JCO-AF47

Chapter 4

I don't know what happened after I passed out, I just felt gross and not properly taken care of. My stomach and lungs hurt along with my pounding skull. My lips and mouth stuck together and dry.

I know I didn't look good.

My hair felt dry and I could tell it was tangled as I rested on it. Light voices could be heard talking along with some harsh voices as well. I don't know what they were saying, my brain hurt too much to comprehend anything outside my body.

Slowly, I started to make out what was going on. Saros's mad voice broke through the veil and I finally could open my eyes, they were crusted, making me think I might've cried at some point. I picked up my hand sluggishly and rubbed my eyes moving too fast causing nausea to hit me hard.

Moving fast I turned to my side and expelled all the contents of my stomach. It wasn't much at all, since I had eaten for a few days, just a lot of water. My body hurt as it retched and I didn't even realize I had started crying again until I collapsed holding my stomach with my head on the cool floor. The voices had stopped at some point and I felt hands all over my back and cooing noises. It was too much for my head and I fell back under again.

I don't think it was long again that I woke up. I felt slightly better than the last time, my eyes opened quicker but my head still hurt.

Looking around, I was back in the playroom. I wasn't on the bed like last time but up high in a white hammock. I could hear the other pets on the bed and Saros and the woman from before somewhere in the room as well. "Saros he just thought he was playing with him! You said yourself you didn't know he was also a water species," the woman's voice was angry.

"Still from the first introduction, Ceilo didn't get along with them! He was hostile towards Aerglo, so why would Deimos want to play with him!"

"Maybe he was excited to have someone be able to play under the water with him. I would think it was an accident or a big misunderstanding, you don't need to punish him the way you did," the woman sighed.

Saros groaned and said in a low voice, "Mother he almost killed him, the healer said that he wouldn't have made it if he didn't expel the water from his system."

"Doesn't matter, you need to. No, you must find a way to bond them all." There was silence for a minute. "Why don't you teach them each other's customs? So there won't be any accidents in the future," the woman's, or Saros' mother's, voice said thoughtfully.

"Mother you know how secretive the humans are about their lives. It would be almost impossible."

"Doesn't mean you can't try, or would you rather your pets try to kill each other."

Without hesitation, he replied, "Okay, yes I'll try."

I could hear the stress in his voice. Did my almost death cause him that much struggle? He only just got me so he can't be that attached already. Trying to sit up in the wobbly hammock, I looked around the room. The other pets were on the bed, Deimos had a discipline collar around his neck. I shuddered.

Discipline collars were one of the many punishments you could give your pet. They had a multitude of features, shocking, drug induction, but just wearing one brought full-on humility. I've had it used on me a couple of times, it wasn't pleasant in the slightest.

Aerglo rubbed up against him in a loving manner looking to be whispering into his ear lightly. Saros and his mother were near the doorway of the room still in their conversation about human customs. Looking down I realized I was very high up off the ground. Backing up from the edge slightly, I looked around for a way to jump down quietly. I'm gonna have to jump one way or another. Mustering up the courage I looked back down assessing the distance.

It wasn't as far as I had originally thought, enough to break an ankle if you landed wrong but if I dropped in a crouch I'd be fine. Throwing my legs out of the hammock, I dropped only landing with a little thump. Nobody noticed that I was awake yet. So I sat down on the ground and started grooming my knotted hair.

It was annoying that they didn't brush it when I was passed out. But it wasn't too bad that I couldn't just do it with my hands. After finishing, I slowly braided a couple of strands like some of the elders taught me. Making me think back to many of the lessons.

The elders were secretive with anyone who wasn't part of our species. This made it hard for the Sephriems to make us pets since they knew nothing of how we acted and what we did. We prided ourselves on that. I only grew up with a couple of elders, speaking both human and Sephrime languages when I was taken from my father. Though when my learning was finished I was taken yet again.

Soon thrown into other species chambers as an experiment to see how we got along. Obviously, as a human, I adapted fast for survival. I had yet to interact with anyone of my kind since and grew up the rest of my life with cat-like pets. Adopting their hissing, clawing, and biting as a form of defense.

Braiding little braids into my hair, kept my thought process tame. Until Saros's mother figured out I was awake that is. Scooping me up so fast I didn't even process that she even got me. "Look Saros he's awake!"

Saros looked at me with slightly widened eyes, "Yes but how did he get down?"

They both looked at me but I didn't pay attention, trying to finish braiding my hair. Saros's mother sat me on top of the bed. Finally finishing I saw they were both studying my behavior. Saros came closer and picked me up gently.

Deciding it's best to not struggle I became complacent, letting him hold me and kiss me on top of the head before addressing everyone. "Pet's were going to get to know each other's custom's better as to not cause future mistakes. Come here," he beckoned a hand towards Deimos and Aerglo.

Before starting he took the collar off of Deimos kissing his head lightly.

"We'll begin with Deimos. His species is a Cwegennyth, they form attachments quickly and stay in a pack normally. Like Aerglo, they are affectionate and will defend their pack no matter what, but they also have bad tempers and are very territorial. Which makes them rare to have as pets," he looked at Aerglo, "Aerglo's species is Mida. They are also affectionate and a pack type of species. Very loving, I don't think you'll have trouble getting along at all. Now Ceilo, I know little of your kind much less how you function."

He looked down at me on his lap. Thinking thoughtfully on the matter, there shouldn't be much harm in answering the brief question. If anything it would help in diffusing the tension.

"It depends," I answer, "Some of us tend to shy away from physical contact and some strive to have it. It's the same way with packs, as you put it. It just depends on the being and how they grew up."

Surprised I answered he quickly came up with another question. "So do you like affection? Being in a pack?"

Shrugging, "Depends on my mood, though I don't mind the affection most days. But I do like having alone time to myself. I'm a mix."

He looked to the others. "Interesting," he said, "do you have questions pets?"

For the first time since I've been here, I finally got to hear the others speak. Deimos started first, his voice was raspy, and had a slight accent from his native tongue that gave me shivers when he spoke. I loved it.

"Why are you so ugly?"

Take back what I said, this creature doesn't deserve my compliments. Huffing, I glared at him. Saros lightly smacked him on the back of the head, "Deimos be nice, I'm starting to think that drowning was intentional," he said with a look of disapproval.

Aerglo lightly yipped in an excited tone before speaking, not even letting Deimos retort to Saros. "Do you like to cuddle?"

Honestly, he too was adorable. His voice matched perfectly for him, quirky and sweet-sounding, I bet he's a great singer too. Giving him a shrug to his answer, he quickly asked another one, "Do you like mating?"