OPEN

[nokidstuff]

CHARACTERS: Carl Grimes + OPEN TO ALL
LOCATION: Different places around the ship.
WARNINGS: None.
SUMMARY: June catch-all where Carl adopts Lil' Gumshoe shortly after the jump and learns what it takes to be responsible for a dog all throughout the month.

[ Truth be told, Carl was still a little surprised to have found Lil' Gumshoe roaming by herself without Chuck or her fellow animal pals Digby and Pigby -- but after an honest effort to locate and contact the dog's owner came to no avail, the only conclusion he could come to was that the sweet-natured pie baker had gone home. That meant the dog was needing someone else to take her in now.

And childishly, a part of him felt attached enough to want the dog in his care... So, that's how he ended up taking on the responsibilities.

However, what he didn't expect was the trouble that came with walking a dog. Gumshoe was fairly outgoing and enthusiastic and curious all at once so more often than not she would pull him along when they were in the halls or oxygen garden and he could be caught running to keep up or letting her go and calling out to try to get her to return.

Sometimes even, almost as if it were a scene from a movie, his favorite sheriff's hat would fly off in the process and he'd have to choose which one to retrieve first.

But fortunately, not all the time.

On the occasion, the two of them can also be found in their down time. Most of the time in the kitchens where Carl would fix something simple for the both of them to eat from the available stock of human, yes, human food or in gunnery helping out as usual and being unwitting mascots.

Other times, it's possible to find him playing cards or reading in the library with the dog resting near by.

(Anyway, find him and his newly adopted dog in any above scenario you like, or create your own adventure, or ping me at Naonith with your ideas and I'll start.) ]

Comments

[betterangels]

[ Tipped onto his bed, Carl can find Rick reclined, loose limbed and thumb and forefinger pressing on either side of his nose bridge, close to his eyes -- but that hand lifts so he can peer down towards the door. ]

Yeah.

[ His has his comms device on his belly, having lounged to check in on that once released from Dr Gallo's clutches, and he palms over it now in abortive motion to get up. ]

Everything alright?

[nokidstuff]

[Good. He smiles the slightest bit to himself with now knowing his guess to check their room first was the right one and he no longer risks being found in the halls before being able to ease into the surprise himself.]

Yeah. Everything's alright. It's just that...

[Well, he's uncertain how to go about this next part, so after a brief pause, he goes with the first words that come to mind.]

I found a dog. [And with words so come inspiration for action: he steps out from the corner and into the room, bringing the dog with him.] This is Gumshoe. She was just roaming around when I found her and I think her owner's gone so I thought maybe she could stay with us.

[betterangels]

[ Rick's expression is-- subtle, and nuanced mostly, but still, one can tell from what his face does that he certainly was not expecting Carl to step around the corner with a dog. Rick is dimly aware of the dog population being strangely large, the frequent echo-y barks in the medical bay every month, the scrabble of blunt claws on the slippery tile. He only has to acknowledge this as a thing that happens once every cycle, really.

And now here they are.

The next exhale eases out of him slow and steady and resigned, already. ]

You think her owner's gone?

[ He moves so he's seated on the edge of his bed. ]

[nokidstuff]

[With the reveal over, he waits to see how Rick reacts and gives him a moment to process. And maybe just a little more. The first clue he gets to his dad seeming okay with this, though, is the easy way he breathes out, but the largest of all is the resigned body language evident in his shoulders. Seeing that makes Carl feel a little less nervous with to continuing to say the least.

He gives a nod, looking a little more serious with what he has to say to answer.]

Yeah. I tried calling her but her number doesn't work anymore so, it's why I think she's gone. Home.

[And how he tried just everything else to make doubly sure is implied by all that too. Trust that he would not stoop to dog napping just to have a pet as it's definitely not like that.]

[betterangels]

[ Less a matter of trust than it is checking Carl's gone through all the responsible rituals as opposed to just getting excited about a dog; Rick almost wishes he had. Feelings of resistance are kept minimal, though -- it's an abstract complication. One more responsibility, one more variable.

At least he doesn't have to worry about having another mouth to feed. ]

Well, bring it over here.

[nokidstuff]

[If Rick were to ask him if he thought about it at all, Carl would have pointed out that he had in the time it took for him to walk back ... and yes, maybe that wasn't a long time considering, but wasn't everything they experienced so far something they had to learn as they went along anyway. So yeah, he could take care of this.

Anyway, as that's not the case, he just nods and follows the simple instruction asked of him by tugging the leash gently to encourage the dog to walk with him as he takes the first step forward, moving to bring her over. Thankfully, Gumshoe understands the tug and greets Rick all the while with her tail beginning to wag and a friendly yet curious stare through her brown puppy-dog eyes.

Carl doesn't feel he has to say anything yet because, well, the "okay" or "here she is" goes without words. So what do you think, dad.]