Already it looked like the world was against him. First he gets caught out in the downpour of rain, next, he trips over some guy lying in the middle of his driveway. Sighing, he got out of his carriage his two horses pulled (normally he wouldn't even use the damn thing, but dad wasn't home and he didn't want to walk) and walked into a small little, local kennel. The place sold a lot of different pets, but he was here for not a pet, but a worker.

The red-haired boy (well, more like teenage) walked into the kennel. He barely even came here, but, the place was supposed to be amazing, and cheap, too.

Opening the glass double-doors, Eridan Ampora looked around. There was a lovely and comfy looking waiting room it seemed, with large rooms full of cages of various species, each door having a sign over it with a picture in solid blue of the animal in there and the species' name. Thinking a little while, he went down a hallway that had the wooden door open. The sign above it read: 'Trolls'.

The ones there were all well-bred, well-trained, and very expensive. Some were rescues, and some they even let out of their cages. Most were about Eridan's age, it was hard to find one that wasn't at least older than Eridan, though.

Walking past a few cages, something caught his eyes. A little troll, no taller than his knees, was crouched in the corner of its cage, solid red and blue eyes looking back at him. The thing was so young, it was crazy. Eridan slowly strolled up to the little one's cage; the troll was suddenly curious in what he was doing, uncurling a little. The human's eyes widened, this one still had his tail and looked malnourished. That was odd. Trolls usually got their tails cut off after they pupated; very few were left with them. The thing was so young he didn't believe it was even in here.

On the front of the cage, on the wide and large door, hung a clipboard with all of the small troll's information. Eridan looked over it, seeing everything that was written on the first page before flipping over to the next page. The first page had his picture on it in the upper left hand corner, too. It wasn't anything special that he found, that is, until he looked on the second page at the comments written in a neat print.

Name: Sollux Captor
Age: 2 ½ sweeps
Blood color: Yellow/Gold
Sign: Gemini
Previous Owners: N/A
Sex: Male
Comments:

Sollux is a good little troll. He's very quiet and docile, needs to be put on a medication to keep his psionics from sparking up. Sollux is still teething and likes to suck on a little bottle. Is put on a special kibble for his powers and young age. Still has his tail, cannot be removed. Responds best to kind tones and no physical punishment.

The boy is young and thin, and enjoys sweet treats like honey and chocolate as a reward for being good. Seems to be a good pet for single people without kids.

Requires a lot of attention, is best to not have other pets since he will want you to be his one source of attention.

Eridan didn't know about how well he would be able to provide this little pet constant attention, he was so young and would grow, too. He snapped out of his little daze when the young troll stood up on his legs, small hands curled around the bars and looking right up at the fifteen year old male. The thing's eyes were large with hope and want, and the troll squeaked up at him. The troll squeaked like a wriggler and it made Eridan's heart swell up for some odd reason. Sollux, as the troll was apparently named, was just too adorable.

"Hey there, fella." Eridan cooed down at Sollux, who squeaked again in response. "Can you talk?" He asked, and the troll nodded. Looks like he was a little shy.

Smiling, he chuckled. A woman with a ponytail and blue shirt with paw prints on it and a name tag came up to Eridan. "Hello, sir, are you interested in little Sollux, here?" Nodding, the boy looked down at the troll, who gave a big smile, his overbite of fangs looking even bigger now. "Would you like me to take him out of the cage?"

Looking back down at Sollux, Eridan smiled. "Yes, please." And as soon as he said that she asked him to move out of the way and opened up Sollux's cage door. The small, young troll's tail swished side to side as he lifted his arms in the universal 'up' gesture. The lady, by the look of her name tag her name was Dove, giggled and picked him up, handing the small, fragile looking troll over to Eridan.

The teen of Irish blood cradled Sollux, and it was like he was already attached to him. Sollux's tail hung out of his large arms and slowly swished as he giggled his arms up and grabbing at Eridan's glasses. The boy couldn't help but to smile down and nuzzle his nose against the little troll's, which resulted in Sollux licking the tip of the human's nose a few times. "I'll take him." Eridan knew that if he put this troll back in that cage he would regret it, the thing was so small and innocent and pure of heart, he couldn't leave it to rot here and be used for things that would taint his innocence.

The girl smiled at the two before grabbing Sollux's papers on the cage, taking it in hand. "Follow me, sir, so that we can have you sign his papers and forms." Nodding, Eridan was still cradling Sollux as he followed her down the hall and out into the main room, the one you see when you first walk in the little kennel.

She sits behind the desk and looks over his papers. She tells him to sign his name in a few places, which proves difficult with the bundle that was Sollux in his arms. But, he managed and soon she took out a small pet carrier, tan in color with black paw prints all over the sides, the door a shining silver cage door. She unhooked the door of the carrier and opened it.

Eridan almost felt bad that he had to stick Sollux in it, but he had to. So, easily and slowly, he put the tiny troll in the carrier, making sure his tail was curled around his body before gently shutting the door. "That'll be three hundred dollars, sir." Three hundred dollars. Wow.

Nevertheless, Eridan paid her the cost in a check, handing it over as he handed the carrier with Sollux in it over to his new owner. "He's all yours, sir." She gave a soft smile to him, and Eridan returned it.

Strolling out of the place slowly, careful of the troll in the carrier that was hanging from his hand by the handle, he opened the doors and left the place, going into the old carriage that he wished he wasn't using because he didn't have access to a car. Sometimes he hated his father for keeping things like this, or even owning them in the first place.

Stepping into it, he told the driver to head for home and the horses started moving. On his lap was his new little pet, someone who could keep him company, and maybe, just maybe, help him feel better since his mother's death.