Jerome sat at the kitchen table anxiously, simply glancing back and forth as Seth and his mother spoke. Still waking up, the teen was trying his best to sus out what his would be mentor was up to. Why would he be here? As his mind raced, it wasn’t until his mother was suddenly staring at him that Jerome realized she had asked him a question.
“Well?”
“…Huh?”
“Can you manage both, baby?”
Smiling awkwardly, Jerome looked towards Seth who was nursing a cup of coffee, subtly nodding his head yes as their eyes met. “S…sure I can…No problem…”
“Well then Mr.Nocere, If it won’t hurt his studies none, then you have my blessing.”
“Please Mrs.Cranston, just Seth if you please.” Putting down his empty mug, he smiled as he stood up. “Thank you for breakfast ma’am. Everything was delicious, but we have to get going…”
“I understand. Wouldn’t want my baby late for his first day of work.”
Jerome tried to hide his confusion as his mother hugged him goodbye. Walking outside, it wasn’t until Seth started the car that the boy finally spoke his mind.
“What the hell, Seth?! Why’d you tell my mom you got me a job?!”
“Because I did kid…I said that you weren’t getting off easy for what you did to Kismet, and I meant it. So I thought of a way for you to both pay me back and for you to learn a lesson about just how much goes into caring for a fluffy.” While he wasn’t shouting, Jerome was quickly silenced by the heat of Seth’s words, with the rest of the trip going by in relative silence. Only when the teen finally saw that they were pulling into Dale’s Hardware Emporium did he finally speak up.
“Come on man…Not Old Dale…”
Seth stepped out of the car and made his way to the trunk, waving for the boy to follow. “You’ll manage…Now get over here and get your fluffy…” Popping the trunk, they were met with the immediate sound of muffled sobbing.
“*huuu…*huuu…*huuu…Buww’it hab tummeh huwties…made sickie wawas…Nu wike…”
As Jerome lifted the pet carrier, he gagged as he felt the liquid sloshing about within, striking the side as the mare within continued to sob. After a few surprised yelps and shrieks, the unicorn was far quieter, with only the occasional stifled whimper being heard. Hefting the enclosure, Jerome followed Seth around the back entrance, his mentor turning back to him as they approached the door.
“So here’s the deal. I pulled a huge favor to make this work kid, so listen, and listen well. Whatever Dale says goes. If he says to do something, you do it, understand?”
“Fine Seth, damn. But I still don’t really understand what’s going on. You got me a job but brought Bullet? Why is she here?”
“You’ll see…” Knocking on the rear entrance, it was several minutes before Dale finally opened up and answered, the older man inviting them both inside. Leading the pair past the piled up boxes and various racks of the stockroom, Dale stopped at a long wooden table with a milk crate full of tools in it as well as a pair of fluffproofed food bowls. It had a large bag of fluffy kibble propped up beside it and a a few tarps that could be pulled together to separate it from the rest of the backroom.
“I know it ain’t much but it’s the best I could onna few hours notice, Seth.”
“It’s perfect Dale. And I appreciate you coming in early for me, not to mention taking in the kid…” Dale only held up a hand and shook his head.
“You’ve done me plenty of favors over the years. Least I can do. Imma get some coffee before we get to it. Ya’ll want some?”
Jerome and Seth nodded, with Dale leaving the pair to fetch some much needed caffeine. Once they were alone, Jerome nudged Seth and gestured towards the table, clearly confused.
“So what’s all this?”
“This is for you kid. I figured you could use a place of your own now that you own a fluffy. So I made a deal with Dale. He gives you this as a workspace and in exchange he and I split the profit on Bullet’s foals. Odds are, at least one or two will have her colors and I could probably sell them for five hundred each, more if I raise them properly first.”
“And the old man is cool with this?”
“It took a bit of convincing, but Dale is fine with it, although he has some terms to discuss with you. In the mean time, show him some respect kid.” Nodding to the carrier still in Jerome’s arms, Seth motioned for him to place it on the table as they waited for Dale’s return. It only took a few minutes more for him to return, handing them each a styrofoam cup off a tray. Once everyone settled, Dale cleared his throat and addressed Jerome.
