Chapter #5Reluctant Cat Owner by: Unknown  Mary the Feline
“Next up, we have this stunning young feline!”
Damn it.
You rolled your eyes as a naked, twenty-something anthro is literally shoved onstage. She appeared to be some kind of cat, with fur that -- though once beautifully, vibrantly grey -- was now dirty and mangy from neglect. She kneeled there, staring at the floor in front of her, trying desperately to avoid eye contact with the crowd.
You were attending, somewhere on the fringes of society, an underground auction where a shady organization comes to pawn off various dubiously-gained goods. The details weren’t really important. You only cared about the whole business because you could occasionally nab valuable baubles at half the normal price. But over the years, these auctions have been rapidly declining in quality. Most annoying was the occasional sale of ‘anthros’. Anthros are bizarre, artificially created hybrids of humans and animals that started popping up a few years ago. While nobody knew what to do with them at first, when the courts ruled that anthros weren’t protected by human rights, they started garnering interest as exotic pets, servants, and even -- you shudder to think -- ‘toys’. You personally found the trade of anthros to be distasteful, at best, and you certainly had no interest in buying one.
“The bidding will start at seventy-five hundred dollars! The seller won’t take anything less than seventy-five hundred dollars,” The auctioneer announces. Though she was apparently extremely cheap for an anthro, you still weren’t at all interested. You resolved to just ignore her altogether, and wait for the next item to be brought up. Though as you sat there, you noticed something strange about the feline. While most anthros that were sold at this auction seemed enthusiastic and excited to be sold, she looked miserable, as if she was on the verge of tears. Though you usually didn’t like anthros, you couldn’t help but feel sorry for the poor feline. You felt nauseous when it struck you how much she reminded you of Mary -- a cat you grew up with as a child. But you couldn’t let nostalgia cloud your judgement. You weren’t prepared to own an anthro. Where would you even keep her?
“Oh, wait! I have a note here from the seller...” the auctioneer pauses, obviously having not prepared at all beforehand. “Ah, it looks like this beauty is a limited-time offer! If she isn’t sold today, she’ll be put down, so buy her fast!” Though she was turned away from you, you noticed the feline visibly shudder as he spoke that line. You reacted too, your fingers clenching around the arms of your chair in surprise. What the hell? Since she was a pet, legally, she could be ‘put down’, but… they wouldn’t, would they? As far as you were aware, anthros were sapient, and maybe even as intelligent as humans. Now you understood why the poor girl looked so miserable. “Seventy-five hundred dollars. I want seventy-five hundred dollars...” You held your breath as the auctioneer called for bids among the completely silent crowd. Most preferred enthusiastic and submissive anthros; nobody wanted to buy an anthro that looked so miserable. You silently prayed that someone would buy her. You had no interest in purchasing her yourself, but… you couldn’t just let her die, right? Everyone else seemed completely apathetic to the feline’s fate. After a while, the auctioneer paused, seeming on the verge of giving up. This may be your last chance.
“I’ll consider this my good deed for this month,” you mutter quietly to yourself, before holding up a finger, calling the auctioneer’s attention. “Fuck it! Seventy-five hundred dollars!” You declare on impulse.
“Sold for seventy-five hundred dollars!” The auctioneer’s face lit up, as he didn’t even bother trying to fish for bids any longer. You lean back in your chair as the feline is dragged offstage. What have you gotten yourself into?
As you sat there and despaired, the auction continued. “And our next item is...”
-----
After the auction, you stopped to pay for and retrieve the things you bid for. You did manage to nab a few small trinkets, but ultimately, you blew most of your money on the anthro. “Hey, about that anthro...” you stop to ask. “I know I bought her and all, but is there any chance I could just let her go? Let her run off and be free? I don’t really want to keep her.”
“It’s possible, I suppose. But legally, anthros are considered pets, and cannot be left to roam the streets unattended,” is the only answer you receive. “Sorry, sir.”
“Alright...” You sigh. “Bring her up.” The young anthro is presented before you, which let you finally see her in closer detail. This was one of the first few times you had seen an anthro this close before, in fact. You were struck by how much she resembled a normal human, with only a few nagging differences. She looked very surreal, almost as if you were staring into the uncanny valley. Being completely naked and having been obviously genetically engineered to have a physique more befitting a supermodel or a porn star than a maid, it was obvious she had been created with one ‘purpose’ in mind. However, you personally had no interest in that kind of thing, and honestly found it kind of disgusting. Additionally, you noticed a few scars along her back and sides, and other general signs of neglect and abuse. Apparently this feline had had a rough lot in life.
All the while, she stared at the ground, completely silent, trying not to make eye contact. You had expected her to be excited and grateful -- you had just saved her life, after all -- but instead, she looked almost… disappointed. Since this was your first anthro, you were briefed on the basics of anthro care. They also offered you a leash to lead her around with, but you declined. Had to let the poor girl keep some dignity. Instead, when you were all finished, you let her walk out by your side, leaning her head on your shoulder weakly. You hurried back to your car as fast as you could, definitely not wanting to be seen in public with a naked anthro chick.
As you started on the long drive home, you let her lay down in the backseat, mostly because she looks like she hadn’t rested in days. She still hadn’t said anything, and was facing the other direction from you. She probably assumed you were some kind of pervert. After about a half hour, you decide to break the silence. “So… you’ve got a name, right?” You say, expecting some kind of response, but she just remained silence. After a few minutes, you reached back and tried to get her attention. “Eh?”
“You should’ve just left me there...” was the first thing she said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. You grimaced. Oh boy. This might turn out to be even harder than you expected. She does know they would’ve killed her if you hadn’t bought her, right? Maybe she didn’t care.
“Yeah, maybe I should’ve. But I didn’t,” you say, a bit more assertively. “So I’m sorry, but you’re gonna have to put up with me. And it would help if you told me your name.”
She was silent for a while. “I don’t have a name,” she answered simply, as if it was completely normal. You recall reading online that many anthros that were created to be slaves weren’t given names, to further deter any sense of individuality.
“Well, that’s just inconvenient. I have to call you something,” you say. “If you could have any name you wanted, what would it be?”
She just looks confused and frustrated for a few minutes, like she wasn’t really interested in the question, before suddenly having a change of heart as inspiration strikes. “Mary,” she says. “I think I’d want to be called… Mary.” Your heart leaps, and your grip on the steering wheel tightens. Mary… as you mentioned before, that had been the name of your beloved childhood pet. Did she know? After pondering this for a while, you decide it must be just a coincidence.
“Mary’s a fine name,” you finally reply. You couldn’t think of anything else to say, and she seemed like the quiet type anyway, so you spent the next couple hours in silence. | Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
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