FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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"You're gonna love it here, D'Arcie," Marco assured as they treaded through the leaf-bedded crosswalk. "It's not the biggest city in the country, but we have some awesome parks here that my parents would always take me to. Hey- maybe you and I could go sometime and watch the trees change color?" He cracked a smile in reflection of sunlight on the Dalmatian's own.

"Merci, that sounds wonderful! Oh - here we are..." The lawn's front gate creaked its welcome like a seldom-visited grandmother, and they walked the path up the blushing porch. "I apologize if it is cold, my sister prefers it. We can study in my bedroom if you'd like," she offered as she locked the door.

"Sure thing. So, are the classes alright so far? The school?"

"Oui, everyone has been gracious, and I never got lost for long. The campus is beautiful, and..." She twirled a curly cinnamon bang. "And, I overheard some passionate compliments..."

Looks like he wasn't the first - luckiest, for sure. "Oh, have you? Well they sure weren't out of place."

"Don't make me blush, Marco!" She shooed boxes aside in her room. "Please excuse the mess, I haven't finished unpacking. There is plenty of room to study," she gestured to set his stuff anywhere, "but first I must finish a few chores. Oh- and prepare a snack, of course! Mes excuses!"

"Hey, no problem." He crashed on the stuffed bedsheets as she left and rummaged through his backpack. He paused, then searched again - damn, he knew it felt one book lighter! While thinking back on its whereabouts, a thud at the bookshelf grabbed his attention: a book lay fallen on the carpet.

"Huh." He retrieved it by its darkened surface, frigid as a black diamond on snow, and looked it over: nothing on either cover but the coyote's own reflection. He cracked it open and reacted to the dust plume with a sneeze that blasted it everywhere. Throughout the text were strange symbols and diagrams that covered the withered pages whole, but one image demanded attention with its odd behavior: an intricate triangle buried in smaller ones radiated an emerald color that increased in intensity as his pupils mirrored it. The book purged heat from his fingertips and he dropped it with reflex.

His psyche blurred as balance broke free from his mind, but he recaptured it long enough to collapse on the bed. From his sprawl he saw the book's shapes throb in rhythm with his headache, and his tongue rolled out as his every muscle relaxed against his smeared will. After a persistent bout, the haze released and allowed him sprung up from the dissolving haunt.

The room's insistent chill was warded off by the blanket's heat, which had increased in intensity - and size. "Hell..." He struggled to maintain a stand on the plushable surface. Emerald light faded from his periphery but the book was nowhere to be seen, and opposite that was a looming fold! The linen wave guided his view to a valley that stretched ahead with an almost lens-like distance.

"Uh, D'Arcie?!" he yelled, but the covers absorbed it with ease. Down in the vacuumed landscape he saw two sets of fresh prints: even the dalmatian's petite pads would humble his stature. Before worrying about that, he'd need a way down - climbing singled as the only option. Minutes of courage fueled his effort to place one leg over and grab two fistfuls of cloth.

Don't look down, Marc, it's only a long fall... He was nearly to the bottom when the distant clack of dishes reached his ears - looked like he was headed to the kitchen. The flattened carpet fibers barely cushioned his short drop into a paw-shaped clearing. 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' Goddamn right.

He trotted on his way to the bedroom door, dipping in and around indents that held subtle heat lingering with carpet-freshener scent. Minutes of travel brought him only halfway to the door and he was already slowing down; when he reached it he let his equally shrunken breaths catch up.

Now would be a convenient time for you to find me, D'Arcie, but his bad luck remained unsatisfied. Rather, it prefered the hallway be a much longer trip; lady luck was totally the jealous type. When he reached the staircase, it got better: each step was too high for a jump... A hearty groan welled in his gut until his nose picked up the warm scent of love-infused bread.

