"Arf arf!" Thor answers, leaning into the ear scratches. He recognizes his name, tail wagging a little harder, and this is probably the happiest he's felt in a good long while.

Something to be embarrassed about later, probably, but in the moment the dog's mind is too simple to understand any of that.

In the meantime, what's this? He sniffs at the paintbrush props, the faint scent of horsehair still on the bristles.