Chapter Text
♡ Part 1: BEG ♡
The sound of the wind whistling through the trees was white noise at this point. Thankfully, the hood of your oversized hoodie kept your soft canine ears warm from the wind’s assault. Darkness of night had cascaded the city far sooner than you expected, but the rain clouds above hadn’t been in the forecast, either. Your eyes followed the slow raindrops that began to dot the sidewalks. You’d better quicken your pace if you want to get home.
Well, “home” was a very generous term. The pack of stray canine hybrids you belonged to wasn’t exactly what you’d call “home”. However, their company was better than fending for yourself alone in the unforgiving walls of the city. Living in poverty was your reality, but you didn’t know anything else. It’s not like your job at the convenience store paid you enough to care.
You passed by the neon lights of a ramen bar, your mouth drooling with hunger. You knew you didn’t have enough money to sit yourself up on the stool and order something, but the thought occupied your head for a bit. Your tail wagged slowly at the consideration. Wouldn’t a ramen bowl be nice? You wouldn’t be able to pay for your gym membership this month if you purchased a bowl - would a month of showers be worth a small… delicious… bowl of noodles?
No. You needed to be careful with your existing money. You sighed to yourself, frustrated with your situation. A few more blocks to go, and you’d be home with your fellow canines. Surely, they’d saved a rat carcass for you to eat.
Ugh, maybe you could brandish your adorable puppy ears to the folks outside of a restaurant and beg for leftovers. After a while, you’d forgotten a lot of your dignity when it came to letting folks pet your ears for a scrap of food.
Changing course, you instead made your way to the local restaurant district. Authentic food, tasty drinks, a safe environment from the incoming storm, it was everything you could ask for. You snooped around the entrances, coming across a group of well dressed people outside of a high-class Liyuean restaurant. You slipped your hood from your head, letting your ears bounce adorably from their previous places folded against your head. Your hair was messy, but that didn’t do anything to deter your determination.
One way or another, you were targeting their hearts for a piece of pork if you could! As you got closer, their attention fell on you, a couple of the group members cooing at how adorable you were. You looked pitiful: big ears, puppy eyes, your hands in a begging position, and a light whine crawling out the back of your throat.
“Snack, please?” You spoke in the highest pitch you could, coming out even whinier than you intended. With the state of your clothing and dirtied appearance, a couple humans in the group took pity on you. In particular, a tall and youthful ginger man. The container of noodles in his hand was your main goal - you could smell it!
“How cute!” He spoke energetically, reaching a gloved hand for your head. You instinctually flinched back, but forced yourself to accept his gentle touch. He rubbed the spots behind your ears and you internally purred.
“Childe, do be careful.” One of the group members spoke, his deep voice rolling pleasantly.
“Don’t worry about it, I can handle a lil doggy!” The ginger laughed. You let your tail wag quickly. Perhaps they were under the impression that you didn’t speak very well and were unable to understand the warning against you. You knew the reputation the strays in the area had caused; stealing, attacks, conniving gestures. This was something you were familiar with yourself, having stolen a bagel or two on this very street.
“Now, who’s a good girl?” Childe playfully teased, crouching a bit to your height and patting his thigh. He was treating you like an actual dog! While you were incredibly insulted, you didn’t show it. Instead, your tail wagged faster than before and you let your tongue peak from your lips. You gave a couple yips for good measure.
Charmed, the ginger man opened the container of leftovers and offered an octopus tentacle. He held the tentacle out for you, expecting you to eat from his hands. You smiled, gently taking the offering from his palm, much to your embarrassment. You barely chewed before swallowing. Unfortunately, he wasn’t done embarrassing you quite yet.
“Want some more, girl? Sit, be a good girl for me!”
Ugh, this bitch. You complied, sitting on your knees on the cold, hard sidewalk. Childe smiled before holding another octopus tentacle in his hands for you to take. You reached a hand for the food, but Childe easily snatched it away.
“Ah, ah, ah! Eat from my hand, puppy....” He paused. “Don’t you have a home?” You felt your heart sink but you obeyed this time around, earning yourself a second piece of food, but didn’t answer his question thanks to chewing the seafood meat.
“Childe, the group is heading out. Shall we get going?” Childe’s deep-voiced companion spoke again, shifting his eyes away from you. At least somebody here had some shame.
“Oh, yeah! Let’s go before we get left behind.” Childe gave you one last pat on the head, his blue eyes hiding something sadistic, before turning and joining his human friend under an umbrella. They left you to stare after them, your ears lowered in disappointment. You had really put in the work, and they only gave you two little pieces of food! Straightening your legs and standing to your full height, you let your eyes wander the streets for more opportunities.
After an hour of begging, pets, and essentially baby-talking, you were exhausted. You’d only made out with some tiny table scraps, hardly a bite or two, and you were still hungry. Finding yourself wandering the same couple blocks, you decided to change it up and walk down the quiet residential neighborhood just a street down. You pulled your hood up again, shielding you from the heavy downpour. Soon enough, you were soaked to the bone with the storm’s relentless pounding.
Looking around for some sort of cover from the rain, your eyes found a single car on the road, slowly making its way down the road in your direction. You didn’t think much of it. This street was usually quiet at night, save for a few cars here and there, but you’d never seen such a luxurious car in this neighborhood. The car kept going, but then did a u-turn and strolled right up next to you.
Uncomfortable, the fur on your tail raised in caution. You backed away, avoiding the vehicle and quickening your pace down the street. Fuck finding a dry place, you need to get out of here. When you heard the car door open and swiftly shut, you bolted down the street. You knew they were close, their footsteps gaining on you. You peaked over your shoulder, trying to get a look at the stranger.
In a second, you were completely stopped, having run smack into a metal pole. In your shock and daze, the pain blooming in your skull was set to the side as the stranger placed his gloved hand over your mouth, muffling any cries and screams you produced. He pulled you against his chest, flooding your nose with his familiar scent, his voice soft and sultry in your acute ear.
“Shhhh, be a good girl, yeah?”