Chapter Text
Firstly, to clear everything up, Monoma was rich. Incredibly rich. He lived in a mansion with more rooms than he could count on his fingers. He had five garages all filled with his favorite cars. He had maids, servants, a personal chef, and many other people waiting on him hand and foot throughout the day.
How did he get all this wealth? Well, he ran a multibillion dollar company. The top dog. The CEO, not some scummy shareholder, no, he put in the work to keep his company where it was.
This meant he had connections and friends all over the globe. Friends with stuff he didn't have, but could easily get once he heard of it. He had much more wealth than them, firstly, so why should they get to gloat about some new pair of shoes or a new million dollar painting they picked up at an auction when Monoma could have the same? He did have the same by the time they said such words. He wouldn't let anyone look down on him.
There was one thing he refused to get, though. The absolute bane of his existence: hybrids. They were exotic creatures made for the rich to spoil and pamper. Monoma didn't want a hybrid, didn't have the time for some fur-shedding animal in his home, so he lied and said he kept one. A plain cat which had been with him since childhood.
Well, that little lie ended up kicking him in the ass and now some of his friends with hybrids wanted all their pets to get together for a little playdate. Yeah, not ideal for Monoma, but he had no choice but to agree. The date was set for three months out with everyones busy schedules and travel plans, so thankfully Monoma had enough time to set a plan in motion and get himself a temporary hybrid.
So he drove to off to the local rescue where they kept older hybrids. Pulling up into the driveway, Monoma stepped out of his car, sunglasses on in his most casual suit, ready to sign some papers and take a pet home.
"Showtime," he said, grinning and walking into the rescue with confidence.
There were a couple people at the counter so Monoma walked straight up to them."Hello lovely ladies," he greeted, pulling his sunglasses off."I'm looking to adopt a hybrid, and I heard this was the place just for that."
They looked a bit shocked by his suddenness but cooled easily."I'm happy to hear that!" the young women on the right smiled at him, somewhat awestruck.
"Truly," the older women next to her nodded."It's not often we get people willing to take on older hybrids. They usually like to adopt them when they're young."
"Yes, well..." And here's where it started."I've never really thought about adopting a hybrid, but I've heard so much about them being abandoned and ditched on the streets when they're older, that I just couldn't calm down. And so, here I am."
"Here you are," the old women nodded, small and understanding smile on her face.
"So, what kind of hybrid are you looking for?" the younger women asked, getting excited."We have a wide variety here, so do you have any preferences?"
"Ah, well..." Monoma pretended like he was thinking."With the kind of lifestyle I live and space I have, I was thinking of getting a house cat."
"A cat, huh?" She jumped up and out of her chair, coming around the counter."We have plenty of cat hybrids here to choose from." She turned to the older women still at the counter."I'm going to take him into the back."
"Yeah, go ahead." The older women waved her off."This is your thing. Just make sure to not overwhelm him too much."
"Yes!" The women smiled back, leading Monoma into the back."A cat, huh? Any age group in particular?"
"If you have any around my age..."
"Ah, so you can get along with them better, right?" She smiled back at him, leading him further down."I get it. A lot of older hybrids tend to not take their owners seriously when they're younger. It's quite funny how the treat me. It's like I'm a little kid to them."
Monoma chuckled at her story, not really paying attention. This place absolutely reeked of animal. He could barely stand it. The building looked so dirty after the hybrids trampled around everything. He would be damned if his house turned out the same.
"Alright, here we are." The women stopped outside the door."We tend to let them roam free with their respective species rather than keeping them confined in individual cages. It makes them happier, but it's harder for people to see them, so we decided to put in some glass for viewing purposes."
As she explained, she opened the door to show rows and rows of thick glass with tons of different breeds and ages of hybrids happily playing around. The cat enclosures were much calmer, most of the older cats just lazing around and sleeping. It was much better than Monoma thought.
"Here's where you'll want to be looking." The women relocated him to a specific enclosure filled with cat hybrids that looked his age."If none of these suit your fancy, then you can look in the one to your right as well."
"Great!" Monoma smiled at her."Thank so you much."
"O-Of course!" She smiled back brightly."Let me know if you have any questions."
Monoma ignored her from then on, staring into the enclosure at the various cats scattered about. There wasn't anything else specific he was looking for in the hybrid, keeping the description he gave to his friends vague. So now how the hell was he supposed to pick one of these cats?
Well, he probably wanted something tame and not super playful or needy. It needed to be somewhat warm towards him, though, because he was supposed to have had this hybrid his whole life.
