FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

[i]"Alrighty...clothes, shower stuff, towel, swim trunks...let's see, Clash is in his bin, now where's my..."[/i]

Zeebra looked around his room, wondering where he put his so-called 'fun bin' as he tried not to panic and make sure he had everything packed and ready to go. It was only the day before his flight to Chicago, but he took this whole week off work for the con to prepare. He then heard his phone vibrate on his dresser and noticed he received a message on Telegram. Upon checking it, it was from his boyfriend, Rex.

[i]Rex Orchid: Yo! I'm coming over to bug ya before you head out :D[/i]

Zeebra shook his head and chuckled as he replied. He set the phone back on the dresser and went back to searching and triple-checking everything for his trip.

About an hour later, he heard a loud knock, followed by what sounded like someone...or some[i]thing[/i], pawing at his apartment door. When he checked the peep hole, he sighed and giggled as he opened the door.

"Did you...drive here while in suit, dude?"

Rex nodded with that classic permanent, wide-eyed smile that's common for fursuits. His resembled that of a red panda, though more toony in appearance, with a pink and maroon striped tail, and a maroon back. The rest of the body was a dark brown color, and the head had typical markings for a red panda with light brown, medium-length bangs.

"Yes. Yes, I did," he replied, "Though not with the head on, of course."

Zeebra chuckled. "Yeah...yeah don't think that'll go too well with the cops." He opened the door and stepped aside. "Anyway, get your fuzzy butt in here, ya goof!"

Rex padded his way in as his large noodle of a tail dragged on the floor behind him. For how long he's had this fursuit, Rex improved his spatial awareness despite his limited vision and bulkier shape. Zeebra closed the door behind him and turned around to get a better look at him.

"Alright. Now I gotta hug ya. You look adorable right now." He opened his arms up, to which Rex immediately accepted and lifted him up in a bearhug for a second, letting out a growl.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," he said in his somewhat muffled voice, "Anyway, yeah, figured I'd surprise ya before you leave for MFF."

"I was both surprised and not surprised," he chuckled, "But...aren't you going to MFF, though? I thought you were this year?"

"Nah...I can't, sadly. My car ate up most of what I saved up and I thought I had enough vacation time to use...buuuuttt I found I only have a couple days' worth."

"Well what happened to all your vacation time then?"

"Other cons."

Zeebra threw his hands in the air.

"What? I like going to them and meeting people and stuff."

Zeebra groaned and shook his head. "Just...try to plan ahead for next year, okay?"

Rex nodded, though felt terrible about not going, even though his outside, furry expression showed he was much more joyful. "I still want to go this year, though...I'd do...anything to go with you."

"Anything?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"You can...I don't know, smuggle me on the plane...I can ghost the con and hang out with people on the sidelines. Hell, I'll pay my fair share of the plane ticket and reservation, even for my own food." He grabbed Zeebra by the shoulders with his large, brown, fuzzy paws with white claws, shaking him. "Pleeeeaaaase, I wanna gooooo!"

"Alright, alright," he protested as he batted Rex's arms away. When he got, yet, another good look at Rex, who had his paws close to his chest and cocked downward, as if he was begging like a dog, something...clicked.

"Rex?"

He tilted his head sideways in response.

"There's something I want to try that you...might not like...or you might, now that I think about it."

He tilted his head the other way, his paws still in that begging position. "That is?"

"You're getting smuggled in on the plan and...you could say you'll be ghosting the con too, but it's not in the way you think."

He tilted his head sideways again, letting his arms drop and swing. "Yeah, I don't follow."

Zeebra put a hand on Rex's shoulder, making Rex jump a little. "I'll need some time to prepare; thankfully you got here early enough for me to try this out." He then went back into his bedroom and began searching again, only this time, it wasn't for his 'fun bin.' "Trust me on this one."

