Murdoc sighed softly as he stood in front the doorway to the shelter. He'd been feeling somewhat lonely lately, not enough for him to be concerned but it certainly had most of his friends worried. One of his closer ones, Russel, had mentioned getting a hybrid recently, a small girl he could call his own and keep him company. The last he remembered Russel had always wanted kids, so it wasn't too out of the realm of possibilities for him to have gotten one. On his most recent visit the kitten was still learning how to speak properly, and even though it was cute at first hearing the kitten whine for Russel every ten seconds when the other was away got annoying.
"She's just afraid that I'll abandon her. They're like children at first after all." Russel had explained to him.
He went on to explain how most hybrids were sold without the ability to even talk, something along the lines of teaching them how to speak strengthened the bond between them though Murdoc didn't exactly care to listen to every last detail so he just took the elders word for it. He had to admit he was a bit happy at the thought of having company other than the occasional bird popping in, though he would never admit to that. He took in a short breath moments later, still thinking how stupid the idea could be, though in the end he decided he'd at least have a look, see if any of the little animals caught his eye.
"Hello, I'm Serri. How can I help you today?" She spoke when Murdoc entered, her voice sweet like sugar.
"Hello," He hummed, trying not to seem too interested. "I'm…. somewhat interested in adopting one of your hybrids today."
"Oh, well I can assure you you've come to the top seller in the country. Is there any breed you're looking for today?"
"I don't have experience with real animals aside from the stray cats around the block, I thought maybe a kitten would be fitting."
"Ah… Well I'm sorry we're all out of the younger ones, Kittens are quite popular after all. We do have a few older ones in the back if you still want a cat. If not we have plenty of puppies or rabbits."
"Mm, I've had my heart set on a cat, so I'll take a look, then decide if you don't mind."
The woman nodded and stepped from behind her desk, leading Murdoc down the hall into a back room, then into a smaller one to his right. The room was lined wall to wall with cages, which were more of small rooms with a glass wall to see into them, Hybrids nestled in their beds our out lounging around for the day as they waited for someones attention. Serri turned back towards Murdoc with a smile before giving him a small nod, letting him know that he was free to look around for the time being.
He gave her a small nod back and started to walk around, taking a look into each cage he passed. Most of them were awake, either watching him or playing around on their own; but none really stood out to him until he reached a cage at the back of the room. It was smaller than the others, a bit dirtier as if the attendants had left the room to rot after an accident. He almost walked right by it, thinking it was just a spare room that would be cleaned out when they got a new cat to add in with the rest of them. It wasn't until he spotted the small bit of movement on the bed that he stopped, looking back at the cat inside.
This one was much smaller than the others from what he could tell, practically skin and bones under the thin blanked that seemed to drape over him. His skin was a sickly pale as if he hadn't gone outside in months; his hair a soft blue that contrasted against his skin in the most beautiful way. His ears were pressed flat to his head and his fluffy tail wrapped around his waist as he slept with out a care in the world. Murdoc knew right away that if he were to buy a hybrid, this was the one he wanted.
"Say I were to buy a Hybrid, how much for one like this?" He asked as the woman walked over.
"That one's not exactly up for sale."
"Why not?"
"He's been returned recently, we aren't usually supposed to let people adopt them until they've...recovered."
"He doesn't look like a bad guy."
"Well… he's still technically a kitten, so he's not bad he just hasn't developed."
"He's still a kitten? I thought there weren't any left?"
"None that we were ready to adopt out.. He's Eighteen, so he's got another few years until he's a full grown. Although his breed doesn't grow much bigger than he is now."
"What's his name?"
"We haven't managed to get it out of him, we call him 2D around here though and he seems to like it enough.." She hummed in thought.
"I want to adopt him."
"He's going through therapy at the moment, if you adopted him you'd have to be responsible for that."
"That's fine. I'll take care of him. Can I ask why he was always returned though?"
"Well…he's a bit of a scratcher, but he never really learned that scratching was bad so we've had some return him over that. Others because of his poor communication skills. He precesses information much slower than others, he's been getting better but some people just aren't patient enough for him. Even here he can be hard to deal with sometimes."
"I see. I think even after all that I'd still like to give him a shot."
"None of us here want him to be hurt again, you realize that? It's hard for me to really agree to this."
"Ah but you are agreeing to it?" Murdoc couldn't help the small smirk at that as he glanced over towards her.
"Just please keep him happy." She ended with a sigh.
"I'll definitely give it the ol college try.." He nodded.
"Alright then… follow me."
She lead him back to the first room he was in and then to a smaller office to the side once they were ready. They both sat at the desk towards the back and went over the small bit of paperwork, a grin on Murdoc's face at the thought of having someone around to keep him company. He'd done a fair bit of research on hybrids before he'd made the trip out, and knowing how clingy and affectionate kittens could get only drove his decision. His mind thought over the ways he could make the kitten happy as he signed the papers, deciding he needed to clear out space in the guest room once he got home for starters. Once everything was filled out and Murdoc was now the legal owner of the kitten, Serri lead him back into the other room. She walked right over to his bed and gently woke him up once they were inside.
"2D, sweetie, it's time to wake up." She cooed softly as the younger blinked his eyes open.
" 's Nap time.." Came a shaky answer, the kittens voice still groggy with sleep.
"No no baby, it's time to wake up, there's someone here who wants to meet you."
The smaller male flinched back noticeably at the mention of a stranger, his eyes widening as he glanced around. Almost immediately he backed up, his back pressed against the wall of the cage and he shook his head, cowering away into the corner. Murdoc couldn't help his surprised stare as he looked over the youngers face, his eyes locking onto his eyes not expecting to see two black orbs staring back at him. Serri went to comfort him right away, gently cooing at him until he relaxed enough for her to approach him.
