Dirty Paws [Dragonsong!]

[Paladienne]

He trotted down an alleyway, nose to the ground, picking up a thousand scents that were both familiar and odd. He recognized quite a few, since he’d encountered them before, but his memory of those encounters was fuzzy, as if they were just on the tip of his memory but not quite fully realized. Like water slipping through his fingers, the memories refused to be captured and examined more closely. He supposed it was just as well. He really didn’t have a use for memories. They were burdensome things, things that just weighed him down. Like friends. Family.

Howling snorted.

Perhaps if he repeated that enough, one day he’d come to believe it.

The truth was, Howling was lonely. But his loneliness was a self-imposed thing, mostly to keep people safe from him. So long as he didn’t get overly familiar with someone, so long as he didn’t get close, then they were safe. It sucked, but it was the only way he could think of to protect those that were actually kind to him. He was what he was, but that didn’t mean he had to push that onto anyone else.

The big black dog shook his shaggy fur and licked his chops. His stomach rumbled, and Howling grumbled to himself about that. He hadn’t eaten in three days, despite the availability of food all around him. He would snuffle through the garbage, take a few mouthfuls of the food the humans around him threw away callously - most of it was still edible! - and then move on before the other scavengers came to claim their share. It always got him something so that he wouldn’t completely starve, but it was never enough. And sure, call him picky, but Howling didn’t want to root through garbage and other people’s leftovers for his own meals.

He could shift forms and work... but finding a job that didn’t require an extensive check of his records and a photo ID wasn’t that easy. Black market jobs were few and far between, especially when the city became uppity and nervous. And that seemed to be happening with increased frequency. So it was just easier for Howling to move unnoticed in his canine form, pretending to be a stray. There were plenty of strays running around the streets. What was one more?

Howling trotted out of the alley and paused at the edge, his golden-red eyes roaming over the illuminated lights and signs that filled this part of the city. Had he been here before? He couldn’t remember. Howling sat down at the mouth of the alley, arranged his tail around his paws just so, and craned his head back so he could study the colors around him. His ears went back against his head at the loud noise surrounding him, at the cries of voices, the shouts of electronics, the hum of engines and the roar of the rail. He was well out of the way of the people who walked the streets, so unless they purposely came toward him, they would avoid running into him as they continued on their own journeys. They all ignored him anyway, so it wasn’t like Howling was in danger of having his tail or paws stepped on.

What should he do? His stomach was empty. He was hungry. The garbage that littered the alleys had already been picked over. Every place he checked, there was barely enough to fill his belly, let alone sat the hunger gnawing at him. It was a sensation he was used to, but it was a sensation he didn’t quite like.

His sides heaved as he breathed deep.

Well, sitting here wasn’t going to get him fed. Contemplating the lights and the sounds wasn’t going to fill his stomach. So with visible effort, Howling pushed himself to his paws and began to walk down the sidewalk. Maybe he could convince someone at one of the outdoor cafes to throw a piece of bread his way. He was a huge dog, and his fur looked as if it hadn’t been brushed or washed in months, but he could still look cute. He could still look demure.

Yeah, right. He was going to sleep hungry tonight.

[DragonSong]

It had been years since Gem really spent any amount of time in the lower districts of Haviah--and this wasn't even all that low really, just...lower. The sound guy she and Mica had been debating over hiring had set up shop around here, and since she hadn't wanted to piss her brother off by inviting him back to her loft, she'd had to come to his place.

A good thing too, as far as she was concerned. The guy was good at his job. It was kind of a wonder no big profile acts had hired him yet. She knew Mica was convinced the guy was drug dealer--and not the government sanctioned kind either--but was that honestly a deal breaker? She'd just have to talk him down; she was good at that, she had a whole lifetime of practice.

The young woman was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't realize she'd taken a wrong turn until she was a whole three wrong turns in. She only paused when she saw a street sign she was sure she'd passed twenty minutes ago flickering up ahead.

