sirenspull_logs | against the grain of dystopic claims

Entry tags:

against the grain of dystopic claims

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. ]

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[ 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. ]

[ 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. ]

[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.]

[ 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. ]

[ Relax. Right. Not a dog. His small heart was thundering, but it was all he could do to force himself to calm down, his nose to Peter's. He licked his nose apologetically, but in general the strokes were going a long way to actually calming him down. His eyes flickered away to the strange dog and back again, then at last settled on Mercy again.

Something strange was happening here, and with Peter's hands in his ruff he could think a little more clearly again. It felt so much better.

Was this proper dog behaviour that she was showing? Sitting there and looking at Peter rather than him? He wasn't sure, but it didn't seem right. His tail flicked once, uncertainly, and he looked back up at Peter. ]

[Mercy's attention immediately focused on the dog when he moved. However, he wasn't a threat. Not right now. And the way he acted he wasn't used to four legs and a tail, whereas she'd had hers since long before she could crawl.

She turned her attention back to Peter. Yes, he did know her. She sat down and scratched at her neck, causing her tags to jingle. Tags that read: "Freya; Owner: Mercy Thompson."

She glanced at the dog again, leaning forward and sniffing at Peter, rather than the dog. Definite mingling of scents there, and something else... Now, what was it?]

[ Peter was sure that something not quite right was going on here, but he couldn't figure out just quite what. At the jingling of the tags, Peter finally pulled a little further away from Gabriel to give the other dogs a look and-- that's right. She was Mercy's dog.

Which didn't truly explain the odd behavior, but explained the interest, at least.

Holding out a palm towards her, Peter tipped his head, unsure of what exactly was going on besides... well, sniffing. But it's not like he had any reason to go divulging certain tidbits of information. ]

You really should tell Mercy to keep a better eye on you. [ Peter was teasing; Mercy kept an eye on her pets almost better than anyone he knew, and Peter turned back to Gabriel, almost instantly looking brighter as he scratched at his head. ] Because I don't let you out of my sight, do I.

[ Maybe Sylar was a little more unwary than Peter was, but he saw recognition in the other man's eyes. Mercy's dog? He looked at Peter and then back again, but was caught off guard as he was addressed, tipping his head up into the headscratch and almost totally losing track of his thoughts.

Right. Strange dog bad.

Tired of being ignored he stepped forward, putting his front paws up on the bench and leaning in toward her. It really was an odd smell. Maybe... Not a proper dog smell? Was that it? He barked at the offensive smell. What are you? ]

[Mercy sniffed at Peter's hand, but immediately backed up, her ears flattening and her lip curling just slightly.

Back off, puppy. I'm the big dog here.

She didn't like being backed by another dog, which would be why she never backed down from werewolves.

Just the smallest of growls escaped her. Don't. Test. Her.]

[ The warning made perfect sense to him, and he recoiled back at once, backing right down behind Peter's feet with his ears flicked down, his tail wagging warily.

He just wanted Peter to know how odd all of this was, but without telepathy of his own he was reduced to communicating only with his body language, and right now that meant hiding.

There was something strange about this dog-not-a-dog. ]

[ Peter was half inclined to get up at Freya's slight snarling, to drag Gabriel somewhere else and to go back to the supposed safety of their game of fetch. But they were out here for a reason and with Gabriel submitting, Peter sighed, turning his attention back to the other dog.

Tipping his head to try to catch Freya's attention, he kept a hand on the top of Gabriel's head at all times, scratching gently. ]

Hey, it's okay. Nothing's gonna happen. Mercy trusts you enough to let you go where you want and-- [ Ruffling up Gabriel's fur, making the point that he's speaking about this dog here. His dog. His. ] -- he's mine. I trust him.

Give him a chance, yeah?

[Mercy flicked her ears forward at the words, just like a normal dog. However, since the other dog recoiled, she calmed down and scratched her ear again.

The other dog wasn't used to pack dynamics, that much was certain. She huffed out another sigh and jumped down trotting around the other dog and Peter.

Time to start teaching some lessons. She picked up the abandoned ball and dropped it in Peter's lap.

Well? Let's play... and teach the other dog how to be a dog.]

[ Well, that seemed to have worked to at least some kind of degree, and Peter tried to contain a grin, though it failed miserably. He couldn't help it, and maybe that's what the point of this was.

Watching as Freya dropped the ball into his lap, he grabbed it as he stood, taking a few steps back away from both dogs. ]

Ready? [ He knew he didn't have to say it, that it wouldn't matter one way or another, but he took another step back before finally pulling back with a well practiced pitcher's arm and threw the ball towards the opposite end of the park. ]

[ Sylar watched her jump down, watched her fetch his ball and take it to his Peter. He frowned at her, at the ball, but his jealousy went to the back seat as Peter stood up, and suddenly it was all about the ball, and getting the ball, and more importantly not under any circumstances letting Mercy have it.

He turned a quick circle, and jumped back, and then shot a wary glance at Mercy as though expecting her to snap at him for being too energetic, but then Peter was throwing the ball, and instinct made him chase it at once.

Movement. Something to chase. ]

[She went racing after it as well. Except she stopped, letting him get the ball. Because he was a puppy who didn't know any better, and he really needed lessons.

Something caught her attention away from the ball. RABBIT!

Mercy tore off into the trees and growled when the rabbit burrowed down into a hole. She pawed at it, but nothing she could do would get the rabbit back up.

Dammit, looked like she was cooking dinner tonight. She really wished she didn't have to. Mercy glanced around and sighed, then trotted back to where she'd left the other dog, and then back to Peter.]

