shake dog shake

<div align=center>Tiffany's arm was beginning to ache, the constant motion of throwing something was beginning to put strain on her muscles. She'd lost track of how long she'd been out here, idly tossing a large stick back and forth, having it brought back to her, only to throw it again. It lost a little length each time, her throws became shorter and shorter, and much less enthusiastic. The thundering of huge paws soon became a loping sort of trot, she wondered why he hadn't given up yet, it must have been hours. In reality, it had only been about half an hour, but by the time the strength was gone in Tiffany's arm, and Quinn was panting heavily, it felt like it had been far longer. When the Wolfhound finally dropped the stick, and sat himself next to her, she felt like celebrating. She had no doubt he'd be back on his feet within a few minutes though, trying desperately to get her to take the stick from him again. Why don't you have a ball? She asked him, brow furrowing, the dog's eyes merely flickered to meet hers, his pink tongue lolling from his shaggy maw. He knew she didn't want to play anymore.

The dog yawned, exposing every single tooth in that enormous mouth of his, Tiffany could feel his breath hot on her face, she frowned at him, he wagged his tail. Most people thought their relationship was strange, he was more like a best friend than a dog, he was so useful that Tiffany thought it best to treat him nicely, besides, she was really rather attached to him as well. Quinn shifted his position, stretching his long front legs out in front of him and lowering his hindquarters to a lying position, he placed his head down on Tiff's thigh, staring up at her with large, doleful eyes. She fell onto her back, her violet eyes flickering shut as she did so.

Quinn wasn't one to give up that easily, though, the next person that came along he'd most likely bound up to, stick in his mouth, tail wagging. He'd drop it at their feet and bark at them until they threw it, which could be a daunting sight for one that did not know him very well, Quinn was a large animal, most assumed he wasn't very friendly due to all the noise he made. Of course, Tiffany couldn't hear that noise, that was what Quinn was for, he was her ears. She'd come out here to exercise him in the first place, she had discovered already that the lake was a bad idea, Quinn had jumped into the water the day before, she'd had to sneak him back through all the hallways, covered in mud and pond-weed. She'd only been here for a few days, she'd managed to steer clear of people for now, her bedroom lacked a room mate, well, aside from Quinn. Ah, now I remember. She told him, the dog pricked his ears up and cocked his head to the side, you ate it.</div>

<div align=center>Quinn yawned again, taking a moment or two to push himself to his feet again, he stretched, and shook, spraying little drops of drool everywhere. He was ready to play all over again, though Tiffany merely pushed him away when he pushed his cold, wet nose into her hand. His tail was wagging softly and his ears were forward, Tiff didn't want to play yet, she was exhausted. It was one of the rare occasions when she had actually come outside during the day, as it happened, there were clouds hiding the sun today, she poor girl was so pale she managed to get burned on the sunnier days in winter sometimes, too. She didn't have to use her parasol during the winter though, a layer of sunscreen usually worked, it was just a precaution anyway, the girl hated sunburn. Quinn circled around her, sniffing around the grass, looking for his stick. He found it not long later and snapped it up in his jaws, pouncing a short way into the air and bounding a few meters to the side. He let out a few barks, and tilted his head to the side. Tiffany ignored him, she knew what he wanted, but she was feeling far too lazy.

Why am I awake? She asked herself, she'd hardly had any lessons since her arrival, she'd arrived on her first day and gone straight to bed, she was so used to being asleep during the day that it was a regular thing for her to be wandering about at night. She wished there was lessons at night, it would have made her life a lot easier if there had been, she hated being awake during the day, it was incredibly strange for her, though Quinn seemed to be enjoying it an awful lot. The way he bounced around and barked seemed like he was saying: this is different! This is exciting! She smiled at the thought of it.

Quinn was the first to notice Lucy, he stopped dead, and dropped his stick with a quiet thud onto the grass, his tail stopped wagging and instead held it's self upright. A small, quiet growl echoed out from the back of his throat, and he began to bark loudly. He jumped a few inches forward when Lucy came closer, barking the whole while. He was so loud, Quinn was merely confused about who this person was, he'd never seen her before, what business did she have coming over here? That was his job to find out, as least, he thought it was. Tiffany didn't give Lucy an answer, simply because she hadn't heard her. Though it perhaps wouldn't have seemed like that to someone else, what with Quinn's incessant barking and all.</div>

<div align=center>Quinn's ears flicked backward and he growled, he didn't understand why his mistress wasn't saying anything, was this girl bad? Had she done something? He was struggling to puzzle it out, he'd never seen this girl before, what could be wrong with her? He barked at Tiffany, shoving her with his nose. I don't want to play with you. She told him, but that wasn't what he wanted! Quinn was worried that maybe she would curl up and fall asleep, this wasn't a good place to fall asleep, beds were for sleeping, for humans at least, he thought he could sleep here, this was a place for a dog, not for a girl. He nuzzled her again, snuffling at her fact and licking at her cheek. She scowled and batted him away, Tiffany didn't really know what he wanted, she was just assuming that wanted to play fetch some more. Her mind was shut up, she couldn't feel anyone else around her, and that was why. Quinn bounded off again, running a short way off, before returning again, barking the whole while. He sometimes forgot about the way Tiffany was, and didn't understand why she didn't respond to his yapping. He had worn himself out soon enough, and sat himself next to his mistress, panting and staring up at Lucy.

