The rest of the day passed much like the first evening: slow and boring. Viktor missed having conversations. He missed having things to do. He had never been artistically inclined on Earth, but he thought that he'd be able to become the next Picasso if he had a pen and paper right about now.

When he woke up the next day, he was determined to not die of boredom. Which meant expanding his new territory. So far, he had only really stuck to the office and the living room. Peeking in the bathroom and Vok'Rul's bedroom had been the most adventure he had taken yesterday. Viktor was tired of being indoors.

He wanted to go outside.

He knew, though, that he probably wasn't the best dressed for an outdoor excursion in this cold weather. He'd probably get frostbite going out in what he had now. He didn't even have shoes! So, he put that idea on hold. Besides, he was stuck in a mansion; there were bound to be cooler things in here than outside. At least, that's what he told himself to feel better.

As luck would have it, Vok'Rul had to do whatever it is that he did during the day instead of lounging around Viktor to try and make him more comfortable around the alien. As if.

Vok'Rul had peeked into the office, filled up his dishes with food and water, said what Viktor figured was probably the greeting rohsh, and went downstairs. Viktor hadn't heard anything coming from downstairs for a while, so he figured that Vok'Rul had left to do his job. The alien seemed to be a politician of sorts, but Viktor didn't really know what politicians did during the day, even back on Earth. They hadn't interested him too much.

Even alien politics was pushing it, even if he did understand their language. He would probably cry from boredom.

After making sure Vok'Rul had really gone, Viktor shoved some food into his pockets and made his way over to the stairwell. The steps were huge, but Viktor managed to get down it all right. He had only slipped and fallen once, but he managed to catch himself. It was probably gonna leave a massive bruise on his elbow, though. It didn't help that the spiral staircase was extremely tightly wound, making all the steps steep. Seriously, who designed this place? What a death trap.

He made it to the kitchen, thankfully still alive. He peered up at what seemed to be the fridge. There was a circular disk, quite like the TV but a bit smaller, on the fridge, way above where he could reach. He felt like he was five years old again, trying to reach things that he couldn't quite get. He managed to pry the door to the refrigerator open, peering inside. Instead of the regular shelving seen on Earth, this fridge seemed to have a rotating middle shelf, kind of like a Ferris wheel. It also blasted frigid air into Viktor's face when he opened it.

"Sheesh," he shuddered, standing on his tiptoes to start rotating the shelf. After a while of spinning, Viktor decided it wasn't worth freezing to death over potentially getting a piece of fruit. For all he knew, these aliens were strictly carnivores, anyway. This thing would not stop spinning. It seemed infinite. He thought that if he spun it for days, he wouldn't find the same item twice. "So much for grabbing any fruit."

He wondered how these aliens even managed to find anything to cook with. Maybe that small TV on the door had something to do with it. Shutting the door, Viktor moved on out of the kitchen. He could admit defeat once in a while.

The dining room was much bigger than the one upstairs, but it had quite a bit of empty space. Viktor crouched down to feel the carpet, marveling at its softness. Viktor hadn't gotten the chance to feel it when he had been in this room the first time, considering he had been in a cage and all that. He could probably sleep on this thing pretty comfortably. The bed Vok'Rul had given him was still pretty cool, though.

The large table Viktor had seen through his carrier door was even bigger up close. He could walk unimpeded underneath it. There were six chairs lined up along it. Must be for personal gatherings or something, Viktor mused. He wondered where Vok'Rul ate. He had gone downstairs when he had fed Viktor.

Viktor thought about trying to climb onto the chair to get onto the table for a better vantage point. He was just about to start climbing when there was a shuffling at the end of the room causing him to whirl around. Vok'Rul was entering the wing with an armful of bags. Another alien he had seen the day before was hurrying after him, grunting and whistling in an offended manner. He seemed very upset that Vok'Rul was carrying his own groceries.

Viktor rolled his eyes, hugging the table leg as he watched Vok'Rul set down the bags in the hallway that led to the stairs. He turned to the alien, gesturing to the bags and upstairs. He heard his own name being spoken. Viktor tilted his head in curiosity. He wondered what was in those bags. What were alien groceries like?

Vok'Rul almost shoved the staff alien out of the wing, twitching his tail along the ground irritably as he escorted the other out of the wing. There was a sharp slam of a door that made Viktor jump, and then Vok'Rul was back in sight, heaving a large sigh through his nose. Viktor almost felt bad for him.

He watched as Vok'Rul went upstairs, leaving the bags unattended in the hallway. Burning with curiosity, Viktor trotted over to peer inside. The bag itself seemed to be made of fabric, not unlike a reusable bag he had seen back on Earth. He had never been one to use them, unable to pass up the convenience of easily accessible plastic bags, even if they had started to decline in quality after a while. They were thinner than paper now!

