(OPEN) they're studying business i study the floor.

[oorah]

» WHO? frank, max & YOU
» WHEN? may from today on
» WHERE? throughout the station
» WHAT? mEET your fiRST spACE DOG REverie!!!
» WARNINGS? adorable pitbull & his crazy human (probably a lot of paranoia discussed)

» BACK TO THE START

[ a day after the mysterious roster appears, frank is waking up to another surprise in his quarters on deck 6. a dog he hasn't seen in almost two years, but one he would recognize anywhere, even in space. anyone who lives near room 19 might hear a dog barking happily before frank decides to make his way out into the station at large and take his chances. ]

Not cool, Max. You blew my cover.

[ it's not that serious really. he's starting to get to know people on the station and he believes on some level that they're all in this together. one rotten apple could still spoil the bunch, but he hasn't seen anyone truly rotten just yet. he has been monitoring the posts on the network closely though, and there have been... a few interesting responses, to say the least. catch these two doges on the way to the mess hall followed by the observation deck (basically anywhere you please!!!) max walks alongside frank dutifully without a leash, but he eyes anyone who comes towards them with a wary look, a low warning growl issuing from his muzzle. ]

Easy, boy, you're okay. [ frank puts a hand on max's head to try and get him to calm down. ]

» MESS HALL

[ those who have ever seen frank take a meal have never observed the type of focus he's exhibiting now as he punches in specifications for his dog's meal into the fabricator he's most partial to. he's basically the equivalent of the old lady who eats cat food except he'd make max a steak and then eat a packet of tuna okay. once he has their meals calibrated, he makes his way to the far end of the dining hall where he sets max's tray on the ground for him to eat off of and sits at the edge of the table himself to drink his coffee and watch over his companion, hoping space doesn't make him sick. every few minutes, he strokes a hand down the dog's spine gently, looking on with open concern though he usually goes out of his way to hide his feelings from people in this place. (it's not very successful...)

on the approach, max seems unconcerned with people if they sit quickly across from frank in a non-threatening manner. however, if they hover he'll look up from his food and do his warning growl again. ]

I just woke up and he was in my room. [ frank will tell anyone happening by. he sounds bewildered and worried, but also... happy. ] I wonder if they make magboots in his size.

» OBSERVATION DECK

[ frank has settled some after receiving his dog (and knife) and he's sitting by the windows so max can get a good look. the dog presses his face nearly to the glass, fogging up the area he's standing at while he watches over the planet with a seriousness only afforded to working breeds. he would much rather protect this strange collection of odd-smelling humans than the irish mafia in hell's kitchen any day. bring it on, his expression seems to say.

for his part, the ex-marine has his newly acquired knife out and is painstakingly ripping the stitches on his right palm so he can pull them out without injuring himself further. he flexes his hand once he's done and looks up briefly at whomever he might be sharing the deck with before addressing the dog again. ] How do you like that, Max? First rescue dog in space.

» OUT ON THE STREETS

[ on the way back to their room, max gets away from frank, clearly thinking it's a game. the pit hops onto an elevator with someone who either doesn't listen to frank's warnings to hold it or simply don't have time before the doors close. either way you are now accompanied by a stocky, brown dog with a white chest and a smile in his big, brown eyes for the duration of your elevator ride.

once the elevator lets off, it's max's time to go exploring without his overbearing dad breathing down his neck!! stop cramping his style, frank!! he will be found in corridors mostly, sniffing around at the empty casings or people's boots. some people he finds more interesting than others, of course. maybe he refuses to drop your scent, nose pressed to the side of your shoe insistently. TELL HIM YOUR INTENTIONS OR ELSE.

he will eventually make it back to deck six and frank himself, but you're also welcome to try and find his owner, or just play a game of tag with him. once he feels comfortable around someone (this will go quicker for women/girls and generally non-threatening individuals) he'll tap his wet nose against your arm and then run off, expecting to be pursued. ]

» CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

[ feel free to run into dog + man or just dog in any location you please and write your own starter if nothing pings you here! happy to roll with anything :) ]

Comments

[creatio]

( There is a dog.

There is a dog in space and it's one of the cutest dogs Clary has ever seen. It appears out of nowhere to follow her into elevator, tail wagging furiously so that it looks like his whole body is moving in circles. Immediately she is being sniffed, cold wet nose pressed against her wrist from where she's pushed up her jumpsuit. The laugh is small, but no less than delighted. )

Hey, buddy.

