Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
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Amazee Dayzee
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
That would be because Scout has a lot of other stuff on his mind at the moment. Because of that and other things he wasn't paying attention.
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
<Previous First Next>
I feel like carp today so you get a bonus chapter. Yay you!
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Chapter 23: Exams
Scout walked down the line of lockers, snuffling at the grates of each locker. Partway down the line, he paused, grabbed a chalk marker out of his vest, and drew a line on the locker before continuing down the line. Most of the lockers smelled sterile- they weren’t real, only used for the drug detection tests and thoroughly scrubbed between to reduce false positives. He marked three other lockers in the line before working his way back, sniffing a little deeper. He wanted to make sure he had gotten all of the lockers containing samples. When he got back to the other end of the line, he hadn’t found any more, so he went ahead and rang the bell to signify he was finished. The test proctor- in this case imitating the role of a human handler- opened the marked lockers. All four had samples in them. “Congratulations, cadet, you found all four samples. Please proceed down the hall to room 116 for your written exam.”
Scout nodded and left via the door opposite the one he’d come in, as indicated. The hall was empty. He jogged down it at a light trot, found the room he was supposed to be in, and entered quietly. The proctor for this test handed him a packet and pointed to an empty desk silently, so as not to disturb the other students who had taken the detection test ahead of him and were now working on their written exam.
The written exam wasn’t hard, but Scout found himself thinking of Coco as he did it. How bad had his handwriting been before she’d insisted on helping him improve it? And that had been before he’d even considered entering the academy. He watched his hand scratch out neat lines of text for question after question, surprised not only that he knew the answers without having to think about them, but that his handwriting had improved so much.
He found himself finishing the written portion before too long, and took the test back up to the proctor. The proctor pointed to a door that led directly out onto the field, and Scout went through it, jogging out onto the field. The new proctor sent him through an obstacle course for the mobility test, then to a little tent where he had a brief break while he waited for his turn. He sipped some water, glad of it after the exercise, and gave a little wave at Pandora across the tent. They weren’t permitted to chat during the exams, and Pandora’s turn was up a moment later anyway.
Scout watched her go and sipped his water, sighing. He’d taken her advice and told Coco he didn’t want to talk about his school friends at home, and just like Pandora had predicted, Coco didn’t throw anything at him. In fact, she seemed rather pleased that he was keeping his attention on her. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but Pandora had been rather happy to hear it, and had slugged him playfully in the arm when he’d told her. Why did girls keep hitting him?!
Then it was Scout’s turn, and he took the tackle exam. He did expectedly poorly on it for the first portion, then ran the drill again with his bolas and did much better. It took longer for him to run the drill than it took the others, since he had to run it twice, and he failed to bring down the human runner two out of four times on foot, so he was a little winded when he moved on to the next test.
The next test was a tracker test. He was given a sniff at a rag, blindfolded, and let loose to find the other rag. This, he was good at. He’d done it all the time back on the farm if one of his sheep had wandered. He found the rag’s twin in near-record time and returned it to the test proctor before moving on.
The next test was a scent-matching test as well; he was given a piece of “evidence” and had to match it to the human in the lineup that it belonged to. It took him a bit longer than he would have liked, but he did get the answer correct all three times. This proctor was a little too excited to be running the test, and gave him an excited high five every time he sniffed out the suspect. Once he’d finished the exercise all three times, Scout was ushered through to the final standard test, though he’d also have one more test that was tailored just for him.
This test involved hunting a squeaky toy through a cordoned-off section of woodland. He wasn’t given any instruction other than that the suspect was in the area, and that they had the squeaky toy. The area was a good two square acres, plenty of space to run and hide in.
Scout darted into the trees, following the sound of the squeaky toy. He used the tracking skills he had picked up both on the farm and at the academy to find the scent of the suspect, then started tracking him through the woods. He made sure to make as little noise as possible, tracking the scent until he caught sight of the suspect. Once he had him in sight, he crouched and got behind him before tackling him, bringing him down and reading him his rights as he zip-tied him and led him back to the proctor to be “arrested.” The suspect was, of course, a second test proctor, judging him on the accuracy of his recitation of the rights. He did well on both counts.
Normally, Scout would be allowed to return to the barracks now, but he had one final test to do that was just for him. The human test proctor smiled and led him to the other field, where there were some dummies set up inside a tent. Scout pulled out his slingshot and listened carefully to the instructions. One of the dummies had a “hostage,” and he needed to take out that dummy before the motion sensor on it knew he was there. He nodded and slipped into the tent, crouching. The dummies were on motors, moving back and forth. He quickly identified the dummy with the hostage and wound up his slingshot. In tight quarters like this, he couldn’t get it going full blast, but he could still pull off a decent shot. He let the slingshot out to halfway, wound up, and fired. He heard a loud cracking sound, and a commotion outside. After a few moments, the proctor came in.
“Uh… you can come on out, cadet. It’s… not your fault, we forgot to tell you about the camera.” Scout put his ears back and followed the proctor out of the tent to another, smaller tent, more like an awning, nearby. They showed him the footage of him entering the tent, and then there was no more signs of him until the camera suddenly broke. On slow motion playback, there were two frames of a marble getting closer before the actual break. One of the techs brought back the broken camera, a marble embedded directly in the lens. “Pretty good shot. I’d call that a pass. You can go back to your barracks to await your results.”
“Thank ye very much, sir.” Scout nodded politely, shook hands with the proctor, and jogged back to the barracks, where drinks and snacks had been laid out for them. Scout sat next to Ruth and nudged him. “Aww, quit whimperin’. Ah’m sure ya did great.”
Ruth sniffled and leaned against Scout. “But what if I didn’t? What if I’m the only one in the class to fail? The only loser in a group of seven?” He whimpered pitifully. “Or what if I’m not good enough for dad? What if I pass but he’s still mad at me?!”
Scout patted the twitchy pit bull on the back. “Ya’ scored highest in th’ class at th’ practice exams, ya big baby. Ye’re gonna pass.”
“SECOND highest.” Pandora sat on Scout’s other side with a cup of water. “I was the highest.” She smirked. “Way to destroy a camera, by the way, slingshot boy. Right through the lens, I hear.”
Scout flinched. “Oh, yeah, it was bad. Ah wouldn’t be surprised t’ get a bill.”
She laughed loudly and slapped his back. “Heh, yeah, I doubt it, but it’s possible. Heck of a shot though.”
Drill Sergeant Shiver entered the room and set down a tray of officer badges. She cleared her throat, and everyone stood at attention. “At ease, sit down.” She held up a clipboard in front of her face. “The following students have passed their exams and will be assigned to work in the precinct closest to their neighborhood.” She opened her mouth to begin reading off the list.
I feel like carp today so you get a bonus chapter. Yay you!
-------
Chapter 23: Exams
Scout walked down the line of lockers, snuffling at the grates of each locker. Partway down the line, he paused, grabbed a chalk marker out of his vest, and drew a line on the locker before continuing down the line. Most of the lockers smelled sterile- they weren’t real, only used for the drug detection tests and thoroughly scrubbed between to reduce false positives. He marked three other lockers in the line before working his way back, sniffing a little deeper. He wanted to make sure he had gotten all of the lockers containing samples. When he got back to the other end of the line, he hadn’t found any more, so he went ahead and rang the bell to signify he was finished. The test proctor- in this case imitating the role of a human handler- opened the marked lockers. All four had samples in them. “Congratulations, cadet, you found all four samples. Please proceed down the hall to room 116 for your written exam.”
Scout nodded and left via the door opposite the one he’d come in, as indicated. The hall was empty. He jogged down it at a light trot, found the room he was supposed to be in, and entered quietly. The proctor for this test handed him a packet and pointed to an empty desk silently, so as not to disturb the other students who had taken the detection test ahead of him and were now working on their written exam.
The written exam wasn’t hard, but Scout found himself thinking of Coco as he did it. How bad had his handwriting been before she’d insisted on helping him improve it? And that had been before he’d even considered entering the academy. He watched his hand scratch out neat lines of text for question after question, surprised not only that he knew the answers without having to think about them, but that his handwriting had improved so much.
He found himself finishing the written portion before too long, and took the test back up to the proctor. The proctor pointed to a door that led directly out onto the field, and Scout went through it, jogging out onto the field. The new proctor sent him through an obstacle course for the mobility test, then to a little tent where he had a brief break while he waited for his turn. He sipped some water, glad of it after the exercise, and gave a little wave at Pandora across the tent. They weren’t permitted to chat during the exams, and Pandora’s turn was up a moment later anyway.
