Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

[Friday Morning]

"Oreo!? Oreo!" Friday called, waving her hands again as she stomped around outside the school. She let out a huff of frustration, a curl of her breath wafting away on the breeze. It was that time of year, after all, which was part of why she was outside looking for her rabbit (more on that later). Friday nearly whimpered as she ducked down to her knees, scrambling through the snow to look under a bush. "Oreo?" she called, before stretching a mittened hand out and shuffling through some of the snow. When nothing came up, Friday went back to her heels, sitting and staring.

"Okay, so if I were a rabbit dressed like a reindeer out for a holiday stroll, where would I be...?" Friday wondered aloud, looking around the nearby area. She caught some movement and popped up, hurrying over, only to slow as she realized that said movement belonged to a person and not a rabbit. Friday stopped before them, offering up a smile and a sort of wave (again: mittens).

"Oh, hey there. Say, you haven't seen a reindeer around here, have you? They'd be about," Friday bent really low to the ground, "this tall? With a fluffy tail and a sort of coloring that reminds you kinda sorta of an oreo cookie and all? Oh, and they're less a reindeer and more a rabbit with a red nose and some antlers attached. She, uh, kinda got away from me," Friday flushed, already imagining how explaining this to the coowner of said bunny was going to go.

[Emma McDougall]

Music blared in her ears as she strolled about the school grounds. Being inside all day made her feel stifled so a nice walk in the crisp air felt amazing. Emma took in a deep breath tilting her head back eyes closed drinking in the freshness. Never a good idea to close one's eyes while walking.

Her foot connected with something and down she went. In her fall she flailed ending up pulling out her ear buds in the process. The unpleasant popping that went with it made her flinch as she pushed herself up from the ground. Looking around for the cause of her fall she didn't see anything besides her own feet. Sighing Emma sat up brushing back her mass of red curls. Feet entered her line of vision and she glanced up to meet a smile and a wave.

Reflexively she waved back also smiling, but the smile wilted as confusion filled her instead. "Reindeer?" Was this some sort of holiday prank? Blue eyes follow the girl down to the ground her head tilting like a curious bird. "Oreo cookie?" Emma knew she most assuredly sounded like an idiot but what the girl was describing was most certainly not a reindeer. Then the bit about it actually being a rabbit came into play.

"Oh, no I haven't I'm terribly sorry. I, um, might've tripped on the little one though." Cheeks reddening she looked around hoping she hadn't hurt the little fella. "I can help you look for the lil' fella?"

[Friday Morning]

"Omigosh, are you okay?" came out before Friday could even stop and think about it. There was this pretty girl with red hair that Friday kinda sorta wanted to touch (and she was pretty sure that wasn't allowed, just more or less as a general rule and all). Friday blinked as she realized that the girl had responded to the whole reindeer thing.

"No! Not a prank! An adorable rabbit! And they're probably totally fine and all and are you sure you're okay?" Friday moved forward, crouching and very nearly climbing up onto the girl. She looked all around Emma, trying to see if there was wrong with her. She pulled up, blinking and staring at those really pretty eyes.

"So pretty," Friday mumbled under her breath. She flushed, reaching up to tuck some hair back behind an ear. "I mean, if you're okay, then, I guess, we could maybe go look for them? Their name is Oreo and they are really adorable and dressed like a reindeer. At least, they were," Friday paused again, before looking Emma over. "Are you sure you're okay?"

[Emma McDougall]

The girl was suddenly very close and all words left her brain. Why was she so very close? Emma nodded gave a slow not at the second round of 'are you okay' blue eyes wide. Her mouth even opened to talk and everything but words were not a thing. Everyone had personal bubbles it just so happened that Emma's was bigger than most. On account of her really not wanting to accidentally stick to someone. Or leave sticky residue.

"Huh?" Did she just say pretty? Huh, that was all she had. Huh. Emma dropped her eyes feeling like a complete idiot. Heart pounding she tugged the sleeves down over her hands. Words all she had to do was produce an intelligent sentence. She'd done it before so she could do it again. But that was before the whole so very close bubble bursting moment.

New question, she could so respond to new question. Emma nodded most definitely willing to help find an adorable rabbit. Smiling reaching up and twisting some hair around her finger she opened up her mouth again to try and talk. And new question, this girl had no problem with the talking thing. Her cheeks burned and again she nodded. Words! She mentally screamed at herself. "Yes. Fine. Find the wabbit."

