Candies, Corgis, and Kirklands [Donald, Westley]

[Deleted]

Tiny legs that were much too small for the long, chubby body of a small dog flailed about dramatically as it bound this way and that around the bench of its owner. The mixture of dark brown, tan, and white fur ran circles around the man's legs as the dark-haired male sat, blowing smoke casually into the too-warm air. He almost seemed bored, but on the contrary he was finally able to relax without the slightest hint of tension. If anything, being bored was a welcomed state. Rather than running around doing errands for mad men and trying to hide his entire lifestyle from everyone he came in contact with, he could just sit, breathe, and not worry about a damn thing.

Vaughan Rees-Kirkland, currently jobless after returning to London from a few months of absence, was finally out and about. Granted, his hair was a bit of a mess from air-drying after a cool shower, and now he was sitting at Regent's Park letting his dog have its playtime while smiling at cute joggers passing by and otherwise staring blankly at a gardening book. He should probably have mentioned to someone that he was back... Mostly family... Probably his sister, and then perhaps his cousins.

He wondered momentarily if anyone had even noticed his absence. He'd been so reclusive since all that had happened following Elaine's death that perhaps they wouldn't have even thought about him during that time. Everyone had their own lives, their own closer families, and probably a lot of things to attend to. Who would think twice about the slightly estranged cousin or brother that lived on his own without really telling anyone where? He wasn't that great of a family guy, was he?

He felt something slam into his leg and glanced down, spotting the corgi constantly pressing its tiny legs against his in order to get his attention.

"Geeze, Emrys, what do you want?" He dug into his pocket for a small treat, letting the tiny beast gobble it up while ruffling his ears with a grin. "One for you, and one for me~." Reaching into the other pocket, he pulled out a small candy to chew on while sitting back on that bench and closing his eyes to just breath while he listened to Emrys start running around and barking, again. He brought that cigarette back to his lips and took a long drag, despite its foul smell and taste.

✹

[Westley Walters-Kirkland]

If Vaughan had looked closely he might have taken notice of a small green case under his dog's feet, containing a student ID and a pass for the underground. Whose it was though? A familiar bleat of a certain fiendish sheep rang out, Daffyd the Welsh heart breaker wandering about with his fretting human sidekick.

Wes had dropped his case accidentally on the way to the aquarium, and it wasn't until he had arrived and groped around for his pass that he had discovered it missing. With the only place he had opened his bag earlier being the park for a light snack he wandered about, eyes scanning the ground and Daffyd providing...emotional support with a few head nudges and nibbles of his sweater sleeve.

Honestly it would be too troublesome to call Kyle to come help him, his cousin might be bright and understanding that things happen and not give any questions to why he had to pick him up, but it was humiliating. And then again, passes were expensive and he didn't want to have to ask Kyle to buy him another until it was his only option. So he continued to wander about freely, scooting down onto his belly every so often to peer under benches. He looked much like his usual self with nutty hair elegantly tousled like he had just rolled out of bed, the sweater he loved so dearly with it's sleeves long since stretched out, and the usual coating of dirt from crawling about.

It wasn't really that bad when he remembered the twenty quid he had for lunch that week tucked safely between the two cards, he had little choice but to search after that. He worked hard for that money and he would most certainly not see it wasted. Yet he was slowly growing tired, and once his posture started to slump Daffyd herded him over to a bench to sit, the sheep giving a glance over towards the corgi across the way with amusement.

[Donald Finn O'Neill-Kirkland]

Rover stood in front of the large glass panel, fogging up the glass with his panting breath. His golden tail flickered left and right. He closed his mouth to swallow his saliva, and then went back on panting, his brown eyes staring straight at the vista outside. Rover, like his master, can't see colours like how regular humans do. Regardless, everything looked pretty outside, especially the trees and the grass and all of the strange furry animals that climb up trees.

