Jason's Flat, Brighton, UK - Sunday Afternoon

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

The tiny, wriggly puppy was having a very good day. The shelter was nice, but it wasn't anything like having a home. He missed his home, with people to cuddle him and shoes to eat.

The blonde girl had cuddled him, and he had licked her nose excitedly. And the boy had rubbed his belly, and how did he know that he liked belly rubs!? And then there had been lots of happy talk about him going home with them. Home! A real home!

He'd been so excited that he wore himself out. He slept most of the way to the flat.

It was okay, the girl said. He would have plenty of time to explore later.

(for one, but also OPEN to any who would call or e-mail either of the duo.)

Comments

[dark_slippy_thing]

"Well, of course he will," Valentine agreed, bending over to inspect the puppy. It seemed very... doggish, didn't it?

"Here, and there, and he had better not eat my juggling balls, I must say, or we'll be talking to the lessor about allowing us to build a doghouse on the balcony, you know."

All of this was said with a grin on his lips. Naturally. It was difficult not to grin when there was a small, snoozy, wriggly sort of puppy invading one's home for the first time.

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"Do not even think about banishing my puppy to that concrete slab they pretend is a balcony," Naminé laughed. Their puppy, but she was going to call him hers if he was going to tease. "If either of you have to sleep on that, I fear you'll be upset when you discover which it is."

He was the most adorable, wonderful, beautiful tiny thing in the world, wasn't he?

[dark_slippy_thing]

"I happen to know first-hand," Valentine replied indignantly, "exactly how comfortable concrete can be, you know. All you really need is a little..."

He waggled his fingers about, trying to find the proper word.

"Insulation? The puppy would insulate quite nicely, I suppose, should I have to spend the night in the doghouse. He'll need a name, you know."

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"The puppy," she said regally, "would be inside, keeping me warm, since I would be without your company in that regard. Though I daresay he wouldn't be half so good at it. He's awfully tiny to be a good warmer."

He was also simply adorable when his paws twitched as he slept, and Naminé would need a moment to coo appreciatively.

"Have you surrendered the idea of him being a 'Bonecrusher'?"

[dark_slippy_thing]

Cute puppy absolutely needed to be cooed at. Valentine would allow her a moment to do just that, while he made little 'awwww' faces at the puppy from behind her.

"Only if we're considering naming him something with a proper amount of flash and flair. We can't have a puppy in our home with a name like 'Spot,' after all."

Valentine would have decided the obvious name for the puppy, therefore, would have to be 'Valentine.' Except that could be problematic when explaining who chewed holes in Naminé' sandals, or who peed on the carpet.

Valentine did it!

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

Naminé was feeling adventurous. She successfully deposited herself on the couch and the puppy onto her lap without waking him. He gave a tiny whuffle and shifted his weight, and Naminé decided he was the most perfect, wonderful little thing to ever breathe. For possibly the eight time that day.

"We could name him after an artist," she suggested. "Though he doesn't look much like a Van Gogh or a Monet."

Really, the name 'Valentine' would only have saved Naminé time.

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine considered.

"Or perhaps Picasso, though his face does seem to be rather all in order, doesn't it?"

It did. It was a very well-organized puppy face, if ever Valentine had seen one.

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"Entirely in order," she sighed. "Do you think he'd make a good Picasso? Then again, Picasso had that whole blue period, and perhaps he'd be better off without a series of more maudlin works. And the gentleman in question was less than pleasant, I'm afraid."

She was going to carefully stroke his ears. Lightly, so she didn't wake him.

[dark_slippy_thing]

"Well. The last thing we want is an unpleasant, maudlin dog. What in the world would we do with an entire series of depressing paintings, done in shades of blue and dog-hair?"

He tapped his finger to his chin, considering this further.

"We could take his name from a song or something of the sort, instead. There was a gentleman by the name of Maxwell in a song I heard just the other day. He had a silver hammer..."

Perhaps not.

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"I think we should keep him away from hammers," she said wisely. "He could be Jean Valjean, bravely stealing bits of bread for his family and escaping the cruel hunt of Javert."

[dark_slippy_thing]

"Or perhaps Marcel Marceau," Valentine contributed. "A silent pioneer in the performing arts."

Emphasis, perhaps, on the 'silent' part.

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"I can't picture him ever being silent," she laughed. "What was it we said last time? You suggested Bonecrusher, and I nixed that fairly quickly, and I suggested Off-Broadway just to be playful. It's no name for a puppy, I think, though it would be amusing in its own way."

[dark_slippy_thing]

"And then I suggested Mr. Bojangles," Valentine agreed. "It's a wiggly sort of name, I think. So much as a name can be wiggly, of course."

It was a wiggly sort of puppy, at that. Perhaps it evened out?

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

The puppy, once again, whuffled. Possibly because Naminé shifted her own weight, gently. Possibly as a sign of approval.

"Do you suppose he'd dance for us?" she asked, smiling down at the sleeping figure on her lap. "He hasn't any shoes, but they'd be worn out if he did. Just the sort of gentleman who needs a good home."

[dark_slippy_thing]

"I still can't believe they keep them in cages," Valentine said, remembering his initial shock upon their entry into the shelter. "He'd certainly dance holes in their floor, I suppose, if he'd had full run of the place."

Valentine, naturally, had to reach over and scratch behind the puppy's ear, as well.

"A fitting name, perhaps?"

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"They had to," she said gently. "Lest they wander out the doors and promptly become lost. It's all right, Bojangles can have full run of the flat. He'll be all right."

It did seem to fit, didn't it?

[dark_slippy_thing]

"When he wakes up again," Valentine mused, "perhaps we can even teach him to dance."

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"I imagine he'll dance beautifully," she smiled. "While chewing on things we're fond of, like your juggling balls."