He stumbled from the last drop of his expedited descent and peeked in the doorway in time for two giant paws to rush by. D'Arcie waltzed across the kitchen, her tail swishing contentedly as she carried trays to the table. Step two: making her stand still... Her tenfold gait hardly gave chance for him to flail before she was by and up the staircase.

"Marco?"

Close, but not close enough, D'Arcie. He settled at the bottom step and listened to the floorboards creak above.

"Marcooo! Where are yoouu~! If you are playing a game with me then it will have to wait until after study time!" A huff, and the creaks neared the staircase.

Marco sprung to a stand when she started down the stairs, but the jingle of keys stopped him fast. He ducked behind a plant as D'arcie hit the landing and opened the door for another dalmatian - an identical one, save for a joyless expression.

"Oh- Mariette. Hello." The other brushed past without pause. "...I made a snack for my classmate Marco and I, but you are welcome to enjoy it with us." She wrung hands while trotting after her sibling. "He came over to study but now he's off somewhere; did you by chance see a tall coyote on your way in?"

Mariette flicked envelopes one-by-one onto the table. "I haven't. You didn't tell me we'd be having company, D'Arcie."

"We met only today, but he is quite a gentleman. You may just have the fortune of introducing yourself before we have our study d- er, session." She tugged her sibling from the hall. "Come, before your plate cools."

Marco scrambled to a sprint, but their strides weren't in slow-motion. "So much for being so close..." he panted as they settled at the table.

"You're certain you haven't seen him, Mariette? He was just upstairs a little earlier, and I didn't hear- "

"No. Perhaps he decided against your appointment in favor of more fruitful ventures."

"He wouldn't do that, sister; like many others, he offered to help me with my lessons. If you have any friends that would do the same then it would be my pleasure to meet them."

Marco scampered across the tile to D'arcie's paws, his lungs heaving to drag in vanilla air. Please don't think I'm a bug... he prayed as he reached to stroke her spattered pattern - the paw pulled away too soon. In his surprise, he leaped to reach but only glanced her toes as they departed for the chair's bars. Damn!

Mariette's growl rumbled Marco's flesh. "I don't need an apprenticeship..."

The digits above him wiggled and teased that he wouldn't get his way, then his ears twitched at a distant scratching: the other set of paws scrunched and flexed on the floor's surface. When all else fails... He shuddered as his pads stepped from D'Arcie's warm print onto its frigid surroundings. Utensils scraping on emptying dishes sped his jog to a dash.

"Then let us hope you find courtship. I'm sorry that I can't control who chooses me."

He didn't hesitate when he reached the appendages: he pushed at the furred wall, but to no effect. "Hey, uh, Mariette! Down here!" he shouted. He shoved and hit at the toe, but his powerless blows would've fared better against a cement wall. Just look down!

"I...didn't mean to offend, Mariette. If you find Marco, let him know that I am worried."

Marco dropped to sit and saw movement at the other end; D'Arcie placed her dishes in the sink and exited. Guess I'd better stretch... A toe blindsided and pinned him hard on his back. He peered over it and his gaze widened to match the size of the one above. Alright, step three... "Uh, hh-ey..." Hardly a reward for his lungs' afternoon of work. "Little too h-eavy..." was all he could utter; the digit's every twitch undid his breath even as he tapped for mercy. "Pl...lease..." he wheezed. The hold released, and the toes settled next to him tapped with impatience he could feel through the tile.

"You're pretty strong..." He stumbled to a stand. "...but I have this small problem..."

Mariette's accent weighed down and quelled his humor. "I noticed."

"You saw? Guess I'm not the master of stealth I thought I'd be." His smile vanished when her gaze drew near. "At least it got me noticed, right?"

"And that's fortunate?" Maybe she wasn't just after a better look...

"Well, I figured I could get help..." He paced back. "...and you looked like the very helpful - and very pretty - girl who could do just that!" He got a second away before her fingers brought him to trial. "I mean- I meant no offense, uh, ma'am..."

"I'm certain," she murmured while sampling his scent, " when you meddled with things you shouldn't have."

