[Flame]

Allorah polished off the cookie more efficiently than she had the donut – it was also considerably easier to eat than the previous pastry was since there was no filling to make a mess with. The frosting was firm enough to not get all over her fingers either, and she had to give it points for being the easier of the two pastries to eat. Perhaps that was some merit to be considered as well when it came to choosing her desserts next time. “Well, we should probably get a move on soon. There are still other sights to see, and something tells me that taking a walk will help to burn off some of these unnecessary calories. Maybe these pastries are the motivation that I need to finally get a gym membership,” she said musingly to herself. After all, she’d always been curious about gyms, although she’d never set foot in one herself. It would probably be at least interesting to see what people did there – if this was what the food that the rest of the world had been eating tasted like, she began to see what the appeal of a gym membership might be after all.

“However, before we go, I think that it would be a good idea to grab one or two of these baked goods for the road. You never know when our little friend there might get hungry again – it seems to have the appetite of a taosig. Plus, who knows when we’ll be back here again – I don’t particularly intend to come too often, considering I have a waistline to consider.” Her last statement was more of a joke than an actual argument, considering she’d never given more than a passing thought to her waistline in the past. What she’d said was true though, perhaps the best way to limit her consumption was to remove the temptation, although she already knew that that wouldn’t hold entirely. She was bound to come back again in the future – she would just have to make an effort not to do so too often. “I’ll be back in a sec – make sure you’re ready to head out when I am!” With that, she rose from her seat again (taking her cup with her to deposit at one of the return bins so that she wouldn’t have to look at it any more) and made her way back over to the counter to pick out her second round of treats, this time to go.

[The Bakery – 37]

[Flame]

This time around up at the counter, Allorah asked the ladies behind the displays for recommendations (although she was sure that she couldn’t go wrong with any choices that she made – the coffee experience was enough to convince her otherwise). When she made her way back to the table, she sported a small paper bag containing several macaroons in differing flavors, a couple of different cookies, and something called a ‘whoopie pie’. She reminded herself that she needed to make sure to try and make these last, although whether that would actually happen was still to be seen. As she reached the table, she saw that the Phyrette seemed to be coming to again, although that might have had something to do with the fact that Pip had now taken to poking it under the table with one of his elongated snow shoes. Really, those two might as well have been siblings, despite their age difference. “Let’s get ready to head out, guys. This place has been a lot of fun, but there’s still plenty out there to see. I’m sure there will be more places with different treats out there too, so don’t get too attached!”

Despite the fact that it was in the process of waking up again, the Phyrette was still impressively groggy – it seemed that the cupcake had taken its toll on the little creature, but as Allorah gathered their things in preparation to leave, its little nose twitched and it immediately perked up as it caught sight of the bag which she’d returned with. “Really now, how could you possibly still be hungry?” Allorah asked it incredulously as it licked its chops while sniffing the contents of the takeaway bag. “Plus, those are for later, so you’d better be on your best behavior for the rest of today. There might be a little something in there for you if you are.” The Phyrette chittered lightly as it hopped (perhaps a little more heavily than it usually might have) off its seat and began to make for the door. Allorah quickly unplugged Pip from the portable battery pack, stashing it away once more before picking him up and placing him back on his feet on the ground. “Let’s go,” she said definitively as she began to walk towards the door as well, although her two companions were already well ahead of her, and they made their way out of the warm interior of the bakery back out into the chilly winter air.

[The Bakery, moving to The Petting Zoo – 38]

[zapdragon555]

Eventually the two wandered to what looked like another place to get food, but far less crowded and far more humble than the bakery. The smell of roasting nuts wafted around, making Yin’s nose wrinkle slightly. He wasn’t a huge fan of them. Six, however, had perked ears and a bright interest in his eyes. His hand went to his pocket for money, but Yin’s hand gripped his sleeve and tugged slightly. “If you eat those, I won’t kiss you,” Yin muttered.

“Aw, come on,” Six groaned, flicking Yin with his tail. “Why don’t you like them? You should try one.”

“No, they’re bitter. Why would anyone like those?”

