114/Dog Day Afternoon

Dog Day Afternoon
Date of Scene:	24 February 2020
Location:	Midtown
Synopsis:	A dog gives snuggles while a hyena gives pummels
Cast of Characters:	Michael Hannigan, Samuel Morgan, Cole Cassidy

---

Michael Hannigan has posed:
While the sun is out, it's still freaking cold in New York and as such, people are bundled up in their jackets of choice, bustling off quickly to their indoor destination of choice.

And then there's Mike.

Cup of coffee in hand, the short haired, stubbley musician turned actor is enjoying his time away from the set while the production company works through the logistics of new found threats to the studio.

Close to home but not quite wanting to step into the condos just yet, Nick lingers near the fence area that offers a view into Central Park.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The cold affects some people more than others. It's true, city dwellers and other sedentary creatures might feel the cold a bit more than others, but those who are generally active tend to be a bit more robust. And then you have Sam, who is strolling down the street in his normal clothes, carrying a backpack over one shoulder. The right shoulder, of course, the strap held by his right hand.

    On that selfsame side, a German Shepherd trots alongside the teenager, wearing a bright yellow hi-visibility jacket, a red bandana around his neck and a regular collar just visible, to which a lead has been clipped. In New York City, all dogs not in a park must be on a lead. Of course, Bear is carrying his own lead, looking like he's smiling at the joke around the leather strap clenched between his teeth. The law, it seems, did not specify who should be holding the leash.

    The duo is clearly on the way to Central Park, and keen observers might recognise them from a clip posted not too long ago... was that the teenager running along a line of parked cars to get away from a pack of velociraptors while carrying a dog looking suspiciously much like the German Shepherd now walking next to him? Hmmm...

    Coincidence?

Cole Cassidy has posed:
Normally New York is the slightly more sane cousin to Gotham City. Sure there's supervillains and velociraptor attacks, but at least there aren't crazed villains taking over half the city in exchange for having the date of a holiday changed or something along those lines.

Of course occasionally Gotham bleeds over into New York, which is why the large hyena hybrid is stalking the streets of the big apple. He's hard to miss. Most folks seem to be trying to actively avoid him, others snapping cell phone pictures, thinking it might be an elaborate costume or something.

He stops and sniffs at the air, clearly looking for somebody or something in Midtown. Whatever it is, he hasn't found it yet, so the hunt continues.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Unfortunately due to the highly distracted nature of one Mike Hannigan, his traveling, and missing the local news a few times, he didn't see the dinosaur story. But He DOES see a really cool looking German Shepherd and that is sufficient to trigger a smile. Now, should Cackler happen to be in the same general direction he's looking, it could possbily be mistaken as him smiling to him. But no. Totally for the service puppy. "Nice Dog."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    When Mike starts to look at Bear, the very instant he looks just a bit longer than a casual glance, both Sam and Bear's heads fix him as if they're an anti aircraft battery triangulating on a target. Of course the effect is more pronounced in Bear's case, because he has ears that can and do swivel to fully pinpoint Mike. Sam stops for a moment, and wonders if this man might be more than he seems. Getting involved in that incident yesterday had been a mistake, and he knew that the instant he saw his face on the news.

    A face that, if attached to most of the body and delivered to a certain place, would net someone enough of a fortune to comfortably retire.

    Bear, with the utter kindness of his breed walks on for a few steps, and then looks over his shoulder, actually raising his brows at Sam... and a few moments later, the teenager walks on, figuring that if something is going to happen, it might as well happen sooner rather than later. "He is. But also working, although not for much longer, and he knows it. Once we get to the park, it's play all the way for an hour or so."

    Has he noticed? Has the trained assassin noticed the six foot and then some hyena hybrid stalking the streets? Are an ursine's waste facilities arboreal?

Cole Cassidy has posed:
Cackler does see the smile, thinking it's directed towards him, until the two men stop in order to fawn over the dog. He never had a pet growing up, though judging by the vest that dog is more than just a pet, really.

He is still headed in the direction of the two, but honestly neither of them is the scent he's focused on. Although as he nears them, he does pick up on something. That slightly greasy scent of a mafioso hiding out in New York after the recent killings in Gotham.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Nick gives a nod, not making a move to follow after Sam. That'd be weird. "Shepherd or Mali-" Nick pauses as the movement of a comprably larger figure moves towards them. Huh. "-nois?"

He gives a nod of acknowledgement to Cackler, figuring at some point he's probably made it apparent that he was looking at him.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Walk past? Walk away? No human, talk to human. Go on, talk to human, human is talking to you, and human smells friendly. But Bear is well trained and doesn't nudge or interfere, although there is a confused 'Whurlw?'. That in itself is enough to make Sam take the hint, and he looks at his companion. "Alright then, but only for a few minutes."

    This is not a street he wants to stand around on. This is not an area that he can sweep in one glance, and there are enough angles that if someone were to want to harm him, they'd have a dozen good spots to lurk in. To sight in from... Yeah, okay, maybe conversation is not a bad idea right now...

    "Shepherd. His name is Bear."

    Cackler gets a look, and a nod. It's not the strangest thing he's seen in New York. Not even the strangest thing he's seen in the last two days...

Cole Cassidy has posed:
The hyena stops as he nears the two and the dog, "Hey, either of you two happen to have seen an Italian guy, probably mid to late 40s, balding. Probably covered in flop sweat." He asks, as he glances over the two of them. One looks like they're only a kid, the other seems at least his own age.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Ah," Mike smiles to the dog, "Well hello Bear." The voice adopts a soft sound when adressing the dog before he Cackler's question draws his attention back.

