RP:Double The Puppies, Double The Fun

Summary: Meri and Callum journey to 'Lanara's Animal Sanctuary' in hopes of adopting the pony-sized puppy that Meri had fallen in love with weeks before, during a ballet class. They're in luck, as the large puppy is still there, and looking for a loving home! However, Lana doesn't want to separate him from his micro-sized best fur friend, and the newly engaged couple decides to adopt both the very large and the very small puppy! As the adoption is finalized, Meri informs Lana that she has quite a few things in common with Cal, and they all agree to meet up in the near future to discuss canine training, skulls, and witchcraft.

The sanctuary had been busy all week and today was no different, with dozens of hopefuls bustling up and down the aisles seeking a connection with one of the many animals that needed a home. The amount of exotic animals had tripled, though only a handful were ready to be rehomed as they were either too feral or still recovering from some sort of injury. The domesticated animals, which were in the cages nearest the entrance, all eagerly lift their heads as the adopters wander past, only to whine if they aren’t considered. The center aisle is where the pens are set up, and usually the larger puppies and younger dogs would be in their own private enclosure, however, the spacious building has been filled to capacity so they all roam free, with four to a pen. A sign at the front desk alerts the visitors that its kitten season and all cat adoptions are half price, a real bargain should one seek a feline companion! In the midst of all the chaos with animal meet and greets, volunteers cleaning the enclosures and tending to the animals, and several adoption counselors finishing up the applications, is the founder, Lanara. The witch is bent over a metal pen and lowering a long-legged puppy into a pen, the dog so massive already that he looks as though he’s part pony. In this pen there are only two, as they are much bigger than the others and take up so much space, as the breed would be known as a ‘Great Dane’ in modern day lingo. Lana hands each of them a treat and eyes their glossy coats, knowing that their recent bath was necessary, despite the fact that she had gotten drenched as they just had to shake the water from their bodies all over her small frame. Her pale blue scrubs were still damp, though the witch is in her element and greets any that pass her by with a smile, as she couldn’t be more proud of her workplace. She moves on to the other pens, which house various breeds of dogs, varying in age, size, coats, and colors, and gives each an afternoon treat.

Meri :: It was not a particularly long trip from their house in Kelay-Sage to Lanara's Animal Sanctuary. The two spots were really just on opposite sides of the forest, but Meri was still insistent about taking Kadence and Mr. Storm Cloud out for a leisurely ride. It would be good to allow them to stretch their legs, and she was pretty sure she told Lanara she would introduce her to Kadence someday. This will hopefully give the witch the opportunity. During the trip, Meri would explain, "I came here once with Khitti, and I forgot the name of her helper since then...? But. She's. Something else. With these ridiculous rules. One treat per puppy. Pfft. She got mad at Khitti." This of course is all said well out of earshot of the establishment. From there Meri would rattle on about the different puppies she saw here. Cal would hear allll about pony-sized puppy that Meri was already infatuated with, but she was not super hopeful he was still there. He was a cutie, and thus he probably got adopted already. That was good for the puppy, if so, but Meri was only half-happy about it. Once the building was within sight, Meri dismounts her horse and calls out to the witch, who seems to be outside in the pens with the puppies. "Hey Lanara!"

Callum patted his blue roan as the two trotted along, a brow raised at Meri’s tale. “I mean, I can sort of understand? It’s a bit like overwatering a plant--don’t want the animals getting too heavy--but… that still seems a bit strict. Especially if most of them are puppies. They’ve still got a lot of growing to do.” He definitely heard about that pony-pupper--she went on for almost the entire length of the journey there; how does someone do that about a dog? Oh well--and Cal could only smirk at the blonde, “Seems like you’ve got yours picked out then if it’s still there. If this thing tramples me… I’m delicate, you know.” He was. Totally. Never you mind that Catalian blood running through his veins that tried to make him every bit of a warrior as Brand and Lionel when he was angry about something. That’s absolutely nothing. Once they got there, and they made their way towards Lanara, they had to pass by the cats. He leaned over to eye a particularly fluffy one that wanted its belly rubbed. Callum acquiesced briefly, but when he pulled his hand away, it was covered in fur. And then his eyes started watering. And then came the sneezing. “Oh… this is probably why my parents didn’t have cats…” He’s allergic. Oh joy. Well, at least it’s not as bad as a certain fiery sea captain being allergic to lobsters. Wiping the fur off onto his pants--which are black and that cat was white and it now sort of looks like he just rolled in cat fur--Callum would give Lanara a brief nod, as well as a “Hi.” He was still felt like he should be a bit cautious around the other witches for now.

