Eyes of the Beholder
Petshop of Horrors genfic for gryphonsegg! Thanks to lynndyre for her excellent beta.
It was a quiet afternoon. D got out of his chair and walked to the shop window; Leon might well be stopping by soon. Last time he brought a layered cake with peach cream that suited the tea he'd brewed perfectly; perhaps today it might be some of those new cupcakes the cake shop kept selling out of...
A handsome young man was standing outside his door, looking carefully at the sign. He was handsome and dark-skinned, with thoughtful, expressive eyes. Indian, perhaps? It was difficult to make distinctions, at times, between the categories humans forced themselves into.
"You gonna let him in?" T-chan asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
"I suppose I should," D said calmly, and walked to the door.
The young man accepted a cup of tea gratefully. "As I said," he said, "I had a milk snake in high school, and through most of college. My roommate got drunk one night and...." He sighed. "I knew I should've brought her back home with me that weekend. I knew it, and I still...."
"We all make mistakes," D said calmly, appraising the young man with his eyes. "They say the important thing is to learn from them."
"After that," he said, "I didn't want another pet. But I saw your sign, and...." He sighed. "I suppose it's not rational."
"You live alone, you said?"
"Yeah," he smiled. "Got a really nice apartment, seventh floor, beautiful view. Good friends, my sister comes by with her kids and they hang out in the playground out back. Perfect life, really." There was a sadness in his voice.
"But..."
He sighed. "It's my parents. They think I should find someone, settle down. You get the idea." He shrugged. "They don't understand...I'm happy, you know?"
"I understand completely, Mr. Gupta," D said, pouring another cup of tea.
"It wouldn't bother me, but my sister...she gets really upset that they won't just accept me as I am. They've threatened to disinherit me, and she--" He looked out at the store's window. "It'd break her heart. She still thinks of me as her baby brother, you know? She wants to protect me."
"Family can be complicated."
The young man looked up and smiled wryly. "I can't believe I'm telling you all this. I'm sorry."
"It's quite all right," D said, rising from his couch and straightening his cheongsam. "The more I know about someone, the easier it is to find a pet that will suit their circumstances. In fact, I believe I have the perfect companion for you. If you'll just follow me...."
The young man fell into step behind D. He was anxious, but not uncomfortably so. D smiled; he might indeed be the correct fit. He parted the curtain and walked through the door, turning the light on to rouse the snake.
She blinked her beautiful amber eyes at them both as she woke.
"She's so beautiful," John Gupta said, clearly enchanted. D and Q-chan smiled at each other. He's the one.
It took John a few seconds to wake enough to realize that his phone was ringing. He blinked at the clock; nine am. And it was a Saturday, too. He sighed and picked up. "Hello?"
"What did you do?"
"Nothing," he said, blinking awake. "What, did Mom and Dad--"
"They said that you're living with someone!"
"I--" He sat up. He was going to need coffee to deal with this. "They said what?"
"They said they met your girlfriend last night. Her name was Mei, and she's Chinese, and-- what's going on?"
"Mei?" Mei? "Mei's my snake."
There was a very long pause on the other side of the line.
"They must have been kidding," he said, though it sounded like bullshit even as it came out of his mouth. "They were kidding, right?"
"Our parents," his sister repeated cynically. "Kidding."
"Okay, so--" He sat up in bed. "So what?"
"I'm coming over to see this snake," Bree said, and the phone slammed in his ear.
Today, Leon had brought over an exquisite set of almond-flavored pastries, decorated with a honey-almond glaze that was nothing short of heavenly. D had selected jasmine tea, and they drank together in silence for a bit, enjoying the pleasure of a well-made dessert.
"Man," Leon said. "I'm glad this day is over."
"Difficulties?"
Leon shrugged. "They found a body in a Dumpster. Most of one, anyway. Nasty stuff."
Sometimes D forgot that humans were just as horrible to one another as they could be to animals. "I'm sorry."
"I just hope we ID them soon, at least. The family's probably...." Leon stared at the window for a moment. "Hey, you got a customer."
D turned; it was the young man from the other day, Mr. Gupta. "Ah," D said. "I hope everything's all right with his purchase."
"You sold him something?" Leon frowned. "Was it legal?"
"Of course it was," D said automatically, "and I resent..." He walked to the open door. "Mr. Gupta, is everything all right?"
The young man looked between Leon and D for a moment, lost. D poured him a cup of tea. "Do sit down."
"Um, yeah," he said, and sat across from Leon, who rose as he sank.
"I'll just get going," Leon said, "I gotta pick Chris up from the park anyway."
"Tell T-chan to come home as well, please," D said casually.
"...yeah," Leon said.
"The snake," the young man said, as the bell rang behind Leon. "It's a snake, right? Really a snake?"
"Of course," D said evenly, taking another sip of tea. "Would you like a cake? The detective eats most of them, but...."
