Hawknell Domesticated

Abraham had driven out to pick up Jamaal, but naturally made the kid drive back. More practice! He'd need to go for that actual driver's test soon. Now, stepping into the house, he was aware of how weird it was to have strangers here. Dakota had barely counted, considering... well. Everything he knew about Dakota.

"How's he gotten out of the house before?" he asked, stepping in and flinging his keys and wallet on the nearest surface.

Welcome to old man house, Jamaal.

This was a really fancy pad. Abraham and Wallace lived here? Jeez. Why was he expecting something a little less...

...spacious? More down to earth? Made him feel a bit out of their league after all, heh. Anyway.

"He's got big ears and he's pretty fast. He also seems into breaking windows."

His mom had installed bars over the window on inside of his old bedroom.

Big ears. Abraham chuckled before he could stop himself. This was going to be a fucking trip.

"Good news is we have a basement with windows that he'll have trouble reaching," he said. "That and I'm real f- real quick myself."

Don't fucking swear in front of the kid.

"I moved everything easy to break out of there too. But you're the fox, too. So you can keep an eye on his behavior and practice influencing it."

The basement stairwell was in front of them immediately, so down the steps he'd go to lead them into the space beneath.

"I'll try," he sighed. God, a basement. He didn't even know what it was like to have one of those.

Once down the stairs, he set his bag down and looked around.

"So guess I'll just... shift in the bathroom?"

Was there a bathroom down here?

Yeah. This was the tricky part, wasn't it.

"You'll want to shift down here. I can, uh. Wait and listen. When you start to KO after fox time, you'll be able to spend naptime down here too."

What few windows there were were heavily covered with blinds. He'd be alright. It was easy to forget how used to this bullshit Abraham was.

"Alright, uh... So I guess. I'll just do that?" he asked.

It was just kinda weird to shift with a dude around okay! The fox was ready to come out though, all the thoughts of SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT happening in their shared consciousness enough to suddenly decide to break his jaw.

Jamaal just yelled in pain, hands going up to his freshly broken face.

Oh no ow ow ow poor Jamaal. He'd step out of the room to give the guy time to suffer. How big was this fox going to be?

So closed the door behind him, listening to the horror movie sounds of someone shrinking down into a smaller body.

Abraham recalled the time he shrunk into a fucking rat and tried not to think too much about it. In meantime, he made his way to the fridge to grab a surprise: a packet of deli sliced roast beef. The training reward!

Returning to the door pretty quick, he listened in for sounds of shifting or chaos.

And then he just closed him in!! How was this supposed to help anything?!

Jamaal was not able to argue through the pain. Instead he broke and shrunk and broke down, steadily becoming smaller and smaller, except for his ears and his tail which became stupid long.

Abraham would return to the door before he was done. That was for the best, because the fox was already purple-eyeing his route of escape as his limbs and face finished up. The door, obviously!

It took another minute or so for silence to fall, and then the sound of an animal rising and shaking out it's hide, absurd ears flapping against his head. He rose up and began to creep his way up the stairwell, tail fully stretched out behind him.

Abraham heard the little ear slaps. Someone was all animal in there. He shoved the deli meat unceremoniously into his pocket, then sunk a bit as he put his hand to the doorknob.

"Jamaal, gimme three yips to show me you're in charge in there, buddy."

He waited for the sound, or maybe a window breaking.

Two. He'd get two, and then some rattle of breathing against the hinge of the door as the fox scented food and also... other things. Another shifter was less stressful, particular the familiar scent, but it did mean he would have to try harder to escape.

Backseat driver Jamaal was doing what he could here, but it was enough that he'd managed to follow two-thirds of Abraham's request, right.

One. Two. Missing a third. Abraham wondered if any percentage of it had been Jamaal or if it was just luck.

"That was only two," he said, just in case that wasn't clear. Fun fact, Abraham struggled to both read and count if he was too close to the full moon :(. "Let's give it one more shot. Three, or else say some words."

What the fuck would a little fox voice sound like?!

It was a very tiny, resentful sound. Resentful because the fox didn't want to be putting on a show here. He wanted out.

But yes, a tiny yip that sounded sort of like a baby hiccuping, and then the fox smushed is tiny pointy nose against the door. Let himm outtttttttttt. Just open it a liiiiittttttle.

"That was only one."

