Mr. Adams’ Guide to Practical Fluffs - Part 6
by Oculus
Featuring art by PeppermintParchment, Phantomfluffy, Gowdie, Muffin and Pinkyfluffy
continued from Part 5, Gaiden 1 and Sam Adams’s Diary
~Peppermint Parchment~
~A tribute to Fisher and Kegstand~
You are currently in front of the Marianas Trench, an aquarium located in the entertainment sector of the city you live in. Mr Adams has asked for you to meet him there to discuss a fluffy breed. Or to be more precise, a subspecies made by the creator of that specific fluffy breed. ( >>40795 )
“Hey there laddie.”
Mr Adams is dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. You don’t usually see him being this casual. And, with his attire today, and charming good looks, he comes across more like a celebrity than a real estate mogul. Not that he isn’t a celebrity in his own right.
“Hey Sam. Why an aquarium today?”
“Today, we’re going to learn about the PeppermintParchment.”
“That sounds like an Easter candy. Or some kind of chocolate.”
“Well, PeppermintParchment fluffies are often sold at a discount during Easter, though they go back to their normal price after the season, so, you’re not too far off.” ( >>36690 )
“What, they’re a seasonal colour or type?”
“No , but for some reason, people like to own a Peppermint Parchment during Easter or St. Patricks Day. But they had been abandoned in the past before, and ABAP had to open up shelters for abandoned Peppermints.”
“What is so special about them?”
Pausing for a moment to think, Sam attempts an explanation.
“Around about the time the last MarcusMaximus was being produced, production began on the PeppermintParchment. And, in many ways, the PeppermintParchment bore some visual similarities to the MarcusMaximus. One thing that was definitely interesting about the Peppermint Parchment was the creator herself, PeppermintParchment.”
Hyacinth Macaw Pegasus (Artist:PeppermintParchment)
As customary with the presentations he always goes for, Sam takes out his smartphone, swipes at it a few times, until he gets to an image he wants. Though this time, and rather interestingly, he is showing you a Pegasus fluffy. However, as opposed to the usual short wings that fluffy pegasi have, this fluffy pegasus had fully realized wings. It was surrounded by Hyacinth macaws and, judging from the wings it had on its back, the wings were clearly modelled after the parrots. ( >>40926 )
“Are those, parrot wings?” you ask.
“Yes, the Hyacinth macaw.”
“Can this pegasus fly?”
“I’m not sure. According to the description that was given by a Hasbio official, this particular fluffy was made on request. However, because it is a pegasus, it is very possible that this fluffy could interbreed with others. Nonetheless, the ability to modify Pegasus genes so that they could have more elaborate wings is an expression of the beauty that PeppermintParchment strove for. And today, we’re going to see a different take on the sea fluffy.”
“Okay, that is good an all, but what has that got to do with seafluffies?”
PeppermintParchment Seafluffy (Artist:PeppermintParchment)
Sam doesn’t answer your question, instead, as he keeps swiping his smartphone until he reaches the image of a fluffy that’s swimming underwater. It looks like any ordinary fluffy you’ve seen. Or, if you’re as pedantic as Sam is about types, it clearly looks like a Type 1 fluffy, like the Marcusmaximus or the Carpdime. That said, you notice the first immediate peculiarity, and that is the fact that its underwater. Land fluffies, if they have all four legs, usually are deathly afraid of water, with the urban legend of “fluffy pony drowning” being the result of their innate hydrophobia. Granted, there are fluffy subspecies like the seafluffy and the octofluffy, which literally live in water and thus are not afraid of, it but this fluffy that Sam is showing you has all four legs, like any ordinary fluffy.
And then, you notice the little fins on the fluffy’s legs, situated near the hoof area. “So basically,” you mumble with Sam’s smartphone in your hands as you hold it up to scrutiny to get a better look, “these seafluffies are like your average land fluffy, but with fins on their legs.”
“Yup!” says Sam, as he elaborates further, “And thats what makes PeppermintParchment seafluffies so unique. Whereas other geneticists like Mutagen, Waggytail or Carpdime followed a norm and made their seafluffies somewhat incompatible with the other types of fluffies, Peppermint’s seafluffies are, from what we understand, compatible with other fluffy types. Or, at least with other ‘normal’ PeppermintParchments.”
“But what are they like? How do they move through the water with those legs?”
“Well,” smiles Sam. “That’s what we’re here to see today.”
