My original Stuffy drawing, dated February 24th 2022.
Redraw by @SqueakyFriend.
Introducing Stuffies
Not to be confused with stuffy friends (a fluffy’s colloquial term for inanimate plush toys), Stuffies are a subspecies of fluffy made entirely of fabric, cotton stuffing, and other toy-making materials.
Where Do They Come From?
The body of a Stuffy must be hand-crafted with love, care, and attention to detail. Once the Stuffy’s body is completed, a Stuffy has to be given a lot of love before it can come to life. In practice, the best way to bring your Stuffy to life is by giving it to a child who will truly cherish it. When this bond is created, and enough love is given, the Stuffy will take on a life of its own and become your new best friend!
Stuffies can also have foals, if they so choose. Not every Stuffy will want a foal, but some will want many! When making Stuffy foals, the parent and owner are both equally involved in the process. In order to begin, you must cut a small scrap of cloth or remove a small piece of stuffing from the parent Stuffy (and quickly stitch it shut or patch it with more material.) The parent’s material must be the first piece used to begin constructing the foal, or it won’t work. From there, the parent Stuffy will select what other materials to use, as well as other physical characteristics. The Stuffy’s owner will help put the foal together, sewing and stitching the little plush creature to life. Foals also require love to come to life, but this can almost always be accomplished by the parent alone because Stuffies always have plenty of love to give.
Stuffies do not age and can live forever. Foals, however, can “grow up” if you transfer all of their stuffing into an empty adult Stuffy body.
What Do They Like?
Stuffies are your very best friend. They love to play, talk, and toddle around the house! They’re always up for a game of pretend, having tea parties and “eating” play-sketti made of yarn. Stuffies love to learn, explore, and will follow their owner anywhere. They also like meeting other Stuffies and their owners/families. Nothing makes a Stuffy happier than a big hug, though!
What Are They Made Of?
Stuffies can be made of any fabric, stuffing, stitching, or really anything you like so long as you’re truly happy with it. Do you want a soft, huggable felt Stuffy in baby blue? Go right ahead! Do you want a “poopie” Stuffy made of burlap with button eyes? Go ahead! Your imagination is the limit! Stuffies aren’t extremely picky or preferential when it comes to materials, they’re just happy to know they were loved enough to be made. However, materials should be washable and relatively durable, as Stuffies become distressed at any stains or tears in their fabric.
Hugbox Potential
Stuffies are just brimming with hugbox potential. So many stories to be told of families or individuals from all walks of life pouring their heart and soul into making their new best friend forever. A parent introducing a stuffy she made as a girl to her own children, a grieving family finding solace in the company of their child’s best friend, a whole bunch of daycare fluffies working with the daycare attendant to put together a Stuffy and bring it to life as a sort of class pet. Stuffies have plenty of versatility for hugbox content due to their profound connection to the emotion and concept of love.
Abuse Potential
Of course, abuse potential for Stuffies is also rather plentiful (if you’re a monster.) Considering they’re made of fabric, stuffing, and other bits and bobs, they aren’t particularly strong or durable. Limbs can be torn off, eyes pulled out, mouths stitched shut, stuffing removed. Stuffies are flammable as well. But worst of all, without love, a Stuffy will die.
Sadbox Potential
As said above, Stuffies are fragile and will die without love. These shortcomings are good for more than just abuse. Imagine, if you will, a feral Stuffy mummah folding little origami foals around a piece of her own stuffing. They come to life, they’re thrilled to be alive with their mummah, traveling around the countryside as happy as can be. That is, until it starts to rain. The rain wets the paper, causing it to melt and tear apart, leaving the mummah alone to die of a broken heart. Imagine again, if you will, a Stuffy being left in a storage unit after its owner’s passing, never to be loved again. It would sit there among the boxes, waiting, until eventually it went unloved for too long… and all that was left was the body.
Weirdbox Potential
As said before, Stuffies can be made of basically anything. That means anything. Do you wanna make a sandpaper Stuffy that’s full of gravel or something? It’s doable. How about an army of Stuffies overrunning Toys R Us to free the other toys after watching Toy Story in theaters? Maybe you wanna write about a Stuffy going the route of Chucky from the Child’s Play movies? That could be neat.
Closing
I’ve been working on this idea, on and off, for almost three years. I’m in love with the idea and would love to see some content made with these little guys. I also hope y’all like these because I think they’re really fun and cute. If you do decide to make anything with Stuffies, please tag me in it!
This post was made for Ponepone’s December Subspecies Competition.
