[Putting this one up as I’m trying to get out of my office at work so sorry if there is any glaring typos that I missed. Enjoy!]
Endeavor and Jasper, art by @Birb
Jasper felt himself being pulled from his dreams, as he opened his eyes he realized he still was wrapped up by Endeavor but now noticed Endeavor was awake and…licking his mane and neck?
“Mowning sweepie-head. Yu hab gud sweepie-time wit Endeavah?” Endeavor said with a faint grin betraying his otherwise restrained face.
Pulling himself free of Endeavor’s grasp, Jasper begins bambling, “Nu knu hao ged ober hewe. Nu mean tu du…”
Endeavor interjected as he began to stand, toothfully grinning, “Endeavah undehstand, am big stwong stawwion. Aww fwuffs wan Endeavah make dem feew safe and wawmsies.”
Nodding slightly, Jasper responds, “Exactwy…uhh, nu mean dat…jus mean dat…dat…Jaspeh am sowwy, nu be madsies…nu du it ‘gain.”
Rushing up next to Jasper’s side, Endeavor moves to calm and quiet him down, “Nu be sowwy. Jaspeh make gud fwuffpiwe fwiend, betteh dan owd stuffie-fwiend eben.”
Jasper just nods, trying to hide his embarrassment, “Okay den, gud tu knu. Jaspeh need tu gu nao and…” glancing quickly around the room, “…make gud peepees.”
Endeavor couldn’t help but grin but moved to lay back down as he noticed some of the other fluffies start to wake up.
Eren had spent weeks researching and looking into various things fluffy-related at the behest of his friend Linda. Unfortunately, it led him down several rabbit-holes that mainly ended in either abuse or just disastrous ends for fluffies. This sparked him into going farther than originally planned but it would be worth it in the end.
This is what led Eren to finding himself to be relieved in leaving his lawyer’s office. The entire morning had been spent going over document and document with his accountant constantly bringing up his “concerns”. Eren knew that both the lawyer and accountant were looking out for his best interests but his heart was set and the deals were done.
Eren was able to buy a sizable portion of land surrounding his property so he didn’t have to worry about people building nearby and complaining about his operations. Eren needed more than that though, he had ambitions to help fluffies in other ways as well. He had purchased all the privately owned animal shelters that took in fluffies, granted it was only a handful, and had begun working up a contract with the city to exclusively take in all the fluffies brought in by their animal control.
Secondly, he had purchased an available building near one of these shelters, Happy Tomorrow’s Animal Shelter, to act as a daycare. Shelter’s themselves normally weren’t profitable, especially no-kill shelters, and tended to operate on the slimmest of margins, as is. The contract with the city and the daycare would help to offset those costs but he decided to invest in one more company to help see things though.
His final investment had been to purchase a fluffy pharmaceutical research company. Fluffies coming into the shelters were often going to be sick on arrival so affordable access to medicine would be a must and maybe they would be able to develop something new and useful to make available. Eren also quickly rebranded the company’s name to Phluffaceuticals, not the most clever of names but he was satisfied with it.
Paying tribute to his Germanic heritage, Eren named the rest of his new businesses and thus the Kannir Cooperative was born, parent company to Ithavoll Bliss (Fluffy Sanctuary), Aras Barns (Fluffy Daycare), a handful of shelters, and Phluffaceticals.
Now, he had to make sure they were all run properly and he at least has a good idea of where to start. It was time to visit the Happy Tomorrow’s Animal Shelter in person to deliver the good news.
As Eren walked up to the shelter he was approached by a young, short woman with dark hair. Judging by her freshly healing wounds, that could be seen even though she tried covering them mostly up, and her exhausted appearance Eren worried that she might need help but doubted he could do much.
Holding a flyer up, the woman said to Eren, “Excuse me, sir, are you going to the shelter? Are you looking for a new fluffy?”
Pausing a moment as he raises a brow, “Are you trying to sell fluffies outside of shelter?”
“Well, no, not exactly. My name is Kathi, I’m just trying to find a home for my fluffy’s foals, I don’t care about selling them, I just need to find them a good home.” Kathi pleaded. “Chocolate Chip and Steele mean the world to me but I just can’t keep their foals in my situation. I don’t want to get into the details but would you be interested, I only have the one left?”
