"Hullo," Daine says pleasantly. She figures it's a good sign that he stopped snapping once he saw it was her (though she can't help wondering who he was expecting), and he seems too thrown by the dog's presence to start up again.

The dog, for his part, looks up at Rush and gives a slow, majestic wag of his tail. You were right about him, he says, sounding faintly amused.

"Sorry," she continues, lapsing into sheepishness. "I s'pose I should've called, first. It's just that I have a favor to ask." A glance behind Rush confirms that she's not interrupting anything crucial - no visitors or anything - and so she asks, "D'you mind if we come in? He has beautiful manners, I promise."