FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"What am I wearing?" Skye asked herself at 9 a.m. the following morning while pushing aside clothes hanging in her closet over stacked boxes.

Skye pulled a tight, white long-sleeved tee from a hanger with the outline of a pink poké ball on its chest. "...Yes." She laid it neatly across her bed in a spot where zero Ruki fur was present. He was still asleep, so she was considerate with her movement. Skye also grabbed a pair of light pink jeans with silver-zippered pockets to complete her getup. Now, she had to shower and shave in select areas for tonight.

Before leaving her room, she kneeled by her bed and pulled the bag from underneath. Her face heated up while sifting through it. Skye wasn't sure if she should wear the dress and choker tonight. What would Aaron think?

She pushed the bag back under the bed and would ponder it further in the shower. She went and chose a new pair of panties and a bra from her dresser, along with a tee and shorts to wear after it. She gave Ruki a soft enough kiss on his head not to wake him and closed her door when she was out in the hall.

She went into the restroom, shut the door, set her clothes on the towel rack, and undressed. Skye turned the shower's nozzle to run the water and adjusted it so it was lukewarm, sticking her hand under it for a second to ensure. Afterward, she turned to the mirror to study her eyes, which were slightly swollen from a lack of sleep. Skye ran her index finger over the affected area.

She turned around, pushed aside the curtains, and put her foot under the running water before entering. "You'll have fun tonight." Skye let the water hit her hair and shoulders while running her hands through its strands. "But I can't wear that dress. Gosh, and the choker… Like, maybe he'd like it, but these are first impressions." She grabbed blindly for the shampoo on the rack beside her among two Viriclean bottles. Skye had ordered the special shampoo online for Ruki in bulk shortly after returning from Sinnoh, so she had eight more in her closet.

She popped her shampoo's lid after finding it and drizzled it over her hair, then set it back. "It's not like I can ask him upfront." She'd have to gauge how the night went, which also meant Skye would have to bring the bag and... not tell him what was inside?

Ruki yawned and stretched his legs after having awoken moments ago. He looked at the shut door, then saw Skye's outfit on the bed.

After she washed and shaved in the shower within twenty minutes, Skye dried off, did her hair in front of the restroom mirror, applied concealer, then dressed and went to her room to call Aaron. She shut the door and sat on her bed beside Ruki, who was now wide awake. "Hello?"

"Hey, what are you up to?"

"I just showered, so waiting on tonight."

"Everything alright?"

"I'm tired, is all. I'm excited about tonight. It's crazy how rapidly this is all happening. It feels like we met yesterday."

"I am too, and Sylmi is excited to see Ruki again. I just hope I'm not anxious."

"Ah, you'll be fine. It went well last time, didn't it?"

"Yeah… but this is different. I know I'll have to answer crucial questions and stuff."

Skye giggled a little. "Don't overthink it. My parents aren't that difficult.”

“I'll do my best. See you soon?"

Skye heard his grin behind the line. “See you soon. Call me when you're near." She ended the call and set her phone aside. "I hope I'm right..." She lay on her back while yawning.

“Nn.” Ruki raised his rear to stretch his hind legs before lying beside her and licking her cheek.

Skye looked at him. “I know. I shouldn't sweat it so much." She picked up her phone again to check the time. "It'll be ten soon. I'm going back to sleep for a while. Want me to let you out?"

Ruki shook his head.

She got under the sheets and covers after he stood and pulled them up to her chest. "You can lie back now."

He did and curled up next to her, her palm on the side of his head.

"Thanks for staying." She turned onto her side and closed her eyes, soon pulling her hand from him and slipping it under the blanket. She'd have trouble sleeping while full of anticipation for this evening, but she'd try to push it aside.

Before Skye could make an attempt, she heard a knock at her door and sat up.

Ruki lifted his head to look as well.

“Come in!” When it opened, Skye saw her mother.

“Hey,” she said, entering and closing the door behind her. “I wanted to apologize about last night and see how you were holding up. I know it got quite out of hand.” Her mother sat at the bottom of Skye’s bed and turned to face her with a leg on the mattress.

“I'm hoping it doesn’t repeat itself tonight."

“We talked. You know he would never do anything to disrupt your relationship on purpose. We were your age once upon a time.”

“Then… am I getting the night?”

Her mother sighed with the equivalent of a defeated shrug in her eyes. "Well, I'd allow an hour or two more, but I believe you are still getting a few hours. You'll have to be back before midnight.”

Skye held her breath to prevent a scoff and instead pouted. “Momm, dinner alone will take an hour. The ferry to get there takes another, and the ferry back takes another—not to mention walking and wait times to board. I'll have three hours if I get lucky."

Ruki also thought that was unfair, but he wouldn't involve himself verbally.

