HPU - Richardson Valley

Buckdida · Post by **Buckdida** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 1:57 am

One of Paragus's claws nicked Venison's ear as he flew by. Venison reflexively ducked.
"Ow! Watch where you're flying, you inverse-legged featherball!" Venison yelled at him.

"Annoying bird," Venison muttered to himself. "When did he get back into the house anyway?" Venison kept walking down the sidewalk, away from Sara and Pavelle, who seemed to be arguing about something. "Maybe the location of the key?" Venison said to himself. "If that's the case, she'd better talk fast, since I didn't lock the kennel." *snerk* "Sic 'em, Rav."

Venison advanced slowly down the sidewalk. He thought to himself. 'Ground's cold. But, at least there's no ice. Or snow on the grass. Spring cometh, perhaps? Hmm...what time is it by now, 6:00? 6:30? Whatever. This is an interesting situation, for sure. I guess that people who live in the suburbs are different than city folk. Never really had gotten the chance to compare suburbs to city. Just ran through suburbs. Less people means less food, after all. So. In two days, all this happened. I fouled up a robbery, met a Russian Tame Silver Fox, a lawyer wants to adopt me, a German Shepard with an alpha complex is randomly my friend, a raccoon impulsively steals stuff is at odds with my goal, and some dumb bird who doesn't realized he's in North America is apparently living with Sara as well. And I thought suburbs would have easier pacing than cities. Well, better than being shot at. And most importantly, I should never have to use the Balishock. Nothing says "time to leave" like someone forcing me to pull a tazer on them. If that happened, then I wouldn't have time to figure out if I should try to stay here longer than a week. Actually, the thing might hurt me more than help me here.'

Venison stopped for a moment, and looked slightly upward. 'Hmm. I would have figured that that silly raccoon would be after me by now.'

EDIT: (OOC: Meh, I decided to scrap some of the idea, due to the fact that some of the backstory would be far too non-cannon from the mood of Pet Friendly. It might make for a good dark fanfic of some sort, although I'd be hesitant to write it. Who knows though, it might pop up later. Anyway, I rewrote this post, and I updated my character sheet a bit.)

Keeshah · Post by **Keeshah** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 3:24 am

Buckdida wrote: "But for me, mornings are for walking." He closed the kennel door. "Sorry Rav, but I need to take a walk. Alone. But I'll be back, I promise. Now go back to sleep. I went to bed at six; don't know how late you stayed up though. If you would tell Sara..."

Rav comes up, putting his fingers through the cage bars...
Sing looooow my baby.. daddys going fooorr a looong walk..
he sings.. before curling up in the corner and going back to sleep..

*KNOCKKNOCKKNOCK*

"Hmm? Who could that be this early in the morning?"

Venison walked back to the front door.

"Hello, Sara. Morning." She gave him an odd look in response. "Oh, right. You, uh, forgot to lock the kennel last night after..." Venison saw who was at the front door.

"...Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaavelle. It's far too early for this crap. Couldn't you at least wait until after breakfast, you overeager, coin-snatching 'coon? Eh." He tossed a hand into the air. "Whatever."

He turned his attention to Sara. "I was going to go for a walk anyway. I'll be back by breakfast." He walked out, paying no attention to Pavelle, going down the walk.

I did? well it's not that big of a deal.. the court only wants to make sure Rav is'n getting out while i'm away or asleep. with you being there that wouldn't be happening now would it?
Sara rubs Venison's ears warmly.. you be a good pup now..

Kalvin · Post by **Kalvin** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 6:06 am

After putting on his jacket and leaving a quick note on the dining room table, Balbaroy does a quick check to make sure all the lights are off before walking out his front door for a walk of his own. He looks a little groggy but otherwise fine, just going down the sidewalk to see where he ends up today.

caelei · Post by **caelei** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:40 am

Pavelle gave Sara her best smile. "It would be great if you could give me my key. I haven't been home all night, been waiting until morning to ask you for it; thought it might be inconsiderate to just barge in at night." She cleared her throat as Venison walked by. "Now, uh, can I have it? Pretty please?" She made her eyes look all big and innocent.

Jimmy Jazz · Post by **Jimmy Jazz** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:28 pm

Biking down the road he stopped the bike and reached into his pocket. only $5.87 U.S dollars, not much.
he stuffed it back into his pocket and coasted down a hill. he was getting a bit further into the town and saw a coffee shop.
he wheeled into the parking lot and pushed his next to a wall. he leaned the bike against the wall and looked around.
just a few people with laptops and drinking coffee and god knows what. he pushed the door open to the tinkle of a bell.
he looked at the list of drinks, all of the usual drinks you would find in a coffee shop. "I'll have a coffee and a blueberry scone"
"that'll be five dollars and twenty-five cents" "okay one sec" he reached into his pocket and pulled out the correct amount of money and gave it to the man. he sat down in the corner with his food and drink and pulled out his book.

"there was a firing range in the Koboi Labs basement. Opal had it constructed to her exact specifications...."

((OOC: well, its not much but its some thing.))

Buckdida · Post by **Buckdida** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:37 am

Venison kept walking.
'Hmm. It's been about a year since I had that dream,' he thought. 'No doubt caused by sleeping with in a comfortable environment. Memory trigger, I suppose. Though, that whole thing that happened while I was awake was crazy. I wonder how hard I hit Rav. I know when that happened, Joseph was sore for a week. I wonder why they called me 'Venison' in the dream though. Perhaps it's just the fact that I've used the name so much that my conscious has finally excepted that as my real name. No harm done, since I'd rather forget any ties to that muffins and cookies family. Still, I know that's impossible, if today's paper is any indication. Well, at least what they finally decided to work on is much better than...ugh, yuck. I don't even want to think about the disgusting morality issues there. Makes me wonder what would have happened if I didn't...'
'Hmm?'

