"…They're a what now?" The question was asked harshly, followed by a barrage of stringent steps as the inquirer closed in on their target. "I-I tried to snap them out of it, but I…" The Karina tried backing away from him, the only reason for her stutter being from her inability to assist her friends and the concern it had wrung from the others. Barnaby looked over the pair who seemed completely lost in their own minds. However, upon seeing him, Tiger seemed to react accordingly- he jumped him all quite literally, landing them both on the floor. He didn't speak, but clearly based on action alone seemed to be excited to see him. He rubbed their cheeks together while Barnaby tried to pry his partner off of him, grunting in distaste. Origami took to advantage of the situation that left him unnoticed (as always) during the commotion and took to sitting himself in a corner.
Once Barnaby managed to pry his partner from his person with the occasional brief yelling the way one would an over eccentric pet, he sighed. "Can you please- Stop that!- Explain?" He asked, pushing Kotetsu away by his shoulders, taking to using his shoulders as a means to anchor him in place. For a moment, Karina thought she had been the one told to stop, but quickly recovered and replied once she realized it was her senior being lectured. "Well, she was a NEXT and had the ability to mess with people's minds. She mentioned something about men being animals, so she'd fix it accordingly and then… That happened." She nodded to Kotetsu who was currently still trying to place Barnaby and himself within a closer distance. She quickly scanned for the other, finding him napping in a corner. If Ivan was an animal, he'd surely be a cat with how he was acting… It was practically himself only a bit more… Passive.
"Well we can't just leave them like this- you think it'll wear off?" Antonio asked, squatting down to look at Kotetsu's face as if there would be a more obvious physical manifestation for his current condition. Karina nibbled her nail, unsure of how she should reply, yet alone if her answer would be correct. "…I don't know… I hope so…!" She'd hate for her crush to be this way forever! He'd surely only cling to Barnaby like he was now! …Would they even remember this? Should she take the risk and try something or perhaps it wasn't worth it? What if he was to remember upon recovering and she was to get her heart broken? Oh, what did it matter?! Their goal was to get them back to normal! She shouldn't be thinking about things like this right now! Besides, trying to take advantage of the situation like that would be shameful!
Pao-Lin carefully approached her napping comrade to sit with him, deciding amongst her council of one to keep an eye on him least he wake and disappear like an ally cat without anyone's notice. Upon her actual approach, Ivan's eyes opened, landing on Pao-Lin and momentarily watching her, waiting for her to make a move. She did nothing and remained perfectly still until he finally ignored her as a threat. He sat up, stretching and yawning widely like a dog, then getting up and rejoining the group with a disinterest that was very apparent in his body language.
"So should we have them stay with someone?" Nathan offered, fussing over the pair like a mother hen. "It would probably be dangerous to leave them on their own like this… So until we can find a solution, that does seem like the best option." Barnaby nodded in agreement, still fussing with keeping Kotetsu at bay. Ivan took to sitting again and sighed, rolling his eyes and staring at the ceiling. "So I take it you'll be responsible for that one?" Nathan asked Barnaby with narrowed, insinuating eyes. Barnaby felt his own eye twitch at the notion, but ignored it. "…I feel like he'd end up in my care anyways after causing too much trouble." Nathan hummed, enjoying his smooth reply to his insinuation.
"And what about Ivan?" Karina asked, looking over at the boy who was- not on the floor anymore. Pao-Lin pointed upwards without a word, looking tired just from the action; Ivan would be a handful. Ivan had somehow gotten to the center of the ceiling and was relaxing on the fan. "…He's… Like a cat…" Antonio noted, completely shocked that even in such a state, the boy managed to get himself into the oddest of places. "Well that means I can't- I'm a dog person." Keith remarked with a bit of a laugh, an attempt at lightening the mood, but it came out awkwardly and jubilantly. "Well Barnaby can't take them both, and he can't come with me- my mom'll freak out…" Karina mumbled, feeling like Ivan was already become the cat left in the box that no one wanted. "I'd be worried that the moment I'd go to put on my make up the poor thing would disappear…!" Nathan remarked while Pao-Lin just shook her head. That only left…
"…H-Hey… This isn't like noes-goes, alright?" The robust man's voice shook like a nervous child in front of his peers. Karina knew it- a woman's intuition just goes to show... She looked up at their lax friend, finding it outlandish how he could even consider resting comfortably in places like that. "Well we can't just leave him…" She then had an idea and attempt to try it. They were animals- doesn't mean they couldn't understand them… Right? Even animals could recognize a few words and respond accordingly to them. "Ivan~!" She called up to him. At first, she was ignored. But after the fourth time, he finally took to looking at her at least...
"Ivan…! Come down, please!" She wished she had something to wave like you would a treat… But didn't that mostly work on dogs? No, it should still work on people… But Ivan wasn't exactly one to bribe and even if he was she had absolutely no idea what to bribe him with. She waved him down with her hands, cooing to him like a child. Eventually, he jumped down, landing in a crouch, giving her a slight glare as he rose. She felt intimidated, but refused to let it show as she gave him a smile. "Thank you. Now could you please pick someone to stay with until we fix you up?" She asked, still speaking although he really was a child. His only response was to blink at her. "…Okay game time. Everyone try to get Ivan to come to you and if he does, he's staying with you- NO complaining, we clear? That also doesn't mean you can't try either!" She lectured to the others.
