We Know Not What We Do
Part 14
Mocha was standing up in the sorry box, pounding her hooves onto the clear plastic. “Pwease sowwy daddeh! Pwease! Nu gif 'Tuffy sowwy bawks!” She begged Steve, tears streaming, snow running down her muzzle. Mocha was full on ugly crying. He was having none of it. It wasn’t the first time she broke down like this, a different owner would’ve thought she was more sensitive or even call it compassionate. To Steve, her begging and crying grated on his nerves.
“What did I tell you? I told you the rules, and you still didn’t listen. Sit your butt down.” He glared at her, only causing her to cry harder. He reached into the box and flicks her nose, hard. She chirped and falls onto her back, her legs flailing. The shit smeared and rubbing deep into her fluff.
“Daddeh, hewp!” Her body squirmed, she couldn’t figure out how to roll over.
“No. Now stop crying.” He flicked her on the nose again, the snot turning bright red. She squealed again, her front legs covering her face as her bladder leaked in fear. She tightly shut her eyes and felt the box move and land with a thud. Steve left her on top of the kitchen table, her box next to the sorry box with 'Tuffy.
When Steve turned his back, Prince ran as fast as a three legged fluffy could and scrambled and crawled under the couch. Not that Steve would have noticed, he was too irritated from Mocha to care about Prince. He left the two alone, the door slamming behind him as he left for class.
When he returned home it was late, nearly midnight. Mocha was not crying, thankfully, but he didn’t see Prince. Nor did he look for him. He did a quick glance in the safe room and quickly topped off the water and kibble. “Prince! Do you want your bottle?”
“Daddeh? Mocha am su hungwy! Pwease fee babbeh nummies? Nee miwk,” she whimpered. He didn’t even look over to her. “Babbeh nee Nummies an nu smeww gud. Pwease? Sowwy daddeh!” Each word getting louder and more panicked.
“Prince? C’mon out.” Still no response. He tossed the empty bottle into the sink and turned off the light. It was the first time mocha ended up sleeping with the lights off and she softly complained about ‘dawk time’. Steve ignored her and headed off to bed.
He didn’t know how she did it. Not only was the bottom of the tupperware covered in poop, but her entire body was covered. Her hooves, smeared on her face, not to mention that her fail fluff looked matted as if she purposely packed as much shit in as she could. Shit smeared hoot prints as high as she could reach covered the sides. And to think, I woke up early for this shit…
She didn’t even wake when he lifted her, nor when he turned the water on. But once the water touched her, “DaddeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” he flicked her on the nose again as he dunked her under the water and roughly lathered her up. “Daddeh! Wawa bad fow babbeh!” Another flick to the nose and he put her head under the faucet, while also being careful enough to not get it in her mouth. He gave her a quick dry and dropped both her and 'Tuffy onto her bed in the safe room. Prince was watching from his bed, not wanting to draw Steve’s ire to him.
He didn’t return during lunch, at this point he figured the kibble was enough. But he did stop home to make a sandwich before running off to school. Mocha was avoiding him when he peeked into the safe room. She looked away when he greeted her. “Well, maybe 'Tuffy will say hi. Hello 'Tuffy.” Mocha harrumphed and turned 'Tuffy away from Steve.
He sat down on the couch, and as he was about to take a bite he felt tapping on his leg.
“Daddeh, Pwince nee tu tawk.” He held up his front leg, his stump making the same motion, wanting upsies.
“Sure, buddy.” Steve put Prince on the couch next to him. “I gotta go soon, what’s up?”
He sighs a big sigh for such a small fluffy. “Daddeh.” He put his hoof on Steve’s thigh. “Fwuffies, an 'speciawwy babbeh fwuffies, nee wub. Nee hugs. An nummies. An wub.” His lavender eyes locked on Steve’s. “Yu knu wha Pwince am sayin’?”