Lanara had moved closer to the entrance pens which housed some of the others that hadn’t yet been adopted, but were well on their way of becoming housebroken and well-mannered. It’s as she’s reaching in to give a chew toy to the pony-sized puppy that Meri had fawned over about a month prior that the Psion calls out to garner her attention. The favored puppy had tripled in size and was nearing five months old, though there were two others inside of the sanctuary which were only about eight weeks old, and not as large in size, but as bouncy and playful as this particular pup. Lana straightens and fixes a smile on her face as she locks eyes with the blonde, waving in greeting, and dropping in her last chew toy to a teacup puppy with velvety ears, and a long back. That one had been Khitti’s favorite, if she remembered correctly. The witch dries her hands on her scrubs and nears her friend, her male companion, and the two magnificent horses, and her eyes light up, “Is this Kadence? I’ve heard so much about you!” It’s typical of her, to address the horse before the rider, as she reaches into her pocket and extends a palm covered with sugar cubes, which are pressed beneath the gray mare’s muzzle. Of course there was another waiting handful for Callum’s horse, and Lana lifts her gaze, to look at the two riders. “How have you been Meri? How is Khitti?” Her gaze would shift to Callum, who is greeted with a warm smile, “Hello. I’m Lanara, pleasure to meet you.” She assumes he’s Meri’s fiancé, but she isn’t positive, so she keeps the introduction short in case he’s her brother or a friend. They step into the sanctuary and Lana looks over her shoulder to the couple, “Are you here to adopt a pet?!” There’s excitement in her tone, though the woman that approaches them is glaring at Meri, the dancer that handed out too many treats. Venin remembered –everything- from the dancing to the overfeeding of the puppies, to the spill she took on the floor. She stands there, in all her ill-mannered glory, before her gaze lands on Cal and her cheeks flood with color. Venin had a weakness… It was good looking men. Lucky Cal!

Meri :: Oh no. Oh my. Oh dear. Callum was one of -them-. One treat per puppy. Pfft. Ah well, Cal has plenty of other redeemable qualities. "I gueeesss," Meri acquiesces, reluctantly. For a split second, while Cal was petting that cat, Meri was convinced they would be leaving here with a puppy and a kitty...but it becomes quickly apparent that Cal is allergic. Poor guy. Hopefully his allergy is a mild one, and he won't be a sneezing mess the entire time they are here. Now that she has Lanara's attention fully, Meri will proceed with the introductions -- even thought Lanara had offered up her own name. "Lanara, this is my fiance, Cal. Cal, this is my friend Lanara. I believe the two of you have some familiarity with one another even though you have not yet formally met." She is referencing a certain red witch resurrection. "And yes, we're here to adopt. He owes me a puppy." Meri peers at Cal and then smirks. Venin catches Meri's attention next, but it's not jealousy that she is experiencing. She'll give Cal's ribs a gentle little nudge before not-so-discretely pointing at the blushing woman and whispering, "She thinks you're cuuuuute." That is what you do when you love someone, right? Poke fun at them and try and make them blush? If Cal starts blushing, Meri will start looking victorious. "Anyway, I want Cal to meet that cute puppy I saw last I was here." Meri tries to peer past Lanara to see if she can catch a glimpse of said puppy. "And he won't knock you down," that's what she says now, "We'll teach him to sit. He'll be a good boy." Who gets excited and knocks Cal down often, probably.

