FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

To question how I’d come to be in this place was a fleeting impulse, one that seemed to slip through my grasp as though I were trying to catch smoke on the wind.

I blinked and shook my head, pausing to brush off some imaginary speck of dust from a fine jacket of robin’s egg blue. The golden tassels on my shoulder flitted and danced with my motion, and medals gleamed and clinked against my chest, hanging from colorful ribbons that signified gods-knew-what.

Curiously, I inspected my nails. They were black, long. More akin to a large cat’s claws than fingernails. And down my arms, a fine layer of chestnut colored fur covered my skin, and upon my fingers and palms, soft pads to aid in climbing. Speaking of, those on my toes and the soles of my feet didn’t quite agree with the fine spats that I’d been cajoled to wear. They were rather stiff and itchy. A fact made evident in the manner that my triangular ears, an auburn with hints of reddish hue, splayed against my distinctly rosy pink hair as my tail lashed behind me.

Oddly enough, this all came as a bit of a shock to me.

Something about it all just felt … so off. I had never paid so much attention to my pads, nor ears, tail, or claws. Not unless I was grooming or hoping they didn’t betray my moods.

I gave my head a shake. I was being silly, yet again.

Still, the feeling nagged at me, even as I wandered aimlessly through the crowd of partygoers, all garbed in colorful, fancy dress that suggested each was of some importance from whichever kingdom or realm they represented. And they, themselves, were as colorful and varying as their dress. There were fellow cat people, there were dog people, a few humanoid figures with pointed ears and skin tones of green, fuchsia, blue, and more. There were goblins, elves, dwarves, bipedal tigers and snow leopards—one of whom took great offense when a bleary-eyed human called them a “snep.”

I paid this brief entertainment a moment’s notice before sidling off to find some other amusement. Somewhere along the way, a flute of elven wine was pressed into my hand. I drank it slowly, savoring the heavenly taste and floral aroma. Flowers I had never smelled before, not that I realized.

My ears flicked. The sensation startled me, but I just couldn’t explain why.

Namely, why it was that my ears could even flick in such a manner.

A warm breath washed over the back of my neck and the touch of gentle hands upon my hips, drawing a pleasant tremor. Then, I felt it against my left ear as a voice, light and sweet, purred, “Hey, there, cutie.”

At his words and the sound of his voice, that pleasant tremor grew into a shiver as it traced a path down my spine. A heat rose in my cheeks at his tone, the setting of his hands. I turned, my breath catching in my throat as I found myself face-to-face with a young man of such captivating beauty my heart skipped a beat.

His white hair was curly and fluffy like wool, his bangs falling to frame his cherubic face. His eyes were bright, a rosy color almost the same as carnations, his cheeks tinged a dusty pink as though in a perpetual, deepening blush. Around his neck, he wore a silver bell on a crimson ribbon, and his clothes looked as though they had been spun from the finest silks. His dress shirt was a creamy color, the sleeves puffing out and cuffs frilled, and over it he wore a burgundy vest with sky blue frock. Around his waist, he wore a pair of hip capes, one under the other, to match with his vest and frock, and they settled over his matching pants.

Oh, and on either side of the crown of his head, a matching pair of curled horns, like a sheep or a ram.

And his smile? Enough to make my insides turn to jelly.

He stepped forward, his eyes glittering with something I couldn’t place. Amusement, perhaps? I felt the soft touch of his fingers wrapping around my hand, and then drawing it up so he could brush his lips against my knuckles.

The heat in my cheeks was joined by a burning at the tips of my ears. My heart hammered in my chest.

The glittering in his eyes seemed to grow brighter. He let our hands lower, but still, I felt him continue holding mine. His grip was firm, yet warm. Like we knew one another, and had for a long time.

What’s more, his touch seemed to make those pleasant sensations ripple through my body, coursing and humming just beneath my skin like electricity. Enough to make the fur on the back of my neck twitch, my tail to flit nervously.

Gods, I hoped my claws were clean enough. I didn’t dare risk a chance to look at them, and I could practically feel the itching of dirt beneath them. Which only served to make me scream, internally, of course.

