The drive to the Fluffmart seemed far longer than normal to Seth, his thoughts too obtrusive for him to relax. He rarely made the trip, mostly purchasing what he needed in bulk, but with all that had happened it was long overdue. One of the first things that Seth had to force himself to learn was control, to push down those dark impulses he had and to let them out in well planned and properly managed bursts. In the early days of his hobby, he had been more spontaneous and in the moment, but it had taught him how hard those needs were to quell. With most of those early, unfortunate fluffies coming to swift and brutal ends, Seth was left needing more and more to replace them. He had learned, and tempered his abuses, coming up with far better methods, ones that lingered and quieted the darker parts of his mind. But he had grown too reliant on the cycle that Ash and Starburst had provided him over the years, and with them gone, Seth could feel his self-control waning dangerously. Losing his temper in front of his fluffies was one thing, but traumatizing or even outright killing the ones that mattered to him was unacceptable, not until he was done with them at least.
Which was what had led Seth on his trip that day in the first place. After almost forcing Candyfloss to watch Dud as he nearly killed her, he knew that something had to be done, at least until he could arrange something more permanent to suit his needs. His past mistakes had made him frugal by nature, not wanting to burn through his funds like he had before, but Seth would make an exception today. If he wanted his plan of raising and selling off Bullet’s foals to pan out, he couldn’t risk losing his cool, lest he hurt or even ruin them by mistake. On edge the entire way there, Seth finally gave a small sigh of relief as he pulled into the Fluffmart parking lot, his mind abuzz with possibilities. Smiling politely to the greeter at the doors, he made his way into the massive supercenter, grabbing a pushcart and making his way to the back aisles, where the cheapest fluffies could be found. Last chance fluffies, off-colors, unwanted drop offs, these were the bottom of the barrel when it came to cost, with some being marked at absurdly low prices, their worth being equated to mere pocket change.
“Hewwo nices’ mistuh! Be nyu daddeh fow fwuffy? Am bewwy gud fwuffy!”
“P’wease taek mummah home! Wan nyu housie! fow babbehs!”
“Nu wike sowwy box…wan ow’t…”
Most of the cheap biotoys were ecstatic as Seth passed by, leaning up against their paltry plastic enclosures to greet him, hopeful that they might have finally found a new home. But there were a few that clearly knew better, some that refused to meet his gaze as he passed by, whimpering slightly as they hid from sight. At best, they had accepted the fact that no one wanted to adopt them due to their poor colors or irregularities, and at worst, they knew the only kind of people who would. Even as he perused the various, unwanted fluffies, Seth had to stifle a laugh when one of the frightened biotoys yelped as he walked by, curling up behind it’s bed as it covered it’s eyes. Something about the bubblegum pink colored earthie struck a chord with him, his curiosity leading him to a small post it note on the side of the fluffy’s bin.
My name is Cuddles. I’m a one year old stallion that was donated from a shelter. My last owner wasn’t a good match for me and that has made me very shy and nervous around new people. I would be perfect for anyone that wanted a quiet companion that was very low maintenance. I don’t like surprises or loud noises, and would do best in a home where I was the only fluffy. Shots and Vaccinations up to date. $1.50.
It was clear that the note had been carefully worded, with each locution and sentence dutifully chosen so as not to address what was plain as day to Seth, namely that Cuddles had lived through something awful. Unsure of whatever Hell the earthie had been subjected to specifically, there was little doubt that the now timid stallion was owned by someone cruel prior to making his way to the Fluffmart. There was nothing physically wrong with the pink fluffy, at least nothing at a glance, but the way Cuddles slinked away from Seth was a tell-tale sign of extreme and repeated trauma, the kind that left a permanent mark on a fluffy unfortunate enough to survive through it. Surrounded by vocal, excited fluffies who were overjoyed at Seth just being nearby, the pink stallion just shook and trembled as he hid behind his bed, eyes covered and firmly shut as he waited for the dangerous stranger to pass.
