(no subject)

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Robots make many things easier! Especially when it comes to removing debris and rubble from old buildings, or determining how to power up a computer system you've never encountered before, or clearing a section of the nearby river of vicious mutant hippos.

They do not, however, make it easier to relax after sixteen hours' straight fieldwork, so Ellen didn't bring any with her today when she came in to get a beer. Dogmeat, sure, but not the robots.

No offense to the drinking places in Philly but Milliways is a much easier place to deal with sometimes.

Comments

[cottoncandypink]

When Wilford comes in for lunch today, Buster follows him in, hoping to get a treat. Thoughts of treats are immediately forgotten at the sight of OTHER DOG, and he immediately rushes over to dance and say hello.

Wilford barely makes it to the bar before he notices. No offence to Dogmeat, but he does not seem like the sort of dumb, friendly dog that would put up with Buster's idiocy, so he rushes over to pull his dog away.

"Leave him alone. He probably doesn't like you," Wilford scolds, picking his dog up like a sack of potatoes.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

... dog? Dog!

Dogmeat gets a very confused baroo? sort of look as Wilford scoops up the other dog. Ellen just sighs and says, "Dogmeat, if his human says leave him alone, leave him alone. Sorry, Dogmeat's not used to other people picking up dogs that're still alive."

[cottoncandypink]

Wilford has never figured out - or been told, really - how he’s supposed to hold his dog. Probably not under one arm, while the dog scrambles around like it can still reach the floor.

“This one never learned any manners. One of these days he’s gonna get bit.”

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Well, Dogmeat won't attack him if he doesn't cause trouble, for whatever that's worth," says Ellen. "I'll keep hold of his collar if you need to put yours down."

[cottoncandypink]

"How 'bout it?" Wilford asks his dog. "You want to try this new game called Not Getting Yourself Killed?"

He puts Buster down, and is totally unsurprised when he immediately rushes back over to say hi.

This dog is embarrassing. Especially the way he can't just wag his tail. His entire rear end wags back and forth.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Which is going to make the mandatory sniffing thereof a little awkward, but that doesn't seem to stop Dogmeat. And it doesn't take that long anyway.

"Dogmeat, don't jump him or anything, okay?"

[cottoncandypink]

Wilford almost manages not to roll his eyes. Almost. It happens a little bit.

"Same goes for you too, Bucko." Buster probably isn't listening. There's a new dog to sniff and lick.

He's pretty sure nobody here would bring a vicious dog inside, but it's difficult enough as it is to teach Buster some good habits for when he does eventually meet a dog in a bad mood. But Ellen's dog looks friendly enough, so they probably won't need to pull them apart.

"That's a weird-looking dog. What is it?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Honestly? I don't know," Ellen says as Dogmeat play-bows and whufs at the other dog. "I found him holding off three raiders who'd just killed his former human, that's all I know about him. I've been attacked by wild dogs a few times and they mostly don't look like that, so he might be from somewhere outside the Capital Wastes."

[cottoncandypink]

"Jesus. And people call my world a death trap."

Maybe they should go spend a weekend at Ellen's and see if they still think that.

"Stray dogs where I'm from just eat your garbage and make a mess." And then invite themselves into your home.

Somehow, Buster has wound up on his back, kicking his legs ineffectively into the air.

[childofrebellion]

Cassian finally has something to show for his long days and slips through the front door from a dark alley.

When he sees Milliways, he allows himself to relax slightly and moves to the counter. He nods to Ellen, he recognizes that look, "Long day?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Something like that," Ellen says with a small smile in return. "We've been investigating what used to be United States Navy property two hundred years ago. There's rumors of a ship that had been pulled out of the waters for repairs that might be useful. We just had to fight through a heck of a lot of critters to even get close."

[childofrebellion]

"Animals are good at making homes of whatever they can find," He's heard stories about space salvage with unusual surprises.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Especially hippos." Ellen wrinkles her nose. "At least it wasn't mirelurks. Hippos might be able to bite a man in half, but they need a lot of space to get up any kind of speed."

[childofrebellion]

"What's a hippo?" They sound terrifying.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"A four-legged water-dwelling animal that lives in the rivers around Philly," Ellen says. "Twelve feet long- that's probably about two of you- and about as tall at the shoulder as the top of my head. Thick hide, tusks as big around as that drinking glass right there, and a lot quieter than anything that size has a right to be. Plus they sprint like you wouldn't believe."

The radscorpions that infest much of Ellen's North America are the descendants of pet store and home pet escapees. The hippos, on the other hand, are the unfortunate result of the Philadelphia area having both a zoo and an aquarium with African aquatic animal exhibits.

[childofrebellion]

"Oh kriff, its always worrying when something that big is fast."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Seriously," Ellen says. "Deathclaws are like that too, although they walk on two legs and strike with the other two. At least they don't seem to have those in Philly. The other things are bad enough."

[sticktothemission]

Gabriel appreciates the lack of robots and the presence of Dogmeat. He snags a couple Beggin' Strips from Bar.

"Hey, Ellen." He gives her a wave. Then in an exuberant pet talk voice, "Hi, Dogmeat, have you been a good boy?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Oh- hi, Gabriel." Ellen smiles as Dogmeat assumes the !!! expression of all perpetually hungry dogs who've smelled food. "He's been very good today- go and say hello, Dogmeat."

[sticktothemission]

Gabriel crouches with a grin, hand already held out with a piece of treat and the other ready to offer pets.

"Does he go with you on Brotherhood missions? Who's a good doggo, yes you are."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"More often than not he does," Ellen says. "I have body armor for him, although it doesn't help much when he decides that it's time to attack something five times his size and covered in steel. Which happens distressingly often."

Dogmeat isn't listening. He is WAGGING and SNIFFING and LICKING and there is FOOD.

[sticktothemission]

"That's kind of dangerous, Dogmeat," he chides while totally reenforcing the sentiment by given more treat pieces.

"Does he listen if you tell him to stand down?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

OM NOM NOM CHOMP SNARF.

"Not as often as I'd like," Ellen says, sounding resigned. "I've tried teaching him otherwise. It doesn't always take. At least I'm generally fast enough to catch the sound of him doing something dangerous and get shots off in that direction before he gets hurt."

[sticktothemission]

Gabriel hands over the last of the bacon and then stands, checking to make sure all his fingers are present. He's a couple inches taller than the last time they spoke.

"Brave guy. I'm glad you can keep up with him. Seems pretty food motivated but it's kinda hard to do positive motivation in the middle of a firefight."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"When I first met him he was fighting off three raiders who'd killed his previous human," Ellen says. "He's always been willing to get into bigger fights than he can handle. And he's always hungry."

She's not sure if that's unusual for dogs or not, to be honest.