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Modian had dreamt of having her own pet human for as long as she could remember. Unfortunately, her parents were allergic, which meant no pet humans as long as she lived under their roof. She understood, but her dream remained, following her into adulthood.
Luckily, she no longer lived with her parents. Now, she was married to the kindest, loveliest, and most generous Segyein alive. When Unsha brought her to the pet human auction house, she squealed. He smiled into his tentacled beard and said, “Well, I had a hunch you’d be happy with your wedding anniversary present. Pick any one you like, and I’ll buy it for you.”
She walked alongside glass chambers where small pet humans were displayed. These were recently born and were called kids. Honestly, they were adorable. She wanted to adopt every single one of them.
Then she stopped in front of a particular glass chamber and felt her heart melting. This little creature was so small—even smaller than the rest. And so, so sad. It was rather pale, its cheeks smudged with dirt. It was quiet—not crying, not making any sound at all. It just sat there, looking at her with those deep black eyes, filled with overwhelming melancholy. The moment she saw them, she knew: this sad little human pet was going to be hers.
“Are you sure?” Unsha asked with mild uncertainty after glancing at the information plaque on the glass wall. “They say it was found in the slums. It might have diseases or parasites.”
“I am,” she smiled, touching the glass with her right tentacle. The little human didn’t try to reach her hand; it just kept staring with a blank, emotionless face and sad eyes. “He’s so tiny and adorable. I’m going to give him lots of love.”
“Okay, then.” Unsha was on his way to the auction house manager’s office when she stopped him and pulled him back toward the chambers.
“Please don’t be mad,” she said, guiltily lowering her gaze.
“Well, that’s a scary start for sure,” he smiled. “Tell me.”
“I think we need to take two,” she said, grabbing his hand. “Look how sad he is. I heard that pet humans can suffer from loneliness, you know. You’re always on those business trips, and I’m often out of the house too. Just imagine this tiny creature, all alone in that big house of ours.”
Unsha didn’t look convinced. Her pleading eyes usually worked wonders on him, but this time he hesitated for a long moment before reluctantly saying, “Sorry, darling. I’m not sure we can afford more than one right now. The one you’ve chosen is surprisingly expensive for a little slum rat. Maybe we can get him a companion in a few years.”
Modian sighed. Well, it was worth a try, anyway.
Then something caught her attention, and she was already tugging on Unsha’s sleeve again. “Look!” she exclaimed, pointing to a large colorful sign next to another chamber. “It says this one is 50% off!”
Unsha raised an eyebrow, looking at her in surprise. “Really?” he asked. “This one? It’s muzzled! There’s obviously something wrong with it. Aren’t you afraid it’ll attack the one you’ve already chosen?”
Modian smiled and waved warmly at the little gray-haired human behind the glass. It shrank back and made a muffled noise that sounded almost like hissing. “Nah, I bet he’s a sweetheart. He just needs some adjustment—and to get this awful muzzle off.”
“You have strange taste in pets, you know that?” Unsha said, rubbing his neck. “But since it’s on discount, I’ll buy it. It’s our anniversary, after all. I want you to be happy.”
Modian squealed and leaned into him, hugging him with all her tentacles. The little human behind the glass opened its eyes wide with a slightly traumatized look. Modian might have had an unusual taste in pets, but she definitely had excellent taste in husbands.
***
On the way home, they stopped by a pet human shop to buy essential supplies. Modian needed to make some adjustments in her house so her new pets could feel as comfortable as possible. She selected the best quality items in the store: pet human food, a bag of treats, special shampoo, and anti-parasite pills. These were her first long-awaited pet humans, and she intended to treat them with all the care she could provide. Unsha sighed miserably but dutifully handed over his card with each request.
She also picked out cute leashes and adorable collars with trackers and their names and her contact details engraved inside. She learned that the auction house had already given names to the little humans. The smaller one was called Ivan, and the muzzled one, Till. After some thought, she decided to keep the names, as the pets might already be accustomed to them. Honestly, the names sounded quite charming.
