FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The two lay at the very center of the yard, strings in-hand. Somewhat of an odd picture, Leo had to admit, but fortunately the only person around to tease him about it would be his mom. The traps were set around them in the distance, covered by scraps of foliage and branches the two of them rooted up.

“You know, we’ve been starting on a lot of shows ever since you hooked us up with that streaming stick thing. You ever watch the stuff on those? It’s wild what they have on there,” Leo’s dad said in a hushed tone.

“Nah, I don’t really watch TV,” Leo whispered. “I figure most of it is things I’ve seen before but worse.”

“Yeah, I know that much, but I figured since you got it for us, you used it, too. I’m supposed to feel like the old one, here.”

“Well, calling me up at ten in the evening to ask me how to download a YouTube video definitely qualifies as old.” He patted his father’s arm. “You know I’d rather do something physical.”

“It was a really cute video of a talking goat, how could I not ask? Anyways, how’s that lure collection going?”

“It’s been… slow. Had to put a hold on it. Shifting work, also wanted to get my yard in order.” Not exactly work, though one could say dealing with Missy was its own occupation. Leo didn’t want to bring her up. Not now, anyways.

“I’m sure your mom would love to work on that with you.” He held up a hand to present the yard. “Killer work, huh?”

That was an oddly simple attempt. “I’m sure she would. Let’s keep it to sharing tools, though.”

His father chuckled and sighed. “Your mom just likes to know where her son is at. Heck, there was a time where I thought it was crazy that you weren’t down the hall. Couldn’t pop my head in and ask how you were feeling.”

“I miss that, too, sometimes. Don’t think for a moment that I hated it.”

“I know. Everyone’s got to get their own life at some point. Sometimes, though, I’d like to know what’s going on with you.”

“You’ll have to deal with phone calls and visits.”

His father opened his mouth then pursed his lips and nodded. Silence fell on them, with only hissing insects and rustling leaves to fill the air. Awkward yet somehow serene. Leo steadied his breathing and listened closely for the perpetrator. Buzzing, distant chirps, whistling grass. Groundhog wasn’t here yet. The ground was undisturbed. It was then that his father was looking to him with another wide smile.

“Working hard?” his father asked.

“Hardly working. This is the fun part, remember?”

“The fun part would be…” His father held an invisible rifle and shut one eye. “Pow! Shooting that sucker at a hundred yards.”

“We’re barely pushing ten yards here.”

“Ten yards is good, too. Won’t hurt to add another zero when telling friends.”

“I think I’d prefer hunting deer in this made up story. Or buffalo? Bison,” Leo replied.

“Ah, see, but backyard vermin are way smaller. Target that size is way more impressive to hit at a hundred yards.”

“I guess, but then that’d mean we were sitting a hundred yards in someone else’s backyard.”

“Hey now, rude to pick apart a hunting story like that. True friends wouldn’t do that. I don’t ask you to pull out the ruler every time you talk about your catches at the lake.”

“Hard to do that over the phone.”

“I’ve figured out texting and image sending, no excuses anymore.”

“Alright, but that means you have to actually send pictures the next time you start work on a gazebo. Weirdly absent in the yard, by the way.”

“I’m working on it. It’s all up in here,” his father said, tapping on his head.

A rustling of grass caught Leo’s ear. He snapped to look at a spot not far from the yard, but still obscured by foliage. Leo pointed at the target.

“Over there.”

“You hear ‘em every time. I don’t know how,” his dad whispered.

Leo shrugged and continued staring. He caught flashes of the animal as it moved before it completely disappeared back into the greenery. Was it black? Melanistic, then. It was about 10 o’clock from his position, between two traps. It would be a matter of listening now, and from the way his father gave him a knowing look, he knew it, too. Probably the words “your time to shine” were what his dad was thinking. Leo nodded and intently focused on the space where it was. It could’ve gone either way, and with the camouflage they had placed on the traps, it would’ve been hard to see which one it fell for.

