BENNETT
The dynamic I found myself in grew increasingly perplexing the longer I remained in the quarters of my two overly friendly alien companions. Despite the absence of any visible exchange of currency, I harbored a growing certainty that the aristocrats were, in fact, involved in a sort of alien trafficking ring. It was possible they had already sold me to what I had teasingly nicknamed the "death kitty duo" - I figured there was no reason not to get a laugh or two in at their expense with my fate being so far out of my hands - or were contemplating doing so soon.
At the moment, the royal half of the duo was nowhere to be found, and the warrior appeared to be seizing that as an opportunity to express a peculiar form of affection towards me. Despite my ever-growing reluctance. The thump of his long grey tail against the many blankets adorning the bed was my wake up call for the morning. At the sight of my rumpled form moving across the sheets, his thumping grew louder until he was all together pulling me from the bed and across the spacious chamber adorned with minimalistic yet elegant marbled designs. Now the aliens long noisy tail was coiled with what I could only assume was anticipation, while it's emerald green eyes shimmered with a mixture of eagerness and determination.
I could feel the sincerity in the alien's gestures as it attempted, in its own peculiar manner, to sit me down and offer me food again. However, it seemed unaware of my disdain for mornings, especially when roused before I was fully prepared. The room's ambiance, dimly lit with a warm, comforting glow- a sign of the early morning hour-contrasted with the alien's persistently endearing gestures, creating an unusual but strangely intimate moment that I wanted no part of. A fact I was very vocal about.
Only verbally complaining got me nowhere, and so for the past forty-five minutes, I've been squirming uncomfortably, desperately trying to put some space between myself and the snow leopard-like warrior. Every attempt to escape those powerful, muscular arms only resulted in me being gently pulled back, ensnared once more within the alien's strong embrace. Despite my unease, the creature's contented chuffs, akin to gentle laughter, reverberate through the space, creating an oddly tender atmosphere.
The room, bathed in a serene sunrise glow, provides a tranquil backdrop to this bizarre yet oddly intimate breakfast situation. If I wasn't so unsure of these new aliens, I might have found it in me to laugh at myself. I must look pretty silly right now. Suddenly the peculiar and somewhat intimate feeling of the aliens long, dark tongue does exactly that, as it grazes my cheek and neck. The sensation triggers the impulse to cringe in disgust at the same time a giggle bubbles from my chest. I suppressed the laughter almost immediately after it leaves my mouth, diverting my head away from the offered food and pushing my hand against the aliens mouth to prevent any more rouge tongue action.
The warrior makes a noise then, like a deep, angry rumbling that starts low in his belly. The strength of it seems to resonate through my entire body, and haunting sensation of fangs grazing my palm have my breath hitching in fear. Scared I jerk my hand away, only to realize there is no obvious signs of aggression or anger coming from the creature before me. Only an very alien version of a cheeky grin and a sneaky, curious tail curling up and around my leg.
The laugh does escape me then, and for a moment I don't try to temper it, but only for a moment.
The dish served for breakfast, consisting of greasy, meaty strips that bore no resemblance to anything familiar I had seen before had my stomach rolling at first glance. But despite its strange appearance, the aroma wafting from the meal was tantalizingly rich and hearty, reminiscent of a succulent steak sizzling on the grill.
As I caught the scent, memories of home stirred within me, causing a rumble in my stomach. Yet, even with my morning hunger gnawing at me, the unfamiliar color of the meat between the warrior's fingers gave me pause. The enticing aroma conflicted with the distrust bred from the food's unusual appearance. What if consuming this made me unwell?
The possibility of an adverse reaction, an allergy, perhaps, haunted me. Back on Earth, I had never experienced allergies to foods, only certain medications, but in this unfamiliar environment, I couldn't be certain of my body's response. In this unfamiliar space, I couldn't shake off the niggling doubts about the food being served. So far, I hadn't fallen ill from any of the meals provided, which led me to wonder if the aristocrats, seasoned in trading creatures, knew what was safe for humans.
However, the feline aliens were an entirely different matter. From the way they looked and handled me it was obvious they had never seen anything like me before. And I couldn't really be sure of their interest in ensuring my well-being; after all, they might view me merely as a plaything, expendable at that, or possibly as a lover, given the strange intimacy of the previous night's bathing fiasco. The memory alone brought a blush to my cheeks, and the mere thought made me feel uneasy and vulnerable.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, the sensation of the tongue against my skin once again sends shivers down my spine. The aliens deep purr rumbles into my own body so strongly that I felt as though my teeth were chattering with the force of the vibrations. The warrior gives me another fang filled cheeky grin at the gastly look I send his way. A part of me expected the alien to grow irritated with my lack of interest in eating, but there were no signs of annoyance from the creature. Instead, it seemed to relish enveloping me entirely in its arms, regardless of my wishes.
It treated me like a spoiled child, finding joy in cuddling something small and cute, whether I wanted it or not. I was starting to feel like a cat myself, reluctantly coddled by its owners. If my pride could even take another blow after shitting in a bucket that fact would be the final breaking point.
I found myself ensnared in our peculiar game of "feed the human" for what felt like an eternity. The warrior savored its morning meal with no regard for time or obligation, stabbing each morsel with claws as sharp and knives, while I resigned myself to sprawl across its lap. Trying and failing not to bask in the comforting warmth radiating from the creature's powerful frame. Despite my futile attempts to break free, the warrior persisted in its efforts to sneak food into my mouth, even though I adamantly insisted I wasn't hungry.
