<strong>Dr. Amanda Vernecoombe, inside the Cage Room with Starshine</strong><br/><br/>I shifted my weight a little, my knees aching slightly from prolonged kneeling. Still, it can't have been anything on how uncomfy Starshine must have been. Those cages didn't really permit much movement on the dog's part. Partly because I wanted her to stretch, and partly because I wanted to stall on her question, I began unlocking the door to her cage.<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">“Another dog - like me? Why would there be other dogs like me? T-that doesn’t make sense. Was I really not the only one?”</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>I nodded slowly, unclipping the lower catch, pausing with my hand resting lightly on a lower bar.<br/><br/><strong>"Yes Starshine, like you. The place you're in now... the pets here are all like you. They can all think, all act on their own accord, all... well, they're all like you."</strong>My hand tapped anxiously against the bar before I spoke again, starting to open the cage.<strong>"There is an awful lot to learn, Starshine, and there's too much for me to tell you here. If you can promise me you'll be obedient, I'll make sure not to keep you in the dark. Deal?"</strong>I leant my hand into her cage, ruffling her silky black hair, scratching behind one of her ears for a second before standing up, wincing as my knees straightened. Starshine had proven to be dynamite- if I could just keep her rented out for the time I was here, I'd get a wealth of information about how dogs developed and adapted to their new surroundings. The fact she was quite a cute pup only helped seal the deal.<br/><br/><strong>"Now Starshine, we're going to go outside and to a place called the playroom."</strong>I explained, leaning over her cage to snatch up a sky blue collar and leash from the wall.<strong> "On the way there there's going to be a lot of dogs frolicking about, and some may very well try to sniff about you. Try not to be intimidated, none of them are going to be allowed to touch you." </strong>It seemed a ridiculous request, not to be intimidated- part of me even expected her to wet herself when she got outside. Still, she would have to learn one day, and it'd be better to get it out of the way. Leaning down again I slipped the collar about her neck, affixing the leash to it and grabbing up the notes that were folded up in a card holder attached to her cage.<br/><br/><strong>"OK Star, you're going to crawl a little way behind me. Just follow me, mmk?"</strong>I said, and began to slowly make my way out to the Gardens (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=76934.0), Starshine in tow.