FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The ambiance of the supermarket, Julia decided, was utterly unique compared to any place she was used to visiting. Hundreds of unique sounds made by chattering people, metallic squeaking shopping carts, and beeping machines created a constant droning that fell into the background. Amplified by the echo of the incredibly high warehouse ceiling, the building was like a jungle with its own ecosystem. In many ways, it seems like they gave up the chaos of the forest for the chaos of capitalism. Julia didn't care much for either because they both required suffering to exist on some fundamental level.

The orange-furred Fox scanned aisle after aisle for the few products that weren't tainted by the horrors of the meat industry. By now, Julia was an expert at reading labels for hidden ingredients. She had memorized enough elaborate chemical names to fill a high school chemistry textbook by now. Most people would be surprised to learn just how much of their food contained animal products even when they didn't really need them. Thanks to countless hours of research, blog posts from her friends, and starting her own blog to help others, Julia expertly glided along the aisles like a predator hunting her prey.

Unfortunately for her, Saturday was the only day she could buy groceries for the week. It was also when the store decided to hand out free samples of whatever was popular. Upselling was practically a tradition in this country, but she was used to ignoring it. But today she wouldn't be lucky enough to just walk past the underpaid workers. On her way to the produce aisle, a lone metal table was situated at the end of the snack aisle. No employee was manning the station, but the table was bustling with activity from dozens of small creatures. Tiny Mouse people arranged boxes to better display themselves to the passing crowd. Above them, a sign displayed the name of their brand:

Mini Mice Meals!

It's not just great, it's MMM great!

"Excuse me ma'am!" came a squeak from the edge of the table. "Would you like to try a sample?"

At the edge of the table sat a white-furred Mouse with big beady eyes, perfectly shaped to tempt unsuspecting shoppers. The four-inch-tall creature casually oozed charisma in the same way a cartoon mascot did. Julia was so caught off guard by him that instead of rejecting him and leaving, she let her curiosity control her.

"What exactly are you selling?"

"We're selling ourselves, of course! We're edible treats engineered to be super adorable!"

The other Mice had finished getting into position and were now posing at her like models on a runway.

"What? People just eat you?"

"Yep! It's our purpose in life."

Julia was horrified. It was bad enough that regular animals couldn't talk to you and tell you they were in pain. But now some mad scientist had gone and created a slave species.

"That's awful!" The Mice all flinched at her outburst. "Who would make a sapient race for the sole purpose of being eaten?"

"Don't worry ma'am, we're not sapient. The marketing team says so. We're bio-toys that have been programmed to act like people. We don't feel pain or sadness."

The Fox looked around for anyone who might be watching them, then crouched down to the mouse.

"What's your name, little guy? Do you need me to get you out of here? Are you being forced to do this? Because I can sneak you all out of here in my purse and they'll never know."

"We don't get names, ma'am. We get numbers based on our production lot, but I don't even know what mine is. Please eat me!"

Julia was losing her patience with the Mouse. "I can't eat you, I'm vegan."

"That doesn't mean you can't eat me. Come on, just one lick! I promise you'll enjoy me!"

"I said I'm not eating you! It's creepy!"

"Please ma'am! I'm perfectly safe to eat! I have no allergenic ingredients, and I'm gluten-free! My carbs are good, I promise!"

Julia scoffed and pushed her cart away from the pleading creature until she rounded a corner and disappeared from his vision. The Mouse shot her a look of bitter resentment and ignored his siblings, who were already setting up for the next customer that would pass them.

---

At the end of the weekend, Julia liked to have dinner at her favorite restaurant, "The Greenhouse." Everything on the menu was vegan: No meat, no dairy, gluten-free, and most importantly it was delicious. The most difficult part of her diet was finding foods that hit her trifecta of tasty, healthy, and inexpensive. But on Sunday, she was willing to sacrifice everything for taste.

On this particular evening, a warm bowl of soup glared at her from the handmade wooden table she lounged at. Steam and heat poured off the miniature sea of broth and left her chin damp. Reaching down to her side, Julia pulled her phone out of her purse and navigated to the camera app with practiced ease. The camera focused on her future feast to reveal a large shifting lump paddling in it.

"This is actually pretty fun." Noted the brown-stained Mouse as he backstroked around the bowl.

Julia squealed and fumbled with her phone before snatching it midair with both hands and throwing it into her purse. Sparing a glance around her, she noticed the other patrons giving her inquisitive looks before returning to their own worlds. The Fox focused her gaze back on the Mouse who was now doing a graceful breaststroke in the opposite direction.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm swimming!"

Julia simply had no response. Her brain was stalled.

The Mouse continued. "The funny thing is that I've never swum before. I guess they programmed us to know how."

Shaken out of her bewilderment, Julia managed to vocalize a better question.

"I meant why the hell did you follow me? And how did you even do that? You're like four inches tall at most so you couldn't have walked here. Did you sneak into my purse?"

"I would never touch the contents of a woman's purse without her express permission. Now then, are you ready to enjoy this fabulous meal? I've marinated in this broth long enough to absorb the juices."

