Run Away With Me, Pet Shapeshifter

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Of course, I received special treatment in the hours leading up to my purchase. Nails clipped, hair brushed, nice clothes, the lot. It was typical of his lot, gotta make the product look good before the sale. Makes him look more reputable, and I wouldn't dare throw it on purpose. While I could take whatever punishment he could dole out, being around aliens like him was toxic. Part of our advantage over humans is our ability to fit in. We adjust ourselves to match those around us. Be it a family of Runners or a toxic alien, we begin to take on personality traits.

It was an exercise in misery to be around him. I wasn't the sort to really loathe others, but his attitude was beginning to draw the worst out in me. At one point, I even imagined I'd be indifferent should be die. I know you don't know me well, but trust me when I say I'm not the sort to do that or think that way. Even the Alno illicited some amount of sympathy from me.

He locked all the doors leading from the living room just before his guest arrived, clearly distrusting of my ability to behave myself. I really hadn't given him any reason to do this. The Manori were usually so empathetic, more akin to humans over the Alno. This one, whose name I never cared to learn, was bitter and obsessed with the money.

I prepared myself to analyze the alien who would soon walk in. What would they expect of me? Perhaps they wanted something docile, quiet and obedient. Maybe they wanted a Cuckooline who was playful, getting into things and getting into trouble. Maybe still they just wanted to flex their money or power. I've been locked in cages because of the rarity of grace of my species, same as I've been held on a chain and ordered to snarl at anyone who looked at them cock-eyed.

The alien who came in was a young Alvar. They are about seven or eight feet tall, based on age and gender. This one was at most six and a half feet. As was usual for her species, she was covered in thick, curly fur. They had four fingers, two of them opposable, much like chameleons on Earth. They had two eyes, much like humans, but they were all black.

A quick glance made me question my understanding of her intentions. She didn't seem wholly selfish, but not selfish either. She greeted the Manori first, seeking to ignore me, but she kept giving me side glances. She wasn't scared or anxious of me, the Manori was who she found distressing. I was dumbfounded as to what was expected of me. Most aliens I see know what they want from me, whether consciously or subconsciously, she was different. She didn't expect me to like her or dislike her. She didn't want me to rebel, obey, be quiet or loud.

Perhaps I should have found this comforting. However, after thousands of years of expectations from everyone, be they family or strangers, it was distressing to see someone so vastly different. It was almost as if I couldn't read her emotions. I definitely could. I knew she had decided to purchase me before she even saw me. I knew she didn't like the Manori, it was very possible he came off as strange to everyone as he did to me. I knew her parents had begrudgingly given her permission to purchase me after she had saved for ages. I just couldn't pick up on her intentions. She didnt expect anything of me.

I realized at the tail end of their conversation that I had been intensely staring at her the entire time. When I snapped to, she was tying a role around my wrist. It wasn't the worst restraint I've been in, I still remembered the rope that had been wrapped around my neck so recently. She gave the lead the softest tug I had seen to try and coax me out. I wasn't as hesitant as I was dumbfounded. This really wasn't something I had seen before. I was ten thousand years old. I've been rescued by those with pure intentions, aliens only thinking of me. I've been hurt by aliens who took pleasure in the thought of seeing me cry. Usually these things were on a spectrum, but she was off of it. A large hand on the back of my neck shook me out of my stupor and scared me into following the Alvar out of the house.

Published 1/9/19