The Park - Sunday morning

[mages_suck]

The island was calm. The people here were calm. It was weird, after being in a high-tension environment for most of his life. Fenris sought the unacknowledged comfort of trees. The bench was unoccupied, the ducks unspoken to.

He smirked a little. "Hello, ducks. Where's your human friend?"

The ducks didn't answer. He hadn't truly expected them to.

The bench was unoccupied, but why sit on a bench when that tree right there had a branch that begged? Catching it, he pulled himself up and took a seat. Leaning against the trunk, he pulled one leg up and let the other hang free.

[Open! Brooding McElfEars is in the tree looking elvish af.]

Comments

[mages_suck]

The weapons clashed and Fenris was able to absorb the shock of the blow. He considered it and nodded, "We can continue. If it gets too much, I'll call a halt."

"Felicitations on your betrothal," he said.

[puppy_fair]

"Thanks," Zack replied, bouncing back a half step so that he could swing his sword again. "We've been together since just about forever, so it was proabbly about time, you know?"

[mages_suck]

Fenris rushed to meet it, metal clashing again. There were sparks. There shouldn't be sparks. He gave his blade a look, in case it was showing off.

Giving a small shake of his head, he answered politely enough, "I wouldn't know. It's not a life choice I've ever had to think about."

Slaves were rarely allowed to marry, and Fenris' master would never have allowed it for him.

It hadn't really occurred to him that he could do as he pleased now.

[puppy_fair]

"Oh..." Zack tilted his head slightly, not seeming terribly concerned about the sparks, himself. "Sorry," he offered. "I get a little excited sometimes."

'Sometimes.'

[mages_suck]

"No need for apologies," Fenris said, moving in for a strike of his own, "It sounds like a happy occasion."

[puppy_fair]

"We're both pretty excited," Zack replied, grinning as he brought his own sword up to counter, easily enough. Yesssss, he'd needed this, far more than he'd care to admit.

The only thing that could've made it more fun would've been people shooting at him.

"It's kind of been years in the making. I meant to ask her ages ago, but..." He lifted his shoulders a bit. "Life happens."

There was an understatement, Zack.

[mages_suck]

Fenris went at Zack in a pattern. He wasn't moving at his full speed, but he suspected Zack wasn't either from the deliberateness of his motions. They could work up to that.

"Life happens," he agrees, "At least you finally got around to making it official."

Which he hadn't done. Healthy relationships were not his thing.

[puppy_fair]

And a block, and a block, and then Zack hit the ground in a roll and straightened up again and grinned, bringing his sword back down toward Fenris again.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I'm glad we finally got our chance."

... Whenever they married beyond that, who even knew?

[mages_suck]

Fenris blocked and dodged, juking to the left. His grin grew. It had been a long time since he could just enjoy a spar.

"How long have you had your dog?"

He spun and thrust.

[puppy_fair]

"She's been my dog for almost a year," Zack shared, grinning a little more and bringing his sword up to clash against Fenris' one more time. "Officially, I mean. She's only about a year and a half old..."

Which was weird, it felt like he'd had Girl since forever.

"A friend of mine brought a bunch of pups like her to the shelter, and she kind of took to me right away."

Because they were therapy dogs, trained by Kindred Scelties, and Girl knew an emotional wreck when she saw one.

[mages_suck]

Another clash as the swords came together, parted, came together again. "Sounds like a good deal."

He dodged the next blow by spinning and coming back around with his sword.

[puppy_fair]

And Zack in turn was once again hitting the ground in a roll, ducking under that sword and coming up again to bring his own toward Fenris in the same motion.

"It's been pretty great," Zack agreed. "She's been good for me."

Therapy dog. Huge damage. Yup.

[mages_suck]

Fenris' turn to roll under a sword, popping to his feet and blocking the next. "I would hope she hadn't been terrible to you," he smiled to show he was teasing, "She seems..very sweet."

He knew nothing of pets or dogs.

[puppy_fair]

Zack laughed an easy laugh at that, grinning as their swords clashed again, and then stepping into it a little more, pushing against it.

"As far as dogs go? I mean, I'm probably biased, but she's the best there is."

Definitely biased.

But she was still a great dog.

[mages_suck]

Fenris grinned at the added weight, letting his blade slide along the other until he could dance out of the way again. Stepping to the side, he began a curving sweep toward Zack.

"I haven't met many that were kept as pets," Fenris allowed, "I've no comparison so your verdict stands."

Never argue with a man about his dog.

[puppy_fair]

"You could always stop by the shelter sometime to meet the other dogs," Zack suggested brightly. "Most of them really like meeting new people. I take it the dogs you have experience are working dogs, then?"

He turned on his heel, his sword gouging a trench in the lawn as though the grass wasn't even there as he brought it around so that he could block again.

[mages_suck]

"War dogs," Fenris acknowledged, "Very large, very protective. Not the sort one can walk up to and pat on the head. Unless one likes life as an amputee."

The clash of steel as the two hit and blocked and parried back and forth across the grass.

[puppy_fair]

"Those sound like kind of great dogs too," Zack decided, grinning. "Even if they're not super friendly or anything. I knew somebody once who was fond of big dogs. Best SOLDIER there ever was. I bet he would've gotten along with one just fine."

Parry and strike, roll, another flurry of sparks, and a grin...

[mages_suck]

"They do their job well and they're incredibly loyal, which is all one can really ask of them," Fenris agreed. "You prefer the smaller dogs?"

It was a dumb question but he was terrible at socializing.

Fighting, he could do. Block, strike, dash to the side, hop over the sword when it came for his legs, strike again..

[puppy_fair]

"I like," Zack weaved backwards to avoid being skewered by the sword, "all dogs pretty much the same. If Girl was a tiny lap dog or if she was as tall as I am, she'd still be the best dog."

Also then he'd be able to ride her around like a chocobo, and that would be awesome.

[mages_suck]

Fenris laughed a little as the swords continued to meet, part, meet again. "I should like to see a dog as tall as you. You are not small, Zack Fair."

After a moment, "As long as it is a friendly dog."

[puppy_fair]

"Well," Zack offered, "the man I was talking about a minute ago? The one who likes big dogs? Used to call me a puppy. So I guess if that counts..."

Zack was totally a friendly dog. He smiled like this all the time.

[mages_suck]

Fenris shook his hair out of his eyes by way of shaking his head. "Doesn't count," he noted, "No tail."

[puppy_fair]

"Plenty of dogs don't have tails!"

Zack still totally wiggled his butt around like one from time to time.

[mages_suck]

Fenris blinked and almost dropped his guard, "Really? I've only met one and he lost his in battle."