"C'mon Rover," Donald called as he slid on a beige overcoat. He adjusted the collar, glanced at the mirror, and gave his reflection a crooked smile. When he noticed that his canine friend bumbled over, the man grinned widely. "Whaddye think Rover?"

Woof!

"Hm, I think so te. Probably a bit te hot outside fer this, dontcha think? Maybe I should just jog instead, yeh." Donald took off his coat and then put it back on the hangar. Well, he'll just have to settle for something lighter. The weather had been warming up, a slight by mother nature to the moody Londoners. They got the whitest of white outside in shorts and tank tops, hoping for a tan while blinding the eyes of the feeble. It gave him a reason to prefer the cooler weathers, also because his closet consisted more of autumn and winter apparel.

Donald took off whatever he was wearing and exchanged it for a pair of grey knee shorts and a v-neck shirt of a color he perceived as orange. "What color is this, Rover?"

Woof! Ruff!

"I have no idea either," Donald replied jovially as he slipped it on. In actuality, it was a dark navy blue, and a tight fit too. Damn, he really did get bigger. If the bulking is going to go up, Donald will have to borrow a bit more money from Arthur to buy some more clothes. He brushed it off for another time and then grabbed his keys, sunglasses, hat, and cellphone. The ginger sauntered downstairs with his furry companion behind him, briskly swiped a water bottle from the counter, and then took a moment to activate security for his house. The hum of machines began to wind, and the steel blinders descended down in front of the windows.

"Here we go, boy," Donald attached a leash on Rover's collar, pulled on his running shoes, and then exited his quarters. On the way down, he gave a couple of greetings to the people living here. There was a shy college girl who lived here, and it had been three months, and she never said 'hello' back! When he saw her, he attempted again.

Donald put on his cap and then doffed it in greeting. "Hello there!"

She looked at him, flustered, and then pulled out her cellphone. Ah, the youth these days.

Donald did not mind. It was cute to see--in the most innocent sense. Out in the fresh afternoon of all sorts of nice and warm, he put on his sunglasses and inwardly thanked himself for picking the right outdoor attire. Rover was excited enough and began to wander forward, tugging Donald to amble after. After a couple of paces, he eased into a jog with the spirited golden pooch, and they stopped only for waiting to cross the street. He whistled as he waited, and Rover panted with breaths of doggy excitement. People were looking at Rover, and it looked like the kids especially wanted to touch him.

"It's aight," he assured genially. "He doesn't bite."

They children took that as a wonderful invitation.

Straight ahead was Regent's park, filled with whatever history that had now been replaced with tanning British people and tourists. Breaking a bit of sweat, he jogged across the street into the serpentine pathway that lolled around the park. Donald felt a tighter pull from Rover's leash. Oh crud. Rover's power level is increasing.

A yonder, he noticed... a party of women having a picnic.

If there are two things that Rover is attracted to, it is squirrels and pretty billowing summer dresses.

"Whoa whoa--Rover! Rover! Calm ye horses!" But to no avail! The overgrown pup was approaching a hyper speed. Donald replied with a long laugh as he let go of the leash, trusting that his little best friend won't cause much trouble. The golden furball just loved attention, and had never caused any trouble.

Watching Rover dart off, Donald slowed down to walk to get a drink of water. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that something else was running, perpendicular to Rover's path. Oh Lord. Another dog running at the speed of light, and it looked like they were about to collide. He nearly choked on his water when he saw Rover leap over the dog--a corgi, he surmised.

Something ticked in Rover's brain, and he turned around to bound with the corgi.

"Oh ye've got a lady's fickle nature," Donald muttered to himself as he jogged over to Rover's direction. Past the trees and foliage, he saw that the dogs were parading around someone on a bench--a girl---wait a minute. That's a boy.

Wait a minute.

That's his cousin.

Donald simpered. Always nice to see more Kirklands, the whole bloody lot of them that populate the rest of the city."Westley! Is'at ye?"  

