19504/Looking for a Happy Tail

Looking for a Happy Tail
Date of Scene:	14 November 2024
Location:	Happy Tails Petstore
Synopsis:	Alopex was hesitant to enter a pet store to acquire a pet to care for - Dean Whitman convinced her that a Westchester store wouldn't bat an eye at her exotic appearance.
Cast of Characters:	Alopex, Dane Whitman

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Alopex has posed:
Alopex has heard of a pet store out of the city that has more exotic pets. Alopex was curious as to what there was, and was perched on a building across the street, using a small monocular to peer into it. Her tail is swishing excitedly as she is trying to figure out if her presence would be welcome or not. She is wearing gray clothing but there's no mistaking that she is covered in white fur and looks very fox-like - her tail is long and poofy.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane Whitman was strolling down the sidewalk when something unusual caught his eye: a flash of white fur and a tail. He blinked a few times, adjusting the scarf around his neck and looking again, just to make sure he wasn't losing his mind. Nope, still there. The creature, a fox, or something fox-like, standing upright like it was no big deal, was perched on a building across from the pet store. "Well, this is new," he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair as he tried to process the sight.

After a beat, he cleared his throat and took a few cautious steps forward, crossing the street, his voice dripping with sarcastic humor. "So... I'm gonna assume you're not just here to pick up a bag of kibble and a squeaky toy?" Dane quipped, half-amused, half-confused. "Or is this your version of 'window shopping'?"

Alopex has posed:
Alopex smiles faintly. "Maybe I am here for a squeaky toy," she states with a definitive Japanese accent. "I... I am thinking of getting a pet but..." She trails off. "Need I say more?" she asks, her tail's swishing stopped as she looks down at you. "I didn't want to try any in the city. Hitched a ride on a trail to get over here. Heard people are more tolerant out here but... I don't want to cause an uproar." She slithers off of the building with some impressive parkour. "The name is Alopex."

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "A squeaky toy, huh? Well, if you're after a pet, this place is probably a good choice, though I'm not sure they've got anything that'll fit your... unique needs," he said, glancing her up and down with a bemused expression. He was still processing the sight of her, but it was clear she wasn't some kind of prank or hallucination. "As for causing an uproar, I wouldn't worry too much. Folks around here are used to weird. I've seen stranger stuff happen before breakfast."

He nodded as she introduced herself, still unsure how to act around a talking, parkouring fox-person. "Dane," he replied after a moment, offering a smirk. "And hey, you're not the first person to avoid the city for a quieter life. It's a bit more... laid-back up here."

Alopex has posed:
Alopex nods. "I will return to the city - I have a den there I hide in, and there is much crime to deal with." She smiiles faintly with pointy teeeth. "But I am looking for a pet mayhaps. Something to keep me company." She shrugs softly. She moves with the grace of a warrior and there are various metallic glints visiblet through her clothing - does she have weapons in there? "Happy Tails, huh? Ironic." She glances. "Mind going in first? I'll be right behind you." She plucks something out of a pocket - a round ball of some kind.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane chuckled softly, glancing at her with a mix of curiosity and caution. "Crime, huh? Well, I guess that explains the... look," he said, eyeing the metallic glints that peeked through her clothing. "No offense, but you don't exactly strike me as the type to just browse for a puppy. You seem more like the 'keep-your-distance' kind of person." He gestured toward the pet store with a nod, clearly not bothered by her request. "But sure, I'll go in first. I wouldn't want you to be swarmed by a bunch of overly enthusiastic puppies on your first visit."

As he stepped toward the door, he glanced back at her. "And yeah, 'Happy Tails.' I guess they couldn't call it 'Happy Claws' or 'Happy Fins,' right?" He raised an eyebrow at the ball she pulled from her pocket, wondering what it was, but deciding not to ask just yet. He pushed open the door.

Alopex has posed:
Alopex just holds the ball as she is right behind Dane. "'Happy Fins' would be a good name for an aquarium... but then I'd want to eat them so... mayhaps not. Thinking of something low maintenance like a lizard..." she muses as she follows in, her tail twitching - fortunately there's no customers in at the moment.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"Yeah, definitely wouldn't mix well with your appetite," he replied, glancing back at her with a raised eyebrow. "A lizard, huh? That's probably a solid choice. I mean, they don't need constant attention, and you won't have to worry about walking them in the rain." The scent of pet food and fresh bedding hit him immediately after pushing the door open.

He gestured toward the reptile section in the back of the store, where various tanks and displays were set up. "I'm guessing you're more of a 'watch them do their thing' kind of pet person?"

Alopex has posed:
Alopex sniffsniffs as she walks in, looking around. "Yeah... well, I used to get fresh fish in the old days... so raw fish is yummy." She shrugs. "A comfort food mayhaps. But those days aren't easy to remember..." She trails off, shrugging as she stops by the turtle tank, giggling a bit at the red-eared sliders. Shaking her head, she mutters, "Raph would shave me bald if I got this as a pet..." She sounds joking.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane watched her sniff the air, his curiosity piqued again. "Nothing like comfort food to bring back to the good ol' days. But hey, at least you're not stuck eating the same thing every day, right?" He gave a slight shrug.

When she stopped at the turtle tank, Dane followed her gaze, grinning as she giggled at the red-eared sliders. "Those little guys are slow, but they've got personality." He guessed Raph was someone important in her life. He gestured to the rest of the tanks and cages, already scanning for anything else that might be a good fit for her.

Alopex has posed:
Alopex smiles faintly as she walks on. "An inside joke. Take too long to explain." She hmmms happily. "Bearded dragons... they are very cute..." she muses, kneelnig down. She then looks around, realizing suddenly that nobody looked on on shock as she is looking at the pet lizards. She's glad pet stores don't carry foxes - that'd be... awkward.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane nodded as she mentioned the inside joke, deciding not to press it. He followed her to the bearded dragons, and smiled. "Yeah, they're pretty chill." He noticed her sudden shift in awareness. Glancing around the mostly empty store again, a little relieved, "no one seems to care. Guess the weirdest thing they're used to is a guy like me."

Alopex has posed:
Alopex nods slowly, sighing happily. She then looks around some more, finding a big squeak toy, like suitable for a mastiff and squeezes it, giggling. She nods as she tucks it under her arm and returns to the beared dragons, considering which one to get.