She then actually shrugged and threw her hands up. "I don't know what to tell you, hon. He won't budge, and honestly, I would prefer you take this slower too."

Skye looked down and bit her lip, dispiritment spelled all over her face. She nodded.

"But it won't be the last time you see him." Her mother stood and walked to her door. "Try to see it positively and give it some thought. Breakfast is waiting in the microwave." She left, shutting the door on her way out.

"Positively…" Skye held her temple. She lay on her back again. "I'm not gonna be able to sleep again." She had a headache that hadn't existed before that conversation. Now Skye wished she would have bought a plane ticket. She would have more time that way.

---

At 5:40 p.m., Skye had claimed her round-trip ticket to Akala. She was in her outfit and socks for tonight, standing in front of the restroom mirror after applying gloss. She ensured her hair looked presentably wavy since she'd spent a lot of time helping her mother in a hot kitchen, and Aaron's ferry had docked minutes ago.

"Okay…" Skye exited and went to her mother, who was still busy cooking. Ruki was sitting by the dining room table and stopped grooming his tails to look as Skye entered.

"Someone looks pretty tonight," her mother said, grinning.

"Thank you." Skye returned it shyly.

"Dinner will be ready in thirty, soon after Aaron gets here."

"That's fine. It'll give time to settle. Let me know if you need more help." Skye went and sat on the couch, watching commercials play on TV and taking a deep breath.

The current one showed a pre-teen boy throwing a frisbee in a grassy yard; the camera panned to an absol jumping up to catch it mid-air while a woman voiced the scene over, advertising a new prescribable medication for anxiety.

The scene cut to another of a young woman wearing wired earphones with her phone in a holster on her hip, jogging in slow motion down a residential sidewalk with a midday lycanroc trotting beside her.

Skye leaned her head back against the cushion and shut her eyes. She'd spent so much time ensuring she looked as perfect as possible.

Ruki walked over from the table and sat by her feet, chewing a leftover cookie her mother had given him.

Skye's phone vibrated in her pocket. She sat up and opened her eyes, taking it out and seeing Aaron's number. She answered and held it to her ear. "Hey… Oh, you two're walking now? I'll see you in ten. Just knock." After Skye hung up, her father entered the living room. He wore a dress shirt and jeans.

He sat beside her and grinned.

Skye tried not to appear tense in his presence. Every time she thought about the curfew upset her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine." She glanced at him but mainly kept her eyes on the screen ahead. "Excited to go out."

"I'm sure Ruki'll miss you."

Ruki glanced at him. He missed her every time. Granted, they were always together—but still.

"He might, but I'll be back in a few hours."

There was a beat of silence before his next reply. "Going to go see if your mother needs help." He stood and walked to the kitchen.

Ruki looked back at Skye.

"I'm going out front." She stood and walked to the door, slipping on her flip-flops and opening it. The climate was warm, and streetlights illuminated the populated pavement. She went down the steps and looked west down the road, taking in fresh air.

Skye easily made out a colorful sylveon and its owner in the distance, which caused her to grin. She raised her hand with hesitance and slightly waved, hoping she didn't single out the wrong pokémon, but she received it back from the person and saw the sylveon speed up to a trot. Skye jogged to the door. “Ruki, come out, quick!"

He paced over and brushed past her legs while slipping out the door.

“Be a sec. They’re here!” Skye said.

"Got it!” her mother replied.

Skye shut the door and looked back to see Sylmi giving Ruki’s chest an affectionate nuzzle, Ruki grinning while he did. “Awe, hey, Sylmi.”

“Syl.” He looked up at her.

Aaron lagged but caught up in moments; he looked over her outfit and figure multiple times. He had on a casual one as well: black jeans and a jacket. “Sylmi was really anticipating this."

“So was I.” She met him halfway, embracing his waist and pressing her cheek to his chest.

Aaron hugged her with his arm, his free hand on her upper back while holding her closely. “You sure you're okay?"

“Yeah.” Skye sighed and shut her eyes, holding it for a moment before breaking it. “Wanna come in?”

“Let’s see how bad my nerves act." He ran his eyes over her several more times and broke a smile.

"What is it?" Skye subtly giggled.

"You just look elegant is all. I'm still in love with your colors too. It overwhelms my eyes."

That caused her to smile, bigger than his. "...Thank you." After a moment, she turned to Sylmi and Ruki, who were conversating. “C’mon, you two.”

Skye's mother glanced up from the refrigerator after they all entered, her father beside her. "Hello, Aaron." She paused what she was doing and smiled.

"Last name?" Aaron whispered to Skye.

"Amory."

"Hi, Missus Amory," he replied. Aaron turned back to Skye. "Beautiful last name, by the way."