This is my mistress. He seemed to say. Do not hurt her. His tail had stopped wagging. Tiffany still had no idea that anybody was even there, the poor girl wasn't generally a rude person, she just... Well. She yawned loudly, prompting a response from her dog. He pawed at her, trying to get her to sit up, Tiffany just wanted to sleep, she wished the dog would just settle down and wander off to do his own thing, then again she realized that perhaps she would struggle a lot without the dog. He nudged her again, a single, violet eye flickered open. She sat up. It took a few moments for Tiffany to realize that she wasn't alone, she sat facing away from the other girl for a little while, staring blankly at Quinn.

She glanced to his tail, it was still held high, and his eyes kept darting between her, and something else. She frowned, she was feeling groggy and he had no idea what he was trying to tell her, she hadn't been around people other than her parents for a very long time, she could barely remember the way Quinn behaved around other people, she didn't even remember if he liked other people. She hoped he did, otherwise that might cause some problems for her in the near future. What? She asked him, he merely barked, and shifted down into play bow.</div>

<div align=center>Stick! Quinn barked loudly, and pounced off in the opposite direction after the stick, his paws thundering on the earth with what seemed like the force of a small storm. He was excited! Someone had thrown him a stick! Someone wanted to play with him! He skidded to a halt to pick up the piece of wood, whirled around and sprang back across the grass, tail held high, ears pricked forward. Tiffany practically jumped out of her skin when the stick flew over her head, she squealed and jumped to her feet, her heart was pounding in her ears and she felt very shaky all of a sudden. It had only been a stick but it had surprised her, the poor girl hadn't even known that someone was there. She skittered a few inches forward, and stumbled in her haste to turn around. She placed a hand on Quinn to steady herself, who had dropped the stick at her feet and was now staring up at Lucy, eyes bright, inquisitive. Tiffany stared, a somewhat worried look on her face. How long had this girl been there? She had absolutely no idea, had she been talking to her? Probably. She found herself absently petting the top of the Wolfhound's scruffy, grey head.

She'd never seen Lucy before in her life, then again she hadn't seen anyone, really. She wondered why she had come over, she supposed she didn't realize... Tiff shook her head, as if replying to something she hadn't heard. She was confused, she was frightened. Tiffany hadn't counted on having any social interactions today, she hadn't been prepared for that just yet. She still missed her parents, she hadn't gotten over that yet, even. Quinn whimpered, his head tilting backward to look up at Tiffany, his tail wagging softly, she glanced down to him, good boy. Tiffany looked back up at the strange girl again, she didn't say anything, she didn't do anything, she just stared.

Tiffany desperately hoped this wasn't a stupid ploy to get lunch money out of her or anything, since, for a start, Tiffany didn't have a penny on her, and surely this girl wouldn't be stupid enough to harass her with Quinn around? The dog appeared to be friendly if you seemed nice enough, but as soon as you threatened Tiff, he'd most likely attack. He loved Tiffany, she was his mistress, he would do anything for his mistress, Tiffany couldn't say she wasn't thankful for him. The soft, purple eyes set in her head flickered up to meet Lucy's bluer ones. She blinked slowly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and frowning a little, what do I do? The last person she'd talked to that was close to her age was a distant cousin a few years ago, and well, that hadn't exactly talked either, it had been more... Smiles and friendly eye contact.</div>

<div align=center>Quinn wasn't a hearing dog as such, hearing dogs were usually collies or Labradors or German Shepherds. Quinn was probably double the size of a collie, and he could certainly match the intelligence of a Labrador brain for brain. He wagged his tail at Lucy, and took a step forward, sniffing at her curiously. She had a strange, new smell about her, he hadn't smelt a new person in a long time, not this close, anyhow. He remained there for a little while, making quiet snuffling noises the whole while. Tiffany placed a hand on his collar, and tugged him backward, well, as far as she could get him at least. Quinn weighed at least two of the girl, he was huge and well, Tiffany was frail and skinny. I am Lucy. She noted, that was what the words on her lips had formed, anyhow. Tiffany did sometimes tend to get confused with words that looked the same as other words when spoken, for example, olive juice and I love you. Then again, olive juice wasn't really a phrase one should use all that much. Though Tiffany didn't reply to her question, you are? She merely smiled shyly. Quinn had since sat next to her, his head near enough reached her shoulder, and he was far larger when he rose up to his hind legs.

Are you deaf? She had asked (or at least Tiff thought that was the question,) Tiffany scowled, it was strange for someone to pick up on that so quickly, it had taken a long time for the teacher that met her when she'd first arrived to realize that she couldn't hear. She nodded in reply to her question, there was no use pretending she wasn't, but she had never thought it was that obvious, Quinn didn't exactly have one of those little coats that said dog for the deaf on it, and he didn't exactly have the look of a hearing dog, either. He was too big and cumbersome to be a real one, Tiffany wouldn't have wanted a different dog, though. She liked him too much. She shrugged, he supposed he was her hearing dog in one way or another.

And how to talk slow enough for me to understand? Tiffany's scowl deepened, I can't hear, I'm not stupid. She hated how every person she met instantly thought she needed some kind of help, or special treatment because she was deaf. That was far from the truth, Tiffany was as able as anyone that could hear well, aside from the fact that she had no idea when someone was approaching her, but usually she wouldn't ignore Quinn, she had just thought he had been playing around. She shook her head again, this time there was something slightly irritated about it, she didn't need the girl to talk slowly, or use sign language at that, Tiffany had survived nine years without ever really using sign language, it wasn't any different now.</div>