FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Lorrie made her way into the bar, umbrella hooked on her arm as she traded the white noise of rain for the low roar of conversation. It looked like a calm night; not empty, but still enough space for everyone to be comfortably spread out. She easily spotted Alex, sitting at the corner of the bar proper, his back to the door.

A grin played on the panda's face, a fun little idea coming to mind as she shed her coat. She hung it, and her umbrella, beside what she knew to be his jacket. Walking up behind him, she saw the little otter was a bit dolled up, having spent the evening with Tobi. A pale yellow top, paired with a light blue pleated skirt that only just reached halfway down his large thighs.

"Heaven's missing an angel." Lorrie put on a sultry voice, sidling up to the otter and taking the stool beside him. She looked him up and down with lustful eyes as she leant against the bar, pushing out her considerable chest to put the low cut of her shirt and vest to full effect. "What's your name, baby? Why're you all alone?"

Alex looked up at her, confused and doubtful until the panda wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. He sighed and rolled his eyes, but couldn't mask the faint hint of a grin. Lorrie smiled. Despite the show of annoyance, he'd still play along.

"Well," The otter leant on the bar, chin in hand "my friend said she wanted to meet at her favorite bar," he explained, feigning disappointment, "wanted to show me a good time." He idly stirred his drink, making a face to match his tone. "But it seems she's stood me up. Even worse, the kitchen's closed."

"I can show you a good time." The panda offered, reaching a foot across to rub along his leg a few times. "If you like."

"I dunnoooo," Alex looked to the ceiling, exaggerating his hesitation, "my friend says I shouldn't trust strangers." He looked back down, playing with the straw in his drink a bit more.

"Your friend's not here though, are they?" Lorrie tempted.

"And just as well." Alex replied firmly. "She reeks of lilac and makes _awful_jokes." He affected a serious face and demeanor as he spoke, but a subtle glance and another slight smile at the end gave him away.

"Oi." Lorrie sat up straight, dropping all pretense and planting a fist on her hip. She couldn't help but grin at the audacity, though, knowing this had to be going somewhere. He simply ignored her and carried on, fighting a smile as he spoke.

"One might say she's... _pun_gent." He giggled to himself, giving her a sidewise glance and playfully poking his tongue through his teeth. Lorrie's mouth hung open as she looked away in disbelief.

"Ooooooo...." She let the sound out with a long breath, tapping the bar and fighting her own smile. "If that weren't so good I would _smack_you." She let her hand fall flat on the bar for emphasis, while Alex just kept giggling. The bartender, a burly and gruff-looking ram, taking notice of the exchange, approached them.

"Everything alright here ladies?" Though his tone was even, he was clearly ready to bounce some troublemakers, his arms spread apart as he placed his hands on the bar top. Alex looked up at the man towering over them, who seemed to focus on him in particular. He made himself smaller, worried he had crossed some line.

"Oh it's fine, Bill." Lorrie assured him with a pleasant tone, casually waving off his concern and indicating to the otter beside her. "This is Alex." She then turned to Alex and gestured to the ram. "Bill. He's a sweety."

Alex waggled his fingers in a timid sort of wave, his nervousness still apparent in the smile he tried to give. To his relief, the ram's overall demeanor relaxed significantly, and he somehow seemed much smaller once his arms had dropped to his sides.

"Ah." He gave them both a small but warm smile, his voice much gentler as he spoke. "Forgive me, sir, very sorry. Lorrie speaks very highly of you. It's nice to finally meet you." He dipped his head, then returned to tending the bar.

"Speaking of sweets," Lorrie took up the pretense once more, "let's 'get to know each other'. Whaddya say, hot stuff?"

"Oh stop." Alex was more than happy to let the tension pass, playing along with a coy smile. He placed a few fingers on his chin and turned his gaze to the ceiling. "But do go on." He added, comically fluttering his eyelashes.

"Bill, dear. Two more please." Lorrie pointed to the otter's drink. Bill nodded and gave a thumbs up, getting to work. She turned back to Alex. "Why would your friend leave you to such an awful place?"

"Hey." Bill complained from down the bar, though not truly offended. He held his arms out as if to say 'I'm right here you know', though Lorrie just ignored him.

"Are they pulling a horrible trick on you?" She continued.

"HEY." Bill complained again, louder.

"Shhh, we're having fun." She replied. Bill rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh.

"You're lucky it's a slow night..." He grumbled to himself, returning to their drinks.

"Hush, I'm trying to pick up a hottie here." Lorrie playfully insisted, gesturing at Alex, who for his part was sipping on his drink and looking between them.

"You ain't gotta hurt my feelins, though." He placed a hand on his chest in a dramatic gesture.

"I thought you liked a little degradation." The panda smiled, shooting the ram a knowing look and causing Alex to choke on his drink.

"Oh my god." Alex covered his face as Bill straightened, a sheepish look of surprise as he glanced over his shoulder at the panda. She kept her eyes on him as he looked between his guests a few times, then cleared his throat.