Venison noticed a whitish-blond dog walking down the street. Or at least, that's what he could guess it as, with his eyesight. Did he know any whitish-blond dogs?
'Hmm...isn't that the one that was playing with Rav yesterday in a...weird...way? I'm horrible with names... What's he doing up so early? New Zealand is at least 5 hours behind, in terms of time difference. He should still be asleep...well, that's assuming he moved here yesterday. I'd hardly doubt that would be the case, otherwise he would have been unpacking, not rolling around with Rav...nevermind that. I'll just continue walking and hope he doesn't notice me. Now, should I pick a destination to walk to? What destinations would I know? I could head back to Rav's house. I suppose that one house that I mucked up the robbery in would qualify as a destination, but I'll have to save that for later. Where else have I been? I think, maybe, there was a coffee shop somewhere...yeah. I'll go there. I've got some money for breakfast there. Heck, Ima stray. Who says I actually need to be back by breakfast?'

Venison continued walking down the sidewalk.
'You know, I can't remember the last time I actually WALKED down a sidewalk. Slower than jumping over a fence, or moving from one fire escape to another, granted, but more...relaxing.'

Venison kept walking.

Kalvin · Post by **Kalvin** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:12 am

Balbaroy, a little groggy, also notices Venison but simply keeps walking. When they pass he simply nods a little and says "Morning." before continuing his trek down the street.

Keeshah · Post by **Keeshah** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:45 pm

caelei wrote:Pavelle gave Sara her best smile. "It would be great if you could give me my key. I haven't been home all night, been waiting until morning to ask you for it; thought it might be inconsiderate to just barge in at night." She cleared her throat as Venison walked by. "Now, uh, can I have it? Pretty please?" She made her eyes look all big and innocent.

I'm sorry my dear, I don't have the key..
Venison i believe still has it. An he has gone out for a walk.. i'm not sure when or if he is going to be coming back..

Kalvin · Post by **Kalvin** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:36 pm

Balbaroy begins walking along side Venison when they cross each other. "How you doing... uh... Vincent, or Victor, or something with a V."

Jimmy Jazz · Post by **Jimmy Jazz** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:48 pm

He looked up taking a break from his book. not much change, except one thing. there was a man just staring at him, it was creepy. when Octavian looked up he hurriedly looked back down at his newspaper. it was very odd, but he let it go. he looked back down at his book and soon was lost in the words.

((OOC: I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this guy. maybe some guy who detests pets in general and believes they should all live in the wild. I'm not sure...))

Keeshah · Post by **Keeshah** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:48 pm

Rav, after having eaten breakfast, an again placed back into his muzzle, is wondering around in the back yard.
Exploring the old gray barn found there, the only thing remaining of the farm that was here before the land was sold an sub-divided into the standard family housing lots.

He is greeted with a moist musky scent, an a lot of old smells of animals who used to live here, as he crrrrreeeeaaakks open the barn door.
dirt, dust, an spider webs are everywhere.. three house stalls are to the left, pens for some smaller animals to the right, perhaps sheep an goats lived there.. an right in the middle is something under a tarp.
Rav pulls the old tarp off, with it ripping in places an coming off in a big cloud of dust, as the dust an dirt clears, a 1950's era FORD pick-up is revealed.
It looks it's been here a long time, all the tires an flat with the rubber coming apart.

Rav still climbs inside the cab, getting behind the wheel.. Vrooom Vroom.. WeeeWWHhhhoooom he growls, as he mock drives the old pick-up around the town..

caelei · Post by **caelei** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:05 pm

Pavelle's smile flickered only a tiny bit when she heard that Venison had the key. Of course he would. She thanked Sara hurriedly, then headed out after the dog. A couple of the pets are up but the place isn't exacly swarming with activity yet... all the better. Maybe she could get the key from Venison nice and quiet, without making a scene. She thought she spotted his back, heading for the coffee shop. He passed a pet and she went after him. Catching up, she put on her best smile, again, thinking that it felt a bit overused. She fell into step with him.

"So, Venison. Er. How's it been going?" Her attempt at small talk is only slightly mechanical sounding. Not too phony, anyway. She wasn't really a people person, not a social butterfly. Normally, she wouldn't probably have even come within thirty feet of another pet. But these weren't normal circumstances. Her eyes roamed over Venison, checking for the key. Not in sight. So he left it at the house or it's in one of his pockets. She grimaced, internally. He probably would feel if she tried to steal it back. Unlucky.

Buckdida · Post by **Buckdida** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:58 pm

Kalvin wrote:Balbaroy begins walking along side Venison when they cross each other. "How you doing... uh... Vincent, or Victor, or something with a V."

'Ahh, darn it. I hate random small talk.' He thought. 'Oh whatever. Not like I can avoid it.'
"It's Venison. Don't worry, I'm bad with names as well...can't remember yours," he chuckled.

caelei wrote:Pavelle's smile flickered only a tiny bit when she heard that Venison had the key. Of course he would. She thanked Sara hurriedly, then headed out after the dog. A couple of the pets are up but the place isn't exacly swarming with activity yet... all the better. Maybe she could get the key from Venison nice and quiet, without making a scene. She thought she spotted his back, heading for the coffee shop. He passed a pet and she went after him. Catching up, she put on her best smile, again, thinking that it felt a bit overused. She fell into step with him.

"So, Venison. Er. How's it been going?"

"But I would find it hard pressed to forget yours."
Venison paused for a moment. "Um, you. Whitish dog, um, like I said, can't remember your name; would you mind running ahead to the coffee shop around the corner? Pavelle and I need to talk in private. Maybe you'll find another pet you can talk with. I honestly suck with small talk."
Balbaroy seemed slightly miffed at the statement, but silently agreed, and walked ahead.

Venison greatly slowed his pace, but kept walking as he talked to Pavelle.
"Simple locks and keys provide an illusion of basic security. Locks never stop the dead-set or determined. I'm sure you and I know this very well. Windows, tools, there's always breaking and entering too. And there's only so many combinations of keys and their codes; one key will fit more than one lock. But you have to find it. Here, again, locks do not stop the determined. Simple home locks exist more to keep the honest honest. If someone loses a key, and another finds it, the most likely thing that they will do is try to find the owner, and if not, chuck the key. Not try to find the keyhole that fits. In turn, this begs a question from me."
He turned to Pavelle.
"Why would you break in to try to get the key back? Although the answer to the question is obvious, really. You seem to be guarding something with reckless passion. This is just a door key. I'd hate to see what you'd go through to get back something like a safe key. And currently, you have no key and 4 or 5 pets on your case as a direct result: Rav, Cier and Endellion, and I. Is it honestly worth it? Like I have already said, if you just came back last night and asked, I would have just given you the key, no questions asked.

