Gone to the Dogs

Posted on Sun 22nd Jul, 2018 @ 12:36pm by

1,404 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Oblivion
Location: Arboretum
Timeline: MD 5, 10:00

"All I'm saying," Yucholl repeated for at least the nineth time, "is that...." She broke off as her companion Aiko dropped her school bag and flung wide her arms.

"Eight!" she cried, apparently at an Andorran gentleman and his quadruped companion.

Yucholl's brow furrowed in confusion. She was a young lady of a Lamian species, Dracaena most likely, with dark hair and a long, green, snake-like lower body. Like her human companion, she wore a white blouse, royal blue sweater vest with a shield-shaped patch on the left side of the chest displaying a crowned sword between two fleurs-de-lis, and a predominately navy-blue pleated tartan skirt. "Eight?" she said, uncertainly.

"Not eight," Aiko said in exasperation. "Stop relying on your autotranslator! Hachi! The most famous Akita who ever lived!" She pointed at the quadurped, and enthused, "like that one! Mister, may I pet your dog?"

"You're not worried about being bitten?" he laughed, stopping in front of the girls. "Nah, you're safe with this one. Go ahead. He'd probably follow you home if I let him. He loves everyone, especially anyone who will take him for a walk." Tieran was surprised to find that if the dog did, indeed, follow this girl home, he'd be missed. "So you know the breed?"

Aiko approached the dog carefully, her hands held out, back first so the animal could smell her without the threat of her fingers being ready to grab. "Akita Inu? Yeah; they're the largest of the Japanese breeds -- um, they come from the same island chain my ancestors did. Well, half my ancestors, anyway." The dog looked at her, and up at the Andorran and then back at her, before sniffing cautiously. "They're a working breed that bonds tightly with their family."

Tieran rather liked the idea of the pup bonding with him, but then all her words registered. "Largest?" he asked, looking down at his puppy with misgivings. "Just how large are we talking? Have I bought something that will grow to rival ... what's that earth animal? An elefanz? Is it literally going to eat me out of my quarters?"

Aiko laughed out loud. "No; we're talking about 20 or 25 kilos." She held her hand up. "His head will end up about here. But... wait... you don't know this stuff? You bought an Akita inu without doing research?"

The Andorian looked at her a moment and then said, "My people don't have pets. We don't have animals who could be pets. I don't know about being a pet person. So, no, I didn't research. I didn't know research was required." He looked at his dog, so small now, and so helpless in some ways. This required research?

"I did talk to the pet store owner, and I talked to the rescue group, then I bought the cute puppy, with food, leash, bowls, and other things I was assured I needed. Or HE needed, rather. It sounds like you know a fair amount about them. Would you care to get your parents' permission to come to my store and give me pointers?"

"Wait... wait." Aiko looked fairly boggled. "The pet shop person sold an Akita Inu to not just a first-time dog parent, but a first time pet parent?!" She held up her hands by her head, fingers spread, and rapidly moved them away, pantomiming her mind being blown. "You have two major issues that are going to bite you in the butt, and soon! First, Akitas are working dogs; you're going to have to give him a job, or he'll give himself one. And if he decides his job is to chew up everything in your home that's made of wood, you're suddenly going to discover that you didn't know how much wood you owned!"

"Well, if it's only wood, we're safe, as that isn't something Andorians use. I thought I'd have him guarding the store. Are you saying that's not a good idea? That he'll eat my stock? Bite my customers? So far, he hasn't snipped at anyone." His antenna were practically whipping around his head in his agitation. Tieran was a little annoyed at the girl, even if she did have more information about this animal than he did. In all fairness, he probably should have done some research, but who knew that pets were something requiring more than food and an occasional pat on the head?

"Maybe I should just take Sheni ch'Firria home and feed her some wood," he huffed at the girls, glancing at the second, and so far, quiet one.

Yucholl spread her hands while raising her shoulders in a gesture of bafflement. She had no idea where this flood of information was coming from; she'd never even noticed Aiko paying attention to dogs before.

Aiko smiled warmly at the Andorran. "I'm sorry. I know this is a flood of information, and it's difficult to grasp all at once. But I really am trying to make things smoother for both of you. Do you read for enjoyment?"

"What? Yes, of course I do. What does that have to do with my dog? Is he going to eat my books, too?" Tieran was somewhere between frustrated and amused, at the dog, at the girl, at life in general. If he'd known how much trouble pets were, he wouldn't ever have started down this path. Having started, having become some sort of partial friend with the animal, he didn't think it would be fair to abandon him now. He sighed deeply.

"Okay, then you can take this at your own pace," Aiko said with a grin. "As long as you do it before he" she nodded at the dog, "decides that he's the boss of you." She looked at the Andorran gentleman pointedly. "Two books. One: How to be Your Dog's Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete. Second, What You Need to Know About Akitas, by Rex Burns."

The Andorian scrambled for his PADD. "Hang on a minute." He pulled it out of his pocket and flipped to a fresh message. That was How to be Your Dog's Best Friend, and ... All About Akitas?" It didn't sound like she was interested in coming to teach him in person, but he could read, even in Standard Terran. Really, it was nice of her to bother. It sounded like he needed to take a firmer hand with the puppy ... maybe treat it like an Andorian two-year-old!

"What You Need to Know About Akitas," Aiko corrected. She leaned over and grabbed her school bag, dragged her own PADD out of it. "Here... I'll give you a link and a coupon, if you buy them through Pale Moon Books," she said, writing out the coupon and looking for an Andorran name in the near-field network.

"th'Elex," he said. "Thanks. I guess that's your folks' business? The book store?" He grinned at her, "You're a great sales rep for them. If you want to switch to technology sales, let me know. I might find an opening for you."

The Human girl smiled. "MacBeth. And there's no 'folks,' just Dad and me. I own forty percent of the business." She finished sending the file, patted the dog once on the head, and stood. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. th'Elex. And you, Sheni." The dog's tail thumped once at her mention of his name. The girl bowed politely and then waved, moving on.

The snake-bodied girl shrugged at the Andorran again, and followed in her leggy friend's wake. "You don't even have a dog!" she exclaimed. "How did you... oh, wait. Wait. Senpai is a member of the Spinward Marches Kennel Club, isn't she? It all makes sense, now!"

"What?" Aiko said, her cheeks turning red. "Shut up! I do so have a dog!"

"Where do you keep it?" Yucholl challenged.

"Shaggy? You've met him... big? Gray? Hairy? Looks like a rug? Often lies behind the desk in the shop?"

"That thing?" Yucholl looked incredulous. "No way that's the same species as that man's pet! I thought Shaggy was some kind of mutant giant tribble or something!"

Aiko just laughed and shook her head. "Shaggy is a purebred interstellar mutt. And if you doubt it, just try getting past him with french fries!"

 

RSS Feed