This was a job Charlotte had been looking into for some time. Animals had always fascinated her somewhat, having never kept a pet but dealt with a multitude of faunus traits she felt she had at least a passing understanding of animal surgery and medication. Approaching Petunia's Pet Shop she couldn't help feeling somewhat nervous, unlike her prior shadow missions she was getting deep in above her head here. Clasping her hands before herself she heaved a deep breath, closed her eyes, counted to ten; before pushing her way into the shop, a small bell ringing to her upper right side. She caught the pale blue eyes of Petunia, stood behind the counter; flicking through a magazine, and immediately brought herself down to curtsy.
"I am Charlotte Monochrome, I'm here to help today. Hopefully I can be of use to you." She attempted to proceed deeper into the shop, the strong scent of straw and pet food filling her nose, but found herself stuck in the doorway; her front two legs in but the back six stuck. She tried to push herself through, but found this doorway was quite a lot narrower than others. Face awash with red she looked up to Petunia, only to find an anxious look on her face.
"I am so sorry, but there is a back entrance where we get everything in. We'll be working through there regardless, please be gentle with yourself; I never realised a trait like this could-
"No no, I'm quite used to it. Please don't fuss about it. I'll make my way out and around, don't worry." Charlotte could place the genuine guilt in the young woman's eyes, and on one hand it made her happy; she should feel guilty for this failure to provide to the less common traits. On the other well... something was certainly tugging at her more deeply, seeing someone show such regret she had said not to worry about it where usually she'd be far more cold. She'd chew people out. Forcing her way backward she managed to squeeze out, rounding the front of the building and arriving at what appeared to be a set of stables. In there she saw three boxes, the first had a white foal in it; a rather short horse with a set of blinders around its eyes... she didn't really focus on this however as she came to the second box; in which a kangaroo stood, sleeping. This was bizarre, but Charlotte wasn't sure where you'd put a kangaroo anyway. A stable maybe made sense?
It was the third one that especially confused her. Peering over the box's door she saw nothing within... however her eyes were eventually drawn to the far right corner; in which a creature describable only as a giant ladybug was sat. Leaning in to get a better look the creature jumped before growing, several times its own size the insect seemed to hatch into a giant beast; taller than the spider herself. Blinking at this creature, standing tall and salivating, Charlotte slowly backed away and around the stable; entering through the loading bay. Stood there waiting was Petunia, now able to look at her fully Charlotte felt the tug once again. Petunia was dressed in dungarees, a type of clothing Charlotte herself had never been able to own, a striped shirt beneath them and glasses balanced on the end of her nose.
"Once again I am so sorry Charlotte, I am Petunia, it is nice to meet you." She returned Charlotte's curtsy gesture from earlier, "If you would like to start with the birds I believe that would be easiest. They need fed and, oh are you squeamish? It's just well, some of them eat mice and..."
"Oh that is quite alright, I am a medical student; I'm sure I'm used to seeing far worse. Besides, I'm here to learn about treating them medically to. I can't let a little mouse scare me away." Charlotte smiled to her, "In fact, if there's anything medical that needs done I'd certainly like to help with that. After all it'd relate closer to my major."
"Well... there is one creature kept with the birds who should probably get their medicine. They're not the most normal of creatures, the semblance it has can make things difficult; it's quite prone to disease so it's currently on an antibiotic course." Petunia turned, to a set of shelves; brining down what looked to be a large bag of nuts before entering a fridge and drawing forth a packet of what looked to be pills. "Give two of these to the flying squid with their mice, a squid out of water is quite a bizarre thing... it's the first of its sort I've ever seen. Please give it a spritz with the water bottle you'll find next to its enclosure."
Charlotte blinked at the words flying squid but Petunia was already rumaging through the fridge, drawing forth two vacume packed rats. "The only other one you'll have trouble with is the other carnivore, the peregrine... try to feed him but if he doesn't want to eat he won't. He's an old and rather fussy creature. He wants live prey but I don't trust him to catch it. Not that he couldn't but... more that he'd destroy it before catching it. Hopefully he'll eat for you better than he does for me."
Items in toe Charlotte was lead to a back room with a number of perches, birds tied by their leg to them. First was a small red bird which happily ate the nuts handed to it. Second was the duck which did the same with a little more of a wary eye, Charlotte had only fed ducks bread before... never seed. Then came the squid... and it truly was a squid, it hadn't been a joke. A bizarre, small, squid was floating before her; tendrils waving as it levitated. Unpacking the rat Charlotte searched for a mouth, she found it quickly; the squid setting upon her and quickly consuming the rat. She could only just force the medicine in before it fully closed, the creature floating off and bumping into wall after wall.
Then came the peregrine. In the far corner of the room, as mall metal helm atop its head, roosted a bird Charlotte simply couldn't take her eyes off of. It was large and proud bird but its white feathers were beginning to grey, striking blue eyes locked onto her own dark brown ones. Slowly she approached, unpacking the rat and extending an arm to the creature. Without hesitation the bird leapt from it's seat and, before Charlotte could even flinch, it was upon her arm; rending and tugging at the head. It pulled the rat from Charlotte's hand and practically swallowed it whole... yet the bird remained on her arm. It stalked up toward her, looked her in the eyes; inches from her face, and paced back down to the perch. Jumping off.
