FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

This story may contain suggestive themes and implied seximification

Brahma had a rule. Whenever you're going to contact someone you met at a club, at a bar, wherever, you wait two days. Granted, by this point he and whoever it was would have already shared a little more personal time together, but still, that was the rule. A day and a half later, his phone was burning a hole is his jeans, and it was an itch that would be just...so easy to scratch. He'd never lost control of a situation like that, and Kit had made it seem so...everyday. He kept coming up with excuses to himself as to why it would be alright to break his creed. Contacting that devilish fox earlier rather than later might show initiative that the fox wouldn't expect from him; maybe Kit knew about the two day rule himself and was planning on Brahma falling for it so he could set another sly little trap.

No. Two days was the rule.

He had spent all of yesterday running through his to-do list, keeping his mind off the matter at paw. He'd gotten a trim, showered thoroughly, gone shopping for some new clothes (and found nothing tasteful...), gotten a massage, cleaned his apartment, trimmed his toeclaws, and tried his paw at making spaghetti. By the end of the day he was grasping at straws trying to fill the hours before he could have another shot at that damned fox.

Why couldn't he break the rule just once? After all, it's not like he'd ever tried calling earlier, maybe it worked just as well as two days. And this wait was just ungodly, he needed that power back-he could call him back right now and set the record straight: he was no pushover, and no two-bit vulpine was going to beat him at his own game. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, flipping it open and immediately typed in the number which he had already memorized from staring that the stained napkin it was penned on. His finger hovered over the call button then paused. The phone snapped shut.

No. Two days was the rule.

This morning he had woken up earlier than normal, not really in the mood for sleep, the sun still just under the horizon. He had tossed more than was usual even on his bad days, and he didn't feel very rested. He had gotten up and showered, deep cleaning his fur for the second time in two days, making extra sure to scrub every inch until it was gleaming and silken; had brushed for an hour, making sure he looked just right from any angle, checking and rechecking himself in the mirror until he was satisfied; had tried so hard to think about how little he had to think about, about how nice it was to have a few days off and really just relax and do some things just for him. After all, it was so nice to have his life going exactly where he wanted it to go, and to be in total control of his own destiny.

He had walked out into the living room and had been rather happy with how clean everything was from his work yesterday, and decided off the cuff that it was time to rearrange his furniture. He had spent the next two hours shifting, and positioning, and disapproving, and repositioning, and finally decided that the new arrangement of his house was far superior to what it had been. He had checked the clock and almost screamed; it was only eleven thirty. He had sat down on his newly relocated couch and tried watching TV, but instead had found himself thinking about only one thing-which of course is where he found himself an hour and a half later, the TV still running pointless Reality TV programs from America in the background.

When had he even come up with this stupid two day rule? Why was it so important? His phone was lying on the table, open. Even though the screen was off, Brahma knew exactly what was on it. Why was this bugging him so much, he'd never had an issue with it before? Come to think of it, wasn't this just validating even more that that fox had some sort of effect on him. Maybe ignoring him completely would be the best course of action...maybe he should just let this one go...

No, he would not let a fox get the best of him, he would not accept defeat. He reached for the phone again, pressing a button to unlock the screen again, but instead of the familiar number he expected, there was a notice from his calendar informing him that he had a shoot tomorrow. The Hanz deal would be running tomorrow from eight in the morning till ten at night, running different models for different lines of clothing, and Brahma would be in two of them; one at ten, and the other at four. He'd be out of there by eight at night at the earliest, and that's if everything went well and he was working with good models who knew what they were doing. And even then there was always the chance of them scheduling a follow up shoot for the next day to grab some finishing touches for the group work as well as some solo shots if any models really 'embodied' their work. Hanz generally ran dress casual, so Brahma couldn't really seem himself in that latter category, but it still meant that he had to mark off the next two nights from his social calendar...which meant that if he wanted to meet up with that fox anytime soon he would have to do it tonight. And with the state he was in right now, he didn't even want to think about how a shoot might go. It was tonight, or never...which would it be.

No. Two days is the rule. In this he was firm. You needed to wait two days exactly, no more, no less, before you called someone. Two days. He'd have to just risk the implications of him calling tomorrow and not being available till the fifteenth. After all, you need to wait two days before you... call...someone...

...but it never said anything about-

Before he could stop himself, his pawpads were flicking across the keypad, the screen reacting in turn. He finished and read over the message, then read it again. And again.