Six sighed through his nose, patting Yin firmly on the back before tugging him into a hug. Yin sputtered and tried to get away, or at least steer them away from the roasted nuts. Six tugged him closer, cackling as Yin swatted at him with a mock catlike growl, biting at the hand that Yin clapped benignly across Six’s face.

“There you two are.” The couple looked up in surprise at the familiar voice, eyes darting to Shikyu, sitting on a log seat near the nut stand. They both stood in silence for a moment--Shikyu looked pretty pissed, but he looked more tired than anything else. “It’s about time.”

[The Roasted Chestnut Stand - 15]

[Flame]

The sun had begun to set outside of the bakery when they finally exited the establishment, but there was still plenty of light to be had in the day. Plus, as it slowly began to get darker outside, the lights which were strewn about the town seemed to glow brighter, better flaunting their colorful hues and lighting the town in festive colors. The Phyrette seemed to have rallied as soon as the cold air hit them, and it now bounced happily through the snow once again, clearly more than prepared for their next adventure. Allorah made a note to herself to study the creature some more when they got home – there definitely seemed to be something extraordinary about the Phyrette’s metabolism, and if she could just figure out what it was that made it so resilient and energetic…well, she’d figure out what she would do with that knowledge after she garnered it. Needless to say, she was certain that an article published in any distinguished journal of her choice would be the least of the benefits she could reap from that research.

Pip seemed to have found his second wind as well (although that probably had to do with the fact that his battery had just be refilled), and he traipsed along with much fewer complaints in his snow shoes as they made their way down the street. Now, there was an attraction in town that Allorah had heard talk of, but she’d never actually had a chance to attend for herself. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was some kind of…zoo, but not the usual kind where exotic animals were kept behind glass walls and bars for onlookers to simply admire. No, in fact, she believed that the word “petting” was used somewhere in its name, and from what she understood, those who visited it were expected to interact with the animals on display. What a queer notion, that, but those that she’d heard speak of the place all gave it rave reviews, and while the concept was certainly a foreign one to her, she figured she’d at least go check it out and see what all the fuss was about. Plus, on top of all that, she’d heard that it was a great attraction for children as well, and that was probably the best description she could come up with for the Phyrette’s very particular personality.

[The Petting Zoo – 39]

[Flame]

The smell was the first thing to alert Allorah to the fact that they were beginning to draw closer to the attraction they were seeking. Although Pip had no nose, per se, he did have a built-in olfactory chemical receptor for distinguishing unique, airborne compounds. As such, he definitely noted the change in the ambient smell as well, although he had never encountered anything of its like, and as such, didn’t know exactly what to make of it. He said as much to his mistress, who so far and deigned not to address the new development. “Do you guys smell that? What is that?” The Phyrette seemed to have taken notice as well, and his little nose was now rapidly twitching as it made an effort to try and identify each of the individual scents which made up the more complex amalgamation. “It seems to be consistent with…musk of some sort? It definitely seems to have a rather…earthy profile?” Pip seemed genuinely perplexed by the new scent, and it seemed to preoccupy his attention fully as they made their way towards wherever the smell was coming from.

“Oh, you’ll see soon enough,” Allorah said, doing her best not to seem too suspicious as she spoke. She had a distinct feeling that this kind of attraction wouldn’t exactly be Pip’s cup of tea, and that gave her a sense of anticipation, especially considering the fact that he had just spent the past half hour or so mocking her for her first run-in with coffee. Now it was his turn to be a little out of his comfort zone – after all, what harm was there in experiencing a little of the new and unknown? After all, he proclaimed to love science, and that was what science was all about. The Phyrette, on the other hand, seemed to have somewhat of a better idea of what was coming, but even it seemed not to know exactly what to make of the situation. It trusted that Allorah knew what she was doing though, and simply followed along obediently, likely due to the fact that it knew that there were baked treats in store for it if it behaved itself as promised.

