001 ❖ Video/Action

[glamorsongstress]

Action:

[In the late hours of the afternoon, a large, well groomed dog can be seen padding around the City. It looks completely at home wandering among the streets. Occasionally it will stop on a street corner, watching the crowd, almost as if it's waiting for something, or someone.

When evening comes, the dog will be sat outside Lucky's, barking excitedly at everyone that comes by, wagging its tail.]


Video:

[When Ruby finally does return to her own form, she finds that she has the same communicator as she had during her previous stay in the City. She smiles brightly as she waves at the camera.]

It figures that I'd get hit with a curse the moment I set foot back in this place. I guess some things never change.

...Although, there is a lot that's changing about this place. For instance, I heard talk that someone's trying to build a door out of here? And I've not been back two minutes, either.

[She sounds disappointed. Her previous disdain of the City is quite missing, and that surprises Ruby more than anyone.]


((OOC: Ruby got hit with today's curse and is a rough collie. After she's changed back, she'll be in Lucky's for action threads.))

Comments

Action

[recognize_an_opportunity]

[There's been a dog around the casino all day, and it seems awfully... affectionate? Intelligent? He's been too busy to really pay much attention, but it's kept itself out of trouble, and hasn't harassed the patrons, so he hasn't sent anyone to figure out who its owner is or drive it away from the door. If he notices when it slips inside the casino and makes itself comfortable in a corner, he doesn't do anything about it.

When he finally gets a spare moment, though, as the night begins to wind down, he approaches the collie -- really, a very nice looking dog, though he isn't one to be particularly fond of dogs -- and kneels down to inspect it for a collar or something that indicates whose it is.]

Where do you belong?

[Talking to a dog is kind of strange, but... it's the City. There's always the chance that it'll respond. He checks his watch. Midnight, exactly. Two more hours and then he can close up.]

[glamorsongstress]

[Whenever she's seen Meyer glance her way, her ears have pricked up and her tail has wagged rapidly from side to side. He doesn't seem to pay much attention to her, though, even when she nestled into a corner of the casino when the evening began to turn cold outside. She figures there's nothing really to do but just wait it out. She's learned that the curses, while inconvenient, never seem to last more than a couple of days.

When Meyer finally approaches, she barks enthusiastically, and jumps up at him, pawing at his chest. It's then that she feels the strange tingling reverberating down to her bones, and the next thing she knows she's human again, curls flying in her face as she reaches in and pulls Meyer close without any warning at all.]

[recognize_an_opportunity]

[He's not startled when she turns into a human (it makes sense, to him -- the dog had seemed almost too intelligent to really be a dog) but he is startled when he realizes who's gripping him so tightly. Startled in a pleasant way.]

Ruby!

[If there's surprise in his voice, and of course there is, it's tinged with genuine happiness. And, while he's not the most affectionate of people, hugging her back seems like the only appropriate response, so he does, wrapping his arms around her and smiling, though she likely can't see it.]

[glamorsongstress]

[She presses him tightly to her, laughing in her joy and being reunited with him, and her relief that he's still here, still pretty much as she'd left him.]

I didn't think I'd see this place again.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

[She's one of the few people he can truly call a friend rather than an associate, and if he's a little too pleased to see her, well, he doubts she'll mock him for it. She seems pretty pleased, too.]

I hope you intend to stay a little longer this time.

[glamorsongstress]

If the fur and tail are any indication, I think I'll be here a while. I got my communicator back, too.

[She finally breaks off, the smile not quite leaving her face yet.]

You haven't gone and found another singer in my absence, I hope?

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Good.

[He really is pleased. It's written all over his face, and as someone who isn't particularly demonstrative, well, that's telling, isn't it?]

No, of course not. We do have a pianist, however.

[glamorsongstress]

Pianist is good. I can work with that. If they don't mind duets, of course.

[Now that she's pulled back a little, she can see just how pleased he looks.]

Now Meyer, you were the one who taught me about keeping up a good poker face.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

I doubt he'll mind duets. He's a good kid.