Scout watched her go and sipped his water, sighing. He’d taken her advice and told Coco he didn’t want to talk about his school friends at home, and just like Pandora had predicted, Coco didn’t throw anything at him. In fact, she seemed rather pleased that he was keeping his attention on her. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but Pandora had been rather happy to hear it, and had slugged him playfully in the arm when he’d told her. Why did girls keep hitting him?!
Then it was Scout’s turn, and he took the tackle exam. He did expectedly poorly on it for the first portion, then ran the drill again with his bolas and did much better. It took longer for him to run the drill than it took the others, since he had to run it twice, and he failed to bring down the human runner two out of four times on foot, so he was a little winded when he moved on to the next test.
The next test was a tracker test. He was given a sniff at a rag, blindfolded, and let loose to find the other rag. This, he was good at. He’d done it all the time back on the farm if one of his sheep had wandered. He found the rag’s twin in near-record time and returned it to the test proctor before moving on.
The next test was a scent-matching test as well; he was given a piece of “evidence” and had to match it to the human in the lineup that it belonged to. It took him a bit longer than he would have liked, but he did get the answer correct all three times. This proctor was a little too excited to be running the test, and gave him an excited high five every time he sniffed out the suspect. Once he’d finished the exercise all three times, Scout was ushered through to the final standard test, though he’d also have one more test that was tailored just for him.
This test involved hunting a squeaky toy through a cordoned-off section of woodland. He wasn’t given any instruction other than that the suspect was in the area, and that they had the squeaky toy. The area was a good two square acres, plenty of space to run and hide in.
Scout darted into the trees, following the sound of the squeaky toy. He used the tracking skills he had picked up both on the farm and at the academy to find the scent of the suspect, then started tracking him through the woods. He made sure to make as little noise as possible, tracking the scent until he caught sight of the suspect. Once he had him in sight, he crouched and got behind him before tackling him, bringing him down and reading him his rights as he zip-tied him and led him back to the proctor to be “arrested.” The suspect was, of course, a second test proctor, judging him on the accuracy of his recitation of the rights. He did well on both counts.
Normally, Scout would be allowed to return to the barracks now, but he had one final test to do that was just for him. The human test proctor smiled and led him to the other field, where there were some dummies set up inside a tent. Scout pulled out his slingshot and listened carefully to the instructions. One of the dummies had a “hostage,” and he needed to take out that dummy before the motion sensor on it knew he was there. He nodded and slipped into the tent, crouching. The dummies were on motors, moving back and forth. He quickly identified the dummy with the hostage and wound up his slingshot. In tight quarters like this, he couldn’t get it going full blast, but he could still pull off a decent shot. He let the slingshot out to halfway, wound up, and fired. He heard a loud cracking sound, and a commotion outside. After a few moments, the proctor came in.
“Uh… you can come on out, cadet. It’s… not your fault, we forgot to tell you about the camera.” Scout put his ears back and followed the proctor out of the tent to another, smaller tent, more like an awning, nearby. They showed him the footage of him entering the tent, and then there was no more signs of him until the camera suddenly broke. On slow motion playback, there were two frames of a marble getting closer before the actual break. One of the techs brought back the broken camera, a marble embedded directly in the lens. “Pretty good shot. I’d call that a pass. You can go back to your barracks to await your results.”
“Thank ye very much, sir.” Scout nodded politely, shook hands with the proctor, and jogged back to the barracks, where drinks and snacks had been laid out for them. Scout sat next to Ruth and nudged him. “Aww, quit whimperin’. Ah’m sure ya did great.”
Ruth sniffled and leaned against Scout. “But what if I didn’t? What if I’m the only one in the class to fail? The only loser in a group of seven?” He whimpered pitifully. “Or what if I’m not good enough for dad? What if I pass but he’s still mad at me?!”
Scout patted the twitchy pit bull on the back. “Ya’ scored highest in th’ class at th’ practice exams, ya big baby. Ye’re gonna pass.”
“SECOND highest.” Pandora sat on Scout’s other side with a cup of water. “I was the highest.” She smirked. “Way to destroy a camera, by the way, slingshot boy. Right through the lens, I hear.”
Scout flinched. “Oh, yeah, it was bad. Ah wouldn’t be surprised t’ get a bill.”
She laughed loudly and slapped his back. “Heh, yeah, I doubt it, but it’s possible. Heck of a shot though.”
Drill Sergeant Shiver entered the room and set down a tray of officer badges. She cleared her throat, and everyone stood at attention. “At ease, sit down.” She held up a clipboard in front of her face. “The following students have passed their exams and will be assigned to work in the precinct closest to their neighborhood.” She opened her mouth to begin reading off the list.
Last edited by GingaDensetsuAleu on Fri Aug 09, 2024 8:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
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Amazee Dayzee
- Posts: 29540
- Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm
Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
So basically you are telling me that since you feel like a fish and are just flopping around right now? That's neat. XD
Just kidding but I do really like how this chapter here has came out and the way Scout wonders why girls keep hitting him. LOL
Just kidding but I do really like how this chapter here has came out and the way Scout wonders why girls keep hitting him. LOL
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GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2042
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
Maybe now that class is over Scout will have time to think about that question.
Also I fixed the chapter selection section on the first chapter because it was driving me out of my teeny tiny little head that I couldn't get it to line up in neat little rows. I had to resort to trickery to do so but it is SO much better
Also I fixed the chapter selection section on the first chapter because it was driving me out of my teeny tiny little head that I couldn't get it to line up in neat little rows. I had to resort to trickery to do so but it is SO much better
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
-
Amazee Dayzee
- Posts: 29540
- Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm
Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
Did that help you to stop feeling like a fish and get you better? I will never understand how anything out there would make you feel like a carp. 
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GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2042
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
<Previous First Next>
There's only 4 chapters left so I'm gonna be uploading them quick. It'll be today, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
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Chapter 24: Graduation
Scout peeked nervously out of the tent at the bleachers. A small crowd was forming, watching a stage that had been set up in the middle of the practice field. His stomach was doing flips in his belly, and he groaned. “Why is it that THIS is th’ part that makes me nervous?”
Pandora snickered and patted his back. “Just a little stage fright. You’ll be fine.” She turned to look at the graduating class, six cadets all milling around in the tent. “Look at us. Sixteen in, six graduating. That’s a pretty sizeable class. Usually no more than three or four make it all the way through.” She peeked out. “Oh, look, there’s Daddy. Back row, right in the center.”
Scout peeked. The man she described looked like the no-nonsense sort, with dark hair brushed straight back and dark sunglasses. Was that an earpiece? “There’s Ma an’ Paw, front row, on the left. With…” He squinted. “They got Coco with ‘em. Ah guess she came t’ watch me graduate.”
Pandora pushed him aside and peered through the hole in the tent. “Oh, so THAT’S the famous Coco. She’s kinda cute.” She grinned at Scout and playfully poked at him. “Really cute, actually.” She giggled.
A human stepped up to the podium onstage, and Scout pulled his head back in. “It’s startin’.”
The human adjusted his tie and began. “Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Detective Randalf Bogg. It is my pleasure to be here with you today to celebrate the graduation of your pets and loved ones from the Canine Police Academy of River Ridge. This is one of our largest graduating classes ever here at the academy, because you all raised such good boys and girls. I’m sure they will all go on to have illustrious careers at their various regional precincts in River Ridge and the surrounding areas.”
He waited for the applause, then picked up a sheet of paper off his podium. “I will now read off the list of graduating cadets. Cadets, when you hear your name, please come up onto the stage and line up behind me to receive your badges.” He cleared his throat and began reading off the list.
“Officer Pandora Bates. Officer Chase Duncan. Officer Ruth McBaddon. Officer Fluffy Gonzales. Specialist Scout Edwards. Officer Skip Jackson.” As he listed off the names, each of their owners filed in and stood at attention behind him. Once the last graduating cadet fell in, he turned with a box full of badges from a shelf inside the podium. He went down the line and took off each cadet’s “cadet” badge, replacing it with the ones that said “Officer”, except for Scout, who got one that said “Specialist” instead. On the opposite shoulder, he placed a K-9 Police badge in the appropriate velcro slot. He quietly congratulated each dog and shook his or her hand after replacing and placing their badges.
Once he was done, he returned to the podium and gestured to the new officers. “Ladies and gentlemen, the Spring Graduating Class of River Ridge Canine Police Academy!” There was applause from the audience, and the new officers proudly marched off the stage and into the decorated mess hall for the reception.
Ma hugged Scout happily, then grabbed him by the shoulders and held him back a bit to look him over. “Look at my boy, all grown up. A police officer! A specialist, too!” She gave the border collie another hug, then let Paw have a go.
Paw gave his head an affectionate rub. “Good job, Kiddo.”
Coco jumped on Scout from behind and hugged him with a huge grin, her tail wagging excitedly. “You did it! You graduated from the academy! I knew you could!”
