FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“Where’s she gone?” Monica asked.

Leo glanced back. Nothing. “Missy?” he called out.

Out came that Egyptian beast, wolfing down a candybar. “Yeah, yeah, I was just…” She tossed the wrapper into her room and then froze, wide-eyed.

“Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John! Goodness me!” Monica moved on through the door, passing by Leo. “Look at that!”

Missy was stuck for a moment, as if processing the situation. She could only stare. “Hello!” she said, throwing up her arms. Monica opened her mouth to respond. “No, no, wait, let me guess, you must be Monica!” A good start. Leo sighed, letting some of the tension unwind from his bones.

“Sure am Monica, sweetheart.” The older woman pulled Missy into a bear hug, who could only feebly hug back. “Gosh, Leo never mentioned you, Missy, and wow, that costume it’s just… Wow!” She chuckled. “I know I’m an old lady, so you just humor me for a second, now just what are you supposed to be?”

“Oh, you know. Kind of a mix of Cleopatra and Anubis. Just a generally Egypian-y motif. Animal heads and all that. You know how it is with Egypt.”

“I sure do.” She turned her head toward the door. “Henry! When was it we went to Egypt?”

“Last year, dear!” a voice called back.

“Last year was Greece, wasn’t it?”

“No! Greece was two years ago!”

“OK, thanks!” She turned back to Missy. “Me and the husband went there last year and went on one of those little camel rides.” She laughed. “Absolutely loved it. You’d think it’d be a pain in the caboose but it’s a hoot. You really got the look down.”

“Thanks! Me and Leo spent a lotta time on it. Months of work just to look this good.”

“Yeah, well, just like the toiling Egyptian slaves, I was honored to work on it,” Leo said.

“Phew, spare me the details, hah. I already have to watch Henry’s car videos on YouTube. All that stuff goes right over my head. I’ll just pretend it’s magic if that’s A-OK with you.”

“You know, I think magic is a good way of looking at it,” Missy replied. “I am pretty magical.” She nodded.

“And you, Leo?” Monica said, turning to him. “Don’tcha think she’s a magical girl?”

Leo had briefly forgotten he was even there at all. “Well, yeah, of course she is. Wouldn’t be with her if she wasn’t, would I?” Missy smiled at that. Maybe a little too hard. “But magic has its witches.” The Egyptian monstress turned her head.

“That’s what this world needs more of. More young’uns in love,” Monica said.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t give her too big of a head now. The costume barely fits as it is,” Leo replied.

Monica laughed and Missy pouted.

In walked in a bigger fellow, similarly greyed but not lacking in the muscle or fat department. That was Henry for sure. “’Noon, folks!” He paused and whistled. “Damn, that is definitely a good getup. Almost got my shotgun there.”

“Watch your language, Henry, be polite to the lady.” Monica returned to her husband’s side.

“Ooh, sorry, ma’am. Caught me off guard there,” Henry said. Missy nodded.

“Thanks again for volunteering the place, Leo. I was going to ask Henry here but he was stuck on one of his long car fixin’s and I knew he wouldn’t hear any of it.”

“It’s no problem. The idea was mostly Missy’s anyways,” Leo replied. He nodded over to the disguised monstress.

“She’s already whipping you into line. They sure do start early don’t they?” Henry said.

“Oh, hush.” Monica pawed at the air. “Don’t you mind Henry, he likes to tease.”

“Don’t worry, I’m exactly the same,” Missy replied. She walked over to Leo and draped an arm around him, nuzzling up against his cheek. “It’s how we get along so well!”

The other couple chuckled and mimicked the same position. Leo gave a half-hearted smile. Tonight was going to be a really, really long night.

“So, how’s about you and I set up the stuff outside, Leo? The little missies can get acquainted,” Henry said.

Leo looked to Missy and back at Monica. It was a simple request but it felt so much more daunting. Missy herself didn’t bat an eye, merely patting Leo on the back, urging him on.

“Alright, sure. You brought some folding chairs?” Leo asked.

“Suuuuure did. It’s the least I could offer aside from a few cases a beer, but you know, this isn’t the kinda party for that.”

“No, of course not.” Leo walked out into the quiet of night, greeted by the cool air and the distant chirping of insects. It felt odd. Henry’s truck was parked nearby, ready to be unloaded. The man glanced back at the house, then headed toward the truck.

“Paul Bunyan is a good fit for you,” Henry said.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks. Easy to make, and most of the budget went to Missy’s costume anyways.”

