Das Spiel ist aus (shuichi-kun x midnight)

[Shuichi-kun]

* Das Spiel ist aus = 'the jig is up'.

***

The soft sound of a bell going off was the only thing to announce that the little shop was no longer so empty. Varick stepped over the threshold and glanced around. Taking in his surroundings with a keen sort of interest. He noticed it appeared to be a fine establishment. Though admittedly on the small side, the furnishings and decorations were tasteful, and the walls had been painted a pleasantly warm color. By just looking, there was no way to guess that this was a slave house -- but it was.

Moving forward he started toward the counter but noticed it empty. Evidently, someone is on their break, he thought, wryly, smiling to himself. It didn't matter. He didn't need an escort, perfectly capable of walking around to browse the stock without any help. Sales men were an inconvience, at any rate. They tried to be helpful but there was no doubt they had one thing in mind -- and that was the profits that could be made.

And so, Varick began to roam, walking down the aisles at an unhurried pace. He would stop occasionally to look into the cages he passed. They housed all different manner of humanoid hybrids. There were sirens who had been bound and gagged, there were nagas who hissed threateningly, there were catgirls who upon seeing the handsome new customer each thrust out their ample bosoms and batted their eyelashes in a sickeningly desperate fashion. After only seconds of consideration, the blond haired visitor passed them all.

He even started to feel disappointed. The girls were interesting enough, but they were superficial creatures, none of them willing to show their true selves, and none of them catching his interest. He sighed. And that was when he turned the corner, on his way back toward the entrance of the shop. That was when he came across another cage -- this one housing a teenaged boy. Among all the exotics, Varick noticed this one could at a first glance look out of place, but without a hat or similar article there wasn't a way to hide his ears...and his presence in the shop couldn't be under any question.

Varick smiled, and murmured, "Guten Abend, little one. How are you?"

* Guten Abend - good evening.

 

[Midnight]

The shop was usually quiet this time of the day. Most of the 'animals' as they were called had calmed down from the morning rush, whether they were trying to get themselves sold off or they were hiding in the back of their cages and trying to avoid notice. The cages remained quiet for the most part, the cats ceasing their yowls for food, the others finally resting in their cages. The quiet had finally allowed one particular resident of the Marty's petshop to drift off.

In one of the cages hear the sides of the shop that all the hybrids were housed in was a neko. Different from the females though close enough for them to see him, casting longing gazes from their cages at him. The neko lie slumped against the back of the cage, neatly curled in a ball. He was pretty for a neko, especially a young one, a teenager in his mid teens. His body was lithe and catlike, not fully developed but pretty close to it. The neko's grey ears poked up from his head, large and triangular, they remained alert for any potential buyer, perhaps even a kind person willing to adopt a feral, like they had told him at the pet store. The boy had been born outside, with his mother and father both being escaped nekos. The people say that they had saved him from starvation when they brought him in, unfortunately it gave him the reputation as a feral, being purebred. he had a different look than the other nekos. His gray hair was barely combed, simply straight and his large grey ears stood on his head, he had an innocent face, especially when sleep had him in it's sweet embrace.

The neko lie there sleeping peacefully until a nearly signature jingle floated through the room. The neko blinked and straightened quickly, not daring to make a sound in case it was just the shop owner returning, life was easier when the neko wasn't being prodded or whipped for speaking or resisting the shop owner. He had even given, if only recently, the man a nice wound on his hand, having bit him nice and hard while he was being manhandled and shoved into his cage. on his cage clearly emblazoned was a sign "watch your fingers" More as a joke than anything. The neko's bright yellow eyes opened and lit up when the footsteps he heard were not the owners, but that of a customer, that little spark of hope popping up in his heart. He straightened himself and looked out through the bars of the cage, peering around until the customer came into view.

It was a man

The little spark of hope died right there, and the neko's ears lowered in disappointment for a moment before he looked out of the cage. The man surveyed the females of his race, who were presenting themselves for their handsome guest. The neko blinked, watching as the man looked over each of the females and then walked away, surveying the rest of the store before beginning to leave, finally stopping at his cage. whatever was left of that little spark spring back up when the human spoke to him, gray ears perking and settling forwards as he tilted his head curiously at the human's words.

When the human spoke the neko didn't look away, instead electing to look the human right in the eye before speaking "Cold, hungry" he spoke silently, in a whisper, replying to the human's question which was likely not meant to be answered. The boy looked up into the human's eyes, he had an ego, and even though he was caged that ego had kept him going all this time.

 

[Shuichi-kun]

"Well, that's no good, is it?" Varick murmured. He cast an eye over the sign. 'Watch your fingers'. Rather crude, and probably meant for the purposes of humor, but it didn't enable him to lower his guard. He knew full well that the pets in this shop were all beautiful in their own way, but some were also relatively dangerous. Admittedly he had never heard of a catgirl who'd posed as a threat to her Master. Caught in the throes of heat, those ladies were all too willing to thrust out their backside for the sake of their own pleasure, and their owner's.

