Ficlet: Wet Weather Fluff
Title: Wet Weather Fluff
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Nosy.
Rating: G
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Nosy hates having to stay indoors when it’s raining, but what can it do about that?
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 176: Water at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
Nosy gazed gloomily out through the French doors; it was raining again, as it did so often in the place it now called home. The sky overhead was a leaden grey, indicating that the rain would most likely continue all day long. Raindrops were pattering gently down on the artificial turf, the flower beds, and the varnished decking; it would be quite pretty if it didn’t mean that Nosy had to stay indoors again.
The Fluff had been hoping that conditions outside might be dry enough today for it to go for a slither outside and get some fresh air, but another band of rain had swept in during the night which meant that even if the rain stopped, everywhere would be far too wet. Fluffs and water were not a good mix. The thick fur that gave Fluffs their colloquial species name absorbed water like a sponge, and being waterlogged was a decidedly unpleasant experience.
It didn’t seem fair. Humans could go outside in wet weather by donning raincoats and using umbrellas. Earth animals and birds didn’t seem to mind the wet either, far better able to cope with the rain than a Fluff was. Indeed, from watching nature documentaries Nosy had learned that some birds and furred animals spent a great deal of their time in the water without getting so sodden they needed assistance to dry off. How did they do that? Nosy hummed to itself thoughtfully; maybe it should find out.
Turning away from the window, Nosy went in search of a computer. Learning new things was so much easier since Toshiko had taught it how to Google.
It took a while to come up with the right questions to ask, refining search parameters several times, but finally it found the information it wanted, details of different fur types and how they operated to make creatures such as polar bears, otters, platypuses, and diving birds mostly waterproof. Some of it was to do with certain oils that were secreted by the creature and spread over the fur or feathers, making them repel water, but the rest was down to physical characteristics of the hairs and feathers themselves.
Nosy called up enlarged pictures of the various fur types, where it was easy to see the way tiny filaments locked together to prevent water seeping through the outer surface. It was quite fascinating, very different to Fluff fur, but with some practice Nosy thought it might be able to alter its fur structure to something more suited to earth weather. It would mean a complete moult of its long outer hairs, and perhaps the shorter hairs on its underside too, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Fluffs could shed at will.
It took a month, but by the time it was done Nosy was confident the changes would work. It had run some tests in the bathroom.
On the next rainy day, Nosy slithered outside, humming happily as the rainwater rolled off the first ever completely waterproof Fluff!
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Nosy.
Rating: G
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Nosy hates having to stay indoors when it’s raining, but what can it do about that?
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 176: Water at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
Nosy gazed gloomily out through the French doors; it was raining again, as it did so often in the place it now called home. The sky overhead was a leaden grey, indicating that the rain would most likely continue all day long. Raindrops were pattering gently down on the artificial turf, the flower beds, and the varnished decking; it would be quite pretty if it didn’t mean that Nosy had to stay indoors again.
The Fluff had been hoping that conditions outside might be dry enough today for it to go for a slither outside and get some fresh air, but another band of rain had swept in during the night which meant that even if the rain stopped, everywhere would be far too wet. Fluffs and water were not a good mix. The thick fur that gave Fluffs their colloquial species name absorbed water like a sponge, and being waterlogged was a decidedly unpleasant experience.
It didn’t seem fair. Humans could go outside in wet weather by donning raincoats and using umbrellas. Earth animals and birds didn’t seem to mind the wet either, far better able to cope with the rain than a Fluff was. Indeed, from watching nature documentaries Nosy had learned that some birds and furred animals spent a great deal of their time in the water without getting so sodden they needed assistance to dry off. How did they do that? Nosy hummed to itself thoughtfully; maybe it should find out.
Turning away from the window, Nosy went in search of a computer. Learning new things was so much easier since Toshiko had taught it how to Google.
It took a while to come up with the right questions to ask, refining search parameters several times, but finally it found the information it wanted, details of different fur types and how they operated to make creatures such as polar bears, otters, platypuses, and diving birds mostly waterproof. Some of it was to do with certain oils that were secreted by the creature and spread over the fur or feathers, making them repel water, but the rest was down to physical characteristics of the hairs and feathers themselves.
Nosy called up enlarged pictures of the various fur types, where it was easy to see the way tiny filaments locked together to prevent water seeping through the outer surface. It was quite fascinating, very different to Fluff fur, but with some practice Nosy thought it might be able to alter its fur structure to something more suited to earth weather. It would mean a complete moult of its long outer hairs, and perhaps the shorter hairs on its underside too, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Fluffs could shed at will.
It took a month, but by the time it was done Nosy was confident the changes would work. It had run some tests in the bathroom.
On the next rainy day, Nosy slithered outside, humming happily as the rainwater rolled off the first ever completely waterproof Fluff!
The End