A black-and-white shepherd dog lies carefree on the unkempt lawn. He is perfectly covered by the weeds and wild flowers.
Leisure is a treasure for Carnaby Street.
Pickles: Achoo!
But it never lasts long.
???: Woof woof!
Pickles: Hmm ... Woof woof?! <Wendy, how did you get here?!>
Hearing Wendy's excited barking, lots of puppies start to gather. They run out of stores, leave fire hydrants, appear on the other side of the road, and rush to the place where Pickles is hiding.
Wendy: Woof woof!
Pickles: Woof, woof, woof woof woof. <I have no intention to make any compliments, although a sharp sense of smell is indeed important for us.>
Pickles: Woof woof, woof woof woof. <We still need to consider something more essential, something that matters more than the sense of smell.>
Pickles: Woof woof? Woof woof? <For example ... What's the meaning of our existence? What's the purpose of living here?>
Wendy: Woof?
Pickles: Woof woof … <You think it's for the coming Fluffy Sports Meeting? Of course not.>
Pickles sighs.
Nelson: Woof woof woof!
Pickles: Woof, woof woof. <And it's definitely not for the latest "Rats-Capturing Race.">
Pickles: Woof, woof woof, woof ...? <What I'm saying is, in this world, why have to be us?>
Pickles: Woof woof woof? <Are we independent individuals, or just some human's pets?>
Alice: Huumm.
Wendy: Woof woof!
Pickles sighs again.
Pickles: Woof woof woof woof … <Wendy, you are an adorable and smart puppy. Humans would love to throw the ball and wait for you to pick it up ...>
Pickles: Woof, woof ...? <But what if, one day, you accidentally fall into a sewer?>
Pickles: Woof, woof woof. <Like, you lost your way during racing and could only stay in the sewer full of rats forever.>
Pickles: Woof, woof … <Meanwhile, one puppy who looks exactly the same as Wendy replaces you ...>
Pickles: Woof, woof … <And it remembers the same, behaves the same, and thinks the same way as you do ...>
Pickles: Woof, woof, woof ...? <By that time, will this "Wendy" be the puppy we know?>
The other puppies are listening to Pickles with full attention.
Wendy: Woof, woooooof?!
Pickles: Woof, woof. <That's right. It's also skilled at finding plastic balls and impresses all the other puppies.>
Pickles: Woof , woof woof? <In that case, do we exist for our past experiences and thoughts, or something more than that?>
Wendy: Woof ... Woof ... Woo?
Pickles: Woof. <I'm sorry.>
Pickles: Woof, woof woof, woof, woof. <I should not make the hypothesis that your unique ball-hunting ability belongs to others, although it's not a ... Well, it's just a horror story.>
Wendy: Woof woof!
Pickles: Woof, woof.
This time, Pickles doesn't sigh.
He walks to the other side of the street alone, with his shadow pulled long by the sun.
Alice: Woof?
Pickles: Woof, woof, woof. <Don't worry. Now I'm just looking for some mouthwatering apple pie.>
Pickles: Woof woof.
Pickles avoids the crowd and eventually finds a quiet place to rest.
Pickles: Woof woof. <Maybe I was wrong from the beginning to look for mutual understanding. There is no such thing between dogs, let alone between dogs and humans.>
Pickles: Woof woof woof.
Pickles: Woof? <So, am I ready to leave?>
Pickles stares at the sky.
It's still March, but why is there an apple on the cherry tree?!
APPLe: Hmm. The front door of Ace Cafe faces the North Circular Road. It is around 4.803 miles from the destination.
APPLe: Captain Regulus drives at 65 miles an hour. Given the rules of the racing, she will arrive earlier.
Pickles: <speed=1.3>Woof ... woof?! <A premature apple ... that can talk ...>
Pickles: <speed=1.4>Woof woof woof … <I haven't sniffed anything poisonous, so this shouldn't be hallucination ...>
Pickles: Woof woof … <I assume it's because I'm hungry ...>
APPLe: Hmm? There is a lovely puppy.
Mr. APPLe slowly falls down.
APPLe: Hello, Mr. Puppy.
Pickles: Woof, woof woof. <Oh, not a hallucination. Your smell shows that ... you are also an arcanist.>
Pickles: Woof. <Hello, Mr. Apple.>
Pickles: Woof woof woof.
Pickles: ...
Pickles: Woof woof woof woof woof. <I thought I'm the only alien ... being isolated from other arcanists.>
APPLe: You look a bit nervous, Mr. Puppy. Are you hungry?
APPLe: Perhaps it is not a good time to fall.
Pickles: Woof woof. <No, it's exactly the right time.>
Pickles: Woof woof woof. <I have so many questions about arcanists and I'm hoping you can help me.>
APPLe: Please don't show me your tongue at random. Makes this APPLe feel stressed out.
APPLe: Captain, help.
Pickles: Woof woof? <Are you calling your friend? Do you know any other arcanists?>
Pickles: Woof woof woof? <Does your friend share the same appearance as yours? Like another wise apple?>
Excitement can be read in Pickles's eyes.
APPLe: Your eyes seemed to light up when I mentioned my captain.
APPLe: If Captain Regulus finishes the racing trouble-free, I might introduce you to her. But now, let's stay away from each other, puppy.
Pickles: Woof woof.
APPLe: Oh? It seems you are quite interested in "Captain Regulus."
APPLe: Wandering across high seas, she is a great pirate who never gets caught by all the Orwellian and the conservatives.
APPLe: Is my explanation precise enough? Hope my wording meets Captain's requirement.
Pickles: Woof, woof woof?! <Is your friend a pirate? Instead of another apple arcanist?>
Pickles: Woof woof.
APPLe: I think you will like her.
Pickles: Woof woof. <That's what I'm longing for. No indecent or boring hobbies, no worries about refusing invitations such as pillow fights or catching balls ...>
Pickles: Woof, woof woof? <What's your solution to that? Especially when your human companion cannot understand you at all?>
APPLe: Most of the time, we are wandering in London. Captain is fond of anything novel and funny.
Pickles: Woof ... Woof woof. <Wandering ... Sounds like a good choice.>
Pickles: Woof woof woof. <I will consider your suggestion carefully ... Thank you, Mr. Apple.>
The sounds of a roaring engine, a collision, and a girl's screaming come from the street nearby.
APPLe: Oh, I am sorry, little puppy. I have to go. Captain Regulus seems to be in trouble.
APPLe: I really enjoyed our conversation. Hope I can fully understand what you say next time.
APPLe: Or, maybe I can invent a tool to help us communicate.
APPLe: See you, puppy. Bark, bark!
Pickles: Woof? <Hmm?>
