(I know a lot are waiting for ‘You’re a Bad Mummah!’ But this was already 3/4s written! It’s coming soon, as soon as I finish rereading the chapters!)
The Mill: Humble Beginnings
Part 3
A few days had passed, and Gavin was ready to reintroduce Candy to the mare’s pen. She’d been kept in isolation, told once a day she’d been a bad fluffy. He couldn’t really do much more to her. He didn’t want to risk a miscarriage. Gavin heard even an excess of bad emotions could cause a miscarriage, even if the fluffy’s physical health was taken care of. They needed social interaction, so Candy should be reintroduced to the herd. He wasn’t sure how it would go, as Princess still held a deep grudge against Candy. No surprise, given Candy’s actions. Valor, also, now harbored a deep hate for Candy. No surprise, given it was also his babies that had been miscarried. Gavin let the two have some time to mourn. He’d make sure they bred soon enough. Maybe he’d have to keep Candy in a separate pen? But then she’d be lonely and depressed…should he get another pair so they’d be with her? Maybe one that wasn’t prettier than Candy so she didn’t get jealous? Ugh…he’d have to see if this worked in the first place. No need to be negative.
He entered the barn with a tentative smile. “Hey, fluffies…” he said. The fluffies were naturally happy to see him, except for Candy, who looked at him sullenly. He’d never had to punish them so harshly before but they’d also never acted up to such a degree before either. Pregnancy hormones were rough on a human, and now he had to deal with those strong emotions with someone who had the mind of a mentally challenged child. He needed patience and teaching….
“Candy, have you learned your lesson?” He asked, approaching her.
“Candy nu wike daddeh.” She sulked. “Bad fo babbehs.”
“Candy…you were really bad to Princess’ babbehs.” Gavin said. “How would you like it if Princess made you a mummah no more?” He asked, using their words on them. “I may have to take your babbehs away if I can’t trust you to not step on them or be rough.”
Candy gasped, the thought finally sinking through her head. “Nu! Nu wan wose babbehs! Candy be gud! Candy be gud mummah!” She loked panicked at the idea of her own little babbehs being taken away.
“I can’t put you with Darling and Princess. Not when you and Princess are so at odds with each other.” Gavin said to her. He put Candy in the pen next to them. It was outfitted just like her old pen, but there was a fence of mesh wire between her pen and the next. She could see the other fluffies but couldn’t touch them. “Buh….huggies?” She looked up at Gavin tearfully.
“You can’t be trusted to give nice huggies to your friends. Not after you hurt princess. I don’t think she’d even let you near her now.” Gavin had Valor and Princess mate again and now Princess was ultra protective of her new foals. She even once snapped at Darling for being too close to her. It was clear Princess was not going to lose her foals a second time. She even questioned Gavin a few times, but did not defy him. Gavin did not reprimand her, as he had much sympathy for her. She didn’t want to risk her little foals again. Gavin didn’t want to risk them either. After all, he wasn’t trying to be a backyard breeder. He was going to be a legitimate service with HAPPY fluffies. How hard could it be?
Gavin found it was very hard indeed. He had to bathe the pregnant mares at least once a day. Even with the healthy food and litter trays behind them, wet wipes weren’t doing it. He couldn’t risk them getting infected. It wasn’t like the baths hurt them. It just…scared them. Especially Darling. The fist time he’d tried to bathe her after the incident she’d screamed bloody murder. He’d had the cops called on him for the first time ever. Gavin was known to be a hugboxer, but even the cops looked disappointed to see him being serious about this hugboxing breeding operation. He’d been forced to get a muzzle. The mares were too fat to wiggle away, at least. Even Princess, who had yet to lose all the mummah fat.
Disaster struck in the time waiting for his darling mares to have babbehs. He had noticed what looked like tiny footprints around his shed. Too small for him to see what kind, but he then heard a shriek. Oh no…was it rats? He knew they could be nasty to mares, eating them or their food. Gavin rushed in…but he did not see rats.
Microfluffies. Smaller versions of fluffies. These looked slightly bigger than a child’s puff ball, but they were creating a big problem for him. He glanced over at the stallions, and shivered to see the floor mostly bloodied, bits of multicolored fluff littered. They hadn’t taken lightly to having thier food messed with. The mares however…
Their food was being eaten by the microfluffs. Darling was screaming about dirties, as she now had sorry poopies all over her.
“Mummah nee’ nummies! Nee nummies fo babbehs!” She cried, waving her leggies and trying unsuccessfully to clean her face.
“Bad fwuffies! Meanies!” Princess had a little more spice to her, biting and batting at the microfluffs. Unfortunately she was heavily pregnant and immobile, and the microfluffs were many. It looked like several of them had managed to steal pieces and scatter away before the larger fluffy got them.
