FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

One month later.

~

Julie sat in the passenger seat of Anna's jeep one afternoon, driving through Central Castelia.

She looked out the window at the general city bustle, her cheek resting against the panel.

Anna glanced at her and stopped ahead at a red light behind a line of vehicles. "You still beat? You got back a couple of days ago, yeah?"

"Mhm," Julie replied.

"You should have told me you weren't up to drive out yet. We could've given this a few more days."

"I was." She sat up. "It just feels weird to be back, especially on campus."

"Why so?" Anna looked at her but turned ahead as the light flashed to green.

"...Remember the girl I told you about?"

"Uh-"

"The one that did it with my umbreon."

"Oh..." Anna said. "I do."

"She isn't alive anymore, and she lived in the same dorm I do."

"What happened?"

"She committed suicide. I found out from a call from her father," Julie replied.

Anna glanced over again, then shifted to the mirror beside Julie, flipping her blinker and taking the right lane after a car passed. "How do you feel about it?"

"I don't." Julie leaned her side against the door. "I tried to talk her out of it at one point, but I couldn't stay by her after what she did."

"That's unfortunate, but it's enough that you still cared enough to try for her. She must truly have been suffering."

"She was."

Anna shortly pulled into a massive outdoor parking lot filled with hundreds of parked vehicles and pedestrians walking the asphalt or loading their cars.

Ahead was a multistory shopping plaza spanning miles with huge bold words stating: 'World Market.'

Anna progressed while watching for any people walking and for a free spot. A few cars followed her. "Did she have anything going for her?"

"She liked gym and history, but nothing she had seemed to be enough. I think she was kind of drifting along."

Anna stopped several feet from a truck pulling out of a spot, switching places with it and pulling into the spot.

She then shifted to park and turned off the engine, sitting back among silence. "You think that could have been you? If you didn't have history and wanted a career out of it."

"I want to say no." Julie slid down in her seat. "I think that and my best friend always kept me afloat."

Anna looked at the steering wheel, then tilted her head to Julie. "Right. All played a collective, significant role in your perseverance."

"I guess, but it also took a lot from my teens. I'll be twenty next year and don't have much to look back on."

Anna unbuckled her seatbelt and slightly turned to her. "Can I give you another way to view that?"

Julie nodded and held her hands in her lap.

"So, you can utilize your past either to your detriment or benefit, depending on how you perceive the events that took place. Your trauma may have shunned an eventful social life, but you put all of that time toward your education and set yourself up for success in another area entirely, right?"

"Sure." Julie eyed her.

"Rather than punish yourself for the absence, you could use how your path benefited you to shape your future. There're always positives. It's just easier to focus on the negatives."

"But- that's what I'm doing. I'm staying on the path I've put my life into. It's just grim. There are people out there who have everything, and I've always been so far behind."

"Competition may be in every corner, but life doesn't need to be a race. Some people had head starts, some got lucky breaks, some received better guidance, some had none or awful guidance, and some just lose their way." Anna stared at Julie, whose cheeks were flushed while she wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry..."

Anna reached and set her hand atop Julie's. "I'm gonna tell you what I detest."

Julie sniffled and padded her eyes with her sleeve.

"Belittlement. Hate it," Anna said. "It makes an effort to draw out and amplify one's shortcomings or disadvantages, but it does nothing for the victim besides make them hate who they are or aren't, and it does nothing for the offender besides create negativity for the sake of it.

You started Castelia straight out of high, right?"

Julie pulled her sleeve away and took a shaky breath, nodding. Her cheeks were an irritated pink, and her eyes were dampened all around.

"I started later because my home life beat my GPA to a pulp. Then, there are people who started university who are much older than myself, but we all achieved in the end no matter how it became. Don't let their judgment affect your path."

Julie sniffled. "You aren't wrong, but it tosses my mind around so frickin' much. I never know how to feel about how I handled everything or how I'm going about things now."

"You're only nineteen." She grinned. "I know you want things to fall into place and stabilize, but life can take time to make sense. It'll work out. Try to enjoy the journey."

Julie shut her eyes and took a few slow breaths, which still shook. "I'm sorry. Thank you, Anna, but I didn't want the day to be like this."

"It went exactly as it was supposed to, and it'll go as it should. Remember when we talked about living in the past?"

"Mhm."

