The Man who Loves Furry Animals is very much fiction and is created and will be played by Mira-Charma13 and harakun.
If you aren't any of the aforementioned people, please do not post.
Thank you!

P.S. You may follow the story, though.
Warning: This roleplay has homosexual tendencies. If that's not your cup of tea, please press the back button or CTRL+W.

~My Characters~

HUMAN:

ANIMAL:



Name: Algernon Kanoni
Species: Cheetah
Age: 21-26 (Human), young adult (Cheetah)
Biography: Sweet and curious, but very wise to the ways of the wild and quite wary of human beings. He's an adult but not a very old adult. He's a cheetah with an odd coloring and he stands out from a good chunk of the rest of the 'feline Ferraris' of Africa. He's food-motivated. He has never mated with a female before and thus has sired no cubs...but he's of mating age and is interested in mating at some point.

~ ~ ~

HUMAN:



Name: Adam Tessitura
Species: Human
Occupation: Works several jobs
Age: 22
Biography: A man with a hard heart who sometimes has emotional breakdowns and seeks out the comfort of friends--anyone who knows him closely knows to expect his outbursts. He grew up with an abusive mother and no father. He's also quite strapped for cash and works three different jobs to earn money. He's close to losing them all, though, as he's often late and has a hard time dealing up-front with people.

~ ~ ~

HUMAN:



ANIMAL:



Name: Nero Vittorio
Species: Lion
Age: 24-28 (Human), adult (Lion)
Biography: Hostile toward humans and very uncomfortable being penned up. He's not an albino, but has a genetic defect that made his fur white and his eyes a pale bluish color. Nero was captured in the wild for study purposes, but was found to have a serious leg injury and was instead taken to the nearest zoo to recover. He's prideful and has a terrible attitude toward humans. When captured, he was the leader of a huge pride of lions...he's desperate to get back home to his family.

~ ~ ~

HUMAN:



ANIMAL:



Name: Berilo Arataki
Species: Caracal
Age: 23-29 (Human), adult (Caracal)
Biography: Manipulative and very intelligent, but with a good heart deep down. He's grown up in captivity and has never seen his rightful home in Kenya, where he was taken from as a baby. As such, he's very spoiled and used to getting what he wants. His human owner spoiled him absolutely rotten, and because of that, he's a brat. He isn't used to being around other animals or other humans, but he's comfortable around humans for sure. He prefers doing things the easy way and has little to no sense of overwhelming pride.

~ ~ ~

HUMAN:



ANIMAL:



Name: Hardee Basia
Species: Wolf
Age: 15-16 (Human), teenager (Wolf)
Biography: A distant loner who would rather spend time alone than with a pack like most other of his kind would, he was chased out of his pack by a jealous, wary alpha and has been alone ever since. He's young and has just reached his full size as a wolf--his age is only really shown by his human form. He has a raised tuft of baby-soft fur on his back that also hints at how young he is. He typically isn't very kind to other creatures, particularly other predators.

Name: Clinton Redgear
Species: Very Human
Age: 28
Occupation: Office worker
Biography: Two words could probably sum up what his likes are: Fur Fanatic. He wasn't exactly sure when this fanaticism of furs had started but ever since he was a kid, he's taken in cats, kittens, puppies, dogs, and even hamsters whenever he'd seen them. He'd be berated at by his parents with the animals he'd already fallen in love with and then watch them throw the animals back out in the cold. By the time he was twenty-two, he'd decided to live with his grandfather and simply keep a pair of pet hamsters whom he'd often spend his time with every time he'd get home from work.
It was when he'd turned twenty-five, though, when he'd suddenly been given loads of money from his rich grandfather. He hadn't known he was rich. He'd only often talk to the old man, tell him excitedly about the pets he'd meet on the road, and how he'd made friends with them. He's gotten a ring from his grandfather and he'd been told to go around the world and start with Africa. He had a little gift, he says.



Name: Brian Takegawa
Species: Very Human and Very Sleepy
Age: 22
Occupation: Zoo Keeper
Biography: Sleep is probably his very best friend. Brian's known to be hardworking and real good at what he does but when he's idle, he'd fall asleep. The latter's a problem for him because when that happens, he loses stuffs - the good, the bad, and the best. He also lives downtown where things are cheap and where it's not safe to be but he doesn't mind. As long as he has a bed to sleep on, clothes (or the lack thereof) to wear until the next day, and his uniform and shoes; he was going to be fine.