Candy had ended up hugging the microfluffs to death. She’s missed hugs and affection in her semi isolation and had hugged the little microfluffies too hard. She was currently creeping up on a blue subadult who was cheeping in the corner in a puddle of its own piss and shit. Perhaps it was better that one perished.
Gavin had to act fast. He had a bucket he scooped the litter in, so he grabbed the currently empty bucket and was scooping microfluffies in it. The ones that were still alive, at least. The dead ones could wait. His hand got filthy from the little creatures, and he heard himself called a ‘dummeh hoomin’ more times than he cared to count. As he gathered, he called his brother in law. “Dude. I have a problem. Fu-…Freaking microfluffies! They got into my shed and terrorized my stock!” A pause. “I don’t know how they got in! I gotta recheck the outside. I need you to get rid of these things. You got that extermination service, right?” Gavin knew his brother in law had a local fluffy extermination service. He’d seen them take the fluffies away from places, and he assumed they got adopted…or at least the high potential and high value ones did. He assumed they euthanized the rest. He tried not to think too hard about it.
While he waited, Gavin cleaned up his mares. “It’s okay, girls. The mean fluffies are gone now.” He said. Darling had to be muzzled once again while Gavin cleaned her. Now the muzzle itself set her into screaming. Great…she associated it with her baths… He reassured Darling the baths were fine and she hadn’t done anything wrong. The microfluffies were mean. He didn’t know why they thought they could come in and eat her food. It was her food for her babbehs.
Princess was next, still huffing and trying to stomp the air at the sight of dead microfluffies. Apparently she was a bit of a warrior, not wanting to lose any babbehs ever again. “They’re gone, Princess. They’re forever sleepies now. You kept your babbehs safe.” He said, which seemed to calm her down a bit. She was less messy, less shit on her, only some blood.
Candy was last, and was the most messy with blood and gore on her. “Candy…those fluffies are too small for huggies. I hope you don’t hug your foals that tight. You’d hurt them.” He warned.
Candy gasped. “Buh…Candy nee huggies! Huggies am fo babbehs!”
Gavin was worrying Candy might be too stupid for babbehs…and too mean to be harmlessly dumb. But he couldn’t just keep her in a cage and breed her over and over. That was the opposite of his business model. Any backyard breeder could do that. And the babbehs…how would they do without a mother? Unfortunately fluffies weren’t like dogs or cats where they could easily accept and care for strange puppies and kittens. No, fluffies would push away or even kill foals who came begging for milk. He’d have to bottle feed on top of all his other work…
Next he cleaned up the pens. He had to change the bedding and…well, change everything. Clean everything. He even found another microfluffy hiding in Candy’s litter! It was half dead somehow, likely from trying to inhale litter. He gave his stallions lots of compliments. Luckily they just needed some hoof cleaning. They did very well to defend their area. Prince was distressed, as he’d heard his special friend screaming, so Gavin held each fluffy up to see their special friend was okay. They got some time with their special friend once a day already.
Finally his brother in law arrived. Nile. He was a tall blonde man, lightly built, but had a sleazy air about him like a conman. Gavin would not trust this man with his valuables nor as a businessman, but his sister insisted he was amazing. His business was doing well, at least. Gavin was pretty sure he got lucky living in a city with a seemingly unending fluffy infestation. The man showed up in his uniform, which was a white and black waterproof one piece jumpsuit. He had the helmet up, but it covered his head lightly but provided ample face protection from liquids.
“Hey, bro. Where’s the micros?” He asked, a gleam in his eyes. Clearly the look of a man who loved his work.
“Out back in the bucket. I’ll be out in a minute. I just gotta refill my mare’s bowls.” Gavin said.
Nile sneered at the fluffies. “I can’t wait till you see you can’t use kid gloves on these things.” He said and left.
Gavin just shook his head with a smile. They’d see. He wondered how Nile would sort the -THUD!
There was a sound like a ball hitting his barn. A soft, wet ball. Oh no! Gavin ran out, just in time to see Nile launch the next microfluffy at the side of his barn, a yellow one this time.
“What the hell are you doing!?” Gavin yelled, partly in shock.
Nile looked annoyed at being interrupted. “What? I’m exterminating.” He said. “You know, what you called me to do.”
“I didn’t tell you to throw them at the side of my barn! Look, I knew you were probably gonna kill them, but don’t kill them on my property! Especially not right next to my living fluffies!” he was furious. He shouldn’t have to explain it!
“Okay, okay, geez. My truck is already full, though.”
Gavin now realized he heard soft pleading, and looked over at Nile’s truck. The top had a tarp, but he heard childish voices coming out from under it. “Why didn’t you kill them where they were?” He asked with no small amount of snark. He went over and undid the tarp…only to almost gag at the smell.
