Summoned by a Ghost

The lights were flashing, the beat was bumping and for every second shot, you got one for half the price. The bar was crowded with people, sipping on their overpriced drinks... dance floor was buzzing with people, hot, sweaty bodies grinding against each other... and nearly every booth one could find, was occupied by at least one couple making out.

"What are they... animals?", Yasei muttered to himself, unexpectedly feeling a strong arm, literally being slapped around his neck.

"HEY... Yas... bro... why you judging people?", Yuma scolded drunkenly, "They all having fun... 'n so should you!"

A halfhearted smirk, over his best friend's drunken charm, Yasei finished his shot, patting his slightly taller companion on the shoulder, declaring: "Yeah... sorry Yu, kinda not feeling it tonight. PLUS...", He stopped, index finger raised in front of his face, "PLUS, that one was one too much anyways... everything's blurry... so... sorry, but I fear I have to leave you fuzzy bastard, for this evening!"

"Aw... come on JC...! Seriously? Can't hold your liquor anymore?", Yuma asked plaintively, Yasei just rolling his eyes, about Yu's favorite nickname for him.

"You know fully well... my name does not sound anything like Jaycee!"

"So what... Yasee any better?"

"Ehr... YES? As it actually is how my name is pronounced?", Yasei retorted, with an annoyed huff, continuing, before Yuma could interrupt him again, "... and YEAH... party may not be bad... but it kinda is, when everything looks like a piece of weird, blurred modern art to you. SO... sorry, but thanks for the nice evening anyway... and now go and do... whatever you do.... and take your blurry twin with you!"

The part about him seeing double was a bit of an exaggeration... but Yuma seemed to buy it, as he announced drunkenly, with a heavy sigh: "Okay... okay... don't wanna stop you... so... see ya at work... and don forget dat rap-board... or old Takahashi will MURDER you...!"

Gradually feeling the urge of leaving this here party, growing stronger he just gave a low sigh, responding slightly annoyed: "Yeah... I think you're talking about the REPORT... but... sure, I'll have it ready."

Fighting his way through the crowd... he saw a giant dog walk through the crowd and through the front door... just out of sight behind the crowd of people. Yet... checking again he shook his head in disbelief. Throwing a glance over his shoulder, back to the bar, shaking his head in annoyance.

"FAN-freaking-TASTIC... now I start seeing things.", Yasei mumbled to himself, scratching his nose, between his eyes, "Imagining weird, giant dogs, with lion manes... a dog with lion's mane...?"

With a heavy sigh, he again shook his head, doing the best he could, to get out of that hellhole as fast as possible.

Sighing in relief, as he finally left the club behind, Yasei took a deep breath, before finally heading home. Whereas... this was not the first time he had been 'kidnapped' by his friend... and he couldn't really remember any time he... well... ended up like this after one of their trips. Did he really just drink too much? He almost felt more like in some kind of trance. Having said that... was this even the way to his apartment?

Realizing that, Yasei quickly looked around himself, checking his surrounding and he indeed was . . . near the subway station? Irritated he once again quickly examined his surroundings... before he heard his stomach growl loudly!

"Huh... aren't there like a gazillion studies about subconscious decisions?", He mumbled to himself, remembering the stand he liked... it was near the subway and the owner kept it open till about 11 p.m., for all the commuters... and he had the best, grilled chicken far and wide, "... but why grilled chicken... after... ARGH... whatever!"

He had enough to drink... he wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly craved fresh lettuce... and there was the dog again?! A big... ass... dog... a big ass dog, with a lion mane!

But... no... it seemed... more like a ghost... a specter... transparent... almost like it was one of those holograms, sci-fi titles liked so much. Almost like under hypnosis he just stood there, watching the dog...lion taking the exact same turn he was about to take. As the twitching tip of its tail vanished around the corner, Yasei checked if anybody else might have seen the strange lion-dog... but everybody minded his own business... as usual... except a few punks, who shot him some deadly glares, as his eyes passed their's... just as usual.

Not wanting any trouble... as well as being kinda curious, if he would still see the strange dog-specter walk the road, he quickly set off again... but as he turned around the corner... no lion-dog-thingy.