There was no groaning, but the silence spoke of its own distaste. Everyone (with the exception of Barnaby and the even more obvious Kotetsu) took to taking a side and cooing to him like a child or a dog and his distaste for the "game" was quickly and clearly noted. He took to darting behind Keith to glare at them all, digging his nails into his sides so he'd shut up as well. The man yelped, then gently asked him to removed his fingers from his ribs. After everyone had stopped calling to him, he relaxed and loosened his grip on the American, taking to now using him as a casual human shield. "Well, guess that means he's all yours." Antonio remarked. "Hey if you ever need a break with Kotetsu, let me know. Hopefully it shouldn't be long enough to even need to really treat them like children we each have to take turns watching or something." And with that final remark from the Bison, everyone took to going home and saving their attempts at fixing their comrades tomorrow.
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Keith was going to kill him. He was honestly going to kill Ivan. He shot up from his bed, sharply turned his head to the boy and glared at him although something evil were trying to crawl its way out from inside of him. But due to the mass extremity of the actions, it almost came off as comical. "…Ivan." He spoke calmly and the boy looked over at him with bored eyes. "If you kick me one more time, you're sleeping on the floor." When he finished his sentence, Ivan paused to make sure he was done, then turned his back on him once more to sleep…
…And proceeded to attempt to kick him off of the bed again. Keith let out a yell and snatched him up, unceremoniously placing him on the floor, the blanket falling with him considering Ivan had taken to wrapping himself up in it and leaving none for his bedmate. Keith grunted and flopped back down into his bed, closing his eyes. Then there was the shuffling. And then it was quiet. And then there was blankets shuffling again. "Ivan, I swear I'm going to…"
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When Keith awoke, he was half off of his own bed, the blood rushing to his head. Ivan was half on top of him, half taking up much more bed space than a person of his size should have. Keith felt his eyebrow twitch, then he held his breath and tried to calm himself down. This was nothing… This was okay. It would get better. It wasn't Ivan's fault… He sat up, removing the legs of his animalist friend from his person and went downstairs to make breakfast while he slept. John came to great him and being around his friend instantly put him in a good mood. He bent down to scratch behind his ears and fed him as well. John had taken to instantly growling the moment Ivan had walked in the door. Ivan had taken to jumping onto Keith's shoulders and wrapping around his head until John was in another room. Honestly, his poor companion locked in another room because of the spoiled thing… Was it because he kept acting like a cat? Did something about him really make John think so as well?
…No. Ivan yawned as he silently came into the kitchen, stealing food- at which John started barking at him. Ivan jumped up onto the table, glaring down at him with his eyes twitching. No. It wasn't because he was a cat… This was something territorial. Another dog in the house. Another… When had those… Were those… Keith was letting the bacon burn as he ran for his phone, calling any one of the others who would answer this early, but he had one particularly in mind... "…This better be good, Kotetsu kept me up almost the entire night since he refused to leave me alone." Him too, huh? Ivan hadn't tried to leave, but he certainly wanted him out of the bed.
"Does he have ears?!" Keith quickly yelled into the phone. "…Does he what? Of course he has ears." Barnaby quipped from the other line, the barking in the background making him a potential target for animal cruelty if not human for such a dumb question. "No I mean…" He looked over at the boy on his table in the middle of a fight with his dog. "…I mean like animal ears?" He asked, eyes darting between his beloved John and Ivan… With ears and a tail. What were those dogs again…? Those were Japanese dogs right? The really quiet ones? Shibunus? No, what was it… Shiba Inu? Keith dropped his phone and ran for a computer.
If they were based off of animals then… Barking. So much barking. A Wikipedia page never hurt anyone… The Shiba Inu is best in a home without other small dogs or young children, but consistent obedience training and early socialization can make all the difference. The breed also interacts fairly well with cats. From the Japanese breed standard: A spirited boldness, a good nature, and an unaffected forthrightness, which together yield dignity and natural beauty. The Shiba has an independent nature and can be reserved toward strangers but is loyal and affectionate to those who earn his respect. They can be aggressive toward other dogs.
Aggressive towards other… Great… Wonderful… God he knew he should have tried to talk Antonio into keeping Ivan… John was still barking…
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He had one type of dog. Now he was caring for his wonderful Golden Retriever and Ivan in his current state. Based on his own ability to distinguish what type of dog he was, a lot of things were making sense now. Those types of dogs had a lot of traits like cats. He had wondered if the animal they were given was based on their personality, or if because of their personality they developed that kind of animal traits… It was a puzzle indeed. He had remembered to call Barnaby back and inform him of what he had found out, letting Barnaby start his own hunt as to what animal Kotetsu had been wrapped with. Ivan was in the room with Keith while John had the rest of the house. He took to reading several different articles on that type of dog, finding them to rather fit Ivan's personality type.
He could basically be left alone and be fine. Even using the bathroom and bathing should still be manageable on his own. Well… Human bathing is different from animal bathing… They were very clean minus seasonal changing that prompted shedding and only really made noise when they were extremely upset or distressed or extremely happy. It made sense considering Ivan hadn't even made a single noise since he had been like this. He'd have to ask Karina if he did when it first happened… Distress after all. The worst he would have to worry about was the aggression with John and he was sure that would clear up once placement was established between the pair.
