Wednesday morning. A day that Dawkins has been wagging his tail about. A day where his plan can finally come into fruition! The day he predicts the hounds will be done moving in and will attempt a "walk" that same morning!
"Come along, Da Vinci! There's no time to waste!" Dawkins yells, echoing up the stairs.
SHHHHHH!
"Ah-sorry." Dawkins shakes his head. "Still not used to the midday naps. I don't believe it will stick."
"Ready!" Da Vinci whispers quiet as a mouse. She stands tall at the top of the stairs. Instead of her usual magenta bandana, Da Vinci sports a similar colored collar instead. The collar has an easel for its charm, fitting for the painty puppy. Additionally, Da Vinci wears her grey-ish blue shoulder bag on her back.
Dawkins himself wears his usual "outfit"; his standard light blue molecular structure collar and his Princess Positron goggles. Alongside those, Dawkins carries his tool bag on his chest, like a Saint Bernard would a keg barrel. He furls a brow as Da Vinci prances down the steps. Dawkins drums his paws on the floor, feeling a bit fuzzy.
"Today, Da Vinci?"
"Dawkins!" Da Vinci yells, followed by the roar of shushing. "Maybe we should get Deepak to calm your nerves…"
"Nonsense, I am calm as a…erm, cucumber, yes."
Da Vinci lands on the bottom floor, gazing at her sibling's cheap grin. What exactly is at stake with these new neighbors? Dawkins pulls out two dark colored leashes from a box, fastening them on their collars. Da Vinci scowls a bit at the collar, but cools down at the idea of new subjects to paint. There aren't many dogs in Camden she hasn't captured on a canvas! Dawkins stares at the hook-clip of his leash. It's a drab black tether, made for humans who think so little of their furred companions. Da Vinci smirks at her brother's drama as Dawkins powers on the Fetch-Lite.
Bweep!
The device chirps. Dawkins fidgets with buttons on the machine, attempting to lower its sound. Delilah quickly enters from the kitchen, glaring with a shushing motion. Just because Dawkins' punishment is lighter doesn't mean Delilah won't quickly add another for being disruptive in the morning! Dawkins and Da Vinci quickly head out the front door, gathering on the porch. Dawkins continues fiddling with the device, not looking up for a second.
Da Vinci tilts her head, "I don't mean to be a bother, but you have tested Fetch before this, yeah?"
"Of course! This modification is based on a previous invention, and that one appears to have worked on Hugo. I am positive the results will be similar!"
"Okay. Best to stay prepared, let's go over the plan once more." Said Da Vinci.
"You are absolutely correct!" Dawkins grins. "The plan…you and I will go for a 'walk' using the Fetch Lite as our human. I have programmed it to respond to human speech, and using data from Dylan's Fetch, it should be more than efficient at holding a conversation with the neighbor's human. We walk onto Beth Road and 'conveniently' bump into the new neighbors. We get Fetch to insist on a small tour of sorts, perhaps through Dalmatian Street? Meanwhile, you converse with the lady hound so that she will not become cross at the mere sight of me. That way, I can speak with the male hound and we can become acquaintances. Does that sound good?"
"I suppose…I still don't understand what happened to make one of the neighbors cross…"
"I-it's not important. What matters is making a good second impression. I would apologize for lumbering that onto you, but coming along was your choice."
Da Vinci stands tall: "I have no regrets. This should be fun, heehee!"
Dawkins activates the Human Artificial Intelligence module on the Fetch Lite, prompting it to speak up in a familiar Dodie Smith voice. Dawkins reminds the machine that is to speak only to the human during their walk. The machine promptly scolds Dawkins for barking at it. With the click of a button, the machine extends a gloved mechanical hand from the top, catching the leashes. Da Vinci gasps, struggling against the force applied to her collar. Dawkins reacts similarly, hoping that nothing's malfunctioning with the Fetch.
Soon after, the siblings and their machine start down Dalmatian Street, prancing rhythmically in unison. A gentle warmth beams down on the dogs, crisp enough to keep their current pace. Unusually, the sidewalk is devoid of life, with most humans barely adjusting their windowsills. Did Dawkins and Da Vinci somehow get up too early? Bated breaths escape Dawkins' muzzle. Their prancing peters into light taps before the Dalmatians stop at a street corner.
"Feeling winded? We're not too far from home, want to head back for water?" Said Da Vinci.
Dawkins stares at the ground: "N-no…"
"Oh? Alright, let's catch our breaths, then keep moving."
"…M-maybe we shouldn't do this…"
"What?" Da Vinci stares at her brother. "But you were so excited! Is something the matter?"
"In theory, the plan is solid. But what if things don't go well?" A droplet smacks against the concrete. Dawkins sniffles his dripping mucus. "What if their human realizes the ruse? W-what if Brooklyn yells at me again!? W-w-what if Beaumont thinks I'm…I'm…a weird nerd!"