Rex shrugged and began to take his head off, letting out a gasp of fresh air as he felt the cool air conditioning of the apartment. He set it down and joined Zeebra, who was scanning his bookshelf and pulling out seemingly random books, only to push them back in again. It was then Zeebra noticed him standing there with a puzzled look on his hot and sweaty face.

"Eh heh, sorry," he apologized as he pushed Rex out of his bedroom, "I want this to be a surprise for ya but, like I said...it will take me some time to prepare."

"Yeah, sure, whatever dude."

"Um...heh, would it be possible for you to, um...leave and come back a little later? Say about an hour or so?"

"Suuure...why?"

"I know you just got here and all, and I don't want you to think I'm already booting you out. Just...I don't know, chill somewhere for a bit after you put your fursuit away...you'll find out when you come back, alright?"

"O...kay?" Rex looked at his boyfriend with suspicion as he grabbed his fursuit head. "I'll um...come back in an hour...I guess." He then began to head out the front door.

"Oh! One more thing!"

Rex looked back as he was about to open the door.

"Bring your fursuit with you, but [i]don't[/i] wear it when you get here, okay?"

"Noted...anyway, see ya later, dude!"

After Rex slammed the door behind him, Zeebra immediately locked it and breathed a sigh of relief. "I hope I can get that potion right...ugh, I was never good at Chemistry."

[center]* * *[/center]

Almost exactly one hour passed when Zeebra heard a knock at his door. He finished up filling the bathtub with water and set a glass vial of a peculiar, dark blue liquid on the bathroom countertop. Once he looked through the peephole of his apartment doo, sure enough, Rex was on the other side when Zeebra opened it. "Hey! Right on time!"

Rex entered sideways, carrying a large, black bin as he tried to wiggle his way through the door. He set it down the moment he found an area big enough as Zeebra closed the door behind him.

"Alright, so what's this evil plan of yours?" Rex asked.

"You're taking a bath with your fursuit."

Rex stared blankly. "...What?"

"You're taking a bath with your fursuit."

"Like...while wearing it or...?"

"No."

Rex tried to retort, but closed his mouth as he did so, trying to put the pieces together.

"Look, I got the tub all filled up and ready to go. Just toss your fursuit in there, strip down, jump in, and I'll take care of the rest. Alright?"

"Okay...if you say so, dude." Rex grabbed the bin and carried it to the bathroom. Just as Zeebra mentioned, he noticed the tub full of water, but was curious about the vial sitting there. But he paid no mind to it and began unpacking his fursuit, placing it carefully in the tub.

[i]"Hope Zeeb doesn't see me stripping when he gets back here..."[/i] He blushed a little at the thought, though a part of him hoped he'd get caught in the act. He waited a few moments to see if Zeebra would come back before starting to strip down. Once he did so, he climbed right in the tub, trying not to step or sit on his fursuit.

"This...is weird..."

Rex eyed the bottle of blue liquid as he soaked in the tub. His natural curiosity told him to get out of the tub and at least take a closer look, but he decided to wait for Zeebra.

It wasn't long before he showed up, however. "Awesome!" He said with a smile. In one hand, he held a pair of scissors, the other held an old, tattered book tucked under his arm. He set the book next to the bottle and opened it, flipping through to the page he needed. He mumbled something quick as he read while using his finger to scan the page, then knelt by the tub.

"Okay," he began, "I will need a sample of your hair and...unfortunately your fursuit as well, both have to be wet first."

Rex frowned at the thought of getting his fursuit damaged. "...How big of a sample do you need?"

He placed a hand on Rex's shoulder. "Just a small piece, but...the cut might be noticeable." He then splashed some water on Rex's head. "And get your hair nice and wet before I cut that too."

He let out a giggle as he got splashed, but still worried about his fursuit. "Alright..." he sighed, holding up one of the cuffs for Zeebra.

He cut only a small, triangle-shaped piece and held it in his hand. "Now your hair."

Rex splashed some more water over his head so it would be wet enough for whatever it was Zeebra had planned. Once he figured it was enough, Zeebra grabbed a lock and snipped off the end of it, keeping it held tight with the fursuit sample.

