please. It wasn't cheap…" he chuckled.

"Got it! I must ask, do you have something called the internet?" she asked him.

"We do! Is it computer stuff for you too?" Wes now asked.

"Yep! We use it for everything: pictures, research, videos, entertainment, and everything in between!"

"That's amazing. So do we," he chuckled.

"I wonder… Wes, do you give me permission to use your internet?" asked the blank feline as she looked down, so in thought. "If it's anything like ours, there's so much I could learn."

"I don't mind. Though I have to admit I'm pretty uncertain how you'll use it because… well… you have massive paws and the keys on my keyboard are… tiny since… you know, tiny hands," he said as he held up his hand to her. She gently chuckled.

"I will have Skye help me develop something to help me type, don't worry," Ashira responded. "If I may ask as well, in your explanation of what a pet was, you said there was an action to it. What does it mean to pet?"

"Petting is… umm…" he paused and thought on how to explain it. He then eyed Amira. "It's kind of what I did to her paw when she put it through. Humans will gently rub their hands on pets. It's really enjoyable for both us and the animals. Well… depending on the animal. Most dogs love it and a lot of cats do but… you try to pet a cat on the belly and you usually end up scratched."

"Will you pet me so I may see what it's like?" she asked him next. She looked up and Wes saw the genuine curiosity and interest in her eyes.

"I mean… I guess. I never thought I would be able to pet a leopard like you so… I guess I can't turn down the opportunity," he said.

"Fantastic! What do I do?" asked the black cat.

"Well… I'm not too sure. Where do you want to be pet? I don't want to touch somewhere you don't like so…"

"Here, you said you humans pet cats. How about you pet me where you normally would a cat? I trust you to do what would be okay, so don't worry! Besides, I wouldn't attack the only human friend we've got!" she told him, putting a big smile on her face. Wes laughed and nodded.

"That'll work for me," he said. He went to his knees and crawled over to her and reached out to her side. She watched him intently as he put a hand on her back and gently rubbed it up and down. Her fur was very short but soft, just like he imagined animals like her would be. He trailed higher before gently rubbing her huge head. As he did, she slowly closed her eyes.

"Oh… I like this… I understand why you said humans do this to animals…" she told him, beginning to push into the touch. Wes laughed.

"It's very soothing, isn't it?" he asked her. She opened her eyes then nodded.

"Indeed. Would you show my sister and friend what it's like?" she asked him. He looked over at them and nodded when he saw their interest in experiencing whatever she got to.

"Sure, I would be happy to," he said, going over to Skye. He did the same thing, getting the exact same reaction from her. Her tail began to wag excitedly as his hands got lost in her fur. He looked over at Amira. "The best part about having two hands is being able to pet two animals at once," he said as he crawled over and gently pet her too. She jumped from the initial contact but very quickly got into it - much more than the others, in fact.

"I love this already!" she exclaimed with a huge smile on her face. "Do you enjoy petting us as well?"

"I do. There's a lot of science that says this is actually good for humans," he told them, "I don't know the big words or anything but, basically, petting helps humans relax and releases a chemical in our brains that makes us feel good. So almost everyone loves to pet animals." Wes pulled away from them and stood up before sitting on the edge of his bed. Amira stood up quickly and stepped closer to him before rubbing her head against his hands and legs affectionately.

"I really like it and hope you'll do it more. Since it's good for you, you don't need my permission! When I'm around, you can whenever you want!" she said with a huge smile plastered on her face. Wes just laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said.

"Hey Wes… I have a question," Skye said. He paused his petting of the cat and eyed her curiously. "Is it winter for you? Is that why it's cold? Or is it always this cold?"

"I was also wondering the same thing, actually," Ashira said.

"Cold? I think it feels great!" said the last one of the trio.

"It is, yes. If you would like, I could wrap you in my blanket to keep you warm?" he offered her. "Your species don't do well in the cold so I understand. I don't like the cold either…"

"Oh I don't want to burden you! It's yours and you need it. I will be okay!" she told him. Wes rolled his eyes at her trying to be kind.

"You could share!" Skye suggested.

"Precisely what I was thinking," he said. "Wait here. I'll go get it," he said. Before the black cat could protest, he walked out of his room and into his living room and grabbed his blanket. In the blink of an eye, he was back in his bedroom. He climbed into his bed and patted next to him expectantly.

"Really, Wes! I appreciate your kindness but I'm fine! I'll be okay!" she smiled appreciatively at him.

"Do I have to beg?"

"If you don't go up there, I will. Don't be stubborn!" said Amira. Ashira sighed then nodded.

