FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Timothy Johnathan Anderson!" The voice called out to him, stern in tone. The boy stirred in his bed, groaning softly as he turned to face directly into a sunbeam coming through the window. His mom never used his full name like that unless he was in trouble; briefly wondering what it was he'd done this time. "It's almost 11 in the afternoon young man!" Ah, that would explain it; Tim thought to himself glancing at the clock beside his bed and confirming his mothers words. The young teen stretched arms out with a groan, hands brushing shaggy, dirty brown hair out of his face. His mother would have chide the boy about if if she'd seen, commenting already on a near daily basis about how he was overdue for a trim.

"I'm up! It's summer break though, what's wrong with sleeping in?" He called back through the house, stopping in front of the mirror. Bright blue eyes looked back at him in the reflection as Tim flexed and frowned at the lack of muscles. He was in shape, but there was no muscle mass or real strength to speak of in the lanky teen; contributing partially to his lack of interest in sports clubs at school.

"It's BECAUSE it's summer break you need to go out. Socialize or something, play at the lake with your friends or one of those.. role playing whatsits you all get together for.. Mazes and Mummys?" She chided him right back.

"Swing and a miss.." Tim said softly to himself at that, shaking his head. Truthfully Tim preferred shutting himself indoors with his computer and playing games on it all day and well into the night; though his parents tend to get insufferable when he did during summer break. Pulling on a shirt and some shorts with a yawn to get dressed, he did admit she had a point at least. His friends Dustin and Karl, if even out of bed themselves, were likely doing something already as well. The small countryside town Brighton really only had about a handful of things for kids his age regardless. Sure there was the lake as his mother had suggest, but fortunately more for Tim and his friends speed of things a small arcade and game shop were just off the main boulevard as well. "Alright, alright. I'm heading out!" Grabbing cellphone and wallet, Tim called out to his mother as he descend the stairs towards the front door; hearing her in the kitchen.

Humming along with the radio, his mom stepped out of the doorway to watch him leave. Early into, but still middle-aged, her wavy brown hair was tied back into a loose ponytail as she gave the boy a smile. "Also, I noticed some moving trucks stopping in down the street at the old Brycen house. So go poke your head in and see if we've got new neighbors. Greet em politely if they're in, but don't be a nuisance."

Rolling his eyes, facing away from his mother, Tim pulled open the front door and stepping out into the warm summer day. "Sure mom, you got it." He said with a smile. Tim's mother was the kind of woman to bake a pie and cookies just to greet someone new; real old fashioned and traditional. Tim more than often played tech support for her and his father on modern electronics, a prospect that felt absurd but still amused him all the same.

The day was positively picturesque outside; clear blue sky with minimal clouds, green and freshly mown lawns, barking dogs and younger kids bicycling by. Tim was certain the park was probably filled by now too, probably a pick up game of baseball or football being cheered over. His attention was pulled by the moving trucks parked in the driveway of the home ahead though, already closing up the back doors it seemed that the moving company's workers were heading out. Heeding his mother's words, Tim shrugged with a slight sigh and decided to at least stop in and greet the new neighbors. Glancing at the large SUV parked on the curb, he strode right up to the front door and solidly knocked on it. Hands shoved in his pockets, Tim wait around for half a minute or so before starting to turn away. "Huh.. must not be in or something.." He told himself quietly just before the door opened.

As the door opened, it revealed the home's occupant; a large, black furred wolf-morph wearing a loose t-shirt and jean shorts. A pair of specially made glasses sat on the end of its muzzle. Looking down at the comparatively diminutive human boy on his doorstep, ears turned and perked out towards the teen curiously with an expression to match. "Yes?" The almost gravely voice asked him calmly.

"I.. uh.. neighbors." Tim stuttered out, wanting to smack himself in the face for it. He couldn't stop staring at the beastly humanoid standing in the doorway of the home, thankful his mouth wasn't hanging agape like some awestruck weirdo at least. "S-sorry, that was rude of me. I'm Tim, we live down the street." Was all he managed to get out.

The wolf-morph's expression had slowly turned from one of curiosity to a barely concealed amusement. Those tall ears swiveling back towards something in the house, he was joined at the doorway a moment later by a female of light greying color. "Oh? Who is this?" She asked, giving Tim a smile; turning to her husband and lightly smacking his shoulder. "And why are you leering at him." She placed hands on her hips, frowning at him but that tail behind her wagged back and forth.

