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! |
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...
Oh well.
[Ain has ice magic, he's not going to say this until they're back in their room honestly, where he will in fact shove ice down Vash's shirt. Probably. He's thinkin about it real hard now.
They get to the laundromat in short order, and it's mostly-empty. There are a few people around reading newspapers and sitting with their stuff while they wait, but beyond that, it's nice and quiet. Birds are bad at silence, so Ain really has to suppress his instincts to make noises right now. What are we all so peaceful for... why are laundromats like this.]
Vash, [he says, very quietly so not to be the Loudest Person In The Room,] they have a water cooler over there. Do you want me to get you some?
[Water is good. It's also free. So. Might as well wash away that ice-syrup they drank an hour ago.]
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Here they are though, at the promised laundromat, which is blessedly devoid of people because of the weird time of day it is. It means Vash has his pick of the washers, though admittedly there isn't a massive selection. They all seem reasonable, so he just approaches one at random and starts to load in their clothes just as Ain is stage-whispering at him.
Why is he so cute, what the fuck. He's trying so hard to be quiet...]
Mm, go ahead. I'll get things started over here.
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He makes his way over to the water cooler, though. They have those shitty paper cups, but it's better than nothing, and it's definitely better than tap water from dingy hotels and apartments and rivers. Ain comes back in short order with the little paper cups and hands one to Vash.
W o t e r.]
Here. We might as well help ourselves since we'll be here for a bit, right?
[Imagine being a laundromat owner and two assholes drink your entire water cooler.]
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Vash takes the cup gratefully just as he's finishing loading up the machine with enough coins for their load to get started washing, the soft rumble of finally enough to break the oppressive silence that reigned other than the incessant hum of flourescent lights overhead.]
Right.
[Now don't mind him as he downs his entire cup all in one go my mans is THORSTY. It's the kind of drinking one does when the water hits your tongue and you realize oh, shit, I'm super dehydrated and haven't had a decent glass of water in mmmmonths.]
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[Vash won't have time to say no, because Ain is tugging him over anyway. It's nice that this place has free drinks. They have snacks, too, but those cost money, and they just ate. The water, though... maybe they should have brought the canteen. Oh well. Shitty paper cups will suffice.
Ain, too, must be super thirsty, because he's also downing each of his cups in short order. It makes sense; he casted a bunch of magic, flew them around, they hiked into town, and then they ate like fucking Nothing for lunch like idiots. Yeah, they're likely very dehydrated.
Maybe they should get water with dinner tonight. Ain considers that might be the healthy option before his mind wanders to "what if soda tho :0" and he supposes he'll cross that bridge later.]
It's quiet in here. Is it supposed to be this quiet?
[Why does he feel like he's in a library. Vash do laundromats operate under library rules. Help.]
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Well...there aren't a lot of people in here. And they might not know each other, so they're just not saying anything. I don't think they'd mind us talking, really.
[They might mind if they were overly loud, which can be a problem when your pet is a bird, but Ain has been very good in that regard so far. Vash isn't worried.
From here, it takes their laundry about a half hour to wash, maybe a little less since the load is so light. Vash has to step away to take the wet clothes out and toss them into the dryer, and then it's another twenty minutes of waiting on that. During this time, several people come and go. They watch someone struggle with the door getting stuck on their machine, until Vash volunteers to rush over and help them get it open. For him, it's as easy as popping the top on a can, and the man who was struggling seems immensely grateful afterwards. It's...heartwarming, to Vash, and he's grinning from ear to ear when he comes back. After that, ten more minutes pass before the machine beeps and their clothes are clean and dry.
Vash, once he's gotten their clothes stuffed back into the bag, holds up his red jacket and looks it over a moment, checking to make sure it survived the trip in the washing machine alright. He knows he should wait until he has cleaner clothes on to actually put it on...
Which is why he drapes it over Ain's shoulders. It's so, so soft and warm since it just came out of the dryer.]
There. Ready to go?
