FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Hey there! This is my first attempt on writing a story for yiffstar. It's mainly a romance, but don't worry, there will be a few scenes of love in future chapters. I hope you enjoy the first installment, and feel free to send feedback and advice on how I can improve. So IM me at LinMingthePanda and I'm sure we'll have loads to discuss ^_^.. Please be gentle with me, yes? ... Enjoy!

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It was the beginning of a new school year, and the world was filled with the upcoming changes of autumn. A contumacious, yet ironically respectful of her peers, teenage panda wrapped in a long, black cotton, trench coat, shielding herself from the breezes, casually leaned against the pillars of the porch, sipping her coffee as she watched younger furs walk to the bus stop in her neighborhood. This year, she decided to create a new look for herself in terms of attire and attitude. No longer was she going to hide in the shadows of the more confident bunch, but finally make her opinions be heard within the classroom and around the school. She set her mug down at her feet and began to brush her coat free of lint and loose fur, and she fixed the collar by giving it a firm tug. Picking up her mug once again, she sipped the last bit of coffee, and then her watch beeped: 7:35. "Guess it's time I should be heading off." The young panda picked up her messenger bag, draping it over her, and turned towards the picture window behind her to give her reflected self-image one last look, fixing her red-streaked, black hair in all the necessary places before stepping off the porch and padding down the driveway.

***

"Lin! Oh, Lin!" Lin was idly staring up at the clouds, with her paws behind her head, as she walked to school, and the voice calling out to her snapped her out of her daydreaming state. She turned about-face to see a very happy fox trotting up to her. It was one of her best friends, Kit. Kit was always an energetic fox, not to mention charismatic; making him enviable to every female fur in the school some way or another (much to Kit's dislike). He was the model of fox perfection from the tip of his blackened ears all the way down to his feet, and he gave Lin an embracing hug upon greeting her.

"How's the panda this morning?" He asked with a flashing smile when he finally let go.

Lin had turned back around and continued walking, with Kit in step with her, "I'm alright, I suppose."

Kit held onto the frame as his glasses as he leaned forward to look at Lin's face easier, since she was now staring at the pavement, "Are you excited about the first day of school?"

Lin only replied with a shrug.

"Oh c'mon, you must be."

Lin couldn't hide the smile that was starting to form on her red-painted lips, and she perked her ears while raising her head to match eyes with Kit, "Well, I am curious to see how the student body has changed this year."

They both laughed.

***

Lin and Kit entered the Commons of Merriamton High together, talking about class schedules and anxiously awaiting to see familiar fur faces. Suddenly, a leopard arm curled around Kit's waist from behind, and he turned in time to touch nose-to-nose with a short, hyper, yet adorable leopard named Xen. Kit yanked away from Xen's hold and coward behind Lin, who was busy giggling under her breath.

"Don't do that, Xen!" he slightly snarled over Lin's shoulder, slightly embarrassed that he was frightened so easily.

Xen held her paws behind her back and rocked back and forth on the heels of her feet. "Aww, why not?" she kid.

Kit stammered for an answer, "B-because.... just don't! Okay?" He moved away from behind Lin and stomped off towards the center of the Common room where a group of friends were waiting for him, Lin, and Xen. Lin glanced to Xen from the corner of her eye and noticed Xen was trying to cover her laughter with a paw.

"You're going to give him hell this year huh, Xen," joked Lin.

"More than you know," she winked.

Laughing together about the whole scenario that just unfolded, Lin and Xen caught up with Kit as they approached the comfort zone of the group. Everyone was occupied with sharing incidents of their summers, what they bought from where, and pretty much anything else that the excitement of seeing one another again brought their minds to think of. However, Lin wasn't talking with anyone; instead, she was watching everyone's facial expressions, smiling to herself to see such delight in everyone's eyes. Looking off to the side, Lin engaged sight on a face that she had never seen before. The face belonged to a panther that was a little shorter than Lin (if Lin was to take off her 3-inch, knee high, buckle platforms); and she wore a gray hoodie along with baggy, black jeans, and casual, white tennis shoes. Lin stared at the panther, who was also wrapped in conversation with someone Lin had seen before, and, absentmindedly, she nudged the closest fur standing near her.

"Who is that?" Lin inquired, pointing in the direction of the panther who was speaking with a wolf that towered her short stature.

"Oh, that's Kiyao," replied the fur, "She just moved here from overseas, but I'm not quite exactly sure where."

