Sorry this chapter took so long I have had the next two chapters and even more written beyond this chapter but this one just took me absolutely FOREVER!!!!!!!!!! To finish, so I hope you'll find the chapter is worth the wait
And just remember that this fic is only on wattpad right now for y'all, as I plan to post this to my other platforms, but since you guys are so nice here I'm posting these chapters as an extra special bonus for you guys so please let me know what you think of it so far!
I'm really excited for this one so please let me know how you feel about it as we go! I'm really hoping you're enjoying my fore into more chaptered like fics! Yay!
You're practically skipping, and you know it, but the excitement that fills you can't be contained right now! It's been so long since you've been able to visit that it seems to be overflowing out of you.
Felix is happy to match your pace, and if you had to judge, your expression also. The long walk from the parking lot seems like it takes seconds as opposed to the few minutes it actually takes you to reach the front of the park. Standing in line has you excited, unable to stand still, thoughts of roller coasters and Ferris wheels and carnival games running through your mind. When you get to the front of the line you grab Felix's hand, making sure to not lose him on a good day like this.
But instead of the excited staff you remember from your youth, a pimply teenager is giving you a particularly blank look, it doesn't put a damper on your mood though, instead now even more ready to get in the park and experience the joy of your youth. That was until he held out a long spindly limb.
"Where's his papers?"
"Papers?"
"Yeah, his solitary papers. This isn't a zoo, I either need papers or he needs a collar."
Oh... You think.
"Oh..." You say.
Felix definitely didn't have his solitary papers... In fact most hybrids didn't. Out of all the hybrids you knew Chan is the only one who's ever actually had signed papers. They're still very rare even though society is changing.
"He doesn't have papers." You kind of stutter through the sentence, surprised it slipped your mind.
"Ma'am you're old enough to know the law, come back when you're actually following it. NEXT!" He pushes you aside, letting the people behind you, who were definitely glaring, pass through the turnstiles.
You look at Felix. You do not think you could look like a bigger loser to him then right here at this moment. Honestly, all the wind has been stolen out of your sails and you're kind of ready to throw in the towel and call it a night honestly.
"We can't go?" He sounds sad, and honestly a bit pathetic. You probably should not have talked this place up this much.
"Umm, I don't know bud, I don't have papers, and I think it might be better if we just went home."
"But he said I could wear a collar right?"
You pause, a bit uncomfortable with the question.
"He did."
"There's probably something we could use! I used to do this all the time with.... Anyways I used to do this all the time! I'm sure we can find something around here to use."
You look into his eyes. He clearly doesn't mind, but it makes you uncomfortable. The idea of collaring hybrids has always made you uncomfortable. To you hybrids are no different than humans. And humans weren't better than just because they came first. But your feelings on the matter weren't really the important ones here.
You stare into Felix's eyes, checking for any sign of discomfort, instead you see the small hybrid looking between you and the Ferris wheel. Lights appeared in his eyes in time with the music, shining like a billion fireflies.
"Please." He pleads with you. Lips slightly pouted, and you don't think he even realizes it.
You try to find a reason to say no, that the idea makes you uncomfortable, but honestly you also really wanted to come here today. And at the end of the day if Felix is ok with it why can't you be? You rub your face with your hand.
"Fine, I might have something in the car that can help. Let's go."
On the way back to the car it's no longer you skipping, but Felix keeps up the energy, just as excited as when you both got there, if not even more enthused.
°
You pop open the trunk, the rest of the car being a bit of a bust. This is your last chance unless you want to fashion a collar out of some paper napkins you found in the glove compartment.
You open it to find both something that seems terribly demeaning to you, but Felix's eyes brighten when he sees it. Slightly rocking back and forth when he lays his eyes on it.
In your trunk sits a present for one of your coworkers' kids. You weren't able to make it, but the electronic puppy wrapped up in a perfectly long baby blue ribbon stands out brightly. It's mixed in with all your emergency supplies as well as various car fluids in case you run out.
The ribbon will do, but you can't make a claim on its cleanliness. You pull it off the puppy, which makes a happy electronic sound as it sees a person for the first time in months. You close the trunk as it yips out its cheery hellos. Though it sounds a lot more creepy coming through the closed trunk.
You straighten out the ribbon, holding it up so Felix can see, not that he isn't welcoming to it to some degree. It feels like it's burning your hands though, and you don't like it.
You're about to hand the ribbon to him, content to let him put it on if he wants to wear it. But instead, he sticks his neck out, expectant and waiting.
You close your eyes, defeated. The last time you did this it didn't end well. But if this is what Felix is ok with, who are you to deny him? Especially because you promised to treat him to a really nice fun day today.
You wrap it around his neck, once, twice, and tie it with a pretty bow in the front. The ends of the bow reach his collarbones, you tug at it in a couple of places, making sure it's not too loose or too tight.