He didn't remember when, but he had started petting Ivan while reading on the type of dog he was. Only when he leaned back to relax from his readings and apparently stop did the Russian-Japanese boy nudge his hand with his forehead in hopes to elicit him to resume petting him. He looked down at him and blinked, making note of him- actually registering that this… This was Ivan. Something was wrong. Yes he looked like him, but he wasn't speaking and wasn't acting (completely) like himself… He felt pity for him… So he resumed petting him, earning a small, contented smile from him.
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"…That's ridiculous." Antonio grumbled, staring at the pair that Keith and Barnaby had brought back. "Don't bother telling me- it tried to sleep in my room." He had his arms crossed as he spoke of Kotetsu although he weren't a person. "Least he didn't push you out of the bed every few minutes. At first I kept thinking of him like a really annoying cat, but…" Keith briefly scratched behind Ivan's ear, making him relax for just as equally a brief moment before becoming tensely bored again. "Well clearly I was wrong." Karina took to inspecting the pair. "So, what… They act like the animal that they are? I mean that kinda does make them easier to deal with but…" But they needed their friends back.
Agnes came at her designated time, ranting and raving about how this would affect… Well her ratings. "It could be good- but not for HeroTV! They were cute though… Do they fetch? Right, sorry!" She had a team of four with her who helped look online for either the NEXT whom they fought or a way to revert the pair back to normal. In regards to an earlier question Agnes had asked, yes. They did fetch- at least Kotetsu did. Barnaby had a bright red ball he kept tossing to a far wall while he worked while Kotetsu ran to grab it on all fours, and brought it back in his mouth, wanting to play again. Ivan watched him, his head following him each time he ran back and forth. Keith noticed, almost detecting a kind of longing to play too coming from him. He scratched behind his ears to get his attention- Ivan ducking quickly before seeing who it was and then relaxing again. Keith took a mental note to let him know he was going to pet him before he actually did so. "You wanna play too?" He asked him, the oddity of the question not really registering with him. Ivan watch Kotetsu run across the room again, then turned his attention away, resting his head on Keith's lap as if he were now bored of the current rerun.
Keith checked the time, deciding to take Ivan out in an hour or so for a walk. Ivan. His friend. Great this was developing smoothly… He sighed, patting his head and kept working, kneading at his neck absentmindedly as he read, then an hour or so past and he offered to take Kotetsu as well. Barnaby denied him, pointing out how he was already getting all the exorcise he needed and was already tiring himself out. "He is an old man, after all." He poked a jab, some part of himself upset his partner couldn't register the insult. The walk went smoothly- Ivan didn't even bother running. Was there such a thing as a house dog? If so, this type of dog was the first… Or maybe it was just Ivan…
When they returned, Kotetsu was asleep at Barnaby's feet, true to the earlier statement. Ivan wandered occasionally, but never really left the building, an odd niche he pit himself into, or Keith's lap. As it got late, everyone decided to pack up for the night. As they (Keith and Barnaby and their new "pets") were leaving, Nathan called out to them. "Before you two go, I'd just like to state little ground rule I think we all know but have been too nervous to say out loud: No. Taking. Advantage of~!" He cooed, but an under layer of ice beneath his tone that could easily crack and drown the pair were they not careful to head his advice. "…What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Barnaby asked, squaring his shoulders and almost looking down at Nathan with how he angled his jaw. Clearly, he took that like a threat. "I would never! Ivan's my friend, my biggest concern is getting him back to normal!"
Nathan sighed, tired of dealing with the density of men. He honestly didn't blame the NEXT for doing as she did. "You know what it means." He pointed a long, painted nail in Barnaby's direction. "And you," The finger was moved to Keith. "I understand- that's everyone's main priority. But that doesn't mean you'll end up not doing so throughout the process of taking care of him. I just don't want my precious puppy and tiger hurt by you two idiots!" He lectured, petting both unaffectionate parties kindly as he spoke of them, stopping and glaring at the said idiots. They were completely insulted! Barnaby left in a silent rage while Keith left in dismay that he would even be considered someone that takes advantage of another.
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…He should really get him his own bed. This was ridiculous. Even if it was only for a few days, he wanted to get him his own bed. He sat up, sighing. "…Ivan." He grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer, too tired to try to deal with him constantly fussing and shuffling all night, so he'd just hold him still. Ivan instantly stopped fussing. Keith looked down at him, worried he had scared him. He hadn't. Ivan was just flatly looking at the chest his face had been buried in. …He was very attractive this close up. He didn't mean it in a weird way! He was just taking an appreciation for the looks of his friend was all! Keith stroked his hair, feeling awkward at his own thoughts that no one even had access to. He eventually fell asleep with him, glad he had stopped fussing.
