Re: Courting the Princess

[Odette Cohen]

"They have fire-re-t-t-t..." Odette frowned, frustrated that fire-retardant was giving her such trouble.

"They have f-fire resistant spray for f-fabrics. Though I don't know how long th-that would be good for."

[Liam Farrell]

Liam waited patiently as Odette stuttered her way through a word, only to give up and pick another one. "That's true. Might be worth trying, though. If we pick a cat at all. Who knows, there might be something else that catches my eye."

[Odette Cohen]

Odette smirked. It was a surprisingly devilish expression.

"Like a mer-dog?"

[Liam Farrell]

Liam snorted in amusement. "If I knew where we'd keep it, then maybe. A mer-dog seems like something that'd need a bigger thing than a bathtub or a wading pool to splash around in. And the second one wouldn't be a good idea in winter."

[Odette Cohen]

Odette beamed and held her hands close together to indicate something of small size.

"Perhaps a mer-pug?"

[Liam Farrell]

Liam wrinkled his nose. "Nah. All the water would get in its wrinkles and stay there. Can you imagine the smell? Pugs have a lot of health problems, too."

[Odette Cohen]

Odette sighed. "N-no fun, Liam." She playfully rolled her eyes and strode ahead, putting a little spring in her step.

[Liam Farrell]

Liam quickened his pace to catch up to her. "Well, cats and dogs aren't the only pets. How about a magical gerbil or guinea pig?"

[Odette Cohen]

Odette shrugged. "Rats and b-bunnies are cute, too. And ferrets?"

She adjusted the collar of her peacoat and grinned up at him. "There are also snakes. And Rudy said th-they had a wombat in at some p-point. I wish I had been able to see it."

[Liam Farrell]

Liam laughed. "I'll have to look up what'd be legal to keep in Ireland. Rats or rabbits or ferrets are probably fine, I think a wombat might be going a bit far."

[Odette Cohen]

Odette made a happy little noise and finished off her coffee. "I l-love wombats. They're fluffy and squishy and they t-toddle." She wiggled a bit and skipped over to a trash can to throw her cup away. "I'm hoping they get another one at some p-point. I just want to cuddle with it."

[Liam Farrell]

Liam laughed and drained his cup of tea, then moved to slip his hand into hers. "Bet a wombat would do a good job warming your hands up once we get to the pet shop."

[Odette Cohen]

Odette beamed and pulled her hand away, opting instead to hook her arm through his. "What kind of animals d-do you and Eve like? I like wombats and otters and hedgehogs."

[Liam Farrell]

Liam smiled and accepted her gesture. "I like owls and foxes. Eve's more of a squirrel and deer person. Oh, and those fighting fish... bettas? Those are fun to watch."

[Odette Cohen]

Odette listened and nodded. "I got b-bitten by a fox once. I was in Hamburg and accidentally s-stepped on his tail while I was w-walking in the park..."

[Liam Farrell]

Liam winced. "I bet that hurt. I've never been that close to a fox. It's a wonder it didn't notice you beforehand. Hope it didn't have rabies or anything."

[Odette Cohen]

Odette shrugged. "I c-cried a lot. Granted I was about ten at the t-time, and just trying to stay away from people."

She looked down at the ground as she walked, suddenly a little anxious to remember the unwanted attention she had gotten during her preteen years.

[Liam Farrell]

Liam noticed her shift in posture and frowned. "...Are you okay?" Maybe the fox bite had affected her more than he'd thought.

[Odette Cohen]

Odette shook her head and offered him a close-lipped smile.

"Just remembering some s-stuff I r-rather wouldn't. I wandered around alone a lot while my n-n-nana was working. There were m-men that noticed."

[Liam Farrell]

Liam nodded, biting his lip. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that was likely to mean. "I'm sorry."

[Odette Cohen]

Odette grumbled and moved to put her hands in the pockets of her coat. She looked ahead and saw they were coming up on the pet shop, but suddenly felt like she wanted a nap instead.

She glanced up at Liam and felt a little better, though. She was spending the day with new friends. Liam and Eve were worth being out and about despite her sudden low mood.

"Can't change the past," she said with a sigh. "We're almost th-there."

[Liam Farrell]

Liam nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets as well. They were a lot colder now that he didn't have the tea to warm them up. "Thank goodness. Maybe some of those fire-breathing kittens will warm us up some." He grinned at her.

[Odette Cohen]

Odette smiled and skipped ahead to the heavy double doors. She pulled one of them open and shifted her weight from foot to foot, excited to see what they had at the shelter and whether any of her friends were working that day.

[Liam Farrell]

Liam thanked Odette as he went through the door, then looked eagerly around the pet shop. As far as first dates went, it'd be pretty hard to top something like this.

There was more than he'd expected, even anticipating the oddness of this place. Barking, squawking, squeaking and fluttering came from all around the room, making it hard to distinguish one sound from the others. A few fire-breathing kittens tussled and played in a cage, occasionally hiccuping or sneezing sparks and smoke.

Liam moved to examine a glass case that held something brightly-colored, only to burst out laughing when he realized what it was. A boa constrictor covered in fluffy pink feathers instead of scales. The pun made him groan as he turned to Odette. "Have you seen this before?"

[Odette Cohen]

"Mm?" Odette turned at the sound of his laugh and burst into giggles herself when the snake turned its head to give her a baleful stare.

"Aw," she managed between gasps, "it looks so fluffy! It's c-cute!"

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