Jesus, is… Is he telling me I’m a bad owner? He was a bit dumbfounded, prince and Mocha were almost two months old, he didn’t expect to ever have a conversation like this with a human, let alone a fluffy. “I… I know what you are saying. I’m sorry buddy.” He scratched at Prince’s favorite spot behind the ears before leaving for class.
“Gud, Pwince knu daddeh unnastan.” He patted Steve’s leg, “wet Pwince down nao, pwease.” He obliged and ate his sandwich in silence.
To Steve’s credit, he did try harder. He got up early to pet and hug Mocha. Prince preferred the head scratches and he didn’t push the issue. He came home for lunch and stopped by after work between class to clean the litter box, replace the water, and if he had enough time, even stack a block or two.
It was Saturday, that meant chores and cleaning and extra time with the fluffies. He awoke to a fresh layer of snow on the ground, just a few inches, but enough to not melt. Winter was here. With it came the risk of finding fluffies under cars, dead or alive. Lumps of technicolor fur peeking out from the white blanket. And of course, those desperate enough to beg strangers for help.
He scooped up both Mocha and Prince, ignoring Prince’s feeble protests and held them up to look out the window. Both were just over half the size of a full grown fluffy, but he still handled both with ease. The two hadn’t been outside yet except for the vet visits. Prince and Mocha gasped “woooow,” their breath fogging up the glass. “You two wanna go play outside?”
Mocha became very excited at the idea of playing, and playing outside seemed even better! Price also seemed a bit excited, his yellow tail swishing. “Okay, lemme get changed and we’ll go outside. But you stay close.” Steve wasn’t worried they would get far, they were small, and fluffies weren’t know for their speed.
“Suuuu cowd! Wat dis 'tuff, daddeh?” Mocha gingerly poked at the snow with her leathery hoof.
“It’s snow. We won’t stay out too long, I don’t want you two getting cold.” Mocha bounded as fast as her fluffy legs could carry her, which was at best a brisk walk for a human, and rolled around in the snow giggling. Prince made the awkward three legged gallop and chased after mocha, he wasn’t as fast, but he wasn’t left behind. The two giggled and ran about leaving small hoof prints behind.
An unfamiliar voice called out to the three, “hewwo, nice mistah.” They all turned to see two fluffies slink from behind a car. “Mistah wub fwuffies?” The larger fluffy, which Steve figured was the male asked.
“Yeah,” Steve responded. “I like fluffies.” He waved to mocha and prince to get closer to him. He didn’t trust the larger fluffy, a lime green with pink mane. The other he assumed was a mare, she was a dingy sky blue with black mane. And, what he could only suspect was a pink foal on her back.
“Can fwuffies hab sum Nummies? Mummah fwuffy nee miwk fow babbeh. Onwy wast babbeh weft. Nu nee housie, buh dat wou…” The lime stallion’s thought stalled. His eyes looking between mocha and prince.
The blue mare nudged the lime stallion. He turned to her, “nu, wets fin anudda hoomin an housie. Dis hoomin hab dummy fwuffies. Dat a dummies daddeh. Dat am a poopies babbeh and dat oddah babbeh missin’ weggie. Wets gu.”
As the two turned to leave the shock wore off. He saw mochas lip trembling, the tears ready to start. Steve yelled at the two walking away, “ya know what, I don’t want to help you two anyway! Get outta here ya shits!”
The stallion looked back, “yea, weww, fwuff yu, dummeh! Dis wat Gweenie tink of yu!” His tail lifted and two nuggets of shit plopped out onto the snow.
Mocha hugged onto Steve’s leg, “daddeh, nu!”
Steve was seeing red, “no, fuck you!” He shouted back.
The mare looked back this time, yelling, “nu, fwuff yu!” She looked to her mate, “wets fin a nu dummeh daddeh.”
“Fuck you you fucking fucks!”
He heard their faint reply, “nu! fwuff yu! Yu hab dummeh fwuffies fow a dummeh daddeh!”
Both mocha and prince were latched onto his legs at this point. Steve saw two neighbors looking out their windows, and another on their porch. His reputation was forever tarnished.