reveilation | IC INBOX

[ She's been telling him this time and time again: all he ever has to do is be himself. And even if that self is a small dog, it helps. The solidarity in that howl helps. He's doing fine.

It's always just her who's like this, who latches onto people because she has so few in her life, and when they're gone, it tears holes in her heart that's already had to be patched up so many times already. This dog too will probably find his owner when she takes him around the school and the inn, but for now, she can pretend that he's hers, and that she's not alone. ]

...Yeah. I also want to yell at him for a lot of stuff. I really want to talk to him again... I want to hear his voice.

[ She can't even take comfort in the audio diaries even though the voices are the same, because all the Original says is mean and concerning things. ]

[ Yeah, honestly... he doesn't sound truly happy in any of them either. Genuine happiness is so hard to come by.

Terry's screaming in his head that he wants to talk to her too!! But he can't!! Puppy vocal chords are hard. He lets out another tiny puppy howl anyway. The small tail wags again and he keeps his head turned so that he can keep looking at Kido's face. ]

[ Kido nods at the howl, because yeah. Terry sucks and this dog knows it too.

But it makes here smile a little, and she brings him closer and plants a kiss on his forehead because she will only ever love cute small animals from now on. They would never break her heart. ]

I think he'd really like you. I can imagine the dumb face he'd make if he saw a dog.

[ It's this face ]

[ What dumb face!! Terry huffs, but nuzzles Kido's face after the forehead kiss and licks her cheek. He's still affectionate as ever...

Then he'll look around for Kido's omamori. Does she have it on her? Wrapped around her wrist like before? He sniffs the air, but that doesn't help. ]

[ The dumb face is the default. Kido settles for hugging the dog and stays quiet, but her omamori has been moved to her upper arm— both of them, actually, on a band side by side and wrapped around her upper left arm— poking out under her short t-shirt sleeve sinch her jacket is off and loosely wrapped around Terry.

The reasoning was that she'll still be in direct contact with them for easy summoning, but they'll also be covered by one or two jackets and less likely to get damaged that way. It's also too little too late, though, because the old one is still burnt and the new one is soaked through with dried blood. That's what happens when she kept it in her front pocket and then gets stabbed multiple times in the stomach, but she did her best to clean it up despite it being torn in places and stained in others. It's hard to tell which is worse off, her previous omamori or the new one. ]

[ Maybe they all need new omamoris again... Terry reaches over to paw at it. Kido can feel the pawpads on her arm as he does that. She's so cold... Terry is worried, since this was a problem before he left. He remembers that much because it stumped him for the longest time. ]

[ Whoever's making the omamoris is tired of everybody's shit. If they want nice clean omamoris, they'll just have to stop killing and dying.

But yeah, even her arms are cold now, when before it was only up to her wrists, but being out in the rain in short sleeves doesn't help that either. Kido looks down when Terry paws at the omamoris, and reaches over with her right hand to slide her fingers in between the paws and the charms so they don't get any more damaged than they already are. ]

Sorry, these aren't for playing with. They're kind of gross, huh? It's hard to get blood out if it sits for too long, and you don't have soap and cold water on hand to wash them out.

[ They don't smell so strongly of death anymore, but it's still there, in a band holding together the same arm that Terry had sawed off. ]

If you could smell that, though, I wonder if you could help me find someone? I don't think he's around anymore, though, and I don't have anything of his that you could use to know him.

[ Yeah, that's... definitely blood... Terry whines and turns to look at Kido with sad eyes. Then he yaps. If it's him, he's right here!! Right here!! He can't really point to himself and he can't draw on the ground. But he'll keep looking down as if to point his head at himself and keep looking up at Kido. ]

[ Kido gives him another forehead kiss because she has absolutely no idea what he's trying to say. ]

It's okay. Knowing you want to help makes me happy, even if it doesn't work out. Besides, getting around town is impossibly slow now...

[ There's so much water... when will it stop raining... if the daitengu doesn't die, everybody's going to drown for real. ]

I was headed for the shrine, though. Do you want to come with me? Or I can take you back to the school, and you can find your family.

[ But you are my family!! He wants to scream oh my god. Terry nods again and barks once. He definitely wants to stay with her instead of being given to strangers. He nuzzles her face again and makes cooing noises.

To the shrine, Kido. ]

[ Kido nods and eases herself off the crates before holding her arms out so she can carry Terry with her instead of having him doggy paddle all the way.