Taking a flyer from Kathi and giving a look over, Eren says, “Oh wow, they look a little young. Are they even weaned yet?”
Shaking her head slightly, “No, they are still needing milk or formula, but won’t need it for much longer.”
Pulling out his phone, Eren pulls up a picture of Bucky and Lillian, “These are two of my fluffies, Bucky and Lillian. They have actually been asking me about adopting a foal.”
“Oh, dear. They look sweet together but what happened to her…is she an alicorn?” Kathi asks as he looks at the picture.
“Yes, she is. And honestly, I don’t know all the details, she doesn’t like to talk about it. All I know is that her previous owner did a number on her before tossing her out. I actually adopted the two of them from this shelter.” Eren said as he shrugged.
“Oh, I see…and she isn’t able to get pregnant and have foals of her own. Guessing you were hoping to breed her?” giving a quick nod.
Eren lets out a soft chuckle, “Actually, no and no. Bucky is the one that can’t have children and they’ve been through hell so I have no plans to ever breed her. I just want them to be happy.”
Staring up at Eren a moment, visually looking for the words, “That is simply wonderful. The foal I have left is a little alicorn and I was worried that wherever she ended up would just try to breed her.”
Offering a soft smile and pleading again, “Please say you will take her. I couldn’t ask for a better possible home for her given everything else. I can go get her right now, I’ll only be gone for five, maybe ten, minutes.”
Giving a nod of assurance as he hands Kathi a business card, “Sure, I’ll take her. I actually have a nurse mare on the way so she’ll only have to suffer a day or two of formula. I’ll be inside the shetler for the next little bit so just bring her in when you get back.”
Kathi turns to take her leave, a tear in her eye betraying her smile, as Eren speaks up, “And take your time, let her say goodbye to her parents.”
Eren lets out a light sigh as he folds the flyer up and tucks it into his pocket as he makes for the shelter door.
As the bell on the door jingled Julie Danfield looked up from shuffling around her papers to see a familiar face coming through the doors, instantly bringing a smile to her slightly wrinkled face.
“Mr. Eren, what a pleasant surprise. Just another one to add to today’s events, I suppose.”
Approaching the front desk, Eren says, “Oh, well, I hope the rest has been mostly good news as well.”
Giving a firm nod, “I don’t exactly know what is going on with management but we got word to put all…incinerator use on hold, indefinitely.”
Unsurprised, Eren casually responds, “Seems like you finally got through to them, about time, right?”
Lifting a brow, Julie says, “I suppose, but still seems odd if you ask me. Though I’m not going to complain about it….So, what do I owe the pleasure? I hope all the fluffs you saved are doing well.”
“They are all doing wonderful, all have a clean bill of health and I’m glad to say Jasper has taken quite well to his smarty-friend training. He seems to relish in the responsibility, through a little trial and error, of course.”
Julie gives a visible sigh of relief, “I’m especially glad to hear that. I’m still quite sorry that he slipped past without us noticing sooner, but I guess this may have been the best possible outcome for him.”
Nodding in agreement, Eren pulls out his phone to share a picture, “It would seem so. I even adopted another little group with a smarty-friend of their own to help teach and guide him. They have actually grown quite fond of one another over the past few weeks, even sleeping in little fluffpiles when taking naps together.”
“Oh my, that is just simply adorable. They melt my little, old heart.” Julie says as she clasped her hands to her chest. “But I doubt that you came here just to brighten an old lady’s day a little.”
Tucking his phone away, Eren raises his hands in defeat, “Fine, fine. I just wanted to make sure all the new rules were being followed…and to explain my new, stricter adoption policies in person.”
Staring at Eren blankly, Julie takes a moment to respond, “But why would you be explaining…wait, does this mean what I think it does?”
Letting a playful smile begin to peek through, nodding faintly, “Indeed, as of this morning I am the new owner of Happy Tomorrow’s Animal Shelter, along with a few other shelters and businesses.”
Placing his hand on the desk, Eren continues, “I have some very big plans ahead, but I’m going to need some help from passionate persons like you. So, what do you say…shall we talk about a well-deserved promotion and raise for you? I’ll fill you in on all the details.”
