[S] You Know Bosco?!

[Capsule]

[attr="class","cappa"]

Stratford Upon Avon. The rate of Capsule's beating heart increased the closer she got to the city. It had nothing to do with the altitude, or the residing paramilitary hierarchy, but old memories. The last time she'd seen her friends (Caerbannog, Tobin, and that one scrub), they were participating in an odd quest up at the Dimensional Theater. Said quest had them inhabiting the bodies of different people, related to the play MacBeth. Capsule was given the role of a shy witch, subjected to playful whaps from her "sister's" tentacle tail. It was a strange experience, but it also gave her a chance to see what the Heretic class was all about. It was fun, though she would not change classes for it.

Capsule ducked her head as she entered a village outside of the city, pulling the tattered ends of a cheap cloak around her shoulders. It was a little chilly in the air, which she fully expected; Snowdonia was in this area, and was what she actually had her sights turned on. She just could not advance without purchasing or borrowing some decent gear, first. Things like hiking boots, rope, and other snow supplies were what she needed. It was dangerous to go unprepared, even if she was an "immortal."

The Landers of Avon Valley regarded her with curious eyes, laced with hints of suspicion. This area was sealed off by a magical force long before it was discovered, so the people here were not familiar with the Adventurers. They were wary, but not particularly hostile. Capsule could not blame them. She would be uneasy about foreigners suddenly flooding into her city, too, even if they technically were the reason her home was now free. There was no need for her to feel worried about being spotted, however; this was her first time showing her face in Avon since her appearance change, and her race and class were currently hidden by the system.

The white haired woman came to a stop outside of a sports good store, ran, of course, by Landers. Outside of the shop, an old Lander woman sat. At the woman's feet was a box, from which soft squeaks and yaps came from. The old woman turned her wrinkled face up to Capsule, flashing a set of broken and yellowed teeth. "Hello, dearie. Can I interest you in a pup, hmm?" She gestured down at the box below.

Out of politeness (and some curiosity), Capsule shuffled closer. She peeked into the box at the old woman's feet. The puppies were brown and black in coloration, and roughly the size of cats. One hand, seemingly of its own accord, reached in to pet one of the fluffy creatures. Its fur felt warm and pleasantly soft to the touch. The puppy, feeling the woman's hand stroke its back, turned and playfully licked at her fingers. It startled Capsule, who giggled and pulled her hand free. "How cute," she said, once free of laughter. "What breed of dog are they?"

"They are purebred Malinois pups, young miss." The old woman managed a wink from her mass of wrinkles. "They make for good herders, guard dogs, and family pets." Her face wrinkled more as she adapted a contemplative countenance. "For you, though. Hmm… You do not look like a farmer's wife or a mother - forgive me, dear, but you are an Adventurer and look a little young for motherhood. But if it is protection you seek, this little pup will grow to be a mighty force to be reckoned with." She finished with a firm nod.

A dog for protection? Capsule had her doubts, since it was not a creature with decent attack or defense values. The dog could serve as nothing more than a pet or companion, but… 'He'll keep you company when you need it most.' Capsule hesitated. "I… I will consider it, but for now, I really must continue on with my errands first." She was not much of a dog person, to be honest, especially when said dog was of a large or medium breed. Dogs that size could easily bowl her over in the real world, and she lacked the authoritative tongue needed to keep them under control. It was different in this world, but the wariness was difficult to shake off.

The old woman waved a thin, veiny and equally wrinkled hand through the air. "No rush, no rush! I will still be out here when you get back, and I will keep the pup separate, just for you." It seemed that Capsule was destined to get the dog, whether she wanted to or not.

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Muse:Sunset Over Southend on Sea, Essex
Words:773
Tags:@---

CODED BY BENETNASCH

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[Capsule]

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A little bell above the door rang when she opened the door of the establishment. It was little more than a large shack from the outside, and its interior did not disappoint. A wild assortment of gear was hanging from the walls; sleds, coils of rope, snow shoes that made her think of oversized tennis rackets, and what appeared to be bags of dog biscuits. Did they rent or sell sled dogs, as well? She glanced in the direction of the door, where the woman and the pups waited outside. She had said nothing of their prowess in pulling heavy sleds laden with supplies and humanoids. Capsule assumed a different breed of dogs were available for that. Huskies, right?

While she was standing around, looking the place over and getting absorbed in her own thoughts, a large figure was shuffling behind the counter. He was a very large man, standing easily above 6"5, and weighing well over three hundred pounds. His face was obscured by a mass of red hair, cascading from under a beanie and down his shoulders, and a beard that could outdo a dwarf's rested against his chest. When he called out to Capsule, she thought she'd been greeted by Saint Nick himself. "Why, 'ello, thar! An'thing yer lookin' fer in partic'lar?"

Capsule blinked up at the massive man, with arms that could easily snap her in half, like a twig. "Um… I just need some gear for Snowdonia. Like, um… Rope, I guess? And a jacket? Er…" She really had no idea what people needed when they set out on a snowy hiking trip. Capsule's experience with snow was limited to what they got in Dresden, and what she saw on tv or read in books and magazines. All she knew was that it was important to stay bundled up, hydrated, and… she actually had no idea what the rope was even for. For climbing or pulling a sled?

