FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Brooke was nearly halfway through with the next day’s shift, and if her mind wasn’t multitasking work and Wizzitailz yesterday, it certainly was all day today.

She was honestly impressed she hadn’t mistaken someone’s order yet on top of this morning being busier than usual.

An unruly kid and lillipup hopped from a booth onto the floor, then hid under the table, receiving a scolding from their mother.

A table of six locals had at least ten platters spread across it and birthday balloons tied to the backs of the chairs, which Brooke was so relieved not to be waiting on.

Otherwise, the rest of the tables were full of couples and individuals in various age ranges and nationalities. There were quite a few energetic teen groups as well, potentially skipping school.

The host walked new customers who came in to free tables after wiping them down. It would only become more of a rush from here.

Brooke currently carried a tray of beverages across the floor to a table of four she was waiting on. She passed by the gothitelle on the way, who was levitating three trays comprising plates and glasses around her that customers stared at or pointed out. “Lot of trust in that psychic.”

She cut any and all thoughts as she approached her table of three laughing among each other; she wore her usual smile as they looked up at her. “Here are all of the drinks. Hope e–” Her phone buzzed twice inside her pocket. “Everyone’s enjoying their meals,” Brooke completed.

She found herself more or less rushing to set the drinks on the table while they tossed positive comments her way. She didn’t make it obvious, but the urge to pull out her phone was something vicious.

After leaning over and placing down all four glasses, Brooke stood. “Let me know if you guys need anything else. I’ll be rightt back,” she said and swiveled around, grimacing while beelining toward the break room. “Totally forgot to wait for them to say if they needed anything else. I’m a wreck.”

Brooke passed the break room and pulled out her phone while pushing the door open to the nearby women’s restroom. “Better not be Parker.” She doubted it since he rarely messaged her while she was at work.

As she entered the vacant room lined with a few stalls and sinks, Brooke unlocked her phone and brought it up. The moment her eyes were on the screen, her heart dropped to her stomach—in a good way.

It was a Wizzitailz message. “What the fuckk,” she whispered, growing a wide smile and walking to lean her back against one of the sinks. Parker had also messaged her, wishing her a good shift with a classic 'love you' following it, which warmed her chest.

She opened the app and went to her inbox.

“And it’s the eeveelution ownerr?” Brooke’s jaw dropped; she insta-triple-tapped the previewed message to open it:

‘Hello, thank you for applying. I’ve reviewed your application and profile today and wondered if you’d be able to call whenever you’re free? Thanks.’

“Definitely, ‘ae… on break.” Brooke tapped the message box, which brought up her keyboard:

‘I’m currently busy, sorry, but I’ll be free at 1. I can call then.’

She hit send and blew air through her mouth, closing the app afterward. “Nervous nervous.”

She looked up at the door. “Okay, my tables need me.” Brooke took a moment to reply to Parker, then back out onto the floor she was. She double-glanced at Tay laughing with one of his tables, setting her eyes on his smile for a moment. She wanted to tug him aside and blurt everything to him about her progress so far.

She continued toward one of her three tables and stopped before a father and two young children halfway through their meals, who were repeatedly asking to go play in the arcade across the room. It was close to vacant. Only a few young adult couples shot air hockey or played games together.

She waited until they were done with their conversation and focused on her. “How’s everything going so far? Enjoying everything?”

---

Hours later, when her break arrived, Brooke sat at the table in the designated room with her thumb hovering the in-app call button. She had a can of Violet and a small salad.

“What do I say?” She sucked her teeth and grabbed the open can of Violet beside her, taking an anxiety-ridden sip. “Gotta wing it. I’m losing time.” She tapped the call button and momentarily puffed out her cheeks while listening to it ring.

... ... ...

“Hello?” a young man’s voice said in an Accordian accent.

“Oh, hi, yes.” Brooke leaned back in her chair.

“I appreciate the call. I usually don’t do this upfront, but several sitters I’ve worked with to set this up have backed out, and the deadline is closing in rather quick.”

Brooke tilted her head. “Why’s that?”

He sighed. “I won’t sugarcoat it—my vees and lutions can be a bit of work at times. They’re an umbreon, glaceon, and a vaporeon. The eevee belong to the umb and glace. The vaporeon was a rescue. They all get along, but there’s also a fair share of mischief, energy, and general annoyance.”