~
It is nothing quite like anything you’ve seen before. You’ve seen seafluffies of all types, but none of them compare to the Pepperparchment seafluffies dancing before your eyes in this enclosure. It is like watching a more agile hippopotamus swimming underwater, but in a very unusual style. With their front legs, they alternate between a kind of dog paddle, and a unique version of the human breaststroke. The fluffies acknowledge Sam and you, as some look at you through the glass. However, instead of hearing the typical “nyu daddeh?” or “fwuffy wan wuv and huggies!”, they simple wave their legs and say “Hewwo!”
You decide to sit down and gawk at the seafluffies. In the distance, you can hear the chatter of teenage girls. The pack of girls come up to the seafluffies. The tallest girl in the group nudges the elbow of a girl with blonde pigtails wearing suspenders, while giving her an order, “Quick, do a backflip.”
The girl with the suspenders smiles. She goes up to the enclosure stretches her arms, leans back, does a perfect backflip. Some of the seafluffies start to watch enthusiastically. A few of them attempt to mimic her and do their own backflips in the war.
While enjoying the sight, you notice a golden plaque in front of the exhibit. You decide to give it a read, and it provides a bit more detail about the PeppermintParchment version of the Seafluffies. But one line on the plaque catches your grave interest
“Status: Extinct in the wild.”
Turning back to Sam, you mention that alarming fact, “These seafluffies are going to become extinct?” Sam nods, with a tinge of melancholy. "Not many of them were made, and PeppermintParchment departed from Hasbio not too long ago. Breeders still keep producing new PeppermintParchments, but her seafluffies, like the Buwwito microfluffs, andthe FierceDeityLynx munchkins, were her own unique creation. And with their departure, less of these unique creations remain in the world for people to effectively continue.
This enclosure here may be one of the last refuges for the PeppermintParchment seafluffy."
As Sam says this, you see an old man, wearing a baseball cap, seated on another bench. On his lap is a little blue fluffy. The two have been staring at the enclosure for a good while now. After a while, a green sea fluffy swims up to the glass, with four foals accompanying her. The blue fluffy springs from his owner’s lap and rushes up to the enclosure. He places his hoof of the glass, and the green sea mare does the same, as the two look at each other, longingly, their attempt at an embrace shielded by the wall of glass.
While eyeing their longing, you eavesdrop on a conversation between Sam, and the Old man.
“So how is Fisher doing?”
“He’s doing fine. I actually have two of his children in my pocket here.”
As he says this, two little foals pop out of the front pocket of the old man’s vest. “Huwwo!” they say, as they greet Sam. “I’m surprised that the experiment even worked,” notes Sam, as he dotes on the two foals.
Trying to understand what the conversation was about, you go up to the two old men. They proceed to tell you the story about Fisher and his lady.
The Fisher and his lady (Artist:PeppermintParchment)
"Upon returning to my seat after the call, I saw that my fluffy was missing. I then noticed the tiny air bubbles. Without thinking, I dove straight into the water, and swam as fast as I could, until I could reach my brave little Fisher. Thankfully, he didn’t completely drown, and I knew enough CPR for fluffies to revive him.
I then saw the green sea fluffy mare, and she told me about how Fisher tried to save her. I feel guilty for admitting this but, when I saw her, I didn’t see a fluffy. I saw an opportunity for money. I had heard about the rarity of the PeppermintParchment Sea Fluffies, and the money that researchers pay to have a live specimen.
So I agreed to take the green mare with us. Fisher was ecstatic, but he didn’t know that his mare was not going to live with him in our house. Because of course they can’t - she needs water. Her diet of kelp and seaweed means that, as a seafluffy, she had to live the majority of her life near water.
Fisher wailed to me, day and night. Asking why he could never see his special friend again. And one day, I relented. I did save his life, but, in a way, he saved mine. I would do anything for my fluffy, and in this one case, I decided to give him the one thing he wanted."
Instead of expecting Sam to narrate it to you, you assumed the conclusion, “So you managed to have your fluffy breed with her?”
He nods. "The aquarium agreed to it. Because the only morphological difference between most fluffies and these sea fluffies were the little fins on their feet, technically, these sea fluffies could procreate with my normal fluffy. The other problem was that Hasbio stopped releasing new PeppermintParchments, so Fisher was a good specimen to work with as the keepers suspected that this particular seafluffy mare would only be compatible with fellow Peppermints.
So we gave them some alone time. And after a while, she gave birth to six foals. Four of them were seafluffies like her and live in the enclosure.
