Boy did fluffies stink. In general, not just when they crapped themselves.
At this point they had made enough distance from the herd that Blake took his hand away from the creature’s mouth. As he pulled it away he let his hand linger a little too long and the creature bit him. It hurt just a little, but it mostly just drove home how truly pathetic these things were.
“Gonna have to try a lot harder than that.” Blake smirked and the creature released him.
“Dummeh hoomin put Bawis do-“ Blake jammed his fingers back into its mouth gagging it. He was pleased that the creature didn’t start vomiting but seeing that fluffies could stomach literal shit it wasn’t surprising that they’d have a weak gag reflex. That realization of what the creature had probably consumed made him regret what he’d just done. he’d have to wash his hands later.
After a moment he pulled his fingers out. He held the fluffy high in the air and pretended to toss it several times loosening his grip. “Nuuuu, nu wike! Nu wike!” He slowly brought him back to eye level. Whatever fight the creature had was replaced with fear.
“Get it? I can drop you and you’ll go “fowebah sweepies,” probably very slowly.” The creature broke eye contact and started to tear up. “Gonna be a good… You a dude?” He hadn’t bothered to check.
“Bowis am stawion.” He looked proud.
“And you said your name is… Boris?” Fluffies weren’t prone to giving themselves weird names. Was this one someone’s pet? “Who gave you a name like that?”
“Bowis name am cum fwom mummah. Namesie am fwum mummah speshaw fwend.”
“So your dad?”
“Bawis nu no, nebbah know.”
“Pretty elaborate backstory for a fluffy.”
“Am bad name, uddah fwuffies nu wike. Dey kaw Bowis dummeh namesie fwuffie.” The creature looked sullen.
Blake dropped him to his side again. “Sucks to be you I guess. What, did they make you a poopie fluffy?”
“Bawis nu am poopie fwuffie! Bawis am pwettie fwuffie!”
Blake assumed that made this creature a mid-tier fluffy in the pack. It was already showing vague smarty-like behavior so it was too proud to be bottom rung. Good colors too, decent size. Had it really been cheated out of the smarty position cause of it’s stupid name?
“Wew meanie munstah takin Bawis?”
“My home.”
The creature wiggled happily in his grip. “Nice mistuh be Bawis new daddeh!? Gib wub an sketties!?”
“No.”
He felt the creature go limp in his grasp. “Huu huu.”
“Awww, cheer up. I’ve got some nice not sketties food in the house, and I’ll even let you have a blanket if you behave.” This elicited a tail wag from the creature. “I just need a little help is all.”
“Hoomin wan hewp fwom Bawis? Wut do?”
“Don’t worry about that just yet.” Finally, Blake could see his home. He emerged from the tree-line and approached the newly built gate around his backyard. It was still missing a small section but it would be finished soon.
The enclosed area was a basic rectangular shape about the same dimensions as his one story house. Wide enough for a whole herd and it didn’t even take up the majority of what he’d considered his yard. The fence itself was wooden and obstructed the view from the outside. It wasn’t too high for him to see over but he couldn’t really clear it easily either.
He approached the patio and set the fluffy down in one of the cushioned lawn chairs. He didn’t want it going anywhere and if it had been stupid enough to tumble off then he’d just huck it back into the forest.
“Wew goin?”
“Grabbin nummies.” Blake walked to his fridge and grabbed one of his many bags of baby carrots. He himself ate them often. He wasn’t sure how horse-like fluffies were, but he figured they would at least be a safe choice. Fluffy teeth were apparently very weak but they also ate kibble regularly.
He also grabbed a few red solo cups from the counter. He filled one of them with cold sink water and an ice cube from the freezer. He walked back out and set it all on the ground. He grabbed Boris and placed him in front of them. Blake held a carrot out to the creature. He sniffed it before taking it with his mouth. He took a test bite crunching into the carrot. After a moment it started chewing far more vigorously.
“Yeah, I like em too.” Blake popped one into his own mouth. Boris finished and looked at him eagerly.
“Give Bawis anadah?” Blake went to get another but stopped.
“Wanna play for it?”
“Pway?” The fluffy asked cocking its head.
“See this carrot?” Blake waved the food in front of the fluffy who sniffed at it eagerly.
“Bawis wan tasty cawwot nummies!” He tried to step in and bite but Blake gently held him in place with his free hand.
“Now now, pay attention.” Blake placed the carrot on the ground and flipped the empty three cups over it. He pulled the top two off the first and revealed the carrot under the first again. “Under this cup is the carrot right?” He put the cup back down over it, Boris’s face becoming crestfallen in the process. He flipped the other two. “And under these two is “no carrot.”” He moved the cups around once and flipped the carrot cup again. “You need to find the carrot.”
“It dere!” the Fluffy yelled triumphantly. Blake snorted.
“Wait and let me finish.” He put the cups down again. “When I say “point” I want you to point at the cup that you think has the carrot.” The fluffy seemed to be struggling to understand him. Blake shuffled the cups a few times slowly tapping the cup with the carrot between switches. When he stopped he spoke.
“point”
The fluffy pointed a hoof at the correct cup and Blake flipped the cup revealing the carrot. He handed it to the fluffy.