“Yeah, I tell ya, I have not seen a piece of gear that fancy in all my years. Technology really is something nowadays, ain’t it?” He popped open the bed and began sliding out chairs and a cooler. “Must love her a lot to kajigger something like that. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“It was mostly her work anyways. College stuff.” Leo hefted up a folding chair and set it out near the entrance.

“They give out degrees for making monsters now? That really is something else.”

“You know, movie practical effects and whatnot. That’s what she wanted, so that’s what she got. Very impressive how far she went with it.”

“You’re telling me. I’m still not convinced she’s not real.” He chuckled. “So how’re you doing, huh?” Henry set out a chair.

“Fine. I get up, go to work, and come back home.”

“Must be nice having the Missy to come back home to, right? I wasn’t sure you’d ever get yourself a girl, being so distant like that.”

“I like to keep to myself is all.”

“I getcha, but it’s still good to remember other people exist. Lord knows I wouldn’t be out here without that. I think I’d drive myself nuts out here without someone else.”

“People seem to say that a lot. I think I’ve done fine, myself.”

“Sometimes you just need someone else to tell you your engine’s shot.”

Leo only nodded in response as he unloaded the rest of the truck and set up all the chairs. This little outside area would be perfect for pumpkin carving, which of course he managed to snag a few of and store away.

“Perfect,” Henry said with a clap. “Glad to see all these things I saved up over the years ain’t going to waste.”

“You’ve been saving folding chairs?”

“Hey, you need a new chair for every buddy who enters your drinking circle.”

“Makes sense.” Leo nodded.

“Now let’s head on in and make sure the little missies are getting along.” Henry lead the way and Leo followed in.

The little missies, as they were now known, were parked on the couch, chatting and laughing as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

“Did you know it take him a lot of begging to just watch a movie? Just one?” Missy said. “I swear if it weren’t for me he’d be stuck in that little room of his.”

“At least he doesn’t smell like motor oil when he finally yanks himself outta there,” Monica replied.

“Can’t leave ‘em alone for one second,” Henry said. “Not even a second.” He chuckled.

“Hey there, sweetheart!” Missy called out, waving at Leo. “We were just chatting.”

“Yeah, I know. I could hear you way out there.” Leo pointed back. “Easy before you cause the house to buckle.”

“Oh, you love my voice.” Missy turned to Monica. “That’s why we do karaoke all the time. He loves the stuff, just suuuper embarrassed about it.”

Monica gasped. “I would love to hear Leo sing!”

“Poor sucker,” Henry said.

“The karaoke is more of a one-sided thing. Missy singing her… whatever she picks. I just endure, for her sake.”

“Well, isn’t that sweet?” Monica said. “How come you don’t listen to me sing, Henry?”

“Every word of yours is a note, dear,” Henry said. He put on a wide smile.

“Mine too, right, Leo?” Missy asked.

“Right. Just that you can’t turn down the volume,” Leo replied.

“I’m taking that as a compliment anyways!”

“How many of those are you up to now?”

“Man, Leo, you’ve been married with her how many years?” Henry said with a chuckle.

“Forever, I think,” Leo replied.

“I wish,” Missy started, “but Leo is too scared to even be my fiancé.”

“Give him a little longer. I’m sure he’s already head over heels, he just needs that push,” Monica said. She tilted her head. “You know, you’ve got a pretty voice, but I’ve got no idea what you look like.”

Leo’s heart quickened just the slightest bit. “Sorry, that costume takes way too long to take off and put on. You’re just going to have to deal with the monster in front of you for now.”

“Ah, well, you gotta suffer for your art, isn’t that right? A very pretty monster, though.”

Missy looked at Leo with a smug smile. She was going to cling onto that compliment for a hell of a long time, he could tell.

“So you two didn’t come in costume?” Leo asked.

“I’m already me, how much better can it get?” Henry said.

“I just figured I’d look silly in anything I tried. I can just be a nice old lady for once, right?” Monica said.

Missy shook her head. “You’re not old, just, you know, experienced and wise.”

Monica placed a hand on Missy’s shoulder and looked to Leo. “Leo, you marry this young lady as soon as you can, you hear?”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Leo said.

_

It wasn’t long before the rest of the party-goers dribbled into the event. It was older folks at first, in a mix of costumes and civilian clothes. Some were obviously just there for other people than the whole Halloween aspect of things, but that was fine, in fact, it was somewhat comforting.

Missy and Leo made sure to stand by the front door and greet every newcomer. Leo, because it was polite, and Missy because she thought it was fun. With a few sparse mockings. Reactions to Missy ran from jaw dropping gawking to a simple ‘neat’. No one had freaked out just yet. The worry of that happening stuck to Leo’s thoughts.

