(Untitled)

[good_dug]

Doors open in Milliways all the time. They're not unusual. Often-seen patrons of said bar probably have ceased to notice them. This one in particular could very easily go unnoticed, being quite small, and square, and low to the ground. If it continued to stay silent and closed, it's likely no one would ever pay it a second thought.

Which, of course

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[ikissdhimbck]

She knows that voice.

Kate spins on her heel, blue eyes searching the crowded room.

"Dug?"

[good_dug]

Dug is still leaping and barking and generally making a huge scene when the voice manages to worm its way into his ear. He stops for a moment, head cocked on one side, whole body vibrating with furious tension as he strains to figure out where it's coming from.

Then he catches the scent, all familiar spice, and he pauses only long enough to seize the battered Octoplushie before cutting a swathe of destruction through the room, knocking aside rats and patrons alike on his beeline for Kate-who-is-his-mistress-here.

And when he gets there?

Well, he's lost a little weight since he was last here, but she'd better be ready for a hundred-odd pounds of excited dog slamming into her at top speed.

[ikissdhimbck]

She's so relieved to see him that she doesn't even think twice about it. She smiles -- no, she beams -- using muscles she hasn't used in months that already ache, threatening to split her face clean wide.

She's lost a little weight herself, which likely makes Dug and herself roughly the same size, so even as she drops to a knee to take the impact, she goes flying back against hardwood.

Even then, her only thought is to save her hat -- which ends up skipping a few feet away.

[good_dug]

Luckily Dug is a good dog and so he only stays on Kate for a moment! Long enough to wiggle himself all up and over her nice clean clothes and leave mounds of dog hair behind, long enough to somehow manage to jam his limbs into every sensitive, ticklish spot she has through some kind of weird doggy-psychic power. Of course, when he sees the hat go flying he bounds off her, leaving a suspiciously sticky stuffed octopus behind on Kate's head.

Maybe it's a new hat?

Regardless, the old one is back in moments, dangling carefully from his clenched jaws. Dug really is trying not to put a mark in it, and he's actually been fairly successful, as Kate will see when he lays it down next to her.

He then drops into a crouch, tail creating a small localized whirlwind. "Kate! I was gone! I was home! On the airship! And now I am back! Do you see me? I am here again!"

[pullsneedles]

Woah, a dog!

A big dog!

A dog that might be about the size of Lucas, making him a bit bigger than Boney.

Only Lucas, for some reason which shall be explained much later, is not surprised in the least by Dug talking.

"Hey fella!" he says, calling to the dog. "C'mere, boy!"

[good_dug]

Someone is calling him! Clearly the only solution for this is for him to go racing over at TOP SPEED so people can see what an excellent dog he is and let him stay in the magical place forever! WHAT A FOOLPROOF PLAN.

...or partially foolproof, anyway. Because Dug going anywhere at top speed combined with the fact that it is very, very hard to stop on slippery floors when one has tufts of fur all around one's pads means that Lucas, if he is looking in the right direction, will see a golden retriever sliding towards him at approximately 1/2 the speed of light, tongue flapping behind him.

[pullsneedles]

He is an excellent dog, for he is coming when he is called!

Dug will likely land on Lucas and topple him with a great WHUMP!

Lucas looks like this idea will not bother him in the least.

[good_dug]

There is indeed a fantastic noise as Dug and boy collide, melding into one squishy mass of fur and hair on the ground as Dug enthusiastically licks any bit of skin he can find, tail beating a tattoo into the ground.

"Hello! My name is Dug! I do not know you! What is your name? Do you like scritches? I love scritches!"

[hallelujahpilot]

DUG!

There is a squeak, and a scramble, and Dug has a pilot standing in front of him, hands up to pat him when he calms down enough, and her face beaming.

"It's real, honey."

[good_dug]

He calms down just long enough for her to pat him and then he's up again, doing his level best to scramble his front paws all over her body, attempting to wash her face with his tongue.

"Hello! I am back! I remember you! You were nice when I had no collar! How are you! I am GOOD!"

[hallelujahpilot]

It'd be very dangerous for her to kneel. But she's a Marine. They do crazy shit like that. So, kneel she does, half in the hopes he'll stop trying to jump all over there.

"Of course I remember you, honey," she says, giggling and ducking from the licks. "And I'm real glad you're back."

[good_dug]

She remembers him! This is SO EXCITING. Dug rears back and plants his front paws on her shoulders, panting happy doggy breath into her face, beaming as only an overjoyed Dug can.

"I am glad too! The airship was not fun! We learned about being polite but there was no lake to swim and I did not get treats and I had to eat kibbles!" SHOCK. HORROR.

[morethanprops]

Moist laughs as he watches Dug, who he remembers meeting a while ago,

"Oh, aren't you a silly dog. Come over here."

[good_dug]

It doesn't take much to entice Dug. Especially because while his memory might not be the best thing ever, it is surprisingly accurate when it comes to people who give him food.

This person? Definitely gave him food. And lots of it.

He bounds over, tail knocking chairs and waitrats silly as he clears a path for himself, leaping gleefully at Moist. "Hello! Hello! I am back!"

[morethanprops]

When he gets close enough, Moist grabs him as he leaps and give him rubs and scritches,

"Yes, you are. Are you hungry?"

[good_dug]

Dug writhes ecstatically. He doesn't mind his master so much, but when there are that many dogs there are not many scritches to go around. But this is a place where he has all of the scritches to himself! And he can enjoy them ALL HE WANTS.

...but then there is food.

Food.

Scritches.

Food.

Scritches.

If Dug knew a swear word, he would probably use it. His stomach wins out over the petting, however, and with big eyes he stares up at Moist. "I am very hungry!"

[withhistailhigh]

A long, lean, black tomcat with green eyes regards Dug from its perch in the rafters.

"How extraordinarily clever of you."

[good_dug]

Bounce bounce bounce HAPPY HAPPY chase tail for a moment sniff waitrat steal passing pastry bounce bounce HAPPY "Yes! I am a smart dog!" bounce bounce tail waitrat chair DO NOT MARK CHAIR bounce bou-

cat?

Cat!

Dug briefly attempts to stand on his hind legs, toppling backwards instead. A good substitute turns out to be propping his front paws on a table and craning his neck backwards.

"Shoo, cat! This is my magical place!"

[withhistailhigh]

The cat doesn't move an inch. "And how do you propose to make me leave?" he says with dry amusement.

[good_dug]

...huh.

That is a remarkably good question. Dug hops off the table and sits below the rafter, idly gnawing on the stuffed octopus as he thinks. When he does speak again, it's unsure, hesitating.

"I...will come up there and chase you?"

OH WAIT IDEA! (Octoplushie is dropped, and begins to slowly drag itself away, aiming for a table under which it may be able to finally hide from this golden monster)

"I will call my friends here and they will make you leave!"