A dollar-fifty was probably a less than fair price, despite being almost double what the majority of the others in the bargain aisle were going for. While the stallion had decent colors and could be bought as is thanks to his medical visits being already managed, the staff clearly knew that he wouldn’t fetch as much due to whatever trauma the fluff had endured. They could word it however they liked, but no owner worth their salt would ever be fooled into such a purchase, with the Fluffmart having to hope for either an inexperienced buyer, or people like Seth. Leaning over the bin, he pondered whether the stallion would be worth it or not, as Seth had come with a clear purpose in mind that day and some other abuser’s sloppy seconds might not have any fight left in them. Rapping his hand against the plastic, he was met with an audible yelp as Cuddles jumped from shock, his eyes darting around anxiously until they met Seth’s. “Hello there little guy…”
“*SCREEEEEEE!!! NUUUUUUU!!!”
It was like a switch had been flipped, the stallions eye’s widening as he suddenly screamed, digging at his bed with his hooves as he tried to pull himself underneath it, desperate to be unseen by Seth. Satisfied that the stallion had enough vigor leftover for his needs, he walked to a nearby rack and grabbed a few pet carriers, returning to Cuddles’ bin just as the exhausted stallion had fallen over, breathing heavily on his back from the effort. Seeing that Seth had returned, the frightened fluff weakly kicked his hooves, trying in vain to get away from another would be tormenter.
“…Nu mowe huwties…p’wease…Jus’…jus’ weeb Cuddews 'wone…”
There was no doubt that Cuddles had known pain, and expected nothing else. Seth did have a slight morbid curiosity as to what his previous owners had done to him, but the point was moot, as he doubted the stallion was feeling particularly talkative at the moment. As he was reaching in, the prone fluff’s eyes went wide as they saw the approaching hand. He rocked back and forth violently, trying in vain to stand up and escape as Seth grasped him by his scruff and lifted him to the carrier.
“NUUUUUUU!!! BA’ UPSIES!!! WET GU!!! WET GU!!!”
Feeling him wobble and sway in his hands as he carried him to the cart, Seth was pleased at just how much fight was still left in the cowardly stallion. With shocking fervor, Cuddles struggled against him, desperate to free himself. Seth tossed him into the carrier, locking the gate in place even as the stallion’s shrieks became muted sobs. The traumatized fluff was a good start, but Seth would need far more than one for his visit to the Fluffmart that day, his eyes already perusing the aisle for more. Not wanting all of them to be as aware of their fate as Cuddles clearly was, he opted to take some of the off colors: a few newborns and their mother, as well as some recently weaned foals. Putting the foals away first, Seth gingerly picked up the green mare, her still blind progeny on her back as he walked her over to the carrier.
“Cawfuw nices’ mistuh…babbehs am tu widdew fow upsies…”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart…I won’t let them fall…” Opening the last crate, he placed her and her progeny in, garnering a meek protest as he went in to latch the grating shut.
“Nu wike sowwy box…mummah am gud fwuffy…”
“It won’t be for long. I promise…”
“…Otay…”
With a saddened sigh the green mare laid down, her newborn chirpies being far more vocal, as though they could sense their mother’s distress from her current enclosure. To her credit, she was far quieter than Cuddles and the weaned foals, the latter of which had reverted to loud and distressed chirps from being crated. Nodding to himself, Seth was satisfied with the fluffies he had found, pushing his cart out of the aisle and making his way towards the section that sold fluff-proofed products. Made soft, safe, and in grotesque bright colors that fluffies would find pleasing, these were the real moneymakers for those that carried the biotoys.
Fluffies were plentiful these days, and only the cream of the crop could ever fetch a decent price, with most falling short either to lack of rearing or unfortunate color. But the real cash was in merchandise: namely the supplies that owners needed to take care of their new fluffies, and to keep them safe from themselves. Water dishes, floor and wall padding, socket coverings, these were some of the basics and even those were clearly marked up far beyond what it took to produce them. And the toys. Anyone who had ever spoken to a fluffy for more than a few minutes knew that the energetic little creatures loved to play, but were far too fragile for mundane toys, prompting Hasbio to create a never ending line of playthings to entertain them. From blocks and coloring books, to playhouses and stuffed animals, they had cornered the market on so called Fluffy Accessories. Other companies had tried to meet supply and demand, but with their limited understanding of fluffy fragility when the biotoys had first appeared, public outcry damaged their reputation far too much to ever recover.