"ARGH... I really should stop letting myself get swayed by Yu, into following him on his 'late night tours'... especially after pulling an all-nighter to finish some stupid report.", Yasei scolded himself, with an annoyed growl to himself, blaming it all on booze and tiredness, mumbling to himself, "I like the guy... but he's still an utter booze-hound!"

Speeding up his steps, he went ahead, towards his destination... whereas he could swear, he could see that flicking tail-tip disappear around the street corner... just out of the corner of his eyes, whenever his path took a turn. Eventually, visibly confused, he arrived at the stand, placing his order, barely able to keep himself form perpetually checking across his shoulder, for that tail-tip . . . or even the hound itself.

"Hey... young man... you alright?", The salesman asked him worriedly when bringing his order, "Are you being followed by someone... we got a cell right here if you want to call 911?"

"No. No. It's fine... it's just... might have had one shot too much... worked late the other day...", Yasei explained with a casual shrug of his shoulders, making sure to give the man a little tip, so he would not make too much of a fuzz about him. With a short, polite bow of his head, he so went his way again, back to his apartment... the fruits of his sudden craving in hands.

For the last part of his way, he did not see the hound, or his teasing tail-tip again... but... he suddenly remembered those thugs he 'met' earlier.

"Hm... better take the long way around... just to be sure...", He muttered to himself, following this spontaneous suggestion without a second thought.

Almost in sight of his apartment... he suddenly stopped.

"What the...?", He said irritated to himself.

The old Shinto shrine, only a few blocks away from his house - which he wouldn't have passed nearby if he had taken his usual route - was brightly lit! The shrine, located on top of a small hill, in a little park was... glowing white... like it was lit up by some spotlights... but there were no cones of light such devices would cast... only the temple itself seemed to glow in bright light.

"What the heck...?", He repeated dumbfound, starting to make his way to the shining temple.

He almost thought he was guided by some kind of divine power... but... NO...! Now he was really losing it... as if...

"Butter me up and call me a biscuit...!", Yasei uttered... now completely dumbfound.

As he had set foot on the small path, up to the shrine, suddenly everything was back to normal... no pseudo illuminated shrine... the streetlamps seemed back to normal too, as they - how he realized just now - indeed had seemed... well... a little darker as usual.

"Well... this is either the worst trip ever... the worst trip without taking any drugs at that... or I'm going freaking nuts!", Yasei said doubtful to his self, having stopped in track... but decided to go on anyways... even if with a definitely annoyed groan.

"Can't get any worse after all, can it?"

Having said that... it got worse... or more like... stranger.

A walk along the unpaved way, through the little forest lining the hillside, Yasei arrived at the shrine... and it took him no more than two seconds too make his decision.

"Nope!", He announced dryly, spinning right on his heels, going back down the path he came from.

"NO... no-no-no-no-no... PLEASE... wait?", A clearly feminine voice cried out, the big lion-dog, that had awaited him in front of the shrine, jumping on its feet, hastily circling around Yasei, gasping slightly, as she planted herself in front of him.

"NO! Ain't believing in ghosts, fairies, unicorns or WHATNOT!", Yasei announced, dead-certain he was just shouting to himself right now, "So. I'm. OUT! Bye-bye...!"

He exaggeratedly waved the canine goodbye, like you would do with a little kid, before once again heading home, after going around the lion dog... even though he was not sure why, as he sure as hell did not believe in this maned dog monster being real!

Catching up with him once again, she circled around him yet again, this time completely circling around him once, this time cowering down, begging him to stay once more.

Surprised by this new tactic, he followed her movement, spinning around on his own axis, now staring down at the oversize dog, noticeably annoyed.

"I said no! NO means NO!", Yasei repeated resolute, turning around 180, to take his leave once more... only to suddenly get held back by a chain, halfway coiled around his body.

While the human swore, where this sudden obstacle came from, the lion-dog again circled around Yasei, her tail this time wagging excitedly.

"See... SEE? It is real! There are no chains around the grounds of the shrine... so... this has to be real... SEE!", She announced delighted, a big, feral grin on her face.

"OUW... okay... okay...", Yasei finally agreed, holding one hand against his hurting stomach, as he picked himself up again, "SO... so what's your deal? You wanna devour my soul or something?"

