Human Daycare Services - part two (Ch. 1)

I'm back baby! I got for you the continuation of your favorite little fluff story and I hope that you are all excited to see what misadventures our protagonists get into. Let me know what you all think!

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Credit to a fan on Reddit: Adorable-Ad5225 for the picture.

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Memory Transcriptions Subject: Leasha, pupcare owner. 

Date [Standardized Human Time] November 24, 2136 

My life was starting to turn around for the better. Sure, the galaxy was at war, planets were burning, and the Federation was starting to fracture into splinters, but I could see improvements in my own life. Sometimes it made me feel bad to be experiencing this much happiness when others were experiencing strife, but with all the news about the wrongdoings of various Federations species, it was clear that something needed to be done. There were atrocities being committed against both humanity and those who were revealed to have been omnivores, and the fact that any member of the Federation could condone these actions was proof that things needed to change. 

While important, I was grateful that the war hadn’t impacted my little corner of life too much. In fact, the war had brought me a boon in the form of a wonderful mate, who made a decent pillow as well. I had fallen asleep on his broad chest last night, listening to his heartbeat, and it never failed to relax me. Now as consciousness began to return, I inhaled deeply, taking in the natural musk of my partner with glee as the scent pits in my mouth sent a tingle down my spine. 

My eyes blearily opened as I blinked away the last vestiges of sleep to see the face of my mate, George. The primate was still fast asleep, breathing deeply, but thankfully not snoring right now. I still remember the first time he did that when we started sharing a bed, and I ended up clawing his face from the fright of being awoken by it. We laugh about it now, but I still get startled when he suddenly snores. 

I admit, his features were a little strange, and I was still trying to get used to the no snout thing, but those were minor issues in the grand scheme of things. It didn’t change who he was, how kind his heart is, and how supporting he had been of me. The fact that his body was like sculpted marble didn’t hurt either. 

Even now as I laid against him while he was completely at rest, I could feel his strength. His muscles were solid and unyielding. The hills and valleys of his body cast deep shadows in the constant twilight of this part of the world. While others might have been unnerved by the raw strength he exhibited, I couldn’t help but feel an exhilaration from being so close to such a powerful form. Frankly, I could have stared at him for the whole paw and not have considered it a waste of my time. 

Even though he was trying to do his best to adapt to our time keeping on Venlil Prime, he still slept longer than I did. Not wanting to wake him, I slowly removed myself from atop his body. He took a slightly deeper breath as I separated, but he settled again into rest as I sighed with relief. Leaving his side was always a struggle, but I also liked to see his happy smile whenever he awoke to a fresh meal that I had prepared. Running a single claw through the small tuft of dark hair on his head, I swished my tail with happiness before making my exit from the room. 

George’s small apartment was as barren as ever, and it depressed me slightly every time I saw it. We were trying to get him moved out into my house, but there were issues with bureaucracy on that front. The UN was being tangled up in the weeds with the deluge of requests, problems, and logistical concerns that came with housing a great deal of humans on a planet that still wasn’t fully open to them, as frustrating as it was to admit. How much more evidence did people need before they realized that humanity wasn’t the monsters the rest of the federation painted them to be? 

My exasperation with the rest of my people aside, at least things around Shady Hills had been better over the last few weeks. The incident with the exterminators abducting the children was still fresh in everyone’s mind, and the fact that the shelter population mobilized the protest the actions of the silver suits had put them in a positive light for most of the parents who were affected, and that sentiment was slowly spreading. I have actually seen other humans leaving the shelter every now and then, meeting up with locals and having somewhat normal interactions. It was heartening to see such a positive change, especially considering that George and I didn’t have to hide anymore. 

Things were looking up, and thinking about all the positive changes put a happy sway in my tail as I made my way to the small kitchen area to prepare our first meal. I decided to make some rice and steamed vegetables using a combination of human and Venlil ingredients. Lately we have been trying a bunch of new combinations together, trying to find the best of both worlds, quite literally in this case. 

I got to work, mixing up the vegetables in a pot was easy enough, and the rice was cooked in a nifty little device specifically designed to cook the little grains. I let it all steam for a little while as I checked bleat for any interesting news. Efforts to incorporate humans into various aspects of our society were progressing, and the reactions to it were equally as diverse as everyone seemed to have an opinion to share. Naturally there were those who still believed that humans had some grand plan that culminated in the enslavement of our entire world, and those conspiracies were quickly becoming eye rolling. It was rather funny just how drastically my own opinions had shifted in the last herd of paws. There was a point where I would have believed those conspiracies and been reduced to a fearful mess, but now I was wholly in opposition. 

