[OPEN] unexpected finds

[marmoron]

Who: Keith & YOU!
What: Various shenanigans involving a space doggo
Where: All over Daybreak
When: Early June
Warnings: None expected!


A. On a mountain trail
[If anyone's feeling particularly adventurous and out exploring the mountain terrain, they may or may not come across a clearing that's smoldering a little. Thankfully the fire's under control and there's just what looks like it might've been a large exoskeleton still sending up smoke.

However, that is all besides the point. A puppy sized good boy is found tentatively approaching Keith who is holding out his hand towards it.

It's clearly some kind of Outland creature, and seeing as this one doesn't seem hostile, it means diplomatic attempts must be made. Witness the mastery. Or you know. Help.]

Bon...jour?

[For the record, Keith's French accent is atrocious.]

B. Around Dorms
[Well, now that he's decided he's keeping the doggo, it's time to very stealthily sneak him into his dorm room. And when I say "very sneakily" I mean, he's shoved the space woof under his shirt and is furtively trying to get to his room while pretending there is no wriggling lump under his shirt.

It's honestly not at all suspicious. Especially not suspicious when he just kinda goes super tense if anyone approaches and leans forward like he's got a stomachache.]

Uh, hi.

C. Marketplace
[In the afternoons after class, Keith's heading towards the marketplace on campus groun with the pupper in tow. He's spending a lot of time by, wouldn't you guess it, the weapons dealer stall, eyeing several daggers and knives with various runic inscriptions. Heavily preoccupied, he probably won't notice if someone's sly about approaching, but they'll hear him mutter under his breath:]

None of these match.

D. WILDCARD!
[Come at me!]

Comments

B

[onebetter]

[ Things in the dorm room had been going really smoothly lately, and James is relaxing again after the whole werewolf confession business. Keith is still Keith and better yet, Keith and he are getting along.

So when he finds Keith on the way to their room, looking.... extremely suspicious, that's a bit of a bummer. ]

Keith....? What's with your shirt?

[marmoron]

[He knew he'd be running into James sooner or later, he was just hoping it'd be later. You know. When the pupper is nicely settled into their room and has staked his place there just as much as either of them have. As it stands... well, he does kind of a half attempt to stand up straighter while trying to keep the space woof from falling out the bottom of his shirt, which more or less looks like one of his normal /ARM FOLD postures, but like he ended up in that position after a tiny seizure. It's going great.]

Nothing!

[The lump continues to wriggle.]

[onebetter]

[ There's a long moment of silence as James looks Keith over and over, from the posture to the unnatural bulging, to the wiggles. Yeah. Nothing. Right.

He should be alarmed, really, and to a degree he is, but the complete lack of knowing what to expect is causing minor difficulty. ]

If you turn out to also secretly be a tentacle monster, I am changing rooms.

[ Nobody else is in the hallway right now, so he can make this joke, never taking an eye off the wriggling. ]

[marmoron]

[Well congrats, James. That at least gets him to snap more like his usual self.]

The hell? [EYES DARTING AROUND THE HALL TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ACTUALLY ALONE. Then hissed:] Why would I be a tentacle monster?!

[WHY IS THAT THE FIRST PLACE YOUR MIND GOES, JAMES GRIFFIN!!

Then as paws scrabble around his bare stomach, which is ticklish as all fuck, Keith himself does a wriggling maneuver and starts bolting towards their actual room.]

[onebetter]

[ James is immediately dashing after. ]

Something on your stomach is wriggling and it better not be part of you! That's all I'm saying!

[marmoron]

Stop making it weird!

[Keith is stuck fumbling awkwardly with one arm still clamped around his stomach and the other trying to unlock the darn door, and hey wouldn't you know...

A wolf pup's head emerges from Keith's shirt collar, followed by a paw. Then the angel sneezes.]

[onebetter]

Oh.

Oh my god.

[ That's all James can say, completely mesmerized by this tiny pile of floof under Keith's shirt... He needs a small moment to compose himself, then he steps to the door and takes over the unlocking, eyes mostly trained on the puppy. ]

Well, bless you, little fella.

[marmoron]

[Keith lets out an exaggerated sigh as he wipes off wolf drool from his neck and chin. This proves to be pretty futile as the pup is eager to put the drool back with a wet lick. Giving up on that for the moment, he turns his focus back onto the James and before they've even entered the room:]

I'm keeping him. [A beat.] Or her. Either way.

[onebetter]

[ This puppy... is so cute... James should really be having qualms about letting wild animals into their room, but this wild animal is... just absolutely adorable...

And Keith is keeping it.

What. ]

Wait, wait, waitwaitwait. Pets are to be discussed with roommates. That's standard protocol most places. Also where did you even find this puppy??

[marmoron]

[Ignoring all protests, Keith makes his way into their room and finally releases the pup from his shirt and gently sets it down on the ground where he immediately trots around sniffing at James' shoes.]

Do you have a problem?

[Raised eyebrow. This is stated perhaps a little more like a threat than an invitation for open discussion on pet keeping.]

I found him. On the mountains. He was being chased by some insect like Outlanders.

