this dog can walk himself [open]

[ifnotloyal]

WHO: Ace and you!
WHERE: Various places in Heropa.
WHEN: After dark.
WHAT: Restless dog is out doing his rounds, even if there aren't any monsters out.
WARNINGS: n/a

a; residential area

[ For Ace, night is suddenly a bigger blessing than he'd ever expected. It's the best time to roam unseen, sure, but it's also when the sun is down, the temperature drops, and going out and about becomes somewhat more bearable for a dog like himself. Spring should never be like this, in his opinion, although that is an opinion forged by the states that get snow, something he's already figured out has no chance of falling in this place.

Not that it keeps him from poking his nose around. He weaves his way between the houses with no fencing, then down alleys and around sidewalks to avoid those that do. He'll get a few dogs waking up to bark at him. He stops at the ones that only seem curious and sniff at them, but not to chat. Just thinking about trying that leaves a sense of sadness, that for whatever reason the animals here don't speak the same way he could, back home, to other dogs, to cats, raccoons, rats, anything except humans. It's all so different now. So, he doesn't linger by other dogs for long, hurrying off again after each short stop.

Eventually he turns to head towards Heropa's downtown, but for now? Looks like there's husky on the loose, meandering through the streets at his own leisure. ]

b; downtown

[ Downtown is a different beast. Ace's leisurely stroll doesn't continue here, as he shies away from the main sidewalks. It isn't as crowded as some downtowns might be, but he's still pretty sure people are more liable to call someone on a loose dog spotted around, well, businesses. Even if he can literally talk his way out of that now, he prefers not to chance it. Alleys work best, along with the occasional street crossing.

He revisits the spot that had brought him and Gilbert face to face with a giant alligator, but when that turns up nothing, not even a decent scent to pick up on again, his wandering moves on to the more barfly-ish side of town. There, he still lurks, unwilling to interact too directly. There are a few instances where he finds cause to growl from the mouths of alleyways at a few drunks following after barhoppers who'd rather be left alone and at least once where he suddenly runs out across the path of a man who's taken off with someone's purse, tripping them up enough for those pursuing to catch up.

All those times, he doesn't hang out afterwards. Not in plain sight, anyway. He'll hurry back off out of sight before slowing to a stop to cock an ear and listen. ]

Comments

A

[khajidont]

[Jaime has been assured that his internship won't normally run nearly so late, but as it turns out, there's a lot more to learn than he had initially anticipated. It's already dark by the time he's on his way home, backpack full of new school supplies hanging off one shoulder - something that he can just hear his mother chastising him for (it's bad for your back mijo!), but that's a non-issue here. He's still a good while from home when he spots Ace in one of the alleys and pauses, assuming that he's run into a lost dog.]

Oh. Hey, you lost? [He asks, clearly not expecting an answer to his question as he drops into a crouch and whistles at him. He snaps his fingers, the imPort tattoo on his wrist glowing loud and clear in the dim light.] Here, boy.

[ifnotloyal]

[ Ace turns to look, away from the black lab who'd come over to stick his nose through the fence at him. A lazy old one, which was nice compared to the hyperactive little ones that seemed so common in the area around Heropa. A boy whistling at him, trying to get his attention? That's pretty normal to him, so he wags his tail and moves on to trot over.

The gleam from the tattoo is more noticeable once he's closed the distance, which, of course, helps him make up his mind on whether he should reply or not. Technically, the locals might not be shocked by him, either, but there's something to be said about keeping a few secrets among the imPorts for now.

First he'll stop close enough to lean in and sniff at the hand he'd been snapping his fingers with, then he steps back and... ]

No, I know where I am.

[ Answers. ]

Hi.

[khajidont]

[Jaime reaches out to give Ace a pat, but once the dog actually starts to speak, he retracts his hand with a startled jerk, mouth dropping open in a shock that Ace is almost certain to see time and time again during his residency in Heropa.]

Whoa! You can talk!

[And Jaime here just happens to be excellent at pointing out the obvious. His eyes flick over to look behind and beyond Ace, as if half-expecting someone else to step out of the shadows, but they eventually rest back on Ace's face.]

I mean... hi.

[ifnotloyal]

[ There is no one else, only Jaime and the dog. Talking dog, at that. By now, Ace is used to this reaction, though there is some regret in that he spoke up before he got a pat on the head. Still, that's no cause to be unfriendly. ]

Sorry. I know humans find that really weird at first.

