50 shades of purple

who: Ichimatsu

sentence
what: Animals 101
when: The.... 10th?? Sometime around the Flower Festival.
where: Just outside the walls.
warnings: Swearing for sure, Ichimatsu is his own warning, Yuri is probably, too.

[So maybe he had never really been outside the walls before, because people made a pretty big deal about not going out there if you weren't Perimeter Guard or properly equipped. He'd always been curious, especially since a lot of the animals in his shelter were captures from out there, or found wounded, or somehow or another wandered their way on in. So maybe this was a good opportunity. It wasn't like he didn't trust Yuri to know how to handle a baby animal, given he seemed to handle Repede just fine, but if the guy had asked for his help, maybe he didn't know much about animals beyond dogs. Valid, really, he mostly specialized in cats, himself.]

[He was wearing actual shoes instead of his sandals, and the collared shirt he wore to work but the same striped lounge pants he seemed to always exist in, and it didn't take him long to find Yuri once he slipped out of the protection of the walls.]

...kinda nice out here, shame it's supposed to be dangerous.

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Don't worry, I'll protect you if we encounter something less than savory.

[ He pats the sword on his hip. At the very least, it doesn't look like it's seen any action. He gestures over his shoulder and starts to walk towards the left, into a wooded area with a small path carved through it like other surveyors. Repede is here, and while he's still absolutely gorgeous, he's looking rather standoffish about his Valerian incident. Like a drunk meeting a new acquaintance while sober.

... a very strange hang-up for a dog to have. ]

It's really small. It can fit in both your palms... I think there was something like it back home, but I can't remember what they were called.

[He shoves his hands into his pockets and rolls his eyes, just slightly, but traipses along after him anyway.]

I'd probably be fine, but I won't deny you your chance to play hero.

[His expression remains impassive at Repede's continued beauty with a side order of embarrassed sulk, but if he's allowed close enough he offers him a simple pat on the head.] Hey, pretty.

[He crouches over as he approaches the small bundle of fluff, sinking until he's surprisingly small, feet flat on the ground and knees tucked to his chest, one hand still in his pocket with his other arm draped neatly across his knees. He looks it over to make sure it doesn't look hurt, never once reaching out to touch it, and then takes to looking around them. He searches lower ground first, because it didn't exactly look like a flying creature, but then up and into the trees for some form of nest it could have fallen from. A large tree with an opening in its trunk near its roots catches his eye and he squints, but says nothing and looks back to the creature.]

Was it just... here, hanging out, has it been crying or anything?

It's not playing hero if I'm paid for it, you know.

[ Yuri knows he's no hero. In fact, it's one of the things he'd adamantly deny as strongly as Ichimatsu does about any positive quality about himself. If he does it for money, he's a hired gun. Right now, he's just helping one of the shelter employees through the woods to help an injured animal.

And also as a scheme to befriend Ichimatsu thanks to Osomatsu's interference.

The tiny creature squeaks, as if it wants to run but its stubby little legs can't carry it very far this young at all. It looks like it should still be with its mother... and is no doubt hungry and tired or both. A stressed little animal. ]

Listen for yourself. I left it alone for a while to see if the mom would come back, but nothing.

[He tilts his head to the side, frowning like he's considering the statement, and shrugs gently, his attention mostly on the creature at his feet. He quirks his mouth crooked and lowers one hand, letting it cower and then get curious, shifting to sniff at his fingers. He doesn't touch it, yet, just watching, and listening, periodically glancing around again.]

...Repede, can you do me a favor?

[He looks sidelong at the Beautiful Dog, fingers still dangled above the animal for it to sniff. A beat later, and he frowns, looking instead to Yuri.]

Provided, that is, you don't mind me asking your dog for favors.

[ Repede understands as much as a dog can, and trots over, to the tiny thing's dismay, looking to Ichimatsu for an instruction. He understands this much: this thing is lost and alone, and it's his responsibility as the only respectable animal here to make sure it goes somewhere safe. ]

Hey, by all means. He's all yours.

[He nods to Yuri, the gesture about halfway a bow, and then turns back to Repede, smiling faintly and reaching out to pat his head.]

I don't wanna touch it, in case it's mother comes back for it. Could you follow me with it?

[He shifts to stand, and should Repede choose to agree, he leads them over to the tree he was looking at before. He peers down into it and can't really see a damn thing, but he gestures for Repede to place it nearby anyway. He plans to sit and wait, hoping a mother... whatever-it-is will come claim it. If not, he'll take it to the shelter in a few hours.]

[ Repede picks up the tiny thing delicately by the scruff of its neck, walking over and placing it at the base of the tree. Yuri lets out a low whistle, as if impressed. ]

I've never seen him take orders from anyone else like that before.

[Ichimatsu sinks into a crouch nearby the tree and praises Repede immediately, making a pleased humming sound and simultaneously patting his head while scritching under his chin.]

...I'm better with animals than I am with people, and it might have something to do with the fact that I asked, first.

[ The cheagle squeaks as Repede picks it up by its scruff and places it closer to the tree, by the scent of it, its nest... but he peers inside and keen vision can tell him it's been vacated.

Of course, Repede is a dog and his ability to comprehend and relay information are not great. He appreciates the gratitude, though. ]

Yeah, but he's actually really stubborn at times. He has a hard time choosing who to respect and who to not.

[Even knowing the nest was vacant, Ichimatsu would probably still sit with the thing for a while. Just in case. Who knows what drove off its mother, maybe she'll still come back. It's a little sad to immediately decide it's been orphaned permanently, so he doesn't consider it an option just yet.]

[He shrugs, passing Repede a lazy smile.]

Maybe he knows he's the one that deserves the respect, not the other way around.

Maybe... don't tell me you're starting to read my dog better than I do.

[ The little cheagle lets out a distressed peep, obviously missing its mother, hungry, and scared that this dog is picking it up-- when predators would make a snack of it, usually. It's covered in yellow fur with white tips. Repede sniffs the air and gives chase in the opposite direction. Perhaps it's gotten the trail of the mother?

Well...

He comes back, just as Yuri was about to run after him. He has fur in his mouth. It's yellow and white. He spits it on the ground-- no blood or anything. The baby cheagle cries, thinking it smells its mother nearby.

Repede looks apologetic. As if this was all he could bring back. ]

I did say I was better at animals than I was at people.

[He doesn't move when Repede runs off, just watches, and when he returns with the puff of fur the same color as the little crying creature, his only real reaction is a quirk of his mouth. He inhales, holds his breath a moment, and exhales slowly, sitting up and setting a hand on Repede's head gently, petting him in a way that's both thankful and sad.]

[He looks to the cheagle for a long moment, and removes his hand from Repede's head to reach out and scoop it into both his palms. As an afterthought, he picks up the tuft of fur and offers it to the creature. How sad, to be so young and have no mother.]

[ The Cheagle takes one whiff of the fur and clings to it, as if it were a little security blanket. With its mother gone, that's all it has left of her... it even gives Yuri a bit of a pang to the heart. He was an orphan too, so. Maybe not a tiny fluffy orphan, but... ]

I guess it needs a new caretaker.

[ He folds his arms up behind him, glancing away. ]

And since you're better at animals than people, you're probably fit for the job.

[More like a Big Sexy orphan, amirite. Stupid sexy Yuri, like damn.]

[He tilts his head, his expression only barely shifting into thought from his ever-present deadpan, and he shrugs.]

It'll live here with the other animals, and there's one other guy that works here. I have four cats, I can't take something this rodent-like home.

50 shades of purple

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shits out a tag in a fit of exhausted mania i guess