[Kei Hada]

Something was off about Yaoyao. Being with her for as long as he had made him able to pick up any signs of discomfort. He thought it was just the atmosphere in general- the cries and rattling would drive anyone up the wall with how grating it was, and she'd always been sensitive to noise. He couldn't imagine how she was fairing when he was feeling overwhelmed as it was. There was just something else though- something he couldn't quite pinpoint yet. He'll have to ask her about it later.

For now though, she was talking about the guy who left. Kei blinked. "Steal somethin'? Why would he thi- oh." Right. He was so used to the way she dressed that he forgot that she was the picture-perfect example of a delinquent to the eyes of many. The type to vandalize and steal; kick people while they're down. While Yaoyao had the headstrong personality of someone befitting that stereotype, it didn't mean she did any of those things.

Joke's on them really, Kei was the petty thief of the duo.

He pursed his lips. "It's still wrong..." He stepped back as she asked regardless, arms raised like he wanted to reach out but knew better. "Just be careful okay? We dunno what's in there."

There was a muffled voice from beyond the door. "Water's off!"

Kei nodded even though the employee wouldn't see him. "You're good to go!"

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

[attr="class","body"]Typical of her baobao. Fretting over her safety, even when the whole rest of the world gives her a wide berth and constantly looks at her like she’s point-two seconds away from committing either a petty crime or an act of unspeakable violence. (To be fair, though, that’s not always completely inaccurate.) She can’t help but appreciate the concern in Kei's eyes, though. It’s a shtick they’re plenty familiar with by now, the way judgement trails her like a shadow — ha — wherever they go, but still. The way her birdie worries after her won’t ever get old.

Whatever’s wrong in this place, she can feel it, worse by the second like a death rattle in her teeth. It makes her grit them, jaw tight like she’s a heartbeat away from swinging on somebody.

Or. Well.

Something.

Once baobao gives her the all clear, she sizes up the pipe one last time. Takes a step back, as the soft purple wisps of shadow recede, only to congregate around her leg. Then she swings that umbral limb, fast and vicious, above the worst of the clanking — the shadows converge, sharpening to a point, and tear clean through the pipe in a loud and awful—-

BANG.

It’s a clean hit, even if it sure isn’t quiet. That’s not the weird part. The weird part is the way that… the entire store goes quiet. Stunned, almost. The animals go quiet. The cages stop shaking. The pipe’s stopped clanking, and Yaoyao — she isn’t sure if she herself’s even breathing.

Then a slow, awkward squeal and hiss, like the sound of metal and coarse pressure on metal, and a pop — and something beach-ball sized and round (and spiney?) flies out the end of the broken pipe and bounces, once, on the ground, before impacting directly with Kei’s torso before even Yaoyao — uncharacteristically still, actually — can quite react.

Kei Hada

[newclass=.body b]color:#5a43d2[/newclass]

[Kei Hada]

God. Kei knew that it wasn't going to be a quiet affair but he still jumped at the loud bang from the kick. Heart goes up throat, gasp gets choked out, muscles tense- it's a whole thing for every sudden event that's occurred in his life. Even now he still didn't do well with surprises.

The silence after was almost as deafening as the screeches. It was eerie; watching everyone try to anticipate what was about to happen next. Because something should happen- Clogged pipes wouldn't magically be solved with one well-placed kick right?

What Kei didn't expect though was the thing stuck inside shooting off like a bullet towards him.

It was a direct hit. He fell back on the floor, instinct compelling him to hug whatever it was that landed on him, curling up as he did so which fortunately meant he wouldn't crack his head open on the tile beneath him. He slid on his back for a bit as the force of the impact moved him, until he eventually skidded to a stop next to the store's checkout counter.

Then he just kinda... laid there for a bit. Tried to will air back into his lungs as the wind was knocked out of him. After some time passed, he slowly sat up with a groan and looked down at whatever it was he was holding as it opened its- wait was that teeth? Why did they look so sharp? Kei shut his eyes, too afraid to witness his own demise.

Instead of the excruciating pain he expected though, all he felt was something strangely wet stroke up his cheek. With a furrow of his brow he opened one eye to peek, just as another streak of wetness joined the first on his face. Then another. And another.

It took a while for Kei to realize that the thing was in fact licking his face, prompting a surprised laugh from the boy. "H-hey! Easy, easy!" Whatever it was seemed overjoyed at being set free from its confinement- even though it was thanking the wrong person for it.

It was also easily distracted. Suddenly it sniffed at the air, and before he knew it, it jumped off him and wandered around the store before ending up by a bag. As it stuffed its face inside, Kei tried to wipe the slobber off his face as he stared at the strange creature. "What even is that?"

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

[attr="class","body"] What even is that thing, indeed. Yaoyao sure as hell doesn’t have a clue. But she does know this — all of a sudden, she can breathe again. The animals around them are at ease, even delighted all of a sudden, and there’s this sense of… relief, mixed with a faint sense of joy? And she doesn’t have the slightest idea where it’s coming from. It’s so distant it doesn’t even feel like her own emotion, or even Lili’s, but one thing’s for sure:

“I’m no Sherlock, but I’m guessing this little bundle of joy’s the source of all that noise, huh?”