Mike looks up at Cackler, arching a brow. "In New York?" He asks, voice back to normal, "You're probably going to have to be more descriptive than that. Hell, for all I know, that could be my father."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Cackler gets another casual glance from Sam. "Tan trench coat, blue tailored suit, wrinkled as if slept in, fake rolex on the left wrist, with shoes that are too nice for the area but not properly polished and scuffed around the toes? Approximately eighty meters behind me and walking away, by the green car." Yup. That... that just happened. Did he spot that before he turned? Was he on the same trail? "If he's on contract I'm currently retired, so knock yourself out."

    Bear looks up at Cackler, smiling a huge doggie grin and barking a greeting in fluent dog-german. Immediately after that, he gives the same smile to Mike... without the greeting. He knows most humans don't speak dog.

Cole Cassidy has posed:
"That certainly sounds like the guy I'm looking for." Replies Cackler, as he looks over Samuel for a few moments, "That's a neat trick." He says, growling faintly as he glances over Samuel's shoulder at the guy in the trench coat and suit, "Maybe some day you'll need to tell me how you do that, kid."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike blinks, looking over to Sam. "What d-" He looks to the barking dog. Is the dog the sane one of the three?

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "The day you know how that trick works, is the day you'll find out some skills aren't worth the price you pay for them." Sam advises with a flat, nearly deadpan tone. It's stark enough to make Bear lean against his leg to lighten the mood, and for his troubles he's rewarded with a hand that starts to fuss him between the ears.

    "Your target's getting away, by the way."

    Then he turns a look over towards Mike. It has a smile in it, but the smile doesn't quite get all the way to the eyes. "Do you really want to know?"

Cole Cassidy has posed:
The hyena kneels down to give the dog a pat on the back and a quick scritch, "If you can't tell I've already given up a lot." Cackler replies to Samuel, "If you two will excuse me. I'm going to go say hi to my friend." He rises back up and moves after the man in the trenchcoat, who undoubtedly is going to pick up his pace once he sees Cackler.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike turns his head, watching as Cackler follows after his quarry. "Not really." Mike answers honestly, turning his head away before it has a chance to get too- interesting. "Life's complicated enough already."

He looks to Bear, "You said he's off duty once he gets in the park... Any chance I could pet him?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Good hunting." Sam calls after Cackler and then pointedly, very pointedlyly, stops looking in that direction. If he doesn't see it, he's not involved. If he's not involved, he's not responsible. That leaves him only to contemplate Mike. And anyone asking to pet Bear can't be all that dangerous, right? Hmmm.

    "Bear, sit."

    Not that the Shepherd needed the instruction, already seated and expecting what's about to happen. Sam kneels and unbuckles the vest from his furry friend, clipping it with just the one clasp around the strap of his own backpack. "Good boy. Play time now."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
With the vest taken off, Mike looks over to Sam quietly for a moment before he crouches down slightly, offering the back of his hand to the pup to smell. The coffee cup in the other hand is ignored as a small smile forms on the performer's face.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Sniff sniff, snuffle snuffle, lick! Bear absolutely wants to be friends and nudges Mike's hand while Sam stands back up, giving first the dog and then the man an amused smile. An actual smile this time. "Go on, he won't bite." Not... not quite clear which of the two he was addressing.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Acceptance granted, Mike's offered hand shifts, palm side up as it slides behind Bear's ear, rubbing the back of it. The hand holding the coffee sets the cup on the ground, freeing it to rub behind the other ear. The smile strengthens.

"Never had a dog." He explains, "Either couldn't afford one or moving around too much to care for one."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Same, but for various other reasons." It seems that Sam is not a habitual dog owner, but has embraced the role wholeheartedly. Bear must be very good at training humans. "This guy though... he saw me at the center, came to say hello, then wouldn't let me go anywhere without him. He chose me, I'm really glad that he did." The truth is probably a bit more complicated than that, but the Shepherd is wagging his tail so hard it's threatening to wag him right back.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"Seems like a very good boy." Mike assesses, continuing with the ear scritches with the tail wagging encouragement, while glancing back to Sam "And very well behaved." He tilts his head, looking to Bear once more. "Very good boy indeed."

One of Mike's pockets lets out a very old style ring, remeniscent of decades past which causes for the smile to fade. "...dammit."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Curiously, Sam glances at that pocket just a moment before it rings, but then makes an effort to quickly look back again. "Sounds like you've got work wondering where you are. I won't keep you. Thank you for being nice to Bear. He is, absolutely, a very good boy. The best boy." And that is delivered with some ear scritches of his own. If Bear wags his tail any harder, he's in danger of falling over.

    Then there is a quick whistle, and Sam pats the side of his leg, the universal 'follow' gesture. Almost immediately Bear gets up, at such instant attention that he positively vibrates with energy. They're near a park, he can smell it. The park means the ball! Yay for ball!

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"The bestest boy." Mike replies, moving his hands away from Bear, freeing the dog to head towards the park with master. As one hand reaches to collect the coffee cup, another hand pulls out an old style Nokia, screen smashed but lit up to indicate that yes, it can still make phone calls.

"Thanks again!" Mike offers to Sam before standing up, pressing the answer button on the phone, bringing it to his ear, turning to walk away from the pair, "Hey, I'm nearby..."

Cole Cassidy has posed:
It takes a little while after the hyena man had left the two, but they might catch sight of him exiting the alleyway with blood on his knuckles. It's pretty easy to figure out what happened, because the guy he was following isn't coming out.