against the grain of dystopic claims

[askedtobe]

Who: Peter (askedtobe), Gabriel (gabriel_gray) and YOU
When: Today, afternoonish
Where: Around sector four, some random park.
Summary: Come give doggy!Sylar cuddles.
Warnings: .... cuddles?

[ It had been nearly a full week since Peter had found out that Sylar could shape-shift into a dog, and admittedly, he knew the dangers of taking him out in public. The dangers namely being whether or not Peter could manage to keep it together if they happened across anyone he knew who might want to give his new dog Gabriel a pat on the head or two. Peter wasn't exactly known for being all grins, and it would be seen as odd if he cracked up every time somebody gave Sylar a hug.

But that was half the point; being seen in public together, a start of something far more. The beginning of not having to lie with every single word he said. Granted, this was just lying in a different sort of way.

However dangerous, Peter gladly took the opportunity to put Gabriel on a leash and head out the door for a walk. But he didn't exactly stay on a leash for long as they headed to a park in sector four, Peter tossing a ball in his hand as they went. It's not like he actually thought Gabriel would run away, but he didn't know how much doggy instinct had been instilled into his transformation. And admittedly, he was kind of curious to see. Which was exactly why as soon as they hit the park, Peter reeled back and gave the ball a gentle, well-practiced throw. Just to see what would happen, if anything at all. ]


[ ooc; two things! one; feel free to run into P&S on the way or in the park.

two: for those that do reply to this log, be aware that being around Peter means he can sponge up your character's ability. for those who don't know, he doesn't steal abilities, he simply mimics them. but if you don't want this to happen, please do let me know and we can work something out, as i'm not in the habit of trying to make peter have everyone's ability. ]

Comments

[vw_coyote]

[Mercy had taken the day off. She worked six days a week and needed today off to take care of more personal things. However, that'd only taken the morning. That had given her an entire afternoon to do something different.

Her current 'something different' was lying in a large patch of sun, on her side, letting her fur warm in the sunshine. The wind lifted her fur and she snorted as grass tickled her nose. Rolling over on her back, she yawned and stretched her paws to the sky.

She'd been sticking close to one of the older patrons of the park. No one questioned an old man and his dog.]

[OOC: Peter doesn't know about Mercy's shifting... yet! XD If you want Peter to pick up on her ghost sensing, or the fact that she's a shifter, I'm totally cool.]

you'll be hit up by gabriel next :3

[askedtobe]

[ Keeping a wayward eye on Sylar, he had to wonder how other dogs would react. Would they know that there was a human underneath all that fur, somewhere in the depths of his mind? Peter didn't have the slightest clue, not to mention, if Sylar was a shapeshifter, who else here could possibly be?

Waiting for Gabriel to pick up the thrown ball, he crouched down lower, waiting to see if he needed to call him back away from the scent of other dogs, or if everything would turn out okay. This was all a rather large experiment, and Peter was keeping himself on his toes, expecting the worse, but hoping for the best. ]

Gabriel? [ It was half hesitant shout, but maybe the other dog would stay as it was -- except suddenly the other dog looked awfully familiar. Was that the same one who'd shown up after Robin? ]


[ ooc; makes sense to me! 8D he doesn't know it's her but he still remembers her doggie form. ]

[gabriel_gray]

[ It was odd being a dog, somewhere between hyperaware of himself - his four strange legs and his tail - and letting himself let go to it all, the way his ears swivelled on their own toward sounds, and his eyes caught the briefest flicker of movement and snapped aside, the strange thrill that leapt in him as the ball went whizzing past his head, his body already moving to chase it before he even realised what he was doing. Too much time like this and he knew it would be a problem working out which side of him was real.

He chased the ball until he caught it, almost tripping over his own feet as it stopped and he didn't, and as he stood there movement drew his attention, and a new scent. He flicked one ear toward Peter, standing predator still, but a moment later he was off, trotting toward Mercy where she lay basking in the grass, and as he got close, padding warily closer.

