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Katie was a dog hybrid, a loud, playful, happy little thing. Her tail wagged when she was excited, her ears dropped when upset and her head turned exactly 45 degrees when confused. That was something Schlatt had never really put much thought into. Yes she was a dog hybrid but that was really where the extent of it stopped. He never considered how maybe being a happy little pup would hurt.
When he first met the dog hybrid Schlatt was in a good mood, he had finally found the perfect place to set up his home and had just finished lighting up the area. Katie had come bonding out of the nearby river soaked head to toe, she shook off the excess water on some of his freshly lit torches but still Schlatt offered her some food.
Her joy would be absolutely contagious if he wasn't a scrooge. The hybrid little ginger tail wagged at the mention of shepherd's pie, and well, Schlatt couldn’t say no.
Slowly the feeling of doing a good deed died down. The hat she had placed on the top of her head was one thing but the fact her tail wouldn’t stop wagging was another. He could feel the start of a headache coming in each time her tail whacked against the cobblestone base of his torches.
“That’s got to hurt,” he sighed for the millionth time as her tail violently bumped into the post for the millionth time.
“Oh! Sorry Mr J,” Katie replied sheepishly as she tried her best to grab her tail. Of course failing miserably and turning around in circles, trying to catch it. Like a dog, Schlatt sighed for the millionth-and-one time.
Maybe it wasn't the best idea to bring Katie into an enclosed room and have her back into the corner. Well if her thumping tail is anything to go by. It was just like the lamp post but worse, her tail was wagging even harder than when he gave her the shepherd's pie. Which was kind of weird considering they were talking about bombinging a house. But who knows what’s going on inside that brain of hers. Max didn’t seem as bothered by it as he was.
“So, uh, I’ll come back, with two photos and you’ll let me in?” She asked still with her tail wagging obnoxiously.
“Yes,” Max hummed as he searched for the peace of tnt.
“How do I get a camera?” Katie questioned with her head turned off towards the side.
“Red stone,” Schlatt replied, as Max finally found and passed over the red explosive.
As the conversation continues Schlatt lets his eyes wander, with that he notices the beginning of a small red wound on her tail. He didn’t say anything.
A while later Schlatt was out exploring and finding materials for his house, it was something he was actually pretty excited for. Making a small home overlooking the ocean was something he was really looking forward to, and god knows he needs something not to raise his cortisol levels. He honestly hoped that maybe if he made this house he would be left alone to live out on this island.
So he set out on a nice wooden boat and sailed letting the ocean sounds calm him. Then he heard talking, the familiar sound of the dog hybrid blabbering on to whoever is in front of her. Reluctantly, he looked up but he was glad he did. Cucurucho was offering up its boat for Katie and she was accepting. Now he hasn’t really interacted with it but from Max's stories they are not the type of people who you want to get in a boat with.
“Do not get in that boat, get into mine.” He urged, and Katie listened.
“Who was that?” She yelped as she practically fell into his boat. He didn’t respond immediately instead of focusing on rowing away.
“Do not trust him,” he finally replied, she saluted a moment later and her tail started up again.
Schlatt continued sailing this time with an annoying hybrid yapping his ear off and a creepy bear thing following them. He tried his best to not really respond mainly because he didn’t exactly know how to answer but also because he didn't know the answers. Though the small occasional grunts are really all she needs to continue yapping. If anything, by the way her tail seems to pick up speed, he’s actively making her continue to talk, instead of shutting up like he wished for.
Her tail was drumming against the small boat. It fit two people, but it was still cramped. It was thin, so her tail hit both sides, it was short so they were squished together, not to the point where they were touching but he could feel her breath on his neck. The duo reached the shore and when he turned around to tie the boat to shore he noticed two red splotches on the sides. Coincidentally right where her tail should be theoretically hitting. Did Cucurucho hurt her? Surely she would’ve let him know. Definitely odd.
Unfortunately the chase continued on land, the white bear didn’t seem to take no for an answer. But after it hit Katie and Schlatt turned around ready to defend her it seems to get the message. They came to a stop and Schlatt finally got a good look at her, and the blood that was falling behind her.
“Did he do that?” He asked maybe a little bit too worried.
Her head turned slightly as she hummed confused. With a small point she turned her attention towards her still wagging tail that was bleeding all over the grassy floor.
“Woah! When did that happen,” the hybrid exclaimed before smiling dumbly at Schlatt.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he sighed before shooing her off so she could continue her mission. A bad feeling fell into his gut but he pushed it away in favor of continuing his exploration.
He was in the middle of looting a village when he got a ping from Katie that she had completed her task. And now he was sailing all the way back to see how she did. Plus his pockets were full so he needed to get back anyway.
As he climbed down the ladder he heard voices, they seemed to be discussing about the house she blew up and Schlatt could hear a weird pride in Max's voice. Finally he climbed all the way down and was greeted by a nervous Katie’s tail wags. Quickly he was informed that she had blown up a pretty popular person's house.
Katie on one hand looked anxious but the surprised (praise, but Schlatt wouldn’t admit that) words of the man seemed to perk her back up again. And with that followed never ending tail wagging. Like in the boat it got bloody again and Max was the first to notice.
“Woah! What’s wrong with your tail?” He muttered taking a long drag of his cigarette.
“Huh?” Her eyes went wide before looking at her swaying tail. “Oh? Heh,” she laughed nervously, “it does that sometimes.” Katie smiled brightly.
“It just does that?” Schlatt said suspiciously.
“Yeah,” she smiled, “don’t worry I can’t feel it! Or well it’s easy to ignore.”
“That can’t be healthy.” Max said, staring down at her tail. Katie just gave a fake, awkward, half hearted, laugh before going quiet.
A long moment passed where no one said or did anything before Schlatt decided to break the silence. “Come on, let's bandage your tail.” He sighed
“Really?”
“Yes, now come on.”
She followed behind him as they went into an empty room. Suddenly Schlatt stopped before he reached into his pocket and grabbed some bandages. With a command, she turned around and let him tightly bandage her tail.
“Thank you Mr J!” She beamed.
“Yeah, yeah, just stop wagging your tail so hard.”
“Sure think boss!” She wagged her tail.
Schlatt sighed for the trillionth time.