Vok'Rul wanted to speak with the 'mind sickness' specialist before they left. Viktor was against the idea wholeheartedly. He wasn't sick. And if he were, he certainly wouldn't need any help with it.

But, something stupid in his head thought, it would be nice to sleep through most of the week without a nightmare. And be able to go out in public without jumping in fright from familiar noises. Ugh.

Reluctantly, Viktor shoved the translator back into his ear when Vok'Rul met the specialist. He knew they were going to be speaking about him and was less than enthused about the idea of not knowing what they were talking about.

"Greetings, O Vokkra," the specialist said respectfully, bowing at the waist. She straightened, eyes jumping to Viktor. They were bright blue, contrasting against the pale red hue of her skin. "And this is Kohgrash? He is featured on the holo quite a bit. 'Saviour of our Vokkra', they call him," she said with an amused air.

"Saviour, huh?" Viktor preened, squirming out of Vok'Rul's grasp to walk beside him. They were in a quiet section of the zoo now, over by some offices and such.

"You will give him an ego larger than a Chorsl," Vok'Rul said with amusement, holding Viktor's leash lightly in his hand. "I was told you are this establishment's mind sickness specialist."

"Yes, Kr'kca told me you were interested in speaking with me. I must say that it is quite the honor, Your Majesty," she bowed again. "My name is Frosh'lm-" Viktor blinked in bewilderment "-what can I help you with?"

"Hello, Frosh'lm," Vok'Rul said kindly as they were led into what seemed to be her office. It was cramped, especially with Vok'Rul the Tall Bastard in there, but it was cozy. It was filled with all sorts of things Viktor had never seen before. He tuned out the two talking aliens, more interested in peering around at all her stuff instead.

In the center of the room sat a small desk. There was an even smaller computer on it, competing for space with some stacks of papers. Frosh'lm circled around the desk, her small tail brushing against some of the shelves that lined the walls. They were filled with books - books! Viktor had never seen so many - and some figures which seemed to be made of glass. Animals that he had seen scattered throughout the zoo were in frightening positions. Wings spread, claws and teeth bared, hunched over - Viktor couldn't see one passive figurine. It made him a little nervous.

Vok'Rul and Frosh'lm sat opposite each other, one on either side of the desk. Vok'Rul's tail nearly spanned the entire room, and he had to tuck it close in order to not brush up against anything.

"You are concerned that Kohgrash has mind sickness?" Frosh'lm was asking.

"I do not," Viktor protested, tuning back into the conversation. "I don't know what you're gonna accomplish here. I'm not an animal." Annoyed and still upset about leaving his dad in such a state, Viktor glared up at Vok'Rul sullenly.

"Your mammal is quite the chatty one," Frosh'lm observed, leaning over her desk to smile at Viktor. He bared his teeth threateningly in response.

"Enough of that, Kohgrash," Vok'Rul scolded, lifting his tail to push Viktor closer to himself. His irritation spiked.

"Enough of you, more like," he grumbled, pushing the tail away. It thumped onto the floor.

"Yes," Vok'Rul said, answering Flosh'lm's question and ignoring Viktor. "However, I know he has mind sickness. It is very evident in everything he does. He is very wary of new Vokkrus, as you have surely noticed, and there are certain things that upset him and throw him back to his previous home. He was not treated very kindly by his previous owners."

Viktor wanted to throw up at the thought of the ringmaster owning him. He's dead, he reminded himself, nails biting into the palms of his hands. Very much dead.

"Triggers are very common in animals with mind sickness," Flosh'lm nodded, scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Do you know his?"

Vok'Rul began listing them. Sudden movements, raised voices, the word kora - which Viktor found out translated sluggishly into a mix between 'naughty,' 'bad,' and 'stop it' and had only made him twitch when he heard it - cages and carriers, collars, certain leashes - the list went on and on. Vok'Rul listed things even he was unaware of. Stuff like someone reaching for their waist, a tail sliding against metal, and even approaching him from behind. Viktor hadn't realized the alien paid so much attention to him.

