FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I've been reading furry fiction for a while, and I've decided to take a shot at actually writing it for a change. With the help of my awesome boyfriend and co-author Kaarsten, of course! We're aiming to tell a story that isn't full of smut every chapter. Something that others can relate to. Yeah, that's what we're aiming for here, so since being completely new to this we're more than open for some critique. And, without any further ado, I present to you the first chapter of what will hopefully be a long series. Comments would be GREATLY appreciated!

*****

"Good morning Atlanta! This is DJ Billy Bush, getting you up and running this fabulous Monday morning! The time is currently five o'clock, and the weather is sunny, sunny, sun-" A paw slammed the snooze button on the alarm clock, cutting the DJ off abruptly mid-sentence. A groan escaped the wolf's maw as he stretched tiredly, paws going up to rub his eyes. He leaned up and yawned, giving the alarm clock a disdainful look before turning off the godforsaken contraption. Letting out another sigh and looking around his room, the wolf continued to rub at his eyes, trying to get himself awake.

"Dammit... Winter break went by way too fast. Well just one and a half more years to go, I guess. Three more semesters isn't all that long."

Feeling slightly better and a tad less grumpy, the wolf pulled his legs over the edge of his bed, his bare padded paws touching the carpeted floor. Giving one final stretch, the sixteen-year-old jumped off the bed and hastily made it, shivering slightly as his exposed fur came into contact with the chill winter air within his room. Having on only his boxers for protection against the cold, the adolescent hurriedly slipped into the bathroom through the door adjacent to his room, cursing slightly as the pads of his paws came into contact with the freezing tiles that lined the floor. Stripping his boxers, the young wolf quickly turned on the shower and jumped in, giving a yelp as he was greeted by a two second spray of what might as well have been liquid ice. "Well at least I'm awake now..." grumbled the young lupine, giving a smirk as the now warm stream sprayed over his bare fur, matting it down in the process.

The teen truly wasn't one to be messed with right after he woke up, but he still considered himself a morning wolf, once he got his daily shower. All in all, he truly was a pretty nice guy, trying always to treat those around him both kindly and fairly. Sure, he could be a sarcastic smartass at times, but it definitely wasn't to the extent where he really got on anyone's nerves. The wolf let out a small chuckle as thoughts like these popped into his head, going and coming with the flow of the water. Feeling that he had warmed up enough, the lupine grudgingly halted the flow, being sure to lather himself quickly with shampoo as to return to his indulgence in the warmth. He did slow down when it came to washing his groin, however, the lupine's eyes closing shut as he lathered his sheath, letting himself be momentarily lost in the sensation.

As he stroked the tip of his emerging member, the young wolf could feel shampoo drying on his well-toned torso, opening his eyes to see the contrast of the now white crust upon his grey fur. Shivering slightly as the cooling drops of water slid through his fur, he peeked over the top of the shower curtain to see the bathroom clock. Deciding that he had time to spare, the lupine gave a sheepish grin before resuming his ministrations, happy that he hadn't overslept on the first day back as to not have missed out on his morning ritual.

Ten minutes later left him in a far better mood and panting. The wolf turned on the showerhead and took a minute to let the water wash over his fur before turning it off, watching as the freshly made mess washed off his torso and flowed down the drain. Grabbing a towel off the rack and drying himself, he watched himself in the bathroom mirror, giving his signature, sheepish wolf grin to his reflection. "Well hello there, you handsome devil."

And indeed, it was true. The wolf was quite the looker, having cycled through his fair share of girlfriends throughout his high school year, though admittedly none of the relationships had ever lasted longer than a month or so. Even then, at an even six feet with well-toned figure, the wolf was quite a stud. Being a member of his school's varsity football team, the wolf easily kept in shape, sometimes even throwing in rigorous workout sessions here and there to be sure he would not lose that well-built structure he had worked so hard to develop over the years. Other than the impressive build, the wolf had more or less average traits that were common throughout his species, his fur a deep grey, an aspect which was complimented with bright, hazel eyes. Rubbing his tail with the towel one final time to be sure it was dry, the wolf returned it back to the rack, switching off the bathroom light as he walked into his room.

