Mally-chan and Hato Chiisai
Disclaimer: We own nothing within this fic.
YAOI WARNING
Pegasus/Ryou, Marik/Ryou, Bakura/Malik, Seto/Yami
Chapter 3
Marik sighed and rested his chin on his folded arms and watched calmly as the room slowly began to fill, Rem wandering about answering questions.
Ryou looked at Marik fearfully, wincing softly. "They're so loud... it hurts my ears..." he mumbled tugging on them softly, peering around the stump just barely, staring wide-eyed at the group of children that had gathered near his enclosure. He whimpered and looked at Marik pleading for any kind of help. "Make them go away... please!" he whispered shaking his head, beginning to tremble again. "M-make them go away!" he yelped when one child began to bang loudly on the glass.
"come out you stupid rabbit!" He shouted, causing Ryou to jump suddenly and hit his head on the inside of the log, eliciting a loud pained squealing clicking noise.
"Come out of that log!" The boy huffed irritated. "I wanna see!" Another child squealed in delight, followed by more children beginning to bang, tap and otherwise make loud noises, be it jeering or shouting. All in attempt to lure the new rabbit out of his log.
Marik sighed and rolled his eyes. He hated children... so loud and irritating. He smirked. "Hey bunny... watch this..." He called, then suddenly launched himself off of his log and flew at the children, claws and fangs bared, and letting out the loudest most fearsome roar he could, slamming against the glass nearest to the children.
Ryou jumped, but then looked relieved as the children all squealed in fear and ran from his cage. He offered a weak smile in gratitude to Marik and sat up a bit from his nest to watch him quietly, hoping to just give the impression that he was sleeping to the rest of the pet shop.
Rem smiled softly, watching the fiasco from afar. Marik was trying to protect his new neighbor, by scaring away the small children, which were probably near sending the new bunny into a heart attack. She laughed softly at the idea and decided to leave Ryou and Marik alone until after lunch, so Marik could have the chance to calm the poor traumatized bunny.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ryou shivered softly and raised an ear, as the pet shop seemed to grow much quieter than it had been. Had the children left? He looked at Marik and smiled meekly. "Thank you... for earlier..." he said softly blushing a bit and looking down. "they... were hurting my ears... and scaring the... the..." He frowned, when the only phrase that could come to mind was 'other rabbits'.
Marik smiled from where he was lounging. "The other bunnies?" He said, making Ryou wince. "Yeah, I hate those kids. They used to bug Bakura like that, and make fun of him because he was a skunk. I had to scare them off for him as well. Of course, now that we're not next door to each other, he'll need a new way to get rid of them."
Ryou inched out of the log and walked to the side of the cage, before once again ritualistically burying himself in the wood shavings, pressing his hands to the glass and looking at Marik sadly. "Is... that what I am now then? Just some bunny? I don't want to be... I'm still human... I still think and feel and hurt..." he said softly looking down. "I still have a will of my own, how can I possibly be, another bunny?"
Ryou looked up at Marik and pressed his hands once more against the glass. "What... do you see?" he asked softly.
Marik looked at him, then got up and moved over so he could look Ryou straight in the eyes. "You are another bunny. A bunny who was once human, and is grieving over the humanity he does not yet understand he's lost. But Ryou, what about those rabbits over there? Do they not think, feel, and hurt? Do they not have a will of their own? You still have a soul, Ryou. That's what's important." And he smiled gently.
Ryou frowned, his ears drooping. "But... I'm still human... I was born that way... I have my memories, a family..." He looked back into the log and his ears drooped lower than they'd ever drooped. "They... are all of those things, but they were born bunnies, I wasn't. They can live happily, never having been human, to know the difference." He looked back at Marik with sad crimson eyes.
"Ears and a tail, a bunny does not make..." he said softly. "They can't take away the humanity in me... just because they give me extra parts..." he said shaking his head. "Can't you understand?"
Marik thought a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I understand. You're right. They can change you physically, but they cannot take away your humanity... unless you let them." He smiled, then winced at a shrill shout.