While talking, he scanned his surroundings for the chain, which just stopped him... and found it. Following it to his one end, it was attached to a chain-collar around the canine's neck... while the other end... was attached to a statue? Looking closer the chain - which seemed to be made of glowing, red crystal - was mounted on the pedestal of one of the guardian statues. The statue was the one of a horned dog... and there was another... one of a lion... to whose feed lay a broken chain... seemingly out of the same material, but in a dull orange-tone.

Acknowledging all this had to be real... at least to a certain degree, Yasei finally took a better look at the hound...lion...beast. It was about the size of a lion... it's fur a bright orange color, like a mornings sunrise... while the big, fluffy mane around its neck and the cloud like tufts around his heels were in the vibrant, darker colors of a tropical sunset. He had to admit... it was a sight to behold, even though her piercing blue eyes, giving a stark contrast to the rest of her fur, kinda irritated him at first... just like the roughly three inches long horn, on her forehead, which was followed by four more, shorter horns, one shorter as the previous, until the last - pretty much between her ears - only vaguely peeked out of her long mane.

Doing a happy, little bounce, the lion-dog meanwhile circled around Yasei yet again, before explaining proudly... yet still obviously excited: "I'm a Komainu... and you are my chosen handler!"

Finally giving up, sitting down at the ground with a silent sigh, Yasei - now sitting eye-to-eye with the giant bitch - asked with a defeated sigh: "You're a what in a what now?"

"I'm a Komainu!", The bitch repeated, her chest swollen in pride, "A lion-dog... to put it simply... and you're my handler!"

"... and why would that be...?", Yasei asked considerably skeptical... but cut her answer short, as she wanted to answer immediately, "... and don't you dare say it's my destiny!"

Upon that announcement, the lion-dog's tail sunk to the floor immediately, her expression now visibly saddened, while she struggled for what to say. Several times her expression brightened up... just to darken again, as Yasei was quick to remind her: "No destiny mumbo-jumbo!"

Finally giving up, the bitch just meekly uttered, head bowed sadly: "Well... it's... because it is your destiny?"

"Seriously?", Yasei answered in disbelief, "It is my destiny? So I was 'born for this'... that what you're saying?"

". . . kinda...", The lion-dog replied, "... it's kind of a soulmate thing..."

"Oh... great..."

"NO...!", The hound suddenly replied rejuvenated, her head high again, tail wagging excitedly, "Just give it a try! You'll never know unless you try... we could become the very best friends... and you would miss out on it!"

Yasei stared at the giant dog for what felt like an hour to her, until he finally uttered a deep sigh.

"Okay... okay... don't want to be told my mum raised a quitter...!", The young man finally agreed, looking around him reflectively, before asking, "So... to do one thing at a time, I guess we should start with exchanging names for once, shouldn't we? ... or do you know that already, as we are supposed to be soulmates and what not?"

"No... I don't know who you are...", The lion-dog answered innocently, cocking her head curiously, "... but my name is Asami... and what's yours?"

Almost feeling guilty for his earlier behavior, at this innocent, almost cute display of the lion-dog bitch, he gave an awkward chuckle, before finally answering: "I'm Yasei... but... my friend Yuma likes to call me Yas... if you like...?"

Sitting taller, nodding excitedly, Asami repeated: "Yasei... a nice name... even though I don't think Yas is a nice nickname to that name..."

As thinking about his nickname, the lion-dog seemed to lose quite a bit of her vigor, Yasei added: "Yeah... and that's just the one I'm okay with... whenever he wants to persuade me in doing anything stupid, or something alike, he calls me JC!"

"WHAT? JC?", Asami repeated outraged, her expression literally distorting in disgust, "J... C...? What does he think you are... some kind of american rapper?"

"RIGHT?", Yasei replied enthusiastically, "Really feel like in some kind of gangster movie, whenever he brings that name up!"

Accepting his fate, as Asami seemed kinda okay, Yasei finally asked, after a while: "So... if I do this... handler thing, you said... you don't want my soul for that or anything?"

Asami shook her head, looking at the human innocently, with big eyes.

"No 'accept this pact and you will gain power, but after your death, your soul will be damned to eternal damnation'... or any weird conditions like that?"

"No... not exactly...", The canine answered, still the innocent look on her face.

Still a little skeptical, Yasei once again checked his surrounding, until he finally gave a last submissive sigh.

