FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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Hehhey-o,

sugar substitutes,

and welcome to the Hockey Hunk!

It's chapter 14 now, and boy, has time gone by fast again! Well, at least for us...*chuckle*...but there we go! The drama shall be ongoing for the moment indeed, and of course, hearing your feedback will be a great part of the fun - keep it coming!

Do also check this amazing fan art by Frosted_Fur of Marker! Marker - give him all the love you can, Frosty is so very generous and talented, with a distinct style!

Have a fun read!

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Shopping malls!

It had been literally years since I'd visited the Stepford Center, but it wasn't all that different all told. The same conglomeration of stores and shops, with furs wandering between their various outlets, clutching bags, carry-away coffee mugs, and a much greater number of smartphones, of course, than before. Now, this might come as a shock, but back when I used to be a more regular visitor here, furs had phones that had monochrome display systems, and if anyone was wearing headphones, they were connected to these mysterious round objects bulging uncomfortably in oversized pockets called portable CD players.

The décor hadn't changed, either, being as cheap and tacky as before, but the air was cool even on this hot day, and filled with smells of fast food, and a mingle of furs, even if it was an early Monday afternoon. There was room for to stretch my paws, so to speak.

And...I am not ashamed to say, at least in this confidence, that it felt safer there. Unlike the main street on town center, the shopping mall had a number of roaming security officials making themselves visible, which...which made it a bit easier to poke my nose out.

Yes...I did tell Peter that I was not going to let this get to me, but when something like this happens to you...when someone threatens to smash your maxilla because you are a homosexual, it served as a fair reminder of what a land of the brave this place was, where bravery was bullying someone over ten years older than you, bigger than you, and who would earn more money in his life than you ever would, and who simply happened to be a bit lavender-scented...figuratively speaking. I always preferred sandalwood, anyway. Perhaps I could shop somewhere where they sold scent. Did that small shop still operate here, where they had such a nice little selection...

I shambled across the smart glass front of an Albrecht Brothers bookstore, the interior full of bright light, wooden varnished shelves and stark red carpeting, adverts on the windows offering special offers. It was so business like, stark like a McDonalds, or so. I did feel curious for a peek and a browse, but I already had something of a long shopping list of pricey items, so perhaps I would enter this bastion of entertainment of knowledge on my return trip through the great circle of the mall. Online consultation had told me the existence here of what I wanted, but running through a mall like a man on a mission just seemed like a waste of perfectly good personal time off.

And if I didn't do this now, I might not be brave enough to do it any time soon.

I took the escalator to the second floor, passing a game store, and wedding store and a greeting card and gift shoppe, before I finally reached what I had seen on the online directory, a big, rather flashy shop front with pictures of broadly smiling furs on cardboard stands. The big sign on the top told me that I was in the right place, even if the pictures of over-sized spectacles weren't enough of a clue.

It smelled faintly of coffee in there as I walked in, the space vaguely triangular, with a service counter in front of you when you walked in, a small waiting area to the left, and a larger shop floor to the right, with a few furs walking along the shelves and stands, browsing happily. I walked over to the counter, manned by a cheerful-looking badger whom immediately flashed me a smile.

"Good day, and welcome to the Ashley Eye Care Center, how can I help you?" she spoke with well-practiced elocution, her smile bright and customer service-like.

"Hello," I said, "I am interested in purchasing a pair of reading glasses."

"Do you have an appointment or have you already visited our optometrist for your prescription?" she asked in that same rapid-fire style.

I took a folded piece of paper from my pocket and placed it onto the counter.

"I had my vision tested about seven months ago, so I think this should be valid still," I said, "it was made in London in the United Kingdom, however, so I am not quite sure if all the information in it is the same as what you use here, however."

She glanced at the piece of paper quickly before seeking further eye contact with me.

"Yes, I'll just show it to our optometrist, I think they'll be able to figure it out!" she smiled broadly. "Would you like to sit down for a moment to wait for it?"

"Would it be possible for me to browse instead?" I said, pointing a quick paw towards the selection of eyewear awaiting.

"By all means!" she said. "And you may ask our free service fur there for any questions you might have!"

"Thank you, darling," I spoke before I took a small swivel towards the direction of the indicated shelves, loaded with hundreds of choices and brands and shapes, too.

