FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

~ "Hey, you ready for...", the collie abruptly cutting off his inquiry as he cornered around the door frame into the small alcove of recreational area. The more senior engineer was crouched down, prone with her stubby beak gently pressed against the elaborate weave of her prayer rug. The soft murmuring of prayers went on without interruption while Peter slipped into the room to wait patiently.

~ The horned owl looked up with what garnered to be an expression of mild amusement, "I've not forgotten the meeting, no. I'll get the data together, if I can borrow that pad." The collie couldn't help but feel comforted by the expression; the chief engineer was surprisingly emotive for a bird.

~ "If you don't mind my asking...", Peter volunteered as Ms. Vineheart folded the rug. The engineer nodded, amicable to the inquiry as he continued, "How do you know which way to pray, when we're out in deep space like this?" Gloria chortled softly, her head swiveling to look to him while she packed the rug away.

~ "There's a few steps to the story. Hand me that datapad, I'll collect my presentation while I explain.", the owl and collie exchanging her fabric bag for one of the ship's comm pads. "My great grandfather decided he wanted to travel the stars, and asked our patron god exactly that question.", the owl started as her fingers swept over the surface of the pad to pull up all of the data reports from the week.

~ "And the answer he got was that the patron god mostly knew about his fathers' business; but that there'd be a good word put in for him if he decided to leave the foundry and leap to the stars.", her nimble fingers carefully sorting the data blocks around by priority and legibility.

~ It was as she focused on the pad and her expression drifted towards neutral that Peter could really get a look at the ragged edges of her feathers, and splotches of faded color amongst them. As he listened, he wondered just how old she really was, even ask he asked, "...did he find an answer?"

~ Ms. Vineheart's expression resumed that of mirth, her age fading behind a facade, "Oho! First port he stopped at, wet behind his ears and out to get drunk with his new crew-mates until his legs were shaky even aboard the station, yeah? A raccoon challenged him to a game of chess of all things." She glanced up from pad to look at the collie, "..and he was the master of the foundry, back home. So he gladly accepted, and mercifully only wagered a single drink."

~ Fingers sliding to arrange images and charts into the order of presentation, another chortle preceded, "Well, she wiped the floor with him and he was out a single drink. At around the fifth drink with the raccoon drinking his crew-mates under the table, she pulled him aside." She handed the pad over to Peter, exchanging it for the cloth bag bearing her family seal.

~ "And what'd she tell him?", the owl volunteered teasingly for just a moment of curiosity from her subordinate, "Well, she said...", the owl did her best mimicry of a raccoon's tone, "Pray towards starboard if you're hoping to get somewhere new, and pray towards port side if you're hoping to get home."

~ As he helped her up onto her feet and along the way to the meeting, Peter tried to recall which way she'd been praying when he arrived.