[Deleted]

Vaughan gave a sidelong glance toward the new arrival, wondering briefly if a breeze had knocked the wind out of this kid. He looked about ready to fall over, or maybe this bench was where he'd happened to fall onto? And--....... Was that a sheep? He couldn't help but squint at the creature before Emrys bolted... Leaving something underneath him wide open for Vaughan to lean over and pick up.

This picture... looked a lot like the kid sitting next to him. Was he looking for it?

"Westleh Walters....... Kirkland?" He spoke the words aloud slowly before it seemed to click. He finally looked over at the blonde, blinking a moment to try and put the name and face to memory. What did he know about this kid? Probably a cousin... Hopefully it wasn't too late to talk to him. He'd hate to remember this boy at some funeral or something. That would be extremely awkward.

He was about to say something then Emrys came bounding back over like some graceful deer with its legs cut off and made into short stubs... How the dog reached the heights he did, Vaughan would never understand, but he seemed to have picked up a friend along the way. Hopefully said friend wouldn't eat his dog. Emrys was quite bite-sized, but probably extremely fattening. A true delectable in some places, maybe, but Vaughan couldn't help picturing something sweet long one of those cream-filled donuts and it made his stomach twist somewhat. To rid himself of that feeling, he took another drag--

Which he sputtered out as someone else approached. He recognized that voice, too, and he glanced over to see a familiar face.

"... Wait... Donald?" Vaughan stared for a moment before throwing an arm around Westley's shoulders, pulling him closer to get a better look. "And another Kirkland! Thes must be meh luckeh deh~." Emrys, on the other hand, was focused on trying to run laps around both the sheep and the giant dog.

✹

[Westley Walters-Kirkland]

Wes took a long drink from his water bottle to cool himself off a little, holding it between his knees while he caught his breath. Daffyd seemed right at home among the greenery, bleating at a passing dog menacingly and patrolling around the bench that Wes was lounging on like the guard sheep he was. Honestly, he couldn't tell Kyle that he lost his identification, and he surely didn't want to tell Arthur. Yet he had to choose, one or the other to spill his guts out to. He didn't really have an apartment anymore, and he had been forced to cut down on his work hours severely. Without the allowance he got from waiting tables he didn't have much money, and he certainly wasn't going to ask Arthur or Kyle for pocket money.

He jumped when the dogs suddenly ran over, tugging his feet up onto the bench quickly on reflex, every once in a while Kyle would bring home one that tried to nip at his heels and he wouldn't take that chance. Yet it seemed that they were more interested in antagonizing Daffyd, the sheep leering at them as they ran circles around him. The small dog was rather adorable, he wanted to pick it up and cradle it to his chest like a baby. The big dog looked familiar though, and he had hardly the time to recall before it was told to him. A familiar carrot top jogged over, and he gave a soft smile to his cousin.

"Westley! Is'at ye?"

He opened his mouth to reply and was cut off mid breath, being pulled into a tight hug and off his bench. The water bottle spilled over his pants, it looking suspiciously like a pee stain. He brushed off the momentary annoyance of having wet crotch and looked to the newcomer who had pulled him into a hug curiously, raising his hand to give Donald a wave. "Hullo..." Daffyd started to chew on the redhead's shirt, taking it as payment for the dogs annoyance. "And who are you?" he asked the new one sweetly, the Kiwi cocking his head to the side as he examined him in return. Dark hair, soft dark hair, he didn't look like his father [not really but you know] Arthur's family. The smell of cigarettes made him cough though, and he turned his head away from him to fan the smoke out of his face. "I'm sorry, can you put that out please?..." Watery green eyes shifted to Donald, fully expecting his cousin to step up and help him. He didn't want to hurt the dark haired man's feelings, but he just didn't want to have to go floundering for his inhaler if he started to cough. 

[Donald Finn O'Neill-Kirkland]

“Hah, hello!” Donald turned his attention to his dog, who sniffed around the sheep. After a couple of claps, he crouched to receive his dog, who trotted to him by command. Rover wagged his tail, panting as he did.