"...What?" He pushed at his prison, but a quick squeeze forced a surrender and his breath turned to inefficient labor. "What did I do?!"

"I believe you know," she brought him closer, "so don't treat me like a newborn. I'll have to make a decision on you," she said as she laid him aching on the table, "but I am fascinated. It has been so long since I've seen the spell's effects on a living being." She looked down on him with fascination. "I wonder, what could a fitting punishment be?"

Marco shook his head. "Is this about that book..?"

"It could be nothing else. What should happen to you?"

Blood flushed from Marco's cheeks - talk about a raw deal! "I didn't do anything!"

Mariette rolled her eyes. "I'm so sure, now that you face the consequences. And to think D'Arcie described you as a gentleman..." She plucked him up and searched deep over his traits.

"Look, you caught me for the wrong reason. I didn't know anything about that book!"

"I certainly have caught you, ma petite gâterie. I wonder, how sweet you taste..." Warmth blasted Marco as her jaws parted to run a tongue across her muzzle. He grasped at her fingers again, but his pulsing ribcage begged him to reconsider.

"You aren't really doing to do this, right?!" He strained and thrashed at her grip but she observed with leisure.

"I'm sorry that you deserve consequences, my delicious morsel." Her tongue dropped out to taste him with dainty licks, then indulgent ones. The polished teeth came ever closer as he rattled with panic.

She opened her mouth wide but paused with prey just inches from a demise in her jaws. Her gaze drifted to a mirror where her tiny capture squirmed with dissolved vigor. She shut her muzzle and brought him to audience before her eyes. "Hmph. Do you think yourself a gentleman?"

Marco panted with fatigue at eyes he couldn't ignore, and his limp resistance stopped when he was spared from the death approach. "A gentleman? I don't know...just, don't eat me..." He shivered as her breath's moisture cooled in his fur.

"Surely D'Arcie had a reason to describe you as such. Was it you, or her idle dreaming?" Her fist opened to let a curious finger inspect.

Marco spoke up between the shifts and turns. "Well, I think she deserves a gentleman..." His say got ahead of itself when her tongue slipped out again. "And she's kinda cute," he mumbled in half a second.

The dalmatian's browsing paused. "...Could you repeat that?"

"Uh, nothing," he looked down. "She's a nice person." His face warmed as he stewed in silence.

"I thought I heard otherwise, my little dessert. Continue, I'm interested." Her floppy ears flexed with anticipation.

Better to spill it... "I think she's gorgeous..." His head hung.

Mariette's muzzle tilted as she resumed examination. "Interesting. You wouldn't be the first to think so; she really is quite charming." She stroked his biceps. "She had shown interest, yes? She does think you a 'gentleman', after all."

Marco's eyes lit up. "Damn, wouldn't that be something!" He shriveled below her unimpressed expression. "Uh, I mean, you know..."

She leaned in. "Tell me, - Marco, wasn't it? - what does my twin have that I don't?"

He blinked. "I'm...not sure I understand."

"Well, Marco, I was curious. My twin and I are identical, no? Perhaps a simpler question: would you prefer her, or me?"

He stared - he could guess which answer she wanted to hear. "You're both stunning. Uh..." As he scrambled for more to say, she wagged a finger.

"Ah ah ah, mon cerisier, that was not an answer. Do not be shy."

"Well, can I be honest here?" He shifted uncomfortably in her palm.

"Of course, little one. I would have nothing else."

"Alright," he gulped. "But I guess D'Arcie seems a little...softer."

The dalmatian's expression remained unchanged. "'Softer.'"

"Yeah; it feels like she'd be a little gentler - with me, I mean. And a bit less threatening? With all due respect, of course..." He waited with his heartbeat louder than his breath.

"I understand. Perhaps I can help you make a more formal decision," she murmered as they left the kitchen.

"Wait, really? Can't you just revert me?!"

