It was one of those days when the sun beamed like it was on a mission to make everything sparkle, and Athena the husky, with her dazzling blue and chestnut bi-eyes, was absolutely convinced that today was going to be the best day ever. And of course, because Athena was the boss of everything in the world (or at least in the garden, the living room, and occasionally, the entire county), she was determined that it would be an adventure for the ages. In tow was her ever-enthusiastic, ever-awkward, ever-hungry malamute brother, Obito, who, despite being as big as a small horse and still trying to figure out how to navigate his oversized paws, was just as determined to enjoy the day.
Athena, with her elegant, almost regal stride, completely at odds with her usual chaos, led the way to the car, her paws light and bouncy. She was always the picture of grace until it was time to leap over something. And today was no exception. With no warning, she took a running start and launched herself right over the picnic table in the garden, her tail a blur of grey and white. "Watch this, Obito!" she seemed to say, her eyes gleaming with mischievous delight. Obito, who had never been one to miss out on a challenge, attempted the same leap, but only managed to catch his back foot on the table, sending him face-first into the grass. He rolled, belly up, giving his signature goofy grin as if to say, “Nailed it!”
Once in the car, Athena made it abundantly clear that she was not interested in sitting nicely. She squirmed, shuffled, and flopped into every single seat, trying to get comfortable while simultaneously asserting her dominance over the space. Meanwhile, Obito, the ever-optimistic and clumsy ball of fluff, was doing his best to curl up into a position that would make a yoga instructor proud, but he ended up taking up the entire backseat by spreading his legs out like he was trying to do the splits. His oversized paws, which were still growing into their giant forms, made an adorable “plop, plop” sound against the seat as he shifted. Every so often, he would offer Athena a wet kiss on the ear to show his excitement for the day ahead, his tongue making the most horrendous slurping noise that sounded like a vacuum cleaner trying to suck up a tennis ball.
Upon arrival at Marwell Zoo, Athena immediately assumed that this was her personal kingdom. As she got out of the car, she strutted like a diva on the red carpet, her fluffy tail waving in the breeze. She was the picture of elegance, until she spotted a pigeon. The pigeon made the mistake of not flying away quickly enough, and Athena took that as a personal challenge. With one mighty lunge, she turned into a furball of fury, her eyes locked on the unsuspecting bird, her paws flailing like a windmill in a hurricane. The pigeon, to its credit, soared away with the grace of an Olympic athlete. Athena? She ended up face-planting into a flower bed, paws up in the air, looking utterly confused as to why the world wasn’t obeying her every command.
Obito, ever the supportive brother, plodded over to her, gave her a giant sniff, and decided the best way to cheer her up was to plant a massive kiss on her face. Athena, who was no stranger to Obito’s wet, sloppy affection, looked up at him, blinking her stunning eyes in a mix of annoyance and adoration. "Get off me, you overgrown love bug," she muttered. But of course, her heart melted, because when Obito gave you a wet kiss, it was like being hit with a tidal wave of joy. There was no resisting that face.
As they wandered through the zoo, Athena maintained her air of superiority, especially around the giraffes. She stared at them with the intensity of someone trying to solve the world’s biggest puzzle. Athena had always thought her neck was far superior to the giraffe’s, and she made it her mission to prove it. With a sudden burst of energy, she attempted to jump onto the giraffe enclosure to have a better look. What followed was a series of events that could only be described as “chaos in slow motion.” Athena leapt with the elegance of a ballerina, only to miss the edge by a fraction of an inch. She fell into the dirt, paws flailing, landing in a heap. Obito, who had been standing by and watching in utter disbelief, decided that this was his moment to shine. He trotted up to the fallen Athena, wagged his tail furiously, and plopped down next to her with a giant “thud,” completely covering her in the dirt.
The day continued in much the same fashion. Athena, ever the curious soul, decided to dig up a section of the lawn near the flamingo pond. She was convinced there was something buried there, a secret treasure, perhaps, or an ancient relic. Obito, without hesitation, joined in. The two of them dug like there was no tomorrow, sending dirt flying in every direction. Visitors stood back, either laughing or gasping in horror as the pair wreaked havoc on the pristine grass. Athena’s nose was completely covered in dirt, her chest puffed out proudly as though she had just discovered buried treasure. Obito, meanwhile, was doing what he did best, rolling around in the dirt, smiling that ridiculous smile of his that made every passerby stop and laugh. He had no idea what was happening, but he was all in, because when Athena led the way, there was no such thing as a bad idea.
After the dirt fiasco, they moved on to the monkeys, who were swinging around with far more grace than either of them could ever hope for. Athena watched with wide-eyed fascination, her head tilting back and forth as she tried to figure out how on earth they managed to climb trees without making a complete mess of themselves. Obito, in the meantime, was doing his best monkey impression, trying to climb a tree stump. He scrambled up the side, got halfway, and then, plop, he fell backwards, landing squarely on his bottom. He looked at Athena, his big brown eyes blinking innocently as if to say, "Did you see that? I almost did it!"
Now, Athena wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge, and she had decided, in a moment of pure brilliance, that she was going to race the zebra. The zebra, of course, didn’t know what hit it. Athena, with the elegance of a gazelle (or perhaps more like a tripping giraffe), launched herself into a full sprint.
Obito, seeing his sister take off, was immediately determined to help her, by running in the completely wrong direction and trying to leap over a bush that, in his mind, was a small mountain. Athena, in the meantime, was rapidly gaining ground on the zebra. There she was, fur flying, eyes narrowed, her graceful husky body in full flight as if she was built for speed. She was going to win. She could almost taste it, the sweet, sweet victory of outrunning a zebra.