Once the warrior had satisfied its appetite, it allowed me to rest undisturbed within its embrace. Its fingers gently toyed with the unruly curls at the nape of my neck, while it reached for a book from the nearby table. There were no bookmarks or dog-eared pages to be seen, yet the warrior effortlessly flipped to where it must have left off, before settling in and stretching out across the length of the couch.
With me pressed against its suede chest, the warrior expertly entwined our legs together, all the while continuing to absentmindedly twirl my hair. I couldn't help but emit a frustrated sigh from beneath the warrior's jaw, feeling increasingly irritated by the creature's relentless affection.
Turning my head to catch a glimpse of what the warrior was reading, my heart sank as I remembered that even something as simple as a book was beyond my capabilities now. Not only was the text itself a mystery to me, its binding and pages defied any familiarity I had with Earthly literature. The symbols and scribbles on the purple-hued pages remained inscrutable, discouraging further attempts at deciphering what it was even about. I felt a mixture of curiosity and frustration as I tried to unravel the alien's literary world and got nowhere.
My boredom set in quickly, having exhausted my attempts to understand the alien text. I returned to staring blankly across the room, my cheek pressed tightly against my alien furnace, uncertain of how to occupy myself.
With the aristocrats, my days had been regimented, filled with walks, menial tasks, and moments of mild underwhelming engagement— if you could even call being bathed against your will a kind of "engagement". However, since my run-in with these feline aliens, I felt caught in a state of limbo, as if awaiting a decision on my fate.
As it turned out, after days of the same monotonous routine, the leisurely atmosphere of their room had less to do with the warrior being lazy and more to do with the aliens feeling the need to babysit me. Whether intentional or not, I had mentally dubbed the dark-haired alien the king, mostly out of laziness to avoid the cumbersome "no mister dark-haired alien" every time I told the alien to "stop" or "keep his hands to himself."
The two aliens rarely left me alone for long, with one of them almost always at my side, often crowding my personal space, much to my dismay. Their behavior seemed more akin to dogs than large, feline-inspired aliens, hovering around me, constantly touching me in some way. Having never owned more than a fish, I wondered if this was typical cat behavior.
As time passed, about a week now if I hadn't miscounted the dimming of the lights, I found myself growing accustomed to the warrior's presence. We spent nearly the entire day together while the king attended to his "royal" duties. Which were very possibly not royal at all seeing as how I was making things up as I went. But, the king being gone all day suggested the duo was here on some form of diplomacy mission with the aristocrats. I often contemplated whether entertaining visiting diplomats had been my role all along, though it was no surprise I was oblivious as to what any of my duties in the labyrinth really were. The lack of communication left me feeling like an outsider, not exactly a guest but not confined like before.
Despite my murky circumstances, I felt a sliver of gratitude for no longer being locked in a cage. Being abducted hadn't done much for me besides fostering a dislike and distrust of aliens. And I felt those feelings were warranted after my initial treatment. However, as I sat pampered in a cozy room with delectable food and no electric cattle prods, I began to reconsider my preconceived notions. Even the aristocrats, while aloof and cold, hadn't been overtly cruel.
I couldn't help but wish I could understand alien communication. I often felt a sense of frustration at my inability to gage what was actually happening at any given time. And I regularly felt the need to curse Earth and the human race for not being more advanced when I was abducted, like it was somehow my ancestors' fault I didn't learn Guide to Aliens 101 in all those monotonous years of school. Having a 1200 SAT score got me nowhere now, and the yearning for conversation and mental stimulation grew stronger as the days passed, leaving me feeling increasingly lonely.
Cradled in the warrior's arms once again, as the large creature enjoyed another book, I watched the artificial lights gradually dim—the only sign that my sixth day with the duo was coming to an end— and suddenly my boredom began to brew mischief. During my time with the Banties, fear had dominated my emotions. It wasn't until my transfer- or really sale- to the aristocrats that my penchant for mischief resurfaced, tempered by a lingering fear of their potential violence.
With the warrior, however, the dynamics were different. I felt a curiosity about pushing boundaries, a desire to test the limits despite the looming threat of fangs and claws that could easily rend me apart if I stepped too far out of line.
I found myself yearning for a change of pace, desperate to break free from the monotony. Fueled by a sudden burst of energy, I managed to wriggle free from the warrior's grasp, meekly pretending I needed to use the bathroom. It was one of the few moments they let me be alone, though just a few days ago, they hovered over me incessantly.
The king had gone so far as to even try to hold my junk for me while I was going, which infuriated me beyond belief. I threw an absolute fit then, all thoughts of relieving myself gone as I made to lash out at the king. But like always, the warrior was there before I got so much as a punch in. Grabbing me under the armpits, the warrior swiftly wrapped me up in his arms, offering an odd sense of comfort that surprised me. I relished in the feeling despite myself, even going so far as to wrap my legs around the warrior's waist and bury my face into their chest to hide my tears of frustration as the alien purred and twirled the hair at my neck. The warrior rumbled soothingly into my ear for a few moments, as the king hissed frustratedly at us. They spoke above my head for a bit, and in those moments, I felt childish and embarrassed for becoming so upset over something so silly, but I made no effort to remove myself from the warrior's arms.
Now, though, with the king and his overly grabby hands absent, and no real urge to use the bathroom, I took my chance to make a break for it. Sneaking a glance to ensure the warrior was engrossed in his book, I slipped through the marbled door and into the hallway, my sage green outfit swishing softly with each step. With an impish giggle I couldn't seem to hold in, I darted down the stone hallway, the thrill of rebellion coursing through me as I ventured into the labyrinth like halls of the aristocrats domain with no direction in mind.