"I want you to have a better comparison. It's only fair." She moved down the hall and knocked. "D'Arcie, I have a surprise for you!" she called with Marco tucked in her hands. He heard hinges then an answer.

"A surprise, Mariette?"

"Yes, but you must let me sit with you first."

"If you wish."

Marco was jostled with the distant groan of bedsprings.

"So, you told me you had a classmate. One by the name 'Marco'?"

"Yes, what about him?"

"Well, I may know why he ran off."

"Really?? Why? Where did he go so quickly!?"

"I'm sure he wasn't so quick." Her cupped hands gave way to light as Marco was revealed. "Not at this size."

D'arcie squinted in disbelief. "Marco..?"

"Here he is. We were discussing his preference in dalmatian, and I thought he'd benefit from a better perspective." She extended her palm toward her twin for a better look.

Darcie's jaw hung as her eyes swept his body. "Marco! You didn't get into the book did you? Why would you attempt to take it?"

His ears laid, and his tail curled. "I wasn't stealing it, it just fell, and- "

"You, of all people..." D'Arcie shook her head and accepted him from her sister's palm. "Now look at you, all tiny and adorable. Shame on you." Her finger wagged, then stroked his fur. "With that wet little nose, and...and those fluffy little ears...and- "

Mariette huffed. "Exactly. A shame, especially how pleasant he is to the touch." She held her palm out, but D'Arcie turned and sighed at her classmate.

"What am I to do with you?"

"It was a big misunderstanding..." He looked up and her gorgeous features hushed him.

Mariette intervened. "You may return him now, sister." She held her hand out again. "Him and I were not finished."

D'Arcie peeked at her and greedily tucked Marco closer. "Despite everything, he is here to study."

The other twin rose a brow. "How is he to do that when he cannot lift a pencil?"

"He can still review the subject with me."

"He came to me for help, and by his own will I must add. Accept that you aren't the choice, D'Arcie."

Marco peered over a finger. "Well, about that: when I was under the table, I- "

Mariette's whiskers bristled. "Marco, would you kindly ask my sister to release you?"

Marco looked sheepishly at his former captor. "Well, there could be a pop quiz tomorrow..." A growl welled up across from him but it shortly died to a whimpering whine. Mariette stormed out without a word, her tail flicking in frustration.

Marco's ears batted at breath that drifted from above. "That was close." He returned to his classmate's adoring stare. "So, about those studies..."

"Not so fast, Marco. I hope this has been a big lesson for you."

He nodded. "It was an accident but I'm sorry, for what it's worth. So how do I get back to normal?"

D'Arcie's tail began sweeping her blankets. "I haven't decided yet, my delight."

Marco's brow furrowed. "I don't understand..."

"You will, but for now I must ask how your fur is so pleasant!" She held him against her cheek and her tail hastened. "You may just be the most adorable thing I have ever seen, oh my goodness!!"

Marco blushed with a heat as warm as her own, and his hand acted on its own: her fur ran smoothly under his pads as he caressed her. "You really think so? Uhm...while we're being honest..."

"Yes?" She brought him before her eyes. Oh gosh, why the look first?

"Well, um, I like your spots. I think they're really cute..." hell, just say it, "...just like everything else about you."

He'd sworn he felt her heartbeat rise. "Do you..! I..." She pulled him to her muzzle and licked him. And licked him. And licked, then brought him to a hug against her neck. A hug he put all his effort into returning.

The fur warmed him until he returned to view. "Marco, you really are a gentleman!"

It was his turn to blush. "I'm lucky you think so. Um, what happens next?"

D'Arcie looked over him like a list. "We still have studying to do, classmate." She cradled him in hand and moved to her desk. "I believe we have enough time to cover the lesson..."

Marco yawned his stretch, and fell into a warmth of relaxation. "Convenient for us, hm?" He looked up into eyes that lingered nearer to him than the pages. "Though, it'll take me a while to write down all our notes."

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