How much is that puppy in the window?

[1stmacleod]

It's been over a year since Kairos gave Connor everything he needs for a puppy for Christmas. That's a ridiculous length of time to put it off, but first there was the looking for a house, then the move, then he spent most of the summer getting the forge set up to his satisfaction. Through fall Connor's been working in it almost every day, not making swords (although that's his ultimate goal), but polishing up old skills and hammering out Christmas gifts for all his friends. Somehow, now they've passed through a second Christmas- a second Christmas with his girlfriend, with a home and friends and a reason to start living again.

Now, it's his birthday, or thereabouts. Connor would be first to admit that the calendar's shifted around a little, and he can't be completely sure of the date anymore, but it's in January. He has his forge, a home, a girl, and it's past time he got himself a dog and really settled in. Besides, Regina could use a friend.

He's not about to go alone. Besides Kairos, who is of course the inspiration for it all, he's invited a couple of friends he's been prodding to get pets, as well. He's told Balthazar there will also be his informal student along for the trip. To Jelani, he's said a good friend and drinking buddy will be coming along. He's encouraged each of them to prod the other person to get a dog to, but in classic taciturn Connor style, he's said it so briefly he never bothered to give names.
What he did give is PINpoint coordinates to the Nexus humane society, because of course there is one, and they can all talk freely there. Of course, some of the animals may be a little unusual, but they have a section oriented toward the more conventional, baseline earths.

Comments

[grimholdkeeper]

Balthazar smiles innocently at Jelani, then loses the battle as Kairos begins sketching out the basis for adopting an entire pack of puppies. He laughs, quite loudly, then claps his hand over his mouth to stifle it. Next to him, his choice in dogs yips and wags excitedly.

"Those are going to be big dogs," he points out after a moment. "They'll need lots of training, and the more you adopt, the more work you'll have to put in."

[1stmacleod]

"Come on Jelani, we can have puppy playdates..." He grins, but it falters and his eyes widen at Kai's suggestion. "You... don't... uh..." He flounders, and gestures a little in a vague and completely meaningless way. Connor has a tendency to wave his hands around a little when he's distraught, although he doesn't talk with his hands much otherwise.

"I'm not sure... they'd run over Regina. We'll be its pack. In a week it'll have forgotten it was any other way. Dogs are like that." He's had quite a few dogs before, but an entire pack is a bit much. "And they're working dogs. We don't have much work for them to do, not all four..." Somehow it didn't occur to him that she'd be so enthusiastic about this. If he doesn't stop her, he's afraid she'll want to take the whole store home.

[halfbreedczarnian]

"He'd better not," Jelani replies to Kai. She has some expensive shoes, dammit!

And yes, indeed, the dog is a he.

Then she can't help but to grin at Kai's enthusiasm about getting several dog. "Come on, teach! You really gonna split up siblings?"

[kairosaether]

Kai's only half serious, really. She hates the thought of splitting up siblings, though. Look what they've gone through at such a young age! "Yeeaah, Teach!"

What she really should do is buy one for her brother in law.

[grimholdkeeper]

"Don't look at me," Balthazar says promptly. "One dog is enough for an apartment in the city. But if you're worried about them you could ask the shelter if you can sponsor whichever ones you don't adopt. Or help look for foster homes or something."

[1stmacleod]

"They're puppies. I don't think they'll have any trouble finding homes..." He's looking a little overwhelmed, though. He looks to Jelani, because he finds her the easiest to pick on. Mostly because she has the least trouble teasing right back. "Why don't you adopt the rest? They can visit, and you'll have a whole pack! They can threaten the next guy you meet." He's still flailing around with his hands a little.

"Ip! Waooooooo!" One of the grey puppies puts in, and stands up against the wire closest to Connor, reaching to try to nibble on the belt of his long coat.

[halfbreedczarnian]

"Hey now, I live in an apartment. I can use Balty's excuse." She suddenly looks a bit sheepish. "An', uh... That guy actually ended up crawlin' back. Now don't get me wrong, not like I just took him back like that. Beat him up a bit first an' we had some words, but, um... With Wylie an' then this guy right here," she has reached in between the bars to scratch the dog's ears, "I'd say I've reached my quota fer taking in strays."

[kairosaether]

"Actually." Kairos frowns just slightly. "You know...my brother in law's been looking for a dog, and I can always surprise Jao and Scott with one, too.." They're always going about wanting dogs manlier than their wive's pocket pet. "But.. maybe surprising them won't be the best of ideas. Sponsor for now, take 'em home when I've got yeses?" she looks hopefully at Connor.

[grimholdkeeper]

"Shall I get an employee?" Balthazar is so not interfering in these decisions. Despite his sympathy for Connor. "I know which one wants me already, anyway."

He glances back at his choice, who is now seated patiently, eyes fixed on him.

[1stmacleod]

Connor gives Jelani a look, a little skeptical and thoughtful, but he's distracted by Kai's suggestion and Balthazar's offer. "Yeah... sure, okay. I mean, to both of you!" He looks between Balthazar and Kai. "I guess we should at least start whatever paperwo-hey!" He turns to pry his belt away from the puppy.

It lets go and pants at him, tongue lolling. "Uff!"

[halfbreedczarnian]

Jelani meets that look from Connor with a a bit of a shrug, not quite knowing what to say. With how upset Jelani was last time they saw each other , practically ranting about giving men up forever, she can understand him being a bit skeptical.

