Like when Garp found out about what his grandson was, he took it upon himself to perform surgery (botched as hell) on him as a babe to hide his identity from the World Government.
He's got a weird back as part of his wing bones were still inside his body as a baby and so it naturally grew wrong. When he flexes/ move his shoulder disk it would pop-out more and become even more noticeable. It basically looks like little pointy bumps on his back. He would show it off often in front of strangers as a "neat trick" but Garp smacked him out of it. He just does it in front of his crew now, crushing things with it or whatever random thing Luffy would do if he got bored. Ussop, Nami and Chopper would freak out at first but they got used to it pretty quickly (except Ussop).
Chopper believes he's hypermobile + devil fruit powers so nothing too of a concern. Oddly enough there are no scars.
When he awakens his devil fruit the clouds around him look like wings.
The more he goes into Gear 5 the more his back becomes incredibly itchy. Until one day his back felt heavier then usual and Ussop freaked out that there was a monster eating his back.
Luffy then rolls on the floor, trying to squish the supposed monster and proceed to pull it off when it doesn't work. Robin has to use her devil fruit powers to hold Luffy's hands when she recognizes what they are first.
He grew tiny little black wings. Small enough to hide under clothes. He cannot fly due to the size which bumps him out, he really wanted to fly without feel tired after using Gear 5.
Now listen up I'll be explaining this once and only once. There are five types of hybrid classification, from A to E.
"The first one, classification "A". This is where their animal traits are the minimalist in a physical sense. Uraraka herself is classified as an A-hybrid."
"Wait she's a hybrid?" You were shocked. She looked perfectly human to you.
Chiyo hums. "Yes dear, a hamster hybrid to be more accurate. She has significantly smaller features that allow her to hide her ears and tail."
"Though she cannot hide her eating habits. That one likes to stuff her cheeks full with mochi on her lunch breaks. " The granny recalls, laughing at her little remark towards her intern.
"I tell her it's gonna give her cavities but that young girl won't listen" her chuckle slowly dies as she wipes a tear and calms herself.
"But yes A-hybrid is allowed to hide and blend in with humans. They are more wildly accepted into society and have an easier life doing so."
You nod as she continues.
"Then we have B-hybrids. They are the most common form of hybrids taking 80% of the populace. They have more animalistic features showing compared to A's. More proportionate to their bodies too."
"You're new here so I can't really give you an example to visualize..." She says in deep thoughts, scratching her chin as she processes.
You try to imagine what they could look like, at the same time a familiar image pops in your head.
"Oh! I did meet another bull hybrid. But now I think about it he didn't really look like the guy in the barn. He wore shoes, like normal shoes. He goes by Fat gum. Do you know him?" You ask.
"Oh you've already met him?" Clearly surprised.
"Yeah, he seems like a nice guy. We met at the general store."
"Indeed he is. His apprentices on the other hand are a bunch of meat heads. Thinking that their scales are invisible with their "manly show downs" only to come to me when their osteoderms have cracked. But that is the youth for you". She says it so casually.
You just nod and smile.
You have no clue what osteoderms are.
"Anyway, Yes you are right he is a B-hybrid."
"Classification C and B are very similar from the waist up. But below, C-hybrids bipedal form display more to what species they are. Their feet take shape in the form of paws, claws talons and hoves, ect ect."
"Like your little bull. In most cases leg structures are arranged to match the feet. If we could compare your bull to Fat gum, the big guy would not have fur on his legs nor would not be structured like an ungulate mammal".
This got you to ponder on what she said.
"So... basically C-hybrids are satrsy?"
"Humm....Yes in a way". Chiyo hums in approval as she continues.
"Greek mythology and folklore alike have now brought new light with the history of humanity and emergence of hybrids."
" Speaking of Greek mythology, the last two, D and E-hybrids are classified as minators. Though they also have a more cruder representation known as beast folk."
You notice granny's face shifts into something odd as she finishes, like she was straining herself to continue with the conversation. As if the subject she is talking about now is tiring her. Her gaze doesn't meet your eyes. You could see she is just looking a head to you. Was she afraid to actually look at you? But why though. Why did she look so sad?
"Instead of having some animal features of their heads, they completely resemble an animal."
"Wait like they actually have animal heads?" You were shocked.
"What did I say about repeating myself" She grumbles, hitting your stool leg with her cane. It wasn't strong yielded so there wasn't any real malice behind it. You quickly apologize for embarrassment.
"E-Hybrids are different to D-hybrids but are similar to C and B-hybrids in comparisons. E-Hybrids have the most animalistic features, often spotting fur, feathers or scales all over their bodies. They have the same bipedal forms as C-hybrids too."
"I didn't know they existed! I've never even heard anything about them". You were trying to imagine what they could look like. Daydreaming a four legged animal suddenly getting up on its hind legs and walking around and about like a human was like a mixture of morbidity and Disney magic.
Chiyo finally looks at you. Her old eyes were glossy and filled with such sadness. Yet there was lingered hesitation. As if deciding to brush on to another topic or let it flow naturally.
She looks at you. No, she looks in you.
Trying to find something beyond your facial expressions. She recalls all the interactions you had with her. With the injured bull hybrid. You don't know what she found, but whatever it was it was all she needed to continue.
"You probably won't find a large population of them today, or anywhere as a matter of fact. Unfortunately they are the most demonised and discriminated against of all of them".
She signs as he holds her hands together, further explaining their history.
"They were actually the first case of hybrids to be rediscovered in modern human history". She says.
"In Qing Qing City, China, a poor farmer woman gave birth to her third child. Yet the birth was irregular. She gave birth to an E-hybrid, that resembled a boar. Before being discovered by the outer public and being taken away, the authorities took note that the village worshiped that child as their mountain God".
"Oh they tried to cover it up but it was too late. Neighboring villages came to be blessed by the child, word got out to the reporters and the rest is history."
"Woah" is all you say as you process this. The granny continues.
"At first the scientist thought it was the result of beastiality.Though that was quickly expelled when more births were recorded in nearby villages, then in the outer regions of China. As it slowly spread throughout the world it was considered a disease during the emergence. Caused mass panic and hysteria. Fingers were being pointed out to who was to blame while speculations towards food and water supplies being poisoned by other countries within global trade was common."
"In mythology, hybrids are either offspring of primordial beings and gods. In some cases it was a curse due to one's hubris. Today we still cannot explain how this phenomenon came to be. Some though, say it came from the stars."
"All we know is that they are here to stay no matter how hard we try to stop it."
Your stomach dropped. You get the feeling that "trying to stop it" was something not good. And that granny simply confirmed it.
"And by stopping it you mean..."
In some countries, authorities put bounties on adult living hybrids. Furthermore, during early hybrid emergence, doctors were forced to euthanize or abort any classification of hybridization in order to reduce the populace. Yet this took its toll on E-hybrids most of all when government incentives laxed. People found it more burdensome with the lack of resources compared to what we have today and did not want a child to have the face of an animal."
"There is also a common stigma, even today that the closer they look like an animal the more they act like one. This isn't simply true. Whatever species they are they can inherit minimal instincts. Like a tiger hybrid preferably liking meats then vegetables or rabbits hybrids being more jumpy at sounds. They are quirky traits that we can view as enhanced or physical personalities. They do not determine ones IQ."
