Author's Note: I feel like I should put a trigger warning on this chapter. This is the first time it is addressed what actually happens to the hybrids before they get rejected to the island. That being said, this is your warning and reminder that this fic is rated "T" for a reason…

Alex was keeping themselves busy this morning. First, they had a whole bunch of new fish to donate to Blathers after their fishing trip with Tommy yesterday. Once that was done, they swung by Nook's Cranny to cash in the extra ones for some quick bells and a fast chat with Timmy (with Tommy interacting in his own way). After that, Alex went back outside into the sunny morning. They just made up their mind to go practice their pole vaulting skills some more, when they heard a voice call out to them. "Hey, Alex," Alex turned to see Raymond wrapping up his yoga routine. "What you up to?"

"Not much," Alex shrugged.

"Hmmmm," Raymond said casually. "Didn't see you around much yesterday."

"Ya, Leif was here." Alex agreed. "Thought it best to stay out of the Plaza area."

"Hm, that's probably best. So you didn't talk to Leif at all?" The question was asked causally, but Alex could tell Raymond was watching closely.

"I did a little," Alex said. "He's ….something. Very chill." And there is something unsettling about him, but Alex decided to not say that part.

Raymond snorted. "You can say that. So where you off to now?" He asked, apparently deciding to drop the subject.

"Not sure," Alex shrugged, letting it drop. "I need to practice my pole vaulting skills. Otherwise, I won't be able to get around the island too easily."

Raymond raised an eyebrow. "Where you gonna go?" He asked the question pointedly.

"I don't know: just explore and stuff. Have you been everywhere on the island?"

"No, not everywhere," Raymond shook his head. "Some parts has been claimed as…territory. Best to stay out of those sections. Besides," he sniffed, "what business would I have with wolves anyway. Dumb dogs."

"Hey, Lucky and Isabelle are canine mixes" Alex chastised. Alex ignored the weird feeling of having to defend a hybrid mix to one of the island's other hybrid mix breeds. Mr. Nook did say that there was some kind of animal rivalry. Maybe this is a part of it?

"Lucky is decent, and Isabelle is a different breed altogether—no pun intended," Raymond said with a sharp smile. "Trust me; stay away from the pack."

"But there is a pack?" Alex asked intrigued. "Where are they?"

"A few days journey north of here. You have to—why am I telling you this?" Raymond crossed his arms. "If I tell you, you'll want to go find them, won't you?"

"Maybe…" Alex said innocently. I don't want to lie to him.

Raymond shook his head, but a smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe I should tell you. It will get you away from the village for a few days." Raymond had a teasing tone to voice, but Alex could see that he was watching them to gauge their reaction.

Alex tried to ignore the sting of hurt. "Raymond, why don't you like me?" Alex asked seriously. "I haven't even done anything to you."

Raymond gave a roll of his shoulders. "Yet," he said ominously.

"Well, how long are you going to keep this up? When are you doing to accept that I'm not trying to hurt anyone," Alex sighed in frustration.

"When I am sure you aren't."

Alex sighed and rolled their eyes. Don't be annoyed. Remember, Mr. Nook and Isabelle said that the Lab did horrible things to them. Raymond has his reasons to be suspicious of me, I guess. "Well, it sounds like that is nothing I can do to make you change your mind."

"Nope." Raymond said, sounding very self-satisfied. "I'll make my own decisions, thank you very much."

"Fine, be like that." Alex snapped lightly, before walking away. I need to get away for a bit. Need to clear my head.

But Raymond's long stride easily kept pace with them. "You know what? I think I'll come too." Alex bit their cheek from saying something smart. As they passed the Able Sisters shop though, the chimes over it sounded as Mabel stuck her head out. "Oh, Alex, you got a sec?"

"Ya, Mabel. What is it?"

"Can you come inside? We have something to show you." Alex followed Mabel into the store, with Raymond staying close to their heels.

"Here," Mabel said cheerily, leading the way into the back. "Sable made this for you." She held out a carefully folded article of clothing.

Alex frowned, but took it anyway. "Aww, thanks, but you didn't have to do that—oh, cool!" Their voice changed as they unfolded it and saw what it was. "It's a hoodie!"

"Yes, well, we know that the fairy hood isn't really your style…so Sable used some extra fabric to make you a hoodie instead." Mabel smoothed the front of her apron nervously. "You like it?"

"Ya, absolutely! It's great" Alex pulled off the hood, and slipped the hoodie on. "Fits great! Thank you both! What do I owe you?"

"You don't owe us anything," A quiet voice from the back of the store said softly. Alex looked back at Sable, but she wasn't looking at them. She kept her eyes on the fabric he was currently folding. "We just strive for customer satisfaction."

"Awww, thanks, Sable." Alex said. They shifted uncomfortably. "Um, if this is about what I said about the fairy hood the other day—I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," Sable cut them off. "Everyone has a different style and tastes."

"Yes," Mabel said. She smirked at Raymond. "Raymond wouldn't be caught dead in something so causal."

"Absolutely not," Raymond sniffed, adjusting his glasses. "Why dress like that, when I could look cool?"

Alex just laughed. "Because it's comfortable. Come on, Leif wore a hoodie."

"Is that supposed to make me want to wear one?"

"Oh, come on, Raymond," Mabel coached, "I've never seen you in a causal style before. I bet you can make anything look cool. Won't you at least try it on for—."

"No." Raymond's voice left no room for argument. He crossed his arms. "I'm not your model."

Mabel faintly blushed and looked away. "Sorry," she said quietly. "I forgot." Alex frowned at the sudden tension in the room, looking back and forth between them. Ok, that's weird. Wonder what the story is there? But before they could ask, Mabel looked back up at him. "Oh, but I meant to tell you; we got some new gloves in if you want to take a look.

Raymond didn't say anything, but followed her lead as she opened several drawers. Tail swishing moodily behind, he crouched down to examine the gloves in the drawers.

Alex followed along to see too. However, with Raymond balanced on the balls of his feet like that, Alex could clearly see his ears. While Raymond was looking over the gloves, Alex quickly and quietly examined his ears. Wow, they really are cat ears. Alex could see how they were connected under the fine, grey fur of his head. His regular blonde hair was thicker in the middle, but the grey fur really looked like thick cat hair. His ears were a striking black though, with pink interior. They really are adorable. Without thinking at all, Alex reached out and lightly stroked the side of one.