"Ah, fuck."  She brushed a hand through her hair, irritated, and caused a few of the electric blue streaks to toss out of place and blend together. "Okay, Echo Drive. So I've just gotta backtrack..."

She turned, muttering to herself with a small frown, then suddenly drew up short. Her eyes widened.

That was a very big dog.

"Oh. My. Goddess." Gem looked around. No owner in sight. A stray? How had no one called animal control on this thing?

She glanced back to the dog, took in the tatty fur and the slight hitch to his gait that she recognized easily as hunger pangs. Her heart clenched in her chest--it wasn't so long ago she and her brother hadn't been a whole lot better off than the poor mutt.

"Oh, Mica is so going to kill me," she mumbled to herself as she started moving again slowly, cautiously. Holding her hand out palm down, fingers curled slightly, she gave a low, sweet whistle that seemed to shiver in the air for a moment longer than the sound typically should.

"Hey, pup," she called softly, stopping a few lengths away in case the animal might feel threatened by her approach. She kept her voice calm and light, smiling with her lips closed as she tilted her head at him. "Hey, boy. Er, I think you're a boy. Whatever, doesn't really matter. Watcha doin' out here, huh? Are you by yourself?"

She gave another whistle, crouching just a bit. "Can you come over here and lemme get a look at you, huh? Good pup, c'mon."

[Paladienne]

Howling paused as he heard the female voice calling. His ears perked up and swiveled around, quickly followed by his golden-red eyes. He stared at the girl, taking in her manner of dress, her slim form, and her rather well-to-do appearance. Why was she calling him? Was it another one of those ‘ooh, puppy, I wanna pet it’ moments? He didn’t know. He got those quite a bit. But he was too hungry to really care, and if she was calling him, then there was a good chance there would be food accompanying the call. And if not, well, maybe she’d just get her pets in and be happy, and he could just go on his own journey to find something to fill his stomach.

Howling watched her for a long time, studying her face without meeting her eyes. Did he even dare go over to her? Did he dare let down his guard long enough to see what she wanted from him? After all, it could be a trap. Just because someone hadn’t called the authorities on him yet didn’t mean that she wasn’t the bait for something else. But he had a choice - go to bed hungry or get a possible meal from this girl. And she didn’t seem terrible. She seemed rather... nice. But so did they all, really. And once he’d gotten fed, they were quick to abandon him to the street again. It wasn’t like he made a good pet, anyway. Eventually, whoever kept him would leave. They always left. In the end, Howling would be alone again. But for just a moment, for just a little while, he could... he could feel wanted again.

He shook himself.

The girl was still there, crouching, holding her hand out to him. Her expression was so plaintive, so open, that Howling found himself slowly moving closer to her. He did his best to behave like a normal dog, timid and shy and uncertain. Stopping and starting his approach, Howling closed the distance between him and the girl inches at a time. He shied away when she reached to pet him, but always came back, closing the distance a little more. He’d seen this behavior done by other dogs, and had emulated them. People tended to be more at ease if they believed he was just a big dog, some kind of throwback or some kind of experiment gone wrong, or whatever else there happened to be going on that people believed.

Finally, he was within touching distance, and he eased his nose toward her offered hand. He sniffed her skin, catching her scent and committing it to memory. She smelled like chemicals, chemicals both fruity and minty, and he assumed that the smells came from the makeup on her face, the colors in her hair, the perfume she was wearing, and the fading scents of others she had been around. He sneezed, ducked his head and put back his ears, letting out a soft whine as his tail dusted the ground in a helpless little wag.

What did he do now? He didn’t know. But he tried to make himself seem as friendly as he possibly could, his large body scrunching up a little to make him seem smaller than he really was. He let out a little whine, and he hoped that he wasn’t trying to come on too strong or too desperate. Howling had to wonder though, what exactly this girl wanted from him. Because it didn’t seem like it was just for a couple strokes of her fingers through his fur.