Two of them, just these two in my pocket, are the only ones that are a land-based fluffy. Every week, I bring Fisher here to spend time with his special friend, as well as their children. But we can’t stay for long."
The old man then beckons to Fisher.
“Come along Fisher, it is time to go.”
“Otay daddeh.”
Fisher turns his back on the glass, but for a moment, sees his lady across the glass, living in her tiny sea of tranquillity. His arms are almost outstretched, as if he wants to hug them, but his little arms can only hug cold, unfeeling glass. Nonetheless, he brings his lips up to the glass, and the mare does the same.
And, in the little corner of the world, the Fisher shares a tender moment with his lady, without a care in the world
“Gudbai, speshul fwen.”
~
You are at entrance of a pub. Sam had spent the day talking about a variety of fluffy related topics, but that story of Fisher remains stuck in your head. It was a tale you have heard many times before, especially in the human world, but it feels more difficult when perceived from the childlike mind of a fluffy. You had heard the story of the Buwwito who remained faithful to his special friend, even after she died. ( >>21493 ) And you remember how Maurice stood by his mothers side, even upon her death. Perhaps there is something about separated love that resonates with people, and leads them to hope that love could be reunited. You remember the story of the cowherd and the weaver girl, which has been popularized in the Japanese festival of Tanabata. You dwell upon your own reason for wanting a fluffy. Is it to make up for the loss of your Buwwito, not too long ago? Or was there some other recent personal event that made you want to get a fluffy? Recently, there has been an emphasis on marketing fluffies less as toys and more as companions.
It feels too much to think about as you beckon to the bartender.
“What can I get for you?”
“A stout please.”
The stout stands, an inky black beer in a vessel of glass. The colour reminds you of the void that you had experienced not too long ago. Bringing the drink to your lips, you savour its strong and dry bitterness.
It is not enough.
“Pour me another.”
~
You have reached your fourth glass. You are feeling a little tipsy, but the melancholy remains. You are about to order the fifth glass, when you hear a microphone being tapped. The pub, while a fairly small affair, has a stage that a band can use from time to time, and while drinking your sorrows away, you had not noticed that a band was coming onstage to play
“Would you please welcome, McAngus and the Boys! Featuring, Kegstand!!”
You glance at the stage. You see four men, one of them carrying a drum, and another on the far right, carrying a guitar. All four men are dressed rather conventionally, with a cotton shirt, pants and a vest. That said, the band had a rather unique member, a fifth member who wasn’t human.
Kegstand (Artist:PeppermintParchment)
"In da mewwy time of June from me home ai stawted
weft the mawes of Tuam nearwy sowwy heawted"
You see a green fluffy, wearing a black, broad-brimmed, high, pointed hat, much like a leprechaun. The hat has a four-leaf clover in it, with the fluffy’s yellow mane peaking beneath the hat. It is wearing a black vest, to go with its hat. While it sings in fluffspeak, you can get the unmistakable sound of the Irish accent, indicating that the fluffy had been either been trained, or long programmed, for this purpose. As the fluffy continues to sing in tempo, the band stamps their feet in unison, while the crowds claps at specific intervals and the drum is hit, giving the fluffy a perfect tempo to play their music to.
"Sawuted Daddeh dear, kissed am darwing mummah
Dwank a pint of beer, am gwief and teaws to smummah
den off to weap the cown, weave whewe fwuff was bown
Cut a stout bwackthorn to gu way ghosts an’ gobwins
A bwand new paiw of bwogues, rattwin’ o’er the bogs
Frightenin’ aww the doggows on the Wocky Woad to Dubwin
wun tuu thwee fouw fiwe
Hunt the Hawe and turn 'ew down the wocky woad
And aww the way to Dubwin, Whack fow wow we wah!"
The bands session ends to a hearty applause from the crowd. Although the band is ready to wrap up the day, you move ahead to approach the band leader, to find out more of their act. And in particular, to learn about their fluffy.
“Oh, Kegstand here? He was a feral we found at the Marianas Trench!”
What a coincidence, you think. That was the very aquarium you were at earlier with Sam.
“How did a feral like him land up there?”
And then Kegstand told his story.
“Whose Vincent?”
“Vincent was a security guard at the aquarium and was the jilted ex of the woman that Kegstand encountered. Vincent, however, felt sorry for Kegstand, and kept him at the aquarium. Then one day, me and my lads came by the aquarium, and saw Kegstand. Vincent tried his best to look after the poor fluffy, but his family did not want him to have the fluffy at home. I bought Kegstand off of him.”
“That’s real nice of you.”