Scout grinned at her. “Ah know you knew. Ya only told me every chance ya got.” He gave her a hug, his own tail wagging.
Pandora’s voice sounded behind him. “This must be the Coco I’ve heard so much about.” She put out her hand to shake Coco’s. “I’m Pandora. I’ve heard so much about you, it’s like I know you already.”
Coco shook her hand eagerly. “And I’ve heard SO MUCH about you!” The two girls started whispering to each other and looking at Scout, giggling to each other.
Scout gave a confused shake of his head. “Girls…”
“Hey, Shrimp.” Scout turned and looked up at Bruiser. It was odd seeing him back in his civilian collar after so long of only seeing him in a cadet uniform. “... Congratulations. On, uh… passing the class. Sorry I bullied you so much. I honestly didn’t think you could make it. Didn’t wanna see you hurt yourself trying.” He blushed a little. “Guess I should have worried more about making it through MYSELF, huh?”
Scout reached up to shake his hand. “No hard feelin’s. Ah never took it personal.” They shook hands, and Scout smiled. It felt good to be the bigger dog, for once.
Scout left the group and wandered over to find Ruth, giving his friend a hug. “Ah told ya ye’d make it. Ya big baby.”
Ruth grinned at him. “You did. And you were right. And I DID!” He wagged his tail, then looked behind Scout. “This must be Coco! Enchanté, mademoiselle.” He took her hand and kissed it. Scout found himself surprised by the complete change in attitude as he watched his normally whiny and jittery friend suddenly start acting like a completely different person, flirting with Coco. She grinned politely at him.
After a couple moments of watching Ruth flirt, Coco raised an eyebrow at Scout, and Scout found his chance to break in. “Coco, this is mah frien’ Ruth.”
“The whiny one that’s scared of everything?” She giggled “Except the ladies, apparently.”
“Apparently. Except fer Pandora, he’s scared stiff of her.”
“And darned right he should be.” Pandora grinned and gave Ruth a playful punch on the shoulder. ”Especially since we’re going to be working in the same precinct. He’s NEVER getting rid of me.”
Scout felt a sudden burst of sadness, realizing he probably wouldn’t see his friends again for a while. “Oh… right… Ye’re over in Stonebrook, aren’t ye? That means we won’t see much o’ each other…”
“Oh, stop looking so sad. We’ll visit you, and you can visit us. It’s a thirty minute drive, it’s not like we’re living a thousand miles away.” Pandora punched Scout’s arm. “It was probably further from the barn to the field, farm boy.”
Coco snickered and whispered something to Pandora that she found funny, and she giggled and whispered back to Coco. After a moment, Pandora pulled Scout to the side. “All right, Farm Boy, since we’re not going to see each other for a while and you’re totally clueless, I’m gonna give you a hint on your friend and her more… violent behavior. I’m gonna say it has to do with… little baby lambs. Specifically, their parents, and what comes before.” She poked his nose. “And that’s all the hint I’m giving you.”
And with that, she was gone, off to find her humans. The reception was already starting to disperse. Scout found Ma and Paw, and then headed off to the barracks to collect his bag, already packed and lying on his bunk, waiting for him. He changed out of his vest and police collar, putting on his regular collar and bandana, taking one last look at the room that had been his home for three whole months. He wondered if he would miss it.
Coco rode with him in the back of Paw’s truck on the way home, grinning at him. Her tail never stopped wagging, and his didn’t either. He was just happy to be on his way back home, for two week’s rest before his first shift started. He wondered about Pandora’s cryptic riddle as he watched Coco watch him.
There's only 4 chapters left so I'm gonna be uploading them quick. It'll be today, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
-------
Chapter 24: Graduation
Scout peeked nervously out of the tent at the bleachers. A small crowd was forming, watching a stage that had been set up in the middle of the practice field. His stomach was doing flips in his belly, and he groaned. “Why is it that THIS is th’ part that makes me nervous?”
Pandora snickered and patted his back. “Just a little stage fright. You’ll be fine.” She turned to look at the graduating class, six cadets all milling around in the tent. “Look at us. Sixteen in, six graduating. That’s a pretty sizeable class. Usually no more than three or four make it all the way through.” She peeked out. “Oh, look, there’s Daddy. Back row, right in the center.”
Scout peeked. The man she described looked like the no-nonsense sort, with dark hair brushed straight back and dark sunglasses. Was that an earpiece? “There’s Ma an’ Paw, front row, on the left. With…” He squinted. “They got Coco with ‘em. Ah guess she came t’ watch me graduate.”
Pandora pushed him aside and peered through the hole in the tent. “Oh, so THAT’S the famous Coco. She’s kinda cute.” She grinned at Scout and playfully poked at him. “Really cute, actually.” She giggled.
A human stepped up to the podium onstage, and Scout pulled his head back in. “It’s startin’.”
The human adjusted his tie and began. “Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Detective Randalf Bogg. It is my pleasure to be here with you today to celebrate the graduation of your pets and loved ones from the Canine Police Academy of River Ridge. This is one of our largest graduating classes ever here at the academy, because you all raised such good boys and girls. I’m sure they will all go on to have illustrious careers at their various regional precincts in River Ridge and the surrounding areas.”
He waited for the applause, then picked up a sheet of paper off his podium. “I will now read off the list of graduating cadets. Cadets, when you hear your name, please come up onto the stage and line up behind me to receive your badges.” He cleared his throat and began reading off the list.
“Officer Pandora Bates. Officer Chase Duncan. Officer Ruth McBaddon. Officer Fluffy Gonzales. Specialist Scout Edwards. Officer Skip Jackson.” As he listed off the names, each of their owners filed in and stood at attention behind him. Once the last graduating cadet fell in, he turned with a box full of badges from a shelf inside the podium. He went down the line and took off each cadet’s “cadet” badge, replacing it with the ones that said “Officer”, except for Scout, who got one that said “Specialist” instead. On the opposite shoulder, he placed a K-9 Police badge in the appropriate velcro slot. He quietly congratulated each dog and shook his or her hand after replacing and placing their badges.
Once he was done, he returned to the podium and gestured to the new officers. “Ladies and gentlemen, the Spring Graduating Class of River Ridge Canine Police Academy!” There was applause from the audience, and the new officers proudly marched off the stage and into the decorated mess hall for the reception.
Ma hugged Scout happily, then grabbed him by the shoulders and held him back a bit to look him over. “Look at my boy, all grown up. A police officer! A specialist, too!” She gave the border collie another hug, then let Paw have a go.
Paw gave his head an affectionate rub. “Good job, Kiddo.”
Coco jumped on Scout from behind and hugged him with a huge grin, her tail wagging excitedly. “You did it! You graduated from the academy! I knew you could!”
Scout grinned at her. “Ah know you knew. Ya only told me every chance ya got.” He gave her a hug, his own tail wagging.
Pandora’s voice sounded behind him. “This must be the Coco I’ve heard so much about.” She put out her hand to shake Coco’s. “I’m Pandora. I’ve heard so much about you, it’s like I know you already.”
Coco shook her hand eagerly. “And I’ve heard SO MUCH about you!” The two girls started whispering to each other and looking at Scout, giggling to each other.
Scout gave a confused shake of his head. “Girls…”
“Hey, Shrimp.” Scout turned and looked up at Bruiser. It was odd seeing him back in his civilian collar after so long of only seeing him in a cadet uniform. “... Congratulations. On, uh… passing the class. Sorry I bullied you so much. I honestly didn’t think you could make it. Didn’t wanna see you hurt yourself trying.” He blushed a little. “Guess I should have worried more about making it through MYSELF, huh?”
Scout reached up to shake his hand. “No hard feelin’s. Ah never took it personal.” They shook hands, and Scout smiled. It felt good to be the bigger dog, for once.
Scout left the group and wandered over to find Ruth, giving his friend a hug. “Ah told ya ye’d make it. Ya big baby.”
Ruth grinned at him. “You did. And you were right. And I DID!” He wagged his tail, then looked behind Scout. “This must be Coco! Enchanté, mademoiselle.” He took her hand and kissed it. Scout found himself surprised by the complete change in attitude as he watched his normally whiny and jittery friend suddenly start acting like a completely different person, flirting with Coco. She grinned politely at him.
After a couple moments of watching Ruth flirt, Coco raised an eyebrow at Scout, and Scout found his chance to break in. “Coco, this is mah frien’ Ruth.”
“The whiny one that’s scared of everything?” She giggled “Except the ladies, apparently.”
“Apparently. Except fer Pandora, he’s scared stiff of her.”
“And darned right he should be.” Pandora grinned and gave Ruth a playful punch on the shoulder. ”Especially since we’re going to be working in the same precinct. He’s NEVER getting rid of me.”
