FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The day looked to be... an overcast over the city of Thunderpass, it's always gonna start raining in the afternoon or just about any time of the day. Cole, an average office worker Dalmatian more specifically in the design department felt like the weather outside seemed to reflect his current mood greatly from the passing staff members at his cubicle and the slow day he is facing with data entry, something that he felt like he's left out from the big leagues! In a way... that his skill is left to dwindle while others who are stationed in a specific room are given so much to work on, they get to handle such... intricate equipments that is new to him, things that he hasn't heard when he was studying back in his university life. Still, he can't complain about it and well... this is how it is, if only there's some kind of miracle to all this, just a taste of challenge when a co-worker showed up with a couple of old brochures, ones that looked like it's been there for around three or four years, design wise. "Hey Cole, how about a real challenge than whatever you're doing?" He asked, the flamboyant red panda giggled as he placed down on the Dalmatian's cubicle then began explaining things on what the design is needed to be done as well as what approach his head is thinking about to bring in more people to take notice of their services provided. Cole, being the listener to the one on one conversation together, he began analysing the piece, hearing how messy and cluttered it look like a messy filing cabinet as well as unharmonised the layout is "so, you think this can be done in like... a week or so?" That red panda innocently asked as if the designing phase takes a few days to get it done and satisfy the company.

There's tension built already in the atmosphere, the Dalmatian's blood boiled but his frustrations were caved in, keeping full composure of himself all while he looked at the stacks of paper he would assumed to be a total of 200 or more so data to key in from the many roadshows the company held throughout the year -- or well, throughout last year. "With all due respect Edwin sir, but I don't think a week is all so possible" he began before pointing over the stack of papers he was tasked by the marketing department and began straightening it "I have more than around 200 data to key in, when's the deadline? I'm not sure but it sounded pretty urgent in a sense by the marketing department. Though why they gave me this, beats me" he explained while shaking his head in complete and utter disbelief just why he's given this work while he should have something much better to do. Still... despite his explanation, Cole knew how persistent Edwin is when it comes to persuading him to comply, if only he himself wasn't such a pushover and accept everything then at the end of the day, it's more stress than one can handle.

"It'll be fine! Just give it to the networking staff intern, they don't seem to have any work to do than loafing around the pantry"

"I'll have to think about it, I can't just do that you know! Think of the morale and whatever it is"

"Whatever it is, you better find a way to juggle two things at once, this brochure design task and... your data entry task, I swear you deserve better tasks than this one"

So with that the red panda walked off, off to deal with something else he presumed, probably about the company's advertising plans as well as storyboard judging from some advertising company a few kilometers away from where he works. He remembered he promised an old friend, his pet cat named Weiss, she's discovered when there's a huge ruckus in the ceiling of his old house, it's was getting mildly annoying before it was boldly decided upon getting the poor kitten down. Her fur so fluffy and the tail was magnificently fluffy it could be mistaken for those majestic felt pen seen in those medieval tv series. He remembered those times, coming back home from school to be greeted by her, meowing loudly that his parents joked about her being so pampered. Though time went by and he had to move out to a hostel so every weekend he will travel back home to meet her but... one unfaithful day, his dad broke the news how Weiss just... straight up disappeared for a week, he doesn't know how to react to that. Who could have taken his precious baby?! Though... could she maybe lost her way? There was so much to ask with little to no answer for it but hoped she came back home. So as days passed he kept hoping until all hope were lost until what seemed like the cycle repeated itself, a kitten crying out for their mother in the ceiling. Those were the times, he wished he had more time with her when she was around but he presumed she passed on just to keep him away from seeing her die in his arms.

Still... he remembered a special cafe out in a small humble town, off in the coastal area called Mystic Bay, a blend of mystic and magic, Ethereal Brew cafe, that's where he met her for the first time in three years or maybe a few years since. His first time meeting her, it was a bit awkward, having her refer to him as master even though it's technically the truth that he is her owner and that technically she is obligated to call him master but he will need to work on that later. At least now he has a motivation to go there, finish off the work or at least progressively doing it and end it off with something... decent to say the least, at least there's something rather than nothing, that is his life motto. When clock strikes the time to clock out, he was already done packing five minutes before! He rushed out of the office, ride the elevator down then into his car to make his way to the cafe, it is a 24/7 cafe if he recalled properly as there are people who just can't get enough with the service there and the moments to share with their loved ones. It took him an hour or so to arrive to said cafe, thanks to the rush hour but it's totally worth it for just this trip alone.