Then came in the first kid, dressed up in some kind of spaceman thing? Leo snapped to Missy. Her eyes widened and her face contorted. Fear? Anger? “Oh. My. God.” She dropped to a crouching stance. Leo’s hand shot to her shoulder, ready to hold her back. “You are just the cutest thing!”

The child merely stared back, either in awe or complete fear. The parent they were stuck to looked to Leo.

“Ease up, Missy, you’re a little realistic,” Leo said. He gave her a gentle tug. “Evening, ma’am,” he said to the parent.

“I’m Missy! What’s your name?”

“Ch-Charles,” he meekly replied.

“Welcome to the party!” Missy turned to look at the kitchen and pointed. “Candy is back there. You go eat a lot, OK?”

He nodded back and eased to his parent’s leg.

“Sorry, he’s a little nervous,” the mother said. “C’mon honey.” They ambled into the house. Missy followed their exact movements, staring wide-eyed.

“Did you see him? He was so cute. Oh my gosh. I just wanted to– to– to just pick him up and hug him.”

“You sure he’s not going to lame-up the party?” Leo asked with a raised eyebrow.

Missy calmed herself and pouted. “Well, probably not.”

_

The party was in full swing in only about half an hour. Perhaps ‘full swing’ was a bit of an exaggeration, as it remained a fairly tame affair. Mostly chatting, watching, and eating. A calm little meeting of the community. Or as calm as Missy allowed it to be.

The monstress was in the thick of it, having attracted herself a little flock of older women cooing and questioning. They got over the excitement of her costume quick, instead indulging in the tiny bits of Missy’s faked life that she spewed out with wild enthusiasm.

Leo watched on, trying not to think about it every time the group would glance over at him and laugh, fawn, or just outright furrow their brow at him. He kept occupied by looking over everything and making sure nobody was outright glaring at Missy.

There was a wide array of costumes on display. Most of which were dated movie references nobody born in the last century would get, and the usual array of witches, frakensteins, zombies and whatnot. A few did go all out. One seemed to be a jester of sorts. Good thing there was an entertainer bigger than Missy at the party.

As Leo was beginning to settle into the alien environment properly, in walked a familiar but not so welcome face. One that homed in on him instantly with her huge rimmed glasses and plain face.

“Oh, look at you, you went with axe murderer. That’s cool. Are you missing the blood?” Ruth said. She had quickly wormed her way over to Leo’s spot in the kitchen.

“Good evening, Ruth,” Leo replied. “And I’m Paul Bunyan, for your information.”

“The big guy?” She scratched her head with a cat hand. “Aren’t you missing the blue cow?” Her outfit was, as to be expected, the most safe thing one could pick for Halloween. A black cat. Cat ears, long-sleeved black shirt and pants, some funny gloves, and a tail to go with. Oh, and a set of painted on whiskers and nose that helped to distract from her constant bored expression.

“Yeah, well, I asked Missy and she didn’t let me. So here I am.” He patted his blunt axe.

“Yeah, OK, I see.” Her eyes scanned the room. “Looks good. Your house, that is. The party is cool too. And Missy. That’s a funny name, don’t you think?”

“Is it?” Leo’s mind couldn’t even kick start into anything interesting.

“That’s what guys in movies from the 40’s say. The black and white ones. I wouldn’t name my kid that. Something normal. A Jessica or something. That’s a good name.”

“Would you like to go up to her and ask about her name? I’m sure she’d love it.”

Ruth blankly stared at the wolficus on the couch, who looked back and gave a big toothy grin. “Cool costume,” the woman simply said.

“We tried pretty hard on it.” Leo grabbed himself a bottle of water. “So it should hit the big leagues in terms of impressiveness.”

Ruth nodded and said nothing else, leaving them in an awkward silence.

Leo took a sip of water.

“Grape candy is in the bowl over there,” he said finally.

“OK, cool, guess I’ll have some. See you later.” She slid on over to the candy bowl and dragged some other poor soul into a conversation. Leo managed to relax but took a moment to observe her. Been there, done that. Had she a spark in her mind of a new thought, there might’ve been a hint of attraction. She was pretty, sure, in a plain way, but no rope to drag him in.

“Hey, it’s not polite to stare ya know,” Missy said.

Leo’s eyes snapped to her. “It’s not polite to sneak up on people either. Your gaggle of ghouls get bored?”

“Nuh uh, I just wanted to talk to other people. One of which should be my eventual fiance,” she said.