The conditions were…deplorable. Cages meant to hold two fluffies comfortably had as many fluffies as Nile could cram in there. Six seemed to be the minimum and eight seemed to be his record of stuffing fluffies in there without killing them.
Nile rolled his eyes. “What? Sometimes my truck gets full so it’s kill on sight after that.”
“But these things are suffering more on the trip…and they still die. It’s not even humane, is it?” Gavin accused.
“You think people want a fluffy traumatized to hell? You want any? Take em. Saves me a damn headache.”
Gavin looked over the fluffies. “Maybe I can take one or two…”
The fluffies had heard and all turned their tearful eyes on Gavin.
“Nyu daddeh? Pwease hewp fwuffy!”
“Be gud fwuffy, nyu daddeh!”
“Fwuffy nu eben ask for toysies! Jus wan nyu daddeh!”
The cries got louder, the pleas more desperate. Nate plugged his ears, giving Gavin a look that said to hurry it up.
Gavin knew he could only go for pretty fluffies. Each time he picked up a cage, the fluffies closest tried their hardest to hug his hands, looking pitiful. Gavin decided. He found a rare treasure. A fluffyshy! He picked it up in amazement. “How did this one end up on the streets?” He asked.
Nile snickered. “Check the equipment?” He said.
Gavin raised an eyebrow and felt weird, but took a look between its back legs and…it had a bloody hole where its genitals should be. “What the hell?” He asked. He looked closer to realize it was where a male’s genitals would be. “Oh…yeah. I…uh…see how that ruined somebody’s perfect fluffy…”
“Nu wook, nyu daddeh! Squeee!” The fluffy even had the voice of a fluffyshy, though there was rarely a difference in boy or girl fluffy voices.
“A fanboy threw it out. He was pissed he got a boy instead of a girl.” Nile cackled. “I had to check if he wanted it. Dude said he couldn’t even f-ck it. He even tried to castrate it.
Gavin sighed. “I can’t take this…” he said, feeling sorry for it. “I need an intact male…”
The fluffyshy didn’t know much of what was going on, just that he may not get a new daddeh.
“Nyu daddeh! Fwuffyshy wuv yu! Pwease, nyu daddeh?” As he was being put down he panicked. “SCREEEEE! NUUU! NUHUHUHUHUUUU! NYU DADDEH!!!”
Gavin began the search again, and found something…unique. “Who threw this one out?” He asked. He took out a gorgeous fluffy. Purple with an electric blue mane and tail. Intact and looked expensive. “Dude, this looks like it was custom and cost money.” He said.
“Yeah, some asshole stepdad who didn’t want to live with a fluffy.
“I thought you hated fluffies? Why’s he an asshole?”
“Cuz he wants to make his step kid fuckin miserable by getting rid of the pet. He’s still an asshole. That one is probably at least trained.”
Gavin looked over the fluffy. “What’s your name?” He asked the fluffy, who brightened.
“Namsies am Bwitz, nyu daddeh.”
“Blitz, hm? Would you like a new home here? You’ll have a special friend and get to have foals.” Gavin said.
Blitz brightened. “Weally, daddeh? Bwitz wuv nyu daddeh!” He said, and tried to hug Gavin.
Gavin allowed the hugging, and patted his back. “Alright. Now to find you a special friend.” He started looking through again, sometimes picking up a fluffy, disregarding it if it was a male or if Nile said it was spayed.
Finally Gavin found something. A Rainbow Dash. “This…Nile, how are you sitting on a treasure trove?” He asked. “She’s not a he, is it? Or spayed?”
Nile grinned slowly. “Surprised you didn’t see her first off. Nah, she’s intact. Boyfriend sold off his ex’s gift. Paid some damn good money for her too. He said it was either selling her to me or stomping her to death. So she’s not free.” He said. “But you get a discount. Fifty.”
Gavin paid without hesitation. She was worth much more, and Nile knew this…but he just wanted to make a quick buck and get the fluffies away. “Deal.” He said, and had both fluffies in his arms, nuzzling each other, apparently satisfied to be ‘special friends’. He learned the Rainbow Fluff’s name was uncreatively Rainbow.
Nate sighed and looked at the half empty bucket, before upending it over the cages. “Hopefully some will land on the road.” He said. “Here’s a tip…you don’t get feral microfluffies in this area. Someone dumped them, probably from the city. So keep an eye out, yeah?” Money seemed to have sweetened his mood. “Later.” He soon drove off.
Gavin was left stewing a bit. Someone dumped the microfluffies and traumatized his fluffs? Dammit! He hid his anger, as he had Blitz and Rainbow to take care of. He carried them inside. “First things first…you two need a bath.” He braced for the reaction.