On the way back to the cottage, Ivan sat silently in her arms like a precious little thing. Unsha, however, was less fortunate. He had to carry Till, who was kicking, wriggling, and fighting as if for his life. Oh, Great Anakt, these creatures were so silly.
“I’m not taking his muzzle off,” Unsha declared when they arrived home. “This demon will bite me for sure! He’s your pet now, so you deal with him.”
Modian laughed. It seemed her husband was almost afraid of Till and his feisty spirit, which she found hilarious.
“Alright, alright. Just help me wash them and give them anti-parasite pills. I’ll feed them myself afterward.”
She wasn’t sure how her pets would react to the bath. Ivan was the dirtiest, so she decided to start with him. She also thought that washing Ivan wouldn’t be such a big problem. Well, she was wrong.
No, Ivan himself survived the bath rather well. He didn’t resist much, stoically accepting all the washing, drying, and hair grooming. A look of quiet resignation, ‘Come Death and I’ll greet you with my eyes open’ was etched across his face during the process.
It was Till when it came time for the parasite treatment. Modian had just unpacked the tube and was about to administer it to Ivan’s mouth to expel internal parasites when the other pet screeched and wriggled free from Unsha’s grip. With a growl too loud for such a small creature, Till grabbed and latched onto Modian’s arm. His muzzle prevented him from biting (for which she was silently grateful to Unsha), but his short nails tore at her tentacles, and his legs kicked her sides relentlessly. Ivan watched him with wide eyes, a look of utmost admiration on his pale face.
“Hold him! Just don’t hurt him!” she cried to Unsha, nearly dropping the tube. Oh, it hurt. She winced as the little human pet kicked at her with rage.
“I’M TRYING!” he shouted, attempting to pry Till off. “This human’s as slippery as an eel!”
Finally, Unsha managed to restrain Till. By then, Modian, Unsha, and both human pets were soaking wet and covered in soapy foam. She quickly administered the treatment to Ivan, who was now staring at Till with empty, wide eyes, literally no thoughts behind them. She dried him off once more, then turned to Till.
Not surprisingly, it didn’t go smoothly. Till fought at every step, and Modian wished she could somehow explain that she was only doing this for his own good. By the end, she was soaked and scratched again. But Till was finally clean, parasite-free, and too exhausted to protest further. Still, he glared at her from behind the muzzle, his teal eyes fierce. At that moment, she couldn’t help but favor Ivan a bit more.
Now, it was time for dinner. Unsha quietly chuckled into his beard as she prepared food for her pets. There was an elephant in the room, and she could sense it. Till couldn’t eat with his muzzle on, and now, even she was a bit apprehensive about touching it.
“Don’t even look at me,” Unsha said as she approached him. “I’m not going near that thing. You wanted to buy it—he’s all yours now.”
He was right. She was a beginner pet human owner, but she needed to take responsibility. She hesitantly approached Till and cooed in the kindest, gentlest voice she could manage. “Don’t be afraid, little cutie. I won’t hurt you. Bet you don’t like that muzzle. I’ll just take it off, okay?” While she had been preparing their food, she had left them alone to adjust and relax. Surely, he must have calmed down by now.
Turns out, the answer was no. As soon as Till’s teeth were free, Modian was instantly bitten.
***
Over the next few days, Modian’s pets gradually adjusted to their new home, while she fruitlessly struggled to win their favor.
The amount of themed literature on human pet training and adaptation she devoured during this time was staggering. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as helpful as she’d hoped. The authors of these books and articles held vastly opposing views. Some were saying that human pets are stupid and stubborn creatures that need to be shown dominance to become obedient. Others insisted that the only way to truly befriend your human pet was by earning their trust. This path required patience and care.
Modian couldn’t stomach the thought of being cruel to her little pets, even if Till’s recent bite still ached. So, she decided to try the second approach first.
Only to learn that both her pets were remarkably wary.
It might have seemed different with Ivan, who was calmer and more obedient than Till. He came when she called and did as instructed. But he never approached her on his own and never displayed affection. In fact, the only emotion he ever showed was reserved for Till—a reality that left Modian both happy and a tad envious. How had she ended up with an emotional support pet for her other pet instead of herself?
