View difference between Paste ID: MGJEPLhW and z9BGHLnn

 >You've never been a religious man.
 >Still, you know all about the concepts of heaven, purgatory, hell, and all that stuff.
 >And this... this is hell, hand-crafted for you.
 >Many would have expected fire and brimstone.
 >Demons and torture devices.
 >The eternal wailing of tortured souls.
 >Being stuck in a feminist rally.
 >No, this is far worse.
 >Hell was a 6' by 6' cell with a large dog bed, a basin for a toilet, and two meals a day with treats.
 >Now to most, this wouldn't be the worst.
 >But not for you, no, because this isn't a prison cell.
 >It's a cell at an adoption center.
 >A human adoption center run by anthro animals.
 >Sure, it could be worse.
 >Except you are allergic to everything with fur.
 >AND EVERYTHING IS COVERED WITH IT!
 >Your nose is always stuffy, your eyes red, watery, and in bad times, swollen.
 >A good bit of the water they give you to drink you use to wash your face, just so you don't feel as bad.
 >Doesn't do much to help how you appear to... people looking to adopt you.
 >You've learned a lot in the few days you've been here, like humans don't talk, or rather, don't converse.
 >Some can parrot things, or repeat taught sentences.
 >You learned about that when they heard you swearing as you were brought in.
 >They said whoever trained you to say those words must have been a bad owner.
 >You got real quiet after that.
 >The allergies didn't help, making you feel sluggish and depressed.
 >So here you have been for the past four days, sitting, grumping and thinking.
 >Escaping from here doesn't seem easy or advisable, judging by the large rifle hanging on a wall.
 >It may only be a tranquilizer, but that doesn't mean you want to get shot with needles.
 >You don't really want to be adopted either, but it seems like the best option to get out of here.
 >Today has been oddly quiet though, as most of the past days usually saw about a dozen families looking to adopt.
 >You've only seen two today.
 >"Almost closing time, Jeff," you hear in the distance.
 >"Yep, so glad it's Friday. As much as I like working here, there's nothing like a few days to just relax."
 >"Lucky you, I've got a shift tomorrow."
 >A bell dings, halting their conversation and drawing you back to your thoughts.
 >"Welcome. How can we help you?"
 >"Well, uh, I'm looking to adopt a human," a female voice says, sounding a little unsure.
 >"You came to the right place then," the voice referred to as Jeff says, "Was there any specific kind you were looking for?"
 >"Not really," the female replies, "I do want it to be a house human though."
 >There's some jingling of keys, and you hear steps start down the hallway.
 >"Well, we don't have a ton of humans in right now, but I'd be surprised if you didn't find one you like,"
 >The furries walk and talk, and you find yourself moving towards the front of your cell.
 >Sitting calmly, you decide to wait for them to come into view, rather than trying to peek out like many of the humans here.
 >Before long, Jeff the Buck arrives with the female voice, giving you your first look at her.
 >She’s rather lithe red fox lady, smaller than the average furry you've seen, but even she is a full foot taller than you.
 >"Oh, what's with this dear, is he sick?" she asks, leaning down to get a closer look at you, amber eyes glimmering in the light.
 >"We had a vet check, and it's just allergies, but we haven't been able to figure out what," the staff member says.
 >You find your eyes drawn to the fox's tail as it swishes behind her.
 >You may be allergic to fur, but you'd be lying if you said you weren't really tempted to bury your face in it.
 >It seems she notices your gaze, making her smile.
 >"He seems like a rather calm one," she comments, turning to the staff member.
 >"Frankly, we don't know too much about him. He had no papers or tags when he was brought in, but..."
 >"Well, it looks like he might have had a bad owner before, he was saying swears when the pet catchers brought him in."
 >This leads her to frown, before looking back at you.
 >A sneeze tickles your nose, and before you can stop it, you let out a loud sneeze, pulling your shirt up to block any spray.
 >Letting your shirt go back down, you rub your eyes clear before sniffling a little to try and clear your nose.
 >If there is a god up there, please, give me some allergy meds...
 >Another sneeze comes, followed relentlessly by several more.
 >There's a hum from outside the cage, before you hear the sound of steps moving away.
 >The pair have moved on before you're no longer violently sneezing, so you move to your water bowl to wash your hands and face again.
 >Not twenty minutes later, they're walking back a human following happily behind the fox.
 >You don't get so much as a second glance from the fox, though you catch a small, pitied look from the staff Buck.
 >In a way, you're a little relieved, as while she's certainly far from the most threatening looking furry you've seen come through, your allergies would probably try to actually kill you with her.
 >Welp, looks like another day as a prisoner in this alien land...
 >Another door bell ring sounds out before you hear the two pass the main door however.
 >Shrugging, you move back to your bed, letting out a soft sniffle.
 >Hopefully yard time will be soon, and maybe you'll be able to sneak something from out there to entertain yourself with in here.
 >Even a couple little rocks would be great, something to flick around and stack.
 "... this is getting to me," you sigh quietly, laying down on the large dog bed.
 >A pair of voices bounce down the hall, though what they say is soon buried in the assorted exclamations from the humans here.
 >You never thought you would have considered what [human sounds] would be, but in your time here you've discovered they're mostly monosyllabic sounds.
 >Aaaaa's are often for getting attention, while Rrrr's are sounds of anger or unhappiness.
 >Females often use Eeee's when excited, while Mmmmnnnn's are a much more male used sound of general boredom.
 >A few can say things like Name's they've been taught, but couldn't hold a conversation.
 >And to be frank, you're not very good at communicating with these humans either.
 >The body language, you can understand decently, but the few times you've been out in the yard with others, they're a babble of noises you couldn't understand without a lot of study.
 >A sudden dinging against your bars snaps you from your thoughts eliciting you to roll over.
 >"What about this guy?" a female voice asks, drawing your attention.
 >"Well, we don't have a lot to go on, he's only been here a few days but he's been rather good about being alone for longer times."
 >Sitting up, you half turn to them looking over your shoulder.
 >You find yourself looking into a very powerful, reptilian face covered grey green scales with surprisingly soft blue eyes looking back at you.
 >Behind this head is a rather sturdy body wearing a tidy business skirt and suit.
 >While a little fear creeps into you, something else rings in your head.
 >Scales =/= fur.
 >No fur means no allergies.
 >Your demeanor almost immediately perks up, before a sneeze catches you again.
 >"Is he sick?" the lady asks, concerned, turning briefly to the dog.
 >"The Vet said it's allergies, and while the results haven't come, between you and me, I actually think he might be allergic to something about this place."
 >"Really?!" she exclaims quietly, "Oh the poor dear must be suffering in here."
 >Rubbing a watery eye, you notice her lean in a bit.
 >"Do you think we could open the cell so I could meet him?" she asks, turning back to look at the staff member there.
 >This new angle lets you really get a look at her, drawing you to move towards them, and from what you can see, big boned is a good term for it.
 >She's large without being fat or muscular, and while you can't really tell with her still crouched down, she's got to be a good 9 feet tall at least.
 >A small chest graces her profile, and a thick tail sticks out from her backside.
 >"I don't see why not," the staff person says, pulling a keyring from his belt, before sticking one in the lock.
 >The cell door clicks open, before sliding aside, leaving nothing but air between you and what may be your best ticket out.
 >Still cautious, you stand up before moving forward.
 >She remains squatted, leaving her head at about chest height with you, a trimmed clawed hand held out in your direction.
 >This is one thing you have figured out.
 >Much like humans from your world, humans in this world hold out a hand to someone they want to engage with.
 >If the other side isn't interested, they just don't meet it.
 >Tentatively reaching out, a voice in your head warns you that doing this will likely shape your future.
 >Mere inches from her hand, yours clenches for just a second, before you open it and put it on hers.
 >A toothy smile suddenly lights up her face, and the staff member gives a small clap.
 >"Well well, that's more than we've ever gotten out of him," he says, gesturing for her to lead you out.
 >Without breaking eye contact, she leads you slowly out, remaining crouched as she does so.
 >Once you’re outside the cell, it’s closed behind you by the dog.
 >Standing up, her hand gently but firmly grips yours a moment longer before she lets go and reaches for your head.
 >You flinch back, almost on instinct, and the staff guys says, "Oh, yeah, we're not sure, but we think he came from a bad home before."
 >Seeing her concern, he raises his hands and adds, "He's not violent or anything, heck, he's probably the most well behaved human we have here, just... he might have a sharp tongue if he's unhappy."
 >She looks back to you, before setting a gentle hand on your shoulder.
 >Reaching up you touch her arm softly, the smooth texture of her scales barely perceptible beneath her suit.
 >Her smile returns, much softer this time, before she says, "Well I guess I found my human."
 >The employee nods, before asking, "Do you have a collar and leash already, or do you need us to provide one? It's not necessary, mind you, but it's usually recommended for house humans."
 >You find her looking right at you, so you gaze back into her eyes, keeping as calm a demeanor as you can when faced with a 9+ foot toothy lizard lady.
 >"I suppose he'll need a collar for his tags, but I don't want to scare him with a leash."
 >"Alright. We can get that up at the front, and there's some paperwork to be filled out, but then you'll be good to go."
 >Removing her hand from your shoulder, she gently grabs your hand again and starts leading you after the employee.
 >You're basically committed at this point, so returning her grip a little, you follow without issue.
 ~~~
 >Trying hard not to skip as you walk, your mind is abuzz with excitement.
 >You're actually getting your own human.
 >Sure, you were thinking of getting a snuggly little one, but when you saw this guy, all stuffed up, sniffly and sad, you felt something.
 >You felt like he needed you, he needed to be out of here.
 >Now, you were going to adopt him, take him home, and give him a nice bath to get clean.
 >You've got some chicken you can whip up for dinner, and then a whole weekend with your new human.
 >Back at the front, it seems the other lady you saw when you came in has left, and the buck is handling some paperwork at the main desk.
 >He looks over, before a small smile forms.
 >"oh ho, so mister unsociable human found an owner he likes," he remarks, before leaning over to fiddle around in drawers.
 >He returns a moment later with a small stack of papers and a pen.
 >"You'll need to fill out these, and there's standard adoption fees, then you'll be good to go."
 >The papers are stuck into a clipboard and passed to you, and with some reluctance, you let go of your new human's hand to take them.
 >When you do, he doesn't run away or anything, which is a really good sign.
 >Humans are very curious and inquisitive, and are prone to getting distracted.
 >The form itself is fairly standard, covering your personal information like name, address, phone number as well as information on the human you are adopting.
 >Things are going smoothly until you get into the human data.
 "Now that I think about it, does this fellow have a name? I didn't see one on the cage."
 >"Afraid not, but that means you get to pick now."
 "But what should I call him?" you says to yourself, looking over at the rather bland and quiet human who's getting a collar stuck on him by the other staff member.
 "Well, since nobody really knows anything about him, so how about Anonymous, or rather, Anon?"
 >"A little odd, but he doesn't seem to mind," the Dog says, gesturing to your human as he watches you.
 >The further you go into the forms, the more issues you find, but the deer behind the desk tells you not to worry and just fill what you can.
 >A few signatures and a transaction later, and you're staring at the door out, your human's hand held in your own.
 >Reaching out, you push it open and step out into the light, shielding your eyes against the sun.
 >Your human follows rather quickly, soon standing beside you, looking around at everything.
 >A sniffle followed by a sneeze suddenly take him, and you give his hand a gentle squeeze.
 >Leading him with a bit more vigour, you open the passenger side door to your car and encourage him in.
 >He goes in, and with a little fiddling, you have him seated and buckled in.
 >You're really hoping he hasn't figured out how to work those.
 >Moving around, you notice his eyes follow you as you make your way to the driver's side door.
 >Something about him paying attention to you brings a smile to your face.
 >Climbing into the seat of your compact, you reach over and pat his shoulder before starting it up.
 >The quiet thrum of the engine doesn't bother him, and you're feeling better and better for picking him.
 >A lot of humans are scared by cars the first time they come across them, so it's likely he's been exposed to them.
 >Actually, he's probably been exposed to a number of things, since he seems so well trained.
 >It'll be a learning process, it seems.
 >The drive home is quiet, but then, he is supposedly a rather quiet human.
 >Not that you mind, heck, that's part of why you picked him.
 >Better a quiet one than a screamer.
 >You've heard water cooler stories about co-workers living next to screamers.
 >They never stick around long.
 >It's hard to stay focused on the road when your eyes keep wandering over to your new pet, sitting calm as can be next to you.
 >A loud sneeze comes from him, and you feel your heart melting at the cuteness of it.
 >Before long, you're pulling up in front of your small home.