[Kid is, of course, literal. He's ten. Meyer isn't one to turn down talent, no matter how young they may be. He chuckles a little about her comment.]

Should I pretend I'm not pleased to see you?

action;

[maoser]

[Getting towards the evening, Mao is on the prowl. He's still adjusting to that weird time differential -- how he feels like he hasn't been gone at all, yet he's actually been out of the City for months. There are plenty of new sights to be seen, scents to be smelled, tidbits of info to be collected and catalogued for possible future use.

And then there's a dog. Ugh. Dogs.]

[glamorsongstress]

[Ruby's normally fairly indifferent towards cats. She prefers them to dogs, admires the way they can look after themselves and don't seem to get too attached to people, but that's about as far as her affection goes. Now, however, the instincts that have taken root in her as the curse set in override that, and she wags her tail enthusiastically as she sees Mao, the dual excitement of a new friend on the one hand and something to chase on the other warring in her.]

[maoser]

[Wait, why is the dog approaching? Don't approach, dog.]

Go away. [This Contractor don't got time for you, hmph.]

[glamorsongstress]

[She lowers the front end of her body, her tail still wagging frantically, sniffing Mao and pushing him a little with her nose, wanting to play. There's confusion in her eyes, though, as though she's not really sure why she's so excited, or why she's covered in fur.]

[maoser]

[Mao hisses and swats at her snout.]

No! Don't sniff there! [Those are his MANBITS, geez!]

[glamorsongstress]

[Ruby lets out a yelp, jerking back. Of course she's sniffing him there, how else is a dog supposed to say hello?]

Sorry! [It comes out as a loud, coarse bark to her, and she only hope that cats can speak dog.]

[maoser]

Hmph. [Mao's eyes narrow.] You're not normally a dog, are you?

[glamorsongstress]

[She shakes her head, ears flopping all over the place.]

I was human right up until the second I arrived back here. Trust me to get hit with a curse my first day back.

Action;

[makingastatement]

[ He's late to work, or maybe right on time to the schedule that he's set for himself. No one else seems to question it. When he arrives, everything seems to be in place just as it is the night before and so on. Except one thing-- one person, really that he's consistently happy to see and always sad to see go.

Whatever she's doing, whoever she's speaking with can wait. He's not great with discretion or subtleties, so his hello is simply scooping her up and giving her a quick, enthusiastic spin. ]

[glamorsongstress]

[Ruby squeals a little as she feels herself lifted into the air, but then she realises just who's doing the spinning and she throws her arms around Al, kissing him on the cheek and looking overjoyed.]

[makingastatement]

[ Once he stops spinning her, he doesn't set her down immediately. It's not a position he'd find himself complaining about anytime soon. ]

I knew you performer types were fickle, but are you actually sticking around this time or what?

[glamorsongstress]

[She's not complaining either, quite happy resting in his arms, almost afraid that she'll disappear back to her own world if she lets go too quickly.]

Oh, I'm sticking around, I can promise you that.

[makingastatement]

I'll hold you to that.

[ He sets her down on a bar stool, mixing her up something she likes. There's backup bartenders tonight, at least, and even if there weren't, Ruby has the priority here. ]

So tell me the news. I'm sure you've been keeping busy.

[glamorsongstress]

Believe me, they'll have to drag me back kicking and screaming.

[She settles herself on the stool, crossing one leg over the other and watching him work.]

I've been busy all right, but it's not all been good news. I guess that's part of why I'm so glad to be back in a place I was brought to against my will in the first place. [The irony is not lost on her.] Aside from the fact that you and Meyer are here, of course.

[makingastatement]

Anybody we should know about?

[ They exist in the future, her time, don't they? It might be a far cry from plausible, but he figures there's always a way to figure things out. ]

[glamorsongstress]

Oh no, it's nothing like that. I just managed to almost bankrupt myself, that's all.

[She appreciates the idea of him protecting her more than she can say, though. Although she doesn't have the heart to tell him that while Meyer's still around in her time, Al's been gone a few years.]