Raymond reacted like he had been burned. He lunged away from Alex, spinning into a crouch facing them. "What do you think you are doing?" He hissed, glaring at them.

"Uhhh…" Alex had frozen in shock. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't think—" Alex bowed slightly in apology. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I –"

"No, you shouldn't have," Raymond spat. "What? Because I'm not human, you think you can just do whatever you want to me?

"What? No!" Alex looked up. "Look, I'm sorry. I should have asked before I touched your ears. I just thought they were cute—"

"I don't care. I hate them, hate everything about them! And don't touch me. Ever." Raymond straighten up and scoffed. "Humans: think they can own whatever they fancy." He stalked toward the door.

"Raymond, wait! That's not—" They had started after him, but Mabel's gentle pull on their arm stopped them. She shook her head sadly and mouthed the word don't, at them. All the members in the shop winced when the chimes over the door gave a harsh jangle that was abruptly cut off as the door was slammed shut. "Okay," Alex said shakily into the silence. "What just happened?"

Mabel dropped her arm and fidgeted with her apron. "It's not really my place to share…"

"I'm sorry, Alex." Sable said gently from where she sat. "Raymond did overreact," but now she turned and looked them dead in the eye, and Alex was surprised by the quiet fire in them. "But you shouldn't have touched him. He's not…a pet."

"I know that!" Alex bit their lip. "I'm very sorry. I just made a mistake. I didn't mean anything by it!"

"I know. But he has been through a lot. From humans." She shook her head to stop their protest. "I know that's not your fault. But you are human. And your presence is forcing him deal with something he would rather not face."

"He'll get over it." Mabel interjected. "He's quick to snap and sulk, but he'll come around. He always does. He's tough like that."

Alex looked at her miserably. "But what happened to him?"

Sable shook her head and started up her machine. "That is for him to tell you. And maybe one day he will. But for now, just respect him and his boundaries. That's the best thing you can do for him.

POV
Raymond/ cat
A little under a year ago

Raymond changed out of the hospital gown quickly. He had considered making a break for freedom, but there was a guard standing right outside in the hallway. Besides, escaping in a hospital gown did not sound fun. He sadly noticed that a hole had been cut into his pants to acuminate his new tail. After he got dressed, he came out to see that Dr. Shrunk was waiting for him too now. He pulled Raymond's old glasses out of a pocket of his coat. "Here. I went ahead and changed out the left lens. It is just window glass now." Raymond took them and blinked as he put them on. He felt slightly better—more normal—to be wearing his glasses. Now I can see clearly again with both eyes. Even if the…cat…eye doesn't need them. "Right. Come along now," Dr. Shrunk had said simply, before spinning around and walking briskly toward the elevators, not waiting to see if Raymond would follow. But with the guard still standing there, he didn't really have much of a choice. Raymond followed him slowly. He could feel his ears twitching slightly at each new sound. It was distracting. This is so weird. Even though he thought his hearing seemed improved, it still didn't make him feel any better about his new looks. I'm a freak now.

The doctor led the way though several doors, unlocking each by scanning his ID into a keycard lock. Hmmmm, escaping is going to be harder than I thought. Discouraged but still hopeful, Raymond tried to remember the route that the doctor led him through.

Eventually, the doctor unlocked one final door and held it open for him. "Stand there," he pointed to a spot in the office. Raymond tensed as he stood in the doorway, but there was nothing in particular that set his nerves on edge. Though small, the office was clearly arranged with high tastes in mind. The nice wooden desk, expensive carpet, couches and chairs arranged in a relaxed manner around the room: there was nothing that made it stand out in anyway besides just being a normal office. It was the subtle style, the hushed hint of extravagance, the art that Raymond didn't recognize but he was sure it was expensive, that reminded him of something. Even though it was smaller and more functional, it reminded of him of Mr. Redd's office, from his last day of being human.

A hand was pressed into his back. "Well, go on." The doctor's voice said sternly. "Don't loiter so."

Gritting his teeth against the order, he did as he was told. The doctor went over to the desk and fiddled with a remote. Lights above Raymond suddenly clicked on, throwing their spotlights on him. With a jump, Raymond pressed his palms against his stinging eyes. He recoiled out of the spotlights. He felt exposed. Venerable.

He heard the doctor come over. "Stop that. Your eyes will adjust." Raymond felt a hand grasp the front of his shirt and pull him back into the light. Raymond pulled his hands away and blinked several times. "What are we doing in here?" The harsh lights shinning at him caused the rest of the office to be murky and dark.

"Like I said: 'presentation'." The doctor smoothed out the wrinkles in Raymond's shirt and waistcoat, and straightened his tie. He took a step back and ran a critical eye over his appearance. "Blimy," he said finally, "you really did turn out well. Right, stand there, don't move, and if you can, bite your tongue."

Before Raymond could ask what he meant, he heard the office door open again. He could see the motion of someone coming into the room, but the lights caused him to not be able to make out details.

"Hello, Raymond," a cool voice greeted smugly. Raymond stiffened at Mr. Redd's voice. He felt a save of anger building up in him, but he remembered the warning and clenched his jaw. This is your fault. He could sense more than see Mr. Redd watching him. "Good. Smart move." Raymond's ears twitched, following the movement as Mr. Redd walked around him, eyeing him up and down. Raymond clenched his fists at his side, keeping his eyes straight ahead. He felt like an art piece Mr. Redd was considering buying or not, and it galled Raymond.

"Congratulations, Dr. Shrunk, he turned out well," Mr. Redd said finally. "He is no Celeste, but he appears to be a success, at least as far as looks go."

"You don't mind the eye?"

"No, it lends a kind of exoticness to him." Mr. Red chuckled. "Besides many people will find him…attractive…in his own way." Before Raymond released what was happening, he felt Mr. Redd stoke one of his cat ears affectionately.

Raymond didn't think; his reaction was instinctual. His ears flattened back against his skull, and his lips drew back from his teeth, exposing his fangs. His breath was exhaled in an angry hiss between his teeth.

With a painful jolt, he felt the shook collar on his ankle kick on. He gasped and fell to his knees on the ground. He was left heaving as the pain subsided. "Don't you dare," Mr. Redd said coldly, "show your fangs at me. I will not tolerate any acts of aggression."

