The sun shines over the bronze sands of a beach as winter folds into springtime. For some three and a half months, this area has been blanketed with frost and whipped by nipping winds, leaving it barren and devoid of any visitors. By midday, the sand is soft enough to now break beneath the feet-or in this case, flipper- of our main feature for today. Seafluffies.
This particular group, it seems, are more interested in preparing for their own personal beach day; a change to in their old routine of constantly wading around the frigid Atlantic waters. With each rolling wave, dozens clumsily waddle onto the shore like seals- having long since missed the feeling of dry land. Though primarily aquatic, four leathery flippers help each fluffy move their bulk around in search of “nummies” and especially “shinies”. You see, despite having a rather childlike intelligence- fluffies are aware enough to express themselves as individuals and being social creatures, aim to please themselves and others. Seafluffies are no different as shown by some individuals in this horde.
Scattered across the freshened sands is a bounty of trash left behind from the last tourist season, ranging from old crabpots to broken sunglasses. Fluffies bellydrag and scurry, taking whatever they can find and fit in their mouths or carry- making way instinctively to prepare for the eventual evening. Small families huddle their foals alongside, while less fortunate lone mothers have their foals look for “nestie tweasuws”.
A particular foal drags his score- a piece of rope with wooden float beads; probably from an old buoy. What would be a simple pick up and jaunt to an older seafluffy is a trek to a foal however- especially since this one seems to have had a pretty lean winter, given by its fading pelt and showing ribs. However, he persists, repeating “Fow mummah, and bruddahs and sissy new nestie! Must make pwetty!” shuffling between every other word. Suddenly, his little mantra and journey halts- as he lays eyes on another “pwetty”. This one especially, is what his mother held in especially high regard- the “shiny”. A tiny costume gold bracelet beams and practically calls our little bellydragger over- though he instinctively cowers for the sight before him as two big fluffs are shouting, harsh remarks thrown both ways. “Stupie head- this fwuffys wand now, and that’s fwuffy’s shiny!” a large, orange male barks- stamping his flippers. “Hmph- fwuffy am dummeh; this fwuffys wand- and will give you extra hurties for taking shiny” an olive drab stallion shot back. Scurrying beneath the sands, holding to his own treasure for dear life, our foal hides all while trying to watch as the males size each other up.
Puffing their cheeks to appear bigger, both fluffies jostle side to side on their flippers in an attempt to goad the other into submission. Unyielding, the olive drab makes his promise and iniates- charging headfirst into his opponent, biting the delicate flippers. Limited in movement, the orange male retaliates with swift nips to drab’s nose, chest and face in an attempt to loosen his opponents hold. Giving in, drab let’s out and gets a few more swift nips followed by wailing swats by the now freed flippers of his enemy. The sand flies as both re-engage in a mutual lock of both biting each other’s neck- especially padded by extra fluff that gets gripped and ripped with every other thrash. Blood leaks as bare skin shows from both as the foal looks over in awe- seeing the battle hardened pair now pushing each other chest to chest in a crude sumo match. Little walls form from the resistance as orange flicks sand in drab’s eye- lunging in for another bite to the neck. Drab, though blinded, instinctively rolls around and thrashes wildly- orange forced to join and succumb to his opponents weight with each turn until finally releasing. With one eye free, drab decides to finish it all and aims for the latter’s flipper again- this time repeating his thrashing technique. With a few twirls and a sickening snap, orange wails in abject pain and terror upon his new condition. “YOU BWOKE FWIPPER- GIVE BIGGEST HURTIES!” all before attempting to charge again, only to curb under his new impermanent. Sensing the preciousness of the moment, drab turns to his enemy’s side and headbutts him, inching and slowly, back towards the water in a makeshift display of victory. Yielding, orange scampers off- now half treading water with every painful breath as he became smaller and smaller into the horizon. Drab, now accomplished- makes back to his nest, only to find one thing out of order; his shiny was missing! Rooting through the sand with his bloody snout in hurried huffs, he upturns his nest only to see a set of small tracks next to it- leaving the scene. Seafluffy tracks. Baby seafluffy tracks. In a jolt of his vision, drab sees the perpetrator- our young foal from before- dragging the locket alongside his scavenged rope; clearly booking it back to his own home. Too tired to respond back, drab collapses- knowing that this isn’t even summer; where more shinies would be found and fought over by other males like orange…For now, all he could do was rest and let the sun kiss his wounds as he plopped down and listened to the crashing waves and other fluffies play. It will be a looong summer.
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I always love seeing more stories and posts with Seafluffied in them and this really scratches that itch. Cant wait to see how you continue this, if you do
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Thank you so much flr responding- i appreciate it and may get back into it like you said. Maybe more likeness to BBC Earth
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Write the next part where a barracuda kills the foal for the shiny
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Oooh yea re-enact Finding Nemos beginning… thank you also for reading- ill have to consider a worthy predator for these beach invaders
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It was fun and the fact that you have them collect “shinies” like penguins was pretty novel. My story of a seafluff had them ripped apart by seagulls
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Heheh thank you. Maybe then a seagull/skua should take advantage of the shiny next time- like in nature. Also yea gotta read up on my fluffy mutilation descriptions
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