But what if your childhood was shitty and traumatizing and you were meek and quiet as a kid so get a sweet little kitten and eventually as you grow and realize your worth and become more confident that kitten slowly grows into a lion.
Usually, when I bring kids their Companions, it’s a happy day.
Most parents like to throw parties for their children. Make it a big ‘lifetime milestone’ type deal. Sometimes, if there are a lot of birthdays on the same day, they do events at the local schools. I never really have to call ahead – people know I’m coming. The roster at the head offices keeps a running record, and Deliverers like me pack up the Untouched Eggs (wearing gloves, of course), and set out to cover their area for the day. I work six days a week, and sometimes I take emergency runs if I’m nearby and another district is overwhelmed. Overtime is common, but so are short days, when only a small number of kids are hitting ten.
It’s a job that has me travelling a lot. i go wherever there’s the most need for Deliverers. We don’t like to be late; tenth birthdays are an important matter. But I like being on the road. It lets me see a lot of the country.
It’s always such a pleasure to read a short story that so clearly, cleverly, and magically creates a whole different universe. I would read a seven book series of this, from any perspective. Thank you @feynites for writing this and posting it on here! This really made my day something special.
Gorgeous…hope they are also healthy and not adversely affected in terms of survival by their unusual appearance.
From the reading I’ve done, in captivity, piebald animals usually do well. In fact, there are many animals that are bred intentionally for their piebald appearance and suffer few adverse health affects. However, in the wild, there’s a variety of adverse affects of piebaldism that makes the animals much less likely to survive. The most obvious one is that their natural camouflage is compromised and they’re more likely to be attacked by predators. The genes that cause piebaldism can also result in a variety of other defects like deafness, eye sensitivity or blindness, and deformities in the legs and spine. Sometimes mothers will reject abnormal offspring, too. However! Sometimes they do not suffer from defects severe enough to hinder their life and they survive into adulthood just fine.
An added fun fact! Dalmatians are piebald!
This is why around 30% of all dalmatians are deaf. The deafness is due to a lack of mature melanocytes (melanin producing cells) in the inner ear. The ability to hear is made possible by this special layer of cells within the inner ear. This layer of cells and the cells that determine hair color come from the same stem cell source.
Without these, dogs can become hard of hearing in one or both ears. Dogs with larger patches of black are less likely to be deaf!
Moonlit Spires 