The Cast
Strawberry Cream: Previously named Geoff. Regular guy who likes to let off some stress. Got turned into a fluffy mare one night after stomping a few pests in an alleyway. Attempted to assassinate Maxine last night and wound up choking on a knife. Is prevented from harming Cherry Cream via magic. Thinks Eclair is somewhat admirable. Currently locked in “The Penace Cube”, a specially designed sorry box just for him.
Cherry Cream: Just barely a talky baby. Last survivor of the fluffy family that Geoff killed. Is unable to remember the event and thinks that Strawberry is her real mother. Head empty, want milkies.
Eclair: Filly foal adopted by Maxine during a shopping trip. Heavily abused and neglected in the past Eclair has no sense of self worth and will attempt to sacrifice herself at the drop of a hat. Practically worships the ground that Maxine walks on. Recently regrew a leg.
Maxine: Airheaded goddess from ‘out of town’ who turned Geoff into Strawberry Cream after losing her temper. Accidentally trapped herself on ‘planet fluffy’. Adores Eclair. Promised Cherry’s real mother that Cherry would be taken care of. Feels slight remorse toward Strawberry.
Maxine stretched out and yawned. Not the worst sleep she’s had . Solid 6/10. Her two foals were looking at her with big grins on their very little faces.
“Gud bwight times mummah!” Eclair cheered as she waved her singular leg.
“Goo… cheep bwi bwi!” Cherry cheeped.
Maxine ruffled both of the foals’ fluff and asked, “How’s my little ladies today? Did you sleep well?”
“Ewcaire hab bestest sweepies evah!” She was completely honest. This was the first time she wasn’t plagued by constant nightmares. Huggies really did make everything better!
Cherry cooed and cheeped which Maxine took as “I had a wonderful rest, Mother.”
Eclair wiggled awkwardly and said, “Ecwaire have tummeh hurties, can mummah pwease fwee mummah stwabewwy fwom sowwies box? Babbehs nee miwkies…” Eclair was trying her best not to sound too demanding. The two foals had been waiting for Maxine to wake up for what felt like at least two fowevahs. Approximately 15 minutes in human terms. Eclair was very good at dealing with tummeh hurties. She was more worried about Cherry. She was just barely a talkeh babbeh!
Maxine stared quizzically at eclair. Sowwies box? Oh. Right. The Penance Cube. Scooping the foals up into her hand Maxine got up and groggily made her way to the kitchen.
Strawberry stared into his reflection. The bloodshot veins went well with his mane.
A night alone with his new friend the Big Mouth Billy Bass had given him time to think.
On reflection he sort of liked Eclair. The foal was willing to lay down her life for practically any reason. Was it a desperate attempt to give her life meaning? He wasn’t sure but it was admirable in a way.
Maxine… he had to admit the singing fish was a bit funny. It would have been far easier for her to just kill him. She was still an insane monster of a woman but she was something he could at least try to work with. Honestly, she seemed to care more about him soiling the sheets. Besides, he already tried and failed at murder so what else can he do? He could also use a wash. Biggest reason to suck up to Maxine right now by far.
Cherry he had no real opinion on, she didn’t do much other than chirp, eat, poop, and sleep.
“Strawwwbeerrry Creaaaaaam~” Maxine sang as she walked into the kitchen, “I have some hungry hungry babies for you! They need their very good mummah!”
Strawberry got the implication. Don’t mention the whole, ‘midnight assassination attempt’ in front of the foals.
The lights finally dimmed around Strawberry as Maxine turned off the cube. Strawberry let out a sigh of relief. “Rest well, Billy Bass.” he thought as he gave a silent salute to his endearingly annoying companion. The lid opened and he looked up at the smiling faces of his foals and the bemused grin of his captor.
“Mummah!” Eclair said cheerfully, “Missed you!”
“Uh-mah!” Cherry Cheeped.
“gargblrglarg” Strawberry gurgled in reply. Oh right. His throat was still janked up from Maxine jamming her whole damn arm down it.
