FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Oh, hey big bro. How was your run?"

Jake had been sitting on the couch flipping through channels when Mike stomped into their common room wearing nothing more than sneakers, shorts, a heavy sheen of sweat, and a scowl.

“Fine...The hell are you doing up, any way? You should still be in bed resting."

Jake decided to ignore that part of his brain that wanted, very strongly, to comply with his brother's thinly veiled command. The same as he was trying very hard to ignore another part of his brain and failing miserably. It was the same part that had awoken him from a sound sleep to find that both of his brothers and Jase were missing. Which almost caused him to panic, until he thought to trace their locations on his communicator.

“I have a date later so..."

Mike took a step closer and sniffed. “You're lying."

“Shit. That's not fair."

Mike narrowed his eyes.

Jake flinched. “Don't give that look, Mike. Its probably nothing."

“You wouldn't smell so agitated if it was nothing. What's bothering you?"

Jake sighed, the chances of his brother dropping this were non-existent so he relented, “Like I said it's probably nothing, but there is a lot of..." Jake paused, grasping at the air for the right word. “Unease...fear...something, coming from the general direction of the admin buildings."

“Enough for you to feel it from way the fuck over here?" Asked Mike slightly incredulous.

“Yeah. Its kinda what woke me up. I don't know what's got them in such a twist, but it can't be good."

...

Of all days to not look at the weather, Wes had chosen today. The temperature at the GA complex and been comfortably warm and summery. Grey-Gale City on the other hand was about 1700 kilometers further north, and roughly 30 degrees colder. A t-shirt and shorts had been a very bad idea.

“Lusaa, give me your hand," said Jase, looking down at the shivving male on the teleporter pad next to him. He certainly didn't mind having Wes plastered against his side, far from it, but it would make walking difficult.

“Why?" Asked Wesley as he offered his hand. He figured that Jase just wanted to hold his hand.

His boyfriend's large hand was warm, bordering on feverishly hot. His palm was rough and pliable. The scales on the back of it were hard and textured, yet smooth. Wesley's brain had only an instant to mull over these details, before another sensation took immediate priority. The surface of his entire body suddenly heating up. He jumped at the sudden sensation, then realized what was going on. An ability possessed by all Draconians, and most of their hybrid offspring, tactile thermal manipulation. A Draconian can raise or lower the temperature of objects they are in direct contact with.

“I keep forgetting you can do that. Thanks." he said looking up at Jase.

Jase gave him a toothy grin in response. “I can melt through a steel door if I want to, so helping my mate with a chill is easy."

“Uh, Dragon...maybe you shouldn't brag about being able to melt through steel while holding my hand."

Jase just laughed

“Come on lets get moving," said Wes tugging on Jase's arm.

Jase in reply grinned and said “ Let'em stare, they are going to do it anyway."

Wes gave Jase's a firmer, and completely ineffective tug.

“Fine, fine," his grin became a soft smile, “You lead I'll follow."

Blushing furiously, Wes led Jase, by the hand away from the teleport terminal, and the gawking crowd.

...

“Lusaa, maybe we should stop for a bit," said Jase after ten minutes of walking.

“Huhh, why?" Asked Wes puzzled. There was no way that Jase needed to stop for a break.

Jase stopped walking, which meant that Wes had no choice but to stop as well. “You're swaying..."

“I guess I am feeling a little dizzy."

“How about I just carry you, then," Jase phrased it as a question, but it undoubtedly wasn't.

“But..."

“That wasn't really a question, Lusaa," said Jase flatly as he let go of Wes's hand and kneeled.

“I won't be able to hold on very well...."

“I have two arms and a prehensile tail. I won't let you fall."

“Jerk."

“I love you to."

Jase and Wesley had been walking for a while, and for the most part they had been unmolested by the locals. Baring the usually stares, quick photos taken on people's communicators, and one photograph for a ten year old Vitrian. Watching the crystalline humanoid iridesce with pleasure had been an interesting experience for the two.

“So, I got a message from my mom. Their shuttle is going to be arriving sooner than expected," said Jase breaking their comfortable silence.

“How much sooner?" murmured Wes into Jase's back, he had started to nod off.

“Tomorrow. She mentioned something about, subspace between here and earth being extra stable right now.... Listen, are you sure you are still cool with meeting my folks?"

“Yeah. It was my idea. Besides, you've already met my family,"

Jase sighed, “That's not really a fair comparison. I worked for your mother before you recruited me."

“Dragon, you worry too much. I'm looking forward to it," replied Wes nuzzling the back of Jase's neck.

“I only worry when you're involved," murmured Jase. “So why did you want to walk to meet this supplier of your's anyway, we could have caught a bus or something? Better yet couldn't you have just gotten whatever it was you ordered teleported to you?"

“Well I'm not supposed to be meeting with him for a couple more hours, and since we haven't had a a chance to explore the city yet...I though we could just wander around for a while. As for you other question, I wanted to inspect my order in person."

“Hmm, ok then. Since we have some time to kill, how about something to eat? Unless you're still full from last night," said Jase with a laugh.

Wes groaned.

“But seriously, maybe you should eat something. There's something that smells pretty damn good nearby," said Jase sniffing at the air.

“Yeah, I guess I am a little hungry."

