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| Scene Title | Puppy's Day Out |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | While meandering unescorted through the halls of Gun Hill, a puppy encounters unfamiliar people and is reunited with two of her littermates — albeit one of them only briefly. Meanwhile, there is fried chicken shared over mutual introductions, disagreement on the ethics of telepathic rummaging, and a standing question that borders on answered. |
| Date | June 16, 2010 |
Tick ta-tick tick tack tack tack.
It's an unusual sound to hear unaccompanied in the halls of Gun Hill, rhythmically quick-paced but irregular in its timing; the sound of claws tapping against hardwood as their owner wanders hither and yon, occasionally pausing, occasionally sliding and scrambling to regain control of her paws. Light breaking through a window at the end of the corridor paints its length in dimming tones; outside, dusk gathers in the hollows between buildings, the sun having just recently passed below the horizon. Metal tags jingle on her collar as Misty shakes her head, the energy of the motion landing the cream-furred puppy square on her rump — but she promptly pulls herself back up and scampers down to the next doorway, pinkish nose snuffling at the crack below the door.
The young dog huffs a sigh at the gap, steps back, and sneezes.
"You can stare at me all you want, you're not getting this piece." It's not the big guy sitting near her that Kaylee is talking to, it's the tan-colored puppy that has her head resting on Kaylee's lap, giving her big soulful eyes. It's got to be torture, the way the telepath pulls a piece off the drumstick and pops it in her mouth. Not fair! Which Missy expresses with a sharp bark. It's ignored in favor of the conversation the pair is having. "I dunno. What do you think? Can you help me get a cooler in the window, if I buy one?"
While the humans might not hear the snuffling sound, Missy does. Her head comes up off the lap and she drops to all fours, head tilting at the door. Then the other way at the sneeze. Oh hey! The a scramble of nails on the hard floors, the puppy gallops her way to the door, where she sniffs at the bottom of it, the smell on the other side familiar so she starts scratching at the door, giving a puppy-ish yap.
The scent of chicken stirs through the air of the apartment of the building's 'superintendent', as well as that of thick potato fries, mac n'cheese, and potato gravy. Never let it be said that when Eric Doyle gets dinner, he goes scarce with it. The puppeteer's settled in on the floor chewing on a juicy drumstick, teeth digging into the pale meat of it and tearing away. Chew, chew, swallow, and he gestures towards Kaylee with it with a greasy grin, "Sure, sure, we'll get Magnes to help, shouldn't be hard when it weighs as much as a feather, right?"
They're not the only ones in the apartment right now — nor is Missy the only other dog. Hailey and Mala are holding a conspiracy of giggles off on the sofa that seems to have the general idea that they think Kaylee and Doyle look cute together. After the third insistence they were way off base, Eric just rolled his eyes and let them go on, just as he was ignoring the fact that Hailey kept slipping bits of meat to Hazel. As Missy goes scampering off to scratch at the door, Hazel's head perks up as well. "Oh," Hailey declares in a squeal, hopping off the couch, "They smell another puppy out there!"
"Wait— Hailey—" Doyle awkwardly starts working up to his feet, but not in time to stop Hailey from opening the door.
There is indeed another puppy out here, her ears perking forward as the door opens. She peers in at whomever she can see through the door (chiefly Missy and Hailey), the tip of her tail dusting the air briefly. Then Misty mouths a silent yip and backs up a little more, the claws of her oversized paws tapping on the hardwood planks as she invites her sibling out into the hall to play.
The young woman is probably more amused about Eric's reaction to the giggling girls, then the theories of the girls. "Good. I'm sure Missy…" She trails off as Hailey declares there is another dog.
Missy backs out of the way of the girl at first, head tilted back to looks at her. However, the excitement is too much, so she tries to get between girl and the door to have a look. Her floppy ears perk forward at the sight of the other puppy. Where Misty might be quiet, Missy is loud issuing her own excited bark as she scrambles out the door.
