FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

~ Out in backwater colonies where there weren't niceties like satnav or paved roads, Detective Clip always found a bit of charm to rumbling down a gravel and dirt road on the back of a growling motorcycle. There wasn't too much of a hurry to it, and she kept her speed to a reasonable jaunt; she was quite aware of the risks of potholes or gravel puddles that sometimes accumulated from poor maintenance.

~ The temples to some raccoon deity of travel always seemed to crop up in the most out of the way locations, and this one was largely without any attributes of note excepting that some number of suppliers were shipping their contraband to the location. From the directions provided, Clip knew to keep an eye out for the box number, as the temple itself was basically like any other farm house out here. She slowed down as she came upon another farmhouse, comparing the box number of 1681 to the note paper she'd taped to the gas tank. This was not yet her destination, and she resumed her pace.

~ Only several more miles out of town, she found the box clearly marked 1891. Her lack of smile concealed by the helmet, the Detective pulled off the main road and towards the building that looked outwardly to be a farmhouse. An elderly badger, adorned in green robes, hobbled out along the path and towards where she'd parked the bike.

~ "Ahoy! Hoy! Greetings! You're in time for tea!", called out the suspect badger.

~ Taking advantage of the concealment from the helmet, the jackalope gave the priest a stern looking over as he approached and she methodically doffed her riding gear.

~ "Someone say I was coming?"

~ The badger smiled. "Yes; I talk with many deities on occasion. One told me to invite the mailman over for tea today; I hope this won't give your business any bother." He was already hobbling his way back towards the farmhouse. He didn't look to have the strength needed to even lift the packages of contraband; to say nothing of the willingness of deities to advise thieves.

~ As they made their way up the path, the Detective inquired of the Priest, "Who else stays out here, at this temple?"

~ The badger chuckled softly, "Just me, for now. Once they get that road over there paved, they'll be sending me a group of interns, I'm told.", giving the jackalope a grin as he opened the door.

~ Directly inside the front entrance was the hosting room, with a pitcher of iced tea resting in the middle of the table. An empty cup was set out for Detective Clip, an emptied cup sat in front of a Synth who'd opted for a postal color pattern, and a half empty glass was presumably the badger's until he heard the motorcycle's approach.

~ The priest waved to the chair nearest the door, "Have a seat. I'll fetch some biscuits.", and with a nod to the mailman, "And a box of wafers, if you'll excuse store bought."

~ Detective Clip settled down into the offered seat, the mailman grinning friendily. His arms looked like he could push over a building, or lift a starved mountain.

~ The jackalope suspected that the Priest was not the one receiving the shipments of contraband; and someone else's investigations had cleared the mailman.

~ With a polite nod, Clip poured herself a glass of tea. If the badger noticed, he didn't comment on the fact that she waited until he'd emptied his cup and taken another drink before sipping her own.

~ After a turn, and munching on a lengthy bit of wafer, the Mailman let out a sigh. The badger's expression was a portent of a well worn topic.

~ "I tell them, I don't know where I am half the time out here, without the sat navs I grew up with.", the Synth explained with exasperation, "And they won't give me back my desk job."

~ The Detective's ears perked. "How do you know where to deliver the packages, then?"

~ The Synth leaned back into his seat somewhat, "Well. I've got something of a memory, at least. So I just follow the right roads, and I'll know that I've done the route. And I check the numbers, to know what stop I'm at." The jackalope nodded slowly, considering.

~ "But they won't let you have your desk job back?", the Priest inquired with the well worn grooves of dialog he knew to step through.

~ The mailman waved the remaining half of a wafer to the badger, "I'm apparently the only one who can't get sunburnt! Go figure. Eeehhhh...."

~ The Detective nibbled on a biscuit while the Synth mumbled to himself for a short bit before he concluded.

~ "It's only fair, I suppose. I'll retire here in a couple more years, so no need for Janice to get hurt on the route..."

~ On her way back into town, Detective Clip confirmed that the numbers on box 1681 were made able to be turned over and locked into either orientation. She'd call for backup, once in radio range of town.