Scout felt a sudden burst of sadness, realizing he probably wouldn’t see his friends again for a while. “Oh… right… Ye’re over in Stonebrook, aren’t ye? That means we won’t see much o’ each other…”
“Oh, stop looking so sad. We’ll visit you, and you can visit us. It’s a thirty minute drive, it’s not like we’re living a thousand miles away.” Pandora punched Scout’s arm. “It was probably further from the barn to the field, farm boy.”
Coco snickered and whispered something to Pandora that she found funny, and she giggled and whispered back to Coco. After a moment, Pandora pulled Scout to the side. “All right, Farm Boy, since we’re not going to see each other for a while and you’re totally clueless, I’m gonna give you a hint on your friend and her more… violent behavior. I’m gonna say it has to do with… little baby lambs. Specifically, their parents, and what comes before.” She poked his nose. “And that’s all the hint I’m giving you.”
And with that, she was gone, off to find her humans. The reception was already starting to disperse. Scout found Ma and Paw, and then headed off to the barracks to collect his bag, already packed and lying on his bunk, waiting for him. He changed out of his vest and police collar, putting on his regular collar and bandana, taking one last look at the room that had been his home for three whole months. He wondered if he would miss it.
Coco rode with him in the back of Paw’s truck on the way home, grinning at him. Her tail never stopped wagging, and his didn’t either. He was just happy to be on his way back home, for two week’s rest before his first shift started. He wondered about Pandora’s cryptic riddle as he watched Coco watch him.
Last edited by GingaDensetsuAleu on Mon Aug 12, 2024 9:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Amazee Dayzee
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
To be honest I doubt that I would pick up on what the hint was supposed to mean also. Maybe Scout will figure it out sometime in the future.
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
Well, it's something someone who's never been on a farm said to try and give a hint to someone who was raised on a farm. That's not super helpful, but at least she was trying.
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Amazee Dayzee
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
It probably is gonna go over his head isn't it? I imagine Coco will have to spell it out to him that she LUUUUUUURRRRRRVES him. XP
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
She knew he wasn't the brightest when she fell for him, it's her own fault.
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
<Previous First Next>
--------
Chapter 25: Rest and old friends
“Now presenting, Specialist Scout Edwards!” Coco grinned and waved both arms at Scout with a flourish as he entered the playroom at Sunny’s house. He hadn’t really had time to visit since starting the academy, so aside from quick visits while he was home during the weekend, he hadn’t seen any of the Sunshine Gang since he’d started class.
They swarmed him, greeting him excitedly and asking him all kinds of questions. “All right, all right, settle down, ah’ll answer questions one at a time.” He grinned and flopped down in the nearest empty beanbag, grinning around. He noticed Shade covering his ears, and nodded. “Quietly.”
Everybody settled down and got back to their seats, but not before August ran to the toybox to get a ball. He tossed the ball to Scout with a grin. “Speaking ball. Gotta have the ball to talk. Keep it nice and organized.” He sat in his beanbag and Scout looked around, grinning at Shade nuzzling into Sunny’s side as usual, and August and Butterfly in their own beanbags. He gasped, startled, when Coco chose to crawl into the same beanbag as Scout rather than use her own, but scooted to make space for her without saying anything.
Once everybody was settled, Scout began by throwing the ball to Sunny. Sunny grinned. “Did you make any new friends at cop school?” He tossed it back.
Scout nodded. “Ah made two new friends. A pit bull named Ruth, and a German Shepherd named Pandora.” Coco’s ears perked at the mention of Pandora, but she didn’t say anything as Scout tossed the ball to August. He knew from experience that if Shade wanted to ask a question he’d put his hand up for the ball.
August beamed playfully. “Pandora sounds like a girl. Is she pretty?” He tossed the ball back to Scout.
Scout nodded. “Yeah, she’s pretty- OW!” He shifted a bit when Coco suddenly shifted in her seat, jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow. “Ah mean… she’s okay.” He rubbed his side for a moment, then tossed the ball to Butterfly.
Butterfly rolled the ball thoughtfully in her hands for a moment, then gave a wicked grin. “This Ruth… a boy or a girl?” She tossed it back.
Scout nearly missed the catch, then held it. “Ruth’s a boy. His paw likes baseball an’ named ‘im after Babe Ruth.” The ball went back to Sunny.
Sunny looked from Scout to Coco for a moment, then grinned. “Tell us more about this Pandora girl. Did she flirt with you?” He tossed the ball underhand, watching it arc almost all the way to the ceiling before falling right in Scout’s lap.
Scout frowned. “Ah… don’t THINK she flirted. She was nice t’ me, but she was nice t’ almost everyone. She- OW! Coco, knock it off. Ah know ye’re doin’ it on purpose.” Coco had shifted in her seat and elbowed Scout again.
Shade whispered something in Sunny’s ear, and the two snickered. Scout scowled at them, then tossed the ball to August. August was trying hard not to laugh out loud. “Did- snrkk… Did Pandora ever climb in your bunk with you?” He tossed the ball back. Scout couldn’t help but notice Coco’s eyes boring into him from six inches away.
Scout glanced around at his giggling friends, frowning. Why were they all laughing? And why the interest in Pandora? “She.. uh… sometimes sat next t’ me on th’ bunk while we were chattin’, but she never… uh… slept in mah bunk with- OW! COCO!” He grimaced and rubbed at the rapidly developing bruise. He gave a dejected grumble and tossed the ball to an all-out-laughing Butterfly.
Butterfly took a moment to compose herself, gripping the ball and practically rolling out of her beanbag with laugher. “Did- Did- hehehehe… did you ever get Pandora as a partner for frisking class?” She tried to toss the ball, but was laughing so hard that her toss fell short, and it rolled to Scout.
Scout picked it up. For some reason, his side already felt like Coco was going to elbow him. “Er… Y-yes, ah did have t’ frisk her- OWWWW! Ah don’ wanna talk about Pandora no more, ask questions about something else.” He whimpered and rubbed his side where Coco kept elbowing him, then tossed the ball back to Sunny.
Sunny took a moment to compose himself. “All right, all right, no more. Tell us about the classes. Were they hard?”
Scout caught the incoming ball. “Some of ‘em were hard. Mostly, they were long. Class lasted about three hours a day.” He tossed the ball along to August, who was smirking a bit.
“Long classes, huh? Were they rough? Or more gentle?” He tossed the ball to Scout, who scowled.
“Okay, ah hear THAT. Ye’re jus’ makin’ jokes, aren’t ya?” He grumbled a moment, then answered the question. “Sometimes it was roughhousin’ class, but a lot of it was book study too. We had t’ learn what t’ tell people as we arrest ‘em on account of some guy named Miranda or somethin’, I don’t remember th’ history so much. Never was good at that.” He started to toss the ball to Butterfly, then paused. “No more nasty jokes in yer questions, or ah’m gonna stop answerin’ ‘em.” He tossed it.
Butterfly caught the ball in both hands and smiled at him. “Did you miss any of us in particular while you were gone? Or just all of us? Or, none of us?” She threw it back to him.
Scout held the ball thoughtfully for a moment. “Ah missed all of ya, of course. But ah think ah missed Coco th’ most. She always hung out with me more’n th’ rest’a ya, anyway, on account of she lives across th’ street from me.” Coco lay her head on his shoulder and scooted closer to him. He didn’t understand girls. Two minutes ago she was threatening to break his ribs, and now she wanted to lay on him? He tossed the ball to Sunny dejectedly, but Shade intercepted it.
He stared at Scout with those brilliant blue eyes for a moment, then grinned. “Do you know why Coco keeps elbowing you?” His toss brought the ball bouncing off the floor and into Scout’s lap.
Scout shook his head. “Not a clue. But ah wish she’d stop. It hurts.” There was a collective giggle from the group, and Scout looked around. Apparently, there was a collective agreement between them, unspoken, not to let him in on the joke. “What? What’s so funny?” He put his ears back crankily when nobody answered. “... Fine, don’t tell me. Ah’ll figure it out. Eventually.”
Shade smirked at him. “I sure hope so. It’s a good one.”
Sunny grinned. “A really good one. And I hope you figure it out soon. Otherwise you might end up bruised all over.”
Coco glared around at them, then lay her head on Scout’s shoulder again. “Don’t listen to them, they’re just being mean.”
“YE’RE bein’ mean.”
“Hmm, only a little. You know you like me.” She teased playfully.
“Ah do. Ah guess.” He tossed the ball back in the toybox. “Ah don’ wanna answer any more questions. Ah gotta use th’ outhouse, then let’s watch a movie or somethin’.” Coco let him up, and he went upstairs.
They all looked at each other, then, aside from Shade, burst out laughing. Coco blushed heavily, looking down.