[DragonSong]

Gem waited patiently while the dog approached, keeping as still as she could with her hand outstretched and open, as non-threatening as she could manage. She smiled encouragingly when he stretched his head forward to sniff her, then chuckled a bit when he sneezed.

"There now, good boy, good dog," she cooed gently. Moving just as slowly as he had, not wanting to startle him, she let her hand slide gently over his head, between his ears. When that seemed to be accepted, she let her hand trail down to the ruff of fur around his neck and gave a good scratch.

Her brow furrowed and her lips drew into a thin line as she looked him over; now that he was closer, she could see he was really in pretty sorry shape. Poor thing needed a good meal, a bath, and probably a warm place to sleep.

"I bet you're just beautiful under all this street grime though, huh?" she murmured, looking back to his face again and smiling as though he could understand. "Yes, very good dog. Good boy. Oh, well, hang on." She ducked to check, then nodded to herself as she straightened up. "Yes, boy. Okay then, good boy."

She continued to pet him as she glanced around again, half hoping that someone might run up to her, claiming to be the dog's owner. Of course, she would have words with someone who let their animal get to this state--if he wasn't lost, that was just systematic neglect.

But of course no one approached. In fact, the few people who passed were giving them a wide berth. Probably thought he might be carrying diseases or something and didn't want to get to close.

Which was exactly the argument Mica would give her if she took him home... Well, that was probably third on the list, behind "We can't have a dog" and "He's too big."

"I can work with that," Gem muttered to herself, brow drawn into a thoughtful frown. Then she gave her head a brisk shake and focused her attention on the dog again. "Alright, well for starters, let's get you something to eat. I don't have much, but..." She rooted through her purse, then sighed, shaking her head. "Not much. Want half a protein bar?"

Peeling the wrapper off the half-eaten bar, she held it out to the dog in an open palm, bright eyes soft and kind as they skated over him again. Still talking as though the animal could understand her, she murmured, "I know it's not a lot, but it should tide you over until I can get you home. Would you like that, huh? To come home with me?"

[Paladienne]

Humans were strange.

He supposed that her ducking her head and looking to determine whether he was male or female was more preferable to her grabbing his leg and forcing him to lift it, but still. That was kind of invasive. He supposed he’d forgive her as she started rifling through her bag, saying that she had something for him to eat. But then...

Howling canted his head to one side, his ears slightly drooping as she offered him the protein bar. Was that all she really had? He’d had better choice digging through the trash, if he had to be honest. But food was food. So he inched his head forward until his muzzle was dangerously close to her fingers, and his lips drew back as he parted his jaws, revealing sharp teeth. Still, for all the ferocious looks, Howling was extremely dainty as he took the protein bar from her hand and worked the hard, chewy bar around his teeth, trying not to choke on it.

Then his ears swiveled up and forward, and his eyes rolled upwards in the same direction, staring at the girl. Did he hear her right? Was she really asking him if he wanted to go home with her? Was she serious? Did he look like he was the kind of dog one brought home as a foundling? He was scraggly and in serious need of a bath and, okay, sure, he didn’t have any parasites, but she didn’t know that! Studying her face, he realized the girl was dead serious and that she was speaking genuinely. She wasn’t trying to bring him home to show off how kind she could be to the world, or to use him as a statement, or to use him to bring awareness to anything. She was genuinely trying to help him. Well, help a stray dog that looked like he needed a good bath, good food, and a warm place to sleep. Howling wasn’t actually sure she’d help him if she knew what else he was.

Still, opportunities like this didn’t come around often for him. But it was an opportunity that was up for debate, so he took his time in working through the protein bar as he thought it over. It wasn’t like he could really give her an answer. He was pretending to be a normal dog after all, not one that could understand every word she said. Normal dogs didn’t answer humans. At least in ways that humans actually interpreted as a response. But he could be a good dog, he decided. And living with a human was always better and more comforting than living on his own. Even if, one day, that human would eventually leave him and he’d be back where he started. Perhaps the cycle would even start over, and he’d wander the streets until some other kind soul showed him a bit of mercy and decided to adopt him.