So, Monoma looked for a cat hybrid that seemed to be on its own, perhaps uncaring. Though they were hybrids, they held human features, so Monoma could read them easily. It was a skill he had no choice but to develop because of work.
After a scanning of all the lonesome hybrids lazing about, Monoma finally decided on a face he felt close enough to his ideal. Lazy purple eyes, a slouched, easy to manage hunched body stance. He would do.
"What do you think of that one in the back?" Monoma asked the women.
"Which one?"
"The male with the purple hair."
"Oh, Shinsou!" The women jumped."Yes, he's a rather calm hybrid. He doesn't cause a fuss and tends to keep to himself. He would be a wonderful companion!"
"You've convinced me enough." Monoma smiled back at her."Let's go with him."
"Great!" She clapped her hands together."I'll go grab him." She turned around."Koda, could you please lead mister..."
"Monoma."
"Mr. Monoma to the scenting room."
Koda gave her a small, timid nod.
"Scenting room?" Monoma asked her.
"Oh, well we need to make sure that Shinsou will be okay with your scent," she explained."There are some scents that certain hybrids will automatically hate or grow feral towards if they're similar to someone in the past who abused them or the like."
"I see." Shit. What the hell would this animal smell on him?
"Then, I'll be just one second!"
The women ran off the fetch the hybrid while the other worker, Koda, stood by Monoma silently, broom in hand. Monoma gave him a quick look-over, deeming him a pushover, and proceeded towards the exit while looking into some of the enclosures at the strange hybrids.
"So, I guess I just gotta give it some food, toys, and a place to shit and that's it, right?" he asked absentmindedly.
"They, uh..." Koda stumbled over his words."They're more like humans...but toys are good..."
"Alright." Monoma nodded, pulling away from the enclosures and moving towards the door."I guess this will be easier than I thought."
Koda didn't respond, nervously looking down as Monoma waited for him to lead him to wherever the hell they had to go next before he could get this all over with.
Koda opened the door to the scenting room for him, no one else inside as Monoma walked in. They had decorated the place, clearly trying to make it all calming and fluffy while this whole process went down.
Monoma sat down in one of the chairs in the place, propping one of his legs up while the nervous worker scurried back off to whatever the hell he was doing previously. While waiting, Monoma took out his phone and looked through the various emails and texts he had already received in the short time he was out. It was his day off, too, but business never waited.
Monoma then heard the door and quickly put his phone away. The female worker came in first, the hybrid following her with downcast eyes. When the door was finally closed, he peeked up slightly and Monoma made sure to greet him with a wide, friendly smile. He needed to get this damn hybrid on his side.
"Shinsou, this is Mr. Monoma, the man who wants to adopt you," the worker explained, voice softer as she worked with him.
"Nice to meet you," Monoma greeted, moving to stand but then stopping."Ah, would it be better if I get up or should I just stay seated?"
"Shinsou?" the women asked, turning to him for his input.
"It doesn't matter either way, I've already sniffed him out," the hybrid droned back."His scent takes up the whole room."
Monoma didn't know if he should be embarrassed or not.
"Ah, then if you would like to consult outside—"
"It's fine," Shinsou said back."If he wants me, then he can have me."
Oh, if that wasn't the perfect mindset. If Monoma was some hopeless romantic, he would've fallen in love right then and there.
"Well isn't that great, Mr. Monoma!" the worker cheered.
Monoma smirked, standing up."I'll be in your care from here on, Shinsou."
"Likewise," he droned back, looking away. It looked almost like he was shy with that long tail of his swishing slowly back and forth.
"Well then, let's get you your paperwork and care instructions and you'll be on your way!"
"You're in charge, miss." Monoma smiled at her and had her lead him off to the front desk.
From there, he signed a fuck ton of papers all making sure he would treat this hybrid of his with the care that many laws required after hybrids came to be. It was all about mutual safety and comfort and other fluffy shit Monoma couldn't bother with. He would barely be seeing this hybrid anyways, so what was the point?
"Alright, it looks like you're all set!" The same young women helping him smiled, putting some of the papers away for the shelters keeping."All I have to say is that you better make sure to get a collar on him as soon as you can, because people love to steal new, collarless hybrids."
"I'll make sure to do that."
"Here's our card if you have any further questions or problems." The women handed it to him."Enjoy your new hybrid, Mr. Monoma!" She turned to Shinsou next to him."And Shinsou, enjoy your new home!"
He nodded numbly.
"Thank you for everything!" Monoma smiled at them all, waving and quickly leaving with Shinsou next to him.