"Oh… crrrrude." The word corrected before she says what she really meant. The sight of Missy's slightly curled tail disappearing out the door in happy pursuit of her sibling, making the telepath have to abandon her food to give chase. "Missy!" comes the sharp order, as Kaylee gets to her feet, a napkin snatched up to wipe off her fingers.
Sable's only just gotten back in for the day. Where she was, or what she was up to, is most anyone's guess. Her feet drag a little with theatrical exhaustion as she hauls herself up the front steps of the tenement, and slouches through the front door. Her white tank contrasts with the black bandana that's tied to her upper arm, and her hands are shoved, whenever not in use, deep into her pockets. She's tired, her legs ache, and she's hungry.
So of course the first thing she notices as she climbs the stairs, intending to go to her room and blast whatever music best fits her mood (or, alternately, best fits the mood she wants to be in), is, upon rising to the second floor, the gentle wafting of fried poultry. Any girl that grew up south of Mason-Dixon knows that smell. Houndlike herself for a moment, she sniffs at the air, discerning the odor's origin. Rounding a corner in search of the smell's source, she comes shin to snout with two tumbling dogs. Sable, wide eyed and momentarily taken for a look, leans back against the wall to give the gamboling creatures a proper berth.
"Jesus!" Sable exclaims, the Lord's name being all she can think of by way of commentary.
"Oh, they're just playing! I think they're sisters!" Hailey finishes pushing the door all the way open, giggling happily and clapping her hands together, "Yeah! They are!" The animal empath happily and fearlessly steps out into the hall to reach down for Misty to sniff at her hand, adding to the traffic in the hallway even as Hazel hops down from the sofa and starts sneaking towards the chicken bucket opportunistically.
Doyle — drumstick in hand — strolls along after the girl towards the door, chuckling under his breath, "You're hopeless when it comes to animals, Hailey… oh, hey, Sable!" A grin, and he holds up the stick, "Chicken?"
Misty's shoulder collides square with Sable's shin before the young woman ducks out of the way, which brings the puppy to an abrupt stop. Temporarily, particularly given that Missy then collides with her in turn. The pale puppy squirms out from under her sister, paws at the darker pup's ear, then, distractable as young things are, pulls herself back to all fours and pads over to check out Sable's shoes. Where have you been?
"Maybe just playing, but Missy needs to learn to listen." Coming through the door, Kaylee comes face to face with someone she doesn't know, well… at least hasn't met formally, she's remembered from meetings, it makes her stop short. "Uh… hi."
A clatter of claws and an oof as puppies collide, then the realization of something new. Unlike Misty, the other one backs up, head tilted back to look up at the rocker. Gasp! Stranger danger. As Missy starts to sound the alarm, the tall blonde is quick to scoop the puppy up, cutting the rest of it short. "Sorry… sorry. She has to warm up to new people."
One can almost picture the pup narrowing eyes at Sable before she gives a growled woof, her nose working over time.
Ah! Ah! Ah!
This is all a bit too much to take in all at once. First wild packs of dogs, then Doyle emerging with the promise of a bounty of chicken, and now some blonde vision appearing shortly after. Sable lets the wall support her as she looks from face to face to canine muzzle. And it is the last that causes an actual bell to ring in her head. Misty gets a searching look before the yellow-eyed girl slides down the wall, into a crouch, and reaches out to scratch behind the dog's ears. "Hey… you look mighty familiar, hound dog…" she muses.
No answer can be expected from Misty, at least nothing Sable will directly understand, so she lifts her gaze to the rotund man and the young woman with the dog less taken with her. Ladies first, always. Sable gives Kaylee a smile that starts a little nervous, but quickly loses those wrinkles, smoothing out into an easy grin, "Hello to you too, hon," she says, and lifts a hand to tip her hat, "Can't imagine we've been introduced 'r nothin'. 'm Sable."
