In Alien Hands: Family Ties

Meet the dog-men, pt. 2

I woke up early to help Grene. He was going to take all the humans to the park, so Holli could get proper introductions to the dog-men first. There was some tearful hugging on the part of Lyndsey, Grene's human, who was already awake when I stepped into the human room.

Holli would be sleeping in there tonight, last night was just until everyone got used to her enough to sleep in the same room. They'd be back in an hour and a half to meet her, then get the whole day to talk to her. with any luck, they'd all be over her novelty by bedtime, ready to sleep.

Holli woke up herself at about 10 am, taking a look around the room before she was ready to get dressed. I didn't pick anything particularly special out for her, just a shirt and pants. My excitement showed when she came out. Everyone was already waiting in the living room for Holli to come out and learn their names. We had a set tradition when it came to new introductions. The youngest went first, the oldest last. The dog-man would approach her, greet her, and I'd tell her their name. The usual response from the human is to repeat the name, confirming they heard it correctly and could say it. We were always given names easy for humans to pronounce, it made things easier for both of us.

Nayvee went first. She is a bit hyperactive. Little sister is not ready for her own human, so she plays with ours when we are busy. Because of this, she can overwhelm new humans easily. She hugged Holli outright, startling the small human. Holli did we expected and repeated Nayvee's name to her.

Next up was Steele, my older brother. Steele owned Ami, who was with Grene at the park. He was more serious than our older brother, but he handled humans well and seemed to get along with Holli fine. She learned his name on the first try as well.

Vyelet was up next. She was the second oldest of my siblings, the oldest dog-woman. She expertly greeted Holli, knowing just how to talk and touch her. Holli definitely seemed to like Vy. Aspin was her human, he was oddly grumpy compared to her.

Second to last was my father, Grae. He was the most experienced with humans out of all of us, having been a trainer before retiring. Holli seemed a tad intimidated by him, almost like she had been when I first met her. I could see him assess her personality before I even told her his name, I was in awe of his skills. He didn't smile until she did first, which he later told me was evidence that she wanted others to be happy. I

Lastly was mother, Pynke. She knew a lot about humans, as well, though she was a groomer at young age, not a trainer. As a result, humans found her much friendlier and approachable. She was friendly with Holli, and Holli returned the favor.

With Holli done learning all their names, Grene was set to arrive home with the humans soon. She'd probably be overwhelmed, though I knew that no one would hurt her. Lyndsey, the tamest, would probably tackle her to the ground.

Father called Holli over, in an effort to examine her behavior more. She looked towards me for reassurance, which I gave. She didn't seem afraid of him, just unsure. Her inhibitions melted away when he gave her a piece of candy, which she happily ate. Intimidating or not, my old man knew how to handle a human.

Published 11/12/18