FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Brushing back the fluff atop his head, Randall chuckled to himself as he plopped down on a rickety seat in his garage. The whole place was a bit of a mess, but it was the place he and his band called home; littered with soda cans, music sheets, and a few stray instruments that his bandmates had left behind at the last rehearsal.

After weeks of working on his latest piece, he had finished; and boy, was he proud of it - so much so that, unbeknownst to his band, he had submitted it to the local music joint to see if they'd let him and his friends play at tonight's concert. And, low and behold, it seemed that luck had struck him that day - he got a call an hour after the submission, raving about how sick the piece was...and how much they'd love for the band to come in for a concert. But, there was a catch; he had to meet up with the music director before the show.

Randall could hardly contain his excitement; it was their big break, as far as Randall was concerned; with a grin, the coyote scooped up a copy of the piece in his paws and looked it over, his green eyes glimmering with a touch of joy. He wasn't much of a sap if he could help it, but hey, his friends weren't here to see the goofy grin on his face anyway. Glancing at the lopsided clock on the wall near him, he realized he was going to be late if he didn't get moving.

"This is gonna be so worth it.." Randall muttered the words with that ever-lasting grin on his face as he stood up, grabbing his keys from the nearby table and rushing outside where his greasy old car was parked; it was a clunky thing but it got him where he needed to go.

If this concert worked out and that director dished out some funds, he'd have his car polished and prettied up in no time.

Closing the garage and hopping in, Randall started the engine and drove off toward the music joint - it was about a 30 minute drive from his house, stuffed in a busy corner of the city made for the nightlife. He passed a few clubs and cafes till he pulled up to the building, parking near it and looking up at the neon sign high above his head.

It said, in white, pink, and blue lettering: The Puppeteer.

From what Randall had found out from his research about the place, it was recent spot that had opened up in this part of town; otherwise, he would've visited it sooner, had he known of it's existence. It seemed to pop out of nowhere, almost; which made the whole ordeal all the more exciting to Randall. The risk of it all, the impulse meeting - it drove the coyote nuts, and only sparked his enthusiasm for the potential gig just barely out of reach of his paws.

"Well, here goes nothing.."

Randall hesitated for a moment, fiddling with the chains along his wrist, before he sucked in a breath and mustered his courage to walk toward the building. The door was unlocked, much to his surprise, and he knocked even as he opened it; a bit counterproductive, but Randall wasn't a patient sort. Entering, he glanced around, ears twitching this way and that as he searched for any sounds indicating someone was near - but caught none.

"Hello?"

The coyote called out with a tilt of his head, listening again as his tail swished behind him. Nothing. His gaze drifted across the room in front of him; a standard club-like environment with plenty of chairs, tables, and a sizable stage at the back of the room with all the tools of the trade, from a microphone to the speakers and even some instruments. It was the perfect place for a first gig; after all, even the most famous of bands and singers started off small, and that's all it took to rise to the top.

Randall approached the stage after a moment, ears twitching as he fiddled with the microphone for a second; only to jolt at the sound of footsteps coming up behind him. Whipping around, he spotted a rather odd-looking kitsune; she had..well, what looked like puppet joints along her body and face. Her fur was a pristine white with pinkish red markings, her multiple tails swishing out almost gracefully behind her as she walked with a click in her steps against the hardwood floor.

For a second, Randall stood there like a deer in headlights, stunned; he had never seen anyone like this before, let alone someone who carried themselves with such a unique sense of grace. The kitsune watched him for a moment, then chuckled softly as she brushed her long, blue-gray hair back over her shoulders.

"I've been expecting you - Randall, is it?"

Randall blinked, then quickly jolted himself back into the reality of the situation; and quickly nodded, clearing his throat as he straightened up. "Yeah, sorry- I didn't mean to stare or anything. I remember your voice; I spoke to ya on the phone, didn't I?"

"Indeed you did; you may call me Tamiko. Using formal titles like the director can be so old fashioned."

A twitch of her ears, the shift of her joints, and the swish of the sash around her waist; all of it was almost hypnotic in nature, as if some kind of supernatural essence radiated from this woman. It was strange, above all else - but Randall wasn't about to question the one who was about to land him and his band a chance at having their names in lights.

"Heh, yeah - nice to formally meet ya, Tamiko. Sorry I just barged in, the door was unlocked. But you said you wanted to talk with me before moving forward with the gig, yeah?"

Tamiko nodded, shifting as she moved to sit at one of the tables by the stage. She gestured for Randall to join her, and he did just that; plopping himself down in the chair beside her. "I know you already saw my submission, but if you need more, I can-"

"No need, Randall. I can already tell you're the perfect candidate for this establishment."

The kitsune offered him a smile, noticing the look of confusion on Randall's face.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I extended my offer so quickly, but that's because I know precisely what you want."

Tamiko tilted her head, resting her chin on her paws as she leaned against the table and watched the coyote closely.

"Your name in lights, with your bandmates and all - you want to make it big, with your own work. Don't you?"

Randall shifted in his seat for a moment, contemplating; she was right in a way, and at the end of the day he just wanted to show the world that he and his friends could make amazing music. He gave a small nod, and Tamiko continued with a soft chuckle. Her tails swished almost whimsically behind her - they were one of the few things along her body that didn't seem to be full of joints and indents.

"Well, I can make that happen. All you have to do is bring you and your friends here at nine tonight - and your show will blow the audience's minds. I have my ways to make things work, no matter what happens. I'll pull some strings if I must, but I want you to show me what you've got. I didn't hire a sellout to perform; you'll do your best, won't you?"

Tamiko's playful grin made Randall smirk and nod confidently, straightening up quickly in his seat; something about her words just drew him in - it was as if this kitsune could read him surprisingly well.