Doyle would not, by himself, be much competition for Sable's attention, not next to Kaylee, but there are other factors involved. Factors that are battered and fried golden brown. Delicious factors. Sable squints at the man, then nods, "Hell yes, chicken. Point th' goddamn way."
"She's one of the other puppies from the litter! I forget who took her…" Hailey wraps her little arms around Missy, pulling her in protectively and looking back to Kaylee with soulful eyes, "…it's her sister! You'd want to go see your sister too, wouldn't you, Kaylee?"
A laugh stirs from Eric's belly, and he gestures, "Well, everybody and their animals get into the apartment, then, so we're not all out in the… HEY!" The puppeteer's just spotted Hazel dragging a wing out from a bucket. She freezes when caught, then knocks over the bucket and goes scampering off through the apartment, wing in her mouth.
Misty looks up at Sable as the musician crouches, leaning into the scratch. Then Sable is distracted by new faces and the offer of chicken, so the pup settles down to sit on the floor, looking up at each of the humans with perplexed intrigue. Doyle's shout causes Misty to lift her head and peer over that way, ears perked. Then she noses Sable's hand — and subsequently pounces on the trailing end of one shoelace, pinning it briefly underfoot.
Sable receives a rather amused look from Kaylee, her brows tick up ever so slightly. "Ah — Kaylee." But then, the telepath's eyes drop to the puppy. "Actually… that's Tamara's girl." Remembering the day they all picked out a companion. Brows furrow, glancing back down the stairs, not knowing where the puppy came from.
The dark haired woman's reactions to Kaylee gets a suspicious look from the Missy who issues a warning growl and another short woof, head stretched out as if to get closer, but stay within the arms of her person.
Hailey's question gets an odd look from the telepath, Kaylee's mouth opens and then closes again. "Ah… yeah… actually, Hailey… I would." Does she have a sister? "Well.. see if you can get her in the apartment so she's not wandering." She turns a touch thoughtful, before looking back to Sable and motioning her into the apartment, with a smile. "Better get on in there and get some grub before the hordes of kids and dogs get to it first. Or Doyle." She sends a teasing grin her friend's way.
Sable squints at Missy, and answers with a low growl of her own, and a snap of her jaws. Oookay… At the mention of Tamara's name (where has she heard that name before?), she looks back at the dog, and at the shoelace she's trapped. "Aw, hell. No way, dowg. I'm the goddamn alpha here," she says, and reaches down to scoop the puppy into her arms. She doesn't coddle or cradle the dog, but her hold isn't uncomfortable, just practical. "I need t' get me fed. Been at hungry goddamn work."
Hailey's familiar from the Lighthouse, and the empath gets a smile and a nod from Sable. "Hey there, runt," is her form of greeting. Kaylee receives another smile. "Kaylee, then? A real pleasure. What's yer secret goddamn ability 'r whatever?" The question can be answered, Sable figures, when they are all in the vicinity of chicken, so she carries her furry new companion into the room.
"Hazel! Mister Eric, don't yell at her, don't yell at her, I'll talk to her!" Missy's dropped back down onto the floor, and Hailey heads off distraught in pursuit of Hazel, her words causing Doyle to come to a halt in his quest for chickeny revenge. Grumbling, he starts picking up some bits of scattered chicken from the floor. There are, fortunately, more buckets.
Haplessly caught in Sable's arms, Misty squirms a bit at first — that wasn't her plan! — but settles down fairly readily, huffing a quiet snort. Tan-daubed ears angle towards the various speakers in turn, and the pup leans her cheek against Sable's nearer shoulder, watching the wall, the doorpost, and then apartment decor drift past with resigned patience as the woman walks.
A brow twitches up at Sable's question, "Rather forward aren't you?" Amusement coloring Kaylee's voice as she turns back for the apartment. The question about ability isn't answered right away, instead Missy is herded back into the apartment, even as she continues to growl at Sable. "Oh hush… you're not scaring anyone."
