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

[ifnotloyal]

[ 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.

[infomodder]

[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.]

[ifnotloyal]

[ 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.

[infomodder]

[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.]

[ifnotloyal]

[ 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. ]

[infomodder]

[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!]

[ifnotloyal]

[ 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.

[infomodder]

[He has to look at him at the mention of poodles being a certain way, eyebrows furrowed together as if to make sure he really did hear what he thinks he just heard. People have plenty of ideas about dogs, good or bad, wrong or right, but he never really thought of what breeds think about each other. Not at length. The inclusion of us dogs reminds him he has one in front of him and needs to actually walk where he walks as opposed to staring at a talking dog.

Because that's rude.]

You, uh. You know a lot of poodles? [It sounds so odd to him, the way it sits on his tongue. For a second, the stilted, awkward way he says it reminds him of the usual You come here often? used in bars and he hopes Ace has no knowledge of that because he had no intentions to take him home. At least, not now that he's proved he's an irregular (in a good way) dog. Can't collect a dog that can actually shout at him to back off. Bad for the public image (lack thereof, honesty).] There dog prejudice? Terriers are obnoxiously excitable, chihuahuas aren't real dogs, that sort of thing, even within...you dogs?

[ifnotloyal]

I've met one or two in my life. [ If Ace could shrug, he would, he definitely would. It might not be the widest range to sample 'how poodles are' from, but, well, Will isn't entirely off with his question. ] Dog prejudice, though... hmm...

[ He slows down some as he considers it. ]

I reckon it's a thing, yeah. I'm not sure I'd ever say a chihuahua wasn't a real dog, but I wouldn't put it beyond some others to. [ Terriers are obnoxiously excitable, however. That one has got to be true. ] Some dogs can get picky over pedigree, too, or if it's a city dog versus a working dog. Stuff like that.