( Crouching down, she extends her hands out so he can get used to her, ignoring the lurch of the elevator to focus on him. ) Yeah, I smell weird, right? ( Because she probably smells at least not 100% human. Vampires and werewolves can smell it off her. Why not dogs? He doesn't seem bothered though, and eventually she reaches out to rub his head, his ears, grinning as his tail thumps against the metal floor.

He takes off when the elevator stops though, and Clary jogs after him, boots heavy. And then there's Frank, who clearly knows said space dog. Clary crosses her arms, leans against the wall, a smile already on her face. )

Now I know you weren't hiding him under your jumpsuit.

[oorah]

[ max takes to her pretty instantly, despite her odd scent. she isn't loud or threatening (or male) like his captors had been, and her body language is open and friendly. he leans against her companionably as they wait for the elevator to come to a halt together. but the second it's open he's taking off, looking back to see if she's following and clearly delighted that she is.

he's so caught up in his excitement he doesn't see frank at the end of the corridor, arms crossed over his chest like the disapproving dad he is. ] You've been here two hours and you're already chasing after girls? [ he shakes his head very solemnly. you're in deep trouble buddy!!!! max sits at attention and waits for frank to forgive him, puppy eyes fully engaged and ears pinned back in apology. ]

[creatio]

( Honestly, Clary is delighted. It's hard enough trying to keep her head, and she really needs something to laugh at. Max delivers, Clary coming closer. )

He was just making sure I didn't press the wrong buttons in the elevator. I'm clumsy, it was only a matter of time. ( She's actually not all that clumsy. At least she isn't usually. Given her runes are fading she's half worried that will end up being a reality one of these days. But Clary's not thinking of that, instead she's giving Max a conspiratorial wink, totally over the top. )

So really, he's helping. You wouldn't want to be mad at that, right?

» out on the streets

[spinals]

( kat does not expect to meet a dog on this station. she doesn't generally expect to meet dogs. or animals. there are animals in the miran system, of course, but not many and the ones suited as pets are mainly on miran itself. there were some stray cats on l-21, living off small rodents rather than being kept by anyone. a dog, though?

kat doesn't squeal when she spots him, but she's definitely torn between excitement and — respect. that's a big dog. teeth and all. she's not scared, but she'd rather not get to close if the dog turns out angry. except it (he?) doesn't. he's wagging his tail soon enough and soon kat is scratching him behind the ears and then playing tag with the dog.

come find your doggo, frank, or you might never get him back. )

[oorah]

[ after almost a half hour of frantic searching, frank finally makes it to the corridor they're in just in time to witness their game. he can't help but smile softly at the sight, hanging back a little while longer before announcing his presence. this place might be awful, but max coming here instills a new hope in frank, galvanizing him the way little else could. it helps that he had no idea if max was okay before waking up this morning to confirmation of the fact. of course, it makes even less sense than his own arrival here or anything else that's happened; but it still doesn't suck, having his dog back. ]

Careful, he's going home with you at this rate. [ a lame joke as she's very accustomed to from frank by now. they're all kind of in this together, so no part of the statement is serious of course. max does look ridiculously happy though. ]

[spinals]

( kat stops in her tracks when frank speaks up, grinning at him. her hair is a bit of a mess, undone from the braid she's put it in, and max is panting happily. )

That wouldn't be so bad.

( a beat. )

Hi. Is he yours?

[donkeyballs]

[He never totally knew where to find Frank, other than the bar, so he was on the way there when he spotted the man in the hallway, instead, his silhouette already becoming familiar enough that Alex could recognize him long before he came up to him.]

Hey, Frank, you seen this yet? [Waving his terminal.] Because I sure as hell don't--

[He stopped dead, because there was something with Frank. Something furry.]

[oorah]

[ he looks up at the sound of his name, and so does his furry companion. who is this tall bearded man waving his arm at dad??? he growls, standing between alex and frank as he waits for the signal to attack. some habits died harder than others, unfortunately. alex stops advancing thankfully, and frank is still processing what the other man had been about to ask him, thinking he knows exactly what it is. ]

Down. [ he says gruffly, laying his hand flat and watching as max immediately deflates and drops to the ground. once he's sure max is calm and won't attack his friend, alex is motioned closer with a wave. ] He's not dangerous, just... anxious. You talking about that roster bullshit?