Upon arrival to the town and the desired cafe he had anticipated to go to, he took in a deep breath of fresh air, he was satisfied of the trip he had to take and the time he will soon be able to spend with his late pet cat that the cafe seemed to have summoned her spirit in the form of a... non-anthropomorphic cat that could just anytime go from bipedal and quadruped as they wished with opposable paws that could hold a cup without any trouble. The cafe's bell rang as he entered the establishment, the walls were of rustic wood, decorated with various ornaments to some were decorative and some were an aesthetic to give the brand name a bit of flare like the floating wisp around the ceiling. The soft smooth jazz was quite pleasing to the soul as he was greeted by what would be a floating talking cat. "Welcome sir, cafe for me to show you your seat, nyaa" she said with the kitty like catchphrase in the end that most cats wouldn't say if he recalled properly but it has its charms that Cole nodded before he was being guided over to the table by the window. It is his favorite spot especially if it rains as the water cascades down over the window. Upon being seated, on came a floating menu, laid perfectly in front of the Dalmatian as it opened up "I'll be tending to the other customers so do call me when you're ready, nyaa" she said and off she went to tend to others, taking order and entertaining the guests, though he suspects that this talking cat isn't an owner, maybe a familiar or something to a witch who dabbles in magic to bring forth the soul of those who passed away as ghost. Who knows, he isn't a detective nor he knows how this part of the town works, all he knows are that this town is magical and that whatever is bought here, shouldn't be exposed too much to others outside of Mystic Bay in fear of some huge panic or something. So while he looks over to what he could have, he looked around a bit to take in the environment, it's a typical cafe setting, people chatting around, some with friends, others alone like himself but one added key feature was the presence of a ghostly figure joining them and that it's connected to the crystal ball on almost every table. He assumed that these crystal balls are like a power source for the ghost and that moving too far away is going to cut the connection, much like the technological counterpart of a WiFi. Who should he call aside from his late pet cat? His former dreams to be a pharmacist? Maybe his old game console that he had used it to the very end of it's lifetime? He chuckled to himself while shaking his head before he raised his hands up to call in the waiter or... rather do the usual cat call to attract their attention.

He was again greeted by the waitress though this time, it's a calico. "Welcome~ what would you like to order?" She asked and the Dalmatian ordered a cup of latte and an assortment of cookies for himself and a warm glass of milk for his ghostly cat before she was on her way to prepare the order. Then his eyes focused on the instructions then the crystal ball, mesmerizing by the looks of it before he placed both hands then focused on it.

"Oh great beyond, bring forth my late pet cat Weiss, bring forth to me" he chanted, his eyes closed and oblivious to what he is doing when he felt a tap on the shoulders, a cold one to be exact and when he opened his eyes, there she is, Weiss, after so long since she's gone, she's finally here, sitting right in front of him with a feral like smile "it's been so long" he whispered, sighing softly as he reached out his hand before feeling her soft chilly fur, such gentleness and pampered she has become and he loves it. He watched her nuzzling his arm, he can tell she longs for him too, after a week away, surely she has many stories to tell about where ghosts lingers around.

He watched as the ghostly cat peacefully sat in Cole's lap, purring softly as if to tell him that she's here for him and is ready to hear just what new things has been bothering him. "Guess I'll be the one to talk huh? Very well then" he chuckled before running his finger along those ethereal fur, sure they're not real but it feels like old times "it's work related stuff, I guess you're already bored about it? Anyways, I guess I can cut it short" he sighs when their drinks and snacks arrived as he pats the table for Weiss' attention "got a job that's due in a week but at the same time I had to do those pesky data entry thing" he muttered when he heard her giggling over the topic.

She lapped her warm ghostly milk and sat, grooming herself for a while before saying. "Cole sweetie, I know you want a big challenge in your line of work but sometimes... you just gotta think of yourself, I can feel you being stress and you should stand up for yourself about that other work you have, don't just let them roll you around to get you so worked up" she advised him, stretching out before giving a loud yawn then looking at the assortment of sweets both for him and herself "just take your time, you know you have those supervisors right? Maybe you can ask them about it, sometimes in life, you need to reach out, you can't let everyone dump things on you even though they see you as somebody who's able to handle the stress being laid upon" she continued before lapping her warm milk, Cole knows he's being watch on his body language, he couldn't believe for a cat, she's like a wonderful mom, still, he appreciated this heart to heart talk. It's not easy to have this kind of moment, commitment to others are hard but when it comes to her, he knows he's in safe hands "promise me to stand up for yourself next time? You're a man already, look at you now!" She giggled at her own compliments, she had not been this generous with compliments especially around him, maybe cause she can't talk to him when she was around and only responded with just purrs and meows.

Cole sips his drink and chuckled softly at her words, if only a pet translator existed when she was around though this one seemed better. "I'll be sure to stand up for myself, don't you worry about it ok" he assured her before he slouched down a bit so he could feel her chilly ethereal fur brushing against him "aside from work related stuff, dad seemed fine, mom as well and her usual twitchy moment when things aren't going as planned out. We do have a new cat, her name is Coco, not sure who she belongs but we managed to get her out of the ceiling and out in the real world where she's taken care by her uncles, your kids that is" he chatted, giving her a quick run down of what happened lately "little sister is now waiting for her time to do her internship and she's pretty... wonderful academic wise, kinda jealous actually but what can I do anyways, everyone's different" he continued before he takes a piece of the muffin from the array of goods on the tray "me? Non-work stuff, I'm still finding a girlfriend, don't you judge about it!" He smirked, laughing as that is what his mom always remind him about finding that one true pair to fit his life.

Weiss smiles and meows in agreement then proceeds to lay over Cole's lap, even though it's not technically laying on his lap but it feels just like it if she was alive. "Same time next week?" She asked Cole sweetly, almost as though a date would ask the other.

"Yes"