FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Hey everyone,

I'm happy to present the new chapter, and this time it didn't take more than a month ! The characters are fictional , of course, but the one named place in this chapter is real, ask Gritou how the the ice cream was :-) I thank you my mate Gritou as always, for being my proof reader and editor and, most of all, for being there for me and supporting.

"..... So this is the piazza where the cardinal was drowned in Angels and Demons?"

Luca mentally sighed, cursing the damn book and his writer; luckily, he didn't write anything so wrong about Roma, surely the guides at the Louvre had a much harder time, explaining how fictionalized were the notions in those books.

"Yes, this the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, made by Gianlorenzo Bernini in 1641, depicting the four main rivers of the world. The fur holding a cloth over his head is-"

"Wow, so that's the fountain. Honey, take a picture of me near it" His otter client interrupted, moving near the basin of the fountain, maybe attracted by the water by her nature. His husband quickly took his camera, nodding his head toward Luca in an apology.

Luca followed the both of them, waiting for the couple to take the photos from a distance, as he had done several times during that day. Most of his clients were such nice people, listening to him and never interrupting, happy to learn more about the city and its history; still, there were a few among them which were troublesome, mostly because they wanted a guide only to get to the places they wanted to see without much problem, not wanting to listen to his explanations.

"......Ohhhhh, so it is here that professor Langdon tried to ....."

Yes, this day's client belonged to that category. The husband wasn't that bad, he was a very polite and soft-spoken otter, but his wife was a huge fan of Dan Brown's books, she wanted only to see the places shown in the book and nothing else, ignoring his attempts to provide some more information about the various landmarks. She was the opposite of Stanley, he did want to see some specific places, but also was willing to listen to the lupo.

"Mister Rienzi, can you take a photo of us?"

"Sure, Mrs. Cunningham" he answered, putting that fleeting thought about the foreign lynx in a corner of his mind, with all the others he had during the day. He had surpassed the worst phase, now he understood that he was wishing for something it wouldn't ever come true out of loneliness, and that he needed to stop having such thoughts about his past client.

"Say cheese!"

It was hard to do that, but now he was thinking less and less about the whole thing, he was sure in another couple of days it would disappear entirely. He had so much to think about other than a night stand, like guiding bothersome clients.

"Here the camera, sir. As I was saying, the fur over there symbolizes the Nile. Legend says that...."

"Yes yes, you Romans have legends about each rock in this city." Mrs. Cunningham intruded herself in the middle of the phrase, while her paws were busy in her bag, searching for something. "Gosh, you have a really wild imagination, like that legend about the two kids found by the feral female wolf, what's the name ..."

"The legend of Romulus and Remus, dear." Mr. Cunningham came to the rescue, providing the needed name.

"Yes, that one, they aren't that interesting, Mr. Rienzi. So, from my list of things to do" she continued, after finally fishing a diary out of her bag, "we have seen everything we wanted for today. The hotel is near, so we don't need your service anymore Mr. Rienzi. Good bye."

With that, she turned over her heels and began strolling across the piazza.

"I'm sorry for that Mr. Rienzi, here's something for the extra bothering. Good day!" Her husband made his farewell, handing him 100€ before going after the otter.

"Thank God, it's over now." Luca muttered, putting the money in his wallet and walking in the opposite direction of the couple. Now that they weren't his clients anymore he really didn't want to meet them again, he would have given the money back if the otter hadn't to catch up with his quickly walking away wife. They didn't know the basic courtesy, not like Stanley, he didn't give him any extra money.

_ _

"He only fucked you silly" he thought before he could stop himself, blush covering his cheeks. He exited the piazza and crossed the road, walking toward via del Corso, which made him pass between Palazzo Madama and San Luigi dei Francesi and fight all the lynx related thoughts. He barely succeeded in doing that, but he casted a glance on the side of the road and that sealed his doom.

Luca fixed his eyes on the door Giolitti, one of the best gelateria in the city. His frustration for the annoying day had already boosted his need to have something sweet to cheer him up, but the sight of Giolitti and the memory of how good its ice cream was sent him in a trance, with only a few words impressing in his mind.

"Yes sir?"

"A two Euros cone, please."

"Yes, here the receipt, give that to the guy at the ice cream station. Good evening!"

"Good evening to you!"

"What's for you sir?"

"A two Euros cone."

"Which flavors?"

"Melon and pineapple."

"Want some cream?"

"Yes, please".

"Here is your ice cream, good evening sir!"

"Good evening!"

He regained consciousness only after the first lick to his ice cream, loving the sweet cream on it and the two flavors, which were his favorites. He continued his journey back home, and he was crossing piazza Montecitorio when hi phone ringed. Cursing a bit, he fished it from his pocket and opened it with only hand.

"Pronto¹?"

"Hey Luca, where are you now?" The voice of a familiar rottie boomed in his ear.

