[PRP] Pupper Parade [Preacher/Fox]

[demon_pachabel]

Fox always made sure to greet both proud members of their K9 unit every morning before she clocked in and it was easy enough to assess what was needed.

And this morning, it was a walk.

She'd gone to gather up all the necessities of a walk (working vests and leashes, to be exact), which apparently both canines could just sense were approaching in the way that any dog knew a walk was incoming. Tails wagged at a thousand miles an hour. At least both were well trained and didn't start barking up a storm as she got closer. She paused at the gate to the kennel, holding her hand up in the gesture she'd been instructed meant 'sit'. Both rumps hit the ground. Eyes followed as she reached for the latch for the gate.

And both very good dogs, yes so good remained seated as Fox stepped inside the kennel. "Okay, Waffle first!" The dog, while permanently serious faced, practically vibrated as the vest went on. Habanero, however, was all barks. Hurry up! Me next! ME NEXT.

Fox would definitely need help to walk them both.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Most afternoons, Preacher swung by to bother the K-9 unit. She adored both dogs and their dissimilar personalities. A lot of times, she'd take them out on walks (although her build was ill-equipped for both) or trade whatever officer had that duty.

Today, however, she was here bright and early. "Habernero! Waffles!" she called out as she approached. Then she ducked into the kennel and paused. Someone was here. "Yo. You takin' 'em out on patrol, Ferret?" That was her name, right? Or maybe it was Elk.... Goose? Preacher only vaguely recognized the officer in the kennel with them.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Fox," she corrected, any offense from the mix up shaken off in less than an instant. "And yeah, they just seemed a little extra eager to get out today and I don't mind starting the day off with getting some extra walking in," she had said the 'WALK' word and Habanero nearly wagged his butt off in excitement, shaking in anticipation as Fox finally turned her attention to get his vest on.

Only professional working-dogs got to go out on walkies during the work day. Then it was work, not 'but look at them they need someone to walk them' and a totally valid excuse. "Would be easier with a second set of hands if you're interested?" Fox held up a leash, smiling.

Both dogs were already working themselves up into a 'walk plz' tizzy.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Fox, right. I'm Preacher." She didn't extend her hand just in case Fox was a moonwalker. Punching a co-worker looked bad on your file at HR. The dogs were super wiggly today, and she doubted they'd be of much use out on a beat unless they got walked first.

She grinned widely. "You'd havta beat me off with a stick. I've taken 'em out afore. Idiots," she said affectionately, reaching down to pat Habanero's head. Preacher took a leash from Fox.

"Round a couple blocks or d'you wanna take 'em over to that park on Hamilton?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Nice to meet you," Fox replied, not taking any offense from the lack of handshake. It wasn't like she didn't have two absolutely wiggly pups under hand. Vests on, Fox easily relinquished one of the leashes to Preacher as she secured the other onto Waffle's lead. While not as openly excited, Waffles' tail still wagged with just as much gusto.

"I think if we get them over to the park and toss one of the balls for a while that will help get some of this wiggly energy out," Fox suggested as she stood. She again held the hand gesture for sit and waited until butts were seated to open the gate to the kennel.

"Alright, let's go."

If Waffle had tried harder, she would have dragged Fox straight to the front door out of sheer eagerness.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Yup, nice ta meet ya." She bent and checked that Habanero's was clicked securely. He was big enough that Preacher didn't need to be chasin' his a** if he got free. They were, of course, well trained, but they were still dogs.

Fox opened the door and the dog vibrated. It vibration had been a sound, Habanero could have only been described as loud. "Yeah, park - provided Hab'nero don't pull my arm off afore that." She grinned and they were off. He was the more excitable of the two, but she loved him for plunging headfirst and thinking later.

"So you a beat cop or summat?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Fox shook her head as she followed Waffles down the steps. "I work the dispatch phones," she explained as she allowed the dog to take the lead (well, not literally as the lead was very much in Fox's hand) off down the street. "And you are the admin," that's about all she knew about Preacher at this point.

At least she knew something, Fox tried her best to at least have something to show for how much time she had to her name to GET something.

