Developmentober '24 - Day 3

Developmentober '24 introduction

03 - Unlikely Duo

Cale obviously didn't have any pets in his childhood, and if there was an animal involved somehow in any of the group homes he was in, it didn't end up well for the animal and was just traumatizing Cale even more. He himself didn't participate in animal cruelty, but he has witnessed it.

When Cale and Denny were roommates (before the relationship times), Penny the golden retriever moved in with Denny. Cale could help Denny and take Penny out and feed her and stuff like that, and he was learning how to take care of a dog. At first Cale was very cautious and uncertain about how to be with Penny, not only because he had no idea "how to dog", but also because it was Denny's dog, and Cale didn't want to upset Denny.

Penny didn't judge and immediately accepted Cale, so after a cautious start Cale felt more comfortable to play and goof around with Penny.

VERY CUTE AND AWW RIGHT?? Okay, let's get to the bummer part next XD

Penny's presence became even more important to Cale after getting together with Denny. Cale's ways to keep his mind busy so he wouldn't have time to even consider feeding his addictions had finally failed him, and he had a drink for the first time in eight years. He was never that big a fan of alcohol (crack was his first love), but he knew he had entered the danger zone. To prevent that from happening again, he realized that Penny was a perfect way to keep him off from wandering to someplace he shouldn't go. By taking Penny out, Cale could get fresh air and a little time off from Denny; and because Penny was tied to Denny, he would always have to return home.

And the elephant in the room... Penny is a senior dog and it's obvious to the bois that she's getting older and not healthier. Denny is of course doing anything for his dear baby and spends everything he has to improve Penny's life in any way, and Cale has helped him with the bills because he would do anything for Denny. Cale has a strong PTSD, paranoia and guilty complex going on, and he's extremely hesitant to initiate a conversation about "what if".......... goddamn this man is a wreck and this is a sad topic and the lore's not gonna get happier either, so here's a cute gif to lighten up the mood:

tralalala nothing bad happened ^^

Cale and Penny belong to me