[open] IT'S TOO EARLY FOR SURRENDER, TOO LATE FOR A PRAYER

[pawper]

Who: Lys a wolf a big fluffy dog + you, random passerby, trouble
When: Early-ish April
Where: School grounds, First and Second Ring (public roads), eventually the Third Ring (docks)
What: BEEP BEEP DOGGO DELIVERY

[Did you ever see the movie Balto? More or less based on a true story, gets mistaken for the work of Don Bluth, was something of a childhood awakening for furries — ...wait. Anyway, there was a scene at the beginning of said movie where the part-dog, part-wolf protagonist traverses a small Alaskian town by way of various parkour tricks, like running across fences and jumping between rooftops. Quick, nimble, and sure-footed, he made clever use of his environment to circumvent a lack of opposable thumbs.

Imagine that, but with a bigger, fluffier, and not quite as graceful creature racing through the streets of Anastara on a beeline for the docks, a package clutched tightly between their jaws. Dodging, sliding, even jumping headlong over obstacles, the beast frantically attempts to navigate through districts that have, on today of all days, become absurdly crowded: spilled boxes, milling pedestrians, workers carrying gigantic panes of glass and crystal, random flocks of angry geese, spontaneous wizard duels, and so much else that it might lead one to wonder if the canine had been a very, very bad dog in a previous life.

Try to clear a path? Deliberately block the way? Attempt to steal the mystery package? Come one, come all!]

Comments

[nomoremistergneissguy]

[The geese were what got Cliff, originally. Twitching. Does he have PTSD? Maaaaybe. But he's watching the large fluffdog attempt to make its way through the flock--and at least most of them don't seem to wield magic...

And since it appears safe (oh fraw he may regret this later), he charges his way after the geese like the big dork he really is, arms raised, bellowing loudly, with Rounder speeding around in his wake like an ambulatory bowling ball (isn't he?), making sure the path stays clear for the pooch. Cliff, meanwhile, cheers her (her?) on.]

Go on, go! You can do it! [His uncle would probably never stoop to such a thing, but he figures only the most intelligent regular dog would not enjoy shredding the parcel. She's got to be someone's familiar.]

[pawper]

[A person wouldn't be wrong to think that simply biting the angry featherbags was the obvious solution; her teeth are large and sharp, cradled in powerful jaws. And yet she seems almost cowardly when first confronted with the geese, bullied away from exploiting openings in the flock by flapping wings and snapping beaks. Head bowed, ears flattened against her skull, she makes low whining noises in her throat as she paces from side to side, narrowly dodging their aggressive charges.

When Cliff opens a way through, she wastes no time in darting past before the scattered geese can rally. Glancing over a broad, black-furred shoulder, she barks her thanks!....dropping the package to do so, whoops. Cue an immediate attempt to pick it back up, nosing the parcel around the floor with growing desperation as her jaws fail to properly grasp it.]

[nomoremistergneissguy]

[Luckily, the familiar is there, helpfully picking up the parcel and offering it up--until the angry honking increases, splitting the air--including an offended and startled yell from Cliff.

Seems he and these geese have, indeed, met before...and they remember him. To his dismay. He hadn't had much luck with their magical prowess before--and he wasn't having much now, either.

He was, however, quite prepared to beat a hasty (and perhaps singed) retreat, but not before the familiar and its package got away. No need to have the geese turn their ire on her and delay the mission! Cliff could make it from here.

He hoped.

For his part, Rounder clearly wants to go help Cliff, miracle of miracles, but he knows how his master is, and that package needs to go with the pooch. So the marble sphere is clearly anxious, but not willing to play keep-away with that ever important parcel. But waiting isn't easy.]

[pawper]

[The package is snatched neatly from Rounder's hand, tail wagging. She moves to take her leave, then stops. Dithering over what to do, great fluffy head swiveling between Cliff and the geese and the road ahead. The package is due at the docks; she's already running short on time.

But those sure are some angry geese with smoke curling from their beaks.

.....

Stowing the package safely behind some roadside crates, the beast turns swiftly on her paws and goes charging back toward the angry flock, leaping into the thick of them and nipping sternly at the nearest feathered bottom.]

[nomoremistergneissguy]

Don't you have someplace to be? [Not that the pooch can really understand him, he thinks, but Cliff is tied between being grateful for the help, and dismayed because whatever the familiar's mission is, now he's bollocksing it up!]

I'm not really planning on staying if I can help it, so you can go! Thank you for helping me, though!

[Mostly he's doing his best to Discover a buckler shield to stave off the worst of the goosey blasts, but he's too knowledgeable of flock tactics to hang around and take a beating. Even Rounder has his arms up in the air, waving around what are clearly his make of smoke bombs...]

[pawper]

[She flicks an ear at him, barks in a way that might indicate agreement, acknowledgement, or simply an instinctive response to the sound of his voice.

Yes, she does have someplace to be. Yes, it would be quite upsetting to face a scolding for getting there too late. But her conscience simply won't allow her to turn tail (to borrow a phrase) on someone in trouble. Especially if they were in said trouble on her account, even tangentially.

So resolved, she snatches one of the geese by the webbed leg and tosses them a good distance, trying to synergize with Cliff and Rounder to force an opening they could all skedaddle through.]

[nomoremistergneissguy]

Okay. [Like he gets it. He doesn't, not really, but clearly the dog is not going to let him go this alone, so he better get his ass in gear, Cliff thinks.]

Rounder, let 'em fly!

[With that, Cliff sweeps the buckler at the nearest goose--startling it into flight. The next one gets caught up on the shield and launched into the air--apparently he thought her idea was a good one. With that, he starts to charge away from the geese. Rounder does launch his smoke bombs, left and right--they should not irritate the lungs much, but the clouds of thick, white smoke obfuscate everyone nicely. Thankfully the dog has a sense of smell, and Rounder doesn't need to see. He'll drag Cliff out slowly, by tugging the hem of his robe and leading him in the right direction. It'll slow his master down a bit, but not really stop him...]