“Good thing ye didn’t crush the wee pooch of yers, back there Vaughan. But together they make one hell’va whirlwind.” As Donald rubbed Rover’s head, Rover turned his head to the side at the sight of the butterfly. The golden hound was more trained than he appeared, and so it stood still as a sentinel. However, its’ interest clearly focused elsewhere.

“Ah right. Off the cigarette, if ye will. Not good fer the weak-lunged.” Donald didn’t mind the smell, and he won’t admit how much he didn’t like it. The smell reminded him of things, but years of repeated exposure helped hone his tolerance. In this case, he was more concerned about Wes' comfort.

After giving Rover two pats on the head, Donald said, “Go on boy.”

Rover bounded off, leaving a fluff of stray golden hairs in the air among the dust motes. Donald sighed, one that sounded more preening than a chiding one. Rover had been the closest thing to a child to him.

Right, now he almost forgot about the other two blokes—the other Kirklands.

Donald stood up, a grin plastered on his lips. “We’ve got two herding dogs and a sheep. This is like an informal petdate, but too bad yer sheep’s not a runner.” It was uncommon for people to have their sheep tag along them in the bustling streets. Donald had thought it was strange, but now he ought to give it to Wes for not giving a damn. The fluffy thing reminded him of home anyhow, so he had no particular qualms.

“M’ guessing that the kids dekko at yer sheep whenever you bobble ‘round the joints, eh?” Donald remarked in his usual, singsong brogue. "Anyway I haven't seen ye two in a while. Howya?"

[Deleted]

Vaughan nodded to the redheads words, just barely registering the softer tone of the poor victim in his grip before letting him to and taking the cigarette and letting it drop, pressing it out with his foot with an apologetic shrug. He wasn't ever offended by being asked to put it out. Actually, the habit had only been picked up recently, so at the very least he wasn't an overreactive addict who would be upset over not finishing a smoke. It was an expensive habit, after all. Better to not rely too much on it, though it did help his nerves.

He gave Westley a light pat on the shoulder. "Sorreh. Don't be afraid te tell me te put et out." Vaughan grinned at that as he turned his attention back to Donald. "I've been, uh... buseh." Another shrug, glancing back at the dogs spiraling out of control around the sheep. "Notheng realleh fun, I guess. Tryeng te find a job." There was a bit of sarcastic laughter that followed, as if implying that it might be close to impossible.

To aid the taste in his mouth, Vaughan pulled out another piece of candy and popped it into his mouth. "How about you?"




[short because i am a loser OTL]

✹

[Westley Walters-Kirkland]

Wes smiled rather thankfully when Vaughan snuffed out the fag into the pavement, relaxing a little easier in his cousin's awkward hug. Daffyd seemed to be right at home, chewing on the hem of Donald's shirt as he suspiciously kept close watch on the dogs scurrying about. He didn't seem too fond of them, and was gearing up for a little fight.

"Kids dekko?" the Kiwi replied after a short pause, seeming a little unsure that he had deciphered his meaning correctly. "He sits pretty still for it, doesn't bite them or anything so I don't have any issues taking him around places. Most people don't seem to have a problem with a sheep~" His lips curved up into that usual Kiwi simper, slipping out of Vaughan's grip and stepping over to save the redhead's clothing from being consumed.

"It has been a long while" he chuckled, using the subtle cheer to hide his insecurity about seeing someone he hadn't really been planning on getting in contact with. What had it been? Over ten years...honestly he was rather surprised that Donald recognized him, he certainly wouldn't have if there had not been a few more recent photos around Arthur's place. The other one though, hell if he knew...

The Kiwi looked between them and then back at the bench he had been resting on torn between continuing his search and sticking around to make sure the redhead didn't mention anything about seeing him to his father. Both were pretty crucial, and there were no better pack mules that family it seemed. He certainly didn't have any shortage of them popping up out of the walls "actually I have to head off. I dropped my wallet and 'm looking for it." Kiwi blinked at them expectantly, waiting for the help that was sure to come.