“Aye. These Peppermintparchment St Patricks Day fluffies are very rare, as they were only released twice. I’m hoping to find a few more like Kegstand here, so that we can make a full Irish singing band with him. Kegstand has drawn quite the crowd!”
“Mista wan ottogwaph?"
Kegstand offers, holding his hoof up.
“Oh sure,” you mumble, as you scramble for a piece of paper. But of course, you don’t have one at the moment.
“That is alright laddie. Here’s something from me.”
You look behind you to see the unmistakable face of Sam Adams, this time dressed in nice evening clothes. “An autograph for me, and another for my friend here,” he says, smiling.
“Otay mistah!” As Kegstand says this, McAngus, the leader of the band, brings out a green inkpad. Kegstand light stamps his hoof on Sam’s paper, followed by yours.
“Haf a happeh day, fwen!”
You turn to Sam, a bit surprised to see him here.
“I was in the area. As you know, this sector has pubs, restaurants, and a few cafes. I was looking for a particular cafe when I heard the unmistakable sound of a fluffy trying to sing ‘A Rocky Road to Dublin’.”
“Yeah, and he was pretty good!”
“Peppermintparchment fluffies usually are. Sadly, they were often perceived as seasonal fluffies, and were often abandoned. After a while, the head engineer of the PeppermintParchment program departed, having lost an interest in developing fluffies. However, she has maintained a soft spot for her creations, and she still helps fund some of our initiatives, especially in rescuing seasonal fluffies.”
“That is real nice of her. What is she is doing now?”
“I’m not too sure. Rumour has it that she’s currently working at Capcom. Apparently, she is making some kind of biotoy for Capcom’s line.”
Jokingly you ask, “Lemme guess: the Umbrella Corp?”
“No laddie… I think it was Munstah Huntah or something. I don’t really play computer games.” ( >>54825 )
~
~Phantomfluffy~
~A tribute to Bunny and her foals~
You’re currently walking with Sam, having exited the pub.
“So Sam, what made you come around this area?”
"Well, there’s this cafe, I’m trying to find.
And what do you know, looks like I just found it."
As he says this, you see a cafe that is closed for the day. Its opening hours are listed as being from 8am to 10pm. You look up and noticed that the signboard has large cursive font that reads out, “BUNNY’S CAFE”.
You have heard of this cafe before. It is a smaller fluffy cafe chain compared to the Marco Maximisio’s Coffee chain, and so far, it has only two outlets. But you are aware this was one of the first fluffy cafes, along with Marco Maximisio.
“Drat, the cafe is closed today.”
Sam is deep in thought. He then figures out a workaround.
“Tomorrow is the weekend. Do you have to be anywhere?”
“No, not really,” you answer.
“Let’s have breakfast here.”
~
It is 7:30am the following day. The cafe opens at 8, but Sam has insisted that you meet him at the entrance half an hour earlier. That insistence has already lowered your mood, as you feel absolutely terrible this morning. You can taste a slight nausea in your mouth, having had one too many stouts the previous night. Considering that you are wrestling with a terrible hangover, you wrestle the will to bring yourself to the front of the café.
Sam is already there, ahead of you. He notices your current condition
“You feeling alright, laddie?”
“Nah, I feel like complete shit.”
“Did you drink water when you reached home?”
“Nah.”
“Well, I recommend getting a good breakfast here and some orange juice. And of course, plenty of water.”
Regardless of your current disposition, you are still puzzled as to Sam’s insistence in bringing you to this cafe
“Alright, alright. I just wanna know why this cafe in particular.”
“Well, I’ve actually been trying to track down the location of one the more well-known Gowdie fluffies, and my one of the leads that turned up was this fluffy cafe here. Plus, when I noticed the fluffy that was based here, I saw it as an opportunity to introduce you to a new fluffy breed.”
That fact caught your attention a little
“A fluffy breed, eh? What is this breed called?”
“The Phantomfluffy.”
Another odd name, as usual.
“Okay, so I can see the fluffy bit, but what is so ‘Phantom’ about it?”
“The Phantomfluffy was initially introduced as a Type 2 fluffy breed, but, over time, Hasbio kept breeding more Type 1 breed traits into it until it had a clear Type 1 form.”
He was still not answering your question
“Alright, but what is so ‘phantom’ about it?”