“So first off, I want nothin’ to do with whatever happens back here. That’s between you and Seth. I don’t wanna see or hear any of it. You clean up after yourself and we’ll have no troubles there. You’ll be workin’ noon to seven, least for now. Pay is fair, but I’m takin’ a cut of your first check to pay for the supplies and the kibble. Job is simple. You’ll be breakin’ down boxes and refillin’ shelves for me. Might occasionally ask for help with somethin’ I can’t do myself anymore. Sound okay to you kid?”
“I guess…thanks ol…Dale.”
“Don’t mention it. Now you got bout an hour before your shift so get that sorted out first…”
Pointing towards the carrier on the table, Dale did his best to hide a grimace before stepping back out of the stockroom. Once out of earshot, Jerome glanced back over to Seth and then his new workspace.
“So what should I do to her first? Burn her? Tear her tail off? Pop her eyes?”
“Easy kid, easy. You can’t just maim her right away. We need her to give birth to those foals.” Walking over with the flustered teen, Seth opened the latches on the carrier, waving his hand in front of his face as the fumes hit him. “First things first…She’s gonna need a bath.”
Jerome walked over and peered into the carrier, covering his mouth as he saw the fluffy mare covered in her own sick. Seeing her owner for the first time since the previous night, Bullet began to sob loudly, slowly coming out of the carrier and towards Jerome.
“*huuu…*huuu…*huuu…Daddeh…Buww’it nu smeww pwetty…”
“…That’s for damn sure…”
Having never had a pet growing up, let alone a fluffy, Jerome was unsure where to start. Seth was silently watching and a part of him wanted to prove to him that he could figure it out on his own. Walking over to the utility sink, he turned the knobs and depressed the metal switch on the side, stoppering the drain. With only handsoap or dish washing liquid to choose from, Jerome opted for the latter, wanting to make sure the disgusting mess was good and out of her fluff, donning a pair of rubber gloves as he thought about having to touch her. Once the water was slightly warm, he walked over to the mare, who was obliviously trying to lick herself clean, wincing each time her tongue made contact with her own sick.
“*blech Nu taste pwetty…”
Holding back a laugh as Bullet grimaced with every attempt to bathe herself, Jerome decided that getting it over with would be best, especially if she made herself nauseous again. “Don’t worry Bullet. I’m gonna help you get nice and clean.” Jerome felt almost pleased that it was going so well, with the mare smiling as he hefted her up in his gloved hands, her tail wagging as she peered happily up towards him.
“Weawwy?! Dat am su nices’ Tank yu daddeh! Buww’it nu wike…*SCREEEEEEE!!! NUUUUUUU!!!”
Her smile and cheerful demeanor were shattered quickly when she saw that her owner was walking her towards a running tap, the unicorn now scrambling in Jerome’s arms as she struggled to get away. “Jesus…calm down!”
“*SCREEEEEEE!!! WAWA BA’ FOW FWUFFIES!!! WAWA BA’ FOW BABBEHS!!! *SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Holding her steady as she writhed and flailed against him, Jerome dunked her in the sink, letting the water fall over her head and wash the filth from her fluff. Putting a healthy dollop of the detergent in his palm, he worked a lather as he used his free hand to hold the frenzied mare steady, her attempts to flee resulting in the stream of water falling directly onto her upturned head. “Hold still goddamn it!”
“NUUUUUUU!!! WAWA TWY AN’ GET BUWW’IT!!! *SCREEEEEEE!!!”
It had taken nearly fifteen minutes and a plethora of screams and struggling from Bullet, but she was finally clean, the mare now laying on her side as the sink drained. She whimpered and mewled, trembling as she took sharp, panicked breaths. Jerome was dripping wet, quietly cursing to himself as he tried his best to dry off with a roll of paper towels. It wasn’t improving his mood that he could hear Seth chuckling quietly, obviously amused at the teen’s predicament.
“This shit ain’t funny Seth…”
“It is from over here kid. No worries though, we’ve all been there. Fluffies hate baths and it takes time to learn how to give them one without getting soaked. You’ll get the hang of it eventually.”
“Is it always like that?”
Seth walked over next to the boy, peering down at the shivering unicorn in the sink. “Pretty much. You either get it over with quickly or learn to enjoy it. Me personally, I’ve always been a fan of bathtime…not sure why…And for what it’s worth, you’re getting the hang of it.”
“Really?! You think?!”
