AMA-Con: The Compilation

Kibbles: A Doggie Chronicles Special Edition

Written by: LeyaLaFea 

Prompt: Philip and Nini Expecting Puppies + Excited Alden and Nervous Maine

 Prompt by: annamacarena

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v100.1: The Day Before

Upon reaching the house, Philip ran up the room before his master and jumped up to a chair near the window. Bloody hell, he thought, bloody hell.

He heard his master come in. However, instead of the usual routine of kicking off the shoes and kneeling by the bed to pray, his master walked to where he was seated. His master, then, sat down on the floor, faced him, and gave him a tickle on the chin.

"So," he heard his master say, "Wasn't that a fun time with Nini? I told Maine and Nico to bring her along, so you'll have company while I showed them around the area. You had a good run in the field, didn't you?"

Philip looked away, refusing to think of anything.

His master noticed Philip's somewhat glum look, and his dog's refusal to make the usual eye contact.

Mr. Richard adjusted himself in an attempt to face Philip. "Hey, buddy," he said, sounding concerned, "Are you all right?" He started inspecting Philip for wounds or gashes. "I told you not to play near those big drainage pipes, right? Did you get hurt anywhere?"

Philip remembered the drainage pipes. Those bloody concrete pipes burned in my bloody brain, all right. And yes, master -- buddy -- I'm bloody hurting. But the gashes nowhere near my skin.

He, then, felt Mr. Richard lift him from the chair, though being a lot heavier now, and putting him on his lap. "Are you scared of getting snipped tomorrow by Dr. Yan? Don't worry, you won't feel a thing. Besides, it will be good for you, and after that you can play with Nini all you want without any risks. You'll probably see her in a month, when Maine brings her to Dr. Yan for her turn."

Philip broke free from his master's arms stood up on all fours, and eyed his master. You're all too bloody late, he growled, and I end up being the bastard who didn't know a thing.

And then, Philip walked out of the room, not even taking a backward glance at his master's befuddled look.

*bark*

v101.1: The Night Before

Nini has been hearing her lady and Nico, her lady's older brother, talk about it for some time now. Her lady wasn't sure about it at first, but it seemed that Nico reassured her lady that it was in her best interest. And it was going to happen tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Till today, Nini was kept in the house for a month, to help her tide over her uncomfortable and abominably weird feeling. Her lady and Nico even went as far as asking Mr. Richard not to send pictures of Philip (which he usually did), or let her see him on the phone when her lady and Mr. Richard talked, which, Nini observed, got more often since the first time she saw Philip on the phone a long time back. Even Sylvie, who regularly visited with Ambo in tow, decided not to drop by during that month.

During that abominable month, Nini tried to keep a calm face. After all, she had no plans of making her lady worry. But, at the same time, her insides felt like a rollercoaster. The humans kept on talking about things called emotions, she recalled. Is this what it is -- an emotion? She just wanted the whole thing to be over and get her usual calm back.

And Nini knew, in a way, what will happen tomorrow. While it saddened her, she knew that her human family wouldn't have decided it if it wasn't necessary.

She was out in the yard when she heard footsteps coming her way. She didn't turn her head anymore, as she knew who was approaching her.

It was Nico.

"Hello there, baby girl," he said, sitting down the grass beside her, like he always did. "Your mum is out on an appointment. You know how it is, right? But don't worry. We will both be with you tomorrow, when you pay Dr. Yan a visit."

Nini found this comforting. It's a good thing her two favourite humans will be around. She barely remembered Dr. Yan the last time she was there, since she was, for the most part, asleep during her last check-up. She knew that her signature wariness toward other humans would always show its head when she's not with those she's familiar with.

Nico, then, hugged Nini. "I wish you didn't have to go through this, but Dr. Yan did say that it's risky not to. Of course we don't want any harm to come to our Nini. Besides, we don't want Philip to be sad, right?"

Philip, Nini thought. I haven't heard his name spoken here in a while. I wonder how he is. Is he still angry? But why would he be? Why?

Nini replayed the events of that day, over and over again, but she could not pinpoint the source of his anger, because all she could remember was reddish-brown fur up close, and all over.

*bark*