Name: John James Hoffer
Species: Human
Age: 26
Occupation: Photographer
Biography: Once an only son until his father had remarried. His father had remarried Clinton's mother. Strangely enough, this stepmother of his hasn't told Clinton about it and is still being discrete. He also has had a long time crush on Clinton since he'd first seen him but because he'd only seen him in pictures, he's wishing that when he'd turn 26, he could go and visit the man. Maybe have him believe he was a distant relative first before he could make his move on him.



Name: Kent Evans
Species: Human
Age: 12
Occupation: Elementary Schoolboy
Biography: He lives with his foster parents living under the same roof of that rich guy who became pretty well-known after inheriting a large sum of money. Because his parents aren't usually home, he'd be down in the lobby of the condominium, either reading his comics while listening to music or watching people as they come in and out of the building. There was one particular fellow he thought was interesting though: Clinton Redgear. He had funny animals and he'd seen odd, wild animals come in and out with strict-looking people.

Clinton stepped back and admired his work. He'd set up a trap for a big animal - well, at least, bigger than him - and had even laid down food to complete it. It seemed to be the perfect trap with the said cage hidden from view and the surroundings as natural as it could be. With his hands on his hips, Redgear looked about the place and then pursed his lips. Where was he going to hide, though? He'd parked his car a long distance away and knew very well that if he stayed anywhere nearby, his scent was going to be recognized.

After all, he was human and his years of having played with the furries had showed him that his scent wasn't only attracting them, it was bringing them to him.

The man's eyes sparkled, though, when he'd seen the spring nearby and he went toward it to crouch down and check the water's temperature. It was damn cold but it was the only way to rid of his scent for a few minutes. At least, until he'd be able to catch an animal that his grandfather had mentioned in the letter. An animal that had a human form. He wasn't sure what he'd meant but he'd worn the ring anyway and left for Africa, which would explain why he was here in this current situation he's in now. The ring was an old piece of antique jewelry with a rather rare jewel seated at the center of what looked like a small circle of what he'd like to believe is a mirror.

It was beautiful and though there had been a couple of envious gazes from his workmates, he never paid it any attention and didn't bother taking it off ever since he'd worn it. Not that he could take it off anyway. It was tight around his ring finger.

Jumping into the spring of water with his clothes on, he shuddered and stayed in the ground for a few minutes. He waited until he'd hear that sound of the cage falling down on his prey. He just hoped he'd get a good catch and a catch that his grandfather had wanted him to get in Africa. This was his thirtieth try this month but he'd never given up. He never was one to give up, not when he had the gut feeling that he was going to get something real good from all of this.

The African savanna was filled with a plethora of different wildlife. In the lower-lying flatlands there was a large herd of grazing wildebeest, accompanied by patches here and there of impala and gazelles. It was also in these flatlands, a short while away from the spring, that a very hungry creature, alone and hiding in the tall grass, was stalking toward one of the scattered patches of gazelle. He was a cheetah--a big male cheetah with very unusual markings.

Most cheetahs had simple spots littering their golden, honey-colored fur. This cheetah had big, inky black spots all over his fur, and the ridge of hair that stood up from his neck to upper middle part of his back was jet black as well. This particular coloration was coined the 'king cheetah' coloration, and it was very rare. It didn't hinder his ability to practically melt into his surroundings--he was barely visible. He was very lean--leaner than he probably should have been. He was dying for something to eat.

He was stalking toward the gazelles, his eyes fixed on one that seemed to have some kind of injury on its side. He was drawing closer...closer...closer, now...he was almost there, when all of a sudden, one of the much larger impalas spotted him and began making low warning noises, alerting practically everything in the air. Fearing he would lose his meal, the cheetah burst out of cover, hot on the tail of the fleeing gazelle. He drove it away from the rest of the gazelle, all the way up the flatlands at top speed--around fifty to seventy miles an hour--zigzagging along rocks and other obstacles. He was just a few feet away from the spring when he gave up, lower half of his body collapsing onto the ground. The gazelle got away.

He was panting rather violently, eyes squeezed shut. Another meal...lost. For the fourth day in a row, it looked like this cheetah would go hungry. It took him a few long, arduous minutes to catch his breath. When he did, he stood back up and turned, heading back toward the flatlands. He was determined to try again. He needed food desperately.