But then the zebra, being the zebra it was, made a sharp turn and bolted like it had just seen a lion (which, ironically, was about to happen). Athena, slightly off balance, tried to follow, only to trip on a rogue piece of grass. She stumbled, belly flopping into a nearby flower bed, face covered in dirt, looking as dignified as a potato that had just been dropped on the floor. Obito, still convinced this was all part of the plan, came skidding to a halt right next to her, his gigantic paws kicking up dirt like a bulldozer.
"Did we win?" Obito asked, rolling over and flopping onto his back, completely oblivious to the fact that the zebra had long since taken a victory lap and was now peacefully munching on some grass far, far away.
Athena shot him a look that only a dog could master, the “I am way too dignified for this” look, before standing up, shaking off the dirt, and deciding it was time to find something else to get into.
The next stop? The penguin pool. Now, Athena had always found water to be, well, “wet,” and not her thing, but today she was feeling bold. She looked at the penguins sliding around on the ice, and before anyone could stop her, she charged forward with the grace of a drunk ballet dancer. She leapt into the water with a splash, sending the penguins scattering in every direction.
Obito, who had been happily sniffing some nearby shrubbery, turned around just in time to see Athena’s fur-coated form making its way across the water. He gasped. "A THERAPY DOG SWIM TEAM MEMBER!" he shouted, not even knowing what that meant, but fully convinced that Athena had just unlocked a new level of greatness.
He promptly jumped in after her, only to promptly faceplant into the water and send a tidal wave of splashes toward a very confused group of onlookers. Athena paddled gracefully in circles, as if she had been doing it her whole life, while Obito struggled, creating a swirling mess of wet fur, water, and awkward doggy flailing.
The penguins, however, were completely unimpressed. They took one look at the two dogs, drenched, with Athena still trying to look dignified, and decided to continue their ice skating in peace. Obito, in his usual goofy way, tried to mimic their moves, slipping on the ice and crashing into the water again, his giant paws paddling wildly like a giant, confused seal.
After the great penguin pool debacle, the next misadventure took place at the meerkat enclosure. Athena, always curious and slightly snack-obsessed, noticed a group of meerkats popping in and out of their burrows. The meerkats stood up, watched the dogs, and tilted their heads in that way that only meerkats can do, like they were trying to decide whether Athena and Obito were friendly or an oncoming storm.
Athena’s stomach rumbled audibly. It was not a roar, it was the sound of a snack-loving husky who had just spotted something that looked... well, like food. She gave the meerkats a look that could only be described as "I think you're my next meal." The meerkats, being small and quick, dove back into their burrows at the speed of light, leaving Athena staring at the hole in the ground, thoroughly confused.
Obito, having missed the whole "meerkat meal plan" thing, wandered up to the nearest post and sniffed it curiously, thinking it was a particularly large, intriguing stick. He then decided to do what any self-respecting dog would do, mark it as his own. This, of course, resulted in a cascade of loud “Ahem!” sounds from the nearby zoo staff, who were now thoroughly aware that these two were not your typical day out at the zoo dogs. But Athena? Athena just sat down, looked around with a regal air of "I am way too good for this zoo," and decided that perhaps the lions would appreciate her presence.
Speaking of lions, that’s when Obito decided he was, in fact, a lion. He had a moment of pure inspiration and began strutting around the zoo, his chest puffed out, and a dramatic, "ROAR!" escaping his mouth. The sound was less of a majestic roar and more of a confused bark that got caught halfway through. Athena, watching from a distance, sighed deeply, as if she had just discovered her brother had been attending a class called "How to Embarrass Your Family in Public."
The two were then spotted by a very alert group of park rangers, who had apparently noticed the utter chaos they were causing. As the rangers approached, Athena gave them a look that said, "If you think you can stop me, you're in for a world of disappointment," and she bolted. Obito, seeing his sister run, immediately took off after her, his giant paws thudding against the pavement, creating a surprisingly loud "boom, boom, boom" sound that could be heard echoing across the zoo. The rangers, now running after them, were trying to maintain composure, but it was clear that these two dogs were outpacing them at every turn.
Athena led the way with all the grace of a confused ballet dancer, jumping over every bench, hurdling over every flower bed, and dodging every obstacle in her path with the kind of enthusiasm that only a husky could manage. Obito, on the other hand, was a big, floppy mess of fur and limbs, but he had one thing the rangers didn’t have: a heart full of determination and a goofy, unstoppable grin.
As they finally made it to the exit, the rangers, out of breath and thoroughly defeated, watched as Athena and Obito, their fur in disarray, their tails wagging happily, trotted past them as if nothing had happened. Athena shot them a smug look, as if to say, "Better luck next time, guys."
And with that, the two dogs piled into the car, tired but victorious, their adventure at the zoo complete. Athena, now covered in dirt, penguin water, and the smell of meerkat curiosity, lay down next to Obito, who was passed out with his head resting on her. They had caused chaos, won a race with a zebra (well, kind of), swum with penguins, almost eaten a meerkat, and outrun a whole squad of park rangers. It was the best day ever.
Obito, in his sleep, mumbled, “I’m a lion…” Athena rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but smile. Because at the end of the day, it was clear, when you’re Athena and Obito, nothing was ever going to be normal, and that was exactly how they liked it.


©️Lainey Green - Intwined.blog