The man, perhaps sensing this from years of dealing with inexperienced city folk, chortled. "Ach, do nee worry, miss! Ah got jes' the thing!" Moving with a grace one would not think possible for his size and bulk, the man stepped out from behind the counter. He seized a large, heavy backpack, and slammed it down on the counter top. Capsule merely stood back and watched as he moved to and fro, gathering items and neatly storing them in the pack: a waterskin, a compass, jerky, smoked cheese, a hunk of bread, matches, a small shovel for snow, and other essentials.

A heavy coat lined with some sort of fur was thrown over Capsule, who squeaked in surprise and fought to remove it from her head. Thick gloves lined with the same fur were tossed to her as well, followed by a hood for her head, a pair of goggles, and snowshoes. Capsule felt overburdened by the supplies, and even higher when she saw the combined price. Two thousand gold was a lot for gear she was only renting, but what was she going to do? Head out into the snow as she was?

A little begrudgingly, Capsule paid the grinning man. It was hard to tell if she were being ripped off or not; she knew very little about the worth of the equipment she had just rented, so haggling was out. She stored the gear and backpack into her inventory for now, and waved off the man when he tried to get her to rent his guide and sled dog. Was he insane?! Something like that surely would cost her well over four thousand gold! She had a compass, her mini map, and her sense of direction to guide her. "Thank you for all of your help, but I should be fine now."

The cool air outside was welcome, compared to the warm and thick atmosphere inside the shop. Capsule breathed a small sigh of relief. She had a feeling that half of the goods she was borrowing would not be needed at all, but it was better to be over prepared than underprepared, right? She paused on the doorstep to smile down at the old woman. The old woman smiled back. "Did you get what you came for, dearie?"

"I did." And then some, she wanted to say. "I guess the only thing left is to collect this little guy." She pointed at the puppy from before. It was smaller than the others, perhaps the runt of the litter. As the runt in her own family, Capsule found it all too easy to relate.

"Ah, yes. Little Bosco is the runt, but he's quite a tenacious little pup. Most would have died, but he stood his ground and asserted his dominance quite well, for such a small thing." In other words, the dog was a fighter.

Capsule squatted down to get a better look at this furry little warrior. "How much do you want for him?"

"For you? Free of charge, sweetie. Not many people want or can appreciate a small dog. They assume that bigger is always better, when that is really not the case. It is not the size, but how you use it," she finished with a sagely nod. Capsule was sold.

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Muse:Motorcycle Cop
Words:871
Tags:@---

CODED BY BENETNASCH

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[Capsule]

[attr="class","cappa"]

Like a furry little jack in the box, the puppy sprang up on its hind legs, playfully swatting at the air as Capsule reached into the box. "Ya see that? The little fella has taken a real shine to ya." Capsule was willing to bet that the pup just wanted to be free from the confines of the box, and be allowed to run free, as it was meant to be.

"You said it was a boy, right?" Not like it mattered, in the grand scheme of things, but Capsule was hoping to name the dog something other than "Bosco". It was the name of several provinces, a brand of some chocolatey stuff, and, of course, an actual name for people. The name meant something close to a wood worker or a shrub, she could not rightfully remember. In any case, it sounded too much like the working man, and Capsule wanted something a bit more…elegant?

"A boy, yes." The old woman gave a casual wave of her hand. "If you were looking for a girl, I am 'fraid I can't help ya there. The bitch what birthed them rarely has a female in her litters." She turned the beady little eyes in her scrunched up face somewhere south, where Capsule guessed the mother of the puppies was resting.

"Oh. No, I was just making sure." She gave a nervous nod of her head, one that turned out to be sharp and caused the ends of her long, white hair to flick through the air. It was weird having long hair like this; she would have to take care to avoid whipping people in the face with it. "Thank you for the puppy --" she started to address the old woman as "crone," but caught herself just in time. Crone? What? "...I will be making my leave now." That was such a stiff way to bid someone goodbye, was it not?

Feeling foolish, Capsule scooped up the squirming puppy. Bosco. The pup grinned back up at her, his little tongue lolling out between a set of small, sharp teeth. Now that she could hold him and see him outside of the box, he seemed bigger somehow. She would have expected the dog to actually be smaller once pulled from the small box, but he was just shy of being bigger than a fully grown male cat. Perhaps it was the fur? Thick fur like his was usually to blame for making animals seem bigger than they actually were.

Perplexed, Capsule gently squeezed and poked at the puppy as she left the old woman and the shop behind her. Nope. It was not the fur; fluffy and thick as it was, it was nothing more than an illusion. The pup was solidly built, covered in a down of fur that felt thick to the touch. Capsule ruffled the dog's fur and kissed him high on the forehead. The puppy scrabbled at her neck and tried to lick her face when she pulled away. «Hey you~.» She had no idea if the pup was old enough to understand what she said with Tongue of Nature, or if he could even speak yet, but there was no harm in trying. «I'm Capsule, your new owner. How do you feel about that?»

