bakerstreet | PET PEOPLE

PET PEOPLE

>> premise

Hello, and welcome to The Care and Keeping of Your Pet! As you surely know, a pet is a big responsibility, and we're so glad you've decided to be a concientious master. A safe pet is a happy pet, and this handbook is certain to keep your precious lifelong friend as content as can be.

The history of the animal person is a long and difficult one, with their origins not being known even to this day. However, scientists believe that despite our common appearance - most animal people have humanoid forms except for the ears, tails, and sometimes teeth - we share no common ancestry, even if the ascent of this species corresponds with that of the homo sapien. We gained dominance over each breed thousands of years ago, beginning with the dog type, who have long been considered "man's best friend." Most breeds these days are docile and perfect for owners of any speed.

Of course, it is our duty as the superior species to take care of these animal creatures, and this is inherent in their genetic makeup. Everyone knows that an animal person, when matched with their correct human master, is loyal for life - a true "soulmate," if you will. Far be it for us to turn this away! Ever since the Great Domestication, these intelligent and loving animals have served us as friends, workmates, guardians, servants, and sexual companions and will for years to come. Despite recent hubbub from so-called "Pet People's Rights Activists," this way of life is wholesome and good. Scientific research shows that the natural desire of the pet person is to be owned and cared for by a human.

So, it's your first pet. What do you need to know?

As previously stated, pet people come in as many breeds as you can possibly think of. By far and away the most popular are the dog and cat types, but exotic birds and lizards have been gaining popularity among trendsetters from L.A. to Tokyo!
All pet types are best suited for certain jobs, and when hunting for one, it is best to search for a type that suits your needs best.
However, a "True Match" - when a pet person bonds with you and only you for the rest of their natural lives - comes naturally, and sometimes takes time before you can find the pet you will be able to give a forever home to.
According to all current research, pet people are completely sentient and like us in many ways. However, it is important to remember that they have many animalistic and feral characteristics. Do not be foolish and think that your pet is a person, despite the facts that many are clothed and may be allowed to read, write, and have "hobbies." Some traditional pet owners may eschew these frivolities, and that is within their right.
Pet people age more quickly than humans, at least physically, and many types have long lifespans. It is not uncommon for pets to be passed through the family. When getting your child their first pet, it's important to keep in mind that just because the pup is tiny now, a grown pet can be jumpy around a small child.
It is important to train a pet. Discipline will be necessary. This does not make you a bad owner. Failure to train early will result in a rebellious pet. Training is especially important if you want your pet to serve as a household servant.
Remember, your pet will be extremely protective of you, especially if you are Truly Bonded. It is best to socialize them early. A socialized pet is a perfect family pet.
These days, unowned and unbonded pet people are allowed to live as strays or "Frees" in certain designated areas. Some even hold "jobs." This is against their best interest, and owners who adopt these strays are to be rewarded. Still, the best place to get pets are from liscenced kennels or breeders.
Some masters find it beneficial to participate in activities with their pets, such as shows and other competitions.
Finally, much has been made about the sexual relationship between pet and master. This is a normal facet of the bond, and humans are sure to find pet people sexually alluring. But beyond that, it is only responsible and prudent for owners to care for their pet's needs. It is a well-known fact that the libidos of pet people are remarkably strong, and when they go into heat, it is usually more convenient for a master to relieve them. There is no risk of pregnancy. All rumors of hybrids are urban legends.
Despite this, masters must remember to not view their pets as romantic partners. Humans should stay with humans.

With that said, thank you and welcome to your first day as a pet's master!

>> how to play

Needless to say, The Care and Keeping of Your Pet is a bit biased and full of propaganda, but it gives a good idea of the world your character is now AU's into. They are either a pet person or a human master, and what that means for them varies.

So are they a devoted pet or a rebellious animal person looking to buck the system? A generous master or a cruel sexual sadist? Just a normal pet owner? Most likely they're something in between, but when you're raised in this world, it's difficult to see anything different on the horizon.

Rules

Comment with your character and say whether they'd be a master or a pet. Ideally, they could be played as both. Mention what kind of each they'd be and what they'd be like, (ie: "Xx-chan is a bunny girl who is happy to please her master" or "Asterothia is a cat boy who is aloof but loyal to his true master"). For pets, be sure to include features ("wolf ears, tail, teeth).

REMEMBER, pet does not automatically equal submissive and master automatically equal dominant. This is not a BDSM setting though BDSM can be included. How far you want to go with the actual "pet" aspect is up to you, as well. Your pet could just be your slightly-furry roommate or soulmate!
Comment to others.
Play out the scene.

>> prompts

This by now means an all-inclusive list, but it should get you going in the right direction.