"Says his name is Tim, apparently one of our neighbors." The wolf male chuckled softly, stepping out of the way to head back into the house. "Looks about Anise's age, let me go get her." He told his wife before disappearing out of sight for Tim.

Shaking her head at him as he left, the female turned her attention back to the human boy with that same smile from before. "Please forgive him, we'd heard folks in the countryside weren't very familiar or well acquainted with beastfolk races so he wanted to see the kind of reactions we'd get." She reached out a furred hand towards him. "We're the Darkmanes, but please just call me Talia. My husband is Riv, and we have a daughter Anise."

Glancing at that hand like it might turn into a snake and bite him or something absurd, Tim reached out and took her grasp in his giving a shake. That furred hand wrapping around his own smooth skin was definitely strange; not bad, but different. Without even meaning to the boy's fingers were subtly sliding across the wolfess' in curious exploration of it's texture before Talia released her grip and pulled away somewhat to Tim's dismay. "T-tim. My parents and I live three houses down from yours." He said again with a pitiful level of conviction that made his cheeks turn a bit red in embarrassment. "I don't mean to stare, I just.. I've never seen another beastfolk other than one of our schools janitors."

The wolfess giggled softly. "It's ok Tim, we went into this fully expecting something along these lines." She glanced back, stepping aside as her husband returned to the door with a smaller she-wolf in tow now. The girl was perhaps a few inches taller than Tim was, her obsidian black fur mixed with an undercoat of grey to mirror both parents. Ears perked forward towards Tim as those golden yellow eyes pierced him with their gaze in silence for the moment. Talia placed a hand on her daughters shoulder with a soft smile. "Go on, don't be rude kiddo."

"Hi.." Anise's voice was whisper soft and quiet, that inquisitive look quickly darting away as she seem to realize that her staring meant the human boy was staring back. Her gaze instead fell to his shirt, brandishing the logo of a popular MMORPG on it. A slight smile perked at the corner of her lips, the wolfess opening back up within moments as she regard Timothy in a new light. "You also play Eternal Dungeon? What class do you play? Have you gotten to level 60? I'm on Requiem server, you?" Suddenly a bit of a chatterbox, battering Tim with questions as he smiled right back.

Chuckling softly as he found a new kindred spirit in gaming, the boy seemed to roll an idea over in his mind. "Actually I was about to head to the local game store and pick up another time card to play. Would you.. like to talk along the way? I can show you around while I'm at it." He'd never even asked a human girl for this kind of extended time together, but he'd also not met any other girls in town that were even remotely interested in the same nerd culture as he and his friends.

Anise's eyes practically lit up at the suggestion, tail wagging behind her as it swished behind her yellow sundress. Glancing up at her father eagerly, then to mother and back again; she posed that unspoken question as her father grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Go on, just be back before dark. Still got plenty to unpack after all." Her father Riv reached down and rubbed his daughter's head, urging her out the front door.

Practically bounding down the front step, the young she-wolf still shy did smile at the very least as Tim walked them down the pathway and back on his original route down the street and into town. Mr and Mrs Darkmane watched them for a minute from the doorway, pleased at the very least Anise had managed to make one new friend and on their first day no less.

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The stroll through town had been as nice as the day itself was shaping up to be. Though the strange duo was definitely gaining a fair amount of attention as Tim could tell; more of it directed at Anise than himself though. People would definitely talk and gossip, even as quiet whispers were traded by the occasional onlooker, hell it was a small town pastime practically.

"So.. so.. Ah.. I'm sorry Tim, I'm not so good at small talk. It's pretty easy behind a screen and keyboard but in person..?" Anise giggled, the sound entirely nervous however.

Blinking over at her in surprise for a moment before he found his voice, Tim half shrugged in response. "No no, you're fine Anise. I know exactly what you mean though, like getting to have extra time to consider your thoughts before speaking? There's maybe a handful of people I can talk so.. casually to." Even as the words left his mouth, Tim realized that he was counting her among that number already; and it was true so far. Even something as simple of an icebreaker as shared interest in a game changed his default mindset Tim might have slipped into. "Oh right! You asked about the game." He turned them around a corner off the main avenue, knowing the game shop was still a short walk ahead. "I'm on Divinity server myself with my two friends, and yeah we're maxed out on levels and earning gear. I play a hybrid thief and mage class; ever the introvert even there..." It made him chuckle softly.

