Hey everyone! I'm back with a new update this week for my Bluey fanfic! Hope you enjoy!
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Chapter 9: Dress-Up
A few days passed, I continued living with the Heelers. A lot had happened since then: for one, I helped around the house...trying to do my part for the family who allowed me to stay. I did some chores, helped Chili cook on occasion and tried to learn some recipes from her.
Oh! And I also met some of Bluey's other friends from her class: a black/white Border Collie named Mackenzie (who's actually not from Australia like myself, he's from New Zealand.) Another friend I met was Rusty (who I can't actually pinpoint what breed he is just yet), Coco...a Pinkish Poodle, and Indy (who I also didn't know what breed they belong to, regrettably.)
I managed to spend time with these kids and learn a little about them: they seem pretty harmless. In fact, they seemed to welcome me with open arms, much to my surprise. We played some games together in the park/playground, and I naturally gravitated more towards playing games with Rusty and Mackenzie (what with originally being male and what not.) Still, that didn't mean I wouldn't play with the others, especially when Bluey organized playtime (oh goodness, if she's talented at anything so far in her young life it's organizing games!)
We all played until the late afternoon when the parents came to get us to take us all home for the day since it was getting late.
Today, around the early evening, Chili and Bandit pulled me aside and told me several people will be visiting the household tonight: some family members which include Bandit's younger brother (Stripe), his wife (Trixie), and two daughters. Needless to say, Bluey and Bingo were excited to finally see their relatives again.
"Dustin, please mind yourself around the family" Chili requested before I nodded.
"Gotcha."
Sure enough, there is a knock on the door and Bandit went to answer it (but not before being cheeky and rubbing the top of my head before heading off. I shake my head afterwards, now the fur at the top is messy and I can't help but huff back innocently. Chili walked toward me to fix it before we both giggled.)
Bluey, however, wanted to get to the door first, and her newfound energy (and speed) allowed her to beat her dad just before he could reach the door knob. Upon opening the door, an adult canine with light-blue fur, as well as brown fur, appeared on the other side. I examined them from across the room: this is Bandit's brother? Wow, they look so different! His brother has a much different fur pattern and actually has a light-blue "stripe" running along his waist. I don't even need to ask where he got the name "Stripe" from, heh.
"Hey kids!" He began, picking up Bluey as she squealed, "Uncle Stripe!" She exclaimed as Bingo joined their side. After letting Bluey go, Stripe greeted the younger sister with the same gesture, "oof, Bingo, you're getting bigger like your sister!"
Bandit walked forward to say hi to his sibling and the latter smiled, "good to see the 'fam again!"
Stripe looked down to see me next to Chili and he, rightfully, raised an eyebrow, "one of Bluey's friends?"
Bandit copied his brother's expression, soon looking behind him before realizing what Stripe meant, "oh yea, she's staying with us for a couple days. Parents are outta town" the Blue Heeler explained.
After Bandit said that, two more figures moved in from the outside: two kids (who are MUCH smaller than Bluey and Bingo.) One of them has gray fur and is slightly smaller than Bingo. The other is even smaller than the two (with fur resembling the father, Stripe Heeler.)
"Muffin, Socks!" Bluey and her sister yelled with joy, hugging the younger pair before a final member of the visiting group enters the house: the mother, Trixie Heeler, "good to see you all!" They said as the wives greeted one another.
The small gray canine looked at me from across the room, and for some reason narrowed her eyes at me. It's like they're already suspicious of me or something, "who's this?" She asked Bluey and Bingo in an over-the-top gesture toward me. I didn't know what to do, instead opting to introduce myself formally instead. As I walked toward the group, the small dog known as "Socks" stopped me, sniffing me all over as I try stepping back.
"Whoa, hey! W-what are you doing!?" I exclaimed in confusion.
"I ask the questions, stranger!" Muffin stepped in as Bluey and her sister jumped in surprise by their cousin's sudden scrutiny. I step even more backward, smiling nervously at the cousins, "who are you!?"
I dart my eyes back and forth as Socks and Muffin both growl at me like feral dogs. I look over momentarily to Bluey as a way to see if she could get me out of this, but she shrugs, amusingly enough.
"Uh...my name is Dustin...and-uh...I'm a friend?" I said awkwardly.
Without warning, the cousins changed their demeanor as if it were a light-switch and they smiled happily at me, "oh, okay! She can stay!" Muffin said, moving past me with her sister as I just stand frozen in place. Bluey/Bingo joined my side and giggled before I sighed at what just happened, "alrighty-then…what was all that about?"
"Sorry, that's Muffin for 'ya!" Bluey explained.
"Come on, Dustin!" Bingo added, grabbing my paw and leading me away before her older sister followed behind.
As the grownups talk in the kitchen and prepare dinner, we (as in me and the kids) went into the playroom. Muffin was already running all over the place...trying to decide on what to play. I looked around to see things were already misplaced or thrown on the floor and Socks looked to be biting into the Uno cards I had made earlier!
