The Park, Monday Afternoon

[playsforkepesh]

Sam. Park bench. Chess. It was a normal, refreshingly not disgustingly hot afternoon.

Okay, slightly abnormal in that she had played against an NPC interesting fellow a little while ago who had made the mistake of insisting on putting money on the game and then stormed off in a huff when Sam beat him in twenty moves, but other than that, everything was normal.

And Sam was about to win this game against herself, so there was even tension in the air. Oooh.

[[mainly for one, but open, suresies.]]

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[filleauloup]

Éponine had planned to go pick up something for dinner after she finished work for the day, but Fandom whimsy had other intentions, and the scrawny, scruffy little wolf cub who wandered into the park had an indignant but faintly amused expression on its face. (Honestly. She'd never meant for that description of herself to become so literal.)

She seemed to perk up when she caught sight of Sam, though, and padded over to sit nearby, where she could watch.

. . . some things didn't change much.

[playsforkepesh]

Aww! Puppy!

Ahem.

"Why, hello there," Sam said, in the affectionate if condesecending tone that people generally used to refer to lost animals. "Aren't you adorable. Are you lost?"

She reached to check the dog's neck for a collar. Because of course she had done sufficient resesarch on this time period to know that that was the done thing in the twenty-first century.

[filleauloup]

Éponine let out a little huff. She was not lost! She knew her way around the island just fine, thanks, she just hadn't been expecting to turn into an actual wolf but now that she was, she thought she might as well wander around and see how different everything looked from this perspective.

And then, you know, she'd decided that she was just fine being here.

No, she didn't have a collar (honestly now), so she lifted her head and nosed at Sam's hand, assuming it was a greeting of some sort. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

[playsforkepesh]

"No collar..." Sam looked briefly worried, but then Éponine was nosing at her hand and it was hard to be too distressed because adorable. "Well, I suppose if you'd like to learn a bit about chess, you're welcome to," she said, patting the bench beside her with her free hand. "And certainly not because I find you unbelievably cute."

Yes, she was talking to someone who was, as far as she knew, an ordinary wolf puppy. Shush.

[filleauloup]

It was a good thing that Éponine wasn't really capable of human levels of thought right now, or she could get caught up in the worst morose line of thinking about being called cute and how that probably wouldn't happen if Sam knew who she really was. (Maybe she could have anyway, but she was distracted by this sudden very good sense of hearing she had.)

She was, however, not about to let on who she really was.

With an excitable little yip she bounded up onto the bench and thumped her tail against the seat.

This was turning out to be fun!

[playsforkepesh]

Sam immediately made to scratch behind Éponine-puppy's ears. At this point, she was well aware that there was no way she was going to finish this chess match at the top of her game (heh) with such an adorable distraction.

"You know," she said, mock-seriously, "I've never had anyone listen to me giving chess tips before. You may be in for more than you've bargained for here."

[filleauloup]

Well, it wasn't as if she -- oh. Oh, that was nice. Éponine thumped her tail against the bench twice more and yipped happily. Would that get her more head-scratches?

Too bad the chess tips wouldn't be much use. Well. Not at the moment, anyway.

But that wasn't important! The important thing was that she was getting attention, which meant she wasn't going anywhere.

[playsforkepesh]

"I'll take that as an 'I'm not interested,' then," Sam concluded wryly, scratching fondly at Éponine-puppy's head all the while. "That's all right. Just let me finish trouncing myself in this game and I'll take you to the pet shelter to see if anyone's reported missing a puppy, hm?"

[filleauloup]

What? No no no! She didn't want to go to the pet shelter!

Éponine growled lightly and nosed at Sam's hand again. She hadn't been above looking pitiful to get results in the past, and she wasn't above it now. (She kind of couldn't help it now, anyway.)

Could she just stay, maybe?

Someone was taking way too much advantage of this wolf situation.

[playsforkepesh]

"You... don't want to go to the pet shelter," Sam guessed slowly, not looking entirely surprised. She was smiling a little, but forced herself to sober up and reluctantly admit, "You do know I've got no clue how to take care of a puppy."

Still scratching the puppy's head, though.

[filleauloup]

Yes, it was a little bit horrible of her, but Éponine was shamelessly working this angle.

She could take care of herself! She didn't need looking after, but could she just stick around and get scratched between the ears? Because she liked being treated like someone wanted her around!

At least, that was what she was trying to convey by sitting up, shaking her fur, and trying to look slightly less adorable.

[playsforkepesh]

"I see." Sam was finding Éponine extremely entertaining, just for the record.

She scrutinized her new friend for a moment, trying to weigh the pros and cons of the situation without being swayed too much by the puppy's cuteness. Certainly, she had a big house with plenty of room for a puppy to run around, not to mention a little yard in the back. And it wasn't like she traveled for work all the time...

Wait, that was just pros, wasn't it?

"Well," she said at last, "I have always wanted a dog."

[filleauloup]

Éponine yipped again, encouragingly. Because she knew that -- why else had she been shamelessly playing it up?

She'd be congratulating herself so much if she were human right now, and as it was she looked pretty pleased with herself.

[playsforkepesh]

"But you're to behave, understand?" Sam said, in her best attempt at being stern. It was unconvincing. "No... mischief."

She tapped Éponine's nose. Mostly fondly. That was how you knew she meant business.

[filleauloup]

Well, what fun was that? Éponine was already (in a wolfy sort of way) trying to figure out exactly how far she could push that 'no mischief' limit. But still, she'd accept the conditions! Creatively.

Okay, there might have been some attempt at hand-licking there, to go with the happy little bark.

[playsforkepesh]

"Yes, yes," Sam sighed in a put-upon tone of dramatic resignation. "Now, let me..." She was going to conclude that with 'finish my game,' but as it turned out, she didn't quite have the concentration for it anymore. And, well.

"I should... probably take you to pick up some food for you and a water bowl," she told Éponine giving one last longing look to the game on her omni-tool before turning off the display. "Not to mention a -- oh, I've actually already got a leash and collar at the house, don't I."

Éponine might even remember that, actually! Which was... pretty weird.

[filleauloup]

. . . yes. Yes, she did, when she was herself, but at the moment that didn't register as much more than a vague impulse to lay her ears back and half-growl at the idea of being on a leash. It wasn't as if she was embarrassed about that whole thing, anyway.

If ever a scruffy little wolf puppy could look smugly self-satisfied as it bounded down off the bench and wagged its tail expectantly, now would be the time.