2026-07-21: Someone I’d Like You To Meet
- Log: Someone I’d Like You To Meet
- Cast: Hyousuke Suzuki, Ichika Kawase
- Where: Hirasaka Ward
- OOC Date:2026-07-21
- IC Date: Thu, Dec 13 2012
- Summary: Having just emerged from the vet with a new friend in tow, Hyousuke asks Ichika if she would be inclined to meet them.
(|============================= Hirasaka - Main ==============================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Hirasaka Ward ====-
The westernmost ward of the city, and also the one furthest inland, Hirasaka is
considered one of the least desirable places to live in Sumaru. This is in part
due to the bad reputation of local Kasugayama High School, nicknamed "Kasu High"
by its students and "Cuss High" by its detractors. A school of overwhelmingly
boys but some errant girls, it's said to be for delinquents, poors, and other
"problem" children. Just down the street is Sumaru Prison, which is not a prison
but an underground club with a live stage, and either way the parents of Sevens
students hate it.
It's not all bad in Hirasaka, though. The shopping is second to none, with a
huge five-story mall called Smile Hirasaka that offers a wide variety of
businesses and conference meeting rooms; just be sure to go on a day when the
stores aren't closed. For those who want a more homey atmosphere for their
purchases, there's Kameya Alley. Plenty of office buildings populate the area,
too.
(|============================================================================|)
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke had had misgivings about returning to the park with his new companion in tow. It hadn't been because of the weather - December was always cold, but that day was at least the tolerable sort, for man and animal both. It wasn't because he was busy. It was a Thursday afternoon, and the people milling about were few and far between. It wasn't even that it was too far from the vet to walk. No more than a hop, skip, and a jump away, even his lethargic new friend found it easy enough to make the trip, albeit with a rest at a bench once they were there.
The reason was that it had been that park that had seen so many of their fights. So much bloodshed, so much anger and bellowing and fighting... and for what? to drive off the beast? To scare it into submission, or beat it into the ground? Igor had said the dog would not remember the incident, but even so, he worried that some lingering instinct would be there within its mind. The dog had no such worries, and seemed quite happy to spend some time ambling around at the end of a leash, before insisting on a rest near a fortunately-placed bench.
While there, Hyousuke took the chance to pull his phone out and send a message to Ichika.
> can you get to the park
> got someone i want you to meet
> don't bring lance
With that, he sat back and took a proper look at the dog now that they both had a chance to rest and relax. By the standards of typical city pets, it was a little on the larger side, though still small enough to find residency in an apartment. Covered in short, golden, fur, the proportions of its body and the patterns upon it gave little indication as to what breed it was. Its sharp and angular features might have given others some idea, but Hyousuke was not nearly well-versed enough in canines to make a guess.
He supposed it mattered little at that point in time. It wasn't as though the dog was his to keep, even if it - sitting idle at his feet, halfway between wake and sleep - was in his care for now. Best not to dwell on details that weren't important for now, he silently supposed, before leaning back into the bench.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Finals are approaching, but Ichika is willing to get a little fresh air. Sure, it's cold, but whatever. She has discipline! She has power! She has... midriffs!
As usual, Ichika is sacrificing for fashion; her uniform is as it usually is, with long skirt and short top. and she is still in uniform, of course. And earlier:
> Sure
> Oh yeah? Cool
Don't bring Lance... that suggests an animal. So Ichika is looking forward to it when she gets there, and as she arrives:
"Oh!" the cool, collected Thorn Boss says. "You made a friend!"
Ichika comes around the bench. "Hey there."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
The dog stirred before Hyousuke could act, its ears pricking up as the presence of a new human - a human that was lingering nearby, and not simply passing through - was registered. It drew slowly up and regarded her, padding slowly up to her, though Hyousuke kept a hold on the leash for safety's sake. He seemed a little uncertain about it, however, as if he was only aping what he'd seen others do when handling their own pets. Regardless, the dog stopped as soon as it felt its leash go a little taut, and Hyousuke stood slowly up to meet Ichika.