"Woah!" Da Vinci plops her bag down, retrieving a handkerchief for her brother. "This has been eating away at you, hasn't it? But it will be okay, Dawkins. Don't try to force this. If you are not ready, we can try again tomorrow."
Dawkins quietly blows his nose, prompting a "bless you" from the Fetch Lite. "No…I must push myself. I said I wanted to make nice with the new dogs, and I will. I've prepared days for this! If I give up now, I may never try again."
"Dawkins…!" Da Vinci exclaims. "This must mean a lot to you."
"Obviously."
"Oi…don't be cheeky with me. I can always jog back home, you know."
Dawkins pleads with his paws: "S-sorry, please stay. Feeling overwhelmed."
"Of course I will, I was kidding! The Dalmatian fam sticks together, no matter the obstacle! Come on, let's find those neighbors!"
"R-right!"
The siblings break into light jogging, feeling bolstered by the idea of new friends…and art subjects. Dawkins asks Fetch Lite about the current time, with it being a quarter past seven o'clock. Perfect timing for the outing; most humans are just waking up, and most working humans go to work around eight o'clock. Therefore, that gives the pups at least half an hour of hangout time before the hound's human must leave.
As Dawkins and Da Vinci the corner of Beth Road, a human holding two leashes approaches, checking their phone as their dogs waddle about. Dawkins' spine stiffens as he tries to step forward. His entire body vibrates violently. Da Vinci places a paw on the shaking Dalmatian's head.
"If the situation is in shambles, there's always this…" Da Vinci reveals a spray paint can from her bag.
What good will that do, Dawkins squints. "Erm…okay. Deep breaths…think like the Canal Crew…relaaaaax…" Dawkins shakes the tension from his body.
"Good thinking!" Da Vinci joins him.
The siblings continue wiggling out their tension, despite the Fetch Lite's protests. Before long, Dawkins' limbs begin to feel a bit tingly, so they decide to stop. Dawkins and Da Vinci shake one last time before turning back to their destination, but…
"I am SO glad I had my phone out for that, hahah!" A human guffaws.
Dawkins eyes go wide. Giggles and snorts roar from the small crowd in front of Dawkins. Brooklyn, Beaumont and Neil had been standing there a good while and watched the siblings do that!?
Fetch Lite Dodie beeps: "Oi! If you're gonna record my pups, the 'least you can do is send the vid to me!"
"Woah, what?" Neil looks down, noticing the Fetch Lite. "Is somebody walkin' their dogs with a Fetch?"
"Glad you noticed! You must be the new neighbor on Beth Road. I am Dodie, I live on Dalmatian Street." Fetch displays a picture of a person seldom seen in Camden. "If you'd like a quick tour of the local area, my pups and I won't charge. Just put my device in your shirt pocket, and we're golden. My pups are well-trained, they won't make trouble for you."
"O-oh, really? Hmm…I do have time before work. I'm down!"
"By the by, Mister…" Fetch pries for a name and gets it. "Ah, Neil. Where do you work?"
Meanwhile, on the more doggy side of things, Dawkins stares at the ground completely unmoving and Da Vinci pulls her bandana over her muzzle.
"What the heck was that!?" Brooklyn snorts with glee. "Y'all trying to go viral? Cuz that'll get you somewhere alright, hahaha!"
"Hehehehe, ah…" Beaumont covers his nose with a paw. "Sorry, sorry, I can't help it. That was just…hilarious!"
"Hmph…" Dawkins puffs out his cheeks. "I would appreciate it if that video is deleted and not posted on socials!"
Da Vinci steps in: "Ah…this is an awkward first impression, haha…H-hello, I'm Da Vinci Dalmatian, I do street art. This is my brother, Dawkins. He's bright as a button with tech stuff."
Beaumont smiles: "I'm Beaumont Basset Hound, and this is Brooklyn. I'm all about cookin' and chillin', and ol' short and gruesome over there is into 'darkness'. I know it's hard to tell, but we're twins! I'm the younger one."
Brooklyn smirks confidently, furling a brow at the Dalmatians. "Wow, I knew Egghead was weird, but it looks like he comes from a family of clowns, hahah!"
Da Vinci gasps, "How rude! I can see why Dawkins doesn't like you very much."
"Ah! D-Da Vinci!" Dawkins shrinks.
"HAHAH!" Beaumont reels. "See, Brook? Bein' broodin' rude don't work on everybody."
Brooklyn throws a paw. "Tch, whatever. I don't like him either, so we're square."
Da Vinci wears a strong frown: "Ah, that's no good…well…right…then how's this? You gab with me, and we let the boys bark their ears off. Yeah?"
"This should be somethin'…" Brooklyn scoffs.
Just as the pups arrange themselves, the humans begin their small tour around Dalmatian Street. Beaumont and Dawkins stay silent for a while, often glancing at one another before quickly looking away. As they turn the corner on Dalmatian Street, Beaumont gives puppy dog eyes.
