Earth Dog

Lunar New Year fell on Jan 29. Anyone born before that date belongs to the previous year (Rooster).

Dogs keep a private line they will not cross, quiet most of the time and suddenly very hard when it is reached. Their loyalty is practical: they remember your appointment, take the long way to bring you something hot, and never mention it. They read people quickly, clocking who is performing and who is not. First impressions say reliable and direct. What is less known is how heavily they weigh being let down. The page does not turn easily, they just stop talking about it. They will answer at two in the morning, and they will remember that you called.

Bing is the sun that lights everything, Xu the dog lying at the door with one ear on the ground. Earth is piled high into a roof that keeps the rain off the people below. Such people stand at the front by habit: at home, on a team, the first one there when something breaks. They are not afraid of trouble; what wears them down is never being thanked. They will not mention it, so someone has to ask. What they promise stays on their mind without reminders, and they dislike anyone else finishing it for them.