Butterfly snickered. “Oh my DOG. How does he not NOTICE?!”
August raised a hand excitedly. “Let’s take bets. How long before he figures it out? I’m guessing AT LEAST another month!”
Sunny grinned. “Nah, it’s gonna be two months!”
Coco scowled at them. “You guys are awful! And don’t you DARE tell him!”
Butterfly snickered. “Oh, it’s gonna be AT LEAST a year.”
Coco huffed, her ears going back and her face turning red. “I hate this so much. Knock it off!”
--------
Chapter 25: Rest and old friends
“Now presenting, Specialist Scout Edwards!” Coco grinned and waved both arms at Scout with a flourish as he entered the playroom at Sunny’s house. He hadn’t really had time to visit since starting the academy, so aside from quick visits while he was home during the weekend, he hadn’t seen any of the Sunshine Gang since he’d started class.
They swarmed him, greeting him excitedly and asking him all kinds of questions. “All right, all right, settle down, ah’ll answer questions one at a time.” He grinned and flopped down in the nearest empty beanbag, grinning around. He noticed Shade covering his ears, and nodded. “Quietly.”
Everybody settled down and got back to their seats, but not before August ran to the toybox to get a ball. He tossed the ball to Scout with a grin. “Speaking ball. Gotta have the ball to talk. Keep it nice and organized.” He sat in his beanbag and Scout looked around, grinning at Shade nuzzling into Sunny’s side as usual, and August and Butterfly in their own beanbags. He gasped, startled, when Coco chose to crawl into the same beanbag as Scout rather than use her own, but scooted to make space for her without saying anything.
Once everybody was settled, Scout began by throwing the ball to Sunny. Sunny grinned. “Did you make any new friends at cop school?” He tossed it back.
Scout nodded. “Ah made two new friends. A pit bull named Ruth, and a German Shepherd named Pandora.” Coco’s ears perked at the mention of Pandora, but she didn’t say anything as Scout tossed the ball to August. He knew from experience that if Shade wanted to ask a question he’d put his hand up for the ball.
August beamed playfully. “Pandora sounds like a girl. Is she pretty?” He tossed the ball back to Scout.
Scout nodded. “Yeah, she’s pretty- OW!” He shifted a bit when Coco suddenly shifted in her seat, jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow. “Ah mean… she’s okay.” He rubbed his side for a moment, then tossed the ball to Butterfly.
Butterfly rolled the ball thoughtfully in her hands for a moment, then gave a wicked grin. “This Ruth… a boy or a girl?” She tossed it back.
Scout nearly missed the catch, then held it. “Ruth’s a boy. His paw likes baseball an’ named ‘im after Babe Ruth.” The ball went back to Sunny.
Sunny looked from Scout to Coco for a moment, then grinned. “Tell us more about this Pandora girl. Did she flirt with you?” He tossed the ball underhand, watching it arc almost all the way to the ceiling before falling right in Scout’s lap.
Scout frowned. “Ah… don’t THINK she flirted. She was nice t’ me, but she was nice t’ almost everyone. She- OW! Coco, knock it off. Ah know ye’re doin’ it on purpose.” Coco had shifted in her seat and elbowed Scout again.
Shade whispered something in Sunny’s ear, and the two snickered. Scout scowled at them, then tossed the ball to August. August was trying hard not to laugh out loud. “Did- snrkk… Did Pandora ever climb in your bunk with you?” He tossed the ball back. Scout couldn’t help but notice Coco’s eyes boring into him from six inches away.
Scout glanced around at his giggling friends, frowning. Why were they all laughing? And why the interest in Pandora? “She.. uh… sometimes sat next t’ me on th’ bunk while we were chattin’, but she never… uh… slept in mah bunk with- OW! COCO!” He grimaced and rubbed at the rapidly developing bruise. He gave a dejected grumble and tossed the ball to an all-out-laughing Butterfly.
Butterfly took a moment to compose herself, gripping the ball and practically rolling out of her beanbag with laugher. “Did- Did- hehehehe… did you ever get Pandora as a partner for frisking class?” She tried to toss the ball, but was laughing so hard that her toss fell short, and it rolled to Scout.
Scout picked it up. For some reason, his side already felt like Coco was going to elbow him. “Er… Y-yes, ah did have t’ frisk her- OWWWW! Ah don’ wanna talk about Pandora no more, ask questions about something else.” He whimpered and rubbed his side where Coco kept elbowing him, then tossed the ball back to Sunny.
Sunny took a moment to compose himself. “All right, all right, no more. Tell us about the classes. Were they hard?”
Scout caught the incoming ball. “Some of ‘em were hard. Mostly, they were long. Class lasted about three hours a day.” He tossed the ball along to August, who was smirking a bit.
“Long classes, huh? Were they rough? Or more gentle?” He tossed the ball to Scout, who scowled.
“Okay, ah hear THAT. Ye’re jus’ makin’ jokes, aren’t ya?” He grumbled a moment, then answered the question. “Sometimes it was roughhousin’ class, but a lot of it was book study too. We had t’ learn what t’ tell people as we arrest ‘em on account of some guy named Miranda or somethin’, I don’t remember th’ history so much. Never was good at that.” He started to toss the ball to Butterfly, then paused. “No more nasty jokes in yer questions, or ah’m gonna stop answerin’ ‘em.” He tossed it.
Butterfly caught the ball in both hands and smiled at him. “Did you miss any of us in particular while you were gone? Or just all of us? Or, none of us?” She threw it back to him.
Scout held the ball thoughtfully for a moment. “Ah missed all of ya, of course. But ah think ah missed Coco th’ most. She always hung out with me more’n th’ rest’a ya, anyway, on account of she lives across th’ street from me.” Coco lay her head on his shoulder and scooted closer to him. He didn’t understand girls. Two minutes ago she was threatening to break his ribs, and now she wanted to lay on him? He tossed the ball to Sunny dejectedly, but Shade intercepted it.
He stared at Scout with those brilliant blue eyes for a moment, then grinned. “Do you know why Coco keeps elbowing you?” His toss brought the ball bouncing off the floor and into Scout’s lap.
Scout shook his head. “Not a clue. But ah wish she’d stop. It hurts.” There was a collective giggle from the group, and Scout looked around. Apparently, there was a collective agreement between them, unspoken, not to let him in on the joke. “What? What’s so funny?” He put his ears back crankily when nobody answered. “... Fine, don’t tell me. Ah’ll figure it out. Eventually.”
Shade smirked at him. “I sure hope so. It’s a good one.”
Sunny grinned. “A really good one. And I hope you figure it out soon. Otherwise you might end up bruised all over.”
Coco glared around at them, then lay her head on Scout’s shoulder again. “Don’t listen to them, they’re just being mean.”
“YE’RE bein’ mean.”
“Hmm, only a little. You know you like me.” She teased playfully.
“Ah do. Ah guess.” He tossed the ball back in the toybox. “Ah don’ wanna answer any more questions. Ah gotta use th’ outhouse, then let’s watch a movie or somethin’.” Coco let him up, and he went upstairs.
They all looked at each other, then, aside from Shade, burst out laughing. Coco blushed heavily, looking down.
Butterfly snickered. “Oh my DOG. How does he not NOTICE?!”
August raised a hand excitedly. “Let’s take bets. How long before he figures it out? I’m guessing AT LEAST another month!”
Sunny grinned. “Nah, it’s gonna be two months!”
Coco scowled at them. “You guys are awful! And don’t you DARE tell him!”
Butterfly snickered. “Oh, it’s gonna be AT LEAST a year.”
Coco huffed, her ears going back and her face turning red. “I hate this so much. Knock it off!”
Last edited by GingaDensetsuAleu on Wed Aug 14, 2024 9:15 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Amazee Dayzee
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
You know Coco if you want the teasing to stop you should just tell Scout how you feel yourself because I am pretty sure he feels the same way. He's just too dumb to realize it. XD
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
Nahhh. He'll figure it out. Eventually. Maybe.
You know what maybe she should...
You know what maybe she should...
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Amazee Dayzee
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
And when she does she should use puppets to explain it to him! Puppets make everything better which is why Madonna used them in a music video!
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
<Previous First Final>
-------
Chapter 26: The Riddle
Scout paced in his house quietly, listening to the quiet ticking of the clock. It had already been a week since graduation, and he was only just getting some time to himself to think about Pandora’s riddle.
“What comes before th’ little baby lamb?” He mumbled to himself, looking at the ceiling.
He, of course, knew what went INTO making a lamb. The ram and any of the lady sheep would ask for some privacy, mate, and a little less than six months later, Scout would help birth the new baby lamb. But what did that have to do with Coco?!
He sighed and went out for some fresh air. His side ached where Coco had been elbowing him the other day. He rubbed it absently, thinking hard. “Before th’ lamb, comes… snugglin’?” A breeze ruffled his fur, and he grinned, watching the neighbor corgi and his mate snuggling on the porch while their three cubs played in the yard.
He tilted his head. The pups were pretty cute. He supposed pups came from about the same place, the two dogs would find some privacy and do adult things to one another, and then later, puppies would be born. He sighed and shook his head. It was like the answer was right there, and his mind refused to grasp it.
He visited the dog park, watching the dogs playing as he approached, but didn’t join in. He was too busy thinking. As he walked around, he spotted Sunny in the crowd, and tilted his head. Sunny was never without Shade. After a few moments, he spotted Shade, not in the crowd, but sitting on a bench, watching. The black corgi in his hoodie had some headphones on, but they didn’t seem to be connected to anything.
As Scout approached, he figured out why. The group was being particularly noisy today, arguing and shouting and hollering joyfully. Shade’s sensitive ears would probably hate this kind of noise, so he was probably using the big headphones to muffle the sound. He grumbled, angry he was able to solve that riddle so fast while being stuck on the one that mattered.
He scooted up onto the bench next to Shade, and the corgi grinned up at him, slipping one of the speakers off his ear. “Hey, Scout. How’s your vacation going?”
Scout shrugged. “Ah’ve got a problem. Mah frien’ from school, Pandora, told me that th’ reason Coco’s been hittin’ me has somethin’ t’ do with ‘What comes before th’ little baby lamb,’ but ah can’t fer th’ life’a me puzzle out what she meant.” Before Shade could get the wrong idea, he added quickly, “Ah know what goes int’ makin’ babies, but ah don’ know what that has t’ do with Coco.”
Shade nodded, looking at him with those eyes of his. They never failed to startle Scout with how deep and intelligent they looked. After a few moments, Shade spoke. “It’s less what comes before the lamb, but what comes before THAT, that’s why she’s hitting you. Not the act of making the lamb itself, but the part before.” He patted Scout’s back. “I’ll give you a hint of my own, but I can’t tell you. She asked us all not to.” He thought for a moment, looking for a way to put it. “She… wants something from you. Something you can give, that won’t cost you anything, but you have to figure out what.”
Scout put his ears back, thinking. “Somethin’ ah can give her? Somethin’ that don’t cost nothin’? Like what?”
Shade put a hand on his shoulder and gripped it firmly, giving him a little shake. “Something the ram gives a sheep. Something your Ma gave your Paw, and gives to you, too. Something I give to Sunny.” Scout gave him a strange look, looking from him to Sunny and back. Shade pulled a dog biscuit out of his hoodie pocket and pressed it into Scout’s hand. “You think about that. I think you’ll get it. Now, I have to get going. I have a therapy appointment.” He slid down off the bench, putting his headphone back on, and went to stand at the edge of the field until Sunny broke off from the crowd to give him a hug, then see him off as he walked away.
Scout watched him go, turning the biscuit in his hand. A few minutes later, he left himself, tucking the biscuit into his collar thoughtfully.
He ran into Butterfly next. She didn’t immediately see him; she was busy holding a hose and spraying some flowers with water. Her tail wagged idly as she did, slowly rotating to get the whole garden and spraying Scout before she even spotted him.
“Hey!” He sputtered, putting his hands in front of his face to stop the water from hitting him. She turned off the sprayer head and snickered.
“Oops. Sorry, Scout. Dad asked me to water his flowers. I wasn’t paying attention.” She looked him over. “At least it probably felt good in this heat. And you’ll dry off.” She tossed the hose aside. “So, what’s up?”
Scout told her. “Ah bumped int’ Shade, and he said, Coco wants somethin’ from me that Ma gives Paw and he gives Sunny… or somethin’ like that. Ah dunno. Why can’t anybody just gimme a straight answer?”
Butterfly laughed out loud, munching on Scout’s biscuit. Scout frowned and checked his collar. It was, indeed, his biscuit. How did she DO that? “Because you’re so CLUELESS. You really should have figured it out by now!” She poked him in the chest. “I have no idea how you got through the academy if you’re missing all the clues she’s been throwing your way. She really can’t be much clearer.”
Scout huffed. “Can’t she?”
“Look, just go see her. Talk to her. Ask her, about her. Trust me, it’ll help you get there.” She picked up the sprayer and pointed it at him threateningly. “Go. Now, or I’m gonna spray you again.”
He squealed when she activated the sprayer, jumping back. “Assaultin’ an officer- OKAY ah’m goin’, ah’m goin’!” He dodged the water as she turned the hose back toward him again, then darted off down the street, out of range.
August grinned at him from the shade beneath the tree in his own yard. “You gotta watch out for Butterfly when she’s got a hose. She gets a little power mad. Looks like she gotcha.” He pointed at Scout’s wet face. Scout trotted over and sat under the tree with him.
“Yeah, she wasn’t watchin’. Got me while she was waterin’ th’ flowers.” He shook his head to get rid of any excess moisture.
“Oh, she definitely saw you. She just likes spraying people. There’s a reason we don’t play water wars over at Sunny’s house. We got in trouble for the water bill last time.” He looked over at Scout curiously. “Still thinking about Coco, huh?”
Scout told August about Pandora’s riddle, Shade’s addendum and additional riddle, and about Butterfly’s suggestion.
“It’s a good suggestion. I have a better one.” He got up and walked over toward his house, sticking his gray-mottled hand into a rose bush and using a claw to break off a branch with a rose on it, then using his thumb to break off all the thorns before handing it to Scout. “Here, give this to her when you do.”
Scout blinked at the rose. “It’s a flower. She’s got flowers jus’ like it in her own yard.” He sniffed it. Particularly pungent. He’d never really liked the way roses smelled, but Ma loved them.
August grinned and gave Scout a push. “Just go. Trust me, you’ll get it later.”
Scout stumbled onto the sidewalk from the grass. “Okay, okay, pushy. Ah’m goin’.” He started walking and didn’t stop until he’d gone up Coco’s driveway and to the front door. He rang the bell, and Coco answered a few moments later. She grinned at him. He awkwardly held out the rose. “Ah… brought ye a flower. Ah thought we could… talk?”
Coco grinned and took the flower, sniffing it, then waved Scout to enter. He went in and looked around. He’d never been in Coco’s house before; it was decorated heavily in a mix of floral patterns and pink camo; a rifle hung over the door, and a big decorative placard with a mounted set of deer antlers declared “We hunt in this house” as it hung over the mantle. The fireplace wasn’t turned on right now because it was hot outside, but Scout could imagine it felt pretty cozy when the fire was on.
Coco couldn’t reach any vases, so she put the rose in a glass of water and sat next to Scout on the couch. They chatted, and Scout quickly forgot the riddle as the minutes stretched into hours. They talked, joked, and laughed, swapping stories and having a nice time, just the two of them. When it came time for Scout to go home, at Coco’s mom’s insistence, she walked him to the door, then leaned across to him and rubbed noses with him.
Scout blinked. “Oh…” After a moment, his eyes lit up with understanding, as everything fell into place. What came before the baby lamb? What did Ma give Paw and Scout? What did Shade give Sunny? What could Scout give Coco that didn’t cost anything? He blushed heavily. “... Oh!” He leaned forward and took Coco’s hand, looking in her eyes, then giving her a kiss.
Love.
-------
Chapter 26: The Riddle
Scout paced in his house quietly, listening to the quiet ticking of the clock. It had already been a week since graduation, and he was only just getting some time to himself to think about Pandora’s riddle.
“What comes before th’ little baby lamb?” He mumbled to himself, looking at the ceiling.
He, of course, knew what went INTO making a lamb. The ram and any of the lady sheep would ask for some privacy, mate, and a little less than six months later, Scout would help birth the new baby lamb. But what did that have to do with Coco?!
He sighed and went out for some fresh air. His side ached where Coco had been elbowing him the other day. He rubbed it absently, thinking hard. “Before th’ lamb, comes… snugglin’?” A breeze ruffled his fur, and he grinned, watching the neighbor corgi and his mate snuggling on the porch while their three cubs played in the yard.
He tilted his head. The pups were pretty cute. He supposed pups came from about the same place, the two dogs would find some privacy and do adult things to one another, and then later, puppies would be born. He sighed and shook his head. It was like the answer was right there, and his mind refused to grasp it.
He visited the dog park, watching the dogs playing as he approached, but didn’t join in. He was too busy thinking. As he walked around, he spotted Sunny in the crowd, and tilted his head. Sunny was never without Shade. After a few moments, he spotted Shade, not in the crowd, but sitting on a bench, watching. The black corgi in his hoodie had some headphones on, but they didn’t seem to be connected to anything.
As Scout approached, he figured out why. The group was being particularly noisy today, arguing and shouting and hollering joyfully. Shade’s sensitive ears would probably hate this kind of noise, so he was probably using the big headphones to muffle the sound. He grumbled, angry he was able to solve that riddle so fast while being stuck on the one that mattered.
He scooted up onto the bench next to Shade, and the corgi grinned up at him, slipping one of the speakers off his ear. “Hey, Scout. How’s your vacation going?”
Scout shrugged. “Ah’ve got a problem. Mah frien’ from school, Pandora, told me that th’ reason Coco’s been hittin’ me has somethin’ t’ do with ‘What comes before th’ little baby lamb,’ but ah can’t fer th’ life’a me puzzle out what she meant.” Before Shade could get the wrong idea, he added quickly, “Ah know what goes int’ makin’ babies, but ah don’ know what that has t’ do with Coco.”
Shade nodded, looking at him with those eyes of his. They never failed to startle Scout with how deep and intelligent they looked. After a few moments, Shade spoke. “It’s less what comes before the lamb, but what comes before THAT, that’s why she’s hitting you. Not the act of making the lamb itself, but the part before.” He patted Scout’s back. “I’ll give you a hint of my own, but I can’t tell you. She asked us all not to.” He thought for a moment, looking for a way to put it. “She… wants something from you. Something you can give, that won’t cost you anything, but you have to figure out what.”
Scout put his ears back, thinking. “Somethin’ ah can give her? Somethin’ that don’t cost nothin’? Like what?”
Shade put a hand on his shoulder and gripped it firmly, giving him a little shake. “Something the ram gives a sheep. Something your Ma gave your Paw, and gives to you, too. Something I give to Sunny.” Scout gave him a strange look, looking from him to Sunny and back. Shade pulled a dog biscuit out of his hoodie pocket and pressed it into Scout’s hand. “You think about that. I think you’ll get it. Now, I have to get going. I have a therapy appointment.” He slid down off the bench, putting his headphone back on, and went to stand at the edge of the field until Sunny broke off from the crowd to give him a hug, then see him off as he walked away.
Scout watched him go, turning the biscuit in his hand. A few minutes later, he left himself, tucking the biscuit into his collar thoughtfully.
He ran into Butterfly next. She didn’t immediately see him; she was busy holding a hose and spraying some flowers with water. Her tail wagged idly as she did, slowly rotating to get the whole garden and spraying Scout before she even spotted him.
“Hey!” He sputtered, putting his hands in front of his face to stop the water from hitting him. She turned off the sprayer head and snickered.
“Oops. Sorry, Scout. Dad asked me to water his flowers. I wasn’t paying attention.” She looked him over. “At least it probably felt good in this heat. And you’ll dry off.” She tossed the hose aside. “So, what’s up?”
Scout told her. “Ah bumped int’ Shade, and he said, Coco wants somethin’ from me that Ma gives Paw and he gives Sunny… or somethin’ like that. Ah dunno. Why can’t anybody just gimme a straight answer?”
Butterfly laughed out loud, munching on Scout’s biscuit. Scout frowned and checked his collar. It was, indeed, his biscuit. How did she DO that? “Because you’re so CLUELESS. You really should have figured it out by now!” She poked him in the chest. “I have no idea how you got through the academy if you’re missing all the clues she’s been throwing your way. She really can’t be much clearer.”
Scout huffed. “Can’t she?”
“Look, just go see her. Talk to her. Ask her, about her. Trust me, it’ll help you get there.” She picked up the sprayer and pointed it at him threateningly. “Go. Now, or I’m gonna spray you again.”
He squealed when she activated the sprayer, jumping back. “Assaultin’ an officer- OKAY ah’m goin’, ah’m goin’!” He dodged the water as she turned the hose back toward him again, then darted off down the street, out of range.
August grinned at him from the shade beneath the tree in his own yard. “You gotta watch out for Butterfly when she’s got a hose. She gets a little power mad. Looks like she gotcha.” He pointed at Scout’s wet face. Scout trotted over and sat under the tree with him.
“Yeah, she wasn’t watchin’. Got me while she was waterin’ th’ flowers.” He shook his head to get rid of any excess moisture.
“Oh, she definitely saw you. She just likes spraying people. There’s a reason we don’t play water wars over at Sunny’s house. We got in trouble for the water bill last time.” He looked over at Scout curiously. “Still thinking about Coco, huh?”
Scout told August about Pandora’s riddle, Shade’s addendum and additional riddle, and about Butterfly’s suggestion.
“It’s a good suggestion. I have a better one.” He got up and walked over toward his house, sticking his gray-mottled hand into a rose bush and using a claw to break off a branch with a rose on it, then using his thumb to break off all the thorns before handing it to Scout. “Here, give this to her when you do.”
Scout blinked at the rose. “It’s a flower. She’s got flowers jus’ like it in her own yard.” He sniffed it. Particularly pungent. He’d never really liked the way roses smelled, but Ma loved them.
August grinned and gave Scout a push. “Just go. Trust me, you’ll get it later.”
Scout stumbled onto the sidewalk from the grass. “Okay, okay, pushy. Ah’m goin’.” He started walking and didn’t stop until he’d gone up Coco’s driveway and to the front door. He rang the bell, and Coco answered a few moments later. She grinned at him. He awkwardly held out the rose. “Ah… brought ye a flower. Ah thought we could… talk?”
Coco grinned and took the flower, sniffing it, then waved Scout to enter. He went in and looked around. He’d never been in Coco’s house before; it was decorated heavily in a mix of floral patterns and pink camo; a rifle hung over the door, and a big decorative placard with a mounted set of deer antlers declared “We hunt in this house” as it hung over the mantle. The fireplace wasn’t turned on right now because it was hot outside, but Scout could imagine it felt pretty cozy when the fire was on.
Coco couldn’t reach any vases, so she put the rose in a glass of water and sat next to Scout on the couch. They chatted, and Scout quickly forgot the riddle as the minutes stretched into hours. They talked, joked, and laughed, swapping stories and having a nice time, just the two of them. When it came time for Scout to go home, at Coco’s mom’s insistence, she walked him to the door, then leaned across to him and rubbed noses with him.
Scout blinked. “Oh…” After a moment, his eyes lit up with understanding, as everything fell into place. What came before the baby lamb? What did Ma give Paw and Scout? What did Shade give Sunny? What could Scout give Coco that didn’t cost anything? He blushed heavily. “... Oh!” He leaned forward and took Coco’s hand, looking in her eyes, then giving her a kiss.
Love.
Last edited by GingaDensetsuAleu on Fri Aug 16, 2024 7:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
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Amazee Dayzee
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
It TOOK him long enough to realize why Coco had been hitting him and being jealous of him spending time with other females. I'm just disappointed that nobody used sock puppets to explain. Sock puppets are really fun and educational!
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
He got it EVENTUALLY. That counts for SOMETHING, right?
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You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
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Amazee Dayzee
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
Indeed it does and I knew that he would in the end. I just hope he doesn't screw it up.
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
Well there's only one chapter left so if he does, it won't be until Scout 2.
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You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
<Previous First
Thank you all so much for reading. I enjoyed taking this journey with you and watching my characters learning and growing.
-----
Chapter 27: The End
Wind rustled through the prairie grasses as Scout stood firmly on his rock, watching over the flock. He smiled sadly down at them, then turned, dropping his staff and walking away.
As he walked, the landscape changed. Houses sprouted up out of the ground, stones stretched out into roads, the grass grew shorter and became neatly manicured lawns. Wildflowers arranged themselves into neat beds. Trees grew in neat, orderly rows, one in every yard.
Scout found himself standing in front of a police station, holding hands with Coco, his new friends surrounding him, as he protected them from thugs. They were his flock now, his friends. Coco, Pandora, August, Butterfly, Sunny, Shade, Ruth, even Ma and Paw stood beside him as he smiled, tugging on his police vest.
He turned and put out his arms, receiving a group hug from everybody, nuzzling into them. They were warm, soft. His heart beat strongly in his chest, and he smiled, his tail wagging. They needed him, and he needed them. Togetherness. Synergy.
The sound of an alarm clock gently reverberated through the air.
Fumble. Find the alarm. Turn it off.
Scout yawned and stretched, taking a deep breath of his wool blanket before folding it up and placing it back into his basket. He stumbled upstairs for a warm shower, scrubbing himself dry with a towel before running a brush through his fur quickly.
He went downstairs for breakfast, munching thoughtfully on his bowlful of kibbles and cup of coffee as he started to slowly wake up. Ma’s new car, a little used four-door sedan, was still in the driveway, but Paw’s truck was already gone for the day. Once he finished eating, he put his bowl in the sink and went out back. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon as he wound up his slingshot and fired a few marbles at the targets mounted to the back fence, hearing a satisfying thunk each time he heard one hit its target.