She leans closer towards you, as if she's telling you a secret, her face pulls a cheeky grin.
"Truth be told, in my old age I've seen plenty of hybrids smarter than humans."
She laughs at her comment as she slaps her knee.
You join in with an amused chuckle.
"But what we do know is that humans giving birth to hybrids in this day and age is extremely rare, rarer than E-hybrids. Hybrids now give birth to hybrids."
She finished her history talk. This leaves you to ponder on her words. Fascinated yet feeling somber towards story about hybrids. Yet there were still gaps in your understanding that you needed clarification towards.
"There's something I don't understand. It's been nagging me." You say.
"Oh? Go on."
"You say hybrids are capable of being smart. Yet why are some kept as pets and others can own jobs."
"We humans see ourselves as the dominant species. The emergence of hybrids brings a potential threat to it. As a result we tried to kill what we feared and when that failed we learnt how to control it."
You were getting squish at what she was saying. It just sounded like the more this old woman spoke the worse the knowledge that came to you.
"That's....it feels like, like."
"Like slavery"
"Yeah..."
You really felt uncomfortable now. You didn't know just how bad hybrids lives are. It left a bitter taste in your mouth. You finally look away from her as you contemplate all of this. The granny could see your struggle and offered you an empathetic look.
"That's where the commission comes into play. Hybrid rights are not even around the world."
"Yes I know that". You say quietly.
"Even in this country, states have different laws regarding hybrid rights".
"Often hybrids need to have an owner."
Yep this definitely feels like slavery you thought.
"Hybrids can't go outside without their owner present nor able to get jobs with their approval.Yet there are loopholes."
"Their "Freedom" can come from the legal guardians. Approvals are not often needed and so they have significantly more privilege. Having guardianship can be an individual or a collective."
"Yet what if one wants to gain more independence?"
"The commission not only fights for hybrid rights but is able to become its legal guardian. They can live on their own, start families and even be able to own business."
"Well that's good right? Why do you say it like it isn't?" You're confused about the somber tone that still lingers in the air.
Chiyo looks away, her lips are in a firm line. She feels guilty that her talk is just making you more uncomfortable. Yet she continues to answer your question without sugar coating it.
"The commission is just as prejudice as any other form of government. The closer they look as humans the better off of being accepted within this program."
"Why would they do that?" Clearly confused towards this prejudice.
"Basic survival my girl. Society... is like a herd of deer. They can only survive if they are closely packed together, never to wander off, as ways hide on the tall grass. But what would happen if deer are being born different, white for instance. They are more vulnerable to prey and in doing so affect the entire herd's survival when they hide from predators. They would be easily picked off if the number of white deer grew. The easier option would be to kick white fauns from the herd. This would ensure the rest of the herd has a better chance of survival."
" So in other words. If the commission fails to integrate hybrids with humans then history would repeat itself." You say .
Chiyo nods sadly.
"In your case that bull you have is a white faun. While he won't talk to us yet about his social position it's clear he cannot maintain independence in his current state. His overall demeanor shows distrust in humans. The commission would withdraw his independence if he got in trouble kicking random people in public."
"His only option if you choose to remove him from your care will be simply sent to a rehabilitation center."
"You say it's like a bad thing? Won't they help him?" You say in confusion.
The old lady shakes her head.
"No. Rehab centers are often overfilled and lack proper resources. Furthermore, it's for the broken and abused. That is not what he is as per say. His wounds that I have identified show he has been engaged in some form of fighting."
"And he is still in that mentality to fight. And I have a feeling that he would see that place as simply another form of losing his freedom.... and well....it's another death sentence for him."
"Just more prolonged."
"It is better for him to be in a more isolated environment. To not make him feel like a prisoner, no not that. Somewhere stable that he can build trust at his own pace without some corporate body using him to get results to meet a quota."
She suddenly grabs your hand into hers and holds them tightly. You slightly jump at her actions.
"He needs honest reassurances. Someone who he can let his guard down and feel safe. And above all. He needs a friend." She says with a warm yet with worry conviction.
"I'm not telling you to keep him forever. I want you to be a legal guardian. A temporary one."
You took your time to answer as you let your mind wonder.
Already you have met three different types of hybrids in under a week. You never knew the complexity of this matter. Especially the cruel reality of inequality that different hybrids face. In reality you never thought of seeing one in real life. Your old town and much of your state had below average on hybrid populations. Laws weren't that supportive of their rights and many stores outright banned them from entering. Thought it was 'bad for business' they would say. Your family didn't have anything nice to say about them either, but you've blocked most of it out, like every rant they go through.
You ignored most social media channels and influencers too. They treated them like lesser beings. Something to control. It just didn't sit right with you. Thank god these things didn't desensitize you and you become a bigot yourself. It's just such a shame that your first encounter with one seems like he's been abused by one.
Even though the hybrid sitting in your barn looks more like his animal counterpart that doesn't mean he's mentally like one, right? Yeah he's acting aggressively like an angry bull. But he cannot be like that 24/7. He's hurt. And when he calms down he does act sensible. You've seen it. He's simply running on "fight" instincts all this time.
Granny is right, maybe you can help settle him down.
"What about if he had a previous guardian, owner...uh situation like that. He didn't say much to me but he kept freaking out about going back to some place. That means he was in someone's care, what if they want him back?"
She smiles darkly at your question as she squeezes your hands again. Her cheery tone juxtaposition the grim look she's giving. It was almost scary to see.
" If his owner did do this to him then by all accounts I will use all my medical expertise against them and I would personally file for abuse and abandonment. I would burn their reputation and expose them for the vile human being they are."
"Oh?! Ummm... Okey then!"
Josh what a scary grandma indeed. You just said yes in agreement and you had no clue what to say as a followup response.
"Excellent!"
Oh wait fuck granny thought you meant you said 'yes' to being a temporary guardian. Well, you were going to say yes anyway but not like that. Before you could explain yourself the old women hopped off the stool and walked out the door. In a hast you stumble off your own and run out to catch up with her.
The both of you walk back into the barn. You puffed out by tailing after her. As the two of you enter the stall you see Uraraka packing up her equipment.
"Mind give me an update." Chiyo asks
"Yes ma'am!" She quickly stands up tall and straight as she gives her the whole report.
"He's got a slight fever, due to the infection from his fingers and lack of sufficient nutrients. Malnutrition is present, with early stages of wasting. I have already given him an IV bag as well as several boosters and meds to ease his pain. He has a break out of psoriasis along the areas where he was chained up which I've applied cream to those areas. I've also taken the liberty of cutting his hair as it was just an absolute mess" She states.
Your gaze shifts beyond her, towards the young bull hybrid. He was covered in bandages as he was spread out on the hay fast asleep. Though there was something weird he had on.
"What is he wearing?" You ask as you point out.
"Oh I moved those nasty chain and placed a brace harness. We often use them for recovery patients for major trauma but I tinkered with it to be an actual harness for him. He's definitely gonna be a runner and he needs prolonged treatment in order to get better. So I needed something with support but added the much needed comfort that it wouldn't damage his skin further."