“Yay, wuv nummie game!”
“Okay, that was practice little buddy. I’m not gonna give any hints this time.”
Blake began shuffling the cups again noticing how hard it was to smoothly move the cups on the rough concrete surface while keeping the carrot under it. He observed Boris as he did. He was moving very slowly on purpose. The fluffy appeared to be following the carrot cup. Blake stopped.
“Point.”
Boris raised a hoof and pointed at a cup. Blake flipped it and revealed the carrot. He handed it to Boris who once again chomped into it. A smile crept onto Blake’s face.
“Bawis wub game, nice hoomin am so much fun!”
“Now that you’re warmed up…” Blake put down another carrot. “I’m gonna make it a little harder.” He set down the cup. He started shuffling again, this time faster. He threw in a few fake outs. He saw the moment the fluffy lost track of the correct cup and eventually his head started switching between the cups haphazardly. Finally, Blake stopped.
“Point.”
With much more hesitation in the motion Boris lifted a hoof to one of the cups. “hewe.” He said nervously. Blake lifted the cup revealing nothing.
Blake immediately pulled up the proper cup and grabbed the carrot popping it into his mouth. He chewed with a smug satisfied look on his face before remembering he’d used the hand that he’d jammed down the creature’s throat on the way back. He finished chewing and swallowed the carrot as fast as he could trying not to gag in the process. Then it occurred to him that he’d already eaten a carrot earlier with that hand. He hopped he hadn’t just given himself some kind of plague. These things were apparently excellent disease carriers.
The fluffy looked disappointed but his expression shifted into something else. Blake felt a twinge of excitement recognizing the feeling this creature was showing. “Bawis twy ‘gain!” He said, more demanding than asking.
Blake reached back grabbing another carrot with his untainted hand and put it under one of the cups. He shuffled again and slowed down a little. Boris’s eyes stayed locked on the proper cup. He faked a switch and the fluffy still wasn’t fooled. Eventually he stopped.
The fluffy practically barreled into the cup as it pointed, knocking it over in the process. Sure enough, there was the carrot. Blake didn’t even need to give it to him, Boris went right for it. Its tail was shaking wildly and its body was wiggling in a motion that Blake assumed was dancing.
“Good job Boris.” The fluffy finished the carrot and looked Blake expectantly.
“Bawis am smawtie fwuffie, am wuv game! Pway ‘gain! Pway ‘gain!” He was definitely dancing now. Boris had also confirmed for Blake that he saw himself as a “smarty.” Either that or the game was bringing it out of him.
“Okay, but let’s change it up a bit.” Blake grabbed two carrots from the bag. Boris’s eyes widened as he watched Blake set them under the cup. “two carrots if you win.” Blake grabbed a large pebble from the concrete. “But, if you choose the cup with the rock…” He placed it under another cup. “Boris gets worstest cowd wawa.” Blake tapped the full cup.
“Bawis nu wike wawa.”
Blake took the cup off the carrots and reached for them. “Well, you don’t have to play. I could just eat these carrots mysel-”
“Nu! Bawis wan nummies!” Blake felt the smile on his face stretch from ear to ear. 3 carrots wasn’t a lot for a fluffy. Blake wasn’t sure how long it’d been since the creature had filled its belly but it didn’t look starved.
“That’s the spirit!” Once again Blake shuffled the cups. He went a little quicker than last time. After a few fake outs he stopped the cups again.
“Point.”
“Dewe.” The fluffy pointed.
Blake lifted the cup. Carrots. He quickly swiped them from the concrete and offered them to Boris. Boris grabbed them from his hand. Blake pet the creature and it leaned into his hand affectionately.
“Still hungry?”
"Fwuffie wan win mowe nummies!” It kicked its legs in excitement.
Once again Blake set up the cups revealing the stone and the carrots again before covering them. Blake furiously moved the cups back and forth as fast as he could manage, attempting every trick he could work into the switches. As he continued he noticed the Fluffy’s head wobble, and after a few blinks he looked completely lost. Blake took that as his cue to stop.
“Point.” He said, trying to cover the delight in his voice. Boris hesitated, but eventually he raised a hoof. Blake felt his heart thump a little quicker. In truth, he’d lost track of the cups in his fervor.
He grabbed the cup and in a quick motion pulled it up. It was the stone. The fluffy had a horrified look on its face. Blake eyed the cup of water, he swiftly plucked the mostly melted ice cube out of it before splashing the fluffy with its contents.
The fluffy rolled back covering his face and flailing at the shock of the cold water. “GAaack!” He spit and choked a bit trying to clear his lungs and throat of liquid. “Huu huu. Bawis nu wike wawa!” A few more coughs and snorts later the creature righted itself staring at Blake with a sullen look. Blake in response picked up the two carrots and popped them in his mouth chewing with an exaggerated satisfaction.
“Why dummeh hoomin gib Bawis cowd wawa!?” He sounded upset, but it was more exasperated than angry. Despite the phrasing there was no confusion in his voice. The reaction seemed “off” from what Blake would have expected but he decided to carry on.
