#baronyofthesilverwolf

"Deal!" He offers her a hand to shake... and then if she doesn't take it away, well, he has her hand now, what of it?

She shakes it, then nnotices her hand is trapped.. her eyes dance with mischief and as they are at a zoo, she mimes chewing at her elbow

He laughs. "I think if someone had your hand and you didn't like it, you could break their arm." A bit admiringly. "Did you ever do any martial arts? You have some muscle."

"thanks, nothing formal no. I was in a few scraps" She says "Not the same, of course. "

The zoo has a few others wandering, mostly parents with small kids, squealing with joy at being out in the warmer weather, and dashing from one exhibit to the other. "THEY HAVE A DONKEEEEEEY!" One little girl cries in delight. "I want to feed that one!" Her dad chuckles and swipes his card to dispense a handful of herbivore nibbles. Several goats bleat greedily and threaten to swarm the donkey, until the dad lifts his girl up where she can reach over the fence and feed the donkey of her desires.

A familiar figure leans against one of the fences, watching amiably, and he gives Gwen and Chuck a wave. His nametag proclaims him to be "Zookeeper Billy", but Gwen can recognize the curly goat horns and velvety ears of the pooka who attended Carnival. "Howdy, there. Come to feed the goats? Watch out for the little ones, they'll take a finger clean off."

"Hi, Zookeeper Billy. We're just enjoying the weather and the wildlife. I'm gwen" She says though the goat probably knows "And this is Chuck."

"Well, if it isn't my good friends Chuck and Gwen. Welcome back, welcome back. Are you here to chase the owls and ride the emus?"

"Well, we wree just talking about the great Emu war and I don't know if that's the proper way to treat veterans, but we'd like to visit"

"Well, doing those things is strictly off limits, so I'm astonished you even thought of such things. And to the war veterens. You, sir, should be ashamed. Come along now, step lively, you'd best make up for those rude suggestions." The Zookeeper briskly waves them to follow him as he ducks through an arch and around a corner, past the otters cavorting in a muddy pool, past an arctic fox sitting high on a rock and keeping his fur pristine, around a corner, past where two magnificent highland cows munch on hay.

Chuck gives Gwen a bemused glance as he follows, whispering to her, "Is this guy, you know, 'all there'?"

Gwen follows and then chuckles and whispers back "I think's all there, but wherever he is, we maybe off to the side"

His long ears twitch briskly, and Gwen may even think she spies a hint of a tail twitching under his jacket as Billy leads them to... the Emu Pen!

"Here they are, brave warriors all. And yet, are you, my brave young soldier, ready to face them?"

One of the Emus struts closer, peering through the fence. And emits what sounds like a deep, bass growl, more dinosaur than avian! Bright large eyes that stare, unnerving despite the long, delicate lashes.

"Oh, how fierce she croons!" Billy says in delight.

"She? That monster bird is a lady?" Chuck says, a bit dismayed.

"What, ladies can't be monster birds?" Gwen teases him lightly "it's the 21st century. She has optionsn"

Billy reaches over and basically butts Chuck a bit closer, crooning back at the Emu himself. "Come now, say hi to Sheila." He swallows, and straightens up, and says, "Hello, um. Sheila. You're a pretty bird." Pretty huge. he thinks...

"Is safe to pet her, Sir?" She asks Billy

"What is safe in this world? What is certain? Only death and taxes, my dear." He chortles. Chuck reaches out towards the face of the unknown...

Chuck, noticing Gwen watching, swallows and takes a step forward. "Of course I'm not afraid of her, she's just a big sweet chicken, isn't she?"

Gwen notices the orange-red eyes lock on Chuck's hand, and her head lowers.... 'Sheila' seems unhappy!

Billie meanwhile is leaning over the fence, looking at something else. "Well, I'll be butted off my own tollbridge..." He mutters, distracted.

"Hey Chuck" She readies to position herself in the way "She seems cranky.. let's leave her alone. I don't like her head position"

And she is ready to interpose if need be

Heeding Gwen's warning, Chuck steps back just in time to avoid a snapping beak! Billy straightens back up and steps over between the two, and dumps something into Chuck's arms. "Here we go, you've done a fine job." Chuck goggles at the large, greenish orb he is suddenly holding. "Congratulations, Daddy."

"It's warm!" Chuck says, confused but curious as he looks at the egg. "Yup, nice and fresh. She's our sous chef, you know, makes the best omelettes this side of the Mississippi."

Sheila grunts and snaps again, but Billy is in the way now, and just tuts at her as she tweaks at his arm. "See, Kevlar shirts, all the rage." It just looks like heavy-duty canvas, but all the same.

"Wow"

A look of relief, "nice reflexes, Chuck" That step back was just in time and she wants to encourage dodging as a skill in those she might want to protect

And that bit of positive encouagement out of the way, she touches the egg

gently "ooo"

By now, Sheila's grunting actually does sound almost like a happy croon, as Billy scratches her neck. "Can you believe that my own apprentice zookeeper was too sheepish to hop in there and fetch this? Bah! Useless lad. Don't worry, we'll weigh it nicely and have it back in the nest as soon as you can say "War of 1932."

"You'd best watch out, though. Try to flirt with her again like that, and she'll fly on over the fence to have her way wit'cha."

"Emus can't fly...." Chuck looks to Gwen. "...Can they?!" A zookeeper wouldn't lie, now would he?

"I think they can jump though" She says "So.. wow. Starting to see why the Aussies lost that one"

"No one's putting my pretty lady on the barbie, that's for certain. Now, shoo shoo, what are you doing back here anyways? And give me that egg, lad, before I have you held in contempt. Just because Sheila took a shine to you doesn't make you the ultimate chick magnet."

Chuck is shooed out a side door, looks down at his now empty hands, and up at Gwen again, and busts out laughing even as the door closes behind them, leaving them back out in one of the main walkways.

"Okay, that was fun..weird but fun" She delights in Chuck's laughter

"Okay, I am now convinced this is not just a little kid thing. "

"You're right, this is fun!" He grins at her. "It was a good idea. What do you want to see next?"

"I don't know.. what kind of animals do you like? We saw the Emu, that was my suggestion. Your turn"

"Want to pet the baby goats? That's probably safest." A grin

"Good call on the Emu lady back there. I thought I was gonna lose a finger!"

"Goats are fine" She laughs "they're cute little buttheads"

And hand in hand, they head to see the goats!

(End scene)