[PRP] POUNCE!!! (camila & nasir)

[azuredreams]

She was being watched or maybe that was just- No, Camila was absolutely being watched. Except today it was by the warm brown eyes of a southern flying squirrel. One that was bounding from tree limb to tree limb until he heard a voice in a distance and froze.

Then, with a running start, leapt into the air and glided until he landed on Camila's shoulder. Trouble made a chirp as if he was saying sorry for bothering you! before he scrambled to the other shoulder and leapt again.

Absolutely used her in a game of leapfrog or was this frogger? Either way, she served his purpose so that he could make it to the next tree where he chirped and chittered all the way up into the particularly high branches (the kind that could not be reached even by jumping by most). Then he went back to watching, though he ran back and forth across the limb.

Too much energy.

Melancholies

i said i would |:

 

[Melancholies]

Thankfully though, today was one of those not actually being watched days, or at least Mila felt like she could let her guard down. Didn't mean she didn't have two cans of spray mace (dual wielding) and one of those fancy looks-like-a-key-but-surprise-b***h-it's-a-knife on her person. Either way, she had a simple purpose today, and that purpose was grocery shopping. Mostly for vegetables.

The ones back at her flat hadn't gone bad yet for some reason (GMOs? Maybe...), but she didn't trust them, so she was buying them all anew. Her reusable cloth produce bag was chocked full of cucumbers and tomatoes and apples and god knew what else—and that's when it happened.

Something hit her, and at first she thought it was a blunt object, but then it moved and chattered and she couldn't help but like, scream. There went all the produce onto the pavement...

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

It was certainly a good thing that Trouble was already on the tree (not that his ears were already back and pressed flat to his head). The small flying squirrel proceeded to scurry up higher and hide in the branches and leaves.

Screaming was bad.

Nasir heard the screaming himself, caught sight of Mila and the produce going flying and his heart plummeted. He was jogging up to her, going to pick up the produce (one rolled to his foot). "Hey! Um, I'm sorry ..." His face was a dark ruddy color. "My flying squirrel, ah ..." Rambling in three, two, one-

"That's what just jumped on you? My flying squirrel. Someone decided to give him some ice cream and it's just way too much sugar and he's being a little spazzy and-" A breath escaped. "I'm sorry, are you alright?" Very concerned Nasir face going on right now.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Camila was on the ground, mournfully cradling an eggplant when Nasir came over. "H-Huh?" She turned her head up, her own face bright red (she was so obviously mortified), her glasses a little crooked. Frantically noticing this, she fixed them immediately. "Y-You? That was yours?"

She was blinking rapidly.

"It was so shocking!" She exclaimed with both her voice and her arms, her hands thrown upright (still holding the eggplant though), "I thought someone was throwing rocks at me, but then I realized the rock was so soft, and then it spoke to me." She paused, "I mean, squeaked." Her head craned upwards.

"Oh but, he's all the way up there in the tree now." It made her wilt like a sad little flower, "Did he escape from your house? Oh gosh the poor little guy has to be freaking out..."

Not as bad as Mila though, who was now holding the eggplant like a small baby.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Yes," Nasir smiled weakly. "His name is Trouble, he's kind of living up to his name ..." Fingers fidgeted finally, still picking up produce and trying to see if it was saveable. This was not something he expected to ever happen.

"I'm glad you're alright though. ... sorry about the shock." He glanced towards the tree where Trouble was running back and forth across the branch like a little maniac. Nasir picked up a little of what he said, most of it: RUN PLAY RUN PLAY RUN PLAY.

"I think he's alright, I can coax him down. He's used to outside, it's just the sugar rush that's the problem ..." He gave her a worried look, clearly more concerned with her. "I'm really sorry about your produce. Do you want to get more? Since this stuff fell to the ground and some of it's bruised and-" Rambling. "Some of it's saveable but not all of it."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Oh, um," Mila made a face, "No... no... it's okay, I think. I can just... use it in smoothies." She lamented over a rather busted peach, the juices oozing out from where it made contact on the ground. "I'll just have to cut them up when I get home and freeze them or whatever..."

She continued to scoop everything up. "One time on campus, someone brought a conure in for some reason, and it got out... and it landed on me too when I was sitting in the hallway for class. I always tell that story, but it's hard to make it sound believable." Mila sighed wistfully, "And now this. I guess I'm a magnet for trouble. Literally! At least you picked a good name for him I guess. That's really impressive if you can lure him back down like it's no big deal though." Her eyes looked up, squinting behind her glasses as she tried to make out his frantic shape in the canopy.

"Oh uh. I'm Camila." She looked back down at Nasir.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir helped Mila pick things up, gathering them up in his arms as well until the bags were checked and they could - as best could be done - tucked back away. "You'll have really good smoothies with a lot of these," he said with a smile. "I make them all the time myself, for friends."

His eyes went a little wide behind his glasses. "A conure, really? That's something else!" Nasir couldn't believe someone would let it get away from them and out in the open like that. "... sounds like you might be more a magnet for cute flying things." Conures were cute, Trouble was definitely cute too when he wasn't being an ornery, spazzy, hopped up on sugar brat. He was still running back and forth across branches, though he had moved to lower ones and could be seen as a small fuzzy shape zooming about. He was no longer chirping but instead barking. Apparently at one of the birds that was not letting him up higher.

"Actually a friend of mine helped with the name. I probably would've named him something plain like ... Joe Bob." Nasir was mostly jestly. Mostly. When he realized, of course, that Camila was introducing herself he was fixing his glasses on his face and offering a warm hand as he stood back up properly.

