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Adoption Tales


by arva9

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I looked up as I heard her speak. "Mom, why won't you just give in and write an application for a pet that is up for adoption?" Elwysn asked seriously, after days of searching for the perfect addition to our family.

     I came back with, "Sweetie, it's the principle of the whole deal. When I got you, you were in the pound, and I didn't write an application for you. Same with your sister Witsup, and Hiizi, Brantli, and Minion (Who_Is_Sloth) were all created. I don't feel that I should succumb to someone else's pre-determined ideals that a 'good parent' is also a good artist and writer."

     Elwysn looked at me oddly for a moment, then piped up, "But Mom, many Neopians are accepting neomail applications now since the neopets team declared petpages only applications not good, just a paragraph is all you have to send. It's so simple and easy to do."

     I got down on my knees and looked her straight in the eye. "Elly, if I give in and write an application, I would not only be allowing someone else to control a small part of me, but I would be forgoing a view that I am very passionate about."

     I assume then she got slightly confused, because she followed up with, "But you don't make a career out of adopting pets from other users." I then took her around Neopia for some sight seeing.

     We came up on the Neopound Board, where people and pets were everywhere clamoring for each new user's attention. I took Elly to the first board I saw that said they had pets up for adoption. We ventured into the board, with several others, walking amidst the crowd and found the original poster with her pets. She was busy talking to other people, so we didn't bug her. Instead, I took Elwysn to go see the pet everyone was clamoring to get, her Grey Elephante.

     Elwysn said, "Wow, you're sure rare," to the Elephante.

     He looked up at her, with big sad eyes and said back, "Maybe, but it's not fun... I get passed around from one person to another each month, and my mom just sees me as neopoints to get another pet she likes better. Lady, if you have any heart, don't paint your pets a color you don't really like, but settle anyways because it makes them an avatar pet... I know what I'm good for, and I know no one will want me permanently."

     We bid our goodbyes, and as we were walking back up to the main thoroughfare, Elly looked at me and said, "Mom, you know that doesn't count. He was Grey after all."

     I looked down and smiled, then said, "I knew you'd say something like that sweetie. That's why we're visiting another place."

     We walked until we reached a board that said their Baby Gelert was up for adoption. When we approached the Gelert girl, who had recently been frowning and looking as if she would cry, she brightened up and wagged her tail cheerfully.

     She smiled. "Are you going to be my new mommy?" she asked wistfully.

     Sadly I said, "I'm sorry, small one. I am on an outing today to make a point to my Elwysn."

     Immediately the Baby Gelert started to cry, and I bent down to console her. "Don't worry, darling, someone will come by and you will be their dream pet."

     She looked up at me, just shaking her head, and through sniffles she began, "You don't understand. People just walk by without looking. Some people say they want me, but I get passed around. I was made as a custom for someone, but she said she found another pet who she liked better, and since I was the cheapest, I could be pounded. Then someone took me from there, and promised to paint me, but she traded me to this person, who after only a month put me up for adoption cause she doesn't 'like babies'. No one wants me."

     I petted her and my heart cried out, wanting so badly to take her home with me, to show her that some people truly can love others just the way they are, but I knew I couldn't do that at the moment. I was on the search for a pet that was different. Instead of just leaving her there, I neomailed my friend, who had been saving for a Baby Paint Brush for about a month to paint a Gelert she would be getting from the pound at a later date, and told her about the situation. I waited with Elly, and the baby Gelert, and when my friend finally came, well, I can honestly say I had never seen any two beings so happy before in my life.

     Elly and I started walking back towards the other boards, and I asked, "Are you up for one more?" She looked up at me and said, "Yes, because after all, she was just a baby."

     We reached the board of an older, male, Maraquan Draik and his owner. Elwysn looked at him intently, and looked at me. "What's the point of this? Everyone will want him..." she said.

     I smiled and said, "I know, Elly. That's exactly why we're here, to watch and see the people who offer." We sat down and watched as the original poster demanded an application and gave a list of things not to say in the application like, 'he is my dream pet', and 'I would love and feed him every day', demanding originality. We watched as people posted applications on petpages and checked out said pages, many put together very well, and watched while she declined anything with a premade layout, while in the same breath she said that premade didn't make a difference. We saw people who had only been on Neopets for five months, to people who had been here for years all try and fail at impressing her. She rejected the hand-made layouts at a lot slower pace, but none-the-less, they were all rejected.

     Elwysn looked up at me and said, "I know you've always wanted a Draik, so why don't you try? Just tell her your stance on things, I am sure she will understand." I prepared myself for defeat as I started my post on her board.

     It read something like this, "I don't believe in applications, because I don't think that who you give your pet to should be based on how convincingly they can write what you want to hear. In fact, a Draik is one of my dream pets, and no, I would not love him more than my other pets, it would be equal. I would keep him in the lodge to make sure he had food every day, and I wouldn't read much to him, as Elwysn is my bookworm. I wouldn't bring up his stats, as Elwysn is also my battle pet, and I would probably host a graphic related site on his petpage."

     I got scoffed and laughed at, a few people made the remark that this must be a joke, and I could swear that beautiful Maraquan Draik smiled at me. The original poster made the comment that she was going to ignore my post, and Elwysn looked at me sadly.

     As we were walking away, I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned to face a Neopian I had never seen before, and she looked at me and said, "You were really brave. It's hard to find someone honest enough with themselves to say something like that on a board with such a rare pet being up for adoption. I wish more people thought like you, then everyone would have a fair chance at getting their dream pets." I thanked her, and never heard from her again.

     When Elly and I got home, she looked up at me and said, "Hey Mom, I have an idea."

     I looked down, slightly confused, to ask what it was. She said, "I think we should tell the world our views. Who knows, maybe we will meet other people who think the same way, and we can start a guild or something for people like us." I thought that was a lovely idea.

The End

 
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