Trying his best to ignore the countless rows of neon garbage that dotted the aisleways, Seth glanced over to the nearby safe-room mock ups. Designed to be small representations of the kind of space you would keep a fluffy in, they were filled with the products that the Fluffmart sold, allowing buyers to both try them out and to play with any fluffies they might want to purchase. But there was a darker secret to one of them, one that Seth sought to exploit while he was there, walking up to one of the Fluffmart employees that he recognized from a few years back. “Excuse me, ma’am? Could you help me please?”
“Of course sir! What can I do for you today?”
Scowling just moments before, the young woman put on her best faux smile as she spoke, clearly disinterested in yet another customer but not wanting to upset her employers. Seth could hardly blame her, as he could barely stand the Fluffmart for a few hours, let alone every day. Returning her smile with a knowing smirk, he pushed the cart beside her so that he wouldn’t be easily overheard. “I was wanting to use of of the safe-rooms and was wondering…is room three available?” The change in the woman’s expression was near instant, her forced grin giving way to a mirthful grin.
“It’s a little bit dirty…is that alright?”
Word for word, Seth recognized the code, pleased that he wouldn’t have to change his plans. “As long as it’s available…” Following her to the rooms, they stopped just outside door number three, a small sign marking it as out of order. Glancing about to make sure they weren’t being watched, she pulled out her keys and unlocked the door before removing the sign.
“Price is whatever the fluffies were marked at, plus fifty bucks…double that if you make a mess…”
Handing her a few crumpled bills, Seth nodded. “I tend to clean up after myself, so no
worries there…” She quickly pocketed the cash and opened the door, flicking the light on as Seth pushed his cart within. Pastel pink walls, floors that were padded and carpeted for comfort, it was a near perfect facsimile of a safe-room, but with small, subtle details that belied it’s grim purpose. There was a slight scent of pine disinfectant, and several patches of the carpet were too white where they had been bleached to remove the stains. Here many fluffies had met an abrupt and terrible end, a dark side business that some of the shadier employees engaged in.
“You have an hour…make it count…”
She shut the door behind her, leaving Seth to enjoy his newest purchases within the safe-room. There were plenty of toys and fluffy related products within, all well worn and faded from their years of use, but still functional enough for would be buyers to try out. The urge to get right into it was overwhelming but Seth took a deep breath, instead taking the carriers out of the cart and placing them on the floor one by one, before unlatching the green mare’s. Seeing that she was no longer trapped by the grated door, she slowly crawled out, peering about with eyes full of wonder as she saw where she was.
“Am dis nyu housie fow fwuffies? Suuuu pwetty…”
No one had ever bothered to take her to one of the rooms it seemed, with the mesmerized mare rendered speechless by just seeing it. Leaning over, Seth stroked her fluff gently and smiled, going well out of his way to make her feel safe and secure. “That’s right sweety. This is your new safe-room…” Scooping her up, he placed her in an elevated fluffbed, the frame around it making it look almost like a baby’s crib, but with a cushioned bottom for them to sleep on. Cooing as she cuddled her peeping babies, the mare was clearly enamored with what seemed lavish by her meager standards, with the light pink color of the bedframe having faded in several places and long since lost it’s luster, it’s heatlamp old and worn. Taking in how joyous the mare truly was, Seth could feel his excitement mounting, his hand still petting her but slowly drifting to one of her foals. Grasping the mottled red colt, he was met with a yawn and gentle cheep, the young fluff relaxed and pleased by the touch of it’s supposed new owner. “Oh, sweetheart, I think this one is a little cold…”
“Wat?! Babbeh am cowd?! Nuuuuuu!!!”
