Username: hypersomnia.
Name: FFC's Nevermore // Raven
Gender: Male
Name Meaning (optional):
The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe Prompt:
Bored, Raven sighed through his nose and laid his chin on the edge of the window. He usually enjoyed trying to squeeze his muzzle out of the tiny open space his owners left for him, but he could swear they'd been driving for days now, and that idea had lost its novelty. Now, there was nothing left to do but watch as the trees sped by, which made him feel a little sick. Every once in a while, the car would stop and he'd jolt his head up, thinking they had finally gotten to their destination, only for his heart to sink a moment or two later when the car jumped back into motion. Gradually, he even ran out of thoughts - a new feeling for him. Though he wasn't particularly as energetic as other collies, his mind never stopped running. He watched as his eyelids fluttered and his mind drifted off into sleep.
BANGHe jolted awake, eyes wide and ears pricked - relieved to discover that the source of the sound was his owner stepping out of the car and closing the door. His tail involuntarily wagged as he sat up and panted at his door, eager to stretch his legs outside of the vehicle. As long as the car ride was, it felt like even more time had passed while he was waiting for his release. His owner was speaking to another human, and they were passing papers back and forth. He hoped they could hear him whining with excitement and would let him out soon.
Finally, he saw both of them walking back towards the car. As soon as he was able to, he hopped out onto the gravel, shook out his coat, and did a giant stretch. After his first priorities had been taken care of, it was time to get a nice big sniff on this new person. After a thorough inspection, he decided that they smelled alright, and was glad to be the recipient of some scratches behind the ears.
The new human grabbed his leash, and as a whole, the group traveled a small distance into a large building. Stepping in, he started a bit - he could smell other dogs, and hear them as they trotted up to edges of their kennel to get a good look at him. Slightly nervous, he lowered his head a bit, and his ears hugged the sides of his head. Not so excited now, he walked a little slower, and a little closer to the ground.
While the humans were involved in conversation, he got a better look at the other two dogs that were present. They were collies, just like him! From the looks of it, one male and one female. The girl seemed a bit anxious and excitable, but the male, while not unhappy, seemed more comfortable to just observe for now. Raven had never been a very social dog, but he figured as long as they let him have his personal space, he would be fine having these collies as friends.
He was so distracted that he hadn't realized that his owner had been coming and going in and out of this large building, and with every trip, they were bringing more things - his bed, his favorite toys, his treats - what was going on here? Some pressure on his leash told him they were walking again. Another kennel opened. He braced himself for a dog he hadn't noticed yet to run out and greet him, but thankfully, it seemed to be empty. His owner walked into the kennel space and started to set up his things. Not yet ready to settle down again, but thankful to have some of his comfort items, he nestled himself into his bed and watched the humans as they finished up their conversation. His owner knelt down beside him, stroked his back, and kissed his forehead. They seemed a little sad. He wagged his tail a bit in an attempt to comfort them, and grabbed one of his toys. "We don't have to be sad, we can have fun! Playing will make you happy!" He thought. He was confused as his owner stood up again, backed away, and swore to visit him soon. "Oh!" he thought. "I must be staying here for a while." His heart dropped.
The new human replaced his owner on the inside of the kennel. They knelt down, but kept their distance. This was a bit of a relief. There was a lot going on right now, and he wasn't too sure he wanted to put on a happy face anymore. He sank back a little more into the cushion of his familiar bed. Even if everything around was new and scary, he'd been sleeping in this same bed for as long as he could remember.
"Hi, Raven." The new person cooed. "I'm going to let you settle down for a bit, and I'll be back in a while to check up on you. Tomorrow, I'll show you around your new home."