“Oh, that wouldn’t be an issue at all since I grew up around pokémon. I currently own three as well.” Well, Parker did, but she helped care for them, so she felt fine to leverage it.

“Oh, perfect!” His voice lit up. “Also, if it isn’t too much, would you be okay with a more detailed in-person discussion?”

Just then, Malia appeared at the doorway, which Brooke glanced up at.

“Uh, sure,” Brooke said, refocusing on the conversation. “We can set that up.”

“I just want to ensure my vees are in good hands. We’d meet in public.”

Brooke held her chin and pressed her cheeks with her fingers. “I’m by the Shopping District, so if it's alright, we can meet at the Wikiblux there tomorrow evening. Is six or seven okay? I get off of work at five.”

Malia crept in from the hall and stood by the table, leaning in and resting her elbows on it.

“Ah, I know exactly where that is. Seven works for me,” he said.

“Great, I’ll see you then.” Brooke hung up after his bye and set her phone on the table.

“Damn, done with Parker already?” Malia asked.

“Shut up.” Brooke rolled her eyes, her tone tinged with irritation. “It was a possible client. What are you being nosy for?”

Malia giggled. “Hypocrite. I can’t be? You’re actually going after that pokémon sitting thing, huh?”

“It’s something I’ll enjoy doing, and I get paid for it this time.”

“Luck to you. We going out tonight, by the way? Girl's night.”

Brooke groaned. "No, Malia. You wanna go out every night."

"Double that 'cause your girl's single now. I'll prod you again in a few days." Malia shrugged and looked back at the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m totally not supposed to be in here right now.”

She watched Malia walk out. Brooke took off her hat, set it on the table, ran her hand over her head, and sifted her fingers through her hair. She had twenty minutes left on her break, which she’d spend the rest of finishing her salad and doom-scrolling Sozi.

With her watching comedy clips of silly and cute pokémon from accounts she followed, time flew, and when there were two minutes left, Brooke took her last bite and last sip of her soda, then stood and fit her hat back on.

With a sigh, she tossed her items in the bin and exited the room—and caught Tay coming her way. Her face perked; she grabbed his arm as he passed, which cut his next step short and tilted him back.

“Woah, Brooke?” He chuckled and stopped before her.

“Tayy, I wanted to say thank you so much for the pokésitter rec. I actually got an interview tomorrow. I think it’s extreme luck, but still!” She pressed her fingers into his arm and dimpled his skin but let go and dropped some of her cheeriness after seeing him glance down.

“Glad I could help out, and like I said, I bet you’ll land gigs left and right.” He shrugged. “Can’t not trust that face, and you're good with the public.”

She giggled and swayed on her feet a little, doing her best to hide the flush warming her cheeks. Brooke curbed her bright demeanor entirely and swallowed. “...Let me get back.”

“Same here. I’ll ask about it soon, though.”

With that, Tay headed to the restroom, and Brooke to the floor.

She winced and shook her head, stepping onto the main floor and spotting the host seating a foreign older woman in dainty clothing. "I barely even know him, Arceus..."

After a minute or so, allowing the woman to settle and look over the menu, Brooke approached the table with her signature smile. "Hii, welcome to Blaster's. How's your day going, ma'am?"

The woman stayed silent, keeping her eyes on the menu, then eventually looked up at Brooke with a deadpan stare. "I'll have the berry fusion salad," she said, her accent Galarian.

Brooke's smile faded, but she kept her friendly tone. "Of course. Anything to drink with that?"

The woman looked down again and flipped to the other side of the menu. "The beverage selection here lacks. I'll have water."

"Oh, we have an alcohol menu if you're interested."

"I'm not. Water, please," she said curtly without looking up.

"...Of course." Brooke cleared her throat and shifted her weight onto her other leg. "One berry fusion salad and a water. Will that be all for now?"

"That's what I said."

"We'll have it out soon." Brooke turned and paced toward the busy kitchen to relay the order, sighing when she was out of earshot.

---

After her shift, taking a traffic-filled drive back to Hau’oli’s strip, Brooke drove down her street with a rolled-down window, approaching home under an early evening sun. Warm air hit her face and carried her hair in its current.

