Ragequit character/original art by Mutagen
Kiwi by Princess Purrpaws
Mariana pulled up to her modest apartment, tired from her trip to the shop. While she was only in her early thirties, two decades of hospice work had taken it’s toll on her. Leaning over to carry in her groceries, she sighed as she felt the familiar twinge of pain shooting through her back. Taking a deep breath and pushing through the pain, she slowly worked the oversized paper bag of goods to her door. Using her shoulder, Mariana pushed lightly against it as she fumbled against the knob with her hand. Finally within, the groceries on the countertop, she held her back as she tried to stretch, each movement a slight agony.
Trotting up to her from behind, a young green pegasus with a brownish-white mane and tail looked up to Mariana, a clear look of concern in his eyes.
“Nices’ wady Mawe’anna otay?”
Smiling as she turned around, Mariana looked down to the worried pegasus. “I’m fine Kiwi. It just hurts sometimes is all. You know that sweetheart.” Looking to the ground slightly sullen, Kiwi lightly dragged his hoof against the floor, clearly still concerned.
“Kee’we fow’get sumtimes. Nu wike wen nices’ wady Mawe’anna hab huwties…”
Shaking her head at the adorable and worrisome little beast, Mariana walked past the kitchen table next to a short series of padded steps, moving the light platform with her foot until it was near her. Holding her hand out, she beckoned Kiwi to come to her. Waddling over, the pegasus climbed the small steps and was rewarded with Mariana lightly stroking his mane once he was within reach. “You are such a sweet creature, Kiwi. But I am fine. Now, are you hungry?” His tail began to wag excitedly, first at the affection, and then at the mention of food.
""Tank yu fow wuvvy pets! Kee’we wud wuv nummies!
Walking to the sink, Mariana fetched her reaching stick from the wall just above the faucet. It was a simple tool, but one that made Mariana’s life far simpler. A pair of pinching jaws that would open and close when she gripped the trigger on it’s handle. Walking over to the feeding bowls, Mariana used the reacher and grabbed both, slowly raising them to the sink’s countertop. Filling them with kibble and water respectively, she then lowered them with the reacher, one at a time. Kiwi, despite his excitement for his lunch, was patient, waiting until Mariana had placed both bowls onto the floor and told him it was ok to begin. “Enjoy Kiwi.”
While the pegasus enjoyed his meal, Mariana walked over to her living room couch, slowly working her way down until she was sitting, the pressure on her back lessened and relieved, at least for the moment. Looking to the phone on the adjacent table, she saw that she had a pair of messages. Using the reacher to tap the machine, she hit play and listened. The first was from her mother, God bless her.
“*Mariana are you home? You know you shouldn’t be doing so much with your back! I worry and pray for you my dear! Are you still working with those things? Mariana I love you but those beasts are not natural! Only God can create new life, not men in labs with beakers and chemicals! I worry for your soul Mariana! Maybe you can go back to working at the home? The doctors, they could find a better regimen for your pain perhaps? Call me back my love, I worry for you!” *In Spanish
Mariana loved her mother, Calliope dearly, but her older ways of thinking often clashed with her more modern ideals. As a devout Catholic, Calliope thought that fluffies were abominations unto the eyes of God. Despite all of Mariana’s protests, she simply couldn’t think of them as anything more than monsters. But Mariana had drifted from the church and it’s ideals decades before she had began to work with fluffies, and she saw them for what they were. Sweet and innocent creatures more like children than demons. And like every other thing that lived, they hadn’t asked to be born.
The second message began and it was clear that it was a client. Mariana had been running a sort of fluffy babysitting job out of her apartment ever since she had been forced to quit her last job. While it wasn’t easy to look after them, as long as she kept the number she looked after at once small and had the owners and the fluffies follow her strict rules, then it wasn’t nearly as difficult. And she truly enjoyed their company. Mariana had heard many people criticize fluffies as needy, annoying, or even spoiled, but in truth she saw them as children, nothing more. And if someone had a fluffy that misbehaved, then that spoke more on their character than the fluffies’.
“Hello? Miss Ramirez? I hope this is the right number. Listen, this is Mutagen. I have a bit of an emergency goin’ on here and well, I need a fluffy looked after. I put feelers out and I heard that you run an upstanding daycare service. Call me back when you get this message and if you’re available, I’d love to hire you. My number is…”
Reaching awkwardly, her back screaming for her stop, Mariana used her reacher to grab the phone and dialed in the numbers. After a few brief moments, she heard an audible click on the other end.