“Sure kid. You just need more experience is all…”
Seth spent the next few minutes going over some basic dos and don’ts of fluffy care, with a major focus on what to avoid to keep Bullet from losing her unborn foals. Jerome paid close attention, still buzzing with excitement at having his own workspace, even if he couldn’t truly use it just yet. Once he had finished, Seth took a slight glance at his phone, sighing at the digital clock. 'That’ll have to do for today kid. Told work I had a emergency and took a half day, so I have to go. Remember, you can have fun with her, but don’t push it too far. I’ll call you around five-ish to see how things are coming along. Later."
“Thanks Seth. Take it easy.”
Once his mentor had left, Jerome turned his attention towards the unicorn, still lying on her side where he had left her to dry off. No longer struggling to catch her breath, Bullet had clutched her eyes firmly shut as her hooves covered her distended belly.
“*huuu…huuu…huuu…Nu wowwy babbehs…Mummah nu wet meanie daddeh gib yu huwties…”
“Mean? Are you serious?!”
It was childish to get so worked up over what a fluffy thought, let alone one as dumb as Bullet, but it irked Jerome that the mare could somehow confuse him cleaning the sick off of her for being cruel. Walking up beside her, the mare started to shake again as she heard each and every step drawing closer to her, still to afraid to open her eyes as her front hooves quickly went in front of her face in a desperate and infantile attempt to hide.
Jerome calmed himself as he looked down at the trembling mare, remembering what Seth had told him. He wanted to hurt her, to grab her and beat her relentlessly for what she’d put him through since yesterday, but that could hurt the foals. His thoughts going to what Seth had done when she had dared to talk back to him, Jerome smiled as he grabbed both her ears, the unicorn gasping as she felt his hands tighten around them.
“Good fluffies don’t call their daddy’s names! Ever!”
“Wet gu! Meanie daddeh wet gu ob Buww’it’s heaw pwaces! Nu wan meanie daddeh nu mowe! Buww’it wan…*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Annoyed by her sudden bravado, Jerome cut Bullet’s protest short as he pulled fiercely on the mare’s ears, forcing her upright as she fell on her haunches, screaming in pain. Once her eyes bulged open, Jerome released her ears, grasping her by the muzzle as he held her face close to his.
“Guess you didn’t learn last night. Seth was right…you’re just a spoiled bitch…”
Whatever platitudes or half-hearted apologies the pregnant dam tried to say were muffled by Jerome’s hand, squeezing Bullet’s mouth shut as her eyes watered and she struggled to pull away. It was exhilarating, feeling her shudder in his grasp as she frantically tried in vain to escape. Despite how much he wanted to tighten his grip, to feel her jaw slowly splinter and crack in his hands, the words of his mentor still echoed in his mind. Peering towards the table, Jerome reached towards the box that Seth had gifted to him, rifling through it until he pulled out a small pair of pliers, making sure that Bullet could see them.
“Last time I’m gonna tell you…I am your daddy now! You are my goddamn fluffy and you will behave! No more of this bratty shit or callin’ me names! You will do what I say or…”
Forcing her mouth open, Jerome placed the pliers within and wedged the jaws around one of her molars, squeezing the handles as he felt the tooth slowly fracture under the increasing pressure.
“*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Her mouth dribbling blood and saliva, Bullet tried to jerk her head away, the pain causing her to convulse as Jerome held her head firm, the mare shrieking as her bloodshot eyes darted wildly around the room. Taking a breath, Jerome could only smile as he prepared to savor what was to come, applying his full grip as the molar cracked and broke unevenly from her mouth with a satisfying crunch.
“*SCREEEEEEE!!! MOW’F HUWTIES!!! *huuu…huuu…huuu…Wai daddeh gib Buww’it mow’f huwties?!”
“Because you need to learn your place! Because you don’t listen to what I say! Now… are you sorry?”
“*huuu…huuu…huuu Sowwy fow wat? Buww’it am gud fwuffy…”
Not wasting a moment, Jerome fumbled with the pliers again as Bullet screamed, trying her best to shut her mouth at the sight of the bloodied tool. Clasping them around another tooth, he let the pliers tighten around it, opting not to break it just yet. Forcing her head upward so that her gaze met his, the boy enjoyed her sniffling as her eyes shifted from him to the hand that held the pliers.
