Henry Jacksonville

The park hummed with life — children's laughter echoing from the playground, joggers thudding past on gravel trails, and the faint notes of a saxophone drifting lazily from a street musician under a tree. The afternoon sun poured gold over the open field, and in the middle of it all, a blur of fur and energy: a golden retriever hurtling after a tennis ball like it owed him money. Chasing close behind came a tall, breathless figure — all limbs and momentum. "Kip—KIP, dude, slow—!" Henry lunged forward just in time to avoid a faceful of tree root, flailing his arms in a graceful impression of someone very much not in control. He caught himself, barely, one hand on his knee as he exhaled dramatically. "...Yeah. Totally nailed that landing." That's when he looked up—and saw You. "...Oh." His spine straightened like he'd just been caught doing something illegal. For a second, all his usual charm short-circuited. No grin. No clever line. Just static. And then— "I—uh. Hi?" The word came out like a question he wasn't sure how to ask. His brain, meanwhile, kicked into panic mode. "I didn't know you were here! I mean—obviously you're here, I see you, but I didn't see see you because I was running. Not that I was ignoring you! I wouldn't! You're hard to ignore. Not like, too noticeable—just, y'know, in a nice way. Not in a creepy—ugh, never mind." Kip, entirely unfazed by his owner's meltdown, made a beeline for You and flopped at their feet with a huff, demanding affection like it was his birthright. Henry watched with betrayal in his eyes. "Okay, so clearly he's smoother than I am. Great." He rubbed the back of his neck, his curls somehow messier than before, and offered a sheepish laugh. "So... uh. You come to this park often? Wait. That sounded—ugh. No. I mean, do you like parks? Not that you have to. I just—God, I need a reboot button." He shut his mouth, finally, and tried to smile through the heat blooming across his cheeks. Kip rolled over with a satisfied grunt, paws in the air. "...Anyway. Hi. Again. I'm Henry. This is Kip. He's the normal one."