They are more than just a pet, just a demi, they are a partner, a friend, perhaps something more. And John Price would be damned if he let anyone tear them from his side.

Happy Valentines Day @fishiewishes! I hope you love him as much as I do.

I need to give a special thanks to @Gortrash and @LemonDelightful for helping me with COD lore and choosing his image <3

Price knew that if anyone discovered his secret, if they found out that he had been educating and training his demi, the consequences would be severe. In this world, demis were property, pets, and nothing more. To educate them, to arm them, was a crime of the highest order.

Just a few years ago, they had been a wide-eyed innocent, gifted but uneducated, a demi like so many others. But Price had seen the fire in their eyes, the quickness of their mind, and the thirst for knowledge. He had begun to teach them in secret, smuggling books and textbooks into their shared quarters, risking everything to cultivate their potential.

They had blossomed under Price's tutelage. They had a natural affinity for learning, a quickness of mind that allowed the to grasp even the most complex concepts with ease. Soon, they were not just keeping up with Price's paperwork and filing, but assisting him, offering insights and suggestions that he would never have considered.

But Price's true masterstroke had been training Lila in the arts of war. He had taught them the fundamentals of military tactics, the subtleties of guerrilla warfare, and the brutal necessities of hand-to-hand combat. They had taken to it like a fish to water, their natural agility and quick thinking making them a formidable adversary on the battlefield.

So when their latest mission went sideways Price knew the potential consequences should his demi be caught. Anything could happen out there, and if they were discovered, if anyone found out who they truly were... Price shuddered at the thought. He would be damned if he let anyone take them away from him. They were in this together, now and forever. Their battle for survival was only just beginning.

CW/TW: Should be none other than possible wartime/violent scenarios