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The next morning was much better. Ivan hadn't moved since Keith had taken to holding him still and petting him until he fell asleep. He should try to get John and Ivan to get along today… And give him a bath, but the thought made him feel skittish… He should call Nathan and have him do that part…
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"A bath?" Came the voice from the other line, aggressive barking in the background. "Y-Yeah… I just wouldn't feel comfortable is all… "Well I don't mind, but what are you going to do if I can't? You surely can't be thinking of leaving him in his own germs, can you?" Well… "O-Of course not! John, stop that, Ivan- get off of the table!" Keith dropped the phone and snagged Ivan right before his foot went into one of the plates of food. He set him on the floor- which didn't sit well with him as he practically clung to Keith, not wanting to go anywhere near John. Keith sighed, looking up at his ceiling. Honestly… "Hello? Hello, Keith? Are you still there?" The phone! He quickly snatched it back up and replied. "Y-Yes, sorry!" Ivan was sitting on his shoulders, glaring down at John, who was barking at the growth upon his owner. "I'll help you out this time, but after that, you're on your own." John kept barking- Ivan threatened to spit on him. Keith turned the other way so Ivan missed the dog, but it landed on his foot. He looked down at it for a moment, then lightly smacked his head. "Stop that! And okay, thank you…"
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"He seems perfectly fine to me." Nathan remarked, looking over Ivan resting on Keith's bed. "He is when he's alone, but then he gets really aggressive around John…" Nathan hummed, a coy smile easing its way onto his face as he inched closer to Keith. "Oh~?" Keith nodded, looking exhausted from this morning. "Anything else~?" Keith thought for a moment. "If I don't let him cling to me when he's sleeping, he tends to kick me off of the bed. I tried putting him on the floor the first night and he ended up back in the bed and I was half off if it…" He had deliberately told a white lie in order to avoid embarrassing himself more than necessary.
"Well if you ask me," Nathan cooed, sitting on the edge of Keith's bed, crossing his legs, and gently rubbing Ivan's head. "It's all got to do with prior dibs." Prior…? What was he talking about? "I don't think I understand what you mean." Of course he didn't. This is what that wonderful NEXT girl turned a pair of blubbering boys into the animals they really were. Nathan had slowly been gaining more and more admiration for her as time went on with the pair. "Well, Ivan works with you, John lives with you, and they're both your friend, aren't they?" Keith nodded in concurrence to his statement. "Well, clearly when put in the same space, they both feel as though you belong to them, so they're fighting."
"…They're fighting… Over me?" Keith reiterated, looking at Ivan as he slept while Nathan removed some his hair from his face. He nodded, puckering his lips slightly in his own accomplishment at getting Keith to understand. "Dogs are very territorial. I doubt he'd even feel comfortable around anyone else now even if we were to try that. He'd just try to sneak away and come here, John or no." Nathan had a warm look on his face that only a mother could contrive while Ivan's ears twitched in his sleep. So Ivan… Thought really fondly of him. Did that have to do with some kind of admiration? Him being the last in terms of ranking while Keith was first? He'd have to ask him when he reverts to himself. Nathan sighed and uncrossed his legs, standing up. "Alright, wake him up and let's get him cleaned up. You have work today, don't you Hero~?" He cooed, blowing him a kiss before walking out and heading towards the bathroom.
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Ivan kept shooting glares over towards Nathan, but sat quietly none the less. Nathan could clearly tell he was correct in his assumptions about Ivan and John both being territorial over Keith. The King of Heroes was half naked and was trying to finish washing Ivan's back while the Hidden Hero had somehow managed to ducked out several times now. It was so disastrous that one could have easily assumed that Keith's house had temporarily flooded. The only reason they currently had him in the bath was because he had slipped and fallen, scaring himself half to death while Keith caught him and gave him a lecture they weren't sure if he even currently understood.
Nathan had helped clean up the water mess, while instructing Keith on what to do, not being squeamish at all while telling him he needed to also clean the space in between his legs. Ivan had only jumped a little, clenching his knees closed, but relaxed when Keith clearly wasn't out to hurt him. He tried to be quick about it, but Ivan kept fussing and glaring at Nathan. The recipient of the glares only thought how cute he was and how he was so lucky to be helped out like this- after all, he clearly liked him to some degree even if he himself didn't realize it. However, this was so easily distracted from Keith having his shirt off. He truly was attractive, that was for sure. Keith poured water onto Ivan's back, rinsing the soap down into the drain. It had apparently scared the hell out of Ivan since he quickly whipped around and clung to Keith. Nathan couldn't hold back a chuckle, earning him another cold glare. Keith meanwhile was trying to divert his mind from Ivan's entire, nude body being pressed onto him.
This was so inappropriate… Nathan finished directing him, lecturing him when he found out Ivan had been wearing the same outfit for three days now. He offered to go get some of his clothes from where he lived, but for now he needed to wear something of Keith's while his clothes were being washed. Keith gave him a shirt that was too big, pants that were too big, and a jacket that was too big. Ivan didn't seem to mind as he practically could have been purring as he buried his nose in the jacket.
Keith may as well have given him catnip or some sort for dogs with the way he was reacting. He had even resigned himself to flopping over on the bed and just sitting there contented with the smell he got to wear. John had wandered in, then spotted Ivan and took to barking again. Ivan just sat up, glared down at him, then rolled his eyes and flopped back over and resumed taking in the smell of the jacket. John kept barking while Ivan ignored him, the barking eventually turning into a persistent growl. John really was well trained since the worst he had done was bark. He hadn't actually tried to hurt Ivan since he had been here
Keith sighed, wondering if it was really okay to leave him here while he went to work… He wouldn't run away would he…? Ivan was practically reeling in happiness. He decided he would be okay as he got ready and left, giving him and John a pat on their heads before he left.