Oh, you haven't seen aggression yet, Raymond bit back the smart remark. It suddenly occurred to Raymond that he kneeling at Mr. Redd's feet. Gritting his teeth, he slowly pushed back up into a standing position.

"There, see." Dr. Shrunk said. "He has a good fighter's spirit. He should perform well in the tests."

"Patience, Doctor," Mr. Redd said, his voice silky smooth. "This one has other merits besides what you can learn from him in the labs. It would be a shame to waste his potential." Raymond head him walk over to his desk. With a faint click of a button being pressed, he begin to speak. "Lyle, send someone in here to take Raymond back to his room."

"Just a minute," Raymond finally spoke up. "You can't just decide that for me. You don't have the right to decide anything for me."

The lights above him snapped off, leaving Raymond to blink his eyes back into focus. Mr. Redd was sitting calmly at the edge of his desk with Dr. Shrunk standing next to him. "Really? Why is that?" The utter calmness was what stuck Raymond as particularly chilling.

"Because," Raymond sputtered, "you can't just do that to people! This is illegal. You can't do this to me: I have rights!"

"What rights?"

"What do you mean—basic human rights…" Raymond's voice trailed off.

"That's correct" Mr. Redd smiled at him, a smile that shook Raymond to his very core. "Human rights. And you're not human."

"But…but I was…" Raymond protested weakly.

"But you aren't now. And as such, you have no rights. You were created by Redd co., and as such, you belong to Redd co."

"Let me go right now!" Raymond exploded. "You can't do this to me; you are going to go to jail. People are going to look for me!"

"Already done." Mr. Redd interrupted him. "Shrunk, how long was he out?"

"Twenty-two days, Sir."

"Twenty—" Raymond repeated weakly, feeling dizzy. "It's been—I was unconscious for twenty-two days?"

"Yes. It used to be a lot longer. Thankfully, our resident genius, Dr. Shrunk, has made medical advances to accelerate the growth of new organs and tissues."

"You are too kind, Sir." Dr. Shrunk fidgeted with his glassed, embarrassed.

"You can't do this," Raymond repeated weekly. "You can't do this to me."

"Actually, I can. Welcome to the Project, Raymond." Mr. Redd eyes flashed to the door as the guard came in "Take him back to his quarters."

Raymond sat on his bed, mind going in a loop, trying to process everything he was just told. Surely, they can't do this. They just can't do this to me. But Raymond knew that there was very little he could do down here. Everyone seemed to suffer from the same delusion that he was not "human" anymore, and that he was just another possession of Redd co. And with that in mind, that wasn't a lot Raymond could do to change his situation. Which left one option. I need to get out of here.

The door silently slid open, interrupting his train of thought as a man stuck his head in. "So, you are the new one? Hmmmm, could be worse." He came into the room, allowing Raymond to really see him. Raymond stared at him in surprise, because he looked like someone who didn't belong in this crazy nightmare. With his long ombré brown hair held back with a headband and his acid-washed jeans, he stuck Raymond as someone who was free-spirited. A hippie, he looks like a hippie He motioned for Raymond to stand. "Well, don't be shy. Stand up and let me get a look at you," He said, pulling his blue-tinted sunglasses down, allowing him to get a better look at him.

Raymond reluctantly did as he was told.

"Wow," a delighted smile broke out across his face. "Seems like the doctor is starting to get the hang of it. I think you may be the best one yet. And that is counting Celeste!"

"Who are you?" Raymond said simply, crossing his arms as the surprise faded.

"Oh, sorry, I'm being rude. My name is Harvey." He smiled, but Raymond felt his fur stand up on end. "But my friends call me Harv. And, trust me, I am about to be your best friend.

"Do you know what my job is? No? It's marketing. See, the Project is still in its developmental stages, but eventually, this will be a full operation. My job," he held his hands in front of his face and squinted through them, like he was looking through a screen, "is to make it desirable."

"Not going to lie, it has been kinda hard lately. I haven't had much to work with. But with you…" He trailed off and shook his head in delight. "You are going to be so easy! You're so photogenic."

"I don't want to be photographed."

"Come on, haven't you ever wanted to be a model?"

"No."

Harvey sighed at the curt reply. He stepped closer to Raymond. "Okay, listen, I going to shoot straight with you. I am up to my neck in this mess, and I can't get out either. But we can help each other out. I keep out of trouble by taking every single photo I can think of. You want that to happen too. Because once I am done with you," he snapped his fingers, "it's off to the Lab with Doctor Frankenstein for you. You think it is going to be fun? He's a scientist. They take stuff apart to find what makes it tick. You want to stay with me, you dig it?"

Raymond narrowed his eyes at him. On one hand, it made sense. As long as they needed him for their photos, they couldn't hurt him. On the other hand, it really bothered him to be used in this way. He didn't like what had happened to him, and he wasn't proud of his appearance. Plus the thought of it being used to lure others into this nightmare…

But it will probably be easier to escape from a photoshoot then the Lab, wherever that is. I just need time to work it out. That was what finally convinced him. "Fine," he shrugged.

"Groovy," Harvey beamed. "Let's get started."

Raymond hadn't lying when he said he had never wanted to be a model. The thought had never crossed his mind once in his entire gangly life. He thought they would spend—maybe—a couple of shots per outfit and call it a day after about a half a dozen.

It was not remotely what Harvey had in mind. Raymond was shoved into a dressing room to get changed, while Harvey fussed over every single detail. Once Raymond was dressed accordingly to Harvey's taste, he was dragged to a modeling room. It was a fairly open space with a green screen background and lights. Harvey dragged him over to the modeling space and gave directions on how to pose. Raymond interrupted him at this point, holding out his foot with the shock anklet. "You gonna take it off, or do you plan on editing it out?" He asked simply.

"No, it has to come off," Harvey said, to Raymond's quiet delight. "Hang on." He went over his camera set off to one side. He picked up what looked like a small remote and walked back over. He put the tip of it up against the locking mechanism on the anklet. He paused though, and looked up at Raymond. "You aren't going to do something stupid, like bolt, as soon as I take it off, right?" He asked quietly, with a jerk of his head at the door. Raymond followed the gesture to see two guards were standing ideally by the door, but he could tell by their postures that they were watching.

"No," Raymond promised. "I won't." Not yet, at least.