"We've actually been meeting up for a while now. Kinda." Hyousuke said awkwardly, looking down at the dog to make sure that it would be as friendly with her as it had been with him. It showed no signs of aggression, but then again, it showed no signs of anything besides curiosity. It ambled closer to her as soon as it was allowed, sniffing gently before sitting back down and looking expectantly up at her. All the while, Hyousuke kept talking, explaining the situation as best as his still-reeling mind could manage.
"You remember that rumour demon I've been chasing for about a month now? The one that'd been cutting people up and mauling them whenever they got too close? This is it." He nodded down at the dog, still looking up at Ichika with a gently wagging tail, though it had started bowing its head a little as if trying to incite her harder to pet it. "Me and some friends from Gekkoukan tracked it to the path we found that collar on. I've got nothing concrete yet, but I think it was probably something that got lost and started attacking people 'cause it got scared. The rumours started getting out of control, and... well..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Dog!!
Ichika smiles at Hyousuke, but then her attention is on the dog. But Hyousuke is awkward--well, that's not surprising. "Yeah?" she asks, and kneels down to pet dog.
She blinks in surprise, pausing mid-pet, at Hyousuke's explanation. "Wow," she says. "That's this guy?" she asks. ...She resumes pets. "So he was misunderstood, and the rumors got out of hand," Ichika summarizes. "Poor thing..."
Pet pet pet.
"How'd you..."
She gestures.
"He doesn't seem like a violent scary rumor dog now."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Ichika, fool that she was, had fallen for the dog's manipulations and played right into its paws. It had her exactly where it wanted her - petting it. Its mouth opened just enough for its tongue to loll out, and as soon as it did, it began to pant and wag its tail just that much harder. It even licked at her hand when it wasn't too busy nuzzling into her, demanding her attention at every turn. Deciding that it was safe to let the dog be while he talked, Hyousuke kept a firm hold on the leash, but allowed himself to tear his gaze away from it a little more.
"We had to fight it. I... I think that might've been my fault. The others seemed more like they were trying to understand it, but I just saw a bounty."" He was less awkward then, but only by virtue of seeming more ashamed instead. He went quiet, looking down at the dog - who seemed confused by the momentary interruption, but no less eager for pets - before continuing. "Igor sealed the demon away, but he told me I had to handle the rest. Said I'm responsible for making sure it doesn't come back out."
Hearing the first of its friends speaking at length, the dog looked back with a curious glance, before demanding more attention from Ichika. Hyousuke, meanwhile elected to explain himself further.
"I just don't know what he's expecting me to do. Little guy's probably got a family and everything looking for him right now, and he'll be outta my hands after. It'd be easy if he had a chip, or a collar, or something, but all I've got's that collar I gave to Uchida-san..."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Pets! Ichika pats his head, ruffles his ears, and generally bestows more pets upon the dog. Hand licks are acceptable, though face licks owuld not be.
But Hyousuke mentionis fighting it. "Well," Ichika says, "I don't blame that. Monsters are usually monsters, right>?" But Igor was able to seal it... "Yeah," Ichika answers then, "Igor's cool. All those guys in there are pretty cool."
Pet pet. "Take care of him, I guess. Or find his family, if he's got one."
"...But I don't know. If you don't find one..."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Fortunately for Ichika, there were no face licks. Still too tired to make any meaningful attempts at jumping up, it instead settled for hand licking, and for the many attentions bestowed upon it by her. Though he could not see its face, Hyousuke could see its tail, and could see that it felt remarkably pleased by this turn of events. It trudging forwards to try and get her to pet it more was only further proof of that, though it did pause briefly to lift its chin up and expose that to her as well. Chin scritches were desired, and it expected its demands to be fulfilled.
"I'm going to find them." Hyousuke said, with a voice and an expression as firm as stone. "This dog had a collar, and he got lost on a hiking path. He had to have gotten lost on a walk, or something like that. He's got people that love him that want him back home, and if getting him back to them means he's not alone any more, then that's what I'm doing." A rueful look crossed his face as he looked between Ichika and his new friend, who had taken to placing its chin directly onto her palm.