"Thanks, hun." He placed the samples in the bottle, which made the liquid inside change from blue to lime green. He then touched it and hissed, jerking his hand back and shaking it.

"Shit dude! Is that hot?"

"Cold. Very...very cold." He said as he tried to warm up his finger, hoping he didn't just get freezer burn. "Sit tight, Rex, I forgot to grab something."

Rex tried to put the pieces together when Zeebra went out again, though he soon returned with a pair of tongs.

"Okay," he exasperated, grabbing the bottle with the tongs, "Now...this is still quite cold, but it needs to be so it can work its magic. [i]But[/i], the warm water, your fursuit, and your body heat should get it to a comfortable temperature."

Rex gave him a look that was a mix of skepticism and fear. "You're not trying to freeze me to death with that stuff, are you?"

"Oh no, no, no! It's supposed to be this cold upon mixing the ingredients and when I pour it in the tub. After that, should work just fine." He let out a breath, trying to keep himself calm no matter what happens. "Ready?"

Rex kept silent a moment. He worried about Zeebra going [i]this[/i] far to get him to MFF for free; he never knew his boyfriend got into potion-making or...anything arcane, for that matter. But he did say he would be willing to do anything to go, and here they are. [i]"Might as well go with it."[/i]

He nodded for Zeebra to continue.

Rex held his breath, expecting the liquid to instantly freeze the water as Zeebra poured it in. But he began to relax once it came in contact with the water; all it did was turn the water in the tub to a more faded hue of that lime green color.

"This won't damage my fursuit, will it?" He asked as Zeebra stood up.

"...of course not, trust me. I'll give you a quick cleaning before I pack you up."

"Oh okay...wait, what?"

Right when he asked, Zeebra was already heading out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Hey! You can't ju--"

The sight of his hand, or rather, his floppy handpaw, cut him off when he held it up. Upon closer inspection, it didn't appear like his handpaw somehow slipped itself over his human hand. No it wasn't that. His human hand [i]became[/i] a handpaw for his suit. He splashed and thrashed about in a panic, screaming as he noticed pieces of his actual fursuit dissolving into the mixture. Soon enough, he couldn't feel his hands or feet anymore. Those already became wet masses of fur, foam, padding, and stitching. Next thing he knew, this...fusion crept up his arms and legs. His new feetpaws and handpaws disconnected from his limbs and floated in the water. Every nerve, muscle, and bone became hollow, floppy tubes of fur; all he could feel now was his torso and head.

That is, until the transformation did the same to his shoulders, hips, and crotch. The once comforting material crept inward and upward, slowly turning his body into a floppy wet mass of a bodysuit. His movement became severely limited, and Rex didn't want to move too much in case he rolled himself over face-first in the water. While he only felt it for a split second, the fusion did add that plushy, red panda tail that attached to the bodysuit.

Once the fusion crept up his neck, Rex took one, last panicked breath as if he was going to suffocate. His head became a hollow mass of foam and fur that looked exactly like his fursuit head. And once his human head was no more and his neck disappeared, his new head floated off the bodysuit.

In a matter of minutes, Rex lost all but his sight, touch, and general awareness of his surroundings. Of course, he knew he was in pieces in his bathtub, filled with a mix of water and that weird potion Zeebra conjured up. The bathroom light was still on. He could detect the slight coolness of the air conditioning with what parts of him surfaced the water. He could feel his fur all soaked inside and out, along with the bottom of the tub on the side of his head. But the only sight he [i]could[/i] see now was the inside of the tub through green-tinted water, and the light above illuminating its depths.

His smell, hearing, and taste weren't the only senses he lost; he couldn't speak or move either. He wanted to get out and find Zeebra, but all he was now was a wet mess of an adorable red panda fursuit. He thought he'd only be permanently [i]inside[/i] his fursuit, as if it was to disguise him suiting around con space. Rex did [i]not[/i] expect to [i]become[/i] his fursuit and lose most of his senses, communication, and motor skills. Yet, he was thankful he had a sixth sense of sorts, even if he couldn't do anything else.

