thenearshore | (no subject)

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Who: Ronald

diehardreaper and Horikawa Kunihiro

shufu
What: Prayer #16 | Ron takes his new shinki out for a test drive and tries to find a puppy without getting attached
When: April 24
Where: Around town
Warnings: None

[ For some reason, he'd chosen a park to start his search. Or at least one would call it the beginning of a search. Instead, Ronald's appropriated a bench along with a pile of scrap paper and a pen. He seems to be struggling slightly as he holds down the paper with his knee, scribbling furiously with the only arm he has left to make what appears to be a Missing poster. He scrutinizes it slightly before holding it up, head tilting slightly to see if it made any sense.

Lost: One Dog
If found, bring to park by 4pm 2day

Yup. Makes perfect sense to him. But he decides to pause, glancing over at his shoulder to try and get his shinki's opinion. ]

D'you think this'll do or should we just go about town calling its name?

[ The poster is written in English with rather sloppy handwriting. Much good will it do them in Tokyo. But he seems pretty eager to get this prayer done with. ]

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[Ah... thats...

Horikawa fights the urge to sigh. After all. This was his god. His new god and he was trying to get along with him in the vain hopes that maybe the third time was the charm as they say. But it's hard to ignore the discouragement he felt at waking up in a new shrine with a new master that isn't likely to dissipate just because he's finally out and helping with more than just the housework for a change.

But he desperately wants this to work or maybe next time they will decide that he's the one that's not useful. So even though he can't force a lie, at least the truth can be spun in a number of different threads.]

Well I think it could help to find a dog. [He observes carefully, standing at a respectful distance beside the bench.]

A dog not our dog.

[ Eh, he tried. But he's not discouraged at all! He pauses a moment, staring up into the sky before pulling himself up off the bench and stuffing his hand in his pocket. ]

Yeah, this prolly won't do us any sodding good. Come along then. We'll do it the old fashioned way!

[ He motions for Horikawa to follow him with a jerk of his head. ]

You don't need to stay so far, by the by. M'not going to bite.

[How can he explain that it's not like he's afraid -- what is there even to fear in death after all -- but it's strange to devote himself to one god after another like this relationship meant little more than the single serving friends you might encounter on the way to work. Some shinki had no issues with jumping from one god to another but Hori feels if not absolute loyalty then devotion at least was important.

But nods and voices his assent and does his best to keep pace with Ron all the same.]

Does it say anything about the owners? Perhaps they can point us in the right direction. Where their dog might have liked to go and such. [A name for instance.]

M'not sure about the owners but...

[ There's a headtilt as he tries to remember everything on the request. ]

Lessee... his name was Tosh-- Toshiko? [ Is he even pronouncing that right? ] Anyroad, his owners are this old couple. They came home from the grocers one day when the pup just ran out the door the minute they opened it. They dunno where he went.

[ Turning on his heel as he turned his back to his shinki. ]

The shopping street they came from isn't too far from their house! D'you want to start there?

[Toshi huh? For some reason that strikes a chord with the shinki though he doesn't offer much sign of it. But it does leave him feeling even more strongly about finding this dog. Like something even more important was wrapped up in it.

Horikawa merely gives a curt nod though, not too enthusiastic.]

He's still young right? Hopefully that means he'll be afraid to venture too far.

[Though that could just as easily lead to a dog with all energy and no reserve. He's just have to hope for the best.]

At least if he's left any clues they'll still be fresh.

Prolly so. Either that or it's a fairly small pooch. Haven't seen anything large when I venture downtown.

[ Either way, he's directing them to a small residential street. It isn't very busy, even for this time of day. People are walking here and there, minding their own business. Some are even walking their own dogs but it's as Ron says. Nothing larger than a beagle in this part of town. But he does stop in front of one particular gate. The nameplate outside reads "Maeda". ]

This is the old folk's house, I wager so... this is where the trail starts! [ At this, he allows himself the smallest grin. ] Blimey, it's like a mystery novel, innit?

Well that's because the houses here are so small. If one even lives in a house at all. Most people don't have room for bigger pets.