So Howling finished chewing on the last piece of the protein bar and swallowed it. He shook himself, his shaggy fur flying every which way, and then he sat, lifting one of his massive paws to “shake”. He supposed it was as good an agreement to the girl’s question as a dog could give, and he ducked his head and wagged his tail a little to show that, even though he was a big dog, he was a friendly dog, and he was more than willing to go home with her. Of course, he did his best not to let her know that he had understood what she’d said. That only tended to cause more problems than it solved.

[DragonSong]

Gem winced slightly as he tried to chew up the bar. She probably should have broken it into pieces before offering it to him. "Sorry, boy, it's all I've got right now," she murmured, scratching absently behind one ear as he chewed. "But you're such a sweet thing, huh? You must've belonged to somebody, once. I've never known a proper stray to be so delicate about food."

She squeaked, leaning back when he shook himself, then chuckled quietly and gave a brisk shake of her own head. "Alright, well at least you've eaten something--"

Her voice cut off, eyes going a little wide as the dog held out his paw in a clear offer to "shake". She blinked at him, then felt her lips twitch at the corners and clasped his paw gently in one hand, giving a very serious, singular shake before she let it drop. "Yeah, that pretty much clinches it. You must have had a home sometime. Maybe Mica and I can do some digging, see if you can find your person, huh?"

Getting to her feet, Gem quickly dusted herself off and planted one hand on her hip as she looked down at him. "In the mean time, let's get you a bath and some real food. Whaddya say?"


Navigating up into the higher levels of the city with a massive black dog wasn't exactly the easiest task she'd ever undertaken, but Gem had learned that a certain amount of strut and confidence could do wonders in convincing people to just let you do what you wanted. They got a few stares, but Gem would just lay her hand on the dog's back and return them pointedly until people got embarrassed and looked away.

A few times they were stopped by an eager fan who wanted a picture or for her to sign something, and those people would fawn over her new friend--typically just before they realized how grimy he was, whereupon they would back off with awkward, polite smiles and excuses.

"I'll probably have to do a bit of damage control for that," Gem sighed to herself as they finally arrived on her block, glancing back over her shoulder at the three young women who had stopped her for a picture and then rather pointedly crinkled their noses at the massive dog who'd been padding along beside her sedately. She shook her head, huffed, then glanced down to smile at the animal and rub his head. "Watch, three hours from now there'll be one of those trash articles speculating that I'm involved in some sort of underground dog-fighting ring or something," she chuckled. "Ah, the price of publicity, I suppose."

They reached the door to her and Mica's flat and she scanned her keycard, then patted her thigh in a "c'mon" gesture to the dog as she walked inside. Getting him into the elevator was a bit of a hassle, but they managed, and she scanned her card once again to get access before hitting the button for the top floor of the building.

"I dunno how you feel about heights, but we've got a pretty sweet view," she told the dog companionably, letting her hand rest on his shaggy shoulders. "I mean, this is one of the smaller buildings on this street so it's not that high, but we've got the whole top floor to ourselves. Nice little balcony too, if you're the kinda pup that likes the wind in his fur." She shook her head and chuckled to herself as the elevator door dinged open.

"Gods, Mica is gonna kill me. Alright, pup, c'mon in!" She herded him off the elevator into the surprisingly modest, at least at first glance, apartment, then slipped around him toward the open concept kitchen so she could search through the fridge.

The apartment seemed to be mainly one large room, the open kitchen with a smallish bar set along the far left wall, a table and chairs tucked against the back wall--which was really more one giant window--and a cozy living room sort of space taking up the rest of the room. The beginning of a hallway could be made out just behind the edge of the kitchen, although it was really less of a hallway and more a set of enclosed stairs that led to an out of sight, upper loft section.

There were two doors on the right-hand wall, one of which was glass and led out onto the wrap-around balcony. The other was sleek wood, and judging from the layout of the place probably led to a small bathroom.