[donkeyballs]

[ Even after being motioned closer, though, Alex is still just staring at the dog, his eyebrows raised high on his forehead. Is he supposed to be scared of it or charmed?? He doesn't know??

He doesn't get closer, though, it made pretty clear it didn't want him to. After a few (way too long) seconds he manages to pull his attention from the pup back to the man.]

Uh--

Yeah, that's what I'm --

[ Okay, no, he can't just pretend that thing isn't there. ]

Is that a dog?

[veristitalian]

[She's coming just as they're going, one afternoon. Jasnah is just going to open the door when her neighbour emerges with another one of these absolutely unnatural hairy creatures. She lurches back, looking from Max up to Frank.]

What is that?

[oorah]

[ he pauses just outside his door, max leaning against his leg as he stares up at jasnah. how dare u tbh - the dog issues a yapping little bark, more conversational than threatening. almost as if he's answering her question really. frank pats his head. good job, max, you tell her. ]

He said he's a he not a that. And his name is Max.

[veristitalian]

He's speaking a language that you understand?

[And now she is convinced that the dog is sentient and the translator is shorting out. Thank you, Frank.

Though this is partially Alucard's fault, who did turn into a wolf in front of her once already. At least she's getting over her shock.]

I'm sorry, [directly to the dog] the station translation isn't engaging.

[subplot]

[Karen's wandering the halls, looking for secrets and anything that might be interesting. She's heading down to one of the lower levels when the doors open and a dog walks in. He just stands there, looking happy with himself. And when the doors open again and she walks off, the dog just plods along after her. It's almost like he knows where he's going. The fact that there's a dog in space is strange enough that she crouches down and holds out a hand toward him. She doesn't try grabbing him or crowding his space, figuring that he'll need to sniff her before deciding to stick around.]

Are you looking for someone?

[Because obviously a dog will be able to answer her.]

[oorah]

[ max just wags his tail and butts his nose into her hand, taking a long sniff before licking the salt off her palm. there's something faint, but familiar about her smell. suddenly he barks, like he's trying to draw her attention to something. WHY DO YOU SMELL LIKE HELL'S KITCHEN. THIS IS SPACE. at first, it makes him wary, but then he realizes she smells a little like frank too and that makes her trustworthy. he looks into her eyes and knows then that he can trust her. he awaits his pets very seriously, as though they're an inevitability now.

on the other side of the station, frank is still looking for max, but after a while he's wondering if the dog won't return to their room since it's the only place he truly knows here yet. he starts heading back down to deck six, hoping to find max there or at least wait him out until he comes back. ]

[subplot]

[He gets his pets once she realizes he trusts her enough to get them. She's been a little lonely lately, and definitely is homesick, so having him pop up is perfect timing. Dogs are always loyal friends, no matter what a disaster you are.]

I'm Karen.

[Yeah, she's introducing herself to a dog. SO WHAT?

After some pets and scratches, she moves to stand up, tapping the side of her leg so he'll follow along after her. She might as well let him lead the way and see where he goes.]

observation deck.

[retund]

[ well, the sight of a dog pressed against the glass is unexpected, if pleasantly so, given what ripley imagined was lurking inside the station.

the corners of her mouth curve upward. a dog (and a familiar face) are as good as it gets out here. ]

Did he come all the way from New York, too?

[ she says as she strolls in, hands tucked inside the pockets of her jumpsuit. ]

[oorah]

[ he looks up at the sound of her voice, accidentally tugging too hard on the stitch he'd been cutting. frank immediately looks back down to make sure he didn't fuck up his hand again. god, this place is getting old. ]

Hell's Kitchen, born and bred. [ he finally gets the last of the thread out and pats a finger over the speck of blood from his misstep. good as new... ] Name's Max.

[retund]

[ huh, she wonders how he got the injury, even if she doesn't ask (yet). after carrying a jagged hunk of glass around, she has a matching set of stitches on her palm, but she keeps that hand in her pocket as she passes him.

that's the second time that frank has jumped at her entrance. 'course she can't blame him, given where they are. ]

Hey, Max. [ you bet she's crouching to pet the dog. then, to frank — ] We had a cat on my old ship. Jonesy. [ a beat. ] Might've been the best member of the crew.

