FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Brooke pressed the brake in her sedan at a red light and stopped before a crosswalk beside another vehicle, draping her wrist over the steering wheel while watching groups cross the street. She wore a white apron with blue accents and white jeans with it. Her matching cap was in the passenger seat, and her hair was bundled in a high ponytatail.

It was forty minutes to 9 a.m. The sun neared its afternoon peak in a sky full of puffy white clouds, spreading its boundless rays of humid warmth on needy palm trees, lively pokémon, and the city's residents. It rested on Brooke's arms and clothing too.

She grabbed her phone from the center console and woke it up. Her notifications consisted of a few Sozi @'s and Parker asking if she'd had breakfast this morning via text.

She hadn't since she'd kind of swiped her alarm when it went off, slept in, and had to shower and get ready the moment she woke up, but she'd eat something on her break later.

“Wh–" Brooke flinched and squeezed her phone after hearing a horn go off behind her and looked up to see a green light and cars passing next to her. “Oops." She set her phone back down and went, speeding up until she caught up with the flow of traffic.

Around her was the last of Hau'oli's strip before it transitioned to the congregated inner-city, which were mainly older homes, cheaper hotels, smaller restaurants and markets, and Hau'oli's private academy. Brooke would love to live on the far east side. It was just out of reach for now.

Ahead, a few miles in the distance, was the upcoming big city: multistory corporate buildings, schools, major supermarkets and smaller marts, several Wikiblux locations, and endless bustle teeming with people and pokémon.

General traffic increased, although Brooke turned off of main streets and took residential ones to save time. The inner city was a bit much for her at this point. She'd rather live on the outskirts of the strip while being close enough to it.

She arrived at the restaurant she worked at in around twenty minutes, which was no longer the High Roller. She'd had enough sushi to last her a lifetime. She still worked as a waitress but for a casual diner in a decent area with better pay.

Brooke pulled into and parked in the close-to-vacant lot other than a few waiting morning patrons and employee vehicles in designated spots, which was generally the case during morning shift.

She grabbed her hat and phone and slipped her device in her pocket, got out, locked the car with a press of her key fob, and went around the lot to the sidewalk to enter through the front double doors. They had rear doors, but they weren't open until a while after opening.

It was a wide blue and white building called 'Blaster's'.

Brooke reached and went through the doors while slipping her fob inside her pocket. The interior was set up like the average restaurant: tables, booths, vibrant blue-tinted lights on the ceiling. What brought the place style and fun was the blastoise statue by the door and the arcade room with two air hockey tables and five lit-up and noisy machines separate from the restaurant over in a designated corner.

It was mostly quiet. A few employees, which included a pokémon, unstacked upside-down chairs from atop tables and wiped them and booths down, set condiments and napkin holders on tables, and pulled up blinders over windows to let in the sun, ensuring the restaurant was presentable for the day.

One employee—an aproned female gothitelle, levitated chairs from off of the tables and turned them right side up while staring at them blankly.

Two other human employees helped prepare the place together, one blonde, slim Accordian young man a couple of years older than Brooke and an Alolan woman with dark hair complete with blonde ends. She wore a layer of makeup with eyeliner, her nails were a glossy white, and she had three golden bracelets on her wrist. Like Brooke's, her hair was also bundled and stuck out through the back of her hat. They both stopped what they were doing and looked over after Brooke entered.

“Look who's late!" the man called with a grin.

Brooke was the fourth and final waiter on this shift who had yet to check in. The last two employees would be two guys who worked as the cashier and morning host, and they were usually minutes late every morning. She pulled out her phone and sucked her teeth after glancing at the time. “Two minutes until opening," she said while passing and heading to the countertop kiosk atop the front counter.

“Late if you ask Daya," the woman added.

“Then Daya should pay me to get less sleep." Brooke slipped behind the counter, inputting her pin on the kiosk's touch screen and clocking in. She also grabbed a pen and a mini notepad from the drawer under her, which she hung on her pants' band.

