( so, after the carnival, he was maybe a void of noncommunication for a few days. not actively comatose like last time, just in a pit of his own misery, too deep to climb out of and be social until the worst of it cleared off. and okay maybe he was close to coma status after drinking himself into a blackout, but shh.
still, it's clear the last time he inadvertently ghosted on Max hit somewhere, because when the worst of the self pity clears off he does the contacting this time. maybe it hasn't been long enough for her to notice there's a gap in the dumb communications that mean nothing filtering in her direction, like little thoughtless reminders that he's still wandering around and functioning. maybe it was and the message after a handful of days without will be a slight relief. )
it's november so i feel like i should ask if you've found greener dominant pastures? if not you're welcome to settle another 3 months oh and i got a dog.
[ max, meanwhile, has also been mostly radio silent. first because she literally couldn't touch anything without her hand going through it and then due to coping with having been dead, or too close to it for comfort. she isn't sure if she actually had been or not or if that's even how dying and coming back works here. she'd done research, she knows it's possible, but she hasn't asked anyone about the experience because how exactly do you start that conversation?
she maybe should have checked in sooner once the general unease and sadness had ebbed a little bit, but she hadn't felt much like doing anything. so she hadn't, and once she'd gotten his message she feels a little guilty about that. but glad to hear from him. ]
hey. no, i'm glad to keep things going if you are.
[ she still hates the idea of contracting in general, but as far as dominants go he's been a pretty decent one. and if it keeps him from the worry of having to find someone else, all the better.
(look, she still doesn't know about either contract with satan.)
it takes a second for her to realize there's a second part to his message, but she brightens a little upon reading it again. ]
( it's true, as dominants go, he's pretty easy to tolerate. and as submissives go, Max is so independent he can almost forget their fates are uncomfortably intertwined for semiannual periods. she doesn't ask for much and his name on a piece of paper means she can live slightly less harassed than she would otherwise. so why wouldn't he do another three months?
maybe because of the contract(s) with satan thing, but, the one he made in town he isn't aware of yet. and the first, well, apparently since they're not getting engaged that one has proved harder to cough up. )
yeah? okay. i'll figure out the paperwork stuff, then golden retriever. she's the epitome of no thoughts head empty but she's fucking adorable so it works for her
figured this place is kind of a shit hole so maybe something not terrible to distract myself with wouldn't be so bad.
[ there is something uncomfortable about tying yourself to someone, and there's the added factor of it making their stay here feel all the more permanent. if she's being honest, even if she'd realized early on that immediate escape would be impossible, she'd still been hoping she would be gone before having no contract partner would be an issue.
she tries not to think of that too much. fortunately there's plenty of other awful things that occupy her attention. ]
okay. thank you, daniel.
sound logic. she sounds sweet. can i see her?
[ you can't just say 'i have a dog' and not provide puppy pictures. ]
( Daniel was pretty sure Max would end up contracting with her friend from home, when it came time to be forced into another one. hell, he's surprised she doesn't take the three months unattached just for the principle of it. maybe he is a comfortable enough concession to the rules that she doesn't feel the need.
and while being considered comfortable isn't known for being a particularly enjoyable adjective, Daniel does actually prefer that to some others. and if she's under a contract Max is a little safer, so it's a bit of a relief that she agreed. he can't do much for her in this shithole of a city, but his name next to hers on a piece of paper protects her at least a little for another three months. )
she is. and the cutest fucking thing i've ever seen, to be perfectly honest about it i figured if i floated the existence of a puppy you'd make some excuse to come see her in person, but if you're going to play hard to get, sure.
( Max will indeed get a dogtax that very much illustrates the no thoughts, head empty vibe. )
[ she might have if he'd still needed one. and truth be told she'd considered doing the three months on, three months off thing, but the honest truth of it is that life is easier and safer when contracted. she doesn't like it, but of all the concessions to make, signing with him is one she's more okay with. especially if it means he's protected, too. ]
breaking in is something i figured you'd want reserved for special occasions. that said there's a toy with her name on it if i am invited to come see her.
[ hopefully that'll make up for the feline dna because she is, in fact, the cutest fucking thing and max wants to pet her immediately. ]
i was sort of thinking i would be there as well as the dog, actually? you could knock, i could open the door, just like old times but yes you are cordially invited. maybe you can help me come up with a name, because i am struggling here
( he's never named anything in his life, not even the goat that ate most of his shoes. so the pressure is on to pick a good one. )
[ maybe she's getting her a bone in order to try to win her over in case the toy she's bringing doesn't do the trick, she might as well get dinner if he hasn't eaten yet while she's at it. ]
( he could make a pointless point of independence and eat cold leftovers before she gets here, or he can say fuck it and have whatever she ends up bringing. he's fine not being particularly independent and getting free food. )
she hasn't tried to eat my hair, but those tiny baby needle teeth go right through any toy if you spend like 10 seconds paying attention to something else
[ SHE CARES OKAY can you really fault her for caring? seriously??? ]
on my way.
