FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Soft candlelight illuminated the room, bathing the plush, red carpeting in a tender glow. It reflected off the tall mirror situated over a solid, mahogany dresser propped against the wall opposite a four-poster bed. The scent of the room was rich, old wood mixed with the spice of the incense burning merrily away on the bedside table. The sound of the café was as far away as it could be, only the occasional thump from the rooms on either side disturbing the peace.

It was here that Maras sat, the Mienshao delicately tending to the long fur on her arms with a silver-inlaid brush. Her eyes rested shut, allowing the enchanting sound of the record player to take her away. It sat next to the incense stick, the smoke almost seeming to dance to the sounds and the occasional scratch of a classical orchestra.

Always having a weak spot for the old-fashioned, Maras never was one to disregard the classics. Her eyes opened slowly, dark blue pools enough to captivate those that looked into them. The faintest of smiles played on her lips when her eyes alighted on the posters hung just above the record player.

Each was from a play she had appeared in. Ones that she would never forget. They were the ones where she played the female lead, a meager three over a fifteen-year career in theater. Although it was something that never ceased to spite her, most theatrical performances wanted humans for these roles.

Setting aside her brush, Maras got to her feet and hummed softly under her breath as she approached the dresser. Sitting next to a telephone was a small, leather-bound journal, a red ribbon bookmark guiding her to the page she had marked that morning.

It was a brief line of text, written in her tight, scrawling manner that might have seemed like gibberish to anyone else. How long had it been since she wrote this down, she wondered? Her nose curled up at the thought.

Entering her thirties in human years made her feel so old. But to see it written down in her hand, those thoughts and plans that had allowed her the opportunity to perform on stage...

She left the book open where it sat, approaching the posters and stopping before the first one in line. That sad, almost sullen smile once more appeared on her lips while she looked over the scene.

A man with an arm wrapped around an Ampharos. The pouring rain that came down on them made the scene all the more romantic, the man's hand caressing the pokemon's face, their eyes locked in passion.

Maras still thought of him at times. It did the heart good to reminisce, one director had always been fond of telling her. It gave her emotions the type of impact that seemed all the more believable to those watching from the audience. That the man had seemed more than willing to play the part of a star-crossed lover made it so much easier for her.

It also introduced her to the concept of pokemon and humans in relationships.

Maras crossed her arms over her chest and felt that smile growing more genuine. This one showcased a happier scene, of a woman in a dog sled, a large, grayish-white furred mightyena standing at the helm of it. It was labeled as 'The Greatest Adventure of our Time.'.

It still made her chuckle when she thought of the shredded playbills they had used on stage in place of snow. The Glaceon they had hired to do the weather scenes hadn't been able to make opening night, and she still remembered the stagehands madly tearing up playbills from the theater's last show.

Through her, she learned how to play the role of a partner and a confidant. She learned that sometimes, the story doesn't need to be solely about you.

The last poster was the one she stopped in front of. To look at the Mienshao in this picture was like looking into the dresser's mirror. She stood tall and proud against a backdrop of mountainous cliffs, metal pole in one hand driven deep into the ground. She offered her other hand to the viewer, promising to guide them should they be willing to take it.

That was the play that taught her how to perform as a strong and confident leader. Someone that others could look up to.

Maras brushed one of her paws against the glass case, her eyes closing before a shiver ran through her at a sudden scratching noise. She scoffed when she saw the needle on the record player skipping. The troublesome thing had been like this since she moved here a month prior, having been knocked loose at some point during the journey.

At first, she debated whether to risk handling it as she was. Visions of the long fur adorning her arms made her think better of it, and she stepped back.

Eyes alighting on the poster of the Ampharos, her body seemed to tremble, pulsating with an unseen force before her form began to diminish. It shrunk, collapsing in on itself with grace unbefitting the act. Her purple fur began to lighten, becoming a bright, bubblegum pink in color, skin becoming pliable, almost gum-like in its consistency.

She was happy she couldn't see her reflection, of the puddle of genetic material that now rested on the plush, red carpeting. The Ditto didn't allow herself to stay in this form for too long, and in truth, if she hadn't needed to return to her normal form to take on another, she never would.

It wasn't that she was ashamed of her species, far from it. She just couldn't have the beauty and the illusion of a character ruined by such paltry things as what she truly was.

A sense of vertigo tore through her when she began to increase in size, the sudden urge to overcorrect herself nearly leading her to tumble over on to the large bed. She chuckled softly to herself, realizing just how out of practice she was and reached down to adjust the skipping needle.

Coming to the Café had been a jarring experience for her. At first, she thought it a mistake, especially after seeing all the pokemon they employed. To compete with them seemed impossible, especially for an actress past her prime. Everyone had been very welcoming, which had led her to stay.

Returning to the dresser, her paw ran slowly along the open journal. Each page she passed told a different story, of characters she had imagined playing on stage. Species, age, gender. Anything and everything was possible for her, all her partner had to do was ask.

The knock-on her door made her stand up a little straighter and she shut the book, remembering the appointment she had scheduled. One of the bartenders had heard a guest bemoan the lack of their preferred pokemon and made the call to her just that morning. She wasn't the real thing, but the guest didn't need to know that.

"Just a moment!" She called out, her form shimmering and shifting once more as she began to change. "I'm just getting ready!"