Shuffling through a drawer quickly, the lupine pulled out a pair of boxer-briefs and quickly slid them on, looking over his shoulder to check the time. "Five forty-five? Crap, I spent longer in there than I thought. Still, I don't have to leave until six twenty, so I got time. Better hurry if I want breakfast though." Jogging over to his closet, the wolf picked out a pair of blue jeans and a plain white shirt, searching frantically around the room before spotting his football letterman jacket lying askew on the desk. Quickly dressing himself and grabbing his bookbag on the way out, the wolf dashed down the stairs and slid into the kitchen, being greeted with the site of his older brother at the table.

Unlike him, his older brother had black fur coupled with blue eyes, taking after their mom's side. Being older by five years, the young adult wasn't nearly as toned as his younger brother, his courses at Emory university having long robbed him of any serious definition that he had gained throughout high school. Though, the older wolf definitely was in no regards out of shape. The lupine glanced up at his younger brother from a textbook he had been intently focusing on, greeting him as he padded into the kitchen. "I see someone is finally out of the shower. Took you long enough, Jackson." The older wolf flashed a quick knowing grin to his brother, the younger cringing at the look. "Anyhow. Ready to go back to school, Squirt?"

The younger lupine rolled his eyes in response to the nickname. "As if. Hey Jake, where's Mom?" Jack asked as he looked around the kitchen, noting her absence.

"She was called into work about an hour ago. Dunno, something about the hospital being really shorthanded today, so they really needed her to come in. She told me to tell you that she's sorry she had to leave so suddenly."

Jack groaned at hearing this. "Great," muttered the young lupine. "Now it looks like I'm going to have to catch a ride on the bus or something." The young teen, though he had a driver's permit, had yet to actually obtain his license. Not liking the small, cramped seats on the school bus, especially for a wolf of his size, he preferred to catch a ride with his mom whenever he could. But, since his mom was a cardiologist who worked at a hospital downtown, she was almost always gone for most of the day, leaving Jack to the bus on most occasions. He would sometimes be able to convince his dad to give him a ride, but at the moment said dad was in China on a business trip for his company, leaving Jack with three options.

'Okay, so I could ask Jake for a lift, but he almost always turns me down, so what's the point? It's too cold to walk... Shit! I don't wanna take that damn bus on the first day. Well, here goes nothing...'

"Hey, Jake. Would you be willing to give me a ride this morning? Please, bro?"Jack immediately shifted into puppy mode, mustering up the cutest face he could. Jake looked over and gave a sigh.

"Alright. Consider this a one time thing, since winter break just ended and all. Honestly, I can't see why you hate taking the bus so much. After all, I had to ride that thing until my senior year, and Mom and Dad almost never gave me a ride to school."

'Well, you were nowhere as big as I am, even if you were buffer back then,' Jack thought to himself. Smirking, the young teen gave a quick thanks, his older brother responding with a look of confusion to his brother's random smirk. Giving up on trying to figure him out, the older lupine resumed his studying. Jack in the meantime prepared himself a quick bowl of cereal, a meal that was literally gone in seconds. Within a minute the two headed out, the young wolf mentally preparing himself for another boring, uneventful day of school as he climbed into the passenger's seat of his brother's Escalade.

***

The sun beamed down on the shorefront, waves rolling in one after another as he ran into the water, board in hand. He could feel the pull of the currents, the soft echoes of roaring waves as he mounted the board, leaning forward into the oncoming crest. As the wave toppled overhead, he skimmed down the inside of the curling vortex of water, zipping out as it crashed inward upon itself. The water swelled past him, eventually leveling out back into the constant swaying motions of the sea, calming itself. He could hear the voices far off, his friends calling him over. With an expectant face, he looked over and began paddling, coming to shore in a matter of seconds and racing down the shoreline-

"Wake up, Matt!"