A few moments passed, and Rex hardly gotten used to his limited senses when Zeebra returned. He drained the tub and began pulling Rex out of it, setting his hand and feet paws and head aside and laid out his bodysuit along the edge of the tub.

Rex felt Zeebra's hands grabbing his damp pieces, along with his wet fur pressing against the smooth, cold porcelain as he was being handled. All he could do now was watch Zeebra, that is, if he stayed within his fixed line of sight.

"Alright, let's give you a good soak and get some of that potion residue out of ya," he said as he plugged the drain, filling up the tub again. He looked at Rex's head and smiled. "Trust me, hun, you may not know what's going on around you, but you're gonna have a great time."

Rex smiled back, of course, but that was permanent now. What saddened him was that he couldn't hug Zeebra to thank him, even if his method was...questionable.

[center]* * *[/center]

Six hours.

Six hours of total darkness and confined to the tight, snug space of his fursuit bin, with his brushes, badges, and scented spray resting on top of him. At least, that's how long Rex figured he was stuck inside between the trip to and from the airports and the flight itself. Anytime he felt the bin shake, he couldn't tell if he was in transit, getting loaded or unloaded, or dropped. All he knew was he'd be at MFF soon; that's all that mattered.

The last thing he saw after getting dried off was Zeebra's face looking at him before getting folded up and crammed in the confines of his fursuit bin. To say it was a tight squeeze was an understatement. While he couldn't feel [i]true[/i] pain, the creases forming along the folds of his body felt akin to aching bones or pinched nerves. His head and other items he usually kept in the bin began to feel heavier than normal the longer he remained inside.

At one point during his time cramped up, he noticed how much cooler the bin felt. Either he was on the plane or outside in the colder, Chicago winter air, but he didn't know for certain.

Soon enough, Rex felt the bin shake one more time as if someone dropped it flat on the floor. He then saw the lid open up and felt Zeebra's hands on his cheeks, lifting his head out and setting him on a nearby bed. As his head was removed from the bin, Rex saw they finally made it to the hotel. He felt the cool, fresh air of the A/C blowing through his depressed fur, whisking away the stuffiness from storage. While he could only see the table with a lamp and the phone right in front him, Zeebra passed in front of his view several times as he unpacked his body and paws. He felt the soft, low carpeting underneath his footpaws and the inner lining of them through his handpaws. Of course, with the A/C going, he also felt the subtle, cool airflow going into his feetpaws and handpaws. But the strangest sensation of all was having a thick suit hanger put inside his neck opening, rubbing against the inside of his shoulders. Along with this, a cool breeze blew inside his body, which came from the fan built in the hanger and helped relieve some of those 'aches' due to the creases.

He became accustomed to his parts being set down or flopped over surfaces or rounded edges because of how often it occurred. Yet, getting forced open with air blowing right through you was indescribable. It felt weird, it felt violating, it felt intrusive; yet...it felt refreshing, drying and airing out his innards.

And yet...not once did he realize Zeebra left and didn't turn the lights on at all. The only source of light he could detect was the sun shining through the windows of the hotel room. For what felt like even longer hours than before, Rex was alone [i]as[/i] his suit, hung up to dry, all while his fixed line of sight stared unblinking at that table.

[center]* * *[/center]

After another long period of sitting around in pieces, Zeebra returned to the room with two others following him. One had two duffle bags and a laptop bag; the other wheeled in a dolly that contained two bins with their other belongings piled on top.

Rex recognized one of them right away as they passed in front of him. The ponytail was a dead giveaway, exactly like on a certain tiger he's familiar with. If he could, he would've buried him in a tight, soft, red panda hug. The other person he didn't recognize, though have heard of and recognized from previous years in suit. As much as he would enjoy it, he hoped this other person wouldn't try him on, as he looked much bigger in height and width than his bodysuit would allow.