Callum said he understood, but he did say he thought it was strict! Sheesh. He looked between the two women as they spoke, then eyed Storm as he was given those sugar cubes. The horse loved it, of course. So much so that he started nudging Lanara with his hoof and nose for more. The mention of Khitti brings a brief frown to his olive-tinted features, but he says nothing of the redhead. “Right. Yes. What she said. I’m Cal… and yeah… I guess we have sort of been around each other before.” He was trying not to freak out too much about that, and thankfully--but not really--was distracted by Meri’s rib-poking and Venin’s blushing. If she hadn’t pointed it out, he would have figured it out soon enough. He’d seen that look on many a girls’ faces in Catal. He blushed too, but not because of the making fun of him, but because of the thought of having to tell someone ‘Sorry. Even if I wasn’t in a relationship, I’m not really into women. Besides Meri. Because she’s special.’ It was complicated to be sure. Callum elbowed Meri right back and cleared his throat awkwardly, “Yes. I promised her a puppy for Yule and we, uh, got pretty busy.” Searching for skulls. Getting lost in the Shadow Plane. Moving away from Larket so as not to get set on fire like Valrae. Very busy. “You better teach him plenty, Meri. I don’t know the first frakkin’ thing about animals. You were the one that had to teach me how to take care of a horse, you know. I’m the plant guy. I take care of plants. They don’t need me to take them out at three am to go to the bathroom.” He was joking. Somewhat. There was a definite smirk there.

Lanara blinks as Venin extends the clipboard and parchment, as though she were going to hand it to Callum. Excuse me?! Reaching out, Lanara, the founder, the main adoption counselor who handles this sort of thing, takes the paperwork from Venin and narrows her eyes on the caretaker. Was she forgetting who ran this place?! Why would she just hand over the files to a stranger? Ah… It clicks then, that Venin is attracted to Callum, and Lana can’t help but smirk. The woman had a similar reaction to Kelovath, though he seemed frightened of her, and she had been sulking all week. This fresh eye candy though? Seems to be what she needs to forget all about that paladin and his dire weasel. She had moved on, to a Great Dane puppy and a blue-eyed Catalian… Venin is giving the man puppy dog eyes of her own, as Lana and Meri chat each other up, and the witch is again confused, momentarily. “Congrats on your engagement!” She had something in common with Callum? Not even thinking of the resurrection of Valrae, as it was super dark that night, and they were under the attack from King Macon, she blinks a few times. It couldn’t have been animal empathy, nope, he was allergic to felines. She then figures it out! “Really?! It’s so nice to have a fellow dancer in my presence! We could have used your help a few weeks ago, with the lifts. Meri! It explains how you were catching on so quickly and are going to be such a fierce ballerina!” Nudging Meri, she points two pens to the right, and her chocolate hues trail to the puppy in question. He was huge. Bouncing around and wagging his tail, and as Meri’s gaze lands on him, he unleashes a bark that is a tad shrill, and somewhat of a yodel, his vocal chords straining. He hadn’t quite grown into his bark, just yet, or his massive paws, or floppy ears. “He remembers you!” Lana gently takes Meri by the arm and leads her over to the pony-sized puppy, who is excitedly dancing in place, and his paws are somehow narrowly missing the dachshund. Thank goodness. Lana didn’t want to see the poor thing stomped to death! Reaching in, she lifts the little dog into her arms and hands it off to Venin, so that they could focus primarily on the larger one, and so that she would stop creepily eyeing Callum. It was bad for business. The caretaker sighs dreamily and saunters off with the dachshund, while Lana eyes the questionnaire and gives Cal and Meri some time with the puppy to see if he was the right fit.

Meri takes that elbow to the ribs in stride, responding to Callum with a slight chuckle. That chuckle grows into a full blown laugh when Lanara finally puts two and two together. Callum the ballerina. It is especially funny to her because she is currently imagining Callum in a tutu, leotard and tights. Nevermind Venin trying to pass the paperwork to Callum, that little slip goes ignored because Lanara intercepts it. "Well no, not quite what I was getting at with that one." Cal could offer up corrections, if he wanted to. Meri knew better than to go spilling his secrets. She had hinted and danced around the skull subject to try and get them talking about their skulls, but she'd not outright spill the beans. As Meri is taken by the arm, a thought occurs to Meri. It is inspired by the fact that the pony-pupper is almost stomping all over the dachshund puppy. The dachshund puppy is not 'out of sight out of mind' but Meri would spend a moment focusing on the puppy that she brought Cal here for. The blonde would reach into the pen with a tattooed hand so that she can say hello to the excited Great Dane. The reunion is not a long one, for she is soon nudging Callum closer to the pen to make his own introduction. "Soooo. Say hello. Make friends. Tell me what you think."

