Growing up, Ren had heard horror stories about Blowfish. They called him the Little Devil, the ankle biter from hell, the worst being in existence. The few times she'd glimpsed him, her mom had gripped her wrist and pulled her away before the…thing could get any closer.
Since entering the academy, Ren hadn't given Blowfish much thought. His owner only took him out once a week because he'd been begged to limit his walks (and to provide a schedule, so everyone else could avoid him), and Ren had never had any reason to interact with the dog. The most she'd done was stare at him from a hole in a fence and watch as he made a grown man cry.
And yet, here she was, standing near Blowfish's owner as the man put a collar and leash on his demonic pet and handed him over to Ren.
"Twenty minutes should be fine," said the man. He smiled, and Ren twitched when she saw his missing teeth. She knew Blowfish couldn't have done it - the dog was practically an angel around his owner, panting softly and wagging his tail - but still…in the off chance that Blowfish actually did have that much power, Ren wanted to be far, far away. "Actually," the man continued thoughtfully, "twenty minutes might be pushing it…he's getting old, you know."
No, I don't know, Ren thought peevishly, though it did make sense. Blowfish had been around for as long as she could remember, which put his age easily at seven or older. Maybe the dog would be kinder in his old age?
Ren glanced at Blowfish, and while his owner's attention was focused on his keys, the dog's lips peeled back to reveal his needle-like teeth.
Her hand twitched, and Blowfish stood, thinking she'd tugged on his leash. At least he was trained, right? That had to mean something. Unless he was just lulling her into a sense of false security, waiting for his owner to leave so he could gnaw on Ren's bones in peace.
"Oh, aren't you two just eager to get going." The owner - whose name Ren had never known; the neighborhood kids just called him 'The Owner,' because with Blowfish as a pet, that was enough - smiled again and patted Ren on the head lightly. "I'm glad you're excited, Takahashi-san, most people don't like being around Blowfish for some reason…"
Blowfish barked, The Owner left, and Ren headed out of The Owner's backyard to the street in front of his house. They were right on time, more or less, and as per neighborhood rules, the street was empty. Blowfish trotted at her side from the backyard to the edge of the front yard, and then he dug in his heels.
"…Already?" Ren mumbled, pulling half-heartedly on his leash. Blowfish looked at her balefully with dark eyes. "Come on, even your old man said it only had to be ten minutes. You can do ten minutes, right?"
He growled.
Ren debated the pros and cons of nudging Blowfish's butt. On the plus side, he'd get up to bite her. On the con side, he would bite her.
Well, I should have ninja speed by now, so... Ren reached out with her foot and barely grazed the fur on Blowfish's bottom before he snapped around, mouth closing around her sneaker.
At least he's standing. And it's not so bad, thought Ren, I guess he is getting o--OW, OW GET OFF GET OFF--
His teeth punctured through her sneaker - which made no sense, because they were sharp but couldn't be that long - and she felt something wet gather in her sock. Ren shook her leg, but Blowfish, in true devil fashion, clung on and in the end she had to hop on her other foot and drag the dog away from her foot, all while hoping that he wouldn't attack her uncovered hands.
Ren looked at her sneaker mournfully. Her foot hurt, she was pretty sure she would leave bloody footprints and then get jailed for vandalizing public property, and the stupid dog was now walking alongside her with the smuggest grin she'd ever seen.
"This isn't worth the money," she said aloud. Her foot squelched with every other step, and she refused to look behind her at the mess left. The one good thing about this whole thing was that she knew Blowfish was up to date on his shots and stuff, and her foot wouldn't turn into a green balloon come morning. "No, wait, I'm gonna have to spend that money fixing my foot, you crazy dog."
Blowfish stuck his tongue out. Ren stopped, turned around, and dragged him back to the house. Ten minutes? The Owner wanted ten minutes? If he counted the time Ren had spent prying Blowfish off her person, they'd been out for half an hour. She was done, she was past done, and she never wanted to see Blowfish again for as long as she lived.
"Demon dog," she muttered, once Blowfish was safely away from her and in his doghouse. She eyed her punctured shoe and wondered if the first-aid kit in her house was enough to deal with this. Maybe she should stop by a store and grab some superglue once she'd been paid.
