I Am Not Your Master; I Am Your Partner: A (Neko) Dan and (Human) Phil Series

Earth Angel, Comfirmed

Just because marriage was now legal between man and Neko, didn't mean that people accepted it. Most people were supportive, but those who were opposed did it vehemently so.

"It's disgusting and against the laws of nature." One woman commented. "There are billions of humans on this Earth and he picked an animal?" He would see variations on this theme again and again.

Phil never really got used to the nasty things that he read, though he understood that such comments came from a place of ignorance. He was no stranger to the nastiness, but it certainly didn't stop him from trying to protect Dan as much as possible.

Phil received messages of support and appreciation on a daily basis, usually too many to count. Among the grateful were always one or two to inappropriate inquiries or remarks. He stopped reading these years ago, of course, deleting and blocking when necessary. Occasionally, when his stomach would allow, he would skim these messages looking for opportunities to educate others. It would even help him to focus his energy.

Tonight, he stumbled across something truly awful. A young woman wrote to Phil to say that he would suffer "eternal damnation" for partaking in what was sure to be "beastiality." She went on to say that whatever he shared with  a Neko was comparable to having an intimate relationship with a tiger or a dog. "It is against God." She continued, ending with "I shall pray for the salvation of your troubled soul."

Phil was beside himself with disgust. He knew that there were people who considered Nekos to be animals, but he never heard anyone equate the romantic and sexual relationship between man and Neko to beastiality.

Though he rarely replied to hateful messages, Phil felt compelled to respond now. He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. It would not serve him or his purpose to give an emotionally-charged reply. He had a responsibility to speak rationally and factually. Phil was well aware that whatever he said could, and would, be used elsewhere.

Phil could hear Dan singing in the shower as he pulled up an article about Neko DNA for reference. He sounded so happy. Phil smiled when he heard his husband's beautiful voice. It calmed him enough that he was able to focus on what he needed to do.

Phil started with facts. He explained that humans, are in fact, animals. He added that new studies show that Nekos share 99.2 percent of human DNA, far more than any other animal. There was the temptation to cite one of the many court cases declaring that Nekos be regarded as human based on extensive scientific research. He could always add it later, he supposed.

He hesitated to even remark on her use of the word "beastiality," feeling that he more than destroyed the woman's argument by showing that Nekos were more physiologically and biology aligned with humans than any other mammal. Frankly, the word "beast" made him feel ill. He continued:

"While we are each free to hold our own religious and spiritual beliefs, please know that I don't personally subscribe to any system that excludes the many ways that people can love one another."

He sent his reply without another thought. Phil did include references to the landmark court cases as it turned out. He thought better of including remarks such as "Your prayers are unnecessary and unwanted," and "Hell is not a place of eternal damnation but a state of perpetual ignorance."

Dan was out of the shower now, and Phil wanted to go in the bathroom and surprise his baby. It had been a long day of travel back to London.

Phil knocked softly so as not to scare Dan. "Come in Daddy," he replied sweetly.