Blood Grim Forums

[Roderick Crepsley]

It was a wonderful gloomy day in the town, when Roderick had decide that he would emerge from the depths and safety of the forest he lived in to explore the town. He was clad in his usually attire. His dark jeans, a black t-shirt and today he wore his sweater over top. The days were never really sunny here, which Roderick guessed made it better for the vampires wandering around. If there was no direct sunlight it would not be very bad if they walked around during the day. Never the less, Roderick did find it odd that the sun never came out. Some days he wished it would. Roderick always thought that the sun was a very beautiful thing, and it always made the landscape underneath it brighter than before. Yes, he was a scenery nerd. Anyways, back to where we were.

Roderick had been walking around the town aimlessly for about two hours. There weren't really a lot of shops in this town, but that was to be expected. It was not that big of a town to begin with. Who knows what Roderick was going through his head when he assumed that it would be just like the city that he used to live in. Roderick had been in almost every shop that there was. Just for a few moments though, he wanted to get a better understanding of the town that he had recently made his home. Roderick was walking down Main Street when he decided that he would take a look down Vaux Avenue. Roderick knew that he should be looking for a job of some sort, but that was really last on his list at the moment. He stopped at Dum's Pet Shop.

The pet shop was very intriguing to Roderick. Though that could be because he loved animals, at least when he was not one himself. It brought back the memories of his golden retriever puppy. Roderick had loved that dog, but it was his own fault that he was not with him anymore. Even though he did not have a very good track record with pets, Roderick walked in. The pet shop was huge. It did not look like much from the outside, but on the inside it looked pretty darn big. There were animals every where, along with supplies of food and other pet-like things.

A small grin spread across the werewolf's face, as he looked around. Roderick was amazed by the many different types of animals that they had at the store. He ran a pal slender hand through his bright silvery white locks as he looked around. Roderick was almost immediately drawn to the section where the puppies were held. What could he say? Roderick just liked dogs. There were only a few puppies there, six to be exact. All were from a different breed. Roderick smiled to himself, he really was a sap now wasn't he? Inside the three cages that held the small group of puppies was an Australian Kelpie; a Bernese Mountain Dog; an Siberian Husky; a Cocker Spaniel; a Dachshund; and a Beagle. All were extremely cute puppies.

Roderick poked his finger slightly through the bars of the cage that the cocker spaniel was in. The blonde puppy trotted up to him and sniffed his finger curiously. After getting to know who Roderick was, the cocker spaniel started to wag its little tail and allow Roddie to scratch it behind the ear, seeing as how he could not pet the puppy. Some of the other puppies were sleeping peacefully. The husky then came up to Roderick and wanted to take some attention away from its roommate. It was very cute. Roderick wanted to take one of these puppies back with him, but he couldn't. It was nice to play around with them though. This visit to the pet shop would probably make Roderick's day.

[Charlotte Missenden]

“Overcast... Hmm..” Charlotte mumbled to herself softly as she trudged down an empty street. Indeed, it hadn’t been very sunny since she arrived in Blood Grim the day prior. Heretofore the moment she woke up in her old, battered truck, Jack draped across her chest like a furry scarf, the sky had been blanketed with thick clouds. Now, she walked, scuffed Doc Martens dragging under her. Though the sun’s rays were not visible, it still felt like summer, and she was clothed appropriately. Air leaked in through the tears in her worn jeans, and caressed the bare, dark skin around her Ziggy Stardust tee-shirt.

Today, she and Jack were both doing their own exploring. While she wandered through the town, examining the lines of shops and praying for a “Hiring” sign, Ol’ Jack scampered through the tall grass and wilderness that surrounded the more civilized parts of Blood Grim. She expected a few gifts when she returned “home”- perhaps the half-eaten carcass of a rodent or a few stray feathers in the truckbed. Char preferred to let Jack hunt when he could, not denying him the pleasure of exercising his rightful nature. But she did keep some Friskies in the glovebox, just in case. Her hunt, however, was not for small game. It was for employment.

There was an unwritten checklist one should follow when entering a new town. If you were starting afresh, as she had done in every one of her stops over the past few years, first priority would be to get to know your surroundings. She’d done a bit of driving through the city yesterday, so that could be checked-off. Next, get a job. You can’t buy food and clothes with no job. You can’t get yourself a home without wheels if you have no income. And those were some of the things Charlotte valued, so a’ hunting she went.