She tapped Julie's hand. "The future can be dangerous too." Anna opened her door and got out. "We'll chill in the present today."

Julie watched her get out and shut the door. She clicked her seatbelt and did the same, wiping her eyes some more before shutting the door.

Julie went around to the back of the jeep to meet Anna and started walking toward the market between parked vehicles, shivering against a chilly breeze.

"Ever been here?" Anna asked.

"I haven't." Julie wiped her nose with her sleeve and padded her cheeks. "But we have one in Johto."

"This is one the biggest markets in the world, and like the name says, it covers all cultures." Anna eyed her for a moment. "You'll see."

After strolling the lot for a minute or so, they approached the entrance where people and pokémon flooded in and out of with bags. Six sets of doors.

"Try not to get overwhelmed," Anna added as they walked through one.

The interior was a massive, tiled, open setting with a food court and groups of tables and chairs people sat at; however, far ahead were eight spread-out massive corridors with huge entrances.

Above each was a label spelling out various regions, from Johto and Sinnoh to the far left and Kalos and Alola to the far right.

Julie scanned them while sauntering past buzzing crowds.

A leafeon and glaceon sat at a bench while sharing a bowl of stringy meat beside their pink-haired teen owner on his laptop, licking their lips after every bite. The glaceon went in for two in a row, which the leafeon peered at, then bopped the top of the glaceon's head, who shot up with a full mouth to bat back with its paw. Their owner plucked both of their ears and scolded them.

A machop walked beside a couple holding multiple bags while stringing a yo-yo with a Johtoan flag on it, often failing to bring it back up after rolling it down.

A group of giggly preteens left the Hoenn hall with too many bags, one wearing a hat stating 'Hoenn' with several landmarks worded around it, including Mauville, Lillycove, and Verdanturf.

Another wore a hoodie with rayquaza snaking up and twisting around its green sleeves, kyogre splashing in pristine blue waves over the blue torso area, and groudon standing and roaring behind steamy lava on its red hood.

"Do you know what's through all of them?" Julie asked.

"Yeah, actually," Anna said. "I've been here a lot since I like trying different dishes. They're mainly cuisine and products exclusive to the corresponding region." She stopped and raised a hand as they neared, waving it across all eight. "Which one's gonna make you smile?"

Julie stopped as well.

"Choose one."

Julie ran her eyes over all of them and stopped at the eighth to the right. "Alola."

"Good taste. We'll skip the souvenir shops. They somehow manage to rip people off more than the actual region does."

So, they headed to Alola and went through with plenty of others, strolling a straight line of stands, markets, and restaurants on both sides that people bought from.

The ceiling consisted of windows letting direct sunlight fall on palm trees lining the walkway's edges with a golden hue. The walls were decorated with murals of painted beaches, tropical forests, oceans, and landmarks around the region, many of which included popular native pokémon, all of which strips of warm sunlight rested on and complemented.

"They put a lot of effort into the atmosphere," Julie said while taking in their surroundings, passing under more patches of sun on the floor that briefly traced over her head.

"Well, this world market is arguably the best out of every region's."

Julie slowed after spotting a charmander biting into rounded bread.

"What's up?" Anna looked at her.

Julie looked around. "Do they have malasadas?"

"Alola's default snack? The stands oversell them further down, but the best spot is nearby."

"I've always wanted to try one." Julie followed Anna past several more stores until stopping at one called 'Sada Spot.'

A sign posted by its door with plastered plastic palms sticking out of its frame read: 'Take a step into Alola! Our malasadas use authentic ingredients imported from the region itself, and we make fresh batches every hour. We promise dreamy dough and a huge smile in every bite.'

Several customers sat at tables against the walls with mini palms planted beside them. They ate malasadas, of course, with some having sundaes that included the popular dessert; others enjoyed coffee with it.

Toucannon and trumbeak models hung from the ceiling by strings; there was a large glass case atop a table next to the pickup area at the front counter, and inside was a detailed model of an old ship with a placard before it that a few customers read while awaiting orders.

Ten people stood in line, from families to individuals. The line was filed using tall wooden baskets with eye-catching merchandise, such as white or light blue alolan vulpix and ninetales water canisters, tropical bracelets, and native pokémon plushes.

Julie got in line with Anna and leaned in a little while peering at the ship display from afar. "I'm pretty sure that's Captain Bay's ship."