"Carry on." Bill again turned back to fixing their drinks, and minding his own business.

"So?" Lorrie leant on the bar once more, resting her chin on her hand and making bedroom eyes at the otter.

"I would love to chat with you in this cozy_and _charming establishment," Alex said, making no effort to be subtle, nor quiet, "staffed by wonderful people." Though fully directing his attention at Lorrie, the drinks hitting the bar brought his focus to Bill, now standing beside them. The ram gave him a scrutinizing look, which Alex was unsure how to take, once again thinking himself in trouble. He watched as the man reached below the bar in a deliberate manner. Bill did not look away, nor change his expression as he pulled out a small, personal-sized bag of pretzels and slid it up beside Alex's drink.

A small gasp and a look of wonder overcame the otter as he eyed the snack. He looked up to Bill curiously. The big man simply placed a finger over his mouth; it would be their 'secret'. Alex turned to Lorrie with an open-mouth smile as he held the little bag to his chest. The panda returned a similar look, hiding how touched she was over the exchange, instead acting incredulous at the blatant favoritism.

"Well, we can't have you together anymore." Lorrie feigned offence as she looked between them, smiling despite herself. "Let's go find a table." Lorrie blew a cheeky kiss to Bill as she hopped off her barstool.

"It was nice meeting you!" Alex said in a hushed voice, giving the ram a friendly smile as he followed the panda's lead, still holding the snack close.

"If your 'new friend' doesn't work out, you know where to find me." Bill replied with a smile, taking joy in the otter's bashful reaction.

Lorrie picked out as private a table as she could find, pulling out one of the chairs for Alex, the otter graciously taking his seat and stuffing the pretzels into his bag for later.

"Told you he was sweet." The panda remarked, walking around to sit opposite him. "But you..." she wasted no time, immediately stroking her foot gently against his leg, "You never told me your name."

"Alex." He tilted his head, giving a coy smile and turning in his seat a bit.

"I like that." Lorrie smiled, leaning over the table and crossing her arms. "_Just_Alex?"

"Alexander." He elaborated.

"Ohh." The panda responded with intrigue. "A strong name..." She paused for a thought, her eyes narrowing as she shared, "...but flexible."

"Astoundingly so." Alex raised an eyebrow, resting his crossed wrists on the edge of the table. He leant against the back of his chair, still giving that smile.

"I really_like that." Lorrie brought her hands up to support her chin, taking a moment to look him over again. Once satisfied, she extended a hand across the table. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, _Alex." The otter accepted the gesture, but wasn't ready for the panda to kiss the back of his hand. With a gasp, he covered his face with his free hand, looking away.

"Likewise." He managed through a grin. The kissed hand was gracefully let free, joining the effort to hide the otter's face. It was short-lived however, as Alex managed to compose himself, but Lorrie allowed herself small chuckle over it as she sat up straight.

"I'm Lorelei, but my friends call me..." her gaze drifted away thoughtfully, possibly to the bar, "...often."

"Hi Often, I'm dad." Alex cut in right away with a cheeky grin.

"It's almost like you don't wanna get laid tonight." Lorrie shot back.

"Bitch please, I'm irresistible." He leant forward with a hand on his chest. "I could have anyone in this whole chair." He proclaimed, waving his finger around overhead, ultimately pointing down at himself.

"I know, I can hear it from my room." Lorrie calmly replied with a grin. As the otter's eyes widened, so too did the panda's smile. His eyes quickly narrowed, though, as he saw through her bluff. She simply laughed. "But just for a second, you thought I could." He pouted, folding his arms in a huff.

"So tell me, Alex," Lorrie brought them back on track, "What do you like to do for fun?" She set her elbow on the table, holding her chin as she admired his grumpy face.

"Well..." He seemed a little hesitant, and Lorrie couldn't quite tell how genuine the reaction was. "I really enjoy making clothes. A little design, but mostly just sewing." A thoughtful look came over him, looking down and playing with his fingertips as he spoke. "It's relaxing. I made this, actually." He sat up straight, suddenly confident as he showed off his clothes with pride.

"It's lovely." Lorrie dropped character, taking a moment to honestly admire his work before resuming their play. "It fits you well... and looks well-fit."

"There's not a retailer in the world stocked for a figure like this." Alex posed with a hand on each hip. "But I don't have to tell you, do I?" He looked her over as she had done to him, with that lustful gaze, but his expression changed mid-ogle. He seemed concerned, leaning in and frowning at her chest.

"I'll be honest, that's not the reaction I'm used to..." Lorrie gave him a confused look.

"C'mere." He waved her in closer, bringing his face very near her cleavage. She humored him, leaning over the table and pushing out her chest. "The button's coming loose..." He seemed upset, his shoulders slumping as he slouched back into his seat.