"Good, good my girl". Chiyo says as she pats her intern on her shoulder.
"Alright well need to follow up with weekly appointments to manage his overall health. We will come by to check up on him as well." Chiyo tells you.
The granny walks into the bulls stall to take another look over him again. As she does she lifts her cane to the hybrids face, moving his hair from it.
"We need to break him in" she says nonchalantly.
"Eh???" You were confused by her remark. She wants to break him?
"Oh dear no I don't mean it in the literal sense."
" We need to break him out of his mind set. To see that you and others mean no harm. Clearly lack of respect is an issue.This is an extreme measure though. It will be an unpleasant experience for him too. But it's a last measure if he doesn't open up. Certainly this would have to be done after he's been cleared by me though. He needs time to heal." She states.
"Oh...How do we do that?" You ask.
"Don't worry, I got a friend who owes me a favor. He would be happy to help with this case."
"But before all that this the barn is not suited to hybrid. I don't recommend keeping him in your house until he settles down so the best course of action would be to get in contact with with Fat gum now."
"Right thank you".
Chiyo hums in response. The two of them collect their things as they head to their van. Just as you were about to wave them off she calls out to you.
"You are a kind soul. I hope everything turns up well for the both of you "
And just like that they leave, their van off in the distance kicking up dust in the air until they are out of view. You walk back inside your house, reflecting in the rollercoaster that was your day.
You didn't go into the barn when you came home. Yes, yes, you know you promised him that you would come back to him as soon as you got your supplies. But you were going to have a professional check him out this afternoon, and they would do something tremendously better than what you could do with your YouTube first aid knowledge. His stall did come with a window though so with a quick glance you did find out he at least cleaned some blood off him. Most of his body was curled up in a fetal position with his back to you while he slept so you couldn't see him properly. For the first time since you saw him he looked so peaceful. You hoped having a full belly would help him stay in a deep slumber until the vet arrives. It wouldn't be good if he hurt himself even more.
Entering your home you put your supplies away as you wait for Dr Chiyo Shuzenji. As you do so you notice something fell out of your pocket as you kneeled down to put bandages under the bathroom sink cupboards. At a glance you see you dropped the paper that "Mr store owner gossiper" gave you. You don't recall what other numbers were written there. You reach over to grab it. Your legs start to generally feel thumb from the position you were in, in which you may have gotten up too fast out of eagerness to avoid pins and needles. This caused you to forget where your body was positioned under as you hit your head on the sink's edge with a loud thud!
Aww fuck! You shouted grabbing your head at the site of the pain with both hands. You wobble back but quickly balance yourself. Rubbing your head you finally are standing up straight. Now you have to deal with both hip and head pain. You just can't catch a break this week!
As you stand you got to see yourself for the first time today in the mirror.
"God! Taneo Tokuda was right. I Look like shit". You say pressing a finger along the eye bags you have from a poor lack of sleep. Your hair now in a fritz from the recent accident.
Out of the corner of your eye you notice something weird in your sink. Looking down you groan out of inconvenience. Your note somehow flew into your leaky ass sink.
"NONono!!" You cry as you pry it out. The paper wasn't badly soaked but the pen ink easily ran and washed out making it ineligible. Only a single word remained but even then it was hard to read
"Tsukauchi?" You read out loud. "UGH!!!" You groan as you throw the now useless paper in the bin as you storm out of the bathroom.
"I need a beer."
----------------------
You were sitting down on the varanda, beer in hand when the veterinary van finally arrived. It was around 1pm, the Summers heat was in full swing. You give them a short wave as they park in front of your house. Taking a final sip of your bottle, you set it down to introduce yourself.
But what you were expecting to come out of the van was certainly not this.
An old lady, frail looking and much shorter hops out, patting herself down, she grabs her walker from the side of the driver's seat.
.
..
...
Oh
Oh no!!
'I'm gonna be an accessory to a crime. That bull hybrid is definitely gonna kick her soul out of her body.'
'No she'll probably die of a heart attack first with how crude he was'.
As she walks to you, you try to get the panic look quickly off your face. A wobbly smile formed and hoped the granny didn't take much notice. With the way her eyes were squinting you thought she might be half blind too. How she still retains a driver's license at her age is beyond you.
"Oh, hello are you Dr Chiyo Shuzenjo?" You ask sweetly. Sweat forms from your forehead, definitely not from being directly under the sun. You're starting to freak out that you're condemning this poor old lady to death.
"Right you are deary!" She says warmly. As you shake each other's hands you see some movement in the van. Stepping out of the passenger seat it was hard to see as she walked behind the vehicle getting something out.
The granny must have seen the direction of your eyes before she spoke next.
"Oh yes, I've brought an intern with me. Shes gonna be my assistant for today."
"Ochaco" She calls out to her assistant.
"Don't be rude come say hello. You can get the equipment after".
A loud squeak can be heard from the back of the van, followed by a loud bang. You see what believes to be a child, well a teenager. Probably around 15 years old. She runs up to you with such haste as she carries several large bags that probably hold medical supplies.
"Hello my name is Ochaco Uraraka it's nice to meet you". She bows politely as she introduces herself. She seems overly cheerful, with a big smile shining on her face that just made your stomach turn.
Great.
You are gonna be responsible for a double homicide.
You need to warn them about their patient.
"Ummm listen I don't know what the receptionist said but uh... It's just that the guy in the barn is kinda aggressive.
Like one minute he's calm and the next minute you're knocked out of the stall."
"He kicks. Like a lot. "
You hoped that it might deter them and try to do something about finding someone who was more skilled for the task at hand. They both laughed instead. You looked between the two of them, confused. You thought that they might not believe you, that an aggressive hybrid wasn't common in these parts and you're just overreacting.
"Oh a bit of ruff and tumble is normal in my line of work. Nothing new that these old bones can deal with."
"Okay...." Still concerned. Her response didn't ease you at all. Nor the gentle pat on the back she gave you for reassurance. Her assistant gives an enthusiastic thumbs up too. It feels surreal how calm they are about this.
Welp you tried.
You show them to the barn. As you all walk in you notice that the bull Hybrid was still asleep. Yet he must have been sleeping light as his ears flicked to the sound of everyone's footsteps on the hay. He slowly sits up from his sleeping position, his long hair carries some hay within making it more rat filled. Scraps of apple cores and other fruits are pushed to the side when he crosses his legs.
He briefly rubs his eyes before taking in the sight before him. He froze, eyes flashing back and forth at each individual before finally focusing onto you. His crimson eyes flash you with a menacing glare filled with betrayal. His ears ticked back in threat. You try to reassure him with a weak smile but he doesn't respond to it. Nor at the granny as she spoke to him. His focus was on you only on you. Your hands start to sweat as you audibly glup.
"I'm sorry" was the first thing you could say. It was felt guilt ridden, like you you've betrayed his trust.
"I don't think I can help with your wounds so I brought someone who can." You say as you try to at least clear some misunderstanding with him (it failed). You gesture your hands to the old lady to which she finally introduces herself.
