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Post by Ashe on Nov 1, 2019 2:02:21 GMT -6
"Well, that's really sad," Ashe said out loud, talking to Inyala, who was perched on his shoulder. It was a wonder in itself that his shoulder didn't have an imp-butt-shaped indent by now, the way she always sat there. Ashe was with his minion at the quest board, having just completed the overnight hunt for the thief. It had turned out to be a Slynk; they always liked shiny things, and new tools were the perfect size for them to make off with, he supposed. But he and Maverick had chased them away, gotten their reward, and were now looking for more. Ashe was always on the lookout for ways to earn more goodies. Did that make him greedy? Inyala leaned forward; she was unable to read Common. Though she was relatively untested, Ashe figured she could read Runes or something really cool (considering how smart she was), but unhelpful because of its rarity. The man touched the paper with a finger, showing her what he was looking at. "A little girl's Rakai puppy is sick. Probably just needs to go to the vet. I don't have many healing pets, and none trained-" I really should work on that, Ashe thought - "but I can take it to the vet no problem. Can't let a little girl lose her buddy!"Inyala made a chirping noise at him, and Ashe shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, it just sounds like a little girl to me."And that is the prologue of how Ashe came to be leading his own Rakai puppy, the forever young Akop, on a leash to the address listed on the quest paper. Akop always looked a little sullen, but right now he was perked up and excited to be going for a 'W'! Akop: 0 1/5 Inyala: 0 1/5 Ashe: 0 1/20 Post 1
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Post by Ashe on Nov 2, 2019 14:05:46 GMT -6
Akop pranced along on the end of his leash, showing off how poorly he had been leash trained. That was all on Ashe, honestly, because he didn't take him for walks often. Ashe hoped the girl had a little fenced in yard or something where they would run and play, because he didn't quite trust the little guy off the leash running free in the open. Ashe had Inyala, and multiple pets he could call in a split second to trap the pup, but that sounded like an awful lot of hassle for just visiting a sick puppy. He didn't even want to think about if the pup was actually sick, like gravely ill, and not just in need of companionship or a quick vet visit for some medication.
Inyala walked on all fours next to the Mur pup, seeming to enjoy having another small creature to walk with. It was odd for her to prefer stretching her legs to riding on Ashe's shoulder, though the man wouldn't complain about her new position. His shoulder felt weird, like her ten pound body weight had permanently adjusted his shoulder bones. Together, the three walked down the road, with Ashe glancing down at the paper he'd taken periodically to make sure they hadn't passed it up.
Akop: 0 2/5 Inyala: 0 2/5 Ashe: 0 2/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 2, 2019 14:17:33 GMT -6
The houses out this way were cute, Ashe mused, as they passed one after the other. He was used to his own elaborate mansion, and his friends' fancy cabins. But not everyone was rich enough to live in such opulence. Ashe had spend many years in the Fighting Pit, the Contest hall, participating in the black market sales of animals, doing favors for other people, training and lending his own pets out for other people to use. You couldn't get this far on Wealth hadn't come quickly, but it had come. Not everyone was willing to do what it took to make it, and they could still live comfortable lives, just... Not with their own personal zoos.
There was a yellow house on a corner, and with a second glance at the paper, Ashe determined that that was their target location. He gave the leash a little jerk, startling Akop. The pup had gotten into a nice rhythm of leaning into the leash to pull Ashe along with his nose to the ground, and that jerk had broken the trance. He stopped in his tracks and looked up, then woofed once at Ashe, wondering why the change. Inyala glanced at the house, then at her Master, and figured it out. She scurried back over to Ashe and climbed up his leg to his shoulder.
Akop: 0 3/5 Inyala: 0 3/5 Ashe: 0 3/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 2, 2019 15:01:47 GMT -6
Her weight on his shoulder was welcome, and Ashe put his hand up to settle her once she got situated, then he turned to walk up the walkway, through a small gate in the fence. So at least they did have a fenced in yard! Ashe noticed that there were some toys laying around, though they had obviously been left outside and were in disrepair. Ashe had a few new toys with him to play with this sick puppy, so they didn't need to worry about that. He shut the gate behind them and walked to the house. Up the couple of stone steps leading to the porch, and then to the door. Standing on the welcome mat that just had the word "WELCOME!" with a few pawprints. He rapped the door with his knuckles, as Akop twirled the leash around his legs, his little tail wagging and the wings flapping with excitement. Surely he could smell the other Rakai-Sarane, and it was always exciting for a puppy to meet another puppy! Ashe kind of envied that simple excitement; life wasn't as easy for grownups.
