[RP Log] Surprise!

They saved up for weeks. The idea had come to them a month or so ago, and at this point neither one could really remember who had even thought of it first- it was really a joint effort. So on the day of Shiba's birthday, Ikazuchi had sent Shiba out of the house. Of course, Shiba would know that something was up, but that didn't really matter. It's not like she would have any idea of what they were getting her. Ikazuchi spent the last few weeks planting false evidence, trying to be 'sneaky' about things like Shiba's ring size, clothes she needed, etc, hoping that Shiba would notice her doing these things while she planned the big surprise in secret. 

"Happy Birthday to My Favorite Bitch" the card read in bold pink letters on the front, and signed "Love Always, Ika" on the inside with some words of sentiment. But here was the kicker. She was planning on making Shiba think it was a gag gift. So the card was taped neatly on a box wrapped in very 'Ika' wrapping paper. What was in the box? Dog treats. For her favorite bitch.

Of course she had, in another small box that looked like it should contain jewelry, placed a collar and blank tag with their phone number and address already on the back- That was from them both, for after she let Shiba think they really just got a gag gift for her.

"'Taru! You almost ready? She's gonna be home soon!"

--

Hotaru was in the bathroom, currently hunting down hiding spots for the few toys they had already gotten, as well. So far, there were only three- they were afraid any more and Shiba was bound to find one of them. He had managed to hide two of them already- well, okay, one he had handed to Ikazuchi to hide with her stuff, since Shiba wouldn't go looking there- but still. The first one was being taped to the underside of the sink by him right now, invisible unless you looked up at the ceiling of the cabinet while your head was it, and the other was tucked behind the TV in a similar fashion, since their gaming consoles were hooked up already- the likelihood of her checking there for the... oh, day or so before getting the puppy was slim. Hopefully.

He accidentally hit his head on the lip of the cabinet when Ikazuchi called out, letting out a hushed string of curses as he pressed his hand against the spot. That hurt. Taking care to crawl out from under the sink without causing any further injury to himself, he rubbed the bump starting to form on his head before responding back: "Yeah, that should be everything, right?" 

He stepped out of the bathroom, henceforth pretending nothing clumsy had happened. He looked around, then noticed something missing. "I'm surprised- no cake?"

--

"How do you think I got her out of the house? I ordered it from the bakery on the other side of town," she grinned, proud of herself. "Besides, there was too much other shut to worry about." There was a shrug following that statement as she laid her stuff out on the coffee table in front of their old, worn down couch. "Did you have anything you needed to put out? Or should I add your name to my card?" she asked, getting ready to stuff the envelope.

--

That... okay, that made sense. He wasn't sure why you'd send someone to get their own cake on their birthday, but he had to admit, it was a good way to get someone out of the house. At least, to get Shiba, who otherwise might have taking a lot of convincing. They spent more effort trying to hide their gift from the girl than they did actually getting the gift ready- it took a lot to throw her off.

"Nah, I got one," he waved his hand, taking one last look to make sure everything dog-related was out of sight. Everything was set, and good timing too, because Shiba returned home a few minutes later, announcing her arrival since... well, if she was being honest, because she didn't want to scare the shit out of them otherwise.

--

Ikazuchi hurriedly took the cake, pecking Shiba on the cheek as she rushed towards the kitchen to throw it in the fridge. "Happy Birthday! I know I told you this morning when you woke up and then after you took a shower..... but still!" She had a bad string of birthday gifts over the course of their friendship. It's not that they were particularly awful, it was just..... Shiba always managed to guess them. But this year, with the help of Hotaru, she was convinced she pulled the wool over the shifter's eyes.

It only took over ten years and a mutual boyfriend.

Regardless, the analog clock on the wall read 6:08. Ika may or may not have called the bakery to tell them to stall her. 'Just... keep telling her it's not ready until I call you,' she had said, and they obliged. "Sit, sit, sit," she seemed overly excited as she ushered them onto the couch, letting Shiba have the middle cushion and pulling her legs up onto the couch. "I know you're supposed to do presents after cake, but.... well, we're ordering in, and I can't wait anymore. So just open it," she tried her hardest not to seem as excited as she was.

"Happy Birthday to My Favorite Bitch."

