Capsule 002 💊 (Video)

[rassera]

[Good morning Nonah/Heropa/De Chima/etc. residents. Hope you've been enjoying it, because you'll need something to buffer here. Kaneda's already outside, lounging on his bike with his feet kicked up, hands behind his head and looking at the sky. Kaneda, you couldn't look more bored if you tried.]

So I guess I'm supposed to give you guys traffic updates or something. And you know me--I've got a burning desire to be an upstanding citizen.

[He turns his communicator about 30 degrees to the left, showing a patch of empty road that his bike was parked next to. Insert the cliche tumbleweed for some added aesthetic.]

Whooooooo-oooo! Brutal out there, guys! Stay safe!

[Okay, even he can't hide his smirk anymore.]

Comments

[amadaman]

[He wuffs and pants cheerfully, nosing at the camera and getting it all wet before he crawls onto Ken's lap and settles there. He's in this conversation now.]

He heard everything you said.

[rassera]

[He had to admit, Koromaru was definitely smarter than the average dog. Hell, he'd almost wonder if Yamagata had competition in the brains department. Love you, Yamagata.]

Did he now?

What do you say, boy? Think we can be friends?

[amadaman]

[Koromaru's barks are firm and cheerful! His fluffy tail wags from side to side as he pants and tilts his head at Kaneda. It's a clear yes, even if there's no one to put words to his actions.]

Do you like dogs, Kaneda-san?

[rassera]

[Somehow, he gets that message too, feeling internally satisfied. Earning a dog's approval somehow has that effect.]

...

Koromaru's the first one I've met that wasn't a police dog.


It's weird, you know? Not having to climb a fence at the sight of one.

[amadaman]

Oh... That must be a relief, then.

I don't think Koromaru would approve of you breaking laws much either, but yeah. He's not a police dog. He's from a shrine, instead.

[rassera]

Shrine? You mean those old ones monks looked after?

[Well, they might not be so old in Ken's time, he thinks. In his world, they were graffiti'd over and vandalized beyond recognition.]

[amadaman]

Monks are Buddhist temples. Shinto shrines are looked after by priests.

Koromaru belonged to the priest at the shrine in my hometown, but we took him in at my dormitory a month ago.

[rassera]

[Monks, priests, they do the same thing in Kaneda's mind.]

What, the priest not want him anymore?

[amadaman]

[Ken frowns a bit, and Koromaru's ears flatten a little, too.]

He died in an accident a few months back.

[rassera]

...

[Well. That's a bummer.]

Ah...sorry. I mean, I bet he's glad you picked up Koro, though, right? Wherever he is.

[amadaman]

[Koromaru's quick to recover from the momentary sad to bark again. A wuff and a batting of his paw at the camera later, Ken ruffles the fur at the top of his head and shrugs a shoulder at Kaneda with a lopsided smile on his face.]

Considering our circumstances, it's a lot safer for him, and he was the one who said he wanted to join, so I think he's pretty happy. We're all kind of like that.

[rassera]

[There's a small smile as he watches Koromaru paw at the camera. For someone who had a lot of reasons to dislike dogs, he's warming up to Koromaru pretty fast.

That personality was strong, and he liked that.]

Wait.

He -told- you?

Ken...dogs don't talk.

[amadaman]

Koromaru doesn't. But we have an android.

[Wait for the explanation on that!!



... It doesn't come. They have an android.]

[rassera]

Oh, well that makes sense.


..




[Give it a minute.]








Wait. What?

[amadaman]

We have an android living with us back home. She says she can analyze Koromaru's body language to figure out what he's trying to communicate, so she'd translate for us when she had to.

[rassera]

...

[You lead an interesting life, Ken.]

So let me get this straight. You have a dog with a knife...and an android.

[amadaman]

Yes. And powers, too, but that's not uncommon around here.

[rassera]

You ever stop and think about how crazy that sounds? You know...all at once?

[amadaman]

Oh, all the time. You're not the first person here to tell me it sounds crazy. I was almost convinced I actually was crazy, only a few months ago.

[rassera]

Well you make a pretty selling case, you know.

[Okay, a little joke, but he goes back to being serious.]

But--I've heard weirder.

[amadaman]

Heard? Or experienced?

[rassera]

...


Both.

[It comes out softly, his resolve breaking for just a moment.]

[amadaman]

Mm. I see.

Well, if anything, you won't be caught by surprise too much here. You might even be prepared.

[rassera]

Yeah, I've been preparing.

[Does 'hoarding all kinds of weapons in your room every chance you find them' count]

[amadaman]

[Considering one of the first things Ken did was look into arming his dog, probably yes.]

You remember how that swear-in went a few weeks ago. That's hardly anything. I told you, we've had attacks before.

It's been quiet these few months. Too quiet considering the tension. And when something happened, it was usually from another imPort. It's best to be prepared.

If you ever get injured, call me. I can heal you.