But if he noticed my internal struggle, he seemed to pay it no mind. The sheep man gave a laugh so sweet, I felt butterflies fluttering in my belly. “I’m glad to see you made it, darling,” he said, his voice doing little to help my efforts to calm my fluster. “I hope the journey didn’t tax you too much.”

“N-No? I feel fine,” I stammered. I didn’t think to question his comment on my journey, though I had no memory of any travel. With a nervous laugh, I affixed a crooked smile to my face—oh, gods, I hoped that he didn’t take showing my fangs as a threat. They weren’t exactly discrete. “Thank you for asking, though Mr. …”

He smiled, his teeth so white, they almost glittered. The sheep demon released my hand, robbing me of its warmth and softness, and gave a sweeping, low bow. “I am the demon of dreams and fantasies,” he announced, raising to stand once again. “I am Somnus.”

In the back of my mind, the name sparked recognition. My tail lashed and I wished quite sincerely that the floor would just open up beneath me and swallow me whole. And if only it would!

This was his house.

And his party.

“I-I am s-s-so sorry!” I cursed my tongue for its treachery. Why now, of all times? “I didn’t realize that—”

Somnus placed a surprisingly delicate finger against my lips, silencing me in mid apology. “No trouble at all!” he practically trilled. His lyrical manner of speech seemed to wash over me, my eyes fluttered and the corners of my mouth twitched upward. “I’m happy to have you hear, darling. Delighted, in fact, to have you in my realm, at last. Right where you—” he tapped my nose playfully, drawing a wrinkling as he tittered “—belong.”

There was a hint of something underlying his tone. Possessiveness, perhaps?

Whatever it was, I didn’t let my mind linger upon it long. For Somnus let his finger trace teasingly from my lips to my cheek, before he cupped my face in his hand. The warmth of his touch and gaze made me feel all sorts of weak in my knees. A sensation betrayed by the way my ears stood straight and quivering as though excited to hear his voice.

And I was.

Somnus gave a happy little hum, like he was delighted by my attentiveness. Delighted that I would happily prance on tiptoe for him.

And, by the gods, I truly would!

His humming continued, growing in volume into a happy melody that washed right over me and made me feel as though all my muscles had turned to jelly. I was like putty in his hands. The sheep demon let his hand slide to my shoulder, down my left arm so he could take my wrist. Somnus guided my hand to set low on his waist, his eyes glittering as he made sure to let me feel my fingers touch the supple curvature of his ass before he took my right hand and interlaced our fingers together.

As the melody seemed to rise and fill the room, all around me, it was like rosy pink flames flowed over the room like a lazy wave to bathe our surroundings in their glow. Across my short fur, against my skin, I could feel the warm touch of his demonic magic wrapping around me.

Wrapping around me, much like a blanket fresh from its place hung by the fire for warmth.

Then, Somnus took a step forward, and I took one backward. The sheep demon’s smile broadened to show his perfect, dazzling teeth as he led me in a slow waltz across the floor. Around us, the other dancers in their fancy dress claimed partners for themselves.

But my eyes, my ears, my smile, they were all for Somnus.

As we danced and his song continued to fill my ears with its sweet melodious tune, I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier. My breathing began to slow, my muscles relaxed such that my shoulders slumped and my claws, sharp enough to rend steel and tear through the most horrible monsters, withdrew. I felt as though the only thing holding me up was Somnus himself.

Still, he smiled and sang, his irises glowing a bright pink as I gazed into them, entranced and unwilling to look away for even a second. And that beautiful smile broadened as I blinked sleepily, my own grin wide and vacant as a heavy fluff seemed to fall over my thoughts as though I were a kitten being swaddled in a blanket again.

Had I been … wait … yes, of course.

Yes, I remembered. Even though I didn’t recall …

A deep, lengthy yawn forced its way past my smiling lips and, to my embarrassment, right into the handsome sheep demon’s face. But even as a heated blush began to fill my cheeks, he laughed and leaned in close.

Our noses brushed together.

“You say the sweetest things,” he crooned, his glowing eyes filling my vision.

My dopey smile returned in full, coupled now by a deep, rolling purr from deep within my chest. Deep and happy.

I only then noticed that my toes were barely touching the ground, held up by a warm, fluffy sensation that I realized vaguely was his magic. And then I saw it, floating around our ankles in the visage of big, fluffy pink clouds, the edges flickering with pink flames.

