maskormenacelogs | dog days of summer are the worst

[ The city of Heropa itself is, considering the out of universe population it houses, a very odd place to be. This is certainly not helped by the fact that certain dogs have been figuring out how to do their own shopping. It isn't something Ace does often and, when he does, he is fairly picky about where it happens, but...

Today Main Street is hosting one of its farmer's markets and he's decided he really likes those.

So, for whatever reason someone might be passing through, they'll be treated with the site of a big husky with a coin purse tied to his collar and toting a (very sturdy, very reusable) bag around in his mouth. No leash, no obvious owner tagging along to keep track of a dog among so much food and people, just...

Just a dog, out shopping, who's gotten particularly good at ignoring the stares he still gets. ]

Edited 2014-07-12 19:45 (UTC)

[The farmer's market wasn't really Dean's scene, but Sam had insisted that they go and somehow Dean had found himself roped into the whole thing. He'd been hoping for a nice day inside, a beer maybe, but no. Instead he had to help his little brother shop for rabbit food.

He's wandering up and down the aisles, long since having left Sam browsing through some produce, when the dog catches his eye. It was a little weird to see a dog looking like it was out to do some shopping, but it wasn't like he hadn't seen stranger things. Maybe somebody had just trained it to help carry their things. Dean does a quick check for an owner or somebody that might be responsible for it before kneeling down and reaching out to ruffle the dog's ears.]

Hey, buddy. You here all alone?

[The whole talking to animals thing was new enough that Dean still felt a little weird holding conversations with them, but it wasn't a complete shock anymore when they talked back. Truthfully, he hadn't had much reason to strike up a conversation with any of them]

Edited (html fail) 2014-07-12 21:45 (UTC)

[ And it's no surprise to him when Dean stops to ruffle his ears and have a chat, although Ace is assuming he doesn't actually expect an answer. That's how it typically works; human walks up to talk at him, shocked to get a reply.

Not always, though, not always.

Ace waits for the ear-ruffling to end, tail wagging the whole time, before setting the bag down and tilting his head curiously at Dean. ]

Yeah, I am. I mean, unless someone from the house is here and I don't know, but I don't think that's likely.

Huh. [Dean gives Ace's ears another scratch. A shopping dog. Who knew you could even train one to do your shopping for you. Maybe Dean was going to have to rethink his whole "no dogs" policy.]

The house? Did you come here with one of the imPorts? [He supposed that if somebody had a dog back home, maybe it could have been sucked through the Porter with them. Better than leaving it to fend for itself back home. What Dean doesn't consider is that maybe the dog had come through on his own.

But why would he?]

With one of the imPorts? [ There's a question he's never gotten before. It leaves him tilting his head in that way that dogs always do when puzzled. ] Oh, no. I am one.

[ He shifts his weight to his other legs, leaving the front leg with the tattoo free to lift up. Ace gestures towards it with his nose. The telltale glow is faint under the fur, but it's there, if you stare enough. ]

I guess it's hard to tell, though, isn't it?

So you don't have any, you know... people? [He hadn't exactly worked out what dogs called their people and referring to them as "owners" just seemed kind of rude, so Dean was settling on people. At the very least it shouldn't make anybody offended enough to decide they wanted a piece of him. Literally. Again.

Yeah. The whole talking to animals thing hadn't been all smooth sailing.

Dean tilts his head to get a better look at Ace's leg. It's not glaringly obvious, but now that he knows to look for the mark, he can spot it.]

I'm Dean, by the way. [And then something occurs to him.] So did you get superpowers out of the deal, too?

[Flying, maybe. A flying dog would be awesome. Like something out of a comic book.]

I'm Ace! [ Which is what the tags on his collar would confirm, but there is something nice about being able to introduce oneself after years of humans asking 'who's this boy' and never figuring it out. ] My power is talking to humans.

[ What are the chances, huh? ]

And, well...

[ His people. Ace's ears go back and he finds somewhere else to look, rather than at Dean. He slowly sets his front paw down, idly scuffing at the sidewalk once its there. This is not a happy thought and, as a dog, body language is too obvious to just outright gloss over that. ]

My humans are back at home. In another world home, I mean, not where I live here. [ Far, far away. ] Um, but that's fine, I'm sure.

Your power is talking to humans? Huh. [Who'd've thought? Dean gives the dog a considering look.] Mine's talking to animals.

[Or, rather, one of them is. The other? Well, Dean still wasn't exactly going out of his way to advertise the whole "set things on fire with his mind" power, but anybody who remembered his first network transmission might know anyway.

