vatheon | Life is ruff

Entry tags:

Life is ruff

Who: Shinjiro and you!
What: Shinjiro has a dog ear headband which has found its way onto his skull. Gradually, he will think he is one.
When: Anytime during the week. ~~Dogs love attention~~
Where: Around the city and apartments
Style: Whatever you like.

Surely it was a joke gift from Minako. She knew he liked dogs. He loved to care for Koromaru, and seeing an animal suffering was enough to shatter his cold exterior. He left the headband adorned with two floppy plush dog ears sit on the night stand while he readied for the day.

Minako would probably want to see them on him the next time she saw him, from previous experience. Some of the armor...if you could call it armor...was more costumey than anything else. He'll never forget running around in that ridiculous butler outfit with giant axe in hand. This head gear was probably just reminiscient of those times, so he would humor her.

Once dressed, he carefully placed the headband on his head, and covered it up with his black knit cap. The sides poked out just slightly, but not enough to look strange. The teeth on the plastic headband fit firmly in his hair, so it would probably stay on if he pulled off the hat. In private, of course. Nobody needed to know he was wearing a ridiculous headpiece like this.

That was that. He had errands to do, and so he would go do them.

But for some reason everything was super distracting today. And...dare he say...it looked fun? All these people! Surely they would want to say hello, or maybe play a game? If he makes a cute enough display, maybe he'll get a treat? Somebody's got bacon too...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No. Stop that.

[The words aren't spoken to Shinjiro, as a matter of fact, but a~~nother~~ dog. Saix also had some errands to do today, more to keep him busy than anything else, and following at his heels is a certain Golden Retriever that's decided to come along. He's also where that faint bacon smell is coming from, which seems to have interested the dog as well. It's looking at him and giving faint whines, tail wagging back and forth slightly, eyes locked onto the grocery bag in Saix's arms. Is there a sandwich with bacon on it in there? Yep.]

Golden retrievers are beautiful, smart, and loyal dogs. At least, that's how Shinjiro would consider the canine in a normal mindset. But this guy has beaten him to the source of the delicious aroma hanging lightly in the air, and it makes him growl softly under his breath.

Without considering the situation, Shinjiro marches over, hands in his pockets, to confront the two outside of the store. He fortunately has something the dog doesn't have: money.

"Hey."

Curse you, human. Curse you for your opposable thumbs and ability to get a job. As Shinjiro comes closer, the dog perks up slightly at his scent. It confuses the animal for a moment before its ears go back and it gives a low growl under its breath. Oh no you don't, buddy. He was here first.

Saix has the fortune of being completely unaware of strange dog relations, especially concerning humans who just think they're dogs. He simply watches Shinjiro carefully with simple distrust. He hasn't really directly interacted with too many people in Vatheon yet, so he's still not entirely sure what to expect. "What do you want?"

Shinjiro holds out his chest a little bit and breathes a soft, short growl back at the dog. In a normal situation, he'd be happy to see the dog, let him check him out, and offer pettings if the animal was comfortable.

That wouldn't be happening right now. Driven by tasty treats rather than necessity, Shinjiro slides his hands in his pockets, wrapping fingers around one of the starfish tokens he obtained at the summer festival. They were pretty special, since they could buy some uncommon stuff. Shinjiro had intended to save them for something special, but right now sacrificing one for a sandwich appeals to the developing dog in him. But first he'll try other methods.

"You've got a sandwich in that bag, right?"

All he wanted to do was get some groceries. However, Saix is starting to suspect that even mundane tasks will occasionally get difficult due to Vatheon's nature. It's just a guess, of course. It has nothing to do at all with the fact that a random stranger and his dog are growling at each other.

Saix focuses on his dog first, making a low sharp noise under his breath that has the dog's ears twitch back and his tail lower. Then he turns his attention back to the stranger. "What does it matter to you?"

"I need it." Shinjiro puts it bluntly, absentmindedly still sniffing at the air as he waits for a response. Logic would dictate that he could walk into the grocery store and get his own, but dogs aren't allowed in stores.

"I fail to see how this is my problem."

Shinjiro growls lowly. "You give me the sandwich, I give you one of these." He presents a starfish token to Saix, holding back a smug look for the retriever. Who can resist this shiny thing?

Ignoring the dirty-but-silent looks his dog is giving Shinjiro, Saix thinks on the offer. He doesn't go out of his way to con people, unless it's necessary. It's not often they just walk straight up to him like this... "Fine then." He holds hand out for the starfih token. There's no loss to this situation, after all.

     He was slowly but surely learning his way about the city. He'd spent more than enough time perusing the informational pamphlet, and Chizuru was naturally always eager to lend her assistance as she could. It was long since apparent that he wouldn't be waking from this strange dream any time soon, but Saitou still felt odd waking up in such strange surroundings, in a strange bed and house.

     Unfortunately things were not about to get any less stranger.

     The Shinsengumi captain made his way along towards the market area, something he'd made a part of his routine, not necessarily to browse so much as just to get to know the placement of things.