"Okay... it may be stupid... but this is as surrealistic as it gets... so... what should I do?"

Jumping on her feat excited, tail wagging enthusiastically, she pointed to the chain binding her, explaining: "You just need to break that!"

"Break it...?"

Asami nodded eagerly.

"The chain..."

She gave a slow nod.

"Just like that?"

"Yeah... Katsuo's handler did it too...!", She replied enthusiastically, throwing a quick glance at the broken, orange chain, before looking back at Yasei.

"Katsuo... I don't even want to know...!", Yasei replied slightly confused, but after a quick thought, more concerned with the problem at hand, "So... just like that... I take it... and tear it apart?"

"Uh-huh... as long as you want to do it, you should be able to tear it apart easily.", Asami confirmed, her eyes glued at the human in anticipation.

"Well... okay... here goes nothing...", Yasei stated hesitantly, wrapping a part of the chain around his hand, before his eyes suddenly shot back to Asami.

"What...?", She asked, visibly confused.

"Don't you dare jump at me and eat me... as soon as I got rid of those chains...!"

"I promise... I will never harm you!", Asami answered eagerly, explaining in addition, in deeply earnest demeanor, "I'm a Komainu... a high guardian spirit! We may be able to do all kind of things to humans, but lying or any kind of deception is not one of them!"

"Really... so... say you're a cat!"

"I'm a cat...!", The lion-hound replied unimpressed.

"AHA... you lied!"

"No... no lie... I'm a Komainu. A lion-hound. A lion is a big cat. SO... there is no problem in me stating 'I'm a cat'..."

"Huh... well... then... say 'I'm a mouse'...!"

"I am no mouse."

"What?"

"I. Am. No. Mouse!"

"Hm... so... half-truths are okay... but lying is a no-go?"

No longer interested in this game, Asami just nodded sulkily.

"Okay, okay, okay... no more irking the lion-dog...", Yasei promised hastily, at Asami's hurt expression.

Grabbing the other part of the chain, he gave a low sigh.

"Well... hope I don't break anything..."

Closing his eyes he started pulling the chain apart... feeling no yielding of the chain... yet clearly feeling the chain pieces around his hand, digging in his skin.

"Determination...!", Asami encouraged him, Yasei only now realizing the old blood stains on the other chain.

"Oh terrific...", He mumbled to himself, focusing his mind back on the task at hand.

His task... what he wanted?

He wanted to free Asami... well he kinda promised it, so... he had to comply, hadn't he?

He put all his mind at tearing that chain apart... but the only thing happening, was the chain tightening around his hands more.

The more he pulled, the more his attention wandered... soon he just wanted to tear this piece of junk chain to pieces, if only out of pure defiance! Little later, as his pain intensified, his will wavered too... until Asami suddenly bit his arm!

"OUW... what the hell... I'm trying..." - "No... you don't want to free me... you just want to comply with your promise... don't you?", she interrupted him, a sad tone in her voice, as she let go of his arm again.

"No... I... I want to..."

But suddenly he realized.

"That's all there is to it?"

He was clearly dumbfounded... he just had to... accept his... his destiny as Asami had called it and really want to free her...?

Musing he looked at the lion-hound bitch... he did not know her... like, at all... but... still... if only half of the demeanor she had shown towards him was real... she at least deserved to be free, just like everybody else!

With a pained scream Yasei so finally tore apart the bothersome chain... he could clearly feel bones shatter... skin tearing... not to mention he still had not made peace with the thought of being Asami's handler, whatever that was supposed to mean... but he wanted the playful canine to be free... what in the end seemed enough to break the magic chain's bond.

"So... that's that. Happy now...?", He asked, panting exhaustedly... suddenly stopped mid-sentence, as he looked at the dog, now standing next to him, tail wagging happily.

No longer the next to 4 feet tall lion dog... but a normal dog? It had the red-ish fur, like Asami... but now looked more like a German Shepherd... with fur alike to a mane... like maybe a Collie would have it.

"Asami...?", The young man, so finally asked, pinching his eyes... looking her over skeptically yet again.

"UH-HUH... sure am...!", She explained happily, whereas only now Yasei saw, the crystal-ish chain-collar, still around her neck... now way too big, for the distinctively smaller dog.