 >Hastily undoing yourself, you find the previously contained skip has made itself apparent in your step as you move around to get Anon out of his seat.
 >A beep from your keys and the car say it's locked as you excitedly tug Anon by the hand.
 >Leading him up the path and past your small front lawn, you fumble to get the right key in the lock before you accidently drop the lot.
 >This forces you to bend down and pick them up, quelling your excitement a bit.
 >But only a little bit.
 >Finally getting the door open, you lead Anon inside, closing it behind you.
 "Welcome to your new home, Anon," you say, cautiously resting a hand on his back.
 >He seems rather rooted, but this isn't uncommon.
 >Heading to the kitchen, you leave him to wander on his own while you prepare dinner.
 ~~~
 >So this is where you'll be staying for now...
 >From the outside, it was neither large nor impressive, and the inside holds similarly true.
 >Admittedly, the ceilings are still really high to accommodate the owner's large stature, and the furniture and fixtures match this.
 >You'd have to reach up to flick the light switches on the wall, as they're just above face level.
 >The thuds of cupboards closing and clang of pots and pans rang out, clueing you in to where she is.
 >You're in what passes as an entrance hallway, though it's just a half-wall away from a living room and dining room combo on the right and a coat closet followed by several doorways to your left.
 >Peeking inside the closet reveals it's mostly empty save a few pairs of footwear and coats.
 >Just past the closet is another door that's open and cautiously looking in, you find it to be a small bedroom devoid of just about everything except a human bed in one corner.
 >The room also has a small closet with no door, though this one seems empty.
 >Chops come from the kitchen as you move to the next door on the left, this one half open.
 >A brief glance inside is all you need to see before rushing in, stripping your shirt off as you do.
 >The sink is a little high to reach effectively, so you climb onto the counter and turn on the tap.
 >You'd take a full on shower if you could, but you have the feeling that might be a little too smart.
 >Instead, you settle for splashing water all over your head, chest and arms, ignoring the quiet creak of floorboards from the hall.
 >Rubbing your face, you feel the week or so worth of facial hair you have.
 >It's more than stubble, but not enough to be considered a beard or anything.
 >There's no plug for the sink, so you cover the drain with your hand and let it fill enough that you can dunk your head in.
 >You can see the lizard lady watching not so stealthily from behind the door, but it doesn't bother you.
 >Going in face first, you use your free hand to scrub everything.
 >Blinking to hopefully rinse any allergens out of your eyes, you move your other hand and let the water start draining.
 >You sit up quickly, shaking your head left and right and sending water everywhere.
 >Turning the taps off, you hop down, feeling far better and refreshed.
 >Soft clicks move away from the door, the owner returning to their prior tasks.
 >Letting her have her fun, you shake yourself dry some more, before picking up your shirt and sticking it in the room with the human bed.
 >The third door is closed, and coming up to it, you can see into the kitchen a bit.
 >Letting it pass, you decide against letting her know you can open doors, and instead poke it a few times, before heading to the living room.
 >Like the bedroom for you, it's rather sparse aside from furniture.
 >It seems like anything small has been hidden away, probably in preparation to bring a human in.
 >Both the couch and loveseat are too low for you to crawl under, but are set in a way that you can hide behind the couch if you're so inclined.
 >The dining room part of the two room combo has a small table with four chairs, a phone on the wall and a small side table.
 >A double doorway leads into the kitchen from which a faint odour wafts.
 >Perking up, you follow your nose to the edge of the doorway, your stomach letting out faint growls.
 >Standing over a stove, your new owner pushes around something in a pan with a spatula.
 >Some ingredients on the counter give small clues as to what it could be, but you can't read the writing on them.
 >One of her soft blue eyes focuses on you, and her mouth curves into a smile that sparkles with sharp teeth.
 >You find yourself stepping back, a primal fear digging into your mind.
 >Soft laughter cuts through the sounds of cooking briefly, and you decide to leave exploring the kitchen for later.
 >Returning to your room, you peer inside the closet, and as you expected, it's empty.
 >Overhead, there's a bar for hangers, but nothing on it.
 >It doesn't look sturdy enough to hold you, and you don't plan on testing it.
 >Still, if she is going to respect your privacy, this might be a good place to hide things.
 >Moving to the bed, you eye it closely, looking over it for any stray fur that would make for a terrible night.
 >Thankfully, the bed is clean, you'd hate to have to figure out how to clean it yourself.
 >Laying down, you relax and stare at the ceiling until the smell from the kitchen starts seeping into the room.
 >Your stomach growls again, taunted by the smell of real cooking instead of the human kibble they had at the center.
 >Not that it was bad, mind you, it was actually surprisingly good for little brown pellets.
 >But it's not the same as real cooked food.
 >Getting up again, you stealthily walk down the hall before poking your head into the kitchen.
 >"Are you hungry Anon?" She asks, not even turning around.
 >Your stomach growls again at the delicious smell wafting from the stove.
 >"Don't you worry, dinner will be soon. I'm just waiting for a friend to arrive."
 >Stepping in, you wait for her to turn before you give her a small pout, just like your childhood dog used to do to beg for food.
 >And just like for them, it works for you.
 >She puts up only a token resistance before she melts into a smile.
 >"Okay, fine, just one bite though," she says, pulling a spoon from a drawer and scooping you up a bit.
 >What comes up is a pinkie sized strip of white meat gleaming with a rich smelling sauce.
 >Opening your mouth, the spoon is held out for you and quick as a whip, you lean over and take it in your mouth, tugging the spoon from her hand as you pull back and sit.
 >It's as good as it smells, though also quite hot, making you take several quick breaths to cool your mouth after pulling the spoon out.
 >"Looks like I did good," she says, before the doorbell rings, "Oh, that'll be Natalie now!"
 >You scurry aside, and she walks past, through the doorway and you peek around the corner after her.
 >Her thick tail sways just above the floor, a small bounce in her step doing nothing to make her solid form jiggle.
 >The door opens, and you hear another female voice say, "Hey, Kalia. So, where's your new little pet?"
 "He was just in the kitchen with me, come on in."
 >Stepping aside, you get your first look at your owner's guest, and a pit suddenly forms in your stomach.
 >She's an old english sheepdog looking girl.
 >You almost instinctively sneeze, and you can see her eyes lock onto you.
 >Not good...
 ~~~
 >A sneeze comes from the kitchen and you see Anon's head poking out.
 "He's not very social, so try not to pressure him, Natalie," you say, shutting the door behind her.
 >"Well he's out and about and you just brought him home. I'd say he doesn't feel that out of place."
 "It is dinner time, and if there's something that will get humans from a hiding spot, it's food."
 >Your friend's nose twitches, and their tail springs to life behind them.
 >"I don't blame him for coming out, that smells amazing, Kalia."
 "It's nothing too fancy," you reply, scratching the back of your neck.
 >Natalie holds up her bag, saying, "I brought that movie you wanted to see, should I set it up now, or should we eat first?"
 "The foods pretty much done, the movie can wait," you reply, returning to the kitchen.
 >Anon's still in there, spoon in hand, though it is almost clean enough to eat off of from the looks of it.
 >At least getting him to eat won't be an issue, even though the center furs didn't mention him having any problems with that.
 >Two plates, one bowl, some lettuce and two forks, and the food for the three of you is ready.
 >Setting the bowl down for Anon, Natalie’s already at the table.
 >As soon as he has his food though, Anon makes to for the hallway.
 >You reach out to stop him, but pause, before sighing.
 >"Hey, where'd your little human go?" Natalie asks.
 >Looking down the hall, you spot him turn the corner into the room you prepared for him.
 "I think he wants to eat alone, or maybe he just doesn't trust us around his food," you say, setting your own food and hers on the table.
 >"Ah, I wouldn't worry," Nicole says, grabbing her fork, "most humans just take a little time to warm up to new furs."
 >She turns to you and with an awkward smile adds, "Or, uh, scales."
 >Waving away the comment you turn to your meal and start eating.
 >Part of way through, she starts up conversation again, asking, "So, what made you pick him? I thought you were saying you wanted one of the smaller, eastern breeds."
 "I did, but something about him just drew me in. It doesn't hurt he's rather quiet and—how did the guys at the center put it—unsociable?"
 >"Really? That's not something you usually hear about humans."
 "Well, his previous owners may not have been the best to him, and it's not like he's aggressive or anything. Actually, he was rather timid compared to the other humans there."
 >There's a light tinkling noise behind you, and you look in the kitchen to see Anon's bowl on the counter and a glimpse of him returning to his room.
 "Pretty smart or well trained, too," you add, pointing to the bowl, a hint of pride showing into your voice.
 >"I'll give you well trained," Natalie replies, "but I've seen other humans that will return dishes after eating."
 "He knows how taps work too, I saw him washing himself just after we got home."
 >"You haven't even had him a day and you're peeking at him. I knew you were a little lonely here, Kalia, but I didn't think it was that bad," Natalie says, reaching over and giving you a teasing nudge.
 "Hey, I wouldn't do that," you retort, your jaw clacking shut with teeth bared., "I'll admit I often get lonely here alone, but I'd never take advantage of a poor defenceless human like that."
 >A smile splits her muzzle, giving a little more definition to her thickly furred features before she lets out a few laughs.
 >"I know, I know, I'm just bugging you," she says, patting your shoulder, "But seriously, you definitely needed someone in your personal life."
 "I’ve got a date this sunday, I’ll have you know."
 >Finishing her meal with a burp, Natalie stands and takes her dish to the kitchen.
 >She almost immediately starts rustling through your cupboards, asking, "So what do you have for snacks in here?"
 "Give me a moment," you say, before scarfing down the rest of your food and getting up to join her in the kitchen.
 >From behind the fridge door you see her back half sticking out, tail wagging as she noses around in your stuff.
 "You're not gonna find any beer in there, Nat."
 >"Then—"
 "We're not gonna drink tonight, I don't want us potentially screwing up anything with Anon."
 >"Anon? You mean your human? He was named Anon?"
 "No, that's what I decided to name him."
 >She withdraws from the fridge, looking at you in confusion.
 >"It's not what I would have named him, but he's your pet so..." she says with a shrug.
 >Shifting stuff aside in one of the top cupboards, you pull out a bag of chips, a box of cookies and a box of human treats.
 >Just in case.
 >Natalie takes the lead back into the living room, grabbing the remote from on top of the TV and after putting in the movie, she flops onto the loveseat.
 >Following her, you notice something behind the couch and you smile, glad that your instincts were correct.
 >You set the snacks down before sitting carefully on the couch, making sure not to accidentally push it back.
 >The TV clicks on and before long the two of you are idly munching on snacks as the action thriller starts.
 >While you do focus on the movie, you're also always listening for sounds from behind you.
 >And before long, your patience is rewarded.
 >Very faint shuffling sounds and a muffled sneeze come from behind you signalling that Anon's there.
 >Reaching for the table, you dig a snack from a box before dangling it over the edge of the couch.
 >A minute passes and the human snack remains unmolested in your claws.
 >Leaning over, you see his head and an arm sticking out, watching the TV with you.
 >However, he seems to be uninterested in the snack.
 >He can't be, right?
 >You've seen the commercials for them, humans love these treats.
 >You wiggle it for him, but it still remains firmly in your grasp.
 >Letting out a sigh you get off the couch and round the side of it to face him.
 >He immediately goes to retreat, but you hold out the treat for him.
 >There's a pause in his actions before he reaches out to take it from you.
 >A tentative bite later, and he's smiling and eating it happily.
 >Taking another from behind you, you move back a little and hold it out again.
 >His smile turns into a frown briefly, before it shifts back to something neutral and he wiggles himself from the couch.
 >The moment he takes the second treat from you, your hands gently wraps around his waist and help pull him out.
 >And then you lift him up onto the couch with you.
 >He struggles a little, mostly with the sudden picking up, but when you sit and set him in your lap, he calms rather quickly.
 >You may not be fluffy or well endowed like Nat, but Anon doesn't seem to bothered by it as you hold him close.
 >Without his shirt he's warm, a blessing for cold blooded folk like yourself.
 >Not that it's cold out or in here, but that doesn't mean you don't love a little extra warm and cozy.
 >Natalie shoots you a jealous look, but you turn back to the movie, content with your human.
 >Most of the movie is spent with Anon on your lap, despite his occasional sneezing, but eventually you lay down and he takes up a spot by your feet.
 >Well, closer to your butt, as he seems to shy away from Natalie whenever she moves.
 >He's almost as into the movie as you are—humans love TV after all.
 >Though they rarely understand what is on, the visual and auditory stimulation pleases them, and it can be used to distract them for an hour or two.
