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In ancient China, there was a race of people with a strong connection to animals. These people were treated as priests and priestesses because they could communicate with animals and convey the prophecies told to them by the sacred beasts. One day, the emperor’s son asked one of the ‘priestesses’ to marry him. She ‘politely’ refused him, and the man was heartbroken. In a rage caused by his rejection, he declared that these people were not human, that they were monsters and every one of them should be slaughtered.
And thus, this race of people was diminished to a single person. All alone and severely injured, he lay down on the ground to die, bequeathing his anger and pain to the afterlife. He vowed revenge on the humans for their violent ways, for mercilessly slaughtering both his race and many of the races of animals.
This person was D’s ancestor. Their race reproduces asexually, passing genes from one person straight to the next, which causes them to look like exact replicas. When one of them is killed, a new one is reborn in his place. They seem to never age, never die, but they can be killed just as easily as a human can.
From a young age, D was raised by his grandfather and taught to care for animals. The story of his ancestor was repeated to him several times over, ensuing that he knew how terrible humans were. To play his part in fulfilling the revenge, he set up a pet shop in Los Angeles. Here, he sold exotic animals with contracts attached. The general rule was simple: “Should you break the contract, the pet shop cannot be held responsible for the outcome.” Usually, this meant the death of the pet’s owner. Sometimes it was worse. And almost always, it was because of some moral defect in the owner.
Still, if an owner could adhere to the rules, the pet would grant them their deepest desire, whatever it may be. Once in the back rooms and under the influence of the strong incense, the customers would be able to see the animals’ human forms, though D would convince them that they were still just animals.
Catching wind of the mysterious deaths by wild animals, a homicide detective by the name of Leon Orcot began frequenting the pet shop, hoping to catch D in some suspected illegal act, like drug-selling or slave-trading. Leon was quite inventive with his imagined crimes. Eventually as time passed, the two formed a sort of friendship, though they fought constantly. Still, Leon began coming to D for advice and company, rather than trying to lock him away. Though, he would claim the latter was still a top priority.
At one point, he brought Chris, his mute kid brother, and began leaving him for D to baby-sit while he was on the job. At first, D was appalled that Leon would leave a child in his shop, but he took a liking to the meek boy when he found out that he could see the animal’s human forms without his help. And despite being mute, the boy could speak to the animals through his thoughts and the animals could understand him.
A little less than two years after meeting Leon, D was tracked down by an FBI agent by the name of Howell, who was searching for his father. Having given Chris back to his aunt and uncle, D quickly packed up and left, carrying only a briefcase. Mysteriously, the animals were also gone. Realizing D had fled, Leon began to search for him and stumbled upon D’s father (Also named ‘D’), mistaking him for D. With Leon in tow, D’s father returned to his indoor garden home, situated on the upper three floor of a building complex. It was here that he abandoned Leon with the wild animals that lived with him, giving the cop the ultimatum of the wild: Kill or be killed.
At the same time, D was being chased down by Agent Howell outside of town. After being shot on the run, D threw himself into a river gorge. With D gone, Howell checked the ground for blood for a DNA sample, but found none. Only mysterious flowers left along the trail. Eventually, D’s briefcase washed up and Howell confiscated it, heading back to town.
Meanwhile, D was dragged out of the river by his animal friends. When Howell wasn’t looking, he somehow slipped into his car and hid in the backseat. While the agent was driving, D slipped a knife to his throat. After failing to convince Howell that he and his father weren’t the same person, D suggested that Howell turn the car around and head back to LA to meet his father.
Upon reaching the garden complex, the two parties joined and D discovered a very injured, but still alive, Leon. Worried that Leon might die from his severe injuries, D quickly tended to his wounds, though the bleeding persisted. It was then that D’s father revealed his plan to rid Earth of the human race with biological warfare: a virus that would only target humans. As he was planning to unleash this virus, D tried to stop him. I believe because, unlike his father, D still held out for some small hope that the human race wasn’t entirely terrible. After all, he was fond of Leon and Chris. And there were customers who had kept to their contracts.
Still, D’s father wouldn’t listen to him, and it was ultimately Leon who stopped him the only way he could: With a bullet to the head. Doing this, however, caused D’s father to hit the button that he claimed would release the virus into the air. Instead, it created an explosion which set fire to the entire upper part of the building.
Dying, D’s father instructed his son not to embrace hope again. To never forgive the humans for what they had done. With his death came a burst of energy, figures of animals swirling through the rooms, mingling with the fire. Agent Howell was caught in the burst and died instantly. Amazingly, in the place where D’s father had died now rested a newborn human child. D’s grandfather, who had been present at D’s side the entire time by masquerading as a pet, took the child to raise once more and left the building, leaving D and Leon to themselves.
Instead of killing Leon for shooting his father, which is what the cop expected, D helped him to his feet, heading for the roof to escape the growing fire. Perplexed by his behavior, Leon informed D that he had no intention of dying with him. D merely smiled and jumped from the roof, taking Leon with him. The world faded to black as they fell.
When he came to again, Leon found himself miraculously flying, spotting D not a moment later in a large boat sailing through the clouds. Climbing on board, he found it was really the pet shop, and he could finally see the animals’ true forms. D explained that this way, he could travel the world without worrying about the borders than humans had drawn. But this was where Leon’s journey would end. With a tear running down his cheek, he pushed Leon from the boat, returning him to his world where his family waited in the hospital for him to wake. The only explanation he gave was “Humans have not earned the right to board this ship. Not yet.”