"Good." Harvey pressed the button, and with a metallic click, the anklet fell off. "Now, let's get to work."

As the hours dragged by, Raymond gradually realized that modeling was much, much harder then he thought. As the day slowly ticked by, he waited and watched for a chance to escape. Harvey was with him every second of it though. If he wasn't directing his shoot, he was hauling him off to change clothes—again—and then back to the studio. Raymond gave a faint sigh of relief when Harvey pronounced that their work day was over.

"Good work today," Harvey praised absently, as he flipped through his camera. "We have a good start. Get some rest tonight; you need your beauty rest for tomorrow."

"Wait, we aren't done?"

"No way, my man!" Harvey chuckled. "We have so much more to do. I don't know when I'll get a good subject again, so I have to make the most of it."

"Oh," Raymond said dejectedly. He rolled his shoulders. They were sore after being posed for so long.

"Hey, now, don't sound so bummed out," Harvey laughed. "I'm doing this for you. Oh, one more thing." He held out the shock anklet. "This has to go back on."

Raymond tensed. "You sure? I could—"

"Yes, I'm sure." Harvey stepped closer to him. "Between you and me, I find it distasteful. But they," he nodded at the guards, "are under orders."

Raymond reluctantly held out his foot, and Harvey snapped it on. "Okay, good night for real."

Raymond was led first to the dressing room to change back to his normal clothes, before being brought back to his room. He glanced around as the door slid shut behind him. Yup, it was the same as when he left. Besides the set of pajamas laid out on the bed and the bathroom now stocked with necessities, the rest of it was the same. Oh, there was a covered tray of food off to the side. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn't eaten all day. He walked over and lifted the lid.

There was simply a can of cat food, like the type you would see at a pet store. Raymond stared at it. Is this someone's idea of a sick joke? If it was, Raymond would have some serious words with them. Other than that, there was just a bottle of water and a spoon. Raymond slowly picked up the can and popped the lid. It is cat food alright. Well, I am part cat now. Maybe it will be more appealing now. Raymond took a hesitant sniff. Still smells pretty gross. He went to put it back down in disgust, when his stomach rumbled, protesting. Oh, I'm going to regret this. He picked up the spoon and scooped a small portion into his mouth.

He realized a couple of things almost immediately. First, no, he still had human taste buds. And second, it tasted just as bad as it smelt. He spit it out, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Nope, I would rather starve. After getting cleaned up and changed, he collapsed onto the bed. Maybe tomorrow I will have a chance to escape.

"Morning!" A waaaaay too chipper voice greeted him the next day. Raymond growled and burrowed farther under the covers. "Raise and Shine, Pretty Boy!" Raymond growled again.

"Oh, come on," Harvey coached, "the guards are going to get mad. You don't want to get shocked do you?"

Raymond pulled the covers down and glared at him. "Won't that leave a mark? It would ruin your photos."

Harvey shook his head. "I can edit it out; it is just a drag." He raised an eyebrow. "You want to get shocked?"

Raymond groaned and rolled off the bed. "No." He stretched. His muscles were cramped and sore, more so then yesterday.

"That's the spirit," Harvey said delightedly. He held out a set of clothes to him. "I went ahead and brought you your threads: hurry up and get dressed. I'm going to go finish setting up. One of the guards will bring you your breakfast and—hey, your ears moved!" Harvey had noticed that he had perked up at the mention of food. "That's so cute!" He reached out a hand toward them.

"Don't," Raymond snapped, jerking away. "Don't mess with them."

"Sheesh, alright then. Like I was saying, a guard will come collect you." Harvey shrugged and turned to leave. Raymond causally watched him. Harvey slid his ID into a small slit in the wall, causing the door panel to slide up. Raymond could see a guard outside though, before it slid shut again. Just keep your eyes peeled, Raymond told himself.

He had just finished getting dressed when the door slid open again, and a guard entered baring a covered tray. He jerked his head in the direction of the bed, clearly indicating that Raymond was supposed to stand over there. Raymond did so, but watched closely. The door slid shut behind the guard as he entered the room. H walked over to the side table and exchanged one tray for another. He went back to the door and, after sliding his ID into the same wall slit as Harvey, left. Hmmmm, I'm going to need one of those IDs if I am going to escape. But how to get one. Raymond mused as he lifted the lid off the tray. Maybe I can grab Harvey's…Oh, come on! The thought cut off when he saw what was for breakfast.

There was a carton of milk, spoon, and bowl of dry cat food. Someone is messing with me. Raymond snatched the milk off in disgust: at least that was protein. He chugged it down. "Hey," he called up to one of the cameras pointed at him. "How about some real food? You want me to starve in here?!" He wasn't sure what he expected, but the cameras continued to stare at him. He flopped back on the bed dejectedly and waited for the guards to come get him.

He didn't have to wait long. Then it was back to the modeling room. It was basically a repeat of yesterday; model, shoot a ridiculous amount of photos, change clothes, and repeat. The process dragged on. It didn't help that Raymond hadn't known that modeling was basically like yoga, in which you had to hold the same pose for what felt like hours. His muscles were crapped and sore, and doing it on an empty stomach was only making him cranky.

Harvey finally stopped for lunch. Raymond had been hopeful that this would be the break he needed to escape. Raymond watched Harvey; he could see the ID card clipped to his belt. Maybe if I moved fast enough. But the guards were heading in his direction, one holding his shock anklet and the other had a brown bag, with hopefully his lunch in it. After the anklet was snapped back on, Raymond gratefully took the bag, and opened it—

To reveal the same can of cat food from last night. Raymond stared at it. Someone is quite determined with this. Well, two can play at this game. He pulled out the water and moodily snapping the top off, started to drink it.

"What's a matter? Not hungry?" Harvey asked, but there was a hint of snugness to his tone.

Raymond glared at him. "Not for this." He overturned the bag, causing the can and spoon to clatter to the floor.

Harvey tsk-tsked. "You should eat. You need to keep your strength up."

"Hmm, how about we trade then," Raymond said eyeing, Harvey's sandwich.

"Ha, not a chance." Harvey took a bite. "I'm not part cat," he said around the mouthful of food conversationally. The words were spoken friendly enough, but the reminder that he wasn't fully human drove all desire for food from his mind. Raymond slouched against the wall, depressed.

