Ownership - [1]
#1 of Ownership
"How about thisss one, sssir? It sssaysss here that he'z independent, sssociable, and dealssss well with large groupsss of people. He's also houssse-trained, and he can even act az help around the houssse too." A reptilian voice said, hissing with each plausible phonetic. The cobra that it belonged to was slender, slithering along the ground with some sort of creepy grace.
"No thank you. It says here that he was already previously owned. I need something fresh for him, you know? Something that he can call his own, you understand?" The cobra had been speaking to a rather large doberman, dressed stately and professionally. they were walking through rows upon rows of cages, covered by white sheets with clipboards hanging on the front. As the canine read another clipboard, grumbled and passed it away, the cobra started to look around with a worried look.
"Well... ah!" He said, before he beckoned the canine over to a cage that was on top of another. "How'z thisss one? Never owned, medium maintenance, very tame. He'z never ssspoken up before, and I've never had a problem. Houssse-trained and he even comes with all hiz ssshotsss and immunizationsss." The cobra said. The doberman stared at the qualifications listed on the clipboard. He leaned down, lifted up the draped sheet, and peered inside.
He was met back by two topaz eyes, seemingly glowing in the very low light. The form was shivering, and he just chuckled. "Don't worry. You'll be out of here." The canine said, before he put the sheet back down. He turned to the cobra, and promptly pulled out his chequebook. "I'll take him."
"Oh come on Cherise, it's not like I didn't find out you guys were planning me this party." A husky laughed lightly at the female deer, who was leading him up steps to his small, quiet home nestled in the hustle and bustle of the suburbs. His light purple and white fur rustled slightly as the doe advanced on him, a look of pure seriousness caught in her eyes.
"I know, but can you PLEASE just act surprised when you get in there? Everyone at work's been itching to do this, and--- oh, goddamnit, just play along okay?" She said, her melodic, soprano voice filling the world with annoyance and bile. The husky just laughed and nodded, his tail wagging behind him out of anticipation. While it was true that he knew everyone at the office was planning this party, he was still surprised at the fact.
"Don't worry, don't worry!" The husky said, still laughing nervously. While Cherise was a sweetheart and possibly one of his best friends at the office, he knew that she could get angrier than most people would give her credit for. "I promise that I, Lyle Stanton, will play along like an Oscar-winning actor." He received a firm punch on the arm, earning himself an additionial glare.
He adjusted his blazer and his tie, grinning at the doe; though he withheld asking how he looked. A purple and white paw fell onto the handle of his door, finding it unlocked. He just grinned at the doe, who rolled her eyes and groaned. "Of course. You'd probably suspect something was up the minute your door's unlocked. Just go, go!" She said, ushering him in.
At first he was met with a wall of darkness, his paw reflexively going to the wall beside the door. It searched blindly until he flicked the switch, to find a good two dozen furs jumping out from various places, all yelling "Surprise!" in tandem. His eyes lit up and he dropped his briefcase (on cue), and he looked back at the doe as if to make sure. She just grinned, and he stepped in, shaking and hugging every fur, laughing jovially, ensuring that he "had no idea" and that "this was a great surprise".
"Boss!" He said, genuinely surprised as he found the large doberman also in his apartment. The larger canine just smiled, and gave him a firm, sound handshake. "I didn't think you'd have come, of all people. I mean-- no offence; you just seem like the very busy type you know?" The doberman just laughed, and clapped one of his large, heavy paws on the husky's shoulder.
"Mm, granted I am a busy man-- but Cherise has been telling me things of you." He said, leading the husky away from the bustle. By this point the snack table was open range anyway, and people were starting to mingle. "Like how you live alone in such a nice home. I mean... I'm sorry to have heard about Delilah..." The husky stared down, and stopped walking. "Lyle, you are one of my most valued, and best workers. I don't want to see you succumbing to any sort of depression or anything. I've told you before that my door is always open but you haven't seemed to come talk-- so I figured I would try one last thing, and leave it at that."
"One last thing?" Lyle asked, and his boss just grinned, wagging a finger. "Wait till later, huh? You always were one to never reveal anything right away." He snickered, and just turned back, heading into the living room to go mingle with his coworkers. The doberman smiled warmly, and just stared down at a glass of punch he held in between his fingers.
"Oh... there's still things to reveal, Lyle, don't worry."
"Come on, come on, what'd the boss get you?" Cherise asked, as she pushed Lyle towards a pile of gifts left beside the table. He was never one for gifts-- at least receiving them. He would always give out small gifts to everyone at the office, but he was never keen on accepting them; so everyone figured it was time to pay him back. He'd gotten a range of things, from cute to useful, and had thanked each person greatly. He was even wearing a new argyle sweater one of his office-mates had gotten him (though he didn't mention that argyle was perhaps his favourite pattern). The husky stared at the rather large, square case that was left. He dragged it over and pulled the card off, before he snickered. "To Lyle: Perhaps this will bring some much needed attention." He didn't really get it, but instead just pulled off the cloth that was draped over it.