"Fine! But only for a few minutes! We do have to report back soon. Bodi is waiting, after all!" she said. The other two nodded. With that settled, the leopard jumped up onto his bed then sat next to him, where he draped the blanket over both of them. She leaned her head into his affectionately. "Thank you, Wes. It is very kind of you to do this."

"Fuck the cold. If you need anything, tell me. I'll do my best to help."

"Us too!" exclaimed Skye from the floor. He looked over and saw her head barely poking over the edge. "If we can do something for you, tell us!"

"You can come up, too. Remember I gave you permission," he said. Before anyone could say anything, Amira jumped up and laid on her side with her head in his lap. Skye jumped up as well but sat closer to the other end.

"Could you keep petting me, please? I really liked it!" she asked hopefully. Wes smiled again and nodded. He began to gently stroke her head.

"I have two questions for you, Wes," Ashira told him, "First, you gave us permission to explore as we please. But earlier, you said it's night. So my question is, what about when you're sleeping? Should we stay in our ship so we do not disturb you?"

"No, it's fine. You can come and go as you please, whether I'm sleeping or not. I just ask you to respect that I am sleeping and try to be a little quieter," he answered, "If you do that, then you can whenever. Obviously keep in mind the whole hiding thing."

"Sure, sure. Thank you again for giving permission. Your rules will be respected before anything else. Next, do you have a favorite animal?" she asked.

"Oh, uh… I'm not too sure. I was… always kind of a cat guy, I suppose. That's… kind of weird to say with Skye right here, too…"

"It's not at all. You don't… dislike dogs, do you?" she asked hopefully. Wes very quickly shook his head.

"Absolutely not. Your breed is in my top three favorite animals, actually," he said reassuringly. He heard and saw her sigh a sigh of relief.

"Good. And again, no, it's not rude at all. You can't please everyone. There's nothing wrong with preference," Skye said. "Do you like big cats like them? Or small ones? Short hair like Ashira or longer like Amira?"

"Definitely bigger and longer," he answered, "I love big cats. I don't know what you know them as but tigers, lions, lioness, lynx and bobcat like Amira… you get the point. Why?" he asked her back.

"Would you want to meet some as our thanks for being so nice and helpful to us?" she asked him. Wes went wide-eyed.

"R-really?"

"Well, I have to be sure that you call them what we do to be sure but… yeah! I assume you would be cool with that?"

"For sure! That'd be cool!" he answered excitedly. Skye laughed at his enthusiasm.

"You got it! I already have an idea on a bunch of girls for you to meet. This one named Kubbi, you'll love her. And--."

"Can I ask you something, and please don't take it the wrong way," he told them. Skye slowly nodded. "I don't know how it works for you all but… there's two genders for humans and… life in general: male and female. Do you… have two genders or are you all only female? And… if more than just female… why have I only met girls?"

"Yep, we have male and females as well," Skye answered, "and we've only introduced females so far because, on our planet, it's much easier to bond when it's with the opposite gender. So it's much easier for us to connect with you because you're a male and we're all female. That's not to say males don't bond, because they definitely do, but it's easier. Some males also get territorial around single females, which most of us are single, so… you know, we don't want to risk aggression on a first encounter by having you like being around someone who has a partner. When we learn more about human behavior we would love to have you meet some of the guys, though!"

"I see…" he hummed, deep in thought.

"May I ask you something, now?" Ashira asked.

"You just did, but sure," he said. He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Fair enough, I suppose I did. But… do humans have sex with the animals of this planet?" she asked curiously. That was the last thing he expected. "Your say humans and animals can be very close so… is sex common?"

"Can we? I suppose you can, depending on the animal. You know, how big they are," he explained. The topic was a definite weird one to him. "That said, it's very illegal in a lot of the world. Doing so can get you in a lot of trouble."

"Really? Why?"

"Unlike you, our animals cannot speak and are much less… intelligent? They have no way of consenting to that stuff," Wes explained to them. The three of them listened to him intently. He was actually shocked to have this kind of conversation with them. "Many people, myself included, find it very wrong to do that. You're forcing an animal into that when you know they can't say yes or no."

"But some do it anyways, I assume?" Ashira asked. Wes nodded.

"Yeah. Some people are attracted to animals. It's okay in my opinion to be attracted, but not to act on it," he told them.

"We can consent. We look just like your animals. In your opinion, would it be wrong?" she asked next. Wes wasn't very sure on how to answer.

"That's difficult. On one hand, no, it's fine because you can consent like you said. You're talking, smart, and know what you're doing. On another, you look like animals. So… I don't really know how I feel about it."

