maskormenacelogs | this dog can walk himself [open]

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this dog can walk himself [open]

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. ]

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[ 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. ]

[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.]

[ While Ace does have a few harsh criticisms for bad owners in the past, those aren't what are rearing their ugly heads here. It's a much different bad memory, one much more recent and one he doubts will ever truly fade, not with the way he is now. Not when everyone keeps reminding him of it.

For all of that, Will can't be blamed. He's in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ultimately, what gets the growling to wane isn't him fumbling for a treat, but the way Gunther keeps making a fuss right back at him. Not that loyalty can't be misplaced, but could something like that truly keep a dog and still have its trust?

Ace stays crouched down, still bristling at Will, but he doesn't go in for an attack. That pointer would get in the way, even if he had real cause just yet. Instead, the growling fades away, replaced by something far more useful.

Will can't guess what's wrong, but, for once, a dog can definitely let him know.

In plain, clear English, at that. ]

I'd rather know what the hell you are. Humans don't have eyes like that.

[The first sentence doesn't get a reaction out of him, still fumbling for the treats. He manages to get the bag of them out before he hears humans and realizes that, yes, that is the dog talking and not his owner who just happened to come upon them. Dogs don't talk, so someone must have made an appearance while he was fighting with his pocket.

His head snaps up quickly when he makes the connection, that bag of treats loosely hanging midair, which is all Gunther needs to calm down and turn every bit of attention back to Will.

Who is, understandably, quite frozen in place because the dog just spoke.]

Ah. [Eloquent, very eloquent. He wasn't told he had been given the ability to speak to animals, and none of the ones he'd come across had spoken to him. Either this dog was actually capable of speech or some dormant power was kicking in without him being aware it was there. Fortunately, he actually heard what the dog had said. No need to ask for a repeat. Having an excuse to look away in order to get that bag open is a great thing. Staring at the dog like he's some sort of abomination wouldn't go over well.] It's one of those powers this place gives you. I have night vision. Didn't believe it until the first night, but. Ended up getting it like dogs or cats, other animals. [He gestures lazily to his eyes, Gunther happily eating out of his bad hand.] So they light up just the same. Keep forgetting that it's there, the little extra layer of tissue that humans don't have.

[That makes sense, doesn't it? In a world where people can do all sorts of things, why not see in the dark with the inclusion of messing with the actual eye? Why not? Why not extend a treat to the talking dog? He's still a dog. Surely he eats like one.]

Want some?

[ He'll apologize for startling Will later, perhaps. The talking dog bit throws people off all the time, so shock isn't at all a new reaction to Ace. ]

So it's a superpower? That's all?

[ Wariness still rules his tone, his fur still bristling. The smell of treats is overwhelming now, though Ace has long since taught himself to power through his senses back when they were suddenly new and stranger than usual. For now, he ignores them, even if some less willing to listen part of his brain is all for drooling over them.

He'll ask again about the treats later. ]

It's only your sight?

Edited (words) 2014-05-02 04:09 (UTC)

[Well now! If new, talking dog isn't going to take advantage of the proffered treat, what's to stop Gunther from doing it in his place? A treat's a treat, and a big of dog slobber on Will's hand isn't nothing new if the way he reacts is anything to go by. Just a bit of spit that gets wiped on the knee of his pants. He hasn't been on his medications so long, but he's certain he's been on them long enough that his hallucinations would be gone (mostly?) by this point in time. A talking dog is a far nicer hallucination than his usual fare, he was told about three powers that have proven themselves working so far and no others, so the only thing he can conclude is:

The dog that's talking is, in fact, a talking dog. This is reality, not fantasy. And this reality with talking dogs? It's pretty damn awesome.]

That's right. [He smiles again—not as huge as the one before but not the near-grimace thing that's generally what passes for one. Even if the dog is upset by something, he's still there. He's still talking. Will has a chance to right whatever he did wrong. If it's his eyes, that's something he can't help. They've changed, and he can't fix it. Part of him doesn't want to, because being able to go out at night without needing a lot of extra light is also pretty damn awesome. He had to get used to it, but it was worth it.] Haven't been here very long. About two weeks, I think. I know I can see in the dark, but...keep forgetting about the. [He gestures again. "The shiny eyes thing," sounds so dumb.] I'm Will, by the way. Graham. This is Gunther.

[Gunther who, at least, knows his name, because his head jerks to look at Will instead of at the bag of treats. He's a happy, healthy, well-cared for dog, and loyal, that much is plain to see, with or without night vision. Will doesn't even mind ruffling his fur with that busted hand of his, still squatting so he's on their level. However weird it may be for a human to have those glowing eyes, he's pretty harmless at the moment.]

You?

[How weird is it to get a dog's name from a dog? Pretty weird. But it's also exciting.]