As tempted as I was to join the discourse and voice my thoughts, I tried to actively avoid getting caught in the mire of social media. With a deep breath to let go of the budding frustration at the ignorance on display, I set the device down and returned to cooking. As I worked on getting everything seasoned and plated, I heard the door to the bedroom open as George lumbered out of the room with a shirt over his head and being shimmied down his body. It was disappointing that he had to hide that magnificent body of his lest he freeze, but I made sure to get a good eyeful of his abdominals before they disappeared, and his head popped out the top with a close-mouthed smile.  

“Morning, fluff butt. I like what I smell.” George moved behind me, bending almost in half as his thick arms wrapped around my waist in a gentle yet possessive manner. He nuzzled against the side of my head and spoke a few soft words into my ears. 

“You really spoil me, you know. I’m lucky to have you.” He gave me a short kiss on the side of the snout, making my ears bloom deeply from the intimacy. 

“I could say the same thing about you. There’s no telling where I’d be if you hadn’t shown up. I’d certainly be much lonelier.” 

He chuckled shortly. “Man, what a mushy way to start the day, huh? I can’t say I can complain, though.” Standing up straight again, he gave me the freedom to continue cooking without his massive body restricting my movements. “I eagerly await to see what you’ve come up with this time. Hopefully we got another winner.” 

“I’d like to think I have one here. The vegetables I selected all have subtle flavors, so they should mix well together and allow the seasonings to take the spotlight. It’s the texture that I’m experimenting with this time.” 

“Color me intrigued. I await with eagerness.” He took a seat at the table, resting an elbow on the surface and propping his head up as he gazed at me. It was very distracting, but I gave him a few sultry glances of my own as I worked to get everything arranged neatly on the plates.  

Carrying the still steaming food over to the table, I put one plate down in front of him and the other right next to it so I could sit at his side. He looked at the colorful arrangement on his plate and smiled again. 

“Thank you for the food. Now, let’s dig in and see how it turned out.” 

He didn’t have to say it twice as we both took our cutlery and gathered a mouthful of the meal. The assortment of vegetables turned out exactly as I had imagined. The firmer vegetables crunched delightfully as the softer ones helped keep things palatable. I was glad I thought of the rice as it made the whole thing more filling and provided a good palate cleanser. George seemed to be enjoying it as well if the grunting sounds he was making were any indication.  

“I think we got another one to add to the recipe book. Still, I think your creation from two nights ago remains at the top of my list.” 

“I wonder what it would take to conquer those tastebuds of yours again?” I said with a teasing inflection to my voice. 

“Couldn’t say, but I’m sure you’ll find something to wow my palate once more.” 

From there we focused on our meal and enjoyed the fruits of my labor. As the meal neared its end, I decided to speak about something a little more professional. 

“Any word on those playground installments yet?” As part of the governor's efforts to reduce the amount of damage that came from Falk and his actions as head exterminator, my pupcare was given a restitution payment with the express purpose of putting it toward upgrading my business. I think he just wanted me to not make a big fuss about the whole ordeal, and frankly I was already willing to do that without the money as that sort of chaos was the furthest from my mind.  

“I’ve been trying to keep in contact with the construction company for any updates, but they are having to outsource to private contractors because of all the infrastructure damage on Earth. It’s difficult to get into contact with anyone off world right now, but they should be arriving in the next day or two from what I’ve been told.” 

“That’s good news. I can’t wait to see how the pups will react to the new additions. From the example images they made for us, I think that the pups would be overjoyed with it. Plus, it gives us more space in the yard.” 

“I’m happy to see some of the more creative parts of human culture making their way to Venlil Prime as well,” George added happily. “I’m interested in seeing how the kids react to something like this. From what you’ve told me, this will be a brand-new experience for them.” 

“You humans always seem to come up with the most interesting creations.” 

We were both looking forward to this development, but there was plenty of work to keep us busy until then. The dishes were rinsed and placed in the washer as George finished dressing for the paw and I worked on getting my fur in order. George had his warm jacket on and facemask at the ready. While he was tying his shoes, I saw the ankle monitor that the UN was making him wear and got a little annoyed at it. I understood that we technically stretched the letter of the law and skirted around a diplomatic incident, but the tracker just seemed a little much. 

