Forums » General Roleplay » Blind Man's Bluff (Pen and Mutare)

It was a beautiful Saturday morning, according to Samuel's phone which read off the morning report as he got ready. It would be warm with just a slight wind, but sunny. And what better way to spend such a glorious day than outside?

"Come, Dean!" Sam called, heading for the front door of his apartment. His dog, a shepherd-mix only a few years old, came eagerly, the clack of his claws easily heard on the tile by the front door as Sam grabbed the guide-harness and began to strap it over Dean's body. It was clear he'd done this a time or two before, as it took only a few moments, a quick check with his fingers to make sure everything was good, and then he grabbed the handle on the harness, settled his sunglasses over his sightless eyes, and opened the door.

"Forward, Dean," he commanded his guide dog. "To the park." Dean's tail came up and wagged, thumping Sam's thigh in eagerness as they set out. At first glance, Sam seemed like any other normal man in his mid-twenties--certainly the fact he was blind wasn't that obvious except for the black case at his side which contained his folded cane. But he kept his face partially tilted up to enjoy the sun's warmth and he had a smile on his face. Yes, today was going to be a glorious day.

Zane thought absently about how the sky might look as the hot sun seemed to already singe his skin, despite his tan complexion. Although, he supposed, he probably deserved just as much. As he'd left that morning, he'd ignored Kara's half-hearted cries of something about sunscreen.

In all honesty, Zane just needed some time out of the house. Summers always seemed slow, since Kara tended to avoid the heat whenever possible. Zane, however, loved the summer. The park was always so lively, so many sounds to listen to and so many animals that would come up to him every now and then. Most often, he'd think it was a squirrel sharing the bench with him, or maybe a dog staring at him curiously from its owner's side.

As the pleasant recollections continued in his head, Zane expertly changed his unspecific course and began walking toward the park, dodging another pedestrian as he turned. He stuffed his hands in his empty pockets and easily made his way to his usual bench in the center of the park. It was always empty, so he never had to worry about asking anyone to move. He couldn't help the small smile that found its way to his lips as he walked.

Sam knew when he and Dean had reached the park because the sounds changed. Singing birds and chattering squirrels, plus the occasional light conversation or screaming kid replaced the rush of traffic. And besides that, it smelled green, instead of exhaust.

He inhaled deeply, smelling the richness of blooming flowers and hearing the crunch of grass under his sneakers.

At last they came to a bench and Dean halted, tail thumping happily at Sam's side.

"Alright, Dean, buddy, you ready to play?" Sam knelt down and removed the guide harness, setting it on the bench before opening up another small pocket on his right hip. He pulled out a tennis ball, and Dean barked twice, in excitement.

Sam pointed in a random direction and threw it as high and hard as he could. Hopefully no one was in the way as Dean gave chase.

His ears alerted him of the approaching person, though it wasn't an unusual occurrence by any means. This one was a bit special, however. Zane fought a small smirk at the sound of the four paws, nails scraping the ground with every step. Though, he visibly tensed when he heard the person and their animal friend sit down on the bench next to him. He heard a voice speak to the animal, gruff. A man's voice. A dog barked twice at the offer of a game, and he heard something unzip on the man's hip and he swore he could actually feel the dog getting more excited.

He heard the dog take off in some direction, obviously chasing a tennis ball or something of the sort. Instantly, he felt uncomfortable. People in the city never took seats right next to each other unless there was no other option. Zane was sure there was another bench further down the path. He contemplated standing and just walking to the next bench he could find, but second-guessed the idea. That would probably just make things more awkward for the other person, and obviously he wasn't uncomfortable now, was he? Well, he supposed, only one way to know for sure.

"Uh, excuse me, but uhm.. would you like me to get out of your way, or...?" He cringed internally, already thinking of ways that could've been worded better.

Sam hadn't thought there was anyone at the bench--the way Dean had so readily approached it and all--until someone spoke suddenly, startling him into spinning around a little so his ear was pointed in the other's direction.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry, I didn't realize the bench was, um, occupied." He felt his face flush. How blind could a man be not to see someone already sitting on a bench? Well, obviously, they had to be literally blind. "I'll move on to the next one, so I don't disturb you then."