[ max arrives within the next hour and in spite of daniel's last declaration, she has the promised toy, along with a small bag of dog treats and a bag of takeout balanced in her arms. she shifts it all to one arm and knocks with her free one and shakes her head to shift the braid she's pulled her hair back into off of her shoulder.
no one can accuse her of not being prepared, okay. ]
( the worst part of having a dog is he spends so much of his time cuddling the dog and whenever someone shows up he has to stop. it's excruciating.
explains the fur all over his shirt and the half asleep dog that he just hauled along with him to the door. she's not going to be small enough for this kind of transportation forever, Daniel figures he might as well make the most of her small and potable nature while she can.
the fact she's all downy fur and sleep heavy eyes makes it easy to hand her off to Max the second he opens the door. is the puppy unnerved by cat genetics? who knows, and frankly she's too tired at the moment to properly decide, so maybe they can grandfather Max in while the puppy is most susceptible. he'll take the stuff Max is holding to make it easier for her to hold the dog only after she's already got her, of course. )
Her name is Goldie I think. Goldie Hawn. You know, like the angel. ( of course the only angel Daniel knows is from an ABC drama. ) What the hell is this? ( he asks, digging in her bag to find the toy without asking. ) Oh god. The eyes make it worse. ( apparently he's not the only one that enjoys giving out phallic dog toys. not that Scooter got his :'( true tragedy. )
[ that quite frankly sounds like the opposite of a problem, not that max has ever had a pet of her own. she blinks a couple times at immediately being handed off the puppy in exchange for what she'd brought over but adapts quickly, taking her in both arms as daniel takes what else she's brought. the dog (goldie, apparently; it seems appropriate even if max doesn't get the reference) sniffs at her curiously before settling back down in her arms, her chin nestled into her elbow. max can't help but smile, adjusting her hold as she scritches her between her ears. ]
Hello, sweetheart. [ sorry, daniel, she's 100% referring to the dog right now, who she's relieved seems to be content to stay in her arms. whether that's because she's too sleepy to notice the feline dna or not is debatable, but maybe it's a good idea in case that ends up being an issue. she doubts copies of popular stephen king novels or snack cakes will work to win her over in this case. ]
Or Goldie. Goldie's fitting. [ as she continues to pet and cuddle the dog, she bites back a laugh at daniel's reaction to the toy she'd brought over. ]
I figured she'd get more enjoyment out of it than I would. You could always black the eyes out if they're that creepy.
You can call her sweetheart, I don't think she'll mind.
( Daniel calls the dog all manner of petnames, usually in a tone far more doting than he'll adopt with anyone else. sweetheart would fit right in. chances are good Goldie will not ever entirely know her actual name because she's called so many terms of endearment she can't properly keep track.
he kicks the door closed after Max, because his hands are full now. it startles the puppy into something more wakeful, snuffling a dark little nose in search of answers, even though it was a sound that disturbed her and not a smell. )
I think she'll eat it before it can haunt me in my dreams, ( Daniel reassures, dropping the toy on the couch to stash the food in the kitchen. he's not particularly hungry, figures they can get around to eating it later once the dog has woken up in the excitement, played for fifteen minutes, and passed out again. on his return, he kicks a decapitated dog toy in example. ) See? She's a monster.
[ isn't that typically the case when it comes to pets? not that she'd know for sure, but you know, one hears about these kind of things. since goldie's more awake after the door's been kicked shut, she seems more interested in max, still sniffing around at her and wiggling around in her arms. max crouches to the floor and sets her down before holding out her hand to be sniffed, feeling very much like she's being judged.
eventually goldie seems to decide that she's fine in spite of smelling confusing, and she nudges forward to nuzzle the top of her head against max's hand. max smiles and pets her, glancing towards where daniel's deposited the rest of what she'd brought and then towards the carcass of what was once another one of her toys and laughing. ]
She's just enthusiastic. Aren't you, sweetie? [ since she's close enough now, she rises to her feet to grab the pair of balls from where they've been tossed on the couch and holds it out to be inspected. while she's judging her new toy, max looks back to daniel. ] Your furniture still looks pretty in tact, anyway.
