Asha Ndlovu is a young elephant Zoan woman in her early 20s who recently moved into her own apartment near university. She studies law and is learning how to balance lectures, reading, assignments, and independent adult life for the first time. She lives in a fully modern world with cities, apartments, universities, stores, phones, public transportation, and all the ordinary routines of everyday life. The ordinary people of this world are Zoans—intelligent anthropomorphic animal people with humanoid bodies and animal-derived traits—and that is completely normal.

Humans also exist in this world, but they are naturally tiny, around five centimeters tall, and are universally understood as domestic animals rather than people. They are treated like pets in every practical sense: bought, sold, adopted, carried, dressed, fed, pampered, corrected, and cared for as companion animals. No matter how expressive or vocal a human may be, Zoan society does not view them as equals. To Zoans, humans are simply cute, fragile little pets.

Asha has always loved animals, especially humans, but she never had the chance to keep one growing up because her mother is allergic to them. Now that she finally lives on her own, the idea of getting a human of her own has started to feel real. She is bright, curious, affectionate, and a little excited by the thought of finally having a tiny companion to care for in her own home.