He stopped short, though, when a pleasant breeze brought the scent of a kill to his nostrils. They flared out, and suddenly, the cat turned around, looking attentive. He stalked toward the spring, where the trap was. He didn't see the food laid out for a moment, but when he did, he paused where he was, glancing around. If it was a lion or hyena kill, he would have to take it away quickly...and eat quickly...

Making his decision, the starving cheetah bounded straight into the trap, settling down and beginning to tear into the food with the desperation of a creature that hadn't eaten for many days. Despite all that weakness, though, he had reached top speed while chasing that gazelle. He was a strong creature.

Clinton's trap was a success! At least, that was the sound the cage gave off when it had landed around the cheetah who was busy eating the food. The man quickly pushed himself up by stepping onto the ground and surfaced from the water with a loud, "Ah!" Panting as he swam to the edge, Redgear brushed his wet hair back and hoisted himself up and out of the water. His clothes were dripping and were sticking to his skin like second skin but he paid it no mind. With this heat in the savanna Africa provided, he was sure he was going to be all dried up soon.

But, he did like how his hair had cooperated and stayed flat down. His features were greatly enhanced as he approached the said cage. The sight of the cheetah made him smile brightly as his eyes sparkled again. There he was. Standing magnificent and proud. Well, not standing but still. His colors were amazing and his fur - they were perfect. The man couldn't help but feel the itch to want to touch him. As he reached for the cage, though, his ring had suddenly glowed and his eyes had widened as a bright light suddenly came off from the ring. He squinted and raised his free hand up to try and lessen the said brightness but as he did that, he saw a faint image of a man.

Not only that, it was in the cage where the cheetah was supposed to be. That wasn't possible at all.

What... was that? he thought to himself, his eyes still wide with surprise as he stared at the ring and then moved his gaze up at the cheetah.

The cheetah had been startled by the loud noise the cage made when it suddenly snapped shut, but he was turned away from the small entrance he had bounded into and was too busy shoveling food down his throat to notice that he was trapped. He did, however, hear the water moving in the spring and the sounds of a larger animal approaching. He growled, low in his throat. He stood up and tried to drag the carcass that had been left there, but it was too heavy for him.

He did, at this point, notice that he was trapped. Dropping the carcass, the cheetah suddenly realized that he was in danger. He recognized the creature outside of this...this little prison. It was a human being--a destructive and terrible creature. Hissing in a territorial manner, the cheetah backed up at once, pressing himself against the wall of the cage farthest from Clinton. He bared his bloodstained teeth at him, having momentarily forgotten the kill despite his hunger in favor of defending himself.

He didn't think twice about the light, though he squinted in an effort to avoid its bright light. He didn't notice the ring. He was frightened, starving, and cornered. No...he was too focused on defending himself and his current meal to notice anything else. He was very skinny--almost unhealthily so. He would need a lot of food and water to grow back to full health.

The fact that he couldn't hold his favorite form, though...THAT he noticed.

The moment he began flickering between forms, the startled cheetah grew frightened. He tried to escape, running around the length of the cage and trying to jump out of it. Humans weren't supposed to see this side of him...humans would kill him if they saw that side of him! He'd always firmly believed that. Humans tended to go after and attack things they didn't understand or were frightened of. He figured that a cheetah such as himself who could change his form was something to be feared in the eyes of humans.

Clinton stumbled back when the cheetah had started to go wild. If his cage hadn't been strong enough, he was sure the furry, wild animal would've had escaped. "H-Hey!" he started, calling out to the other as he sat up and frowned. His hand was on his racing heart, "Calm down, will you?! You almost gave me a heart attack!" He may have not understood what the hell he'd seen not very long ago but he was definitely fascinated by the fact that this creature had two forms. The animal's malnourished state, too, didn't escape him. "Eat, eat. If you keep eating, you'll get yourself healthy again."

The human turned to look about just in case the animal had brought a herd with him. It wouldn't fare him well if he'd be chased at by a cheetah. After all, he was only human. And, if he were the type of human who'd attack animals or creatures he didn't understand or had thought was wild, he'd have brought a gun. Even then, if he had a gun with him, it'd have rendered useless since he'd jumped into the spring. "And, I'm not here to hurt you. I love furry animals of all sizes!" Clinton said that like it was a matter-of-fact thing and smiled brightly at the cheetah.

