Furry Denny's

Little Diner

On the corner of Where and When sits a comfortable, charming place where vagabonds and travelers may often find themselves on a rainy day or a moonlit night. The parking lot lit by a neon sign, it's cozy brown facade smiles at the nearby interstate highway, drawing in he who wanders and offering a splendor of warm pancakes, satisfactory burgers, and milkshakes that would make the cows blush. Don't let the fact that it is a franchise in a chain fool you, this place has heart. And a lot of fur.
This is no ordinary Denny's. This Denny's is run by the world's own Cozepaw Hometribe, a beloved elder in the community of Tailplane, Wisconsin, and a wolf. Red markings underneath his eyes indicate his taste for punk music, and his spiked choker makes him seem tough. It would not take a very long conversation with him, however, to learn that he is a complete sweetheart.
And here, in Tailplane, is where Coze has built his den: Furry Denny's. Opening it's doors to all walks of furry life, the operation of this joint is a warm and inviting reminder that even amidst the expansive farms of the midwest, there is always a friend nearby.
It was at this very location, with these very friends, where I found myself one winter afternoon. I was a trucker. I had been for twelve proud years now. I rubbed my whiskers in the rear-view, admiring the work I'd done. My fox features showed to the world as a badge of pride. I'd been told it was unsafe to drive with my head on, but I didn't care. This was me: Skiddish Yipsmith.
I pulled into the Denny's parking lot as the first snowflakes began to fall. Getting out, I noticed a sticker on a nearby SUV. "My other house is a kennel". I chuckled.
The bell above the door rang as I pushed into the lobby. The smell of coffee and sugar surrounded me, warding off any remainder of the cold I'd just faced outside. Here it was: Furry Denny's. My place of rest and leisure every second Wednesday of the month.
A rabbit and a cheetah sat in the corner, making small talk over a single serving of french fries. A pig sat at the bar, drinking coffee and chatting with the poodle waitress who stood behind. In the kitchen, I could hear a chicken and a dragon clattering as they crafted each dish with care. And behind the podium, welcoming me in, was Coze himself.
"Skiddish! How do you do, bud?" He held out a paw for a paw shake. I obliged.
"Not bad, Coze. Gettin' cold out."
"That's for sure. Here, I got your table all set up over here."
Coze led me to my spot: a table standing in the center of the room. It had four chairs, which I would normally give up for a spot at the bar if it was busier, but today seemed okay. From here is where I witnessed the culture of this place. The soap opera of life that played out every second Wednesday of the month.
The first dates that went poorly and the first dates that went well. The old married scalies who'd giggle together and the feathered blue collar workers, who'd simply come in for a black coffee. This was also an opportune spot from which I could watch my truck: a red big rig adorned with the logo of the company I worked for across the hood: Settled Moving Co.
I watched my truck amid the snow, which had begun to fall faster. Big chicken feathers lay across the hood. It occurred to me that I hadn't checked the weather this morning. That was okay, though. Tailplane had plenty of nice hotels on the off chance I became unable to leave for a period of time.
"What can I do you for?" Coze asked, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen.
"Let me get... a strawberry smoothie and a stack of pancakes."
"Comin' right up, boss." He didn't even need to write it down.
Clicking his pen, Coze strutted into the kitchen, leaving me alone at the table, staring out at the gray, dusk sky outside.
"That your truck?"
I turned to see the pig at the bar facing me. He had a round button nose and pink fur which clashed with his red flannel. I saw a little curly tail hanging down off the seat behind him.
"Yeah, she's mine alright."
"Beautiful machine."
"Thank you. Name's Skiddish."
"Trot Brine. Nice to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you too, Trot."
"You know they say we have a cold snap tonight."
"Oh yeah?"
"Just thought you'd be interested seein' as you're probably gettin' out of town here soon."
Trot gestured to a TV above the bar. A blonde human woman in a red dress was standing in front of a weather map, pointing to features around each region of the state.
"Hey Genie, could you turn the TV up?"
"Sure thing, Trot!" The poodle grabbed a remote and hit the volume a few times.
"And here you can see the cold front wiping through the western parts of Wisconsin tonight," the woman in the red dress explained. "Carrying with it what should be just a couple inches of snow. What residents are being warned to watch out for is the freezing temperatures, however. Black ice forms easily in these parts down here."
She gestured towards Tailplane on the map. "Residents are being asked to not drive if at all possible and stay indoors until Friday at the very least."
"Damn."
Genie turned the TV's volume back down and continued shuffling plates of food around on the counter. Trot shrugged at me before turning back to his pie.