 >A small hand reaches out to the table, and you resist your initial urge to smack it, instead opting to take it in your own and grab the box of human treat with the other.
 "Would you like one?" you ask, shaking the box at him.
 >He turns to you, before holding out his hands cupped together.
 "Smart boy," you say, before digging one out for him and throwing a brief smirk at Natalie.
 >Putting it in his hands, you find yourself more interested in watching him eat it than the movie.
 >He's very slow in his eating, rather than most humans who will gulp down any snack given to them.
 >A sudden explosion from the TV makes you jump, startling Anon as well.
 >"Aww, did your poor little guy get scared?" Natalie coos, leaning over to pat Anon's shoulder.
 >At her touch he just shy jumps away, but since away from her means into you, you suddenly find yourself covered in half clothed human.
 >A warm, half clothed human, but he's still kind of heavy.
 >Small hands grip you, pushing himself up before sliding off the couch and running off.
 >About to go after him, Natalie rests a hand on your shoulder.
 >"Leave him be, he's probably just over stimulated."
 "Alright," you reply with uncertainty, turning back to the movie.
 >It's not long before you hear splashing from the bathroom which lasts for a minute or two before stopping.
 >He doesn't poke his head out to see you or Nat again even after the movie is over.
 >Heck, you only saw him when you poked your head into his room after seeing Natalie off for the night.
 >It seems he's rather interested in looking out the window, so you leave him be.
 >After all, it's his first day and soon to be night here, it's best to just let him be.
 >A quick bathroom trip, shower and some general tidying in the kitchen, and it's time for bed.
 >You bid Anon goodnight before returning to your own room.
 >Tomorrow's a new day after all, a whole day to spend, just you and him.
 ~~~
 >A pressure in your bladder pulls you from bed, and rising, you rub your eyes, looking around for the toilet pan.
 >It takes a moment for your sleep addled mind to realize you're not in a cell at the Center.
 >With that realization, you shuffle out of the room and into the bathroom, struggling with hitting the light switch for a moment before the room is flooded with light.
 >The toilet's rather tall, making it easier to hop onto it and go sitting down then figure out how to pee standing up while half awake.
 >A footstep from outside the room followed by a gasp is the only warning you get before you see Kalia's tail wave out of view and hurried steps run into the other room.
 >Hopping down immediately, you pull back up your clothes and hurry after her, trying to stay silent.
 >Through the kitchen and around the corner into the dining room, you spot her, half dressed, reaching for the phone.
 ~~~
 >Loud ringing rips you from a wonderful dream filled with servile men in loincloths, and flailing around, you grab your phone.
 "What is it," you grumble, rubbing your eyes with your free hand.
 >"Hey, Nat, you'll never believe this. Anon is totally toilet trained and everything!"
 >Gazing over at your clock, you grab your face in exasperation.
 "Kalia, it's five in the morning on a Saturday. I don't care if Anon can tap dance while tying balloon animals, lemme sleep."
 >Clicking the end call button, you drop it back on the night stand before rolling over and hoping you can get back to sleep in time for an orgy.
 ~~~
 >"O-okay, Talk to you later then," Kalia says, before hanging up her phone and turning your way.
 >"Anon, come on out, I have a treat for you!"
 >Retreating back to the hall, you hear her follow slowly, before there are sounds of her digging in a cupboard.
 >Touches of panic set in as uncertainty grips you, driving you back to your room.
 >'Did I fuck up? Do humans not use the toilets here?'
 >Inside the closet is the only place you can avoid view, as you hide your breath and listen.
 >"Anon? Anon, where are you?" her voice calls out, "I have a treat!"
 >Her footsteps travel through the empty house, punctuated by her calling for you randomly.
 >"I'm sorry Anon, I didn't mean to scare you there," she says, her voice going soft but still carrying through the small house without issue, "I'll just leave your treat with breakfast."
 >A few minutes later and you hear a clink near your room's door before her footsteps move away.
 >Nothing happens as minutes tick by, and once you're reasonably sure there aren't any cops or anything coming, you peek out.
 >Your room is still fairly dark, but light shines down the hall, illuminating a bowl of human kibble with a treat like yesterday on it.
 >A hungry growl from your gut tells you it has been a fair bit since you last ate, and that you should probably start eating.
 >Moving the snack aside, you dig into the kibble, eating it handful by handful.
 >With the kibble done you return to the snack, staring closely, looking for anything off.
 >You're from a pet species here, so you have to think like a pet owner.
 >And if you were going to try to get your pet to eat something they might not otherwise, you'd stick it in a treat.
 >Or cheese.
 >But the cookie-like snack is visibly untouched, leading you to take a bite.
 >The closest thing you could compare it to would be a chocolate chip cookie, but a bit harder.
 >Still, your gut says something feels wrong, but your mind can't figure out what.
 >Returning to bed, you lay on your chest to watch out the door and listen for your... owner.
 ~~~
 >Claws on your head, you gently massage your scalp while muttering to yourself.
 "It's alright, Kalia, he doesn't hate you, you just surprised him."
 "I mean, you'd be surprised and embarrassed if someone walked in on you going to the bathroom."
 "Just give him a little time," you say a little louder, sitting up and growing a smile, "He'll come out on his own when he's ready."
 >Standing up and stretching, you feel much more refreshed even without your morning coffee.
 >Speaking of, the kettle lets out a whistle to let you know it's boiling hot now, and ready to make some morning energy.
 >Before long the rich smell of coffee fills the kitchen, spilling out into the other rooms.
 >And with the smell going out, you're surprised when Anon pokes his head in.
 >It's only for a moment, and you barely have time to open your mouth to say "Good morning," before he ducks back into the hall.
 >Hurried steps scamper away from you, before he returns with his bowl and sets it on the counter.
 >His eyes look over you before locking onto the coffee in your claws for several moments, before he heads off again.
 >To say you were confused would be pretty accurate, since you're pretty sure most humans don't like coffee or bitter stuff like it.
 >Sweet things, on the other claw are a sure-fire way to draw in or reward humans.
 "At least he's coming out," you say to yourself with a small smile, "Just one step at a time."
 "But what's the next step?"
 >Making sure your cup is topped up, you return to your room and start up your laptop.
 >If you're going to take care of your human right, you're going to need the best information from the best sources.
 >Also known as the Internet.
 >Of course with it being the internet, the first thing that comes up when you search for bonding with humans is YiffHub Porn videos.
 >Definitely not blushing like a highschooler in anatomy class, you scroll past, looking for more professional articles.
 >One catches your eye, prompting you to open it and start reading.
 "Being around them passively, feeding them and giving them treats, playing with them. This is all basic stuff anyone knows."
 >Having your human wear your pre-worn clothes, especially ones you were active and sweaty in can help them become used to your scent, and even associate it with comfort.
 "Okay, that's kind of gross," you say with a sour look, "But still interesting, I guess."
 >Most of the article is just basic stuff, and you find yourself skimming after a while till you near the end.
 >A line jumps out at you, forcing you to re-read it to make sure you saw what you saw.
 >'However, by and large the most effective and quick way to bond with a new human is intimate or sexual contact.'
 "Really? Is sex actually the best way to bond with a human?"
 >'Sexual contact, and sex itself should only be done between adults of both species and never forced.'
 >'Intimate contact, on the other hand, can be done at most any age, though the type of contact should be balanced to the ages of the fur and human.'
 >'Sleeping together is one common form of intimate contact that is fine at any age between the two, though things like semi-nude cuddling are often best left for adult furs.'
 >'Bathing your human is an odd exception to intimate contact, since humans are a very social species, and will often do this with other humans or furs around.'
 >'Even cautious or untrusting humans will allow others to bathe with them and help them bathe, which can help start the bonding process with even the most difficult humans.'
 >'This behaviour is especially present in eastern breed humans, due to a history with natural hot springs.'
 >Anon's not an eastern right? He seems more like he comes from western stock.
 >Still, a bath might be just the thing you need to get Anon to warm to you.
 >But he probably won't just go in a bath with you right now, he needs to want a bath first.
 >And the best way to do that is to get him dirty, and the best way to do that is play outside.
 "Of course! I can take him to the human park nearby."
 >Glancing out the window into darkness puts a damper on your mood, but you still keep your smile.
 "Well, later on we can go out."
 >Your stomach growls for more than just coffee, and you decide to put your reading on hold to get some food in you and get dressed for the day.
 ~~~
 >The pressure in your pants swiftly dropping, you gaze out the front window while wrapping your head around this whole pet thing.
 >while you did get that humans, and by extension you, are a pet species here, it never really clicked what this would all mean.
 >Not till this just now.
 >Humans are just animals, their owners don't exactly care what they see.
 >Nudity, secrets, passwords, anything like that, you can just be around and see them, she probably wouldn't flinch.
 >And not just her, anyone you're around.
 >So long as you're not intrusive about it.
 >You can't just do what you think a pet would do, you have to consider what you think the furs would expect you to do.
 >At the same time, you'll have to figure out more of how humans react to things here, which admittedly isn't going to be easy.
 >Scratching your chin in thought, a sneeze sneaks up on you thanks to your proximity to the loveseat.
 "Never thought I'd have to try to not react to seeing a woman naked," you say softly to yourself, before sneezing again.
 ~~~
 >Every minute seems to drag out like an hour as you try to pass the time till you can take Anon to go out to the park.
 >As it stands, he seems rather intent at staring out the front window, and even leaning over the loveseat with a treat won't get him to come over.
 >He did look over when you called to him at least, even if only briefly.
 >That's something, right?
 >One last dangle of the treat still garners no attention, so you turn around and reach for the remote.
 >If treats aren't gonna get him out, maybe some TV will.
 >Going through the guide, nothing interesting is on this early so you change it to the human entertainment channel.
 >Not even ten minutes in you feel the infantile show grating on you, but it does do one good thing.
 >Anon decides to come out to watch the tv, hopping up onto the couch.
 >Once he seems suitably distracted with the tv, you shimmy across the loveseat and quickly pop over to the couch.
 >As soon as you sit down, however, Anon shifts over to the far end of it and sinks a weight into your chest.
 >You barely scooch halfway across the couch before Anon sneezes and slides off, sitting beside it instead.
 >Flopping to your side, you stare at the tv but just can't get into it.
 >Instead, your mind is hard at work trying to figure out why he'd avoid you.
 >Nothing has really changed since yesterday, when he was totally fine with sharing the couch from you.
 >Well, Natalie's not here, but that shouldn't change anything.
 >Unless he doesn't like the smell of her or something, and because she was on the loveseat, and then you were, you might smell like her.
 >And that's scaring him off.
 "But if I have a shower right now..."
 >A soft growl escapes your throat as you scratch your head exasperatedly.
 "Come on, Kalia, you're the local manager of a logistics company, solving problems is what you do..."
 >An idea strikes you, making you jump to your feet.
 >You spare a glance back at Anon, who's attention seems to be mixed between you and the tv as you leave, before hurrying into the bathroom.
 "He cleaned himself yesterday, so if I clean myself similarly, he might be fine with me again."
 >Looking at yourself in the mirror, you spot some fur left over from when Natalie was here all over your shirt.
 "Wow, yeah, no wonder Anon can smell her on me, it looks like she's started shedding for summer already."
 >Good thing you have a lint roller for such situations.
 >Furs always get messy around this time of year, and you like to look your best when going to work.
 >Cleaning yourself off with the roller, you wash your hands and face and throw on a little deodorant to be safe before returning to the living room.
 >Anon has returned to the couch, sitting on one side, his eyes briefly flicking to you as you step into view.
 >Anxiety creeps up on you as you step closer, heart pounding like a drum in your chest.
 >He doesn't react though, both as you sit down and as you shift closer.
 >Everything goes well until you try and reach over to pet him.
 >This causes him to shy away from your claw, leading to you retracting it.
 >Still, he's sharing the couch with you, and that means he's fine with you being around.
 >And that's the real step one to bonding with, well, anyone.
 >A happy smile shows itself on your face, and you shift ever so slightly closer to him.
 >Now you just need to wait till later so you can take him to the park!
 ~~~
 >Well, this channel is certainly... insulting to your intelligence, to say the least, but at the same time, it's at least a little informative.
 >It's a lot like programs meant for babies and children under like, 3, with large bright objects and happy voices.
 >But still you can learn from it, a little...
 >If only you knew how to read furry.
 >It'd really help you know what's going to be on next, as well as stuff from the commercials.
 >And based on the fact they seem to be directed at humans, it seems humans here have product recognition at least.
 >Not to say many of the ads are appealing to you.
 >Rather, most of this is rather boring and you lean over to lie down.
 >Except your feet meet a heavy obstacle, reminding you that Kalia is here with you.
