FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Nevada State fair was one of the biggest outdoors events of the year. Since 1874 it had been held in Carson City, sprawling across the desert grounds. With good food, attractions, music, and entertainment, it was the perfect place for a date between two college students.

The smell of fried food drifted up and out the gates, floating lazily towards Allen and Chase. Their paws clasped in each other's, they stepped through and into the fairgrounds.

"So, is this a good place for a date?" Chase asked, turning to his partner. The smaller otter looked up and nodded, his eyes darting between Chase's own blue eyes and the stalls around them.

They smiled, and nodded excitedly. "This place is great! We need to go ride the ferris wheel, or the gaming alley, or the-"

Chase pat their head, cutting them off with a nuzzle. "Slow down babe. We've got all day." He laughed.

"I know, I know. I'm just excited! I'm only here for the next few days, and I want to make it worthwhile!"

A blush broke out beneath Chase's fur. He loved it when Allen rambled, getting excited about spending time together. The simplest things -even something like just talking and calling for hours- made them happy. Chase smiled. How lucky am I. He mused.

"Well, let's not just stand here. Let's go!" He exclaimed, pulling the smaller otter along behind him. Allen stumbled a bit, before catching up. Chase's legs were a bit longer than his.

Lights blinked and sparked around them as they padded across the dirt and gravel pathway. Toys whirred, children yelled with excitement, and the steady beep of games, attractions, and living, happy people filled the air.

The pair picked a path at random and wandered down it. The calls of gaming attendants drew their attention, and they paused at each stall for just a moment before moving on. There was so much to see, but Chase kept being drawn back to the sight besides him.

Allen had their denim hoodie on, worn relaxed and open at the front. Chase had tried to get him to leave it at home -it was the middle of summer in Arizona- but they'd insisted on wearing it. Chase didn't have the heart to make them take it off anyways. Besides, they were absolutely adorable in it. The blue of the denim was a nice contrast to the deep brown of their fur. And their eyes. It highlights their eyes. Chase thought dreamily.

Allen glanced up, staring at their boyfriend's bemused expression.

"What?" They asked, a small smile on their muzzle.

Chase blinked a few times and shook his head. "Oh, nothing. Just looking at something."

They reached up with their paw. "Is there something on my muzzle?"

A blur of movement, and the larger otter leaned in quickly, giving them a peck on the cheek.

"There is now."

Allen stopped dead in their tracks, paw still tightly grasped in Chase's. A noise that can only be described as a mixture of panic, excitement, and indescribable squeaks burst from their muzzle. They blushed beneath their fur and stared down at the gravel.

Chase leaned over and peeked down at Allen. He could see the wide smile splayed across their faces. He grinned himself, happy that his move had had the desired effect.

"Come on, I see an attraction up ahead." Chase said, once again pulling Allen along towards the large tent at the end of the lane. They slipped between other patrons of their fair, and ducked inside the green and blue striped pavilion.

Allen sighed a breath of relief. It had been getting hot out there. The cool crisp air of the tent was a nice change of pace from the hot Arizona sun.

The inside of the tent consisted of a large stage, raised above the crowd. Red, purple, and blue lights shown down onto the wooden platform, highlighting a trio of tigers.

The three felines were clad in lifting belts, leotards, and absurd masks depicting various cartoon characters. An announcer stood off to the side -a small female wolf- shouting out phrases to hype up the crowd.

A cheer broke out, as one of the tigers picked up a massive barbell and hefted it above their head with a single paw. He held it for a few seconds, before dropping it to the ground with a crash.

"A strongman show! Awesome!" Chase exclaimed to the side. He cheered along with the crowd, raising his paws to his muzzle and shouting with them.

Allen just stared at their boyfriend, excited to spend some time with him. The strongman show was neat, sure, but it wasn't the most entertaining thing to Them. They tried to pay attention to the tigers on the stage, but their attention kept drifting to the side.

The glow from the spotlights above reflected off the earrings in Chase's ears. The silver bars were perfect at catching and reflecting the lights from above.

Chase turned to the side, glancing over at Allen. He hummed. "What's up babe?"

"Oh nothing. Just looking at your earrings."

"Why, are you bored? We can leave if you are."

Allen raised their paws quickly. "No, no! We don't have to leave! I can see you're enjoying it. It's just-"

"Not your thing?"

They nodded.

"What, don't like big burly guys?" Chase asked with a smirk and a glint in his eyes.

Allen let out a laugh. "It's not that. They're fun and all, it's just not the most exciting. The poses are cool though!"