The entire room gasped.
There was a sort of kennel-like cage underneath it, and inside through the bars, was a small form, curled up with his knees up to his chest. He was shivering, naked, and cold-- staring back at the room with topaz eyes. A distinct lack of fur, and his "carrying case" instantly made everyone realize what he was."... A human..." Lyle muttered, staring at the poor creature. He looked over his shoulder at the boss. Was this what he meant by needing company? Sure humans were known to be high class pets but--
"Again." His boss started. "I'm so sorry about what happened to Delilah. But I know you as a doting, warm, and big-hearted husky. I figured you just needed something to spoil again." Lyle stared back at the kennel. Humans were near-rare, and ever since the evolutionary change a long time ago, they were no longer the dominant species. There had been a bout where humans had been used as slaves, but the furs recognized that they still had rights, and had abolished their slavery. It was rare to see a human living independently-- most were owned or working under furs.
"Where did you get him?" Cherise asked, as she knelt by the cage. "Don't worry love, I won't hurt you. I'm Cherise. Do you speak English?" She asked. The human just stared at her continuing to shiver in his curled up ball.
"He's a refugee that I saved from the slave trade. I wish I could have saved them all but I could only pick one." Their boss said. Everyone else still seemed stunned. Their gifts had been nice but this was something that none of them could have ever thought of getting the husky. "I'm sorry I can't stay any longer-- but I have meetings all day tomorrow." The doberman stepped up to the husky, and clapped his shoulder again. "Happy birthday."
"Thanks for everything, Cherise." Lyle said. The doe had stayed behind to help him clean up, and the two shared a platonic hug at the door.
"Has he moved yet?" Cherise asked, as she looked around the corner into the living room. When most of the company had left, Lyle had opened the door to let the human walk free, but he was still huddled in his corner. He stared at the two of them with those clear, yellowish eyes, and she giggled. "He's a cutie, at least. Some of them you see walking around are just--"
"Good night, Cherise." Lyle interjected with a grin, closing the door on her, ushering her lightly out the door. She huffed, and just waved goodbye, before she stepped down the steps and started to walk down the street to where her car had been parked. The husky sighed, and stared back at the living room, before he decided to sit on the couch opposite the cage. He just sat silently, staring intently at the human. What was he supposed to do? Sure there were "guides" on how to care for, what the human would eat (though he wasn't surprised to find out they didn't eat any different); no guide could tell him how to handle this situation though. He smiled warmly, before he slipped off the couch, sitting on his haunches on the floor. He extended a paw out towards the cage, and said nothing.
There was another pause of silence, before the human shifted slightly, making his way to the door. Now in the light, Lyle could see him better. He had a rather large frame, but looked thinned because of malnourishment. That could easily be changed, though-- and he figured that the human would end up to be a slight bit slimmer than he was. Dirty, tousled brown hair matted the top of his head, his bangs reaching his eyebrows, and the back of his hair going slightly past his neck. A good grooming was going to be needed too. He had a rather young face, but looked extremely tired and stressed. His skin looked dirty and pale, though he could tell that there was some colour to the young human.
"Come on. I won't hurt you." Lyle said, as he waited for the human to make the first movement. "I'm sorry, but I'm really ignorant about humans. I know you walk on two feet, and I know most of you can speak English. Why don't you come out and stretch your legs?" The husky's tail wagged slowly, but the human made no move.
"Naked." Was all the human said. "I-I... I'm naked. And I was put on display for everyone." The husky blinked, and just nodded, getting up and grabbing the cloth that had covered the cage. He put it on the ground in front of the cage, and the human slipped out, wrapping the cloth around his waist to hide his shyness.
"You know," Lyle started. "Out there on the streets, most furs don't let their humans walk around with any clothes. Maybe some will have something to hide their modesty but... most pet humans just walk around buck naked. Ironic, isn't it?" The husky asked, tilting his head. The human sat on the floor cross-legged, looking a little less nervous now that he wasn't stark naked.
"What... is going on?" The human asked. Lyle blinked. "I... as far as I can remember all I remember is some voice... slithery and hissing... I don't... home..." The human broke down. The husky started to get up, before that made the form cringe. He sighed, and just slowly crept up, before he found himself in front of the human. He placed a warm paw on the other's knee, and stared him in the eyes.
"Do you have a name? A mother or father?" He asked. The human stared at him blankly. "The poor thing. He must have been one of those humans that were born in those slavery kennels, and just raised there." He smiled, and just removed his paw, hearing the human whine a little. "Do you mind if I named you, or do you want to pick your own?" He asked. The human sat there for a little, before he shook his head.
"I... don't care." The human said. That made the husky blink. He decided to re-state his answer. "I mean... I have no preference. If you have a name for me, then you may call me what you wish." The human stared around at the new surroundings, having only ever really seen the rooms at the... where had he even come from?
