//------------------------------// // An Earful // Story: The Joke is on Me // by StandardIssue //------------------------------//         I was sore, unimaginably sore. I knew what sore was, I have done my fair share of working out, but this was a new world of sore to me. I opens my eyes after groaning, my voice sounding feminine. My ears flinched at the sound, my eyes shooting open at the memory of the last time I woke up. I sat up so fast, I got light headed, close to repeating what happened last time. I looked down and instantly blushed. I was a fucking furry. I was what weirdos look up online. A fucking female...and an anthro fox, the things I saw last night.         I looked at my hands. It was strange, having been a furry, there is not much of a difference. my hands had a fine layer fur, but I still felt everything like my old hands, in fact, I actually had more control of my senses. I felt my blanket in between my fingers, listening to the world around me. From within my room, I could hear sounds of a village again. My ears then swiveled to the door and I sat up straighter, not moving an inch. Call it instinct, call it what you will, but I had a feeling that I needed to wait about another twenty seconds before I moved again.         My ears enhanced the sounds coming from the door while it made the world I was listening to seconds ago disappear. The talking died down outside my door. I could only pick out the fact that there was one guy and two girls.         I heard the guy clear his throat and the door slowly opened after three knocks. When the door finally opened all the way, I saw another fox-anthro guy only wearing these baggy pants that resembled sweatpants. He had 7 tails and a scar on his chest running from his left hip to his right shoulder. He had hair that was messy and short, but somehow nice. Another thing was, they had hair even though they had fur?!               He opened his mouth to speak, then looked from my face to my chest, then looked away after clearing his throat. I heard a girlish giggle and I looked to his side and saw two fox girls with both their hairs done in a similar way, in a bun. They wore these japanese style dress robes as well. One pink and one light green. As I looked at them oddly, the pink one gestured to her chest and I looked confused. She then made a motion of picking something up. I was confused. I looked down in thought, then placed things together…         I quickly pulled up the blanket and covered my chest with the blanket as I felt my cheeks get warm. I never had to cover myself before…It was different.         “Well,” He began while clearing his voice and walking over to my bed. His voice was raspy, kinda like a smokers voice. “Quite the entrance you made a few days ago.” I blinked, not comprehending what he meant by that.         “What,” I coughed, my throat was sore and very dry. “Sorry...but what do you mean?”         “Well,” He chuckled and looked over to me. “You being carried in by Nlaur, who was screaming about fire and death caused quite a scare.”         “Who is Nlaur?” He carried me in, and I didn’t get to talk to him yet? I felt a little bad and thankful at the same time.         “Well, he is the Kyubi’s son.”         “Ki-what?” I asked in confusion. ‘Who names their kid Nlaur?!’         “Kyubi. The leader of our village. Now, I have a question for you.” He grabbed a chair and pulled it closer to my bed and sat down. He studied my face for a bit, then he took out a pipe and added something to the end. He lit it and took a few puffs, soon after blowing the smoke in my face.         “Hey!” I said in repulsion after coughing. “You are not supposed to do that here!” He blinked and looked confused He then shook his head.         “I take it you don’t smoke. Well, it will only take a second. Now, for my question,” He took another puff and blew it in my direction again. I coughed and tried to fan the smoke away as it burned my eyes and throat. “What were you doing there?” He asked, as if I knew where ‘THERE’  was.         “Uh, where exactly?” He rolled his eyes and sat back.         “The lake, or more importantly, the crater where the lake used to be.” He asked, sounding a bit irritated.         “What lake? What crater?”         “The place you were! Where you were found.” He said with a huff.         “I don’t know what you are talking about.” I said, confused and little scared. He looked me square in the eye.         “Where were you before hand then?”         “Uh...the store.” I said somewhat confused on why that mattered.         “So a shop? Where at?” I thought about what to say. Did it matter what I told him.         “Uh...Ponyville?” I half said, half asked. I had to admit, I didn’t sound sure, so I had to do something to help my case. “Uh...Why does it matter?”         He took a few puffs from his pipe, then sighed. “Very well, I will leave you alone. When you get the chance, the Kyubi would like council with you.” He stood up and put his arms behind his back like he was at ease in front of an officer.         “Okay…?” Was all I could mutter, looking down soon after. I heard him walk out and the door close. I looked up and saw the two girls start working around my room. The pink one spoke up, and upon seeing her up close and paying her more attention, I could tell she was a little heavy set.         “Shy one, aren’t yah?” She picked up some cloth and towels from a drawer. The green robed one spoke up before I could respond.         “You bet she is, and how rude of Theous. Didn’t even ask the poor things name.” She pulled out a half barrel that I could easily sit in out and into the middle of the floor, closing the closet she got it from.         “That was rude, didn’t even give a name either. Well, doesn’t matter. What is your name sweetie?” I looked over to her and opened my mouth to respond, only I was lifted up and dropped into freezing cold water. I yelped from the immediate transition of bed and bath. I grabbed my sides and my teeth shattered.         “Jade, you forgot to warm the water!”         “Well Ruby, she could easily do it herself.”         “A three tailed do it herself?! Really?”         “I could do it.”         “Does it look like she is right now?” They began to bicker back and forth.         “Look-” I tried to speak through chattering teeth.         “No, but she hasn’t tried yet.”         “And you didn’t even ask her name yet!”         “My name-”         “She doesn’t seem to want to give it.”         “Quit being rude!”         “I-”         “You stop bothering me!”         “Get plugged!” I had enough of this.         “STOP!” I yelled as loud as I can. They both looked at me in surprise and I smiled sheepishly. “Heh...please..?”They both went about doing things around the room again.         “Yeesh...sorry. Who got on your bad side?” I thought I held a pretty good poker face.         “Nothing, just a little irritable.” After some silence, and the ladies washing my hair and scrubbing my back, the pink one, I think was called Ruby finally spoke up.         “So...what is your name?”         “My name is J…” I couldn’t say my name anymore. I wasn’t a guy anymore, so James wasn’t going to work. “Uh...my name is Julia…” The green one, who is Jade apparently chuckled. “What?”   “What kind of name is that?” She asked. I saw Ruby shoot a glare towards her. “It’s pretty common where I come from…” I said, getting quieter, thinking I blew my cover or something.   “What, were you born on an outpost or something?” Before I could think, I nodded. “Yeah. Born and raised.” I said with a smile that probably did me no justice.                  “Well I’m surprised they didn’t educate you there.”         “Heh...Well, I didn’t pay much attention.”         “Well, not much you can do now.” She said with a sigh. She stood up and looked at me. “Now dry yourself up and get dressed. We are going to that council of yours.” I simply took a deep breath and nodded.         “Okay…” She nodded and looked to Jade. She nodded in return and they both left the room. When they closed the door, the room still had a sense of uneasiness about it.