A hand pats the poor puppet masters back in passing before she drops back down on where she's sitting on a couch and pulls her plate back, now cold, but the young woman doesn't seem to care. "I'm a telepath." She says it rather nonchalantly, picking up her discarded chicken.
Missy, instead of staying on the ground to beg, crawls up into the telepath's lap, her attention fully on the strange woman. Possessive much?
"Naw, hon, I'm normally shy 'n' meek as anythin'," Sable answers Kaylee, "Y' must just have some strange effect on me." The comment is followed up by a quick glance down at Missy, and a flash of a grin. That's right, she's challenging the puppy to try and do something about her. Classy.
Sable sets down her canine captive, giving her a firm thwap thwap on the flank. Mighty familiar, but she can't plumb the twisted mess of her memory and associations on an empty stomach. She makes a b-line for the chicken and plucks a thigh from one of the big buckets, taking a big savage bite before gulping it down. Not much for delicacy, this one.
"Telepath?" Sable echoes, once she's got the first bit of chicken in her belly, "That means what I figure it means? Mind reading and the like?" She squints at Kaylee, "Lots of folks run scams like that, hon. Y' think y' could prove it t' me?" Whether or not she really doubts Kaylee is totally secondary to wanting to get a demonstration — this is just how she goes about asking for one.
"I swear, these kids're gonna be the death of me," Doyle mutters good-naturedly to Kaylee as she speaks, stepping along over to the sofa and thumping himself down there beside Mala. The petite girl stifles a giggle, kicking her feet as she waves to Sable, "Hi!" Then she promptly reaches over to hug the puppeteer's midriff, leaning against him happily, "You know you love us, Santa."
Released, Misty wobbles sideways under the thumps — she's young enough she hasn't figured how to balance against that — then leaves Sable behind to gamely explore the room. Thoroughly. Which means sticking her nose into every nook and cranny.
Something like that, yeah, comes the mental response to Sable's question, but Kaylee doesn't elaborate on the full potential of her ability. Mind reading is enough. Not too many know all there is to know about her. A a sideway glance goes to Doyle.
The look from Sable gets nothing more then a snort from Missy, who then curls up on Kaylee's lap. Mine. Though her head does shift a little to watch Misty, the temptation to join her rather strong.
"Don't worry, Mala. Eric loves every moment of it." Kaylee grins at him, "Don't ya, puppet master?" She gives him a look daring him to say otherwise. She knows.
Sable crosses her eyes as she hears a voice in her head. She lifts a hand and knocks her knuckles against the crown of her head. "Aaah," she says, "That is all sorts of strange." She shakes her head, in another gesture that makes her akin to the dogs present. And, not content to resemble just one canid, she proceeds to wolf down more chicken. The first bite only whets her appetite, which is now keen and sharp, and pressing down on her.
"Yeah, yeah," Doyle grumbles good-naturedly like the giant teddy bear that Mala seems to think he is, one hand brushing tenderly over the little girl's hair as he smiles down at her beaming face, then looks back to the others. A bite of chicken, chewing, swallowing, and he waves the drumstick at Sable, "So what were you out doing? Remember, we're supposed to be on high security…"
"Most of the time I get…" Kaylee makes a warding sign with her finger and drumstick. "People in general don't like telepaths." Her shoulders shrug a bit, before she falls silent to work at her food, letting the rocker account for her actions.
Missy finally gets a little bit of chicken for all her efforts earlier, of course, then she spends the time watching Kaylee eat. Never know when she can have a bit more.
"Hon, you wanna stick yer nose in here," Sable says, tapping the side of her head with the hand that's not occupied with wielding a half-eaten wing, "Be my f…riggin' guest," kids are here, dammit, cramping Sable's style. "Y' tell me what y' find in there. Medical science, 'r whatever, would looove to know."