The afternoon carried on in the same manner. Raymond was starting to wonder how long this was supposed to take. After all, how many professional photographs did this company even need?

Finally, Harvey called an end to the day's work, and Raymond was allowed to return to his room. He hurriedly showered and changed, and then lay down exhausted. He only woke when the guard came in to bring him dinner. But his hope at this being actual human food faded the second he looked under the tray. He simply collapsed on the bed exhausted and hungry.

The next morning found Raymond in a foul mood. He was tired, sore, and aching. The hunger pains had faded to a dull ache, but oh, he was just so tired. He was having a hard time holding the poses today, and to Harvey's annoyance, he was having a hard time focusing. Harvey was becoming more and more critical and annoyed with him. When the break for lunch finally came, both of them were in an angry mood.

Raymond didn't expect much, but took the bag anyway. The disappointment wasn't a surprise anymore. He took the water, but left the other items in the bag. He still couldn't bring himself to actually eat the cat food in the bag. I'm so tired, he thought numbly, as he sipped at his water dejectedly. Maybe I can catch some sleep instead. He curled up on his side, head resting on his arm.

"Hey," Raymond's ears twitched in Harvey's direction at the shout. "Aren't you going to eat? It's your lunch break." Raymond didn't bother to answer, just shook his head from where he lay. "Oh." Raymond heard the rustle of items. "Well, if you don't want to eat, we can just continue. I can direct and eat at the same time."

Raymond groaned. "No, I just want to rest."

"Lunch break is for eating." Harvey's voice was closer now. "We are behind schedule as it is," Raymond could hear a condemning tone in his voice. "So, come on, let's get a move on."

"No," Raymond protested, eyes closed. "Give me five minutes."

The sound of Harvey's footsteps got closer. "Oh, come on," there was a plaintive edge to his voice. "The guards are going to get annoyed if we aren't working. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Then tell them not to hurt me, and give me five minutes." Raymond growled back. But Harvey was close enough now, that he could smell Harvey's lunch. Hamburger; the really good kind. Raymond winched on his side as his stomach growled in response to the delicious smell. He tried to ignore his stomach's hunger pains, and swallowed the saliva building up in his mouth. He opened his eyes though, when he felt Harvey's hand wrap around his arm and jerk him upright.

"Oh, come on, you just need to push through it." Harvey said, holding his hamburger with his other hand. "You can rest tonight. You know, you wouldn't be this tired if you just ate something…" Harvey's voice trailed off as he took in Raymond's longing look. He glanced at his hand to see what Raymond was staring at. Tightening his grip slightly, he leaned close to Raymond's cat ears. "You know," he whispered smugly, "I'm not supposed to give you any food. Dr. Frankenstein wants to see how you react to a cat's diet. But…" Harvey let go of Raymond's' arm and tore off a chunk of his lunch, "if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

Raymond tore his gaze away to glare up at him. As tempting as the food being held out to him looked, he was disgusted at the thought of caving to Harvey's demands. You know, I might be better off in the Lab. Either way I need to get out of here. But I can't do that if I am weak from hunger… That thought was what ultimately caused him to make up his mind. His snatched the piece of food and scoffed it down in a few bites. It tasted absolutely amazing. "There you go," Harvey smiled at him, but there was a slight patronizing edge to it that wasn't there before. "There is more where that came from." He backed up so he was next to his equipment. "So give me a smile, Pretty Boy."

Raymond felt a quick flash of frustrated anger. Like before, his body responded to his emotions in a new and very cat-like manner. But Harvey merely chuckled at his snarl and flattened ears. "Temper, temper," Harvey said mildly, "There is no need to be so…feral. Do you want the food or not?"

Raymond fought the bile rising in his throat. I need to get away from you. I need to get away period. That was the ultimate reason why he relented to Harvey's bribes. There was an uneasy truce for the rest of the afternoon. Harvey split the fries that came with the hamburger, and with each photoshoot completed to his expectations, rewarded Raymond with a few. Even though he was getting some food in his stomach, Raymond still felt slightly sick in doing this. I need to hurry up and get out of here.

"Alright, this is the last one for today," Harvey said later as he readjusted the camera. "Once this is done, we can call it a day," Raymond's ears perked up at that. He was feeling better now that he had some real food. This is my best chance. "Here's what I want you to do…" Raymond nodded as Harvey described how he wanted him to pose, but he didn't do it correct on purpose.

"I said, 'hold your right arm up'," Harvey snapped at him. "Come on, this isn't that hard. Why can't you get it?"

"I'm trying!" Raymond snapped back. "What do you mean anyway; it is up?"

Harvey sighed, and Raymond heard him mutter something about 'hangers,' but it sounded derogatory, before he stomped over. "Your arm goes here," he said as he adjusted Raymond.

"Fine; whatever." Raymond stumbled, as he was shoved into the placement Harvey wanted. But in the confusion of movement, he snagged Harvey's ID card from his belt. He was careful to keep it hidden in his palm until Harvey turned to go back to the camera, and then he slipped it quickly into his pants. I just have to wait now.

Raymond followed behind the guards, as they led him to his room. He knew he wouldn't have long. Harvey would notice pretty soon that his ID was missing. Once the door to his room slid shut, he walked over to the shower area, as if to get clean and changed. He kept an eye on the cameras in the room. He noticed the cameras' shift as they followed him. He removed all the accessories Harvey had given him for the last shoot as slowly as he could, dragging it out. He waited a few minutes and then walked back across the room to be near the door. He smirked as the cameras didn't move. Now's a good a chance as I'm going to get. He slipped the ID into the door slot, and held his breath as it slid open. Raymond carefully peered out into the hallway. It was empty. Perfect. Raymond slipped out as quietly as he could and sneaked down the hallway.

He could feel his ears shift to catch each sound as he walked quickly and lightly. He knew which way was to the studio, so he wouldn't go that way. He went in the opposite direction, trying to find a door that looked like it would go more up or out. He hadn't seen any windows in his time down here, so he assumed that they were underground. He had noticed that there were a scattering of cameras in the hallways, but there was nothing he could do for it. He would just have to be quick and hope no one was really paying attention. He noticed his sense of smell was picking up other faint odors in the air. The air smelt old, dusty—recycled. That was another reason he realized his instincts were telling him he was below the surface. He hunted for a scent of clean air; that was where he needed to go. He stalked silently forward. Hearing a faint humming sound, he tried to follow that. He slipped his ID into the slot in the door and it slid open.

