Pet People

PET PERSON MEME

>> 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.

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He was taken aback by the laughter. This guy was nuts.

"Nothing can hurt me." he rumbled then turned as the main door opened. Someone was coming!

He couldn't leave, and Ashley was in the way to go back up. Maybe he could make his way to the roof and fly away? The doors here were fancy but not big, a maintenance door was unlikely to be big enough to let the eight foot dragon through.

Nothing for it, back up to the apartment.

He shoved Ashley aside against the wall and climbed back up the stairs. Despite his size, he moved almost silently and squeezed through the front door of Ashley's apartment.

Two failed attempts to leave. He'd be stuck here cleaning until the human died at this rate. And he couldn't even change back and let Vincent bare the brunt of whatever questions and moping the human was bound to throw at him.

The landlord looked up the stairs at Ashley. "Something wrong?"

Wide eyed and startled, Ashley stared at the landlord in confusion for a moment, then shook his head. "No. I thought I heard something. A possum. A cat."

He was still carrying the bag of food, but the landlord didn't need to know what was inside it. Ashley shrugged and turned back up the stairs.

No sign of his pet in the stairwell. Ashley hesitated at his doorway and then opened it, surprised to find the creature waiting there for him.

"If there's somewhere you're trying to get to, I'll take you there," Ashley said, shutting the door and holding out the bag of food again, determined on this issue.

Ergo grunted with a wry smile. "Hard to transport an eight foot dragon anywhere." he stated, moving away from him and his determined bag of food like a kid who doesn't want to eat his veggies.

Wanting to rattle the guy out of his own irritation at this whole matter he continued.

"You don't give a fuck about anything do you?" he said. "Just sit up here and sulk all the time about your dead brother. Bastard was probably like you hm? A careless piece of shit?"

Ashley flickered with hurt surprise at the questions, lowering the bag of the food.

He set it to one side, no longer caring about it.

"Arkady was brilliant," he said, hurt by the accusations and insults about his brother. "He came here to study. He was going to be something great. He was."

Ashley didn't bother turning on any of the lights, walking past the creature and returning to his bedroom, curling up unhappily on the mattress. "He wasn't anything like me."

"Don't you walk away from me." he snorted, grabbing Ashley's ankle and yanking him to the end of the bed. "Vincent put up with your sappy evasive self but I won't." he growled down at him, the mattress sagging a bit under his weight resting on his left clawed hand.

"If Arkady was so brilliant how come he married and died at the hands of his own wife? Have you always been like this? How come he didn't poison you and put you out of your misery and likely his own when you were children?"

Ashley gasped in shock at the yank, at the touch, at the very idea that anyone would dare to touch him. Eyes wide, he stared, more stunned than afraid, but his heart was pounding with adrenaline.

"She was a vampire," he answered, the question he hadn't answered for Vincent. Ashley had years of instinct at being obedient, at being submissive, at trailing after Arkady and basking in the attention. "He loved me. He promised he'd come back for me, after he finished his studies."

Now it was the dragon's turn to be surprised. A vampire? He'd thought they'd all died off. Apparently some were still around.

He chuffed and stopped leaning over him. "Well, he's gone, and he's not coming back. He broke his promise. And if he loved you at all, he wouldn't want you wasting your life over something that isn't going to happen."

Ashley stayed exactly where he was, not moving. He wanted the hand back on his ankle, that warmth, the contact, the predatory dominance.

"I don't know what else to do," he said, but it at least wasn't moping or self-pitying this time. He was simply stating a fact. He didn't know. All his life had been predicated around Arkady's existence and Arkady's promises. The first thing Ashley had ever done without Arkady's guidance and approval was to come to Paris to search for him. "I was his. I don't know what I am if I'm not his."

"Your brother really screwed you up." he said, moving away and sitting down against the nearest wall. "You should go to a therapist if you're this far gone."

He wondered if he should leave now. It was all too clear there was nothing he could do for the guy. His brother did a number on him and it would take a doctor and a lot of time and patience to pull him to some semblance of a normal life.

Ashley sat up, crossing his legs and resting his chin in his hands. "You're pretty screwed up yourself, you know," he said, watching the strange creature in his room without any apparent fear.

The fear he felt, that he'd admitted to earlier, was an instinctive fear, that of a prey animal in the presence of a predator. This particular prey animal, however, felt conversational. The dragon intrigued him more than anyone he'd ever encountered, and he wanted to know more.

"The tags on your neck. They say Ergo Proxy. I didn't see it earlier. Does it mean something?"

"I'm not the sulking mess who spent who knows how long in an apartment fit only for dead rodents." he pointed out.

He thought about ignoring him, giving him a taste of his own medicine, maybe even fall asleep. But he was still internally debating whether he ought to stay another night or not.

Waiting until Vincent was able to take over would be the wisest, he'd stand out far less. But flying would get them out of the city far quicker...

He lifted a hand and wrapped his fingers around the tags. "My name." he answered, running his fingers over the cool metal "I have them, Vincent doesn't." he added.

"Ergo Proxy," he said, testing it out on his tongue. Then, "it's nice to meet you," with such grace in his rote formality that it must have been rehearsed a hundred times as a child, learning precise, cultured formality. He came from money, that was obvious in his modulated voice, his carelessness, his expectation of being waited upon.

He wanted the monster to stay, even more than he had wanted Vincent to stay.

