"Awww it's okay Neo-y, we still love you!" Mercedes laughed and pinched his cheek with her free hand. Mercedes glanced around and spotted a candy store. She stopped in mid-stride. "C... Can we go?" She asked wide eye'd, she hadn't had candy in almost a year, and right then that store looked like heaven.

Zailia smiled and took hold of Neo's hand. It was a bit cold, but she didn't mind. She just smiled at him." I know a great place on 6th street. You'll love it!" she was quite pleased with herself. then she was Mercedes eyeing a nearby candy store. She pondered the other's question. "Sure" she replied, she herself felt like eating some chocolate.

Mercedes quickly acknowledged Zailia's idea about the party on 6th street and nodded in approval. "Whatever you say, as long as I get into that candy store in like... .2 seconds, I'm fine with anything." Then she took off running, she ran right into the candy store and blew almost all of her money... She came back out about 15 mins later, and about 15 dollars poorer. "Umm..." Mercedes sucked the gummy worm she was eating the rest of the way into her mouth. "This place we're going... doesn't happen to cost to much does it?" She asked holding up only one 5 dollar bill, and one 1 dollar bill...

"Dr Irony?" Macey asked, cocking her head to the side in a questioning way. She can't mean Derek, can she? Macey rummaged through her mind, trying to find something she remembered about Derek that was a bit....off. To her dismay, she realized all her friends were right, the girl in front of her was right. Derek wasn't who he always had claimed to be when he was with her. She felt her positive mood being sucked out of her before she realized the sheep girl had run off with another girl named Zailia and a older guy called Neo. She jumped after them, nearly tripping on the pavement in her sandals. "Hey, guys! Wait up please!"

((I just called him Dr. Irony, because you have him the last name Freemen xD like Free man? lolol and we're all caged up? ^.^;;; Yeah it was cheesy I know, but it seemed to fit, so I kept it xD;;
It doesn't really have to mean anything >.<;;;))

((Lol Dreamer, I knew what you meant, just Macey didn't ;V; ))

(( .:laughs:. alrighty I gets it now xD lolol ))

"Ah not the cheeks!" With his free hand, Neo massaged his cheek, though laughed at how easily Mercedes switched gears. A candy store of all places? What a kid. He would have much preferred a sushi bar or somewhere that sold cheap, underwater cameras. Still, a part would be great as well. He felt his hand grabbed by Zailia, but didn't pay much mind to it, instead turning around at the scent and sound of a new person. A very clumsy, new person.

((Missed a couple pages, lol...))

Conrad stretched once he was humanoid again. A silver ear twitched when he poked it and a small smile fell over his lips. He'd fit right in if he went to an anime convention...

His tail swished as he left his exhibit and strolled out of the zoo. He never knew what to do at night, his English didn't seem as fluent when actually here as it did back in Germany with so few native speakers...

He fingered the multiple twenties in his pocket--he'd been saving up for a few weeks now, tucking the bills away in the back of his den so they were out of sight and the wind wouldn't carry them away.

Would he actually spend it tonight? Who knew.

'It must seem like a freak parade,' Conrad thought, smiling to himself. All types of people flooded out from the zoo--in pairs and small groups of course. No need for the 'Good Doctor' to get himself caught in the act.

He spotted several new faces walking the streets though and decided to tail them, just figure them out a bit...

melody sighed as she watched everyone go she wished she could go with them until she relised "wait i didnt give her my money does that mean im not getting a damn thing am i." she looked around great now she was talking to herself "ok so no one is here to hear me so it doesnt count towards me being crazy." she went back into the underwater room were she picked up her book and started reading it again "i wish i could have a cordless cd player that would be great to read and listen to music but sadly if they were to bring it here it would be ruined."

((I started a list of animals that are at the real San Diego zoo... but the list is freaking long, expically the mammals <<;; >>;;
so... do you guys think that I should just make a link to each animal sub-catagorie? Or to each animal? Cuz I started with the animals... and I got through the Amphibians and the Birds, but then I got to the mammals annnnd lets just say that there's about 4 times as many animals under the mammals list D'x ))

Mercedes finished gorging herself on some candy she dumped the rest of it into her purse, then ducked her hand into the bag and gave some to both Zailia and Neo, and then even to Macey. "Alright, I'm ready! Where to?"