“Hello? Is this Miss Ramirez?”
“Yes, this is she. You were looking for a fluffy daycare, yes?”
“Yes! There is a sudden emergency and I have to leave town for work for a few days. I have a fluffy daycare I normally use, one that looks after several at once but…”
Mariana smiled slightly to herself. She had been here before. “But you have a fluffy that doesn’t play well with others, is that correct Mr.Mutagen?”
“”…How…how did you know that?!"
“Because you are not the first owner to contact me for that very reason. I have a reputation for looking after only a few fluffies at a time and i’m very well known for keeping problematic fluffies in line.”
“…Yes, that’s what I heard while looking for a sitter. You would be willing to look past behavioral issues?”
“I will look after any fluffy that a client brings to me, provided that the owner and the fluffy adhere to my rules beforehand. First of all, when and for how long would the fluffies stay be?”
“Well as I said, the trip I have to make is exceptionally sudden, so I have to leave tomorrow at eight in the morning, at the latest. And I would need her to be looked after for…three days.”
“Well that’s less than twenty-four hours notice Mr.Mutagen so already there will be an extra fee in addition to my normal price. Is that alright?”
“It’s an emergency so, yeah that’s fine. I can understand that…”
“Excellent! And if I may ask the name of the fluffy, their general temperament, ease of handling, and any behavioral issues you may know of?”
“Right. Her name is Ragequit, and she’s a fluffy unicorn. She’s still pretty young, not quite an adult, not quite a foal anymore. She really isn’t a bad fluffy, she just gets really, really competitive…”
“Oh?”
“The thing is she’s really bright. And she loves games. I mean really loves them, far more than any fluffy I’ve ever seen. But when she loses…she gets mad. I mean really mad. She’ll scream, throw toys, yell and hit other fluffies. I know it sounds really bad but if you’d be willing to watch her I’d really…”
“I’ll watch her for you Mr.Mutagen.”
“You will?! Look I have to be honest, I was thinking that you might be a pipedream, that there’d be no way you’d accept her. I couldn’t just lie and not tell you. I don’t want her hurt or anything is all. But you’d be willing to take her, despite everything I told you about her? Are you…are you an abuser?”
It wasn’t the first time Mariana had been asked that question. Many owners who had heard that there was a woman willing to watch over any fluffy thought it had to be some kind of act. And when they came back for their fluffies, shocked to see their behavior and attitudes improved, they had to assume that she was at the very least, rough or unkind to them. “No Mr.Mutagen, I am not an abuser. When it comes to fluffy discipline, I only believe in three things: the sorry-stick, sorry-box, and a stern voice. Tell me, does Ragequit own or wear a collar?”
“A collar? No, she’s rarely outdoors, except my yard, but it’s fenced in, so she’s never needed one before.”
“Not a problem. When you show up with her tomorrow, I’ll provide one she can borrow. One of my rules is that all fluffies on my property will wear a collar for the duration of their stay. What time would you like to drop her off tomorrow? Bear in mind that I’ll need you to stay with her for about…oh half an hour as we go over the rules.”
“Hmm…well I need to be at the airport at eight, so I guess six-thirty. Would that be alright?”
“That would be fine. Six-thirty sharp Mr.Mutagen. I’ll be waiting…”
Hanging up the phone, Mariana smiled as she noticed Kiwi, the pegasus lying on the floor in front of the couch his tail slightly wagging as he watched her. He had clearly been waiting politely for her to finish her phone call. Pointing to the steps in the kitchen, Mariana spoke to him. “You want up here sweety? Go get the steps and climb up here with me.”
“Otay!”
Walking over to the soft, cushioned step-pad, Kiwi prodded his muzzle lightly against it, slowly pushing it from the kitchen to the living room, a short distance that still tuckered out the small fluffy. Once it was next to the couch, he quickly clambered up them and laid down, his head in Mariana’s lap. Slightly out of breath, Kiwi was rewarded for his efforts, as Mariana began to pet him lovingly.
“Kee’we heaw nices’ wady Mawe’anna tawkin’ bowt odah fwuffies ow’n da tawkie box. Am odah fwuffies comin’ hewe?”
Gently scritching his mane, Mariana spoke softly to Kiwi. “Only one, sweetheart. We’re going to have another fluffy arriving tomorrow.”
“Nyu fwend fow Kee’we?”
“I hope so Kiwi.”