"OOOOOH! LOOK AT THE BUNNY!" A child howled, and Bakura burst into laughter.
Ryou felt his ears shoot straight up and quiver, as he let out a shrill squeal and dove back into his log, absolutely terrified by the sudden outburst. He laid under the log, only a foot visible, panting and wide eyed shaking like a leaf. "I wish they wouldn't DOOOO that" He sobbed, the other bunnies quivering in fear too.
Ryou calmed himself and slowly sat up under the log, appearing to preform a cleansing ritual, pulling his ears down one at a time and rubbing them, smoothing the fur and soon the smaller bunnies seemed to follow in the ritual, all three beginning to groom their ears, to calm themselves.
Marik watched with a small smile, then watched several children come running over, one child dragging his mother.
"Mommy! Mommy! I wanna see the bunny! Can I pet him, Mommy!" He was asking, eagerly. Marik rolled his eyes. It was only a matter of time before Rem came to investigate. Bakura was already poking his head out, amused by Ryou's discomfort. Of course, if the attention turned towards him, he'd be doing exactly what Ryou was doing.
Ryou looked desperately at Marik once more. "How do you get them to go away!" he pleaded desperate to be left alone. "I, I can't do this!" he shrieked as once more they began squealing and banging on the glass, the other two bunnies beginning to thump their feet against the wood shavings.
Ryou yelped as Rem suddenly yanked him out from under the log and he immediately squirmed. "Put me down!" He shrieked. He looked at Marik once again, desperate to get away from this situation. "GOD PLEASE HELP ME!" he pleaded squirming to get away from Rem and retreat back into his log.
Marik sighed and watched Rem carry Ryou out of the cage... there was nothing he could do, and Ryou would soon learn that he was overreacting. However, he did glare at Bakura, who was laughing himself silly.
Rem carried Ryou out of the cage and smiled. "I'll just get him ready." She said handing the woman and her child a small card with a number on it. "We'll just meet you in that pen ok?" She said calmly carrying Ryou into the back room.
Ryou squirmed to get away and yelped when she began dressing him in a one piece bunny suit that covered nearly nothing, and small booties and gloves, each held on by oversized bells that dangled down. He struggled to try and remove the offending gloves and boots, finding their true purpose, to keep him from removing anything.
Rem smiled and patted him on the head, straightening his ribbon, and carrying him out towards the pens. He wailed and squirmed more. "Put me down this minute! I demand you put me down you horrible woman! I'm NOT A PET!" he shouted, his shouts practically carrying over the entire pet shop. She set him down in the pen and pinched his cheek.
"Even pretend like you'll bite someone, and I'll give you the shock of your life." She said leaving him alone... with the boy and his mother...
"BUNNYYYYYYYY!" The boy squealed, and charged towards Ryou, who flattened himself to the floor.
"Careful sweetie. The poor little thing looks scared to death!" The mother said and walked over, kneeling and gently petting Ryou's head. "Be gentle with the bunny." The little boy nodded and pet Ryou gently.
"Gentle..." He repeated. His mother offered Ryou a little bit of carrot.
"Here you go, Bugs." She said.
Ryou glared. "My name isn't Bugs!" he spat, looking away and huffing, ears bristling up as the child pet him. "Get off of me!" he growled, squirming away from the boy, glaring at the both of them. "I don't like you. either of you!" he said, ears bristling more.
The woman frowned.
"Oh my... he isn't a very nice bunny..." She picked up her son. "Maybe we should leave him alone..." She looked around for Rem, and signaled her over. "I don't think this one is very socialized... he obviously needs a lot of work. You shouldn't let children near him until he's behaving properly." she seemed angry that Rem had brought them an unfriendly rabbit.
Rem smiled softly. "He's just shy is all, he's new here you see, and very frightened." She said picking Ryou up and petting him, giving him a good hidden shock. Ryou yelped in pain and his ears drooped, he groaned softly as she sat him back down, appearing to have mellowed him out. "See? He's just very frightened."
