milliways_bar | (no subject)

Wolf hasn't moved close enough to Snow for Harold to notice him yet. Thankfully.

Thus the truck continues to roll across the floor, Harold making very quiet little vrooom! vrooom! noises.
Snowball is right next to Harold and is unimpressed with the truck. She's asleep.

Snow skritches Snowball behind the ears, trying to keep an eye on Harold without directly looking at him.

Someone's got to make an effort toward keeping him from notice.

[ooc: Are Millie/Wade there?]

Wolf watches the truck, eyes narrowing. Taking a few steps closer, he can just barely hear little "vroom! vroooom!" noises. Virginia's "automobiles" make those kinds of sounds.

But he was pretty sure that they didn't come that small. Or move on their own.

[OOC: Nope, they're at home. Harold insisted on coming in, but Snow isn't willing to risk her own pups, the way the bar's been lately.]

Snow finally spots Wolf, and attempts to quietly shush Harold without drawing notice.

"Good afternoon, Wolf. How are Virginia and Hunter?"

"Hi Snow!"

Did the truck suddenly stop moving?

He was pretty sure that it did. And that it had been moving before.

"They're fine; pup's growing like a weed," he grins a little.

"Have you seen Harold at all? We've been looking for him. He ran away when we came back."

"They do tend to grow like crazy at that age. I remember we'd have to get new clothes for Millie every week or so, either because she outgrew them or they ripped when she shifted."

A pause; she's not entirely sure how to approach this.

"I've been looking out for him since you left him with me that night. Sometimes he'll get away from me -- that crayon makes him harder to track down than flying or shapeshifting children, I have to say -- but I take care of him when and how I can."

Harold froze as soon as he heard Wolf. (Which also woke Snowball up) After a minute he started creaping up to the booth where Snow is. Now he's in her lap, head buried in her chest, all freaked out.

Thankfully he remembered to leave the truck where it was.

Snow reaches to the table and picks up her mug of tea with both hands, very carefully and at least somewhat unblatently giving Harold a protective embrace.

He can smell Harold. Harold is HERE SOMEWHERE.

"Yes, but do you know where he is right now?" Wolf asks a little insistently.

"I can honestly say I haven't seen him that much lately."

Which is true, between his extended departure and the regular bouts of invisibility.

Harold is not whimpering, SO VERY MUCH to his credit.
He is, however, shaking a little.

He is silently willing Snowball quiet.

Maybe.... Maybe he just thinks he smells Harold because Harold's scent is on Snow?

Can't fool a wolf's nose.

Perhaps a little desperately, "Is he doing okay?"

"Last I saw, yes. He has quite a few people looking out for him."

Wolf is a good friend, and she'd normally tell him where Harold is. But that would just make things much, much worse, as then Harold would be hiding from both of them. Again.

Wolf doesn't know what to do. At all.

"...When you see him next" -- what the hell. What kind of thing is that to say to the person watching your pup -- "please let us know? We've been trying to find him, and I'm starting to get worried, and so is Virginia."

Snow has done her share of flailing over this. Harold has about as many issues as . . . well, her, when she first arrived at Milliways.

"I'll make sure he knows."

And then . . . it's Harold's decision as to what should be done.

It is Snowball's opinion that Harold does not always know what's best for him. Thus she interveens sometimes.
As she decides to do now. She has been listening, after all. Not only to Harold's feelings, but more importantly what Wolf says.

So she stands up and nudges her nose against Wolf's leg.
Lightly.

He's trying hard not to scowl and then something TOUCHES HIM and Wolf whirls around, trying to find it. He looks down, and there's nothing there except Snow's legs, but those are on the other side of the table.

Sniiiiff.

He could almost swear that he smells dog.

Harold's eyes grow BIG and he wiggles out of Snow's arms and drop to the floor inbetween Snow's legs.

He reaches out to grab Snowball, but not before Snowball touches Wolf's leg again, this time a bit harder.

Then Harold has Snowball by the neck and pulls him back. Thankfully he does remember what Prue told him about people being able to hear him if he talked, but Snowball will be in BIG TROUBLE later.

Snow shifts her legs closer together, an innocent enough move to all appearances, but one that will allow her to hold the pair gently where they are. Given the circumstances, paranoia that Harold will try to run off again is understandable.

Her expression never wavers, and she tilts her head at Wolf.

"Is something wrong?"

There it is AGAIN!

Wolf looks down.

"I... I could have sworn something touched me."

Snowball's being difficult. She's wiggling and brushing Wolf's legs and Harold's TRYING SO HARD to hold her but she's SO MUCH BIGGER THAN HE IS.

Harold lets out a slight yelp.

"That's odd. It might have been one of the smaller patrons . . . I've seen talking cats and dogs and foxes around, and I suppose they might occasionally avoid notice . . ."

Snow will not reveal Harold's location until Harold is ready for his location to be revealed.

Wolf STAAAAAAAAAAAAARES underneath the table.

As in, crouches down and is alternately staring at the empty space underneath the table, and squinching up his eyes because Snowball is pushing against him and licking his face.

He raises a hand to try and feel the thing (it's a dog. It has to be a dog. It smells like a dog. And it feels like a dog.) licking his face, when he hears the yelp.

And he knows that yelp.

Wolf straightens up a little and looks over the tabletop at Snow.

Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!

Snowball lays down at Snow's feet, mission accompished. If a dog ever could look smug, this one does.

Harold crawls back up in the booth, and then into Snow's lap. He puts his head into her chest and whimpers.

Scared and upset would be an understatement. He would run, except that would mean leaving comfort. And comfort is good.

Snow hugs Harold tight, no longer caring how it looks, and silently swears.

"I'm sorry, Wolf. Harold made it clear that he'd rather avoid you for now. He hid from me for some time, just because he was afraid I'd turn him over to you. We need to get this sorted out, but right now my first priority is making sure Harold feels safe."