Roaming the streets was never what he thought his life would amount to. His mother always told him he'd find someone nice to live with eventually. Karkat never was fond on the idea however. Hybrid. The word burned his very core to a crisp. They were killed and frowned upon now though years ago they had been prized as pets. Companions. Switching from some animal into a more or less human form. Tactics to be used for war if perfected. But it never was because they rebelled and rid of the formula. They were created as tests, subjects released into every day life. Advertised even, for high prices that only the upper class could afford. Karkat wondered why. Maybe it was the fact no person in their right mind, mixed with instinct or not, would want to be kept as a "pet" and fed food meant for animals. He preferred more human food to animal food any day. Peering around the corner of an ally way he pads in slowly. He usually kept to the form of a cat, because the downside was that when you change, you lose any and all clothing on your person at the time.
"Get in, find food, get out" he repeated to himself, red tinted irises flitting from side to side, his enhanced vision helping him see in the dim light. His ears were perked, twitching at any small sound. Spotting a dumpster he crinkled his nose. Food was food, fresh or not. Pressing onto his haunches, he springs onto the edge of the dumpster, paws shifting on the ledge as he peered down. There were a few bags, the smell a mixture of cheese, slightly rotten meat, and bread. He sighs and jumps in, beginning to dig through one of the bags, managing to pick through and find a few peices of sandwich meat that wasn't to rotten. He continues searching until there's a hiss, causing his fur to stand on end as he turned. A scrawny cat, scarred and battered came into the sliver of light.
"Am I in your territory?" Karkat feels himself say, the cat growling in return. This wasn't a hybrid, just a rabid feral. He growls at the other cat, circling, it lashing a paw out at him, causing karkat to flinch backwards at the slightest. Karkat hissed and swiped a gash along the ferals side, dodging to the side as it kicked at him. It fled after that, him hopping out of the dumpster and running down the sidewalk and away from the scene. This was not what he wanted to happen at all. This was far from anything that should happen. He eventually manages into a small, rural neighborhood. The houses were nice and neat, the yard clipped and fences painted nicely. He looked up and around, blinking at each house and flicking his tail slightly. He would hope to not run into another feral. Soon a loud barking caused him to jump and hiss, him turning to spot a dog trying to get at him from its place on its lead. Karkat growled and stalked forward, murmuring a soft
"You. Hoover. Shut the fuck up do you want to wake up the whole fucking neighborhood?" the dog blinked at the statement before opening its mouth.
"You can speak too?" It says, tilting its head to the side. Karkat blinks and steps closer, looking up at the big brown eyes and blinking.
"Another hybrid" he mutters softly and presses a paw to the others nose. The dog growls and shakes its head, Karkats fur prickling. He steps back and looks back at the beast.
"Calm down and just. Are you another hybrid?" he narrows his eyes, the dog tilting its head and blinking. Karkat just growls, snapping at the other.
"Can you turn into a fucking human too?" he says, gritting his teeth. The other blinks before blinking and nodding, smiling and straightening itself.
"I'm not supposed to though. Mama told me not to when I was little." Karkat blinks and nods
"Same here" he sighs softly and shifts to the side "well… how did you get chosen to be a pet?"
"Unknowing breeder. He was so stupid" the dog let out a barking laugh and sitting. Karkat rolls his eyes and sits as well.
"Any other hybrids around here?" he tilts his head to the side, his ear flicking slightly.
"I don't know. I don't get to leave unless I'm with my human" Karkat frowned at this and sighed softly, his ears pressing back a bit.
"Oh…well thank you for the help anyway." The beast nods. Karkat turns to leave, trotting off, before looking around. There were houses that got bigger at the end. The richer community was his guess. He walked down the road slowly, feeling the air beginning to become moist and the air to become heavy. He frowned and rushed off down the road, starting to feel and hear little droplets of water hit the ground around him, beginning to soak him and freeze him. He let out a low growl, running and hopping a high fence, narrowly missing slicing some fur on his stomach off on the post. He looks around, before bristling from a growl and off he was again, a black streak in the dim street lamp light.
"god fucking rain fucking deciding to fall now of all fucking times not fucking co-" he skids , slamming into a pole and falling back, paws folded over his chest and ears folded back. He lay there, head spinning and eyes shut tight to ignore the ringing echoing off his skull. Eventually, however, he manages his eyes open, glancing up at a nice house with a high bared fence. So that's what he ran into. He rolls onto his stomach and pushes himself up, pacing before fitting himself through the bars. There was an awning over the porch that should keep him dry for the night. He would definitely be out by the morning. There was no way he was becoming a pet, no way in fucking hell. He trotted up the steps shakily, shaking himself out on the porch before, curling up near the door, tail over his nose. He felt disgusting, cold, wet, hungry… the list could go on. But right now only one this was weighing heavier and heavier on his mind. Sleep, he needed sleep. He closed his eyes. Instantly drifting off into memories of his mother, wishing she were still here to guide him. He listened to the sound of the rain until everything was dark.