She took the carrot from the mother and laughed a bit. "Here. This will make him a bit more friendly." She said handing the woman a bit of apple. "I assure you he's very sweet, just very frightened, you are very big people compared to him, and he's still unused to how things are." She smiled again at him, just daring him to try being hateful again.
Ryou looked at her miserably and sighed, his ears relaxed and his mind more focused on the sudden and immense pain he'd just endured.
The woman hesitantly put her son down and moved closer, offering Ryou the bit of apple.
"Are you scared, bunny? Is that it? This place must be so scary to you, you poor little thing..." She pet him, and so did her son. "Especially next to that scary old lion and that mean old skunk... you must be terrified... poor little bunny rabbit..."
"Mommy, can I keep him?" the little boy asked. "I'm gonna name him Cadbury!"
"No dear." The woman said. "He's already been bought."
"Awww..." the boy pouted as his mother tried to coax Ryou into taking the apple slice.
Ryou yelped softly at the second shock, though less intense and immediately took the apple, chewing shakily. This wasn't fair! He wasn't an animal! He was being shocked for god's sake! He pouted and finished the apple, beginning to gently tug at the ribbon around his neck to no avail, merely making the bells on his gloves jingle.
"I have a name." He pouted, wincing a bit as another light shock traveled through his body. He flopped down and laid on his side as the young boy petted him, appearing to just revel in the touches.
Ryou closed his eyes and sighed, forcing himself to think about something else, something less degrading.
The woman smiled and pet him too, thinking he wanted a belly rub. "Awwww... what a sweet little thing. Maybe we can special order a bunny, baby? Would you like that?" She asked her son.
"Yes, mommy!" the little boy sang, "petting" Ryou's "tummy" but it was really smacking Ryou's crotch.
Ryou twitched and growled squirming away from the boy. "Please don't order a bunny!" He yelped as a very strong shock wracked his body and he laid still, panting, his eyes full of pain.
He whimpered softly, his crotch no longer bothering him near as much as his neck, and the more than likely singed flesh beneath that big blue ribbon.
The little boy blinked. "Why?" He asked, while his mother watched Ryou's pained grimaces with concern.
Ryou bit his lip and remained silent, not wanting another shock. He relaxed as the pain from the shock subsided and looked at the woman slowly. Wondering if he should even speak at all...
"Mommy, I want a bunny with spots!" The little boy said, and his mother nodded.
"We'll see, baby. Are you sure you want a bunny, though? We can order any animal you want!"
"I WANT A PONY!"
Ryou winced. "Please... don't squeal... it hurts my ears." He said softly sitting up slowly. "A-are you finished with me?" he asked hoping to return to his little log and lay undisturbed until he died, but knowing he'd inevitably be back here again soon.
"awwwww... does the bunny wanna go home now?" The mother asked, and Ryou gulped and nodded. The woman smiled and pet him, then kissed his nose. "Sure. We'll call Miss Rem." And she offered Ryou a little piece of celery.
Ryou took it and chewed it slowly, looking at her uneasily.
Rem smiled. "Isn't he a sweetheart? He's just very frightened. It's his first day here, I'm sorry he acted up earlier." she said bowing lightly to the woman. "If you feel the need to order a pet, I have some papers on the front desk, and we can get the pet of your choice genetically altered to be more human within a few weeks." She said picking Ryou up carefully, petting him. "A pet, and a lifelong companion who will be loyal to a fault." She said proudly.
Ryou looked back at the woman, wanting desperately to tell her not to order a pet, but with Rem's warning pets he bit his lip and looked down.
The woman smiled and nodded, taking her son away from the pen. Ryou was returned to his cage (after being stripped naked again) and Marik came over to the wall.
"So... how did your first time out go?" He asked.
Ryou crawled under his log and flopped down. "Kill me... kill me please." he mumbled laying down and looking at him with pained eyes. "some other person's life is going to be ruined, because I'm so 'cute'." he said softly, looking away and sniffling. "Some poor person who doesn't deserve this... is going to go through this..."