[ The fur along his back and neck begins to relax and Ace rises out of his defensive crouch. He's still uncertain, but the story makes sense. This place handed out abilities with no real rhyme or reason that he could ever see. If a dog could get the ability to speak as a human does, why not a human with the ability to see as a dog does?

He looks between Will and Gunther one last time, then decides to move on from the fear. If there's anything he actually does want to be wrong about, it's this. ]

I'm Ace. Sorry about that. It's just, well, when you see something like that back home, there's bound to be trouble.

[Will is not very fond of eye contact with people, not at all. With dogs? Of course he holds their eyes, rubs them down, shows them affection. If his eyes are an issue with the dog, then he won't have trouble keeping them averted, even if there's no source of light around to hit them. It's not nervous, it's not him clearly trying to do it—if he's intuitive enough, it just seems to be a part of Will. He doesn't use eye contact much, no matter the case. He's good at it, even if it's not always so subtle.]

No worries. Nice to meet you, Ace. [This is where it gets weird, he realizes. Gunther's all gung ho about getting those treats, but a quick pat on his neck is enough to get him to sit, at least. What does one do when faced with a talking dog? What is considered insult? He's not sure at all, but he extends his hand anyway, obviously conflicted.] Is this...we shake? Is that, is that how you do it? I'd. M'not sure it would be okay with you if I just...scratched your ears?

[He would do it, naturally. But if a dog can talk, perhaps they don't like being treated like a regular dog. Treats are one thing, everyone likes something good to eat. But...shaking paws like he's doing a trick or ruffling his fur, that's not the same, is it?]

I know that trick. [ Shake, he means, but it something he honestly considers a way to greet people. Something that humans seem overwhelming impressed by, sure, but that's just another one of their many strange quirks. ] But I'm okay with getting my ears scratched, too.

[Humans shake hands, of course they do. If the dog talks, has personality (they all do, but this is different), he doesn't want to be offensive. He doesn't want to imply that, oh, just because he talks he's still just a dog. Of course, dogs mean a bit more to him than most people, but they're still dogs. This one, this Ace, seems quite different.

The last thing he wants to do is start this off on the wrong paw, even if his special eye issues did that enough for him. Which means he might have been a little offensive with the treat—but hey! This was a learning experience. He'd try to adjust as it went, and any mistakes would be thought about and hopefully taken care of soon enough.]

As long as you're okay with it. [He smiles again, very pleased with the situation. He loves dogs. It's so obvious. A talking dog, weird as the idea is, that's...pretty damn awesome, again. It's a slow movement when he reaches out, but, well! Once he gets his fingers behind those ears, he's pleased to ruffle and scratch and is very, very adept at it. It's almost like he scratches dog ears for a living, the way he goes about it. He knows he's good, which makes him smile bigger, an honest one.] Do you know how beautiful your fur is? But it's heavy. This...Florida isn't good weather for you, is it? Found any ways to keep cool in the blistering heat just yet?

[This man knows dogs very well. If Ace needs tips...he has a plethora and he is willing to give them out.]

Why wouldn't I be?

[ He's a dog. People scratch behind his ears. It's all good. Will even gets a briefly wagging tail out of it when he goes to ruffling his ears, though he'll restrain the urge to lean into the contact. There's still too much tenseness to his muscles for that, even if convinced there is no danger here after all. For now, anyway.

The compliment to his fur gets him looking down at himself, too. ]

No, can't say that it is, but I've been trying to keep out of the sun.

[Dog he may be, Will's not exactly sure of the etiquette there, but hey! He's always happy to indulge in a the basics of dog-and-people behavior (people who are good to dogs, as they should be). A scratch under the jaw, over the ears, a fluffing of the fur between them, all of it. Gunther's clearly been the recipient of it enough that it's not such a terrible thing to see his friend (master? owner? He doesn't like those terms so much) getting chummy with another dog. He's so fine with it that he even sits, watching the interaction without being bothered in slightest. Of course, he'd like to get his own sniffing out of the way, but that can wait until later.]

I grew up around this sort of weather. Further up, Louisiana and Mississippi, but it's not completely different. I could give you some advice if you wanted it. Other than...sitting in front of the refrigerator with it open for hours on end. That might get your housemates a little aggravated. All sorts of ways to combat the heat with this heavy coat of yours.

[Cool tile floors, the AC being on as high as it can in his own room (a dog brought it would have his own room, too, wouldn't he?), cold baths, a nice shave.

Moving would be a wise choice, but that doesn't seem to be such a priority for the kinds of folks dragged here.]

I'm from a lot farther north, so...

[ He's used to the opposite. Of course there'd been summers up in Burden Hill, but they could never match how oppressive even just spring has been so far down in Florida for Ace. ]

I figured the fridge was pretty much off limits, so I haven't tried that one yet. I'm all ears for other suggestions, though. I mean, the inside of the house is typically pretty cool, but I can't stay inside all the time.