Thankfully he was competent enough to follow him and get into the passenger seat of the car when the door was opened for him. Monoma walked around to the other side and got in the drivers seat, slamming the door behind him and throwing the papers he was given behind him.
The business card the women gave him had her personal number on the back and Monoma clicked his tongue when he saw it."Does she really think I would call someone like her?"
Monoma crumbled it up and threw it behind him as well, then remembering the hybrid also in his car. He turned over to him with scrutinizing eyes."Put your seatbelt on, I'm not gonna baby you."
The hybrid blinked, then did as he said.
"There's no way I'm getting a ticket on top of all this shit," Monoma mumbled, starting his car, buckling up, and ripping out of the parking lot and onto the road.
He drove fast, as usual, and didn't pay any attention to the clearly distressed hybrid sitting next to him.
"Listen here," Monoma started, catching the hybrids attention and pulling him away from his internal panic."This whole hybrid rescue thing is great and all, but it's not my thing. I'm not gonna give you some false hope that you're going to a nice, cozy home you can spend the rest of your life in. I'll be honest, you're only going to stay with me for three months, so don't get too acquainted."
Monoma took a sharp right."You see, I got myself into a bit of a bind with a white lie, so I need you to do some acting and pretend like you're a hybrid my parents gifted me when I was a kid."
Another turn and Monoma continued forward."We'll work out the kinks later when the day I need you gets closer, but for now you can keep your family name and just roam freely. But know that when any guests come over, you're a Monoma and you've always been a Monoma."
Monoma swiftly pulled up to the front of his house, pausing to turn to Shinsou who nodded back at him. Seeing how he understood everything, Monoma punched in the code to the gate and drove into his house.
The driveway was long and luxurious, of course, and manservants were waiting for him at the front once he pulled up.
"Welcome back, Master Monoma," his butler greeted him.
"Yeah, yeah," Monoma waved off, letting his valet take his car back into the garage."Did you prepare the room like I asked?"
"Yes," his butler nodded."The other maids and servants were very knowledgable in the types of amenities a hybrid would like."
"Good." Monoma nodded towards the hybrid next to him."Then hand him off to one of the servants to show him to his room and show him the other places I said I would allow him to go. I'm done for the day, so prepare an early dinner and draw the bath for me."
"Would you like any soaps?"
"Yeah, the usual, but not too bubbly." Monoma began walking towards the front."I would like to enjoy my dinner without a bunch of soap in my mouth."
"Understood."
Whispers followed Shinsou as the servant led him to his room. None of them seemed harmful, but rather curious and excited about his existence. By the looks of things, all the staff was probably excited to have something new prowling around the large mansion.
Shinsou never thought he would end up someplace like this. He wasn't much of a show cat with his lethargic looks, but somehow he still ended up in luxury. It might be true when they say that hybrids are pets for the rich, because if Shinsou could somehow make it here, then who couldn't?
Though he hadn't really made it, had he? His new owner, Monoma, seemed to want to throw him away again the minute he was done using him. Shinsou wasn't sure what all that was about and wasn't sure how much he wanted to know. If his owners intention was to ignore him until it was showtime, then he could certainly stay out of his way.
As long as Shinsou wasn't abused or violated, he was content with whatever plans Monoma had for him. He had heard plenty of horror stories at the shelter and he had grown fearful such a thing would happen to him. But if his owner didn't even care to look at him, he would rather that.
He decided to just think of this as a little vacation. He would enjoy himself and the little luxuries he was given while he could. Maybe one of these servants would like him enough to want to take him home themselves after all this was over, but if Shinsou was honest, he doubted it. The whole reason no one wanted to take him home was because of his personality and face. None of it was appealing in the slightest.
People looked for hybrids because they wanted a pet but without all the hassle and training a pet needed. Shinsou was basically a human. His pet-like traits had left him a long time ago and weren't gonna surface anytime soon. Well, at least that's what he thought.
These servants, however, seemed to want to coo over him. It was probably because they've never seen a hybrid up close and were completely enamored. The magic would die off soon and Shinsou would again be left alone even with all these people around him.
"Here's your room," the servant spoke, opening the door for him."If there's anything else you need to make yourself more comfortable, feel free to ask and we'll get it for you right away. The tailor will come by later to take your sizes so we can get you some clothing."
Shinsou stared into the room completely in awe. It was like paradise. How could his owner dangle something like this in front of his face and then expect him to leave peacefully in three months? It would be sweet torture.
"Now, let me show you the places Master Monoma has permitted you to go."
A sweet torture Shinsou would enjoy every second of.