Frosh'lm hummed in thought after Vok'Rul had finished speaking. "I believe most of his issues can be solved with exposure. Place the items in his line of sight and reassure him they mean no harm. This can also be done with certain words, as well. Slipping them into a casual conversation will show him that it does not always have negative consequences."

Viktor snorted, crossing his arms defensively, "As if." That sort of stuff would never work on him. He was intelligent, after all.

Vok'Rul seemed to be of the same mind. "And if he is not amenable?"

"Persistence is the key with those afflicted with mind sickness. Eventually, it will sink in that they are not in danger any longer."

***

"Well, that was a waste of time," Viktor grumbled, crawling into the car. He curled in on himself, throwing his arm over his head. He watched as Vok'Rul came clambering in after him, dropping the leash heavily on the ground.

"To you, maybe. It was quite enlightening for me, personally," Vok'Rul mused, reaching down to brush his claws against Viktor's hair.

Viktor sighed heavily and dramatically, still upset about leaving his dad the way he had.

"I know," the alien murmured, sympathetic. "I wish it hadn't ended like that, either. Bunch of incompetent fools they are, Kohgrash."

"I gotta take this out. My head is killing me. That's an expression, by the way," Viktor reassured him, having heard him start moving. The car started rumbling.

"Oh. Good. Go to sleep, my little Kohgrash. I know you humans need much more than my kind."

Viktor grunted his acknowledgment, taking the alien's advice and closing his eyes. Sleep didn't come easily. His thoughts were racing, worried about his dad and lingering on what Frosh'lm had said about him. He thought about the scars littering his body, some pale and thin, others jagged and deep, like the bite digging into his arm or the scratch bisecting his face. Each one had been inflicted on him against his will, despite his best efforts, and by those he did not like. He didn't like all his scars, but they told a story and shaped him into who he was today.

He wasn't sick, or - or broken. Certainly not as fragile as Frosh'lm suggested.

"Ugh," he groaned, pressing his face harder into his arms. He squeezed his eyes shut hard enough to see stars. Something brushed against his side, and he jumped. Opening his eyes revealed Vok'Rul looking at him in concern. "S'nothing," he mumbled, cheek pressed against the floor of the car. The rumbling rattled his brain.

Vok'Rul's expression became constipated like he was trying not to laugh and look disapproving at the same time.

"Why don't you have headaches?" Viktor demanded, glaring at the alien. The effect was probably ruined since only half his face was visible. Vok'Rul shrugged, grinning. "God, you're annoying. All of you!" Vok'Rul cooed something at him apologetically, swiping his fingers down Viktor's side. "Yeah, whatever." He couldn't help the fondness creeping into his voice.

Even one-sided, talking with him made some of his worries fizzle away. The alien's words from the night before came to the forefront of his mind. He didn't mind that Viktor was all... screwy, so Viktor shouldn't care either. Maybe he should try to put some effort into this healing shtick. Ignoring it wasn't doing him any good.

He was reluctant to start trying. If he was no good at it, then what did it matter?

He slapped his hands over his eyes and tried to shut off his thoughts. He'd give it a try, just for Vok'Rul's sake. Plus, the alien would probably annoy the hell out of him if he didn't.

And, he supposed, it would be nice to feel normal for once.

***

The collar clattered onto the floor in front of his food bowl.

Vok'Rul had tried suggesting that he eat with Thruul and him at the table in the mornings whenever the cook came in and made the leader breakfast, but considering Viktor would probably need a booster seat of all things to see over the table, he had declined. Though, he did come down and steal slices of honeyed meat off of Thruul's plate when the alien wasn't looking.

But Viktor liked the peace and quiet of chewing jerky on the floor of Vok'Rul's office. And frankly, he had been eating off the floor for a year. He probably wouldn't know how to handle himself at a dinner table anymore.

"Um," Viktor said, staring at the collar distrustfully. It was unassuming. Blue in color, the collar was made out of some weird ropey fabric. It was much different than the thick, metallic shock collar he had suffered with, but it still made him uneasy. His hands traveled up to his throat, rubbing the scar tissue self-consciously. "What's this?"

