The Spiky Doughnut Pet Finished

“You should get a nice little screech owl dainty and easy to travel with. Then you can stop using your horrid school birds.” Santario sighed and bit her lip. “Grand-mère* they just received new animals at the shop, and I would really like to at least look at them first.” The older woman opened her mouth to speak before an older man’s voice cut in. “Now, dear, just think about. The de Clairmont Heir having one of the newest kinds of pets, could show status. After all, you wish for her to connect more with her peers and what better an Ice breaker than an exotic new pet. Not some stuffy old owl.” Her grandfather always the voice of reason as her grandmother, “Harrumph! Fine. We will look, but if I do not approve, you are getting the owl, and that is final. Am I making myself perfectly clear young lady?”

Santario looked up to her grandmother and nodded. “Crystal, Grand-mère.” She looked to her grandfather, who gave her a wink, and she returned it with a small smile as she opened the door to the Menagerie accompanied by a little bell. “Welcome!” They were greeted immediately by a male shopkeep who started walking towards them. “How may I assist you today?” Santario looked up at him with a polite smile. “Greetings, Sir, I was hoping to take a look at the newer kinds of pets that I heard you acquired recently.” The man smiled and nodded at her. “Of course, would you like to see the lizards or the spiders first?” “Under no circumstances will you bring a spider into my house! I might allow you a lizard, but we will not even entertain the notion of a spider!” Her grandmother's voice slightly more shrill than usual. The shopkeep nodded with a reassuring smile. “I promise my lady we shall show you no spiders today. Let’s go on back to the lizards. We had a female give birth not too long ago as well!”

Santario followed the shopkeep to the area where he kept the lizards and listened as the man started to explain the differences between the Girdled Lizard and the Baby Bearded Dragon. Though it didn’t take long for Santario’s eyes to land on a darker colored little lizard who burrowed itself against the glass of the terrarium and some rocks. “How about that one Grand-mère? They don’t get too terribly big, and I can keep a terrarium for her easily in my room.” She looked up at her grandmother with hopeful eyes. “Please, Grand-mère?” The woman sighed deeply with an eye roll. “Oh, alright, fine! But I don’t want to see it scurrying around my house! And you will be responsible for making sure you always have enough food for it.”

Santario looked back at the shopkeep who started to gently extract the tiny lizard, and as he touched her, the little lizard curled up into a ball and chomped on her tail. This elicited a small giggle out of Santario as she watched. “This will happen less and less as she gets used to you. Typically this happened when they are protecting themselves. Here hold out your hands.” Santario followed his instructions as he gently set the lizard in her hands. “Please pick out whatever the thing needs. Money is not an issue, only the best for our little… spiky… thing.” The shopkeep nodded and rounded up everything that they would need as well as some care instructions written down for Santario.

Not too much later, Santario left the shop with her brand new friend.
Grand-mère=Grandmother

What animal do you wish to purchase? Girdled Lizard
What do you want to name it? Kahlan
Is this a boy or a girl? Female
What is your pet's date of birth? July 15th, 2020