The Neko's Tail - 7. Shopping Spree

Artemis walked slowly through the crowded port, guiding Elias ahead of him with light touches. He could tell the neko was embarrassed by his wardrobe, but that would be changing soon. Artemis himself tried to keep himself from tugging on his collar.

A hand grabbed his tail and the tiger growled quietly. The offending hand was quickly removed. It was always a problem on these ports, having appendages that stuck out, like tails. Passerby often tried to touch him, and he was hoping to spare Elias the experience.

Which was why he walked behind the neko, guarding Elias’ tail.

“Through here,” the tiger said quietly, pressing lightly on Elias’ left shoulder.

They turned right down an alley, stopping in front of an open door. The sound of hundreds of languages faded as they left the main thoroughfare and Artemis sighed in relief. It gave him a headache trying to sort through the myriad of conversations.

Stopping the neko, Artemis said, “There are going to be many unfamiliar things inside. If you need me to explain anything, just ask- or point at it.”

It was unlikely the neko would ask any questions.

Prodding his charge into the store, Artemis pointed Elias toward a counter. A young Xanar stood behind it, studying the neko with obvious interest.

“Greetings,” they said graciously. “Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.”

“Actually, my friend here is rather new to the technology of a starport,” Artemis mentioned.

“Oh! Allow me to help you then,” the Xanar smiled.

The tiger stepped back as the Xanar took over, making sure they kept all six arms to themself.

“If you step in here, we’ll get your measurements,” the alien said, motioning the neko toward a circle drawn on the floor.

Elias looked at Artemis, who nodded reassuringly. The neko took a cautious step over the white boundary.

“Hold out your arms…. And…”

A wall of light dropped down from the ceiling, surrounding Elias. The neko yelped in fear, but the light was gone before he could even move.

“Perfect! What type of clothing are you looking for?”

“Something suitable for cruising between systems,” Artemis explained.

“Ah, light, breathy, but still insulated against a bit of chill?”

The tiger nodded and the Xanar began typing on a tablet.

“Here, try this on.”

A black shirt appeared over the neko, drawing another yelp from him. It was a holograph given the properties of weight and feel. Elias still wore the purple shirt, granting him modesty, but he could feel the holographic clothes on him.

“What do you think?” the Xanar asked, holding up a mirror.

The neko stared at Artemis, and the tiger sighed.

“You’re the one that will be wearing the clothes,” he said. “Do you like them?”

Elias’ head shook, almost imperceptibly.

“What needs to be changed? Are they too tight? Do you need shorter sleeves?”

A shrug.

“I’ll try loose,” the Xanar said, typing.

The clothes loosened visibly, and Artemis noticed the slightest relaxation in the neko’s stance.

“Better?”

Elias nodded.

“Now for the pants. Do you want them to come up under your tail, or do you want a button above your tail?”

The question was met with another blank stare and Artemis sighed again. It was like trying to draw water from a rock.

Thankfully the Xanar was undaunted.

“We’ll try the button first then.”

Black pants appeared over the neko’s legs, and he stiffened.

“Looser?”

A shake of the head no.

“Okay. We’ll try below the tail.”

The pants changed, and again the neko relaxed slightly, as his clothes became more similar to what he was used to.

Artemis gave the Xanar a nod, and they smiled.

“Tricky customer no doubt, but we got you in the end. Do you want a different colour?”

“How about purple?” Artemis suggested. “It looks good with his eyes.”

“Ooh, yes! Like this!”

The black clothes changed colour as the Xanar tapped away on their tablet.

“I like it,” Artemis said after a moment. “What about you Elias?”

The neko hesitated before nodding.

“Can we see blue as well? We might as well get some variety.”

Elias met Artemis’ eyes, silently pleading for him to end this.

“Actually, I think we’re good,” the tiger said, taking pity on the neko. “We’ll buy eight sets, two in blue, purple, red, and green.”

“Great! That’s eight sets of customised clothes, eight hundred credits.”

Artemis paid for the outfits and he and Elias sat in a chair while the Xanar set about crafting the clothes. They were out the door thirty minutes later.

“We have one more purchase to make before we return to the ship,” Artemis said.

Elias turned at the tiger’s prodding, tensing as they approached yet another store. Who knew what fresh horror awaited him in here?

At least he was dressed appropriately now. The clothes were actually rather comfortable, a little tight in the butt, but Elias liked the way they felt.

Something beeped as they passed through the door, alerting the owner. It had startled the neko the first time it happened, but now he found that he was getting used to it.

Scanning the store for threats, Elias noticed several rectangles like the one Artemis kept in his room.

“Tablets,” the tiger said quietly. “You’ll need one eventually. If we get it for you now, I can teach you to read while we’re on our way to my planet. Plus you can get some pretty fun games on them. It helps to pass the time.”

Artemis approached the shop owner, some kind of strange metallic creature that spoke in the same kind of voice as Artemis’ bracelet. Elias’ implant labelled the being a robot. Another word he didn’t understand, but at least he had a name for the creature.

The tiger spoke to the robot for a few minutes, before picking up a blue tablet. Elias watched him swipe his card to pay for the object. The tiger must have spent so much money on him already. How would he ever pay it back?

Slowly the neko felt like he was sinking into a different kind of slavery. Artemis would own him until he could pay him back.

The neko’s hand brushed against the remote in his pocket, reminding himself that he had some control over the situation. Artemis flinched, nearly dropping the new tablet.

Artemis turned toward Elias, a questioning look in his eyes. Elias dropped his head, shamed. He hadn’t meant to hurt the tiger.

“Are you okay?” Artemis asked quietly, approaching him.

Elias shrugged.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re buying so many things…”

The tiger nodded slowly.

“Okay. This will be the last thing, okay? We’ll talk about it on the ship. I promise.”

Artemis ruffled Elias’ hair.

“I’m proud of you for speaking up,” he smiled.

Elias scowled, sure that Artemis was patronizing him. But he also felt a little warmth too. He had done a good thing.