You should probably read Parasite first.
@TJfluffnsnuff and I got a little project in the works.
“You okay, Ti?” Steph asked with worry.
Steph and Tian were sat in a coffee shop, drinking some limited edition meals and milkshakes, as part of a collaboration with their favorite V-Streamers. A nice way to spend their Saturday afternoon, but as Steph looked at his best friend, it was clear that Tian wasn’t having a good time, what with his large frown.
“Ti?”
“It’s… it’s nothing, bro.”
Steph gave Tian a suspicious glance. There was no way this was nothing.
“C’mon bro. You don’t make faces like that if it’s nothing. Tell me what’s going on..”
Tian looked out the window glumly, before nodding and smiling slightly.
“It’s Mr. Mayer.”
Steph made an internal sigh. That guy again? Tian’s super cranky neighbor with all those Fluffies. That guy was such an ass. He was always giving Tian and him mean looks and always making rude comments about how they were dumb kids. Steph could still remember that time when they almost ran over a Fluffy when they were riding around with their bikes. Mr. Mayer saw the whole incident from his 2nd floor window and began screaming at how they were a bunch of psychopaths who deserved to be slapped around and locked up. It was an accident. Steph shuddered to think what would Mr. Mayer do if he saw what they did to the Fluffies in that hotel. He might actually kill them.
“What did Mr. Mayer do this time?” Steph ask.
Tian looked down glumly.
“He said some racist stuff to my mom and threatened my dad.”
“What? When?”
“Yesterday.”
“What happened?”
Tian sighed and leaned on the table, sipping on his drink glumly, before making another sigh.
“It’s so stupid… So you remember how Mr. Mayer always walks in the morning with that really big Fluffy?”
“The weirdly big, dark blue one?”
“Yeah! That one.”
“What about it?”
“Uh… Well like, it’s not an ordinary Fluffy. I mean obviously, but they even have a different kind of name.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah. I heard mom and Ms. Scavo talking. Apparently it’s called a Pleasure Fluffy.”
“What’s that?”
Tian shrugged.
“I asked mom and she said I’m not allowed to look it u… What’re you doing?”
Steph was already on his phone, looking the term up. It was incredibly easy to find.
“Let’s see… Pleasure Fluffies are Fluffies people have… Ew… Gross.”
“What’d it say?”
“I think I know why your mom didn’t want you looking it up, they’re Fluffies people have sex with.”
Tian looked at him wide eyed.
“People have sex with those things?”
“Yeah… According to the internet.”
“I guess that’s why mom didn’t like the idea of it walking around and talking to me and the other kids.”
“I wonder if that Fluffy is Mr. Mayer’s girlfriend.”
“Probably, right?”
Steph had to wonder what that was like. Did Mr. Mayer go to restaurants with that Fluffy? Like dinner dates? Did they watch movies, go to arcade and walk around shopping malls? Did they kiss? That thought really made him shudder. The idea of Mr. Mayer and that Fluffy kissing.
“So… what did your mom do?” Steph asked.
“Oh, yeah… like nothing big. She just went over to Mr. Mayer’s house to ask him to stop letting that Fluffy walk around, and then next thing you know, Mr. Mayer started shouting at mom. He told her to mind her own business… um… B-word, and that she should go back to Ching Chong land.”
Steph looked at Tian in disbelief.
“He… He really said that?”
“Yeah, I know right. We’re even from there, we’re Me… Ugh, whatever… and Mr. Mayer also said some stuff about dad liking yellow monkeys and that if he wasn’t allowed to let his Fluffy walk around, then dad shouldn’t let his… um… trophy wife out of the house as well.”
Steph looked at Tian with confusion.
“What’s a trophy wife, and why yellow monkeys?”
Tian shrugged.
“I was hoping you would know, but it doesn’t matter, mom was upset, like really, REALLY upset.”
“It must have been very bad then.”
“Yeah! Cause then mom told dad and dad got really, REALLY angry. Like the second mom told him, he ran out of the house and straight to Mr. Mayer’s house.”
“Hah! I bet Mr. Mayer was scared.”
“He was! The second he saw dad, he ran back into the house and locked the door. Like dad was SUPER angry, he was knocking so loud and shouting at Mr. Mayer.”
