003 ♟ text/action

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[By the looks of the network, there's something wrong again, something about missing people, but when isn't something going wrong in Wonderland?

Adam has more immediate concerns, ones that, in comparison, are far more innocuous. In opposition to missing someone, if anything Adam is still trying to adjust to an addition to his one-man family. Getting a dog had seemed like a great plan when the event had been in full swing and encouraging him to ignore the oh my god, I can't be responsible for another living thing panic, but now the event's long over and the dog's still around with no humane society in sight. The destruction the dog wreaks around his apartment spurs him to write a text message he figures can't do any harm. It's not the weirdest thing he's ever asked on the network, anyway, and if nothing comes of it, no loss.]</sub>

Anyone have any dog training tips? For a larger kind of dog if it won't listen.

_{[The warm and fuzzy honeymoon feeling has worn off and cold, heard reality has set in in the form of one barking, grunting, chewing, drooling, messy, smelly, furry giant.]}

And if it won't stop chewing everything it's not supposed to.

_{[At the end of the message, he adds:]}

Any good names for a guy dog?



<sub>[Not long after he posts his message, Adam takes his new responsibility out for his daily walk, phone in his jacket pocket and gun tucked into the back of his pants (hey, it's not like anyone's around to report him missing, but he's not about to become another statistic if he can help it). The mastiff, a soft fawn-colored dog nearing two hundred pounds and pretty much as tall as his owner standing on his rear legs, trots ahead of Adam, collar jingling merrily. Adam follows behind, rubbing his face tiredly. For once the redness around his eyes isn't just due to night terrors; lately, having a pet padding around his room and bumping him with its nose keeps drawing him out of nightmares and into the perils of having a dog that won't stop trying to crawl onto your bed.

It's a strange thing, having something there with him at all hours. Really strange. And comforting.

After a while, they end up on a patch of grass beyond the gardens. There, Adam tries once again to teach it the "stay" trick like he's been doing all week. He might not have picked a name for the bastard yet, but actually listening to him when he needs it to stay put is kind of important, and a command that has yet to stick in any meaningful way.

Housebreaking? Not really a problem. Sitting? Not too hard with enough commanding and maybe a beer to calm his nerves. But the staying...]</sub>

Okay, stay. Stay there.

<sub>[He leaves the dog lying down at a point in the field and tries to back away. The routine almost always ends the same way: by the fifth step or so, the dog seems to think the distance means "green light, go!" and launches forward to paw his legs and nip his bootlaces, tail wagging, where he has to push it back to the start again.

At one point, the dog rips his laces undone completely and bending down results in a dog frantically trying to lick his face from top to bottom.]</sub>

I'm starting to think you're just doing this on purpose. _{[Adam pushes its big head away, acting annoyed but not feeling it.]} Take a pill. You want one? I have one. Might kill you, but at least you won't be able to get up and follow me. Now get over there and stay.

_{[Back to the starting point.]}

Comments

Action

[itisourfight]

[ Tauriel's life has been a neverending parade of awkward lately, which has left her mood somewhat permanently soured.

It's still nice, however, to see something so relatively peaceful as a young man struggling to train his dog. Tauriel isn't sure if she should intrude, but it isn't exactly polite to simply spy from a distance either, so she makes the decision to approach Adam and his dog. ]

You've made a new friend.

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[Adam isn't any more sure if this is what he wants to be known for, the guy who keeps his head down around the mansion and takes literal lickings from a partner in crime on four legs, but here we are.

The dog notices Tauriel before Adam ever hears her coming. He's no small person himself, but manhandling an animal this size is no easy task; the dog yanks free of the restraining hand on its collar and he's half-afraid the dog's found a rabbit to chase before he sees their audience. On walks outside like these, he doesn't even bother putting the leash on because he's found the dog is a watchful sort of guy that never wanders too far before coming back. More often than not, it looks over its shoulder at Adam as if to make sure he's still when it's not busy barking at things it's not used to.

Tauriel is one of those things this time. At attention, it comes to stand between them with a questioning woof.]</sub>

... Yeah. Yeah, the dog's new.

_{[Adam straightens from where he'd been bent over it and turns to face her. She really needs to stop sneaking up on people, sane, well-mannered, I-don't-like-to-eat-humans kind of elf or not.]}

Where'd you come from?

[itisourfight]

[ Sorry Adam, it really wasn't on purpose, it's just that elves... well they sort of move extremely quietly by default. Not to mention the fact that she is part of the elven military force and so her instincts are even more to keep herself concealed.