 >Your feet are suddenly lifted and laid over her, letting you rest decently comfortably while still watching the show.
 >As you watch the tv, you notice one of Kalia's hands hovering over you while making a somewhat disconcerting grabbing motion.
 >Troubling thoughts drift into your head, filled with concern over what furries actually do with pet humans.
 >I mean you're practically the same size as some, so sex, consensual or not is very much likely a thing.
 >Though that could depend on the law, which is a mystery to you at this point.
 >One you'd much prefer to learn at a leisure rather than by force.
 >Pulling your legs up as a precaution, you sit in the fetal position to watch, protecting yourself without being overt about it, hopefully.
 >Her hand stops hovering after you do this, so whatever it was, you're safe for now.
 >The peace doesn't last long, however, as after a little while Kalia stands suddenly and heads to the kitchen.
 >Startled by her sudden movement, your eyes follow her until she passes out of sight before returning your attention to the tv, ears tuned for sounds from the kitchen.
 >She's not in there long, and she returns with a plastic bag filled with stuff and a smile on her face.
 >"Come on Anon, let's go out for a ride!" she exclaims, reaching out for your hand.
 >Your eyes turn to the tv briefly, and the simple animated human and furry dancing on screen, before turning back to her and standing, reaching out for her hand.
 >She tugs you along to the front door, pausing only to turn off the tv and pull on some footwear.
 >Outside, a chilly early morning breeze rides up your shirt making you shiver, but the car is opened and warm without the breeze.
 >The seat belt buckle is done up, and while you feel a little anxious, you're quite certain nothing bad is going to happen.
 >You've only been with her a day, she's not going to take you back right away.
 >But that begs the question of where is she taking you?
 >Your mind suddenly shoots to a doctor or vet, and...
 >Suppressing a shudder, it's not enough and she notices, turning to you.
 >"Are you cold Anon? I'll turn the heat up a little."
 >She reaches to turn up a dial, but you're too busy looking out the window for any signs of where you're going.
 >It's not long before she stops and parks.
 ~~~
 >Exiting your car, you look over it to the fenced off park, and the numerous humans and owners all about it.
 >You've passed by here so many times going to and from work but with no human of your own, you've never had a reason to go in.
 >But now you have Anon.
 "I just hope he's not too scared by this," you say to yourself before taking the bag of snacks you packed from the car.
 >Closing the driver side door, you move to the passenger side to see Anon looking out intently, eyes following humans around the park.
 >Maybe you don't have anything to worry about.
 >Opening the door and undoing his seatbelt, you hook a finger through his collar ring and gently guide him out.
 >He's a little against you tugging, but you don't want him to run off and get hurt or lost before getting in the park.
 >Still, he follows as you lead him to one of the entrance gates and let yourselves in.
 >You let him go before closing the park latch behind you, just so no humans run off.
 >He's already started wandering by the time you turn back, but he hasn't gone far.
 >In fact, he seems rather scared of moving too far from you, or maybe he's nervous about interacting with other humans.
 >Either way, it's rather adorable as he stands there with his arms held close to his chest, hands fidgeting.
 >But this will be good for him, so with a soft smile on your face, you gently push him forward.
 >Your push staggers him a bit, but he heads out and you turn your attention to finding somewhere to sit.
 >Several benches are filled by owners and pets, but after a little walking you find an unoccupied one near to where Anon is wandering.
 >And wandering is certainly what he is doing.
 >While other humans run, frolic and interact with each other, Anon just walks from place to place, watching the other humans.
 >It's not like it's a problem, you want him to do this at his own pace, but if he doesn't get dirty, he's not going to need a bath, and that means no bonding.
 >You're so deep in contemplation you don't notice someone sit next to you till they clear their throat.
 >"Are you alright, Miss?" he asks as you turn to him.
 "Oh, yeah, I'm fine," you reply, looking back out to Anon, who is now looking around a tree.
 >"First time here? Don't worry, nothing's going to happen to your human, everyone here is nice."
 "I'm just worried he's not going to enjoy being out here."
 >"Really?" he says, pausing before he speaks again, "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Jack, nice to meet you."
 "Kalia," you reply, turing to him with a smile, and shaking his outstretched paw.
 >"So, Kalia, which one's yours?" Jack asks, gesturing out to the park.
 "Him," you say, pointing out Anon, "The one who's walking around nervously."
 "What about you? Which human is yours?"
 >"Oh, I don't have one," he says, "My schedule is too busy to keep one so I just come out here to watch them sometimes."
 "Hmn," you mutter, turning back to Anon and his explorations.
 ~~~
 >This is... different.
 >You weren't in there very long, but the difference between the few humans in the adoption center to here in the park is huge.
 >The staff never really got involved during the yard times, and there were never more than like, five or six humans out there with you.
 >And since you didn't get involved either, it was just them playing together.
 >Out here though, you have small groups of humans playing in some areas, humans and furs playing together in others, and...
 >Yep, he just took a dump behind a tree.
 >Really, none of this should surprise you, but seeing it first hand really makes you think.
 >Differences you'd expect, with humans being completely different from, say, dogs, are hardly there at all.
 >An owner throws a ball, and their human goes running off after it, almost falling over themselves to get it.
 >Something inside you expected maybe catch, or just... something other than this.
 >At a bench, a fox fur cleans some mud off their human before removing her dirtied shirt and letting her run off, assets bouncing free.
 >Finding a nice shaded tree to sit under, you slide down to the ground and let out a sigh before rubbing your face.
 >Even though you had an idea of what humans were treated like, and were themselves like here, it still feels almost surreal.
 >Like you're going to wake up suddenly and everything will be back to normal.
 >Still you know it isn't so, which makes it all the more unnerving.
 >And you've only been with Kalia for less than a day, so you have little idea what she's like as an owner either.
 >Once you've settled in is she going to be nice? Cruel? Sexual?
 >At the same time, can you risk running away?
 >Just from what you can see of the park, Kalia's the only non-furry here.
 >You might literally have hit a one in a million jackpot with her.
 >A face popping into sight jars you from your thoughts, as a human leans down to look at you.
 >"Aaaa Aaaa," he sounds, reaching a hand out to you.
 >Past him, several other humans look over, confusion on their faces.
 >Gently pushing his hand away, you decline his invitation, leaving him to let out a low "Mmmmnnn."
 >The other humans call to him with "Aaaa's" of their own, and he returns to them, leaving you to observe.
 >Not that it helps much.
 >Their play is random at best, sometimes chasing, sometimes wrestling and tumbling around, and sometimes just sounds shouted at each other.
 >And all you learn is that you have no idea what they're doing half the time.
 >The owners you have a better grasp on, however, and from what you've observed, they tend to fall into two categories.
 >Active and involved owners who are down in the grass playing with their humans, and the more reserved types, who observe from the benches and socialize with other owners.
 >Kalia seems like the latter, chatting with a Husky looking fur, though her eyes often turn to you.
 >Twinges of hunger draw you from your thoughts, and you glance to the sky in hopes of guessing the time.
 >Light clouds obscure the sun, but you can tell it's still too early for lunch.
 >Still, she did bring a bag of stuff from the kitchen, and that might mean treats.
 >Walking over to her in a hurry, you sit in front of her and look up, making a similar pouty face to last night.
 ~~~
 >...
 >Damn it, Anon's too cute...
 >Sitting in front of you giving his best sad eyes.
 >He probably knows you brought treats, and knows how to ask for them.
 >And you really can't resist.
 >Digging one out of your bag, you pull it out and hold it up for him.
 >This action is almost immediately regretted as about half a dozen humans from nearby rush over at the sight of the snack.
 >One of them is even clever enough to say "treat?!"
 >But this is for your human, and he's quite aware of this, taking it from you before any excited hands can get it.
 >All attention turns to him, but he keeps his treat away from them with seemingly practiced ease.
 >The snack disappears into his mouth, and this kills most interest, though a few turn to you with pleading eyes.
 >How come nobody told you resisting human whims would be this hard?
 "Shoo, shoo, there's none for you guys," you say, trying to wave the other humans away.
 >It takes a moment for them to disperse, but they do, and you reach to pet Anon, who's been sitting calmly for this time.
 >Before you can though, he sneezes rather violently, before shaking his head.
 >Several more sneezes shake his body, and he retreats off behind you to another part of the park.
 >"Is something wrong with him? Is he sick?" Jack asks, nudging you gently to get your attention.
 "The adoption center said it's allergies, though nobody seems to know what he's allergic to."
 >"Well that's a shame, how bad are they?"
 "Not too bad, I don't think," you reply, turning on the bench to see where Anon went.
 >As you spot him, you feel a subtle bit of sadness creep up in you, as he's returned over to by the gate where your car is.
 "It was nice meeting you, Jack," you say, rising to your feet, "But it looks like Anon wants to go home now. Maybe I'll see you another time here."
 >"Bye," he replies with a small wave.
 >Hurrying after your human, he notices you coming and walks to the gate.
 "Ready to go home Anon?" you ask, getting only a sneeze in response.
 >He doesn't flinch or retreat as you hook a claw through his collar loop, and guide him out the gate to the car.
 >Buckling him into his seat, you enter yours and drive the two of you home.
 "Did you have fun out there?"
 >He turns to you with a slightly tilted look and a small smile.
 >It's only a small one, but it makes you smile as well.
 >Before long, you're pulling into your driveway and letting Anon inside.
 >As soon as you open the door, he's rushing inside to the bathroom, and you feel your smile grow.
 >Bath time!
 ~~~
 >Barely containing your urge to scratch, you rush into the bathroom and turn on the sink.
 >You knew it was coming, a park full of humans covered in furry fur, and of course, the furry owners too.
 >The amount of contact was minimal, but you can feel the hives forming, begging you to scratch them.
 >Turning on the taps, you climb onto the counter and start vigorously scrubbing your hands.
 >You're not alone in the room long though, as Kalia enters as you start to wash up.
 >She passes you, heading to the bath before turning it on.
 >This makes you pause and reflect on how nice a bath would be.
 >"Anon, bath time!" she exclaims, turning to you with a smile.
 >Like a deer in headlights, you're torn between the sweet relief the bath would provide and the thought that she wants to watch you bathe.
 >This is ended swiftly as she starts taking off her own shirt.
 >Her wandering around half dressed is one thing.
 >You're NOT going to share a bath with her.
 >Hopping down from the counter, you start pushing her out, her bare stomach somewhat cool against your wet hands.
 >She doesn't put up much resistance, more confused than anything.
 >Once she's out, you close the door and back up next to the tub.
 >Stopping the tub before it overflows, you wait, watch and listen for Kalia.
 >You don't hear anything that would make you think she's aiming to come in, and so with cautious actions, you remove your clothes before entering the tub.
 >A quiet "Ahhhh" escapes you as you sink into the toasty warm water, heat seeping into your core.
 >The itching sensation melts away in the water, granting you the greatest of reliefs.
 >Oh how you have missed being truly clean.
 ~~~
 >Staring at the door, you feel something gnawing at your heart.
 >Sure, he's not the most social human, but to push you away from bathing with him...
 >Heading for the phone, you grab it and dial up Natalie's number.
 >She seems to know a lot about humans, she should be able to help.
 >The dial tone rings twice before you hear the other side pick up and Natalie answers "Hello?"
 "Hi Natalie, uh, sorry about earlier, but I need your advice."
 >There's a faint hum from the other side before she asks, "What's wrong?"
 "You know a lot about humans right? well, Anon and I went to the park earlier, and while everything went well enough, when we got back, he went to wash himself in the sink."
 "I had read that bathing is a great way to bond with your human and they will often bathe with just about anyone."
 "But when I ran the bath and was undressing to go in with him, he pushed me out of the room and closed the door."
 >There's silence on the other side of the line, and the gnawing sensation returns until Natalie answers.
 >"Well, you said he's not very social right? Maybe he was just raised that way, I mean, he was all over you last night, so I don't think he dislikes you or anything..."
 "I guess..."
 >"And besides, getting a human isn't like getting a toy. They're not just there for you to play with right off the bat. It takes time, like a boyfriend."
 >"Speaking of..."
 >A beep comes through, and you have to cut off your friend.
 "Sorry, someone's calling on the other line, talk to you later Nat."
 "Hello?" you ask, switching to the other line.
 >"Kalia, It's Jannet, from work. I know you have the weekend off, but we need you in tomorrow. There's a big load coming in, and we need you there for it."
 "... Okay, Yeah, I'll be there."
 >"I know it sucks, Kalia, I feel you, but this is a really important shipment. Anyways, see you then."
 "Yeah, bye."