The look on Ace's face at the mention of his people kind of makes Dean feel like he'd just kicked a puppy. Which... well.]

Hey. I'm sure they're doing fine, right? [He's not great with comfort and emotional crap at the best of times and he seriously has less then no clue about comforting an upset dog. Belly rubs?]

Um. Yeah... I'm sure they are.

[ He doesn't sound sure, but then, when he'd been brought here, a supernatural war had only just begun to catch up to them all over the place. Thaaat isn't really something you bring up in a casual conversation, though. ]

Yours is... really? [ Talk about ridiculous odds. At least that alone is enough to pull him back up out of miserable thoughts of home. He looks up again, ears tilting forward once more. ] What do they say?

[ Because he lost his original ability to do that. He can't even talk to his own kind anymore and that's been a real let down! Either that or, well, maybe the animals here just aren't as smart. ]

[He knows what it's like to worry about the people left behind when there's a supernatural disaster hanging over everybody's heads, but it's not like that's anything he wants to talk about either. Dean lets the comment about Ace's family go though - because who wants to talk about feelings anyway - and focuses on the questions with a shrug.]

Mostly, they're kind of like people, actually. Some of them are assholes. Some are alright. Can't you talk to them? I mean... You are a dog, right? [Rather than some sort of supernatural creature that just looked like a dog, since that would be just Dean's luck.]

Oh, yeah, I am. I've always been a dog.

[ People keep asking if he's a shapeshifter or something, so this isn't at all a strange question to him anymore. ]

But no, I can't. Not here, anyway. I guess whoever decides this stuff didn't think I'd still want to talk to my own kind or something.

[ Just because school is out doesn't mean it's actually out at all! That's right, some poor kiddos, for whatever reasons (bad grades, pushy parents, overachievers galore, or, if they're lucky, the somewhat funner summer programs), have been committed to summer school.

Which means someone still needs to make sure everyone can cross a damn street without getting hit.

The days are shorter, though, so there's that! Which is something Ace has decided he's incredibly fine with, idly wishing every school day ever was so short. Anyway, it's the end of the day and he's on duty, wearing the telltale orange vest (his is made for a dog, which is good, because he is one), quietly watching the latest batch of little kids he's ushered across the street continue on their way.

Technically, he's been working with Connie for most of the day, though he's yet to say anything within the boy's earshot. Now that the day is wrapping up, well, that might change... ]

[ And when Ace isn't doing chores or at work, he's out having a damn good time. For all his seriousness he holds towards most other aspects of his life, protecting his home, his friends, doing his job, being good, he is still, in the end, a dog. A dog who's been given the free reign of a human thanks to being an imPort.

Naturally, he uses it to-- ]

Squirrel! I see you! Don't think you're getting away this time!

[ Chase squirrels in the park...

He's never really out to catch them, but it's an excuse to run, run all over the place and leap at trees and snap and bark, then go run some more. That is how he's spending his time off right now, enjoying himself despite the overbearing heat of the Florida summer. The elation from simply running free all over the grounds is enough to keep him going, even if he should consider a break in the shade soon. ]

[ it was a quiet day and Kaine was up to something or other, which left Aracely on her own for funtime exploring.

to her, there are a lot of feelings that are contagious. sometimes people got it wrong, they said "don't go into my head" like they weren't broadcasting their thoughts and feelings like everyone's business. to Aracely, catching that stuff is like walking with an over-size mitt and catching a fly-ball. easy-peasy. so, when the chase is up in the air she immediately drops what she's doing and heads off to catch sigh of where the "loud" desires are coming from.

it doesn't take her long to find out. ]

DOGGIE! SQUIRRELS!

[ she cries, announcing her arrival. ]

Bark bark bark bark bark bark bark!

[ she takes off at a skip and a hop, almost like she's floating toward him. ]

Get the squirrels, get them!

[ The shouting is a surprise, enough that Ace's chase is interrupted for a few seconds. It's only long enough to throw a look back at Aracely, though, and decide whether or not she's a threat. A human barking and wanting to get the squirrels, though?

Not a threat, nah, not at all.

Squirrel chasing resumes, this time with even more energy, since now someone else is egging him on! ]

I am, I am! Get the squirrels! [ He barks after the next squirrel he sees, chasing that one across the hill until they hit another tree and it flies up it. Ace circles around at the bottom, barking after it. ] Fine, stay up there! That's right! Run away!

