I realize I’ve done a lot of comics, but I’ve never really gone indepth with my headcannon and why people feel the way they do about fluffies. He’s a FAQ for some questions.
Note: Cute Aggression exist for the humans in my headcannon, and fluffies pass that threshold for many many humans. That’s one of the reasons neglect, abuse, and harm against fluffies are justified in many people’s minds. Had Hasbio lasted long enough they would’ve removed some of the more “cutesy” elements such as the baby talk and lisp to make fluffies more palatable for the general population.
Q. Does Hasbio exist?
- No. After the rampant ecological destruction caused by fluffies, the US government used Hasbio as a scapegoat. Jailed those responsible for research and development of fluffies as well as those in marketing and decision-making positions. The company was forcibly shuttered and all research into fluffies and other forms of “bio-toys” is now banned in America.
Q. What is the timeframe of your headcannon?
- It takes place years after the initial novelty and appeal of fluffies has worn off. Fluffies have devastated the American ecology. Many local flora and fauna are extinct. Cats and dogs are pets only for the wealthiest. Most Americans can only afford fluffies for pets. Upper-middle class can afford mice, rats, and reptiles. The damage has been done and life has returned to a sense of normalcy. Many people resent fluffies for the irreversible damage they have caused to the landscape. Looking a few decades into the future: late 2030’s-2040’s
Q. What is the legal status of fluffies?
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Depends on where you live. There are 3 classifications in regards to fluffies:
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Kill-on-Sight: Fluffies are illegal to own, breed, care for, or for any utility use. Fluffies are seen as an ecological blight and need to be killed or reported upon sighting. This is the harshest legislation against fluffies and originated in Cleveland, the ground zero of the fluffy problem. This is seen in agricultural states where fluffies have caused the greatest damage.
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Right-to-Own: Fluffies can be kept as pets or for utility purposes. Fluffies are bred and/or sold by mills, breeders, shelters, and stores. Overlaps with the below 3 subcategories. Seen in the majority of the country.
1. Right-to-Breed: It is legal to own a non-sterile fluffy. Fluffies can be bred without a license. No limitations on uses for bred fluffies (food, toys, companions, abuse) unless overridden by one of the below subcategories.
2. Right-to-Hug: Abuse is outlawed. Almost impossible to enforce. Real effect of this legislation is to allow veterinarians to care for fluffies as they would animals. Additionally, abuse paraphernalia such as shock sorry-sticks and spiked-lined sorry boxes cannot be sold in these regions (technically cannot own either, but again, too hard to enforce).
3. Right-to-Abuse: Abuse is explicitly NOT outlawed. Abuse paraphernalia can be sold in these regions. Veterinarians are NOT allowed to treat and care for fluffies as they have training to treat animals and fluffies are not recognized as such in these regions. Despite the name, hugbox is not discouraged
- Fluffy Sanctuaries: Sections of cities have been given over to fluffies. They are seen as a sovereign people and interaction is kept to a minimum. It is illegal to own a fluffy in Fluffy Sancturary, even if the fluffy wants an owner, as this would be akin to human trafficking. Fluffies govern themselves (poorly) with aid given to them in the form of food, medicine, and supply drops from the local government. This is the closest to herd formation that occurs since they are left autonomous but are still provided for. Death, starvation, and suffering are rampant, but due to fluffies trusting nature, naivety, short-sightedness, and general stupidity. Not due to any “Lord of the Flies”-esque scenarios where a smarty rises up to rape everything.
1. Portland, OR
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Central Park, Manhattan NY
4. Austin, TX
5. Seattle, WA is considering
Q. Was the employee in the comic correct?
- For the most part, yes. It’s an open secret at this point (like Google collecting your information) that fluffies were designed as a platform meant to sell consumers additional products over a prolonged period of time. A hyper aggressive ad campaign as the advertisements come from a “member of the family”. In fact, future iterations of fluffies would be able to receive new “cravings” and “interests” updates remotely. This would allow Hasbio to cash in on seasonal and holiday flavors of kibble and sketties as well as toys and entertainment.
- The employee was wrong in that fluffies are incapable of finding fulfillment and joy without Hasbio. While Fluffies will always be slightly disappointed when presented with non-Hasbio products, they are programmed to find joy and fulfillment in making humans and other fluffies happy. A sterile fluffy adopted by a loving family can find a fulfilling life full of meaning and purpose. Fluffies love making other fluffies happy. Fluffy companionship can be rich and rewarding even without babbehs. So despite what common knowledge may say, a mare and a stallion can be special friends even if babbehs are an impossibility. 3. It is true that many people refuse to face the scary reality that humans have created sentient life, so they rationalize their distaste, neglect, and abuse of fluffies by convincing themselves that fluffies are “only toys with no real intelligence”.