On the inside, a middle finger was crudely drawn, and beneath it-
"In case things get a little "ruff" tonight, use these.
<3 Always, Ika"

She snorted at her own joke again as Shiba read the card.

--

Shiba couldn't help but chuckle at Ikazuchi's excitement, a small smile on her lips as the other girl flitted about. "It's alright, Ika. The cake's cute, by the way." She was led over to the couch and a gift was plopped into her lap: Shiba tried her best not to analyze it too much. She had a few guesses about what the gift could have been, but she was trying not to spoil the fun. It was just... Ikazuchi looked so happy, she thought maybe, just this once, she'd cool it with the guessing. Well, for this part at least. It didn't stop her from pulling the same shit she always did prior to today.

Her brows furrowed as she read the card, until she saw it- something in the mix of a laugh and groan escaped her mouth at the punchline: the sound came out in strangled 'pfffts,' only to stop and re-focus once she saw the pun. She turned to look at Ikazuchi, quirking an eyebrow at her as she repeated the pun. "Ruff?" she asked, while turning to open up the gift underneath the card.

---

All the while Hotaru was silent, intent on not giving away the surprise. Normally, he would joke about it, but... each time he had before, Shiba guessed what he'd been planning right away. Now that this was a joint effort- and how much work it took to even get this far- he was determined not to spoil it. So he just sat back casually, waiting for the present to be given. They were so close, if they could just get through the next couple of minutes without her figuring it out...

--

Watching her excitedly, Ika slipped an arm behind Shiba along the top of the couch to place her hand on Hotaru's shoulder as Shiba opened the gift.

It was a box of milkbones. Ikazuchi snickered and when the shifter gave her a questioning look, she simply replied "you know, for my favorite bitch" while trying (unsuccessfully) to contain a laugh. After Shiba had given a full reaction, she pulled out the smaller box which looked like it might contain a necklace. But inside was the fancy dog collar, and was curious to see if Shiba figured out the gift was a dog, or just more of a bitch gag. "It's from the both of us."

--

There was a forceful intake of breath as Shiba realized the pun, lips pursed as she tried to figure out whether to laugh or sigh. There was snickering on either side of her, but it was a solid few seconds before she released an exaggerated sigh, shaking her head. Her hair was covering her face from the angle she was at, but the shake of her shoulders indicated that she was laughing, too, and probably trying to hide it.

So when she was handed a second gift, she paused, and a realization clicked into place. Silently, she unwrapped the gift, eyes slowly lighting up when she saw what was inside. No way. No fucking way. "We're getting a dog?" she looked first at Ikazuchi, who was nodding excitedly, and then at Hotaru, who was grinning like an idiot, before reaching her arms out and crushing both of them into a hug with almost un-Shiba like enthusiasm.

--

OOF. The wind was almost knocked out of her when Shiba pulled them both closer. Oh my god, They did it. They actually did it. They surprised her. That was too genuine a reaction. She shared a look of elation and pride with Hotaru before giving Shiba a quick peck on the cheek,

"Yeah!!! Well, we figured you'd want to pick the dog out," she shrugged. "But we can look tomorrow."

--

"We can't go now?" Her enthusiasm faltered. 

"Shelters are closed at this time of night, Shi. Most pet stores, too," Hotaru said.

Shiba relented at that- no pet stores. She'd heard too many terrible things about them to go there, no matter how cute the puppies were. She could wait.

Shiba stared at the collar for what had to be a few minutes, her grip on the two lightening up enough for them to wriggle away if they so chose. Right as an idea struck her, she was suddenly on her feet, looking back at them. "We need food-" 

Hotaru shook his head. "Nope, got that." 

"A leash?" 

"That, too." 

"...Toys?" 

At that, Hotaru grinned again. "Check behind the TV." 

Check behind the... Shiba walked over to it, peering behind the screen. Sure enough, a little stuffed hedgehog was taped to the back of it. "Why... did you tape it behind the TV?" 

Hotaru answered that, too, mostly because he knew how frustrated Ikazuchi had been trying to hide anything from Shiba in the first place. "Because you would've found it otherwise! There's one under the sink in the bathroom and one wherever Ika hid it, too. Figured the pup could always choose extra toys later, but at least they'll have something for now."