Afterward, Brooke joined her co-workers on the floor and went to a table nearby in need of chair overturning, grabbing a chair and lifting with a light grunt. "How'd sleep go for you guys?" She glanced at the woman. "I know Malia didn't."

Malia smirked. "Pft, I had a whole four hours and grabbed a macchiato from Wiki on the way. I'm so ready."

"That's badd, Malia." Brooke grinned and set the chair down, moving to grab another. "Tay?" She looked at the man.

"Like seven," he said. "I knocked out pretty quick since I was watching a bad horror."

"Alone again?" Malia mock sighed. "I'm telling 'ya, you need a girly, Tay. You ever had one?"

He pulled a spray bottle and cloth that hung on his pocket, spraying the chair before wiping it. "Nah, I don't try enough. I kind of suck."

Brooke shot him a quick glance he couldn't notice while grabbing the next chair's legs.

Malia pouted and scrunched her lips. "Aw, you totally don't. You're fine around us. Just go out with me more. Malia's got you."

"Ehm." He hung the bottle and cloth back over his pants. "I'll think about it." Tay looked at Brooke. "And how was your sleep? I'd pass out in seconds if I had a vulpix to snuggle every night."

Brooke grinned. "Her mate stole her last night, but I do fall asleep easily. It's a gift."

---

Brooke carried a tray with three drinks and plates on it to one of two tables she was currently waiting on. She stopped at a booth, where two young guys sat with a grovyle, and set down the tray to hand everything out. “Here you goo. Enjoy," she said with a smile while placing their plates on the table before them and sliding drinks.

She received their comments of appreciation, told them she'd check up on them again soon, and to let her know if they needed anything before taking the tray and walking it back to the kitchen.

The pace was leisurely. Only a few groups and individuals were dining in, whose tables were spread among employees on shift.

It was currently 1 p.m., meaning Brooke had four hours left and that she also had her forty-minute break on standby. She just had to wait until her current tables were finished and paid for without taking new ones, and she was now tending to four tables since one of her co-workers were on break.

She passed by Tay, who was talking to one of his tables, and the gothitelle, who was levitating drinks from her tray onto the table for grinning customers. Brooke returned the tray to the kitchen and peeked into the nearby break room, which was bland other than seating and a round table, a microwave, plastic utensils, and a conventional oven.

Malia sat in a chair, using her cell with her leg crossed over the other. On the table in front of her was an iced coffee and a wrap from the restaurant. Since she was on break, Brooke would take one afterward.

Malia looked up. “What's up? Lookin' cute after four hours on your feet."

Brooke burst a short giggle. “I've gotta get back. Just wanted to be nosy."

She looked back at her phone. “Have fun holding down my tables, then."

“Funny," Brooke said and started walking away.

“Oh, wait wait!" Malia said and looked up again. “Are we still going out?"

“Ugh." Brooke sucked her teeth. “Maybe."

“You never even replied to my damn text. Let's just go after shift."

She blew air through her nose under a smile, then rolled her eyes. “Day drinking?"

“Yess, it'll be fun. We can bring Tay, too. You both needa get out more."

Brooke shrugged. “I'm in then, now let me check on my last few tables."

---

An hour after shift, Brooke sat around a table with both of her co-workers at a local bar, which wasn't anything close to packed and wouldn't be until tonight.

All three had drinks with them; they wore their work outfits minus the cap and apron.

“This'd be so much more fun at night. Remind me why we don't work night shift?" Malia asked before lifting and taking a sip of her drink, which was an exotic blue and white layered liquid in a tall glass that she was almost through with.

“Stupid busy with no breaks," Tay said. “But you do get more tips, so it's a trade-off."

Malia looked at Brooke's drink. “Should've gotten something stronger to chill you out."

Brooke had a small light pink drink with a straw and berry bits in it. “I have to drive back, Malia, and I told you I don't want to start drinking like that."