[ she's definitely not a threat—not now, at least. ]

Get 'em get 'em!

[ she continues, jogging after him at a fumble. but despite her inelegance, she's rather quick. she halts next to him, bouncing in place like it gets her any higher. ]

Oh no! But he's scared! We can get him!

[ with a hop she rolls on the heels of her feet and then

bounces right up into the tree, shaking the branches and sending the squirrel down down down the trunk. ]

Go go go go! Fuzzy-wuzzy squirrel's on the run!

[ Okay, there's another surprise. This one even stops Ace in his tracks (and general noise-making) when she bounces into the tree and scares the squirrel back down. ]

Oh! [ And here is the crossroads. He wants to immediately dash off after the squirrel again, but, also, he isn't such a bad dog as far as dogs who chase squirrels go. Once they've made it to a tree, well, that's like getting to home base! ] Well...

[ He spins away from the tree, taking a few running steps in the direction the squirrel went before slowing to a stop again, just watching it run off instead. ]

It's not really fair if they can't hide in their trees, is it?

They can go faster than us, anyway!

[ she says as her feet daintily touch the ground at float. despite that, she doesn't pursue. instead she puts her hands behind her back and leans forward to examine him. ]

You're a dog but you can talk! Real-talk, not just thinky-talk.

Well! Yes. That is true.

[ But! But it still seems rude to knock animals out of trees, even if she has a very good point. Ace won't dwell on it for long, though, not when the mysterious floating girl has moved on to pointing out the obvious. ]

Oh, that. Yeah, I'm a talking dog. Hello.

[ His reaction to this question has become more and more blasé over the months, as he's gotten used to it. ]

Edited 2014-07-17 00:36 (UTC)

A talking dog!

[ she throws up her arms in excitement, hopping an enthusiastic circle around him. she leans down to his height, bright to look him in the face. ]

What's your name, talking doggy? I'm Aracely.

[ And Ace turns in a circle trying to follow where she goes, only to stop again when she does. Hoo boy. This one has energy! ]

I'm Ace! It's nice to meet you. [ He's also a polite talking dog! ] What brings you out squirrel-chasing? I didn't think anyone other than dogs did that.

Ace!

[ she repeats it like it's the best dog name ever. ]

Nice to meet you Ace.

[ after giving him the bit of a psychic feel-out (without really recognizing the extent of what she's doing) she draws back, distracted, looking thoughtful. ]

You felt like you were having a lot of fun so I wanted to try it too. No squirrels got hurt in the process.

I felt like I was?

[ It is the best dog name ever, it is, it is.

Psychically, he's similar to a human, but not the same. Chief concerns of his currently are 'who is this person' and 'squirrels'. The predominant difference might be how much more sense reliant everything is and, well, those senses aren't set up to read so easily to anyone used to humans. ]

I was, but... [ Ace plops down to sit. ] What do you meant I felt like I was?

[ it's really nice and simple, and she doesn't seem to really want to dive any further. she's pleasantly enthused, and when she hops up again she crosses her legs in the air and floats there, satisfied. ]

I mean you felt like it. You were having all kinds of squirrel feelings. That's how I found you.

[ she doesn't seem to find anything about her telepathic intrusion strange. ]

Wow. Really?

[ And being a dog, he has little experience with telepathy and has no idea it's an intrusion at all. ]

Is that why you decided to chase after it, too? Because you felt what I was feeling?

Yep, really!

[ she half turns in the air absently as they talk, like it's something to do while they exchange words. ]

Mm, yep again! You were having fun, and I wanted to have fun too. You didn't feel like you were going to hurt the squirrel. I didn't either, but it was fun.

If you're a talking dog, are you an imPort too?

We could keep on chasing squirrels if you really want.

[ So long as she knows the rules! He sure won't mind. ]

But yeah, I am! My tattoo is under my fur, so it isn't very obvious, but I am.

[ she stretches her hands to her knees and looks around for the skitter and chatter of the squirrels. ]

What kind of power do you have? What kind of doggy power do doggies have?

[ What kind of doggy powers does he have? Asking that, even after she's already pointed it out just a minute before? He gives her a big ol' doggy grin, tongue lolling out and all for a few seconds before he has to speak again. ]

I can talk to people. That's my power.

[ It's not the whole truth. There is more, but he's reluctant to share the rest. ]

dog days of summer are the worst

DEAN

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CON MAN

ARACELY where there are squirreeeeellllsssss

YES MY WEAKNESS

EVERYONE'S WEAKNESS

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