Sam raised his voice, "Dean, come!" and waited for his dog to approach. Dean, with tennis ball in mouth, happily trotted back towards Sam and the other kid, but instead of dropping the ball at Sam's feet, went and dropped it in Zane's lap. Hopefully he didn't mind throwing a slightly slobbery tennis ball.

Zane's face flushed as soon as the stranger finished speaking. Stupid, he knew there was a better way to word that. Just as he was trying to figure out something to save the situation somehow - as he didn't mind the company, it was actually a nice change - he felt a ball drop in his lap, and he could already feel the slight coat of drool seeping into the fabric of his jeans.

He couldn't help a soft chuckle as he picked up the ball. "Before you ask, he's not bothering me - I love animals, really. I just hope I don't hit anyone with this, I'm kind of, uh... blind. Well, literally. Literally blind." He chuckled lightly again. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have said it so, well, bluntly. He liked the silence of surprise some people gave him. Since he could see very vague shadows, it made it a little easier to almost trick people into believing he wasn't blind. In this case, however, there was a dog and a ball, and the potential for another awkward situation. So he may as well explain the reasoning before he would no longer listen to him.

He listened for signs of anyone else around, and guessed at where the safest place to throw it would be. The park actually wasn't too crowded in this area, as there wasn't a lot to actually do, as far as most people were concerned. Despite his expert guestimations, he silently prayed no one was in the area he threw the ball toward, and still did a sort of under-handed toss in the quietest direction.

"Oh? You too?" What were the odds that Sam would find another blind man in the park? Let alone sit right next to them. "Um, well, in that case, I'll hang out here since Dean's usually a pretty good judge of character."

He chuckled as Dean sprinted off again after the ball, taking a seat carefully so that he wasn't right next to the other guy. So far there hadn't been any yells or cries of pain yet as Dean happily brought the ball back--this time to Sam.

"My name's Sam. Samuel Clemens." He introduced himself. "And Dean's my guide dog. He's a good dog, most of the time. Except for our occasional adventures." He paused to listen for passersby; hearing no one in the immediate vicinity, and threw the ball again, Dean giving chase.

"Huh. No shit?" Zane sat back in his seat with a huff. He chuckled once more. "Dogs do tend to have the best judges of character, so I suppose I'll take it as a compliment." He listened contentedly to the sound of Dean's paws hitting the ground, chasing the ball in another direction. "...Heh. That explains that, though. City people don't tend to sit next to strangers unless it's a need-to kind of situation, y'know?"

Nodding along to Sam's introduction, Zane started his own. "I'm Zane. Just.. Zane is all." He paused for only a second, listening to Dean return with the ball. "...'Occasional adventures'? Can I get any elaboration on that? Dean seems like the type that would instigate 'adventures,' I guess. Otherwise you wouldn't coincidentally be talking to another blind man in the middle of the park, yeah?" He ended the sentence with a smirk, and leaned into his seat in a sorry attempt to get more comfortable on the wooden bench.

Sam chuckled, hearing the smile in the other man's--youth's?--tone. He seemed younger, though maybe he wasn't and short of asking, which Sam wasn't going to do, there was no way of knowing. "Well, Zane, maybe I'm one of those people who enjoys sitting awkwardly next to people." Actually it had happened in the past, to his embarrassment though he couldn't have helped it at the time. Usually he was good about not doing so, as he listened for conversation before just randomly sitting down.

"And if it's adventures you want to hear..." he tried to think of a good one, a more recent one. "There was one time Dean caught a purse-snatcher. And left me stuck at the pet store for something like, thirty minutes. That was fun," he added dryly. "But he got a free treat out of it, so, I didn't mind so much."

Dean returned, dropping the well-salivated ball in Zane's lap, tail wagging a mile a minute.

"Well, my fault for being so quiet, yeah?" he responded with a light, understanding laugh. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't done it countless times. It was the reason he usually preferred standing to sitting, especially in public transit.

"...Purse snatcher? Are you sure he's not living a double life as a police dog or something?" Again with a chuckle. He picked up the ball with one hand and moved the other to pet Dean's head, who moved to meet his hand halfway, eager for the affection. "There's a good little crime fighter," he cooed in a whisper, nearly forgetting the other man on the bench. Tossing the ball once more, deciding that the general area was pretty much empty, he leaned back in his seat again.