The main road was the busiest she’d seen so far. There was a bank, a cinema, and even an inn. Passing L’Auberge De Sleepless made her think for a moment. She could’ve slept in a real bed last night. She’d even seen it on her way into town. But, out of habit more than anything, her truck seemed more welcoming. On this side-street, she’d passed a bookstore and an apothecary on one side of the road, seemingly busy, and some other dark, drab buildings. Turning her attention to the opposite sidewalk, she caught a glimpse of a brightly lit store window. The sign above the door read “Dum’s Pet Shop.” Charlotte emitted a tiny ooh and put herself on a path to that very establishment.

Char pushed open the door and walked in, her Docs making soft measure on the linoleum. The first thing about the shop that came to her was the sound. There were tweets, meows, yips, barks, the hum of the bright lights and the bubbling filters in the fish tanks, all bleeding into one another to create an overwhelming buzz. She stopped in her tracks momentarily to take it all in. Charlotte’s eyes followed the shelves that lined the walls and trailed down to the various cages and glass enclosures. It was an animal-lover’s gold mine.

Only one shop goer caught her eye- a silver-haired man, clad in dark colors. She marveled slightly. He didn’t look old, so why the lack of hair pigment? Charlotte drew her mouth up to one side in thought. Her eyes followed his dark form down to the cage he was standing beside. In it was a little Cocker Spaniel paired with a Husky puppy. A smile spread on her pouty lips. She couldn’t help but go for a closer look.

Charlotte approached the cage, a bounce in her step. She stopped beside the pale stranger and knelt near his feet, smiling in at the puppies and putting her hand against the wire cage for a hello sniff. After greeting both creatures, who’s tails continued to wag, she brought her gaze to the man beside her. “You like dogs?” she asked in a bright voice, her dark eyes glinting in the ambient light.

[Roderick Crepsley]

The little cocker spaniel pup whined softly and trotted away from Roderick to pick up one of the toys that was laying around. Roderick bent over slightly to get better look at the spunky little pup. The puppy brought it back over to where Roderick was, clearly wanting him to play with it. The little husky seemed to be waiting for Roderick to play with it too. A small smile spread across his face once again, this time reaching all the way up to his non matching eyes.

With his finger he pushed the toy. Both the husky and the spaniel went for it. The husky had gotten it first though, leaving the spaniel whining as its roommate bought the toy back over to Roderick. The husky dropped the toy by its paws and sniffed Roderick's finger. When it seemed that the husky was satisfied that Roderick wasn't a threat, someone else's scent came into the picture.

Roderick turned his head and saw a a girl kneeling down beside him. The puppies immediately took their attention away from Roderick and bounced over to the girl, who had placed her hand on the cage so that they might be able to sniff it. Roderick also smelled the air, but it was completely unintentional, he was just used to getting to know people by scent. Just by her scent, Roderick could tell that she was a human. Vampires and werewolves always smelled differently than humans. The girl looked up and Roderick with a pair of pretty hazel eyes and asked.

“You like dogs?”

"Um, yes. Yes I do," Roderick replied in a soft voice. He hadn't really used his voice in a while. The werewolf did not think that would matter much though, this girl seemed nice. He gave her a small grin and returned the question, "Do you like them too?"

[Charlotte Missenden]

Charlotte loved people. Odd as it might sound, they were one of her favorite hobbies. Just examining the expressions on someone’s face, catching a glint of cognition in one’s eyes; it was enough to keep her thinking for a very long time. And everyone had their own little forms of expression. It could come as a twitch of the lips, a few extra blinks of an eye. A unique do, as the Japanese spoke of it, a way. This carried into more than just expression for Charlotte. It surrounded people like mist, a field of energy.

It might be the hippie in her, turning those cogs in her head. Souls and auras. But this man’s was one of the more interesting she’d encountered. She examined him, up and down, in the most polite and nonchalant way she could manage. For some reason, the little Husky in the cage came to mind.

"Um, yes. Yes I do,"

His voice was soft. It surprised her. At first, the pale man had seemed very confident. Too confident for such a small voice, she mused. But it was another interesting part him. Charlotte continued to smile, her cheeks dimpling pleasantly. “‘Love them.... Admittedly, I am more of a cat person,” she gave a quiet chuckle, “but dogs are great. Friendly, intelligent, loyal... You can’t ask for much more in a pet.” Or a friend, for that matter, she finished in her head.

