A Cushy Expedition

By Horatio Husky

Written for Luci

Chapter I: Aspens are good for the mind, body, and soul.

    “As much as I missed civilization, I really didn't miss waiting for the baggage claim at this airport to make up its mind."  Amber thought to herself, her thick bushy tail twitching at the tip in slight irritation.  To anyone observing, they would have see a tall, confident, female red panda garbed in a sensible coat, faded grey green pants, a cloth ankle bracelet which looked as if it had been tied with great care, and a pair of robust looking hiking boots that looked as if they'd seen the edge of the world as well.  And they hadn't been too far off from it either, for Amber was a renowned explorer of the many unique and foreign places of exploration and venture scattered throughout the world.  Her yearning for adventure was so distinct, that she had even landed herself in an educational tv show where she had the opportunity to share her passion for the world's mysteries and beauty with furs around the world!  Translated into over 36 languages, “The Amber Expedition," had been a hit and had completely changed Amber's life.  Wherever she went somebody would recognize her by her quant explorer's hat she wore, or her bright, beaming smile that lit up even the darkest caves she fearlessly ventured into.  Amber felt surrounded by love and appreciation, from the darkest jungles to the coldest peaks it seemed as if nothing could stop Amber from getting that drive and kick from accomplishing something marvelous, and sharing it with families all around the world.  Amber let everyone know, and during every episode of her show, that inside even the smallest heart, yearns for big adventure and acts of bravery.  

    At last, with loud complaints coming from the machinery the baggage claim decided that it was in a mood to cooperate.  Amber was still lost in thought, however, as thunk after thunk resounded as people's luggage began to fall out of the metal tube, like so many eggs being laid by some strange machine.  She had never felt more alive than during those months of filming and traveling it was true, and filming for the next season was supposed to begin almost right away.  She had, however, decided that she needed some time off, and much to the discontent of the producers she decided that she needed to take a six month break before getting back to it.  Something had been troubling her for quite some time now, a part of Amber that was neither adventurous nor brave in the normal sense of those words.  Although a fierce, independent, and intelligent entity on her outside, Amber had always had a little secret that was not as assertive and valient as her outward persona.  Amber wanted to feel vulnerable not to the elements of her adventure but in a different sense.  The red panda however found that bravery in expressing this particular feeling had always eluded her, and after she had finished the first system of her show and hit fame, she decided that she couldn't hide from this aspect of herself any longer.  

    At last her distinct suitcase thundered out of the claim, a mosaic of stickers from all her various travels covering the thing as she strode over to where it had fallen, slowing making its melancholy rotation around the claim.  Her effeminate but firm arms grasping the handle, she hauled it off the conveyor belt and strode with purpose towards the exit of the airport, idly opening the Fürber app on her phone, she typed in the address of the couple that had agreed to take her in.  “I can't believe I'm actually going through with this." she mused to herself, as a ride appeared with a message telling her that it was 8 minutes away.  “I never knew there were even opportunities like this available either, a whole community for it on the internet as well.  They really do have everything on there."  Earlier in these past few weeks Amber had decided to indulge in a fantasy that had been in her mind ever since she could remember.  Sure she was always that girl wearing overalls rolled up, a collection of bandages on her arms and legs looking through the bushes to find insects or running ahead of her friends into the forest to play jungle expedition, but although an important quality, it wasn't the entire Amber.   Amber was an adult babyfur, a term she'd only recently learned, and she had decided that she should no longer feel ashamed of the person she felt she was.  She couldn't stand telling her viewers to always believe in and be honest to themselves if she couldn't even follow her own preaching.  That was why Amber had decided to follow through the pyrenees's offer, which she had been surprised to have received after only such a brief introduction to the community.  “Adopt-A-Bab" was a little community she had found where caretakers who were also into the adult babyfur scene would offer people to stay at their house in exchange for a small fee to undergo an experience of a mommy or daddy who would treat their subject like no more than an adorable, helpless little baby.

