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 Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:43 pm
She licked her lips, slurping a little more experimentally. "Mmm. It's delicious... more taste than I'm used to," Zuri laughed softly, visibly delighted. Her feathers had ruffled themselves, the ones at her temples perked up and nearly shivering. "Here -- you should taste it," she said, holding out the cup in offering.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:44 pm
"Is your body alright with it?" Asked Cesc as he watched her sip, taking a n** out of his popsicle. The flavor of coconut flooded his mouth, lightened by floral notes at the edges. Immediately, ideas for things in the bakery lit his imagination. A Zurine cupcake! Coconut, flavorful, nourishing, and delicious cold, would be a great idea for a base cake. Maybe an ice cream cake?
He tabled the thoughts for later. He took the cup from Zurine and offered her the popsicle in return. He took a long, slow sip of the smoothie. "This is great. Really fresh!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:45 pm
She took the popsicle with delight. "It's actually not bad to eat," Zurine said, smiling. "I mean, I probably couldn't drink the whole thing, but it's really tasty. Sort of maybe like dessert?" She daintily licked at the popsicle, in little flicks like a cat's tongue, then nibbled at it. "Mmmm... oh, this one's even better," she hummed, nibbling again, her eyes wide. "This was the best idea..."
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:51 pm
Cesc nodded and took another sip of the smoothie. "I understand. A popsicle is better for you anyway, huh?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:52 pm
"I don't know, possibly?" Zuri said, with a sheepish laugh. "It's delicious, though." She continued nibbling away bits of the icy treat industriously, sucking at it. "Sorry if I stole your treat...!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:53 pm
"Nope, that's your treat now," said Cesc with a laugh. "You enjoy every bit of that."
They continued down the lane, entering a long line of game booths. Fishing games, bobbing for apples, strength games, shooters. The noise level heightened, people yelling in excitement and disappointment. "Is there anything else you want to do?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:54 pm
She looked around with wide eyes, enjoying the happy chaos. Zurine spent so much time alone, in the quiet of the house, that this felt just on the good side of too much. Everything seemed so very alive, pushing out any concerns or worries she might have had. "Can we try some of the games?" she said, looking at them with interest in her eyes. "I bet I'd be good at the shooting ones..."
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:55 pm
Cesc smiled, looking around with the straw of the smoothie still in his mouth. He spotted a rifle game, where a few laughing people paid to shoot at a row of 'swimming' ducks. On the side were a few little prizes -- shirts, keychains, wallets, jackets, all with ducks on them. "How about the duck game there?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:56 pm
"Ooh. Yes," she said gleefully, floating toward it. "I want that keychain." Nevermind the fact that the only key Zuri had was a single key to the house, the cute little bug-eyed yellow duck with its little pointed tail and orange beak called to her.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:59 pm
"You want me to hold your popsicle while you go?" asked Cesc with a smile, fishing his wallet out of his pocket again. He held up a hand to the booth attendant and put down three dollars, enough for a turn for Zurine.
He floated to the side and gestured at an open rifle. "Can't wait to see this! Get that keychain. "
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:03 pm
Zuri took one more eager slurp of her popsicle, then grinned as she held it out for Cesc to take. "I bet I can get it," she said, ignoring the boggled look the booth attendant gave her as she hunkered down to scoop up the toy rifle, looking at the tin ducks merrily quacking along on their rails.
"Gotta hit five to win, an' you got eight shots," the carnival attendant said, scratching his head, as if not sure what to make of them, but used enough to oddities that he didn't intend to let them see his surprise. "Think you can make it, pretty girl? Maybe your beau can do it for you," he said, a little condescendingly. Zuri's brows rose, and she couldn't help taking that as a challenge. She was as good as anyone else at this! Maybe she didn't have quite as much body to absorb the force, but her vision was better than a human's.
"Start it up," she said, puffing herself up. The carney shrugged, then hit a button. The rifle went live, and despite it being a little ungainly, Zuri took aim. The first shot went slightly awry, the Ping-Pong ball bouncing off the wooden wave with a hollow clunk. However, from there, it was clean shots -- ping, ping, ping, seven times in a row. The ducks obligingly dropped back down behind the waves, and Zuri looked smugger and smugger with each one.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:03 pm
Cesc took Zurine's popsicle -- which had returned to pure iciness in the snow owl's hands, not even a touch of condensation or evidence of melting on it -- and stood slightly back to watch her work. When the carney spoke, Cesc gave him a look of (slightly overworked) alarm, as if to say: Well, whatever happens next, you have done to *yourself*.
Cesc knew Zurine's vision to be better than his, and if he was correct, most Raevan senses seemed to be a touch better (to much better, depending on the Raevan) than a human's. Accordingly, the ducks went down, and Zurine's feathers poofed in a pride you did not have to see her face to know.
"I think that's enough for a keychain," said Cesc mildly, taking a sip of his smoothie.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:08 pm
The carney's look of utter shock was almost comical -- his eyes rounded, and he scratched the top of his head with a sort of dumbfounded uncertainty, as if his worldview had just been significantly shaken by the tiny, feathery little princess-slash-marksman who had set the rifle back down on the counter with quiet aplomb. He puffed up, blustery, blowing out his cheeks. "Well, that's possible, but don't you want to keep playing for a bigger prize?" he tried, his mouth curving in a big goofy smile, as if to look charming and innocent.
Zuri, however, shook her head and held her dainty hand out for the keychain. "Nope. Just that, please sir," she said briskly, smiling. The keychain was duly deposited in her palm, and she looked quite pleased, squeezing it so that it made a cheery little quack. "Perfect."
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:09 pm
Cesc stood behind Zurine, his smile muted as he continued to sip the smoothie in a 'total harmless bystander' position, only offering the man a lift of his eyebrows when the carney's gaze came to him. Nobody challenged his girlfriend and came away unscathed.
Wait -- what did he just think?
Nobody challenged his ex-girlfriend, he amended, then paused again. His friend. Nobody challenged his FRIEND and came away uns--- nobody challenged ZURINE and came away unscathed.
Phew. It took so many goddamn mental gymnastics to bring him back to the present that Cesc was surprised at himself. Somewhere, deep under there, he hadn't really come to terms with the entire situation, not yet. It was tough, going from everything to nothing to settling on just SOMETHING with someone else.
A manufactured quack brought him out of his reverie. He smiled at Zurine and offered her her popsicle once more. "There you go! He's a cutie. Got a name for him?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:12 pm
Zuri looked up at him, grinning proudly, her dark eyes glittering. "I'm not sure what to name him," she said thoughtfully, playing with the little plastic thing for a moment before accepting her popsicle back, feeling a little proud and a little embarrassed for having shown off a little bit. She nibbled at the icy treat mellowly, smiling. "Maybe I'll name him, ummm... something fussy..." She seemed to be pondering for a long few moments, looking at the silly toy's goofy, slightly ill-painted eyes. "Everything I name always has some silly old-fashioned name."
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