"Hello there sweetie my name is Chiyo Shuzenji. I'm a hybrid vet. Yes, your farmer friend is right. I am here today to take a good look at you and treat your wounds." She says calmly and clearly as she walks in front of you so the hybrid could see her better. Yet his focus was still shooting daggers at you. You can't really look away either, worried that he might set off again and try to storm that granny. You came to the decision that you were going to grab her if he did that.
"Are you able to tell me your nam- FUCK OFF!"
He snarls, interrupting the older women. His hair obscures his face as you see him move erratically. You try to grab onto Chiyo but she raises her hand and shakes her head. Her gaze is focused on the bull before her and in doing so you follow.
The hybrid before you gets up fast, too fast. He wobbles as he only is using his legs and not his hands to pull him self up from the floor. But eventually he steadies himself. Only then you really take in what you are seeing.
It was the first time you saw him not crouching or sitting. Standing up he was certainly tall. Not taller than the other bull hybrid you saw at the stall. But definitely taller than you, even with the slight forward hunch he displayed. His arms hang loose off his shoulders as he kept his hands tightly bound into fists.
His hair cascades down like a murky river. It obscures the majority of his face once more. Only his left eye remains visible. Clearly burning with fury.
"My, my. what a fowl mouth" Grannie grumbles with a frown. She tuts in disapproval as she cocks her head back to her assistant.
"Alright Ochaco you got your notes read?"
"All set Ma'am !" She proudly says, ready to jolt down. You side eye her in confusion but she just smiles back.
"Alright If you want to skip the formalities that's fine. let's evaluate". Is the last thing she says as she steps into his stall.
"Woah! wait wait!" You called out but she didn't listen and just continued to walk to him.
With his height he could easily kick her like a football. You morbidly thought.
She didn't get very far when he made his move. He aimed a direct kick at her. You were in a mixture of being too gutless and in pure shock to help. You don't recall but you may or may not have screamed in terror.
And just as shes about to come into contact with his hoof.
She dodges.
"Sharp kick, no discomfort nor damage to the hoves." She states, like she didn't come close to death. Her voice is clear and still retaining her breath.
She takes another step closer.
Her assistant begins to write down everything Dr Chiyo says. But you ignore her, too engrossed at the sight before you.
If the bull hybrid was puzzled by not hitting his target he definitely masked it well.
You could feel the hybrid strength in his kick as it cut through the air. It was swift from the start and end of his action. As he drops his leg on the ground he drags his hooves into a crouch position, ready to strike again.
"Continuous form. Holds his pose irregularly. Definitely from an adopted commercial fighting stance". Dr Chiyo notices. She grasps at her walking cain and bangs it on the side on the wooden wall, echoing throughout the barn.
It was a clear taunt. To break his mold. But he didn't even flinch. Only his eyes moved to the general direction of the sound. That was all she needed to evaluate him further.
"Pupils are not dilated. I would like to conduct a blood test for 'Trigger' for the possibility of still in his system ".
He laughs, raspy in nature at that. As if it was some inside joke. He sneers mockingly at the old lady, clearly interested in her deducting. Though it looked like he felt humorous at her acquisition.
Just as he finishes his laugh, he attacks once more. This time she charges forward as well. Using her cane she blocks his low sweep. She quickly analyzes his body up close .The sudden parry from her cane causes him to stumble back but supports himself as his remaining chains tug from the wall.
"Skin damage present. lacerations on wrist and on neck. Notice of bruising, redness and rashes where the binding has been present. Scratching is the most prolific surrounding neck column. Suspension of an allergic reaction from the chain's metal. Infection is likely present, closer analysis is needed.
He huffs, clearly pissed off. He charges again to no avail. She quickly doges. The sight before you is like a twisted dance. A tango, marked rhythms and postures of hate that juxtaposed the pauses and critical eye of his dance partner. The music, is rhythmic towards the clanging of chains to the slow build of wheezing breathlessness.
*Attack*
*Dodge*
*Attack*
*Duck*
*Attack*
*Dodge*
*Attack*
*Miss*
*Miss*
*Miss*
He may be bigger and stronger. But like David and Goliath, is grandeur was his weakness. Slowly cracks were starting to show. His attacks were becoming slower and sluggish while his dance partner was still graced in movement.
"You're not centered. He's using he's right side more. Possible upper body injury. Stress by being bound by chains could be a likely result. Need to check arms and ribs for hidden damage." She points her cane at him as she talks, directing
"Right!" Her assistant responds.
"You're really on my nerves old hag!" He clenches his fist tighter. Throughout his fight he only used his legs and horns to attack. He only used his hands to keep himself balanced. Even if he got the chance his fists were mostly rested closely to the side of his chest. As if he was trying to hide it from her. But with her critical eye it was practically pointless.
The truth easily came out.
And he didn't like it.
"Not using his hands in interaction. Fists are clenched yet redness and odd formations are showing." She continues.
"Possible missing fingers-"
"SHUT UP!" He roars as he charges at her. It wasn't coordinated. No, it was desperate. Not like the fury as before. This was fueled with something raw, with worry. But Dr Chiyo didn't listen to his cry , she proceeded with her analysis.
"-on the left hand around the middle phalanx at the ring and pinky." She says during blocking his attack. She side steps behind him.
"NO STOP!"
"Right hand-"
"IM FINE, FUCK!" He cries. He tries to turn around but she pulls on the chain, tugging his arm along with it. She gets a better side of the other hand. He tries to resist but his current condition and hasty movements has made his body significantly exhausted.
"IM FINE THERE NOTHING WRONG WITH ME, I CAN I-I CAN-" He begins to speak erratically, panic has set in. He's shaking while his eyes are wide in terror. He flickers his sight around the stall with worry as if believes that someone else you do know is watching in. His eyes briefly glace at you.
It was a gut wrenching sight. He looked like a scared animal backed in a corner. His eyes were silently pleading to step in . To tell her to stop. But with this whole situation you've remained quiet. You can't understand the 180° change as such. He reminded you of how last night his demeanor changed as soon as you noticed his hand condition. What was wrong about his hands that freaked him out. Shame? Self disgust? None of those words really fit the picture before you. He was scared. And that begs the question.
Scared of what.
"proximal phalanx at the pinky, further evaluation is needed." She finishes, letting go of the chains.
"Got it". Ochaco replied back.
The hybrid stops his trembling and freezes for a sec. One might think that he may have calmed down. But as soon as he started shaking once more, it was filled with hatred.
For the first time he lunged at the old lady, with the aim to choke her with his hands.
"FUCKEN BITCH! DIE!!!"
....
Funny thing about being as short as Dr is that you are at great dick kicking distance. And oh how the tables have turned as she indeed kicked him in the dick. An audible grunt choked out of his mouth as he crumbled forward on his knees, cradling his painful manhood .
"Tch what fowl language you have, your mother should be ashamed" Granny scorns him, like she wasn't in a second of being choked.
As she walked up in front of him she placed her hand on hid shoulder.
"He-hey what are you-" He doesn't get the chance to finish as the Dr pinches his neck causing him to go lax. She steps away as he falls forward and lands face first on the hay, out cold.