[The Petting Zoo – 40]

[Flame]

“Oh no.” Pip’s tone was apprehensive as they rounded the corner to find themselves facing yet another crowd of people. It wasn’t so much the actual people that seemed to have drawn his attention (and dread) though, but rather what it was that they were all crowded around. It was hard to make out much just yet from this distance, but the large banner which hung above the attraction was more than enough to warrant Pip’s less-than-enthusiastic reaction. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, come now, Pip. Be a good sport about it! After all, you shouldn’t knock it before you try it – who knows, you might even enjoy yourself!” Allorah’s laugh sounded suspiciously more like a cackle as she punctuated her words with a chuckle, ushering the small group onwards towards the awaiting petting zoo. “Allorah, nothing good can come of this little misadventure, I can assure you of that.” The apprehension was growing stronger by the moment as Pip found himself forced along with the crowd towards the entrance of the petting zoo. “Animals were meant to roam free and live their lives as they please, not be locked up in tiny pens and forced to be entertainment for children!” His dismay was a mixture of actual concern with the concept of a petting zoo, but also partially because he was afraid what might come of their visit. Not only might he be mistaken for one of the exhibit animals, he was afraid that Allorah might get some funny ideas and decide to adopt some wild creature, or other crazy notion like that. No, nothing good could come of this, that was for sure.

“Really, what’s the worst that could happen?” Of course, that was a rather loaded question, but Pip knew that Allorah was just asking to push his buttons, and therefore didn’t bother to validate it with a response (as much as he really wanted to give one). “We don’t have to stay for long – just long enough to see the animals, maybe feed a few, perhaps even touch some of them. Doesn’t that sound fun?” The stony silence which she received in return spoke volumes about her companion’s feelings on the matter, but still, it did nothing to slow their pace towards the portable barn.

[The Petting Zoo – 41]

[ToxicShadow]

"Oh, I know," Blayze quickly assured Adair. "I don't have to, I don't need to. It's not an obligation. It is simply something I want to do. Isn't it a nice gesture, just to give a present to someone important to you? You can simply consider it a thank you gift for being such a good coworker." He knew, more or less, how to get his way when it came to these sorts of things. "I'm sure I'll be giving something Emilia, too. And maybe even Chevalier. I work with all of you, after all." If he gave the others chocolates, too, then Adair really had no reason to complain. Of course, his would end up being special, in their own way.

"There's no use in telling you not to, is there?" The blond already knew the answer, but he still voiced the thought that went through his mind. Blayze was right, though. Adair figured that it wasn't so bad, as long as the others were receiving chocolates, too."

"Nope! I'll definitely do what I want!"

Candy Stand - 37

[ToxicShadow]

A couple in front of them in line chuckled, to which Adair responded by turning and glaring in their direction. Their amused chuckles reminded him that they were not alone and that this was not the sort of conversation for this time and place. "Yeah, yeah, do whatever you want," he finally gave in, sounding like he really didn't care, one way or another.

"You'll definitely like the chocolates~ I promise!" Blazye told him.

After that, the subject was dropped. They were almost to the front of the line now. The red head began looking around, finally doing his job. He observed each person carefully, looking for any clues that gave away that they might be dangerous. Or, well, dangerous to someone like Emelia. He didn't see anyone, either.

Candy Stand - 38

[ToxicShadow]

Surprisingly, the red head was so preoccupied with actually doing his job, carefully people watching, that he missed when the person running the stand called out for the next person. It was Adair that stepped up and put on a polite smile. "Hello. Yes, my... partner would like some candy." Before he'd even gotten the words out, two bags neatly tied with ribbon were practically shoved into his hands. "Here you go! One for each of you!" The person declared.

The exchange drew Blayze's attention and he suddenly hopped forward so that he was standing beside Adair. Without saying anything, he carefully took one of the bags from him, claiming it as his own. The blond didn't resist.

Adair frowned at the person, briefly, since he really hadn't wanted any, but nodded his head and ended up hurriedly thanking them. He then ushered Blayze out of the way, so the next person in line could claim their sweet treats.