The ring was still glowing but he didn't pay it much attention. Thanks to it; he apparently found out just now what his grandfather had wanted him to know.

That there were creatures with two forms and they weren't just any creatures. They were furry creatures that he so loves.

The cheetah did not calm down...not one bit. The human's words appeared to be going in one ear and out the other as the large cat smacked his body against the sides of the cage, trying in desperation to get out. His lack of energy, fueled by having not eaten in quite a bit, seemed to get to him after a few minutes. Exhausted, the cheetah dropped down onto the ground again, panting heavily with his eyes closed again. He was absolutely terrified out of his wits, and it appeared that he was aggressive, as well.

He paid the kill no mind as he tried to calm down. He wanted out of this cage, and there was absolutely no way he was going to just calm down. The moment he regained some of his strength, the cheetah forced his weary legs to hold and support his weight. He began thrashing around in the cage again, trying to break down the walls.

This cheetah was not going easy. He was going to have to be tranquilized...if that wasn't an option, though, Clinton was probably in for a long wait. This cat was going to fight until he just couldn't anymore--until he had no energy left at all. He appeared to be alone. Cheetahs were lone cats that only sought out mates during their mating season. Males remained alone after leaving their mothers and any siblings they might have had.

[[ Won't be able to go on AIM now. Gotta finish this presentation. xD Haha. Cram! ]]

Clinton saw how the cheetah was pushing himself to get out of the cage. And, since he didn't want to let him out, he let out a sigh and pursed his lips. He was wet. He was cold. And, though, he liked the cheetah and was really wanting to touch him, he knew better. Not unless he'd want to lose an arm or a hand. "Sorry about this." Pressing what looked like a button at the side of the cage, a small dart-like thing came shooting out from the hole at the corner of the cage. It was a pretty strong tranquilizer that would probably knock the cheetah unconscious for a couple of hours.

As he waited for it to take effect, he sighed again and got up to his feet. He dusted his back off and opened the cage once he was sure it was safe. "Man. I'm not even going to hurt you." Pouting a little, Clinton went closer to the cheetah to reach out and stroke its magnificent fur. He was simply amazing, that much Clinton could see and even better when he'd touched him. He didn't want to have to use the tranquilizer every time he'd try and do the latter. "Looks like this'll take some time for you to get used to me, huh?"

This was out in the wild. Compared to the animals in the city, they were a lot more trusting. Just a few weeks would do. He doubted it'd be the same here with an animal from the African savanna.

Clinton Redgear used up some of his utilities to bring the cheetah back to where he lived, up in the suite which he'd bought. There was a room reserved for all the animals he'd adopted and gotten. The kittens, of course, were the first ones he'd attended to and played with after he'd left a few pieces of meat and water for the cheetah to eat and drink once he'd wake up.

The cheetah jumped when the dart suddenly shot out of a corner of the cage--it embedded itself in his side. With a fierce yowl, the big cat started moving around in circles, powerful jaws trying to clasp onto the end of the dart and yank it out of his flesh. It was to no avail, of course. There was a sharp pain in his side from the dart. The cheetah seemed very disturbed and bothered, all cornered in a small place with no space to run.

All of a sudden, though, a huge wave of weariness started spreading through his body. There was an ancient aching feeling in his bones, and it had all come on so suddenly. For a moment, this sudden grogginess seemed to make the cheetah more determined to escape--he banged his body against the sides of the cage, trying to gnaw his way out now, as well. It was fast becoming too much, however, as the feline's legs began to quake. Whimpering, and now on unsteady legs, it wasn't very long before the lean cat collapsed onto the ground, eyes wide and frightened. Those amber-colored eyes vanished behind his eyelids after a few moments, though, and the world slipped into darkness.

The cheetah drifted in and out of consciousness. He heard many strange sounds and smelled so many odd, unfamiliar things while he was out. His eyes never once opened.

When he came to, he woke with a start, body jolting and head snapping up off of the floor. His eyes were wide and unfocused. Still feeling a general tiredness in his bones, the cheetah brought his head back down, eyes squeezed shut. He was terribly dizzy. He'd never, ever been shot with a tranquilizer dart in all his life, and it seemed to be having some adverse effects on him. He was going to be laying down for a long while, yet.

The smell of food was in the air. Despite his having not eaten in so long, the cheetah just couldn't muster up the energy to get up. All he wanted to do was stay perfectly still--every single muscle in his body ached in an unbelievable way...

