FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Rays of sun shone through the large window in the living room of Evelyn's abode. We all got our bearings together, getting ready to go out to eat.

Evelyn burst out of her bedroom. "Is everyone ready?" she asked once she put on her pointy mage hat.

Felicity raised an eyebrow at the choice of attire. "Do you really need the hat? We're just going out to eat."

"Of course I do!" Evelyn said in a cheery voice. "It's so cute! Don't you think?" She did a little spin, an attempt to display her hat.

"Yeah," I say as I scratch my chin. "Might be a bit much."

Evelyn glanced at me with an annoyed look. "I never knew your sense of fashion died out the time we have been away." The opossum then clasped her hands and turned to look at Amelia expectantly. "Amelia, you think the hat is a good choice, don't you?"

Amelia, who was standing oddly close to me, looked at Evelyn. "I, um, I think it's a nice hat."

"Someone with good taste?!" Evelyn teased while looking at me and Felicity. "It's settled then, the hat stays."

"How does that settle it? I still think it looks like total ass," Felicity exclaims, pointing at the pointy hat.

"Ass?!" Evelyn stomped over to Felicity, looking up at her with disdain. Her eyes then trailed downward. "I guess it takes one to know one," she said as she reached around and slapped Felicity's rear. The resounding smack echoed throughout the room.

Felicity was unphased, not even flinching. She crossed her arms and looked down at the offending opossum. "I will break you," she said in a monotone voice.

Amelia's jaw almost dropped as she saw the scene unfold.

However, I can't help but smile at the display. They didn't change, not one bit. Despite the long time we've been away, they acted just as they did so many years ago. The teasing, the fights, while some might see it as odd, I can't help but find it nostalgic.

"What's with the goofy look?" Felicity asked while she looked at me. Despite her eyebrow being raised in skepticism, she had a somewhat amused expression.

I find myself zoning out and snap myself out of it. I instinctively scratch the back of my head. "It's just... never mind."

Evelyn pranced over to me before slinging her arms around my neck, moving her face mere inches away from mine. "It's not healthy to hold back your feelings, Lawrence." She moved her whisker-filled snout closer to my ear, causing me to flinch. "I could help you with that," she whispered.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Amelia gasp, putting her hands up to her mouth.

Almost as a saving grace, Evelyn is torn off of me by Felicity. "Gross, you're gonna get your germs all over him," the fox mocked while flicking her on the head.

"Can we go now?" I ask, unable to hold back an awkward laugh.

Evelyn giggled and shooed off Felicity. "Well, is everyone ready?" She walked over to a nearby rack and grabbed her staff.

"Yeah," Felicity said as she walked to my side.

Amelia nodded. "I am!" She shuffled a little closer to my other side.

I simply gave a thumbs up.

"Alright! Everybody gather around and-" Evelyn paused and looked towards the door. "Felicity, can you go check if I locked the door?"

With a groan, Felicity trudged towards the door. As she moved away from my side, Evelyn swiftly seized my arm, her grip firm. I could feel the gentle pressure of her breasts against my arm. Squishy.

The fox jiggled the door handle, affirming that the door was indeed locked. She turned around to look back towards me, and then her face twisted in rage as she saw how Evelyn grasped my arm. She was duped.

She started stomping over. "Evelyn you little shit."

The opossum made an obnoxiously clueless face. "Hm?"

Felicity now loomed over us. "Get your grubby little-"

Evelyn quickly tapped her staff onto the ground, causing an aura of magic to circle all of us. Then in a burst of blinding light, we teleported.

"Hands..." Felicity paused as she just realized what happened. You could see the wrinkles line her snout as she snarled, rage twisting her expression.

Looking around, I noticed that Evelyn teleported us to the front of the school where we came in. The giant doors were still open while people flowed in and out. However, it seemed that a mass of people were just as surprised about our sudden arrival out of thin air.

"I thought we were going out to eat?" I ask as I awkwardly wave at the crowd.

Evelyn giggled. "You took a carriage here, yes? How about we ride to our destination?"

Felicity's snarling turned into a look of annoyance. "Can't you just-"

Evelyn stayed silent, only staring at her with a blank face and clueless smile.

Rolling her eyes and huffing, the fox begrudgingly released her anger. "Fineeee."

I look to Amelia, who fell to the ground amid the teleportation. "M-M-iss Evelyn, I would a-aapprectiate it if you warned us when you do that," she stuttered while rubbing her head.

She gave the rat a wink. "Sorry~"

Practically ignoring the audience of people staring at us, Evelyn began carelessly marching toward our carriage.

"Hey! Wait up!" Felicity shouted while catching up to the opossum.

I sigh and walk over to Amelia. "C'mon, or we'll be left behind," I say while reaching out my hand.

She grabs my hand as I hoist her up. "Yeah, let's go then," she said, dusting herself off with one hand.

We start walking toward the others, leaving the gawking crowd behind. As we walk, I notice Amelia hasn't let go of my hand. She probably still needs balance or something after falling like that. But then again, it wasn't too bad of a fall, right? I look over at her and she is looking away, blushing. With every step, I could almost feel her grip around my hand tighten. Her palms felt sweaty. Is she nervous? Wounded? Must have fallen really hard then.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Oh!" Amelia exclaimed, almost looking as if she snapped out of a trance. "Uhm... yes!"

"You're getting a little sweaty, you sure?"

There was an audible gasp and she quickly released my hand, retracting hers in the process. She fumbled with her hands and then settled them awkwardly at her sides. She looked around frantically for a moment. "I... uh. I just... I just fell really hard. Yeah!" she said while nodding her head.

Knew it. "You hurt bad?"

She let out a nervous laugh. "N-No. Just fell is all."

I shrug. "Happens to the best of us."

Looking back to Evelyn and Felicity, I notice they are already at the carriage. Getting closer to them, I watched as Felicity barked orders at Cooper, who was mindlessly saluting and nodding to whatever she said. After getting another earful of yelling, Cooper quickly jumped to the driving seat of the carriage and took the reins of the horses. He looked over at me and Amelia and waved.

"Looks like we're good to go," I said while pointing toward the carriage.

Amelia silently responded by nodding her head. Her arms were still in that awkward position.

After getting closer to the fox and opossum, I noticed that they were talking, no, practically arguing. Their bickering voices could be heard even from our distance. I could almost clearly understand what they were saying. After listening a little to their roaring conversation... did they just say "stew"?

Once reaching them, Felicity turned her head and gave me a small wave. "Took you two long enough."

"What're you two yammering about over here?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"We were talking about where to go for food," Evelyn responded.

Felicity scoffed. "I suggested Stew King, but this bozo refuses," she pointed toward the opossum with disdain.

"Stew King is simply horrible," Evelyn said as she shrugged and closed her eyes. "They have a decent variety, but their stew is so dry."

I myself scoff. "How is it possible for stew to be dry?"