I had to call my boss. I knew that much. As I began to reach for my phone, Coze returned with the pancakes.
"Pancakes, right here. Please enjoy. Let me know if you need anything else."
"Perfect, thank you Coze."
The old wolf smiled at me and touched my shoulder, before joining Genie behind the bar. My boss could wait. Those pancakes smelled amazing.
They tasted just as good as they smelled. I doused them in syrup and began tearing them apart.
"You know what, Kai, that's not an excuse." The bunny in the corner exclaimed. They were shushed by the cheetah sitting across from them.
This caught my attention, and I turned my head to hear them better. I saw the rabbit push the bowl of fries toward the cheetah out of my peripheral.
"No, I won't shush, Kai. You fucked up."
"These people don't want to hear our shit, Renee."
"Your shit, Kai. This is your shit."
Their conversation died back down as Renee began chewing Kai out for something. That was exciting. I'd seen couples fight in here before. Yet it was still somehow novel every time it happened.
I remembered one fight I'd witnessed: a lemur woman and her jaguar husband had gotten into it over how her new job had shifted their power dynamic right in the middle of the restaurant. I remembered the way they'd bickered until it hit a breaking point, and the lemur stormed out, leaving the whole hill to the jaguar, who'd muttered something about the lemur's fancy new job before deciding he wasn't done, slamming the unpaid check on the table and following her out. Those two probably weren't allowed back.
As I finished my pancake, I heard a breeze blow against the window. All conversation in the room ceased. The only sound was the kitchen and the wind outside. The snow had become thick fast. It was building up on my truck's hood. You could hardly see the logo anymore.
"Genie, turn it back up." Trot pointed at the TV, which now had a strange red outline.
The woman in red was frantically pointing at Tailplane on the map. "Sudden changes in pressure have created a treacherous environment for the residents of Tailplane, and all citizens are being told to find shelter immediately. If you live anywhere near here, do not leave your house. What you should expect within the next six hours are winds up to fifty miles per hour, a potentially fatal hailstorm, and, as previously mentioned, fast-forming black ice on the road. It is not safe."
My stomach dropped. There it was. I reached for my phone but it wasn't in my phone holster that hung off my belt. I looked out to my truck and remembered. I had taken it out because a group chat I was in had been buzzing non-stop. Silently, I cursed at my friends and began to get up.
"Not dining and dashing, are we, Skiddish?" Coze joked, knowing that was not in my nature.
"Nope, just—"
"Enjoy your fucking french fries, Kai." Before I could finish, Renee stood up, threw a cloth napkin at Kai, and began to storm out of the lobby.
She passed me and threw the door open. I shared a look with Coze, who knew the drill and began retrieving the couple's receipt.
I followed the rabbit out. The cold air was, indeed, treacherous. I held my hand up as I took my first step outside. As I opened the door, Renee turned to look at me.
"I don't want to hear it, K—"
She realized I was not her partner, huffed, and turned back around to leave. As she did, her foot slid out from under her, and she fell. She fell hard. She fell so hard that from inside the restaurant, I heard Kai shout.
Her head was the first thing to make contact with the slippery ice below, her long ears splayed out. The padding from her fursuit head had probably somewhat protected her fall, but she had still been knocked flat nonetheless.
I rushed out, followed closely by Kai, and the two of us lifted her. We struggled not to slip ourselves, and brought her limp body back into the Denny's.
All sounds from the kitchen had stopped, Genie and Trot watched, and Coze frantically cleared a table. We set the rabbit there.
"Call 911." Coze told Kai. She nodded, and took out a smartphone.
Coze took off the bunny head and patted Renee's face. Renee stirred slightly, rolling her head back and forth. "Stay with me, buddy. Come on."
Renee's eyes flickered open.
"Hey! There you are! What's your name?"
"Wh-what?"
"What's your name? Can you sit up for me?"
Coze helped Renee sit up on the table. I turned to the door again, but was met with a different view than before. It was now completely white outside. I could not see my truck, nor could I see the hedges that surrounded the building. I turned back to face Coze and Renee.
"They said they're trying to dispatch someone but the road is too icy. The ambulance can't get traction." Kai understandably sounded hysterical.
Coze grimaced as he looked into Renee's pupils one at a time. He asked Renee if she was okay, and she said yes. He took a step back, looked at me, then at Kai, then at Genie and Trot, and finally at the two cooks who'd emerged from the kitchen to see what was happening.
"She has a concussion. Helen, Fuego. Make some pancakes. Flapjacks are on the house until the storm breaks. No one is leaving until then."