Again Shiba paused, prying the tape from the hedgehog's fur before finally speaking up, almost sheepishly. "...How early can we go tomorrow?"

--

As Shiba loosened up, Ika just leaned in closer, relaxing into the shifter's side- that is, until she abruptly got up, sending her tumbling over so her head was resting in Hotaru's lap. She would have complained, but seeing Shiba so excited....

It was sweet.

She listened to their back and forth momentarily. "It's in my pillowcase. There's a squeaker, but I clothes-pinned it so it wouldn't squeak," she grinned. Everyone knew that Ika's pillow was Ika's pillow, and no one else really touched it. But come to think of it, she had been offering to make the bed a lot lately. She checked her phone.

"Looks like most of the shelters open around 8. So just.... make some coffee before you wake me up," she joked lightheartedly. "But for now, let's just order in and enjoy the night."

--

8 o'clock. Shiba looked at the clock on the wall- it was 6:18 PM right now. That was alright- she could wait. Just a little over 12 hours, right? She meandered back over to them to figure out what food she was going to order. She hoped the time would pass quickly.

---

The smell of freshly brewed coffee drifted through the air, as well as eggs and bacon and bagels when Shiba went to go wake up Ikazuchi and Hotaru. She shook each of their shoulders first, but when they slept on, she went to lightly swat their faces a couple times, much like a cat. "Guys. Guys wake up." 

Hotaru finally did under groggy protest, letting out a huge yawn as he looked up at Shiba. "Wha- *yawn* -t time is it?" 

"7:20. Breakfast and coffee's ready, we just gotta eat and go."

--

Ika shook her head. "Could you cut me a slice of cake to go with my coffee?" she groaned, attempting to roll out of bed. She did, it just... took her a little longer than normal. She tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes, or brush out her hair, but instead of bothering she just pulled it back into a ponytail and put on a pair of sunglasses. There- no makeup needed. Besides, it was still pretty sunny out for fall.

After that, she grabbed her cake and coffee and sat down at the breakfast bar, taking her damn time with it. Is this what it was like to be woken up by your kids on Christmas morning?

Ika was immediately glad she could not have kids.

--

Shiba obliged, grabbing the remnants of the cake from the fridge before slicing off a piece with a knife. She had had everything laid out on the counter, ready to go- the collar and leash, a few doggy treats in a ziploc bag, and the car keys and wallet were already in her pocket. She tried not to eat her food too quickly; they did still have a bit of time, after all. The shelter was only a half hour away- closer to twenty if one of them were driving. She could wait a few more minutes. She was just... really excited. Shiba'd been hoping for a dog for years, but their old apartment wouldn't let them have one, and then things just... kept coming up, pushing back the idea. It hadn't been a huge deal, but now that the possibility was imminent and very real, it was hard to contain.

Hotaru plopped into one of the chairs, trying not to yawn once again as he grabbed some food. He was already starting to bounce back from being asleep- while he wasn't exactly a morning person, it tended not to affect him as terribly as some other people.

--

Ika was one of those people who were hit hard by mornings. More often than not, she spent late nights watching horror movies or editing her videos before crawling into bed with her partners, trying not to wake them up, but often dead set on squeezing into the middle.

This resulted in Ika looking like she had a hangover no matter what if it was before 12 PM. She sat there, barely touching the cake and drinking her coffee black. She poured more into an oversized travel mug and waited. "One of you is driving. I call middle," She hated sitting in the back. Besides, they would need that space for the dog, and the person to squeeze into the middle of the front seat got to control the radio- to an extent.

--

"I'll drive," Shiba called out before Hotaru had much of a chance to offer. None of them were particularly slow drivers, but something told her that if anyone was driving besides her, it was going to feel far too long. She dumped her plate and utensils in the sink- she'd wash them later- and then looked at them both. "Are we good, then?"

Hotaru was still eating, but after seeing the look on Shiba's face he picked up the plate, he shoveled the rest of his food into his mouth in mere second, and added his dishes to the sink, as well. "Am now."