Till on the other hand was… Till. He clearly had a grudge against her since the unfortunate bath incident. And therefore there was the nastiest, the most stubborn and the most ill-behaved pet-human of all times.
Occasionally, Modian could swear he was purposefully trying to get on her nerves. She wasn’t proud of it, but he managed to push her to the edge of her patience. She came close to giving him a light smack several times, and he seemed somehow aware of it. The grudge and distrust between them only seemed to deepen these days.
Modian felt disappointed. It was childish, but she couldn’t help feeling it was unfair that her lifelong dream had turned out this way. Her precious little human pets simply didn’t like her.
She tried bribing them—first with food, then with toys. She’d read that play was crucial for human pets, especially young ones, to keep them happy.
“You’re trying too hard. Just leave them alone, and they’ll eventually warm up to you,” said Unsha when he found her sprawled across the garden lawn, trying to lure her pets with a new robot fish she’d bought. She had seen her friend Shine present the same toy to her own pet human, Mizi, and the little girl had radiated with excitement and joy.
Modian’s pets, however, weren’t the least bit impressed. Positioned strategically in the middle of the flower bed, Till was carefully crafting a flower crown from her prized gardenias. As usual, Ivan was glued to his right side, silently observing. Neither of them paid the slightest attention to Modian and her poor robot fish.
She sighed and got up. Maybe Unsha was right, but she still planned to try again with something else tomorrow.
Later, she was in the kitchen talking with Unsha, when something really bad happened. She heard screams from the street and rushed outside.
In the center of her flower bed was a large hole leading under the fence to the street. And from the other side, she could hear Till’s frightened, angry cries. Her heart dropped as she saw her pets cornered against the fence by a massive stray wagyein cerberus. The creature growled lowly at them, baring its teeth on all three heads.
Till’s forehead was bleeding, yet he stood on trembling legs and yelled back at wagyein. He looked so small. Stray could crush his skull with one bite. But the angry look in teal eyes was so fierce as if everything was the other way around. He definitely was going to fight the creature if he had to.
And then there was Ivan. He didn’t act intimidating at all but apparently Till wasn’t the only reckless one. Because Ivan was slowly approaching the stray!
Frozen with horror, Modian watched as he pulled something from his pocket and extended it towards the wagyein. It was the treat she herself gave him this morning. Did he not eat it? What was he doing? Was he not afraid of the wagyein three times his size? It was growling at him for Great Anakt’s sake!
All these thoughts shot through her mind like lightning and she finally unfroze. She rushed to them and scared off the stray. O dear, it could have been rabid! She scooped both pets up in her tentacles. Even Till, for once, wasn’t trying to wriggle free and ran away as she carried them back to the house.
“What happened?” Unsha said with worried eyes, as Modian stepped through the door.
Suddenly she couldn’t hold back anymore. She put the pets down to the floor and the next moment her whole face was wet and shiny from the big fat tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I think they tried to escape,” she sobbed between gasping breaths. “There’s… there’s a hole in the garden. They went outside, and… the stray… I heard noises. Oh, heavens, Unsha! It could have eaten them alive, and I wouldn’t have even known!”
She cried, and she didn’t even fully understand why. She’d made it just in time, and her pets were unharmed, but she was still shaken. She wanted to hug them, but they were already frightened enough as it was. They didn’t even like her anyway.
Unsha wrapped his arms around her instead. “It’ll be alright. Don’t be so sad; they’re just human pets. How much could they really understand?” He stroked her back gently. After a few moments, he asked, “Do you want me to fix the hole?” She nodded silently, her throat still tight, and he left. She stayed there, sitting on the floor, needing a few more moments to pull herself together. She felt oddly vulnerable—and deeply, deeply sad.
Suddenly something touched her lower tentacle. Looking down, she saw Till. He was standing right there beside her and cautiously patted her leg. His little brows were furrowed, he sniffed loudly and the look on his little face seemed almost empathetic if of course one could imagine that humans were capable of such profound emotions.