The otter's eyes opened blearily, sluggishly looking about the room as the voice called, "Come on Matt, wake up!" He grunted in reply, rolling over a bit and nuzzling the pillow. He'd be awake in a bit, just give him a few more minutes...

A book came in contact with his head, effectively jolting him from his sleepy state with a yell. "Wake up already! Mom says you're late!" the smaller otter said, prodding at his brother's side as Matt shifted within the bedcovers.

Matt sighed and yawned as he sat up in bed, lidded eyes looking none too happy to be awake at such an ungodly hour. He'd just flown in from California, and seeing as his dad had registered him for school before he'd even arrived, he found himself struggling to cope with jet lag. His body was screaming at him for getting up when it felt like two in the morning, and as he got up, he grumpily looked over at his brother, managing to utter a rather unhappy "Alright, Tommy, I'm awake already" before shooing the younger male out of the room.

He closed and locked the door behind him, sighing as he leaned against it. Moving to Georgia had been such a stupid idea. He couldn't understand why his parents had wanted to move here. He had been perfectly happy in California, star runner of the track team, surrounded with friends every day, and spending the weekends surfing with his buddies. Now, he was in the middle of practically nowhere. Rubbing his eyes a bit, he went to his closet and picked out some clothing. A quick check of the weather forecast on the television told him it would be a nice, sunny day today. It still wouldn't make the day all that much warmer, the brisk Georgia winter another reminder of what he had left behind.

With a small sigh he began undressing, standing in front of the mirror in his boxers after removing his shirt and pajama pants. He was a well-built guy, blessed not only with a natural ease in building muscle, but broad shoulders and a strong frame. His muscles were well defined beneath maintained fur, though the otter prided himself in not being buff. Walking muscles? Ha, why would he want to take that away from those oh so wonderful football players? He smirked at the thought as he held his form gracefully, his movements swift yet careful as he dug into his closet, picking out a pair of denim jeans and placing them on his bed.

Even with his rather admirable build, Matt didn't glance at himself any longer than it took to examine how a piece of clothing would look. After finding a suitable choice, a black long-sleeved t-shirt with a 'Rise Against' logo at its center, he closed the closet door and donned the clothing, slipping into the denim and sliding a belt around his waist, before wriggling into the shirt and adjusting the outfit before the mirror. After a few creases ironed out, he smiled, satisfied at how the shirt hugged his frame. Staring back at himself, Matt took note of the one feature that stood out about him the most: His light green eyes. Usually the first thing that people notice about him, the otter could thank his grandparents for that one; no one in his immediate family had the striking feature aside from him.

"Come on, Matthew. If you don't hurry, you won't have time for breakfast." His mother yelled from the kitchen as he descended the last few stairs.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here." He mumbled as he entered the kitchen, walking past the kitchen counter and taking a seat. There was a plate with some pancakes and eggs sitting before, him, the smell making it hard to remain angry. With a small frown, he ate the food, shoveling it in as his eyes trained on the morning news. "... and it's a beautiful day today! The sun is shining, with a high of 58, low of 34. We're expecting some rainfall later this week, but there's not a cloud in sight at this moment..."

He looked away from the morning news as his father walked in, the tall otter wearing a crisp suit, a mug of coffee in his hand. He took a quick look at his watch as he reached over for a piece of toast, butter neatly spread on it. He took a bite as he watched the weather forecast, keen grey eyes skimming over the conditions. "Looks like a great first day, son." He said, ruffling the teenager's hair as he passed by. It didn't take very long for him to finish eating the rest of the toast, and with another quick glance at his watch, he gave a quick, "Alright, gotta go", and went for the door. "Bye, hon! Matthew, Thomas! Have a good first day!" His father said from the doorway before shutting it. The car engine soon came to life, and he pulled out of the driveway, driving off to work.

