Shakes and Shivers I Can’t Ignore

[Tucker]

Date: January 5th around sunset 

Tucker trotted along the barren path just outside the palace wall having found a small crack that he had squeezed through. The large courtyard with its fountain was getting boring, sure he had his fellow soldiers to talk to but there were hardly any one of canine verity aside from that one dog. Tucker sniffs the ground, picking up the Labrador’s scent was it fate that the other canine was also possibly taking a stroll outside the palace? Tucker wouldn’t like to think so, just pure coincidence. A rattle from behind a vase then a cracking sounded as whatever was behind it makes a run for it. Tucker gives chase before he catches the tail end of a stray cat darting up a wall safety out of the ex police dog’s reach.

[Benjamin]

“Chasing stray cats, how very stereotypical of you.”

The voice that spoke was deep and smooth; the tone relaxed but teasing. Its owner, the very canine the aforementioned former K-9 had picked up the scent of, stepped out of the shadows of which he’d blended in with perfectly. How the other dog had failed to see him, Benjamin would never know, but it was a somewhat comforting thought that his fur was what was able to keep him hidden when his scent had not been.

Coming to stand next to the Shepherd, Ben settled himself down onto his haunches and lifted his hind leg to give his ear a scratch. The sand here was more irritating than anything he’d ever experienced back home, and it was always managing to get itself into places that were extremely uncomfortable. Once the annoyance was dealt with, Ben gave his head a shake and turned his full attention back to the dog in front of him.

“What brings you out here?” he asked, turning to glance back in the direction the stray cat had disappeared. “Come to terrorize the local feline populous?”

Truth be told, Benjamin had come out for reasons just as selfish, though, admittedly he wasn’t looking to scare some poor, helpless street cats. He had come out to visit his master’s grave. While the royal family’s(or the leader’s and those of higher ranks’) burial grounds were within the palace itself, those of the soldiers(and the workers, and their relatives) were placed outside the palace wall. It gave a means to show that their deaths weren’t as meaningful, but Benjamin didn’t care to think on that fact for too long, lest he lose the drive to continuing fighting for their cause and for his Charles’ death. He couldn’t let it go, he would make the Freedom Fighters pay for what they had done.

Blinking up from his broodings, Benjamin brought his gaze up to meet Tucker’s once more, his ears pulled back slightly as he realized he’d been spacing for what was likely a noticeable amount of time. “Forgive me,” he started, glancing away quickly in a show of embarrassment. “I was just thinking of some things.” Whether Tucker had actually noticed his little spell or not didn’t really matter, Ben still felt the need to apologize regardless.

[Tucker]

“Chasing stray cats, how very stereotypical of you.”

The K9 cop's ears perked up instantly,his head jerks to look for the owner. Finding it belonged to the black Labrador he had scented. Tucker smirked at his words. "Well, I do deserve a little fun now and again" he watched Ben take a seat and scratch at a itch, getting a good look at the dog he had spotted a few days ago.

“What brings you out here?”

“Come to terrorize the local feline populous?”

"No, Well it was just asking to be chased. I was just taking a walk" he grinned.

Hoping to find you actually the voice in the back of his mind answered

"Where are my manners? My name is Tucker." he introduced himself, his line of sight was however staring at the spot where the stray cat had gone off to. When the lab didn't respond he glances to him find that his comrade has seemingly dazed off.

“Forgive me,” the other spoke suddenly to which Tucker offer a sympathetic smile before looking at his collar trying to spot a name tag hoping to put a name to the dog's face, finding none however. "Do you want to talk about those things,it could help?" he offers gently.

Tagging:Benjamin

[Benjamin]

Ben’s eyes widened at the offer, and his ears shifted back slightly. He hadn’t expected Tucker to offer to listen to his worries, he’d just meant to give voice to the reason he’d seemed to drift off into his own mind. Still, it was an offer that was appreciated all the same. Benjamin’s gaze lowered and a small smile pulled at the edge of his muzzle.