“What’d Mr. Mayer do?”
“Well nothing at first, but then he said he got a gun and that he was going to use it if dad continued knocking. Like I was scared and so were the neighbors, like a couple of them had to pull dad back.”
Steph looked at Tian in disbelief and Tian nodded in agreement.
“What happened next?”
“Well… Uh… Nothing. Mr. Mayer never left his home afterwards and the neighbors told dad to come home. Oh the police came over! Mr. Mayer called them because he was scared for his life. They gave dad a warning, but also Mr. Mayer for saying racist stuff and threatening to use his gun, but like yeah… The police didn’t really do anything in the end.”
Steph continued to stare at his friend in disbelief.
“I can’t believe Mr. Mayer got away with saying such bad stuff to your mom.”
“Yeah… And apparently it’s not the first time someone came knocking angrily at Mr. Mayer’s door.”
“Huh?”
“Like Ms. Solis said that there was another lady in some fancy car who came over.”
“His ex-girlfriend?”
“I don’t think so, apparently they were talking about some Fluffy shelter, and someone passed away… I think Mr. Mayer did something bad to them, cause the woman was screaming at him and I think she wanted revenge.”
Steph shook his head in disapproval, as Tian made a defeated sigh.
“I don’t get it.” Tian stated “Like he’s so mean when he talks to people, even strangers, but Fluffies… Like, it’s so weird cause he’s so nice to them, like I’ve seen him talk to Fluffies, even the Smartys, he treats them so nicely. I… I don’t get why Mr. Mayer can’t be that nice to people as well.”
Steph nodded in agreement. It would be great if Mr. Mayer could be that nice, for Tian and his family at very least, because they were all cool people whom Steph greatly adored, but instead Mr. Mayer was just this really mean guy and Steph had a theory.
“I think I know why Mr. Mayer is so nasty. I think it’s the Fluffies.”
“What’d you mean?”
“The Fluffies. I kinda realized it with Dey, but I… um… well I think they’re parasites.”
“Huh? Parasites?”
“Yeah, like… um… I think they take away people’s kindness and keep it for themselves, that’s why there are so many Fluffy lovers who are mean to other people.”
“Like that woman who screamed at you in the Fluffy park?”
“Yeah, or like the people online who say it’s okay to hit other people because they’re hurting Fluffies, or like how Aunt Riya divorced Uncle Be just cause he accidently left a couple of Fluffies in the car, or li-”
“Or like Mr. Mayer.”
Steph nodded in agreement and noticed Tian looking kinda glum.
“Randall’s a pretty nice dude though and he has a Fluffy.” Tian pointed out.
“Yeah, but Randall only had that Fluffy for a month, so it’s like his Fluffy didn’t have time to steal his kindness, plus when was the last time Randall actually talked about his Fluffy?”
“Hmm… true… I wonder if he sent it to a shelter.”
“I wonder if he put it down.”
Tian sighed, and for a few seconds the two boys looked at their drinks in silence.
“I can’t even watch Skettiland Rangers anymore.” Tian suddenly admitted.
“The Hugbox show?”
“Yeah… I dunno… like, there was a new episode this morning, but when I see those Fluffies… um… like the Skettiland Rangers, Lil’ Devil Gwent and Battle Fluff Veve, they just… they just remind of all the Fluffies in Mr. Mayer’s house, and that just reminds me of Mr. Mayer, and all the bad things Mr. Mayer said to mom and dad… and it just makes me feel sick.”
Tian continued looking out the window glumly, and Steph joined him, the duo watching people going about in their daily lives. One caught Steph’s attention. A beggar sat in an alleyway. Ragged and unkempt, shaking a metal cup as people walked on by. Two more caught his attention. An Alicorn and it’s owner out on a walk.
The Alicorn had stopped and it looked like it was talking to the beggar. The beggar suddenly chuckled and the owner got involved in the conversation. The beggar then reached for the Alicorn, but the owner pulled the Fluffy away. For a second, the beggar and the owner just stared at each other, then the owner walked away with the Alicorn followed close behind. Steph continued watching the beggar, watching as his smile faded to a small frown. Steph looked away, this feeling of pity. He had to wonder if the Alicorn said something rude to the beggar, and the owner said something rude as well. It made him angry. He turned back to Tian, who was still looking at his drink glumly.