And thus, this race of people was diminished to a single person. All alone and severely injured, he lay down on the ground to die, bequeathing his anger and pain to the afterlife. He vowed revenge on the humans for their violent ways, for mercilessly slaughtering both his race and many of the races of animals.
This person was D’s ancestor. Their race reproduces asexually, passing genes from one person straight to the next, which causes them to look like exact replicas. When one of them is killed, a new one is reborn in his place. They seem to never age, never die, but they can be killed just as easily as a human can.
From a young age, D was raised by his grandfather and taught to care for animals. The story of his ancestor was repeated to him several times over, ensuing that he knew how terrible humans were. To play his part in fulfilling the revenge, he set up a pet shop in Los Angeles. Here, he sold exotic animals with contracts attached. The general rule was simple: “Should you break the contract, the pet shop cannot be held responsible for the outcome.” Usually, this meant the death of the pet’s owner. Sometimes it was worse. And almost always, it was because of some moral defect in the owner.
Still, if an owner could adhere to the rules, the pet would grant them their deepest desire, whatever it may be. Once in the back rooms and under the influence of the strong incense, the customers would be able to see the animals’ human forms, though D would convince them that they were still just animals.
Catching wind of the mysterious deaths by wild animals, a homicide detective by the name of Leon Orcot began frequenting the pet shop, hoping to catch D in some suspected illegal act, like drug-selling or slave-trading. Leon was quite inventive with his imagined crimes. Eventually as time passed, the two formed a sort of friendship, though they fought constantly. Still, Leon began coming to D for advice and company, rather than trying to lock him away. Though, he would claim the latter was still a top priority.
At one point, he brought Chris, his mute kid brother, and began leaving him for D to baby-sit while he was on the job. At first, D was appalled that Leon would leave a child in his shop, but he took a liking to the meek boy when he found out that he could see the animal’s human forms without his help. And despite being mute, the boy could speak to the animals through his thoughts and the animals could understand him.
A little less than two years after meeting Leon, D was tracked down by an FBI agent by the name of Howell, who was searching for his father. Having given Chris back to his aunt and uncle, D quickly packed up and left, carrying only a briefcase. Mysteriously, the animals were also gone. Realizing D had fled, Leon began to search for him and stumbled upon D’s father (Also named ‘D’), mistaking him for D. With Leon in tow, D’s father returned to his indoor garden home, situated on the upper three floor of a building complex. It was here that he abandoned Leon with the wild animals that lived with him, giving the cop the ultimatum of the wild: Kill or be killed.
At the same time, D was being chased down by Agent Howell outside of town. After being shot on the run, D threw himself into a river gorge. With D gone, Howell checked the ground for blood for a DNA sample, but found none. Only mysterious flowers left along the trail. Eventually, D’s briefcase washed up and Howell confiscated it, heading back to town.
Meanwhile, D was dragged out of the river by his animal friends. When Howell wasn’t looking, he somehow slipped into his car and hid in the backseat. While the agent was driving, D slipped a knife to his throat. After failing to convince Howell that he and his father weren’t the same person, D suggested that Howell turn the car around and head back to LA to meet his father.
Upon reaching the garden complex, the two parties joined and D discovered a very injured, but still alive, Leon. Worried that Leon might die from his severe injuries, D quickly tended to his wounds, though the bleeding persisted. It was then that D’s father revealed his plan to rid Earth of the human race with biological warfare: a virus that would only target humans. As he was planning to unleash this virus, D tried to stop him. I believe because, unlike his father, D still held out for some small hope that the human race wasn’t entirely terrible. After all, he was fond of Leon and Chris. And there were customers who had kept to their contracts.
Still, D’s father wouldn’t listen to him, and it was ultimately Leon who stopped him the only way he could: With a bullet to the head. Doing this, however, caused D’s father to hit the button that he claimed would release the virus into the air. Instead, it created an explosion which set fire to the entire upper part of the building.
Dying, D’s father instructed his son not to embrace hope again. To never forgive the humans for what they had done. With his death came a burst of energy, figures of animals swirling through the rooms, mingling with the fire. Agent Howell was caught in the burst and died instantly. Amazingly, in the place where D’s father had died now rested a newborn human child. D’s grandfather, who had been present at D’s side the entire time by masquerading as a pet, took the child to raise once more and left the building, leaving D and Leon to themselves.
Instead of killing Leon for shooting his father, which is what the cop expected, D helped him to his feet, heading for the roof to escape the growing fire. Perplexed by his behavior, Leon informed D that he had no intention of dying with him. D merely smiled and jumped from the roof, taking Leon with him. The world faded to black as they fell.
When he came to again, Leon found himself miraculously flying, spotting D not a moment later in a large boat sailing through the clouds. Climbing on board, he found it was really the pet shop, and he could finally see the animals’ true forms. D explained that this way, he could travel the world without worrying about the borders than humans had drawn. But this was where Leon’s journey would end. With a tear running down his cheek, he pushed Leon from the boat, returning him to his world where his family waited in the hospital for him to wake. The only explanation he gave was “Humans have not earned the right to board this ship. Not yet.”