But now it seems like you have something to hide. So what are you hiding? Answer that, and you get the key. But I'll give you another option, if you're not ready to answer that. I, for one, know the value of secrets. You can also offer up something that would be of use to me, as a trade. It's your choice.

Oh, and things could be better by the way. I had bad dreams last night."

Brittles · Post by **Brittles** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:19 am

Espresso
The sites hits per minute were up. That much is true. The News story Espresso had written up was one so many pets could relate to, a terror that lay hidden in all their hearts, one that could not be denied or controlled. Nightmares... for the past three days Espresso had nothing but after his encounter with those blasted demons... he wonders now if it was worth it.. if all that pain, and suffering was worth this small boost in popularity. No... No nothing. NOTHING was worth that... and there was one thing he was sure of....

That he was never, ever going near Jumps house again! Those Kids are FREAKING CRAZY... well that and he was going to need a another new story before the week was out. His viewers weren't really known for their attention spans.. so.. hm.. two things he was sure of.

The black cat was where he should be:The coffee shop known as the wall. It had.. been mostly a slow day so far, only a scattering of humans, and a hand-full of pets were there to be observed on this cold spring morning. Dee was present.. in her usual spot, her eyes half closed, that little smile on her face as her paws, ticked, and tacked away at her laptops keyboard. The droopy eared dog looking as content as can be... but Espresso Express was no fool! He knew very well something nefarious was afoot! The dogs little smile was a thin disguise... she was plotting something.. he KNEW it, planning against his schemes! Not that she would succeed oh no.. OH No. The neighborhood would be HIS, and when that day comes she would...

Dee

... Casually glanced in Espressos direction; the black cat almost jumping out of his seat in response. In an instant she saw him quickly turn around in his seat, and start to whistle as if nothing happened what so ever. This only made Dee lightly giggle... Espresso was such a silly creature she thought, that much was for sure. The lady dog (Darn PG rating) turned back to her computer, and put her paws to work.. not in a wicked fast wave of clicks.. but a calm, slow type.

(OOC Saw no reason to drop my characters in everyone laps. From the looks of things a few of you are on the way to the coffee shop as is, though I may make either or go for a walk if need be.)

Kalvin · Post by **Kalvin** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:19 am

Balbaroy, walks in a shuffling motion, a little disgruntled at being discluded from the conversation. Sure he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but that didn't mean he wouldn't follow the conversation. He looks up at the sky as he picks up his pace a little and walks up.... before realizing that he doesn't actually drink coffee. So instead he walks around the back to see if there's anything interesting there.

From a third person perspective he walks up to the door, stops, thinks for a moment, looks around, and then walks around to the other side of the building.

steel_wing · Post by **steel_wing** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:29 am

Paragus soars overhead, looking down at the building tops. This is how he is used to looking so he can tell better. Unfortunately he doesn't recognize anything, but that's what he's set out to do today. He lands on a building top and takes a few moments to let his sense of direction kick in (which unfortunately is not very good).

caelei · Post by **caelei** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:54 pm

Pavelle grimaced as Venison started talking. He was smart. Really smart. Probably smarter than her. She tried not to look totally nervous as she debated internally over Venison's options. That she was conceding to his options meant that she had a certain respect for him. She didn't listen to or cooperate with anyone who she didn't think was important enough. Sure she would hold simple conversation with other pets, and humans too... but they meant hardly anything to her. She was too narcissistic for her own good.

She did have something to hide. Actually, she had many things to hide, and not just small treasures. It was best that Venison knew as little about those as possibly necessary. She never liked giving out personnal information when she could help it. She just didn't trust people enough. And she was sure that a couple of the objects she had in her 'collection' were worth Venison's interest.

That brought her to his second option. A trade. She could do that. The only object really worth trading here was the binoculars she had recently acquired. Maybe she could get her key and something more out of him. The binoculars were probably the better prize, anyway. He probably had something that she might appreciate. Her mind started wandering down all the possible paths. It wasn't like him to take things for selling or keeping, like she did, but still. He might have something.

No. She shook her head to clear away the traitorous thoughts. No reason to risk the key. She would just have to trade the binoculars for the key and be done with it. The binoculars hardly meant anything to her anyway, since she had only stolen them yesterday. She grudginly produced them from under her rain jacket, keeping their strap around her neck and her fingers clenched tightly on their sides. He might be as adept at her at taking what he wanted. "I have these binoculars here that may be of interest to you," she said, watching his face for any flicker of interest. "I would be willing to trade them for my key." She was being wary of any tricks he might be planning on playing. Trades like these were hard for her to operate in. She just didn't trust the other person involved enough. "Oh. And I'm sorry you've been having bad dreams." She tacked this on the end kind of lamely. She had no real feelings towards his worries or troubles because they didn't affect her, but it had seemed like the appropriate thing to say. She waited for his response, hoping that he wanted the binoculars enough to trade. If not, she'd have to try and fight him. And he probably had much more experience at that.

Buckdida · Post by **Buckdida** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:35 pm

Venison's eyes widened for a moment. 'Binoculars!' He thought. 'With a crack in the left lens! How did she get my binoculars? Didn't the twins have them? Then how did she...? Of course.'

"Interesting," said Venison. He paused for a good long while.

"Did you happen to steal those binoculars from two little human children yesterday? You're much more ballsy than I expected, taking another theft right after your botched one. As it happens, that was the house I broke into earlier that morning. And now you are the one with a hot item. And you're gray, with stripes. Somewhat like me. You could easily enough match the description...so no trade." Venison smiled evilly. "I detest those who victimize children of any species. So this is your problem now."

"But..."

"This is hardly fair for a pet. So here's another proposition. Return anything you've stolen in the last week, that isn't essential to your survival, including the binoculars, and you get back your key. BUT you can't steal these things again. However you return them is up to you. Oh, and a minimum of 7 things. And these things need to be different objects. So returning, say, two crystal glasses to the same household or something would only count as one thing."