“Thank you, Tucker,” he spoke the dog’s name, trying it out for the first time, “but no. I think it’s best if I deal with them on my own.” He wasn’t purposefully pushing the other dog away, he just didn’t want to get anyone else mixed up in his issues. For a moment dark brown drifted down, and Ben found himself staring at sand, but then he realized something, his own manners in regards to giving a name, and quickly moved to fix it.

“Oh, I’m Benjamin by the way, but you can call me Ben.”

[Tucker]

“Thank you, Tucker,”

“but no. I think it’s best if I deal with them on my own.”

The Shepard would respect that, another soft smile pulls at his muzzle as he finally figures out the canine's name.

“Oh, I’m Benjamin by the way, but you can call me Ben.”

'Well Ben, if i'm not mistaken i hear some sort of accent, you wouldn't be from London would you? I myself come from a little New England town,least that's what the humans call it" he gives a shrug he never did care to find out what the true name of his home town was. His long tail picks up sand and grit from the path as he sits on his hunches. "I heard that the Blackbloods were in need of more canine soldiers, which is why i came to join" he explained to his soot colored companion. "Was it the same for you?"


Tagging:Benjamin

[Benjamin]

The Arabian desert was a peculiar place. During the day, temperatures could reach well past sweltering, but once evening set in everything cooled down as if the burn of the sun had never even existed in the first place. There were times where it dropped to near freezing. Thankfully, this particular evening was not such one. The light of the bright star was slowly starting to fade, and its rays were casting beautiful shadows that danced as it slowly disappeared beyond the far horizon. The clear sky above was a fading gradient of neon orange to a dark navy blue. Benjamin’s gaze was trained to stare at this marvel, his body relaxed as he turned an ear to listen to the shepherd next to him.

“Well Ben, if I'm not mistaken I hear some sort of accent. You wouldn't be from London would you?”

Dark ears perked and equally dark eyes turned to look at Tucker with a somewhat amused, but slightly shocked look. “Why yes. That’s very perceptive of you, I am indeed from London. Well, actually it’s a little town just outside of London, but it’s still all the same.” Benjamin was quite surprised; while he had placed the other dog’s accent as distinctly American, he’d never have hoped to guess exactly where he was from. Just like America, Great Britain had a wide variety of different accents, some more distinct than others, but still. There was always the possibility that Tucker had just heard his voice and immediately went ‘British equals London’, which while more often than not isn’t the case, still seemed to work in the other dog’s favor.

"I heard that the Blackbloods were in need of more canine soldiers, which is why I came to join."

Benjamin’s gaze drifted up to meet Tucker’s, and his ears pulled back slightly; he knew where this was going.

“Was it the same for you?”

No. No, it most assuredly was not.

“No,” Ben answered, turning dark eyes to look at anything but Tucker. “I came here with my master, Charles.” Ben had felt the need to stop the explanation there, but even more, he felt the need to tell at least someone what had happened. “We came here after Charles had seen some news of the war on the telly,” as Ben relayed the story, he could see the memories it brought forth as if they were happening right in from of him. “We were part of one of the first scuffles to happen... Charles didn’t make it out...” Ben’s voice was heavy as he relived the moment in his head. He could still smell the scent of smoke and gunpowder. Could still hear the sounds of yelling and gunshots. And most of all he could still see the bright red that had coated Charles’ form after he’d been struck down.

Giving his head a violent shake to clear it of the images, Benjamin looked back up to Tucker with sorrow filled eyes. “Now, I stay here because I want whoever was responsible for my Charles’ death to feel the same pain I have. I want the Freedom Fighters to pay for what they have done.”

[Tucker]

Tucker’s tail wags softy at his correct answer to his companion’s place of origin before it drops a moment later as he explains the fate of his master and reason for joining the war. “My master’s gone too, his name was-is Steven. He was a police officer just like I was” his pointed ears droop slightly in sadness. “There was a drug bust, I don’t know where he went after I was taken to the pound” the shepherd shakes his head frowning with worry. “I was hoping that the Blackbloods would know where he went” he shrugs looking lazily down the empty streets almost hoping that his master would appear and all would be right with the world again. His eyes shifted skyward as he takes in the colors of the sky with a soft sigh. “Do you-uh is he buried out here? Your master? We could go visit him if you wanted?”