The groundhog was careful with its steps. Leo could only just barely make out every hesitant movement forward. It sounded like it was going to the trap directly in front of them at 12 o’clock. Leo turned his head to get a better listen. The smallest sound of nails on wood. One hesitant step. Two. Three. Four. A few more. It had to have been in there all the way by now. Leo yanked the string, causing a loud slam of wood. Birds immediately fled from nearby trees in a panic. The trap immediately started shaking violently.

Leo’s father got up off the ground. “Alright! Good work, son!” He dusted his hands off and marched over to the trap, picking it up carefully. He kept a tight grip on the shaky thing. The groundhog was having a hell of a time in there.

“You never fail to amaze,” Leo’s dad said. “How did you hear that?”

“I learned from the best, is all. Just like I’m sure you did.”

His father furrowed his brow and smirked. “Some things can’t be taught.”

“That has air holes in it, right?” Leo asked.

“Well, sure, but I figured that wasn’t your concern.”

Leo looked back to the kitchen. “I’m guessing we should ask Mom what to do with it.”

Just then, his mother came out of the kitchen wearing a happy yet troubled expression. Probably the best Leo could ask for.

“Came to bask in the glory of an amazing hunt?” his father asked.

“Ehm, yeah, something like that,” she replied. “So the guy in there is the perp? No others?”

“We didn’t see any others, but we’ll interrogate him for accomplices.”

“Whatever you do, just make it quick.”

Leo nodded. “We could even make sure more don’t come. If we use a bit of its blood and put it around the yard, that should ward off others.”

His parents glanced to him, a spark of worry in their expressions. Maybe that was too far.

“I mean, we don’t have to,” he said, “but it would make sure this doesn’t happen again.” He added a shrug to play some of it off.

“If that’s what you think is best,” she replied.

“We’ll work out the specifics,” his father said with a nod.

_

“You have a CO2 bucket for this?” Leo asked.

“I had it prepared from day one, the moment your mom started complaining about it,” his father said.

The two of them were back in the garage. The trap was nearby, with their catch still inside. In front of them, a plastic bucket with a nozzle and rubber hose attached to the top of its cover. One would simply screw in a CO2 canister and let the catch quietly go to sleep. Far nicer than what his father originally had in mind.

“Say,” Leo started, “since this guy can cause some structural damage, maybe we should get the Homeowner’s Association in on this?” He smiled.

His father shook his head, failing to hide his own grin. “Don’t you even start with that.” He chuckled. “Alright, the critter should be tired out from all the scrambling. Open ‘er up and shut it closed as soon as you can.”

Leo nodded and opened the bucket, kneeling next to it.

“On three. One, two, three.” His father dumped the marmot inside.

The creature fell in head first, making its panicked movements all the more frivolous. Leo shut the lid firmly and immediately fastened the CO2. The gas filtered in. His father scooped out the battered and half-eaten tomato, tossing it out of the garage and onto the grass.

A few minutes passed. The struggling inside the bucket came to a stop.

“Better make it a bit longer,” his dad said.

Leo nodded. It would’ve been cruel to not make sure this was done properly. He counted by every minute, stopping at ten.

“Should be good,” Leo said, unveiling the bucket. Their catch lay peacefully inside, unmoving. He relaxed. The critter was indeed a dark black, rather than a regular brown. “You got a knife?”

“I mean, I do, sure, but I thought you were joking about the blood thing.”

“No.”

“Allll right.”

“A rag you’re fine with bloodying would be good, too.”

His father supplied him with the tools. Leo nodded and made a careful incision on its body, allowing a trickle of blood to flow freely. That should do the trick.

_

After finding the original burrow and marking it with blood, Leo wiped down a few other parts of the yard with the repellent. He made sure all of the spots faced away from the kitchen and the yard. It was the least he could do for his mother. Once that was done, the groundhog was as neatly buried as it could be, on the very edge of the property. His father insisted putting it in someone else’s yard, but Leo fortunately managed to veto that idea.

More of the day was dedicated to some more catch-up, tidying up, and generally helping around the house. Of course, they placed the turkey back into the freezer. Its appearance earlier was just a tease, a funny family tradition that spanned back a ways when they would all accuse one another of having an early bite. Leo planned out some of the dinner with his mother afterward. Some of it was a surprise, but what he could help on, he gladly added to.