"You can sit if you'd like. Dinner will be a while," her father said.

Aaron nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"Nin." Meanwhile, Ruki climbed onto the living room couch and prompted Sylmi to join.

Sylmi hopped up and sat beside him, his ribbon brushing against Ruki. "Vee, sylve." He told Ruki he was glad to be able to spend some hours with him.

Ruki had zero ideas as to what they would do. They wouldn't even be able to go outside this late. "Nine." For now, they could watch what was playing on TV, which happened to be the middle of an entertaining pokémon contest.

Ruki turned to Sylmi. "Ninetales ninetales nine?" He asked if he'd ever heard of Bound to Black.

Sylmi nodded. "Sylveon! Sylvee. Syl Syln." He said he hadn't watched much of it and usually watched Rainbow Hunters. "Sylveon?" He then asked Ruki if he'd ever watched it with a raised ribbon and bright grin.

"Nine..." Maybe half an episode. It was boring and cutesy with odd placements of violence in between. It was a slice of life about a group of eeveelutions, touching mainly on their life at headquarters with crime-fighting involved and whatnot.

Bound to Black was way better and the most mature, story-driven pokémedia series to date.

It was about a ninetales and his mate who had procured an indefinite curse within the very fabric of their tails after visiting Lavender Town and stumbling upon a ritual during the night. As a result, their souls were indebted to the order of two haunter, who make a horror out of their daily lives through vivid hallucinations, constant bad luck, and life-threatening events. The mates can only break the torturous curse by sacrificing one of their lives—or they must find and end both their captors' lives, who were guarded by many ghost-types, in the Pokémon Tower.

"Ninetales?" Ruki asked if he wanted to try the show later. It ran late at night.

Sylmi nodded, keeping his grin.

"You wanna see my room? I don't think you have yet," Skye offered.

"Of course." Aaron followed her down the hall to its end while looking around.

She pushed open her door and grabbed his wrist, leading him inside. "I'm not the most decorative. Maybe when I get my own place. I've got all my stuff packed in my closet." Her room used to be filled with souvenirs and various items. Skye had decorated shelves and more, but she'd taken almost everything down around two years ago.

"Uh, this is pretty decorative to me. It's cute... I like it." Aaron's eyes shot around the room, at her framed hearts and 'LOVE' logo on the wall, her carpet and lava lamp, and her assortment of plushies before moving to something out of the ordinary: a premier ball sitting atop her dresser.

He approached and looked at the unique 'R' engraved into it. "Do you have a second pokémon I don't know about?"

"No..." She went and picked it up. "It's what I caught Ruki in on top of Lanakila. I don't use it, but it'll always mean everything to me." Skye placed it back in the indentation she'd made on the dresser for it and turned to him. "Are you nervous?"

Aaron swallowed. "There's no fixing that. At least I don't stutter under pressure."

Skye giggled and whispered. "Here." She leaned up, taking his cheeks into her palms and kissing his lips.

Aaron shuddered; he held her hips, leaning slightly to complete and deepen it.

She kissed him once more and let him return it, then pulled away. "Maybe that'll help. You'll do great."

"Dinner's ready!" Skye's mother called.

Aaron looked toward her mother's voice, then back to Skye after she poked his stomach.

"You'll do great."

Everyone besides the pokémon were seated around the table in minutes with fried finneon.

Skye was in the chair closer to Aaron, and her mother and father were across.

Her father took a sip of water after taking a forkful of finneon and dabbed with a napkin. "Aaron, glad you're here. You're currently attending college, correct?"

Skye's eyes shot between them while taking a timid bite of her meal.

"Uh, yes, sir, I major in business part-time and work a small job," Aaron replied.

Skye's father nodded. "That's good. I assume you're still with your parents, then?"

"With my mom."

"What happened with your father?"

Skye stopped chewing for a second.

Skye's mother intervened. "John, don't you think that's a bit personal?"

"Valid point, but I also think it's fair. I want to avoid unnecessary abandonment in the future. I digress... and I would like to know your primary reasoning behind pursuing my daughter—your intent?"

Skye held her tongue and glanced at Aaron, who wasn't even eating, and his face was a soft red.

Aaron sat upright. "I... well, I want to care and provide for her with all my heart, sir. I'd give nothing less."

"I appreciate that," Skye's father said. "You seem like a genuine boy, but I want to know how serious you are. Do you, with certainty, believe you are ready to take a woman of Skye's caliber on? What I don't understand is why you would pursue her if you aren't actually in a position to provide for and support her adequately. You may not realize this, but it's selfish, don't you think?"

"Uh..." Aaron looked away.

Meanwhile, Skye was attempting desperately to catch her mother's eyes.