Eclaire and Cherry looked from their fluffy mummah to their human mummah with deep concern. “Mummah nu tawkies?” Eclair asked quizzically.
Maxine gave them a queasy smile and set the babies down on the countertop. She patted their heads, “Mommy just needs to fix Strawberry’s throat. Like how I fixed your little leggy, can you wait just a little longer for milkies?”
“Pwease hewp mummah!” Eclair cried. " huu… mummah habs hurties!"
“Huu… howts…” Cherry chirped as she chimed in.
Strawberry felt Maxine’s hands gripped around his throat. Was this it? Did she really keep him in a box all night just to strangle him in the morning? Maybe he had her pegged wrong. At least this mess would be over. He closed his eyes and relaxed.
His throat felt soothed like the morning mist over a field of grass. He sighed in contentment. This feeling of bliss was almost worth having an arm stuffed into him like a reverse muppet. He took note of Maxine’s small hands. They were very soft and comforting. He’d been viewing her from the perspective of a fluffy which made her look gigantic. Taking her in, she was actually rather small. The old him would tower over her easily.
Maxine was feeling oddly peppy today. Usually the day after draining her tank of magic she’d have the worst hangover but today that wasn’t the case. She was surprised that she had enough in her to completely heal Strawberry’s throat. She was just going in to stitch things up a tad and take him to the vet but she underestimated her reserves. She had no idea as to why but she wasn’t going to complain.
“Fank ou.” Strawberry said in complete honesty. “Can Stwabewwy haveses cweanies pwease.”
Maxine nodded. He wasn’t cussing her out and seemed genuinely grateful. He still probably wasn’t going to like her, but they might just be able to get along. “I thought you’d never ask. Babies, I know I asked you to be patient already but your fluffy mommy needs a bath. Stinky.”
Eclair nodded. She really wanted milkies but she could smell Strawberry from here. Milkies would taste much better without poopie smell. Cherry cried from hunger Eclair comforted her with a hug.
Maxine placed Strawberry on the countertop and turned on the faucet. “So, I was thinking about taking you three to the V-E-T.” Maxine said as she tested the water.
“Maxeen ams magic. Wai needs…vee-eee-teee?” Strawberry asked.
“I’m a bit more limited than I’d like to admit. Most of all, I don’t know anything about fluffies.” Maxine gestured to the sink.
Strawberry hopped down and nodded. The warm water cascaded down his backside like a cozy blanket… He was finally getting clean again. “Stwawbewwy undahstan.” At least he’d get to see the foals getting shots. He might appreciate eclair but he didn’t exactly love her. And a crying fluffy? Still really funny.
Eclair and Cherry looked at their mommies in amazement. Strawberry wasn’t afraid of water? Eclair knew she was incredibly smart, but brave too? The unfamiliar sensation of pride welled up in her little heart. Her mommies were incredible.
“I’ll get breakfast going while you feed the babies.” Maxine said as she dried off Strawberry with a towel, “How do you like your eggs?”
Strawberry had to think for a moment. His fluffy body definitely changed his palate so he wasn’t sure if he still even liked eggs. On the other hand, eggs can go with ketchup and ketchup was close to marinara. “Nuh Cawe, just habses kets-… cats… wed yummies sauwce.” Screw it, she probably got the idea.
Maxine nodded and carried Strawberry over to the foals. “Eat up my little friends. We’re going on another adventure so make sure your little tummies are full!” She scratched Strawberry behind her ears and started on breakfast. Strawberry rolled his eyes.
The foals scampered over to their mummah as fast as they could which wasn’t particularly quick. Eclair was alternating between dragging herself forward with her leg and doing the worm. Cherry was crawling at a steady but glacial pace. Strawberry could just trot over to them but this was kind of funny.
Eclair was the first to make it. She nuzzled against Strawberry’s leg and made her way to the milkies. Once again the little foal was in heaven. The past day and a half had given her more love than her entire life combined and multiplied several times over.