Marik sighed and lay down on his log again, saying nothing. What COULD one say to that? Well... Bakura seemed to have some ideas.
"Oh, stop feeling sorry for yourself, Thumper." He snapped, annoyed. "You are such a whiney little brat! This is your life now, get over it! You can't change it! And you think that just because you're cute someone is gonna have their life ruined! Well guess what... it's NOT because you're cute, it's because WE are cute! ALL of us! So stop blaming yourself and crying over it, you make me sick!"
Ryou sighed and nodded softly, remaining silent and looking down at the wood shavings. He sighed once more, before sitting up and looking Bakura square in the eyes and said softly. "Are you sure it's not that awful stench?"
Marik and Bakura's eyes widened in shock. Then, Bakura's narrowed.
"Why you filthy little rodent!" He cried, furious. He lunged out of his stump, slamming his fists on the wall, while Marik broke into hysterical laughter. "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I'LL TORTURE YOU MORE THAN MARIK WOULD HAVE TORTURED YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS IN THERE!" Marik stopped laughing and stared at Bakura.
"Don't tell him that!"
"Why! It's true! You LOVE to rip apart your bunny treats limb by limb, slowly... and gut them and rip out their entrails and start to eat them while they're still alive... well, Marik... here's a nice big bunny for you that will last longer than the real ones!"
Ryou laid back down in his log, ignoring Bakura and sighing. "If I were so filthy, I'd stink like you." He mumbled curling up and sighing softly. "Now who makes who sick?" He said smiling softly at Bakura, snuggling into one of the two sleeping bunnies, refusing to look at Marik, not wanting to make eye contact with him. He winced at the idea of him doing such horrible things to bunnies.
"Just leave me alone..."
Marik ripped into the flesh in his claws with fervor, licking up the juices that flowed. He was making pleased noises as he ate one of his several steaks, not noticing the effects that the sounds of ripping flesh were having on Ryou, or the jealous look he was getting from Bakura, who was on a mainly fruit and insect diet. He moved his head down to lick some of the bloody fluids from his hands and then licked over the meat before ripping another chunk from it and devouring it.
Rem laughed. Marik had only had the steak for thirty seconds. She turned to give Ryou his meal.
Ryou groaned softly and laid under his log shaking his head as Rem poured some nuts and berries into his bowl, exiting and entering Bakura's enclosure, pouring some cobs of corn, and a few berries into his bowl.
"Now you all enjoy your lunch ok?" She said smiling and wandering off to feed the other animals.
Ryou winced and looked back at Marik, paling a bit, imagining him doing that to the poor injured bunny. He whimpered and shook his head, covering his eyes with his ears and burying his face in the wood shavings. "How can you eat like that?"
Marik blinked and looked up. "I'm famished, this stuff isn't exactly soft and easy to rip up, and I'm afraid they don't give us the luxury of forks and steak knives." He said, ripping into the flesh again. Bakura grumbled as he munched his berries and gnawed on the corn cobs.
"Eat your food, Ryou. And share with your friends. Have you named them?" Marik asked.
Ryou blinked and shook his head. "No... and... I'm not very hungry..." he said softly, letting the bunnies wander out to his food dish and eat their fill. "I... suppose I could name them." He said softly, thinking for a moment. "The one you bit, I'll call him... um..."
"How about Meatball?" Bakura snickered, gaining a look of horror from Ryou, and annoyance from Marik. "Okay... how about Lucky? As in... LUCKY CHARM! Rabbit's foot! Get it!" Marik rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, Bakura." He said. "Keep it simple, Ryou. How about Charlie?"
Ryou frowned softly. "It feels wrong naming them..." he said after a moment. "Who am I to name them? They're not MY pets..."
"Well, what are you gonna call them? The Chew Toy and the Other One?" Bakura asked.