Her mother glanced at the pleading in her daughter's eyes, then turned to Aaron and smiled. "Why don't you tell us about the classes you're taking, dear?"

---

The hour had gone somewhat better than Skye expected, but she'd gotten mildly annoyed by several more questions asked by her father.

It was five minutes past seven by the time everything was cleaned up, so she and Aaron had to get going.

Skye currently stood by the door with him after he'd said his temporary goodbye to Sylmi. He and Ruki sat by the couch. "I'll be right out," Skye promised.

"Take your time," Aaron said.

Skye closed the door behind him and went to her mother cleaning off the stove. Her father was on the couch. "We're gonna go now, Mom. Thank you for dinner." She hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek.

"It was fun. Go have more of it, but remember to be safe and watch your surroundings, and hon..." She looked back at her. "Don't bring home a baby." She grinned.

"Mom." Skye giggled quietly. "I won't. I'll be safe, and I'll be safe with him. Promise." Skye squeezed her and pulled away, walking over to Ruki.

She crouched and placed her palm on the side of his neck. "I'll be back soon, baby." She planted a kiss between his eyes. "Be good. Love you."

"Nn." He nodded, nuzzling her arm with his cheek.

"Keep him company, Sylmi," she said before standing and walking toward the door, putting on her shoes before reaching for the handle.

"Midnight, Skye," her father reminded.

Her hand stopped, and she turned her head. "Yeah..." Skye opened the door and walked out to meet Aaron. "Ready."

They started the walk, strolling in silence beside each other among rows of sleeping homes lit by streetlights, few cars, people at upscale bars or outdoor eateries, and ambiance. The Shopping District was lit up like usual, as were the hotels.

Psyduck, tirtouga, mareanie, and more occupied the vacant beach and waters.

"Can't believe he asked if we thought we'd be long-term..." Skye mumbled.

"I guess I could see why. He can't expect much from a long-distance first relationship while we're in our teens," said Aaron.

"But where's the optimism... or- or at least some faith? Like, we're meeting in person, we're happy, and I'm his daughter."

"Is this what's been bothering you?"

She paused before nodding. "I wasn't going to say, but I have a curfew tonight too. Midnight... It's degrading."

Aaron glanced at her. "He won't be like that forever. He knows you're growing into yourself, and you're your own person."

"They took a lot from my teens to raise me as if I weren't my own person, and they're keeping it up, slithering into my relationships like I'm some clueless dumbass." Skye brought her hand up slightly and touched his. "Sorry..."

Aaron took and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I get it."

"I want to forget, even if for a few hours."

There were only twenty people and some pokémon waiting at The Marina, so the boarding process progressed quicker than usual. The ferry started its journey after everyone was on ten minutes later; most passengers stood by the railing on the lit-up front deck, including Skye and Aaron.

She pulled out her phone. "It's going to be close to nine by the time we get to Hano," she said, slipping it back into her pocket.

Aaron watched her and smirked a little. "You'll be less stressed if you don't track the time constantly."

"I mean, probably." Skye looked to the ship's rear, where no one was present. "You wanna go watch the waves, then?"

He followed her eyes. "That'll work." Aaron walked with her across the narrow side of the deck. Fewer lights lined the walls at the back, providing a darker environment.

Skye leaned over the railing when she got to it, holding the bars while watching thrashing dark waves that the ship disturbed.

Aaron glanced at her. "And for the record, my father left when I was young, but I promised myself never to do the same to my partner if I ever had a kid... Also, I should tell you something."

"Go ahead."

"From the day we met, I kind of felt like you were out of my league anyway. It's partially why I never made a move."

She looked at him.

"I didn't want to think that way, but the longer I was around you, I heard you say things, like where you lived and found out more about you..." He turned to meet her eyes, then shifted down. "I don't know if I'm good enough, a-at least not where I am now. Like your dad said, there's nothing to respect yet."

"...I'm sorry he said those things, but don't say I'm out of your league. What makes me any better than you? I was born into money and this region."

Skye continued. "The thing is, my parents are overly keen on me being with someone who values themselves highly and has a successful mindset. They always opposed anything less even with friendships and down to products I bought. They also want me to have financial stability... and to me, you have respect and charm, and you want to achieve." She grinned. "It's not just money. Like, many here have status without real class. Money with zero respect for others."

"I mean, those points are fair on their end. It's just... hard to manage in situations I never got guidance in," Aaron said.

"You're doing the best with what you have. You're trying, and I see strength in that, and, you said if you had a kid. So... would you ever want one? Hypothetically."

He grinned a little. "I don't think I'll ever be ready, but yeah."

"I do too. It's just joy to raise a better extension of yourself, and you get to do it with the love of your life too. I don't see much topping that for me."

Aaron's grin grew. "It's something you really want?"

"Mhm."