FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The machine wrapped a tight plastic strap around the box in the grey leona's hands. The leona's foot released the pedal, before spinning the box and stepping down again. Another strap. Another twist. Third strap, complete. He slid the package down the line and grabbed the next one. He repeated the motions, and passed it along again. The truck idling in the loading bay rumbled softly, its sickly sounding engine echoing much more loudly behind him than it was in front. The driver was leaned up beside it, dirty blue fur and loose grey clothes contrasting with the clean white of his vehicle. A whistle sounded behind him, prompting Dienza and the others on the packaging line to sigh. That was the shift end alarm, but there was no night shift on the weekends so they were here until that truck was full. The driver, surly looking and grumpy, inspected the progress from beside the rear door and shook his head. 'Why are you taking so damn long?' He growled. This one was new, he'd only been taking this factory's deliveries out since midway this week. The last one had been old, and forced to retire after a small accident that damaged his truck. Dienza slowed on the packaging machine a little and scowled back as the new driver glared across, trying to intimidate the factory crew. As he passed across another completed box he eyed down the line. There were another four boxes being loaded up with their parts right now, meaning they were only a few minutes behind. 'Doesn't anyone have the balls to speak up here?' The driver spoke again, his tone shifting into a gloating taunt, the kind morons have when they think people are intimidated by them. Dienza finished the third last box as the final two rolled up ready beside him. Now the driver stared at him with that same pompous expression. One box left. Dienza stopped. The others watched on with barely concealed smiles of anticipation. They'd seen this before. The leona rested a hand on top of the box and stretched his other arm, yawning. 'Just a minute, man. I think my shoulder's cramping up.' 'What are you, a moron?' The driver growled. 'Hurry up!' 'Relax, will you?' Dienza shook his head and scoffed. 'Fine I'll do it now. Come get it.' 'Useless sack of shit you are.' The driver rolled his eyes and walked over, reaching for the box as Dienza lifted it up with its straps completed. At the last second, Dienza pulled it just out of the arrogant leona's grasp and grinned. He set it on the bench in front of him. 'Sorry.' He shrugged. 'There you go.' The driver shook his head as though he was dealing with the world's biggest idiot and reached for the box. Dienza simply grinned again and pressed his foot down on the pedal again. His grin turned into a laugh as the machine coiled its mechanism around the truck driver's wrists, strapping them tightly together. 'What the fuck?' The truckie's face went bright red even under his blue fur, as Dienza's laughter was joined by the six other workers on the floor. 'D-Do you think this is funny?!' 'No shit!' Dienza replied, sliding the box to his co-worker and gesturing to another. 'I wanna talk to your manager!' The driver fumed. Dienza looked at his shirt, where a badly stitched nametag read out Corsaze. 'Too bad, Corsaze.' Dienza shrugged. 'He doesn't come in on weekends, I'm the one in charge. You wanna talk to him, do it when you're here on Monday. But don't hold your breath.' 'What the hell does that mean?' Corsaze demanded. 'Means he gives a shit about as much as I do.' Dienza replied, turning as the yellow furred leona on his left returned with a box cutter knife. She was still giggling at the antic and gave Dienza a slap on the ass cheek as she walked past. 'Gimme your wrists.' Dienza smiled, humming a light tune as Corsaze grudgingly held out his arms. Dienza carefully cut through the strap and leaned in a little closer. 'Now look around. Do we look like a group who are gonna respect that kind of authority?' 'Bunch of delinquents is what you are.' He retorted in an equally soft tone. Four of the workers were mutts rather than leonas, he was damn lucky he kept his voice low. 'Yea.' Dienza nodded. 'And if I hadn't humiliated you, one of them might have stabbed you. Now get in your truck and piss off. And come Monday? You'd do well to keep the attitude to yourself yea? Enjoy your Weekend now.' Corsaze left without any further comments, not even sparing a backwards glance. Dienza sighed and twirled a finger in the air, the signal to wrap it up and watched as the group fanned out across the factory floor and shut down the machinery. When all was done and everyone was out, he pulled down the roller door and locked it, before heading into the office and out through the door there. With it locked behind him, he started the walk home. 'Drac!' A girl's voice called. The yellow leona had waited for him at the front of the building and stepped in beside him as they headed out onto the street. 'That was... Friggin amazing.' 'Well you know me.' Dienza shrugged. 'I don't deal very well with bullshit.' 'We know.' She giggled. 'You even got the boss's respect, factory foreman.' 'Shut up Spiika.' He shook his head. 'That job is dull enough without having to run it.' 'Oh shush.' Spiika bopped his nose with a finger. 'Work is work. And it pays well enough doesn't it? We could both afford to rent a place if there was anywhere available.' 'Oh yea, tons of great places around here.' Dienza replied sarcastically. 'I could rent that pile of cars behind the mechanic! Turn each one into a different room of my new mansion.' 'Whatever.' Spiika shrugged. 'What are you up to tonight? I'm heading to Aryan's place, we're gonna hang around the arcade for a bit. See what there is to do.' 'You know I don't do that shit anymore.' Dienza shook his head distastefully. 'I'm just gonna have a quiet weekend at home. Conserve as much money as I can. Maybe dye my hair blue or something.' 'Blue top would look great on you.' She grinned. 'Make it spiky too!' 'Sure.' He patted the black messy crop on top of his head and shrugged. 'Well, you have fun. But please don't do anything completely stupid.' Spiika took hold of his wrists and pulled him into her embrace. Dienza tensed up but didn't resist as Spiika planted her lips on his. They held for a full ten seconds before she pulled away and sighed. 'So... nothing?' She asked, almost sounding sad. 'Fond memories.' Dienza said quietly. 'That's about it.' '...Alright.' Spiika nodded and let his hands go. 'I might... see you sometime tomorrow. ' 'Sounds good.' He answered as she turned to leave with a smile. He didn't count on it. She'd probably spend all of tomorrow just coming down.