Evelyn smirked a little. "No clue, but it just is."

Felicity rolled her eyes at the remark. "Okay wiseass, where do you suggest we should go then, huh?" By the way she pronounced her words, it was clear that compromise was not an option.

The opossum's smirk got wider then turned into a grin. "Well, I was thinking-"

A booming voice cut her off. "Miss Evelyn!" the voice screamed. "Miss Evelyn!"

It sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. We all turn our heads to look at the source of the screaming. A white-furred cat waved at us from amongst the crowd. She had a look of anger and sheer malice. Her face looks familiar... Oh! It is that cat that took us to Evelyn's room back at the academy.

I wave at the swiftly encroaching cat. "Hey, Evelyn, isn't that your-"

Evelyn latched onto my arm. "Well would you look at that, maybe Stew King isn't so bad, let's go."

I look toward her as she starts tugging me into the carriage. "Why the sudden shift in mood?"

Right as she entered the interior, she dragged me to the seat beside her. "Feeling like stew, let's go already," she hurriedly said.

Felicity let out a small 'humph' in victory as she entered the carriage. "Knew you'd come around one day."

I could hear the cat's voice getting louder, but I couldn't see her as the sea of people kept moving. "Miss Evelyn where do you think you're going!" Still, the anger in her voice alone was almost palpable. "Get back here, you have a class starting soon!"

Amelia meekly entered the carriage and sat next to Felicity. Her cheeks were still flushed red and she kept her gaze locked toward the ground.

With a giddy giggle, Felicity slapped the ceiling of the cabin. "Cooper! Take us to Stew King!"

A resounding "Yes Ma'am!" echoed from outside accompanied by the crack of the reins.

Right as the horses started to move, we heard the angry voice approach. "Miss Evelyn! Where are you going?!"

We all look toward Evelyn, who offers that clueless smile. The opossum opened the carriage window nearest to the screaming voice and poked her head out.

The cat was now running alongside the carriage as the horses slowly picked up pace. "Madam Evelyn! Please stop! What about your class?!"

Evelyn looked toward the cat. "Lilly! I'm sure you can handle it!" She started to wave. "Have fun!"

The cat's loud protests slowly fade as the carriage carries on, getting farther from the school.

Evelyn, however, seemed unphased and returned to her seat. She acted like nothing happened as she rested her hands on her lap. Silence loomed over the small interior as we all stared at the opossum.

Noticing our gawking, Evelyn looked toward us. "What?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Skipping work?"

"Lilly's smart, she can teach them," she responded while nodding her head.

"How are you still employed?" Felicity chimed in.

"I'm just that good," Evelyn proudly stated.

As the bumpy ride continued, I began to notice how cramped the cabin of the carriage is. One large fox, a horny opossum, a shy rat, and an alchemist all crammed into the interior. Sitting right next to me was Evelyn, and on the seat in front of me was Amelia and Felicity. Evelyn kept trying to wrap one of her arms around mine, but Felicity's stern stare deterred her.

"Evelyn, why didn't you just teleport us directly to this place instead of us taking the carriage," I ask as she tried and failed to latch herself onto my arm.

The opossum slowly reached for my arm, again. "So I can spend more time with you guys, of course." Her grasp was once again deterred by Felicity's fiery gaze. "Especially Lawrence~"

The fox now snarled. "God, you don't change."

Evelyn winked at Felicity. "Can't change perfect."

The opossum's attempts of trying to get closer to me persisted for the majority of the ride before she gave up. Felicity won this fight, not with words nor violence, but with a stare. Evelyn settled by simply sitting with her hands on her lap. After that, silence shrouded the small interior once again. Yet it didn't last very long.

"So, Amelia," Evelyn spoke out. "Why don't you tell me about yourself."

"Oh!" the rat exclaimed as she shot her head up. "There's nothing really notable about me." Her gaze slowly found its way back toward the ground.

I look toward Amelia. "Oh, c'mon don't sell yourself short," I say as I nudge Evelyn. "Her skill in alchemy is pretty good. She made her first illegal potion."

After I said that I half expected Amelia to get all awkward and embarrassed. But she didn't respond, only her blank stare toward the ground intensified. Like she seen something disturbing.

"Were you born an Alchemist, Amelia?" Evelyn asked, voice full of intrigue.

That seemed to have snapped Amelia out of her trance. She looked toward Evelyn with a wavering smile. "Not really, my family is pretty poor. My Father being a blacksmith for the guard and my mother a cobbler."

Evelyn tilted her head. "Oh, then what made you want to do alchemy then?"

"Well," she paused for a moment. I notice her glance over at me and then immediately back toward Evelyn. "It's just... It's cool I guess."

"Yeah, it's really useful, especially in the field," Felicity said while looking toward Amelia.

"Oh, you're interested in alchemy as well, Felicity?"

"A little bit," the fox replied as she scratched her furred chin. "Lawrence tried showing me the basics, but I didn't get it. Won't deny its usefulness though."

Amelia looked genuinely happy, her red eyes alight with glee. "I could try showing you the stuff I understand! I'm more of a novice, so the stuff I understand is really simple!"

Felicity responded with a light-hearted laugh. "Trust me, I really can't understand that stuff."

I couldn't help myself from smiling as I saw Felicity and Amelia acting more friendly towards each other. "Ha! You two really are getting along." Small laughter escapes my lips. "Especially after your fight this morning."

Evelyn scoffed and turned her gaze to Felicity, giving her a suspicious look. "Fight?"

Felicity put her hand to her head. "Ugh..."

"Yeah, they were going at it," I continued, making little motions with my hands.

"Felicity I think you're the one who doesn't change," Evelyn said while laughing.

The fox looked pissed. Her cheery communion with Amelia slammed to a halt. "Shut up," she said as she raised her other hand to rub at her temples.

Amelia light-heartedly laughed, trying to diffuse the rising tension in the carriage. "No, it's okay," she said as she hesitantly patted Felicity on the back. "This morning was... hectic to say the least."

"Oh?" Evelyn said while her laugh diminished. "You'll have to tell me all about it."

---

The bumpy ride took a while, though it didn't feel too long. The four of us were all talking to each other. At first, I thought the ride would have been full of arguments and bickering, but no, it was pretty fun. It seemed that Felicity and Amelia were friends now, and catching up with Evelyn brought forth the exchange of several stories. And it felt as if the ride came to an end too fast. Our carriage came to a halt as the horses stopped.

"We're here already?" I say, surprised.

"Mhm!" Evelyn responded as she opened the carriage door.

Light from outside practically blinded me as I stepped out of the cabin. My legs felt a little wobbly as I stood. I felt the overwhelming urge to stretch, and stretch I did. I guess I was cramped in that cabin for a while. I look back to see Felicity and Amelia get out of the carriage one after the other. It appeared they shared my sentiment as they stretched as well.