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When he came back, Ivan and John apparently had worked things out since they were both waiting by the door for him. John had his head in Ivan's lap who was leaned against the wall near the door. Upon hearing it open, they both got up and greeted him at the same time. He nearly fell over, keeping Ivan and John at bay while he inched inside. He had a bag full of Ivan's clothes as well, calming the pair down and shutting the door. When he had tried to change his clothes however, Ivan was quick to disappear and be found in places like on top of the fridge, behind a dresser, and the like. "Ivan, please? Don't make this difficult…" Keith tried, but he persisted in disappearing the second he took a moment to even blink. "Ivan!" He called for him, John apparently thinking of it as a game and attempting to sniff Ivan out. When he was found, he made a disgusted face that clearly wasn't too happy about the betrayal of their newfound friendship. Traitor.
Keith removed him from under the couch and took him back to the room, shutting and locking the door. "Sorry, John. I'll be out in a minute." He apologized to the Retriever as he closed the door. He turned around and sighed as he began searching the room for Ivan. God he should have been a ferret or something with all of this… He eventually found him in the closet, removing him from it and attempting to strip him. The boy fought back, punching him in the nose and running out of the room again. …This wasn't going well… Where was the phone?
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"He won't change?" There was a snicker from the other line. "It's not funny, Nathan! What should I do?" There was a pause as the laughter subsided, then a reply. "Leave him. Eventually, the smell will be gone or he'll need a bath- whatever comes first. I'm sure he'll object to being put in his own clothes for a while, so make sure something of yours is always included in the ensemble. Like your boxers or a jacket or something." What even made him suggest boxers? With the way Ivan had fawned over the jacket, it would be odd to watch him sniff his… Right.
Keith sighed. "Alright. Thanks… Good night, Nathan." Keith hung up the phone. So for now until he needed a bath… Ivan would be in that? How would he even coax him out of that for said bath? Should he just douse him with water? No, that was mean… Would he need to go see the others tomorrow? Hopefully not… He sighed, going into his room and laying on the bed for a moment with his eyes closed. He really needed to find a way to help get Ivan and Kotetsu back to normal… Poor Barnaby had probably tried to kill his partner several times now. Was a tiger as territorial as a dog? Probably not…
He felt a weight on his stomach and opened his eyes, glancing down and finding Ivan sitting on him, his face inches from his own. He jumped a little, but then relaxed. "I'm okay." He scratched behind his ears, earning him that contented smile he gave off whenever Keith pet him. After a while, Ivan had managed to lower himself so that he was resting on Keith while his "owner" lost himself in his head again. He really needed to find that NEXT and fix things… How could they be the only ones affected by her? Surely someone else… That was it!
He shot up, scaring Ivan who jumped and stared at him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry!" He quickly patted his head and removed Ivan from his person, going over to his computer. If he could just find someone… Surely at least one other person had to have the same problem they did! And if so, they had to have found a way to fix it at least! Keith set to work with the trusty search engine that was Google while Ivan watched him for a while, eventually resting at his feet again while Keith absent mindedly pet him.
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Keith was gonna… No. No he wasn't going to kill him. No. Relax. He sighed, still holding Ivan's shit while the boy glared at him with heated intensity from across the room. He really didn't want to have to literally rip his clothes from him… He liked that shirt. He managed to get the jacket off, but the rest was… If he could just show Ivan that he only wanted to change his shirt, he could keep the damn jacket on. "Ivan…" He tried, taking a step to the right- Ivan took a hasty one to the left. He was a hero for crying out loud! Why was catching this teenager so hard?!
He got an idea. He sighed, ignoring Ivan and going over to his bed and laying down on it, covering his eyes with his arm. He sat like that for a moment and waited. …And then Ivan came over, nudging his hand with his nose. Keith took the opportunity and jumped him, flipping their positions and removing his shirt from Ivan. The boy struggled and fussed, then let out this loud yell that lasted about a good seven or so seconds. A noise- he made a noise! When did dogs like that make noise? When they were extremely happy or… When they were extremely stressed. He was stressed. Keith stopped, Ivan looking like he was ready to cry. He got off of him, pulling him into a hug and stroking his hair. "Shh, I'm sorry…" Ivan buried his face into his shoulder, clinging to him. "I'm sorry… Please don't cry."
