(no subject)

[illdrinktothat]

 District 7 is even colder than Walter remembers it being, and that's saying something. He's thankful that Caro's speech is held inside - outside's more or less a blizzard, at the moment - and even if 7 is about as bad off as 12 is, they still manage a reception that can be called reasonably warm, given the circumstances. It's a better atmosphere than the one he was greeted with on his Victory Tour, at least. Still he mostly suffers through the party despite it, and despite the refreshments. He sees very little of 7's resident Victors, especially Murphy, but that's mostly to be expected. They're not sociable people. Not in this setting, at least.

He gives Weyoun credit that the Escort tries to get them free of the festivities and back to the train as soon as they can - but he goes and throws something of a wrench in those plans. They're not going back to the train. Not tonight, no. He's going to go visit with Murphy while he has the goddamn opportunity to. The rest of the team can skip it if they want, he doesn't care.

Soo now he's trudging up the icy, snowy path road to the Victor's Village. It's not even that long of a walk but it's uphill and... well, 12 gets cold and icy, but not like this. He's wearing the best fucking coat he could find and about four layers of clothes and he's still fucking freezing. And Murphy's house would be the last fucking one in the row. <I>Goddamn you antisocial bastard,</I> as if Walter isn't exactly the same way.

He's grateful when he does finally reach the goddamn steps of the house. It's basically the same as all the others, not even really all that different from the ones in 12's Victor's Village. The brief cacophony of barking that greets him when he knocks is something else entirely. How many more dogs has he even gotten since last time?

Comments

[caroflower]

Caro has a harder time with this stop. She gets through the speech okay, but she's not really in a party mood. She's grateful when Weyoun tries to shepherd them back to the train early, though she also feels bad. She hasn't even managed to see Murphy anywhere. So Walter's announcement that he's staying behind to see Murphy is perfect. She immediately asks to tag along.

So here Caro is, trudging through an alarming amount of snow. She stays behind Walter to keep out of the worst of the wind, but it's still really fucking cold. She has no idea how people live in this district. She almost doesn't realize when they make it to Murphy's house, she's so focused on putting one foot in front of the other. She hangs back a little. As nice as Murphy's been, she's still a little apprehensive. And then Walter knocks, and apparently Murphy has literally every dog. That is a lot of barking.

She tries to make some smart remark to Walter, but it's too cold for her to do much besides stand there and shiver in her ridiculous number of layers. Even with the scarf over her face, the cold and wind are making her scars hurt something awful. She fidgets and hopes Murphy comes to the door soon.

[murphypendleton]

It takes a moment for Murphy to get downstairs to let them in. It's not that his house is particularly cluttered - it's actually very well organized and clean - it's just that literally every dog ever decides it's a good idea to lead him there. And getting past all those dogs on the stairs is something of an obstacle course, no matter how well trained they all are, puppies notwithstanding.

A short, sharp noise from him puts a stop to the barking, at least. Then he straightens his clothes and opens the door just in time to get a BLAST OF COLD AIR and snow to the face, good fucking god. He was going to attempt a pleasant hello but instead what Walter and Caro get is, "Get in, for fuck's sake."

He steps out of their way so they can, of course. Nevermind the semi-circle of dogs waiting expectantly.

[caroflower]

Caro doesn't need to be told twice. With a surprising burst of speed, given how cold and sluggish she feels, she zips around Walter and into the house. She gets in and out of the way so Walter can come in too (and also so there isn't cold air at her back) and oh lord, that is a lot of dogs.

That is a lot of dogs, and they're looking at her.

"Um, hi," Caro says somewhat belatedly, still muffled by her scarf.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter's got the presence of mind to stomp at least some of the snow off himself while Caro runs past him. It doesn't take him long to follow behind because who the fuck stays out in cold like that. Murph gets a nod for a greeting but that's mostly to be expected.

He shuffles in and ignores the dogs beside taking a very brief headcount. His gruff appearance is probably immediately destroyed by the small, quiet mew from somewhere inside his jacket.

[murphypendleton]

Murphy shuts the door as quickly as he can. It's nice and warm inside, at least. "Uh. Hey, Caro. Walter." It occurs to him he's never actually really talked to her in person before and he tries to shake of the general awkwardness of that. "Meet the family." He gestures to the dogs, all of whom are sitting at attention and staring with some amount of interest.

And then something in Walter's coat fucking meows. Two seconds later, Walter's got half of them around his legs trying desperately to find the source of that noise. Well, mostly by sniffing incessantly. They know better than to do much else.

Murphy, though, simply raises his eyebrows and shoots Walter an incredulous look. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

[caroflower]

Caro is just reaching up to at least get the scarf away from her mouth when Walter's coat meows. "Are you kidding me?" She says it almost perfectly in time with Murphy. Well.