Chase raised his arms above his head and flexed, showing off his biceps. The otter's long arms stuck out of the holes of his tank top, the tan fur turning darker in the middle of his forearm.

"Oh, you mean this one?" He said, tensing his muscles. Chase dropped his arms, flexing his shoulders at the same time. "What about this one?"

Oh my gosh. Allen thought, a grin spreading across their muzzle. He-

"How about this then?" Chase raised his bicep, and gave it a small kiss. He glanced at Allen out the side of his eye, and winked. If Allen could have fainted right there and then, they would have.

Chase stopped, letting out a loud laugh that was thankfully swallowed by the crowd. "C'mon, let's get out of here then. There's more to see!"

Allen allowed Chase to lead the way out of the tent and into the sun. They hadn't been in there long, but the sun had already begun to lower towards the horizon in the west, dropping the temperature a few degrees.

The pair wandered away from the tent, and towards the games. Milk bottles, hammer launches, and all manner of skill games lined the thoroughfare around them. Children darted from place to place, spending their tickets and parent's money freely.

"So, what now? Want to play a game?" Chase asked, one paw in his pocket, the other holding tightly to Allen's. He looked amazing in the light of the setting sun, and it took them a few seconds to realize they'd been asked a question.

"Huh? Oh yeah!"

Allen looked around the place, an idea blossoming in their head. Ever since they were a kid, they'd been very, very skilled at the ring toss. Allen started towards the booth. It was staffed by an old wolf in a fraying t-shirt.

The game attendant was staring down at his phone, unaware of the two otters approaching.

"Um, excuse me?" Chase asked. He tapped the small bell attached to the counter, trying to get their attention.

The wolf looked up lazily. One eye was milky and pale -likely blind. "Ey? What'cha want?" He asked crudely. His voice was slurred slightly, and a small bead of drool dripped from the side of his muzzle.

"How much for the game?" Allen asked, reaching into their pocket for their wallet.

"Five bucks for three rings. You know how to play?"

Allen smirked. "I think I can figure it out." They answered, slapping a bill down on the table. They swiped a trio of rings with their paw, and stepped up to the counter on the side.

The old wolf collected the payment with a shrug. "Whatever you say, kid."

Chase took a delicate step up to them, resting his paw on Allen's shoulder. "You sure you know what you're doing, babe?"

Allen nodded. "Just let me win you something, ok hun?" They winked.

He took a step back with a chuckle. "Whatever you say."

The shorter otter squared their shoulders, and took sight at the rows of bottles on the other end of the booth. Each row was slightly above the other, nestling tightly into the hollows made by the previous row.

There was a trick to the game, one that Allen had known since they were just a pup. A quick flick of the wrist was essential for winning this game -if it wasn't rigged of course. The snapping movement would spin the ring, letting it stabilize when it landed around the top.

Allen twisted their wrist back, and stared down their arm. Aiming for the second row of bottles, they let loose. The ring slipped from their paws as their wrist went straight and flew forward.

Their aim was true, and the ring landed staunchly on the second bottle from the right, on the bottom row. Chase let out a congratulatory whoop, before being shushed by Allen. They needed silence to focus.

The second ring, and the third all landed true. He'd won! The wolf at the counter laid his phone down and turned to Allen.

"Well kid, what'cha want?" He asked sardonically. It wasn't often -Allen guessed- that someone won the ring toss.

They scanned the rows of prizes hung on the wall next to the bottles, and layered in the glass cabinet below them. The selection was rather dull. Just miscellaneous trinkets that would no doubt break in some way as soon as they were taken from their container.

A glint caught their eye. Near the bottom of the container sat two rings, the setting sun reflecting off the iridescent colored band around the middle. It was perfect.

Allen pointed to them. "What about those rings?" They asked, smiling. The wolf just nodded, and pulled the package out of the cabinet. Allen took them from him delicately, and slipped one over his index finger. They passed the other one to Chase.

"Mood rings? Babe, you do know these things aren't real." He still slipped it over his own finger. The bands -one on Allen's paw, the other on Chase's- immediately turned a rosy pink color.

"Oh yeah? Then what does that color mean?"

Chase blushed, him being the flustered one for once. Allen's muzzle broke out into a wide smile, and they took his hand. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving."

Maybe two entire funnel cakes was a mistake. Chase thought as the two of them got in line for the Tilt A Whirl. After the ring toss, Allen had been desperate to go get something to eat.

