Chapter 1
Adam smiled a bit once more as he glanced over at the carrier that held his new fluffy friend. He wasn’t the only one. Pablo had been looking at him, nose twitching, and broke into a smile as well to see their eyes meet. Adam chuckled a bit, and focused back on the road. He put on some old rock his parents would listen to, but at a softer volume. Luckily Pablo didn’t seem to mind the choice of music. He mimicked Adam’s light head bobbing, his fluff and long ears swishing with the movement. Unlike most fluffies, an angora fluffy’s ears were long and floppy, like a rabbit’s.
Angora fluffy. That was what Pablo was. A specialty of his job. They were a prototype at Hasbio that had more rabbit DNA in them. The Mill collected those that they could and bred them for those rabbit qualities. Their legs were more like rabbits as well, causing the fluffies to have a tendency to hop places, even though they had hooves. Those legs were longer than most fluffies and they walked like rabbits as well. Moving their front feet, then their back feet would move at the same time. Adam had also seen them jump pretty high when startled. Much like rabbits, they had buck teeth that would grow if they had nothing to chew on. They tended to eat vegetables, preferring it to kibble. That also made them poop more often, but it was more pelleted like rabbit poop. That was better than the alternative. It only became liquid when the fluffies were scared.
Their best feature was the fur. Like angora rabbits, they had long, glorious, fluffy fur. It grew fast and long, needing regular washing and brushing. Trimming too. They needed to go through training as foals to get used to trimmings and bathing. Usually letting them stew in the heat and filth of not being clean did the trick. Fluffies did love being, clean, after all and long furred fluffies hated to be hot.
Adam pulled into the driveway, carrying in the supplies first, then Pablo. He was glad to carry the white carrier emblazoned by a furry M on the side to the safe room. It was a child’s dream. The floors were covered by interlocking, multicolored floor tiles. Adam had loved them in his own childhood. There were nice chewing toys in one corner to keep Pablo’s incisors under control. There was a wall mounted water stand, much like an oversized hamster bottle. They were popular these days, as it made it exceedingly hard for a fluffy to drown themselves. Not impossible…but harder. Near that was the bed, which was more of a bean bag shape. It was meant for Pablo to be able to feel enveloped by it, as if he was in a burrow. It was very soft, and had a few rabbit plushes. Nearby was the toy corner. A little toy chest which Adam filled with the toys. By it was an old favorite of his. A rug that looked like a town. Cartoonish and with wide roads. There were even toy cars Adam got for the fluffy to play on the roads. By the toys there was one of the Mill’s play sets. A forest adventure one with a small path. The opposite corner of the bed had a litter box, but with wooden pellet litter to keep the smell down. The walls were padded up to three feet high in case Pablo got jumping zoomies.
He was setting up his house for the fluffy. He would have a safe room, of course, but he wanted Pablo to be able to chill with him on the couch, or hop around without having to watch him like a hawk. It was much like baby proofing. Covering all the sockets. Adam had a low table but it was inherited by his parents and so worn down that the corners were practically rounded. No need for baby bumpers. His couch was bought from an old friend, and all the legs had broken so it rested on the ground. He did push a potted plant to prevent access to the hole in the side of it. The one he kept telling himself he’d patch up some day. Well, now he had an excuse. He set up a food and water stand in the kitchen. The water stand was the same as the one in his room, but the stand was not wall mounted.
Your name is Pablo, and you have a new home! You lived in a place with a lot of other fluffies like yourself, and one of the nice misters that worked there chose you! You like that mister. He spent extra time brushing you and your friends! Now you get a whole room all to yourself! You gaze openmouthed at all the toys and your ears twitch in excitement. What do you try first? A woody scent caught your attention and you hop over to some wooden sticks and shapes. You know these! They’re for chewing to keep your teethies short! These were all new…all yours! They looked so…chewable. You nibble at one, and it was perfect! You kept gnawing at it until the mister came in, smiling. Was he watching?
“Nice mista! Pabwo wuv happy!” You say.
“Pablo, I’m not nice mister anymore. I adopted you. I’m daddy.” The man said.
You felt your heart fill with happiness and your eyes well with tears. That’s right! He said so earlier. “Das wite! Daddeh! Pabwo wuv yu!” You bounce around in happiness, your back legs trying to hop again even in the air. You bound over to him. “Upsies pwease?” You haven’t forgotten; manners are important. You have to flick your head to the side to get the fluff out of your eyes.
Your new daddy picks you up and mentions a haircut, which makes you give a nervous whine. You know you need haircuts so you can walk and see…but those blades were so scary! “Okay, daddeh…” you say, your short tail trying to hide between your legs. It was a bob tail, you were told. You were taken to a room you never saw before. It had tiles on the floor, a weird shiny white chair, and a long boxie. Was that a human sorry box!? There was something you were on. It dipped down and had a silver shiny circle at the bottom! There were funny silver things on the top.
Adam smiled to see Pablo gawking at the bathroom like a tourist. “This is a bathroom, Pablo. It’s how humans keep clean. The seat there…” Adam pointed at the toilet “Is the human litter box. “That” pointing at the shower “Is where humans take baths.” He tapped the sink. “And this is where we clean our hands after using the toilet.” He said. Adam knew there were so many more intricacies of a bathroom, but there was no need to overwhelm Pablo. He took out the scissors from the medicine cabinet behind the mirror. He heard Pablo gasp as if magic had been done. Yeah, human magic…it was easier to say it was magic rather than trying to explain concepts and science to a fluffy. “Alright, hold still, buddy.”
You hold still as daddeh takes out the shiny pointy thing known as scissors. He moved the fluff around your leggies, and you didn’t move as you heard a soft sound. Your leggies felt lighter after it was done. You never even felt the cold scissors! Daddeh was always so good at haircuts!