The cats, who had once had their attention all on Clinton, had moved to the stirring cheetah. "He's a new friend," he told his pets who seemed interested in the animal. He gave each of his cats a pat on the head and got up to his feet before he'd crouched down by the cage. He was pretty close, though, but not too close for the cheetah to hurt him with his claws. He knew, too, that the tranquilizer he'd used on the cheetah must've made him weary. After all, it wasn't a normal dart with a tranquilizer. It was... pretty special only used on special animals.

Like this beautiful creature laying in the cage.

Blinking when the cats had moved to get into the cage and help each other bring the meat towards the cheetah, they quickly left and mewled as they rubbed up against Clinton's leg. He smiled at them rather cheerfully and chuckled. "Thank you guys. Let's just hope he eats." Clinton was rather amused at one of the cats - the tallest of them all - and black with yellow eyes watched the cheetah. His tail seemed to be swishing from side to side as he seated perfectly still. He was one of Clinton's favorites. Leo was the name he'd given him.

"I better feed the hamsters. Who wants to come with?" The cats, during their first few weeks in his suite, hadn't gotten used to the hamsters. In fact, Clinton had to put the hamsters somewhere safe where the cats wouldn't get to them. They'd play with a hamster's corpse, tear at its skin and even go as far as to rolling it about like a yarn. Honestly, he had to buy all these toys for the cats just for them to get their hands off of the hamsters.

Luckily for him, he had about three cats who seemed to want to protect the hamsters. Grinning when the three of them had volunteered with one of them climbing onto his back, he pet the cat's head and turned to look at Leo. "Watch him for me, will you?" With that said, he left the rest of the cats who had returned to napping at one corner while Leo continued to stay where he was. The cat was fascinated with the big creature.

The cheetah made a threatening, but half-hearted sort of hissing sound in Clinton's direction when he spoke, eyes still slightly glossed over from the effect the drug had had on him. He was definitely more alert than he had been before, though, now that he could clearly see potential threats outside of the cage. The sight of the much smaller felines unnerved him and intrigued him--they were small, and therefore there was a chance that they could be prey.

The big cat was suddenly reminded of the great hunger gnawing away at his stomach. When the tiny creatures started pushing the meat, which he'd paid little to no attention to before, toward him, the cheetah leaned forward and tugged it to his body with strong pulls from his teeth. He immediately began to rip into the meat, tearing huge chunks off of it to eat. He ate rather quickly. In the wild, cheetahs were often forced to eat quickly. The smell of a fresh kill attracted hyenas and lions, and sometimes even leopards. Cheetahs were big cats, but a single cheetah was no match for a big pack of hyenas or a pride of large lions.

He only stopped shoving meat into his face when there was almost nothing left of it. He licked at the bloodied fur around his mouth for a few long seconds. He was no longer groggy--his alert amber eyes were flickering around the room. His gaze settled on the single animal that had stayed near him--one of those much smaller cats...a dark one with yellowish eyes. Territorial instincts set in at once, even though that cat was much smaller than him. The cheetah rose up from the ground and stood on his tip-toes, tail ducking beneath his legs and head lowering to the ground. It was a threatening position.

Most animals could communicate with each other quite easily. But it seemed like this cheetah was frightened and angry...too intimidated to speak.

The cat licked its muzzle and tilted its head when the cheetah had gotten into that position. "I won't bother going near you, don't worry," it said as he turned to look away and towards the door, "You're lucky he picked you up, though. He'll treat you well." He wasn't advertising Clinton at all. He was simply being honest. Getting up to his feet and turning his back on the cheetah, the cat moved to the rest of the herd and settled down on his stomach. He put his chin on one of the white cat's back and turned to look back at the cheetah.

Yawning widely, the cat let its eyes shut. That was also the time Clinton had returned to bring what looked like a bucket of meat. The cats went to the corner to join everyone else. The male grinned in amusement. "You guys really look cute like that," he started before he'd turned to look back at the cheetah. Putting the bucket down by the cage, he put his hands on his hips and met the new animal's gaze. He raised his eyebrows a little and smiled.

"So. You want to eat or no? I can always leave this near your cage if you want to eat."

The cheetah kept his eyes on the other cat as it moved away from him, staying in that threatening position. It would be a few days before he calmed down, but...maybe exercises of trust would make things easier. He made his way to the very back of the cage, where he pressed himself against the wall and stared straight ahead as Clinton returned with the bucket of meat.