Inyala peered ahead at the door, as if she could see through it. She was waiting, waiting to make sure that the people within meant no harm at all to her master. Ashe had said they were here to visit a Rakai, but one could never be too sure...
Akop: 0 4/5 Inyala: 0 4/5 Ashe: 0 4/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 7, 2019 20:44:12 GMT -6
The door opened and an older woman stood there. She had a very 'mother'ly look to her, the kind where you could tell parenthood had weighed on her and she had given her life to raising a child. Some mothers somehow retained a super model appearance, but that was the rarity; most succumbed to the weight of the truly important tasks. Not that she was ugly, and she wasn't even that old. Right now, however, she seemed like she would run off immediately and take a nap if Ashe so much as suggested he babysit.
Which he wasn't about to do, of course. Especially as he eyed the bouncing baby... he couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, honestly, as it was wearing white and not a gender color, with a simple tuft of hair. So he would just stop at 'baby'. No wonder the woman was worn out; two kids!
Akop immediately started barking when he saw the stranger. Brave as he had pretended to be, when presented with a stranger he was actually pretty shy! Poor boy. He hid behind Ashe's legs, peeking out. Inyala was busy assessing the situation and eyeing the woman, until even the Imp couldn't figure out how a woman like her might be threatening in any sense of the word.
Except maybe by asking Ashe to stay for tea or something. And drugging the tea.
Akop: 1 0/5 Inyala: 1 0/5 Ashe: 0 5/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 7, 2019 20:58:15 GMT -6
"Hello... May I help you?" The woman asked, looking understandably wary. Here was Ashe, a full grown man in dark clothes that have obviously been worn around monstrous creatures, with a little skeletal patterned dog and an imp on his shoulder. If he didn't look like Death himself - or maybe Hades, or Charon, or someone cool like that - then what did he look like? A creeper? He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back out of his face, and smiled warmly at her.
"Hello, Miss," Ashe said, fully aware that, unless used ironically or sarcastically, women tended to not enjoy being called 'Ma'am'. He knew he called Alura Ma'am, out of politeness, but she was... Nah, the nuances of a woman's feelings were too much to put into words. Or, for Ashe's brain to put into words. Instinct told him to say "Miss" and turn on the charm.
"I'm here because I saw, on the quest board... I think maybe a note from your daughter, about a sick Rakai puppy named Poppy?" Ashe continued, after the tiniest of pauses. "My name's Ashe, by the way. This is Inyala-" He shrugged his shoulder with the little blue Imp on it - "And this is Akop." He gestured with the hand holding the leash in its grasp. The Rakai made a little yip sound as the strap rustled against its side. He was still too shy to come out and say hello.
Akop: 1 1/5 Inyala: 1 1/5 Ashe: 0 6/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 7, 2019 22:08:34 GMT -6
Her eyebrows raised and she made a face. Ashe realized something was wrong but he didn't know what he'd said- then realization dawned on her face and she relaxed a bit. All this while, the baby on her hip stared at Inyala with big, wide eyes. The Imp stared back, intrigued by this miniature human that was no bigger than she herself was. It almost even looked like her, except pudgey where she was skinny, and mocha brown where she was blue. She blinked her eyes slowly at it, and it blinked back.
Suddenly, the mom gasped, and laughed a little. "Oh! You must mean the letter Stephen wrote asking for help with his sick puppy. I didn't realize someone would actually come..." She smiled and opened the door further, leaning back to allow him access into the house. Inyala muttered softly into his ear, something along the lines of "Isn't that a boy's name for you humans?" and Ashe politely restrained himself from shrugging her off onto the lady's Welcome mat. He tugged on the leash and clicked his tongue to get the pup's attention, and Akop followed after him into the house, with the door shutting behind them. The lady continued on ahead of them into what looked like a kitchen. "Stephen! Stephen, where are you? Someone's here to see you!"
Ashe and co. trailed behind her, close enough to follow but far enough back to be polite.
Akop: 1 2/5 Inyala: 1 2/5 Ashe: 0 7/20
Post 7
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Post by Ashe on Nov 7, 2019 22:31:10 GMT -6
There was the pitter patter of socked feet on wood floors and a young boy that couldn't be more than six or seven came scurrying over to his mother. He skidded to a halt when he saw Ashe, and ducked behind the mother's thigh. She chuckled a bit, as if sympathizing with her son over his reaction to Ashe's appearance. There was just something that wasn't quite right with that man, wasn't there? But, he was here with seemingly good intentions - how else could he know about the puppy, and why else would he come bearing a Rakai of his own? - so she was willing to trust him at least a little.