Sam is silent for a moment. His face is a little serious, as he speaks in a hushed voice
"The Phantomfluffy breed originally didn’t have a name. But there was the legend of a fluffy that howled like a dog. Its body was black like the void, and it had a scar, from years of fighting. There were other fluffies like it: Simmer. Star. The Rage_Fluffy. Xibalba. But this one fluffy had sharp teeth and howled like a literal wolf, earning its nickname, the Howler. ( >>5966 )
And because it was black at night, and could pass by in the dark, undetected, may have called it, the Phantomfluffy."
You remember Sam pulling this shenanigan when he talked about the Waggytail fluffy known as the “Crazy mummah”.
“Psychosis seems to be a running factor in these stories”
“I suppose.”
Samuel then turns to you. His expression is no longer serious, but one of blank confusion, as he offers another answer. “To be brutally honest with you, I have no idea why the breed is called ‘Phantomfluffy.’”
~
You’ve been having a good breakfast at the Bunny Cafe with Sam. If anything, the choice of breakfast that Sam ordered - which you are getting for free - has rejuvenated your spirits, and you feel ready to take on the day. But what makes your breakfast interesting is that Sam had arranged for a meeting with the cafe owner.
He is Jimbo Wallace. An ex-US Marine, he had two tours overseas in Afghanistan, and returned home to work initially as a small-time mechanic. To deal with PTSD, he was recommended Fluffy Therapy by his psychiatrist. Jimbo went to the nearest fluffy shelter he knew to purchase one, but the shelter he had gone to was run by a seedy unlicensed breeder that was abusing his charges. Upon seeing the plight of one of the mares at the shelter, Jimbo decided to buy said fluffy. ( Fluffy Neighbours: Prologue One Two Three Four
“And I’ve had Bunny ever since.”
Bunny is a Phantomfluffy that was designed for high volume breeding. Her body has four teats, allowing her to breastfeed more foals than other fluffy mares.
“So what got you to open up the cafe?” you asked Jim.
He gives a big laugh, as he’s ready to admit a small truth.
"I wasn’t sure what to do with them! I mean, Bunny had a lot of foals! And it was going to be a lot of work managing them all. Plus, I was only a small-time mechanic, and my pension was not enough to pay for the fluffies.
Then, I read somewhere that dog and cat cafes existed. I was thinking about that. Not too long after that, the owner of the Marco Maximisio chain visited me, telling me he himself was going to start a cafe."
Your eyes are wide open.
“You know the owner of Marco Maximisio?!”
“Yes I do! He’s an old friend of mine. And I am also familiar with their mascot, Beanie. Ain’t that right Bunny?”
“Dat wite! Fwuffy wuv Beanie! Beanie am guud mummah, wike Bunny!”
“Yes you are, my dear Bunny,” Jimbo says dotingly, as he scratches the chin of fluffy, and hugs her tight.
“That is kind of why I am here today, Jimbo. We know that Beanie makes appearances at various chains, but a lot of them aren’t the ‘original’ Beanie, and Beanie herself is elusive. I’m looking for the ‘original’ Beanie.”
“Ah, right, right.”
Jimbo pulls out his smartphone. With a few quick movements of his thumb, he sends a message to Sam’s phone detailing the whereabouts of the ‘actual’ Beanie. While this is going on, and feeling a little interested, you ask Sam a question.
“I’m surprised that more fluffy mares don’t have four teats like Bunny here.”
“I agree, and more teats would be beneficial, given how quickly fluffies tend to breed. Alas, the Phantomfluffy is another one of those breeds that disappeared. Much of its line was assimilated into other Type 1 breeds, like the Marcusmaxmimus and the Buwwito. As such, high volume fluffy mares with additional teats have been a rarity, assuming they exist at all.”
While departing from the cafe, you see a picture of Bunny with Beanie. Even though both fluffies went on to have fairly different lives as mascots, that picture felt like a happy reminder of a friendship that endured.
~
You’re in the car with Mr Adams, and he’s currently driving to the nearby city. The tipoff from Jimbo is that the original Beanie, the one-and-only mascot of the Marco Maximisio Coffee chain, is currently serving coffee at one of the outlets there. Because she has become a celebrity in her own right, tracking the presence of the actual Beanie has become difficult. But for you, you’re wondering why Sam is taking all this trouble just to find this one particular fluffy. Is he trying to get her autograph or something?
“No, I’m not interested in autographs, laddie.”
“Didn’t you want one of Kegstand last night?”
“What I mean is, I already have an autograph from Beanie. I have five of them, not counting the countless others I got from her imitators.”
“Then why? You have all the money and connections, why don’t you just arrange a meeting with her?”
“Are you prepared to use the Door again?”