The market area is home to an amazing butcher, and fine cuts of meat are on display in the glass counter inside. All of this is perfectly viewable from the display window outside the shop, where Shinjiro stands, looking longingly at a perfectly cut steak lying on a plate among a bed of fake greens.

He could very well purchase the steak, but for some reason he feels as though he isn't allowed inside. So he will remain in his spot, one hand on the glass while occasionally licking his lips.

     It was a bit unusual to see. So far as Saitou had come to understand after speaking with Chizuru and thoroughly reading through that pamphlet, things in this city were for the most part, free. It was a rather strange concept to come to accept, but given that as of yet he had no proper job, not unwelcome for lack of any means to pay for anything were it required.

     Actually it was a little suspicious to him, but so far as there was no real reason to complain against it, he was not going to be the first.

     While Saitou did not seek any meat in particular (and he was more used to working with fish anyway), he came to pause nearby as he noted how intently the man standing by the window was peering at the display. Cocking his head slightly, it was hard for him not to notice the man's behavior. He found himself gravitating just a little closer, whereupon he would look between the steak behind the glass and the man who longingly stared at it.

     "...is there a problem...?" he asked after a moment, not quite sure how to parse the inquiry.

Saitou's voice disrupts his strange trance with the butcher counter inside the shop, and he looks up at him with surprise. He needs to think fast.

"...Can't a guy window shop?" He retorts, looking away until he's composed once more. What was wrong with him today?

That was quite a change. Saitou blinked, then gave a small bow of his head.

"My apologies. I meant no offense. You just appeared very...hungry." And it didn't make much sense to him for the man to just stand outside and drool when he could just walk right in.

No offense, huh? Now he feels bad. He finds the courage to face the guy again, but not before letting go of a sharp, pathetic whine, as if he's been a bad dog.

Guy. Not dog. He was not a dog. How and why did he make that sound? Perhaps the headband was going to his head without him realizing it. He'd have to take it off soon. Minako would have to wait to see it until they were both at home.

"Forget it, it's fine. I haven't had breakfast yet, that's all."

What was that noise? Clearly it'd startled him, if just a little. Saitou at least thankfully chose not to say anything in regards to it, though he arched a brow questioningly at the other man.

He nodded hesitantly as Shinjiro spoke up again. "...I see. It would not be good to skip an important meal."

He nods in agreement. Breakfast is important, and he's not going to find a suitable one in front of a counter of raw meat. Perhaps getting away from the butcher shop was a good move.

He hadn't eaten breakfast out of his apartment before though.

It was in his interest to distract the man from his canine antics and smooth things over. "Know any good places for it?"

At least Shinjiro had the advantage of being someone new, so Saitou wouldn't know that anything was off with him, so to speak. Unfortunately that meant that he could potentially just think that the odd way this man was acting was completely normal for him. The dog ear headband wasn't helping.

"Ah, unfortunately I do not. I have only been here little over a week," he explained.

"I see." That didn't work as well as he'd hoped. What a way to introduce himself to a new resident of the bubble. The ears needed to come off. Now. "Hang on."

He tries to pull off both his knit hat and the ears at once, so that the ears will remain inside the hat. But as he tugs both objects, the beanie gives, and the ears do not. Holding the band tighter, he grits his teeth and makes a second attempt, turning away from Saitou. He whips the hat off with a final tug, but the two soft, brown, velboa ears stay put for an embarrassing reveal, sewn well to the band which has seemingly made a permanent home on his head.

     Nodding politely, Saitou is perfectly inclined to wait for the man to do...whatever it is he plans to do. The removing of said headgear doesn't seem to be nearly so quick nor simple as he would have expected.

     "....."

     Well, now it's becoming a little awkward. Surely such a simply constructed piece should be easily removed? He's a little hesitant to ask, but clearly the man seems to be having some difficulty.

     "...are they stuck?"

"Can't seem to. Get them. Ugh. Off." Shinjiro mutters, a bit of a growl mixed in with his words. The secret is out, but in all seriousness, they don't seem to be budging. "...!" He tugs a few strings of hair out of his head, releasing a high pitched and very dog-like welp in pain.

That looks painful, even without the added whine. Saitou catches himself from offering a pat on the head. Just because the man is wearing dog ears and making sad dog noises does not make such an action okay.

"Here, let me see," he offers instead, taking a step forward as he holds a hand out. Maybe it just got tangled in his hair or something.

Normally Shinjiro wouldn't let someone into his personal space so openly. He's spent the last two years of his life trying not to forge meaningful relationships with others. While he's let go of the reason for such behavior, trying to shake the habit will be a difficult process.

At the moment, the ears have made him neglect that reaction. A good dog does as he's told. He lowers his head towards Saitou, releasing another soft whine. Please get them off, mister. Please, please, please.

This is getting much too strange to be something normal. Still, Saitou has made his offer, and he's not about to back down from such a mundane task when he's not backed down from battles against self-proclaimed Oni.

And so once Shinjiro's lowered his head (necessary either way since Saitou is a bit short), the samurai reaches for the offending headband to remove, fully expecting some sort of resistance given the man had such trouble earlier.

