FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Pru the Familiar, P9: Job Satisfaction

(Plot, no sex)

—-

Back in the lab, Emma prepared supper for her monsters, pouring kibble and diced raw meat into bowls. Nearby her assistants and some of the more fussy creatures did the evening's cleaning duties.

The supervisor's phone buzzed in her pocket. She whipped it out and stabbed the answer button as quick as she could.

The other side of the phone had noisy bar overtones.

“Emma? It's, uhh, me," said the caller.

“I'm sorry, I don't… hang on, is that Rose?" asked Emma.

There was a pause on the other side. Then, “No, it's Pru. I sound like Rose, I _look_ like Rose. But I'm, uhh… I'm in a mess and I'm not sure how to get out…"

Pru caught Emma up on the evening's events. How she had helped the real Rose and her wyvern partner mate for the first time, then the awkward mix of circumstances that made the student into a half wyvern monster and Pru effectively take over her human life. All within a handful of hours.

“I'm now stood just outside a bar," Pru continued. “Rose's friends are inside, thinking I'm her. I have them completely fooled. It's… weird how easy it is."

Emma grunted in agreement, still processing the swiftly delivered recap.

“Like, I'm even copying her personality, her body language. I could take over her life so easily. I could do the same to anyone! Just mate with them and then _become_ them!"

Pru sounded troubled, but also strangely curious.

“I… kind-of scare me," she added.

“I understand," replied Emma. “You kind-of scare me too, if I'm being honest. I hear… temptation?"

“I do want to return to my own life!" answered Pru hastily. “With Missy, and my job with you. God, I…. have a job I love for once! I love being a pet monster! I love being your monster!"

Emma's hand curled by her side, as she desired to run her fingers through the creature's hair, hold her softly, maybe turn her into something for fun.

“Don't worry," she said eventually, confidently. “Go back inside and I'll come straight over. The best way to handle this is with the truth. We'll tell them everything that happened. They deserve to know, they're Rose's friends. As for Rose, she chose to become a monster. That's a one-way trip, so she'll have to deal with that choice."

There was another pause while Pru closed her eyes, held Rose's phone to her chest and made a noise somewhere between a grunt of acknowledgement and a sigh of relief.

“Thanks," she replied. Then, “All this trickery. Did I… do the right thing?"

“It was a tricky situation, said Emma, “you handled it best you could. You're a _good_ monster. You're going to get lots of belly rubs when I get to you."

Pru grinned with Rose's mouth, and bit her lip. That gave her a nice shiver.

“Also," continued Emma, “and this is important. You _are_ powerful, and maybe dangerous. That's… not unusual for a monster. But you worry _yourself_, and that's good. And you are honest and forthright, and that is _very_ good trait, for someone who could trick anyone."

“I… thanks, miss Emma."

“Order me a Bloody Mary, I'm coming over now."

—-

“Oh hey, it's Remi!"

It was a few days later. Pru and Missy were mid-jog across the university's park when they saw the wyvern dashing about. He stalked the humans, hunting them down and passing out papers to his sometimes shocked and frightened, sometimes amused prey.

The beast spied the two and immediately scrambled over, half strutting with his raptor legs, half gliding upon his vast wings.

Seeing the towering predator charging them, Missy squeaked and backed away, until Pru reached out and grasped her hand confidently.

“He's fine. You know he's fine," she said soothingly to her pet. The monster lumbered to a stop before them and looked in confusion between the two. The women looked identical other than their jogging clothes and choice of reptilian features. Pru was back to her original human likeness but sported her tail once more. Missy had a slight lizard snout, shimmering green rimmed black eyes and clawed hands.

Remi snuffled at both their bellies, causing Missy to growl with instinctive, aggressive fear. Pru tickled between his nostrils. The monster male licked her hand in turn, then reached a wing claw into a bag looped around his barrel chest and handed the women a couple of flyers.

Missy scanned hers.

“Deliveyrn," she read out. The logo was a stylised wyvern, much like Remi.

“Our new startup," said a female voice above them. “If you want food delivered, we're your monsters."

Rose touched down, very imperfectly, stumbling on the landing and falling with a laugh into Remi's swift scaly embrace. She had gotten her own voice and face back, but was otherwise still very much the hybrid wyvern that Pru had inadvertently made her into. She wore a crisp new uniform with the same logo.

“Ohh?" queried Pru, remembering how much the once-human detested her job.

“Yep, I'm still doing it," said Rose, picking up on her unsaid question. “But now I'm working for _me_."

She looked bashfully at her huge mate as he slid her onto her feet. “Well, us."

The two wyverns locked wing claws together. Pru grinned.

“Well, we'll definitely keep you in mind next time we want a pizza."

“10% off first delivery?" Missy read out.

Remi grunted and shook his head. He jabbed the flyer with his claw, poking out the discount text.

“No discount for us?" asked Missy with a frown.

“He means a hundred percent off," corrected Rose, casting her eyes skywards. “Remi isn't very good at business."

Remi nodded and his gnarled snout managed something analogous to a smile.

Pru grinned knowingly. The wyvern was a real character and beloved by most of the students. They were sure to get good business, even ignoring the ability to fly their deliveries about.

“You'll do great," she said.

“Damn right," replied Rose.

And with that the wyverns resumed their hunt for more customers.

Pru watched them for a little while, until Missy pocketed her flyer and tugged her owner back into a run.

“When we get back, could I turn back into a lizard and cuddle with you?" asked Missy, as they paced through the park. “And turn my brain off, become a dumb animal for the evening?"

Pru nodded, both impressed at Missy's control over her powers to be able to do something like that, and a little horrified at the idea of her just surrendering her sapience so casually.

Her pet smiled as she read her owner's mind. “I don't know how you humans keep that thing ticking. It's exhausting."

“Well, we don't usually get the choice," replied Pru, a rather playful smile slowly opening out on her face. “But sure. Well have a nice, sweaty, stinky snuggle, fresh from the jog."

Missy's snout wrinkled with disgust. “Let's shower first, please?"

Pru poked her tongue out. “I'd prefer sweaty and stinky."

Missy sported her own grin. “Let's shower first, _together_?"

Her owner licked her lips and upped her speed a little. “Well… if you insist…"

—The End—