"...Besides, I don't even have my own place yet. I can't sign the paperwork for one, I don't talk to my parents any more, and my brother's-" Hyousuke cut himself off, tightened his lips, then shook his head. "...Point is, I've got nowhere I can keep it. Moment anyone finds out I'm keeping him at the dorms, I'm done for."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Chin scritch! "There you go..." Ichika will eventually get tired and stand back up, but not yet. She smiles at the dog.
Hyousuke's stony expression is welcoem this time. "Yeah," she says. "Same one we found you think?" Since... that's where it was. "Right. Well, that's cool." But...
"Yeah," Ichika says. "I guess that's fair." She considers. His borther...? Hm.
"Yeah... unless..."
"Hey, you think the detectives'd spread a rumor that dogs are allowed in Kasu High's dorms?" she jokes.
"Nah, you're right. You should look for them if you can. It's cool of you to take responsibility for him like this." Pat, pat. Then, she moves to stand. "Good boy."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
The remark about dorms draws a chuckle, at least. Enough to break him out of that rather dour state he'd been in at the mention of his family, and return his attention to happier thoughts The dog, however, seemed remarkably less happy about the arrangement, if only because Ichika had chosen to stand up. Though it did not voice its dissatisfaction, it still made it known by jamming its snout into her shin to try and get her attention, before looking up in a way that was at once both imperious and pleading.
"Yeah, I don't think they'd be too happy about people asking to spread that kinda rumour. But I don't think any of the guys'd snitch on me if I *did* bring him back. They might ask to pet it as a bribe for keeping quiet, but they don't seem like they'd go ratting me out." Hyousuke blinked, then looked at her with a more neutral expression. "...Not that I'm friends with all of them, I just think they'd rather just fight me than get a teacher involved if they got a problem."
"Anyway, if you hear anyone talking about a lost dog or anything like that, point 'em my way. Poor little guy probably misses his people."
The poor little guy seemed to be managing just fine, given how demanding he was in his pursuit for attention.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika will remember that Hyousuke's brother is a sore spot though.
"Right, I get you," Ichika says. "In the dorms, you're not always friends, but it's you against everybody else. There's something to that."
Rather not get a teacher involved; it's just how Ichika thinks of it, really. "Besides, you'd have to be a real asshole to have a problem with taking care of a dog."
"Will do." She looks down. "...But," she says, "I do think he likes you."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
The dog barked in response. Or was it an attempt to drag her back down to its level, and get her to lavish more pets upon it? It was difficult to say, though Hyousuke leaned towards the latter.
"I guess so. He seems like he'd let me know if he didn't." Again, it elected to do something that may or may not have been a response, and turned around to demand attention from Hyousuke instead. He, unable to resist its charms, crouched down briefly to ruffle its fur and make sure it knew it was being listened to.
"Seems like he likes you too. You're welcome to play with him or walk him or whatever, if you think you can sneak him outside the dorm without anyone noticing. Just not today. He's fine, just tired after... everything, I guess." Hyousuke looked down at the dog. The dog, consciously or not, disagreed with his assessment quite vehemently, and displayed that by tugging lightly at the leash towards the end of the path. "...By the way, if you or some other others have a night free, I could use someone to help me out with Mementos. I had enough to cover the vet bill, but that was kinda *all* I could cover."
Alas, he was but a student, and his money was a finite resource. And who had ever heard of a student making six figures before the end of the year through part time jobs and the occasional plunge into supernatural subways?
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika smiles down at Mr. Dog. (He'll need a name). But for now, Hyousuke has that covered, and Ichika says, "He seems friendly to me. But hmmm..." Ichika is pretty good at sneaking around dorms, as it happens. "Maybe," she says. "But yeah? You got it. I can help." With going to Mementos, anyway. "I need to get in some training, anyway."
Nobody, of course. How could that happen?
"Lance is gonna wonder who I was hanging out with," she jokes.