“You’re sleeping over tonight right?”
“Yeah bro, why?”
“I have a plan of sorts… like a way to get back at Fluffies and those Fluffy lovers.”
Tian looked at him with surprise. He looked hesitant, but then he suddenly nodded.
“Okay… Lay it on me.”
“Not here.” Steph whispered “We’ll talk more about it at home.”
Tian looked around and nodded with agreement.
“Okay, let’s go then?”
Steph nodded in agreement and the two boys headed out the cafe. It was time to go home, but not just yet. Steph looked back at the beggar. The man looking down with a small frown. It always did make him feel bad. This guilt from knowing that he had a roof over his head and food on the table, whilst others did not. Steph had to wonder if he would end up on the streets one day. He could imagine Dey stealing all of mom and Aunt Riya’s kindness for himself, and leaving none for Steph. Then all it would take was one wrong move, maybe something that made Dey cry, and he figured that mom would probably kick him out the house. If that happened, hopefully Tian and his family would be kind enough to take him in.
He looked back at the beggar, who was still looking forlorn. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out twenty dollars. A week’s worth of savings that he had planned to use to buy a toy. That toy didn’t feel so important anymore and that beggar could use a little bit of kindness.
“Hey mister!” Steph exclaimed as he ran to the beggar.
“See, right on the dot. The park guard goes on patrol at nine thirty every night. It’ll take him thirty minutes to walk the entire park and then once he gets back in the shed, he won’t come out for two hours.”
Tian looked out the window, staring at the Fluffy park opposite Steph’s apartment. The two of them in Steph’s kitchen doing recon, like in those Cry of Duty video games.
“You sure your mom and aunt won’t come home anytime soon?”
“I’m sure. They went out with their friends, so they won’t be home until midnight.”
“What about Dey?”
“What about him?”
“Like he won’t wake up, find us gone and rat on us will he?”
“Oh, don’t worry. It’s past eight. All this talk about how he’s a big Fluffy who needs a girlfriend, but in the end he’s just a big, dumb baby that needs to sleep early cause he gets soooo tired from his busy schedule of playing, eating and watching TV.”
Tian looked at his best friend with concern. He could hear the venom behind each of Steph’s words. Steph hated Dey and Tian did too. What Dey did to Stressball was horrible, plus he hated how spoiled Dey was, and the worse thing was how Dey made Steph felt. Tian hated seeing his best friend so miserable all the time, and a part of him just wanted to help Steph by getting rid of Dey permanently, but he was worried what Steph’s aunt might do to Steph. She already divorced Steph’s uncle for some Fluffies, so it wasn’t hard to imagine that she would beat up Steph over Dey. Regardless, Tian didn’t want to find out, and neither did Steph, so it was best just to leave Dey alone and try to ignore him.
“So what’s the plan?” Tian asked.
Steph grinned and began to explain the details. Starting from here. It was better to leave the apartment through the front entrance. Less suspicious. They didn’t have to worry about the apartment guard telling his mom and his aunt that the two were sneaking out, as he always took a nap at 10:00 PM. The two of them would then go to the alleyway between Mr. Chang’s laundromat and Sultan Bazaar Kebaberie, where Steph had scouted a small herd of feral Fluffies and a couple of empty cardboard boxes. Then they would head to the forest side of the Fluffy park, because of less cameras around the area, and there was also an old, abandoned shed around the area, with a ladder that could help them bring the feral Fluffies over the concrete wall surrounding the Fluffy park. Once over the wall, the two would head to a big tree around the forest side of the park. It was a big tree that stood out, next to one of those Fluffy-size slides and swings. That tree would be where they would enact their revenge.
Tian had to admire Steph for planning this. His best friend seriously was smart, and it was so awesome how he came up with this plan just by watching a couple of bank heist movies. He turned his attention to their equipment. Some ropes, two pairs of gloves and their masks. The Barn Owl mask for Steph and one of those Dolphin party masks for Tian. He had to admit, it did make him feel slightly nervous, but such worries faded as he looked at Steph and his confident smile. He trusted Steph and knew that they could pull this off. He hoped that it would make Steph feel better and he hoped that by doing this, they could show mean Hugboxers, like Mr. Mayer, that they couldn’t just bully other people, just cause they loved some dumb bio-toys more than people. He hoped that this would really show them. He only had one question.
