DO NOT FEED AFTER MIDNIGHT - Pet shop of Horrors Meme

[lostinlaundry]

 
 

PET SHOP OF HORRORS MEME

It's time for a blast from the past, y'all. Maybe you go into a mysterious shop in Chinatown selling pets and come home with something... exotic. Maybe you're the proprietor of the shop, taking care of your charges and trying to find them suiting homes. Maybe you're a police officer trying to bust an animal smuggling ring or...something. It's not quite clear. Maybe you're one of the pets for sale. Maybe, just maybe, there's a little bit of magic in that incense. Are you in for a surprise with your new pet?

• Top level your character. Include any details you might think are relevant. Or don't. As always, we're not the cops.
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• Have fun!

Comments

[improbablenotimpossible]

[Somehow, he's not surprised to find him here - out of the many rooms in the shop, this was the most natural, and even a hound like him could appreciate the explosions of colors among the green and the cacophonic melody of the birds hidden away above them.

They're fun to chase when they let their guard down.]

Your tea is getting cold.

[myrdd]

[The birds do, incidentally, complain about Sherlock whenever that happens. Not that their protests go anywhere beyond laughter and a reminder to not hit the ceiling: asking a creature to go against their natural instincts is quite silly, and it's not as if the dears can't defend themselves.]

Tea..?

[Merlin cracks an eye open and lets his gaze fall on the table. Oh, right. He stretches and turns, propping his cheek on the heel of his palm. Long strands of hair shift with the movement, revealing part of a tell-tale bruise peeking just above his collar - indeed, he was playing around before settling down for a nap.]

If you're having some, pour a cup for me as well.

[Too lazy to move, this one is.]

[improbablenotimpossible]

[The little bruise earns a cock of his brow, it's rather like clockwork, he didn't need his nose to figure out when the proprietor was playing.

He does pour two cups even as he gave a slight, exasperated chuff at Merlin's laziness]

Do not blame me if it's cold enough to be undrinkable.

[myrdd]

[Heh. Hooray for tea service!]

Do you want me to?

[He can if he's bored enough, although the improvised story that follows probably won't pass as decent entertainment for his companion. Ah, well.

As he glibly smiles in thanks and reaches for his cup, Merlin draws his calves up to free one end of the couch: seating option A. Options B and C are two rattan armchairs on either side of the coffee table should Sherlock choose to evict the potted plant occupying B, or displace the overrobe haphazardly draped over C.]

I can oblige, of course. Or is there something else you'd like to talk about, seeing as you've come all the way here?

[improbablenotimpossible]

You will regardless of what I say, you're a little too free-spirited to be concerned about such things.

[He doesn't even displace the overrobe as he takes position C, taking a sip of the now lukewarm tea. If Merlin needs to get up, that's his problem.]

Mostly I was making sure you weren't out playing all day, I've been noticing certain sorts of humans have been nosing around the door.

[myrdd]

[A problem that can be dealt with at a later time. There's more than enough space between his chest and the seat's edge for his cup, and he idly traces the rim.]

What of them? It's not as if they can help their curiosity.

[improbablenotimpossible]

It's more than human curiosity. They're more searching for a scent.

[His eyes are half-lidded]

I know if they intend harm we have nothing to fear, but I don't think you want to relocate so soon.

[myrdd]

It'll be a bother, yes.

[While Merlin's exerted zero effort in advertising, it's inevitable that the allure will draw unsuspecting humans into this modern equivalent of a fairy ring.

Herein lies the crux of the matter: how long should he revel in this harmless bit of fun until someone crashes the party? More to the point, should he even intervene?

(The eventual answer is yes, but as with their previous stints of trouble, Merlin tends to only act when dealing with the locals loses its entertainment value.)]

Well then, it's a good thing I have you to sniff them out for me, don't I? And I'm sure you already suspect who might cause us a bit of a problem, so answer this instead: why is taking action this early necessary?

[At least that's his interpretation of Sherlock's motivation for bringing this matter up. Of course, Merlin can be wrong, and he might be pleasantly surprised.]