Vok'Rul said something. Viktor mumbled a "hold on" before quickly turning on his translator.

"A collar!" Vok'Rul repeated cheerfully.

"I see that," he said dryly, eyeing it. It didn't move. "Why is it in front of my food bowl at ass o'clock in the morning?"

"What is ass o'clock?" Vok'Rul asked with a tilt of his head.

"Means early," was his grumbled reply. "Is this that exposure thing that doctor, Froshim or whatever, told you about yesterday? Because I'm not impressed."

"You're not supposed to be impressed. You're supposed to be exposed. Look, Kohgrash, it's not doing anything. It's just a collar," Vok'Rul said sweetly, settling on the ground beside Viktor and touching the collar. He flicked it toward Viktor. Despite himself, he nearly jumped out of his skin, upsetting his food dish. His jerky spilled all over the floor.

"Aw, fuck! Look what you did, you dick," Viktor snapped, smacking Vok'Rul's hands away when the alien tried to help him clean it up.

"I will make Thruul give you some of that meat you like," Vok'Rul said in apology, reaching out to pet Viktor's hair. Annoyed that his breakfast was interrupted by this idiocracy, he smacked his hands away.

"I don't care," he grumbled. "When did you even get this?"

"I bought multiple when I first got you," Vok'Rul pouted, twisting the collar around his fingers. "I thought you'd look quite handsome in them. Wanna try?"

"If you try to put that collar on me, I will break every single one of your fingers," he hissed. Unfortunately, the alien didn't seem too worried by his threat.

"But you would look so cute," he needled. Viktor stood up and started leaving the room. "Aww, Kohgrash, come back! I was joking."

"You're not funny!" he shouted back.

Vok'Rul brought that fucking collar everywhere with him throughout the rest of the day. When Viktor stomped downstairs, Vok'Rul was behind him, twirling the collar nonchalantly on his finger. Thruul came in a little bit after and was obviously curious about why his boss had a pet collar, but he saw Viktor's murderous expression and decided not to ask.

Viktor did get some meat, though. It lightened his mood, just a little bit.

"I don't understand why you're doing this," he said to Vok'Rul after they had gone back upstairs. They were in the office again. The alien was frowning at the papers, but the collar was still nearby, resting innocently on the desk. "It's not like I'm an actual animal, y'know. No one is gonna make me wear those again."

"It's not just the collar. You don't like when things constrict your neck," Vok'Rul told him. Viktor, who had been tugging the collar of his shirt down, quickly dropped his hand.

"That's not true," he mumbled petulantly. Vok'Rul hummed.

"Besides, my little Kohgrash, you are already much better than you were the first time I pulled out a collar, nearly two months ago. Last time, you had an attack. This time, you are just grumpy. Leagues of improvement!" Vok'Rul looked up from his papers with a smile.

"Fine," Viktor could reluctantly admit that he was becoming more comfortable with looking at the collar as time went by. But it was still stupid. "Just don't expect any miracles. That thing is not going on me."

Vok'Rul looked pleased. The smug bastard.

The next few days were spent in the same pattern. At breakfast, Vok'Rul would appear with some new trick up his sleeve. A thicker, heavier collar was the next one. The one after that was one of those stiff leashes. He made Viktor and Thruul spend the entire day together. Whenever his translator was off, he would say the word kora randomly. It was exhausting.

But it was working. By the end of the day, whether it be with a stiff leash or spending it with Thruul, Viktor was desensitized, more or less, to whatever Vok'Rul had planned. Some things were harder, such as the word kora. Every time he said it, Viktor would flinch. At least, by the end of the day, he wasn't raising his hands in self-defense anymore. Vok'Rul had called it a win, even if Viktor didn't.

After Vok'Rul had dished him up some jerky the next day and went immediately to his desk without shoving anything unexpected in his face, Viktor grew suspicious. After a long ten minutes of silence, only broken by his eating and the occasional shuffling of papers and scratching of pens, Viktor grew wary.