Tim's smile did widen a bit as he noticed his responses making that tail of hers wag a bit behind her as they walked. "Personally I love just plain and pure fighter or barbarian classes. Hitting things with massive 2-handed weapons, walking around in plate armor. The more ridiculous the better. But my other love is paladins. You get kind of the same feel, but you also get useful magic and.. I dunno, the whole mindset is pretty refreshing too. Honor and valor, protecting allies, you know?" Despite being uneasy with small talk, Anise opened up once it was a subject she had a real interest in. "But hm, Divinity huh? I might have to switch over in that case." That last part seemed to have been more spoken out loud than at Tim himself; as he looked over and noticed her gaze drifting as they walked, fingers rubbing along her chin.

The game shop was just around the corner but before they could get there, Tim heard a sound that made his blood run cold. The cruel laughter from down the alleyway ahead, followed by soft thuds and the sound of something colliding with a row of trash cans. "You don't need this wallet anyway, you'd just waste it on dumb nerd shit." The voice belonged to Chester, a boy a year older than Tim, and a jock that tried to play in every damn sports team at school. If Tim had been asked to sum up the boy in one word, it would simply have been 'asshole'. Chester and his group of jerks also filled the role of schoolyard bullies; picking on someone, shoving in the halls, it was pretty standard and easy to deal with but as far as Tim was considered this was just robbery now.

"Stay here Anise.." He said softly, heart pounding in his chest as he round the alleyway corner to glance down it. His arms were shaking, making them feel as heavy as lead. He could just use his phone to record them and report it later; after all in an emerging digital age what better option was there? Tim wasn't going to be able to fight them head on after all. Before he could even reach for the device in his pocket though one of the group flunkies spotted him out and called out to the rest of the group. As Chester himself turned towards the alley entrance, Time saw that in the bullies grip was none other than his friend Dustin. Holding the diminutive boy by the shirt collar, sporting a fresh blackening eye, his glasses were no where to be seen either.

"Piss off, otherwise you're next. Your mommy can't do shit even if you ran and tattled on us and you know it." The bulky bully gave Dustin another shove, holding up a hand with the plain black wallet in it. His posse all laughed like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard and slowly began approaching where Tim stood his ground. Before the group fully advanced on him however, Anise stepped forward with a frown. The fur along her neck was raised and so far perked ears were pinned back flat through her hair. "Whoa whoa, what the fuck?" Her sudden presence threw them all off balance as the group stopped and even back stepped slightly. "It's one of those 'beasts'." Chester said with a look of half disgust, blurting out the racial slur towards her. "The fuck Tim, you get yourself a new dog huh?" The unease in the group quickly dispelled with that same cruel laughter.

Anise's lips peeled back in a low snarl at that, eyes narrowed at them while hands balled into fists. "I'm a Wolven you racist prick, now give the wallet back. Or you're going to get your ass kicked by this 'dog'." It was Anise's turn to be in shock at the words leaving her mouth, but the fact was she hadn't planned on backing down once she'd seen what was going on.

The group all stand in stunned silence at that, the groups eyes slowly and searchingly turning towards their leader as even he was stumped for a moment. Shoving the wallet in his pocket instead, hands cracked his knuckled. "New kid in town then has a mouth, maybe we need to put this bitch in her place." Having the advantage over Tim and Anise by three to two, the group was emboldened to advance. Surprise came as one of them lunged out at Tim, throwing a reaching straight punch that caught Tim right in the nose and cheek; though lacking in overall power the punch did send him reeling back and staggering off his feet.

Before the usual round of laughter could erupt from them however, Anise growled out truly like a feral animal as she lashed out at the attacker. A flurry of left and rights were thrown, pummeling the boy even as Chester and the other goon tried pulling her off. Throwing back elbows and snarls as she struck out in a frenzy, Tim got back to his feet and threw into the fray as well. The sudden back alley scuffle last only moments, though instead the heat of the moment it felt like minutes if not hours. Chester was sporting a fresh raking lines of claw marks across his arm as well as bruised cheek; while his two friends each sport fresh cuts and busted lips. Making a hasty retreat after that, a fire burned in Chester's eyes as they scampered around the corner.

Panting heavily, both Tim and Anise took stock of the moment. Tim had given as good as he'd gotten, but the boy did have a bloody nose and a nice welt on his lip that was going to swell by the night. Anise herself had a small line of blood from a cut on her upper lip, as well as the shoulder strap of her sundress was torn a bit now. "Fucking hell, I hate those jerks.. That was kind of reckless though Anise, you okay?"