I look around after stretching my heart out. Around us was a bustling street full of citygoers. Denizens walk to a fro as carriages on the street rush by acccompanied by the clomping of horses. I couldn't help but notice a few curious glances thrown our way, I guess a full-blown military carriage stopping by Stew King would look a little odd.

After her almighty stretch, Felicity slapped the side of the carriage. "Alright, Cooper! You're done for today!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Cooper roared as he cracked the reins.

We watched in silence as the carriage rolled away, the rhythmic clatter of horseshoes against the stone ground gradually melding into the cacophony of city sounds. The bustling streets seemed to swallow up the carriage's departure, and soon enough, it was out of site.

"Alright," I say, interrupting our gawking. "Food time. Me hungie." I pat my stomach.

"Hungie?" Felicity remarked as she gently slapped the back of my head.

I stand my ground. "I said what I said."

"Alright, let's get a move on, big boy is hungie," Felicity yells, bringing more attention to us.

"Aye, Aye, captain," Evelyn says with a playful salute.

Felicity raised a brow. "General."

Evelyn retracted her salute. "Huh?"

"I'm a general," Felicity affirmed.

Evelyn scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Right."

"Cease the bickering, it's stew time," I say as I start walking toward the wooden doors of Stew King. Before I even make any leeway toward the place, Felicity trots in front of me, her big fluffy tail frantically waving behind her. Evelyn and Amelia catch up to my side as we arrive at the doors.

With a swift motion, Felicity barges in first, holding the door open for the rest of us. As we step inside, the bustling atmosphere of the tavern hits us like a wave. The place is surprisingly loud and packed to the brim with patrons. Humans and beastfolk alike fill the wooden seats, eagerly feasting on whatever is on their plates.

We look at the busy interior, searching for an empty table. Yet, no seats seemed available, the place seemed to be at full house. We bumbled around for a little longer before finally finding a table. It was a relatively small table situated right next to a wall, but despite its lackluster appearance, it shone in the bustling eatery like a ray of hope. We all quickly rushed toward the seats and clambered in before anyone else could even have the chance to take them.

As we got ourselves situated, I didn't even notice but Amelia took the seat right next to me. Thusly, Felicity and Evelyn sat on the adjacent two seats on the other side of our small table. We all settled down. Felicity kicked up her feet on the table as she leaned against the wall, Amelia almost looked nervous as she sat beside me, and Evelyn let her staff rest on her lap.

"Can you not do that?" I say toward Felicity, pointing at her shoes.

"If Evelyn gets to keep wearing the stupid hat, I get to be comfortable. This cramped little table is not doing me any favors."

"Sure okay, but that's disgusting," Evelyn retorted.

"Yeah, it isn't very cleansely." Amelia chimed in.

With a huff of air and a great sigh, the fox conceded. "Ffffine." She repositioned her legs so they were back on the ground.

I clear my throat. "So, what's the best stuff they got over here?"

"Don't ask me. All the food here is sub-"

"Zip it." Felicity put her hand to Evelyn's snout, causing her to stop. "Now, what you'll want is the drake stew, stuff's amazing."

"I somehow doubt that," Evelyn mumbled.

Amelia tilted her head. "Doesn't sound that bad."

I give Felicity a reassuring head nod. "Yeah, I'll try it."

A smile found its way onto Felicity's face. "Trust me, has little meat chunks and everything," she said excitedly.

Almost on cue, a hand slammed onto our table. Trailing our eyes from the invading appendage upward, we see a large figure standing beside us. A big cow beastwoman wearing an apron smiled down at us. She had two long horns and hair that covered her eyes. In one of her hands was a notepad full of scribbled on pages and there was a pencil resting between her ear and horns.

"What can I get ya'll on this fine day?" she asked as she took the pencil and put it near her notepad, ready to write down our orders.

Felicity giddily smiled and looked toward the waitress. "Get me the drake stew." She paused for a moment. "Please."

The large cow started writing down on her notepad. "Aha! Big miss knows her stuff." After she finished with the order, she shifted her gaze toward Evelyn. Despite the hair covering her eyes, you could see her gaze was locked onto the opossum's hat. "What'll the wizard have then?"

"Mage," Evelyn mumbled under her breath. The remark earned an annoyed nudge from Felicity. "Might as well get the same thing," she begrudgingly replied.

The waiter wrote down some more on the paper. "Mmmmmm alrightly then!" She turned her gaze toward Amelia. "How about you little miss?"

"Oh! Uhm." Amelia nervously darted her gaze around. "I'll just get whatever Lawrence is having." She nodded her head toward me.

The waiter chuckled and leaned against the table. "Okay! What would Mr. Handsome want then?"

"I'll get the drake stew too." I point toward Felicity. "She's been talking it up like crazy."

"Mmmmmokay, so four orders of drake stew. Anything else?"

"Nope," Felicity replied while tapping the table.

Evelyn shook her head, disappointedly.

"I'm okay!" Amelia said with a light smile.

I was about to say the same, but an itch in my throat stopped me. "Actually, can I get a cup of milk? Getting a little thisty."

The waiter grinned while looking directly at me. "Say, if you follow me to the back you can get some straight from the tap." I couldn't exactly tell but I think she winked at me.

An awkward silence befell the table. Despite the bustling commotion of the diner at full volume, it felt like absolute silence befell us. We all stare at her with blank faces, not knowing how to even respond.

"Yeesh, you young folk can't get jokes nowadays can ya?" The large cow chuckled while holstering the pencil back between her ear and horn. She started walking away and gave us a wave. "Whatever. I'll be right back with your food."

We slowly turn our heads to look at each other in silence.

The atmosphere at the table was awkwardly tense after the waiter's unexpected comment. Evelyn shifted in her seat, adjusting her mage hat with a nervous flick. Felicity's tail twitched impatiently as she glanced around the bustling diner. Amelia's cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment, avoiding eye contact with the rest of us.

I manage to break the mold. "Uh..."

"Well!" Evelyn said as she clapped her hands together. "Changing the topic. What have you all been up to, especially after I haven't seen you two in so long?"

Felicity let off a long sigh, assumingly trying to ignore the bizarre remark. "Work."

Evelyn nodded her head, appearing to look interested. "Wow, riveting. How about you Lawrence? Anything crazy?"

I sigh and look toward my hands, which now rest on the table. "Work."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "You two never even picked up a hobby?"

"Actually, what I do for work is pretty much a hobby," I say, readjusting myself in my chair. "But damn. I won't be lying to you if it became boring after a while."

Felicity nods her head. "Yeah, when your hobby becomes work, it gets pretty insufferable."

"God, it's like your favorite food is milk and toast," Evelyn said as she put her hands up toward her face.

I feel a slight bit of offense. "Nothing is wrong with milk and toast, it's really good."

Evelyn face palmed. "Well. Unlike you two dullards. I actually have some hobbies."

Felicity scoffed. "What? Drinking?" she asked with a snide grin.