[ Or always, maybe. He's not sure. ]

a

[demonspawn]

[ Terry wouldn't mind a little less sunshine himself. The vitamin D is all well and good, but his chalky pale skin burns almost on immediate exposure, and there's probably something about being the son of a demon called Nightmare that makes him more predisposed to prefer darkness.

He's walking back from studying somewhere -- he can't study at home, not with all the raccoons in everything -- when he spots that familiar canine form down the street. There's a slight pause as he glances around to see if any of their other roommates are about, but it looks like the dog is, in fact, walking himself.

Finally, he calls out: ]

Ace?

[ifnotloyal]

[ Those dang raccoons. They aren't even afraid of a big barking dog, so what can ya do?

Out down the street where Ace is, he stops at the sound of his name being called, ears perking up straight. He looks towards Terry right away. Someone he lives with! Which, being a dog, is immediately a thing that makes him all the more cheerful. ]

Terrance! [ And obviously he wants him to go over there, right? Or else he wouldn't have called out like that, so here he comes! Ace runs the distance, which closes it fast, but he does stop short of jumping up onto the poor guy to greet him. ] What are you doing out and about? I thought everyone was staying in for the night.

[demonspawn]

[ Admittedly, Terry tries not to get too attached to anyone he meets as an imPort. Everyone comes and goes -- he tried forming close friendships, even romantic relationships, and most of the time, it just ends up being miserable. But he's warmed up to Ace, partially against his will, and he might reluctantly even consider himself fond of the "family dog."

It shows in the way he automatically leans to meet Ace, adjusting his messenger bag before reaching out to ruffle the fur behind Ace's ears in greeting. ]

Trying to get some studying done. Not sure how productive that was, but whatever. [ A light exhale. ] What're you doing out?

[ifnotloyal]

[ It's somewhat of a relief that enough of the imPorts have lost whatever qualms they'd had before about patting him on the head or, in general, treating him like a dog. In this case, ruffling his ears, which is always appreciated. ]

I'm going for a walk. [ A long one, but hey, not a lie. ] What were you studying?

a

[alofts]

[ Friday night shifts were going to put grey in his hair or on the express train bound for an early grave. It wasn't the work, per se, but his internal clock was wired to a soldier's life, not a safety officer. He was accustomed to reveille before dawn and formation before breakfast, not waking up at noon to catch the last bus to a job with a hardhat. He was ready to quit in all truthfulness. The job was monotonous and the people intolerable.

Levi kept his griping about civilian life to his thoughts as he walked down the sidewalk towards the square, uniform houses squeezed together just off the busy Florida roads. Home in sight Levi rummaged in his jacket pockets for his keys only to be distracted by a grey and white shape that stuck out against the overgrown hydrangea bushes that defined their property line. It was a dog, and a well-kept one by the looks of its healthy coat and more obvious collar dangling from its neck.

Animals were easier than people, and even though the only rapport with an animal Levi cared to put his energy towards was with his horse there was no denying he had a bit of a soft spot for anything four-legged. He shucked off his work bag and dropped it by his feet as he lowered himself to a crouch; balanced on the balls of his feet. While not exactly a giant standing up he knew dogs well enough to know you looked less like a threat the closer you were to the ground. ]

Here. [ He called out with the back of his hand exposed and outstretched. ] That's not your house, boy.

Re: a

[ifnotloyal]

[ Ace left off nosing around the hydrangeas before Levi even said anything, the sound of the work bag being set down more than enough sound to alert him. He remained still where he was for a moment, regarding the stranger curiously. The outstretched hand says a little of how he knows how to approach an animal, at least, rather than foolishly trying to approach directly.

Not that it took much to get a dog like Ace to come over. While he was hardly naive about people, he also knew most humans no longer held any threat to him, and so even though he didn't know Levi, he eventually turned to trot over, tail wagging. Once close enough, he'd even give the offered hand a token sniff.

More so, he wondered if he would spot a tattoo not unlike his own. Although in his case, the fur does a fair job of hiding the blue glow. Though, if he weren't an imPort, he wouldn't be in this particular neighborhood, right? ]

[alofts]

[ Dogs weren't common behind the Walls closer to the more populated areas. Hunters and farmers had the odd wiry coated cur with floppy ears and thin tails, but nothing like Ace. Up close he was surprised how much wolf there was is in this one. Levi would have had second thoughts if the reception wasn't so friendly, if understandably cagey. ]

Florida must be a hellhole during the day; a stocky thing like you with fur this thick.