"I see. At some point, I would like to learn about how humans reproduce. Would you be willing to teach me how it's done?" asked the leopard hopefully. While he knew that she was being innocent and wanted to genuinely learn, he had no idea how he could do that without really showing. And, with how she wanted to be let to see what it was like, Wes made the safe assumption she would want to experience that too.

"We'll see. I would really like to get to know you first before all that. I mean, if that's fine…" he told them. She nodded happily.

"Of course! I have one, last question. After that, we will have to return to our shop and give our leader a synopsis of our encounter," she told him. Wes nodded, though slightly sadly. He was already enjoying them being around and didn't like the idea of not being with them. "Would you be opposed to me putting up a couple cameras around your home? They're extremely small so nobody will notice if you have company. I ask because if I can record, I'll be able to go back and rewatch and see if I missed anything while researching. Plus others on the ship will be able to see what you're like, which means more will want to come and meet you!"

"Uhh… I suppose I don't mind… I just ask you not to put them in my bathroom. That room there," he said while pointing to a room off to the side. They nodded but didn't get why. "I would like my shower and bathroom time to remain private, if that's okay. I hope you understand."

"Shower time? What's that?" asked Skye.

"What's what? You don't know what a shower is?" he asked them in disbelief. "None of you have ever had a shower?" All three of them shook their heads. Wes couldn't believe that. "Wow. It's when humans get clean. We have water shoot down on us and we can wash ourselves. I love it. I'll have to show you. I'm shocked you haven't had a shower but you can go to another reality…"

"That sounds… interesting. How about you show us how humans bathe and we can show you how we do?" offered Amira. Wes shrugged. "Cool! I'll be looking forward to--."

"Excuse me…" a voice called out softly. Everyone immediately turned to face where it came from. An orange feline with black stripes jumped up on his bed. It was just a tiny bit smaller than Amira was. The tiger had to have been young to be that small.

"Myzy? What are you doing here?" asked Skye.

"Bodi said you need to report back…" said the tiger quietly. She was looking down as she spoke. Wes' heart was melting from how cute she was.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything so precious in my life," he said, staring at the little tiger. It looked up at him then looked away bashfully when she realized he was talking about her.

"N-nuh-uh…"

"This is Myzy. She's one of the youngest on the ship. She's very shy and came to try and get over that," explained Skye.

"She's so fucking cute! Remember how I said tigers were my favorite? That's exactly what she is," he told them.

"Oh really? Well how fitting! And you think she's cute! How perfect! Why not pet her?" she suggested.

"W-what is that?" asked the young tiger.

"Sit in front of him and put your head down," instructed Amira. The tiger hesitantly took a step forward then sat in front of him and did as told. Wes just looked at her in awe. He reached forward and gently put a hand on her head, where he felt her tense up. He began to stroke the soft, soft fur on her head. Almost instantly she pushed into the touch. His hand trailed from the top of her head to her cheek, where he saw her look up and smile happily.

"Can… Can I…" Myzy spoke up. Wes eyed her curiously. Instead of finishing her question, she stood up and climbed into his lap and laid against him. He had to quickly wrap his arms around her to keep her from falling over. Her head came just below his chin. He looked down at her as she looked up innocently. "I… I… uh…"

"I fucking love this," Wes said without any hesitation. He looked at the others who just smiled widely. "No, really, this is so fucking cool. And she's cute as fuck. Did I mention that?"

"You did," laughed Skye. Myzy closed her eyes as she was held tightly by Wes. "I'm glad you are enjoying your time. There's probably… five other tigers like her who would do the same… so… maybe we should head back so we can get this all going, yeah?"

"Sounds like a plan!" said Amira. Ashira also nodded and got up from the blanket she was sharing with Wes. "Come on, Myzy. We--."

"Wait… can she stay for just a couple minutes? This is like… a dream come true for me. I want to savor it just a little longer. And I think she would too," said Wes. He leaned his head down on hers before sighing contently.

"Sure. Don't stay too long, Myzy," said Skye. The tiger said nothing back but nodded very slightly. "Wes, perhaps you should also sleep after she leaves. This meeting will take some time so perhaps it's best you do instead of waiting for us. We have a lot to do tomorrow! Unless you have to go to your job…"

"Nope, I don't. What do we have to do?" he asked her. She just smiled.

"You'll see. It's been amazing, Wes. I can't wait to spend more time with you! I know that you'll love it if you like her," the canine told him while nodding to Myzy.

"I'm sure I will. It was great meeting you all. I'll see you soon!"

"Good night!" all three told him. One by one they jumped off the bed and proceeded back to their ship through the portal, leaving Wes with this tiger in his arms.

"This is so fucking cool."