Nohkka stuck to him like glue.

Wherever he went, she was right behind him. Only Vok'Rul could pry her off of him with something distracting, but it only lasted for a few minutes at most. All the kid wanted to do was pet him.

It had been a little endearing at the start; her little tail wagged when she pet him, something he had never seen any of the aliens do until this point, and that had been really adorable. He wondered if Vok'Rul could wag his tail. The thought made him laugh out loud.

Regardless, despite her obvious desire to pat him, she only did so when he let her. She must have taken Vok'Rul's words to heart, because she never pulled on his clothing, tugged at his arms, or force him to do anything he didn't want to like he had half-expected.

After the encounter in the living room, the four aliens lingered for a while, just chatting. Nohkka had tried to get him to play with her, but his knowledge of their language was limited, and he hadn't a clue what she had been trying to ask. She seemed satisfied with his participation, though (he had just been staring in blank confusion at her and holding onto the weird toys she gave him), so he supposed he'd chalk it up as a win. They were sitting on the floor together, although Viktor kept his distance.

Viktor's stomach growled after a while, making both him and the kid pause. The kid looked confused.

"Tor'Rul," she said, pointing at Victor's stomach. "Kohgrash!"

Vok'Rul, distracted by whatever Kac was showing him on her phone, only hummed a question. Nohkka stood up, almost tripped over Viktor's leg (which he hastily retracted), and tapped Vok'Rul's leg incessantly. She spoke loudly, demanding the attention of all three adults in the room. She kept pointing back at Viktor.

Vok'Rul finally looked up, locking eyes with Viktor. "Norish, Kohgrash?" he asked, already halfway up from the couch. Nohkka excitedly jumped in place, pulling Vok'Rul up by the hand.

"I suppose," he responded warily, watching as Nohkka excitedly ran around the room before coming to a stop next to Viktor. He hurriedly got up before she decided to help him up, too.

Vok'Rul switched on the light in the office, gesturing for Viktor to follow. Nohkka had already left Viktor to run into the office, and he could see her running around in there, too. Viktor followed reluctantly, glancing back at Rukka and Kac. They were just sitting on the couch, unbothered. Clearly, the high levels of activity for Nohkka were completely normal. Fantastic.

He didn't particularly enjoy kids. He was never rude to them, of course - he wasn't a monster - but if he had to choose between spending time with shrieking children and getting run over by a bus, he'd choose the bus.

Vok'Rul was handing Nohkka his food bowl by the time he stepped foot into the office. He had to suppress the urge to go over and take it. He was not food aggressive, he reminded himself, wiping his palms on his sweater. He had plenty of food here. He knew where the bag of food was. He could get some at any time.

Still, seeing someone other than Vok'Rul grab his meager stash of possessions... kinda stung.

Viktor watched, slowly walking over to his dish of water, as Nohkka scooped a hearty helping of jerky from the bag. His stomach growled again at the sight of food. It had been a while since breakfast. He heard Vok'Rul make a noise of bafflement, then watch as he grabbed the bowl gently from her hands, gently shaking some of the excess jerky off, and give it back to her.

Nohkka dutifully walked over to Viktor, shoving the dish into his face. He flinched minutely before hastily taking it from her. He quickly retreated to his closet to eat, something he hadn't done for quite some time, now. Vok'Rul hummed his concern, but told Nohkka something, pointing her out of the office.

Nohkka went eagerly. Viktor heard her chatting with her parents before hearing them go downstairs. His shoulders dropped like he had strings cut. He shuffled out of the closet, sitting cross-legged by his water dish where he normally ate his food. Viktor curiously looked up at Vok'Rul, who was watching him carefully.

Viktor threw a piece of jerky in his mouth, chewing mechanically, before saying, "What's up?"

Vok'Rul gave a little huff of amusement before he crouched down next to Viktor. The teenager followed his movements but didn't move away when the alien reached out to pet his hair. Vok'Rul whispered something quietly to him, asking him a question. Viktor had no idea what he asked of him, but it seemed rather important to him, so he just smiled.

It relaxed Vok'Rul, who gave him a smile back, ruffling his hair some more. Viktor waved him away, focusing on his food instead.

He only got about halfway through his meal before he was interrupted again. Light and quick footsteps were rushing up the stairs and through the living room before he could even process them. Nohkka came back in with two bags in her hands, lifting them up victoriously to Vok'Rul. The taller alien praised her, taking them. Viktor perked up.