[Ace has heavy fur, he doesn't have to be a genius to figure that one out. He takes it as an opportunity to fluff up the side of his neck a little bit more, though, leaning in as if to check exactly how heavy it is. Truth be told, he simply enjoys giving a dog the full attention it deserves, right now to scratching the skin even if he has to pull away at what's essentially a mane for canines.

All ears. He's grateful he's looking away because, well. That's not his favorite phrase at the moment.]

As long as you don't lay down on a bunch of leftovers, I don't see why you couldn't sit in the fridge for a few minutes if you get really hot. [That's a Will Graham mindset, that right there. The people in Ace's house might (probably, most likely) think differently, but if he does it when they're all out and no one's around to get mad at him...] There's always just laying on tile floor, cools your belly down. Fill up the bath halfway with ice, use hot water, give it a few minutes, it'll be perfect. Or.

[He pulls back to look at Ace directly, because yeah: this one is probably not what he wants to hear.]

Get a full shave.

[ Full shave. ]

No. [ Ace doesn't even need a clarification on that one. He's had it done enough thanks to his more than a few trips to the vet, but that had only been around injuries. A full shave? A full shave? He's wrinkling his nose and taking a step back, more akin to cringing at the thought than as if to run away. ] That last one is...

[ No, just no. ]

I need my fur. I'm sure someone in the house would be willing to help me with the bath, though.

[A wrinkling nose (somehow still cute no matter how many dogs he sees it on) and Ace backing away has Will taking back his hand, and not just to push Gunther's head away from treats after he stuffs them in his jacket pocket. Ace doesn't like what he hears, Will's not going to push any further. It's a suggestion, nothing else. He doesn't want it come across as anything else.

Squatting on the sidewalk and talking to a dog isn't uncommon to him, that much is obvious by how easily it comes to him. The dog talking back? Completely foreign, but he's not complaining.]

Can't blame you, wanting to keep your fur. [He never did truly understand people who kept dogs meant for cooler weather in parts of the world that got so hot even humans with access to ice and cold air couldn't handle it sometimes. It seemed cruel.] Kind of like your crown of glory.

[As used to this position as he is, he's still a certain age where he eventually gets stiff, and if the dog talks, surely he's used to humans talking back to him from above. He hopes so as he finally stands back up, wiping his good hand on his pants.]

Headed anywhere specifically tonight?

My crown of glory?

[ Ace isn't sure he'd ever call his fur that. It sounds rather fancy! In the truest sense, his mind had gone to how losing his fur would be akin to losing his armor. He fights, he fights a lot. In this universe, not as much so far, but he gets the feeling that could change at any moment. Thick fur is hardly impervious, but it's something against the fangs of monsters (though not against the 'fangs' of man, sadly).

Ace's gaze follows Will as he stands up, one ear flicking absently at the question. ]

Nowhere in particular. I was going to finish up my circuit here and eventually go take a look downtown, but there isn't anything too important going on.

[Will didn't come up with that, and he's not about to go into where he got crown of glory from. No need to get off on a possibly boring tangent, one that might be far more boring to a dog than any human being. Maybe Ace would go away from it thinking Will had come up with that, and honestly—that wasn't too bad, was it?

('Fangs' of man were the terrible things, Will would be the first to agree.)

He can't really walk around a new place if he stares down at Ace the entire time (staring is rude anyway, he'll use that as an excuse). The flick of that ear (still cute) is the last thing he sees before he looks forward, grip on Gunther's leash loose enough that he can do just as he pleases, which means he'll probably try to sniff Ace all over if he doesn't get out of the way or start growling again.]

Circuit? Like a neighborhood watch patrol? [If they were going to pick anyone, a dog seemed a good one to pick. Sharp nose, alert ears, fangs...was he getting paid?] Is that your job?

[ Gunther gets a better reception this time. No growling or anything, just a curious sniff or two in return. ]

No. My job is to help school children cross the street.

[ Which he isn't so certain he really needs to be doing, but he doesn't mind children. They're endlessly fascinated by the talking dog guarding the crosswalks and, honestly, so long as they don't grab and yank, he hardly minds the hundreds of little hands that mess up his fur on a regular basis throughout the day.

This, however, is much different than the day job. ]

I do stuff like this on my own time. It's kind of an old habit.

[Gunther's amazed by a talking dog—the closest he's gotten to it is Will, who's decidedly not an actual dog, but he's hairy and shaggy and has no issues sleeping on the floor, so the similarities are good enough. So if he's a little more interested in Ace than he'd be with any other dog, he can't honestly be blamed. Though, if he does get a little out of control, it's one nice tug on the leash from Will to get him off his case.