First Time Pet/Owner: Usually, pets are gotten at a young age; you're an old dog. Can you learn new tricks?
True Bond: What all masters and pets yearn for...the pet's loyalty and adoration for life.
Love: It's expected for masters to love their pets, but to love them? Romance is strictly forbidden.
Old "Couple": Master and pet have grown together and know each other. You know, know each other.
Loss of Master: The pet has lost their master, perhaps even their True Bond. Is it possible to move on?
Young Master/Older Pet: Pets age quicker than masters, so it's possible to end up with a bit of an "age" difference.
Family Pet: This pet's been raised as part of the family. What happens when their feelings for a family member get more than platonic.
For Your Protection: You don't want to be a master, but you have to take in a pet for their protection lest they be in danger from the general public.
Stray: You're a stray or a "Free." Can you live like this with your biology screaming for you to make a match?
Servant: You're more servant than pet.
All Sex, All the Time: The only purpose for this pet is to service the master, and not in a way that means cleaning their house.
Guard: You're a loyal bodyguard, a service pet. You'll do anything for your master. Anything.
Pet Play: This is for those who prefer to keep their animals on leashes, have them eat from bowls, and keep away from clothing.
Breaking In: Training is important with any pet.
In Love with Another Master...or Pet: To lust after another's master is no better than treason, and to wish to be with another pet just cruel!
Punishment: Bad dog, no nookie!
Heat: All pets go into heat, and it's the responsibility of the owner to take care of this problem. After all, unchecked dry humping kills thousands every year.
Breeding: Breeders know the best qualities in each type and mate the cream of the crop together to continue lines. It's a hobby for some, a calling for others.
Pregnancy: So, about that whole "hybrid" thing. It maaaay be more true than you think, even if pet/human pregnancies are the stuff of salacious tabloids.
Territorial: Hey, hey, other dog person! This is your apartment. Stay the fuck out!
Kennel: Kennels are where unadopted pets are kept. They're generally agreed to be depressing places. Why not volunteer at one, keeping the pets healthy and happy with the kind of affection only humans can show?
Rebelling Against the System: Damn the Man! Pet people are people, too! Just be careful not to get talk. You know what happens to bad pets.
Instant Attraction: You ever just look at someone and know they're the one? That they're...your master? But what if you've been trying to fight it? Well, don't try!
Dominant Pet: You might be the pet, but you call the shots, at least in the bedroom.
Pet Show: Everyone wants to show off how perfect their animal is. Look at that ass! And you'll never believe their special skills...
Therapeutic: Pets, especially those bred for their kindliness, are perfect therapy for those who've been through trauma and heartache.
Jealousy: Who's that around your master? Oh, hell no. They better not be touching them!
Petting: Pet people are absolutely gaga for being touched. Even the most steely ones turn to mush for rubs.
Games: Playing with your pet and giving them exercise is a key to happiness. Of course, with a pet person, you might want to use other toys instead of a ball.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She hadn't ever really thought of taking on a pet, honestly. At least, not until recently. Things were heating up, as they sometimes did, and Dara was starting to think that maybe not being alone would be better. He's cute, she'll give him that. Dara opens the door to the loft and gestures for him to follow her in.

Isaac steps inside after his new owner, he's excited and nervous at the same time as his ears press flat against his head but his tail's lightly wagging behind him as he tries to take in all the smells of his new home, he probably looks more like a clueless puppy than the guard dog she wanted with the way he's turning on the spot in the middle of floor.

Dara steps aside to let him explore his new home. There's bound to be a ton of things to look into for him and she understands the drive for that, so she lets him. She certainly doesn't expect him to adjust the second he walks in the door. Once he gets comfortable, he'll come around, she hopes. If nothing else, she'll have a new companion and maybe the idea of her not being alone is deterrent enough. "So, it's Isaac, right?"

"Um... yeah." He replies turning to face her with a slight tilt to his head, wondering what she wants and what the rules of the house are going to be. "What should I call you, owner?"

"I like that," she replies, looking thoughtful. To her, it sounds like a good, strong name and she likes the sound of it anyhow. "Dara,"she answers. "My name is Dara, sorry. You can call me that. ...I've never done the whole, like...having pets thing, so you'll sort of have to bear with me for a little bit, okay?"

Isaac just nods in understanding as she couldn't be as bad as his first owner, everyone since then had been a lot better in his opinion and the huge space of Dara's loft was a point in the good owner catagory. "If you don't mind me asking, if you've never had a pet before why get one now and what for?"

For a moment, Dara hesitates. Admitting that she wants the protection isn't easy for her, by any stretch, even just to herself, never mind to the pet she means to provide it. So, she goes with another answer. It isn't a lie, but it isn't the entire truth, either. Once they've bonded and they trust each other, she'll elaborate, but for now, she goes with her gut and sugarcoats it. "I didn't want to be alone, anymore."

She's pretty sure there's rules of etiquette, things she ought to train him, like staying off the furniture or whatever it is the experienced masters do, but she kind of likes the idea of sharing. "You can check it out, you know. Walk around, scent things...it's your home now, too, so you can get used to it. ...what kind of things do you like to eat?" He really should've come with an owner's guide or something, she thinks, but then maybe she was supposed to have read one before adopting a pet, so maybe that's on her.