Callum ’s eyes got wide as Lanara thought -he- was a ballerina, “W-what? N-no. I don’t dance. I helped you resurrect Valrae. I’m one of the skull keepers.” Oh dear Selene. Telling her about him being a new witch was far more preferable than her thinking he was a dancer. Cal might be quick on his feet, but dancing was definitely not his thing. He narrowed his eyes at Meri and her laughing, “Woman…” It was threatening-but-not-so-threatening. Because Cal could probably never beat up Meri, even jokingly, even if he wanted to. He was soon nudged closer towards the doggo, and thanks all of the gods that Venin went elsewhere so he could actually focus on the puppy, “Is she always like that? I’ve not heard and/or seen someone act like that since Catal and I’m sorta thinking I need to go be a hermit in Craughmoyle, Meri.” He side-eyed her as a hand reached down to pet the pony-dog. “Gods, he’s huge. What the frakking hell are you feeding him?” Of course, Cal’s hand was met with big slobbery kisses.

Lanara scans the list of questions, though she already knows that she’s going to give a puppy to Meri, whether or not she passed the ‘test’ she had devised to hopeful adopters. She knew that the Psion loved dogs from the last time she was here, and she had just met her horse which had been taken care of properly. Plus, she didn’t seem the sort that would abuse an animal or become one of those terrible hoarders or backyard breeders. She tucks the questionnaire sheet to the rear of the stack, and begins to write their names at the top of the paper, “Alright. A few things to go over, before you pick a pet and everything is finalized. Should the puppy be in one or both of your names? This is on the off chance that you two split up or if the pet should require medical attention… I’d need to know who the preferred caretaker is. I’ll also need a next of kin… Someone that you trust to adopt your pet in the event that neither of you are able to take care of it, or if something should happen to either of you… If you don’t want to appoint someone as the pup’s guardian, feel free to just use me, as I’d be sure to rehome him to someone that is a perfect fit… Then you both have to just sign the contract at the bottom, promising to love and care for the puppy for his entire life… And put in your address so that I can send you flyers of any upcoming events. We have a barbeque scheduled next month, and a charity ball later in the year. You don’t want to miss those, especially since you both are dancer-“ Her voice trails off as Cal mentions that he’s not a ballerina, but that he wielded one of the skulls at the resurrection. Thankfully, this area is mostly scarce, aside from a toddler and his mother eyeing the kittens in the corner, but they ignore the trio. “Oh! Well…” That means he’s a witch. One of her own. She’s unsure how to feel about this, as the only witch she was close to was Talyara, and that was her own sibling. She also considered Valrae to be kin, and had risked her life for the woman. As for Uma, she hardly knew her, and Artia she wasn’t overly fond of, and she had never met a male witch before this moment. She is dying to know more about the skulls, and what powers his holds, but it’s not the time or place. Instead, she reaches out and pats him on the shoulder, “Your secret is safe with me, and it’s nice to see another of our kind… We’ll have to all meet up one day and talk. In a more private setting?” Lana watches the interaction between Meri and the puppy, which is jumping up and down on all fours, and licking eagerly at the markings on her hands, as though her tattoos were tasty treats. As Callum steps forward to eye the puppy, he gives him those big, sad, ‘you know you wanna take me home’ eyes and excitedly wags his tail from side to side. Lana points to the retreating back of Venin, and she motions to Meri, “Hey… I know this is a bit random, but do you think Khitti and Brand would like to adopt that little girl? These two dogs have bonded so well, I hate the thought of separating them, and maybe Khitti’s little boy would love a playmate? She won’t get very big, maybe ten or fifteen pounds, fully grown…” She stops gushing about the dachshund, just short of asking Meri to consider a two for one type of deal, and looks over to see how Cal is faring with the puppy. “So… What do you both think? There are many others to look at, of all different sizes, temperaments, and ages… I can give you both some privacy if you want to talk alone, or walk the dog outside and get to know him?”