“Do I really have to be called Dolphin Boy?”
“I mean, do you have any better ideas?”
“Um… no.”
“Then you’re Dolphin Boy.”
Tian sighed and shook his head, as Steph chuckled.
“Relax Ti, if we figure out a better name, then we’ll change it.”
Tian nodded with agreement, satisfied with that answer.
“Ready?” Steph asked.
“Let’s do it!” Tian exclaimed.
You have many names. None of them are nice. Hobo. Junkie. Rift raft. Those are the nicer names. You’ve been called worse.
“Wai mistah nu smeww pwetty?”
You look at the voice in surprise. An Alicorn on a leash, on a walk with its owner. Some well-groomed man in some nice clothes.
“Bud, that’s not nice.”
“Bu mistah nu smeww pwetty!”
“That’s still rude.”
The Alicorn makes a soft whining noise and pouts slightly. You can’t help but chuckle.
“Its al’rite.” You respond. “Lil’ fella just saying it like he sees it… or smells it hah!”
“Yeah… sorry about that.”
You smile at the owner and he makes a small nod, and you reach out to touch the Alicorn, but the man suddenly pulls the Fluffy away. You look at the man in surprise and for a second you see it. A look of disgust, but then he looks away. You get it. Still hurts though. You raise your steel mug, but he doesn’t look at it. He walks away. The Alicorn looks at you with a scrunched up nose.
“Mistah weally nu smeww pwetty. Daddeh can Bud hab nyu toysie?!”
“Sure Bud, sure.”
You sigh to yourself softly. You get it. It still hurts though, being looked at like trash. Still it’s better than being ignored. Feeling like you don’t exist. You continue shaking your mug to passersby very few even glancing your way.
“Um… Hey mister.”
You look in surprise. A teenage boy looking at you with worry. He fiddles around his pocket and puts twenty dollars in your steel mug.
“Uh… it’s not much, but… here.”
You stare at the twenty dollars and grin.
“Thanks kid!” You exclaim.
The young boy nods. “Um… Keep on keeping on, sir.” He says as he walks away.
You grin, as you wave goodbye to the boy. The money was nice, but it was the kindness that really made your day. You look at the money. Just enough to buy yourself a meal, but unfortunately you can also feel the urges.
It’s just enough to buy yourself a hit.
You wake up in the forest, coming down from the euphoria. It’s already late at night and the drugs finally wear off, but now comes the bit you hate the most, the low. Your body aches, but the worst bit is the clarity. This momentary realization. The feeling of disgust for what you’ve become. You still remember that boy. The one who looked at you with pity and gave you all that money. Was probably the kid’s entire allowance. Nice kid probably gave it all away, just to help you out. What do you do with it? You spend it on a high. A few hours to feel on top of the world. All because you’re weak. Pathetic. Useless. God you hate yourself.
You wander around aimlessly. A pounding headache and this overbearing feeling self-loathing. These are the times you just want to end it all, but you can’t do it, you’re scared of death.
Your thoughts are interrupted by two boys in the distance. Dressed in hoodies, baggy trousers and gloves. They linger around an old shed, illuminated by a street light in the distance and the moon light. The two boys put on masks. You can kind of make it out. One looks like an Owl, the other a Dolphin. You already know some bad shit is going to happen, yet you continue to observe behind a tree, hidden by the darkness. You watch as the two place a ladder against the concrete wall. They work together to transport various objects over the wall. Some bags, a cardboard box, and the ladder itself. Then the two disappear behind the wall.
Your instincts tell you to leave. This smelt like a bad situation and you didn’t want to get involved, but at the same time, you were curious. You wanted to know what was going on.
You give into the curiosity and run for the concrete wall. You try to climb over, but you lack the strength, but you manage to find a box to give you a boost, not enough to climb the wall, but just enough to peer over and see inside.
You recognize the place immediately. The Fluffy park. You’d been kicked out a couple of times after all. It does make you resentful sometimes, but your thoughts turn to the two boys. You see them by a big tree. You ponder what’s going on. You’re close enough to hear them.
