The Night [5]

Chapter 1: Dinner Drama

"I'm going to get lost in this manor one of these days, I swear.." The small, brown-furred canine muttered under his breath as he walked down the large, spacious hallway of the manor with his tail wagging contently behind him with each step that he now took. It was true to the fact that his manor was very big with endless hallways and various rooms that nobody had even set foot in yet since they had moved in here. To Scruffy, everything was just as twice was more overwhelming since he was the second smallest creature in the family besides Piper when she was in her feral form. None of that mattered though to him because he was treated like anyone else in the manor and he was content with his life now. Ever since Rebecca had gone and asked him to accompany Pine that one day in the clearing of their old camp, the two of them had become very good friends and for once, he felt like he was important to someone else besides Rebecca and it was a wonderous feeling inside, making his tail wag behind him as he bounded through the hallway towards the dining room. It was true that the small canine appeared to be nothing more than an excited puppy, but he was actually just one year younger than his owner, when it came to human age, of course. He didn't actually like explaining the whole age thing when it came to creatures at the manor, it was very confusing and just a headache to talk about sometimes. What truly ran through the canine's mind was the delicious food that would be awaiting him when he got to the dining room. It had been bacon and pancakes for breakfast, so what was Rebecca planning for them to eat tonight? His stomach was already rumbling at the bare thought of it all. Sure, the canine had no problem eating berries and fresh meat from caught prey in the woods, but something about just sitting at a table while eating food that was deemed safer and cleaner to eat made him feel more at ease through every meal since they had moved here. Scruffy remembered when it had just been Rebecca, Hyde and him in a small cozy apartment where things didn't have to be so organized and coordinated, which a small part of him missed, but for not one moment did he think that he despised having all of these creatures around - from Beck to Ryuu to even Vore, the male loved each one of them and would do anything to protect them if they were ever to be in danger. Putting that aside and out of his mind, as he now turned another corner and entering the dining room, where everyone else was already seated, the brown-furred canine couldn't help but give a little excited bound as his tail wagged more and more behind him. It was true that he was known for being the quiet, pensive type, much like Ryuu or even Freddie, but overall, he was just trying to be a bit positive.

This little burst of happiness that Scruffy was currently sporting, unfortunately, did not last as long as originally hoped as he went over to the large wooden table where plates of various food were currently being served. He currently headed to his usual seat, whiskers twitching as he hummed a lightened tune before preparing to leap up into his chair. The small dog leaped through the small space of air to get to the platform, but he collided with a larger force that felt rather furry before he went crashing back onto the carpeted floor below. "Oh, I'm sorry." An unfamiliar voice said, giving a slight chuckle, "Was this your seat, little one?" The first thing that Scruffy registered was this stranger calling him 'little one' like he was some sort of young child and it caused the smile to turn to a frown as he shook his head and regained his stance on his paws. He looked to meet eyes with a large wolf with darkened blue fur and a spiked collar hooked around their neck. This canine looked down at him with a slight smile, though it appeared more like a smirk to him, with their head tilted off to the side in no-so-innocent confusion to what was happening. Scruffy forced himself not to be harsh to this newcomer, forcing a polite smile on his face as he acted like a civil person. "Ah, yes, indeed it is." Scruffy said, giving a light laugh that was forced like the smile, "And who are you, if I may ask? I don't believe we've met before." Before the blue-furred canine could respond, the small head of Piper appeared from beside him, looking down at Scruffy with a friendly smile. "Oh, hey, Scruffy! You wouldn't believe who came to the manor for a visit!" She squeaked, looking at the larger canine, who just gave a smile to the brown-and-white-furred weasel that currently sat beside him, "This is DJ. He and I were really good friends of Rebecca before I went with Rebecca to stay here with all of you in the mansion oh so long ago. I'm so glad that the two of you can finally meet after all this time!" The female showed happiness and enthusiasm towards this 'DJ' character that Scruffy had never seen before in his life, but the name sounded very faintly familiar, perhaps Rebecca had mentioned him to the small canine long ago? He wasn't sure, but he forced himself to keep up this kindhearted act for Piper's sake, deciding to give this wolf another chance. "Well, if you are a friend of Piper, then you must be someone worth getting to know." Scruffy said, once again forcing himself to display friendly actions, such as a lightened tail wag, "I'm Scruffy, one of the senior members of the manor and it is a pleasure to meet you." DJ gave another light chuckle, "A senior member, eh? You certainly seem quite small compared to the rest here, I'm surprised." He said, making Scruffy stiffen, "Nonetheless, let me give you your seat back now."