park

@⬙ ﹕ tempest. Mario sure played him for a fool.

All Dalbit can think of when his dog curls around Yuying’s leg is why, *why* can’t she display the same energy during her regular vet visits? Sure, it’s the vet, and even he is not a huge fan of hospitals (one of the best perks of retiring from the hero life? He can now go *months* without having to get himself wheeled into the emergency room!), so in a way he does understand her going feral in that place, but that doesn’t change anything! Mario is always wary around strangers—it took her at least fifteen visits from his building’s landlord and maintenance guy (each!) to stop barking at them even when Dalbit had done everything in his power to calm her down, and for the first few weeks he takes her out on walks he had to figure out a way to distract her so she won’t start growling at anyone walking less than a meter away from him.

Her favorite distraction? Her own goddamn shadow. Never in his life had he imagined that his own dog would be his biggest security threat.

But the good news is, somehow none of that is necessary when she sees Yuying for the first time. His good friend was only greeted with a less-than-threatening bark before he tells her that it’s okay, Yuying (although Mario’s ears would probably perk up more if he said “pretty library jiejie” instead, but that is not a risk he can take right now) is nice, and they will reward Mario with a cup of puppuccino if she promises to be a good girl.

The bad news? Now she’s completely ignoring him for her new friend—and Dalbit cannot decide if by “she” he means Mario or Yuying. Both works. He stops in his tracks, clicking his tongue as the leash gets caught up between Yuying’s legs for the nth time. “Mario, you’re going to make your new mom trip at this rate,” he sighs, squatting to untangle the line. He offers the other end to Yuying once he’s done, a mildly unimpressed look on his face, which Mario as if to appease him. “Wanna try walking her instead?” he asks, struggling to maintain his balance as his dog takes him being on the ground as a sign to hop on his lap and attack him with kisses. “You—she, hold on just a second, Mario. Anyway, I think it’ll be”—he falls on his with a yelp as Mario pins his shoulders down—“you know what, take the lead. I can’t move with her being all over me.”