For the first time during this whole ordeal you spoke. "Wha? What did you do???" Clearly too many things are happening at once and no one is reacting like you are. Is this normal for these guys???
"Pinched his nerves, don't worry I will give him anaesthetic for the safety of it . We don't want him getting up any time soon. I was never gonna trust him awake to let me treat him. Far too untrustworthy" she explains. She then stretches and cracks her back.
"Not as flexible as I'm used to. He nearly got me there with his last attack, ha". She laughs.
You side eye Ochaco and she looks at you, eyes beaming with such adoration.
"Isn't Dr Chiyo great. I wish to be like her someday!"
You just politely nod as you just roll with the emotions. You don't doubt it. Granny is probably training her to be her successor or something.
"Come now Ochaco. I need your assistance." Her assistant rushes over and opens her bags to get the equipment out.
It was a blur of disinfectants, IVs and wrapping around the bandages when the granny stopped what she was doing
"Holler if you need me." She says to the young her before she walks to you.
She wipes the sweat off her head . Even though the barn was cooler compared to outside. Moving about like she did definitely exhausted her.
"Let's go inside we have much to talk about" Chiyo states as she cocks her thumb back in the general direction of your house. For such a small granny you had a hard time trying to keep up with her.
You do catch up to open the door for her. You could hear her softly say somewhere along the lines of 'such a polite girl', which caused you to blush out of her modesty.
"Do you have tea" she says as she sits at the breakfast nook.
You don't recall buying it but you check your pantry anyway "Uh...I've got coffee?" You suggest.
"Oh dear no I don't drink coffee. Bad for my old heart". She waves it off. You just nod. You were about to sit with her until she spoke again.
"Got any beer?"
You thought she was joking and made a quick laugh out of it. But the way she was looking at you was deemed genuinely a real question.
"Oh shit she's serious. Damn grandma drinking on the job. Coffee might be bad for your heart but it isn't like alcohol is any better' you think to yourself as you grab two beers for each other.
She thanks you as you grab a stool and sit opposite her. She says her thanks as she takes a swing of it and comments about how this will help cool her from the summers heat. She later sighs, recollecting her thoughts on how she's going to deliver the news to you.
"Now I'm not gonna sugar coat but he's in a bad condition". Chiyo says in a critical tone as she sets down her can, her eyes focusing on her hands gripping the beer.
"I have to ask before I proceed." She continues, still not looking at you.
"What is it?" You question, ears peaked with curiosity and slight worry.
"What are you going to do with him?" She ask
"Huh?"
"What I mean is are you going to keep him?" She finally looks at you, it feels deliberate as if she's trying to analyze you now. Feeling like you've been putting on the spot.
"I didn't really haven't thought about it. Truthfully I don't know."
And that was the truth. You've been concerned about his current health that you didn't think about the future. You doubt that he would want to stay here on his own free will. And you're not too sure he wouldn't do anything to hurt you again if he did stay.
But you DO want to help. When you first saw him you didn't really think why you went straight away and helped him.
But looking back you saw yourself in him. Scared and alone, like you when you were a child. Everyone turned a blind eye to your marks. You ached for someone who would care to help you. You couldn't ignore him like the people who were supposed to be there for you ignored you.
Chiyo could see your inner turmoil. She could see you didn't view him as a burden nor view him as something in a disgusting manner. But with genuine concern and worry.
She softly smiles and reassures you.
She takes another swing of her beer before continuing. She knows this is going to be a long talk already.
"You don't have to get a definitive answer straight away. Let's take a step back."
"How much do you know about hybrids?"
"Really? Nothing. He is actually the first one I've seen in real life".
"Oh boy I've really got my work caught out for me." She drinks the remaining drink in one gulp.
"That is fine I will explain it to you" she waves you off.
You weren't expecting to inherit a large sum of money in your 20s. Heck you thought you were never even going to own a house in the entirety of your life. Whatever God up there decided to respond to your prayers after all this time did it in one go as to say sorry for the atrocious luck you've been dealt with.
You somehow acquired all of your late uncles assets. Why? Well your family are god damn awful and you guess he gave a big ass 'fuck you' from beyond the grave to them as he decided to give everything to someone who he'd last seen was when you were a child. Maybe he's taking pity on you from beyond his grave as well. Honestly you don't care, you're filthy rich (compared to what you were before). And as soon as you could you high tailed out of your abusive family situation. You knew when all of the sudden they started acting sweet to you for the first time in years, with no judgemental glares nor threats and acts of violence, it was for all the wrong reasons.
It was a fresh start. Your uncle owned a large plot of land that used to be his farm house before retiring and moving to a retirement village, eventually croaking there. It was pretty much remote which was good for you as you wanted to be as far away from your family as possible. Hell you think your family might not know where your uncle's old farm even is. You certainly didn't get an intervention last minute before leaving or a surprise visit from one of your relatives upon arrival.
The downside to all this was that you weren't expecting the state of the farm to be a fixer upper. It was practically abandoned and it clearly showed too. Despite what the real estate agent said they had someone come in now and again for general maintenance, and had some local folks use the land for grazing purposes; most of the fences were knocked down. And the vegetation in some places were at hip height. The house itself was clearly caked in dust and smelled sooo dam awful that the mixture of cigarettes and musk that you slept in your car the first night while you let the house aired out.
Your second, third day and forth day wasn't any better than the first. Country towns are prolific in being tight nit and not too welcoming to strangers. Apparently word got around about the new owner of the plot of land you now own. Strangely enough, one of the local shop keepers, Taneo Tokuda instantly knew who you were. You reckon it was him that spread your name around cause now everyone says it before you give introductions first. He keeps pestering you with questions too. Mostly about your uncle and what plans you have with the farm. He might sound like a nice and concerned old man, but you have a feeling his hobby and passion is just gossip. Nothing too bad, It just reminds you a bit too close to home with the lack of privacy you had. So you're trying to stand clear of him and shop further out of town in the meantime.
You pretty much stayed clear of the other infrastructure within your property and focused on fixing up the house as your primary objective. Your fourth day here mostly consisted of cleaning the hell out of it, dumping out unsellable furniture and getting rid of cigarette gunk from the walls. The whole ordeal made you instantly pass out once you placed your head on your pillow.Yet the blissful rest of sleep did not come.
Witching hour was in full swing when you woke up to a loud thump. In your groggy state you look at your window and see rain hitting the glass. The old house must just be moaning and groaning from what you thought, and rolled over to succumb to sleep once more. But it wasn't until another minute had passed that the sound occurred once more, this time louder. You groan as you sit up, clearly annoyed by your lack of sleep. You glance at your window once more, its view is of an old barn. In association, it was in the same direction the sound was coming from. It wasn't a continually occuring sound either, there were gaps in the bangs, some softer and some repetitive and loud. It certainly wasn't something one could try to ignore and go to sleep with. Furthermore it was not favourable to move to the musky old couch for the night in fear of getting some kind of rash in the morning from it.
Being alone in the middle of bumfuck nowhere with no one you know left you on edge and made your mind wonder. There was no mention of animals being present here. Yet the storm outside might have favored your barn as a temporary shelter to whatever animal is nearby. You try to reason yourself, it must be some animal, the wind just knocked something loose and is kicking around in the rain and all that. But just nagging in the back of your mind, doubts swept in.
