- thirty-eighth year waiting -

[nurse_boy]

[coming back from a trip home and the things he lived through and saw there--and having to face up to the fallout here--has left Rory drained, defeated, and depressed. So he's gone outside for some fresh air and to get away from it all. He's currently sitting on a large rock by the pond, trying (and mostly failing) to skip rocks across the water.

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[payback]

[How's this for company, Rory? An Arcanine, apparently unaccompanied, approaching along the bank of the pond, skirting away from the water though.]

[nurse_boy]

[.... what even is that. It's unlike anything Rory's ever seen before. Maybe--maybe if he pretends it's not there, he won't draw its attention. Just like he was taught not to talk to strangers as a child, he was also taught to let unfamiliar animals be. So, keeping a wary eye on the Arcanine, he continues to skip rocks across the pond]

[payback]

[Too bad, Rory... Tad likes people, and he's going to approach, ears forward and alert, eyes focused. Not too quickly, but he's coming closer.]

[nurse_boy]

[oh god, it's like ... the approaching vague horror or something. It looks like it's coming straight for him. Does he have food on his shirt? Biscuits in his pocket that he forgot to take out? No, no, he's still too new to being able to eat again that he wouldn't have even thought to bring biscuits out. His rock tosses begin to slow down, and now he's paying more obvious attention to the Arcanine than skipping rocks. What does this critter want?]

[payback]

[Tad stops and tilts his head. His ears flick back.]

[nurse_boy]

[Rory blinks at it, then looks around to see if anyone else is about that could see him. Then he looks back at the Arcanine and self-consciously clears his throat]

... Hello?

[payback]

[This.

This is a doggy grin. Hi, Rory.]

[nurse_boy]

[that ... does not look too threatening. It actually sort of looks like a dog. A demented version of his Nan's old spaniel, maybe, but still a dog. Glancing around again and feeling faintly ridiculous, he pats his thigh and whistles quietly like he would when he wanted Duke to come to him]

Here ... ?

[payback]

[Now that he knows the human won't freak out, Tad ambles over to say hi.]

[nurse_boy]

((oh lord, LJ, why you so fail))

[as the animal comes up to him, Rory puts out a tentative hand to lightly pet the top of its head--the fur feels nice to the touch--and says carefully]

So what are you then, huh?

[payback]

[IKR

Anyhow. Tad, accustomed to dealing with nervous humans, rubs against Rory's hand in a strangely feline way (considering he looks and behaves like such a dog) and then pushes his nose at Rory's palm to take a sniff.]

[nurse_boy]

[and that gets a small smile out of Rory--the animal's nose tickles a bit, making his hand flinch slightly in reflex. He scratches it between the ears]

Sorry mate, I haven't got any food, if that's what you're after.

[payback]

[Aw man but really... attention is just as good. *^*

Tad is just there enjoying the petting, when in a moment a girl's voice can be heard calling:]

Taaaaaad! What are you doing?