It was early when Mariana woke, her alarm set for five in the morning. After taking a shower, eating a light breakfast, and checking in on Kiwi, the pegasus still slumbering in the guest room that she had converted into a fluffy saferoom, it was nearly time for Mr.Mutagen to arrive. Using her reacher, Mariana grabbed a pack of tampons from underneath the bathroom sink. Pulling several out, she then took a spray bottle from the countertop and walked out to the living room. Looking to the key rack beside the door, she also took one of her spare collars and a lead before walking outside. Believing in being on time, she didn’t want to keep Mutagen waiting any longer than necessary.
Arriving early, Mariana saw Mutagen pull up in his car. Getting out and walking around to the backseats, he opened the door and Mariana could instantly hear the unicorn’s protests.
“Buh daddeh…Wagekwit nu wan yu tu gu…Wagewkit wan stay wiff daddeh…p’wease…”
Carrying her over to the walkway, Mutagen sighed as he lovingly patted her. “I know honey, I know. But it’s only for a few days and then I’ll be right back. Miss Ramirez sounds very nice and she is willing to take care of you for daddy. Don’t you want to be a good girl for daddy?”
“…Yus…Wagekwit wan be gud fow daddeh…buh daddeh…”
“No butts Ragequit. I have to work to pay for us to live sweety. And I can’t take you with me. So you have to stay here and behave for Miss Ramirez. Ok?”
Slightly sobbing, the angst ridden unicorn nodded lightly as she agreed, her voice soft and quiet.
“*huuu…huuu…huuu…Otay daddeh…Wagekwit be gud…wiww wate hewe fow daddeh…*huuu…huuu…huuu…”
Carrying the crying unicorn over to Mariana, Mutagen placed her down on the walkway beside him. “Miss Ramirez?” He held out his hand, firmly shaking Mariana’s as he smiled politely.
“You may call me Mariana. I assume this is Ragequit.” Looking down, she smiled to the whimpering unicorn. “Hello Ragequit, I’m Mariana. You’ll be staying with me for a few days.” Looking back to Mutagen, she handed him the pink leather collar in her hand. “Here, put this on her and then attach the lead to it for me if you please.”
Noticing the reacher that she had in her off hand, Mutagen complied. “No problem…Listen, I don’t mean to pry but…I mean…are you going to be able to look after Ragequit? She can be a real handful sometimes…”
“Mr.Mutagen, I’m not helpless. I have an injury but I am more than capable of watching over any fluffy, yours included.” Taking the lead from Mutagen, Mariana led the pair around her house via the stone walkway. Opening the wooden gate to her fenced backyard, Mariana led Mutagen and Ragequit through. The yard was simple, with a set of padded, wooden steps leading to the back porch, and a smaller fenced in space filled with manure. Next to the short fence was a large stone, which Mariana was now standing next to. “Up here Ragequit.”
Still slightly looking to the ground, Ragequit turned her head, her front hoof slightly dragging the ground.
“…nu…”
“Ragequit! You behave right now! I apologize Mariana…”
“It’s quite alright. She’s just acting out because she’s upset.” Looking directly to the unicorn, Mariana spoke firmly. “Young lady, while you are here you will treat me with the same respect as you would your daddy. Now if you do not get up on this rock, then I will make you and later you will be punished!” Still hesitant to meet her eyes, Mariana sighed. The hard way then, she thought. Taking her reacher, she gripped the ring on Ragequit’s collar, lightly pulling the now yelling fluffy to the rock.
“NUUUUUUU!!! NU WAN!!! NYU WADY AM MEANIE *SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Knowing good and well what was coming, Mariana quickly positioned the unicorn on the rock and turned her rump towards the pile, with Ragequit voiding her bowels, either from fear or anger. Shaking his head, Mutagen walked beside Mariana.
“Had to do that a lot have you?”
“Not too much. Fluffies mostly behave but sometimes they need to be reminded who is in charge. Now, before I hose her off, I’m going to plug her for obvious reasons.” Mariana produced one of the tampons from her pocket."
“That seems a little harsh. Is it really necessary?”
“For new arrivals and first timers it’s a non-negotiable rule. I won’t have her throwing a tantrum and ruining my house. But as I said Mr.Mutagen, I’m no abuser. I spray it before it goes in, so it’s uncomfortable but not painful. Ragequit won’t like it, but once I trust her more, then we can talk about it coming out.” Opening the wrapper and pushing lightly on the depressor, Mariana took the spray bottle and spritzed it several times, the noise getting Ragequit’s attention. The unicorn was unsure what her daddy and the mean lady were talking about, but she knew it was about her.