She extended her tentacle and he flinched as if she was going to hit him. But he didn’t move away. And she patted back his head, as slowly and gently as she could. He looked up at her and bared his teeth again — not in a hostile way, but rather charmingly. Then he leaned closer to her leg and began making the most precious sounds she could have ever imagined. A few steps away, Ivan sat. He didn’t cling to her, and he stayed silent, but since Till was there, he stayed too.
Modian reached for the treat bag and gave each of them a treat. Tears dried, she felt as the happiest Segyein in the universe. She hoped she’d get to hear Ivan singing as well someday,but for now, she was content. She had all the time in the world with her little pets.
***
“We should bring our pets along next time,” Shine said one day, slowly sipping her coffee. “Mizi gets lonely when I leave her. It’d be nice for her to have some friends outside.”
Modian nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of her own drink. It was a good idea, honestly. She also didn’t like leaving her pets alone at home when she went out to meet Shine. Not because they missed her terribly — they had each other to play with after all, but mostly because their games often turned into miniature demolition sessions around the house. Recently they had started quarreling whenever they saw each other, and since Ivan was practically glued to Till, it meant near-constant chaos.
Till was loud and temperamental, often throwing toys at Ivan and then darting away, leaping across every surface he could reach. It didn’t matter, though—Ivan would chase him relentlessly. Modian had endless amusement watching them play and wished her dear friend could enjoy it, too.
But she wasn’t entirely sure about the café. Although pet-friendly, it wasn’t ideal for Till, who still felt uneasy around strangers. He had warmed up to her remarkably since she first brought him home, and he tolerated Unsha as a backup provider of food and toys. But unfamiliar Segyeins made him nervous—and thus, a bit aggressive.
“I think it’d be better to meet at the pet park,” she suggested finally.
Shine put down her cup and smiled eagerly. They agreed that meeting at the park the following week would be the perfect way for their pets to get acquainted and burn off some extra energy.
Till grumbled and fussed the entire way to the park. He disliked the leash and did everything he could to make sure everyone nearby knew it. He was also not particularly thrilled with the matching costumes and little boots Modian had bought for them before taking them to meet Shine and her pet.
In their matching outfits Ivan and Till were so lovely together that Modian couldn’t resist snapping photos. Her collection of pet photos had grown so rapidly that friends and family practically fled whenever she approached with her phone. She was nearly at the point of putting up ads: “Have you seen these pets? I have, and they’re adorable.”
Of course, she should have known better. While Ivan was her obedient little angel (he still wouldn’t look at the camera, though — his gaze was, as always, fixed on Till), Till couldn’t have cared less. The moment Modian tried to get him in the frame, he darted out of it. In the end, all she had were photos of a perfectly groomed Ivan in his cute outfit, gazing off to the side in the background, with a colorful blur of Till’s leash streaking across the foreground.
“Are you having fun?” Shine asked from behind her.
Mizi stood by her side, looking adorable as always. She wore a beautiful white dress, cute little stockings, and round glasses. Her pink hair was styled in a high ponytail with a bright red bow, made by Shine herself. She clutched to her owner’s side, looking at Modian and her pets with curiosity and joy.
The moment Till saw Mizi, he froze in place, his face flushing a shade of red that nearly matched Mizi’s hair bow. Ivan, on the other hand, looked utterly unimpressed. His black, emotionless eyes studied Mizi with the same blank stare he gave everything except Till.
“Hi, Mizi,” cooed Modian, gently scratching the girl’s chin. She just couldn’t resist. “You look so beautiful and happy today!”
“She’s always excited when we go to the park,” said Shine, taking off Mizi’s leash. “And who have we got here?” she asked, smiling at Till. “Can I pet you, sweetheart?”
Till hissed at her and darted away. Shine blinked in surprise, and Modian chuckled.
“Sorry, dear,” she said, smiling at her friend as she took the leashes off both Till and Ivan. “I’d promise he won’t bite, but honestly, there’s no guarantee. He doesn’t like strangers.”
“You’re sure he won’t hurt Mizi?” Shine asked, concerned.