--

Ika put the barely touched plate of cake in the fridge as they headed out towards the car. She happily slid between the two of them for the ride over. Sure, her face said 'why the hell am I up this early' but truth be told, she was extremely content with the situation. She put on some music she knew they would both enjoy and held her coffee in her left hand, reaching for Hotaru's with her right. But that really wasn't good enough. So she put the travel mug between her knees and reached out her left hand to rest on Shiba's leg while she drove.

It wasn't a long ride, and Ika woke up a little more on the way there, but the shelter sure looked like a shit hole. It was more of what someone might call a 'pound'. She waited for one of them to slide out before doing so herself, and the sound of dogs barking could be heard from the second the car door opened.

--

Shiba was thankful that the ride was short- just beat the morning traffic- but even if it had been, she was in good company. Stepping out of the car, she glanced over at the two to make sure they were out and the doors closed before locking the car... mostly because of the annoying as fuck alarm that went off whenever those criteria failed to be met. She glanced over at the two before heading inside

...God, she really loved these two goobers, even if she didn't always know how to say it.

The shelter was... alright. The outside was dirty and dilapidated in some areas, despite the friendly sign that showcased a cat and dog on the front, welcoming potential adoptees inside. It reassured her somewhat that the inside was nicer, cleaner- the animals were still in cages, but this was meant to be temporary housing, not permanent. Not to mention the difficulty of safely containing such a large number of animals in any other way was practically impossible, but it didn't mean she had to like the set up, regardless.

--

Ika had managed to wake up for the most part on the ride over, and grinned now at how excited Shiba had looked. So as they headed towards the door, she wrapped her arm around the shifter's waist, only moving to hold the door for her and then purposely shut it on Hotaru, sticking her tongue out jokingly before returning to Shiba's side.

--

Shiba didn't even realized Ikazuchi had locked Hotaru out until she was already standing by her again, so distracted was she by all the animals. "Oh, don't be a jerk," she muttered, shoving the girl lightly on the shoulder and trying to hide the fact that she'd snorted at their antics just a moment prior.

Hotaru filed in once Ikazuchi abandoned the door, a pseudo pained look on his face. "Rude."

While those two were joking around, Shiba explained to the person at the counter that they were interested in adopting a dog today. They nodded, showing them to the area where the dogs were held: a hallway with runs and cages on either side. "I'll be right over here if you find one that interests you!" they had said, before finding some work at a desk nearby.

Shiba began looking at the dogs, walking slowly down one aisle. Hotaru elbowed Ikazuchi lightly in the side before walking up to the run Shiba was in front of, housing a spitz breed. In a tone very reminiscent of a dog show announcer, he spoke, "Well, Bob, it looks like our first contestant, a living dust bunny. And look at the size of him! I've never seen so much hair in my life, Bob, have you? Truly a magnificent creature stands before us today."

--

"Wow! I haven't seen hair like that since the summer of '79," she tried to give her best announcer voice, but laughing a little bit underneath it. "And get a load of that dog! Contestant number two seems to be rocking the very contemporary 'half shaved look.' Its a hard look to pull off, but-" she took a second and stood back, twisting her head to see..... what was she looking at?

"She really rocks it,"  Ika fell back to goof off with Hotaru. He always made things so fun.. even if they were already having a good time.

--

"Uh oh, it looks like the judge is not impressed," Hotaru shook his head, pointing to Shiba, who had already moved on down the line after laughing at their commentary. They were great dogs, they really were, but... none of them clicked yet.

That is, until she felt a soft huff rustle her sleeve as she passed a line of cages. Pausing, she looked back over to see a small, floppy eared pitbull puppy looking back at her, head in their paws as they wagged their tail. "Hey," Shiba cooed quietly to the pup, who promptly tried to shove her nose through the bars of the cage door. Despite knowing that you shouldn't stick your fingers in an animal's cage, Shiba did so anyways, scratching the top of its nose with a finger.

Only then did she notice the small scars on the dog's nose and the tear in her ear- and the much larger, nastier looking scar on her back. She looked for the animal shelter volunteer, who came back right away. 

"Sure thing, miss! We can put you all into a room to see how you get along."

"Oh, Bob, it looks like the judge might have made a decision. A hush falls over the crowd- what do you think, could this be the winner?"

--

Ika looked at the dog, completely losing the facade of dog show announcer as she met eyes with this pup. Oh my god. If Shibe didn't want her, they would be going home with two dogs instead of one.

