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]

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."