Reject didn’t know what to do. The humans seemed to want him to stay there, but the fluffies who had driven him out of his home definitely didn’t want him there.
His choice was made for him when the scary red pegasus blocked his escape route.
“Yu stay hewe.”
Having no choice, Reject turned and watched as the humans walked over to the pretty fluffies.
“Just look at this, Ricky! It’d take a month of purposeful feeding to get this result! I’ve got to have them in my kitchen!”
Reject’s stomach rumbled. That human was going to feed those other fluffies? It wasn’t fair! He didn’t dare say anything though. Life had taught him that complaining only brought pain.
“I know, just look at them! You just got that new skinning machine, right?”
“Skinning AND gutting! It’s like those hand-turned apple core removers. They say the only drawback is the fluffies have to be alive and stay alive through the whole thing, but I’d say that’s not a drawback. Right, Josef?”
“This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
“I first heard about it from people complaining about it on that pillowfluffer subreddit.”
“Why are YOU on it?”
“It’s my troll account. I leave just plausible enough suggestions that I can blame on the owners when they cause the fluffies pain. Of course 99% of the time they don’t even realize that fluffies don’t like them. I got a bunch of them to shave their fluffies by claiming that the feeling of the air on their bare skin helps keep them stimulated.”
“That’s hilarious!”
“Look, are you two going to keep talking or are we actually doing this?”
“Sorry, Ricky.”
“Right.”
Having heard the conversation the fluffy family came out of their new cardboard box home and saw the humans.
“Hewwo! Gib homsies tu nice fwuffy and famiwy? Am aww pwetty!”
“You sure are! And we’d love to bring you to my house!”
“Speciew Fwiend! Hoomen gunna gib famiwy housies! Mummah was wight, pwetty fwuffies am da bestest and get aww da gud tings!”
“Now, now. It’s not about how a fluffy looks, it’s about what’s on the inside that counts!”
“Siwwy hoomen, pwetty fwuffies am da bestest in da inside tu!”
The human called Josef stepped forwards.
“Whatever. Anyway, we just need you to get in here so we can take you to your new home.”
He motioned to a fluffy carrier, which was built to have transparent walls so fluffies wouldn’t think it was a sorry box.
Babbling happily, the fluffy family trotted into the carrier. Reject watched them with envy.
Izzy, Josef, and Ricky walked towards the alley’s entrance. Then stopped as they heard shouting.
“NU!”
Reject had had enough.
“NU CAWE IF NU PWETTTY! WEJECT DESEWBE WUB TU! WAI NOBODY WUB WEJECT?!”
Izzy stepped forwards.
“I’ll handle this, you guys get the food in the car.”
Ricky and Josef walked off.
Leaning down, Izzy spoke softly.
“The world isn’t about love. And sometimes it’s better not to be picked.”
He motioned to the alley.
“Right now you’ve got more than they’re going to have.”
Izzy stood up and left.
Reject sniffled. His heart hurt so much. What was there even left to live for? He wanted to d-
“Actually…”
Reject looked up. Izzy had come back with another fluffy carrier.
“Get in this. I’ve got something new I want to try and I think you’ll be perfect for it.”
Reject regained the will to live.
“WEAWY?! TANK YU!!! WUB WUB WUB!”
Izzy smirked.
“I don’t think you’ll be thanking me for long, but you’re very welcome.”
Reject’s last view of the alley came just before the car’s door closed and he was driven to the same place as the pretty fluffies.
No fluffy had ever left Izzy’s home uneaten. A fact Reject would soon learn.