    Having read the description of the community web page something stirred inside of Amber that incredibly excited her, waking up a part of her that she had almost tried to forget she had.  After a few weeks of back and forth communication, she had decided to spend a month at Jade's  house in southern Maine.  The pyrenees owned a remote house with several bedrooms and a wrap around porch in the middle of the countryside, a dirt road ran up to their house which was surrounded by large fields of grass and spurts of forest, a rather isolated but extremely comfortable looking place.  Amber immediately fell in love when she had looked through the photos she sent her, as well as the large menagerie of supplies which made her heart pound in her chest and her paws almost shake with excitement.  The red panda deposited her suitcase into the trunk of the Fürber and took a seat in the back.  “How are we doing tonight?" asked the middle-aged badger at the wheel, sporting a grey flat cap and a friendly smile.  “I'm doing quite well, thank you." Amber replied, the badger nodded politely and pooled out of the airport parking lot, driving in pleasant silence as the only noise came from the country music radio station he had turned on.  Amber was relieved that the badger didn't seem to recognize or know who she was, the last thing she wanted was to answer questions and engage in small talk about her show and the places she had been before arriving at Jade's residence.  

    Amber's heart rate increased as she thought of all the things Jade had shown her awaited her, and she nervously began to fiddle her tail fur with her paws, looking out the window as the streetlights glowing in the evening light soon gave way to a dark forest road, and a few drops of rain dashed themselves against her passenger side window.  The red panda stared at her own reflection in the glass, looking from her heart shaped mark on her cheek which her fans adored, to her striking blue eyes that always gave her an indimating, perceptive look, as if she was reading the move of every wild animal she faced off with in the plains of africa, to her white tipped ears, which always swiveled and twitched right as she felt she had made a fabulous discovery of some natural formation or hidden anthropological treasure.  A striking face, but also a cute one.  Her cheeks burned red as she imagined that face with a pacifier in its mouth, staring innocently back at the window glass, not a care in the world and a sense of happiness and bliss that nothing else could compare to.  She looked down and pulled out her phone, checking her texts.  “One forcedly polite question from my producer how my vacation is doing, one stupid joke about my hair in the episode on the Bornean jungle from my little brother, and a text from my parents wishing me a safe flight." Amber thought to herself, scrolling further down she saw that Ms. Jade had also sent her a message, asking her if her flight had landed yet.  Her heart rate once again increasing she quickly texted back that she had landed safely and was already on the ride there.  Shortly after the text had sent a speech bubble with three bouncing dots appeared, and a text in reply appeared shortly after from Jade informing her that they are quite excited to meet her and some, "surprises" were in store for her already.  

    Amber bit her lip, her nervous energy rising at the quotationed word, “surprises" in the text.  The car made a left off of an asphalt road and onto a gravel one; Amber glanced nervously at the in-app GPS, and saw with a flutter of excitement that they were only half a mile away from their final destination.  Amber took a deep breath, ran a paw through her headfur and tried to compose herself.  She wanted to make a good impression on her host, they had already been so generous that she felt obligated to repay them somehow, but they refused all the things she had offered them.  Now she was coming to visit, and she could hardly breathe without shaking a little in giddiness.  The badger seemed to notice her apparent tenseness, and smiled in the rearview mirror, saying, “We're almost there, I'm sure you're quite excited to see your mommy."  Amber caught her breath as the badger finished his sentence, and glanced at him a little too quickly.  She looked into his eyes and smiled in the rearview mirror, but saw only provincial hospitality in his face.  She shook her head and laughed a little, raising her hand to her forehead, “I'm sorry I'm not really myself tonight, I've been traveling a lot in past months so it's taken a little bit out of me."  “Well in these woods you're sure to get all your energy back, these aspen trees are known to have amazing effects on one's body, mind, and soul.  You went to the right place to catch some rest."  Amber smiled back at him, warmed by the badger's joviality.  