Sam has deflected your question. But he seems to be hinting at something.
“Why do you ask that?” you ask cautiously.
“Well, just recently, I lost you to time and space, and you ended up in an alternate postapocalyptic dimension that had a giant monster. Not to mention that you met an evil version of myself, who was a head scientist at Hasbio. I think being in that kind of danger would put most people off the idea of teleportation.”
“It did, but I got to see many interesting things. I saw an intelligent fluffy that spoke normally, and I saw things like plant-based garden fluffies and cottonfluffs.”
“So you’re saying you have a taste for adventure?”
You’re not sure how to best articulate your answer to that question.
“I think so. I mean, it is dangerous. And my life had been a lot simpler before I wanted to get myself a new fluffy. But, despite all the danger, I wouldn’t trade this experience so easily.”
Sam nods his head. You can sense some appreciation from him.
"That’s good. I’m glad I have you as a friend.
Also, I asked you that question because we’re going to use the Door today."
You guessed as much, as you ask, “What’s the destination this time?”
“You’ll see. It also depends on whether we can find the original and actual Beanie today.”
~
Sam and you have finally reached the Marco Maximisio Cafe at the neighbouring city. But there’s a new problem now.
“Coffee fow nice mistah!”
“Can fwuffy take mistah orda?”
“Beanie wuv nice mistah! Give huggies!”
The cafe has not one, not two, but five fluffies, and all of them look like the Beanie mascot. Worse still, all of them are a Type 2 breed, with one being a Muffin, one being a Foxhoarder, and so on. While Gowdie’s have a distinctive look, anyone of these Type 2 fluffies could pass of as a Gowdie. There is even a 6th fluffy at the counter, with the barista, who is helping to take orders.
“Which one of them is the real Beanie?”
Sam doesn’t answer your question. He instead heads straight for the counter.
“Hello sir, what can I get for you?”
“I want to talk to the Beanie, please.”
Without hesitation, the barista brings the Beanie-lookalike above the counter
“Huwwo mista! Mistah wan dwink coffee?”
Sam whispers into the fluffy’s ear.
The mascot fluffy starts to have a serious look.
“Wite away, mistah.” (Artist:Muffin)
“Of couce. Wite away, mistah.”
The “Beanie” fluffy beckons to the barista, and whispers in her ear. The barista, too, adopts a serious face.
“This way. Mr Adams. I take it your friend is with you?”
“Yes.”
The two of you enter the work area, and the barista directs you to a room. For a brief moment you entertain the possibility that Mr Adams is letting you embark on one of his sexual escapades. Of course, what you really should expect is another one of his “Doors”, but at this moment, you have no idea what Sam is bringing you into now. Both the barista and the fluffy leave you two. Okay, so maybe it is not an escapade. As you think this, the floor beneath you starts to move.
“The platform is lowering. It should be down in a minute.”
Within moments, you are now inside a basement of some kind. Though there are no ceiling lights, the glow from various computers and machinery light up the room to a definite level of visibility. However, what is unique about the room is that “people” are not running the show around here.
Its fluffies.
The Hugbox Defence League (Artist:Muffin)
You see the real Beanie, talking to a bunch of younger foals, training them in the usage of their machinery. And, seated on a chair is the fluffy you met a few months ago. The fluffy that was born without legs due to a genetic defect.
“Tumbly!”
“Oh, huwwo Sam! Huwwo Sam fwend!!”
As Sam gets on his knees to give Tumbly a hug, you’re amazed at what you’re looking at.
“What is this place?!!”
“Oh this? This is the Fluffy Defence League.”( >>56222 )
“How the HELL are fluffies this capable?!!”
“You’d be surprised.”
Sam turns to Tumbly again, as he asks “Tumbly, I need you to do me a favour. I need to use your Door.”
~
Tumbly guides you and Sam to a room. You see the same hallmarks as the teleportation labs in the ABAP offices, as well as Erik’s house in Sweden. The cardboard boxes, each with a certain type of fluffy in them, all connected by writing to a wooden door in the centre of the room.
“Sam and fwend go whewe?” asks Tumbly.
“Italy.”
Feeling curious, you ask Sam, “Why Italy?”
“We’re going to see the Pinkyfluffy, an Italian breed.”
“But don’t you own a Pinkyfluffy? I know they’re expensive, but you look like the kind of guy who’d own one.”
“I don’t own one, but, even if I were to buy one, I’d rather go to Italy itself to do so.”