Sorry, pal. Still, he wouldn't play this game forever. Instead he bent forward, put a hand to the doorknob, and prepared to open the door all of about an inch.

His other hand lingered down near floor level, ready to make a snatch for the fox when it inevitably tried to push through.

Well that was just poor communication. Jamaal had been going for three total and compromised based on that! Not like it mattered; the door was beginning to open and freedom was at hand. Jamaal thought the fox would just make a run for it, tried to pull him back; Abraham had food, didn't you want that!

The fox decided he did, and as he burst forth from the confine, it was to turn and immediately snap his stupid pointy mouth at the hand that might have fed him, had he been nicer.

---

MISS

Oh my god, look at this fuzzy little- well, no swear words directed at Jamaal. Except maybe one because-

"Shit!"

He was getting snapped at immediately. Abraham wasn't playing that fucking game, and he moved fast, seeking to scruff the little fox and get him airborne. He weighed absolutely nothing what the fuck.

"Down we go," he grunted, and maybe he'd nicely try to rest his other hand beneath the fox's hind legs to provide some support as he closed the door with his ass to lead them down the stairs. But maybe he'd just get scratched up for it!

---

hit :<<<

Down they went. The fox absolutely hated this, but Jamaal was... currently able to command him to not be a jerk, so he didn't attack. Because colorful imagery of giant jaguar ripping him apart!

So instead he just made burbling whining noises, wriggling ineffectively as he was cradled along the way down. His tail, stupid and fluffy, made up most of the volume of his body as it curled up towards his middle. Where go >:[

Man, what sad little fox sounds. Abraham could hardly believe this was Jamaal, though maybe it was for the best, if he was a critter with an attitude.

"So here's the deal," he said, watching that dumb fluffy tail bounce with each step. "I got some food here. But you only get some if you, Jamaal, are in charge. So fox gotta learn to yield, you gotta learn to bully up."

Probably a lot for words for fox brain. That was okay. They had time.

The goal was to set him on the couch and pull his hand away quickly enough that maybe be wouldn't be immediately chomped.

Lot of words! Jamaal did process it after moment of difficulty. It was difficult, because the fox was resentful and mostly wanted to do biting. But instead he managed to wrest away the urge with the hope of getting food like, now.

So the fox just sat and stared at the cat man with an extremely suspicious squint. Give. Food.

This was all very delicate, and Jamaal tried not to get his hopes up, but he kinda felt pretty cool right now.

Holy fuck, look at this furious little thing. Abraham gave a few swipes of his shirt to clear bright fur from it. Man. He wanted to pet it but knew better.

"Alright, this is a good start," he said. "You stay sitting pretty and you'll get some roast beef."

This said as he pulled the plastic package from his pocket, eyes on the fox. If everyone played cool, he'd peel back the plastic to rip off a ribbon of meat and toss it toward the vessel holding Jamaal's consciousness somewhere.

But if any bounding forward occurred, he'd do everything in his power to keep it away.

There was absolutely bounding forward. He saw and smelled the prize and he was hungry.

Rushing in a leap, he'd snap for it, missing spectacularly.

It was going to be like that, huh.

Abraham made a swift grab in return with his un-beef hand, scruffing the fox again, firm but not looking to cause pain.

"Jamaal," he said, similarly firm but not looking to cause pain! "Gotta remind this fox that being on the same page is good for both of you."

---

HIT

It definitely didn't matter that he wasn't causing pain. The fox yelped anyway, smushing himself dramatically against the couch even though Abraham probably wasn't actually doing that.

It was a drama show for like half a second before Jamaal actually got him to knock it off and he just... lapped his nose and stared at him instead.

The yelp worked a little and he did feel bad! Because he sincerely didn't want to hurt his pal, but. Like. Maybe the fox, separately. But unfortunately Jamaal was currently a mix of both.

That nose lick, though. Christ. This thing was fucking cute.

"Alright," he said, releasing his grip care-full-ee. "This is driving practice, alright? You're in the driver's seat. You're doing the driving."

This as meat hand and meat ribbon returned again, careful. Forward. Nice. Slow. See??

Driving. Driving like in a car. With Abraham teaching him how to drive.

Jamaal didn't want to be a fox, but he was, he guessed.

He kept his hand on the wheel, and didn't lurch for the meat again.

