A Dog's Life

[thatsruff]

Featuring: Teddy thatsruff and anyone else
What's happening?: A long day in a dog's life
Day: 2/22
Content warning: on the prompts
Notes: A very tired dog is doing too much.

Morning Patrol
[Teddy takes his job very seriously. As a guard it is his job to ensure the safety of the community, the handlers and civilians within it, and the security of the area itself. He patrols on soft paws, walking a familiar path through the sand and leaving his tracks behind him.

He keeps his ears perked and alert and his nose to the air, relying on sound and smell to guide him to anything out of place from yesterday's evening patrol.]

Afternoon Errands
[A pack is secured to Teddy's back, the pouches on either side left unzipped so the over-sized canine can reach into them. The pack is light today, prepared for a day of scavenging resources for the people of the town. He can't get into buildings on his own, so he follows the paths to those dilapidated enough for him to get into, or with porches he can carefully crawl his way under.

He finds a heavy roll of rope hanging from the side of one building, and sits beneath it, studying the resource with carefully calculating eyes as his mind works toward a solution to the problem before him. He wants that rope, he just needs to find a way to silently get it down. With a thick branch in mouth, the dog carefully attempts to hook the too-heavy rope, his head twisted sideways to allow his eyes to focus on the goal.]

A Late Night cw: semi-graphic references to rabbit death
[Teddy has learned that dusk is the time for hunting. During the early evening, before the sun sets, he scavenges plants carefully from wild gardens and the outskirts of the tree line, filling his now much heavier pack with wild berries, herbs, and vegetables.

As the sun sets, his ears perk and he crouches lower to the ground, making himself less visible and walking as silently and carefully through the soft grass of the edge of the tree line as he could. He puts his ears forward, his nose to the grass, and starts tracking. He can't afford the slightest mistake here. If he doesn't kill the rabbit he's tracking as soon as he catches it, it's likely to squeal and get them both killed. He needs at least one before he returns to the house.]

Gifts from a Shadow CW: Dead Rabbit - House 6
[A canine fairy visits various houses throughout the night, leaving gifts of supplies on the steps of the front of each house.]

House One: A wicker basket filled with medicinal herbs, soothing plants, and collected scraps of assorted linens. At the bottom of the basket, an old broken music box and a small classic mantle clock, both full of gears and pieces.

House Two: A collection of dusty stuffed animals resting inside a picnic basket with a couple root vegetables and a berry branch resting on top of them.

House Three: A wicker basket of a couple vegetables, a berry branch, and a soft wool blanket.

House Four: Resting on top of a set of blankets is a collection of mismatched shoes and two jars of fruit someone has tied string loops to the lids of, presumably to help Teddy carry them on his own.

House Five: A couple vegetables and a berry branch resting on two pillows.

House Six: A basket containing a rabbit, several smooth heavy stones around the size of a baseball, a roll of socks, and a sharp kitchen knife with teeth marks in the handle.

House Seven: A random assortment of fabric pieces pulled from the interior of a house with a broken door, a couple branches from a berry bush, and a roll of fishing line on a reel, with no pole.

House Eight: A wicker basket of a couple vegetables, a berry branch, and a small stuffed rabbit, well worn, dusty, and missing one button eye

House Nine: Three soft wool blankets

House Ten: (in the Great Room) three berry branches, a jar of fruit, a wool blanket, a large sturdy branch, and several pillows, slightly dusty.

House Eleven: A jar of vegetables, an assortment of random mismatched shoes, an old stuffed bear missing one arm, and a tennis racket

House Twelve: A wicker basket of a couple vegetables, a berry branch, and two scarves

House of Akira and 9s: Medicinal herbs, an assortment of pleasant smelling flowers, and a jar of fruit tucked inside of a soft dusty towel.

House Ten CW: Dead rabbit
[Slipping through the silent dog door Remus had magicked into existence before vanishing, Teddy pads quietly through the house. After a long day he moves slow on weary paws with a heavy pack, a scarf hanging from his neck, and a rabbit dangling from his mouth. He heads for bedroom one with his hunted prize. Once he delivers it, he pads silently back to the deck. Anyone visiting the deck earlier in the day might have been greeted with an unusual hoard of collected junk and food, one of Teddy's longest and most tiring days of scavenging. All but one ratty old pillow with the fluff coming out of it is gone now.

Before he takes a rest he collects the heavy coil of thick, braided rope and carries it carefully to add to the collection of other items in the great room. He doesn't make it much further, however, falling asleep with his head on the rope and dead to the world around him, his paws sore and his body too weary to make it back to the deck.]