"Now now, D, use your words."
"I don't wanna go..." He mumbled, shaking his head.
"Come on give him a chance?"
"Home's here."
"D, he wants to make you happy, your home is with Murdoc now. You can always come visit me if you want."
"I wanna stay..." He frowned, a small sniffle slipping out as he whispered something Murdoc couldn't quite catch.
"Hey now, you don't even know him. He seems like a real sweetheart doesn't he? I'm sure he loves you already."
"Love's me?" He raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Murdoc once more with a small tilt of his head.
"Uhh… sure?" Murdoc nodded, even if it wasn't entirely true it seemed to calm the kitten down.
"No one before." He mumbled, watching hesitantly as Murdoc stepped closer.
"What?" Murdoc tilted his head.
"No one before." He furrowed his eyebrows at the elder.
"No I heard, but what do you mean."
The hybrids ears flattened against his head, his tail bushing up as his eyes squinted in frustration looking like it was taking all of his energy to put what he was thinking into words. Serri moved over to the hybrid after a moment, gently cooing to calm down before turning to glance back at Murdoc.
"He means no one's thought of him like that right off the bat before." She explained.
"Ah, I see." Murdoc nodded, turning his attention back to 2D.
"Would you like to take him home now?" She asked.
"If that's alright with you then yes.." Murdoc nodded, deciding to put off the topic of the kittens eyes for a later meeting with Serri.
"It's fine with me, you can take him whenever you're both ready to leave." She smiled softly, handing Murdoc a small pamphlet. "That has a few tips for hybrids as well as my number. Call me if you ever need a bit of advice."
"I will, thank you."
"You're welcome." She smiled and left the two be.
It didn't take long for Murdoc to realize that getting 2D back home would be easier than he thought. The hybrid didn't struggle or bite as much as Serri said he would; but he figured it was because of the nervousness that seemed to be radiating off of the hybrid in volumes. They'd managed to get his belongings packed in a short time, Murdoc letting 2D do most of the packing so the hybrid had his space through it.
Murdoc lead them back out to his car, it was a short walk out and 2D hadn't tried to run away so he took that as at least a small show of trust from the Hybrid. He helped the younger get buckled into the car, and soon enough they were on the road. When they were about halfway home Murdoc rolled down the passenger side window, a grin spreading across his face at the childlike squeal that the kitten let out.
It was almost dark out by the time they arrived back at what was now their home; a small apartment in the middle of London. Murdoc let 2D in first, allowing him to go ahead and explore any room he wanted to as he himself went to settle down on the couch, finding the day more tiring than he'd expected it to be. Once he was comfortable and 2D was in eyesight, curled up in the corner resting for the moment, Murdoc took out the small pamphlet he was given to make sure he was aware of all the warnings, even though he wasn't sure how much of it he'd remember.
10 Rules for Keeping Your Hybrid Happy
Rule 1. Try to keep you voice down whenever something happens. Yelling, while a natural response from humans, is practically unheard of between hybrids. To them it can be quite intimidating, so it's best to be firm but not loud when punishing your hybrid.
Rule 2. Make sure to keep them clean, while they are concious like humans they still have a bit of that animal drive in them which can cause them to forget to shower and bathe once in a while.
Rule 3. Patience is key, teaching your Hybrid to speak is very easy as they are fast learners, but with some it's easier than others. Understand it may be hard for them at first and know that in time they will learn.
Rule 4. If you are keeping them as more of a pet over a roommate, it's best to make sure they know that what you say goes. Things like setting up rules like bedtimes and mealtimes can help the younger ones learn to listen.
Rule 5. Treats are a great way to show love, a small bit of chocolate here and there can usually cheer them right up.
Rule 6. If your hybrid is sad, keep them company. Younger ones can be very relient on their caregivers so it's best to reassure them of your compassion for them, older hybrids will tend to bottle their stress up, if you sense something is wrong it's good to speak with them about it.
Rule 7. No caffeine, it can make them very sick.
Rule 8. Respect their space. They wont go where you don't want them to, so if you give them their own area don't enter it without permission.
Rule 9. Have a friend with a Hybrid? Take them out on a playdate! It will help boost your Hybrids energy and ultimately make them happier having a friend that understands what it's like to be a Hybrid as well.
Rule 10. Love them, forgive them, be gentle. You are their whole world, don't take that lightly.
Murdoc only nodded to himself after reading the tips, finding them more than reasonable. His attention drifted back over to 2D and soon enough he was standing up and walking over to the young boy. He gave him a small shake, watching him sleepily blink his eyes open before he moved back out of the younger's space, watching as he visibly relaxed when he backed off slightly.
"Have you bathed recently? I can run one for you. Then we can have some dinner and turn in for the night."
"Mm..bath time." He heard the hybrid hum out in response, mimicking Murdoc with a sleepy smile.
"Yep, come on, up up up." Murdoc helped the smaller boy up noticing how much looser he seemed to be compared to their first meeting as he lead him into the bathroom, filling up the tub. 2D was quick to pull off his clothes, hopping into the bath almost right away. Murdoc made note of that, figuring if the kid liked baths it could be a good bonding experience for them.
"So, D, tell me a little about you."
"Me?" He tilted his head a bit when Murdoc kneeled down in front of the tub, a weary look on his face as he was still nervous of the elder.
"Yeah, you, what are some…. things you like I guess."
"I like...mm... Blue.!"
"Blues the only thing you like?" Murdoc couldn't help his little chuckle.
"No it's…. nice! I like a lot of um...things." 2D huffed his words somewhat mixed together in thought, but it slowly turned into a a hum as Murdoc scrubbed shampoo into his hair, unable to help a grin when the younger relaxed at his touch.
"That's fine hah. You know, Blue's my favorite color."