"You'd be correct. Also, you know what you wanna order?"

Julie peered even harder at the menu's print, which she could barely make out. "I know the basic malasada flavors. I think I'll try a sweet one."

Around fifteen minutes later, they'd ordered at the counter, grabbed their order, and snagged a free table.

Julie and Anna got wrapped, sweet malasadas; Julie also had one in a baggie to take back to her dorm for Midnight and had a sleeved hot Accordiano-flavored coffee that Anna had bugged her to get since it was a cold day.

"Let me know what you think. The first bite is magical to most," Anna said while holding her wrap.

Julie unwrapped her golden-brown donut and brought it up, taking a small bite her teeth sunk into with ease. Its sugary contents blossomed in her mouth. After her first few chews, a slight grin graced her lips. "As richly sweet and savory as I'd imagined, but softer than I expected." She swallowed. "I'd only be able to eat one before getting a toothache."

Julie noticed Anna staring with a grin of her own, which made her break a brief smile. She set her malasada over her wrap atop the table, then pulled her cup to her.

"Could I say something weird?" Julie asked with a growing smile, taking a sip of her coffee.

"I'd love to hear it." Anna started unwrapping her bread.

"You've got mother energy." Julie subtly giggled and took another sip.

Anna smiled for a moment. "I have no idea how to feel about that statement."

Julie's smile relented. "No, sorry. I didn't mean-"

"I didn't take offense, don't worry, but is that how you feel about our relationship at all?"

Julie stared. "Well, I didn't... um."

Anna nodded at her. "You know you can talk to me."

"I do look up to you. You're knowledgeable in areas I've always struggled in."

"I'm no role model, but glad I was able to help. Your mother's great, though, yeah?"

"She's the best one out there. It was difficult for me to accept that she made huge mistakes at first, but no one's perfect, and she grew from them and did her best for me. She had to work a lot for us, but she was always present otherwise."

"It tends to hit as you age. She does sound great and super sweet, and it's warming that she brought you up with love and care, too. It's pivotal. My parents did nott. Sounds like your mom worked double time all the time."

"That's why I'll always respect her, even though it can hurt. I know I'll miss her a lot..." Julie grabbed and took another bite of her malasada, covering her mouth to speak. "Also, I think you'd make a great mother."

"You and my future fiancé both."

Julie's eyes lit up a little. "Did he ask to marry you?"

"...It's coming." Anna rolled her eyes. "He's a good guy. Just has the most irritating communication issues sometimes, but he's promised to listen to me and get everything resolved. If he's for real about us, I'll be too."

"Awe, I really hope it works out. It'd be so wholesome."

Anna picked up her malasada. "I like that you're so optimistic about it. Maybe I should take some pointers."

"Oh, how've things been on your end?" Julie asked. "What classes have you been taking this semester?"

"Never been better. More psych and language courses, but I'm also taking a culinary course so I don't burn out. Have any courses in mind for next semester?"

Julie shot her eyes around. "Advance into history, dexology... maybe speech, and I want to start a piano course too."

Anna nodded. "Nice. I used to play piano and cello. Dropped both to full-send psych some years back, but they sound pretty and are a good hobby. You'll enjoy it. Also I've got a question out of curiosity for you-- two, actually."

"Go ahead."

"You got a bucket list?"

"Not officially, but I have a couple of things I have to do and some I've accomplished so far."

"Spill?" Anna nudged.

"Umm..." Julie again shot her eyes up and around. "I did well in high school, I got to visit Unova and am attending Castelia. I still want to visit the Liberty Garden and Alola with my best friend. Lastly, I have to be a great, great, historian who makes an impact."

"Hm, okay, and what does that last one entail?"

Julie scrunched and shifted her lips aside. "I don't know yet. I just have to get there if that makes sense."

"Completely."

"How about you?"

"I want to tour Galar and Alola, end up with a happy family at some point, and end up a qualified and professional psychologist. A bit less ambitious, huh?"

"Just as daunting, especially keeping together a family, but I know you'll do it. Your knowledge across psychology proves you truly studied-- and this may also sound weird, but I just thought of you touring Alola with me and my best friend. I feel like you two'd get along."

"Not opposed at all. That'd be wicked, and sorry, second question before I forget. Do you feel like you have time, or are you running out every day?"

Julie sighed. "It depends on my mood and how productive I am. It's kind of scary since I don't like death."