I was now presentable as we made our way out of the front door. The shelter hadn’t changed much, at least in terms of physical decor. The mood, however, had shifted significantly over the last herd of paws. All the humans who had been drifting listlessly through their paw were now much happier. The impromptu exchange we organized had many of the parents making acquaintances with the shelter occupants, and they would even visit the shelter every now and then for a game night that had been started. I was starting to be recognized as a regular visitor to the shelter by the occupants, which wasn’t surprising considering I spent every other paw here. We even encountered the administrator of the shelter, Javier, on our way out. 

The older human with tanned, wrinkled skin and a greying head of black hair greeted us as we passed by in the lobby. “George, Leasha, a good day to you both. Off to work, are you?” 

 “Yeah. Someone has to keep the tots from burning the town to the ground while their parents are at work,” George replied with a jovial tone despite the contents of the statement being enough to make most residents of the planet uncomfortable. 

Javier chuckled. “Indeed, and such a sacrifice you are making to prevent that.” 

“I risk bodily harm every day. Those kids keep putting me through the paces, and the Gojid especially are concerning with all those quills.” 

“He’s exaggerating,” I chimed in. “Why do you have to be so dramatic all the time?” 

“Makes it more fun.” 

“I certainly hope you’re not a bad influence on those kids,” Javier commented with a smirk. 

“Quick, avoid the question! What’s that over there!” He pointed dramatically at the far corner of the lobby which fooled exactly nobody. What I didn’t expect was for him to snatch me up as I yelped with surprise. He made a run for the door with me dangling over his shoulder. After the initial surprise, I couldn’t help but whistle a laugh as he burst through the entrance in his efforts to escape. Javier laughed along with me in that deep barking manner that humans do, and I caught a few words before the door closed again. 

“Ahh, to be young.” 

George carried me for only a few seconds after that, just until we had left the shelter’s line of sight, before putting me down again. His face showed his child-like glee with the large grin he sported, and I gave him a light bap on the thigh with my tail.  

“I think Javier’s concerns are valid. If you start teaching the pups stuff like that, then there’s going to be all kinds of trouble.” 

“Hey, a bit of spontaneity isn’t a bad thing. It helps turn the average into the extraordinary.”  

Just then he seemed to realize that we were outside of the shelter, and his face filled with concern as he cast a quick glance around and thankfully saw nobody. Despite the reputations of the humans from the shelter being vastly improved as of late, most still made it a habit to avoid the area for casual travel. Some behavior was more deeply rooted than others, and those were the most difficult to excavate. George slipped on his mask, and I felt profound disappointment as I could no longer see his expressions. 

“I hope that you won’t have to wear that for much longer.” 

“Yeah, me too,” George said with a sigh. “It doesn’t seem like this world is quite ready for that, though.” 

It was a depressing subject, so we let it fade as we began the journey to the pupcare. Normally I would take public transport to work, I’ve been trying to join George in his workouts, which starts with us walking to work together. I’m still nowhere near strong enough to do the things he does on a casual basis, but I have noticed my stamina was improving as the walk got easier with every passing paw. It was a nice feeling, and we made good time now as I was able to keep pace with his long stride. 

The relationship between us was a pretty open secret at this point. We hadn’t made any official announcements to confirm it, but with our closeness to one another, it was fairly obvious. Still, it was nice to be able to walk together in the open without fear of being discovered.  

When we finally reached the pupcare, I felt my tail wagging as the familiar front door to my business greeted us. George opened the door for me, and I stepped inside with a deep breath as I felt relaxed. The colorful wallpaper with paintings of flower-birds, trees and young pups were now augmented with the pictures that the pups themselves had been drawing, including the portrait that they made for George which held a central location of honor.  

George stepped up to my side and put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the pupcare. “Shall we disinfect and dust? Ready to get started on the day?” 

“Always. Can’t let the pups and their parents down or let them get sick in any way.” 

We collected the cleaning supplies and prepared the room for the paw ahead. George always made light work of it, and soon enough we had all the surfaces properly disinfected and ready to be dirtied by a bunch of chaotic pups. The whole room smelled slightly of chemicals and juice fruit as the supplies were scented as such, and now we waited near the front door as the families should be arriving any minute now. 

George was at my side, and he gently rocked on the balls of his feet before chuckling softly. “I still remember my first few days here, hiding in the back. I’m happy that’s over and I can greet everyone at the front now.” 

I swished my tail in agreement and smiled up at him. “Me too, George. I always feel better with you by my side.” 

It was a slight saccharine moment between us, but it truly made me happy. We faced the paw ahead with smiles, ready to handle all the troubles the pups could possibly throw at us. 

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