"It's always work with him, isn't it?" Matt said, and his mother gave him a stern look. "Don't give him a hard time, okay? He's not happy about the move either. It was the company's orders, remember?" She said as he picked up his dirty plate, taking it over to the sink and washing it. The otter rolled his eyes, shrugging. True, it was the company who told him to move over here. The pay was better, and he had to admit, it was an okay change of scenery. Not to mention the suburban neighborhood was considerably safer. Still, it wasn't like he was happy with being uprooted like this. His mother gave him a stern look as she scrubbed, and he sighed. "Alright, alright... How am I going to get there, anyways? To school, that is." He said as he got up, pushing the chair back in.

"There's a bus. You can ride that, you know."

The bus? Was he some kind of kid? Matt bit his lip for a moment, considering arguing, but decided against it. He knew when to not push it further, and his parents, as optimistic as they tried to be, weren't all too happy with the move either. "Alright. I'll start heading out, then. Don't want to miss it." He said as he walked out of the kitchen, fetching his new coat and backpack from where he'd left them in the office the night before. The backpack didn't have much in it beyond some supplies and a few binders, and it was light as he went for the door, opening it with a "Bye, mom" and walking out down the driveway, exiting just in time to see the yellow vehicle pulling up in front of his street. Matt reached the side of the road before the bus stopped in front of him, the vehicle's door opening as he let out a groan. His first day at "Middle of Nowhere" High School. What a joy this would be.

***

A black-striped orange paw waved nonchalantly against the backdrop of the clear winter morning, moving in beat to the song that was blasting out of the tiger's earphones as he lay across the edge of the fountain in front of Millburry High School. The Bengal tiger turned his head when a black glint caught his eye, putting on a wide grin as he watched a brand new black SUV pull up into the school drop-off lane. He agilely leaped to his footpaws and jumped off the fountain's edge, weaving through the crowds of students scattered throughout the school grounds. Clear, sunny days were rare to come by in the midst of a Georgia winter, most students taking advantage of the morning by catching up with those that they hadn't seen in nearly three weeks outside before having to head in for their classes. The tiger skidded coolly to a stop right before the Escalade came to a halt, arms crossed in a smirk as a wolf in a varsity football jersey stepped out from the passenger's side, bookbag slung over his shoulder.

"Thanks for the ride, bro," Jack said before slamming the door shut, the tiger noticing the older wolf cringe, his ears folded back in response to the loud slam. The younger lupine turned to face the tiger, his face breaking out in a grin in response to the feline's amused expression. "What's with the look, Kit?"

The tiger's brow furrowed at the mention of the old nickname, his scowl only turning the wolf's grin sheepish. "Oh nothing much, Squirt," the he said, rolling his eyes. "Just found it kind of funny how Richy Rich was so willing to show off the new ride the first day back."

"Hey, it's not my fault that Jake decided to take the new car. I just asked him for a ride, " Jack said, shrugging. By now the two were making their way across the school grounds, dodging past furs who were scrambling past them in search of their friends and classmates. "Besides, you think you can still call me Squirt, Keith?"

Jack grinned at Keith, straightening his back to show off that he was indeed taller than the tiger these days, at least by three inches. Not only that, but the bulk that Jack had gained throughout his years of football only did more to punctuate the size difference, the tiger's slim frame dwarfed by the wolf's. The fact that Jack was decked out in the football team's standard attire while the tiger sported a tight-fitting, black, long-sleeved shirt with slim blue jeans seemed only to accent how the years had affected the two so differently.

"Whatever. No matter what, you'll always be a squirt in my book." Keith grabbed the wolf's shoulder and pulled him close, scruffling the lupine's headfur with a quick laugh, a gesture that was somewhat out of character. "It's good to see you again."

Jack shot Keith an annoyed look as he smoothed out his fur, mumbling "Yeah, missed you too."

Jack's expression shifted to one of surprise as the tiger reached over and pulled out a small cardboard box from the confines of his bookbag, ears folded in embarrassment as he held it out to his friend.