On her mind? Wizzitailz—go figure, and more so the interview she’d agreed to tomorrow. “What would I wear? Business casual or something.”

She looked out the window at people and pokémon on porches, playing in yards, and taking evening walks, something she often did with Luma to exercise their legs.

Brooke turned into her driveway, parked, and got out, going up to the front door and unlocking it.

The moment she got inside, she slipped off her shoes, then took off her cap, apron, and work pants. “Tiredd.” Brooke looked over at Pyro and Luma snuggled up together on the pokébed, asleep, which she grinned at, glancing at Luma's iced-up tails that faint wisps of mist sourced from. Luma did so to offset Pyro's fire-type body heat so they could sleep comfortably.

Brooke looked at the closed bedroom door, which brought her to assume Parker was napping before work, so she set her work stuff on the couch’s arm for now and headed to the restroom.

Brooke entered and shut the door, grabbing a washcloth from off the wall rack and standing before the sink—but her foot brushed against something furry.

“Eeh!” she squealed and lifted her foot while looking down. Vix. Curled up on the carpet. “What are you doing in here?”

He raised his head and stared up at her with unbothered eyes, glazing over her legs and up her waist.

Brooke peered at him. “You know what, you little…” she trailed, crouching over him. “Let’s talk.”

Vix’s eyes were slightly puzzled.

“Whatever you’re trying to do, stop. You’re never touching me again. It will never work.”

He kept his eyes on her without a blink, forming a slight smirk that perked at the corners of his mouth.

“I’m for real.” Brooke tightened her lips. “And I know you overhead the pokésitting stuff. I’ll be sitting and sitting only. It’s not some perverted gateway for you.”

Vix’s smirk hadn’t faltered. In fact, it grew by a margin, as if doubting her words.

Brooke scoffed and stood. “Don’t know why I’m trying with you. Fucker. So lucky Parker's nice.” She washed her face with the cloth, hung it up, and spun around, storming back into the living room just as Parker opened the bedroom door, who looked half-awake in a messy tee.

She grinned, softened her demeanor, and approached him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Evening.”

He yawned and hugged her back, squeezing her. “You just got back?”

“Mhmm.” Brooke wiggled so he let her go and stepped back. “You’ve gotta leave soon, right?”

“I do.” Parker passed her and went to the kitchen, grabbing a cup from the cabinet and filling it with tap from the sink. He took a sip and leaned on the counter, nodding toward Brooke, who had followed him. “Oh, you wanna come with me?”

She shook her head in question and put up a hand.

“Small get-together, just me and some co-workers at one of their houses.”

“Damn, you’re cool with your co-workers like that? Yeah, I’ll go. When?”

“Sunday afternoon. He lives just past the strip. Has a pool too.” He took another sip of water.

“Oh, oh.” Brooke hopped a little. “Speaking of the weekend, I may have confirmed a sitting gig on Saturday.”

He raised his brows. “Already? What pokémon?”

“Two eevee, an umbreon, a glaceon, and a vaporeon.”

Parker was mid-sip and nearly choked on his water with wide eyes. He lowered the cup and wiped his mouth. “Babe, that sounds like a disaster.”

She giggled. “It actually might be. The owner told me he was having trouble confirming with sitters, so he wants to talk at the District’s Wikiblux tomorrow evening.”

“Hey, if you nail the job, at least you’ll be ready for anything. Tell me how it goes.”

“Right? I’m so stokedd.” Brooke bit her lip under a smile.

He smiled with her, eyeing her face. “Haven’t seen you this excited since we left Malie. Makes my night.”

“Awe, Parker.” Her cheeks pinked, bringing her back to Tay’s comment toward her earlier and her touchiness, which she shoved into the abyss. Deep into the abyss.

Brooke went over and hugged him again, nuzzling her cheek into his chest and drawing her eyes up to his face. “I ever tell you that you’re the best?”

He held and rubbed her hips, glancing up as if thinking. “Yesterday.”

She giggled again. “Then I said it again. Did you shower yet?”

“No, but I need to. Did you?”

“Nup, and I should too. I feel icky.”

“Well…” He pulled her hips. “You’re always invited, and maybe we can make dinner afterward.”

“Accepted, but we'll just order something. I'm tired.”