The fruit bags! He was wondering if they were going to make an appearance in his lunch today.

Instead of giving it to him, though, Vok'Rul handed Nohkka one of the starfruits. Good mood slightly soured - he hated that everyone here used food as a bargaining chip - Viktor eyed her as she walked up to him, fruit in hand. He got into a crouch, not fully standing up but unwilling to be sitting cross-legged either, especially so close.

"Norish! Pooorraaa," she called, waving the fruit around so quickly that Viktor was sure his eyes would start spinning if he focused on it. He squinted at her.

Vok'Rul rumbled and must have told her to keep it still because she became as stiff as a board in the next second. Warily, Viktor crept forward, reaching up slowly and taking the fruit gently from her claws. She made a high-pitched noise of excitement, but otherwise contained herself.

This was exhausting. Was this how dogs felt all the time?!

He bit into the fruit with a little more aggression than usual, trying not to bite his tongue off. Juice dribbled down his chin. and he swiped it away with his sleeve. Oh, how he missed napkins. And plates. And utensils.

Nohkka gasped, startling him with the sudden noise. She pointed at him, talking to Vok'Rul, who was nodding. Nohkka turned her attention back on him, face serious and a little angry. Viktor's eyes flickered to Vok'Rul, but he seemed relaxed, if not a little amused.

"What?" he asked shortly, not really liking the way she was looking at him. Nohkka was talking to him, words quick and slurred together. He wouldn't be able to decipher her even if he knew the language. She was pointing at his hands and face, gesturing wildly. Vok'Rul said something behind her.

What a nightmare. He tried to eat the rest of his food as quickly as he could. He licked some of the juice off his fingers (purple again), before picking up his water dish.

"Keti, Nohkka," Vok'Rul told her. Viktor looked up, heedful of her gaze on him.

"Weirdos," he mumbled to himself, taking a few drinks of water before cupping his hand and pouring some in. He quickly scrubbed away at his fingers with the little water he had, swiping them against his sweater when he managed to get most of the purple hue off of them. Vok'Rul never seemed to mind when the water got onto the floor, but Nohkka did.

"Neyk!" she said, affronted on the floor's behalf. "Kora, Kohgrash!"

The dish he held clattered onto the floor, the carpet muffling the sound. His hands trembled, weak and broadcasting his fear to anyone who looked. Someone was stomping toward him, two steps and a drag of a tail, and he felt sick.

"Please," he wheezed, hating how the words tore out of his lips, unbidden. He didn't know what he was begging for. His hands and legs were trying to move him as quickly and as far from the incoming alien as they could. "Please."

He wasn't successful.

They grabbed him, and a terrified scream at the promise of pain ripped itself from his throat, inching its way closer to becoming frantic sobs. His hands came up to cradle his head, even if it were futile. The electrocution from his collar would make his every muscle seize, and by the time he would recover, he'd be unable to protect himself. He couldn't hear any laughter from the other aliens, but he knew it was only a matter of time. He wouldn't cry in front of them. He couldn't cry. That just encouraged them.

"Kohgrash, keti," someone told him firmly. Their hold was gentle around his shoulders. But Lilac was never there when the ringmaster did this. She would've stopped it. She would have. "Keti!" they shouted louder, voice distraught.

He opened his eyes, terrified of what would happen if he disobeyed. Terrified of what he would see. He didn't want to see the ringmaster's face, the line of cells across from him, the dusty pile of straw in the corner, he didn't want to.

But it was just Vok'Rul, taking up all the space in front of him. The alien quickly let go of his shoulders. Between his splayed fingers, he could see concern written all over his face. There was no cruelty, no amusement, no anger. Just Vok'Rul. Viktor frantically dropped his hands to his throat, feeling nothing but his skin.

Office, his garbled brain supplied. Viktor managed to suck a wheezy, trembling breath into his lungs. His blunt nails were digging into his neck as he struggled to breathe. His breathing was shallow, frantic, and Viktor hated himself for it.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

After what seemed like years, Viktor managed to take a deep breath. His hands were still shaking, digging into his neck, and he was still on the floor, but he could breathe again.