Ryou shook his head. "I don't really need to call them, it's not like I'd talk to them. There isn't much to be said..." He said softly. "Besides I couldn't call them lucky, one got maimed by Marik, the other nearly had a heart attack. I suppose I could call them Tuc and Nod..." he said softly, watching the two playing gently, since Tuc was injured.
Ryou laid back down. "You like your dinner?" he asked both neighbors softly, looking at the ceiling of his log.
"Mm-hmm..." Marik replied, his mouth currently full of said dinner.
"Shut up." Was Bakura's reply as he munched on a caterpillar that he had found in his meal. After a while, he said something that startled the other two. "You need to eat, Thumper."
Ryou shook his head. "I'm fine... I'm really not hungry... besides, Tuc and Nod need it more than me..." He said smiling and sitting up, offering Bakura a genuinely thankful smile. "But thank you for caring..." he added softly, laying back down and looking at the side of the log.
He frowned softly, something was missing... he missed those hands. Ryou pouted a bit and thought back to the last time he'd felt those hands. Oatmeal cookies, pears, pineapple, watermelon... He smiled, reminiscing on the feeling of being cared for. He missed the contact.
Sighing he closed his eyes and looked at the bunnies, who were curled up snoozing away in each other's warmth.
Marik sighed as he swallowed the last of his meat, and looked at Tuc and Nod, then Ryou, then at the nearly full food dish.
"Ryou... why aren't you hungry?" He asked.
Ryou flicked an ear slightly. "I don't know... I guess I just..." He sighed softly. "Something's missing..."
Marik blinked and cocked his head.
"Missing?" He asked. "What's missing?"
Ryou stared at the ceiling. "It's hard to describe..." he said softly, sitting up and peering out of his log, glad to see the pet shop relatively empty. He scooted close to the edge of the cage and laid next to it, looking at Marik. "I... I guess I just don't feel very appreciated..." he said softly.
"Appreciated?" Marik asked, walking over to the wall and lying next to Ryou. "How so?"
Ryou began his ritual of cleaning his ears again. "I don't know... I just... don't like eating alone..." He said switching ears. "It feels weird..."
Marik frowned. "What about the weeks you spent in the development labs?" He asked.
Ryou blinked. "I didn't eat alone." he replied switching back, tediously grooming his ultra soft ears.
Marik blinked. "You didn't?" He asked, watching Ryou groom. "Who ate with you?"
"The hands." He replied simply, switching once again, in a seemingly endless grooming session. "Why?"
Marik blinked. "The hands? What are the hands?"
Ryou blinked. "Well, hands. I couldn't see." he said holding up a hand. "Everyday I ate with the hands."
Marik blinked. "So... you were fed by someone..." He said, slowly. "And you never knew who it was?
Ryou nodded. "Why? Wasn't everyone?" he asked confused.
Marik blinked and shook his head. "I wasn't. I don't think Bakura was. We just had dishes of food near us. Hmm… ooh! I'll bet it's the person who special ordered you!" Marik theorized, excited. "Wow. He or she must REALLY love you!"
Ryou glared. "If he loved me, he wouldn't have done this to me." He said scornfully.
Marik blinked. "How do you know it's a he? Could you tell by his hands?"
Ryou blinked and grinned sheepishly. "Um... yes." he said stupidly, wondering why he blurted out he when he really had no clue whether it was a him or her.
"wow... you're lucky." Marik said. "When I was developing I was just... alone. It sucked. Big time. I know you don't think you're lucky to have something like this happen to you, but believe me when I say you're lucky that someone was there and actually cared. No one cared about me." And Marik sighed and laid his head down on his folded paws.
Ryou laid his own head down, staring at Marik intently. "but you know you were just a victim by chance, no one specifically ordered anyone to come kidnap you, take you from any family or friends and turn you into a fuzzy monster..." Ryou said. "At least if you ever caught someone you could tear them to ribbons... I'd be lucky to get a good bite in." he said wrinkling his nose.
Marik chuckled. "True." He said. "But you're so cute! You could work that to your advantage, and when they're gushing over how cute the widdle bunny is, you go for their nads!"