Leo checked on his old room, which was now a blank guest room. There were a few features of its past, like the aged CRT that sat on a wardrobe, but otherwise it scrubbed of his childhood. That was his doing, and his parents smoothed out the rest. It still had a nostalgic smell to it, however, in its aged carpet and familiar wood.

A glance back out at the living room vaguely reminded him of his own house. He did say he would check in with Missy when he got here. Excitement got the better of him, he supposed. He gave the excuse of a business call to his mother, which she gave a raise of the brow to and nodded, then he retreated to his car and pulled out his phone. Missy would have the computer on for sure, right?

_

Missy stared at the computer screen. An Internet browser had been filled to the brim with tabs that ranged anywhere from “cool dress” to “manticore plushie pattern”. An overturned box and scattered fabrics sat nearby, with Selene judging her harshly for it from her spot atop the PC case. Missy clicked back to a YouTube video.

“Have you decided yet?” Selene asked.

Missy stood up and walked behind her chair, settling her hands on its back and swaying her hips from side to side.

“Is that a yes?”

“No!” Missy said. “I’m bored!”

“You could at least clean up the mess you made.”

“Messes keep creative people thinking.”

“I think that’s something lazy people say.”

“Got any proof? No? Then it’s a science experiment. Let’s see how it works.”

“Results are not promising,” Selene replied.

“C’mooooon, stop bugging me, I’ll do something.” Her swaying increased.

“You look like you want to go running.”

“No, I… I dunno what I wanna do. I mean, no, I want to do this, it’s just hard.”

“Do you need to turn on the TV again?”

“No! No TV. I’m not a TV slave.”

“Maybe that role of master shifted to something else.”

“Yeah, OK, I need the background noise.”

The background noise of a man running through a game as fast as possible with commentary. Why did she even watch this crap? Because the Internet recommendation machine told her to, that’s why. Missy huffed and sat back down. She wasn’t gonna do this, she was gonna be a real productive person. When was she gonna get this opportunity again? Whole house to herself! No judgment from some kinda robot who didn’t even get off.

Then again, that sexless robot managed to whip himself into line with ease. Not once had Leo ever put off anything to tomorrow that he could’ve done that very day. Or at least, her scattered brain couldn’t picture any at the moment. Yeah, he had some sort of super skill to do whatever he wanted without fail. Now, Missy had the very same opportunity, and yet, she couldn’t grab it.

“How the hell does he do it?” Missy asked herself.

“Dedication?” Selene responded.

“I was asking me, myself, and I.”

“So what’s your answer, then?”

“I dunno, drugs? Pill popping.”

“That’s not his style.”

“Yeah, honestly. Surprised he didn’t give me the D.A.R.E. spiel himself.” She tapped on the table and propped her head up on her hand. “I just don’t know what I wanna make.”

“What about a friend? Don’t you think I could use a partner? I’m a gift from Leo, so perhaps you could make one to compliment me. Two gifts from two people.”

“Yeah, but what kind?” Missy flicked over several tabs. Tutorials for basic plush creation, and some for more specific animals. “It’s gotta be good.”

“It’s not like you get only one chance.”

Missy shook her leg. “I just don’t wanna get halfway through it and go ‘Oh, yeah, this is shit.’ “

“Language.”

Missy sighed and deflated onto the desk, letting her head rest on it. Leo was like, the epitome of getting crap done. How come she couldn’t be that? What the hell did she have to do in her life? Nothing. Literally all the free time in the whole goddamn world, and she couldn’t bring herself to do a single cool thing. The guy had a job and a million hobbies. Her old, loser friends would always complain about how awful their jobs were and how they never had enough time to do anything.

“How come he gets to do everything so perfectly? He really is a robot. He knows everything,” Missy said. “Some kinda office worker demon. Traded his soul for infinite knowledge.” Hell was probably full of office workers. And lawyers. He’d fit in perfectly.

“He had to learn, too. You remember how he was when he was younger.”

“Yeah. Almost like he’s a new person.”

Leo did have to stop and learn at some point. If anything, him having a focused mind and limited time made him all the more zeroed in on a goal. When you had all the time in the world, what did it matter if you pissed it all away on watching TV and eating pretzels?