Did she seriously just say wabbit? Hole, was there a human size hole to crawl into? Why was talking to people so hard? Emma stood adjusting her bag as she took a few steps back. "Sorry, I'm okay. Words are hard." Yep, she was a moron. "Oreo, right? Sounds adorable." There we go a sentence!

[Friday Morning]

Weird, for a moment there, it looked like the girl's brain had shut down like Friday's was wont to do from time to time. As someone who did that, Friday was very much used to seeing it in someone else and she was tempted to make a comment to that effect, but she figured it was actually better to keep going and try to make it sound like it wasn't that big of a deal (because it really wasn't in the grand scheme of things, right?).

"Yes, find the waaaabbbit!" Friday said, stretching out the last like the cartoon she saw once where Elmer Fudd sang opera. She clapped, smiled, bobbed her head, and got up to her full feet, looking around again. "I'm sure that Oreo's around here somewhere and all. They just got out and I was looking for them and all and I kinda figured that they'd be easier to find with the whole outfit and all," Friday shrugged, not sure how else to really put that.

"And don't worry about the words thing. I totally get that. I sometimes throw a whole bunch out there just in case I trip over something or there's some kinda problem or something. But yes!" Friday clapped her hands. "Oreo is quite adorable." Friday bobbed her head, then considered the other girl. She waved a mitten. "I'm Friday, by the way. And thanks again for helping! Or, well, saying you'll help."

[Emma McDougall]

Giggling Emma felt the tension ease a bit as the girl caught her TV reference. She didn't know many people who still referenced Looney Toon s, but she felt a lot less stupid with the girl quoting the  show back at her. This girl certainly had a bounty of words to spew out, which suited Emma just fine. She nodded yet again in agreemagreeme that a rabbit dressed as a reindeer would probably be easy to find. Though honestly, a rabbit that resembled an orek would probably be easy to find anyway compared to the wild rabbits that ran about.

Eyes crinkling with her smile she tried not to jump as the girl clapped her hands again. Boy this girl had energy to burn. Maybe she liked coffee? If so they'd get along swimmingly. "Emma, and no problem. I was just walking around d doing nothing of any importance anyway." She almost wept with joy at the two complete, intelligent sentence s left her mouth with ease. Some days were better than others, and some people were easier to talk to. But surely everyone had that problem.

"Did you have the little one out around here! I think there might be some clover over that way?" Twisting she pointed over her shoulder. Not that she remembered seeing the clover today or even recently, but she did remember seeing clover there at one point in time. "Rabbits like clover, right?" Or at least that's what shed read sonehwrte, maybe? Lifting a hand she tugged on her frizzy curls twisting an end around d her finger. 

[Friday Morning]

"Emma," Friday repeated, nodding. "That's a nice name," which was a pretty inane comment, but that was all Friday had right now. She was a little distracted, what with the lost rabbit-deer. Friday had already started moving and searching, figuring that there had to be at least a clue or something. Then again, Oreo did have something of a history of hiding from humans, and she was a rabbit, which pretty well guaranteed that there would be escapes like this.

"Clover!" Friday said, nodding. "Yes, she totally likes clover and it's probably--that way, you said?" Friday pointed in the direction Emma had indicated, starting that way. She paused, turning to look at Emma, hoping that she got it right and obviously not wanting to leave her new helper behind.

[Emma McDougall]

Twisting her hair she smiled at the reflexive comment. It didn't bother her it wasn't like her name was all that unique, and the girl's obviously focused on her poor lost rabbit. She kept her eyes moving around the area's undergrowth hoping to spot the little fella.

Emma jumped at the exclamation of clover and nodded at the question pointing again. "Yeah, I've seen wild rabbits nibbling at it a time or two." Which was true, but again she couldn't remember how long ago that happened to be since it was winter and all.

When the other girl stopped and looked she wanted to smack herself in the head. Right, follow, help find the rabbit. She started to follow glancing around trees, under benches, and just around anywhere a rabbit might possibly choose to sneak to.

"Do you often take your rabbits for walks? Maybe you should try one of those halter leashes next time?" Voice meek she hoped the suggestion wouldn't anger the girl she just figured it might help against loosing the critter. Even if finding it might get easier with reindeer antlers.