The hybrid rubbed his eyes repeatedly, clearly trying to hide his tears. He hadn't meant to show his sadness, thinking the new occupant would still be unconscious for hours. The fact that the stranger woke up so quickly caught him off guard. Embarrassment flickered across his face. This was the boy he had seen yesterday.
Sylene rubbed his own cheeks, trying to position his tongue so his words wouldn't slur, "Well... it's not like I came here. They brought me here forcefully..."
"I meant yesterday! Are you from somewhere, boy? Don't you know the rumors about this alley and that candy shop??"
The blank look Sylene gave him made the hybrid pale. Maybe it was the lingering effect of the drug—it made the newly-caught boy look a little dumb.
He shook his head, voice tense. "It's forbidden for a pretty hybrid to wander this area... unless they want to get kidnapped."
He sounded mad, and Sylene stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt. Besides... he called him pretty. A compliment from someone like him? A hybrid that beautiful?
He feel flattered.
"I'm sorry but—this is bad. Really bad. Where are you from, boy? Are you here with someone? An owner? Didn't they tell you about this place?"
Sylene was still dumbfounded, but he wanted to say he wasn't from here. The young man glanced toward the small window, placed too high for either of them to reach.
"Tonight they'll hold an auction. Once you're bought... it's almost impossible for your family or owner to find you again."
Sylene let himself slump against the bars, the drug's effect making it hard to hold himself upright. He sighed and stayed quiet, eyes following the movement of those big, fluffy ears. He tried to relax—to flush the substance out faster.
"I really don't know... I'm not from here," he admitted quietly.
He truly didn't know about the alley. Maybe people from outside the town didn't. Michel hadn't told him. Or maybe... maybe they'd forgotten. Or maybe it was because they were human, and the brothel was only dangerous to hybrids, so it hadn't crossed their minds...
He really had a lot to learn.
"I just saw the candy shop looked colorful... and it smelled sweet... that's why I came..."
He also remembered the green eyes of the man in the golden cage and remembered he has it too. Sylene sighed again, "I also don't know green eyes is kinda sought after, and vampire hybrids is rare with two different roles. This place really confused me but the food is nice." If he knew it, maybe he would use the potion again to change his eye color. But the camouflage potion couldn't really change the colors at his will though; it would only give him random colors, or dulled his eyes.
The hybrid looked at him silently and sighed in pity. "Boy, you're really clueless huh? Well, it is complicated but not too much. I can tell you, but I'm about to get sold, and I also ended up in this place due to my carelessness. Did they use kids who needed help to lure you here too?"
Sylene's widened eyes gave away the answer. "That's really their tricks? There is a red-haired kid who asked for my help, and when I refused he gave me the candy. To not make him hurt more I ate the candy."
"Ah, that kid..." The beautiful hybrid frowned. "Well, they kept his brother here. The kid doesn't look as good as his brother so they put him in that scheme. Though they're about to get parted forever for the auction tonight. Just like me, his brother got his buyer ready..." The hybrid crouched down. He looked sad and gazed up at the tiny window where the sun was already setting.
"This eyes and hair color is such a pain. Sometimes I wish I didn't have them. I wished I got brown or dark eyes, and my fur also in dull color. Maybe my life would be easier."
Sylene felt he could relate to the hybrid. His silky platinum silver hair also gained unwanted attention from the vampires who recognized his fallen family. He always felt like a monkey in a show when that happened.
The hybrid talked in his melodic gentle voice, and he couldn't help but be allured by his story. It seemed the hybrid knew a lot—he told him many things he missed in human territory. He couldn't stir anything big, but he was captured now. When he regained his strength, which would be soon, he would escape, and with his escape, it would surely stir something big in this area...
Sylene looked at the hybrid in the golden cage intently. If he didn't wear the potion, they'd look similar—and Sylene was drawn to him in a good way. If they could escape together, it seemed it would be beneficial to him in the long term.
Sylene looked at the hybrid intently and asked him, "You seem to know a lot about this brothel and area. My name is Sylene, avian-vampire hybrid, what is your name?"
A slow whistle came from the young hybrid. "Wow, Sylene... I like how that sounds. Also, vampire and... avian?" He looked at Sylene's back but found nothing, which made him look confused—but he smiled.
"I am Mavis Ezley, a snow fox hybrid. Although it is brief, nice to meet you, Sylene."
Sylene also smiled a little, his face muscles still a little strained. "Mavis. It sounds nice to say." Somehow he liked the sound of it—it seemed friendly and familiar. And a snow fox... he bet the real snow fox was also cute and graceful like the young man across his cage. If he had his original appearance right now, they'd be like twins.
The fox only smiled in response and curled up again in the cage. Not long after, a small whine was heard. After some time, it seemed Mavis really was sad. When Sylene was out, he was already conscious, so he could hear a bit of what happened with the fox hybrid.
What an idiot owner—Alistair is it? Why abandon a hybrid that looked this good? He seemed nice too. He remembered Mavis had warned him to run away yesterday, even though he was a stranger to him.
That made him want to bring the fox out of this cursed place.
Sylene tried to move his hands and fingers. Just a little bit more, and he could move normally. The substance was almost gone from his body.
"Hey, Mavis," Sylene said as he stretched his body. The cage was big enough for him to stand and take a few steps. He checked his gear—they were untouched. Lucky. Those people were underestimating him, thankfully.
"I'm going to leave by train. Are you coming?"