Of course he had to learn, he was such a wimpy boy back then.

“I miss when he would do whatever I said. I’d go up to him and say whatever I want, and he would nod. Like going into the forest or looking under houses.” Missy tapped on the keyboard. “It was super cute. In a really sad way. Wimpy, ya know?”

“And now he isn’t.”

“Psh, yeah.” It was the reverse now. Not that she would admit it to her stuffed toy. “He wouldn’t even blink if you pointed a gun at him. Not back then. I could raise my arms and he’d freak.” Missy smiled.

“The others said no, didn’t they? The other children. They wouldn’t always go with you. Leo did. That’s very brave.”

“I mean, I guess, but he really did it because he was scared of me.”

“More scared of you than those other things?”

“So I’m really the reason why he’s brave.”

“Not everything positive in his life is from you.”

Missy furrowed her brow and shook her head. “I’m the only person who did that. Everyone else treated him like a baby. Heck, I’m probably why he’s so good at feeling things.”

“You can’t be sure of that.”

“I’m 100% sure. People aren’t born like that. What’d he get it from, his parents? No way. Noticing things, hearing them, seeing the unseen. That was all me.”

“If true, you may have done it a little too well. He probably notices more than you do, now. Think of how stark the difference is between him as a child and now. He might grow into something else, given enough time.”

“Something like me?”

“Maybe worse.”

Missy thought back to the stashed away report, then shook her head.

“Look, I’m just saying that if it weren’t for me, he would be way worse off.”

“Like he is for you.”

“Mmmmyeah, whatever.”

Missy clicked back to another tab, video still running in the background. What about a frog? The limbs could be simple dangly bits, and the whole body an orb. Easy. She could not possibly screw that up. Missy stared at the screen a little longer. Maybe there was a good pattern for that…? She shut off the video.

“Alright! I’m gonna do it!”

“Truly?”

“Don’t say that. Have some faith in me.”

“Then you can do it.”

Missy stumbled over to the box behind her and dug through the fabrics. She had added some of her previously purchased materials in, making a nice mess of colors and textures. Purple frog? Red? Polka-dots? No polka-dots, too hard. Maybe an inverse of Selene’s colors. Black stomach with white skin? Hm.

“You’ll be able to do it any moment now,” Selene said.

“Don’t rush me. Art isn’t a science.”

Missy plucked out her fabrics, the needle, threads, stuffing, and her patience from the box. Maybe not that last one. Some other miscellaneous tools came with. All of her objects were set out on the table, and she began her work. Selene continued to judge from the computer tower. That whale would be proven wrong.

A belly piece came together. Easy. Missy settled on a lighter black for the stomach. She cut a circle and held it up to the light. Good. No, it was great. Yeah. Just ignore that spot where you failed to get a good cut. It’s fine. Next came another part of the torso, where the belly would sew onto. Then another piece would join the back. Or, maybe it should’ve been a whole round piece for the stomach to go into place on. How would that even work? Missy looked to Selene. How the heck did they make her like that? Her black and white halves were clearly two separate fabrics, so how did they form it into the shape of a whole whale?

If Missy wanted to do that, it’d be a whole hell of a lot more waiting and watching and staring and thinking and… Missy sighed and just decided to go with two halves. Two halves that didn’t seem to fit right, no matter how badly she wanted them to. No, no, she should have cut them from the same piece. Moron. God, now she would have to use a different sheet and toss the last two. She grabbed another set of fabric, her claw accidentally poking right through and tearing it a little.

“Fuck off!”

“It’s fine,” Selene said.

Missy flung the thing, only sending it gently fluttering to the floor. She stood up and kicked the box, scattering the contents on the ground all over again in a gore of colors. Another huff and then she kicked those, too, sending more of it everywhere.

“This is so stupid. It’s going to take ten hours to do this shit now.”

“Easy now.”

“This isn’t easy!”

“You had better clean up.”

“I had better? Or what? The clown vomit is fine.”

“Or Leo might get upset. Treating gifts like that is very rude. Very, very rude. That is a waste.”

