FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The weekend was an utter drag. Brooke had gone out with Luma again and attempted to get back on track with her exercise routine but quickly lost the motivation to do either. She also hadn't been consistent with her pill.

She'd been in bed while her mind ate at itself until Monday evening arrived. She fell deeper into depression each day and didn't want to go back to work when it was time to.

She was currently on shift but wasn't in the best mood—at all. She ran on a few hours of sleep, and her mind was barely on the job. Brooke had left Luma with berries as usual but felt awful having her stuck in the bedroom for most of the weekend. Now she was alone for several more hours.

Brooke stood by the break area in the back while leaning against a wall, getting her mind together before having to go out and check on her tables. She glanced out at Zae mopping a spill by a counter. Usually, she'd greet him, but she couldn't do more than the bare minimum tonight. Brooke turned after someone tapped her shoulder to a female co-worker with her in a low ponytatail.

"There's one irritated customer out there saying someone forgot his drink." She grimaced a little.

"Oh… shit." Brooke shut her eyes for a second. "I think I forgot to relay it." She sucked her teeth and brought up her notepad, scanning the order she'd scribbled. She had also forgotten someone's side dish earlier.

The co-worker eyed Brooke's worn appearance and posture. "What's up with you tonight, eh? You're usually on top of it."

"I don't know…" She shook her head. "Let me go handle this."

Brooke watched her walk back into the dining area and rubbed her eyes. "Have to get it together..." She sighed, went into the diner, and approached the table that a young man sat at. "Uh, I'm so sorry, sir. You wanted lemonade, right?"

He threw his hand up while peering at her. "The one I've been waiting for for over ten minutes, and I asked for wasabi. You forgot, didn't you?"

"Y-Yes. Very sorry. I'll get it to you right away. Is everything else okay?"

He nodded, barely, while looking away.

She ducked her head with a grimace bigger than her co-worker's and paced back to the kitchen. She stood at the counter until getting an employee's attention, telling them a customer had ordered a lemonade.

Quickly enough, she got the drink to the customer, who seemed willing to look past her error, as he'd calmed down. She went to the employee restroom and stood over one of the sinks, throwing water over her face and drawing her fingers over her cheeks.

Brooke had to talk to Parker.

---

She left the moment after her shift ended, only stopping to log out before exiting the restaurant. While on break, she'd called Parker and told him she wanted to meet after work if he wasn't too tired, which he agreed to.

Brooke saw him waiting across the road on a bench under a dim lamp post and took a breath while approaching under a solemn night sky.

Parker stood and met her halfway, hugging her waist. "How are you feeling, babe?"

"Tired. I wanted to talk." She barely returned the hug before pulling away and sitting on the bench.

He sat beside her. "That's all? You could have just come over. What about?"

"The... thing you told me some days ago about you wanting to stay here in Malie. You meant that?"

Parker let a moment pass. "I love it here. It's what my life has been and holds great memories."

"I'm…" She struggled. Brooke opened her mouth before her words followed. "I'm telling you now that my goal is to be out of here in the next year or two."

He leaned over and held his hands. "How long has it been on your mind?"

"Fairly recent, but it's been on and off since day one. I thought I could be happy here, and I kind of was but…"

"But?"

"That's not important right now. I need to know one thing, and I need for you to be honest."

"Go ahead."

She looked at him. "Would you be willing to relocate for me… Us?"

"Brooke." He gripped his hand. "This is my city. It isn't as big or convenient as other places in Alola. I get that, but I don't see the appeal of the major city's."

"So, no?"

"I don't know. I don't want to lose you."

She stood. "Why don't you think about it overnight? But please… give me something by morning."

"Okay."

"Thanks for coming," she said before walking off, taking a deep breath.

---

As expected, Brooke had gotten zero sleep that night, spent with the TV on to try and take her mind off it. She'd shielded Luma from its light so her vulpix could get proper rest, at least.

It was eight in the morning. She got up after creating an anti-sun wall with the blanket in front of Luma before going to the restroom and looking at a mess in the mirror. Her hair was frazzled, and her eyes were puffy and sore.