This was not the way out. This new room had bright, harsh fluorescent lights in it, which was the source of the buzzing sound he had heard, with a second hallway branching off it. The disinfected and sterile room caused his fur to stand on end. He flung himself out of the doorway, trying to control his sudden anxiety. It's a medical bay, he thought as he tried to control his breathing. It has to be the Lab. He heart jumped into his throat as a voice called out.

"Hello?" a woman's voice called out, from a section of the room Raymond couldn't see. "Someone there?" Raymond didn't wait. He fled silently down the hallway. I don't have long now. He raced as quietly as he could. He was much more aware of the cameras now, and the ticking of his own mental clock. As he crossed one hallway, he saw an elevator at the other end. He raced to it, and punched the call button. The elevator seemed to take forever to get down to him. He counted the seconds nervously. Just before his nerve failed him and he was about to go look for another way up, it chimed, signally its arrival. He breathed a sigh of relief and the doors slid open—

To reveal a guard holding a tranquilizer gun on him. Raymond dodged to the right, causing the first shot to miss, but there was nothing he could do about the second. He ran back down the hallway, but between the pounding of his heart and his adrenaline, he could feel the drug's slow and sure spread. He fought the drug as best he could, but the disappointment was worse. The guard easily caught up to him and, after grabbing his arm, begin to hall him back the way Raymond had come from. "No, please. Don't." Raymond said weakly. "I'll...give you…whatever…you want…" Raymond's voice trailed off as the drug finally pulled him under.

Like a bad dream, Raymond woke up back in his room. Except Harvey was standing at the end of the bed glaring at him, with two guards behind him as backup. "Cute trick," he ground out. "Clever. Really annoying. Why you gotta hassle me; I thought we had a deal?"

Raymond glared back. "Well, are you surprised? Of course I want away from you and your crazy cameras."

"Oh, get off of it," Harvey huffed, "I'm doing you a favor—"

"Really? Cause I am really starting to doubt that."

Harvey threw up his hands. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

"You can slow down," Raymond snarled. "If it really is in my best interests to be with you, I want this to take as long as possible."

Harvey was already shaking his head before Raymond finished speaking. "I told you; I am on a deadline."

"Ya, well, I don't really care."

Harvey's eyes narrowed at that, but he quickly changed tactics. "Come on, I'm under orders, same as you. The guards are going to get angry with you. I don't want to see you get hurt. Why don't you stop this childish behavior and just behave."

"No." Raymond crossed his arms. He doesn't want me harmed for his stupid photos. "You can't make me." Raymond saw one of the guards reach for the remote on his belt, but Raymond didn't budge. He's bluffing. Pretty sure.

Sure enough, Harvey's arm shot out at the last second and grabbed the guard's arm. "Don't. I don't want him damaged as much as we can help it."

Raymond chuckled humorously. "I knew it. I knew you weren't on my side."

Harvey glared at him, before pulling out his phone. "Why do they always get so difficult when they figure it out," he muttered to himself. He turned away from Raymond to talk on the phone, but Raymond could still clearly hear him. Raymond discovered that, if he focused, he could even hear what was being said on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Shrunk. The cat is being difficult. He's not listening to me anymore."

A chuckle sounded over the line. "I'm not surprised. Apparently, he had a hard time following directions before the procedure, and combining that with a cat's independent nature, I'm not surprised he's got an independent streak a mile wide. Honestly, I'm surprised you got him to cooperate this long."

"Ya, well, I'm not done. He's too good a specimen to pass up; I want to milk him for all he is worth."

"He is worth quite a bit, just so you know. Try to keep him in one piece if you can. Hmmmm," the voice paused, thinking. "Actually, I think I got something to help you out. Hang on...I'll send Jones on over with it."

A few tense minutes later the door opened, and a medical tech entered. His's eyes flashed to Raymond before settling back to Harvey. "Hey, Harv. Heard he was giving you trouble."

"Yes," Harvey said with a roll of his eyes. "He's picked up an attitude." Raymond pulled his lips back in a sneer. "There, see. What did I tell you?"

"Well, this should fix him in a hurry." He pulled out a case from his pocket. "Hold him still," he ordered the guards.

Raymond snared and swiped at the guards with his claws as they came closer. "Whoa, try to not hurt him." Harvey called to them. "Remember, Pretty Boy is worth much more unharmed." The two guards worked together to pin his arms still. Harvey and the tech came over now that he was restrained. Raymond blew his breath out through his teeth in an angry hiss at Harvey. "Come on, now. There is no reason to be like this. You are the one making this much more difficult. Why can't you just do as you are told?" Harvey made a move to touch Raymond's ears and Raymond jerked hard away from him. "Oh, well. I guess cats are hard to train."

Try to touch me again, and I am going to bite you, Raymond thought furiously. Raymond was so focused on Harvey, that he didn't pay attention to what the tech—Jones—was doing until he felt the stinging prick in his arm. He jerked around to see Jones pull the needle of the syringe out.

"What was that?" Raymond bit down on the panic. The last time he had been injected with something, it had changed his life.

"Don't worry. It won't hurt you. Think of it as… an attitude adjustment." He said causally.

"It's not going to damage him, will it?" Harvey said suspiciously. "I'm not done with him; he still need him to perform."

"No…." But Raymond didn't like how unsure the he sounded. "It shouldn't… we will find out in an hour or so anyway." He motioned to the guards. "You can let him go now. We can leave him alone until it kicks in."

The others filed out leaving Raymond alone in his room. He didn't like the guards, or the Jones, or Harvey—especially Harvey!—but being left alone like this to just wait was torture. He stood up and began to pace back and forth in his room, his anxiety making him restless. I need to do something to take my mind off it. Yoga or mediation or something. He sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to control his breathing; he was starting to feel like he was hyperventilating anyway. His mind kept going back to what the drug was supposed to do though. What did he mean, 'attitude adjustment?' That is so ominous. He went to go stand up again, feeling too nervous to sit still any longer, when he realized he couldn't. He scrambled internally, trying to figure out why he was suddenly paralyzed. He opened his mouth to yell or call out for help.

Or at least, he tried to open his mouth. He couldn't open his mouth, or talk, or yell, or scream, or even make any type of sound. It was like his body was frozen. His body continued on in the same manner that he had been; breathing and blinking and just…sitting.