[Benjamin]

Ben’s gaze softened, and he offered a sympathetic smile as Tucker, in turn, told him about his own master. “I’m sorry for that, Tucker. I hope that you can find him. If I may, why did you get taken to the pound? Did you do something wrong?” As far as Benjamin knew, the pound was a place where dogs who were bad or were no longer wanted ended up. He hated to think that that possibility was what had happened to Tucker, he honestly didn’t seem like the type of dog who deserved to wind up there.

“Do you-uh, is he buried out here? Your master? We could go visit him if you wanted?”

Benjamin nodded at Tucker’s question, dark brown hues falling to stare at the red sand once more. “Yes, he’s buried here. That was why I came out here actually. And yes, if you wouldn’t mind, I would like the company.”

Pulling himself to his feet, Benjamin lightly nudged Tucker with his nose and nodded in the direction of the burial ground. He led the way to where his master’s grave lie, the only indicator of its existence was a tiny stone placed at the head of it. Benjamin placed himself down next to it, gently nosing it before looking up at Tucker with a sad expression.

“I miss him,” he said, voice soft and somewhat distant. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him and how much I wish he were here.” Benjamin returned his gaze to the small rock, lowering his head to his paws as he tucked his tail close to his body. “I wish I could have saved him. I should have been able to...” Ben’s voice began to tremble and crack as emotion overwhelmed him.

“I failed him, Tucker. I failed him, and now he’s gone.” The Labrador heaved a heavy sigh before lifting his head and fixing Tucker with a steady, determined gaze. His voice suddenly even and carrying a hint of a growl as he spoke. “But I can promise you that I will make those responsible pay. If it’s the last thing I do, Tucker, I will make them suffer for this.”

[Tucker]

“I’m sorry for that, Tucker. I hope that you can find him. If I may, why did you get taken to the pound? Did you do something wrong?”

“Thank you, I hope I can too” he swallows the lump in his throat before clearing it. “Not to my knowledge. Steven and I were working a drug bust. The men found us and there was a lot of gunfire. Steven didn’t move after that and I must of blacked out somehow. Once I woke up, I found myself in the back of the dog catcher van. I figured they put me there by mistake somehow so I waited for Steven to come get me. Unfortunately, he never came so I broke out and went in search of him instead” he explained as he walks along pauses for a moment and turns in the direction Ben was guiding him. He finally comes to a stop at the small grave and inches backwards giving the black lab some space his ears drooping in sadness as he listens to Ben.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Ben. I wish there was something I could of done. I wish I could been there for you” He nudges his nose against the coal colored fur in comfort.

“But I can promise you that I will make those responsible pay. If it’s the last thing I do, Tucker, I will make them suffer for this.”

“I have no doubt you will, if someone did that to Steven I would go to the ends of the earth just to sink my teeth into their throat” Tucker murmured, his ears flicked back against his skull for a moment looking down at the grave.

[Benjamin]

Benjamin’s gaze remained locked on Tucker for a few moments more, his expression slowly fading to one of sadness, before he gave a nod and lowered his head back to his paws. He could feel for the Shepherd, just as the Shepherd felt for him, and it was a comforting thought. To have someone with similar experiences. He would never wish his loss upon anyone, but just the thought that Tucker could relate, at least in some way, was a comforting thing in Benjamin’s mind.

For a long moment, there was nothing between the two canids but silence. A long stretch of time in which the only sound was the soft noise of the nighttime desert and the distant hum of the Agrabanian marketplace. Eventually, the labrador decided that the moment for mourning was over and slowly pulled himself to his paws, though his dark gaze remained on the pitiful excuse for a grave marker for a few moments more.

“Come on, then.” He said, voice low and heart heavy. “Let’s get back before anyone starts to miss us.”

With that said, the charcoal dog turned and slowly walked back toward the palace.

(This is my ending post. If Tucker would like to make one more they can, but as far as Ben goes this is his final post in this thread.)