Blitz surprised him. “Otay, daddeh…” He said, his ears down. The fluffy was just barely an adult, but he was well adjusted to bathtime. He didn’t like it, but he accepted his fate.
Rainbow was…not as trained. “Baff? Wawa? Wawa bad for fwuffies!” She cried, wiggling.
“Have you ever had a bath before, Rainbow? Blitz isn’t afraid.” Gavin said.
Rainbow paused. “Nu. Bu is wawa! Wawa is-“
“I heard.” Gavin said, cutting off the phrase. “You’ll have to be brave. Clean fluffies are good fluffies.” He said. He took them to the bathing area, the other fluffies chattering, comforting each other or themselves. Candy was crying, Darling and Princess were trying to comfort each other, though they were too pregnant to move.
The stallions were calling over to their special friends. Gavin placed the two in the tub, no water. “Wait there.” He said, and went over to his stallions. “Alright, boys. You can comfort your special friends, okay?” He said. “They’ve had a rough time. They’re not nearly as tough as you and pregnant.” He brought them over, even Prince letting himself be carried to get to his mate. Candy was the most pleased to have company.
With them sorted, he went back to his new finds.
“Who dey, daddeh?” Blitz asked, his tail wagging. “Nyu fwiends?”
“Yes. Those will be your new friends. But you need baths first, then you can meet them. They might not be happy because some microfluffies were very mean to them, but they’re nice.”
“Speshul fwiend an hewd? Daddeh am bestest!” Blitz wagged his tail.
“Yes. I’m a breeder. I make sure you all have pretty babbehs that go to homes that love fluffies.
“Nu keep babbehs?” Rainbow asked sadly.
“There’s already lots of fluffies here. And housies that want a fluffy or two of their own.” Gavin said. He’d gotten the others to accept this easy enough. Knowing they could raise their babbehs then have more was enough for them. He began to wash Blitz, who stood there, trying to look brave, despite his tail being between his legs.
“B-Bwitz am bwave…n-nu scawed of wawa…” the fluffy said. Gavin was impressed by his bravery. “You’re very brave.” He agreed. “Rainbow is a lucky mare to have such a brave stallion as a special friend.” He wanted to encourage this, as at least Blitz knew it was a necessity. The bath went mercifully quickly, Blitz’s only discomfort in his rear being cleaned. He was dried off, then Gavin’s attention went to Rainbow. “Okay, Rainbow. Your turn.” He said. He saw she’d wet herself in fear. Great.
“You need to be washed.” He said. “It can hurt you and your future babbehs if you’re dirty. Then you also don’t smell or look pretty.” Gavin then picked up Rainbow and gently set her in the tub. He heard her squeak, but she thankfully didn’t fight him. Thank the gods, as the last thing he needed was more trouble bathing fluffies. He was sure she was also happy to be clean after being crammed in those dirty cages. He gave her reassurances as he washed her. “Good girl.” He said, and was done quickly. He cleaned up the pee, dried the fluffies, and let the new pair get with each other. He listened for the enfs, though he would not watch. Not only was it weird, there was tentative research that fluffies had smaller litters when they were uncomfortable enfing. He waited until he heard the ‘GUD FEEWS’ and Rainbow giggled. “Am soon mummah!” Good. It took. Gavin put the new arrivals in the pens. His fluffy pens had a few extra beds and stalls, having anticipated he’d grow the business.
Gavin had a phone call shortly after his chores.
“GAVIN, YOU IDIOT!” a female voice shrieked at him.
The man winced. Of course. Nile told his wife. Sarah never cared or his fluffy business. She didn’t see the benefit in breeding fluffies, barely tolerating the one her daughter had. “Look, Sarah, I didn’t plan for it-“
“You’re going to bankrupt yourself over stupid fluffies of all things!” She wasn’t swearing so her daughter must have been in earshot.
“Look, all businesses are a bit of a loss at first. Once I get situated, the money will come rolling in! They’ll be more expensive, but far better behaved. People might love fluffies afterward!” Gavin protested. He knew his sister wouldn’t understand…while Gavin came to love fluffies, Sarah never liked them. She found them smelly and filthy, too high maintenance and bratty. Gavin found them indeed a bit high maintenance, but they were like higher end pets. No more troublesome than, say, reptiles or birds. The conversation ended like most about his business. Sarah doubting it would take off, Gavin assuring her he was fine, Sarah saying Nile has room at his business, even an office job if Gavin couldn’t bring himself to exterminate.
Gavin sighed, hanging up the phone. No. This would work. It had to. He went to bed, hopeful for the next day.
END CHAPTER 3
(Let me know what problems you’d like to potentially see Gavin overcome.)