Crossing guard, a talking dog? It makes him laugh. Not mocking, just the idea of it...]

Can't imagine kids are used to dogs like you. You must have gotten accosted when you first started, huh? More interested in you than getting home. [Unless talking dogs were normal here, and then Will might have just found one of the best things about being dragged to another universe. Besides not having to work with the FBI, that is.] Are you a police canine back home? Is that why this is an old habit?

[It's all he can honestly think of. If Ace doesn't have any arguments or outright tell him to fuck off, Will's just going to casually walk along with him because.

Talking dog.

Life is great.]

[ Gunther's interest isn't minded in the least. Ace is used to other dogs and quite enjoys the company, even if there's a language barrier now. They're still his kind, speaking or not. ]

I'm a Watch Dog. Or was. I guess it doesn't really count here. [ Similar to a police dog? Maybe. Ace isn't actually sure. ] And they were pretty excited about it. They must think having a talking dog around their school is the best thing, because they keep bringing me treats or trying to find me during recess.

[Watch Dog reminds him of a terribly bad joke that he is no way going to share at this point in time. He's not sure if Ace appreciates really corny humor and he's not sure if he'd take it as Will mocking him, so it's better to save that for later. Possibly never. The urge to ask if he can read a clock is present, but no. Not a good way to make a first impression when his weird eyes already soured it.

As long as Gunther's attention doesn't get in the way, then far be it from Will to be overly controlling. Dogs like dogs, like sniffing each other all over and...a dog that can talk is still a dog. Surely he's used to it.]

Just bringing you treats and finding you? [It's an honest inquiry, because talking dog and kids, there has to be temptation. There's got to be temptation from adults in certain fields, but if Ace is comfortable walking around after dark, he must have either missed them or already made it known he wasn't about to go for...testing.] None of them tried to drag you home yet? Pull you there by the scruff of your neck?

[Not that Will has any experience with people stealing dogs. No sir.]

[ There's plenty of reasons why Ace knew he had no choice but to register. He's official, so who's going to touch him? Aside from the government, although they've yet to threaten him in any way, which certainly doesn't lead him to worry too much about them.

The kids, though...

Different story, but also harmless. ]

Oh, sure, plenty of them have, but I'm pretty difficult to move when I don't want to be moved.

[ And so he only sounds amused over it. ]

[It all plays out behind his eyes as he keeps them ahead, no interest in walking into anything or proving himself an idiot because he can't stop watching the talking dog. Kids grabbing at the scruff of his neck and trying to drag him away while he protests, not listening because even if he's talking and obviously has his own free will, he's a dog! Parents confused at first, gradually growing used to it, then embarrassed when they find their child trying to pull Ace home by his ears. Ace having to keep his cool (bad dogs bite, they bite too hard, they get in trouble, they bite kids? nothing good comes of that), kid throwing a fit because he won't follow. Kids trying to lure him away with bits of bacon or whatever—Ace must be the saint of dogs, he concludes in all of two seconds.]

Where I live—back where I'm from, not here—is pretty. Open. People who got dogs and didn't want them would just drop them off like they could fend for themselves. Started collecting the strays, gave them a place to stay. Too many, so I began to adopt them out. [Which sounds a little bit of a problem, possibly, so he waves a hand to help destroy that idea.] Good homes. Ran background checks. People wanted the cute dogs, the ones that...looked a certain way. As long as it got a good home, fine with me. Found this one, looked pure poodle. Should've had papers, show dog parents, all of it. She's like...eight pounds. Maybe. So family stops by, kid immediately zones in on her, wants her, fluffy and cute, all that. But she doesn't wanna go.

[He looks a little amused by the memory, voice fond. Oh yes, this man loves dogs.]

Kid throws a fit. Keeps trying to grab her, but she won't move. Picks her up, dog immediately jumps down. Gets so hectic the family just leaves. She did that every time someone came to adopt, so I just put her in another room. Only dog I've ever kept that was completely one breed. Eight pounds and she wouldn't be moved. Really amazing how tenacious a dog of any size can be when they don't want to go somewhere.

[Or with someone—Will knows this very well. It's for their own good, honestly!]

[ Biting kids is what so many dogs get taken away for. Ace knows those stories, he even has his own. It's something that he never wants to live through again, so he tolerates them. They can pull his fur and push on him and try (and fail) to trick him to go home with them all they want, he'll take it in stride.

But those aren't the sorts of thoughts Ace wants to dwell on. ]

Poodles are pretty picky about everything, to be honest, but even so, she must have really loved you. [ He'll focus on the happier part of the story, less on how many dogs must have been ditched out in the middle of nowhere where Will was from. It's just better that way. ] It's really great that you did all that for us dogs, though. The other places we tend to end up when we're out on our own, well, those aren't always as nice.

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