She starts wading through the water towards the school, because in her mind, it isn't "bark once for option 1, or twice for option 2," it's just the dog barking happily because yeah! family! anybody would be glad to be reunited with their family. ]

[ This... This isn't to the shrine! Kido!! Ahhhh!!! Terry growls towards the school but when you're a tiny dog, it's hard to take you seriously. He also holds his paw up to the shrine's general direction. ]

[ ...This is like being on the flip side of every time Kido holds her hand out and Terry places his hand on top of it. She looks down at the paw, and then slides her hand underneath it so they can "shake." ]

Yeah, I know. The rain sucks, but I'll try to get there as quick as I can.

[ She's going to assume that's the reasonable explanation for the growling, and bundles up the jacket over him so it'll help cover him from the rain. ]

[ NO, KIDO DON'T COVER HIM--GODDAMMIT. Terry just fumbles inside the jacket. He can't believe this is his biggest weakness as a dog. Being bundled in some cloth. This is humiliating. Why this. He whines and cries inside the jacket now. weh........ ]

[ Shhhhhhhhh, it's okay. Rain sucks but if she hugs him close, she can block the worst of it. It'll just take, you know, an hour or whatever to make it all the way back to school, because it's like moving through molasses with this much water to contend with. ]

[ When Kido gets to the school, Ami greets her with a towel. It seems she's smart enough to do that for whoever manages to come in, since she hasn't seen Terry in weeks. Her babies are sleeping in a room and safe, so she does this too. She's a smart cat.

Meanwhile, Terry has been whining nonstop. ]

Thanks, Ami.

[ Kido lets the whiny puppy down on the ground so he can shake himself off or whatever, while she takes the towel and wipes the rainwater off her face. Every time she goes outside and comes back, she'll have to change clothes and it's so much trouble. But this time, she's not here to stay, because she still plans to go to the shrine, so she crouches down in front of Terry and starts drying him off with the towel too. ]

Will you be alright here by yourself? You're a smart dog, and there's plenty of people around who'll help, and maybe one of them will recognize you.

[ Terry still whines and goes to sit on Kido's sopping wet shoes. Ami looks over at Terry curiously. Boy... why do you smell like cinnamon? Are you a cinnamon breed now?? She doesn't hiss at Terry, but looks at him warily with a hint of curiosity. Her tail sways, but she looks up at Kido as Terry latches onto her leg like a koala now. ]

[ A clingy, whiny puppy... Kido looks back at Ami, because heck if she knows what his problem is. But she wraps him up in the towel and picks him up again like a fussy baby who won't stop crying unless they're held. Maybe he's just hungry... ]

Did you want something to eat, first? Ami, I can get you something too, if somebody hasn't already fed you.

[ Ami would be glad for food. Her tail rises to show that she's pretty happy with that. Terry, on the other hand, is not hungry. He also doesn't want to eat dog food?! Sure, he's a dog right now, but. Come on. There's something about it that makes it feel like his pride is stepped on.

...

This is the weirdest thing to be concerned over. But anyway, he shakes his head no. ]

[ Don't worry, you won't have to eat dog food, Terry.

Nobody in Hirajiro has seen a dog in their life, probably, so there's probably none of that around anyways. Kido was just thinking about finding some sort of meat or something else that's plain and unseasoned and hopefully not poisonous to dogs because she really doesn't know much about them. Can dogs eat cat food? That's mostly meat, right?

She heads over to wherever they're keeping all the cat supplies so she can pour them out two bowls of cat food. ]

[ Wherever Kido goes, Terry goes too. Ami is there to be fed and bring the food to the babies, but Terry... well. Yeah, Ami thinks Terry can take care of himself. It's an odd dog. Cinnamon dog... Cinnadog... Whatever. Ami eats. Terry doesn't. He just keeps staring at Kido. ]

[ If Terry doesn't eat, Ami's going to get two bowls of food. Why are you so picky, dog? Food's food. ]

Hmm... Maybe you're thirsty instead?

[ That's easily amendable. Kido goes to fetch another bowl to fill with water, and if this is also wrong, Ami gets a nice cool bowl of water. ]

[ He shakes his head no, but he watches her pour the water anyway. Ami will take that too. Thanks, human. ]

[ This dog is so weird. After setting the bowl of water down, Kido crouches in front of Terry again. ]

Alright, then... What do you want to do? I'll follow your lead, and you can show me.

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