Ryou blushed darkly. "I would not!" he stammered looking away. "… and I-I'm not very cute." He added softly, peering back at Marik, still blushing from the compliment.
"Why are you blushing?" Marik teased, grinning.
Ryou blushed darker. "I'm not..." He said burying his face into the wood shavings, ears twitching slightly from embarrassment.
Marik laughed. "You're all pink, Ryou." He said. "Well, if you won't eat, then at least drink something, okay?"
Ryou peered up, still blushing faintly. "I'm not... very thirsty either." he said softly, sitting up and rubbing his arm. "I'm fine, you... shouldn't worry about me." Ryou blinked. "Why are you worrying about me... anyway?" he asked suddenly.
Suddenly, Marik's eyes widened and he looked away. "I, uh, well... I mean, you're my neighbor, and you're new and obviously, um, well... something, and there's nothing more depressing than a sick bunny, and so, well..." His tan skin seemed to take on a pinkish tint in his cheeks. "Would you just sit and say nothing if I was refusing to eat and drink?" Marik shot back, looking at Ryou again.
Ryou flicked his ear. "You're blushing." He said, completely disregarding the question.
Marik blinked, looking like a deer in headlights, then smirked. "Well... wouldn't you be if you were having a conversation with a cute little thing and both of you were naked?"
Ryou blushed. "I know where your mind is..." he said softly, covering himself more thoroughly than before. He looked up, blushing softly, before looking away again. "So... u-um..." he asked softly, suddenly feeling very stupid. "I... thought lions didn't like ... well... rabbits."
Marik grinned, showing his teeth. "Oh... we LOVE them..." He purred in a deep tone, lashing his tail.
Ryou's eyes whipped back to Marik, his blush a deep crimson, almost surpassing his eyes. "Y-you... do?" he asked, ears laying casually in his hair, somehow forgotten.
Marik chuckled. "You're cute, Ryou." He said, and glanced over and Tuc and Nod. "And while I love bunnies... I believe I am beginning to loose my taste for their... meat... I think I'm finding the company of one much more satisfying than the taste of one." And he smiled at Ryou again.
Ryou nodded dumbly, almost hypnotized by Marik's golden cat's eyes. "Th-that's nice..." he said softly. "S-so you won't be eating me... anytime soon..." he breathed pulling his eyes away from Marik's, unable to stop himself from grazing those crimson orbs over Marik's body, once again admiring the caramel tan, the tail, the almost feline muscles, his hair, those ears...
Marik grinned, watching Ryou look him over.
"Oh, will you two stop drooling over each other already!" Bakura suddenly interrupted, and Marik looked over Ryou and gazed cooly at Bakura.
"You're just jealous." He said finally, giving Bakura a lopsided grin.
"Tch. Whatever." Bakura snorted and disappeared into his stump.
"Have fun with Mr. Fluffles!" Marik sang.
Ryou snapped out of his reverie and blinked. "Who's Mr. Fluffles?" he asked turning to face Bakura's stump.
Bakura appeared, glaring. "Marik, you son of a bitch!" He snapped, before storming off to a corner of his enclosure. Marik chuckled.
"A big stuffed skunk they gave him." He said. "It's for relieving... tension." At Ryou's blank look, he sighed and explained. "It's a humping toy, Ryou."
Ryou's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "WHAT!" he blurted shocked. "They gave him a... and he NAMED IT?" Ryou seemed to start hyperventilating. "P-please tell me just him... j-just him right? N-no one else h-has..."
Ryou shook his head in horror at the idea of them trying to get him to use one of those. His eyes burnt as tears threatened to fall at the sheer humiliation of the IDEA, let alone the act of...
Marik laughed. "You have one too, Ryou. It's over there in the corner. See?" And sure enough, sitting in the corner was a big stuffed pink rabbit as big as Ryou himself was.
"We all got them. I just found a better use for mine..." He grinned.