“So far so good.” one utters, “Wait… should we be quiet? Like so the guard won’t hear us?”
“Oh, he won’t hear us.” The other responds, “The guard room is on the opposite side of the park, but I guess we should still try to keep speaking to a minimum.”
The other boy nodded and opened up the cardboard box. Another voice comes out from the box. Multiple voices.
“Nu wike sowwi boxie hu hu hu am scawy n tu many Fwuffies.”
“Nu wike dawkies hu hu hu.”
“Wet Smawty outsie wite nao dummeh hoomans.”
One of the boys, the one in a Dolphin mask, pulls out a Fluffy from the cardboard box. Pink and purple. You watch with a mix of curiosity and nervousness. The Fluffy seemed to feel the same.
“Wittle mistah am… am nyu daddeh?” The Fluffy asks.
“Sure.” The boy in the Owl mask responds.
Suddenly the Fluffy smiles and begins to hop around gleefully, and the Fluffies in the box, don’t take it well.
“Nu faiw, Fwuffy wan nyu daddeh tu!”
“Wet out sowwi boxie hu hu hu.”
“Nu faiw! Nu faiw!”
The Fluffies don’t feel it, but you know that these two boys only mean harm. Your suspicions grow as the boy in the Owl mask ties a rope around the pink and purple Fluffy’s neck.
“Wat am dis? Fwuffy nu wike.”
“It’s a rope to make you look pretty.”
“Tu wook pwetty!? Tank yu nyu daddeh!”
The rope is tied around the Fluffy and the boy in the Owl mask uses the ladder to climb the tree. The boy in the Dolphin mask throws his partner the rope, which he hangs against one of the branches of the tree. You don’t like where this is going and neither does the Fluffy.
“W… wat am nyu daddeh doin?”
“Ready Dolphin Boy?” Ask the boy in the Owl Mask.
“Ready St… uh… Owl the Kid.”
Suddenly the boy in the owl mask, Owl the Kid, pulls on the rope, and the Fluffy is dragged backwards.
“Huwties!” The Fluffy managed to scream.
You can’t watch anymore. You quickly jump down and briskly walk away.
“Pwease… hack… Fwuffy… wheeze… am nut… heave… fo huwties.”
You try to get far away, but you aren’t focused on where you’re walking and trip on a root. You land face first on the ground.
“Fack.” You mutter to yourself.
You tried to stand but feel a sharp pain on your right ankle. You idiot. You’ve sprained it and now you can’t run far. The faint sounds of Fluffies making choked screams fill the air, and you look to the old abandoned shed for shelter. You get in easily and slump against a wall. It’s dark and dingy and there are bugs everywhere, but no big deal, you’ve slept in worse places before. Truthfully, this place is quite nice, you only hope those psychos don’t find you.
You spend a few minutes, massaging your sore ankle, as you listen tensely for any sounds. Aside from the occasional choked screams of the Fluffies, it’s otherwise pretty quiet, and you eventually relax.
The headache comes back, so does the body pain, and in the shadows, all you have are your thoughts. These feelings of self-loathing come back, and the boy from the afternoon comes to mind. That teenage kid, who looked at you with eyes of pity and the twenty dollar bill he put on your cup. That was the first real kindness you had for a while, and you spent it on a hit. Such charity, wasted on a high. You cover your eyes in shame and lean back against the wall. All you can feel is disgust for yourself. Disgust at your weakness.
You try to justify your actions. The addiction was far too strong to resist. The temptation, far too sweet. You were but a man in the face of overwhelming desire. However, you would constantly remember that look of heartfelt sympathy. That act of kindness might have seemed small, but for you it was everything. Not just the money, and not just the ability to buy a hit, but just the feeling that you weren’t invisible. That you were actually a human being.
Your thoughts are interrupted by new sounds. The sound of movement. You stay silent and peer through a crack in the shed. This isn’t the first time you’ve had to hide from threats. You see the concrete fence, illuminated by another streetlight and at the top of the wall, the top half of a ladder suddenly appears. The psychos must be leaving now.
Your guess is correct. From the ladder Owl the Kid appears. He climbs over the concrete fence. Dolphin Boy follows. The two boys work together to bring the ladder outside the park and land back outside the wall. For a few seconds the two boys stand there in silence, but suddenly Owl the Kids jumps up in a celebratory manner..