'What if it's someone? Someone who is breaking in? What if your family found out and knows where you live-'
You instantly kicked off your sheets. In a rush you chuck a rain coat on and walk out onto the varanda. But just as you were about to step into the rain you stopped. Cursing to yourself you head back inside. "It was only to bring your mind at ease", you told yourself. 'You weren't going to actually use it', in wobbly reassurance as you walk back outside once more, and old shotgun in hand.
It wasn't a heavy downpour but the wind and pitch blackness of the country side made it bothersome to trench towards the noise, getting louder and louder as you reach the barn.
The old barn door opened with a loud eerie creak that echoed along its wooden walls, causing the noise that was inside to instantly stop. Whatever thing is residing within certainly knows your presence now. With a deep, shaky breath you took a step inside, gripping the old shot gun tighter. On edge, your eyes flicker amongst the shadows, but darkness mostly fills your vision. Your only senses available to you right now was occupied by the crunch of dry hay meeting your wet boots and the rain hitting on the barns glass windows. You try to get your bearings together by feeling out some form of light switch on the wall beside the door. You thumbled for a bit until you found a surface switch. Turning it on, lights flickered in haze, buzzing until it fully illuminated the rooms. Gaining your sight once more would have eased your mind, but at the same time you turned it on a loud bang could be heard from the back stalls, making you jolt. The sounds continue to emulate, loud scrapings in between. You thumbled with your shot gun aiming where the sound is coming from. Slowly and cautiously you step closer towards the noise. Whatever this thing was it sounded desperate to escape. You hope your theory of an animal seeking shelter is true and you've just startled it. 'It's okay you can just nudge it out to the barns exit', you thought.
When you just enter the back stalls you take a glimpse of the moment, just slightly being obscured by the stables railing but you saw it. A wisps of something hairy...and a hand. A human hand. Fear trickled down your spine as the worst case scenario came true.There was some stranger doing god knows what in this barn.
They haven't seen you just yet.
You cock your gun in their direction as you move closer. When you finally got a full view of the intruder you both froze.
It wasn't human.
It was a- "A...Hybrid?" You say it out loud, accidentally.
You've never seen a hybrid, not in person really. Your knowledge has been through glaces of advertisement for hybrids to social media influences showing off their hybrids like a viral trend. Even then those hybrids were commonly associated with the norm of actual pets such as a dog, cat or even bunnies. The one trembling before you was clearly not some humanised, cute fluffy companion.
It was a bull. And one in bad condition as a matter of fact.
From what you could see, his dark fur and hair was overgrown and ratty. Much of it was obscuring his face, twisted and caked in blood and filth. Two small-ish horns protruded out of his head. His body was mostly exposed to the natural elements, mostly human looking despite flicks of fur licking his arms and legs, forming his feet into hoves. The only thing protecting him from the natural elements other than his fur was heavily worn three-quarter pants that were thread bare.
The more you stare at the hybrid the more you notice just how fearful he is. His body is completely ridged as he locks his stance in a semi crouch. The only movement was him breathing. He is on the skinner side too, ribs could be seen.
Then there were the chains. So many chains. His wrist and neck was cuffed and collard, latched onto the wall. It digged and irritated his skin as red welts became heavily inflamed. There were further deep cuts where is nails were clawed against his dry skin, leaving scabbing and dry blood underneath his nails. Whether it was from trying to escape or out of frustration you don't know.
This was what the main noise was coming from. The poor thing was trying to break free. You don't know just how long he had been here but you do know with the condition he's in someone left him to die here.
It took a good sec to remember you're still pointing a gun at him. Definitely making the reason why he's still frozen in place.
"Shit shit shit!!" You frantically set down the gun.
"Sorry!!!" You said apologetically as you raise your hands up to show you mean no harm.
"I ain't going to hurt you!"
The hybrid is still frozen in front of you. You try to further convince him by kicking the gun out of view.
"See no harm!"
While you couldn't see his eyes he directed his motion from his head looking from you to the gun and back to you. His shoulders sag but his frame still looks mostly ridged. You hopefully got the message that you are no threat to him.
"I had no idea you were here" you explain.
"I'm sorry." Sorry that you didn't notice him sooner. If you were more curious about the farms infrastructure then maybe you could have helped sooner. His wounds would have been less aggravated. Sorry that he's like this in general.
"Ca-can you speak?" You ask but he doesn't respond. You look at his chains around his neck that were digging into his skin the most. You point at it in a general breaking motion as you spoke.
"I reckon that must be painful. I can see if I can take it off, alright".
He still doesn't say anything. You reckon he might be mute with how he's not responding to you vocally. But his body is so expressive that you get the gist of it. Other than his guarded frame, his cow ears flick back like a cat's irritation.
"Please, I'm not here to hurt you."
A good minute passed as the two of you stared at each other. Finally he responds with a slight and lazy nod.
"Cool." You say softly.You definitely wouldent be able to remove these chains by hand, you needed a tool for this job. Telling him you would be back soon you dash out of the barn making way to one of the sheds on the property. You were practically working under piss poor lighting, nocking god knows what around. You do eventually find the most rusted bolt cutters with the way your feeling rust scrapes your fingers.
Eventually you make your way back. You enter the stall drenched by the rain but you don't care. You're just happy that you found something that can help him out of this awful situation.
"I'm gonna have to touch you if that's alright" you say as you lean in front of him. You reach his chain around his neck but stop as he gasps, trying to back away when there's no room to go.
"Hey, it's okay, it's okay". You wait for him to steady his breathing. He gives you the okey when he leans forwards.
It wasn't easy to cut. It took awhile to just a snap the first chain, breaking free the one that held him tied to the barns walls. The next was the one around his neck that acted like a collar. But each snip the more relaxed the hybrid became.
Next was his arms, also very similar. Chains as makeshift cuffs and further pinned to the wall.
"Alright just one more to go". You say softly. Amongst cutting the chains you try to distract him by talking to him. He genuinely looks actually relaxed now. What you didn't know is that while you have been focused with cutting him free he's been looking at your face the entire time.
"Then afterwards I'll need to step out again I-I won't be long just to get something to clean your wounds. I bet you're hungry too. I'll bring back something that you can eat-"
You were at the second last chain around his wrists when what you notice makes you stop completely. While his hands were in first there was something clearly wrong.
He's missing fingers on both hands.
And he notices that you see them.
Out of nowhere sharp pain hits the side of you. You fall back at a distance, gasping in confusion. You roll on your other side hugging your hip as you look back at him. One of his legs is raised in the air.
He just kicked you.
Long gone was the scared little guy. No, you were meeting fury. You stilled at what you were seeing. His face now in clear view as his eyes shone in crimson red. His teeth bared in a low growl as his frown enhanced the scared marking around his face.
"Fuck" Is all you could say.
"G-geet o-OUT!!!" A raspy cry emulated from him. Too raw for one to normally speak. If it was painful to hear you can't imagine how bad it feels for him.
You don't move as you were still in shock.
