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More from RedBand.Jackalope
New Dogs, Old Tricks: 5
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Old Trick: To quote Deadpool, “Fake laughter to hide real pain.”
CW: human trafficking
——————
Now that he was faced with actually talking about his self-avowed Tragic Backstory(TM), Javier was, for the first time since barreling into her life, at a loss for words. He looked deep into the coffee’s rich depths for guidance, pursing his lips thoughtfully. Stella didn’t rush him, only added cream and sugar to her cup and stirring as quietly as she could.
“I was born to a breeder,” he finally said.
“A what?” The spoon clanked loudly against the bottom of the mug.
“A breeder.” He frowned. “You know, someone who has a favorite breed of dog, gets a couple, and sells the litters for money? Like that. Except with shifters.” Stella’s chest was so tight that she could barely get air in, and it was only worsened by the cold, matter-of-fact way he spelled everything out. Is it really possible that someone would...breed sentient beings and sell them for money?
Then again, she already knew there were “dog catchers”. If there were people willing to hunt down and kill shifters, then there were people willing to...eugh.
“My mother is probably still there, in the mansion in the desert. It’s nice there. Marble floors everywhere. Fountains. She never seemed anything but content to be someone’s pampered pet, with everything she wanted at her fingertips.” He took a sip of his drink, and he didn’t seem to care that it was black and unsweetened. Stella wasn’t sure that he’d noticed.
“Every couple of years, the master of the house would bring in a stud, you know, and she’d have another litter. There was a rotation among the kids; old ones out, new ones in. I didn’t have many older siblings there. A few younger siblings. I think I have a littermate, but...I don’t remember her very well. She left. Sold.”
“Javier...” But what were you supposed to say to something like that? Instead of interrupting, Stella gently put her hand on his forearm, thumb moving idly back and forth.
“They brought someone there to meet me. A lady. She checked my coat. My eyes and teeth.” He took another sip, grimaced, and put it back down. “I knew she was going take me, like my sister. And I knew I didn’t want her to. So, I left.”
When he’d first transformed in front of her, he’d mentioned that he and Milo had been traveling together for a couple of years. How old had he been when he’d left the “mansion in the desert”? How long had he been out there, by himself? In the end, he didn’t explain further.
They sat like that, listening to the clock tick and the TV run in the living room where Milo was pretending he couldn’t hear everything. Stella waited until Javier slowly, mechanically, added a bit of sugar to his coffee.
“It’s probably cold by now. Let me get you a fresh cup.” She stood, but didn’t get far; Javier grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. Still looking down at the table, he took a deep breath. Swallowed hard. And pushed a rakish grin onto his face. Only then did he turn and beam up at her.
“What do you say?” he asked. “Good for sympathy cuddles?”
“I swear to god,” she muttered, and he laughed. It was stiff and a bit forced, but warmth had started to creep back into his tone. It meant she could breathe again, even if it was to take a breath in and let it out on a sigh, long and loud. Meaningful. With feeling.
“On the couch,” she said firmly. “For the length of one movie.”
“I get to pick the movie, though! Oh, oh - don’t do coffee. Let’s do popcorn.” Javier released the death grip on her hand, forgetting the coffee on the table and bounding into the living room, shouting for Milo the entire way. She heard him ask if there was a streaming service that sorted by longest movie.
Stella rubbed her face, heels of her hands running over her eyes. A breeder. The only-dogs-on-the-bed rule was still probably for the best for lots of reasons, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to hug Javier after that story. To tell him that it was okay now. He had Milo and now her, too.
“This one is four hours long?!” Javier exclaimed. “Hell yeah, we’re watching that.”
“What’s it about?” Milo rumbled.
“Who cares?”
Ugh.
————————————
Ed. note: The shirt is different in the first panel because this is over the course of several days. Javier is nothing if not determined.
I freaking love this hodgepodge, vignette style of storytelling. It takes a lot of the pressure off of planning and so on, throwing it all around like pasta to see what sticks. xD
Old Trick: To quote Deadpool, “Fake laughter to hide real pain.”
CW: human trafficking
——————
Now that he was faced with actually talking about his self-avowed Tragic Backstory(TM), Javier was, for the first time since barreling into her life, at a loss for words. He looked deep into the coffee’s rich depths for guidance, pursing his lips thoughtfully. Stella didn’t rush him, only added cream and sugar to her cup and stirring as quietly as she could.
“I was born to a breeder,” he finally said.
“A what?” The spoon clanked loudly against the bottom of the mug.