 >Hanging up, you listen idly to the faint splashes coming from the bathroom.
 >You could have been in there with him, splashing about and scrubbing his back and bonding.
 >But now you're stuck going into work tomorrow, and then you might have just enough time to get ready for your date after you get off, and...
 "And I'll have no time for Anon..." you sigh before giving your cheeks a light slap.
 "It just means I'll have to make today count more!"
 ~~~
 >Water drips off you as you rise from the bath, puddles forming beneath you.
 >There's an issue, being there's no towels as far as you can see.
 >So after shaking as much off as you can, you use your shirt to dry the rest before re-dressing.
 >Here, you come to the second issue.
 >You closed the door and don't want her to know you know how to open them.
 >Letting out a quiet sigh, you tap on the door softly and wait for her to open it.
 >You don't have to wait though, as the door opens almost immediately with her on the other side.
 >"All clean and tidy now?" she asks, looking you over, "And you even dressed yourself. What a smart boy!"
 >A claw reaches out and pats your bare shoulder, your shirt soggy and dangling from your arm.
 >Holding up your shirt for her, she looks at it confused, before accepting it.
 >"Oh, this is all wet, you can't go wearing this."
 >She takes it and hangs it in the kitchen, before returning to you.
 >Kneeling to get on your level, she gently takes one of your hands before speaking.
 >"I have to go to work tomorrow, and i'm going to be gone almost all day, so you're going to be a good boy while I'm gone."
 >"And so, we need to have some more fun together, okay?"
 >You can't help but give her a confused look, which she takes as not a no, and she tugs you to the living room.
 >"Now, what should we play..." she says to herself, looking around, still holding your hand.
 >"Uh... I know I have something around somewhere... Stay here Anon," she instructs, before heading for the kitchen again.
 >The sound of a door opening is followed by the creaking sound of old stairs, and you rush to peek around.
 >A door near the one to the back leads downstairs into a concrete basement, and with a small knot of concern, you peek down.
 >A single lightbulb sheds a tired light over the open room.
 >Nothing strange can be seen though, granting you a shred of relief.
 >No rape dungeon here.
 >Just a bunch of normal stuff, boxes, washer, dryer and the like.
 >And from one of these boxes, you see Kalia's back end, tail swishing as she digs for something.
 >It's actually kind of interesting, seeing how her tail is attached to her body like this.
 >A natural extension of her spine, it curves off at an angle where an ass would normally be.
 >Her pants sit tight around it too though, which begs you the question as to how hard it must be to have clothes for all the different body types.
 >And human clothes too...
 >On the surface things may seem the same, but things might be subtly different like this.
 >Like food.
 >That might have been chicken the other day, but can you be sure?
 >Retreating back upstairs, you decide to duck behind the loveseat to look out the front window and think.
 >Humans are white meat too, aren't they?
 >But they wouldn't...
 ~~~
 >Digging through your boxes of old stuff, you eventually find some of your childhood toys you kept.
 >They're not exactly human toys, but they should do.
 >There's a small shred of disappointment that your human isn't peeking down here curiously, but he's probably being a good boy and listening to you.
 >Maybe this means he'll play with you, and then you can snuggle up on the couch later for tv.
 >Restraining a big smile, you hurry up the old wood stairs and nudge the door closed with a foot before rushing to the living room.
 >But Anon's not there...
 "Anon? Where are you?" you call out softly, "I got some things for you to play with."
 >Laying out the toys across the floor, you peek behind the couch for him before moving onto the loveseat.
 >Just like this morning, he's sitting behind it, gazing out the front window, but this time, he has an... unpleasant look on his face.
 >It's not scared, but pretty close, and leaves you feeling worried.
 >Part of you wants to pick him up and cradle him and comfort him, but the logical side of you understands he's not comfortable enough with you for that.
 >Looking at your toys, you take an old doll and laying down so you're alongside the loveseat, you walk it towards him.
 >It's not easy, puppeting the doll like this, but you manage to have it tap Anon's side to draw his attention.
 >He looks down at it, before over at you briefly before returning his gaze out the window.
 >Your worry escalates, as he doesn't really react to you bringing around other toys either.
 "Okay, so what could be wrong?" you ask yourself, standing and slowly walking around your house.
 "It's almost noon, so he could be getting hungry, but hungry humans are usually beggy humans, even Anon."
 "Is he lonely?"
 >Sitting down on the edge of your bed, you look over at your laptop and debate searching for help.
 "He shouldn't be lonely since he didn't want to play with the other humans at the park."
 >A sudden realization strikes you, making you rise from your bed.
 "He's probably scared I'm going to abandon him or something, since I said I had to work tomorrow."
 "I bet a nice lunch will perk him up!"
 >Flexing your claws, you hurry to the kitchen and start digging through the cupboards for something to make.
 >He really liked dinner last night, but you don't have the stuff to make it again.
 >Soup would be too messy and you don't have the stuff left for sandwiches or a salad...
 "Oh, hey, chicken strips, that'll be perfect!" you exclaim, opening the freezer.
 >They don't take long to cook, and soon you have a plate for you and a bowl for Anon.
 >Your little human is still staring out the front window, even as you set the bowl next to him.
 >He does pay it some attention though, and that's a good sign, right?
 >Your own lunch is eaten while you watch some tv, and before long, Anon does come out, if only briefly to put his now empty bowl on the coffee table.
 >Before long, he retreats to his room, and peering over, you see him laying in his bed looking up.
 >This is not how you expected to spend your saturday with a new human, but well, it could be worse.
 >Right?
 >It's dinner time before you know it, and Anon remains in his room, leaving once to use the toilet.
 >Dinner is just kibble for him, and in what seems far too soon, it's time for bed.
 ~~~
 >You're not sure at what point you fell asleep, but morning arrives to the sound of step and the rustle of clothes.
 >Kalia stops in front of the doorway, noticing you rising.
 >"I've got to run to work, Anon, I'll see you when I get back!"
 >And with that, she's out the door, and as soon as the sounds of her car driving away fade, you're left with a dead silent house.
 >Stretching, you pull yourself from bed and wander into the bathroom.
 >After a quick leak, you start opening drawers.
 >If you're going to figure out how this world is different, this is the perfect time to look.
 >Also, you're starting to develop some facial hair, and a razor would not go amiss.
 >Male humans here definitely grow facial hair, you've seen one or two with it at the center, but do furs shave their humans?
 >Or more likely, human groomers.
 >Nothing jumps out at you as you dig through drawers and cupboards, though you do find where she keeps her towels.
 >A bowl of food is waiting for you in the kitchen, along with one of water.
 >The water's still cool, attesting to its freshness so you bring it along with the food to the living room.
 >Since the owner's away, the pets will play, or however that saying went.
 >And while the toys are interesting in their own right, you're a grown man, and that means television.
 >The power button is obvious, and immediately upon turning the tv on, you are greeted by a low detail animated human waving energetically.
 >Hitting a combination of what you hope are numbers, the channel changes to some commercials.
 >Grabbing a handful of kibble, you change the channel again, finding a sports channel showing something that looks like baseball.
 >You find the guide with little issue, but it's basically latin to you, as you still can't read fur runes.
 >And so you do what any bored person does.
 >Channel surf.
 >Food channel, kids channel, music channel, nature channel, two humans fucking with a furry watching and narrating it, another sports channel.
 >...
 >Flipping back a channel, you stare as two humans go to pound town with a furry explaining human breeding information to the viewers.
 >Disgust, but mild arousal would sum up what you feel, because, well, it is basically porn, but at the same time, it's seen as such casual television.
 >At least, you think so.
 >This might be an adult channel, but you can't tell yet.
 >Though if it is, doesn't that confirm that this isn't bestiality?
 >At the same time, it's human on human, so that probably means this is like, a nature channel, and doesn't explain if human on furry is common or normal.
 >Sighing at your mental loops, you watch the little Blonde girl take it from behind for a few more minutes before switching to something else.
 "Ah fuck it," you sigh after flipping a few more channels, "Nothings on to explain anything."
 >Letting out another sigh, you lay back and look for something interesting.
 >After all, if something's going to happen, you're just going to have to deal with it at that time anyways.
 ~~~
 >Pulling into your driveway, you shut off the headlights and resist the urge to bang your head against the steering wheel.
 >Today would have had serious troubles trying to be worse than it was.
 >An accident stuck you almost half an hour behind, and when you finally got to work, apparently the shipment was running behind schedule as well.
 >When it arrived, it turned out you didn't quite have enough space cleared out, so some people had to work on that while others brought stuff in, and by the time everything was done, it was an hour and a half past when it should have been done.
 >That left you no time to go home to clean up for your date, though it probably wouldn't have mattered, as that crashed and burned quick.
 >You're pretty sure he stayed for the whole thing out of pity, or maybe a chance to get laid.
 >And truth be told, you can't exactly blame him.
 >Hell, your human doesn't even like spending time with you.
 >Leaving your car, you lock it before trudging up to the door.
 >Anon's probably not even waiting on the other side for you to get home.
 >Unless he's really hungry because you couldn't make it back to at least give him dinner...
 >Banging your head against the door, you curse yourself silently.
 >You're terrible at this, no wonder he doesn't spend time with you.
 "I'm home," you say to the dark entry hallway once inside, before letting out a sigh.
 >Slowly making your way down the hall, you glance into Anon's room to see him lying there, looking up at you with tired eyes.
 >But he doesn't smile or jump up or anything like that.
 >No, he just lays there sleepily.
 >Letting out a low sigh, you drag your claws as you make your way to your room.
 >At this point, you want to just fall asleep, and hope tomorrow is less shit.
 ~~~
 >A thunk on the door shakes you from your sleep, making you rub your eyes.
 >There's a clink of the lock opening, followed by the door.
 >Looking over, you see Kalia walk past, her eyes locking briefly with yours before she passes.
 >She... she actually looks bad.
 >Like, you really want to give her a hug better.
 >There's another thunk, and you roll over and stand, sneaking to the door.
 >Peeking around, you see her with her forehead pressed to the door, claws dangling at her side.
 >She got you as a pet, a companion, and if you're going to be her pet, even if for only a little while, you should at least do this.
 >Hurrying to her, she's opened her door to go in, but you catch her claw in your hand.
 >When she stops, you let go before hugging around her waist.
 >Her clothes have picked up some fur from whatever she was doing, but you don't let it bother you as you bury your face in her chest.
 >After a moment, you feel her relax and wrap her arms around you.
 >Looking up at her, you can feel your eyes starting to water from the fur.
 >Her own eyes are watering, a smile gracing her toothy jaw.
 >"I'm sorry I couldn't get you dinner Anon," she says, rubbing your head, "How about I make us a treat instead?"
 >She gently levers your hands off her, before leading you to the kitchen while holding one.
 >Stretching out, she digs through the cupboards with one hand, the other held around yours.
 >"I know it's in here somewhere... Ah!"
 >She pulls out a bag before sitting on the ground in front of you.
 >When it's opened, the rich smell of jerky wafts out, drawing you to sit with her.
 >A piece is pulled out and given to you, and as you accept it, you shimmy over and try to sit in her lap.
 >Confusion is evident from her, but as you settle in and lean up against her, she reaches an arm around you comfortingly.
 >"I'm not sure if this is you accepting me, or just trying to be sweet for more snacks, but you know what, right now, I don't care."
 >"My human wants to cuddle me, and so who am I to say no."
 >Leaning back against her relatively small but still ample chest, you feel similar.
 >If this is what it's like being a pet, it's not actually too bad.
 >At least, as long as she's not going to have you do silly pet stuff.
 >You are NOT going to... uh...
 >Well, you'll think of something, but for now, beef jerky and affection.
 >"You know, how about we watch a little tv before bed?"
 >Rather impressively, she picks you up and carries you with her to the couch, grabbing the remote before sitting down.
 >A sudden thought hits you, and you cringe as she hits the power button.
 >You forgot to change it off the porn channel you found.
 >...it's been almost a week, you needed it.
 >You can feel her tense up behind you, probably turning her greyish green skin a nice pink, but you can't look.
 >"Anon, were you playing with the remote while I was gone!" she exclaims, before letting out a sigh, "Well, I guess I did leave it out for you to find."
 >The channel changes, and she says, "Well let's see if we can find anything interesting to watch before bed."
 >Laying down, she stretches across the couch, and you lay out in front of her.
 >You don't last long with the tv though, between the softness of the couch and her warm presence, you're soon fast asleep.
 ~~~
 >Adapting to life as a pet proves to be rather... interesting.
 >It's almost like living with a girlfriend you get to rub yourself all over but don't exactly talk to or have sex with.
