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[ There are two brown puppies eating a Christmas pudding off the floor when the camera activates, little tails wagging as they trip over paws that they have yet to grow into. Their muzzles are oddly long even now, but they're not quite as bulky as they will be -- not yet.

A quiet chuckle from behind the locket reveals, to those who may have heard it, the surprising owner of the pups -- the Outsider. The smaller of the pups looks up from the pudding at the sound and scampers over, whining and pawing at his legs until the Outsider bends down to scoop the little one up. The locket, which is floating in midair via magic, is pushed back -- just in time for any viewers to watch as the pup attempts to burrow into the Outsider's shirt. ]

You are unlike others of your kind, little one, [ the god murmurs, smoothing a hand over floppy brown ears. The other pup is still eating the pudding, though at this point it looks more like she's getting in a fight with it. ]

In my world, Wolfhounds are kept and trained by Overseers of the Abbey to hunt heretics. That I should now have a pair myself is rather ironic and more than a little amusing. But then, they are terribly intelligent creatures.

[ The small pup licks at his chin and he starts, blinking. The locket turns off just as his mouth twists up until a slight smile. ]

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My rooms.

[ The rats are gone, luckily, or else he would have had two very dead puppies. ]

In Caer Scima, yes?

Yes. The door is unlocked.

[ Unlocked door?

Give Alice five minutes and she's there, but she'll at least knock before seh goes in. ]

[ Knock on the door?

BARKBARKBARKBARKBARKBARK, says one puppy. The other has completely settled inside the Outsider's shirt. The god himself is seated on a chair and opens the door with a wave of his hand. ]

Ah!

[ Alice actually doesn't mind being toppled over by a puppy when she kneels down at their level. They're cute, even if they look a little strange.

And Alice actually looks happy, she attempts to scoop up the little girl when he wiggles in her arms. ]

They're so darling! And stranger looking in person!

Edited 2014-12-16 06:53 (UTC)

[ The female puppy is brave, barking only ceasing when Alice scoops her up and she decides that it's clearly time to play. She wriggles further, pawing at Alice as the puppy's brother sticks her head out of the Outsider's shirt to look suspiciously at the newcomer. ]

They suit the world that we come from, [ he says, supporting the male pup with one arm and gently scooting it up to try and get the puppy out from his clothing. ]

[ She said that she was here to tire them out. Alice decides to let the puppy back on her feet as she playfully nudges her. She steps back, phasing out of swarm of butterflies to get the puppy to chase her. If there was one thing she distinctly remembered about Dinah and her kittens, they loved to be chased. There's nothing like a game of tag to wear about baby animals. She glances up to the Outsider once she finally has the puppy running after her. ]

They must smell very well, right?

[ So she just may be tormenting her friend by running around him in circles with a puppy. ]

[ Luckily, the swirl of butterflies and the chasing intrigues the male pup. After some more encouragement from the Outsider, he goes to chase Alice too -- after all, his friend is chasing her! That must mean it's okay, right? ]

Yes.

[ Alice will likely tire herself by phasing in and out of butterflies this much. If she has both puppies chasing her, then it's worth it. Right now, she tries to goad them both into chasing her, almost giggling when the sister pup attempts to snap at her in blue butterflies. They can't really hurt her if they paw at them, Alice will shamelessly have them run circles around the Outsider with her.

She's energetic today, too. And in between her phasing- ]

Will they be just as friendly when they're older?
[ ARE YOU IRRITATED YET, OUTSIDER? ]

Edited 2014-12-17 04:30 (UTC)

That will depend on how they are trained.

[ Both puppies eventually get into the spirit of chasing Alice, occasionally falling over on too-large paws or skidding across the floor when she abruptly changes directions. ]

I imagine they will remain friendly with you, yes.

[ At times, Alice can be a child. She lives up to that expectation by nearly laughing at them, with a soft huff. She keeps up with it, darting all over and giving them opportune time catch up with her. ]

Are you going to train them?

[ And secondly, does he need help. Alice starts again, getting them riled up as she bounces in a circle, clapping her hands and calling after them, while hiking up her skirts. This is the most fun she's had in a while. ]

I can help you, if you'd like.

I suppose I will have to, [ the Outsider says, slowly, as if it hadn't occurred to him. He's never had a living thing to look after, not truly; he hadn't interfered in his world and the Maidenfish are more than capable of taking care of themselves. ]

They do seem to like you.

[ She smiles as they make the upteenth lap around the Outsider with her, losing their speed and Alice is starting to get tired from phasing in and out of her swarm. ]

Well, puppies are children! They need entertainment as much as they do. See? I told you I would tire them out.

And I doubt the maidenfish would know what to do with them.

[ All three of them, he thinks, will be tired soon -- they may end up curled up together on the bed he never uses. He won't mind. ]

Yes. You've done well, [ he says, in the tone of one who isn't quite as certain they could do the same. ]

[ Just a bit more, she thinks, in between their yammering and barking, Alice has to catch her breath. She's stopped phasing in and out of her swarm and has opted to just genuinely chasing them around. ]

I used to do this all the time with my kittens! Well, minus the butterflies. I could only ever do that in Wonderland.

[ Naturally, she speaks more freely about Wonderland with the Outsider; it's a huge privilege, she trusts him out of anyone in her circle to know about it. He wouldn't corrupt it, not as long as the cat lurks about the corners in Wonderland. That would be an interesting meeting. ]

I still kittens are much more demanding. At least puppies don't climb on you with sharp claws.

You had kittens?

[ He hadn't been aware -- then again, he really knows very little of what she was once like, before Wonderland and the asylum. ]

They might, if they could.

When I was a little girl, yes. They have likely passed away from old age. They were Dinah's children, Snowdrop and Kitty. Mama wasn't very fond of them climbing her curtains, you see. Or knocking things over on the mantle.

[ Long ago, mentioning how the cats freely knocked things over would have brought grief, but Alice just smiles fondly. She's tired finally and so are the pups. Alice plops down with them. ]

That does seem to be a common theme in those with cats. They are useful animals, though -- perhaps not against a Pandyssian bull rat swarm, but against one or their young...

[ Always back to the rat plague.

Both puppies are quite content to flop down on Alice, snuggling in close. ]

Why? Are they very big rats? I know that cats sometimes don't care either way.

[ Of course, she's curious. And while she's happy to bask in the feeling of puppies snuggling close to her, Alice won't let him live this down. ]

About the size of the average cat, in fact.

[ They're huge and carnivorous and he loves them. :V ]

You don't have any of those here, do you?

[ She does want to see; rats would normally be disgusting to other women, but not Alice. Idly her hands find their way to one of the puppies heads, gently rubbing behind the ears. ]

What sort of things did you do while you were gone, Outsider? Where did you go?

I can summon them. They will not like the dogs, however.

[ Which is why there aren't any in the room at the moment, despite the fact that they usually are filling it. ]

I walked the halls of a wizard guild library in Cothromach. Everyone wore robes.

[ No, please don't summon rats right now. The puppies are cute sleeping next to her. It's cute how fast they breathe compared to older dogs. ]

A guild library? [ As fascinating as that is with wizard and robes... ]

Were there any interesting books?

One on the halfbreed daughters of sylphs and their ilk, [ the Outsider confirms, watching the puppies sleep. ]

I attempted to find a copy elsewhere for you, but it seems it is... not a common reading topic.

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