“I don’t think so. He’s fine around Ivan, and he’s never shown any real aggression toward other human pets. Actually, I think he’s quite fond of your pet.”
Which, as it turned out, was true. The moment Till was free, he began circling around Mizi like a satellite, as if he both wanted and feared to approach her. Mizi, ever the kind little angel, came closer to him herself. After a few blushes and awkward glances, both pets were soon running happily around the park, making cheerful human noises. Shine had nothing to worry about, as Modian had thought.
“Isn’t your other pet going to join them?” Shine asked in surprise, looking at Ivan.
He was off the leash but still sat there, watching Till and Mizi roll around in the grass and give each other piggybacks. Modian suddenly sensed the same sadness radiating from him as she had when she first saw him at the auction house.
“I don’t know,” she replied, puzzled. “He’s usually shy, but he almost always follows Till wherever he goes.”
Was Ivan too shy to play with Mizi? Did he need encouragement? Gently, Modian lifted her sad little pet and placed him beside the others. Mizi, smart little thing, squealed in delight and ran up to him with her arms open.
Till angrily fumed. He tried to pull Ivan away from Mizi, but then Ivan shoved him and somehow all three were now wriggling and rolling in a squealing, tangled heap on the grass.
“They really seem to be enjoying themselves. I’m so glad,” said Shine as they sat on a park bench, watching the scene. “I’ve been thinking about signing Mizi up for training at Anakt Garden next year. She’s old enough now. It would be great if her friends could join her.”
Modian winced. “I’m not so sure. Does that mean you want Mizi to participate in the Alien Stage?”
“Why not?” Shine shrugged. “She has a wonderful voice and is so precious. You’ve heard her sing.”
“I have, but… I couldn’t do that to my pets. I have two, after all. If they enter the Alien Stage, I’ll inevitably lose one of them. No, no—they’re too dear to me. I don’t want other pets.”
Shine hummed, seemingly a bit unsettled by Modian’s words. It was as if she hadn’t considered the possibility that Mizi might not emerge as the winner.
Back home, Modian recounted the whole conversation to Unsha.
“Your friend has a point.” he said, to her surprise and indignation. “You could make a fortune if your pet was a champion of the Alien Stage. And you have two of them, which doubles your chances. It’s better than winning the lottery.”
“But I don’t want to lose either of them! Why does everyone act like pets are replaceable?” she snapped, a sudden surge of anger overtaking her.
Unsha sighed, waving his tentacles in resignation. “Alright, alright. Don’t be mad. They’re your pets, after all. Do as you wish.” He glanced over her shoulder and suddenly let out a short, stiff laugh, covering his mouth. “But I still say they need some discipline and training,” he added, barely containing his laughter.
She turned around and immediately gaped. Till, the picture of innocence, was for once quietly engrossed in his favorite activity — drawing with his set of colorful pencils. He was doodling something that vaguely resembled Mizi, a look of pure concentration on his face. Modian might not have been so shocked if it weren’t for the “canvas” he had chosen for his artwork.
With complete focus, Till was decorating her freshly painted white walls, transforming them into his personal masterpiece.
***
‘Unsha wasn’t entirely wrong about discipline’ Modian reflected a few months later, as she found yet another unlocked collar buried in the pile of dirty clothes. Again. It was the fifth one this month. She had definitely spoiled her pets.
She had no idea what their issue was with the collars, though. Since Ivan somehow learned how to unlock them, he’d been constantly taking off his own collar whenever she wasn’t looking. And then did the same for Till.
At first, Modian thought it was a comfort issue—maybe the collars were too tight or a bit too heavy. But over the past several months, she’d tried various styles, yet the result was always the same. No matter how lightweight or comfortable the collars claimed to be, no matter how sensitive to human skin they were supposed to be, or how complex locking mechanisms they had, all collars ultimately ended up hidden somewhere she’d never think to look.
She rushed out to the garden and found both her pets sprawled on the grass, basking in the sun, their necks once again collar-free.