Comments

Afternoon Errands

[lilithsoul]

[Someone's main task wasn't foraging and scavenging. However, knitting didn't take up her entire day, nor did the automatic soundproofing update everyone did around here. While not doing those duties with all of the mechanical functionality of a robot, Rei did take a little time to look around town. Scavanged parts were useful for making sure people had what they needed, either for survival or to finally one day start addressing the problems that plagued this town.

So, here she was, following the sandpath quietly and pausing to see a dog, staring at a rope, with a bag on its shoulders. That was just curious enough to cause her to draw closer. She came up behind it, saying nothing and waiting to make sure she'd been noticed before actually touching the animal. Never surprise an animal. It was just a smart rule to keep. Now, there were two people staring at the rope. It was a Norman Rockwell painting waiting to happen.]

[thatsruff]

[Teddy turns his attention away from the rope to look at his company, studying her briefly. His nose twitches, but by now the never-ending confusion of mixed signals has become something he expects when interacting with the odd assortment of handlers here.

He approaches the building, carefully nosing at the rope with his snout before looking over his shoulder at the capable creature with opposable thumbs viewing the resource with him.]

[lilithsoul]

[When he turned and nosed at the rope, she looked up along its length, nodding to herself. The dog was definitely an intelligent one, about on par with that warm water penguin the major favored and kept in her house. It made communication at least a little easier.

So, the rope. She stepped forward, looking at it and reaching to tentatively tug. Only a small, gentle motion told her that there was a little resistance. Resistance could mean any of several things, about two thirds of which could mean sound if she was not careful. She held a finger up to motion the dog to wait, hoping it would understand and looked around for a box, something that she could test and use to get up and see what was keeping the rope from simply falling.]

Gifts from a Shadow

[justbeingknife]

You gonna leave without sayin' anything?

[ That was what Majima meant to sign when he stepped out on the porch. Nighttimes, he stayed up late -- not out of choice, but out of habit.

Unfortunately, he'd only recently started signing, which mean the best he could manage was something like: ]

Leave no speak?

[thatsruff]

[Teddy doesn't judge the incomplete signing. His device sends the translation, but he's picked up enough signing from the natives not to need it. He takes a seat before the porch steps and his device lights up the night with a soft yellow glow, his body slouched with faint exhaustion and his ears half back.

He squints quietly up at Majima, and then a few words slowly type out on the device embedded in his metal collar.]

Many houses to get to.

[This was the first on his list, the closest to the house he lived in. He slowly pads back up the steps and noses at the blankets with a soft wag of his tail before looking to Majima. Hopefully the man and the others in the house could find use for them.]

[justbeingknife]

[ Oh, well that made things easier... maybe? Majima pulled out his phone. ]

This for Mike and Will? Hold on a sec, I'll take these inside so they don't get wet.

[ A quick, careful step inside was all it took to get the blankets in the door. Doubtless Will would be one of the first to find them, given his own nighttime hours. ]

If you're makin' the rounds, mind if I come with?

Morning Patrol

[cronusian]

[Hux took much better to his new career than the last. Working on food had been demeaning, and while he still would have preferred a more elevated position, quiet maintenance gave him more access to the behind the scenes interactions, and gave him something to do that felt more worthwhile.

He has an oil can in hand when he spots the familiar shape of the large animal patrolling the paths. He had a task to talk to the canine about, so he adjusted his own path and headed for Teddy, falling in step beside him.

He doesn't bother looking to check that the dog is paying attention. He had learned Teddy was more than capable of reading any message sent to him. Carefully he slips his device out with his other hand and sends the dog a message.]

I'm working on something I could use your help with. [Help in this case a loose imagining of the word. He wanted Teddy to test something for him that he wasn't willing to risk his own life on testing.]

[thatsruff]

[Teddy briefly glances up from his patrol and cocks his head to one side. He falls back into pace after, his focus now split but most of it still on the patrol. He lets the man beside him keep pace. He had come to realize this man was the new information control handler. He reported to him when possible with details of what he learned.

He listens as Hux relays a potential new mission, and he sends along his affirmative.]

If it will help, I am at your disposal. What is the assignment?

[cronusian]

I am testing an alternative path system that could help better maintain safe paths through the city.

[Teddy informed him of his purpose, and Hux has no issues using that to his advantage, to manipulate the canine into doing as he sees fit. He keeps pace with the dog easily, studying the buildings for sign of noisy wear as they pass them.