"He's definitely one of the most interesting animals I've met. He seems pretty young, too... Speaking of, excuse the mini-barrage, but do you mind if I ask a few questions?" Although, he barely hesitated before continuing. "When did you get him? And is he your first, or...? ...And if you have more stories about his little antics, I'd love to hear them whenever you feel like bragging. Or venting. Whichever fits." Zane spared a brief thought to remind himself to work on talking less in the future. Kara always told him he got a bit too excited whenever there was an animal involved. He scrapped the idea when he considered how unusual the situation was. It's not every day a blind man runs into a blind man. Well, literally, he supposed it might not be that uncommon, under the right circumstances. Besides, he'd always liked the idea of a seeing-eye dog, even if not for himself.

Sam laughed, a good rich sound coming from him; he hadn't laughed in a while. Hell, he hadn't made a friend in a while. There were some drawbacks to being self-employed: not having coworkers to harass or be harassed by was one of them. And not talking face-to-face with people was another.

"I swear he thinks he's a police dog. He certainly acts like it at times." Sam was grinning and probably Zane could hear the smile in his voice. "Also, he is my first guide dog, I got him about a year and a half ago. We've meshed pretty well together..." he hesitated before adding, "It took me a while to warm up to the idea of having a guide-dog though. My girlfriend kept trying to push it on me, but I refused. Finally she gave up and called it off. Said I was just using her. Which I wasn't, but how was I supposed to convince her of that?" a mini tirade that he caught himself going down, before he paused and cleared his throat. "Sorry, anyway, I ended up with a dog after agreeing to a test-run. Dean was it, and after he saved my life, we just sort of stayed together."

Dean happily leaned into the pettings, twisting his head so Zane could get all the good spots, giving long wet warm tongue-licks when he could fit them in.

Zane couldn't help the soft laughter that escaped his mouth in response to Sam's laugh. The obvious smile in his voice was nice. Reassuring, somehow, that Zane wasn't screwing up a potential friendship. That same smile somewhat faded, gradually, as he continued talking. His smile began to return near the end of his anecdote.

"Yeah, I definitely get that. Sorry if I'm prying, but I'm assuming you haven't been blind since birth... ish? I haven't always been, I lost it when I was a kid, still don't know why. Long story short, I get the whole people-pulling-shit-like-that thing? If that makes sense. It's for the best though, trust me. You don't need people like that. But, anyway, it's good you decided to get him when you did. Animals are great. They better people, I think." He gave another chuckle. "God, that sounds cheesy. You get what I'm saying though. And you're lucky to get such a great dog, too."

Zane gave Dean's fur a ruffle and tossed the ball a good distance in front of himself. "Saved your life, though? Would it be asking too much to get the story behind that?"

Sam's humor faded a little as the conversation took a more serious direction. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said in response to Zane's eyesight. "I lost my sight because I was dumb. I was a street racer and anyway, I played chicken with an oncoming vehicle and lost. To a stop sign. Ironically, that's the only thing I remember about the accident, before waking up to find I couldn't see anything. Not even light."

It was hard sometimes, remembering what he had lost, but he was learning to move on and appreciate what he did have. Like still being alive. "Eh, yeah, not counting the time I walked off a construction zone drop off, Dean and I were tracking down a story--I'm a journalist--when the story turned to include us. The guy was killing other journalists, but by the time I figured it out, I was nearly the next victim. Kinda hard to defend yourself when you can't see, you know?" Actually, Zane probably did know. "Dean brought the police though and it all worked out. I could do without that excitement again though."

He paused then asked, as Dean chased after the ball with a bark of excitement, "How old were you when you lost your sight?"

Zane pursed his lips to the side pensively. "That's terrible. No matter how... honestly ignorantly stupid the cause is, it's not easy to get used to, I suppose."

He listened intently to Sam's story. If he hadn't experienced the things he has, he probably wouldn't have believed the guy. "That's sort of... Holy shit. That's intense, I mean. My best friend probably saved mine, but in a completely different way. It's a good thing you got him when you did, then. And you said you got him recently, too, so double holy shit." He thought for a moment, and started back again with a soft laugh.
"Dean definitely seems to think he's a police dog, then. He's set on it."