“Thinking of bailing one of these little ones out?” She brought her gaze to the wire cage and the puppies within but came out of her crouch to stand beside the stranger. Charlotte never liked the idea of caging animals, but she supposed it was all you could do to keep things in order in a store or a shelter. Otherwise, chaos would ensue, blahdeeblah. She laughed inwardly. Chaos could be fun, couldn’t it?

Char looked down on the pups in their wire prison. The husky was digging its face into a chew-toy, grinding at it gleefully with sharp, canine teeth. At least the dog was enjoying itself in there. Charlotte’s eyes then traveled to the spaniel who’d decided it was best to give up on the chew toy and indulge in a good scratching. It had drawn its leg up to claw spasmodically behind an ear. Without thinking, Charlotte brought a hand up to her own ear and scratched at it briefly with her index finger. When she realized what she had done, she lowered her hand quickly and stuffed it in her pocket, blushing slightly at the oddity.

[Felecity]

Bluex sat at the front desk in the very back of the store. He was seated comfortably in a wooden stool, with his elbow leaning on the counter, and his head resting heavily on his hand. He read the Blood Grim newspaper with only slight interest. It was all boring news, except for a murder reported last thursday night in an alley off of main street. He turned the page, and chuckled sightly at the funny cartoon the town twins had submitted, like they did for every issue. Finishing the paper, Bluex looked up at the massive store layed out in front of him. He had a few hired help, and video cameras, but it was definitely hard to keep the place together. He was just so tired, being up the night before with a baby puma that had fallen sick. Just thinking about the whole incident made him worried all over again.

He was relieved to see his son on one of the security camera's, coming in from the front door. Charlie always seemed to be in a cheerful mood. A minute later, he had gotten through the maze of a store and walked triumphantly up to his father.

"Hey! Dad! Look who I found?" He had a little black lab pup tucked under his right arm. It's little eyes were half closed, rolls of puppy fur tucked under its neck, and a big bowling ball belly sticking out.

"Isn't he the cutest thing? And you know he was about to be killed?" Bluex looked surprised, even though his son always seemed to find animal about to be dead one way or another.

"Yeah, he was cryin' in this old creaking house that was about to be demolished."

The pup wasn't the only animal around Charlie. He had a wolf at his heel. Seria, a fea, beautiful, soft fur, and vibrant eyes. She was Bluex's companion, but sometimes tagged along with Charlie- when he was going on his 'animal rescue' adventures. There was also a little brown ferret, Blackhead, hanging onto the sleeve of his left stub of an arm. It hung on for dear life, as if Charlie was all it had to live for.

"Why don't you go put him with the other pups, and we'll give him shots and make sure he's ok later."

Charlie nodded and smiled. He gave the pup a few scratches under its chin, and walked off down the ales with a bounce in his step. He headed for the cages where they kept the youngest puppies. Around a few corners, past the front door, and he was there; along with two other people. He was surprised to see customers, and stopped short of them. The teenager planted a sweet smile on his face and looked from one customer to the other.

"Hi. I was just going to...welcome to Dim's. This little guy was just going to his cage, would you like to see the puppies, either of you?" He gave a toothy grin. He usually didn't deal with customers. Could you tell?

[Roderick Crepsley]

“‘Love them.... Admittedly, I am more of a cat person, but dogs are great. Friendly, intelligent, loyal... You can’t ask for much more in a pet.”

"I see..." He mumbled quietly. Roderick nodded slightly. He gave the hazel eyed girl a friendly and inviting expression, not really wanting to scare away a potential friend with his angsty past. Roderick could probably never own a cat, he was too much of a vicious cat chaser when he was in his werewolf form. Though Roderick was not really sure about how felines felt about being chased by dogs, he assumed that it was not something near the top of their 'funnest things they have ever done' list. The relationship between dogs and cats was usually the same as in the cartoons Roderick used to watch when he was younger. However stereotypical that may be.