Candy Stand - 39

[ToxicShadow]

Once out of the way, Blayze had stopped walking, and held bag up to peer through the mostly see-through bag. The bag was filled with an assortment of candies and his mouth watered at the thought of opening it up and giving that peanut brittle a taste. He thought better of it, though, since once he opened it, he probably wouldn't want to stop. Nor would it be convenient to hold the bag and eat from it while trying to do his job. There was already enough distractions, as it was.

He convinced himself to put it away, and that's just what he did. He stashed it away inside his hand bag. Adair did the same thing, although he stashed his candy in his coat pocket. Luckily, there was enough room for it, even if it was a bit bulky.

They didn't exchange any words, but Blayze standing walking again.

Candy Stand - 40

[ToxicShadow]

Adair caught up with Blayze in just a few steps, even though he'd started moving at a delay. It had already been established that the red head was taking the lead, since he didn't really care what they did.

"I haven't noticed anyone suspicious," Blayze reported as they walked.

"Nor have I," the other man replied. It seemed that things were safe here. At least, safe enough. It was unlikely that coming here would pose any risk to their mistress.

"We should make the call soon, then," Blayze went on.

Adair agreed to that, too. But, suddenly, he'd realized that they had come within a few feet of what looked like a barn. Without even noticing, his partner had been leading them over to the petting zoo, even after choosing the candy over it.

Moving to Petting Zoo - 41

[ToxicShadow]

"Hey, wait a minute!" Adair stopped in his tracks, grabbing onto Blayze's shoulder. The other man stopped, too, and turned to look at the blond when guided to do so. "I thought we agreed not to come to the petting zoo?" He'd been tricked, hadn't he?

"I couldn't help it!" Blayze replied. Once again, that cheerful enthusiasm returned to him. "Can't I just take a look? We just decided that it's fine to call Emelia in, so I work is actually done, isn't it?" Their time was pretty much their own now. "Besides, I just want to take a look~ It won't be long! And... you can contact Emelia while I take a look. That's fine, isn't it?" He didn't have to be busy making a phone call. That was only required by one of them, as there was no point in them both calling in to report the same exact findings.

Petting Zoo - 42

[ToxicShadow]

Adair sat and listened to all of Blayze's reasoning. He really went all in every time it came to any sort of disagreement, didn't he? It wasn't as though he really wanted to listen, but it would have been a futile effort to try to cut him off or shut him down. Fine. Whatver. I'll make the call, you go check out the animals." He agreed, since there was no point in arguing. It was entirely true that only one of them had to make contact. "Just make it quick."

Not needing any other cue, the red head quickly shuffled away from his partner and toward the entrance of the barn. "I'll be right back!" he declared, but Adair didn't actually believe him.

The blond pulled out his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and navigated into his contracts in order to place a call. He held it up to his ear and listened to it ring. Once. Twice.

Petting Zoo - 43

[ToxicShadow]

He heard the other end pick up, but they didn't offer any greeting. Instead, he jumped right in. "Hey, it's me. Us. It seems that the place checks out," he began to give his report. "We've taken a pretty good look around and haven't noticed anything, so it should be fine. Come on out." Adair paused for a moment, before asking a question, "Shall we both stay here?"

The person on the other end hadn't spoken throughout his report and, even before they could answer the question, the phone was suddenly yanked from Adair's hands. He quickly whipped around, anger on his features, but was met with a smiling and waving Blayze.

The red head had already come and gone from the petting zoo, within just minutes, and had snatched up the phone to speak with the person on the other end, too.

Petting Zoo - 44

[ToxicShadow]

"Hey!" Blayze happily greeted the other person on the end, although they didn't offer him a greeting, either. "Meet us at the bakery here. We'll wait for you guys~ Okay? Okay! We'll see you soon!" Instead of giving the phone back to Adair so that he could continue speaking, the red head pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up the call with the press of a button.

Adair's sudden anger at someone daring to snatch his away had already began to fade when he found out it had been Blayze, but he still looked at the other man with an annoyed expression. "What the hell did you do that for? We're you inside looking at the animals? What are you doing back out here?" Before he knew it, more than just one question had poured out of his mouth.

Petting Zoo - 45