The sound of Dean's paws pounding the ground once more were followed by a question, and he had to stop and think for a moment. "...Huh. How old was I? ...I don't really know for sure, I guess? I know I was a toddler, 2 to 4, tops. My parents were either too poor or didn't wanna deal with a blind kid, so I guess they just sorta gave me to a home or something. No one ever really told me anything about them, so I have no idea, really. Just a guess. I just remember the home telling me my birthday and my name every so often. Not outright, just whenever it was relevant to them."

He stopped, the words stuck on his tongue. An abrupt laugh attempted to lighten the story. "I make it sound a lot worse than it was, honestly. I got to meet a ton of different families every now and then, got my own room in the home for the longest time, free food, little responsibilities, people helped me a lot. It was alright, but it got boring. So I must've been... 8ish when I left? And I was definitely blind then, haha. You can imagine how hard it is to run away when you have no idea where you're going, and not being able to see to find out if you even left yet." He sighed, continuing. "But I can't imagine not being blind, and I think that makes the whole thing a lot easier. It'd be weird not to be, honestly."

He paused again, listening to Dean return again and set the ball on the ground, panting, finally showing signs of tiring. "...It's weird, though. In my dreams, I'll occasionally be able to see, and it's so bizarre. Limited, obviously, but bizarre."

"Sorry I keep talking, but, um ...Just guessing, but you were around, 16, 19 at the oldest probably, yeah? How long have you been blind? If you, uh, don't mind me asking."

Sam listened intently, curious and horrified by the experiences that Zane had gone through. If anyone had seen his facial expressions, they would surely have come over to ask if he needed help.

He chuckled slightly at the running away part. "Yeah, I know that feeling, but still, to be only four...or eight." He couldn't imagine having never seen certain things, having never driven for one. And then not having a family to constantly take care of him. He was lucky his parents hadn't thrown him out for his 'crime'.

"I was eighteen when I lost my sight. Some people say high school is rough...try being out for a week or two and coming back into it, blind. It was hell."

Then he asked, "You mentioned a best friend saving your life? How so?"

Dean at least seemed pooped out for the moment, but he'd be back on his feet after a short rest.

Zane absently pet Dean as he listened to the other man speak. "It's alright, y'know? When you have something for longer than you can remember, it tends to stop bothering you eventually."

"High school though? Damn, man. My best friend - Kara - she homeschools me, sort of." He waved his hand dismissively. "Kara, though, she's saved my life a lot if I think about it. After I ran away, I somehow made it to the middle-ish of the city. I still don't know where that place is exactly. Anyway, okay. Kara. So, get this, I'm walking down the sidewalk, 8 years old, fresh runaway, feeling the wall so I don't somehow get in the road. And this little kid yells at me - 'Why are you holding the wall like that?'" He laughed through his best impression of his friend. "I don't know why, but I just yell back at her 'I'm ****ing blind,' and I'll save you the long version and just say we've been best friends ever since." He laughed again at the memory.

"Anyway, that's the first time she saved me. God knows I would've ended up back in the home if the police got me first. But Kara was homeless too, but she had - has - this place, an old hotel that no one uses anymore. Just kinda left there, never got torn down or anything. Honestly, it's not in the best area of town, so maybe that's why. But she was living there, this little 10 year old, she still won't tell me why. Swears it wasn't anything dramatic. So she gave me that place to live, and enough room to keep whatever animal follows me home, too." He paused, his hand stopping on Dean's fur.

"Ah, shit. I promise I'm not some weirdo - and obviously Dean's not coming home with me. The animals never have owners. At least not good ones." Realizing he was getting off-track, he abruptly changed thoughts. "Anyway. So, Kara gives this blind eight year-old kid a place to live, no questions asked. Minimal, at least. And she's been like a sister to me ever since... I could give you more boring stories, but I'll spare you." He ended his rant his a laugh and a huff. God, he talked a lot. Maybe he should listen to Kara.

Sam listened, laughing at the retort even the 8-year-old had even at that age.

"I'm impressed. For being ten, she had some good ideas for how to stay hidden and how to feed and clothe you?" Granted he was blind so he couldn't see what Zane was wearing, but maybe that was for the best. His own fashion sense was known to be lacking as well, depending on what he was planning to accomplish.