It's a habit she doesn't really care to break, since it could come to save her life one day. ]

My apologies for startling you, elven footfalls are often too light for the ears of Men to hear them.

[Text]

[lightgunhustler]

You got one too, huh?
I don't know much about training. Bet we could find a book on it, though.
You haven't named it yet?

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[halfwinchester]

Kind of by mistake.

<sub>[Don't remind him that he's joined the dog club thanks in part to an angel's cute-looking rescue pet. He blames you, Jo. He'd been keeping his roomie on the down low, but now it's getting a little hard to hide.

Especially if this is a permanent arrangement.

... For that matter, it's probably a good thing he'd stopped at the library at the start of the week and not come across any dead bodies in there. Bringing books back to his room with him had saved him getting involved in the murder investigation, leaving him instead to focus on a dog that seems to like scratching wood furniture.]</sub>

I've been reading some. I don't know if it's because he has the brain of a puppy or if he's just deaf. I'm open to suggestions. I wasn't ready to christen anything. Is Cujo pushing it in a place where stories come to life?

_{[He's joking. Dumbo might be a bit more accurate in this instance.]}

text;

[lightgunhustler]

I think we should probably steer away from all horror-novel inspired names, just to be safe.

[The joke gets a smile out of her, though. It's good to see him joking about something.]

He's probably just still getting used to you, he'll settle down and start listening.
I hope, anyway. Just be patient?
He needs a name that sounds big and tough. Maybe Bruno?

[Action]

[first_demon]

[She had been watching him, waiting for the right time to approach and speak to him. The youngest Winchester. Having the dog present only made the illusion all the more complete.]

Is that a dog? I love dogs! [She came bounding over, petting him with a smile.]

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[Despite his worries about taking care of another living thing when he can't even take care of himself, and the property destruction, and the training hiccups, Adam gets the sense they're getting a rapport going. Kind of. The dog's been as friendly as a giant baby with him so far, maybe because he's the one who's taken on the responsibility of feeding it and wiping its drool trails away with paper towel, but it's a bit more suspicious of other people.

That's another strangely comforting thing: a living alarm system. He's not about to mention it to anyone, but if he's going to keep it and can get it to obey instead of just do it's own thing... Maybe if something attacks him like, say, a crazy guy with a pickaxe, a giant dog might come in handy. Mastiffs are supposed to be loyal, right?

One smiling woman is a little less visually intimidating than a ghoul with blood streaked down its mouth or a guy in a miner's get-up, but Adam's still a little surprised to see her, and so's the dog.

No, it's a cat, he thinks to say while the mastiff chuffs and rumbles, uncertain about this new person.]</sub>

He's... _{[The dog looks up at him and he looks back at it, doubtful.]} ... shy.

_{["Wary" is another word for it, kind of like Adam himself.]}

[first_demon]

[She could sense that both he and the dog were wary of her presence. They were perceptive at least, something she couldn't say about others in this world. For now, she would handle them both with kid's gloves.

Her smile stayed on her face, calm and soothing.]

Have you named him yet?

[She tired to present a sweet aura, less threatening than she would with others.]

Action

[crux_ofmylife]

[Harry has been working at exploring since he arrived. He has his wand in hand. In a place that's apparently mad, he'd rather be prepared.

But the sound of someone attempting to train a 'stay' command gets his attention and he heads that way.]

New friend?

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[As far as Adam's social circle goes, there are plenty of people he's seen glimpses of over the network when he's paying attention, and plenty he's never seen at all. Harry's face fits into the former category thanks to his video post a few days ago, one Adam had ultimately decided to stay away from knowing there'd probably be other people better equipped to help the guy figure out what's what. The guy who walks up to him and Godzilla Jr. this time around has the same face and the same glasses, but he looks less like someone who's recently walked away from a cage match. It's an improvement.

Adam looks between the other boy and the dog, noting the scar on Harry's forehead--it's not a fresh wound, but just a bit eye-catching--and purses his lips in resignation.]</sub>

That obvious, huh?

<sub>[The wand is another obvious attention-grabber. Despite the watchful way the dog's ears lift at Harry's presence, its eyes go to the wand in the boy's hand.

Is that a magical object or did you bring a stick to play with? You're making it hard for a canine to tell, Harry, and the dog barks once to say so.]</sub>

[action]

[unsleeved]

[...Oh lord. Daryl'd seen the mass text, of course, but this?

This ain't what he was expecting, not by a long shot.]

...Christ. That ain't no dog.