Keith pulled away, wiping his tears and showing him the shirt before he dressed him, Ivan putting up less of a resistance. Keith then took the jacket he had currently been wearing and put it on him. "There, don't cry. I'm sorry…" Ivan sniffed and looked at the jacket, then Keith, then back at the jacket. He shrunk into himself a bit… Then sniffed the jacket. Good. He was okay now. Keith proceeded to finish dressing the rest of him. Ivan didn't seem as distressed this time around since he had Keith's jacket on, making it easier on Keith to dress the rest of him as quickly as possible. "Okay…" He sighed, looking over the fully clothed Shiba-boy on his bed. That was so much more tiresome than it needed to be…
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"You found a what?!" Karina yelled, her face getting close to Keith's. He backed away before Ivan could bite her or something- he was already glaring at her for getting as close as she had. "Uh… Y-Yeah. I got their contact information and was going to call them this morning. It was a real pain to find it, but I did. Hopefully, we can get something out of this." Karina practically jumped for joy she was so ecstatic. Kotetsu would be back to normal! …And Ivan too, don't forget Ivan…
"Well then call already!" Barnaby hissed through clenched teeth from across the room, Kotetsu trying to get onto his lap. The dark circles under his eyes had become increasingly noticeable the longer this dragged on. It had only been three days and he looked like he was turning into a Panda himself. Keith pulled out the piece of paper from his pocket while Nathan made a remark about Ivan wearing his jacket that made him fumble with the paper and drop it. Ivan picked it up and handed it to him without a word. It was bizarre to watch him go from all fours to acting like a normal person…
Nathan hummed in an insinuating manner, Ivan shooting him a glare. "I'm not after your man. Attractive as he is, he's not my type." Nathan waved his hand in the air as if dismissing the matter. That didn't stop Ivan from glaring at him. Keith hoped everyone simply took his comment as Ivan just being possessive as a dog, not actually getting anything from it. Barnaby cleared his throat loudly, his body seeming to make a physical manifestation of his discomfort level with Kotetsu at the moment. Keith quickly pulled out his phone and called, getting no answer. He left his name a number and a vague mention as to why he had called. "Well if we had gotten an answer right away, I would have honestly been surprised." Antonio remarked, earning him a glare from Barnaby. "…U-Um… I-If you want I can take him for a-" Barnaby slammed his foot on the floor, standing up and making Kotetsu fall off of his lap. "Watch him, I need to go buy something…" He hissed to Antonio, taking him up on his offer.
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A… Dog collar? No, a shock collar. Keith could tell the difference. Barnaby had just bought a shock collar for Kotetsu. …Wow. Kotetsu was elated to have his partner come back, completely unaware of the fate that was to befall him. Barnaby put the collar on him and Kotetsu let him, his tail pulsing from one side of the floor to the other in anticipation. He held onto it with both hands, attempting to inspect it once Barnaby was done fastening it onto him. The Super Rookie stormed over to Keith and handed him a collar as well. "I have no idea how that one's behaving, but if he's as bad as Kotetsu…" He shook his head, not knowing how to verbally convey his dismay at Kotetsu's actions. He walked back over and sat down, Kotetsu tried to jump on to his lap and was promptly shocked, making him stop. He looked at Barnaby, almost betrayed. He tried again- and was shocked again. Keith felt bad for him…
He looked down at the collar Barnaby had handed him, decided not to use it. It was mean… Ivan was his friend, not his pet. There was a difference. Nathan looked disapprovingly at Barnaby while Karina withheld her urge to smack him. Antonio was shocked by Barnaby's response to the problem as well. "…Hey… Keith does Ivan cause you any trouble?" He asked, looking away from Kotetsu who looked like a kicked puppy sitting on the floor away from Barnaby. Keith was quick to nod. "You have no idea… Nathan more or less does." He admitted. "He's like a bratty puppy." Keith patted Ivan's head- which turned into petting due to Keith personally getting attached to the feeling of Ivan's hair entwined in his fingers and the smile he'd receive from IVan every time he was shown affection.
"Oh…" Antonio watched, then glanced back over at Kotetsu. "Wonder if it has to do with their personalities…" Was all he could add to keep the conversation going- which wasn't much. "I wouldn't doubt it… But that just means Ivan has a lot of secret traits we weren't aware of it is." If it were true, Ivan would secretly be a possessive little shit. …But he would also just generally be Ivan. He was affectionate, kind, somewhat standoff-ish, and very adorable really. But the last one was really just Keith's opinion… When did he happen to form that?
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When he was brought home again, Ivan left Keith's side and went into the room. It probably had to do with all of the time he had spent in there. John greeted Keith and Ivan, Ivan mostly ignoring him for favor of the room. All day, those who weren't working tried to find a solution for their condition, the number never answering even after being called once every two hours. Keith sighed, checking his phone just in case he had missed a call while working.
…Nothing. He decided to try one more time before bed. He also go not answer. He put his phone on the charger for the night, gave John dinner and went to bed with Ivan, pulling him up under his arm so he wouldn't fuss all night.
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In the morning, Keith fed everyone, then took a bath with Ivan, much less of a disaster this time since he was getting used to things. He stripped him in the bathroom, letting him hold onto his shirt while he washed him so he wouldn't panic. When they were done, he dressed him in his own clothes and gave him the jacket he had worn yesterday, washing the one he had given Ivan. The day was spent the same as the last… And this continued with minimal changes for two weeks.
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There was a pounding on the door- it was harsh and cold and it roused Ivan before it did Keith. The boy nuzzled closer to Keith, gently tapping his chest with his fingers. Keith hummed in reply, not opening his eyes. Ivan kept tapping him, eventually licking his cheek to wake him- that worked. "I-Ivan what are- d-don't do that!" Keith had instantly been woken up by the act, some part of his brain preferring it to be Ivan even if it could have been John, so it was a gracious thing that he was right. He then heard the pounding on the door and looked at Ivan's pouting face, realizing why he had woken him the way he had.