As Eren and Julie are finishing up their conversation the bell on the door rings again. In walks Kathi with a small foal softly crying, wrapped up in a soft, baby-blue cape-like blanket and hugging a much larger, sunflower-print, stuffed rabbit.
Holding a hand up to Julie, Eren turns to Kathi, “So is this the sweet little foal you were talking about?”
Kathi nods as she makes her way over, “Yeah, but she is taking it harder than I was expecting. It’s tearing my heart apart.”
From the huddled mound under the blanket the little foal continued to cry, “Huu huu…wan mummah…wan daddeh…miss bwuthahs…huu…pwomise be gud babbeh…am tuu wittwe.”
Eren carefully takes hold of the bundle of stuffed bunny and blanket, quietly speaking to the young foal, “Shhh…shhh…It’ll be okay little one. Your mommy and daddy love you very much, that’s why they want you to have a special home.”
Peeking her little head barely out from under the blanket, “Huu…wat?”
Giving a soft smile, “That’s right, I have a couple fluffies at home that love each other very much but they can’t have babies of their own, so I need your help. I want them to be your new mommy and daddy and I need them to get lots of huggies and love, but I need special little babbehs to do it. Do you want to see a picture of them?”
Sniffling, the little foal nods faintly, “Yesh, babbeh wan see fwuffies.”
Pulling out his phone to a picture of Bucky and Lillian, “This big guy here is Bucky, he is full of love and will protect you from anything and everything…and this green one is Lillian, she is an alicorn…wingy-pointy, just like you, but she had a bad momma when she was little that gave her lots of owies. She is happy and has a good life now and I know she will love you a whole bunch, but I think she really needs lots of huggies. Do you think you can come with me to help with that? You won’t ever have to leave them.”
Hugging the rabbit tightly, “Gib babbeh fowebeh homsies? Nu hab tu leab nyu mommah Wiwwian ow nyu daddah Buckie?”
Wiping away the tears from the foal’s cheeks with his index finger, “Promise, you will have a home with me forever. I even have some other fluffies that will be coming to live with me so you will have a bunch of friends you’ll be able to play with.”
Looking up to Kathi as he pulls a business card from his back pocket as he speaks to her and the foal, “And when Kathi feels settled in she can even bring your mommy or daddy to visit when she is able.”
Looking up with glassy eyes, “Weawwy?”
Nodding with as warm of a smile as he can possibly give, Eren says, “Really.”
Looking over the foal over a moment, Eren continues, “It’s been a big day for you, let’s give you a name to end things on a bright note.”
Perking up slightly, the foal shyly asks “Nyu namsies? For babbeh?”
Stroking his chin as he thinks, “To new beginnings, I think I’ll call you Spring.”
Spring chirps a bit before saying, “Spwing nyu namsie am Spwing? Wub pwetty nyu namsies Spwing.”
Slinking back towards the door, Kathi looks back to Eren and Spring, silently mouthing “Thank you.” with tear-filled eyes. Quickly, she moves out the door as the bell jingles.
Spring quietly peeps and coos as she hugged Eren’s index finger before asking, “Spwing hab hungwies, can hab miwkies?”
Looking back over to Julie, Eren sheepishly asks, “Happen to have some formula on hand?”
Chuckling to herself, “Of course we do, we get foals all the time and we have to feed them. I think we have an open can of good-ish quality formula than someone donated to us.”
Sighing as he nods, “Thanks, I’ll make sure you get stocked up on better quality formula from here on out.”
After a few minutes Julie returns with a small bottle of formula. After a minimal amount of protesting about the taste, Spring drank her fill and passed out from an emotional day shortly after. Eren carefully tucked Spring away in the foal section of the shelter so she was near the others but separated by a plexiglass wall.
Afterwards, Julie motioned Eren over and quietly spoke, “I didn’t realize you were looking to get Bucky and Lillian some foals, but now that I know I have a favor to ask.”
Perking a brow, “Oh, well, I’m not looking to bring in another large group of foals just yet, I’m not quite prepared for that.”