"W-no! I already told you, I'm not going to eat you! I'm vegan, and you're a living creature that talks and feels."

"I'm made of an absolutely animal-free material. Mini Mice Meals contains no actual Mice."

"So, what are you made of? Is it some incredibly artificial lab-grown garbage?"

Clearly uncomfortable with the question, his tiny eyes fell to his navel. Julia noticed the minuscule creature didn't have a belly button under his thin layer of fur. Resolve flashed in his eyes, and the Mouse glared back up to her.

"Eat me, or else."

"Excuse me? Is that a threat?"

"Look, I'm a sample. I'm not supposed to be around for longer than a weekend. So, can you please eat me, and we can agree to never talk to each other again?"

"Is this a pride thing? You can't accept being eaten by someone else because I rejected you?"

All she got in return was a glare that could melt stone. Deciding she wasn't getting anywhere, Julia grabbed her purse and walked away. The marinaded Mouse followed her with his eyes until the door shut behind her. Tense muscles he didn't know he was holding relaxed, and he slid down the edge of the bowl onto his butt until the dark liquid was over his neck. The Mouse continued to stew in his depression until someone working at the restaurant came by the table.

---

Returning to work on Monday after a good weekend was like pulling out a tooth. It was even worse today because Julia didn't even have a very good weekend. All she could think about was that stupid Mouse pestering her, and the horrible people who had invented him. Years of activism for animal rights, research into healthier alternative meals, and environmentally friendly processes were all wasted so someone out there could feel like a big bad predator. She would have been less disturbed if the Mice were scared to be eaten, but the chipper attitude they kept up made her incredibly uncomfortable.

Distracted by her thoughts and the new week's workload in front of her, Julia mechanically lifted a grape from a bowl on her desk and threw it in the air. The grape landed perfectly in her open maw and she swallowed it after two leisurely bites. Months of practice had helped her achieve this pointless skill and saved her from dying of boredom during the slow months.

Another grape from the bowl, in the air, down her throat.

Another grape from the bowl, in the air, down her throat.

Another grape from the bowl, in the air-

There's a tickling sensation on her cheek. It turns into scratching that makes her jerk her head in panic. The grape crashes into her eyeball and she's out of her chair and about to scream. Removing the offending sensation from her face, she sees a puny white Mouse through her one good eye.

"What the hell! Are you stalking me now?"

"Stalking is such a negative word. I prefer the phrase "Viral Marketing."

"That's psychotic! What kind of person would- oh right, marketing. Even our marketing department is like that. But that doesn't excuse... whatever this is. God, you're worse than my ex!"

"You can end all this." The mouse smugly threw out. "All you have to do is eat me. You can do that thing you do with the grapes, and I can swan dive down your throat if you like."

"And I told you already: I won't eat a living creature, even if they want me to."

"Stubborn one, aren't we?" He punctuated his statement by leaning forward on his elbow and resting on her finger.

"I have morals, unlike the sick bastards who made you."

Exhausted from the scare, Julia just wanted to be rid of the little pest. She couldn't just throw him in the trash. What if he went to the dump and was hurt? Could she just throw him outside? He followed her all the way here somehow. Maybe he would survive being left on the side of the road, but then he would probably come back.

"Hey babe," the Mouse spoke up with a sultry expression covering his face "I'm looking mighty tasty right now. Aren't I?"

"He's going in the trash."

---

It's been five days since the Mouse traveled to her work and assaulted her. Since then, Julia's privacy has been violated countless times. It began on Tuesday when she made herself a cup of coffee to start her day. She found the rodent lounging in it like it was a sauna. It took every ounce of her willpower to not pitch the mug across her apartment in a fit of rage. Not just to avoid killing a living creature, but because the mug was a gift from her late grandmother. And the thought of losing such a precious treasure to that pest bothered her in ways she couldn't describe.

The rest of the week wasn't much better. Julia had taken to wearing a ball gag at night after she was awoken by the vermin intruder attempting to pry her mouth open. The gag was a gift from her ex that she hadn't thrown away, and she couldn't exactly complain about forgetting to do it now. Her nights weren't the only thing inconvenienced though. Every morning was interrupted by a Mouse in her breakfast, every lunch a rodent in her salad, and every dinner a pest hidden in her drinks. Julia had missed so many meals she was becoming agitated and neurotic. She jumped at every minute noise and investigated every creak of her home until she could find a source.

She couldn't just eat food anymore. At first, she had to check her meals carefully before digging in. Then, she had to check ingredient packaging for tears and tampering. Finally, she gave up on making her own food and started only eating straight from unopened cans to make sure that nobody had gotten inside of it. Her favorite pastime was now agony to sit through because nothing coming out of a can was ever as healthy or tasty as a homecooked meal.

Prodding at a can of microwaved beans with a spoon, Julia was slow to notice a familiar figure climb up her countertop and waltz into her peripheral vision. The miniature intruder gave her a tsk tsk tsk before starting his daily spiel.

