if these wings could fly for the rest of our lives
Okay, but really, he did smell nice. He smelled like spices. All cinnamony and like...musky...and manly. It was nice. You could hardly blame her for enjoying his scent, or the way it lingered on his skin and fur after she had spent any length of time nestled in his jacket. It was a comforting smell okay?! It wasn't her fault he had a nice cologne! Maybe he should stop smelling so good! GEEZ, ARLO. Regardless of why she stayed, and really, even she wasn't sure why she returned to linger here. No wait, he did just declare them friends, that's what friends did right? Yup, THAT'S why she came back. But regardless of that, Abigail was quite enthusiastic about this whole ornament picking party they so engaged in, once she somehow managed to avoid death, no thanks to Mr. Speed Demon over here. Oh yes, let's go faster why don't we? Do you hear my engine? Isn't it totally manly? Vroom Vroom. Oh, I don't have any care about laws. Lights? What's a light? Does red mean go faster? NO IT DOES NOT. Huff. Still...that ornament party, she was quite excited about it, purposefully ducking her head further in his jacket as they entered the store let he be forced to leave for having an 'exotic pet' in his jacket. Truthfully, she hadn't considered that she was a veritable lump on his chest, making the man look rather questionably undignified. Nope, sneaking in was her only goal. Look at her. She was turning into a rebel now. She was pretty sure that Arlo was exactly the sort of 'bad influence' her mom had always lectured her about avoiding.

It was only once they had cleared the cashiers that Abby's small head popped out from his jacket, so watching with intense hazel eyes as they moved past the many shelves of that store, those bright florescent lights so causing her to blink in awe. She had, thus far, avoided any type of shopping all together, the whole experience, when she had tried, had been entirely overwhelming for the girl. The last time she'd tried to grocery shop, she'd spent an hour simply looking at the array of milk hidden behind the glass doors. She'd given up entirely after that, thankful for the wonders of modern technology that so made grocery delivering to her door an entirely feasible feat. But here, now, with Arlo so purposefully leading the way, it made it somehow easier to simply...stare at all those trinkets and baubles and foods that so caught her eyes. Thankfully, it was hardly long before he had presented her with those array of ornaments, the sheer number of which caused a gasp to leave her panda lips, even if to most the selection was decidedly small. Her mouth opened, simply staring at all the options whilst he commented on how few there were before them, suggesting they might get everything. EVERYTHING?! There were so many! She'd never had such a decorated tree before! They used to have to make their own just to fill it! All those God's Eyes she'd made from twigs and popsicle sticks and fancy yarn and here he was with EVERYTHING.

He so effortlessly picked out his own array of colored baubles and intricately cute creations before inquiring after her preferences. It was a difficult choice, that's for sure. There were snowmen and presents and angels. Santas and birds and...NO WAIT. THOSE. Her small hands reached out in a frenzy of an effort to so grab the ones she wanted. They were snowflakes, glistening and glittering whilst still seeming delicate, as if they were made of ice. They were the exact sort of shiny thing a girl like her might so be attracted too. True shininess, and, you know, worth more then a quarter. A soft squeak of satisfaction left her lips when he plucked the box of them off the shelf, the girl entirely content to settle now that her choice had been made and yet, now that she'd actually made her choice, she found herself leaning forward a bit further as they made their way back towards the counter, entirely inquisitive of the other objects within the store. It was enough to distract the girl entirely, at least, until the made it back towards the man at the front. The simple weight of his glare was enough to send Abigail ducking back into the veritable safety of Arlo's jacket. He had creepy glary eyes. As if he could see right through her. As if he knew all the bad things they'd done and he was totally judging them on it. She could see it. Judgey judge judge.

Thankfully, all that judginess was kept to himself as Arlo paid for their goods, her gaze immediately flickering upwards at the sound of his voice. Look away? What was he going to do?! She was hesitant and yet, without any further complaint, the girl was willing enough to oblige him, tucking her small head further down within that jacket to so obscure her view of the world that surrounded her. At least his jacket was cozy? And smelled like him... oh! They were moving. Could she look now? Tentatively, she poked her head back out, glancing up at him to ensure he'd hardly scold her before the rush of that cold air of winter hit her face once again. Oh yeah...that death machine. Well....great. This trip, sadly, was just as eventful as the last. You know, waving in and out of cars, getting honked at, all that good stuff. Suffice to say, Abby was more then happy when she finally found herself on flat ground again. Or rather, when he was on flat ground anyways. It was only once the pair had returned to that apartment that Abigail truly relaxed, jumping from his jacket and onto the front table with veritable ease as she watched the man pull their purchases from the paper bag in his hand.

An all too eager chirp left her lips at this notion of decorating and yet, the words that left his lips afterwards so caused her head to tilt inquisitively to the side as she abruptly stopped in her tracks. Merry Christmas? This was for her? A banana? She stared at that box with a hint of inquisitiveness as he pulled the fruit from it's package. That crystalline glaze upon the surface was certainly enough to tell her that it was hardly ordinary fruit in the least, her gaze darted upwards towards the man, watching as he rolled his shoulders, wincing at that simple action only for her ears to flick back. Hopefully she didn't make that worse...right? Still, he opened the package but moment's later, prompting her to forget that pain that laced his figure, at least momentarily. Tentatively she picked up an orange slice, biting into it with a hint of uncertainty only for that sweetness to so bring a squeak to her lips as it filled her mouth and coated her tongue. WHAT WAS THIS MAGICAL PIECE OF DELICIOUSNESS?! HOW DID SHE GET MORE OF THIS? Another piece was shoved into her mouth, her near inhaling of that single slice interrupted only by the sound of his voice. Leave? He wanted her to leave? No! The tree! It needed decorating! Quickly she put that piece of fruit down, pausing to lick her paws and so get every taste of that sweetness before she padded over towards that paper bag on the table, so attempting to climb her way into it before panda, bag and ornaments topped onto the table surface. It was with a bit of effort that she so tugged the corner of one of those boxes from the bag with her teeth, dragging it over towards him before she presented it to him, her tail flicking with satisfaction in the process. See! She was here with him! To spend Christmas with him! For tonight, he was her family, though those words would surely never leave her lips. Noppppeee. Just accept the ornaments, okay? And maybe, you know, open them...?