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Then, Vash puts his jacket over Ain's shoulders, and like he did last time he snuggles up into it even though it doesn't fit too well with his wings, which he lets hang out awkwardly underneath the fabric. It is warm. Warm and soft and somehow still carries Vash's scent all over it, and Ain has to try — has to really, really try — to suppress his impulses here. He wants to kiss this man so bad.]
...yeah.
[He's not blushing shut up, shut up!! His face is NOT the same red as this jacket and he's not weirdly quiet on the way home just because his stomach is doing flips. The moths are back. The moths in his stomach are back and he's dying. Cardiac arrest symptoms are happening, he feels hot under the collar, this is a bad look.
They get back to the inn, and Ain is still feeling. like. he's sort of floating, but he's not floating. He'd know if he was floating and he's not so what the fuck is going on. Did he accidentally cast a spell? No, no, that's not it. What the fuck. Why is his heart doing, like, thumpthumps right now. Put some thumpthumps back you don't need all those.
...
The second, literally the second Vash either sits down or is just fully in the room standing there with nothing in his hands, whichever comes first, Ain throws caution to the wind and kisses him stupid because it's all he knows how to do. There are no words, there are just warm lips interlocking and a soft, pleased sigh.
He cannot make it all day without kissing Vash again, please, he thinks he'll actually die if he has to go that long.]
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“Chill”
Back to the inn they go, and Vash is blissfully unaware of the way the girl at the front desk sort of peers over the top of her magazine at the two because, uh. While the other patrons probably weren’t paying enough attention or perhaps don’t remember, she saw those two this morning. Vash had that jacket on. Maybe he’s just being nice to his pet but, hm. HM.
Kinda suss.
When they make it upstairs, Vash takes a moment to toss the duffel onto the floor by the bed, then pivots on his heel with the intent of popping into the bathroom before he changes proper. That…ends up not happening as Ain kisses him utterly stupid. Completely Breathless as he stumbles a little, floundering for just a brief moment before he slowly lifts both hands, cautiously cupping Ain’s face with them.
And he just…melts. He melts into the kiss, eyes fluttering closed, brows upturned as he breathes a soft moan through his nose. And as luck would have it, there’s a convenient wall there to lean against, which he ends up doing while Ain kisses the life out of him.
For just a moment, he breaks the kiss so he can look back at Ain past his glasses, but his gaze isn’t questioning. He just dives right back in, hands burying themselves into his hair now as he tugs Ain closer to his front.]
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Relief apparently comes in the form of more gross heart palpitations, but at this point he's not sure how to fix it. All that exists in the narrow space between the bed and the wall is them, and the sounds of laboured breathing as Ain tries and fails to remember he has lungs that need to be filled.
His hands wander to Vash's shoulders, sort of just... resting there, while their lips clash. Ain is a man starved (for like four hours), and when they part, he deigns to speak, but. The kisses don't stop, they simply move down to Vash's neck, equally fervent as the ones left on his lips.]
Sorry, [he's not sorry,] I wanted to do this... all day. I thought I'd die without it.
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He shakes his head quickly, chest heaving as he gasps, just before his breathing trails off into a pitched keen at the kisses against his neck. Vash practically sags where he's standing, and it's really only Ain being there that keeps him from melting into a puddle right there.]
You...you really wanted to kiss me that badly...?
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[Ain is... Like. Trying so hard to behave himself. He doesn't want to jump into Vash's pants right now even if he's got the guy against the wall, because then they'll never make it to dinner. Like. Ain will never stop if he's enabled now.
But also. Also, something is Wrong with him right now and he needs kisses urgently. And he's getting them, to be fair, but it's somehow not enough. Probably because he needs to breathe. What's the point of breathing, anyway?
Ain parts his lips and bites Vash, not hard, but certainly enough to leave a mark just under his jaw.]
You're too cute. If we'd gone out again where I couldn't do this, I probably would have gone insane by the time the day ended, haha.
[Ain pauses to nuzzle into Vash, far more affectionate and less carnal than his kisses have been thus far.]
I'll be good now, I swear. [he is Lying he won't be good at all.]