"You're awful trusting to let us play here; but I'll do my best, ma'am. Tonight will be the best performance The Puppeteer has ever had!" Randall couldn't help but grin at this, his ears perking and his tail beginning to wag and thump against the seat.

An amused glimmer flickered in Tamiko's eyes.

"Oh, it certainly will be."

~~~

Randall felt his heart beating wildly in his chest as he stood behind the stage curtain with his bass, pacing back and forth a little. He could hear the murmurs of the crowd just ahead of him and the mere sound was enough for his excitement to grow with each passing second. Behind him, his three bandmates were doing some last minute tuning on their instruments - a fox, polar bear, and dragon. They were chatting idly with eachother as they toyed with their instruments, pausing to smile and wave at Randall; who grinned right back at them and waved as well, feeling his heart swell - these guys had been with him since the moment this band had been formed, and they were here for the big break too.

They had their pep talk already, so now was just a matter of waiting - and as Randall heard the sound of a mic feed ringing out, followed by the hushed whispers of the crowd, he felt his heart pound wildly in his chest. His bandmates straightened up, scuttling to their positions behind the curtain as Randall joined them, taking his spot around the front with his bass in his paws.

"Ready guys?"

Randall whispered, receiving excited nods from his companions; and with a grin, he swallowed back his fear and looked back at the curtain in front of them. The sound of Tamiko's voice sounded as the crowd crew quiet, egging on the anticipation rushing through Randall.

"Now, it's the moment you've all been waiting for; a new band has emerged from the woodwork of the Puppeteer, ready for your applause! Please give a warm welcome to Randall and the Howlers!"

The curtain rose, the lights shone, and the crowd clapped; for a moment, the lights were damn near blinding but Randall got used to it as quickly as he could. A strategic, rhythmic tap of his foot later and the music began to blast; from each bandmate on their cue. The fox started up first on their guitar, and the polar bear took the helm at the microphone in front of them and began to sing.

In the back, the dragon banged out on the keyboard - their mane swaying with each jolt of their head as they swayed to the music. A steady tune, getting more upbeat by the second until it was Randall's turn - and he gave it his all on the bass, dragging his fingers across the strings.

All Randall could do was get lost in it all, enveloping himself in the music, the rush of it, the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he played. He shut his eyes tight, getting into the heavy rock beat as the lead singer sung their heart out to the music. It was perfect; everything was absolutely perfect. He was a star, they were all stars- the crowd was roaring, the music was blaring, and everything was just as it should be!

Or was it?

A snicker rang out, and for a moment, Randall jolted, nearly missing his next note - his eyes snapped open. Had anyone else heard that? He continued his part, his gaze drifting across the eager audience until he spotted Tamiko ahead of him, sitting on the edge of the stage. What was she doing there, of all places? However, he felt his heart lurch at the sight of the smirk on her face; she lifted a paw, snapping a finger - and that's when he felt it.

The stiffness of his arms, his legs, his whole body; everything stung for a good minute as he nearly dropped his bass with a startled gasp. His stomach twisted, twinging with a momentary pain that came and went quickly. Alarmed, Randall shook his head to clear it, earning a quizzical look from the fox at his side, then refocused his now blurry gaze on the crowd, confused. Why did his head hurt? Why did his body ache?

Then, there it was; a pulling, yanking sensation. Randall dropped the bass as thin black strings protruded from his wrists and legs, tugging upwards to force his arms into any position the user saw fit. And...were those wooden joints along his limbs? His arms and legs felt stiff, almost numb, as he was forced into jolting this way and that by the pull of the strings.

"H-Huh?! What's going on?"

Randall's yelp sent the audience into a burst of confused, but amused laughter as his limbs were jolted and jerked around in a silly dance on the stage, kicking away his bass so that it slid out of the way. His bandmates were still playing behind him, though they looked equally shocked and glanced at eachother. But ahead of them all, Tamiko was laughing as she mimicked Randall's movements with twitches of her fingers and flicks of her wrist.

"You wanted your five minutes of fame, didn't you Randall?" Her voice was more teasing than anything else as she flicked her wrist to the right; and the strings pulled the canine to the right.

His whole arm was stiff and jointed with the rest of her body, making him just as much of a puppet as Tamiko - and he couldn't control his body anymore at this point. All he could do was get yanked around in a ridiculous dance number, making himself look more like a fool than anything else. Yelping, Randall could only look on in absolute embarrassment and horror as the crowd laughed endlessly at him - even his bandmates were beginning to chuckle, though tried to stifle it the best they could for fear of him noticing.

"T-This isn't what I wanted, Tamiko! You said this would be my big break-"

The canine whimpered, feeling his arms and legs sway with each yank of the magic controlled strings along his wrists and ankles. Every movement was stiff and strange, a reminder of the odd joints along his body that made each shift strange and unfamiliar.

"And it is, but perhaps you need a bit of humbling first."

The puppeteer of the chaos simply chuckled as she sat back, twitching her fingers and wrist accordingly; and Randall moved with each gesture as nothing more than a puppet for her to toy with for the next few agonizing minutes as the crowd howled with amusement, cackling. The sound was haunting, and terribly embarrassing; this wasn't how he was supposed to introduce himself to new fans!

It seemed like the gesturing went on forever, until finally, that same jolt of stomach pain strung Randall with a startled yelp. He hunched over as the strings disappeared into thin air and he dropped onto his hands and knees on the stage, panting and shaking the shock off. His limbs seemed to meld back into real flesh and fur rather than wooden, hard joints - and as he stretched his arms and legs, the relief rushed through him at the realization that he was back to normal.

But, all he could see when he looked up was Tamiko's playful grin and the laughing audience before the curtain closed on the Howler's first major performance of the night - one that the audience wasn't likely to forget anytime soon.