I had to admit, I was fascinated. Bella had led me once again into another part of the estate I hadn't seen before, also...underground. I'd begun to think that all these tunnels and wings that were underground, were even more extensive than the property above ground! What was even more interesting to me however, was how lavishly furnished everything was. You didn't even get a sense really of being underground, save for there being no windows. But there wasn't that "cement" feel to it whatsoever. Everything was built in hard oak or mahogany, colors vivid, bright...yet earthy that had a very warm soothing appeal to them. Leading me into one of the training areas, I was again surprised at the décor, even more so as we entered, one of the Attendings I'd met weeks ago was there. Obviously "Sonia", as I recalled hearing her name, was one of the Pets in training, and soon eligible for adoption. What was unusual and far different about her as opposed to Angel, was her appearance. She'd actually been painted, her body appearing much more like an animal in fact, like a Leopard.
"Ok, admittedly I'm confused here. How come she's painted? Angel certainly wasn't."
Bella laughed. "For some, many in fact...they really do take on the persona of whatever "Pet" they want to become, treated like. In Sonia's case, she had determined early on she felt like she was a Leopard. As such, whenever she's in training...or when she'll later become adopted and someone's Pet, this is how she'll see herself. And how she expects to be treated. Now true...she may, or may not always wear the spots once she is. But to her owner, whoever it is that adopts her, this is how they will see her, and remember her. But again...it's also how Sonia sees herself!"
"Oh, ok...I see. I guess," I said still a bit leery, especially as Sonia sat atop some sort of circular platform, collared, with a chain attached to an upper beam. Fastened in this way looked somewhat precarious to me. If she were to fall off...
"Her prospective owner should be here any moment now in fact, and then you can see the two of them interacting...training together."
"Her owner? You mean they actually go through training too?"
"Yes...of course! You wouldn't buy a fancy sports car without first learning how to drive one would you?"
"No...I suppose not. Still..."
"Let me try and explain further," Bella told me as we wandered over to the opposite side of the room, Sonia still perched on her stand, holding relatively still, though I noticed she did reach over and lick herself on the arm when she could, much like a cat might. It was strange. "When someone decides they are serious about becoming a Pet, they do so for several reasons, and it's not always about the money, even though a good Pet can make a lot of it. For most...it's a way to escape to some extent, to become something other than who they are...for a time."
"Ok," I said trying to understand.
"Now...in Sonia's case, she's a Leopard. And as such...she lets whoever it is that's interested in adopting her know...that means she's wild, hard to control...and in some ways, hard to train. But that's what the new owner knows and accepts going in. They learn how to control a wilder, less docile Pet as in Sonia's case. So, over time, they both come to respect one another more, learn one another's limits, expectations, so when it does come time for final contracts and adoptions to take place, they're totally familiar with one another in that regard. The new owner knows how far they can push things, and still get the results they expect, and the Pet...well they quickly learn just how far they can take it without going too far over the edge themselves. So it's a mutual learning experience for each. Ah...here she is now," Bella said as a tall good-looking redheaded woman came into the room, led in by Deidra. Surprisingly she was dressed almost comically to me in a way...in what almost looked like a Lion-taming outfit, khaki shirt and shorts, complete with pith helmet and some sort of a cane she held in her hand. The moment she entered, Sonia grew tense, her eyes locked on the woman who stood there staring back at her.
"Down Sonia...down!" The woman stated the moment she looked at her future pet. It took a moment, but the mere threat of the cane as the woman smacked it against the side of her own thigh seemed enough to cower the woman...or the Leopard rather, though I was still semi-struggling with that. Almost at once, Sonia seemed to crouch rather than sit, the chain just then at the end of its tether not allowing her to sit any lower.
"That's one of the code words," Bella said whispering to me. "Down is a simple way of saying you're now my Pet, and it's time to play. Up, is the code word to end it, in which case Sonia would indeed very much become her true normal self once again. Oh...and one other thing you need to know, those code words can only be used once per day. That's in the contract. Once used, Sonia would remain as a Leopard, until such time as her owner, her master were to use the other code word releasing her from that. The reason for doing it, is not to abuse it on either side. Pets are not yo-yos, and not to be treated as such either. It's a very simple...but very effective rule really."
Once again I remembered the simple command being given to Angel, ending our bizarre little session with one another. "Yes...yes, I can see how it would be. But what happens if her owner doesn't use the code word to release her?"
"That's another one of the rules in the contract, she is only required to be a Pet for a minimum of four hours. Any time after that, IF she wishes to, she can release herself. So once again, unless she's enjoying the moment as a Pet, she's not abused by being made to maintain it for any time longer than that."
"Oh," I responded, even then wondering if I could myself endure an extended period of time like that. I'd been a "Pet" myself for just over an hour and that for me had been long enough.
"Let's sit down and watch for a few moments, then I'll take you into the cage room. That's where we'll be seeing a brand new Novice taking her very first introductory course here tonight.
Deidra soon came over to join us, sitting on the other side of me on the couch we had taken, facing the makeshift "arena" if one could call it that. A circular section of the room, Sonia sitting atop her three foot platform. Her prospective owner then walking over, fastening a length of free chain she held in her hand to Sonia's collar, before removing the second chain still attached to the support beam well up over her head.
"Come Sonia, come!" The redhead commanded, once again tapping the cane against her own thigh, Sonia hesitating only for a moment, and then finally jumping down onto the carpeted floor, immediately positioned in a four point stance as it was called. The woman then held out her hand towards Sonia's face making a fist though with no obvious intention of hitting her with it. I watched as Sonia tentatively sniffed the woman's hand, looking as though she might now bite it instead, though a quick strike of the cane against her thigh reminded Sonia that might not be such a good idea. Picking up the chained leash, she now led Sonia around in a small circle, keeping her head taut, lifted as she did.
