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WHO: Kenzi and Gil
WHERE: The Zoo
WHEN: 8/10; Morning/Afternoon
WARNINGS: Kenzi's mouth? Gil freaking out over very big cats?
SUMMARY: Kenzi told Gil she was going to take him to the zoo...so they're going.
FORMAT: Quick

[It's nine in the morning and Kenzi...is running a little late. She gets up early enough, early for her anyway, and gets ready to go. Dresses in a light dress and somewhat sensible, as Kenzi doesn't really do a shoe below a three inch heel, shoes; she's even wearing sunglasses and some sunhat that goes along with her dress like Gil said she should. Her bag has sunscreen, which she's already slathered on, and some water in it for the day. One last check to make sure she had everything that would be needed and she's out the door.

The trip doesn't take long but traffic and everything else keeps her.

At the entrance she catches sight of Gil quickly enough, he really does stand out in a crowd, and rushes over.]

Sorry I'm a little late.

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[She glances up at him then nods.] Something like that. Only instead of horses you have elephants and giraffes and lions and bears and, well, the list goes on.

[She looks back down at the map and hums thoughtfully.] Well, why don't we just head to the left and make our way around? [They'd be avoiding the lions first thing and instead heading for the zebras and giraffes and what looked like some kind of bears on the map.]

[ He freezes almost instantly. ]

Lions? There are lions here?!

[She stops just as she's about to take a step and looks up at him with a curious look.]

Yeah. That a problem?

[ He realizes she doesn't know about his phobia and he's much too embarrassed to say it aloud, so he shakes his head quickly. ]

N-No! It's fine. I didn't realize...

Left you said? [ He's already headed left. Let's not see lions at all!! ]

[She gives him a strange look but drops it. She knows him well enough by now to know he's lying about it being a problem but she's not going to try to get it out of him. After all, she said she'd try to cut back on teasing him so much. Instead she smiles, nods and starts walking.]

You don't have to worry about any of the animals, they're all in really big cages so they can't get you. [The zebras are coming up so he'll get an idea of what she's talking about.]

I'm not worried about that.

[ He had been wondering about it, though. But instead he carries on forward, realizing they're getting closer to some animals already given the people walking around with cameras pointed in similar directions and kids running and pointing excitedly.

When he sees the zebras, he stands there in stunned silence. ]

What are those? [ They're not as big as horses, so they can't be... ] Mules?

[Kenzi gives a little bounce as they get closer to the enclosure. Little known fact, Kenzi loves animals. Like, really loves them, even rats. She doesn't really like the whole enclosed spaces for animals at zoos but it's the only place she can see some of the more awesome animals of the world (other than TV and well, that's just not the same). She's doing her best to avoid being like all the over-excited children around.

Gil's question draws a little chuckle out of her as they draw closer.]

They're zebras. [What more is there to say? Besides, if he really wants to know more there's a small plaque to read.]

[ He finally takes notice of the plaque and reads the information printed. He's surprised to read they are part of the horse family, but apparently have never been domesticated.

What interesting stripes they have. He's never seen anything like it. ]

All the way from Africa. [ His eyes fixate on the animals again. ] It says they're endangered. Is that why they're here?

[Kenzi's at the fence while he reads, she has a goofy grin on her face and looks truly happy. The question is the only thing that gets her to look up at Gil.]

Yeah. Due to poachers and just us fu-- [Children present...oops.] fudging up nature the numbers in the wild have fallen. It's the same for just about any animal here.

All of them? [ He can't help but sound skeptical; if they're really from every corner of the globe, that's an incredible amount of damage done to their habitats. ] It's difficult to imagine, honestly.

All the ones here. Zoos don't have every single animal in the world in them but da...but nearly all. [She frowns, shrugging a bit. Humans have done a lot of damage to the world, so much so that even some Fae are forced out of their homes back in her world.]

[ His brows knit close together in deep consideration. A couple of kids brush past him, moving closer to the cage and squealing delightfully while calling to their parents to come see the "horsie". ]

That's unfortunate. I hadn't realized something like that was happening.