'Ma?' Dienza called, opening the door to the small rustic house he and his mother called home. As he slipped off his boots and closed the door behind him, Nereen poked her head into the hallway and greeted him with a smile. 'How was work?' She asked, her melodic voice always able to put her son in a good mood. 'It was tiring, but it ended with a laugh.' Dienza replied, heading up the hallway as she stepped back into the kitchen. 'Oh?' She asked as he walked in and sat down with a sigh at the table. 'What did you do?' Her eyebrow cocked slightly as she smiled expectantly. Her pale ginger and white features were framed by a head of silver hair with bangs that hung down either side of her face, sometimes obscuring her blue eyes. 'I strapped some dickhead's wrists together.' He grinned. 'Charming.' Nereen rolled her eyes and laughed, before turning back to the pot on the stove. 'What's cooking?' Dienza asked. 'Soup.' Nereen replied. 'A few cuts of lamb and vegetables. There was going to be croutons as well, but the micen got to them.' 'Should put some of them in there.' Dienza mumbled. 'Oh don't be mean.' Nereen retorted with mock scolding. 'Micen gotta eat too you know?' 'Well so do weee!' Dienza put on his old childish voice, standing up and staring at the pot from beside her. 'Look at that. Why didn't you tell me this morning we were almost out of food?' 'I'm sorry.' She rested her head on his shoulder. 'Like I said, we had croutons and bread, but the micen...' 'I'm gonna find that colony, and we're gonna eat like-' 'Stop!' Nereen cut her son off. 'There's... really no need for that. They're not doing any harm.' There were a few seconds of silence before a low rumble sounded from somewhere. 'Was that... Your belly?' Dienza asked. 'No.' Nereen lied, feigning indignation. Dienza sighed and turned to leave the kitchen. By the look of it the meat in it still had a while to go before it was ready so he might as well clean up. As he stepped into his room he heard the patter of tiny footsteps and growled. The little bastards had been in here, though he still hadn't figured out why. All the food was in the kitchen, and he'd partially dismantled this place enough before to know their colony wasn't here. What was here was a cacophony of old recording equipment and albums, as well as his prize possessions, an electric guitar and an amplifier. What interest any of this had for micen was a mystery to him. He sighed and booted his door closed, before pulling off his shirt and pants and stripping down naked. After a few stretches he picked up his towel and a pair of shorts he liked to wear around the house, peering cautiously out his doorway before heading towards the shower.

Ten minutes later, feeling clean and refreshed, he returned to the kitchen just as his mother was getting out two bowls and spoons. 'Sorry it isn't much.' She said, sitting down as he did and passing his bowl over to him. 'I'll go shopping tomorrow. Get some more lamb, maybe even steak. And I'll see what the fruit market has this time of-' 'How much money do you have left?' Dienza interrupted. 'Oh... Enough.' Nereen replied nervously, lifting a spoonful of soup to her mouth and blowing lightly. 'Ma?' Dienza pressed. 'I can handle the grocery shopping now and then. You don't have to run yourself into the ground just to keep me fed. How much do you have left for this fortnight?' Nereen worked a mouthful of soup slowly, deliberately stalling for time as she tried to think up some excuse for her son. After almost a minute, she finally swallowed and began. 'Listen, it's more important for you to save as much money as you can, the sooner you can move out of here the better, right? There are some nice places in that complex near the mall. Or the houses near the reserve?' Dienza shook his head slowly. 'None of that matters if you starve yourself to death to get me there.' 'Stop worrying about me.' She responded. 'Now eat.' Dienza sighed and took his first spoonful. It was amazing, even if it was only because it had been made by her. As he slowly finished his bowl, he eventually noticed that Nereen had slowed down. Maybe the love factor didn't quite make the taste as good for her as it did for him, or maybe... 'You know what?' Nereen said. 'I'm actually not that hungry.' 'Ma... Don't.' Dienza shook his head. 'Here.' She pushed her bowl across to him. 'You need it more anyway. I think I might just call it an early night.' Dienza held a straight expression as she stood and walked past him, pausing only to give him a kiss on his forehead before heading to her own room.

He stared at the bowl he'd emptied, then the one she had given him. She had barely eaten half. He sighed and pulled the bowl closer. There was just... no way he could argue with her when she was like this. 'Dammit Ma...'