Q. So Fluffies and Humans are the same? Meaningless sacks of life?
- Whether their lives have meaning is up to personal interpretation. But yes, fluffies and humans are similar in this regard, either they adhere to an innate programming they can’t control (Hasbio programming vs. evolution/instinct) or they have something that transcends their environment and they have what is known as free will.
Q. If they are the same, why are fluffies treated so poorly?
- Because that’s the point of sadbox. If fluffies are abused because they are evil, that’s just justice. Fair punishments for fluffies (such as a sorry box for bad poopies) is also justice. Justice and abuse can exist together. Justice and hugbox can exist together. Justice and sadbox cannot exist together. It is the injustice against harmless, pure, loving creatures that makes it sadbox. If fluffies could deserve the suffering inflicted upon them then it is not sadbox.
Q. But why Sadbox? Why not another Box?
- Because sadbox is the only box I’m good at.
Q. Do Smarties/Hellgremlins Exist?
- Smarties do, but they are very mild compared to most headcannon’s smarties. Angelica is a smarty. Probably the most aggressive one I’ll make. Smarties are brats that will threaten sorry-poopies/hoofsies/peepees. They will try to pin the blame on other fluffies. They will steal toys and food meant for other fluffies. Despite using sorry hoofsies, they are not strong enough to actually hurt other fluffies. It’s more a psychological tactic. Smarties cannot tear other fluffies apart, maim one another, nor rape. Hellgremlins just don’t exist.
Q. If stallions have such a strong sex drive to create babbehs, why isn’t there a rape problem.
- Hasbio did not want the stallions harming the mares, so stallions are unable to become erect without the presence of a specific mare pheromone. The mare will only release the pheromone when she ‘wan babbehs’ and is feeling safe. If a mare feels scared or stressed she will not emit this pheromone, then the stallion will go limp. This means stallions can’t rape each other or babbehs either. The pheromone CAN be collected and used on stallions for abuse purposes, though.
Q. Without Smarties how do herds work?
- They don’t. Fluffies rarely go beyond a family unit: a stallion, mare, and babbehs. Occasionally a family will survive long enough to take in another feral/runaway which will pair up with one of the younger generation. Multi-generational families are rare as fluffies, for the most part, do not survive very long without humans caring for them.
Q. How durable/strong are fluffies?
- They are toys. They are meant to played with and not hurt their owner. As such, they are fairly durable. Falling off a kitchen table is (edit:) NOT a guaranteed broken bone, though any human determined to break bones would not find it too difficult. Their teeth are not soft. They are normal teeth. But the jaw muscles are exceedingly weak, meaning fluffies can really only eat soft fruits and vegetables, fluffy kibble, and sketties. A fluffy bite breaking the skin would be extremely rare. Their hooves are soft and leathery with frictional texturing for gripping. Think of the material your steering wheel is made of. Fluffies strength : durability ratio prevents fluffies from doing any real harm to another. Fluffies cannot crush each other, nor tear with their weak jaws. A fluffy could push another down a flight of stairs, though, for example. Smarties do not need to actually hurt fluffies to assert dominance. Simply giving sorry hoofsies will cause most fluffies to cower and cave to the smarty, despite only mild pain with no broken bone or even skin. It is more the psychological aspect that another fluffy would resort to violence.
Q. How are abusers viewed?
- The novelty of fluffies have worn off. Nobody cares about them anymore. Most fluffy suffering comes from industrial/breeding/store settings and those out in the cities (runaways or discarded). Imagine walking down a street and seeing a rat. Nobody would consider it rude if you ignored it rather than giving it something to eat. Now imagine the rat is small-dog sized, can speak, is persistent, cannot get away quickly, and is very annoying. People may think you’re rude for giving it a piece of your mind and yelling and/or cussing at it. But nobody would really care. Kicking? Eh, everyone has a bad day, plus that fluffy was REALLY annoying.
- As for actual abusers. They exist. Some stores cater to them. Most employees of fluffy stores/shelters do not care if the adopter is a hugboxer or an abuser. Mostly they just want to move units. In places abuse isn’t illegal, it is not even really seen as immoral. But it is frowned upon. It would be akin to having a furry-diaper fetish. It’s not something you’d speak of in public, and may be embarrassed to have family/coworkers learn about it, but it’s not illegal. More of a social faux pa.
Q. What how does fluffy lifecycle (i.e. timeframe from chirpehs, to talkie babbehs, to foals, to filly/colt, to mare/stallion?) and pregnancy time work?
- Inconsistently.
If you’ve ever had any questions about my headcannon or needed some clarification, this is your place to ask them.
Real questions only, please.