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Vash tilts his head forward, his forehead thumping gently against Ain’s. His gaze is a little hazy and unfocused, because all of that kissing has left him feeling more than just a little hot under the collar. He’s going to die.]
You can…uh… [/dialup tone] …do that more….later…
[He does not WANT it to be later, but. They must.]
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Right. You were going to do something? Before we go back out.
[It was. Uhhhhh. Something. Vash was on his way to do something until Ain attacked him, and now they're both breathless and flushed and not thinking straight. He should probably be nice and give Vash a break, since they just banged literally last night and the poor dude still cannot walk sometimes, but.
Ain is not nice. Ain does not even Consider being nice. He wants to be mean, actually!
Reluctantly, he backs off, sitting down on the edge of the bed and telling himself to get a grip.]
I'll wait here.
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Vash blinks blearily, because even he isn't sure he remembers what the hell he was doing. He was...changing? Clothes? Changing into clean clothes. Yes. Also bathroom break. It all checks out.
That doesn't mean he moves right away of course, continuing to stand there dumbly as he watches Ain move to sit on the edge of the bed, sweeping his long tail feathers beside himself and hhhh okay he's leaving now bye
Vash leaves...then returns thirty seconds later because he didn't even grab his clothes before disappearing back into the bathroom proper to change. It's a quick adjustment, and honestly feels amazing to be in something that's been washed so recently. Maybe someday they'll be able to afford more clothing, but he doesn't want to overdo it with packing needs. They can only afford so much space, let alone anything else.
...Ain gets to wait another few minutes as Vash, in the process of actually Using the bathroom, realizes he's just stood there with a bit of a stiffy going on thanks to Ain just jumping his bones as soon as they got in.
Sigh.
Eventually Vash makes it back out, looking a little bit flustered still but at the very least energized. He rubs the back of his neck, shuffling back into the center of the bedroom.]
Okay, I'm ready. Did you want to change?
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Ah... that might be a good idea.
[............he has to give Vash his coat back though. :( Sigh. Ain stands up and does just that, even if he doesn't want to, and then unpacks his clean clothes. The dirty clothes can be washed later in the week, he figures, if they're still here.
Bathroom break and changing clothes done. Ain re-emerges feeling happy and very clean, and yet the like four minutes they spent in technically-separate rooms was not enough to quell his need to kiss Vash stupid. He's gonna have to reign it in so they can eat real food in peace and maybe see some more of the town closer to dark. Maybe the skies will be all pretty since they're pretty far out in the wilderness? That's always fun.
And romantic.
Not that Ain is thinking about the inherent romance of stargazing in a small mountain town with your #bestie.]
Okay. I'm ready to go when you are.
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Vash takes his jacket back and shrugs it onto his shoulders, and conveniently enough that tall collar combined with his stupid almost-turtleneck is enough to cover the hickies and bites that Ain has left for him, go figure. Vash doesn't seem to notice this though, so it's more of a happy coincidence than anything. Good for both of them, as the aforementioned laws of this land would not like knowing that Vash has been fuckin' his pet.
With a crooked smile, Vash opens the door for Ain and they head back out. It's around three or four pm at this point, meaning it's later in the day but not SO late that they can't still go out and do things. Vash figures they can explore the town a little bit before they go eat somewhere, and then head back as night falls.
This is not a date.
Out in the little town proper, things are getting busier outside. People are going to be getting off work soon, so Vash imagines the restaurants (are there many? he has no idea) are going to fill up the later it gets. He hums under his breath as they walk, once more putting his hands into his pockets.]
I wonder if people go into the forest much here...or up closer to the mountains. There might be a lookout point or something.
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[There's gotta be like, one of those small-town lookout points that everyone takes their high school lover up to and kisses at when it's dark. It's in books and stuff, so it must be real. That's how books work.]
We could always wander into the forest at some point and look. I bet the city looks pretty from up high.
[Especially at night. Granted, wild animals are more likely to try to snack on them at night, but. They'll be fine. Ain has powers he's not supposed to have, and he's fuelled by motivation to kiss a boy he's not supposed to be kissing. Basically, breaking the law is in this guy's blood.]
