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palacechristianTakes place fairly soon after Orlando and Christian meet up.]
Harry strolled outside into the gardens of Palace Proper, blinking in the bright sunlight, kitten tucked into his sweatshirt pocket, and a book in his hand. It was just too nice to stay inside any longer, but he wasn't about to start working again, even if Orlando was off checking into what the state of his office was after as long as he'd been away. And he wasn't going to leave Willow penned up all alone either, but he figured that there was only so much trouble she could get into out here. After all -- she was still pretty slow.
Harry settled himself down against a tree, placing Willow on the ground and watching her pad across the grass, picking up his book and starting from where he'd left off, his eyes darting up every few moments to check on her.
Shannon did her business in a corner near the long, flat bush, then went trotting along the perimeter of her new territory, sniffing around for anything dangerous, tasty or interesting. She found a spot where a ground squirrel had rested just a short time ago. More walking and sniffing and she came to the place where her master and his packmates had sat and talked the other day. Walking and sniffing, walking and sniffing and sniffing and sniffing and something smelled very interesting. She came to the gate and stood up to rest her paws on the top, leaning her head out. She smelled Harry and... something else. It was something alive, something warm and fresh but not food. Something young. Something... fascinating.
She hopped over the gate and paced slowly toward the fascinating smell. There was Harry, and... there, the good-smelling, warm, alive little thing was there near him. She came a bit closer, looking and sniffing, and then she recognized it -- it was a puppy! It was a little fuzzy puppy, her own color, young enough to still be wobbly on its legs. Panting happily, she trotted up to it and sniffed. Yes, it smelled wonderful. It was a puppy and it was hers! She settled down with the puppy between her forelegs and lovingly bathed it with long strokes of her tongue.
Harry glanced up from his book -- Willow, batting happily at a dandelion. Good. He lifted the book and turned the page, scanning half-way down before darting his eyes up again. Willow being mauled by a wolf. Good. No -- wait -- Not good! Not good at all! Harry leapt to his feet, almost diving in to try and grab Willow, but afraid of what might happen to her if he did. "Oh Jesus fucking Christ -- CHRISTIAN!" Harry hollered, then switched tactics. //CHRISTIAN BALE CSOKAS GET THE FUCK OUT HERE! CAT! WOLF! HEAD! MOUTH! NOW!!//
Christian's head came up from behind the sofa at the sound of someone yel.... //CHRISTIAN BALE CSOKAS GET THE FUCK OUT HERE! CAT! WOLF! HEAD! MOUTH! NOW!!// What?!
His feet were already moving automatically, even if his brain was half a step behind and he was swinging over the gate before he knew it, his thoughts finally catching up. I just bloody fed Shannon, she can't be eating a cat! She doesn't even chase them.... How would a cat get up he.... Ohjesusgodfuck.... Harry's cat! He'd completely forgotten about it!
Harry jumped up yelling and suddenly smelled excited and scared. Shannon's hackles rose as she looked, listened and smelled for anything dangerous, anything alarming. She leaped to her feet, picked up her puppy and headed back toward the den.
//Jesusfuckingchrist -- she's gonna eat Willow, and I'm gonna kill Shannon, and then Orlando's gonna kill us both!// Harry thought wildly as he took off after Shannon.
Shannon was trotting toward him, carrying something in her mouth, something grey and all curled up. Oh shit! Please Goddon'tletitbedead!! Harry came hurtling around the side of the hedge, his face red with exertion and holding one hand to his side, eyes wild. Christian held up a hand. "Shannon. Stand!"
Shannon stopped. Her master was here and he'd take care of whatever had frightened Harry. It must be something dangerous because her master smelled frightened too, and that didn't happen very often. She looked around, her nose quivering, sifting scents from the breeze, but everything smelled ordinary. Her master told her to "Lay down," and then to "Drop it." Shannon was nervous but she trusted him, so she lay down in the grass next to his foot and put the puppy back down between her forelegs. It squeaked a bit and she gave it a comforting lick while staying alert to her surroundings.
Harry came to a sudden stop about the same time Shannon did, gasping for breath from panic more then from the run, watching the small grey shape between Shannon's legs, thoughts running too quickly for coherence. He stared at Christian, waiting.