He got up, patting his head gently and putting on a pair of pants over his boxers before answering the door. Ivan tried to follow at his heels as he had been doing for a little over a week straight now. Keith stopped, turned around and pointed towards the room. Ivan sulked, but went back regardless. Keith had gotten him to as such after a while without much resistance- a kind of trick even.
When he answered the door, a girl stood before him, face flushed and angry. "Are you Keith Goodman!? The one who keeps calling my mother?!" She yelled up at him, looking no older than Karina if not less so. "I… What? Y-Yes I am!" He replied, completely taken aback by the small whirlwind that was at his door. "Stop it! She's mortified! Leave her alone!" She screamed at him- Keith heard the door to his room open. "J-Just one sec-"
"No! You're going to listen and agree! Leave! My mother! Alone!" She screamed at him- the door opened more and Keith had to push her out and shut the door, whipping around and yanking Ivan into his chest before he could get passed him to the door. He was practically growling and squirming in an attempt to get to the girl behind the door who had been yelling at him. "Did you just push me?!" The girl yelled from the other side of the door. Keith gently stroked Ivan's hair, shushing him and trying to get him to calm down. "Ivan it's alright please calm down… I didn't mean it, I'm sorry I have a dog and he can get aggressive, I'm sorry!" He called to her, technically not lying. He could- it just wasn't John he was referring to.
"Listen, I don't know if I had the wrong number or something, but if I didn't, I really need to talk to her about a NEXT." Keith called to her, pulling Ivan down and continually stroking his hair. "Shhh, Ivan… Relax…" He cooed to him, getting him to look at him and not the door. "I don't know what you heard, but she doesn't want to talk to you stupid reporters or weirdo college kids who were interested anymore! So leave her alone!" The girl yelled, getting Ivan to look away from Keith and back at the door. "No, no, shh…" Keith used both of his hands to push Ivan back on ground level and then get him to look at him, quickly placing one back on top of his head to stroke his hair, the other to hold his jaw in his direction. "Listen, I'm not either of those, and if I could only have a moment to talk to her I'd be really appreciative… I'll even pay you, please!" Keith tried bargaining. He wanted Ivan back to normal… This wasn't him. This childish, animalistic person wasn't Ivan…
"Suck it!" The girl yelled from behind the door. …Fine. Keith moved and opened the door, Ivan quick tackling her to the floor. "…I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me talk to her." Keith reiterated once more, Ivan's eye twitching he was so angry with her for yelling at Keith, his ears alert to any noises and teeth bared. The girl took in a sharp intake of breath at the boy on top of her. "…Miss, this is my friend Ivan. Now if you don't mind…" He tried again after realizing she wasn't replying due to shock. "…G-Get him off…" Keith reached below the jacket collar and yanked on a red one around Ivan's neck. He had placed it on him when he heard someone at the door- just in case.
Whenever someone came over, Ivan tended to be more aggressive over Keith. When they were out in public, it was different. So, he only placed it on him when he knew someone was coming over or if someone was at the door. He would use it to pull him off or hold him in place. He didn't like to… But Ivan really looked like he was going to hurt the girl. Ivan heeled, still giving her the same look he had before, but now was at Keith's heels. "…He's… He's a dog…" It clicked in her head why he had pushed her out of the doorway to his abode.
"…What exactly did you want to talk about with my mother?" She asked, her eyes trained on Ivan who still clearly wanted to tear her apart. "…If her husband ever changed back to normal, and if not how she…" He hated to ask this… He didn't want to ask this. "…And if not how she coped with it." The girl finally looked away from Ivan and up at Keith. "…You better get a leash for him, but I'll take you…" She offered. Keith's entire mood changed. He let go of Ivan and clasped her hands, thanking her several times. He ran inside, ran back and grabbed Ivan and then ran back inside. "I just need to get ready really quickly, I'll be right out, please make yourself at home!" He offered to her. "Oh, um, what's your name?" He asked, half pushing Ivan into the bathroom. "…Maria. Maria Ascotti." Keith nodded, giving her a smile before disappearing into the bathroom with Ivan. He'd have to call Barnaby!
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The four of them were brought to a small apartment complex, one of them being shared by an older woman and her daughter. It was cramped and full of plants, and a pet snake buried beneath some of them in a cage. The room had terrible lighting and was cramped, the paint peeling and dull brown. The girl brushed off her spot on the couch before sitting. Both Kotetsu and Ivan were on leash. The woman looked over them, and then walked over to a recliner chair and sat. "…You will sit. This is a long story and I'm sure you will have questions."
The pair did as they were told, Kotetsu at Barnaby's feet and Ivan sitting on Keith's lap. She first started with "…Have you been treating them well?" The pair looked over at one another, then to the woman and nodded. She chuckled and nodded. "If I myself hadn't gone through it, I would have made a remark of the opposite due to the leashes… But after a while, you come to find you need them the more of them you lose." Lose? "Um, I'm sorry what do you mean by "lose", Mrs. Ascotti?" Keith asked, worried for Ivan. And Kotetsu too. Both of them of course. But Ivan mostly. The woman sighed, looking out a small section of window that wasn't hidden by her plants.