Vok'Rul was speaking to him soothingly, not touching him. His hands were hovering over him, however, and Viktor quickly grabbed one of his hands before he could think twice about it, gripping it tightly. It stopped the trembling in his fingers. Vok'Rul's claws curled over his much smaller hands.

The touch grounded him. His surroundings came back to him in bits and pieces. The hardwood desk was digging uncomfortably into his back, hard and unyielding underneath him. His socks and pants were soaked, cold from the water he spilled over them in his haste to get away.

It was just Vok'Rul and him in the room. If Viktor strained, he could hear the miserable mumblings of Nohkka and the reassuring tones of her parents, comforting her. Vok'Rul was murmuring into his ears, and he didn't resist when the alien's other hand came up to smooth back his hair. Viktor's body slowly relaxed under the touch and the reality that there was no danger coming toward him.

"Sorry," he croaked. He cleared his throat, feeling the stinging but familiar burn of strain that came from screaming for too long and too loud. Viktor pried his fingers off of Vok'Rul's but didn't pull away. He pressed his hands to his eyes, harshly. He moved his mouth to say something else, but a sob came out instead.

Vok'Rul worriedly crooned, hands descending lightly on Viktor's shoulders. When the human didn't jerk or flinch away, the alien carefully pulled him close, wrapping his arms around him. He kept repeating tas tih and kas tih, over and over. Viktor had no idea what it meant, but it was comforting nonetheless.

Viktor pressed himself further against Vok'Rul, quickly trying to stifle his sobs. He wiped angrily at his eyes, sniffling and breathing harshly through his mouth. Vok'Rul's hands on his shoulder and back were warm, and Viktor didn't think he could be more grateful for the alien than he did right now.

"Thank you," he mumbled when he felt like he could talk without crying again. Vok'Rul just hummed. Viktor rested his head against the other's chest, listening to his odd heartbeat.

Rukka knocked lightly on the doorway, making Viktor's shoulders jump in surprise. Vok'Rul tightened his hold on him, and it wasn't surprising that he found himself airborne for a moment as Vok'Rul picked him up and settled him against his chest.

"Ka Kohgrash tih?" Rukka asked the other. She said something else, but Viktor could only catch Nohkka's name in there. Vok'Rul rumbled his response, snaking his arm underneath Viktor's legs. Viktor felt like a little kid being held this way, and he certainly wouldn't be caught dead like this.

But he was tired.

He dropped his head onto the alien's shoulder, watching Rukka worriedly. He realized that he couldn't remember if he had lashed out at Nohkka or not. Was she alright? But Rukka wasn't showing any signs of anger. In fact, she wasn't showing very many signs of anything. Her face was perfectly blank.

Which just made him more nervous.

"Down," Viktor said, wriggling out of Vok'Rul's grasp. "Let me down."

The alien obliged, setting him carefully on his feet. Viktor slunk past Rukka, gaining a little more confidence in every step he took that brought him closer to her and didn't result in her striking him. He tried shrugging the thought off, a little sliver of his mind aware that he was acting like some abused animal.

He heard the two follow him out of the office, still quietly chatting with one another. Vok'Rul's eyes were heavy on his back. Viktor could see Nohkka miserably snuggled up to her other mother, Kac's arm holding her close. He started walking toward them.

Kac's gaze immediately settled on him, vicious and intense. Viktor froze, halfway through taking another step toward the couch. Vok'Rul said something sharply to her, and she looked down at Nohkka reluctantly. She nudged the child, who glanced up in surprise.

"Rohsh, Kohgrash," she sniffled. Viktor gave a little wave back, stepping over to her cautiously. As soon as he reached her, she started petting his hair gently and Viktor was glad that he hadn't scared her. He pressed the top of his head more firmly into her hand, and she let out a high-pitched rumbling giggle, sitting up and bringing up her other hand to pet him.

He would suffer through it. Her hands were much smaller than any of the aliens' at the arena. They weren't able to hurt him, and so none of the usual discomfort came forward. Viktor was grateful for that.

Besides, it felt sort of nice to have someone playing with his hair.

Someone was approaching him on the left, and a quick glance told him it was just Vok'Rul. His hand settled on his back, and he started speaking gently to Nohkka. Viktor heard the word kora again whispered to her. He twitched under their hands. Alarmingly, Nohkka looked even more upset.

