tickling birds

Erica The Tickle Bear Goes To College

Erica was so excited about this day. She learned through a little research about the University of Universal Laughter, and its study of laughter through subjects to help improve and help people. Being a bubbly, young thing that she was, and having excellent scores on her school, she was quickly accepted, and signed up for a good number of their courses. Her heart raced as she stepped on compass and looked around.

Sentient zombies, vampires that ate laughter more than blood, humans, other furried anthros, robotic individuals. It was beyond her dreams. Even cooler to her was the warm, red sky, which sent shades and highlights along her soft, pink fur. Everyone seemed to have a bright smile on their face, and were either hanging with friends, or were going to and from classes.

She wrinkled her nose and looked down at her notes, "Now, where could my dorm be?"

"An honest to goodness Ursarine," a high feminine voice said behind her, making her squeal. She had dropped the notes and scurried to scoop them in one grasp. With a peloette twist she turned to look at a young humanoid female, that was very skinny. Skinny wasn't the right word to be honest. The girl seemed like she didn't have any internal organs at all. Her skin was a dark olive green, her hair, short and dark and curly. She wore a body fitting red dress that looked like it belonged to the Earth nation of China. And even more interesting was she had multiple arms. "You don't see many of your kind here," the girl said crossing her arms.

"Oh, I see," Erica said, blinking. Her own arms crossed, or rather hugged to her body, pressing against her papers as if they were a long lost love.

The green skinned girl smiled and laughed. "Oh don't think I have anything opposed to furries. I have numerous friends off campus who are furries. And there are some here too." She giggled again, and Erica felt her uncertainty wane. "My name is Veail." She extended one of her left arms.

"Erica," the young bear said, a smile spreading across her face. The two girls shook each other's hand, and Veail helped her pick up the few notes that had escaped her first attempt to snatch them. "So, have you been here long?"

"Oh it seems like a long time," she giggled, running her fingers through her hair. "Sometimes it feels like nearly ten years." They laughed at the joke. "But my soriety has helped make the time go by fast."

"Really?" her heart skipped. She'd no idea, though after that she could not imagine why she didn't know there was one or these here. "Which one is that?"

"Oh we are quiet notorious," the other girls said. Her eyes narrowed and slid around the environment. Some students were quiet and mousey around the girl. Others down right jumpy. Others still seemed very friendly. "We use touch therapy to help people to overcome their insecurites. Well laughter therapy too."

"Touch and laughter therapy?" That didn't seem to shocking considering this was a school based on laughter. "You mean tickling?"

"Oh yes. But," she sighed, with a mock disappointment that was easy to pick up on. "Well, most don't understand us at all. They think we are too 'rough'."

"Oh? Hmm well what is the name of the group?" Veail's voice though high was now deep and commanding, that the young bear had no idea where she was anymore.

"Oh, we are called the Gull Feathers." She smiled. "In fact, you just walked into our home, and I thought we'd, my friends and I, would be happy to initiate you to the university."

"Wait what?" Erica looked around. Sure enough the were in a house, no longer on the outside. The walls were colored purple and white, with some streaks of silver or gold here and there. The furniture looked brand new, and there was a large fireplace by an ivory hearth. Above that fire place was the image of a cackling crow, feathers like pirate swords behind it. For a brief second she felt very uncomfortable, and was about to say that, when the scent of something made her completely sleepy. Within the next second, she was out.