"Habanero should know the heel command," in example, Fox paused in her walking and held up her hand in a very different gesture than the one she had used for sit. Waffles immediately stopped, attention on her handler. One of the greatest things about a well trained animal was that they knew to respond to the command not the person.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Oh! I was s'pposed to go to dispatch, but they put me on front desk when I first started." That seemed like forever ago. "Yup, I'm tha secretary. Lots of clerical stuff - I like it, though. Feels organized." Thinking back on things, she'd actually kind of gotten her life together. Gone from living in a tent in the state forest to having a real job, getting paid pretty well, living in a house, having her own bed. Life was ******** weird.

Preacher mimicked her gesture. Habanero sat and she rubbed her hands all over his head. "I know it - you gotta know it to take these beasties out. But I try not ta use 'less I really gotta. Want them to have free time ta be." She shrugged.

"Where ya from?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Clerical stuff is important, glad to know it's in capable hands." Not that Fox didn't do paperwork. But she did the kind where someone called in about something and she had to track where that sort of assignment went and make sure papers got to correct desks after the fact. Chain of responsibility sorts of things.

"I know, just don't want them pulling any arms off out of eagerness if they don't have to," Fox agreed as she pat the straight faced Waffle on the head. "Okay, now go," she said, more to the dog than anything and Waffle was back up and walking, not quite as readily pulling on her lead anymore. She knew the way afterall.

At Preacher's question, Fox rolled her shoulders. "I was born at the Ashdown Maternity Ward at the old hospital. It was rebuilt a few years after at the new location though." she answered.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Habanero tended to be more eager; walking was not fast enough. This time, however, Preacher refused to give into his desire to run. She'd take him out on a run next time. "Oh, I thought ya might be a transfer in since I ain't seen ya around afore." If she really wanted, she could probably finangle access to Fox's personnel record, but that was too much effort. Habanero looked longing at a squirrel, but a stern word from Preacher had him continuing onward.

"Mebbe I'm jus' blind a bit." She did need glasses. "I feel like we get a lotta transfers in. Big city people lookin' for less city, I dunno. I like it here, though. It's diff'rent."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I was originally stationed as an officer in Boston. I've only been at the APD for a few months, so you're half right. Not blind at all."

Around a corner, Waffles continued to lead the way, tail swishing despite not looking half as excited as Habanero did. Off down the street, Waffles paused a few times to sniff. So many smells. "Hey now, we'll be able to run and stretch soon. We'll get out the ball-" Waffles perked, ears attentive. "Yes, ball. Do we want to go get the ball?"

Doggy vibration activate.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Bawstonn," she said, in a horrible accent. "Was it neat there? I thought 'bout moving to a big city n' all, but I ended up ri'chere." Habanero's tail was going a mile a minute. He rushed around here and there - new smells, new smells, was that a squirrel(?), smells, a weird food!!! But he never pulled too hard and always came shuffling back when Preacher yanked his lead lightly.

"Habanero likes ta steal tha ball, but if we find a stick for 'im, he'll be happy. Dogs are weird."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Fox frowned slightly.

"It was decent. Busy. Loud. Full of things to see. Full of all sorts of types of people." She shrugged lightly, then rolled her shoulders back as the dogs practically lead the charge down the street. The park was near imminent. Waffles' tail went into overdrive the closer they got.

"Yeah. I bet we could fake the ball on him at least once. Sent them both runnin' after it."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"D'ya miss it?" Sometimes Preacher felt like she missed the big cities she'd lived in, but that was eclipsed by the people there. It was hard to separate the two, and Ashdown was the first place where she felt like herself. Not that she'd tell anyone else such a mushy bullshit sentiment.

They entered the park and she swore the doggie would vibrate himself up into the sky if she let him. "Habanero, be free!" Preacher unclipped his lead, knowing he'd be back in a couple of minutes, but wanting him to be able to gad about a bit.

"Bet we could trick 'em, yeah. He'll be back inna bit, beggin' ta play. D'you got dogs?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

The image of her ex-partner, Kasey, popped into her head.

"There are things I miss. But a lot of it isn't so different from what I was comfortably with now that I'm back home," Fox replied. She missed Boston when her standard for being there was 'normal', not 'you dun ******** up'. It was a complicated feeling.

As Habanero started to vibrate into the 4th dimension, Waffle prepared herself for a similar response as Fox unhooked the leash. Off she went, chasing after her ever constant doggy companion.

"Me? Oh no." Fox pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled to the gallery, pulling up a picture of an orange and white patched tabby devon rex. "I have Bento. The most cuddly needy kitty anybody could ever want," she showed the picture to Preacher proudly. Her precious baby.

The Semblance of Unity