"Hm... I don't know. I didn't expect to get a pet human for my birthday." The husky said. He watched the human wince at the words he chose, and he figured he needed to explain better. After all, if his assumptions were correct, this poor thing didn't know anything about the world. "Thirsty? Hungry?" He asked, and the human just shook his head no. "Well then, if you are tell me. I have a few things to tell you, after all."
"In today's society, there are three distinctions between the different kinds of humans. Or at least, what purpose they serve. It's horrid to say, but it's true." Lyle said. He had resigned to the couch, and the human stayed where he was in front of the kennel. He continued to stare around with those topaz eyes, as if committing every corner of the small home to memory-- though he was still fully concentrated on what the husky was saying.
"The first is a servant. They are bred to follow orders, and do as their owners ask. Some become butlers, others just do mundane tasks like cleaning. Others do more complicated things, such as manual labour or doing taxes or bookkeeping for the furs. It's far cheaper to get your own human and have them do the work, than hire a fur and pay them a salary."
"The second is a pet. It's like how humans used to have domestic animals as pets. They stay at home, are given affection and a place to stay, and are generally just amiable friends with their owners. That's... what you're classified as, based on your description." The husky pointed out the clipboard, and the human took it, reading it over.
"What's the third?" He asked, after seeming satisfied with what he read. The husky gulped a little, and just shook his head. "You don't seem to approve of it."
"No, I don't." Lyle replied. "The third become victims of abuse. Toys, if you will. Things for the furs to take out frustrations on-- physical, verbal, or sexual. They're nothing more than just mediums for the fur's emotions. Most end up as sexual toys, barely living a life outside of their cage until they're needed. Of course there are variations on these three "classifications" if you will but--"
"I understand. I'm not that ignorant." The human said. He looked up, and saw the husky glaring at him. "I'm sorry. I spoke up and didn't mean to undermine--"
"It's alright. Just watch your tongue. I know that you're not a stupid being, nor are you ignorant. But in society if you speak up like that, I'll have no choice but to punish you." The husky warned, making the human cringe. He didn't want to have to be harsh or mean towards the human-- but he wasn't about to let his social outlook be tarnished. "On that note," Lyle stood and stretched. "I think that's time to turn in, hm?" He stared down at the human expectantly, but he didn't really know what to expect. "You're welcome to use the couch if you want to. I don't have any place for you to sleep right now so it's your choice."
The human tilted his head, and just nodded, climbing onto the couch that the husky had been sitting on. He looked up and the husky smiled down at him, ruffling his hair. "Good night, sir." He mumbled-- afraid at how automatic that felt, but it didn't feel all too bad in the end.
"Good night, Jules." The husky said, with a wink, heading upstairs. The human looked up a little, watching the husky head upstairs. Jules? Well, he could live with that too. He took off his cloth, and used that as a blanket, curling up as best he could.
_"Please, no, take us, but leave him alone! He's a child, he can't serve--"
"Oh, I'm sure there'll be someone who'll buy him."
"No! NO! OLIVER! OLIVEEEERRR!"_
Jules woke up with a start, finding himself covered in a sweat. He was no longer underneath the sheet, but a much warmer comforter, and he even had an extra pillow under his head. He looked around, panicked, hearing something sizzle and something else cooking. The air was full of various scents, and he blinked, trying to make them out. They were foreign but at the same time, familiar; he was confused, and scared.
He heard footsteps and instantly curled up in the blanket, before a flash of purple and white fur made him uncoil, albeit slightly. Lyle looked back at him with a tilted head, before he realized what was wrong, and made his way over. "Is everything alright, Jules?" He asked, standing a few feet away from the couch. It seemed that Jules still didn't want him all that close, but he was getting further in than the night before.
"Dream..." He mumbled, shaking his head. "Something... nevermind. How are you today, Lyle?" He asked. The husky visibly winced, and he just caught himself, before looking down, saddened. "I'm sorry, I-- sir. I'm sorry, sir. I'll watch my tongue better, I promise. Please don't--"
He jumped up surprised to feel the husky's paw on his face, if only for a second, before it pulled away at his jumping. "It's alright. When it's just the two of us... I'll allow you to be a little more casual. Just promise me to watch your tongue in public." The husky warned, and the human just nodded. He shifted to the side as the husky moved to sit down and he looked up. Standing, the husky was probably still a head taller than he was, and he was far slimmer-- if only because of his malnourishment. "Now, come, why don't we have a little breakfast, hm?"
"Break...?" Jules asked. Lyle blinked.
"Food, dear, let's get some food. Come." The husky said, somewhat like an order. Jules stood up, still a little unsteady on his feet, never having had to stand for more than minutes at a time. The husky caught him and grinned, guiding the human towards the kitchen. The smells grew stronger and his stomach rumbled with a vicious force, making the canine laugh. "Hungry? I hope you like eggs and bacon. It'll probably be better than the gruel they used to give you."
Jules allowed himself to be led into the kitchen, with a slight smile and a nod. He figured anything would be better than what he used to have.