(Sure! I'd love to continue. One moment.)
Charlie smiled at the sight of all the cats, her eyes gentle as she waited for instruction on how to help. "Do you want me to get Phantom?" She asks quietly, scratching Rhino gently under his chin. She kissed the top of his head before gently picking him up. She seemed so gentle with animals, holding them in a way that supported them but kept them close and comfortable. Worried that she might accidentally hurt one of the small creatures in her arms.
"O-oh, no." Riverpaw started, pulling a step-stool over to the counter so she could reach a cabinet and pull out a small bag of treats. "When I say 'stubborn', I mean he's temperamental and will scratch if he's not in the mood to move. The people at the shelter taught me how to handle him, so I've got it."
She nods a little before walking over to where River was and easily grabbing the bag of treats before handing it to her. "Here you are." She smiled gently before taking Rhino outside, cooing some praises and kissing his forehead before setting him down. Then she returned for Dapper, doing the same treatment as she had done for Rhino.
Riverpaw smiled gratefully and hopped down from the stool, watching Charlie and the cats for a moment before going back to the living room. She slid another stool over and slowly lifted herself to the height of the shelf the big grey Main Coon was resting on. She clicked her tongue, causing him to perk his ears in her direction, then placed a treat in front of him. Phantom stared at it, likely debating going along with the routine this time, and Riverpaw grinned when he leaned down and ate the treat. She gave him another from her hand, then turned her shoulder to him and waited once he was done. He took a moment to stretch before mindfully stepping down from the shelf and onto her shoulder, and she reached up to steady him while she stepped down. He was heavy, but she'd done this so many times that at this point, it barely fazed her.
She pet Rhino and Dapper quietly, her eyes focused on the skies. She sighed deeply and shut her eyes. She didn't want to think about anything right now. She wanted to focus on this moment, right here. Not on her dad not being here, not on her mom… She just needed to breathe and focus on the moment she was in. She didn't know what to do anymore. She looked down and scratches Dapper under the chin, and Rhino behind the ear. She waited patiently for Riverpaw to come outside with Phantom.
(I didn't even notice, but you called Rhino 'him'. Rhino's a girl c:)
"Hey." Riverpaw said softly as she knelt next to Charlie. Phantom took the opportunity to leap from her shoulder and onto the deck. He chirped at Rhino, who meowed back and gave Charlie's hand a grateful lick before follow him out to the yard. "Are you doing okay?"
(oof- sorry!)
Charlie hummed a little and glanced at her before nodding slowly. "Yeah… sometimes I accidentally slip out of the moment… but it's nothing to bad." She murmured quietly, shutting her eyes for a minute. "I just have to ground myself for a minute and then everything is okay." She glances at River, patting her knee gently. She watched the sky for a moment and inhaled slowly. "So… what were we doing again?"
She tilted her head and placed a careful hand over Charlie's, unknowingly slipping into a soft tone she used with anxious animals. "I have to check the fence to make sure everything is secure and then we'll take the dogs to the park. Is that okay?"
Charlie smiles at the hand on hers before nodding at River's words. "Yea… that sounds great actually…" She murmured softly. She slowly removed her hand and shut her eyes once again, letting herself ease and focus on her breathing. "Sounds really nice…"
Riverpaw smiled and stood up, heading down the steps and to the left corner of the house where the fence started. As she walked along the perimeter, pressing against the wooden planks and checking the ground for holes, she periodically glanced back at Charlie, worried about this stupor she seemed to be in. It took about a minute or two, but Riverpaw declared the fencing to be sturdy as ever and checked on the cats before rejoining Charlie at the deck.
Charlie let her memories go to the back of her mind before she pulled out of it and stood as River was checking over the cats. She smiled softly at Riverpaw, "Everything good to go?" She asks quietly, her eyes soft as she looks over the girl. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She asks curiously, a small smile on her lips.
Riverpaw nodded, "Everything looks good. And you've already been a great help by playing with the animals and getting the cats outside." She took Charlie's hand and led her back inside, closing the door behind them. "Now, we get leashes and take the dogs out."
She nods a little bit and squeezes her hand gently and shut her eyes as she leans against her a little bit. "I'm glad I could help a little bit at least." She murmured, smiling at Riverpaw. "Thank you for… practically everything." She whispers as she leans into the other. "Sounds good." She grabs the leashes, handing them to Riverpaw.
Riverpaw blushed as she took the leashes, her head and ears lowering in delight at Charlie's expression. "Y-you don't have to keep thanking me. You're very sweet and…well, it seems like you don't get to do stuff like this with people often." She explained before dipping into the dogs' room and quickly returning with five collars.
She hummed quietly and shook her head. "I don't remember the last time I spent any down time with someone. It was just… constant training, learning and being cooped up in a giant mansion." She sighed deeply. "It was fun as a kid, exploring all those hallways… but now…" She shrugged. "Just reminds you how lonely it is."