 >Or maybe more like a job where you don't have to work but you have a boss who gives you lots of silly tasks and you also cuddle with them.
 >A lot of cuddling.
 >...
 >Well, it's easier than coming up with comparisons to it for the most part.
 >Your day usually consists of waking up when she's getting ready for work, and eating breakfast with her.
 >Maybe a morning tv show cuddled together if time allows.
 >And after she's gone, you try to learn more through tv, or digging through some of the basement boxes.
 >Or play with toys if you feel so inclined.
 >When she gets back you're almost always there to greet her, usually with a hug.
 >After that, you'd watch tv with her, have dinner, and some days, like today, go out to the human park.
 >The car pulls in up next to the park, and once again, you look out at all the frolicing humans as Kalia comes around to let you out.
 >It's still strange seeing them act like, well, animals, but at the same time, they're happy as can be, so it can't be bad.
 >After unbuckling you, you're led out by your hand held gently in her claw.
 >You're glad she doesn't use a leash, but you're still stuck with the collar.
 >Led into the park, she lets you go before latching the gate.
 >"Now go on and try playing with some other humans this time," she says, patting your head before giving a gentle shove.
 >Walking out to the grass, you sigh quietly to yourself.
 >She is right, you really do need to interact with others, if only to learn by example and experience.
 >Watching has taught you several key things, like what's generally acceptable and what isn't, and how humans react to balls and other toys.
 >And now, you have to nut up and go for it.
 >Letting out a long slow breath, you put on a smile and run out, looking for any humans who seems interested or bored.
 >You spot a small group playing nearby, and approaching them you hold a hand out, looking for an invitation to join.
 >Only a few steps after you start do they spot you and run away to play elsewhere.
 "Of course," you whisper to yourself, letting your hand drop to your side, "I'm a stranger here, in more ways than one."
 >Giving your head a vigorous scratch, you regain your smile before looking to other humans to play.
 >Can't let this get you down or you'll never learn.
 >And Lady Luck seems to at least be looking your way, as it's not long into your search for a playmate that a cute burnette walks over to you, hand held out.
 >Taking her hand in your own, she smiles before tugging you along excitedly.
 >Her hand slides from yours, and she runs, glancing back at you expectantly, and from what you've seen, she wants to play chase.
 >And you're the chaser.
 >You might not be in the best shape ever, but that doesn't mean you're not going to try.
 >So with determination that would make your hunter ancestors proud, you put some weight in your steps and give chase to the girl.
 >This way and that, around crowds of humans or furs and across long stretches, you do everything you can to catch her, but she's always a step out of reach.
 >Soft laughter escapes her, and before long, you've caught it too.
 >There's something so simple and carefree about this, like chasing your kid brother around when you were younger.
 >Nothing to win, nothing to lose, just pure fun.
 >Cloth brushes your fingertips as you reach out before stumbling to your knees, breathing hard.
 >Your laughter slowly dies down as you catch your breath.
 >She almost immediately stops and turns back to you, tilting her head.
 >Giving her a small smile you flop back on your butt, still breathing heavily.
 >It seems she understands you're tired, and runs off to find a new playmate.
 >Leaning back, you look up into the bright blue sky and smile.
 >Maybe being here isn't going to be too bad.
 >"Anon!" you hear Kalia call out, and you look around for her.
 >She's not hard to spot, being the only non-human non-furry in the park.
 >Getting back on your feet, you make your way over slowly, legs giving minor protest to the action.
 >She's next to a husky Fur, the same one as saturday... you think.
 >You're not the best at differentiating between Furs of the same species.
 >Then again, it's not like you've had practice with it.
 >"Good boy Anon!" Kalia says as you approach, reaching out to pat your head.
 >Catching her hand with your own, you smile at her expectantly.
 >"Jack, this is Anon, my human," she says, turning to the fur, "Anon, meet Jack."
 >She holds your hand out to him, but as she lets go you retract it away from him.
 >"Don't be like that, Anon, Jack's a nice guy."
 >Making grumbly noises, you sit next to her, with him on the far side.
 >"I'm sorry Jack, he's just not a sociable human."
 >"Don't worry about it," He replies, waving away her concern, "I've met all sorts of humans, and some just don't like strangers."
 >"Well, if you're not bothered by it..."
 >"Good boy Anon, you can go back and play," she says, giving you a gentle push.
 >Giving her a confused glance, you turn back to return to playing before sneezing.
 >Rubbing your nose, you rush off to play, sparing a singe glance back at her and Jack.
 >A small frown graces your lips, but you're in no position to complain.
 ~~~
 "Again, I'm so sorry, Jack, he's really not sociable, and the adoption agency speculated he had been mistreated, leading to it."
 >He just smiles and pats your claw, looking out at the humans in the park.
 >"He's definetally gotten better, if he listens to you so well."
 "You think?"
 >"I've known tons of humans in my life, and if they don't like someone, they'll rarely come to them, and he came right away."
 "The people at the adoption center said he may have been abused before, which is why he's so unsocial."
 >"Do you think that?"
 >Scratching your chin, you look out as Anon tries to find another human to play with.
 "I think something definetly happened while he was younger, he's not exactly a normal adult human."
 >"How so?" he asks, paw on his muzzle.
 "This might sound silly, but he didn't want to share a bath with me."
 >An odd silence fills the air around you, despite the humans playing everywhere, and you resist the urge to gulp as you look at Jack's thinking face.
 >After what feels like an eternity, he says, "That is unusual, and like you said is usually caused by trauma or abuse while young, but there's another possibility."
 "What would that be?" you ask, leaning in, curious.
 >"It's entirely possible he was rarely or never exposed to other humans while young. It might explain some oddities or habits that seem more furry in nature."
 >"Add in having his previous family abandon him or worse, well..."
 "You sure know a lot about humans."
 >He smiles, sharp white teeth becoming visible as he does, "Decades of experience with all sorts of humans. Just a real shame I can't keep one now."
 "Can't keep one?"
 >"Work and all that, you know."
 "That does suck, doesn't it?"
 >"Like you wouldn't believe," he says, eyes wandering out to the frolicing humans, "Like you wouldn't believe."
 >Anon wanders back over before you know it, sitting on the ground next to you, resting his head on your hip.
 >Reaching down your ruffle his hair with your claw, his face rubbing against your thigh as you do.
 "Getting tired already, Anon?"
 >He looks up at you with redish, watery eyes and lets out a sniffle.
 "Alright alright, we can head home for a bath," you say, rising to your feet, holding out a hand for Anon.
 >He takes hold of your own, and you pull him to his feet.
 "I suppose I'll see you later then, Jack."
 >"How about this Saturday, at the Stardoe's near here? I can be there at two if you want to talk more about humans."
 "That sounds good," you reply, a smile pulling at your jaw, "I'll see you then."
 >A tugging on your hand pulls you back towards your car, Anon eager to get home to clean himself.
 >"Aaa, Aaaa," Anon says tugging you harder, looking up at you.
 "Yes, yes I'm coming," you say with a grin.
 >Your grin only grows as you walk back with him, your human who has opened up to you now.
 >When you got him he'd barely pay attention to you, and now he's asking for your attention.
 >Maybe he'll share a bath with you today.
 >Giggling to yourself, you roll your eyes.
 "That'll be the day."
 >Back in the car, its not long before you're home and Anon is tugging you to start the bath for him.
 >As you suspected he still won't bathe with you, but him laying his head on your lap as you watch tv after dinner certainly makes it worth it.
 >Days pass like this in idylic happiness till Saturday arrives.
 ~~~
 >Staring at the cookie on the coffee table, you find yourself torn.
 >It's a human treat, it's obviously meant for you, but it doesn't seem like it was set out for you.
 >Is this a trap?
 >A test to see how you react?
 >Has she realized you're intelligent?
 >Will taking it make you seem more like other humans, or will she get mad that you took it when it wasn't given to you.
 >Did she happen to take it out earlier and forget it?
 >Leaning back against the couch you scratch your head and stare at the ceiling while you think.
 >"Anon!" Kalia calls out, "I'm going out soon!"
 >Looking back down, you see her at the door wearing a semi-formal shirt and skirt, pulling on a shoe.
 >"You can have the treat Anon, be good while I'm gone."
 >As she steps outside, you grab the cookie and duck in behind the loveseat to look out the front window.
 >Her car pulls out of the driveway, and as she's about to drive off, she spots you and waves.
 >Putting a hand up on the glass, you give her a sad face as she leaves.
 >You can see her almost stop to come back, but in the end she drives off, leaving you in the house alone for a while.
 >Cookie entering your mouth, you move back to the couch and grab the remote.
 >Making a note of the original channel this time, you flip around, looking for any pet channels.
 >Eventually you find something, an adoption show.
 >And you're almost immediately introduced to, well, for lack of a better term, a human farm.
 >It's a pleasant looking place, a farmhouse with a large secondary house-like building and a huge fenced off area that's panned over by the camera, revealing a number of humans running around.
 >A family is introduced and they're recorded walking up to the house, where other furs are, all the while a vividly blonde haired human male stands next to one.
 >"The Richardson's here are one of the countries few breeders of northern breed humans, known for their distinct blonde hair and blue or green eyes.
 >"Not as large as western breeds, they do oftens share similarities though."
 >The camera pans over to what you assume is one of the rooms in the human house, focusing on a couple young blondes all chasing a ball.
 >"Very energetic, they make good pets for older children, and tend to live well into 50 years of age."
 >The furs kids are introduced, and you feel your heart melt a little.
 >It really is like human kids being introduced to puppies, if the puppies were bigger and more co-ordinated.
 >And humans were furry dog people.
 >Still, you can kind of understand why furries like humans as pets.
 >Cute in their own way, intelligent and friendly to boot.
 >You'd be more openly friendly too, if it wasn't for the fact that furs made you feel sickly.
 >The show moves on from the first human farm, and passes to a more urban one, showcasing a different breed of humans this time,
 >Laying down, you absorb the information the show is giving out, commiting it to memory as best you can as you wait for your owner to return.
 >This show ends and another begins, followed by one more before you hear her car pulling into the driveway.
 >Quickly turning off the TV, you hurry to the door, waiting for her just like dogs do.
 >Seconds tick before the lock clicks, and the door swings open.
 >"Anon!" she exclaims, holding her arms out for an embrace, and you almost do.
 >Until you spot the fur on her shirt.
 >She looks down at where you're looking, before rolling her eyes and closing the door behind her.
 >"Alright, I get it, you don't like his smell," she says, before stripping her shirt off, and holding her arms out to you again for a hug.
 >It's not like you can decline now, even if she's only got a bra on now.
 >Wrapping your arms around her smooth, scaled waist in an embrace, your face is squeezed against her half clothed reptilian mammaries as she puts her arms around you.
 >"I guess I need to remember to keep some cleaning stuff in my car if I want hugs when I get back, huh," she says, rubbing your head with a claw.
 >Looking up, she's got a soft smile, and you feel her gently break your embrace.
 >"If you're missing me this much after only an hour or so, hmn..." she muses to herself as she walks to her room, returning shortly after with a new shirt on.
 >She saunters into the livingroom before sitting on the couch, patting it to gesture you up.
 >Clambering up with her, she reaches over and rubs your head before saying, "Anon, what do you think about me getting another human as a friend for you?"
 >Say what?!
 ~~~
 >Despite her sudden question, things don't change and days pass as usual.
 >More of her friends are brought over to meet you over the week, but all of them are furry, meaning you're suffering through fur filling the house.
 >Especially friday, when Natalie comes back again for movies.
 >At this rate, you'll never get to use the loveseat.
 >Okay, that's not so much a problem, but the fact it tends to spread everywhere is an issue.
 >Sneezing, you look out the window as the sound of a car suddenly reaches your ears.
 >Jumping up from the couch, you see her car pulling in and so you run to the door again.
 >She really likes it, and frankly, you don't mind the hug either.
 >The lock clicks, the door opens and in steps Kalia, smiling and with arms held out.
 >Something wafts in from behind her though, making you sneeze before you can react.
 >Clawed hands wrap around you, hefting you up into her arms with surprising ease.
 >"Well, this my place," Kalia says, turning and granting you the ability to see who she's talking to.
 >"Cute place," Jack says, looking around as he walks in past you and Kalia.
 >Setting you down, Kalia's claw pats your head before she says, "Jack's staying for dinner, Anon, be sure to be a good boy while he's here."
 >Your eyes turn to the Husky anthro as he steps into the livingroom.
 >A sharp exhalation comes through your nose as your minor displeasure lets itself be known, and you return to your room.
 >"So it's just you and Anon who live here?" Jack asks, looking around in the livingroom, "Your career must be going pretty well then, I take it."