Brooke heard her phone vibrating and left the restroom to see that Luma had rolled over onto it. She was sprawled on her back with her paws outstretched. Cute but inconvenient. "Luma… come on." Brooke leaned over and slid her hand under Luma's back, grabbing her phone and carefully pulling it while holding her breath. Luma stirred, but Brooke had completed the mission without waking her.

She held up her device and saw Parker's name, her chest tight while answering and bringing the phone to her ear. She sat on the bed's edge. "Hello?"

"Hey," Parker said. "Mind has been spinning all night; I think I've finally made it up."

Brooke's lips were sewn shut. She held her breath again.

"...I want to move with you, Brooke, wherever that might be."

"Really?" She started to grin. "No, a-are you sure? I don't want to manipulate your decision."

"You mean a lot more to me than a place at the end of it. I shouldn't even have second-guessed."

"No, Malie obviously means more to you than I thought. I should have asked a long time ago instead of assuming... You wanna grab a coffee today? We should talk more."

"I'm in, but I need to get some more sleep first. I feel like you do too."

"I'll send a message when I'm up, and we'll go from there, okay? I love you." She smiled. She'd bring Luma to tag along since her poor vulpix had been in this room more than she hadn't.

"Alright, I love you too."

Brooke hung up and set her phone aside. She could breathe again. The heaviness left her chest and mind, and she slumped back beside Luma, shutting her eyes and keeping her smile.

---

Brooke had woken minutes ago, just after noon, and was dressing to meet Parker at the local café after texting him. It was her favorite one in Malie. Their blend had a strong, richly unique flavor. They didn't make frappuccinos, though, so she still missed Wikiblux.

Luma was up too. She sat on the mattress' edge while watching Brooke zip up a jacket and slip into boots.

"Eager?" She picked Luma up and smooched her head, taking her to the restroom. "Samee." Brooke set her vulpix on the counter and double-tapped her furry tush, then grabbed her toothbrush. "Forgot to brush."

Luma watched her owner pick up a colorful tube and squeeze something onto a stick with bristles. She tilted her head and slightly leaned in after Brooke stuck it in her mouth, sniffing.

Brooke glanced over and giggled. "Ish a minty pashte." She started brushing and stopped, looking at Luma. "Freshens your breath, but you can't jusht eat it, or else we're gonna be running you to the nearesht Center."

After Brooke was done, they were out heading east under the sun in minutes, which relieved them both, especially Brooke because she could enjoy it again.

Luma sniffed the air and watched the usual population and traffic, draping her forepaws over Brooke's arm.

"I'll never have you stuck inside the way I did this weekend. Promise. It doesn't matter how I'm feeling." Brooke briefly raised Luma to rub cheeks. "I'll buy you whatever you want at the café." She gently squeezed Luma's body.

Luma nuzzled her arm and wagged her tails against Brooke's arm. "Vu."

Brooke continued, spotting the cozy building down the road with a sloped roof and writing on its windows. One thing she'd miss about Malie was almost every destination requiring a short walk. She'd be a snorlax if she didn't have a job.

Luma eyed the café as they approached.

Brooke pushed open the door and spotted Parker sitting across the room in a corner booth by a window among a few other locals. He didn't see her since he was on his phone, so she walked over, passing occupied tables.

Parker looked up after he noticed someone approaching, then stood and grinned, hugging her tightly while avoiding squeezing Luma. "Missed you."

Brooke hugged him with her free arm, then sat across from him and set Luma in her lap. "Did you sleep?"

"Yeah, never felt better. You?"

"Same."

He leaned back and eyed Luma. "How's it going with you and your daughter?"

"Don't even start." Brooke giggled. "Excellent, though. She's always so calm and obedient. How about your son?"

"Very funny. Still impossible to train. There's just no respect. Wish he was more like Luma because I'm starting to lose faith in him."

Well, Brooke couldn't be helping. "Just do what's best. Would you ever get rid of him?"

"I mean…" He shrugged. "It's crossed my mind, but I'm not the type to give up on a pokémon unless I have to. I'll give it more time." Parker then leaned in and knocked on the table. "But onto a more pressing subject… Since we'll be moving, where is it that you'd want to go? I'm curious."

"I haven't decided." Brooke set her hand on his. "And I don't want to on my own."

He took her hand and squeezed it. "You sure?"

She nodded. "As ever. We'll talk over breakfast."