"Is this the part where you invite me back to your place?" Lorrie gave him a sly look, also sitting back in her seat. "I take off my vest so you can 'fix it', one thing leads to another..."

"Wish I were that clever, but it's not an angle." He held his chin, elbow on the table, staring at the button with disappointment. He sighed heavily.

"It _is_a little old now," the panda unfastened the button without looking, letting the garment hang open a bit, "and I _do_put a lot of stress on it." She readjusted her shirt to better suit the new arrangement.

"If I did my job right, you shouldn't." Alex argued.

"We can fix it later." The panda firmly assured him. "In the meantime, if you aren't enjoying the show, keep your eyes up here. Understood?" Her tone was light and playful.

"Fine." The otter rolled his eyes, but was ultimately playing up his irritation. "But yo-"

A sound like the ripping of dense cloth tore through the sky overhead, instantly followed by a deafening roar that violently shook the building. The clinking of glass chimed throughout room and the lights flickered before going out. There was a moment of silence as everything settled, followed by anxious murmuring.

"Everyone stay calm." Bill called out to the dark room. "The lights'll be back in a sec." As though on cue, they flickered back to life, allowing everyone to regain their bearings. There seemed to be no real damage. "There, no time at all."

"Fucking Christ _." Alex exclaimed, breathing hard and clutching his chest. "That scared the _shit out of me."

"You're not alone. Oof." Lorrie said casually. Though seemingly undisturbed, it was still the most shaken Alex had seen her in ages. Even so, she was more concerned about him. "You alright, blue?"

"Yeah, just... fuck." Alex said. "Ohh..." he added with a pained look, reaching down the massage his leg, "...I think I kicked the table." His tone was overall dismissive, though.

"Should probably check-" The dinging of Lorrie's phone interrupted her thought. She slipped it from her pocket to see Wynne had beaten her to the punch. "Speak of the devil." She opened the message to a slightly cryptic, and likely rushed, message; a checkmark, a radar sweep and the text 'c u 5m'.

Lorrie had to stare at it a moment before it made sense. She switched over to the weather app to find a storm system much worse than anticipated, heading their way. The face she made prompted Alex to inquire.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Looks like our fun's been cut short." Lorrie explained with a serious tone. "Wynne's on her way to get us."

"Why?"

"Because we need to get home ASAP." She passed him the phone, and he made the same face at it. "We have just enough time to get out ahead of it, and prep the house."

"Can't really argue with that." Alex conceded.

"She's not far, but I'd like to be waiting when she gets here." Lorrie stood up and downed the last of her drink in one go. "I'm gonna go 'powder my nose' while I can. Meet you at the bar?"

"Yeah."

A particularly crowded table made reaching the restroom a bit tricky, but Lorrie managed to navigate it without incident. She wasn't as lucky when making her way back a few minutes later. A man standing by the table turned right as she passed by, bumping into her backside. Though technically larger, he was no match for the panda. His drink spilled down his front as he bounced off her and into the table, spilling a few others.

"Hey!" The man complained, looking over his soaked clothes.

"Whoops, terribly sorry!" Lorrie apologized as she turned around.

"Watch where you're goin' you fuckin' b-" The word sputtered on his lips once he saw the small woman's face. A low rumble of thunder shook the building again as she looked up at him. His eyes went wide, and his mouth hung open as his breath abandoned him.

" Panzerfaust..."

"I'm _very_sorry, sir." She apologized again. She quickly produced a few bills from her pocket and held them out. "I'm afraid I'm in a hurry, but this should cover your drinks."

"N-no, it's-it's fine. Really." He held up his hands in refusal.

"I insist." She said with a firm tone, taking the man's hand and curling his fingers around the money. She smiled at him, making her exit before he had the wherewithal to react. Alex looked to her curiously as she approached, the table falling quiet in her wake.

"What was that all about?" The otter asked.

"Bit of a mishap." Lorrie explained dismissively. "Nothing to worry about. You all set?"

"Wishing I'd worn pants, but yes." Alex quipped, wearing his jacket and holding her coat and umbrella at the ready.

"Bill honey, my ass cost me some cash. We're gonna come back and do this right, can I pay you then?" Lorrie said.

"'Fraid not, darlin'." Bill crossed his arms.

"Is this because I embarrassed you?" She teased while Alex helped her into her coat. She raised an eyebrow and kept her eyes on him. He seemed less bothered about it this time, however.

"I _was_going to say 'because it's on the house', but since you mention it..." He paused a moment for effect, but an eventual wink and smile made clear it was all in good fun. "Don't sweat it."

"Absolute sweetheart." Lorrie gave Alex a knowing look. She motioned Bill to lean down, tugging him further by his horn and kissing him on the cheek. She and Alex then made their way to the door.

"Hey," Bill called after them, a hint of worry on his face, "you stay safe out there."

"You know it. See you soon!" Lorrie called back, blowing him another cheeky kiss before the two of them vanished into a dark and stormy night.