[Daryl's heading inside from a walk himself- an actual walk, sans-crossbow (though he, too, is armed in the form of a knife and a small handgun somewhere out of sight) and so he looks as causal as Daryl gets when he approaches Adam and his bear, brows raised. He might even look sort of amused.]

Lemme guess: seemed like a great idea when you asked for it.

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[When Daryl approaches, he and the dog are on break now that the dog's trying to requisition training time as playtime, panting happily at his side while Adam rubs the side of its head. Adam can guess Daryl's seen his text, then.

Seeing the strange man, the dog woofs at him, alert and deep-chested. Drool flies. If a bear had a serious jowl problem, Daryl would probably be right.

For his part, Adam's tempted to agree. The dog's like an optical illusion that gets bigger every day with each attempt to lift its head onto the kitchen counter and steal food. As it gives another curious woof, he rubs harder until the dog grimaces and tries to squeeze out from between his hand and leg. Other people in the mansion, he's not above questioning, but so far Daryl's seemed a lot more sane and stable than some others; he's at least one person Adam thinks the dog can go a little easy on.]</sub>

Relax. You're lucky he doesn't look like he's going to put an arrow in you.

_{[Still uncertain, the dog shuffles closer to give Daryl's shoelaces one long, thoughtful look while Adam makes a face that pretty much says it all at Daryl's remark. Caught red-handed. He doesn't have much excuse for this, other than "the event made me do it."]}

You'd guess right. _{[He'll give Daryl that much.]} Looks like you'll be seeing a lot more of me out here with a Fido needing to run around.

_{[From his tone, it's hard to say whether that's a good thing, a bad thing, or just a thing he needs to adjust to.]}

( text )

[ripstides]

how large are we talking here?

[ because there's big and then there's hi, i have a hellhound the size of a garbage truck big. ]

text;

[halfwinchester]

_{[Something the size of a garbage truck would be a little hard to hide even in a mansion where the rooms change proportions every day. Luckily, no hellhounds this time, though god knows Adam might have the requisite Hell experience by now to have an easier time controlling them.]}

Like closing in on carnival pony large.

_{[He's starting to thinks some repressed childhood desires had come out in this one.]}

Text

[breakthecurse]

Hm...
I'm sorry. I don't know anything about how to train dogs but
maybe a name like Spot might be nice?

[She's always liked that name for a dog!]

text;

[halfwinchester]

Thought I'd ask.

<sub>[Hey, he's met angels, he's well-aware there aren't any miracle cures, but testing the water hadn't seemed like a bad plan just in case Wonderland had a dog guru on board.

At least with advice he could decide what sounds good and what sounds like crap himself. With her name suggestion, on the other hand, he can't tell if it's supposed to be serious or not, and there's a delay in responding while Adam decides on if he should call bullshit.]</sub>

He doesn't have any spots so there goes that.

text.

[formercheerio]

where did you get a dog from?

text;

[halfwinchester]

_{[Not the pet store or the puppy stork, that's for sure. The truth still sounds more ridiculous when he types it out, but...]}

One of the closets.

_{[Because that's how we do in Wonderland.]}

action »

[braiding]

[ he's gotten the spiel from almost everyone he had run into on the beach and in the kitchens as to where he is, but it doesn't make finnick feel any less on edge. he's coming back from the beach, the only place within wonderland that feels a little like home, with a fish he's peeled and has chosen to eat raw (because he's a little disgusting like that). he's wearing shorts, and doesn't really seem to mind that he's still dripping wet. he'd left the makeshift spear he'd used to catch the fish lying against a tree. but his trek back to the mansion for a bottle of water and perhaps a few snacks to steal from the kitchen is stopped momentarily by a great, big lumbering beast following the commands of its owner rather sluggishly. finnick's seen dogs of that size a few times before, some in district 4 and some in the arena, but this dog lacks a face of a fallen tribute. if anything, it just seems to drool a lot. ]

[ the dog isn't a puppy, and yet, the guy is treating it as though it is one. he thinks to walk past, but finnick's never been any good at letting sleeping dogs lie. ] You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[Maybe it's because he's developing a sixth sense for weird people that Adam looks up from trying to get Mr. Untrainable to sit when he does. There are a lot of people around here who don't seem to care about wearing clothes. He's seen... two naked guys on the network so far...?

Here's another one walking across the grass like he's just stepped out of the pool. Not even the mastiff, who seems to have a penchant for standing at attention to get a good read on strangers, moves too far away from Adam's legs.

