#rivervale_lodge

Olgar is reading.

This is not that damn unusual... despite the jokes

but he's reading on dog breeds, and scratching his chin

Kerri comes out of the kitchen with a beer for him and one for herself. She hands him his and takes a seat on the couch for a well-deserved break. "Whatcha reading?"

"About dog breeds, two in paricular, the Great Pyrnees like Oak and Eddie ,annd the Cacuasion Shepherd or orchakhowever you pronounce it. Chief tells me I have a chance to get a pooch for the Rovers. Hastien is pushing for it. Problem is... they're in the Southwest, not the best place for tthese... so.. likely it would be assigned to rovers up here. We're not THAT organized, so what that means is.. i might be expected to be tthe one with room and board." A look up "Which I wanted to talk to you about"

A blink. "Another big dog?" She takes a drink of her beer. "Well, it'll be in good company."

"Yeahh, don't get me wrong, it'll be walking the trods alot, unlike oak who is moree a hearth guard " A pleased look as he says something amusing (by his standards) "But it's still a lot of mutt if I agree to this. And , yeah, that's one more fluffy body to get in your way. Oak or Ediee ever give you troubles?"

She gives him a look askance at the pun, then shakes her head. "Not a bit. And they're both worth their weight in golden dog biscuits. Of course, with Edie staying with Gerd, now, there's a dog-shaped space that can be filled...but remember that the Chieftain is bringing one back, herself. I don't object, though."

"Huhh. I knew you liked the cat, didn' know you missed Eddie" he looks at her "Babe, why didn't tell me you missed her? I would have gotten you whatever dog you liked."

She gives him a side-eye and takes another sip before pointing at him. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. You're trying to make it look like getting the dog is my idea."

"no, the idea is Hastien's and AIden's..." he counters "And you're avoiding the point- you miss Edelweiss? or want another dog? I really would have gotten you one by now"

She chuckles and rests a hand on his arm. "I'm fine. I don't miss Edelweiss, not in the way you're saying. I just meant that we had two big dogs here, now we have one big dog, so going back to two is not a big complication. Neither is adding a third."

"Ah," A nod "Okay. you know I sometimes ..." He frowns "Nevermind, might come out as self pity"

"It might. But you don't get out of telling me, now."

"Sometimes I think I was away for rsuch long travels, least I COULD Have done for you and Sylvi was get you a pet. I mean, she has flopsy, but that's not the same. And you? Well, Mackerel is on loan. I should have thought of that years ago"

A bemused look, then a slow nod. "Yes, it was entirely your responsibility to provide for my companionship in your absences except, Oh! That's right! I'm perfectly capable of obtaining a pet on my own if I needed one." Then she leans closer, chin propped on one hand. "And do you really think a pet would have made up for your absence?"

"Well, " he has the decency to look sheepish "Okay okay, back slide into machoismo there, but hey, something clingy and hairy might have reminded of youof me while I was away"

She smiles. "It might have. But I didn't need the reminding. And...didn't you like the fact that I had been missing you? It has made for some excellent welcome-home evenings."

A chuckle at that "I have zero complains with the welcomes, true. you always reminded me where I belonged, in the best way" A smile "Okay, so you can take or leave a dog but you see the perks. Being practical and all. This mean you don't have preferences on coat color or personality or anything?"

"Well...personality...I don't want to have a bully, or one that's too aggressive. But as far as coat preference? No. Honey, it's your dog."

"Mmm well, the mom is a pretty aggrressive breed, but Oak's nature should rub off. yeah, I want a fae hound tthat will focus more on guiding a lost changeling than focus on attacking Chimera... I'll work on. I'm told the one oak picked has dark brown splottches save for a bit of white on the nose and one paw. I think its safe to say I prefer function over form so guess it doesn't matter what the other has. Particularly if he or she will mostly be out with m."

"I think that makes the most sense." A grin. "During the big snow storm, we were joking about putting a barrel of whiskey on Oak's collar for rescues. Maybe your dog will be the one who actually gets that accessory. So...do you want a dog that gets silly, or one that's super serious?"

"Huh... honestly not sure. Need it serious on the job, but I'd be a hypocrite to say I never kicked back so.. I don't know" He admits

"Well...maybe you need to spend some time with the puppies? To see which one appeals? It's possible you'll made the decision based more on a hunch than on reasons."

"Mmm I am kind of a fly by my pants kind of guy a times" He nods "Might do that. Course, I'm hardly first on the list. So it maybe a 'take this pup or leave it' sitch. Mmm okay. Sometimes I do think we shhould have got a pet for Sylvi. I mean, closest thing she had to a pet for a while was a chimerical hand, flopssy's more like a support crew"

"Do you think, if our daughter wanted a pet of her own, that she would have hesitated to tell us so for one moment?"

"Sometimes, I think our little girl , now a young woman, holds back more than we know either because she wantts to do it herself, or doesn't want to burdenn" He counters

She gives him a dubious look. "Are you talking about her, or yourself?"

"Her. " He says "But I could be wrong"

"Well..." she leans back. "Maybe. But is that really such a bad trait? She's independent from us. That's what's supposed to happen with children when they grow up."

"It is. But if this is something I could have done that she wanted as a chhild, I shall retoactivvely beat myself up fo it as a bad father" A wink

An awwww face, and she touches hand. "You have always been a wonderful father, honey. It's impossible to be everything, even if you're wonderful. There's a reason I chose you...and you're not going to tell me I'm wrong."

"Wouldn't dream of it" he nods "And you're right that our little girl is also an independent young woman who we're both rightly proud of." A nod "Thanks for keeping me level, babe." he squeezes her hand that touched his. "And I chose you right back, smartest I've ever been"

"You got that right," she says with a smile and finishes her beer.

"Now...tell me more about what you hope for in a dog."

Wolf grin at her boast/statemet of fact, then he ponders "You don't want a bully, neithter do I, but I hope for a dog that ..." And he shares his hopes for a dog that will prove a good balance of many traits. And she wonders if her husband might not be warming to tthe idea of getting a 'pet' for himself whether she or their daugghterr wanted it or not

(End Scene)