"Alright, so I guess you guys could set your stuff wherever," said Zeebra. "I'll let you guys figure out sleeping arrangements on your own."

Ricky set his few belongings he had in a corner, claiming his spot in the room. "Yeah, that's fine," he replied, "Thanks for letting us room with you guys at the last minute, though...I kinda wanted to see Rex."

"But...his suit's here," said Wolfletech as he unpacked, allowing his belongings to slowly take over the room.

It was then Ricky noticed Rex's suit hanging up and the head and paws sitting on the bed. "Oh! So, he [i]is[/i] here?"

"Ermmm...yes and no," replied Zeebra, "Let's just say...he's here in spirit and leave it at that."

"Uh, yeah, sure." Ricky made one quick pocket check and made his way towards the door, pulling on the dolly. "Hey Wolf, you wanna come with me and wait five-ever in the reg line?"

"Yeah, give me a minute here." Wolfletech took a few moments to stop what he was doing and followed Ricky, leaving three fourths of the room covered in his stuff.

Soon enough, the two were gone.

Zeebra took Rex's head and held it up, looking right into that permanent, toony smile, which made him smile and tear up a bit. He sat on the bed and hugged Rex's head for a moment, letting out a sigh.

He then kissed Rex right on the forehead, nuzzling that giant, toony-looking nose. "I wish you were actually here for real, bud."

Rex felt comforted in Zeebra's arms, even though it's only his head. The kiss and nuzzle definitely brought his spirits up after a long, cramped journey.

Though, if he had the ability to speak, he would say the same thing.

[center]* * *[/center]

The rest of the day, Rex sat in pieces while the others were gone exploring the con space and meeting up with anyone who recently arrived.

Many of his friends asked Zeebra if he made it or not, to which he kept it as a simple 'no.' Zeebra also would tell them a half-truth that he didn't save up enough in time and couldn't take time off work. But, he would always mention he brought Rex's suit with him in case someone wanted to try it on.

This, too, was half true.

As someone who's only suited only three times in the past, Ricky was the first victim.

"You sure you don't want to wait until tomorrow or Saturday to do this?" Zeebra asked as he and Ricky came back to the room.

"Yeah, I'm sure; I'm still a little new to suiting and, well, I'm sure even [i]today[/i] might get a little overwhelming for me."

"I getcha." Zeebra began gathering Rex's pieces onto the bed. "So, do you want to go full or partial?"

"Well...hmmm..."

If Rex could chime in, or make any noise in general, he'd bug Ricky to go full.

"Does he have a separate tail to partial with?"

"Yep." Zeebra pulled out Rex's tail from the bin to show him.

"Okay good."

"And it looks like you already got something on that has thick sleeves, so that's good. I'm sure you don't want to go for that infamous 'poodle' look."

"Oh, hell no; I have done this a few times before, though it's...well, it's been a while."

"Even better!" He placed Rex's tail and paws alongside his head on the bed while Ricky got himself ready.

Ricky already wore a belt and a pair of jeans, so the bottom half wasn't going to look terrible. He grabbed the tail and one end of his belt, threading it through then refastened his belt. "Oh wow, this thing's...bulky," he commented as he shook his hips a little to make the tail sway while looking behind him. He also noticed how the lower fourth touched the ground and stayed in place as the rest moved. "Long too."

If Rex could emote anything or still had blood vessels, the white on his cheeks would be turning a deep, reddish pink shade right now. He loved how his tail brushed against Ricky's butt as the top part swayed. He never thought too hard about his tail rubbing against this own butt, yet rubbing against someone else's felt...erotic. But one sensation that would've sent him over the edge was when Ricky picked up his tail off the floor and began to hug and pet it a little. Again, he never thought about this at all when he would do it in his human form; to feel it himself comforted him.