He was getting distracted.

When he looked in the bags, he was surprised to find supplies. More specifically, pet supplies. He huffed again at the reminder that he was merely a pet on this planet, but he was more interested in what the bags held.

The one he was peering into had actual clothing! It occurred to Viktor just then, as he picked up a shirt his size with a smiling sun, that perhaps these were children's clothing. He had yet to even see an alien kid. He had started to think they had come from eggs or something, completely full-grown. He shuffled through the clothing, grabbing a large, fluffy sweater. He shucked his old hoodie and shirt without remorse; those things had been through the wringer and still smelled of the arena. He pulled the sweater on, relishing in its warmth.

"Rohsh, Kohgrash!" He jumped when he heard Vok'Rul speak from the stairs. He looked a bit frantic. Viktor wondered if the alien had thought he escaped or something.

"Hello," Viktor said back cautiously, taking a couple of steps back away from the bags when Vok'Rul joined him on the floor. The large alien sat as far away from Viktor as possible without being unable to reach the bags, for which he was mildly grateful. He watched as the alien rummaged through the bags, speaking quietly to him as he held up items for him to look at before setting them in organized piles.

Viktor watched for a few more moments before stepping up to investigate the bags himself. He dug into one, pulling out another treat bag. Humming in delight, he went to open it before a quick, irritated "Kohgrash!" cut him off. He jumped, glaring at the alien, clutching the bag tightly to his chest. His heart was beating harshly in his ribcage. He was sure that everyone in the mansion could hear it. He tried not to shake.

Vok'Rul gave a sigh, relenting. He didn't try to take the bag away from Viktor, even after he started opening it a few seconds later. He dug his hand into the bag, popping one into his mouth. This one tasted like steak. He gave a low sigh, popping another in his mouth before setting it aside.

Trying to still his shaking hands, Viktor angled himself sideways, a bag between him and Vok'Rul. He could tell the alien noticed, especially if the curling of his tail and drooping shoulders were anything to go by. Viktor felt a twinge of guilt.

"Hey, Vok'Rul," Viktor started, looking at the alien carefully. Vok'Rul looked surprised at the sound of his butchered name coming out of Viktor. "Uh, thanks for the," Viktor waved a hand at the bags, "stuff."

Vok'Rul stared at him for a moment before he broke into a small smile, lips tightly closed. He began speaking again, gesturing to various bags and even placing some items close to Viktor, though the teen was still out of arm's reach.

Grabbing the items, this time a pair of pants that looked comfier than his bed, Viktor wondered if this wouldn't be so terrible after all.

***

Even though Viktor could still use a shower, he felt much better in the new clothes Vok'Rul had bought him. He had bought warm clothes, which Viktor was extremely grateful for. He didn't feel as though he was going to freeze his ass off, now. It also covered up some scars that Viktor had no desire of seeing again.

They were a little itchy, though.

Vok'Rul had decided to spend the rest of the day in the office. He sat at his desk, staring at the small circular disk propped up on it. A computer, Viktor had remembered after a few minutes of staring at Vok'Rul. That didn't explain why the alien was just staring at it, though.

He crept over slowly, peeking around the corner of the desk to watch the alien. When he didn't move, Viktor straightened, standing on his toes to get a view of the computer. From what he could see, it was similar to the TV with the holographic screens, but it seemed a bit less three-dimensional than the larger disk in the living room. Viktor watched the alien move his eyes rapidly around, which seemed to move the screens.

"Weird," Viktor said to himself. Vok'Rul looked away from the computer to look at him, slightly surprised at how close he was.

Viktor, in all his bravery, jumped when the alien's eyes fell on him and quickly got out of sight. He didn't feel as skittish around him anymore, but he wasn't comfortable with the undivided attention the alien seemed willing to give him.

The Rubik's Cube sphere had quickly lost its novelty after he managed to solve it once, causing Viktor to look to the other knickknacks to entertain him. There were some that he refused to touch, such as anything thin and long. They reminded him too much of the stiff leashes the ringmaster had used on him. He had quickly shoved them all in one corner upon discovering them. Even with them out of sight, it had taken him a while to calm down his breathing enough to look at the other toys littered around the room. Vok'Rul had gotten him some new ones during his shopping spree.

Most were basic balls in different shapes and sizes. Some twittered, making sounds as they moved and others were just bouncy. He had yet to find a ball like the one in the pet store, which was a shame. He had liked tossing that one. He imagined he could toss it across the room and easily get to the other side before it touched the ground.

There were other interesting toys, though. There was an orb that changed colors every time Viktor pushed it. Needless to say, he had pushed that sucker all over the room for a good twenty minutes. It changed even faster if he kicked it, though it was clearly not made for kicking. His foot still smarted.