Cherry caught up a minute after. A dopey smile was plastered on her face as she snuggled up to her mummah. Life was good. As long as she could remember, which wasn’t very long, life was always good. Something gnawed at the back of her head but she ignored it for the tasty milkies in front of her.
Tiny belches declared that the foals were done feeding. “Trade ya.” Maxine said as she placed a plate in front of Strawberry. It was a tasty looking omlette with the word “Truce?” written in ketchup.
“Yus.” Strawberry said as he licked his lips. He was starving. “Yus to both.”
Maxine scooped up the foals in her arms and smiled, “I’ll get these little ladies to the litter box and then look into making an appointment. Enjoy!” The omlette would be a sometimes food, Strawberry still likely needed the nutrients from kibble but at least it was something. Give and take.
After squeezing out the foals Maxine sat down on her sofa-bed and placed the little babies on her lap.
“…Mummah?” Eclair asked timidly
“Yes dear?” Maxine answered half paying attention as she looked up nearby vets on Geoff’s phone.
“Ecwaire wub weggie…” Eclair was choosing her words carefully. Needy fluffies were bad fluffies and she didn’t want to be a bad fluffy but… “but ecwaire have wowsest itchies!” She chomped down on her hoof and gnawed at it for emphasis. She’d been chewing on it since last night in the hope that the itching would go away and she wouldn’t have to bother her mommy. “Noms stop itches… but noms hurties! Huu… pweas hewp ecwair…”
Maxine DID warn Eclair that the new leg was going to be unpleasant for a while but the poor thing looked miserable. How long had she been putting on a brave face for? Eclair must have had some hard times if she was able to cover up discomfort that well. Come to think of it, she totally forgot to give Eclair her mobility aid.
“I think I have a solution. I can’t make the itchies stop, but I have something that’ll distract you!” Maxine lifted the foals off her lap and made her way back to the kitchen. Next to the Penance Cube was Maxine’s other project from last night, a tiny little cart with velcro straps. She also took some scissors and cut up paper into the shape of a cone. A bit of tape and she was good to go.
Eclair continued to gnaw on her hoof. It had been driving her crazy but she didn’t want to be a bother but the itchies got so bad she just had to say something. She saw her human mommy walk back in with a strange little wheely thing. Eclair tilted her head curiously.
“First, this’ll help you not bite your hoof.” Maxine took the paper and made a cone around Eclair’s neck, just enough that her hoof wouldn’t be able to reach her mouth. “A pretty necklace for you.”
Eclair wasn’t particularly thrilled with the cone. “F…fanks mummah.” It didn’t make her feel pretty, but mummah hasn’t let her down yet.
“It’ll help you from hurting your leg. And here’s one more thing. It’s got little wheels so you can move yourself around without Strawberry or me having to carry you everywhere.” A gasp of astonishment left Eclairs maw as she was lifted onto the cart. She felt something tighten on her back, holding her into place. “Not too tight, Eclair?”
“Ams… goodses?” Eclair answered. She wasn’t exactly sure how tight it was supposed to be but it didn’t hurt. “Nu suwe whats to do?”
“Just use your little leggy and pull yourself forward.” Maxine said, “You’ll see.”
Eclair tentatively put down her hoof and pushed against the ground. The cart moved! She pushed more. And more! She was going so fast!
“Mummah! Am Wawkies!” Eclair exclaimed joyfully.
“Just make sure you don’t walkies out of the living room. Mommy has a phone call to make for our next big adventure.”
Eclair zoomed around at what felt like a blistering speed. An adventure? That sounded fun!
Next: The Vet
Not much really happens in this one other than setting up some things for later stuff.
I wanted strawberry to not be overtly hostile so I could just doodle scenes of the family and needed to get Eclair her little cart. I have fun writing these goobers so I’ll probably keep doing it until I run out of ideas. I’ve become obsessed with fluffy ponies at the moment if you couldn’t tell