Meri shoves her hands into the back pockets of her pants as she watches Cal with the puppy. A smirk finds its way to her lips, Cal getting puppy kisses is pretty dang adorable. Then again, Meri is obviously a sucker for animals and any combination of Cal petting an animal is probably just going to be lethal to Meri. Judging by Meri's response, she did not think much of that not-so-threatening look, she knew better. Her focus finds Lanara, addressing the woman's numerous points. "We were actually hoping to talk to you about things of that nature. How you are taking to the skull, what you have learned about it since the time you have had it." Cal had asked to receive some instruction from Valrae, but the more information the Catalian was armed with the better, Meri thought. Meri was not going to press beyond that, Lanara had requested a more private setting for such discussion and Meri could whole-heartedly understand. A pause, looking back to Cal so that she can see if he has any preference for this preferred caretaker situation. "Both of our names. We don't really have much in the way of family, Khitti would be who I would want to have listed I think. But I would want to check with her. Ship life. Brand may not want a dog on his ship. I don't know. Then again, they have other critters. So it may not be a big deal." Brace yourself Cal, here comes Meri's brilliant idea. "And I think that Cal and I should adopt them both. Best case scenario, we will be able to give him to Khitti and he can come visit his doggo-friend whenever she comes to visit me. If she is not ready for a puppy though, Cal and I can have two dogs! And she can just love on her doggo friend whenever she comes to visit." Yeah, Cal! That's right! You heard Meri! She wants TWO puppies....at least it's not a baby, hm?

Two dogs. Two. Would -two- dogs be enough to keep Meri from continuing her baby fever? The gears in his head were clearly turning as he looked from Meri, to Lanara, to both of the dogs, then back to Meri. It was a risk, but it was a risk he was willing to take. “I’m not so sure a tiny dog would do well on the ship anyway. I mean, Khitti’s got that huge spider… and two giant cats… and who knows what the frak else lurking around there from the Shadow Plane. Something there is bound to eat it. Brand might lose his mind at some point and think it’s a sausage or something.” He smirked a bit, then shrugged at Meri, “Fine, fine. You can have two dogs. You said that I -do- owe you interest since it’s been so long.” He finally addressed the witch topic, keeping it a bit vague now so as not to draw too much interest from any of Lanara’s other customers, or even Venin. “Valrae’s taken me on as an apprentice, but if you’ve got anything to teach, I’d certainly like to learn. We could exchange knowledge, even.” Another shrug, before returning to the subject of these doggos, “And, no. I don’t think we need to take ‘em around unless Meri really wants to. I’m certain that if we don’t leave here with at least one dog, she’d find a way to sneak it in anyway. And more’s the better I guess, if the two together will be happy.”

Lanara listens intently to Meri’s inquiries regarding the skull, and were they not in such a public setting, she’d gladly have answered. She trusted the Psion, more than most in the realm. The woman had kept her engagement to Eirik a secret, she had assisted in the resurrection of Valrae, battled a dragon for one skull while dipping into the Shadow Plane for a second skull, and she had even been subjected to a ballet class! Meri was definitely close to being considered a ‘best’ friend at this point, and Lana gently rests her palm on her shoulder, her dark eyes full of sincerity, “We will talk soon. I promise. I’m happy to answer anything either of you wish to know, and I have a few questions of my own about Cal’s skull. Maybe I can drop by in a few days, to check on the pups, and we can chat then?” She’d need an address, of course, unless Meri was still working at the tattoo studio in Larket, then they could meet there. Though Larket was not the favored locale of –any- person with magical abilities! The elf nods to Callum as he says he’s Valrae’s apprentice, and she gives him a grin, “She’s a wonderful choice for a mentor, Cal. And I’m happy to share my knowledge with you and to learn from you, as well. Wisdom comes from failure, growing old, and having friends that live in a similar circle. I look forward to befriending another fellow witch.” She did, as friends she could trust were hard to come by, and her favorite witch, Talyara, was currently on leave from the lands. Lana was feeling isolated in her craft, lately. The fact that the couple agrees to take not just the pony-pup, but the short-legged mouse-dog has her smile widening and she squeals and claps her hands, delighted. “Yay! It’s so funny because one is HUGE and the other is such a little thing! But they truly are the best of friends and I can’t imagine seeing them not together. Thank you both!” As she’s babbling about how excited she is, and admitting that she thought Cal would surely have run off at the thought of two pets, Venin returns with the teacup size puppy and another stack of forms. The caretaker is eyeing Callum again, as though he were a steak, and Lana nudges her in the ribs as she takes the puppy and places it in Cal’s arms. She figured that Meri would handle the much larger pup on their way home. “Venin, please go retrieve collars and leashes that are suitable for the pups, and two puppy starter packages. There is no charge, so you don’t need to tally up any of the items. And… Throw in some extra kibble, the big one is a good eater.” The woman leaves with a huff, throwing a glare at Meri on her way to the storage room. All the good ones were taken, it seemed, and Venin now hated Khitti and Meri in equal measure. Khitti had the red hair and snuck extra treats to the one puppy, and Meri had Callum and she also broke the biscuit rules! Lana ignores her associate and scribbles on the forms, lifting her hues to the couple, “They’ll need names so I can complete the adoption. When animals come into the sanctuary we give them generic names, but these are so young so feel free to change them to what you like.”