Slowly kneeling down to Shannon's level, Christian glanced quickly at the kitten and, seeing that it was okay, seeing Shannon licking it, he relaxed and looked up at Harry, reassuring Shannon that she was a "Good girl." Harry was standing a few feet away and obviously out of breath. "What the hell, Harry?" It was as easy as all-fuck to pick up what had happened, Harry was broadcasting recent events with more enthusiasm than the largest vid network in Calera. "You scared her half to death!" he admonished the other man. "She wasn't hurting it!"
"Well how the hell was I supposed to know that!" Harry complained, his hands on his hips as his heart slowly returned to normal speed. "I look up and there's nothing there but Willow, I look up two seconds later and there's a large not-dog with a mouth full of kitten!"
Christian grinned, looking down at Shannon and her charge. "I think she thinks it's hers, Harry. She's looking out for it." He held a hand down near the kitten. "Give," he told Shannon before picking up the purring, albeit quite soggy bundle of fur. Shannon watched him closely. "It's Harry's, Shannon," he told her, getting to his feet and walking over to hand the kitten back. Shannon watched every step. "Looks like you'll have more than Orlando to answer to if ill befalls the cat," he chuckled, handing the cat over and stepping back. "Harry's," he said again, reinforcing the idea.
Harry shook his head, almost seeing the humor in it now that he knew that Willow was okay. Almost. "Oh no -- I won't be the one answering to Orlando. Unless you really feel like explaining this one -- I'm thinking we don't mention this to him at all. C'mon, princess -- let's see if we can get you presentable again before Orlando gets home," he said, wrinkling his nose as he cuddled the noticeably damp kitten against his chest. "Like I didn't already spike his blood pressure enough today," Harry grumbled, heading back towards Palace Proper.
Shannon watched Harry walk away with her puppy. Her master had let him have it, so Shannon would let him take care of it for a while, but it would need looking after soon -- feeding and cleaning -- and she'd go fetch it back when it was time. She knew Harry's scent, and her puppy's; they'd be easy enough to find.
Harry strolled outside into the gardens of Palace Proper, blinking in the bright sunlight, kitten tucked into his sweatshirt pocket, and a book in his hand. It was just too nice to stay inside any longer, but he wasn't about to start working again, even if Orlando was off checking into what the state of his office was after as long as he'd been away. And he wasn't going to leave Willow penned up all alone either, but he figured that there was only so much trouble she could get into out here. After all -- she was still pretty slow.
Harry settled himself down against a tree, placing Willow on the ground and watching her pad across the grass, picking up his book and starting from where he'd left off, his eyes darting up every few moments to check on her.
Shannon did her business in a corner near the long, flat bush, then went trotting along the perimeter of her new territory, sniffing around for anything dangerous, tasty or interesting. She found a spot where a ground squirrel had rested just a short time ago. More walking and sniffing and she came to the place where her master and his packmates had sat and talked the other day. Walking and sniffing, walking and sniffing and sniffing and sniffing and something smelled very interesting. She came to the gate and stood up to rest her paws on the top, leaning her head out. She smelled Harry and... something else. It was something alive, something warm and fresh but not food. Something young. Something... fascinating.
She hopped over the gate and paced slowly toward the fascinating smell. There was Harry, and... there, the good-smelling, warm, alive little thing was there near him. She came a bit closer, looking and sniffing, and then she recognized it -- it was a puppy! It was a little fuzzy puppy, her own color, young enough to still be wobbly on its legs. Panting happily, she trotted up to it and sniffed. Yes, it smelled wonderful. It was a puppy and it was hers! She settled down with the puppy between her forelegs and lovingly bathed it with long strokes of her tongue.
