It was a bright sunny afternoon, and Jay was currently in between jobs (again). It's a wonder I keep my rent paid at this rate, he thought to himself as he walked through the park in his favorite golden retriever shift, with a bag of clothes in his teeth. He reached a tree in a mostly unpopulated area, dug a hole, dropped the bag in, and buried it so he could return to it later. Oftentimes, he wished he could figure out how to shift clothes, even if he could find ways around it.

Once he'd buried it, he trotted away from the spot, tongue lolling out of his mouth as the wind blew gently through his fur, causing his tail to wag. He sometimes wondered what would happen if he just stayed a dog. Lived off of whatever he could find, with no rent, no responsibilities, just...no stress. But for some reason, he always shifted back. Maybe there was just something about wearing clothes? No, but hot showers, warm beds, and cold beers were definitely a plus.

After a few minutes, the large golden retriever dropped, flopping over onto his back and sort of rolling around on the grass. His brain may have still been human, but there was just something about being a dog that just made it so easy to shirk all human stress and responsibilities.

Swing shifts were always a wild ride. Something about the sun setting that drew out the most eccentric flavors of New York. Will would take a daytime shift over a swing shift any day-- except, of course, holidays. Stupidity knew no bounds on holidays. The most eventful part of his evening had been de-escalating a confrontation between a man strung-out on M, wielding a box-cutter, and his unsuspecting wife. It had been a long stand-off that ended with tazing the poor bastard. Will sighed, shaking a cigarette out of the carton from his back pocket. Domestic violence calls were always rough on him-- not as bad as crimes involving kids, but pretty high up there.

He tucked the cigarette between his lips, fished-out a lighter, and lit up. It was thus that he was in the park now. Nothing like walking alone for a bit to clear your head. Will took a drag from the cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke contentedly. It was fairly empty, along the path, and already he could feel his nerves settling. His blue-eyed gaze swept over the lawn. It was serene.

His gaze was pulled by the sight of a dog rolling in the grass. A beautiful goldie, the quintessential family dog. He seemed to be having a jolly old time. But-- where were his people? There weren't too many others nearby. Maybe he'd wandered off? Will took another drag of his cigarette and sighed. He'd keep an eye on the dog, at least while he was smoking. Its people couldn't have been far.

Jay didn't know why, but there was something about acting silly in his dog forms that just...well, it was fun. And one of the few things he enjoyed doing that didn't hurt anyone or piss people off. But after awhile, he stopped rolling around, and his ears perked up, tail still slightly wagging as he sniffed the air. Maybe it was his paranoia, but...for some reason he felt like he was being watched. He didn't know why; after all, who in their right mind would stalk a dog in the middle of the park. And if someone were to steal him, well they'd be in for a rude surprise, wouldn't they?

But nonetheless...he still couldn't shake the feeling that there were eyes on him, for some reason. And so, his blue eyes scanned the park; though they were still the same shade of blue, his vision was more dog-like now, but he still made use of the senses. Then, he noticed someone not far off, smoking a cigarette.

Curious, he walked over to the stranger whom he was sure was watching him, and along the way he picked up a stick, to play the part of the innocent puppy dog. If he was going to do this, he may as well sell it, right? And so, he trotted up and dropped the stick at the man's feet, wagging his tail and looking up at him. At the same time, Jay was sizing him up. Maybe he could distract him enough to snag his wallet or something later.

To further sell the part, he barked, tail still wagging furiously.

Will tapped the cigarette, shaking loose some ash, and took another drag. The dog noticed him. He exhaled.

"Hey, boy," he greeted, "Where are your people?"

The dog retrieved a stick and bounded towards him, depositing it at his feet. He was all wiggles and gave a perfunctory bark, while he was at it. He seemed like an amicable dog. 

"Good boy," Will grunted, crouching to retrieve the stick. As he did so, he patted the dog's neck, checking for a collar. Nada. That wasn't good. Maybe he got out.

"Taking yourself for a walk, boy?" he hadn't confirmed if the dog was actually male, it was just reflexive. Will lifted the large stick and, with a fling, thew it a good fifty yards into the green. He took another puff of the cigarette, watching the dog. His apartment allowed pets, with restrictions... but Will was sure this dog was far too big to meet the requirement... 

Then again, if he was just holding-onto the dog until he could take it in to animal services tomorrow... he wasn't really breaking the terms of his lease, right?

He sat on the grass, playing the part as his tail wagged and his tongue lolled out of his mouth. He lifted his head as the man searched for a collar. In reality, he was attempting to size the man up. Jay noted that the stranger seemed in shape, but he also noted a compassionate streak. Maybe instead of picking his pocket...he could get into the guy's house, maybe get a little more out of the deal that way. Sure, it'd be more of a risk, but...at this point it seemed like the best bet. After all, he wasn't one to get into confrontations if it was avoidable.

With a joyful bark, Jay turned and chased the stick, his long golden fur rippling in the wind as his paws kicked up dirt and slobber trailed out of his mouth. Without stopping, he picked up the stick--when he finally reached it, damn this guy had an arm--then turned and ran back to the stranger and dropped it at his feet again.

Then, he lay down at the guy's feet, his tail wagging happily as he looked up at him. Then, he flashed those signature puppy dog eyes.