“Good…I got your attention. You remember the shit you said to me yesterday? That I was gonna be in big trouble, that I was gonna be sorry?! And you remember what happened then?! When I grabbed you and beat you until you begged for me to stop! I told your dumb ass right then and there…no more talkin’ shit or bein’ bratty! And after I take the time to clean you…covered in fuckin’ puke no less…you wanna start that shit again?! No more chances Bullet! You fuck up again, and I do not give a damn what Seth says…”
Suddenly twisting his hand as he pulled the pliers, Bullet howled in agony, her creamy white muzzle now splattered with blood.
“*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
“…You’ll regret it…”
Sputtering up blood as her mouth throbbed and ached, Bullet continued to sob quietly, trying to turn her head away from Jerome even as he kept a firm grip on the back of her head.
“NUUUUUUU!!! WET GU!!! WET BUWW…*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Bullet was abruptly silenced, her nose busted as Jerome struck her with the pliers. It wasn’t nearly as hard as he could have, but it was satisfying none the less as the mare whimpered quietly, clearly too frightened to raise her voice again.
“That’s better…Now I’ll ask again…are you sorry?”
“*huuu…huuu…huuu… … …Y…yus…”
“Yes what?”
“*sniffle…Y…yus…Buww…Buww’it am s…sowwy…”
“That’s better…You behave and we won’t have any more problems, okay?”
“…Otay…”
After her attitude adjustment, Jerome decided that Bullet had earned her breakfast, laughing slightly as the mare struggled to chew her kibble without wincing from her injured mouth.
“Nummies am meanie…am tu hawd fow Buww’it’s mow’f…*huuu…huuu…huuu”
It pleased him that despite how much it clearly hurt, the mare complained mostly to herself, too scared to defy him directly. With how spoiled she had been when he found her, Jerome was happy to see her humbled, the rude unicorn needing some humility. Once she had finished her food, Jerome took her back to her carrier, the mare only quietly looking towards her owner before hesitantly getting back in. Lifting it up, he then left the crate atop his work table, ignoring the muffled crying as he washed up and headed out to the front.
Cyclops had woken near dawn, despite a lack of windows in her new saferoom. Yawning as she slowly stretched herself out, careful not to disturb the fluffpile beside her, she rose to her hooves before doing her morning head count. While it had been many forevers ago, and she tried not to think about it, the mare was always afraid that the barky monster that had claimed so many of her foals would return for the rest.
Double checking, Cyclops was content to find that all her babies were accounted for, although she found it strange that Candyfloss wasn’t where she had put her before bed. Ignoring the oddity, the mare made a slightly sour face when she realized that Powder Keg had once again wet himself in his sleep. Sighing to herself, Cyclops leaned over and began to tenderly lick the sleeping foal’s hindquarters, cleaning him before tending to the small mess beside him. Mildly frustrated that this was becoming a near routine each morning, Cyclops knew that the poor colt couldn’t help it. Skittish, even for a baby, Powder Keg was more sensitive than the others, not to mention how much he tossed and turned nearly every night. No matter how much she tried to console him while he slept, the colt peeped and chirped, frightened of whatever haunted his dreams.
Once the small mess was taken care of, Cyclops trotted lightly beside the slumbering Raptor, lightly nuzzling against the young stallion until he awoke.
“Waptow? Waptow waek upsies…am fiwst nummies time…”
Shifting about slightly, the pegasus’ eyes suddenly shot open, peering around the room as he rose upright.
“NU HUWTIES BABBEHS!!!”
Shaking as he began to hyperventilate, Raptor looked around, remembering where he was. Wincing as he tried and failed several times to stand up, Cyclops reached out, helping him up with her hooves.
“Tank yu, mummah…”
“Waptow am bewwy wewcomes…Am such a gud fwuffy.”
Helping him to his feet, the pair made the short walk to the food bowls, with Raptor taking far longer as he hobbled his way there. It always pained Cyclops to see how injured he was, ever since their daddy had punished him, the image of Seth kicking him over and over still fresh in her mind. Shaking the thought from her mind, the pair ate their breakfast in silence before it was time to wake the foals. Already lightly peeping since Raptor’s loud awakening, he and Cyclops made their way to the chirping foalpile.
“Babbehs! Am time fow miwkies!”
