Any kind of plan to placate the raging senior citizen faded once she started raging at Brandy. Like, wow. She was angry. Extremely so. When asked what they did, Alice was confused until she started hearing that it seemed that everyone, every single person in town had laid the blame upon them. Those damnable gossiping ladies that she'd done their laundry for and hung up, good as new...she'd think that they'd at least say it was the DOG that got the stuff dirty, and not mention the two girls trying to wrangle the thing without a-

That's right. Elmwood insisted that he needed no leash or harness.

[color=ed1c24][b]"Ma'am, when we took the job to walk your dog, we were specifically told he needed no leash nor harness, but a literal MINUTE after we left your doorstep, Francoise started running amock."[/b][/color]

[b][color=f26522]"Don't go blaming my dog when you two can't even-[/color][/b]

Alice continued unabated, suddenly seeming larger. [color=ed1c24][b]"Your dog played in mud, scarfed down meat, and bathed in a river and seemed happy to do all of it,"[/b][/color] she said, while Francoise tried to snobbishly turn its head away in disgust, tail wagging at all the fun times he'd just had. 

[color=f26522][b]"Your job was to watch him! Not-"[/b][/color]

[color=ed1c24][b]"Ma'am. Our job was to walk a dog of unknown breed and not get it dirty. But when we aren't even given the tools to walk a dog, how is it our responsibility when he runs away, without anything stopping him but thoughts and prayers, that he behaves like a dog!?"[/b][/color]

Alarmingly enough, Alice was gaining ground in the argument and Elmwood hated it. 

[color=f26522][b]"Francoise is a championship breed-"[/b][/color]

[color=ed1c24][b]"There are no dog shows held within 500 miles of this village. And for a championship breed, he sure enjoys being a normal dog. Right Francoise?"[/b][/color] she asked, turning around and petting the dog who, unconsciously, yipped and wagged its tail before sinking its head, locking eyes with Elmwood.

Alice was good at arguing. As all retail workers who are so jaded that they leave it behind forever become. After she realized that Elmwood was just an elderly lady that didn't know her own dog, that was nothing compared to the werewolves that Alice was accustomed to. 

[color=ed1c24][b]"I'm fine if you don't want to pay us the rest of the contract fee, ma'am, but in the future...buy a leash or a harness."[/b][/color] Right now, Alice looked large and in charge, chest puffed out as she stood her ground on the issue. She knew they weren't getting paid. Now it was just a principle matter.