You want to point out that its too much effort, but, after remembering how the FierceDeityLynx and AIDS breeds were only common to their country of origin, you suspect it is the same case with the Pinkyfluffy.
Tumbly turns to the fluffy at the control, specifying the location, and orders, “Diwect co-owdinates to Itawy.” He then turns to one of the fluffies managing the machines and barks out, “Pwepawe sketti mesheen!”
“Ai ai diwectow tumbwie!”
Upon the order, the fluffy presses a button. And you once again hear that unmistakable sound of “Skettis! Skettis! Skettis!".
~
~Pinkyfluffy~
Within seconds, the door opens, and you can see an empty courtyard in front of you. Knowing the time limit on these things, you run straight for the door, and find yourself in the Italy. You look left and right. So far, no one has noticed you, as you ask “Alright, where to?”
Sam is right behind you as he closes the door.
“I see, we’re in Fregene. Its not bad, but I prefer Santa Marinella.”
You look to the right and see a harbour. In the distance, a fluffy can be seen, fishing in the water. Remembering the story of Fisher, you have a rough idea of how a fluffy can fish now. To your right, you see even more fluffies walking down the street. Some with their human owners. Some walking with cats and dogs, as if they were friends. And even some herds. However, instead of the chaotic, unruly herds of American and British fluffies with their smarties and toughies, the Italian fluffs, while unusual looking, are orderly and friendly.
“I don’t remember Italy being anything like this,” you gasp, amazed by the openness of the fluffies moving about in Fregene, and how much they have fit themselves in Italian society.
“I-I never expected this. I knew Pinkyfluffies were an Italian breed, but I never thought there were this many, or that they would be this civil!”
“You’d be surprised.”
“No wonder you didn’t want to introduce me to a local Pinkyfluffy at home!”
“Indeed, laddie. Pinkyfluffies are more popular and readily-available in their native Italy, and the cost to import to them back home makes them not worth purchasing at home. Hell, purchasing a Pinkyfluffy outside of Italy is pretty expensive.”
“But I had seen the pictures of Italy. I had never heard of fluffies being so ubiquitous!”
“Ah, but have you actually visited Italy before?”
“Not until today, no.”
“Thats why traveling is important, my friend. There’s a lot you can learn about a country that you can only do so by actually going there. A travel show or the internet can only scrap the surface to a certain level - to get the real deal, you have to be in the country itself to experience its people. Or in this case, its fluffies.”
“So what can you tell me about Pinkyfluffies?”
“Well, they’re Italian.”
“That’s a given!”
An elderly Pinkyfluffy telling a story to a foal (Artist:Pinkyfluffy)
“I know that they’re a Type 1 breed, based on their fairly thick body and short legs with thick hooves. That said, their fluff is unique and similar to a poodle. Like the poodle there are actually a variety of Pinkyfluffies, many of which are not fully documented. They’re versatile and surprisingly intelligent. Also, they can speak Italian fairly well, in some cases, even without the lisp.”
“They sound fascinating!”
“They are! And they live for 25 years.”
“25 years?!! I never heard of a fluffy live that long. Most of them die before they even reach a full decade!”
"Ah, but see, the Pinkyfluffy, being an Italian breed, had a different genetic program attached to it. Even though its a Hasbio project, the truth was, the work was done entirely by a third-party Italian genetics team, which had a very different approach to fluffy genetics. That is why Pinkyfluffies are so unique as a fluffy breed. In terms of mannerisms, they’re closer to some Type 2s, though they are clearly a Type 1 breed. But even relying on definitions like Type 1 or 2 doesn’'t cut it.
For me, I thought that Pinkyfluffies were a sort of unique breed, like the McGonagall, Fluffus and Yehdoo. And even though its clear that they have visual similarities to many Type 1s, their rather unique fluff, as well as their many capabilities and mannerisms just make them unusual as a breed. Hell, I am tempted to say they’re their own Type, with many varieties making up the collective breed. Like how there are different type of poodles under the same umbrella."
Sam stops for a moment to think.
“We should head to the ABAP office in Rome. There’s a rather unique Pinkyfluffy you ought to meet.”
The journey to Rome was not long, as Fregene is a coastal hamlet within the Metropolitan City of Rome. Sam and you board a railway train that heads straight for the capital.
~
You are currently at the base of the ABAP building in Italy. The building has all the hallmarks of modernist architecture, which contrast it against your typical imagination of an Italian building as having Greco-Roman features, pillars and columns. The building is about half the height of the ABAP HQ back home, but you can see twice the number of fluffies you usually see. All of them are variants of Pinkyfluffies. Some of them are actually working the garden, planting seeds, trimming the bushes, or watering them. You wonder to yourself, privately, how are these fluffies able to hold implements.
