This is a short work of erotic fiction containing furry, or anthropomorphic, characters, which are animals that either demonstrate human intelligence or walk on two legs, for the purposes of these tales. It is a thriving and growing fandom in which creators are prevalent in art and writing especially.
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The Striped Filly
Flying Changes
Chapter Five
Christian avoided attention at the radio station, locking himself in his studio before others had ventured out for their morning coffees. The night shift - as they were affectionately referred to - were zombie-like enough that they didn't spare him a second look as they stomped past him, eager for their beds with throats sore from talking too much on the night shows.
The only problem was a certain zebra. He stumbled over his words even as he gained a deeper understanding of the ins and outs of running his own show as his boss remained out of work with some bug or another. Christian could not care and was only glad that he didn't have it and that he was able to go about his work mostly uninterrupted. His ears had grown even without seeing Anna for days that stretched past the confines of a week, poking through his hair as they slowly migrated up the sides of his head. Grumbling, he pressed them down as if he could flatten them back into his skull. It was, however, to no avail.
Leaning back in his chair, he smiled at the doorway where he had first seen Anna, the zebra wandering into the studio as if she belonged there. And he wanted her to belong there - with him.
He couldn't put her off forever.
It was Christian that called her at last, suggesting a date in a carefully chosen spot. Anna leapt at the chance to see him again, nearly deafening him with her loud braying down the phone line. He sighed as he hung up, headphones looped listlessly around his neck. She wouldn't know that he'd chosen the restaurant purely as it was in a touristy spot. It was unlikely that he'd see anyone he knew there. A small part of his mind - a traitorous seclusion - told him that it would be worth it even if someone did 'catch' him.
Anna met him at the restaurant, a long, gold pendant dangling from her neck. A large ruby was set into the gold and he whistled, admiring its beauty as much as the mare it adorned. He ran his hand down her mane as they entered the restaurant - an Italian across the road from Victoria theatre - and breathed easily for the first time since he had left her side. As if a light had been turned on in a pitch black room, he saw clearly and smiled as he sat at their purposely set aside table in a secluded alcove that allowed Anna to remain standing as they enjoyed their meal together. Christian smiled: perfect.
Anna made everything right again.
"I hope you don't mind, Christian, but I invited a couple of friends from the area to join us," the zebra chuckled apologetically as she polished off her first course with a smack of her lips. "It seems that they are later than expected. They've travelled from a small distance, if I am told correctly."
He turned automatically towards the door to check who Anna was referring to - although he could not possibly know them - and choked on his water. A chestnut mare, walking quite surely and sedately on four hooves, flicked her tail as the waiter led them to their table, a grey stallion walking on two hooves at her side. The stallion rested his paw between her withers and hindquarters as they walked, an ease of being present in his gait that Christian couldn't help but envy. He stared at Anna, the zebra openly laughing and braying at his shock.
"I thought it may help," she said, quickly adding her brand of explanation to the mix, lips quirking up in a cheeky smile. "We're not the only ones and you said you hadn't met anyone like us before..."
Christian wasn't sure that Anna had understood exactly what he'd meant back in the research centre - it had been much more than simply meeting another couple like them - but wasn't about to correct her in the middle of the restaurant. The feral mare and anthro stallion exchanged greetings - introducing themselves as Amethyst and Madoc respectively - with them as a second chair was brought up for the dappled male. Christian tried not to stare as they ordered their main course - simple dishes, although a plate of fresh bruschetta swiftly appeared without any order that he could see being placed.
"So...you two..." Christian dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. "You seem like you've known each other for years. How did you meet?"
The chestnut mare glanced at her partner, blowing her forelock out of her eyes.
"Oh, just like anyone else..." She chuckled. "Or maybe not. I pen stories for my job, rather than going for trade work. You could say it pays my way in life. A voice to text programme," she added, spotting the question in his eyes, "only takes a bit of editing at times. Madoc started reading a good long while ago, then helped me with editing..."
She dipped her head, ears splaying softly to the sides of her head. Madoc rubbed her shoulder, a grin that told more than her words pulling at his lips.
"It kind of took off from there."
"I see..." He stared at his pasta, wondering how to broach the topic. "And how do you..." He grimaced. "I'm sorry, this must seem remarkably forward of me, but..."
Madoc laughed and leaned back, rocking his chair up on to two legs. The stallion's mane, a mixture of grey and black streaks, fell down the arch of his neck, left to grow long and unruly. Amethyst shook her head and bumped his chair back onto all four legs with a calculated swing of her hindquarters.
"Yeah, we get asked that a lot," he confirmed. "You get used to the stares after a while, trust me. Not worth worrying about."
Grinning, he rested his elbows on the table and shot Christian a conspirator's wink.
"I'm sure you've been having fun with your mare too from the look of you..."
Christian blushed, fiddling with the edge of the table. He rubbed the tips of his ears, now almost completely on the top of his head and pointed straight up. He could even twitch them, new muscles making themselves known to him. His tail was less obvious, squashed down inside his trousers, yet growing by the day. The hair was a good four inches long from the bone now.