Hey there foxy, name's Brahma, we met at Gahar? l?la the other night. I've really been thinking about what you said, and I wanted to let you know that you're right, and I was out of line. I'm glad you left your number, 'cause I was hoping we'd be able to talk some more about it. How does drinks sound? And some good company of course.

A small twinge of doubt began to surface in his mind, but before he could be swayed by it his thumb pressed the send button and suddenly he was looking at his home screen. He kept staring at the phone, almost in shock over what he had actually done. He very carefully closed the phone again and set it back almost solemnly on the table. The room was quiet for what seemed like hours when suddenly a high pitched twang rang in the air as Brahma's phone rattled against the glass of the table, flashing '1 New Message' across the outer screen. He snatched it up and flipped it open, finger hovering over 'open' a moment or two before he was ready to proceed.

\ **beep* *

Well hello there. I'm glad somebody came to their senses. Drinks could be arranged I think. I'm busy for the next few days for work though. When's good for you Mr. Brahma?

His fingers worked the keypad: I happen to be free tonight if you'd like a welcome distraction before work starts. Hope you don't have any plans.

Another long stretch of time. Brahma forced himself to go get a glass of water and used the restroom, letting other tasks fill the silence for him, but as soon as he heard the vibrating of his phone on the table he was back in the living room, tail lashing agitatedly behind him.

I could probably make tonight work. Just tell me when and where.

Brahma couldn't help but purr inwardly at the way things were progressing. See? Who needed two days. How about eight at the café on Maharaj and Ganesh? Hopefully not to far from either of us.

The response came much quicker: Not too far at all really. See you there at eight, and bring your sense of humor.

Brahma blinked at the screen a few times. 'bring your sense of humor.'...the hell did that mean? Doesn't matter, he had that fox right where he wanted him. With more than just a little pride he snapped the phone shut, slid it into his pocket, and headed back into his room to get ready, already considering all the ways tonight could go, and what he was going to do with that crafty fox.

C?n? was a quaint little café that did moderately well in a one of the less populated neighborhoods just off of downtown Pune. They catered to a set clientele which had been steadily increasing throughout the years. Upon entering, the quaint atmosphere was readily apparent, with the modest bar, the simple pictures along the walls, the friendly baristas with their drinks of the day, and the small wooden tables which lined the walls of the cramped space. The smell of pastries and other baked goods wafted into the main area from the tiny kitchen at the back of the shop, leaving the air warm, and homely feeling, and the tinge of curry brought the lightest bit of spice to the room. The earthy tones of the walls always made Brahma feel relaxed, and tended to brighten his mood considerably. Tonight however, there was something lacking from the scene, and that was Kit.

He checked his watch for the sixth time in the last four minutes: 8:28pm. He ran his paws through his headfur in exasperation, staring at the door again in the vain hope that he would see an incoming orange hue, perhaps delayed by traffic, or running late from his job.

Or, just maybe, he had fallen into another one of that fox's damned tricks. He wasn't coming, was he? He checked again: 8:29pm. He leaned back in the small wooden chair. It groaned a complaint. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments, a scathing expression written across his face. He checked the door again. Back up to the ceiling. Door. Watch. 8:30pm. Not even a text. No excuses, no reasoning, no warning. This fox was ruthless. He glowered at the door for a few more seconds, picked up his half finished mas?l? c?y, and drained the entire cup, the spicy taste stinging his throat on the way down. He grabbed his phone from where he had left it on the table and checked one last time to see if he had gotten a text, missed a call-anything. Nothing. That was it, he'd wasted enough time here as it was; he was just about to get up when a gazelle plopped into the seat across from him with a cup in hand. She looked at him over the rim of her glasses, an almost calculating look on her face. Brahma wasn't sure exactly what to do, her gaze pinning him to his seat with its unexpected edge.

He took the moment to look her over, her fur well groomed and sleek, her eyes a piercing green, her frame a little on the curvy side for his usual tastes, but nicely complimented in her Sari. Her eyes told him that she wasn't too happy with being here, which made him wonder why she was, but her face told him that she certainly wasn't intimidated by sitting down with a complete stranger and starting up a conversation.

She set her mug down on the table, her gaze relaxing from him as she settled back into the crook of her chair, "Your company has failed to arrive as well, yes?" Her ears flicked in annoyance as she glanced over at the door, his eyes following hers before returning back to where she sat. She was a little dressier than others in the café, her sari bearing some small embellishments, the vibrant yellow and red tones accented by small stitched-in mirrored pieces at even intervals from her shoulder to her opposite hip, embroidered patterns circling each piece. She held her shoulders high and back, a confident air to her posture. He remained poised at the edge of standing for a minute longer, considering what else he could be doing with his time, then he settled into the chair, leaning back and letting his shoulder relax into a careful slouch. She smiled as he did, picked her mug back up, and took a sip while closing her eyes, breaking eye contact for the first time since sitting down.