The puppy merely turned his head to the side, big brown eyes staring in confusion. «...I guess that is a no, huh?» Oh well, she would be able to teach him as he got older. Fiver was a bit smarter, considering he was a rabbit, and could not count higher than five. Then again, he was not a kitten when she found him. «I think we are going to be great friends, Bos...» To her surprise, that garnered a response from the dog. Bosco's ears perked up, and his tiny tail wiggled back and forth. «Do you like that name? Bosco?» Bosco gave a tiny yelp she assumed was a bark.

Please no. Why did he have to get attached to Bosco, of all names? «Well, how do you feel about a name that is not…Bosco. Like, hm.» It was her turn to tilt her head, in contemplation, not confusion. A string of not so random names came to mind. «Celadon, Cupidon, Narcisse, Zelamir, Zephyr...» Say what you want about the Marquis de Sade, he had an excellent taste in names. But no; Bosco just turned his nose up at each of them. «Merak...?» Again with the nose turning. Capsule could probably rattle off more names until she was blue in the face, though it would hardly seem worth it. Her list of male names was abhorrently short, and likely to be exhausted without nary a good result. «Do you really like the name Bosco that much?»

Bosco barked and wagged his tail. «YUS!»

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Muse:Shine Shine
Words:802
Tags:@---

CODED BY BENETNASCH

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[Capsule]

[attr="class","cappa"]

Hearing the dog actually reply almost resulted in Capsule dropping him. «Wait, you could understand me this entire time?!»

«YUS??» ...Or he could only speak a few words, at best. How typical of a pup.

Capsule sighed as she lowered the little dog onto the ground. «Bosco…I guess I could warm up to it. » As an Animal Trainer who sought after intelligent creatures, they usually had names for themselves, and would refuse to be called anything else. Bosco was her only animal (non-monster) to give out such a demand. While she could try to strip the name from his memory, she did not like doing so. It just seemed rude, and would mean she thought of the dog as more of an object and possession than companion. «Fine. As much as I dislike it, I guess you can remain as you are…Bosco.»

From his position on the ground, Bosco cheerily yapped and ran around in a wide circle. Most people would have celebrated by going out to dinner or grabbing an ice cream cone, but this worked too, she supposed. «Okay, you can be Bosco, but do not expect me to be lenient with you during your training, all right?» She pointed a stern finger at the little dog. Bosco skidded to a stop and hopped around. His body, from his ears to his slip of a tail, grew stiff. The pup gave a sharp jerk of his head, followed by a polite bark. Capsule stared back. «...That was easier than I thought - eep!»

She was betrayed. Once seeing that he had her attention, that rambunctious scamp jumped and pounced onto her boot, which he was now biting at the shoe strings of with his teeth. «Damn it, Bosco. You are grounded, buster.» Bosco was not deterred by her human threats of punishments, and did not even have a room at the moment to be sent to. Furthermore, he would be accompanying her to Snowdonia, so…With little other choice for controlling her misbehaving puppy, Capsule seized him by the scruff of the neck. The puppy whimpered and waved his legs in protest. He calmed down once he was tucked under Capsule's arm, though occasionally took to nipping at her upper arm. Short sleeved, Capsule had the utmost joy of feeling every little prick.

Why hadn't she asked for a fully grown and pre-trained dog, instead? «Bosco, I need you to behave yourself, all right? We are going somewhere dangerous soon, and I need you to be on your best behavior. There are some really unsavory monsters there, you know. Like violent snowmen.» The Malicious Snowmen were the only cause for concern, really. Everything else was either docile or wary in Snowdonia, based on what she had gleamed from the locals and documents. «A leash. That is what I need, eh?» Judging from the absentminded stare in Bosco's eyes, "leash" was not in his vocabulary…yet.

Capsule found a small vendor on the outskirts of the village. The man was an Adventurer and a Tailor, and with a little bit of gold and time, she was able to request a simple, leather collar from him. When he asked if she would be needing a leash to match, Capsule shook her head and smiled. There would be no need for that, when she had items of her own to utilize -- namely the coil of rope she was renting from the sports good store. She would probably have to pay to replace the rope, but was sure she could talk her way out of that one. Capsule was busy being too cheap to care about damaged goods.

The rope, as it turned out, was rather crappy in quality. Capsule could not imagine using it to hoist herself or something equally as heavy up a cliff side, and felt less guilty about hacking part of the rope off. What a rip off, though the rope likely did not cost her much, unlike the backpack and heavy jacket. And if Mr. Red Santa had something to say about the cut rope? Capsule could just as easily turn things around on him, and demand a refund for faulty gear. Or something. That required her not to be such a coward, however.

The length of rope she cute was as long as the length of her body, which was enough to give the pup some room to roam, but not too far. Bosco sniffed at and snapped at the rope as it was attached to his collar. Thankfully, it was at least too thick for puppy teeth to bite through, else she would have been screwed out of not only money, but a cheap leash. «Come on, boy. I have some beasts to tame.» A Crystal Reindeer and a Snowfield Bear would be great additions to their small family.

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Muse:Remain As You Are
Words:804
Tags:@---

CODED BY BENETNASCH

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