"It's none of your business."It's none of your business." "So ya haven't nailed her, have ya? Why not? Did she make you her pet, like I said she would?" "Shut up," Nickolai said, angrily. "Come on, pet, look at her. Pet. Her pet. Pet pet pet petpetpet. I bet you'd do anything for her. Pendorian's pet." "Listen-" "No, you hear, pet. Look at her. Look at what she is. She's a sex toy, pet, but she's made you her toy. Look at them all. Sex, all of it. Go on, take it. It's what she's there for." Nickolai found his anger becoming misplaced; he knew it was wrong, but he felt angry at Furry. He couldn't say why. "That's it," the kid said under the hot dance lights. "Go on, take it, be a man, not the pet of a thing made by a man. It's yours, you got it." "I..." Nickolai started to say. Anger washed over his dream self, anger at Furry but he still had no reason for it. "Go on, pet. Make yourself a man. Prove it. Take the toy. That's what she is, a toy. Make her your toy. She's just gonna make you her pet then throw you away. Do it to her, do it first. Go on!" The kid was sneering at him. Nickolai turned to face the kid, then back to Jorfuan. She hadn't moved; she was still just standing there, staring off into the distance, frozen. He moved a step in her direction. "That's it. Learn to take what's yours. You're human. Everything humans make belongs to them. You deserve her, doncha? Take her... Take her!" Nickolai took another step, and another. He was going to do it, to prove to this kid that he was a man, that he was human The hatred and anger washed through him again, focussed, directed, and he reached out to grab Jofuran's arm- Nickolai awoke with a start, panting in... Anger? Fear? Shame? All these feelings, and others, washed through him as he sat up slowly, fearful that his mother in the next room might enter. Had he screamed in his sleep? He was silent for a moment, but there was no sound or motion from his mother's suite. |