"You're right, though I can't say I'm one for cats," Roderick told her truthfully, "They are cute, and very graceful...I just don't think I'm much of a cat person..." Now it was his turn to let out a soft chuckle. The corners of his lips curled upward into a small smile. Roderick really did think that felines had much more grace and elegance to them than dogs, that was practically a well known fact. Plus they were cute.

“Thinking of bailing one of these little ones out?”

Roderick straightened himself when the girl stood up beside him. His silvery white brows furrowed a tad as he gazed at the cages of puppies. All of them were very cute and would probably make very good pets if trained and treated right. However, Roderick needed a pet that would be able to fend for itself if his werewolf self did not accept it. The only ones that he thought could even remotely match those criteria were the mountain dog and the husky. He let out a small sigh, wishing that he could take one with him, but also knowing that it might actually be better for the puppy to stay here and find a good owner.

"I don't know...I would love to, but I'm not sure I have enough to get one," Roderick laughed some what nervous and he scratched the back of his head. Roderick bent down again and stuck his finger between the wires of the cage, trying to catch the husky's attention. Which in the end he had achieved. The small husky forgot about his toy and rubbed his snout against Roderick's finger. The werewolf laughed and the husky whined. Roderick turned his mismatched gaze back up to the girl that he was with.

"My name's Roderick by the way," He told her, half introducing himself. If his mentor was with him he would probably tell Roderick to tell the girl his full name, but that was really unnecessary. Roderick once again shifted his attention when another unfamiliar scent entered the air vicinity around them.

"Hi. I was just going to...welcome to Dim's. This little guy was just going to his cage, would you like to see the puppies, either of you?"

Roderick merely gave the other a nod when he asked if he wanted to see one of the puppies, "Yes I would if you don't mind, may I see the two in this cage?" The silver haired boy asked, pointing to the cage that held the cocker spaniel and the husky.

[Felecity]

"Yes I would if you don't mind, may I see the two in this cage?"

Charlie's Face brightened before the man even had time to finish his sentence. He loved taking the puppies out....infact, he liked taking any of the animals out. But the pups especially.

He nodded his head, and hid his grin. He set the little lab in his hands down on the tile floor next to the woman, hoping Charlotte wouldn't let the pup get away. Then he took a band of keys from his right pocket and fiddled around with them until he had the right one in his fingers.

The boy fumbled with the lock for a few seconds, and then had it open. After placing the key back in his pocket, he scooped the cocker spaniel up and placed it in Roderick's arms, and then closed the cage door half way so that the husky wouldn't try to jump out.

After that, he sunk down onto his knees, and pulled the lab puppy onto his lap. It began knawing on his pointer finger with sharp little teeth.

He watched Roderick with the puppy for a second, and then looked up at Charlotte.

"Are you thinking about getting a puppy, too?" Even from one glance, she looked sweet. He hoped she would get a dog, cause they really needed a great home.

[Charlotte Missenden]

"They are cute, and very graceful...I just don't think I'm much of a cat person..."

No kidding, she thought. He didn’t give off the feel of a cat person at all. This boy was all canine. Charlotte smiled softly as he did. ‘Cute’ and ‘graceful’ only applied on the occasions when your kitty companion did not wake you at two o’clock in the morning because there was a raccoon on the windshield. She stared off into space for a few moments, remembering the fury of that morning. ”Jack’o, you little bastard…” She’d very nearly fed that pest to the big, bad raccoon.

Presently, she stood beside the silver-haired stranger, looking over the pups in the kennel below. Charlotte looked from the two dogs in the kennel in front of them, then the canines in the surrounding cages, to their potential master, matching them for compatibility. He’d definitely need a bigger dog. No miniature breed would do for him. The Kelpie and the Bernese looked suiting… And both were reputably sturdy.

At last, Charlotte caught a glimpse of the puppy directly at her feet. The husky. It was a beautiful little thing, without a doubt- steadfast, strong, affectionate. They were among her favorite breeds. And, on top of it all, hadn’t the stranger’s similarities to this dog occurred to her at once? Oh yes, they’d work well together. If this man was to purchase a new pet, she was really pulling for the husky. Charlotte would keep her thoughts to herself for now, politely. It was his choice after all.

Charlotte watched as the man toyed with his ‘perfect match,’ smirking. Why was she so interested in pairing them up in the first place? Looking back, for lots of her life she hadn’t been a very good judge of character. The changes she’d made had been the trigger for her empathy, but Charlotte really had no clue to how accurate she was.