"It's okay, Stephen, this nice man is here to see Poppy. I think he might know how to help him, what do you think?" She smiled at her son and stroked his hair reassuringly. Stephen looked up at her, then over at Ashe - and that's when he locked eyes with Akop. The puppy froze at first, staring, then he started wagging his tail in a friendly manner, then he started to run forward, nearly choking himself on the leash. Ashe chuckled and knelt down, to be on level with the boy and the pup. This meant Inyala still towered over them, though the woman was above and she did not like that.
"Hi, Stephen, I'm Ashe. And this is Akop. Pleased to meet you."
Akop: 1 3/5 Inyala: 1 3/5 Ashe: 0 8/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 7, 2019 22:45:53 GMT -6
"H-hi. I'm St-stephen," the boy replied, still a little shy. But he was starting to warm up now that he saw Akop. Despite the pup's less than friendly appearance - what with the skull and bones and such, which to Ashe were the best things ever, but to normal people it might be a tad creepy - he had won the boy over. Akop bounced and bounded over once they were close enough and practically pounced the boy, knocking him onto his butt. He looked startled and afraid at first, but the soft pink tongue slobbered all over his face and made him giggle and squeal with glee instead. He petted Akop and said nice things like "Good puppy" and "Hey that tickles!"
Ashe and Inyala watched the pair together, with Ashe smiling and Inyala just casually staring. "Well, Stephen, how about you show me Poppy? Let's see if we can get him feeling better, what do you say?" Ashe was, at this point, really hoping it was something simple and not something he'd need to take him to the vet, or to the healer's, to get sorted out. Please be something he could modify in his diet, or set up a playdate. Stephen looked up from his slobber bath and nodded. He got up, petting Akop all the while until he had to gently shove him back so he could regain his feet.
"This way," the young boy said.
Akop: 1 4/5 Inyala: 1 4/5 Ashe: 0 9/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 7, 2019 22:53:06 GMT -6
Ashe followed Stephen into the next room, which was a kind of family room. A rug over a wooden floor, soft well used couches - two of them - and a comfy looking black armchair. A coffee table. A TV mounted onto the wall. A CD player on a side table. Ashe took it all in as soon as he stepped into the threshold. He was honestly used to looking over rooms thanks to the habits created by the Mansion, though this room held no special treats or prizes for him to find. He followed the boy to a canine bed in the corner, where a poor little blue puppy lay, listless and sad looking. The Arcane Rakai pup, that should be vibrant and full of life, looked sullen and depressed. Ashe walked over and knelt by the puppy, reaching out to touch it. It was a juggle, trying to interact with the sick one and also keep Akop from jumping all over it. For all of his fears of adult people, Akop seemed to have no issue playing with another Rakai! He yipped and pounced and pranced and pounded the ground with his legs, wanting to play with Poppy. But Poppy just laid there. Ashe stroked his fur, put a hand on his side to try to feel breaths and heart beats.
Akop: 2 0/5 Inyala: 2 0/5 Ashe: 0 10/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 2:57:21 GMT -6
Nothing seemed too strained or causing him trouble. And all of his poking and prodding hadn't caused a yelp or a whimper, to signify pain. That was good, that meant he wasn't under too much distress. "Does he have any toys?" Ashe asked the boy. Stephen nodded in reply and hurried off to go find them. While he was gone, Ashe scooped the puppy up and sat down on the couch, holding the pup in his lap. Akop's leash was dropped and Ashe's foot was firmly on the loop to keep him from running off, though the real goal should be to keep him from jumping up on Poppy and investigating!
So Ashe started his examination. There was no cough present. Gums looked pink. Eyes were a little dull, but the coat was shiny and soft, not falling out. Except for the feet... The feet showed signs of fur loss, looking like they'd been licked almost raw. Not 'opened raw and now infected,' thankfully it was more in the early stages. But Ashe recognized this.
Inyala hopped down onto the couch next to him to help examine the pup. She didn't touch, but she looked, and occasionally point things out to Ashe. Such as, the nails were trimmed, teeth were clean - this pup was obviously loved, just there was something stressing it out. He'd have to get to the bottom of it.
Akop: 2 1/5 Inyala: 2 1/5 Ashe: 0 11/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 3:14:11 GMT -6
The boy returned with some cheap toys that were well worn. Ashe fought back a grimace; he was rich and used to having everything, but some normal families had few things and were less well off. They had provided what they could, and obviously Poppy, or a pet they had before the Rakai, had loved the toys to death. but they didn't look like they would be fun to play with anymore. The squeakers were out, they were dull and nasty in color, no stuffing, barely anything to hang on to. The tennis ball had a hole in it so it was awkward to hold let alone throw, and don't even mention bouncing...