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Vash nods, tilting his head back so he can look up at the sky. It's become cloudier overhead since they were out earlier. Hm.]
Different from the other towns we've been in, too. There isn't as much light pollution here...so you can probably see all of the stars.
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[Ain has no fucking clue what the stars are about dude. He just thinks they're pretty. Bird brain activates when he sees a nebula. Too many places have light pollution for that, but the one time he did see one, he stared at it for quite a while.
Sky... neat. Ain follows Vash's gaze to the clouds above, unable to resist chirping excitedly when he sees the clouds.]
Clouds! Vash! It might snow after all!!
[Or it'll just be normal rain. Don't jinx it buddy.]
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It might! I think it's gotten a little colder too...
[It's already been cold here- they're in a mountainous valley- but Vash doesn't know for sure if it's freezing-temperature cold. Enough for sleet if it does rain, perhaps...
He isn't about to crush Ain's dreams, though. He just keeps on walking, past a few folks out with their pets. He can spot a woman who appears to be blind holding hands with a chipper young dog who is directing her down the sidewalk. Then elsewhere, an absolutely regal cat walking with her head held high at her master's side. These pets...they seem to be a lot more...well put together with their masters than most he's seen, and he's not sure that even makes sense to his own mind.
Or, maybe they were just living in a kindof Bad neighborhood for a while.]
I can't believe this little town has been here this whole time...
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[Ain can see why people would want to live out here. It's isolated, it's pretty, and there are no issues where people are evil or pets are evil or what have you. Everything just seems nice and idyllic. People have been very friendly to them, even if slushie-man earlier was a bit weird. Still not his fault entirely.
As they round a corner and head toward a busier part of the town, Ain's chirping doesn't stop. Outside, when they're not trying to lie low or respect the sacred peace of a laundromat, he's allowed to be noisy. Tomorrow, he's going to stand out here and sing for people, and Ain is already scouting out good vantage points for—
There's a fountain like fifty feet off do not climb into the fountain do not climb into the fountain do not cl—]
I like this town. [IS THIS BECAUSE YOU SAW A FOUNTAIN? YOU CAN'T GET INTO IT.]
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Of course that means that there has to be a fountain in the middle of the square. And while you'd think Vash would realize the danger looming...he does not. He just smiles and looks off elsewhere while Ain stares at the fountain like :D?]
It reminds me of one I visited a couple times before...it was before I met you. It was poorer than this town, but the people who lived there all lived modestly...and they were all very kind.
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gets into it
fully dressed and everything, the only thing off is his coat. So much for laundry, he is worshing his wings.
Vash can come get him in a moment please let him have this—]
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And he looks.]
A-Ain!?
[And there is his bird, having climbed WHOLESALE into the god damn public-ass fountain, and
People notice.
People are noticing.
Vash is so shocked that he just sort of stands there dumbfounded for a moment, watching as Ain settles into the water as happy as a clam and starts to bathe like a bird in a giant bird-bath, getting his wings nice and wet and flicking water all over the place. Some children nearby are quite delighted by this display, while some adults just sort of look on like "what the fuck is happening"
And Vash, unsure what ELSE to do, scrambles his way over to the edge of the fountain, leaning slightly over it so he can stage-whisper-shout to Ain:]
Ain! You- ...m-maybe you shouldn't do that...?
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This is one of those fancy fountains, the ones with the tiers and the waterfalls, and Ain is literally sticking his wings underneath them and shaking the feathers and splashing by the time Vash gets over to him to remind him that he's supposed to Behave.
...
Right.
Ain gets a hold of himself and climbs. out. of the fountain.]
Aha, sorry, sorry! There's no good place to wash my wings, that's all!
[The townsfolk are just like. yeah that's a bird. classic birds am i right. birds are so crazy wowe.]
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gets suck into arknights hole, didnt see I didnt reply to this /pensive clown emote
welcome to arknights
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my duty popped and prevented me from finishing this tag and I believe that's homophobic in this essa
that's very homophobic so we have to cancel FF14 now
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YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE... WHORE!
CRYING
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