 >"Hmnnn, well enough," Kalia replies, her voice echoing from the kitchen.
 >Settling down on your bed, you eye Jack as he sits down on the couch, contaminating it.
 >He glances over at you briefly before his eyes turn over to the kitchen.
 >"What do you do for work, if you don't mind me asking?"
 >"I'm a logistics manager at a shipping company," Kalia replies, "so mostly just paperwork, though I do sometimes have to help out with assorted jobs when others are sick or on break."
 >"Though there's this workshop coming up that I have to fly out of town for, and I'll be gone for about a week. Should I be worried about Anon, if I've got someone coming over to feed him daily?"
 >"Well that depends on what he's like," Jack replies, "For instance..."
 >This semi-personal and often human related back and forth continues between the two while you just sit in your room, unhappy.
 >Partly because now you'll have to clean the couch before you use it, and partly because you'd rather not have your owner dating a furry.
 >Sure, it's a personal issue on your side, and sure, you really have no say in her personal life, but that doesn't mean you can't be just a little grumpy about it.
 >Eventually dinner is ready and you take your dish away to your room, leaving them so you can eat in peace.
 >Dinner talk is quieter, and you can't make out everything, but what they talk about sounds fairly normal.
 >There's a bit of happy laughter from Kalia as you get up to bring your dish back to the kitchen, leaving you... irked.
 >It really shouldn't, if she's happy, as her pet you should be happy for her, but...
 >Setting your dish on the counter, you look over at them briefly before leaving the room.
 >Kalia's got a bright smile on for him, and he's got a happy grin as well, waving his fork a little as he talks about something.
 >Plopping down onto your bed, you sigh, and lean against the wall.
 >If she likes him, you should try to be happy for her, or at least, not do anything to stop her from interacting with him.
 >And the Furs at the adoption center did say that there were allergy tests out for you.
 >Maybe they'll come back soon and inform Kalia, and then she could get meds or something for you.
 >Or she might choose not to date him...
 >Well, probably not, but she might take steps to make it easier on you.
 >Letting out a sigh, you lay down and relax, worrying isn't going to get you anywhere right now.
 >That can come when something worth worrying about happens.
 ~~~
 >Laying on the couch, you're enjoying a nap as Kalia is late getting back from work.
 >No point in waiting at the door for hours after all.
 >Your nap is short lived however, as a sudden loud shrieking noise shocks you awake and in your panic makes you fall from the couch.
 >You hit the ground with a thump, and righting yourself, you see Kalia looking over to make sure you're okay.
 >And below her, another head poking around the half wall by the entrance.
 >A human head framed with shoulder length wavy red hair.
 >Confusion must be evident on your face, as Kalia almost immediately says, "Anon, this is Mia, your new little friend!"
 >"I know you get lonely here alone all day, so I figured I'd get you a companion to spend time and play with."
 >With a clawed hand, she gently pushes Mia into the livingroom, saying, "Mia, this is Anon, your new friend."
 >Standing, you walk over, hands held out palms up to her.
 >Her head tilts, before taking your hands in her small ones.
 >This is short lived, however, as Kalia steps past and sits down on the couch, drawing Mia's attention from you.
 >The moment Kalia's butt hits the cloth, Mia is climbing up too, almost throwing herself across Kalia's lap.
 >You have to hold back a smile as you see your owner's confusion at the action, and instead you sit down in front of the loveseat.
 >wiggling fervently, Mia rolls over and holds her hands up, grasping at Kalia's, prompting her to bring them down.
 >Claws are grabbed and dragged down to Mia's belly, who then makes some "Aaaaa"'s.
 >Kalia starts making small circles and scratches, making Mia's face turn into a big goofy smile.
 >Talk about easy to please, you think to yourself, getting up to go to your room.
 >Looking at the toys Kalia brought out for you, you contemplate which ones the new human might enjoy playing with the most.
 >Actually, does it even matter?
 >Pets aren't usually particular, so maybe she'd like them all.
 >"Anon, come over here," Kalia calls and you turn to see her hand waving you over.
 >You don't delay, hurrying over and climb up onto the couch on the other side of Kalia.
 >As soon as you try to cuddle up, however, Mia pushes you away with her hands, shuffling herself more onto Kalia's lap.
 >"Don't be like that Mia," your owner scolds, trying to shift her so you have room.
 >The little redhead vehemently refuses to give ground however, pulling herself up and burying her face in Kalia's chest while wrapping her arms around her as well.
 >Kalia looks down at the now almost parasitically attached human before looking at you with an almost sad smile.
 >"Sorry Anon, I guess she doesn't want to share right now."
 >A claw pats your head, and she adds, "I'll be sure to make time for you later."
 >Grabbing her hand, you rub your cheek against it softly, before shifting away and hopping back down from the couch.
 >Returning to your room, you realize you actually wish you had a ball.
 >It would definitely be the best option for playing with Mia, since you don't really know much about what humans play with besides balls and sticks.
 >In fact, where will she be sleeping?
 >There's only the one pet bed, and admittedly you don't know much about how Kalia sleeps, but she must be a good sixty or so pounds heavier than Mia at least.
 >And that can cause some problems if Kalia rolls over or stuff in her sleep.
 >Well, it's not really your problem, I mean, Kalia didn't go and buy Mia on impulse, so she'd have things prepared for her, right?
 >"Anon, I'm going out for a bit. Keep Mia out of trouble and be a good boy too."
 >Okay, so maybe she was a little bit impulsive getting her.
 >Your owner heads for the door, but her new human seems rather unhappy with this prospect, grabbing at her pants and letting out, "Aaaaaa's"
 >"Mia, I have to go out shopping for a bit. Be a good girl and stay."
 >She's guided into the room, and directed to you and your toys.
 >"Look, Mia, toys!"
 >Her eyes light up as she sees them, diving to the ground to grab a stuffed human doll.
 >You always found it a little odd, not quite uncanny valley, but strange compared to something like a plastic barbie doll.
 >Mia doesn't mind it however, hugging it tight and turning to show Kalia, but the front door clicks shut at this time.
 >Scrambling to her feet, she runs to the door, banging on it briefly before passing into and out of view for a moment as she runs into the living room.
 >Getting up, you follow her and see her behind the loveseat at the window, looking out.
 >The car passes, and you hop on the couch and grab the remote.
 >There's nothing better for keeping a human interested than TV.
 >Or so the TV says.
 >As it clicks on, she immediately looks around before climbing up onto the couch with you.
 >While you flip channels her eyes lock onto the remote, and before you realize, she's suddenly grabbing for it.
 >You're not fast enough to stop her, and it's pulled from your grasp.
 >Squeezing it and pushing on it, she tries to get it to work, but to no avail.
 >Letting out an angry cry, she tosses it, and stomps off to your room.
 >Reclaiming the remote from where it landed, you go back to flipping for something to watch.
 >In the distance, you see Mia picking up one of Kalia's old toys, turning it over in her hands.
 >Her innocent confusion at the toy car gets a chuckle from you before you focus on the TV as the news starts.
 >It doesn't hold your attention long, as Mia decides to try sitting on the car like it was a normal one.
 >This of course ends with her on her butt as it slips out from under her.
 >She lets out an unhappy grumble as she kicks the car away, grabbing the human plush instead.
 >Your laughter at her misfortune earns you an unhappy glare, so you turn back to the TV.
 >Nothing in the news really holds you, so instead you switch it to one of the human channels.
 >The sounds from Mia stop as a show starts, and just as you lean over to look, she comes running into the room, skidding to a stop in front of the couch.
 >"Hello all you good boys and good girls!" the fur on the TV says.
 >"Eeeeeeee! Aaaaaa!" Mia exclaims, waving at the TV.
 >"Can all the good boys and good girls stand up?" the fur asks, waving their arms in a lifting motion, "Stand up!"
 >Mia immediately shoots to her feet, but on seeing you not standing, she grabs and tugs at your hand.
 >"Aahh, Ahhh!" she exclaims, trying to get you to stand as well.
 >"Are you standing? Wonderful!" the fur exclaims, clapping their hands.
 >Mia lets out a happy squeal, looking back to the show.
 >Getting up to let Mia enjoy the show, you're grabbed by her trying to pull you down.
 >"Sit down now!" the fur says, making gestures for those watching to sit.
 >With firm but careful tugging, you get Mia to let go while you head to your room.
 >You've seen the show before, and it rarely changes.
 >It does seem like an effective training tool, or at least, training reinforcement tool for humans.
 >And it tells you Mia's at least partly trained.
 >The show goes on and you decide to build with some blocks till Mia comes over, seemingly bored of the show.
 >A frown forms on her face almost immediately, and she rushes over and tries to push you off your bed.
 >The suddenness of her action lets her tip you, but quick reflexes keep you from falling over.
 >She tries again, but you grab her hands and move her in front of you.
 >As she struggles to break free by pulling away, you release her, making her stumble.
 >Unhappy grumbles escape her as she falls back on her butt again.
 >Grabbing all the toys she can, she scooches back across the room, glowering at you.
 >This mexican standoff continues only a short time till you realize the TV is still on.
 >Hopping to your feet, you hurry to the livingroom and click it off.
 >After all, Kalia could be coming back any time, and her realizing one of you can turn on the TV might cause issues.
 >Or just make her hide the remote.
 >Sure, it's not the worst thing in the world, but...
 >As your eyes sweep across to the room's door again, you see Mia squatting over your bed, her dress lifted.
 >And she's dropping a steamer.
 >She may not be a smart human like you, but there's no way you're letting her get away with this shit.
 >Cracking your knuckles, you advance on the room and her eyes lock on yours.
 >And they are rightly filled with fear.
 ~~~
 >Pulling into your driveway, you gaze at the front window with a little bit of sadness.
 >Neither of them are looking out for you.
 >It might be a good thing though, maybe they're too busy playing together.
 >Arms loaded with pet supplies, you briefly look at the pet bed, before deciding to make two trips.
 >As you unlock the door you hear an unhappy cry from who you assume is Mia.
 "Anon, Mia, I'm back!" you exclaim as you enter, spreading your arms for hugs.
 >Hugs are nowhere to be found, however, only more unhappy exclamations from Mia and thumps from their room.
 >At a glance you can tell they didn't close themselves in, the door is still open.
 >Setting down the bags, you step around the door, hoping you won't find anything bad.
 >What you do find is Anon sitting on Mia in what you would not consider a cute or sexual manner.
 >Your new little girl is pinned down on her stomach, Anon straddling her lower back, hands holding her shoulders down.
 "Anon! Get off of her!" you shout, making his eyes snap to you.
 >As you commanded, he climbs off her, and she immediately scrambles to your side on all fours, wrapping her arms around your knee.
 "Anon! What were you doing?" you ask while glaring down at him.
 >He however, is glaring quite pointedly at Mia, and as you're about to snap for his attention, a smell catches your nose.
 >A very unpleasant one at that.
 >Looking around, it doesn't take much to find the source of the offending odor, as a brown pile on a green human bed sticks out a lot.
 >You're about to scold Anon for pooping on his bed, when a thought strikes you.
 >Anon can use the toilet, why would he make a mess on his own bed?
 >That means Mia must have done it, and that would explain why Anon was mad at her.
 >Was he trying to punish her?
 >Was he punished like this when he was young?
 >Scratching your head, you take a deep breath while trying to figure this out.
 "Anon, stay, Mia, come with me."
 >Mia stands and follows you happily, and you lead her out to the back yard.
 >She immediately runs out into the grassy lawn as you open the door, letting out happy exclamations.
 >Closing the door to keep her out there, you return to Anon who is still where he was before.
 "Come here Anon, you're not in trouble," you say, kneeling just outside the room's door.
 >He approaches, and you reach out and put your hand on his head.
 "I know you didn't make the mess, now don't you worry while I clean up."
 >With a quick kiss on his head, you nudge him along to the living room before turning to Mia's little mess.
 >Letting out a slow sigh, you head for the kitchen, pausing briefly to look out the back door at Mia, before grabbing a plastic bag.
 >Turd tidied, you haul Anon's bed down to the basement for washing before heading to the living room.
 >Sitting down on the couch, you pat for Anon to get up with you.
 >As he pulls himself up, you pull him into your lap and after a brief pause, you start rubbing his belly.
 "Please be good and get along with Mia, Anon. She's new to our home, and must be nervous whenever I'm not here."
 >His eyes look up at you with an innocent confusion, the red normally there from his allergies all but gone.
 "It will take some time for her to get used to you Anon, you're a strange new human to her after all."
 >Both his hands wrap around yours and he wiggles back against you.