"Well?" Viktor barked out after he had completely finished his jerky and nothing had happened. Vok'Rul glanced up briefly, expression unreadable for a moment before it melted into a small smile.

"Well, what?" he asked innocently.

"What's the new thing today? Any grand plans of - of locking me in a cage?" his voice wavered briefly. "Or feeding me grey slop?"

"They fed you what?" his voice grew angered.

"That - that grey goop? It tastes like stale bread," Viktor quickly answered, a bit taken aback by the alien's sudden rage.

His hands scraped down his face in exhaustion. He looked extremely upset, face pinched with sorrow and pity. "No wonder you were so small. That food is barely fit for plants, let alone any living, breathing creature," he mumbled. The alien stood up, scooping Viktor into his arms when he walked closer.

"I am not small," he protested, getting himself comfortable in the alien's arms. He took them both downstairs, and Viktor perked up when he realized they were headed toward the fridge. "Aw, fuck yeah. Fruit?"

"Yes," Vok'Rul chuckled. He pulled out one of the purple starfruits, barely getting the chance to take it out of the fridge before Viktor snatched it up and shoved it into his mouth. "Slow down a little. You'll choke."

"I know how to eat," he said with snark, juice dribbling down his chin. After he had swallowed the fruit - the entire process probably took about ten seconds - he asked, "What's the plan today, then?"

Vok'Rul sighed heavily, his breath ruffling Viktor's hair. "I must assist Rukka with the festival. Planning is almost complete. I must sign papers and whatnot."

"Sounds fun," he said dryly. He wriggled out of his grasp, thumping onto the floor. "Can I come with?"

He used his best puppy dog eyes on the alien. He even grabbed his clothing and tugged on it pleadingly. He did not want to spend the day with Thruul, even if he was slowly starting to enjoy his company (read: his cooking).

"Would you?" he asked, relieved. Vok'Rul never asked him to tag along. The simple fact was that Viktor would be bored out of his mind with nothing to amuse himself other than his thoughts. Plus, it was probably unseemly to bring along what was considered an animal to important meetings, even if Vok'Rul was the leader. "It might be boring. But it should be quick. We could go to the park afterward! And get more fruit! You can taste-test them."

Viktor watched with amusement as Vok'Rul babbled with excitement. He wasn't even able to get a word in with the way he was talking.

"So," he said loudly when Vok'Rul paused to take a breath. "When is this festival?"

"Umm," Vok'Rul uncharacteristically mumbled, looking unsure. Viktor giggled.

"You don't know when it is?" he laughed. "No wonder Rukka is always so mad at you!"

"Shush, Kohgrash," he grumbled. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"You should be nice to me, then," he pouted, crossing his arms. Vok'Rul reached down to ruffle his hair, playfully.

"I am plenty nice to you!" the alien whined.

"Gimme another fruit, and I'll think about it," Viktor made grabby hands at the alien, smiling widely.

He got his fruit.

Vok'Rul didn't need to get all dressed up in jewelry for this meeting, much to his relief. Apparently, there were all sorts of rules as to when and where he could wear the jewelry and that the jewelry itself was important and certain placement meant different things. As soon as he had started explaining the specifics, Viktor's head ached.

"How d'you remember all that stuff?" he asked, rubbing his forehead. Vok'Rul shrugged.

"I grew up with it," was his simple explanation.

"Were you born to lead or something? Like a king?" Vok'Rul tilted his head.

"No. I competed like everyone else. Do you want the shiny leash or the regular one? I like the shiny one; it's grown on me."

What. Viktor needed to find someone who would explain the history of this planet to him without getting distracted.

"I don't like you," he grumbled. "The regular one."

Vok'Rul looked sad. "But I gave you that extra fruit!"

They went to the capitol building again. This time, Vok'Rul let him look at the flying snake statues for a little longer before they had to go in. He had asked how they worked, but Vok'Rul had no idea. He supposed that it'd be like asking Viktor how a plane flew. The statues were still cool, though, even if he didn't know how they worked.