After getting the feet paws on, finding they fit just right, he grabbed his tiger-striped bandanna and fixed it on his head, covering up his hair. "Alright...now for the hard part," he said as he took off his glasses and set them aside. He grabbed Rex's head and held it upside down so he would be looking into the dark void within. "I may need help with this, by the way."

Rex immediately felt a kind of nervous excitement. Though all that turned into annoyance and a bit of pain as Ricky struggled to get his head on. He swore his head would be big enough to fit most people; even [i]he[/i] had a large head as a human.

Zeebra had to aid him and, with some force, they managed to get Rex's head secured and fitted.

"How is it?" He asked.

"Ummm, pretty good, actually," Ricky replied as he fidgeted with the head to make sure he could see and breath. He then petted Rex's cheeks, hair, and ears to get a feel for his bearings and just for the hell of it.

Rex began to relax a lot more now once Ricky started to pet him. He'd always appreciate whenever someone took care when petting his fursuit and with the direction of the fur. Again, though, to feel a set of fingers gently comb down his fur [i]as[/i] his suit was more comforting and relaxing than if he got the same attention as his human self.

After getting help slipping the handpaws on, Ricky stood in front of the tall mirror in the hotel room. Granted, his vision was both blurry and limited, but he could somewhat see what he looked like in Rex's suit. It's still a sensation he hasn't gotten used to just yet, and it would be the first time he's suited at a con, even if it was 'technically' only the day before.

Zeebra cracked a grin and giggled. "You look adorable."

Ricky blushed underneath, though tried to make a cute, shy pose, which Zeebra took a quick pic of with his phone. He then tried to think of another simple, generic pose for practice. "I do kinda wish Rex was here to see me like this in person...or in general, really."

"Trust me, I'm sure he's very happy to see you wearing his suit."

Ricky tilted his head sideways in confusion. "He [i]is[/i]?" He then put his paws on his hips. "Did you send him those pictures just now?" He asked, jokingly.

"Um...y-yeah?"

"Oh okay," he said, acting as if there wasn't any suspicion, "Well, I do want to get down there; just...try to keep an eye on me, please?"

"Of course," he replied, holding the door open for him.

"I'm still a little nervous."

"Hey, best thing to do is just walk, look around, be cute, and when you see a camera, try to do the first pose you can think of."

Ricky nodded as he remembered how long the tail was, so he ended up walking while holding it close to him.

[i]"Dodged. A. Bullet."[/i]

Yes, Rex [i]was[/i] happy, indeed. It always made him happy to see how others react to wearing a fursuit for the first time, or, in Ricky's case, the fourth time. It made him [i]much[/i] happier and elated to physically be part of that experience, and not watching from the sidelines or through a camera lens. Granted, it did feel strange and alien to have someone controlling his every movement from the inside, especially as a partial.

But his biggest fear, as with anyone who owned a fursuit they prized, was the off chance it would get damaged or dirty. However, it was still the day before the bulk of the con, and Rex trusted Ricky enough to take care of him.

[center]* * *[/center]

Since they stayed in the main hotel, they didn't have to traverse the infamous skywalk from hell. Yet, the journey all the way down to the main floor took some time. Not a few minutes' walk from their room, someone wanted to take some photos of Ricky in suit.

Rex could sense him trying to strike some sort of cute pose, though it came off as him just standing there looking cute with his large tail close to his chest. Still, it was strange enough, as Ricky only controlled his paws, head, and tail. Without the bodysuit, he felt as if he were a ghost of some kind and his body and limbs were transparent and numb. But whenever Ricky would touch his body with his paws or tail, it increased Rex's awareness that he was being controlled.

After these strangers took their photos, they wanted hugs too, of course. Rex was glad Ricky didn't shy away from this. He felt his tail thump on the carpeted ground and drag a little as Ricky approached the admirers. While he did enjoy feeling his hand paws rubbing their backs and the slight rubbing against his cheeks, he wished Ricky had donned the full suit instead to amplify this sensation.