Thankfully all the dogs provides such a wonderful distraction.

And so, she just have to come to terms with the fact that this dog is apparently going to follow her home. He is kinda cute, she has to admit. And while she had thought about getting something larger, he's not that small either. "Wonder if they sell collars and leaches here."

Hi, my name is Nancy, and I thought I'd tagged.

[kairosaether]

Kairos hadn't thought of extra leashes. Maybe she's just a little distracted by the puppy trying to eat her boyfriend's clothing. Huh! "...Stands to reason?" she says a little doubtfully to Jelani. "I mean, I guess if we need to one of us can pop out and grab a couple.."

[grimholdkeeper]

"I'll ask," Balthazar jogs off into the next room, looking for someone to help. When he returns, he has a clipboard and an employee in tow.

"I'm sorry!" It's a short, older woman with clawed hands and feet and a pleasant smile. "I'd have been out sooner, but it's just been crazy today!"

[1stmacleod]

Connor pulls something out of his pocket as Balthazar hurries off. It's a narrow strip of leather, with a rough clip at one end. The thing looks primitive compared to what they sell up front in the pet store, but he made it. Might not hold up to a rambunctious deerhound puppy, though. Of course, thanks to Kai they've got everything it could possibly want at home.

He smiles sheepishly at the employee as she and the sorcerer return. "It's okay. We're not in a hurry."

((Sorry guys, I've just lost 2/3rds of my icons.))

[halfbreedczarnian]

Jelani stays crouched while Balthazar goes to fetch an employee, looking very much like she's trying to figure out the young dog on the other side of the bars.

"Looks like we've been chosen," she says to the employee when she arrived with Balthazar.

[kairosaether]

Kairos just nods happily and crouches down with Regina next to the pup that's decided that Connor's hers. "We all have, I think."

Sorry for the lag!

[grimholdkeeper]

"That's how it works," the woman smiles and takes the clipboard out of Balthazar's hands in order to begin handing out the applications. He blinks, mildly nonplussed, but makes no protest.

Off to his side, the tripod dog whines and licks the bars of its pen.

Lag happens.

[1stmacleod]

Connor takes the clipboard and crouches down beside the wire as he fills it out, even though this means the puppy that likes him best keeps distracting him with flailing paws and whines. Some of the others of the same litter watch Regina, tails wagging, yapping occasionally. They're all playful, but only one is really focused in on Connor.

The applications aren't long, but the shelter wants to know what kind of homes they're sending these dogs off to, and whether or not there are other pets there already.

[halfbreedczarnian]

Type of home: Apartment. Access to huge outdoor spaces. Dog-profed.
Young children in the household: Fragging none!
Pets already present in the household: Does a boyfriend count? If not, none.

She wonders if she should add dust-bunnies to that last question, but decides against it.

"Hey, got any collars an' leaches I could buy from ya?"

[kairosaether]

"They're overpriced, not as cute as some you can get in a department store, but sure, we've got some." she says to Jelani, though her eyes settle on the spaniel dog. The dog doesn't seem to be much of an issue, so that's a relief. She'd been here when the puppies were brought in.

"I'll throw in some dog food, too, to offset the cost a little."

Kairos manages not to do a little dance. Free stuff is excellent! "Thanks! Regina is partial to the stuff she gets at home, but a little extra is always a good thing."

[grimholdkeeper]

"I'm curious what happened to this guy's leg," Balthazar glances up from his own application to gesture at his choice of companion. "Some kind of accident?"

"We're actually not sure," the woman says. "If it were anywhere else I'd say he was hit by a car, but this is the Nexus, so..." She shrugs helplessly. "Flesh-eating plants? Eldritch horrors? Bears with bat wings? He came in with a break that wasn't healing, and amputation seemed the simplest solution. There are people who may be able to restore the entire limb, but that would be expensive."

[1stmacleod]

"Poor fella." Connor murmurs in sympathy, overhearing the part about the three-legged dog. He's quickly filling out his own forms, noting down Regina, but when he tries to stand to double-check a few things with Kairos, he almost falls over because the puppy has managed to get her teeth into his clothes.

"Unh, here, check it over for me, Sundrop?" Still in a crouch, he passes the clipboard up to her, then gently pries the jaws loose.

Yes, Connor has a pet name for Kai, and he just used it in front of everyone.

[kairosaether]

((...Thought it was someone else's turn, sorry!))

Kai's trying very hard not to laugh at the pup. "Sure thing. Think this is indicative of the amount of food she's gonna be eating?"

She starts to look over the paperwork, though she's sure he's got it right.

[halfbreedczarnian]

((Actually, it was my turn. I'm just lagging behind.))

Having filled out her form, Jelani gets to her feet. On her way over to the employee, she stops by Connor. "Sundrop? Really?" Of course she couldn't let that one go without some... friendly commenting. What kind of student would she be without teasing her teacher whenever she gets a chance to? Chuckling to herself about that terribly sweet nickname Connor had come up with for Kai, and directing a grin at said sylph while she was at it, she went to hand over the paperwork.

[grimholdkeeper]

Balthazar nods slowly, crouching to peer into his dog's eyes. The animal tries to lick his face gamely, but can't quite reach through the gate. "Well...expense is no problem, but we'll see how well he's adapted. No need to put him through more trauma if he's happy as he is."

He hands off the application absently. "I didn't think to bring a leash, either. I'll take one...do you sell treats and toys, too?"