--

Hotaru looked over at Ikazuchi, then back at the dog, then at Shiba. ...yup, this was a winner. He could already tell.

They were led to a play room, a place where potential adoptees could interact with the animals without the restriction of a cage or run, while still under the watchful eye of a volunteer. All the while the woman talked to them, saying how the puppy had been rescued from a dog fighting ring after being used as bait- hence the scars. She had said the scars would likely make it difficult for the dog to be adopted out, especially since the puppy was mouthy, and... well, a pit bull. That became apparent to Shiba the moment the dog was handed to her and started gnawing on her sleeve with her little puppy teeth.

She was pretty sure her heart melted on the spot.

Without a word, she waved Ikazuchi and Hotaru over to her. She was already sold, but she wanted to make sure the others liked the pup, as well, before making a decision. They had told her she could pick out any dog, but she wasn't the only one who was going to be living with the animal for 10-15 years. She placed the puppy on the ground- very reluctantly- to let her run around and play, seeing what she'd do next.

--

Sniffing, sniffing, sniffing- the small pup stopped and jumped up on Ika's leg, and she immediately catered to the needs of this dog and sat herself right down on the floor. The pit had taken this as the go ahead to go ham on licking her face. Oh my god. "Wow, your breath smells. Almost as bad as Hotaru's morning breath," she said in a baby-like voice as she scritched at the dog.

There was an accidental little nibble, at which point Ika grinned. Oh my god, this dog was so enthusiastic. She picked her up and looked her dead in the face. "So, wanna join the gang of fuckups? Yeah? Yeah?" she made faces at the squirming dog.

--

The puppy seemed dead set on trying to lick Ikazuchi's face again, mouth alternating between biting the air out of frustration and trying to stick her little tongue out as far as she could reach it. When that didn't work, she settled for trying to nibble on Ika's fingers; not hard enough to hurt, but enough to know she was there.

"Can't be that bad if you're still kissing me," Hotaru quipped, before moving to sit down to get a better look at the dog. "Ika doesn't know what she's saying, neither of us have bad breath, do we?" The puppy gnawed on Ikazuchi's finger for a moment more before redirecting her attempts of puppy kisses to a much closer- but still terribly out of reach- face. She continued this for a few moments before whining in frustration, trying to go for Ikazuchi's thumb again, still grumbling every so often.

"What do you guys think? Think she's good?" Shiba asked casually, but to those who knew her, it was easy to see it for what it really was; a thinly-veiled disguise from her hopefulness. She didn't want to tell them that she'd already thought of a name for the pup, going against her own rule. She especially didn't want to say that she already had her heart set on taking this pup home if either of them wanted nothing to do with her. Hotaru gave her a thumbs up, moving it out of reach when the puppy's eyes lit up and tried to go for it, but grinned all the same. "I think we're good, unless Ika's got a grudge." he said, though it was clear he thought the opposite. It was obvious the two very much adored the dog, and as long as he didn't lose any fingers in the process, he did, too.

--

Ika had never seemed more enthused about anything- well, besides Shiba and Hotaru, that is.

"Wellll, I don't know....." she twisted her mouth to the side. The pup stopped panting and put her ears down, as if waiting in anticipation for Ika's response. "I think we might need a bigger collar," was her response before she grinned. "She's your birthday present, if she's the one, who am I to say no?" She pulled the dog closer, as if she was her birthday present instead.

--

"Eventually, yeah. For now... I think the collar we got might actually be too big," Hotaru mumbled, studying the pup's neck for a moment. They'd left the collar in the car, so there was no sure way to tell right now, but she was a puppy puppy- not even one of those lanky older puppies. She was all wrinkles and squish right now.

Shiba couldn't hide the joy on her face this time. She waved the volunteer over, who seemed delighted when she stated that they were interested in adopting the pup. "Great! We'll just have to ask you a few questions, just to make sure she's going to a good home. While we do that, we're just gonna borrow her really quick and get everything ready." Shiba nodded- sounded fair, after all, even if she was reluctant to have the pup out of her sight. Which was stupid, she knew it was- the puppy would be fine, they weren't going to maul her or anything, but still, her eyes followed the pup as she was taken from Ikazuchi and walked out of the room.