[WC: 866]
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Since entering the academy, Ren hadn't given Blowfish much thought. His owner only took him out once a week because he'd been begged to limit his walks (and to provide a schedule, so everyone else could avoid him), and Ren had never had any reason to interact with the dog. The most she'd done was stare at him from a hole in a fence and watch as he made a grown man cry.
And yet, here she was, standing near Blowfish's owner as the man put a collar and leash on his demonic pet and handed him over to Ren.
"Twenty minutes should be fine," said the man. He smiled, and Ren twitched when she saw his missing teeth. She knew Blowfish couldn't have done it - the dog was practically an angel around his owner, panting softly and wagging his tail - but still…in the off chance that Blowfish actually did have that much power, Ren wanted to be far, far away. "Actually," the man continued thoughtfully, "twenty minutes might be pushing it…he's getting old, you know."
No, I don't know, Ren thought peevishly, though it did make sense. Blowfish had been around for as long as she could remember, which put his age easily at seven or older. Maybe the dog would be kinder in his old age?
Ren glanced at Blowfish, and while his owner's attention was focused on his keys, the dog's lips peeled back to reveal his needle-like teeth.
Her hand twitched, and Blowfish stood, thinking she'd tugged on his leash. At least he was trained, right? That had to mean something. Unless he was just lulling her into a sense of false security, waiting for his owner to leave so he could gnaw on Ren's bones in peace.
"Oh, aren't you two just eager to get going." The owner - whose name Ren had never known; the neighborhood kids just called him 'The Owner,' because with Blowfish as a pet, that was enough - smiled again and patted Ren on the head lightly. "I'm glad you're excited, Takahashi-san, most people don't like being around Blowfish for some reason…"
Blowfish barked, The Owner left, and Ren headed out of The Owner's backyard to the street in front of his house. They were right on time, more or less, and as per neighborhood rules, the street was empty. Blowfish trotted at her side from the backyard to the edge of the front yard, and then he dug in his heels.
"…Already?" Ren mumbled, pulling half-heartedly on his leash. Blowfish looked at her balefully with dark eyes. "Come on, even your old man said it only had to be ten minutes. You can do ten minutes, right?"
He growled.
Ren debated the pros and cons of nudging Blowfish's butt. On the plus side, he'd get up to bite her. On the con side, he would bite her.
Well, I should have ninja speed by now, so... Ren reached out with her foot and barely grazed the fur on Blowfish's bottom before he snapped around, mouth closing around her sneaker.
At least he's standing. And it's not so bad, thought Ren, I guess he is getting o--OW, OW GET OFF GET OFF--
His teeth punctured through her sneaker - which made no sense, because they were sharp but couldn't be that long - and she felt something wet gather in her sock. Ren shook her leg, but Blowfish, in true devil fashion, clung on and in the end she had to hop on her other foot and drag the dog away from her foot, all while hoping that he wouldn't attack her uncovered hands.
Ren looked at her sneaker mournfully. Her foot hurt, she was pretty sure she would leave bloody footprints and then get jailed for vandalizing public property, and the stupid dog was now walking alongside her with the smuggest grin she'd ever seen.
"This isn't worth the money," she said aloud. Her foot squelched with every other step, and she refused to look behind her at the mess left. The one good thing about this whole thing was that she knew Blowfish was up to date on his shots and stuff, and her foot wouldn't turn into a green balloon come morning. "No, wait, I'm gonna have to spend that money fixing my foot, you crazy dog."
Blowfish stuck his tongue out. Ren stopped, turned around, and dragged him back to the house. Ten minutes? The Owner wanted ten minutes? If he counted the time Ren had spent prying Blowfish off her person, they'd been out for half an hour. She was done, she was past done, and she never wanted to see Blowfish again for as long as she lived.
"Demon dog," she muttered, once Blowfish was safely away from her and in his doghouse. She eyed her punctured shoe and wondered if the first-aid kit in her house was enough to deal with this. Maybe she should stop by a store and grab some superglue once she'd been paid.
[WC: 866]
[Topic Entered & Left]