And when they weren't doing that, they could be seen hanging off the arm of their chosen one, smiling simperingly and going on about how happy they were to serve. He had an intimate knowledge of all of this because his younger brother had purchased himself a girl not too long ago. Needless to say, when Laura wasn't attempting to give her beloved Master a blowjob underneath the dining room table, that was rare. And now, little brother Abendroth was a very happy boy. He couldn't fault him for that. All men had their vices, their desires which eventually would be satiated. In this day and age, and in every age before it, those with power and money seldom let themselves suffer. His mind wandered.

Maybe the males of the species are different? Varick considered that for a moment, and if possible his interest in the neko boy heightened. "Hungry? What do they feed you, here?" he questioned, his gaze traveled to two dishes near by. They lay just beyond the cage, and were full to the brim with water for one and a gruel-like substance that was cat food in for the other. They were out of reach, and the older man felt a twinge of injustice. What had this boy done, to warrant such a tease? "When will they allow you to eat again?"

 

[Midnight]

(You are making me want a catgirl XD)

The neko stared up at the human from his position in the cage, he had moved to the front of it, blinking a bit, like the females, he wished to be purchaced by someone, this may may have needed housework done, or perhaps he had a daughter? The neko hadn't begun to think of any other reason. The females were well trained, but males tended to develop a mind of their own, which the young neko definatly had. Rumors were common about nekos getting fed up with their treatment if not effectivly brainwashed into thinking that obtaining a master or mistress wasd a ticket to paradise, this particular catboy had only been partially trained, and not fully broken.

Like the others the catboy in the cage believed that having an owner would be good, and that owner would love and care for him like his parents never could, but he was not passive when he was mishandled like some other cats, he had a temper and an ego to match. THe cat looked up at the human, assuming a attentive position with his head cocked and his ears raised.

When the human spoke the neko looked up at him, and then at the bowl of inexpensive cat food, it didn't taste half bad, at least that was a blessing in it's own, but Marty didn't like him or course, he pampered the girls though, at least he didn't grope him, which the neko was also thankful for. Marty had placed bid bowl just out of reach, where his fingertips could barely touch it if he reached all the way out of his cage. "That stuff" He answered promptly, his long fingernails tapping against the metal floor of the cage "maybe tommorow" he answered the human's second question, his voice a little scratchy. Maybe, if the employee who actually fed him had a shift, on occasion he could get someone to feel sorry for him and benefited from that.

 

[Shuichi-kun]

"That stuff. Are you satisfied with it?" Varick asked, sounding incredulous. He had never before seen such a treatment being given to a neko. Yes, this one was a male of his species, but he should be considered of equal value to the females. Shouldn't he? Yet one glance over his shoulder was enough to prove him wrong. Where the boy had cat food and water, the girl's bowls harbored other items. Real meat, for a start. It didn't look the best, but it was a damn sight better than what this one had. Yet somehow the male seemed content. Or close to it, at any rate.

The man shook his head in what was undoubtedly disgust. No, he wasn't a soft man. He knew how to handle his slaves. But pointless humiliation such as this -- acts of punishment that taught no lesson, and were done for the sake of power play -- made him feel near physically ill. If he weren't a more reserved man, he might stride to the front of the shop just long enough to punch the cashier out. "Besser Unrecht leiden als Unrecht tun..."

And so he didn't give in to impulse. Instead, Varick leaned in to the cage, hazel eyes lowering to run across the catboy's face. "I could be wrong, but I doubt you are even content, mein kleines. Forgive me if I'm wrong...but this is deplorable." he stated it firmly, in a voice that left little room for argument. He took a breath. "...but we can change this, you and I. Come with me, kätzchen. I can give you a life of satisfaction."

* Besser Unrecht leiden als Unrecht tun = Better suffer injustice than commit injustice.
* Mein kleines = my little one.
* Kätzchen = kitten.

 

[Midnight]

The neko did not answer the first question asked him, instead frowning and shaking his head, he was not satisfied, or content even, he simply acted like it so they would actually feed him. Hunger could drive the poor boy into submission after all. The boy cast a weak look up at him as he looked at the females, though shaking it off easily and gaining his composure. The boy was cold and hungry, the shop had a draft and the boy was right in it's path, though that seemed more an act of bitter fortune than torment by the boy's current owner.

The neko watched the man shake his head in disgust, he obviously noticed how unfairly the boy was being treated compared to the relative pampering of the females. He could tell the human was thinking before he finally spoke again to the neko, this time stating he was not content, a statement to which the neko nodded, he was miserable there, and he hated the shop owner, who in turn didn't like him for spiting him every change he got. When the human finally gave the offer to him the neko straightened conciderably, he could come with him? No way! The neko's eyes brightened considerably and he straightened, his small hands wrapping around the bars of the cage as he looked out at the human "Really?" He looked out of the cage at the man, his golden eyes scanning over his face for any sign of deceit.

"You will take me?" the neko seemed to be in disbelief, he was a feral, but he was well trained, and could make a good pet, those bright, innocent eyes stared up into the hazel eyes of the human, not dark like the first time that he had been doing. The hopelessness was washing away slowly there was a chance to get out of here after all. The shop keeper would return in at any moment as well. The neko leaned to the left to get a better view of the door, actually smiling at the human, smiling for the first time in a while, after all this a life of satisfaction seemed good.