[Horikawa tends to rattle off information whether it was invited or not and his god wasn't exactly familiar with the area. He'd let him know if it was unwanted, right?

He stops up again at the name however. The two characters that form it some of the most common one would find in Japan. So it's nothing special and certainly not anything they need to find the dog. So why...]

It doesn't look like they're home. [He says instead, not lacking for the hint of mischievousness implied by Ron.] So no one will probably mind if we poke around.

Yeah, that makes sense. Couldn't imagine having something like a ruddy sled dog in one of these.

[ He's looking up at the house, frowning slightly as if trying to scrutinize the inside from where he's standing. ]

Might have a bit of trouble getting in... unless... hang on a tick.

[ And with that, he's heading to the shadowy side of the gate, pressing his hand onto the wood before stopping right where the shadows seem deepest. It takes him a second before he seems to step into it, falling forward into the shadows of the gate. Another second passes until an 'ow blimey! Ah, there we are.' is heard from inside before the front door slides open and the death god is seen standing right behind it. ]

Well, there we are. Hit the nail on the head, you did. No one's home. Any ideas what we should keep an eye out for?

[For all that Horikawa might nag over somethings, he doesn't seem to have any qualms about what his god is doing now. Instead he just pokes his head inside curiously and waits for Ron to give the all clear.]

Somewhat less literally than you. [Is that a smile? The first since he awoke in the temple of his new god in fact.]

Well, even a puppy would be excited to see his owners, not run away from them. Unless there was something to entice it. Or scare it off. [Considering their line of work, Horikawa places a bit more emphasis on the later.]

Yeah, that'd make sense... didn't hear a thing when I got in though.

[ But it does him good to see a smile on his shinki's face. Good. He'd been trying to get along with the poor thing after all. He steps aside, stuffing his hands in his pocket and making room for the other to enter. ]

No barking, no little tapping puppy feet so it's prolly safe to say he hasn't come home yet. Did see an empty dish in the kitchen when I popped in though.

He couldn't have come back and just left again right? How would he get in?

[Standing in the houses, Hori starts to give it a thorough look around, turning slowly in place as he does. It's a modest enough place, with all the cluttered trappings of a couple that have had a lifetime to amass them. It looks like they had kids, all grown and moved out now.

The perfect time and place to bring a dog home really. He can almost imagine how upsetting it would be to lose that again, and so soon.]

It looks like they might have been having a hard time with him. He scratched up the floors, and the door over here. [Said with a simple gesture.]

He prolly doesn't have the same powers we do, that's for certain... Maybe he went to look for a friend?

[ Because really, he can't imagine a little puppy popping in and out like he does.

He turns on one heel though, folding his arm behind his back just so he can grip his empty sleeve. Not a good idea if it goes flopping around and snagging on things after all. The minute Horikawa points it out though, he stops and peers close. Yup. Those sure are scratches. ]

Prolly fairly normal these though. He's a small pup so he'd be running about...

If that were the case I'd say we have an even bigger mystery on our hand.

[That certainly is the logical explanation though, he has to admit. Children are a handful right? And that certainly didn't stop being the case even when they weren't human. One of the hazards that hopefully the benefits would out weight.

But there's no other signs of the dog -- it's probably time they move on really -- and the tracks seem to lead from somewhere. Down the hall a short hall and into the alcove that leads to the bathroom and that's where he spots it, behind the washer and tucked in a space too small for a human but perfect for a puppy to get into mischief.

Horikawa frowns.]

Um... Mr. Knox? [He hasn't quite worked out what's most comfortable for referring to his new god. But that's not important right now. Not when there's traces of blood and tufts of fur to consider.]

[ There are times when he wishes these prayers weren't so vague. Assignment folders back home were more detailed. At least they included a date, time, name and a photo to go by. These were barely half as informative. But - he considers - it's probably time to turn over a new leaf. At least he'll have some tales of competence to tell when he gets back.

His attention is drawn away from the kitchen to his shinki calling him.

