Having had no luck removing the cross, Hakuba instead went about folding his clothing to stash, with the briefcase, underneath a bench on the walkway. It was a lot of effort, and he wasn’t sure what he would do when he turned back into his human self, but… at least it was less likely that his personal belongings would be stolen this way. 

Feeling somewhat accomplished, he hopped up onto the bench and looked around. Hunger. Overpowering hunger. He wiped a paw over his nose with a sniff. Really, it was remarkable how much he could relate to the 1926 Cox novel ‘The Professor on Paws’ at that very instant. 

Hakuba huffed, then leaped off the bench and strolled toward the sidewalk. Food. Food. Food.