"And if that isn't agreeable, then you can always tell me what you're hiding." He smiled again. "I'll be in the coffee shop. And work on your small talk. It sounds so mechanical. Not very believable."

Venison walked into the coffee shop, wondering just how badly he just fried the poor little raccoon's brain.

-In the coffee shop-

The pungent smell of coffee hit Venison's nose. He looked around. Simple coffee shop. Wi-fi enabled, most likely, to to the laptops he saw. Some sleepy looking humans, a creepy looking human in a trench-coat (of course a trench-coat), and...oh, there's Octavian. And then...two rather rich looking pets, each with their own laptops. The black cat couldn't sit still, and it seemed like sneaking up on him and saying 'Boo' would send him through the ceiling. His polar-opposite, a blotchy looking dog, seemed like she was about to slip into a coma. He didn't meet them yesterday. Venison coulda sworn that every single person and animal in the neighborhood was out and about, trying to catch him yesterday...no matter. He just really hoped that either one wouldn't be as intrusive as some of the other pets.

He walked up to the counter, looking through the glass at the selections.
'Wow. There must be a lot of pets in this neighborhood,' Venison thought, as he noticed the different pastries separated out based on whether they were edible for pets or not. Kept far from each other as well, supposedly to avoid mixing them. There were even pastries with not-chocolate on them!

"Can I help you?" The human (Jake) asked from above the counter.

"Um. Could I have one of those not-chocolate croissants?" Venison asked politely.

"Sure." Responded Jake. He quickly got the pastry and wrapped it up. "Anything else?"
"Uhh..." Venison looked at the drinks in the counter's cooler. Chocolate milk, not-chocolate milk, milk, orange juice...
"Maybe a coffee? The house blend is great." Suggested Jake.

Venison looked up at him with an 'are you kidding me?' kinda look. He wanted to say, 'are you trying to kill me,' but that would likely attract attention from that jumpy black cat, whom Venison wanted to avoid...

"You do know that caffeine is poisonous to dogs, cats, and many other domestic pets in large amounts, right?"
Jake smiled. "Which is why we have a special base blend for pets. You know you're the first one to question that? I'm kinda impressed."

"Oh. Well then," said Venison.

"I've never tasted coffee before."
"One house blend, coming up," said Jake.

'I wonder what Rav is up to...'

Keeshah · Post by **Keeshah** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:40 am

Buckdida wrote: 'I wonder what Rav is up to...'

Rav, having gotten over the distraction of finding his new ride in the barn.. so what if it hasn't been moved or started in some 20 or 30 years, by the looks of it.. The pick-up bed is a bit beat-up, from use on the farm he guesses, but the body an inside seem to be in very good condition.. if only he had any idea on how to restore it to life..

Rav pokes around in the barn some more, climbing up the ladder into the hay loft..
the floorboards creaking an an flexing under his paws as he walks across them.
Not much up here, old moldy hay an bird poop..
pacing over to where the sun is shining in.
An the roof needs patching up too... YAAARROOP!
Rav Yelps, an the floorboard snap an crumble under his weight.. his hand claws carving deep furrows into the soft rotten wood of the floor here as he tries to keep from falling through the floor, but another rotten floorboard gives away dropping him down into the horse stall below, with a heavy thump..
Rav pants an gasps for the breath that was knocked out of him.. then gets up both limping an holding his side.
I have GOT to stop falling out of things.. or through things..Looking up at the hole in the stalls roof now..
Rav hobbles over to the stall door an pushes, but it only rattles as the locking slide latch is firmly still locked in place..
Rats ... I should have checked in the stalls first, then i might have left them open..he grumbles.. kicking the door hard.. Thump!
Ooww Owww Owww!! there still firm an solid..
Rav checks out the stall window. wondering why it has bars in it, surely a horse even a pony couldn't crawl out it. he ponders.
Hmmm i should be able to squeeze through between them. head in, twist my shoulders in, then turn back for my chest, twists again to get my hips through an all while hanging in the window like a ragdoll... I'll make that plan C, i don't feel up to trying that right now.he grumbles.. an lays down in a corner to rest..

I just have to wait.. Mom will coming looking for me, an Venison will sniff out where i am.. if he comes back... SO this is how the Quadies live...trying to imagine himself as the horse who used to live here long ago.. he sniff hard at the floor, tring to collect the old smells..

Brittles · Post by **Brittles** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:29 am

OOC: On the topic of notability. The Snows have been living here for a while so not everyone needs to have the 'first meeting' reaction. If your pet has access to a computer, and is not new to the neighborhood they likely know who Espresso is. Dee? Far less likely she is part of the background. If you've been to the wall before you've seen her, but likely haven't talked to her.

Dee

Made those last few movements to finish up her work as she noted the new arrivals...not that you could really tell she was. With one lazy click of the enter key she seemed satisfied, she got up with a yawn, fetched her laptop, started to walk towards the counter... and then past it? She vanished into the back rooms for the time being, the world behind not seeming any different without her.

Espresso

When he wasn't secretly glaring at Dee, Espresso was making note of the new arrivals as well. To say the least the black short dog in cargo pants stuck out of the crowd here. His odd attire.. muddy, and unkempt, his extremely unfashionable collar , and his unfamiliarity with the local area. Yes... yes... he knew who this dog was.. two men from outside the suburbs had been talking about just the sort the other day...the cat gliding his paw across those lovely white whiskers

He was one of those dogs from out in the country side or some such. Quite clearly. Family no doubt moved here, and the poor soul hadn't adjusted yet. Likely stupidly honest... gullible, and who knows what else....still Espresso let out a sigh.. this likely meant he had no idea how to use a computer though...so he will never get to bask in the greatest which is the Espresso express! Still.. a pawn for later use if he needed one at least.

The Black cat glanced around, his tail giving a few twitches. Dee was gone.. snuck off once again... what was that devil woman up to?

Dee

A question that wouldn't take long to answer. Jake was just about finished preparing Venisons drink, reaching for one of those little plastic covers... and finding the spot where they normal sat empty. He looked like he was about to say something.. but Dee was already there, standing beside him with a new bag from out back... which he took with a light chuckle

"One house blend it is" the man said as he slid the drink over to Vension, fetching the pastry as well. "That'll be $3.27"

(Which is a reasonable price for a coffee+Pastry where I am. Might be a be cheaper in the states, feel free to retcon it if you want)

Dee simply gave a polite smile to the few who might look her way.. and returned to her seat, and her own coffee of the day, sinking into her seat as she seemed to be lost to the world yet again.