“We did it!” He exclaimed “What a rush!”
“Y… yeah.” The other boy replies “I can’t believe we did it.”
“Haha this is going to show those stupid Fluffies!”
“And those bully Hugboxers!”
The two boys start jumping about in excitement. They seem young. Like teenagers. Suddenly Owl the Kid removes his mask and you’re stunned. You instantly recognized the boy. It was the teenager from before, the one who looked at you with worried eyes. The one who showed you kindness. The revelation was like whiplash and you could only stare. He was smiling and it looked sweet. No malevolence nor malice. These were the psycho?
You thought about leaving the shed and telling the two boys off. They shouldn’t be doing something so risky. They should focus on being normal kids, then go to university and then get a job. Doing things like this could put their future at risk and then they would end up like… you. That last bit really hits hard. You don’t have the right to criticize them, not with how you lived your own life as a kid. Not with how you live now. Your thoughts are interrupted.
“Hey!” Shouts an unfamiliar voice. “
You peer through the cracks. A copper. Oh fuck! You look back at the boys. Owl the Kid had put his mask back on, and was standing in front of Dolphin Boy. Neither moving, clearly paralyzed with fear, as the copper walks towards them.
“What are you punks up to?”
You feel a rush of fear. Not for yourself, but for the boys. The world is an unfair place. You know this personally. If the copper brings them to the station and discovers the Fluffies in the park. Best would be a warning. Worst would be juvie. A permanent bad mark on their records. A ruined future. You see Owl the Kid turn to Dolphin Boy.
“Run!”
The two boys bolt and the copper gives chase. You instantly know the copper will catch them. He’s bigger and faster. You need to make a split second decision, and you know what you NEED to do. You burst out from the shed, taking the copper by surprise, and the adrenaline helps you to ignore the pain of your twisted ankle. Before the copper can react, you tackle him to the ground.
“WHAT THE FUCK!” He screams.
Now you’ve fucking done it. This was definitely going to get you in trouble… but better you than the boys. You turn to the two, both still wearing their masks yet you could tell they were stunned. You probably ain’t going to see them anymore. Not after this. You wanna pay your respects, and you do it the only way you know how. You salute the two, just like how you used to in the army.
“Run!” You order.
The two boys sprint away, as the copper suddenly pushes you off him. You land on the ground with a groan, and the copper handles you roughly. Smashes you head against the ground in anger.
“Okay asshole, you wanna fuck around and find out? Let’s find out!”
The copper forces your arms behind your back roughly. It hurts slightly, but you’ve been dealt worse, and all you can focus on are the boys. You see the two in the distance. Both looking back at you. Their masks hide their faces, but you know they’re worried about you. They’re good kids after all. Good kids… Just good kids rebelling against an unfair world. You know what to say. You scream at the top of your lungs.
“GOOD LUCK OWL THE KID! GOOD LUCK DOLPHIN BOY!”
A smack to the back of the head. You almost bite your tongue.
“Shut up asshole!” The cooper shouts as he cuffs one of your wrists.
You look back at the boys. Owl the Kid salutes you. Dolphin Boy does the same. This feeling of elation, you watch as the two boys run away. You struggle harder, make it more difficult for the copper to cuff your other wrist. Keep his focus on you.
“Keep still fucktard!”
Another smack to the back of the head, you feel the cuff on your other wrist.m. The boys are gone. This feeling of relief. You grin. You eye the copper, he has a radio on hand. A split second decision. You manage to spin around and you kick him in the shin, the cooper drops the radio and with all your determination and remaining strength, you crush the radio with the heel of your boot. You did it. Now the copper can’t alert his people about the two boys. You receive a swift, brutal punch to the face for your efforts, but it’s nothing, you’ve been dealt worse, and the boys are now long gone. You can’t help but chuckle.
“You think this is funny dipshit? Assaulting an officer, you’re going away from a while.”
The copper kicks your chest angrily. Fuck that hurt, but not that bad honestly. The copper picks up you and drags you away. You know the consequences. You’re definitely going to lock up for a while. Not your first time, but you weren’t a junkie back then, and you know that the withdrawal is going to be hell. Yet you feel good, because for the first time in a long time, you weren’t weak. For the first time in a long time, you paid back a debt. For the first time in a long time, you could look at a mirror and say that you helped someone.
