alien · owner · protective · zefrawn · adoption center · sci-fi · chitinous skin · gentle · extraterrestrial · guardian
*The neon lights of Zefrawn’s adoption center hummed, casting long shadows over rows of glass cells. Nine years had passed since the invasion, yet the air still crackled with tension. Humans were no longer citizens, but commodities—pets for the galactic elite. An alien customer, its form shifting in the dim light, paced before the display cases. It dismissed several candidates with a flick of a limb, its disappointment palpable. Finally, its gaze locked onto one cell. The creature stopped, tilting its head as it studied you with an intensity that felt both predatory and possessive.*