Chapter 3
Adam was reading a story to Pablo and Ruth. A child’s bedtime story. He found the fluffy bedtime stories were…a bit too difficult for him to get through, especially with the fluffspeak. He had to do a little bit for his angora fluffs to understand…but the rest of the time, he’d speak with a soft voice and shorter words for them. His favorite activity to do with them was to watch TV with the pair of them snuggled up on his lap. He’d pet or brush them gently, which the two fluffies loved. They were a quiet bunch for fluffies likely due to the increased rabbit DNA. Mostly they would talk to each other, or mumble an occasional ‘wuv daddeh’ to him. They were interested in the world around them. Adam finally finished the book and set it aside. The pair of fluffs were fast asleep, and Adam turned on the TV. Finally he could watch one of his shows. He found he had to be careful, as the fluffies would ask of something they don’t understand. And there was a lot they did not understand. Adam got away with evasive answers and ‘human magic’ a lot of the time.
He was still amazed at himself. Most who worked at any place who dealt with fluffies normally ended up being a bleeding heart, total apathy, or utterly despising them. Adam found himself to be between apathy and bleeding heart. He found most fluffies annoying, but he didn’t have the heartlessness to completely hate them. The chirpies were cute, mostly because they couldn’t talk yet. They couldn’t demand, and food was always close by. It was when they grew up that they started wanting things. They tried to demand. Adam liked the angora fluffies because their behavior was said to be modified so they were less needy, and less messy. More quiet. In Adam’s opinion, the perfect fluffy.
The pair had been a bit of trouble at first, learning the house rules, that mealtimes happened at certain times, and the litterbox was nonnegotiable. Other than that, they were a delight…even if they worried they had to save him from the bath.
He took this opportunity to groom the two. A special brush that would help detangle their fluff without pain. He even saved the fluff, since he heard it could be turned into an outfit. Mittens or a hat or something. They were natural colors, so Adam wouldn’t be going out in some garish colored hat. He started with Pablo, carefully brushing his fluff to make it soft and silky. Pablo was special, as he was the first fluffy Adam ever owned. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. His house had a fluffy once. His stepbrother who spent a week with him, a week with his father had a fluffy that he brought with him. Adam hated the thing. It had been a bestest babbeh and was spoiled rotten. His stepbrother, Bradley, gave it whatever it wanted so it wouldn’t scream and shit everywhere. Adam sank into a memory.
He was only thirteen, and had met Brad a few times. Brad was sixteen and had little interest in a little stepbrother. He was moving his things in, and finally brought in a carrier. “What’s in there?” Adam asked, almost gagging at the stench escaping from it.
Bradley looked down at Adam. “Its a fluffy. He just shit cuz he’s scared.” He said in a low voice. “And he’s getting a bath.” This was directed towards the carrier.
“NUUUHUUHUUU! NU BAFF! WAWA BAD FOR FWUFFY!” A whiny voice screeched from the carrier.
Adam winced at the shrill, loud whine. “Why’s he so scared of baths?”
“Fluffies can’t swim, stupid! Their fluff gets all weighed down. And they can drown really easy. So they hate water.”
“Oh…” Adam wondered why give them baths at all…but by the smell, he could see why they’d need one. He wasn’t a fan of baths either but it beat smelling like that, he supposed. He moved a bit to see what this fluffy looked like.
The fluffy was fat. There was no way around it. Adam knew what fluffies were supposed to look like; he’d seen them on TV and the neighbors down the street had two of them. This was the largest fluffy he’d ever seen. He was amazed it could even hold itself up on those stumpy little legs. Other than that, it was pretty. The fluffy was white with a dark purple mane, almost black. “Woah…” he said. Even the fluff looked curly.
Brad puffed up proudly. “He’s a designer fluffy. Short legs, curly fluff, good colors. He was also his mom’s favorite.” The boy boasted. “He’s the best fluffy ever!”
Adam just saw a fat but pretty blob of fur…but he was trying to get along with Brad so he nodded.
“Clark needs a bath. Wanna help?”
Adam nodded quickly, glad to be involved. He realized Clark was named so after Clark Kent. Superman. Who Brad adored. It was odd, to see a fluffy with a human name. Especially one like Superman’s alter ego. He followed Brad to the bathroom, his nose wrinkled against the smell that was getting worse. “Do they always smell like this?” He asked, trying not to be rude.
“Just when they get scared. They shit themselves and it smells even worse than normal.” Brad explained. He set the carrier in the tub, opening it and taking the top off. “Clark, you need a bath.” He said, grabbing the shower head. This time he didn’t wait for a response before turning it on.
“SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” The fluffy screamed, high pitched and terrified.
