Cagaster of an Insect Cage one shots

non-human

3rd pov

Cat and dog people had only been around for a couple hundred years, and only been accepted for about 10 before the Cagasters came along. They had refused to stay hidden anymore, and were just as affected by the Cagasters as everyone else, so discrimination went up in flames after they appeared. No one really cared if you were a dog or cat person, as long as you could take care of yourself then you were good

Everyone is taught the basics however. Cat people do go into heat, but they are not sex slaves, all they really want is food, sleep and the touch of someone they love, whether that be family, friend or lover, they just want to be cuddled. They build nests, and then usually show signs or pre-heat, hoarding food or being more affectionate. The cramps they get are pretty bad during heats, some saying it feels like someone squeezing their bones, so touch is absolutely required during heats, simply because no one wants another human to be in that much pain ( unless they are not ok in the head.) Dog people tend to go into ruts as well. Though neither are they sex driven. They enjoy a good run, saying it helps with the itch under their skin, and they're more than willing to just lay down and cuddle with someone as well. They don't build nests, but they will want to sleep next to at least another person, if not every person they call their pack. Rut does not show any pre symptoms.

Nests are sacred, you do not touch, break or destroy a cat's nest, nor do you enter one without permission from the person themselves. People that hurt the pack or clowder of someone in heat or rut typically sign themselves up for a world of hurt. Cat people will go into a rage, becoming almost feral, unless someone in the clowder can calm them, while dog people tend to go for a hunt, stalking the prey and making them paranoid before punching, unless they are confronted by someone from the pack.

This is what everyone is taught. Pretty much every city has cat people and dog people, but with Cagasters being such an issue, no one is bothered by it. No one is forced to reveal what they are nor are they forced to explain why they need this or that if they request leave, it simply happens. It is not often Ms.Mario gets a clue to what Kidow is, but she always puts them on a mental list. She's also hiding, refusing to be looked at differently for the extra parts she has, so she can accept that Kidow also wants to hide his, though she mentally tallies her clues. Kidow is doing the same out of habit, though he also already had a pretty good idea.

Jin refuses to be hidden and lets his tail and ears hang out, daring anyone to talk bad about his cat features. Qasim, Hadi and Aisha all enjoy the benefits they get with the senses their dog features give them, taking advantage of lost people or lost anything really, trusting each other so much. The kids don't appear to have any features, all of them pretty normal. They're all more than okay with that, enjoying the way they're treated by dog and cat people, as well as other humans. ( The kids will admit they prefer dog and cat people, they don't pity them or despise them, they just accept them as they are and move forward.)

It is through a combination of bad timing, idiots and Kidow's pacing that they figure out the truth of what he is and why people are told to avoid angering the non-human people. Jin had gone out to do a search as he is supposed, and since it was in an area where Cagasters are few, he'd taken Qasim and Hadi as protection and Illie had gone too after she had asked. Ms.Mario hadn't said anything, but Kidow had been showing pre-heat symptoms or so she thinks, and this is just confirming her theory. Either way, he's pacing the floor, out of the way but still there, watching the door and the street as he goes.

They're a bit late getting back and it's bothering the man, but there's nothing to be done, so Ms.Mario just continues to go about cleaning, setting things up for tomorrow morning if she can. She knows that the people know when she closes and so no one would dare come in after closing, nor would people point them in her direction after closing if they ask about it. Most people are smart enough to follow that and don't come by unless they're friends.