RP Post: The Fluffiest Chicken

Cassidy held the chicken close, her small arms wrapped carefully around its warm, feathery body. Charlotte was heavy—almost half her size—but Cassidy didn’t mind the weight. Charlotte didn’t fuss or flap or scratch. She just settled in with a little flutter and a soft br-r-r-rr sound, like she knew Cassidy was safe to be held by.

They were inside the coop, where the straw on the floor was warm and rustly and the air smelled like dust and corn. Around her, the other hens bustled and clucked, busy with their breakfast. But Cassidy wasn’t rushing. She was learning.

Learning that hens make different sounds when they’re happy, or startled, or sleepy. Learning how to scoop eggs into a basket just right so none of them break. Learning that Charlotte, with her white feathers and soft brown freckles, was her favorite of all.

Charlotte wore a pink ribbon around her neck, tied neatly in a bow. Cassidy had helped with that part earlier—just a little ribbon, soft and loose so it wouldn’t bother her. Now it made Charlotte look fancy, like she was going somewhere special. Maybe she was. Maybe she was just here, with Cassidy.

The coop was full of chatter, but Cassidy was quiet.

She didn’t need words to tell Charlotte how much she liked her.

The soft chicken coos said everything back.