 >A series of thumps from the back door echo through the house, and letting out a quick sigh, you lift Anon off your lap and set him beside you.
 "Remember, play nice with her."
 >He stays where he is as you get up and head to let Mia in.
 >The moment the door opens, your new little human crashes into your lower body arms wrapping tight around you.
 >"Aaaa"'s stream from her, looking up at you and barely managing to peek past your average chest.
 >Rubbing her head, you kneel down before picking her up around her waist.
 >In a swift 180, she's all of a sudden giggling, holding on tight as you carry her back to the living room.
 >Her forehead rubs the tip of your snout as she leans in, adoring the contact and attention.
 >As you sit down, Mia clings to you tighter, throwing a glare at Anon.
 >Well, it might take a little while, but they'll get along eventually.
 ~~~
 >Glancing occasionally at the clock, you and Mia both sit in the living room, waiting for your owner to get home.
 >She hasn't tried anything so far today, but you're not going to rule anything out.
 >Still, Kalia isn't usually this late...
 >Your stomach growls, bringing up the thought of grabbing something to eat yourself, but she could return at any time.
 >Mia covers her owns stomach at the sound of your own, looking at you with a shred of concern, before holding the human doll tight.
 >She must be feeling it too, she ate breakfast before you did, and neither of you have had anything else in the meantime.
 >The soft rumble of an engine comes from outside, and Mia immediately shoots to the window, face pressed against the glass looking out.
 >You take the much more earth human reaction of climbing onto the Loveseat to look out, but there's no car when you're able to see.
 >A sad almost whimper comes from Mia, and you reach over to pat her head.
 >Her messy red hair parts surprisingly well for your fingers as they rub, though this doesn't last long, since while she did lean into your hand at the start, the moment it clicks in her head that it's you, she jerks away, shooting you a sour look.
 >The look doesn't last long as another car coming into view draws her attention.
 >This one you quickly recognize as Kalia's, and you hop off to get to the door.
 >Mia spares one last look out the window before following you.
 >Car doors close, keys jingle and the two of you prepare for your owner's entry.
 >The door swings opens and you both hold open your arms for a hug, Kalia stepping in and engulfing you both in her arms.
 >"How have my two little humans been?" she asks, standing back up and petting your heads.
 >Next to you, Mia tries to squeeze you out of her grasp until she sees something behind your owner.
 >looking around as well, you spot Jack in the doorway behind her.
 >He kneels as Mia squirms from Kalia's grasp, saying, "Well now, who's this cutie?"
 >A paw scratches her head as she holds out her hands to him.
 >"Jack, this is Mia, and yes, she's very friendly."
 >"I can tell," he replies, his paw on lockdown since Mia has taken a firm hold of it on her head.
 >Even without him moving, Mia is rubbing her head into his paw.
 >Grabbing her from behind, Kalia lifts the happy human up, letting Jack enter proper.
 >While they come in, you return to your bed, intent on keeping it at least free from fur.
 >Mia still in her arms, Kalia passes the door to your room, heading for the kitchen.
 >"Anoon," she calls, barely a minute later, "Dinner time!"
 >Jumping up, you hurry past the living room, and Jack sitting on the couch within, contaminating it.
 >Shaking the thought from your head you look ahead to the kitchen and dinner.
 >It's not your house, it's not your couch, you can't complain about him being on it.
 >Kalia holds out your bowl for you, Mia already both hands going into her her own.
 >Taking it, you return to the room, sitting back on your bed to eat.
 >"So, what were you thinking of for dinner, Jack?"
 >"I was thinking we could order in. It'd give us more time for movies and snacks, you know."
 >"Pizza? Chicken?"
 >"Pizza sounds good," Jack replies, flicking on the TV, "I'm fine with most things that aren't vegetarian."
 >At the sound of the TV, Mia suddenly rushes into the living room, bits of food spilling from her bowl as she does, unwilling to part with food.
 >Leaning over, Jack gives her head a pat before leaning back into the sofa and lifting the remote.
 >"Hey, they're playing the Cujo films soon. Want to watch?"
 >"Cujo? Never heard of it."
 >"It's a bit of an old horror series based around humans, but it's still pretty good."
 >"What about Mia and Anon?"
 >He scratches his chin, before replying, "Well, it might be best if you close them in their room if we want to watch it."
 >Kalia hums for a bit, the sound almost hidden by the TV before she says, "I guess it wouldn't hurt for just one night."
 >"Just think of it as bonding time for them," he says, before asking, "Do you have snacks, or should I run to the corner store?"
 >"Do you like human treats?"
 >There's a pause, in which Mia jumps up and runs over to Kalia, before Jack replies with a chuckle, "Corner store it is."
 >"Don't worry, I'll go," your owner says, "After all, you don't have your car here, and it's a bit of a ways away."
 >Kalia heads for the door and you take the opportunity to grab her hand.
 >"No, Anon you can't come," she says, patting your head with her free hand, "I will be back quick."
 >She's quickly out the door and her car before Mia even realizes, and she rushes for the window while you return to your dinner.
 >"Mia," Jack calls softly to her, patting the couch next to him "it's alright, she'll be back soon."
 >The aforementioned human suddenly rushes back into view, having realized there's more than one fur to get attention from it seems.
 >She's up on the couch and grabbing for his paws instantly.
 >And he's not looking to turn her down either, grabbing her around her waist and and sitting her on his lap.
 >One paw idly scratches her belly while the other reclaims the remote and channel surfs a bit.
 >Turning back to your dinner, you still keep an idle eye on the two.
 >An opening theme song from the tv draws your attention, stirring memories of your old life.
 >Eyes up, you notice paws have gone down, from scratching and rubbing Mia's belly to rubbing her thigh.
 >Both him and Mia are quite drawn by the TV however, neither of them really paying attention to the change.
 >Letting out a quiet snort, you rise and carry your bowl to the kitchen, spotting a couple flyers on the table as you do.
 >Not surprisingly, they're for a pizza place and a chicken place, and both of them make you feel a little bit hungry.
 >Kalia's been just feeding you both with kibble a lot lately, though it's not like she has much time for making breakfast.
 >And she has been spending more evenings away lately, though admittedly you haven't lived here that long.
 >Stopping briefly in the bathroom to grab a drink from the sink, you hear the sound of Kalia pulling up, and Mia's footsteps running for the window.
 >The same footsteps that moments later run for the front door.
 >"I return!" Kalia proclaims, opening the door and catching Mia in a hug.
 >You follow, a fair bit more sedately, making sure to poke into the bags she's carrying.
 >"Keep your fingers out, Anon," Kalia says, lifting the bags higher, "Treats will come later."
 >"Aaaaa! Aaaa!" Mia exclaims, reaching up at the sound of treats, opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue.
 >"Later, Mia."
 >Squeezing past the two of you, she heads for the kitchen again to dump off her load and probably do some ordering.
 >Mia follows her while you return to your room to play.
 >About a half hour passes before Mia is herded into the room with you, Kalia dangling treats from her claws, just out of reach.
 >Sitting properly, you hold out your hands expectantly too, and you get your treat first.
 >You do have to pull it in close rather quickly, as Mia takes a swipe at your treat.
 >Kalia baits her over to her bed, before giving up the treat to Mia and swiftly leaving the room, closing the door as she does.
 >While you expected it and are unperturbed, Mia is quite the opposite.
 >Even ignoring her treat, she runs to the door, tapping on it with a hand all while making "Aaaa"'s to get attention.
 >The doorbell rings, making Mia's taps more frantic, and you slip over to her bed, grabbing her treat.
 "Mia," you whisper, wiggling the cookie at her, "Mia, you want your treat?"
 >Her eyes lock on you and her treat, and she rushes back over, but before she can try to grab it, you hold out a hand.
 "Mia sit."
 >Confusion stops her grab, and she sits down before you.
 >However, as soon as you hold out the treat for her, she immediately returns to her normal self, grabbing it away and gobbling it down.
 >Glaring at you, she returns to her bed, grabbing some toys on the way.
 >She plops down on her bed, staring at you.
 >The moment you look away, there's a thunk behind you, and you turn to see a block sitting on your bed.
 >Turning back to Mia, she's still sitting there, glaring at you.
 >Grabbing the block, something hits you in the side.
 >Another block lies on the ground here, and Mia quickly settles back trying to hide her previous action
 >Sitting back, you take the second block and sit on your bed, staring across at her.
 >She watches you, as you watch her, and before long, her patience gives way and she throws another block at you.
 >It's not a particularly strong throw, and you manage to catch it, much to her displeasure.
 >Several more are thrown in quick succession, and you manage to avoid or catch most, sticking them behind you.
 >One or two hit, and she sticks her tongue out at you, but you're not taking her bait.
 >Before long she's out of ammo, and she returns to sulking.
 >This doesn't last long either as she switches to a new tactic.
 >And by that, you mean she bends over, facing away from you and lifting her skirt.
 >Two things stick out to you.
 >...
 >Okay, three things stick out.
 >One, she's not wearing any panties.
 >Two, the carpets do match the drapes.
 >And yes, you do have an erection.
 >It is a nice ass, and you're only human, after all.
 >Still, it's far from enough to tempt you, especially after she threw blocks at you.
 >Her frustration rapidly grows, and she stops trying to get you to make a move, and she returns to the door.
 >The tapping is more aggressive this time, as are her calls for attention.
 >They can't resist her for long, it seems, as within a few minutes, the door opens and Kalia stands there.
 >"Is it really that bad in here Mia?" she asks, picking up the now much less unhappy girl.
 >She just hugs in close and rubs her face against her owner who smiles and rolls her eyes.
 >"Alright, I guess you can stay out with us."
 >Kalia turns to you and you turn to your toys to play.
 >"I guess she's just not ready to part with you when you're around," Jack says as Kalia walks back with Mia in her arms.
 >Your owner just chuckles, saying "I don't mind. Let's just hope she doesn't get too scared."
 >"Just cover her eyes when anything scary looks like it's going to happen."
 >The smell of pizza wafts in, explaining the earlier doorbell, boxes of the stuff on the coffee table.
 >Pulling your blocks out from behind you, you get to building.
 >While you build, you listen to the movie and occasionally look over.
 >The smell of pizza remains strong, and you are tempted to slink over and grab a slice, but you choose not to.
 >A bang from the TV makes everyone jump, yourself included, making your tower fall.
 >Looking over, Mia is held tight in Kalia's arms, and Kalia seems to be shaking just a bit, held by Jack.
 >Guess even nine foot tall lizard ladies aren't immune to jump scares.
 >Then again, it got you too, and you couldn't even see it.
 >With a quiet sigh to yourself, you start from the bottom again.
 >Your tower slowly regains form, but the smell of pizza starts digging at your stomach again.
 >Making your way over, you look up at Kalia, putting your hand on the pizza box.
 >"You want some pizza Anon?" she asks, her attention directed from the movie.
 >Opening your mouth, you stick out your tongue and make an "Aaa".
 >"Alright, but only because you're being a good boy."
 >Once she reaches for the box, you hold out your hands to accept it, and she pulls off a slice for you.
 >Seeing you get stuff, Mia breaks from her cuddling to let out an "Aaaa" of her own, looking for treats.
 >She's easily silenced by a dangled potato chip which is quickly munched when she gets her hands on it.
 >Something happens on the TV behind you, and Mia jumps, letting out a shriek before curling up as much as she can in Kalia's arms.
 >Kalia looks over at Jack before shrugging, "I guess it's just too much for her."
 >Picking up Mia, Kalia rises and heads to the room, you following close behind, munching on your pizza.
 >Classic Pepperoni.
 >When you sit down, Kalia sets the shaking Mia next to you on your bed, nudging her towards you.
 >"Be a good boy and take care of her now, Anon," she says, "She needs safe warm cuddles."
 >Swallowing the last of your snack, you look down at Mia, before laying next to her, putting an arm over her.
 >At your touch she immediately pulls herself to you, her breathing short and sharp, curling into your chest.
 >A far cry from her earlier behaviour.
 >Another quiet sigh escapes you, and you hold her close.
 >You'll gladly take her not being a bitch if it meant cuddles, any day of the week.
 >Even if it's just for one night, it will still be nice to have someone to sleep with.
 >The door to your room closes, the light switched off, leaving only the late evening light from the window to cast shadows in the room.
 >"You think they'll be fine in there like that?" Jack asks over the now quieter movie.
 >"I think so," Kalia replies simply, "Now hopefully we don't end up screaming from the movie."
 >"This is a B movie, it's only got jump scares."
 >Letting out a yawn, you get comfortable in your new position.
 >She's really soft and warm...
 >Another yawn escapes you before you feel yourself drifting off to sleep.
 ~~~