It had been so long since he'd been out, and this felt good. The grass was still damp from the morning's showers, and the smells were fresh and sharp, and as he got closer he wagged his tail a little more, totally caught up in the experience. ]

[vw_coyote]

[Shifter.

The smell ran across her nose and her eyes snapped open. Almost immediately, she was on her feet. Her ears flicked forward and her nose worked overtime. She smelled something familiar on him, someone familiar.

She looked around. Where was he?

She sat on the grass and flicked her ears forward at the unfamiliar dog that approached her. Well, who are you?]

[askedtobe]

[ Well, it was certainly obvious that Sylar wasn't going to be paying attention to him anytime soon, and Peter plopped himself down onto the grass to simply watch. If he needed to intervene, he could always teleport over there in a second, less than a second in fact. But that might also raise suspicions.

Not to mention, Peter was kind of enjoying seeing just how deep the transformation went. He highly doubted Sylar had much control over some of the things he was doing, and it was kind of adorabe.

Watching the dogs for even longer confirmed it: that was the dog who'd shown up with Midna after he and Sylar had killed Robin, after Batman and Sherlock left. It was making this infinitely more interesting, Peter's curiosity officially piqued. ]

[gabriel_gray]

[ His ears were raised straight forward, almost touching along the centreline, but after she sat up he didn't come any closer, trying to work out the smells. He didn't know the difference yet, and it was like trying to read a book without any references to make sense of the words. They were just smells--at least, the new, unfamiliar ones were. Crushed grass was something he knew. Saltwater. The taint of Darkness. But certainly not dog.

His tail fell very still, and he lowered his head, coming just a little closer as though he could get a better sniff, and then the man on the bench moved and he shot off like a rocket, adrenaline powering his highspeed gallop back to Peter.

He shot around him, froze with all four feet planted in safety, and looked hard at Mercy again. He barked, and it was all instinct and a little bit of fear. ]

[vw_coyote]

[Oh Christ. She'd seen werewolves react that way. She'd seen puppies react that way. This was a shifter without any previous knowledge of how to be a canine.

Which meant that he was in a lot of damned trouble.

Mercy huffed out her sides in a sigh, and looked up at her chosen patron for the day. An arthritis swollen hand leaned down and ruffled her ears.]

Go on and play, pretty one. I'm headed home.

[Mercy watched the old guy leave, surprised he'd survived the winter. Then, she scratched her ear and trotted over. Instead of bothering with the dog, she jumped up lightly on the bench and looked at Peter. She knew him, and right now she wanted an explanation.]

[askedtobe]

[ Watching Gabriel shoot like a rocket back towards him, Peter just blinks a few times with a furrowed brow, attention flicking back and forth between the two dogs. ]

C'mere. [ Hands going to either side of Gabriel's head, Peter ruffled up his fur comfortingly, smoothing back his ears and leaning forward to go nose to nose with him. Shooting Gabriel a quiet, calm, telepathic 'Relax' he looks back up just in time to see the other dog come trotting over... and then give him the most intense stare down he's seen a dog give in a fairly long time.

Peter stares back for a few, long seconds, his hands still moving slow through Gabriel's fur. ]

I know you. [ Finally speaking blatantly, words directed to the other dog, Peter's not entirely sure what to make of this yet. Nor does has any idea anything's been asked of him. ]

[duomaxwell]

[Duo had spent the weeks following his death and return laying low. New job, new place, new girlfriend -- well new girlfriend temporarily gone --, new haircut. There was a lot of new things for him to keep him busy and preoccupied.

But his first day off in a couple of weeks with nothing to do for once without Claire around left him feeling restless. Morning came and went, he did some cleaning, fed D.S. and headed out. He didn't know what he was going to do all day, but he figured going through the park would at least be interesting.

As he was walking, a ball came rolling to a stop near his foot. He stopped walking, bending to pick it up and look at where it came from. He spotted the dog first and smiled, kneeling down to hold the ball out in his palm.]

This yours, buddy?