Evelyn stared blankly for a moment. "Lucky guess."

Amelia lightly giggled for a moment.

"Well, miss giggles, what do you do for fun?" Evelyn asked as she looked over to the rat.

She immediately stopped her giggling as a blank, wide-eyed stare took over her face. Her cheeks started to blush. "Uhm.. well, I actually-"

The slam of four bowls interrupted her response. The waiter came back and plopped our food onto the table.

"Eat up!" she said.

We try to ignore the remark mere moments ago and smile at her.

The waiter then slams a mug full to the brim of milk. The cow looked directly at me and I swear she winked again. She turned around and started walking off to take another table's order. "Offer still stands. Mr. handsome!" she said as she trotted away.

Felicity and Amelia gave the cow a devious leer then snapped both of their heads to look at me.

"You know her?" Felicity asked.

"Nope, not one bit." I shake my head.

"She sure likes you," Evelyn added, nudging my foot under the table with hers. Her eyes twinkled with mischievous intent.

Felicity eyed me from across our small table. With a raised eyebrow she looked me up and down. "You think it's his face?" she asked.

"He is quite the looker," Evelyn responded. "Well, I think he's average for human standards, no?"

I cringe.

"Really?" Amelia asked.

"I think we should put a bag over that face of yours," Evelyn said, nodding in affirmation to her own suggestion. "You sure do have a skill for attracting beastwoman."

Felicity laughed as she reclined in her seat. "You don't even need a bag."

"Oh?" Evelyn asked, a hint of curiosity on her face.

A shit-eating grin slowly made its way onto the fox's face. "Yeah, just tell any approaching woman that this guy sits in a cramped room making potions all day. Half the time they will turn tail and run. Literally."

I have been beaten to a pulp, lost all of my limbs, been burned, eaten, drowned, and every other unimaginably painful thing that ever happened to me. But that hurts.

"I think alchemy is... uhm... sort of... attractive..." Amelia surprisingly said.

Evelyn paused for a moment before laughing. "So that's why you're into alchemy, huh?"

The rat's face got even more red. Not with embarrassment, but with rage. "W-Well I still think it's cool!"

Felicity shook her head in disappointment. "Wow, not even denying it."

The enraged Amelia huffed for a moment before turning her attention back toward her bowl of stew. "Let's just eat, okay?"

Felicity's laughter died down, ending in a cough. "Yeah, I'm gettin' hungry."

Evelyn looked down toward the bowl of stew, disappointment splayed across her face. "You guys did eat all my food, might as well indulge."

Felicity started on her stew. Taking several swift spoonfuls of the broth, she downed it like a frenzied beast. "You're exaggerating," she said between swallows. "I had like one piece of bread."

Evelyn sighed dramatically. "Guess I'll just starve this winter."

Amelia started to devour her food promptly. Her first spoonful was hesitant, but she still took it nonetheless.

I start on my own bowl. With a spoon in my hand, I scoop up some of the stew and put it up to my mouth. The steam emanating from the broth rises to my nose. Smells pretty good. The visual appeal could use some work though, bits and bobs of various meat and potatoes float around in the broth. I guess it's kind of hard to make a stew look gourmet though.

Scooping up some of the stew, I slowly raise the spoon to my mouth. As the liquid gets closer to my nose, the aroma gets more intense. Soon the spoon is to my lips and tilt the broth inside of my mouth.

I freeze in place once the liquid falls down my throat. "This is..."

Felicity looked at me expectantly. "Good right? I love this stuff."

Amelia looked down at her bowl, spoon in hand. "It's so..." she began.

Felicity smiled and looked between me and Amelia. "Amazing?!" she said with the utmost confidence.

I take another spoonful of the stew and down it. "It's..." I start as the broth trickles down my throat. "It's dry."

Felicity's once excited expression turned into a blank stare. "Oh shut up."

Evelyn laughed after she had her share of the stuff. "I told you so," she said with a slight tinge to her voice.

This is a disgrace of stew. "How is this possible? Dry stew?!" I take another sip of the stuff just to make sure my tastebuds aren't lying to me. "Like this stuff is practically all broth, how is it dry?"

Finishing her bowl, Felicity looked at me with a side-eye. "All those potions you drink must have eroded your taste buds or something, this stuff is amazing."

"Keep telling yourself that," Evelyn said while patting the fox's back. "But one day you have to face the facts."

Felicity annoyingly looked toward her. "Oh? And what might the 'facts' be?" she asked.

The opossum shrugged. "You have bad taste," she said before locking eyes with me. "Well, not in men though~"

I cringe again as I feel my insides wince from the remark.

Felicity sighed in defeat. "Is it..." she looked toward all of us with a sunken expression. "Is it really that bad?"

I nod. "Yep."

Evelyn looked pleased in her friend's turmoil. "Most definitely."

"I'm sorry, but I must agree," Amelia added, sorrow lacing her tone. Yet she still continued to take sips of her stew.

"Huh." was all that could escape the fox's mouth.

"God, all this dry stew is making me thirsty," I say as I take the mug of milk and take a sip. I let the liquid churn inside my mouth before swallowing. The flavor is really good. So good, I take another. "Milk's good though," I say after a third swig.

Felicity looked at me with a serious expression after my drinking. "Please don't drink that."

"Why?" I ask, ready to take another sip.

The fox eyed the mug. "I don't trust it. Judging by how that cow was acting, that milk's suspicious," she added.

"The only thing suspicious about it is how good it is." I shrug in response, poising the mug for another swig.

Felicity winced in disgust as I took the sip. I slammed the mug down on the table and released an audible "Ahhhh" of delight.

I see Evelyn lean across the table, reaching toward the mug. My eyes couldn't help but lock onto her cleavage as her position caused her breasts to sag in her robe. Through the low-hanging collar of her clothes, I could see her nipples from this angle. My eyes widen as the realization that she isn't even wearing a bra sets in.

The opossum nabbed the mug and brought it up to her nose before sniffing it. After a couple of inhales, she put the mug back on the table. "Yep," she said then leaned back into her seat. "That is definitely breast milk."

What?! "What?!"

Felicity slammed her hands on the table in laughter. Her wheezing and bellowing echoed throughout the noisy diner. "Dude, no fucking way!" she barely managed to say as her voice was drowned out by gasping breaths.

Amelia stopped eating her stew and looked at me with disgust splayed across her face.

I stutter for a moment, trying to process the situation. "How do you know what breast milk smells like?!"

"Hmmmmm..." Evelyn reeled back in her chair. "Experience."

Felicity stopped her howling laughs to point at me. "Lawrence," she leaned in and directed her finger to my upper lip. "Didn't know you had a mustache growing in." Right after she said that the laughter returned.

"Huh?!" I reach to the top of my lips and feel something wet. Retracting my fingers I notice milk on them. Oh god, it's on my face. I can feel my insides irk.