“Buongiorno, Signore Adams!”
“Grazie, fluffy!”
You are impressed by the Fluffy’s command of Italian, as it opens the door for two of you. You enter the first floor of ABAP Italia, and are see many of the similarities of the first floor back home. However, the fluffies here have a stronger, more independent stride to them their counterparts in other countries, especially America. Some herds seem to move independent but civil, free of human contact. And in the corner, you see a fluffy taking care of a human baby.
The fluffy babysitter (Artist:Pinkyfluffy)
“Is that a fluffy taking care of a baby?!” you cry in all credulity.
“Yes. Yes it is. That’s what makes the Pinkyfluffy so special.”
In one brisk move, you grab Sam by the collar, and bring your face up to him, as you demand, “No bullshit this time. Are we in another parallel universe?”
Sam smiles, as he understands your concern. He assures you, “I know you’ve been through a lot, but no, as far as we both know, we are still in the same reality. Or perhaps another reality invaded ours and landed in Italy. Who knows?” Feeling frustrated, you let Sam go, but with an air of frankness, voice out your disillusionment.
“I don’t appreciate this bullshit, Sam. This shit is fucking with my mind.”
Sam sighs. “Nothing seems definite these days. Who knows how much the world has changed thanks to fluffies. I didn’t even know about the changes that Pinkyfluffy made to Italy until about a year ago, when I was contacted by Giuseppe about setting up an ABAP office here.”
~
The inspiration for Giuseppe and his fluffy (Artist:Pinkyfluffy)
Giuseppe is a tall man with blonde hair. He is usually dressed casually but today he is wearing a business suit. He had some formal matters to attend to earlier, but, upon hearing that Mr Adams was able to pay him a visit. Encountering him, you notice that he is missing an arm. ( >>45397 )
“Ah Sam, it is good to see you.”
Although Italian, he speaks English well, without a hint of an accent. You wonder if he really is Italian.
“Allora, come va tutto a casa?”
“È tutto buono.”
Well, that answers that question. Even Sam, being able to speak many languages, maintains an foreigners accent while speaking Italian. But Giuseppe’s command of Italian indicates that he truly is a native.
A white pinkyfluffy comes up to him, carrying a briefcase and some notes in its mouth.
“Daddeh, fwuffy hav’ biznis wepowts fo’ yu.”
“Ah yes, thank you dear. You’re the best.”
“Yiw tu, daddeh!”
Remembering the presentation Sam gave on the Emotional Support Fluffy back at the end of March, you noticed the rather obvious similarities between that breed, and the Pinkyfluff.
“Was the Pinkyfluffy an influence on the ES Fluffy breed?” ( >>56175 )
Both Giuseppe and Sam laugh lightly in response to your question.
“Not really. While there are similarities, the ES fluffy was developed independent of any feedback from the Italian geneticists.”
“Indeed, it is a multiple independent discovery. Also, the development of the Pinkyfluffy is very different from that of the ES fluffy.”
“Yet it is still so similar. I feel like calling them Italian Support Fluffies.”
Laughter reverberates around the room. And after a while, you continue your endorsement.
“From what I’ve seen, they’ve been rather civil, and even more versatile than any other fluffy breed I know of. The Pinkyfluffy must be the best fluffy breed in the world!”
“Oh siwwy mistah. Pinkyfluffy nu am bestest fwuffy!” As the white Fluffy says this, he goes to a display cabinet, and slowly loads a trophy on its back.
“Fostewfwuffy am bestest fwuffy!”
“Fostewfwuffy am bestest fwuffy” (Artist:Pinkyfluffy)
The white Pinkyfluffy gingerly lays down the Trophy. It is a simple, but beautiful golden cup, on a wooden base, with a reading at the bottom that says “Best Breed of 2019 – Fosterfluffy.”
“Wook at guud fwuff picshahs!”
The white fluffy has returned with a bunch of pictures with its mouth. It shows a fluffy spending quality time with its master. You raise an eyebrow, as you ask Sam, “Fosterfluffy?” Sam, is a bit rushed for time, as he says, very quickly, “I’ll explain it to you next time.” As Sam continues to chat with Giuseppe about acquiring a Pinkyfluffy for himself, the question lingers in your mind.
What is a Fosterfluffy?
END OF PART 6