“*huuu…huuu…huuu…Meanie wady puww ow’n Wagekwit’s nekky…nu wike…Meanie wady wet Wagekwit gu ow…*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Suddenly aware of something being firmly placed in her rectum, the unicorn never got to finish her thought, now screaming as she tried to pull against Mariana’s reacher, unable to get away.
“*SCREEEEEEE!!! WAT MEANIE WADY DU TU POOPIE PWACE!!! NU TOUCHIES WAGEKWIT’S POOPIE PWACE!!! *SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Clearly embarrassed by the whole ordeal, Mutagen simply looked down as he shook his head. “Geez…I’m really sorry for all of this Mariana. I swear she’s a good fluffy.”
“Oh I believe you Mr.Mutagen. Compared to some of the fluffies I’ve watched, Ragequit is a saint. Now I think that is all I needed from you so unless you have any questions, I won’t keep you any longer.”
“I guess not. You clearly have things under control.” Looking to Ragequit, Mutagen sighed. “I know you’re upset right now but I love you Ragequit and I’ll be back soon. Be good.”
As Mutagen made his way out of the backyard, the unicorn far too upset to notice, Mariana released the collar ring, now grabbing the nearby hose and using the reacher to slightly turn the valve. “Now Ragequit, in the future when I bring you out here to go potty, you will squat when you get on the rock. Because you didn’t this time, you are covered in your own filth.” Not giving the fluffy the chance to react, she grabbed the collar ring again. “And I have to wash you off and dry you before I’ll allow you inside. Hold still.”
Looking to Mariana with wide eyes, Ragequit gasped, realizing what she was holding in her other hand.
“WAWA BA’ FOW FW…*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Cutting her off, Mariana sprayed her rump with the hose, prompting a loud shriek from the now struggling unicorn, the fluffy unable to pull away as her ring pulled away feebly from Mariana’s reacher. “Almost done Ragequit, hold still girl!”
The screaming unicorn refused to calm or stop struggling for the remaining of her make-shift bath, the whole thing only taking about thirty seconds. Afterwards, Mariana let the hose fall to the ground for a moment. “Now, I have to let you go for a moment Ragequit. Because you refused to obey me earlier, you are already getting three lashes from the sorry-stick when we get inside…”
“Fwuffy nu wan sowwy stick…am gud fwuffy…”
Shaking her head slightly Mariana sighed. “Of that I have no doubt. But I know what it means when a named fluffy doesn’t say their name Ragequit. You aren’t getting out of it but if you hold still until I tell you, it’ll be three lashes and nothing else. Ok?”
“NU!!! Fwuffy nu wisten tu meanie wady! Fwuffy nu wike yu!”
Shrugging, Mariana pulled the fluffy off of the rock and walked her to the side of the manure fence, a series of small hooks well hammered into the wooden posts. Tugging slightly upward, Mariana winced as she torqued her back slightly, attaching the ring to the hook, with Ragequit now stuck facing the wall. “Then you can wait right here while I turn off the water and recoil the hose. Maybe you can use this time to think about how a good fluffy acts.”
“NU FAIW!!! NU FAIW!!! WET FWUFFY GU!!! *SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Mariana hated having to punish fluffies, but sometimes they misbehaved. She knew that it wasn’t Ragequit’s fault. The poor unicorn was scared and upset, her owner seemingly abandoning her as far as she knew. Thankfully, Mariana had hooks like these affixed in various places, inside and outside her home, in case a fluffy didn’t follow the rules. While a little uncomfortable for the poor fluffy, it wouldn’t hurt them, no matter how hard they pulled away, and it allowed Mariana to go about her business without having to worry about the errant fluffy.
For now, Mariana knew it was best to ignore her, to let her have her tantrum and wear herself out. Using the reacher, she turned the outer faucet’s valve off, and then picked the sprayer back up from the ground. Walking over to the garden hose’s reel and took her time slowly working it around, occasionally using her leg to nudge and turn it until the hose was taut. Content with the finished task, Mariana turned her attention back to Ragequit.
This is the beginning of my entry for Mutagen’s Munchkins. Once I started I realized it’d be at least a two part series. New art by Princess Purrpaws. 
If you are reading this, why not enter as well. You can do it. We all know you can!
