The Dog Days are Just Beginning

Bow-wow

Well, yeah, but what 15 year old was out here committing crimes, duh?

Bow-wow would never!

"Well maybe you got a point, sir, but now ya know!" He tilts his head and hums thoughtfully as he listens to Hikaru. He… seems unimpressed by Hikaru's latter comment. As unimpressed as a guy wearing a permanently-smiling puppy-dog mask can be.

"Ya kinda gotta do somethin' bad to get locked up, Mister. Ya still would'a stole somethin', an' that's bad!" He's even got the morals of a mascot, too. "I don't really think you'd be doin' much runnin' from the law, sir. Ya might not get very far." This is… a very surprisingly blunt way of saying he thinks Hikaru looks incredibly unfit.

Hikaru Suzuki

And now he's getting a lecture on good behaviour. From a high school baseball team mascot, of all people. Waking up in a weird prison was not going to be the strangest thing on his agenda today, it seems.

"Did you miss the 'evil organisation' part? Besides, you're locked in here too. Seems like you don't have a moral high ground, based on your own logic."

And Bow-wow had to throw in an insult for good measure? This is why Hikaru doesn't make a habit of talking to anyone under the age of 20.

"I wouldn't make assumptions about that, kid. And I can run just fine, thanks."

He's not about to disclose any criminal history, invented or otherwise, but he does feel offended by being called unathletic and bad at avoiding law enforcement in a double whammy.

Bow-wow

"Evil organizations can't be real! That sounds way too much like some TV show." He's clearly not experienced enough capitalism. He'll get there, guys, don't worry. "Although… that might make this some kind of TV show? What good organization kidnaps a bunch'a random people?"

He shrugs his shoulders and sighs.

"I try my best, but yeah, I dunno. Some people would probably say my morals ain't great…"

"That… kinda came out wrong, huh?" He scratches the back of his neck. "I meant that like… uh- You're just… ya don't seem like th' type! To run from the police an' stuff!" He's backpedaling so fast, realising that he's… definitely annoyed Hikaru already.

Hikaru Suzuki

Hikaru is starting to wonder if he's just being really elaborately pranked by this kid. Although he does actually bring up a potential point.

"Well, there have been some pretty unethical reality TV shows out there." He'd know, he'd watched a number of them. "But I don't remember signing any waivers or whatever."

If this was a reality TV show, he wonders which of them would be more popular with the audience, and has a horrible feeling that Bow-wow's gimmick would be better for ratings.

At least it looks like Bow-wow wasn't deliberately insulting him, which is better than being antagonised by someone 10 years younger than him.

"Yeah? Good. Because I'm a squeaky-clean, following the law kind of guy."

Sure.

Bow-wow

"I definitely didn't sign any papers! I doubt any of y'all did!" Bow-Wow seems proud of the fact that he has also reached the conclusion that was quite literally told to him by Hikaru himself. "I think I'd remember signin' some papers."

And yet he barely even remembers what he ate for dinner yesterday.

"But I dunno, would an unethical TV show really make ya sign papers an' stuff?"

"Uh huh. Sure thing, sir. Squeaky clean." You can see the deadpan from behind the mask, near enough.

Hikaru Suzuki

"I suppose they wouldn't. I'm just thinking of some that I've seen. People would sign contracts thinking they were getting into one thing, but in reality it was something much worse. But the wording made them think… nevermind."

Wait, he's not going to bore on about the morally dubious television that he enjoys despite his better insticts. Not to this guy, anyway.

"That's me! Glad we're on the same page, kid."

Hikaru knows the both of them are being sarcastic, but it doesn't matter. After all, it's not like Bow-wow was ever going to actually learn what crimes he may (or may not) have done.

Bow-wow

"What is your whole deal, anyway?" He tilts his head. This guy was so… interesting. Bow-Wow certainly isn't sure if he's on the Hikaru fan train so far. He can't always tell when people are mocking him or being sarcastic… but even he isn't dense enough to think this guy was being entirely honest.

"No, wait, let me… guess. Bartender? Nightclub worker?" The way he says it is such an honest attempt at pure innocence. "TV producer of morally dubious TV shows?" His head tilts further with every question.

He blinks.

"By the way, ya don't gotta call me kid! My name's Bow-Wow!"

Hikaru Suzuki

His whole deal? Hikaru pauses and gives Bow-Wow an unreadable look. He's got a lot of answers to that, but thankfully it becomes clear the boy just meant his work. That's something easy to answer.

"Heh, maybe I should find an outlet for all my great TV ideas. But no, you were on the mark with bartender. Darts player on the side, if that still counts as part of my 'deal'."

If anything, it's probably more of his deal, given it's what he enjoys doing more.

Bow-Wow is fortunate that Hikaru doesn't know enough about non-Japanese names to realise how weird that name is, because otherwise he absolutely would take the piss about it. But as it stands he just shrugs.

"Sure thing, ki… Kidding. Sure thing, Bow-wow. I'm Hikaru."

Bow-wow

"Bingo!" Was his name-o?

Wow, he usually sucks at guessing jobs! But something about this guy reminded him of the kinda bartender he heard half of the guys he knew talking about, as if they could go to a bar without a fake ID.

Anyway, he's getting sidetracked.

"Aw man, I ain't got the aim for darts any more!" He says it like he's ever played darts in his life. "I used ta play, like… shooter games all the time, so my aim was a'ight!" He still does, regardless of the fact it's nothing like darts.

"Well, hi then, Hikaru! Ya ain't American, are ya?" He tilts his head. "There's a few Americans here, so I can't tell if everyone is from there or not…"

Hikaru Suzuki

'Any more'? Hikaru's eyebrows quirk in curiosity. It wasn't exactly riding a bike, but there's not much reason someone couldn't just get back into that kind of thing.

"Yeah? That's… kind of like it, you're right. Any reason you gave it up? Baseball-mascot-ing taking up too much of your time?" He almost sounds slightly sympathetic in tone.

"Nope, Japanese. Though supposedly one of my great-grandparents might have been American. Don't think it makes much difference either way at this point."

Might have been where the grey eyes came from, or they might have just been a quirk of genetics, who knows.

Bow-wow

"Well, I kinda got hit in the eye, and it never really healed properly! So my aim ain't any good any more!" He sighed. Well, he's not going to clarify the fact that he didn't actually ever play darts to begin with, but he's sure that it would come up… at some point!

"Japan?!" Bow-Wow exclaimed. "That's so far from Texas! How did we end up in the same place?! Japan looks so cool, ya gotta tell me 'bout it some time!"

Hikaru Suzuki

"Ah… sorry to hear that. I hope it doesn't cause you too much trouble."

Hikaru had winced when Bow-Wow mentioned his injury. That's not something he wants to ever deal with. Maybe that's why he's being a little nicer than he was earlier.

He shrugs, just as confused as Bow-Wow about how the two of them have ended up in the same place. They discuss a little about their hometowns, before eventually the conversation falters and the two say their goodbyes for now.