Felix looks at you unsure of how to proceed, so you show him how to scan his ticket and help him through the turnstile. You follow him through after scanning your own ticket, excited to finally be able to enjoy the bright lights and happy atmosphere of the carnival.
From there everything goes a lot better and the attendant doesn't stop you this time. As soon as you're inside you feel the joy that had somewhat been dampened by the whole experience return to you tenfold. The flashing lights and the colors and the wonder of it all come crashing down on you in euphoric waves.
You start scanning for what to ride first. And without you seeing it, another hand slips into yours. Felix, looking a bit worried, had grasped yours. You squeeze it in reassurance. Nothing bad would happen today, it couldn't, you would keep a good eye on the hybrid and make sure he wouldn't get lost or ever leave your sight if you could help it.
You would ask Felix what he wanted to ride, but you're pretty sure you'd be right in assuming that he would have no idea what you were talking about or even where to start, And in the very short amount of time you've known him he isn't the most strong willed when other people can be affected by his decisions. So you decide to take him on something slow and cute.
He loves it. So you take him on something else. He loves that one too. You take him on something a bit more adventurous and he seems to enjoy himself so much that you might have made a small mistake. You take him on something that might have been a bit too much for his adventure level. Something way too fast with an upside down loop. He did not like that one so much. In fact he looked a bit green after the whole ordeal. So you both decide to settle down with some food.
Which, to you, is an awesome thing because that's one of the best parts of a place like this. The greasy food and the subtle tummy ache which came shortly after eating is definitely one of the things a person must experience in their life.
The food line has a ton of people and Felix looks like if he doesn't sit down he might pass out, so you put him at a table which you can clearly see and keep your eyes on him the whole time in line. In fact it keeps you so busy you don't notice how long it takes you to get to the front of the line. In fact it only takes you seconds to order, and an even shorter time to get the food as a new batch had just been made. And somehow in those few tens of seconds it had all gone bad.
The kid pulls on Felix's tail again and he yelps in pain. He tries to politely get the kid to let go, but never touches him.
You grab the child's hand without thinking, throwing it off of Felix. Pissed off that this was even happening, Did no one parent their children anymore?
"Don't touch him!" You say it mean. Maybe meaner than you should have, because the kid starts crying. And suddenly the parent of the year rounds the corner...
At this point you're furious.
"What is happening here?" The grown man says. He stands taller and wider than you, but you make it up in anger.
"Your son grabbed my hybrid!"
The dad laughs. "That's no big deal, he was just playing with it."
"No big deal? No big deal!? He could have seriously hurt him! Would it have been no big deal if he had broken his tail?"
"You're being over dramatic. Hybrids are meant to be played with. If he couldn't handle it you should take him back and get a new one. This one already looks broken, so it wouldn't be a waste." He laughs again. "Now run along before I say your hybrid attacked my kid."
You're not going to let him intimidate you like this. You step further into his space.
"I suggest you run along before I sue you and your son for damages. You know how much a hybrid is worth, and an expensive one like Felix... Well, how many male calicos have you seen running around? There's a reason I don't have a collar on his pretty expensive neck. Now move along, we all know the kind of age we live in." You point behind him. "Nothing you do nowadays isn't caught on camera. So, get lost, before I call the cops."
The man huffs, holding eye contact for a few seconds more, before conceding his defeat. He grabs his son's arm, and pulls him away.
You sign, deflating after all the anger had left you.
"Felix I am-"
"It's ok. It wasn't your fault. He was cute and he didn't mean anything by it."
You just stare at him, not sure how to take what he just said.
"Trust me-" He says smiling, "You can tell when they're being mean."
He's beaming, and you're not sure why. But instead of the guilt you expected to fill your chest instead it's something weird but something you can manage to process without wanting to rip your hair out.
You stand there for a second, until your surroundings return to you. Suddenly you remember the warmth emanating from your hand. You hold one of the fried dough treats out to him. He takes it gratefully.
Watching the small hybrid's face fill up with joy as he takes his first bite, and with the drama forgotten you can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere again.
~
Felix was washing up after the long day out, and you were trying to pick up the apartment while he was showering. You pick up a stray shirt here and a stray pair of pants there, and then you see it. Folded nicely on the other bedside table. The blue ribbon. It crosses your mind to just throw it out, but you hesitate. Hoving over the side table, arms full of clothes, just starting a small ribbon. For so long you said you would never have a pet hybrid in your home, give or take friends. More importantly you said you would never collar a hybrid, and now you've done that too.
You spiral for a little, just staring at the table, thinking about whether or not to remove the ribbon or leave it alone when it was so clearly wanted.
"Is there another towel that's clean?" Felix chimes out, head sticking out of the bathroom door, steam billowing out of the door.
"Oh, yeah of course, one second." It breaks you out of the trance like state.
The next morning it's gone.