Felicity's laughter got louder, almost as if someone cast vicious mockery.

"You know Lawrence, if you liked it so much, how about you have some of mine?" Evelyn teased as she squished her breasts together through her robe.

I feel sick. Drinking poison wasn't as bad as this feeling.

"Okay, that's enough out of you two," Amelia said, patting my back. "Stop bullying Lawrence."

"Sorry, sorry." Felicity wiped away a tear.

Evelyn shrugged as she straightened herself out. "Well, I was being serious about my offer."

I clear my throat. "Okay, that's enough," I say, trying to make my tone as serious as I can. God the taste still lingers in my mouth. "As nice as catching up is, we have something serious to discuss."

Evelyn composed herself and tightened her robe. Before she spoke she cleared out her throat. "Ah yes, the business you mentioned back at the school."

I shake my head. "Well, not here."

Felicity looks like she's holding back even more laughter. "Too much breast milk?"

I feel my eyebrow twitch. "No, too populated." I point around the establishment.

The fox cleared her throat, resigning the building-up laughter. "Any ideas for a place?"

Amelia looked like an idea struck her head as her ears perked up. "Well, what about-"

"I have just the place in mind!" Evelyn exclaimed, cutting off the rat mid-sentence.

A near inaudible "Never mind..." could faintly be heard from Amelia.

"Oh?" Felicity remarked as her head perked up with intrigue. "Where might that be?"

"Nuh-uh. It's a secret," Evelyn responded with a devious smile.

I look around the small table. "Any other ideas? Anyone?"

They all avoid eye contact, except for Evelyn. She looks like she's up to something.

I sigh. "Alright."

The opossum repeatedly clapped her hands with excitement. "You will love it! Trust me!"

I begrudely nod. "Well, we don't have a carriage right now, so you'll have to teleport us there."

"Already on it!" Evelyn said while picking up her staff from off her lap. She raised it high in the air, ready to tap it on the ground.

Felicity anxiously stood up while waving her hands in the air. "Wait wait! Let's stand up first! I don't want to fall on my ass while we arrive at where we're going."

Amelia nodded her head. "Yeah, me too."

"Oops! Almost forgot." Evelyn reached at her waist and grabbed a clanking pouch. She pulled out a few gold coins and threw them on the table. "There we go. No dining and dashing."

I scoff. "The pinnacle of morality"

Me and Evelyn stood up. Looking around, it seemed like we were all ready to leave the diner. After double-checking our persons, we make sure we have everything. Soon, we were all ready to depart.

"Ready now?" Evelyn asked, raising her staff in the air again.

"Wait," I say as I extend a hand to Amelia. "Hold my hand real quick, I don't want you falling like you did last time."

A surprised Amelia recoiled.

"What?" Felicity intejercted. "Why don't you hold my hand? Huh?"

I glance toward Felicity. "Well, unlike you, Amelia hasn't gotten used to the teleportation vertigo."

The fox rolled her eyes in defeat.

I feel Amelia's sweaty palm quickly clasp my hand, prompting my gaze to snap towards her. Her face was flushed and her red eyes bore holes into me through those appraisal glasses. She shyly smiles at me. I return the sentiment with a smile of my own.

"Oh my, how scandalous ~" Evelyn teased. She cleared her throat after we all gave her a look. "Okay, is everyone ready now?"

We all silently nod and Evelyn taps her staff on the ground. In a split second, a flash of blinding light surrounded us. Then as soon as it happened, it stopped again. One moment we were in a busy bustling diner full of an assortment of smells and sounds, now we are on the side of a road in the city, carriages and people moving about. Like last time, a couple of people stared in shock at our sudden appearance.

I look toward Amelia, making sure she is okay after the teleportation. She generally looked fine, just a little dizzy. She used her free hand to clutch her head for a moment, regaining her breath. Her face was still flushed though. Teleportation does take a bit to get used to. Instantaneously traveling through space can make one a little nauseous.

Looking back to my surroundings, I examine where Evelyn took us. This seems like the exact opposite place of somewhere private, the side of a busy city street is not where I want to spill the beans about everything to Evelyn. Scratching the side of my head, I look toward the opossum that did this. "Hey, Evelyn, this doesn't seem very private?"

She started walking away down the side of the street. "C'mere, we're not too far. It's like right around the corner," she said while waving in her direction.

It was almost hard to hear her due to the sea of sounds roaring from the bustling city, but I nod start following her. I realize Amelia is still clutching my hand as I start walking, her grip is almost like a vice. The vertigo must be pretty bad. I notice Felicity walking directly beside me. Actually, a little too close. I could feel her shoulder practically rubbing against mine as we continue walking.

"You know, you can stop holding his hand," Felicity said to Amelia.

"U-Uh, Well." The rat darted her eyes around. "I am... uh... still a little hazy?"

Felicity gave her a dubious side eye but didn't press further.

After a couple of seconds of walking and weaving through large crowds of people, Evelyn stopped. In front of her was a small building squished between two others that looked almost identical to it, the only difference being the color of the building itself. Directly above the front door was a sign that read "Bathhouse".

I look at Evelyn with a raised eyebrow. "You brought us to a bathhouse? That is your super secret hideout?"

The opossum looked at me gleefully. "Yep!"

"That doesn't sound too bad, I was half expecting something worse," Felicity said while looking at the building.

Evelyn glanced at Felicity. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothin'," the fox said while looking off in a random direction.

I felt Amelia release my hand. "Y-Y-You M-Mean..." she stuttered, taking a few steps back. "We're going to bathe together?!"

Evelyn looked toward Amelia. "Oh, if you don't want to we can go somewhere else, of course."

Amelia waved her hands in protest. "No, no! I was, um..." She cleared her throat and composed herself. "I'm okay with it!"

"Okay! Let's get to it!" Evelyn announced as she started walking towards the entrance of the building.

The three of us follow closely behind her. Upon making it to the door, Evelyn opens it, beckoning us to enter. One by one, all four of us shuffled into the building, Evelyn entered last and closed the door behind us. The interior of the building was surprisingly empty, with no patrons and not even anyone at the front desk. At this time of day, especially with all the activity outside, one would think this place would be packed.

There were miscellaneous banners, posters, and paintings darted around the walls. Some advertisements while some just seemed like personal paraphernalia. A couple of waiting seats lined the place, but it was still barren. It looked taken care of like it was still in business, but the lack of people made me guess otherwise. Despite the front desk being empty, we all walk toward it. On the wooden desk was a small bell.

"You sure this place is open?" Felicity asks while looking around the barren lobby.

Evelyn tapped the small bell, causing a resounding ding to echo throughout the room. "Mhm! This is why I like this place so much, not that many people come here."

"I guess that would make it a good place to talk in privet then," I say while continuing to analyze the place.