“I really hope I don’t have to fight off questions about a wedding. Especially not tonight.” Leo leaned over to look at the group, a few of them waved. “I think you’re putting our relationship on a bit of a speed cruise, don’t you think?”

“Are you kidding me? Some of these ladies got married when they were 18!”

“Now we’re practically time traveling. Just don’t go overboard.”

“I’m not gonna say you have amnesia or something.”

“What?”

“Overboard?”

Leo narrowed his eyes and turned his head.

“Oh, forget it,” Missy replied with a smile. As soon as she said that, one of the older ladies broke from the group and ambled on over to her. No costume. Oh well.

“Can I just say, you two are the cutest things?” the older lady said.

“Thank you, ma’am. We aim to please,” Leo said. Missy snuggled into his arm, wrapping her own arm around it.

“And to think you’re putting her through college at the same time you were dealing with losing a job. You’re one tough son of a gun.” She weakly punched his arm.

“Oh, she told you about that, did she?” Leo shot Missy a stare. “Missy might’ve been exaggerating a little, but thanks. It can be hard out here.”

“Oh, I know, I know. But look at you now. Soon to be wife.” Yup. “A whole community.” Uhuh. “An aspiring career.” Right. “You’ve got a bright future.”

Leo smiled. “It’s all about sacrifices, right? I got into a new job as quick as I could to help her with her studies. Oh, did she tell you about the waitress work she had to take up? She was pretty hard at work too. Which was it? The kids pizzeria or, no, it might’ve been fastfood.” Missy poked a nail into his side. “That made her assignments difficult, though, so I had to step it up and get something higher paying. Harder, but worth it. If it makes it easier for her, why wouldn’t I take it?”

“Still working hard in tough times.” The experienced woman sighed. “I wish my grandkids were even half of where you are now.” She shrugged. “What can you do, gotta love ‘em.”

“Sure do. Enjoy the party, ma’am.” With that, she shuffled away from the pair.

“Oh c’mon, a Chuck-E-Cheese?” Missy said with a groan.

“I always had you pegged as a child at heart.”

“I’m not a child, OK?”

“Then put on the brakes. I know you want to have your fun but you need to stick to what we discussed. If you keep this up you might have a history working at a McDonald’s next.”

“That’s not worse than a Chuck-E-Cheese ya know, but yeah, I get it.” She shrugged. “But it’s just so fun! It all starts coming out when I get talking.”

“Relax. Not everyone needs to hear your life story. Enjoy the moment because who knows when you’ll get to enjoy it again, OK?” Leo smiled.

“Sure thing, my liege.” Missy bowed her head solemnly for a moment, then snapped back to attention. “No, wait, I mean, yes, my Pharaoh.” She repeated the bow. Leo looked up and shook his head. Missy then slipped away from him, back into the party.

“Good luck,” Leo said after her. Though the guests might need more luck than her.

Not wanting to be the all-seeing chaperone forever, Leo looked about the room for a more familiar and fitting group he could sneak into. A little farther past the couch, sitting on more folding chairs was a group of men chatting and sipping away. Perfect.

Leo worked his way over there, dodging a few monsters in the process. The group turned to him, waving and greeting. “Hey, Leo,” a few of them said. He could hardly put a name to most of them, but he was at least somewhat familiar with them. They knew him, so that was good enough.

Leo pulled up a chair and sat down. “Hope you’re all enjoying yourselves.”

“Couldn’t be happier,” one of them said.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve been wanting to see this place for a while. Anyone else need directions here?” another replied.

“Nah, who didn’t see the construction way out here? Still, surprised this plot counts as part of the county,” one man said, in-between swigs of a drink.

Henry was in the little circle as well. “Welcome to our little club, bud.” He gave Leo a firm pat on the back, enough to knock a shred of wind out of him.

“Glad to be here,” Leo said.

“You’re missing the blood, aren’t you?” one guy said. Leo seemed to recall his name was probably Tom.

“Paul Bunyan, not a murderer.”

“Ohhh. I see now.” The guy nodded. “Probably should’ve went with a fake beard.”

Leo rubbed his jaw. “Maybe you’re right.”

“And the cow.”

“Right, well, I asked Missy but she didn’t like the idea for whatever reason.”

The man smiled as he took another swig, leaning forward. “Easy, man, I’m drinking here.” He snapped his fingers “Almost forgot, I brought that torque wrench you lent me…” The man stopped dead and stared up at the ceiling, as if the date would be found there. He whistled and snapped back to Leo. “Dunno, must’ve been a year ago now.”

“Oh, c’mon, Tom, it’s fine. It’s a spare. I’m not going to need it back any time soon.” Leo waved it away and shrugged. “It’s all good.” Admittedly, Leo wasn’t actually sure when he lent that, or why. Must’ve been an emergency to hand out a torque wrench like that of all things. Should probably work on remembering that.

“Can you believe this guy? Proper priest over here.” Tom laughed. “Look, I gotta give it back anyways because it’s gonna kill me otherwise. Plus, what’s gonna happen when you need that right one for the job? You’re gonna look like a joke in front of the missus.” Leo almost wished Missy would have an ounce of care.

Another, younger man spoke up, “He’s in his 20’s now, don’t need to be giving him life advice.” He nodded. “So what have you been up to, anyways, Leo?”

“Doing a lot of house improvement stuff,” Leo said. “Ever since the miss moved in, I’ve been busy fixing it up for her. Rearranging, doing some projects. Essentially killed two birds with one stone.” It was almost worrisome how quickly that pet name slid off his tongue. “Given me a lot to do and shook up my schedule quite a bit. Heck, we even built that computer right over there.” He pointed off at the thing. “A good change of pace from working on that insane costume of hers.”

“Hard work is good work,” one of them said. All the men raised their bottles in agreement. Some water, some root beer.

“It’s good to see you doing well,” one of them said. “You know bigfoot? Kinda like that. Just get glimpses of ya here and there, and nobody’ll believe me.” He opened and closed his hands left and right. “Hope you’re not just killing yourself with work.”

Tom laughed and said, “Easy now. He wouldn’t even be sitting here if the work was doing him in.” He raised his eyebrows. “But hey, I guess you could be a ghost. Anyone check for a pulse?”

“Are you kidding me? I’m way too busy to make time to just drop dead,” Leo said.

“You still a college boy? I know some of that stuff can get real rough. You got my sympathy if ya are,” Henry said.

“Nah, I’m done with all that business.” Thank God for that. Leo took a sip of his cup of water before realizing everyone was looking at him, clearly expecting some kind of continuation. Understandable. Having a resident stranger was probably a little odd. Leo put on another smile. “Where do I start?”

“Beginning couldn’t hurt,” Tom said.

“Yeah, way back when. I remember seeing you a lot more round then. With the Kimbles. Related?” Henry said.

“No, no, no.” Leo shook his head. “They were great folks but they weren’t family. They did treat me like one of their own, though.” He looked into his cup for a moment. A nice couple. Grandparent-like, almost. Always willing to lend anything he needed and more even when he didn’t. Especially a warm meal. His eyes briefly glanced in Ruth’s direction. A shame that warmth didn’t really run in the family. “They basically sold me on buying the place.”

“I can see that, yeah,” one of them said with pursed lips. “Good folk.” Others in the group nodded, leaning forward in their seats.

Leo nodded right back. “I pretty much bought the house on the spot when I could. Got a nice deal on it since I bought it before completion.”

“Wait, what?” Tom asked.

“There was some issue with the contractors, I think. Some issues they brought up. Anyways, to make a long story short I basically got dibs and a better price if I bought it early. So I thought, ‘Hey, I’m an adult now, I can spend my own cash,’ and so I did. Figured with cheaper workers and my own bit of elbow grease would make the whole thing easy.”

A few people in the group huffed in amusement and disbelief. “This was your first home?” one man asked.

“He wanted to get it right. That’s admirable,” Henry said, giving another slap on the back.

Leo pointed at him. “Bingo.” That got a laugh out of everyone. “Hey, it’s not like it was anything crazy. People built their own homes way back in the day all the time, right? Just a fixer-upper.”

“You a country guy?”

“Can’t say I am.”

“You ever build anything with your hands like that? Tree house maybe with your old man?”

“I think my father built a shed for a neighbor, but I sure didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“And this guy says it’s just a ‘fixer-upper’.” Henry laughed with everyone else.

Leo held back his own laughter. “I’m serious! Yeah, I was inexperienced but we’ve got the Internet at our fingertips. Wasn’t too hard to learn. Not a professional or anything, but still, I got it done. I’ve even got the muscles to prove it.”

“Sure did get it done. Surprised you got it done at all, even with the help. Interesting stuff for a young guy buying his first home,” another guy said. His tone was slightly off, as if he wanted to pull more answers out of Leo but refused.

“We need more guys like him,” Henry said. “Look at that. Buyin’ a house, practically buildin’ it too, and already wrangled himself a wife. Fresh stuff for his generation.” Quite a few people in the group agreed, relieving Leo a fair bit.

“I’ve heard that before, just in far worse terms.” He hid his grin with his cup.

Tom said, “Yeah, we’ve got a dying breed here. Don’t get me wrong. I love my surround sound system and my security systems–“

“We’ve heard enough about your crap before, Tom,” one of the men said. That roused some laughter.

“Alright, alright, what I’m saying is we don’t get this kind of ruggedness from guys anymore, OK? No sense of hard work.”

Leo realized in that moment that, aside from Missy, he hadn’t a chance to really tell anyone about his achievements here, or anywhere, for that matter. He eased back into his seat a little more.

“It’s not like the hardest thing in the world,” Leo started, “just had to redo the floors, finalize the wiring, and redo the plumbing. I didn’t do everything, but it gave me enough to make me feel like this place is my own.” The young man paused. “Maybe I overdid it a little.”

“Now that’s an understatement,” Tom said.

“You mind coming over and redoing the garage?” someone else said.

“Or the gutters, phew,” another chimed in.

“Alright, we’ve had our fun. The young fella knows to visit us regular folk every now and again, right?” Henry chuckled.

“Yessir,” Leo replied.

“All that for one girl, huh?” He looked over at Missy, who was currently educating a small group on her special outfit. “Normally I’d tell ya if she was worth it, but she’s all covered up in that pretty Egyptian thing.”

“Not just for her,” Leo said with a smirk.

“You know I’m messing with ya. Had to get one more in. Impressive stuff fits her like a glove. Better hope she doesn’t start wearing it every day!”

“Fortunately she’s got to present it at college, so it can’t get too scuffed back at home.”

“So how’s that work, anyway?” one asked, nodding over to Missy. “The eyes are real spooky. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing, but…” He waved a hand over his face, bewildered.

“I certainly hope it is. Months work for that, you know.” Leo took a moment to prepare himself. “The head is like a really tight helmet.”

The man went into his list of made up steps he ripped from real life. Not too much, not too little. Just enough to pull in a few curious questions, but not to scrutinize every bit of his story. Some technical jargon here, a reference to Muppets there, and most people got the gist of the magical machination that was Missy.

“So she’s like a super make-up wizard. The best of the best?” a nearing forties man said. A woman, assumedly his wife, walked up behind him.

Leo laughed. “Hold on now, not just make-up. She might throw something at you if you just say make-up. Costume and prosthetics.” He leaned in. “But between you and me she’s not real good at the regular make-up stuff.”

“Look at that, dear, practical effects really are a thing still,” the wife said. “So you helped it move and kajigger and all that stuff? Half of it, right?”

“I wouldn’t say half. Missy told me what she needed and I did my best to follow through on it. I might’ve done the heavy lifting but I wouldn’t have gotten any of it done without her fancy touches and pushing. It’s still very much her work.”

“Aren’t you an office worker?” Tom asked.

“Internet domain management. Think of it like managing websites.”

“How’d you get to doing all that technical stuff then? That part of your major?”

“Actually my major is in–“

“I heard my busy bee might be giving away trade secrets,” a feminine voice said. Black, furry arms slid past his shoulders and long hands grabbed his. “He’s mine, by the way, so don’t anyone get any funny ideas.” Yep, that was Missy.

“Thanks for the reassurance, Missy,” Leo said. He patted her hand.

“I have been reassuring you since day one! I should really get a Leo t-shirt to seal the deal.”

Leo smiled and shook his head. “That’s not how I remember it. Took a while for you to ‘reassure’ me on anything.”

“How’d you two meet anyways?” Tom asked.

Leo opened his mouth, only for Missy to take the lead.

“Oh, we’re childhood friends! Yup! Met my Lion all the way back when we were kids,” Missy said. Her wrapped arms tightened on him, pulling him back. “He was so cute and shy, and we were quickly best buds.” She let out a sigh. “But he had to move away, and we didn’t see each other for a while.” Missy leaned forward. “But then.” Here we go. “We met each other at the Washington monument on a field trip.”

“Highschool stuff,” Leo said.

“Right, highschool. Completely different schools! Meeting together! In the same spot!” Missy waited for a few ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ then went right back to it. “So, then we got texting, messaging, sending pictures. Then came college.”

“College was pretty taxing. You could tell the time of day by how punctual her texts were.”

“Right, so, college,” Missy said. “I was thinking about all sorts of things. Mathematics, literature, maybe even history?” That might have been too fantastical. “But then it hit me! I was thinking, why not go into special effects?”

“What gave you that idea?” one of the group said.

“I love all those monster movies.” There were a few cups raised for that one. “What would be cooler than working on stuff like that? You know, only problem was that my parents weren’t that interested, saying I should get into something practical.” Missy rolled her eyes. “What’s more practical than practical effects?” she said with a laugh. Others followed her laugh. Leo only barely managed to pry his mouth into a smile.

“Only problem is, her suit isn’t entirely practical, but a lot of sweat and blood went into it, so I couldn’t be prouder,” Leo said. That got a few chuckles as well.

“And Leo helped all the way. Including the cash for college!”

“I’m sure everyone at the party knows, Missy.” He cleared his throat.

“I can’t help it.” Missy placed her head on his and rubbed her chin on him. “How could I not be so proud of you?” She thankfully pulled away after that little gesture.

“Didn’t seem too proud when I suggested you take up a job on your own.”

“Yeaaaah, but you took up a better job instead, so it all worked out.”

“The Internet domain stuff, right?” someone asked.

“Thee Internet domain stuff, yeah. Leo’s really in there. Good friends with the boss. Up, up, up the ziggurat!” Missy said. “Hey, how come you didn’t invite him to the party?” She patted Leo.

“I’m not sure I’d say good friends, but anyways, he doesn’t live in this area,” Leo replied.

“So what’re you doing after this college stuff? Leo’s got his job in the bag, so what about you? Any deals lined up?” Henry asked.

Missy blinked. “Not yet, but once I show this off, I’ll have a few executives eating out of my hand.” She winked. “Oh, and of course I’ll bring Leo along to help. He can be my little assistant!”

“Only if that little assistant gets a big paycheck,” Leo replied.

“Hey, now, you didn’t complain when we were six with your salary of Twinkies,” Missy said. “Does the paycheck need to be in kisses?” She leaned down and nudged her muzzle into his cheek. “Mwah, mwah, mwah. There’s your first week’s pay.”

“Keep it up and you might get a raise!” Henry said with a laugh, bringing everyone into a chuckle. Leo should have been at least annoyed, but he couldn’t help smiling as well.

The crowd lapsed into a quiet conversation thereafter, with occasional prodding questions directed toward the happy couple. Mostly benign. Cooking, cleaning, taste in cars, vermin in the area, usual stuff for them. Leo tried to leave his mark when he could, making sure he remained warmly in the circle.

Suddenly, Missy said, “Hope you all enjoy the party!” The crowd agreed, and she slunk away to annoy someone else.

“You can see how the whole costume has made her come out of her shell,” Leo said, cementing the costume story. “It’s great she can share this chipper side with all of you.” A little too much.

“She looks like she’s a whole different person, it’s probably real uplifting for her and all that,” Henry said.

Leo looked back to Missy, seeing her laugh and smile as she seamlessly smoothed over into another group of people. This was a once in a lifetime event for her. A smile tugged on his mouth. A genuine one. “The party wasn’t a bad idea,” he said softly. Leo turned back to the group and raised his voice. “Especially since I get to catch up with the whole community.” Wait, did he see a familiar face back there?

Leo looked into the crowd to find a lithe witch. A familiar witch. Mostly the face. It occurred to him then that he didn’t actually pay attention to what her hair looked like. A platinum blonde deal. Might as well introduce himself now before it got awkward.

“I’m gonna head back and refill,” Leo said to Henry. “You need anything?”

Henry shook his head and gave him a thumbs up. Good enough. Leo stood up and navigated his way over to that witch, only to be stopped by another mythical woman. “You saw Rapunzel over there, huh?” Missy said with a sly smile. “Why would you wanna deal with a toy store girl?”

“How do you know that?” Leo asked.

“Her perfume was on Selene.” Missy nodded. “And I asked her.”

“I just wanted to say hi.”

“Sure, sure. I don’t mind sharing but the other guests might think it was funny.”

“It’s just a hello?”

“No problem. Good luck, loverboy.” Missy winked.

Leo shook his head and moved onward while Missy watched from the sidelines.

“Evening,” Leo said. “Welcome to the party.”

The witch perked up from perusing the buffet and smiled. “I didn’t know you were here, Mr. Bunyan. Long time no see!” she said. Finally, someone got it.

“Actually, I’m hosting it, as it turns out.”

“Ohh, so that’s the famous Missy, huh?” she leaned over. What was her name? Linda, that was it. As Leo thought of the name, he pictured a cold smile coming from Vernon.