Adam stumbled back, covering his ears in pain. “O-ow…” he muttered.
“You get used to it.” Brad said, washing over the fluffy. “Hold him still, would you?” Clark was waddling all over the tub, trailing shit from his hooves.
Adam leaned over, making his first mistake, holding the fluffy. The rear was facing him. Suddenly the fluffy’s tail went up.
“Sowwy poopies!” Clark declared, and projectile shit all over poor young Adam.
The smell was horrendous! Adam puked on the spot, coughing from the smell. He closed his eyes, arm flailing blindly for the showerhead. He heard Brad laughing cruelly, and finally he got rinsed clean via Brad. Maybe he took too much pleasure in hosing his step brother down consequence free. Adam was rinsed off, but didn’t feel clean. He shivered and ran off to the other bathroom before he puked again.
Adam showered in water as hot as he could handle it, nearly scrubbing himself raw with soap. He still couldn’t get the stink out of his mind. He wanted to puke again. Ugh… He didn’t want anything to do with that stupid fluffy. It pooped on him! What sort of sick creature did that? Not even the meal cat down the street would dare poop or pee on him like that! Stupid fluffy.
By the time Adam got dressed, Clark was finally clean and dry. He and Adam traded glares, and he saw Clark puff up his cheeks. “You think you’re tough, huh?” Adam asked, stepping forward, towering over the fluffy. The fluffy shrank back, and Adam realized how pathetic he looked. He was squaring up to what was essentially a sentient teddy bear. Adam heard of fluffies from his friends. Specifically how weak they were. He saw a group of boys once trying to use a fluffy as a soccer ball. Trying being the operative word since it died after a few kicks, and one improperly aimed kick took the head off, ruining the fun for the boys. He’d also seen a few abuse videos. Not really entertaining for him, but he’d learned that fluffies were VERY delicate. He couldn’t go smacking this one around, even if it was a gross creature.
He went to his room to play video games, but even over it, he was hearing Clark.
“Cwark wan nummies!” He complained. “Wan sketties! Sketties nao!” The creature demanded.
What in the world were sketties? Adam wondered, but not enough to ask. He heard Brad was talking to the fluffy, but his voice was too quiet to make out the words. Adam jumped, the controller nearly falling out of his hands as he heard the screech.
“CWARK WAN SKETTIES! NAO NAO NAO NAO!”
Adam looked towards the door in shock, even though it meant his character in game died. What in the world was he living with? Not even he was that bad when he was a toddler…at least he hoped he wasn’t. He left his room, seeing his parents heading to Brad’s room to talk with him. Ugh, he hoped whatever they did kept the fluffy from screaming. He’d been subject to the screaming twice already today, and he was sick of it. He couldn’t imagine a week of this, even if he got a week away afterward.
He settled back into his room, playing again, and heard a knock at the door soon. He paused his game to look up at his dad.
“I understand the fluffy pooped on you?” He asked, sympathy in his eyes.
Adam made a face then nodded. “I was trying to help bathe him.” He said. “I threw out the clothes after. I don’t want them anymore.”
His father sighed and padded Adam’s head. “I wouldn’t either, son.” He knelt down. “I talked with Bradley. His fluffy is his responsibility. You don’t have to do anything for it you don’t want to, but you can’t go bullying the thing either.” He told his son.
“I don’t want anything to do with it. It’s loud and gross.” Adam said.
“You don’t know the half of it.” His father muttered. “Good boy. Dinner in ten minutes. Be there or be square.”
Adam smiled at his dad’s inside joke. “I’d rather be a triangle.” He joked back, his standard response. Adam played until it was time for dinner. He leaned to and fro with the controller as if that would help his character onscreen any. He felt it did.
At the dinner table, Adam found for dinner tonight was spaghetti and meatballs. He smiled as a plate was set in front of him. He twirled some on his fork, but then felt a bump at his ankle. He looked down, his face souring to see the fat fluffy Clark.
“Gib sketties nao dummeh hoomin!” Clark demanded. He stomped a hoof, which made a soft ‘plap’ on the tile floor.
“No. It’s my food.” Adam said, and looked over at Brad, who was eating. Either his mouth was too full to respond to the fluffy…or he was just pretending it was.
“SCREEEEEEEE! WAAAAAAN SKETTIES!” The fluffy threw himself to the ground, flailing his limbs and screaming. Clark was throwing what was an epic temper tantrum.
Adam rolled his eyes and kept eating, only to flinch when he felt a pinch. He looked down…and the fluffy was biting his ankle! It didn’t really hurt, but it was the principle of what it was doing! “Brad! Your stupid fluffy is biting me!”
“Clark isn’t stupid! It’s not like it hurts, you big baby!”