Isaac does explore, finding the kitchen first as she asks him about food. "Meat mostly, rare but not raw." He doesn't mean to be fussy but he could never stand the taste of raw meat.

He continues looking around Dara's loft, stopping at the stairs, not sure if he was allowed up there or not before coming back to flop down on the couch and disturbing the other scents lingering on the piece of furniture. "It doesn't smell like you're here alone, it smells like friends come over."

Dara nods at the distinction. That makes sense. She has a similar preference, to be honest.

Her eyes move with him, watching him as he looks around, pausing at the stairs before he moves back to the couch and drops down. She probably shouldn't let him, but she does. Dara's never really been one to stick with the social norms, anyway. "You can go upstairs if you want, by the way. There's nothing up there but a bunch of dusty guest rooms, but feel free to check it out if you want, sometime," she tells him before answering the question he's unofficially asked by bringing up the other scents in the loft. "I think friends, if you use the term very loosely. And most of the time they're unannounced and unwanted. But yes, sometimes, others are here. Not often."

With those words he's suddenly on his feet, tail wagging excitedly behind him as he almost bounces to the stairs. "Is one of them going to be mine or will I be sleeping with you?" Not that Isaac minded either way but if she was lonely then surely she'd want him close by.

"I can't wait to meet your non-friends or am I supposed to kepe them out?"

Dara's eyebrows lift in a mixture of surprise and amusement when he's immediately on his feet again, hurrying toward the stairs. "If you want one of them to be yours, we can clear one out for you, but I just figured you could sleep with me, if you want."

His enthusiasm is adorable and she moves to join him near the bottom of the stairs before he's headed up, scratching the back of his head and behind his ears absently. "You can meet them. They're not always welcome, but I never kick them out. They're not the ones you'd need to keep out. If they smell familiar from the couch, they're allowed," she replies. "Thanks for asking that, though, Isaac," she adds, giving him an encouraging smile as she drops her hand away to let him head up the stairs if he still wants to go up there.

"You don't have to go to the trouble of clearing out one of the rooms, I'd like to sleep with you." He tried to hold back the moan that was bubbling up in his throat from the wonderful feeling of her hand scratching behind his ear, tail wagging happily too before she removes that hand.

"I'd like to meet them and of course I'll stop those I didn't smell from getting in, it's the least I can do for you after you adopted me." Isaac remarked with a huge smile as he followed her upstairs.

Dara is relieved by that. Honestly, she was neither in the mood to clear out a room nor continue to sleep alone when she doesn't necessarily have to anymore. So, she smiles. "Good, I was kind of hoping you'd say that."

The smile which accompanies his response gives way to the ah-ha moment wherein Dara realizes why so many people have taken on pets; why it's so easy for them to be affectionate with their pets when she never understood it before. Already, he's showing signs of the so-called unconditional love she's heard so much about when people talk about the benefits of a pet. That's something she's never had; she finds herself hoping it's not just lip service. "I'm sure they'll be glad to meet you, too."

Dara leads the way up the stairs and remains at the top of the stairwell to let him explore on his own. Surely, she thinks, he'd prefer to do so without her hovering over his every move. She wouldn't want someone hovering over her when she was scenting out a new home, anyway, so she tries to extend the same courtesy to him. "Go on, check it out. There's nothing impressive, but help yourself to poking around. I'm gonna go lay down. This gloom and doom weather makes me tired. Take your time, come down whenever you want, okay?" she asks, giving his head an affectionate stroke ending in a gentle scratch at the back of his neck before she starts back down the stairs again to collapse onto the bed, looking out the giant set of windows at the evermore graying sky outside. It'll be nice that this place won't be so quiet and lonely anymore. Dara thinks maybe adopting a pet is one of the best ideas she's had in a really long time.

Isaac couldn't help but lean into that hand stroking him, really enjoying the feeling of actually being wanted before Dara went back downstairs. He took his time going through each room, he was told he could explore as much as he liked and that was exactly what the wolf pup was going to do but it did sadden him a little that the scents he had found downstairs weren't upstairs as well.

With a bemused shrug Isaac softly padded back downstairs and not knowing if he was allowed on her bed or not, sat on the floor by the side of it within arms reach in case he was needed.

Dara heard him coming back down the stairs before she caught the scent of him close beside her. That was something she was going to have to get used to, that new scent. Without rolling back to face him, Dara patted the mattress beside herself in an invite for him to join her. "Come on," she added, in case the fact that she could hear him hovering without actually joining her was because he was certain ahead of time that he wouldn't be allowed.

She waited until she felt him get on the bed before she turned to face him. "Mi casa es su casa, Isaac. You're allowed wherever you like, now, okay?" She paused. "Are you hungry? I really just want a couple of minutes nap and then I can go get dinner, if you are."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

PET PEOPLE

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