Riverpaw frowned as she set the collars and leashes aside, then she reached out and put her hands on Charlie's arms, squeezing gently. "Well, you're not alone here. If- if you ever need to, you can always call me and we can hang out. You can come by to play with my buddies, too." She smiled brightly, probably brighter than she had in a while. She wasn't very brave or confident in her abilities, but if there was one thing she could do well enough, it was reassuring others that she'd have their backs even if she barely knew them.
Charlie startled a little when her arms were grabbed. She smiled a little bit at the other, leaning forward and wrapping the other into a hug. She didn't know why, but she started crying. It was a happy cry, and she held onto the other. "Thank you so much." She whispers. "That means a lot to me." She slowly let's River go before wiping away her tears and taking a deep breath. "Ready to go?" She asks softly.
The hug startled her, but she was pleased nonetheless. She smiled and rubbed Charlie's arms a little when she pulled away, then picked up the collars. "Yeah." She patted her leg so Tsunami would come to her, then knelt to give her the usual instruction of gathering the other dogs. The husky rushed off, and Riverpaw let out a quiet gasp. "Oh! So, uh, there's a bit of a system to it, if I may explain."
The hug had been nice. She had liked it. Hugs were such a rarity for her now that she thought about it. Charlie watched quietly as she interacted with the dogs and smiled a little bit. "Oh, please do. I'm really interested." She says brightly as she watches the husky wander off to get the other dogs. "I really wanna know." She says excitedly, her eyes darting back to Riverpaw.
"Well, I've had Tsunami longest, but Kane is the oldest and, honestly, the most responsible." She said as Tsunami returned with Pepper and Noble; Kane was already waiting nearby with his brother. She handed Noble and Kane's collars to Charlie, then continued as she knelt to start with Tsunami. "So, since he's the leader - the "Alpha", if you will - he walks in front of the group. Tsunami and Kilo walk behind him, and Noble and Pepper bring up the rear next to me. Now, even with help, Pepper's temper and Kilo's energy typically make dealing with all five of them…a little difficult." She struggled a bit with Pepper and her collar, but was ultimately successful before moving onto the rather excited terrier. "Tsunami refuses to be walked by anyone other than me, so I've got her; do you want to take two or three of the others?"
Charlie smiled softly as she listened, her eyes soft as she looks over the dogs. She hummed quietly and nods at her words. "Makes sense." She laughs quietly before nodding. "Yeah, of course I can help! Which one's do you want me to take?" She asks curiously as she glances over the dogs and leaned down so they could sniff her. She loved all the animals that River had adopted. They were all so precious.
"Since it's your first walk with us, I think you should take Noble and Pepper." She said, standing once she'd put on Kilo's collar and leash. She also clipped leashes onto Tsunami and Pepper. "Noble is like a big brother to pepper; he's the only who can easily rein her in, so he can be your little helper if she gets rowdy."
She chuckles softly. "Probably shouldn't bite more than I can chew." She laughed a little bit and follows after the other. "I'm not to worried. I've got a pretty strong grip." She hummed happily, definitely in a better mood then she was on the porch. She looked rather content really.
"It's not the grip you need to worry about." She giggled, looking down at the Bichon Frise. "She tends to jump on things she feels might be a threat, which is pretty much anyone or anything that isn't Noble or, on occasion, me. You need to make sure she keeps her distance from people and other dogs when we get to the park." She went to put the last collars and leashes on Kane and Noble.
Charlie nods and smiles a bit, leaning down to gently pat Noble and Pepper lovingly. She hummed and stood slowly before gripping the leash. "Will do. I'll do my best." She smiled at River, "Anything else I should know?" She asks curiously.
"Not that I can think of. Everything else is normal dog walking etiquette." Riverpaw went to get a bag of dog treats from the kitchen and a handful of waste bags from a living room cabinet. She then went down the hall to open the birds' room door so they could get out if they wanted. Finally, she took Tsunami, Kane, and Kilo's leashes in her hand and smiled at Charlie. "Okay. We can go when you're ready, now."
She nods and glances at the dogs, leaning down and petting them for a minute or two, waiting for Riverpaw to come back. She gave a tiny little smile and hummed. "Alright. I'm ready to go. You should probably lead the way since I have no idea where we're going." Charlie laughed quietly.
Riverpaw went and unlocked the front door, letting the dogs out in front of her and making sure Charlie and the others were out before she locked the door behind them. She mostly let Kane lead the way as they walked down the street. "We're not going far, just to that park we passed on the way here." She told Charlie.
She nods a little bit and stretches before letting the dogs out as well. She hummed as she moved alongside River, looking over the other curiously. She nods when River explained where they were going. "Sounds good. It's a dog park right?" She tilts her head slightly to the side.
"Basically, but there is a playground." Riverpaw answered, heading down the sidewalk to the street corner. It was a good walk from her street to the park, and she was already excited to be out with her buddies. "There's also this vendor who lets people rent toys in case you don't bring your own."