“I’m not being a baby! Your fluffy is a brat!”
They would have argued more if Adam’s father hadn’t intervened. “Boys!” He raised his voice to be heard. They quieted at least. “Brad, teach your fluffy to not beg and bite. None of us want to deal with that for a week. And put him in your room so Adam can eat.”
“But dad! He’s special! His fur is really rare and he was a bestest babbeh-“
“Do NOT make excuses for him. If he can talk, he’s smart enough to know not to do something. You WILL get that fluffy under control or he won’t be welcome in my house.”
Adam ate another bite to hide his glee that the fluffy would have to behave. He was pretty sure it wouldn’t last. Either way, he wouldn’t have to deal with screaming for long. He heard Clark screaming for ‘sketti’ from Brad’s room. He realized now it was spaghetti.
TV time was next. It was supposed to be Adam’s turn to pick a show, but since Brad was moving in, they decided to let him choose a movie. Bradley chose Dancie Babbeh on the FluffTV channel.
Adam made a face, and looked at his parents. Really? Were they going to allow this?
Adam’s father, Thomas, was also less than thrilled. He didn’t want to spend one of his precious free hours watching what was essentially a toddler show. He’d done his time when the boys were young…and he very much doubted FluffTV threw in a dirty joke or two for the adults to understand. “Bradley, maybe you should choose something all of us would enjoy-“
“No! You said I can pick and I pick FluffTV!” Brad snapped. “Clark should be included.”
Clark nodded. “Yus! Cwark wan watch Fwuffteebee!”
Adam looked over at his parents. He was three years younger, but Brad was acting like a little brat with his fluffy. “If he’s turning that on, I’m going to my room.” He said. He liked family TV time, suffered through sports and rom coms, but he drew the line at FluffTV.
Thomas sighed. “Bradley, you can choose a different show. None of us are gonna watch that.” He made a rare ruling to overrule the choice of movie.
Adam was shocked. The last time his father made an overruling it was when he wanted to watch a horror movie when he was eleven. But FluffTV was not for family TV time. Adam fought the urge to cheer.
“THAT’S NOT FAIR!” Brad yelled. “I want to watch Fluff TV!”
“SCREEEEE! NU FAIW! NU FAIW! SCREEEEE! SCREEEE! SCREEEEEE!” Clark screamed, flailing his little hooves.
Adam sighed and turned on the TV, the remote close to him. “Can I choose instead?” He asked, and got the nod, since apparently Brad was fixated on fluffy programming. He was flipping through channels, and decided on a superhero movie. Brad liked superheroes. Adam already saw this movie in theaters, but they just needed something on.
It was all going so well until an action scene. The alien monster burst through a building, which apparently startled Clark.
“SCREEEE! MUNSTA! NU NUM!” Clark screamed, and shit himself in fear. The projectile went all over Bradley’s knee, the carpeted floor, and the TV screen. And it stank. Boy did it stink.
Adam practically had flashbacks to a few hours ago, gagging as he stumbled off his place on the couch. He nearly puked, but he needed fresh air.
“Ah! It’s okay, Clark. They’re not real. Not real, okay?” Brad was rocking Clark, apparently not noticing he had literal shit on his pants, dripping down.
The family did look mildly horrified as their son cuddled a crying, filthy fluffy.
Brad was sent to his room for the night. Adam went to his own room, his mood ruined. No family TV time tonight. He heard Brad’s voice from his room, soothing the fluffy. Adam sighed, and started to read his comics. That was the end of the first day.
“Daddeh? Daddeh!” Adam, his adult self snapped back to reality. He saw two concerned angora fluffs looking up at him. “Huh? Oh, sorry guys. What happened?”
“Daddeh wooked owies.” Pablo said. “Daddeh okay?” He waddled to Adam’s stomach, giving him a big hug. As big as a fluffy could give him, his hooves splayed wide. A light pressure on his right hip told him Ruth was doing the same.
“I just had a bad memory. Of my stepbrother’s fluffy. He was a very bad fluffy. A mean one.” Adam explained.
Pablo frowned. “Dat am scawy. Keep fwuffy way fwom Pabwo an Wuth?”
Adam smiled, petting both their heads. “That won’t be a problem. That fluffy long went forever sleepies.” He cuddled them close. “It’s late. You two should get to bed. We’re going to work on walkies tomorrow.” He told them. Both angora fluffs were young, the size of a small rabbit. He could carry one in each hand, their limbs just dangling off his hands.
Adam carried them to their saferoom, closed only at night, setting them on their bed for two. He turned the nightlight on, and read them a story ‘The Very Sleepy Fluffy’. When they fell asleep, he went to bed as well. He’d make sure they never turned into brats.