They'd headed over to the food alleys, strolling past the stalls of fried food. The smells of things like fried oreos, pizza cones, and freshly grilled wings. Allen had immediately been drawn the funnel cakes, lightly dusted with confectioners sugar.

The smaller otter had immediately scarfed down two of them, while Chase had just lightly picked at his own. Allen had then sighed, patted their belly, and pulled Chase towards the attractions.

The line leading up to the ride was relatively short, and they managed to get boarded within a few minutes. Allen's face had started to pale slightly as the two of them had been strapped into their seats.

Chase turned to Allen as the steel bar meant to keep them from flying off into the crowd snapped into place. "Are you sure you're feeling well? You look a little nauseous babe."

Allen simply nodded, holding tightly to Chase's paw. "I'll be fine."

The ride operator pressed a button, and off they went. The ride began to spin, slowly picking up speed before the individual segments at the ends of the main wheel started to rotate.

The Tilt-A-Whirl is a relatively simple ride. A single wheel at the center of the attraction begins to spin at high speeds, before four to five smaller wheels -with attached compartments for passengers- began to rotate in the opposite direction. The end result was a rapidly oscillating cyclone of fur and screaming passengers.

Allen and Chase held tightly to the bar as their small pod began to spin counter clockwise to the main wheel. At the apex of the rotation, Chase threw his paws up in the air, letting the movement of the wheels throw him back and forth.

Allen, on the other paw, was not having such an enjoyable experience. The two funnel cakes they'd consumed just minutes prior were not reacting well to the constant churning of the ride. Their face turned green as their stomach soured, and it was all they could do to not lose it right then and there.

The ride eventually slowed to a stop, and Chase helped his partner down from the seat. The look on their face told him they needed to take a small rest.

Chase sat them down on a small bench outside the exit, patting their back. After a few minutes of gentle patting and coddling -along with two bottles of water from a nearby stall- Allen felt well enough to keep going.

"Well, where to next?" Chase asked, keeping an eye on them.

"What about another game? Want to win me a prize this time?" Allen winked.

Chase chuckled. "You want me to win you a prize then, babe?" He said, using the silly couples name he usually used for them.

"Absolutely, hun." They responded, elbowing them slightly.

Warmth bloomed on his face. "That was adorable. Absurdly adorable." He said, leaning in to nuzzle their head.

Allen let out a small squeak, and after a moment, leaned into it. They stood like this for a few moments, the crowd of people parting around them as they held each other.

"Now come on, you promised me a prize." Allen said, breaking the trance. The pair headed back towards the games, passing the tent to the strongman show. It was darkened now, the attraction closed up for the evening.

The two otters, paws clasped tightly together, stopped in front of the shooting range. Perfect. Chase thought. He'd love a chance to show off his shooting skills. He grabbed a gun, tossed the guy a few bucks, and went at it.

Shot after shot rang out from his small pellet gun as he took down each target in quick succession. A quick reload -he only got one, not that he needed it- and another row of painted targets went down.

Allen clapped, clearly delighted at their boyfriend's sharpshooting skills.

"Well, which one do you want?" Chase asked, waving his paw at the rows of stuffed animals hung along the wall. Allen pointed to one on the upper rows. A gray wolf, draped in a red, roman style cloak, wearing jeans of all things on his legs. The cloak was fastened by a gold and fake-turquoise clasp at one shoulder.

The stall's attendant passed it to Allen, taking the gun from Chase at the same time. Allen hugged the doll tightly, thanking Chase for winning it for them.

"It's perfect." They said, giving Chase a tight hug and a peck on the muzzle. Chase happily returned the kiss, leading his partner away from the stall.

"C'mon, I've got one final idea before we go. Trust me, it'll be worth it." He said, leading Allen towards the ferris wheel. The line was a bit longer than it had been for the Tilt A Whirl, but the view would be worth it.

They boarded the gondola, holding onto each other as it ascended into the sky lazily. Reds, golds, and oranges shone down into the valley, cast by the blazing orb of the setting sun. Chase and Allen held each other tight as they looked out across the city, watching the sunset as the wheel reached its peak.

"Well, was this a good day?" Chase asked, staring down into Allen's deep brown eyes. They seemed to contain wonders beyond imagination. Swirling browns and tans, like the earth below.

Allen delicately put the plus to the side, scooting closer to Chase. They reached up, and embraced him, planting a kiss on the front of his muzzle.

"It was perfect." They whispered as the sun finally dipped below the horizon.

Author's note: Commissioned short story for two good friends of mine. You can find them at @/ChaseDatOtter and @/OddOttAllen on Twitter.