She finally does pull the scarf down and her gloves off as she eyes the army of dogs. Well, at least they're not swarming her. She is vaguely concerned though, because she's not sure how well a dog army and a tiny kitten are going to get along.

Ugh, the change in temperature isn't enough to get rid of the godawful stinging in her face. She rubs at her scars idly. "That's... that's a lot of dogs."

Not the smartest thing she's ever said, but it's awkward and she's really, really cold.

[illdrinktothat]

"Shut up," Walter grumbles. He reaches down between his layers of shirts and a moment later, Bourbon's head is peeking out from under his sweater. She looks plenty warm, at least. "Murphy, if your dogs eat my cat, I'm going to eat them."

That's about when four puffballs easily three times Bourbon's size come scrambling down the hall. They're like mobile, barking balls of fur, some black, some white, and one a combo of both. Of course, they immediately converge on Caro with all the enthusiasm of untrained puppies.

[caroflower]

Suddenly puppies. Puppies everywhere. Well okay, it only seems like everywhere. But there are... four of them bouncing around Caro and barking. She blinks at them. They're actually... kind of cute. And they look warm.

So after a moment's hesitation, Caro kneels down in the middle of the sea of puppies. Normally she would cautiously offer a hand like she'd done with Spot and Bourbon, but there are puppies all over the place. They seem to have already made up their minds, anyway. She sticks a hand out and pets any puppy who holds still long enough to sniff at her hand at all, which mostly ends up with them licking her hand instead. Close enough. And then she realizes pretty quickly that she'd better start petting puppies with both hands, because they seem to understand that humans have two hands. Well.

[murphypendleton]

Murphy just cracks up laughing. "Sorry," He says to the whole puppy situation in a way that's pretty obvious not the least bit sorry at all. He's hoping she leaves with one of the goddamn things, actually.

He at least shoos the majority of the dogs out of the room and back into the den, save for the puppies around Caro and Daisy, who's mostly just placidly sitting back on the stairs. "The cat'll be fine. I'm never gonna hear the end of it from Charlie if he sees her, though."

[caroflower]

Caro's not entirely sure how it happened, but she's now sitting on the floor with a fluctuating number of puppies in her lap. The one black one seems content to stay, but the other three are wriggly puppies who are very excited about everything, even if they're mostly centered around Caro at the moment.

"How did I even end up here?" she asks no one in particular. The puppies certainly don't know or care.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter really isn't sure how Caro's situation happened either. He looks away for one moment, and the next she's covered in puppies. The appropriate response is of course to crack the fuck up at her.

...Which agitates the tiny cat in his shirts. Bourbon starts mewing again, this time incessantly. It kills the laughter since it's also accompanied by sharp kitten claws in his chest. He's got to take a moment to pry her off and, well, he's not sure what. She tenses up and fluffs her fur out at the sight of the noisy barky things, so he doesn't put her down just yet.

[caroflower]

Caro looks up to halfheartedly glare at Walter, but then he's pulling Bourbon out and... Bourbon is now more of a fluffball than usual. Caro can't help it, she giggles a little at the tiny fluffed out kitten being guarded rather fiercely by Walter. It's just such an unlikely looking combination.

The puppies continue to swarm, but they're also beginning to be interested in the other new person and his tiny fuzzy thing. The black puppy, however, is more or less staying where he is. Huh.

"I think it's your turn," Caro says finally.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter isn't really any happier to see the puppies than Bourbon is. He gently pushes them away from his legs every time they try to stand up and jump at him. Which is something of a task, given there's three of them. "No. No." He frowns down at them, holding Bourbon even higher up, as if they had any chance of getting that far. "You little furry assholes go find someone else to pester."

[murphypendleton]

Murphy's just amused as shit at all of it. He might have invited them over with this sort of thing in mind, actually, but good luck getting him to admit it. Still, he does go and scoop up the three puppies annoying Walter. It's a big squirmy armful he regrets but they see something new, and they won't give up. He leaves the little black one with Caro.

Of course, it's about when he's moving to put the puppies back in the kitchen behind a gate when there's some very loud footfalls from upstairs.

"Go back to bed, Charlie." He calls out at something short of a bellow, but it's useless. He can hear the 8 year old barreling down the stairs already.

Not a moment later, and the kid's in the entry way in his pajamas, smiling brightly at Walter and Caro.He's both very cheerful and wide awake, apparently.

"Hi!" Caro gets the first greeting from Charlie before he turns to the still-frowning Walter. The man's gruffness is not even a problem for the kid, he just grins up at him and especially at the kitten he's holding. "Hi Uncle Walter! Is that your kitty?"

