♫2♪ [Voice/Action]

[bridal_idol]

[Today is a magical day, Luceti. Azusa has been wondrously confused and amazed by all of the things she's seen around Luceti...but it's her turn. She doesn't remember putting it on, but she's wearing a dress made of rags...and she's cleaning her apartment. Repeatedly. The journal is fortunate enough to pick up her singing just as she goes to make

Comments

[Action]

[keepingitcanine]

[You know how singing just has this magical effect that compels animals to just help you clean? Well, someone's singing appears to have summoned one. Or maybe it's just the smell of food that's brought this particular canine here, looking through the window with interest. After all, the street rat that's this dog's owner is apparently cursed to be poor and always hungry. Cute, fuzzy animals also make great distractions, didn't you know?]

Woof!

[bridal_idol]

[Azusa does not miss a beat as she notices Akamaru. She's still frying eggs and mixing in some peppers as she opens the window. The room is filled with breakfast by the time Akamaru gets there. And animals are totally on her side! So she has to share.]

Come in quickly, Bruno-chan! Before Stepmother catches you!

♪Now, let's eat till we're full.
It's the prize for rising early.
Hey everybody, let's eat~
So we can keep going until lunch!♫

[keepingitcanine]

[Akamaru tilts his head, glancing over at Kiba, who's hidden from view just outside the window. KIba, an odd look coming to his face (does he know this girl?), frowns slightly before shrugging his shoulders and nodding. With that, Akamaru rises on his hind legs and proceeds to climb through the open window, barely fitting through, though he manages with a bit of effort.

Kiba, meanwhile, is going to dart around and find another nearby window to sneak into.]

1/2

[bridal_idol]

[Azusa continues to hum along to the song, quickly searching through some of the cabinets. She's a little frazzled thanks to just how long she's been cooking and cleaning, not to mention the fact that she's now Cinderella. Once she's found a bowl big enough for Akamaru, she starts to put eggs and sausage into it.]

This is all for you, okay? You just have to eat it quickly before anyone finds out.

[It is edible, too. No poison. It just looks like an amateur made breakfast and dumped into a bowl, though. She sets it on the ground.]

[bridal_idol]

[And then, Cinderella clicks off.]

Ahh, my, my! What a cute dog you are! Are you lost?

[keepingitcanine]

[Well, Akamaru isn't one to say no to a free meal, and he is also very good at wolfing down things quickly.

He will, however, look up when she adresses him again, a piece of sausage in mouth, and proceeds to shake his head.]

[bridal_idol]

[He's so big! Maybe Bruno is actually a horse...oh, well. That head deserves pats and more food, so she'll quickly combine another bowl of egg and meats for him...but she's also going to try and pet him.]

You're so big, Bruno! Just when did you get this cute?

[keepingitcanine]

[A good question. Kiba hadn't really noticed either. Akamaru actively considers the question, sitting down and not really minding if Azusa pets him or not, emitting a small whine in reply.

Kiba, meanwhile, has managed to slip into the apartment through one of the many other open windows, slinking along the hallway with ninja-like ease until he reaches the kitchen's entry way. That, of course, is Akamaru's cue. Ears lifting, he suddenly bolts towards the window he had used earlier, barking loudly.]

[bridal_idol]

Bruno...do you need to go back outside?

[She drops what she's doing--that's the one omelet she'll burn. Carefully stepping around all of the tools she's left out and all of the ingredients, she goes to open the window for Akamaru to let him outside. Clearly, Bruno needs to go potty. Only, there's a bit of melted cheese on the floor...

...Taking a sign from her inner Haruka, Azusa falls forward, reaching out to try and catch herself. Of course, the only thing around is the big, fluffy dog she is now 62% sure belongs to her.]

B-bruno, look out!

[keepingitcanine]

[Akamaru lets out a startled bark when Azusa starts to fall forward. However, Akamaru's more than willing to put his body in between her and the floor, and darts forward to catch Azusa's fall. The canine's startled bark, however, is enough to bring Kiba running-screw stealth!-only to find Akamaru (naturally) unharmed. Kiba's opens his mouth, close to saying something, when something clicks inside his head.]

Hey-

[A long pause as his eyes refocus, mind surging back to reality. Maybe it's the smell of roses (though flowers tend to remind him of Ino more than ever now), maybe it's her appearance, but regardless, he knows her.]

Wait!

[What the hell is he even doing here?]

You're that tree chick.

[bridal_idol]

[Ouch. Falling and hitting the floor would hurt, but Akamaru is still a brick of a dog, so it just hurts a little less. She slowly stands up and pets her Bruno behind the ears for catching her.]

My, my, thank you Bruno. What would I do without you?

[And without missing a beat, she picks up the bowl of food Akamaru was eating from and sets it down in front of Kiba. Things are about to get really awkward. Unless stopped, she is now going to pet Kiba's scruffy hair.]

You even brought one of your dog friends along for breakfast today!

[keepingitcanine]

[Kiba's eyes narrow, and he turns to stare at Akamaru, his eyebrows lifting. A wordless conversation seems to pass between them, ending with Akamaru tilting his head slightly before shaking it in an obvious negative.]

His name is Akamaru, and-What the hell!

[He hadn't known what Azusa had been trying to do before, but now the chick just tried to pet him. Pet him. He jerks back, eyes widening as he steps back a couple paces. Had he not been so surprised, he might have tried to swat her hand away.]

What is wrong with you?

[bridal_idol]

[Azusa takes a few steps back in surprise herself. She blinks a few times and shakes her head.]

Kiba-san, I didn't know you had found Akamaru already. Today's just been very strange.

[The fact she's wearing a dress of rags might help tip the ninja off. She's definitely under the influence of something. She blinks a few times, before smiling again.]

Your new friend is very shy, isn't he, Bruno? He's not a wild dog, is he? I-I mean, Kiba-san.

[keepingitcanine]

[He blinks and just stares at her in response. Now, had she been on something (and by on something he means really on something), he would've been able to tell. He would've smelled it, but he smells nothing but roses and more roses (Ino, get your damn flowery presence out of his head!), and now she's-

...So very, very gone. If she was ever normal to begin with. Dressed in rags? And him? A dog? Seriously? There were worse comparisons, of course, and dogs were pretty badass, but he still wasn't a dog.

What the hell is with this schizo back-and-forth? But then again, hadn't he just, and isn't he wearing-wait.]

Either this place is messed up, or you need your eyes checked.

[Or both. Kiba's not discounting anything right now. Though, hell, it is this damn place, isn't it?]

[bridal_idol]

[Azusa has already dealt with two people coming in by now. She's been cooking, cleaning, and being careful all morning. While Kiba is trying to figure things out, Azusa is equally silent...but the idol is just trying to figure herself out.

Clearly, Kiba and Akamaru are Kiba and Akamaru, but it's so much easier to think of them as Bruno and his friend. They're both dogs. She's also been cooking for her stepmother all day, but she doesn't have one. She knows she doesn't have a stepmother.

Unfortunately, her eyes dart back and forth, and she pulls her hands to her chest and backs away from both of them in confusion. The internal struggle she's having is just so fierce, and she's tired of fighting it.]

I-I apologize, Kiba-san, I...I really...you should leave before Stepmother finds out you're here. I don't want to get you in trouble.

[keepingitcanine]

[Ooooookay. Now to guess fact from fiction. Real world fairytales are hardly his standpoint.]

Your stepmother? You all right or what?