"Hey Ale, I'm on my way home, almost at via del Corso."

"You sound tired, tough day in the world of guides?" he asked, a little concerned.

"Yeah" he answered between licks to the ice cream, "a very tiring otter couple. The wife was a Robert Langdon fan."

"Oh God, one of those! I bet you are having a gelato now to forget the experience" was the sympathetic response.

"Yeah, it helps me forget how they didn't want to know more about Roma" Luca added.

"Poor you, you really need some comfort food, what do you think if I make you my famous steaks tonight?"

"They will help my scars heal, thanks Ale!" Luca said, almost drooling. "I will be home in half an hour or so, see you there?"

"Okay, I'm going to do groceries now, see you then! Bye!"

"Bye" The lupo answered back, and then put the phone back. He was still half way to piazza del Popolo, just in front of the Gap store, which made him feel sad a little, it used to be a beautiful book and music store that, the rampant economy and the crisis had their victims. That almost ruined the last bite of gelato.

He was just thinking that when I saw a familiar feline figure just in front of, something that made his heart stop. He began to remember past times shared with him, those walks in the ruins of the ancient city, the discussion about art, the lovemaking under the covers of a bed ....

His mind frenetically tried to think a way to avoid such an encounter, not really wanting to meet the feline, but he was too late, the fur in question had just seen him and was waving to him. Sighing loudly, he quickly approached the big cat, cursing his very bad luck.

"Ciao Luca, it's been quite a while."

"Ciao Carlo, it has been something like a year." The lupo greeted his ex back. The tiger hadn't changed a bit, he was as tall and as wide as that memorable summer they got together, on that shore of Sicily. He was maybe a little wider actually, but that added to his general handsomeness.

"That much time?" he asked while the passer-by avoided the two furs standing in the middle of the road.

"Yes, it was at Bianca's wedding, we were both invited." The canine replied while stealthily adjusting his clothes.

"Oh, that's right, the wedding at Bracciano, she had surely spent a lot to book the castle." The other recalled with the professional certainty he unquestionably displayed with his clients.

"Yes, she did, and we talked about that during the celebrations."

An awkward silence descended on the both of them, neither knowing what to say next. It was always like that with the tiger, first the greetings, then the silence, brought by the memories of past times.

"Sooooo" Carlo finally began with some hesitation brought by being the first to break the silence "do you have time for a coffee now? Just to catch up in each other lives."

Luca pondered about that for a few seconds to answer in a negative manner, but that it would have been too impolite and the feline really hadn't done anything so far to earn such rude treatment. "Sure, can we take it in one of the bars near Piazza del Popolo? I have some time to spare, but then I have to come back home."

"Okay, lead the way." The stripped cat agreed. They continued the walk toward the lupo's original destination, rigidity showing a little in the guide's posture because of the unexpected meeting; it didn't take them that long find a bar and enter it, the conversation held apparently back until the caffeine would revive it. The lupo wanted to end this swiftly though.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well," Carlo explained, taking his wallet out of his pocket in preparation of the payment, "just passing the time, browsing the shops, the usual stuff you do here in Centro. I was thinking to buy something for my nephew."

The canine ears perked at the answer, he remembered the kid and how sweet he was. "How is he doing? He is in middle school now, isn't he?"

"Yes. Two coffees please." The feline gave his order, and handed the change to the cashier, not asking to the lupo if he wanted to pay for his. "He is in the second year, we are all very proud of him."

"Nice to know that. What about you?" Luca asked, while moving toward the counter. He waited a bit for Carlo to draw the attention of the waiter and to ask for their hot beverages.

"I'm doing pretty fine, with work and all, it is tiring but also very satisfying. I miss university a little," the tiger said with a nostalgic smile and his mind lost in those days of easy choices and fun "it was way easier back then, with the exams as the only worries. And you? Still with the professor?"

"Sure I am," the canine replied while adding some sugar to the newly arrived coffee, glad that he was doing just fine with the conversation so far. "I'm still his assistant, and we have a lot of work, with the lessons to prepare and all, and we have some restorations going on, it's always nice to give life to the ancient buildings."

"I recall that of you" the tiger said between sips of dark liquid, his tail moving leisurely behind him, "you always loved the ancient and the decrepit. I won't ever understand why you are so attached to that Professor."

"He is a really nice fur, Carlo, one that deserves respect." The lupine defended his mentor, with his tail rigid.

"I know, I know, but with your talent you could have been under the wing of a better known academician. But we are just talking" he hastily added seeing the glare coming from the lupine with flicking ears, "and I don't want to do that kind of conversation."

"Neither do I" The other growled his assent.

They finished their coffee and walked out of the crowded place in the direction of monumental gate that made one side of the piazza, getting near to Luca's destination.

"How are things at that guide agency, the Nephews of Mario?" The tiger asked, his tail looping and doing some twitching movements.