Maybe it's the water. Born or popped out of the closet, maybe this dog's got a healthy aversion to baths like most normal ones.]</sub>

Good thing he's new.

_{[He gives the dog's chest a rub. What's he supposed to say? "I skipped having a pet as a kid and now I'm trying to learn as I go"?]}

action;

[rues]

[ clarisse is beginning to wonder if she's cursed to keep running into adam, or if wonderland just thinks it's funny to keep throwing them in the same place at the same time. really, ever since the queen's party, she's been doing her best to avoid the little prick. even if her last run-in with him was technically his freaky mirror double.

it's really the massive dog that gets her attention, and not its owner. she's always been a dog person thanks to her dad, but it's not like camp really allows pets. mrs. o'leary is more of a mascot than a pet, and she's more loyal to percy than anyone else, mostly because clarisse was busier trying to make sure her future boyfriend didn't die than trying to make friends with a hellhound.

she doesn't even realize it's adam until it's too late and she's already in proximity. she should just leave, considering every time she's tried to strike up conversation with this guy since the incident has resulted in not-so-pleasant things. at least the dog seems happy to see her. so as she bends down to pet the massive mutt, maybe she'll just casually talk to him instead of adam. this seems like a good idea. ]

Hey, boy. I bet you smell all sorts of good things on me.

[ gunpowder, sweat, the blood of her enemies the tears of children dirt and pine... ]

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[At some point, "training" becomes half-hearted at best, a veneer for playtime. He's bent down to roughhouse with the dog a bit when Clarisse, of all people, enters the periphery of his vision. What, had the bat signal gone up as soon Adam had been in a good mood to make sure someone came along to put him on edge again?

Adam's not even sure what his attacker's name is, but he is sure she's never looked like this before--not brimming with anger, and not looking like Dean. Pretty much the opposite of the violent offender he'd met that one day. Although Michael might have haled any trace of the injury from his face, she still isn't rounding out his list of top ten people he wants to put up with, stalemate or not.

She has other plans, clearly. She waltzes right up like queen of the world, and Adam watches her try to pet his dog with a deepening furrow in his brow. The dog, ears cocked at her presence, gives her the sniff test; its nose follows her hand before it releases one booming bark instead of taking a chunk out of her face. There's that saying that animals are supposed to be good judges of character, but...

He curls his fingers under the mastiff's collar and gives it a little tug so that it sits down slightly behind his leg. Who said you could touch his stuff? Get your own dog, Clarisse.]</sub>

You always just do what you want?

_{[His tone would sound more curious than accusatory if not for the thinly veiled sarcasm.]}

[favourthebow]

[Even in this foreign place, Kíli is often found in a good mood, all the more so as of late. It's not uncommon to find the dwarf out and about the grounds, chatting up even the most random of people.

So naturally, when he sees the pair doing what looks like playing from afar, he hops on over in their direction. At first he can only recognize there is a man, though he has little idea of what the other thing is, so big that it could very well be a pony, but as the distance decreases, Kíli can recognize the animal, even if it has a size that he had never once seen before.

Mahal's beard, is that a dog?, is the first thing he thinks, especially the closer he gets and the taller the animal seems to become. By the time they would stand next to one another, he would easily tower over Kíli.]

That is a beautiful beast! [He does not seem frightened in the least, though he doesn't reach to touch the dog yet, just in case he's not friendly.] What is his name?

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[If there is an optical illusion at work here, Adam's not sure it's the dog, though the mastiff is a brute even for someone who stands at 6'1" like Adam. Kili, from the corner of Adam's eye, stands at a pretty damn diminutive height in comparison, like a child. Except when Adam looks at the owner of the voice in the middle of trying to rein in the dog, he can see Kili isn't.

Dwarfism exists in modern Earth, but not... quite like this. The dog doesn't seem to know what to make of the first child-sized person he's come across, either. He fails to do much more than stare Kili down with the soft brown eyes of a lover, not a fighter. With a roooo? sound, he halts what he's doing to stick his muzzle out toward the dwarf, checking him out with his full attention.

Adam, meanwhile, is more caught up with the fact the... what is this?... looks like he's stepped right out of a fantasy novel, medieval clothes and all.

Huh.]</sub>

Uh...

_{[He blinks, caught in a mental struggle of some kind. 1) dwarf? And 2) this sack of wrinkles, a beautiful beast? Adam looks down at the dog, who creeps closer, giving Kili's hair a sniff test.]}

Uh. He's not... _{[What are you.]} ... He doesn't have one yet.