( he's pretty sure it's normal for things growing into their teeth to chew on things. he remembers Emilie complaining bitterly about how Georgie was a biter in the two weeks she was committed to breastfeeding. all things considered it makes sense she jumped ship to formula. less biting and more red wine with dinner, he doesn't even judge her for that one.
he doesn't judge the puppy for it, either. she's just coming into those sharp little needles in her mouth, has to be painful. if slowly tearing apart any toy she has her teeth on for longer than five minutes helps, more power to her. Goldie is gnawing at the toy thoughtfully before Daniel returns and sits on the couch, and then she fumbles over on awkward baby feet to snuffle and lean needily on his shins. as if he wasn't just cuddled up with her on the couch and she's been despondent to be deprived of his company this past minute and a half.
he still pets her obligingly, because after that she's content to wander back towards Max. ) She's no worse than a baby goat, that's for sure. I wonder if I should take her along to meet her exiled sister one of these days.
( because yes, he does go to visit the goat sometimes. )
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TEXT.
still, it's clear the last time he inadvertently ghosted on Max hit somewhere, because when the worst of the self pity clears off he does the contacting this time. maybe it hasn't been long enough for her to notice there's a gap in the dumb communications that mean nothing filtering in her direction, like little thoughtless reminders that he's still wandering around and functioning. maybe it was and the message after a handful of days without will be a slight relief. )
it's november so i feel like i should ask if you've found greener dominant pastures? if not you're welcome to settle another 3 months
oh and i got a dog.
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she maybe should have checked in sooner once the general unease and sadness had ebbed a little bit, but she hadn't felt much like doing anything. so she hadn't, and once she'd gotten his message she feels a little guilty about that. but glad to hear from him. ]
hey.
no, i'm glad to keep things going if you are.
[ she still hates the idea of contracting in general, but as far as dominants go he's been a pretty decent one. and if it keeps him from the worry of having to find someone else, all the better.
(look, she still doesn't know about either contract with satan.)
it takes a second for her to realize there's a second part to his message, but she brightens a little upon reading it again. ]
you did? what kind did you end up getting?
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maybe because of the contract(s) with satan thing, but, the one he made in town he isn't aware of yet. and the first, well, apparently since they're not getting engaged that one has proved harder to cough up. )
yeah? okay. i'll figure out the paperwork stuff, then
golden retriever. she's the epitome of no thoughts head empty but she's fucking adorable so it works for her
figured this place is kind of a shit hole so maybe something not terrible to distract myself with wouldn't be so bad.
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she tries not to think of that too much. fortunately there's plenty of other awful things that occupy her attention. ]
okay. thank you, daniel.
sound logic. she sounds sweet.
can i see her?
[ you can't just say 'i have a dog' and not provide puppy pictures. ]
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and while being considered comfortable isn't known for being a particularly enjoyable adjective, Daniel does actually prefer that to some others. and if she's under a contract Max is a little safer, so it's a bit of a relief that she agreed. he can't do much for her in this shithole of a city, but his name next to hers on a piece of paper protects her at least a little for another three months. )
she is. and the cutest fucking thing i've ever seen, to be perfectly honest about it
i figured if i floated the existence of a puppy you'd make some excuse to come see her in person, but if you're going to play hard to get, sure.
( Max will indeed get a dogtax that very much illustrates the no thoughts, head empty vibe. )
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breaking in is something i figured you'd want reserved for special occasions.
that said there's a toy with her name on it if i am invited to come see her.
[ hopefully that'll make up for the feline dna because she is, in fact, the cutest fucking thing and max wants to pet her immediately. ]
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but yes you are cordially invited. maybe you can help me come up with a name, because i am struggling here
( he's never named anything in his life, not even the goat that ate most of his shoes. so the pressure is on to pick a good one. )
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i'll be right over. i'll give it a shot but truth be told i'm not great at naming, either.
[ just ask the transgenic kids she'd found who were almost killed by white and his people just after manticore had burned down. ]
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you want food?
[ maybe she's getting her a bone in order to try to win her over in case the toy she's bringing doesn't do the trick, she might as well get dinner if he hasn't eaten yet while she's at it. ]
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i feel like you ask me that a lot lately
( does she not trust him to feed himself?? maybe it's valid, actually, he's not the most consistent about meals... )
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i'm stopping on the way anyway in case she's got no interest in the toy and the feline DNA throws her off. you want food or not?