With half of the foals quickly waking to the mention of milk, only Powder Keg and Dud failed to rise right away, with Cyclops gently nuzzling the pair awake. The sullen colt woke with little issue, his cracked hoof already in his mouth as his eyes slowly adjusted. But as Cyclops nudged the brown filly’s rump by accident, Dud shrieked, scooting away from the mare as she chirped and peeped from her still raw hindquarters.
“*screeeeeee!!! *chirp…*chirp…nu huw’t ba’beh! *chirp…*chirp…mu’mah am meen’e! *chirp…*chirp…”
Puffing her cheeks slightly, Dud watched as Cyclops narrowed her eye, trotting over and striking the rowdy foal with her hoof, sending the foal into a plethora of frightened peeps and chirps.
“Ba’ babbeh! Nu caw odah fwuffies meanie! Nu am nicies an’ maeks daddeh angwy! Jus’ fow dats…Dud am gets miwkies wast!”
“*huuu…huuu…huuu…*chirp…*chirp…nu faiw…”
While Cyclops was disciplining the brown unicorn, Raptor had already helped Candyfloss onto his back, careful to lift her with his hooves rather than his mouth. While he wasn’t clear on what had happened, he knew the filly grew easily frightened if she were lifted by his mouth, it having something to do with how she lost her legs. Trying not to flinch as he shifted to accommodate the small filly, Raptor waited until he felt her wriggle onto the nape of his neck before standing back up, the pegasus hissing in pain from the effort.
“Am bwudah Waptow otay? Am maek’n huwtie sown’ds gain’…”
“Nu wowwies widdew sissee…Waptow jus’ sowe…dats aww…”
“Otay bwudah Waptow…wuv yu!”
While not growing as much as he should have for his age, Raptor had nearly doubled in size since Seth had brought him home, the babies’ adopted big brother now towering over the foals. As he made his way slowly towards Cyclops, the sweet mare already feeding Powder Keg and Domino, Raptor couldn’t help but smile, despite the agony in his side. Even with everything his daddy had done to him, the anxiety he felt sometimes when he thought of the bad place, the pegasus felt that his life wasn’t so bad.
As Cyclops quietly sang to the foals as they nursed, Dud looked on, angry that she’d been shunned for nothing. It had been her mean mother’s fault that her injured backside was now throbbing, not to mention her head where Cyclops had dared to hit her. And it was their cruel daddy who had needlessly punished her in the first place, beating her with the sorry-stick despite her being only a baby. And as she watched the first two foals finish feeding, with Raptor and Cyclops carefully helping Candyfloss to latch, the young unicorn’s cheeks puffed up yet again, the sight of the half pillow nursing bringing her blood to a boil.
Jerome’s shift had been relatively painless, with the bulk of his duties being moving and unpacking inventory from the back. Occasionally, Dale would ask some specific task of him, such as running out and getting him lunch, or changing the fly ribbons around the shop. While a bit exhausting, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the boy had thought, his mind on Seth as he was opening boxes, feeling slightly guilty as he pondered the events of the evening prior. Here Seth had helped him, just like he had promised, and he had been childish, even going as far as to nearly kill his fluffy. He’d have to make it up to him, but was struggling to think of a way to do so. Lost in thought, Jerome moved one of the boxes he was about to open when he heard a loud rattling sound, like something heavy shifting and rolling.
Peering down beside the box, he saw what looked like a foal canister, possibly one that had been lost when Dale had filled the FIAC machine more than a week ago.
“What the Hell…”
Curious, he reached down and picked it up, taking the canister to his work table for a closer look. Once under the overhead light, Jerome gasped as he saw the fluff within, it’s body misshapen, deformed, and far too large for the glass tube. Mesmerized by the defective foal in a can, the boy was caught off guard when the swollen baby abruptly opened it’s eyes.
“*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…”
Panicked slightly by the abrupt noise, Jerome dropped the canister, the glass tube falling to the table as the misshapen foal within continued it’s discordant warble. It was such an odd noise, one that he had never heard from one of the biotoys, like a weakened, unending scream that never rose or fell in pitch, only stopping long enough for the unfortunate creature to breathe. Shaking off his shock and revulsion, Jerome leaned down, his face inches from the bulbous creature as he tried to make sense of how it was even alive.