"OUT!!" He roars as he goes in a sprinting stance like he was OF FUCK He's GONNA CHARGE AT YOU!!
You mad dash out of the stall, running from the barn back to your house. In the mist of it you hear chains rattle then cling, followed by a general thud. One of his arms is still chained to the wall so isn't able to escape. But your brain was filled with adrenaline to not get gouged by him that it didn't matter.
Slamming the door shut you collapsed on the carpet in pure adrenaline, shaking while trying to collect your thoughts.
'He was perfectly fine before. Why did he have to be aggressive all of the sudden'. You sigh, debating on whether to just call the police and make it some other person's problem.
But that was quickly shut down.
No, when you looked at him you couldn't stop seeing you in him. Cowering and meek. He would just lash out further with being surrounded by strangers. You don't know if the place they take him would be better than the place he came from.
You can't leave him in that state that he is any much longer either.
"Tomorrow. I go back tomorrow".
Tomorrow will be better.
............
Morning came sooner than you would have liked.You wished you could sleep in but the bruise already forming felt like a bitch. You groan as you get up, lifting your shirt to inspect it. Your brain was slow to catch up but at the sheer sight of it caused further throbbing. You hissed in pain as you walk to your bathroom, retrieving what little pain medicine you brought before your travel here. You really could be bothered to deal with how you looked at the moment, not when you had a mission at hand. You chucked whatever clothes you had nearby, grabbing a backpack of what you needed before heading off to the barn.
"Hello?" You call out as you push the barn doors open. You could hear the clang of the remaining chains on his hand. Not sporadic or hasty as last night, but dragged along the floor as if he was moving positions. Maybe he had just woken up, you thought.
"Hey, hey it's just me". You say as you enter his stable entrance. Just standing outside. Under the bright lighting you really get to see him. Your description of him last night was only tame to what you see right now. He really was in a bad state. What you thought was dark hair was what you actually believed to be soot and filth coating it. This time he was sitting in with his legs to his chest, hands hiding on his lap. It made him look even smaller than he was yesterday.
You winced as his crimson eyes bore into you with such malice. His gaze makes your bruise flare up. Uneaseness quenched your stomach from how you were going to deal with this. You didn't want to piss him off again and get your ass kicked. Definitely stay clear of his legs.
You try to smile at him through your inner turmoil but it was definitely wobbly.
"See I brought a peace offering" you say as you take the backpack off your shoulder and display various items that were just out of reach from him. Most of it was fruits, a couple of water bottles for drinking and to clean his wounds, and the bolt cutters.
As you unpack you try to reassure him.
"Sorry if I frightened you yesterday... I just want to help you."
"...."
"But I still want to help you out of your chains. And I can't really do that if you try kicking me again, yeah? So how about don't do that. I can-"
"Your new."
It was direct. Dry and coarse. He over spoke you like he couldn't be bothered into listening to what you had to say. It made you a bit irritated as all you were doing was trying to be nice to him.
You didn't finish talking.You stopped what you were unpacking just to look at him. He must have not liked the look you pulled as he "tisked" back, clearly over with this interaction already.
"Hurry up and send me back". He snaps, huffing a breath through his nose as he leans further back on the wooden barn wall.
You were so confused.
"Back? Back where?" You said, trying to get him to talk more so you could understand what on earth is going on here. But his only response is a sharp grin, like he figured you out and is calling your bluff.
You sigh. Whether or not he's going to listen to you, you do try to reassure him further.
"Listen dude, I don't know what's going on. You said I'm 'new' yeah I am new. I literally just came to live on this property like four days ago and only knew you were here last night cause you were banging the hell out of this barn! Which, fuck I don't know what the hell is going on nor why the fuck you are bloody like... that. But I just want to help you out.
AND!
Don't kick me again I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL SHOVE THESE APPLES DOWN YOUR SMUG ASS FACE!! You shout pointing a finger in his general direction while you pick up an apple in another.
He just stared at your little outburst. His smile faced with unsurety. Yet he keeps his guard up.
You take a deep breath to calm yourself.
"Do you even want to go back to where you came from?"
"..."
He stares a little longer before giving a slow shake. He looks away at you now.
Well, at least it seems he's calming down a bit.
"Alright. One step at a time then. First, you must be hungry." You throw him the apple in his way. You could still see he was still on edge and you didn't want to get into his personal space just yet. You need him to fully calm down. You just hope a full belly will do the trick.
He reluctantly took the apple off the floor and gave it a quick sniff before moving it around to inspect it. Its not poisonous' you thought. Be was being overly cautious from a simple apple.
Once he deemed it was okay. The hybrid suddenly took rapid bites, sinking his teeth in so savagely he acted like a feral dog. But he ate too fast and eventually started coughing in-between bites.
"Oi chew it slowly!"
"Fuck off!" He shouts with a mouthful of food. Finishing the apple to the core and discarding it. He eyed on the remaining that were beside you.
You signed as you rolled over the rest. He eagerly snatched it and started devouring them. If you were in a better mood you would have taught him some manners. A little 'please' and 'thank you' would be nice.
Besides the atrocious way he's eating you do notice a thing or two with the way he eats. He seems to prefer sweeter fruits like bananas. His tail swats along the dry hay while he hums in between some bites. In a way it's almost cute.
You offer him a bottle of water and he instantly chugs it down, water dripping from his mouth with some edging up on his pants. It's not just cause he's thirsty that he's messy. His hands are shaking as he holds really anything. You're thankful that he's too distracted to feel your gaze. His missing fingers are causing problems. You don't know why he freaked out when you first saw them. You do recall he has been hiding them from you until now. Probably cause he's too focused on filling that hunger.
As he finally stopped to take rest you make your way to grab a cloth, dabbing it with disinfectant. You finally moved inside the stable and crouched slowly. He didn't react at first so you thought it was a good sign. That was until he slowly lifted one of his hoves in a motion that definitely looked like he was gonna kick you.
"DUDE!!! Are you serious?? I thought we came to an understanding!!" Complaining you threw the rag, whacking his face. An audible gruff came from his throat in surprise as he picked the cloth off. You covered your body with your hands out of instinct even though you weren't close enough to receive being kicked. It's not like he carried out his action too.
"I'm tired. Leave me alone" That is all he says to you as he reposition himself on the floor, curling up as he tries to fall asleep.
The audacity of this bitch!
You're about to pull your hair out with how frustrating he's being with you. You get up and kick the remaining supplies into the stable. Not bothering if it hits him or not.
"Fine go to sleep. But you at least better clean yourself with this shit!" You say with weak authority.
"..."
"Listen, I really don't have anything to treat you with properly...but I'll be back later today, okay. Bye then." Not caring if he's listening to you anymore to turn your back to him and walk off. You hope the trip out will calm your nerves.
While storming out of the barn you didn't see the hybrid bull give you the middle finger.
.........
"Well hay now, back so soon?" Taneo Tokuda greets you as you enter his general store.
"Hopefully the rains didn't damage anything. But by the looks of it it looks like you didn't get much sleep last night".He says pointing to the bags that were underneath your eyes. You didn't even notice that they were even there. Great another thing to deal with.