Keeping her cheerful smile, Julie responds, “I figured as much, but I’m just talking about one in particular at the moment, Nadya. She has had a rough go of it, she was the “poopie” baby of her litter so she was rejected by her mother and when a cat took some of her littermates and damaged her eye it only got worse. Apparently, the mother blamed the loss on her and made her life hell until the rest of the family got scattered by some drunks.”
Looking over her shoulder to the foal pen before continuing, “I’m the one that actually stumbled upon her on the way in to work, thankfully. Poor thing has been nothing but a sweetheart since, but not all the fluffies that come through have been the nicest to her.”
Placing a hand on Julie’s arm, Eren says, “I’ll at least go talk to her to see if she would be a good fit.”
Patting Eren’s hand as she speaks, “Thank you, I would appreciate that.”
As Eren made his way back over to the foal pen he could hear whispers of “munstah babbeh” from a group of colts and fillies near the wall looking into where Spring was sleeping, bringing a resigned sadeness to crest his face.
Upon noticing his approach, most of the foals rushed over to Eren to loudly ask him to be their “nyu daddeh” and such. Off to the side, giving an occasional side-glance over, sat a rich, chocolatey brown foal with what looked like a turquoise or aquamarine mane and tail starting to grow in. She looked more developed physically than most of the foals here but was roughly the same size, an obvious sign of the malnutrition of her life thus far.
Making his way over to the side Nadya is huddled against, Eren says, “Sorry everyone, I just need to talk to Nadya for a moment.”
As Nadya looks up to Eren and asks “Really?”, a few others quickly ask, “Why misteh wan tawkies with poopie babbeh?”, causing Nadya to shrink back down.
Ignoring the group’s words, Eren carefully scoops Nadya up and carries her off to the side near the sink, dampening a paper towel to clean up a few spots of poop on her fluff as he speaks.
Shaking a little at first, Nadya eventually calms and leans into the gentle wipes of the paper towel, “Fank yu nice mistah foh nu-wickie wickie-cleanies and nu use bad wawas…Wai wan tu tawkie tu Na-diah? Pwomis am bein’ gud babbeh.”
Offering a warm smile, “Ms. Julie has been telling me all about how much of a sweetheart you’ve been, she even gave you such a pretty name, but I just wanted to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?”
Nodding faintly, Nadya looks up to Een with her good eye as he speaks, “I heard the other foals in there talking about a “monster baby”, do you know what they’re talking about?”
Covering her eyes with her front legs as she responds “Dey am tawkin’ ‘bout da babbeh in da otheh boxie. Dey sai babbeh am hab wingies AND pointies…but nu fink fwuffies can hab bof. Am tuu scared tu wookie at da munstah babbeh.”
Eren hmmms a moment before asking, “Do the other fluffies ever say mean things to you?”
Nodding ever so slightly again, crying as she speaks, “Mummah and sissies caww Nadya ugwy poopie babbeh…huu…huu…and other babbehs hewe sai am poopie and dummeh foh hab onwy one see pwace.”
Gently stroking the foal’s stunning mane, Eren says back, “Those are very mean things for them to say and you know what? They are wrong. I think you are a very pretty baby and just because you got an owie that took away your eye doesn’t make you a dummy at all.”
Pulling out his phone to a picture of Lillian, “See, this is one of my fluffies. Her name is Lillian and she had a lot of owies too when I found her.”
Staring at the picture for a moment, “Fwuffy hab owies and wan tu gib Wiwwian huggies tu make betteh…but wook…happies?”
Chuckling softly at Nadya’s confusion, “Yes, because she has a good home now and friends. They aren’t afraid of her or call dummeh. She even has…wheely leggies now so she can wun and play. She looks very nice, doesn’t she…would you want to meet her?”
Nadya quickly nods her head, almost to the point of being comical as Eren continues, “Well, you might not be about to tell but Lillian is an alicorn…hmm, wingy-pointy like the baby back over at the pen. You didn’t think Lillian was a monster do you?”
Quickly shaking her head, “Nu! Willian nu look wike munsteh…whewe am her wingies?”
Signing, “Well, her old mommy was a meanie and is the one that gave her all of her hurties. She even ripped Lillian’s wings off.”