We waited around for a couple of minutes but no one came to the ring of the bell. The front desk remained empty, and it seemed like it would stay that way. Evelyn, a little annoyed, tapped the bell a couple more times. Yet, no one came. With furious rage, she slammed on the bell. A loud ding could be heard reverberating through the whole room, yet still no one came.

The opossum now looked toward the rest of us with an almost maliciously polite smile. "One moment please," she said as she walked around the front desk and into a backroom. She was silent, just staring into the room for a moment. Until she banged on the doorframe. "Hey! You got customers!" Her voice was furious. She continued assailing the door until a mumbled protest could be heard from within the room.

Evelyn walked back to us and retained a polite smile. Soon a bumbling man stumbled out of the backroom. He had bags under his eyes as he was probably sleeping on his shift. He hobbled toward the front desk and looked toward us. The man seemed as if he was going to pass out right on the spot. He rubbed the back of his head and sat at the seat behind the desk.

The man audibly yawned. "What can I do for you?" His monotone voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

"Can you ready a bath, please?" Evelyn said, looking back to the rest of us. "Enough room for four, of course."

The tired man looked between all four of us, expression unchanging. "Alright, that will be 35 gold." The tinge to his voice somehow got worse, like a worm was digging inside of my ear.

The realization of the cost finally hit me. "35 gold?! For a bath?!" I exclaim. "That's way too-"

"Sounds great!" Evelyn cut me off as she pulled out her pouch. She took out a handful of coins and slapped them on the counter. They jingled for a little while before finally coming to a halt, shimmering on the wood.

The man meticulously sorted out each one, counting them. Despite it being such a simple task, it felt like an eternity. After he was finally done, he pointed to a hallway. "Last room at the end of the hall, on the left." After he said that he stood up and walked into the backroom. "Water should be hot. Thank you for your patronage." His monotone voice could be heard from inside the room.

"Alright," Evelyn said while putting her pouch back on her waist.

We start walking toward the directed hallway. Upon reaching the end, we look toward the left and notice a doorway with a curtain covering it. We push past the cloth and enter a dimly lit room. Inside is a moderately sized, circular, steaming bath situated in the ground. Darted outside of the bath are a couple of stools and racks.

"Ooooh! I can't wait!" Evelyn said, letting her staff fall on the stone floor. Wasting no time, she immediately began undressing. She quickly undid a few knots and the entirety of her robe fell, revealing her naked self.

From my angle, I only saw Evelyn's back. Her gray, black, and white fur was fluffed while her large pink tail swished about excitedly. Even though she didn't have a bra on. I was amazed to see that she also didn't have any underwear. Her cushioned ass is revealed, on display for all in this room to gawk at. She started swaying her hips in tandem with her tail while she began walking toward the bath.

Kicking off her sandals, Evelyn stepped into the steaming water. She didn't even stand for a second longer before submerging her entire self into the bath. A moment later her head poked out of the water. "C'mon in already!" she said while waving at us.

Removing her boots, Felicity quickly undid her coat and threw it to the ground. She slipped off her pants along with her underwear. Her fluffy tail swished and swayed, revealing her rear with each movement. Her white furred butt, a familiar yet always welcome sight, was as nice as the last time I saw it. Her orange fur coat glimmered in the lit room, clean and well-kept.

"Make some room," the fox said while unclipping her bra. Throwing the garment to the side, she steps into the water. She flops into the bath, shuffling to the opposite side of Evelyn. Her big buoyant breasts float as she reclines with an audible "Ahhhhhh".

It's just me and Amelia left. I start to take off my coat. Sliding it off my shoulders, along with my undershirt. Unlike these uncivilized freaks, I walk to the clothing rack and use it, hanging my clothes as I take them off. Once my pants and underwear were off and hung, I was completely naked. Feeling a slight chill, I hastily join the two girls in the steaming bath.

Right as my skin touches the hot water, I can feel it soothe my soul. Once I sit down in the bath, half of my body is submerged. The warmth seeps into my flesh, calms my nerves and relaxes my joints. The sublime texture of the liquid combined with the perfection of the temperature made me feel like I was practically melting. The steam licks away at my face and I recline to take in the pleasure.

I pick up my head and look at my two former party members. They seem to be relaxing as much as I am. Felicity rested her arms at the edge of the bath as she reclined. Evelyn simply splayed out in the water, letting her breasts float while her big pink tail rested beneath. While analyzing them, I notice myself looking maybe a little too hard at their breasts. Felicity's huge bosom simply rests in the water, displayed for all. While not as big as the fox's, Evelyn's moderately sized chest pokes out of the bath, along with her already hard nipples.

I notice the two seem to be returning the gesture as their eyes seem to be locked on my nude body as well. Despite the situation, I find myself comfortable with them, sharing the bath, and glances. Of course, this isn't my first time seeing them naked or being naked around them. Our past caused us to form a strong bond, one that lasted for years even while we were apart. Well, I guess Amelia is the only one that hasn't seen us naked before. I look around the water, noticing a distinct lack of a certain shy rat. Where is Amelia anyway?

Looking around around the room, I look for Amelia. It didn't take long until I noticed her. She was outside of the bath, shaking in place. She was trying her best to take off her shirt. But, it wasn't even above her head yet, she was making no progress while undressing.

"Need help there, chief?" I ask Amelia as I notice Evelyn and Felicity look at her as well.

"N-No! Nervous is all!" the rat responded. "Just give me a couple of seconds."

I dismissively wave at her. "If you say so," I say as I return to my relaxing. The warm water almost makes me want to drift off to sleep. A couple of minutes pass and I notice Amelia still hasn't entered the bath. I could hear the jingling and fumbling of buckles and belts.

I turn my head and notice she is still trying to undress. "Are you sure you don't-"

Amelia stopped in place, her shirt still halfway above her torso. "Okay, I might need a little help..." she mumbled through her garb.

I laugh and start to step out of the bath. Once fully out, a chilling disappointment filled my body as it yearned for the warmth of the water. Approaching the stuck rat, I shake off my hands, not wanting to get her clothes too wet. I grab at the sleeves and slightly pull. That was enough for her to finally free herself of her shirt.

Taking her garb, I take it and hang it on the clothes rack. "There you go," I say while looking back at her.

Amelia, face as red as a beet, stared at me much the same. I notice her eyes take quick glances downward, assumingly analyzing my penis. She then looks down at herself, noticing that the only thing she is wearing is a bra. Her blank stare and flushed face were enough to understand what was going through her mind.

"Hey! You two quit giving each other the fuck-me eyes and hop in here! Waters not getting any warmer!" Felicity yelled from inside the bath.

"I assume you can take it from here?" I ask Amelia.

She was silent and only stared at me.

I mentally shrugged then walked back into the bath. Once stepping back inside the warm water, my body was immediately satisfied. The comfort sinking back into my skin.

Amelia, now successfully undressed followed me into the water. She sunk down, submerging herself. The only part of her that wasn't underwater was her head. She shyly looked between each of us and then back down into the water. I could see her lithe pink tail thrashing about in the bath, causing ripples. She was still blushing, but I noticed that she took her glasses off.