Full blown panic set in. Physically nothing changed; his heartbeat thumped on at a steady rhythm, his breathing pattern still slow and steady, his eyes blinking at a normal rate. Internally, in his mind, he felt like he was going crazy. What's happening, let me out, what did they do to me? He screamed and yelled, trying to claw his way out of his own prison in his body. Is this a coma? Can you be awake in a coma like this? Is this going to stop? Please let me move, let me do something.

Mentally, he sobbed in relief when Dr. Jones came back. Please help me, something is wrong, the drug messed something up. But Dr. Jones merely took in his apathetic expression, and calmly walked over and placed two fingers on his neck, checking his pulse. He seemed unbothered by Raymond's lack of response. He gave Raymond a skeptical look. "Close your right eye." To Raymond's surprise, his eye closed. "Good. Close the left one." Raymond tried to calm his fear as he was left in the dark. "Excellent. Open both." He opened his phone and punched in a number. "Harv? You can come back now," he said simply before hanging up. He gave Raymond a suspicious look, before slowly reaching out toward his cat ears. Raymond snarled internally and tried to jerk away, but his body didn't respond no matter how much he pulled. He could feel the scientist stroking his ears, and the disgust rising up at being touched so carelessly. "I don't know if you are awake in there or not," the scientist said slowly. "But if you are, I hope you remember this." His fingers slid down Raymond's face and tilted his chin up, causing Raymond's eyes to focus on him. "You are going to do what we say, whether you want to or not." Dr. Jones smiled at him, and if Raymond could have responded, he would have shivered at that smile. "You belong to us now. So you might as well do yourself a favor and behave."

In the corner of his vision, Raymond saw the door slide open just then, and Harvey came in. His mouth dropped open in shock as he took in the dazed look in Raymond's eyes and his listless slouch. "What did you do to him?" Raymond felt a flare of hope at Harvey's explosion. Harv, please, help me. Harvey stomped over and Raymond felt his face jerked up. Raymond could see Harvey searching his face. But his hope died at Harvey's next words. "He's completely spaced out; I can't work with him like this!" He doesn't care about me. He is only using me.

"Yes, you can," Dr. Jones answered Harvey. "The drug is a motor inhibitor. It only affects the neurological portions of his cognitive—"

"Plain English, please." Harvey interrupted, rubbing at his temples. He looked like he had a headache coming on.

"Simply put, it turns off the commands from his mind to his body."

Harvey looked at how unresponsive Raymond was sitting. "So, he is asleep?" No! Raymond tried to yell, as he attempted to take control of his body. No, I'm still here!

"Yes… in a way. But instead of him being in control, his body will respond to any command given to it." He flipped open his tablet. "Go ahead and give him a test command." A shot of terror went through Raymond.

"Um, what is your—" Harvey said uncertainly.

But Dr. Jones cut him off with a shake of his head. "No, it has to be a command. The thinking part of his brain isn't connected to his mouth. It has to be a command it can actually do."

"Hmm, say 'Raymond,'" Harvey corrected.

"Raymond," repeated Raymond's voice dully, to Raymond's horror. This can't be happening. This can't be real. I'm having a night terror, or some kind of twisted nightmare.

"Okay. Tilt your head back…stop…good. Tilt slightly to the left…hold. Smile for me." Fuming internally, Raymond tried to resist, but he could fell his lips pull back in an obedient smile. "Wider." Harvey looked over his Hanger critically. "His eyes are slightly unfocused but I think I can work with that."

"Glad to hear it." Jones snapped the tablet closed. "The dose I gave him should last about the rest of the day at this point. You are going to have to be specific about each command though. He won't do anything you don't tell him to do. He won't be able to think for himself."

"You think that is a bad thing?" Harvey chuckled darkly. "If it keeps him shut up for the rest of the afternoon and stops his whining, I'll take the extra work."

"Well, give me a call if he starts to malfunction in some way. The drug is still in the testing stages. We don't think there are any other side-effects from it, but we aren't sure. Call us if it looks like he is going to have a heart attack or something. Oh, and Harv," Dr. Jones paused on his way out the door. "Try to not break your ragdoll; we still need him."

Harvey wasted no time in putting his new toy to work. The horror Raymond felt grew as his body responded to Harvey's orders but not his own. Raymond discovered that even though he couldn't control his body's movements, his body still relayed all the information from his senses to his mind, included the pain. Expect now he couldn't even make his complaint understood when his muscles cramped from overexertion or when the dull, burning ache was starting to turn to fire. He had to suffer in silence while Harvey continued on in his enthusiastic and thorough pace.

And that wasn't including the indignity of being treated as an object. Harvey didn't see him as anything but a prop to be placed and put on display. Dr. Jones's comment proved accurate, because Harvey treated him as if he was a ragdoll to be dressed and staged however he wished. Raymond wished he could have his voice back, if to just tell Harvey what he thought of him now.

When Harvey was finally done for the day, he returned him to his room, like placing a toy back on the shelf. Raymond lay on his bed, waiting for sleep to finally release him from his waking nightmare.

Raymond blinked his eyes open slowly the next morning. His muscles ached dully, so he groggily stretched his overexerted arms over his head. It took him a few seconds to realize that he could do that. He sat upright suddenly, turning his hands over. It's me. I can control myself again. He pressed the knuckles to his eyes and tried to control his shuddering breath. I'm back. He blinked back tears of relief.

"Good morning." Harvey said, cheerful as always, as he entered just as if nothing had happened. "How you feeling today?" Raymond shot an absolute murderous look at him. "Oh. So I guess you weren't asleep then?"

"No," Raymond spat, barely civil, "I wasn't."

"Oh." Harvey paused for a moment, then casually shrugged. "Well, it doesn't really change one way or the other. So which is it going to be: you going to go to work today…

…or do we have to make you?"

"No," Raymond shuddered. The thought of being put under that drug's influence—"I'll…behave."

POV
Leif/ sloth
Present

Leif woke to the sound of someone banging on his room's door. He rolled over and pulled his sheet over his head. "Go away," He shouted groggily towards the door. "Was up waayy too late. Go away if you know what's good for you."

The noise only got loader. "Come on, Leif," a familiar girl's voice called plaintively. "It's afternoon already. You have been asleep most of the day. And we are dying to know what happened at the island. Stop holding out on us."