He picked up another carrot. “Wanna play again?”
“Nu wan wawa…”
“Then don’t lose.” He pulled out 3 more carrots. “up to you.” Boris seemed transfixed on the carrots.
“Dis time, nu faw fo dummeh hoomin twick.” Odd it was applying “dummeh” over the loss. He had been so pleasant before. He seemed to be taking the loss pretty personally.
“That’s the spirit.” Blake was glad the creature had wanted to continue despite how much he obviously hated the failure. He was still confrontational. He wondered how much Boris would go. He weighed his options and decided to see if he could push it.
“Hey how about we up the… you don’t know what that means.” Blake considered how to word it. “How about this: If you find the rock this time… I’ll give you “foweba sweepies”” The fluffy froze in place, his eyes locked on Blake. Blake rapped his fingers on the concrete.
“Bawis nu wan go… foweba sweepies.” Terrified, but no begging. Just reluctance.
“Oh? But I thought I was a “dummeh hoomin” and you weren’t gonna fall for my tricks.”
The fluffy dropped his gaze. It stared at the carrots.
“Too bad. I was gonna give you something better than carrots, maybe you aren’t so smart after all…”
Boris’s head rose and with a look of pure fury. “Nu! Bawis am smawt. Bawis am smawtie!” Blake grinned at the word. This was usually the point of no return. “Bawis nu just wan nummies. When Bawis win, dummeh hoomin gib Bawis nice housie!”
Embarrassing to admit but the creature had caught him off-guard with the counter offer. Blake had been expecting a demand for spaghetti. He was a bit flustered when he responded. “Can’t bet the house, but I’ll… be your new daddy and let you live here.” Oh shit. He looked for the fluffy to argue back. Smarties weren’t really good at accepting owners, he’d have to think of something be-
“Weawwy!?” He watched as the fluffy’s rage melted into an almost adorable excited expression. It’s tail flapped wildly back and forth and it’s front legs bopped up and down nervously. Smarties had a bad habit of fibbing in hopes of tricking humans out of food, toys and shelter but everything this creature had done while he played his game had felt so genuine, and in all the videos fluffies had been terrible liars.
Wordlessly he set the cups over a single carrot and the rock. The fluffy locked on to the cup containing the carrot. Blake felt his own resolve ease as he started to shuffle the cups, but then he saw it. This creature looked determined. Blake felt compelled to respond to its determination.
He sped up, and Boris’s eyes continued to follow the cup. Even when he started faking switches the fluffy kept his eyes on the cup. Blake had been going longer than any of the previous attempts and yet… the creature stayed on the right cup.
Blake stopped and lifted his hands. Boris didn’t wait for him to speak. He walked to the cups and knocked it over himself revealing the carrot. (6)
Blake reached down to pet the creature but it jumped on his hand hugging it tightly. He brought his other hand down and picked the creature up holding it gently. Boris returned the gesture. Blake felt… relief. He hadn’t realized how tense he’d been for this little experiment. He was genuinely happy he hadn’t had to kill this creature.
“Bawis did it! Bawis did it! Bawis hab housie an’ daddeh.” Blake patted the creature’s back.
“You sure did, good job!” He said, a little more choked up than he would have ever dared admit. He felt something damp on his shirt. He looked down and Boris’s face was wet with tears.
“Bawis am so happeh!” Blake was about to chide him for overreacting, but decided against it remembering that the creature had just risked its life for this outcome.
“Promise is a promise. Guess I’ll show you around your new home.” Blake looked back down at the carrots. “Oh, you almost forgot the other part of your prize.” He picked them up and offered them to Boris.
“…”
“Something wrong?”
The fluffy looked uncomfortable, like it was struggling to find words. “Bawis wan gud nummies, bu’ am fuww fwom uddah nummies… can Bawis hab watah?”
Huh? It wasn’t hungry anymore? That was odd… considering his actions earlier.
“Sure Boris, i’ll keep em in the fr- nummie pwace, and you can have them later.”
“Tank ou daddeh!” Blake stood up and walked toward the door. As he reached the knob he stopped and let out a loud chuckle.
“Wah funneh daddeh?”
Blake smiled back at Boris. “Nothing buddy, It’s just… you remind me of someone.”
“Who dat?” The fluffy asked curiously.
“Don’t worry about it buddy.” The fluffy seemed to accept the answer.
What luck. Blake had somehow discovered a fluffy that shared his love of gambling.
They both entered the house. Blake took one last look at the yard, now more excited than ever for the day that he’d have a whole herd to play with.
(Thank you for reading, I hope you’re enjoying it. Btw if you see (number) it means I rolled a dice for the outcome of the game. It’s a 6 sided dice usually but I’ll indicate if I change it up.
I know part of the fun of fluffies is their vulnerability, but I like the idea of evening the playing field if only a little bit. I like both hug and abuse stories, and since I’m partially not in control of my own story, I don’t know which direction this one will go in. Though just from how I’ve set this up the odds aren’t in the fluffy’s favor. I have a few games in mind, but I’d love ideas. If you have any you’d like to share, feel free and I might use them in the future if you’re okay with it and I like them.)