“That’s it. I spoil them far too much,” she told Unsha that evening as they cuddled on the couch after a long day. Ivan and Till were somewhere in the house, busy with their silly pet-human things. “I called Shine this afternoon and we agreed to sign up our pets to the same training center. I’m so relieved she’s dropped this idea with Anakt Garden.”
“Mhm” Unsha murmured, his voice relaxed as she rubbed his neck. “Have you considered higher-end institutions? Don’t worry about the expense. Business is doing well, and I want you to fully enjoy your hobby.”
She smiled and left a small peck on his temple. “Don’t worry. The one we chose seems to be quite good. It has positive reviews, and they don’t use physical punishments, from what I heard.”
Unsha quietly hummed in acknowledgment.
Meanwhile Ivan had quietly sneaked into the room. He approached the window and pressed his nose to a cold glass staring into the darkening sky. Modian stifled a laugh at the sight, while Unsha looked on in bewilderment.
“What is he doing?” he asked, confused.
“I have no idea.” Modain shrugged, then teased. “You know, they say humans see paranormal things. For all we know, this silly little creature could be protecting us from invisible demons right now.”
Unsha clicked his tongue and shook his head confidently. “Nah. He’s just a weirdo. Look at him—there’s not a thought behind those eyes.” And Modian couldn’t help giggling, amused.
She had chores to do, so she left Unsha relaxing on the couch and went to the kitchen to make dinner. She got so absorbed in cooking that she didn’t realize hours had passed until she noticed the pitch-black sky and remembered that the forecast had warned of a severe meteor shower that night.
She called to Unsha that dinner was ready, hearing him lumber into the living room. She then warmed up two portions of human food for Ivan and Till but noticed neither of them came to the kitchen when she called.
“Hey, have you seen the pets?” she asked when Unsha’s figure appeared in the doorframe.
“What? It was so quiet I thought they were with you in the kitchen,” he replied, looking perplexed.
Modian’s heart raced as she quickly checked each room, calling their names. But both of her human pets seemed to have vanished. Then, she spotted the pair of collars lying discarded in the corner and the front door slightly ajar.
Modian gasped. The floor under her tentacles suddenly turned out dangerously unstable.“Unsha!” she choked, struggling to breathe. “They escaped—right into the storm!”
They spent half the night combing through the neighborhood, calling for their pets. Meteors were shooting above their heads and the sky was red and full of light that almost made it look like daytime. It was beautiful, perhaps, but Modian couldn’t bring herself to notice. All she thought about — her pets out there all alone and defenseless.
Why did they run away again? She cared about them more than just pets. They were more like her family now. Her lifelong dream. Her precious children. Wasn’t she kind enough? Were they miserable around her? Or just free-spirited and stupid? Somehow it felt even worse than after the first escape attempt, because she thought they'd bonded close enough.
Modian was worried sick. She kept imagining all the horrors lurking in the streets for such small and vulnerable creatures. They could have met another stray and she wouldn’t be there to protect them. They could get caught by pet patrols and disposed of, because their collars were missing. Her imagination spiraled into a world of dangers, each one more unbearable than the last, and her heart was clenching in her chest.
It was a sleepless night, and still, her search led nowhere. In the end Unsha had to pull her home, as she coughed and sobbed. “It’ll be okay.” he promised, caressing her cheek. “How far could they possibly get? Someone else might have found them already. We’ll put up ‘missing pet’ ads tomorrow and they’ll be back in no time.”
Modian nodded, finding strength in his calm confidence. Unsha was the Segyein of his word, she knew. There wasn’t a single time he promised her something and couldn’t deliver. He knew how important these stupid little humans were to her, so Modian had no doubt that he’d do everything he could to bring them back to her.
The shooting stars gradually faded from the sky, giving way to dawn.
Back in the kitchen, Modian brewed herself a strong coffee to stay awake for a long day of posting ads and making calls. Then she heard Unsha’s surprised shout from the garden. She went on the sound and the moment she was outside she nearly dropped her cup.
In the pale morning light, Till was proudly marching back, dragging Ivan along by the hand like an anchor. His face was a mixture of stubbornness and determination.