"It is Figli di Orazio, Carlo, and things are okay with them, they are giving me some extra work to do, earning money that I can save." Luca responded, wishing to be able to end this conversation soon and forcing some wagging into his tail to conceal his increasing annoyance.

"That's good, I think". The feline said, strangely with some sadness in his voice.

"It is, I had a couple of clients just today. Walked a lot but not spoken as much." The very memory of the day made his hackles stand a bit.

"I understand that." The big cat hesitated a bit before asking another question, one that the canine really prayed to not been done. "Are you seeing someone?"

Luca mustered all his ability and didn't make the hurt transpired from his muzzle, he commanded his ears to stay still and his tail to be not. It was a civil if somewhat distressful conversation, and, most of all, he didn't want to be seen as weak by his ex; sure, he wouldn't have had problems if this meeting had happened two weeks before, he had a resemble of peace back then and not many issues with being single. Unfortunately, the lynx incident had brought those issues in full force, shattering his relationship nirvana and making him increasingly depressed about his condition. He wasn't even sure that the night stand really had been worth it in the light of its long term effects.

"No, I'm not" he finally succeeded to utter, "I'm focused on other things, like work, I didn't have time lately to go out and hit the clubs. And you?"

"Well, I was seeing someone a while back, but it didn't work out and now I'm happily single." The tiger said, his tone, his ears and his tail betraying his true emotions.

"I'm sorry for that Carlo." Luca tried to comfort him, not actually hugging him or doing something physical, since he felt it wasn't appropriate.

The other seemed all but comforted, lowering his shoulders and showing his unhappiness in his very posture; that amazed the lupo, the tiger he knew wouldn't have been that depressed about something like that, he seemed in a worst condition than he himself was, with his rounds ears laid back channeling all his melancholy. "Come one Carlo, what's wrong? Here, let's seat there for a moment."

They made their way toward the obelisk, the main focus of the piazza, and seated on the stars that led to its pedestal, with the canine letting the other much near to him than usual, all in an attempt to make him calm down with a familiar presence at his side. Luca waited for the other to spit out what was troubling him, as his role as the listener demanded. It took more time than expected for the feline to finally start talking.

"I don't want to sound so pathetic to you....."

"Don't worry about that, we went through a lot in the past." The dog assured him.

His feline ears flickered a little for the interruption, but he didn't rebuke the comforting male for that. "I know that, you always helped me when I needed. It's just, I liked this guy so much, and I was beginning to think we could move to the next level. Then...." He swallowed a sob, trying not to break in tears.

"Then I discovered he was married."

"Oh god, no..." Luca sympathetically said, knowing, luckily not by first hand, how that kind of affairs could be harmful on all parties involved. He also put an arm on the tiger's shoulders, to add as much reassuring contact as possible. "What did you do once you discovered that?"

Carlo's answer was quick. "At first nothing, then I began to think about it. I confronted him and asked to come clean to me."

He laughed grimly. "He was full of apologies and of commiseration, actually asking me to help him and support him."

That made Luca flitch, he knew what happened next. "So you left him."

The other just nodded. The lupo didn't blame him for not being strong enough to handle such a situation, he knew all too well how Carlo reacted to some circumstances. "Look, I understand you, it was too much for you, and bearing such a weight could have destroyed you...."

"That's what I thought." The feline agreed. "It's been three months now, and it is starting to be hard to be alone."

That was typical of Carlo, not being able to be alone for too long, but the lupo didn't speak his mind, it wasn't the time nor the place. "Don't be so depressed, you'll find someone soon enough."

The big cat leaned more to the tall fur at his side. "I know that, it is what I am thinking during this whole conversation."

"Really? That's good."

"Yes, you know how the saying goes, morto un papa se ne fa un'altro². Maybe I found the new one today."

That made the wolf-dog suspicious. "What do you mean with that?"

"Seeing you again made me think of the time we spent together." The other explained. "How much we loved each other...."

At that Luca lifted his arm with a sudden move, like a snake had bitten him, and he quickly stood up, putting some distance between him and Carlo.

"You really can't mean you want to come back with me, do you?" The guide faced his opponent, his hackles spiking up.

"I didn't say that," the tiger shielded himself from the verbal attack, rising from his marble seat, "I just think we can try to have some date, see what will happen. We are both single and lonely..."

"That isn't going to happen, Carlo, and you know that!" The lupo growled and turned away from his ex, the space between them increasing with every and each furious step.

Translation:

1) General greeting used when you answer at the phone. Its literal meaning is "ready", but used this way is more like "Hello".

2) Once a pope is dead there will be another one. This is a Roman saying, showing how in a situation in which one person or opportunity is no longer available, one is likely to find another person or opportunity to take its place. It can also mean that no one is irreplaceable, a concept akin to "The King is dead, long live the King" I guess.