Author's Note
https://derpibooru.org/tags/rosepet
Boundaries
My roommate had been begging me over and over for weeks to get my approval for a domestic cat, and at one point I must have reluctantly agreed, for he stopped asking.
What was the worst that could happen? A bit of scratched furniture wouldn't be the end of the world.
A regular, well-behaved cat from a shelter. Everything would be taken care of by him, including food and vet bills. Nothing would be expected of me regarding her care.
All that and more was promised. That was the agreement between us.
We were only two, and had quite a bit of space to share, so there was plenty of room for an animal to roam around, so no biggie, I thought.
However, I almost lost my mind when I saw what he held in his arms roughly a week later.
"Where... did you get that?" I asked unbelievingly while I stared at him as he held a curled-up ball of pale yellow fur. "That's obviously not a cat but a character from that pony show!"
All that pastel color stood out unnaturally and strained my eyes.
The pony, already with a collar and tail bow, must have noticed my grimace as her muzzle scrunched oddly as she returned the stare.
My roommate reacted with surprise. "Oh, I didn't think you'd realize. Rose is the best of them all, you know?" He stood there for a moment, rubbing her belly and eliciting a weird sound from her.
I didn't say anything in return. I was still too perplexed by the sight before me.
"Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to tell you the details... But don't you worry! She's just like a cat now in our world, so it's totally fine!" He smiled at me as his left eye lost focus and slowly drifted to the side.
"Rose?" I questioned, visibly confused. "A cat? What the..?" I felt dizzy as I tried to make sense of it all and had to sit down to collect myself.
This was unreal. It must have been a dream. A nightmare.
I despised that show. Not due to the content, but mostly because of the weird community that had formed around it. And now this unholy manifestation of a kink that had come to life, right there, in front of me.
My roommate being a brony came as a surprise. He had never mentioned anything in that direction. Probably a good idea to look for another place soon... Don't want any of that crap to rub off on me.
He gently put Rose down on her little hooves and stroked the side of her tilted head. The pony indulged in his grasp and started purring like a cat.
Hmm, that was kinda cute.
...
What the hell, brain? We'll have none of that!
"You know what? I'm not even going to question this!" I exclaimed and shook my head. "You just keep that thing in check, you hear me?"
I was certain he must have sold his soul to the devil or something. I wanted no part in this, whatever this was exactly.
While I walked away, I noticed the odd look the cat-like pony was directing at me. With squinted eyes, she was following my movements, all while being petted furiously.
It almost appeared as if she was displeased with my attitude towards her, but I didn't give it much thought and left the two to themselves.
I should have. It would have given me more time to mentally prepare, against that devious demon known as Roseluck.
Rose was after me for some reason. She would not leave me alone. Not for one single day following her arrival.
She ripped my curtains down and ruined my shoes. Her fur was all over the place. My bed, my clothes... literally everywhere.
I had tried to close the door to get some pause, but she knew how to open it. She'd just jump up to the handle and get in anyway.
Once I made the mistake and locked the door. She bucked it out of its hinges in the middle of the night with her hind hooves. To send a message.
And my socks! She had hidden my socks! Always only one of the pair, only to piss me off more.
Allegedly, she was just playing around and wanted some pets in return for the socks, but I refused. I'd rather buy new ones than give in to her little schemes. I'd make my roommate pay for the missing socks...
I soon realized that I had to set some clear boundaries for her.
So with my unrivaled artistic talent, I painted an unmistakable depiction of her on a prohibition sign, which I put in the short hallway that separated our living areas.
Oh, she knew what it meant, I tell you.
And that's exactly why she stood there, right next to it, with a devious smile, the very moment I had put it up there.
Rose sat down on her hind hooves and looked at my masterpiece with faked bewilderment. She pointed one of her little hooves at it and then back at herself, almost as if she was asking, 'This... me?'
She slowly shook her head and grinned maliciously at me.
"You know damn well what it means, you little shit! I don't want you close to me, you understand?" I said way harsher and louder than I had meant to.
Rose backed away, startled by my menacing voice aimed at her.
I saw her eyes tear up before she turned around, slowly trotting away with her head hanging. She was visibly sad now.
My heart ached as I realized my pathetic victory. She had received the message this time. Rose would likely leave me alone now...
But at what cost? I had broken her little heart.
I looked at my crudely made painting and sighed. Rose didn't deserve this.
...
Ok, brain. I give in.
I tore the paper off the wall and crumbled it into a ball.
Rose turned at the sound, her smile radiating hope.
"Come here, my little fetish!" I said while kneeling down, arms out welcoming her.
She frowned at what I had called her but came back galloping nonetheless, wrapping her hooves around my neck, and lying her head next to mine.
Rose licked me, just like any other regular cat would.
I caressed her back in return, making her purr in my ears. The smell of roses was in the air and I knew I was a lost cause.