"No no, I just need supplies...bandages, disinfectant and such..." You say glancing at the aisles.
Taneo briefly pauses, his cheery disposition drops to a concerned tone that sounded too much out of character.
"Did you get hurt". You had to visibility shift around to look at him as you had to double take from his sudden change.
You really don't know if you should tell him or not. Not about the bruise but about the hybrid. You weren't fond of unfavorable and nonsense rumors sprouting up about you being a hybrid abuser. On the other hand you didn't know where he would stand on this matter. You knew that a lot of people were against hybrid rights. Influencers often saw them as mere accessories. Then there were the ones who thought they were demon scum, a lower life form than man, therefore something to control. And being in a small town the chances of people taking this side of things was high.
"Well...OUFF!!"
Just before you could say really anything you got your air knocked out of lungs before quickly being caught by someone besides you.
"Sorry little lass. I wasn't watching where I was going. I forgot the aisles are a bit on the smaller side here heh!"
Looking up you were flabbergasted at the sheer height and width of this man. He was taller than the aisles themselves! He was wearing a yellow jumpsuit with a branded logo. You could clearly feel muscles under a bit of fat with the way he was holding you. But what really stood out was his massive horns that protruded out of his messy blond hair
He kept on apologizing to you as you just stared at him in shear surprise. You weren't expecting to see another bull hybrid in less than 24 hrs.
"Oh you must be the new owner of that old farm by the creek!"
"Yeah" Is all you say still in a daze. You could hear Taneo snicker in the back, clearly amused by the interaction between you too. If you cared to be bothered by it you would have shot him a glare.
"Nice to meet you I'm Taishiro Toyomits but everyone calls me Fat Gum around these parts" He says cheerfully giving a firm hand shake.
"Nice to meet you..." you politely say back without really thinking, not when you're feeling like you're staring at the sun with how jolly he's being to a complete stranger. Taneo snicker now becomes a quiet laugh. That causes you to get out of your daze and give him the stink eye. But that doesn't deter his amusement, he just smiles and waves back.
Yep, you're definitely shopping at the next town from now on.
"You know, that place is pretty run down to hell. I'll be happy to come by if you need a fix and tune up" He says as he releases his hand to strike a proud position that was chest heavy and bold. It really made you feel smaller in height compared to this bull of a man.
"Oh! Well..." You didn't know what to say really...your mind was still processing how huge he was. Luckily the shop owner did something useful for once to clear your thoughts.
"Fat Gum is quite the handy man. He's got a very reputable business too." He says warmly.
"Oh! I think I got a business card somewhere...mmmm?" He pats down his clothes, turning around comedically trying to find it. You literally had to duck just to stop from getting hit by his tail.
He huffed through his nose causing him to pout with his chubby cheeks.
"Might have one in my truck, come out in front once you're done shopping!" He salutes before going up to the register to pay for his things and chat with Taneo. Well, now you know where he stands with hybrids. They seem to know each other too. Maybe asking Taneo for help won't backfire ....badly.
Once the bull hybrid left you went up to the store keeper so you could buy what you needed. A sly grin forming on his face like he was up to no good.
"Taishiro is a good man" he says as he scans the items, eyes focused on the cash register screen. This made you raise a brow. "He seems nice" you say automatically, not really bothering where this is going to go and more focusing on trying to figure out how to ask a question.
"Uhh...Mr Tane-" "He's single too~"
....
Eh?
EHHHH?
"WHoah now??" Your voice cracks, confused as to where the hell this was all coming from.
Your sudden reaction gave him a chuckle.
"Oh? My bad. I thought you were checking him out there for a moment ago. I'm usually a good judge of character too. Oh well~" He shrugs it off nonchalant and continues scanning your item.
You sigh in annoyance. You just feel awkward with this old geezer. Really he feels like some nosing family member. Like a mother pestering you to TRY to be interested in some neighbors boy cause she's just "concerned" with your lack of love life.
You just get it over with it and pop the question.
" Mr Taneo. Do you know if there's a doctor that specializes in hybrids around here."
"Oh? Did you get one already to help out with the farm. Didn't see one with you before though." He hums, clearly interested as he scratches his chin.
"No. You see I found one last night in my barn. He's in a pretty bad condition too and I don't really know what to do".
Taneo stops what he's doing and just stares at you.Long gone was the funny, laid back nature he's been displaying.
. No, this was cold, clinical. Like you were being interrogated right now.
He looks away briefly at something outside your view.
"It wasn't a bull hybrid now was it ?"
"Actually it was."
"Fuck" he curses under his breath.
He quickly pulls out a paper and pen and starts writing.
"Well now you're lucky that little old knows a few people who could help you out with your bovine problem. Best to contact her right away, she's good at dealing with these cases." Taneo says not meeting you with the same happy tone, almost forced with the way he smiles barely reaching his eyes , like he's on edge.
He points at the name Chiyo Shuzenji before underlined it.
"These cases?" You say confused about the way he's acting.
He never answers your question. He shakes his head and tells you not to worry about it.
"You should head along now Fat Gum is probably waiting for ya."
"...right...well thanks for the help". You say as you wave goodbye, note in hand.
Yeah that wasn't ominous as fuck but whatever. You hope you aren't getting pulled into some creepy ass, horror mystery story cause of this. You left your home to finally have a less stressful life. Not doing some Scooby Doo shit.
Outside of the store you see Fat Gum loading up his truck. But he wasn't alone.
There were two more hybrids sitting in the back of the truck engaged in conversation. They were wearing the same yellow jumpsuit but the top half was off with the clothes arms tied to their waist, exposing their white singlets.
They almost looked identical despite their colour pellets being red and silver. Both were covered in spiky scales that shone under the sun. The silver haired, scaled man's tail was just slightly long, hanging out of the back of the truck as he leaned against the edge.
You must have stared too long cause his focus was on you, ignoring the other man's conversation. His eyes meet yours. A sharp smile plastered his face as his tail happily banged on the outer truck's metal casing. This caused the red guy to stop his talking and turn around to see what the other is distracted at.
The silver one winked at you before laughing.
"Dude not cool. It's not manly to flirt with older ladies." The red reptile hybrid said loudly.
"Hey I take it as a compliment If older chicks are into me" The silver one equally loud, puffed his chest out and he banged his fist on the hard scales on it.
"I think she was just staring cause of what we are bro, keep dreaming Tetsutetsu" Reddie mumbled.
"Oh a guy can dream~", Tetsutetsu sighs with wonder. He waved at you but you didn't wave back causing his smile to fade.
"Dude stop" Reddie rolled his eyes, visibly uncomfortable.
You stop paying attention from then on as the start to bicker. Something about hanging out with some calamari? What does food have to do with this? You certainly couldn't be bothered listening to these teenagers anymore.
Luckily the big man eventually finished packing up, taking notice of you he gave his business card. It had scribbles on it and inspecting further wrote some discounted prices on it. Well that's nice of him you thought. Better than him giving you his personal phone number.
As you drove home you made an appointment with the local hybrid veterinary service. Luckily they declared your case as urgent and so a visit will be this afternoon. You just pray your bull doesn't 'KO' the vet with his kicks.