"I really do hate to see you suffer like this. Wouldn't it be so much easier to just accept my offer?"

"The only reason I'm suffering" she growled "is because of you."

"Bah, you're just a picky eater. But I can't allow a potential customer to starve because she's short-sighted. I haven't had much luck doing this myself though, so this time I brought some help from the boys."

"The boys? Who-"

A cold sensation ran over her throat. Julia exploded out of her seat, only to come crashing down on the carpeted floor when her legs stayed together. Another metal chain was wrapped around her ankles. All around her, small figures skittered around her prone form and wrapped her limbs in thin ropes that looked cobbled together from paperclips and various pieces of jewelry. Julia felt as if she could break her restraints but didn't want to risk smashing any of the mice if she pushed too hard.

"Alright boys looks like she's stuck down here with us!" shouted a brown-hued Mouse who jumped onto her chest.

Her eyes followed the rodent and observed him snapping his fingers at his brothers below. Another metal chain tied down her head and forced her gaze forward. After climbing up the side of her torso like a rock wall, the familiar white Mouse took position next to his brother.

"She's all yours brother. Jump in and fulfill your purpose."

Wasting no time, he ambled over to her mouth and parted her lips with great effort. The two rivals fought over control of her teeth for a full minute before the Mouse surrendered.

"Wow, she's got a strong jaw!" observed the bystander on her chest. "She could easily bite you in half."

"Here's hoping..." muttered the pest. He paced around her chest, fingers rubbing his chin deep in thought.

With a determined expression, the Mouse faced his brother and mumbled something to him. They came to an understanding, and the brunette Mouse snapped orders at the group to her right. The crowd of Mice scurried across her carpet and raided her kitchen like they were preparing for war. Dishes crashed together, utensils clanged against each other, and the iconic sound of her refrigerator popping open hit her ears like an improvised symphony. The mice all gathered around her prone form again and handed objects to each other. A pair of them climbed onto her chest with a large binder clip, followed by two more Mice carrying toothpicks that looked like javelins in their meager hands. Off to the side of her reclining body was the little menace who had started this mess. He was being rubbed down in barbeque sauce by his impromptu squad of goons. Once they thought he was done, they ushered him up to her stomach and he sauntered behind the rodent battalion.

"Alright boys let's begin!"

The chain holding down her head pulled her to the ground with a thump. The two Mice with the binder clip carried it over her face, visibly struggled to push it open, and clamped it over her nose. They slid off her face, and the duo with the toothpicks took their place on each side of her mouth. Standing on her chin was that damn white Mouse taunting her again.

"You're quite the naughty vegan if you keep barbeque sauce in your pantry. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were asking to eat me."

Julia kept her mouth firmly shut, but the clip on her nose made breathing impossible. She was running low on air and starting to feel lightheaded. Worst of all, the Mouse wouldn't stop talking!

"I just want you to know that I don't resent you for denying me my purpose. That day at the grocery store, I knew we were meant to be together. I think you knew too but just didn't understand these feelings we had for each other. Hopefully, once I've done my job, you'll understand."

The vacuum in her chest was getting tighter and tighter until it became painful.

"Maybe," she thought "I can suck in a breath before he can jump in?"

Acting quickly, Julia's mouth burst open and sucked in a lungful of air then smashed shut...

Except her jaw stayed open. The two guards flanking the leader propped her jaw open with their toothpick javelins on either side of her mouth. Julia's throat was exposed to the room like a dentist was about to operate on her.

"Excellent work gentlemen! Thank you for the support, but I'll take it from here."

All of the Mice stepped back except their leader. The dark-hued Mouse from earlier shouted one final command.

"Gentleman, a brave soldier is about to pass the pearly white gates. Salute him on his way out of this world!"

The army lined up by her arms and saluted in unison. The Mouse was past her lips and crawling into her mouth, slipping on her tongue's saliva and the sauce covering his body. But as soon as the Mouse's little paws touched her tongue, it was like the universe lit up in a rainbow of colors. Ancient instincts arose from her primal lizard brain and they were screaming at her to consume and kill and eat everything. She willingly swallowed the mouse and, in a reflexive fit, destroyed her bonds in one violent motion.

The next ten minutes were pure chaos as the Fox's now feral mind scrambled to capture every single Mouse that had intruded her home. The modest apartment became a whirlwind of pandemonium. Bodies flew from floor to shelf to counter, Mice ran and hid behind furniture, and the carpet was torn up by claws attempting to pounce on them. A few of the Mice were sacrificed down her gullet to satisfy her ravenous hunger, but most were trapped in containers stolen from her kitchen.

Julia surveyed the mess that she and the army of mice had created. Her home was trashed like a group of inept burglars had rummaged through it. Laying on top of upturned furniture were dozens of plastic food containers holding the once sizable army of Mice. Julia felt a sharp sting of pity knowing their numbers had fallen thanks to her. But she wasn't feeling as sympathetic knowing they were the cause of her grief.

"Now then. What to do with all of you?"