Admittedly, Meri has avoided setting foot in Larket since Macon made his appearance to Valrae's resurrection. There were items that needed to be sold off or stored for future use, but even then Meri herself did not oversee a lot of that, only the bare minimum. It was her hired help Estelle that was left a bulk of that work. Poor Estelle was not done dirty, she was not asked to help liquidate the business without a giant goodbye paycheck, one that would keep her comfortable while she tries to find new employment. A look is cast to Cal. How did he feel about giving Lanara their address? Yes, they were getting married but it was still his house. "We'll talk soon then," repeating Lanara's sentiments and essentially deferring to Callum on this issue. The teacup puppy is deposited into Cal's arms and Meri smirks, but that expression fades into a more thoughtful one when faced with the prospect of naming them. "I don't knooow, usually I like to get to know their personalities just a little bit better before I fully commit to a name." She'll throw out a couple of names, mostly goofy selections, just to get the ball rolling with the name game. "Dot & Dash? Hocus & Pocus? Ruff & Tumbles? Topsy & Turvey?" Halp, Cal, halp. Venin can be as upset as she wants, Meri does not seem to mind. Cal is a good catch and she knows it, and don't worry Cal, if it really came down to it....? Meri would step up to help with the rejecting. For now she seems to be content avoiding the drama all together because Venin's antics were still ignorable. Once Venin returns with the leash, collar, and the rest of the goods that Lanara has requested, Meri will begin fitting the leash and collar about the Dane's neck. "And thank you, but we'd prefer to pay the fees. It goes toward a good cause." That cause being supporting the other animals waiting to be adopted.

Much like Meri with the art studio, Cal had done the same with Estelle, having her take care of things at their old home in that god awful city. “We… don’t live in Larket anymore. Haven’t been back in awhile. I had a place here in the forest before I met Meri; that’s where we’re living now.” He gave her the approximate whereabouts in the southern part of the forest, said that she wouldn’t be able to miss it, because of the huge garden--and managed to get it all out just before Venin showed up. Suddenly, he got worried about whether or not she -did- manage to hear him and if she’d end up stalking him. He’d go live in a nice cave then. Sorry, Meri. “I’m not quite sure on a name for either of them.” He thought about it a moment, eyeing Venin briefly as she mentally added a name to her hate list. “I’m not your type.” He said plainly to the caretaker, with a smirk, before addressing Lanara again, “Can you put down what you named them here for now? And minor adjustments to the paperwork be made when you come to check in on them and visit with us? I think Meri’s right about needing to get a feel for their personalities first. It was a hell of a time for me to figure out a name for my horse.”

