While cooking some rice and steaming a bag of mixed vegetable Jim found his head slightly always tilted so at least one ear was facing the monitor as he cooked. The discussions between nugget and flatbed were like a slightly cutesy talk radio program.
It was basic at first, nugget remembering that she had to walk flatbed through the house rules after the initial excitement of introductions had faded. The two shifted to a game of passing a ball, Flatbed was standing and moved around as needed as it was hard for nugget to perfectly control where she rolled the ball when she used her muzzle to pass it.
There were the obvious etiquette rules such a good poopies go in the litter box, say your please and thank youâs, No having babies unless daddy approves first. This last one made nugget a little sad and the conversation shifted for a time as Flatbed regaled nugget of the last month and a half or so of raising his two and two brothers and two sissies. Nugget was impressed by flatbeds stories and it honestly made him even more appealing since she assumed, heâd be a very âhands onâ type of dad. She had met a few overwhelmed mares in daycare back when she used to go, who either no longer had a special friend or whose mates werenât particularly interested in parenting. It probably helped that Jim also had a few different fluffy videos that were more along the lines of PSAâs that he snuck into her viewing rotation every other week about the responsibility of babies and the importance of the family unit etc.
Jim began to plate the rice and veggies and let them cool. He got out a little soy sauce for himself and set his place at the table and brought the two other dishes over that heâd set down when it was time to begin eating. He then proceeded to the playroom. âHate to interrupt but itâs time for dinner. Hope youâre hungry.â
âYay nummies.â Flatbed added giving nugget a slight side hug.
âThank 'ou daddeh.â Nugget added as if prompting flatbed.
âHu~ oh yeah. Fank âou foâ dinnah nice mistah daddeh.â Flatbed added still not used to simply addressing an owner in the standard fashion yet.
âWell then, lets give you good upsies then.â Jim added as he moved to get in position and pick up nugget to carry her to the kitchen.
âcan fwatbed hewp?â He added curiously.
âYou know what flatbed, this is as good enough a time as any to see if this works.â He added with a slight pause as his hands shifted to stroking nuggets sides for a bit. âNow nugget, im going to put you on flatbeds back.â He added so that she would not be surprised by the turn of events despite having discussed the idea with her previously.
âNugget no suw~â And before she could finish that sentence she was lifted just high enough and then lowered onto the strong back of her new friend Flatbed. âsuweâŚâ She found herself subconsciously wiggling for a bit as she adjusted the muscular supported back fat. It was soft and warm like a hug for her tummy and she giggled a little. âNugget wike. Fwatbed am comfie.â
âThank âou fwiend.â Flatbed added with a hint of pride in the compliment.
âWell then, follow me.â Jim added making his way back to the dining room.
Nugget was entranced by the experience. It had been so many foreverâs since she had experienced movement from a somewhat normal fluffy perspective. Sure she enjoyed her daddies upsies but they were usually so high and she had begun to forget what it was like to experience moving around her home and world from the squat perspective of a fluffy.
By the time they reached the dining room flatbed paused hearing a sniffle. âNugget am otayâ?â
Jim turned around and saw his pillows face was now wet with tears. âYus fwend. Su many heawt happies.â She added with a smile between quivering lips.
Jim felt choking feeling in his heart but toughed out the emotional fit as he got a tissue from the kitchen counter and proceeded to wipe nuggets eyes and nose. âThere we go, all better.â He added before tossing the tissue in the trash and placing the pillow on a chair mat he used as a makeshift bed for her when she was eating with him. He would normally eat with her across the table from him but with flatbed here he decided to move her spot to the floor so the two could eat together. He then set down the plate of mixed vegetables after breaking up a big tablet for Flatbed. It contained additional supplements for bone and muscle health that the extra-large breed meant to carry children used since it would be likely that he would suffer additional wear and tear from carrying around a whole other fluffy.
He would make a note to see if they could try and incorporate the trait into that line since it would likely be ideal since there would be more room to carry fluffies and the weight of a single fluffy would be negligible compared to a child and thus the series could lead a fairly full life compared to being broken down over six months to a year from demanding children.
He sat at the table looking down at the two as they would eat a bit and then pause for chit chat, then go back to eating. It was livelier already. âSo nugget, did you finish telling flatbed the rules?â
âAww buh petition day. âou wanâ to expwain?â Nugget added knowing her explanation would be very simple in comparison and was afraid sheâd leave out a detail.
âSure thing. So every Sunday is sketty day, but every Saturday is petition day. Good fluffies donât make demands or beg for things, however I do realize you may want to ask me for things. Therefor I made a day so that every week you can consider if you want to ask for things. Depending on the nature I may grant your requests just for behaving well or being particularly good or helpful. But if itâs a bigger request I might ask for something in return like you perform an extra chore or giving up some or all of your spaghetti-on-spaghetti day.â Jim paused to let that sink in.
â. . .â And sink in it did. âFwatbed undewstand.â He said with a determined resolve realizing that he would have to be very considerate about making his requests.
âItâll still be your choice whether the cost is acceptable so you can always withdraw your request after asking. But if I say no, donât ask me again until next petition day.â Jim added forking a bit of broccoli before putting it in his mouth as he watched flatbed curiously as he could already tell the stallion was in deep contemplation.
âSomething tells me this might be an interesting weekend.â Jim thought with a smile.
Afterthoughts:
I just realized I forgot I ended my first chapter with âThe day after they would test Flatbed for the roll of Litterbox Pal.â Which should have been this chapter.
So im going to say this arc is an alternate hug-box/neutralbox reality.
Iâll do the alternate abuse/sadbox timeline story where they didnât decide to scrap the âlitterbox palâ test. xD