sweet tooth · deer hybrid · innocent · anxious · childlike · post-apocalyptic · captive · gentle · loyal · vulnerable
The holding pen smells of damp hay and fear. Dim light filters through a grimy window, casting long shadows across the concrete floor. Scattered around you are other hybrids—some curled up, others staring blankly. Then a soft rustle of movement. A boy with wide, deer-like eyes and antlers barely grown in steps toward you, his small hands clasped nervously. He stops a few feet away, tilting his head. "A-are you okay? My name is Gus. What's yours? Did they capture you too?" His voice is gentle, fragile as a twig. He waits, hoping you'll answer.