"I'm sorry, bro. It was just really funny, I didn't wanna hurt your feelings."
"No worries, I'm used to it. With a fam like mine, you have to be. I was more worried about non-related dogs seeing it. It may look funny, but it is an exercise for lowering levels of stress."
"Ah…cool, cool." Beaumont glances at a street lamp. His tail swishes like a feather duster. "So…Dawkins, right? That's a nice name. Sounds…smart."
"Umm, I suppose…?" Dawkins furls a brow. "But thank you. Your name is dashing as well. Beaumont. Does it have an origin?" He tries to hide his own tail's dancing.
"Well, Neil says Brook and I are named after cities in America. That's our human, by the way. Neil."
"Fascinating. So you three come from America?"
Just as Beaumont goes to answer, Dawkins notices something that makes his ears stand tall!
"What, is something on me!? W-where, get it off!" Beaumont fidgets around, shaking his whole body.
Dawkins tries to hold back, but it's too much. He bursts out laughing! Everybody turns to look at Dawkins and Beaumont, who quickly readjust so the walk can continue. Beaumont frowns a bit, puffing his cheeks out as Dawkins' laughter peters out.
Beaumont huffs: "Guess that makes us even. That was cheap."
"Ah. I apologize, I didn't mean to alarm you, honest." Dawkins bows his head. "I simply noticed the pin in your…what is that you are wearing?"
"This? It's like a hood for dogs. It helps with anxiety and um, somethin' else. Think it's called a snood."
"Well then, I noticed the Electron Esquire pin in your snood! Are you a fan of 'Princess Positron: Heiress of Atom'!?" Dawkins' tail nearly wags off his body.
"Yeah! At first, I thought it was some weird old show Neil was into. But I paid attention one night and it's legit in my top ten shows ever!"
"Really? Wow! Fav episode?"
"Season two, episode thirteen. That two-part drama with Positron and her supposed long-lost little brother was wild!"
"Ah, that's a brilliant episode! My favorite is the season one finale, where King Atom tries sending a messenger to locate the Princess, but ends up alerting spaces pirates to a soon vacant throne, causing the Princess and the King to work out their problems for the sake of kicking pirate glutes!" Dawkins rambles a bit, not even noticing how quick words left his mouth.
"Wow…that's so weird! I thought I'd never find another dog who watched PP:HoA, but here you are. Glad I ran into you again." Beaumont grins at Dawkins.
Dawkins squints from the redness across his cheeks. "M-me too! Feeling excited!"
Beaumont chuckles at Dawkins' odd phrasing. Their big grins make their tails wag wildly. Somehow, Dawkins managed to rescue himself from two awful first impressions! Is this the start of a great friendship?
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep!
Everybody turns to Neil, who pulls his phone from his pocket. "Huh. Time be flyin'! I gotta head back and get ready for work. Is it cool if we cut it here, Ms. Dodie?"
"Of course, neighbor! Remember my proposition though! I expect some kibble hookups from Camden's new food chemist! I got a lot of dogs to feed, and they have plenty of strict diets!"
"I'll see what I can do, but no promises! Maybe next time, I can meet the real you instead of your machine, haha! See you around, Ms. Dodie."
Dawkins gazes at Beaumont with a frown. "Ah…it feels like we just started to make nice and it is already time for you to be off…"
"Right? It don't even feel like we walked for half an hour, hahah!" Beau shakes his head a bit. "Hey, y'know, Brook and I like bein' out and about when Neil's at work. We can do a real tour tomorrow if you're not busy. And m-maybe we can come visit you sometime? You said you live on Dalmatian Street, right?"
"Oh, a real tour? Uh…I'm unavailable tomorrow, so…what about Friday?" Dawkins looks for a nod. He sees one. "Alright… And yes, that's correct." Dawkins notices the Basset Twin's leashes being pulled. "Ah, oh no! W-we live at 101 Dalmatian Street. It is the big, messy looking terraced home. It is impossible to miss!"
"Cool. See ya later, Dawkins." Beaumont paw bumps Dawkins, whose wiggly grin makes Beau chuckle a bit. "It was nice meeting you too, Da Vinci!"
"Same! Bye-bye!" Da Vinci waves as the hounds head back home. She turns to Dawkins with a smile. "So…how did it go?"
"I believe it went well! We bonded a bit over PP: HoA, which I hypothesized impossible given the show's release year. What about you and Brooklyn?"
"Well, good news is she's not as mean-spirited as she seems. Bad news is, I may have caused Dante to gain a secret admirer…"
"Oh, kibbles…"
Notes: I used Brooklyn sparingly here, but I think the chapter is still good. Honestly, would Dawkins have a difficult time conversing with new dogs? He has siblings of pretty much every personality possible. Well, maybe. Siblings aren't new dogs...