For a bit, we simply rested in silence, enjoying the water. But then, the whole reason why we were even here rattled through my head.

After a couple more minutes, I sigh, sitting upright. "Alright!" I say while clearing my throat with a swift cough. "Think it's time to get down to business, yeah?"

With a deep inhale and exhale, Evelyn sat upright as well. "Oh, right." She raised her hands in the air, stretching. The action allowed her now wet breasts to jut out further, pink nipples still poking out of her soggy fur. "So what is the important business that you needed to talk to me about."

I sit in the water for a moment, looking between Amelia and Felicity. They seemed to be more attentive as they also sat upright. My mind raced, trying to think of how to articulate my words. "Alright, but first, I got something to tell you."

"Oh?" Evelyn said as she scootched closer to me through the water.

I pause for a moment, still thinking. "You... uh... know the Philosopher's Stone, right?"

Evelyn put a hand to her chin. It looked like she was thinking for a moment before looking back at me. "The transmutation stone? The one made of solidified magic?"

I sigh while drifitng my gaze toward the ceiling. "Yeah, that one."

Evelyn nods. "Yeah, I heard of them, horribly rare though. Experienced alchemists lodge them in their hearts. Or so I've heard."

I adjust my gaze to look the opossum in the eyes. "Well, that's the thing, I had one."

Evelyn stared at me for a moment, silent. She kept staring until a sudden "I knew it!" roared out of her while her white-furred face lit up.

"What?" I question, not even trying to hide my bewilderment.

Evelyn scootched even closer until she was right in front of me. "You're aura always seemed different way back when," she said while poking my chest. "But I could never put my finger on it." She kept her finger on my chest, waving it around my skin.

I slowly push her pink hand away from my chest. "Is that right?" I question.

"Yeah, but I don't sense it anymore."

I remain silent.

Her face lit up again. "Wait, so can you like transmute things?" She gasped and reeled back. "Does that mean it's in your heart?!"

I dissuade her curiosity with a hesitant laugh. "That's the thing, I *HAD* it."

Tilting her head, the opossum's face now wore concern. "Something happened to it?"

I sigh, knowing what I'll have to say. "Yeah, you remember how you asked about Djura, and where he's been."

Evelyn nodded, taking an upright position in the bath.

"Well," I take a deep breath. "He stole it."

"What do you mean he stole it?" Evelyn questioned while leaning in. "He took it out of your heart?"

"Yep," I say as I touch my chest, the spot where it happened. "Ripped me open and tore it out." I couldn't stop my voice from shaking a little. "Left me to die too."

"What?" I could see the smile fade from her face in an instant. "No... Thats..."

I can't offer any response, I only stare at her. I could feel the slight frown on my face as Evelyn looked into my eyes.

She sat up straight, causing the water around her to splash. "When did this happen?!"

"The other night," Felicity said to Evelyn while moving through the water to my side. I felt the fox's warm arm wrap around my shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Evelyn asked.

I looked into her eyes, words failing to leave my mouth. I stutter while trying to respond, failing to say anything.

Evelyn stayed silent while her eyes darted around in confusion.

Looking down to the water, my feint reflection looking back at me. The sad expression on my face was the only thing I noticed. Just mere moments ago I was relaxing without a care in the world, now look at me. I hear someone stand up in the water and begin walking toward me, the splashes echo through the room. In the feint reflection, I see Evelyn looking down at me.

I put on a smirk, trying to lighten the mood. "But hey, things-"

Evelyn bent down and hugged me. Her soggy her wrapped around my skin while her whiskers brushed past my face. "I didn't know..." she whispered in my ear. "I'm glad you came to me."

The embrace wasn't playful, but the heartfelt weight behind it caused my insides to melt. But it didn't last too long. She reclines from the hug and then sits beside me in the warm water. She wraps herself around one of my arms and pulls herself close. I could feel her furred breasts push against my skin. I now realize that I am sulking between Felicity and Evelyn, not the best look.

The opossum rubbed my back. "I'm sorry that happened," she said as her tone started to lighten. "It must have been awful."

"Hey, that means a lot, Evelyn," I say while looking up from my reflection. I looked at her white face, and from this distance, I never noticed how blue her eyes were. "Thank you."

Felicity, her arm still wrapped around my shoulder, pulled herself closer. Due to her height, however, her breasts are practically being pushed in my face. "Hey! Don't leave me out of the hugging sesh."

The mood shifted slightly, the weight of the moment lifted by my companions. I look over to Amelia, who is still submerged from the neck below. "Amelia, you want in too?"

The surprised rat looked away and nervously mumbled something inaudible.

Felicity tightened her grasp, pushing her breasts harder on my face. "Are you sure?"

Evelyn joined in, squeezing her breasts on my skin so much that I could feel her nipples poke me. "You know, physical touch is the best way to boost party morale."

As the two women at my sides press harder, I couldn't help but be smothered. Finding it hard to breathe amid the breasts pushed up against me, I tried pushing them away, in an attempt to save myself. However, vigorous advances were too much, I couldn't even budge them.

"Um, I think," Amelia raised a hand out of the water and pointed at me. "I think you're suffocating him."

A surprised Evelyn and Felicity both jerk their heads to look at me. Their shock grows as they quickly release their tight grasp, allowing their breasts to stop smothering me. I am freed from their bosoms, and I take a deep breath, gasping for air.

"Sorry!" Felicity and Evelyn said in unison.

I take a couple more seconds to catch my breath. "It's..." I inhale. "It's okay. Just warn me next time you decide to shove those big tits in my face. Please."

Felicity giggles a little. "Sorry."

I clutch my face, taking in a couple more breaths. "Those things should be classified as weapons."

"What about mine?" Evelyn says while jutting her breasts into my face. She starts smushing them together with her hands. At this close distance, I can see her hard nipples. "They're pretty deadly, right?"

The sight of her breasts being smothered together, as well as her protruding pink nipples, instilled something in me. I could feel my cock slightly harden as she continued the motions. I inconspicuously cross my legs, not wanting to make this scenario any more awkward.

"Moving on," I say while averting my gaze. "Evelyn, we came seeking you out for help."

She stopped squishing her breasts together, composing herself a little. "Let me guess, You want me to help you find the stone back, right?"

I nod, surprised at how quickly she caught up. "Yeah."

Felicity looks toward the opossum. "You think you can do it?"

Evelyn sighs and looks upward, scratching her chin. She leans her head on my shoulder and wraps one of her arms around her neck.

"Anything?" Felicity asks while doing the same. I could feel them pushing against each other, fighting for the right to keep their arm around my neck. To the left of me was a fox while to the right was an opossum.

Evelyn perked up for a second, face lit up with an idea. But then she reclined and slipped back into thought. This process went on for a while. Finally, she perked up again with an idea and this time she held it. "I think I can help!"

