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[heartstopping]

[Rolo has not been having a good time since everyone's memories came back. He's mostly dealt with this by staying home curled up in bed and ignoring the network completely, but after a few days he's finally desperate enough to pull the network device thing back out.]

Is there anything like a therapist in this city?

[He's not even thinking about shit like going anon right now. That would probably be a bad sign, if his standard preference for anonymity didn't necessarily preclude people knowing about said preference.]

Comments

[heartstopping]

[Rolo's nose scrunches a little at the lick. It's not like he's ever been licked anything (or anyone) before, and it's a pretty weird sensation.]

I don't think what the dog would prefer would be accepted as an excuse.

[For all that he's supposed to be interacting with the dog, he's still really only talking to the guy. It's not like a dog would understand anything anyway.

But even with the lick to suggest he's passed the vibe check, Rolo just leaves his hand there for further sniffing or licking or whatever, eyes downcast in thought.]

But I guess this place has bigger things to worry about than loose dogs.

[memori3s]

[ Minato glances down at Koromaru. ...yeah, that's probably the case, unfortunately. It's too bad Aigis isn't here to translate for Koromaru, who'd probably be able to make a case for himself against being stuck on a leash.

Koromaru, on the other hand, decides to take matters into his own hands. He steps a little closer and nudges his head against Rolo's hand, demanding pets. ]

...yeah. I guess so.

[ Bigger things, like the way their surroundings suddenly shifted, morphing into a wholly different setting.

Minato looks down at Koromaru again. ]

Oh... You didn't get to see what this place looked like before, right?

[ To which Koromaru stops nudging his head against Rolo's hand to glance back at Minato. He barks twice, wagging his tail as if to provide an affirmative response. ]

Mm. Yeah, that's what I thought.

[ It's as though he is having an entire, coherent conversation with the dog, perhaps an odd sight to someone like Rolo. ]

[heartstopping]

[There's a little stutter of surprise from Rolo as the dog decides to take the initiative, but he obliges. His motions are a bit awkward and mechanical, but it can at the very least definitely be called petting.

He watches the exchange between human and dog quietly, brows knitting together closer as it carries on. Eventually, he breaks in.]

Uh...do you...understand it?

[memori3s]

[ Koromaru pants, tail wagging even more as Rolo pets his head.

Minato looks thoughtful for a moment before responding helpfully with: ]

Kind of.

[ He can't understand Koromaru word-for-word, and though he's not as good as it as Aigis, Minato can infer the dog's responses based on body language. ]

I think it's more that Koromaru understands what we say. He probably understands what you say too.

[heartstopping]

[That sounds awfully kids' movie-esque, but he can't exactly deny that the dog has seemed like it actually understood shit. Rolo looks skeptical, but he turns his attention back to Koromaru.]

Do you?

This thread is so funny now in light of Gogol clown hours

[memori3s]

[ Koromaru looks back at Rolo. He does, but the dog doesn't have any way to communicate that other than a, "Woof!" accompanied by an eager tail wag.

Little does Rolo know, they're going to be the best of friends in the future.

Minato crouches next to Koromaru, observing the dog's reactions. ]

I think that's a yes. Maybe.

[ After all, he doesn't actually know for sure. ]