He took a deep breath. The wind rustled through the grass, a little longer than it should have been, but only because Paw hadn’t had a chance to mow it this weekend.
The kitchen light turned on, and Scout went inside to hug Ma as she packed her lunch. She ruffled his headfluff. “Mmm. Good morning, kiddo. First day of work, you nervous?”
Scout grinned, wagging his tail. “Excited. Mungo’s gonna come pick me up on his police scooter in about an hour.”
Ma smiled at him. “You be good. Don’t go showing up your superior officers, even though you’re a better cop than them. Let them think they’re better, at least for now.” She joked playfully.
“Maaa, that ain’t how it works, an’ you know it!” He fixed his headfluff and beamed up at her.
She grinned. “All right, kiddo. I gotta go to work. Be a good boy, stay out of trouble. But if you do get into trouble, make sure you kick some heinie. I’ll see you in a week or two when you have your break.” She leaned down and kissed his nose.
“Ah love ya, Ma. Have a nice day at work, an’ ah’ll see you real soon!” He walked her to the door, watched her put her boots on, and then waited until she drove away to close the door. He had a few more minutes.
He went to his basket and grinned, pulling on his vest, swapping out his collar. He knew he didn’t need to show up in his uniform, ready to go, and that there were lockers at the station, but he was too excited to wait. He would bring his regular collar and change out of his uniform before he came home, though.
He slung his slingshot bag over his shoulder, then checked that his bola wasn’t tangled before carefully winding it up and placing it in the special pouch that had been added to his vest just for carrying it. He looked at himself in the mirror, giddily examining himself. “Hmm.. maybe ah should get some sunglasses. That would look really cool.”
He did his stretches, checked that he had everything, then walked out the front door, locking it just as Mungo came into view on the police scooter. He ran to the driveway to greet the larger dog, shaking his hand and starting to climb on the scooter before pausing. “Just a sec, Mungo. Ah’ll be right back.”
He got back off the scooter, then darted across the street, knocking on the door. He waited a moment, knocked again, then waited another few moments. Just when he thought nobody was going to answer, the door opened, and Coco looked out groggily. She woke up quickly when she saw Scout all dressed up in his new uniform, and she grinned. “Give us a spin, lemme see you!”
Scout grinned and span slowly in place for her. Her tail wagged almost as much as his did. “You off to your first day?”
“Yeah. Mah ride’s here, but ah couldn’t leave without sayin’ goodbye.” He reached out to shake her hand, but she hugged him instead. He grinned, wagging his tail, and gave her a kiss.
“Mm… Go get ‘em, Scout. You’re the best special officer in the force.” She kissed him back happily.
Mungo honked the scooter’s horn, and Scout stepped back. “Ah gotta go. Love ya, puppy.”
“Love ya, babe. See you on your break?”
“The minute ah get home.” He promised, backing down the driveway and turning to run back across the street to Mungo. “Sorry, ah had t’ say goodbye t’ mah girlfriend.”
Mungo smiled and gave Coco a wave. “She’s cute. You’re a very lucky dog.”
“Yeah.” Scout said with a grin as he put on his helmet and climbed onto the scooter. “Yes, ah am.”
The end
Thank you all so much for reading. I enjoyed taking this journey with you and watching my characters learning and growing.
-----
Chapter 27: The End
Wind rustled through the prairie grasses as Scout stood firmly on his rock, watching over the flock. He smiled sadly down at them, then turned, dropping his staff and walking away.
As he walked, the landscape changed. Houses sprouted up out of the ground, stones stretched out into roads, the grass grew shorter and became neatly manicured lawns. Wildflowers arranged themselves into neat beds. Trees grew in neat, orderly rows, one in every yard.
Scout found himself standing in front of a police station, holding hands with Coco, his new friends surrounding him, as he protected them from thugs. They were his flock now, his friends. Coco, Pandora, August, Butterfly, Sunny, Shade, Ruth, even Ma and Paw stood beside him as he smiled, tugging on his police vest.
He turned and put out his arms, receiving a group hug from everybody, nuzzling into them. They were warm, soft. His heart beat strongly in his chest, and he smiled, his tail wagging. They needed him, and he needed them. Togetherness. Synergy.
The sound of an alarm clock gently reverberated through the air.
Fumble. Find the alarm. Turn it off.
Scout yawned and stretched, taking a deep breath of his wool blanket before folding it up and placing it back into his basket. He stumbled upstairs for a warm shower, scrubbing himself dry with a towel before running a brush through his fur quickly.
He went downstairs for breakfast, munching thoughtfully on his bowlful of kibbles and cup of coffee as he started to slowly wake up. Ma’s new car, a little used four-door sedan, was still in the driveway, but Paw’s truck was already gone for the day. Once he finished eating, he put his bowl in the sink and went out back. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon as he wound up his slingshot and fired a few marbles at the targets mounted to the back fence, hearing a satisfying thunk each time he heard one hit its target.
He took a deep breath. The wind rustled through the grass, a little longer than it should have been, but only because Paw hadn’t had a chance to mow it this weekend.
The kitchen light turned on, and Scout went inside to hug Ma as she packed her lunch. She ruffled his headfluff. “Mmm. Good morning, kiddo. First day of work, you nervous?”
Scout grinned, wagging his tail. “Excited. Mungo’s gonna come pick me up on his police scooter in about an hour.”
Ma smiled at him. “You be good. Don’t go showing up your superior officers, even though you’re a better cop than them. Let them think they’re better, at least for now.” She joked playfully.
“Maaa, that ain’t how it works, an’ you know it!” He fixed his headfluff and beamed up at her.
She grinned. “All right, kiddo. I gotta go to work. Be a good boy, stay out of trouble. But if you do get into trouble, make sure you kick some heinie. I’ll see you in a week or two when you have your break.” She leaned down and kissed his nose.
“Ah love ya, Ma. Have a nice day at work, an’ ah’ll see you real soon!” He walked her to the door, watched her put her boots on, and then waited until she drove away to close the door. He had a few more minutes.
He went to his basket and grinned, pulling on his vest, swapping out his collar. He knew he didn’t need to show up in his uniform, ready to go, and that there were lockers at the station, but he was too excited to wait. He would bring his regular collar and change out of his uniform before he came home, though.
He slung his slingshot bag over his shoulder, then checked that his bola wasn’t tangled before carefully winding it up and placing it in the special pouch that had been added to his vest just for carrying it. He looked at himself in the mirror, giddily examining himself. “Hmm.. maybe ah should get some sunglasses. That would look really cool.”
He did his stretches, checked that he had everything, then walked out the front door, locking it just as Mungo came into view on the police scooter. He ran to the driveway to greet the larger dog, shaking his hand and starting to climb on the scooter before pausing. “Just a sec, Mungo. Ah’ll be right back.”
He got back off the scooter, then darted across the street, knocking on the door. He waited a moment, knocked again, then waited another few moments. Just when he thought nobody was going to answer, the door opened, and Coco looked out groggily. She woke up quickly when she saw Scout all dressed up in his new uniform, and she grinned. “Give us a spin, lemme see you!”
Scout grinned and span slowly in place for her. Her tail wagged almost as much as his did. “You off to your first day?”
“Yeah. Mah ride’s here, but ah couldn’t leave without sayin’ goodbye.” He reached out to shake her hand, but she hugged him instead. He grinned, wagging his tail, and gave her a kiss.
“Mm… Go get ‘em, Scout. You’re the best special officer in the force.” She kissed him back happily.
Mungo honked the scooter’s horn, and Scout stepped back. “Ah gotta go. Love ya, puppy.”
“Love ya, babe. See you on your break?”
“The minute ah get home.” He promised, backing down the driveway and turning to run back across the street to Mungo. “Sorry, ah had t’ say goodbye t’ mah girlfriend.”
Mungo smiled and gave Coco a wave. “She’s cute. You’re a very lucky dog.”
“Yeah.” Scout said with a grin as he put on his helmet and climbed onto the scooter. “Yes, ah am.”
The end
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
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Amazee Dayzee
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
Now this makes me want to go look at pictures of the other K-9s in their vests because of how cute they all look. Anyway I am so glad that Scout and Coco are together and happy. Now he needs to make sure he just doesn't screw it up. 
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GingaDensetsuAleu
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
I hope the story's conclusion was satisfying for you. 
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
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Amazee Dayzee
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
I did really like and thought that it was a very fulfilling ending to a fabulous story! I can't wait to continue reading the next stories you will post!
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CunningFox
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Re: Scout: A tail of Babylon Gardens
Great story. Hope to see more of Scout soon.