Ashe cleared his throat, trying not to be rude. Inyala had no such qualms and threw each toy, one by one, onto the ground in disgust. Her little Imp face crinkled up as she did so, though thankfully she was more angled toward Ashe, so Stephen wouldn't be seeing it as much. Down on the ground, Akop gave the toys a sniff. At first, it seemed like his lucky day, things falling from the sky and whatnot. But a single sniff was all he was able to give each item before he was absolutely done with it. Ears pinned, he would back off from the toy, and try the next; rinse and repeat.
"I brought some toys with me... I think you might need some new ones, eh?"
Akop: 2 2/5 Inyala: 2 2/5 Ashe: 0 12/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 3:24:27 GMT -6
The boy flushed bright pink at the very idea that he hadn't been giving Poppy the best toys he could. Ashe saw this reaction and inwardly groaned; he wasn't good with kids, he was good with ladies and blunt with most people, but he definitely didn't know how to deal with kids. So he tried his best. He smiled warmly at the boy and shook his head. "I didn't mean it like that. Well played with toys sometimes wear out or break. These are just worn out, obviously Poppy loved to chew on them, huh?"
He reached into his pockets and pulled out the new toys. A new ball. A squeaky ham. A frisbee. "I had a few spares of these in case my own puppy wore the originals out, but I think Poppy might like to play with them even more. What do you think?" Ashe set the new toys on the couch cushion next to him, making Inyala move a bit so he would have the space to. She allowed him to put the frisbee down but after that, she insisted on taking the toys from him and putting them down herself. He couldn't blame her, she was pretty bored at this point.
Ashe shifted Poppy on his lap, tickling his tummy and rubbing his back. The pup was still pretty chill and that worried Ashe. Maybe he'd ingested something off of one of those bad toys? He set him on the cushion next to the toys, and squeaked the ham to get his attention. Instead, he got Akop's attention, the little Rakai yipping to remind Ashe he was still here, too!
Akop: 2 3/5 Inyala: 2 3/5 Ashe: 0 13/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 3:29:31 GMT -6
That gave Ashe an idea. He set Poppy on the ground next, and unhooked Akop's leash. The Mur pup yipped and ran in an excited circle, coming around to lick and nibble at his newfound friend. Poppy seemed to perk up a little bit at the attention, his tail starting to wag. Ashe took that as a good sign and grabbed the ball. He bounced it on the ground in front of the puppies a few times to get their attention and also to rile them up. Then he tossed the ball across the room, underhand so it wouldn't hurt anything. Off Akop raced, nearly knocking over poor Poppy, who took a few steps after it but stopped when it was clear he'd lost the race. Akop came back, shaking his head and playfully tearing at the ball. He shoved it in the Arcane's face, then pulled it away, teasing.
"Don't be rude!" Ashe scolded lightly, taking the ball away. He bounced it again, watching Poppy's reaction and seeing him perk up a little more. He threw it a few more times, and about the fifth time, Poppy actually ran toward the ball. Ashe nodded to the pups, looking at Inyala. "Take over for me for a minute?" Ashe asked her. "I want to check some other things." Inyala gave a nod, though honestly she had no idea how she was going to convince those mutts to give her the ball.
Akop: 2 4/5 Inyala: 2 4/5 Ashe: 0 14/20
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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 3:36:21 GMT -6
Ashe pulled Stephen aside. The boy had been enjoying watching the puppies play, but now Ashe wanted to share something with him and hoped he would take it the right way. "How often do you take Poppy for a walk?" was the first question.
He received a shrug in answer. "We play in the back yard sometimes," Stephen admitted. "But mom doesn't let me walk him, I'm too young to go by myself, and she's got my sister to take care of and doesn't have time to take us..."
Ashe nodded thoughtfully. He wandered to the window to look out into the back yard. It was tiny, smaller than Ashe's garden patch back home. No place for a Rakai to stretch its legs. "Hm..." Should he tell the boy and risk upsetting him? Or just tell the mother? In the end, Ashe decided the boy deserved to know, he was trying so hard. He walked back, with Stephen, to the pups. They were engaged in a threeway tug of war with the squeaky ham, which Inyala must have used to try to distract them from the ball, but now they wanted the ham instead of the ball and she didn't want to give it up! With them distracted, Ashe knelt by Poppy, and showed, without touching the pup, the worn places on his legs. "See this? Sometimes creatures, when they're very bored, take to doing self destructive things like this. And it becomes a habit. Canines and felines lick themselves furless. Equillion might chew the wood of their stalls until their teeth are ruined. Birds pluck their own feathers..."
Akop: 3 0/5 Inyala: 3 0/5 Ashe: 0 15/20
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