He doesn't bother calling back, instead heading toward where he last heard Horikawa. When he arrives, there's a single whistle at the blood and fur. ]

...well bugger me sideways. S'not a wonder they called a god of death for this.

[Oh that's... rather fatalistic isn't it.] You don't think it's that serious do you? I mean it's not that much. And if he's hurt he can't have gotten very far.

[Make no mistake, Horikawa isn't exactly bothered by the blood or even the thought of death, but it would make for a rather abrupt and disappointing end to their prayer. He doesn't much like the thought of having to confront the couple about it either. They were supposed to be in the line of helping people...]

Blimey, m'hoping not. It'd be a ruddy shame if we ended up botching our first prayer together, eh?

[ He does elbow Horikawa lightly in his side, almost teasingly. It's just to break the tension of finding fur, blood, and the potential for dead puppy. But he steps past his shinki, crouching down at the blood to peer at it. ]

Or they might've called for a death god to prevent a death. Blood looks fairly fresh! If our little friend's run off, he's prolly nearby and breathing yet.

An answer is still an answer, even if it's an unhappy one. [And now he's the one keeping things cheerful. But it's hope for the best and expect the worse, isn't it?]

That's true though, particularly in your case. Traditionally, Baron Samedi could cure any ailment. [Someone has done their homework. Ah, he probably already knows that though.

In any case, none of that would be of any use if they didn't find poor Toshi in time and Horikawa is already on his feet, ready to head out. They'd found all the needed here.]

Good lad knowing that right off the bat! There's a shinki with a firm head on his shoulders.

[ Have a congratulatory clap of a hand on your shoulder as he passes, Horikawa. ]

Course, even if that's the case, don't hold it against me if I can't, alright? Never really had reason to do so but there's always a first time for everything, eh?

[ He's quick to step out himself, looking left and right before pointing down to the small alleyway right next the house. ]

Tally-ho, then! That's prolly the best bet we have in locating Toshi.

[Horikawa is a bit shaken by the praise. It's not a big deal right? If Ron is his god then it's to be expected that he should know things like that. Still, it's a good feeling; one he hasn't experienced in quite a long time.]

Right. [No time to dwell on it though. This time Horikawa readily keeps up without slinking too far behind.] He probably left more blood. It shouldn't be hard to find now that we know what to look for.

[Already, he's scanning the ground and along the corners of the alley, anywhere a little pup could reach.]

[ You can't blame the guy for wanting to stay positive at a time like this. It's just in his nature, after all. He's always been the least grim of the reapers. That and he's wanted to make a positive first impression on his shinki from the minute Horikawa showed up at his doorstep so to speak. Sure, the haunted manor that seemed perpetually covered in filth didn't but out here? He still had a chance.

While he seems to be taking a less-attentive approach to searching, he's actually taking in tiny details as he walks. ]

Think it could've been an ayakashi though? Can't imagine the sort of thing that'd happen to a pup to have him lose that much fur.

[ But his head jerks up at the sound of a nearby garbage can rattling. ]

D'you hear that?

[At the sound Horikawa is already on high alert. There's no way he could have missed the sound, clearly unnatural in it's persistence. He looks to Ron, somewhat hopeful.]

I guess we'll find out. [And it's Horikawa that also takes the initiative to go first. If anything were to go wrong, a shinki is more easily replaceable than a god, he reasons. He's careful but not particularly slow in his approach and as he scoots the garbage aside with his foot he cries out in surprise.]

Hey get off him! [For there he is, Toshi-chan beleaguered by an ayakashi about the size and shape of a bat. He tries to shoo it off but it's difficult to disturb it too much without touching it.]

Hang on... Hori!

[ He's about to call him to step back because gosh don't take risks like that but thankfully, his shinki's okay... and so is the pup. ]

Right then. Best we deal with this ayakashi and get the poor sod back home, eh? Jyoki!

[ It's a small ayakashi but he kept his hand outstretched for his shinki. Best they take care of it completely instead of just chasing it off. ]

Trust you'll be careful not to hit Toshi, mate?

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