One day this weekend. One day.

After that encounter, Ricky and Zeebra continued their journey and made it to the elevator. Though this time, some people waved and smiled, to which Ricky did so back, while others breezed right past them without a second glance. As they left the elevator once it descended to the ground floor, Zeebra looked around to see if there's anyone he might recognize. Ricky did the same as well, though he knew the ones he saw might not recognize Rex.

If Rex wasn't turned into a corpse-like arrangement of faux fur, stitching, and foam, he would be vibrating with excitement right about now. Yes, it's still the first day, but he was so excited for this con despite knowing he'd experience it all vicariously.

They walked around for a while to get their bearings, which became especially helpful for Ricky with his limited vision. Throughout their tour, more people stopped them for photos and hugs, and even chatted for a while. He didn't know how Rex usually suits, but he felt more comfortable talking while in suit and didn't care if he was 'breaking the magic.' Of course, during all this, Rex had difficulty containing his excitement, given that he couldn't feel that rush of dopamine he usually felt in suit.

After about a couple hours of suiting, they headed to the headless lounge. Rex was always used to getting hot and sweaty in suit, as did all who fursuited a lot. What he never experienced was someone else's sweat and body heat not on him, but [i]inside[/i] him. If only his face could express anything else but that cute, cartoony smile. Yet, the rush of air from the makeshift cooling rack blowing inside his head helped eased those disgusted feelings.

But he did [i]not[/i] look forward to having Ricky's sweat and body heat absorbed into the inner foam padding, let alone anyone else's who wanted to try him on. He knew this would last until he got another throughout wash, or if Zeebra managed to transform him back into his human form. Not even fursuit spray would remove that musky feeling; it'd only mask it.

But he still had a whole con ahead of him.

The insides of his hand and feet paws did too, but his handpaws didn't feel like they got too musky when Ricky took those off. The inside of his feetpaws, though, were as gross as the inside of his head. The worst part about those, was feeling Ricky's musky feet shuffle about inside them, giving them no relief to cool off at all. He couldn't blame Ricky for not wanting to take off his feet paws, though; after all, they're great for comfy footwear.

At least his tail didn't suffer the same fate. To Rex, a small area on his tail felt like it got matted down a little from dragging across the floor of the hotel. Though he was thankful it didn't get stepped on or crushed under something. While Rex couldn't feel actual pain, he hoped to not know what it would feel like if any of his parts got crushed, smacked around, or pulled too hard. He knew his suit could take a bit of roughhousing, but he always tried to limit how rough he acted in suit regardless. It brought him at ease knowing Ricky kept mindful of how fragile he is, and he hoped he would continue to do so while in suit.

And yet, despite feeling disgusted at how his innards felt, the cool breeze flowing in and through his head quelled those sensations. That rush of air tickled, at first, filling up the inner cavity of his head before getting pushed out through his mouth and the mesh that made up his eyes. After a few minutes, the sensation began to feel more and more relaxing, calming, and, to a degree, cleansing. He felt the traces of Ricky's sweat and body heat pushing out through his face holes, making him realize how much one can [i]sweat[/i] in a fursuit head. He hoped they would leave him on here long enough to cool off and be ready for the rest of the day.

[center]* * *[/center]

More walking about. More random hugs and photos from strangers and those Rex knew, despite Ricky having no clue who they were. Rex really hoped he could see how he looked on Ricky...that is if Zeebra knew of a way to transform him back into his human form once the weekend was over.

He needed to worry about that later; right now, Rex didn't want to allow any negative thoughts during his time here.

As they walked past the large windows that lined the wide hallway where the main events would happen, Ricky turned his head. Rex buzzed with so much excitement that the permanent, happy look on his face wouldn't do justice with what he saw.

Snow.

