Press Release

30: Full Court Press

Minnie delivers Meg to her parents' home: the young woman, exhausted from the emotional ordeal, is relieved to see her son, gathering him close and burying her face in his neck to smell him as she presses kisses all over him. The boy wiggles to get away, but he also clearly knows somehow that his mum needs this.

Ruffling the boy's hair and then giving Meg a tight hug, Minnie leaves soon after the reunion. After all, she has an essential errand to take care of. When she arrives at the West LA Animal Shelter, her only goal is to parade Daisy one more time around the park to try to find her new owners. Asking for Powerpuff, she holds her breath, terrified that she's too late. But soon enough, the ball of fur is being carried towards Minnie, the dog's tail wagging like crazy.

With several sniffs around Minnie's feet, Daisy's entire backside moves from side to side. She knows this human. HER human. Thank goodness! It's been forever since she got proper pats, and her human knows how to give them best of all. Connecting the leash, Minnie promises the crew that she'll find Powerpuff a new owner in the next hour.

Arriving at Virginia Avenue Park, Daisy gleefully hops out of the car and starts walking their usual route, heading for the bench where she can climb into her human's lap and get those scratches just behind her ears. Those are the ones she loves best. But today, the human is walking slowly, greeting everyone they meet, stopping to ask if people want to pet Daisy. The dog is getting impatient, pulling at the leash, anxious to get the right rubs from her person. These other pats are nice, but they aren't fulfilling.

Sitting on the bench, Minnie sighs as her eyes well up with tears. No one they had talked to wanted a dog, and certainly no one is interested in a three-legged dog. It didn't help that Daisy was rather rude to people, pulling on Minnie's arm, twisting away from the hands that reached out to pet her.

Jumping onto the bench beside her mistress, Daisy plants herself across Minnie's lap, proffering her ears for a good stroking. The lady's voice sounds sad when she speaks, "What am I going to do, Daisy?" Perking her ears up at her name, the dog looks at Minnie, licking at the tears staining her face. The salt tastes yummy, but there's no mistaking the tone, so Daisy gives some more kisses because she doesn't want this nice person to be sad.

Minnie laughs, pushing Daisy away from her face. The dog clearly doesn't understand the gravity of the situation. "We have to find someone to adopt you, girl. Otherwise....." she pauses, burying her face in Daisy's neck. With a sniffle, she sits up, determined, "Okay. We're just not having any luck at the park. We need to try the beach. There will be families there looking for the perfect pet." Rising, she pushes Daisy off her lap.

No cuddles?! Daisy is distraught. This is her favorite part of the visits. She gets her ears scratched and her fur rubbed. That's the way this is supposed to go. Whining as they get closer to the car, Daisy finally decides she's had enough. Sitting down right outside of the basketball courts, she refuses to move an inch until she gets what she deserves.

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"Minnie?" I cannot believe my eyes, freezing during the pick-up game so that the ball being passed whacks me in the face.

"Yo! Styles! Wake up, dude!"

Waving away my new friends, I walk to the gate, letting myself out. Why the hell is Minnie here? With a dog of all things! She doesn't have a dog. I would know.

"Minnie?" I call to her, and she turns towards me, exasperated as she tugs on the dog's leash. But this dog is determined not to move.

"Harry?" she shields her eyes from the sun as she takes me in. I'm dressed stylishly today in my joggers that cover my thighs and reach to the top of my knees. They're baggy around my hips and legs, plus I'm wearing an old white t-shirt in the warm sun. Sure it's got a few holes in it, but what quality t-shirt doesn't get holey after multiple wearings? My socks are pulled up to mid-calf range, and I know that I wouldn't win a single fashion award in this outfit. But I'm working out, not participating in a contest right now. Still, it warms my heart when my lady smiles at me in that sexy way that lets me know she thinks I'm silly.