Ryou shook his head in horror. "I... I want you to tear it to ribbons! I'll throw the horrid thing over and you just mutilate it PLEASE!" Ryou said pressing his hands to the glass. "I cannot possibly even... Not even my wildest NIGHTMARES!" he said shaking his head looking paler than he normally was. "Kill it kill it kill it!" he whimpered. "After today, I swear these psychos are out to kill my mind! I don't want to DO a stuffed doll!" he wailed pulling his ears. "I REFUSE to have a DOLL be my first--" Ryou covered his mouth blushing darkly.
Both Marik and Bakura stared at Ryou with raised eyebrows at this outburst. Bakura broke off first, snickering.
"Awwww... is out little Playboy Bunny a virgin?" He teased.
"Leave him alone, Bakura." Marik said, sternly, and looked at Ryou. "If you want to throw your toy over to me to shred, do it." and he grinned. "What do you think happened to mine!"
Ryou quickly darted over to the doll and hefted it to the wall, tossing it over and sitting down, one hand still firmly plastered over his mouth, to prevent further outbursts. He was still blushing darkly, and his ears twitched in embarrassment. 'I can't believe I just said that... ' he thought shaking his head
Marik chuckled and pounced his new victim. "Thanks. I've been wanting something new to shred." And he couldn't help but glance over at Tuc and Nod. Bakura rolled his eyes. "I wanted to shred Mr. Fluffles, but Bakura wouldn't let me. He LOVES Mr. Fluffles."
"DAMMIT MARIK, I DO NOT!"
"Oh? Then why keep him?"
"... ... . pillow." Bakura mumbled, looking away.
Ryou giggled softly and looked at Bakura. "Really? A pillow?" he said thoughtfully, smiling when he noticed the sheepish look to Bakura's features. "Bakura... I... thank you for caring about me."
Rem frowned and tapped her foot, glaring at Marik silently. "Marik..." She said sternly, looking at the shredded bunny doll. "You're not allowed to sharpen your claws on toys!" she said stepping into his cage and tugging his ear lightly. "You know better!" She said, giving him a firm swat to the behind. "Now you apologize to Ryou for ruining his little friend."
"But Reeeeeem... ." Marik whined, wincing and tucking his bottom underneath him, making him look like a guilty kitten who had just peed on the floor. "He didn't want it! He said I could! He GAVE it to me! Ya think I went in and stole it from him on my own!"
Rem gave him another swat, to the thigh this time. "Shame! SHAME!" she said in a parental tone. "Go to your cave." she added firmly.
Ryou blinked and raised an eyebrow. Wasn't Marik a lion? Why didn't he just scare her off? Rem picked up the shredded remains of the bunny and sighed. "Now I have to find a new doll for Ryou. SHAME!" she said once more.
Marik growled under his breath, but slunk into his cave and lay down, resting his chin on folded paws and pouting. Bakura was laughing at Marik's misfortune.
"Sounds like they want to see you shamelessly humping a stuffed toy, Thumper." he cackled to Ryou.
Ryou glared. "I won't do it." he said firmly. "I don't care what they want." he pouted at Marik and laid near the glass, staring at him, his ears laying to the side on the wood shavings.
Rem shook her head. "Don't get too friendly, Marik, he's not for you." She said walking in and patting him on the head after a few moments. "You know he's not going to be here long, I don't want to see you get depressed when he leaves for his new home ok? He's just visiting."
Rem ruffled Marik's thick mane of hair and dangled a small mouse before him. "You want a little treat for being a good sport about taking your punishment like a good boy?" She said softly, favoring him ever-so-slightly over the other animals.
Marik rose to all fours, sniffing eagerly at the mouse, tail lashing, showing his excitement. He let out a half growl half purr, and swiped at it with one paw. When Rem started to back away, he followed, not taking his eyes from the squirming mouse.
Rem laughed softly and shook her head. "You want the mousey? Who's a good lion?" She said moving the squirming mouse from side to side, watching Marik follow it with his eyes. "Who's a good boy? Who's my big fuzzy lion!" She said cheerfully, as though she were talking to a beloved pet.
Ryou stared dumbly at this little show of... something.