"My name's Roderick by the way.”

”Pretty eyes,” she thought, examining their strange coloring. And, finally, an introduction. She’d never been very good at those. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Charlotte,” she answered, drawing her pouty lips into a smile. Before she could reach out to shake his hand, she noticed another person out of the corner of her eye.

”This little guy was just going to his cage, would you like to see the puppies, either of you?"

Charlotte took a small step away from the cage and shook her head to show that her answer was negative. He must be a shop clerk, she thought. This boy certainly looked cheerful, very happy to help customers. Her eyes flickered to the floor where the boy had placed a tiny Labrador . Char’s heart melted. It had come over to sniff her shoe.

“Well, bless my heart,” she mumbled, crouching to get a better look at the puppy. It was so small, so innocent-looking. Charlotte giggled softly and gave it a scratch behind the ear. If she had enough money for a pet, good God, would that be the one. She had a terrible soft spot for little creatures of that nature. As the clerk finished his work, she straightened back up so the puppy could return to him instead.

"Are you thinking about getting a puppy, too?"

“Oh, me?... No, no.” Charlotte gave a sad laugh. “I’m broke.” She frowned. But in the short silence after she spoke, while she watched the tiny pup gnaw on the clerk’s hand, an idea came to her. She liked animals, obviously. She was in a pet shop… And she was currently unemployed. Things were coming together.

“I’m not here for a pet, as it happens… I would, however, like to inquire about a job. Is this establishment hiring?” Char looked hopefully at the young man, biting her bottom lip beside the tiny hoop at the corner of her mouth.

[Felecity]

“I’m broke.”

Charlie watched her eye the lab in his lap, about to offer it to her for free, since it was a stray. But then she asked if there was employment openings, and he couldn't help laugh in his quite way.

"Really? You want to work here? Well, there are always openings. I mean...this place is humongous, and we always need help."

By this time, his ferrat, Blackhead, had gotten jelious and jumped on the puppy. The puppy yipped in surprise and the two began rolling on the floor in half a fight, half play.

"My dad is the manager. You can talk to him." He was suddenly excited. Another employee? They had a few, but most worked the night shift, and they weren't very friendly. He always wondered why his dad would hire them. It didn't really matter to much, though, as long as they were nice to the animals.

[Charlotte Missenden]

She watched him anxiously, losing the feeling in her bottom lip. When Charlotte heard his response, she could actually imagine her heart detaching itself from the surrounding arteries and veins and back-flipping joyfully. She really, really needed this job. And there couldn’t be a more perfect place for her to spend her time in Blood Grim. If what the clerk said was true, that was one big checkmark on her List of Things to Accomplish in a New Town. ”Yesyesyesyesyesssss….”

“Are you kidding? I would love to work in a place like this,” she said, her eyes bright with excitement. That was, of course, second only to her hopes of a veterinary career. But, realistically, that sort of thing was a longshot for her. Charlotte had always been a bit unsure of herself when it came to school. She was intelligent, sure, but hadn’t developed the best study skills in high school- while she was out drinking and getting herself into trouble.

A little yip from the Lab caught her attention and Charlotte looked down to see it rolling around with what she identified as a ferret. Char giggled, wondering how a dog would get along with ole’ Jack. He was generally kind, but she could remember how long it took to build his trust… Char shook her dark hair out of her eyes, waking herself from a hopeful reverie. She was acting like a little girl with a stray. ”Mummie, mummie! Can we keep it? Pleeeeease?”

Mummie. Charlotte flipped her hair again, but this time, to dispel the shivers at the base of her spine.

"My dad is the manager. You can talk to him."

Charlotte smiled, the prospect of a job stealing her thoughts away again. “Oh, you can count on it.” She winked playfully at the boy, then pinpointed his father at the front desk. That meeting would come, without a doubt.After, Char turned her attention back to Roderick who’d been holding the spaniel for a time. She crouched slightly and put her hands on her knees, bringing herself to the dogs level and smiling at it affectionately. She might be rooting for the other team here, but that Cocker Spaniel was damned adorable. Charlotte’s reflection shown in its big, dark eyes. When she straightened up, she raised her eyebrows inquiringly at Roderick. “So, how does that one look to you?”