[ooc: Duo's power is pretty underdeveloped right now, so it's up to you if Peter even picks up on it. I'm okay with whatever though. :) ]

have a gabriel next~

[askedtobe]

[ Tossing the ball absently in his hand had been perfectly fine, right up to the point where he'd thrown it a little too high and it slipped from his fingers, bouncing down the sidewalk where it rolled to a stop at a passerby's foot.

Gabriel got there first however, as Peter made his way over to apologize. He couldn't help but smile faintly, even though there was something undeniably awful and yet wonderful about letting Sylar woo people over with his adorable doggish ways. And Peter simply looked like a content dog owner, pleased at how friendly his dog had turned out to be. ]

Sorry-- Thanks for grabbing it.


[ ooc; jakfsd;a GOOD TO KNOW since Peter... might've... already picked it up from Sylar, pretty much. XD;; ]

Oh Duo.

[gabriel_gray]

[ Sylar went for the ball before he realised whose feet it had rolled to, wagging his tail as he looked up. His delight faltered at once, and he sniffed once as though to double-check what his eyes were seeing. It was him. He blinked at the ball in Duo's hand, uncertain, and then Peter was there behind him.

He glanced up, once, then back again, looking straight at Duo as he calculated what to do, then carefully sat down. But try as he might to concentrate on the precariousness of this situation, his eyes kept flicking toward the ball. ]

He just keeps walking in to these situations, doesn't he?

[duomaxwell]

Heh. It's cool.

[Duo smiled up at Peter, pulling down his hood.]

Pretty dog.

[He continued to offer the ball, tilting his head curiously at the sudden reluctance.]

Hey, it's okay. I ain't gonna hurt ya. ... want me to throw it again? Bet you really like chasin' it.

he really does.....

[askedtobe]

Thanks, I just got him about a week ago.

[ Tipping his head slightly at Gabriel's curious reaction, Peter already knew something was up as soon as he sat down, though his eyes were on the ball, just like any dog's might be. If only they could still speak telepathically this would be easier, but Peter had to read signals that he wasn't used to trying to figure out.

And so Peter just watched, sinking his hands into his pockets. ]

Go ahead, if you want. He hasn't once turned down an opportunity to play fetch yet.

[gabriel_gray]

[ Okay. He was trying to concentrate, but the more that Duo offered the ball to him and talked in that voice the more distracted he was. He flicked an ear toward the sound of Peter's voice, and then leant down and nosed at Duo's hand. Throw the ball.

He stepped back, putting just a few inches between them, swishing his tail.

This was insane, but he couldn't hold his attention on what was important, not when all he could think about was the ball. He really should be more worried about leaving Duo and Peter standing there together, talking about who knew what. ]

[duomaxwell]

[Duo grins and straightens so he can lob the ball further in to the park, giving pretty good distance to it.]

Just a week ago? How old is he?

[shifting]

[the day was too nice not to go for a run. It would have been downright criminal to keep inside.

So, determined to be a law-abiding citizen, Sam Merlotte had found his way out of the house in a decidedly fuzzier form than he was use to wearing. An English Shepherd to be exact, sleek and plush, and decidedly far too well-groomed to be a stray. Sam's favorite of his many dog morphs - the sleeker build was perfect for running while still keeping height and strength, and all that fur was the perfect bait for gathering random meals and belly rubs from passer-bys.

And as soon as he sees the lone human playing with his dog in the park, Sam-the-dog knew which of the two he wanted today. He trotted over with a high, wagging tail, practically prancing. Don't mind him, Other Dog - he just wants to borrow your human for a moment ♥]

[askedtobe]

[ Peter had just chucked the ball again for Gabriel, watching him fly off after it when the flash of a wagging tail at his side catches his attention. Looking down, Peter practically snorts at the dog who's decided to come strutting by, practically showing off in an effort to earn some attention.

Considering Peter is far too easily swayed by the ways of dogs, he doesn't even consider keeping himself from crouching down to doggy-eye-level, hand out, palm upright -- offered up as sniffing material. ] C'mere, buddy.