"H-hey!" I exclaimed, attempting to stop them! I grabbed the other end of a card as it turned into a tug of war between me and the purplish-brownish canine.
Meanwhile, the gray dog went into a box and pulled several clothes out...all of which were girly dresses (or tutus by the looks of it.)
"Dress time!" Muffin shouted maniacally.
My ear twitched at the sound of her screeching as I saw the dog rub the two dresses together. "Contest!" Socks added, letting go of the ripped card as I fall backward as a result.
Bingo walked by me as I look down at her, "how do you girls survive around these two?"
The five-year-old simply chuckled, helping me up from the floor, "come on!"
"Who'll judge?" The Blue Heeler asked, crossing her arms in thought.
"Me! ME!" Socks begged, jumping up and down while waving her small arms.
"Muffin, you want to judge?" Bingo asked but the cousin snapped back, "I want to dress up!" Bluey rolled her eyes before her sister tapped her paw, "can I be a judge, Bluey?"
"I don't know!" The blue canine was already overwhelmed. Across from them, I mentally scoffed. Dress up, me...no way. Not in a million years, I'm going to judge if I have to play with them!
"Dustin, you playing?" The seven-year-old asked as I snap back to reality. Ultimately, I shook my head, "no."
"Aww, why not?" Bingo Heeler was disappointed and I sighed shortly after, "It's not for me."
The girls gasped in unison at this before Muffin got impatient once again. She ran toward me with a maddened look on her face and growled...displaying a tutu to my face, "you'll PLAY!"
I looked away, crossing my arms, "fine, but only if I judge!"
"No! Bluey and Socks are judging!" Muffin decided without any one else's input, "now put this tutu on!" She demanded.
I narrowed me eyes as she did the same, I put my paws on my hips as an epic stare down commenced. Bluey/Bingo both gulped and the former decided to step in to try and diffuse the situation, "can't we just take a vote?" She said in heavy Australian accent.
"No!" Muffin shook her head, grinning mischievously after, "wear it" Socks barked in while standing in the background beside Bingo.
I groaned as loud as I can, snatching the dress from the little girl, this is so demeaning, I thought to myself. I can't believe I'm about to do this, how do I even put this on? Ugh, women make it look so easy!
"Need some help there, Dustin?" Muffin leaned over, covering her mouth with a gray paw as I growled at my lack of progress. Bluey and Bingo just looked at each other, not knowing what to do, especially when I said, "I'm perfectly capable of doing it all by myself!"
Unfortunately, the struggle to put on the pink tutu continued and soon Bluey decided to intervene to help on my behalf, "Dustin, let me help" the blue dog requested before I groaned out loud in anger...taking off the outfit (or what was on me) "this is so stupid! I'm NOT doing this!" I said before storming out of the room...leaving everyone inside silent from what happened.
I sat by the stairs, visibly frustrated. I was close to breaking down, I buried my face into my brown paws. I thought about it, thought about why I'm doing this...but I just felt SO embarrassed! I just don't know anymore…
Then, all of a sudden, I felt a soft paw against my back. Startled, I look left to see Bluey: she is worried about me, that's obvious. I looked away, unsure how to react, honestly.
"Dustin...are you okay?"
I scoffed, wiping a barely noticeable tear off my eye, "If I was honest, you wouldn't believe me if I told you…"
"Try me" she responded.
I looked toward her with a serious look, "I...I'm NOT a girl, Bluey" I spat out before I realized what I had said, but it was too late to take it back. Bluey took a moment to digest what I had just said.
Again, I'll reiterate: she's smarter than you'd think. In her class, her teacher, Calypso, would try to explain how some kids weren't comfortable with their genders and such. So logically, that's what she thought; however, what the blue dog doesn't know is that it's not what she thinks.
No matter what the reason may be, she was there for me. I read her look and I knew, "you don't have to play if you don't want to, Dustin."
I sighed, just sitting there for a moment...contemplating, "I guess…"
I thought about why maybe I ought to do it...yeah it felt strange for me but it's all in good fun...right...right?
I mean...what if Kailey asked me to do it? Would I really deny such a harmless request and break her heart? I mean, in the short time I've known Bluey's father, Bandit...it seems as though he, as much as he didn't want to take part in some activities, was always there for his daughters for their games...no matter how ridiculous or (more importantly) demeaning they seemed to be. Maybe it's time to take that into consideration?
Plus, no one's getting hurt, and...I'm a girl in this dog body right now...so it shouldn't be all that bad. Yeah, it shouldn't matter! In fact, I ought to just have fun with it!
I sighed, standing up from the stairs to be the same height as Bluey and I nodded with determination, "I'll do it. Allons-y." I said, passing by her as she had a bewildered look on her, "what?" She didn't have much more time to dwell on it, and she followed me back to the playroom.