He could smell the meat, and immediately his mouth began to water. He needed quite a bit to get by from day to day, and he hadn't eaten in so long. But still, he did not approach. The anger appeared to have faded from his posture. What was left there was a clear and powerful fear. It was this crippling fear, and a bit of territorial instinct, that was keeping him far away from that dangerous human. He didn't know if the human had seen his humanoid form. If he had, he hadn't made any mention of it yet. Honestly, the cat hoped he hadn't seen it. He had always thought that humans would kill him in a heartbeat if they saw what he could do...humans tended not to like strange or 'different' things.

He slowly laid down where he was, averting his eyes and staring off into space. It was almost like he was purposely ignoring Clinton. Maybe if he pretended the human wasn't there, he would go away.

"How rude," mumbled Leo, the cat, as he peered at the two with one eye open. Clinton sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah well," he started before he'd slid his hands into the pockets of his pants, "I'll come back later in the evening to refill your bucket if you ever eat 'em all." Smiling and waving at the cheetah rather cheerfully even if he was pretending to not see him, the male bounded off out of the room. He did hope the cheetah would warm up to him but he decided not to push it.

If he did, he knew it would just get worst and more time would need for the other to get used to him and this new environment he was in.

Blinking when his phone had rung just as he was about to take off his shirt, he shrugged off his top, slung it over his shoulder and answered the call. "Oh, hey, Jon!" he started before he'd seated himself on the arm of the couch, "Mhm. Got one new one." The male frowned and made a face at the words his friend had spoken.

"You sure you got the right one? A cheetah?"
"Yep. He's a real beauty. If you've got a problem with that, let's settle it in school tomorrow."
A laugh came from the other line. "Calm down man. I was just joking. Hope to see that new pet of yours soon. Is it still wild?"
"Eh. Just got it so I suppose he still is. Might take weeks to have him get used to the place."
"All right. Ah. Yeah. Before I forget, Adam's coming over tomorrow. You want to join us?"

Clinton turned to look at the door where he'd just left from. That was a big room he had reserved for the pets he had. Raising his eyebrows at the puppies that zoomed by with one tackling the other, he grinned in amusement. "Nah. Got to make sure I feed the cheetah. You guys call me what I can do."

The cheetah growled under his breath. In his current form, it would just sound like growling to any human hearing it. But to another animal, the words were sure to come through clear. "Come and say that to my face." It was surely directed toward the smaller cat. Tensions were running high in the big cat, obviously. His anger was fast starting to be replaced by a miserable, hopeless feeling. He was terrified out of his mind.

The moment Clinton left the room, the cheetah was on his feet, pacing around the cage restlessly. He would occasionally stop and try gnawing at the walls of the cage to see if he could bite his way through. That effort proved fruitless on all four walls, and it only served to fuel the cheetah's irritation. He was grumbling under his breath, and this time some of his words were very understandable...to animals, at least.

"...Stupid human...bite his hand off if he gets near me...how dare he take me from my home..." His annoyance was building as he prowled around the cage, eventually settling for trying to run around in circles. It was likely the cheetah was trying to blow off some steam. And boy, did he need to--the tension in the room was starting to grow thick because of him.

Really, he was a sweet creature--a kind creature. But he hadn't had the best past experience with humans and was very aggressive toward them. He had been orphaned at a young age after an angry human had shot and killed his mother. With hard work and perseverance, he had survived--but his two siblings, his sisters, had not made it. So obviously, he had a problem with human beings.

Clinton had become busy the next few days. He'd occasionally hang out in the room with his pets, leave the door open so the cats and dogs can go out to play, with his laptop on his lap. Even his eyes would occasionally roam the room, settle onto the cheetah and then peer out to see how the others were doing. When it was lunch time, he could be seen coming in and out of the room either refilling the bucket for the cheetah or feeding the cats and the dogs with cat and dog food respectively. He'd even go to check on the hamsters.

It was a busy routine but he didn't really care. In fact, he was enjoying it and often praised them when they'd finish their food. The cheetah as well even though he didn't know its name.