[onebetter]

[ James would really like to have an argument about protocol, etiquette, general respect.... but there's a puppy sniffing at his shoe, so it's going to have to wait for a minute. Immediately, he kneels down and holds out his hand for the wolf to sniff at. ]

Hey there. Heeey.

[ That was in whispered coo-ing puppy voice. In normal voice and turned to Keith, he adds: ]

No mommy in sight at all? I mean... I assume if there was, she'd have mauled you by now, but...

[marmoron]

[The wolf pup presses a wet nose to James' extended hand and then stares a little expectantly. Meanwhile, Keith is also staring cuz he's never heard James take on that tone of voice.]

...nah, this little guy was all alone. Tried asking where its mom was, but I dunno. Maybe my French is just bad.

[onebetter]

[ Accepted by the puppy and at least reasonably sure he won't get bitten, James raises his hand to pet the wolf's head. So... fluffy.. so... so... fluffy. Maybe in need of a bit of brushing, but still excellent.

Though his eyes soon are trained on Keith, incredulous. ]

Your... French.

[marmoron]

[Fluffball there is definitely in need of a brushing and maybe a bath from being out in the wilderness, but that can definitely be a problem for later. Keith sits on the ground, one knee pulled up to his chest, the other folded.]

Yeah, my French. We're in France. What other language should I try using to talk to an Outlander?

[Stated utterly straightfaced as Keith motions for the pup to come back to him.]

I asked him "ou est ... your mom?" but I don't think he understood me.

[onebetter]

[ Stealing puppy attention away from James is a dangerous move, because now James has a lot more focus for Keith and all the inane things he is saying.

He's not sure where to even start in explaining what all is amusing about the statement, so maybe it's a good thing nobody will ever ask him to. ]

It's a wolf, Keith. I think if he were able to talk, he'd have tried earlier. Also I should tutor you in French.

[marmoron]

[Well luckily for both of them, it's Keith that's now fully distracted by the puppy, so he misses that amused look on James' face entirely.]

You don't know that.

[Teeny doggo sidles up close to Keith, who pets his head with obvious care and affection.]

Just a baby for now. [Then lifting the puppy up to press their foreheads together:] Aren't you?

[onebetter]

[ .... oh no, that's... That's actually heartwarming. The idea of keeping a wolf puppy of a completely unknown species of Outlander is totally insane, but the way Keith is looking at it so gentle and contented is... nice. Unusual, and very nice. ]

Good news is, you can teach him English if so.

[ BIG BIG IF. James is really distracted by staring at Keith and the pup though. ]

[marmoron]

[The puppy gives Keith's cheek a lick which actually gets a laugh out of Keith before he puts the doggo back down.]

Hey, stop that.

[Again wiping his face with his sleeve, Keith gives James a more serious look. Pup will meanwhile be heading towards their closet to sniff around.]

You don't think that'll make things complicated if later his mom comes back for him and she only speaks French?

[KEITH WHAT IS THIS...]

[onebetter]

[ This is so stupid, James is just genuinely too endeared to not go with it for a minute. ]

... well, then we're back to me tutoring you in French. Raise a bilingual wolf.

[ ........ wait a second. He didn't mean to say it like that. ]

In the hypothetical case of bringing up a wolf in our dorm room, of course.

[marmoron]

[This is it. This is quite potentially the one thing that might compel him to actually sit down and learn the French language properly instead of mangling it on a daily basis. It's like the wolf is made out of Kryptonite or something. James can literally see Keith go from making half formulated arguments to just sputtering into a resigned silence in his own head.

Rather than address that though, he sighs and counters with:]

You really don't want the little guy around?

A - If you like, Reira has an Empathy Opt-In available!

[soft_focus]

[[OOC - Here!]]

[Reira isn't entirely adventurous. More...unable to especially gauge what is or isn't considered 'standard area of living'. A dorm is standard. Even the campus is standard.

The trail not so much, but since she's seen plenty of other students come out this way, the little 9 year old has decided that it means she's plenty allowed as well. That's how it Works.

She doesn't go very far, but when the smell of smoke comes into the air Reira can't help but follow. If it's truly dangerous, one of the sprites will get her away. It's fine.

Things...Seeeeeem safe anyway...]

....H'llo.

[That was English.]

a

[stavros]

Do dogs speak human languages? I would think feeding it would work better... probably.

[marmoron]

[Picking up on a new scent, it's the wolf pup that tenses first, looking hesitantly towards Reira's direction. Keith follows suit a moment later, looking a little surprised that a little kid came out this way. He's quickly abandoning the French cuz man he is not good at it.]

Hey. Are you lost?

[marmoron]

[Cue the most incredulous stare, like Kokoro's just suggested something completely outlandish.]

Well, no, but this one clearly isn't an ordinary dog. See?

[...Just gesturing towards the wolf pup which tilts his head inquisitively at the new arrival.]

It came from the Outlands. You never know what magical creatures from the OUtlands are capable of.

[stavros]

This is true... But in that case, are you certain it's safe? [She looks at the dog warily, cute or not.]