The smell in question was a restaurant offering human cuisine, not surprising given that most of the inhabitants of the planet were human. What was surprising was that the restaurant was actually serving hand prepared dishes, where as the norm was food synthesized, at least in part, via energy to matter conversion.

“Wow, they actually cook here. No wonder it smells so good," said Jase happily as he thumbed through a menu.

“No kidding.... Damn!"

“What's the matter?" asked Jase puzzled by the sudden outburst.

Wes shook his head, “Nothing, just some bad timing. I just got a notification on my neural interface that I have a VR call waiting."

“From who?"

“One of the advertising execs at Solis Enterprises," replied Wes with a sigh.

“The headband company? Didn't you sign an endorsement contract with them a few weeks a go?"

“Yeah, I did and now they want me talk about some new piece of crap they want me to show off for them."

Jase chuckled, “I really can't blame them for wanting such a cute model."

Wes blushed. “Can you..."

“Don't worry I'll keep you safe while you're away. Although, since when do you need to completely check out while have a VR call? I've seen you balance the team's accounts while taking two different VR calls, and having a conversation with your brothers."

“My head is a bit too fuzzy to do that now. I'll be back in a few."

Wesley gave a visible shudder, his head slumped against his chest, and his eyes drifted closed. A moment later the waitress returned to take their orders.

“I'll have three of your breakfast platters,"

“Uh, sausage or bacon, sir?" She said looking slightly uncomfortable.

“Both."

“What what will your...friend be having?"

“My mate, will have the the vegetarian omelet with extra spinach and mushrooms."

“C...coming right up sir," she said scampering off.

“Well I'll be damned," mused Jase trying not to laugh, “someone on this planet that actually doesn't follow Arena news. Now, I've seen everything."

...

“Have a nice chat?" said Jase smiling, after Wesley opened his eyes.

“Not really."

“What did they get the better of you or something?"

Wes sighed and shook his head, “Strictly speaking, I probably got the better end of the deal. Its just that I get the feeling that what they want me to do is going to be more than a little annoying."

“And?"

Wes sighed again, “They want me to basically...well be seen, in public, wearing and using one of their products."

“That doesn't sound so bad."

“You say that now," Wes activated the holoscreen on his communicator watch, and none to gently jabbed a “confirm" button, and held his palm over a clear spot on the table.

“INCOMING TRANPORT," chirped the com's digitized voice, and a heart beat later there was a muted flash of silver light under Wes's hand.

The light vanished almost as quickly as it came, and left behind an matte brown, three inch cube. The cube had on each of its visible sides two yellow concentric circles with a red “S" in the center, Solis's official logo.

“Deactivate packaging," murmured Wes, and the box flickered and vanished. Leaving behind two small silver disks.

Each of the disks were about the diameter and thickness of a small coin, and the at their centers were three tiny, iridescent glass domes. Jase picked one up looked it over, and handed it to Wes with a puzzled frown.

“Soli's latest attempt to make more stylish HBDs," said Wes as he placed them to his temples. “Attach," there was a faint beep, and he pulled his hands away showing that they had adhered to his skin. “Activate," there was a faint shimmer over each of the disks and they vanished from sight.

“Still confused here, Lusaa."

Before Wes could comment there was another faint beep, and an inch wide Solis logo flickered into existence in a close orbit around his head.

“Default appearance, color cobalt blue."

The logo's orbit became a visible band of cobalt blue, creating the illusion of a rotating ring around Wes's head.

“They call this product the 'Halo'. It attaches to the head, and projects a solid hologram containing the full internal structure of a headband. The appearance of hologram itself is customizable. I could make it look like the crystal crown of the Maituran empire if I wanted. It lightweight, customizable, and a piece of junk."

“Let me guess, a hologram headband isn't very efficient."

“Yep. Just like most projected devices. And I have to bee seen wearing this thing for two weeks."

“Well at least you are getting paid to do this."

“There is that, I guess"

A short time later the waitress returned with Wesley's order, a moment after that a waiter arrived with Jase's. Upon taking his first bite Wes gave a pleased hum.

Jase chuckled, “I guess I ordered the right thing for you, huh?"

Wes nodded

Jase managed to finish all three of his plates before Wes managed to finish his one. Jase paid the bill and Wes left a tip, for the slightly nervous looking waitress. As they stepped out into the slight chill, Jase offered his hand and Wes took it without either being conscious of the exchange. Despite knowing that it would lead to arriving early, they began to make their way towards the business district for Wesley's appointment.

A block away from their destination, Wes stopped dead in his tracks, as a man a grey jacket side-stepped out of an alleyway in front of them.

“August?..Augie," called Wes, softly. His grip on Jase's hand tightened.

The man turned. Pale blue eye's widened in surprise and something akin to horror, or perhaps disgust, as his gaze landed on Wesley. “Wesley," he half spat through tightly clenched teeth.

Without a moment's hesitation he spun and bolted in the direction he had been facing.

“Augie," Wes called after the fleeing figure. This time when Wes said the name it came out as a pained whimper. He took several deep breaths, and then buried his face in Jase's chest.

“Lusaa. What...."

The answer to Jase's unfinished question was the feeling of tears seeping through the fabric of his shirt, and the terrible, broken sobs, almost howls, that burst from his mate's throat.