Espresso

The cat watched the entire exchanged. He leaned back in his chair, drinking some black substance as dark as he is from a mug. As Vension paid for his drink, and walked away from the counter he gave his simple warning "New in these parts stranger?" He seemed surprisingly calm compared to what he was when Vension arrived ".. then take my advice...Be wary of that dog... stay away from the gangs, and whatever you do keep your distance from the children."

He leaned forward again, going back to brooding over his coffee like something out of a movie. He sounded somewhat convincing at least. Well save the 'wary of that dog' part, there was clearly some GIANT bias there. A few moments passed and he spoke up again "... Oh!.. and.. I'd see about visiting the laundrymatt down the street before the night is out. Those Mud stained pants of yours are going to have some nut mistaking you for a stray."

After that Espresso left the strange dog alone, not really hovering around him or pestering him further

Oh, and what of Balbaroy who headed out back? He found what he would expect at the back of a coffee shop. He passed by the drive through, which was currently empty. Then went all the way behind to find currently empty extra parking space, a locked back door, and a padlocked dumpster. No pets that he could see.... not 'yet' anyway. There was a certain secluded feeling to it...

Jimmy Jazz · Post by **Jimmy Jazz** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:59 am

He raised the coffee cup to his mouth, it was empty. he sighed and looked up Venison?... should i bother him?... well... he'll sit down if he sits down he thought and looked around a bit more. that guy who was staring at him earlier was just looking down at his laptop. hmm... well... he looked back down and didn't really read it he was thinking about the man. and wondering what insane things would happen today.

Kalvin · Post by **Kalvin** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:40 pm

Balbaroy hears the door open and somebody walk out to the back. Curiously, he crawls out from under the dumpster, his fur a little messy but fortunately nothing stuck in it. In his left hand he holds a dead rat by the tail. When he does crawl out though he comes out behind Espresso, unfortunately almost silently. Without realizing that the cat doesn't notice him he barks out pretty loudly. "Hi there!"

(He's been here approximately 3 weeks, so he's probably met Espresso by now.)

Buckdida · Post by **Buckdida** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:03 pm

"That'll be $3.27"
Venison fished out his wallet from his pants, pulling out the money, and handed it over. When he looked up, he noticed the blotchy dog again, behind the counter.
'Wasn't she just over...? When did she get behind the coun...'
Venison's thoughts were interrupted by the hyper black cat, who seemed to have calmed down for the moment.

Brittles wrote:The cat watched the entire exchanged. He leaned back in his chair, drinking some black substance as dark as he is from a mug. As Vension paid for his drink, and walked away from the counter he gave his simple warning "New in these parts stranger?" He seemed surprisingly calm compared to what he was when Vension arrived ".. then take my advice...Be wary of that dog... stay away from the gangs, and whatever you do keep your distance from the children."

He leaned forward again, going back to brooding over his coffee like something out of a movie. He sounded somewhat convincing at least. Well save the 'wary of that dog' part, there was clearly some GIANT bias there. A few moments passed and he spoke up again "... Oh!.. and.. I'd see about visiting the laundrymatt down the street before the night is out. Those Mud stained pants of yours are going to have some nut mistaking you for a stray."

Before Venison could respond, the black cat scurried away, behind and past the counter, apparently after a noise outside.

"New in these parts, stranger?' What is this, a western?" Venison muttered to himself. "Gangs. Of pets? Oh, yeah, that's intimidating," he said to himself sarcastically. He started walking toward an empty table. "Why do all these pets seem to make children out to be some kind of monster? You just need to approach them with the right actions..."

And he noticed the blotchy dog had moved to the empty table he was headed for, without him noticing. She even had her own coffee.

"How does she do that?" He said to himself. "Not too many dogs can move unseen like that..."

Well, quiet, invisible; that probably meant unobtrusive as well. Venison sat down on the other side of the table of the quiet, blotchy dog. He began thinking to himself as he raised the coffee to his muzzle.

'He is right about one thing though. It's been a while since I've had a real bath or washed these pants. But washing them means taking everything out of them...too much stuff to reorganize and...'

Venison took a sip and coughed like he'd been hit in the chest.

*Huuuuckkk* "Keee-ha! Someone could'a told me that this drink had a kick to it!" He said aloud.
"Interesting flavor, though," he said quietly to himself, taking another sip.

caelei · Post by **caelei** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:40 pm

For a second, Pavelle was shocked. She couldn't understand how the deal had gone bad so fast. One instant, Venison was amiable enough and the next... he wasn't. Completely bipolar. And he was sticking up for kids. Human kids. She had totally misjudged his entire character. She hadn't thought that he would ever give a second thought to some brat. He left her, and she held completely still, watching his back as he moved away. And then the anger kicked in. Who was he to boss her around? Did he think she would just lie down and take his orders like some stupid pet? No. She glared after him as he entered the coffee shop. And then abruptly she turned on her heel and went in the opposite direction.

She wasn't going to give all the things back that she had taken recently. No way. Not even the coffee mug from earlier, now. But she had to hide the things she did have. Especially the binoculars. Somewhere he wouldn't find them. Because now that he knew about them, he was sure to want them. Or maybe he wouldn't, and her caution was for nothing. Though better to be paranoid than totally ignorant. She got home, opened the door, and barged past Magnus, who was lying on the floor watching cartoons created for small children. "Come and see!" He said happily to her, but she ignored him and went on, deeper into the house. She went from room to room, collectiong small (and not so small) items of importance and shoving them into a bag that she had happened across in the kitchen. The binoculars went in last. After she was done, she took the bag and snuck into her parents' room.

Her mom lay, as usual, on the bed, asleep. Her breathing sounded worse than normal, which caused a pang to go through Pavelle. Last time Mom had sounded like that, she had made an emergency trip to the hospital in the middle of the night, and stayed there for three weeks. Pavelle hesitated on the threshold, looking at the pale, thin form on the bed. And then she pushed her worries aside and snuck across the room to the safe. She clicked in the combo and the door swung open. There was hardly anything in there but documents - wedding pictures, adoption certificates, etc. A couple bills were stacked in one corner, the family fortune. Pavelle placed her bag in the safe, locked it tight, and then left the room. She returned moments later with Magnus. "Now remember to stay silent," she whispered to him, gesturing at their sick mother. He nodded solemnly; even he understood his Mom's need for rest. They slunk back across the room, then Magnus hefted the safe easily and placed it under a box of hats on the top shelf in their parents' closet. It was hardly a good place to hide the thing, but the best their small house had.

Pavelle entered the coffee shop with Magnus on her heels. She scanned the room, spotted Venison, and approached him sitting across from Dee, the sleepy-eyed background dog that Pavelle had met on occasion. She stopped by his elbow, face expressionless. "Keep the key, I don't care," she said, not looking at him. Magnus grinned behind her back, not understanding anything that was going on. And then she turned and strode across the room and back out the door.

Buckdida · Post by **Buckdida** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:43 am

"Hmm. I see," Venison said to himself.

'So much for trying to keep another pet away from my style of life,' Venison sighed and continued thinking to himself. 'It's always so difficult to find what motivates pets. Other strays are simple enough. "I want food" or, attacking out of anger. I'm not sure what caliber level thief Pavelle may be, but I can tell this is more than just a shiny collection. Thieves fear one great thing: being caught, getting arrested. There are only two occasions when this fear is disregarded. When there's absolutely nothing to lose...

Or they're stealing for more than just themselves. But for what or who? If I'm going to help her, I need to know why. But I doubt she'll talk to me, based on what she just did.' Venison looked up from his coffee. Mangus was standing in front of him, looking around, apparently wondering where his sister got off to.
Although, she should really stop ditching her brother like this. Hmm...'

"Hey, you. Mangus? That's your name right?" The dog took a while to look in his direction. "You know Pavelle well, right? Could you do me a favor?" Venison reached down and unzipped the pocket on his inner thigh, and pulled out Pavelle's house key. "Give this to Pavelle..." He pressed the key into Mangus' hand.

"And tell her that Venison is sorry." Mangus stared at him blankly. "Okay? Now, if you didn't notice, your sister left...you should go after her." Mangus continued to stand there...

'This one's a bit slow, isn't he?'

Venison turned away a little bit and took a bite out of the not-chocolate croissant.

(OOC: Bipolar indeed...)

caelei · Post by **caelei** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:51 am

Magnus stared blankly at Venison for a second longer than necessary after he was handed the key. Then he looked down at it. It was silver. Pretty. And then he looked around. Venison was right; his sister had disappeared again. The grin dropped off his face. So they weren't getting a treat? He looked longingly at the food display, then turned and trotted out of the room. Outside he looked around, spotting Pavelle's back halfway down the block, going home. She looked like she was hurrying. He jogged after her, closing the space easily. His long-legged strides accounted for that. "Pavelle," he said, and she stopped short. One of her hands went up to brush her face, and then she turned to him, eyes watery.

"What?" she snapped, scowling. It took him a second to register why she was angry. She was only mean to him if she was sad. He didn't want her to be sad. Before she could complain, he crushed her in a gigantic bear hug, squeezing the air from her lungs. After a moment of this, he let go, plopping her feet back onto the sidewalk. She staggered, but was smiling. "What is it?" she asked, more gently. He grinned.

"Ven-i-son says he's sorry." He handed her the key.

She looked down at the key in her hand, mind utterly blank, for once. Well, she hadn't been expecting that. And why would he give her back the key? He could've just done that in the first place. And then her mind started racing. Maybe it was some sort of ploy. Maybe he had taken Magnus' key while the dog lingered in the coffee shop, and so didn't need hers. "Magnus, do you have your key?" she asked, and the giant dog looked alarmed.

"Left it at home!" he exclaimed, and sprinted towards the house. Well, there went that option. Unless Magnus only thought he left it at the house... Maybe Venison was truly sorry. She had misjudged his character before. But she couldn't shake the thought that there was more going on. Dogs like him didn't do something for nothing. Or at least raccoons like Pavelle didn't. She changed direction and started walking towards her 'Thinking Spot'. This was just an old tree a little ways away from their house. But still, it was quiet there. She was going to have to consider this key problem.

Magnus was running towards their house when he got a little sidetracked. The fact that he had forgotten why he was running was part of his problem. He looked around for Pavelle, but, as usual, she was gone. And then he saw the house that he had gone to yesterday... with all the pets in it. He approached it, then stopped. Wait. Venison had told him to leave the house. Maybe he was still supposed to be gone. He was about to turn and go , but hesitated for a second, looking back. And then he saw a butterfly fluttering about a patch of grass. The first one he had seen this year. He stalked up to it, intending to catch it and then set it free, and then recatch it, and then set it free. He liked catching things, but knew that they were supposed to stay outside the house. Especially after that accident with the bumble bee in Pavelle's closet. He shuddered. Didn't want to relive that. The butterfly flew around the side of the house. Magnus followed. And then he saw a barn. "Moo-moo cows!" he yelled, running up to the barn door. He peered inside. It looked pretty run-down. He sighed. "No moo-moos?" And then he saw the car. With a happy exclamation, he jumped towards it. He was about to climb in the cramped space when he heard breathing. Breathing that wasn't his. He turned towards the sound, and then followed it to a stall. He looked inside. There was a dog in there. "Heellllooo?" Magnus asked, wondering why the dog had locked himself in a barn stall.

Brittles · Post by **Brittles** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:54 am

Kalvin wrote:Balbaroy hears the door open and somebody walk out to the back. Curiously, he crawls out from under the dumpster, his fur a little messy but fortunately nothing stuck in it. In his left hand he holds a dead rat by the tail. When he does crawl out though he comes out behind Espresso, unfortunately almost silently. Without realizing that the cat doesn't notice him he barks out pretty loudly. "Hi there!"

(He's been here approximately 3 weeks, so he's probably met Espresso by now.)

OOC: haha.. never actually meant he went to the back.. I was just describing what was there. But this works nicely.

Espresso

With the bark out of no where Espresso quickly started to look like form on a fuzzy TV screen, his hair sticking out in every direction, as his limbs went every place in a panic before finally twirling back around in a faux defensive stance "Whoa-HEy!-I KNOW KUN... errr..." he stopped looking over at his would be 'attacker' only to find well ".. oh right.. um... Baloney was it?"

Back in the cafe, just as Ven found himself talking to a certain raccoon the patchy dog across from him mumbled out an unheard "Balbaroy~"

Anyway back to the back of the building. Espresso was quick to regain his composer, standing up straight, fiddling with his collar like it was a loose tie "Right. Right.. sorry about that. A reporter always has to be on edge... you never know what toes you might step on with a controversial story.. but -someone-!" Espresso suddenly points up dramatically "Must spread the truth to the people! Dangerous or not!" He looks back to Balbaroy after that "Still...Mr Picard, what's a civilized, well meaning pet like yourself doing fooling around my fine establishments garbage?"

Dee

She watched the conversation sheepishly, head resting in her folded arms looking like she was about to take a nap, tail every few moments giving a single wave.. if only to prove the dog was still alive. She managed a lazy wave as the raccoon walked away along with a cheerful "Bye~" doing much the same as Magnus left "Magnus too~"

It wasn't.. tell another few minutes after that did her lazy eyes move over to Venison. "Penny for your thoughts?" she smiles a bit "Got a lot~"

Kalvin · Post by **Kalvin** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:30 pm

Balbaroy looks confused for a second, trying to figure out what Espresso just said to him, his vocabulary not too large. Once he manages to determine the meanings of the words as best as he can he smiles, a little goofily. "Nothing really. Just rummaging. Look what I found!" He excitedly holds up the dead rat to Espresso. "Think it would make a good gift?"

(I just figured it would arouse Espresso's attention. He did go back their in... a less than inconspicuous manner.)

Buckdida · Post by **Buckdida** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:57 pm

Brittles wrote:"Penny for your thoughts?" she smiles a bit "Got a lot~"

"Hmm. Thoughts. Got a lot of those. But mine would drive most rational people crazy. Oh, would a physiologist have field day with me.

I don't understand suburban pets. What would they have to worry about? No worries about food, no worries about bleeding...nothing about family...don't get it...are you even awake?"

Brittles · Post by **Brittles** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:40 pm

Buckdida wrote: I don't understand suburban pets. What would they have to worry about? No worries about food, no worries about bleeding...nothing about family...don't get it...are you even awake?"

OOC:Feel free to interject between the lines here, and there if you want.

She just smiles at the last comment, head tilting to one side as she looks at the stray "Why am I dreaming of you?" a light laugh coming after. Her head slowly turns towards the window, her lazy eyes just seeming to look out into space.

"Because... a best day, and a worst day is a lifes choice. Because the worst thing ever for you is an empty stomach, or broken bones thanks to sticks, and stones; but that won't happen to us... so our worst is something else:a lost friend, a lost book, a broken heart." her neck arcs every so slightly, looking back at him out of the corner of her eye, the world around her still going about their business as if she were still asleep "It doesn't matter if someones worst day is worse than yours... your worst day is still your worst day. The rich, and the poor will all have the same thing to say. When they loose what matters in their mind, their tears will fall just as yours or mine"

She finally stops, seeming to.. laugh at herself her tone finally getting less silly as she shifts back into her lazy position as is ranting like that was a tiring ordeal "It's a matter of perspective Venison that's all..."

"Nothing really. Just rummaging. Look what I found!" He excitedly holds up the dead rat to Espresso. "Think it would make a good gift?"

[/quote]

Espresso gives the dog an odd look, but humors him none the less. One must always be careful with ones public image after all. "... hm it would depend on the tastes of the person it's to be presented to. Rule number one my friend:know your audience!" He waves one finger at the mixed dog "Give ehm what they love, and they'll be all over it, shock them, and amaze them! So the question is.. would a dead rat strike their fancy?"

Buckdida · Post by **Buckdida** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:17 pm

Brittles wrote:She just smiles at the last comment, head tilting to one side as she looks at the stray "Why am I dreaming of you?" a light laugh coming after. Her head slowly turns towards the window, her lazy eyes just seeming to look out into space.

Venison gave a small smirk.

Brittles wrote:"Because... a best day, and a worst day is a lifes choice. Because the worst thing ever for you is an empty stomach, or broken bones thanks to sticks, and stones; but that won't happen to us... so our worst is something else:a lost friend, a lost book, a broken heart." her neck arcs every so slightly, looking back at him out of the corner of her eye, the world around her still going about their business as if she were still asleep.

"You talk like none of that could happen to me. You talk like pets can only face some problems, and strays can only face some problems. I've faced all of those. Others too."

Brittles wrote:"It doesn't matter if someones worst day is worse than yours... your worst day is still your worst day. The rich, and the poor will all have the same thing to say. When they loose what matters in their mind, their tears will fall just as yours or mine."

"Abstract thought. So annoying to hear, yet always correct. Somehow. And also so wonderful to hear, yet always so sparse. Somehow. And somehow, Never been able to grasp it myself."

Brittles wrote:She finally stops, seeming to.. laugh at herself her tone finally getting less silly as she shifts back into her lazy position as is ranting like that was a tiring ordeal "It's a matter of perspective Venison that's all..."

"So then, would a wider perspective mean more chances of unhappiness?"
He took the last sip of his coffee.
"...Because it sure seems like it to me."

'Hey...waitasecond...perhaps I would have done better to listen to that jumpy black cat...'

Venison leaned over the table, and whispered into the blotchy dog's ear...
"How do you know I'm a stray?"

Keeshah · Post by **Keeshah** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:30 am

caelei wrote: "Moo-moo cows!" he yelled, running up to the barn door. He peered inside. It looked pretty run-down. He sighed. "No moo-moos?" And then he saw the car. With a happy exclamation, he jumped towards it. He was about to climb in the cramped space when he heard breathing. Breathing that wasn't his. He turned towards the sound, and then followed it to a stall. He looked inside. There was a dog in there. "Heellllooo?" Magnus asked, wondering why the dog had locked himself in a barn stall.

Rav has lain up against the wall of the stall for a while now, panting heavily..

He ears perked up, someone was russling around in the barn.. he was right they would come looking for him.
In!.. ooww.. i here he wheezes..
grumbling as his bruised an battered body had stiffened-up while he was laying around..
he flicks his ears, as he hears the bolt being lifted-up an slid back on the stall door.. saved..
Rav blinks, not expected who he rescuer would be.

Well, Hello there, Tall dark an Hansom.. imagine meeting you here.
Rav points up to the hole in the floor boards above.
Watch your step, up in the hay loft... some parts are not safe to walk on..
he barks as he struggles to get up to his paws.. limping noticably..
Still i'm very glad to get to be with you again..

Kalvin · Post by **Kalvin** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:35 am

Giving a confused sniff, he shrugs and drops the dead rat. "Better not risk it anyways." He opens his mouth to speak, but then hesitates, as if unsure or trying to remember something. "Oh god, I remember there's something you would be interested in but I can't remember what. I know it was big and it just happened yesterday." He rubs his chin trying to remember as hard as he can.

Jimmy Jazz · Post by **Jimmy Jazz** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:01 am

He put down his book deciding he should save the rest for later. he laid back into his chair and looked around the coffee shop once more. Venison was talking to a sleepy looking dog, and the Trench coated man was gone. he picked up his cup and his to
go. he threw the cup into the trash and walked by Venison and the sleepy dog. "Bye" he said as he walked by he pushed the door open and looked both ways to see if any cars where coming, none. he jogged over to his bike shoving his book into his coat.

he climbed onto his bike and started peddling. Weelll... i did come out here to explore he rode around the shop. heyy... its balabroy.. babalany... and some black cat... "Hey there!" he yelled as he whizzed by. and rode around the shop to the front. he waved at the back of venison in the coffee shop and rode out the parking lot. Left, on to the unknown. or right back to my house.... hmm... he turned right. he rode down a hill hands free, eyes closed, enjoying the experience.

Brittles · Post by **Brittles** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:00 am

Venison leaned over the table, and whispered into the blotchy dog's ear...
"How do you know I'm a stray?"

Dee

She tilted her head ever so lightly, leaning one ear towards the whisper... but it only made her smile, and give a light shrug.

"Good guesser" was her honest response. "Worries you?" she seemed to ponder for a few moments "Hm..no..too strong.. makes you cautious maybe?"

Espresso

"Oh god, I remember there's something you would be interested in but I can't remember what. I know it was big and it just happened yesterday." He rubs his chin trying to remember as hard as he can.

"Something relevant to my interests?" Espresso slides on paw across his whiskers "Something 'big' you say?" Ah, he knew the kind approach would grant him something of use! "Come on then think, Surely if it's news worthy you can remember it! Just go over the scenes of the day step by step..." he paused for a moment thinking he heard a voice... but by the time the cat looked back all he saw was a distant bike.

caelei · Post by **caelei** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:01 am

It took a second for Magnus to remember the dog, but he did. "You!" he exclaimed excitedly, rushing into the stall. He looked up at the hole in the ceiling, then at the smaller dog under it. And then he noticed the limp. "Are you hurt?" he asked stupidly; the answer was obvious. Then he switched tones. "Do you need help?" Without waiting for an answer, he scooped the dog up in his arms, gingerly shifting his weight so that Rav didn't get hurt any more. "Where do you need to go?"

Kalvin · Post by **Kalvin** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:45 pm

He taps his foot, then starts going through the events of the previous day. "Okay..... got up early yesterday. There was something going on. Next door, there was a new family moving in. Something about the dog. Um....." He tries his hardest to remember, but he just can't seem to bring it up.

Buckdida · Post by **Buckdida** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:04 pm

Brittles wrote:She tilted her head ever so lightly, leaning one ear towards the whisper... but it only made her smile, and give a light shrug.

"Good guesser" was her honest response. "Worries you?" she seemed to ponder for a few moments "Hm..no..too strong.. makes you cautious maybe?"

"You're one of those quiet one's that see and hear everything, aren't you?" Venison tried to take another sip of his coffee, but found it was empty. He looked around. The coffee shop was empty from its morning rush. And Octavian just left, and Jake was doing something in the back.

"No use trying to lie, then." He set the empty cup back on the table. "I've got a majority of the neighborhood thinking I do have an owner, when I don't. It...keeps people from asking questions. Sometimes it even gets them sorry for me...But...now I don't know what to do. I've been running for two years. And I'm tired of it. I should keep running; I was going to leave this morning...but...something's stopping me. Bleh. That sounds so cliche. But heck, if I'm going to stick around, owner or not, I should at least get to know some people. The name I like to go by is Venison."

"Yours?"

Keeshah · Post by **Keeshah** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:31 am

caelei wrote:It took a second for Magnus to remember the dog, but he did. "You!" he exclaimed excitedly, rushing into the stall. He looked up at the hole in the ceiling, then at the smaller dog under it. And then he noticed the limp. "Are you hurt?" he asked stupidly; the answer was obvious. Then he switched tones. "Do you need help?" Without waiting for an answer, he scooped the dog up in his arms, gingerly shifting his weight so that Rav didn't get hurt any more. "Where do you need to go?"

Rav wraps his arms about the big danes neck, to hold on as he is suddenly picked up an carried..
I don't don't feel so good anymore, but also don't think i'm hurt too badly.. how ever, i wouldn't mind being helped back up to the house, if you would be so kind..
Hugging the big dog close an warmly..
I'm not to big an heavy to carry am i? i would feel so much worse, if you hurt yourself trying to carry me all the way there.
Scratching softly in behind his ears,
By the way, what was your name, i don't remember now if anyone ever told me what it was.. i am Ravage, err Rav,, I'm just Rav now..

caelei · Post by **caelei** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:49 am

Magnus smiled, tail wagging as Rav scratched his ears. "You're not heavy, silly," he said, his muscles easily lifting the dog as he carried him outside the barn. "And I'm Magnus." He pushed open the barn door with his thigh, and then trotted across the lawn to the dog's house. He approached the door, bent his knees so he could better reach the handle, and then twisted. *Click* He twisted again. *Click* "The door won't open," he said in frustration. "Locked?"