It was kinda nice. His father loved him, but being a single dad had taken a toll on the man. Viktor had been forced to grow up just a little quicker than usual. It was nice to play with toys.

Even if they did remind him that he'd be nothing more than a pet to this alien. Viktor frowned at the color-changing orb.

"Kohgrash?" Vok'Rul said, drawing the teen's attention to the alien as he reclined back in his chair and stretched his arms up in the air. The movement was so eerily human that Viktor really wondered how they thought them nonsentient animals. Viktor tilted his head in question from his seated position on the floor, causing Vok'Rul to smile. "Norish?" the alien asked in his language, getting up from his chair slowly. He said a few other words, talking idly to the teen as he went over to the bag of food propped up against the wall.

Viktor never thought that he'd even say this, but he was getting real sick of the jerky. At least there were treats. Flavorful treats.

Regardless, it was still better than the arena food, so he ate dutifully after Vok'Rul had left the office with a small wave. He heard the alien tromp down the stairs, looking towards the door when he heard another alien. It sounded like the alien from the day before. Viktor grabbed his bowl, munching on a piece as he went over to the stairwell. He managed to bring his bowl of food down a few steps, where he was able to see both aliens. Vok'Rul seemed exasperated at the other's presence, arms crossed and tail twitching irritably on the ground.

The other's back was turned to Viktor, but he could see that he was much shorter than Vok'Rul, as well as much wider. His arms were as thick as the taller alien's tail. His sleeves were rolled up past the elbow, far away from the pot on the stove. Must be a cook, Viktor thought, swinging his legs from the step as he munched on his own jerky. The food the cook was making smelled delicious. Much better than his dry jerky. Viktor sighed wistfully.

Vok'Rul must have better hearing than he gave him credit for, especially in the semi-loud kitchen, what with the other's voice nearly bursting Viktor's eardrums, because the taller alien whipped his head around at his sigh. Viktor froze, jerky halfway to his mouth.

"Thruul, Thruul," Vok'Rul said, reaching over to tap the alien's arm. The alien, who must be Thruul, grunted angrily, speaking loudly and irritably. Viktor saw Vok'Rul roll his eyes, say his name again, and smack the alien's arm again. It made Viktor slightly uncomfortable to see how easily Vok'Rul slapped his cook, but he shook it off. The other alien was obviously built for friendly slaps, anyway. Viktor couldn't tell you how many times he had smacked the shit out of his friends for fun.

"Kohgrash!" Viktor was drawn back to the present when Vok'Rul called his name again. His eyes flickered over to the new alien, who was finally turning around. The dish in his hands made a horrendous noise as he dropped it out of sheer horror. It clattered down the stairs loudly. Viktor jumped to his feet, arms cartwheeling as he nearly followed his dish in his haste to stand up.

It was the same alien who had shoved its face in the door of his carrier when he had first gotten here. The one he had mistaken for the ringmaster.

Hands trembling as he wiped them anxiously on his front, Viktor tried to steady his breathing. It's not him, it's not him, it's not him ran circles in his mind, beating down a trodden path. He squeezed his eyes shut when his vision started swimming, hands fisting at his sides.

Something touched his foot. He let out a guttural cry, lashing out his leg in a kick that would have temporarily crippled any creature fighting against him in the arena, had he aimed it correctly. His foot met nothing and he lost his balance. He felt his back connect painfully with the edge of the stair. Gasping for breath, Viktor barely registered large hands scooping him up until they started moving. He thrashed, groaning in pain and fear. He didn't want to go to the table.

He was dropped onto something. Instead of the hard, cold surface that was the veterinary table in the cramped office of the arena, he was in his soft bed. There was soft light filtering through the slats of the closet door, not the harsh, blinding lights of the office. Instead of antiseptic and other harsh chemicals that burned his nose, the scent of mothballs reached him. His stuttery breaths eventually gave way to deep, practiced ones. His hands didn't stop trembling, but he didn't feel like he was going to be sick at any moment.

Viktor sat up, pressing his hands to his legs. "God," he said. "God."

"Kohgrash?" he heard a whisper outside his closet. He jumped as the closet slowly slid open, revealing a hesitant Vok'Rul. The alien slowly reached out to pat him on the head. Viktor tensed, gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes. But he was too tired to move away.

And without Pedro to pat him on the shoulder or Aiko to press him into her side, Viktor thought that this was probably the next best thing.

The large clawed hand, so similar to the ones that caused him pain, settled gently on his head. It withdrew quickly, but Viktor soaked up the warmth and comfort it offered. Vok'Rul spoke a few more quiet words, then stood, brushing off his clothing before stepping outside the office. Viktor sat in the darkening room, watching the weak sun slowly slide its light off the walls. He didn't move for a long time.

***

Vocabulary:

norish: food

rohsh: a friendly greeting, such as hello or hey