Doyle gets a suspicious look, like, why's he asking what she was out doing? What does he have to hide such that he'd have to cast aspersions upon her? Huh? Huh? "Personal f…rickin' matters," she replies, "Nothin' what will give us any trouble, don't you worry none."
"Alright, alright…" Doyle's hands lift a bit in faux-surrender, a breathy half-laugh stirring on his voice, "…just asking, is all. It's my job to make sure all've you kids are protected, after all, you know."
The offer has Kaylee pausing mid bite of chicken, brows lifting. That's new. Finishing the bite, she chews slowly while she gets her thoughts together. "Thanks… but I take personal pride in not rummaging around in people's heads. Invited or not."
Missy gets another bit of meat before the plate is put aside. "That it is." Kaylee quips glancing at Doyle. "But better watch it… before you know it they will be calling you Papa Doyle." Her brows lifts a bit, teasing grin flashing white teeth.
Sable wrinkles her nose, "Wayshted!" she exclaims, mouth not quite finished with the dark meat she's currently chomping on. Gulp! "Wasted on y' then. Me, I'd be rummagin' left 'n' right. Not that I'd trade, 'r nothin'. I'm more th'n happy with what the good Lord gave me."
"They already call me— " "— Santa!" A giggling declaration from Mala, who beams up at Doyle. A roll of his eyes, and he ruffles her hair tolerantly, "Kids."
"Maybe." Kaylee says with a chuckle. "But personally, I like having friends." She states that matter of factly before shifting the puppy off her lap. "Anyhow… I have homework to do… then I think I am going to go see to Pastor Sumter's dogs."
Pushing to her feet, Kaylee glances at the puppy on the couch. "Come on, Missy." When the puppy hops off the couch, the telepath glances at Doyle. "Need me to get anything while I'm out? Anything from supplies?" Brows lift a bit as she asks.
Having explored every corner, nook, cranny, and under-furniture space she can reach, Misty pads back out into the main room. She pauses, looking at each of the room's occupants in turn — ears pricked forward, tail still. After assessing them, the puppy breaths out a sigh, and pads over to sit near the door, looking hopefully at the standing Kaylee.
Having explored every corner, nook, cranny, and under-furniture space she can reach, Misty pads back out into the main room. She pauses, looking at each of the room's occupants in turn — ears pricked forward, tail still. After assessing them, the dog breaths out a sigh, and pads over to sit near the door, looking hopefully at the standing Kaylee.
Sable rolls her eyes, "Oh, friends? I see. Well, t' each their f-f-frickin' own," she grins at Kaylee and gives her a salute, "Y'all take care now."
Misty catches Sable's attention again, and the dog gets a frown, not unhappy, just perplexed. "Y' said this was, like… whose dog? Some chick? What's she look like?" A pause, "She, like… blonde by any chance?"
"I'm not sure," Eric admits as he looks over, extracting himself from Mala's embrace — which is harder than it looks, since she's pretty damn strong with people in a generally good mood around her — with a chuckle and moving over to collect the two-litre of soda to fill a cup, "I didn't really keep track of who got which puppy…"
Moving towards the door, Kaylee pauses, hand on the door know. Turning a bit to look back at Sable, the telepath gives a short nod. "Yep. I remember her showing an interest in that little girl."
Glancing down at Misty, Kaylee gives her a smile. "I'd take you to Tamara if I was sure Odessa wouldn't get upset with a dog in her clinic." There is a thoughtful look. "Well… if you follow me down the hall you can hang out at my place."
Missy sniffs at the other puppy's ear and sneezes. With another wave to everyone, Kaylee opens the door letting the two puppies proceed her out. "Call me, Eric, if you think of anything we need here." And she lets herself out.
Sable's lips purse, one hand dropping a clean-picked bone into whatever repository has been set aside for the leavings. She'll finish eating, first, but it may be time for her to pay the clinic a visit, put her mind at ease.