The name caused Missy to stop in her tracks. Her head swiveled toward the door. If he came home right now, that would be deadly. Missy frowned. Right, she should clean this up. But, no, it wouldn’t be that bad.

“Leo wouldn’t do that,” she whispered. “He would be annoyed, and-- and-- and-- say I should clean it up. That’s it.” Missy took a few breaths and crawled over to the box to start cleaning up.

Suddenly, the computer started ringing. Missy scrambled to the seat, tripping over herself and the box and all the fabrics she had in the process. She plopped down and shakily grabbed the mouse. Leo was calling. Oh, God. Oh, no.

“Deep breaths,” Selene said.

Missy whined and nodded. This was fine. Great, even. He must’ve been checking in like he said! He hadn’t forgotten! Missy clicked the green button.

“Missy?” Leo said.

A gentle warmth washed over Missy. The frantic beat of her heart turned to a delighted flutter, while strained muscles worked themselves into giddiness.

“Hi, Leo,” Missy replied. “Did you make it home yet? Or stop for gas?”

“Yeah, I made it to my parent’s place. Spoke to family. Sorry it’s so late.”

Late? It was late? Missy looked to the corner of the screen. Oh, yeah, 7 P.M. was late.

“No problem, no problem. I’ll bet you had to do all sortsa things with your parents. Kill a few things, bake cookies, that kinda thing.”

“Spying on me, too, huh?”

“Just a good guess! I know your parents. I bet they never changed a bit.”

“Here and there, they have, but yeah, not much from when we were kids.”

“It’s the best way things can be.”

“Not always, but anyways, how are you doing at home? Everything going OK?”

“Kinda boring, I guess, but I’m hanging on.”

“Really? Thought you would be less bored without me around.”

“I mean, just ‘cause you do some weird things doesn’t mean I don’t want you around to poke at.”

“Poke at sounds about right. Didn’t go through all your food yet, did you?”

In fact, she had barely touched it. The realization hit Missy’s gut with a deep emptiness.

“Nope, rations are all stocked up, sir.”

“Good.” There was a pause. “Though, make sure you’re actually eating, too, alright?”

“Hey, I don’t need instructions on how to eat. Got that down easy.”

“Just making sure. Don’t want that food going bad, either.”

“I’ll savor every last bite.”

“Good. You been up to much?”

Missy held her breath for a second. Everything else was going on. Not that he needed to know that. Keep it quiet.

“Nope! Just some movies, some games. The usual. Nothing really interesting.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure out something. You always do. If that’s all, I’ll be hanging up now, alright?”

“Yup! That’s all!” she said. Though, that wasn’t all. He couldn’t go, not yet. There had to be something else to say, but her dumb mouth already acted. Slammed every syllable in the chamber and fired away.

“Goodbye. Keep safe, Missy. See you in a few days,” Leo said.

There was her name. A fresh delight.

“Bye bye, Leo,” Missy said.

The line dropped, yanking her back into the surprisingly quiet present.

“Love you,” she said. Missy ruffled her hair. “Fucking idiot, why would you say that?”

“Because you mean it,” Selene said.

“So weird. So creepy. Who the hell says that except stalkers? I probably sounded exactly like one, all huffy and gross.”

“You weren’t huffing.”

“I bet he wants to come home even less now. God, imagine how weirded out he must be.”

“I think Leo has more than gotten used to your quirks.”

“Quirks. I’m so quirky.” Missy wobbled her head and widened her eyes. “Such a quirky girl! He hates quirky girls.” She sighed, frowning.

“I didn’t mean it negatively.”

“Yeah, well, he takes everything negatively.”

Missy stood up. It was nice to hear him again, though. The way the phone sounded, he must’ve been somewhere enclosed, private, just to talk to her. Leo wanted all of his focus on her. Missy’s frown swung around as a bubbly giggle worked through her. Maybe that’s why it took him so long, he wanted that time to be special. No doubt his parents would drag him back, so he had to be quick.

“Are you going back to work?” Selene asked.

“Well duh. I gotta present something special! If he comes back and I’m empty handed, what am I supposed to say?”

“That you were playing video games and watching movies, like you said?”

“White lies. A white whale should know that.”