"You can?!" I exclaim, turning my head to look at her directly.

She leans her head back on my shoulder. "Well, not me, but someone I know."

"Oh?" Felicity says while pushing the opossum's head off my shoulder while she leaned her's on my other.

"How exactly can you help?" Amelia asks. I notice she is no longer almost completely submerged and is closer to us now in water.

"Well, when fused to the heart, a philosopher's stone fuses to the soul as well," Evelyn says as she tries to nudge Felicity. "Right?" she asks, trying to confirm the information.

"Well, yeah." I nod my head in confirmation. "When an alchemist fuses the stone to their heart, part of their soul is taken by the stone." If memory serves correct, of course.

"Wait, what?" Amelia cried out. "That sounds dangerous!"

Felicity also held a look of confusion, as she was unaware of this information. Despite her confusion, she still tried wrestling with Evelyn to get her off me.

"That's what makes their auras a little strange," Evelyn proclaimed. "And why I always guessed you had one." She winks.

I simply nod my head. "Yeah, but how would that help?"

She looks at me with a slight grin, like an idea was growing inside her head. "Well, when it was ripped out, it should still have part of your soul in it, right?"

I think for a moment "I supposed it would."

The opossum's face lit up again. "Then! We could have your soul read! With that, we can locate the fragment of your soul in the Philosopher's Stone!"

"That's..." I look down in thought, letting the idea churn in my head. "That's actually pretty good!"

"But who do you know can read souls?" Amelia asks, inching ever closer to us.

"Yeah," Felicity nods her head. "That profession is pretty rare and I don't know of any nearby."

Evelyn's sly smile grew into a prideful smirk. "Well, lucky for you, I know just the person."

Felicity scoffs. "Who might that be?"

Evelyn quickly stood up, splashing water everywhere. She loomed above me, breasts hanging and genitals way too close to my face. She put her hands on her hips and looked down. "My Mom!" she said proudly.

"What?!" me, Felicity, and Amelia all collectively exclaim, our confusion splayed across our faces.

"You're mom?" I ask.

"Yep!" Evelyn proudly nods.

"You're mom can read souls?" Felicity asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm!" Evelyn sits back down in the water, pride written on her face. She takes her position back to my right side and resumes her nudging battle with Felicity who can fully wrap their arm around me.

In a mixture of confusion and amazement, I look back down into the water, staring at my reflection. The sense of hope wriggles up my spine, eating away at the despair I once felt. I might actually get my stone back after all. In the watery mirror, I see a small smile find its way on my face.

"One issue though," Evelyn interjects, words cutting through the air like a knife.

"Huh?" the rest of us all collectively respond.

She chuckles softly at our reactions. "My Family's estate is outside of Hemwick, so it's too far to teleport. We'll have to go by train."

"Those new big hunks of metal that everyone's freaking out about?" Felicity asks. It seemed like she was winning the battle as I could feel her arm slink around my neck.

"Yeah! You see them up close?" Amelia says, words laced with excitement. "They're like big metal monsters!"

"That sounds like a plan!" I exclaim. I struggle to stand up, the warmth of the water as well as the wrestling match between a fox and an opossum making it difficult. Once I do, I stretch, arms raised in the air. "Sure, let's get going then," I say to the three beastwomen.

I notice Felicity, Evelyn, and even Amelia stare at me in silence. Well, not staring directly at me, but at my penis. I look down and realize that my cock is still half stiff from all the boob rubbing that was happening. Usually, I am not one to get embarrassed at nudity, but three women all staring at my cock got to me. I slink back down into the water and retake my spot between Felicity and Evelyn.

"Well, maybe not right now, water's really nice," I say, clearing my throat, trying not to acknowledge what just happened.

"I agree," Felicity says, trying to wrap her arms around me again.

"Very nice~" Evelyn responded while trying to do the same.

Anticipating another round of their scuffle behind my back, I was surprised when they didn't. Instead, I felt Felicity's arm, as well as Evelyn's, both encircle my neck. When they weren't fighting, their embrace was surprisingly comforting. Being nestled between two warm, damp beastwomen was unexpectedly pleasant. I found myself sinking into a deeper state of relaxation, lulled by the warmth of the water and the company of the two women.

However, amidst my tranquility, I noticed Amelia gazing outside the bath as if searching for something. "Um," she began, "I don't think we brought any towels."

Turning our attention to the assortment of racks outside the bath, Felicity, Evelyn, and I all realized that aside from one lone towel, Amelia was right; there was a noticeable shortage.

Amelia rose slowly from the water and stepped out of the bath, shaking off some water and giving her tail a swift flick before making her way to the towel rack. "I'll go ask for some," she announces while wrapping the only towel around herself. She covered her bosom and her lower parts, but her swishing pink tail still jutted out from the cloth.

"I'll come with," Evelyn volunteered, rising from the bath and causing a small splash as she moved toward Amelia, leaving me still ensconced in Felicity's embrace.

The rat finished shyly wrapping herself in the towel. "Oh, I'm sorry but there are no more towels."

Evelyn shook her head. "It's okay. No towel no problem."

"W-What?! But..." Amelia nervously interjected.

Evelyn chuckled at her remark. "Relax! This place is usually empty, remember?"

Staying silent for a moment, it looked as if Amelia was thinking deeply about Evelyn's words. "I guess," she finally agreed, her voice wavering slightly.

With that, they both started walking toward the curtained doorway. They exited the room and began strolling down the hallway we entered from. Their murmuring voices faded as they continued, engaged in conversation. That was until a shocked scream could be heard echoing throughout the entire establishment. The sounds of a frightened patron were followed by a chorus of apologies from Amelia. Evelyn could be heard apologizing for her nudity as well.

Despite the distant chaos, I couldn't help but chuckle.

Felicity, noticing my amusement, pulled me closer to her wet body. "Hey, Lawrence," she said, her hand gently resting on my head.

I glanced up at her. "Yeah?"

"I really hope this works out for you," she replied, her fingers gently massaging my scalp.

"Me too," I murmured, appreciating the comforting touch. Leaning my head on the fox's shoulder, I find my eyes closing as the near-hypnotic motion of her fingers continues.

We sat in the peace for a moment, simply enjoying each other's company. The warm water enveloped us like a blanket, and the sounds of the distant chaos faded into the background. It was a moment of tranquility, and I found solace in the simple act of being present with someone. The rhythmic motion of her fingers against my scalp along with the rise and fall of her chest was soothing, grounding me in the here and now.

"Hey, Felicity," I say, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" I hear her respond.

I exhale, pushing my head a little further into her shoulder. "It's nice seeing you be more open."

The fox stopped her massaging and removed her hand from my head. "You're ruining the moment," she says lightheartedly.

Opening my eyes, I glance up at her. "Am I really?"

She chuckled softly and rested her chin on the top of my head. "No. No, you're not."