Lin quietly repeated the name to herself while continuing to gawk at the panther; it seemed that Lin couldn't bring herself to look away, which soon turned out to be Lin's downfall. Just then, the panther briefly caught sight of Lin's gaze, did a double take, and stared back deep into Lin with gleaming orbs; not showing any hint of forming a smile, or making a move to wave. Feeling the blood rush to her cheeks, Lin noticed Kiyao and her companion were peering sternly back at her. Extremely embarrassed, Lin couldn't bring herself to mouth the words 'I'm sorry;' she was only able to turn around and quickly exit the sanctity of the group, nearly darting to her first period class long before the morning bell rang.

***

Lin had just sat down at a corner lunch table, heaved a sigh, and stabbed her fork into processed mashed potatoes. "What happened this morning?" questioned Kit as he sat down next to her. She grunted under her breath, and buried her head into her folded arms on top of the table.

"Don't wanna talk about it, huh." he sighed.

Lin shook her head, and a muffled voice responded, "Not really, no."

"Aw, c'mon, why not?"

"I just don't. Can we leave it alone, please?"

"I'm not gonna leave ya alone until you tell me."

"......."

"Alright, I'm gonna sing until you tell me!" He cleared his throat and began, "This is the song that never en--"

Lin rose from her folded arms, "Alright alright! Stop!" She leaned in close to whisper to him, "I'll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone."

"My muzzle is sealed."

"Okay, well.. y'see, there's this panther an--"

Kit squealed and Lin flattened her ears from astonishment at the sudden outburst of excitement, and Kit frantically started asking Lin about this certain panther. "Oh oh! Really? Who is she? Is she cute? How'd ya meet her? Have you known her long?"

Lin was soon overwhelmed, and closed Kit's muzzle shut with her own paws, "Stop for just a minute and let me finish."

She slid her paws free from Kit's muzzle, and he flattened his ears while lowering his head, "Sorry."

"Anyway," she ran her fingers through her hair and continued, "Well, all I know of her is her name, and what she looks like of course. I just couldn't stop staring at her, I made such an idiot of myself." Lin expressed her momentarily low self-esteem by letting her head fall to the table.

"So what is her name?"

"Kiyao..."

"And she's cute, right?"

"Mmhmm..."

"What does she look like?"

"Well, from what I could tell. She's about Xen's height I guess, wears a gray hoodie, black jeans----"

"White tennis shoes.."

Lin lifted her head from the table, and blinked at Kit, "Yeah, how'd you know?"

Kit giggled, "Oh, don't worry about that. What else did you notice?"

"Well, those eyes of her's were certainly mesmerizing.. The kind that look into your very soul, y'know?" Lin smiled to herself while thinking about them.

"Oh, really?" chimed in a voice that was unfamiliar to Lin, and it caused her heart to drop. She turned to see that Kiyao had taken a seat right next to her without her notice. Lin's eyes widened slightly as she watched her glare back at her with coy interest, "No one's ever spoke of them that way before." Lin then felt her heart drop all the way down to her boots.

***

Kiyao smirked when she saw Lin was left speechless of what just happened; she had indeed heard everything. Poor Lin. Turning her attention onto opening her milk, Kiyao proceeded into having conservation with the infatuated panda. "You're cute too, uh.. Lin, is it?"

Lin looked to Kit who was smiling broadly and just waved, then turned back to Kiyao. "That's right." she nodded.

"I see.." The tip of her tail swayed side to side, and she asked, "What's your next class?"

Lin dug out her schedule from within her bag, unfolded it, and read, "Photography."

Kiyao's ears perked with interest, but she quickly flattened them once Lin looked up, "Really? With who?"

"Mr. Crow..."

"I believe I have him next too," she said before taking a drink of milk.

Lin used all her inner strength not to show the slightest bit of interest upon hearing this, and nodded, "Cool. I guess I'll see ya in there, huh."

"Looks like." Kiyao quickly got up with tray in paw, and padded off to another table, "Save a seat for me, okay?"

"Uh... Sure..." Lin said to herself as she waved bye to her newly made acquaintance.

Lin must've been staring at her again, for Kit poked her side, "Uh ohhh... Looks like someone's gotta crush on the panda..."

"Pfft. Yeah right, Kit." She then paw-swiped him, "And why didn't you tell me she was behind me?"

He giggled, "Because it would've ruined all the fun..."

"You turd!"