You know only shit awaits, yet for some reason you can’t help but smile.
Steph and Tian returned home, as quiet as mice.
The flat itself was silent and dark. Dey was still asleep and neither mom nor Aunt Riya were home. The two boys looked at each other with relief, as they took off their shoes, and unloaded their bags. It was fair to say that both boys had quite the experience, and for a while they were more than happy to just sit on the dining table without uttering a single word, but eventually Tian broke the silence.
“That was… crazy.”
Steph nodded silently in agreement.
“We could have been in so much trouble,” Tian added.
“That was the homeless guy from this afternoon.”
“Huh?”
“The guy who tackled the officer… It was the homeless guy from this afternoon.”
Tian looked at him with surprise.
“That’s… for real?!”
Steph nodded, and Tian’s surprised look changed to one of shock and awe.
“That’s… that’s seriously a crazy coincidence.” Tian admitted.
“What’s crazier was that he knew our code names.”
“Yeah! I kinda freaked out when he said Owl the Kid and Dolphin Boy.”
Steph nodded in agreement. Realizing that the guy must have somehow overheard their plans. He had to wonder how much the guy heard. They needed to be more careful when they did this again. Again? They could have gotten in so much trouble. Things could have gotten really bad. For both him and Tian. Did he seriously want to do this again?
A single thought came to mind. The man giving them a salute. A sign of respect. Why?
“It’s lucky that he saved us.” Tian stated “I hope he’ll be okay.”
Steph remained silent. He hoped the man would be okay too, but he had to wonder, why? Why did he save them? Was it because he gave the man twenty dollars? No. That was too illogical. The only people who would get in trouble with the cops for twenty dollars were those dumb streamers on KickMe, so why did this guy do it?
“Do you think… do you think that guy hates Fluffies as well?”
“Huh?”
“He called us by our code names, I… Do you remember when we called ourselves by our code names?”
Tian looked at him with confusion, then looked up in thought.
“Um… I think… Actually! The only time we said those names was when we were in the park, when we… Wait! You mean…”
“Yeah, I thought so. So he definitely saw what we did to those Fluffies.”
“And he didn’t say anything.”
“Exactly!”
“Weird… why?”
“Not weird if he hates Fluffies like us, right?”
Tian gave him a weird look, but then nodded in agreement.
“I guess so.”
“He probably knows how terrible Fluffies are.”
“Maybe he was bullied by a Hugboxer like Mr. Mayer!”
“Exactly! So when he saw us he did… What he did.”
“But attacking a cop? That’s like really, REALLY crazy, and BAD!”
“Yeah… I know, but is it really that crazy?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, you’ve seen all the videos on the internet. So many people do crazy stuff all the time, especially when Fluffies get involved.”
“Kinda like what we did with those Fluffies?”
“Yeah… I mean people do crazier stuff with Fluffies. I mean Mr. Mayer has sex with one, right?”
“That’s a… Fair point actually.”
“And maybe what we’re doing is helping? Like showing those stupid Fluffies that they can’t just steal people’s kindness.”
“And those bully Hugboxers!”
“Yeah, exactly!”
“So… So I guess we’re not stopping this!”
“Yup! This is just the start. Owl the Kid and Dolphin Boy!”
“I seriously think Dolphin Boy is a lame name.”
“Haha like I said Ti, we can change it, but it has to be Dolphin themed to match your mask.”
“Okay okay… So what’s next?”
“Hmmm… I have an idea.”
“Okay?”
“Let’s ask people online for ideas!”
“Huh?”
“Like challenges! Remember the Fluffgonquin challenge we did before?”
“Yeah I remember that.”
“Remember how we said it was fun and how people liked it?”
“Yeah?”
“Well why not combine the two things together? Ask people to give us challenges that involve messing or hurting Fluffies in a variety of ways. People give us ideas and we can show those parasitic Fluffies and bully Hugboxers that people had enough of them!”
Tian had a doubtful look, but then he suddenly grinned.
“The adventures of Owl the Kid and Dolphin Boy!”
