IV | VIDEO

[pawful]

[ a deep rumble of a snarl opens this recording a second before the video begins — in the very center of an elegant room lined with bookshelves, there's a large dog pacing in a tight ring. Fire blazes around its paws, flickering against the glowing lines of an intricate magic circle inscribed on the floor beneath it. Outside the circle, a dozen or so black cats surround the dog.

Whenever the dog comes too close to the edges of the circle, a sudden light flares up in warning, and the dog backs off. Still, the cats tense, baring their teeth, their claws scraping against the floor. A few bold ones even make as if to lunge at the dog, but they stay where they are. Their green eyes reflect the flames, shining with malice and hatred. But the dog pays no attention to them whatsoever. It snaps its jaws, fangs closing on empty air blurred by heat, and growls again, glaring at something off-screen.

As if following its gaze, the camera swivels in that direction and stops on Bernkastel. The witch sits still in one of the chairs, like she isn't bothered at all by the dog's presence. At this point, her cats show more expression than she does.

When she speaks, however, it's obvious that she's just managing to keep her voice calm. ]

Handing out cute animals only to have them warp into monsters... if this is the community's idea of an early Halloween trick, it's —

[ the dog interrupts with great booming barks, accompanied by yowls from Bernkastel's cats. Bernkastel closes her eyes until the din stops. ]

... Boring beyond belief.

So, since I'd rather not have all these books turn into ashes in case that thing escapes, does anyone want to take it away? I'm sure there's a person here who wouldn't mind bringing it to a special gathering for their enemies or something like that.

Comments

[ video ]

[second_star]

[ ...Well. Just from what he's seen around the community, he could tell what was going on around here. ]

...You didn't make it mad, did you? [ Most of the other animals seemed sweet. Endearing. ]

[ video ]

[pawful]

It was bothering me, so I told it to go away. [ more like, she gave it to her cats to "play" with. ] If it got mad over that, then it's really a worthless dog.

[ video ]

[second_star]

That's not exactly how you take care of a dog, Bern. Jeez, don't witches know these things. [ He sighed. ]

If this is a virus, it's stuck with you. You gotta calm it down if you don't want that place crashing in on you.

[ video ]

[pawful]

It would have to be a god to destroy this place. Right now it's just a nuisance.

[ she does get up though, and the camera follows her when she walks over to the dog. The cats retreat at her approach. She stops a fair distance away from the boundaries of the circle, distaste written all over her face as she studies the creature inside. The dog doesn't seem very pleased either. Another menacing snarl starts in its chest and smoke hisses from between its clenched jaws. ]

[didiscareyouyet]

I want it!

[pawful]

[ ... well. That's surprising. Even though she wants nothing more than to get rid of that dog as soon as possible, she can't help voicing her curiosity. ]

Sure. I don't mind giving it to you, but... can you even handle it?

[didiscareyouyet]

It's just a dog, right? I played with dogs all of the time before I came here.

[pawful]

A lot of people may have played with dogs, but not many of those are like that one.

[ it would make sense for a demon-lord-in-training to have hellhounds around... though it only makes it even more boring. ]

[Video]

[material_guy]

Maybe it's some kinda reflection of your personality or something. We've had a pet virus like that...

[Video]

[pawful]

If it is, it should have been a cat.

[Video]

[material_guy]

It disagrees.

[Video]

[pawful]

Being disagreeable is the only thing it's doing right now.

[tenminutes]

[ Yeah Yuri's sitting here with a rottweiler sleeping calmly on her bed in the background, the little golden butterfly she got from Battler resting on top of its head. She's about to start a petting zoo if she gets any more pets in here. ]

I value my life, there's no way I'm taking that thing. [ Bada-ching. ]

What did you do to it anyway?

[pawful]

[ ha. ha. ]

I trapped it in a magic circle. It isn't the sort of creature that I could let run around freely.

[tenminutes]

You probably could've before it turned into pyrodog.

video;

[denies]

Maybe it's karma.

[ Said in the most dry tone ever, but practically right as she says it some super loud yapping (obviously a tiny dog's) starts from somewhere offscreen.. talked too soon, huh. ]

video;

[pawful]

Are you completely satisfied with the one you received, then?

[denies]

[ normally she'd lie, but lying at this moment would be so pathetically obvious that she doesn't opt for it. ]

At least mine isn't some kind of monster. [ more barking, but ange seems to be attempting to ignore it. ]

Permavid

[omnomsgods]

They're not the boring pet, you're the boring owner!

Permavid

[pawful]

I didn't want to have such a pet in the first place.

[omnomsgods]

Yeah, well what about all those cats?

video;

[miraclefighter]

[ Rika will be holding a corgi while at staring giant sized dog on the screen. She blinks. ]

...Well that is interesting.

video;

[pawful]

[ oh, this person... is still here, huh? ]

Dull, actually.

video; sdflkjds lateness

[miraclefighter]

[ you can't get rid of moekastel that easily ]

Mii. Though you have a huge dog, that's really interesting to me.

[sugar_and_spice_witch]

[Lambdadelta is sitting casually popping chocolate-covered jellybeans into her mouth while she pets a pink ball of fur in her lap. It's hard to tell what it even is. Some kind of lapdog? Guinea pig? It makes no sounds to give the answer away, just stirring silently under her strokings.]

You just have to give it love.