All Pets Are Created Equal

     Ky was the first pet I created after I lost access to my favorite old main account, and she will never, EVER be UFT!"

     I looked at this description in the preview of Kydu's lookup. The little Gelert smiled sweetly at me, and I could tell she was quite happy to be back on my main account for the first time in months. I sat there admiring her still-new Maraquan color for a few minutes before moving on to Reggaeton's description.

     "Current Trainee/Never UFT.

     Morphed 12-05-11 | Painted Halloween 12-07-11 | Cross-painted 12-09-11."

     I clicked "Preview" again and stared proudly at my Hissi. He beamed, still excited about his new gifts from the Elite Boutique, which he hadn't had access to until recently. I had just switched main accounts and transferred my pets over to the new one, so I had written short, sweet descriptions for my adored pets. I had one more to go.

     I thought for a moment, looking at Plynu, unsure what to say. She was a surprise adoption from the week before whom someone had offered to me because she had been "rotting" on their side account. After several minutes pondering her role on my main account, I wrote, "Boochi Buffer."

     Plynu's face fell.

     "Boochi Buffer. Really?"

     I looked at her, suddenly feeling rather guilty. Her big, yellow eyes looked rather evil. Truthfully, I had only moved her over to my new main because I was terrified that Boochi would visit to zap Kydu or Reggae. Plynu is a Fire Hissi and I had never been all too fond of that color, so I didn't mind the idea of a Boochi zap on her. What else could I write in her description? I hadn't planned on training her or doing much of anything with her. Now, however, I was looking at my pet thinking how much better she deserved. I knew that even though I had never developed a huge attachment to her color, Plynu was completely in love with her flames.

     "Plynu, I wasn't implying that was all you meant to me, I was only pointing out that your color isn't as expensive as..."

     "Yeah, I get it." She slithered off, leaving a winding, fiery trail of bitterness behind her.

     Feeling like I had betrayed Plynu, I sighed and sat down next to Reggae. He didn't seem to be bothered at all by the conversation he had just overheard. On the contrary, he looked as though he had rather enjoyed this little incident. He had always been the most preferentially treated pet out of everyone, and quite liked it that way. Since the day I had adopted him it was all he had known. This was, of course, my own fault.

     Reggae leaned back and yawned. "Why don't you forget about the whiny one and put on some music. That's what I do."

     "Yeah, I know you do, Reggae." It was ironic that he was so conceited in this way since I had adopted him intending his name to imply that he was a friendship-lover and a peacemaker.

     Reggae shrugged and exited the room, seemingly without a care in the world. This reaction actually bothered me more than Plynu's. I started to realize that the way I had been treating my pets was affecting them more than I could have ever predicted. Reggae had become a spoiled brat while Plynu felt like I didn't even care about her. How could I have seen one of my pets as nothing more than a "Boochi Buffer"? Regardless of how expensive or cheap their colors are, they are still my pets. They are all just trying to figure out where in my life they fit in, and they are helpless in deciding what I, their owner, do with them.

     Inspired by an idea, I went to visit Plynu the next day. She had been refusing to speak to me ever since she had seen her own lookup's description. I wandered around the house for a while, looking for her. When I found her she was curled around a tree branch outside, staring into space.

     "Plynu, I bought you something today."

     She just glared at me with a sarcastic "Oh boy, I can't wait," look on her face.

     I pulled out the item from behind my back. It was a "Fire, Fire, Pants on Fire Paint Brush". I wanted her to know that she was just as important to me as the other pets by showing her that I would be just as upset with Boochi zapping her as the others. Now, if he did show up to turn her into something she didn't want to be, I could instantly change her back to the color with which she felt the most beautiful.

     Her eyes brightened, if that were even possible. I was relieved that she did seem a little uplifted. The Paint Brush was much more than just a gift. It represented my desire for her to feel safe. I knew I could never make up for my lack of interest in her with items and presents, but this gift was something different. She knew I had bought it because I did care about her, regardless of what I had previously written in her description. I could tell that I hadn't completely reconciled the situation, but it was a start. She still did not say a word, but I could have sworn I saw the hint of a smile cross the flames on her face.

     In the following days, I did my best to make Plynu feel comfortable. I gave her the Halloween clothes she had always wanted from my closet which had been there since I had cross-painted Reggaeton. She moved into a background that brought out her fiery color and bright, yellow eyes. I was amazed by how stunning she looked with her new customization, and steadily became more and more genuinely attached to her color. More notably, she looked happy.

     I realized it didn't matter how much I had spent on any of my pets. The way I felt about them all only had to do with my own perspective. I had been thinking far too much about prestige and how "impressive" my pets colors were. The truth is, though, they all deserve love and a chance to shine. They are my pets, and they are all beautiful. The most important thing is that they feel good with me as their owner.

     Plynu came to me about a week later for a private word. She looked hesitant, not quite sure if she was ready to speak to me.

     "I've been thinking about what you did for me. I know you weren't just trying to buy my forgiveness. You DO want me to be happy, don't you?"

     "Of course I do. I guess I just didn't realize how much I was hurting you when I wrote that description," I responded, still anxious about her feelings.

     "I... appreciate it," she said with a hiss.

     After a few seconds of awkward silence between the two of us, she turned her back and slithered away. As I watched her go, my hopes for reconciliation rose. I was lucky, I felt, that I had a Hissi so forgiving. If I had done the same thing to Reggae, I believe he would have checked himself into the Pound. Though I once thought that she was lucky to have found a nice home with me, the truth is that I am lucky to have found a pet like her.

     One day Plynu will come to realize that I do love her just as much as my other pets. Until then, though, it is up to me to make sure I treat all of them with equal respect and dignity. We are a family. No one is any less important than another, and that is how it should always stay.

The End