"There's also complimentary coffee and tea!" she pointed at a table set by the waiting chairs, stacked with implements for such beverages.

"That's very kind of you," I said before I returned to my original direction, the shop floor.

I wandered between the shelves for a few moments, wondering about the creativity one had had to converge to create so many different designs. The basic premise was such a simple one, after all, and to create so many different kind of frames, and shapes of lenses and colors and everything, it was somewhat amusing, even if I was mostly looking for something practical. All those long nights reading term papers to come, I certainly would need it, even if my short-sightedness was of very slight quality.

I managed to be alone for a couple of minutes before a coyote in a neat white shirt appeared, smiling and clasping his paws together.

"Good day sir, are you being served?"

Well I'll be...where'd he come up with that phrase? I'd never heard anyone say it, not outside...well...the kind of awful sitcoms that Liam sometimes enjoyed making me watch, while I'd squirm and them find myself laughing uncontrollably at the worst jokes imaginable, delivered in impeccable British timing.

"Hello," I smiled a little in greeting, "and no, I was actually just looking yet. I'm looking for some reading glasses, and I just left my prescription at the desk, and I thought I'd browse a little before they get back to me."

"We have a great selection of men's glasses in all standard and designer brands, and various designs, of course!" the coyote grinned. "Is there anything in particular you are interested in, as a starting point?"

I chuckled a little.

"Well I'm up to experimentation, surely," I mused, "but I would probably like something with full rims, and full frames. I've tried the pinze-nez look but it doesn't fit me...not to mention that it's slightly difficult to achieve with broad, short muzzles like mine."

The coyote studied my profile, rubbing his chin as he adopted professional flair.

"Yes...yes...perhaps...perhaps something to accentuate the face..." he spoke like a true artist.

"Well my old pair was in tortoiseshell," I said.

"Do you perhaps have them with you?"

I tensed a little, but kept on smiling.

"I'm afraid my old pair was misplaced, hence I'm seeking new glasses," I said, not really wanting to tell them that I broke mine while dodging a blow from a fist.

"That happens surprisingly often!" the coyote grinned.

"Yes," I smiled politely, "perhaps you'd like to suggest a few choice models for me, and I can try them on?"

"By all means!" the coyote wagged his tail.

For a few minutes it was all play then, trying on the different frames and me doing a few silly poses and faces on the mirrors provided, but then the coyote had to excuse himself for another customer and I was left to do on my own, which I then did, looking at the glasses and fondling the occasional pair. It seemed to be somewhat busy that night, with customers of all ages, I also noticed, since one of them just departed with a walking frame, and another one...well...

"...but moooom Tyler said that they're going to stick a big needle into my eye!" I spied a small bunny boy throwing a tantrum at his long-suffering mother, whose own glasses seemed to be as thick as the bottom of a wine bottle.

"Now now, Jacob, you know your brother has never even had his eyes checked, how could he know?"

"But mooooooooooom..."

"Well here's the doctor now..."

"Mooooom!"

The bunny hopped up against his mother's bosom and held position there, hiding from the approach menace of a rather tall but non-dangerous-looking tiger whom was wearing a white coat which had several large cartoonish, smiling crocodiles printed on it.

"Hello, is this Jacob?" the tiger asked.

"DOES HE HAVE A NEEDLE?" the boy whimpered against his mother whom looked less than happy.

"Now, now...hello, doctor, I'm afraid he's a bit scared..."

"Oh that's alright," I spied how the tiger spoke, and then, to my surprise, crouched down so that he was in eye level with the hiding boy. "This can be a scary place, with all the machines and smells and the like...but it's all really cool...it's a bit like working on a spaceship...you know, up in the orbit...because we've got all these microscopes and stuff here we can use to look inside your eye to see how it's doing..."

"WITH NEEDLES!"

"Oh, but we don't have any needles here, it's the law. No needles for eyes."

"WHAT'S A LAW?"

"I'm so sorry, doctor, his brother's been scaring him about coming here, I think..."

"Oh it's just fine, maybe he'd like to see his mother have her eyes looked first to see that it doesn't hurt at all and there are absolutely no needles. Would you like that, Jacob?"