She immediately went about nuzzling and cradling herself against the foals, with her focus clearly on the red colt who was confused as to why his mother was so upset, with he and his siblings now chirping and peeping in distress. Pleased that his simple ruse had worked so well, Seth feigned worry as the newborns screeched aloud. “See how upset they are?! I think I need to take their brother and warm him up before he gets sick…” Not wanting to look directly at Seth, the mare was hesitant to give up her foal, even to someone she trusted.
“Buh…buh babbehs am tu widdew… nu wan…”
It was something deep within the psyche of nearly every fluffy, especially mares, that warned them when someone tried to handle their offspring, with most not letting up until the foals had opened their eyes. Most likely some sort of intuition placed within them by design, it was a safeguard, the fluffy’s warning hopefully curtailing anyone who might accidently harm a newborn. Frail, even by fluffy standards, foals that were less than a week old were notorious for just how easily they would expire. Too long in the wrong temperature, moving or shifting them about improperly, even feeding them milk that wasn’t warm enough could cause a chirpy to expire, with many a well intentioned child killing their fluffy’s litter out of mere curiosity.
It was almost endearing how even now as she cradled her foal, the mare looked upset that she had spoken against her new owner, her eyes slightly tearing up as she looked down at the cushion, ashamed. “Now sweetheart, you need to remember that daddy always knows best. And you don’t want your baby to get sick do you?”
“…Nu…Mummah nu wan babbeh hab sickies…”
“Then you’ll just have to trust me, okay?” Seth grabbed the tiny colt by his scruff, careful not to squeeze him too hard, lest he tear his skin off. Placing him in a divot atop the plastic frame, he could tell it was ill at ease, squirming in place as it warbled for it’s mother’s attention. Grabbing the heatlamp’s arm, he swiveled and adjusted it until the cone was directly above the foal, turning the knob all the way up as it crackled to life. “This will warm him up really fast…” Even as the orange glow engulfed him and grew warmer and warmer by the second, the colt became far more vocal, his once anxious and confused peeps giving way to loud and distressed chirps as he tried in vain to squirm away from the harsh heat. It wasn’t long before the mare grew upset, leaning up and trying her best to see what was happening to her foal, her hooves dragging against the soft plastic bars as she began to panic.
“Babbeh?! Wat am wong? Wai babbeh scawed?”
Unable to see as her son writhed under the lamp, the mare could only listen as the colt’s chirps grew louder and faster with every second, the heat now unbearable for the fragile foal. His tongue hung from his mouth as he panted with labored breaths, his chest rising and falling rapidly. While far too young to walk, the severe light of the heater had stirred the colt to try and crawl away, wiggling in place as the divot in the plastic held him in place, foiling his attempts and only tiring him faster. His cheeps now only weakened warbles, the mare was frantic, gazing upward towards Seth with a desperate, horrified expression.
“Daddeh! Babbeh hab huwties! Sum’ting wong wiff babbeh! P’wease, hewp mummah!”
Seth simply stared back at her, quietly smiling even as the foal rasped and flailed under the harsh, burning light. Confusion washed across the mare’s face as she looked to her owner, and then to where her colt was crying out, his chirps and peeps now so slow and growing weaker.
“Daddeh?! Wai daddeh nu wisten tu mummah?! Babbeh nee’ hewp! Sabe babbeh! SABE BABBEH P’WEASE!!!”
Screaming and manic, the mare was now scraping at the bars, staring and pleading with Seth who only met her gaze with the same, unceasing grin. Startled by their brother’s loud death warbles and the mare’s terrified screams, the rest of the newborns were now chirping up a storm, scared and confused as to what was happening. In just under five minutes, the colt had finally expired, succumbing to the heat as it’s body violently convulsed before curling up and going still. The mare had screamed nearly the entire time, only growing quiet when the foal’s chirping had died out.
“BABBEH?! MUMMAH NU HEAW BABBEH!!! AM BABBEH OTAY?!”
Grasping the now stiffening corpse, Seth simply let it dangle in front of the mare, her eyes widening as she saw her lifeless son inches from her face.
“NUUUUUU!!!”