[ He couldn't claim to be an expert with dogs, but he knew enough not to make any sudden movements. Ace's posture encouraged Levi to reach out and pet him. Shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows his tattoo was dim source of light that bounced off white fur as he gingerly scratched the underside of Ace's chin. ]

B

[attractedtodarkness]

[Being out and about at night is a thing Violet does and seeing a dog run out to stop a thief? That's a sight to behold. She watches where the dog disappears to before going after him, not caring about the state of the robber who's currently being dogpiled by his pursuers.

Her voice is gentle when she crouches down and calls out to him]

Hey. You're a smart one, aren't you?

[ifnotloyal]

[ So someone caught on, huh? Ace stiffened at being called to, a hundred different worries racing through his mind for the few seconds he stood still. Inevitably, he discards those instead for action, even though the action is just deciding whether to run or not.

Ace doesn't like running away all that much, as it turns out.

He doesn't move from his spot farther into the alley, though, instead choosing to tilt his head curiously at the girl calling to him. He isn't interested in going back out near the street where the thief is being apprehended, in case someone else decides to pay attention, but he won't flee further. ]

[attractedtodarkness]

[Violet stands carefully and moves closer into the alley, keeping to the side so she doesn't block his way should he want to run. It almost seems like he's prepared for it, which would be normal for a stray]

It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you.

b

[prearcadian]

[Harlock's attitude doesn't always sit well with strangers, and sometimes even less so when drinks are involved. it's why the next alley Ace starts to wander out of is very quickly crowded: one swift swing cracks across a stranger's jaw and sends him flying, cutting curses short and toppling cans of garbage.

Harlock himself remains at the mouth of the alley, wiping the back of his hand on his leg and rolling his shoulder, doing a double-take down at his glove. wow. he hopes that's gum that was stuck in that guy's beard.]

[ifnotloyal]

[ The sound of fighting had been what drew him in the first place. That doesn't make the sudden crash of the man hitting the garbage cans any less startling when it happens, but should he really be surprised? No. What is surprising, however, is who he finds. That person who's fighting.

Isn't that...? ]

What are you doing?

[prearcadian]

[his eyebrows shoot up because one, that's not the voice of the asshole he's just clocked and two...it's coming from the dog padding up.

he needs a few seconds to recall leaving a half-eaten plate of lasagna with a talking dog. right.]

Hey. [beat, flicking the maybe-gum off his knuckle.] Just getting someone out of my face.

Sorry. Didn't know you were hiding out there.

A

[infomodder]

[He doesn't bark, but Will's dog takes notice. His leash is long (he's not fully trained yet, and even though it's dark out, he's sure someone will notice and maybe give him heat about having a "loose" dog, isn't he worried he'd get hurt?), and when he picks up the scent of what appears to be a husky on the loose, Will doesn't stop him from heading in that direction. All he does is prevent the line from getting any longer so he's slower, not wanting to risk his getting too excited and spooking it. He doesn't really need another dog, but he hasn't been doing what he needed to for...well, a while now. He has room. He has a bait shop. He can, ah. Work another one in.

Fortunately, when it comes to collecting stray dogs, he's not completely obvious or utterly insane about it. It's like with his fishing. He tosses out bait, he lures it in, cleans it, and then proceeds to give it shelter and water and food and even love as opposed to putting it on a chopping block and eating it. It's more the action of fishing as opposed to the usual outcome. Since he's out with his dog, there's a little bag of treats tucked away in his pants pocket, which might be smelled rather easily.

It is not a method to get loose dogs without as much effort. Just rewards for his current one.]

Hey. Hey, pal. [He looks so happy to come upon him, the smile on his face positively gigantic, beaming with pure joy. He keeps his distance, only coming as close as he needs to for his mustached pointer to get a good sniff and say hello, but—well, it's rather apparent he'd happily squat down and give the husky a good scratching.] What are you doing in Florida? There's no three dog nights down here. You must be miserable.

[He's not quite as glowing as he was before when he mentions the plight of a dog meant for northern weather stuck in a place so hot, but something else about him is certainly glowing in the wake of headlights passing by just enough to catch them: his eyes. They light up just like an animal's, and with his shaggy hair and his unshaven face...it might seem natural for him to be so eager to meet a dog.]

[ifnotloyal]

[ Their run-in starts out relatively well. Ace has senses sharp even beyond what's normal for any other dog, the approach of Will and his own dog something noted well before he even sees them. More so, he noted the smell of treats. Even if he's an intelligent dog, one that talks even, he is still, in the end, a dog. Dogs do not pass up a chance at a free meal, for better or worse, and so when he sees first the other dog and then the unknown man approach, he's already happy to see them!