"Here. I got this from a mine while I was in Arkansas. You know, sort of like a late Christmas present." The tiger looked up from the ground to see the surprised look on Jack's face, giving the wolf a meek smile in response. "I wanted to say sorry for being away the entire break. Take it."

"I don't know what to say."

The feline maintained his meek grin, embarrassment still evident in his normally confident demeanor. "You could open it. And then you could say thanks."

Jack reached out and took the package, opening the small white box to see a carefully wrapped stone a little bigger than the size of his fist inside. "You got me a rock?"

"It's called a geode. You're supposed to crack it open to see the crystal formation inside."

The wolf looked back up at the tiger, happiness lighting up the lupine's hazel eyes. "Only you would get me a present I would have to break. Thanks a million, mate."

A look of relief washed over the tiger's features as he relaxed, his confidence returning now that he was sure that his friend liked the gift. Keith coolly crossed his arms and gave a nonchalant "You're welcome," but Jack could see that the feline was more pleased than he was willing to let on that he had made his friend happy. That's Keith for you. The cool, stoic tiger who's loner attitude didn't make him the most popular guy on campus. Still, he was well-liked by those who knew him, especially Jack who happened to be his best friend. The two had known one another since the third grade, when Keith's family moved in next door to Jack's. Since then Jack had moved, but the two had remained inseparable, sharing multiple classes and sleeping over at each other's houses throughout the years. Even when Jack had tried out for the football team the tiger had been there to support him, putting aside his distaste for the muscle-headed jocks for the sake of his friend. That's another thing about Keith - he's an amazing friend. Jack's head flooded with countless memories of the tiger being by his side when he needed someone.

Someone who never missed one of his football games, unlike the wolf's brother or his parents. Someone who was always there to listen and offer the best advice he could. Someone who really cared about him, though Keith would rather be caught dead than to admit it to Jack's face.

"Thanks again, Keith. It really does mean a lot."

The tiger rolled his eyes in response, but Jack could see the small smile that he was trying to hide. "Yeah, well, whatever. Hey, let's hurry up and get going. You know Miles will kill us if we're late. And I'm not getting detention the first day back because of you, Squirt."

With a scowl Jack closed the cardboard box and zipped it up in his backpack, rushing to catch up with his friend as the five minute warning bell sounded in the crisp, winter air.

***

George was not an individual one would call patient. The stallion didn't have any particular traits that set him off from the rest of his species, other than that his dark mane had begun to grey with the first signs of age. The revelation that his life was nowhere where he wanted it to be at the ripe age of fifty had finally sunk in during the holiday season, leaving the county bus driver in a foul mood. It didn't help that the high school students he was driving were being louder this particular day than ever before, most of them trying to catch up with friends not seen over the break, few heeding the shouts of anger from the irritable bus driver. So when the equine stopped in front of an otter who was giving the bus, his bus, a disdainful look, he did the most reasonable thing that came to his mind. With a flick of his finger, the doors closed shut before the otter could board with that all too familiar hydraulic hiss. Feeling somewhat better with himself as the otter's features were enveloped with shock, the horse gave a curt wave and drove off, leaving an open-mouthed Matt in his wake.

His mind finally registering what had happened, Matt took off in a sprint, running with all his might to catch up with the bus. The former track member's legs pumped frantically as he caught up with the accelerating vehicle, his paw pounding its side to catch the driver's attention. Unfortunately that was a success. When George realized in disbelief that the otter was keeping pace with the bus, he slammed his hoof against the pedal, the yellow vehicle accelerating at a speed that couldn't be legal as it drove off into the distance. Matt slowed to a stop and hunched over panting, the cold winter air stinging his chest as he hungrily took deep breaths. The otter's ear perked up to the fading sound of laughter, Matt realizing in anger that the students on the bus were laughing at him.