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( he could make a pointless point of independence and eat cold leftovers before she gets here, or he can say fuck it and have whatever she ends up bringing. he's fine not being particularly independent and getting free food. )
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[ good. she didn't want to get into an argument over freaking takeout. ]
what treats does she like?
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[ hopefully she won't need onesies, she's a little bigger than the goat. ]
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i'm fine. any puppy bites and bruises can be sold as sexy devil may care war wounds
you only need to bring yourself, just come over already
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on my way.
[ max arrives within the next hour and in spite of daniel's last declaration, she has the promised toy, along with a small bag of dog treats and a bag of takeout balanced in her arms. she shifts it all to one arm and knocks with her free one and shakes her head to shift the braid she's pulled her hair back into off of her shoulder.
no one can accuse her of not being prepared, okay. ]
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explains the fur all over his shirt and the half asleep dog that he just hauled along with him to the door. she's not going to be small enough for this kind of transportation forever, Daniel figures he might as well make the most of her small and potable nature while she can.
the fact she's all downy fur and sleep heavy eyes makes it easy to hand her off to Max the second he opens the door. is the puppy unnerved by cat genetics? who knows, and frankly she's too tired at the moment to properly decide, so maybe they can grandfather Max in while the puppy is most susceptible. he'll take the stuff Max is holding to make it easier for her to hold the dog only after she's already got her, of course. )
Her name is Goldie I think. Goldie Hawn. You know, like the angel. ( of course the only angel Daniel knows is from an ABC drama. ) What the hell is this? ( he asks, digging in her bag to find the toy without asking. ) Oh god. The eyes make it worse. ( apparently he's not the only one that enjoys giving out phallic dog toys. not that Scooter got his :'( true tragedy. )
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Hello, sweetheart. [ sorry, daniel, she's 100% referring to the dog right now, who she's relieved seems to be content to stay in her arms. whether that's because she's too sleepy to notice the feline dna or not is debatable, but maybe it's a good idea in case that ends up being an issue. she doubts copies of popular stephen king novels or snack cakes will work to win her over in this case. ]
Or Goldie. Goldie's fitting. [ as she continues to pet and cuddle the dog, she bites back a laugh at daniel's reaction to the toy she'd brought over. ]
I figured she'd get more enjoyment out of it than I would. You could always black the eyes out if they're that creepy.
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( Daniel calls the dog all manner of petnames, usually in a tone far more doting than he'll adopt with anyone else. sweetheart would fit right in. chances are good Goldie will not ever entirely know her actual name because she's called so many terms of endearment she can't properly keep track.
he kicks the door closed after Max, because his hands are full now. it startles the puppy into something more wakeful, snuffling a dark little nose in search of answers, even though it was a sound that disturbed her and not a smell. )
I think she'll eat it before it can haunt me in my dreams, ( Daniel reassures, dropping the toy on the couch to stash the food in the kitchen. he's not particularly hungry, figures they can get around to eating it later once the dog has woken up in the excitement, played for fifteen minutes, and passed out again. on his return, he kicks a decapitated dog toy in example. ) See? She's a monster.
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eventually goldie seems to decide that she's fine in spite of smelling confusing, and she nudges forward to nuzzle the top of her head against max's hand. max smiles and pets her, glancing towards where daniel's deposited the rest of what she'd brought and then towards the carcass of what was once another one of her toys and laughing. ]
She's just enthusiastic. Aren't you, sweetie? [ since she's close enough now, she rises to her feet to grab the pair of balls from where they've been tossed on the couch and holds it out to be inspected. while she's judging her new toy, max looks back to daniel. ] Your furniture still looks pretty in tact, anyway.
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( he's pretty sure it's normal for things growing into their teeth to chew on things. he remembers Emilie complaining bitterly about how Georgie was a biter in the two weeks she was committed to breastfeeding. all things considered it makes sense she jumped ship to formula. less biting and more red wine with dinner, he doesn't even judge her for that one.
he doesn't judge the puppy for it, either. she's just coming into those sharp little needles in her mouth, has to be painful. if slowly tearing apart any toy she has her teeth on for longer than five minutes helps, more power to her. Goldie is gnawing at the toy thoughtfully before Daniel returns and sits on the couch, and then she fumbles over on awkward baby feet to snuffle and lean needily on his shins. as if he wasn't just cuddled up with her on the couch and she's been despondent to be deprived of his company this past minute and a half.
he still pets her obligingly, because after that she's content to wander back towards Max. ) She's no worse than a baby goat, that's for sure. I wonder if I should take her along to meet her exiled sister one of these days.
( because yes, he does go to visit the goat sometimes. )
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