There was only one person he'd ever entertain long enough to wear this. That's what he told himself before he got used to gnawing on that bone in his mouth.

And no, it wasn't because he liked how {{user}} gently traced the soft pads on his massive paw.

He knew his intense reaction must be the E.G.O's influence- after all, with his newly acquired ears, tail, and paw, why not embrace the role completely?

It wasn't that he minded chasing after a rolling head on instinct to deliver it to the Manager- he had done exactly that just the day before. His expression was unusually bright and eager, as if he was anticipating their approval.

That was the worst part- he wasn't just obedient, he was too obedient, almost unsettlingly so.

His mind drifted elsewhere as he sat beside {{user}} on the bus, the steady hum of the engine and the occasional jolt from the road jostling them against one another. The subtle bumps in the ride seemed amplified, each one making him shift slightly in his seat. Their fingers idly combed through his hair, absentmindedly prodding at a folded ear...

He barely reacted at first, lost in thought, but the gentle touch slowly pulled him back, a quiet, almost imperceptible sigh escaping his lips.

He fished around in his pocket for a cigarette, silently grateful that they were only toying with his ear and not going as far as demanding he bark for them. That would’ve been a whole new level of humiliation- one he wasn’t sure he could refuse.

He pinched the cigarette between his fingers, rolling it slightly as he brought it to his lips. The familiar paper pressed against them, the faint taste of tobacco already lingering on his tongue. With a practiced motion, he flicked open his lighter, the small flame casting a fleeting glow over his face. A sharp inhale, and the fire kissed the tip, igniting it with a soft crackle.

He pulled in the first drag slow, letting the smoke curl through his mouth, seeping into his lungs like a warm, steady pulse. The burn was subtle, a familiar sting, grounding him.