Dude. Look at that. Metaphor fucking worked. Abraham turned his hand palm up, roast beef resting inside, for the fox to snarf down.

"Way to go, dude," he praised quietly. Maybe they could do a paw shake after this please please please??

He ate it with his eyes mostly closed, but sneakily side-eyed the stairs. It was very tempting to try to get out now. Maybe if he was fast enough he'd escape grasp.

Jamaal did not allow it, and maybe after the shift was over he'd get to say that with confidence. Maybe it was just intimidation by the big cat man, but. Still nice to not be causing trouble.

There was, maybe, a slightly intentional (for the fox) grazing of teeth against Abraham's palm. Just to be a jerk a little.

Fuck yeah. No finger chomp. Maybe a little tooth, which he tensed up for. But doing good.

"Good job, Jamaal," he said. Weird to repeat a dude's name, but it felt important. You're in there, kid!

Wiping his hands on his pants, he wondered what they ought to do next. Maybe...

"You figure you can talk at all?" he asked. "I'll trade you another piece."

Speak? Him? The fox cocked his dumb pointy head. Jamaal also...slightly cocked his head on the inside. Nothing like shared confusion!

Thinking maybe another yip would suffice, he... did that, sharply and with a little fake lunge at Abraham's face.

Hey, this was going fine! Until suddenly it wasn't. The jump startled the fuck out of him, but mostly it was the jaguar immediately kicking in some spike of fury, a reminder that he could crush this fox to death even against the forgiving cushion of the couch.

"Dude!" he snapped, whirling back, turning his back for a second to get his brain under control.

Now was probably a real good time for the fox to run, and some part of him was keeping an ear out for the sound of that.

Little fucking punk.

It was a damn good thing the fox hadn't intended to run off just then at all, and again more of the control was in Jamaal's hands. The reaction was satisfying, and he sat down pridefully, looking extra fluffy for it.

Almost catlike in his own mannerisms, he moved immediately to lap at a paw, purple eyes glittering as he squinted at the angry cat man.

It was an important twirl, allowing him to keep his cool and not punch a tiny fox into the sky. At least this kid hadn't fucking run for it.

"Don't snap at me again, dude," he said. "Means I'll get all the beef."

And then to prove it, he sought the plastic package again to rip off another shred of meat and shove it pointedly into his mouth.

He looked up at the meat, didn't like that he wasn't the one getting it.

Fox couldn't share the impulse control all the time — he made a leap straight up, attempting to climb up the man's chest in an effort to steal the meat.

He missed that too.

No fuckin' way, little dude. Abraham stepped backwards, letting the fox put on his fuckin' show on the couch instead. This was harder than expected, if maybe mostly for the jaguar's outrage. Getting bullied by a tiny goddamn fox.

"Not with that attitude," he said, frowning some. "We can do this until you get so hungry you pass out. Or. You can driver's seat again and show it who's boss, Jamaal."

Maybe that was mean. The jaguar wanted to chomp the ears right off the creature in front of him.

Enough was enough.

He wasn't caught, but as he landed it was a clear path. The fox and all his rudeness surged forward instead, attempting to clear past the man and make a turning run for the stairs instead.

Yeah, well, here was the thing with the stairs, you little shit. There was a door at the top. So Abraham had that going for him.

Still, he came stomping after, advancing like a horror movie villain. Except in his rush to make it up the stairs, he did a good ol' stagger step up, jamming his knee into the step and making a grasp for the fox

He'd land a likely pretty fucking unwise grab to the fluffy tail.

---

HIT

He did. Not. Like. His. Tail. Grabbed.

He would react much as he had with the girl who was probably a fox now. Jamaal didn't stand a chance of stopping him, though he did try.

But anyway, inconsequential boy aside, the fox whipped around to deliver a bite, lost his footing because he was on stairs, and scored a sort of dragged bite along the hairy arm as his body curled and crumpled, shoulder-first right into Abraham's face.

---

hit for bite >:[

In retrospect, he knew that grabbing a fox's tail was a bad idea. But he hadn't been thinking super clearly at the time okay?!

The pain was secondary, honestly, to the fox in his face. Abraham only assumed it was here to chomp him, and he tried to grab it clumsily, but was also toppling back kind of?!

The result was some weird hug of his poor asshole friend toward his chest as he slid on his ass backwards a few steps before managing to jam himself sideways into the stairwell and stop.

