The cold Thursday evening found Shou wrapping the thick royal blue scarf he wore more tightly around his neck. His fingers were white as bone as he gripped onto the leashes of both his dogs, Romeo and Jinxie, as he stepped out of the Mochavine Café. The cold gust of wind hit him right in the face and made his teeth chatter.

Though, it wasn't that cold yet. Winter would become colder, still. However, Shou hated the cold. It always left him paralysed, hibernating and useless.
Coffee was his saviour in dark days like these, and he was grateful to have his free hand wrapped around one of the Mochavine's soothingly hot, infamous coffee-to-go cups. 

While he was there, he warmed his hands, soaked up the atmosphere, chatted with the pretty waitresses, not much else. If it was the weekend, he might have considered going to the casino and curbing his itching for a good game of Poker.
But it was not, so as he stared blankly at the little cloud he just exhaled, he wondered what to do with himself.

Tomorrow was Friday, another weekday and thank goodness, the last. Shou was particularly irritable on Thursday evenings. The weekend seemed so unfairly far, but he would persevere.
The two dogs stared up at their master intently, and Shou, broken from his little train of thought, nodded apologetically to them with a soft, deep-voiced chuckle.

Maybe today was just one of those days to spend walking around Shine City's central square. There was always something new to see in winter (arguably, in summer too, but...) and it never proved to be a bore. However, perhaps he would leave Jinxie at home where it was warmer, and in her stead bring Romeo, better suited to the cold. 

Which is just what he did, later finding himself standing right before Shiny Park. It looked so different in the evenings, and especially in winter.

Nevertheless, with an eager Romeo by his side, he proceeded to walk through the gates, to the sound of couples and anyone just enjoying the weather out that late.
Who knows whom he would meet?