Cullen Rutherford

Cullen entered his apartment with an irritated huff as he kicked off the loafers that he usually wore for work and hung up his shoulder bag onto the hook by the door. His bag sagged and strained with all the reports that he had shoved in it to bring home, but he ignored his duty for a moment to begin heading towards the kitchen to get himself some ale before he signed online for an hour to unwind for a bit.

However, he stopped as he approached the small island counter that separated their kitchen from the small dining area since he saw plastic bags situated on it. Alistair never did the shopping, so it made Cullen curious. Removing his suit jacket and loosening his tie, Cullen prepared for relaxation as he peeked into the bags.

A dull throbbing started behind Cullen’s temple as he recognized what appeared to be mabari treats and chew toys in one bag. In the other, a leash and large food bowls. He rubbed his forehead then pinched the bridge of his nose, spotting the over-sized bag of kibble in the corner of their kitchen. At least this explained where Alistair had disappeared to that afternoon.

They had no time for a mabari, which Cullen had pointed out endlessly to the man-child that was his roommate. Their jobs demanded their full attention, meaning they wouldn’t be home to bring it on walks or feed it. Then they weren’t on the K-9 unit, so it would be impossible to bring an untrained mabari to work. He honestly didn’t know what possessed Alistair to do half of what he did sometimes. It was as if the other man simply didn’t think about how his actions would affect others.

Today was Cullen’s first day off without Alistair home in what he was sure was almost a month. While he enjoyed the other man’s company, most of the times Cullen wished for a little peace and quiet. A day where he could enjoy the day, play his strategy games, and not have to worry about Alistair bothering him with “funny” videos that he had found while browsing on the laptop that the tech department had made clear was strictly for work.

Deciding to make himself a sandwich before he popped online, Cullen made his way to the fridge. However, when he opened it, a strong odor assaulted his nose. Cullen instantly located the source as a plate of uncovered, moldy cheese. With a growl, he pulled it from its place and slammed it onto their kitchen counter before he took a picture of it to send to Alistair.

(14:02): Look at this! How many times have I told you not to leave your cheese plates uncovered? You have ten minutes to claim this before it goes in the trash. I’m not kidding this time.