(no subject)

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Time: September 1, 2000
Place: Manor Grounds
Status: Public (Loki, Sirius)
Summary: Loki makes a new animal-friend.



The good news were that his hair had grown back and he was actually throwing up less often now that he no longer took his medicines.

The bad news on the other hand were that his entire family was gone. Well, if you didn't count the slightly crazy little not-god and his completely mad nephew. Uriel really was alright for a not-god, but she was no replacement for Odin and his animal-friends. Loki needed a little more than a stuffed rat to cuddle and stupid Bast had turned into something much too human-like for comfort.

Though that shape gave him some other ideas. But no, he was too weak for that and it was purely physical pleasure anyway. Too superficial. What he missed was something much, much deeper, something you only found in animals.

He'd tried befriending Chirpy, but Uriel wouldn't leave them alone together. Poor Chicago was apparently never allowed out of Crowley's quarters and Loki wasn't allowed in. That left only Binky unless he wanted to search for a wild animal that would take time to befriend.

Well, Death couldn't be at the stables all the time. Loki stuffed some apples into his pockets and strolled out in the direction of the stables intending to just walk past and take a quick peek. If there was no sign of Death he'd slip in and say hi to Binky.

Comments

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius sometimes tired of the dark and slightly stale bedroom he generally spent his time in, but he hated to walk about human by himself during the day-- strangers sometimes tried to talk to him, and it could be more than he could handle. Besides, he was starting to feel naked without fur. Currently, he was taking a nap in his dog form outside near the stables-- the sunlight was warm and comforting, and he was afforded a privacy he usually didn't get close to the Manor.

Sirius was startled awake as he heard footprints approaching. He sat up and cocked his ears, and instinctively bared his teeth, but closed his mouth seconds later. The dog was far more friendly than its human counterpoint, and besides, this human (No, not quite human, something else) was sick. The dog's nose wasn't capable of determining exactly what was wrong, but there was a bad thing growing in this body. The smell of it made Sirius feel ill and frightened, but it also told the canine part of his brain that this creature probably wasn't a threat. And there was food in his pocket...

Sirius stood, and walked over to the being, tongue hanging out and tail wagging. He could smell a dog lover a mile off, so he was doing his very best 'Aren't I a good boy?' face when he approached and tentatively nuzzled his nose against the pocket.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

A huge smile blossomed on Loki's face at the sight of the huge black dog.

"Hello Dogie!" he called out and crouched down to greet the animal with open arms. "My, aren't you a beauty. Almost a proper wolf."

He dug his hands into the soft fur and scratched the dog behind both ears.

"Do you like that? Yes? Is that good?"

He suddenly wished he'd remembered to bring wolf treats, not just carrots and apples.

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius liked that very much-- so much, in fact, that he stopped himself from growling at that 'beauty' comment. There had been one too many jokes about his resemblence to his very female cousin back in school, and he was still a little sensitive. But he'd never quite managed to explain to a human just how good ear scratches felt. He leaned his enormous shaggy head into Loki's fingers, his powerful tail thumping. He would normally have been put off by being touched by a complete stranger, but this man was clearly used to dogs, because he gave almost as good ear scratches as Remus.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Oh yes, you're just perfect," Loki's smile grew even wider at the dog's happy reaction. "Such a wonderful doggie."

He sat down on the ground to be able to cuddle him more comfortably.

"Do you live here boy? It would be great, if you did. We could go for walks together and I'd bring you treats and play Fetch ... Do you like Fetch?"

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius squirms slightly as he is cuddled, but he puts up with it willingly for now. He's just about to finally give up on any future treats or ear rubs and leave, when Loki speaks. Sirius sits up and cocks his head at the word 'Fetch.' His tail begins to thump even more.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"You do? Well, lets see then ..." Loki looked around and found to his dismay that the manor's gardeners had been doing their job lately. Everything around here was neat and clean and nt a single stick in sight.

Well, no problem. Where there were trees, there were sticks to be had. He had a good pocket knife and a pair of hands, even if it wasn't as strong and nimble as it used to be.

He rolled away from the cute, furry dogie, got up and inspected the nearest tree. Ah yes, there was a branch in comfortable reach that looked like one could cut the perfect dog toy from it. Too bad it wasn't dead and dried out. A saw would be better for this than a pocket knife, but it was all a matter of know how and patience.

Less than a minute later he had the loose branch in his hands and sat down under the tree to trim off the twigs.

"See Dogie," he told the black dog. "We'll have a wonderful toy in just a few minutes."

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius would have raised an eyebrow had that been an option (and the fact that he was a dog wasn't the problem, as he'd never been able to raise an eyebrow, even as a human). The man was clearly very enthusiastic about dogs if he was planning to carve him a toy out of a tree branch. He supposed this was just fine with him, although he felt a bit guilty when he knew perfectly well there was an old tennis ball somewhere in the bushes. Trying to find it would probably blow his cover, though, and there might be thorns. Instead, he sat and watched as Loki carved the branch.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki would not have been too fond of the tennis ball anyway, if he'd known about it. He'd heard that large dogs could accidentally swallow them in the heat of the game and suffocate. Sticks were much safer toys and something that he'd used to play with dogs and wolves as long as he could remember.

