kaisou | video; un: X_GoldenSword

WHO: Jin Ling and the network at large
WHERE: Zodiac.
WHEN: Feb. 9
WHAT: help my dog is not allowed in this motel room.
WARNINGS: some level of trauma. incoming MDZS cast feelings explosion, likely going to bring up family estrangement at least, will update if anything changes.

[The video turns on to a young man, slightly underfed, in clothes clearly hemmed in and altered to fit his slighter frame. Just in view at the bottom of the screen is the top of a shih-tzu's head.]

Well, I can't get this stupid app off my phone, so I might as well: anybody here know any place that lets you bring your dog in with you? The motel's not gonna let me bring Sunny in even though she's housebroken and well-trained and wearing a diaper, the assholes.

It better be a cheap place, too! I just got here, I'm still looking for a job.

[The dog barks, and Jin Ling's stormy face immediately softens as he glances down at the dog.]

Yeah, no, I know. Don't worry, I'll get us somewhere nice. [Pat pat.] Good girl.

Oh, and: best pet stores in the city? Cheap's not an option there, my dog deserves the best.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

First, don't be rude, she's fairly intelligent.

Second, avoid the Crystal Tower then, I share my room with said bear.

I don't care how smart your bear is, she's not going anywhere NEAR Sunny! Look at her! She's TINY.

[A picture of a shih-tzu, around three years old, just kind of having a good time in a makeshift sling securing her to Jin Ling's chest.]

And what the hell, you sleep in that huge tower? With a BEAR??? I thought bears lived in caves!

And I've helpfully crossed an option off your list then, you're welcome.

(What on earth would size have to do with it, honestly. I had a dog the same size, all she did was sleep on things the scale of bears.)

Ah, yes. Well, we did after I stole the cave, but then we both found it a bit too cold. Suffice to say she followed me here and we are in agreement.

[In the back of his head, Casper just heaves a sigh.]

It means that if something bigger than her hurts her then she'll get hurt REALLY bad and I already can barely afford her food! So! NO BEARS NEAR MY DOG.

Why would you steal a bear's cave?! Are you some kind of lunatic? Just sleep in a motel room or in a tent!

Not that she'd do anything in the first place, but again, "you're welcome" for the shortlist.

Frankly a motel or tent wasn't an option I normally had. Unless motels allow cougars now. That would have made for an interesting lifestyle.

Besides, it was hardly necessary- a cave provided shelter, and insulation, I handled the rest.

...excluding magical snowstorms, but that's neither here nor there.

Ugh, you have a pet cougar too? What the fuck, how are you alive?

Yeah I heard about the weird freak weather on the way here. I thought it was magic but nobody I hitchhiked with knew anything about that. But a motel room has cable and Internet and a bed, I don't see why a stupid cave is any better than that.

What?

How the hell would that be

[wait wait

Hold on

It occurs to him-]

Ah. Yes.

You can only see my face, can't you.

[He'll turn on video! There he is, a sphinx with the backdrop of a snoozing bear.

You're Welcome!]

Can you perhaps determine the difficulty now?

[A beat.]

What the fuck.

You'll need to be more specific if there's actually a question,

[he asks, apparently inspecting his claws the way fancy folk look over a manicure.]

But if I'm going to guess the question, you should know I'm what is called a 'sphinx'.

[Beat.]

...American, not Egyptian. Or Greek, for that matter.

[That part feels important-]

I know about the Egyptian and the Greek sphinxes! I was in the Order, sometimes I had to deal with one or—look, never mind that, you’re the cougar?

[A huff of breath.]

Ugh. Okay. Fine.

…didn’t you ever like, break into wildlife rescues, though? They’ve got way nicer beds for cougars and lions and you wouldn’t have to fight a bear for some stupid damp cave.

Did they really?

[Squinting at the camera...] ...another fucking thing no one briefed me about, I swear...

...Hm?

[Break into...

...ah.] ...Ah. Well. Humans obviously see...

[Gesturing to the cat part.]

Animals however...

[That's a big ol' grimace.]

So, not more than once...

...anyway, after almost a decade of it, you adjust. Mostly.

[A glance to the side.] ....It's less frigid on the west coast, as I have now learned.

Nobody briefed me about anything when I was in there. [It's something of an exaggeration, people tried their best.] But yeah, they do. It's like. They have to, you know? Because they're trying to make it comfy for the animals they've got in recovery.

[He's really only guessing, he's no expert in this. His only real experience in non-magical animals is hanging out in a makeshift sling right now.]

Yeah? You just now realized that? [This, from the kid who once showed up to Greenland in spring-weather clothes.]

Oh, so that's a holdover. Good to know.

[He's well aware that the group he very nearly got hired by was not actually that great and probably would have inevitably ticked his 'mother' off.

But apparently taking a few months to hoof it across america buys time for a rebellion aftermath to finish or whatever, so.

He winces. He keeps wincing the more Jin Ling talks. He wants this part of the conversation over, and gone, and-]

Yes, yes the ammenities are fine, it was the room mates that was the problem, it's done.

Frankly I'm surprised the one behind me got the gall to come back and cozy up after we fought. Hardly going to argue that th-

[NOPE IT'S HIS TURN TO BE PISSY NOW.]

Well how was I going to know I spent 9 years in the Rockies!!! We had snow, it just wasn't cursed!

Why do people think it's a good idea to cozy up to bears?! You're going to get your arm torn off and I'm gonna stand there and say I told you so!

[What even was he arguing about? He should probably stop. Casper is telling him he should absolutely stop.

He digs in anyway.]

The Rockies? You couldn't pick any better mountain ranges than the stinking Rockies?

HAH! She can try, [he preens.] Next to that 'Ninetails', chasing her out the first time was nothing~

[He does sober up though, looking behind him.] ...And anyway, she only appeared months later, which means cooperation was clearly a desperate last resort.

I might not 'speak bear', but I'm not going to just...tell her no, [he hisses, shaking his head.

Anyway.]

Tch. As if it was a 'choice', it's where I was when everything started. Convenience means sticking near where you started.

Wasn't until my training was delayed that I bothered walking here, [he mutters, grumbling to the side.]

video; un: X_GoldenSword_X

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