"Because I think it's a snake," the young man continued, "and my sister and her kids think it's a snake, and most of my friends think it's a snake, but my parents--" he gestured, so violently D feared for his china for a moment-- "my parents think it's a girl. A woman, actually, a Chinese woman. And so does my landlord. And my friend Tim told me the other day he always knew I was gay, so I think he thinks it's a Chinese guy, and--"
"Mr. Gupta." D set his teacup down, gently but firmly. "As I told you, the Chinese dizi snake is difficult to find because of its excellent camouflage. It is a well-honed survival mechanism for the harsh conditions it experiences in its native land."
John's mouth opened and closed. "You're telling me that the reason my parents think Mei is a girl is camouflage?
"Of course," D said, "we all have our beliefs about those we love. Don't you think so?"
"Yeah," John said. "I guess. You think...."
"And she's doing well?"
"Oh, yes," John said. "Her eyes are nice and bright, and she ate very well this morning."
D smiled. "I'm very glad to hear that, Mr. Gupta. If you are both content, after all, what else is needed?"
John sighed. "I guess you're right."
Leon dropped Chris off in the morning, along with some sticky buns. "How'd it go with the guy from yesterday?"
"Everything was fine, Detective-san," D said, as Chris ran past him into the shop. "He just needs a bit more time to get...accustomed to the unusual nature of his pet."
"Yeah," Leon said. "It ain't gonna eat him, right?"
D's face flushed with anger. "You know, one of these days--"
"Whatever," Leon said. "I gotta go."
"What a horrible man," D muttered to himself as he returned to the shop.
"He'll be okay, though, won't he?" T-chan asked, as D closed the door behind him.
"What, Detective Orcot? No doubt he's--"
"Nah," T-chan said. "Forget him."
"Mr. Gupta," Pon-chan said, cheerfully. "Him!"
Who's that? Chris asked.
"He was here yesterday," Pon-chan said. "He got a snake from Count D. She's a really beautiful snake. She's Chinese, like Count D."
"He'll be fine," D said. "As you know, sometimes there's a bit of an...adjustment period. Not everything in one's life can be made perfect, even when one finds the perfect companion."
John Gupta went home and locked the door carefully behind him. Mei was in her cage, her amber eyes watching him as he took off his coat and poured himself a glass of water from the tap.
"I'm sorry they'll never see what you really are," he said, taking a long drink. "But at least Bree and the kids do."
He put the glass of water down and lifted her out of the cage. "Did you have a good day? Maybe I should get you something to watch while I'm gone. Too bad they don't have mouse-vision channels."
Mei coiled against his neck affectionately.
"We're going to have a dinner party tomorrow. Hopefully most of them will see a snake, but be on your best behavior either way, okay?"
Mei said nothing. But that was all right.
She was, after all, a snake.
It was a quiet afternoon. D got out of his chair and walked to the shop window; Leon might well be stopping by soon. Last time he brought a layered cake with peach cream that suited the tea he'd brewed perfectly; perhaps today it might be some of those new cupcakes the cake shop kept selling out of...
A handsome young man was standing outside his door, looking carefully at the sign. He was handsome and dark-skinned, with thoughtful, expressive eyes. Indian, perhaps? It was difficult to make distinctions, at times, between the categories humans forced themselves into.
"You gonna let him in?" T-chan asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
"I suppose I should," D said calmly, and walked to the door.
The young man accepted a cup of tea gratefully. "As I said," he said, "I had a milk snake in high school, and through most of college. My roommate got drunk one night and...." He sighed. "I knew I should've brought her back home with me that weekend. I knew it, and I still...."
"We all make mistakes," D said calmly, appraising the young man with his eyes. "They say the important thing is to learn from them."
"After that," he said, "I didn't want another pet. But I saw your sign, and...." He sighed. "I suppose it's not rational."
"You live alone, you said?"
"Yeah," he smiled. "Got a really nice apartment, seventh floor, beautiful view. Good friends, my sister comes by with her kids and they hang out in the playground out back. Perfect life, really." There was a sadness in his voice.
"But..."
He sighed. "It's my parents. They think I should find someone, settle down. You get the idea." He shrugged. "They don't understand...I'm happy, you know?"
"I understand completely, Mr. Gupta," D said, pouring another cup of tea.
"It wouldn't bother me, but my sister...she gets really upset that they won't just accept me as I am. They've threatened to disinherit me, and she--" He looked out at the store's window. "It'd break her heart. She still thinks of me as her baby brother, you know? She wants to protect me."
"Family can be complicated."
The young man looked up and smiled wryly. "I can't believe I'm telling you all this. I'm sorry."
"It's quite all right," D said, rising from his couch and straightening his cheongsam. "The more I know about someone, the easier it is to find a pet that will suit their circumstances. In fact, I believe I have the perfect companion for you. If you'll just follow me...."
The young man fell into step behind D. He was anxious, but not uncomfortably so. D smiled; he might indeed be the correct fit. He parted the curtain and walked through the door, turning the light on to rouse the snake.
She blinked her beautiful amber eyes at them both as she woke.
"She's so beautiful," John Gupta said, clearly enchanted. D and Q-chan smiled at each other. He's the one.