"Looks like it. Just how I wanted to spend my night, too."

She set her mug back on the table, eyes meeting his yet again. "My name is Serina. You?"

"It's Brahma."

She raised an eyebrow at this, paused for a second, but seemed to think better of breaching that particular topic. "And what might I ask has brought you here tonight? Or I suppose the correct question in this would be -who- has brought you here tonight?"

Brahma chuckled at her forthrightness. " I think you mean who I was here to see." She nodded, completely unphased, "and truth be told, I'm not even sure of that myself. I was supposed to be meeting up with this fox I met the other night at a club. Said to be here at eight, and haven't seen hide nor hair of him..." He paused, Serina's expression suddenly far from calculated and collected, her eyes widened in surprise. "...what?"

"This is very surprising, you see, I was here to meet a fox as well. I ran into him just two nights ago-at a club as well." She looked down into her drink, a thoughtful expression across her face. "He seemed so very nice at the dancing club that I was very surprised when he also was not here at our agreed upon time." She looked back up at him, her eyes in sharp focus. "Did this fox call you to set up this meeting?"

Brahma paused for a moment to mull this all over. "Not exactly. He left me his number after he brushed me off and I texted him earlier today. Set everything up for tonight." She closed her eyes and sighed heavily in resignation, her shoulders drooping a bit. He smirked ironically to himself at what he could only assume: "I'm guessing he didn't leave his number for me. Ain't that right?" She looked back up at him with an air of complete exasperation.

"That would be correct. I left him my number in case he decided he was more interested in talking later in the night. He was a rather funny fellow, but seemed...what is the word...distracted." Brahma could only nod, his eyes drifting down to his empty mug as his mind processed, his tail lashing distractedly behind him.

Despite the oddity of the situation, Brahma couldn't help but feel...somehow duped by all this. He thought about getting up and leaving right there, but once again realized that he hadn't anything better to do for the rest of the night. He considered his company for the second time that night, this time in light of this new revelation. Perhaps it was time to make the best of a bad situation. Sure she was a bit curvy, but everything else was perfectly fine. Maybe he could have some fun tonight anyways... Besides, with the phone number turning out to be bunk, his ways of actually finding that fox again were dismal at best. It was time to move on to other things, other options.

He looked back up at her; she was currently staring down into her mug, which was running a little low. He donned a confident smirk and leaned casually back into his chair. She glanced up at him and tilted her head at the sudden change in demeanor. "So I guess I wasn't stood up after all, huh?"

She tilted her head even more at this, then a second later let out a bright resonant laugh as his words sank in. The sound broke through the quiet atmosphere of the café, and the rest of the guests turned their heads to look in the direction of their table. Serina just smiled warmly back at Brahma, a distinct gleam now prominent in her gaze. "I suppose that I was not either then. And might I add, am quite glad for it."

All of a sudden he stood up, nimbly picking up both his cup and hers. She gave him a quizzical look, which he returned with a playful wink.

"We were both getting' a little low, and figured a refill wouldn't be unwelcome. And besides, I came here to buy someone a drink, so this one might as well be on me. What're you drinkin'?"

She looked a little caught off guard, but she recovered rather quickly. "Oh, that was just coffee..."

With a warm smile and a flick of his tail, he turned and strode to the counter and picked up a refill on her cup, and a new c?y for himself. He returned to the table, and felt himself slip into the usual routine, with an attentive expression, perked ears, and lazy smile. They talked for the next two hours as customers filtered in and out of the building and the night slowly dwindled away. She smiled, and she laughed, and she told him all about where she had grown up, and explained how her parents had separated early in her life due to her father's inability to stay away from a weaver-woman in the marketplace. Since then, her mother had raised her, and brought her up to be more independent. She certainly wasn't a disinteresting prospect, and by the time the owner announced that the shop was closing for the night they were one of last few out the door.

She had walked to the café, and together they found themselves wandering through the streets to her home. The night was pleasant, so when they arrived at her home, they sat outside on a set of chairs and talked for another hour before he suggested they move inside. They talked there for another hour before he suggested they move to the bedroom. And by that point, they didn't need to talk any more.

When dawn broke and she awoke to the preset of her alarm, he had already left, and nothing remained but some ruffled bed sheets and the slightest smell of strong-brewed c?y.