And it wound up eating them alive.

[hydraated]

Who?: Ward and Jesse
What?: A happenstance meeting. Ward is working at his new job.
When?: Today/Tonight.
Where?: De Chima.
Warnings: It's Ward and Jesse. Walking Trigger Warnings Ahoy. No seriously read with caution.



Contrary to what most might believe, Ward needed to earn enough to pay for his rent, to save up for his own location, and he was feeling good about himself. He had plans (Chilton, a back up in case Jesse tried anything, or...Skye) and he had people who thought that he was worthwhile. Who'd given a damn. Apart from the occasional superhero fight...it was good to work with dogs.

Dogs were easier then people. Who was he kidding? It was a way to try and buy time, to begin his own plans, but he did love the dogs.

One of his favorites was Dixie. She belonged to a dock worker who was getting married and moving out to the suburbs. She's a good dog but I know she's got a face only a mother could love. he'd said, so she's gotta be on her best behavior.

He identified with that damn dog on a level that was probably unhealthy. He admitted that. He'd abandon the job in a heart beat but Dixie...

"...People'd be silly not to care about you girl." He scratched her behind the ear before walking, whistling, keeping his eyes on the animal, "Who's a good dog? You are. Yeah, stay with me now girl-"

Right up until he slammed into someone. Hard.

"Sorry man I wasn't watching where I was going-" oh. Great.

"...You."

There went his good mood.

Comments

[hostage]

In a hurry, as he often is these days, Jesse's attention is on his communicator and not where he's going. He doesn't have a very long break and it's a bit of a trip from Heropa to De Chima even with the porters making things a little easier. After all, porters mean walking to and from the station instead of driving. He's right in the middle of texting Skye the address of the restaurant where she should probably meet him when -

"Yeah, watch it, asshole," he snaps (hypocritically) as he shoulders past the dude, reeling halfway around from the blow to his side. He's dropped his communicator and he has to sweep down to pick it up off the sidewalk.

As he straightens back up, he notices the dog first. Then his eyes raise to Ward and his lips pull back into a sneer. "Well, look who it is."

[hydraated]

Jesus.

He couldn't even make a comment, rude or otherwise. Ward bared his teeth even as Dixie sat back on her heels, whining. It's a friend right? It's gotta be a friend if Ward's talking to him right?

So she sits up, cautiously moving forward to offer Jesse's leg a sniff before Ward jerks on the leash.

"Get back. Sit - down."

The dog lets out another yelp even as people are staring at the two of them.

"...Out minding your own business I guess."

[hostage]

The dog is Jesse's first concern. At the yelp, he takes a step forward like he's ready to snatch the leash out of Ward's hand. "Whoa - chill with the choke-chain, Top Gun. That's a dog, not a yo-yo."

He's also hyper-aware of their audience. It's kind of a relief; he doesn't think Ward is crazy enough to beat him to death in front of people. But then again, maybe he is.

[hydraated]

"It's not a choke chain." Ward's tone is hard, "She needs to learn not to sniff trash."

Not as far as she's concerned. Looking back from Ward to Jesse she starts a tentative rumble in Jesse's direction before looking back at Ward. Why are you freaking out man? He's a person.

"I'm not an animal abuser."

"You don't work here do you?"

[hostage]

Yeah, right. Not an animal abuser. Jesse is totally inclined to believe that after the guy went full psycho on him two weeks ago. His only solace, really, is that if Ward does hurt the dog, he'll be able to heal her immediately. As for the insult, it rolls right off his back. Ward's petty jealousy is the least of his worries.

"None of your goddamn business where I work." Though that reminds him to finish sending his message to Skye. Or rather, to send her a new one. He turns to his communicator to start typing something.

[hydraated]

"Guy asks you a question least you could do is answer. Especially when you're knocking into me."

"...Skye's taste never used to run to rude assholes." His first thought, honestly is to knock the communicator out of his hands.

No. Remember what Chilton said. Plus the dog. The dog is comforting. The crowd, satisfied seemingly there wasn't going to be a fight - began to return to itself as Ward bent down to give the dog a scratch behind the ears and a hug.

She whines. Too hard man, too hard a hug. She wriggles in his grip but Ward won't let go and the dog - does what anyone would do if an animal got uncomfortable. Bites. Hard enough to break skin.

Ward lets out a yell, shoving her off unintentionally hard. Oblivious for the moment to Jesse's presence.

[hostage]

As he's typing, Jesse mutters, "Yo, is it seriously impossible for you to not talk shit about Skye for like ten sec -"

That whining makes him look up again, just in time to see the dog bite Ward. "Jesus," he hisses, and nearly drops the communicator again as the dog darts past him. He doesn't make a grab for the leash, scared that Ward will jump on top of both of them if he manages to get a hold of her, but he does try whistling for the dog's attention. She belongs to somebody, obviously, even if she's not Ward's. He doesn't want her getting lost.

[hydraated]

Dixie is several feet away before she stops, turning back and looking at Jesse before trotting over again. She stops at his shoe, offering a friendly wag before looking back at Ward and whining again. You squeezed too hard.

