out of the Ordinary (boyxboy)

Other Worldly

"Be careful Syn, these ones bite. I heard they're toxic." We stared into the window at the creature huddled on a thin bed. His skin was glistening from sweat and his eyes were wary. Other than a thick collar with spikes inside, he was naked.

"I don't care. I think he's beautiful." I replied finally to my brother's comment. My claws came up to rest on the thick glass that separated me from my desire. I wanted him, this strange creature that shrunk away from being looked at. He bared his teeth at us and I smiled.

"Ew. But it's all pink and squishy. Why would you want a pet like that?" My brother Gen crossed his limbs in front of him and shook his head. The long ropes of fibre that spilled from his head thudded against my limb and the glass, startling the creature. I didn't take my eyes off it.

"Look at his eyes. He is like a wild animal. I love it." I breathed. I wanted to touch it. To see if it was really as soft as it looked.

"Whatever. Don't blame me if you get bitten and end up with a strange infection." He motioned to the keeper and it came over to the pen. I turned and gestured at the cage I was in front of.

"I want that one. Get him ready to go. No wounds, mind you." Not like the last time we had been here and my brothers pet ended up with a gash on it's back.

"I will see what I can do, he's a bit of a temperamental one." The keeper growled at me. I kept an eye on him as he opened the door. He took a leash off his belt and a short rod with spikes. After prodding the creature, he tried to lunge for the collar. The creature jumped and ran off to another corner with wide eyes.

"Stop. You will just injure him like that. Give me the leash." I was angry. The fool was sure to tear the soft creature's throat trying to capture it like that. I took the leash from the keeper and refused the rod. "Come here. I won't hurt you. I want to take you out of here." I coaxed the creature with slow movement and gestures. He didn't come towards me, but he didn't run when I moved forward to him. I was able to gently latch the leash on the collar, then motioned him to follow me.

"He really listens to you. I am surprised." Gen was watching with interest.

"You just have to be gentle with them. They can feel the intentions you have when you approach them." I replied. I turned back to the creature as it cocked its head at us as if listening. Maybe it wasn't as dumb as they thought it was. "Stay close now. The leash with hurt if you get too far away. Let us get you back to my home so I can feed you." Sure enough, the creature seemed to narrow its eyes at the word for feeding and followed with little fuss. I went up to the desk to pay for him, and was surprised how cheap he was going. Lucky me.

I loaded him into my space shifter, letting him sit on the cushion at the back behind the seats. He was looking around with interest. I looped the leash nearby so he had plenty of slack. Gen got in the front with me and we sped off to the hive. I would drop him off at his platform before heading to mine. I think my Hatchers were just worried I might get attacked in the central station. It was full of dangerous Off-worlders that were itching for a fight.

I thought my Egg Layer was overly protective of us all. She tended to send us in groups if possible. My Fertilizer and Egg Carrier were Warriors though, so I didn't think she really had to worry. I was big for our kind even, and we were built tough for this planet to start with. Our skin was tough and scaled for protection from the wind, our fibres were like whips that came from the tops of our heads, our limbs were muscular and tipped with claws for digging in the hard rocky dirt or fighting.

Not like this tender creature I had picked up. He was covered in soft skin that gleamed a pale pink, his fibres were thin and silky as they floated in the air or stuck to his flesh, his limbs were wiry and tipped with thin flesh protuberances that looked like they would not stand up to the slightest bit of work. It was strange how his body twisted and curled into a little ball on the cushion. His eyes met mine as we pulled into Gen's platform on autopilot.