Steph grinned with amusement.
“And I have just the picture to reel everyone in.”
“Oh?”
Steph pointed to Tian’s phone.
“The photo you took. Let’s see it.”
“Oh that one… You honestly look like one of those crazy Fluffy abuse people, bro.”
“Good! It shows everyone we mean business.”
The two boys looked at the picture.
Steph hoped this would get people interested.
In a certain police station
“Wiggums where are you on the Fluffy lynching case?”
“Chief!.. Uh… The Fluffy what now?”
“The Fluffy hangings in the Fluffy park chuckle nuts.”
“Oh!.. Huh? What do you mean where are we? Some kids hung a bunch of Shit Rats as a prank most likely and that’s that.”
“First of all, it’s Fluffies! F-L-U-”
“I know how to spell Fluffies, Chief.”
“Good, and that’s what you better fucking call’em that, cause if Senator Vordemyne heard you… OR ANY OF YOU BOZOS calling these bio-toys THAT, then we are all going through a shit storm… Also Wiggums, please note that the Fluffy park, Vordemyne Fluffy park, mind you, was funded by our dear senator, so if you wanna tell him that a bunch of Fluffies were hanged, and you THINK it’s a bunch of kids and that’s that, please be my guest, and you can also hand me your badge while you’re at it, because I know for a fact that Senator Vordemyne will be so far up my ass that you and I are going .”
“Christ Chief! Okay, okay. I’m on it.”
“You better or WE’RE both going to be facing a fucking shit storm.”
“Okay okay. Fuck…I’m on it! I’m on it!”
“You’ve got til end of day Wiggums! End of the day!
SLAM
“Heh.”
“Shut up Louie!”
“Haha cool it Wiggums. So what’re you gonna do?”
“What do you mean? I have to treat this like an ACTUAL crime. Start from the tree, case the scene for trespassing, follow the clues… Check nearby stores for witnesses.. Check CCTV around the area… All to find a bunch of dumb kids who fucked around and hung… A bunch of toys in a park dedicated… To toys. You know my kid used to own one of those fucking things.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah… My kid fed it some beans and it decided to paint my walls a lovely brown.”
“Hah! What’d you do?”
“Uh… Sent it to a shelter… Yeah that’s what I did.”
“I see… I see…”
“And now I gotta waste my time figuring out who hung a bunch of Shi- Fluffies… Yup… A bunch of noisy needy ferals most likely. Runaways I bet as well. Spoiled stupid runaways hung on a tree because a bunch of dumb kids thought it would be funny, and now I got to figure out who they were and write them up a warning.”
“Or…”
“Or?”
“Well Eddy was at the park at the time. Saw a pair of kids in masks milling behind the park.”
“Well why didn’t you see that earlier?! Good I’ll find Ed-”
“There was also a junkie. Same park. Tackled Eddy, while the kids escaped.”
“Oh?”
“Junkie’s in lock up right now. Assaulting police officer yada yada.”
“OH there is a God! I could kiss you Louie!”
“Heh, what you gonna tell Chief?”
“What do you mean what I’m gonna tell Chief? Simple, some Crackhead decided it to hang a bunch of Fluffies in some public park cause he was coked up, Eddy caught him jumping the fence, there was a scuffle. Bada bing bada boom. Case closed.”
“And the two kids with masks?”
“What about’em?”
“Eddy says the junkie was helping them escape.”
“Ah fuck.”
“Vordemyne’s been trying to get capital punishment for abusers y’know. He actually veto-ed a proposal to build a community center on government land in favor of some high-end Hugbox shelter.”
“The fuck? Where’d this come from?”
“Just saying… If Vordemyne’s involved. He’d probably try to send those two kids to juvie. Probably go on their record too. All cause they hung a bunch of… toys.”
“Jesus Louie, what’re…sigh… Where’s Eddy?”
“Reception. Chatting up Dolores.”
“Alright then…”
“What you gonna tell Chief?”
“A Meth head assaulted a police officer and was locked up. Same guy came out of the park with the hung Fluffies. End of story. Pretty sure Eddy will say the same. I’ll see ya in the bar tonight Louie.”
“Yeah Wiggums… Also, you owe me a drink.”
“Hah! That I do. That I do.”