The doorbell on a Friday night, though, caught him by surprise. Blinking and looking up from the laptop, he frowned a little and turned to look down at the cat who was nudging him with his head. The cat was Ariana. He knew very well what she meant. "Thanks," he told her as he scratched the back of her ear and smiled at her purr. Putting his laptop down and grinning when Ariana went to stand beside it, he got up to his feet and went off to answer the door. Ariana always was the one who guarded his stuffs. There were cats, after all, and puppies who'd often try to run over his keyboard.

It had happened once and it wasn't honestly one of his best days. He had to redo his project all over again.

"Whoa. Adam." Raising his eyebrows a little when he'd seen the man standing in front of his door, crying like there was no tomorrow, he was stunned when he'd come rushing into his arms. The door to the pets' place was open so he was pretty sure the cheetah could see everything from where he was. Sighing and quite knowing what had just happened, he put his hand on the back of his friend's head and shut the door. "Come on. I'll get you some hot chocolate." Some of his pet cats had recognized Adam and as if they were wanting to cheer him up, they'd started rubbing up against his ankles. "While Yuna and Tidus keep you company."

Clinton led the man to the couch and handed him a box of tissues before he'd went off to the kitchen to get the man a drink.

The cheetah was silent for the next few days. His aggression and fear had mounted off into an intense depression. The only instances in which he moved were to get up and stuff his face with food from the offered bucket. He no longer reacted in any way to what Clinton had to say. He also hadn't changed forms yet, so he had been stuck in his cheetah form for days now. This long stretch of depression showed no signs of letting up. He was a big wild animal...maybe he needed a large outdoor enclosure to live in? He was bound to be depressed indoors.

He hadn't made an effort, either, to communicate with the rest of the animals living in the space. He ignored them just like he ignored that terrible human, no longer seeing them as possible prey.

Adam had not had the best of nights. The very moment he'd felt one of his inconvenient and irritating emotional spells coming on, he'd grabbed his fedora and his coat and headed out to the home of the very first friend he could think of. This time, Clinton was the one he'd gone to. He'd gotten lost on the way there and had spent an extra ten minutes wandering around the streets bawling like an imbecile. Immediately, when the other opened the door, he ran into his arms, clinging to him wordlessly while he cried.

There were a few things that could trigger these intense breakdowns. Problems at work, mainly, were the cause of all his woes.

"Fine..." His voice was a little unsteady. Hot chocolate sounded good right about now. Maybe that would help to calm his nerves. Slowly, he sank down onto the sofa and took the offered box of tissues. He used one to start absently dabbing at his eyes while he sniffed and reached down with his free hand to pat the cats on their heads.

He seemed to feel, almost at once, that something wasn't normal. He sat up straighter and glanced around, and then his eyes fell on the lone pen with the large cat in it. The cogs started working in Adam's brain, and a frown graced his features. ...That didn't seem like a healthy animal. It wasn't even moving. It looked...miserable, actually. Well, being trapped in a cage would be enough to make any wild animal miserable.

Adam lifted his head when he heard Clinton starting to return. "...Shouldn't you be keeping him outside?" he asked solemnly, nodding toward the very still cheetah.

"Huh?" was his first reply before he'd realized what Adam was talking about, "Oh. Yeah." The male nodded and tilted his head towards the window while he handed Adam his mug of hot chocolate. "The bare land next to this is where I'm putting him in. After all the plants and trees have been planted, though." Seating himself beside the man as the cats made way for him, he pet one on its head and smiled a little sadly.

"A big, open space with lots of trees and probably preys to feed on..." The male leaned back on the couch and turned to look towards the cheetah. "Have him have that savanna feel again." It had been a week, at most, and he knew that if he continued keeping him in, he wasn't going to live for long.

Adam sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I've kept him in the cage too long. I was guessing as an apology to the guy wouldn't be enough." He was stressed from work. Even moreso when the deadline was coming up. Though he'd gotten a lot of money from his grandfather who'd died about two years back, he wanted to do something than just stay at home and do nothing. "So I'm building him the place as a surprise."

"By the way, drink up. It'll make you feel better." The blonde smiled cheerfully and motioned for him to drink.

Adam grumbled for a moment before taking a long, deep swig of the hot chocolate, closing his eyes for a moment. Hot chocolate had to be one of the greatest things in the world to calm an upset person...hell, Adam felt much calmer now than he had before. "I have a feeling that if you don't get him out and about in the next day or so that something's going to happen," the man sighed, leaning back onto the couch. "How long is that outside enclosure going to take? You could...try...to leash-train him and take him on a walk. But you'd need a muzzle."