They were accosted again, which sucked. It was more manageable, now that Viktor knew what they were saying.

"Vokkra, what will you do about the Cords?"

"O Vokkra, was the one who attacked your mammal in your home part of the Cords?"

"Will you be attending the festival?"

"Why do you have such a reactive mammal? He's attacked many innocent animals! Surely, it would be more merciful to put him out of his misery!"

"Enough," Vok'Rul snapped, holding up his hand. His bodyguards were suggesting that the aliens leave quite forcefully, pushing them back. "I am here on business. I am unable to answer questions, especially such vulgar ones."

Viktor looked over the alien's shoulder as he stomped away. The alien who had shouted the last question looked miffed, as if Vok'Rul rebuffing its question was the last thing it expected.

"Do they really think I should be put down?" his voice was small, barely audible. Vok'Rul's hold on him tightened.

"Do not listen to them, Kohgrash!" Vok'Rul whispered heatedly, anger making his voice tight. "They are fools. You have protected me with your life. And even if you hadn't, I would never, ever let their ridiculous and blatantly wrong opinions cloud my judgment!"

Viktor hummed, looking away from the annoyed alien as Vok'Rul ascended the stairs.

"Idiots," one of the bodyguards mumbled behind Vok'Rul. It looked shrewdly at Viktor, but its expression softened after it noticed he was looking. "Vokkra loves his mammal." Vok'Rul's grip tightened, if possible, even more around Viktor, showing that he was listening to the soft conversation behind him. "To ask him to kill it..." the bodyguard's voice grew scornful.

"Ha! Just last month you were worried it would choke him and eat him like yesterday's lunch," the other bodyguard whispered cheekily.

The first one hissed to be quiet, casting a worried glance at Vok'Rul's back. "That was before it jumped in front of that Ghhorrah'vok to save him! It's convinced me to try and get a mammal myself. That loyalty is something you won't find in a Flyhk."

"What the hell is a Flyhk," Viktor muttered to himself, squinting curiously at the bodyguards.

"Perhaps when you acquire a mammal, it and my Kohgrash can meet," Vok'Rul said idly, making the bodyguards' expressions flicker between fear and guilt.

"Yes, sire. We apologize, sire," they mumbled, offering low bows that Vok'Rul didn't see. Viktor snorted, some of the uneasiness about the rude alien leaving him.

"They're funny," Viktor told Vok'Rul. The alien rumbled noncommittally, patting Viktor's back.

They were late for the meeting. When Vok'Rul opened the door, the hushed conversation dulled even more, broken only by the chairs being pushed back as every alien rose and bowed at Vok'Rul.

"I apologize for my tardiness," he said respectfully, shifting Viktor in his arms to use his other hand to gesture. The aliens sat back down. "The crowd downstairs was rather volatile this morning."

"It is of no concern, Your Majesty," an elderly alien said respectfully. "We will increase security."

Like Vok'Rul said, the meeting was rather short. Still, he turned off his translator for the time being. His headaches were getting better with prolonged use, but if more than three aliens started speaking for a long time, they started to become unbearable. So, Viktor passed the time by pretending to read what was on the papers in front of Vok'Rul, whose lap he was commandeering.

He had gotten a few looks when they had entered. Nothing horrible - Viktor has certainly seen worse expressions on an alien's face before - but he could tell they weren't too impressed with his presence. They were even more scandalized when he picked up the papers. Oh well. That's their problem. If they wanted to complain to Vok'Rul, at least it would make for some entertainment.

Plus, it wasn't like he could read them. He wouldn't be spilling any state secrets any time soon. More's the pity.

Tracing the swirling, somewhat boxy text on the papers was amusing for all of thirty seconds. He rifled through the papers noisily, peering at the pictures shrewdly. Knowing that this meeting was about the mysterious festival, Viktor was able to piece together that they were deciding on venue locations. There were multiple different spots: grassy knolls, wooded fields, stone plazas, bland buildings, and even one that looked like a greenhouse.

A heavy hand settled on the top of his head. He looked up to see Vok'Rul looking at him curiously.