[ And then he's reaching closer to offer up scritches behind the dog's ears, biding his time before Gabriel comes back by ruffling up the newcomer, fingers sinking into the fur at his scruff. ]

[gabriel_gray]

[ He felt so alive chasing the ball--really, it was like he'd been let go, let free of all the restraints and requirements of his life. Not Sylar, just Gabriel, with the wind in his fur and the pure joy of companionship, and instinct; the instinct to play and run and chase.

He galloped down the long length of the field, snatched up the ball, and started back toward Peter. Who was crouching down beside another dog. Another dog, who was getting scritches. His scritches from his Peter.

Immediately there was a flare of jealousy, and he ran back the rest of the way, snarling and snapping around the ball in his mouth at the strange dog, flattening his ears back. The ball never dropped, so his teeth only flashed but never actually bit, and he tried to put himself between Sam and Peter as a matter of course, the hair on his back prickling up despite himself. ]

[shifting]

[Yessssss, just like that, that's the perfect spot. Sam's flopped shamelessly onto his back in the next moment, licking at Peter's arm in encouragement and letting his long tail swish back and forth in the grass. It's a perfect moment until that big black dog has to come over and ruin it.

Sam backs his ears in response and his tail tucks, but he's... very reluctant to move. It's not fair, he's enjoying his belly scritches, Stupid Other Dog. He whines.]

[askedtobe]

[ Peter was already headed to offer up belly rubs to the newcomer when Gabriel busts his way onto the scene and Peter clears his throat, holding back laughter because he doesn't have to wonder about what that look means. Peter'd be able to identify it even if Gabriel wasn't a dog. ]

Hey, hey. Shh. [ Combing his fingers through the fur at the side of Gabriel's head, Peter pats the grass at his other side. ]

Come here -- [ He had no idea if Gabriel would actually do it, mind, but he could at least try and ask it of him. Using his arm to try and corral Gabriel a little to the side, he noses into his fur in the process, making firm eye contact. ] Sit down -- you're fine, okay?

[gabriel_gray]

[ Sylar gave one last resentful look toward the other dog, out of the corner of his eye, and then Peter's eyes were on his, making deliberate, human contact. He licked his nose anxiously, apologetically, and did what he was told, backstepping until he crouched behind Peter, and then so carefully dropped his hindquarters down and sat.

He held onto the ball jealously, and didn't look away from Sam for a second, his ears pricking forward, then falling back soft and submissive again, then back forward, as though he wasn't in proper control of them--which he wasn't.

What was he supposed to do? Stand and watch Peter play with this other dog? ]

[shifting]

[yeah, you're fine, and you're getting in the way. But once the pets slow down Sam gets distracted by this big furry newcomer anyway, and he rolls back onto his feet again, crouched low and wagging.

Slooowly he crawls forward. Closer. Then a few inches more. And closer...

And licks at the other dog's legs playfully]

ENJOY YOUR NIGHT INVISIBILITY PETER

[youfartknocker]

[ How weird, because Butt-Head is taking his "pet" out for whatever the equivalent of a walk would be for it. ]

Uh- I, like, challenge you to a battle. Uh, huh huh huh. [ This was what Butt-Head did on a daily basis, really. Challenging random people to battles in parks and on the street. ]

HE CAN TURN INVISIBLE WHENEVER HE WANTS TO SO PBBT

[askedtobe]

[ ...... Is there a proper way that he's supposed to respond to that? Peter's just left looking intensely confused because what even is that thing, and maybe he should have moved to the other side of the street when he still had the opportunity. ]

Think i'm gonna have to say no. [ Looking down at Gabriel, he's admittedly worried he might have to grab him by the collar. ]

/sob goddamn invisible people

[gabriel_gray]

[ Gabriel stands his ground, but it's... A lot bigger than he is. And he barks, all of his human pride and courage vanishing.

Peter doesn't need to grab him, because he runs back around him and cowers, his head down between the other man's feet. Funny. Turns out that as a dog he's a bit of a coward. ]