"You're very beautiful, you know that?" he asked, fascinated by the monster in his room. "I've never seen anything like you."

Was it just him or did the guy seem more...lively than he had been? He wondered if he'd opened the other's eyes a bit.

Nice...to meet you...

That was incredibly strange to hear. And it wasn't to Vincent, but to him.

And if that wasn't enough...

"Beautiful?" He'd not been referred to such except by Re-l...

"Yes. Dangerous and frightening, but beautiful. Like a thunderstorm."

Ashley shifted, stepping off the end of the bed and onto the floor, wanting to be closer to him but not daring to outright approach. He knelt, so as to be less threatening, and nearer to Ergo. Eyes searching Ergo's face, he licked his lips, nervous but hopeful, having just found something in the world worth fastening upon. "Please stay. I'll do whatever you tell me. And Vincent."

His ears flicked back when the man approached. He invaded the space of others, not vice-versa, regardless of the compliment.

Again, surprised at the other.

"What made you change your mind?" he asked. That wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no either...

"I always wanted you to stay," Ashley said, shaking his head lightly in confusion. He stayed by the end of the bed, for now, kneeling there. "I like Vincent's company. And he..." Looking around at the tidied room, still needing more work but vastly improved in the last two days, Ashley fidgeted his hands. "I'm grateful to him."

He crept forward another foot, then sat back on his heels. "You... I've never seen anything as incredible as you. I want you to stay."

"You didn't even put up a fight when Vincent left, you even made him a bag of food to take along." he stated, thumping his tail on the carpet in annoyance. "We only became interesting and worth having around when I was the less than ordinary Vincent. And if you like Vincent's company so much and are so grateful to him, you sure had a shitty way of showing it."

Incredible...beautiful...Was he being truthful?...Why would he lie?...

Ashley's expression flickered with hurt confusion at his accusations. "He wanted to go. I couldn't force him to stay. I didn't want him to be hungry."

He didn't try to advance again, feeling stung by the rejection. He couldn't answer the other accusations, knowing that they were true.

"If you want to go, I'll understand," he said, getting up and going back to curl into his bed again, taking refuge against the pain in his usual way of trying to hide from it.

He got up and came over, yanking his ankle again. "You bought us, you own us, you could show at least a little responsibility." he rumbled "Any sensible owner would have tried to stop us. Asked us why. Convinced us to stay. Instead you filled a lunch bag and said have a good trip!"

Ergo sat down again, partially unfolding a leathery black wing and then refolding it against his back.

"You want us to stay, then convince us why."

Ashley huffed as his ankle was yanked again, finding a little flare of temper under his usual lazy acceptance. "If you go out there again, you might get caught. Vincent told me he was caught there for months. And I don't think they knew about you, so you must have been hidden. Him in a cell, you unable to emerge at all."

He was smart, after all, under all of his problems. Ashley had read hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books, and he retained information well, even though five languages and surprisingly extensive medical education hadn't given him the skills to do his own laundry.

"If you're here, you're safe. I know there are owners out there who hurt their pets. I haven't forced Vincent to do anything. Do you really hate me so much that you'd rather risk capture, imprisonment, and possible abuse than to stay where you're safe?"

It was more than he'd said all at once in months. Surprised at himself, Ashley hiccuped, temper crumpling all at once. He stayed on the end of the bed, hugging his knees to his chest and watching Ergo through a curtain of his hair.

The drake listened quietly to the other putting forth his argument. And well done at that. Even though he crumpled up again at the end, this was a start.

Perhaps there was some hope for the human yet.

After awhile, he finally spoke. "Talk to the landlord about getting the water heater fixed already." he got up and tapped Ashley on the shoulder. "And no more dead mice left around the apartment." He left the bedroom and went to lay down on the couch.

Confused and surprised, Ashley trailed after him, hovering in the doorway and watching. He said nothing, only hesitated there and watched, fascinated by Ergo and the hope that he would stay.

Talk to the landlord. That simple solution hadn't even occurred to him, but he could manage, and would, because Ergo had given him an order.

Too keyed up to be tired, Ashley leaned in the doorway, hand curled around the frame, keeping his distance and just watching.

Ergo took some time to settle down-the couch was small for him-but eventually he found a position that worked...For about two minutes. He got up, spread the blanket Vincent had used on the floor and lay down. Eventually, sleep found him, wings and tail relaxing. Either unaware or comforted by the other keeping an eye on him.

When Ergo laid down, Ashley fetched another blanket, creeping close and laying it gently over him so that he would be warm. Then he returned to watching.

At last, Ashley grew tired. He crept to the couch and curled up there, watching Ergo until he fell asleep. One arm was outflung, fingers drifting over the hard wooden floor, reaching toward Ergo but not close enough to touch.

Ergo slept through the night, waking to find another blanket on him. He looked over at Ashley who'd taken over the couch he'd quickly vacated.

Should he stay?...The man had potential to be a good owner, just getting him out of the rut of mourning and loss of his brother would take time.

He'd give him a chance. They couldn't run forever, perhaps it was time they settled down again...

Vincent still needed rest, so he remained in his current form. It was still early, and the human had yet to wake, so he left the living room and went back to the bedroom. If he wasn't going to take the bed, he would. Upon laying down, he realized he still didn't know the master's name. He'd ask when he woke. For now, he went back to sleep, spread out and even more relaxed now that he wasn't on the floor.

PET PERSON MEME

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