Christ.

---

HIT

What a mess.

Little heart beating rapidly, he sort of just made himself very small in this hug thing and stopped moving otherwise. Jamaal was back in the fore again, or at least the shared part of it. There was the delicate beading of blood smell in the air, but they were managing not to be terrible about it. Not doing anything.

He was hungry, and embarrassed.

His gigantic ears flipped back but they probably landed in Abraham's face by accident so sorry.

There was fox fur in his fucking mouth, though Abraham could not adequately identify exactly what kind. He heard that tiny racing heart and the jaguar suggested a squeeeeeeze.

So instead he let go as much as possible, arms raising like he was under arrest. Gotta avoid all temptation, though his fingers remained twitchy.

"Go down the stairs and I'll give you some food," he said, and god fucking help them both if this went unheard too.

It would be heard. Neither of them was game to defy.

The fluffy mess hopped down the stairs, but like, sadly, and then looked back up sort of forlornly at Abraham. Food plz so sad will behave :((((

Down went the world's saddest fox. Abraham found his feet under him, rising up and feeling old and creaky. Deli slices were increasingly mushed in their plastic housing tucked into his pocket.

"Alright," he grunted, retrieving the meatmash. He pulled out a whole slice and, with some flair, sought to flop it unfurled and directly into the fox's face as payback.

---

hit omg

You know, he'd meant to catch that.

It flopped over his eyes instead, and his head turtled into his shoulders as he slowly crouched. Meat?! Here?!! Yes??? But also, AHHHHHH?!

Blind again :( the fox remembered this life, but only barely, so he didn't do anything but twitch and tilt his head down for a few seconds.

That was enough to get it to drop. He ate it off the floor.

More???

Abraham watched with some satisfaction, looking between the fox and the beading blood on his arm. It was going to dry in his arm hair. Ugh.

Speaking of ugh, beef floor. He watched Jamaal ("Jamaal") with some lingering reservations. How much roast beef was too much roast beef for an animal that size?

"Three fox barks. Three."

He held up three fingers for reference, pal.

Three. Three. Three. Okay. He could...

Hop back up exactly three stairs and then rise onto his hind legs to prop his front ones on the railing closest to Abraham, turning his head nearly upside down to blink up at him. There! Three!

Something got lost in translation.

Abraham was waiting for it. Barks, please. Or screeches. Words. He'd take whatever.

Instead the fox advanced again, though in a... dancing? Kind of way?! And then he was standing all pretty, staring at him.

Well. That didn't feel like a natural fox trick. So... maybe worth rewarding.

"I'll take it," he said, shredding off a third of a slice to fling towards Jamaal again. "How many of these am I allowed to give you, huh? What's beef allowance for foxes?"

He settled back into a tight sit on his current step, cocking his head. More? Yes? He wanted all there was. Wanted to gorge himself dumb on everything.

So he opened his mouth and then closed it again as his body rolled with the tiniest burp.

Oh my God. What a tiny little fucking pig. Abraham kind of wanted to give him a noogie but that would absolutely go poorly.

"Manners, dude," he said. Meat pack went back in pocket, and he approached carefully, holding out a hand ahead of him.

"Let me pet you. Driver's seat Jamaal, remember?"

Watching the man approach but the meat go away, he squinted disapprovingly. But. But...

They both had enough sync going on that he just allowed the hand to approach, ears flipping down and crouching into it just the tiniest bit.

Touch was nice, and they admittedly hardly ever got any of that. From a were, anyway.

He felt a little wariness in the seconds before, waiting for some snap at his fingers. He didn't really know how hard a tiny fairy fox could bite, but he imagined hard enough to invoke the jaguar.

But instead it went pretty nice? Honestly? Abraham marveled at anything being so fucking small, but also obviously really smart even beyond the whole were thing.

"See, not so bad," he said, bordering on cooing. "Me and you are going to practice a little more, and then maybe we can just be cool and hang out until it's naptime, alright?"

Poor Jamaal, stuck in the body of the world's tiniest fox monster.

He made some sort of gurgled sound, but it was not discontentment.

Some time after much more practice and several more successes, he'd somehow find his way into curling up into a fox ball on a seated Abraham's lap, sniffing at the arm he'd bitten.

There was a temptation to clean that up, so. He'd try to do that.