Thick, white clumps gently fell onto the sidewalks, pavement, and foliage outside the main entrance to the hotel. Being a Northerner, this never phased Ricky, but it got him curious. He wanted to see what being out in the snow in suit was like after recalling how excited and adorable other suiters acted the last time he went to MFF. He also knew it wasn't cold enough to be icy outside yet, so he figured he'd be safe to step out in the cold yet humid climate. Still, he made sure to be careful about not getting Rex's foot paws too dirty and wet from any slush or puddles. Ricky then reached behind him to grab Rex's thick, long tail to keep it elevated, and, with some help from Zeebra, joined the other random people outside.

Rex felt the dampness slowly covering his head, tail, and paws right away, but it was a subtle dampness mixed with cold air. It definitely wasn't like the rains and humidity he got used to down South. While he so wished he could express his excitement for even [i]seeing[/i] snow, let alone feel it on his bare fur, the cold was a bit too much for him. He didn't realize how much warmer inside the hotel was, compared to outside.

Zeebra felt the exact same way.

Despite how Rex and Zeebra felt about the cold, Ricky felt fine standing outside watching the snow fall through Rex's head. He commented to Zeebra that it was perfect weather for what he currently wore, aside from a partial: a hoodie and jeans. Zeebra wore something similar, but began to shiver a bit and tucked his arms under his pits to hug himself tight.

Ricky noticed this and opened his arms wide, still making sure Rex's tail remained elevated.

Zeebra embraced him and Ricky held him tight and close, trying to wrap Rex's long tail around him too.

All three of them began to warm up. The fact Ricky was hugging Zeebra in this way, of all people, comforted Rex, making him feel warm beyond the physical level. If he had a heart, it would be beating rapidly by now and make his cheeks feel warm. The fact his tail also wrapped around him only amplified this special feeling. Not only did he feel safe, but like he was protecting someone he cared so much about, even if it wasn't exactly [i]him[/i] in suit.

Zeebra looked up at Rex's face and kissed him on the nose, though felt embarrassed once he remembered it wasn't actually him.

"S-Sorry...I guess I got caught up in the moment is all."

"Eh," Ricky shrugged, "Rex told me you two have a thing going on."

He blushed a little, despite the cold. "Not surprised he'd mention that to ya; he...he definitely does see you as a good friend, Ricky."

"I know," he replied, "Just, uh...don't try to do anything lewd while I'm in this thing, alright?"

"Nah. Rex wouldn't allow that to happen anyway, at least not with this suit."

Ricky chuckled. "Not surprised he'd be into that...or not; I never felt the need to ask him about that, really."

Zeebra went back to shivering after letting go, trying to hold in his body heat. "Anyway, I'm heading back inside; it's too damn cold out here."

Ricky put his paws on his hips and tilted his head in a disapproving manner. "It's not that cold," he teased.

Of course, seeing Rex's permanent, toony smile combined with Ricky's pose, Zeebra couldn't help but giggle a little. "God you look so cute."

He then put his handpaws on his cheeks and let out a soft squeal, getting another giggle from Zeebra. Noticing Zeebra was still shivering and hadn't gone back inside, he decided to offer another hug, which Zeebra immediately took. He then walked both of them towards the nearby door to head back inside until they had to let go to open it.

During this whole exchange, Rex still felt that gentle, cold dampness collecting on the top of his head, which he began to get used to. But that affectionate feeling came up again when he felt his paws and head touching Zeebra. He tried to ignore any feelings of jealousy during those moments. He wished it were him in his own suit embracing the one he cared about most.

Yet, despite that, Rex always enjoyed seeing newbie suiters romp around in his suit at cons or meets. It usually didn't bother him what they did or who they interacted with too much.

But to [i]feel[/i] that sensation of someone else controlling you and being completely devoid of autonomy was both surreal and exhilarating. Never before would Rex ever experience this again, or, if he didn't turn back, he'd experience for the rest of his life.

This was only the first day of MFF, the first day of Rex [i]as[/i] a fursuit. He and Zeebra still had a whole convention ahead of them.