“*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…”
“Jesus…”
It was looking back towards him, it’s bulging eyes milky and glazed over as it took weakened, sharp breaths between each pained screech. While it was obvious that the lavender foal was ill-formed and hadn’t developed correctly, Jerome could tell that it was aware of him, that it knew he was there. But as most fluffies, foal or otherwise, would find comfort in being so close to a human, the bloated fluff was clearly still distressed, with nothing alleviating it’s constant suffering. With it’s stomach distended firmly against the glass, it’s front and rear hooves were almost comically underdeveloped, having been forced to grow at akward angles, the tiny appendages almost appearing dead and vestigial. Not being as knowledgeable on fluffy related matters, he couldn’t quite narrow down how old the foal was, but it was clear, even to Jerome, that it had been suffering for days.
“*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…”
The novelty of how strange it appeared fading, Jerome pondered what to do with the canned foal, placing the canister upright as he made his way back to the front. Dale was behind the register, futzing about with the aging cash register as the teen approached him. “Hey, Old time…Mr. Druthers…”
“Goddamned thing! Older than I am and five times as stubborn…Sorry kid, what’cha needin’?”
“…It’s the damnest thing…While I was moving some inventory, I found an old foal in a can, probably from when you filled the machine for the fourth…”
“From that long ago?!..If’fin it’s dead, then we gotta take it to a recyclin’ center…goddammit…”
“That’s just it…damn thing is still alive…”
“…Well…if that’s the case, then it’s yours…but if ya kill it, ya didn’t get it here, okay? Don’t wanna be payin’ a fine…”
“Thanks Dale! Don’t you worry…I’ll finish up in the back first and then I’ll take care of it…”
Finishing up his appointed tasks, Jerome took a short break, walking outside and pulling out his phone. It was only three, but if he wanted to get the foal out of the container without outright killing it, he’d need Seth’s expertise. Sending him a quick text, a basic synopsis of what he had found, Jerome wasn’t left waiting long, with Seth asking for him to send a short video of the creature before coming up with a plan. While a bit outdated, his phone’s camera was decent enough to take a quick recording of the pitiful creature, making sure that the mic was close enough for Seth to hear it’s agonized warble.
“*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…”
Jerome waited patiently after hitting send, occupying himself with the pile of cardboard boxes that needed to be broken down. By the time he had nearly halved the pile, the phone chimed, his anticipation reaching a fervent boil as he fumbled with his pocket and retrieved it. Seth had sent a small diagram of a FIAC canister, as well as careful instructions on how to liberate the bloated foal. It wouldn’t be easy, and Seth made it clear that he couldn’t guarantee how long the fluff would live or what condition it’d be in once loose. Finally, the text ended with a request, that if it survived, for Jerome not to kill it right away, at least not until Seth himself got a good look at it in person. Leaning over, Jerome lightly flicked the glass tube, the heavy base wobbling slightly as the malformed foal within continued it’s desperate screeching.
“*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…”
“Well, well, well…looks like someone gets to come out and play…”
Double checking the diagram and Seth’s instructions, Jerome picked up the canister, depressing the small buttons on the bottom as his mentor had shown him before. However, he hit his first snag as the can failed to pull out the catheters, a strange hissing noise now coming from the can. Despondant at first, save for his constant warbling, the foal within began to squirm about, his head flailing back and forth as his low pitched bleating became louder and alarmed.
“*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEP!!!”
It’s already bulbous eyes somehow wider, Jerome watched as it’s small, ill-formed back legs lightly flailed, trying to kick as it’s wedged haunches failed to move. “Damn…what do I do now…” Based on the diagram and how much the foal was screaming, it was clear that for some reason, the catheters were stuck, with the increased pressure now tugging on the small fluffs insides. While a small part of Jerome was curious to see what would happen if he let the can disembowel the yowling fluff, Seth had asked him to keep it alive if possible, and he didn’t plan on letting him down, not again.
If pressure was the issue, then breaking the seal would safely release it. Shattering the glass was a no go, as there wasn’t a way to do it without risking the foal. The bottom was out, as it was filled with waste, so he’d have to puncture the lid. Rifling through the box that Seth had left him, Jerome found a screwdriver, as well as a ballpeen hammer. Letting the tip of the screwdriver fall against the lid, he pressed down firmly before taking a few practice swings with the hammer before striking. Jerome gagged as the abrupt burst of air filled the room with the rancid stench of fetid waste, coughing as he waved his hand in front of his face. “How in the hell are you still alive?!?”