“That’s her. She loves the plush, by the way. The card was the cherry on top.”

“I try my best.” She smiled warmly. “Gosh, I never pictured you as the kinda guy to be out here.”

“Why’s that?”

“Most of the office folk commute, so I figured you just followed the herd.”

“Oh, no, believe me, I’ve been wedged in here for quite a while.”

“That’s really cool. My uncle, Vern, he won’t even budge from his high-rise. I keep telling him to move out here, but I guess looking out over some buildings is better than fresh air.”

“I’m familiar with the guy, he’s my boss,” Leo said.

Linda went wide-eyed then laughed. “That makes so much sense! I should’ve known!” She nodded. “Still, you’d think getting a taste of it out here, he’d at least think about it a little more.”

Leo shrugged and grabbed himself another bottle of water. “Vernon knows what he likes and sticks to it. I can respect that. I do the same.”

“You prefer living out here, then?”

“Absolutely. Friendly and far neighbors, no traffic, and no noise. What else could I ask for?” Leo chuckled. “To be a little more serious, I feel like I’ve got room to grow.”

“I know, I know.” Linda nodded along like a bobble head. “It’s just so… free out here. Being in with nature like this is to die for.” There was a pause. “So you work fast, huh?”

“Pardon?” Leo took a sip.

“Just, you know, back at the shop you said Missy was only a friend.”

Leo’s mind hitched for a moment. “Let’s just say the plush sealed the deal. Thanks again for that.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet!” Linda cooed. “That’s really cute.”

“Hey, careful with the C-word, might lose all of my masculinity on the spot.” Thank God that worked.

“Sorry, but really, that’s so cute.” Linda shook her head as she downed a bit of candy. “So what have you been up to?”

“I’ve been–“

“Excuuuuuse me,” Missy said, stumbling over to the table. Ruth was locked in arms with her. “Just came to get some fooooood.”

“Sorry,” Ruth said simply, blank faced.

“Uh, no problem,” Linda replied. She stepped aside for the odd couple to pierce the space between Leo and her.

Leo’s eyebrow twitched.

“Ohhh, have you guys gotten familiar with one another? That’s cool!” Missy said.

“Really cool,” Ruth said. She sneezed. “Do you guys have tissue? The soft stuff, with the gel. I prefer the gel. My nose is working up and I don’t want to leave a mess everywhere.”

Missy vigorously nodded her head. “I’ll get you some in a second, just relax.” She smiled at Leo and Linda. “Hey, Linda.”

“Yes?” Linda asked.

“Did you know Ruth takes care of blue-tongued skinks?” Missy said. Ruth sneezed again as the wolficus nudged her over to Linda.

“Uh, no, I didn’t,” the witch said, shaking her head.

Ruth’s eyes sparked with the only emotion they’ve probably felt in years. “Oh, cool. Have you heard about New Caledonian– Well, they’re not New Caledonian, but I really like comparing them with those.”

“Wow, that’s so interesting!” Missy said cheerily. The Egyptian woman pulled a tissue out of a cabinet and let it flutter down onto the table. She then tugged Leo away from Ruth and her victim. “No need to thank me.”

“Thank you? I don’t even know what happened.”

“I could tell you wanted out.” Missy shrugged with a smile.

Leo wasn’t even sure how to broach the issue. “Alright, if you say so.” He glanced at Ruth. “You really didn’t have to do that to her, though.” Poor girl. He’d have to apologize later.

“Sure I did. Ruth knows a lot about reptiles and snakes and all those scaly weirdo things. I was just making a perfect couple is all.” Missy shrugged. “Nature meet nature.”

“Should probably ease off of Ruth, she might be coming down with something.”

“Hey, man, you don’t have to tell me. Mission ‘Stay away from Ruth’ has been a success up until now. I just need to use my tools as I see fit.”

“Just keep in mind that your tools are people too, alright?”

“Yeah, alright.” Missy lamely nodded along. “I just saw a problem and acted. No hard feelings, really.”

“Right. Keep that in mind or I’ll make sure she explains to you what New Caledonian means in excruciating detail.”

Missy smiled. “You wouldn’t!”

“I’ll follow through on it.”

“And you be careful with Love and Peace over there.”

“No promises.”

“No need to turn this party into the next PETA parade.” Missy looked to her tool chattering away. “Didn’t you say her parents were cool? Where are they to hold her leash?”

Leo gently shook his head. “They passed away.”

Missy snapped back to him and opened her mouth for a moment. “Oh.”

“Get back to the party, alright?”

Missy nodded. “OK.”