'Bastards,' he thought with disgust, straightening up and adjusting his bookbag. The otter took a moment to weigh his options, looking down the street to see that the bus was no more than a faint speck in the distance at this point. 'Doubt that asshole would let me on anyway.' Grabbing his head and letting out a cry in exasperation, the otter could only focus on how miserable his life had become after the move.

"Why the fuck do I have to deal with this shithole!"

"I don't know. If you ask me, this place isn't all too bad."

Matt gave a start as he spun around to face a husky, the canine sitting in the driver's seat of a Toyota Celica which had pulled up behind Matt without him noticing. The passenger's window was open, allowing for the otter to lean down as to better talk with the husky. Now that he had a clearer view of the driver, Matt could make out that he was probably around his age. The canine's ears were a dark grey, the fur from his ears spreading across his face to circle his eyes. The remainder of the husky's face fur was a soft white, traveling down to envelop his entire muzzle. From what Matt could make out it looked like the husky's grey fur spread down to coat his back, though it was difficult to discern anything beyond the husky's head because of the black turtleneck the canine was wearing. Realizing that he had been awkwardly staring at the husky the past minute without a word between them, Matt blushes, stuttering to say anything.

"Umm, hey. You.. you know how to drive?" Matt felt like slapping himself upside the head the second he realized what he said. 'Jeez Sherlock, brilliant observation! He's gonna think you're a flippin' retard or something now.'

Matt was surprised to see the husky give a friendly chuckle in response, flashing the otter a smile. "Lucky for you, I think I just may." The husky nodded towards the general direction of the bus. "Saw what happened to you there. That driver's an ass. Not like I need to tell you that," said the husky, winking at Matt. "My name's Brandon, by the way. So you want to hop in and catch a lift? You're heading to Millburry High, aren't you?"

Matt could only nod dumbly at his sheer stroke of luck. "My name's Matt," was the only thing he could think of saying as he opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat.

"Nice to meet you, Matt. You're new here, right?" The husky asked as he pulled into the street, steering the car in the direction which the bus was heading.

"Yeah. Am I that obvious?"

The husky shook his head in response, grinning as he stared straight ahead at the road. "Nah. I just never saw you around before. I also was thinking you wouldn't have missed the bus if today wasn't your first day. Anyone who's lucky enough to ride that one knows not to piss off the driver, George. Nasty-tempered one, that stallion." Brandon let out a small chuckle before continuing. "Main reason why I got my license as soon as possible. So what grade you in?"

"I'm a junior. You?"

"Cool, same. Maybe we'll have some classes together. You know your schedule yet?"

"Not yet. They were supposed to mail it to me, but some conflicts or something came up that they had to fix at the last minute. Apparently the courses I took in California don't really work out too well with the stuff they offer in junior year over here."

Brandon's ears perked up at this. "Hold that thought," the husky said as he slid open the window and stuck his head out, carefully sandwiching his car into an empty parking spot. Matt took a moment to look at the building off to their side - his new school. 'I guess this is really happening. New school. New friends. New life.' The otter looked over at the canine as the thought of new friends came to mind. 'Looks like I don't have to be too worried in that area.' He flashed Brandon a grin as the husky turned to find the otter staring at him the second time within the past twenty minutes. He gave the Matt a curious look before glancing at his watch.

"Shit. Looks like we have fi-"

The five minute warning bell reached the ears of both students, two pairs of ears perking up at the sound.

"Five minutes. We have five minutes to get to class. Hey, I'll show you to the office so you can find out where you need to be today and stuff. We gotta hurry, though. I don't have that much time to get to class with that detour. But don't think that this gets you out of telling me all about California," the husky said before giving Matt a quick grin.

Brandon opened his car door and quickly leaped out, opening the trunk as to grab his bookbag. Matt took a second more to stare at the peculiar addition to the car that set it apart from most teenagers' - a rosary wrapped delicately and carefully around the rear-view mirror. Thinking nothing more of it, the otter opened his door and got out, following Brandon inside the building for his first day of school. For the first day of his new life.