Waking up naked was not a fun thing, as Mickey found out, her getting a splinter in almost every spot possible. She had spent nearly fifteen minutes picking out stray wood from her bare thighs, thanking the Heavens that it was night and that -some -people weren't out and about. Using her cat reflexes and flexibility, she was able to check most of her body before wondering where a decent pair of clothes were. Meowing to herself (a habit she had developed, damn testers), Mickey went back into the staff room to wash up and to change into a tunic that the scientists had probably dug up for her. It wasn't much, but it would do for the lion-hybrid at least until she could find a nearby clothing store. With a huff, she left her exhibit altogether in search of entertainment...and sushi.

Macey shrugged her tiny shoulders, then let their weight slump again. "Could someone please tell me what the heck is going on?" She sighed, placing her hands into the pockets of her worn blue jeans. "I'm kinda new to all of this, and I can't believe how relaxed you guys are."

Mercedes felt pretty bad. She'd turned her back, and support, away from some one in need just because of a stupid decision... she didn't even know the whole story.
She turned to Macey, "we're all relaxed because if we weren't we'd probably go insane. This is the only time that we have to get out and be ourselves. You can probably understand that, right?" Mercedes looked at both Zailia and Neo, "but you deserve some answers, so I guess I'll answer whatever questions you have... but then we go party." Mercedes winked trying to keep the mood light.

((so what do you guys think about the list? >>;; I'd like everyone's opinion... or anyone's really... ^.^;;; ))

"Kay," Macey answered, "I'm glad you understand." She sighed and brought a hand from her pocket and twirled her hair anxiously in between her fingers. "Why aren't I a tiger right now? Am I allowed to go home?" She asked, wondering if maybe, just maybe this was all a really awful trick being played on her.

((Well I think it would be a lot of work, though it might add more realism if there were more animals from that list than just whatever the players pick.))

"If you want a scientific answer, I'm not sure. What I do know is that we're animal by day and human by night," Neo answered before wondering how to answer Macey's second question. She was new here after all... "Well you can try, but I wouldn't recommend it," he finally answered, adding slight ambiguity to his statement. The girl was lucky though. Even if the sun came up and she was out of her cage she wouldn't exactly die from being out in the open where as he probably would being a sea creature and everything...

((I don't think it's overly necassary, seems like you'd be stuck spending a whole lot of time on something that we could all just look for ourselves, too many animals exist to list them all lol.))

Conrad passed a few stores while following the 'new kids on the block' so to speak and paused in fron of one store with a cute red dress in the window. "Lolita..." He mumbled thickly with his accent.

He glanced both way and when he saw no one was watching flew into the shop.

"No! Do NOT go home, trust me, you WILL regret it." Mercedes shook her head violently, "your family thinks... well... they think you're dead... As soon as the Zoo gets you, you disappear... for good..." Mercedes looked around sadly, "you always have to look out, and make sure that no one that you used to know sees you... trust me, it gets really awkward, even if you manage to convince them that you only look like the person they're looking for..." She sighs, "we're not free just because we're human right now... the zoo expects us back, to our cages before the sun comes up."

((thanks for the advice people, and Sev en Ester, a loli fetish? xD))

Macey gasped from both surprise and disbelief. "Really? But......I have a little sister, she;s only ten, what am I supposed to do? And my parents? I really can't see them ever again?" It took everything Macey had to resist the urge to collapse right there and then on the ground and cry. But, this can't be true. It just can't....be.... She clutched at her chest to make sure her key was still there. She never slept with it on. So she had to be awake. This was her life now. "And we only have at night?" She asked, biting her lip.

Zailia listened to Mercede's words in fear. She wouldn't know what to do if she ran into someone from her past. Not with these weird Giraffe horns, ears and tail. If that happened she might just have to kill herself. It's not that she's ashamed of the way she looks.. Zailia could pull off any look with her body and confidence, it's just that she's ashamed of what had happened to her, and her having to be back at the zoo by a certain time. Just the fact that she belonged to someone killed her inside. "Yeah..." she agreed with a long, sad sigh.

((definite loli-feti))

Oddly enough, the store clerk didn't seem all that suprised when Conrad inquired about the dress. She merely handed it to him and pointed to the dressing rooms.

Looking at himself in the mirror he turned in a circle to see the back. Inside he was near tears. It was so cute! It didn't work with him, though it might have to with his hair being too short, but just looking at it sent him into fits of fondness.

Nervously looking to the price tag he saw it was $200. His face faulted. His meager savings consisted of $120, it would take a little while...but he'd do it! Determined, he took it off and brought it back to the clerk.

Knowing he wouldn't be buying anything tonight he began to wander the streets.

((!!!! so cute!!! >w<
and if we get 20$ a night then you only gotta save for 4 days <<;; ))