Vatheon is unusual, inside and out. His head filled with the tendencies of a young dog, it doesn't immediately occur to him that this is a curse.

Instead, he grabs on to one of the wooden supports for the porch outside the butcher, trying to help pull his head from the ears as Saitou tugs on them. But the more they pull, the more painful it gets. He yelps like a puppy when he can take no more.

"Geez. This ain't working. I shouldn't have put them on...bad me, bad me, bad me." He slouches down, wanting to drop to his knees.

"They are really quite stuck..." Saitou murmurs, frowning as he releases the headband, not wanting to cause further pain to the poor guy. He absently pats Shinjiro's head at that point. Sorry, reflex.

"How did you get them on in the first place?"

Oh? Headpats? Those are very reassuring. He does nothing to stop the man from offering comfort.

"Put'em on just like regular costume ears. Thought they were a dumb prank gift from a friend of mine. This place caught me off guard again."

This place... Giving the man another pat on the head, Saitou then paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"...is this...something to do with the...'curse weeks' I have read about?" The range of such previous occurrences were so broad that he wasn't quite sure what to expect of one were it to come to pass. Case in point.

He loses himself a little and becomes more docile with each head pat.

But no, he needs to think! "...Yeah." That's what this was! Another curse. It had afflicted him before, and he found that he couldn't stop talking about things that he'd keep to himself. And now the powers of this city have found a need to make him act like this.

"Something about this place. It messes with you for seven days, then it goes away."

Thankfully at least Saitou doesn't remain patting the other man's head for very long. He nods.

"To what purpose do such things occur? ...or is there no reason for it?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Shinjiro tries to pull at the ears again, a slight bit of hope that maybe all that rough tugging loosened them a little. Unfortunately, they're on there pretty good.

     That isn't the answer he would have hoped for, but Saitou supposes it went right along with their reasons for being here in that they just aren't that easy to be reasoned out.

     Seeing Shinjiro once again attempt to remove the headband, he wonders if he should offer to try helping again, though it did not seem to do much good the first time. He upturned a hand, gesturing loosely.

     "Shall I give it another try..?"

"I like my scalp where it is, thanks." He pulls his knit hat back on his head. Other visitors don't need to see them. "Don't do what I did."

Saitou withdraws his hand at that. "...don't do...?" he starts, then nods as he comes to an understanding. "I will be careful of such things. ...I hope that you are able to get them off soon."

For the most part, Mr. D was able to ignore people as he passed. Why he ever decided to go outside in this ridiculous hat, he wouldn't be able to tell you, but there was just something about being stuck inside that didn't appeal to him at the moment.

At some point, he acquired an umbrella and was balancing it vertically on his hand while he walked, a stern expression still on his face.

His eyes narrowed when he passed this particular fellow. There was something he just didn't like and could not put his finger on it. ~~Cats and dogs, perhaps?~~

One would think the bright red and white-striped hat and the act of balancing an umbrella would draw attention to the man, but for Shinjiro, it was a smell. It was subtle, but something about it piqued his curiosity instantly. He had to know the source of this odd scent. Why? He couldn't tell you.

When he closes the distance between himself and the stranger, he bends slightly at the waist and sniffs harshly. His eyes...Shinjiro is instantly suspicious.

Edited 2013-06-20 01:45 (UTC)

The hair on the back of Mr. D's neck bristled as he turned to face the strange man who was sniffing him. This was quite uncalled for, and yet he couldn't help but take a quick glace to locate the nearest tree. ...Tree? Why was a tree important unless there was a dryad nearby. It wasn't like he was going to climb up it.........

His oddly jovial mood waned as he took a slow step backwards.

Edited 2013-06-20 02:30 (UTC)

Ohhh no. He's not done yet. This guy looks like a person, but he's acting a lot like something else. Something of the...feline variety. Somewhere in the back of his mind, common sense tells him to leave the guy alone and just go home.

But the hat has other plans.

Shinjiro tests the water, taking a cautious step forward with a soft, low "Ruff." as his only greeting.

Did... that guy just bark at him? Mr. D bit is tongue to not make a comment in rhyme like the hat wanted him to do, but instead his voice came out like a feline hiss.

The god somehow knew what was going on, the flight response was also something caused by this silly hat, but there wasn't anything he could do to stop it. He hazarded another backwards step, hair still bristling.

Oh man. Oh man. It's a cat! He's got to be a cat!

He's got to check this cat out closer. Shinjiro's stance falls into an energetic panic as he starts to advance quickly towards Mr. D.

Mr. D froze in place as the ~~man~~ dog came at him. This was ridiculous, the rational part of his mind tried to tell him. But the irrational part of his mind realized what was going on. It was a bit disorienting, and not in the way that the wine god liked to be disoriented.

His rhyming cat instincts were torn between staying and reciting inexpert poetry at the dog... and hiding up a tree. The flight instinct finally won out as the dog got closer, and Mr. D backed up quickly until his back was against the nearest object he could climb to escape.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Life is ruff

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject