Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails (captain levi & Swirl)

[captain levi]

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"Add 'overworked' to that list. Working overtime is a nightmare," Hikaru muttered into his phone, taking solace in the lone fact that his best friend was at least attentive enough to hear him rant on his way back from work. He shouldered the handle of his umbrella and rearranged his messenger bag under his other arm, clumsily handling the one or two bags of groceries in one hand.

It was a typical Tuesday night for him, one that had ended two hours past his normal time to leave because the office was understaffed and Hikaru also had trouble declining his co-workers. Why couldn't he have kids to tend to or a date he couldn't miss for the world? It seemed every one of his co-workers had plans that evening with someone special, even if that "someone special" was just a pet they needed to feed on time. Without anyone to fabricate his excuses off of, Hikaru was most often the last to clock out, sometimes close to ten at night.

"It's your fault, man," his friend, Kaito, chastised while munching noisily on chips. "You're the one that got into law. Did you think it was going to be a cake walk?"

"Well, no," Hikaru responded flatly. As he entered his neighborhood, it was getting more difficult to hear his friend through the static interference of the rain, although he was admittedly more distracted by the crippling thought of his pathetic life at this point. Hikaru was undoubtedly proud of what he did and could handle the workload if he could only complain about it after, but prioritizing his job had also made him a lonelier man. He was twenty-six, single, and living lavishly enough to support a significant other, but Hikaru hadn't been able to date to his heart's content after his last relationship failed. He grew distrustful, especially of women, and refused to see other bachelorettes his friend had strongly recommended in the past.

Kaito had been nagging him to buy a puppy for years and Hikaru hadn't seen the point of having something that could only cost him more to have than it could provide for him in return. What more, Kaito had tried to convince him to invest in a human puppy, claiming that they were more docile than their fully human counterparts and less scheming, whatever that meant.

Hikaru had thought Kaito was being ridiculous.

Just as the reception was getting scratchy enough for the signal to be lost, Hikaru reached his humble apartment for one. It was well-kept and certainly not shabby.

"Complaining about my first world problems makes me feel better, bear with me," Hikaru joked, stopping in the middle of folding his umbrella to stare at what he thought was an over-sized animal digging through the dumpster. It definitely wasn't a bear, but that was a tail on a human body. "I'll... call you back," he mumbled into his phone, his voice quiet at first to not disturb the... creature? Hikaru wasn't entirely sure what to refer it as, honestly.

His overall experience with dogs hadn't been the best, and even though the creature rummaging through his trash wasn't completely its four-legged self, it still reminded him of the time he had been mauled by a dog as a child. His heart palpitated quickly just the same and the sweat that formed on his palms was very, very real. He opted to head inside but stopped, pivoting on his heel to glance at the starved creature one last time. "Hey, you... hungry?" he asked it cautiously, pulling out some dried cuttlefish jerky that he had originally planned to pair with his sake. He tore off one strip and tossed it onto the ground, because who knew if the thing was rabid and would bite a finger or two off?
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[Swirl]

What smelled so delicious in this trash can? Which bag was it in? Two feet hovered just off the ground and flailed back and forth as the human shaped creature dug around.

Garbage bits, drinks, broken toys, and all other manner of items were tossed from the bags and bin as it searched. A long fluffy tail, hard to describe in the dark hung low between the creatures legs. With the noise it was making, it was no wonder it didn't see or hear the man approaching.

Finally the creature emerged, seemingly finding what it was looking for, it gave a great tug and landed with a thump on it's bottom to the cement. Holding a container filled with half eaten spaghetti. Now that it was out of the dumpster and sitting partially in the street light he was much easier to see, and a He it was.

The male sat there, short and rail thin. He was filthy, covered from head to toe with dirt, garbage juice and all manner of other matter from where he had adventured. He didn't seem to mind too much as he wiggled in delight at finding the take out container. Two ears sat perched crookedly on his head, one stood up straight, the other tilted down at the tip as if it was too lazy to stand up. The one standing up properly was missing a bit out of one of the edges as if it had been bitten off.

The ears did stand at attention when the stranger very suddenly made himself known. The male let out a startled yelp and scrambled away from him, scrambling behind the dumpster, his prize clutched tight to his chest even as it oozed some sauce onto his ripped shirt.

Two molten chocolate eyes slowly peered out from behind the metal bin towards where the other was standing there with the umbrella. It seemed the creature was debating on what to do. Take his prize that he had hunted for or snatch the piece that was tossed to him. It took only moments for his mind, and his belly, to decide. Carefully sliding the carton underneath the dumpster for safe keeping, the boy slid from his dark hiding space, and crept forward carefully on all fours. Ears and eyes alert as he slipped towards the piece of jerky. He looked wary but friendly enough as he snatched the treat and scrambled back to his hiding place. He already was taking a risk letting a human see him. Sure there was stray pets here and there but generally they were snatched up quickly by the control officers who kept a tabs on the population. It took a lot of work to stay out of their sites.

Now that he had what he came for and a little extra, the male slipped the container out from the dumpster and made his way as quietly as he could around the other dumpsters to the end of the alley, hoping that he could slip away unnoticed from the man who seemed to be watching him.

 

[captain levi]

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Hikaru had never thought he'd actually see one of these "human pets" in the flesh despite hearing so much about them and how some were worth a fortune for their rare genetics. This one, however, looked nothing like the pedigree sort that were advertised on commercials and fancy websites. Maybe it once had an owner, but it certainly didn't look or smell like it had been taken care of in the last few weeks judging by how easily it camouflaged with the garbage.

He almost felt sorry for it. Spoiled spaghetti couldn't be a satisfying meal, especially if it was soggy with garbage juice and soaked once more by filthy rainwater. It could get sick off of that.

Hikaru wondered if it was lost. These breeds were rarely seen without an owner, so Hikaru figured that the pup had probably parted ways with its owner somehow. If it was owned, it meant he had a microchip or a worn tag of some kind. If not, he knew a warm shelter would offer more nutritional meals than day-old trash left in the rain. Offering the creature a piece of his cuttlefish jerky had been his good deed for the day but one more couldn't hurt.

"Wait, you're going to get sick," he called after the pup, briefly wondering if these creatures could even understand human speech, or if their intellect matched that of an actual dog's. "Don't eat that." If anything, he was going to hurl smelling how potent that rotten pasta's stench was.

Now, he was standing in the rain, too, the semi-heavy shower dampening his clothes but not so it penetrated his outer jacket. He was still very warm; on the other hand, it looked like his little garbage thief had almost nothing to keep himself snug for the weather. Hikaru folded the black umbrella under his arm and rummaged through his plastic bag for more ingredients to show the hungry pup. "I'll make you something. Miso soup?" he offered lamely. It was the only edible dish he knew how to make from scratch but even that had to be better than stale spaghetti. "Do you understand me?"

His shoulders sulked, realizing how stupid he must look if this human puppy couldn't understand him at all. Well, there was another method of communication he hadn't tried yet. Retrieving another piece of jerky, he held it out to the other male instead of tossing it this time, hoping the pup would take his offering as a friendly gesture.

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[Swirl]

The boy was certainly ready to skulk off into the rain and darkness, when the man's voice made him stop. His ears came up and he turned slowly to look at him, he stood about part way down the alley and in the dark. For a long moment there was silence between them, and then the boy reappeared partly again in the street light.

"Soup?" His voice was quiet and unused but sounded almost hopeful. A hot bowl of soup would be much much better than the stuff he found in the garbage, but he wasn't keen on trusting this stranger. He didn't want to go to the shelter, and how was he to know this man wasn't here to hurt him?

His brown eyes glanced towards the jerky and then tilted up to look at the man. Now that he was closer it was obvious he was pint sized compared to the other. Standing at just five feet, the boy looked no more than a a rag filled with water. Brown hair too long for his face hung soaked in his eyes, and he wore a tattered and too big for him once cream colored shirt and dirty shorts.

As he stood there with the rain droplets dripping down his neck, he tried not to shiver, the sopping atomosphere was not pleasant and went straight to the bones. As if there was no more warmth in the world for him.

He seemed to be judging, and sizing this man up as he reached out his hand to take the jerky. He stayed out of arms reach for a quick grab, but soon he had to step forward to take the jerky.

"Why?" He asked after a few minutes, it seemed he at least knew a few words.

 

[captain levi]

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He was relieved when the puppy spoke a few words, thankful that he hadn't looked completely like an idiot mouthing off to something that could have potentially been unintelligent. What he hadn't expected, though, was for the creature to hesitate and even consider declining his invitation for a warm meal and shelter from the rain. He had thought all animals were one track minded, keeping them from seeing things in hindsight and outweighing consequences with immediate reward.

"Well," he wasn't sure how to answer. "I'm going to make a lot."

It was a stupid answer in retrospect but Hikaru honestly had nothing more honest to say. Would the thing understand if he had admitted that this random act of kindness would make him feel like a model citizen somehow? For now, an honest answer seemed the most practical and needed.

Shoving the rest of the cuttlefish jerky into his grocery bag, he tried not to look too judgmental of the younger? male's dismal state. He was even stopping his breaths every now and then to keep the awful stench of wet garbage from wafting up his nostrils but it was impossible to breathe and not do this at the same time. The sooner the puppy had a warm bath and then some cleaner clothes, the sooner Hikaru could decide what to do with him. Kaito had always wanted one of these puppies for himself...

"Come on, I'll leave the door open for you," he offered kindly, turning around mostly to prove that he meant no harm.

He headed straight into his apartment and left the door ajar for now, relieved to be in the comforts of a warm and tidy home after a ten hour work shift. Right away, he set the ingredients on the counter and boiled a pot of water on the stove for the miso soup. Even if the pup wouldn't join him for dinner, he was still famished.



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[Swirl]

Those two fluffy ears twitched on his head as the puppy watched the man walk back into the apartment. Looking down at the carton in his hand, he tilted his head gently and then pushed it underneath the dumpster just in case.

The soup was most likely well under way as the puppy slowly poked his head into the apartment and listened and watched. He edged himself through the door, all senses alert for anything as he padded deeper into the apartment until eventually he was peering around the corner and over at the man standing in the kitchen and cooking. Well it certainly smelled good, so his stomach gave a loud hungry rumble as the scent of the soup filled his nose.

Perhaps this would be a good thing, and hopefully a short visit. He could get some warm food in him, maybe snatch a drink from the fridge and be out of there by morning. Before the stranger had a chance to call the authoritises on him; althought, the boy was confused as to why the stranger was being so kind. Why not just report him anyways? Why feed him first?

Slowly he shifted his weight and sat carefully in the door frame to the kitchen, resting himself on his feet, but crouched down with his knees against his chest as he observed the warm apartment. It certainly was better than being out in the rain.

 

[captain levi]

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Hikaru smelled the pup sooner than he spotted him in his doorway, and while he thought that a bath should be its first priority, he knew drawing it into one would be no easy task. He hadn't ever had a pet before, let alone one that looked like a human, so he wasn't sure whether to call a friend with a furry companion or one raising a child.

"You must be hungry, huh? Staying out in all that rain for who knows how long. You look pretty thin, too," he conversed lamely, knowing that his guest for the night could understand what he said but lacked the vocabulary to answer him in complete sentences. At least one of them talking was better than simmering in palpable silence. Hikaru wasn't accustomed to having guests over, let alone a stray pup who just sat there to stare at him cook.

He prepared the miso soup like he would have any other day and added some diced tofu and chopped green onions to the broth as a final step. While the soup boiled, he scooped two bowls full of steaming white rice and set both of them on the cozy table for two.

"Are you lost?" he asked the other male when the miso soup was finished, ladling another bowl full of it. "Do you have an owner?"

Hikaru almost felt like some security guard at a mall trying to locate a lost child's parents, even if he was well aware that a child would have been less trouble and certainly more sanitary to handle. If the pup intended to stay with him for the night or at least until the rain subsided, he needed to figure out a way to lure him into a bathtub. "Maybe I could help you find him... or her?" he offered, taking a seat and waiting for the pup to do the same.

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[Swirl]

The boy sat quietly in the door way and watched the man cook. His ears listening to the words falling out of the others mouth, but if he understood he didn't let on.

Every time the stranger turned his back though, the puppy moved forward, until he was sitting on one of the bar stools and stealing food off the cutting board. It smelled so good, he couldn't wait to eat and soon his tail was wagging profusely in excitement.

"No." the boy finally responded to the question as he raided some bread off the counter and munched it down. He clearly had no qualms about stealing and taking whatever was in reach. It was clear he had no manners and if he ever did they were long gone. "Won't go back." he responded his mouth now full and his cheeks puffing out. Those chocolate eyes watching the new man sit down across from him