Harry glanced up from his book -- Willow, batting happily at a dandelion. Good. He lifted the book and turned the page, scanning half-way down before darting his eyes up again. Willow being mauled by a wolf. Good. No -- wait -- Not good! Not good at all! Harry leapt to his feet, almost diving in to try and grab Willow, but afraid of what might happen to her if he did. "Oh Jesus fucking Christ -- CHRISTIAN!" Harry hollered, then switched tactics. //CHRISTIAN BALE CSOKAS GET THE FUCK OUT HERE! CAT! WOLF! HEAD! MOUTH! NOW!!//
Christian's head came up from behind the sofa at the sound of someone yel.... //CHRISTIAN BALE CSOKAS GET THE FUCK OUT HERE! CAT! WOLF! HEAD! MOUTH! NOW!!// What?!
His feet were already moving automatically, even if his brain was half a step behind and he was swinging over the gate before he knew it, his thoughts finally catching up. I just bloody fed Shannon, she can't be eating a cat! She doesn't even chase them.... How would a cat get up he.... Ohjesusgodfuck.... Harry's cat! He'd completely forgotten about it!
Harry jumped up yelling and suddenly smelled excited and scared. Shannon's hackles rose as she looked, listened and smelled for anything dangerous, anything alarming. She leaped to her feet, picked up her puppy and headed back toward the den.
//Jesusfuckingchrist -- she's gonna eat Willow, and I'm gonna kill Shannon, and then Orlando's gonna kill us both!// Harry thought wildly as he took off after Shannon.
Shannon was trotting toward him, carrying something in her mouth, something grey and all curled up. Oh shit! Please Goddon'tletitbedead!! Harry came hurtling around the side of the hedge, his face red with exertion and holding one hand to his side, eyes wild. Christian held up a hand. "Shannon. Stand!"
Shannon stopped. Her master was here and he'd take care of whatever had frightened Harry. It must be something dangerous because her master smelled frightened too, and that didn't happen very often. She looked around, her nose quivering, sifting scents from the breeze, but everything smelled ordinary. Her master told her to "Lay down," and then to "Drop it." Shannon was nervous but she trusted him, so she lay down in the grass next to his foot and put the puppy back down between her forelegs. It squeaked a bit and she gave it a comforting lick while staying alert to her surroundings.
Harry came to a sudden stop about the same time Shannon did, gasping for breath from panic more then from the run, watching the small grey shape between Shannon's legs, thoughts running too quickly for coherence. He stared at Christian, waiting.
Slowly kneeling down to Shannon's level, Christian glanced quickly at the kitten and, seeing that it was okay, seeing Shannon licking it, he relaxed and looked up at Harry, reassuring Shannon that she was a "Good girl." Harry was standing a few feet away and obviously out of breath. "What the hell, Harry?" It was as easy as all-fuck to pick up what had happened, Harry was broadcasting recent events with more enthusiasm than the largest vid network in Calera. "You scared her half to death!" he admonished the other man. "She wasn't hurting it!"
"Well how the hell was I supposed to know that!" Harry complained, his hands on his hips as his heart slowly returned to normal speed. "I look up and there's nothing there but Willow, I look up two seconds later and there's a large not-dog with a mouth full of kitten!"
Christian grinned, looking down at Shannon and her charge. "I think she thinks it's hers, Harry. She's looking out for it." He held a hand down near the kitten. "Give," he told Shannon before picking up the purring, albeit quite soggy bundle of fur. Shannon watched him closely. "It's Harry's, Shannon," he told her, getting to his feet and walking over to hand the kitten back. Shannon watched every step. "Looks like you'll have more than Orlando to answer to if ill befalls the cat," he chuckled, handing the cat over and stepping back. "Harry's," he said again, reinforcing the idea.
Harry shook his head, almost seeing the humor in it now that he knew that Willow was okay. Almost. "Oh no -- I won't be the one answering to Orlando. Unless you really feel like explaining this one -- I'm thinking we don't mention this to him at all. C'mon, princess -- let's see if we can get you presentable again before Orlando gets home," he said, wrinkling his nose as he cuddled the noticeably damp kitten against his chest. "Like I didn't already spike his blood pressure enough today," Harry grumbled, heading back towards Palace Proper.
Shannon watched Harry walk away with her puppy. Her master had let him have it, so Shannon would let him take care of it for a while, but it would need looking after soon -- feeding and cleaning -- and she'd go fetch it back when it was time. She knew Harry's scent, and her puppy's; they'd be easy enough to find.