Nadya shrinks down and tucks her own injured wing close to her body, whimpering as she does.
“But even without them, she is still a good and happy fluffy. Not a monster and not sad, but full of love and friends.” Eren says as he tries to calm Nadya down, “And just like those other foals here were wrong about you being a poopie baby, they are wrong about that wingy-pointy, Spring, being a monster. She is just a fluffy, just a little baby fluffy who needs huggies and love.”
Glancing back up a moment, “…jus…jus a wittwe babbeh? Wike Na-diah?”
Eren says, smiling with his eyes, “Even littler. I’m actually taking her home so Lillian and Bucky, Lillian’s special friend, can be her new mommy and daddy.”
Pausing a moment as the foal stays silent, Eren continues as he puts on a facade of stearness on, “I was hoping to get Spring a big sister, to help keep her safe and protect her. I was hoping you would be her new big sister…but I don’t want to make you do that if you think Spring and Lillian are monsters.”
Looking up with a pleading eye, “Pwease take Na-diah, pwomis nu fink dey am munstehs! Dey am gud fwuffies wike Na-diah am gud fwuffy. Be bestest big sissy ebeh and gib wots of huggies and wub!..Pwease nice mistah…”
Softening his gaze once again as he breaks into a smile, Eren says, “Okay, okay, I believe you. I’ll take you two both home.”
Launching herself at Eren’s hand to hug it with tears running down her cheek, Nadya loudly sobs, “Fank yu, wiww twy be bestest fwuffy ebeh.”
—-----------------------------------------------------
After taking a few minutes to hug and calm Nadya, Eren places her in the same box holding Spring.
Eren says to Nadya, “Let me finish up and we will leave in a few minutes.”
Looking at Julie as he makes his way back over, Eren says, “I was worried about how strong her aversion to alicorns would be, but I think she will be fine. It might take her a little to be completely at ease but I think she will fit in just fine, she’d give just about anything at this point for a shot of happiness.”
“You’re a good man, Eren, I’m glad she took to you. Did I ever tell you I have a very lovely daughter, very single, maybe I can get her to take to you as well.” Julie says with a mirthful smile.
Shaking his head as he snickers, “I think I’ll have to pass on that for now. I’ll have my hands full with stray fluffies, don’t think I could take in stray daughters as well.”
Offering a light smile, Eren says, “I think that is enough business talk for the day, I’ll email over some of the paperwork and such for you to look over. We will get this place back to where it needs to be. I’m also going to need your help when it comes to setting up that fluffy daycare over the next few weeks.”
Nodding in agreement, “We will get there, I know we will.”
A sudden shout of “Nu! Stay ‘way! Nu be meanie!” came from behind Eren.
Hanging his head a moment, Eren says to Julie, “What now?”, before the both of them head back to the foal pen.
A couple foals were up near the glass, angry that a “poopie” and “munsteh” were getting a new daddy. On the other side of the glass stood Nadya, cheeks puffed up and standing defensively between the glass and Spring, who was crying quietly under her blanket.
Speaking directly to Eren, Julie says “Yeah, I think she will adjust just fine.” before looking out at the foals raising a stink near Nadya, “You two, sorrybox time, now.”
As the foals cried, Eren quietly collected Spring and Nadya into a mesh pet carrier as he called out to Julie, “I’m going to head out, I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Speaking to Nadya and Spring as he moves to leave the shelter, “Thank you for standing up for Spring, Nadya, that was very brave of you. And Spring, now that you are awake I want you to meet your new big sister, Nadya.”
Peeking out from under the blanket and stuffed bunny, Spring peeps out in confusion, “Nyu big sissie Na-diah foh Spwing?”
Eren speaks as he walks over to his car, “That’s right, you two talk and play nice. Let’s head home, to your new family.”
Before driving off, Eren checks his phone and notices that his special order fluffy will be arriving at his house soon, as he thinks to himself, “Better get moving”.
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Special thanks to @anon3053411 for the adoption of Nadya and to @Kathi for the adoption of Spring, as well as art of Spring done by @Bee
Nadya, OC and art by swiftbitches
Spring, OC and art by Kathi
Sping, OC by Kathi and art by Bee