He held his finished stick out to the dog for inspection. "So, what do you think?"

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius wags his tail, and his massive jaw clamps down onto the stick. He tosses his head back and forth in either an attempt to dislodge it, or an attempt to start a game of tug-of-war.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki laughed.

"Oh, but you'll have to let go, if you expect me to throw it for you," he said, but he was quite happy to play tug-of-war as well, if that was the doggie's preference.

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius growled and shook his head again to pull on the stick. He was a dog, he couldn't be expected to respond to logic, for Merlin's sake! He needed to be wrestled or coaxed into complying. Of course, he pauses his rigorous one dog game of tug-of-war when he is reminded of how much Loki smells of sickness. He had a soft spot for dog lovers, and didn't want to hurt one. He softens his grip on the stick, so that it still must be wrestled from him, but it will be fairly easy to take.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

The doggie was big, healthy and strong. If he was going to win the stick he would have to trick him.

"Oh well," Loki said pretending to give up, then pushed the stick down and to the side with a sudden twist.

The move would probably have unbalanced a smaller dog, but Loki expected that this big doggie was either going to roll with it on purpose, if he was determined to keep the stick, or let go.

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius rolled with the twist, but let go halfway through, before he was knocked onto his back. He stood up straight and at attention, tongue lolling, tail wagging, waiting for the stick to be thrown.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Aha! Got it! Loki triumphantly swung the stick over his head and then threw it along the path like a spear. That might be a slightly unusual was to throw a stick, but it was how he'd first learned to throw things and it still felt right.

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius turned and sprinted down the path, pushing off hard from his powerful hind legs. The stick isn't going too fast, and he is able to catch up to it after a few yards. He leaps in the air, turns and catches the stick in his mouth, and then rolls in the air so that he lands on his feet and is instantly running back to Loki.

Why no, he isn't showing off. Why ever do you ask?

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Ah, wasn't he a beautiful doggie? What an elegant catch!

"Good boy! So want me to throw it again? Then you'll have to bring it back," he coaxed wondering how well trained this doggie actually was. Not every dog he'd known had realised that he was supposed to bring sticks back to continue the game.

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius was not a very well trained doggie, actually, but he was clever enough to know that if he wanted to keep playing, he'd have to listen to Loki. He trotted back obediently, stick in his mouth, and he dropped the stick at Loki's feet, wagging his tail.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Good boy!" Loki patted the doggie's head proudly. He'd met some dogs who took off with the stick and guarded it and a lot of others who brought it back, but wouldn't let go of it without a fight.

"Do you want to play again? Well, here it goes!" This time he threw the stick into the other direction and began to walk after it. The game would be more fun on the front lawn where there weren't any trees in the way.

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius bounds ahead of Loki after the stick, this not not catching it in mid-air, but letting it fall to the ground. Once he has the stick in his mouth, he pauses, turns back to look at Loki, and wags his tail while he waits for Loki to catch up.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki laughed and ran after the dog. If he'd been healthy, he'd have tackled and play-wrestled with him at the end, but by the time he reached his new friend he was already panting and in no condition for a wrestling match, so he just scratched behind the doggie's ears while he tried to get his breathing back under control.

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius waited patiently for Loki. Being a human made him somewhat more tolerant of illness than he would have been if he was a pure dog, and having canine instincts made him more compassionate than he would have been as a pure man. He was rewarded for his behavior when Loki scratched him behind the ears. Here was a man who knew dogs, and all of the spots that would have made him thump his hindleg for joy if he had been more of a puppy or if it had been someone like Remus delivering the scratches. He was far too dignified for that right now, but he wagged his tail and melted into Loki's hand to get the most out of the attention.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Seeing how much the doggie enjoyed the scratching Loki sat down on the ground beside him to continue more comfortably.

"You're a wonderful doggie," he told his new friend. "And I really hope that you live somewhere around here so we can play more often. I'm not as good a playmate as I used to be. I'd turn into a wolf for you, if I still could and we'd run and wrestle ... But I'm stuck as a human now. I'm too weak to really play with you, but as long as I still can I'd like to come out here and throw sticks for you and pet you and scratch you."

[grimsirius.livejournal.com]

Sirius wasn't sure what Loki meant by turn into a wolf-- was he a werewolf, too? But that didn't quite fit with what he said. A wolf animagus, perhaps? Sirius didn't bother to question further, leaning into the scratch and wagging his tail.

Nice bloke. Might have treats later on. All in all, not a bad friend to have made.

Should we call this complete?

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

He should start carrying wolf-treats again, Loki decided. The doggie might be happy just to play right now, but such big, energetic dogs needed a lot of food and playing fetch usually left canines very hungry.