Animals On The Streets [Private]

''Ahhhhh...''

Lulu's sigh was filled with wonderment as it escaped her widely opened mouth, the kind exuded from a young child who was amazed at things and places she's never seen before... for that she was. She skipped with joy through the streets of outer Aria, the capital city of Arcadia where her home town was. Near passersby could hear the soft padding of her bare feet against the patternless stone tiles that worked together like a puzzle to create a solid road. She looked at every doohickey and thingamabob that she came across, her gaze never falling below eye level. Those green orbs shined, vivid. Even her arms were held outstretched to her sides, like she was gliding around. This was the sign of a foreigner, uninitiated to what there was to behold in the great mountain city. However, she was not alone in her endeavors, as trailing behind her was a small posse of three Felli, their paws like marbles on stones. Lulu seemed to be clearing a path through the crowds, so that nobody accidentally stepped on the diminutive creatures who were more focused on keeping up with the energetic female than absorbing their surroundings. It drew some looks, but for the most part people were more concerned with their own devices.

At some point, the straw-haired fox girl would bank to the left and off the path, tilting her arms just like a bird would to turn. While there were not huge open fields for her to frolic around in, at the very least the few trees dappled throughout the city would be fun to climb. She leaped up onto the bark, catching hold of a firm grip before she started ascending into the treetops. The Felli soon followed, their claws useful in helping them latch onto the trunks. They set along their new route, deftly hopping from tree to tree, dropping leaves down onto the street below and causing some to look up in curiosity, only to find the brown blurs of the Felli rather than the swift girl herself. It was when they came across an ongoing marketplace that Lulu slowed. Loud voices mingled together into a nonsensical cacophony below, as crowds of people moved to and fro from vendor to vendor. Lulu pushed aside one of the branches to peek through, intrigued. Immediately she zoomed in on the section not so far ahead, selling various foods. The girl's eyes widened as she heard her stomach growl just then, causing her to reach for it and rub it sympathetically. She was hungry...

But she had no gold. It wasn't the first time she'd taken food without paying before, but in such a crown like this, there was no way she'd get away with it easily. It was when her pet Felli finally caught up with her that she came up with an idea. She would smile at them and put her finger up to her lips, shushing them. Then, she was off again, her form a blur as it weaved through the canopy. The four would stop just above a rugged man with a large nose and tanned skin selling various baked goods. Once again her tummy growled, and she knew she wanted this. Without hesitation, she pursed her lips and began to whistle softly. A mystical tone came from her throat, layered with the girl's wind magics. It was directed toward her Felli, seemingly understood by them as they picked up on the sound. They seemed to nod before departing, descending down the tree trunk to await Lulu's cue. When they  were in position, she locked her legs around the branch she was crouching on and let herself fall backwards. The branch bowed and before she knew it, she was upside down and looking right at the disheveled vendor.

Clearly surprising him, Lulu only gave him a toothy smile as her arms reached for some of his bread loafs. He got the notion and immediately shouted, swatting her arms away and reaching for her to try and pull her down. She was too fast, swinging back up into the treetops before he could catch her. Meanwhile, as he was turned one way, the three Felli on the other side would be making off with some of his goods, too small to notice while Lulu was making such a distraction. With the speed that everything happened, the people below had already lost track of Lulu. Within moments, none of them were even within the market area anymore, escaping to a nearby park with their spoils. Cinnamon buns, pound cakes, and some normal loafs of bread; all delights to the tongue. The park had a nice open field that Lulu chose to picnic at, her and her Felli forming a small circle and partaking in their delicious treats. Here, they would just relax and enjoy their meal, all of them pleased with their success.

It was not long after the group had settled that Lulu began to look around the environment again, and as she did she noticed a rather peculiar female here at the park. Up until now, every person seemed to have to path or activity to take—but this girl just sat alone on a bench, eyes entrenched in the vista of her own lap. She watched, and watched, but nothing happened. And if Lulu had to guess, she thought that this one looked a bit... sad. After a moment of consideration, she leaned down and whispered to Ezu, handing the Felli a half of the cinnamon bun. He would pick it up with his teeth, but made sure not to bite into it; then he was off, skittering towards the lone lady on the other side of the park. He would move right up to her feet so that she would see him, and then dropped the sweet at her feet. With one squeaky "nyah!" it scampered back off towards Lulu, who watched to see what the girl did with her gift.

Lulu would reach out for Ezu with her hand, catching furry little critter as he bumped into her palm with his forehead. She stroked him from the top of his head to the very tip of his tail, something that he clearly seemed to enjoy. She could only chuckle softly at him after seeing him so proud of his accomplishment, and honestly he deserved it, completing the mission she gave to him without a single mistake. It was when her gaze returned back up to the little girl who was the recipient of the cinnamon bun that she discovered that she was strolling across the field toward them, not even having taken a bite out of it. She expressed surprise, and then curiosity, both emotions clear in her grassy eyes as she watched. Perhaps she only wishes to give thanks? It was certainly a reasonable supposition to come to. Lulu would stand for her, ready to accept something along those lines, and yet she would be caught off guard when her assumptions proved wrong. When the raven-haired girl was within arm's reach, she would hold the bun back out to her. Lulu's eyes widened as the baked good was deposited into her arms, feeling the sticky sweet glaze against her fingers, half-melted in the warm afternoon sun. There was enough silence for a gust of wind to fill, with Lulu bringing the treat closer to her chest as if she was going to just re-accept it. After all... these things were absolutely scrumptious. It would feel great in her tummy.

It was when those thoughts began to take hold, though, that Lulu caught sight of the disappointed glares from her little ones, each of them questioning her with the curt word, 'Really?' She sighed, knowing that the Felli were right to decry her, even if she was only in the process of considering keeping the cinnamon bun to herself. She knew exactly what the right thing to do here was, and she felt a little ashamed of herself for ruminating otherwise. So, she lifted her eyes up from the bun (and the three pairs of black beady eyes burning into her soul) and looked back at stranger. She extended her arms back out to her, clarifying her intent in a friendly voice. ''No, this is meant for you. I already have plenty of food, so, consider this as a gift from me to you.'' And here she would insist; if the girl tried to reject her offering then Lulu would lean forward and press the cinnamon-coated, sugar-honeyed bun to her lips, so that she would take a bite or otherwise just have some glaze smeared across her mouth. There were no if's, and's, or but's about it. There was nothing to do or say until her gift was accepted by the girl, as far as she was concerned.

Once the exchange was dealt with, Lulu would finally offer a beaming smile to the stranger. Not only that, but the Felli at their feet would begin to prance around them with various shouts of ''Yah!'' and ''Wah!'' as if the two had just completed some sort of grand ceremony. Their voices were cute though, so for what it was worth, it might as well have been a parade for midgets. ''By the way, my name is Arietta... but you can call me Lulu if you want. Either or, it's nice to meet you.'' While Lulu was as polite as she knew how to be, she was not quite versed in the general procession of meeting somebody. For a good majority of her life she didn't interact with anybody apart from her parents. So why would they bother teaching her of shaking hands, speaking properly, or even having friends at all? So, seeing as this was the first time she has ever met this ebon-haired girl, she did the only thing she thought she knew of making acquaintances: She would wrap her arms around her and give her a big hug. After an awkward few seconds of embrace, she stepped back and put her arms behind her back, wondering if she would recieve a name in return from the girl.