#bergen_county

He checks the distance to see if he might jump out of the cart - feeling rather like he's in a crate for a moment.

From the door of the grocery store, the Soup can watches, gun loaded ready to shoot if the old lady and the dog gets separated

Oh -oh. He ducks back down.

That does look like a FAR piece, or maybe it's the cart

"Good boy, it's okay. I won't hurt you," She assures

A glance around - did Snow escape safely?

There are two banana peels leading away from the store parking lot and to safety

His monkey friend is safe! That's good. Now he has to just worry about himself... the cart rattles a bit as he shifts his weight.

"oh my, you are a distrustful fellow, not that I blame you" She picks him up again and puts him in the car, "The world can be scary. But we can't let our fear of the bad people make us think the worst of others. A lot of folks are decent, hard working kind folks."

He whines a bit, worriedly as he gets put into the car. Torn - he really DOES love car rides, but where are they taking him? To the pound? To go into a stew?!

A careful pawing to see if he can manage a window-down button, unless it is one of the older models with the dratted hand-crank...

Mimi seems to understand him? Unpossible! She's human, but she says "We're going to my house. Now, I haven't had a dog in years, and I'd love to keep you, but there's some boy or girl out there probably missing their dog, so I'll ask around, see who your people are. " They drive

he recognizes this neighborhood he thinks. It's not too far from where Adam lives.

Oh, he knows that tree! And that hydrant! There were INTERESTING smells there... his curled tail starts a tentative wag and he stands up to peer out the window that direction....

"Oh, you like this area? It's not bad at all is it? Not too many houses. I moved here just two years ago, though I've always lived in town. I had a much bigger house once, but well, on my own I don't really need the space." A sigh then a chipper voice 'But there's a fenced in back yard, small but comfy so you can sniff around while I make calls if you like. I wonder if you live near here and I just missed it?"

"Now, Buddy, let's get you inside first. I am not leaving a dog in the car even in winter unless i have to. Bad habbit to get into." She fusses gently, and guides him in.

He balks at going in the house, shuffling low so that his belly almost scrapes the floor... but at the mention of a yard he perks up a bit. Nervous glances around the interior, checking for stuffed puppies or suspicious stews or, worst of all, signs that she might be a CAT LADY.

No cat smells, good sign. A swallow as he gazes onto a dog frozen in.. oh, it's a picture of a goofy looking Pitt bull /Lab mix with a kind of mask and a long tongue "oh, that's Dandelion, he was one of my best dogs. Poor boy, no one wanted to adopt him. Because he was part pit bull, though I swear he took mostly off his lab side anyway. You're very attentive, Buddy. You'd make a wonderful detective dog." She pats him gently, "I'll make a few calls shall I? " She gets a bowl and fills it with water, and sets it down.

He licks at the bowl obediently, but then hurries to paw at the door to the yard. He shuffles his feet anxiously, and does a little dance as though he most urgently must "go".

"Oh my, of course," She opens it up, "I'm so sorry, Buddy. I didn't realize"

And there is, a nice little back yard complete with a picket fence.

And trees...

not many trees, but definitely servicable

He casts a guilty glance back at the house - for a scary mortal, she WAS very nice... and as soon as she turns out of sight, he works on climbing the fence to make his escape. Or, if truly out of sight, will use boy-hands slip the latch on the gate and make a run for it.

And it is, easily done, well, easy to do physically

He closes the gate after himself, and hesitates - oh, he feels GUILTY... before taking off, heading towards the nearest waypoint known, which is Adam's house.

And he hears a voice from the kitchen "He's just the sweetest boy, I just know someone is missing him so that's why I called you to see if anyone had reported...

but then he is gone, free, on two legs.

And heading towards Adam's house

As he approaches, a tiny head peeks out a high window

He is darting back and forth... behind a tree... zip over to duck into a bush - a rustle as it takes some doing to get OUT of the bush... likely far more obvious and attention gathering than just walking down the street. But he makes his way to the door, nose sniffing at the air even in boy-form as he relies more on that then his sight to verify that this is the right place, before a shy knock.

Lily smells are here!

A voice inside can be heard, "Lily, I am not kidding, I don't care of it is your 'new culture' , you may not have a pet bat and no I won't vouch for the safety of spiders in my house- we have to live here too and..who could that be? " The door opens as the satyrress Mrs. Thomas aka Lily's mom opens the door

Connor darts inside as soon as the door is opened, with a blur of sound dopplering past. "Hi-it's-me-I'm-visiting-can-I-come-in-please-and-thankyou!"

"I.. yes, Connor are you okay?" The woman says and throwing a small blanket from a couch onto his shoulders

Apparently she thinks he's cold.

Lily whispers something excitedly. Not only is a friend here, he has intrupted mother's bataphobic tirade

and she comes into view, barely to spy on him from the stairway

He takes the blanket and tents it over his head, flopping to the floor in a heap. He peeks out at Lily's feet, and whispers. "Oh, I am a bad dog."

"very tempting, but mother wont' even let me have a bat," Lily says, and bents down, "But why do you think you're a bad dog? " A pause "Do you need help getting rid of a body?" Connor is her friend , she would help!

"Why do you have powder on your nose?" Mrs. Thomas says as the boy peeks out.

A hand comes up to paw at his nose in a canine fashion, and then he licks at his hand. "Oh, Mrs. Adam. It's turrible. I am a wild beast and they should take me to the island where they have the wild rumpus, and lock me away there. The police will be on my tail, and the dogcatcher as well, for crimes against grocery. And that's not even the BAD part."

"Okay, we're listening. While you talk do you want a drink? " MRs. Thomas says

"Just the tail?" Lily says at word the police are coming after it, and she looks as if expecting it to have a spotlight and sirens on it

"Crimmynals get bread and water only." He sits up though, wrapping the blanket around him so it tents like a shawl. "Can't you hear them battering down the door?" He cups a hand around a furry ear, listening.

No sirens... yet, it seems.

"I think you're okay," Mrs. Thomas says giving him a sprite with ice

"Nope. You got away with it," Lily says "Cuz I don't hear nothing"

He accepts the soda with a grateful slurp. "After I tore up the grocery store - it was 'cuz of all the monkeying around - I was dognapped by a muggle." He whispers this last word, sounding aghast. "She hauled me away in her paddy wagon and I thought she was gonna turn me into puppy-dog-soup and wear my ears as a hat!"