There's a galumphing of boots nearby as Tsu'tey works on the loom, and then Shephard sits down without any ceremony whatsoever. "Evenin', Tsu'tey," the Marine says. "Ain't seen you 'round in a while."
"Healthy, playful, 'n not real clear on the concept of not tryin' to crawl on me when I'm tryin' to sleep," says Shephard. "Tiny little things, y'understand, but it's still fuckin' hard to git any rest when you got a buncha little wrigglers scramblin' all over you in the middle of the night'n momma starts growlin' at 'em to come back."
"Do you keep them separated from you? We have the aviary trees for our ikran and pens for the pa'li, could you not make something similar to keep them off you while you sleep?" He could also just grow a proper hammock, but then in this building it might be a slight challenge. And Tsu'tey isn't really sure if humans can grow them properly.
He finds the puppy idea incredibly amusing, too--especially houndeye puppies, because they're bound to be cute when they're little--but he doesn't let on much other than his reaction to Adrian's state of unrest. He's still a teenager, what else did you expect? Finding puppies cute is so not cool.
"If this was regular dogs, I'd'a built a birthing box," says Shephard. "Shit, I was real close to workin' on one for Mrs. Wilson anyway. Most of the time we just git the bitch in there when she's comin' up on her time and it's all good. Only thing is, Mrs. Wilson whelped on my bed'n gits real hostile if I try'n chase her or the puppies off. She don't git down 'cept to shit'n pee'n eat." He runs a hand over his face. "I'mma teach her better'n that soon as I can."
"No fuckin' clue, but if it goes on much longer I'mma git out the water pistol," Shephard says. "It don't hurt or nothin', y'understand. It's a gun that shoots water, and it don't shoot hard enough to do harm. Just to startle the fuck out of her. Used it to teach her not to bark at me when she was a puppy. I reckon she'll understand if I got to use it again."
"I understand them," says Tsu'tey offhandedly, "I have seen the things there." They look strange, but he's discovered guns, even toy ones, are incredibly common across most worlds with humans.
Strange creatures, still.
"And you think it would work on the puppies as well--eventually?"
"That will," says Shephard, "or a noisemaker will. I used t'switch it up with a metal can with some rocks in. Shake it real hard and you git a real loud noise that startles the pup. She didn't like that none, so she'd stop doin' whatever the fuck she was doin'."
"This would be easier with a neural queue," Tsu'tey mentions. He's mentioned it before, but when it comes to communicating with animals, at least for the humans who have no contact with the rest of the life in their world save by intangible senses, it seems to bear repeating.
It's all friendly, anyway, because he likes Adrian. What's more astounding to anyone that knows him is that he respects Shephard, too. "Let me know if I may help you train them, or see the litter sometime?"
"I ever figure out how to talk to them mind to mind, I'll let you know," says Shephard. "Meanwhile, yeah, you c'n come'n see 'em in a day or two. Soon as I'm sure Momma won't git all hostile at you."
"Not all that long with regular dogs," says Shephard. "We been breedin' regular dogs a few thousand years, though. Mrs. Wilson's a wild animal I just happened to tame. I got no fuckin' clue how long she'll take on this."
He nods, braids clinking with the beads holding the feathers on. Tsu'tey's tail twitches as a rat passes behind him, and he flicks it idly once the creature has passed. A thought occurs that makes him smile.
"You know Dr. Augustine, yes? Maybe you should show her the litter as well. She is a biologist."
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"You look messy."
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He can maintain a reasonable level of discipline and appearance under a lot of circumstances. But nine alien puppies are a little much.
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"Did she? And are they all healthy?"
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He finds the puppy idea incredibly amusing, too--especially houndeye puppies, because they're bound to be cute when they're little--but he doesn't let on much other than his reaction to Adrian's state of unrest. He's still a teenager, what else did you expect? Finding puppies cute is so not cool.
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Strange creatures, still.
"And you think it would work on the puppies as well--eventually?"
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It's all friendly, anyway, because he likes Adrian. What's more astounding to anyone that knows him is that he respects Shephard, too. "Let me know if I may help you train them, or see the litter sometime?"
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"You know Dr. Augustine, yes? Maybe you should show her the litter as well. She is a biologist."
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