[Kenzi nods as she reaches for his hand. If he lets her take it she drags him on to the next enclosure.] Zebras are nothing, wait 'til you see a giraffe.

[ He doesn't pull away, although he's surprised by her gesture for a moment. No matter how many times she takes his hand, it always feels like it's the first time. ]

Giraffe? [ It sounds familiar, like he's seen it in a book or TV before.

When they get to the enclosure where the giraffes are, he stares again, shocked by their height and without a doubt, their necks. ]

So long...

[Kenzi's a very physical person, maybe someday he'll get used to it.

She looks up at his expression and giggles before turning back to the giraffes. She points to one that's eating from one the feeders up on the poles. She glances back up at Gil as she points to it.] In the wild they eat from trees so that's why they have long necks. And like the zebras they're from Africa.

Those are ridiculously long. [ How does food travel down their throats? It must take forever! It's like something out of a fairy tale. ] Deer eat from trees and their necks aren't long like these.

[Kenzi thinks about that one for a moment before shrugging and laughing.] Nature is weird but I guess it makes sense? I mean, trees got, like, really long roots and can survive better in drier places because of it, right? I know just about every picture and video I've seen of Africa the grass is all yellow and bushes look pretty dead.

Edited 2013-08-09 09:59 (UTC)

[ He arches his neck to get a better look at the giraffe's face. It just continues munching on its food, not paying them any heed. They were so calm for animals far from home. ]

We don't have animals like this back home. Not in the entire country, I believe. The forests have animals like they do here.

[Kenzi watches the giraffes feed and move around, smiling the whole time.] Yeah, most places in northern part of the world have similar animals. Southern part...not so much. They start getting a little freaky.

[She reaches for his hand again to drag him onto the next enclosure.] The map looked like it had some kind of bear on it.

Freaky? Huh?!

[ Finding himself pulled again, he follows her once more, taking in the surroundings as they walk further. It may be early for a Saturday morning, but this place is bustling with people. If it's not little children running all over the place, it's teenagers with friends or their significant others. Then there are those with their families. Some speak in other languages he doesn't understand at all, but he can tell they're tourists. ]

Bears? Are those cages safe?

[Kenzi's practically skipping as she drags him along.]

Of course the cages are safe. They make them deeper for the more dangerous animals and the fences are specially made to keep them from climbing out. I know some have water around the bottom of the walls but I don't think bears mind the water too much. They've have to have outside help to get out.

I've heard of animals escaping before. It happened about a year ago. [ Something about penguins or polar bears in the park.

Didn't one get into City Hall? He was fuzzy on the details.

The bear enclosure is much livelier than the previous two; people are close enough to the railing and throwing something -- food -- at the bears below, whom are sitting with their mouths open and catching the food happily. Occasionally, one or two roll over on all fours to meander over to where a piece of food has fallen for them to eat from the ground. ]

The people are feeding them?

[ And all the cooing from the crowd. The kids and ladies especially are going "Aww!" every few seconds when a bear catches a piece of food. ]

I...think I remember that. But didn't someone help them out? [She frowns at the people feeding the bears. They aren't supposed to be doing that are they? Either way, the crowd makes it kind of hard to get close enough to get a good look. She's tempted to float over people but that probably wouldn't get the best reaction.]

I don't think they're supposed to but I don't see any of the caretakers around.

Oh, it looks like... [ There's someone selling them bits of food? With a small cart they have on them, there's a small line.

... Five dollars for such a tiny amount. He flares his nostrils at the price. So expensive for such tiny pieces... for bears.

He's tall enough he doesn't need to stand too close, since he can just look over someone's head, but he looks at Kenzi and wonders if she can see anything. ]

Can you see?

[Kenzi follows his gaze and sees the cart. She doesn't remember the zoo having anything like that when she was little.] Huh.

[She looks back the crowd with a frown, once again tempted to just float up but Gil's question stops her from doing anything else.] Naw. But they're just bears... [She trails off, eyes growing a bit wider before she bounces.]

Oh! We should go see the wolves if they're out. [It's not that wolves are anything special, she got to see one quite often back home. It's just that she hopes there's one that looks like Dyson's wolf form.]