Slowly catching her own breath, Anise nod her head and brushed herself off a bit. "Yeah.. sorry Tim. I just can't stand bullies.. they're all the same, even here.." Her gaze was off in thought for a moment before she met his eyes. "But I wasn't going to let you face them alone Tim, a tank always protects her party after all." The Wolven girl grinned a bit at that, giving him a look that told the boy that he'd had a friend for life in her from that moment on. "Besides.." She reached down onto the floor of the alley and held up the leather bound wallet as that tail once more started waving behind her.

Tim couldn't help but start laughing in that moment. The ridiculousness of it all making him shrug off the bits of pain as his gaze slowly drift from the wallet to his friend Dustin, balled up in the corner of the alleyway. "Oh shit, you alright bud?" Tim went over with Anise to check on him. Sliding on a pair of over sized glasses, the left lens had a large crack splitting right across it diagonally now as the muddied brown eyes looked up at them both.

"A pox upon them all! Yeah I'm good, hurts though." He looked Anise over from head to toe, his expression softening the moment she held out his wallet for him. A smile slid across his face as he took it and placed it back in his pocket. "Only other Wolven I've seen not on the internet is Mr. V'ren, our school janitor. Thanks though, names Dustin, you can call me Dusty." They shook hands briefly.

"Anise Darkmane, and you're welcome." She glanced over to Tim who was now smiling himself.

"Dustin is one of my friends, he also plays E.D. too." Tim touched a finger to sore cheek, cringing a bit as he did.

The small boy nod his head, readjusting glasses and brushing off over sized shirt. "Erectile Dysfunction, Eternal Dung.. yeah I play too. Was grabbing a time card actually from Hooper's and was gonna go get you and Karl when this shit went down." The group all slowly strolled out and onto their intended path to the game shop as they spoke.

After grabbing their prizes from the shop, the trio walked back to the main street in soft conversation. "Anyway.. gonna head home and give Karl a call. You jumping on too Tim?" Dustin asked, having to part ways with them to head to his house in the opposite direction.

Shaking his head at that, Tim glanced over to Anise with a soft smile. "Nah, promised I'd show her around first but then after? Sure." Anise and Tim both watched and waved as the boy sprint off after an understanding nod. Giving a wave over his shoulder before he disappeared around the corner. "And speaking of which, shall we?" Time wasn't sure what possessed him to do as such, but he extend out his hand to her. Even more shocking though was when she reached out and actually took it in her own. He could feel his heart pounding at a million miles an hour, certain she probably could through his palm as well.

Anise's only response was a silent smile, half hiding beneath her hair shrouding her face as she was then led on through the town. Tim felt like he was watching the scene from outside of his body, his feet and mouth on automatic as he point out several notable spots around; the grocery store, bowling alley, the middle and high school, and finally the path that led down to the large lake. It wasn't until on their return path back into the suburbs of sorts where they both lived that Tim felt himself fully returning. That warmth of her hand slowly slid away and he almost said something in protest. It wasn't quite dusk out but from the position of the sun it did still surprise Tim to think just how long they'd actually managed to be out.

Spotting Anise's father up ahead on the road, the older wolf was pulling a box from the back of his car before giving the two of them a wave as they neared. "Good timing kiddo, mom's getting some food ready." He called out to her, hefting the box in one hand and closing the car door with his other.

Pausing for a moment, Anise turned to Tim with that same soft smile he was quickly coming to enjoy. "I had a lot of fun today; well.. aside from that bit earlier." She was vague on details with her father standing nearby, but Tim knew exactly what she meant. "So uh.. see you tomorrow?" Her tone was hopeful.

Tim nod, giving her a return smile of his own. "Yeah, definitely! We can play online tonight too if you have everything set up as well." His response caused what was becoming Tim's second favorite reaction of hers, that wagging tail behind her dress. Giving a parting wave as he continued down the street after that to head home, Tim had the biggest, dumbest smile on his face all the way to his front door. Closing it behind him as he stood in the entryway of his home, his mother poked her head in through the kitchen entrance.

"Go wash up, I was just about to call you home too." She set him straight into the kitchen where the smells of dinner hung heavily. "So did you go see the new neighbors earlier? Are they nice?" She asked, setting the table and giving him a cursory glance as the teen ran his hands under the hot water at the sink.

Giving a nod of his head, Tim hummed out a "Mmhmm.." as his thoughts immediately settled on Anise above all else. "Real nice."

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