We both returned to see Bingo, Muffin and Socks in a circle together just before they break apart upon seeing us.
"Dustin, Muffin says she's sorry for hurting you" Bingo opened.
I gave a slight smile back, "it's alright."
I went to grab the pink dress I was supposed to put on and nodded slowly at myself, "okay, how do I put this on?"
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After a few minutes, Bluey had helped me slip on the simple attire and proceeded to join her cousin, Socks, across a small table to judge. I looked down to examine myself and if you could see me in that moment...you'd see that I'm RED...I'm blushing underneath my brownish-fur…
Bingo and Muffin giggled as they examined their own tutus while I inspected my own. Across from us, Bluey explained to us that the three of us had to do dance improv.
Oh boy...this keeps getting better, doesn't it, I thought sarcastically. And so, we each made up our own dance session starting with Muffin Heeler.
She certainly loved the attention, yet her dancing was just chaotic nonsense to say the least. That didn't mean it wasn't amusing...for all the crazy stuff this small dog dishes out...Muffin doesn't need to try hard to get one to notice her. After finishing her small dance (or whatever you could call what she did), the "judges" wrote on some paper. Bluey and her partner, Socks, presented their scores to her:
Ten from Muffin's younger sibling and six from the Blue Heeler.
"Six, six!? Why only six!?" Muffin screeched before Bluey yelped, almost jumping out of her seat...proceeding to re-write her paper with a ten. The little, gray, devil smiled almost instantly at the change as Bingo crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at this.
I too rolled my eyes in a similar manner, this three/four-year-old just has so much energy! I can't imagine how their parents could sit through all this...must be tiring for sure.
Anyway, next up is Bingo and I cheered her on just before she did a few twirls in her tutu; however, it soon turned into her doing a dance unfamiliar to me. She sways her arms in and out behind her as she moves her hips in that direction. I rose an eyebrow, not sure what exactly she is doing. Is this just a dance they do in Australia or something?
"What kind of dance is that" I asked, laughing back playfully at the ridiculousness.
The orange-colored dog continued and she looked toward me with a big, happy, smile, "I'm Flossing!"
"Flossing? Did you just make that up or something?" I asked, confused. The kids just looked at me like I was their grandmother or something.
(For context, just laying it out there: where I come from...the dance "Flossing" had yet to be made up. How, you may ask? Well, before I was sent to Bluey's world the year was 2015 in my world. Of course, I didn't know this...yet.)
"I wish" Bingo retorted playfully. Once she is done, the "judges" again deliver their verdict: this time the results are inverted: ten from Bluey and six from Socks. Bingo, more or less, copied Muffin's reaction a bit (although hers is more of her putting her paws on her hips in anger.) The purplish dog, in response, corrected her core to a ten as Bluey had done previously and held her maw in a silent chuckle. Bingo couldn't help but jump up and down excitedly as Muffin looked toward me with a pointed paw, "Dustin's turn!"
I gulped upon hearing that...oh boy…
Needless to say: my blush could NOT be anymore noticeable!
I hesitated, but then...I snapped out of my trance when I felt a tug on my arm from none other than Bingo Heeler, who gave a reassuring grin to me. In response I nodded softly...confidence building just as the five-year-old breaks away. I took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly and softly...narrowing my eyes in complete self-assurance.
I began by jumping and spinning as my pink tutu spun around like a flower pedal. The girls across from me watched with their eyes glowing at what they're seeing. I land across from Bluey and Socks as they jump up in excitement as I pass them.
I finish with a twirl, but I'm so exhausted that I fall on my back. I panted as everyone cheered me on, with Socks barking in the background. I am helped by Bingo and Muffin just as we look to see the results from our judges.
The Blue Heeler threw a silly smug our way: writing an eleven on her sheet with crayon. She throws it up in the air for everyone to see. Meanwhile, Socks put a one instead as both girls next to me gasped. Soon, however, she grabbed Bluey's paper and combined hers, "three-ones!" She said, although I think she meant to say one-hundred-eleven (although at her age it's impossible to know that.)
I chuckled at that, "I can live with that." I had said before Bluey and Socks join our circle, "you did great, Dustin!" Bingo barked happily, jumping up and down excitedly.
"That WAS gw'reat!" Muffin added, giving a big, adorable, smile and I couldn't help but smile back.
Yeah, it was, wasn't it? Like I said before, it's all in good fun and everyone seems to be having a good time. Thus, my smile never faded and the girls and I continued our session for a while longer. Something I noticed about Bluey's family is just how WHOLESOME they all are...it's something I'm confident my family will be. I think being a dad means you'd do anything for your child (as long as it's right or harmless of course) because at the end of the day...you'll know that they know you're always there for them. In fact, I'm sure of it.
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Phew! That's all for that chapter! I wrote it while I was down in Florida for vacation! The idea for this chapter came from Season 2, Episode 5 "Charades."
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you in the next bit, peace!