Awww...that was some good tactics there, I thought, perhaps that could work with college students, too, loathe to return their papers, I thought, as I chuckled a little after witnessing this small scene in life, and I turned to look for some spectacles, preferable a bit more silly ones, just to try them on, when I noticed a familiar face emerge from behind one of the shelves.

"Haakon!" I ejaculated.

The lynx gave me an exquisitely surprised look, those tuff-tipped ears flicking back and all, and I smiled, quickly, knowing that I'd spoken quite loudly and suddenly in my outburst of surprise upon seeing him here.

"Hi, doctor Faye," the lynx replied, then, with a small smile, but I could tell, I just could tell that it was missing some of its usual shine, somehow, "wassup?"

I waved a paw.

"I'm browsing for new glasses," I said", but then again, this is the optometrist's, I suppose it does not come to you as a surprise!"

Oh, Nicholas, your sense of humor must've had the concussion your brain didn't...oh, oh...need red wine...

"Hah, no," Hawk-on replied.

"You do wear glasses, sometimes, "I noted, "are you looking for a change too?"

"Maybe," he scratched his neck, looking about, as if avoiding my gaze, "I...uh...they don't have...uh...what's the word...hmm...I don't need them to see, just...just to wear?"

"Accessories can make a man," I smiled, letting my lips curl a little, "isn't that what you meant? You just wear them because they look nice?"

He flicked one pierced ear and smiled a little, again.

"I guess that's what I meant, yeah," he said.

"Well there was this coyote here selling me glasses but he seems to have disappeared," I mused, looking for any signs of the sales fur, "I was left to fend for my own."

"I'm just looking, really," he replied, "not really something I need."

I chuckled.

"Oh, dear, it's the purchases we don't need that make us the happiest," I smiled, "I'm almost unhappy that I really do need a pair of new glasses."

"Did your eyesight get worse or something?" he asked.

Again...again I had to hold my tongue. I didn't want to become the campus gossip...not for reasons like this. Not for sad reasons that were scandalous in ways that brought me no satisfaction.

"I thought it was about time for a change," I covered up. "Same for you?"

"Heh, maybe, yeah," he said, "I don't know."

"Maybe something dark to accentuate that fur?" I smiled, repeating exactly what the coyote had told me before.

The lynx just looked like he couldn't care less. He seemed a bit unhappy, all told, distracted and distant and...

...and it felt like a slap in the face, when I realized, to my annoyance, that perhaps I was even more distracted by the weekend's events than I was letting myself...believe. I felt like a bad man.

"Oh my God," my ears dropped, "Is everything alright...back home for you, I mean, Hawk-on..."

How insensitive of me...'I have my own trouble to think about' seemed like such a hollow defense for me.

The corners of his muzzle twitched, his ears went flat, not looking happy at all, for a moment, before he spoke again.

"Yeah, everything's fine," he said.

"It's still awful, completely awful," I shook my head, "I can't wrap my head around it."

Like, perhaps, around some other things I didn't really want to think about now.

"I don't think anyone can, doctor," he said.

Put it simply, he looked like he needed a hug, but perhaps a surprise hug would be slightly too surprising, for the moment.

There was something else, however...

"I've got an idea," I said, "if you're not awfully busy, or, simply have nothing better to do, I think you could help me with something!"

"Hmmm?" he looked doubtful.

"I also need a new phone, as it happens, and you seem like a young man who knows about gadgets...and I must admit, I am not too versed in different...iPhones and the like, so do you think you could perhaps give me a paw in that? There's an Apple store on the ground floor. I could buy coffee afterwards, or maybe...heheh...a hamburger meal, if you'd prefer..."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, before he seemed to relent.

"Well, why not? Just helping out."

"Oh, thank you!" I smiled. "You'll surely save me hundreds of dollars by not letting an overenthusiastic sales fur try to trick an old lion like me!"

Heheh.

"Sure."

"Let me just tell the receptionist that I'll be back for my prescription in an hour or so, they seem to be busy enough that I'm sure they won't mind!"

"Alright."

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Thank you for reading my story!

Hope you had a fun time, and I shall look forward to your feedback! As always, also remember that all votes, faves and watches will help others to find these stories to read as well!

See you on Monday with another chapter! :P

Cheerio!