"How else would you think I was supposed to accompany you among all the other humans?", Asami continued, ignoring or not noticing, Yasei's probing eyes, "Sure... ordinary humans would not be able to see me, in my real form... but what fun would it be, if nobody could see me? ... my brother turned in a big cat, by the way... like a wild cat I mean... a really big house-cat... not a lion, or something like that."

"Okay...", Yasei responded dumbfounded... not only by her sudden change but most of all because of the thought how he should explain suddenly having a dog! Not to mention how nonchalantly she proclaimed to accompany him from now on.

With a deep sigh, he removed the collar from her, along with the remaining part of the chain, tossing it over his shoulder, somewhere behind him, carelessly.

"So... you want to live with me... from now on... no backtalk... no negotiations... no say in it for me?", He finally asked, rather unenthusiastic.

"Well... yeah... kinda!", Asami explained thoughtfully, but suddenly proclaiming excitedly, tail wagging happily, "But I promise to be good! I promise to be a really good girl...! No annoying you... no breaking your stuff... no stealing your food... no -"

"- Okay... okay... I believe you...!", Yasei interrupted her hastily, scratching his head confounded, finally proclaiming, slightly dumbfound, "Okay... I guess you can stay with me... and if I don't like it... I get an exorcist or something...!"

The bitch cocked her head questioningly... before suddenly leaning more to the side, her head tilted a bit more, looking around Yasei... suddenly starting to giggle.

"What... what is it? Something on me?", The young man asked startled, looking all over his clothes and finally looking on the floor behind him and around him... before his eyes fell upon the statue, apparently depicting Asami.

"Well... that was unexpected...!", He explained surprised, slightly tilting his head himself.

He actually had managed to hit the statue, with the collar... sure... it did not perfectly lay around its neck... but it still hung on one of its ears, looking like he had used it as target practice for a ring-toss challenge.

Looking back at the still giggling bitch, he gave her a flick against her ear, proclaiming sternly: "Enough of the giggling...!", He once again looked over his shoulder, before asking, pointing at the statue, over his shoulder, "SO... if nobody can see your 'true form'... nobody can see those either?"

Scratching her ear irritated with her paw, Asami answered a few seconds later: "Yeah... pretty much... only those having a bond with a Yokai, or another spiritual being can see stuff like that."

"Well... good to know... I guess...", Yasei confirmed, before he stood up, explaining with a silent sigh, "OKAY... if you want to stay with me... GIDDY UP! I have work to do tomorrow and near to no sleep today nor yesterday, so..."

As Yasei turned around to the path down the hill, Asami jumped on her feet hastily, following her new master, tail wagging excitedly... even though he could swear hearing an offended huff from her, commented by a silent: "Giddy up...? I ain't no horse... damn it."

"What did you say...?", The young man could not refrain from asking teasingly, whereas the lion-hound, oh too quickly, answered with a hasty: "NOTHING...!"

With a silent laugh to himself, acknowledging to himself, that Asami's companionship might turn out to be not to bad a deal, after all, he walked on home, the red furred bitch following on his heels excitedly.

On his... or now more like their way home, Asami literally interrogated Yasei... about himself, his age, his job, all possible interests one could just think about... on some points he even felt like he had been carried back to his first job interview!

As he had nothing better to do anyway, he cooperated with her demands anyway. He informed her about having just recently turned 25... his work at a videogame company... his task of editing all possible kinds of fighting scenes in video games... a bit about his family, which lived in the next city, a few miles away... but finally, as she seemed to be most interested in his hobbies and what he did in his free time, he finally asked warily: "... so what? You interrogating me now? I might still be a little light headed... but I ain't no doofus!"

"Just curious.", She responded with a canine smile, her tail wagging happily, "We are partners now... so I want to know about you... your capabilities... stuff like that."

"Capabilities? So what... like doing Kendo and Tai Chi? Studying all sorts of swordsmanship skills, for the accuracy of the games, I'm working on? You wanna turn me in some kind of assassin or something?"

"Ehr... well..."

"Don't say kinda..."

".. kind of?"

"Oh god damn it...", He uttered defeated, before deciding, "Okay, okay... whatever I'm supposed to do as your handler... not today! ... and not tomorrow either...! Let's just... let's just keep all the weirdness for my weekend, okay?"