“I cannot believe that!” Unsha fumed, as the pets approached. “It’s like they escaped just to watch a meteor shower together!”
“Maybe they did”, said Modian. Overwhelming relief filled her body from the top of the head to the tips of her tentacles. ”But they came back.” She knelt down and gathered each one in her arms, checking to make sure they were unharmed.
“And still you don’t even yell at them”, Unsha commented with a sigh, watching her. “Your pets are two spoiled little demons”
“I know,” Modian smiled. “Can’t help it. I’m just too happy to have them with me again.”
***
Modian wasn’t a newbie pet-human owner anymore. She had experience. In fact, after looking after Ivan and Till for so long, she could probably write her own book about adopting and raising humans into adulthood. Maybe she’d do it one day.
She’d been through a lot over this time. Her pets hadn’t been easy to win over, and she was truly proud of herself. She’d survived Ivan’s sudden growth spurt when he went from an awkward, tiny garden gnome to a graceful, long-legged creature. And she’d endured Till’s trips to the vet — each one a nightmare, since Till was absolutely convinced they were going to torture him. She even made it through the separation period when her pets enjoyed their time at the human training center with Mizi.
Somehow, without realizing it, Modian had even become involved in human protection activism. She protested against illegal pet-human breeding factories, volunteered, and made annual donations to shelters. In the eyes of most Segyeins, she seemed a little sick in the head (a “childless pet-human lady,” they called her), but it didn’t matter, as Unsha and her friends supported her. And, of course, she had her beloved pets for comfort and joy.
Though almost fully grown now, these independent creatures didn’t mind her company, which she found quite miraculous. Perhaps it was because she respected their independence and treated them kindly. Maybe that was all it took to hear those wonderful sounds that only humans could make.
Listening to them sing and petting their heads, she couldn’t imagine sending them to the Alien Stage. What kind of pet owner would do THAT instead of enjoying their pet’s songs all for themselves for as long as possible? Modian didn’t need a stupid show to prove her pets were the best. To be honest, she shamelessly paraded them, collars and leashes off, even on a casual walk in the park.
When she came back from a walk, Unsha greeted her with a tight hug and an overwhelmingly passionate kiss. His breath smelled faintly of sweets, alcohol, and a hint of tobacco. “I sealed the deal,” he murmured lovingly into Modian’s ear and spun her around.
“Really? Oh, Great Anakt! Congratulations!” she squealed, hugging him as tightly as she could.
“Remember how I struggled to buy you both Ivan and Till for our first anniversary?” Unsha asked, intertwining their tentacles. “Now I can buy you hundreds of pets. I could buy you an entire human shelter if you wanted.”
She giggled, kissed him, and somehow they ended up in the bedroom even though it was plain daytime. With her wonderful husband, Modian always felt like a lovestruck newlywed.
They were happily entwined when a strange feeling came over her. Even as Unsha’s tentacles worked wonders in her lower areas, she couldn’t shake the sensation that something—or someone—was watching her. She cracked an eye open to check. Standing at the door, face blank, was Ivan, staring straight at them.
“It’s Ivan,” she whispered to Unsha, stifling a laugh. “He’s watching us.”
Unsha groaned and rolled off her. “For heaven’s sake, I forgot to close the door! Get your creepy pet out of here!”
Giggling, Modian hopped up and firmly shut the door, shooing Ivan away from his “front-row seat.” That pet was curious about everything.
A few mornings later, Modian woke up in blissful quiet—her pets weren’t yipping for breakfast or tumbling around the house. Strange. She wasn’t worried they’d run away again—that escapade had ended ages ago. But it was unusual that her pets were nowhere to be seen or heard. She stretched luxuriously and padded into the kitchen, calling for Till and Ivan. When they didn’t appear, she wandered down the hall.
That’s when she saw them. On a pet bed, but definitely not sleeping. Till on top of Ivan, and Ivan’s long legs wrapped around his waist.
Modian yelped and instinctively shut her eyes. But the image of her pets breeding was already seared into her mind, hunting her forever. ‘Oh, Unsha,’ she thought helplessly. ‘Why didn’t you just close that damn door?’