He has other objectives in mind, but seeing to his task is a matter of his own survival as much as anyone else's.]

Gifts From a Shadow: House 11

[beyourzoomer]

[As per usual, Max is wide awake in the middle of the night. Tonight, instead of just lying in bed staring up at the ceiling, she's chosen to step outside on the porch with a blanket draped around her shoulders to ward off the chill. She sees a shape leaving the porch steps, and tenses automatically until she realizes it's a dog.

That alone catches her off guard. She's barely seen any animals in this place, let alone dogs. She doesn't move, not wanting to startle him.

And it appears that he...left gifts?

What.]

[thatsruff]

[Teddy pauses when he hears a slight change in the environment, extra breathing, and glances back to see another of the smaller humans standing on the porch. He hesitates, about to continue disappearing back into the darkness, but reconsiders, turning around to face her and sitting at the foot of the steps.

He waits a moment, maintaining eye contact before softly approaching, one paw per step at a time. He lifts his tail, wagging it once softly as he looks at her, waiting to see whether she is one of the humans that will give a positive response, or if she'll shoo him away as others have.]

house ten - last prompt;

[warfares]

[ The rabbit had been gratefully accepted; rabbit was easier to locate than deer this close to civilization and the meat was tasty if properly prepared. He would need to head to the Pool, however, to dress and butcher it properly first before passing it along to Lup to cook it. Teddy would get his share, as was only fair.

Opening the door, he moves quietly through the house, passing by the deck, only to pauseㅡ

Teddy was asleep, head resting on the coil of rope like it was a pillow. There's a moment of awkward uncertainty. Sleeping animals should not be disturbed. It was inviting trouble.

Even so, the dog had brought him a gift and he could respond in kind. Which is whyㅡquickly pausing to stash the rabbitㅡhe heads back to his room, removing one of the (softer) blankets from the bed. Then, returns to the deck with the intention of setting up a makeshift bed for the dog in the corner. ]

[thatsruff]

[Teddy wakes to the soft and nearly silent sound of footfalls and a familiar scent. He lifts his head slightly, twisting onto his side to look at Ren. The man he identifies as his Handler is doing something on the deck, and Teddy watches him with a curious eye. There is no distrust or concern toward the large man's presence in his designated sleeping quarters. He trusts his handler.

But he is confused about what the man is doing. Slowly he pulls himself up on tired limbs, walking with heavy steps over to Ren to look past him at the blanket, his head slowly tilting to one side. He glances back over at Ren, confused and tired. What was he doing?]

House Eight

[skyofreverie]

[Sora doesn't sleep much even with the assist from his Dream Eaters taking care of his nightmare problem. With his "bed" pressed up against the window and no curtains to block the view, he can easily see something moving out on the front porch from his room.

It doesn't take him long to get to the door and whip it open as fast as he dares. At first he'd thought it was a Sound Eater and was trying to get a good look at it but it's a dog.

A dog leaving a basket of stuff on the porch.]

Uh... thanks? Who's this for? I'll make sure they get it.

[thatsruff]

[The device on Teddy's collar relays the message to him, and Teddy pauses, considering continuing on without answering, but a human made a request of him and he stills, sitting at the bottom of the steps up to the porch. He glances over his shoulder and the device around his neck lights him up in the dark with a soft yellow glow as he responds.]

Everyone.

morning patrol

[scarecrowed]

[ Lucas is up early to go hunting since he's been assigned the role of a hunter here. When he first spots Teddy, Lucas mistakes him for Toto, pleased he'll be able to cheer Dorothy up by bringing him to her...

Except on closer inspection, it's not Toto at all, far bigger, fur made of different tones... He finds himself disappointed and perhaps not just because reuniting the dog with Dorothy would have made her happy. Maybe part of Lucas missed him too...

Teddy might be wondering why Lucas is staring at him somewhat pensively from a distance. ]

[thatsruff]

[Teddy catches the unfamiliar scent of one of the handlers in the city he has yet to meet directly. It's the scent before the sound or sight of Lucas that Teddy notices, his head lifting and his nose twitching in the air.

He slows his patrol and then stills, slowly walking in a circle until he notices Lucas. The man looks capable and doesn't smell ill, and the canine's tail slowly raises as he careful follows a sand path back toward Lucas.