"Ehr... okay?", Asami responded surprised... having to learn of Yasei now no longer being willing to play along with her interrogation.

Walking a few seconds in silence she eventually decided to tell about herself, Yasei thus learning... that she indeed was just like a dog! She seemed to dodge some topics, probably cause of his 'weirdness later' request... but after a while he realized... deep down she was, just like on the outside, a dog! Well... Asami off course was more like a human, considering her intellect... but talking interests and preferences... she definitely was a dog.

"Well... so... different topic: what about food? You need food, like any other animal, or are there some kind of special regulations there too?", he finally asked as they approached the apartment block he lived in.

"Öhm... when you're my handler, I won't need anything... I'll be fine as long as you are... but until that... I'll need food to sustain my body in this realm, yes."

"Oh... okay... WAIT WHAT? When...? Like... as soon as I really am your handler? I thought -"

"- NO... no weirdness till the weekend... wasn't it?", Asami interrupted Yasei teasingly, with a smug smile.

"Wipe that smile of your face... or your going to bed hungry!"

"HEY... you're not my mummy...!", The canine replied sulkily... but Yasei just shrugged his shoulders.

"Apparently I'm supposed to be your handler from now on... so... I'd say that comes rather close to being ya mummy, doesn't it?"

Asami dropped her gaze sheepishly, answering mildly: "No... it's not... but I'll be good... promise...!"

"Hey... why that sheepish respond, missy?"

"Nothing... I'll tell... but not now... no weirdness -"

"- yeah... yeah... weirdness reserved for the weekend, I know... so come on... don't want my doggie to starve to death."

Startled the canine looked at him irritated, asking as trustful as possible: "Why... why should I starve to death... I... I was up there for quite a while, but... -"

"- you really think I would not recognize you sniffing on my bag all the time...?", He asked, brow raised, while also lifting the bag with grilled chicken, up to her eye-level.

"I don't know what you're talking about... but it really does smell good...", She responded sheepishly, Yasei now guiding her up the stairs, to his apartment.

Finally, back in his own four walls, he kicked his boots off his feet, put his jacket on his wardrobe, before finally putting the bag with chicken on the kitchen table. Having a seat on one of his chairs, he sighed deeply, before giving a stern look to Asami. "Here girl...!"

Following the command warily, Asami stepped closer to Yasei... as he lifted one eyebrow she hastily stepped closer, sitting right in front of him now.

"SO... since you reminded me of that...", He pointed towards the bag on the table, "... I've been wondering... since I suddenly had that desperate urge of leaving that party... I felt like in a haze... saw a ghostly dog... lion-dog walk right in front of me... not to mention the suddenly glowing shrine. You wouldn't happen to be responsible for all of that... just as well as for my sudden want for grilled chicken?"

Slightly relieved he wasn't really mad at her, but still wary, as to how far he may be angry about her... intervention, she cautiously replied: "No weird -"

"NOPE... answer. Now!"

Asami gave a low whine, explaining reluctantly: "We... have been summoned quite a while ago, in response too -"

"- please... not that much of an answer...", He interrupted, before letting the bitch continue.

"Oh... okay... anyway, since being summoned, we kinda were under a spell... automatically binding us to the first person who... well, as I said earlier, could be considered a soulmate.", She explained... adding after a short break, before continuing her explanation, "Don't ask... the ways of magic are sinuous and mysterious...!" - "If you say so..." - "Anyhow... we can call our partners... our handlers out to find us... but only after they reached a certain age... their first, second or even third - quarter of a century, to be precise."

"Let me guess... sinuous and mysterious ways?"

Asami nodded enthusiastically, as Yasei did not seem angry with her anymore, before continuing: "Yes... and today my call for you reached for the first time..." - "... and the chicken...?"

"Well... I was hungry, so...", Yasei threw her a wary glare, yet again, "SORRY... it was not my intention! it was more... more like with a phone call!" - "A phone call?"

"Yeah... imagine: you are talking to someone on the phone..."

"Uh-huh..."

"... and all of a sudden that person talks - just for a second - to a partner or what not about wanting dinner..."

"Okay...?"

"... and suddenly: you get hungry as well!"