“A breeder.” He frowned. “You know, someone who has a favorite breed of dog, gets a couple, and sells the litters for money? Like that. Except with shifters.” Stella’s chest was so tight that she could barely get air in, and it was only worsened by the cold, matter-of-fact way he spelled everything out. Is it really possible that someone would...breed sentient beings and sell them for money?
Then again, she already knew there were “dog catchers”. If there were people willing to hunt down and kill shifters, then there were people willing to...eugh.
“My mother is probably still there, in the mansion in the desert. It’s nice there. Marble floors everywhere. Fountains. She never seemed anything but content to be someone’s pampered pet, with everything she wanted at her fingertips.” He took a sip of his drink, and he didn’t seem to care that it was black and unsweetened. Stella wasn’t sure that he’d noticed.
“Every couple of years, the master of the house would bring in a stud, you know, and she’d have another litter. There was a rotation among the kids; old ones out, new ones in. I didn’t have many older siblings there. A few younger siblings. I think I have a littermate, but...I don’t remember her very well. She left. Sold.”
“Javier...” But what were you supposed to say to something like that? Instead of interrupting, Stella gently put her hand on his forearm, thumb moving idly back and forth.
“They brought someone there to meet me. A lady. She checked my coat. My eyes and teeth.” He took another sip, grimaced, and put it back down. “I knew she was going take me, like my sister. And I knew I didn’t want her to. So, I left.”
When he’d first transformed in front of her, he’d mentioned that he and Milo had been traveling together for a couple of years. How old had he been when he’d left the “mansion in the desert”? How long had he been out there, by himself? In the end, he didn’t explain further.
They sat like that, listening to the clock tick and the TV run in the living room where Milo was pretending he couldn’t hear everything. Stella waited until Javier slowly, mechanically, added a bit of sugar to his coffee.
“It’s probably cold by now. Let me get you a fresh cup.” She stood, but didn’t get far; Javier grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. Still looking down at the table, he took a deep breath. Swallowed hard. And pushed a rakish grin onto his face. Only then did he turn and beam up at her.
“What do you say?” he asked. “Good for sympathy cuddles?”
“I swear to god,” she muttered, and he laughed. It was stiff and a bit forced, but warmth had started to creep back into his tone. It meant she could breathe again, even if it was to take a breath in and let it out on a sigh, long and loud. Meaningful. With feeling.
“On the couch,” she said firmly. “For the length of one movie.”
“I get to pick the movie, though! Oh, oh - don’t do coffee. Let’s do popcorn.” Javier released the death grip on her hand, forgetting the coffee on the table and bounding into the living room, shouting for Milo the entire way. She heard him ask if there was a streaming service that sorted by longest movie.
Stella rubbed her face, heels of her hands running over her eyes. A breeder. The only-dogs-on-the-bed rule was still probably for the best for lots of reasons, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to hug Javier after that story. To tell him that it was okay now. He had Milo and now her, too.
“This one is four hours long?!” Javier exclaimed. “Hell yeah, we’re watching that.”
“What’s it about?” Milo rumbled.
“Who cares?”
Ugh.
————————————
Ed. note: The shirt is different in the first panel because this is over the course of several days. Javier is nothing if not determined.
I freaking love this hodgepodge, vignette style of storytelling. It takes a lot of the pressure off of planning and so on, throwing it all around like pasta to see what sticks. xD
Category Artwork (Digital) / Comics
Species Coyote
Size 2550 x 3300px
File Size 1.87 MB
I’m glad you like it, and that it wasn’t too dark! (I tried to make sure that it didn’t get any darker than it needed to by way of his mother’s weird acceptance of the situation and wanting to be there.)
No matter what happens, Javier is Javier. xD; He both really wanted to talk to someone about his history and was also very jealous that Milo got emergency cuddles and he didn’t.
No matter what happens, Javier is Javier. xD; He both really wanted to talk to someone about his history and was also very jealous that Milo got emergency cuddles and he didn’t.
You are right, they are more sensitive than people! But between being shifters and the fact that (outside of their canine forms) they’re much larger than most dogs, a cup of coffee will not hurt them. They definitely shouldn’t drink as much as Stella, though.
Their diet is very similar to a human’s except that they can handle a much higher protein diet, can process raw meats better, and still should not eat much chocolate (like coffee, it’s okay in moderation).
Their diet is very similar to a human’s except that they can handle a much higher protein diet, can process raw meats better, and still should not eat much chocolate (like coffee, it’s okay in moderation).
My goodness, this was heartbreaking. You have really developed a full world and I love it (well, love is a strong word for anything with 'breeders', but I hope you get what I am saying). This is a wonderful story, darker then I expected, but that's alright; I'm enjoying it all the same.
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