Charlotte would spend the rest of the day, helping clean out the stables and learning from Petunia, but that bird would be on her mind the whole time. In the end she finally opted to buy it.
"I am Charlotte Monochrome, I'm here to help today. Hopefully I can be of use to you." She attempted to proceed deeper into the shop, the strong scent of straw and pet food filling her nose, but found herself stuck in the doorway; her front two legs in but the back six stuck. She tried to push herself through, but found this doorway was quite a lot narrower than others. Face awash with red she looked up to Petunia, only to find an anxious look on her face.
"I am so sorry, but there is a back entrance where we get everything in. We'll be working through there regardless, please be gentle with yourself; I never realised a trait like this could-
"No no, I'm quite used to it. Please don't fuss about it. I'll make my way out and around, don't worry." Charlotte could place the genuine guilt in the young woman's eyes, and on one hand it made her happy; she should feel guilty for this failure to provide to the less common traits. On the other well... something was certainly tugging at her more deeply, seeing someone show such regret she had said not to worry about it where usually she'd be far more cold. She'd chew people out. Forcing her way backward she managed to squeeze out, rounding the front of the building and arriving at what appeared to be a set of stables. In there she saw three boxes, the first had a white foal in it; a rather short horse with a set of blinders around its eyes... she didn't really focus on this however as she came to the second box; in which a kangaroo stood, sleeping. This was bizarre, but Charlotte wasn't sure where you'd put a kangaroo anyway. A stable maybe made sense?
It was the third one that especially confused her. Peering over the box's door she saw nothing within... however her eyes were eventually drawn to the far right corner; in which a creature describable only as a giant ladybug was sat. Leaning in to get a better look the creature jumped before growing, several times its own size the insect seemed to hatch into a giant beast; taller than the spider herself. Blinking at this creature, standing tall and salivating, Charlotte slowly backed away and around the stable; entering through the loading bay. Stood there waiting was Petunia, now able to look at her fully Charlotte felt the tug once again. Petunia was dressed in dungarees, a type of clothing Charlotte herself had never been able to own, a striped shirt beneath them and glasses balanced on the end of her nose.
"Once again I am so sorry Charlotte, I am Petunia, it is nice to meet you." She returned Charlotte's curtsy gesture from earlier, "If you would like to start with the birds I believe that would be easiest. They need fed and, oh are you squeamish? It's just well, some of them eat mice and..."
"Oh that is quite alright, I am a medical student; I'm sure I'm used to seeing far worse. Besides, I'm here to learn about treating them medically to. I can't let a little mouse scare me away." Charlotte smiled to her, "In fact, if there's anything medical that needs done I'd certainly like to help with that. After all it'd relate closer to my major."
"Well... there is one creature kept with the birds who should probably get their medicine. They're not the most normal of creatures, the semblance it has can make things difficult; it's quite prone to disease so it's currently on an antibiotic course." Petunia turned, to a set of shelves; brining down what looked to be a large bag of nuts before entering a fridge and drawing forth a packet of what looked to be pills. "Give two of these to the flying squid with their mice, a squid out of water is quite a bizarre thing... it's the first of its sort I've ever seen. Please give it a spritz with the water bottle you'll find next to its enclosure."
Charlotte blinked at the words flying squid but Petunia was already rumaging through the fridge, drawing forth two vacume packed rats. "The only other one you'll have trouble with is the other carnivore, the peregrine... try to feed him but if he doesn't want to eat he won't. He's an old and rather fussy creature. He wants live prey but I don't trust him to catch it. Not that he couldn't but... more that he'd destroy it before catching it. Hopefully he'll eat for you better than he does for me."
Items in toe Charlotte was lead to a back room with a number of perches, birds tied by their leg to them. First was a small red bird which happily ate the nuts handed to it. Second was the duck which did the same with a little more of a wary eye, Charlotte had only fed ducks bread before... never seed. Then came the squid... and it truly was a squid, it hadn't been a joke. A bizarre, small, squid was floating before her; tendrils waving as it levitated. Unpacking the rat Charlotte searched for a mouth, she found it quickly; the squid setting upon her and quickly consuming the rat. She could only just force the medicine in before it fully closed, the creature floating off and bumping into wall after wall.
Then came the peregrine. In the far corner of the room, as mall metal helm atop its head, roosted a bird Charlotte simply couldn't take her eyes off of. It was large and proud bird but its white feathers were beginning to grey, striking blue eyes locked onto her own dark brown ones. Slowly she approached, unpacking the rat and extending an arm to the creature. Without hesitation the bird leapt from it's seat and, before Charlotte could even flinch, it was upon her arm; rending and tugging at the head. It pulled the rat from Charlotte's hand and practically swallowed it whole... yet the bird remained on her arm. It stalked up toward her, looked her in the eyes; inches from her face, and paced back down to the perch. Jumping off.
Charlotte would spend the rest of the day, helping clean out the stables and learning from Petunia, but that bird would be on her mind the whole time. In the end she finally opted to buy it.
