?Buoyant? ?enid sinclair?

"Hi!" Enid said brightly, walking up to Iris who promptly turned invisible and walked away, "I think you're forgetting I'm a werewolf, so I can smell where you are."

Iris sighed, turning back to be visible. "Hello, Enid." She said.

She smiled, and began peering at a mouse that was dressed up as a rockstar on one of the shelves. She made a whimpering noise, and screwed her face up.

"I'm pretty sure it's dead." Iris told her, trying to offer some words of comfort, as well as trying to put the awkwardness behind her, "See the tire treads across its tail?"

"Local artist scooped that fella up right here on Route 22." A voice behind them said, and the two girls turned to see an elderly woman standing behind them.

"You're telling me someone actually goes out and collects roadkill and turns them into that?" Enid asked, screwing her face up.

Iris grinned, "Cool."

"Can't keep them on the shelves." The woman told them, "Got a whole section dedicated to these beauties. Squirrels, skunks, snakes, and my personal fave: a family of ferrets at a clambake. Too cute. You two wanna make yourself useful? I reckon they could use a good brush with a Tangle Teaser. It freshens up the fur."

As Iris went to grab the brush, Enid grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer towards her, "Maybe we can do that after, like, a... an extended coffee break. Right, Iris?"

"Uh... yeah, we'll hit the Weathervane. Want us to pick you up something?" Iris asked.

"No need to pay for that overpriced hipster swill. I'm brewing chaga." The woman told them, "It's my own blend. Mushroom tea. I foraged the little buggers myself." Enid squeezed Iris' hand, a small grimace on her face, "Better get teasing. You're in for a treat."

Iris grinned, immediately taking the brush and turning to grab a stuffed ferret and began combing its back, where as Enid turned a lot more reluctantly, barely touching the rockstar mouse.

"This is so gross." She whisper-groaned.

"This is so fun." Iris said, moving on to one of the baby ferrets

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"Can I help you?" Enid asked, creeping up behind a rather dirty man who was looking at something on a shelf. When he turned around, he glared at Enid, and walked away, leaving the blonde stunned as he tucked a camera under his coat.

She walked back over to Iris, who was staring at a rat in a suit and a squirrel in a wedding dress, standing side-by-side.

"Ooh. That gives me the heebie jeebies." She winced.

"I don't know. Do you think squirrels and rats could ever work out?" Iris wondered out loud. Enid, was used to these random thoughts after countless all-nighters after studying history all night, just gazed at Iris admiringly, "I mean, they're two totally different species."

"Oh, yeah." Enid immediately agreed, "I mean, totally. Why not? They both have more in common than you think. Most people are scared of them, so it would just be us- them... against the world."

"That was... interesting." Iris muttered out, not missing the slip up, "You know, that was cool when you slashed Ajax's boat at the Poe Cup, even though you had a crush on him."

"Thanks. I'm not really sure that I have a crush on him anymore, though."

"Why? Do you have a crush on someone else?" Iris asked tentatively.

Enid hesitated. "Yeah, I guess I do."

There was an awkward silence as the two girls looked at each other. "You realize this is like, the longest conversation we've had since the game of hide-and-seek and the tent?"

"Yeah." Iris sighed, "I just don't want to hurt you." She said in a whisper.

Enid placed a hand on Iris' shoulder, "You won't hurt me, and I won't hurt you."

Iris managed a small smile. It was good to finally be speaking to Enid again. "So, um, I was thinking about sneaking behind the greenhouse tonight." Enid told her, "It's supposed to be a blue moon. Only happens once every 23 years or something crazy. Should get a killer view from there."

Iris nodded. "Sounds nice. You know that's where a lot of people hook up right? That's kind of wei-"

"Iris! I've spent all morning trying to make up with you and flirting and brushing some roadkill because that's something you like for some weird reason, just so I could ask you to come see the blue moon with me, but you can't pick up the hint!"

Iris' eyes widened. "So... you want to meet up behind the greenhouse tonight?"

"Yes!" Enid said, smiling widely, "Yes, I do."

"Hey, Iris! Can you help me move the badger dentist to the front window?" 

Iris walked away to go ehlp, and Enid had a mini-celebration.

"YES! I can't believe it's happening!"

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777 words

SO THEYRE GOING ON A DATE AHHHH