Why wouldn't he be? The dog seems fine around the man, the man seems ecstatic to see another dog, and, most importantly, treats.

When the pointer comes close, he returns the sniff, tail wagging. Hello, other dog. If only he could say hello to him and actually be understood, but body language carries through well enough, so there's that. That done, he looks up at Will, in the midst of wondering if he should answer or not when the headlights flash on by.

The gleam off of Will's eyes is unexpected. Unwelcome, at that. The moment of the cheerful husky passes there and then and Ace is left jerking back, taking up a more defensive stance, his lolling tongue going to a snarl and bared teeth in seconds. ]

[infomodder]

[He doesn't know what causes the abrupt change, but there's all sorts of things that can impact a dog's friendliness. Bad owners in the past, abuse, it's possible something just moved around behind Will that set the dog off, just about anything. He's not yet aware that he's the cause of it this time, but he reacts immediately. The leash gets a firm yank to prevent the pointer, now baring his own teeth and snarling, from getting any closer. It's almost like he's had to do this exact same thing before.

Clearly, he's been around dogs a lot.]

Gunther, stop. Stop. [He finally crouches to pull the dog against him, not at all afraid that his jaws mind end up snapping in Will's direction if the situation gets more heated. An arm goes around the pointer to keep him in place, the leash as short as it can be, because like hell is Will going to let a dog fight happen in the streets if he can stop it.] Hey, hey.

[His free hand (in a cast, but he hardly seems to notice) has already taken to scratching Gunther's neck, trying to get at least one of the dogs calm.]

He won't hurt you. I won't hurt you. Out for a walk, just like you. You—you want a treat?

[Treat seems to get that shaking angry dog held up against him to calm down, because treats! He doesn't let up his hold on the leash, forcing him to use his bad hand to dig around in his pocket for that little bag. He's having some difficult because, well. He's wearing a cast. If there's any pain from that busted thumb to be found, he doesn't show it.

Dogs are more important than pain anyway.]

[acclimatized]

[ john is completing the last leg of his commute when he passes ace. depending on the animal's temperament, it isn't unusual to see dogs unleashed and walking ahead of their owners. not in a quiet area like this, at this time of night.

but the thing that makes john do a double-take is the fact ace seems to be unaccompanied and... well, he can't go home now he's noticed that.

wiggling his fingers, he turns and starts following ace, wondering how he can lure the dog back to the house and locate his owners. this isn't how he envisioned spending his friday night, but there we go. ]

[ifnotloyal]

[ And Ace goes on for about half a block more, trying to mind his own business, before he stops to look back at John.

Is he being followed?

Not well, if he is, which likely meant harmless. Ace turns about to face him, though didn't approach right off the bat. He'll stay put and wait, watching with calm curiosity, head tilted faintly to one side. ]

b

[selfequipped]

[Night typically brings Kate out, dressed in her long uniform with a quiver on her back and a bow in her hand. She's made a point to be quick with it, especially after her uncomfortable run in with Tony Stark. The last thing she wants is to be made an example of. Kate doesn't want to be the first vigilante arrested for those activities, regardless of how loud she is about her proclamations. The idea doesn't sit right with her.

Her bow rests steady in her hand as she slips from one alley to another, darting around a man who's stumbling into a wall and swearing. She snorts and calls back to him to tell him to find a bottle of water, but she doesn't linger, moving on.

In this new alley, though, she hears something familiar. It's not a person, and it's not accompanied by the smell of alcohol. It's the sound of an animal. She slows her pace almost to a complete step as she moves slowly. When she spots him, spots Ace, a smile erupts on her lips.]

Well, hello there.

[ifnotloyal]

[ And when Ace is spotted, he pauses in his own trot down the very same alley Kate's turned into to eye her as she greets him. He really doesn't know much about humans and their clothing, but he's pretty sure some of her accessories aren't within the norm.

Then again, what does he know? He's a dog.

He stays back where he is, watching her, though there isn't any tense stance or raised hackles about it all. Overall, first glance might mark him as a dog in neutral. ]

[selfequipped]

[After some time of cat sitting and taking care of Lucky, Kate's become a lot more comfortable with animals than she had been previously. She likes dogs a great deal, and some part of her wishes she had some kind of treats on her—or a slice of pizza, even if dogs really shouldn't be eating pizza.

But hey, if they like it ...

All the same, she trots toward him, hand extended.]

Do you belong to someone?