Bearies
What purpose could a big goddamn fruit in the middle of a bear’s torso have? Well…
Commonly called the “Blue Beary”, the common color is actually the closest to the wild type. Found in dry forests with low rainfall, Bearies have a plump midsection that mostly stores fat and water. They can go over a month without a drink, and can even survive just by eating food rich with water. Their claws are very powerful and their sense of smell is impeccable, and when the weather gets too dry they sometimes scratch trees until they can access the sap within. They are omnivores and will eat anything they can find, but their favorites are bug larvae and berries, which are both rich in water.
The bearies commonly kept as pets have actually been bred to be more cute and friendly with their owners. In the wild, they’re extremely territorial, have longer claws and muzzles, and often have very thick, slightly sagging skin like that of a lion. Wild bearies tend to be about 2 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide, blue bearies, and chocolate-covered bearies tend to be about 1.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide, but red and black bearies typically clock in at 1 foot tall or less, and are only 6 inches wider than their height. No beary is particularly intelligent, but they are very curious and will often root around the house for food. Those owning a beary are advised to make a simple latch or lock system for their pantry or fridge, as bearies will stop at nothing to get in! Bearies are very gentle with their owners, so their strength often comes as a shock to a first-time handler. A common first experience with this is coming home to a pantry door ripped off the hinges and food cans crushed!
Many remark that the Red Raz Beary is the sweetest of the bunch, and for good reason! The pet of choice for many beary owners, their fur is soft like velvet, their fruity bodies are plush and huggable. Like black bearies, they can be placed in handbags and carried around, but both colors weigh slightly less than a bowling ball so this is reserved for strong owners. Black, red, and chocolate-covered bearies were specifically bred for Villager use, so they cannot be found in the wild nor can they survive if released. Their shapely bodies are not optimal for storing food or water, and they’re often gobbled up by the monsters that lurk near villages. Even the domestic blue beary doesn’t often survive if released thanks to its smaller claws, thinner skin, and shorter muzzle, but there are concerns that domestic blue bearies breeding with wild bearies is tainting the wild gene pool.
Interestingly, the name ‘Red Raz Beary’ is only partially in reference to the animal looking like a razz berry. This color was developed from crossing Black Bearies and Chocolate Covered Bearies to create an especially friendly and soft beary. This project was under taken by the Raz family, who were a rich family of red pandas and beary enthusiasts, dedicated to removing a bad stigma from the Beary species. What was this stigma? That brings us to the last color...
Sadly, Bearies were not originally domesticated for their sweetness, but for minipet fighting. The Chocolate-Covered Beary is a color that was specifically bred for fighting, much like bulldogs. The hardened chocolate secretion is like thin armor, the unique shape of their body gives them extra strength, and they tend to be larger than their red and black siblings. Since this bloodsport is now illegal in most of the villages, it is very hard to purchase one of these and some areas have regulations for owning one. In spite of this, I assure you, all the aggression of their breed’s history is long gone from these sweet creatures! They’re very protective, kind, and affectionate, and enjoy going with their owner wherever they are, faithfully trotting beside them. They also love to be scratched under their little stem-like fur tuft!
