It was his first night in Ironside’s new home. He had many surprises when he got there. First he wasn’t her only fluffy. She had two more. A tan stallion with a melon green mane and tail named Delta and Eleanor, a small peachy mare with a charcoal mane and tail.
Delta wouldn’t tell Cathy how, but he lost all his legs and one eye. The theory she had it was he lost them trying to protect his adopted little sister. She found them at a rescue and was moved by their bond. She renamed them and gave Delta legs and later a new eye after she perfected how to make them.
When they met Delta stood between Ironside and Eleanor. He knew Cathy wouldn’t let anyone dangerous in the house. They were safe and he knew that. But he couldn’t let a stranger near his little sister. Not until he was sure this new fluffy was a friend.
Cathy would have left the two fluffies to sort it out, but Ironside was still a sensitive about his old life. There were still emotional wounds. Cathy and a behavioral scientist at the lab were helping him through it, but outside help can only do so much. Ironsides’s demons were his fight, they could only give him the tools and tell him ways to use them.
The meeting went better then expected. The two stallions came to an understanding and Ironside was allowed to meet Eleanor under Delta’s watchful gaze.
When the fluffies began to play, Cathy left the room to make dinner. She didn’t have to worry about them anymore. Whatever problems came up among them. She knew they could resolve it themselves.
Delta showed Ironside around while explaining the rules. The safe room was tidy. Delta explain that they had to put their toys way once they were done playing with them. The room had three beds and one big one. One for each of them and one for a fluffpile. Delta show him the toy box. There were huggy toys, teachy toys, dolls and every other fluffy safe toy he had seen and hadn’t seen before. A few other important places were shown to him. Like where the litter box and water and good bowls were.
Delta showed him the TV. Ironside flinched when it was turned on. Old memories of what his owner showed him came back to him. But the sounds were not painful. They were happy. He looked up at the screen and found it was a cartoon. He was relieved. TV wasn’t the evil. It was how it was used that was evil.
Delta explained that they were only allowed to watch the channels and shows Cathy Okayed and not all day. There needed to needed to be time for running around and playing. She didn’t like fat lay about fluffies. He then explain about the gym room they went to a few days a week. He never seen her do the runs she made them do. She had other equipment they were not allowed to touch, but she other routines with them. He liked the bucks.
Delta explain a few more rules. Some Ironside understood and some he didn’t. Delta got into his face when he explained the rules about special huggies. Ironside understood the need for the rules, but would never have them without Cathy permission and he rather have his special lumps explode then give another mare bad special huggies again.
They went to play. Ironside handed Eleanor a block for their castle. These blocks were different from the blocks he was use to. Not only were they made of wood, but they were different shapes. Some were half spares, pyramids and other shapes he didn’t know the names of.
Ironside watched Delta and Eleanor interact. It made him sad. He thought of his own sister and how happy she would have been. How happy their babies could have been. His heart ached for them. He would have done anything to trade places. Sometimes he’s old wish for death crept up on him, but he remembers Worthless was dead. He was Ironside, he was reborn into someone new. He wasn’t worthless. He had a purpose, and he was going to make the most of it.
Delta touched Ironside’s shoulder. “Why nyu fwend hab saddies?”
Ironside looked away. “Thinkin’ of sissy an’ hew babbehs. Dey went fowebah sweepies 'cos of bad hooman.”
Delta nodded. “Dewta an’ Eweanow wiww pwotect Iwonside fwom bad hooman, if Iwonside stay gud fwuffie.”
“Did Cathy teww bout Iwonside?”
“That hab nyu fwend. Nyu fwend hab mowe den outside huwties. Hab bad heawt huwties. Nu hab to tawk bout befowe wife, buh nyu fwiends wiww wisten if Iwonside nee’ tawk.”
Ironside nodded. He didn’t really want to talk about the bad things that happen to him, his sister or their babies. It hurt too much. He might when he was ready, but not now.
Delta asked an odd question. “Did Cathy teww about wat Iwonside mean?”