Marik made a loud purring noise as his tail swung back and forth, faster and faster. He was beginning to bounce a bit, prancing back and forth before Rem, staring up at the mouse.
"Muuuurumph!" he said, a classic lion noise.
Rem smiled and gave the small mouse a good toss, watching the thing land and begin to dart away from Marik, who was in hot pursuit.
Ryou stared at Rem, blinking, before turning back to Marik. "Bakura... is Marik always like that?" he said softly, sitting up as Rem closed the door to Marik's enclosure, seeming to have solved the problem.
Bakura snorted.
"Of course he is. Rem loves him and spoils him. He's just a big pussy cat to her, and he acts like it when she's pampering him." They watched Marik's wild chase of the mouse, Marik looking like an excited kitten.
Ryou blinked and shook his head sighing softly and retreating into his log. "Bakura..." he said, peering out at Bakura, refusing to watch Marik degrade himself. "What was your life like... before..." he asked softly, trying to get to know his skunky neighbor. "Howd' you end up here?"
Bakura blinked, and then chuckled.
"Not sure. I was too high to remember!" he laughed, rolling over onto his back.
Ryou coughed a bit. "W-well... um... I suppose that's... um..." he took a deep breath. "So how old are you then?" he said changing the subject. "How long have you been here?"
Bakura snickered. "Twenty three, and about a year, I guess. Marik's been here for nearly two and a half years."
Ryou blinked. "Then how do they keep this place open? If they can't sell things... I mean..." Ryou peered out at Bakura and rubbed his arm sheepishly. "I... have an awkward question." he said after a moment, looking down at the wood shavings guiltily.
Bakura blinked. "One thing at a time, Thumper. First, they CAN sell things. It's just that the customers are afraid of Marik and I'm "mean." Now. What' the awkward question." Bakura asked, watching as Marik clothes lined himself on a low branch of his false tree while chasing the mouse.
Ryou fidgeted a bit. "Promise you won't get mad or laugh." he said softly, feeling incredibly stupid for even wondering briefly about the question he wanted to ask, but unable to just sit quietly about it.
Bakura quirked an eyebrow. "No. But I'll try." he said.
Ryou offered a sheepish grin. "... is your tail soft?" he blurted after a moment. "I'm sorry! But I want to touch it!" he said sheepishly. "It's so pretty looking!" Ryou laughed uneasily. "I know I shouldn't have asked, but I keep wondering about it every time I look at you..."
Bakura blinked, quirking an eyebrow, then shook his head and chuckled.
"Understandable. Yes, it's soft. I have to spend a lot of time grooming to keep it that way. And maybe someday, you can touch it." And he swished his tail around, showing it off, proudly.
Ryou grinned and watched it. "That's so neat... How'd you end up with backwards colors? I like it. It makes you look so neat..." he said softly, hoping to add ego boost and gain good friendship with Bakura.
Bakura smirked. "Not sure. It just happened. I was born albino, so I had the white hair, and so while skunks are mainly black, I'm mainly white. That's my theory, at least." And he shrugged.
Ryou blinked and nodded a bit. "I... suppose that works." he said not turning around. "Is he done? I can't watch him do that... maybe I'm just too proud... but he's... humiliating himself." Ryou said softly, frowning. "It's... kinda unnerving watching a lion act that way anyway... even if he weren't human, lions are supposed to... well... sleep... a lot."
Bakura burst out laughing. "True! True! But Marik has always been hyperactive. And honestly, being cooped up in a cage makes him restless, so chasing things like that is his only outlet. Trust me, Thumper. If he didn't chase shit around, he'd drive everyone as crazy as he is!"
Ryou blinked and shook his head a bit. "He's not crazy... just... well... very... bored. Yes, bored... very VERY bored."
Ryou flicked his ears and yawned softly, crawling under his log for a moment, stretching out and taking a nap. The evening was coming, and although he wasn't completely nocturnal, he was slightly, and had gotten very little sleep the night before. He was exhausted.
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