All four of your legs, around your no no stick, and poopie place were trimmed, then around your face. You shivered a little to see the silver pointy. You didn’t know why, but seeing sharp things made you afraid. You had to move away from them and not touch them. They were bad things!
Adam sighed in relief. Pablo was clearly scared of the scissors. It was a little oddity in a fluffy’s programming. It was a good concept, really. Fluffies feared sharp or ‘dangerous’ objects. By being afraid and keeping their human away from sharp objects, it helps keep them safe. By being clueless, the child feels smart to explain so many things to their fluffy. Seeing Angora fluffies as an improvement on fluffies, he couldn’t help but appreciate the design they were going for. An animal that could talk….that could keep a person company and loved nothing more than to cuddle and give hugs.
He finished the trim and brushed the fluffy out to make sure he got the stray hairs. Pablo giggled and wiggled with delight as he was brushed. “Atta boy.” Adam complimented. He brushed up the fur and put it into a container. He was asked to donate clippings as well, as the angora fur was used for a lot of things back at the Mill. Adam picked up Pablo, who could see much better, and headed to the living room. He put him in a playpen. It was made for rodents, with each panel a different color. There were hideaways with a nest for Pablo, a few more chew treats, and a few hidden treats for Pablo to search for and find. There was a litter box too, of course.
With Pablo able to play, Adam turned on the TV to unwind. He turned on Netflix to Mythbusters. An old favorite…and would keep him entertained without scaring Pablo Adam missed that show. At least he could get it on a streaming site.
Daddeh put you into what he called a playpen. It was like the safe room, but smaller. And this room was with daddeh on a big nestie and a pretty box! He called them a ‘cowch’ and a ‘teebee’. It looked soft. You hopped around, your nosie twitching. Something smelled good! You hop over to the blankie and stick your nosie under it. Found it! A treat! You nibble it, your fluffy tail wagging.
Adam managed not to laugh to watch Pablo sniff out a treat. Only his front half was under the blanket, his back half wiggled excitedly. He backed out after nibbling the treat and hopped happily over to the ball, nosing it around. Adam had gotten a light plastic ball with a bell inside. Pablo enjoyed it, by the way he giggled and chased it around. The angora fluffy was easily distracted, as there were so many new things for him to explore. All new, all for him. Adam realized he should be getting Pablo a little brother. He needed the companionship, after all. He wasn’t fit to let Pablo knock up a girl angora, and take care of a bunch of little baby angoras, but a little brother wasn’t out of the question. He just needed to find one he liked the look and personality of. “So, Pablo. I’m gonna get you a little brother soon. A friend. What kind of fluffy do you like?” He asked.
He watched as Pablo paused, the ball bouncing away from him. The angora fluff was thinking, his nose twitching as he thought.
“Wan cudwe fwiend.” Pablo decided. “Nu wn wunny fwiend.”
Ah, so he wanted someone chill and lazy. Adam could do that. He nodded. “I’ll adopt a little guy like that when I find one.” He promised Pablo. He patted the angora fluffy, ruffling his fur.
“Tank you daddeh.” Pablo said, cooing as he was given nice pets. He hopped closer and sat on his haunches. “Upsies?” He asked, his black eyes hopeful and full of love.
Adam obliged him, picking up Pablo, and hugging him close.
Pablo cooed happily and tried to wrap his arms around his daddeh. He was set down in Adam’s lap after, enjoying the pets.
This was the best day ever! You’d just gotten the bestest hugs EVER from your daddeh! Now you got to sit on his lap and watch what he called a Teebee. It was a big boxies that showed pictures! He saw a man with yellow not fluff and a man with no fluff on top of his head! He instead had a mane only on his face! You asked you daddeh about that. He said that man was what hoomins called bawld. They had no not fluff on their heads. They also had what was called fashul hare. It was having not fluff on the face. But only certain parts of the face! You look at your daddeh, slack jawed. He was su smart! No wonder hoomins are the smartest smarties! They had magic and knew all these things!
You turn your attention back to the teebee, asking daddeh questions from time to time. The men on teebee were doing funny stuff. Causing what daddeh called ‘ekploshuns’. They were big and pretty, but daddeh said they were dangerous cuz they were made of burnie huwties. That the men were being super careful and were ‘profeshunal’. You don’t really know that means, but you get that they’re allowed to do cool stuff like that. Daddeh covers your eyes suddenly and you giggle. “Silleh daddeh!” You say, and lightly paw at his hands. From the teebee you hear a ‘screeeee!’ But you can’t see anything and daddeh lets you pull his hands away. There’s a red spot on the ground between the two men and red on the bawld man’s hoof, but you don’t know what happened.
That was close. Adam had seen a fluffy wander onscreen as they do occasionally for shows. Instead of stopping filming, most actors just kick the feral away. You covered Pablo’s eyes so he didn’t have to see it. He didn’t seem to notice, or even question the bloodstains.
As much as you didn’t want Pablo to see, it was a fantastic kick. Good arc and mostly blood. Little shit. The fluffy was probably starved.
Adam watched the rest of the episode with Pablo until he’s yawning and even you’re a little tried. You rub your eyes and turn off the TV. “Alright, Pablo. Time for bed.” He said, giving Pablo’s head a small scratch as you pick him up in your arms. There was so much fluff to him. Pablo was pretty small beneath all that fur. Adam took him into the safe room, stepping carefully over the baby gate. He set the little guy into his burrow like bed and flicked the nightlight on. “Goodnight, little guy.”
“Gud nite, daddeh.” Pablo tiredly said, curling into his soft nestie.
His first day with a fluffy…and already Adam’s heart felt so light.