"I think animals can pick up on things," Sam said slowly, as he collected his thoughts about the animals following Zane home. "Blindness is one; I know Dean can help me find my cane if I misplace it. Hell, he usually picks it up and brings it to me if I ask for it. So I guess Dean looks after me kinda like Kara looks after you."

Sam chuckled. "Though I'm afraid I'd have to fight you for custody of Dean if you did try to walk off with him." Wouldn't that be a first? Police called to break up a fight between two blind men. He chuckled at the thought.

"And your stories aren't boring. They're interesting, at least for me they are. You can't miss something you've never really had, which, unfortunately isn't my case. But, I'm learning to deal with it. Do you have a cane then, I guess, to get around? And does Kara know where you are?"

He leaned back in his seat again, folding his hands in his lap. "Hah, yeah, trust me, I wondered about that a lot, too. I always thought she must've had someone who taught her or helped her." He rubbed the back of his neck, sparing a thought to the excessive heat. "Now, though, we get a lot of help from or other friend I mentioned - Janus. They're pretty well off, most of the time."

Zane smiled at the mention, and the connection between Dean and Kara. "Animals are fantastic. Dean's definitely something special, too." The smile was evident in his voice. "Damn shame he's yours," he joked. "I don't think I'll take you to court, though. Too much trouble."

He'd be a liar if he said his smile didn't widen. "Thanks. I know I talk too much, though. Kara tells me all the time. Funny you'd mention that though, she nags me to get a cane, too. But I've never used one, I don't know if I'd even use it often, if at all." Pausing, he considered the next question. Did she know? "I'm... not sure? I told her I was heading out this morning but I just kinda decided on the park last minute. Almost ran into someone, I turned around so fast. Why?"

Zane pursed his lips again, pensively. "You've mentioned parents and an ex, and sorry if this comes off the wrong way, but do you live by yourself then? Besides Dean, that is."

"That's good then that they're not hurting for anything. And nice of them to take you in like that," he agreed.

He chuckled at the comment of going to court, his humor strong in his tone. "Oh you'd need more than a court order to separate me and Dean. I'd track you down myself, and trust me, you don't want that. And he's really more trouble than he's worth anyway--I mean, he'd take you off on wild goose chases when you least expect it."

Sam shrugged at Zane's philosophy of needing a cane. "I had to learn to use one so I can get around more easily. I can at least feel my way if it's blocked or what the terrain is like before I actually get to it. Which is nice. Dean is much more helpful, because he can guide me around pedestrians that might otherwise walk into me. On purpose or not."

Then at Zane's curiosity about his personal life, he chuckled. "Yep, I'm one hundred percent independent. Well, with Dean, I am. I mean, if I didn't have Dean I would still be able to live on my own, it would just be dog-less." And he would miss Dean, Sam realized.

"Funny how it took me so long to warm to an idea of having a guide dog, and now thinking of not having him...I'm glad I have him." He paused then added, "Guide dogs are free to the blind, you know. The only money you spend is on food and clean-up. And usually they set you up with a couple to see how you work together. Some pairs work better than others."

He gave a full laugh in spite of himself. "Fair enough. Well, if you ever get tired of the spontaneous adventures, keep in mind that they don't bother me."

"I probably should use one, honestly," he said when his laughter settled. "Kara tells me I should, but it's just so fun to have people think I can see. And I think - do you get people offering to help you all the time when you use your cane? Cause I don't like that. People thinking I can't handle myself because I'm blind." He waved his hand dismissively.

Zane stayed quiet for a moment, honestly actually considering a dog. Surprisingly enough, it was the first time he'd given it a thought. After a short while, he spoke again. "I don't know if I'd be able to take care of one, constant animal that well. Kara and I are just scraping buy as is - I don't wanna ask Janus for anything else. As it is now, I don't have any real pets, I suppose. I think I talked about that already. A few animals just come and go as they please. Probably not the best thing to do, honestly, but they never trash the place or anything and they're much better company than people... Generally speaking, I mean." He tacked on the last bit as an after-thought, having not thought of actually being in the company of someone he didn't mind being around. The idea of having an actual pet didn't seem like a bad idea, honestly. Maybe when he and Kara had more money of their own, he'd come back to the idea.