[Roderick Crepsley]

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Charlotte,”

"Very nice to meet you Charlotte," Roderick greeted friendly. Letting out a sigh, Roderick turned his attention away from the husky pup that he was beginning to fall for and stood up, giving his attention to the other two people that were standing around the kennels. He was glad that he had chosen to come to this store today. Charlotte seemed like a very valuable friend, which was something that someone like Roderick would need. Though he really did not have a very good track record where friends was concerned, he thought that maybe it might be different if there wasn't a psychotic werewolf chasing you around.

When Roderick had asked if he would be able to see the puppies in the cage he had been observing since he had gotten there, the clerk's expression immediately brightened. It was almost infectious. Roderick chuckled inwardly, he had not expected to see someone so happy about puppies. Then again, he had not seen a happy face like that in a very long time. The clerk seemed to struggle with the lock for a few moments, but soon managed to open up the locked kennel. Roderick's eyes softened considerably when the small cocker spaniel was taken out of its temporary home and placed in his arms.

The puppy was painfully adorable. It whined softly in his arms and wagged its short tail. Affection practically radiated from the small blonde puppy. Roderick scratched behind the spaniel's ears and then started to pet him. He looked at the puppy carefully, trying to judge what kind of personality it had. The cocker spaniel was very affectionate toward Roderick. It was licking his hand and always wanting the werewolf's attention. It was very cute, but Roderick did not think that he would be able to get a small puppy like this cocker spaniel. Roderick needed a puppy that would be able to defend itself, just in case anything happened while he was in his werewolf form and the werewolf did not like the puppy.

The clerk and Charlotte were talking about hiring and jobs while Roderick played around with the little puppy. He sighed inwardly. That was right wasn't it. He needed to find a job somewhere. Though he had been given a small bit of savings from his mentor, he would still need to find some sort of income. People might think he was a weirdo if all he did was survive on deer and rabbits. XD. He sighed quietly at the thought of trying to find of job, but perked back up when he heard Charlotte ask,

“So, how does that one look to you?”

Roderick shook his head regretfully and put the puppy back in its cage, "I don't think that the puppy would be able to survive..." He mumbled, not really realizing what he was saying. He let out another sigh and shrugged, "I need a puppy that will grow up to be big...the personality is also a big issue...it can't be a push over...or weak, nor can it be too aggressive..."

The silver haired werewolf scratched his head and looked over at Charlotte inquiringly, "What one would you suggest?"

[Charlotte Missenden]

"I don't think that the puppy would be able to survive..."

Survive? Charlotte just barely heard him mutter to himself, but it caught her interest. Survive what? The spaniel didn’t seem ill at all. It wasn’t even a particularly small dog, considering its breed. But, then again, she’d had the feeling all along that Roderick would need something sturdier. Her super-empathy reminded her that they weren’t well-suited… Yet the fact that it mightn’t survive had never occurred to her.

Charlotte thought on her new friend for a moment. He was a good person, from what she could tell. He seemed kind overall – polite, friendly. There was, however, a lingering strangeness she felt in the air around him. Roderick seemed very relaxed with the dogs, which, given, wasn’t exactly a factor to make or break any relationship they may have. She was good with animals too, nothing strange about that. But there was something… Different about his connection. Char’s mind kept focusing in on the husky puppy when she thought about Roderick.

Without noticing that she’d slipped off into quiet contemplation, she forgot that he’d spoken at all. Instead of responding to his request for advice, she chimed in softly, “Have you owned a dog before?” Her voice was innocently curious. Charlotte’s desire to understand Roderick’s ‘aura’ had briefly disabled her manners.

She shook her head abruptly and corrected herself before he could answer. ”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry…” It was all terribly embarrassing for her. Charlotte hated making people uncomfortable. Still, she put on a smile. Her opportunity had finally come to play match-maker. ”Why not give the husky a go? I think you’d get on quite well…” Char bit her lip and looked down at the pup hopefully.

---
[Sorry about the crummy length. I blanked. x_x]

[Felecity]

Charlie watched the werewolf practically fall in love with the sweet little puppy in his arms. But he was thinking the exact same thing. That pup needed a sturdy home and master. Perhaps a little girl with hard working parents, or a nice old lady with nothing better to do..