[ As soon as both dogs took off, Peter couldn't help it; he was laughing. There was something highly amusing about knowing Sylar was in there, that he was just at whim to catching a ball as any other dog.

Similarly, there was just something appealing about watching dogs behave like dogs. And in all truth, he'd always liked dogs more than cats.

When Freya went veering off after who knows what, it left Gabriel to catch the ball, and Peter was already kneeling back down before he could turn tail and come back, wiggling his fingers in preparation to give Gabriel his reward. ]

[ Sylar ran to the top of the field and jumped, catching the ball on its bounce. We was thoroughly pleased with himself, which was why he didn't notice until he was halfway back to Peter that he was alone--and then Mercy was trotting up beside him too.

He threw his head slightly down and hurried forward, defending the ball with his shoulders as he rushed back to Peter and pushed the ball into his hands, giving the other dog the stink eye out of the corner of his own. His ball. His Peter.

His tail disagreed with his jealousy. ]

[She was going to hold a class on canine body language, because right now, the puppy was failing at it. Mercy just trotted up and sat down near Peter. Her ears flicked forward and she returned the stink-eye with a mild look of her own.

She ran with the big boys. A little shifter like him didn't bother her at all.

She let out a soft yip, almost like a laugh and waited on Peter to throw the ball again.]

[ Peter wished he could have had an invitation into their minds to know exactly what was going on between the two, but all he could do was watch, laughing despite himself as Gabriel barreled forward and shoved the ball into his outstretched hands. ]

Good boy.

[ And with that, Peter pressed a kiss to the top of Gabriel's head, breathing against his fur for only one second before ruffling it up and standing again. Giving a nudge to Gabriel with the side of his leg, he didn't give a warning this time as he drew back and threw the ball hard, hoping there wouldn't be a fight wherever it landed. ]

[ He felt a lot more centered suddenly as Peter praised him, the kiss letting him see a little bit through the animal instinct that had been clouding him, and for a few moments he was wholly aware of who and what and where he was--and then Peter threw the ball, and it all crumbled again.

He shot off, a streak of black across the park, using his new legs to propel him at breakneck speed, and missing the ball by almost five yards as he raced past it. His head went under his front paws, nosed turned back toward the ball, and he threw himself rolling sidewards over, feet splaying underneath him as he tried to keep his balance, but something snapped as he crashed over, and he let out a loud yelp of surprised pain.

By the time he pulled himself shakily upright the rib he'd broken was healed, but by then all sense of dignity was gone, and he was left to shake himself off as though it were nothing. The ball was forgotten, pain having severed the cloudiness of play until everything was sharp and clear again. It was hard to remember what he'd been doing before he got hurt. ]

[Mercy was far more used to four legs and managed to grab the ball. But when she heard the bone snap, she jerked her head up. The ball fell back to the ground and she raced over to the other dog.

But then he was up. Not even werewolves healed that fast. No, she didn't like it at all.

However, she just picked up the ball again and then dropped it in front of the pup. She nosed it toward him carefully and then walked over to lend him her shoulder - even though she was only thirty-odd pounds - to get back to Peter.

Something wasn't right, but she wasn't going to let him suffer for it. Not like that.]

[ Even Peter heard the crack of bone and he was struck dumb for a few seconds, wondering if Gabriel would still be able to heal as a dog, or if he lost that inside the transformation. Watching closely for a few more seconds, as Gabriel made it back onto his feet, Peter couldn't shake the feeling of concern.

Nor could he just stand there when for all the world it looked like his dog had just broken a bone. Even when Freya, in an act that made Peter's heart warm, offered Gabriel the ball and a shoulder to lean on.

With a quiet, worried sigh that he kept to himself, he began to walk so he could meet the dogs in-between, not entirely sure if Gabriel would still be broken or not by the time they met somewhere in the middle. ]

[ It didn't hurt, not after he got up and everything slipped neatly back into place, but her worry and Peter's concern wasn't lost on him. He paused, looking at the ball and considering just running back to Peter with it, but instead sat down and licked Mercy's ears gratefully.

Okay, that wasn't so bad. Didn't taste great, but it felt normal. He looked apologetically at Peter when he was finally close enough, and leant down to roll the ball across the grass toward him with his nose. He wagged his tail just once, ears flopped, face all apology and curiosity.

His healing power had held--apparently it didn't matter the shape of his body. But otherwise his mind was the mind of a dog. It made sense that telepathy and his other powers floundered, considering that. ]

[Mercy accepted the ear-licking with aplomb. The puppy was more dog than human. Which meant he needed taught. Maybe she should talk to that other guy... Sam Merlotte. Maybe he could teach him.

Because she wasn't sure she was the one that should. She'd been taught by werewolves. They weren't exactly gentle with the teaching at times either.

She sat next to the other dog and looked up at Peter. Well, throw the ball, human.]

[ Oh, Gabriel. Peter sighed, not entirely sure why he looked so guilty -- it wasn't his fault he'd gotten hurt. Things happen, but as long as he could still pick himself up again and heal, that's what mattered the most. That Gabriel was alright, no matter how suspicious it was to have a pet who could heal instantly.

Crouching down to the two dogs, Peter once again ruffled up Gabriel, fussing with his ears as if he could get them to stand up all over again. Some scratching under the chin and behind the ears, and Peter was scooping the ball up up, Freya's intent stare telling him to get a move on. ]

Ready? And Gabriel maybe this time, try putting on the breaks, huh. [ Taking a few more steps back to give them all some more room, Peter threw the ball again, his eyes on the dogs instead of wherever the ball might land. ]

against the grain of dystopic claims

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