It took John a few seconds to wake enough to realize that his phone was ringing. He blinked at the clock; nine am. And it was a Saturday, too. He sighed and picked up. "Hello?"
"What did you do?"
"Nothing," he said, blinking awake. "What, did Mom and Dad--"
"They said that you're living with someone!"
"I--" He sat up. He was going to need coffee to deal with this. "They said what?"
"They said they met your girlfriend last night. Her name was Mei, and she's Chinese, and-- what's going on?"
"Mei?" Mei? "Mei's my snake."
There was a very long pause on the other side of the line.
"They must have been kidding," he said, though it sounded like bullshit even as it came out of his mouth. "They were kidding, right?"
"Our parents," his sister repeated cynically. "Kidding."
"Okay, so--" He sat up in bed. "So what?"
"I'm coming over to see this snake," Bree said, and the phone slammed in his ear.
Today, Leon had brought over an exquisite set of almond-flavored pastries, decorated with a honey-almond glaze that was nothing short of heavenly. D had selected jasmine tea, and they drank together in silence for a bit, enjoying the pleasure of a well-made dessert.
"Man," Leon said. "I'm glad this day is over."
"Difficulties?"
Leon shrugged. "They found a body in a Dumpster. Most of one, anyway. Nasty stuff."
Sometimes D forgot that humans were just as horrible to one another as they could be to animals. "I'm sorry."
"I just hope we ID them soon, at least. The family's probably...." Leon stared at the window for a moment. "Hey, you got a customer."
D turned; it was the young man from the other day, Mr. Gupta. "Ah," D said. "I hope everything's all right with his purchase."
"You sold him something?" Leon frowned. "Was it legal?"
"Of course it was," D said automatically, "and I resent..." He walked to the open door. "Mr. Gupta, is everything all right?"
The young man looked between Leon and D for a moment, lost. D poured him a cup of tea. "Do sit down."
"Um, yeah," he said, and sat across from Leon, who rose as he sank.
"I'll just get going," Leon said, "I gotta pick Chris up from the park anyway."
"Tell T-chan to come home as well, please," D said casually.
"...yeah," Leon said.
"The snake," the young man said, as the bell rang behind Leon. "It's a snake, right? Really a snake?"
"Of course," D said evenly, taking another sip of tea. "Would you like a cake? The detective eats most of them, but...."
"Because I think it's a snake," the young man continued, "and my sister and her kids think it's a snake, and most of my friends think it's a snake, but my parents--" he gestured, so violently D feared for his china for a moment-- "my parents think it's a girl. A woman, actually, a Chinese woman. And so does my landlord. And my friend Tim told me the other day he always knew I was gay, so I think he thinks it's a Chinese guy, and--"
"Mr. Gupta." D set his teacup down, gently but firmly. "As I told you, the Chinese dizi snake is difficult to find because of its excellent camouflage. It is a well-honed survival mechanism for the harsh conditions it experiences in its native land."
John's mouth opened and closed. "You're telling me that the reason my parents think Mei is a girl is camouflage?
"Of course," D said, "we all have our beliefs about those we love. Don't you think so?"
"Yeah," John said. "I guess. You think...."
"And she's doing well?"
"Oh, yes," John said. "Her eyes are nice and bright, and she ate very well this morning."
D smiled. "I'm very glad to hear that, Mr. Gupta. If you are both content, after all, what else is needed?"
John sighed. "I guess you're right."
Leon dropped Chris off in the morning, along with some sticky buns. "How'd it go with the guy from yesterday?"
"Everything was fine, Detective-san," D said, as Chris ran past him into the shop. "He just needs a bit more time to get...accustomed to the unusual nature of his pet."
"Yeah," Leon said. "It ain't gonna eat him, right?"
D's face flushed with anger. "You know, one of these days--"
"Whatever," Leon said. "I gotta go."
"What a horrible man," D muttered to himself as he returned to the shop.
"He'll be okay, though, won't he?" T-chan asked, as D closed the door behind him.
"What, Detective Orcot? No doubt he's--"
"Nah," T-chan said. "Forget him."
"Mr. Gupta," Pon-chan said, cheerfully. "Him!"
Who's that? Chris asked.
"He was here yesterday," Pon-chan said. "He got a snake from Count D. She's a really beautiful snake. She's Chinese, like Count D."
"He'll be fine," D said. "As you know, sometimes there's a bit of an...adjustment period. Not everything in one's life can be made perfect, even when one finds the perfect companion."
John Gupta went home and locked the door carefully behind him. Mei was in her cage, her amber eyes watching him as he took off his coat and poured himself a glass of water from the tap.
"I'm sorry they'll never see what you really are," he said, taking a long drink. "But at least Bree and the kids do."
He put the glass of water down and lifted her out of the cage. "Did you have a good day? Maybe I should get you something to watch while I'm gone. Too bad they don't have mouse-vision channels."
Mei coiled against his neck affectionately.
"We're going to have a dinner party tomorrow. Hopefully most of them will see a snake, but be on your best behavior either way, okay?"
Mei said nothing. But that was all right.
She was, after all, a snake.