 

[Shuichi-kun]

[ i'm glad I make you want a catgirl by the way. i want one too...except oddly, i don't enjoy playing heterosexual relationships. xD by the way...i hope you don't mind that i doubled a bit...i do it without thinking because i enjoy it so much. ]

Satisfaction came in many forms. The poor cat would be in for a rude awakening soon enough. Nodding his head in a firmly decisive manner Varick turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction. For a second it seemed he was headed for the doors. What a cruel ploy that would be. But no. Right when the man reached the doors, he turned again, and he moved toward the large counter top and the cashier behind with unwavering purpose. When he reached the slightly balding man whose name apparently was Marty, he said, "I would like to buy that boy." He didn't point. Not finding any need to, as there was only one species of male in this building.

Surprisingly, a look of dull confusion crossed the shopkeeper's ruddy face. "What boy?" he asked, loftily. His tone was falsely questioning and his methods of deceit were so bad a small child could have seen straight through them. The truth was in his eyes too. They were a dark brown, near-black, and they narrowed a fraction, as if to provoke any kind of response from the blond haired German standing before him.

Not allowing himself a pause, Varick said, voice entirely calm, "You know well the boy I mean. The young one back there -- the one with the grey hair, who sits across from the females of his kind. I believe you placed his sources of food out of reach?" And those words came out sharp, sharper than he had intended in fact, but even the most controlled man would have difficulty restraining himself in the face of such shameless discrimination. Again, he thought: for a punishment, yes, but for nothing at all...? Subconsciously his hands had become clenched, hanging at his sides, though with the ability to rise up at any moment, should the wrong thing be said. His hazel gaze was heated.

"Ah, that one." Marty's demeanor hastily switched to something more personable. After all, he was the type of man who wasn't afraid to abuse his power when he had it. But he was also a shrewd man and could tell when the game was not in his favor. Turning his head to the boy in question's cage, he cleared his throat. "Don't know why you'd want it. It's not very interesting, it just complains all day."

"I'll take my chances." Varick said, dryly.

"Sure you will...but he costs 1,000,000.00." The price was horrifyingly high, even higher probably than what was being charged for the catgirls. Marty hated the boy that much, it almost bordered on love. So he wanted to keep him around. Use him as his own personal punching bag...his perfect outlet with feelings.

"That sounds reasonable." Varick nodded, hiding his satisfaction at the knowledge of Marty's astonishment, behind a concentrated frown. "Do you take checks?"

"Uh....y-yeah."

And so it was done. The young teen's cage was unlocked by Marty, who Varick stood beside, a length of leather leash hanging from hand hand, and a collar from the other. "We're going home, mein kätzchen...but first, let us put on your things." He indicated the restraints with a faint smile.

* Mein kätzchen = my kitten.

 

[Midnight]

The neko crawled forward in the cage, blinking as he looked out at the man, who for a moment appeared to be leaving. It didn't make sense that he would leave, and the cat wasn't surprised when he turned around and walked back to the cashier. The boy watched expectantly through the bars of the cage as the man approached Marty, the tyrant owner of the store. The neko watched the man expectantly, his tail moving behind him as he looked out. He was almost free of this place, a life of luxury and pampering ahead of him, the thought excited him really, he would have new clothes, rather than the rags he was wearing. The poor boy was mostly naked, though he was wearing a pair of long cotton pants that matched his hair color.

At first, Marty resisted of course, he did not want to give up his prized scapegoat. He tried to be coy initially but failed at that and moved to other methods. The neko blinked, pressing his face to the bars and frowning at the men even though he could barely be seen. Marty resorted to other tactics after that, stating that the neko did nothing but complain all day, which was mostly true, since it pissed Marty off long enough to leave him and bring in the nice young man who actually fed the neko, scooting the bowl within reach and walking off innocently. The neko still bristled at Marty's words, and then let his jaw drop when he stated the price.

Even though he barely knew math, he could tell that was a high price. The boy almost lost hope until the human stated that he would be able to handle the price, which made his jaw drop even further. The neko sat up in his cage, his ears perking and his tail whipping around, a look of glee dawning on his face as Marty backed down, accepting the price and finally selling the catboy to the blond. The boy was at that point pressing his face into the bars, smiling a bit as the man approached him and his cage was unlocked.

The first thing the neko did out of his cage was stretch, crawling out of the cage and smiling at his new master, then casting a rather sardonic smile towards marty, stretching out and popping his joints. The boy smiled and looked at the human again, taking the collar into his small hands and tying it around his neck. He was a neko but he wasn't stupid after all. The boy was smiling all the way, happy with the fact that he was finally able to get away from the owner, though he had no idea what await him back at home. Fastening the collar around his neck so it was comfortable the neko smiled "There" He said with a mewl, attaching the leash to it and waiting for his brand new master to walk him out of the store.

The neko would wait until he and his new master were at the door, sticking close to his master's side before lookign back and blowing a rasberry at Marty, smiling the whole time. "So master, what are you going to call me?" The boy blinked, wondering if his master would name him