[caroflower]

Caro cracks up laughing at Walter. And then Murphy swoops in and scoops up all the puppies but the black one that seems content to stay with her. Hmm.

And then Charlie comes bouncing down the stairs and oh god, what do you even say to little kids? "Uh, hi." Good job, Caro.

She awkwardly shuffles back up onto her knees, because she's not sure if she should get up or not. The puppy protests until she adjusts her arms around it so she's balancing it against her torso. She's not... holding it. Nope. Not her.

[illdrinktothat]

"Hey, kid. Kitty's a little..." Walter sighs and looks down at the extra-puffy Bourbon in his hands. She seems to be trying to burrow back under his jacket, at the moment. "Kitty's kind of freaked the fuck out right now."

He glances up in time to see Caro with a puppy in her arms. That gets an arched brow and even a little smirk.

[murphypendleton]

"It's past your bedtime," Is what you say to little kids, according to Murphy. It's not inaccurate either.

Charlie's too busy being completely overjoyed at a very small kitten to actually care about such paltry things as bedtimes, however, so he adds a firmly. "Charlie."

"But daaaaaaad!" Charlie turns and gives his father his best sad face. "I never get to see uncle Walter! And he brought a kitten and the new Victor lady."

After a minute of Wild West-esque staring down, Murphy relents with a sigh. "Fine. But only for a little while."

Charlie not only goes straight back to being overjoyed, but decides grabbing Walter's free arm is a good idea. He tugs him in the direction of the living room. "Come on, I want to show you something!"

[caroflower]

Caro glares at Walter. Stop smirking. Then she's blinking at being "the new Victor lady." Well, it's not the worst thing she's been called this week.

And now it looks like the party is moving into the other room. Caro gently sets the puppy down on the floor and stands. The puppy is not thrilled with this, but he trots along after Caro readily enough. Huh.

Oh hey, and it's actually warm in here. Caro can unbutton her coat now.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter's too busy navigating being pulled into another room while dealing with his cat. His small, agitated, demanding cat, who's once more underneath his sweater because he can't really fight her while he's stumbling after Charlie.

"Alright, alright, I'm comin. If it's another pinecone I swear to god..." He's mostly kidding about the last bit.

[murphypendleton]

"Nooo, it's not a pinecone." Charlie laughs. Whatever it is, he has to go digging around in a chest behind the sofa for it for a couple minutes. Which means he finally lets go of Walter, at least. After a moment he manages to pull out a... deer skull and one antler, broken off. "We found it outside town, isn't it awesome."

Charlie illustrates the awesomeness by holding the antler up to his head and looking very pleased with himself.

Murphy, for his part, settles down into an armchair followed shortly by Daisy, who ends up more or less on his feet. He's pleased as can goddamn be that one of the puppies took a liking to Caro.

[caroflower]

Caro follows along, puppy trailing along behind. She ends up sort of hovering awkwardly in the doorway as Charlie shows off the skull.

She... really doesn't know what to do with herself. So she turns and looks, and sure enough, she has a little fuzzy barky shadow. Well okay. She leans down and scoops the puppy up and holds him, mostly for something to do. He's very cute.

"Oh eurgh, let's not," she says, wrinkling her nose as the puppy licks her face. Dog breath. Nice.

[illdrinktothat]

"You sure it's not a pinecone," Walter squints skeptically at Charlie shows off his prize. "Because I can't tell, it might be."

Bourbon seems to have calmed the fuck down for the moment, so Walter flops back onto the sofa and sets her on the cushion beside him. It means kitten exploring the room time has started, but that's fine. It'll keep Charlie busy. Doesn't mean he's not gonna be watching that cat like a hawk, though.

[murphypendleton]

"Uncle Walter! Don't be ridiculous." Charlie's already got a chiding sort of laugh down. "It's from one of the deer. I wish I had both antlers though."

The cat immediately distracts him; the skull and antler end up set aside and forgotten almost as soon as she's padding around on the couch cushion. Charlie's pretty good with approaching her alright despite his age, at least. He just really wants to pet the kitty so badly.

Murphy catches a glance of poor Caro awkwardly in the door, so he gestures around. "Make yourself at home." And take the puppy when you leave, for fuck's sake.

[caroflower]

Caro would really like to plop down on the couch next to Walter, but there's a number of reasons why she shouldn't. So instead she splits the difference and sits down on the floor next to where Walter's sprawling all over the sofa. She's comfortable enough on the floor anyway, and now the puppy is a safe distance from Bourbon, she's a safe distance from the mystery that is Charlie, and she still gets to more or less sit next to Walter. Perfect plan.

And she'll just, uh, pet the puppy. Because this is awkward somehow. Well everything is awkward when you're Caro, apparently. At least the puppy is still cute and apparently not tired of her.