He buys her

Just before his head pats made me want to purr, he let go of me. Without his grip around my throat supporting me, I almost instantly slumped downwards, meekly looking at the floor again. Only then, I fully realized what just happened. He was going to buy me! I wasn’t going to be processed!

Still facing the floor, I tried to locate him with just my ears. I closed my eyes, listened closely, and there he was. I was able to make out his distinct steps moving towards the small counter without any rush. As soon as he reached it, he engaged in a conversation with the breeders.

“Hello, I’d like to buy number 26, please” I heard the customer say.

“Number 26? Are you sure about that? If you give just a moment, I can show you…”

“No, thank you, I have already decided.” the customer interrupted him.

“Really? But we have much better specimens right here!” the breeder exclaimed with a gesture to my sisters.

I winced, my ears flicking back on my head. I knew that I was nothing more than a faulty product, but it still hurt when it was stated out loud by someone who was supposed to advertise and sell me.

“She may have her flaws. But I want her.” the customer reinforced his wishes once more.

The breeder sighed. “Alright then, but be aware that we have a no-refunds policy.”

“Refund? Why would I want that? Is she ill?” the customer inquired.

“Not to my knowledge, and of course, we have run all the required tests. But she is quite underweight, and without proper care, her condition will probably worsen fast, nothing for an inexperienced master.” The breeder stated in obvious reference to the young age of the customer.

“Oh, don’t you worry, I am quite aware of that. I have had several cats in the past, I know how to take care of one.” the customer countered.

I gasped. Multiple cats?! What had happened to them?!?

“Hm, if you are that confident in your abilities, so be it.” The breeder said begrudgingly. “Her price is 1260 credits.”

“1260 credits?! Isn’t that quite a lot to ask for such a famished ****?” The customer asked in disbelief.

“That’s her price. Take her or leave her.” the breeder replied coldly.

The customer sighed. I could almost feel something shifting in the air.

“Listen.” He said, his voice hard and focused. “Looking around your tent, I couldn’t help but notice that most of your girls, presumably all the good ones, are already gone. If I am not mistaken, you will leave today, which means that there are only a few hours left to sell her to a customer. After that, you will have little choice other than to sell her to be processed. They will give you a thousand credits at best for her, probably less. I am willing to offer you… let’s say, 1050, and we can call it a deal.”

I held my breath in the following silence, my ears standing tall and my tail flicking nervously. If he had talked to me in that voice, I would have obeyed without a thought. But then again, I was just a ****. How would a human react to being talked to in this way?

“1200 credits, that’s as low as I can go.” the breeder said after a while.

“1100.” the customer replied.

“Oh fiiine, just take her off my hands.” the breeder groaned.

There was a great deal of shuffling around, a beeping, and some sliding sound I didn’t recognize.

“Alright, that’s it, the transaction is confirmed, she is officially yours now. Here you have the key to her bindings, you can keep everything she wears.” The breeder informed the customer.

“But tell me something.” he added “For a youngster, you know a whole lot about demis and the **** trade. How come?”

“Oh, nothing special” the customer answered as he took the key and proceeded towards me “I just like a girl with a fluffy tail and ears, definitely more than any human girl, that is.”