"Okay... a bit misguided... but I think I get what you're getting at...", Yasei responded, with a quiet sigh, before standing up, to get a plate for - apparently - Asami's dinner.

"Hey... no... wait... you can just give me the bag...", The bitch suggested eagerly... just to be shot down by her master.

"Nope... can't do... don't want you to get my kitchen floor all greasy!", He declared a stern look on his face before he sat down on the table again.

Putting the chicken on the plate, he removed some of the flesh.

"Here you go...", The young man stated than, offering the piece of meet to Asami... before suddenly pulling it back, her yaws snatching at empty air, "You won't have any problems with some of the seasoning, will you? Can happen to normal animals after all..."

"Yeah... yeah... it's fine... all fine... but now gimme - gimme - gimme...!", Asami responded in a mixture of greed and zeal.

Unable to hold back his laughter, he so started feeding the eager canine... whereas he could not refrain from eating some pieces of the chicken himself too, seeing Asami's apatite.

Continuing like that, it took them no more but a few minutes to consume the entire bird... or more like devouring in Asami's case. Looking at the remaining bones, which Asami eyed eagerly, Yasei raised a finger, indicating her to wait, while he quickly cleaned his fingers, before checking his phone.

"HEY... not cool...!", The bitch complained, but Yasei only raised his finger again, implying her to wait.

"Okay... sorry sweety... no cooked bones for greedy puppies!"

"Hey... I ain't no puppy...", Asami answered outraged... adding slightly confused, "... and since when am I 'sweety'?"

"Well... since just now... and about the bones: same goes for elderly dogs too!", He explained, throwing the remaining pieces of the bird away.

Asami meanwhile was no longer interested in the chicken, instead eagerly agreeing: "YEAH... pub is fine... just fine...!"

"Oh... not a fan of implications of you being old... -" 

"- LALALALALALALA... I CAN'T HEAR YOU...!", The canine interrupted immediately, as soon as the word 'old' fell, earning her a hearty laugh of Yasei.

"Okay... okay... I get it, you silly goose...", Yasei finally soothed his furry partner, still laughing silently, as he walked towards the kitchen door, "Come on big gal... bedtime!"

Stealing a last, quick glance at the garbage bin, Asami quickly followed her master to the bedroom... observing shocked, how Yasei only threw his socks to his laundry, before dropping into his bed like dead meat.

"... what... I'm tired... and it's cold...", He defended himself immediately... but as Asami still looked at him alienated, he got rid of his pants too, asking unnerved, "Better...?"

"I guess...?"

"Then come on... before I get sober enough to remember, I usually would never let a dog in my bed!"

With a quiet whine, Asami hastily ran to his bed, jumping on it without even slowing down, eagerly snuggling up to Yasei's side.

"Oh... your one of those huh... well... I'm too tired to complain so... maybe tomorrow. Good night...!", Yasei assessed, before giving a long yawn.

Turning off the lights, he unwittingly put his arm around his new, big, furry partner... nestling up in his pillow as well, closing his eyes, with a silent sigh.

Before slowly falling asleep his thoughts returned to Asami one last time. Two more days of work, until his weekend. He wondered what the bitch would tell him, about this 'handler thing' of hers... and thinking back - no more than an hour - he just hoped his hands were not too damaged. Dissecting the chicken earlier he indeed had felt a sting of the injured bones in his hands... and in work... well.. his keyboard aside, his hands were his mane working tools.

"Well... just hoping for the best...", He eventually said to himself quietly, before he finally fell asleep after all.

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and that's it, for this series' prologue

hope y'all enjoyed the story and please, feel free to share any thought's or even critique, as I'd really appreciate any kind of comment, as there can be no improvement or such alike, without any head-ups or information on what one may need to improve on et cetera ;3

plus I'd really love to know if people liked my stories and what people think about my writing over all, as I practically put my lifeblood in all my stories and am as such really eager to know what other people think about it all ^^'

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PS: two little things to mention: 

first a thanks to 'one dirty dog' for helping me out with proofreading 
and for the second little thing: I changed the color of Katsuos chain, as it is kinda relevant for the plot
[originally I had written it as blue I believe, as a kinda opposite to Asamis, but after that I thought that through once more... and now the colors of the crystal chains kinda do have a meaning ^^']