"Kohgrash, kas prosh, ney kora!" Nohkka told him earnestly, wrapping her arms around his head, seemingly ignoring - or just not noticing - his flinch. Viktor, now squished against her, looked at Vok'Rul pleadingly. "Prosh, prosh, prosh!"

Vok'Rul rumbled his amusement but came to Viktor's rescue regardless, speaking again to Nohkka. Viktor leaned back as soon as her arms were untangled from him. The child nodded, swiping her fingers across her mouth. It reminded Viktor of zipping someone's mouth shut and throwing away the key.

Vok'Rul softly clapped his hands, said a few other things, and straightened up. Nohkka, too, got to her feet, her guilt and sadness forgotten. Viktor stood, a bit awkwardly, in the middle of the pile of blankets. He still felt a bit raw from earlier. He wondered if he would ever be capable of hearing that word without freaking out. He rubbed his face tiredly. Probably not.

Someone touched his head and he jumped a little. The hand retracted and he looked up to see Kac guilty staring at him. "Rohsh, Kohgrash," she whispered, tentatively reaching out again. Viktor let her pet him. He didn't want to be on the end of that stare again.

Rukka settled next to her partner (wife? Was there alien marriage here? Alien religion?), watching as Nohkka and Vok'Rul ran about the living room, flitting in and out of rooms. Vok'Rul seemed to gather some things, while Nohkka just trailed after her uncle. Kac's hand was picking up strands of his hair, and she raised her voice, asking something of Vok'Rul.

His response sounded sheepish. Viktor ducked away from her hand, his limit of being touched by strangers - even if they were Vok'Rul's family - reached and surpassed.

Kac huffed, standing up and walking to the bathroom. Viktor looked up at Rukka, the only alien left in the room, and asked, "What's she up to?"

Rukka glanced up from her phone, tilting her head at Viktor, but didn't say anything. Viktor rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the bathroom. Kac came back out a little while later, and Vok'Rul and Nohkka emerged from his room, the latter holding a bag that was half the size of Viktor.

Kac said something, gesturing to the bathroom and then to Viktor. The human in question squinted suspiciously at her, widening his squinting to everyone else as they turned to look at him. He crossed his arms, a little defensive. "What? Stop gossiping about me," he told them. Nohkka made a happy little noise when he spoke.

Vok'Rul shrugged, lifting his left arm and moving it up and down, motioning to it with his other hand. Whatever Kac said in response to that made him nod, looking a little defeated and exasperated at the same time. Before Viktor could figure out what the hell they were even talking about, the alien approached him, crouching down and ruffling his hair. Nohkka was right behind him, expression happy.

Vok'Rul set the bag down, rummaging through it before pulling out the harness. Viktor leveled him with an unimpressed look. He didn't really want to go anywhere, right now!

But he didn't have a choice.

He didn't make it easy for the alien. He darted away from him as soon as he saw the thing. Rukka was on the couch, Kac was near the office and bathroom, and Vok'Rul and Nohkka were directly in front of him, which left him with one option.

He sprinted down the stairs.

Well, he took it as slow as he could without getting caught. It helped that Vok'Rul had to stand up, convince Nohkka that he needed to go down the stairs first, and then haul his tail down the stairs. By the time he had gotten down, Viktor was already in the dining room.

Unfortunately, Nohkka was hot on his heels, likely thinking this was some game. She was growling happily as she chased him underneath the table, and he had to stop running. His breathing was uneven. The thumping of her footsteps and her growling had reminded him too heavily of getting chased in the arena. Thankfully, she stopped her laughing as soon as she caught up to him, reaching out to pet him instead.

Vok'Rul had no trouble getting the harness on him after that.

Nohkka and Viktor were led outside. Kac and Rukka were in the entryway of the mansion, saying zhesh and some other words to the two aliens. Before Viktor knew it, just the three of them were being ushered into a car. Viktor slumped on the ground in between Vok'Rul's legs, fiddling with the bracelet around his wrist idly. Uncle and niece were chatting - it was mostly Nohkka - above him. He spared a thought to wonder where they were going before letting their idle chatter wash over him.

***

Vocabulary:

ka: is (are)

kas tih: it's okay

keti: look

kora: bad or naughty, a light scolding

ney: not

neyk: stop, no

norish: food

pora: come

prosh: good

rohsh: a friendly greeting, such as hello or hey

tas: you're

tor': uncle, usually followed by the person's name

zhesh: goodbye