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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 26, 2012 17:50:40 GMT -5
Dare let out a burst of laughter that set off dogs barking down both ends of the corridor, not least of all Elouai. He couldn't look at Rhys or Matthew, and waved off the guide as he attempted to get himself under control. Yes, it was something they'd know a lot about, and he considered buying some just so Michael could share in how completely weird they were.
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Post by Rhys Moreau on Oct 26, 2012 18:03:44 GMT -5
Rhys paused at the laughs and couldn't help but shake his head at the people he was in company with. He tossed an apologetic glance toward their guide, then slipped into the kennel with Matthew and the dog. "Well, I think he likes you," Rhys said, though whether he was speaking to Matthew or Magnum he didn't clarify.
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Post by Matthew Moreau on Oct 26, 2012 18:09:42 GMT -5
"Well, if we look alike then of course he likes me," Matthew said, glancing up at Rhys. "What do you think? Hasn't been a magnum in my life in a long time, ever since we took that test," he added in a low voice. It earned him a playful smack on the shoulder.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 26, 2012 18:15:17 GMT -5
Dare was having a hard time keeping his laughter muffled, and his face and neck were getting pinker by the moment. He glanced aside at Michael, considering ditching Rhys and Matthew for a short time just to save himself from the jokes. The two would have to visit a few other dogs before deciding, anyway.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 26, 2012 18:27:20 GMT -5
Michael grinned and reached for Dare's hand to pull him away. "Let's spare the poor guide," he whispered into Dare's ear. They could go off and look at more dogs, leaving Matthew and Rhys to make their decision in relative privacy. "Well, considering the name of their ice cream shop, it makes sense their dog would have a name with extra meaning," he added as they walked away.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 26, 2012 18:31:28 GMT -5
Dare grinned aside at Michael, pausing only a moment to call Elouai's attention back to him. They could make a round and head back at some point to let her in with whatever dog the other two chose.
"There are some awesome dogs here," he said. "Good luck to them choosing just one." His gaze had lingered on more than one Great Dane or dane mix, but every time he wanted to stop, he reminded himself that Elouai kept his hands full, not to mention the twins.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 26, 2012 18:33:56 GMT -5
Michael nodded, "There are so many. If we could take one home..." But he shook his head. They needed to get things settled in and figured out before even considering growing their family again. "This is a wonderful setup. I always hear bad things about shelters, but this is entirely different."
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 26, 2012 18:41:04 GMT -5
"It is," Dare agreed. He was quiet a moment, then went back to what Michael had started to say. "If we could take one home," he echoed, "what kind of dog would you want? We wouldn't have to have two with as much energy as Elouai's got." Somehow, he hadn't really thought of that until the words formed on his tongue. "It could be your dog, like, if I'm not there."
He wasn't suggesting that he'd leave again, but they didn't go to bed at the same time every night anymore. Elouai was his, and though it had begun that way, and though he'd been her primary human for years, it had really sunk in when he'd left. He'd needed to take her with him.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 27, 2012 8:00:21 GMT -5
"The dog we had when I was young was a lab," Michael said, speaking slowly as he thought. "It would have to be something intelligent, to go along with Elouai." He didn't think they could handle a hard to train dog after the ease with which they had trained her. "Not short hair like Matthew seems to like."
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 30, 2012 15:53:28 GMT -5
Dare nodded, thinking. His next glance into a kennel was a bit less longing and a bit more serious. Eventually they made their way back to the front desk, and before long, were having their own interview.
The center wanted a lot of information. Dare and Michael gave a good description of their multi-story home and the best they could of their gated community. They had their own children, one-year-old twins who were never left alone with their dog, though she was obviously well-trained. Dare went over his style of training, of the exercise their amazingly fit dog got daily, and that they were looking for a less-energetic breed. They would have no trouble exercising a dog, but wanted a complement to their already active household.
Their interviewer was impressed with the level of thought they had put into the decision, with how smoothly everything seemed to go, and soon she'd produced a paper with a list of dogs she thought would be compatible with them. Whatever Matthew and Rhys were doing, Dare and Michael were about to begin a similar round of meetings with potential adoptees.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 30, 2012 16:15:07 GMT -5
Michael didn't quite believe they were actually considering going through with this, but there they were, stopping by this kennel or that. One contained a swiss mountain dog while another held a huge, drooling mastiff. "Are we really doing this?" he asked softly, sliding his fingers between the bars of one door. A wet tongue slipped out and greeted him.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 30, 2012 16:22:25 GMT -5
Dare looked aside at Michael, his brows drawing together. He didn't want to unilaterally decide that Michael needed his own dog, and he wasn't sure exactly what was behind that hesitance. "Don't you want to?" he asked. They could afford another dog, they had room for one, they had a place for one, but if it was going to be another dog for him, he wouldn't choose anything as laid back as they were looking at.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 30, 2012 16:26:50 GMT -5
Michael watched as the dog smiled in response to the light scratch on her ears, then he looked up at Dare and smiled. Yes, he did. He might not have seriously considered it if Dare hadn't brought it up, but now that they were here in the middle of it all he couldn't help but want to add to the family. "Yes, I do," he stole a quick kiss, then looked at the dog in the kennel. "But I'm sorry, I'm not sure you're for me, dear." He gave her one last scratch on the ears, then moved on.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 30, 2012 16:36:18 GMT -5
The last on their list was a Bernese Mountain Dog, a breed Dare had never even heard of before. He's young, might have some growing left in him, their guide said. Dare stopped at the kennel, and Elouai's ears perked up. She immediately poked her nose through the bars, and though he called her back, she could hardly restrain herself.
The other dog was large, mostly black with a fluffy white chest, white toes, and a white muzzle, and a bright orangish-brown on its legs, and in a couple spots on its face. Dare arched his brows, then looked aside at Michael. That was one beautiful dog.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 30, 2012 16:46:24 GMT -5
Michael immediately smiled when he saw the dog. "Hello there," he said before glancing at the dog's card. His smile grew. "His name is Hero," he said, glancing back at Dare. The dog's head tipped to the side and his ears perked at the sound of his name. Would you like to meet him? He paused for a moment before nodding and standing back to let the guide open the kennel so he could step inside.
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