“Wat?”
“Cathy name fwuffie speshuw things. Dewta an’ eweanow names aftah game chawactews. Iwonside name aftah owdah tee-bee chawactah. Iwonside was smawt hooman that nu can use weggies, buh that nu stahp him fwom catchin’ bad hoomans.”
Ironside smiled. He really didn’t know that. He was happy Cathy gave him such a good name. He hoped he could live up to such a name. “Wat about Dewta an’ Eweanow?”
“Dey fwom scawy game. Cathy say Dewta was stwong an’ wouwd pwotect Eweanow an’ othah wittwe sissies. Gabe wife fo’ hew.”
Ironside nodded. He wanted to see the show Delta told him about. He didn’t want to see the scary game.
Cathy walked in. “Dinner is ready my little beasties.” She placed three bowls on the floor. “Since it is Ironside’s first night, I made something special.” She stood up. “Eat up me hearties, Yo-Ho.” She left them to their meal.
The three fluffies walked up to their bowls. They were filled with lettuce, cucumbers, apples, tomatoes, and spinach. Ironside just sat their staring at his food.
Eleanor stopped eating and looked at Ironside. “Wat’s wwong, Iwonside?”
Ironside shook his head. He didn’t want to say.
“Am ‘ou sad it nu am sketties? Cathy nu gib sketties, nu am gud fo’ fwuffies. Gweenies am gud an’ gib heawt happies.”
Ironside shook his head again. “Nu am that. Fiwst time hab speshuw dinnah. Wan’ wemembah.”
“Oh su can teww othah fwuffies on Iwonside pwanet bout eawff nummie.”
Ironside was confused. “Nu undewstand.”
“Iwonside am awien, hab antennas.”
Ironside looked at his reflection in the water dish. “MUMMAH-CATHY.” He yelled.
Cathy ran in. “What’s going on?”
“Why Iwonside hab antennas, am awien?”
“You finally notice it?” Cathy let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t scare me like that.” She thought of a way to explain it. “They are back-up in case of a post apocalypse.”
“Nu undewstand.”
Cathy thought of another way to explain it. “Monsters, they are their in case of monsters.”
Ironside’s tail wagged. He was happy. “Dey make monstews go way.”
Cathy smirked. It’s for the best if he thinks that. It might help him sleep without a nightlight. “Yes, they help with the monsters.”
Now I’m wondering if I could just tell a fluffy that something I put in their saferoom is to keep out monsters and whether that would keep them from being frightened or not, like maybe their nightlight lol.
Fun story so far and I like Ironside 
There are people that think night lights are a waste of power and money. Feral fluffies don’t have one and they are reasonably sane. It’s reasonable to think fluffies don’t actually need a nightlight. People are funny that way.
True
Although in my HC, ferals mostly congregate towards alleyways and the like with lights that are on during the night.
Of course there are no lights in the forest so I’m probably overthinking it lol
I guess it depends on how different fluffies cope with the dark. Some might come to terms that they cannot escape from it (forest/rural areas ferals) and make fluffpiles in a safe nest to mitigate their innate fear of it.
Others might never get past it and require a constant light source, whether it be a street lamp, a stoplight, glow-in-the-dark stickers on a saferoom ceiling (might or might not be inspired by my own childhood room having some star shaped ones on the wall) or a simple but effective night light.
Other than that, it could also vary when it comes to each author’s headcanon on fluffy sight in dark areas.
If they see nothing in the dark, a light might be needed to provide them with some guidance to find the litterbox at night. If (like in my own, something something DNA abominations) the author has them actually have some degree of night vision capabilities the night light might (hah, triple “ight”) simply play the part of fear mitigation or humans creating the stereotype.
Shoot, now I kind of want to come up with a story about a feral living under/near a stoplight in the middle of nowhere.
This has been sooo sweet. My first cat was named Wee Beastie! So hearing Cathy calling them beasties made me very happy
I just gave her one of my habits. I call all my animals my little beasties. Even the big one.
It’s super sweet <3