Troy left his house with Rosco and had almost made it to the sidewalk when Clint called out behind him.
"Troy!"
Troy turned and raised a brow.
"Leash?" Clint pointed to Rosco.
That's right, Troy thought to himself, I'd turned him into a dog and have literally nothing an actual dog owner should have. Troy grinned sheepishly at Clint. The huge half-horse man snorted.
"I've got an old collar and leash in the garage. Hold on." The hugely muscled horseman trotted up the driveway, his tassled tail bouncing between the twin globes of his well-toned ass. He clopped back with a dirty purple collar and a scuffed black leash.
"Used to have a Collie. You can adjust it to fit."
"Thanks Clint." Troy took the proferred collar and leash gratefully and adjusted it before he fastened the collar on Rosco. The dog waited obediantly as the collar was placed. The obedience spell...Troy wondered if keeping his friend-no matter how much of a cheating dog he was-not only as a dog but a mind-controlled one was a good idea.
Clint's...muzzle twisted into what Troy believed to be a grin-though incredibly goofy, his perfect teeth were comically large.
"No problem. You be a good boy, pupper." Clint gave Rosco's head a final pat.
Rosco gave a happy bark.
Troy winced. He definitely needed to figure out a way to give his best friend his life back. His girlfriend would definitely kick him out for cheating on her and he'd end up couch surfing anyways on Troy's dime...no. If he managed to transform Rosco again, he could make him half-human (thus still under the obedience spell). Then he'd at least pay his half of the rent this time. Maybe back the obedience spell down a few notches though. He wanted a friend, not a slave.
"Come on Rosco." He tugged the leash, though he didn't have to. Rosco...Dustin, he reminded himself, paced himself perfectly at his side. 'Being a good boy' clearly had broad applications when the subject was a dog. "let's head to the cafe. They have outdoor seating."
Rosco gave a quiet woof of acquiesence. As though he were actually incapable of doing anything else. Troy desperately wanted to ask Dustin if he wanted his life back but he already knew that he'd deprived him of an honest answer. But he couldn't have him running around his house or freeloading or...or attempting to steal the book. Dustin would totally do that if he had half a chance. If that happened, Troy had no doubt he'd be the one on the leash and Dustin was simply not the kind of guy who pondered things like 'morally right'.
He made up his mind before he even reached the cafe. Dustin would be a very obedient dogman roommate as soon as he got home-honestly, his tiny apartment simply wasn't big enough for a German Shepherd and he hated smaller, yappier breeds. An extra source of income wouldn't be bad either. His fingers brushed the bookbag he'd slung the Book of Beasts into. Transforming Rosco in a way that would change reality was easy-he'd just speak the word in the house while Clint was watching him. Now he had to figure out how to become a tigerman without everyone thinking he was a freak.
The cafe was small and outdoor seating just as small-two tables. A chalkboard sign had the specials listed. Troy glanced over it, mostly lost in his own thoughts until a barista came out, a slightly overweight brunette with a warm smile. He smiled back.
"Hi there! You two enjoying the sunlight?" Her gaze shifted to Rosco and her smile widened. "Oh, who's a good boy?" Rosco barked happily and the barista rubbed his head. "Wow, really well-mannered, aren't you? Has he been to an obedience school?"
"No he just follows orders." Troy remarked. The barista's smile turned down slightly and Troy mentally kicked himself for his faux pas. "He was supposed to be a companion animal but his...companion passed."
"Oh I'm so sorry!" She looked appropriately sad for a moment. "Can I get you anything?"
"Just a coffee with-" Rosco tugged something at his waist- "Rosco, stop-with some half and half, please." The response rolled out of his mouth without a thought. He blanched as he realized what he said, but the barista merely took the order and wandered back insde. Troy blinked. He'd said half twice, why didn't it-and then he noted Rosco with the book in his mouth. He gently took it from the dog and wiped the drool off with a napkin.
"Thanks for covering me bud." Troy whispered.
Rosco chuffed and wagged his tail.
"Hmm." Troy eyed Rosco. "Say, if I turned you into a dogman, would you promise to help me with my problem?"
Rosco barked once.
"You wouldn't seek revenge or take the book away?"
Rosco cocked his head and then barked once.
"And the command I gave you to be a good boy, that would stay in place, right? Still part dog?"
Rosco whined.
So he isn't sure after all, Troy mused. "Wait. Would Dustin have stolen the book and had his revenge instead of thinking things through and-"
Rosco interupted him with a bark.
Troy nodded. Okay, so if he turned Rosco to a dogman, it was possible that Dustin would return and the command to be a good boy would break. Or rather, it might not work as well as it does because he would no longer be a full dog. And worse, the only way for him to be absolutely certain that he could turn into a tigerman with a reality rewrite was-ah shoot, and he'd be affected by the reality rewrite, so would he come back for the book to ask to be turned into something else or would his new tigerman self be content?
A kid passed by with some heavy headphones on and nearly stepped into traffic. Didn't even look at the drivers that honked their horns at him. Noise cancelling headphones, Troy guessed. Hmmm. Another possibility. He had a pair sitting on his game stand at home. With loud enough music, he wouldn't be able to hear himself talk.
It was a good plan, if it worked. One that didn't involve Dustin ruining everything and turning him HIS dog-whatever good that would do him. Troy knew his name was on the lease and he had neighbors like Clint who constantly checked up on him. If Dustin did anything and stayed in his house to hide, Clint would eventually call the cops. Oh god, Troy could just imagine the chain of disastrous animals transformations Dustin would do to hide himself-a chain of transformations that would lead the other book owners straight to him. Dustin might take out one, but he'd likely be overwhelmed by a team or by an ambush.
"And that's why I can't walk around as a tigerman without reality rewriting itself." Troy muttered to Rosco. "I don't care about winning whatever prize for this magical game. I just don't want to screw up and have someone come along and turn me into a baby or a firehydrant or something. Which is what I've got to tell you. If I'm going to trust...either of you, then you need to know what's going on."
The Barista came back with his coffee. He smiled at her. She winked at him as she went back inside. He noticed the napkin had her number on it. Troy chuckled to himself.
"All the days to get hit on..." He turned and looked at Rosco. "Ok, Rosco and Dustin, here's a quick rundown..."
When he finished his conversation, he gulped the last of his coffee, tossed a substantial tip on the table, tucked the napkin in his pocket, and walked Rosco home. It was time to make a decision.