The creature’s about the size of a bulldog, and just as lovey too; crossing the store — after making sure her baobao’s a-okei— and scooping the little thing up off the ground (and outta the face-full of ice cream sandwiches it was helping itself to) is about as much effort as it’d take to lift an overweight cat that’s really, really dedicated to treating your face like an ice cream cone. Can’t be more than, what, a few dozen pounds? Light work. And now she’s able to get a good look—



She lifts the miscreant up, Circle of Life style but facing her, and almost, nope, just can’t help returning the sharp, toothy grin being beamed down at her. Their pet-shop pipe blockage culprit is… a podgy little bulldog-sized great white shark with four little legs, each one featuring three stubby little webbed toes. And also just about the cutest thing Yaoyao has ever seen — second only to her baobao, that is. Maybe even tied; with a mouth full of razor shark teeth and a pair of button eyes the stars themselves seem to shine in, the little guy has the sweetest face she’s ever seen on an apex predator of the deep in her life.

That’s it. Her heart’s set.

“Baobao, I’m calling him Jawnathan Bingqilin Hada the First. Jawny and Bingbing for short.”

Kei Hada

[newclass=.body b]color:#5a43d2[/newclass]

[Kei Hada]

Kei was still staring at the critter in wonder, though it was hard to miss the quiet around them as soon as the thing was free. "That's a relief." Because it was, even if his sense of it was different from Yaoyao's and the other pets. No longer did he have to worry about their stressed state; everything was as fine as it could be.

Slowly pushing himself up - he was definitely going to feel that impact in the morning - he walked towards his partner, standing next to her so he could get a good look at the creature she now had in her hands. Not a dog by any means but oh my god - "Aww it's just a lil guy! Hi there buddy!" - it's so round and small and adorable.

But even then he couldn't help but laugh in surprise at Yaoyao's declaration. "Hada the First?" Because he did not remember being talked into including his last name in their eventual pet's name, let alone for an animal that wasn't the bird they were planning to get initially. Then again... "Jawny and Bingbing are cute though..." And that face...

Even he couldn't deny it. He was sold too.

Kei took a deep breath before exhaling. Then looked up at Yaoyao. "I'm good with adoptin' this guy if we don't get the bird anymore."

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

[attr="class","body"]"Deal.” It’s not even a question. No hesitation. Sure, she loves birds — those pricky little beaks, their sharp little talons and their adorable feathers, what’s not to love — but this little guy? This little guy was meant for them. She feels it in her bones. Squishy and lovable, with knife-sharp teeth… this shark puppy, Jawny, Bingbing, he’s theirs. He’s perfect.

“Hold on—“ That male employee looks like he’s puffing himself up to make a scene. “T-Technically that thing’s property of the store! You can’t just-“ Yaoyao mostly ignores him, using her sleeve to wipe Tawny’s face clean. Once he’s presentable, she tucks him under her arm and turns around and… it’s impressive, honestly, how quickly the employee’s face goes sheet-white at the look on her face.

Her eyes are pitch black. Her irises are vivid neon purple. Her teeth are sharp as knives. “What was that?”

“I-I… You… you can’t… it’s pr. Property. Of…”

“‘Property of the store’, huh? Even though you didn’t even know he was in there? Even though he’s nowhere in the registry your company’s got online? Even though he could’ve died in your pipes, under your watch?” She’d advance on the quivering, prejudiced little coward, if it wouldn’t mean having to share airspace with him. As it stands, though, he’s not even worth wasting her time on.

The girl at the front of the store doesn’t put up any arguments. Won’t even meet Yaoyao’s eyes, even when they’re back to normal and her teeth are human-like again. Even though she just helped, and all the animals are calm now — hell, they even seem pleased. Happy. Puppy tails wagging, cats purring, birds cheerfully playing with the toys in their cages, and Jawny perfectly relaxed, held like a sack of potatoes against her side, and neither human employee willing to look her in the face.

Figures.

“… C’mon, Baobao. Let’s take ‘m home.”

---

Kei Hada

[newclass=.body b]color:#5a43d2[/newclass]

[Fanthes]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","rc2plotr"]

[attr="class","rc2plotrname"]
✨MISSION SUCCESS!✨

[attr="class","rc2plotrmid"]

[attr="class","rc2plotrmid5"]

[attr="class","rc2plotrmid6"]



✓ Omg but this was such a cute thread! Great job you two!! [break][break]
Kei - 17.500 // 22.500[break]
Yaoyao - 5.750 // 10.750

+ 5.000 EXP!

---

Tag: 𝕐 + 𝕐, Kei Hada

[googlefont=Montserrat]
[newclass=.rc2plotr]width:450px;padding:9px;border:solid 1px #e61919;background-color:#eeeeee;color:#555555;text-align:center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrname]font:bold 25px Montserrat;color:#ffffff;line-height:25px;text-transform:uppercase;padding:37px 0px;background-color:#e61919;letter-spacing:-1px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrmid]padding:20px;background-color:#f5f5f5;border-bottom:solid 10px #e61919;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrimg]width:90px;padding:4px;border:solid 1px #e61919;background-color:#f9f9f9;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrmid2]width:90px;padding:4px;border:solid 1px #e61919;background-color:#f9f9f9;margin-top:10px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrmid3]background-color:#e61919;width:90px;font:bold 10px Calibri;color:#ffffff;white-space:nowrap;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrmid4]font:15px Oswald;line-height:20px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrmid5]padding:14px;background-color:#f9f9f9;border:solid 1px #e61919;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrmid6]padding-right:10px;font:10px Verdana;text-align:justify;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrmid6::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:vertical]background-color: #e61919;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rc2plotrmid6::-webkit-scrollbar]width: 5px;background: transparent;border:solid 1px #e61919;[/newclass]