--

"Well, I didn't mean now," Ika grumbled, shooting Hotaru a look that said 'what do I look, stupid?' as they took the pup away. She got back on her feet and under her breath muttered, "Oh no, we're shit out of luck, they want her to go to a good home," before snickering to herself.

--

They were asked the standard questions: What kind of house do you live in? Is there a fenced in yard? What is your lifestyle like in terms of activity level? Are there any traits in a dog that you find undesirable? The list went on. They answered them all honestly: A small house in the suburbs, yes they do, varies among the group but Shiba specifically wanted a dog who could keep up with her, aggression being the only real deal breaker. They spent about a half hour with this dialogue before the woman and the three of them seemed satisfied. "Great! Sounds like you guys would be a good match. Come with me and we'll get all the paperwork done."

By the time they got back to the front desk, the puppy was waiting for them, trying desperately to kiss another volunteer. It was tedious work, filling out the paperwork, getting everything settled- Hotaru and Ikazuchi insisted on paying for the adoption fee- but in the end, the puppy was placed into Shiba's arms as they were sent on their way. It wasn't until she reached the parking lot that she looked at the other two, passing off the keys to Hotaru. No way in hell was she giving up this pup to drive.

--

"I could always drive," Ikazuchi offered, but the looks the other two gave her said that there was no way that was happening. So she gladly took the middle seat again, trying to help make some sort of a barrier between the pup and Hotaru, who... let's face it, he needed to concentrate when he drove. Something Ika hated but dealt with anyways during times like these. When Shibe squeezed in next to her, she was immediately occupied with the pup.

"Have you been thinking of names?"

--

Shiba was in a pensive state of silence as she climbed into the car, carefully carrying her precious cargo with her. The pup had settled down in all the excitement and, after about two minutes of being in the car and sitting on her lap, had fallen asleep. She had heard Ikazuchi, humming a noncommittal response, but it was clear she was thinking of- perhaps had been thinking of- a name. Words floated about capriciously in her brain, all valid possibilities, but one kept coming back, insistent in being chosen.

"I like Blue," she finally said, gently stroking the bridge of the pup's nose with one finger. The puppy didn't even notice it- she was out cold. "What do you think?"

--

"I mean, I'm more of a red person myself, but blue's alright, I guess" she shrugged, trying to hold back a laugh as she waited for Hotaru's no doubt just as sarcastic response. She played with the radio, trying to find something good to put on.

--

"Blue works- just not Green. If she was green, I think I'd die," Hotaru tried to deadpan the delivery, he really, truly did, but he couldn't help but crack a corny smile, anyways. Shiba groaned. She anticipated a similar reaction from him, but it was still ridiculous. "Seriously?" she crinkled her nose at the two of them, but her features softened quickly once they returned to the pup. "Well, if you two aren't complaining, then I'll go with Blue," she said as they pulled up to the house, cradling the newly dubbed Blue in her arms as she got out of the car.

--

Ika piled out after her two significant others, ready to get back into the house and maybe even into bed again. It wasn't even noon yet, but it was WAY to early for this much excitement,

"So, are you happy with your present?"

--

Hotaru put a hand under his chin, scrutinizing Shiba critically for a moment before saying. "I dunno, Ika, I think Shi's a little upset by the whole thing." 

The shifter rolled her eyes at them both, sarcasm bubbling to the surface. "Yeah, clearly I'm just miserable." 

"See? Told you," he suppressed a snicker as she lightly punched his arm, carrying the pup inside. 

Calling over her shoulder, she asked, "Is there anything I gotta worry about that's not puppy proofed before letting her loose inside?"

--

"Good, we wanted you to be," she put on a fake angry face as she headed back to their room to change back into her pajamas, responding from the other room: "No, we got everything."

--

Hotaru nodded in agreement, though the expression on his face said otherwise. "...Wait!" he hurried into the house, skirting around Shiba and Blue as the little pup dangled in the air, paws just a foot away from freedom. As she squirmed impatiently, Hotaru disappeared into the house, only to come back a few moments later looking relieved. "Yeah, we got everything."

Shiba gave him a skeptical look, but let the puppy run rampant, following after her diligently. "Welcome to your new home, pup."