He pads calmly over to the man, sitting once he is only several feet away and carefully laying his belly on the ground. Humans here seemed to respond to him best when he made himself smaller and made sure no signs could be mistaken easily for aggression.

He doesn't immediately attempt communication, committing the man's image and scent to memory while he waits to see how he reacts to Teddy's approach.]

morning patrol;

[morphogenia]

[Teddy isn't the only one who is supposed to be patrolling the neighborhood. Kamala keeps to it since it reminds her a lot of her superhero days that took place literally five minutes before she ended up in this mess. The reminder of being a useful member of society helps when she's understandably distraught about being here. In all her walks, she somehow missed the dog. Now that she sees him, well, she's following him not unlike a puppy herself.

She's half-tempted to run up and hug him like she did Lockjaw back home. The problem is simple: she's in a horror movie. It's probably not one of her smarter ideas even back home. Granted neither is following him, but eventually he has to notice her, right??? She can win him over that way! #teenlogic]

[thatsruff]

[Teddy's focus is intently on his patrol, and it takes him time to notice that the person trailing him isn't just going about business as usual. His nose twitches as he realizes the scent has continued to linger nearby and he turns, following his nose and cocking his head to the side at her.

She is not the first shadow he's had here, and he treats her as he has all the others. Not as a threat, but a curiosity. Why would a human care to follow him unless they needed something? Approaching her, he stops several feet away, one paw raised in an unfinished step, and waits for her to make the next move. Nothing in his stance is aggressive, his tail loosely hanging down and his ears alert and tilted toward her.]

Hello Teddy <3; House 01

[darksmokerising]

Merlan's been taking in the air because staying inside the house without much to do just makes her itchy. The absolutely stunning dog with a basket of extremely useful things is a pleasant surprise in a world that needs more of them. Before he has a mind to trot off, she gently motions for him to stay and offers him the last of her carefully preserved supper.

It's only a bit of meat with a preservation spell on it, but she lays it out on her own scarf so he doesn't have to eat it off the floor. He's a good dog, a smart one if he's bringing a basket here. He deserves a place to rest for awhile.

[thatsruff]

It's still something he is trying to grow accustomed to, humans sharing the rare and precious resource of meat with him when it comes to food. But he has grown more accepting, and the smell of it makes his mouth water and his tail gently stir in a soft but tired wag. He is tired, but content, and he gingerly takes the morsel between his teeth, taking the time to move it around in his jaws and actually chew. It's a rare treat, and one he wants to savor.

When it's gone, he moves closer to her, licking her hand once in thanks if she allows it.

A late night

[theantagonist]

[Anakin has never had the best luck in his training with animals. He could at times do something with them, but they rarely listened and often ended up being his opponent or fleeing.

This large creature just happens to be stalking the same prey as him when he notices it, and he wonders if it isn't going to get them both killed when it goes for the small, furred creature.

Rather than compete, he prepares to silence the rabbit if the dog goes for it. Let it have this one. He could find another and without his lightsaber he doesn't want to risk pissing it off and not being able to take it down. For all he knows there's armor beneath that fur.]

[thatsruff]

[Teddy crouches low, approaching the hare on his belly to try and stay silent as long as possible. At the last moment he sprints for the hare, and the frightened mammal tries to flee too late. His large, powerful jaws seal its fate at the back of its neck, and it dies quickly, but the silence of the death is a gift he has the stranger to thank for, unknown to him.

When it goes limp in his jaws is when he notices he isn't alone, and he looks over at the man with his tail raised, a cautious, still staredown. Did the human need the rabbit he caught? He had wanted it for his handler, but he carefully and quietly approaches the man, wondering if he had stolen their prey. Cautiously he sets the hare down before the man's feet and steps back.]

Gifts from a Shadow - House Ten

[whists]

[While she hasn't had the time to meet those she's housing with, Emily has made note of who comes and goes. The dog isn't an unusual sight, although if she's being honest with herself, she's never had the best of luck with dogs in the past. Gravehounds and their existence still pop up in her nightmares every now and then.

There's an assortment of items being left in the Great Room, all random, all useful in their own way. It makes her thinking of picking over rundown apartment buildings and squirreling away cans of jellied whale or bath salts to sell.

Except for one thing. One thing so random, the corners of her mouth twist up slightly and she pulls out her device.]

Why the branch?

[thatsruff]

[The question confuses Teddy when it comes, and he takes a moment to think before he responds, choosing the words that will best convey his intentions.]

It is strong. A good tool or start to one. For help with walking, or getting things down from high places.]