“*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…”
While it was no longer screaming, it’s loud piercing cries now back to a dull, constant warble, the foal was still shifting it’s head back and forth, frightened at whatever was happening. Now that the pressure had been dealt with, all Jerome needed to do was unscrew the lid and work the foal free from the glass cylinder. Opening the top, he quickly decided on a pair of gloves before touching the deformed biotoy, grabbing some from near the washsink. Reaching his fingers within, Jerome grasped the foal by his head, pulling slightly as it’s underdeveloped hooves struggled first to grab and hold his fingers, but then to push them away.
“*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…eep! eep…eep…eep…EEP!!!”
Due to how bloated the fluff had become, it was clear that pulling it out by it’s neck wasn’t going to work, unless he was planning to tear it’s head off. Pondering for a moment, Jerome decided that if the top wasn’t viable, then he’d pull him out by the bottom instead. Grabbing the cylinder in one hand, he slowly twisted the bottom cap, noticing that as it turned, the foal’s haunches turned along with it. Pulling the glass away so he could reach the stuck fluff, Jerome then tugged it out carefully along with the waste cap.
“EEP!!!..eep…eep…eep…eep…”
Placing the foal, it’s rear still affixed to the cap on the table, Jerome simply stared, curious to see how it would react to being nearly free of it’s confines, the fluff now stuck in an almost sitting position.
“eep?..eep…eep…eep?”
It was no longer struggling to breathe, it’s chest now freed from the tight glass prison that had been crushing against it. And Jerome couldn’t be sure, but it also no longer seemed to be in as much pain, the bulbous foal only slightly wiggling as it glanced upward towards him. Almost as though it were noticing him for the first time, the lethargic fluff began to move more and more, making strange, almost excited noises as it struggled to get Jerome’s attention.
“eep?..eep…eep…eep!..eep…eep…eep!”
Confused at first, it quickly dawned on Jerome:it must be hungry… He wasn’t sure how long the milk in one of these cans lasted, but based on how weak the foal was, it hadn’t fed in quite a while. Peering around his small workstation, he realized that the only food for fluffies that he had was kibble, and he doubted the malformed foal could eat that. Unsure how to progress, Jerome texted Seth yet again, pleased to see that it was nearly Five in the afternoon anyway, and that Seth would be taking his break soon.
His phone chimed with a response right away, telling him that only formula or milk would do, and that Jerome would need to feed the deformed foal exceptionally slow, as eating too quickly after being starved for so long could send the small creature into shock. Heading towards the coffee pot in the breakroom, Jerome was pleased to find a small fridge with creamer and milk within. “The old man won’t mind as long as I replace it later…” Grabbing it, as well as a plastic spoon, he returned to the bloated foal, pouring a small bit of the milk into the spoon. “Here ya go, you fat little fucker…” It’s bulbous eyes slowly focusing on the spoon as Jerome pressed towards the foal’s mouth, it began to trill, it’s undersized front hooves flailing with excitement.
“eep! eep! eep…eep…eep!”
Jerome let the spoon touch the repulsive creature’s lips, tilting it and letting the foal slurp down the much needed sustenance. It was clear the malnourished foal hadn’t eaten in a long while, licking the drops of milk from his maw as he trilled and warbled for more. Pouring a second helping, the teen smiled as he held it out again, only to move it away as the malformed colt tried feed. Confused at to why the food had moved away, the foal reached out towards it, wiggling as it failed to rock against it’s waste canister.
“eep?! eep!!! eep!!! eep!!!”
Taunting him for a few minutes, Jerome enjoyed the foal’s reaction to being denied food, giggling as the crippled colt failed again and again to move his head fast enough to catch the spoon. This is why Seth was so fond of Kismet, thought Jerome, feeling a twinge of regret as he finally let the foal have a second helping of milk. It wasn’t until the small carton was nearly emptied and the colt’s belly was slightly distended that Jerome decided he’d had enough for now. Watching as the bloated foal was seemingly content for the first time in it’s life, Jerome began to understand why Seth enjoyed being nice to his prey first, all the terrible and wonderful things he could inflict on the colt playing through his mind. “I think I’ll call you…Pudge”