Somehow, I knew those flames could burn through anything, anything at all, yet would never harm me. And nothing about that seemed any cause for question.

I was just far too sleepy to even conjure one. Let alone focus on it long enough to ask.

Somnus released my hands, sliding his up my side and arm so he might wrap his arms around my neck in a loose embrace, our foreheads pressed together as we gazed into one another’s eyes. I leaned against him for support, clumsily wrapping my arms around his neck in return.

Again, I yawned. And he gave a breathy laugh as though I’d just told him a flirty joke.

“So beautiful,” Somnus whispered as he tilted his head to the side just slightly and leaned in. “Under my power, under my spell, you’re just so beautiful, my sweet N—”

I didn’t quite catch it, but I knew it to be my name. My true name, spoken by his sweet voice, neither of which I’d heard in so very long.

In the back of my mind, a small voice protested that it wasn’t my name. That my name was Greg …

But this voice, Somnus quelled in an instant. He caught my lips in a sweet kiss, every bit of fur on my skin felt as though it stood on end for a second, and then another … and then I succumbed and relaxed, happy to return the kiss.

He took a step forward, I felt myself trip backward as I fell onto a bed of those soft, fluffy clouds his magic had conjured. He squealed into my mouth, his tongue parting my lips as I arched my back and turned my head so we might deepen the kiss.

My hand slid up to run through his soft, fluffy locks. I felt him shifting, his legs spreading so he might straddle my waist. His tongue retreated suddenly and teeth stung my bottom lip, sparking a gasp before our kiss resumed.

Slowly, my eyes fluttered shut, and I was, at last, fully under his power.

???????????? ???????????? ????????????

I let out a slight groan of protest as the dull sound of my alarm clock’s repeated chiming pierced through the veil of sleep. Blindly, I flailed my arm about and swatted at it a couple times before I finally managed to hit the damn button to shut it up. For a moment, I thought about going back to sleep, and trying to revisit what I only vaguely recalled to be a rather pleasant dream.

Which never worked, of course. But I had to try. Predictably, my efforts to even fall asleep again were all for naught.

With a grumbling of choice words, several of them curses, I threw off the covers and rolled out of bed so I might head into the bathroom. I found my footing, though I did stagger at the first step—gods, I felt like I was still exhausted, yet wide awake! Had I spent my night sleepwalking or something?

When I stepped into the bathroom and flipped on the lights, I was stunned to find that I looked … fine. Hell, I looked better than fine.

The usual dark circles beneath my eyes from years of staying up until midnight and then forcing myself to get up early to rush to class or work shifts were gone, my skin looked almost radiant, as though I’d gotten some decent sun without managing to get burned. A feat, given my complexion.

Yet I felt as though I’d been on my feet all night! Or like I’d gone downtown to the club with Chris and danced until three again!

But then, I noticed something odd about my reflection. My ears—they weren’t big, triangular cat’s ears, they were smaller, rounded, and sat lower on either side of my head. Instinctively, my hands, with fingers devoid of claws capable of rending steel, shot up to feel them, to touch the naked, furless skin and trace their shape. I almost didn’t even notice that despite my surprise, my tail wasn’t lashing.

A glance at my backside revealed the reason—I didn’t have a tail.

Suddenly, a thought hit me like a bus. Where in the world was any of this coming from? Of course I didn’t have catlike ears or claws or a tail. Or fur, for that matter! I was no catperson, least of all because there was simply no such thing!

I was human.

And for some reason, I almost felt disappointed in this obvious reality. Like I had lost out on something.

On someone important.

I could almost see him, his visage blurred by the swirling mists that always seemed to fall over one’s dreams. Yet even still, I could hear his laugh, feel the warm, smoothness of his skin touching and turning my chin, the softness of his lips pressing a kiss against my cheek.

My shoulders slumped and eyelids began to droop. In the mirror, as the soft fluffiness settled over my mind and smothered my thoughts, I could see my eyes glowing pink as I stared vacantly at my own reflection. A big, dumb smile spread across my features. From deep within my chest, a low, rolling sound, impossible for human biology to produce, rose to fill the air.

I purred like a happy little kitten with a crush as big as the sea. And through my mind, there was but one singular thought:

Somnus.