"I'm Nasir, it's nice to meet you- even if it's because of Trouble living up to his name."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"But Joe Bob would've been so cute! If not wholly unfitting for a flying squirrel..." Mila trailed off, "But those are usually the best names. I like the punny ones though. My first cat was a little tabby kitten, and I named him Tabitha. Get it? Tabi-tha the tabby..." She laughed a little to herself, "Anyway, maybe you're right. Maybe I am a cute thing magnet."

She thought about the weird stalker thing for a moment again before forcibly ejecting it from her mind.

"But yes! It's good to meet you too. Even if they are weird circumstances." She stood too, her hand firmly shaking his. Mila believed in a good firm handshake. "That just means it'll be easier to remember you! Anyway." She looked to the treetops, "How're you gonna get the little guy down?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"That's a cute name," agreed Nasir. "I had a cousin who named their calico kitten Catsby instead of Gatsby." It still made him chuckle and still sounded cute.

It also seemed like Nasir had a good, firm warm handshake himself and let go with a smile. "Memorable first encounters are a good thing and make for good friends." He turned towards the tree and sighed a little bit at getting him back down. "I can call him, he usually comes down. I just have never dealt with him hopped up on sugar before. I try to watch his diet because he's not quite a pet, you know? Not a normal kind anyway."

Melancho1ies

 

[Melancholies]

"That's pretty impressive..." Mila laughed, but then she smiled with a genuine interest, "This might sound kinda weird, but is it okay if I watch? I've just never seen anyone call a squirrel down before." Arms apparently growing tired, Mila set the bag of produce down by her feet. "I want a closer look at him!"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Sure," Nasir replied easily and with a smile. "It just might take a moment or two because he's never been like this before ..." Also because he might end up having to warg to really get him down but hopefully not.

He walked towards the tree, reaching into his pockets and patting them. "Actually worked on some clicker training with him and my boyfriend's pet ferret. It's pretty handy but doesn't work if he's really wound up."

Instead, Nasir stood at the tree and made noises in his throat. They weren't really noises like a squirrel would make at all but clearly ones that he had practiced to get Trouble's attention. It worked because the flying squirrel stopped in his barking and leaned out to look down.

"Come on, Trouble ..." His fingers wiggled back and forth, chuckling as he heard the suspicious grumblings from his familiar. "No," he responded to the chitters, "I am not going to be mad at you but you should come down here and apologize to Mila."

Little by little, the flying squirrel started to scoot down the tree, though he was still warily eyeing every small thing.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Oh my goodness!" Mila clasped her hands together in wonder, "It's like you're literally talking him down! I've always loved animals, but it's so sweet being able to see owners who've really bonded with their pets. What a well trained little guy." She was resisting the urge to coo and aww, mostly because Trouble still looked so skittish as he edged cautiously down the tree. "I didn't really stop to think that you could train a squirrel that way, but it really makes sense! I mean, rats and mice and a whole bunch of other rodents can, so..."

She shut up for a second, trying not to be a distraction despite how enthralled she was.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir gave Mila a smile, not quite able to respond because he was still talking Trouble down. It was probably for the best regardless because at least that way he wasn't accidentally saying that Trouble wasn't his pet but his familiar. (It was Ollie's voice in his head that reminded him that he needed to not be so open. Not everyone was friendly to those with magic.)

Soon enough, Trouble was touching his nose against Nasir's fingers, his small ears flicked back. When it was clear that he definitely was not in Trouble, the small squirrely jumped and landed on Nasir's head before hunkering down. This time Nasir did laugh, hand raising to smooth against Trouble's fur. "I didn't really know either, about how smart they are and that they can be trained. Not until Trouble dropped himself into my life- he was, ah, abandoned?"

His fingers nudged Trouble's side a bit even as that tail of his flicked. It made him come down to his shoulder to settle, pressed up against his neck. Nasir looked amused. "I think he feels bad now. You know, sugar rush is over and he does know when he does bad things." Like jump on and startle people.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Abandoned? The nerve of some people!" Mila looked positively offended, "And especially something like him! I'm sure he's gotta count as an exotic pet or something. I guess flying squirrels are native to the area at least, but once you've trained an animal to be domesticated, you can't really release them back into the wild. They can't survive..." She frowned as she wiggled her own fingers out towards Trouble, but the problem was that he was on Nasir's head and Mila was kinda small. Didn't stop her from trying though. Or wibbling.

"It's okay little guy, I forgive you." She smiled warmly, "Don't feel bad! I was just startled is all. You should be apologizing to your owner for living up to your name!" Not that like, the squirrel could understand her, but still.

At least she seemed placated with the pair reunited.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Well, I meant ... his family ... I tried looking but he was all alone." Nasir looked thoughtful. "Though he was very friendly to me, so perhaps there was someone who had tried to foster him ..." It was possible, at least, as it wasn't like Trouble's memory from his life before the new world was all that strong or that he was able to answer.

"You are right though- about all of that. I've been doing my best to not entirely domesticate him. I want him to still be wild, to not lose those bits that make him him. Which includes being mindful of his diet and other things." Trouble, as Nasir talked, had come down to the wiggling fingers. His paws were gripped tightly to clothing as he leaned out to just barely touch his nose to a finger.

Almost like an apology before he was scooting back to Nasir's head as it was his highest vantage point (and best perch). Nasir was smiling at that, chuckling a little at the behavior. "It's my own fault for going with that as a name, but he's been living up to it even before he was part of my life."

Nasir glanced towards Mila's bags and looked to her face. "Do you ... want some help? Carrying things, I mean. It's the least I can do, really."

Melancholies