Leif groaned and squeezed his eyes shut tighter. But he was starting to actually wake up at this point. And the thought of being the focus of everyone's attention…

Well, it was too good to pass up. He sat up and ran a slender hand through his hair haphazardly. He had collapsed fully clothed on his bed last night—this morning?—not even bothering to change. He kinda regretted that choice now, but he shrugged it off. He would clean up later.

He stumbled to the door, and undid the locks he kept on them. He swung it open to reveal Celeste. She held a cup of coffee in her finely-done, manicured hands. "I brought a peace offering," she said holding it out.

"Caffeine is a weak stimulate," Leif grumbled, but took it anyway. He took a sip of it and was surprised at the taste. What the heck…is that hazelnuts? And vanilla? He shook a quizzical look at Celeste.

Celeste gave a smug smile and rocked back slightly on her high-heels. "Good, isn't it? I had the new kid whip it up for you." He tossed her think brown hair over her shoulder. "I guess he is good for something," she said with a roll of her large, brown eyes. "Still don't know what all the fuss is about. But enough about him." She brightened as she changed the subject. "Come tell us about the island."

Leif made a 'shoo' motion with his fingers. "After you," he mumbled as he took another sip. She giggled and spun around, skirt swishing as he headed back to the main rooms.

She led the way to the main Common room. Celeste flopped down on one of the couches and patted the seat next to her. "Come tell us about it," She said with a flirtatious smile.

He sat on the edge of the couch, as far away from her as he could get. He knew her flirtatious act as just that; only an act. She was after his information about the island. He turned his nose up at her, and sipped his drink noisily. His eyes quickly flashed around the room. He didn't let it show, but he was delighted to see how many of his fellow hybrid coworkers were present. He didn't get to enjoy being the center of attention too often, and it was nice to see everyone ready to listen to him. For once. "Well, looks like the gang's all here. Wait, where's the new kid?"

"This doesn't concern him." A firm voice answered. Leif turned to see Slider standing casually in the doorway. "So what news from the island? Did you find this human we are supposed to be looking for?

Leif took another nosey sip of his drink, enjoying the suspense. "Well," he said slowly, "I'm not sure."

"What do you mean 'you aren't sure'? They are human; they should stick out like a sore thumb."

"They are hiding." Leif smirked. "Gee, I can't imagine why."

"What are the others? Did they say anything?"

Leif shook his head. "Nope. The freaks aren't talking."

"But that doesn't make any sense." Celeste leaned back, puzzled. "You would think that they would want the outsider gone as fast as possible. Or the human would want to get away from them." Leif just shrugged in response and went back to his drink.

"So that's it then: you don't know anything." Slider cut back to the chase.

"Well," Leif said slowly. "I have my suspicions…" he let the silence hang in the air.

"Such as…" Celeste prompted.

"But I would rather not say until I am sure," finished Leif smugly. A chorus of groans met that statement.

Slider narrowed his eyes at him. "Careful, Sloth. If I find out you are withholding information, just to be annoying—"

"I'm not," Leif snapped back. "I just don't want the consequences for being wrong." He kept his sly smile hidden by his drink. And if you think I'm going to help you just so you can steal all the credit, you don't deserve to be our leader. You are own your own 'Alpha'. Good luck.

Author's note!

First up, I want to clarify what direction this fic is going. I made a conscious decision to stay away from words with a more sensual meaning, just so people wouldn't get the wrong idea. Raymond is viewed as a possession or object of Redd co., not a sex toy. People can interpret my writing however they want, but I am not going to write it with a more "mature" theme in mind. This is saying in its "T" rating.

Also, this chapter was getting waaayyy too long, so I had to cut if off. Redd co. is not finished inflicting trauma on poor Raymond yet...

Cultural bowing for an apology: When I was researching this, a proper bow to show you are sincerely sorry for an offense should be deeper and longer. However, because Animal Crossing keeps it so short, I did too.

Harvey: Sorry, fans of Harvey, I need an antagonist and he fit the bill. I really enjoyed writing him though. I had a lot of fun trying to squeeze in as much hippie lingo as I could without it being distracting. Far out, my man! Oh, and 'Hangers' is a term from the fashion industry. It is a derogatory term used for models: it implies the model is just a 'clothes hanger' for the items they are modeling. Harvey would know this.

Response to reviewers (in chronological order)!

Griffin Stone: I might put Raymond in that situation later (poor guy); I haven't decided yet. I would encourage you to go back to the previous chapter and reread the interaction between Leif and him. Leif knows what happened to Raymond; he is being a jerk. But I am glad you are enjoying this (and yes, I would agree that Tommy is adorable, and Zucker is a sweetie too).

Jewel moonstone: Thank you! I am always glad to hear you are enjoying this!

Guest: Thank you for the...colorful…reviews, lol. Hey, some people rely on review numbers to find fics, so the number of reviews does help me move up in the system. I appreciate you taking time to write them.

Anonymous person: Awww, your review was so sweet (and honest)! Between my dyslexia and ADHD, my brain gets into this "PoSt Or DiE" mentality. I know it's not perfect, but it's the best I can do flying solo. I go back and update my chapters as I read them later and find errors, so I really appreciate the help. A beta reader would do wonders for me.

Jess: No, she's not dead…technically…you'll see. :)

Tom nook (ha!): Ummm, not sure what to tell you, bro. This fic is just rated "T." You really want them to eat each other? Some of them are more wild then others (*cough cough, the pack), which is why they don't live in the village.

Kokomo: The animal is spelled 'tanuki' while Nintendo spells it 'tanooki,' like "Tannooki Mario." I don't know why they do this. Maybe because tanukis are native to Japan, they feel like the rest of the world wouldn't understand (officially Tom Nook is a 'raccoon' in Western versions of the game, which, personally, I find insulting, but that's just me). I had to make a choice to spell it 'correctly' based on the animal or based on Nintendo's spelling. Because of the nature of this fic, I went with the animal spelling. But thanks for pointing it out; it shows you are paying attention to details and that makes me smile. And yes, you can huggles Raymond (just get permission first).

As always, thanks to everyone who liked, followed, and reviewed this! I appreciate the input and it helps me to stay motivated to keep at this. Now that it is summer, hopefully I will be able to update a little more frequently!