Lanara nods in complete agreement as Meri asks if they can feel out their personalities before giving them each a name, “That’s a great idea and usually what I would do, too!” To Callum, she nods, and scribbles their given names on the form, though she’s certain they’ll be changed in the near future once they get to know the dogs better. “Okay… So Meri and Callum adopted ‘Mountain’ and ‘Lowrider’ and the address is…” She finishes writing down all the information, has each of them sign the forms, and gives them a copy, while she keeps one for her own records. She can sense that the address is best kept private from the look on Cal’s face, and she bites the inside of her cheek to stifle a giggle as he tells Venin that they wouldn’t be a good match. The caretaker narrows her gaze on Meri, as if this was somehow all her fault, though she hands over the items and heads off to check on the kittens. “Please, don’t worry. All of my files are kept private, and I’m the only one that has access to the safe, so none of your information is shared with anyone, aside from me. I keep it so that I know where the animals that are adopted reside, and sometimes we send invitations to charity events and that sort of thing. It’s also great to have, in case your pet goes missing and is found and returned to us. We can return them safely to your home.” Each puppy is fitted with a collar and matching leash and Lana puts all of their food, toys, and other supplies in a wooden crate, so it would be easier to carry. “I wish you both the best of luck with these two… There’s a letter in there with some basics for training and housebreaking and that sort of thing. There’s also a feeding guide. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to come and find me! Any time of the day or night, it’s not a bother, I promise!” Lana smiles warmly at Meri and Callum, delighted that the couple adopted both puppies, as she knows they’re going to make a wonderful family. “There’s no charge! Consider them an engagement gift, though if you must give something, there are donation boxes near the entrance, but it’s really not necessary.” She waits to see if they have any questions, before she lowers her head to the pony-pup first and kisses him on the snout, and then she smooches the little puppy on the top of her head, “I’m going to miss you both, so much! You be good for Cal and Meri, okay? And I promise to bring some biscuits when I visit you in a few days!” The woman’s eyes fill with tears, as this was the bittersweet part of her job, though she knew that Meri wouldn’t object to Lana dropping by every few months to watch them grow up. And she was hopeful she’d call Cal a friend too, one day, since they both were of the same faith.

Meri is only willing to tolerate so much from Venin. Before she walks off to check the kittens, Meri levels a glare right back on the other woman and issues a stern, "Enough is enough. Learn something about customer service." Because seriously, this chick is in need of an attitude adjustment. There are worse people out there than those who want to spoil the puppies with extra biscuits! Meri was finally starting to feel irritated, and the timing is just perfect. They have just finished a big part of what brings them out here, and arranged a follow up meeting to discuss the skull. Issue of the charge is dropped for now, Meri could accept this as an engagement gift.....only because there was a donation box for them to leave a little something something at. Initially, Meri and Cal had only planned for one puppy. Now that they had two puppies, they are going to have to go shopping for puppy stuff again. While they are out, Meri will insist that they buy a few extra toys and other goodies for the puppers back at the shelter. One way or another, Lanara was going to get some form of 'payment'. Meri was a mule sometimes. "I think Cal and I should probably pack the goodies up onto Kadence and then head home." Cal could ride on his own horse with the smaller tea cup puppy, their goodies could go onto Kadence, and then Meri could walk both horse and dane back home. "We'll see you in a few days then, yeah? Just send word in advance, please." Sometimes business or adventuring took Meri and Callum away from their home, which Lanara is probably well aware of given that Meri helped with the skull gathering. Cal had to acquire his own skull somehow too!

Cal definitely did acquire his own skull. All by himself! It was terrifying. But that’s a story for another time. If he’s ever asked. He probably hoped that he won’t be. He’d take that puppy finally however, and raise it up in front of him, reverse-Lion King style, so that he can get a good look at that pupper’s face. “It’s a wonder Khitti liked such a tiny dog…” The weiner dog licked his nose, to which it received a blink or two from the Catalian, and then the puppy promptly started peeing. “Ohgodohgodohgod! Not on the clothes! These are expensive!” Cal ran in place for a few seconds, panicking, then nodded to Meri and Lanara, “Yes. Leaving. Definitely. We’ll see you soon.” With an ‘ahhhhhhh’, he ran towards the exit, leaving a nice long trail of dog pee for Venin to clean up as he dodged the stream itself, one that never seemed to end. It made Cal weep on the inside because this same scenario might happen with a baby too--and they’d probably even giggle about it! No, Meri. Just no. Think of the Cal and his nice clothes. And his sanity. And his dignity! He’d have Estelle come back at another time and donate a couple thousand gold to Lanara’s cause. Deal with it, woman. You’re getting money whether you like it or not!