"…The girl who you're looking for, her name is Maddie." Barnaby found this information odd. "May I ask how you know?" The woman scoffed and her daughter looked away from everyone. "…She was my daughter." They were both shocked by the news. Is that why she hadn't been answering her phone?! "Then where is she right now?" Barnaby asked, leaning forward eagerly. The woman shook her head. "I have no idea… She left me a long time ago." But… That was her daughter. Her… "…I'm so sorry to make you tell us something like this… However, I must ask you to continue." Keith said sternly, his voice full of regret prior when he first spoke. The woman nodded. "I know. I wasn't going to stop just because you were "sorry". Do you know how annoying it is to have your phone go off every two hours a day?" She asked, scoffing at them, but with a smile that let them know she wasn't angry over it.
"But continuing… My mother was a NEXT as well, which is where she probably got it. We noticed from a very early age she was good with people and lots of them liked her. Even people who you'd think wouldn't get along with her adored her… But when I realized what she could do, I knew why. I'll skip all of the boring and personally heart breaking stuff." She waved her hand in front of herself as if trying to remove the memory from before her eyes.
"…My husband. He was never very loyal, you see." The woman gave them a regretful smile. "But he was never cruel to me or my children… Never. Maddie noticed this as she got over and became so upset with it that she started yelling at him for it. She started manipulating him. She became conscious of what she was doing. And all went well for a while… I knew it wasn't right to let her do something like that, but… But I wanted him to love me the way I loved him." Her eyes were welling up and her daughter got up and went over to her in an attempt to comfort her, but was waved away as her mother shook her head, sniffing.
"After a while, she slowly let him have control over all of his actions… And the moment she did, he cheated again. She became so enraged that she willed his entire being to act like the animal he was. I tried to talk her into letting him out of it, but she refused, calling all men animals and spitting on her father before leaving… She said she'd never come back so long as I was loyal to such a snake… So to answer your earlier question… You lose them. Slowly but surely, they become less and less human as time goes on." She spoke gently as she removed the snake from its cage and held it. "…This is my husband- or was."
Barnaby and Keith looked on in shock and horror. Kotetsu was doomed to be a tiger while Ivan was doomed to be a dog…? "She… She can change them back, can't she…? Can't she?!" Keith asked desperately, his fingers digging into Ivan's. The boy pulled away from him and looked at him confused as to why he was clinging so hard. The woman resumed her look out of the window. "…I don't know. I honestly don't think she ever has."
Barnaby stood up and stormed out with Kotetsu, hissing about how she was such a waste of time. "This trip was worthless… She was no help at all! Fucking…!" The door slammed and Keith apologized for him. The woman shook her head and let out a weak laugh. "It's alright… He just wants his friend back is all… I know I eventually got angry at her too… I don't blame him for reacting like that." The woman gently held her hand out to Ivan, who just looked at her, but not with boredom like he usually did. Keith knew he was shy and clung to him, so it was odd to watch him actually react to her. He sniffed her hand, but then pulled away, but reacted all the same. Keith pet his hair, trying to hold back tears. If he couldn't convince her to change Ivan back…
He removed Ivan from his lap, putting him on the floor and standing up. "Thank you so very much for your time Mrs. Ascotti." She nodded to him and he pulled out his wallet. "…Boy what are you doing? Put that away." She lectured, standing up and gently putting the snake back. "Er, I was just-"
"I knew what you were doing, it was a rhetorical question, now put it away. I didn't tell you that so you could pay me. If I did, I'd be talking to more reporters like the idiot I was." She closed the cage, staring at the snake within for a moment.
"…Um… I have one more question… Do you know if she changes them into animals based on her personal opinion of them or based on their personalities?" The woman looked back over at Ivan who was sitting by Keith's feet. "…Well what do you think? Do you think that type of dog suits him, yet alone a dog at all?" …Keith nodded. "Well there you go. Don't doubt yourself so much. I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help…" Keith shook his head. "No, thank you very much. At least we have a name now. That's got to be worth something." She took in a deep breath, hoping it was.
Keith eventually left with kinder goodbyes than the one's Barnaby had given her. He walked home with Ivan, keeping him close so the leash would be less noticeable. When they got in the door of his apartment, he felt tired. He had slept just fine and it wasn't that late, yet he felt so tired. He removed the leash from Ivan as he shut the door and went for the room while he wandered off somewhere.
This girl… This girl had potentially ruined Ivan and Kotetsu's lives… They may never be themselves again… Ivan may never… Keith put his arm over his eyes and started crying out of frustration. He couldn't do anything for either of them…! Maddie was the only one who could, and they couldn't find her! And even if they could with her name now, who's to say she'd comply?! Who's to say she'd help them?! And why should she?! She had grown up with a sack of shit for a father! Who'd ever trust another man when the one who was supposed to care and protect his daughters couldn't even-
He felt a weight on his chest and a wetness at his cheeks. He removed his arm and found Ivan, giving him a worried expression and licking away his tears. Humans didn't do that… Ivan shouldn't be doing that. Keith sat up and held him close, sobbing into his shoulder at his own incompetence. Keith pulled away, kissing his forehead over and over with both hands on either side of his face while mumbling, "…I'm so sorry, Ivan… I'm so sorry…"
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A/N: A friend of mine has the type of dog that I made Ivan and she really is like a cat, I adore her. My go to name for anything non-Japanese is Maria, I have no idea why.