    Up ahead she saw the house and her heart skipped a bit, it looked like just the pictures she'd seen, and with all the lights on during the night it looked even friendlier than ever.  The car pulled up to the front porch, and Amber could see her hosts' outline underneath a red raincoat.  Jade saw her through the passenger window and smiled warmly at her, Amber's cheeks reddened and she did her best to smile warmly back.  All of a sudden she felt incredibly shy meeting the person she had told so much about herself, the relatively female dog that stood before her knew more about her darkest secrets than any of her past lovers or even best of friends.  She felt as if she didn't know what to do with her paws as she exited the car, so she was grateful when the badger handed her her suitcase and her paws once again had something to do.   The badger bade them a warm goodnight, and drove off down the road, making a left turn and driving off into the distance, his two headlights fading off into the distance along with the drone of his engine, leaving only the night time sounds of insects and raindrops on the roof of the house.

    “Welcome to our home Amber," Jade said smoothly, her deep voice like rich creamy peanut butter spreading over a warm slice of toast.  The canine had a fascinating array of coloration on her fur, her hair and eyes were a darker turquoise color, with her hair splitting into a darker blue turquoise streak and into a greener turquoise streak. Her arms and body were a darker, grey fur color but leading to the tips of her limbs as seen on her arms her fingers ended in the same color as her eyes.  The dark blue green pyrenees gave Star a reassuring look after she had stated her welcome, and Amber felt incredibly little for a reason couldn't quite figure out.  “I'm honored to have been invited, your hospitality around these parts really knows no bounds," Amber replied, still feeling incredibly giddy from seeing all the houses and person she had only seen online and in her fantasies.  “Come sweetie, the others are waiting to meet you!"  Jade beckoned and grasped one of Amber's hands which had been clutching her suitcase.  Almost stumbling on the stars, the female red panda used her large tail to rebalance herself, and allow the happy pooch to lead her into the house.

    The interior of the house looked like the definition of warm and homey, with the furniture lavishing in soft brown hues and the walls were as snow could be.  Around every corner there was a stuffed animal or baby toy lying around, and as they passed the living room Amber noticed and a wide arrow of toys, blankets, pillows, and plushies.  Jade led her into the kitchen, where Amber was surprised to find two adult babies wearing nothing but their onesies and diapers, suckling happily on their pacifiers as one of them danced two plushies for the other's apartment to great enjoyment.  An athletic looking lynx with the ends of her hair dyed pink sat in a onesie covered in a green dinosaur pattern, looked up and smiled through her pacifier at Amber, "Hew-oh my gawsh…"  The lynx's expression turned from happy and welcoming to shocked, her fellow diapered compatriot, a purple haired white fronted husky wearing a purple onesie and a thicker-looking diaper-o looked similarly surprised as the two stared at Amber, making her feel even more self-conscious than before.  “Are you? From the show?"  Star pointed at the television behind them, where to Amber's further embarrassment she saw herself, wading through a river in Africa attempting to get closer to a baby giraffe.  

    The standoff of surprise, and to Amber, unpleasantness, lasted only a few seconds but felt like forever to Amber.  Before she could properly react Ms. Jade to the rescue,"Girls why don't you hop upstairs and get ready for bed while I give our guest a little time to put herself together after her journey, hmm?"  Recovering their senses, the lynx nodded and grabbed the huskies paw, who willingly got up and padded with the lynx past them, smiling at Amber before disappearing after the lynx.  “Come have a seat dearie," the pyrenees gestured towards the kitchen table, taking her suitcase from her stiff, still apprehensive paws the canine led her over to a chair and pulled it out for her, allowing her to sit herself down.  Amber obliged, her head still spinning from what she had just seen, “They seemed so… natural… and open."  she thought to herself, feeling a little dizzy from the excitement of what she had just seen.  A minute later Amber looked up to see Jade sitting down across from her.  In her paws she had two glasses of wine, and a child's sippy cup filled with what Amber guessed must have been juice.  Jade cocked an eyebrow, and asked coyly, “Wine or juice?" waving the glass and the cup as she spoke each word.  

Amber gulped.