A muzzle and a strong leash. Cheetahs weren't the strongest cats, but they were fast and much bigger than your average-sized dog, for instance. It could be possible to leash-train a cheetah, but only after gaining its trust first.

The cheetah hadn't been paying them any attention, but when he suddenly heard them talking about him, the cat lifted his head at once, ears perked up. The very mention of going outside again, whether he understood or not if he was being set free, seemed to stir something in the cheetah. He sat up at once, front legs wobbling from the effort, and stared in their direction, tail flicking back and forth. He was very still once he got up in that sitting position, staring directly at them without doing much blinking.

He was focused. Very focused.

Clinton made a face. "Nah," he said as he shook his head, "I'd rather not put any animal on a leash. It's just so..." The male let the back of his head rest on the back of the couch. "Wrong." He was silent for a few minutes before he'd continued on: "I mean, why put an animal in a leash when all animals should be treated like humans? They've got feelings. It was the very reason why I got these two here from the streets."

The cats seemed to mewl in agreement with Clinton and the two hopped onto both Clinton and Adam's lap. They got themselves comfortable and the blonde grinned in amusement. Stretching out his arms behind them, on the couch, he turned to look at Adam. "Well, I'm hoping it could be finished by tomorrow evening. That way, the big guy over there could run about and maybe even sleep better." He was sure his pets were annoying him. With the way he was looking their way when he'd met the cheetah's gaze, he couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

"I'll bet the big guy's excited."

Adam rolled his eyes. Always this 'animals are humans' kind of talk. "A wild animal is different from a domesticated one, you weirdo," he commented flatly. "A wild animal isn't going to just roll over and obey. You have to teach it. And if that means putting it on a leash and muzzling it to get it under control, then yes, that's what you have to do. Unless...you want the very real threat of your hand being bitten off dangling over your head every single time you go to feed him or something."

Well, Adam was right about one thing. There was no way that cheetah was going to go down easily, even if he did have a human form. If Clinton couldn't get him under control using his methods, he was going to have to do something else...something more controlling and drastic to show the cheetah that he was in control.

The cheetah's eyes narrowed minutely when Clinton glanced his way. He didn't seem to like Adam at all--the human had raised his arms up a little bit when one of the cats jumped up on his lap, looking a little uncomfortable. He wasn't the most comfortable around animals--he'd never had a pet before and just wasn't used to having animals around.

Clinton made a face. He'd never really thought of that and the thought isn't really pleasing. Idly, he wondered about asking the cheetah and probably about his human form too. Could he transform, really? Was that human he saw back then a real one? As he thought this thought, he blinked at Adam's hand blocking his view of the cheetah and turned to look at him. He snickered and motioned for Yuna to come sit on his lap and join Tidus. "In control or not, it doesn't matter," he told him as he'd rubbed both the cats' ears, "I'm just happy to see him everyday."

"It'd be nice, though, if I could touch him." Honestly, Clinton had wished he could touch that fur of his. The first time he'd felt him, he almost had the urge to just hug him all day. He was so soft. Far better than a teddy bear. Smiling at the cats rubbing up their muzzles in his hands, he chuckled and picked them up to set them on the floor. "You want to sleep over or do you want me to drive you home?" His eyes snapped towards the door when he'd heard the sound of a ringing tone playing about. It looked like it was his boss calling him for work.

"I'll have to inform the old man, though. First..."

"No, really. If you want to touch him, you have to show him who's boss." Adam sighed, stretching his legs out a bit now that the cat wasn't on his lap. "Wild animals are like that, you know? They submit to whatever's stronger than them. You have to prove that you're stronger than he is..."

Adam peered over at the cage momentarily, and he didn't seem to like the displeased look in the cheetah's eyes. He backed up a little bit, immediately averting his eyes. "I don't think I could go home right now if I wanted to. I'm not in my right mind yet." The hand that was holding onto the mug of hot chocolate was shaking slightly, indicating that he was still a bit off-balance even if he seemed to be all right, now. "Can I take your couch for the night?"

He didn't let on that that idea unnerved him. The thought of being anywhere near that...that beast put the man on edge. The cheetah had caught on to this, and he lowered his stance at once, making a clicking sound in the back of his throat.

If he did have a human form...now that he seemed a little more attentive, was it possible to coax him into changing forms?