[morphogenia]

[She hears a dog barking near her room and does what any teenager would do: run towards it. Sure she just woke up, but dogs. She loves dogs. Kamala is rewarded with a handsome pitbull coming out and her neighbor. Hi. She kneels down and screams like a Japanese school girl.] Eeee! Is this your dog, Frank? Can he be my friend? Can I pet him? Does he like me?

[She is physically restraining herself from hugging him.]

[oorah]

[ woahhhhh hey kamala. he can't help but smile at the girl's excitement, but he kneels down slowly so max can see she's okay by frank. ]

Just... go slow okay. He can get nervous. [ max looks wary by all the loud screeching and whatnot, casting a worried look frank's way, but then he's inching towards kamala despite his reservations. ]

[morphogenia]

[Kamala nods slowly. She can reign it in. She visibly calms down within seconds.] Oh okay. [She offers her hand slowly.] Sorry! I get excited around cute dogs. Let's try again, okay?

» out on the streets

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ Rogue has never had a pet, but she loves animals just as much as she loves children. The first sight of the big dog wandering down the hall leaves her smiling broader than she's managed in all her time on the station, and when he makes his way to her and decides she's okay, she doesn't hesitate to give him a big kiss and enough scratches to earn her a sloppy kiss in return.

A short game of tag follows, with Rogue getting worn out long before the adorable dog. ] Come on, handsome, let's go find whoever belongs to you. [ She's still breathing heavily as they board the elevator. ]

[oorah]

[ this damn dog is going to be the death of him. frank thinks it's because he's been on the streets since their last meeting, but has no way to confirm. he came here looking clean and healthy enough but by his timetable it's been almost two years since max and himself got separated. so now he spends a lot of his time here tracking down the mutt, but at least it helps him clock more exercise for the day.

the heavy click of his magboots coming around the corner heralds his arrival, relief eating up his gaze when he spots max, and belatedly rogue. he hasn't seen her in a hot minute, he's glad she's still here. ]

I see you met Max. [ it's a little out of breath as he settles his hands on his hips. ]

corridors, on the way to the mess hall

[tekimetexeng]

[ As much as she hates it, Naomi is starting to settle a bit. No one on the station seems hostile, the general feeling that they're all stuck here without a clue. Forced bonding under extreme circumstances -- far from ideal but at least if something does go wrong people seem inclined to help one another. For her part she's polite and as useful as possible, offering tech lessons to those who might otherwise tear into the station equipment and damage something. No one actually wants to suffocate, after all, and most of those she's dealt with are smart and capable, if inexperienced.

All in all, things could be far worse.

She's heading to mess for what promises to be another entirely unappetizing fabricated meal when the telltale metal clang of footsteps approaches from the opposite direction. And... an odd rhythmic tapping sound she hasn't heard here before. When she glances up to see who's there, it's a dark haired man with faded bruises on his face and beside him.... is that a dog?! An actual dog, on a space station. That's. Completely unheard of. She's seen footage of dogs before, of course, but never encountered one in person. It probably wouldn't be a stretch to say no Belter ever has. And so she stops dead in her tracks, visibly tensing but face carefully impassive. Is it true they can smell fear? Well, she isn't quite afraid, at least not until the dog also stops and lets out a low warning growl, looking her dead in the eyes. Naomi's go wide, and dart between the dog and its human companion as he tries to soothe it. No, him. 'Easy boy,' the stranger says. She doesn't move a muscle. ]

That's a dog. [ Clearly he's aware of that, Naomi, try again. ] Where'd he come from?

[oorah]

[ frank recognizes her instantly, and the way his perpetually-tense frame relaxes is enough to get max to settle some. he stops growling the instant he's told, sitting up instead so that the shiny metal plate on his collar glints off the lighting above them. if she can read the big letters from where she is they say MAX as well as some smaller writing below the name. ]

You too? [ not like it's shocking. one corner of his mouth is already tugging up. everyone else in naomi's outfit had responded more-or-less the same way, though prax and alex had had less fear. amos had been wary, but also seemed like he had been around dogs before, the lone outlier. it's only after he says it that he realizes they haven't formally met before. naomi doesn't even seem to recognize him. he's doing that thing again, isn't he? that creepy thing. ] You're- uh. Amos's friend, right?

[ he knew her name and her deal between amos and alex, but she doesn't know anything about him. he needs to act accordingly - and he circles back to her question then. ]

Same way any of us are here, huh. He just showed up one day.