He quickly jumped up from his seat on the ground, not worrying about the little lab since it seemed perfectly occupied with Blackhead. He helped the man place the spaniel back in its cage. It gave a small whine of protest, but sat obediently where it had been put. He scooped his hand under the fur ball of a husky a carefully held it to the lycan. The puppy immediately snuggled in the man's arms, obviously hoping for a good nap. It yawned happily, and stuck its little pink tongue out to give his arm a quick lick.

Charlie smiled happily at the two, hoping just as much as the puppy that it would find a good home as soon as possible.

He turned his smile back on the lady a gave her a nod and a smile, as if approving of her suggestion to pair Roderick up with the husky pup.

Despite her just apologizing for prying, Charlie couldn't help prying himself. It was his plain and simple curiosity about everything.

[Roderick Crepsley]

“Have you owned a dog before?”

Roderick looked up at Charlotte grimly. It was unintentional but it was the face that always formed on his expression when the subject about lost loved ones came up for him. Even though his previous puppy was not human, during transformations they had bonded with each other and Roderick thought of the golden retriever as a brother. That was part of the reason Roderick wanted to get a new dog, but it all came down to the fact that he needed a puppy that would be able to put up a fight against the werewolf if it ever decided to attack.

The white haired werewolf cleared his throat quietly and answered, "Yes...I have owned a dog before," And he left it at that. It was rather blunt and was rude, though he did not want to be. Roderick just didn't want to elaborate on the subject.

”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry…Why not give the husky a go? I think you’d get on quite well…”

Charlotte seemed to be a tad embarrassed about her question. Roderick gave her a 'not-a-problem' smile and watched as the clerk had helped Roddie put the little cocker spaniel back into it's cage and then bring out the husky. Which Roderick had to admit was a beautiful dog. The husky sniffed him intently until it finally got comfortable enough to start wagging its tail and licking Roderick's exposed chin. The werewolf laughed and scratched the puppy behind it's ear.

"It seems as though I am liked," Roderick looked down at the puppy, who in return gazed up at him. The husky greatly resembled a young wolf cub, which was probably why Roderick was beginning to adore the hyper little thing. Roderick stroked the husky affectionately and looked at Charlotte with a smile, "I think we've found a match."

{{ooc: sorry if it is teh sucketh >..<}}

[Charlotte Missenden]

Charlotte could not fathom her complete insensitivity and lapse in all things polite. Though Roderick seemed okay with it after a moment, she could not banish his expression from her mind. There was real loss there, pain and sorrow that she could sense even without his glum countenance. For a brief moment, it had radiated from him with incredible intensity.

"Yes...I have owned a dog before,"

It seemed final, like the last sentence of a book. Charlotte knew not to ask any more about the subject. However, it did answer her question, and she was grateful to have gotten the affirmative response. His connection with the canines wasn’t out of place, considering he’d kept a dog before… But, the way Charlotte saw it, the matter ran deeper than just a pet-keeper relationship. Things about this man were starting to come together.

Roderick’s smile eased her worry slightly, gave her something to work with. Charlotte returned the friendliness with a bright grin of her own. It seemed all was forgiven, which let her concentrate more on the fun-and-fluffies in the cages below- more specifically, the little husky. The young shop clerk and Roderick tag-teamed the little one and got it out of the kennel for a closer look. Though she’d only just met Roderick, Charlotte felt obligated to see that he got the right dog, so she kept a close eye… Plus, the husky was just too cute for words.

She watched as the puppy got acquainted with Roderick, sniffing around to figure out what sort of person it was dealing with. Inwardly, she laughed. The ‘sniffing around’ reminded her of her sixth sense, which she’d gotten into a habit of using every time she met someone new. Charlotte was very glad that her empathetic power didn’t involve smelling strangers.

"I think we've found a match."

Charlotte very nearly squealed at this. It was like seeing the home team win a game of football. But rather than do some sort of victory-dance, she simply gave a wide smile, displaying the dimples in her cheeks. ”Go Team Husky,” she thought happily. Charlotte scratched the little puppy under the chin, strangely proud, and then brought her gaze to Roderick.

“I’m so pleased for you… Both…“ She looked between the puppy and (with any luck) its new keeper. Then Charlotte winked at Roderick. ”I was really pulling for this one.”
----

[Oh, it is the very opposite. :')]