Ward, flat on his ass and glaring at the dog, looks back at Jesse angrily.

"...Dixie here."

Another whine. Pulling back his arm he stares at it. There's barely a bruise, just slight indentations.

"...Dixie. Here."

She whines again before sitting, next to Jesse as Ward scrambled in his pockets for the dog treats. Oblivious to anyone else but his own problems.

[hostage]

Jesse reaches down to scratch Dixie behind the ear. "Looks like all your bitches prefer me," he comments with a short laugh. He couldn't resist.

Seriously, though: "Who's she belong to? I oughta get her home before you crush her to death."

[hydraated]

Ward can't answer for a moment. He's seeing red. Violent, black, red. Skye is a lot of things but she's not a bitch. His ears are ringing. She's not a bitch! she's mine.

The waitress at the coffee shop next to them has coffee poised over a patron's cup.

Everyone is watching them.

There's no cover here. No deniability. When Ward meets Jesse's gaze there's a faint glow in his pupils as he twists, grabs a nearby mailbox, shoves it off it's hinges and throws it in the opposite direction.

She's not a bitch but she's mine - but that's not right because...Does it fucking matter? Of course not. How could she chose this guy?

Dixie for her part shrinks back against Jesse. This is not over. Not by a long shot. Ward for his part is breathing hard and heavy.

"If you really cared about her you wouldn't call her that." but something in him says that Skye's not his property he's his and that thought associated with that word is wrong and he doesn't know why.

"Dixie come!"

Nope. Not coming.

[hostage]

He's about to tell the dude to chill, obviously it's a joke - but suddenly there's a mailbox going airborne and Jesse remembers quite who he's dealing with, crowd of witnesses or no.

Once he's looked to make sure no one's been injured by the mailbox upon its descent, Jesse bends slowly - not taking his eyes off Ward now - to grab the leash at last. Yeah, no way he's letting this guy near an innocent animal after that.

"You want this to get ugly in front of all these people with their phones and their cameras? 'cause you might remember, tough guy... I don't go down easy. Or fast. You'd just be putting on one hell of a show."

[hydraated]

This man, drives him to distraction and his mind is already full of revenge and regret.

Mostly revenge.

Everything had been going really well.

"...Her owner's name is on her collar." He's about to tell him to tell the man he's sorry about all of it but he's not going to ask Jesse to deliver a personal message.

"...Dixie girl?" He tries to keep the anger out of his voice, succeeding in sounding sad and a little whining, "Dixie?"

Nothing. Jesus. He sighs, taking a deep rattling breath. Calm means thinking of terrible things to do to Jesse Pinkman.

"...I work here."

He points a hand, "Just. So you know."

No way he's going to tell Jesse where. No need to make it worse.

[hostage]

Jesse doesn't particularly need to know where. He has a feeling that wherever it is, Ward won't be keeping the job very long. The guy is crazy. Not just angry, 'roid-raging type of crazy like Jesse thought at first.

That weird little whine. The way he was holding the dog earlier. The way he talks about Skye... That's crazy-crazy. If Ward looked at all the type, Jesse would think the guy's fried his brain on some serious shit. But he's never seen a tweaker who looked this much like a Ken doll.

"Maybe you oughta take some time off work," Jesse mutters, retreating with slow steps to lead Dixie further from the psycho. "Take a nice, long vacation with some white coats and benzos."

[hydraated]

Silence on his part, then he turns back, looks at where the mail box used to be... and looks back at Jesse.

"Don't even joke about Skye like that. Using words like that, treating her like street trash. She's been through more then you'll ever experience and she's survived. She's not some...lawless two-bit...hooker or whatever you might think. She left all that rule breaking behind. She's brave and smart and courageous and she served her country unlike you."

There's real conviction in his voice, real passion. At a creepy level sure, but it's still passion.

"I don't know. What she sees in you. I can only hope it's some kind of side effect of being here but you ought to be on your knees every single day for this one time lucky streak which is the first I'll bet you've had in your miserable pathetic excuse for a life." He's taken a few steps forward hand curled in a fist, dark red cracks spider webbing across his palm and hand...

Before he steps back, throwing an angry look at the patrons in the cafe before he turns on his heel and leaves.

[hostage]

Jesse doesn't flinch. None of that is news to him. He knows that Skye is better - better than the both of them, actually - but certainly better than Jesse will ever deserve. He's far more aware of it than Ward can possibly be, knowing the full extent of his own deceit and his crimes. And he's on his knees more out of repentance than gratitude. After all, he's not lucky that Skye loves him. He has manipulated and tricked her into it.

Better himself than Ward, however. Every encounter only further solidifies that belief. Anyway, eventually - when Jesse finds the courage to stop using her - Skye will kill him, too. And everything will be right as it should be.

Jesse sets his jaw and maintains his poker face until he notices the weird cracks spreading over Ward's hand. He braces himself for an impact of some kind... only to sink a bit in relief when Ward turns to walk away instead.

"Christ," he whispers, reaching down to pet the top of Dixie's head again before he drops his attention to his communicator. He'll have to cancel lunch and find the poor girl's owner.