"What?" he mouthed before he remembered the alien actually couldn't speak English. He repeated it in an extremely quiet whisper. The alien tilted his head. He didn't say anything, though. Viktor rolled his eyes and went back to examining the photos. Vok'Rul started playing with his hair. The sounds of arguing aliens washed over him.

There was one particular venue that his eyes kept straying back to. It was a park, much like the one Vok'Rul had taken him and Nohkka to on their three-month anniversary. It looked nice; plenty of trees and plants over a sprawling field. If Viktor could get past the yellow sky, the odd coloring of the plants, and the large benches and other alien-made structures, he could convince himself he was looking at a regular, normal Earth park.

Vok'Rul's hand slid from his hair to the side of his face, discretely turning on the translator. Almost immediately, Viktor's head started to hurt, and he cast a nasty look at the alien. He looked apologetic but unrepentant at the same time, barely visible under his political mask, which was polite and aloof.

"Which do you like, Kohgrash?" he murmured, causing the other aliens to quieten their conversation.

"Sire, we have plenty of pros and cons for each venue. We can narrow it further if you are still uncertain," someone said, eliciting mutters of agreement from the others. "Your mammal -"

"My Kohgrash has opinions, Sir Nhhrr-" the translator was having trouble turning the alien's name into any meaningful syllables for Viktor. "And I like to hear them. It is not unreasonable to assume that our festival will have a surplus of mammals this year, considering last year's happened so soon after they first arrived. They have become quite the staple on our planet. A miserable mammal is fun for no one, wouldn't you agree? Allowing Kohgrash to choose which venue to host our festival in will make it much more enjoyable for all parties."

The alien made an audible noise of derision, glancing at Viktor."You cannot seriously be suggesting that your mammal can understand you or even think critically -" the alien started with scornful bewilderment.

"I would suggest thinking carefully about what comes out of your mouth, Sir," Rukka interrupted icily. "Insulting one's pet is fair game for a duel, as you should know. How is your Flyhk doing?"

Viktor watched with wide eyes. The alien's mouth closed with a click. It looked fearful, though Viktor was unsure if that was because Rukka had threatened it or because it feared the idea of dueling Vok'Rul. The silence in the room was oppressive for just a moment before the alien bowed its head and murmured, "My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty."

Vok'Rul hummed in response, neither accepting nor denying the apology. If anything, that made the alien even more nervous. "What," he repeated, tone much gentler now, "do you think, my little Kohgrash?"

Viktor glanced up at Vok'Rul warily. He smiled at him. He looked over at Rukka, who was still glaring at the alien. After a tense moment, his eyes fell back to the papers. He pointed, somewhat hesitantly, at the park. "Does this have fruit trees?"

Vok'Rul breathed out a laugh. "Yes," he confirmed, brushing his claws down his side. "There is fruit, there."

"Does he like fruit?" a younger alien asked, tone polite and hesitant. It looked like it was trying to break the tension hanging in the air.

"Yes, most mammals enjoy eating different kinds of fruit," Vok'Rul said lightly, pulling the papers out of Viktor's weak grasp and passing them to Rukka. "I believe this park will be a suitable venue for this year's festival, dear council." The group of aliens - the council, apparently - were quick to agree, unwilling to risk arguing with Rukka or Vok'Rul. "Anything else I must see to?"

They were out of the building in under twenty minutes.

"I don't know how you do it," Viktor told him as they climbed into the car. "All that..." he made a noise in the back of his throat, face screwing up in thought as he gestured vaguely for a word, "political stuff."

"It is quite enjoyable," Vok'Rul responded after directing the driver to some address Viktor had no concern to listen to. "Most days," he added after a second of silence. Viktor snorted.

"Why'd you make me choose, anyways? I just picked what I thought was the prettiest," Viktor asked. The silence from the alien grew long enough that Viktor had to look up to see what he was doing, only to find him smiling down at him.

"I thought it'd be funny. Plus, I couldn't decide," was the response. And if that didn't sum up Vok'Rul, Viktor didn't know what would.