"I see. No wrong answer, but I like asking. How's you and Midnight, by the way?"

"Uh." Julie glanced aside. "Good."

"Hey, you two are just as valid as my relationship."

"Arguably..."

Anna bit her donut and put it down, speaking after chewing and swallowing. "Alright, look." She held up two fists and started with one, putting up fingers as she listed. "Consensual, strong mutual love, healthy psychological chemistry, communication, and good sexual chemistry."

Julie's cheeks went pink.

"I'll take that as a yes, and I'm sure you two go out often." Anna looked at her other hand. "Abuse, taboo, mentally unwell, communication wall, desperation."

Anna pulled her hands away. "How do you see it?"

Julie swallowed and lowered a hand to hold her stomach. "Both?"

"As in?"

"All five good aspects, even though there is also an unfortunate communication gap, but we're in sync. The taboo fact kills me sometimes; I know I'm mentally disturbed, and desperation?... I don't know. I feel like I'm damaged beyond repair."

Anna took a deep breath. "My advice stops here. I want you to explore that turmoil, communicate with yourself, and come to a conclusion true to you."

"Was that advice?" The corner of Julie's lips flickered to a brief grin.

"In a way, which is why..." Anna bagged her malasada and stood. "We're continuing our journey across the globe. Where to next?"

Julie dropped her malasada in its bag as well and stood with her coffee. "Johto?"

"I see." Anna walked around the table. "You wanna criticize their accuracy."

"No, no." Julie giggled. "I want to see how close they got. I'm sure I'll be impressed."

They left the restaurant and started backtracking down the sun-stricken corridor out toward the center of the market.

"I'll never not find it weird that you just listen and seem to understand my bizarre mind," Julie said. "And you're okay with knowing me-- really knowing me."

"People typically operate on value trade and self-relevance, right? We can mask it behind politeness and civilized exchange, but it's there. Being able to suspend that is an invaluable skill. I never bring my perception, baggage, or my emotional brain to the conversation. If I did, I'd be biased and comparing and shunning any commonalities. Of course, I'm not perfect, but I try."

"Well, okay, but even if you don't actually understand how someone operates?"

"The best I can do is try."

"Then do you understand me?" Julie looked at her.

"Enough. I'd say so," Anna said. "I think most would easily misunderstand you, but that happens to a lot of people."

"Definitely, and it sucks."

They soon left the corridor and made it back to the center, heading toward the Johto one.

"Is it always this busy?" Julie scanned endless bubbly commotion around them and peeked into full halls practicing business while passing them, sipping her coffee.

She double-glanced at a young girl sitting atop a ninetales while hugging its neck; the pokémon walked beside an older woman into the Kalos hall.

"Either like this or twice more overwhelming," Anna said. "It's the busiest on weekends, and they're planning to build tour theaters for every hall in the coming years, so I'm sure it'll skyrocket to space in popularity."

"Tour theaters?" Julie turned down the Johto hall with Anna.

"It's meant to feel like you're genuinely experiencing the region. It takes you through a number of popular cities, routes, and landmarks while telling of the corresponding history, culture, etcetera."

Julie looked at her. "For real? That sounds immersive. I'd sit through all of them."

Anna snickered. "I instantly believe that. Your history drive is crazy."

Julie grinned, and it grew even more after venturing deeper across Johto's corridor. She looked at the walls painted with buildings, traffic, and others with dark greenery to symbolize routes. Aipom, pidgey and other native pokémon were present as well.

Instead of palms, bushy trees and pines lined the walkway, and the ceiling windows had a bluish-gray filter to dim and alter the sun's rays that shone inside.

Julie started smiling while passing stands and walking around people in line before them. "They've got a Cherubi's," she said, following the restaurant's logo as they strolled by. "This one kills ours. My best friend hates on Johto's, so I'm definitely telling her about this."

"I would have taken you here first if I knew you'd be so sparkly," Anna said. "They've got a Violet Cola Factory here too. It has around thirty exclusive flavors and sweets, if I remember. I'm sure you know."

"They only have one in Violet City, and I've never been." Julie looked at her with a widened smile. "Can we go?"

Anna raised a brow. "You're asking me?"

Julie glanced aside and faded her smile a little. "I must be way too excited."

"Like a vaporeon at a waterpark. Then again, this place is a preview of the world, so this kind of is your waterpark."