“It won't hurt on occasion, will it?" Tay asked, leaning back in his chair. “No pressure, though. Don't drink."

“With me… it's a possibility," Brooke said and nodded at Malia. “Anyway, how are things with you and the bf?"

“Ew, fucking awful, so glad you asked," Malia replied. “Dropped me after we were together for three years, and he had the cutest pikachu. So glad I checked my phone and saw the text after shift."

Tay chuckled. “Sorry, the way you worded that made it sound like you care more about the latter."

“Oh, I do," Malia said and scrunched her lips. “Heart's broke, but me and Pani hit it off from day one. Best chu I'll ever meet."

“Ayh, sorry, Malia." Brooke frowned a little. “Just don't drown the hurt in alcohol, alright?"

“Too late." Malia raised her glass to her lips and took a swig that puffed out her cheeks. After she swallowed, she sighed and cleared her throat with winced eyes. "Shit... I'm dying inside," she strained.

Brooke watched, though her expression was blank. She couldn't imagine Parker leaving all that they'd built together—but she had. That was why she'd stopped her and Vix. “Why'd he end things?"

Malia eyed her with a squint. “I wish it was more interesting, but he just lost feelings for me. I'm pretty sure he was seeing some other bitch a month before that, but I didn't really touch on it since I trusted that loser with my life."

Brooke reached a hand and set it on her arm. “Let me know if you need help or company. I could always come over."

“Speaking of meeting pokémon," Tay butted in. “Maybe hanging around more'll help the healing process, Malia."

“The fuck are you on about?" Malia slurred. She grabbed her drink and guzzled the last of it, tilting it to get every last drop until the ice inside hit her lips. She set it down.

Tay blinked, then continued after a moment. “Well, I started sitting pokémon for people recently and met a few clients and pokémon who liked and wanted me back regularly. Can be decent income on the side if you're good with pokémon, and bonding with them can really brighten your mood."

Malia grabbed her drink and stood. “Tell me about it when I'm back. I'm getting another refill."

Brooke watched her walk to the counter with a sway in her step and wave for the bartender's attention while they made drinks for customers sitting at it. “...She's on her third drink."

“Yeah, I'll drive her home," Tay said while watching with Brooke, then turned to her. “And hey, I think you said you used to work at a daycare growing up, right?"

She nodded. “In my teens. I loved it."

“You should look into sitting since you have experience. There're a few popular apps for it."

"I might." Brooke sipped her drink through its straw. “How many jobs have you landed doing it?"

“I'm still new, so…" He shut his eyes for a moment. “Maybe three or four so far in three weeks? Not hot, but I'm building myself. It can be competitive, but all you need is to build a relationship with a few clients so they keep coming back to you. Think it'd be easy for you."

Brooke grinned a little. “You think so?"

He shrugged. “Cute and friendly with daycare experience. Why not?"

She formed a slight smile, her eyes set on him.

“Back, and I got you one too." Malia sat down with two full glasses and slid one to Brooke.

“I'm barely gonna finish what I have." Brooke scanned the tall glass.

Malia pulled the drink back. “Fine, I'll have it."

Tay raised his brows at the interaction while shaking his head.

After the group was done, which was around half an hour later, Brooke sat in her car, idle in the lot after Tay and Malia had left. Brooke had done some research on pokésitting after Tay brought it up. It would likely fulfill her other half, as pokémon were her passion. She wondered why she hadn't thought of this before.

Then again, she was partially glad she hadn't.

Brooke was currently on her app store, scrolling over a few top-rated pokésitter platforms. “Hm." She'd definitely land clients in Hau'oli, and as Tay had brought up, she had enough experience working with pokémon.

She closed the store, set her phone in the passenger seat, and started the car. If she decided to go through with it and commit, Brooke would have to tell Parker, so she'd mull it over throughout today and tonight.